Politics Theory Other

Richard Seymour discusses the abrupt increase in Western criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza, China's energy transition, and how to understand the Trump administration. If you'd like to hear this episode in full please consider becoming a £5/pm PTO supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

Radhika Desai returns to PTO to talk about the latest round of violence between India and Pakistan, following the terrorist attack that killed 26 tourists in Indian administered Kashmir on April 22nd. We discussed the situation in Jammu and Kashmir since 2019, when the Hindu nationalist government of Narendra Modi revoked the territory's special status under the Indian constitution and brought it under direct rule amid a wave of violent repression. We also talked about fears in Kashmir about the Indian government seeking to change the demographic balance in the territory, and about the scale of the fighting Pakistan and India - which far exceeded the previous round of the conflict in 2019. Show notes: Our previous conversation can be listened to here: https://soundcloud.com/poltheoryother/peak-hindutva-w-radhika-desai Read more about Radhika's work here: https://radhikadesai.com/ And Radhika's 2002 paper on India, Pakistan and the war on terror can be read here: https://www.academia.edu/281710/Tryst_with_Fate_India_and_Pakistan_in_the_War_on_Terrorism_2002_

Natasha Lennard returns to answer listener questions on the escalation of the Gaza genocide, the prospects for a federal ban on abortion in the United States, and whether we are seeing the emergence of a distinctly liberal brand of transphobia in the US. If you'd like to hear this episode in full please consider becoming a £5/pm PTO supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Jake Werner on US-China relations in the context of the trade war. We discussed why Donald Trump has dialled down his rhetoric over tariffs, and why the term "decoupling" hardly captures the severity of what a breakdown of the economic relations between the US and China will look like. We also talked about the prospects of increased military tension, and whether we can expect the development of proxy wars between the two powers as the relationship between the US and China deteriorates further.

Amjad Iraqi returns to PTO to discuss the Israeli offensive in Gaza - following on from Israel's violation of the ceasefire in late March. We spoke about why the ceasefire was always likely to be violated, the eroding support for continuation of the war within Israel (as the war increasingly comes to be seen as a way of shielding Benjamin Netanyahu from corruption charges) and about the increasing number of Israeli reservists not reporting for duty. We also talked about the deteriorating situation in the West Bank and whether - at this seemingly darkest moment for Palestinian resistance - there are still grounds for hope.

Quinn Slobodian returns to answer questions sent in by listeners in response to our recent episode on Quinn's new book, Hayek's Bastards: The neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right. If you'd like to get access to this and all other episode of PTO Extra! please consider becoming a £5 supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

Quinn Slobodian returns to PTO to talk about his new book 'Hayek's Bastards: The Neoliberal Roots of the Populist Right'. Whilst politicians and thinkers of the new right are typically characterised as fierce opponents of neoliberalism, Quinn explains how the emergence of the populist right developed through a split within the neoliberal movement itself. We talked about the intellectual development of the new right, why their neoliberal heritage is often ignored, and how their racism and obsession with borders - though often seen as merely irrational and atavistic - contains its own form of economic rationality.

Natasha Lennard joins PTO to talk about her recent writing on how the Democrats are making sense of their electoral defeat in November and how the mainstream of the party is adopting conservative social policy while flirting with far-right activists and influencers. We also talked about the enduring and ever more bizarre democrat obsession with civility and bipartisanship.

In the latest episode of Interregnum Richard Seymour comments on the the fallout from the calamitous meeting between Donald Trump, Volodymyr Zelensky, and JD Vance. If you would like to listen to this episode of PTO Extra! please consider becoming a £5 p/m supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

Hannah Proctor joins PTO to discuss her book Burnout: The Emotional Experience of Political Defeat.  Amongst other aspects of the book, we discussed the practice of Maoist self-criticism and its influence on the American and European New Left, the accounts of women involved in the 1984-85 miners strike following its defeat at the hands of the Thatcher government, and about the Paris Commune of 1871 and the fate of the communards who were exiled to the French penal colony in New Caledonia.

Adam Tooze returns to answer the many excellent questions sent in by PTO supporters. If you would like to listen to this episode of PTO Extra! please consider becoming a £5 p/m supporter on patreon: www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

Adam Tooze returns to answer the many excellent questions sent in by PTO supporters. If you would like to listen to this episode of PTO Extra! please consider becoming a £5 p/m supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

Richard returns to answer more questions - including on the Gaza ceasefire, bible study in American schools, and what might be learned from Mexico's Morena party.

