Sps

Rebekah, Ismail, and Michael introduce the upcoming Platypus International Convention, featuring Bill Ayers, Chris Cutrone, Alex Higgins, Michael Kazin, Branko Marcetic, Dave McKerracher, and Pamela Nogales among many more speakers, teach-ins, and social events. Is There a Left in the 21st Century? April 3rd-5th Chicago, IL Full line-up available at https://www.platypus.events --- Check out our past events at https://platypus1917.org

In this episode of Sh-t Platypus Says, we focus on the German politics in the present and since the aftermath of the New Left. In the first half, Lisa discusses the recent German elections results with Jule, Daron, and Andreas. What does the victory of Friedrich Merz's center-right CDU mean for the Left? In the second half, Lisa sits down with Therri, Marius, and Jo to reflect on our German language Antideutsch panel, forthcoming in English translation in the Platypus Review. They discuss the history of the Antideutsch, the current of the Antideutsch and their influence in Germany, and further questions provoked by our panel. --- Ep 66: AfD & Sahra Wagenknecht in Germany, Anarchism on the West Coast: https://soundcloud.com/platypus-affiliated-society/ep-66 Was waren die Antideutschen? (German language panel) Audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPbT71IExIw Transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2024/11/03/was_waren_die_antideutschen/ preparatory readings for the Antideutsch panel: https://docs.google.

Itsï and Johannes sit down with Chris Cutrone to reflect on last year's summer reading group, The Right for the Left. They discuss the historical difference between the Right and the Left, the prevalence of right-wing ideas on the Left, and how the Left conceded the contestation of ideas to the Right. The full syllabus can be found here: https://platypus1917.org/2024/05/08/summer-2024-readings-the-right-for-the-left/ Visit our website at www.platypus1917.org

Episode 71 comes in two parts: In the first, Pam sits down with Audrey and Itsï to discuss the assassination of United Healthcare's CEO, and what the Left has to say about it. They consider the historical anarchist tactic of the propaganda of the deed, and what Marxism had to say about it. In the second part, Lucy and Wentai interview Nina Power, a writer active since the 90s on the British Left. They reflect on the experience of the Gen X and Millennial Left in the UK, the changes in feminism and gender politics during that time, and revisit her first book from 2009, One Dimensional Woman. Visit our website at www.platypus1917.org --- LINKS Unherd Interview, 26 July 2024 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aI7p1UypGqA Nina Power, One Dimensional Woman (2009) https://files.libcom.org/files/onedimensionalwoman.pdf Nina Power, What do Men Want? Masculinity and its Discontents (2022) https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Men-Want-Masculinity-Discontents/dp/0241356504

In this episode, Pam sits down with Ethan and Gabe to discuss Trump's reelection and the Republicans' victory in Congress, the Left's nostalgia for Bernie along with its efforts the "critique" the Democrats, and the new multiracial coalition behind the GOP. In the second part, Daniel and Itsï sit down with Carlos Garrido, Director of the Midwestern Marx Institute and Secretary of Education for the American Communist Party, founded this year. They discuss American Marxism, W.E.B. DuBois, the launch of the ACP, and why now might be the moment for a communist party. Our volume "Marxism in the Age of Trump" is now on sale and available to purchase here: https://platypus-publishing.square.site/product/marxism-in-age-of-trump/5?cs=true&cst=custom ---- "The Left and the 2024 Election" (10/30/24 panel) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IbzY1kaG2c --- Eugene V. Debs - The Negro In the Class Struggle (1903) https://www.marxists.org/archive/debs/works/1903/negro.htm Constitution of the American Communist Part

