Politics Theory Other

Israeli universities have long enjoyed a reputation as liberal bastions of freedom and democracy and they enjoy warm relationships with their counterparts in north America and Europe - including the University of Columbia. However, as Maya Wind explains in today's episode, contrary to the depiction of Israeli universities as centres of pluralism and free inquiry these institutions are directly complicit in the project to dispossess Palestinians of their land and rights. In her new book, Towers of Ivory and Steel: How Israeli Universities Deny Palestinian Freedom. Maya reveals how academic disciplines, degree programs, campus infrastructure, and research laboratories all service Israeli occupation and apartheid, while universities violate the rights of Palestinians to education, stifle critical scholarship, and violently repress student dissent.

In today's PTO Extra! Richard Seymour responds to some more excellent listener's questions. We talked about the protests against Israel's genocidal war on Gaza taking place at American universities and the extremely repressive response from university authorities. We went on to discuss the situation regarding Iran and Israel, and Richard responded to questions on the disgracing of Sam Bankman-Fried and the effective altruism movement, the Weather Underground and the relevance of armed militant groups of the 1970s to left strategy today. Finally, we talked about what can be expected from a Labour government in the UK and the prospects for a new left party.

Paul Rogers returns to PTO to talk about Iran's attack on Israel on the 13th of April - the first such direct operation carried out by Iran. We discussed whether the operation was a failure or a qualified success, and the role of the United States, Britain, France, and Jordan in the downing of Iranian missiles and drones. We also talked about the progress of Iran's programme and how the attacks on the 13th may have distracted attention from the IDF's failure to defeat Hamas in Gaza. Book your spot at the first PTO Live! event on May 16th in London here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/disaster-nationalism-politics-theory-other-podcast-live-tickets-883198700087

Since October 7th Israeli politicians, spokespeople, and Israel's supporters have mobilised feminist narratives in defence of the state's genocidal actions in Gaza and sought to portray Palestinian resistance to Israel as suffused with religiously inspired misogyny. In a recent article in Salvage, Sophie Lewis wrote about the way in which Zionist feminists have worked to defend the settler colonial project and how it places them in a long lineage of self-described feminists who have been enthusiastic supporters and participants in imperial conquest. In our conversation we talked about that history, and whether we're seeing a decline in Zionist feminism that parallels the broader crisis of liberal Zionism. Book your spot at the first PTO Live! event on May 16th in London here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/disaster-nationalism-politics-theory-other-podcast-live-tickets-883198700087

In part one of a two-part episode Richard returns to give his thoughts on an apparent turn against Israel on parts of the American right, the significance of the protests against Netanyahu within Israel, the role of students in the Palestine solidarity movement, and his view of post-Marxist thought. To get access to the full episode become a £5 PTO supporter on patreon.com/poltheoryother

Yanis Varoufakis joins PTO to discuss his book, Technofeudalism: What Killed Capitalism. We discussed why Yanis believes capitalism is no longer the appropriate term to describe contemporary economic and social relations. We also talked about the financial crisis, the Covid19 pandemic, and how central bank responses to both crises served to build the power of the tech giants. Finally, we also briefly discussed the situation in Gaza and why Yanis believes reports of the decline of US global hegemony are, for the moment, exaggerated.

If you'd like to hear the rest of this episode of PTO Extra! Please consider becoming a £5 supporter at patreon.com/poltheoryother Richard Seymour returns to discuss the likelihood of Israel launching its assault on Rafah (in the context of Israel's deliberate starvation of the Gazan population). We talked about the position of the United States and its recent resolution at the United Nations security council and the extent to which - if at all - it represents a shift away from unequivocal support for Israel. We also discussed the decline of liberal Zionism, as Israel increasingly becomes a pariah state, and finally we discussed "normie socialist" and post-left perspectives on the history of Israel-Palestine.

