On the Barricades

In this episode of “On the Barricades,” host Boyan Stanislavski is joined by philosopher Gabriel Rockhill, editor of Domenico Losurdo’s posthumous book "Western Marxism: How It Was Born, How It Died, How It Can Be Reborn." Published by Monthly Review Press, this landmark work critically examines #WesternMarxism, highlighting both its historical trajectory and present-day relevance. Alongside Rockhill is Arto Artinian, a Bulgarian-American philosopher and longtime friend of the show. Together, they dissect how Losurdo’s insights shed light on the ideological blind spots and contradictions prevalent on the Western Left, especially around the critical issue of imperialism.

This discussion, recorded on November 2, explores how Western Marxist thought aligns with or diverges from the materialist roots of #Marxism, making it a timely and essential examination for today’s leftist discourse.

0:00 - 6:30 Introduction to Western Marxism Gabriel Rockhill contextualizes the relevance of Losurdo’s critique, especially in today’s #leftist climate, framing it as a necessary examination of the intellectual roots and imperial alignments in Western Marxist thought.

7:36 - 13:43 #Imperialism Misunderstood by the Western Left Discussion centers on the conceptual confusion surrounding imperialism within Western leftist circles, emphasizing the system’s socio-economic and cultural dimensions, often ignored or misunderstood by prominent Marxist voices.

17:58 - 24:08 Critique of the Western Left’s Theoretical Framework Rockhill elaborates on how key figures in Western Marxism, from #Horkheimer to #Badiou, are entrenched in an “imperial superstructure,” leading to a lack of genuine critical engagement with the realities of imperialism and class struggle.

36:11 - 39:08 Dialectics of #Liberal #Democracy and #Authoritarianism A nuanced discussion on liberal democracy’s role within imperialism, illustrating how even self-proclaimed democracies can foster authoritarian control, especially in the global political landscape.

1:16:43 - 1:19:07 Cultural #Fascism and Media Control Rockhill examines the extensive media apparatus of the U.S., underscoring how cultural fascism is embedded within capitalist democracies, wielding #control over public narratives to reinforce imperialist interests.

1:28:23 - 1:31:25 Closing Thoughts and the Role of Critical Theory Workshop ‪@criticaltheoryworkshop5299‬ The conversation concludes with Rockhill discussing the goals of the #CriticalTheoryWorkshop, aiming to challenge Western #academic #hegemony and foster a global perspective that genuinely critiques and resists imperialist ideology.

💰 You can support us at patreon.com/thebarricade

🌟 Thanks so much!

In this episode of "On the Barricades," Boyan Stanislavski and his guest, Arto Artinian, discuss the implications of the recent #NATO Parliamentary Summit held in Sofia, #Bulgaria Boyan expresses concern over the summit's declaration supporting Ukraine's use of NATO weaponry against #Russia and the potential dangers it poses to Bulgaria, a historically NATO-skeptical nation. He highlights the strategic risks mentioned by #Putin regarding small NATO countries becoming targets and contemplates the existential threat to Bulgarian statehood.

The conversation shifts to historical and #geopolitical analysis, where Arto draws parallels between current NATO actions and historical events, such as Nazi Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union. They discuss the ideological and strategic motivations behind NATO's stance, including the potential for nuclear escalation and the irrationality of such policies. The discussion concludes with reflections on the nature of political elites in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries, their alignment with Western interests, and the ideological underpinnings of Western policies towards these nations.

Thematic segments

1. Introduction and overview of the NATO Summit in Sofia * 0:16 - 3:37 - Discussion of the NATO Parliamentary Summit in Sofia and its declarations. - Boyan's concerns about the implications of these declarations for Bulgaria.

2. Putin's reaction and strategic risks * 3:38 - 5:39 - Analysis of Putin's comments potentially targeting small NATO countries. - Discussion on the strategic risks for Bulgaria and potential Russian reactions.

3. Historical parallels and NATO's strategy * 5:40 - 13:45 - Arto draws historical parallels between current NATO actions and Nazi Germany's strategies. - Discussion on NATO's military strategy and its implications for Ukraine and Russia. - Examination of the ideological motivations behind NATO's stance.

