0. But It Might Work For Us

Long bonus interview on the But It Might Work For Us pamphlet, by poet and writer, ⁠Kalyani Panchmatia⁠, hosted by Royal Holloway's Poetry Society on October 15th.For the full interview and monthly audiobooks of James's recent and forthcoming writings, join here:⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/c/ButItMightWorkForUs ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://substack.com/@butitmightworkforus⁠⁠Get the beautiful physical copy of the pamphlet here: ⁠⁠https://everydayanalysis.co.uk⁠⁠. Hopeful and scathing by turns, But it Might Work for Us is an alternative theory, history, and future of left populism, drawn from the 2016-2026 writings of one of the Corbyn era’s most original commentators. ‘And did it work for those people?’ ‘No it never does… But it might work for us!’As the Farage supporters of the 2020s start to speak like the Corbynistas of the 2010s, and left populist styles are tried all over again on the left and centre left across the west… James A. Smith returns to the lessons of the Corbyn era for politics today. Why do libido and antagonism matter to politics, and how do ‘illibidinal’ forces try to shut them down? How can the left speak to people’s bad desires as well as their altruistic ones? What is the relationship between art and literature and radical politics? Why can’t true change happen online? And why is ‘the party’, rather than ‘the movement’ still the correct form of political organisation? 

Enjoy this second taster from But It Might Work For Us, a piece from 2020 where I argue against claims that the electoral left should commit to the 'centre ground'. For the full audiobook, join me here:https://www.patreon.com/c/ButItMightWorkForUs https://substack.com/@butitmightworkforusGet the beautiful physical copy here: ⁠https://everydayanalysis.co.uk⁠. Hopeful and scathing by turns, But it Might Work for Us is an alternative theory, history, and future of left populism, drawn from the 2016-2026 writings of one of the Corbyn era’s most original commentators. ‘And did it work for those people?’ ‘No it never does… But it might work for us!’As the Farage supporters of the 2020s start to speak like the Corbynistas of the 2010s, and left populist styles are tried all over again on the left and centre left across the west… James A. Smith returns to the lessons of the Corbyn era for politics today. Why do libido and antagonism matter to politics, and how do ‘illibidinal’ forces try to shut them down? How can the left speak to people’s bad desires as well as their altruistic ones? What is the relationship between art and literature and radical politics? Why can’t true change happen online? And why is ‘the party’, rather than ‘the movement’ still the correct form of political organisation? 

Hello once-Popular People... we're waking up in a different world, with too much of same bad stuff in it. I'm excited to let you know about the publication of But It Might Work For Us, the sequel to So You've Been Ideologically Discredited, from https://everydayanalysis.co.uk. The first launch event for it is in North London on Thursday October 8th, with a second in Egham, Surrey, October 15th. Join up here for upcoming content:https://www.patreon.com/c/ButItMightWorkForUshttps://substack.com/@butitmightworkforus