From Alpha To Omega

This episode I am delighted to have Chris Knight back with us on the podcast, to talk about the fall and further fall of Noam Chomsky. Chris is an anthropologist and senior research fellow in the Department of Anthropology at University College London (UCL), the activist, prolific author, and a founding member of the amazing Radical Anthropology Group.https://www.youtube.com/@radicalanthropology8305Book Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This episode we have part two of our discussion with Ferdia O’Driscoll, the host of the ‘Bright Age Beyond’ youtube channel, about Self Determination Theory, and why it matters for socialism.Bright Age Beyond: https://www.youtube.com/@BrightAgeBeyondBook Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This episode I’m delighted to welcome my friend and collaborator Ferdia O’Driscoll to the podcast for the first time. Ferdia is a radical socialist, host of the ‘Bright Age Beyond’ formerly the After the Oligarchy youtube channel. Ferdia is currently writing a book about Parecon with his co-author Anders Sandström, author of the book Anarchist accounting. Ferdia was one of the co-founders of INDEP, the International Network for Democratic Economic Planning, and together we organised last years panels at Historical Materialism. This is first of a two parter where Ferdia tells us all about Self Determination Theory, and why it matters for socialism.https://www.youtube.com/@BrightAgeBeyond

This episode I’m delighted to welcome David Camfield podcast to talk about his recent book ‘Red Flags - A Reckoning With Communism For The Future Of The Left’. David is a professor in the Labour Studies Program and the Department of Sociology and Criminology, at the University of Manitoba. He is also the host of the radical left podcast Victors Children. Make sure to check it out.The Book: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/red-flagsThe Podcast: https://soundcloud.com/user-737267994

Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaThe Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/I answer your questions on the recent lecture I gave entitled 'Unifying Marxism and Cybernetics'

This is a re-recording of a talk I gave recently at the 'Complex Anarchism Symposium' in Brussels Belgium this May. I present some research from the book we are writing about socialist political economy and planning, where we unify the fields of Marx's value theory and cybernetics. We discuss the scientific implications for socialism, with the aim of synthesising Marxism and Anarchism thought. If you want to see the slides, head on over to patreon to watch the video: https://www.patreon.com/posts/unifying-marxism-136243120You can also watch it on the youtube channel: Enjoy!PS - If you have any questions, please leave a comment on patreon, youtube, bluesky, or email me. I will be doing a Q&A video if there is enough demand.

https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaWe continue our discussion with Paul S. Adler, this time about his 2019 book “The 99% Economy: How Democratic Socialism Can Overcome the Crises of Capitalism”. In particular we talk about how capitalist firms are helping to show us how democratically planning in socialism would work. We also discuss the impact of AI on the capitalist economy.The 99% Economy: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-99-percent-economy-9780197656952?cc=gb&lang=en&

We interview Prof. Adler about his 1990 paper 'Marx, Machines, and Skill'.This is part one. In part two we discuss his 2019 book "The 99% Economy: How Democratic Socialism Can Overcome The Crises of Capitalism".

This week we continue our conversation with Anna Fielder about her recent book ‘Going Into Labour: Childbirth in Capitalism’. Anna is a sociologist in the Midwifery Department, Auckland University of Technology and a former practicing midwife.https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349497/going-into-labour/Book Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This episode I’m delighted to welcome Anna Fielder to the podcast to talk about her recent book ‘Going Into Labour: Childbirth in Capitalism’. Anna Fielder is a sociologist in the Midwifery Department, Auckland University of Technology and a former practicing midwife.https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349497/going-into-labour/Book Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This we continue with our discussion with Roger Arevalo to the podcast to talk about the Vanguard method, the brainchild of the British management consultant John Seddon.Next week i will be giving a talk at the innaugral Complex Anarchism Symposium in Brussels, about a unifying value theory and cybernetics. You can find out more about the event here:https://clea.research.vub.be/complex-anarchism-symposium-19-23-may-2025-in-brusselsBook Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This episode we welcome Roger Arevalo to the podcast to talk about the Vanguard method, the brainchild of the British management consultant John Seddon. Roger is an admirer of the Vanguard Method and argues for its applicability for a socialist economy.Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/FromAlpha2OmegaBook Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

This we continue with our discussion with Matt Vidal about his recent book Management Divided: Contradictions of Labor Management, a marxist analysis of Lean production.Book Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

This episode we welcome Matt Vidal to the podcast to talk about his recent book Management Divided: Contradictions of Labor Management, a marxist analysis of Lean production. Matt is a Reader in Sociology and Political Economy, in the Institute for International Management and Entrepreneurship at London's Loughborough University.Management Divided: https://academic.oup.com/book/43073

