UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it means for our future. Each week they will explore the great forces, ideas and events that led us to where we are, whether in Britain, the United States, Europe or beyond. It’s a politics podcast for those who want a deeper, historical understanding of the news, to understand what has really shaped our world and why. We hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to please rate, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts — and, of course, to get in touch with all your questions and comments so we can respond in future episodes. Email us at thesetimes@unherd.com or tweet us at @thesetimespod 

UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it means for our future. Each week they will explore the great forces, ideas and events that led us to where we are, whether in Britain, the United States, Europe or beyond. It’s a politics podcast for those who want a deeper, historical understanding of the news, to understand what has really shaped our world and why. We hope you enjoy! Don’t forget to please rate, like and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts — and, of course, to get in touch with all your questions and comments so we can respond in future episodes. Email us at <a href="mailto:thesetimes@unherd.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">thesetimes@unherd.com</a> or tweet us at @thesetimespod

New Podcast: These Times

Talking Politics producer Catherine Carr returns to her role as mic-wielder in 'Where Are You Going?' a unique storytelling podcast, delivered in bite-size episodes.Called 'utterly compelling and unique' by the Financial Times, 'engrossing' by The Times and 'riveting' by The Spectator.In each episode, Catherine interrupts people as they go about their everyday lives and asks simply; "Where are you going?"The conversations that follow are always unpredictable: sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, silly, romantic or downright 'stop-you-in-your-tracks' surprising.Be transported to places around the world and into the lives of others. What story is coming next? You just never know....'Where Are You Going?' is produced by the team at Loftus Media. New episodes are published twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday.SubscribeInstagramWebsite

Talking Politics producer Catherine Carr returns to her role as mic-wielder in <a href="https://www.whereareyougoing.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">'Where Are You Going?'</a> a unique storytelling podcast, delivered in bite-size episodes.Called 'utterly compelling and unique' by the Financial Times, 'engrossing' by The Times and 'riveting' by The Spectator.In each episode, Catherine interrupts people as they go about their everyday lives and asks simply; "Where are you going?"The conversations that follow are always unpredictable: sometimes funny, sometimes heart-breaking, silly, romantic or downright 'stop-you-in-your-tracks' surprising.Be transported to places around the world and into the lives of others. What story is coming next? You just never know....'Where Are You Going?' is produced by the team at <a href="https://loftusmedia.co.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Loftus Media</a>. New episodes are published twice a week, every Tuesday and Friday. <ul><li><a href="https://www.whereareyougoing.co.uk/subscribe" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="www.instagram.com/whereareyougoingpodcast " rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li></ul> <ul><li><a href="www.whereareyougoing.co.uk " rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Website</a></li></ul>

New Podcast: Where Are You Going?

Past Present Future is a new weekly podcast with David Runciman, host of Talking Politics, exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, culture to technology. David talks to historians, novelists, scientists and many others about where the most interesting ideas come from, what they mean, and why they matter.Ideas from the past, questions about the present, shaping the future.Brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books.New episodes every Thursday. Just subscribe to Past Present Future wherever you get your podcasts.

Past Present Future is a new weekly podcast with David Runciman, host of Talking Politics, exploring the history of ideas from politics to philosophy, culture to technology. David talks to historians, novelists, scientists and many others about where the most interesting ideas come from, what they mean, and why they matter.Ideas from the past, questions about the present, shaping the future.Brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books.New episodes every Thursday. Just subscribe to Past Present Future wherever you get your podcasts.

New Podcast: Past Present Future

David, Helen and Catherine get together for our final episode, to reflect on podcasting through six extraordinary years of politics, and what it means to be ending at the beginning of a war. We talk about the current crisis, how it connects to the crises of the past, and where it might fit in to the crises of the future. This episode is dedicated to Finbarr Livesey and Aaron Rapport.So you don’t miss us too much…  You can follow Catherine’s work on Relatively and  The Exchange  on R4. She tweets @CatherineECarrRead David in the pages of the LRBOr check out his most recent book, Confronting Leviathan Helen’s new book, Disorder is now out! And she writes a column for the New Statesman and tweets @HelenHet20Our website - keep an eye out for archive curation - underway soon!In grateful memory of our colleagues Aaron Rapport and Finbarr Livesey

David, Helen and Catherine get together for our final episode, to reflect on podcasting through six extraordinary years of politics, and what it means to be ending at the beginning of a war. We talk about the current crisis, how it connects to the crises of the past, and where it might fit in to the crises of the future. This episode is dedicated to Finbarr Livesey and Aaron Rapport.So you don’t miss us too much…  <ul><li>You can follow Catherine’s work on <a href="https://www.relativelypodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Relatively</a> and <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000ydmd" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Exchange</a> on R4. She tweets @CatherineECarr</li><li>Read David <a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/contributors/david-runciman?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">in the pages of the LRB</a></li><li>Or check out his most recent book, <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/confronting-leviathan/david-runciman/9781788167826" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Confronting Leviathan</a> </li><li>Helen’s new book, <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/disorder-9780198864981?cc=gb&amp;lang=en&amp;" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Disorder</a> is now out! </li><li>And she writes a <a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/author/helen-thompson" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">column for the New Statesman</a> and tweets @HelenHet20</li><li>Our <a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">website</a> - keep an eye out for archive curation - underway soon!</li></ul> In grateful memory of our colleagues <a href="https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/Staff_and_Students/dr-aaron-rapport-1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Aaron Rapport</a> and <a href="https://www.polis.cam.ac.uk/Staff_and_Students/dr-finbarr-livesey-1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Finbarr Livesey</a>

Finale

Helen Thompson

For our penultimate episode, David talks to Helen about her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the Twenty-First Century. It’s a conversation about many of the themes Helen has explored on Talking Politics over the years, from the energy transition to the perils of QE, from the travails of the Eurozone to the crisis of democracy, from China to America, from the past to the present to the future. In this book, she brings all these themes together to help make sense of the world we’re in.Talking Points: Suez is often seen as a crisis of British imperial hubris. But it’s also about energy.The US wanted Western European countries to import oil from the Middle East.But the US at the time was not a military power in the region.So the US essentially became a guarantor of Western European energy security, but implementation was dependent on British imperial power in the region.When Eisenhower pulled the plug on Suez, Europe panicked. The aftermath was hugely consequential.France turned to Algeria, but that went badly.Europe also embraced nuclear power to pursue energy self-sufficiency.And finally, this precipitated a turn to Soviet oil and gas and the construction of pipelines between Soviet territories and Western Europe.The shale boom was a double-edged sword: it also destabilized the alliance with Saudi Arabia and increased competition between the US and Russia.Meanwhile, Chinese demand has been increasing. The US today imports much less oil from the Persian Gulf, but the US Navy still provides energy security in the region, even though most of that oil goes to China and Japan. QE created a wholly new situation in the Eurozone.Everyone in the Eurozone game essentially understands that if QE is going to continue, there will be constraints around what can happen in Italian domestic politics.The current prime minister of Italy is the former president of the ECB.One of the risks of democracy is democratic excess. But democracies can also experience aristocratic excess.In US elections, people need a lot of money to compete. This means that there is not really an outlet for genuine democratic demands.Mentioned in this Episode:Helen’s book, DisorderJames Macdonald, A Free Nation Deep in DebtFurther Learning: More on Nord Stream 2 Helen, on how the rich captured modern democraciesHelen on Ukraine for the New StatesmanWhy the Ukraine crisis is a modern crisisAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

