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A Socialist California w/ Ramsey Robinson Apr 21, 2026

Show notes

In this episode we're joined by Ramsey Robinson for a conversation exploring the need for socialism in California (and beyond). Ramsey Robinson is a mental health social worker, organizer, and revolutionary based in San Francisco. He is running for Governor of California with the Peace and Freedom Party.

The conversation begins with Ramsey discussing what compelled him to run for Governor of California with the Peace and Freedom Party, and in doing so we outline many of the problems facing US society—problems that stem from the concentration of wealth and power in the hands of one class and with the problems coming from this arrangement falling disproportionately onto the rest of us. We introduce the topic of liberation psychology and talk about how it has influenced Ramsey's work and politics—looking at how the mental health crisis in America is fueled by capitalism and what can be done about it.

Ramsey then tells us about the Peace and Freedom Party—giving us a sense of its roots and also contrasting it with the Democratic Party, which Ramsey describes as being captured by the same ruling class that is responsible for all of our problems In opposition to this vision, Ramsey shares with us his vision of what a socialist California could look like and how we can get there.

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Intermission music: "Rich People" by Carsie Blanton

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[UNLOCKED] Palestine Ep. 17: Capital Accumulation at Any Cost w/ Jason Hickel Apr 16, 2026

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This is an unlocked version of the episode "Palestine Ep. 17: Capital Accumulation at Any Cost w/ Jason Hickel." You can help to support our work and access Patreon-only episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast

In this episode we're joined again by Jason Hickel for a conversation on Palestine and the role that Palestinian liberation plays in the global fight against imperialism and capitalism. The conversation opens with a discussion on why Palestinian liberation is a threat to capitalism globally—we unpack the role that Palestine plays geopolitically in West Asia and the role that West Asia plays in global capital accumulation. We go on to talk about Israel's role as the US's proxy force and attack dog, not just in West Asia, but throughout the globe as well, from Argentina to Guatemala.

We then talk about Trump's so-called "Board of Peace," and its vision for Gaza before discussing what's taking place in the West Bank and the official death of the Two State Solution. We then broaden the conversation out and situate what's happening in Palestine into the context of the United States' quest for geopolitical hegemony, what this means in terms of the Second Cold War with China, and the implications for Palestine, West Asia, and the world at large.

Jason Hickel is a professor at the The Institute for Environmental Science and Technology at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the author of the books The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions and Less is More: How Degrowth will Save the World.

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Intermission music: "Courage, My Friends!" by Andrew Glencross

[TEASER] Iran Ep. 4: Towards a Multipolar World / Matteo Capasso Apr 13, 2026

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This is a free preview of the episode "Iran Ep. 4: Towards a Multipolar World / Matteo Capasso." 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 biweekly 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.

Matteo Capasso joins us to discuss the global implications of the war on Iran. Matteo Capasso is professor of Middle East Studies based in China and the editor of Middle East Critique, a peer-reviewed Middle Eastern studies journal published by Taylor & Francis.

Our conversation begins with a brief overview of the so-called ceasefire agreement, taking a zoomed out look instead of focusing on the details. Matteo then explains why this war is not just existential for the Islamic Republic of Iran, but for the United States and Israel as well, examining the war's implications on both the internal contradictions of the United States as well as the financial architecture of the unipolar world system. We bring back the lens and explore not just the regional implications of the war in terms of the Gulf states but also with Europe and, significantly, with China, which, when you zoom out far enough, plays a significant role in the United States' decision to go to war with Iran, as outlined in the United States' National Security Strategy document published in 2025.

We then bring in Israel and the Great Israel project, tying it into our analysis and explaining how Palestine is emblematic of the contradictions that have led the United States and its imperial project into deep crisis. Matteo draws a line from the invasion of Iraq in 2003 to the overthrow of Libra, Syria, and the assaults on Lebanon and of course Palestine and explains how all of these assaults are part of a larger project and military strategy by the United States and its proxy force in the region—Israel.

In closing, we take a closer look at China, comparing and contrasting China and Iran's models of sovereign development and exploring their current relationship with a dialectical and historical materialist analysis. We conclude with a look at the competing visions of a world order that can be contrasted between the United States and Israel—a vision based on genocide and the accumulation of waste—and the diverse visions embodied by states such as Iran, Cuba, Venezuela, or China, which present a path forward that looks much different from the death and destruction offered by the United States.

Although the episodes in our series build on each other in certain ways, all of our series are designed so that each episode can be listened to as a standalone.

