Bungacast

Excerpt: /232/ Reading Club: Cold, Hard / Warm, Soft

20 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Eva Illouz's Cold Intimacies: The Making of Emotional Capitalism How has the cold and hard world of bureaucratic, instrumental rationalism p...

/231/ New Class Analysis ft. Catherine Liu

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Thursday 9 November, George Hoare and Alex Hochuli took part in a conversation with Catherine Liu about their recent books – The End of the End o...

Excerpt: /230/ Repetition Compulsion ft. Doug Lain, pt. 2

14 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the left outflanked.   We continue our discussion with Douglas Lain, formerly of Zer0 Books and now of Diet Soap Media. Has the left been overt...

/229/ Repetition Compulsion ft. Doug Lain, pt. 1

07 Dec 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On branding and the left.  Douglas Lain, until recently publisher of Zer0 Books and now of Diet Soap Media, joins us to talk about what happened with...

/228/ Three Articles: Popular Backlash in Chile, India, Europe

30 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On people power on three continents. We discuss Chile's landmark elections, the first after the uprising of 2019-20, which see a face-off between left...

Excerpt: /227/ Reading Club: All That Is Solid

29 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On modernity's contradictions.   In this month's Reading Club, we discuss the introduction to Marshall Berman's marvellous All That Is Solid Melts...

Excerpt: /226/ Science Says: No Woke

23 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the Jacobin & YouGov survey of the US working class.   A study (pdf) carried out by YouGov on behalf of Jacobin magazine and the Center for Wor...

/225/ Wokeistan & Lebanonworld ft. Karl Sharro

16 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On sectarianism & identitarianism. Karl Sharro (@KarlreMarks) is back on Bunga to talk to us about his essay "The Retreat from Universalism in the Mid...

Excerpt: /224/ Three Articles: Labour Revolts?

09 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On rising wages after the pandemic.   Workers are quitting their jobs and not going back. Restricted supply is seeing wages go up. Does this signal ...

/222/ Nukes 4 Kids ft. Emmet Penney, pt. 1

02 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the global energy crisis.    Nuclear energy advocate Emmet Penney (@nukebarbarian) joins us to discuss the growing energy crunch in Europe, th...

Excerpt: /221/ Reading Club: Truth About Class

28 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This month we discuss GM Tamas' essay "Telling the Truth About Class" published in the Socialist Register. Is Tamas' division between Marxist and Rou...

Excerpt: /220/ Aufhebonus Bonus

26 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Responding to your questions, comments & criticisms.   It's a big mailbag this time round, including plenty on Covid (lockdowns, vaccines, etc), i...

Excerpt: OK Bunger! The Problem of Generations, pt. 5

22 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The fifth and final part of a series on generational consciousness and conflict. This is an excerpt. For the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/bu...

OK BUNGER! The Problem of Generations, pt. 4

12 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The fourth in a special five-part series on generational consciousness and conflict.   In this episode, we examine Generation X – the generation...

Excerpt: OK BUNGER! The Problem of Generations, pt. 3

05 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The third in a special five-part series on generational consciousness and conflict.   This is an excerpt. For the full 1h40min episode, subscribe at...

/218/ Stability Über Alles ft. Wolfgang Streeck

30 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On German's elections – and the costs of stability. Wolfgang Streeck is back on the podcast to round-up Germany's elections last Sunday (26 Septembe...

OK BUNGER! The Problem of Generations, pt. 2

28 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The second in a special five-part series on generational consciousness and conflict. In this episode, we look at the emergence of 'youth' as politi...

Excerpt: /217/ Reading Club: Intersectional Stalinism

24 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This month's Reading Club is on Mike McNair's "Intersectionalism, the highest stage of western Stalinism?" from the journal Critique (pdf attached on...

/216/ Goodbye Mutti! Election Preview ft. Dominik Leusder

22 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Germany's election this week. Merkel has led Germany since 2005, outlasting any number of politicians across the West. What accounts for her longev...

OK BUNGER! The Problem of Generations, pt. 1

21 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

The first in a special five-part series on generational consciousness and conflict. In this episode, we look at the current, vexed discourse aroun...

