Podcast appearances and mentions of Aaron Bastani

Camilla is joined by Aaron Bastani, journalist from left-wing organisation Novara Media and self-confessed “luxury communist”.The two argue the case about how much tax is too much, whether China can be classed as a success story for communism when the regime has overseen extensive human rights abuses as well as surveillance of it's own citizens, and why Bastani thinks fracking isn't the solution for cheaper energy.We want to hear from you! Email us at thedailyt@telegraph.co.uk or find @dailytpodcast on TikTok, Instagram and X► Sign up to our most popular newsletter, From the Editor. Look forward to receiving free-thinking comment and the day's biggest stories, every morning. telegraph.co.uk/fromtheeditorStudio Operator: Andy WatsonProducers: Georgia Coan and Emma WilliamsVideo Producer: Will WaltersSocial Media Producer: Nada AggourSenior Producer: John CadiganExecutive Producer: Charlotte SeligmanEditor: Camilla TomineyHighlights:How much tax is too much tax?Can China seriously be called a success story for communism? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield byelection by a landslide, and Keir Starmer is weighing up his future as Prime Minister. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani.

Starmer “intends to fight” any potential leadership challenge, could he bribe his way out of it instead? Plus: A holidaying English couple are startled by live-fire from a Russian warship off the coast of the Isle of Wight. The French want to build their own AI and we speak to a Tech CEO who built a SimCity, then let Grok loose with a box of matches. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Satya Nitta.

The War on Terror ended in 2021, with the US and British militaries' catastrophic withdrawal from Afghanistan. But the consequences of that decade of conflict in the Middle East continue to play out both overseas and at home. On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani sits down with investigative journalist and author Matt Kennard, to discuss the updated findings in his book Irregular Army: How the US Military Recruited Neo-Nazis, Gang Members, and Criminals. Matt is the founder of Declassified UK, and an expert on the US and British war machines. What happened to the US military when recruitment standards were abandoned, in the early 2000s? What do Pete Hegseth's tattoos tell us about his fanatical far-right beliefs? How did such a person rise to become Secretary of War (formerly Defense)? What do the Trump administrations’ actions in the Middle East tell us about the status of the US empire? And how has the US government been captured by Netanyahu, in his pursuit of a so-called Greater Israel?

Anti-immigrant violence erupts in Belfast following a horrific knife attack. Plus: The US launches multiple strikes on Iran in response to the downing of an Apache helicopter, and we speak to the mother of a Palestine Action activist, who was herself held in solitary confinement for five days. With Steven Methven, Aaron Bastani, Amanda Ferguson & Emma Kamio.

It has been a year since Aaron Bastani first met with AI investigative journalist Karen Hao, to discuss her book Empire of AI.  A year is a long time, in the fastest growing sector on the planet. To bring us up to date, Aaron and Karen sat down again to discuss the major shifts in the empire – and their impacts on us all.  Billions of people now use, AI as it has become more integrated into our lives, from chatbots, Google searches, predictive text, and beyond. At the same time, there has been a groundswell of fear and even anger about the arrival of the most disruptive technology of the 21st century: its impact on jobs, its use of resources, and the reckless behaviour of its billionaire founders. What have been the changes at the top of the major AI companies: OpenAI, Google, xAI and Anthropic? As Elon Musk approaches trillionaire status, how is he making this much money? What impact is the rollout of AI at such speed and scale having on the economy? What forms of resistance to this form of AI are emerging?  And why are billionaires all choosing to build their bunkers in New Zealand?

Four Palestine Action activists could be sentenced as terrorists under legislation being used for the first time. We speak to the author of a new report who's fighting back. Plus: Zelenski attempts to call out Putin for a face to face meeting on neutral ground. Finally, the Question Time Makerfield special has a notable absence. With Steven Methven & Aaron Bastani. ‘Britain's Political Prisoners' Report: https://ccccjustice.org/publications/

Tony Blair has waded into the Labour leadership debate, accusing Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham and Wes Streeting of putting the party's future at risk. Plus: Reform face a threat from their right flank, and China repeals a policy from the 1950s in an effort to remove hurdles for migrant workers. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani.