For our penultimate episode, David talks to Helen about her new book Disorder: Hard Times in the Twenty-First Century. It’s a conversation about many of the themes Helen has explored on Talking Politics over the years, from the energy transition to the perils of QE, from the travails of the Eurozone to the crisis of democracy, from China to America, from the past to the present to the future. In this book, she brings all these themes together to help make sense of the world we’re in.Talking Points: Suez is often seen as a crisis of British imperial hubris. But it’s also about energy.<ul><li>The US wanted Western European countries to import oil from the Middle East.</li><li>But the US at the time was not a military power in the region.</li><li>So the US essentially became a guarantor of Western European energy security, but implementation was dependent on British imperial power in the region.</li><li>When Eisenhower pulled the plug on Suez, Europe panicked. </li></ul> The aftermath was hugely consequential.<ul><li>France turned to Algeria, but that went badly.</li><li>Europe also embraced nuclear power to pursue energy self-sufficiency.</li><li>And finally, this precipitated a turn to Soviet oil and gas and the construction of pipelines between Soviet territories and Western Europe.</li></ul> The shale boom was a double-edged sword: it also destabilized the alliance with Saudi Arabia and increased competition between the US and Russia.<ul><li>Meanwhile, Chinese demand has been increasing. </li><li>The US today imports much less oil from the Persian Gulf, but the US Navy still provides energy security in the region, even though most of that oil goes to China and Japan. </li></ul> QE created a wholly new situation in the Eurozone.<ul><li>Everyone in the Eurozone game essentially understands that if QE is going to continue, there will be constraints around what can happen in Italian domestic politics.</li><li>The current prime minister of Italy is the former president of the ECB.</li></ul> One of the risks of democracy is democratic excess. But democracies can also experience aristocratic excess.<ul><li>In US elections, people need a lot of money to compete. This means that there is not really an outlet for genuine democratic demands.</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode:<ul><li><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/disorder-9780198864981?cc=gb&amp;lang=en&amp;" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Helen’s book, Disorder</a></li><li><a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691126326/a-free-nation-deep-in-debt" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">James Macdonald, A Free Nation Deep in Debt</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/07/what-have-nord-stream-2-and-gas-got-to-do-with-ukraine-standoff" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on Nord Stream 2 </a></li><li><a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/ideas/2022/02/the-age-of-plutocracy" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Helen, on how the rich captured modern democracies</a></li><li><a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/world/europe/2022/02/ukraines-imagined-european-identity-is-irreconcilable-with-the-political-reality" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Helen on Ukraine for the New Statesman</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2022/02/russia-invade-ukraine-putin-strategy/621626/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Why the Ukraine crisis is a modern crisis</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

Helen Thompson/Disorder

David talks to Shahin Vallee and Chris Bickerton about the upcoming French presidential elections. Can anything or anyone stop Macron? Why has French politics moved so far to the right? And what do left and right still mean in the absence of economic disagreement? Plus we discuss what the Macron years - the five that have gone and the five probably still to come - have taught us about the changing character of European politics.

The Meaning of Macron

David, Helen and Chris Brooke have one more go at making sense of the tangled web that is British politics. Can Johnson really survive, and even if he does, can his brand ever recover? Is this a scandal, is it a crisis, or is it something else entirely? Does history offer any guide to what comes next? Plus we explore what might be the really big lessons from the last two years of Covid-dominated politics.Talking Points: It’s obvious why Boris is a problem, but it’s not clear who would replace him.There will probably need to be a decisive marker, either the May local elections or the police report could be it.The strategic question for the Conservative party is, can it win enough seats to form a stable majority government?Boris won’t go voluntarily. But can he survive?Newer MPs are not loyal to Johnson, but older ones are more wary of defenestrating a leader who won big majorities.A lot of people have left number 10. It will be hard for him to govern.In 2015, Ed Miliband was leading in the headline polls. But there were signs of weakness.Labour wasn’t winning local elections. And Cameron was polling better on two key questions: leadership and the economy.Labour has now moved ahead on both. It would still be hard for Labour to win an overall majority, but defeat in local elections might spook the Conservatives.The politics of scandal are different from the politics of crisis.Scandals change how politics are conducted, but they don’t usually trash the party’s reputation.Helen thinks that it is a politics of chaos.This particular scandal is bound up in Johnson’s appeal. On most issues, the outrage of the other side works for Johnson.Outrage about the parties is different: Johnson was a hypocrite.He has trashed his own brand this time, but he still doesn’t think the game is over.Were the pandemic years a dress rehearsal for the politics of climate change?To reach net zero, governments will need to ask people to make sacrifices. Will future politics be a politics of limits?The pandemic has also deepened generational divides. Mentioned in this Episode: Recent polling dataFurther Learning: Isaac Chotiner asks David about hypocrisy and Partygate Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Labour optimismDavid on Dominic Cummings’ blogFrom the archive… Who is Boris Johnson?And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

David, Helen and Chris Brooke have one more go at making sense of the tangled web that is British politics. Can Johnson really survive, and even if he does, can his brand ever recover? Is this a scandal, is it a crisis, or is it something else entirely? Does history offer any guide to what comes next? Plus we explore what might be the really big lessons from the last two years of Covid-dominated politics.Talking Points: It’s obvious why Boris is a problem, but it’s not clear who would replace him.<ul><li>There will probably need to be a decisive marker, either the May local elections or the police report could be it.</li><li>The strategic question for the Conservative party is, can it win enough seats to form a stable majority government?</li></ul> Boris won’t go voluntarily. But can he survive?<ul><li>Newer MPs are not loyal to Johnson, but older ones are more wary of defenestrating a leader who won big majorities.</li><li>A lot of people have left number 10. It will be hard for him to govern.</li></ul> In 2015, Ed Miliband was leading in the headline polls. But there were signs of weakness.<ul><li>Labour wasn’t winning local elections. And Cameron was polling better on two key questions: leadership and the economy.</li><li>Labour has now moved ahead on both. </li><li>It would still be hard for Labour to win an overall majority, but defeat in local elections might spook the Conservatives.</li></ul> The politics of scandal are different from the politics of crisis.<ul><li>Scandals change how politics are conducted, but they don’t usually trash the party’s reputation.</li><li>Helen thinks that it is a politics of chaos.</li></ul> This particular scandal is bound up in Johnson’s appeal. <ul><li>On most issues, the outrage of the other side works for Johnson.</li><li>Outrage about the parties is different: Johnson was a hypocrite.</li><li>He has trashed his own brand this time, but he still doesn’t think the game is over.</li></ul> Were the pandemic years a dress rehearsal for the politics of climate change?<ul><li>To reach net zero, governments will need to ask people to make sacrifices. Will future politics be a politics of limits?</li><li>The pandemic has also deepened generational divides. </li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/united-kingdom/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Recent polling data</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-hypocrisy-undid-boris-johnson" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Isaac Chotiner asks David about hypocrisy and Partygate </a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/dec/26/rachel-reeves-labour-strongest-position-in-10-years" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves on Labour optimism</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/jan/14/intoxicating-insidery-and-infuriating-everything-i-learned-about-dominic-cummings-from-his-10-a-month-blog" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">David on Dominic Cummings’ blog</a></li><li><a href="https://play.acast.com/s/talkingpolitics/whoisborisjohnson-" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">From the archive… Who is Boris Johnson?</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

The Meaning of Boris Johnson

David and Helen talk to Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor of the Economist, about what Vladimir Putin hopes to get out of the Ukraine crisis and what anyone can do to stop him. Is some sort of invasion inevitable? Is Russia’s goal to sow dissent or to achieve regime change? What leverage does the rest of world have over Putin and his allies? Plus we explore where the roots of the crisis lie: in 2014, in the end of the Cold War, or even earlier still?Talking Points: What does Putin want from Ukraine? He wants to stop Ukraine’s westward shift, which is about more than NATO. Ukraine was probably not ever going to join NATO. In that regard, Putin already has what he wants.What else is he upset about? Britain is building a naval base on the Sea of Azov. Britain and the UK are training Ukrainian troops. Weapons are flowing in, too. Putin worries about Ukraine becoming a more militarily and economically capable actor. What would Putin count as a success in the current crisis? Logistically speaking, Putin could stay there for months. But he has troops from the Eastern military district there, who can’t. And the weather will change after March. Perhaps the biggest problem is psychological: backing down would look like giving in. Does Russia want regime change?Kiev seems less convinced about the imminence of an invasion.Are they deluded? They definitely want to avoid panic, especially economic panic. What is different today from 2014? Ukraine is in an even worse economic position. Ukraine is a transit gas state; Putin has been trying to end that for a long time, and he is getting close with the near completion of Nordstream.Another difference is America’s position in the world. NATO allies should still feel reasonably secure.But in middle areas, such as Ukraine, or the countries in central Asia, things are less certain.Mentioned in this Episode: Shashank’s latest for the Economist: How big is Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine?More on Biden’s global posture reviewAn interview with Dmitri Trenin: are we on the brink of war?Further Learning: Our last episode with ShashankMore on javelin missiles in UkraineMore on the Russia-Belarus integrationAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

