Sps

On this episode, we tackle cancel culture and the legacy of the Bolivarian Revolution in Venezuela. Sophia Freeman, London member of Platypus, joins us to discuss the feud between beauty influencers, James Charles and Tati Westbrook, and what it might tells us about the exhaustion of cancel culture. In the second segment, Marco Torres, Chicago Platypus member, and Pamela Nogales interview Alejandro Velasco, the author of Barrio Rising: Urban Popular Politics and the Making of Modern Venezuela, and contributor to the New York Times, In These Times and Jacobin Radio, on the passing of Chavismo and the future of Venezuela. Finally, Pam Nogales sits down with the journalist and sociologist Marc Saint-Upéry, to make sense of the left's response to Venezuela and the Maduro regime. - Sophia Freeman, "The Black Panther Party, Malcolm X, and the question of revolutionary politics today: An interview with Kathleen Cleaver" (PR 113, February 2019) https://platypus1917.org/2019/02/03/the-black-panther-party-malcom-x-an

We run down some of the Democratic presidential candidates for 2020 and sit down with our London member Efraim Carlebach to discuss the recent crack up in British politics and the split from the Labour Party this month. We talk about the emerging new center in British politics and the response by the left to the split. From the Platypus Review archives: The unchanging core of Marxism: An interview with Ian Birchall by Efraim Carlebach https://platypus1917.org/2017/12/02/unchanging-core-marxism-interview-ian-birchall/ Feel free to send us questions, comments & suggestions at shitplatypussauys@gmail.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shitPlatypussays

On this episode of Sh*t Platypus Says, we have a report on the yellow vest protests with our members Ciat and Teo, both currently in Paris. They share their reflections on the mass demonstrations, the on-going crisis of neoliberalism and the confused responses by the left. After, your hosts, Laurie, Suzy and Pam talk about the memory of the 2008 financial crisis in popular culture and discuss some of the changes they foresee for labor & capital relations in the coming years. Finally, if you still don't know what happened in 2008, let our resident financial genius, Wentai, break it down for you at the end of our episode. Questions, suggestions and smart-ass commentary always welcome! E-mail us at shitplatypussays@gmail.com We recommend, from the Platypus Review archives: "A cry of protest before accommodation? The dialectic of emancipation and domination" by Chris Cutrone, from Platypus Review 42 (December 2011 – January 2012) https://platypus1917.org/2011/12/01/cry-of-protest-before-accommodation/ Hosted

We say goodbye to 2018 by discussing The Young Karl Marx (Le Jeune Marx), Raoul Peck’s film commemorating 200 years of Karl Marx’s birth. We unpack the lame (so-called) film critiques by those on the left. In the main segment, we take up the question “What is Socialism?”, featuring responses by members of Platypus, listeners of the podcast, fellow travelers and some dude... including, Chris Cutrone, Erin Hagood, Ben Waite, Raul Cajias, & Sammy Medina. Throughout, Rosa Luxemburg, Leon Trotsky, Vladimir Lenin & Karl Marx, help us with the heavy lifting. Send us your questions, comments and requests for SPS in the new year! E-mail us at: shitplatypussays@gmail.com Platypus Review article referenced: - The birth of a revolution? An interview with Mary Gabriel on Love and Capital, by Spencer Leonard https://platypus1917.org/2012/06/07/the-birth-of-a-revolution/ On February 28, 2012, the radio program Radical Minds on WHPK-FM Chicago broadcast an interview with Mary Gabriel, the author of Love and Capital: Karl

Suzy Vogenthaler, David Faes help us dispel the liberal confusion over the Obama administration's reforms for trans-people. Laurie and Pamela sit with Dorna Darabi for a report of the recent anti-AFD protest in Berlin with over 150,000 participants. And Stefan Hain and Betül Yildrim talk to Pamela at the Freie University coffee break about the divisions within Die Linke, the decline of the Social Democratic Party and German politics after Merkel. For more on trans politics see David Faes's articles for the new Platypus Review, issue 111. (1) "Transgender liberation? A movement whose time has passed" https://platypus1917.org/2018/11/02/transgender-liberation-a-movement-whose-time-has-passed/ (2) "#MeToo and the millennial sex panic" https://platypus1917.org/2018/11/02/metoo-and-the-millennial-sex-panic/ For more on the German left listen to the recording of our panel in Frankfurt, from 07.12.2017, entitled "What is Socialism?" Speakers were invited to reflect on the history of social democracy from a leftist

On this episode, Pamela Nogales, Laurie Rojas and Suzy Vogenthaler talk about the Kavanaugh hearing, his virginity and the failing Democratic Party strategy in the midterm electoral campaign. Laurie and Pamela interview Jack Devine from the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and discuss the organization's strategy and long term goals. We end by interviewing Tana Forrester, from the Socialist Party USA (SPUSA), on the need to build a mass socialist party today. Articles for further reading: (1) Jack Devine, "The death agony of meritocracy" in the Platypus Review 109 (September 2018) https://platypus1917.org/2018/09/04/the-death-agony-of-meritocracy/ (2) Erin Hagood & Stephanie Gomez, "What was the Socialist Party? An interview with David McReynolds" in the Platypus Review 110 (October 2018) https://platypus1917.org/2018/10/01/what-was-the-socialist-party-an-interview-with-david-mcreynolds/ Hosted by Laurie Rojas, Pamela C. and Suzy V.

