Aufhebunga Bunga posts
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May Reading Club
The next Reading Club will be on Michel Foucault's The Birth of Biopolitics, chs. 4-6; 9-10 (attached).We'll be recording on Wednesday 25 May, so do get your questions and points in by then!
/261/ Three Articles: Macronistan
[Patreon Exclusive]We analyse the French presidential election results, the country's geographical and class divides, and what a second term for Macron means for the EU.Three Articles: Emmanuel Macron Is Forming a New Right-Wing Bloc, Interview with Bruno Amable, Jacobin Why Macron is invincible, Christopher Caldwell, Unherd Le Pen was doomed from the start, Nathan Pinkoski, CompactOther readings: Waking Up from Anesthesia: Decline and Violen...
/259/ Conformist Rebellion (2) ft. Elena Lange & Joshua Pickett-Depaolis
[Patreon Exclusive]On Marxist critiques of the Left.The second part of our interview with Elena & Joshua about their new edited collection, The Conformist Rebellion: Marxist Critiques of the Contemporary Left.Plus an extended After Party where we debate the contemporary Left's connection (if any) to Marxism, the history of social democracy, and moral versus materialist critique.Readings: Counterattack journal Counter Attack telegram Elena'...
/258/ Conformist Rebellion ft. Elena Lange & Joshua Pickett-Depaolis
On Marxism & the Left.We talk to Elena & Joshua about their new edited collection, The Conformist Rebellion: Marxist Critiques of the Contemporary Left. Who or what is "the Left" today – merely the left wing of Capital? And what distinguishes a specifically Marxist critique of the Left? How has Marxism and the question of exploitation been sidelined in favour of a libera concern with discrimination?Readings: Counterattack journal Counte...
/257/ How to Boil a Frog (2) ft. Chris Bickerton
The second part of our double ep on France's presidential election.Ahead of the second round, we discuss how likely a Le Pen victory could be and the effect of Zemmour’s candidacy – which appears to have made her seem more centrist. We also debate how the French deep state and EU might react to a Le Pen victory.We also ask Chris, co-author of Technopopulism, whether this is a classically 'technopopulist' election.Reading: Technopo...
Bungacast is five!
It's five years since our first episode came out and we wanted to thank you all for the engagement and support - both with the podcast and the wider intellectual project.Since April 2017, we've put out over 250 episodes and hosted over 100 guests.We marked our 100th episode by asking contributors "What was the End of History?" and our 200th by hosting a competition on which country best exemplifies the last 120 years.We've put...
/256/ How to Boil a Frog (1) ft. Charles Devellennes
On France's presidential elections.We talk to Charles Devellennes to digest the first round, which saw centre-right Macron and far-right Le Pen come out on top, with leftist Mélenchon missing out. How similar are Macron and Le Pen's proposals actually? And has Macron's attempts to play statesman over Ukraine affected his chances?With Le Pen and Macron both going after Mélenchon's 20% of the voter share, how will each approach th...
/254/ Three Articles: Ukraine
[Patreon Exclusive]On US proxy wars, Russia's elite, Ukrainian neutrality.'Three Articles' aims to provide serious political discussion on current affairs that we feel is lacking elsewhere, drawing out the logical conclusions of the three pieces' arguments.Articles: A proxy war in Ukraine is the worst possible outcome — except for all the others, Sam Winter-Levy, War on the Rocks “Now we're going to f*ck them all.” What&...
/253/ Technopopulism & Toxic Politics pt.2, ft. Carlo Invernizzi Accetti
[Patreon Exclusive]On toxic politics.We continue our interview with Carlo Invernizzi Accetti on his Technopopulism (co-authored with Chris Bickerton).We look at why the breakdown of intermediary institutions has made politics so volatile, and examine the connection between technopopulism, moralistic politics and the mutual hostility of today's culture wars.Alex, Phil and George then debate these questions and wonder what the best way is to ca...