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

On this episode of SPS, Pamela N. and Platypus member Adrienne F. interview Nadine Strossen, an American legal scholar and civil liberties activist. Strossen served as the president of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) from 1991 to 2008; she is currently a senior fellow at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Education Expression (FIRE); and is the author of Free Speech: What Everyone Needs to Know (2023). We discuss her history on the Left, her relationship to the antiwar movement, the Students for a Democratic Society, and radical & progressive positions today. We also take up the recent illiberal turn in society, and what if any effect it has had on the ACLU, as well as her proposed solutions. Finally, we take a critical look at demands by the Left to reform the Supreme Court. If you live in the East Coast, Platypus is hosting its annual East Coast Conference in Boston on Oct 11-13. There will be a variety of panels, teach-ins and social gatherings. Panels include, "The American Revolution a

On this episode of SPS, Sophia and Pam hammer out whether or not Kamala Harris IS brat. They discuss the Republican National Convention and the consolidation of the new Republican Party under Trump. In the main segment, Andreas W and Pam N. sit down with Platypus members Ali (Australian National University), Hayes (University of Chicago) and Eli (University of Leipzig) to reflect on the recent pro-Palestinian protests on campus. The episode features recorded interviews with protestors led by Platypus members from around the globe including, Australia, Germany, and the United States. However, these are but a small sample of the on-site conversations led by our members. If you’d like to hear the rest of the interviews, you can find them here: https://t.ly/Fqg53 Episode Links: Platypus Israel-Palestine panels after October 7, 2023 - 11/29/24 Corvallis: https://youtu.be/lDnRfYh5tLs?si=Iu5wQ8p30LqT91cq - 11/29/23 UChicago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw0Rc_3Hn88&t=6487s - 12/3/23 German online

Episode 66 comes in two parts. In our first segment, Lisa sits down with German members Jan and Henry to discuss post-neoliberal transformations in German politics, understood through the AfD and Sahra Wagenknecht's split from Die Linke. In the second segment, Andony talks with fellow West Coast members Octavio, Colin, Ishmael, and Hoang about anarchism on the West Coast, reflecting on the Heart of the Valley Anti-Capitalist Bookfair held in Corvallis, Oregon, and the inaugural Platypus West Coast Conference held in San Diego this February. They discuss the resurgence of anarchism under the Biden presidency in the context of long-standing anarchist traditions on the West Coast. --- Further discussions of German politics (in German): - Was ist DIE LINKE? (13.6.21 Frankfurt) transcript: https://platypus1917.org/2022/08/31/podium_2021_linkspartei/ video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZZb7BZp_bY - Redefreiheit und die Linke (4.11.23 Leipzig) audio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Rf7K5h3h64 Further mat

Episode 65 comes in two parts: In the first segment, Andreas talks with Platypus members Clay (Chicago) and Ethan (Philadelphia) about the upcoming Platypus International Convention, taking place in Chicago April 4-7 under the title "What is Left after Trump?". They discuss the various panel topics of this year's 16th Platypus Convention as well as why we keep hosting them. More information can be found at https://sites.google.com/view/whatisleft2024 In our second segment we welcome a triumphant return of the Shit Platypus Does segment - Lisa and Rebekah sit down with members Thuy Linh (Berlin), Noah (Cologne) and Liv (New School) to reflect on the European Conference, held in Berlin at the end of January this year: What did we learn about "The Legacy of Lenin" ? Panels from the 2024 European Conference: Legacy of Lenin panel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FoX0unyoPX4 Building a Marxist Mass Party Anew: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ban_NkqrEVE Krise im sozialistischen Lager (in German): https://www.yo

In this episode of Shit Platypus Says, we introduce the first segment of Reds, a series examining the growth of new communist organizations around the world. Hosts Tamas, Lisa, and Rebekah discuss the impetus for such a series: the sudden growth of self-styled communist organizations after a decade of social democratic activity on the Left and a dissatisfaction with liberal politics; a related revision occurring within Trotskyist organizations; and the historical echoes and discontinuities raised by the transition from the Millennial to the Zoomer generation. For the bulk of the segment, our inaugural segment of Reds, Melbourne Platypus members Ryan and Tom sit down with Jamie and Anthony of the Revolutionary Communist Organisation and its Collective of Leninist Youth, based in Australia, for a discussion about its current outlook, challenges, and tasks. The RCO appeared on a panel discussion held by Platypus Melbourne: “Imperialism: What is it, and why should we be against it?” (Dec 2 2023 panel): https

