Podcast
Politics Theory Other
Hosted by Politics Theory Other · EN
A podcast on radical politics, critical theory, and history. Hosted by Alex Doherty.
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother
Contact: politicstheoryother@gmail.com
33episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
China and the US - a durable thaw? w/ Tobita Chow and Jake Werner
2w ago00:54:42Tap to summarizeChina experts Tobita Chow and Jake Werner join PTO to talk about the recently concluded summit in Beijing between the United States and the People's Republic of China. We chatted about whether or not the relative thaw in relations (and the continuation of the tariff truce) is durable. We went on to talk about China's approach to Taiwan, and how realistic or otherwise the idea of a Chinese blockade or military assault on the island really are. And Jake and Toby explained what they see as potential crises on the horizon that might worsen relations between the two most powerful states in the global system.
Transcribe →
Labour's election disaster w/ Phil Burton-Cartledge
3w ago00:42:51Tap to summarizePhil Burton-Cartledge joins PTO to talk about the recent local elections in England and the parliamentary elections in Wales and Scotland in which the Labour Party suffered an historic defeat. We talked about what the results mean for Starmer's leadership and for the long-term trajectory of the party. We also chatted about the Greens and what can be done to respond to media smears against Zack Polanski and the Green Party more broadly. Finally, we talked about the remarkable results in Wales and Scotland where both the Welsh Senedd and the Scottish parliament will now be led by nationalist parties.
Transcribe →
American Crusade w/ Eleanor Janega
Apr 2801:06:52Tap to summarizeEleanor Janega joins PTO to talk about the Christian right and the role of Christian Zionist ideology in the minds of key figures in the Trump administration and the decision to launch the US-Israeli war on Iran. We chatted about why the religious beliefs of US policy makers are often under-discussed, whether it's conceivable that Donald Trump is undergoing some sort of religious turn under the influence of the various religious fanatics around him, and we talked about the different religious strains of Christian right-thinking that exist within the administration - from Calvinists to Catholic Integralists. And we also talked about Christian Zionism and how attitudes towards Israel, and the role designated to Jewish in the apocalyptic scenarios of the Christian right, has changed over time. And finally we touched the extraordinary spat between the administration and the Vatican and Pope Leo. Notes: Issue three of The Breakdown: https://www.break-down.org/tag/issue-03/ Launch event and party: https://luma.com/3r5t0jyf?tk=jXzIbb
Transcribe →
[UNLOCKED] China and the Iran war w/ William Figueroa
Apr 2200:38:52Tap to summarizeWilliam Figueroa returns to PTO to talk about China's response to the US-Israeli war on Iran and the country's role in the subsequent peace negotiations. We chatted about whether the conflict has substantially changed Chinese foreign policy in West Asia, and whether Iran's ability to withstand the extraordinary violence of the US and Israeli assault has changed the weight China gives to its relationship with the Islamic Republic. We also talked about whether the failings of the US military and the depletion of its weapons stocks changes Chinese calculations regarding Taiwan. Finally, we talked about Chinese soft power and how the Iran war has been portrayed in Chinese media.
Transcribe →Excerpt - China and the Iran war w/ William Figueroa
Apr 1600:02:53Tap to summarizeIf you'd like to listen to the rest of this episode of PTO Extra! Please consider becoming a £5 supporter at https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother
Transcribe →
Strategic defeat in the Gulf w/ Jennifer Kavanagh
Apr 800:23:27Tap to summarizeJennifer Kavanagh joins PTO to talk about the two-week conditional ceasefire that has been agreed between the United States and Iran, and how the Islamic Republic succeeded in inflicting what looks to be a major strategic defeat on the US. We talked about the implications of the ceasefire, what it means for US-Israeli relations and what will happen to American bases in the region - now that it's been shown that the US military is unable to defend them. And finally, we talked about what lessons American allies in Asia may be drawing from the conflict.
Transcribe →
Excerpt - A hegemonic Iran?
Apr 400:04:27Tap to summarizeIf you'd like to listen to the rest of this episode of PTO Extra! please consider becoming a £5 supporter at https://www.patreon.com/poltheoryother
Transcribe →
Why Iran isn't breaking w/ Eskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi
Mar 2600:56:43Tap to summarizeEskandar Sadeghi-Boroujerdi joins PTO to talk about the US and Israeli war on Iran, as the conflict - apparently expected to last mere days in the Trump White House - approaches its second month. Eskandar explained why the Iranian state and military have proven so resilient despite the overwhelming firepower that the United States and Israel are able to bring to bear, and why in his view the Trump administration made so little apparent effort to prepare for an extended conflict and the closure of the strait of Hormuz. We also talked about the prospect of negotiations and what Iran's red lines might be. And finally, we talked about how the Iranian revolution of 1979 continues to shape how the Iranian regime functions and why it's a mistake to view Iran's allies in the region as mere proxies.
Transcribe →
Israel's forever war in Lebanon w/ Nathaniel George
Mar 1201:02:57Tap to summarizeOn March 2nd, in the early stages of the ongoing attack on Iran by Israel and the United States, and following the assassination of Iran's supreme leader Ali Khamenei, the Lebanese resistance group Hezbollah launched missile strikes on northern Israel. Hezbollah described the attack as a defensive act after more than a year of near-daily Israeli strikes. Israel has since launched major attacks on Lebanese territory that have killed hundreds, and its evacuation orders have caused a massive displacement of Lebanese civilians. Nathaniel George returns to PTO to talk about the background to the latest round of conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, the current situation in the country, and about the history of Israeli violations of Lebanese sovereignty.
Transcribe →
Interregnum - Operation Epic Fury
Mar 500:42:14Tap to summarizeRichard Seymour on the widening war in West Asia. We talked about the current military situation, the confusion around what US and Israeli objectives are, and the divergent responses of European states to the attack. We also talked about how to situate Operation Epic Fury in the context of gradual US decline, and what the prospects are for a revival of the US anti-war movement.
Transcribe →