PTO is joined by the Palestinian writer and analyst Muhammad Shehada. In our conversation we talked about the humanitarian situation in Gaza after fifteen months of war and genocide. We also talked about the military capabilities of Hamas and why Israel was unable to inflict a total defeat on the group. We dicussed how the Trump administration will relate to Israel, and finally Mohammad shared his thoughts on the effects of the international solidarity movement during the genocide. Our conversation was recorded before the ceasefire negotiations accelerated, but plenty of the discussion remains relevant to the current situation.

sociologist and political economist Will Davies. We spoke about his recent article in the London Review of Books, titled 'A Crisis in Credibility: Labour's Conundrum'. We discussed the nature of the economic agenda that Labour has adopted in its attempt to break out of the low-growth and low productivity rates that have characterised the UK economy in recent years. We chatted about the extent to which the Starmer-Reeves project emulates and diverges from the Biden administration's economic policies, and the left de-risking critique of so-called 'modern supply side economics'.

If you would like to listen to this episode of PTO Extra please consider becoming a £5 patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother In today's episode Richard Seymour responds to listener questions on the overthrow of Assad in Syria, the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the significance of widespread public sympathy for Luigi Mangione. We also talked about “normie socialism”, a Soviet counterfactual, and what books Richard has been reading this year. As always, thanks to everyone who sent in a question and for your continued support.

If you would like to listen to this episode of PTO Extra please consider becoming a £5 patron on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother In today's episode Richard Seymour responds to listener questions on the overthrow of Assad in Syria, the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the significance of widespread public sympathy for Luigi Mangione. We also talked about “normie socialism”, a Soviet counterfactual, and what books Richard has been reading this year. As always, thanks to everyone who sent in a question and for your continued support.

To get access to episodes of PTO Extra please consider becoming a £5 supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother In this second part of a two-part episode Richard Seymour responds to more of the questions sent in by listeners on the US presidential election and its ramifications. We also talked briefly about the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant. As always thank you so much for your support and to everyone who sent in questions!

To get access to episodes of PTO Extra please consider becoming a £5 supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother In part one of a two part episode Richard Seymour responds to some of the excellent questions sent in by listeners on the US presidential election and its ramifications. Richard answered questions on the role of social media in the election, the nomination of RFK Jr. to the position of secretary of health and human services, the racial dynamics of Donald Trump's voter coalition, and what to expect from the new administration amongst other topics.

Today we're publishing a crossover episode with our friends at the Macrodose podcast, hosted by James Meadway. In the episode talk about the economics of Donald Trump's election victory and why James lays much of the blame for Kamala Harris' defeat at the door of mainstream economics. We also talked about why Donald Trump did so well amongst young white men, and about what role the Democrats' enabling of the Gaza genocide had in the election results. You can get more excellent economic analysis from James at the Macrodose podcast: https://www.patreon.com/c/Macrodose

Adam Tooze returns to PTO to discuss the extent to which war with China is increasingly being treated as a serious prospect in Washington and the Pentagon. We also talked about how successful, or otherwise, the Biden administration has been in constructing regional alliances against China during the last four years. And we went on to talk about why the Chinese Communist Party leadership's decisions over climate policy dwarf the US presidential election in significance. Finally, we discussed the economic slowdown in the country and Adam explained why he disagrees with analysts who see China's economic problems as primarily a consequence of increasing authoritarianism.

In today's episode Richard Seymour responds to more of the great questions sent in by PTO supporters. Those questions covered topics including degrowth, the extent to which Green party's can be vehicles for radical change, the left's impasse in the UK and Richard's appearance in the audience on BBC Question Time at the tender age of twenty-one. Become a £5 supporter of PTO on patreon to get access to this and all other episodes of PTO Extra: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

In today's episode Richard Seymour responds to more of the great questions sent in by PTO supporters. Those questions covered topics including degrowth, the extent to which Green party's can be vehicles for radical change, the left's impasse in the UK and Richard's appearance in the audience on BBC Question Time at the tender age of twenty-one. Become a £5 supporter of PTO on patreon to get access to this and all other episodes of PTO Extra: https://www.patreon.com/c/poltheoryother

As Israel's genocide in Gaza escalated in the autumn of last year, there was much speculation as to whether we would see mass uprisings in the Arab States of the region. Yet although there have been major Palestine protests in the region, and other acts of solidarity, we have not seen the kinds of uprisings that many hoped for. Nihal El Aasar takes up this question and argues that repression and the threat of violence alone cannot be the sole explanation for the relative lack of public tumult. In our conversation we talked about the Arab Spring, the kind of political subject it brought into being, and the profound effects of the counterrevolution that destroyed the hopes that so many had invested in the Arab Spring. We also talked about how the demoralisation of the Arab publics of the region is critical to the regime of capital accumulation in the Middle East - and Israel's central role in that process.

