Episode Details

In our latest escapade to widen discourse on the Left, we sat down with Owen Jones to discuss his latest book, 'The Fall of The West'.

Certainly, Owen Jones is a polarising figure in British politics. Once upon a time, he was the leading talking head representing Labour under Corbyn. But he has since become a campaigner in his own right, now known across the globe for taking the mainstream media (and indeed his old party) to task over its coverage of the Middle East.

Owen's latest book looks at the broader demise of the West - an analysis shared with many on the populist right. His argument is that hubris has created decline, pushing the West to wage backfiring foreign wars that have destroyed its credibility, created global instability and added huge debts to an already crumbling financial model.

In this discussion we traverse the large expanse of modern foreign policy, how domestic politics has become polarised and address the numerous criticisms of Owen's anti-imperialist politics.

Chapters

00:00 Intro

02:47 How Do You Define ‘The West’?

10:12 Critiquing Corporatist Capitalism

14:45 Could The Left Predict The Rise of Fascism?

20:53 A New Left Political Economy

29:02 The Green’s ZiR Motion

38:42 The Two State Solution

47:47 ‘From The River To The Sea’

52:12 Is Western Intervention Ever Justified?

1:02:02 NATO, Putin and Ukraine

1:10:38 What About Anti-Western Ideology?

1:22:15 How Should We Defend Ourselves?