Against the Stream

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 Introduction

2:32 Charlie Kirk assassination

13:26 Mass protests in France

40:00 Israeli strikes on Doha

49:54 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.htm

On 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.htm

Background article on Nepalese revolution of 2006-2008: “Victory of Nepalese Maoists in elections – where to now?”

🔗 https://marxist.com/victory-nepalese-maoists-elections.htm

On events in France: “After 10 September, what now?”:🔗 https://marxist.com/france-10-september-the-first-thunderclap.htm

Background 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 Introduction

4:07 Trump inadvertently strengthens China

31:03 Europe: The crisis deepens

1:01:20 Revolution in Indonesia

1:12:45 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/253s2rd4

Indonesia:

► 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 Iran

1:01 – Trumpism begins to unravel

1:19 – 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/join

Articles 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.com

Debt is crushing the developing world – Financial Times

Matthew Miller lying compilation – X

Pakistan: URGENT SOLIDARITY APPEAL – release arrested leaders of the Awaami Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan! – Marxist.com

Pakistan: protests continue for the release of comrades in Gilgit Baltistan despite state repression – Marxist.com

0:00 Intro

1:51 The changing world relations

16:11 Ukrainian drone attack

26:32 Why Russia is winning

32:50 Sabotaging peace negotiations

36:30 Biden spokesman admits Israel commits war crimes

39:48 Gaza has unmasked Western capitalism

53:34 Austerity at home, warfare abroad

58:16 The world economy in 2025

1:11:09 Renewed interest in communism

1:14:50 Comrades in Pakistan under attack

1:24:00 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 Intro

1:43 Shooting of Israeli embassy staff

16:15 Rift between the West and Israel

35:46 Kneecap member charged with terrorism

42:04 Ukraine peace negotiations

1:10:27 Comrades arrested in Pakistan

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