Against the Stream

This week, after claiming victory in the German election, Friedrich Merz declared that Germany would now stand up to the USA, Russia and China and make the EU into a ‘great power’. Similarly, Keir Starmer declared that Britain would stand by Ukraine for 100 years and threatened to put British troops on the group as a ‘peacekeeping force’, while Macron travelled to the White House in a ‘show of strength’ to Trump. Clearly, the liberal European establishment has gone mad. In reality, Europe is facing a catastrophic crisis. It is being outcompeted and squeezed between the real great powers, has been abandoned by its American protector, and is looking on helplessly as Russia claims victory in the Ukraine war, a war they have spent hundreds of billions of dollars prolonging. On top of that, the despised establishment parties across the continent are facing the meteoric rise of right-wing populist contenders. Their bragging and posturing could not be more out of touch with reality, for there is no way out of this mess on a capitalist basis.To explain the method in the madness, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the international leadership of the RCI, met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International.This episode was streamed on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

Storm clouds are gathering over the world economy. Already, it is faced with slowing growth, rising interest and inflation rates, and astronomical debts. Now Trump’s ‘America First’ policy and his promise of tariffs threaten to make all of that worse. As America wanes as the undisputed, dominant world power, the epoch of globalisation that it policed is coming to an end. Instead, an era of intense competition between hostile blocs of imperialist powers is opening up. All this cannot fail to have devastating consequences on the world economic situation, which is already headed towards a catastrophic crisis. To break down these processes from a Marxist perspective, Hamid Alizadeh and Niklas Albin Svensson from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for a special episode of Against the Stream all about the world economy and the gigantic crisis headed its way.  This podcast was streamed live on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

As the war on Iran enters its third week, US imperialism finds itself mired in a deepening crisis. What Trump envisioned as a swift decapitation strike is rapidly proving to be the gravest blunder of his presidency – and perhaps one of the most catastrophic miscalculations in the history of American foreign policy.Iran, meanwhile, is raising the stakes. Oil and gas prices are soaring, and the spectre of a new global economic slump looms ever larger. Ordinary people are watching these events unfold with a mixture of shock, bewilderment, and rage. The question of how to fight back against imperialism and put an end to its unrelenting cycle of violence is weighing on the minds of millions.In this episode of Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston examine how communists must take up the struggle against US imperialism today, contrasting the Marxist approach with the positions of both the reformist left and so-called third-worldism.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖The war on Iran: where do communists stand?🔗https://marxist.com/the-war-on-iran-where-do-communists-stand.htmTrump’s massive Iran aggression gamble becoming a catastrophic miscalculation🔗https://marxist.com/trump-s-massive-iran-aggression-gamble-becoming-a-catastrophic-miscalculation.htmFinancial Times – 'Iranians rethink the price of regime change'🔗https://www.ft.com/content/4e048ed0-9bba-4392-8cee-7f1337c0b211New York Times – 'Pace of Iran's retaliatory strikes appears to be slowing'🔗https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/11/world/middleeast/iran-weapons-missiles-israel-gulf.html⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro and updates to the situation15:15 – What is imperialism?29:45 – The reformist 'solution'48:55 – The 'Axis of Resistance'🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The United States and Israel have launched a war on Iran. Missiles and bombs are falling across Tehran and beyond, with strikes hitting schools, military installations, and government compounds throughout the country. Thousands of people are being killed and injured in yet another wave of imperialist bloodshed.On today's episode of Against The Stream, Hamid Alizadeh is joined by Niklas Albin Svensson to analyse this major turning point in world events from a communist perspective. Already, things aren't going the way Trump had hoped, with Iran firing back, US munitions stretched thin, and the threat of a prolonged conflict the US cannot afford…New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖The war on Iran: where do communists stand?🔗https://marxist.com/the-war-on-iran-where-do-communists-stand.htmTrump’s massive Iran aggression gamble becoming a catastrophic miscalculation🔗https://marxist.com/trump-s-massive-iran-aggression-gamble-becoming-a-catastrophic-miscalculation.htmAlliance of Political Forces of Iranian Kurdistan statement 🔗https://x.com/PDKIenglish/status/2028556271700549982🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Donald Trump is once again banging the war drums, threatening military action against Iran. He has now assembled the largest US naval build-up in the region since the 2003 invasion of Iraq – including two aircraft carriers and hundreds of fighter jets. The recent kidnapping of Maduro appears to have emboldened Trump and the warhawks in Washington, convincing them they can dictate terms through sheer force. But a war with Iran would not be a simple show of strength; it would risk spiralling far beyond US control.This looming conflict is not an isolated event, but the product of decades of US imperialist intervention that has sown chaos across the Middle East. As Ben Curry and Hamid Alizadeh discuss in this latest episode, new fault lines are opening, which threaten fresh and bloody clashes across the region. All this while crises at home, including the fallout from the Epstein files, expose the deep rot at the heart of American capitalism.Fittingly, this episode also tackles a key question sent in by a listener: will a revolution necessarily be violentNew episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Red Sea rift: US allies split into armed camps🔗https://marxist.com/middle-east-divide-fault-lines.htmThe establishment has been rocked before. Epstein is an existential threat🔗https://www.thetimes.com/uk/royal-family/article/epstein-king-charles-british-monarchy-d7nxllfgq?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=AWEtsqfauVuwblbIy7ObbYJ5jMpOy4JSsVK2VWzBII0HGdoA2-CILWfjl88pZFz3PVE%3D&gaa_ts=69a06606&gaa_sig=VxBVBRNrLEXvVW-tWp7tZ0xwCM7-Z6MjuWqKNJGscxX_5bQsVJaV5_Q673BjJE7n-nCzvPxbFQGUzbDIRq9WVg%3D%3D⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro01:15 – Iran military buildup24:09 – Realignment of powers in the Middle East46:48 – Epstein scandal out of control01:04:16 – Question: do communists want violence?🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

The Cuban revolution is in grave danger! Trump's oil blockade has cut off the island's fuel supplies, plunging the country into prolonged blackouts, halting public transport, and threatening a full-scale humanitarian crisis. With Venezuelan oil cut off and Mexico bowing to US threats, Trump is tightening the noose to asphyxiate the island after 67 years of relentless pressure.The aim of the US is to crush a revolution that refuses to submit to imperialist domination. Trump demands Cuba sever ties with Russia and China, open its economy to US capital, and surrender its sovereignty. The stakes couldn’t be clearer: the survival of the revolution depends not on bourgeois governments, but on the mobilisation of the working class and oppressed worldwide.In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Jorgé Martín and Hamid Alizadeh analyse the latest developments in the imperialist siege and discuss the history of the Cuban Revolution and how it got where it is today. New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Mallory) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs (Rubottom)🔗https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1958-60v06/d499Cuba 50 years later – where is the revolution going?🔗https://marxist.com/cuba-50-years-later.htmRise up with Cuba, peoples of the world!🔗https://medium.com/la-tiza/lev%C3%A1ntense-con-cuba-pueblos-del-mundo-2cf19db7647c"This is Not a Dress Rehearsal": U.S. Engaged in Massive Military Buildup as Threat To Bomb Iran Grows🔗https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/iran-us-nuclear-military-buildup-trump-khamenei?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email&triedRedirect=true⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️00:00 – Intro01:17 – What is going on in Cuba?14:05 – Impact of blockade23:58 – Why does the US care about Cuba?27:50 – Is Cuba a socialist country?46:51 – Iran55:39 – Viewer's question: Why would people go to work under communism?🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Over the last month, we have seen shocking images come out of Syria. ISIS flags waving over Raqqa. Jihadist militants knocking over the gravestones of Kurdish fighters. When it was set up, the Kurdish statelet of Rojava inspired people worldwide. Later, they beat back ISIS. Now ISIS have returned, and the Kurds are fighting for their lives. How has it come to this?Meanwhile, the world has been left aghast by the release of millions more files related to billionaire pedophile Jeffery Epstein. This is not only the exposure of the sordid dealings of a lone sex trafficker, but his friends: the most powerful people in the world. Here, for the whole world to see, is an unprecedented insight into the sociology and morality of the ruling class. Moreover, as the perpetrators walk scott free, the release of increasingly shocking dirt is stirring up a guillotine mood in society.As communists, we more than anyone need to understand the significance and meaning of these events. In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh sat down to do just that.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖Donald Trump and the ‘Epstein Class’🔗https://marxist.com/donald-trump-and-the-epstein-class.htmKurds under siege in Rojava🔗https://marxist.com/kurds-under-siege-in-rojava-only-revolutionary-struggle-against-imperialism-can-prevent-a-massacre.htmFT: The Epstein rot goes deep🔗https://www.ft.com/content/3f8277cd-2b47-49ff-b264-fd7ce89c924fSyria, Turkey, and the Oppression of the Kurds:🔗https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivBJ4vpzsqs

