This track consists of excerpts from a previous podcast episode. Edited together, these excerpts form the second lecture that attempts to sort out the confusion in contemporary discourse about fascism, communism, capitalism and liberalism. Participants: John Steppling, Max Parry, Shaenah Batterson, Hiroyuki Hamada and Dennis Riches.

Lecture 8 Fascism, Communism, Liberalism

What does it take to keep a democracy alive in the midst of war? What happens when a nation’s fate rests not only on soldiers and politicians but on the courage of its people? 

In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social), talks with Dr Svitlana Kovalchuk, the Executive Director at Yalta European Strategy (YES) where she shares how Ukraine’s civil society is not just surviving but shaping the country’s future. From grassroots activism to high-level diplomacy, she unpacks the relentless efforts of citizens fighting for freedom, governance, and international support. As Ukraine stands at a crossroads, their struggle carries lessons for the world. This is the story of resilience, resistance, and the power of people to define their own destiny.

This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.

Beyond the Battlefield: The Power of Ukraine’s Civil Society with Dr. Svitlana Kovalchuk

In this episode of Sh-t Platypus Says, we focus on the German politics in the present and since the aftermath of the New Left.

In the first half, Lisa discusses the recent German elections results with Jule, Daron, and Andreas. What does the victory of Friedrich Merz's center-right CDU mean for the Left? 

In the second half, Lisa sits down with Therri, Marius, and Jo to reflect on our German language Antideutsch panel, forthcoming in English translation in the Platypus Review. They discuss the history of the Antideutsch, the current of the Antideutsch and their influence in Germany, and further questions provoked by our panel. 

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Ep 66: AfD & Sahra Wagenknecht in Germany, Anarchism on the West Coast: https://soundcloud.com/platypus-affiliated-society/ep-66

Was waren die Antideutschen? (German language panel)
Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPbT71IExIw
Transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2024/11/03/was_waren_die_antideutschen/

preparatory readings for the Antideutsch panel: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p01FL84oWkNOttxB3y9gA7x65zojFQn78RKuifAXNQ0/edit?usp=sharing 

Linke Antworten auf die AfD (German language panel)
Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgpaaXvMqLg&themeRefresh=1 

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Cover image by Martin Steger
Original soundtracks by Tamas Vilaghy
Editing work by Michael Woodson
To learn more about Platypus, go to www.platypus1917.org

Ep 73: On the German Elections and the Antideutsch

Rebekah, Ismail, and Michael introduce the upcoming Platypus International Convention, featuring Bill Ayers, Chris Cutrone, Alex Higgins, Michael Kazin, Branko Marcetic, Dave McKerracher, and Pamela Nogales among many more speakers, teach-ins, and social events. 

Is There a Left in the 21st Century?
April 3rd-5th
Chicago, IL

Full line-up available at https://www.platypus.events

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Check out our past events at https://platypus1917.org

Is There a Left in the 21st Century? (2025 International Platypus Convention Teaser)

A new(ish) era of Serious Fun kicks off with UWGB English professor Zack Kruse! Bryan and Zack talk about the work of the enigmatic and often misunderstood Steve Ditko, creator of characters like Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, and The Question, as well as Zack's must-read book "Mysterious Travelers: Steve Ditko and the Search for a New Liberal Identity". We'll discuss the complex ideological and philosophical framework that shaped Ditko's creative output, how it manifests in his most popular characters, and more! 

Special thanks to Marcus Moss for the intro and outro voiceovers, and Kevin McLeod for the outro music.

Check out "Mysterious Travelers" here: https://www.upress.state.ms.us/Books/M/Mysterious-Travelers 

Episode 59: The Real Steve Ditko (w/ Zack Kruse)

In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social), welcomes back Amb. Nino Kalandadze, founder and executive director of the Chavchavadze Center in Tbilisi, Georgia. They talk about the situation on the country, the courage of Georgians fighting for a better future, and what we can all do to help. 

This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.

The state of the resistence in Georgia, with Nino Kalandadze

Malcolm Harris Returns to This Is Hell! to discuss his new book, "What's Left: Three Paths Through the Planetary Crisis." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview.

Check out Malcolm's book here: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/malcolm-harris/whats-left/9780316577410/?lens=little-brown

What Paths Remain for Preventing Climate Apocalypse? / Malcolm Harris

Mike Shelby of Gray Zone Research and Early Warning Network discusses the current domestic and global situation, describing it as a time of generational change and concern. Shelby warns of potential low intensity conflict, such as violent social movements, terrorism, and color revolutions, rather than a conventional civil war in the U.S. He comments on the decline of Pax Americana, the new restructuring toward a Fortress America, and the ongoing conflict with China. He offers some excellent advice on weathering the storm.

*Support Geopolitics & Empire!
Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com
Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations
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**Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors!
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PassVult https://passvult.com
Sociatates Civis (CitizenHR, CitizenIT, CitizenPL) https://societates-civis.com
Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics

Websites
Gray Zone Research https://grayzoneresearch.substack.com
Early Warning Network https://www.earlywarningnetwork.com
X https://x.com/grayzoneintel

About Mike Shelby
Mike is a former Intelligence NCO and contractor with overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He covers civil unrest and low intensity conflict.

*Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Mike Shelby: Fortress America, Civil War 2.0, & World War 3.0? #550

Geopolitical analyst Jacob Shapiro discusses the transition to a multipolar world order, the state of American Empire, the emergence of new power centers, and the notion of a looming World War III. He comments on Trump's recent foray into the Middle East, China's strategic engagement in Latin America, and the fate of Mexico. He offers some tips on the way forward.

*Support Geopolitics & Empire!
Become a Member https://geopoliticsandempire.substack.com
Donate https://geopoliticsandempire.com/donations
Consult https://geopoliticsandempire.com/consultation

**Visit Our Affiliates & Sponsors!
Above Phone https://abovephone.com/?above=geopolitics
easyDNS (15% off with GEOPOLITICS) https://easydns.com
Escape Technocracy course (15% off with GEOPOLITICS) https://escapethetechnocracy.com/geopolitics
PassVult https://passvult.com
Sociatates Civis (CitizenHR, CitizenIT, CitizenPL) https://societates-civis.com
Wise Wolf Gold https://www.wolfpack.gold/?ref=geopolitics

Websites
Jacob Shapiro https://jacobshapiro.com
X https://x.com/JacobShap
Substack https://jashap.substack.com
Bespoke https://bespokegroup.io

About Jacob Shapiro
Jacob Shapiro is a geopolitical analyst who provides strategic guidance to families, investors, and corporations. He is Director of Research at The Bespoke Group, a U.S.-based wealth strategy firm that applies generational thinking to the preservation and growth of generational wealth for families around the world. His approach blends rigorous, empathetic analysis with deep confidence in human agency and the transformative power of new ideas.

Jacob is a global thought leader on geopolitics and its impact on everything from global markets to supply chains. A prolific public speaker, Jacob delivers frequent keynote presentations and tailored corporate briefings. His insights help audiences and c-suites across industries like finance, agriculture, and energy make sense of the world. Jacob also hosts “The Jacob Shapiro” podcast, which features interviews with subject matter experts in geopolitics, technology, markets, and other fields.

He holds a master’s degree with distinction from Oxford University and a bachelor’s degree in Near Eastern studies from Cornell University. He lives in New Orleans with his wife and two daughters. When he’s not tweeting at 4 a.m. about the latest international developments or commodities prices, you might find him at a basketball court near you doing his best Larry Bird impersonation at a pickup game.

*Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Jacob Shapiro: We Are Entering a Multipolar Geopolitical Environment #556

Subscribe on Patreon and hear this week's full patron-exclusive episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/132134082

Beatrice speaks with William C. Anderson about the liberal tendency to limit political action to voting while simultaneously blaming victims of the electoral system for their own oppression (e.g. dismissal of the south as somehow “deserving” Republican control). We also discuss how this tendency towards indirect democracy vs direct democracy can spur despair and resignation, and how to resist it.

Read William's piece, Another way out: Fighting back against inaction here: https://prismreports.org/2025/06/03/inaction-voting-revolutionary-change/

Runtime 1:35:00

Note: We're back! Thank you to everyone for all the well wishes and many kind messages during our parental leave. We have a lot coming together soon processing current events and reacting to some big developments that happened while we were away. As we ramp production back up we'll be prioritizing the patron feed first to make sure patrons get a full new episode every week.

Get Health Communism here: www.versobooks.com/books/4081-health-communism

Find Jules' new book here: https://www.versobooks.com/products/3054-a-short-history-of-trans-misogyny

Find Tracy's book Abolish Rent here: www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2443-abolish-rent

Teaser - Another Way Out w/ William C. Anderson (06/23/25)

The Geopolitics & Empire Podcast conducts interviews with prominent international experts on a wide-range of topics.

Past guests have included diplomats, government officials, whistleblowers, soldiers, spies, economists, academics, scientists, wealthy investors, dissidents, journalists, and musicians.

The broadcast seeks to gain insight from guests who come from the left, right, and beyond. It should go without saying that the host does not always agree with beliefs espoused by podcast invitees, but maintains an open mind, and believes it important to respectfully listen to a multitude of voices and let listeners come to their own conclusions.

*Music used in podcast intro is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Take a journey into the frivolous with 'Serious Fun', a podcast by UWGB Communication and Information Science professor Bryan Carr. Hear from the scholars, professionals, and fans that interpret and create pop culture. Whether it's comic books, video games or reality TV, "Serious Fun" examines the media that shapes and reflects our lives.

The commentary on the commentary on the Left.

Politics, culture, and public policy from the left. Stay alive another week.

w/ Beatrice Adler-Bolton, Artie Vierkant, Phil Rocco and Jules Gill-Peterson. 

https://www.patreon.com/deathpanelpod

The European Liberal Forum (ELF) is the official think tank and political foundation of the European Liberal Party, the ALDE Party.
Together with 56 member organisations we work all over Europe to bring new ideas into the political debate, to provide a platform for discussion and to enable citizens to make their voices heard.

New tracks tagged #liberalism