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This is a free preview of the episode "Iran Pt. 5: Is the US-Iran Deal a Trap for Iran? w/ Elina Xenophontos" You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to, access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. In Part 5 of our ongoing series on Iran, Elina Xenophontos joins us to discuss the US-Iran deal and what it could mean for Iran's economic sovereignty. Elina Xenophontos is an international law and economic globalization specialist. She produces much of her own material on her Substack and is also featured regularly on the Colonial Outcasts podcast.  Our conversation begins with a brief overview of how Iran and the United States got to this point, leading up to the current deal that is being negotiated. Elina unpacks the various terms of the current agreement before discussing how one element of it, the $300 billion reconstruction and economic development fund, is an attempt to impose a form of neocolonial imperialism onto Iran by injecting Western capital into Iran's strategic sectors. We tie this agreement into the broader geopolitical context, looking at how the United States is attempting to sustain itself, maintain its global hegemony, and prevent China's growing influence and tying in Venezuela and Cuba. Elina outlines the strategic role that Iran plays in China's Belt and Road Initiative and how the United States is attempting to disrupt China's growing influence. Elina then describes the threats to the petrodollar posed by Iran's strategic alliances and how the United States is attempting to intervene in these alliances.  We end by discussing how this deal potentially threatens Iran's anti-imperialist unity and its role in the Axis of Resistance and explore how this deal and Iran's potential liberalization are being grappled with internally by the Islamic Republic's different political factions. Further resources: Elina Xenophontos on Substack Support Elina's work on Patreon Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on Iran Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba Listen to our ongoing series on Venezuela Listen to our ongoing series on China The Rise (and Fall) of the US Dollar w/ Fadhel Kaboub Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

The hyper-individual, anti-collectivist ideology that defines and permeates Western societies has profound consequences in multiple realms, from mental health to ecological health to economic health—it's a way of living and thinking that has stained our society from the start. No one knows this more than those individuals and cultures who have, for thousands of years, practiced life in a different way. And among those are many Indigenous cultures and nations which have prioritized a way of life that emphasizes the collective over the individual—not erasing the individual, but weaving the individual back into the fabric of society and the web of life.  One of the defining questions of our time is this: how can we learn from Indigenous wisdom to reimagine the world? How can we reimagine the scarcity, competition, and hoarding that defines Western society and replace these values with reciprocity, interconnectedness, and gratitude? And how does connecting with the natural world help us as we reimagine? This is the question asked in the latest book by Robin Wall Kimmerer: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World. And we've brought on a terrific guest to help us unpack Robin's book and share their own wisdom and experience in relation to it.  Gregg Castro is the Culture Director for the Association of Ramaytush Ohlone and a writer and activist within the California Indigenous community focusing on issues regarding cultural preservation, protection, education and traditional practices.  In this conversation, Della and Gregg talk about their insights and takeaways from The Serviceberry while sharing about their own experiences. Gregg tells us about his childhood growing up in the South San Francisco Bay Area—a region once known for its vast orchards—and talks about how the natural world and the traditional wisdom of his ancestors has shaped his life and his values. They talk about key takeaways from the Indigenous practices and principles of the potlatch, the honorable harvest, and seven generation thinking. And finally, they explore how we can all unplug, unwind, and contribute to a more just and beautiful world based on the lessons of nature and Indigenous wisdom. Further Resources Association of Ramaytush Ohlone The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World, by Robin Wall Kimmerer, Illustrated by John Burgoyne Related Episodes: Debunking the Myth of Homo economicus (Documentary) Our Struggles are Your Struggles: Stories of Indigenous Resistance & Regeneration (Documentary) Intermission music: "Tsitsutsa Tsigesv (When I was a Boy)" by Agalisiga Artwork: John Burgoyne Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "China Pt. 9: Taiwan w/ Charles Xu and Feiyang Sun." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to, access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. In this episode we're joined by Charles Xu and Feiyang Sun for a conversation on Taiwan. Charles Xu is a member of Qiao Collective and Sovereign Media. Feiyang Sun is a member of Qiao Collective. Our conversation begins with an introduction to Taiwan geographically and historically prior to the modern period and into the early modern period, including the colonization by Japan in the early 20th century—disputing certain Taiwan separatist arguments along the way. We then revisit the Chinese Civil War, discussing the Communist Party of China (CPC) and The Kuomintang (KMT) as opposing forces and situating Taiwan within this history up to the revolution in 1949, including the KMT's retreat to Taiwan and the terror campaign that ensued on the island.  