The Queen Bears Responsibility. Aaron & Ash Monarchy Special
On the 8th of September this year, Queen Elizabeth II died. In a special episode of Downstream, Aaron and Ash discuss her life and the aftermath of her death.
Downstream is an in-depth interview show featuring conversations with activists, authors, economists, politicians, scientists, philosophers and thinkers of all stripes.
They Are Lying to Us. Ash Sarkar Meets Paris Marx
We are constantly told that we are witnessing unprecedented innovation in technology, and that our problems will be solved by new apps, electric cars or space exploration. But is this innovation truly liberating? Or does it serve to outsource labour and further consolidate power and money in the hands of the few? Ash Sarkar meets […]
The Moral Crisis in Corporate Britain. Aaron Bastani Meets Dave Ward.
Amidst a grave cost of living crisis, bosses in The Royal Mail, BT and others are imposing pay increases on their employees way below inflation. Aaron Bastani speaks to CWU General Secretary Dave Ward about corporate greed, the shadowy world of CEOs and how he plans to coordinate direct action beyond his union’s particular dispute.
The World’s Biggest Political Streamer. Aaron Bastani Meets Hasan Piker
On owning property, Nancy Pelosi and how much he benches.
Drugs Have Shaped the Last 500 Years. Ash Sarkar Meets Michael Pollan
The author of The Botany of Desire, How To Change Your Mind and The Omnivore’s Dilemma talks to Ash Sarkar about caffeine, capitalism and how to avoid a bad trip.
‘Working Class’ Is Not an Identity. Ash Sarkar Meets China Miéville
The author of The City & The City joins Ash Sarkar on Downstream to discuss sadism, sci-fi, blockchain utopias, Lord of the Rings and the politics of Sally Rooney’s fiction.
Animal Agriculture Is the New Crude Oil. Aaron Bastani Meets George Monbiot
In his new book George Monbiot warns that we’re approaching a tipping point in the fight to protect the planet. Can changing what we eat bring us back from the brink? Aaron Bastani speaks Britain’s foremost environmental campaigner about what to do when the worst possible people are in charge at the worst possible time.
21st Century Child Homelessness in New York City. Ash Sarkar Meets Andrea Elliot
In 2012 a New York Times journalist met 11 year old Dasani Coates. Over the next 8 years the journalist followed Dasani and her family as they navigated social services, the cascade of generational trauma and the attention of a New York City Mayor. Ash Sarkar meets Andrea Elliott author of Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival & Hope in an American City.
What Does It Mean to Be Free? Aaron Bastani Meets Lea Ypi
Lea Ypi’s life is awash with instances which makes one question what it means to be free. From Hoxha’s Albania to The London School of Economics, Ypi’s life—as evoked in her book, is an incredible way to explore the connection between the personal and political.
An Era-Defining Political Comeback—Aaron Bastani Meets Lutfur Rahman
In the 2022 local elections, something unprecedented happened in Tower Hamlets, a borough in East London. Not only did the constituents elect a mayor previously banned from taking part in politics, but that candiate’s party, Aspire, took the council from Labour. Aaron Bastani speaks to Lutfur Rahman, the new mayor of Tower Hamlets.
What Does Keir Starmer Actually Believe? Aaron Bastani Meets Oliver Eagleton
Is he a managerial Machiavelli? A moral crusader? Or just an opportunist with a decent haircut? Aaron Bastani talks to Oliver Eagleton about the Labour leader.
Something Sinister Is Happening in the Labour Party. Aaron Bastani Meets Len McCluskey
Known for his steadfast support of Jeremy Corbyn whilst heading up the biggest private sector union in the country, Len McCluskey has a uniquely intimate knowledge of both Labour Party politics and the organised labour movement.
Liberalism Is in Trouble. Aaron Bastani Meets Francis Fukuyama
Few political thinkers exert such an influence that their work becomes synonymous with a historic era. Francis Fukuyama’s declaration of “the end of history” after the fall of the Soviet Union made him one. Aaron Bastani speaks to Fukuyama on the publication of his new book, Liberalism and its Discontents.
Did Empire Really End? Ash Sarkar Meets Kojo Koram
Throughout the 20th century, as countries gained independence from the British Empire, there was a rightful sense of renewed agency. And yet, in the world of finance and global capital, many corporate structures of empire continue to exist. Ash Sarkar speaks to Kojo Koram, author of ‘Uncommon Wealth: Britain and The Aftermath of Empire’.
Influencers, Exploitation and Capitalism. Ash Sarkar Meets Symeon Brown
How far would you go to get famous and escape poverty? Ash Sarkar is joined by Symeon Brown to discuss how the democratic promise of the internet has reinvented the pyramid scheme. From cryptocurrencies to botched Brazilian butt lifts, they look at how the new clout economy has created a digital lumpenproletariat.
Were Trans People “Born This Way”?
In debates around the rights of transgender people, a charge often levelled at those fighting for trans inclusion is that their arguments rest on a denial of biological facts. Michael Walker speaks to biologist Julia Serano about what so-called ‘gender critical’ thinkers get wrong about sex and gender, and whether trans activists should embrace the argument that they were “born this way”.
How the Mainstream Media Enabled Climate Denial
Aaron Bastani speaks to George Monbiot about COP26, which countries are climate change leaders and how the mainstream media enabled a culture of climate denial when it mattered most.
Why Are All the Baddies Disabled?
From ancient myths through to the Batman trilogy, pop culture is littered with disabled people and those with facial differences being cast as villains. Why does disability feature so heavily in literary and cinematic traditions, and how has this hypervisiblity had the ironic effect of erasing the experiences of disabled people? Ash Sarkar is joined […]