RFH Ep. 65 Rohini Hensman on Ukraine’s Protracted Struggle for National Liberation

Marxist-feminist author Rohini Hensman joins the co-hosts to discuss her recent article “Ukraine’s Protracted Struggle for National Liberation” as well as “pseudo-anti-imperialism” within the left. Hensman details the relation between Ukraine and Russia under Tsarist rule, the changes that occurred with the Bolshevik revolution, and then Stalin’s recolonization of Ukraine. She and the co-hosts then discuss the situation since the USSR collapsed––widespread support for independence throughout Ukraine despite US opposition; what the Putin regime hopes to achieve by invading Ukraine; and why attempts to appease it are futile. The discussion of pseudo-anti-imperialism takes up the one-sided stances of Noam Chomsky and his followers. Current-events segment: Recent centrist Democratic proposals (from William Galston & Elaine Kamarck, and from Stanley Greenberg) to save US democracy from Trumpism by placating swing voters. Radio Free Humanity is co-hosted by Brendan Cooney and Andrew Kliman, and sponsored by Marxist-Humanist Initiative (https://www.marxisthumanistinitiative.org/ ).