On this episode of SPS, we sit down with Jacobin contributor Alex Hotchuli and discuss Brazil's upcoming, presidential elections. With Audrey Crescenti, we take up Afro-futurist aesthetics, with clips from artist Frances Bodomo, the Nation of Islam’s Elijah Muhammad, Sun Ra, and Terence Nance’s new HBO show, Random Acts of Flyness. Alex Hotchuli on the Brazilian elections for Jacobin https://jacobinmag.com/2018/09/brazil-election-bolsonaro-lula-haddad-boulos-corruption Mark Dery, "Black to the Future: Interviews with Samuel R. Delany, Greg Tate, and Tricia Rose" (1994) https://tinyurl.com/y9wulgbk Hosted by Pamela C. & Laurie Rojas.

On this episode of SPS, we discuss the confusion around "trans politics" & sexual emancipation and examine the limits of anti-Trump activism. Audrey , Pam & Berkeley member, Will Lushbough, sits down with comedian Will Franken, who lived as a trans woman for a brief time, to talk about sexuality & the state of stand-up today. Laurie Rojas talks to UK members, Rory Hannigan & Pádraig Maguire about the recent anti-Trump protests in London. And Suzy V. drops by to discuss the Chicago queer scene and the difficulty of thinking about sexual emancipation today. Articles mentioned: (1) "The Word 'Cisgender': An Unlikely Semantic Revolutionary" https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-word-cisgender-an-unl_b_10913904.html (2) "Why Scarlett Johansson — Or Any Cis Actor — Should Never Play Trans Roles" https://www.them.us/story/why-scarlett-johansson-or-any-cis-actor-should-never-play-trans-roles From the Platypus archives on sexual liberation: (1) https://platypus1917.org/2016/10/17/9-16-16-trans-liberation-teach-fr

On this episode of SPS, we discuss "What is the DSA and where is it going?," the Platypus panel at this year's Left Forum (June 2018), with Erin Hagood, Marco Torres joins us to talk about the Mexican elections, and we pay tribute to the one and only, Kanye West. Mentioned on this episode: (1) DSA panel from the Left Forum: "What is the DSA?" panel held (06/06) at Left Forum which features Jack Devine, DSA; Jim Creegan, Weekly Worker; and Erin Hagood, Platypus https://archive.org/details/WHATISTHEDSA (2) Platypus Review interview with the DSA candidate for California Lt. Governor, Gayle McLaughlin https://platypus1917.org/2018/02/03/keeping-movement-going-interview-gayle-mclaughlin/ (3) Dissent article on the Mexican Elections by Carlos Bravo Regidor and Patrick Iber https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/mexico-elections-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador-amlo Hosted by Audrey C., Pam C., Laurie R.

On this episode of SPS, we discuss Childish Gambino’s “This Is America;” “50 Years of 1968,” the opening plenary at the International Convention of the Platypus Affiliated Society in Chicago, April 2018; and the recent liberal hysteria over the Irish border, with Platypus members Cam Hardy (Toronto) and Rory Hannigan (Sheffield, UK). Hosted by Audrey C., Pam C., Laurie R. Articles mentioned: (1) "Up in the air: The legacy of the New Communist Movement, An interview with Max Elbaum" with Spencer A. Leonard, in the Platypus Review 30 (December 2010) https://platypus1917.org/2010/12/01/up-in-the-air-the-legacy-of-the-new-communist-movement/ (2) "The Cynicism of Childish Gambino’s 'This Is America'" by Israel Daramola, in Spin (May 8, 2018) https://www.spin.com/2018/05/donald-glover-this-is-america-review/ (3) "The ex-IRA men: ‘United Ireland? It’s all guff’" by Simon Carswell, in the Irish Times (Apr 8, 2017) https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/the-ex-ira-men-united-ireland-it-s-all-guff-1.3041

