Varn Vlog

In this installment of the National Fronts series on VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by writing partner Brandon Lightly to deliver a comprehensive historical and materialist deconstruction of Peronism (Justicialism) in Argentina.Varn and Lightly trace the evolution of Juan Domingo Perón’s movement from the 1943 military coup (GOU) and his time in the Department of Labor to his 1946 democratic election and the charismatic role of Eva "Evita" Perón to his death and its aftermath. Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Rise of Justicialism: How Juan Perón leveraged labor courts, paid leave, and state-backed collective bargaining to formalize the Argentine working class.Third Positionism (Tercera Posición): Attempting to carve out national economic sovereignty independent of both US imperialism and Soviet communism.The Split of Peronism: The violent 1970s ideological rupture between the revolutionary socialist Montoneros and the orthodox, anti-communist trade union right.Work Cited:Finchelstein, F. (2014). From Fascism to Populism in History. UC Press.Germani, G. (1978). Authoritarianism, Fascism, and National Populism. Transaction.Laclau, E. (2005). On Populist Reason. Verso.Marxist Theory & BonapartismMarx, K. (1852/1978). The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte. Norton.Peña, M. (1971). Masas, Caudillos y Elites. Fichas.Ramos, J. A. (1957). Revolución y Contrarrevolución en la Argentina. Plus Ultra.Trotsky, L. (1938–39/1973). Problems of the Latin American Revolution. Pathfinder.Gillespie, R. (1982). Soldiers of Perón: Argentina's Montoneros. Oxford UP.Hodges, D. C. (1976). Argentina, 1943–1976. UNM Press.James, D. (1988). Resistance and Integration. Cambridge UP.Political Economy, ISI, & "Stop-Go" CyclesDiamand, M. (1972). La estructura productiva desequilibrada argentina. Desarrollo Económico.Díaz-Alejandro, C. F. (1970). Essays on the Economic History of the Argentine Republic. Yale UP.Gerchunoff, P., & Llach, L. (1998). El Ciclo de la Ilusión y el Desencanto. Ariel.O'Donnell, G. (1978). State and Alliances in Argentina, 1956–1976. J. Dev. Stud.Prebisch, R. (1950). The Economic Development of Latin America. UN.Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by veteran sociologist, author, and activist Dr. Charles Derber (Boston College) to discuss his book Wired for Authoritarianism: American Oligarchies and How to Rewire America for the People (Routledge).Dr. Derber traces the structural roots of American authoritarianism from the medieval Magna Carta ("Articles of the Barons") to the propertied design of the U.S. Constitution. Deconstructing the myth of an exceptional constitutional democracy, Derber and Varn examine how the U.S. evolved through three distinct corporate regimes. They detail how the historic model of covert authoritarianism—governing through elite shadow networks, social clubs, think tanks, and corporate personhood via the Fourteenth Amendment—has transformed into the overt authoritarianism of modern tech oligarchs and permanent emergency powers. Finally, they explore why defeating Trumpism requires addressing the loneliness, isolation, and loss of social capital ("sociocide") driving authoritarian politics. Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Anti-Democratic Constitution: How James Madison and Thomas Jefferson drew on the Magna Carta to insulate propertied elites from majority rule.Covert vs. Overt Authoritarianism: The structural transition from ruling behind democratic veneers to transparent billionaire governance.The Architecture of Shadow Networks: How elite social clubs (Bohemian Club), policy institutes (CFR), and corporate think tanks coordinate state policy outside formal elections.The Corporate Fourteenth Amendment: How post-Civil War legal precedents (Santa Clara) transformed citizen protections into corporate personhood and dark-money dominance.Overcoming "Sociocide": Why rebuilding community, mutual aid, and working-class social capital is essential to defeating the appeal of cult-like authoritarian leaders. Links & SupportPatreon: Support VarnVlog on Patreon to access exclusive classes, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogOrder: Order my new mini-book with Daniel Tutt, "The People Are Not One," available now via Revol Press: https://www.revolpress.com/people-not-oneGuest Book: Check out Charles Derber's Wired for Authoritarianism via Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Wired-for-Authoritarianism-American-Oligarchies-and-How-to-Rewire-America-for-the-People/Derber/p/book/9781032766348Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by psychiatrist, writer, and political commentator Dr. Tad Tietze (co-author of Left Flank) to unpack the evolving dynamics of anti-politics and hyperpolitics across the Western world.Tietze revisits his foundational framework distinguishing anti-politics from below, anti-politics from above, and anti-politics as social revolution. Engaging with the work of political scientist Peter Mair (Ruling the Void) and Anton Jäger (Hyperpolitics), Varn and Tietze explore why the historical era of mass party democracy has collapsed, leaving political elites "weightless" and voters fundamentally alienated from the state. They examine the structural limits of both left and right populism (from Syriza and Podemos to Sanders, Corbyn, and Trump) and trace how Karl Marx's early critique of the bourgeois state clarifies our contemporary political impasse.Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Three Forms of Anti-Politics: Distinguishing grassroots anti-political sentiment, elite political entrepreneurship, and systemic social transformation.Anti-Politics vs. Hyperpolitics: Why an era lacking deep social organization feels relentlessly, invasively politicized.The Breakdown of Mass Democracy: Applying Peter Mair’s thesis to understand how the severed link between civil society and the state created hollow party cartels.The Limits of Left Populism: Why projects like Syriza, Podemos, and Sanders failed to build lasting working-class counter-power.Marx's Critique of the State: How the separation of civil society from the political sphere produces systemic alienation and managerial governance.Links & SupportPatreon: Support VarnVlog on Patreon to access exclusive classes, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogOrder: Order my new mini-book with Daniel Tutt, "The People Are Not One," available now via Revol Press: https://www.revolpress.com/people-not-oneGuest Links: Follow Dr. Tad Tietze on X/Twitter at @dr_tad and read his work at the Left Flank blog: https://left-flank.org.Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by Howard Polskin, veteran media analyst, journalist, and founder/chief curator of The Righting.Polskin details his daily work monitoring, curating, and analyzing the headlines, narratives, and editorial strategies driving conservative and right-wing media. Together, they dissect the structural shift from legacy conservative outlets (National Review, Breitbart) to the decentralized creator economy on Substack, Rumble, TikTok, and podcasting platforms. They trace the information pipeline that moves fringe social media outrage into mainstream coverage and national political rhetoric, evaluate the collapse of traditional fact-checking in a "post-truth" landscape, and examine how conservative outlets frame foreign policy, culture wars, and electoral politics.Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Evolution of Conservative Media: Tracing the transition from AM talk radio and heritage publications to algorithmic creator platforms and newsletters.The Outrage Business Model: Why high-friction, emotive opinion content outcompetes expensive fact-based local reporting in the digital attention economy.The Narrative Pipeline: How obscure blog posts and viral clips travel through aggregators like The Gateway Pundit and The New York Post directly into national speeches and cable segments.The Limits of Fact-Checking: Why legacy debunking operations fail against siloed, hyper-polarized media ecosystems.Emerging Fault Lines: Analyzing internal conservative media dynamics around foreign interventions, military leadership, and electoral integrity narratives.Links & SupportPatreon: Support VarnVlog on Patreon to access exclusive classes, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogOrder: Order my new mini-book with Daniel Tutt, "The People Are Not One," available now via Revol Press: https://www.revolpress.com/people-not-oneGuest Link: Read and subscribe to Howard Polskin's daily media newsletter at The Righting.Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn is joined by political scientist and author Dr. Matt McManus (Spelman College) to discuss his books What Is Liberal Socialism? (Repeater Books) and Analytical Marxism and Democratic Socialism in the 21st Century (co-authored with Ben Burgis).McManus unpacks the historical and philosophical tensions between liberalism and socialism, tracing how Cold War binaries obscured nineteenth-century liberal-socialist traditions (John Stuart Mill, Eduard Bernstein). Varn and McManus explore the feasibility of synthesizing Karl Marx’s critique of power and political economy with John Rawls’s normative framework of "justice as fairness" and property-owning democracy. The conversation also delves into G.A. Cohen’s critique of the "obstetric thesis" (historical inevitabilism), Charles W. Mills’s critique of racial liberalism, and Charles Taylor’s defense of modern universalist ethics against reactionary pre-modern nostalgia. Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Roots of Liberal Socialism: How Cold War liberalism artificially separated liberal commitments to individual freedom from socialist economic democratization.Rawls Meets Marx: Bridging Rawls's normative basic structure with Marx's analysis of class power, ideology, and institutional exploitation.G.A. Cohen & The Death of Inevitability: Why abandoning the "obstetric thesis" forced analytical Marxists to construct rigorous moral justifications for democratic socialism.Racial Liberalism & Charles W. Mills: Confronting the racial exclusions of classical liberal theory while retrieving universalist emancipatory promises.Modern Universalism vs. Pre-Modern Hierarchy: Drawing on Charles Taylor to challenge post-liberal, reactionary defenses of "hierarchical complementarity".Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn sits down with scholar Max Wade to dive deep into ancient philosophy, exploring the evolution, metaphysics, and lasting legacy of Neoplatonism.Together, they unpack the shift from Plato’s classical dialogues—such as the Republic and the Parmenides—to the systematized, highly technical metaphysical frameworks developed by late antique Neoplatonists like Plotinus and Proclus. They discuss the historical periodizations of Platonism, the role of commentary traditions, the friction between Neoplatonists and Gnostics, and how Neoplatonic thought secretly shaped early modern philosophy, German Idealism, and French Spiritualism.Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Trajectory of Platonism: How Platonism evolved from the early aporetic dialogues through Middle Platonism (Plutarch, the Timaeus) to the Neoplatonism of Plotinus and Proclus.Plotinus vs. Proclus: The differences in their approach to the "One," the immortality of the soul, and the role of theurgy (god-magic) and ritual.The Anti-Commentary Bias: How 18th-century Protestant historiography led to a modern neglect of Neoplatonist commentary traditions.Polemics with the Gnostics: Why Plotinus actively critiqued Gnostics and Christians who viewed the physical world as inherently evil.Enduring Legacy: How Neoplatonism influenced Augustine, Pseudo-Dionysius, the Renaissance humanists (Ficino), the Cambridge Platonists, and French Spiritualism (Bergson). Links & SupportPatreon: Support VarnVlog on Patreon to access exclusive classes, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogOrder: Order my new mini-book with Daniel Tutt, "The People Are Not One," available now via Revol Press: https://www.revolpress.com/people-not-oneGuest Links: Find Max Wade's academic articles and popular writing at https://maxwade.online.Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn sits down with historian, writer, and independent scholar Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt (author of Masterless Men: Poor Whites and Slavery in the Antebellum South) to discuss her new book, "An Inconvenient Woman: The Extraordinary Life of Lillian Smith, The Southerner Who Defied Jim Crow America" (St. Martin's Press).Together, they explore the life and legacy of Lillian Smith—a radical Southern white woman, educator, and writer who publicly called for complete integration long before it was widely accepted. From running the avant-garde Laurel Falls Camp in Appalachia alongside her lifelong partner Paula Snelling, to publishing Black writers in South Today, and writing the explosive, best-selling novel Strange Fruit and the psychological critique Killers of the Dream, Merritt and Varn unpack the rich, often erased history of Southern anti-racism, class solidarity, and radical dissent.Featured Topics & Takeaways:Rediscovering Lillian Smith: Why one of the earliest white Southern voices for integration was marginalized and erased from mainstream history.Laurel Falls Camp: How Smith and Paula Snelling turned a girls' summer camp into a progressive space for free speech, critical inquiry, and racial tolerance.The Intersections of Class & Race: Smith's groundbreaking analysis in essays like "Two Men and a Bargain" on how wealthy elites used racial division to stifle labor solidarity.Censorship & Strange Fruit: The national backlash, banning, and massive success of Smith's 1944 novel addressing interracial love and lynching.Psychology of White Supremacy: Smith’s use of trauma psychology and Freudian theory in Killers of the Dream to explain the psychological toll of racism on white Southerners. Links & SupportPatreon: Support VarnVlog on Patreon to access exclusive classes, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogOrder: Order my new mini-book with Daniel Tutt, "The People Are Not One," available now via Revol Press: https://www.revolpress.com/people-not-oneGuest Links: Check out Dr. Keri Leigh Merritt’s books and work at