Best Textually Active Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 96 - Kims of the Roundtable 1:45:36

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7m ago1:45:36

1:45:36

The gang's all here! On the first classic Proles episode in a while, the crew reads through texts written by Kim Il-Sung and Kim Jong-Il. We unpack what makes Juche and the DPRK unique inheritors of the tradition of Marxism-Leninism as well as dialectical and historical materialism. Jeremy covers the Juche Idea, Tony talks governance and reuinifica…

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Ep 95 - Critical Psychology and Marx (w/ Frank, of r/counterpsych) 1:04:59

13d ago1:04:59

1:04:59

Rae and Jeremy are joined by returning guest, Frank Gruba-McCallister, for a meander through the philosophy that drives Frank's own, expanding on the role of capitalism in the human experience, as well as the ways in which Marx overlaps and applies to interpretations of mental health and healing. Frank is the co-author of The Revolutionary Psycholo…

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Ep 94 - A Textual Foundation for Aspiring Marxists (ft. Andre from Weeb Revolution) 1:30:37

29d ago1:30:37

1:30:37

This is a bit of a departure from our usual format. Rather than having a specific topic, our guest Andre will give brief summaries and reviews of a number of texts which they recommend as a foundation for anyone who is interested in Marxism or Marxism-Leninism. I would say that this is a great episode for you to share with left-n00bs who you don't …

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Ep 93 - Soviet Law: From Lenin to Stalin (ft. The Leninist Lawyer) 1:13:25

1M ago1:13:25

1:13:25

In this whirlwind episode, The Leninist Lawyer (@LovelyLeninist) takes us deep into the world of Soviet law from the 1917 Revolution to end of Stalin's life in 1953. What exactly is socialist law? Did the USSR have a jury system? And how did the Soviet legal apparatus differ from so-called Western justice? We answer all and more in this intriguing …

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Ep 92 - Anti-intellectualism, Empathy, and Hand Tattoos w/ Schizophrenic Reads 1:19:03

2M ago1:19:03

1:19:03

Rae and Jeremy sit down with Nathan from Schizophrenic Reads to talk about anti-intellectualism, radical empathy, and the ways in which our consumer culture turns us into hedonistic assholes. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO …

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The Stalin Eras: One Year Anniversary Message 2:17

2M ago2:17

2:17

The Stalin Eras: Sources & Supplemental Material: https://www.patreon.com/posts/141308561 The Stalin Eras: Bonus Episodes: https://www.patreon.com/collection/798550 The Stalin Eras: Link Tree with Playlist https://linktr.ee/thestalineras

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Ep 91 - Kollontai's "Make Way for Winged Eros" (w/ Jen [Big Nasty] from How the Red Was Won) 1:27:10

2M ago1:27:10

1:27:10

ATTENTION THEORY HEADS: this one's for you. Tony is subjected to misandry (JK, JK) as he, Rae, and Jen do a deep dive into Alexandra Kollontai's 1923 essay, "Winged Eros." They discuss misconceptions about Kollontai as a person, dating under capitalism vs socialism, the family unit, and much more. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to …

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Ep 90 - Radical Psychology 1:22:11

3M ago1:22:11

1:22:11

In this episode, we sit down with Jon and Frank to talk about their newly published edited collection, The Revolutionary Psychologist's Guide to Radical Therapy. We explore what "radical psychological practice" means, the ways capitalism undermines mental health, and why therapy without a class analysis risks hitting a dead end. Along the way, we t…

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Ep 89 - White Lotus, Knives Out, and Glass Onion: An Analysis of Anti-Capitalist "Real World" Media 1:23:55

3M ago1:23:55

1:23:55

Tony abandons the rest of the crew to their devices, and things predictably go off the rails. We talk about the weak chins of continuing series, whether or not there are encoded messages in Rian Johnson movies, and discuss the futility of anti-capitalist messaging without a political program to back it up. You can sign up at Patreon where you get a…

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Ep 88 - John Brown: Part Two 1:42:05

4M ago1:42:05

1:42:05

Tony and Jeremy sit down with Alex Z (Southern Catholic Worker) to talk about John Brown and Co, their raid on Harper's Ferry, the aftermath, and the legacy of John Brown on politics and the Civil War. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! Y…

