Bungacast

Jacob Siegel, senior editor at Tablet, joins to discuss Hamas's attack on Israel and Israel's assault on Gaza. They delve into the US crusade against 'disinformation' and the counterinsurgency tactics applied to citizens. The conversation explores the timing of the attack, its impact on Israeli-Saudi relations, and the goals of the Israeli bombing in Gaza. They also analyze the intertwining of domestic politics and corporate power, emphasizing the need to dismantle the surveillance apparatus. The podcast uncovers the blurred lines between diplomacy, culture wars, and peace and war, in the context of the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Jerome Roos, a scholar, discusses sovereign debt and why countries are eager to pay back creditors despite the negative impacts on their economies. Roos talks about cases such as Argentina, Mexico, Greece, and Zambia, highlighting how transnational institutions ensure creditors get paid every time. He also explores how countries can free themselves from international financial dictatorship. The podcast covers various interesting topics related to global finance, unilateral default, the IMF's role in debt crises, and the complexities of debt negotiations.

On polycrisis.   [Patreon Tier II and III Exclusive -  subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast]   We reflect back on Jurgen Habermas' Legitimation Crisis as a whole, having gone through it section by section in previous episodes, before exploring what the idea of 'polycrisis' is about. Everyone from Adam Tooze to the FT to the World Economic Forum think we're in a polycrisis. How does this notion compare to Habermas' understanding of crisis?    We also explore some related themes: cynical ideology and how it deflects criticism; whether we are more or less individualised today, and how you can have less collectivism and less individualism at the same time; and the difference between crisis and emergency.   Links: Why the West's elites invented a permacrisis, Thomas Fazi, Unherd Welcome to the world of the polycrisis, Adam Tooze, FT  Year in a word: Polycrisis, Jonathan Derbyshire, FT  On the crisis of crisis: /327/ Capitalism on Edge ft. Albena Azmanova  On the structural reasons why the regime survives: /246/ Why Isn’t There Revolution? ft. Vivek Chibber 

Journalist Ryan Zickgraf discusses the end of 'hyperpolitics' and the exhaustion of people with the politicisation of everything. Culture wars are as hot as ever and 'escape' venues are more politicised. Is history over?

Political theorist Benjamin Studebaker discusses the chronic crisis of American democracy and how hope is used to keep people engaged in a system that doesn't deliver. The podcast explores the challenges of US politics, the role of the professional middle class, the decline of America, and the futility of symbols in politics. It also delves into boredom and despair as catalysts for new ideas, and the politics of free time.

On satire of the bourgeoisie.   [Patreon Exclusive. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast]   We discuss Luis Buñuel's "deranged masterpiece" from 1972, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, and debate the social ritual of dinner, and why the guests in the film never get to eat theirs.   How does this early 70s surrealist film – which in many ways set the template for cinematic satires of the bourgeoisie – compare to more recent portrayals such as The Menu or Triangle of Sadness? Ultimately, who are the bourgeoisie and do they still exist, in a world of distributed ownership and managerialism?   Readings: ‘A deranged masterpiece’: why you should watch The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Luke Buckmaster, The Guardian What Have the Bourgeoisie Done for us Lately?, Stephan Bertram-Lee, Sublation A Brief History of the Bourgeoisie, or We Are All Bourgeois Now, David Polansky, Strange Frequencies The Bourgeois(ie) as Concept and Reality, Immanuel Wallerstein, New Left Review

Interviews with Cecilia Lero and Tamás Gerőcs on the rise of right-wing and authoritarian leaders like Erdogan, Modi, and Orban. They discuss the similarities between these leaders and their counterparts in the core of global capitalism, as well as the ability to resolve crises. Topics include hate as a unifying political force, the rise of populist authoritarianism, and the role of the new middle class in right-wing populist movements.

On the politics of consultancy   [Patreon Exclusive. Sign up @ patreon.com/bungacast]   The past 40 years have seen a whole range of things the state used to do itself outsourced to third parties. Now there is a turn against these practices. But can the state actually get stuff done, or is it doomed for its prior reliance on consultants?   It's not just the left the criticises outsourcing - the right now does too. How do these positions differ? And how are these questions related to another critique – that of 'bullshit jobs'?   Readings & Links: In Clover, Laleh Khalili, LRB (attached) The Big Con — the case against consultancies (review of Mazzucatto & Collington), Diane Coyle, FT (attached) Letter: Groundless assertions about a trusted profession (response from a consultant), FT How PwC captured Australia, Shahar Hameiri, Unherd Consultancies Have Been the Handmaidens of Neoliberalism, Nathan Akehurst, Jacobin Radical Centrism: Uniting the Radical Left and the Radical Right, Ashwin Parameswaran, Macroresilience The limits of government outsourcing, Martin Bortz, Pursuit /267/ South Africa Mafia State ft. Benjamin Fogel

On the internet being sh*t.   Tech critic, author and blogger Cory Doctorow joins us to talk about his new book, The Internet Con. He tells us his ONE SIMPLE TRICK to fix the internet: interoperability. Breaking down the tech giants' walled gardens is the first step to dethroning them.    How does Big Tech depend on intellectual property to cement their monopolies? How can their grip be loosened? How do we make tech work for us?   In the After Party, the boys debate Doctorow's anti-monopolist arguments, and look at the wider ways tech is affecting everything from agriculture to services. We conclude by asking what the best way to guarantee freedom of expression is.    Links: The Internet Con: How to seize the means of computation, Cory Doctorow, Verso  Pluralistic, Cory Doctorow's blog Big Tech and the Current Challenges Facing the Class Struggle, Tricontinental Institute

On US politics being stuck.   [Patreon Exclusive]   We talk to political theorist Benjamin Studebaker about his new book, The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy: The Way is Shut. Studebaker holds that hope is a problem because it's used by professionals to keep people engaged in a system that simply doesn't deliver. Hence the culture wars and the focus on various 'vices'.   How are both left and right complicit in this situation? What's the solution? Are we dependent on oligarchs going rogue to shake the system? Do we need to hit rock bottom to rekindle our political imaginations?