In the latest Red Star Daily I look at the most recent developments on the frontline in Ukraine before turning to a discussion of the comments made by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.
I then turn to look at the reality of the EU as opposed to the fantasies of it's leaders such as Borrell and Ursula Von Der Leyen.
Intro and outro music for this episode is from the album Jazz Kolem Karla Krautgartnera by the Czechoslovak artist Karel Krautgart...
2022-10-17 12:06:16 +0000 UTC
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Recently merry old Blighty (Britain) has been beset by political instability with the shortest lived Chancellor in living memory (Kwasi Kwarteng) being kicked out by Liz Truss for implementing the policies Truss herself ran on. Why did the city of London react so negatively to Kwartengs mini budget? Was Kwarteng neccessarily wrong about the problems facing British capitalism? What is Keir Starmers role in all of this? All this and more will be answered in this special edition of Red Sta...
2022-10-15 15:06:52 +0000 UTC
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In this episode of our daily bulletins on the Ukraine war I examine the latest updates from the frontline before turning to look at Putins comments at the recent CIS meeting held in Astana.
Intro and outro music for this episode is from the album Jazz Kolem Karla Krautgartnera by the Czechoslovak artist Karel Krautgartner (1965)
Episode Artwork is the work 'Landscape at the River' by Vasily Lozev (1934)
2022-10-14 23:12:38 +0000 UTC
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In this edition of the bulletin I look at the latest from the frontlines in the war, the recent comments made of Olaf Scholz and Josep Borrell and the state of the Russian economy according to the Economist magazine. There is also a song dedicated to the Irish womens football team.
Episode music is "Join the British Army" by the late great Luke Kelly.
Episode Artwork is "Battle on the Ice" by the Soviet Artist Vladimir Serov (1942)
2022-10-13 20:51:30 +0000 UTC
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This is the first of what will be daily updates on the latest situation in the Russia-Ukraine war.
In these bulletins I'll be looking at the latest from the frontlines as well as the wider stories in the economic and political sphere.
You can find an up to date map of the current positions on the frontlin on Southfront
Episode Artwork is 'Warsaw P...
2022-10-12 19:26:25 +0000 UTC
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When the Ukraine war entered into it's previous phase in February of this year with the direct Russian intervention in the form of the "special military operation" I described the war as an "inter-imperialist" one.
Over the course of the last few months I have come to regard this view as not only incorrect but representing a dangerous misunderstanding of the nature of modern Russia and the dangers posed by US imperialsim. In this episode I explain why I made that initial judgemen...
2022-10-07 14:04:36 +0000 UTC
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Does the office of President and who holds it actually matter anymore? Does it have a real world impact on American capitalism? Why did everything the American left accuse Donald Trump of turn out to be true of Joe Biden? All this and more will be looked at in this, the latest Red Star Bulletin.
Intro and outro music is from the album 'Misteria' by the Anatoly Vapirov Ensemble (1980)
2022-10-06 15:08:31 +0000 UTC
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I recently spoke to Comrade Slava from the Chicago Workers School regarding the recent history of Ukraine. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation regarding the post-Soviet history of Ukraine, the so called Orange "Revolution" of 2004, the role of the oligarchs and the Maidan coup of 2014. We also look at the role of Zelensky and the attacks waged by his government on the Ukrainian working class.
Outro Music Is the anthem of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republi...
2022-10-04 22:07:06 +0000 UTC
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In this episode of our introductory guide to Marxist-Leninism I discuss some basics regarding Marx's analysis of capitalism. By the end of this episode you should have a better understanding of the different forms of capital, the difference between value and price as well as the difference between surplus value and profit. Please leave any questions you have in the comments section below and i'll address them when I do a Q&A for this series.
Outro Music is Woody ...
2022-10-04 10:16:33 +0000 UTC
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This week I'll putting out a special episode, to be released on Friday of this week, covering how my own analysis of the Ukraine war has changed over time.
