Bungacast

Explore the fascinating duality of tourism, where the line between 'traveler' and 'tourist' is blurred. Delve into how cities transform into tourist-centric zones and the economic implications of a mono-industry. Hear about the environmental impacts of tourism and its links to social class perceptions. Discover the relationship between rising rents, migration, and urban change in Southern Europe. Finally, critique the neoliberal conditions shaping identity and society, and the need for adaptive strategies in a changing political landscape.

On Julien Benda's famous 1927 work. [Patreon Exclusive] We continue on the theme of 'Intellectuals and the Public' by discussing the often cited by little read The Treason of the Clerks. We ask: If Benda was responding to the intellectuals' role in the Dreyfus Affair and WWI, was he already a man out of his time? What are intellectuals' proper role in society? Can they be abstract universalist moralists? Benda laments the end of humanism – can we endorse this lament, even if things are too far gone now? Is Benda a centrist dad, urging us all not to get too passionate or engaged? How do Benda’s ideas related to Gramsci’s notion of the traditional versus the organic intellectual? If Benda was critical of the 'realism' of his day – as opposed to the detached ethics of pre-20th century intellectuals – how might we use Benda to critique the cynicism of today? Readings: Treason of the Intellectuals, Mark Lilla, Tablet (from preface to new edition) The Treason of the Intellectuals, Niall Ferguson, The Free Press Julien Benda’s political Europe and the treason of intellectuals, Davide Caddedu Edward Said on imperialist hypocrisy on Kosova: The treason of the intellectuals, Green Left

On JD Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, and arresting decline. [For the full episode: patreon.com/bungacast] We discuss the Netflix adaptation of vice-presidential nominee JD Vance's memoir – and the memoir itself – and what it tells us about the direction of US politics, Trump, and MAGA. We ask: What is Ryan's own anti-hillbilly elegy, drawn from his experience in Central Illinois? How far does the character in the film correspond with Vance’s public persona today?  How do we account for Vance’s political pivot – at least in rhetoric – from “lift yourself up by your bootstraps” meritocracy to pro-labour nationalism?  What will happen to rural/small-town US American life? Plus: Is reading books gay? Is a "hillbilly" just Hillary + Bill? And what is a horseshoe sandwich? Links: The State of Illinois is Killing My Family, Ryan Zickgraf, Jacobin An anti-Hillbilly Elegy, Ryan Zickgraf, The Third Rail (Substack)  Hillbilly Elegy Doesn’t Reflect the Appalachia I Know, Cassie Chambers Armstrong, The Atlantic  Why the Left Gets J.D. Vance Wrong, Zaid Jilani, Compact

Eva Illouz, a renowned sociologist known for her work on emotional capitalism, dives into the intricate relationship between emotions and politics. She explores why emotions have become a societal obsession and how they are packaged and sold. Illouz dissects victim culture, linking identity with perpetual resentment. She critiques Israeli populism, revealing its emotional underpinnings of fear and love. Plus, she reflects on her changing views of the progressive left amid rising political challenges.

On the disaster of the culture wars. [Patreon Exclusive] Regular contributor Catherine Liu is back on to talk about her essay in Damage, issue 2, "Professional Populists in the Culture Wars". We discuss: What were the original 'culture wars' and how are they different to today? Why are the "academic populists" more elitist than anyone? Was there a need in the 1980s to "disrupt" the humanities? Why does conservatism now need to wear "populist" clothes? How should we defend the "canon"? What is the "Catherine Liu Foundation for Attacking Badness"? Links: Professional Populists in the Culture Wars, Catherine Liu, Damage /246/ Why Isn't There Revolution? ft. Vivek Chibber /67/ Legacies of Postmodernism ft. Catherine Liu Reading the Romance: Women, Patriarchy, and Popular Literature, Janice Radway 

