Downstream | Novara Media

Downstream is an in-depth interview show featuring conversations with activists, authors, economists, politicians, scientists, philosophers and thinkers of all stripes.

The Israel Lobby Is Real. Here’s Exactly How It Works

Ilan Pappé meets Aaron Bastani

Israeli historian and author Ilan Pappé’s new book details the origins of zionism and the struggles against it throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. He joins Aaron to discuss Harold Wilson, Nye Bevan, AIPAC, Labour Friends of Israel and the Christian roots of Zionism.

Here’s How America Really Runs Britain

Aaron Bastani Meets Angus Hanton

The United States’ impact on British culture and foreign policy is obvious. But its influence on our domestic politics, business, and daily lives warrants closer examination. To discuss this, Aaron is joined by Angus Hanton, author of ‘Vassal State: How America Runs Britain’.

Everything You’re Told About Green Capitalism Is Wrong

Brett Christophers Talks to Aaron Bastani

If the price of green energy is plummeting, why aren’t we transitioning from oil and gas faster? The answer comes down to profitability, explains economic geographer Brett Christophers.

Is India Really a Democracy?

Alpa Shah Meets Aaron Bastani

The Indian election will be one of the largest the world has ever seen, with almost 1 billion people eligible to vote. It’s often said that India is the world’s biggest democracy. But what if that isn’t quite true? What if Narendra Modi, India’s likely future prime minister, has undermined the very building blocks of […]

The Truth About Incels

Ash Sarkar Meets William Costello

The involuntary celibate community (aka ‘incels’) are often thought to be rightwing, white supremacist, and prone to violence. But how much of that is true? Ash Sarkar is joined by William Costello – a researcher whose work focuses on the psychology of incels – to discuss what we get wrong about incels, what incels get […]

Individualism Is Destroying Our Freedom

Grace Blakeley Meets Aaron Bastani

Common sense tells us that free-market economies maximise freedom and that planned economies, typically found under socialist governments, curtail it. But what if this is completely the wrong way around? On this episode of Downstream Aaron is joined by economist and author Grace Blakeley to discuss Henry Ford, Boeing and the nature of democracy You […]

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George Galloway’s Plan to Destroy the Labour Party

George Galloway has been elected as a member of parliament for four separate constituencies – with only Winston Churchill beating him. Perhaps more remarkably still, he won on three of those occasions while not being a member of a major political party. Most recently he became the MP for Rochdale, in the north of England. […]

How Austerity Harms Britain’s Most Vulnerable Children

Teresa Thornhill Talks to Aaron Bastani

Teresa Thornhill is an author and former child protection lawyer. Throughout her long career, working for both local authorities and advocating on behalf of parents, she has been a first hand witness to how the system fails parents, social workers and, most importantly, children. Teresa sat down with Aaron to talk about the untrained […]

This Is How Israel Controls Palestinians | Eyal Weizman Talks to Ash Sarkar

It’s not what you know; it’s what you can prove. For years, Forensic Architecture has exposed state crimes against civilians, nature, and humanity. This week on Downstream, Ash Sarkar meets FA’s director Eyal Weizman, to discuss Israel’s settler colonial project, the police killing of Mark Duggan, and how the testimony of blindfolded torture victims helped […]

Abby Martin on Gaza, Ukraine & Working at Russia Today

Ash Sarkar Meets Abby Martin

Abby Martin is an advocate, journalist, and host of the Empire Files. She joins Ash Sarkar to talk about being politicised by the war on terror, working at Russia Today, and how Israelis really talk about Palestinians.

This Ideology Threatens Our Fundamental Freedoms

Judith Butler Meets Ash Sarkar

For a special edition of Downstream IRL, Ash Sarkar is joined by philosopher, author, and one of the world’s most cited academics, Judith Butler. Their new book, ‘Who’s Afraid of Gender’ charts how a transphobic moral panic morphed into an all-our war on so-called ‘gender ideology’. Together, Ash and Judith explore how Britain became TERF […]

We Are Getting Foreign Policy Very Wrong

Steve Coll Talks to Aaron Bastani

With hindsight, the wars waged by the US and Britain in Afghanistan and Iraq look like terrible failures, both strategically and politically: the Taliban are back in power in Afghanistan, and living standards are worse in Iraq than they were before Saddam Hussein. In his book The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the United States and […]

On Gaza, Grammar Schools and British War Crimes

Peter Hitchens Talks to Aaron Bastani

Peter Hitchens is an author and journalist whose contrarian takes on drug policy, education and foreign policy have found him occupy a singular place in the British media – with his brand of conservatism often angering audiences who would consider themselves staunchly conservative. He sat down with Aaron to discuss grammar schools, Gaza and Britain’s […]

Retired Major General on Gaza, Iraq and Afghanistan

Ash Sarkar Meets Charlie Herbert

Major General Charlie Herbert has stood out in recent months for his vociferous condemnation of Israel’s war on Palestinians. His media appearances have proven vital in synthesising a moral and strategic critique of war in which civilians are treated in a manner he characterises as unprecedented. He sat down with Ash to talk about serving […]

Britain’s Economy Will Only Get Worse

Aaron Bastani Meets Gary Stevenson

Gary Stevenson went from being Citibank’s most profitable trader to one of the world’s most incisive critics of the financial system. Gary sat down with Aaron to discuss the lightbulb moment that led him away from trading, why economists can’t predict anything and why the UK middle class is doomed.

We Are in a New Cold War

Downstream IRL With Yanis Varoufakis

Yanis Varoufakis is an economist and author who served as Greek Finance Minister in the aftermath of the 2008 global financial crash. Since then, he has become one of the most sought after public speakers on the left. He joined Aaron for a IRL edition of Downstream at EartH in Hackney, North-East London to talk […]

Israel Will Never Be Safe While Occupying Palestine | Aaron Bastani Meets Yousef Alhelou

Yousef Alhelou has spent the four or so months since October 7th covering the Israeli assault on Gaza through his Instagram account. In that time his audience has grown by hundreds of thousands. Aaron sat down with Yousef to talk about international law, the genocide in Gaza and Britain’s complicity in it.

We’re Living on Stolen Money | Ash Sarkar Meets Ingrid Robeyns

If you’re serious about alleviating poverty, as most liberals claim to be, should there be a cap on how wealthy one person can be? To discuss this, Ash sat down with Ingrid Robeyns – author of ‘Limitarianism: The Case Against Extreme Wealth’ – to talk about why she’s reluctant to call herself a communist, a […]

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