This week, thousands of workers flooded onto the streets of LA in response to ICE agents raiding workplaces and neighbourhoods. Since then, Trump has tried to crush the movement by calling in the Marines and the National Guard. But in so doing, he risks provoking a mass movement similar to Black Lives Matter, which forced him into hiding in the White House bunker five years ago.

The democrats have attempted to attach themselves to this wave of protests. Posing as the ‘resistance’ and a friend to immigrants, they are attempting to direct it into safe channels. But the truth is, they are just as much enemies of immigrants as Trump’s republicans. Like all capitalist politicians, they use immigrants as scapegoats while exploiting them as extremely vulnerable labourers.

Trump is not only facing opposition from workers. The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, this week entered into a public feud with Trump over the ‘big beautiful bill’. With the American economy stagnating and debt piling up, this spat reveals the fact that Trump is in an impossible position: he cannot fulfil the promises he has made to American workers and their bosses at the same time.

To break down how communists should approach these problems, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to discuss world perspectives on a special episode of Against the Stream, the weekly podcast of the RCI, giving you a Marxist analysis of world affairs.

Against the Stream, weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, at 6pm every Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism.Join us in building the Revolutionary Communist International! www.marxist.com/join

Articles mentioned:ICE out of LA! Workers defend themselves against Trump’s raids -- https://marxist.com/ice-out-of-la-workers-defend-themselves-against-trump-s-raids.htmA Veteran, a Construction Worker, a Communist: The Many Faces of the L.A. Protests -- https://www.wsj.com/us-news/a-veteran-a-construction-worker-a-communist-the-many-faces-of-the-l-a-protests-e429894a?mod=hp_lead_pos8Theses on the Eastern Question -- https://www.marxists.org/history/international/comintern/4th-congress/thesis-on-eastern-question.htmThe mounting pressure on bond markets -- https://www.ft.com/content/a07d5a72-2691-4da5-aee0-4af5136f737e

2025 marks a turning point in world history.

The tectonic plates of international relations are shifting, the globalised world economy is being torn apart, and the entire capitalist order is being shaken to its foundations by political, economic, environmental and social crises. An unstable new epoch – an epoch of war, revolution and counter-revolution – has opened up.

In preparation for the first congress of the Revolutionary Communist International, Jorge Martín and Hamid Alizadeh from the International Secretariat of the Revolutionary Communist International sat down to discuss world perspectives on a special episode of Against the Stream, the weekly podcast of the RCI, giving you a Marxist analysis of world affairs.

Against the Stream premieres weekly on YouTube. Tune in every Thursday at 6pm London time, or catch up on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.

Articles mentioned:

Monopoly capitalism, imperialism, and the world economy – Marxist.com

Debt is crushing the developing world – Financial Times

Matthew Miller lying compilation – X

Pakistan: URGENT SOLIDARITY APPEAL – release arrested leaders of the Awaami Action Committee Gilgit Baltistan! – Marxist.com

Pakistan: protests continue for the release of comrades in Gilgit Baltistan despite state repression – Marxist.com

0:00 Intro

1:51 The changing world relations

16:11 Ukrainian drone attack

26:32 Why Russia is winning

32:50 Sabotaging peace negotiations

36:30 Biden spokesman admits Israel commits war crimes

39:48 Gaza has unmasked Western capitalism

53:34 Austerity at home, warfare abroad

58:16 The world economy in 2025

1:11:09 Renewed interest in communism

1:14:50 Comrades in Pakistan under attack

1:24:00 Get organised!

Against the Stream, weekly current affairs podcast of the Revolutionary Communist International, at 6pm GMT every Thursday to discuss the latest developments in the world crisis of capitalism.