thebarricade

"On the Barricades" — s03e45 #onthebarricades In 2016, Poles took to the streets to protest a total ban on abortions imposed by the Law and Justice Polish party that took power in 2015. The movement was called “The Black protest” and it was a successful way of opposing the anti-abortion legislation. Unfortunately, in 2021, the Polish Catholic fundamentalists managed to enshrine a complete ban on abortion into the Polish constitution. The unprecedented success of the conservative forces made it almost impossible to fight this legislation into the streets since it would have taken the rewriting of the Constitution to do so. By maneuvering in the Polish legal system, the conservative forces managed to impose one of the most rigid legislation against women’s reproductive rights. In Poland, abortion is forbidden even if the fetus has congenital defects. Since it was translated into law two Polish pregnant women died in the hospital because doctors waited for their unviable fetuses to die before trying to save the life of the mothers. Urszula Kuczynska is a well-known Polish feminist that has been involved in politics since recently. She shared the faith of many feminists that deviated from what was considered the “right way” for feminism and were excluded from the Razem party. We invited her on our show to discuss this type of internal fight as a symptom of feminism not being able to build solidarity and to become a mass movement. We tried to identify some of the reasons why the movement started in 2016 failed to materialize into a political force able to translate the popularity on social media into real measures that would benefit Polish women.

"On the Barricades" — s03e41 #onthebarricades The more tensions increase in Ukraine, and the situation is amplified by increasingly erratic media narratives, the more difficult it gets to comprehend the entire scenario occurring in front of our eyes. Despite this, many people are seeking to understand the issue and, at the very least, look beyond the mainstream media's simplistic explanations of one side being bad and the other being good. We're here to help with this, as well as anyone interested in acquiring a more nuanced view on the events and processes that have occurred since 2014, which would include, in addition to the public criticism, the Russian understanding of those events and processes. So, if you want to go beyond the normal Russia-bashing and learn more about why Eastern Europe appears to be on the verge of war, you've come to the correct place! This time, the hosts of "On the Barricades" have invited a very important guest who will give you a professional and extensive analysis of the current situation as well as the procedures that led to today's deadlock. Mark Sleboda, an international security analyst, university researcher, and lecturer, is our guest on this episode of the show.

"On the Barricades" — s03e40 #onthebarricades The more tensions rise in Ukraine, and the situation is exaggerated by increasingly deranged media narratives, the more difficult it becomes to make sense of the entire crisis unfolding before our eyes. Nonetheless, many people are attempting to comprehend the situation and, at the very least, look beyond the superficial explanations of one side being bad and the other being good that the mainstream media provides. We're here to assist with this, and for anyone interested in gaining a more nuanced perspective, which would include, in addition to the widespread criticism, the Russian understanding of the events and processes that have occurred since 2014. So, if you want to go beyond the usual Russia-bashing and get a better understanding of why we appear to be on the verge of war in Eastern Europe, you've come to the right place! This time, the hosts of "On the Barricades" have invited a very special guest who will provide you with a competent and detailed dissection of the current situation as well as the processes that led up to today's impasse. Mark Sleboda is an international security analyst as well as a university researcher and lecturer and he's our guest on this edition of the show.

Divided we fall — s01e10 #dividedwefall w/ Pat Byrne We're back with another edition of Boyan Stanislavski and Pat Byrne's "Divided We Fall" series, in which they explore the weaknesses of the modern left and why it continues to lose on practically every front. What is the problem with the left, and why is it so? Today, we'll look at a big failure of the European left in Greece six years ago. We look at how SYRIZA, led at the time by Alexis Tsipras, failed to deliver on basic promises that had garnered them popular support and a huge majority in parliament in three sections. 2015 appeared to be a breath of fresh air for Europe's left. After years of austerity, there is now an opportunity for a solid socialist party to take power. The attention of the entire left was focused on Greece, where the SYRIZA party and its leader, Alexis Tsipras, were on their way to assuming power and confronting the so-called Troika (IMF, ECB, and European Commission), which was strangling the country's economy and demanding shock therapy and draconian austerity. There were a lot of expectations! Unfortunately, such dreams were crushed. In a matter of weeks, SYRIZA's leadership caved in to the demands of European and international banks. The European left's grandiose ambition has come to an end. What happened, and why did it happen? What circumstances contributed to such a terrible defeat? What are the lessons for the left to take away from these events? This is the final episode of our three parts discussion on the rise and fall of SYRIZA. Part one: https://bit.ly/35xEEFM Part two: https://bit.ly/3o7tYEc Today, we'll look at how SYRIZA and the Greek left as a whole reacted to the party's growing popularity.

