Modern Industry and Prospects for Socialism
Cosmopod
Dónal Ó Coisdealbha analyzes the history and results of the management and production system (TPS) developed by the Toyota Motor Corporation, arguing that the cooperative effects the TPS had on Toyota's internal labor relations contain the seeds of a successful model of socialist industrial production. is the director of process control, smart and digital development at a factory owned by a multinational electrical equipment manufacturer who is currently co-authoring a with on labour time planning. His blog can be found . Reading: Carlos Campos Jr.
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The Border is a Mirror: Europe and the politics of migration with Iker Suarez
Cosmopod
In this episode, Rudy joins , author of to delve into the politics of migration and borders in Europe, examining how imperialism, class, and race intersect in what our guest describes as a “genocide at sea.” We explore who the people migrating to Europe are, why they move, and how their journeys expose the contradictions at the heart of European liberalism. Our guest argues that immigration today represents the return of Europe’s colonial past, and critiques how both the right and the nominal left continue to enforce violent border regimes -from the Tarajal massacre to ongoing...
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What Is Missing From Your Understanding of Revolutionary Democratic Centralism
Cosmopod
Steve Bloom ruminates on the meaning and practice of democratic centralism, arguing that respect for minority positions is key to building a truly disciplined revolutionary formation. Reading: Felix Bauer
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Protest, Pop Culture and the Alt-Right: Jarrod Shanahan on a Decade of Upheaval
Cosmopod
On this episode of Cosmopod, Isaac and Jack talk with Jarrod Shanahan about his new book, . From Occupy to Black Lives Matter to the George Floyd Rebellion, Shanahan reflects on a decade of struggle, and shares his experiences with and analysis of Trumpism and the alt-right. We explore lessons from mass movements, the fate of abolitionist politics, pop culture’s apocalyptic turn, the connections between today’s cultural landscape and the 1970s, the legacies of Noel Ignatiev, and what it means to build revolutionary organization in a time of crisis. References: Don Hamerquist - ...
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Towards 2026: The Fight for Recognition
Cosmopod
Carlos Campos Jr. analyzes the disunity of electoral campaigns pursued by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), argues for the strategic infrastructural integration of the organization's state-level electoral efforts, and provides a tentative plan for doing so. Reading: Felix Bauer
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D. R. Congo after Mobutu to the present with Jeremy Rich
Cosmopod
Rudy joins Jeremy Rich for a discussion on the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the late 80s to the present. We cover the decay of Mobutu's regime, the changes in the 90s, how the Rwandan Civil War prompted an invasion and the first and second Congo Wars, the factions involved in these wars including the special role of Rwanda and Paul Kagame. We discuss the transitions of power, from Mobutu, to the Kabilas, and to the present president Tshisekedi; the role of the U.S. and China, the recent rise in "rebel" activity and the outlook for the future. References: Orgs - Friends of...
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Superman Through the Ages: Hero of the Zeitgeist
Cosmopod
Rudy sits down with Hank Kennedy, author of to discuss the surprising political journey of Superman, tracing his evolution from a Depression-era defender of the oppressed to a complex symbol shaped by changing American ideologies. We dive into the roots of Superman's creation by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, how Superman originally tackled social injustices head-on and follow his evolution from his early anti-authoritarian stances to his shifting roles in WWII, the Cold War, and beyond -including his emergence as a “SuperRepublican” in the 1980s and a more progressive figure in...
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An Introduction To Kojin Karatani with Gabriel Tupinambá
Cosmopod
We join Gabriel Tupinambá from the for a discussion on the Japanese Marxist Kojin Karatani. We discuss what Karatani's project is, why we should care about it, before focusing on his magna opus The Structure of World History. We discuss his approach to modes of exchange, and why it is a novel lens, how communism fits on his scheme before mentioning some weak points. We end up with a discussion of how Gabriel´s reading of Karatani has affected his organizing.
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How the US made Global Capitalism with Sam Gindin
Cosmopod
Ira and Rudy sit down with Sam Gindin to discuss the evolving nature of global capitalism through the lens of U.S. hegemony, neoliberalism, and emerging geopolitical shifts. We begin by analyzing Gindin's The Making of Global Capitalism, examining how the U.S.-led global order was constructed and whether it's synonymous with neoliberalism. From there, we delve into current trends—protectionism, supply chain reshoring, and regionalization—to ask whether these signal a break from neoliberal norms or a transformation into something new. We also assess the stability of U.S. dominance...
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City Time: Life as Political Prisoners on Rikers with Jarrod Shanahan and David Campbell
Cosmopod
Isaac and Jack are joined by David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book , an ethnography of Rikers Island based on the author’s experiences as inmates on Rikers. We discuss the unwritten social codes that order life on Rikers, the social function of jails (and some surprising similarities to the New Deal), the differences between urban jails and rural prisons, the relationship between inmates and jail staff, and the labor struggles that play out in jails and prisons. Resources: Andrea R. Morrell - about the Wildcat Strike Hard Crackers "" piece by David...
info_outlineJames, Steven and Rudy sit down to talk about the Italian Communist Party (PCI) from its foundation to its dissolution, with a focus on its period of maximum influence from the post-WW2 refoundation to the unraveling of the Historic Compromise in 1980 as well as the differences and similarities to the French Communist Party. We discuss the founding of the PCI in the aftermath of the First World War, followed by its destruction during the fascist period and how this destruction was a historic trauma of fascism that colored its post-WW2 strategy. We discuss how the party negotiated a place in the Italian political system, and how different tendencies within the party responded to events in the 50s and 60s. We then turn to the historic compromise, what it was and how it can be seen as a right-wing interpretation of the Popular Front. We finish by discussing the unraveling of the Popular Front, the dissolution of the party in the 1990s and the consequences on the present Italian left.
Bibliography:
G. Amyot - The Italian Communist Party: The Crisis of the Popular Front Strategy
P. Daniels, M. J. Bull - Voluntary Euthanasia: From the Italian Communist Party to the Democratic Party of the Left
S. Hellman - Italian Communism in Transition: The Rise and Fall of the Historic Compromise in Turin, 1975-1980
L. Magri - The Tailor of Ulm: A History of Communism
M. A. Macciocchi - Letters from inside the Italian Communist Party to Louis Althusser
D. Sassoon - The Strategy of the Italian Communist Party: From the Resistance to the Historic Compromise
R. Rossanda - The Comrade from Milan
J. B. Urban - Moscow And The Italian Communist Party: From Togliatti to Berlinguer
Pre-fascist period:
J. M. Cammett - Antonio Gramsci and the origins of Italian Communism
P. Spriano - The occupation of the factories, Italy 1920
G. Williams - Proletarian Order: Antonio Gramsci, Factory Councils and the origins of Italian communism, 1911-1921