Abigail Thorn - aka Philosophy Tube - is a YouTube superstar, actor and much else. We talk about coming out as trans, about the burning skip of transphobia raging in Britain, about the struggle for LGBTQ rights - as well as making philosophy accessible, becoming a YouTube star, her acting career, and her hopes for the future. Please subscribe - and help us take on the right wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Host...
Mar 13, 2021•44 min•Season 1Ep. 48
Meghan Markle's horrifying revelations reveal that Britain's figurehead institution is unaccountable, secretive, riddled with racism, and vengefully intolerant of anyone perceived to cross it. That we haven't replaced our monarchy with an elected head of state shows a lack of self-confidence in who we are - including the pervasive myth that people only visit this country because of our Royal Family. Instead, we should cherish the struggle of our ancestors for our rights and freedoms by becoming ...
Mar 12, 2021•6 min•Season 1Ep. 47
As the Meghan Markle revelations underline, the British media is institutionally racist. From incessantly racist and bigoted news coverage, to the treatment of people of colour within the media industry, this is a conversation that needs to be had. I'm joined by The Guardian's Joseph Harker, former BBC and CNN journalist Saima Mohsin and Miqdaad Versi from the Muslim Council of Britain. Help us offer an alternative to the mainstream media: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http:/...
Mar 10, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 46
Tory ministers went from applauding the nurses to imposing a real terms pay cut on them - now the Tory press machine is kicking into action. Joining me are Ruby Kirby from the Feminist Nursing Network, NHS nurse Holly and commentators Ellie Mae O'Hagan and Matt Zarb Cousin. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 08, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 45
Throughout their history, the Conservatives have fought the class war on behalf of the privileged and the wealthy. The Tories imposing a derisory pay deal on nurses and slashing Universal Credit while handing big business keeps that tradition alive - from the 19th century onwards. This is the history that never gets told. Help us take on the Tory media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Mar 07, 2021•11 min•Season 1Ep. 44
Life has been made hard for trans people in Britain. Transphobic hate crimes have quadrupled, levels of mental distress are much higher than the rest of the population, and polling shows that many trans people fear using public toilets, face discrimination at work and in education, are far more likely to be homeless, and are stuck on NHS waiting lists. Yet there is a full blown moral panic under way, comparable to the media campaigns against gay people in the 1980s and 1990s, when they were port...
Mar 06, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 43
It's fair to say Claire Fox and I disagree on a lot - she's a former Brexit Party MEP, and last time I checked, I'm not - so we had a chat about the whole Brexit palaver, about free speech and what it actually is, and her political journey from revolutionary Trotskyism. It's spiky stuff! Help us take on the right-wing media here!: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 05, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 42
The pro-Trump insurrection in the Capitol on 6th January shocked the world. But the real novelty of this coup attempt is that it took place on domestic soil. There is a long and bloody history of US-organised coups against governments perceived to threaten the country's economic and strategic interests - but the truth is rarely talked about. Journalist Vincent Bevins - author of The Jakarta Method (get a copy here!: http://www.thejakartamethod.com - helps us explore a grim history that the US ...
Mar 04, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 41
Naomi Klein is one of the world's foremost progressive writers and thinkers, and we have so much to talk about: Joe Biden, the strategy of the US left and the 'Squad', COVID and the shock doctrine, the climate emergency, what happens to Trumpism next, protests in India and the role of Big Tech, and loads more... Help us take on the right wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy fo...
Mar 03, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 40
Labour have not only let the Tories get away with one of the most catastrophic handlings of the pandemic on earth - they're now opposing tax hikes on big business, not least those which profiteered from the crisis. It's time to remind ourselves what Labour is for - to champion the interests of working people and challenge the vested elites at the top of society, despite the best efforts of pro-establishment forces to neuter its historic mission. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https:/...
Mar 02, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 39
As Labour positions itself to passionately oppose Tory plans to hike corporation tax and introduce a windfall tax on businesses which profiteered from the pandemic, it's time to ask - what does Keir Starmer's leadership actually believe in? Joining me are James Schneider - Jeremy Corbyn's former Director of Strategic Communications and spokesperson - and Zoe Williams - Guardian columnist. Help us take on the right-wing media HERE!: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://support...
Mar 01, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Season 1Ep. 38
Ana Kasparian is one of the US's leading progressive commentators. The flagship presenter of the Young Turks, we talk about whether the US left can build pressure on the Biden administration, about progressive struggles, and about how a savvier right-wing populist than Donald Trump could triumph unless the left fights back. elp us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.c...
Feb 27, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 37
Alexei Sayle is an iconic comedian, actor, author, TV presenter, among so many other things. We talk about the rise of his career under Thatcherism, the general lockdown nightmare, the state of left-wing politics and the Labour party, the assault on the left, and we discuss antisemitism. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 26, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 36
Since becoming a Labour MP in 2015, Clive Lewis has made a huge impression: from serving in Jeremy Corbyn's Shadow Cabinet to fighting for climate justice. We had a lot to talk about: Corbyn's suspension, Labour and antisemitism, racism, proportional representation, whether Keir Starmer will stick to his promises - and Labour's future. Support the podcast here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Feb 25, 2021•48 min•Season 1Ep. 34
The Green Party are surging in many polls, and with Labour causing disaffection among some of its natural supporters, should Keir Starmer worry? Their co-leader Sian Berry gives her verdict on Labour and their positioning in the pandemic, why the Greens are doing well - and discusses everything from our broken electoral system to the climate emergency. Please like, subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/t...