Divided we fall — s01e08 #dividedwefall w/ Pat Byrne We're resuming the Divided We Fall series, in which Boyan Stanislavski and Pat Byrne discuss the problems of the contemporary left and why it keeps losing on almost every front. What is the problem with the left, and why is it so? Today we bring up an example of a major failure of the European left that occurred in Greece six years ago. We carefully examine, in three parts, how SYRIZA, led at the time by Alexis Tsipras, failed to deliver on their basic promises, which had earned them widespread support and a massive majority in parliament. 2015 appeared to be a breath of fresh air for Europe's left. After years of austerity, there emerged to be a chance for a consistent leftist party to take power. The eyes of the entire left were fixed on Greece, where the SYRIZA party and its leader, Alexis Tsipras, were on their way to assuming power and confronting the so-called Troika (IMF, ECB, and European Commission), which was strangling the country's economy and demanding shock therapy and austerity on steroids. There were high hopes! Unfortunately, those expectations were dashed. Within a few weeks, SYRIZA's leadership caved in to the demands of European and international banks. The European left's big dream had come to an end. What happened, and why did it happen? What were the causes of this catastrophic defeat? What are the lessons that the left should take away from these events? This and more can be found in the first of three parts of our discussion of Greece and SYRIZA. Today, we will discuss the radicalization of Greek society, as well as the process and circumstances that led SYRIZA to power.

"On the Barricades" — s03e39 #onthebarricades Stanislav Byshok, a Russian political scientist, is our guest this time. He earned a PhD after graduating from Moscow State University, and he is frequently described as a scholar deconstructing nationalism and populism in international researcher databases. He's written a number of books and reports on current Russian, Ukrainian, and European politics. Stanislav Byshok will explain the attitudes of the Russian public and the reactions of the Russian media to the growing tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine in a two-part conversation hosted by Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski. Other aspects of the Russian perspective on recent events and processes are also being discussed.

SYRIZA responded to its rising popularity Divided we fall — s01e09 #dividedwefall w/ Pat Byrne We're back with another installment of Boyan Stanislavski and Pat Byrne's "Divided We Fall" series, in which they discuss the contemporary left's problems and why it keeps losing on almost every front. What is the left's problem, and why is it so? Today, we'll look at a major failure of the European left that occurred six years ago in Greece. In three parts, we look at how SYRIZA, led by Alexis Tsipras at the time, failed to deliver on basic promises that had earned them widespread support and a large majority in parliament. For Europe's left, 2015 appeared to be a breath of fresh air. After years of austerity, a chance for a consistent leftist party to take power has emerged. The entire left's gaze was fixed on Greece, where the SYRIZA party and its leader, Alexis Tsipras, were on their way to assuming power and confronting the so-called Troika (IMF, ECB, and European Commission), which was strangling the country's economy and demanding shock therapy and draconian austerity. There were high expectations! Those hopes were, unfortunately, dashed. SYRIZA's leadership gave in to the demands of European and international banks in a matter of weeks. The big dream of the European left had come to an end. What occurred, and why did it occur? What were the factors that led to such a humiliating defeat? What are the lessons to be learned by the left from these events? The first of three parts of our discussion of Greece and SYRIZA contains all of this and more. It can be seen here: https://bit.ly/3rWLRqs Today, we'll look at how SYRIZA and the Greek left as a whole reacted to the party's growing popularity.

"On the Barricades" — s03e37 #onthebarricades Stanislav Byshok, a Russian political scientist, is our guest this time. He earned a PhD after graduating from Moscow State University, and he is frequently described as a scholar deconstructing nationalism and populism in international researcher databases. He's written a number of books and reports on current Russian, Ukrainian, and European politics. Stanislav Byshok will explain the attitudes of the Russian public and the reactions of the Russian media to the growing tensions between Moscow and Washington over Ukraine in a two-part conversation hosted by Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski. Other aspects of the Russian perspective on recent events and processes are also being discussed.

Ukraine has captured the attention of the international media, because there are serious concerns about a potential military confrontation in the region. First, there were conversations regarding the potential military invasion of the country by Russia and the alleged build-up at the Russian and Ukrainian border. Then there were several meetings of US and Russian officials to discuss the situation. The boldest move was on the part of the Russians, who advanced a list of security guarantees that the US must accept. These demands include the retreat of NATO from Eastern European countries, such as Romania and Bulgaria, and not having a veto right regarding a potential NATO expansion in Ukraine and Georgia. Given the very tense situation, we decided to invite Volodymyr Artiukh, an anthropologist interested in labor, migration, and the political economy of the post-Soviet states. He has studied labor relations in Belarus, and he is currently conducting research in Ukraine about internal migration and deindustrialization. We invite you to see the international conflicts that potentially involve Ukraine through the eyes of a Ukrainian-born anthropologist, who is willing to explain the situation in his country and what the potential peaceful solutions are.

