Carla Denyer on Media Bias, Farage and Weird Westminster Traditions
Aaron Bastani talks to Carla Denyer
The Greens doubled their vote share to 7% and have 2 MPs. What happens now?
Downstream is an in-depth interview show featuring conversations with activists, authors, economists, politicians, scientists, philosophers and thinkers of all stripes.
How the British Establishment Really Works
Aaron Bastani talks to Simon Kuper
In his latest book, ‘Good Chaps: How Corrupt Politicians Broke Our Law and Institutions’, Kuper chronicles changes in the instincts of Britain’s ruling class – and how corruption came to be increasingly normalised. What do these elites believe? When did those beliefs change? And who are the people, places and policies that led to such shifts?
Arab Jews: the Hidden History
Ash Sarkar Meets Avi Shlaim
Avi Shlaim is a historian and author of “Three Worlds: Memoirs of an Arab-Jew”. He joined Ash to talk about the Israeli right, Mossad’s covert operations in Baghdad and what it means to have hyphenated identities.
I Defied the Party Machine and Won. Here’s How
Aaron Bastani talks to Jeremy Corbyn
Defying all the odds Corbyn managed to keep his seat, winning almost fifty percent of the vote. He sat down with Aaron Bastani to discuss that achievement, Labour’s performance more generally, the success of other independents elsewhere – and what the future holds for party politics in the UK.
This Is How Propaganda Actually Works
Ash Sarkar meets Matt Kennard
Talking corporate media, secret intelligence and liberal think tanks with Declassifed UK’s investigative chief.
The Tories Are Done and They Won’t Be Coming Back
Aaron speaks with Peter Oborne
The Telegraph’s former chief political correspondent speaks to Aaron Bastani about the collapse of the Conservative party.
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 […]
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 […]