The Bunker – News without the nonsense

From the Romans to 9/11, fear has been used to influence our political landscape. But, what makes fear so potent and how does it continue to shape the world? Alex Andreou speaks to Robert Peckham, author of Fear: An Alternative History of the World, to find out if we can ever move beyond horror politics.  “Fear has been weaponized throughout history since records began.” – Robert Peckham “Fear can be used motivationally and can quickly turn into stigmatising politics.” – Robert Peckham “Liberalism became fearful. Instead of espousing a positive future, it turned defensive.” – Robert Peckham BOOK LINKhttps://profilebooks.com/work/fear/www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Joe Biden’s visit to Israel was a clear indication of US support for Netanyahu's war with Hamas – but he also signalled a need for caution in the region. With the possibility of a second Trump presidency on the horizon, is the US’s hands-on approach to the Middle East sustainable? Associate professor of politics and international relations at UCL, Dr. Julie Norman, joins Chris Jones in The Bunker to look at Biden’s visit and the future of conflict in the middle east.  “The Israel Palestine is the epicentre for regional conflicts in the Middle East.” – Dr. Julie Norman “As a statesman, Trump is seen as unpredictable and that’s difficult in times of crisis.” – Dr. Julie Norman “This conflict has reaffirmed the need for stable global leadership.” – Dr. Julie Norman www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Chris Jones. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Russian propaganda has evolved since the invasion of Ukraine. Dr. Ian Garner, historian and author of Z Generation: Into the heart of Russia's fascist youth, joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker to discuss Putin’s propaganda, how it has changed and why it works so well.  “They are the pioneers of multiplatform large scale disinformation.” – Ian Garner “That metaphor of ‘firehose of falsehoods’ doesn’t quite explain the scale of what Russia is doing.” – Ian Garner Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Andrew Harrison. Producers: Alex Rees and Liam Tait. Production Assistant: Adam Wright. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Money talks – and that’s particularly true in politics. Will we ever know where the cash that influences our politicians comes from? Seth Thévoz speaks to Peter Geoghegan, writer of the popular substack Democracy for Sale, about the shadowy organisations and flows of cash that influence our political institutions in The Bunker.  “The Tufton Street crowd is very influenced by what’s happening in the states.” – Peter Geoghegan “Labour promises to crack down on dark money have been watered down time and again.” – Peter Geoghegan Check out Peter's Substack here:https://democracyforsale.substack.comSupport us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How important is your identity to your political beliefs? Yascha Mounk, the author of The Identity Trap argues that over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture has transformed into an obsession. He joins Ros Taylor in the Bunker to explain why he thinks we need to move beyond individuality for the collective good.  “I don’t think woke is a useful term.” - Yascha Mounk “There's a set of new ideas that are largely untested, but have taken on tremendous power very quickly,” - Yascha Mounk “There have been some very prominent stories of people paying high and unfair prices for speaking their mind.” - Yascha Mounk  BOOK LINKhttps://www.penguin.co.uk/books/456408/the-identity-trap-by-mounk-yascha/9780241638293 Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor. Producer: Liam Tait. Assistant Producer: Adam Wright Audio editor: Simon Williams. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Cameron pushed his “big society” plan during his time as prime minister – but it didn’t work very well. Was it always doomed to fail? Seth Thevoz speaks to Peter John, head of the School of Politics and Economics at King’s College London, about the history and legacy of this policy position – as well as the lessons we can learn from it.  “The big society didn’t seem to stack up with wider policy changes.”  “The critics were out really from the start.”  “It proved to be embarrassing, and became a target of satire. It was easily targeted and ridiculed.”  www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Audio editor: Alex Rees. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An Israeli ground invasion of Gaza appears imminent – what will this look like? Half a million Palestinians have already evacuated southern Gaza but their routes of escape remain unclear. How has the British government responded to the escalating conflict? Plus, what do the results of Poland’s election mean for the war in Ukraine? And finally, the Conservatives face a fight over Narine Dorries’s old seat in this week’s byelection. Can they hold on to it?Ros Taylor is joined in The Bunker by Gavin Esler to get you prepped for the week ahead.   “There’s hardly a cigarette paper between David Lammy and James Cleverley’s response to Israel.” – Ros Taylor “The attacks on the BBC are nothing more than the politics of distraction.” – Gavin Esler “Britain has cut its military back to levels not seen since 1715. We’re basically the mouse that roared.“ – Gavin Esler Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Ros Taylor and Gavin Esler. Producer: Liam Tait. Audio editor: Jade Bailey. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production.Instagram | Twitter Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this week’s Bunker Gold, let us take you back to December 2022…Is the cost of having children making parenthood feel impossible? With childcare through the roof, insecure housing and the cost of living crisis starting to bite, it’s an anxious time for parents. Joeli Brearley, founder of Pregnant Then Screwed, joins Ros Taylor to highlight how the poor provision for parents harms us all. “Ironically I was sacked from a children's charity for wanting a baby.” “Every ten minutes a woman is pushed out of their job.” “We have created a system where dads aren’t allowed to be more active in the family.” “Children aren’t a lifestyle choice, we are literally reproducing the labour market.” Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercastPresented by Ros Taylor. Producers: Jet Gerbertson and Alex Rees. Assistant Producer: Kasia Tomasiewicz. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production: Robin Leeburn. Lead Producer: Jacob Jarvis. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How has drinking shaped the history of the UK? From temperance to licensing Britain’s relationship with hooch has defined our public debates. Senior lecturer in public health from the University of Stirling, Dr. James Nicholls joins Seth Thévoz in The Bunker to discuss our complex history with the hard stuff.  “Social climbing happens in places where people drink.” – Dr. James Nicholls "Throughout our history women's drinking has always been condemned." – Dr. James Nicholls “The mortal panic over Gin in the 18th century was entirely justified.” – Dr. James Nicholls Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Seth Thévoz. Producers: Alex Rees and Liam Tait. Managing editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Group Editor: Andrew Harrison. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the very far-right of the GOP is a small but very disruptive group called the House Freedom Caucus. What does it stand for and how much power does it actually wield?Matt Gaetz, Marjorie Taylor Greene and Jim Jordan are all high profile members – what do they want? Thomas Gift is founding director of the Centre on US Politics at University College London. He joins Andrew Harrison in The Bunker. “They don’t have a real coherent set of ideas.”  “Many of these individuals just like being on camera.”   “There are elements of the far-right that have gone far beyond Trumpism.” Support us on Patreon:www.patreon.com/bunkercast Written and presented by Group Editor Andrew Harrison. Producer: Chris Jones. Audio production: Simon Williams. Managing Editor: Jacob Jarvis. Music by Kenny Dickinson.. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices