Hinge Points Episode 5: Goodbye, Lenin
Added 2021-12-03 22:00:04 +0000 UTCMatt and Danny Bessner, from the American Prestige podcast, explore one of the most important counterfactuals in the history of the 20th century left: what if Vladimir Lenin had died before he and the Bolsheviks were able to seize power in Russia. They explore the issue from a variety of perspectives, examining in what ways this might have informed the history of socialism as both an international and domestic project. Throughout, they ask: Might the left have been in a better position if the Soviet Union never existed?
Comments
Okay the fact that someone would get so pissed off about an alternate history podcast had me dying! None of this actually happened or could be changed by the podcast, It's a what if exercise from these guys opinion. As far as what you're upset about, these guys are American leftists So why wouldn't they focus on that as their thesis? If they wish that America was moved farther left than yeah of course they're going to talk about an alternate history where that could have happened
Kyle Petty
2022-11-17 15:37:46 +0000 UTCObviously we would have had a global DeLeonist revolution in 1919.
Matt LS
2022-01-05 19:00:02 +0000 UTCI thought the other hinge points were a bit bland but this one really went places. Very nice analysis of Trotsky also
Lizabet
2022-01-02 19:26:53 +0000 UTCI love Hinge Points and I hope Matt and Danny make more soon! Thank you for the great episodes and thoughtful conversations.
2021-12-19 21:31:35 +0000 UTCi'm glad everyone enjoyed this episode and agreed with everything said on it! a good time had by all
Hayley
2021-12-17 00:55:04 +0000 UTCthe episode was depressing me but the comments cheered me up again. thanks everyone 💀🤠
ligia a
2021-12-15 03:36:34 +0000 UTCcalm down
SF
2021-12-14 17:34:41 +0000 UTCDude you’re pretty mad
2021-12-13 03:52:43 +0000 UTCThis is absolute propagandistic garbage. The thesis of this entire series is obviously that you think American liberalism can (or could have) "moved left," and (between this and the Wallace episode) that is clearly your absolute euphoric utopia. Disgusting. Intellectually lazy in the extreme. Seriously, do better. The idea that there wouldn't be a huge class conflict there in the long run is just monumentally insipid. Not to mention the fact that you completely jettison anticolonial revolutions in the developing world from the Left throughout this entire discussion and the fact that the Soviet Union actually supported those revolutions and made them viable. You can do way better than this.
rayb0b
2021-12-12 22:32:36 +0000 UTCAwesome ep
Drew Middleton
2021-12-11 19:47:50 +0000 UTCI am a bit confused with this episode as I think that, independently of the hypothesis, there are several inconsistencies. One for instance cannot say that without the Soviet Union capitalism would have had a more human face snd at the same time believe in the TRPF. There are also some doubtful statements, such as saying that the Soviet Union divided the left implying that without it the labour movement would have been more united, while disregarding all the ’third world‘ revolutions, including the Chinese revolution.
2021-12-11 00:13:57 +0000 UTCSo if we are doing alternative histories where historical figures disappear, we need separate episodes on Hilter, Napoleon, Genghis Khan, Muhammad, Yongle Emperor, Alexander the Great, etc.
Jared
2021-12-09 21:29:17 +0000 UTCMatt coming out as decidedly pro dengism
Solarwind
2021-12-09 00:39:33 +0000 UTC