On the late Dmitri Furman's account of post-Soviet Russia. Patreon Exclusive: for the Reading Club, join for $12/mo and get access to ALL Bungacast content, incl. 4 exclusive, original episodes a month We continue our discussions along this year's themes (rise and fall of nations; Russia past and present) by tackling Imitation Democracy: The Development of Russia's Post-Soviet Political System. Why has there been a revival in interest in the late Soviet and early post-Soviet period? And in the global 1990s in general? What does it really mean to be without-alternative? Why didn't democracy take hold in Russia? And why did it become an "imitation democracy" and not something else? How was Yeltsin a disaster? And what was Putin's appeal? Does 'Putinism' actually exist? Is it interesting or novel in any way? What happened after Furman's death and Russia's turn to "violent parody of the West"? Readings: Imitation Democracy: The Development of Russia's Post-Soviet Political System, Dmitri Furman, Verso Imitation Democracies: The Post-Soviet Penumbra, Dmitri Furman, New Left Review (pdf) Imitation Democracy: Perry Anderson writes about Dmitri Furman’s analysis of Russia’s post-communism, Perry Anderson, London Review of Books Listening Links: /114/ Reading Club: The Light That Failed - on the end of the "Age of Imitation" /270/ Russia vs the West ft. Richard Sakwa - on the endgame to war in Ukraine; and /271/ Russia vs the West (2) ft. Richard Sakwa - on the post-Soviet landscape /410/ Reading Club: Deutscher's Stalin - On Isaac Deutscher's classic Stalin: A Political Biography /421/ Who Are the Wrong Ukrainians? ft. Volodymyr Ishchenko - on post-Soviet Ukraine, from Maidan to war   Music: Éva Csepregi, "O.K. Gorbacsov", Hungaroton , WEA, High Fashion Music, Dureco

On your questions & criticisms about fertility, culture war, and more. [Patreon Exclusive] In our monthly mailbag episode we take points from the discussion on patreon, including on futuristic music, holocaust movies, german populism, whether culture war can be global, and the link between modernisation, productivity and birth rates.    

On France's surprise parliamentary election. The left-wing 'New Popular Front' came a surprise first, for now putting a halt to expectations that the far-right Rassemblement National would soon enter government. We talk to political scientist and commentator Charles Devellennes, and ask: What was Macron's gamble in calling this early election?  Is becoming Prime Minister actually a bad thing for your future prospects? Is the Left actually 'far left' and the Right 'far right'? Is Le Pen a fascist? Did the Left actually save Macron? Why not an alliance between Left and Right against the centre? Will France opt for the undemocratic 'Italian Solution' and appoint an unelected technocrat? Can Macron's party and his style of rule survive Macron eventually being out of office? Does the uncertainty mean France is back to the postwar 4th Republic? Is this continuity? Something new? Links: The Macron Régime: The Ideology of the New Right in France, Charles Devellennes

On Labour's landslide and sandcastle majority. We unpick what happened in the UK's general election, discussing: How did Labour get such a large majority with so little enthusiasm for them? Is the UK now a multiparty democracy, and will there be demands for serious electoral reform? What accounts for low turnout and the fragmentation of the vote (Reform, Greens, Independents, etc)? What is Keir Starmer's electoral base and how will he govern? What is their electoral programme? Is Nigel Farage's reform the real opposition now?  Is the Brexit period now definitely over? Will there be a move to rejoin the EU? Links: The McSweeney Project, Tom McTague, UnHerd Debasing Citizenship, Peter Ramsay, TNS Data on the nationalist right + driving to work in the UK and French train stations

Ukraine, from Maidan to war. [For the full episode: patreon.com/bungacast] Berlin-based Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko joins us to talk about his new book, Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War and his dissection of the war and the underlying political crisis in Ukraine. We discuss: class conflict in Ukraine as a legacy of the collapse of the USSR and the stagnation of the Brezhnev regime in the 1970s.  The role of the Ukrainian professional classes in the conflict and oversize influence of relatively small neo-Nazi and far-right movements  The meaning of ‘Soviet Ukrainians’ today and whether a neo-Soviet revival is happening among youth across the post-Soviet landscape  The difference between neo-Soviet revival and Eastern bloc ‘Ostalgie’ The concept of de-modernisation The vicious post-Soviet cycle of passive revolutions and corrupt oligarchic regimes Links:  Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War, Volodymyr Ishchenko The crisis of Soviet Ukraine, Volodymyr Ishchenko, UnHerd The class conflict behind Russia’s war, Volodymyr Ishchenko, Lefteast Russia’s War on Ukraine Has Already Changed the World, interview w/ Volodymyr Ishchenko, Jacobin As Ukraine Expands Military Draft, Some Men Go Into Hiding, NYT