Common Ruin

Episode 13 (recorded 1/12/25). The first episode of season 4 is a late release due to a family tragedy I've had to contend with. Chris Cutrone returns to discuss his latest intervention into the geopolitical discourse, and we exchange views on the state of radical politics and American populism as we enter 2025. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest. Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio

Episode 12. Chris Cutrone and Michael Acuña speculate on the manner by which Generation Z will engage with the realities they face as they enter the capitalist labor market and navigate the political landscape. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest.  Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Episode 11. Computer scientist, esteemed Marxist economist, and communist theoretician Paul Cockshott discusses the history and practice of economic planning with Michael Acuña, as well as themes from Paul's influential book Towards a New Socialism. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest.  Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Episode 10. Chris Cutrone returns to discuss the potential political trajectory of Generation Z with Michael Acuña. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest.  Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Episode 9. In the inaugural episode of season 3, Michael Acuña welcomes Henryk Grossman scholar and Marxist activist Ted Reese back to Common Ruin to discuss his forthcoming draft manifesto: Abundant Material Wealth for All. Access Ted's work online @Grossmanite. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest.  Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Patreon Bonus Episode 2. Anarcho-capitalist Charles Owen debates his libertarian conception of property rights with Marxist theorist Michael Acuña on The Value of Everything podcast. (Originally aired 29 January 2017) Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Episode 8. In the second half of their exchange, host Michael Acuña continues to examine Marxism’s relationship with the left with Chris Cutrone. Virtue ethics, liberalism, and the question of immigration are also given consideration. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest.  Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Episode 7. After a long hiatus, Common Ruin returns. Season 2 continues with Chris Cutrone joining host Michael Acuña to analyze Marxism’s place within the broader left-wing movement historically, as well as themes from Cutrone’s latest work The Death of the Millennial Left. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest.  Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/common-ruin/support

Episode 6: "To Be or Not to Be a Christian" Season 2 of Common Ruin begins with Marxist activist and Platonist philosopher Chanel Bayhí reading Bertrand Russell's 1927 essay "Why I Am Not a Christian" with Michael Acuña, and both debating the existence of God. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest. Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/common-ruin/support

In the final episode of season 1, Michael Acuña is joined by Filip S. to discuss Irish Murdoch's 1970 work The Sovereignty of Good, as well as Filip's own writings on materialist and idealist philosophy. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest. Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/common-ruin/support

In episode 4 of the Common Ruin podcast, prolific author, doctor of psychology, and Thomist philosopher Kevin Vost joins Michael Acuña to discuss themes from Vost's 2016 work The Porch and the Cross: Ancient Stoic Wisdom for Modern Christian Living. *DISCLAIMER: The views of host do not necessarily reflect those of the guest. Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio

In this episode of the Common Ruin podcast Michael Acuña is joined by Marxist theorist and Henryk Grossman scholar Ted Reese to discuss Karl Marx's crisis theory, the empirical status of Grossman's systemic breakdown theory, and the prospects for communist reconstruction of society. Ted Reese's writings can be found at Sublation Media, and consider following his Twitter @Grossmanite Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio

Patreon Bonus Episode 2: Paleocommunism - A Clarification and Response to the Critics August's Patreon episode is a brief monologue wherein I provide a response to the two general lines of criticism my article on paleocommunism has received. As I said, if listeners should have more pointed critiques they would like answered, submit an e-mail to the podcast and I will gladly respond on a future episode. Material cited: *"Marxism after Leftism: The Paleocommunist Turn" *The Platypus Affiliated Society *"What is Leftist Marxism?" (Benedict Cryptofash's most refined articulation of antileftist Marxism to date) Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio

Michael Acuña and Filip S. use Enrique Dussel‘s The Philosophy of Liberation as a basis for a broader discussion on Christianity's relationship to Marxism and communism, idolatry and fetishism, the postmodern crisis of meaning, virtue ethics, and revolutionary pessimism. Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio

Patreon Bonus Episode 1: Council Communism versus Anarcho-Syndicalism Charles Owen moderates a debate between Marxist theorist Michael Acuña and Anarchist scholar Benjamin Smith on The Value of Everything podcast. (Originally aired 9 July, 2017) Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio

Common Ruin's inaugural podcast. Filip S. joins host Michael Acuña to discuss the obscure (and underappreciated) short text Nation and Working-Class by controversial German council communists Fritz Wolffheim and Heinrich Laufenberg. Among the subjects covered are theories of identity and subjectivity, the National Question, and the history of communist politics during the Weimar period. Music by Karl Casey @WhiteBatAudio