Varn Vlog

Abandon all hope ye who subscribe here. Varn Vlog is the pod of C. Derick Varn. We combine the conversation on philosophy, political economy, art, history, culture, anthropology, and geopolitics from a left-wing and culturally informed perspective. We approach the world from a historical lens with an eye for hard truths and structural analysis.

Podcasting since 2021 • 379 episodes

Varn Vlog

Latest Episodes

From Dawn to Decadence, Part 5

Start with the symptom: everything still moves, yet less gets done. We unpack decadence as a live condition—where empires posture with airstrikes instead of strategy, markets float on bubbly valuations, and everyday obligations dissolve into ch...

February 02, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 60 • 1:32:57

Punditry Without Memory with Sudip Bhattacharya

Start with a word we all hear too much: fascism. Now ask why, with the term everywhere, our understanding keeps getting worse. That’s the puzzle we dig into as Sudip Bhattacharya joins C. Derick Varn to dissect how American punditry flattens hi...

January 29, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 59 • 1:51:26

Can Dignity And Science Share A Banner Without Becoming A New Elite with Daniel Tutt

Daniel Tutt returns to continue our series on intellectuals. The hardest truths are the ones that feel personal. We take Robert Michels’ “iron law of oligarchy” into the engine room of the SPD and ask why organizations built for emancipation so...

January 26, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 58 • 2:18:55

Renaissance Without the Myth with Ada Palmer

What if the Renaissance wasn’t a rebirth at all, but a survival strategy dressed in marble and Latin? We sit down with historian and novelist Ada Palmer to unwind the stories that turned a chaotic, war-ridden Italy into a “golden age” and explo...

January 22, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 57 • 1:30:20

Inside Iran’s Impasse And Syria’s Shadow Wars with Djene Bajalan

Start with the headlines and everything looks simple: a “crown prince” trending on social feeds, viral clips of pre-revolution Tehran, and bold claims that one more round of pressure will tip the balance. Look closer and the picture changes. We...

January 19, 2026 • Season 2 • Episode 56 • 1:39:24

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Fan Mail

Hey there human-I-assume-is-on-the-other-side-of-this, I'm listening in from West Virginia and while I get a good doompilling when I listen in about the wider world, I'm wondering if there's a focus on the periphery i.e. in the rural areas or the rust belt specifically especially regarding farming in any past or upcoming episode. Passing references have been made to a "rural strategy" that should be adopted by either a movement or current political entity so it isn't left to rot like it currently is. Anything in the works that shines a light on my little corner of the world?

Wheeling, West Virginia