SPS

Bekah welcomes back SPS's resident financial guru to discuss the impact of Trump's tariffs on the state of world finances, markets, and leftist politics on both sides of the Atlantic.

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Further Materials:

What is the Relevance of the EU for the Left? (Leipzig, 06/24): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DlJpbdI4rs

Tariffs, Trade War & the Working Class (Independent Labor Club of New York, 29.3.25): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anLh3-U9jKs

D.L. Jacobs' remarks published as Liberation Day: https://www.sublationmag.com/post/liberation-day

The Crisis of Neoliberalism (Vienna, 05/17): https://platypus1917.org/2017/05/03/the-crisis-of-neoliberalism/

The Millennial Left is Dead (10/17): https://platypus1917.org/2017/10/01/millennial-left-dead/

Beyond Left and Right? (London, 07/24): https://youtu.be/xschDfeBlDg?si=Ydiu0Ps7u5GaDsqR

Radical Interpretations of the Present Crisis Panel Series:

New York, 11/14/12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSUlDcXEnR8

London, 12/01/12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH7ofme8_bE

Chicago, 12/03/12: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PFepPXbu13o

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Original soundtracks by Tamas Vilaghy

Editing work by Michael Woodson

To learn more about Platypus, go to www.platypus1917.org

Lisa sits down with Erin, Danny, and Tim to discuss recent iterations of our Immigration & the Left Panel, as well as the trajectory of immigration politics from the Millennial Left to the present.

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IMMIGRATION & THE LEFT PANEL SERIES

UC San Diego (5/22/25) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_KvcJddPp4

Columbia University (4/28/25) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DG4vBqNDQ4w

University of Illinois in Chicago (11/07/16) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hw9UbFW37U4

University of Houston (10/23/16) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vyblZjZjBfs

Immigration and the Left: An Interview with David Wilson (Sep 2011) - https://platypus1917.org/2011/08/31/immigration-and-the-left-david-wilson/

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Summer Reading Group on pre-Marxian socialism: https://platypus1917.org/2025/05/22/summer-2025-readings-pre-marxian-socialism/

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News Coverage Source: CBS Evening News 9/7/25

We're back with a long episode in two parts.

In the first half, Pam, Natalie, and Ed reflect upon the closing plenary of the 2025 Platypus International Convention, "Is there a Left in the 21st Century?" which featured Andrew Hartman (author of Marx in America), Branko Marcetic (Democratic Socialists of America & Jacobin author), Chris Cutrone (Platypus), and Alex Higgins (Prometheus Journal).

In the second half, Tamas and Andony sit down with Doug Lain to discuss his experience of the 80s and 90s counter-cultural Left, and possible parallels with our current moment.

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Is there a Left in the 21st Century? (4/5/2025) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE0zr2hs8i4

SPS Intro to the Platypus International Convention

https://soundcloud.com/platypus-affiliated-society/2025-convention

Platypus Summer 2025 Reading Group: Pre-Marxian Socialism

https://platypus1917.org/2025/05/22/summer-2025-readings-pre-marxian-socialism/

The Legacy of the 1980s (3/31/22) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG4uFkcNhHE

Why Does Society Have Politics? (4/5/25) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8a_-4JRdi6c

The Left in the 1980s (2013) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhtI3AfGjcY

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Original soundtracks by Tamas Vilaghy

Editing work by Michael Woodson

To learn more about Platypus, go to www.platypus1917.org

Rebekah, Ismail, and Michael introduce the upcoming Platypus International Convention, featuring Bill Ayers, Chris Cutrone, Alex Higgins, Michael Kazin, Branko Marcetic, Dave McKerracher, and Pamela Nogales among many more speakers, teach-ins, and social events.

Is There a Left in the 21st Century?

April 3rd-5th

Chicago, IL

Full line-up available at https://www.platypus.events

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Check out our past events at https://platypus1917.org

In this episode of Sh-t Platypus Says, we focus on the German politics in the present and since the aftermath of the New Left.

In the first half, Lisa discusses the recent German elections results with Jule, Daron, and Andreas. What does the victory of Friedrich Merz's center-right CDU mean for the Left?

In the second half, Lisa sits down with Therri, Marius, and Jo to reflect on our German language Antideutsch panel, forthcoming in English translation in the Platypus Review. They discuss the history of the Antideutsch, the current of the Antideutsch and their influence in Germany, and further questions provoked by our panel.

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Ep 66: AfD & Sahra Wagenknecht in Germany, Anarchism on the West Coast: https://soundcloud.com/platypus-affiliated-society/ep-66

Was waren die Antideutschen? (German language panel)

Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPbT71IExIw

Transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2024/11/03/was_waren_die_antideutschen/

preparatory readings for the Antideutsch panel: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1p01FL84oWkNOttxB3y9gA7x65zojFQn78RKuifAXNQ0/edit?usp=sharing

Linke Antworten auf die AfD (German language panel)

Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kgpaaXvMqLg&themeRefresh=1

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Cover image by Martin Steger

Original soundtracks by Tamas Vilaghy

Editing work by Michael Woodson

To learn more about Platypus, go to www.platypus1917.org

Itsï and Johannes sit down with Chris Cutrone to reflect on last year's summer reading group, The Right for the Left. They discuss the historical difference between the Right and the Left, the prevalence of right-wing ideas on the Left, and how the Left conceded the contestation of ideas to the Right.