David and Helen talk to Shashank Joshi, Defence Editor of the Economist, about what Vladimir Putin hopes to get out of the Ukraine crisis and what anyone can do to stop him. Is some sort of invasion inevitable? Is Russia’s goal to sow dissent or to achieve regime change? What leverage does the rest of world have over Putin and his allies? Plus we explore where the roots of the crisis lie: in 2014, in the end of the Cold War, or even earlier still?Talking Points: What does Putin want from Ukraine? <ul><li>He wants to stop Ukraine’s westward shift, which is about more than NATO. </li><li>Ukraine was probably not ever going to join NATO. In that regard, Putin already has what he wants.</li><li>What else is he upset about? Britain is building a naval base on the Sea of Azov. Britain and the UK are training Ukrainian troops. Weapons are flowing in, too. </li><li>Putin worries about Ukraine becoming a more militarily and economically capable actor. </li></ul> What would Putin count as a success in the current crisis? <ul><li>Logistically speaking, Putin could stay there for months. But he has troops from the Eastern military district there, who can’t. And the weather will change after March. </li><li>Perhaps the biggest problem is psychological: backing down would look like giving in. </li><li>Does Russia want regime change?</li></ul> Kiev seems less convinced about the imminence of an invasion.<ul><li>Are they deluded? </li><li>They definitely want to avoid panic, especially economic panic. </li></ul> What is different today from 2014? <ul><li>Ukraine is in an even worse economic position. </li><li>Ukraine is a transit gas state; Putin has been trying to end that for a long time, and he is getting close with the near completion of Nordstream.</li><li>Another difference is America’s position in the world. </li></ul> NATO allies should still feel reasonably secure.<ul><li>But in middle areas, such as Ukraine, or the countries in central Asia, things are less certain.</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.economist.com/the-economist-explains/2022/01/31/how-big-is-russias-military-build-up-around-ukraine" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Shashank’s latest for the Economist: How big is Russia’s military buildup around Ukraine?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.swp-berlin.org/en/publication/the-biden-administrations-global-posture-review" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on Biden’s global posture review</a></li><li><a href="https://carnegiemoscow.org/commentary/86304" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">An interview with Dmitri Trenin: are we on the brink of war?</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/217-trump-vs-iran-is-it-for-real" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Our last episode with Shashank</a></li><li><a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2022/01/26/ukraine-missile-russia-baltics-biden/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on javelin missiles in Ukraine</a></li><li><a href="https://carnegiemoscow.org/commentary/85749" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on the Russia-Belarus integration</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

Putin’s Next Move

David talks to John Naughton about what’s coming next in the tech revolution and where it’s taking us. From quantum computing to cryptocurrency, from AI to the Internet of Things: what’s hype, what’s for real and how will it shape our politics. Plus we discuss what China understands about technology that the rest of the world might have missed.Talking Points: The metaverse is the next big thing in Silicon Valley. It feels like the logical conclusion of prevailing trends.This is not actually a radical break.The gaming industry is developing the metaverse. And big tech is investing heavily in gaming. The metaverse bypasses many elements of the real world that people like Zuckerberg are keen on, such as government regulation.What will be the next big technological shift? Are we in a kind of lull?The internet of things has not gone away.Blockchain, which enables crypto, is still a significant technology.Proponents of Web3 want to disrupt centralized control of the Internet.Does the Chinese system show us that there is another choice on technology? The general view of autocracy is that it can’t be done. The problem is imperfect information.Has technology made it possible to escape the autocrat’s trap?Technology has undeniably changed our lives, but the liberatory promise does not seem to have been realized.When will technology give us control over our own time? The kind of capitalism that drives the tech industry is unstable unless it grows.The relentlessness of consumer society is antithetical to a particular kind of creativity and a particular kind of politics.Mentioned in this Episode:John’s column for the ObserverNeal Stephennson, Snow CrashJohn on TP talking about LibraKeynes’ essay, ‘Economic possibilities for our grandchildren’History of Ideas, Hannah Arendt on ActionThe Minderoo Centre for Technology and DemocracyFurther Learning: What is the metaverse, exactly? What is Web3? More on Microsoft’s takeover of Activision BlizzardAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

David talks to John Naughton about what’s coming next in the tech revolution and where it’s taking us. From quantum computing to cryptocurrency, from AI to the Internet of Things: what’s hype, what’s for real and how will it shape our politics. Plus we discuss what China understands about technology that the rest of the world might have missed.Talking Points: The metaverse is the next big thing in Silicon Valley. It feels like the logical conclusion of prevailing trends.<ul><li>This is not actually a radical break.</li><li>The gaming industry is developing the metaverse. And big tech is investing heavily in gaming. </li><li>The metaverse bypasses many elements of the real world that people like Zuckerberg are keen on, such as government regulation.</li></ul> What will be the next big technological shift? Are we in a kind of lull?<ul><li>The internet of things has not gone away.</li><li>Blockchain, which enables crypto, is still a significant technology.</li><li>Proponents of Web3 want to disrupt centralized control of the Internet.</li></ul> Does the Chinese system show us that there is another choice on technology? <ul><li>The general view of autocracy is that it can’t be done. The problem is imperfect information.</li><li>Has technology made it possible to escape the autocrat’s trap?</li></ul> Technology has undeniably changed our lives, but the liberatory promise does not seem to have been realized.<ul><li>When will technology give us control over our own time? </li><li>The kind of capitalism that drives the tech industry is unstable unless it grows.</li><li>The relentlessness of consumer society is antithetical to a particular kind of creativity and a particular kind of politics.</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/profile/johnnaughton" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">John’s column for the Observer</a></li><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/snow-crash/neal-stephenson/9780241953181" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Neal Stephennson, Snow Crash</a></li><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/172-libra" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">John on TP talking about Libra</a></li><li><a href="http://www.econ.yale.edu/smith/econ116a/keynes1.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Keynes’ essay, ‘Economic possibilities for our grandchildren’</a></li><li><a href="https://play.acast.com/s/history-of-ideas/arendtonaction" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">History of Ideas, Hannah Arendt on Action</a></li><li><a href="https://www.mctd.ac.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.wired.com/story/what-is-the-metaverse/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">What is the metaverse, exactly? </a></li><li><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/11/21/1056988346/web3-internet-jargon-or-future-vision" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">What is Web3? </a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/18/microsofts-activision-plan-shows-gaming-will-be-at-heart-of-metaverse" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on Microsoft’s takeover of Activision Blizzard</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

The Next Big Thing

One year on from Joe Biden’s inauguration David and Helen talk with Gary Gerstle about what’s gone wrong. What is the strategy behind this presidency? Has it tried to do too much or too little? And are the dark warnings of another American civil war really plausible? Plus we discuss whether the original American Civil War should really be used as the template for political breakdown.Talking Points: It’s hard to be a transformational president when your congressional margin is as slim as Biden’s is.Are critics being too harsh? Unemployment is down, the pandemic recovery was quicker than anticipated, and there is a broader renegotiation of work conditions for lower-paid workers. But these are not the seismic shifts many hoped for. Biden may want to be a transformational president, but the conditions do not suit transformational politics.Did an overreading of Trump’s incompetence on the pandemic inflate expectations of Biden? What would Biden’s presidency look like if Democrats did not have a majority in the Senate?The unexpected victories in Georgia have also led to heightened scrutiny of the holdout Democrats, Sinema and Manchin. Republican senators seem to be getting a free pass. Are fears about a looming American civil war overblown?What do we mean by civil war? The idea of the federal government fighting a group of secessionist states seems inconceivable. The notion of factions vying for control over the center is somewhat more plausible.The American Civil War was not just about tribalism or ideology. There were incompatible political economic systems. The very fact that the United States has had a Civil War, however, is still part of American politics. As T.S. Eliot said, ‘Serious civil wars never come to an end.’Will the burgeoning discourse around illegitimate election results actually translate into more overt political violence in the future?Mentioned in this Episode: Biden’s recent speech on voting rightsBarbara Walter’s book, How Civil Wars StartGary’s forthcoming book, The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal OrderFurther Learning:Is Civil War coming to America? More on Merrick Garland’s investigation Eric Foner for the LRB on the electoral collegeAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