Ukraine has captured the attention of the international media, because there are serious concerns about a potential military confrontation in the region. First, there were conversations regarding the potential military invasion of the country by Russia and the alleged build-up at the Russian and Ukrainian border. Then there were several meetings of US and Russian officials to discuss the situation. The boldest move was on the part of the Russians, who advanced a list of security guarantees that the US must accept. These demands include the retreat of NATO from Eastern European countries, such as Romania and Bulgaria, and not having a veto right regarding a potential NATO expansion in Ukraine and Georgia. Given the very tense situation, we decided to invite Volodymyr Artiukh, an anthropologist interested in labor, migration, and the political economy of the post-Soviet states. He has studied labor relations in Belarus, and he is currently conducting research in Ukraine about internal migration and deindustrialization. We invite you to see the international conflicts that potentially involve Ukraine through the eyes of a Ukrainian-born anthropologist, who is willing to explain the situation in his country and what the potential peaceful solutions are.

"On the Barricades" — s03e35 #onthebarricades In the second part (part one — https://bit.ly/3Id00GC) of our discussion with Pat Byrne on the outcomes of the Summit for Democracy, which was held in early January, we discuss how American and other Western organizations manipulate political realities in Eastern Europe (and elsewhere) by claiming to be intervening in favor of democracy or against corruption. However, from the standpoint of those two concepts, the situation in the United States is rather bleak. Anyone with an interest can see that America's democracy is in crisis, and that corruption is not only legal, but also built into the structure of Congress's work, with all of the lobbyists and overwhelming corporate power. Furthermore, Boyan Stanislavski and Pat Byrne discuss neoliberalism, which clearly appears to be essential in terms of organizing international capitalism today, despite many people, including those on the left, claiming that neoliberalism is no longer the dominant ideology of the Anglo-Saxon ruling classes. Pat explains how it is still the central idea and how it leads to the gradual abolition of any form of democracy, even the hampered version based on elections.

"On the Barricades" — s03e34 #onthebarricades The American government hosted a global conference called the Summit for Democracy in early January. We discussed it at the time with Pat Byrne, a long-time socialist activist and historian. Today, after a few weeks have passed and all of the emotions have played out in the media, we can address the event's outcomes in an assertive and political manner. Was the American leadership's summit a success or a failure? What are the long-term implications of the Summit for Democracy for democracy? Why is there a democracy crisis in the United States in particular?

"On the Barricades" — s03e33 #onthebarricades It was predictable, but it was still disappointing. The western media began their usual campaign of support for anything that could be construed as anti-Russian. It was their usual agitation for those 'fighting for their freedom,' 'democracy,' and 'human rights.' The Russian media has also taken their usual stance: Provocation! CIA! CIA! They want to destabilize Russia! While both of those narratives contain some truth, they are overly simplistic and ignore many important factors, such as the slew of contradictions in Kazakhstani politics and among its ruling elite. Until today, no major mainstream Western media outlet has provided a credible explanation for the events in Kazakhstan last week. It should also be noted that some of the media appear to have been taken aback by the dynamics of the protests, as well as the reaction of Russia and the CSTO. This is most likely true of many Western leaders too. The hosts of "On the Barricades," Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski, examine the media's response to the turmoil in Kazakhstan, as well as the dominant narratives.

"On the Barricades" — s03e31 #onthebarricades Last week, a stunning series of events occurred in Kazakhstan, a major Central Asian country. In comparison to many other states with a similar history of ties to the USSR, this post-Soviet republic was largely a success story. Another significant difference is that Kazakhstan, with the support of Russia and the CSTO, prevented a color revolution from taking place just last week. But was there a concerted effort on the part of Western powers to stage a putsch against Kazakhstan's government? Or was the uprising we witnessed merely a manifestation of power struggles within the Kazakh establishment? Before we get to those questions, The Barricade's Boyan Stanislavski and Maria Cernat discuss the general political realities in Kazakhstan today, as well as the fundamental premises for such violent events to have occurred.

