#18: The Politics of War from Ukraine to Canada

Victor's Children

#Society #Victors Children

35:00

The healing power of fitness goes far beyond physical benefits—for today’s guest, it’s a form of self-expression and a celebration of what the body can do. In this episode, host Nora McInerny sits down with fitness personality Ivylis Rivera, who shares her deeply personal journey of navigating life with Chronic Migraine while holding onto her passion for movement. Ivylis opens up about the struggle of staying active while facing the fear of triggering a headache or migraine attack and the resilience it takes to keep pushing forward—a resilience that carried her through the challenging journey of finding a Chronic Migraine treatment plan that worked for her. Join Nora and Ivylis as they explore the concept of “soft living,” a philosophy Ivylis embraces—staying active, listening to your body, and building trust in oneself. Click here for Product Information, including Boxed Warning and Medication Guide, or visit https://abbv.ie/prescribing_info See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.…

3 years ago 1:02:33

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The Politics of War from Ukraine to Canada A discussion with Olena Lyubchenko and Dru Oja Jay about Ukraine in the years before Russia's invasion, the impact of the war on politics in so-called Canada, and what the left should do in relation to the war. To learn more: Olena Lyubchenko, On the Frontier of Whiteness? Expropriation, War, and Social Reproduction in Ukraine https://lefteast.org/frontiers-of-whiteness-expropriation-war-social-reproduction-in-ukraine/ Dru Oja Jay, Ukraine’s first assailant—international lenders https://breachmedia.ca/ukraines-first-assailant-international-lenders/ The March 2022 episode of this podcast is about Russia and the war. You can find it here: https://soundcloud.com/user-737267994/episode-15-understanding-russia-today?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing Marko Bojcun, "Ukrainian Socialists in the Diaspora: Lessons on Cold War Solidarity from Another Era" https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/ukrainian-socialists-in-diaspora-lessons-on-cold-war-solidarity/

54 episodes

#18: The Politics of War from Ukraine to Canada

Victor's Children

published 3 years ago

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54 episodes

#Society #Victors Children

All episodes

Victor's Children

1
#53: Capitalism, Democracy, Fascism, Trump w/ Gordon & Webber -- and a few words about Mark Carney 1:45:34

13 days ago1:45:34

1:45:34

Todd Gordon and Jeff Webber join David on a deep dive into understanding the far right, including fascism, as a phenomenon of capitalist society. The interview was recorded on April 13, 2025. . In this episode, Todd and Jeff discuss ideas they develop in a book they're writing. If you have access to the print edition or subscriber-only online access to the journal Spectre, you can read their article in issue 8 (2023), “The Authoritarian Disposition: Capitalism, Liberalism, Fascism." If not, they've also published this brief piece: Todd Gordon and Jeffery R. Webber: The Return of Fascism? https://www.focaalblog.com/2024/01/29/todd-gordon-and-jeffery-r-webber-the-return-of-fascism/ . Mentioned in the episode: . Thomas Hummel, "For revolutionaries, the period must be defined by the international fight against the far right" https://tempestmag.org/2025/03/for-revolutionaries-the-period-must-be-defined-by-the-international-fight-against-the-far-right/ . Topics covered (times are approximate): . capitalism and liberalism 0:06:13 . democracy 0:20:24 . the Right 0:35:36 . fascism 0:45:15 . "populism," popular front anti-fascism, and the casualization of "fascism" 1:00:10 . left strategy against the far right 1:09:32 . Brazil and Argentina 1:15:07 . Trump's second administration 1:20:50 . Canada 1:37:01…

Victor's Children

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#52: Workplace Organizing for Radicals 54:45

