Against the Stream

Trump is in Beijing. He thinks he has gone to negotiate from a position of strength, but in reality, he is negotiating from a position of weakness. That is the story of American imperialism in 2026.In this week's episode of Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín give a Marxist analysis of what the Iran War has done to American power, what it means for China, and what it reveals about the deeper historical decline of US imperialism.The episode covers a lot of ground. Analysing two extraordinary pieces from the American press – one by a MAGA theoretician in the New York Times, one by neocon hawk Robert Kagan in the Atlantic – it is clear that even parts of the American ruling class are now writing obituaries for American hegemony.A CIA intelligence assessment confirms that Iran retains 70 percent of its pre-war missile stockpiles and 80 percent of its mobile launchers. Operation Freedom, the US attempt to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, lasted just 36 hours. American weapons stocks will take three to five years to replace. And Trump has, for the first time in US history, agreed to discuss arms deliveries to Taiwan with China.Meanwhile, China has 1.2 billion barrels of oil in reserve and hasn't touched them. It controls 90 percent of global rare earth refining. It produces over 3.5 million STEM graduates a year – compared to 820,000 in the US. And it is now the go-to power for everyone from the Philippines to Venezuela who needs an alternative to Washington.The episode also asks the deeper question: how did we get here? Is China just better run, or is something more fundamental going on? And is the decline of American imperialism actually a good thing for the working class of the world?New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.

Europe was the birthplace of capitalism. Now it's in freefall.In this week’s Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín dive into the deepening crisis gripping the continent. Germany is launching a trillion-euro rearmament drive while simultaneously slashing 38 billion euros from pensions and healthcare. France can't pass a budget. The AfD is overtaking the CDU in the polls. And across Europe, the old political centre is collapsing.In reality, European rearmament has nothing to do with defending ordinary people. It's about defending imperialist interests, maintaining spheres of influence, and keeping up with a rising Russia that has won a proxy war against the whole of NATO in Ukraine.Then there's the economy. Energy prices have doubled or tripled since the war in Ukraine began. German industrial output in chemicals, steel and glass is nosediving. Europe is buying expensive American LNG while its industry bleeds out. And China is flooding world markets with cheap goods that European companies simply cannot compete with.The response from the European ruling classes all led to a dead end. While they might pay lip-service to EU integration, this is impossible under capitalism, as Lenin explained in 1915. The only real way out is the Socialist United States of Europe.New episodes of Against the Stream every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.

Is AI a revolutionary leap forward for humanity – or the latest crisis capitalism has engineered for itself? In this episode of Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston cut through the hype to give a Marxist analysis of the AI bubble, its roots in capitalist crisis, and what it means for the working class.From the S&P 500's absurd tech valuations to OpenAI's pyramid-scheme economics, they expose how artificial intelligence – far from rescuing the global economy – is accelerating the same contradictions Marx diagnosed 150 years ago. The episode covers the AI stock bubble, the threat of mass unemployment, the de-skilling of the middle class, the collapse of European industry, the global debt crisis, and why the Luddites were right to be angry but wrong in their methods.Most importantly the episode discussed why this technology could liberate humanity entirely – but only if it's taken out of the hands of the capitalists who own it.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️0:00 — Intro1:34 — AI bubble15:37 — World economy on the brink16:32 — Unemployment36:03 — Alienation44:59 — The Luddites50:35 — The potential under communism🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International:https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

After a four-week break, Against the Stream is back!Since our last episode, the world has been plunged deeper into crisis. With no end in sight for the Iran War, with energy prices and inflation rising, the global economy is teetering ever more precariously on the brink of a historic slump. With each passing day, it is becoming clearer that Donald Trump – who believed Iran could be crushed by the naked force of American imperialism – has blundered. The humiliating defeat of the US and Israel in the region is pulling the rug out from under his feet. His approval ratings are now lower than ever.At the same time, a sense of rage against the system is brewing in the US. Iranian propaganda videos are effectively tapping into the growing anti-war mood. In America, footage of a worker burning down their boss's warehouse has gone viral.This war has brought about nothing less than a sea change in the global situation. Trump now appears like a man stuck in quicksand: unable to act without worsening his position. He is fanning the flames of the decline of US imperialism. The moment for fighting back could not be more opportune.Tune in to this week’s episode, where Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín discuss the world-historic events we are living through today and offer the way forward for the world working class.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Iran War deals devastating collateral damage to Bangladeshhttps://marxist.com/iran-war-deals-devastating-collateral-damage-to-bangladesh.htmTrump’s defeat in Iran and its worldwide consequenceshttps://marxist.com/trump-s-defeat-in-iran-and-its-worldwide-consequences.htm⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Recap on Iran War09:25 – What are America's options?24:20 – Impact of US strategic defeat30:19 – Looming economic crisis and food scarcity38:55 – Brewing class anger56:45 – How we can fight imperialism🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International:https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

All the warning lights are flashing. With the US and Israel relentlessly bombing Iran for nearly a month and the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed, the economic consequences of the Iran war are spelling serious trouble for economies worldwide. Stagflation, factory shutdowns, falling crop yields, and rising interest rates are no longer hypotheticals – they are unfolding in real time, and growing more severe by the day.Who will be hardest hit by the fallout from this US-Israeli aggression? As with any imperialist war, it is the working class who are made to pay the price. An estimated 45 million people are already projected to fall into severe poverty, pushing the figures to record highs. In the advanced capitalist economies, any gains made by ordinary people since the end of the pandemic are being wiped out in an instant. Serious bourgeois economists and commentators are growing anxious – not because their own fortunes are at stake, but because of the revolutionary implications of a new global slump.In this week's episode of Against the Stream, Hamid and Jorge examine the enormous economic fallout of the Iran war, and take on a viewer's question about whether socialism can be achieved through parliament.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖International Debt Report 2025: When relief isn’t enough — LMICs face their largest external debt outflows in 50 years | World Bank🔗https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/opendata/international-debt-report-2025--when-relief-isn-t-enough---lmicsWhy the Middle East conflict threatens record levels of hunger | World Food Programme🔗https://www.wfp.org/stories/why-middle-east-conflict-threatens-record-levels-hunger⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro01:10 – Developments in the war18:05 – Impact on world economy33:15 – The impending food catastrophe43:54 – The crisis of debt53:57 – Poor countries are hit hardest01:01:52 – Q: Revolution through parliament?🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

"Head-spinning betrayal." These are the words of dissident Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene – and they are undoubtedly echoed by millions of Trump voters across America, who have watched their 'peace president' turn warmonger while they foot the bill at the gas pump and the grocery store.Three weeks into the war with Iran, the costs – both material and symbolic – are becoming an unsolvable problem for Donald Trump. As Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín discuss on this episode of Against the Stream, what appeared to be a solid and unified bloc when Trump was elected, has always been an illusion. MAGA is revealing itself as a heterogeneous movement of conflicting class interests, and the conclusions being drawn by ordinary people are anything but insignificant. The consequences for the American class struggle in the period ahead will be colossal.In this week's episode, Hamid and Jorge dig into the profound domestic fallout of the Iran war, while also turning their attention to another front in Trump's campaign of imperialist bullying: Cuba, which now finds itself in grave danger.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖The Economist – America’s friends must help extricate it from an unlawful war🔗https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2026/03/18/americas-friends-must-help-extricate-it-from-an-unlawful-warThe Guardian – UK security adviser ‘attended’ US-Iran talks and judged deal was within reach🔗https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/17/uk-security-adviser-attended-us-iran-talks-and-judged-deal-was-within-reach⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro01:25 – Iran war and its impact37:23 – Do MAGA supporters want peace?48:03 – Cuba update🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