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Ep 87 - John Brown: Part One 1:37:39

4M ago1:37:39

1:37:39

Tony and Jeremy sit down with Alex Z (Southern Catholic Worker) to talk about John Brown's early life, along with his trials and tribulations as a worker, father, and husband. This episode takes us all the way up to the period before he begins planning for the raid on Harper's Ferry (which means many skirmishes with and some broadsword swinging on …

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Ep 86 - Anti-Capitalist Sci-Fi Decoded: Andor, Hunger Games, and Severance 1:26:57

5M ago1:26:57

1:26:57

What do Andor, The Hunger Games, and Severance really say about capitalism and socialist revolution? In this episode of Prolespod, we critically examine these popular sci-fi and dystopian series through a socialist lens. We unpack the anti-capitalist themes, revolutionary narratives, and class struggle depicted in each — and ask how far these shows…

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Ep 85 - Reform or Revolution (Part II of II) 1:02:29

5M ago1:02:29

1:02:29

In this two-part Theory Episode, the ProlesPod Squad takes on one of the most influential texts in socialist history: "Reform or Revolution" (1898) by Polish-German Marxist Rosa Luxemburg. Whether you're new to political theory, find socialist texts hard to get through, or just want to hear our unique take—this deep-dive is for you. We break it dow…

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Ep 84 - Reform or Revolution (Part I of II) 1:10:21

5M ago1:10:21

1:10:21

In this two-part Theory Episode, the ProlesPod Squad takes on one of the most influential texts in socialist history: "Reform or Revolution" (1898) by Polish-German Marxist Rosa Luxemburg. Whether you're new to political theory, find socialist texts hard to get through, or just want to hear our unique take—this deep-dive is for you. We break it dow…

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Ep 83 - Iran: Draw a Line 40:51

6M ago40:51

40:51

In this very special release, Justin talked with Iranian communist and comrade, Araaz, about life in Iran, the effects of the attacks by Israel, and the context of life under the Islamic Revolutionary Government. We weren't sure what we expected this episode to be, but it surpassed those expectations. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access…

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Ep 82 - Guatemalan Guerrillas 1:16:16

6M ago1:16:16

1:16:16

Digging into his own family's background, PhD Candidate, Brandon, is our subject matter expert. He combines archival research with ethnographic interviews to bring us the history of the guerrilla struggle, focusing on the era between the early 1960s and the early 1980s. We learn about tactics, tribulation, and Trotskyite treachery. You can sign up …

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Ep 81 - One Big Blanket and Other Hilarious Anti-Communist Arguments 1:05:58

7M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

The ProlesSquad shares and responds to some of the most poorly concieved yet commonly heard anti-communist arguments! You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the aforementioned bonus episodes, TheoryBeats, and MORE! YOU CAN DO SO FOR FREE, which will get you the study guides, merch, and other random …

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Ep 80 - MMT, Austerity, and Imperialism 1:20:37

7M ago1:20:37

1:20:37

Virginia and Steve from Macro N Cheese Podcast/Real Progressives join Justin and Jeremy in a discussion of Modern Monetary Theory, how it can be used as a radicalizing tool, as well as what it means in the grand scheme of global economics. We go even more in depth on our Patreon exclusive bonus episode, so make sure you don't miss it! You can sign …

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Ep 79 - Soviet Cartoons & Raising Socialist Children 1:37:48

8M ago1:37:48

1:37:48

The Proles Squad is joined by communist Youtuber RevolutionaryTh0t to talk about their recent work on soviet children's cartoons, women's liberation in the USSR, and socialist child rearing! RevolutionaryTh0t's Youtube Channel RevolutionaryTh0t's Instagram Sign up at Patreon where you can get access to early release episodes, study guides, bonus ep…

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Ep 78 - The Stalin Eras, Part 6: Conclusions 1:09:32

8M ago1:09:32

1:09:32

In the FINAL main-feed episode of the Stalin Eras, we sat back and took a look at where we started and where we ended up. Were we successful in what we set out to do? What did we learn? What do we hope listeners learned? How did the process change us? We answer these and more. Please comment what you learned, something that surprised you. We would …

