The Socialist Shelf The City & The City - ft. RevLeft Radio
Apr 21, 2025
Breht O'Shea, host of RevLeft Radio and Red Menace, joins to explore China Miéville's thought-provoking novel, 'The City & The City.' They discuss the remarkable concept of dual cities that residents ignore and examine themes of societal conditioning and political dissent. O'Shea highlights how the narrative critiques entrenched ideologies and advocates for revolutionary change. The conversation delves into youth perspectives on activism and the necessity of collective engagement to challenge systemic inequalities and inspire meaningful action.
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Cities Enforce Ideological Division
- The cities coexist in the same physical space, but citizens must "unsee" the other city to avoid severe punishment.
- This enforced perceptual division is ideological, not magical, shaping reality through collective denial.
Daily "Unseeing" Sustains Injustice
- The book highlights what people "unsee" daily, such as poverty and systemic class exploitation.
- This societal unseen sustains injustices like colonial violence and immigrant disappearance.
Revolution Needed for True Unification
- Reform efforts, like social democracy, fail to address capitalism's root contradictions.
- True unification, like in Palestine, requires socialist revolution that transcends class and ethnic divides.
