Bungacast

On NATO expansion and the end of neutrality   [Patreon Exclusive - for the full episode, sign up @ patreon.com/bungacast]   Lily Lynch is back on the pod to talk about Northern and Eastern Europe and growing hawkishness. We discuss: Why did Sweden and Finland give up decades of neutrality - and why now? What happens with an enlarged alliance in light of the conflict in Ukraine? How does the current moment compare to the apogee of the Non-Aligned Movement? Why were the realists right? How is tech mythology helping to build 'digital nationalism'? Why is there beef over grain between Poland and Ukraine? And what the hell are the "skin suit of social democracy" and the "Waluigi of neutrality"? Links: Joining the West, Lily Lynch, Sidecar The realists were right, Lily Lynch, New Statesman The EU’s great power delusions, Lily Lynch, New Statesman Guns, grain, and history, Lily Lynch, New Statesman Tech-Mythologies, Lily Lynch, Sidecar Imperfect Unity, Lily Lynch, Sidecar

On Giovanni Arrighi's Adam Smith in Beijing: Lineages of the 21st Century   [Patreon Tier II & III Exclusive]   We discuss the Introduction and Part 1 of this landmark book from 2008 and ask if Arrighi's vision of China, the West and the structure of the global economy was correct.   Points discussed: What's at stake in thinking of East Asian growth as a renaissance, or correction of the historical blip of European ascendency? How compelling is the account of East Asian success as a fusion of industrious and industrial revolution? Was Arrighi right to focus on the neoconservative Project for a New American Century? What do we think about Adam Smith's account of different classes' capacity for political action What's at stake in the revisionist view of Adam Smith as pro-state Enlightenment thinker rather than patron saint of the free market? Subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast Links: Adam Smith in Beijing: Lineages of the 21st Century, Giovanni Arrighi, Verso (2008) The Left Hemisphere: Mapping Critical Theory Today, Razmig Keucheyan, Verso (2010)

Historian of populism and anti-populism, Ernesto Seman, discusses Argentina's historic election, the appeal of libertarian candidate Javier Milei, the decline of the center-right coalition, contradictions of Peronism, and the concepts of 'slippapulism' and 'anti-papulism' in relation to populism in Argentina.

Alex Gourevitch discusses the intractability of the Israel/Palestine conflict and the lack of a worth-choosing side. They cover why Hamas was becoming irrelevant, the catch-22 situation of the Palestinians, the West's involvement, the oppression faced by Palestinians, and the right way to compare this to Ukraine.

Jacob Siegel, senior editor at Tablet, joins to discuss Hamas's attack on Israel and Israel's assault on Gaza. They delve into the US crusade against 'disinformation' and the counterinsurgency tactics applied to citizens. The conversation explores the timing of the attack, its impact on Israeli-Saudi relations, and the goals of the Israeli bombing in Gaza. They also analyze the intertwining of domestic politics and corporate power, emphasizing the need to dismantle the surveillance apparatus. The podcast uncovers the blurred lines between diplomacy, culture wars, and peace and war, in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Jerome Roos, a scholar, discusses sovereign debt and why countries are eager to pay back creditors despite the negative impacts on their economies. Roos talks about cases such as Argentina, Mexico, Greece, and Zambia, highlighting how transnational institutions ensure creditors get paid every time. He also explores how countries can free themselves from international financial dictatorship. The podcast covers various interesting topics related to global finance, unilateral default, the IMF's role in debt crises, and the complexities of debt negotiations.

On polycrisis.   [Patreon Tier II and III Exclusive -  subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast]   We reflect back on Jurgen Habermas' Legitimation Crisis as a whole, having gone through it section by section in previous episodes, before exploring what the idea of 'polycrisis' is about. Everyone from Adam Tooze to the FT to the World Economic Forum think we're in a polycrisis. How does this notion compare to Habermas' understanding of crisis?    We also explore some related themes: cynical ideology and how it deflects criticism; whether we are more or less individualised today, and how you can have less collectivism and less individualism at the same time; and the difference between crisis and emergency.   Links: Why the West's elites invented a permacrisis, Thomas Fazi, Unherd Welcome to the world of the polycrisis, Adam Tooze, FT  Year in a word: Polycrisis, Jonathan Derbyshire, FT  On the crisis of crisis: /327/ Capitalism on Edge ft. Albena Azmanova  On the structural reasons why the regime survives: /246/ Why Isn’t There Revolution? ft. Vivek Chibber 

Journalist Ryan Zickgraf discusses the end of 'hyperpolitics' and the exhaustion of people with the politicisation of everything. Culture wars are as hot as ever and 'escape' venues are more politicised. Is history over?

Political theorist Benjamin Studebaker discusses the chronic crisis of American democracy and how hope is used to keep people engaged in a system that doesn't deliver. The podcast explores the challenges of US politics, the role of the professional middle class, the decline of America, and the futility of symbols in politics. It also delves into boredom and despair as catalysts for new ideas, and the politics of free time.

On satire of the bourgeoisie.   [Patreon Exclusive. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast]   We discuss Luis Buñuel's "deranged masterpiece" from 1972, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and debate the social ritual of dinner, and why the guests in the film never get to eat theirs.   How does this early 70s surrealist film – which in many ways set the template for cinematic satires of the bourgeoisie – compare to more recent portrayals such as The Menu or Triangle of Sadness? Ultimately, who are the bourgeoisie and do they still exist, in a world of distributed ownership and managerialism?   Readings: ‘A deranged masterpiece’: why you should watch The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian What Have the Bourgeoisie Done for us Lately?, Stephan Bertram-Lee, Sublation A Brief History of the Bourgeoisie, or We Are All Bourgeois Now, David Polansky, Strange Frequencies The Bourgeois(ie) as Concept and Reality, Immanuel Wallerstein, New Left Review