One year on from Joe Biden’s inauguration David and Helen talk with Gary Gerstle about what’s gone wrong. What is the strategy behind this presidency? Has it tried to do too much or too little? And are the dark warnings of another American civil war really plausible? Plus we discuss whether the original American Civil War should really be used as the template for political breakdown.Talking Points: It’s hard to be a transformational president when your congressional margin is as slim as Biden’s is.<ul><li>Are critics being too harsh? Unemployment is down, the pandemic recovery was quicker than anticipated, and there is a broader renegotiation of work conditions for lower-paid workers. But these are not the seismic shifts many hoped for. </li><li>Biden may want to be a transformational president, but the conditions do not suit transformational politics.</li><li>Did an overreading of Trump’s incompetence on the pandemic inflate expectations of Biden? </li></ul> What would Biden’s presidency look like if Democrats did not have a majority in the Senate?<ul><li>The unexpected victories in Georgia have also led to heightened scrutiny of the holdout Democrats, Sinema and Manchin. Republican senators seem to be getting a free pass. </li></ul> Are fears about a looming American civil war overblown?<ul><li>What do we mean by civil war? The idea of the federal government fighting a group of secessionist states seems inconceivable. </li><li>The notion of factions vying for control over the center is somewhat more plausible.</li><li>The American Civil War was not just about tribalism or ideology. There were incompatible political economic systems. </li><li>The very fact that the United States has had a Civil War, however, is still part of American politics. As T.S. Eliot said, ‘Serious civil wars never come to an end.’</li><li>Will the burgeoning discourse around illegitimate election results actually translate into more overt political violence in the future?</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/speeches-remarks/2022/01/11/remarks-by-president-biden-on-protecting-the-right-to-vote/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Biden’s recent speech on voting rights</a></li><li><a href="https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/315/315950/how-civil-wars-start/9780241429754.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Barbara Walter’s book, How Civil Wars Start</a></li><li><a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-rise-and-fall-of-the-neoliberal-order-9780197519646?q=gary%20gerstle&amp;lang=en&amp;cc=us" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Gary’s forthcoming book, The Rise and Fall of the Neoliberal Order</a></li></ul> Further Learning:<ul><li><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/18/books/review/how-civil-wars-start-barbara-f-walter-the-next-civil-war-stephen-marche.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Is Civil War coming to America? </a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/jan/05/merrick-garland-us-capitol-attack-investigation" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on Merrick Garland’s investigation </a></li><li><a href="https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v42/n10/eric-foner/the-corrupt-bargain" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Eric Foner for the LRB on the electoral college</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

American Civil War?

Coronavirus! Climate! Brexit! Trump! Politics has never been more unpredictable, more alarming or more interesting: Talking Politics is the podcast that tries to make sense of it all. Every week David Runciman and Helen Thompson talk to the most interesting people around about the ideas and events that shape our world: from history to economics, from philosophy to fiction. What does the future hold? Can democracy survive? How crazy will it get? This is the political conversation that matters.Talking Politics is brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books, Europe's leading magazine of books and ideas.

Possibly my favorite podcast ever.  Bravo!

Hilary Mantel podcast

For an American, this is a great way to keep abreast of UK politics.

Amazing insights

Coronavirus! Climate! Brexit! Trump! Politics has never been more unpredictable, more alarming or more interesting: Talking Politics is the podcast that tries to make sense of it all. Every week David Runciman and Helen Thompson talk to the most interesting people around about the ideas and events that shape our world: from history to economics, from philosophy to fiction. What does the future hold? Can democracy survive? How crazy will it get? This is the political conversation that matters.Talking Politics is brought to you in partnership with the London Review of Books, Europe's leading magazine of books and ideas.

TALKING POLITICS

We catch up again with Lucia Rubinelli to discuss the latest developments in Italy. With anger against the EU on the rise and regional divisions getting more acute, can the Italian government hold it together? What is Salvini up to? And will the technocrats try another take over? Plus Lucia tells us what lockdown has been like for her.The New York Times Article mentioned: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-south.html

We catch up again with Lucia Rubinelli to discuss the latest developments in Italy. With anger against the EU on the rise and regional divisions getting more acute, can the Italian government hold it together? What is Salvini up to? And will the technocrats try another take over? Plus Lucia tells us what lockdown has been like for her.The New York Times Article mentioned: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-south.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/21/world/europe/italy-coronavirus-south.html</a>

What's Happening in Italy Now?

As we wait for a Brexit deal or no deal, we discuss what the next year might hold for French and Italian politics. What are Macron's prospects as he heads towards the next presidential election? Has Giorgia Meloni replaced Matteo Salvini as the leader of the Italian far right? And what chance of a return to political normalcy in either country? With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton.Talking Points: The Italian public is fed up with Brexit—there isn’t much public debate about it.Salvini is still playing with the idea that leaving the EU is a good idea, but not as seriously now. All the signals from the government suggest that Italy is lining up with Macron, but they aren’t trying to play a central role.There are particular issues that affect different member states. The broader European unity is now being tested on certain key issues.The Irish are particularly affected by no deal.For France, the most important issue is probably the level playing field. Fishing also has a powerful symbolic element to it.It may come down to member states being willing to make compromises with each other, or not. Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and the first to lockdown. The response created a sense of pride.During summer, however, life went back to normal. It was basically a free-for-all.When cases began to climb again, the mood turned to frustration: frustration at the relationship between governments and regions, and frustration with certain policies, such as the closure of high schools.There is also the sense that Italy is lagging behind on the vaccine. Macron also went in earlier on lockdown, and came out of lockdown earlier too. The idea that Macron has authoritarian tendencies has become part of the debate over COVID. There has been an almost permanent sense of emergency stretching from the yellow vest period to today.COVID has blurred into a border debate about the balance between security and civil liberties in France.Mentioned in this Episode:Our last episode with LuciaFurther Learning: More on Johnson’s dinner with von der Leyen Why is fishing important in the Brexit trade talks?More on Article 24 in FranceA profile of Giorgia Meloni from Politico EuropeMore on France’s Green PartyAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

As we wait for a Brexit deal or no deal, we discuss what the next year might hold for French and Italian politics. What are Macron's prospects as he heads towards the next presidential election? Has Giorgia Meloni replaced Matteo Salvini as the leader of the Italian far right? And what chance of a return to political normalcy in either country? With Lucia Rubinelli and Chris Bickerton.Talking Points: The Italian public is fed up with Brexit—there isn’t much public debate about it.<ul><li>Salvini is still playing with the idea that leaving the EU is a good idea, but not as seriously now. </li><li>All the signals from the government suggest that Italy is lining up with Macron, but they aren’t trying to play a central role.</li></ul> There are particular issues that affect different member states. The broader European unity is now being tested on certain key issues.<ul><li>The Irish are particularly affected by no deal.</li><li>For France, the most important issue is probably the level playing field. Fishing also has a powerful symbolic element to it.</li><li>It may come down to member states being willing to make compromises with each other, or not. </li></ul> Italy was the first Western country to be hit by the virus and the first to lockdown. The response created a sense of pride.<ul><li>During summer, however, life went back to normal. It was basically a free-for-all.</li><li>When cases began to climb again, the mood turned to frustration: frustration at the relationship between governments and regions, and frustration with certain policies, such as the closure of high schools.</li><li>There is also the sense that Italy is lagging behind on the vaccine. </li></ul> Macron also went in earlier on lockdown, and came out of lockdown earlier too. <ul><li>The idea that Macron has authoritarian tendencies has become part of the debate over COVID. There has been an almost permanent sense of emergency stretching from the yellow vest period to today.</li><li>COVID has blurred into a border debate about the balance between security and civil liberties in France.</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/272-has-covid-rescued-europe" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Our last episode with Lucia</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2020/dec/09/boris-johnson-sets-out-his-red-lines-at-last-ditch-brexit-dinner" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on Johnson’s dinner with von der Leyen </a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/46401558" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Why is fishing important in the Brexit trade talks?</a></li><li><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-55135995" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on Article 24 in France</a></li><li><a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/sister-of-italy-brothers-of-italy-giorgia-meloni/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">A profile of Giorgia Meloni from Politico Europe</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/07/frances-greens-hope-build-summer-success" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">More on France’s Green Party</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

What's Next for France and Italy?