As the war on Iran enters its third week, US imperialism finds itself mired in a deepening crisis. What Trump envisioned as a swift decapitation strike is rapidly proving to be the gravest blunder of his presidency – and perhaps one of the most catastrophic miscalculations in the history of American foreign policy.Iran, meanwhile, is raising the stakes. Oil and gas prices are soaring, and the spectre of a new global economic slump looms ever larger. Ordinary people are watching these events unfold with a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and rage. The question of how to fight back against imperialism and put an end to its unrelenting cycle of violence is weighing on the minds of millions.In this episode of Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston examine how communists must take up the struggle against US imperialism today, contrasting the Marxist approach with the positions of both the reformist left and so-called third-worldism.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖The war on Iran: where do communists stand?🔗https://marxist.com/the-war-on-iran-where-do-communists-stand.htmTrump’s massive Iran aggression gamble becoming a catastrophic miscalculation🔗https://marxist.com/trump-s-massive-iran-aggression-gamble-becoming-a-catastrophic-miscalculation.htmFinancial Times – 'Iranians rethink the price of regime change'🔗https://www.ft.com/content/4e048ed0-9bba-4392-8cee-7f1337c0b211New York Times – 'Pace of Iran's retaliatory strikes appears to be slowing'🔗https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-weapons-missiles-israel-gulf.html⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro and updates to the situation15:15 – What is imperialism?29:45 – The reformist 'solution'48:55 – The 'Axis of Resistance'🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The United States and Israel have launched a war on Iran. Missiles and bombs are falling across Tehran and beyond, with strikes hitting schools, military installations, and government compounds throughout the country. Thousands of people are being killed and injured in yet another wave of imperialist bloodshed.On today's episode of Against The Stream, Hamid Alizadeh is joined by Niklas Albin Svensson to analyse this major turning point in world events from a communist perspective. Already, things aren't going the way Trump had hoped, with Iran firing back, US munitions stretched thin, and the threat of a prolonged conflict the US cannot afford…New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖The war on Iran: where do communists stand?🔗https://marxist.com/the-war-on-iran-where-do-communists-stand.htmTrump’s massive Iran aggression gamble becoming a catastrophic miscalculation🔗https://marxist.com/trump-s-massive-iran-aggression-gamble-becoming-a-catastrophic-miscalculation.htmAlliance of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan statement 🔗https://x.com/PDKIenglish/status/2028556271700549982🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Donald Trump is once again banging the war drums, threatening military action against Iran. He has now assembled the largest US naval build-up in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq – including two aircraft carriers and hundreds of fighter jets. The recent kidnapping of Maduro appears to have emboldened Trump and the warhawks in Washington, convincing them they can dictate terms through sheer force. But a war with Iran would not be a simple show of strength; it would risk spiralling far beyond US control.This looming conflict is not an isolated event, but the product of decades of US imperialist intervention that has sown chaos across the Middle East. As Ben Curry and Hamid Alizadeh discuss in this latest episode, new fault lines are opening, which threaten fresh and bloody clashes across the region. All this while crises at home, including the fallout from the Epstein files, expose the deep rot at the heart of American capitalism.Fittingly, this episode also tackles a key question sent in by a listener: will a revolution necessarily be violentNew episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Red Sea rift: US allies split into armed camps🔗https://marxist.com/middle-east-divide-fault-lines.htmThe establishment has been rocked before. Epstein is an existential threat🔗https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/epstein-king-charles-british-monarchy-d7nxllfgq?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfauVuwblbIy7ObbYJ5jMpOy4JSsVK2VWzBII0HGdoA2-CILWfjl88pZFz3PVE%3D&gaa_ts=69a06606&gaa_sig=VxBVBRNrLEXvVW-tWp7tZ0xwCM7-Z6MjuWqKNJGscxX_5bQsVJaV5_Q673BjJE7n-nCzvPxbFQGUzbDIRq9WVg%3D%3D⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro01:15 – Iran military buildup24:09 – Realignment of powers in the Middle East46:48 – Epstein scandal out of control01:04:16 – Question: do communists want violence?🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The Cuban revolution is in grave danger! Trump's oil blockade has cut off the island's fuel supplies, plunging the country into prolonged blackouts, halting public transport, and threatening a full-scale humanitarian crisis. With Venezuelan oil cut off and Mexico bowing to US threats, Trump is tightening the noose to asphyxiate the island after 67 years of relentless pressure.The aim of the US is to crush a revolution that refuses to submit to imperialist domination. Trump demands Cuba sever ties with Russia and China, open its economy to US capital, and surrender its sovereignty. The stakes couldn’t be clearer: the survival of the revolution depends not on bourgeois governments, but on the mobilisation of the working class and oppressed worldwide.In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Jorgé Martín and Hamid Alizadeh analyse the latest developments in the imperialist siege and discuss the history of the Cuban Revolution and how it got where it is today. New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Mallory) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom)🔗https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v06/d499Cuba 50 years later – where is the revolution going?🔗https://marxist.com/cuba-50-years-later.htmRise up with Cuba, peoples of the world!🔗https://medium.com/la-tiza/lev%C3%A1ntense-con-cuba-pueblos-del-mundo-2cf19db7647c"This is Not a Dress Rehearsal": U.S. Engaged in Massive Military Buildup as Threat To Bomb Iran Grows🔗https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-us-nuclear-military-buildup-trump-khamenei?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro01:17 – What is going on in Cuba?14:05 – Impact of blockade23:58 – Why does the US care about Cuba?27:50 – Is Cuba a socialist country?46:51 – Iran55:39 – Viewer's question: Why would people go to work under communism?🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Over the last month, we have seen shocking images come out of Syria. ISIS flags waving over Raqqa. Jihadist militants knocking over the gravestones of Kurdish fighters. When it was set up, the Kurdish statelet of Rojava inspired people worldwide. Later, they beat back ISIS. Now ISIS have returned, and the Kurds are fighting for their lives. How has it come to this?Meanwhile, the world has been left aghast by the release of millions more files related to billionaire pedophile Jeffery Epstein. This is not only the exposure of the sordid dealings of a lone sex trafficker, but his friends: the most powerful people in the world. Here, for the whole world to see, is an unprecedented insight into the sociology and morality of the ruling class. Moreover, as the perpetrators walk scott free, the release of increasingly shocking dirt is stirring up a guillotine mood in society.As communists, we more than anyone need to understand the significance and meaning of these events. In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh sat down to do just that.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖Donald Trump and the ‘Epstein Class’🔗https://marxist.com/donald-trump-and-the-epstein-class.htmKurds under siege in Rojava🔗https://marxist.com/kurds-under-siege-in-rojava-only-revolutionary-struggle-against-imperialism-can-prevent-a-massacre.htmFT: The Epstein rot goes deep🔗https://www.ft.com/content/3f8277cd-2b47-49ff-b264-fd7ce89c924fSyria, Turkey, and the Oppression of the Kurds:🔗https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivBJ4vpzsqs

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This video was pre-recorded a week in advance. We will return to normal programming on Thursday 12th February.A lot is said about Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution. The billionaire-owned media cry out indignantly that was a dictator who ruined life for ordinary Venezuelans. But over the course of his presidency, he won a total of 19 democratic elections and referendums with record voter turnout – how many bourgeois politicians can claim the same?In the meantime, the imperialists in Washington launched a number of coup attempts; all of which failed miserably, when brought face to face with the will of the organised masses. The power of the working class is like no other on Earth, and the Venezuelan Revolution offers an invaluable glimpse of what is possible when this power is unleashed.What was it about Chávez’ methods and outlook that allowed him to lead the most important revolutionary movement of the 21st century? And what was it about those same methods and outlook that ultimately led to its defeat after his death?Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh answer these questions and more on this week’s episode of Against the Stream. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT for a Marxist analysis of world events.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' – Documentary on the failed 2002 coup🔗https://vimeo.com/513876099Carry Out the Legacy of Hugo Chávez🔗https://marxist.com/carry-out-the-legacy-of-hugo-chavez.htmFrom Alan Woods' book 'The Venezuelan Revolution: A Marxist Perspective':Encounters with Hugo Chávez🔗https://marxist.com/book-the-venezuelan-revolution-marxist-perspective/encounters-with-hugo-chavez.htmMarxists and the Venezuelan Revolution🔗https://marxist.com/book-the-venezuelan-revolution-marxist-perspective/marxists-andnbspthe-venezuelan-revolution.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International:https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter:https://x.com/revcomintern/

