It’s that time of year
The end of the year wouldn’t be complete without a list.
The rest of the blog
The end of the year wouldn’t be complete without a list.
Let’s be honest: most podcasts are fluff, background noise for the doomscroll. But every so often, you stumble across a few that feel vital, like they’re speaking directly to the part of you that knows something’s deeply off. These are the ones that respect the work of Peter Dale Scott, understand that the CIA has been playing dirty for decades, and quietly agree that Oliver Stone might have nailed it with JFK. From deep-state machinations and true crime to the gangsters, spies, and outright monsters shaping our unnerving present, these podcasts don’t just expose the cracks—they show you how deep they go.
In V13: Chronicle of a Trial, Emmanuel Carrère immerses readers in the unprecedented legal aftermath of the 2015 Paris terror attacks, illuminating the harrowing testimonies of survivors, the moral quandaries of justice, and the uneasy search for meaning amid almost unfathomable violence.
Picture a once-mighty empire, stripped to its underwear. Once hailed for its democratic values and global reach, the United States now staggers beneath the weight of its own contradictions—its institutions hollowed out, its alliances squandered, its climate left to burn. In the aftermath of a second Trump presidency, what was once dismissed as political theatre has morphed into a crisis so profound that even the most reluctant observers must confront the truth: the old order cannot endure.
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.
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.
The Conservative Party’s recent by-election failures highlight more than just their own incompetence. They point to a fundamental crisis within the capitalist system itself, a system which the Conservatives strive to preserve amidst increasing dysfunction.
The Labour Party’s hasty withdrawal of support for by-election candidate Azhar Ali over benign comments critical of Israel exemplifies a wider pattern of oversensitivity regarding any anti-Zionist perspectives in the post-Corbyn era.
The chaos of the “traditional” Boxing Day hunts has ended, with the saboteurs doing all they could to disrupt the hunts; yet we still saw a fox ripped apart by an out-of-control packs of hounds. It’s now time for the Labour Party to commit to ending the blood sport of the ruling class once and for all.
In this scathing critique, Simon Pearson eviscerates Labour leader Keir Starmer’s recent Chatham House speech on the Israeli action against Hamas, arguing his bourgeois perspective perpetuates imperialist myths and distracts from the radical struggle needed for Palestinian liberation.
In an apparently unwarranted display of political force, the Labour party finds itself entangled in internal power struggles, with Keir Starmer pursuing the undermining of his predecessor, Jeremy Corbyn.
In a Guardian article today, Matthew Goodwin, an academic on British politics, identifies three key hurdles that the Labour Party must overcome to regain electoral success: reconnecting with the working class, addressing concerns about immigration, and navigating the rise of populism. Goodwin’s opinions are particularly relevant as his new book, “Values, Voice and Virtue: The New British Politics,” is set to be released on Thursday.
In this blog post, I delve into the complex dynamics of the Labour Party’s response to the war in Ukraine and challenge the oversimplified critiques presented by Kevin Bean in his Weekly Worker article. I emphasise the importance of a nuanced approach, party unity, and pragmatism, exploring the diverse perspectives within the Labour left and their contributions to the broader political discourse.
The contemporary left faces many challenges, including the absence of a powerful mass revolutionary party, and must navigate the complexities of modern struggles while adhering to Trotsky’s guidance, all while enduring the paradoxical nature of Starmer’s Labour Party.