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/