The 1970s is often depicted straightforwardly as the moment when the radical movements of the 1960s fractured, failed, and radicalised in ways that were self-destructive. In The Subversive Seventies Michael Hardt argues that not only is that a much too simplistic understanding of the decade, but that it serves to prevent us from drawing important lessons and inspiration from the radical movements of the 1970s. We talked about popular misconceptions about the movements of the 70s, how to understand the turn towards projects characterised by autonomy and in some cases armed struggle. And finally we also talked about why the emergence in the 70s of a multiplicity of struggles can be seen as a source of strength for the left, rather than evidence of irresolvable division.

Thirteen years have passed since the Arab Spring and the great hopes aroused in 2011 have been overwhelmed by counter-revolution and civil war. And yet, the region is anything but restabilised: Instead of the events of 2011 heralding a brief period of democratic transition akin to earlier developments in East Asia and Eastern Europe they instead, Gilbert Achcar argues, inaugurated a long-term revolutionary process, based in a deep-rooted socioeconomic crisis that is far from played out. In this talk Gilbert assesses the dynamics of MENA region, the factors hindering regional change, and he cautions against overly optimistic readings, while nonetheless arguing that there remain reasons for hope.

In the latest PTO Extra! Richard Seymour returns to answer your questions on the impact of the Gaza protest movement, Israel's eroding international support, what a Trump presidency might lead to in US domestic politics, and where the late Christopher Hitchens' would have positioned himself in the current conjuncture. To listen to this episode become a £5 patron at patreon.com/poltheoryother

Naomi Klein joins PTO to talk about her book, 'Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World'. In the first part of our conversation we talked about why at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, parts of the anti-vaccine movement started to adopt the garb and the language of participants in struggles against racism and the historic crimes of settler colonialism. In the second part we talked about Israel and Palestine and how the notion of 'doppelganger politics' can be applied to the way Israel views the Palestinians. We also talked about how European fascism of the twentieth century is typically portrayed as being the diametric opposite of liberal democracy, in spite of the extent to which Nazism took direct inspiration from both European colonial practices and racial segregation in the United States. To rate PTO on Spotify go here. Or search for 'Politics Theory Other' in the Spotify app. If you don't ordinarily listen to the show on Spotify you may be asked to listen to some episodes first, but all you need to do in that case is to click on a couple of episodes and fast forward right to the end of each, and then you'll be able to rate the show. On the Spotify app you can give your rating by clicking on the three small dots (...) next to the gear wheel symbol on the PTO Spotify page. Thank you!

In today's episode of PTO Extra! Sai Englert, author of Settler Colonialism: An Introduction returns to the show to answer listeners' questions. We talked about whether Zionism is distinct from other forms of settler colonialism, how struggles against settler colonial projects can tie together with socialist demands for the democratisation of the economy, and we also discussed the ruling of the ICJ and the effort to delegitimise and destroy UNRWA, - led by Israel but aided and abetted by the United States and Israel's other allies.

Palestinian-American legal scholar Noura Erakat joins PTO to discuss South Africa's case at the International Court of Justice and the utility of international law in struggles for global justice. With its roots in providing justification for European settler colonialism in the Americas, can International law ever serve the cause of liberatory movements? Is there a danger that in winning legal victories in forums such as the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, that radical causes - such as the Palestine liberation movement - can come to prioritise endorsement by prestigious multilateral bodies at the expense of other, and potentially more effective strategies? And how strong are the respective cases of South Africa and Israel in their dispute at the ICJ - and what is the legal, political, and moral significance of the case that South Africa has brought? Those are just some of the questions that Noura Erakat addresses in today's episode.

Richard Seymour returns to answer listeners' questions on the history of Yemen and the emergence of the Houthi militia, comparisons made between Israel's actions in Gaza and the Nazi Holocaust, and on the way in which the Trump presidency has influenced the current situation in the Middle East. Listen to the full episode by becoming a £5 patron at https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Richard Seymour on the possibility of Israel's assault on Gaza leading to broader escalation in the Middle East. We talked about the strategic calculations of Iran, Hezbollah, the Houthi militia, and Israel, the possibility of the United States increasing its involvement on Israel's side, and whether the attack on Gaza might destabilise Egypt. And finally we talked about the proceedings at the International Court of Justice, where South Africa has asked the ICJ for an urgent order declaring that Israel is in breach of its obligations under the 1948 genocide convention.