Andreas sits down with Berlin-based members Jakob and Tamas to discuss the upcoming sixth annual Platypus European Conference, set to take place January 25th through the 27th. Further info can be found at: https://100yearsafterlenin.com --- A century after Lenin’s death, the Platypus Affiliated Society aims to critically examine the legacy of the failure of world revolution. Our sixth annual European Conference provides the time to reflect on the nightmare of the twentieth century through teach-ins, panel discussions, and presentations by international Leftist organizations. We hope thus to contribute to overcoming the present obstacles to any future emancipatory Left. The Left is dead! Long live the Left! Ein Jahrhundert nach dem Tod Lenins sucht die Platypus Affiliated Society nach einer kritischen Auseinandersetzung mit dem Erbe der gescheiterten Weltrevolution. Unsere sechste europäische Konferenz bietet Raum zur Reflexion über den Albtraum des Zwanzigsten Jahrhunderts – mit Teach-ins, Podiumsdiskus

This special holiday episode of SPS comes in three parts: (1) In order to make sense of the present, Platypus is hosting an international series of panels "Left Perspectives on the Israel-Palestine Conflict". In the first segment, member Gabe G. and Pamela N. reflect on the first panel of the series, which took place at the University of Chicago. They take up disagreements as well as the assumed agreement and the response from the audience. (2) In the second segment you'll hear soundbites and brief interviews from pro-Palestine rallies recorded by our members in Philadelphia and Auckland, New Zealand. (3) The third part is a deep dive into the Platypus archives. The current conflict has prompted Rebekkah and Lisa to speak with our member Ian M. about past engagements from our archives. They talked about the founding moment of Platypus as well as past panel initiatives on the politics of solidarity and decolonization. References from the Segment Reflecting on the Israel-Palestine Panel - Teach-in Pamela N.: H

We discuss this year's protests in France around police brutality, pension reform, and cost of living with our members Lucas from Bretagne and Paul from Vienna, as well as check in with Parisian protestors with Kristian. Weekly Coffee Breaks in Paris are held at Le Grand Breuget 17 rue Breuget 75011 Paris To stay up to date with Platypus France, get in touch here: https://www.platypusfrance.org

On this special back-to-school episode of SPS, Pamela & Laurie discuss the recent Russell Brand controversy. Brand has been in the news lately, under some heat, as a result of public allegations of sexual assault and misconduct. We take this up in the context of the ongoing sex panic and the ongoing transformation of feminism after #metoo, which leads us to discuss the Barbie movie. On the second part of the episode, our members Evan and the current president of Platypus, Erin, sit down with Benjamin Studebaker, the author of the recently published book, The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy: The Way is Shut (2023). Studebaker explains that the crisis of American democracy is deeply embedded in the America economic system, and develops a theory of “legitimacy crisis”. They take this up in their interview and ask some questions about the current state of American politics as well as his formulations of the ends of a Left political movement. We hope you enjoy this expanded edition of SPS, if you like it, lea

In this episode of SPS, Tamas sits down with Aram Shakkour (@ShaqArama) of the Szikra Movement (@SzikraMozgalom), an oppositional movement based around Budapest, Hungary. They discuss the state of leftist politics in Hungary after the oppositional coalition which Szikra supported, United for Hungary, failed to stop Viktor Orbán’s FIDESZ from winning a two-thirds parliamentary majority. With over 54% of the vote, FIDESZ received the highest vote share of any party since the fall of communism. They reflect on the three decades since the “system change,” as the events of 1989 are known in Hungary, and the deeper history of the Left in Hungary in the 20th century - Szikra's : www.szikramozgalom.hu/about_us - SPS #44: After the Freedom Convoy & the Hungarian Left Today - https://soundcloud.com/platypus-affiliated-society/ep44