On the 27th of September Israel dramatically escalated its war on Hezbollah, by assassinating its Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah. Four days later Iran responded to the killing of its long-standing ally by launching a missile attack on Israel - targeting military and intelligence facilities. In today's episode Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi and Nathaniel George join PTO to talk about whether the killing of Nasrallah - and the wider leadership - represents an existential threat to Hezbollah, and about the group's prospects in combating Israel's ground invasion. We also talked about the effectiveness of Iran's missile strikes and the degree to which Iran has been able to restore any measure of deterrence. We also touched on the dire humanitarian situation in Lebanon, which comes on top of years of grinding economic and political crisis. Finally, we discussed the position of the United States and the apparent appetite in Washington for settling accounts with the America's regional adversaries.

In part one of a two part listener's questions episode Richard responds to questions on Israel's murderous attack on Lebanon, the prospects for Gaza, the appointment of Michel Barnier as French prime minister and psychoanalytic insights into nationalism. Become a £5 supporter of the show at patreon.com/poltheoryother to get access to this episode and all other episodes of PTO Extra

Jeremy Gilbert returns to PTO to discuss the news that Oasis have announced that they will be reforming to perform a series of gigs next summer. We discussed the reaction to that news, why 90s nostalgia is so prevalent, and why it was that of the various guitar groups of the time, it was Oasis who became so successful in the mid 1990s.

Zionism, and the project of ethnic cleansing and colonial settlement in historic Palestine, is often rightly compared to other projects of European colonialism. But in a recent essay for Parapraxis, my guest Jake Romm argues that Zionism not only has been influenced by the European imperial project, but that it has also been massively shaped by anti-semitism, and that in its recapitulation of anti-semitic stereotypes, and even anti-semitic practice, it makes sense to view Zionism as a species of anti-semitism itself. We talked about how Jake came to this view via Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno's The Dialectic of Enlightenment, why he thinks Zionism has always been bent on the destruction of the Palestinian people and could never be content with merely exploiting Palestinian labour. And we also talked about the extreme machismo of Israeli society, and how October 7th was experienced as an emasculating event. Finally, we talked about Israel's likely turn to a permanent occupation of Gaza - and the possibility of the creation of new Israeli settlements in the territory.

Phil Burton-Cartledge joins PTO to discuss the first few weeks of Keir Starmer's Labour government. To get access to this episode of PTO Extra please consder becoming a £5 supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Phil Burton-Cartledge joins PTO to discuss the first few weeks of Keir Starmer's Labour government. To get access to this episode of PTO Extra please consder becoming a £5 supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

On July 30th, a week of Islamophobic and racist violence broke out in England and Northern Ireland, following a mass stabbing even in the seaside town of Southport in which three children were murdered. The subsequent racist attacks were fuelled by misinformation, spread by far-right groups, that the perpetrator was a Muslim and an asylum seeker. In today's episode Nesrine Malik joined PTO to talk about how best to characterise the week of violence and intimidation, and the degree of culpability of Britain's main political parties in fostering racism and Islamophobia. We also talked about the network of new right wing media organisations, think tanks and influencers and how they synergise with the old and established conservative press.

Richard Seymour returns to the show to respond to more listener's questions and to address the recent outbreak of racist and Islamophobic violence in the UK. Become a £5 supporter on patreon to get access to all episodes of PTO Extra: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Bue Rübner Hansen joins PTO to talk about his recent essay The New German Chauvinism. In the first part of our conversation we discussed the history of the German-Israeli alliance and how its emergence was far more complicated than is commonly supposed. We discussed the contrasting attitudes to Israel amongst the German public and the political and media class and big business. And we went on to discuss the distinct memory culture around the crimes of Nazism and the Holocaust, that emerged in West Germany during the Cold War and how elements of that culture fostered a political climate in Germany that is, at best, deaf to the suffering of the Palestinians. We also talked about the emergence of the Anti-German current within the German left and how its suspicion of the German working class stemmed from the obliteration of the history of working class opposition to the Nazis. Read Bue's two part essay here: https://lefteast.org/the-new-german-chauvinism-part-i/ https://lefteast.org/the-new-german-chauvinism-part-ii/