4. Nuclear escalation and NATO's irrationality * 13:46 - 23:38 - Arto and Boyan discuss the potential for nuclear escalation and the irrationality of NATO's actions. - Concerns over the strategic and ideological mindset of NATO leadership. - Analysis of historical attitudes and contemporary political dynamics within NATO.

5. Western Contempt for Eastern European Nations * 23:39 - 34:00 - Discussion on Western attitudes towards Eastern European countries, particularly Bulgaria. - Examination of historical and contemporary contempt by Western political elites. - The role of NATO and EU policies in shaping these attitudes.

6. Political Elites and National Interests * 34:01 - 43:10 - Analysis of Bulgarian political elites and their alignment with Western interests. - Discussion on the motivations and actions of political elites in Bulgaria and other Eastern European countries. - Reflection on the ideological and humanistic factors driving these elites' policies.

Transcript of the discussion

Boyan Stanislavski

Hello and welcome  "On the Barricades". My name is Boyan Stanislavski and today with me is Arto Artyanian, one of our favorite guests. Favorite guests not only of mine, but also of our viewers.

Hello Arto, thanks for coming on.

Arto Artinian

Hello Boyan, thanks for inviting me as always.

Boyan Stanislavski

Right, so we're gonna talk about Bulgaria today and about what happened over the weekend. Because what we've had is a kind of Euro-Atlanticist extravaganza, and a dangerous one, not just spectacular. Because we've had this thing called the NATO Parliamentary Summit, which was held in Sofia, the capital city of Bulgaria.

And we've had some pretty stunning declarations that were made or adopted during that summit. And, you know, to see that kind of statement being adopted in Bulgaria by NATO, in Bulgaria of all places, one of the most NATO-skeptical, or the most NATO-skeptical nation within this Northern Treaty Alliance. So during this Parliamentary Summit in Sofia, there was this declaration adopted to support Ukraine until victory over Russia.

But also the change of policy that follows this declaration, which means free usage of NATO weaponry supplied to the Ukrainian armed forces, and the allowance to use them deep inside Russian territory to strike, like, you know, the radar stations, we've seen that over the past week or 10 days. And it's happening, or it's being declared in Bulgaria. And why I find it extremely dangerous is the fact that the president of the Russian Federation was on a trip to Uzbekistan.

And during that trip, there was a press conference organized, and he alluded, in my opinion, to Bulgaria, and to this statement or change of policy adopted by the Parliamentary Assembly of NATO, where he pointed out that it's surprising that small NATO countries, I think he even said small NATO countries of Europe, are subscribing to this idea because they are densely populated, small territories, and this should be considered as a major strategic factor in their deliberations, instead of just, you know, subscribing thoughtlessly to whatever is happening, which to me is, first of all, a clear allusion to Bulgaria.

Second, it's as open declaration as you can possibly hear from a Russian diplomat or president or high-ranking politician that we are going to attack you if you only dare to actually realize or materialize from your own territory some kind of attack on Russian territory deep into the heartland, using NATO weaponry or using NATO territory and so on. And, you know, I have the feeling that we are actually looking, if it happens, you know, God forbid, of course, but if it happens, we are looking at the end, at the final stage of Bulgarian statehood. What's your take?

Arto Artinian

Well, Boyan, I think I'm less worried about Bulgaria being the intended target of those words by Putin. I think, personally, I think he was referring more to the three Baltic states, which openly seem to be eager to fight a war against Russia for some reason, which I don't understand, because three Baltic states themselves combined, their population doesn't come up to half of the population of Moscow. And furthermore, roughly 50% or very close thereabouts of the population of those three Baltic states consists of ethnic Russians.

So, clearly, these politicians in the three Baltic republics do not speak for themselves. They're simply repeating what they're being told by their more powerful NATO allies. So, I think he was much more addressing this to both the Baltic states than to Bulgaria, because I still think it's difficult to imagine Bulgaria being threatened by the Russian military in some kind of an escalation against NATO, except possibly NATO military bases in Bulgaria, which would be a horrible escalation, of course, if the war reached that stage.