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Ep 77 - The Stalin Eras, Part 5: Criticisms and Contradictions 1:44:35

9M ago1:44:35

1:44:35

The much anticipated criticisms and contradictions episode of The Stalin Eras! In this episode we wrestle with the following controversies during Stalin's leadership of the USSR: the Gulag, anti-homosexuality laws, anti-abortion Laws, the "Final" Contradiction, and more! You don't want to miss this one! The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevL…

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Ep 76 - The Stalin Eras, Part 4: Discussion (1939-1953) 2:00:44

9M ago2:00:44

2:00:44

As "The Stalin Eras" draws to a close, we discuss, in more granular detail, Joseph Stalin's placement within the context of Soviet history, focusing on the years 1939 up to his death in 1953. Our host for this episode is (also) Jeremy, from Intervenciones Gringas! We talk accusations of imperialism, the final results of Stalin's theory of Socialism…

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Ep 75 - The Stalin Eras, Part 4.5: Long Live Comrade Stalin (1943-1953) 1:24:29

10M ago1:24:29

1:24:29

In this final narrative of "The Stalin Eras", we detail Joseph Stalin's life within the context of Soviet history through the years 1943-1953. This narrative, titled "Long Live Comrade Stalin!" covers viscerally the experience of the Soviet people during the Great Patriotic War as well as the key ingredients to their victory, the early days of the …

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Ep 74 - The Stalin Eras, Part 4: Enemy at the Gates (1939-1942) 1:23:16

10M ago1:23:16

1:23:16

In the narrative for Part 4.0 of "The Stalin Eras", we detail Joseph Stalin's life within the context of Soviet history through the years 1939-1942. This narrative, titled "Enemy at the Gates" highlights the pivotal years leading to the Nazi invasion of the USSR: the invasion of Poland, Soviet influence over the Baltics, the death of Leon Trotsky, …

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Ep 73 - January: 2025 Is It Over Yet? 1:18:27

11M ago1:18:27

1:18:27

In this episode, we switched it up a bit to discuss some of the wild events that have been happening and analyze their impact, what we think about them etc. From the "Roman Salute" to the California wildfires, we got it all here. With silliness throughout. You can sign up at Patreon where you get access to early release episodes, study guides, the …

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Ep 72 - Palestine Will Be Free 1:30:48

11M ago1:30:48

1:30:48

Ameed and Cody from Good Shepherd Collective join Rae and Jeremy in a Q&A on the conditions and complications related to the struggle of the Palestinian people. Questions were collected from you, the listener. We did our best to condense similar questions together but also to give a solid variety, across multiple topics. Some are covered in the mai…

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Ep 71 - The Stalin Eras, Part 3: Discussion (1935-1939) 1:45:06

1y ago1:45:06

1:45:06

In the Part 3 Discussion, we cover evidence for the Moscow Trials (more to come in the Part 3.5 Narrative), The Spanish Civil War, Molotov-Ribbentrop, and more. Our host is Legacy Prole, Taylor! The Stalin Eras, inspired by the classic RevLeft Radio episode "Stalin: A Marxist-Leninist Perspective, mixes both narrative history (ala Blowback) and dis…

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Ep 70 - The Stalin Eras, Part 3.5: War Is Already Here (1936-1939) 3:52:46

1y ago3:52:46

3:52:46

Our longest and most controversial episode. This narrative, titled "War Is Already Here" (using the latest archival scholarship) details the legitimacy of the controversial Moscow Trials, the origins of the "Great Terror", the climax of the Spanish Civil War, war with Japan and apocalyptically - the beginning of a second globe spanning conflict! Th…

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Ep 69 - The Stalin Eras, Part 3: Triumphs, Trials, and Tribulations (1935-1936) 1:28:39

1y ago1:28:39

1:28:39

In the narrative for Part Three of "The Stalin Eras", Tony and Jeremy detail Joseph Stalin's life within the context of Soviet history through the years 1935-1936. This narrative, titled "Triumph and Tribulations" highlights the USSR as a rising star to both the global proletariat and colonized peoples, the utter triumph of socialist construction d…

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Ep 68 - An Intermission 1:05:27