In today's episode Richard Seymour returns to answer some of the excellent questions sent in by PTO patrons. To become a PTO supporter go to patreon.com/poltheoryother

On January 22nd the new Ram temple in Uttar Pradesh was consecrated in a ceremony led by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The event kicked off Modi's election campaign that was widely expected to lead to a landslide for Modi and the BJP. Instead, the Hindu nationalist party lost 63 seats and the opposition coalition led by congress made significant gains. In today's episode I spoke with Radhika Desai about the causes of the electoral upset, the image and reality of the Indian economy and what the election results announced in June might mean for Indian Muslims.

Sebastian Budgen returns to the show to discuss the recent shock result in the French legislative elections that saw the left wing New Popular Front win the highest number of seats, beating both Emmanuel Macron's Ensemble and the far-right National Rally, who had been widely expected to emerge with the most deputies in the French parliament.

Today's show is a crossover episode with our good friends over at the Macrodose podcast, which is hosted by economist James Meadway. In the episode James is joined by Richard Seymour to discuss the upcoming UK general election. We talked about the crisis in the Conservative Party and the prospects of a post-election merger with Nigel Farage's Reform party. We also discussed whether Farage's comments on Ukraine damage his electoral prospects, the likelihood of Labour implementing austerity and why - as James argues - the 4th of July is likely to be the last "normal" general election held in the UK.

Andy Beckett joins PTO to talk about his new book, The Searchers: Five Rebels, Their Dream of a Different Britain, and Their Many Enemies. The five rebels in question being Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott, John McDonnell, and Ken Livingstone. We talked about the role of the global tumult of 1968 in the development of the politics of the five, the extraordinary racism that Diane Abbott has faced since entering parliament, and whether the current Labour leadership think there are votes to be gained in joining in in attacks on Britain's most important black politician. We also talked about the importance of  Salvador Allende's Popular unity government in Chile to the five and how their admiration for Allende contrasted with their view of the eastern bloc during the Cold War. Finally, we touched on the current conjuncture and what the future might hold for the remaining four rebels.

This week's episode is the recording of our recent live event. Gargi Bhattacharyya, Richard Seymour, and Eleanor Penny were joined by an audience in Finsbury Park, London to discuss the fascism debate, disaster nationalism, and the relationship between fascism and racial capitalism.

James Schneider joins the show to discuss Rishi Sunak's announcement that the UK general election will take place on July 4th, and to talk about his book 'Our Bloc: How We Win' in which James argues for a left bloc - a federated alliance of socialist forces comprising social movements, unions, and the residual left in parliament. In the interview we discussed what such a left bloc could look like and how it might knit together forces with varying political commitments and traditions. We also talked about the unprecedented vacuity of Keir Starmer's political project, and James also gave his thoughts on the domestic significance of the Gaza protest movement.

Israeli universities have long enjoyed a reputation as liberal bastions of freedom and democracy and they enjoy warm relationships with their counterparts in north America and Europe - including the University of Columbia. However, as Maya Wind explains in today's episode, contrary to the depiction of Israeli universities as centres of pluralism and free inquiry these institutions are directly complicit in the project to dispossess Palestinians of their land and rights. In her new book, Towers of Ivory and Steel: How Israeli Universities Deny Palestinian Freedom. Maya reveals how academic disciplines, degree programs, campus infrastructure, and research laboratories all service Israeli occupation and apartheid, while universities violate the rights of Palestinians to education, stifle critical scholarship, and violently repress student dissent.

In today's PTO Extra! Richard Seymour responds to some more excellent listener's questions. We talked about the protests against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza taking place at American universities and the extremely repressive response from university authorities. We went on to discuss the situation regarding Iran and Israel, and Richard responded to questions on the disgracing of Sam Bankman-Fried and the effective altruism movement, the Weather Underground and the relevance of armed militant groups of the 1970s to left strategy today. Finally, we talked about what can be expected from a Labour government in the UK and the prospects for a new left party.