This episode is a recording of a talk I recently gave to the Dutch marxist group ‘De Socialisten’ (https://socialisten.org/). The talk was titled ‘Cybernetic Socialism for the 21st Century’, and was in conjunction with INDEP, the International Network for Democratic Economic Planning (https://www.indep.network/).Youtube Version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWgBdhQOvfs

This episode is a recording of a talk I recently gave to the Dutch marxist group ‘De Socialisten’ (https://socialisten.org/). The talk was titled ‘Cybernetic Socialism for the 21st Century’, and was in conjunction with INDEP, the International Network for Democratic Economic Planning (https://www.indep.network/).Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1hkrjEdPUjNQht43i7QtWgrL0w_6aCzAb/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104947114006179117811&rtpof=true&sd=trueYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHDM775B0nI

We give a detailed update on our book progress, replete with Q&A from the chat.https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

Join us today @17:00 London Time, 1pm EST for a book update!https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E63zMEeh6Tw

This week we have part-two of our discussion with my co-author Donal O’Coisdealbha on the Toyota Production System, and its implications for socialism. You can find some of Donal’s writings on his blog called the office for control over results.Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaDonals blog:https://theofficeforcontroloverresults.wordpress.com/ Book Website:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

This week we have the first of a two-parter with my co-author Donal O’Coisdealbha on the Toyota Production System, and its implications for socialism. Donal has recently started a blog for those interested in the TPS and such topics as statistical process control, control systems engineering, operations research and management science, called 'The Office For Control Over Results'. (https://theofficeforcontroloverresults.wordpress.com/). If you’d like to find out more about the book and how you could help support us in the project, head on over to theclasslesssocietyinmotion.comPatreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This week we welcome Tomas Hardin to the show to talk about his thoughts on socialist planning. You can check out his blog “Tomas’ place in cyberspace” where he recently published a post on “Co-simulation and Feedforward Planning”. (https://www.xn--hrdin-gra.se/blog/2024/04/14/co-simulation-and-feedforward-planning/) International Network for Democratic Economic Planning (INDEP): https://www.indep.network/Book Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This week I am delighted to welcome Nick Rogers to the podcast to talk about his recent paper “Reflections on the Economics of Socialism” that he wrote for a recent special issue of the Journal of Global Faultlines. Nicks Paper: https://www.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.13169/jglobfaul.9.2.0138Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaBook Project: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We finish our discussion of Chapter 9 - “Is the Precariat a Class''.Da Slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oNY1SPxFk0Xg-NndRJPh0l_cOWyLMOGY6rFhC0zGIyc/edit?usp=share_linkBook Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

Donal and I host a livestream where we talk all about the progress of our socialist planning book.https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We continue our discussion with Geoffrey Bell about his book ‘The Twilight of Unionism: Ulster and Future of Northern Ireland’.

This week I am delighted to welcome Geoffrey Bell to the show, to discuss his book ‘The Twilight of Unionism: Ulster and Future of Northern Ireland’.Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

This week Donal and myself discuss a really excellent book we recently read on the socialist calculation debate. The book is called Rivalry and Central Planning, and is written by the Austrian economist Don Lavoie.The Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

We welcome Peter Åström to the podcast, to discuss an article he recently wrote for the Riff-Raff journal. Riff-raff describes itself as a ‘journal for a theoretical discussion of communism as a real movement’.The article: http://www.riff-raff.se/texts/en/the-commodity-and-communismThe book project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We continue our discussion of Chapter 9 - “Is the Precariat a Class''. Our socialist planning book project: theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com

We continue our discussion of LL Mens "The Capitalist Nature of the 'Socialist' Countries: A Politico-Economic Analysis"

Today Donal and myself discuss an amazing text by the little known Hong Kong based Left Communist L.L. Men.You can download the text from libcom.org here: https://libcom.org/article/ll-men-two-texts-defining-communist-programmeThe self-publishing friendly version of the pdf:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1jQYDzqw_dLIDYc1zt8B9tRdE-DvCXLsQ/view?usp=sharingBook Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We start our discussion of Chapter 9 - “Is the Precariat a Class''. Book Project: theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com. The slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oNY1SPxFk0Xg-NndRJPh0l_cOWyLMOGY6rFhC0zGIyc/edit?usp=share_link

