The State Between Us

The State Between Us
  • 4.5 (2)
  • History
  • Updated Semiweekly

My name is Fritz McAlinden and this is The State Between Us, the anti-fascist podcast for dark dives into the ruling class insanity and fashy political cultures as well as our defenses against them through mutual aid and building each other up, sharing knowledge, and connecting the disparate voices in our overlapping struggles. Also TTRPGs, Sci-Fi, and other nerd shit. Let's get weird with it!

  1. Oct 5

    40. "It's Killing Me. I Cannot Handle It": The Struggle of Rail Workers in Slovakia w/ Nina Nix

    Friend of the show, Nina Nix, introduces the hellish struggle of train workers in Slovakia to wrestle their dignity back from capitalist labor pressure and a nationalist mob state ruled by a corrupt OP goon who is more machine than man. Also, Nina discusses her musical history and latest album as TSBU's favorite composer, Koleso Nešťastia. Robert Fico All music in this episode by Nina (Koleso Nešťastia or BBYB, aka. Baba Yaba) Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events for as little as $3 a month! Join free today!Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod Music:Intro Track: BBYB, "Robot Debil"1st Intermission: Koleso Nešťastia "131"2nd Intermission: Koleso Nešťastia, "Posledních pár minut už zbývá jen, tak je"Closing Track: Koleso Nešťastia, "14" Nina's photos of her hometown, Ostrava, in Czech Republic: Links:Uneven: Instagram by and for Slovakian Rail Workers: https://www.instagram.com/razoviny_/Saint Abdullah: https://saintabdullah.bandcamp.com/ Nina's albums that this show draws tracks from (click the cover art for direct links): kolesonestastia666.b… Ocelové Srdce Republiky / Černé Srdce Republiky (2026) kolesonestastia666.b… ES666-1312 (2024) kolesonestastia666.b… Sebadeštrukcia side (2022)

  2. Sep 29

    39. A History of Anarchism in China p.2: Good Guy Theory w/ Laura

    In the second half of Laura's two-part history of anarchism in China, they tell the story of the Tokyo and Guangzhou factions, anarchist feminism, the influence of anarchism on revolutionary peasant politics, and the anarchist connection to the New Culture Movement that transformed China's social and political landscape. He Zhen, Liu Shipei, and Liu Shifu Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events for as little as $3 a month! Join free today!Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod Links for further learnings: Chuang BlogDirlik, Arif. Anarchism in Early Twentieth Century China: A Contemporary Perspective. Journal of Modern Chinese History, 6:2, 131–146. December 2012.John A. Rapp's bibliography on Wikipedia.Made In China JournalRothwell, Matthew. People's History of Ideas Podcast. Music:Opening Song: Anarchy Jerks. "Cuowu".Closing Song: Nie Er and Wang Jianzhong. "Song of the Great Road"Also includes: John Huie. "The Old Tea house". Other tracks from pixabay.org, youtube.com and Koleso Nešťastia.

  3. Sep 23

    38. A History of Anarchism in China p.1: Paris Tofu Grinder w/ Laura

    Laura rejoins The State Between Us to tell the story of anarchism in China from the late-19th century through the early 20th. Though largely forgotten today, anarchism was the dominant revolutionary framework for Chinese radicals for decades, and each of the three major strands - 'Paris', 'Tokyo', and 'Guangzhou' - offered unique visions for radical change. In part one, Laura explains the historical conditions that gave rise to anarchist organizing in China and introduces us to the Paris group and their fates in the Communist Party and the Kuomintang. "Doufu Factory Night School 1916". Wikimedia. Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events for as little as $3 a month! Join free today!Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod Links for further learnings: Dirlik, Arif. Anarchism in Early Twentieth Century China: A Contemporary Perspective. Journal of Modern Chinese History, 6:2, 131–146. December 2012.John A. Rapp's bibliography on Wikipedia.Rothwell, Matthew. People's History of Ideas Podcast. Music:Opening Song: Brain Failure, "Anarchy In The P.R.C."Closing Song: Brain Failure, "Living in the City"Taken from: Anarchy In The P.R.C., Beijing, 2002. Broken Rekids / Lei Feng Records. Other tracks from pixabay.org and Koleso Nešťastia. #china #history #anarchism #podcast #chinesehistory