Excerpt: /215/ Organize the Incels?! ft. Alex Gendler

14 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the long history of involuntary celibates.   Alex Gendler talks to us about his essay in American Affairs, "The New Superfluous Men". With growi...

/213/ The Leopard Lockdown ft. Adam Tooze

07 Sep 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Covid and the end of the end of history. Adam Tooze joins us to discuss his new book, Shutdown. In 2020 everything changed... so that everythin...

Excerpt: /212/ Three Articles: Middle-Class Anxieties

31 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On net-zero, CCP nanny state, and optimised dating.   We start off discussing the HBO series "The White Lotus" before tackling three articles on m...

/211/ Unlocking the Lockdown Left ft. @galexybrane

24 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On lockdowns, education, and the left. California middle-school teacher and social critic Alex Gutentag (@galexybrane) joins us to talk about the depr...

Excerpt: /210/ Reading Club: Psychoanalysis & Spirit of Capitalism

21 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss Eli Zaretsky's essay, "Psychoanalysis and the Spirit of Capitalism" (also available as a chapter in his book Political Freud).   How co...

Excerpt: /209/ Aufhebonus Bonus + Kabul Falls

17 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the Fall of Kabul, plus responding to your questions & comments. On this Aufhebonus Bonus, we take your critical comments on 'positive biopo...

/207/ Pangolin vs Lobster, pt 1 ft. Paolo Gerbaudo

10 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What comes after neoliberalism - the protective state? We talk to Paolo Gerbaudo about his new book, The Great Recoil, in which Paolo argues we are n...

Excerpt: /206/ Three Articles: Post-Liberalism

03 Aug 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On post-liberalism: loving the state, crushing the individual?   For this 3A, articles from different 'conservative' outlets - but how conservativ...

/205/ The World In One Country: The Final ft. Many Guests

27 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What country best captures 20th and 21st century history?  For our 200th episode special, we posed the question: "If you had to study the history of ...

/204/ Three Articles: People's Republic of Fleeing

20 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Chinese investment, Swiss democracy, and fleeing from Afghanistan. In this Three Articles, we discuss flight or departure in various ways: China op...

Excerpt: /203/ Positive Biopolitics? ft. Benjamin Bratton

13 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On pandemic & post-pandemic politics.   We talk to Benjamin Bratton about his new book, The Revenge of the Real, and its argument for a "positive ...

Excerpt: /202/ 3 Articles: Clerisy, War, Football

06 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In our latest 3A, we discuss "the clerisy" and how it relates to the PMC; how the EU is doing forever war just as much as the US; and the hyper-commod...

Excerpt: /201/ Reading Club: The New Class War

02 Jul 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss Michael Lind's The New Class War. Lind identifies new lines in the class war, between working class and managerial overclass, between thos...

/200/ The World In One Country ft. Many Guests

29 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On world history, 1900-2020. For our 200th episode special, we pose the question: "If you had to study the history of only one country from 1900-2020,...

Excerpt: /199/ Aufhebonus Bonus (June)

22 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We take your questions, comments & criticisms.   This episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast   On this Aufhebonus Bonu...

/198/ Universal India ft. Achin Vanaik

18 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On secularism, nationalism and identity politics.  India is held up as a model developing country: liberal, democratic, multicultural. Renowned India...

RE-RELEASE: /100/ What Was the End of History? ft. Many Guests

15 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In the lead-up to our 200th episode later this month, we're exceptionally re-releasing our 100th episode special this week. On the 30 years since 1989...

Excerpt: /197/ Reading Club: The Breakaway

10 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the third and final in the series of Perry Anderson essays on the EU in the London Review of Books, "The Breakaway", and wonder if the EU c...

Excerpt: /196/ Cosmopolitan Dystopia

08 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On atrocity and sovereignty. This episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast   The disasters of Iraq, Libya, Syria and ...

/195/ No Shock China ft. Isabella Weber

01 Jun 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On China, economic reform, and the future. While Russia famously succumbed to destructive neoliberal "shock therapy", China managed to avoid it. How a...

