The boys survey different party takes on the war with Iran, how communists should respond to it, and emphasize that our main enemy is at home, the US imperialist war machine. We oppose any intervention in Iran for any reason by the US full stop. We end with a fun poke at a 2 year old article by midwestern mussolini that argues that Iran is actually existing socialism.

Episode cover art is by the Organization of Struggle for the Emancipation of the Working Class (Peykar), Iranian communist organization

In late 2025 Gabriel Rockhill released his book "Who Paid the Pipers of Western Marxism?" with the central argument that the Cold War wasn't fought with bombs, sanctions, coups and blockades but with ideology, ideas, theory and academia coordinated by the CIA and other nefarious government agencies in an attempt to discredit and attack so called Actually Existing Socialism. But do his arguments hold up? Why is criticizing socialist projects tantamount to collaboration? For more we turn to Doug Greene and Harrison Fluss' critique of Rockhill's book "Theory Betrayed".

https://www.historicalmaterialism.org/article/theory-betrayed-an-essay-on-gabriel-rockhills-who-paid-the-pipers-of-western-marxism-part-one/

We discuss the Trotskyist position on imperialism as it relates to Iran, and what some misconceptions about our approach is since many of our comrades on the Marxist left in general haven't read or understood Trotsky's take on imperialism. Does calling for a socialist Iran mean we work for the State department and are doing the US Govt's work for them? Hardly! Then we sink our teeth further into the imperialist turning inside out as ICE further terrorizes the working class of Minneapolis, and how the working class has fought back.

Closing song is Joe's new single "Is Your Hate Pure?". Give our comrade a like and follow on his channel here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Q7A5xb5JBc