On November 14th Back in the USSR pays tribute to those who fell in imperialist wars from World War 1 to the present and explores the politics of history and remembrance because what we remember, who we remember, how we remember, for what purpose and for whose interests is an inherently political act. Reactionary and imperialist political forces, past and present, have always tried to use the dead as tools to justify new acts of war, repression, exploitation, and conquest - whether they are dead soldiers, dead victims of terrorist attacks, or anyone else that can no longer speak for themselves and who is seen as politically useful. As the great Marxist historian Walter Benjamin said in the 1930s: "not even the dead will be safe from the enemy if he is victorious". With the rise of xenophobia and fascism in the wake of the recent Paris terror attacks, these are words we must remember because the victims of this attack, just as the victims of 9/11, are not safe from the right-wing forces that seek to use them for political gain. Brendan Campisi also joins us on the show to unpack what terrorism is and how wanton killing and indescriminate destruction for the purposes of instilling fear has always been a tactic of fascist and reactionary forces throughout history.
With music by The Pogues, The High Kings, Ernst Busch, and Matt Jones.
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