Jamie Peck speaks with Jamie Merchant, author of the book Endgame: Economic Nationalism and Global Decline, about the current state of things. As recently as the early 2000s, technocratic elites had come to a consensus around a fully globalized neoliberalism, but the crash of 2008 touched off a shift back towards economic nationalism that nobody could’ve predicted (except for Marx and people who’ve read Marx). How did we get here, and how might we exit the ever-worsening boom and bust cycle of capitalism? The Jamies discuss.

Buy the book: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/...

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Sam and Jamie are back with a classic Party Girls news episode, and there’s much to discuss. The Party Girls pour one out for Pope Francis, and another for the pope of anti-state communism, Jacques Camatte. Trump wages war on higher education. Emrata calls out Katy Perry for taking a ride in Jeff Bezos’ douche-rocket. Endnotes in the New York Times(!) All this, plus Jamie got too high on 420.

In memoriam Jacques Camatte (1935-2025): https://editionslatempete.com/in-memoriam-jacques-camatte-1935-2025/

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Things have started to feel real for the Party Girls ever since the Feds visited Sam at home. All of Jamie’s and Sam’s predictions have come true — Mahmoud was just the beginning, next they came for the ‘homegrowns.’ Trump welcomes the “World’s coolest dictator” into his home as the two reveal a shocking plan: build 5 new hyper prisons and begin to deport and imprison American citizens. But don't worry, Blackwater is here to help! Meanwhile, Bernie and AOC are pulling record-breaking crowds as Sanders returns to his punk roots at Coachella, the nation's premier anarcho-punk festival.

00:00 Intro, Jamie's trip to Mexico, Sam's FBI Visit

03:49 Bernie Goes To Coachella, thoughts on "Fight Oligarchy" Tour

11:15 NYC mayoral race: Hotties for Zohran Mamdani

13:25 Liberals won't save us, Sackett Harbor, efficacy of "demonstrations," DSA

23:00 Just say NO to recuperating the "American" project & the politics of "joy"

32:44 What direction will the anti-fascist movement take?

35:40 Trump, deportations to El Salvador, Bukele, CECOT

45:15 Repression Threat Level Chart

52:24 Teen allegedly killed parents; Josh Shapiro firebombed, wrapping up

57:30 All Roads Lead To Luigi Mangione

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The FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force visits Party Girls’ Sam Beard at his house. To discuss this recent visit, and the developing federal repression of activists, Sam and Jamie are joined by renowned investigative journalist Ken Klippenstein. What is old about these nefarious deep state activities, and what is new? What does Ken make of the politicized charges against Luigi? Does the word “terrorism” need to be retired? And most importantly, is Ken a Swiftie?

Check out Ken’s work: https://www.kenklippenstein.com/

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A little peek behind the paywall for last week's bonus episode, in which Zhana and Jarrod answered the Party Girls’ juiciest questions. What do we make of lone wolf acts of resistance, against, say the most powerful health insurance CEO in the world?What kept the summer of 2020 from becoming a full blown revolution? How did Stop Cop City represent an advancement for the anticapitalist left? All this and more with the brilliant authors of "Skyscraper Jails."

A classic case of Sam Beard ranting about the constitutional crisis. Andrew Callaway brings on his podcasting mentor, Benjamen Walker from Radiotopia’s Theory of Everything to discuss the CIA’s infiltration of art, writers and counterculture. Then James Kim from Overtones Media joins to discuss his latest piece of audio fiction and how Andrew helped to adapt it for YouTube, check that out below!! And of course, something something capitalism is ruining our lives.

You Feeling This 2, episode 1 - Retreat https://youtu.be/vWBYU0vuy4Y?si=0-97Eim3pQxH3MnC

Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything, Not All Propaganda Is Art https://theoryofeverythingpodcast.com/

***

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What happens when politically underdeveloped abolitionists team up with ladder-climbing non-profit directors and big money philanthropy? Nothing good, that’s what! Jamie and Sam are joined by Zhandarka Kurti and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book “Skyscraper Jails: The Abolitionist Fight Against Jail Expansion in New York City” and the heartbreaking, cautionary tale about how a fight to shut down Rikers Island prison was taken over, watered-down, and channeled into a movement to built four of the tallest prisons in the world.

