Crawdads and Taters: Red State Rebels

Erin McCarley and Birrion Sondahl
  • 5.0 (14)
  • POLITICS

We are writers, activists, and leftists who come from two of the reddest states in the country, Oklahoma and Idaho. Red, in this sense, may refer to the indigenous, socialist, and labor histories of these states, as well as the right-wing fascism that they’re known for today. As rebels, we use a class-based, leftist lens to analyze current events and political issues. We talk about the many ways neoliberalism provides a breeding ground for fascism, and we examine revolutionary frameworks and movements that support our collective survival. Subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/crawdadsandtaters

  1. 06/20/2025

    Fight the Oligarchy with Class War, not Class Collaboration

    In the response to the LA anti-ICE protests, a large number of Democrats have called for peaceful non-violence in the spirit of MLK Jr. We review the history of the Civil Rights movement and how change actually took place. And we come to the conclusion that today's Democrats are the white moderate that MLK Jr warned us about. This includes progressive darlings Bernie Sanders and AOC, who recently headlined a Fight the Oligarchy tour. What is the Fight the Oligarchy tour actually doing? Why is this event relevant today? Why do we need to break with the Democrats and have class independent leadership? We can't build a serious resistance movement to endless war, climate collapse and capitalist catastrophe within the Democratic Party. Bernie's Fight the Oligarchy tour, which is starting up again, is actually enabling and collaborating with the oligarchy. Bernie used to be much more radical before he allied with the Democratic Party. But today, Bernie Sanders has become the white moderate that MLK Jr. warned us about. Show Notes: Black Lives Matter' Activists Disrupt Bernie Sanders SpeechAOC fundraising soarsThe Real Truth About the Bernie Fight the Oligarchy Tour - Sabby SabsBernie SNAPS At His Own Supporters- Sabby SabsPalestinians have a legal right to armed resistance against Israeli colonialism - Ben NortonThe Other America Dr. Martin Luther KingStokely Carmichael, A Philosopher Behind The Black Power MovementBernie Sanders Almost STORMS OUT Of Interview With ABC, PRAISES Trump Over Immigration - The Hill

    1h 35m

  2. 03/18/2025

    How Corporate Democrats Paved the Road to Trumpism - Part 2

    In Part 2 of this series, we focus on foreign policy. In Part 1, we explained how Trump and his oligarchs enrich themselves off the backs of the world’s poor and working-class at home. But in the case of foreign policy, Trump’s plans involve the blatant pillaging and exploitation of other country’s sovereign lands and resources. And again, this was prepared by the Biden regime and the sell-out democrats. Both parties are beholden to Zionism and the Military Industrial Complex. And Trump is just executing the next logical step in the colonial projects that the Democrats began. We cover the recent fight in the White House with Zelensky over the role of Ukraine, how Trump is continuing the Democrats Cold War on China, and Trump's plan for ethnically cleansing Gaza. Reading Notes: "Europe needs an independent foreign policy": Professor Jeffrey Sachs at European Parliament Hard truths about the Trump-Zelensky-Vance Oval Office blow-up, Responsible Statecraft Zelensky’s hostility to peace triggers White House meltdown, Aaron Mate It's not Russia that's pushed Ukraine to the brink of war by Seumas Milne - Before the West flipped the script Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis, Congressman Ro Khanna US arming of Ukraine is a scandal on its own, the grayzone The US is arming and assisting neo-Nazis in Ukraine, while Congress debates prohibition Trump plans to make Ukraine a US economic colony, exploiting its critical minerals - Ben Norton China accuses US of ‘Cold War mentality’ after release of Biden national security strategy , The Hill Biden voters passed on Kamala Harris because of Gaza, new poll shows, Middle East Eye 'Uncommitted' leaders stand by 2024 strategy after Trump floats Gaza takeover, NBC News Revolutionary Communists of America video A Fighting Program for the Revolutionary Communists of America Manifesto of the Revolutionary Communist International RCA- Join Your Party

