You Will Never Be a Billionaire, Here’s Why.
Ash Sarkar unlocks the secrets of billionaire success that the Fortune 500 don’t want YOU to know. Hustle, grind, and mental fortitude? Nah. It’s exploitation.
Tag: socialism
Generation Left Might Not Be That Left After All
James Meadway
16-24-year-olds want spending cuts over tax increases.
What the British Really Did to India
From famine to deindustrialisation and paying for the world’s largest army, there were no advantages in being part of the British Empire. Aaron Bastani on what the British really did to India.
Why the Media Can’t Tell the Truth on Israel & Palestine
Whether it’s the filtering process of mainstream outlets – or the ‘electric fence’ approach of lobbying organisations – the biggest casualty is truth and the Palestinian people. Aaron Bastani on why the truth is rarely uttered when it comes to covering the occupation.
Afterburn
Kate Aronoff explores climate denialism, oil companies’ predictions of the future, and the fate of the Green New Deal.
The Real Reason for the European Super League
There is no future for the financialised, debt-driven model of football so adored by the Glazers and Florentino Pérez.
Will Amazon Fresh Kill the High Street? | the Bastani Factor
Amazon already dominates online retail, but is it set to take over the high street? Last month, Jeff Bezos’ trillion-dollar company opened the UK’s first Amazon Fresh store, stocked with own brand groceries, including milk and meat, and cashiers replaced by an entirely automated process. Aaron Bastani visited the store in Ealing, West London, to […]
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 […]
Independence for the North of England Interview With Philip Proudfoot
In recent years Scottish and Welsh independence, as well as Irish unification, have become increasingly plausible with Britain’s departure from the EU highlighting major points of difference, as well as economic imbalances, across the home nations. But could the break up of the UK ever include the North of England? And what would a sovereign […]
After Storming Heaven
James Butler is joined by Laura Forster to trace the many red threads of the Paris Commune, which began 150 years ago this week.
How We Win: The Media
James Schneider
To win the 2020s, we must tell our story. At every opportunity, socialists must make clear, emotional and positive arguments to build support for our solutions, cut through government spin and disarm the culture wars. The final part of the series How We Win.
Why All Drugs Should Be Decriminalised. Interview With David Nutt
The criminalisation of drugs has almost no impact on drug use, denies access to proven medical treatments and disproportionately targets people of colour. Yet the idea that drugs are ‘evil’ and that drug users are criminals is entrenched in international and domestic law. How can we begin to shift this point of view? What are […]
How We Win: The Party
James Schneider
Labour is not a socialist party, particularly not with Keir Starmer as leader. Yet it remains the best vehicle for socialism we have. The third instalment of the six-part series How We Win.
Maybe Don’t Defund the BBC? Interview With Nish Kumar
This week on Downstream Ash Sarkar met with Nish Kumar – comedian and host of The Mash Report – to talk about how he became the accidental face of the Defund the BBC movement, and why rightwing comics are the real snowflakes.
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.
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.
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 […]
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? […]