UK supermarket bosses are up in arms over the government's plan to cap prices on key groceries. Plus: Paul Holden explains what Starmer's inner circle knew about the now-infamous Labour Together investigation, and we speak to Sebastian Mallaby, author of ‘The Infinity Machine', a biography of Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & James Meadway.

It has been a seismic week in British politics. The two-party system has collapsed. Keir Starmer is digging in at Downing Street, while Labour leadership contenders line up outside, and Reform clouds gather overhead. Now: the most important by-election in more than a century looms. How did we get here? And what happens next? On this week's Downstream, Aaron Bastani is joined by James Butler, contributing editor at the London Review of Books and co-founder of Novara Media, to make sense of the paradigm shift underway in British politics. How has first past the post, long promoted as a source of political stability, become the background for systemic chaos? Why is there such a democratic deficit in Britain, and what can be done about it? Have two lost decades on the economy simply killed both historic parties? And where should progressives position themselves, as we now begin the slow march towards the final general election of the 2020s?

Wes Streeting is set to resign his cabinet post on Thursday and challenge Keir Starmer. But will he really take the plunge? And who will challenge him? Plus: Who should control the economy, prime ministers? Or the bond market? With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani

Support us as we expand our challenge to our broken media here: https://www.patreon.com/owenjones84 or here: https://ko-fi.com/owenjonesYou can pre-order my new book THE FALL OF THE WEST now: https://bit.ly/FallOfTheWestSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Labour and the Tories are expected to take a beating in the local elections. Reform is set to make big gains across England and Wales, but London is expecting a Green surge. Plus: Why China is more Communist than you think. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani.

The two-party system has defined British politics for centuries, but the status quo is under attack from Nigel Farage's Reform UK and an insurgent Green party – both looking to clean up in the local elections on 7 May. This week Aaron Bastani speaks to economist James Meadway about the disruptive new progressive party on the block. Meadway was an economic advisor to John McDonnell during Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, and is now chief economist of Verdant, a new think tank set up to craft the Green party's strategy for 2029. But who are the Greens? What is their vision for Britain? How can they build a broad coalition of voters, big enough to win elections? And what mistakes can Zack Polanski learn from the Corbyn era? Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

The 21st century runs on batteries: from phones and laptops to electric vehicles, drones and clean energy. Embedded in these batteries are rare earth minerals, drawn from a brutal supply chain that begins in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The race to electrify the global energy system is underway, but most people know almost nothing about how the necessary batteries are made – even those of us with green politics. Aaron Bastani finds out more with Nicholas Niarchos, author of The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth. Help us build people-powered media: https://novara.media/support

A leaked email from the Pentagon appears to show that the U.S President Donald Trump's Washington administration is out for revenge… Plus: We speak to leader of the Welsh Greens Anthony Slaughter. And Sami Hamdi schools Valentina Gomez on Piers Morgan Uncensored. With NoJusticeMTG & Aaron Bastani.

The Pentagon is reportedly sending thousands more troops to the middle-east as Trump makes fresh threats to Iran. Plus: How Palantir is Colonising the NHS. With Steven Methven, Aaron Bastani & Séamus Malekafzali.

Take part in our audience survey: novara.media/survey In China in the 1990s, the arrival of the internet was swiftly met with the ‘great firewall': a complex matrix of censorship, surveillance and state control. Since then there have been two internets: the World Wide Web, and the Chinese internet. ​ Aaron Bastani talks to China analyst Yi-Ling Liu about the cultures and innovations that have evolved in this separate digital ecosphere. How have feminist and LGBTQ+ movements manifested through the Chinese internet? How has the Chinese Communist Party negotiated the promise and threat of the internet, and now AI? And why is the West suddenly so obsessed with China? Yi-Ling Liu’s book is The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet.

Following Donald Trump’s now-rescinded threat to kill “a whole civilisation”, Aaron Bastani speaks to Middle East expert Sina Toosi about Tehran’s strategic goals.

Following his threat to destroy “a whole civilisation” if his demands to Iran were not met, Donald Trump has now declared complete victory, with Iran and the US entering a 2-week ceasefire. Plus: Esfandyar Batmanghelidj weighs in on whether that ceasefire can hold, and Aaron explains how China could come out on top from the war on Iran. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani.

