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.



–



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.



—



 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. 



—



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!

—

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

This week has been full of sharp and sudden turns. The Syrian civil war has suddenly reignited due to the shock advance of a Turkey-backed rebel group. The French president was forced to resign after trying to force through an austerity budget. Joe Biden has used his last few weeks in power to pardon his corrupt son. And, to top things off, the president of South Korea declared martial law, only to be quickly defeated by opposition from the whole of parliament and mass mobilisations. 



Everywhere we see increasing instability, war and political turmoil. All of these are symptoms of the profound economic and social crisis, a product of the complete impasse of the capitalist system.



Such developments can be incredibly disorienting. So in order to break them down, link them together, and draw out the general processes driving them forwards, Hamid and Jorge from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down for another episode of Against the Stream.



If you’re hungry for more communist analysis of an increasingly unstable world situation, tune in to Against the Stream every week on Thursday at 3pm GMT.

This week, the Middle East has once again dominated the news, with the ICC issuing an arrest warrant for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the announcement of a supposedly ‘lasting’ ceasefire in Lebanon. In Europe, meanwhile, explosive events are being prepared in France, as the tottering National Assembly is set to face off against a rising tide of class struggle.



Everywhere, the response of the capitalist press to these events has been hysterical and hypocritical. For that reason, in this episode of Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín – from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International – analyse the stormy events of the week and draw out the key processes that the capitalist media try to obscure.

Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcements have set the cat amongst the pigeons in the world market. In France, the hypocritical establishment is celebrating the sentencing of right-wing demagogue Marine Le Pen in court on flimsy charges. Meanwhile in the Middle East, the leader of the PKK has called on its Kurdish guerilla fighters to lay down their arms.

Globalisation is now rapidly unravelling, with tariffs threatening to dramatically tear up supply chains internationally. But any attempt by the US or other powers to export the burden of their crisis-ridden economies through protectionism will do nothing to solve the fundamental bankruptcy of the capitalist system.

Meanwhile, although the liberal establishment wax lyrical about the virtues of ‘democracy’, they have shown themselves time and again to be perfectly willing to give up on these treasured principles if it suits them. In the US, Romania and now also in France, maverick candidates outside of the traditional political elite have been targeted by legal campaigns and accusations of corruption. While we do not agree with Le Pen, communists have a duty to call out the rank hypocrisy of the liberals that accuse her and similar figures of threatening democracy.

For some time, the struggle for Kurdish self-determination has inspired many on the left internationally. The PKK, the main military and political force among Kurds, however, has now been called upon by its leadership to lay down their arms. This is an utter capitulation on the part of the PKK leaders and represents a policy of capitulation to capitalism and imperialism, rather than the struggle against them.

The greatest tools in a communist’s arsenal are our ideas. Without these it is too easy to get caught up in the constant whirlwind of events facing us in the world today. To untangle some of this week’s biggest news stories, and get to the essence of these events, Fred Weston 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.

In this episode of Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Niklas Albin Svensson, from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International, discussed the reckless escalation of the Ukraine war by Biden, Trump’s controversial picks for his administration, and the death of the American Dream.



The last few weeks have been a whirlwind in world politics. As the hosts of Against the Stream have discussed, the German government has collapsed, the Spanish monarch has been pelted with mud, Trump has returned to power, and Biden has now escalated the Ukraine war by permitting the Ukrainians to strike into Russia with American long-range missiles.



In order to penetrate the fog created by the hysterical media and liberal establishment, Hamid and Niklas focused on the incoming Trump presidency and its implications for world imperialism relations.



As we have discussed in previous weeks, Trump’s victory was based on his demagogic appeal to the working class, as well as his promise to pull the US out of the costly war in Ukraine. Now, months away from power, he has started to appoint a coterie of loyalists, all set on purging the state of any opposition to Trump’s programme of tariffs and deportations.



In the meantime, Biden has tried to undermine his arch nemesis Trump by enabling Ukraine to strike into Russia with American missiles, to which Russia has responded with the launch of an ICBM.



All this chaos, on the backdrop of the crisis of the world economy will usher in mighty class struggles which will shake American imperialism to its foundations. 



We’ll be back next week for a special episode on the world economy. As per usual, we’ll be streaming live to YouTube from 3pm GMT.

This week on Against the Stream, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martin from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down once again to discuss the implications of Trump's victory on the class struggle in America, the Ukraine war, and the floods in Valencia, Spain, which have led to protests of hundreds of thousands of people against the regime.



Every week, members of the International secretariat pick a number of flashpoints in current affairs to discuss, using articles from the billionaire press as a starting point.



Contrary to the liberals, who respond to these events with hysteria and confusion, we, as Marxists, seek to explain and understand what is going on beneath the surface, and what is driving these events forward.



Tune in to Against the Stream every Thursday at 3pm (GMT). New episodes are streamed live to YouTube. We’d love to hear your feedback along with any articles or questions you want discussed on the podcast.