/252/ Technopopulism & Toxic Politics ft. Carlo Invernizzi Accetti
On the fusion of technocracy & populism.Carlo Invernizzi Accetti talks to us about his book, Technopopulism, co-authored with Chris Bickerton. This is the "new logic of democratic politics". How are all politicians today effectively technocratic and populist at the same time? How does this distinguish our age from a more ideological age in the past? And what can be done to make politics ideological again?Readings: The Age of Technopopulis...
/251/ Oil & Disorder, pt 2 ft. Helen Thompson
[Patreon Exclusive]The second part of our discussion with Helen Thompson, including our After Party. Helen explains why she is sceptical about the promise of green energy and discusses how energy might tie into renewed efforts to build nations.Readings: Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, Helen Thompson Profits from fossil fuel energy power Russia's war machine, and Ukraine suffers, Helen Thompson, New Statesman What Is Fueling Our Cent...
/250/ Oil & Disorder ft. Helen Thompson
On energy, the material basis for all our politics?Helen Thompson, podcaster and professor of political economy at Cambridge and author of Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century, joins us to talk about the geopolitics of oil, stretching from the 1956 Suez Crisis to the Fracking Revolution of today. How does US energy independence help explain shifting politics in Europe and the Middle East?Plus, did the End of History stay afloat on a sea of ch...
/249/ Dances with Truckers ft. Ashley Frawley
On the Freedom Convoy, the indigenous question, and 'anti-socialist socialism'(?)Sociologist and commentator Ashley Frawley is back on the pod to talk about the situation in Canada. With family members involved in the protests, we asked her what she made of the truckers and the way demands were framed as 'anti-socialist'.We move on to debate how to understand popular resistance to 'social engineering' today, as well as the...
/248/ Aufhebonus Bonus
[Patreon Exclusive]In which we respond to listener questions & criticisms.A bumper episode, featuring plenty on Canadian truckers, Swedish populists, ideas of justice, hyperpolitics and much more.
Next Reading Club (March)
The next Reading Club will be on Corey Robin's Fear: The History of a Political Idea.This will be part of a sequence of two readings on the politics of fear. The recording date will be 6 April, a bit later than usual. Please do get your questions in by then.In future, the RC recordings will generally fall on the last Wednesday of the month, so you can plan your reading and discussion accordingly.
/247/ Why Isn't There Revolution pt. 2, ft. Vivek Chibber
[Patreon Exclusive]On nostalgia, populism and postmodernism.In the second part of the interview, we deal with contemporary political questions. Why is everyone nostalgic for the postwar era - and can there be a radical politics that seeks to 'go back'? Can the organisational vehicles of the past be revived?What has been the legacy of postmodernism, as it has been absorbed into popular culture? And why can't the left accept it has won ...
/246/ Why Isn't There Revolution? ft. Vivek Chibber
On class & material self-interest.We talk to Vivek Chibber about his new book, The Class Matrix: Social Theory After the Cultural Turn, which seeks to answer why capitalism has proven remarkably stable. Vivek explains why classical Marxism does not need 'ideological supplements' to explain why there hasn't been revolution; instead, structural class theory already provides the answers.We go back to basics, looking at the role of intere...
/244/ Bunga NYC: Live Debate ft. Adam Tooze
On The End of the End of HistoryOn 22 February 2022, at The People's Forum in Manhattan, Alex Hochuli and Adam Tooze were in conversation on the themes of the Bunga book and what comes next. The event was moderated by Christie Offenbacher (Damage Magazine).Buy the book: linktr.ee/bungacast
Livestream: Bunga in NYC - Debate + Book Launch
Alex Hochuli & Adam Tooze in conversation, chaired by Christie Offenbacher (Damage Magazine). 7pm ET.
/243/ Bureaucracy Rules OK pt. 2, ft. Michael Lind
[Patreon Exclusive]Part two of the interview with Michael Lind + the After-PartyIs geopolitical conflict the only way the working class can extract concessions from states? And what might it take to break the power of the PMC? The discussion concludes with Michael telling us about why he thinks ‘Big U’ – the Anglo-American university sector – is ripe for breaking up.Readings: America’s Asymmetric Civil War, Tablet Mag Why ending tenure ...
