Politics Theory Other

Owen Hatherley joins the show to discuss his love of 1980s Japanese pop and ambient. Although much of the episode is on the music itself, we do touch on the politics - particularly how these artists were influenced by and reacting to the culture of the 1960s New Left, during the extraordinary economic boom of the 1980s, and how some of these musicians reintegrated the memory of 20th century Japanese imperialism in Asia into their music. Become a £5 PTO supporter to get access to this and all other episodes of PTO Extra! - https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Gilbert Achcar, author of 'The New Cold War: The World After Kosovo', discusses the roots of the current cold war, dating back to events in the 1990s. Topics include the collapse of the Russian economy, failure to create new security architecture in Europe, US-China tensions, and the invasion of Ukraine. They also explore the rise of authoritarian nationalism, NATO enlargement, and the Russia-China relationship. The podcast emphasizes the need for international cooperation and a rules-based international order.

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.