7 weeks ago54:45

54:45

Workplace Organizing for Radicals . . Why should workplace organizing matter for the radical left? What kind of unionism should radicals try to foster? How should we go about doing it? How should people who want to do workplace organizing think about where to work for pay? An interview with two experienced activists, retired New York transit worker Steve Downs and Ontario public sector worker Katherine Grezjszczak, about these and related questions. . If you listen to the end of the episode, there's a discount code you can use to order David’s book Red Flags anywhere in the world from Fernwood Publishing. The code will be valid until mid-September 2025 . To learn more: . Secrets of a Successful Organizer, from Labor Notes https://labornotes.org/secrets . Tim Goulet, Unions and the rank and file strategy https://tempestmag.org/2023/07/unions-and-the-rank-and-file-strategy/ . Steve Downs, Hell On Wheel Pamphlet https://archive.org/details/hellonwheelpamphlet . Steve Downs, Socialist Strategies in Unions:Twenty Years in Transport Workers Union Local 100 https://solidarity-us.org/transit_working_paper/ . . Follow Victor's Children on Instagram for info on episodes, events, and more…

Victor's Children

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#51: Red Flags: A Reckoning with Communism for the Future of the Left, w/ David Camfield 1:07:40

11 weeks ago1:07:40

1:07:40

Red Flags: A Reckoning with Communism for the Future of the Left, w/ David Camfield . . . Host as guest! Guest host Saima Desai interviews David about his new book, Red Flags. . . If you listen to the end of the episode, there's a discount code you can use to order the book anywhere in the world from Fernwood Publishing either before or after it's published. The code will be valid until mid-September 2025. . . The book's page on the Fernwood site: Red Flags: A Reckoning with Communism for the Future of the Left https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/red-flags . . People based in the US may wish to order the book from its US distributor, Columbia University Press: Red Flags | Columbia University Press https://cup.columbia.edu/book/red-flags/9781773637327 . . People in the UK and EU countries may wish to order the book from Central Books: https://www.centralbooks.com/red-flags-a-reckoning-with-communism-for-the-future-of-the.html . . David's website is Welcome to Prairie Red - Home https://www.prairiered.ca…

Victor's Children

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#50: Trump's Tariffs: How Should the Left Respond? 1:06:08

15 weeks ago1:06:08

1:06:08

Trump's Tariffs: How Should the Left Respond? . . . The threat of sweeping US tariffs has touched off a political crisis in the Canadian state. Todd Gordon and Mostafa Henaway discuss how the left is responding and an alternative approach. . . Suggested Reading: . Todd Gordon https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/we-need-workers-solidarity-not-national-unity-in-response-to-trumps-tariffs/ . Mostafa Henaway https://notesfrombelow.org/article/experiments-in-worker-organising-from-unite-commun…

Victor's Children

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#49: U.S. capitalism vs Chinese capitalism: What do we need to understand? 1:11:06

19 weeks ago1:11:06

1:11:06

U.S. capitalism vs Chinese capitalism: What do we need to understand? . . . Economic and geopolitical competition between China and the US and other Western powers is important and is only going to become more intense in the years ahead. What do leftists most need to understand about China, and how should we orient to the rivalry between the world's most powerful capitalist societies? An interview with Eli Friedman, one of the co-authors of China in Global Capitalism. . . Recommended reading: . China in Global Capitalism https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2228-china-in-global-capitalism…

Victor's Children

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#48: A Dive into Domenico Losurdo's Western Marxism 1:05:21

23 weeks ago1:05:21

1:05:21

A Dive into Domenico Losurdo's Western Marxism . . . The recent publication of an English translation of Western Marxism: How it was born, how it died, how it can be reborn by the Italian historian of philosophy Domenico Losurdo has received a lot of attention in parts of the Left. In this episode Joshua Nicholas Pineda joins David to discuss Losurdo and this book. Tune in for a discussion of "Western Marxism", anti-imperialism and socialism today. . . Related resources: . . Book review."Eastern Light on Western Marxism" by David Broder, New Left Review (paywall) https://newleftreview.org/issues/ii107/articles/david-broder-eastern-light-on-western-marxism . . Book. Stalinism and the Dialectics of Saturn: Anti-Communism, Marxism, and the Fate of the Soviet Union by Douglas Greene. See the appendix on Losurdo. . . Victor's Children episodes: 3, 6, 8, 11, 31, 33, 36, 40, 41, and 44 . . Preorder David's Upcoming Book, Red Flags: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/red-flags . . Spectre Journal https://spectrejournal.com…

