Upstream

[TEASER] Palestine Pt. 17: Capital Accumulation at Any Cost w/ Jason Hickel

In this episode, part 17 of our ongoing series on Palestine, we're joined again by Jason Hickel [https://x.com/jasonhickel] for a conversation on Palestine and the role that Palestinian liberation plays in the global fight against imperialism and capitalism. The conversation opens with a discussion on why Palestinian liberation is a threat to capitalism globally—we unpack the role that Palestine plays geopolitically in West Asia and the role that West Asia plays in global capital accumulation. We go on to talk about Israel's role as the US's proxy force and attack dog, not just in West Asia, but throughout the globe as well, from Argentina to Guatemala. We then talk about Trump's so-called "Board of Peace," and its vision for Gaza before discussing what's taking place in the West Bank and the official death of the Two State Solution. We then broaden the conversation out and situate what's happening in Palestine into the context of the United States' quest for geopolitical hegemony, what this means in terms of the Second Cold War with China, and the implications for Palestine, West Asia, and the world at large. Jason Hickel is a professor at the The Institute for Environmental Science and Technology [https://portalrecerca.uab.cat/en/organisations/institut-de-ci%C3%A8ncia-i-tecnologia-ambientals-icta] at the Autonomous University of Barcelona [https://www.uab.cat/web/universitat-autonoma-de-barcelona-1345467954774.html], the author of the books The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions [https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divide] and Less is More: How Degrowth will Save the World [https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more]. Further resources: * Jason Hickel's Reserach [https://www.jasonhickel.org/research] * Global Inequality Project [https://globalinequality.org/] * The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and Its Solutions, [https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divide] Jason Hickel * Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save The World, [https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more] Jason Hickel * People's Embargo for Palestine [https://www.embargoforpalestine.com/] * Energy Embargo for Palestine [https://palenergyembargo.com/] * Palestinian Youth Movement [https://www.palestinianyouthmovement.com/] Related episodes: * Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Palestine] * Better Lives for All w/ Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/better-lives-for-all-w-jason-hickel] * How the North Plunders the South w/ Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/unlocked-how-the-north-plunders-the-south-w-jason-hickel] * The Divide – Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets with Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/jason-hickel-the-divide-in-conversation] * International Development and Post-capitalism with Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/jason-hickel-on-international-development-and-post-capitalism-in-conversation] * How Degrowth Will Save the World with Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/how-degrowth-will-save-the-world-with-jason-hickel-in-conversation] * The Green Transition Pt. 1 – The Problem with Green Capitalism [https://www.upstreampodcast.org/greentransitionpt1] * Listen to our ongoing series on Iran [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/iran] * Listen to our ongoing series on Venezuela [https://www.patreon.com/collection/2006407] * Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Cuba] * Listen to our ongoing series on China [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/China] * Listen to our ongoing series on Mexico [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/mexico] Intermission music: "Courage, My Friends!" by Andrew Glencross [https://andrewglencross.bandcamp.com/track/courage-my-friends] Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Cuba Pt. 3: Che Guevara and the Building of Socialism w/ Helen Yaffe

In this episode, part 3 of our ongoing series on Cuba, we're joined by Helen Yaffe [https://x.com/HelenYaffe] for a conversation exploring Cuba's transition to socialism after the revolution through Che Guevara's contributions. Helen Yaffe is a professor of Latin American political economy at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300230031/we-are-cuba/], and Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution [https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230233874]. She is also the cohost of the Cuba Analysis podcast [https://www.cubanalysis.org/] and the documentary Cuba's Life Task: combatting climate change [https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/spscop26/cubaslifetaskcombattingclimatechange/]. The episode begins with a brief introduction to Che Guevara—providing an overview of Che's life and biography. We then discuss what the Cuban revolutionaries inherited in terms of Cuba's semi-colonial economic and political state—unemployment, poverty, inequality, underdevelopment, and dependency. We talk about how socialism became the guiding light of revolutionary Cuba and how the revolutionary government became more radical in response to the United States' attempts to sabotage it. We discuss Che Guevara's role in developing the productive capacities of Cuba and his many roles ranging from President of the National Bank of Cuba to Head of Ministry of Industries (MININD). We also discuss his unique approach to laying the foundations of socialism in Cuba which put just as much emphasis on developing consciousness as developing materially. We contrast this with the Soviet system, which Che was critical of. We then explore the role of intellectual, political, and training education in the emerging socialist state of Cuba, which had experienced a mass emigration of managers and business owners after the revolution and had a working class which was accustomed to viewing labor as an exploitative endeavor and not as means of liberation. Finally, we explore Che's legacy and tie it into present day Cuba, which is still under siege by the imperialists. Further resources: * We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World [https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300230031/we-are-cuba/] * Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution [https://link.springer.com/book/10.1057/9780230233874] * Let Cuba Liva: Donate [https://www.letcubalive.info/donate] * Support the Nuestra América Flotilla to Cuba [https://nuestraamericaconvoy.org/] Related episodes: * Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/cuba] * Listen to our ongoing series on China [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/China] Intermission music: "Señor Martí" by El Guajiro [https://johnnyel.wixsite.com/elguajiro] Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