https://kerileighmerritt.com/Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn is joined by Scott Parkin (organizing director at Rainforest Action Network and co-host of the Green & Red Podcast) and Dr. Thomas Zeitzoff (professor at American University's School of Public Affairs and author of No Option But Sabotage).Together, they explore the history of the radical environmental and animal liberation movements from the 1980s through today. They unpack the evolution from Earth First! to the Earth Liberation Front (ELF) and Animal Liberation Front (ALF), discussing the deep subcultural roots in punk rock and zine culture, the philosophical splits over deep ecology versus social ecology, the impact of the 1999 Seattle WTO protests, and the post-9/11 "Green Scare" state repression. Finally, they examine how state repression tactics continue to evolve today amidst anti-data center resistance and contemporary climate activism.Featured Topics & Takeaways:Defining Radical Environmentalism: Why radicalism is defined by a systemic critique and strategy—not just tactics.The Evolution of Eco-Radicalism: Tracing the shift from 1980s Earth First! wilderness defense to 1990s ELF/ALF direct action and sabotage.Subculture & Politics: The vital role of the 1980s/90s hardcore punk scene, zines, and DIY culture in socializing young activists prior to the internet era.State Repression & The Green Scare: How post-9/11 terrorism frameworks and corporate lobbying (such as the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act) were used to target eco-activists.The Modern Landscape: Where the climate justice movement stands today, the rise of anti-data center resistance, and changing thresholds for state prosecution.Guest Links: Check out Scott Parkin's work at the Green & Red Podcast (https://greenandredpodcast.org) and Rainforest Action Network (https://ran.org). Find Dr. Thomas Zeitzoff's book No Option But Sabotage and updates at https://zeitzoff.com.Send us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, host C. Derick Varn sits down with political economist, academic, and author Dr. Nick Srnicek (King's College London) to cut through the extreme hype and knee-jerk dismissals surrounding artificial intelligence.Together, they unpack the physical and economic reality of modern tech infrastructure—from the massive resource demands of hyperscale data centers to the fracturing of the global tech elite, the rise of "neoclouds," and the battle for digital and AI sovereignty. Srnicek also revisiting his seminal work on post-work politics and folk politics, examining how working-class movements can find leverage points against tech monopolies today.Featured Topics & Takeaways:The Physicality of AI: Why corporate power is concentrated in raw physical infrastructure and energy grids, not just code.Energy, Efficiency, & Market Forces: How inference costs and hardware bottlenecks are forcing tech giants to focus on model efficiency.Silicon Empires & Geopolitics: The shift from a borderless, neoliberal internet to fractured national security interests and defense-tech sectors.Digital & AI Sovereignty: How middle powers and open-source models can challenge big tech's closed ecosystems.Rethinking Post-Work: Moving beyond naive definitions of "doing nothing" toward post-wage labor, shortened workweeks, and worker leverage. Links & SupportPatreon: Support VarnVlog on Patreon to access exclusive classes, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes content: https://www.patreon.com/varnvlogSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons

In this episode of VarnVlog, C. Derick Varn sits down with PK Gandakin, editor-in-chief of Geese Magazine and communist organizer, to discuss the state of the American left, the limits of modern economism, and the strategic relevance of Lenin today.Together, they unpack:The Mission of Geese Magazine: Why a non-sectarian, strategy-focused communist press is essential in today's political terrain.Rethinking Lenin & Gramsci: Moving beyond ultra-left dogmas to embrace dialectical flexibility, mass politics, and organic centralism.Electoral Strategy & The DSA: Navigating the rise of figures like AOC and Zoran Mamdani, the limits of "clean/dirty break" debates, and building a genuine left pole.Lessons from BLM & Mass Movements: Why past spontaneous struggles failed to build lasting cadres—and how communists can engage with mass agitation effectively.Links: https://www.geesemag.com/articles/the-critique-of-economism-in-marxs-critique-of-hegels-philosophy-of-righthttps://www.geesemag.com/articles/leninism-in-the-age-of-populismhttps://www.geesemag.com/articles/reading-gramsci-on-economism-political-method-and-urbanismSend us Fan Mail Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian, Drea, Free Beer, SNT-BRCH, Joshua Parsons