On how to respond to conformity.
Lias Saoudi, frontman of the British band Fat White Family, joins us to talk about rock, popular culture and contemporary unfreedom. We discuss:
- Why are the kids taking less drugs?
- Can we respond to our nihilistic times with nihilistic art?
- What is the nature of conformity today?
- How to challenge conformity without sneering at the masses?
...
2024-01-30 07:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
On the World Economic Forum.
We continue our talk on the US left and Amber fills us in on DSA's collapse and the resignation of its head.
We then move onto Davos and indications that the WEF is moving away from DEI, ESG, and other left-liberal concerns. Javier Milei gave a speech saying the West was in danger, that socialism was coming in the back door. What was that all about?
If there's less wokeness this year, does that mean there's a change in ideas, a changi...
2024-01-23 07:02:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
On the World Economic Forum.
We continue our talk on the US left and Amber fills us in on DSA's collapse and the resignation of its head.
We then move onto Davos and indications that the WEF is moving away from DEI, ESG, and other left-liberal concerns. Javier Milei gave a speech saying the West was in danger, that socialism was coming in the back door. What was that all about?
If there's less wokeness this year, does that mean there's a change in ideas, a changing of the gu...
2024-01-23 07:02:01 +0000 UTC
View Post
On Dirtbag and the Millennial Left.
Bungacast regular Amber A'Lee Frost is back to talk about her new book, Dirtbag — part memoir, part critical essays on millennial socialism. In this episode we discuss:
- Why "millennial"? Does it make sense to talk in generational terms?
- What are the left's "perversions" as Amber sees them?
- 'Occupy' was...
2024-01-23 07:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
On Dirtbag and the Millennial Left.
Bungacast regular Amber A'Lee Frost is back to talk about her new book, Dirtbag — part memoir, part critical essays on millennial socialism. In this episode we discuss:
- Why "millennial"? Does it make sense to talk in generational terms?
- What are the left's "perversions" as Amber sees them?
- 'Occupy' was all leaderless, h...
2024-01-23 07:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
On what comes after human rights.
Juliano Fiori, essayist and director of Alameda Institute, joins us to talk about catastrophism and organising around "the end". We discuss:
- What was humanitarianism, and why was it the "last utopia"?
- What does humanitarianism look like in an era of multipolarity?
- Does Western liberal democracy have any gas left in it? What should we defend?
- W...
2024-01-16 19:36:53 +0000 UTC
View Post
On what comes after human rights.
Juliano Fiori, essayist and director of Alameda Institute, joins us to talk about catastrophism and organising around "the end". We discuss:
- What was humanitarianism, and why was it the "last utopia"?
- What does humanitarianism look like in an era of multipolarity?
- Does Western liberal democracy have any gas left in it? What should we defend?
- W...
2024-01-16 17:27:45 +0000 UTC
View Post
On the missed opportunity of the 2010s.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Chris Cutrone of Platypus joins us to talk about his collection of essays, The Death of the Millennial Left. We discuss:
- Why define it as the "Millennial" Left?
- Was the anti-Stalinism of leaderless protests a good thing?
- Did the talk of "winning" from 2015 onwards represent maturity?
- Should the turn to a more public, statist capitalism make us more optimistic?
- How w...
2024-01-09 07:00:02 +0000 UTC
View Post
On the missed opportunity of the 2010s.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Chris Cutrone of Platypus joins us to talk about his collection of essays, The Death of the Millennial Left. We discuss:
- Why define it as the "Millennial" Left?
- Was the anti-Stalinism of leaderless protests a good thing?
- Did the talk of "winning" from 2015 onwards represent maturity?
- Should the turn to a more public, statist capitalism make us more optimistic?
- How w...
2024-01-09 07:00:02 +0000 UTC
View Post
No new episode from us this holiday week, so instead we're re-releasing some deep cuts from the vault, for your holiday listening pleasure. Each of us picked two old – but still very relevant – episodes to highlight. We've republished them on the main (free) feed. Links below.
