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Sebastian Budgen joins PTO to talk about the rise of Eric Zemmour - the new star of the French far right and a candidate in April's presidential election. We discussed Zemmour's career in journalism, and why he is able to attract support from both Le Pen voters and more mainstream conservatives. We also talked about the strategic logic behind Zemmour's efforts to rehabilitate the reputation of the collaborationist Vichy government of WWII.

Eric Zemmour and the mainstreaming of the French far-right w/ Sebastian Budgen

In the second episode of Interregnum Richard Seymour discusses his recent article, 'The cruelties of self-help culture'. We talked about the magical thinking propagated by what Richard calls "the success wing of self-help literature" and why its claim that success depends almost solely on individual effort is so appealing. We also talked about the history of self-help culture and the significance of Samuel Smiles, the Victorian liberal reformer and author of the 1859 book Self Help: Illustrations of Character and Conduct. Finally we discussed Richard's plans to write a self-help book from the left.

Interregnum - The cruelties of self-help culture

In 1927, the Irish republican Michael Flannery emigrated from the quiet backroads of Tipperary to the crowded streets of New York City, swapping a life of rebellion for a humdrum career in life insurance. 

But the Irish American community hadn’t forgotten about the old country, and as the Troubles began in Northern Ireland, Flannery found himself at the heart of the campaign to end British rule.

In episode two of Foreign Agent, Flannery’s life story unlocks the roots of anti-colonial struggle in Ireland and how the Irish became white in America. We trace the history of Noraid, the organisation he helped to found, and the political tensions threatening to rupture the republican movement.

Further reading:
Irish America and the Ulster Conflict by Andrew Wilson
Noraid and the Northern Ireland Troubles, 1970-1994 by Robert Collins
The Provisional IRA by Tommy McKearney
Ireland, Colonialism, and the Unfinished Revolution by Robbie McVeigh and Bill Rolston
How the Irish Became White by Noel Ignatiev
Black and Green by Brian Dooley
Enemies and Passing Friends by Pamela Clayton
“Irish Republicans in Inter-war New York” and “The Politics of Noraid” by Brian Hanley

The interviews recorded with Michael Flannery and Martin Lyons are courtesy of the Tamiment Library at New York University.

Hosted by Nate Lavey
Produced by Nate Lavey and Michael McCanne
Original music by Matt Huxley
https://novara.media/ForeignAgent

Foreign Agent Episode 2: The New World and the Old Country

Each generation must encounter the Communist Manifesto anew, deciphering Marx and Engels’ text for their own era. So what gives this short book its enduring power? In his new book A Spectre, Haunting: On The Communist Manifesto, China Miéville explains how its various facets – being part political treatise, part gothic literature, and part spell to bring about a different reality – continue to act upon the world. 

The author of The City & The City joins Ash Sarkar to discuss sadism, sci-fi, blockchain utopias, Lord of the Rings and the politics of Sally Rooney's fiction.

Novara Audio: Radio for a Different Politics

Downstream: Working Class is Not An Identity w/ China Miéville

With the queen lying in state, the level of public enthusiasm for the monarchy is being measured in a line along the Thames. Michael Walker and Owen Jones discuss what's driving people to queue.

Plus: King Charles fires his staff; A columnist for the Times thinks we should be 'frugal' like the Queen; and we look at how the devolved nations are taking the cost of living crisis more seriously than Liz Truss.

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Support Novara Media for as little as £1 a month:

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Novara Audio: Radio For A Different Politics

TyskySour: The Queen Lies In State

Michael Walker interviews economist Jo Mitchell on the pound’s plunge, David Broder on Italy’s new far-right government, and is joined by Aaron Bastani to go through the latest from Labour Party conference and Al Jazeera's 'Labour Files' documentary.

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Support Novara Media for as little as £1 a month:

https://novaramedia.com/support

TyskySour: The Pound Plummets

In 2011, while working as a City trader, Gary Stevenson joined the ranks of the ultra-rich with a single bonus cheque. Not long after, he was named one of Citibank’s highest-performing traders worldwide. Stevenson made millions for his employer by betting on one thing: that inequality would worsen and living standards would fall. It made him rich, but miserable. Stevenson left his job to campaign on inequality. In this interview with Aaron Bastani, he tells the story of his ascent to the peak of the financial world and reveals the plan to destroy the middle class.

Downstream: The Plan is to Make you Permanently Poorer w/ Gary Stevenson

In October 1922, fascists came to power in the March on Rome. 25,000 Blackshirts swarmed through the streets and the King invited their leader — Benito Mussolini — to form a cabinet. Now, almost exactly a century later, Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Fratelli d'Italia (Brothers of Italy) is about to become the next Prime Minister of Italy. She has praised Mussolini in the past.

This time, there are no squadristi in the streets, but many have still been hearing the echoes of Italy's dark past. Is the comparison with fascism warranted? Or are we seeing something more ambiguous take shape — the gradual radicalisation of an existing right bloc?

In this week’s episode of Novara FM, David Broder takes Aaron Bastani on a deep dive into the Italian far right — and explains what its mutations might mean for the rest of us.

Novara FM: Time to Say the F-Word? w/ David Broder

As Sunak continues to defend Braverman's decisions over Marston, the Home Office is dumping asylum seekers in London without anywhere to stay. How low can this government go?

Plus: Netanyahu is back in power after general elections in Israel; and Matt Hancock's decision to go on I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here.

With Dalia Gebrial and Ash Sarkar.

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TyskySour: Tories Defend Manston Conditions

Woke up from a nap hearing these sounds so got my sho, shakuhachi, plucked piano and waterphone and recorded them. Hope you enjoy them.

Sound Piece

A podcast on radical politics, critical theory, and history. Hosted by Alex Doherty.

Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother

Contact: politicstheoryother@gmail.com

Eric Zemmour and the mainstreaming of the French far-right w/ Sebastian Budgen

Politics Theory Other

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