We talk to the historian Margaret MacMillan about the changing character of war, from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. Do we still understand the risks? Where are the conflicts of the future likely to break out? And how can we reconcile the terrible destructiveness of war with its capacity to bring about positive change? Plus we talk about why war produces so much great art.Talking Points:Is the way we commemorate war distancing us from the reality of it? Those who have seen war tend to be wary of it.There is complacency in a number of countries that war is something that ‘we’ don’t do anymore.War is terrible, yet so much of the innovation that we value seems intertwined with it.For many people WWI exemplifies the futility of war, yet many of the things we value came out of that war, particularly political and institutional change. WWI essentially gave Europe modern welfare states and universal suffrage.The two world wars also led to much greater social equality.There seems to be a deep connection between peace and inequality, and violence and equality. But it might depend on what countries and what wars you look at.If war is connected to innovation because it is so wasteful you cannot recreate those conditions.Perhaps we are doing something similar with COVID, but climate change is the true existential crisis.Climate change does not seem to be a unifying crisis.Declaring ‘war’ on an abstraction is dangerous. How do you know when it’s over? Wars on abstractions are wars without limits.Templates from the past don’t fully apply to the US-China relationship.There is the nuclear element, which should hypothetically rule out war.There’s also the energy resource conflict question: China has been able to take responsibility for its own energy security.In the long run, it is in the interests of both the US and China to cooperate with each other. The problem is the political factor.Mentioned in this Episode:Margaret MacMillan, War: How Conflict Shaped UsGeneral Nick Carter’s interview with Sky NewsWalter Scheidel, The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First CenturyRana Mitter, China’s Good War‘La Grande Illusion’Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried‘Apocalypse Now’Further Learning: Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919Talking Politics History of Ideas: Max Weber on...

We talk to the historian Margaret MacMillan about the changing character of war, from the ancient world to the twenty-first century. Do we still understand the risks? Where are the conflicts of the future likely to break out? And how can we reconcile the terrible destructiveness of war with its capacity to bring about positive change? Plus we talk about why war produces so much great art.Talking Points:Is the way we commemorate war distancing us from the reality of it? <ul><li>Those who have seen war tend to be wary of it.</li><li>There is complacency in a number of countries that war is something that ‘we’ don’t do anymore.</li></ul> War is terrible, yet so much of the innovation that we value seems intertwined with it.<ul><li>For many people WWI exemplifies the futility of war, yet many of the things we value came out of that war, particularly political and institutional change. </li><li>WWI essentially gave Europe modern welfare states and universal suffrage.</li><li>The two world wars also led to much greater social equality.</li><li>There seems to be a deep connection between peace and inequality, and violence and equality. But it might depend on what countries and what wars you look at.</li></ul> If war is connected to innovation because it is so wasteful you cannot recreate those conditions.<ul><li>Perhaps we are doing something similar with COVID, but climate change is the true existential crisis.</li><li>Climate change does not seem to be a unifying crisis.</li><li>Declaring ‘war’ on an abstraction is dangerous. How do you know when it’s over? Wars on abstractions are wars without limits.</li></ul> Templates from the past don’t fully apply to the US-China relationship.<ul><li>There is the nuclear element, which should hypothetically rule out war.</li><li>There’s also the energy resource conflict question: China has been able to take responsibility for its own energy security.</li><li>In the long run, it is in the interests of both the US and China to cooperate with each other. The problem is the political factor.</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/war/professor-margaret-macmillan/9781788162562" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Margaret MacMillan, War: How Conflict Shaped Us</a></li><li><a href="https://news.sky.com/story/risk-of-new-world-war-is-real-head-of-uk-armed-forces-warns-12126389" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">General Nick Carter’s interview with Sky News</a></li><li><a href="https://press.princeton.edu/books/paperback/9780691183251/the-great-leveler" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Walter Scheidel, The Great Leveler: Violence and the History of Inequality from the Stone Age to the Twenty-First Century</a></li><li><a href="https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674984264" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Rana Mitter, China’s Good War</a></li><li><a href="https://www2.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/sight-sound-magazine/features/greatest-films-all-time/great-escape-la-grande-illusion" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">‘La Grande Illusion’</a></li><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/the-things-they-carried/tim-obrien/9780008329693" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tim O’Brien, The Things They Carried</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/aug/07/apocalypse-now-final-cut-review-francis-ford-coppola-dennis-hopper" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">‘Apocalypse Now’</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/paris-1919-six-months-that-changed-the-world/9780375760525" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Margaret MacMillan, Paris 1919</a></li><li><a href="https://play.acast.com/s/history-of-ideas/weberonleadership" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Talking Politics History of Ideas: Max Weber on...</a></li></ul>

War: What Is it Good For?

David and Helen talk with Jonathan Shainin, Head of Opinion at the Guardian newspaper, about the challenges of political journalism in a deeply polarised age. Is it possible to hold the line between news and comment? Are the arguments about Covid a rerun of Brexit? What can scientists and historians add to political analysis? Plus we discuss how American journalism has changed the way it talks about race and violence and what that means for the current moment.Talking Points: The heightened state of political opinion writing around Brexit seems to have dissipated.The opinion pages became a vehicle for a kind of tribal politics. There was a relentless urgency to it: was that illusory?Technology revealed the enormous appetite for news and commentary related to Brexit.People want updates and then they want trusted voices to add to the experience and understanding of events. Is there a distinction between emotional and analytical opinion pieces?Opinion pages will always reflect partisan opinions.To what extent is an opinion piece feeding into a libidinal appetite among readers? Is there a role in either the Guardian or the Telegraph for an opinion piece that would be comprehensible to the other side?One thing John set out to do is to reduce the frequency of opinion pieces.In the early days of the pandemic, a lot of the pieces were explanatory and written by experts. Can we separate scientific expertise from political judgment?Analytical pieces aim for a different kind of persuasion.Historians and political theorists can say: can we think about things in a different way? No form of journalism can be made bulletproof against weaponised forms of skepticism or cynicism.The classical model of how the facts, the news, and the demos interact is now outdated.A new model would have to capture the chaos and instability between these elements.Journalism feels more urgent, yet the urgency is accompanied by diminished authority.Has Trump revealed the limits of the analytical mode?What happens when there isn’t room for reasonable disagreement?Mentioned in this Episode:Ian Jack on the Scottish Independence Referendum David’s piece for The Guardian, It was all a dream’William Hanage for the Guardian on COVIDMelanie Philips in the Times on COVIDAlan Finlayson on why we should stop complaining about tribalismHelen’s piece on football for the New StatesmanDavid on climate denialismFurther Learning: David and...

David and Helen talk with Jonathan Shainin, Head of Opinion at the Guardian newspaper, about the challenges of political journalism in a deeply polarised age. Is it possible to hold the line between news and comment? Are the arguments about Covid a rerun of Brexit? What can scientists and historians add to political analysis? Plus we discuss how American journalism has changed the way it talks about race and violence and what that means for the current moment.Talking Points: The heightened state of political opinion writing around Brexit seems to have dissipated.<ul><li>The opinion pages became a vehicle for a kind of tribal politics. There was a relentless urgency to it: was that illusory?</li><li>Technology revealed the enormous appetite for news and commentary related to Brexit.</li><li>People want updates and then they want trusted voices to add to the experience and understanding of events. </li></ul> Is there a distinction between emotional and analytical opinion pieces?<ul><li>Opinion pages will always reflect partisan opinions.</li><li>To what extent is an opinion piece feeding into a libidinal appetite among readers? </li><li>Is there a role in either the Guardian or the Telegraph for an opinion piece that would be comprehensible to the other side?</li></ul> One thing John set out to do is to reduce the frequency of opinion pieces.<ul><li>In the early days of the pandemic, a lot of the pieces were explanatory and written by experts. </li><li>Can we separate scientific expertise from political judgment?</li></ul> Analytical pieces aim for a different kind of persuasion.<ul><li>Historians and political theorists can say: can we think about things in a different way? </li><li>No form of journalism can be made bulletproof against weaponised forms of skepticism or cynicism.</li></ul> The classical model of how the facts, the news, and the demos interact is now outdated.<ul><li>A new model would have to capture the chaos and instability between these elements.</li><li>Journalism feels more urgent, yet the urgency is accompanied by diminished authority.</li><li>Has Trump revealed the limits of the analytical mode?</li><li>What happens when there isn’t room for reasonable disagreement?</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/commentisfree/2014/sep/16/-sp-is-this-the-end-of-britishness" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Ian Jack on the Scottish Independence Referendum </a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/01/stop-brexit-remainers-eu-referendum-politics" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">David’s piece for The Guardian, It was all a dream’</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/16/number-coronavirus-pandemic" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">William Hanage for the Guardian on COVID</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ignore-these-siren-calls-to-end-the-lockdown-rrmg2f3zp" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Melanie Philips in the Times on COVID</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/12/political-tribes-passion-politics-voters-involved" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Alan Finlayson on why we should stop complaining about tribalism</a></li><li><a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/sport/2020/05/whole-rotten-edifice-premier-league-has-been-exposed-coronavirus" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Helen’s piece on football for the New Statesman</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/jul/07/climate-change-denial-scepticism-cynicism-politics" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">David on climate denialism</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2018/119-democracy-hacked" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">David and...</a></li></ul>