1y ago1:05:27

1:05:27

Comrades! We are hard at work on the Stalin Eras, as you all know. Part 3 in particular, given the Moscow Trials, The Military Trial, Ezhovchina, and other major topics, this episode in particular has taken a LOT of work. We have also uncovered a bunch of archival material that we hope will create context that we believe has never been presented in…

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Ep 67 - The Stalin Eras, Part 2: Discussion (1930-1934) 1:44:33

1y ago1:44:33

1:44:33

In the discussion for Part Two of "The Stalin Eras", the gang responds to questions from Jen (aka Big Nasty), host of How the Red Was Won and overall badass comrade. The years in focus are, again, 1930-1934, and based upon the previous episode (which you should listen to if you haven't already). We talk Stalin's sigma male grindset, writing letters…

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Ep 66 - The Stalin Eras, Part 2: Stewards of the Human Soul (1930-1934) 2:18:13

1y ago2:18:13

2:18:13

In the narrative for Part Two of "The Stalin Eras", Justin and Jeremy detail Soviet society and all that comes with it under Stalin's leadership from 1930-1934. This narrative, titled "Stewards of the Human Soul", covers the varied personal experiences of Soviet citizens from the center to the periphery of the USSR, the winding down of rapid indust…

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Ep 65 - The Stalin Eras, Part 1: Discussion (1917-1929) 2:26:43

1y ago2:26:43

2:26:43

Breht O'Shea, host of Revolutionary Left Radio, joins to guide a discussion based on the events covered in the narrative for Part One (which you should listen too first, if you haven't already!). In this discussion, the gang led by Rae and Jeremy answer wide ranging questions about the nature of Stalin's rise to prominence in the party, Lenin's dea…

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Ep 64 - The Stalin Eras, Part 1: Reconstruction In One Country (1917-1929) 56:50

1y ago56:50

56:50

In the narrative for Part One of "The Stalin Eras", Rae and Jeremy detail Joseph Stalin's life within the context of Soviet history through the monumental years of 1917-1929. This narrative, titled "Reconstruction In One Country", covers Soviet history from the early days of the October Revolution, through the Civil War and Imperialist intervention…

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Ep 63 - The Stalin Eras: An Introduction (1878-1917) 42:47

1y ago42:47

42:47

In this introductory episode we cover the who, what, where, and why of "The Stalin Eras", a multi-part series on the life and times of Joseph Stalin. In addition, we also lay the foundations of young Stalin's life: from his humble birth in 1878 to his revolutionary career leading into the October Revolution of 1917. This first narrative of the seri…

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Ep 62 - A Very Special ProlesPod: Behind The Iron Curtain 1:02:37

1+ y ago1:02:37

1:02:37

As we are VERY busy working on the Stalin Eras series which premiers as early release for paid Patreon subscribers on September 18, and for the main feed September 23, we did not feel that we could do a typical episode justice. Instead, we decided to put together an episode of short clips from almost all of our bonus content that is available to pa…

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Ep 61 - Foundations of Leninism 2:26:00

1+ y ago2:26:00

2:26:00

Join the Proles and friend of the pod, Joel, for our first ever episode focused solely on a theory text. If you've been following along with the TheoryBeats project on Patreon, you already know the text. It is the the monumental "Foundations of Leninism" by Joseph Stalin. Rae takes the lead on this one. We'll take you through each of the nine secti…

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Ep 60 - Ukraine: Descent to Fascism 1:22:38

1+ y ago1:22:38

1:22:38

CW: This episode contains frank discussions of murder, torture, and sexual assault of both adults and children, primarily in the context of anti-semitic pogroms against Jewish people. Please proceed carefully through the episode or skip it entirely if any of these things may be difficult for you to hear. Justin picks up where Jeremy left off to cov…

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Ep 59 - Ukraine: Birth of a Nationalism 1:43:05

1+ y ago1:43:05

1:43:05

CW: This episode contains frank discussions of murder, torture, and sexual assault of both adults and children, primarily in the context of anti-semitic pogroms against Jewish people. Please proceed carefully through the episode or skip it entirely if any of these things may be difficult for you to hear. To signal the depravity of racist language i…

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EP 58 - Indigenous Resistance in the Ecuadorian Amazon 1:43:09

