Upstream

In this episode we're joined by Max Haivan for a conversation on gamified capitalism and 21st century fascism. Max Haiven is Canada Research Chair in Radical Imagination at Lakehead University and author of many books, including most recently, The Player and the Played: From Gamed Capitalism to 21st-Century Fascism, which is open-access. He is the designer of the board game Billionaires & Guillotines and teaches a popular education course titled Fighting Fascist Feelings.  
The conversation begins with a broad overview of Max's thesis connecting games and capitalism—what he calls gamified capitalism—introducing the concept of 21st century capitalism as a sort of cruel and unwinnable game in which we are all trapped. We discuss the financialization of capitalism as the foundation upon which gamification has flourished, describing the emergnce of the "cheated player" navigating a never-ending series of financialized games—from dating apps to prediction markets. 
Max explains how fascism on both a micro and macro level emerges out of this material reality through a sort of revenge politics and the creation of the "cheating other" who must be eliminated from society. We go on to elaborate on this and discuss how fascism in the 20th century differs from 21st century fascism as a sort of entrepreneurial form of fascism that places the emphasis on the individual as opposed to the mass. 
We situate Trump in Max's analysis of 21st century fascism as a form of revenge against the cheating other under gamified capitalism, discussing QAnon, the TESCREAL philosophies of Silicon Valley, and other fascistic phenomena along the way. We end by exploring what games can teach the left and how learning from games can contribute to our movements for liberation. 
We are now on Youtube! You can find us and subscribe to our channel at youtube.com/@upstream_podcast
Further resources:
The Player and the Played: From Gamed Capitalism to 21st Century Fascism, by Max Haiven
Max's work
Related episodes:
Capitalist Realism w/ Carlee
Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine
Intermission music: "Shit List" by Carsie Blanton
Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "Cuba Ep. 11: Actually Existing Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro." 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.
In this episode, Part 2 of a 2-part miniseries, Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro join us to discuss the ecology of communism as described in the book, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology by French scholar Guillaume Suing. Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro is Professor at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at SUNY New Paltz. Henry Hakamäki is co-host of Guerrilla History and the editor and translator, along with Salvatore, of Iskra Books' Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend, by Domenico Losurdo as well as the book we'll be discussing today, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing
Our conversation begins with a brief introduction to Guillaume Suing and the book  Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology before jumping into a discussion about communist ecology and tackling the question of whether or not the "eco" in eco-socialism is necessary. We discuss the communist response to eco-centricism, which Salvatore argues presents a false dichotomy between humans and nature.
We then move from theory and begin discussing communist ecology in practice as it manifested in Cuba, describing some aspects of Cuba's ecological practices from agroecology to reforestation. We describe what it was about Cuba's socialist system which led it to value ecological sustainability. We end by discussing the "degrowth" movement, how Cuba represents a true example of degrowth in action, and explore how the climate movement and the western left more broadly can and should truly embrace that idea that communism is the highest stage of ecology.
We have unlocked Part 1 of this conversation so it is now available as a public episode. Part 2 will remain as a Patreon-only episode.
Further resources:
Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing

Ecosocialism: An Introduction, by Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro

Iskra Books

Guerrilla History

Book Talk: Slow Down with Kohei Saito (The People's Forum) 

Related episodes:
Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro

Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba

Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism w/ Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante

Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison

Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer & Charisse Burden-Stelly

Live Show: Breaking the Chains of Empire w/ Abby Martin (with Bonus Q&A)

Cover art: Ben Stahnke / Iskra Books
Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is a free preview of the episode "Cuba Pt. 11: Actually Existing Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro." 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.
In this episode, Part 2 of a 2-part miniseries, Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro join us to discuss the ecology of communism as described in the book, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology by French scholar Guillaume Suing. Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro is Professor at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at SUNY New Paltz. Henry Hakamäki is co-host of Guerrilla History and the editor and translator, along with Salvatore, of Iskra Books' Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend, by Domenico Losurdo as well as the book we'll be discussing today, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing
Our conversation begins with a brief introduction to Guillaume Suing and the book  Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology before jumping into a discussion about communist ecology and tackling the question of whether or not the "eco" in eco-socialism is necessary. We discuss the communist response to eco-centricism, which Salvatore argues presents a false dichotomy between humans and nature.
We then move from theory and begin discussing communist ecology in practice as it manifested in Cuba, describing some aspects of Cuba's ecological practices from agroecology to reforestation. We describe what it was about Cuba's socialist system which led it to value ecological sustainability. We end by discussing the "degrowth" movement, how Cuba represents a true example of degrowth in action, and explore how the climate movement and the western left more broadly can and should truly embrace that idea that communism is the highest stage of ecology.
We have unlocked Part 1 of this conversation so it is now available as a public episode. Part 2 will remain as a Patreon-only episode.
Further resources:
Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing
Ecosocialism: An Introduction, by Salvatore Engel-Di Mauro (you can email Salvatore for a pdf)
Iskra Books
Guerrilla History
Book Talk: Slow Down with Kohei Saito (The People's Forum) 
Related episodes:
Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro
Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba
Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism w/ Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante
Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison
Cover art: Ben Stahnke / Iskra Books
Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