Facts vs Opinions

David talks to the writer Annie Zaidi, winner of the Nine Dots Prize, about her remarkable memoir of life in India and the search for identity. It's s story of conflict, migration, belonging and the idea of home. We also discuss what home means for Indians now the country is under lockdown and Annie tells us how life is in Mumbai.*The sound is not great, we are sorry. It is nicer to listen through speakers than on headphones*Further Reading and listening:Annie Zaidi's bookhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/books/bread-cement-cactus/75DCB40487D5CD8DCB772761555CF10CNine Dots Prizehttps://ninedotsprize.org/Annie Zaidi speaks to Qudsiya Ahmad, Head of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press Indiahttp://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/gallery/video/nine-dots-prize-winner-annie-zaidi-indian-societyGuardian article about the Indian migration caused by lock-downhttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/19/my-angel-man-who-became-face-of-indias-stranded-helped-home-by-stranger-coronavirus

David talks to the writer Annie Zaidi, winner of the Nine Dots Prize, about her remarkable memoir of life in India and the search for identity. It's s story of conflict, migration, belonging and the idea of home. We also discuss what home means for Indians now the country is under lockdown and Annie tells us how life is in Mumbai.*The sound is not great, we are sorry. It is nicer to listen through speakers than on headphones*Further Reading and listening:Annie Zaidi's book<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/bread-cement-cactus/75DCB40487D5CD8DCB772761555CF10C" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/bread-cement-cactus/75DCB40487D5CD8DCB772761555CF10C</a>Nine Dots Prize<a href="https://ninedotsprize.org/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://ninedotsprize.org/</a>Annie Zaidi speaks to Qudsiya Ahmad, Head of Academic Publishing at Cambridge University Press India<a href="http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/gallery/video/nine-dots-prize-winner-annie-zaidi-indian-society" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.crassh.cam.ac.uk/gallery/video/nine-dots-prize-winner-annie-zaidi-indian-society</a>Guardian article about the Indian migration caused by lock-down<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/19/my-angel-man-who-became-face-of-indias-stranded-helped-home-by-stranger-coronavirus" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2020/may/19/my-angel-man-who-became-face-of-indias-stranded-helped-home-by-stranger-coronavirus</a>

Bread, Cement, Cactus

David talks to David Wallace-Wells about his bestselling - and terrifying - new book on the coming hellscape of climate change. When will it arrive? When will we face up to it? And what can we do about it now? 'We don't have time for a revolution.'https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/

David talks to David Wallace-Wells about his bestselling - and terrifying - new book on the coming hellscape of climate change. When will it arrive? When will we face up to it? And what can we do about it now? 'We don't have time for a revolution.'<a href="https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.londonreviewbookshop.co.uk/</a>

Uninhabitable Earth

Jill Lepore

We speak with New Yorker writer and historian Jill Lepore about Trump, the Tea Party and the constitution. She tells us how they go together, and how they don't. This conversation was recorded on the day of Trump's inauguration and we also have some voices and sounds from the event in Washington. Plus we try to make sense of what the Supreme Court verdict about Article 50 means for the sovereignty of the UK parliament, and what it means for Ireland and Scotland.

This week we look at the US elections and speak to our panel and to voters in New York about what Hillary Clinton means to them.  We also talk about whether it makes sense to start the search for the leader of the free world in Iowa, and what is a caucus anyway?  Our special guest is Anne-Marie Slaughter, one of America's best-known public commentators, who talks about what is making Americans so fearful, whether the two-party system is broken and the difference it would make to have a grandmother in the White House.

S02-EP02 - Anne-Marie Slaughter talks about what is making Americans so fearful and the difference it would make to have a grandmother in the White House.

David talks to Tara Westover about her incredible new book Educated, which tells the story of how a girl brought up by survivalists in Idaho and who never went to school ended up with a PhD from Cambridge. Along the way we discuss what education means and what Tara's journey has taught her about politics and about life. Really, this is a conversation about the important stuff.

Educated

Thomas Piketty

We revisit our interview with the economist Thomas Piketty recorded the week Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency and David and Helen ask what we have learned since. Where does Macron fit on the left/right political spectrum? What has his cult of personality done to French politics? And are we anywhere nearer knowing how to tackle the problem of inequality? The last in our series of updates from the Talking Politics archive.Show Notes:Why isn’t inequality having a more primary effect on our politics? Are ethnic and nationalist divisions trumping class divisions?Piketty’s research shows that nothing is pre-ordained, but it often takes a crisis to reorient politics.In the 20th century, war plays this role. If you take war out of it, what happens?Can democracies deal with inequality without a crisis? Is there a democratic path to redress inequality? Macron relatively quickly became a politician of the centre-right.This shouldn’t have been a surprise. What was harder to anticipate was the nature of the opposition, in particular, the Gilets Jaunes.Macron has become more preoccupied with the geopolitical than reforming the Eurozone.It’s easy to forget how contingent Macron’s rise was.Macron’s rise blew apart the French party system. The failings predated Macron, but he did inject something much more personalized into French politics.Macron created a movement that could win a majority in the French legislature. During lockdown, however, he lost his absolute majority in the lower house because various people on the left defected.The larger story about economic choices, especially macroeconomic choices, being taken out of the hands of democratic politics took a particular shape in France.Can we see Macron’s rise as an answer to France’s problems in the euro?Has COVID moved Europe any closer to answering questions about what engenders solidarity?Piketty has been an advocate of quite radical institutional reforms towards a more centralised European project.Clearly the crisis has changed notions about common European borrowing. If you have debt, what kind of political solidarity sustains that debt? For there to be meaningful solidarity where debt is concerned, you need to see meaningful taxes. So far, this has not happened.Nor has there been any institutional reform in the last few months. That part of the Piketty project seems as far off as ever.Mentioned in this Episode: Capital in the Twenty-First Century Last week’s episode with Lucia and HansFurther Learning: Piketty’s most recent book, Capital and IdeologyWill coronavirus lead to fairer societies? Thomas Piketty explores the prospect for The GuardianAn interview with Piketty in The Nation about the virus and his...