Excerpt: /194/ Anti-Politics & Non-Movements

25 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On global insurrection and identity politics.  This episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast  We discuss an essay by the u...

/193/ The New 20 Years' Crisis

18 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On liberal idealism and imperial overreach. Why did the winners of the Cold War turn 'revisionist', undermining their own order? How has utopianism co...

Excerpt: /192/ Three Articles: Pandemic (Dis)Satisfactions

11 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On consequences of the pandemic + important local election results in Spain & UK.   We start off by discussing the telling results of some recent ...

Excerpt: /191/ Reading Club: Ever Closer Union?

10 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the second of Perry Anderson's three LRB essays on the making and unmaking of the EU: "Ever Closer Union?"  Our monthly Reading Club is fo...

/190/ Top 5 Fetishes ft. Elena Louisa Lange

04 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On class reductionism, commodity fetishism, and value theory. To discuss Covid, the state as 'PMC leviathan', and the politics of value theory, we’r...

UNLOCKED /183/ Acid Bunga Bunga ft. Mike Watson

02 May 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On memes and the counter-culture.   Theorist and curator Mike Watson advances the argument for "acid leftism". What is this, and why do we need a ...

/189/ Pink Tide Paradoxes ft. Fabio Luis

27 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Latin America's progressive wave and its discontents. A new book on Latin America argues that 'pink tide' governments tried to treat the symptoms o...

UNLOCKED /179/ The Hobbyist Left ft. David Swift

25 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How to address the political problems of leftwing parties today?   Liverpudlian historian David Swift argues that the problem is hobbyism - people...

Excerpt: /188/ The Huge Package State pt. 2 ft. Anton Jäger

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the end of the End of History and neo-feudalism. This episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast In a continuation of our di...

/187/ The Huge Package State ft. Anton Jäger

20 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On cash welfarism and state investment. Plus regionalism in Belgium & the UK. Anton Jäger is back on the pod to discuss the emerging 'transfer state'...

/186/ Aufhebonus Bonus ft. Lee Jones

13 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Covid state failure + responses to listeners.    The full episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast   We start off by...

/185/ Discipline-Flourishing Democracy ft. Lee Jones

06 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the uprising in Myanmar, plus Covid state failure. Southeast Asia scholar (and Bunga recidivist) Lee Jones joins us to talk about the coup in Myan...

Excerpt: /184/ Reading Club: The European Coup

02 Apr 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss the first of Perry Anderson's new essays on Europe published in the London Review of Books, which focuses on Luuk van Middelaar - described...

Excerpt: /183/ Acid Bunga Bunga ft. Mike Watson

30 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On memes and the counter-culture.   This is a sample. For the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast   Theorist and curator Mike Watson...

Excerpt: /182/ Three Articles: Sporno-Vaxxo-Techno-Populism

23 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

In this latest Three Articles, we examine the rise of 'techno-populism', look at the EU's vaccine debacle, and question whether cinema - and popular ...

/181/ Juche in North Britain? ft. Cat Boyd & David Jamieson

16 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the socialist case for Scottish independence. David Jamieson and Cat Boyd, writers and hosts of Conter, the Scottish anti-capitalist website and po...

/180/ Bunga Bunga (but Gay) ft. Mark Simpson & River Page

09 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On gay liberation and sexual politics. After big advances over the past decades, we can now ask, did the gays win? And if so, so what? Mark Simpson i...

Excerpt: /179/ The Hobbyist Left ft. David Swift

02 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

How to address the political problems of leftwing parties today?   Liverpudlian historian David Swift argues that the problem is hobbyism - people...

/173/ Reading Club: Left Case for Brexit (UNLOCKED)

01 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We've exceptionally unlocked one of our recent Reading Clubs. For access to all the monthly Reading Clubs - as well as our ~2 patreon episodes a month...

Excerpt: /178/ Reading Club: Societies of Control

26 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We discuss Gilles Deleuze's short essay, Postscript on the Societies of Control and ask whether his understanding, according to which society has chan...