    1h 35m

  3. 03/12/2025

    How Corporate Democrats Paved the Way to Trumpism- Part I

    In our first episode during Trump’s second term, we look at a short (but not comprehensive) list of horrors that the Trump MAGA coalition has unleashed on the US public and how the groundwork for this horror show was laid down by the Biden regime, along with decades of corporate Democratic failures to build any kind of real opposition to the fascist-leaning movements of the Republican Party. In fact, recent Democratic Presidential campaigns have promised to be “tougher” than Trump on certain vulnerable populations. From the destruction of the social welfare state to ICE raids, deportations, the border wall, Guantánamo, tariffs and the new trade war, along with Trump’s ‘Drill Baby Drill’ ambitions, we have seen complete continuity between Democratic and Republican policies– with each successive administration moving further to the right– enriching more and more billionaires and oligarchs at the direct expense of the working- class, immigrants and refugees, and the environment. We also examine how the capitalist media plays a pivotal role as a force-multiplier– profiting off of Trump’s domestic terrorism and obfuscating the role of Democrats in enabling this terrorism. Together, these two corrupt parties work hand-in-glove in what has become straight-up class war. Thank you for listening to Crawdads & Taters: Red State Rebels. Please consider making a donation to support our rebellious work at patreon.com/crawdadsandtaters. We can do this work with you, but not without you. Reading Notes: How Biden set the stage for GOP budget cuts, Stephen SemlerMedicaid Removed for Nearly 25 Million Americans, NewsweekTrump Migrant Deportation Numbers Compared to Obama, Biden, NewsweekBiden is now deporting more people than Trump, ReutersBiden said he'd stop building the border wall, but is now going ahead on one piece, NPRThe Bankers on Obama’s TeamPhoto of the Week: Obama, Who Let Citigroup Staff His First Cabinet, Calls for Voter Solidarity, Truth DigObama's promise to full close Guantanamo Bay, YouTube122 years of US imperialism in Guantánamo: From torture to migrant detention ,Geopolitical Economy Report Manchin Poison Pills Buried in Inflation Reduction Act Will Destroy Livable Climate, Center for Biological DiversityA Multitemporal Snapshot of Greenhouse Gas Emissionsfrom the Israel-Gaza ConflictClimate Damage Caused by Russia's War in Ukraine

    1h 39m

  4. 11/13/2024

    Election 2024: A Masks-off Moment for Corporate Democrats and Bourgeois Liberals who Hate the Working Class

    In this post-mortem election breakdown, we look at bourgeois liberal and Democratic establishment reactions to Harris' spectacular electoral failure. We analyze a liberal pattern of maliciously blaming voters and spewing false narratives about why people vote the way they do. We also examine the material impacts on US voters from the Democrats' own policies of economically abandoning the working class, abandoning left/progressive issues, campaigning with war criminals, and committing mass murder in Palestine, while violently repressing students at home. We look at why a majority of voters say they are worse off than they were four years ago, by examining the failure of Biden's signature Build Back Better plan and the meager accomplishments of the Inflation Reduction Act. And finally, we tackle the counter-revolutionary role of liberalism, its obsession with identity politics, and its refusal to acknowledge our class-based society. Liberalism creates a major obstacle in building class consciousness and class solidarity. Show Notes: Against the Stream - Trump's victory: What does it mean? – A communist analysis with Alan Woods Omnia Hegazy Bidenomics Isn’t Working For Working People - Stephen Semler The Economy is Fine - Stephen Semler  Most Americans think the economy is bad but they’re split on whether Trump or Harris can fix it 2024 American Electorate Voter Poll- Hispanic Voters "Love Me, I'm a Liberal" (for the 2024 Election) by Ben Grosscup Why US Muslims are Abandoning Harris with Sami Hamdi  Democrats Abandoned the Working Class: Robin D.G. Kelley on Trump’s Win & Need for Class Solidarity | Democracy Now!

