Bungacast

Latest Episodes:

/145/ The End of Conservatism ft. Julius Krein Sep 01, 2020

Show notes

On political decline and realignment.

The editor of American Affairs joins us to discuss the decay of conservatism and we ask whether this decay doesn't apply to other parts of the political spectrum too. Is today's 'class struggle' really just between the upper-middle class and the elite? And we discuss the 'late-Soviet' USA - the sense of decline embodied in the gerontocracy of the ruling class.

Readings:

The Real Class War, Julius Krein, American Affairs
America’s Unhealthy Gerontocracy, Julius Krein, American Affairs
Conservatism Is A Collection Of Losers. It Doesn’t Have To Be. Julius Krein, The American Conservative

Excerpt: /144/ Reading Club: New Social Movements Aug 28, 2020

Show notes

This episode is for patrons only. Subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast We discuss a chapter taken from James Heartfield's "The 'Death of the Subject' Explained", which was recently republished in Damage Magazine as The New Social Movements Against the Old Left Thanks for all your questions and points, we address them in the last third of the episode.

Excerpt: /143/ Aufhebonus Bonus (August) Aug 25, 2020

Show notes

The full episode is for patrons only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast In this semi-regular slot, we respond to your comments and criticisms received over the past month or so. Discussion features whether we're right about the "end of the End of History", social conservatism, policing in America, British declinism, the use and misuses of Islamism, and more.

/142/ Dollar Empire (2) ft. Daniel Bessner Aug 18, 2020

Show notes

On US foreign policy. Following on from our episode on the political-economy of dollar hegemony (no. 139), we turn to look at how the dollar underpins American empire. Is 'permawar' a product of structural factors, rather than merely the result of poor policy decisions? And how is this related to the global financial architecture?

We also discuss how the current period fits into US history, how US foreign policy might evolve over the next four years, and what a left-wing alternative foreign policy might look like.

Readings:

To End Forever War, End the Dollar’s Global Dominance, David Adler & Daniel Bessner, TNR
Trump’s America may be declining in global soft power—but US empire rolls on, Daniel Bessner, Prospect
The coronavirus crisis is an opportunity to finally move past the post-WWII era, Daniel Bessner, Responsible Statecraft

/141/ Oh Lebanon, What Now? ft. Rima Majed Aug 13, 2020

Show notes

On Lebanon's crisis.

We call up Rima Majed in Beirut to talk us through the aftermath of the enormous explosion and ensuing protests. How has Lebanon's history since the civil war created such a profound, multi-layered crisis? We cover the desperate economic situation and the October 2019 revolt, before going deep on the politics of sectarianism, the regional scenario impacting Lebanon, the legacy of the Arab Spring, and the risks of foreign intervention. Running Order:

Beirut explosion and protests - (07:04)
Lebanese history 1990-today - (23:53)
Economic crisis - (38:05)
Sectarianism - (51:16)
Regional scenario and foreign intervention - (01:04:54)
International solidarity - (01:24:38)

–> For donations & help for local organisations other than the Red Cross: Google Doc

Readings (all Rima Majed):

Lebanon’s ‘October Revolution’ must go on!, openDemocracy
The Political (or Social) Economy of Sectarianism in Lebanon, Middle East Institute
Financial Collapse, Revolution, and Pandemic: Where are the Unions?, LCPS
Why the Lebanese support the same sectarian leaders, al Jazeera
Lebanon's October Revolution: Hope in the Midst of Crisis, Princeton
Understanding the October Uprisings in Iraq and Lebanon, Global Dialogue ISA

Excerpt: /140/ Three Articles: Right-Populism Aug 11, 2020

Show notes

The full episode is for patrons only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast In this latest Three Articles, we discuss the durability or otherwise of right-populism in the UK, US and Brazil. Reading:

Conservatives’ grip on ‘red wall’ holding firm, Sebastian Payne, FT
Lawmakers ‘Alarmed’ by Reports U.S. Envoy Told Brazil It Could Help Re-elect Trump, Ernesto Londoño, Manuela Andreoni and Letícia Casado, NYT
“Imagine the damage a president could cause”: What would happen if Trump refused defeat?, Emily Tamkin, New Statesman

/139/ Dollar Empire ft. Yakov Feygin & Dominik Leusder Aug 04, 2020

Show notes

On dollar hegemony.

Dutch disease has long been seen as the curse of resource-rich economies in which a currency appreciates and jobs are lost overseas. But what if the greenback is having the same effects on the US economy, the largest in the world? Many historians and economists have studied the global effects of having the dollar as the world’s reserve currency. But what is the effect on the US economy itself? The authors of an influential essay on this question join us to talk about the feedback effects of dollar hegemony.

Readings:

The Class Politics of the Dollar System, Yakov Feygin & Dominik Leusder, Phenomenal World
Dollar and Empire, Herman Mark Schwartz, Phenomenal World

Excerpt: /138/ Fuck, Abolish, Defund: The Police Jul 28, 2020

Show notes

The episode is for patrons only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast The protests in the US against police violence - and their globalisation - prompts us to discuss radical proposals for what to do about the police. We look at the US, the UK and Brazil, each in their own national contexts, and debate how policing is structure and what makes realistic responses to state repression a political priority. Readings:

Symposium on Policing, NonSite, various authors incl. Dustin Guastella, Christian Parenti
Global Perspectives on Policing, Verso Books blog, various authors incl. Alex Hochuli

Excerpt: /137/ Reading Club: War, Technology, The State Jul 24, 2020

Show notes

Reading Club episodes are only available to patrons $10+. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast This month we discuss Wolfgang Streeck's reading of Friedrich Engels which appeared recently in the New Left Review, which deals with the Marxian understanding of war and technology, how they relate to social development, and what this all means for our understanding of the state. Engels's Second Theory: Technology, Warfare and the Growth of the State, Wolfgang Streeck, New Left Review

/136/ Banana Monarchy ft. David Edgerton Jul 21, 2020

Show notes

On British decline. Much ink has been spilled over the Britain’s fate since the end of its empire. Could it be that decline has been overstated? And what will happen to Britain as it leaves the European Union? We discuss how the history of the Industrial Revolution and Cold War militarism still shapes British politics today, as David Edgerton joins us to talk about the his latest book, 'The Rise and Fall of the British Nation'. Readings:

A misremembered empire, David Edgerton, Tortoise
Britain’s 20th-century industrial revolution, Colin Kidd, New Statesman (review of Edgerton's book)
Britain's persistent racism cannot simply be explained by its imperial history, David Edgerton, The Guardian

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected