Irish Times Inside Politics

P aul Mason on communism, China and the crisis of the left

September 7, 2026·45 min
Episode Description from the Publisher

British journalist Paul Mason talks to Hugh about his new book Reds: A Global History of Communism.The book traces communism’s story from early human egalitarian impulses to modern China’s controlled capitalist system. Mason talks to Hugh about what drew him to Trotskyism as a young man, his current politics as a left-wing social democrat and his concerns about democracy under threat. He explains his own break with Corbynism. Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podzilla Summary coming soon

Sign up to get notified when the full AI-powered summary is ready.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.

Listen to This Episode

Get summaries like this every morning.

Free AI-powered recaps of Irish Times Inside Politics and your other favorite podcasts, delivered to your inbox.

Get Free Summaries →

Free forever for up to 3 podcasts. No credit card required.