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Cuba Ep. 4: Counterrevolution w/ Renzo Llorente Apr 07, 2026

Show notes

Renzo Llorente joins us for a conversation exploring the counterrevolution to Cuba's 1959 revolution and the various forms it took. 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.

The conversation begins with a look at the current assault on Cuba from the Trump administration and situates it within the context of a long counterrevolution, which has been by and large a bipartisan project since the revolution's inception. We then discuss why counterrevolution occurs in socialist societies and the toll that it takes on the revolutionary ambitions of societies attempting to lay the foundations for socialism. We look at examples of sabotage—from assassination attempts to economic disruption, examples of outright military excursions like the Bay of Pigs invasion, and more.

We then look at how Cuba has been forced to respond to these perpetual attempts at counterrevolution often fueled and resourced by the imperialist powers, and why the degree of repression seen in Cuba can be understood as a direct and dialectical response to the United States' never ending quest to return Cuba to what it was before 1959. Specifically, we examine the concept of political prisoners and explore ways in which we can view political prisoners in Cuba as counterrevolutionaries. We examine multi-party versus one-party systems and discuss their potential for representation and democracy. And we explore the concept of a free press and how this is weaponized by the imperialist powers in not just Cuba, but in all states where imperialism is seeking a foothold. Finally, we discuss how counterrevolution has served to strengthen Cuba's resolve and determination to continue their long-fought battle for sovereignty.

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Intermission music: "Celos eternos" by Roberto Carcasses

[TEASER] Palestine Ep. 17: Capital Accumulation at Any Cost w/ Jason Hickel Mar 31, 2026

Show notes

In this episode, we're joined again by Jason Hickel for a conversation on Palestine and the role that Palestinian liberation plays in the global fight against imperialism and capitalism. The conversation opens with a discussion on why Palestinian liberation is a threat to capitalism globally—we unpack the role that Palestine plays geopolitically in West Asia and the role that West Asia plays in global capital accumulation. We go on to talk about Israel's role as the US's proxy force and attack dog, not just in West Asia, but throughout the globe as well, from Argentina to Guatemala.

Although the episodes in our series build on each other in certain ways, all of our series are designed so that each episode can be listened to as a standalone.

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Intermission music: "Courage, My Friends!" by Andrew Glencross

Cuba Ep. 3: Che Guevara and the Building of Socialism w/ Helen Yaffe Mar 24, 2026

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Helen Yaffe joins us for a conversation exploring Cuba's transition to socialism after the revolution through Che Guevara's contributions. 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.

The episode begins with a brief introduction to Che Guevara, providing an overview of Che's life and biography. We then discuss what the Cuban revolutionaries inherited in terms of Cuba's semi-colonial economic and political state—unemployment, poverty, inequality, underdevelopment, and dependency. We talk about how socialism became the guiding light of revolutionary Cuba and how the revolutionary government became more radical in response to the United States' attempts to sabotage it.

We discuss Che Guevara's role in developing the productive capacities of Cuba and his many roles, ranging from President of the National Bank of Cuba to Head of Ministry of Industries (MININD). We also discuss his unique approach to laying the foundations of socialism in Cuba, which put just as much emphasis on developing consciousness as developing materially. We contrast this with the Soviet system, which Che was critical of.

We then explore the role of intellectual, political, and training education in the emerging socialist state of Cuba, which had experienced a mass emigration of managers and business owners after the revolution and had a working class that was accustomed to viewing labor as an exploitative endeavor and not as a means of liberation. Finally, we explore Che's legacy and tie it into present day Cuba, which is still under siege by the imperialists.

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Intermission music: "Señor Martí" by El Guajiro

[UNLOCKED] Lebanon Ep. 1: Resisting Occupation w/ Hussein Assaf Mar 17, 2026

Show notes

Although the episodes in our series build on each other in certain ways, all of our series are designed so that each episode can be listened to as a standalone.

In Episode 1 of our new series on Lebanon, Hussein Assaf joins us to discuss the ongoing assault on Lebanon by Israel and the United States. Hussein Assaf is a journalist with Vocal Politics based out of Beirut.

Our conversation begins with an update on the ongoing assault on Lebanon by Israel and backed by the United States. We then talk about the political forces at play in Lebanon, giving a brief history of the political makeup of the country to help put the current assault in context. We talk about Hezbollah and the relationship it has with the Islamic Republic, unpacking the common talking point in the West that Hezbollah is an Iranian "regime" proxy and instead providing a more appropriate analysis (and in doing so, giving insight into how the United States treats its proxies). We close on a discussion on the information and psychological warfare that is a part of the US and Israel's assault on West Asia and on its own populations at home.