Closely following our special episode with Alan Woods covering Trump’s victory in the US election, Against the Stream went live again this week for another discussion. This time, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International met to talk about the devastating floods in Spain and the resulting  rage of the masses against the ruling class, the abrupt collapse of the German government, and more on the implications of Trump’s victory.



Read the articles discussed by Hamid and Fred here:



Trump victory: a kick in the teeth for the establishment / https://marxist.com/trump-victory-2024.htm



How Trump Won the Economy-Is-Everything Election / https://www.wsj.com/economy/economy-election-trump-voters-c4c2e9a3



Germany's coalition government falls apart — how it happened / https://www.dw.com/en/germanys-coalition-government-falls-apart-how-it-happened/a-70717066



Spain: monarchs pelted with mud as rage over avoidable deaths boils over in Valencia / https://marxist.com/spain-monarchs-pelted-with-mud-as-rage-over-avoidable-deaths-boils-over-in-valencia.htm



Feijóo and Sánchez take note of the social discontent and order to "calm down" the public battle / https://www.elconfidencial.com/espana/2024-11-05/feijoo-y-sanchez-toman-nota-hartazgo-social-ordenan-serenar-combate-publico_3997241/



The king surrounds himself with employers and unions with the message of avoiding the political battle after the altercation in Paiporta / https://www.eldiario.es/economia/rey-rodea-patronal-sindicatos-mensaje-evitar-batalla-politica-altercado-paiporta_1_11797536.html

This week, Against the Stream podcast went live for a very special episode. Now that the results of the US election have come in, Hamid Alizadeh and Alan Woods from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International (RCI) sat down to discuss the implications of Trump's victory and what it means to communists. Alan is the editor of marxist.com, the author of numerous books on Marxist theory and the lead theoretician of the RCI.



This year's election has been one of the most turbulent in US history. It comes amidst rising class contradictions and great instability on the world stage.



Never before has American bourgeois democracy been so discredited, and never has it been so confronted with so many challenges to its position as the world imperialist power. Trump's victory – against the hysterical attacks of the liberal establishment and media – will mark a milestone in the US’s tumble towards further crisis and instability.



A Marxist analysis of this election, and its implications on the already fragile world situation, is of huge importance to communists.

This week, Jorge and Hamid sat down to discuss three flashpoints in the world crisis of capitalism: the floods that are devastating Spain, the spiralling conflict in the Middle East, and the impending US election.



In each episode of our new podcast Against the Stream, members of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International meet to talk about the most pressing events in the world today. With the help of a few articles selected from the capitalist press, they reveal the interests and processes guiding these developments which the mainstream media won’t talk about.



This week, Jorge and Hamid look at the current flooding in Spain, a symptom of climate catastrophe made dramatically worse by the short sighted, profit driven policy of the government; the escalation of the conflict in the Middle East, and Israel’s missile strikes on Iran, which for the first time put Iran and Israel in open, direct conflict; and the American election, the discrediting of the mainstream media, and the economic crisis in the USA which is driving deep polarisation.



This episode was streamed live to YouTube, and you can catch new episodes of Against the Stream weekly at 3pm (GMT). We’d love to hear your feedback along with any articles or questions you want discussed on the podcast.

On 24 October, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down for another special podcast episode focusing on three flashpoints of world politics: Sinwar's assassination, Zelensky’s peace plan, and the BRICS summit.



The comrades look behind the headlines, starting with what the capitalist media have been saying about the assassination of Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas. The killing was greeted by a wave of gloating from Israel and Saudi Arabia. But Israel – which released a video of his death on the frontline – has inadvertently turned Sinwar into a hero and has fueled defiance of Israel and its allies in the whole region.



The second article looks at Zelensky’s desperate ‘victory plan’, which pleads for admission to NATO and long-range missiles with which to strike Russia. But this is completely untenable. Ukraine is heading towards an inevitable, brutal defeat, and now the western imperialists who provoked this war in the first place are preparing to betray Ukraine and abandon it to its fate.



Finally, the comrades discussed the BRIC summit which is being held in Russia. Since the beginning of the Ukraine war, the West has sought to isolate Russia. But the summit shows that this has completely failed. Russia was not only joined by Iran and China, and other western rivals, but US allies like India, Saudi Arabia, as well as the secretary general of the UN. This is a reflection of the fact that, as the power of US imperialism enters relative decline, other countries are hedging their bets, and balancing between the different blocs in the world economy.



This episode was streamed live on Youtube. Once again, we’d appreciate any feedback on this new style of podcast.

On the 16 October, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to talk about the genocide in Gaza, the war in Lebanon, and the crisis facing the European economy.



We once more dive into the pages of the billionaire press of the past week, in order to expose the truth behind the headlines, illuminate the processes driving the chaos on the world stage, and to explain how we as communists can pick out the truth.



Click here to listen on Twitter Spaces.



