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-wealth

What 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.htm

Zombies: 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/