On the tourist city, the tourist industry, and its critics.
Renowned Italian journalist Marco d'Eramo joins us to talk about his wide-ranging inquiry into the age of tourism, The World in a Selfie. We also discuss how migration is the obverse of tourism, and take a look at Marco's most recent book, Masters, on the neoliberal revolution from above.
Why is h...
2024-08-13 07:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post
On the tourist city, the tourist industry, and its critics.
Renowned Italian journalist Marco d'Eramo joins us to talk about his wide-ranging inquiry into the age of tourism, The World in a Selfie. We also discuss how migration is the obverse of tourism, and take a look at Marco's most recent book, Masters, on the neoliberal revolution from above.
Why is h...
2024-08-13 07:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
On JD Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, and arresting decline.
We discuss the Netflix adaptation of vice-presidential nominee JD Vance's memoir – and the memoir itself – and what it tells us about the direction of US politics, Trump, and MAGA. We ask:
What is Ryan's own anti-hillbilly elegy, drawn from his experience in Central Illinois?
How far does the ch...
2024-08-01 15:04:37 +0000 UTC View PostOn JD Vance, Hillbilly Elegy, and arresting decline.
We discuss the Netflix adaptation of vice-presidential nominee JD Vance's memoir – and the memoir itself – and what it tells us about the direction of US politics, Trump, and MAGA. We ask:
What is Ryan's own anti-hillbilly elegy, drawn from his experience in Central Illinois?
How far does the ch...
2024-08-01 15:04:34 +0000 UTC View PostHey gang, you may be jetting off on your summer holidays this month, so make sure you choose Bunga Airways.
Here's what we're serving up in August:
Has tourism jumped the shark? This massive industry is turning many cities effectively into company towns. Is th...
2024-07-30 21:48:11 +0000 UTC View Post
On emotional capitalism + Israeli politics.
Renowned sociologist Eva Illouz joins us to talk about her recent book on the emotions of populism, and her work on the sociology of emotions in general. We discuss:
Why have emotions become such a collective obsession?
Where can you buy emotional commodities? What are influencers really selling?
What ...
2024-07-30 07:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
On emotional capitalism + Israeli politics.
Renowned sociologist Eva Illouz joins us to talk about her recent book on the emotions of populism, and her work on the sociology of emotions in general. We discuss:
Why have emotions become such a collective obsession?
Where can you buy emotional commodities? What are influencers really selling?
What ...
2024-07-30 07:00:07 +0000 UTC View Post
On the disaster of the culture wars.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Regular contributor Catherine Liu is back on to talk about her essay in Damage, issue 2, "Professional Populists in t...
2024-07-23 07:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post
On the disaster of the culture wars.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Regular contributor Catherine Liu is back on to talk about her essay in Damage, issue 2, "Professional Populists in t...
2024-07-23 07:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
On your questions & criticisms about fertility, culture war, and more.
[Patreon Exclusive]
In our monthly mailbag episode we take points from the discussion on patreon, including on futuristic music, holocaust movies, german populism, whether culture war can be global, and the link between modernisation, productivity and birth rates.
2024-07-12 06:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post
On your questions & criticisms about fertility, culture war, and more.
[Patreon Exclusive]
In our monthly mailbag episode we take points from the discussion on patreon, including on futuristic music, holocaust movies, german populism, whether culture war can be global, and the link between modernisation, productivity and birth rates.
2024-07-12 06:00:06 +0000 UTC View Post
On France's surprise parliamentary election.
The left-wing 'New Popular Front' came a surprise first, for now putting a halt to expectations that the far-right Rassemblement National would soon enter government. We talk to political scientist and commentator Charles Devellennes, and ask:
What was Macron's gamble in calling this early election?
Is becomin...
2024-07-08 19:49:50 +0000 UTC View Post
On France's surprise parliamentary election.
The left-wing 'New Popular Front' came a surprise first, for now putting a halt to expectations that the far-right Rassemblement National would soon enter government. We talk to political scientist and commentator Charles Devellennes, and ask:
What was Macron's gamble in calling this early election?
Is becomin...
2024-07-08 19:35:04 +0000 UTC View Post
On Labour's landslide and sandcastle majority.
We unpick what happened in the UK's general election, discussing:
How did Labour get such a large majority with so little enthusiasm for them?
Is the UK now a multiparty democracy, and will there be demands for serious electoral reform?
What accounts for low turnout and the fragmentation of the vote...
2024-07-07 20:54:47 +0000 UTC View Post
On Labour's landslide and sandcastle majority.
We unpick what happened in the UK's general election, discussing:
How did Labour get such a large majority with so little enthusiasm for them?
Is the UK now a multiparty democracy, and will there be demands for serious electoral reform?
What accounts for low turnout and the fragmentation of the vote...
2024-07-07 20:47:06 +0000 UTC View Post
Ukraine, from Maidan to war.