This week, they discussed: a New York Times exposé on the IDF’s barbaric practice of using Palestinian prisoners as human shields, a practice fully in keeping with Israel’s genocidal policy in Gaza which reflects the fact that no amount of lives or ‘international laws’ can stand in the way of the interests of imperialism; a Reuters article analysing the US’ role in aiding and abetting Israel’s invasion of Lebanon, an expression of the relative decline facing the world’s foremost imperialism power; and a Bloomberg summary of a paper written by Italian ex-PM Mario Draghi, which lays out the enormous crisis and stagnation facing European capitalism, which has been devastated by the repercussions of the Ukraine war.



After the enthusiastic feedback we received following the last instalment, we will be releasing episodes of this series weekly, alongside Spectre of Communism. We are still experimenting with this new style of podcast, so you can help us by sending your feedback on the format, as well as suggestions for articles to discuss in the future.

On the 11 October, comrades Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International recorded a special podcast episode on Gaza, Ukraine and world relations. Instead of our regular format, this one addresses the burning questions of the day in a slightly different format.



Click here to listen now on Twitter Spaces.



The comrades have taken a selection of articles from mainstream newspapers, in order to pick apart the real interests and processes at play in an increasingly stormy world situation.



These include: a piece exposing the barbarism that imperialism has created in Gaza from the New York Times, a rarity on account of the self-censorship of the western press; an insane inversion of reality in the Middle East from the Daily Telegraph, in which Iran is made out to be the aggressors in the region and an existential threat to mankind, whilst Israel and the West are painted as doves; and figures from the Ukrainian outlet Strana that reveal, despite all the propaganda from the Zelensky regime and the West, that the Ukrainian forces are on the brink of collapse.



This podcast was streamed via Twitter Spaces, and at this stage is something of an experiment. Since the launch of the Spectre of Communism podcast and the readers’ survey in the summer, we’ve had a lot of enthusiastic feedback about our audio-visual content. Further feedback on this type of more conversational podcast by our readers and listeners would be most welcome.

Articles mentioned:

https://meduza.io/feature/2025/03/17/otsyuda-vyhod-odin-trista-ili-dvesti

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-resumes-gaza-bombing-one-most-terrifying-nights-war

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2025/03/23/starmer-ukraine-peacekeeping-plan-political-theatre/

https://marxist.com/netanyahu-resumes-genocide-to-cling-to-power-2.htm

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In Gaza, Netanyahu has restarted the genocide. Already, hundreds have been killed by bombs, while thousands more are at risk of starvation. In Ukraine, which has essentially lost the war to Russia, youths are still being kidnapped and conscripted into the army to die in trenches. This is what capitalism has to offer in the 21st century.

Wars, genocides, and famines have accompanied capitalism since its birth. In fact, they are built into the very fabric of the system, which depends upon endless exploitation and plunder.

The capitalist class in the West is particularly responsible for these graveyards. From the beginning, they have fueled the war in Ukraine at the cost of tens of thousands of Ukrainian lives. Meanwhile, they have stood by Netanyahu through thick and thin, arming him with billions of dollars worth of bombs with which to carry out the ethnic cleansing of the Palestinians.

Our job as communists is not to weep but to understand in order to change it. To explain how we can bring this horror to an end, 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.

YouTube: https://youtu.be/ljKETosTl9s

Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

__

Timestamps

(0:00) Intro

(1:38) Gaza: The genocide resumes

(26:15) Gaza: What Hamas represents

(29:22) Ukraine: Russia and US ceasefire negotiations

(34:27) Ukraine: How Trump differs from the liberal establishment

(39:10) Ukraine: EU scrambling to continue war

(53:02) Ukraine: Stories from the frontlines

(1:20:05) Ukraine: Explaining the RCI's position on the war

(1:29:24) War abroad means austerity at home

(1:37:35) The working class has begun to move

Trump’s dramatic return to the White House has thrown the liberals into complete panic and confusion. They have been accusing Trump of being responsible for every ill in the world, and have flung whatever insults they can at him: from semi-fascist, to fascist, to neo-fascist.Shamefully, the perennially alarmed so-called 'Lefts' are dragging like a tail behind the liberals, spreading the same confusion and falling into the old trap of 'lesser evilism'. Against this alarmism, which really serves to justify the capitalist status quo, an understanding of the real nature of Trumpism is of paramount importance for revolutionaries so that they don’t get caught in the same camp as Genocide Joe and the rest of the hated US establishment. Meanwhile, totally unaffected by this shrill chorus, Trump is proceeding with business. This week he resumed talks with Russia over the fate of Ukraine, while on the frontlines, the Ukrainian offensive in Kursk has completely collapsed. At the same time, Netanyahu has torn up the ceasefire with Hamas and has restarted the war in Gaza, which will have explosive consequences for the Middle East.All of these not only pose big questions for the capitalist world order. Communists, more than anyone else, must understand what is really going on so that they can cut through the fog and fight against the system with a clear perspective.To explain how Marxists should understand and approach these phenomena, Alan Woods, the leading theoretician of the Revolutionary Communist International, joined Hamid Alizadeh 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.__Books mentioned in the episode can be purchased on: https://wellred-books.com/

The world capitalist system is beset on all sides by crisis. Debt is sky-high, economies are stagnating and society is more polarised than ever. To add to this mess, the tapestry of world relations – the ‘rules-based order’ – is unravelling. Tit-for-tat tariffs that seek to export the crisis threaten to turn into trade wars that will tear up world trade.The liberals see Trump as the wrecking ball causing the crisis. But is this true? By slashing the debt, raising tariffs and ditching the Ukraine war, he is actually trying to stabilise American capitalism, even if that comes at the expense of the rest of the world. His efforts, however, will be in vain. Every attempt to solve one crisis will simply exacerbate another. Ultimately, tariffs will push up inflation, whereas his reckless cuts will prepare a gigantic backlash of class struggle. There is no way out on a capitalist basis because capitalism itself is the root of the problem. For communists, therefore, the choice is not between tariffs or free trade. Rearmament and austerity are only ‘necessary’ as long as we accept the logic of the capitalist system. Our job, on the contrary, is not to tinker with the capitalist system, but to overthrow it. To explain the communist alternative, Fred Weston 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 6pm GMT.

This week's row in the Oval Office between Trump and Zelensky served to dramatically underscore the fact that we are passing a seismic shift in world history. The old alliances and institutions are breaking down, and a realignment, reflecting the changed balance of forces, is taking place for all to see.The biggest losers of this transformation are the Europeans, who are gradually sobering up to their predicament. Without the US – upon which they have been reliant for 80 years – they will have to re-arm. In a situation of economic stagnation and sky-high debts, this means finding savings elsewhere. And that means cuts.But these cuts will have profound social consequences. Already the workers and youth of Europe have faced a decade of austerity. Now their imperialist governments are preparing to snatch away the last crumbs of social spending to turn into bombs and bullets. The general strike in Greece, in which over a million people went out on strike to protest their government's murderous role in the deaths of 57 young people in a rail disaster two years ago, is an indication of the kind of explosions we should expect to see in the future in Europe. To discuss the present capitalist chaos and its revolutionary implications, 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.

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.

This week, Trump went over the heads of Zelensky and the European leaders to embark on peace talks with Russia. At a stroke, the western order that has prevailed for over half a century has fractured.

This has major implications for Europe in particular. For decades, Europe has based its policy on its partnership with the undisputed imperialist master of the planet: the USA. But Trump’s latest move expresses the fact that US imperialism no longer has a particular interest in subsidising the defence of the continent. They are being dumped by their most important ally, which throws the whole of the liberal European order, including the EU and NATO, into question. 

This shambolic situation for European imperialism also comes at a time of acute economic, political and social crisis all across Europe. Energy prices are sky-high, factories are shutting down, the establishment has never been more despised, and right-wing populist parties are on the rise.

To explain all of this turmoil, Fred Weston 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.

[Due to technical difficulties, part of today's episode is without video. Apologies!]

Lenin once said that there are decades where weeks happen, and weeks where decades happen. We are living through the latter. A new era has begun, one characterised by capitalist crisis, imperialist war, immense turbulence in world relations and revolutionary upheavals.

On Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, Hamid Alizadeh and Fred Weston from the International Secretariat will be discussing the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism from a Marxist perspective. 

This week, that includes Trump's announcement that he would be opening negotiations with Russia to end the Ukraine war, which has sent shockwaves through Europe; the precarious ceasefire in Gaza and Trump’s plan to expel the Palestinians so he can turn it into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’; and the class struggle in America.

This podcast was streamed live onYouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up onSpotifyorApple Music.

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-finds

The meaning of China’s $1tn trade surplus

🔗https://www.ft.com/content/80933ccf-a23f-43ab-b83c-1d2055e5995d

Labour is slow-marching working people to populism

🔗https://www.ft.com/content/1052957c-90ef-4e00-b599-e45643c5c8e4

How 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 situation

In 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.htm

French 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-mistakes

US imperialism and Latin America: Trump threatens war on Venezuela

🔗https://marxist.com/us-imperialism-and-latin-america-trump-threatens-war-on-venezuela.htm