We revisit our interview with the economist Thomas Piketty recorded the week Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency and David and Helen ask what we have learned since. Where does Macron fit on the left/right political spectrum? What has his cult of personality done to French politics? And are we anywhere nearer knowing how to tackle the problem of inequality? The last in our series of updates from the Talking Politics archive.Show Notes:Why isn’t inequality having a more primary effect on our politics? <ul><li>Are ethnic and nationalist divisions trumping class divisions?</li></ul> Piketty’s research shows that nothing is pre-ordained, but it often takes a crisis to reorient politics.<ul><li>In the 20th century, war plays this role. If you take war out of it, what happens?</li><li>Can democracies deal with inequality without a crisis? </li><li>Is there a democratic path to redress inequality? </li></ul> Macron relatively quickly became a politician of the centre-right.<ul><li>This shouldn’t have been a surprise. </li><li>What was harder to anticipate was the nature of the opposition, in particular, the Gilets Jaunes.</li><li>Macron has become more preoccupied with the geopolitical than reforming the Eurozone.</li><li>It’s easy to forget how contingent Macron’s rise was.</li></ul> Macron’s rise blew apart the French party system. <ul><li>The failings predated Macron, but he did inject something much more personalized into French politics.</li><li>Macron created a movement that could win a majority in the French legislature. </li><li>During lockdown, however, he lost his absolute majority in the lower house because various people on the left defected.</li></ul> The larger story about economic choices, especially macroeconomic choices, being taken out of the hands of democratic politics took a particular shape in France.<ul><li>Can we see Macron’s rise as an answer to France’s problems in the euro?</li></ul> Has COVID moved Europe any closer to answering questions about what engenders solidarity?<ul><li>Piketty has been an advocate of quite radical institutional reforms towards a more centralised European project.</li><li>Clearly the crisis has changed notions about common European borrowing. </li><li>If you have debt, what kind of political solidarity sustains that debt? </li><li>For there to be meaningful solidarity where debt is concerned, you need to see meaningful taxes. So far, this has not happened.</li><li>Nor has there been any institutional reform in the last few months. That part of the Piketty project seems as far off as ever.</li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode: <ul><li><a href="https://blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780674979857?gC=5a105e8b&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwkJj6BRA-EiwA0ZVPVur_O4JWUjMoGV9sV4eNs4pBTAx3XNP98k07mJM9OtuiLkAY_1UGeRoCvroQAvD_BwE" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Capital in the Twenty-First Century </a></li><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/272-has-covid-rescued-europe" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Last week’s episode with Lucia and Hans</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/capital-and-ideology/thomas-piketty/arthur-goldhammer/9780674980822" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Piketty’s most recent book, Capital and Ideology</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/12/will-coronavirus-lead-to-fairer-societies-thomas-piketty-explores-the-prospect" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Will coronavirus lead to fairer societies? Thomas Piketty explores the prospect for The Guardian</a></li><li><a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/thomas-piketty-interview-inequality-book-covid/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">An interview with Piketty in The Nation about the virus and his...</a></li></ul>

Thomas Piketty: Three Years On

Front

We ask special guest Charles Clarke - the former Labour Home Secretary - about political leadership, the Corbyn phenomenon, and what he thinks Labour needs to do in opposition to become a party of government again. The original Election podcast panel also takes part, talking about what’s been happening in British politics since we finished broadcasting in June, as well as also looking ahead to the US primaries and the EU referendum. These are both subjects we will be talking about when ELECTION returns for a second series in January. The panel also take questions from the audience, who were asked to think of an answer to the question: "If Jeremy Corbyn can be elected leader of Labour, what other seemingly impossible things can happen?"(ELECTION returns for a 12 week run from January 2016. Follow @Dept_of_POLIS #ElectionPodcast, OR keep an eye on this page for how to find bonus interviews, features and to find out how pupils at your school or college can be involved.)

S01-EP17 The Election Podcast returns for a special edition, recorded in front of a live audience as part of the Cambridge Festival of Ideas 2015

Yuval Noah Harari

Yuval Noah Harari talks about what technology means for the future of the human race and the future of politics.  If Facebook knows better than you do how you are going to vote, what's left for democracy?  The author of Sapiens and Homo Deus on consciousness, intelligence and Donald Trump.

Crashed - Helen and David talk to historian Adam Tooze about his epic new book Crashed: How A Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World. Why did the crash of 2008 take so many people by surprise? How did it spread from the US around the world? Why was Europe so vulnerable? And how do the answers to these questions help explain Brexit, Trump and what's now going on in places from Hungary to China? Plus, as we approach the 10-year anniversary of the event that triggered the crisis, we explore what might have happened if Lehman Brothers had been saved.

Crashed

Tony Blair

In the final episode of the series, the team debate what we will remember about this election. We’ve had television debates, a remarkable exit poll, and the ‘Ed Stone’ – but what moments will stick in the public consciousness over the years ahead? And in light of erroneous polls and wild exaggerations of the power of social media, to what extent was this election of illusions? In the end, did it live up to the hype?  Then we interview Lord Grabiner QC, influential barrister and someone at the top level of Labour politics, to discuss the Human Rights Act – what it’s really all about, why people feel so strongly about it, and the Conservative strategy for loosening its power over UK law. And as a close ally and friend to David Miliband, we also ask him for his thoughts on the lessons of the Blair years, and whether the elder Miliband plans to return. Finally, the team look forward to the next series in January, which will cover elections across the world, the US presidential primaries, and the evolving...

S01-EP16 - FINALE: Remembering a remarkable election PLUS Lord Grabiner on the Human Rights Act, the future of Labour & the lessons of Tony Blair

David asks Martin Jacques – journalist, academic, and author of the bestseller When China Rules the World – if this election matters in global terms. Will the transformation of China overshadow short-term political events in Britain and Europe? How does China adapt in the absence of democratic elections? Is it possible for our politicians to successfully supervise Britain’s steady decline? The team also discuss the week’s political events. Posted 25/2/15. For more information about this episode and others go to http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election

David asks Martin Jacques – journalist, academic, and author of the bestseller When China Rules the World – if this election matters in global terms. Will the transformation of China overshadow short-term political events in Britain and Europe? How does China adapt in the absence of democratic elections? Is it possible for our politicians to successfully supervise Britain’s steady decline? The team also discuss the week’s political events. Posted 25/2/15. For more information about this episode and others go to <a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.cam.ac.uk/podcasts/election</a>

S01-EP03 - Martin Jacques on the global perspective, Britain’s decline, & China’s rise

We talk about the impact of different online platforms on the general election campaign, from Twitter and Facebook to WhatsApp and TikTok. Is micro-targeting getting more sophisticated? Is viral messaging getting more important? Or are traditional electioneering techniques still driving voter engagement? Plus we ask whether there's any scope left for a 'December surprise'. With Charles Arthur, former technology editor of the Guardian, and Jennifer Cobbe, from the Cambridge Trust and Technology Initiative.Talking Points: In 2017, Labour ran an incredibly successful social media campaign that the mainstream media outlets missed. Is 2017 repeating itself? Facebook has gotten more transparent about the ads they are running. There doesn’t seem to be a big Labour project, at least on Facebook. The Lib Dems on the other hand have a huge operation. Labour has at least a few ads that seem extremely well calibrated.Are we more resistant to political messaging on social media now? This election isn’t a binary choice. There are few single messages that you can push. (The NHS may be the exception.)   But at the end of the day, the electoral system tends to force a binary choice. Is it old politics or new technology? The messages are relatively old school. Time spent on doorsteps may still be more valuable than a Facebook ad. But in other ways, things have changed. It’s much easier to publicly screw up. And when new candidates come onto the scene, the first thing people do is scroll through their social media history.Do we overblow the consequences of a single screw up?What is political messaging trying to achieve?Persuasion is incredibly difficult. Turnout will be key. Labour will need to get out the vote. There’s certainly been a big voter registration push on social media. Younger voters are online, but not on Facebook. YouTube, for example, is more important. The Tories don’t seem to have caught on to this. In an information economy, are people more likely to switch on right before an election, or switch off?Mentioned in this episode: Tech election… Part 1The Rob Delaney adThe Sacha Baron Cohen speech on FacebookFurther Learning: Charles’ new bookCharles’ blog, “The Overspill”Jennifer’s Talking Politics Guide to… Machine LearningAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: lrb.co.uk/talking