The movement against ICE in Minneapolis is not just any ordinary protest – it is a microcosm of the revolutionary events that will shake the United States in the period ahead. With their class struggle methods, culminating in the first general strike in America in 80 years, the workers of Minneapolis not only forced Trump to retreat, they have also inspired millions across the country and the world.These events are a living and breathing lesson in the mechanics of revolution. They also show how, under the surface, the conditions for revolution – and particularly the consciousness of the classes – can develop undetected, before bursting to the surface in the form of dramatic events, which Trotsky described as the molecular processes of socialist revolution. With more revolutionary shocks inbound, we as communists need to study and explain what is going on. In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh delve into the events playing out in the US, and address how we can intervene in the struggle and prepare for the battles ahead. New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖United States: the 2026 Minnesota general strike – a historic turning point🔗https://marxist.com/united-states-the-2026-minnesota-general-strike-a-historic-turning-point.htmWelcome to the American Winter – The Atlantic 🔗https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/minneapolis-uprising/685755/Minneapolis Makes History: Now Spread the General Strike! [Podcast] – Revolutionary Communists of America🔗https://youtu.be/nFi3sJCU1AY?si=r40nsT37QGFPZq1oICE Terrorizes Minneapolis: GENERAL STRIKE in the air [Podcast] – Revolutionary Communists of America🔗https://youtu.be/EGBrOxhSqjs?si=5Eq9ycZ_E5xP7_qA🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Donald Trump has bulldozed his way into 2026. Now, he has put the acquisition of Greenland at the top of his new year’s wishlist, sending the Europeans into panic and jeopardising trans-Atlantic relations even further.Why does Trump want Greenland? What would such a prospect mean for Europe on the world stage? And how are Trump’s actions abroad tied to the crisis at home, where the ICE murder of Renee Good has sparked an explosive movement. In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh discuss these questions and more, highlighting the underlying capitalist crisis that is driving all of these disasters.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖United States: anti-ICE rage surges in Minnesota — prepare for a general strike!https://marxist.com/united-states-anti-ice-rage-surges-in-minnesota-prepare-for-a-general-strike.htmAmerican imperialism increases pressure to take over Greenlandhttps://marxist.com/american-imperialism-increases-pressure-to-take-over-greenland.htm

2026 is only a few weeks old, yet world events are already unfolding at breakneck speed. From Donald Trump’s kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, to the killing of Renee Good and the protests against ICE in Minneapolis, and now the growing mass movement and the prospect of US intervention in Iran, huge events are shaking up the world situation.In the first episode of the new season of our current-events podcast Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh unpack what these developments mean. They focus in particular on Iran: what is really happening on the ground, how today’s crisis is the product of centuries of imperialist meddling in the region, and what position communists should put forward in response.Against the Stream is the Marxist current-affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. New episodes air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Iran:Imperialists and Pahlavis – hands off Iran!🔗https://marxist.com/imperialists-and-pahlavis-hands-off-iran.htmAfter Ruining a Treasured Water Resource, Iran Is Drying Up - Yale E360http://e360.yale.edu/features/iran-water-drought-dams-qanatsThe effect of international sanctions on the size of the middle class in Iran - ScienceDirecthttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0176268025001090How Iran’s economic pain sparked explosion of unrest – Financial Timeshttp://www.ft.com/content/770dc40f-66be-4542-a584-3b6144117314Venezuela:Donald J Trump’s New Year’s gift to the world🔗https://marxist.com/donald-j-trump-s-new-year-s-gift-to-the-world.htmTrump’s attack on Venezuela: condemn this act of criminal aggression! – RCI statement🔗https://marxist.com/condemn-criminal-us-attack-on-venezuela.htmA week from US military aggression: where is Venezuela going?🔗https://marxist.com/a-week-from-us-military-aggression-where-is-venezuela-going.htm[Podcast] Hands off Venezuela🔗https://marxist.com/podcast-hands-off-venezuela.htmICE: United States: ICE murder of Renee Good – who are the real terrorists?🔗https://marxist.com/united-states-ice-murder-of-renee-good-who-are-the-real-terrorists.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International:https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter:https://x.com/revcomintern/

As 2025 draws to a close, workers and young people around the world will look back on a year that has starkly exposed the blind alley of world capitalism. Trump’s return to the White House has only deepened the disorder, with his administration’s foreign and economic policies causing chaos on the world stage. The recently released National Security Strategy makes one thing unmistakably clear: the United States is not in the position it used to be, no longer capable of policing the globe on its own.This redivision of the world will not unfold calmly or peacefully – as the events of 2025 have shown. The relentless succession of crises is shaking consciousness on a mass scale, pushing hundreds of millions to question the status quo. Increasingly, people are searching for a way out of society’s dead end, and a growing layer is becoming receptive to communist ideas.In this episode of Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh look back on the tumultuous year, discuss what lies ahead, and explore how communists should prepare for the struggles to come.Against the Stream is the Marxist current-affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. New episodes air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖National Security Strategy of the United States of America🔗https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf“Just 0.001% hold three times the wealth of poorest half of humanity, report finds”https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2025/dec/10/just-0001-hold-three-times-the-wealth-of-poorest-half-of-humanity-report-findsThe meaning of China’s $1tn trade surplus🔗https://www.ft.com/content/80933ccf-a23f-43ab-b83c-1d2055e5995dLabour is slow-marching working people to populism🔗https://www.ft.com/content/1052957c-90ef-4e00-b599-e45643c5c8e4How asset managers like BlackRock took over the world🔗https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2025/06/16/how-asset-managers-like-blackrock-took-over-the-world-vulture-capitalism-extract-grace-blakeley/#:~:text=In%20this%20extract%20from%20her,concentration%20of%20money%20and%20power.The world turned upside down – a system in crisis🔗https://marxist.com/world-perspectives-2025.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

This week, in Britain, Your Party – led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana – held its inaugural conference. Zarah Sultana spoke there about not only taxing the rich, but of nationalising the entire economy! What does this development signify? And what would it take for Your Party to pose a real threat to capitalism in Britain?Meanwhile, amid a growing dispute within the US government over strikes on alleged drug-running vessels, Donald Trump announced that he will soon authorise military action against targets inside Venezuela. What lies behind this latest act of imperialist bullying and escalation? And what consequences would a new war have on the global situationIn this episode of Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh explore these questions and outline the communist perspective on them.Against the Stream is the Marxist current-affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. New episodes air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Britain: Gary, Jeremy, and the super-rich – how do we make the billionaires pay for this crisis?🔗https://marxist.com/britain-gary-jeremy-and-the-super-rich-how-do-we-make-the-billionaires-pay-for-this-crisis.htmFrench lessons: what Corbyn can learn from Mitterrand's mistakes🔗https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2017/10/french-lessons-what-corbyn-can-learn-mitterrands-mistakesUS imperialism and Latin America: Trump threatens war on Venezuela🔗https://marxist.com/us-imperialism-and-latin-america-trump-threatens-war-on-venezuela.htmThe High Stakes in Venezuela🔗https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-high-stakes-in-venezuela-08382e2d⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️1:40 Venezuela update17:12 Zarah Sultana & Your Party58:55 Answering viewers' questions🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

