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“Progressing by Grassroot Networks”

In an interview with Posle Media, researcher and long-time activist Catherine Samary delves into the critical challenges facing the French left amidst a global rightward shift. She critiques the Macron-Barnier government’s austerity policies, rising xenophobia, and the growing influence of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, while advocating for grassroots mobilisation and international solidarity. Samary also addresses the complex dynamics of a left responses to the war in Ukraine, exploring the tensions between anti-imperialism and support for Ukraine’s resistance, and highlights the urgent need for a renewed internationalist strategy to counter neoliberalism, militarism, and environmental devastation. This wide-ranging discussion situates the French left’s struggles within broader global crises, offering a sobering yet hopeful call to action.

The Agitators of Ethnic Panic

Richard Seymour’s “Dreaming of Downfall” provides a crucial analysis of the recent wave of racial violence across Britain, exposing the deep-rooted anxieties and deliberate provocations that have led to this disturbing moment in the nation’s history.

iPhone displays Social Media App-Icons

The Tyranny of the Algorithm

The growing concentration of power in the digital realm, exemplified by Elon Musk’s control over X, poses unprecedented risks to both online discourse and real-world stability.

The Unraveling of Our Modern World

Crisis is the word that keeps coming back to haunt us. Whether it’s the crisis of democracy, the crisis of liberalism, or the overarching notion of a time of crisis, we seem perpetually embroiled in a state of polycrisis.

Liberalism’s Betrayal: Defending Fascism in Times of Crisis

The assassination attempt on Donald Trump has spotlighted a troubling paradox: why do liberal institutions and figures often defend fascist politicians, even when these politicians espouse values antithetical to liberalism? This article delves into the inherent contradictions within liberalism that lead it to shield authoritarian figures like Trump, arguing that these actions reveal a deeper alignment with capitalist interests and a fear of revolutionary change.

“Progressing by Grassroot Networks”

In an interview with Posle Media, researcher and long-time activist Catherine Samary delves into the critical challenges facing the French left amidst a global rightward shift. She critiques the Macron-Barnier government’s austerity policies, rising xenophobia, and the growing influence of Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally, while advocating for grassroots mobilisation and international solidarity. Samary also addresses the complex dynamics of a left responses to the war in Ukraine, exploring the tensions between anti-imperialism and support for Ukraine’s resistance, and highlights the urgent need for a renewed internationalist strategy to counter neoliberalism, militarism, and environmental devastation. This wide-ranging discussion situates the French left’s struggles within broader global crises, offering a sobering yet hopeful call to action.

No to racism graphic from the NPA

The Real Forces Behind Le Pen’s Rise

Marine Le Pen’s rise in French politics, often attributed to immigration and crime, is more accurately understood as a reaction to the economic exploitation and inequality perpetuated by the capitalist system.

Démantelons les playmobil.

Unyielding

Amidst the relentless hum of an oppressive state, the silenced voices emerge, defiant whispers cutting through the smoke of the Molotov, a testament to the indomitable spirit of resistance.

French state coming for its citizens.

The Arrest

In a world reminiscent of Kafka’s nightmares, the arrest of a French publishing executive has cast a long, ominous shadow over the fragile nature of free expression. Ernest, the foreign rights manager for Éditions la Fabrique, found himself entangled in the suffocating coils of the state’s overreach as he was arrested. This ensnarement occurred at the behest of the French government, employing British anti-terror legislation as their instrument of control.

Painting depicting French riot police charging through smoke.

The Unrelenting Storm: Macron’s Defiant Pension Reform Ignites the Streets

In the twilight of the Fifth Republic, France is engulfed in a crisis sparked by President Emmanuel Macron’s pension reform, which has faced widespread opposition from unions and the public. Despite the Constitutional Council’s validation of the reform, the people’s fury burns bright, igniting massive protests and calls for broader social and wage reform, the end of the Fifth Republic, and radical democratic measures. The future of France remains uncertain as a new dawn awaits.

Graffiti that states "The People Want the Fall of the Regime"

France on the Brink: A Pre-Revolutionary State?

In his compelling article on Sidecar “The French Uprising,” Frédéric Lordon examines the current political and social unrest in France, suggesting that the nation may be on the brink of a revolutionary transformation. In this post I explore some of his ideas.