We discuss the role that the United States played in this history leading up to the revolution, and then the emergence of Taiwan as a counterrevolutionary force for US imperialism during the Cold War and into the present. We explore what KMT rule in Taiwan looked like until the transition out of martial law in the 1980s and the contending class conflicts and political landscape of Taiwan into contemporary times. We then discuss the "One China" policy, the tensions between the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the Republic of China (ROC) in Taipei both domestically and internationally, and introduce the Taiwanese independence movement.  We then discuss the military exercises in the South China Sea, United States arms sales to Taiwan, and other current events before concluding on why the question of Taiwan is a crucial one for the Western, anti-imperialist left. Further resources: Qiao Collective Sovereign Media Taiwan—An Anti-Imperialist Resource by Qiao Collective The two main demographic groups on Taiwan that Charles mentions are the běnshěngrén (本省人) and the wàishěngrén (外省人). More on Taiwan's demographics here On AIPAC ties with Taiwan separatists (Qiao Collective) Thread addressing misconceptions about Taiwan (Qiao Collective) Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on China Thank you to Qiao Collective for the cover art. Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In this episode we're joined by Fadhel Kaboub for a conversation about the US dollar, its hegemony over the globe, and the emerging challenges to this hegemony. Fadhel Kaboub is a Tunisian-American economist, professor of economics at Denison University, president of the Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity, and author of Global South Perspectives on substack. The conversation opens with a historical overview of how the US dollar became the dominant global currency and the power that this brought with it—exploring the petrodollar, the use of sanctions, and other neocolonial mechanisms upheld by the dollar. We then introduce BRICS and exploring how BRICS challenges US dollar hegemony and the limitations to this challenge.  Fadhel then unpacks the ways that US dollar hegemony is and can continue to be challenges through focusing on food sovereignty, energy sovereignty, and industrial/technological sovereignty, which Fadhel unpacks in depth. We then explore some examples of attempts to achieve this kind of sovereignty, beginning with the Alliance of Sahel States and their successes and challenges in seeking sovereignty but looking also at Iran, Cuba, and China. We explore some concrete examples of how not just the dollar but other colonial currencies both past and present have been utilized to subjugate people and states in the Global South, focusing on the CFA Franc. Fadhel then gives us a sense of the better world that can exist outside of the neocolonial, imperialist structures that dominate today and how that world can be achieved in a concrete way. Further resources: Global South Perspectives (Fadhel Kaboub's Substack) Global Institute for Sustainable Prosperity Related episodes: Our ongoing series on the Alliance of Sahel States Our ongoing series on Iran Our ongoing series on Cuba Our ongoing series on China Intermission music: "Capitalocene" by Wes Carroll Confabulation Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "Cuba Pt. 8: Lessons from the Fall of the USSR w/ Helen Yaffe." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. In this episode, part 8 of our ongoing Cuba series, we're joined again by Helen Yaffe for a conversation exploring the lessons Cuba learned from the crisis brought on by the fall of the USSR—known as Cuba's "special period". Helen Yaffe is a professor of Latin American political economy at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World, and Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution. She is also the cohost of the Cuba Analysis podcast and the documentary "Cuba's life task: combating climate change." Our conversation begins with an introduction to Cuba's "special period", the period of economic crisis in Cuba which occurred as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Helen gives us some context on how closely entwined Cuba's economy was to its primary trading partner, the Soviet Union, before describing how this partnership was impacted in 1991 and what this meant for Cuba more broadly.  Before we discuss the ways that Cuba adapted to the loss of the USSR, we discuss how the United States took advantage of the crisis in 1991 to strengthen sanctions through mechanisms like the Torricelli Act and the Helms-Burton Act while also engaging in outright terrorism out of Miami—including the "Brothers to the Rescue" incident (and the CIA-trained terrorist network within which it was situated) that serves as the pretext for the Trump administration's recent indictment of Raúl Castro. Helen then goes on to describe in more detail the impacts on Cuba of the fall of the USSR and takes some time to talk about how Cubans adapted in the midst of this crisis, drawing from both her scholarly work and also from her experience living in Cuba during this period. We end by discussing the Cuban medical brigades and how this program adapted in the post-Soviet era, particularly in shaping Cuba's relationship with many states in Latin America and reshaping its own economy, before drawing lessons for the current crisis facing Cuba. Further resources: Cuba Analysis podcast We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "Cuba Pt. 8: Lessons from the Fall of the USSR w/ Helen Yaffe." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. In this episode, part 8 of our ongoing Cuba series, we're joined again by Helen Yaffe for a conversation exploring the lessons Cuba learned from the crisis brought on by the fall of the USSR—known as Cuba's "special period". Helen Yaffe is a professor of Latin American political economy at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World, and Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution. She is also the cohost of the Cuba Analysis podcast and the documentary "Cuba's life task: combatting climate change." Our conversation begins with an introduction to Cuba's "special period", the period of economic crisis in Cuba which occurred as a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Helen gives us some context on how closely entwined Cuba's economy was to its primary trading partner, the Soviet Union, before describing how this partnership was impacted in 1991 and what this meant for Cuba more broadly.  