    1h 51m

  5. 08/21/2024

    Dream Bigger than a Black Woman President Committing Genocide

    After a bit of a hiatus, Crawdads & Taters is back to discuss the 2024 Presidential election, the ongoing genocide in Palestine and the limits of real political change under a capitalist, imperialist economic system. While identity politics are being sold to us as a smokescreen for progressive change, duping the public into believing that Kamala (as a black woman) will be the hope and change we've all been waiting for, C & T brings you back down-to-earth with a socialist perspective based in class consciousness and historical materialism. Thanks, as always, for your support and please consider becoming a subscriber for as little as $3/month at patreon.com/crawdadsandtaters. And if you can't donate, then give us a good rating on your favorite podcast platform and share us with your friends. Reading Notes: Sanders Won the War of Ideas - by Erin McCarley Democracy is dead - by Birrion Sondahl Democracy Lost: A Report on the Fatally Flawed 2016 Democratic Primaries Clinton Donors Have Picked Their 2020 Democratic Presidential Nominee | Observer Black Left Critique of Kamala Harris US Is Reportedly Working to Prevent Conference on Geneva Convention Violations Minnesota activists criticize Tim Walz for refusing to meet with Palestinians Harris shifts stance on fracking, healthcare and border 14 protestors calling on Walz to divest from Israel cited for trespassing at his residence

    1h 32m

  6. 01/31/2024

    Palestine Part 3: 21st Century Fascism and Capitalist Horrors Without End

    In this episode, we talk again about Fascism because we have entered into a Primary Election cycle where leftists of all stripes will once again be cajoled, harassed and even trolled by the neoliberal establishment to Vote Blue No Matter Who– in order to avoid Donald Trump and “Fascism.”  Many liberals feel entitled to attack leftists at election time because by their shallow, liberal definition, fascism is simply a right-wing ideology that is embodied by Donald Trump. But what the liberal establishment fails to understand time and time again is that fascism is not just an ideological project, but it is economic and political project, which is the inevitable result of working-class repression under neoliberal capitalism. Looking at fascism's economic and political roots, we can see that what is actually pushing the world toward fascism is not simply a bunch of right-wing ideologues who just appeared out of nowhere. The breeding ground for fascism, the underlying conditions for fascism, rest within a global capitalist economic structure where the transnational capitalist class helps decide government agendas… the Military Industrial Complex, Big Oil, Big Pharma…  These are transnational entities whose profit mandates influence and control government policies. And this kind of global political economy not only leads to huge concentrations of wealth at the very top of society. It also leads to mass poverty at the bottom– all over the world. And this social inequality breeds class war, which results in a perfect breeding ground for the ideology of fascism to take hold. So voting for Joe Biden will not stop fascism. And until we address the root causes of fascism, we will not be able to reverse this counter-revolutionary cycle. Reading Notes: Delving into John Pilger’s 2002 documentary: 'Palestine is still the issue' The Question of Palestine- A Brief History- by the United Nations Netanyahu’s corruption trial resumes amid Israeli war on Gaza. What to know Poverty rates in Israel are among the highest - opinion One-third of Israeli Holocaust survivors live in poverty, advocates say The top 1% captured nearly twice as much new wealth as the rest of the world over last two years Poll finds wide disapproval of Biden on Gaza, and little room to shift gears Global Capitalism Has Become Dependent on War-Making to Sustain Itself by William I. Robinson Antony Loewenstein explains how the “Palestine Laboratory” fuels brutal wars and colonialism all over the world Israeli weapon seen used by Neo-Nazi Ukrainian unit against Russia Palestine: a communist perspective Israeli estate agent defends ads offering beachfront villas in Gaza

    1h 39m

  7. 10/31/2023

    Palestine Part 2 - Zionism, Settler Colonialism, Disaster Capitalism, and the Media War