The High Stakes in Venezuela

🔗https://www.wsj.com/opinion/the-high-stakes-in-venezuela-08382e2d

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️

1:40 Venezuela update

17:12 Zarah Sultana & Your Party

58:55 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/

Yesterday, Israel once again attacked a peaceful flotilla travelling towards Gaza to break the naval blockade and deliver humanitarian aid. In the following hours, millions came pouring onto streets across Europe to protest the assault and demand an end to the genocide. In Italy, a general strike has been called for tomorrow. Meanwhile, Trump and Netanyahu have presented their criminal ‘peace plan’ for Gaza. And, Gen Z revolutions are erupting across the world on an almost daily basis. In this week's Against the Stream, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh take stock of the whirlwind of events and point out the tasks for communists today.Against the Stream is the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖“Israel has intercepted the flotilla: block everything! – For a workers’ boycott and general strike!” by the RCI🔗 https://marxist.com/israel-has-intercepted-the-flotilla-block-everything-for-a-workers-boycott-and-general-strike.htm“‘Dockers don’t work for war’: international dockworkers’ meeting in Genoa shows the way forward!” by Francesco Salmeri, Partito Comunista Rivoluzionario🔗 https://marxist.com/dockers-don-t-work-for-war-international-dockworkers-meeting-in-genoa-shows-the-way-forward.htm“GenZ212: Moroccan youth rise up and open a new chapter in the class struggle!” by Anas Rahimi 🔗 https://marxist.com/genz212-moroccan-youth-rise-up-and-open-a-new-chapter-in-the-class-struggle.htm“Madagascar: GenZ protest movement develops towards a national uprising” Jorge Martín🔗 https://marxist.com/madagascar-genz-protest-movement-develops-towards-a-national-uprising.htm“The world turned upside down – a system in crisis” by The RCI 🔗 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/

With his speech at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump has once again caused shock and awe around the world. But what does his apparent change of heart on the war in Ukraine actually signify? And what does it mean for Europe?

Meanwhile, Italy has seen half a million on the streets over Israel’s genocide in Gaza. And it’s not only Italy that’s heating up. France, Nepal, Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines. Today, Madagascar. All across the world, the capitalist crisis is igniting revolutionary class struggle. 

In this week's Against the Stream, Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh break down these turbulent events and explain, most importantly, how communists should prepare.

Against the Stream is the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International. It airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.

📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖

“Italy: the dam has burst, half a million on the streets for Gaza!” by Claudio Bellotti – Partito Comunista Rivoluzionario 🔗 https://marxist.com/italy-the-dam-has-burst-half-a-million-on-the-streets-for-gaza.htm

“Sri Lanka to Nepal: lessons from the revolutionary wave” by Ben Curry🔗 https://marxist.com/sri-lanka-to-nepal-lessons-from-the-revolutionary-wave.htm

“France: success on 18 September – what now?” by Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire

🔗 https://marxist.com/france-success-on-18-september-what-now.htm

“East Timorese youth follow the example of Indonesia and Nepal” by Max Robert🔗 https://marxist.com/east-timorese-youth-follow-the-example-of-indonesia-and-nepal.htm

Last week saw hundreds of thousands attend the biggest right wing demonstration in decades. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer’s Labour-government is facing a meltdown after just a year in office. How should the left respond, and what are the reasons for the rise of the right and the political crisis in the first place?In this week on Against the Stream Niklas Albin Svensson and Hamid Alizadeh discuss the background of the crisis of British capitalism, Starmer’s future, the prospects and problems of Corbyn’s new party and the tasks facing marxists in the period ahead.

Against the Stream is a current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, which airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️0:00 Introduction1:57 Massive far-right march in London25:06 The left's response33:08 'Your Party' - Britain's new left party42:41 How to fight the far-right54:40 The UK's political crisis1:14:51 Summing up1:18:58 BONUS: Conflict in 'Your Party'📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖Migration crisis: Who is to blame? by Ben Gliniecki: 🔗 https://communist.red/migration-crisis-who-is-to-blame/“Britain's largest right-wing demo in a generation – a damning indictment of the left” by The Revolutionary Communist Party🔗 https://marxist.com/britain-the-meaning-of-13-september-a-damning-indictment-of-the-left.htm“UK Living Standards Review 2025” by the National Institute of Economic and SocialResearch 🔗 https://niesr.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/JC871-NIESR-UK-Living-Standards-Review-2025-final-version.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/

Lenin once said that there are weeks where decades happen. This is one of those weeks. The French government collapsed. Revolutions broke out in Indonesia and Nepal. Israel bombed peace negotiations in Qatar. And just yesterday, right-wing influencer Charlie Kirk was shot and killed.

It’s easy to be disoriented by the speed of events these days. But revolutionaries most of all must have a clear grasp of what’s going on beneath the surface. For that reason, to break these lightning-fast developments down from a Marxist perspective, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh met for another episode of Against the Stream, the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, which airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️

0:00 Introduction

2:32 Charlie Kirk assassination

13:26 Mass protests in France

40:00 Israeli strikes on Doha

49:54 Revolution in Nepal

📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖

On Charlie Kirk assasination: “Why Marxists Oppose Individual Terrorism” by Leon Trotsky:

🔗 https://www.marxists.org/archive/trotsky/1911/11/tia09.htm

On events in Nepal: “Rulers cower as Nepalese masses seek to burn the system down”

🔗 https://marxist.com/rulers-cower-as-nepalese-masses-seek-to-burn-the-system-down.htm

Background article on Nepalese revolution of 2006-2008: “Victory of Nepalese Maoists in elections – where to now?”

