The podcast episodes discuss Occupy Wall Street as a case study in the dynamics of social movements, analyzing both the power and limitations of spontaneous protests lacking centralized ideological leadership.

The episodes explore how Occupy Wall Street exemplifies the issues raised in David Graeber's essay 'The Shock of Victory', which argues that social movements often fail to recognize their own victories, leading to internal conflicts and a lack of strategic vision.

The episodes also reference Occupy Wall Street when discussing the merits and drawbacks of revolutionary theory as espoused by figures like Vladimir Lenin, contrasting spontaneous movements with the need for a vanguard party to guide the revolutionary process.