This episode of The Dig is brought to you by our listeners who support us at patreon.com

and by Verso Books, which has loads of great left-wing titles, perfect for dig listeners like you.

One that you might like is For a Left Populism by Chantal Mouffe.

We are currently witnessing in Western Europe a populist moment

that signals the crisis of neoliberal hegemony. The central axis of the political conflict

will be between right and left-wing populism. By establishing a frontier between the people

and the oligarchy, a left populist strategy could bring together the manifold

struggles against subordination, oppression, and discrimination. This strategy acknowledges that

democratic discourse plays a crucial role in the political imaginary of our societies, and through

the construction of a collective will, mobilizing common

affects in defense of equality and social justice, it will be possible to combat the xenophobic

policies promoted by right-wing populism. In redrawing political frontiers, this populist moment

points to a return of the political

after years of post-politics.

This return may open the way for authoritarian solutions through regimes that weaken

liberal democratic institutions, but it could also lead to a reaffirmation and extension

of democratic values.

For a Left Populism by Chantal Mouf, out now from Verso Books.

Welcome to The Dig, a podcast from Jacobin Magazine.

My name is Daniel Denver, and I'm broadcasting from Providence, Rhode Island.

This is part two of my two-part interview with Asla Bali on the Syrian Civil War

and the larger geopolitical conflicts that shape the Middle East, with an emphasis on the

...