🔗 https://marxist.com/victory-nepalese-maoists-elections.htm

On events in France: “After 10 September, what now?”:🔗 https://marxist.com/france-10-september-the-first-thunderclap.htm

Background article: “Causes and consequences of the decline of French capitalism”:

🔗 https://marxist.com/causes-and-consequences-of-the-decline-of-french-capitalism.htm

🌐 LINKS 🌐

✊ Join the Revolutionary Communist International: https://marxist.com/join-us.htm 

🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@revcomintern

📱 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/against-the-stream/id1777793987 

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/revcomintern/
💬 Twitter: https://x.com/revcomintern/

Against the Stream is back for another season of weekly Marxist analysis! This week, Hamid Alizadeh and Jorge Martín catch up on all the convulsive developments over the summer: the further decline of western imperialism and the rise of China, the crisis of the regime in France, and the revolutionary explosion in Indonesia.

Against the Stream, the current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, airs weekly on YouTube on Thursdays at 6pm London time.

⏱️ TIMESTAMPS ⏱️

0:00 Introduction

4:07 Trump inadvertently strengthens China

31:03 Europe: The crisis deepens

1:01:20 Revolution in Indonesia

1:12:45 Let's build a revolutionary organisation!

📖 RECOMENDED READING 📖

US and China: 

► “China’s Military Is Now Leading”, in Foreign Policy 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/ycy24fwa

► “World Perspectives 2025: the world turned upside down”, Revolutionary Communist International 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/h76nys8z 

France:

► Bayrou declares war on the working class, by Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire 🔗 https://tinyurl.com/hpfm89we 

►Let’s block everything! For a workers’ government!, by Parti Communiste Révolutionnaire 🔗  https://tinyurl.com/253s2rd4

Indonesia:

► Protests getting larger after ride-share driver killed, by Bima Wicaksana 🔗  https://tinyurl.com/36prk7eu 

► The wheel of revolution has turned, by Bima Wicaksana 🔗  https://tinyurl.com/yne9xdna

🌐 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

This week, in a dramatic turn of events, Trump – who campaigned on the promise to end US ‘forever wars’ – decided to get involved in Israel’s war on Iran by dropping bombs on its nuclear facilities.

Now, after an attack on a US base and some strong words, Trump has enforced a ceasefire between the warring parties. In the aftermath, Trump has celebrated his ‘12 day’ war as a stunning success, which “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear programme.

However, this chaotic escalation of the situation in the Middle East is bound to have consequences on the stability not only of the region, but the entire world. Reports are coming out that show Iran’s nuclear programme is still very much intact. Oil prices have been on a rollercoaster ride. And, in America, Trump has been faced by a barrage of criticism from the very people that brought him to power.

To explain the consequences of this latest adventure by US imperialism, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down for a special, bonus episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the RCI. This episode premieres on YouTube at 6pm London time.

To focus on the upcoming world congress of the Revolutionary Commnuist International, Against the Stream plans to take a break until the first Thursday of September. Until then, you can catch up on all our analysis on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

[Read Alan Woods' analysis of Israel's attack on Marxist.com]

This week, the turmoil in the Middle East reached new heights as Israel launched a series of attacks on Iran, targeting its military leadership and striking several of its nuclear facilities. This has since escalated dramatically with further attacks on Iran and Iranian retaliations against Israel.

Israel’s latest war represents a dramatic turn in the situation both in the Middle East and globally, as Trump is currently weighing up US involvement in the strikes against Iran. Despite a layer of the Republican establishment frothing at the mouth over the chance to deal a blow to a longstanding enemy, many prominent voices within Trump’s camp oppose US intervention as a betrayal of his initial promise to be the ‘peace President’ and bring an end to US support for ‘forever wars’.

With splits emerging within Trumpism over the future of US foreign policy, it is unclear how these events in the Middle East will develop. As Marxists, we cannot predict the course of events with absolute certainty, but this makes it all the more crucial to engage in a meticulous study of such twists and turns in the world situation. 

For this reason, this week’s episode of Against the Stream welcomes Fred Weston and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International, to pick apart this week’s developments and what they mean for the situation in the Middle East and the US.

This is the last episode of Against the Stream until the first week of September. Catch up on all of our previous episodes on YouTube, Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Chapters:

0:00 – Israel attacks Iran

1:01 – Trumpism begins to unravel

1:19 – Why we produce Against the Stream

This week, thousands of workers flooded onto the streets of LA in response to ICE agents raiding workplaces and neighbourhoods. Since then, Trump has tried to crush the movement by calling in the Marines and the National Guard. But in so doing, he risks provoking a mass movement similar to Black Lives Matter, which forced him into hiding in the White House bunker five years ago.

The democrats have attempted to attach themselves to this wave of protests. Posing as the ‘resistance’ and a friend to immigrants, they are attempting to direct it into safe channels. But the truth is, they are just as much enemies of immigrants as Trump’s republicans. Like all capitalist politicians, they use immigrants as scapegoats while exploiting them as extremely vulnerable labourers.

