Politics Theory Other

Historian Adam Tooze discusses Perry Anderson's take on his work, his self-identification as a left liberal, the US inflation reduction act's limited ability to create societal change, and the dire state of the UK economy. He also explores the economic and social crisis in Lebanon and the lack of attention it receives.

Adam Tooze returns to PTO to respond to the many excellent questions sent in by listeners. Become a £5 supporter on patreon to get access to this and other episodes of PTO Extra! Go to patreon.com/poltheoryother to sign up. We talked about Perry Anderson's take on Adam's work in the New Left Review, why Adam - despite his engagement with Marxist thought and frequent appearances in left media and events - defines himself as a left liberal rather than a socialist. We also talked about his view of the significance of the US inflation reduction act, and the dire state of the UK economy. We went on to talk about the economic and social crisis in Lebanon and why Adam thinks the situation in the country and the broader region does not get the attention it deserves.

Jacqueline Rose returns to the show to discuss her new book, The Plague: Living Death in Our Times. We talked about what the Covid-19 pandemic revealed about contemporary society and whether the the initial wave of global solidarity provoked by the crisis was purely a mirage. We also talked about the Ukraine crisis - how Jacqueline connects the themes of war and pandemic in the book - and how Vladimir Putin's brutal invasion has had the troubling consequence of appearing to redeem the foreign policy and security establishments of the United States and Britain. We also talked about the philosopher and mystic Simone Weil, and her refusal to adopt a position of heroic innocence when supporting the allied cause during WWII. And finally, we talked about Sigmund Freud's concept of the death drive - and how it was informed by his own encounter with a pandemic - the so-called Spanish flu that took the life of his daughter Sophie in 1920.

Richard Seymour responds to questions sent in by listeners on subjects ranging from conspiracy theory, the ferocity of anti-communist rhetoric on the right - in spite of the absence of a global communist movement - to the history of the eastern European left since the end of the Cold War.

Amber Husain joins PTO to talk about her new book, Meat Love: An Ideology of the Flesh. We talked about whether it's possible for there to be such a thing as 'ethical meat', why Amber thinks veganism need not be solely about lifestyle and personal consumption choices - as is commonly argued by left critics of veganism, and we also talked about King Charles, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstalll and other lovers of small scale animal farming, and how they invoke notions of love and care, classical tragedy, and the timeless circle of life to argue for the continued consumption of animal flesh.

Adam Shatz joins PTO to talk about his new book, 'Writers and Missionaries: Essays on the Radical Imagination'. We talked about why Adam, though a huge admirer of Edward Said and his classic work Orientalism, feels that some of the work subsequently inspired by Said has failed to give a well rounded picture of middle eastern societies in all their complexity. We also talked about why Adam thinks that there can be value in reading reactionary writers whose politics we might abhor, and why nuance and complexity are not the enemies of radical political commitment. Finally, we discussed the ways in which early experiences of trauma can be the starting point for creativity.

On the 23rd of June, following months of increasing tension between the Wagner Group and the Russian Ministry of Defence, Yevgeny Prigozhin launched his rebellion. Prigozhin's forces quickly took control of the head quarter's of Russia's Southern Military District in the city of Rostov-on-Don, after which an armoured column of Wagner troops advanced towards Moscow. In today's episode of Interregnum I asked Richard Seymour about Prighozin's background in crime and his early business ventures, the founding of the Wagner Group, the scope of its operations and its reputation for appalling violence. And we also talked about why Richard thinks Prighozin can accurately be described as a fascist. Finally, Richard addressed the claim, made by some analysts that the abortive rebellion actually leaves Putin in a stronger position.

David Wearing joins PTO to discuss his article 'The myth of the reforming monarch: Orientalism, racial capitalism, and UK support for the Arab Gulf monarchies' We talked about the nature of Britain's relationship with the Gulf states, and why it's a mistake to see Western support for brutal, absolutist authority in the region as simply self-consciously cynical realpolitik. And we also talked about the nature of the Sportswashing debate and what's missing from mainstream discussion of the purchase of football clubs such as Manchester City, Newcastle United and Paris St. Germain by the gulf states. If you enjoyed this episode please consider rating the show on Apple podcasts, or whichever podcast app you use. The show's music and graphic design is produced by Planet B.

The recent National Conservatism conference in Britain brought together an array of politicians, journalists, and academics of varying stripes of conservatism, but united by their hostility to so-called woke politics. I spoke to Aurelien Mondon about his recent article in Jacobin, Right-Wing Grifters Love to Say They’re “Canceled” — but Get All the Elite Support They Want, in which Aurelien provided ten rules for making a successful career in the anti-woke grift. We talked about some of those rules, and the extent to which liberal media outlets that have provided platforms for the Matt Goodwins and Jordan Pertersons of this world might now be regretting doing so. We also talked about the extent to which the 'war on woke' is a rehashing of traditional conservative themes, and Aurelian addressed the claim that, in spite of being sometimes poorly paid and living in rented accommodation, left wing academics and cultural producers can plausibly be described as being part of a 'New Elite' that dominates our politics.

Hil Aked joins PTO to talk about their new book, Friends of Israel: The Backlash Against Palestine Solidarity, the first book length treatment of the pro-Israel lobby in Britain. We talked about the strategies that Israel and pro-Israel organisations in Britain have adopted to deflect criticism of the ongoing occupation and the dispossession of the Palestinian people, and their efforts to undermine the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions campaign. Hil explained why they characterise contemporary Zionism as a "social movement from above" and how apartheid-era South Africa was a forerunner for some of the public relations techniques adopted by Israel and its outriders. We also talked about John Mearsheimer and Steven Walt's 2007 book The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign policy and where Hil's analysis differs from theirs. We also discussed the pitfalls of writing on this topic at a time of increasing anti-semitism. And finally, we talked about why parliamentary support for Israel was once stronger within the Labour party than the Conservatives, and what the role of the Labour and Conservative friends of Israel groups is today.