We talk about the impact of different online platforms on the general election campaign, from Twitter and Facebook to WhatsApp and TikTok. Is micro-targeting getting more sophisticated? Is viral messaging getting more important? Or are traditional electioneering techniques still driving voter engagement? Plus we ask whether there's any scope left for a 'December surprise'. With Charles Arthur, former technology editor of the Guardian, and Jennifer Cobbe, from the Cambridge Trust and Technology Initiative.Talking Points: In 2017, Labour ran an incredibly successful social media campaign that the mainstream media outlets missed. Is 2017 repeating itself? <ul><li>Facebook has gotten more transparent about the ads they are running. </li><li>There doesn’t seem to be a big Labour project, at least on Facebook. The Lib Dems on the other hand have a huge operation. </li><li>Labour has at least a few ads that seem extremely well calibrated.</li><li>Are we more resistant to political messaging on social media now? </li></ul> This election isn’t a binary choice. There are few single messages that you can push. (The NHS may be the exception.)   <ul><li>But at the end of the day, the electoral system tends to force a binary choice. Is it old politics or new technology? </li><li>The messages are relatively old school. Time spent on doorsteps may still be more valuable than a Facebook ad. </li><li>But in other ways, things have changed. It’s much easier to publicly screw up. And when new candidates come onto the scene, the first thing people do is scroll through their social media history.</li><li>Do we overblow the consequences of a single screw up?</li></ul> What is political messaging trying to achieve?<ul><li>Persuasion is incredibly difficult. Turnout will be key. </li><li>Labour will need to get out the vote. There’s certainly been a big voter registration push on social media. </li><li>Younger voters are online, but not on Facebook. YouTube, for example, is more important. The Tories don’t seem to have caught on to this. </li><li>In an information economy, are people more likely to switch on right before an election, or switch off?</li></ul> Mentioned in this episode: <ul><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2019/202-tech-election-part-1" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Tech election… Part 1</a></li><li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYQkiXzelZ0" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Rob Delaney ad</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2019/nov/22/sacha-baron-cohen-facebook-propaganda" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Sacha Baron Cohen speech on Facebook</a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.koganpage.com/product/cyber-wars-9780749482008" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Charles’ new book</a></li><li><a href="https://theoverspill.blog/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Charles’ blog, “The Overspill”</a></li><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2018/110-talking-politics-guide-to-machine-learning" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Jennifer’s Talking Politics Guide to… Machine Learning</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: <a href="http://lrb.co.uk/talking" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">lrb.co.uk/talking</a>

Tech Election - Part 2

Worst-case scenarios for democracy - especially since Trump's victory - hark back to how democracy has failed in the past. So do we really risk a return to the 1930s? This week David argues no - if democracy is going to fail in the twenty-first century it will be in ways that are new and surprising. A talk based on his new book coming out next year. Recorded at Churchill College as part of the CSAR lecture series http://www.csar.org.uk

Worst-case scenarios for democracy - especially since Trump's victory - hark back to how democracy has failed in the past. So do we really risk a return to the 1930s? This week David argues no - if democracy is going to fail in the twenty-first century it will be in ways that are new and surprising. A talk based on his new book coming out next year. Recorded at Churchill College as part of the CSAR lecture series <a href="http://www.csar.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.csar.org.uk</a>

How Democracy Ends

Mary Beard

Ahead of her LRB lecture at the British Museum, we talk to Mary Beard about women in power.  Why are powerful women so often called phonies?  What can we learn about women and power from the ancient world?  We discuss what's wrong with the idea of glass ceilings and what Hillary Clinton's treatment at the hands of Trump and his supporters really says about political misogyny.  Plus Mary tells us what she thinks has gone wrong with the Labour party.  On that note, we also have Helen and Chris Brooke looking ahead to this week's by-elections: who has most to lose, Corbyn or UKIP?

We're joined by internationally best-selling economist Thomas Piketty, author of Capital in the Twenty-First Century, to talk about the French elections and what inequality is doing to democratic politics.  Recorded a few days before the 2nd round of the French presidential vote, we discuss Macron vs. Le Pen, the failure of mainstream social democracy, and why Brexit was such a gamble.  We also talk about what needs to be done to reform the EU.  With Hugo Drochon.

For this first in our series looking at the future of the UK, we talk to the historian Colin Kidd about the origins of the Union and the ideas that underpin it. Is the island of Britain a natural territorial political unit? Is nationalism compatible with Unionism? What changed in the 1970s? Plus we discuss how the shifting character of the SNP has shaped the arguments for and against the Union.Talking Points:Historically, the Kings of England considered themselves rulers of the whole island.But any large community must be imagined. It’s inherently artificial.Those who have tried to impose unified rule over the island by force have historically struggled.England has served as a quasi-imperial power on the island.The union in 1707 was a product of contingency, part of a succession crisis. At the time, the real drama was Jacobitism, not the English versus the Scots.What united Britain in the 18th century is not so much positive factors, but an ongoing series of wars.The height of British consciousness came during the two world wars.What happened in the 60s and 70s that made the union look less attractive?The 70s with the election of Thatcher are the crucial decade. Asymmetrical devolution has been destabilizing for the union.Secularization led to Scots moving away from private identities being linked to denominational allegiances to a broader, more secular national identity.The SNP in the 1930s had little traction; the communists were more influential.It’s only in the 1960s that the SNP made a breakthrough. For at least a time, there was a sense of coexistence between patriotism and Britishness.The BBC from the 1920s to 1970s helped cement an authentic sense of British nationhood.Labour played an important part of this story; British patriotism was tied to collective war experiences, the welfare state. When those things came under pressure in the 1970s, finding an outlet for union patriotism became more difficult.The SNP is a curious hybrid: it includes hard-core nationalists, but also social democrats, like Sturgeon, who think the best way to preserve the welfare state in Scotland is by going it alone.The unionist/nationalist binary might not be helpful; arguably the most important binary is within the SNP itself. Mentioned in this Episode:Colin’s book, Union and UnionismsBenedict Anderson, Imagined CommunitiesLinda Colley, BritonsThe Guardian on the Labour Party’s new strategy Further Learning: Sturgeon vs Salmond (from the New Statesman) From Brexit to Scottish IndependenceAnd as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here: 

For this first in our series looking at the future of the UK, we talk to the historian Colin Kidd about the origins of the Union and the ideas that underpin it. Is the island of Britain a natural territorial political unit? Is nationalism compatible with Unionism? What changed in the 1970s? Plus we discuss how the shifting character of the SNP has shaped the arguments for and against the Union.Talking Points:Historically, the Kings of England considered themselves rulers of the whole island.<ul><li>But any large community must be imagined. It’s inherently artificial.</li><li>Those who have tried to impose unified rule over the island by force have historically struggled.</li><li>England has served as a quasi-imperial power on the island.</li></ul> The union in 1707 was a product of contingency, part of a succession crisis. <ul><li>At the time, the real drama was Jacobitism, not the English versus the Scots.</li><li>What united Britain in the 18th century is not so much positive factors, but an ongoing series of wars.</li></ul> The height of British consciousness came during the two world wars.<ul><li>What happened in the 60s and 70s that made the union look less attractive?</li><li>The 70s with the election of Thatcher are the crucial decade. </li><li>Asymmetrical devolution has been destabilizing for the union.</li></ul> Secularization led to Scots moving away from private identities being linked to denominational allegiances to a broader, more secular national identity.<ul><li>The SNP in the 1930s had little traction; the communists were more influential.</li><li>It’s only in the 1960s that the SNP made a breakthrough. </li></ul> For at least a time, there was a sense of coexistence between patriotism and Britishness.<ul><li>The BBC from the 1920s to 1970s helped cement an authentic sense of British nationhood.</li><li>Labour played an important part of this story; British patriotism was tied to collective war experiences, the welfare state. When those things came under pressure in the 1970s, finding an outlet for union patriotism became more difficult.</li></ul> The SNP is a curious hybrid: it includes hard-core nationalists, but also social democrats, like Sturgeon, who think the best way to preserve the welfare state in Scotland is by going it alone.<ul><li>The unionist/nationalist binary might not be helpful; arguably the most important binary is within the SNP itself. </li></ul> Mentioned in this Episode:<ul><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/union-and-unionisms/colin-kidd/9780521706803" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Colin’s book, Union and Unionisms</a></li><li><a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/imagined-communities/benedict-anderson/9781784786755" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities</a></li><li><a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300057379/britons" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Linda Colley, Britons</a></li><li><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/03/labour-defends-new-strategy-to-focus-on-patriotism-and-union-flag" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">The Guardian on the Labour Party’s new strategy </a></li></ul> Further Learning: <ul><li><a href="https://www.newstatesman.com/politics/uk/2019/01/salmond-vs-sturgeon-when-friendship-turns-war" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">Sturgeon vs Salmond (from the New Statesman) </a></li><li><a href="https://www.talkingpoliticspodcast.com/blog/2020/292-from-brexit-to-scottish-independence" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">From Brexit to Scottish Independence</a></li></ul> And as ever, recommended reading curated by our friends at the LRB can be found here:

What is the Union?

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