Excerpt: /177/ AufheBonus Bonus ft. Catherine Liu

23 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

We respond to your questions and comments from the past two months. Plus a continuation of our chat with Catherine Liu (from 55mins onwards) - on PMC...

/176/ The Worst Class ft. Catherine Liu

16 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the Professional-Managerial Class.    Catherine Liu joins us to talk about the worst class in history (the PMC), and how and why they hoard al...

Excerpt: /175/ Psychoanalysis Against Adaptation ft. Benjamin Fong

09 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the relevance of psychoanalysis. In a continuation of our talk with Benjamin Fong, editor of Damage Magazine, we discuss the relevance of p...

/174/ Social Ungluing ft. Benjamin Fong

02 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On American breakdown. Editor of Damage Magazine, Benjamin Fong, joins us to talk about the lack of shared narratives in contemporary America. We d...

Excerpt: /172/ Three Articles: Elite Production

26 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On Uber, class war among the rich, and its political consequences Articles: The real class war is within the rich, Janan Ganesh, FT Uber pays t...

Excerpt: /171/ Fukuyama & the End of History ft. Daniel Bessner

19 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast   If liberal democracy has been dethroned, what next?   Francis Fukuyama...

Excerpt: /170/ Reading Club: Streeck's Critical Encounters

15 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

This is a sample. Reading Clubs are for patrons $10+. Sign up now at patreon.com/bungacast  This month we discuss a book by leading German sociolo...

/169/ Authoritarian Liberalism and Its Discontents ft. Amber A'Lee Frost & Daniel Bessner

12 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the Biden administration and Trumpist reaction.   We discuss the riot at the US Capitol and why it was not a (failed) coup attempt. How serious w...

/168/ Corona, Climate, Communism ft. Andreas Malm

05 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the 'war communism' solution As we enter the second year of the Covid-19 pandemic and its attendant turmoil, suffering and lockdown, inevitably ...

/167/ The Kingdom of God Is on Main Street ft. Todd McGowan

21 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On freedom, authority and responsibility.   Theorist Todd McGowan joins us to talk about the End of History, what Hegel can teach us about emancipati...

/161/ Culture is Bad for You ft. Mark Taylor (UNLOCKED)

18 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On “culture”.   We discuss who produces culture and who consumes it – and what those inequalities reveal about culture today. Also, we ask w...

Excerpt: /166/ Aufhebonus Bonus (December)

15 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast  We round off the year by previewing The End of the End of History and resp...

/165/ Black Spartacus ft. Sudhir Hazareesingh

08 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

CLR James’s electrifying 1938 history of the 1791-1804 Haitian Revolution, The Black Jacobins, has long been a staple of many radicals’ libraries....

Excerpt: /164/ Reading Club: Culture of Narcissism

04 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is a short sample. Full episode is available for subscribers at patreon.com/bungacast  We re-evaluate Christopher Lasch's hugely influential ...

/163/ Three Articles + Censorship ft. Douglas Lain

01 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On censorship, platform capitalism and the Left. We talk to Douglas Lain of Zer0 Books about YouTube taking down their video as a result of the algori...

/162/ Gaming & Politics ft. Jonas Kyratzes

24 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Game writer & designer Jonas Kyratzes joins us to talk about the art of games, the culture of gaming, the gamification of society, and the identity po...

Excerpt: /161/ Culture Is Bad For You ft. Mark Taylor

17 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Full episode for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast   On “culture”.   We discuss who produces culture and who consumes it –...

/160/ Enemies of the People (Large & Very Small) ft. Wolfgang Streeck

10 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Germany, the hegemon of Europe. We are joined by leading German public intellectual Wolfgang Streeck to discuss the role of Germany at the end of t...

/159/ Biden Time ft. Amber A'Lee Frost & Alex Gourevitch

07 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the US election, a huge turnout and the end of Trump. We survey the results of the presidential and legislative elections, peer through the exit...

Excerpt: /158/ Three Articles: Cosmopolitan Austerity & Control

03 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Full episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast  In this latest Three Articles, we discuss cosmopolitanism, the end of aus...

