Bungacast

On Nations & Nationalism since 1870. [Patreon Exclusive] We start by dealing with your questions regarding last month's RC, on Stalin, Zhukhov and WWII. Then we read and discuss Eric Hobsbawm's classic work in which he emphasises that nations are exclusively modern constructions. We discuss: How succulent Hobsbawm's account is Whether he was wrong about globalisation eclipsing nationalism – and why he argued this Whether the revolutionary-democratic aspects of nationalism can be rescued from its later ethnic-particularist elements What the relationship is between citizenship, patriotism and nationalism How nationalism intersected with revolution - and fascism And whether the nation is any more solid an exit from our political vacuum than whatever other postmodern BS Links: Nations and Nationalism since 1780: Programme, Myth, Reality, Eric Hobsbawm Film: Eric Hobsbawm: The Consolations of History, LRB Some reflections on 'The Break-up of Britain', Eric Hobsbawm, New Left Review (pdf) /421/ Who Are the Wrong Ukrainians? ft. Volodymyr Ishchenko  

On France's permacrisis. [Patreon Exclusive] French sociologist Nathan Sperber talks to George and Alex about his new essay in the New Left Review, "The French Crisis: Organic or Conjunctural". We catch up with what has happened in France since Macron gambled and called impromptu elections in the summer. We discuss: Why does France always seem to be more in crisis than its neighbours?  How has France ended up with hollow "leaderist" parties? Is Macron a true neoliberal or a reactive emergency politician? Did the left-wing France Insoumise miss its shot? How inevitable is a Le Pen government, and will it be co-opted by the French bureaucracy? What's the difference between an organic and a conjunctural crisis – and which one is France in?   Readings: The French Crisis: Organic or Conjunctural?, Nathan Sperber, New Left Review (pdf attached) An Introduction to Antonio Gramsci: His Life, Thought and Legacy, George Hoare & Nathan Sperber, Bloomsbury (Feb 2025)

On liberal takes on the end of the End of History. [Patreon Exclusive] We start by discussing Yasha Mounk's dismissal of an end to the End of History. Does he underestimate liberal democracy's inability to legitimise itself anymore? Is the talk of populism a way of deflecting from liberalism's undoing? We then deal with your comments and questions [for patrons only, subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast]

On tradwives, influencers, and boys. [Patreon Exclusive] Amber is back on the pod, talking to Alex and George about her forthcoming piece on neo-traditionalism and women, in Damage issue 3, which will be on Mothers. We discuss: What are the models of 'tradwives' out there? If homemakers make homes, do tradwives make content? Does the tradwife phenomenon speak to sense of exhaustion with being a neoliberal girlboss? When does internet crap start being real? Do influencers actually influence? What is the political upshot of all this?  

On "eco-modernism". Ted Nordhaus, co-founder and executive director of the Breakthrough Institute, talks to Leigh and Alex the 20th anniversary of "The Death of Environmentalism" and the 10th anniversary of "The Ecomodernist Manifesto". We discuss: The fundamental philosophical differences between "building-out" and "restraint". Whether industrial policy like the Inflation Reduction Act is in line with the ecomodern approach Why environmentalism differs in the US versus Western Europe Why modernisation gets lost in discussions on the environment What techno-optimism and what techno-fixes are What the Abundance Agenda is Links: The Death of Environmentalism, Breakthrough Institute An ECOMODERNIST MANIFESTO

On the US culture wars, then and now. Historian Andrew Hartman, author of A War for the Soul of America, talks to Alex about how US Americans have been sorted into cultural camps over the past fifty years. We discuss: Who started it? And who perpetuates it? What is the "culture" in the culture war? And is it a war, or a series of skirmishes? Is there something particularly American about culture wars? The culture wars have followed the breakup of liberalism – so, what comes next? Do culture wars necessarily presuppose identity politics? Links: A War for the Soul of America: A History of the Culture Wars, Andrew Hartman, UC Press The Culture Wars are Dead, Andrew Hartman, The Baffler

