Against the Stream – Details, episodes & analysis

For the last century, the USA has been the undisputed master of the capitalist world. Now, all that is changing. Today, America is in decline and facing a new contender: China.

Over the last 30 years, China has exploded from an underdeveloped country, exploited by western capitalists for its cheap labour, to a cutting-edge capitalist power in its own right. Today, it accounts for 18 percent of the world's GDP and 29 percent of the world’s manufacturing, and leads the world in some of the most advanced technologies.

As a result of this stormy development, which has made China the second most powerful country in the world, it has been able to stand firm in the face of Trump’s tariff war, whereas all other countries have meekly submitted. But no matter the balance of forces, such a conflict between the world’s biggest markets cannot fail to have devastating consequences for the whole world economy. 

This trade war between the US and China – along with the negotiations over the fate of Ukraine, which are also discussed in this episode – show that we have entered a new epoch, one of economic crisis, heightened conflict between competing powers and, in consequence, class struggle. 

To explain where these developments 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.

This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

Articles mentioned:

“I’ve seen many phoney trade wars come and go. This is the real thing”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/09/trade-war-donald-trump-us-china

“‘The Tsunami Is Coming’: China’s Global Exports Are Just Getting Started”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/07/business/china-manufacturing-exports-trump-tariffs.html

“On the Question of Free Trade”

https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1888/free-trade/index.htm

“Trump’s tariff programme deepens protectionist tendencies in world economy”

https://marxist.com/trump-s-tariff-programme-deepens-protectionist-tendencies-in-world-economy.htm

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Last week, Trump’s tariffs delivered a shattering blow to the world economy, sending stock markets around the world into precipitous collapse. This week, he U-turned and paused the tariffs, with the exception of those on China, which now stand at 125 percent. What does this chaos mean for the world economy?

The reversal of the tariffs has provoked a sigh of relief from the capitalist class. But it is not over yet. With the two biggest economic forces on the planet – America and China – going head to head, the globalised world economy is going to be ripped apart. This will only bring closer and intensify the devastating recession that is looming over the capitalist system. 

For the working class of the world, this will be a catastrophe. They will be forced to pay the price, while the capitalist politicians will do everything they can to bail out the bankers and billionaires that got us into that mess. Unemployment and brutal cuts to living standards are coming. Already, in their dash to remilitarise, governments around the world are implementing brutal austerity programmes. The ripping apart of the world economy will only intensify matters and force capitalist governments to cut even deeper.

But, as we have already seen with the revolutions and mass movements in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Serbia, Greece and elsewhere, the working class will not take this lying down. The capitalist disaster is preparing a social explosion. Such chaos will force the working class to wake up to the fact that a dignified existence is incompatible with the continued rule of capitalism.

To explain how the anarchy of the market can be overthrown, Niklas Albin Svensson 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.

This episode premiered on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

Trump has been in power for just over two weeks and already he has started to upend the liberal world order. With tariffs, deportations, the halting of all foreign aid, and his plan to turn Gaza into a “Rivera of the Middle East”, ‘allies’ and rivals alike have been thrown into panic. 

With breathtaking speed, the ‘rules-based order’ is being dynamited and destabilised, and the policy of ‘America First’ – and everyone else last – is coming into effect, with explosive and chaotic consequences for world affairs. 

To discuss these developments, which signal a transformation in world imperialist relations, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh met for another episode of Against the Stream.

This podcast was streamed live 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.

This week’s episode of Against the Stream was recorded just days after Trump was inaugurated as US president. For some, this represents the triumph of fascism, a fear that was stoked by Elon Musk’s Nazi salute at the inauguration ceremony.



However, as Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International explain, this is not the case. The victory of fascism would signify the total destruction of the labour movement, which would only be possible on the basis of a massive defeat of the working class. But the American working class has yet to enter the scene.



Nonetheless, Trump’s election represents a historic turn for US imperialism which will have dramatic consequences on the whole world situation. Already, he’s threatened to annex Greenland, Panama and Canada, and, before taking office, forced Netanyahu to arrange a ‘ceasefire’ in Gaza, though one which does not by any means represent an end to the barbaric oppression of the Palestinian people.



With tariffs, trade wars and imperialist wars on the horizon, the next four years with Trump in the saddle of the strongest Imperialist power on earth are set to be explosive.