[UNLOCKED] Lebanon Pt. 1: Resisting Occupation w/ Hussein Assaf

This is an unlocked version of the episode "Lebanon Pt. 1: Resisting Occupation w/ Hussein Assaf." In Part 1 of our new series on Lebanon, Hussein Assaf joins us to discuss the ongoing assault on Lebanon by Israel and the United States. Hussein Assaf [https://x.com/EyesOnSouth1] is a journalist with Vocal Politics based out of Beirut. Our conversation begins with an update on the ongoing assault on Lebanon by Israel and backed by the United States. We then talk about the political forces at play in Lebanon, giving a brief history of the political makeup of the country to help put the current assault in context. We talk about Hezbollah and the relationship it has with the Islamic Republic, unpacking the common talking point in the West that Hezbollah is an Iranian "regime" proxy and instead providing a more appropriate analysis (and in doing so, giving insight into how the United States treats its proxies). We close on a discussion on the information and psychological warfare that is a part of the US and Israel's assault on West Asia and on its own populations at home. Just a quick note: this episode is a bit of a non-traditional Part 1 to a series as it goes into a bit more depth into current events and is not as focused on a providing a more complete historical context for Lebanon like our other series do. If you want to understand what's happening at the moment, this is a great starting point. In the future we will provide even more historical context and take deeper dives into Lebanon's history and politics. Further resources: * Vocal Politics [https://www.instagram.com/vocalpolitics/] * Hussein Assaf [https://x.com/EyesOnSouth1] Related episodes: * Listen to our ongoing series on Lebanon * Listen to our ongoing series on Iran [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/iran] * Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Palestine] * Listen to our ongoing series on China [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/China] Upstream is a labor of love—we couldn't keep this project going without the generosity of our listeners and fans. Subscribe to our Patreon at patreon.com/upstreampodcast [https://www.patreon.com/upstreampodcast] or please consider chipping in a one-time or recurring donation at www.upstreampodcast.org/support [https://www.upstreampodcast.org/support] For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org [https://gate.sc?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.upstreampodcast.org&token=efc9f5-1-1663029755269] and follow us on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/upstreampodcast/] and Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/upstreampodcast.bsky.social]. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/upstream/id1082594532] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/4KwWOMp24P9cVVR6d0i7Zq?si=ec90ca944bcb43cf&nd=1], or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

[TEASER] Palestine Pt. 17: Capital Accumulation at Any Cost w/ Jason Hickel

In this episode, part 17 of our ongoing series on Palestine, we're joined again by Jason Hickel [https://x.com/jasonhickel] for a conversation on Palestine and the role that Palestinian liberation plays in the global fight against imperialism and capitalism. The conversation opens with a discussion on why Palestinian liberation is a threat to capitalism globally—we unpack the role that Palestine plays geopolitically in West Asia and the role that West Asia plays in global capital accumulation. We go on to talk about Israel's role as the US's proxy force and attack dog, not just in West Asia, but throughout the globe as well, from Argentina to Guatemala. We then talk about Trump's so-called "Board of Peace," and its vision for Gaza before discussing what's taking place in the West Bank and the official death of the Two State Solution. We then broaden the conversation out and situate what's happening in Palestine into the context of the United States' quest for geopolitical hegemony, what this means in terms of the Second Cold War with China, and the implications for Palestine, West Asia, and the world at large. Jason Hickel is a professor at the The Institute for Environmental Science and Technology [https://portalrecerca.uab.cat/en/organisations/institut-de-ci%C3%A8ncia-i-tecnologia-ambientals-icta] at the Autonomous University of Barcelona [https://www.uab.cat/web/universitat-autonoma-de-barcelona-1345467954774.html], the author of the books The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions [https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divide] and Less is More: How Degrowth will Save the World [https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more]. Further resources: * Jason Hickel's Reserach [https://www.jasonhickel.org/research] * Global Inequality Project [https://globalinequality.org/] * The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and Its Solutions, [https://www.jasonhickel.org/the-divide] Jason Hickel * Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save The World, [https://www.jasonhickel.org/less-is-more] Jason Hickel * People's Embargo for Palestine [https://www.embargoforpalestine.com/] * Energy Embargo for Palestine [https://palenergyembargo.com/] * Palestinian Youth Movement [https://www.palestinianyouthmovement.com/] Related episodes: * Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Palestine] * Better Lives for All w/ Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/better-lives-for-all-w-jason-hickel] * How the North Plunders the South w/ Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/unlocked-how-the-north-plunders-the-south-w-jason-hickel] * The Divide – Global Inequality from Conquest to Free Markets with Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/jason-hickel-the-divide-in-conversation] * International Development and Post-capitalism with Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/jason-hickel-on-international-development-and-post-capitalism-in-conversation] * How Degrowth Will Save the World with Jason Hickel [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/how-degrowth-will-save-the-world-with-jason-hickel-in-conversation] * The Green Transition Pt. 1 – The Problem with Green Capitalism [https://www.upstreampodcast.org/greentransitionpt1] * Listen to our ongoing series on Iran [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/iran] * Listen to our ongoing series on Venezuela [https://www.patreon.com/collection/2006407] * Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Cuba] * Listen to our ongoing series on China [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/China] * Listen to our ongoing series on Mexico [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/mexico] Intermission music: "Courage, My Friends!" by Andrew Glencross [https://andrewglencross.bandcamp.com/track/courage-my-friends] Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.