"On the Barricades" - s03e30 #onthebarricades The end of 2021 was marked by vivid discussions around political satire. Whether you liked it or not, Don’t look up! is one of the most debated movies of all time. However, is this truly important from a political point of view? Does it allow us to advance and really use the critique to come up with better solutions to our problems? How come the elites are providing us with a critique of what, for them, is a very profitable status-quo? Is this movie seriously attacking the power structures or is this just a way to groom us for the disasters that probably await us? How about the message? It seems that all we can hope for is to die with dignity, not the bright future that we all aspire to! We cannot look up to the elites, hoping that they will lead us to progress. We have to look around us to find the people that we want to have with us when we hopelessly die! A famous quote says that ‘the capitalists will sell us the rope we hang them with.’ Is this movie the capitalist exploitation of the critique of capitalism, or is it a wake-up call meant to tell us - what exactly? That there is nothing we can hope for? Some of the least discussed, yet most important, themes related to Don’t look up! relate to the way the PR industry has acted for decades now, making the movie more of a documentary than a satire. For decades, the PR industry used the book of propaganda and alternative facts, written by the tobacco industry as early as 1953, and did things that would make this movie seem more optimistic than the reality itself. If you want to find out more about these topics and others, join us On the Barricades! Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski are talking to Frank Myonk, the Barricade’s art director in the second part of the discussion. Frank is a graphic designer and a filmmaker, and he joined the hosts of the show to offer his take on this very interesting movie and also to discuss the reactions it created in Romania and Poland.

"On the Barricades" - s03e29 #onthebarricades The end of 2021 was marked by vivid discussions around political satire. Whether you liked it or not, Don’t look up! is one of the most debated movies of all time. However, is this truly important from a political point of view? Does it allow us to advance and really use the critique to come up with better solutions to our problems? How come the elites are providing us with a critique of what, for them, is a very profitable status-quo? Is this movie seriously attacking the power structures or is this just a way to groom us for the disasters that probably await us? How about the message? It seems that all we can hope for is to die with dignity, not the bright future that we all aspire to! We cannot look up to the elites, hoping that they will lead us to progress. We have to look around us to find the people that we want to have with us when we hopelessly die! A famous quote says that ‘the capitalists will sell us the rope we hang them with.’ Is this movie the capitalist exploitation of the critique of capitalism, or is it a wake-up call meant to tell us - what exactly? That there is nothing we can hope for? Some of the least discussed, yet most important, themes related to Don’t look up! relate to the way the PR industry has acted for decades now, making the movie more of a documentary than a satire. For decades, the PR industry used the book of propaganda and alternative facts, written by the tobacco industry as early as 1953, and did things that would make this movie seem more optimistic than the reality itself. If you want to find out more about these topics and others, join us On the Barricades! Maria Cernat and Boyan Stanislavski are talking to Frank Myonk, the Barricade’s art director. Frank is a graphic designer and a filmmaker, and he joined the hosts of the show to offer his take on this very interesting movie and also to discuss the reactions it created in Romania and Poland

"On the Barricades" — s03e32 #onthebarricades What exactly happened last week in Kazakhstan? This is a question that many people have. Was this a genuine protest, or a western-led American jab in Russia's soft underbelly? Was this a working-class movement or yet another post-Soviet attempt at a color revolution? It appears that there was a little bit of everything. The context is one of deep contradictions in Kazakhstan's ruling class and society as a whole. Boyan Stanislavski and Maria Cernat carefully examine the chronology of last week's events in Kazakhstan, highlighting the most doubtful moments and carefully explaining what conclusions can be drawn based on facts that are now public record. The hosts of "On the Barricades" also mention some possibilities for which there is only circumstantial evidence and which cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt at this time.

"On the Barricades" s03e28 #onthebarricades Join us on this edition of On the Barricades to discuss more with Veronika Susova-Salminen. Veronika is one of the members who worked on the project A Hundred Shades of the EU – Mapping the Political Economy of the Euro Peripheries with the support of Transform! Europe and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. In this segment of our show, we will discuss the way European peripheries were pushed even further from the center by the political regulations imposed on them. One of the most important sectors for countries like Romania and Bulgaria is agriculture. Unfortunately, joining the European Union translated into cuts in subsidies and a vast concentration of land ownership that made it very hard for small farms to survive. Veronika Susova spent time investigating EU policies and how the neoliberal economic system is creating inequality and distance in a project that was supposed to be about equity and collaboration.

"On the barricades" — s03e27 #onthebarricades Veronika Sušová-Salminen is our guest "On the Barricades" this weekend. She is a researcher from the Czech Republic, who produced a report on the peripheries of the European Union in a project supported by Transform! Europe in collaboration with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. The project’s name is catchy and self-explanatory: A Hundred Shades of the EU — Mapping the Political Economy of the Euro Peripheries. The EU has been in crisis for a long time. Many of its defenders tend to equate any kind of criticism with right-wing 'euro-skepticism.' But it is precisely because there are elements in the EU project that we believe in that we embarked on the mission of pointing out the negative aspects of the economic model that is responsible for the ongoing EU crisis. In this episode of "On the Barricades," we discuss the dependency of the Eastern European states in terms of finances and how they find themselves in the impossible situation of not having enough tools to decide on their countries' strategies.