Trump is not only facing opposition from workers. The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, this week entered into a public feud with Trump over the ‘big beautiful bill’. With the American economy stagnating and debt piling up, this spat reveals the fact that Trump is in an impossible position: he cannot fulfil the promises he has made to American workers and their bosses at the same time.

To break down how communists should approach these problems, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to discuss world perspectives on a special episode of Against the Stream, the weekly podcast of the RCI, giving you a Marxist analysis of world affairs.

Against the Stream, weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, at 6pm every Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

Articles mentioned:ICE out of LA! Workers defend themselves against Trump’s raids -- https://marxist.com/ice-out-of-la-workers-defend-themselves-against-trump-s-raids.htmA Veteran, a Construction Worker, a Communist: The Many Faces of the L.A. Protests -- https://www.wsj.com/us-news/a-veteran-a-construction-worker-a-communist-the-many-faces-of-the-l-a-protests-e429894a?mod=hp_lead_pos8Theses on the Eastern Question -- https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/4th-congress/thesis-on-eastern-question.htmThe mounting pressure on bond markets -- https://www.ft.com/content/a07d5a72-2691-4da5-aee0-4af5136f737e

2025 marks a turning point in world history.

The tectonic plates of international relations are shifting, the globalised world economy is being torn apart, and the entire capitalist order is being shaken to its foundations by political, economic, environmental and social crises. An unstable new epoch – an epoch of war, revolution and counter-revolution – has opened up.

In preparation for the first congress of the Revolutionary Communist International, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to discuss world perspectives on a special episode of Against the Stream, the weekly podcast of the RCI, giving you a Marxist analysis of world affairs.

Against the Stream premieres weekly on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm London time, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Articles mentioned:

Monopoly capitalism, imperialism, and the world economy – Marxist.com

Debt is crushing the developing world – Financial Times

Matthew Miller lying compilation – X

Pakistan: URGENT SOLIDARITY APPEAL – release arrested leaders of the Awaami Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan! – Marxist.com

Pakistan: protests continue for the release of comrades in Gilgit Baltistan despite state repression – Marxist.com

0:00 Intro

1:51 The changing world relations

16:11 Ukrainian drone attack

26:32 Why Russia is winning

32:50 Sabotaging peace negotiations

36:30 Biden spokesman admits Israel commits war crimes

39:48 Gaza has unmasked Western capitalism

53:34 Austerity at home, warfare abroad

58:16 The world economy in 2025

1:11:09 Renewed interest in communism

1:14:50 Comrades in Pakistan under attack

1:24:00 Get organised!

Against the Stream, weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, at 6pm GMT every Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism.

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-9041ed236a44

Why 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.html

How 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

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For a year and a half, the western imperialists have not only been defending Israel's right to massacre, starve and ethnically cleanse the population of Gaza – they have been selling them the weapons to do it. Now, all of a sudden, they’re criticising the “intolerable” suffering that Israel is causing. Does this mean that the imperialists have gained a conscience?

Certainly not. At a time when Netanyahu is escalating the genocide and explicitly declaring that Israel plans to conquer the territory and expel the Palestinians, what these blood-soaked hypocrites fear are the revolutionary implications of being associated with yet more horror. The consequences in the Middle East and beyond of Netanyahu’s policy – of recklessly dragging out the war to cling on to power – are forcing even Trump to look for other points of support in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, Trump and Putin have continued to haggle over the fate of Ukraine. In the western media, Putin has been depicted as a stubborn obstacle to peace. In reality, it is Zelensky and the Europeans who have resisted the negotiation of an end to the war, for they refuse to concede what is becoming apparent to all: that Ukraine has lost.

Finally, in Pakistan-occupied Gigit Baltistan, leaders of the Awami Action Committee – including several members of the Pakistani section of the Revolutionary Communist International – have been scandalously arrested. In response to this brazen attack, which is an attempt to behead a growing mass movement against the Pakistani regime, the Revolutionary Communist International have launched an international campaign demanding that these political prisoners be set free.

To explain where these events 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.

The Revolutionary Communist International is fighting capitalism in over 60 countries – join us! www.marxist.com/join

