Politics Theory Other

Paul Mason joins me to discuss the COVID-19 crisis, the UK government's response, the failure of senior journalists to hold the government to account and why the crisis may lead to a profound transformation of the global economy. We also discussed an article he published today -Day One of the UK's suppression strategy: https://paulmason.substack.com/p/day-one-of-uks-suppression-strategy?fbclid=IwA...

Judith Butler joins me to discuss her new book, 'The Force of Nonviolence'. We spoke about how the concept of self-defence raises the question of what the individual sovereign subject is, how some populations are interpellated as grievable - whilst others are not - and finally we spoke about the relevance of Sigmund Freud's 1918 essay, 'Mourning and Melancholia' to a utopian, militantly nonviolent...

Milan-based journalist Antonella Serrecchia, and Jacobin's Europe editor David Broder join me to discuss the lockdown in Italy - imposed by the Italian government in response to the escalation of the coronavirus outbreak. We discussed the pressure on the Italian health system, the economic consequences of the crisis, and how the far-right Lega have instrumentalised the situation for their anti-mig...

Jodi Dean and Adom Getachew join me to chat about Super Tuesday, whether the left underestimated Joe Biden, and the implications of Biden's comeback for Bernie Sanders' campaign.

Owen Hatherley joins me to discuss his recent article on Keir Starmer and the Labour leadership contest. You can read the piece here: https://medium.com/@owenhatherley/theres-a-starmer-waiting-in-the-sky-f2d26a9c4e97

Leo Panitch joins me to chat about the causes of Labour's defeat in the 2019 general election, the weaknesses of the labour movement beyond the party, and whether a Keir Starmer victory in the Labour leadership contest would portend a march back to the so-called political centre.

Lisa Wedeen joins me to discuss her new book, Authoritarian Apprehensions: Ideology, Judgment, and Mourning in Syria. We spoke about the strategies the Syrian regime has adopted in order to maintain a degree of public support, the neoliberal turn of Syrian society under Bashar al-Assad, how authoritarian leaders exploit digital media to create uncertainty, and the relevance of Louis Althusser's co...

The New Left Review's Daniel Finn joins me to discuss Sinn Féin's electoral breakthrough in the Irish general election. We spoke about the decline of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, why Ireland's economic recovery did not help Leo Varadkar and Fine Gael, and why Sinn Féin's association with the republican cause in Northern Ireland no longer puts off young Irish voters. To get access to this episode bec...

Len McCluskey joins me to talk about his new book, 'Why You Should Be A Trade Unionist'. We spoke about his own experience of becoming involved in the labour movement, what the unions could be doing to combat the conservative press, and we also talked about the Labour leadership contest and Len's position on freedom of movement.

Thea Riofrancos joins me to discuss the shambolic Iowa caucus, the significance of the strong showings of Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, and Joe Biden's poor performance. We also chatted about media narratives and centrist panic at the prospect of Sanders winning the nomination. To get access to this episode become a $5 supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Achin Vanaik joins me to discuss Hindu nationalism in India, the BJP's anti-Muslim Citizenship Amendment Act, the lockdown in Kashmir, and India's economic slowdown.

Lara Friedman joins me to discuss the so-called Trump peace plan and the Israel-Palestine conflict. We spoke about the extent to which the plan diverges from previous American policy, and the ideological framework of its creators. Lara is the President of the Foundation for Middle East Peace based in Washington DC.

Financial Times journalist Tom Hancock joins me from the city of Wuhan - the epicentre of the coronavirus outbreak. We spoke about the situation in the city, the response of the Chinese government to the crisis and how it compares to the SARS outbreak of 2002. We also discussed the broader political significance of the outbreak and the public mood in Wuhan and China more broadly.

Tom Blackburn joins me to chat about the Labour leadership contest, why Keir Starmer is the front runner, the importance of open selection, and what Jess Philipps' brief campaign tells us about the Labour right. If you'd like to hear the full interview please consider becoming a $5 PTO supporter on patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Rhian Jones joins me to discuss her article in Tribune Magazine, An Enterprise Allowance of the Left: https://tribunemag.co.uk/2019/10/an-enterprise-allowance-of-the-left which looks at the disappearance of working class voices from the arts and how the left might rebuild working class culture. We talked about how Britpop positioned working class people as uneducated and hostile to musical experim...

Maya Goodfellow joins me to discuss her new book, 'Hostile Environment: How Immigrants Became Scapegoats'. We talked about the historical roots of the hostile environment policy, the punitive, cruel and deliberately confusing character of Britain's immigration system, how viewing migrants as 'economic assets' feeds into anti-migrant politics, and we also chatted about how New Labour's policies on...

Phil Burton-Cartledge joins me to discuss the Conservative's electoral victory and why he believes that the 2019 election result does not simply cancel out the long term problems the Conservatives face.

International security expert Paul Rogers joins me to discuss why the United States carried out the assassination of Qassem Suleimani and whether the attack will spark a broader regional war. We also discussed the historical roots of Iran's defence doctrine of hybrid, asymmetric warfare, and why Britain would be very likely to assist the American military in any large scale military confrontation.

Richard Seymour joins me to discuss the reasons for Labour's electoral defeat and why the left overestimated Labour's chances. We also chatted what we can expect from Boris Johnson's government and the broader issue of 'disaster nationalism'. Finally, we spoke about the likely outcome of the Labour leadership race.

Sivamohan Valluvan joins me to discuss his new book, 'The Clamour of Nationalism, Race and Nation in Twenty-first-century Britain'. We spoke about why the current era is better characterised as a reactionary nationalist one, rather than as a populist moment, and we spoke about the flirtation of parts of the European left with an anti-migrant politics. We also spoke about the differences and affini...

David Wearing joins me to discuss the defence, security and international trade policies of Labour and the Conservatives, and why the election result is a matter of life and death for many people beyond Britain's borders.

Adrienne Buller joins me to discuss the climate emergency and the general election. We spoke about the policy platforms of the parties, the recent Channel 4 climate change debate and what it tells us about public discourse around climate, and finally we chatted about whether the 'Green Industrial Revolution' is the right framing for mobilising around the climate crisis.

James Meadway joins me to discuss whether the Conservative manifesto and its limited spending promises will prevent the Tories taking Labour seats in the Midlands, the north of England and Wales. We also spoke about the usefulness of opinion polling, why the Liberal Democrats are once again failing to disrupt the two-party duopoly, and the role of the media in the election and whether the UK is be...

Thea Riofrancos joins me to discuss 'A Planet to Win: Why We Need a Green New Deal' a new book co-authored by Thea. We spoke about why the New Deal is the right framing for a project to avert the worst consequences of the climate crisis, why environmental victories are necessarily entwined with the struggle against inequality, and the importance to the climate movement of forging alliances across...

Will Davies joins me to discuss conservative's response to Labour's policy on free full-fibre broadband, whether Boris Johnson really is the great campaigner his admirers claim he is, and we also discussed Labour's messaging around taking on billionaires.