In this episode, I talked to Siobhan O'Connor, who has lived through it all—growing up in a hardcore evangelical environment, serving in the military, coming out as trans later in life, and watching the world turn more hostile toward people like her. We get into her story, the right’s relentless attacks on trans people, and how even so-called allies keep failing the community. She shares what it’s like to keep moving forward, even when the odds are stacked against you.

Links for Siobhan’s content and social media

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Erin-Greene/author/B00BT9H586?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true

https://bsky.app/profile/theangrywrench.com

https://bsky.app/profile/thewriterscottage.bsky.social

https://www.youtube.com/@The_Angry_Wrench_Speaks

https://linktr.ee/siobhancreations2025

And check out my linktree

https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

If you enjoyed the show, consider supporting us on Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/skepticalleftist to help keep the content coming. You can also subscribe to my Substackhttps://theskepticalleftist.substack.com/ for updates and extra content or get bonus episodes through Spotifyhttps://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skepticalleftist/subscribe . Every bit makes a difference! If that’s not your thing, sharing the episode with friends or on social media goes a long way too. Thanks for listening and for your support!

And please, if you can, support the Cathedral Community Fridgehttps://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/ or your local community fridge. Mutual aid matters—let’s help each other thrive!

Capitalism is dead… but it just won’t stay buried. This episode, we’re diving into Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism—one of the most influential leftist texts of the last 20 years. Why does it feel like nothing ever changes, even when everything is constantly in crisis? How does capitalism keep itself alive, even as it rots? And most importantly, how do we break out of this nightmare? Let’s get into it.

You can get Capitalist Realism here

https://z-library.sk/book/1007165/822c41/capitalist-realism-is-there-no-alternative.html

https://z-library.sk/book/3362634/10f03f/capitalist-realism-is-there-no-alternative.html

Or you can buy it at these bookstores

https://redemmas.org/titles/10491-capitalist-realism-is-there-no-alternative/

https://bookshop.org/p/books/capitalist-realism-is-there-no-alternative-mark-fisher/703f190ad15ef851?ean=9781846943171&next=t&affiliate=3323

https://pilsencommunitybooks.com/item/WepMITbQuyf6hXho7u4Tvw

Here is a link for Justin’s notes to the show

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nmQrra8PJZSB3X0yVWy8c1uvxAvWg4j8yM3K3CeWw6Y/edit?usp=sharing

Here are some links for stuff we covered in the post-show chat

https://youtu.be/aCgkLICTskQ?si=D58h5ddsSSUhELBI

https://issuu.com/bouvet0716/docs/the_slow_cancellation_of_the_future

Check out Justin's links and follow him

https://www.justinclark.org/

https://www.instagram.com/justinclarkph/

https://www.tiktok.com/@justinclarkph

https://bsky.app/profile/justinclarkph.bsky.social

https://www.threads.net/@justinclarkph

https://www.in.gov/history/

https://blog.history.in.gov/

https://newspapers.library.in.gov/

And check out my linktree

https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

If you enjoyed the show, consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/skepticalleftist to help keep the content coming. You can also subscribe to my Substack https://theskepticalleftist.substack.com/ for updates and extra content or get bonus episodes through Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skepticalleftist/subscribe . Every bit makes a difference! If that’s not your thing, sharing the episode with friends or on social media goes a long way too. Thanks for listening and for your support!

And please, if you can, support the Cathedral Community Fridge https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/ or your local community fridge. Mutual aid matters—let’s help each other thrive!

This week, we’re wrapping up our trilogy on Anton Pannekoek with a deep dive into his classic work, Workers’ Councils. What’s the real alternative to capitalism and state socialism? Pannekoek argued it’s workers themselves taking control—no bosses, no bureaucracy, just collective power. We unpack his critiques of unions, the state, and nationalism, and explore his vision for a society run by workers' councils. From strikes to direct action, we look at how this theoretical framework can inspire real-world change. Don’t miss this one as we explore what it really means to build a world run by workers.

You can get Workers’ Councils here

https://www.marxists.org/archive/pannekoe/1947/workers-councils.htm

https://z-library.sk/book/904599/4b0c87/workers-councils.html

Or you can buy it here

https://www.akpress.org/workerscouncils.html

https://redemmas.org/titles/2101-workers-councils/

https://pilsencommunitybooks.com/item/AEIoziCvS29UOEzwW3fxZQ

Check out Justin's links and follow him

https://www.justinclark.org/

https://www.instagram.com/justinclarkph/

https://www.tiktok.com/@justinclarkph

https://bsky.app/profile/justinclarkph.bsky.social

https://www.threads.net/@justinclarkph

https://www.in.gov/history/

https://blog.history.in.gov/

https://newspapers.library.in.gov/

And check out my linktree

https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

If you enjoyed the show, consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/skepticalleftist to help keep the content coming. You can also subscribe to my Substack https://theskepticalleftist.substack.com/ for updates and extra content or get bonus episodes through Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skepticalleftist/subscribe . Every bit makes a difference! If that’s not your thing, sharing the episode with friends or on social media goes a long way too. Thanks for listening and for your support!

And please, if you can, support the Cathedral Community Fridge https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/ or your local community fridge. Mutual aid matters—let’s help each other thrive!

