CAPITALIST TENTACLES & FRONTS

GABRIEL ROCKHILL—The video presents a comprehensive lecture on the global theory industry, its intellectual history, and the material social forces shaping it, particularly emphasizing left anti-communism and its impact on critical theory. Prof. Rockhill traces their personal intellectual journey from an initial engagement with radical critical theory rooted in the Frankfurt School and French theory (structuralism and post-structuralism) to a materialist critique of these traditions and the broader apparatus of knowledge production under neoliberal capitalism. The central argument is that the dominant global theory industry promotes a generalized critical theory that cloaks conservative and anti-communist worldviews in radical discourse, limiting genuine revolutionary and anti-capitalist thought.

JULIAN MACFARLANE—Yuri Ushakov, Aide to the President of Russia, issued the following comment on the telephone conversation between Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump:

Half an hour ago, at the initiative of the U.S. President, a telephone conversation took place between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.

We expected this call – and, of course, the contents, or rather lack of content.

Our President warmly thanked his American counterpart for the hospitality and good organization of the summit in Alaska, as well as for the progress achieved during the meeting toward a peaceful settlement of the Ukrainian crisis.

Progress was achieved. About a meter or so. Only 5000 kilometers to go.

And then there is the nagging problem of American belligerency globally.

The U.S. President, in turn, informed us about the recently concluded talks at the White House with Vladimir Zelensky and the leaders of several European countries.

We had a good laugh. Everyone needs a good laugh. These are “leaders”. Who votes for them? And Ukrainians can’t vote. HaHa.

GROVER FURR—Katyn Massacre and Historiographical Controversy: Using unimpeachable forensic and archaeological evidence, Furr argues that the Katyn massacre was perpetrated by the Nazis, not the Soviets. This contradicts the accepted narrative endorsed by Western governments and the post-Soviet Russian state. The insight here illustrates how political considerations shape historical memory and the importance of forensic science in resolving historical disputes.

STEPHEN KARGANOVIC–It appears, however, that the top echelon of the regime may not be readily cooperative in agreeing to its voluntary departure, even under relatively favourable “Montenegro” conditions, if that could be arranged. Or is it perhaps simply driving a hard bargain? Its response is two-pronged. In the streets of Serbia, it has unleashed on peaceful protesters a parapolice force of thugs, wearing hoods and many with criminal records, who are considered more loyal to the ruling party than either the regular police or the military. They have licence to arrest, beat, maim, and crush bones, all of the above literally. Dramatic scenes of parapolice arrests of high school student Petar Grujičić and other dissidents, to the protests of outraged citizens.

JIMMY DORE—A newly declassified annex to Special Counsel John Durham’s report includes a March 2016 memo showing that Hillary Clinton personally approved a campaign plan to publicly tie Donald Trump to Russian election interference, allegedly to distract from her private email scandal. The intelligence indicates the Clinton campaign enlisted both the DNC and outside groups to shape that narrative, then encouraged the FBI to amplify it. Despite FBI skepticism and internal disagreement over credibility, the Steele dossier was used to launch the public “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation, further fueling the false Russiagate storyline.