1+ y ago1:43:09

1:43:09

For this episode we're joined by guest expert Beth Pitts for a journey into the heart of the Ecuadorian Amazon. We're talking about the past, present, and future of indigenous resistance in Ecuador to begin to think about what their struggle can teach us, the benefits and limitations of taking legal action against the imperial nation-state, and the…

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Ep 57 - Taiwan: A Short Long History 1:24:03

1+ y ago1:24:03

1:24:03

Charles Xu joins the show to give us a whirlwind tour of the history of Taiwan starting from about 15,000 years ago to the late 1980s to explain to us the origins of the current tensions between China and the West (led by the United States of America, ofcourse) that has been recklessly escalating to a war! The history covered here is covered in muc…

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EP 56 - CIA, MK Ultra, and U.S. Psychopathy 1:39:52

1+ y ago1:39:52

1:39:52

CW - This episode, almost from start to finish, tells a lot of horrific stories of both physical and mental abuse and mutilation of some of the most marginalized and at-risk types of folks. If this is something that will be difficult to get through for you, please skip the episode or take it slow. In this episode, we discuss a topic that is widely …

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EP 55 - Latvia's Red Partisans of World War II 1:19:53

1+ y ago1:19:53

1:19:53

We are joined by Iskolat to discuss the heroric struggle of Latvia's Red Partisans during World War II - also known as the Great Patriotic War. For years this communist resistance stifled and sabotaged the Nazi occupation of Latvia. Focusing on the rarely discussed era of the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic, we connect it's past to it's present w…

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UNLOCKED - TheoryBeats 7:07

1+ y ago7:07

7:07

The unveiling of TheoryBeats, a new project by ProlesPod and DJ DTA. Let us know what you think! To get all future TheoryBeats, you can sign up for any paid tier at the Patreon. There are a number of other cool perks and more on the way! FoL Pt 1 Read by - Jeremy Music by - DJ DTA

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EP 54 - X-Men 97: A Marxist Perspective 1:29:20

1+ y ago1:29:20

1:29:20

In this episode of the podcast, we are joined by Evan from Left of the Projector Podcast to delve into a Marxist analysis of the new animated series X-Men '97. We explore the show's portrayal of the mutant struggle through a Marxist lens, examining characters like Magneto and Professor X as representations of different revolutionary strategies. We …

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Ep 53 - SCAMLO or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Train 2:03:16

1+ y ago2:03:16

2:03:16

In this episode, we're joined by our two newest co-hosts, Rae and Martín, to take the Proles' first trip to Mexico. In this wide-ranging episode, we cover a (brief) workers' history of Mexico, the rise of the current president AMLO, what his presidency has meant for Mexican people, and some insight on the upcoming presidential election. There were …

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Ep 52 - Scotland 2: Die Harder 1:05:36

1+ y ago1:05:36

1:05:36

In this episode, the Scottish comrades return to discuss the revolutionary life of John Maclean. No, not that one... or that one. The Scottish revolutionary that spent his entire life fighting for the proletariat and who was in jail when British fascist Winston Churchill rolled tanks on Glasgow during the Battle of George Square to destroy the voic…

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Ep 51 - Scotland: The Early Years 1:13:07

1+ y ago1:13:07

1:13:07

In this episode, El discusses the birth and development of the proletariat within Scottland, as well as the ways in which the nobility and the British empire sabotaged them time and again. Thank you for listening! Please rate and review to help us extend our reach. You can follow us on the socials. If you'd like, you can sign up for free at our pat…

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Ep 50 - The Subversion of East Germany (1945-1961) 1:05:55

1+ y ago1:05:55

1:05:55

In this long awaited return of the show the gang revisits East Germany, with new Proles co-host and host of Actually Existing Socialism - Tony - giving us a guide through attempts by Western capitalist nations to subvert the East German state from the post-war period to the installation of the Berlin Wall. Spoiler alert: It all goes back to the 5 D…

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Ep 49 - ProlesPod: A Re-Introduction 53:40

2y ago53:40

53:40

In this episode, the new gang (so far) introduces themselves, and Jeremy briefly recounts the history of Proles as well as what we're doing differently this time, based on lessons we learned. Please subscribe on your favorite podcast catcher and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @prolespod…