    Please consider making an urgently-needed donation to Crawdads & Taters, as we are ramping up coverage during this genocide. As we find ourselves in the midst of an information war, where critical voices are being censored, banned and bombed, we need your support now more than ever. Please become a subscriber for as little as $3/month at patreon.com/crawdadsandtaters. Episode Description: As the official death toll in Gaza soars to more than 8,500, with 5,500 children likely dead, and US-backed Israel prepares for a ground invasion, we bring you Part 2 of our analysis of the forces at work behind this genocide. Today, we discuss Biden's complicity with war crimes, his unwavering support for Israel, and Biden's history as a Zionist. We define Zionism, and we use a lens of Settler Colonialism, Zionism and Disaster Capitalism for understanding what Israel and the United States are now executing. We also shine a light on Israel's future capitalist development plans for a canal/corridor, and look at how these plans may be connected to the genocide happening in Gaza. As socialists, we understand how capitalism's plans for endless expansion require constant war, genocide and the destruction of nature, and the brutal oppression of the world's most vulnerable. We offer you a list of media resources to stay informed, as non-coporate, anti-war voices are being banned, censored, and bombed. Reading Notes Global Capitalism Has Become Dependent on War-Making to Sustain Itself | Truthout Peace Propaganda And The Promised Land U.S Media & the Israeli Palestinian Conflict 2004 Chris Hedges - Exterminate all the Brutes Noura Erakat: Western Leaders & Media Are Justifying Israel’s “Genocidal Campaign” Against Palestinians | Democracy Now! BDS Movement  'Peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia will truly create a new Middle East': Netanyahu Al Jazeera Mondoweiss The Grayzone  MintPress News “Not in Our Name”: 400 Arrested at Jewish-Led Sit-in at NYC’s Grand Central Demanding Gaza Ceasefire | Democracy Now!  Gaza Fights For Freedom (2019) | Full Documentary | Directed by Abby Martin

    57 min

  8. 10/25/2023

    Palestine Part I: Genocide Joe and the Total Destruction of Gaza

    In Part One one of our series on Palestine, we review the horrific events since October 7th as the death toll in Gaza reaches nearly 6,000. We analyze the US role in funding and providing political cover for Israeli settler colonialism, apartheid and genocide in the occupied territories of Palestine. We explore the history of Israel as a settler colonial regime that began in 1948. We hear from various Jewish voices for peace- Dr. Norman Finkelstein, Holocaust survivor Dr. Gabor Maté, Jewish Voices for Peace as well as historians of holocaust and genocide who describe why what's happening now in Gaza is a textbook definition of genocide. We explore the history of the Zionist land claim on Palestine and deconstruct it through a settler-colonialist lens. And we discuss Palestinian attempts at non-violent resistance that have been met with mass murder and extreme violence. Stay tuned for Part Two of this series coming later this week. We are in the midst of an information war, where non-corporate and independent voices are being highly suppressed and censored. Please support our work and become a subscriber at patreon.com/crawdadsandtaters so that we can continue to bring you independent news and analysis from a socialist lens. For as little as $5/month, you can keep us up and running!! Thank you!!! Reading Notes: Israel Has No Right of Self-Defense Against Gaza  Gaza’s terrified children all too aware Israel’s bombs steal their joy Hostilities in the Gaza Strip and Israel | Flash Update #17 | United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs - occupied Palestinian territory 800+ Legal Scholars Say Israel May Be Perpetrating 'Crime of Genocide' in GazaGaza by Norman Finkelstein - Paperback - University of California Press The roots of Israel's ethnic cleansing in Gaza US opposes peace as Israel ethnically cleanses Palestinians, waging war on ‘entire nation’ of Gaza Outrage spreads across Middle East after attack on Gaza hospital Decolonization is always a violent phenomenon. Would that it were otherwise. Dr. Gabor Maté on Palestine

    1h 4m
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About

We are writers, activists, and leftists who come from two of the reddest states in the country, Oklahoma and Idaho. Red, in this sense, may refer to the indigenous, socialist, and labor histories of these states, as well as the right-wing fascism that they’re known for today. As rebels, we use a class-based, leftist lens to analyze current events and political issues. We talk about the many ways neoliberalism provides a breeding ground for fascism, and we examine revolutionary frameworks and movements that support our collective survival. Subscribe: https://www.patreon.com/crawdadsandtaters

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