    38. A History of Anarchism in China p.1: Paris Tofu Grinder w/ Laura

  4. Episode 37

    37. Marquis de Morès Fails into Fascism, or, Real Nazis Wear Cowboy Hats [TEASER]

    Before the fash wore black shirts, they wore Buffalo Bill dusters and cowboy hats. This is the absurd story of Marquis de Morès, a 19th century French aristocrat and degenerate gambler whose ridiculous misadventures and financial flops in the American West, combined with his modern "social Catholic" variety of antisemitism, made him not only Europe's first fascist, but more specifically its first Nazi. Note: Fritz probably paywalled this episode solely to prevent the general public from hearing his horrible French pronunciation...Photo from Luzzatto, Sergio. The First Fascist: The Sensational Life and Dark Legacy of the Marquis de Morès. Harvard University Press, 2026. A Bad Lands Cowboy and Fancy French Fella References from the episode:Luzzatto, Sergio. The First Fascist: The Sensational Life and Dark Legacy of the Marquis de Morès. Harvard University Press, 2026.Paxton, Robert O. The Anatomy of Fascism. Random House, 2004. #history #fascism #france #USA #West #podcast

  5. Aug 26

    36. Another Biggest Lie: Six centuries of anti-Roma oppression in Europe, condensed.

    Following a recent attack against a Roma settlement in Slovakia, TSBU assembles an introductory primer on Europe's genocidal treatment of Roma people over the centuries. From the early-modern period to the 21st century, this story passes through the Holy Roman Empire's Mitteleuropa, Mediterranean states, the Balkans and Eastern Europe, as well as Tudor and Elizabethan England. Through feudalism and capitalism, through fascism, liberalism, and socialism, Europe's anti-Roma racism has always been a projection of its own State crimes against the Roma themselves. Note: Fritz makes no apologies for his inevitable mispronunciations of place and people names in this episode. Deal with it.rm.coe.int Execution of members of a Roma band accused of robbery at Giessen, Hesse. Accessed from the Council of Europe's Roma Factsheets resource. Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events for as little as $3 a month! Join free today!Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod Opening song: Ceo Život by Domino / Gang ShotClosing song: Malo Sutra by Domino / Gang ShotAll other music by Koleso Nešťastia. Some key references used for this episode:Bogdal, Klaus-Michael. Europe and the Roma: A History of Fascination and Fear. Penguin, 2024.Cressy, David. Trouble with Gypsies in Early Modern England. The Historical Journal, 59, 1, 2016.Kenrick, Donald and Grattan Puxon. The Destiny of Europe's Gypsies. Heinemann Educational Books, 1972.Matache, Margareta. The Permanence of Anti-Roma Racism: (Un)uttered Sentences. Routledge, 2025.Petrova, Dimitrina. The Roma: Between a Myth and the Future. Social Research: An International Quarterly 70, 1, 2003.Pisarri, Milovan. The Suffering of the Roma in Serbia During the Holocaust. Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Southeast Europe, 2014.Roma history factsheets. Council of Europe web resource accessed Aug. 23, 2026.Slavery in Romania. Wikipedia article accessed Aug. 23, 2026. Special thanks to Nina for drawing our attention to the events in Lubina. #roma #Romahistory #EuropeanHistory #oppression #podcast #romania #germany #england #slovakia

  6. Episode 34

    "The Biggest Lie": The Southern Roots of American Fascism w/ Joseph Kelly [TRAILER]