To get access to this episode of PTO Extra please consider becoming a £5 supporter on Patreon. Go to https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother In today's show Richard Seymour responds to some more excellent listener's questions. We talked about the protests against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza taking place at American universities and the extremely repressive response from university authorities. We went on to discuss the situation regarding Iran and Israel, and Richard responded to questions on the disgracing of Sam Bankman-Fried and the effective altruism movement, the Weather Underground and the relevance of armed militant groups of the 1970s to left strategy today. Finally, we talked about what can be expected from a Labour government in the UK and the prospects for a new left party.

Paul Rogers returns to PTO to talk about Iran's attack on Israel on the 13th of April - the first such direct operation carried out by Iran. We discussed whether the operation was a failure or a qualified success, and the role of the United States, Britain, France, and Jordan in the downing of Iranian missiles and drones. We also talked about the progress of Iran's programme and how the attacks on the 13th may have distracted attention from the IDF's failure to defeat Hamas in Gaza. Book your spot at the first PTO Live! event on May 16th in London here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/disaster-nationalism-politics-theory-other-podcast-live-tickets-883198700087

Since October 7th Israeli politicians, spokespeople, and Israel's supporters have mobilised feminist narratives in defence of the state's genocidal actions in Gaza and sought to portray Palestinian resistance to Israel as suffused with religiously inspired misogyny. In a recent article in Salvage, Sophie Lewis wrote about the way in which Zionist feminists have worked to defend the settler colonial project and how it places them in a long lineage of self-described feminists who have been enthusiastic supporters and participants in imperial conquest. In our conversation we talked about that history, and whether we're seeing a decline in Zionist feminism that parallels the broader crisis of liberal Zionism. Book your spot at the first PTO Live! event on May 16th in London here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/disaster-nationalism-politics-theory-other-podcast-live-tickets-883198700087

In part one of a two-part episode Richard returns to give his thoughts on an apparent turn against Israel on parts of the American right, the significance of the protests against Netanyahu within Israel, the role of students in the Palestine solidarity movement, and his view of post-Marxist thought. To get access to the full episode become a £5 PTO supporter on patreon.com/poltheoryother

In part one of a two-part episode Richard returns to give his thoughts on an apparent turn against Israel on parts of the American right, the significance of the protests against Netanyahu within Israel, the role of students in the Palestine solidarity movement, and his view of post-Marxist thought. To get access to the full episode become a £5 PTO supporter on patreon.com/poltheoryother

Yanis Varoufakis joins PTO to discuss his book, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism. We discussed why Yanis believes capitalism is no longer the appropriate term to describe contemporary economic and social relations. We also talked about the financial crisis, the Covid19 pandemic, and how central bank responses to both crises served to build the power of the tech giants. Finally, we also briefly discussed the situation in Gaza and why Yanis believes reports of the decline of US global hegemony are, for the moment, exaggerated.

If you'd like to hear the rest of this episode of PTO Extra! Please consider becoming a £5 supporter at patreon.com/poltheoryother Richard Seymour returns to discuss the likelihood of Israel launching its assault on Rafah (in the context of Israel's deliberate starvation of the Gazan population). We talked about the position of the United States and its recent resolution at the United Nations security council and the extent to which - if at all - it represents a shift away from unequivocal support for Israel. We also discussed the decline of liberal Zionism, as Israel increasingly becomes a pariah state, and finally we discussed "normie socialist" and post-left perspectives on the history of Israel-Palestine.

If you'd like to hear the rest of this episode of PTO Extra! Please consider becoming a £5 supporter at patreon.com/poltheoryother Richard Seymour returns to discuss the likelihood of Israel launching its assault on Rafah (in the context of Israel's deliberate starvation of the Gazan population). We talked about the position of the United States and its recent resolution at the United Nations security council and the extent to which - if at all - it represents a shift away from unequivocal support for Israel. We also discussed the decline of liberal Zionism, as Israel increasingly becomes a pariah state, and finally we discussed "normie socialist" and post-left perspectives on the history of Israel-Palestine.

The 1970s is often depicted straightforwardly as the moment when the radical movements of the 1960s fractured, failed, and radicalised in ways that were self-destructive. In The Subversive Seventies Michael Hardt argues that not only is that a much too simplistic understanding of the decade, but that it serves to prevent us from drawing important lessons and inspiration from the radical movements of the 1970s. We talked about popular misconceptions about the movements of the 70s, how to understand the turn towards projects characterised by autonomy and in some cases armed struggle. And finally we also talked about why the emergence in the 70s of a multiplicity of struggles can be seen as a source of strength for the left, rather than evidence of irresolvable division.