Phil's picks
/136/ Banana Monarchy ft. David Edgerton (Jul 2020)
2023-12-28 12:14:52 +0000 UTC
View Post
We wanted to thank you for being with us this year – not only for listening and subscribing but also for your continual engagement with what we do. We're trying to figure out the contours of this new world and rely on you to keep pushing and debating what we do. So: thank you.
Here's what you may have missed in December, and what we've got coming up in January. Also, keep an eye out for some changes here at Bungacast in the New Year, which we're very excited to bring you. <...
2023-12-26 20:04:34 +0000 UTC
View Post
On contemporary art.
Critic and editor at Art Review, JJ Charlesworth, joins us to talk about why so much contemporary art is bad. We discuss:
- Why is art no longer about beauty?
- Are we stuck between art that is either superficial or hyperpolitical?
- Why has there been a turn towards the mystical and irrational in art?
- How are ideas of the indigenous and the ecological represented in art today?
- Is there a romantic revolt against reason and i...
2023-12-19 07:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
On contemporary art.
Critic and editor at Art Review, JJ Charlesworth, joins us to talk about why so much contemporary art is bad. We discuss:
- Why is art no longer about beauty?
- Are we stuck between art that is either superficial or hyperpolitical?
- Why has there been a turn towards the mystical and irrational in art?
- How are ideas of the indigenous and the ecological represented in art today?
- Is there a romantic revolt against reason and i...
2023-12-19 07:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
On Ridley Scott's Napoleon.
[Patreon Exclusive]
We couldn't avoid discussing the new biopic about the "world soul" himself, Napoleon Bonaparte. The film isn't great, but what can we learn from it? And how does it sit in a context in which most biopics today are about musicians, business leaders and scientists?
We discuss:
- Why did Scott choose to focus on Napoleon's relationship with Josephine?
- What is Scott trying to say, if anything, about Napo...
2023-12-12 07:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
On Ridley Scott's Napoleon.
[Patreon Exclusive]
We couldn't avoid discussing the new biopic about the "world soul" himself, Napoleon Bonaparte. The film isn't great, but what can we learn from it? And how does it sit in a context in which most biopics today are about musicians, business leaders and scientists?
We discuss:
- Why did Scott choose to focus on Napoleon's relationship with Josephine?
- What is Scott trying to say, if anything, abou...
2023-12-12 07:00:05 +0000 UTC
View Post
On taking control.
The Netherlands has elected an anti-EU rightist, but he won't take the Netherlands out of the European Union. Britain left the EU, but net migration to the UK has soared to its highest levels. What's going on?
In this special episode, Alex treats Phil and George as interview guests and grills them over their book, Taking Co...
2023-12-05 21:33:06 +0000 UTC
View Post
On taking control.
The Netherlands has elected an anti-EU rightist, but he won't take the Netherlands out of the European Union. Britain left the EU, but net migration to the UK has soared to its highest levels. What's going on?
In this special episode, Alex treats Phil and George as interview guests and grills them over their book, Taking Co...
2023-12-05 21:29:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
Hey, how's it going? As we stumble into the last month of the year, you may have noticed that you can now watch, and not only listen, to Bungacast. We're releasing video of the podcasts, should you perverts prefer that. It's part of a whole bunch of changes we're going to be rolling out over the next months, so watch this space.
As ever, thanks for being with us.
Here's what we have coming up in December:
- We sit and gawp as a great man rides through to...
2023-12-02 20:13:26 +0000 UTC
View Post
On Australia's lockdown.
We welcome back Shahar Hameiri and Tom Chodor to talk about their new book, The Locked-Up Country, to try to learn some lessons from Australia's response to Covid-19. We also talk about the country's recent Indigenous Voice referendum and ask whether it was Oz's "Brexit Moment".
In the episode we ask:
- Was the pandemic another succe...
2023-11-28 07:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
On your criticisms.
[Patreon Exclusive]
We respond to your points made in the comments on Patreon over the past few months. The first section is of course dedicated to the Gaza war, followed by discussion on hyperliberalism, neutrality, big tech, outsourcing, and drugs.
Now available also as video on Patreon.
