[TEASER] Cuba Ep. 11: Actually Existing Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro

This is a free preview of the episode "Cuba Ep. 11: Actually Existing Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro." You can listen to the full episode by subscribing to our Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast

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In this episode, Part 2 of a 2-part miniseries, Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro join us to discuss the ecology of communism as described in the book, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology by French scholar Guillaume Suing. Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro is Professor at the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at SUNY New Paltz. Henry Hakamäki is co-host of Guerrilla History and the editor and translator, along with Salvatore, of Iskra Books' Stalin: History and Critique of a Black Legend, by Domenico Losurdo as well as the book we'll be discussing today, Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing

Our conversation begins with a brief introduction to Guillaume Suing and the book Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology before jumping into a discussion about communist ecology and tackling the question of whether or not the "eco" in eco-socialism is necessary. We discuss the communist response to eco-centricism, which Salvatore argues presents a false dichotomy between humans and nature.

We then move from theory and begin discussing communist ecology in practice as it manifested in Cuba, describing some aspects of Cuba's ecological practices from agroecology to reforestation. We describe what it was about Cuba's socialist system which led it to value ecological sustainability. We end by discussing the "degrowth" movement, how Cuba represents a true example of degrowth in action, and explore how the climate movement and the western left more broadly can and should truly embrace that idea that communism is the highest stage of ecology.

We have unlocked Part 1 of this conversation so it is now available as a public episode. Part 2 will remain as a Patreon-only episode.

Further resources:

• Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology​, by Guillaume Suing

• Ecosocialism: An Introduction, by Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro

• Iskra Books

• Guerrilla History

• Book Talk: Slow Down with Kohei Saito (The People's Forum)

Related episodes:

• Communism, the Highest Stage of Ecology w/ Henry Hakamäki & Salvatore Engels-Di Mauro

• Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba

• Imperialism, The Highest Stage of Capitalism w/ Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante

• Socialism Betrayed w/ Roger Keeran and Joe Jamison

• Walter Rodney, Marxism, and Underdevelopment with D. Musa Springer & Charisse Burden-Stelly

• Live Show: Breaking the Chains of Empire w/ Abby Martin (with Bonus Q&A)

Cover art: Ben Stahnke / Iskra Books

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