A collective of thinkers and writers examining Germany, Europe, and the world in written and podcast form. Support us at: http://patreon.com/spassbremse. Support us at https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse
74 - P.S. Find tougher people (Berlin politics w/ James Jackson)
Flipping around the usual format, Berlin-based journalist James Jackson sits in the interview seat in a crossover episode of Spaßbremse and his podcast, Mad in Germany. They discuss Berlin politics, Die Linke's stance in the current Red-Green-Red negotiations, broader problems in German politics, and the fate of the CDU.
Listen to the pre-election episode with Loren Balhorn here (https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/spassbremse/episodes/73---911-and-the-rise-of-the-transatlantic-far-right-wLoren-Balhorn-e3or61q)
UPDATE: Chancellor Merz has now chimed in, urging the SPD to abandon negotiations. https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/das-ware-eine-grosse-belastung-merz-stellt-schwarz-rot-infrage-sollte-die-spd-in-berlin-mit-den-linken-koalieren-16153775.html (https://www.tagesspiegel.de/politik/das-ware-eine-grosse-belastung-merz-stellt-schwarz-rot-infrage-sollte-die-spd-in-berlin-mit-den-linken-koalieren-16153775.html)
___
Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod (https://twitter.com/spassbremse_pod)).
Support us on Patreon here: (https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse)https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse (https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse%E2%81%A0)
14 Sept 2026
73 - 9/11 and the rise of the transatlantic far right w/Loren Balhorn
Speaking on the 25th anniversary of 9/11, we talk to Jacobin Germany's Loren Balhorn about the recent election results in Saxony-Anhalt (and the rise of the AfD more broadly) and the increasing militarization of German society—as well as the linkages between the two. We also discuss Die Linke's response to the rise of the right, what's going on with BSW, Germany's shifting relations with the US, and the ongoing echoes of the Global War on Terror in German politics and culture.
Read Loren's piece on Die Linke here: https://jacobin.com/2026/06/germany-die-linke-congress-strategy (https://jacobin.com/2026/06/germany-die-linke-congress-strategy)
Read Jacobin's interview with Ines Schwerdtner here: https://jacobin.com/2026/03/die-linke-schwerdtner-class-afd (https://jacobin.com/2026/03/die-linke-schwerdtner-class-afd)
Support us on Patreon here: patreon.com/spassbremse
8 Oct 2025
72 - The Holocaust, Hamas, and Habermas w/Dirk Moses
We've discussed Germany's relationship with Israel and Palestine from several different angles on the show. How can we sum it all up? To offer his perspective, Prof. Dirk Moses (https://x.com/dirkmoses) outlines the five elements of what he calls the "German Catechism." He and Ted examine its five elements, how it developed, and the ways in which it has evolved after two years Hamas' October 7th attacks and Israel's subsequent assault on Gaza.
-Visit Dirk's webpage here: https://www.dirkmoses.com/ (https://www.dirkmoses.com/)
-Read his "Catechism" essay here: https://geschichtedergegenwart.ch/the-german-catechism/ (https://geschichtedergegenwart.ch/the-german-catechism/)
-Read the "Education after Gaza" piece here: https://blnreview.de/en/ausgaben/2025-09/a-dirk-moses-education-after-gaza-after-education-after-auschwitz (https://blnreview.de/en/ausgaben/2025-09/a-dirk-moses-education-after-gaza-after-education-after-auschwitz)
(this was a light edit becuase I wanted to get it out quickly so might be rougher than usual. Will be back soon with the start of the "Why does Germany exist?" series.)
********
Follow Spaßbremse on Twitter (@spassbremse_pod (https://twitter.com/spassbremse_pod)). Hosted and edited by Ted. Music by Lee Rosevere (https://leerosevere.bandcamp.com/track/more-on-that-later-2). Art by Franziska Schneider.
Support us on Patreon here: (https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse)https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse (https://www.patreon.com/spassbremse)
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
15 ratings
Spotify
4.9 / 5
33 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 36 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
52
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
Contact Spaßbremse
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
Pod Engine is an independent podcast discovery and analytics service and is not affiliated with or endorsed by this podcast. Artwork and show content belong to their owners. Full legal notice.
Explore this show Podcast research with Pod Engine
