The Verso Podcast

In our last episode of The Verso Podcast before the winter break, our host Eleanor Penny is joined by Israeli historian, and activist Ilan Pappé, to discuss the false histories upon which the modern state of Israel is founded. We are of course still working on bringing you more of these in depth discussions with our wonderful Verso authors in our upcoming fourth series, but in the meantime we hope you enjoy this vitally relevant discussion with such an outspoken and incisive Israeli political dissident. At the start of Israel’s current assault on Gaza, the media was rife with misinformation about the nature of Hamas’ incursion, the events immediately leading up to it, the supposed justifications of Israel’s bombardments, and the histories that set the stage for the devastation we are witnessing now. In the 14 months since, Israel has quietly rolled back on some of these claims, whilst continuing to stand by other convenient mythologies. This pattern is nothing new. As Ilan has been highlighting for decades myth and misinformation was always foundational to the modern state of Israel, and its false histories have been used to whitewash, distract from, or justify not just land grabs - but apartheid and an active genocide. Together with Eleanor Penny, Ilan spoke about settler colonialism, liberal zionism, and the role of historians cutting through the media noise - as well as Lord Balfour’s anti-semitism and the pitfalls of the Two State Solution. Ilan Pappé is an Israeli historian, writer and socialist activist. He is a professor with the College of Social Sciences and International Studies at the University of Exeter, director of the university's European Centre for Palestine Studies, and co-director of the Exeter Centre for Ethno-Political Studies. His books include The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, The Idea of Israel: A History of Power and Knowledge, and lastly Ten Myths About Israel, which has recently been reissued and updated by Verso Books (https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/370-ten-myths-about-israel). Don’t forget to subscribe to the show so you can be the first to know when season four drops! If you enjoy The Verso Podcast please consider leaving a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts - it really helps us out!

Matteo Pasquinelli, an Associate Professor in Philosophy of Science at Ca’ Foscari University, and author of "The Eye of the Master," dives into the intricate relationship between AI and societal structures. He challenges the notion that AI mimics human intelligence, arguing instead it reflects broader social dynamics. The discussion touches on the historical roots of algorithms, their political implications, and the impact of biases within AI systems. Pasquinelli also critiques the reductionist views on automation, emphasizing the dual role of AI in shaping labor and society.

Wim Carton, an expert in climate politics, and Andreas Malm, a human ecology academic, delve into the urgent challenges posed by climate change. They critique the ineffective global response to rising temperatures and discuss the controversial 'overshoot' strategy. The duo calls for revolutionary changes to address fossil fuel reliance while examining the limitations of established climate policies. With a focus on the socio-political dynamics, they advocate for genuine action against fossil fuels to prevent catastrophic outcomes.

Enzo Traverso, a prominent writer and political scientist from Cornell University, delves into his journey through radical leftist movements and the evolution of Marxist thought. He discusses the rise of new far-right groups and their distinctions from classical fascism, alongside insights from his latest book on revolutionary movements. The conversation touches on the complexities of left-wing melancholia and the fraught relationship between Jewish identity and geopolitical tensions, particularly in the context of the war in Gaza.

This week we’ve got something a little different for you. Whilst we’re still technically between seasons - and working hard to bring you more roundtable discussions with our wonderful Verso authors in our upcoming fourth series of The Verso Podcast - we wanted to share a great episode we’ve been collaborating on with our friends over at Macrodose. Macrodose is a podcast from Planet B Productions that brings you a weekly briefing on the economy, and takes a look behind the media headlines to work out what’s really going on. You can listen to the podcast and support the show at patreon.com/macrodose In this episode you’ll be hearing from Craig Gent, author of Cyberboss: The Rise of Algorithmic Management and the New Struggle for Control at Work - published recently by Verso Books. As well as being a writer Craig is also a researcher and the North of England Editor at Novara Media. In this bonus show, Craig will be exploring the role of algorithms in the workplace. He’ll be covering the big questions - such as, what’s at stake as algorithms are slowly, quietly integrated into our everyday lives? Is it just an inevitable fact of the long march toward progress? Or does it open a new frontier of class struggle that we need to take seriously and think about strategically? In other words what happens when your boss is a robot, and what do we do about it? You can find Craig's book "Cyberboss: The Rise of Algorithmic Management and the New Struggle for Control at Work" here: www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/2958-cyberboss Be sure to subscribe to the show so you can be the first to know when season four drops - and so that you don’t miss any of the bonus content coming your way between now and then. If you enjoy The Verso Podcast please consider leaving a rating or review wherever you get your podcasts - it really helps us out!

Today we're publishing part two of our sell-out live event recorded at London's Union Chapel on July 26th. For this discussion we teamed up with our friends over at The Dig for a podcast extravaganza. Eleanor Penny of the Verso Podcast and Dig host Daniel Denvir sat down with writer and academic Laleh Khalili and the freshly re-elected, newly independent, MP Jeremy Corbyn, to talk about the past present and most importantly the future of Internationalism. We talked about Palestine, Congo and Iran, about the Labour Party, the welfare state, the climate crisis and the economics of global trade. The event opened up with a live recording of Macrodose podcast which is already up on your feed if you want to take a dive into that. Thank you so much to everyone who came down sold out the event and brought such an incredible energy to the evening. If you don't already do subscribe to The Dig wherever you get your podcasts, and support them over at patreon.com/thedig

Today we're publishing part one of our sell-out live event recorded at London's Union Chapel on July 26th. For our first show of the evening we were joined by our friends at MACRODOSE podcast for a recording of their highly-recommended show on the future of global capitalism. This discussion was hosted by writer and academic Dalia Gabriel, and featured political scientist Thea Riofrancos, climate justice activist Asad Rehman and economist James Meadway. Subscribe to MACRODOSE at linktr.ee/macrodosepodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or wherever you get podcasts. And please do support the project over at patreon.com/Macrodose

Jules Gill-Peterson discusses her book on transmisogyny, tracing its roots to colonial violence. The podcast delves into the intersection of colonialism, racism, and trans misogyny, challenging inappropriate analogies. It also explores the role of state violence in perpetuating transphobia and highlights the challenges faced by trans individuals in the UK political landscape.

This week on The Verso Podcast we’re going to be thinking about the relationship between feminism and the carceral system. For a growing number of people the prospect of an abolitionist future - in which police and prisons are obsolete, and are not seen as the answer to all social ills - is an obviously desirable one. But to others, the notion of an abolitionist society is not only unworkable, but deeply irresponsible. Leah Cowan and Lola Olufemi sat down with our host, Eleanor Penny, to address our preconceptions about where violence comes from, what we think it looks like, and how we might tell the difference between protection and liberation - covering topics ranging from the history of feminist movements, to transphobia, police violence, the NGO sector, borders, and biological destiny. You can find Leah's new book "Why Would Feminists Trust the Police?: A tangled history of resistance and complicity" here: tinyurl.com/yc6spv52

Urban theorist Ruth Wilson Gilmore and writer Owen Hatherley discuss the impactful legacy of Mike Davis, exploring urban politics, abolition movements, global capitalism, and surveillance in cities. They share personal anecdotes about Davis, emphasizing the need to engage with his ideas for inspiring actions and new perspectives on class struggle and societal structures.