IMPORTANT NOTICE: This video was pre-recorded a week in advance. We will return to normal programming on Thursday 12th February.A lot is said about Hugo Chávez and the Bolivarian Revolution. The billionaire-owned media cry out indignantly that was a dictator who ruined life for ordinary Venezuelans. But over the course of his presidency, he won a total of 19 democratic elections and referendums with record voter turnout – how many bourgeois politicians can claim the same?In the meantime, the imperialists in Washington launched a number of coup attempts; all of which failed miserably, when brought face to face with the will of the organised masses. The power of the working class is like no other on Earth, and the Venezuelan Revolution offers an invaluable glimpse of what is possible when this power is unleashed.What was it about Chávez’ methods and outlook that allowed him to lead the most important revolutionary movement of the 21st century? And what was it about those same methods and outlook that ultimately led to its defeat after his death?Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh answer these questions and more on this week’s episode of Against the Stream. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT for a Marxist analysis of world events.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' – Documentary on the failed 2002 coup🔗https://vimeo.com/513876099Carry Out the Legacy of Hugo Chávez🔗https://marxist.com/carry-out-the-legacy-of-hugo-chavez.htmFrom Alan Woods' book 'The Venezuelan Revolution: A Marxist Perspective':Encounters with Hugo Chávez🔗https://marxist.com/book-the-venezuelan-revolution-marxist-perspective/encounters-with-hugo-chavez.htmMarxists and the Venezuelan Revolution🔗https://marxist.com/book-the-venezuelan-revolution-marxist-perspective/marxists-andnbspthe-venezuelan-revolution.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International:https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter:https://x.com/revcomintern/

The movement against ICE in Minneapolis is not just any ordinary protest – it is a microcosm of the revolutionary events that will shake the United States in the period ahead. With their class struggle methods, culminating in the first general strike in America in 80 years, the workers of Minneapolis not only forced Trump to retreat, they have also inspired millions across the country and the world.These events are a living and breathing lesson in the mechanics of revolution. They also show how, under the surface, the conditions for revolution – and particularly the consciousness of the classes – can develop undetected, before bursting to the surface in the form of dramatic events, which Trotsky described as the molecular processes of socialist revolution. With more revolutionary shocks inbound, we as communists need to study and explain what is going on. In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh delve into the events playing out in the US, and address how we can intervene in the struggle and prepare for the battles ahead. New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖United States: the 2026 Minnesota general strike – a historic turning point🔗https://marxist.com/united-states-the-2026-minnesota-general-strike-a-historic-turning-point.htmWelcome to the American Winter – The Atlantic 🔗https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/2026/01/minneapolis-uprising/685755/Minneapolis Makes History: Now Spread the General Strike! [Podcast] – Revolutionary Communists of America🔗https://youtu.be/nFi3sJCU1AY?si=r40nsT37QGFPZq1oICE Terrorizes Minneapolis: GENERAL STRIKE in the air [Podcast] – Revolutionary Communists of America🔗https://youtu.be/EGBrOxhSqjs?si=5Eq9ycZ_E5xP7_qA🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Donald Trump has bulldozed his way into 2026. Now, he has put the acquisition of Greenland at the top of his new year’s wishlist, sending the Europeans into panic and jeopardising trans-Atlantic relations even further.Why does Trump want Greenland? What would such a prospect mean for Europe on the world stage? And how are Trump’s actions abroad tied to the crisis at home, where the ICE murder of Renee Good has sparked an explosive movement. In this episode of our Marxist current affairs podcast, Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh discuss these questions and more, highlighting the underlying capitalist crisis that is driving all of these disasters.New episodes of Against the Stream air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖United States: anti-ICE rage surges in Minnesota — prepare for a general strike!https://marxist.com/united-states-anti-ice-rage-surges-in-minnesota-prepare-for-a-general-strike.htmAmerican imperialism increases pressure to take over Greenlandhttps://marxist.com/american-imperialism-increases-pressure-to-take-over-greenland.htm

2026 is only a few weeks old, yet world events are already unfolding at breakneck speed. From Donald Trump’s kidnapping of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, to the killing of Renee Good and the protests against ICE in Minneapolis, and now the growing mass movement and the prospect of US intervention in Iran, huge events are shaking up the world situation.In the first episode of the new season of our current-events podcast Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh unpack what these developments mean. They focus in particular on Iran: what is really happening on the ground, how today’s crisis is the product of centuries of imperialist meddling in the region, and what position communists should put forward in response.Against the Stream is the Marxist current-affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. New episodes air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Iran:Imperialists and Pahlavis – hands off Iran!🔗https://marxist.com/imperialists-and-pahlavis-hands-off-iran.htmAfter Ruining a Treasured Water Resource, Iran Is Drying Up - Yale E360http://e360.yale.edu/features/iran-water-drought-dams-qanatsThe effect of international sanctions on the size of the middle class in Iran - ScienceDirecthttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0176268025001090How Iran’s economic pain sparked explosion of unrest – Financial Timeshttp://www.ft.com/content/770dc40f-66be-4542-a584-3b6144117314Venezuela:Donald J Trump’s New Year’s gift to the world🔗https://marxist.com/donald-j-trump-s-new-year-s-gift-to-the-world.htmTrump’s attack on Venezuela: condemn this act of criminal aggression! – RCI statement🔗https://marxist.com/condemn-criminal-us-attack-on-venezuela.htmA week from US military aggression: where is Venezuela going?🔗https://marxist.com/a-week-from-us-military-aggression-where-is-venezuela-going.htm[Podcast] Hands off Venezuela🔗https://marxist.com/podcast-hands-off-venezuela.htmICE: United States: ICE murder of Renee Good – who are the real terrorists?🔗https://marxist.com/united-states-ice-murder-of-renee-good-who-are-the-real-terrorists.htm🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International:https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter:https://x.com/revcomintern/

