The Unauthorized History of Socialism

Season 2

2022 · 5 episodes · 1h 57m in all

Socialism's singular idea: that mankind would truly thrive only if property were shared by all.

Episodes

1. 1

   1. You Say You Want A Revolution...

   19 Sept 2022 · 22 min

   Karl Marx said a workers' revolution was inevitable but by the end of the 19th century, it had failed to materialize. In response, some of his followers began developing an important strain of Marxist thought that would deeply affect America and the West.

2. 2

   2. California Dreaming

   19 Sept 2022 · 22 min

   Italian communist Antonio Gramsci concludes that to succeed, Marxists must overthrow not just capitalism but Western civilization. Scholars of the Frankfurt School take refuge in Los Angeles - ground zero for the American culture they hope to destroy.

3. 3

   3. Long March

   19 Sept 2022 · 23 min

   In the 1960s, the 'long march through the institutions' begins: a systematic effort to control higher education and other key institutions. Herbert Marcuse emerges as 'the Godfather of the New Left,' inspiring a new generation of American socialists.

4. 4

   4. Red and Green

   19 Sept 2022 · 25 min

   In the 1970s, socialists took aim at environmental issues. From overpopulation to global warming, they provide in every case the same prescription: more centralized control and less personal freedom.

5. 5

   5. Situation Critical

   19 Sept 2022 · 25 min

   Today's socialists substitute conflict over race, gender, and identity for the original Marxist schism between owners and workers. The goal remains the same, however: destroy American institutions, disrupt society, and bring about revolutionary change.