But I think any intended targets would probably be American military bases in Bulgaria or whatnot. But I don't think that's likely at this stage, although I don't know, of course.

Boyan Stanislavski

But I think- Yeah, let me just interject here. Let me just interject that before the summit began, I'm talking about this parliamentary NATO summit in Bulgaria, and before all those declarations were adopted until victory, and yes, please strike deep into the Russian heartland and so on and so forth, Bulgarian government has offered itself or has offered the Bulgarian territory in order to establish a special kind of military decision-taking body there, which would manage, which would be called the East, the East, like whatever it is, but would be called the East. And, you know, I understand military bases would also be there, but there would be this command center in Bulgaria.

So I suppose it's like inviting Russian missiles.

Arto Artinian

I think this follows very much in the sense, for example, when United Europe under Adolf Hitler's leadership invaded Poland and then the Soviet Union, when the war reached the Soviet Union, the United Europe, and I use this term deliberately because we're wi…

In this episode of "On the Barricades," we delve into the intricate tapestry of Slovakia's political. Boyan Stanislavski is joined by the distinguished Slovak journalist and author, Silvia Ruppeldtová, whose recent work, "The other face of modernity," sheds light on the unseen facets of international politics.

This episode promises an unprecedented exploration of Robert Fico's tenure as Slovakia's Prime Minister, a figure who commands both respect and controversy in equal measure. Fico's political odyssey, often marred by polarized media portrayals and contentious policies, is dissected to reveal a man whose actions and ideology are far more nuanced than the public persona crafted by headlines.

Through this in-depth discussion Stanislavski and Ruppeldtova navigate the complex landscape of Slovak politics, illuminating the forces that have shaped Fico's career and the nation's policy direction. From the roots of Fico's political ideology to the significant yet controversial reforms he has championed, this episode is an invitation to look beyond the surface and grasp the multifaceted nature of political leadership in Slovakia.

➨ Introduction to Robert Fico and his public image (00:00:00 - 00:05:00) ↠ The video opens with an introduction to Robert Fico, Slovakia's Prime Minister, addressing his controversial image in the media as a Kremlin-aligned figure and his opposition to pandemic measures.

➨ Fico's political journey and ideological stance (00:05:00 - 00:10:00) ↠ A deep dive into Fico's evolution from a Social Democrat to being accused of various ideological stances, highlighting his longstanding role in Slovak politics.

➨ Media portrayal vs. public perception (00:10:00 - 00:15:00) ↠ Discussion on the exaggerated negative portrayal of Fico in the media, especially regarding his stance on Russia and Ukraine, versus the actual public opinion and electoral support.

➨ Controversial policies and achievements (00:15:00 - 00:20:00) ↠ Examination of Fico's notable policies on healthcare and education, their societal impacts, and the public debate surrounding their perceived populism.

➨ Slovak national identity and political landscape (00:20:00 - 00:25:00) ↠ Insights into the broader context of Slovak national identity, the rural-urban divide, and how Fico taps into the national sentiment to maintain political support.

➨ European Union and NATO relations (00:25:00 - 00:30:00) ↠ Analysis of Fico's critical yet pragmatic stance towards the EU and NATO, and the implications for Slovakia's international relations.

➨ Public response to Fico's leadership (00:30:00 - 00:35:00) ↠ Discussion on the public's response to Fico's leadership, focusing on his re-election and the significant support despite widespread media criticism.

➨ Cultural and historical influences on politics in Slovakia (00:35:00 - 00:40:00) ↠ Exploration of how historical narratives and cultural factors influence Slovakia's political dynamics and Fico's political strategy.

➨ Conclusion and reflections on Fico's impact (00:40:00 - 00:48:02) ↠ Concluding remarks on Fico's impact on Slovakia's political scene, reflecting on the themes discussed and the complex interplay between leadership, identity, and governance.

Transcript of the interview

Boyan Stanislavski: Hello and welcome "On the Barricades". My name is Boyan Stanislavski. I'm going to be your host today. And I invited Silvia Ruppeldtová. Hello, and welcome to the show.

Silvia Ruppeldtová: Hi.