Iran Pt. 3: The Empire vs. Iran w/ Bikrum Gill

In this episode, part 3 of our ongoing series on Iran, we're joined again by Bikrum Gill [https://x.com/bikrumsinghgill] for a conversation exploring sovereignty and imperialism in Iran. Our conversation opens with an unpacking of the intersections and distinctions of imperialism, sovereignty, colonialism, and capitalism in a theoretical sense. Once these foundations are laid, we then apply this framework to Iran, answering the question of why Iran's sovereignty is so threatening to the United States. We then jump into current events and explore the thread that ties together the US's assault on Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, Palestine, etc.—and this brings China into the conversation. We talk about the construction of client states and why so many states in Latin America and West Asia have refused to intervene on behalf of Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, and Palestine. Finally, we discuss the Israeli-US war on Iran and what the resistance to it looks like both regionally and within Iran itself. Bikrum Gill is a faculty in political science and international relations and a scholar of international political economy. He's the author of The Political Ecology of Colonial Capitalism: Race, Nature, and Accumulation, published by Manchester University Press. Further resources: * The political ecology of colonial capitalism Race, nature, and accumulation, by Bikrum Gill [https://manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781526181350/] * "Orders of Sovereignty: Internal Power and External Dependency in the Recognition of the State of Palestine," by Bikrum Gill [https://www.anti-imperialists.com/blog/orders-of-sovereignty/] * "The "Second Sacred Defence": Solidarity, Sovereignty and the Politics of Anti-War," by Bikrum Gill [https://voxummah.com/2025/06/the-second-sacred-defence-solidarity-sovereignty-and-the-politics-of-anti-war/] * Black Skin, White Masks, by Franz Fanon * The Wretched of the Earth, by Franz Fanon * On Contradiction, by Mao Zedong [https://www.marxists.org/reference/archive/mao/selected-works/volume-1/mswv1_17.htm] * Vocal Politics: Why did the US and Israel launch their war of aggression against Iran? by Bikrum Gill [https://x.com/VocalPolitics1/status/2029940246251495557] * The Long Twentieth Century, by Giovanni Arrighi Related episodes: * Listen to our ongoing series on Iran [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/iran] * Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism / Breht O'Shea and Alyson Escalante [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/imperialism-the-highest-stage-of-capitalism-w-breht-oshea-and-alyson-escalante] * Imperialism in the 21st Century by John Smith [https://www.patreon.com/posts/134519362] * Alliance of Sahel States Pt. 3: Hyperimperialism and the Fight for Sovereignty w/ Mikaela Nhondo Erskog [https://www.patreon.com/posts/138778375] * Listen to our ongoing series on Venezuela [https://www.patreon.com/collection/2006407] * [UNLOCKED] Oil, Monopoly Capitalism, and Imperialism w/ Adam Hanieh [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/unlocked-oil-monopoly-capitalism-and-imperialism-w-adam-hanieh] * Listen to our ongoing series on Cuba [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Cuba] * Listen to our ongoing series on Palestine [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/Palestine] * Listen to our ongoing series on China [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/China] * Third Worldism and the Bandung Spirit w/ Pranay Somayajula [https://www.patreon.com/posts/134449106] * Listen to our ongoing series on Mexico [https://sites.libsyn.com/435210/category/mexico] Intermission music: "Another War" by Carsie Blanton [https://www.carsieblanton.com/] Upstream is entirely listener funded. No ads, no promotions, no grants—just Patreon subscriptions and listener donations. We couldn't keep this project going without your support. Subscribe to our Patreon for bi-weekly bonus episodes, access to our entire back catalog of Patreon episodes, and for Upstream stickers and bumper stickers at certain subscription tiers. Through your support you'll be helping us keep Upstream sustainable and helping to keep this whole project going—socialist political education podcasts are not easy to fund so thank you in advance for the crucial support. patreon.com/upstreampodcast For more from Upstream, visit www.upstreampodcast.org and follow us on Instagram and Bluesky. You can also subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your favorite podcasts.