This time Eric chats with Ilya Budraitskis, a Russian historian, political activist, and author of “Dissidents among Dissidents: Ideology, Politics, and the Left in Post-Soviet Russia.” Ilya explains his decision to leave Russia in the days following the invasion of Ukraine, and provides an analysis of the early antiwar protests forcibly suppressed by the Kremlin. From there, Ilya provides an analysis of the Russian Left, including the reactionary Communist Party of Russia, and explains the various dynamics at play in Russia. The final portion of the discussion centers around the questions of Russian imperialism and the ideological war Putin has waged on the history and legacy of Lenin and the Bolshevik Revolution.

This week, CounterPunch Radio presents a conversation between CounterPunchers Richard Falk, Matthew Stevenson, and Daniel Warner about Ukraine, Russia, and the future of the international order. The discussion centers on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the role of the US in laying the groundwork for the conflict, and the importance of advocating for peace.

This time on CounterPunch Radio, Eric is joined by Khalid Medani, Director of the Institute of Islamic Studies at McGill University and author of “Black Markets and Militants: Informal Networks in the Middle East and Africa,” to discuss the situation in Sudan. The conversation explores the history of Sudan, including the colonial period and the creation of the modern state. From there, Dr. Medani provides his analysis of the roots of the current conflict, the factions involved, the social classes participating in the protests, and much more. The final portion of the discussion discusses the roles of the US, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Russia, China, and others in Sudan.

This time CounterPunch sits down with Volodia Artiukh, a Ukrainian post-doctoral researcher and editor at Commons: Journal of Social Criticism, to discuss Russia’s war in Ukraine, the discourse about the war on the international left, and much more. Volodia provides his perspective on popular terms like “decolonization” and “proxy war” and whether such concepts are useful in context of Ukraine’s fight against Russian imperialism. The conversation also explores the political character of Ukrainian President Zelensky, and how the global conversation about him serves various interests. In the final portion of the discussion, Artiukh provides a detailed political analysis of Belarus, how the Bonapartist state functions,the future of Lukashenko, the state of the left following the post-2020 repression, the potential for Russian intervention, and much more. Don’t miss this important conversation available only at CounterPunch!

This time Eric welcomes Kali Akuno back to CounterPunch to discuss the roots of Cooperation Jackson, the nature of political struggle in Mississippi, and the need to organize against the neo-confederate far right fascist movement. Kali Akuno is a co-founder and co-director of Cooperation Jackson and author of the new book “Jackson Rising Redux: Lessons on Building the Future in the Present.”

This time Eric welcomes to the show CounterPunch contributor and author David Price to discuss his new book “The American Surveillance State: How the US Spies on Dissent.” David discusses how he came to the project, how studying the surveillance state radicalized him, and how states as different as the US and USSR shared many commonalities when it came to surveillance. The conversation touches on how technology enables surveillance, the myth of J. Edgar Hoover, 9-11 and the PATRIOT Act, and so much more.

This time Eric welcomes author and scholar Aaron Vansintjan to CounterPunch to discuss his new book “The Future is Degrowth” and all the relevant issues. The conversation explores the nature of degrowth as an inherently anti-capitalist idea and why it’s so necessary given the ecological crises of the 21st Century. Aaron answers many of the critics of degrowth about everything from charges of neo-Malthusianism to the myth of “automated luxury space communism.” Eric and Aaron also discuss the dividing lines on this issue culturally and politically, from the eco-fascist right wing to the “green growth” neoliberals to the productivist left. Don’t miss this important conversation about the future of everything.

This time Eric welcomes Aaron Amaral, member of Tempest Collective and Ukraine Solidarity Network (U.S.), to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the challenges it has created for the Left in the US and internationally. The conversation explores a variety of topics from how we should understand the war to the erasure of Ukrainian voices, and why some segments of the Left have gotten so confused over this and other issues. Don’t miss this great conversation exclusively on CounterPunch!

This time Eric welcomes back to the show author and Monthly Review Press editorial director Michael Yates to discuss his new book “Work, Work, Work: Alienation and Class Struggle.” Eric and Michael explore the nature of work and how it relates to production, alienation, and the idea of value. The conversation touches on everything from the mythology of the workplace to mainstream bourgeois economics and why it has nothing to say on labor. From there, Eric and Michael discuss how climate change and 21st Century capitalism are changing work for billions of people and what “work is hell” really means. Don’t miss this great conversation with a longtime CounterPuncher and consistent voice for the working class.