2023-11-20 07:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
On your criticisms.
[Patreon Exclusive]
We respond to your points made in the comments on Patreon over the past few months. The first section is of course dedicated to the Gaza war, followed by discussion on hyperliberalism, neutrality, big tech, outsourcing, and drugs.
2023-11-20 07:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
On John Gray's The New Leviathans.
[Patreon Exclusive]
We discuss the British post-liberal philosopher's new book, looking at his background, ideological journey, and why he might be of interest. We also ask:
- How does John Gray use Hobbes and the idea of a Leviathan?
- What is a "state of nature", and what would an artificial state of nature be?
- Is Gray right in this characterization of liberalism?
- Is hyperliberalism the product of lib...
2023-11-14 12:00:36 +0000 UTC
View Post
On a decade of protest around the world.
Journalist Vincent Bevins is back on the podcast to talk about his new book, If We Burn: The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution. We discuss the 2010s protest wave across countries as varied as Egypt, Turkey, Brazil, Ukraine, Hong Kong, Chile, Bahrain, Yemen, South Korea and Tuni...
2023-11-07 08:00:03 +0000 UTC
View Post
On NATO expansion and the end of neutrality
[Patreon Exclusive]
Lily Lynch is back on the pod to talk about Northern and Eastern Europe and growing hawkishness. We discuss:
- Why did Sweden and Finland give up decades of neutrality - and why now?
- What happens with an enlarged alliance in light of the conflict in Ukraine?
- How does the current moment compare to the apogee of the Non-Aligned Movement?
- Why were the realists right?
- How is t...
2023-10-31 08:00:04 +0000 UTC
View Post
Well, October 2023 provided us with a few of those "weeks where decades happen" and the escalating global turbulence looks to have no end. Thanks for being with us as we try to understand the nature of the moment.
Here's what we have coming up in November:
- Lily Lynch joins us to talk about NATO enlargement and the politics of Sweden, Finland, Poland, Ukraine and more (out tomorrow)
- The conflict in <...
2023-10-30 14:21:56 +0000 UTC
View Post
On Argentina's election.
Historian of populism and antipopulism Ernesto Seman tells us about Argentina's historic election. The radical libertarian madman Javier Milei failed to win, and a second-round runoff will be needed, but politics has changed irreparably. The establishment right has been outflanked, while the left-populism of 'Kirchnerismo' is in crisis.
We discuss:
On violence and the lack of political resolution.
Regular guest Alex Gourevitch joins us to discuss why the Israel/Palestine conflict is so intractable – and why it draws so much attention. Alex then explains why, lamentably, there is no side worth choosing.
We also delve into various other key points:
- why Hamas was becoming irrelevant and how the 7 October attack was an attempt to combat that;
- why violence is necessary but the Palestinians are i...
2023-10-20 14:32:42 +0000 UTC
View Post
On the war on disinformation and the war in Gaza.
Jacob Siegel, senior editor at Tablet, joins us to talk about Hamas's attack on Israel and Israel's assault on Gaza. We also discuss how the US crusade against 'disinformation' has led it to apply counterinsurgency tactics to its own citizens.
Why did Hamas attack when it did? Has it been successful in stopping Israeli-Saudi rapprochement? How much will this change Israeli society? And what does Israel want to achieve in bomb...
2023-10-17 15:29:23 +0000 UTC
View Post
The final theme of the 2023 Reading Club is GLOBALISATION, and we'll be reading Giovanni Arrighi's Adam Smith in Beijing: Lineages of the 21st Century.
The reading will be broken up into four parts/episodes, detailed below so you can foll...
2023-10-11 18:14:59 +0000 UTC
View Post
On the structural power of global finance.
[Patreon Exclusive]
This is the continuation of our interview with scholar Jerome Roos about his book, Why Not Default?
How can we break apart the power of international institutions that act as executor of the interests of global capital? Is a Republican in the White House preferable to a Democrat for this reason? What is China's modus operandi with regard to debt, and how are sovereign debt negotiations getting more...
2023-10-10 13:01:39 +0000 UTC
View Post
