Tag: politics
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.
Novara Docs: I Was an Egyptian Revolutionary
10 years ago a wave of popular uprisings erupted across the Middle East, thousands poured onto the streets of Egypt to confront a dictatorship. In this video one protestor reflects on his experience all those years ago.
The Bastani Factor: Britain Is Now Fyre Festival
During the Covid pandemic the failures of Britain’s model have become painfully clear, from 80,000 deaths to a test and trace system which isn’t good enough. The latest shambles on free school meals demonstrates that these aren’t the result of a few bad individuals, or random mistakes, but the result of forty years of privatisation […]
Downstream: Can the Left Trust Keir Starmer? Interview With Richard Burgon
Was the Corbyn leadership a complete failure for the left – and what can be learned for next time? What are the chances of a socialist Labour government implementing the kinds of policies seen in the 2017 and 2019 manifestoes? And can the left trust Keir Starmer as party leader after a disappointing first year? […]
Downstream: Does the US Want Julian Assange Dead? Interview With Yanis Varoufakis
On Monday a British judge ruled that Julian Assange should not be extradited to the United States on charges of espionage and computer hacking. Yet despite that verdict the judgment arguably represented a blow to freedom of the press – with the judge accepting the substance of the case made by the US state department. […]
The Year in Review
At the turn of the decade nearly 12 months ago, some said that we were on the verge of entering a new Roaring ’20s. How prescient they turned out to be. One pandemic and a global economic freefall later, all the assumptions we started out with in January have turned to dust. In their place […]
The Bastani Factor: The 21st Century Crisis Nobody Talks About: Demographic Ageing
Downstream: Can Britain Become an ‘Innovation Superpower’ After Brexit? Aaron Bastani Meets David Edgerton
For Brexiteers Britain’s departure from the EU offers a shot at national renewal, with the country once more becoming a free trade and innovation superpower. But how likely is that, and are the Tories really serious about a break with the politics of the last 40 years? Aaron Bastani interviews Professor David Edgerton, author of […]
The Bastani Factor: Is the UK High Street Dead?
Downstream: Make America Normal Again. Interview With Adam Tooze
Joe Biden is President-elect of the United States. But what might his Presidency mean for working class Americans, US foreign policy and perceived national decline? Does his victory represent a return to political ‘normality’ after 4 years of the Trump White House? And what might Trump’s legacy be within the Republican Party? Joining Aaron Bastani […]
Interview: The Brutish Museums W/ Dan Hicks
Britain’s museums are filled with objects from around the world which were stolen. Should they be given back? And what would a ‘decolonised’ museum actually look like? Aaron Bastani is joined by Professor Dan Hicks to discuss his new book “The Brutish Museums”.
Interview: The Rise and Fall of the Corbyn Movement | An Interview with Owen Jones
Was Corbynism doomed from the start? That’s the question posed by Owen Jones in his new book, This Land.
The Bastani Factor: Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn
The Bastani Factor: Left Out: The Inside Story of Labour Under Corbyn
After the 2017 general election Labour under Jeremy Corbyn seemingly stood on the brink of power. From nowhere they had enjoyed the biggest increase in vote share of any party since 1945, depriving the Tories of their majority. But from there it was a story of Glastonbury to catastrophe and, last December, Labour gained their […]
The Bastani Factor: Aaron Bastani Reacts to David Starkey’s Mask Off Moment
David Starkey’s appearance on Darren Grimes’s Youtube channel revealed the unashamed racism of Britain’s most prominent conservative historian.
Ash Wednesday: Dear Lobby: Keep It Simple. Stick to Facts. Don’t Fuck It Up
The stakes have just been raised in the government’s daily press conference. Can Westminster journalists rise to the challenge?
Ash Wednesday: Why They Always Lyin’?
There’s another epidemic raging in the UK, concentrated in the highest echelons of government. It’s called lie-abetes.