The full syllabus can be found here:

https://platypus1917.org/2024/05/08/summer-2024-readings-the-right-for-the-left/

Visit our website at www.platypus1917.org

Episode 71 comes in two parts: In the first, Pam sits down with Audrey and Itsï to discuss the assassination of United Healthcare's CEO, and what the Left has to say about it. They consider the historical anarchist tactic of the propaganda of the deed, and what Marxism had to say about it. In the second part, Lucy and Wentai interview Nina Power, a writer active since the 90s on the British Left. They reflect on the experience of the Gen X and Millennial Left in the UK, the changes in feminism and gender politics during that time, and revisit her first book from 2009, One Dimensional Woman.

Visit our website at www.platypus1917.org

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LINKS

Unherd Interview, 26 July 2024

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI7p1UypGqA

Nina Power, One Dimensional Woman (2009)

https://files.libcom.org/files/onedimensionalwoman.pdf

Nina Power, What do Men Want? Masculinity and its Discontents (2022)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Men-Want-Masculinity-Discontents/dp/0241356504

In this episode, Pam sits down with Platypus members, Ethan and Gabe, to discuss Trump's reelection and the Republicans' victory in Congress, the Left's nostalgia for Bernie along with its efforts to "critique" the Democrats, and the new multiracial coalition behind the GOP.

In the second part, Daniel and Itsï sit down with Carlos Garrido, Director of the Midwestern Marx Institute and Secretary of Education for the American Communist Party, founded this year. They discuss American Marxism, W.E.B. DuBois, the launch of the ACP, and why now might be the moment for a communist party.

Our volume "Marxism in the Age of Trump" is now on sale and available to purchase here:

https://platypus-publishing.square.site/product/marxism-in-age-of-trump/5?cs=true&cst=custom

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"The Left and the 2024 Election" (10/30/24 panel)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IbzY1kaG2c

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Eugene V. Debs - The Negro In the Class Struggle (1903)

https://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1903/negro.htm

Constitution of the American Communist Party (2024)

https://acp.us/2024-constitution.pdf

This episode comes in two parts. At the beginning of this year the PAS published its second installment of the Platypus Review Reader. This volume, in addition to Marxism in the Age of Trump and Chris Cutrone's recent publication The Death of the Millennial Left, are a curated selection of articles in our monthly publication spanning between 2013 and 2017. In the first segment, we present a roundtable with Platypus members involved in the curation, publication and digestion of the Platypus Review Reader 2, opening up a discussion about the long history of the Platypus Review, the denouement of the Millennial Left, and how we make this history meaningful as the Zoomer Left enters the mid-2020s. In the second segment, Pam N. sits down for an interview led by our German members, Kat and Lara, to discuss the teach-in she gave in November 2023, after the October 7th attacks, and take up the horizons of possibility of the Millennial Left, the new forms of politicization and depoliticization, and the task of political education by Platypus today.

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Platypus Review Reader 2 Roundtable links:

"The Platypus Review Reader" 1 and 2 and "Marxism in the Age of Trump" are available at

https://platypus1917.org/publishing/

Full table of contents for the PRR2 available at https://platypus-publishing.square.site/product/pr-reader-ii-soft-/4?si=true

"Editorial Statement" for the Platypus Review: https://platypus1917.org/platypus-review/editorial-statement/

Some key articles mentioned:

"Program and Utopia" Platypus Panel (July 2013) https://platypus1917.org/2013/07/01/program-and-utopia/

"What is a Political Party for the Left?" Platypus panel (2015) https://platypus1917.org/2015/08/30/political-party-left-3/

Teo Velissaris., "Ghosts of national sovereignty: SYRIZA and the Left in the current situation" (September 2015)

https://platypus1917.org/2015/09/01/ghosts-national-sovereignty-syriza-left-current-situation/

"1917-2017" Platypus Panel (September 2017) https://platypus1917.org/2017/08/29/1917-2017/

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Nogales Interview links:

Pamela C. Nogales C., “Helplessness without history: Political education after the Millennial Left” in the Platypus Review 170 (October 2024)

https://platypus1917.org/2024/10/01/helplessness-without-history-political-education-after-the-millennial-left/

Pamela C. Nogales C., “Ohnmacht ohne Geschichte: Politische Bildung nach der Millenial Linken” Die Platypus Review 33 (September/Oktober 2024)

https://platypus1917.org/2024/10/01/nogales_ohnmacht_ohne_geschichte/

SPS #67 Interviews with encampment participants

https://soundcloud.com/platypus-affiliated-society/ep67

“Beyond Left and Right,” Platypus public panel, London, (July 2024)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25pD9iyQmr0&t=84s