/242/ Bureaucracy Rules OK ft. Michael Lind
On class wars, new and old.Michael Lind, Professor of Practice at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, joins us to talk about what it might take to restore working class power in Western states. He explains some of the arguments in his book The New Class War (2020) in greater depth, as well as discussing his intellectual debt to the ex-Trotskyist theorist turned Cold War conservative, James Burnham.Plus, Michael talks about how his Tex...
/241/ Three Articles: Peace & Social War in North America
[Patreon Exclusive]On dovish conservatives, Trumpist coup-mongers and Canadian truckers.- - -Live debate/book launch in NYC, Feb 22nd: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-debate-book-launch-the-end-of-the-end-of-history-tickets-261000468427- - -We examine what arguments 'pro-worker conservatives' are making in an aim to rid the GOP of warmongers and what this says about their vision of politics. In that light we also look at the Trumpist wi...
Bunga in NYC
Hey friends in the New York area, come join us for a live debate/book launch on Tuesday February 22nd at 7pm, at The People's Forum.And we'll be going for drinks afterwards nearby.Tickets are free but you just need to register: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/live-debate-book-launch-the-end-of-the-end-of-history-tickets-261000468427 See you then!
/240/ Populist Interventions: Örebro Party ft. Malcolm Kyeyune
The first in an occasional series on new initiatives.We speak to Malcolm Kyeyune of Sweden's Örebro Party about its origins, analysis and goals. Is a new working class politics to be found in direct opposition to the PMC or the 'transferiat'? How does this local party intend to scale up? What sort of issues are on its agenda? And how does it aim to go beyond the impasses of other populist initiatives?
February Reading Club
The next Reading Club will be recored on Friday 4 March, so get your questions and comments in by then. We will be discussing Giorgio Amamben's State of Exception (2005).Local RCs:There are groups already going in Berlin, Dublin, London, Stockholm, Providence, RI and Portland, OR. Get in touch if you'd like to join up.There are also people looking to form groups in the following places:Europe: Amsterdam, Groningen, Leipzig, Milan, Munich,...
/239/ Against Justice ft. Ross Wolfe
On the critique of egalitarian ideology.We talk to writer Ross Wolfe about his essay "Marxism Contra Justice". Given that struggles for justice have been central to all sorts of radical movements, why is it important to cleave Marxist politics away from this notion? How are contemporary notions of 'social justice' already degraded versions of earlier egalitarian ideology on the left? Is it possible to conceive of any popular worki...
/237/ Three Articles: Italy, Ukraine, Matrix
We take on Italy's election of a new president and what that tells us about permanent crisis, the EU and the curtailing of democracy; we ask how serious the risk of war in Ukraine actually is; and review a film we haven't seen.3 Articles: As war looms larger, what are Russia’s military options in Ukraine?, The Economist (pdf attached) How the EU destroyed Italian democracy, Thomas Fazi & Paolo Cornetti, Unherd Boringly postmodern and an...
Reminder: RC on Schmitt this Thursday
The recording of the first 2022 Reading Club will be this Thursday (27 Jan, 15h00 GMT).If you want to send us questions or points to discuss (either from yourself individually or collectively from your local RC), please do so by then so we can include it!If you are looking to join or form a local RC where you are, the running list is here and is being regularly updated - or get in touch with us at info@bungacast.com.As always, the Reading Club is...
/236/ Green Nazi Paedos ft. Lily Lynch
On the German Greens' shady history.Journalist Lily Lynch, editor of Balkanist, joins us to talk about her recent investigations into the Green Party, who are now back in power in Germany.The 68ers attempted to combat authoritarianism and Nazi legacies through sexual liberation, building on the work of Wilhelm Reich. How did this lead some small groups associated with the Greens to advocate paedophilia – and even to accept former Nazis into...
Reading Club: January - Emergency Politics I
We'll be discussing Carl Schmitt's 1922 work Political Theology.The recording will be on 27 January, so get your questions in by then.