Feb 24, 2021•58 min•Season 1Ep. 34
A high court judge has ruled Matt Hancock acted unlawfully by not revealing the details of contracts signed during the pandemic. But this is a scandal - uncovered by the work of the Good Law Project - which says so much more: about where £12.5bn worth of public money has gone, about our government, and about British society in 2021. To explain what it all means, we're joined by The Good Law Project's Jolyon Maugham and Open Democracy's Peter Geoghegan. Help us take on the right-wing media: https...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 33
According to the Conservative government and their allies, an intolerant "woke" left is crushing free speech in the UK. But it's based on a lie - and the Tories' 'war on woke' and their Orwellian 'free speech champion' is the real threat to free expression. I'm joined by experts exposing this narrative as the deceit it is, including barrister Sam Fowles, Guardian columnist and author Nesrine Malik, academic Keir Milburn - who faces being sacked for politically driven reasons - and author Gavan T...
Feb 20, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 32
The Nobel Prize-winning Paul Krugman is one of the world's most pre-eminent economists. As the latest edition of his book 'Arguing with Zombies' is published, we talk about how the right gets away with lies, how they're fought, whether Joe Biden will offer the radical economic alternative that is needed, why he didn't support Bernie Sanders - and why US democracy may not survive. Help us take on the right-wing media here!: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast....
Feb 20, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Rutger Bregman is a famed Dutch historian and writer, whose celebrated books include Utopia for Realists and Humankind. In this interview, we talk about whether the pandemic will change society, on Biden and the Democrats, about ideas like the 4 day week and basic income, the climate emergency, his viral speech at Davos, and how we build a different world. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podc...
Feb 19, 2021•53 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Jack Monroe is so many things - an anti-poverty activist, chef extraordinaire, writer, and fighter against injustice. She talks to me about what it's like living through poverty, about the poor being blamed for their conditions, the horror of food poverty, her struggles with the government over feeding hungry children - and how we fight for change. Help us take on the right-wing media here! https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Host...
Feb 18, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Have you noticed you haven't dreamt about the pandemic, or it's barely appeared in your dreams since the crisis began? What the hell is that about? Robert Stickgold - professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and author of new book 'When Brains Dream' - explains poll findings showing why most people either never or rarely dream about something which has consumed all our lives. What does this us tell us about why we dream? Why are we remembering dreams more in the pandemic? What's the fun...
Feb 17, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 28
In this second interview, I speak to Jo Berry - a remarkable woman who befriended Patrick Magee, the IRA volunteer who bombed Brighton in 1984 and killed her father. We speak about what it was like to go through losing her dad in such circumstances, about her emotional journey, about how she went looking for peace and reconciliation in communities torn apart by conflict, about her Building Bridges for Peace project, about meeting Patrick Magee for the first time, about the extraordinary friendsh...
Feb 16, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 27
In the first of two interviews, I speak to Patrick Magee, the IRA volunteer who bombed Conservative Party Conference in 1984, whose memoirs 'Where Grieving Begins' has just been published. We talk about how he joined the armed Republican struggle, how he came to bomb Brighton, whether he has regrets, and how he befriended Jo Berry - who I speak to in the second interview - who is the bereaved daughter of Sir Anthony Berry, who died in the attack. We discuss reconciliation - and what can be learn...
Feb 16, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 26
From sex and the pandemic to sex positivity, from dating apps to transphobia to incels, I'm joined by 3 brilliant guests: Shon Faye - author of the upcoming The Transgender Issue; Huw Lemmey, writer of author of books such as Chubz: The Demonization of my Working Arse; and Amia Srinivasan, philosopher and author of the upcoming The Right to Sex. Please like, subscribe and help us take on the rightwing media here!: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-o...
Feb 15, 2021•57 min•Season 1Ep. 25
It's fair to say that me and Piers Morgan disagree on a fair amount, although many lefties used to yelling at him when he's on our TV screens have found themselves retweeting him holding the government to account for its catastrophic handling of the pandemic. We have a long chat about trans rights, "cancel culture", and Google removing an egg from a salad emoji. Help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-...
Feb 15, 2021•59 min•Season 1Ep. 24
TV presenter Gail Porter is one of the most likeable people I've chatted to, and we speak about a lot - the 90s, fame, and the stigma of mental health. If I was the sort of person who used the phrase "all round good egg" then there would be no more apt application than Gail Porter. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 13, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Britain has one of the worst death tolls and economic crises caused by the pandemic on earth - but the Tories have a lead, and the recent polling suggests it's growing. Joining me to discuss why - and what the left's strategy should be - are author Grace Blakeley, cultural theorist Jeremy Gilbert, and pollster Carl Shoben. Help us take on the right-wing media: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priv...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Glenn Greenwald is one of the world's most famous journalists: a Pulitzer Prize winner because of his work on the Edward Snowden revelations, he is a prominent critique of authoritarianism and US foreign policy. We discussed a lot, including our disagreements: Donald Trump and Trumpism, the far right, the military-industrial complex, could the US end up like Hungary, Joe Biden's new administration, the role of the US left, the media and where Brazil is heading. Help us take on the establishment ...
Feb 12, 2021•1 hr 11 min•Season 1Ep. 21
In December, we went to Folkestone, an English coastal town where asylum seekers are crammed into military barracks surrounded by barbed wire, to find the truth about refugees - and about how they are scapegoated for the injustices caused by the powerful. What we found was shocking. Help us take on the right-wing media: https://patreon.com/owenjones84 Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 11, 2021•23 min•Season 1Ep. 20
John McDonnell was Shadow Chancellor under Jeremy Corbyn, and the driving force of the party's transformative economic agenda. A year after Labour's shattering defeat, I spoke to him just after the suspension of the man who stood to be Labour Prime Minister from his own party; about antisemitism on the left; whether Keir Starmer will keep to his policy promises; the climate emergency; and what lessons can be learned from the US left. Help us take on the right wing media!: https://patreon.com/owe...
Feb 10, 2021•51 min•Season 1Ep. 19