Boyan Stanislavski: All right, so Silvia is a journalist and a writer from Slovakia, author of books and nerous articles. And I invited her because I'd like to discuss this new demonic figure that is now your prime minister in the Republic of Slovakia. One, Robert Fico. And we've heard so many things about him that, you know, he's being groomed by the Kremlin that, you know, he supports Russia in this war with Ukraine, that he is against any kind of measures or he used to be against any kind of measures during the years of the pandemic and so on and so forth. Anyway, he is evil walking evil. That's the kind of thing that you get when you read the mainstream press, including in our region, the former Eastern Bloc. So I'd like you to begin, perhaps, before we reply, whether it's these smears make any sense, I'd like you to perhaps begin, , by describing a little bit like who Robert Fico actually is and what he stands for.

Silvia Ruppeldtová: Yeah, okay. Well, you mentioned that he's a new evil or a new demon. No no no no, no, he's being an evil or a demon for ages.

Boyan Stanislavski: In Slovakia,

Silvia Ruppeldtová: In Slovakia, in Slovakia. Well, yeah, probably he was not so much known abroad. He became actually a prime minister for the first time in 2006, I think, or seven. And, so he's absolutely not a new figure. He started as a Social Democrat, and he still represents himself and his party as a Social Democratic party. Then he was from the very beginning, he started to be accused of all those things that are unacceptable. First, he was a Bolshevik, then he was a communist. Then as the time passed, he became, russophile and nationalist and racist and etc. and so on and so forth. But that was especially during his first and second second government. And there were many things to criticize, of course. The problem is that now when he was reelected, very clearly reelected in the last elections, there was a huge mess. The half of the country wanted to emigrate because in the press you could you could only read that he supported Putin and not Ukraine, which is not true, actually that he will destroy Slovakia's international reputation.

Boyan Stanislavski: Because Slovakia of course has a fantastic international reputation.

Silvia Ruppeldtová: Yeah. And that the Slovakia has no future. And so everything was very, very, very much exaggerated of course. Even if you want to be critical to Robert Fico, this was something really. Absolutely not appropriate. And it happened in very specific situation. You know, when Robert Fico stopped being prime minister four years ago or so because there was this upheaval after the murder of Ján Kuciak, the journalist.

Boyan Stanislavski: Yeah. Let's talk about it a little bit because you said, because that's that's an important part of the past of Robert Fico's past, or at least past attached to him, because there was this horrendous murder in 2018, if I remember correctly.

Silvia Ruppeldtová: Yeah, the beginning of the year.

Boyan Stanislavski: Yeah. Of a journalist and his wife or fiancée.

Silvia Ruppeldtová: Yeah.

Boyan Stanislavski: Right. And then Robert Fico well, the only thing that apparently he had to do with it, quote unquote, was that it happened under his reign. But there was there is no evidence, from what I gather. Correct me if I'm wrong connecting him or his administration to anyone even remotely close to this criminal act.

Silvia Ruppeldtová: Right? Yeah, as I notice that the foreign media now and he's reelected again, not for the first time, that they write that he is directly connected somehow with the murder, which poses Slovakia then in a very strange light, because that would say that the Slovaks now voted for him in spite that he is a murderer. But of course, he was never accused officially of having killed someone. The only thing is really that it happened when he was a he was a prime minister and there was this massive hill, really, that people were protesting in the street, the movement, so-called Slušné Slovensko and the media, especially the media, represented it as the murder as an act as a consequence of the regime of Robert Fico as the corruption and which he was accused of and of course, in his government, there were cases of corruption, but there were absolutely. No clues to connect him.

Boyan Stanislavski: I'd like to focus on for a little while are the achievements, because I think that if there's anything that prompted people to actually vote for Fico again, despite this campaign that's been launched …

On the Barricades ― s06e24

💰 You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade 🌟 Thanks so much!

Boyan Stanislavski and Maria Cernat provide an overview of news from Eastern Europe in this episode. They begin by discussing how Polish and Baltic ministers decided to issue an ultimatum to Belarus, demanding that its authorities immediately remove Wagner PMC members from Belarusian territory. Then they discuss the ultimate threat to public order in Moldova: popular Serbian singer Goran Bregovich. He was not permitted to cross the Moldovan border or perform a concert there. You see, he's far too ‘pro-Russian.’ There are also other stories, such as a Polish activist who declared that if elected as an MP, he will establish an official registry of gay people.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada

On the Barricades ― s06e23

💰 You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade🌟 Thanks so much!

