In this episode of CounterPunch Radio, Joshua Frank and Erik Wallenberg interview Silky Shah, author of “Unbuild Walls: Why Immigrant Justice Needs Abolition” (Haymarket, 2024). Silky has been working as an organizer on issues related to racial and migrant justice for over two decades. Originally from Texas, she began fighting the expansion of immigrant jails on the US-Mexico border in the aftermath of 9/11. In 2009, she joined the staff of Detention Watch Network, a national coalition building power to abolish immigrant detention in the United States, and now serves as its executive director.

Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt, sitting in for Eric Draitser on CounterPunch Radio, talks with Hanin Siam, a Palestinian organizer based in Tokyo, Japan. They discuss the challenges of organizing the Palestine solidarity movement in Japan, including the nuances of their communities in Tokyo and Hiroshima. From the history of Japanese support for Palestine, to BDS, to the social and legal limitations of protest, Rebecca and Hanin cover the diverse strategies and public response to the fight for Palestinian Liberation in Japan. Follow @palestinejapan for more. Edited by Kryzia Villada.

This time on CounterPunch Radio we sit down with Sahar Aziz and Mitchell Plitnick, co-authors of “Presumptively Antisemitic: Islamophobic Tropes in the Palestine-Israel Discourse,” a critical new report published by Rutgers University Law School’s Center for Security, Race, and Rights. The conversation explores the political and social context for this report, as well as the timing of its release, published as it was against the backdrop of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza. The discussion broadens beyond the report to explore various aspects of the Palestine issue and its continued central importance for the US and western countries, as well as for the “Middle East,” world politics and global affairs.

Eric Draitser sits down with CounterPunch Editor Joshua Frank to discuss the reasons why CounterPunch Radio has been mostly quiet in recent months. Eric details some of his physical and mental health issues in recent months, and the prospects for his return to regular podcasting.

This time Eric welcomes activist, author, and neuroscientist Yoav Litvin back to CounterPunch to discuss Palestine, Zionism, and the Israeli war. Yoav discusses his upbringing in both US and Israel, his time in the IDF in Lebanon, and the ways in which he first confronted his Zionism and began to decolonize his mind. From there, the conversation explores the nature of Zionism and the Zionist project in Palestine, the importance of non-Israeli Jewish opinion internationally, the necessity of being in solidarity with Palestinians, the centrality of the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement, Israeli politics and the future of Netanyahu, the role of the US and Israel’s place within US imperialism, the specter of Trump’s return, and so much more. Don’t miss this important conversation only on CounterPunch!

Conversation originally recorded in January 2022

This time Eric chats with Dr. Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University and author of The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance 1917-2017.

The conversation explores the early years of the Zionist movement and how it was perceived by prominent Palestinians, including Dr. Khalidi’s ancestors, and the inextricable link between Zionism, colonialism, and imperial power. Eric and Rashid discuss everything from attempts to erase Palestinian culture and history to the impact that Israel’s rightward shift has had on younger generations of Jews, especially in the US. So many topics covered in this important conversation with one of the most prominent voices of opposition to Israeli policies and oppression. Don’t miss this CounterPunch Radio!

This week, CounterPunch Radio presents another conversation between CounterPunchers Richard Falk, Matthew Stevenson, and Daniel Warner about Trump, the nature of Trump’s fascism, the internationalization of fascist politics, and much more. Note: This conversation was recorded prior to the events of October 7, 2023 and the Israeli attack on Gaza.

This time Eric welcomes to the show artist, peace activist and CounterPunch contributor Rebecca Maria Goldschmidt to discuss her recent article “This Is Genocide: All Out to End the War on Gaza,” and the long road she’s taken to anti-Zionist activism. Eric and Rebecca explore the forms of indoctrination used to inculcate Zionism in young American Jews, the differences between secular and non-secular Zionist propaganda, the use of the term “genocide” to refer to Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, the fascist nature of the Israeli state, and much more.

On this emergency episode of CounterPunch Radio, Eric speaks with longtime author, journalist, and Editor of The Palestine Chronicle, Ramzy Baroud, all about the war in Gaza, the resistance of Palestinians, and the historic developments of recent days.

This time Eric welcomes to CounterPunch author, activist and organizer Bill Fletcher, Jr. to discuss his recent writing, his past as a labor organizer, his outspoken position on Ukraine and imperialism, and much more. Bill and Eric discuss Bill’s youth and first exposure to radical politics, his entry into organized labor, his role in helping organize Minor League Baseball, and more. The second half of the conversation explores international affairs, the responsibility of the Left in clarifying political questions, the red-brown phenomenon on the Left, and why so many leftists are so wrong on critical international issues, etc. The final part of the discussion centers on Bill’s new fiction book and how he infused the story and characters with the radical politics he’s professed all his life. Don’t miss this belated, but exciting, conversation only on CounterPunch!

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.

This time Eric welcomes to the podcast Christina Heatherton, author of the fantastic new book “Arise: Global Radicalism in the Era of the Mexican Revolution.” Eric and Christina discuss the historical period and how radical internationalism was constructed by revolutionaries globally. The conversation explores political and artistic radicals, the development of imperialism and modern capital, history from below, the importance of radical history to present-day struggles and so much more.

This week Eric welcomes back to the show multimedia journalist and host of the Brazil on Fire podcast, Michael Fox. Eric and Mike discuss the recent presidential election that saw former president Lula triumph over the fascist Bolsonaro and the political, economic, and social implications of this historic victory. The conversation explores a wide variety of issues, from a deep dive into the political landscape of Brazil to exploring the Bannon-Trump connections to Bolsonaro and the situation in Brazil. What does this mean for the Amazon? What does it mean for Brazil’s poor and indigenous communities? What does it mean for the Brazilian left? What does it mean for the US? So many questions explored in this latest conversation on CounterPunch Radio, don’t miss it!

This time Eric chats with CounterPunch co-editor Johsua Frank about his new book “Atomic Days: The Untold Story of the Most Toxic Place in America” and the dangers of nuclear weapons and nuclear power. Josh discusses the history of the Hanford site, including both its years as a nuclear weapons facility and the last 4 decades of clean up. Eric and Josh also discuss the renewed push for nuclear energy, even among some Leftists, in the context of climate change. The conversation also touches on environmental impacts of mining, the targeting of Native communities for mineral extraction, the importance of understanding the Left’s role in the anti-nukes movement, and so much more. Get your copy of Atomic Days from CounterPunch or wherever you get your books.

This time Eric welcomes back Yassamine Mather to discuss the protest movement in Iran and the implications for the government and society. Yassamine explains the origins and class character of the protests, the ways in which the government has responded, and some of the issues that sparked the protests. The conversation also explores how Iran’s struggle with COVID may have exacerbated some tensions, the nuclear talks with the Biden Administration, and how Iran has responded to the Russia-Ukraine War and the global political and geopolitical upheaval it has caused. So many issues discussed in this conversation with the great Yassamine Mather.

This time Eric welcomes David Roth of Defector and The Distraction podcast back to CounterPunch to talk union organizing in Minor League Baseball and why this long overdue event is such a big deal. Eric and David explore the inner workings of Herschel Walker’s mind and campaign in fruitless search for meaning and sanity while also considering the bizarre Saudi-Trump phenomenon known as LIV Golf and what it could possibly be. Oh, and they also talk NY Mets and MLB playoffs, so you’ll know when to tune out. Don’t miss the latest CounterPunch Radio!