Before we discuss the ways that Cuba adapted to the loss of the USSR, we discuss how the United States took advantage of the crisis in 1991 to strengthen sanctions through mechanisms like the Torricelli Act and the Helms-Burton Act while also engaging in outright terrorism out of Miami—including the "Brothers to the Rescue" incident (and the CIA-trained terrorist network within which it was situated) that serves as the pretext for the Trump administration's recent indictment of Raúl Castro. Helen then goes on to describe in more detail the impacts on Cuba of the fall of the USSR and takes some time to talk about how Cubans adapted in the midst of this crisis, drawing from both her scholarly work and also from her experience living in Cuba during this period. We end by discussing the Cuban medical brigades and how this program adapted in the post-Soviet era, particularly in shaping Cuba's relationship with many states in Latin America and reshaping its own economy, before drawing lessons for the current crisis facing Cuba. Further resources: Cuba Analysis podcast We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In this episode, part 7 of our ongoing series on Cuba, we're joined by Helen Yaffe for a conversation exploring what the attempts to build socialism in Cuba look like in a practical sense—from housing to food distribution to economic management. Helen Yaffe is a professor of Latin American political economy at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World, and Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution. She is also the cohost of the Cuba Analysis podcast and the documentary  Cuba's Life Task: combating climate change. The episode begins by bringing back the lens and exploring what we mean when we talk about socialism and communism and transitional states, inserting the centrality of development and underdevelopment into the conversation of building socialism and situating Cuba into this framework. We break down the main components of Cuban socialism which including central planning, the decentralization of feedback mechanisms (deep democracy), the commitment to social welfare with a particular emphasis on medical advancements and technology, science, etc. We then break down how these components existed within the different stages of Cuba's attempts to lay the foundations for socialism, focusing on the different experiments with their economic management system from the 1960s to the early 1990s as Cuba pulled towards and then away from the Soviet economic management model and what this meant.  We then explore the concept of motivation and salaries and how this works under socialism without profit incentives or wage incentives or other material incentives, exploring how Cuba navigated these issues by focusing specifically on its salary system. We go on to discuss the complexities of how housing and food distribution is arranged under Cuba's socialist system and the challenges that Cuba faced during the period leading up to the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is where we will pick up the conversation with Helen next week in our Patreon episode exploring Cuba's "Special Period." Further resources: We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution Critique of the Gotha Programme, Karl Marx 1875 The Power Of Community: How Cuba Survived Peak Oil (2006) Cuban Bees: The Organic Revolution Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism w/ Torkil Lauesen Intermission music: "Baila con mi Rumba" by Roberto Carcassés Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "Cuba Pt. 6: The Political Thought of Fidel Castro w/ Renzo Llorente." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. In this episode we're joined by Renzo Llorente for a conversation on the political thought of Fidel Castro. Renzo Llorente is associate professor of philosophy at Saint Louis University-Madrid and the author of the books The Political Theory of Che Guevara and The Political Thought of Fidel Castro, which we'll be discussing in today's episode. Our conversation begins with a brief introduction to Fidel Castro before diving into his political thought. Renzo gives us a sense of how Fidel was radicalized and how Marxism-Leninism and anti-imperialism became part of his ideological makeup. We explore his views on Latin America and his belief that Latin America should form a unified bloc similar to what the European Union is. We then discuss his views on religion before comparing and contrasting his overall ideological orientation with that driving the Soviet Union—exploring how Cuba both adopted and rejected aspects of the Soviet model of socialism (this exploration dovetails with Pt. 3 of this series where we explore Che Guevara's contributions to building socialism in Cuba with Helen Yaffe).  