With Trump’s proposed peace plan in Ukraine, Europe is once again finding itself sidelined by its former ally and benefactor, the United States. Having staked their crisis-ridden regimes on a Russian defeat in Ukraine, the Europeans are now waking up to the stark reality – Ukraine has lost the war, and Zelensky has his back against the wall. Although the European leaders would be the first to deny it, the continent where capitalism was born has now been left to rot on the vine. As Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh discuss in this episode of Against the Stream, the decline of the European economy in a period of rising imperialist competition is creating an explosive situation all across the continent. Against the Stream is the Marxist current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm GMT.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖China is making trade impossible🔗 https://www.ft.com/content/f294be55-98c4-48f0-abce-9041ed236a44Why Trump pushed for peace — again🔗 https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2025/11/ukraine-peace-push-russia-trump-zelensky/685045/Top U.S. negotiator warned Europeans that Russia is stockpiling missiles🔗 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/world/europe/ukraine-peace-talks-russia-missiles.htmlHow can Europe pay for things that it cannot afford?🔗 https://www.imf.org/en/-/media/files/publications/imf-notes/2025/english/insea2025004.pdf🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The biggest crisis of Trump’s second term is unfolding over the Epstein files. Having initially promised to release the trove of documents detailing Epstein’s crimes and his rich and powerful customers, Trump – one of those customers – quickly changed his tune once in power. However, this opened a rift within the MAGA movement and woke many up to the fact that Trump, far from “draining the swamp”, is part and parcel of it. Now he’s U-turned again and is expected to finally publish the files. But this threatens to shine a light on depravity, debauchery and unaccountability of the ruling class. Meanwhile, the regime in Ukraine is facing a crisis on the frontlines as well as within the regime. City after city is being taken by the Russian army, while a corruption scandal is implicating more and more of Zelensky’s inner circle. In this week’s episode of Against the Stream, Josh Holroyd and Hamid Alizadeh sit down to discuss all this and more. Against the Stream is the Marxist current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6 p.m. GMT.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖🔗 https://communistusa.org/maga-mutiny-over-epstein-forces-trump-u-turn/🔗 https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/dangerous-ideas/201910/psychology-s-dark-triad-and-the-billionaire-class🔗 https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/trump-ukraine-peace-plan-russia-donbas🔗 https://www.axios.com/2025/11/19/ukraine-peace-plan-trump-russia-witkoff🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

A major corruption scandal is rocking Ukraine. Cabinet ministers and one of Volodymyr Zelensky’s own business partners are implicated in a war profiteering scheme worth more than 100 million dollars. Meanwhile, on the front, the situation is getting even worse. Pokrovsk – a key defensive position in the Donbass – is falling to the Russians. Zelensky’s days are numbered.But corruption and crisis are far from confined to Ukraine. In Britain, over the past month, every pillar of the established order has experienced some sort of disaster. From the stripping of Prince Andrew’s titles over his relations with Epstein, to the historic collapse of Labour in the polls, to the BBC being attacked by Donald Trump, the ‘old order’ is being discredited in the eyes of millions.  What is behind this rot? And how can we as communists connect with the rising anger that it is producing? In this week’s episode of Against the Stream, Ben Curry and Hamid Alizadeh sit down to discuss all this and more.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖 Inside the Wes Streeting plot 🔗 https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/inside-the-wes-streeting-plot/ Britain: one prince isn’t enough – Abolish the monarchy! Clear out the parasites! 🔗 https://marxist.com/britain-one-prince-isn-t-enough-abolish-the-monarchy-clear-out-the-parasites.htm The BBC ‘coup’: A ruling class at war with itself 🔗 https://communist.red/the-bbc-coup-a-ruling-class-at-war-with-itself/ Reeves must get whatever growth she can 🔗 https://www.ft.com/content/20d6d434-0ae7-4305-b1c9-db1e26182931 The Ukrainian war: an internationalist class position – RCI Statement 🔗 https://marxist.com/the-ukrainian-war-an-internationalist-class-position-imt-statement.htm

Zohran Mamdani is the new Mayor of New York City. By running a campaign that promised to take on the billionaires and better the lives of working class New Yorkers, he tapped into anti-establishment, working class anger that is growing not only in New York but across the world. But the struggle has only just begun. Already, Trump has declared war by cutting off funding to New York. Meanwhile, billionaires and Democrats are attempting to court Mamdani and get him to water down his programme. The question remains whether Mamdani will resist this pressure and carry out his programme.Meanwhile, in Sudan, the RSF have taken control of El-Fasher, and is now carrying out a genocide against the population. Why is this happening? What can we do? And what can revolutionaries learn from the whole tragic path, from revolution to counter-revolution, that brought Sudan to this?

Over the last few weeks, Trump has been brazenly ratcheting up tensions with Venezuela. Having declared its president, Maduro, the leader of a drug cartel, he has moved a tenth of America’s navy and B-52 bombers to menace the country. Hot off making ‘peace’ in Gaza, Trump seems to be headed straight towards a new war. Will the US go to war in Venezuela? What is the Trump administration seeking? And what would be the implications of such an adventure for South America?To answer these questions Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh sat down for another episode of Against the Stream, the Marxist current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. 📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖Will Donald J Trump ever be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize? 🔗 https://marxist.com/will-donald-j-trump-ever-be-awarded-the-nobel-peace-prize.htm Hands off Colombia and Venezuela! 🔗 https://marxist.com/hands-off-colombia-and-venezuela.htm The Venezuelan Revolution: A Marxist Perspective 🔗 https://wellred-books.com/the-venezuelan-revolution-a-marxist-perspective/

This week, the collapse of Tricolour and First Brand sent a ripple of fear through the capitals of the world. From giddy boasts that the ‘bull’ market would never come down, capitalists are now reckoning with the fact that there is a gigantic bubble in the world economy, which threatens to pop.But the bubble – which they are powerless to fix – is symptomatic of a much deeper crisis. Capitalism has reached its limits. For years, they have used bailouts to delay the day of reckoning. Now they are crushed under a mountain of debt, which threatens an avalanche of bankruptcies.With economies around the world sliding into recession, overproduction, endless political instability, tariffs, and inter-imperialist competition, it is only a matter of time before the crash arrives. When it does, it will have devastating implications for the entire world economic system.Most of all, as Francesco Merli and Hamid Alizadeh explain in this week's episode of Against the Stream, it will be a recipe for class struggle, as the capitalists and bankers try to force workers to pay the bill.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖 The Big Crash: Are we really heading for another 1929?🔗 https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/10/11/big-crash-are-we-really-heading-another-1929/Gita Gopinath on the crash that could torch $35trn of wealth🔗 https://www.economist.com/by-invitation/2025/10/15/gita-gopinath-on-the-crash-that-could-torch-35trn-of-wealthWhat the stock market bubble can tell us about the state of the US economy🔗 https://marxist.com/what-the-stock-market-bubble-can-tell-us-about-the-state-of-the-us-economy.htmZombies: Ranks of world’s most debt-hobbled companies are soaring, and not all will survive🔗 https://apnews.com/article/zombie-business-corporate-debt-investing-interest-borrowing-52bd9ebbe1dd98983d39fe7d14e3c7fd

📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖 A Federal Critical Mineral Processing Initiative: Securing U.S. Mineral Independence from China 🔗 https://warontherocks.com/2025/04/a-federal-critical-mineral-processing-initiative-securing-u-s-mineral-independence-from-china/ Israel’s two-year Gaza war nears its end, but questions of victory remain 🔗 https://www.jpost.com/defense-and-tech/article-870569#google_vignette A high-stakes gamble Ukraine has successfully slowed Russia’s advance in central Donbas — but at the cost of its defenses elsewhere 🔗 https://meduza.io/en/feature/2025/10/06/a-high-stakes-gamble The meaning of the ceasefire in Gaza 🔗 https://marxist.com/the-meaning-of-the-ceasefire-in-gaza.htm

This week, after two years of the genocide in Gaza, Trump struck a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. But who benefits? And will it last?Meanwhile, the Palestine solidarity movement continues to escalate in Europe. Italy has shown the way forward with a general strike which has inspired activists across the continent. In France, yet another government has collapsed.In this week's episode of Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh take stock of this whirlwind of events, explain where things are leading, and point out the tasks for revolutionary communists today.Against the Stream is the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.