In this episode, one of the show's hosts, Dr. Maria Cernat, explains how the recent tragic events in Romania involving exploding gas stations were not unexpected. That is how a broken nation operates. Nobody cares about the infrastructure, nobody cares about enforcing the law, nobody cares about truly assisting those in need, nobody cares about the structural reasons that such dangerous and deadly incidents occur every now and then. Some are aggressive, and hunting is the only thing most media outlets can offer. The real question is how this affects the political process in that country.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada

On the Barricades ― s06e22

💰 You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade🌟 Thanks so much!

Boyan Stanislavski talks with two Bulgarian political commentators, Arto Artinian and Bozhin Traykov, in this episode. The topic is a rather strange (even by Eastern European standards) bill that is being discussed in a rather shady manner in some kind of "working group" where the suggestion is that in Bulgaria, the Bulgarian language could be downgraded to foreign language for some groups of pupils and students. We became aware of this outrage after the "working group" in question decided to take it up with the Bulgarian Teachers Union, and its leader Yanka Takyeva informed the media that such a bill was being considered. It's worth noting that the leader of one of Bulgaria's largest Roma NGOs, who was also invited to discuss this project, was as outraged as Takyeva that such an abhorrent idea could even be seriously considered, let alone unofficially discussed. Of course, this is just one of the many ways US imperialism is destroying Bulgaria from within.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada

On the Barricades ― s06e21

💰 You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade🌟 Thanks so much!

There is a small segment of Bulgarian society that is mostly made up of clients of American and other Western NGOs in Bulgaria, who continue to openly support the country's most notorious Euro-Atlanticist forces. They, of course, publicly support concepts such as "democracy," "freedom," and "human rights," and one of their leaders once famously described them as "smart and beautiful," in contrast to the rest of society. This fall, the "unintelligent" and "unattractive" will compete in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital and a bastion of pro-imperialist reactionaries. They will have the opportunity to support Vanya Grigorova, a well-known public figure in Bulgaria, a chief-adviser to one of the country's largest labor confederations, and an honest class fighter. Boyan Stanislavski discusses what this means for Bulgaria's political process with two Bulgarian political analysts, Bozhin Traykov and Arto Artinian.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada

On the Barricades ― s06e20

💰 You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade

🌟 Thanks so much!

Dr. Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski discuss the political situation in Poland, which is set to hold parliamentary elections on October 15. Boyan explains the larger context of recent campaign events, as well as some rather amusing government and opposition failures.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada

On the Barricades ― s06e19

💰 You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade

🌟 Thanks so much! In this episode of On the Barricades, Dr. Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski discuss how the Romanian media has suddenly discovered people who can speak assertively, rationally, and, most importantly, truthfully about Ukraine's much-hyped "counteroffensive" which is now going on for the third month in a row. Boyan explains the social and political context of the recent uproar over the Red Army monument in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital city, in the second half of the show.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨 Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada

On the Barricades - s06e18

💰You can support us at https://www.patreon.com/thebarricade

🌟Thanks so much!

In this episode, Dr. Maria Cernat discusses a recent scandal in Romania involving private care home owners who provide peace of mind and necessary medical and social assistance to elderly people who have no relatives. The reality is that those institutions, which were privatized, are more akin to descriptions of people barely surviving in WWII-era concentration camps and a place to rest, let alone being cared for. Horrible stories have emerged of elderly people being tortured and even forced to work. Of course, there is a class component to this pathology, but it also speaks volumes about the profound demoralization that Romanian society has experienced over the last three decades to allow such barbarism to occur on a large scale.

🚨 Twitter: https://twitter.com/_the_barricade_

🚨Rumble: https://rumble.com/user/thebarricade

🚨 Odysee: https://odysee.com/@TheBarricade:3

🚨 Spotify: http://bit.ly/Barricade_SF

🚨 SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/baricada