    FULL FREE EPISODE at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUsAuthor Joseph Kelly joins Fritz to discuss his new book, The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818-1915 (Bloomsbury, 2026), and explains how the modern ideology of human inequality was built brick-by-brick by some of the nastiest villains of the 19th and 20th centuries. From the antebellum plantations of the Democrat south to the imperialist adventurism of the Republican north, Joe draws a direct line between the lies, fantasies, and violence that destroyed post-war Reconstruction to both the European fascism of the 20th century all the way to the MAGA movement today. Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events.Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodEmail: thestatebetweenus@proton.meYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod Books by Joseph Kelly:The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818-1915Marooned: Jamestown, Shipwreck, and a New History of America’s OriginAmerica's Longest Siege: Charleston, Slavery, and the Slow March Toward Civil WarMusic from pixabay.com

    "The Biggest Lie": The Southern Roots of American Fascism w/ Joseph Kelly [TRAILER]

  7. Aug 12

    34. "The Biggest Lie": The Southern Roots of American Fascism w/ Joseph Kelly

    Author Joseph Kelly joins Fritz to discuss his new book, The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818-1915 (Bloomsbury, 2026), and explains how the modern ideology of human inequality was built brick-by-brick by some of the nastiest villains of the 19th and 20th centuries. From the antebellum plantations of the Democrat south to the imperialist adventurism of the Republican north, Joe draws a direct line between the lies, fantasies, and violence that destroyed post-war Reconstruction to both the European fascism of the 20th century all the way to the MAGA movement today. Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events.Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodEmail: thestatebetweenus@proton.meYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod Books by Joseph Kelly:The Biggest Lie: The Prehistory of American Fascism, 1818-1915Marooned: Jamestown, Shipwreck, and a New History of America’s OriginAmerica's Longest Siege: Charleston, Slavery, and the Slow March Toward Civil War Intro Song: Fats Waller - "It's a Sin to Tell a Lie" (1936)Outro Song: Josh White - "Uncle Sam Says" (1941) Other music by fesliyanstudios.com and pixabay.com

  8. Jul 21

    33. World-Historical Mischief w/ Marcus Rediker

    Fritz's favorite historian, Marcus Rediker, joins The State Between Us to unearth long-lost nautical stories of bold and brilliant people liberating themselves from American slavery in the 19th century, and the incredible revolutionary life and fight of the 18th century Quaker, Benjamin Lay. Blood-spewing bibles, sailor solidarity, clever conspiracies, and the ruling-class' paranoid scramble to retain their inhuman systems of control await! Like it? Share it! Connect to The State Between Us at patreon.com/TheStateBetweenUs for more episodes, exclusive content, and live events.Bluesky: @thestatebetweenus.bsky.social‬Instagram: thestatebetweenuspodEmail: thestatebetweenus@proton.meYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheStateBetweenUsPod This episode focuses on these excellent titles by Marcus Rediker, but check out his website for a full list of his work:*The Many-Headed Hydra: Sailors, Slaves, Commoners, and the Hidden History of the Revolutionary Atlantic. Co-authored by Peter Linebaugh. Beacon Press, 2000.*The Fearless Benjamin Lay: The Quaker Dwarf Who Became the First Revolutionary Abolitionist. Beacon Press, 2017.*Freedom Ship: The Uncharted History of Escaping Slavery by Sea. Viking Press, 2025. Intro Song: "Follow The Drinking Gourd" performed by Roger McGuinn feat. Nedra Talley Ross (2005). Here it here!Outro Song: "Cello and Voice" by Ramona Additional Music from ghost collar, pixabay.com, ramona, archive.org and koleso neštastia.

See All (39)

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

4.5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

My name is Fritz McAlinden and this is The State Between Us, the anti-fascist podcast for dark dives into the ruling class insanity and fashy political cultures as well as our defenses against them through mutual aid and building each other up, sharing knowledge, and connecting the disparate voices in our overlapping struggles. Also TTRPGs, Sci-Fi, and other nerd shit. Let's get weird with it!

Information

  • Creator
    The State Between Us
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    39
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The State Between Us
  • Show Website
    The State Between Us

You Might Also Like