UNLOCKED /152/ I Can't Believe It's Not Weimar ft. David Broder

02 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On why anti-fascism is a problem.    The Trump presidency and the current protests in the US have led many to argue this is just like the 1930s. Th...

Excerpt: /157/ Reading Club: Emancipation After Hegel

01 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is a sample. For full access, go to patreon.com/bungacast  This month we discuss Todd McGowan's Emancipation After Hegel: Achieving a Contradict...

/156/ Cosmo-Jihad ft. Darryl Li

27 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Internationalism used to be a defining characteristic of the Left. Globalism is a defining characteristic of neoliberal capitalism. Both seem to be ch...

UNLOCKED /154/ A Reasonably Important Election... Preview ft. Alex Gourevitch

23 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the Covid election.  Trump has made himself deeply unpopular while the Democrats have tried to demobilise the electorate. What, if anything, are ...

Excerpt: /155/ Aufhebonus Bonus ft. Benjamin Moser

22 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Full episode for subscribers only. Go to patreon.com/bungacast  We start off by discussing the beheading of a French teacher for having shown his ...

Excerpt: /154/ A Reasonably Important Election ft. Alex Gourevitch

19 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Full episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast  On the Covid election.  Trump has made himself deeply unpopular while the ...

/153/ Repubblica di Bunga ft. David Broder

13 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On the country of the future. Italy has stagnated for 30 years, becoming a neoliberal gerontocracy with crumbling infrastructure (sound familiar?). Wo...

Excerpt: /152/ I Can't Believe It's Not Weimar ft. David Broder

06 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Full episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast  On why anti-fascism is a problem.    The Trump presidency and the curr...

[UNLOCKED] /146/ Class is Cancelled ft. Ben Tippet

04 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On class. Class as an idea and an identity is now supposedly redundant. It’s been replaced by conflicts between generations and transcended by more ...

Excerpt: /151/ Reading Club: Full Employment

02 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Episode for patrons $10+. Subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast This month we discuss Polish economist Michal Kalecki's landmark essay, "Political Aspe...

/150/ Shadow Commander ft. Arash Azizi

29 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Iran at the End of History. When the US assassinated Iran's 'shadow commander', Qassem Soleimani, everyone thought WW3 would break out. What hap...

/149/ It's Not Robots, It's Capitalism ft. Aaron Benanav / Liz Pancotti

24 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On unemployment. The Covid crisis has led to millions out of work - but the situation was none too rosy before, either. Post-crisis recoveries seem in...

Excerpt: /148/ Three Articles (September)

22 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Full episode is for subscribers only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast   On Brexit negotiations and state aid; on pandemic policies and confirmation...

/147/ The Past Doesn't Go Away ft. Benjamin Moser

15 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On modernism and its end.  We're joined by 2020 Pulitzer Prize winner Benjamin Moser to discuss the tensions between hating your national culture and...

Excerpt: /146/ Class is Cancelled ft. Ben Tippet

08 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This is an excerpt. For the full episode, sign up at patreon.com/bungacast On class. Class as an idea and an identity is now supposedly redundant. It...

/145/ The End of Conservatism ft. Julius Krein

01 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On political decline and realignment. The editor of American Affairs joins us to discuss the decay of conservatism and we ask whether this decay does...

Excerpt: /144/ Reading Club: New Social Movements

28 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is for patrons only. Subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast    We discuss a chapter taken from James Heartfield's "The 'Death of the Subje...

Excerpt: /143/ Aufhebonus Bonus (August)

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The full episode is for patrons only. Sign up at patreon.com/bungacast In this semi-regular slot, we respond to your comments and criticisms rece...

/142/ Dollar Empire (2) ft. Daniel Bessner

18 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On US foreign policy.    Following on from our episode on the political-economy of dollar hegemony (no. 139), we turn to look at how the dollar u...

/141/ Oh Lebanon, What Now? ft. Rima Majed

13 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

On Lebanon's crisis. We call up Rima Majed in Beirut to talk us through the aftermath of the enormous explosion and ensuing protests. How has Lebanon'...