_____

0:00 Intro

1:43 Shooting of Israeli embassy staff

16:15 Rift between the West and Israel

35:46 Kneecap member charged with terrorism

42:04 Ukraine peace negotiations

1:10:27 Comrades arrested in Pakistan

War between India and Pakistan. Revolutionary crisis in Serbia. Escalation of the genocide in Gaza. These are just a few of the mighty events piling up on one another at a breathtaking pace. Against the Stream is here to help revolutionaries navigate these tumultuous events. In Kashmir, India and Pakistan – both nuclear powers – once again briefly went to war. The countries have been in conflict since the partition of the subcontinent by British imperialism in 1947, but tensions have burst into the open again because of the profound change in the international balance of forces, and because both regimes are seeking to cut across the crises and class struggle they are facing on the home front. Against the atrocious position taken by the ‘communist’ parties of India, which have lined up behind their respective ruling class under the banner of ‘national unity’, genuine communists understand that this war serves no one but the rich, and that the elites of both countries must be overthrown if war is to be done away with altogether.Meanwhile, Israel’s genocidal imperialist rampage has escalated, with Netanyahu’s cabinet now explicitly declaring that they aim to conquer Gaza and to expel the Palestinians. Trump, however, has thrown a spanner in the works by moving to distance himself from Netanyahu. Having demoted Mike Waltz, who was one of the biggest advocates of Israel’s plan to bomb Iran, Trump is now touring the Middle East in an attempt to draw closer to the other Arab regimes.In the often rapid and complicated twists and turns in the situation, what underlies Trump’s strategy? And what position does this place Netanyahu in?In Serbia, on the other hand, a revolutionary crisis has erupted. From the student protests which emerged in response to the deaths of 16 people after the collapse of the concrete canopy at a major railway station, a powerful movement has developed which is now establishing Zborovi across the country: assemblies of students, and in some cases of workers too.These represent embryonic organs of popular power, as emerged on a higher level in the course of the Russian Revolution in the form of soviets. In embryo, as organs of power opposed to the capitalist government, they threaten the rule of not only Vučić, but the entire Serbian regime.To explain what attitudes communists should take to these dramatic events, Francesco Merli 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.____The Revolutionary Communist International is fighting capitalism in over 60 countries - join us! www.marxist.com/join____Articles mentioned:On the CPI, the CPIM and the war: no to Modi’s ‘national unity’!https://marxist.com/on-the-cpi-the-cpim-and-the-war-no-to-modi-s-national-unity.htmIndia and Pakistan enter another war: only class war can end all warshttps://marxist.com/india-and-pakistan-enter-another-war-only-class-war-can-end-all-wars.htmNeither India or Pakistan – for a Socialist Federation by Ted Granthttps://marxist.com/neither-india-or-pakistan-for-a-socialist-federation.htmRevolutionary crisis in Serbiahttps://marxist.com/revolutionary-crisis-in-serbia.htm___0:00 Intro2:30 Trump-Netanyahu clash21:53 India-Pakistan war48:28 Revolutionary movement in Serbia

Last week's byelections in the UK were an earthquake in British politics. For the first time since the rise of the Labour Party 100 years ago, the two-party system has been upended. Now, a new contender for power has decisively entered the race: Reform.It has been less than a year since the last general election in Britain. Since then, the Labour party has collapsed in popularity as a result of Starmer’s repeated attacks on the poor – chiefly his savage cut to winter fuel payments for pensioners and disability benefits. The Tory party, meanwhile – the oldest and most successful political party in the world – has continued to sink into irrelevance.In the meantime, Nigel Farage’s right-wing party, Reform, has shot up in popularity, and is now polling level with – even above – what have been the two main parties for at least a century. What is behind this upset? Does it mean that British people are getting more racist, more right-wing?

As this episode of Against the Stream explains, the resurgence of Farage is a product of the miserable state of broken Britain. For decades, the establishment parties have presided over austerity, privatisation and deindustrialisation. Boarded-up high streets, food banks, ambulance queues and pensioners freezing in their homes have become commonplace in Britain in 2025. As a result, anger is building against the politicians who have presided over this mess. For the time being, this anger is finding its outlet in the party of the only mainstream anti-establishment politician: Nigel Farage.

And this is not just the case in Britain. Similar right-wing populist figures like Trump, Weidel of the AfD, and Le Pen are popping up all across the western world and are gaining steam as the liberal establishment becomes more and more reviled.To uncover what is behind the rise of Reform, 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.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International!

www.marxist.com/join

Since Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine three years ago, a flood of lies has gushed forth from western governments and the billionaire press alike to obscure the real nature of this war.

[Click here for a comprehensive reading list on the background to the Ukraine war: https://marxist.com/top-reads-on-the-ukraine-conflict-war-and-imperialism.htm]

Painting it as a simple battle between good and evil, they have remained totally silent about the fact that behind Ukraine is the world's foremost imperialist power, which has led Ukraine to the slaughter in pursuit of its interests.

Moreover, in their attempt to paint Zelensky as a beloved hero of democracy and Putin as a tyrant, they have concealed the real cause of the war, which did not begin in February 2022 but is the product of the aggressive thrust of western imperialism into Ukraine in the wake of the collapse of the USSR.

Today, Ukraine is shattered. Tens of thousands of young Ukrainians have been massacred in the trenches. As people around the world begin to ask, ‘What was it all for?’, it is vital that communists can explain what lies behind the conflict.

To explain who was really responsible for the destruction of Ukraine, 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.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

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 

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📱 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-wealth

What 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.htm

Zombies: 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