Victor's Children

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#47: Responding to Trump's Return, w David McNally and Natalia Tylim 1:09:14

27 weeks ago1:09:14

1:09:14

Responding to Trump's Return, w David McNally and Natalia Tylim . . . The victory of Trump and his Republican Party is obviously important not just in the USA but internationally. A lot of what's being said about why Trump won and what it means is partially or entirely wrong. This episode is about analyzing their victory and, importantly, what radicals should do in the months ahead. . . Recommended for further listening: . The genocidal returns of lesser-evilism https://tempestmag.org/2024/09/the-genocidal-returns-of-lesser-evilism/ . Democratic Dealignment w/ Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor https://thedigradio.com/podcast/democratic-dealignment-w-keeanga-yamahtta-taylor/ . A Tender Riot https://soundcloud.com/a-tender-riot…

Victor's Children

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#46: Trump vs Harris: How did the USA get here? 56:42

33 weeks ago56:42

56:42

Trump vs Harris: How did the USA get here? . . The 2024 US presidential election pits a far right billionaire former president whose supporters have taken control of the Republican Party away from the conservatives whose party it once was against the outgoing Democrat vice-president who champions strengthening US imperialism and many reactionary domestic policies. How did the most powerful society within global capitalism come to be in this situation? David interviews US socialist Aaron Amaral about the history leading up to 2024. . . Recommended readings: . Charlie Post, "The New Deal and the Popular Front" https://isreview.org/issue/108/new-deal-and-popular-front/index.html . Ashley Smith, "Trapped in the Democratic Party" https://tempestmag.org/2023/08/trapped-in-the-democratic-party/ . Sam Farber, "Donald Trump, Lumpen Capitalist" https://jacobin.com/2018/10/donald-trump-lumpen-capitalist-class-elections . Dan Davison and Sacha Marten, "Trump’s danger isn’t that he’s a fascist" https://tempestmag.org/2024/05/trumps-danger-isnt-that-hes-a-fascist/ . Haley Pessin, "Defund The Police" https://tempestmag.org/2021/02/defund-the-police/…

Victor's Children

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Extra: The Ukrainian-Canadian Anti-Stalinist Left in the 1970s and 80s 44:21

34 weeks ago44:21

44:21

Extra: The Ukrainian-Canadian Anti-Stalinist Left in the 1970s and 80s. . . An interview with participants Chrystia Chomiak and John-Paul Himka about the Ukrainian-Canadian anti-Stalinist radical left initiatives that grew out of the radicalization of the late 1960s into the 1970s. . . Related reading: . Marko Bojcun, "Ukrainian Socialists in the Diaspora" https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/odr/ukrainian-socialists-in-diaspora-lessons-on-cold-war-solidarity/…

Victor's Children

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#45: Loss, Grief and Politics Today, w/ Sarah Jaffe 45:07

37 weeks ago45:07

45:07

Loss, Grief and Politics Today, w/ Sarah Jaffe . . How people feel about what's happening in their lives really matters politically. On this episode David interviews Sarah Jaffe, whose new book "From the Ashes" explores grief and its politics in the world today. . . From the Ashes: Grief and Revolution in a World on Fire https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/sarah-jaffe/from-the-ashes/9781541703490/?lens=bold-type-books . https://sarahljaffe.com…

Victor's Children

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#44: How to Challenge Anti-Communism (Against Parenti) & Anti-Communism in the Ukrainian Diaspora 1:08:22

41 weeks ago1:08:22

1:08:22

How (Not) to Challenge Anti-Communism (Against Michael Parenti) & the Case of Anti-Communism in the Ukrainian Diaspora . . Anti-communism is an ideology that opposes any effort to make radical social change. Clearly, we need to challenge it. But there's more than one way of doing so. Opening thoughts about this from David are followed by an interview with historian John-Paul Himka about the case of Ukrainian-Canadians, anti-communism, and the history of Ukraine from the late 1920s on. . . Readings . Sophie Lewis, "For One Another" (review of Kristen Ghodsee's Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism) https://thenewinquiry.com/for-one-another/ . John-Paul Himka, "The Ukrainian Nation in the Time of Lenin, Hitler and Stalin" https://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2023/07/10/the-ukrainian-nation-in-the-time-of-lenin-hitler-and-stalin/ . John-Paul Himka, "Ten Turning Points: A Brief History of Ukraine" https://ukrainesolidaritycampaign.org/2022/04/13/ten-turning-points-a-brief-history-of-ukraine/…

