Assad regime falls, the Kurds under attack, Zelensky hated in Ukraine, and CEO assassination reveals class hatred

Once again, this week has been defined by sharp turns in world politics. In Syria, the Assad regime collapsed after a sudden offensive by Islamist groups, taking the whole world by surprise. In the US, the assassination of a US healthcare CEO was met with an enormous outpouring of sympathy for the killer, in a clear expression of the simmering class rage beneath the surface. In Ukraine, it is becoming increasingly clear that Zelensky – darling of the West – is becoming hated by the population. It would be understandable, however, if the bourgeois media’s reporting on these events have left you confused. In Syria, the media has branded the Al-Qaeda group placed in power by the collapse as ‘rebels’, and the US and UK are even debating removing them from their terrorist list. In Ukraine, they have been propagandising about this war as one of freedom and self determination, and not a proxy war between NATO and Russia. And – if you only read the mainstream papers – you would be under the impression that the death of this CEO was an unmitigated tragedy, and not the just deserts of someone who has profited off the death of thousands of sick, vulnerable people. At Against the Stream, we intend to cut through the fog of the liberal media and explain what is really going on. Furthermore, these developments raise a whole number of questions: for example, what does the fall of the Assad regime mean for the Middle East? What does it mean for the Kurds? How will the Ukraine war end? And where is America going?  To answer those questions, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream. This podcast was streamed live on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music. Articles discussed in this episode: Assad falls, Islamists take over Syria – https://marxist.com/assad-falls-islamists-take-over-syria.htm The deepening unpopularity of Zelensky – https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-deepening-unpopularity-of-zelensky/ Why the assassination of Brian Thompson ignited American politics – https://www.newstatesman.com/world/americas/north-america/us/2024/12/why-the-assassination-of-brian-thompson-ignited-american-politics Class hatred and the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO – https://marxist.com/class-hatred-and-the-assassination-of-unitedhealthcare-s-ceo.htm