[Unfortunately the audio in today's recording was distorted by our streaming software. We apologise for any inconvenience caused. We are working on building a proper set-up for our studio and we are upgrading our equipment every week. However, as you can hear we still have a little way to go to ensure a top quality stream in a consistent manner. Rest assured that we are working on it and expect to fix it soon. In the meantime we appeal to your patience 😊]



Articles discussed in this episode:



Hamas Takes Charge in Gaza After 15 Months of War – New York Times



Biden worked 'tirelessly around the clock' — to prevent a ceasefire – Responsible Statecraft



Trump Team, Beware: Netanyahu Is Lying and Trying to Sabotage the Gaza Cease-fire Deal – Haaretz

With just days until Trump returns to power, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream to break down the news of the world from a Marxist perspective.



This episode, they discussed the recent announcement of a ceasefire in Gaza. With Biden, Starmer and the Arab regimes celebrating this as a victory, the hosts of Against the Stream looked at the real terms of the deal, which, as they discuss, is a cynical, imperialist peace. In fact, the same deal has been on the table since May 2024, when it was opposed by the US and the UK. In the meantime, Gaza has been reduced to a wasteland and tens of thousands of Palestinians have been murdered.



They also discussed Trump’s ‘America First’ policy, which has big implications for US imperialism and its relationship to its friends and foes. Trump’s bombastic announcements – most notably that he would seek to negotiate with Putin to end the Ukraine war and that the US would annex Greenland, Panama, and Canada – represent a shift in the attitude of US imperialism, which has dispensed with any cover for its rapacious, imperialist policy; has begun to acknowledge that it can’t rule the whole world at the same time; and is looking to divide the world up into spheres of influence. Most of all, this has huge implications on the US' relationship with Europe, which, in spite of its alliance, is finding itself increasingly sidelined and undermined.



Finally, they discussed an editorial in El País which decries Elon Musk’s recent intervention in European politics. El País, a billionaire-owned media outlet, which has repeatedly intervened in politics, criticises Musk’s X… a billionaire-owned social media outlet, which has been used to intervene in politics. In fact, El País goes as far as to defend the recent cancellation of elections in Romania… in defence of democracy!



Against the Stream is live on YouTube every Thursday at 3pm GMT. You can also listen to it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.



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Articles discussed in this episode:The devastating impact of 15 months of war on GazaHamas Has Another Sinwar. And He’s RebuildingWill Trump pull America back from the world“Democracy itself is at risk” – El País' hypocrisy exposedCar industry closures reveal depth of European crisisThe edge of anarchy

With just two weeks before Trump re-enters the White House, the outgoing Democrats are doing everything they can to undermine the next president. In Ukraine in particular, where they fear a drastic change of course in the policy of US imperialism, they are funnelling in as much money as they can get away with, as well as escalating the war by allowing Ukraine to strike deep into Russia with US bombs.



This conflict at the top of the world's strongest imperialist power has huge consequences for the whole planet.



And this is not the only problem facing the capitalist system. On all continents, governments are falling like dominos, imperialist powers are coming into greater and greater conflict, and the world economy – riven by tariffs – is slowing down. Just days into the new year, 2025 is already proving to be yet another historic year in the crisis of the capitalist system and, as a result, full of crisis, war, and revolution.



To break all this down from a Marxist perspective, Alan Woods joined Against the Stream for a special episode.



This podcast was streamed live on YouTube. You can also listen to it on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.



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 Articles discussed in this episode:



UK bills could rise - as Europe's gas consumption falls by 'unprecedented' amount – Sky News



US ‘prepared Syrian rebel group to help topple Bashar al-Assad’ – The Telegraph

Defined by political crises all over the world, spiralling tensions between the imperialist powers, and revolutions in Bangladesh and Kenya, 2024 was an historic year in the crisis of the capitalist system. But now, with Trump days away from power, Ukraine headed unavoidably towards a humiliating and bloody defeat, and with no end in sight to the complete destabilisation of the Middle East, this new year looks to be even more explosive.



At the end of last year, the Assad regime in Syria collapsed. Since then the imperialist powers – including Turkey, the USA, and Israel, which has taken the opportunity to occupy even more of Syria – have tried to get in on the action. At the same time, the Kurdish enclave of Rojava has come under attack from Turkish backed forces, and Kurdish fighters are now being pressured by the ruling ‘rebel’ group, Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, to disarm.