Yesterday, Israel once again attacked a peaceful flotilla travelling towards Gaza to break the naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. In the following hours, millions came pouring onto streets across Europe to protest the assault and demand an end to the genocide. In Italy, a general strike has been called for tomorrow. Meanwhile, Trump and Netanyahu have presented their criminal ‘peace plan’ for Gaza. And, Gen Z revolutions are erupting across the world on an almost daily basis. In this week's Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh take stock of the whirlwind of events and point out the tasks for communists today.Against the Stream is the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖“Israel has intercepted the flotilla: block everything! – For a workers’ boycott and general strike!” by the RCI🔗 https://marxist.com/israel-has-intercepted-the-flotilla-block-everything-for-a-workers-boycott-and-general-strike.htm“‘Dockers don’t work for war’: international dockworkers’ meeting in Genoa shows the way forward!” by Francesco Salmeri, Partito Comunista Rivoluzionario🔗 https://marxist.com/dockers-don-t-work-for-war-international-dockworkers-meeting-in-genoa-shows-the-way-forward.htm“GenZ212: Moroccan youth rise up and open a new chapter in the class struggle!” by Anas Rahimi 🔗 https://marxist.com/genz212-moroccan-youth-rise-up-and-open-a-new-chapter-in-the-class-struggle.htm“Madagascar: GenZ protest movement develops towards a national uprising” Jorge Martín🔗 https://marxist.com/madagascar-genz-protest-movement-develops-towards-a-national-uprising.htm“The world turned upside down – a system in crisis” by The RCI 🔗 https://marxist.com/world-perspectives-2025.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐 ✊Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

With his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump has once again caused shock and awe around the world. But what does his apparent change of heart on the war in Ukraine actually signify? And what does it mean for Europe?Meanwhile, Italy has seen half a million on the streets over Israel’s genocide in Gaza. And it’s not only Italy that’s heating up. France, Nepal, Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines. Today, Madagascar. All across the world, the capitalist crisis is igniting revolutionary class struggle. In this week's Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh break down these turbulent events and explain, most importantly, how communists should prepare.Against the Stream is the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖“Italy: the dam has burst, half a million on the streets for Gaza!” by Claudio Bellotti – Partito Comunista Rivoluzionario 🔗 https://marxist.com/italy-the-dam-has-burst-half-a-million-on-the-streets-for-gaza.htm“Sri Lanka to Nepal: lessons from the revolutionary wave” by Ben Curry🔗 https://marxist.com/sri-lanka-to-nepal-lessons-from-the-revolutionary-wave.htm“France: success on 18 September – what now?” by Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire🔗 https://marxist.com/france-success-on-18-september-what-now.htm“East Timorese youth follow the example of Indonesia and Nepal” by Max Robert🔗 https://marxist.com/east-timorese-youth-follow-the-example-of-indonesia-and-nepal.htm

Last week saw hundreds of thousands attend the biggest right wing demonstration in decades. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s Labour-government is facing a meltdown after just a year in office. How should the left respond, and what are the reasons for the rise of the right and the political crisis in the first place?In this week on Against the Stream Niklas Albin Svensson and Hamid Alizadeh discuss the background of the crisis of British capitalism, Starmer’s future, the prospects and problems of Corbyn’s new party and the tasks facing marxists in the period ahead. Against the Stream is a current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, which airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️0:00 Introduction1:57 Massive far-right march in London25:06 The left's response33:08 'Your Party' - Britain's new left party42:41 How to fight the far-right54:40 The UK's political crisis1:14:51 Summing up1:18:58 BONUS: Conflict in 'Your Party'📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖Migration crisis: Who is to blame? by Ben Gliniecki: 🔗 https://communist.red/migration-crisis-who-is-to-blame/“Britain's largest right-wing demo in a generation – a damning indictment of the left” by The Revolutionary Communist Party🔗 https://marxist.com/britain-the-meaning-of-13-september-a-damning-indictment-of-the-left.htm“UK Living Standards Review 2025” by the National Institute of Economic and SocialResearch 🔗 https://niesr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JC871-NIESR-UK-Living-Standards-Review-2025-final-version.pdf🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Lenin once said that there are weeks where decades happen. This is one of those weeks. The French government collapsed. Revolutions broke out in Indonesia and Nepal. Israel bombed peace negotiations in Qatar. And just yesterday, right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed.It’s easy to be disoriented by the speed of events these days. But revolutionaries most of all must have a clear grasp of what’s going on beneath the surface. For that reason, to break these lightning-fast developments down from a Marxist perspective, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh met for another episode of Against the Stream, the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, which airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️0:00 Introduction2:32 Charlie Kirk assassination13:26 Mass protests in France40:00 Israeli strikes on Doha49:54 Revolution in Nepal📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖On Charlie Kirk assasination: “Why Marxists Oppose Individual Terrorism” by Leon Trotsky: 🔗 https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1911/11/tia09.htmOn events in Nepal: “Rulers cower as Nepalese masses seek to burn the system down”🔗 https://marxist.com/rulers-cower-as-nepalese-masses-seek-to-burn-the-system-down.htmBackground article on Nepalese revolution of 2006-2008: “Victory of Nepalese Maoists in elections – where to now?”🔗 https://marxist.com/victory-nepalese-maoists-elections.htmOn events in France: “After 10 September, what now?”:🔗 https://marxist.com/france-10-september-the-first-thunderclap.htmBackground article: “Causes and consequences of the decline of French capitalism”:🔗 https://marxist.com/causes-and-consequences-of-the-decline-of-french-capitalism.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@revcomintern📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Against the Stream is back for another season of weekly Marxist analysis! This week, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín catch up on all the convulsive developments over the summer: the further decline of western imperialism and the rise of China, the crisis of the regime in France, and the revolutionary explosion in Indonesia.Against the Stream, the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️0:00 Introduction4:07 Trump inadvertently strengthens China31:03 Europe: The crisis deepens1:01:20 Revolution in Indonesia1:12:45 Let's build a revolutionary organisation!📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖US and China: ► “China’s Military Is Now Leading”, in Foreign Policy 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/ycy24fwa► “World Perspectives 2025: the world turned upside down”, Revolutionary Communist International 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/h76nys8z France:► Bayrou declares war on the working class, by Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/hpfm89we ►Let’s block everything! For a workers’ government!, by Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire 🔗  https://tinyurl.com/253s2rd4Indonesia:► Protests getting larger after ride-share driver killed, by Bima Wicaksana 🔗  https://tinyurl.com/36prk7eu ► The wheel of revolution has turned, by Bima Wicaksana 🔗  https://tinyurl.com/yne9xdna🌐 LINKS 🌐► Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm ► Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/68nGNHz5lB8UZXICGIDMva?si=682ef70551644443 ►Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 ► Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/►Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern

This week, in a dramatic turn of events, Trump – who campaigned on the promise to end US ‘forever wars’ – decided to get involved in Israel’s war on Iran by dropping bombs on its nuclear facilities. Now, after an attack on a US base and some strong words, Trump has enforced a ceasefire between the warring parties. In the aftermath, Trump has celebrated his ‘12 day’ war as a stunning success, which “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme. However, this chaotic escalation of the situation in the Middle East is bound to have consequences on the stability not only of the region, but the entire world. Reports are coming out that show Iran’s nuclear programme is still very much intact. Oil prices have been on a rollercoaster ride. And, in America, Trump has been faced by a barrage of criticism from the very people that brought him to power.To explain the consequences of this latest adventure by US imperialism, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down for a special, bonus episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI. This episode premieres on YouTube at 6pm London time.To focus on the upcoming world congress of the Revolutionary Commnuist International, Against the Stream plans to take a break until the first Thursday of September. Until then, you can catch up on all our analysis on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