We continue our discussion of Chapter 8 - “The Death of Class Debate''.Drunken Russian Miners: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgnmWYy-9ds&ab_channel=JustBeniiSocialist planning book: https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oNY1SPxFk0Xg-NndRJPh0l_cOWyLMOGY6rFhC0zGIyc/edit?usp=share_link

We are delighted welcome back Prof. Peter Hudis to the show to talk about the introduction he wrote for the new edition of the Critique of the Gotha Program by PM Press.Critique of the Gotha Program (PM Press):https://pmpress.org/index.php?l=product_detail&p=1241Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We welcome back Donal to the show, to talk about a paper he wrote for the new radical journal - The Black Lamp. The paper is called: ‘Viability Guided Decision Making: Modelling organisations using Viability Guided Decision Making’It’s a very interesting paper which proposes a novel approach to fairly recent developments in cybernetic theory, and applying them to complex social systems. Donal, on top of the book project we are working on, has just completed a masters in System Engineering & Engineering Cybernetics in the Kazan National Research University over in Russia.The paper:https://www.black-lamp.com/posts/modelling-organisations-using-viability-guided-decision-makingThe Socialist Planning Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We continue our discussion of Chapter 8 - “The Death of Class Debate''.The Slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oNY1SPxFk0Xg-NndRJPh0l_cOWyLMOGY6rFhC0zGIyc/edit?usp=share_link

We talk with Dr. Sara Swerdlyk about Rosa Luxemburg’s Mass Strike. Sara has a PhD from the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at the Central European University and works for Between the Lines, a leftist book press based out of Toronto.https://btlbooks.com/

We continue Chapter 8 - “The Death of Class Debate''. The Planning Book Project:http://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.comThe slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oNY1SPxFk0Xg-NndRJPh0l_cOWyLMOGY6rFhC0zGIyc/edit?usp=share_link

We begin Chapter 8 - “The Death of Class Debate''.https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaSocialist Planning Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/The slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1oNY1SPxFk0Xg-NndRJPh0l_cOWyLMOGY6rFhC0zGIyc/edit?usp=share_link

We continue our conversation with Professer Thomas Uebel to the show to talk all about Otto Neurath and his impact on economic theory, the socialist calculation debate, and socialist planning.Planning Book Website:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This week I’m really delighted to welcome Professer Thomas Uebel to the show to talk all about Otto Neurath and his impact on economic theory, the socialist calculation debate, and socialist planning.Professor Uebel was the editor of 'Otto Neurath - Economic Writings Selections 1904-1945'.Planning Book Project Website:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

Part two of our conversation with Pat Devine on his thoughts about socialist planning.

This week I’m delighted to welcome Pat Devine to the show. Pat is an honorary research fellow at Manchester University and the author of ‘Democracy and Economic Planning: The Political Economy of a Self-Governing Society’.Planning Book Website:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

We continue our discussion with Cira Pascual Marquina about the Venezuelan commune movement. Cira is a Political Science professor at the Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela in Caracas and a writer and editor for Venezuela Analysis. El Panal Commune:https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15629Indorca Workers:https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15542

We begin Chapter 7 - “The Ambiguities of Class in Thomas Piketty’s Capital in the 21st Century''.Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaSocialist Planning Book:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1H22tkE7UmVQWgRPC_vt3GpCLCVZM5JmzA6SQ2-3qVLk/edit?usp=share_link

We continue our discussion Ed George from the Ed George’s Reading Marx Blog. We talk about a paper Ed wrote about long waves in history and what they mean for revolutionary action. The paper we discuss:https://edgeorgesotherblog.wordpress.com/2013/01/18/through-what-stage-are-we-passing/Reading Marx's Capital blog:https://readingmarx.wordpress.com/Book Project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2Omega

This week I’m delighted to welcome Ed George from the Ed George’s Reading Marx Blog. Ed’s blog is a great resource for anybody who is serious about trying to understand Marx’s work.https://readingmarx.wordpress.com/Book project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/

We finish Chapter 6 - “Occupations as Microclasses''.Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/FromAlpha2OmegaThe book project:https://theclasslesssocietyinmotion.com/The slides:https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1mkSN9fmij-0ZhUnKaIcDaA7iDuQ7WSnscYIORth3HA8/edit?usp=share_link

We continue our discussion with Cira Pascual Marquina about the Venezuelan commune movement. Cira is a Political Science professor at the Universidad Bolivariana de Venezuela in Caracas and a writer and editor for Venezuela Analysis. El Panal Commune:https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15629Indorca Workers:https://venezuelanalysis.com/interviews/15542