Meanwhile, Germany is in a profound political crisis, as the governing coalition has collapsed, the establishment parties have been discredited, the economy is coming to a screeching halt, and the far-right AFD is on the rise. The same process can be seen all across the world, including in France, Britain, and the USA.



In order to explain these developments from a Marxist perspective and to lay out what 2025 has in store for us, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston from the International Secretariat sat down for another episode of Against the Stream.



This podcast was streamed live on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music. 



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Articles discussed in this episode:



German elections: no matter who wins, war, crisis and austerity remain! – In Defence of Marxism



The Progressive Moment in Global Politics Is Over – The Wall Street Journal

2024 has been a year of war, revolution and crisis on every continent. From the horrors of the Gaza genocide, to the revolutionary summer in Kenya and Bangladesh; from viral assassinations, to to the re-election of Donald Trump. The communists have been offering analysis and perspective at every step of the way, and now: it’s time to put this dramatic twelve months in review with 2024 WRAPPED!

The above are not random or isolated incidents. They are all ultimately products of the unprecedented crisis of the capitalist system. The tensions and class anger in one country after another carry revolutionary implications. In response to the mood of profound rage against the system, we launched a new Revolutionary Communist International in 2024: the embryo of the world party of communist revolution so desperately needed by the working class!

In a joint season finale, the two podcasts of the RCI – Spectre of Communism and Against the Stream – have come together to provide a round up of this turbulent year. Joe Attard, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín look at the events that have defined 2024, and the strides forward we have taken in the RCI.

We would like to thank everyone who has listened to Spectre of Communism and Against the Stream this year. We’d love to hear about your favourite episodes. Stay tuned in the new year, when both podcasts will return for brand new seasons!

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Recommended reading/viewing:

Analysis of the Gaza and Ukraine Wars:

https://marxist.com/israel-palestine.htm
https://marxist.com/tag-menu-item/ukraine-russia-conflict

Article and speech about Bangladesh:

https://marxist.com/bangladesh-the-unfinished-revolution.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5Z-mcO80OE

Speeches from the founding Conference of the RCI:

https://podcast.marxist.com/category/international-marxist-university-2020/

Manifesto of the RCI:

https://marxist.com/manifesto-of-the-revolutionary-communist-international.htm

Once again, this week has been defined by sharp turns in world politics. In Syria, the Assad regime collapsed after a sudden offensive by Islamist groups, taking the whole world by surprise. In the US, the assassination of a US healthcare CEO was met with an enormous outpouring of sympathy for the killer, in a clear expression of the simmering class rage beneath the surface. In Ukraine, it is becoming increasingly clear that Zelensky – darling of the West – is becoming hated by the population.



It would be understandable, however, if the bourgeois media’s reporting on these events have left you confused. In Syria, the media has branded the Al-Qaeda group placed in power by the collapse as ‘rebels’, and the US and UK are even debating removing them from their terrorist list. In Ukraine, they have been propagandising about this war as one of freedom and self determination, and not a proxy war between NATO and Russia. And – if you only read the mainstream papers – you would be under the impression that the death of this CEO was an unmitigated tragedy, and not the just deserts of someone who has profited off the death of thousands of sick, vulnerable people.



At Against the Stream, we intend to cut through the fog of the liberal media and explain what is really going on. Furthermore, these developments raise a whole number of questions: for example, what does the fall of the Assad regime mean for the Middle East? What does it mean for the Kurds? How will the Ukraine war end? And where is America going? 



To answer those questions, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met for another episode of Against the Stream.



This podcast was streamed live on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.



Articles discussed in this episode:



Assad falls, Islamists take over Syria – https://marxist.com/assad-falls-islamists-take-over-syria.htm



The deepening unpopularity of Zelensky – https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/the-deepening-unpopularity-of-zelensky/



Why the assassination of Brian Thompson ignited American politics – https://www.newstatesman.com/world/americas/north-america/us/2024/12/why-the-assassination-of-brian-thompson-ignited-american-politics



Class hatred and the assassination of UnitedHealthcare’s CEO – https://marxist.com/class-hatred-and-the-assassination-of-unitedhealthcare-s-ceo.htm