Benjamin M. Studebaker, “Beyond Bonapartism: Breaking statephobic thought taboos” in the Platypus Review 166 (May 2024)

https://platypus1917.org/2024/05/01/beyond-bonapartism-breaking-statephobic-thought-taboos/

Pamela C. Nogales C., “Platypus at #Occupy: Lessons learned from the death of the Millennial Left” in the Platypus Review 137 (June 2021)

https://platypus1917.org/2021/06/01/platypus-at-occupy/

Efraim Carlebach, “The unchanging core of Marxism: An interview with Ian Birchall” in the Platypus Review 102 (December 2017 – January 2018)

https://platypus1917.org/2017/12/02/unchanging-core-marxism-interview-ian-birchall/

James Heartfield “The anti-political party, Book Review: Ian Birchall. Tony Cliff: A Marxist for His Time. London: Bookmarks, 2011” in the Platypus Review 55 (April 2013)

https://platypus1917.org/2013/04/01/the-anti-political-party/

Erin Hagood, “Have we unlearned how to learn? 1968 and today” in the Platypus Review 168 (July - August 2024)

https://platypus1917.org/2024/07/01/have-we-unlearned-how-to-learn-1968-and-today/

50 Years of 1968, Platypus public panel series (2018)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMYuijyS19Q&list=PLNc4xGUuaRwmXgnewb_tYfhp8_YTn_c9F&pp=iAQB

On this episode of SPS, Pamela N. and Platypus member Adrienne F. interview Nadine Strossen, an American legal scholar and civil liberties activist. Strossen served as the president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from 1991 to 2008; she is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Education Expression (FIRE); and is the author of Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023). We discuss her history on the Left, her relationship to the antiwar movement, the Students for a Democratic Society, and radical & progressive positions today. We also take up the recent illiberal turn in society, and what if any effect it has had on the ACLU, as well as her proposed solutions. Finally, we take a critical look at demands by the Left to reform the Supreme Court.

If you live in the East Coast, Platypus is hosting its annual East Coast Conference in Boston on Oct 11-13. There will be a variety of panels, teach-ins and social gatherings. Panels include, "The American Revolution and Communism" held at Boston College on 10.12 and "The Role of Theory in Defeat," at Harvard University on 10.13. More information will be available at:

https://www.facebook.com/platypusbc | https://x.com/BcPlatypus | https://www.instagram.com/platypusbc/

The French chapter of Platypus is holding a virtual panel, on "Popular Front Politics Today," held in French on Sat Sept 28 via Zoom. The panel will feature, Gilles Candar, Aymeric Monville, and a member of the Spartacist League. More information will be available at: https://www.instagram.com/platypusfrance

LINKS

- Strossen, Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023)

https://global.oup.com/academic/product/free-speech-9780197699652

- Strossen, Hate: Why We Should Resist It With Free Speech, Not Censorship (2018)

https://www.amazon.com/-/en/Nadine-Strossen/dp/0190859121

- Strossen, Defending Pornography: Free Speech, Sex, and the Fight for Women's Rights (1995, new ed. 2024)

https://nyupress.org/9781479830763/defending-pornography/

- Nogales, “The Cancel Wars: The Legacy of the Cultural Turn in the Age of Trump” in Platypus Review 131 (November 2020)

https://platypus1917.org/2020/11/01/the-cancel-wars-the-legacy-of-the-cultural-turn-in-the-age-of-trump/

- ACLU Case Selection Guidelines (2017)

https://www.aclu.org/sites/default/files/field_document/aclu_case_selection_guidelines.pdf

- Strossen, “The First Amendment Doesn’t Protect White Supremacists Behind Violent Charlottesville Rallies,” LA Progressive Newsletter, Dec. 7, 2021

- Strossen, “Charlottesville Three Years Later: The First Amendment Confronts Hate and Violence,” Los Angeles Review of Books, Aug. 10, 2020

- Strossen, “The Interdependence of Racial Justice and Free Speech for Racists,” 1 Journal of Free Speech Law 51-70 (2021)

- Moyn, “Socialists Have Long Fought to Disempower the Supreme Court. That’s More Urgent Than Ever Now,” Jacobin (2020)

https://jacobin.com/2020/09/supreme-court-socialists-ruth-bader-ginsburg-death

- Cotlin, “Mayor Eric Adams, DSA agree: expand the court” City & State New York (2023)

https://www.cityandstateny.com/politics/2023/02/mayor-eric-adams-dsa-agree-expand-court/383006/

- Lazare, “A central driver” in the Weekly Worker (2021)

https://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1337/a-central-driver/

- Strossen on SCOTUS term limits, in “Forum: What’s the Matter With the Supreme Court? And what can be done to fix it?” in The Nation (2018)

https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/forum-whats-the-matter-with-the-supreme-court/

- Sublation Media with Doug Lain, “Nadine Strossen Talks to Marxists” (2023)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gd5-KoOosA

- “The Politics of Free Speech,” (04/06/24) Platypus International Convention 2024 panel, Chicago, IL.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anorBcUZ-uE

- "Free Speech and the Left," Platypus virtual panel (05/02/24),

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9xc0IIKUz8