Why does the prison industry develop in response to the failures of capitalism? How was the movement to shut down one prison turned into a movement to open a network of skyscraper jail facilities? Will Rikers Island ever close? Was “Defund the Police” actually just a betrayal of the George Floyd Rebellion? How can our movements win?

All this and more on this week's special episode.

Buy the book here: https://www.haymarketbooks.org/books/2454-skyscraper-jails

00:00:00 Introductions and banter

00:03:13 Jarrod & Zhara’s experience in college Criminology Depts

00:09:10 J & Z’s collaborative writing process and staying accountable to the movement

00:16:59 “Skyscraper Jails” overview - nonprofitication

00:26:11 How did the U.S. “prison industrial complex” develop in response to failures of capitalism?

00:34:26 How did “Close Rikers” morph into advocating for four new NYC jails?

00:48:00 No such thing as a “better” jail

00:53:21 Spicy takes on Defund the Police movement

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Executive Producer: Andrew Callaway

Producers: Charlotte Albrecht, Jon B., Ryan M.

As the Trump Administration crosses yet another Rubicon and begins revoking Green Cards for political speech, real life Naruto ninjas offer a potential way out. Chelsea Manning speaks out on the Luigi Mangione case, as the movement against the richest man in the world continues to ramp up. All this, plus a special guest joins the Party Girls to talk about the newest Stop Cop City speaking tour coming soon to a city near you!

Which way will it be, western man? More of the same tepid sidewalk sign holding, or the activation of a movement capable of bending the course of history?

More on the Stop Cop City Imaginary Crimes Tour: https://linktr.ee/sccimaginarycrimestour

Remember 2020 Flyer: https://crimethinc.com/zines/remember...

00:00:00 Intro

00:00:35 Stop Cop City speaking tour

00:04:50 Arrest of Mahmoud Khalil

00:39:13 Chelsea Manning attended Luigi Mangione hearing

00:44:07 Updates in the takedown of Tesla, Elon Musk

01:00:37 Interview with Ruth, a presenter at the upcoming Stop Cop City Imaginary Crimes Tour

***

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Jamie is joined by Indica Dominant (@DominantIndica) a.k.a. Olive, adult performer/sex worker and co-host of the Dysphoria podcast, to discuss director Sean Baker’s anti-Cinderella story Anora (2024), which just won the Oscar for Best Picture. Is it possible to combine a screwball comedy, a hooker exploitation film, and a twee Sundance indie into one movie? What does Anora have to say, or not, about sex work, class, and capitalism? And what’s up with Zoomers and ketamine? Spoilers, obviously.

Check out Olive’s podcast (with fellow friend of the show Maxelle Talena), Dysphoria at dysphoria.info and patreon.com/dysphoriathepodcast

NOTE: Cultural Marxism is usually a premium series, but this week it’s free! Sign up as a supporter at patreon.com/partygirls or youtube.com/@partygirlspod to get the rest of the series, plus all other bonus content, access to our Discord community, and a shout out on the pod!

00:00:00 Intro

00:02:43 “Anora” recap starts

00:13:20 Surface level worship of wealth or critique of capitalism?

00:18:19 Dehumanization, creative characterization, or subversive anti-work queen?

00:22:51 Real world relationships to sex work

00:25:20 Scene analysis: Ani gets tied up by Igor

00:29:36 Chasing the American Dream

00:38:14 Scene analysis: finding Vanya at the strip club

00:43:47 Disagreement about the ending

00:58:32 Should we hold stories about SWs to higher standards?

01:03:04 Where’s that oligarch money from Vanya??

01:08:01 You can’t escape the imprisonment of capitalism thru a Gilded Cage

01:13:51 Humanizing public perception of sex work

01:19:04 "Anora" and “The Florida Project,” strip club v. survival

01:23:21 Criminalization of trans sex workers

01:25:31 Defanged drug use in “Anora”

01:29:54 “It’s a Cinderella story”

01:34:32 Plugging Patreons!

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***

Executive Producer: Andrew Callaway

Producers: Charlotte Albrecht, Jon B., Ryan M.

In this Member’s Only special preview, Jamie Peck and Sam Beard explain why new folks who are shooting up health insurance CEOs should not be called Luigi copycats.

Watch the full episode here:

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