COUNTER•POWER

COUNTER•POWER

COUNTER•POWER is the podcast for global solidarity. Some say we are entering a new age of hard power, where might makes right and despots carve up the world between them. Here on COUNTER•POWER, we’ve got other ideas. The despots are facing rising resistance across the world, and our job is to build these sources of "counter-power".  The podcast is brought to you by Stop Trump Coalition, Another Europe Is Possible and Global Justice Now, three organisations at the centre of the new global resistance. 

  1. How The Far Right Went Global

    2D AGO

    How The Far Right Went Global

    Fascism has never really gone away—but it has changed shape. From the street-level racism and open organising of the British National Party in 1990s East London to today’s globalised far right, this episode traces how authoritarian politics have moved from the margins to the mainstream. Host Nick Dearden draws on personal experience of anti-fascist organising, and is joined by Seema Syeda from the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants and co-author of Creeping Fascism, and Luke Cooper, author of Authoritarian Contagion and academic at the London School of Economics. Their conversation explores how the far right has built international networks, institutions, and narratives that now feel disturbingly normal. They dig into why “fascism” remains a contested term on the left, what’s genuinely new about the current moment, and what can still be done to resist it. In This Episode The rise and fall of the BNP, street fascism, and the mass anti-racist movements that defeated it Debates about whether “fascism” is the right label for today’s authoritarian politics Key similarities and differences between past and present far-right movements What a Reform government might actually look like in power, and whether figures like Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson represent fundamentally different threats The “Unite the Kingdom” rally and what it reveals about the current far right Featured Organisation: No to HassockfieldNo To HassockfieldFacebook: The No to Hassockfield CampaignInstagram: @no2hassockfieldTwitter/X: @No2HassockfieldLinks to things we discussedCreeping Fascism by Neil Faulkner with Samir Dathi, Phil Hearse and Seema Syeda. Authoritarian Contagion by Luke Cooper A Town Within: Visiting Baqa’a Refugee Camp by Madihah KarimWhat happened when I met my Islamophobic troll by Hussein Kesvani The law of the jungle by Nick Dearden Praxis: The essential guide for changing minds on migrationUNRWA: United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine refugees Time For Change: The evidence-based policies that can actually fix the immigration systemMake a donation to COUNTER•POWER ABOUT THE PODCAST COUNTER•POWER is brought to you by Stop Trump Coalition, Another Europe Is Possible and Global Justice Now, three organisations at the centre of the new global resistance.  This podcast isn’t just about chatting and conversation — it’s about turning ideas into action and building real community power.  That’s why we have a simple pledge to you, our audience. On every single episode we’ll leave you with something you can do to catalyse change. Whether it’s the latest big ideas or the movements you need to check out, you’ll find them on COUNTER•POWER.  But we need your help to launch this project.  We need £8,000 to catapult COUNTER•POWER into the podcasting sphere with the aim of making it self-sustaining in the future. The funds will cover high-quality production – including sound and visuals – as well as consistent editorial quality, all of which are essential to creating the kind of impactful podcast we’re aiming for. Any donation – big or small – can help us get there. Thank you for your support. DONATE HERE Follow Us  Instagram@anothereuropeispossible@globaljusticenow @ukstoptrump TikTok@global.justice.now@uk.stop.trump.coa Twitter / X @Another_Europe@GlobalJusticeUK@UKStopTrump Music(cc): Intro R&B instrumental loop, Mcgrogo (Freesound.org)