Trump says the “job in Iran” could be finished within 2 or 3 weeks. Plus: We interview The Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth, and the case for Chinese leadership and a new world order. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Rhun ap Iorwerth

As Trump repeatedly tries to draw the UK into the war on Iran, Aaron Bastani catches up with Angus Hanton, author of ‘Vassal State: How America Runs Britain’.

Aaron Bastani sat down with Novara Media's own Ash Sarkar, to celebrate the paperback release of her bestselling book, Minority Rule. ‘Minority rule' is the term Ash used to describe the irrational fear that minorities are trying to overturn and oppress majority populations. She revealed how minority elites rule majorities by creating the culture wars […]

Oil price soars after Israel strikes the world's largest gas field. Plus: Israel's decapitation strategy in Iran. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani and Trita Parsi.

Rising unemployment, increased military spending, and a decline in living standards for most people, including the middle class: the description fits both the 1930s and the 2020s. In the 1930s, it was a situation that morphed into the destruction and horror of the Second World War. On Downstream with Aaron Bastani this week is Clara […]

Firas, Nick and Josh discuss the madness of the Iran war, how Aaron Bastani is more conservative than Reform, and government plans to pay the Danegeld.

Events in Iran have led news bulletins, alongside ongoing wars in Ukraine and Sudan. As crises compete for attention, questions are being raised about whether reporting captures a wider shift in global power or centres on immediate developments. Christina Lamb, Chief International Correspondent at The Sunday Times, Aaron Bastani, co-founder of Novara Media, and Sir John Tusa, former Managing Director of the BBC World Service, discuss the media's role in uncertain times. The Green Party's victory in the Gorton and Denton by-election in the north of England, overturning a previously safe Labour seat, has prompted debate about political reporting in the UK. Rachel Cunliffe, Associate Editor at The New Statesman, explains her approach. At the age of 90, Sir John Tusa has launched a new interview podcast, The Best is Yet to Come, featuring conversations with public figures in their nineties. The series enters a crowded podcast market and raises questions about how older voices are represented in the media. Production credits Presenters: Katie Razzall Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai Researcher: Ruth Waites Technical Coordinator: Margot Campanaro Sound: Pat Sissons

Katie Razzall hears how the conflict in the Middle East is being covered across the region with staff from the BBC Monitoring Unit. Christina Lamb, Chief Foreign Correspondent at the Sunday Times, Aaron Bastani from Novara Media and broadcaster Sir John Tusa discuss whether day to day crisis reporting is crowding out the deeper story of geopolitical realignment. We also discuss whether the were media blind spots behind the Green Party's shock win in Gorton and Denton. And Sir John Tusa returns to talk about his new podcast The Best Is Yet to Come - why he's interviewing the over 90s, and what a lifetime in broadcasting has taught him about how the media should evolve.Producer: Lisa Jenkinson Content Producer: Lucy Wai

Pete Hegseth insists America is winning the illegal war against Iran.   Plus: Could a civil war be brewing in Iran? Trump says the wrong Iranian leaders were killed, and Marco Rubio backtracks on the TRUTH About Israel   With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Sara Kermanian

Green Party candidate Hannah Spencer has won the Gorton and Denton by-election by more than 4000 votes, with Labour coming in third behind Reform. Plus: Why the mainstream media are repeating claims of “sectarian campaigning” and “family voting”. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani.

Reform's push to put children into poverty. Plus: Is “build, baby, build” making progress?, Big Tech's arms race, and China flaunts dominance in humanoid robots. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani

NOTE: An error occurred with the upload of this episode, where it played our interview with Richard Sanders instead. It has now been fixed. Please refresh your feed. Starmer called into question AGAIN Plus: Anthropic safety lead offers a chilling warning, and ‘Prince' Andrew's Ex In CARCRASH Interview. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani

‘Mandelson lied repeatedly,' says PM Plus: Noam Chomsky's DISTURBING relationship with Epstein, and Elon Musk caught lying in the wake of recent Epstein revelations… With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Steven Methven

Trump warns Iran that he is ready to attack Plus: Starmer visits China – a first for a UK PM since 2018, and the reality of workers being replaced by AI…  With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani

Trump gives speech at WEF as tension builds Plus: Mark Carney's powerful speech, Scott Bessant on the aims of sanctions in Russia and Iran, and John Mearsheimer is back to expose Piers Morgan. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Caitlín Doherty Downstream IRL: Aaron Bastani in conversation with Ash Sarkar: https://dice.fm/event/wwrypg-downstream-irl-aaron-bastani-in-conversation-with-ash-sarkar-16th-feb-earth-london-tickets Downstream Newsletter: novara.media/downstreamnewsletter

Following his kidnapping, Nicolás Maduro pleads not-guilty.  Plus: Trump warns Europe they'll be next, and the insider who made big bucks betting on Maduro's kidnap. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, and Juan David Rojas.

Ash Sarkar and Aaron Bastani joined each other on 17th December for a special end-of-year Downstream, wrapping up the year in politics.

Reform UK is now the country's largest party, following the collapse of Labour's membership. Plus: The Guardian has revealed that last year Britain threatened to defund the International Court of Justice if it prosecuted Benjamin Netanyahu. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani & Juan David Rojas.

Labour have been accused of breaking another manifesto pledge after watering down their workers rights bill. Plus: The right-wing press are now panicking about emigration as well as immigration, and Rachel Reeves has been accused of misleading the public. With Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani.

Rachel Reeves' long-awaited budget is looming, as some speculate that bond markets could force her to revise it. Plus: The former leader of Reform UK in Wales has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for accepting Russian bribes. With Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, Jayati Ghosh & Carole Cadwalladr.

Plaid Cymru's Lindsay Whittle has taken a historic Labour stronghold in the Caerphilly by-election. Plus: Ireland goes to the polls to elect a new President, why Zack Polanski's brand of eco-populism is infuriating the right, and we speak to Times Columnist James Marriott about the decline of reading. With: Michael Walker & Aaron Bastani. Support […]

Just over two years after the beginning of the genocide in Gaza, and just days after the announcement of a ceasefire, Aaron Bastani spoke to three Palestinian writers in front of a live audience at EartH in Hackney. Ahmed Alnaouq is the host of Palestine Deep Dive and the co-founder of ‘We Are Not Numbers', […]

Keir Starmer has announced plans to introduce mandatory digital ID cards as a measure against illegal immigration. Plus: The US backs Tony Blair to run the transitional authority in Gaza, and terrorism charges have been dropped against Kneecap's Mo Chara. With: Michael Walker, Aaron Bastani, Jasleen Chaggar (Big Brother Watch), Morgan Wild (Labour Together), and […]

The division between Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana grows over the botched launch of a new left party. Plus: TikTok has fired its entire UK online safety team, and we speak to Clive Lewis about the mainstreaming of far-right politics. With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.

What were the ancient alternatives to democracy? Did people in the Bronze Age forget how to write – or deliberately stop? And what's the use in studying ancient languages? In a Downstream IRL recorded at EartH Hackney, Aaron Bastani speaks to Josephine Quinn, Professor of Ancient History at Cambridge University, about some lesser-known aspects of the […]

Angela Rayner has resigned as Deputy Prime Minister. Plus: Reform UK conference has begun; and the Chinese are unhappy with the EU. With Michael Walker and Aaron Bastani.

Israel is claiming discrimination against after the UK disinvited its delegation from an arms fair. Plus: A Labour MSP has been accused of planting a camera in a bathroom of the Scottish Parliament. With NoJusticeMTG and Aaron Bastani.

Dan Wang is a technology analyst and author whose life experience, spent partly in North America, partly in China, sets him up as an authoritative observer of the differences and similarities between the American and Chinese empires. In conversation with Aaron Bastani, Wang shares his thesis that elite overproduction of engineers in China, and lawyers in […]

Novara FM was Novara Media's first show – it's now coming to an end. On the final episode, Richard Hames sat down with Aaron Bastani, James Butler and Ash Sarkar to talk about 15 years of Novara Media. What have we learned from a decade and a half fighting a media landscape that insists nothing […]

Michael Lewis is an American author, journalist, and former bond trader. His best-known book, The Big Short, explains the 2000s US housing bubble and helped many people understand the 2008 financial crisis. In this interview, Lewis speaks with Aaron Bastani about his latest book, a collection of essays on federal government employees. Lewis finds that […]