On this special episode of SPS we discuss "50 Years After '68: Does Socialism Have a Future?" the annual European Conference of the Platypus Affiliated Society in London (15–18 February, 2018), and feature clips from our panels with Boris Kagarlitsky (Author; Institute of Globalization and Social Movements), Simon Elmer (Architects for Social Housing), Hillel Ticktin (University of Glasgow; Founding Editor, Critique), Robert Borba (Revolutionary Communist Party USA), Roxanne Baker (International Bolshevik Tendency) and Judith Shapiro (London School of Economics). We are joined by Platypus members, Gregor Baszak (University of Illinois, Chicago), Nunzia Faes (London School of Economics), Erin Hagood (University of Chicago) and Pádraig Maguire (Goldsmiths, University of London). The recordings for the entire conference are available here: (1) Pre-conference panel discussion: Anti-Racism in the Age of Trump and Brexit https://archive.org/details/AntiRacismInTheAgeOfTrumpAndBrexit (2) Teach-in: The Death of th

On this episode we discuss: (1) The #metoo phenomena and the French Anti-#MeToo Manifesto with Chicago member, Carrie Graham and the London School of Economics' Platypus chapter head, Nunzia Faez https://www.worldcrunch.com/opinion-analysis/full-translation-of-french-anti-metoo-manifesto-signed-by-catherine-deneuve Also mentioned in this segment were: - Gracchus Babeuf, "The Conspiracy of the Equals" (1796) https://www.marxists.org/history/france/revolution/conspiracy-equals/index.htm - Theodor W. Adorno, "Sexual Taboos and the Law Today" (1963) http://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/archive/rgroups/2008-09/adorno_sexualtaboostoday.pdf (2) Platypus Review interview with Sascha Staničić, “Fighting instead of managing capitalism” and the state of the German Left, with Stefan Hain, the head of our Berlin chapter. https://platypus1917.org/2017/12/02/fighting-instead-managing-capitalism-interview-sascha-stanicic/ (3) We take stock of the first year of the Trump presidency and discuss the new title from th

A special holiday edition, with guests Reid Kotlas (Platypus Vermont, and Socialist Party USA) and Efraim Carlebach (Platypus London), on the Left today and the problem of the Democratic and Labor Parties. What do the socialists want anyway? We discuss: An interview with Lee Carter, a democratic socialist who defeated a Republican legislator in Virginia in the recent elections https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/11/lee-carter-interview-virginia-election-socialist Seth Ackerman, "A Blueprint for a New Party" https://www.jacobinmag.com/2016/11/bernie-sanders-democratic-labor-party-ackerman An interview with Ian Birchall, a leading figure of the International Socialist tendency for over half a century https://platypus1917.org/2017/12/02/unchanging-core-marxism-interview-ian-birchall/ Hosted by Audrey C., Pam C. and Laurie R.

On this episode: (0) Democrats are lame. #nuffsaid (1) A conversation with Philip Cunlife, author of Lenin Lives! Reimagining the Russian Revolution 1917-2017, reviewed by Gregor Baszak on the pages of the Platypus Review November issue. https://platypus1917.org/2017/11/01/book-review-philip-cunliffe-lenin-lives-reimagining-russian-revolution-1917-2017/ (2)A convo about the Platypus panel "1917–2017" with members, Frederik Heinz and Lukas Hedderich, hosted by the Goethe University chapter in Frankfurt (DE). The panel had Frank Ruda (Philosopher, Berlin/Frankfurt am Main); Lars Quadfasel (Hamburger Studienbibliothek); Anton Stortchilov, (Historian, Die LINKE); Rafael Rehm (Der Funke, International Marxist Tendency). Recording of the panel can be found here: https://archive.org/details/20171103PASPanel19172017Frankfurt (3) Why should anyone care about 1917? Hosted by Audrey C., Pam C., and Laurie R.

On this episode, commentary on: (1) "The negative-sum internet" (Weekly Worker) Paul Demarty reviews: Angela Nagle, Kill all normies: the online culture wars from Tumblr and 4chan to the alt-right and Trump (Zero Books, 2017) http://weeklyworker.co.uk/worker/1176/the-negative-sum-internet/ (2) Platypus Berkeley panel: "Antifascism in the Age of Trump" Description: Since the Nazi seizure of power eighty years ago, anti-fascism has been a component of left-wing politics. In response to the Trump presidency, the politics of anti-fascism, reminiscent of the Popular Front of the 1930s or the Black Bloc politics of the 1990s, have—once again—been resurrected by the Left. How is anti-fascism the same or different today? Why anti-fascism now? Speakers: Eugene Ruyle (CPUSA/DSA Member, runs Niebyl Proctor Marxist Library); Luma Nichol (Freedom Socialist Party, Communities Against Racism and Fascism); Victoria Fierce (DSA Member, East Bay for Everyone); Ramsey Kanaan (PM Press) Audio recording: https://archive.org/det