    47 min
  2. Trump: One year down, three to go

    JAN 22

    Trump: One year down, three to go

    The first year of Donald Trump’s second term is over — with three long years still to go. Far from the myth of “Trump the peacemaker,” the past twelve months have been marked by war, repression, corruption, and growing global resistance. In this episode, we take stock of Trump’s record so far: from bombing seven countries and backing Israel’s assault on Gaza, to embracing tech oligarchs at home and unleashing ICE against immigrant communities.  But resistance is growing. From some of the largest protests in US history to mass demonstrations in the UK against Trump’s second state visit, a global movement is pushing back. Host Zoe Williams is joined by Zoe Gardner from the Stop Trump Coalition and Alyssa Elliott from Indivisible London, the first international chapter of the major US resistance movement. Together, they explore what Trump’s first year tells us about the road ahead — and how movements can confront authoritarianism moving forward.  In This Episode One year into Trump’s second term: what has actually happened The myth of “Trump the peacemaker” vs the reality of endless military action ICE raids, police violence, and the targeting of immigrant communities Mass protests in the US and UK — and what they’ve achieved What global resistance to Trump looks like going forward — and why appeasement and fear are not the answer ABOUT THE PODCAST COUNTER•POWER is brought to you by Stop Trump Coalition, Another Europe Is Possible and Global Justice Now, three organisations at the centre of the new global resistance.  This podcast isn’t just about chatting and conversation — it’s about turning ideas into action and building real community power.  That’s why we have a simple pledge to you, our audience. On every single episode we’ll leave you with something you can do to catalyse change. Whether it’s the latest big ideas or the movements you need to check out, you’ll find them on COUNTER•POWER.  But we need your help to launch this project.  We need £8,000 to catapult COUNTER•POWER into the podcasting sphere with the aim of making it self-sustaining in the future. The funds will cover high-quality production – including sound and visuals – as well as consistent editorial quality, all of which are essential to creating the kind of impactful podcast we’re aiming for. Any donation – big or small – can help us get there. Thank you for your support. DONATE HERE Follow Us  Instagram@anothereuropeispossible@globaljusticenow @ukstoptrump TikTok@global.justice.now@uk.stop.trump.coa Twitter / X @Another_Europe@GlobalJusticeUK@UKStopTrump Music(cc): Intro R&B instrumental loop, Mcgrogo (Freesound.org)

    46 min
  3. What would an alternative "strategic defence review" look like?

    06/25/2025

    What would an alternative "strategic defence review" look like?

    To much fanfare, Britain has announced yet another "strategic" defence review - the fifth that a UK Government has undertaken in the last 15 years. The peculiar thing, however, is that despite the frequency of these reviews, they have a strong tendency to assert continuity over change. This is certainly the narrative of the present UK Government's latest review: that nothing has changed in UK and US transatlantic relations, apart from the willingness, they suggest, of the UK to spend more on defence. Trump's close friendship with Vladimir Putin and sympathy towards Russia's geopolitical narrative - and the broader turbulence of American politics he forms part of - is, apparently, unimportant for Britain's future defence and security arrangements. And rather than address the varied range of threats and challenges, the review advocates more submarines and nuclear weapons as its big-ticket proposals. In this podcast, Zoe Williams, Luke Cooper and Mary Kaldor discuss this muddled and small-c conservative thinking. They lay out what an alternative defence policy would be, at the centre of which should be a closer relationship with our European allies.  For more on the discussion in this podcast, check out Luke and Mary's recent blog, "‘Organised irresponsibility’: How Britain’s defence strategy clings to a bygone world"

    44 min
  4. The Care economy: bringing wellbeing back into our politics

    03/12/2025

    The Care economy: bringing wellbeing back into our politics

    In an age of war and permanent crisis, is it all too easy to forget the fundamentals? How do we look after each other, care for one another and create economies that prioritise our human development? In this podcast, Seema Syeda and Zoe Williams welcome back Tim Jackson to talk about his new book, The Care Economy (Polity 2025). Going back to the philosophical fundamentals, the book re-centres the whole discussion of care. It urges us not think about the politics of care as types of support system for particular group of vulnerable people but as the basis for reproducing all organic life. We are all, in other words, carers, and it's time to recognise it. As usual members of Another Europe get access to extra material as a benefit of membership. To join and support our work, go to AnotherEurope.org/Join

