Trump humiliates Zelensky, Europe rearms, general strike in Greece | AGAINST THE STREAM

This week's row in the Oval Office between Trump and Zelensky served to dramatically underscore the fact that we are passing a seismic shift in world history. The old alliances and institutions are breaking down, and a realignment, reflecting the changed balance of forces, is taking place for all to see.

The biggest losers of this transformation are the Europeans, who are gradually sobering up to their predicament. Without the US – upon which they have been reliant for 80 years – they will have to re-arm. In a situation of economic stagnation and sky-high debts, this means finding savings elsewhere. And that means cuts.

But these cuts will have profound social consequences. Already the workers and youth of Europe have faced a decade of austerity. Now their imperialist governments are preparing to snatch away the last crumbs of social spending to turn into bombs and bullets. The general strike in Greece, in which over a million people went out on strike to protest their government's murderous role in the deaths of 57 young people in a rail disaster two years ago, is an indication of the kind of explosions we should expect to see in the future in Europe.

To discuss the present capitalist chaos and its revolutionary implications, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh of the international leadership of the RCI, met for another episode of Against the Stream, the weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International.

This episode was streamed on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 3pm GMT, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Music.

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[fernohar]

This last week has brought multiple friends and family to me (the known communist and member of the RCP) to ask what the hell is going on - people who have not been previously politically active really. This podcast and our paper have been indispensable tools in talking to them and raising their sights!
Thank you comrades!
P.S - my parents have now setup a subscription to the paper!

[aruvio]

Against the Stream is now part of my weekly rootine, thank you for the great discussion ! Red Salute from France 😃

[ElenaSimon-jh]

For welfare not warfare! Thank you both!

[leifwalker]

Desperately rearranging the chairs on the titanic is probably my favorite description of reformism in this epoch I’ve heard to date 😂.

[rossmullins]

Excellent analysis of current changes.

[jonathanhinckley]

Wow. Another great episode and an incredible thumbnail

[dimosism]

It's good that you are talking about what is going on in Greece, very good. But, you could also pay attention to what is happening in Serbia, because Serbia is the place now where there is a big movement against capitalist corrupted goverment, there are plenums on universities, schools, all cultural institutions are on strike, there is a large blockade and there is a pending event in Belgrade, where hundreds of thousands will come to say these capitalistic goverment goodbye.

[djai]

I am Interested in new views and information, so I came here to see what you guys have to say 😊

[ObjectiveAnalysis]

Damn only 1:00 in but I’m dropping a like already for this epic intro haha.. great work comrade! 🫶

[aaaaahisa]

thanks for the podcast comrades! could you please put some timestamps in the description pls?

[acierinoxydable]

The key flaw in your argument is that a bourgeois state that owns neither the tracks nor the trains will never allow real nationalization; it exists to protect the profits of those who bought the railways in the first place.
KKE calls the Tempi disaster a pre‑planned crime of privatization: EU directives, and the ND‑SYRIZA‑PASOK governments that enforced them, broke up and sold off the rail network, scrapped safety staff and systems, and let an Italian multinational pocket subsidies while the track rotted. That whole policy was legal—and that is exactly the problem. The same bourgeois justice that ratified the sell‑off now drags its feet, shielding ministers and executives, while the victims’ families fight for scraps of truth. The remedy the KKE proposes is not just jailing a few scapegoats, but: full public ownership and reunification of OSE/Hellenic Train with no compensation; massive state investment in modern signalling; and workers’ control to guarantee safety. Anything less leaves profit above life. That is why hundreds of thousands march under the banner “Their profits — our lives, ” and why real justice will be won in the streets, not in the courtrooms of a system built to protect capital.

[KarlMarx-ynqu]

music: LIES OF THE AMERICAN EMPIRE by eddy

[AnamKhan-fbzv]

Cde Jordi's mic is not working as good as of Cde Hamid..

[KrzysztofDz]

9:58 sure. And when actuallybis the red line for Russia? Who is 'risking WW3'?

[LuisAldamiz]

As usual very much in agreement with what you say and especially interesting the report on the Greek general strike, which seems quite hopeful except for the fact that the radical socialist forces are in disarray (PKK has zero chance of rallying the masses, they're too old school and very much disliked by way too many people who have partaken in the massive class struggles in Greece since decades ago) and may well be capitalized by opportunist forces like the far right.

I was however quite troubled in the early segment as you seem to be taking Trump's and Vance's side, not just in regard to the semi-colonial abuse of Ukraine (which should be denounced for what its: a brutal tragedy of fascism promoted by the USA) but also and more importantly in believing that Trump's mad economic plans make any sense whatsoever. Tariffs won't work without first lowering the salaries of US workers, which can only be done by lowering the cost of life in the USA, which could be done... but only with some sort of daring socialist approach. While US worker costs are disparaged relative to the world, the plan cannot work at all: not a single industry will return to the USA, it's much more cost effective to keep building in Mexico, China or wherever and pay the 20-25% import tax.

[carlchapman]

Welfare not Warfare ? Zaleski is an actor Trump is an Entertainer Why was It Televised ? Zaleski gets his orders from USA ?

[goldreserve]

The world needs decentralized direct democracy. Not more political parties. Last ten minutes sounded like Pol Pot's year zero.

[tanyashadow]

Wow, I thought I’ve mixed up his channel with Fox. Hard leftists are not far from hard right

[branislavlazin]

1st I thought you're just shallow - but this is cheap ptin propaganda. In Reality ruzzia lost the war. That is the fact. UK won every war in history. Slava Ukraini

[adlerherman]

I love the philosophie of Martin Ivanovich Lasis, he knew how ti deal with Capitalist Vampires and War Mongering plunderers !!!🇪🇺🪱🇩🇪🪳🇬🇧🦂🇨🇵🪰