On disinformation, misinformation and the popular will. Holly Jean Buck, Assistant Professor of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo, joins us to talk about her recent pieces arguing that the climate movement's focus on disinformation is misguided. We discuss: What is disinformation and misinformation in the climate context? Are there parallels to be drawn with anti-disinfo campaigns on vaccines during the pandemic? How is the deterioration in trust in elites and scientific institutions to be responded to? What do Holly's focus groups tell her about popular views on climate politics? Does the return to industrial policy mean we should focus on "people who know how to make and run stuff"? And what is solar radiation management, carbon capture and storage, carbon dioxide removal, and related technologies? Links: Obsessing Over Climate Disinformation Is a Wrong Turn, Holly Jean Buck, Jacobin A Climate Disinformation Focus Takes Us the Wrong Way, Holly Jean Buck, Jacobin Of Course "Misinformation" Isn’t the Cause of Climate Change, Alex Tremblath, Breakthrough Institute Books: After Geoengineering: Climate Tragedy, Repair, and Restoration, Holly Jean Buck, Verso Ending Fossil Fuels: Why Net Zero is Not Enough, Holly Jean Buck, Verso

On corruption, charisma, populism & assassination in Slovakia. Slovak sociologist Dominik Zelinksy joins us to discuss Slovakia's positioning between East and West. We discuss: Why was Prime Minister Robert Fico a target of an assassination attempt? Whether Fico – not a zany outsider but a competent insider – is a "populist" Why Slovaks are not so anti-Russian, and why they are sceptical of NATO How has anti-corruption politics played a role What is "charismatic mimicry" and why have Western leaders aped Ukraine's Zelenskyy? Links: Slovakia's election: "more than a fight between democracy and autocracy", Dominik Zelinsky, LeftEast Assassination Attempt Prompts Soul-Searching in Slovakia, Jakub Bokes, Jacobin Slovakia’s Election Result Is About Declining Living Standards, Not Just Ukraine, Jakub Bokes, Jacobin Charismatic Mimicry: Innovation and Imitation in the Case of Volodymyr Zelensky, Paul Joosse & Dominik Zelinsky, Sociological Theory. Thread on Twitter/X about the article  

On the electricity grid and the institutions involved. [Episode originally released only to subscribers on 20 June 2024. Join us at patreon.com/bungacast] Fred Stafford, a STEM professional, a writer on energy and power, and an editor at Damage, talks to Alex and regular contributor Leigh Phillips about the utility of utilities and his recent essay in the second print issue of Damage, "Deinstitutionalized"./ What actually is a utility: is it a question of ownership, structure, purpose..? How did the 70s energy crisis, neoliberal economics, and environmentalism create a perfect storm that broke up regulated utilities? How does the regulatory regime on energy in the US actually work? Why have environmentalists been so keen to line up with neoliberal deregulation and to attack utilities – in Europe as well as the US? Why should the left think about a restoration of the investor-owned utility model, and not just jump straight to public ownership? Links: The Utility of Utilities, Fred Stafford & Matt Huber, Damage Big Public Power from the Atom, Matt Huber & Fred Stafford, Damage Power Loss: The Origins of Deregulation and Restructuring in the American Electric Utility System, Richard F Hirsch

On Geoffrey Roberts’ 2013 biography of Field Marshal Zhukov. [Patreon Exclusive] Who was the Soviet general and architect of Soviet victory on the Eastern Front during the Second World War? We discuss: What does Zhukov’s life tell us about modern warfare? What can we learn about the life and fate of the Soviet regime? How should we view the Ukraine war and renewed geopolitical rivalry between the West and Russia today? What are the popular perceptions and folk memories of world war?   Links: Stalin's General: The Life of Georgy Zhukov, Geoffrey Roberts Saving Private Ivan, Mike Davis, The Guardian Negotiate Now, or Capitulate Later: Ten Incentives for Ukraine to Make Peace with Russia, Geoffrey Roberts, Brave New Europe Putin’s Trump Card: Ukrainian Membership of NATO, Geoffrey Roberts, Brave New Europe ‘Now or Never’: The Immediate Origins of Putin’s Preventative War on Ukraine, Geoffrey Roberts, Journal of Military and Strategic Studies