    33 min
  5. A far right Davos? The inside story on London's Arc conference

    02/26/2025

    A far right Davos? The inside story on London's Arc conference

    The drift of the global billionaire oligarchy to the radical right is quickening its pace. The Arc conference - billed as a "far right Davos" and with ticket prices to match - recently descended on London, and was joined by the various luminaries and politicians from the British right. On this podcast, Zoe Williams and Luke Cooper are joined by Stella Tsantekidou, a rising star in the UK media and an unusual category of progressive, who likes to wine and dine across the political divide. Stella spent three days and nights at the Arc conference. In the podcast she offers her fly-in-the-wall account of why we should be worried about this extremely well funded global network, drawing the mainstream right into discussion and collaboration with far more radical and in some cases extreme political forces.  For more from Stella and the Arc conference check out her Substack, the Human Carbohydrate, which includes a blog with her Arc Forum diary: https://humancarbohydrate.substack.com/p/jordan-peterson-and-pieter-thiel

    39 min
  6. Ukraine in 2025: what now?

    01/23/2025

    Ukraine in 2025: what now?

    With the return of Donald Trump in the White House - and his insistence that Kyiv and Moscow strike a peace deal "in 24 hours - huge uncertainty now hangs over the future of Ukraine's democracy and freedom. In this podcast, Luke Cooper and Zoe Williams discuss the huge challenges and hardships Ukraine has experienced in the war, drawing on insights from Luke's recent visit to Ukraine. They are joined by Ukrainian academic Yuliya Bidenko from Karazin University in Kharkiv. For more on some of the topics discussed in the podcast, check out these articles: On the Home Front: Ukraine's War Economy and the Spirit of DefianceWill oil decide the fate of the Russia-Ukraine War?Additional podcast material is available to members of Another Europe Is Possible. In this week's extra time, Luke and Zoe discuss the Labour government and to what extent its terrible lack of popularity in what should be its honeymoon period is a crisis of its own making. To join and support our work go to AnotherEurope.org/Join

    46 min
  7. What does Trump 2.0 mean for the world?

    11/13/2024

    What does Trump 2.0 mean for the world?

    Millions of people across the world have looked on at the American election result with a sense of dismay and fear. As the world tries to compute and digest a second Trump presidency, Luke Cooper and Zoe Williams try to put the pieces of this catastrophe together and work out what comes next. A reminder that members of Another Europe Is Possible get access to extra material as a benefit of membership. In this extra time, Zoe and Luke have a long old chat about what it all means, from the nature of the new fascism to the difficulties facing those trying to de-dollarize from the global economy and the response of the UK government. To join and support our work go to https://www.anothereurope.org/join/On the main show, they are joined by Graham Campbell, an activist with the SNP who is been in the United States campaigning for Kamala Harris. They also speak to John Feffer from Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies, in the US about where the Democrats went wrong and what the result means for the rest of the world. If you want to hear more from Graham and John check out these links:  John's rapid response: https://fpif.org/the-plot-against-democracy/Graham's election night report: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3IHfZYpqIA

    45 min
  8. What to make of Britain’s new Labour government?

    09/17/2024

    What to make of Britain’s new Labour government?

    After 14 years of frankly horrendous Conservative rule, millions celebrated Labour’s decisive victory. But since that fateful July day the new comms team at Number 10 has kicked into action. Their aim it seems is a simple one: to get you to put your hopes and dreams away and be as miserable as possible. So what do we make of it all? And what do we expect to happen next? In this podcast, Luke Cooper and Zoe Williams try to find rays of hope in a murky sky. Going back to Starmer's original election as Labour leader and the small role Zoe played in his campaign, they discuss what it might reveal about the factions and networks now running the United Kingdom and where the opportunities may still lie for progressive victories in the years ahead.  An extended version of this podcast is available to members of Another Europe Is Possible, to join and support our work go to anothereurope.org/join

    37 min
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Ratings & Reviews

4.4
out of 5
10 Ratings

About

COUNTER•POWER is the podcast for global solidarity. Some say we are entering a new age of hard power, where might makes right and despots carve up the world between them. Here on COUNTER•POWER, we’ve got other ideas. The despots are facing rising resistance across the world, and our job is to build these sources of "counter-power".  The podcast is brought to you by Stop Trump Coalition, Another Europe Is Possible and Global Justice Now, three organisations at the centre of the new global resistance. 

Information

  • Creator
    COUNTER•POWER
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    108
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Show Website
    COUNTER•POWER

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