Today the Diet Soap podcast is running under its original name for Sublation Media.
Sublation Media includes a book publishing effort for critical theory and left politics, a magazine that covers current events and theoretical issues, youtube videos on theory and politics, and finally the Diet Soap podcast. The podcast is where we continue to interrogate the left and each other while having a good time.
Slavoj Zizek and Terry Pinkard join Douglas Lain to discuss Hegel's Spirit or Geist. Is Hegel a philosopher that returns us to metaphysics or did Hegel continue Kant's Copernican turn? Further, must we overcome all metaphysical claims, even negative claims?
Ryan and Lavit discuss San Francisco's new Compassionate Alternative Response Team program and ask whether it's possible that the "unhoused population" in San Francisco will truly benefit from a program that does not spend more to address the material needs of the homeless but instead attempts to change the attitude and social framing around the care that is currently on offer. Can treating homeless people as if they are "worthy of life and dignity" and relying on "trauma-informed, unarmed civilians" to provide help rather than "institutions of control" really improve conditions for the homeless in San Francisco, or is this "new" program just a rebranding effort for a project of neoliberal neglect?
Former president of the Platypus Affiliated Society discusses his recent publications in Compact and Sublation Magazine. On July 1st Compact published "The End of Millennial Marxism" and we at Sublation published "Dogmatization and Thought Taboos on the “Left.” Cutrone attempts to discuss both of these essays while Doug persists in demanding Cutrone explain Marxism in terms of commodity production, exploitation, and value.The End of Millennial Marxism by Chris Cutronehttps://compactmag.com/article/the-end-of-millennial-marxismDogmatization and Thought Taboos on the “Left” by Chris Cutronehttps://www.sublationmag.com/post/dogmatization-and-thought-taboos-on-the-left
Spencer Leonard and Douglas Lain discuss the history of sedition laws and the way the January 6th insurrection may represent a regression away from democracy. Do the people or masses have a right to change their form of government?Support Us on Patreonhttps://patreon.com/dietsoap
Ryan and Lavit discuss Mark Fisher's 2013 essay "Exiting the Vampire Castle" and Ryan Grimm's Intercept essay "The Elephant in the Zoom." How has it happened that the Vampire Castle Fisher described as a trap for the radical left has come to define the progressive bureaucracy? Why are the institutions ranging from the ACLU to the Audubon Society so woke as to be crippled by internal strife and crisis?Mark Fisher's Exiting the Vampire Castle Essayhttps://www.opendemocracy.net/en/opendemocracyuk/exiting-vampire-castle/Ryan Grim's "Elephant in the Zoom"https://theintercept.com/2022/06/13/progressive-organizing-infighting-callout-culture/Support Us on Patreonhttps://patreon.com/dietsoap
Doug and Jason discuss the early 70's Blaxploitation era, the conditions that led to its rise and demise, and its mid 80's return. Back on June 8th Jason released his video essay, "Same As it Ever Was: Black Power to Blaxploitation." Despite his jealousy and competitiveness Doug asked him on to discuss the found footage film he created.
Ashley Frawley takes over this week's Diet Soap podcast to discuss Henryk Grossman, crisis theory, and the book "The End of Capitalism" with Ted Reese and the Swoletariat.
For this first episode of Social Justice Incorporated Ryan and Lavit talk to Freddie deBoer about his response to Daniel Bergner's New York Times Magazine article "Doctors Gave Her Antipsychotics. She Decided to Live With Her Voices." Freddie describes his own experiences with mental illness as he rejects Bergner's notion that psychosis is something that can be normalized and accepted rather than treated.
Margaret Kimberley is the author of "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," she is a regular contributor to the Black Agenda Report, and a returning guest. In this episode of Diet Soap she discusses the situation in the Ukraine in the context of US Imperialism.GCAS is our sponsorhttps://gcas.ie/Support Us on Patreonhttps://patreon.com/dietsoap
Bryan D. Palmer teaches in the Department of History at Queen's University, edits the journal Labour/Le Travail, and is the author of "James P. Cannon and the Emergence of Trotskyism in the United States, 1928-38." In this interview, he traces the history of American and international socialism by telling the story of James P. Cannon.