Last week Poles took to the streets to protest a controversial media bill adopted by the Parliament. The bill regulates the foreign ownership of media in Poland stipulating that media channels have to be owned by entities based in Poland or in the Eurozone. One of the most important TV channels in Poland is TVN24 and it’s owned by the US media corporation Discovery INC. This channel happens to be very critical towards the ruling party, Law and Justice. This is the reason why the bill is seen as an attempt to silence dissenting voices in Poland. The scandal landed on the front pages of the Guardian and other mainstream Western media. Things got so heated that even the spokesperson of the US State Department issued a formal declaration condemning the bill because it allegedly 'undermines the freedom of expression' and on the other, it 'erodes foreign investors’ confidence in their property rights and the sanctity of contracts in Poland'.

Welcome to the Barricades! Join us for this special edition of our show, where we discuss an exceptional and yet extremely ridiculous event that recently took place in Romania. On December 13, Romania set a new record for violent politicians acting insanely. Lucia Gorraci, an Italian journalist, wanted to interview Romanian MP, Diana Șoșoacă, about the vaccination campaign. They began the interview, but Diana Șoșoacă interrupted the discussion and told them they were not who they claimed to be, and she asked them to leave her office. Șoșoacă obstructed the journalists' exit by positioning herself in the doorway, seconds after they attempted to leave. Lucia Gorraci was able to escape, but Diana Șoșoacă locked the door of her office, preventing the rest of Gorraci's crew from leaving. Diana Șoșoacă began filming and dialed 112, the Romanian emergency number, claiming that people in her office were harassing her. The police arrived minutes after the call was placed. Lucia Gorraci met with the police officers and attempted to explain why her crew was imprisoned in Șoșoacă‘s office. When Gorraci returned with the police officers, Silvestru Șoșoacă, Diana Șoșoacă’s husband, grabbed the Italian journalist's hand, punched her, and bit her hand! But wait, there's more! The police officers took the journalists to the station, searched them, and detained them for several hours. They were only released from police custody after the Italian embassy intervened. What is even more troubling is that important mainstream Romanian media amplified the narrative that Diana Șoșoacă was actually a victim. The Russian state media platform, Sputnik, ran stories presenting senator Șoșoacă as a victim of Western imperialism! Such blatant lies have started to gain traction in Romanian society.

Welcome to the Barricades! This is a special edition of our show. We are here today to discuss an exceptional event taking place in Poland. Emil Czeczko, a Polish soldier mobilized at the border, defected to Belarus and he asked for asylum! Thousands of migrants are currently stationed at the Polish border with Belarus. They come mostly from the Middle East with the intent of crossing Poland to reach Germany. For months tensions grew and the Polish declared a state of emergency across the border preventing NGO-s and journalists from reaching the area. Nevertheless, Polish journalists and NGO-s managed to get there and help the migrants. This defection comes as a surprise and this is why we invited Boyan Stanislavski, our cohost and also a Polish journalist to offer us his perspective on this very unusual event.

On the barricades" — s03e23 #onthebarricades As the end of December and the year 2021 approaches the hosts of "On the Barricades" sat down with the youtuber Youri Smouter to offer critical leftist commentary on the month's most important events. We talk about Russia's 'imminent' invasion of Ukraine, parts of the left freaking out against mass vaccination, Washington's order to boycott the Olympics in China and the Summit for Democracy, which was held under the auspices of the current American administration. We also speak about Belarus and the situation in Romania.

On the barricades" — s03e22 #onthebarricades As the end of December and the year 2021 approaches the hosts of "On the Barricades" sat down with the youtuber Youri Smouter to offer critical leftist commentary on the month's most important events. We talk about Russia's 'imminent' invasion of Ukraine, parts of the left freaking out against mass vaccination, Washington's order to boycott the Olympics in China and the Summit for Democracy, which was held under the auspices of the current American administration. We also speak about Belarus and the situation in Romania.

On the barricades" — s03e21 #onthebarricades As the end of December and the year 2021 approaches the hosts of "On the Barricades" sat down with the youtuber Youri Smouter to offer critical leftist commentary on the month's most important events. We talk about Russia's 'imminent' invasion of Ukraine, parts of the left freaking out against mass vaccination, Washington's order to boycott the Olympics in China, and the Summit for Democracy, which was held under the auspices of the current American administration.