[Read Alan Woods' analysis of Israel's attack on Marxist.com]This week, the turmoil in the Middle East reached new heights as Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran, targeting its military leadership and striking several of its nuclear facilities. This has since escalated dramatically with further attacks on Iran and Iranian retaliations against Israel.Israel’s latest war represents a dramatic turn in the situation both in the Middle East and globally, as Trump is currently weighing up US involvement in the strikes against Iran. Despite a layer of the Republican establishment frothing at the mouth over the chance to deal a blow to a longstanding enemy, many prominent voices within Trump’s camp oppose US intervention as a betrayal of his initial promise to be the ‘peace President’ and bring an end to US support for ‘forever wars’.With splits emerging within Trumpism over the future of US foreign policy, it is unclear how these events in the Middle East will develop. As Marxists, we cannot predict the course of events with absolute certainty, but this makes it all the more crucial to engage in a meticulous study of such twists and turns in the world situation. For this reason, this week’s episode of Against the Stream welcomes Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International, to pick apart this week’s developments and what they mean for the situation in the Middle East and the US.This is the last episode of Against the Stream until the first week of September. Catch up on all of our previous episodes on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Chapters:0:00 – Israel attacks Iran1:01 – Trumpism begins to unravel1:19 – Why we produce Against the Stream

This week, thousands of workers flooded onto the streets of LA in response to ICE agents raiding workplaces and neighbourhoods. Since then, Trump has tried to crush the movement by calling in the Marines and the National Guard. But in so doing, he risks provoking a mass movement similar to Black Lives Matter, which forced him into hiding in the White House bunker five years ago. The democrats have attempted to attach themselves to this wave of protests. Posing as the ‘resistance’ and a friend to immigrants, they are attempting to direct it into safe channels. But the truth is, they are just as much enemies of immigrants as Trump’s republicans. Like all capitalist politicians, they use immigrants as scapegoats while exploiting them as extremely vulnerable labourers.Trump is not only facing opposition from workers. The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, this week entered into a public feud with Trump over the ‘big beautiful bill’. With the American economy stagnating and debt piling up, this spat reveals the fact that Trump is in an impossible position: he cannot fulfil the promises he has made to American workers and their bosses at the same time.To break down how communists should approach these problems, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to discuss world perspectives on a special episode of Against the Stream, the weekly podcast of the RCI, giving you a Marxist analysis of world affairs.Against the Stream, weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, at 6pm every Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/joinArticles mentioned:ICE out of LA! Workers defend themselves against Trump’s raids -- https://marxist.com/ice-out-of-la-workers-defend-themselves-against-trump-s-raids.htmA Veteran, a Construction Worker, a Communist: The Many Faces of the L.A. Protests -- https://www.wsj.com/us-news/a-veteran-a-construction-worker-a-communist-the-many-faces-of-the-l-a-protests-e429894a?mod=hp_lead_pos8Theses on the Eastern Question -- https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/4th-congress/thesis-on-eastern-question.htmThe mounting pressure on bond markets -- https://www.ft.com/content/a07d5a72-2691-4da5-aee0-4af5136f737e

2025 marks a turning point in world history.The tectonic plates of international relations are shifting, the globalised world economy is being torn apart, and the entire capitalist order is being shaken to its foundations by political, economic, environmental and social crises. An unstable new epoch – an epoch of war, revolution and counter-revolution – has opened up. In preparation for the first congress of the Revolutionary Communist International, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to discuss world perspectives on a special episode of Against the Stream, the weekly podcast of the RCI, giving you a Marxist analysis of world affairs.Against the Stream premieres weekly on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm London time, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.Articles mentioned:Monopoly capitalism, imperialism, and the world economy – Marxist.comDebt is crushing the developing world – Financial TimesMatthew Miller lying compilation – XPakistan: URGENT SOLIDARITY APPEAL – release arrested leaders of the Awaami Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan! – Marxist.comPakistan: protests continue for the release of comrades in Gilgit Baltistan despite state repression – Marxist.com0:00 Intro1:51 The changing world relations16:11 Ukrainian drone attack26:32 Why Russia is winning32:50 Sabotaging peace negotiations36:30 Biden spokesman admits Israel commits war crimes39:48 Gaza has unmasked Western capitalism53:34 Austerity at home, warfare abroad58:16 The world economy in 20251:11:09 Renewed interest in communism1:14:50 Comrades in Pakistan under attack1:24:00 Get organised!

Against the Stream, weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, at 6pm GMT every Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism.

For a year and a half, the western imperialists have not only been defending Israel's right to massacre, starve and ethnically cleanse the population of Gaza – they have been selling them the weapons to do it. Now, all of a sudden, they’re criticising the “intolerable” suffering that Israel is causing. Does this mean that the imperialists have gained a conscience?Certainly not. At a time when Netanyahu is escalating the genocide and explicitly declaring that Israel plans to conquer the territory and expel the Palestinians, what these blood-soaked hypocrites fear are the revolutionary implications of being associated with yet more horror. The consequences in the Middle East and beyond of Netanyahu’s policy – of recklessly dragging out the war to cling on to power – are forcing even Trump to look for other points of support in the Middle East.Meanwhile, Trump and Putin have continued to haggle over the fate of Ukraine. In the western media, Putin has been depicted as a stubborn obstacle to peace. In reality, it is Zelensky and the Europeans who have resisted the negotiation of an end to the war, for they refuse to concede what is becoming apparent to all: that Ukraine has lost.Finally, in Pakistan-occupied Gigit Baltistan, leaders of the Awami Action Committee – including several members of the Pakistani section of the Revolutionary Communist International – have been scandalously arrested. In response to this brazen attack, which is an attempt to behead a growing mass movement against the Pakistani regime, the Revolutionary Communist International have launched an international campaign demanding that these political prisoners be set free.To explain where these events are leading the world, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.The Revolutionary Communist International is fighting capitalism in over 60 countries – join us! www.marxist.com/join_____0:00 Intro1:43 Shooting of Israeli embassy staff16:15 Rift between the West and Israel35:46 Kneecap member charged with terrorism42:04 Ukraine peace negotiations1:10:27 Comrades arrested in Pakistan

War between India and Pakistan. Revolutionary crisis in Serbia. Escalation of the genocide in Gaza. These are just a few of the mighty events piling up on one another at a breathtaking pace. Against the Stream is here to help revolutionaries navigate these tumultuous events. In Kashmir, India and Pakistan – both nuclear powers – once again briefly went to war. The countries have been in conflict since the partition of the subcontinent by British imperialism in 1947, but tensions have burst into the open again because of the profound change in the international balance of forces, and because both regimes are seeking to cut across the crises and class struggle they are facing on the home front. Against the atrocious position taken by the ‘communist’ parties of India, which have lined up behind their respective ruling class under the banner of ‘national unity’, genuine communists understand that this war serves no one but the rich, and that the elites of both countries must be overthrown if war is to be done away with altogether.Meanwhile, Israel’s genocidal imperialist rampage has escalated, with Netanyahu’s cabinet now explicitly declaring that they aim to conquer Gaza and to expel the Palestinians. Trump, however, has thrown a spanner in the works by moving to distance himself from Netanyahu. Having demoted Mike Waltz, who was one of the biggest advocates of Israel’s plan to bomb Iran, Trump is now touring the Middle East in an attempt to draw closer to the other Arab regimes.In the often rapid and complicated twists and turns in the situation, what underlies Trump’s strategy? And what position does this place Netanyahu in?In Serbia, on the other hand, a revolutionary crisis has erupted. From the student protests which emerged in response to the deaths of 16 people after the collapse of the concrete canopy at a major railway station, a powerful movement has developed which is now establishing Zborovi across the country: assemblies of students, and in some cases of workers too.These represent embryonic organs of popular power, as emerged on a higher level in the course of the Russian Revolution in the form of soviets. In embryo, as organs of power opposed to the capitalist government, they threaten the rule of not only Vučić, but the entire Serbian regime.To explain what attitudes communists should take to these dramatic events, Francesco Merli and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.____The Revolutionary Communist International is fighting capitalism in over 60 countries - join us! www.marxist.com/join____Articles mentioned:On the CPI, the CPIM and the war: no to Modi’s ‘national unity’!https://marxist.com/on-the-cpi-the-cpim-and-the-war-no-to-modi-s-national-unity.htmIndia and Pakistan enter another war: only class war can end all warshttps://marxist.com/india-and-pakistan-enter-another-war-only-class-war-can-end-all-wars.htmNeither India or Pakistan – for a Socialist Federation by Ted Granthttps://marxist.com/neither-india-or-pakistan-for-a-socialist-federation.htmRevolutionary crisis in Serbiahttps://marxist.com/revolutionary-crisis-in-serbia.htm___0:00 Intro2:30 Trump-Netanyahu clash21:53 India-Pakistan war48:28 Revolutionary movement in Serbia