Renzo then takes some time to explore the similarities and differences between Fidel Castro and Joseph Stalin—responding to claims from both the left and the right that Fidel was a "Stalinist" or that his leadership resembled Stalin's in the most negative ways of Stalin's leadership. We then explore what Fidel actually thought of Stalin and how he viewed the term "Stalinism." We end with an exploration of Fidel's ecological approach to Marxism, his views on racial justice and gender oppression, and his approach to undoing the racism present that stained pre-revolutionary Cuba. Further resources: The Political Thought of Fidel Castro, by Renzo Llorente The Political Theory of Che Guevara, by Renzo Llorente Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba Listen to our ongoing series on the Alliance of Sahel States Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In this episode, part 5 of our ongoing series on Cuba, we're joined by Manolo De Los Santos & Liz Oliva Fernández for a conversation exploring the current state of the island and how Cubans are responding to Trump's oil blockade. Manolo De Los Santos is a founder of the People's Forum and a researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is the co-editor Viviremos: Venezuela vs. Hybrid War, Comrade of the Revolution: Selected Speeches of Fidel Castro, and Our Own Path to Socialism: Selected Speeches of Hugo Chávez. Liz Oliva Fernández is a Havana-based journalist with Belly of the Beast (a U.S.-based independent media outlet) and the presenter of The War on Cuba.  The first half of the episode is our conversation with Manolo De Los Santos and begins with him recounting what he witnessed and experienced during his recent trips to Cuba. Manolo brings us up to date on the Trump regime's efforts to impose blockades and sanctions on Cuba and then describes what the impact of these assaults look like on the ground on the island. He then tells about the Cuban people's efforts at not just surviving these assaults but continuing to resist and build decentralized networks of support while also working on a centralized scale to continue to organize and build socialism. Finally we look at the global implications of the United States' efforts to subjugate Cuba and tie things together by understanding the war on Cuba as part of the opening salvos of a new Cold War with China.  In the second half of our conversation Liz Oliva Fernández joins us from Cuba to go further into depth regarding what life is like on the island. We discuss the dynamics of energy and solar while being realistic about its short term limitations. We explore the violence that is imposed on Cuba by the United States and bring into relief the toll it has taken on the Cuban psyche. Liz tells us about the various efforts of the Cuban people to resist the United States and gives us a sense of both the exhaustion and the drive towards resistance that is present on the island today. Further resources: ¡Cuba Vive! A Night of Music & Solidarity Let Cuba Liva: Donate The People's Forum Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research Belly of the Beast Related episodes: Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba Listen to our ongoing series on China Listen to our ongoing series on Iran Listen to our ongoing series on Venezuela Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism w/ Torkil Lauesen." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast As a Patreon subscriber you'll get access to at least one bonus episode a month (usually two or three), our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, early access to certain episodes, and other benefits like stickers and bumper stickers—depending on which tier you subscribe to. access to bi-weekly bonus episodes ranging from conversations to readings and more. Signing up for Patreon is a great way to make Upstream a weekly show, and it will also give you access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes along with stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. You'll also be helping to keep Upstream sustainable and allowing us to keep this project going. In this episode we're joined by Torkil Lauesen for a wide ranging conversation exploring what the transition towards socialism has looked historically like and continues to look like to this day. Torkil Lauesen is the author of multiple books including The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism and Unequal Exchange: Past, Present, and Future—both published by the great folks at Iskra Books.  Our conversation begins with an overview of Torkil's thesis in The Long Transition—that the shift between modes of production, be it feudalism and capitalism or capitalism and socialism, does not happen in short-term time frames but rather unfolds over longer periods of time in messy, overlapping fits and starts. The rest of the conversation follows the trajectory of the book by taking individual examples of revolutionary moments and attempts at building socialism and connecting them over time as nodes and learning lessons in the long struggle for socialism waged by revolutionaries across the globe. We begin with the largely unsuccessful revolutions of 1848 in Europe, looking at the "hungry 40s" which led to many social and national upheavals which ultimately did not result of socialist revolution but liberal reform. We explore the lessons learned from the Paris Commune and the emergence of the dictatorship of the proletariat as a crucial element in socialist revolutionary theory, the lessons learned from the failed European revolutions at the beginning of the 20th century, the rise of fascism and the betrayal of the social democrats, and the "socialism in one country" approach of the Soviet Union under Stalin. We then shift the conversation towards China, first exploring the Cultural Revolution and the lessons that process provided for the movement towards socialism, and then taking a deeper dive into China's role as a "transitionary state" somewhere between capitalism and socialism. Finally, Torkil reflects on China's ability to enter into an advanced stage of socialism and lays out the stakes on which this transition depends on.  Further resources: The Long Transition Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism, Torkil Lauesen Unequal Exchange: Past, Present, and Future, Torkil Lauesen The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte, Marx The State and Revolution, Lenin Related episodes: Historical Materialism w/ Torkil Lauesen Towards Socialism and the End of Capitalism: An Introduction Listen to our ongoing series on Iran Listen to our ongoing series on China Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.