The Owen Jones Podcast
Owen Jones
Owen Jones, journalist, author of Chavs and The Establishment, or "that left-wing idiot off the telly", is fed up with the establishment media. After all, it punches down, not up, blames minorities for all the problems in society, and, let's face it, often just parrots the government line. So this podcast is offering something different: speaking truth to power, giving the marginalised a voice, offering hope - and having a laugh along the way. From Michael Sheen to Judith Butler, Prof. Devi Sridhar to Noam Chomsky, Peter Hitchens to Chelsea Manning and Gary Younge to Stewart Lee, the interviewees couldn't be more eclectic. Expect documentaries, too, exposing injustice and going to enemy territory - and discussions with experts on everything from COVID dreams about the pandemic to the history of US-backed coups. We'll learn a lot - but above all else, have our optimism in a better world rebooted. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 13, 2022 • 11min
Matt Hancock Is A National Disgrace
Matt Hancock is being paid £400,000 rather than do his parliamentary duties, and he clearly has one main aim: to whitewash his reputation, and make us think of him as a cuddly nice guy. If you fall for this, you're a sucker. This is a Health Secretary who presided over avoidable mass death, PPE shortages and real terms pay cuts for nurses. It's this repeated failure of accountability that keeps leaving us in the mess we're in.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 12, 2022 • 9min
Twitter Is Collapsing
Oh dear oh dear. You might have thought Elon Musk's take over of Twitter would be disastrous - but did you think it would be this bad? There's now every chance that a medium which, whatever its flaws, has become a critical plank of our social and democratic infrastructure could collapse. Here's the story of the catastrophe - and why it has very, very serious implications for all of us.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 10, 2022 • 13min
Donald Trump's Disastrous Night
Oh dear oh dear: it was supposed to be a Republican wave - in mid-terms, the opposition normally does well, there's massive inflation and Joe Biden's popularity is low - but it didn't happen. To explain what the results mean - for the Democrats, the left and Donald Trump - I'm joined by David Sirota - journalist, former Bernie Sanders speechwriter and writer of 'Don't Look Up'.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 10, 2022 • 8min
This Vile Tory Speech Should Terrify You
In the name of clamping down on refugees, a Tory MP has proposed scrapping all your rights and freedoms. Think I'm being hyperbolic? Well, bad luck! This goes to show where bigotry always leads: it's not the foreign 'other' which threatens your freedom, but demagogues who try to scare you about those deemed to be alien.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 8, 2022 • 7min
The BBC Whips Up Hate
What is the BBC thinking? As bile and hatred is whipped up against migrants and refugees - some of the most vulnerable people on earth - a BBC reporter talks of the UK "defending itself on the frontline against migrants". This is the language of war and invasion - and with a far right terrorist attack on a migrant processing centre, this narrative is radicalising dangerous elements. This is the truth.You can complain to the BBC here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/contact/complaintsPlease subscribe - and keep the channel going here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 4, 2022 • 11min
Jeremy Corbyn 'Lives Rent Free' In Rishi Sunak's Head
In a very funny slapdown of the Prime Minister and his incessant attacks on the former Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn declared he lives 'rent free' in Rishi Sunak's head. But the Tory attempts to link Keir Starmer to Corbynism belie a basic fact: progressive policies - like taxing the rich and public ownership - are not just hugely popular, but more relevant than ever. Here's why these attacks can't be allowed to bury a basic truth.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 2, 2022 • 6min
Legalise Cannabis: And Why It's Madness Not To
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result, or so the quote ascribed to Albert Einstein goes, and that more than applies to the catastrophic failure of the 'war on drugs'. All it's achieved is mass criminalisation of disproportionately young Black men, more violence, people with addiction not getting the support they need, handing criminal gangs a massive source of revenue, ensuring dangerous stuff can circulate and so much more. End the madness - legalise it now.We can only keep this channel and podcast going with your support: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 1, 2022 • 11min
Suella Braverman’s NAUSEATING Performance
Vile. The Home Secretary sprayed the sort of invective about asylum seekers you might expect from the far right. I give the facts here: those arriving at our shores are a tiny proportion of those fleeing violence and persecution globally - most are hosted by poorer countries, and many are leaving homes because of Western complicity. Why do we allow ourselves to be conned by the powerful into blaming desperate people for problems caused by our elites?Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Nov 1, 2022 • 12min
The BBC Is Gaslighting You
Last week, the BBC committed a straightforward violation of journalistic objectivity, presenting Tory spending cuts as an inevitable consequence of the economic situation. I did a video about it, and huge numbers of you complained. The BBC have now responded to your complaints - and goodness grief, it is absolutely epic gaslighting and dishonesty. This matters - a public broadcaster which is supposed to be impartial and objective cannot manufacture public consent for ideological right-wing policies. And as I show here, this couldn't matter more - it's a matter of life and death.Please share, subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 31, 2022 • 30min
Lula Wins: Everything You Need To Know About Brazil's Election
Hallelujah: far right demagogue Jair Bolsonaro has been defeated in Brazil's presidential election by progressive standardbearer and former president Lula da Silva. It was a victory secured despite attempts at voter suppression by an authoritarian regime. But nonetheless - despite Bolsonaro's catastrophic record - the vote was so close. Why? How was victory achieved? What happens next? And how frightened should we be about Bolsonarismo coming back?I'm joined live from Brazil by David Adler - the general coordinator of the Progressive International - and Aline Piva - the Latin America coordinator.Please subscribe - and help us take on the right-wing media here: https://patreon.com/owenjones84Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/the-owen-jones-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