In this episode Justin and I dive into Adolph Reed’s Class Notes to tackle the failures of performative politics and the rise of identity-driven activism. We break down Reed’s critique of neoliberalism, symbolic gestures, and the commodification of struggle while making the case for class-based organizing as the only path to real solidarity and change. It’s a deep and fiery conversation about how the left can get back on track by focusing on material issues and collective action.

You can get a copy of Class Notes here

https://z-library.sk/book/2563117/c11bd1/class-notes-posing-as-politics-and-other-thoughts-on-the-american-scene.html

Or you can buy it here

https://redemmas.org/titles/3895-class-notes-posing-as-politics-and-other-thoughts-on-the-american-scene/

Check out Justin's links and follow him

https://www.justinclark.org/

https://www.instagram.com/justinclarkph/

https://www.tiktok.com/@justinclarkph

https://bsky.app/profile/justinclarkph.bsky.social

https://www.threads.net/@justinclarkph

https://www.in.gov/history/

https://blog.history.in.gov/

https://newspapers.library.in.gov/

And check out my linktree

https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

If you enjoyed the show, consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/skepticalleftist to help keep the content coming. You can also subscribe to my Substack https://theskepticalleftist.substack.com/ for updates and extra content or get bonus episodes through Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skepticalleftist/subscribe . Every bit makes a difference! If that’s not your thing, sharing the episode with friends or on social media goes a long way too. Thanks for listening and for your support!

And please, if you can, support the Cathedral Community Fridge https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/ or your local community fridge. Mutual aid matters—let’s help each other thrive!

In this episode of The Skeptical Leftist, I talk with Damien Marie at Hope about axiology—the philosophy of value and worth—and its relevance to how we make ethical decisions. We break down the concepts of intrinsic and extrinsic value, look at how capitalism distorts our understanding of human worth, and explore how axiology can clarify morality in practical ways.

The conversation also touches on justice versus care ethics, the nuances of the free will debate, and why understanding value is key to navigating ethical challenges in a complex world.

For more reading on Axiology

https://www.academia.edu/126349221/Moral_fear_and_Moral_love_which_together_motivate_my_axiological_ethics_

https://blog.ttisi.com/what-is-axiology-in-assessments#:~:text=There%20are%20three%20primary%20value,a%20broader%20framework%20or%20structure

https://spot.colorado.edu/~heathwoo/Phil220/axiology.html

https://philarchive.org/archive/EDWTAA-3

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axiological_ethics

https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/value-theory/#:~:text=Axiology%20can%20be%20thought%20of,objective%20states%20of%20the%20world

https://damienmarieathope.com/2018/09/i-am-a-scientific-axiology-minded-philosophic-axiologist-theorist-and-my-conclusion-is-axiological-atheism/

https://damienmarieathope.com/2017/09/moral-fear-and-moral-love/

https://damienmarieathope.com/2022/06/i-am-an-axiologist-anti-nihilism-value-theorist/

https://damienmarieathope.com/2020/08/my-general-thinking-in-relation-to-my-axiology-assumptions-intrinsic-extrinsic-and-systemic-value/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/378151954_Formal_Axiology_Another_Victim_in_Religions_War_on_Science

Make sure to follow Damien on social media

https://x.com/AthopeMarie

https://bsky.app/profile/damienmarieathope.bsky.socialAnd subscribe to his channel

https://www.youtube.com/@DamienAthope

And check out my linktree

https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

If you enjoyed the show, consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/skepticalleftist to help keep the content coming. You can also subscribe to my Substack https://theskepticalleftist.substack.com/ for updates and extra content or get bonus episodes through Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skepticalleftist/subscribe . Every bit makes a difference! If that’s not your thing, sharing the episode with friends or on social media goes a long way too. Thanks for listening and for your support!

And please, if you can, support the Cathedral Community Fridge https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/ or your local community fridge. Mutual aid matters—let’s help each other thrive!

In this episode, we explore how systems of hierarchy have shaped humanity, from ancient rulers to modern billionaires. Why do hierarchies exist? Are they inevitable, or can we dismantle them? Together, we’ll examine the role of prehistory, morality, and resistance in understanding our current world. From mounds and pyramids to the structures of capitalism, we connect the dots and challenge the narratives we’ve been told. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share your thoughts—it helps keep the show going!

Here is a link for Damien’s blog on mounds and pyramidshttps://damienmarieathope.com/2024/10/shell-mounds-dolmens-kurgans-earth-mounds-ziggurats-mastabas-pyramids-their-origins-evolutions-and-migrations/

Make sure to follow Damien on social media

https://x.com/AthopeMarie

https://bsky.app/profile/damienmarieathope.bsky.social

And check out my linktree

https://linktr.ee/Skepticalleftist

If you enjoyed the show, consider supporting us on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/skepticalleftist to help keep the content coming. You can also subscribe to my Substack https://theskepticalleftist.substack.com/ for updates and extra content or get bonus episodes through Spotify https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/skepticalleftist/subscribe . Every bit makes a difference! If that’s not your thing, sharing the episode with friends or on social media goes a long way too. Thanks for listening and for your support!

And please, if you can, support the Cathedral Community Fridge https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/ or your local community fridge. Mutual aid matters—let’s help each other thrive!