Politics Theory Other

Kojo Koram joins me to discuss the history of the war on drugs, the role of drug prohibition in the production of racism after the end of formal imperialism, the central role of the United States in the emergence of the global war on drugs, and the possibility of the Boris Johnson government returning to a more punitive approach to drug prohibition. Our conversation was prompted by the new book The War on Drugs and the Global Colour Line which was edited by Kojo and is out now from Pluto Press. Sound by @japinto

Alex Niven joins me to talk about the erosion of support for the Labour Party in the north of England, the causes of that decline and how the Labour Party and the broader left might seek to reverse it. Our conversation was prompted by his recent article in Tribune: https://tribunemag.co.uk/2019/08/has-labour-lost-the-north Sound by @japinto

James Meadway, former economics advisor to John McDonnell joins me to discuss whether the Johnson government's move to prorogue parliament is really part of a strategy to achieve no deal, why the opposition to the government needs to move from parliamentary tactics and judicial reviews to mass protest and direct action, and we also discussed the likely consequences of a No Deal Brexit, and why it is that capital has been unable to exert authority over the Conservative Party.

Lida Maxwell joins me to discuss her new book, Insurgent Truth: Chelsea Manning and the Politics of Outsider Truth-Telling. We discussed the contrasting nature of the disclosures of Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden and the way Manning's leaks placed her outside the lineage of respectable whistleblowing. We also talked about the relationship between Manning's gender identity and how her experience of living under Don't Ask Don't Tell in the US military informed her broader critique of American foreign policy. And we also chatted about the post-truth era and whether a return to the certainties of the pre-financial crisis period is possible.

Richard Seymour joins me to discuss his new book, The Twittering Machine. The title is taken from Paul Klee's 1922 painting in which the the bird-song of a diabolical machine acts as bait to lure humankind into a pit of damnation. Richard argues in the book that this is a chilling metaphor for our relationship with so-called social media. We spoke about the nature of social media addiction, the way in which the platforms incite users into performing unpaid labour, and how we might conceive of repurposing the architecture of the internet to more useful and humane ends.

Natasha Lennard joins me to discuss her book, 'Being Numerous: Essays on Non-Fascist Life'. We spoke about whether or not Donald Trump and the movement that has coalesced around him ought to be characterised as fascist, we also talked about the contributions of Wilhelm Reich, Michel Foucault, and other figures in the anti-psychiatry movement to theorising fascism. We discussed the legitimacy and history of anti-fascist violence and its treatment by the media, and finally we spoke about Natasha's writing on suicide and how the act of suicide brings into question capitalism's positing of the idea of the sovereign individual.

Andy Beckett joins me to explain why he believes, despite being in power on both sides of the Atlantic, conservatism is in decline and how conservative ideology is proving itself unable to adjust to the challenges of the 21st century. The interview was prompted by Andy's long-read in the Guardian, ‘A zombie party’: the deepening crisis of conservatism': https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/28/a-zombie-party-the-deepening-crisis-of-conservatism

Christopher Connery joins me to talk about the nature of the Chinese economy following the initiation of market reforms from the late 1970s, the compatibility between authoritarianism and neoliberalism, and we also discussed the legacy of the Tiananmen Square massacre. The interview was prompted by Christopher's excellent article on neoliberalism in China which you can find in the Jan-Feb issue of the New Left Review: https://newleftreview.org/issues/II115/articles/christopher-connery-ronald-coase-in-beijing

In the season finale of #RedHacks Joana Ramiro talks to Trashfuture podcast host Riley Quinn.

Frances Ryan joins me to discuss her new book, 'Crippled: Austerity and the Demonization of Disabled People'. We spoke about the impact of austerity on people living with disability, the way in which New Labour's support for means testing and conditionality paved the way for the coalition government's welfare cuts and we also talked about the current situation of disability rights activism.