Victor's Children

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#43: Listen Even If You Don't Want To: COVID-19, Health and Politics Today 58:54

46 weeks ago58:54

58:54

Listen Even If You Don't Want To: COVID-19, Health and Politics Today . . Over four years after the COVID-19 pandemic first swept the world, most governments are giving the disease almost no attention and most of us don't want to think about it and are acting as if "COVID is over." But the virus isn't trivial and it's still circulating on a large scale and in unpredictable ways. Socialist health researcher Sam Friedman discusses what we should we know about the disease now, how we got here, and the lessons for future pandemics. . . Readings: . An open letter from the People's CDC https://peoplescdc.org/2024/04/10/covid-isolation-expert-sign-on-letter/ . Sam Friedman and Suzie Kay, Marxism and the U.S. Response to the HIV/AIDS and COVID-19 Pandemics https://spectrejournal.com/marxism-and-the-u-s-response-to-the-hiv-aids-and-covid-19-pandemics/ . Sam Friedman, In bird flu, capitalism is the culprit https://tempestmag.org/2024/06/in-bird-flu-capitalism-is-the-culprit/…

Victor's Children

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#42: Settler colonialism, capitalism and Indigenous liberation: An Indigenous marxist view 47:03

50 weeks ago47:03

47:03

Settler colonialism, capitalism and Indigenous liberation: An Indigenous marxist view The Palestine solidarity movement has drawn more attention to the concept of settler colonialism, which growing numbers of people have been using to name the oppression of Indigenous nations on Turtle Island. John Carlson discusses "reconciliation," the relationship between settler colonialism and capitalism, and the political implications of their deep interconnectedness. To learn more: John Carlson, The Student Encampment Movement is Part of a History of Militant Struggle Against Settler Colonialism https://www.midnightsunmag.ca/the-student-encampment-movement-is-part-of-a-history-of-militant-struggle-against-settler-colonialism/ A lot of writing by radical Indigenous authors (and more) can be found on Mike Gouldhawke's site: https://mgouldhawke.wordpress.com Links to a two-part interview with Sai Englert (author of a recent marxist book about settler colonialism), a response by Jordan Humphreys, and Englert's reply can be found here: Debate - a response on settler colonialism https://www.rs21.org.uk/2024/05/12/debate-a-response-on-settler-colonialism/ Brian Ward. Are You A Settler? https://newpol.org/issue_post/are-you-a-settler/ . David Camfield, Colonialism and the Working Class in Canada https://www.prairiered.ca/archive/colonialism-and-the-working-class-in-canada…

Victor's Children

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#41: What Is Imperialism Today? 1:20:03

1 year ago1:20:03

1:20:03

What is Imperialism Today? More people are talking about imperialism because of the US's backing of Israel's war against Gaza and heightened rivalry between the US, China and Russia. But what is imperialism in the third decade of the 21st century? Jeff Webber and Charlie Post discuss how we should understand imperialism and its relationship to capitalism today, the need for a better theory of imperialism than those developed by marxists like Lenin a century ago, and the political implications of how we understand imperialism. If you're interested in this topic, check out other Victor's Children episodes on imperialism and anti-imperialism including episodes 31, 32, 33, 36 and 40. If you're new to the topic you may want to listen to episode 31 before this episode. Recommended reading: Todd Gordon and Jeffery R. Webber, Prelude to a New Imperial Order? – Spectre Journal https://spectrejournal.com/prelude-to-a-new-imperial-order/…

Victor's Children

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#40: Workers in the Global North: Bribed into Compliance? 1:02:24

1 year ago1:02:24