This is an unlocked version of our Patreon episode "Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro."
In this episode, Part 1 of a 2-part miniseries, Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro join us to discuss the ecology of communism as described in the book, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology by French scholar Guillaume Suing. Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro is Professor at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at SUNY New Paltz. Henry Hakamäki is co-host of Guerrilla History and the editor and translator, along with Salvatore, of Iskra Books' Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend, by Domenico Losurdo as well as the book we'll be discussing today, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing
Our conversation begins by outlining how capitalism as an ideology and as a world-system harms ecology by unpacking the logic behind the profit motive and infinite growth characteristic capitalism system. Henry and Salvatore then discuss some of the most prominent preconceptions and misconceptions regarding communism as an inherently "productivist" system, using the Soviet Union as their primary example (we will discuss the example of Cuba in Pt. 2 of this miniseries which will be released as part of our Cuba series). We end the discussion on the USSR by looking at three different areas where the USSR committed to environmental protection—including the famous zapovedniki.
The conversation begins to wrap up with a brief exploration of Trofim Lysenko, the Soviet agronomist around whom much controversy still swirls, and whose story leads us unto a discussion of socialist science and dialectical science. We end by introducing Cuba into the conversation, but just very briefly, as a much deeper exploration of Cuba as a model of communist ecological practice will be the topic of Part 2 of this miniseries. 
Part 2 will be released as part of our Cuba series on 9/28/2026.
Further resources:
Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing
Iskra Books
Guerrilla History
Related episodes:
Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba
Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism w/ Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante
Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison
Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer & Charisse Burden-Stelly
Live Show: Breaking the Chains of Empire w/ Abby Martin (with Bonus Q&A)
Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Youtube, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

In this episode, we're joined by Carsie Blanton for a conversation on communist folk music and the role of politics in art. Carsie Blanton is a songwriter, touring musician, and organizer with Artists Against Apartheid and People's Songs—an organization of musicians dedicated to adapting, distributing, and performing songs for liberation.
The conversation begins with Carsie giving us a sense of her experience as a Jewish, anti-Zionist musician after Oct 7th and how the repressive atmosphere and her experience on the Global Sumud Flotilla shaped the way she thinks about art and political discourse. She tells us how this experience led her to (re)launch an organization from the 1940s named People's Songs dedicated to adapting, distributing, and performing songs for liberation. 
We discuss the ways that communist musicians organized historically and what the response from the FBI and repressive apparatus was to this organizing. We talk about the Congress for Cultural Freedom, for example, and other soft power approaches by the CIA to promote a noncommunist, compatible left in the sphere of art, music, and culture more broadly.
We discuss the repression that musicians faced, from Paul Robeson to Malvina Reynolds, and how the explicitly left, communist politics presentin folk music shifted and dissipated during neolberalism. We end by discussing the challenges facing musicians today in the context of the new Red Scare, how Carsie has navigated this, and how musicians and artists can get involved in organizing.
We are now on Youtube! You can find us and subscribe to our channel at youtube.com/@upstream_podcast
Further resources:
Carsie Blanton's webiste
Support Carsie on Patreon!
People's Songs
Artists Against Apartheid
Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL)
Who Paid the Piper? The CIA and the Cultural Cold War, by Francis Stonor Saunders
The Folk Singers and the Bureau  The FBI, the Folk Artists and the Suppression of the Communist Party, USA-1939-1956, by Aaron Leonard
Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism, Gabriel Rockhill (Monthly Review Press)
All Power Books
Radical artists to explore: Bambu, Robeson Singers, the Neighborhood Kids, Billy Bragg, The Burning Hell, Devon Sproule, Linqua Franqa, Tuneyards, Nathan Evans Fox
Della's Playlist
Related episodes:
Palestine Ep. 15: The Gaza Freedom Flotilla w/ Chris Smalls & Huwaida Arraf
Cuba Ep. 9: Conjuring up the Red Menace w/ Charisse Burden-Stelly
The Intellectural World War w/ Gabriel Rockhill
The Western Left w/ Gabriel Rockhill
US Labor & Imperialism Pt. 1: the War Against Communism w/ Jeff Schuhrke
Black Scare / Red Scare with Charisse Burden-Stelly
Marxism for the Masses w/ Savannah from All Power Books
Voting for Socialism w/ Claudia De La Cruz & Karina Garcia
Intermission music: "FBI" performed live by Carsie Blanton
Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast
For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.