Last week's byelections in the UK were an earthquake in British politics. For the first time since the rise of the Labour Party 100 years ago, the two-party system has been upended. Now, a new contender for power has decisively entered the race: Reform.It has been less than a year since the last general election in Britain. Since then, the Labour party has collapsed in popularity as a result of Starmer’s repeated attacks on the poor – chiefly his savage cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners and disability benefits. The Tory party, meanwhile – the oldest and most successful political party in the world – has continued to sink into irrelevance.In the meantime, Nigel Farage’s right-wing party, Reform, has shot up in popularity, and is now polling level with – even above – what have been the two main parties for at least a century. What is behind this upset? Does it mean that British people are getting more racist, more right-wing? As this episode of Against the Stream explains, the resurgence of Farage is a product of the miserable state of broken Britain. For decades, the establishment parties have presided over austerity, privatisation and deindustrialisation. Boarded-up high streets, food banks, ambulance queues and pensioners freezing in their homes have become commonplace in Britain in 2025. As a result, anger is building against the politicians who have presided over this mess. For the time being, this anger is finding its outlet in the party of the only mainstream anti-establishment politician: Nigel Farage.And this is not just the case in Britain. Similar right-wing populist figures like Trump, Weidel of the AfD, and Le Pen are popping up all across the western world and are gaining steam as the liberal establishment becomes more and more reviled.To uncover what is behind the rise of Reform, Niklas Albin Svensson and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

Since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine three years ago, a flood of lies has gushed forth from western governments and the billionaire press alike to obscure the real nature of this war.[Click here for a comprehensive reading list on the background to the Ukraine war: https://marxist.com/top-reads-on-the-ukraine-conflict-war-and-imperialism.htm]Painting it as a simple battle between good and evil, they have remained totally silent about the fact that behind Ukraine is the world's foremost imperialist power, which has led Ukraine to the slaughter in pursuit of its interests. Moreover, in their attempt to paint Zelensky as a beloved hero of democracy and Putin as a tyrant, they have concealed the real cause of the war, which did not begin in February 2022 but is the product of the aggressive thrust of western imperialism into Ukraine in the wake of the collapse of the USSR.Today, Ukraine is shattered. Tens of thousands of young Ukrainians have been massacred in the trenches. As people around the world begin to ask, ‘What was it all for?’, it is vital that communists can explain what lies behind the conflict.To explain who was really responsible for the destruction of Ukraine, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

For the last century, the USA has been the undisputed master of the capitalist world. Now, all that is changing. Today, America is in decline and facing a new contender: China.Over the last 30 years, China has exploded from an underdeveloped country, exploited by western capitalists for its cheap labour, to a cutting-edge capitalist power in its own right. Today, it accounts for 18 percent of the world's GDP and 29 percent of the world’s manufacturing, and leads the world in some of the most advanced technologies.As a result of this stormy development, which has made China the second most powerful country in the world, it has been able to stand firm in the face of Trump’s tariff war, whereas all other countries have meekly submitted. But no matter the balance of forces, such a conflict between the world’s biggest markets cannot fail to have devastating consequences for the whole world economy. This trade war between the US and China – along with the negotiations over the fate of Ukraine, which are also discussed in this episode – show that we have entered a new epoch, one of economic crisis, heightened conflict between competing powers and, in consequence, class struggle. To explain where these developments are leading the world, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

Articles mentioned:“I’ve seen many phoney trade wars come and go. This is the real thing”https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/09/trade-war-donald-trump-us-china“‘The Tsunami Is Coming’: China’s Global Exports Are Just Getting Started”https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/business/china-manufacturing-exports-trump-tariffs.html“On the Question of Free Trade”https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1888/free-trade/index.htm“Trump’s tariff programme deepens protectionist tendencies in world economy”https://marxist.com/trump-s-tariff-programme-deepens-protectionist-tendencies-in-world-economy.htm______Last week, Trump’s tariffs delivered a shattering blow to the world economy, sending stock markets around the world into precipitous collapse. This week, he U-turned and paused the tariffs, with the exception of those on China, which now stand at 125 percent. What does this chaos mean for the world economy?The reversal of the tariffs has provoked a sigh of relief from the capitalist class. But it is not over yet. With the two biggest economic forces on the planet – America and China – going head to head, the globalised world economy is going to be ripped apart. This will only bring closer and intensify the devastating recession that is looming over the capitalist system. For the working class of the world, this will be a catastrophe. They will be forced to pay the price, while the capitalist politicians will do everything they can to bail out the bankers and billionaires that got us into that mess. Unemployment and brutal cuts to living standards are coming. Already, in their dash to remilitarise, governments around the world are implementing brutal austerity programmes. The ripping apart of the world economy will only intensify matters and force capitalist governments to cut even deeper.But, as we have already seen with the revolutions and mass movements in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Serbia, Greece and elsewhere, the working class will not take this lying down. The capitalist disaster is preparing a social explosion. Such chaos will force the working class to wake up to the fact that a dignified existence is incompatible with the continued rule of capitalism.To explain how the anarchy of the market can be overthrown, Niklas Albin Svensson and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements have set the cat amongst the pigeons in the world market. In France, the hypocritical establishment is celebrating the sentencing of right-wing demagogue Marine Le Pen in court on flimsy charges. Meanwhile in the Middle East, the leader of the PKK has called on its Kurdish guerilla fighters to lay down their arms.Globalisation is now rapidly unravelling, with tariffs threatening to dramatically tear up supply chains internationally. But any attempt by the US or other powers to export the burden of their crisis-ridden economies through protectionism will do nothing to solve the fundamental bankruptcy of the capitalist system.Meanwhile, although the liberal establishment wax lyrical about the virtues of ‘democracy’, they have shown themselves time and again to be perfectly willing to give up on these treasured principles if it suits them. In the US, Romania and now also in France, maverick candidates outside of the traditional political elite have been targeted by legal campaigns and accusations of corruption. While we do not agree with Le Pen, communists have a duty to call out the rank hypocrisy of the liberals that accuse her and similar figures of threatening democracy.For some time, the struggle for Kurdish self-determination has inspired many on the left internationally. The PKK, the main military and political force among Kurds, however, has now been called upon by its leadership to lay down their arms. This is an utter capitulation on the part of the PKK leaders and represents a policy of capitulation to capitalism and imperialism, rather than the struggle against them.The greatest tools in a communist’s arsenal are our ideas. Without these it is too easy to get caught up in the constant whirlwind of events facing us in the world today. To untangle some of this week’s biggest news stories, and get to the essence of these events, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

