Novara FM: Get Free
Annelien De Dijn asks us: what if everything you thought you knew about freedom was wrong?
Tag: democracy
Downstream: Why It’s Eco-Socialism or Collapse
Climate change is better understood as climate systems breakdown, and it’s only through the lens of the latter that we can grasp the scale of the crisis ahead. On this episode of Downstream, Aaron Bastani is joined by Mat Lawrence and Laurie Laybourn-Langton to discuss their new book, Planet on Fire: A Manifesto for the […]
Downstream: When Will China Be the World’s Most Powerful Country? Interview With Martin Jacques
Will the 2020s be the decade when power decisively shifts from the United States to China? How important is the country’s rise in broader historic context – and is that why we are seeing an emerging Cold War between Washington and Beijing? And do appeals to a ‘civilisation-state’ undermine the power of universal values and […]
Opinion: So Long As Our Voting System is Rigged, the Tories Will Always Win Elections
James McAsh
First-past-the-post is an unfair electoral system that favours the Tories. If the Labour left is serious about achieving transformative change, it needs to get behind proportional representation, argues James McAsh.
Analysis: Unfinished Revolutions: How the UK and Gulf Monarchies Helped Crush Bahrain’s Pro-Democracy Movement
David Wearing
Ten years ago today, regime security forces in Bahrain attacked unarmed protesters camped at Pearl Roundabout, Manama. In the third piece of his series on the Arab uprisings, David Wearing looks at how the UK helped crush Bahrain’s pro-democracy movement.
Downstream: Can Capitalism Solve Its Crises? Interview With Mariana Mazzucato
What can the Apollo Missions teach us about dealing with the major crises of the 21st century? And why are politicians so eager to dwell on caricatures of the public rather than engage in problem-solving – from climate change to housing and education? Aaron Bastani speaks to author and academic Mariana Mazzucato to find out.
Opinion: If Biden and the Democrats Actually Want to Get Anything Done, They Need to Transform Democracy
Miles Kampf-Lassin
The Democratic party has been handed a mandate to usher in fundamental change, starting with quashing the Covid-19 pandemic and delivering direct aid to working people. But to succeed, they’ll need to reshape American democracy.
Opinion: Think the Tories Can’t Possibly Paint Britain’s Pandemic Response As a Triumph? Think Again
Aaron Bastani
From the failures of WW2 to the horrors of empire, Britain is incapable of an honest reckoning with its history. There’s no reason to think that in a decade's time, Covid-19 won't just be another notch in a record of national self-delusion, argues Aaron Bastani.
Opinion: No, the United States is Not the Home of Democracy
Aaron Bastani
The attack on the Capitol, some claim, is all the more shocking considering the US is the ‘home of democracy’. Aaron Bastani argues this couldn't be further from the truth - and that it’s only by acknowledging the nation’s real history that we can guard against fascism in our own time.
Analysis: Only the Left Can Save Brazil From Bolsonaro in 2021
Benjamin Fogel
Bolsonaro's chaos-making coronavirus strategy and ruthless attacks on his opponents have paid off: the Brazilian president closes 2020 with higher approval ratings than ever. Yet this year has also seen a resurgence of the Brazilian left, one that could halt the country's slide into authoritarianism, writes Benjamin Fogel.
Opinion: Why Do Americans Put up With Their Wildly Undemocratic Political System?
Micah Uetricht
In the event that Donald Trump wins the fewest votes but still becomes president, Micah Uetricht argues that leftists and liberals in the US must take to the streets to challenge not only the result, but the uniquely undemocratic political structures that made it possible.
Novara FM: After Barbarism: Rosa Luxemburg’s Revolutionary Life
James Butler is joined by Dana Mills, author of a new critical biography of Rosa Luxemburg, to explore Red Rosa's life, thought and many legacies.
Novara FM: Power to the People? Lessons From Ancient Democracy
James Butler is joined by Paul Cartledge to discuss ancient democracy and its enemies.
Opinion: Trump vs Biden: The First Presidential Debate Exposed an Empire in Decline
Freddie Stuart and Aaron White
Last night’s presidential debate was just the latest indication that the American experiment in democracy is collapsing before our very eyes, write Freddie Stuart and Aaron White.
Novara FM: A Progressive Elitism?
James Butler is joined by Eliane Glaser to navigate through elitism, culture, aesthetic politics and the meaning of democracy.
Opinion: The Cosmic Right Is on the Rise in the UK. The Left Must Fight It With Reason
Keir Milburn
QAnon and the 'cosmic right' are gaining traction in the UK by re-enchanting a mundane world and offering easy solutions to complex problems. Political economist Keir Milburn argues that the left should use the best weapon in its armoury to fight this worrying trend: reason.
Opinion: To Build the Movement in a Post-Corbyn Era, We Need to Build Democracy
Keir Milburn
Momentum’s National Coordinating Group election has attracted huge attention in recent weeks. Keir Milburn argues it's been vital for the recomposition of the UK left - and, most importantly, has highlighted the need for a new attitude towards democracy and elections.
Novara Docs: The Extradition of Julian Assange
Wikileaks co-founder Julian Assange shot to fame in 2010 with a series of revelations that shook the world. 10 years later Assange faces up to 175 years imprisonment pending an extradition hearing this September. Whatever the outcome of his case, the political implications for whistleblowing, journalism, and indeed democracy itself may depend on the fate […]