/76/ CaliBunga: Tech, Drugs & Capitalist Soul, Pt. I

Special multipart series on the Californian Ideology: the seemingly paradoxical hybrid of New Left and New Right ideas - the synthesis of hippies with yuppies, all tied together with the promise that technology might liberate us.

In part one, we talk to Richard Barbrook about the Californian Ideology today before discussing health and mental illness with the 'States of Wellness' group at UC Irvine (Catherine Liu, Benjamin Kruger-Robins, Michael Mahoney, Thomas Williams).

Thanks to UC Irvine School of Humanities for sponsoring this series.

Readings:

• Natural Causes, Barbara Ehrenreich
• The Happiness Industry, William Davies
• Coming Up Short, Jennifer Silva

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Excerpt: /75/ Synthesis Session: Order Not Freedom

/74/ Order Not Freedom ft. Quinn Slobodian

On the unexpected origins of neoliberalism. We talk to Quinn Slobodian, author of Globalists, about how neoliberals look back to the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the League of Nations. Why does neoliberalism talk about freedom, but promote order? Is neoliberalism about more or less state - or is it about what kind of state?

Plus why the genuine neoliberals didn’t care about the Cold War and how Murray Rothbard laid the ground for Trump.

Readings:

• Globalists, Quinn Slobodian
• Neoliberalism’s World Order, Adam Tooze
• Why I am not a conservative, F.A. von Hayek
• The EU is a betrayal of Europe’s exceptionalism, Douglas Carswell

Subscribe for access to the Synthesis Session, where the guys discuss the broader implications: patreon.com/bungacast

/72/ Frankly Awesome Lefty Conversation ft. Aaron Bastani [UNLOCKED]

Excerpt: /73/ Eurosads ft. Anton Jäger & Catarina Príncipe

[For the full episode, please subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast]

On the European Parliamentary elections. Is this the day the 20th century truly died? Traditional social democratic and conservative parties took a pounding. The Greens surged. The populists didn't surge - but are now entrenched. And the radical and populist Left has not capitalised. What's the meaning behind what are often purely symbolic euro elections?

Readings:

[pieces by Anton & Catarina coming shortly]

Excerpt: /72/ Frankly Awesome Lefty Conversation ft. Aaron Bastani

/71/ Trustworthy Propaganda ft. Glenn Greenwald

On 'neoliberal order breakdown syndrome' and the media. Glenn Greenwald talks to us about Russiagate and fake news, and is unimpressed with same old propaganda. We discuss about left-wing self-criticism, Bolsonaro and transgression, and ask how to be sceptical without sliding into cynicism.

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/70/ In Defence of Universalism ft. Kenan Malik

On migration and identity. The question of migration and borders has become increasingly fraught across different societies. Why has immigration become the means through which grievance is expressed? Where has 'white' identity come from? And how durable is identity politics as a force?

Readings:

Looking Closer to Home, Kenan Malik on EU and migration 

The History and Politics of White Identity, Kenan Malik

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/69/ Boiled Lobsters ft. Angela Nagle

On Peterson vs Zizek. Did the 'debate of the century' live up to its billing? More importantly, what explains Peterson's appeal - and Zizek's? Why did the debate have such an odd, out of time feel? 

References:

The Fool and the Madman, Jacobin critique of the debate

Evaluating the Peterson-Zizek Debate, Doug Lain, Zero Books

Enjoy what we do? Chip in to our patreon: patreon.com/BUNGACAST

/68/ Big Money Talk ft. Doug Henwood

On Modern Monetary Theory. Doug Henwood joins us to discuss whether MMT offers a fiscal alternative for Left governments. What is monetary sovereignty and do all states have it? What are MMT's prospects for states as different as the USA, Nigeria or Brazil? Is it a suspect economic remedy, too much of a quick fix? Are MMT proponents guilty of avoiding political confrontation? 

Readings

Modern Monetary Theory Isn’t Helping, Doug Henwood, Jacobin

MMT Is Already Helping, Pavlina R. Tcherneva, Jacobin

Modern Money Theory 101: A Reply to Critics (pdf), Éric Tymoigne and L. Randall Wray 

Modern Money Theory (MMT) vs. Structural Keynesianism, Thomas Palley

What Is Modern Monetary Theory and Why Is It So Important to the Green New Deal?, Jacob Weindling, Paste Magazine

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