In this episode, the Editor-in-Chief of the German Platypus Review, Tobias Rochlitz, sits down with Platypus members Stefan H, Jan BH, and our co-host Lisa M, all of whom contributed to the content of the special PR issue on Gender, to discuss an reflect upon the interview with Koschka Linkerhand, Tove Soiland and the panel discussion 'Gender and the Left‘ with Platypus member Stefan H, Roswitha Scholz and Sara Rukaj. They talk about how the ideas of the New Left survived and continued in the Millennial Left generation, the Heideggerian aspect of Lacan and about the Millennial Left’s focus on so-called “Materialism”. German-language Platypus Review #23: https://platypus1917.org/wp-content/uploads/ausgabe_23.pdf Interview with Koschka Linkerhand: https://platypus1917.org/2023/01/19/interview_linkerhand/ Interview with Tove Soiland: https://platypus1917.org/2023/01/19/interview_soiland/ Panel: Gender and the Left with Roswitha Scholz, Sara Rukaj and Stefan Hain: https://platypus1917.org/2023/07/01/gender-

In this episode Pamela and Laurie discuss the Trump indictment, DeSantis, and the conservative “resolution” to the crisis of neoliberalism through the Culture Wars. In our main segment, Platypus members from Vienna, Berlin, Melbourne and Chicago reflect on the Platypus panel, "A Century of Critical Theory: The Legacy of György Lukács,” (April 1st, 2023), the closing plenary of the 15th Platypus International Convention. The centenary marking the publication of his magnum opus, History and Class Consciousness: Studies in Marxist Dialectics (1923), offers the occasion to ask: What is the meaning of Lukács and HCC today? Over the last 100 years, various claims have been made of HCC. On the one hand, it is said to have inaugurated “Western Marxism” and set the foundation for the Critical Theory of the Frankfurt School. On the other, people have accused it of giving philosophical justifications for terroristic or opportunistic tendencies within Marxism–Leninism. We asked our panelists to consider the following: Wh

In the first part of this episode, Lisa is joined by our German members Jakob, Nezam and Sebastian to discuss the crisis and history of DIE LINKE. They reflect on Platypus panels, interviews, and PR articles to think about the recent manifestations of the crisis within DIE LINKE and the radical Left's relation to the party. They talk about the international influence of the party and its impact on the entire Millennial Left generation. 
The second part of this episode features interviews conducted by our member Nezam at the conference of the faction „Revolutionärer Bruch“ („revolutionary split/break”) in January of this year. The faction was founded by members of DIE LINKE and its youth organization Linksjugend solid to discuss various strategies for moving forward and to deepen the assumption that DIE LINKE might no longer be a political home for the Left. References: 
> 2022: quoted ISA article: https://internationalsocialist.net/en/2022/12/germany  > 2023: Panel Berlin: “War das schon der heiße Herbst?”

On this episode of SPS, Pamela & Andreas interview Spencer Leonard. Spencer is a founding member of Platypus and has recently published a two-volume selection of Marx & Engels journalism. The first volume focuses on Bonapartism, with selections from 1851–1859, and the second focuses on their writings on imperialism, with selections from 1856–1862. He speaks to us about the democratic revolution, liberalism, and the self-contradiction of bourgeois society. Spencer challenges the thesis put forth by Domenico Losurdo of an advancing "de-emancipation" alongside emancipation, and raises the problem of Marxism in the 20th century, and its legacy in the 21st. Links: Marx and Engels on Bonapartism, Selected Journalism, 1851–59 https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666928044/Marx-and-Engels-on-Bonapartism-Selected-Journalism-1851 Marx and Engels on Imperialism, Selected Journalism, 1856–62 https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781498559232/Marx-and-Engels-on-Imperialism-Selected-Journalism-1856 Domenico Losurdo in the Platypus Review (