Israel's assault on Gaza has led to a huge upsurge in discussion of settler colonialism and the extent to which the term accurately describes the Zionist project in Palestine. In Settler Colonialism: An Introduction, Sai Englert provides an authoritative overview of the history of settler colonialism and resistance to it, from the South African anti-Apartheid struggle to campaigns against pipeline construction in North America. In the interview we discuss the history of settler colonialism, from the British colonies in North America to the Portuguese Empire in Brazil, and from Apartheid South Africa to the French settler state in Algeria. We talked about the economic logics that made genocidal campaigns against indigenous societies possible in some contexts, but not in others, and about the surprisingly complex process of racialisation that enabled the plunder of indigenous resources and labour. Finally, we discussed why Israel, contrary to the claims of liberal apologists, belongs firmly in the settler colonial tradition.

Around 2010 I became somewhat obsessed with Japanese pop and ambient music of the 1980s - in particular the Yellow Magic Orchestra, the solo records of the members of the group: Ryuichi Sakamoto, Haruomi Hosono and Yukihiro Takahashi and music by Akiko Yano, Yasuaki Shimizu and Hiroshi Yoshimura amongst many others. Last year I discovered that this was an enthusiasm shared with architectural historian, and very occasional pop music writer, Owen Hartherley who has since written an article partially on the topic: https://www.jencksfoundation.org/explore/text/japan-at-number-one-ryuichi-sakamoto-s-riot-in-lagos Although much of the episode is on the music itself, we also 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. If you'd like to explore some of the music we discuss in the episode you can find an accompanying playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1eM8f2mq7vJYtYuTDq2EKW?si=7dd8d970fb8d4ad2 As well as tracks from the 80s, the playlist also includes some records from the folk rock era of the 1970s, as well as from Vaporwave and Future Funk genres - both of which were influenced by much of the 1980s work that Owen and I discuss. Unfortunately, there are plenty of fantastic records from this era that aren't currently available on the streaming services - including Akiko Yano's best work (especially the album Tadaima) Paradise of Replica by After Dinner, Ichiko Hashimoto's Beauty album, Miho Fujiwara's Heartbeat, Untotooku by Chiemi Manabe and the soundtracks to the animated films Akira and the Wings of Honnêamise amongst others. Do check those out too if you can - many of them are available on YouTube or to purchase from Bandcamp and other such outlets. Owen's article, 1980 in Parallax: Japan at Number One, Ryuichi Sakamoto’s ‘Riot in Lagos’: https://www.jencksfoundation.org/explore/text/japan-at-number-one-ryuichi-sakamoto-s-riot-in-lagos Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/1eM8f2mq7vJYtYuTDq2EKW?si=7dd8d970fb8d4ad2

Richard returns to answer listener's questions on the situation in Gaza, the extent to which Joe Biden's support for Israel is about electoral calculations, the anti-Deutsch tendency and the pro-Israel current on the German left, and the threat of a global war, amongst other topics. Thanks as ever for your continued support for PTO.

Palestinian writer and academic Leila Farsakh joins the show to talk about the history of the Israel-Palestine conflict and the parallels Leila sees between the current situation and the 1973 Yom Kippur War. We also talked about the revival of the idea of the one state solution and why Leila believes a two-state resolution to the conflict is no longer feasible. In the interview we touch on Leila's article in The London Review of Books, ‘The Refugee Problem’ and on her book, 'Rethinking Statehood in Palestine: Self-determination beyond Partition'.

Richard Seymour responds to the arguments of Jonathan Freedland and other liberal Zionists who, despite the marginalisation of the liberal Zionist tradition within Israel itself, continue to produce talking points for supporters of Israel and the Western media in their coverage of Israel-Palestine.