{"podcast":{"title":"Explaining History","slug":"explaining-history-7091240","podcast_index_feed_id":7091240,"rss_url":"https://feeds.acast.com/public/shows/55836c0e-56ef-4a51-a7cc-9055cd2a39c7","website_url":"http://www.explaininghistory.org","image_url":"https://assets.pippa.io/shows/60f6d9ac4a4aff65190f9c27/1767646091904-a5aed489-f452-4f74-af70-c7f8364b8d92.jpeg","author":"Nick Shepley","episode_count":964,"summary":"How do we make sense of the modern world? We find the answers in the history of the 20th Century. For over a decade, The Explaining History Podcast has been the guide for curious minds. Host Nick Shepley and expert guests break down the world wars, the Cold War, and the rise and fall of ideologies into concise, 25-minute episodes. This isn't a dry lecture. It's a critical, narrative-driven conversation that connects the past to your present. Perfect for students, history buffs, and anyone who wants to understand how we got here. Hit subscribe and start exploring. Join us at Explaining History for daily modern history articles and news. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-17T04:22:06.595928+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/explaining-history-7091240"},"episode":{"title":"The AFD's advances– Neoliberalism, the Extreme Centre, and the Rise of the Far Right","slug":"the-afd-s-advances-neoliberalism-the-extreme-centre-and-the-rise-of-the-far-right","published_at":"2026-09-09T14:08:52+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/explaining-history-7091240/the-afd-s-advances-neoliberalism-the-extreme-centre-and-the-rise-of-the-far-right","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/explaining-history-7091240","url":"http://explaininghistory.org","audio_url":"https://sphinx.acast.com/p/acast/s/explaininghistory/e/6aa16874b520126fa0ceaf3a/media.mp3","summary":"In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the recent electoral victory of the Alternative for Germany (AFD) in the state of Saxony-Anhalt – and what it tells us about the global resurgence of the far right. The AFD's crushing victory has alarmed commentators around the world. An openly fascist party emerging in Germany has a special and terrifying significance. But as veteran left intellectual Tariq Ali argues in a powerful Substack essay, this is not an isolated phenomenon. It is part of a global trend – and it is a direct consequence of the failures of neoliberalism and the \"extreme centre.\" Ali writes that the election results \"are not a huge surprise.\" The so-called firewall created by the extreme centre parties of the German elite has only aided the AFD's growth. The Christian Democratic Union, which won 37% in 2021, is now down to 18.5%. Meanwhile, Die Linke has won more votes than the Social Democratic Party, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Party has crossed the 5% threshold. The problem, Ali argues, is that the political and economic elites insist \"that no reforms are possible and the current form of capitalism is fixed indefinitely.\" Telling people that an economic system that erodes their living standards year after year is the only option has created a vacuum that the far right is only too happy to fill. We also explore the historical context: the incomplete reckoning with Europe's fascist past, the failure of post-war denazification, and the erosion of the social democratic contract that once made Germany and other European countries resistant to extremism. Topics covered: The AFD's victory in Saxony-Anhalt Tariq Ali's analysis of the rise of the far right The failure of the \"extreme centre\" Neoliberalism and the erosion of living standar…","meta_description":"In this solo episode of the Explaining History Podcast, we examine the recent electoral victory of the Alternative for Germany (AFD) in the state of Saxon…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1694,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/explaining-history-7091240/episodes/the-afd-s-advances-neoliberalism-the-extreme-centre-and-the-rise-of-the-far-right/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/explaining-history-7091240/the-afd-s-advances-neoliberalism-the-extreme-centre-and-the-rise-of-the-far-right.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}