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Related episodes:

Listen to our ongoing series on Lebanon
Listen to our ongoing series on Iran
Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine
Listen to our ongoing series on China

Iran Ep. 3: The Empire vs. Iran w/ Bikrum Gill Mar 10, 2026

Show notes

Although the episodes in our series build on each other in certain ways, all of our series are designed so that each episode can be listened to as a standalone.

In this episode, part 3 of our ongoing series on Iran, we're joined again by Bikrum Gill for a conversation exploring sovereignty and imperialism in Iran. Our conversation opens with an unpacking of the intersections and distinctions of imperialism, sovereignty, colonialism, and capitalism in a theoretical sense. Once these foundations are laid, we then apply this framework to Iran, answering the question of why Iran's sovereignty is so threatening to the United States.

We then jump into current events and explore the thread that ties together the US's assault on Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Palestine, etc.—and this brings China into the conversation. We talk about the construction of client states and why so many states in Latin America and West Asia have refused to intervene on behalf of Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, and Palestine. Finally, we discuss the Israeli-US war on Iran and what the resistance to it looks like both regionally and within Iran itself.

Bikrum Gill is a faculty in political science and international relations and a scholar of international political economy. He's the author of The Political Ecology of Colonial Capitalism: Race, Nature, and Accumulation, published by Manchester University Press.

Further resources:

The political ecology of colonial capitalism Race, nature, and accumulation, by Bikrum Gill
"Orders of Sovereignty: Internal Power and External Dependency in the Recognition of the State of Palestine," by Bikrum Gill
"The "Second Sacred Defence": Solidarity, Sovereignty and the Politics of Anti-War," by Bikrum Gill
Black Skin, White Masks, by Franz Fanon
The Wretched of the Earth, by Franz Fanon
On Contradiction, by Mao Zedong
Vocal Politics: Why did the US and Israel launch their war of aggression against Iran? by Bikrum Gill
The Long Twentieth Century, by Giovanni Arrighi

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Intermission music: "Another War" by Carsie Blanton

[UNLOCKED] Atlantic Slavery and the Plantation System w/ David McNally Mar 03, 2026

Show notes

This is an unlocked version of the Patreon episode "Atlantic Slavery and the Plantation System w/ David McNally." You can support us through Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast. 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 David McNally to discuss his new book, Slavery and Capitalism: A new Marxist History, a systematic Marxist account of the capitalist character of Atlantic slavery. David McNally is a radical socialist activist and award-winning scholar. He currently holds the Cullen Distinguished Professorship of History & Business at the University of Houston.

The conversation opens with an introduction to the idea that the Atlantic slave system and the plantation system were forms of capitalism using the example of Barbados and George Washington in Virginia to explain the industrial-scale level of this system and its position in global capitalism as a node of commodity production. We explore the idea of modes of production and what Marx had to say about colonialism and slavery before we discuss race-making as a modality of capitalist discipline during slavery. We discuss the difference between constant and variable capital and why this is important in understanding the capitalist nature of the plantation system.

We then discuss the nature of class conflict on the plantation, exploring how Atlantic bondpeople were the first workers of the industrial age to use the mass strike as a weapon of struggle and emancipation, and what this tells us about enslaved labor under capitalism. Finally, our conversation ends with an examination of the intersection of Marxism and revolutionary abolitionism in the US and how they dialectically informed one another.

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Cuba Ep. 2: ¡Viva la Revolución! w/ Manolo De Los Santos Feb 24, 2026

Show notes

Manolo De Los Santos joins us for a conversation on the Cuban Revolution. Manolo De Los Santos is a founder of the People's Forum and a researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. He is the coeditor 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.

The conversation picks up where Episode 1 left off, in the early 50s, setting the stage for the lead up to the 26th of July Movement and introducing some of the main characters of the revolution, including, of course Fidel Castro and Ernesto "Che" Guevara. Manolo tells us about the attack on the Moncada Barracks, Fidel's exile to Cuba where he meets Che and begins training, and their return on the Granma to Cuba's Sierra Maestra mountains where they reignite the revolutionary guerrilla army of the 26th of July Movement. We talk about the Battle of Santa Clara which led to Batista's overthrow on January 1st, 1958, and the triumph of the revolution.

We explore the role of political education in the revolution and the role that the United States played in resisting the revolution. We then talk about the reforms that were initiated immediately after the revolution, the largest and most significant being land reform and de-privatization, as well as some of the complexities of the early revolution, such as elections. We analyze the Guantanamo Naval Base, notions of nonviolence, and Cuba's material support of revolutionary movements across the globe.

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Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba

Intermission music: "Que Se Vayan" by El Guajiro

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