As 2025 draws to a close, workers and young people around the world will look back on a year that has starkly exposed the blind alley of world capitalism. Trump’s return to the White House has only deepened the disorder, with his administration’s foreign and economic policies causing chaos on the world stage. The recently released National Security Strategy makes one thing unmistakably clear: the United States is not in the position it used to be, no longer capable of policing the globe on its own.This redivision of the world will not unfold calmly or peacefully – as the events of 2025 have shown. The relentless succession of crises is shaking consciousness on a mass scale, pushing hundreds of millions to question the status quo. Increasingly, people are searching for a way out of society’s dead end, and a growing layer is becoming receptive to communist ideas.In this episode of Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh look back on the tumultuous year, discuss what lies ahead, and explore how communists should prepare for the struggles to come.Against the Stream is the Marxist current-affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. New episodes air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖National Security Strategy of the United States of America🔗https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf“Just 0.001% hold three times the wealth of poorest half of humanity, report finds”https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2025/dec/10/just-0001-hold-three-times-the-wealth-of-poorest-half-of-humanity-report-findsThe meaning of China’s $1tn trade surplus🔗https://www.ft.com/content/80933ccf-a23f-43ab-b83c-1d2055e5995dLabour is slow-marching working people to populism🔗https://www.ft.com/content/1052957c-90ef-4e00-b599-e45643c5c8e4How asset managers like BlackRock took over the world🔗https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2025/06/16/how-asset-managers-like-blackrock-took-over-the-world-vulture-capitalism-extract-grace-blakeley/#:~:text=In%20this%20extract%20from%20her,concentration%20of%20money%20and%20power.The world turned upside down – a system in crisis🔗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/

This week, in Britain, Your Party – led by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana – held its inaugural conference. Zarah Sultana spoke there about not only taxing the rich, but of nationalising the entire economy! What does this development signify? And what would it take for Your Party to pose a real threat to capitalism in Britain?Meanwhile, amid a growing dispute within the US government over strikes on alleged drug-running vessels, Donald Trump announced that he will soon authorise military action against targets inside Venezuela. What lies behind this latest act of imperialist bullying and escalation? And what consequences would a new war have on the global situationIn this episode of Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh explore these questions and outline the communist perspective on them.Against the Stream is the Marxist current-affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. New episodes air every Thursday at 6pm GMT on YouTube.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖Britain: Gary, Jeremy, and the super-rich – how do we make the billionaires pay for this crisis?🔗https://marxist.com/britain-gary-jeremy-and-the-super-rich-how-do-we-make-the-billionaires-pay-for-this-crisis.htmFrench lessons: what Corbyn can learn from Mitterrand's mistakes🔗https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk-politics/2017/10/french-lessons-what-corbyn-can-learn-mitterrands-mistakesUS imperialism and Latin America: Trump threatens war on Venezuela🔗https://marxist.com/us-imperialism-and-latin-america-trump-threatens-war-on-venezuela.htmThe High Stakes in Venezuela🔗https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-high-stakes-in-venezuela-08382e2d⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️1:40 Venezuela update17:12 Zarah Sultana & Your Party58:55 Answering viewers' questions🌐 LINKS 🌐✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

With Trump’s proposed peace plan in Ukraine, Europe is once again finding itself sidelined by its former ally and benefactor, the United States. Having staked their crisis-ridden regimes on a Russian defeat in Ukraine, the Europeans are now waking up to the stark reality – Ukraine has lost the war, and Zelensky has his back against the wall. Although the European leaders would be the first to deny it, the continent where capitalism was born has now been left to rot on the vine. As Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh discuss in this episode of Against the Stream, the decline of the European economy in a period of rising imperialist competition is creating an explosive situation all across the continent. Against the Stream is the Marxist current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm GMT.📖 RECOMMENDED READING 📖China is making trade impossible🔗 https://www.ft.com/content/f294be55-98c4-48f0-abce-9041ed236a44Why Trump pushed for peace — again🔗 https://www.theatlantic.com/national-security/2025/11/ukraine-peace-push-russia-trump-zelensky/685045/Top U.S. negotiator warned Europeans that Russia is stockpiling missiles🔗 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/world/europe/ukraine-peace-talks-russia-missiles.htmlHow can Europe pay for things that it cannot afford?🔗 https://www.imf.org/en/-/media/files/publications/imf-notes/2025/english/insea2025004.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/

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-wealthWhat 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.htmZombies: 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