[Full episode is a Patreon exclusive]
Berlin-based Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko joins us to talk about his new book, Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War and his dissection of the war and the underlying political crisis in Ukraine. We discuss:
class conflict in Ukraine as a legacy of the collapse of ...
2024-07-02 15:38:38 +0000 UTC View Post
Ukraine, from Maidan to war.
[Full episode is a Patreon exclusive]
Berlin-based Ukrainian sociologist Volodymyr Ishchenko joins us to talk about his new book, Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War and his dissection of the war and the underlying political crisis in Ukraine. We discuss:
class conflict in Ukraine as a legacy of the collapse of ...
2024-07-02 15:38:32 +0000 UTC View PostHey friends, can you feel the legitimacy crisis burning? With critical elections in the UK and France coming up (and a cognitively challenged US election campaign hovering in the background), there's lots to be abreast of. So we're very excited to bring you our July programme.
The Bunga boys unpick the UK general election that is sure to throw up a Labour gov...
2024-07-01 13:39:53 +0000 UTC View Post
On baby bust, feminism and male resentment.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Alex and regular contributor Leigh Phillips call up Korean sociologist Hyeyoung Woo, director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University, to talk about demography, family and gender in the Republic of Korea.
On baby bust, feminism and male resentment.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Alex and regular contributor Leigh Phillips call up Korean sociologist Hyeyoung Woo, director of the Institute for Asian Studies at Portland State University, to talk about demography, family and gender in the Republic of Korea.
On the electricity grid and the institutions involved.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Fred Stafford, a STEM professional, a writer on energy and power, and an editor at Damage, talks to Alex and regular contributor Leigh Phillips about the utility of utilities and his recent essay in the second print issue of Damage, "Deinstitutional...
2024-06-20 06:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
On German political derangement.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Independent researcher and writer Gregor Baszak joins us to talk about German centrism being squeezed under pressure from both left and right — Sahra Wagenknecht and the AFD. Meanwhile the German economy is getting squeezed between the US and Russia, and NATO pressures Germany to up its defence spending.
On German political derangement.
[Patreon Exclusive]
Independent researcher and writer Gregor Baszak joins us to talk about German centrism being squeezed under pressure from both left and right — Sahra Wagenknecht and the AFD. Meanwhile the German economy is getting squeezed between the US and Russia, and NATO pressures Germany to up its defence spending.
On the one-year anniversary of the death of our evil patron saint, Silvio Berlusconi, we are re-releasing our audio obituary. RIP Silvio.
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died on 12 June 2023 at the age of 86. In this special episode, we say goodbye to the towering figure of the End of History, and explore how the contradictions he exemplified spoke to our ...
2024-06-12 07:05:00 +0000 UTC View Post
On India's election and a blow for the BJP.
Esteemed writer and social activist Achin Vanaik is back on Bungacast to unpick India's monumental, seven-week-long electoral process in which over 600m people took part.
How did the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP lose its majority?
Is there really a cult of personality around Modi?
How does the BJP diff...
2024-06-11 07:00:13 +0000 UTC View Post
On India's election and a blow for the BJP.
Esteemed writer and social activist Achin Vanaik is back on Bungacast to unpick India's monumental, seven-week-long electoral process in which over 600m people took part.
How did the ruling Hindu nationalist BJP lose its majority?
Is there really a cult of personality around Modi?
How does the BJP diff...
2024-06-11 07:00:11 +0000 UTC View Post
On your questions & criticism regarding pro-Palestine protests.
[Patreon Exclusive]
In this episode we focus on the discussion generated by our episode that came out in early May on the protests on US campuses. We discuss the issues along a few axes:
How do ideas of victimhood relate to the material reality of international politics?
What really are ...
2024-06-06 07:00:03 +0000 UTC View Post
On your questions & criticism regarding pro-Palestine protests.
[Patreon Exclusive]
In this episode we focus on the discussion generated by our episode that came out in early May on the protests on US campuses. We discuss the issues along a few axes:
How do ideas of victimhood relate to the material reality of international politics?
What really are ...
2024-06-06 07:00:02 +0000 UTC View Post
On MORENA and Claudia Sheinbaum's huge victory.
Mexico has elected its first woman president, tasked with extending the hugely popular AMLO'S legacy. What are her prospects and challenges? We ask:
What was the effect of NAFTA on Mexico, and particularly manufacturing?
How is US-China competition playing out in Mexico?
Why did Trump and leftist A...
2024-06-04 07:00:09 +0000 UTC View Post
On MORENA and Claudia Sheinbaum's huge victory.
Mexico has elected its first woman president, tasked with extending the hugely popular AMLO'S legacy. What are her prospects and challenges? We ask:
What was the effect of NAFTA on Mexico, and particularly manufacturing?
How is US-China competition playing out in Mexico?
Why did Trump and leftist A...
2024-06-04 07:00:08 +0000 UTC View Post