We talk with Irish organiser Laszlo Manafi about why class-first socialism is clashing with the liberal left, and how that split shapes everything from campus politics to protest rights. We dig into Marxism as a way of analysing power, then trace why free speech matters even when the cause feels righteous. 

• Class-first organising and why self-criticism on the left matters 
• what Laszlo means by liberalism and how identity politics displaces class 
• the cultural turn, NGO influence, and elite capture in universities 
• Marxism as a framework rather than a fixed policy menu 
• libertarian socialism, workplace democracy, and limits of liberal democracy 
• what the Soviet Union shows about power and internal democracy 
• Marx on censorship and why hate speech laws expand state power 
• protest policing, Palestine activism, and the risks of deplatforming 

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and consider sharing the podcast with others. 

We release new episodes regularly, and subscribing is the easiest way to stay up to date. If you have any questions, feedback or suggestions, you can contact us at podcast at fsu.nz. 

If you want to find out more about the New Zealand Free Speech Union, visit fsu.nz. 

Support the show

https://www.fsu.nz/
https://x.com/NZFreeSpeech
https://www.instagram.com/freespeechnz/
https://www.tiktok.com/@freespeechunionnz