Articles mentioned:https://meduza.io/feature/2025/03/17/otsyuda-vyhod-odin-trista-ili-dvestihttps://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-resumes-gaza-bombing-one-most-terrifying-nights-warhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/https://marxist.com/netanyahu-resumes-genocide-to-cling-to-power-2.htm______In Gaza, Netanyahu has restarted the genocide. Already, hundreds have been killed by bombs, while thousands more are at risk of starvation. In Ukraine, which has essentially lost the war to Russia, youths are still being kidnapped and conscripted into the army to die in trenches. This is what capitalism has to offer in the 21st century.Wars, genocides, and famines have accompanied capitalism since its birth. In fact, they are built into the very fabric of the system, which depends upon endless exploitation and plunder.The capitalist class in the West is particularly responsible for these graveyards. From the beginning, they have fueled the war in Ukraine at the cost of tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Meanwhile, they have stood by Netanyahu through thick and thin, arming him with billions of dollars worth of bombs with which to carry out the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.Our job as communists is not to weep but to understand in order to change it. To explain how we can bring this horror to an end, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.YouTube: https://youtu.be/ljKETosTl9sJoin us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join__Timestamps(0:00) Intro(1:38) Gaza: The genocide resumes(26:15) Gaza: What Hamas represents(29:22) Ukraine: Russia and US ceasefire negotiations(34:27) Ukraine: How Trump differs from the liberal establishment(39:10) Ukraine: EU scrambling to continue war(53:02) Ukraine: Stories from the frontlines(1:20:05) Ukraine: Explaining the RCI's position on the war(1:29:24) War abroad means austerity at home(1:37:35) The working class has begun to move

Trump’s dramatic return to the White House has thrown the liberals into complete panic and confusion. They have been accusing Trump of being responsible for every ill in the world, and have flung whatever insults they can at him: from semi-fascist, to fascist, to neo-fascist.Shamefully, the perennially alarmed so-called 'Lefts' are dragging like a tail behind the liberals, spreading the same confusion and falling into the old trap of 'lesser evilism'. Against this alarmism, which really serves to justify the capitalist status quo, an understanding of the real nature of Trumpism is of paramount importance for revolutionaries so that they don’t get caught in the same camp as Genocide Joe and the rest of the hated US establishment. Meanwhile, totally unaffected by this shrill chorus, Trump is proceeding with business. This week he resumed talks with Russia over the fate of Ukraine, while on the frontlines, the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk has completely collapsed. At the same time, Netanyahu has torn up the ceasefire with Hamas and has restarted the war in Gaza, which will have explosive consequences for the Middle East.All of these not only pose big questions for the capitalist world order. Communists, more than anyone else, must understand what is really going on so that they can cut through the fog and fight against the system with a clear perspective.To explain how Marxists should understand and approach these phenomena, Alan Woods, the leading theoretician of the Revolutionary Communist International, joined Hamid Alizadeh for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI.This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT.__Books mentioned in the episode can be purchased on: https://wellred-books.com/

The world capitalist system is beset on all sides by crisis. Debt is sky-high, economies are stagnating and society is more polarised than ever. To add to this mess, the tapestry of world relations – the ‘rules-based order’ – is unravelling. Tit-for-tat tariffs that seek to export the crisis threaten to turn into trade wars that will tear up world trade.The liberals see Trump as the wrecking ball causing the crisis. But is this true? By slashing the debt, raising tariffs and ditching the Ukraine war, he is actually trying to stabilise American capitalism, even if that comes at the expense of the rest of the world. His efforts, however, will be in vain. Every attempt to solve one crisis will simply exacerbate another. Ultimately, tariffs will push up inflation, whereas his reckless cuts will prepare a gigantic backlash of class struggle. There is no way out on a capitalist basis because capitalism itself is the root of the problem. For communists, therefore, the choice is not between tariffs or free trade. Rearmament and austerity are only ‘necessary’ as long as we accept the logic of the capitalist system. Our job, on the contrary, is not to tinker with the capitalist system, but to overthrow it. To explain the communist alternative, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh of the international leadership of the RCI, met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International.This episode was streamed on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT.

This week's row in the Oval Office between Trump and Zelensky served to dramatically underscore the fact that we are passing a seismic shift in world history. The old alliances and institutions are breaking down, and a realignment, reflecting the changed balance of forces, is taking place for all to see.The biggest losers of this transformation are the Europeans, who are gradually sobering up to their predicament. Without the US – upon which they have been reliant for 80 years – they will have to re-arm. In a situation of economic stagnation and sky-high debts, this means finding savings elsewhere. And that means cuts.But these cuts will have profound social consequences. Already the workers and youth of Europe have faced a decade of austerity. Now their imperialist governments are preparing to snatch away the last crumbs of social spending to turn into bombs and bullets. The general strike in Greece, in which over a million people went out on strike to protest their government's murderous role in the deaths of 57 young people in a rail disaster two years ago, is an indication of the kind of explosions we should expect to see in the future in Europe. To discuss the present capitalist chaos and its revolutionary implications, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the international leadership of the RCI, met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International.This episode was streamed on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

This week, after claiming victory in the German election, Friedrich Merz declared that Germany would now stand up to the USA, Russia and China and make the EU into a ‘great power’. Similarly, Keir Starmer declared that Britain would stand by Ukraine for 100 years and threatened to put British troops on the group as a ‘peacekeeping force’, while Macron travelled to the White House in a ‘show of strength’ to Trump. Clearly, the liberal European establishment has gone mad. In reality, Europe is facing a catastrophic crisis. It is being outcompeted and squeezed between the real great powers, has been abandoned by its American protector, and is looking on helplessly as Russia claims victory in the Ukraine war, a war they have spent hundreds of billions of dollars prolonging. On top of that, the despised establishment parties across the continent are facing the meteoric rise of right-wing populist contenders. Their bragging and posturing could not be more out of touch with reality, for there is no way out of this mess on a capitalist basis.To explain the method in the madness, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the international leadership of the RCI, met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International.This episode was streamed on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

This week, Trump went over the heads of Zelensky and the European leaders to embark on peace talks with Russia. At a stroke, the western order that has prevailed for over half a century has fractured.This has major implications for Europe in particular. For decades, Europe has based its policy on its partnership with the undisputed imperialist master of the planet: the USA. But Trump’s latest move expresses the fact that US imperialism no longer has a particular interest in subsidising the defence of the continent. They are being dumped by their most important ally, which throws the whole of the liberal European order, including the EU and NATO, into question. This shambolic situation for European imperialism also comes at a time of acute economic, political and social crisis all across Europe. Energy prices are sky-high, factories are shutting down, the establishment has never been more despised, and right-wing populist parties are on the rise.To explain all of this turmoil, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh of the international leadership of the RCI, met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International.This episode was streamed on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.[Due to technical difficulties, part of today's episode is without video. Apologies!]

Lenin once said that there are decades where weeks happen, and weeks where decades happen. We are living through the latter. A new era has begun, one characterised by capitalist crisis, imperialist war, immense turbulence in world relations and revolutionary upheavals.On Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston from the International Secretariat will be discussing the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism from a Marxist perspective. This week, that includes Trump's announcement that he would be opening negotiations with Russia to end the Ukraine war, which has sent shockwaves through Europe; the precarious ceasefire in Gaza and Trump’s plan to expel the Palestinians so he can turn it into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’; and the class struggle in America.This podcast was streamed live onYouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up onSpotifyorApple Music.

Trump has been in power for just over two weeks and already he has started to upend the liberal world order. With tariffs, deportations, the halting of all foreign aid, and his plan to turn Gaza into a “Rivera of the Middle East”, ‘allies’ and rivals alike have been thrown into panic.  With breathtaking speed, the ‘rules-based order’ is being dynamited and destabilised, and the policy of ‘America First’ – and everyone else last – is coming into effect, with explosive and chaotic consequences for world affairs.  To discuss these developments, which signal a transformation in world imperialist relations, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh 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.