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Europe and America Unplugged!

Europe and America Unplugged!

Published 1 week, 5 days ago
Description

Tonight I was joined by Patrick, Anarak, Paul, David and, later on, Donald Jeffries for one of those gloriously wide-ranging conversations that only seems to happen once the microphones are live. We began with some old-school practicalities and nostalgia — borax, turpentine, model kits, Aurora horror models, Revell, Airfix and Tamiya — before the discussion shifted into a much broader look at modern life in Britain and America. Donald and I compared notes on collapsing infrastructure, pointless roadworks, traffic systems that seem designed to waste everyone’s time, shrinking job prospects for younger people, pensions, inspections, taxes, electric vehicle charging schemes and the feeling that ordinary people are being squeezed harder while getting less back in return.

From there we moved into deeper waters: Trump, Ukraine, state priorities, surveillance, social control and the way politics so often distracts from problems at home. A big section of the show focused on JFK, historical assassinations, intelligence agencies and the wider culture of secrecy, with Donald bringing his trademark depth on Kennedy, Vietnam and the political turning points of the 1960s. We then wandered into Tartaria, geocentrism, flat earth, Admiral Byrd, ancient civilisations, dinosaurs, the moon landings, the Bible, cremation, symbolism and the ways modern narratives may be used to detach people from history, place and the sacred. In other words: a proper Fockham Hall evening.

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