Back in February of this year, at the beginning of the war, I put forward the point of view that this was an inter-imperialist war. I have, in recent months, moved away from that position to viewing it as a war of aggression against Russia by the USA using Ukraine as a proxy.
I'll be examining why I came to find fault with ...
2022-10-03 08:44:08 +0000 UTC
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In this episode of the bulletin I look at the various plans that existed amongst all the contending parties regarding Ukraine. What were the European leaders thinking? Did Zelensky have a plan? Has the USA changed it's thinking at all? And what will happen now the Donbas and areas of formerly southern Ukraine have joined Russia?
Outro Music is "Dal a jövőről" - Song of the United Front In Hungarian
2022-09-30 14:18:16 +0000 UTC
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The recent protests in Iran again casue us to ask the question of how the Islamic Republic of Iran should be viewed. I examine the issues here in this bulletin.
The sound quality of this one is slightly off as I was recording this episode on the road.
2022-09-27 21:00:26 +0000 UTC
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In this episode of our ongoing series "A Marxist History of World War 2" I look at the long process of the formation of British capitalism.
How did the first capitalist nation emerge from fedudalism? What advanatges did it have? How did the loss of these advantages lead to both World War 1 and World War 2?
All of this and more is discussed in this episode of the series.
Outro Music is entitled 'Join the British Army' by Luke Kelly
Epis...
2022-09-22 23:04:28 +0000 UTC
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This is a special update that I'm putting out in reaction to Putin's speech given this morning. In this bulleting i'll be looking at the referendums announced in Donetsk Lukhansk, Zaporozhye and Kherson and the mobilisation of additional Russian forces announced by Putin and Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu.
Episode Image is taken from recent Czech protests against the government in Prague regarding the soaring costs of energy.
Outro music is Einheitsfrontlied sung in ...
2022-09-21 11:19:41 +0000 UTC
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In this latest update on the Ukraine-Russia war I look at the competing interpretations regarding the Ukrainian advances near Kharkov and what it could mean to the duration of the war. The role of the US in Armenia is also examined as is their cynical manipulation of the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh.
I then go onto to pick a couple of points from listeners that were left as comments on the last Ukraine update.
Outro Song is the American version of Einheitsfrontlied ...
2022-09-19 23:20:12 +0000 UTC
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Monday 19th - Ukraine War Update
Tuesday 20th - The Global Economic Picture
Wednesday 21st - A Marxist History of WW2 - The British Empire
Thursday 22nd - Reading Group - The Poverty of Philosophy
Friday 23rd - The Delusions of Populism
2022-09-19 08:48:24 +0000 UTC
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In this episode I speak to the Italian political analyst Thomas Fazi regarding the upcoming Italian elections.
In this interview we cover why membership of the Euro has rendered Italian democratic institutions irrelevant, the failure and collapse of the Italian left, the lies and deceptions of the populists and the role of the German banks.
Outro music - La Canzone Del Fronte Unito (Song Of The United Front) - Original Germany Lyrics by Bertolt Brecht
2022-09-18 09:09:11 +0000 UTC
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The renewal of the conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan regarding the Republic of Artsakh/Nagorno Karabakh is one that is very rarely discussed in the bourgeois press in the Anglo-sphere. In this brief overview of the current conflict I look at the origins of the conflict, the collapse of the USSR, the nature of the capitalism that emerged in both countries and the role of imperialism in the region.
Music Used - Anthem of the Armenian SSR (Intro)
Yaxsi Yol - S...
2022-09-16 10:31:33 +0000 UTC
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I'll be speaking to the Italian Economist Thomas Fazi later today. We'll be covering the potential for Italy leaving the EU, the upcoming election there and the impact of the EU on Italian state and society. If you have any questions you want to add to the interview then leave a comment below..
2022-09-15 08:33:17 +0000 UTC
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Recently I spoke to the Editor in Chief and founder of the In Defence of Communism website, Nikos Mottas.
We covered a number of issues including the death of the arch traitor Gorbachev, the decline of the USSR and the failure of the left in Greece during the Syriza government.
Be sure to check out the In Defence of Communism webiste for more details on Communist Parties and workers actions globally....
2022-09-12 15:10:08 +0000 UTC
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Last week I went on RT International to discuss the energy crisis and the British governments response to it.
2022-09-12 07:46:25 +0000 UTC
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In this bulletin on the latest from the Ukraine war I look at the latest regarding the Ukrainian offensive to the south of Kharkov.
Does this mean Putins plans lie in ruins? Will the Europeans ever break with the US over Ukraine? What is the nature of the Putin strategy here? Have the American aims changed?
As well as exploring these questions i'll also be suggesting some demands that communists should be putting forward at this stage in the crisis.
The attached imag...
2022-09-10 16:56:31 +0000 UTC
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In a change to our scheduled programming this instalment of the bulletin looks at the role the monarchy plays for the British bourgeoisie. Why did they restore it in 1660? Does it still have any power? What benefits do the bourgeois politicians get from having it around still? Will King Charles III be the last of them? All of this and more in the this latest Red Star Bulletin!
The film 'Culloden' directed by Peter Watkins that I referenced in the episode 2022-09-08 21:09:17 +0000 UTC
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Tomorrow (Friday 9th September) I'll br conducting an interview with Nikos Mottas. He is the founder and editor in chief of the website 'In Defence of Communism' and a member of the Greek Communist Parry (KKE).
We'll be talking about the death of Gorbachev, the so called 'Prague Spring' and the current political situation in Greece.
If you have any questions you'd like to add in to our discussion then be sure to add them below.
2022-09-08 09:18:30 +0000 UTC
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Who the hell is Liz Truss? Will she be able to reinvigorate British capitalism? Should be protestations about her support of Brexit be believed? Is she anything other than a Margaret Thatcher cosplayer?
All of this and more will be covered in this special episode of the Red Star Bulletin!
Episode music is taken from 'This Is England' - Music & Lyrics by Joe Strummer
Episode Artwork is 'The Haywain' by John Constable
2022-09-07 16:44:50 +0000 UTC
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Last week I spoke to Steve Sweeney, formerly of the Morning Star now with Russia Today. We covered a lot of ground from the death of Gorbachev and it's impact to the reporting Steve has done from the Syrian war and its many knock on effects around the region and the world.
Be sure to follow Steve on twitter
2022-09-05 10:32:14 +0000 UTC
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And the winner of our poll is 'The Poverty of Philosophy' by Karl Marx.
This will be reading group work for September and the show on it will be recorded in the last week of the month.
You can find the book on the Marxists Internet Archive If you have questions or comments you want to make on the book then place your comments below or message me ...
2022-09-02 15:28:32 +0000 UTC
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This week has seen the beginning of the much talked about "Kherson counter-offensive" by the Ukrainian armed forces.
I'll be talking about that and the insane (Boris Johnson inspired) attempt by the Zelensky regime to seize the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant before the IAEA inspectors could get there.
See the attached maps from the Southfront channel for further details on the military aspects talked about in this episode.
Episode image is from the painting 'Nose D...
2022-09-02 01:12:29 +0000 UTC
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I'll be doing an article review of the attached essay by Domenico Losurdo on modern China on this Sunday coming.
It's an essay from 2017 where Losurdo makes the comparison between the 'New Economic Policy' period in the USSR and the modern day policies of 'opening up' in China brought in by Deng Xiaoping.
It's an interesting and rather short piece so if anyone wants to read through it and has questions or comments then be sure to add them in the comments section belo...
2022-09-01 13:31:47 +0000 UTC
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In light of the death of Mikhail Gorbachev, the last leader of the USSR, I attempt to evaluate the life and legacy of the man and ask whether things could have been any different.
I argue that Gorbachev was more of a fool than anything else, a product of a bureaucracy that had become an active enemy of socialism and who triggered a collapse by pursuing policies he didn't fully understand. He's still a wretched traitor though.
2022-08-31 16:13:28 +0000 UTC
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