Why does Jim Gavin want to be president? What does a man in the prime of his life with a record of success and achievement gain from going to the Aras?On Free State today Joe explains what makes his friend Jim Gavin tick. He explains his gift of leadership and how he serves his ego by giving power to others.Dion offers a reason that a Jim Gavin presidency would be important.They also look at the campaign to discredit Catherine Connolly and wonder what the grown ups have ever done for us. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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43:53
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43:53
The Fantasy Land of England’s far right - The great David Goldblatt on what football tells us about U.K. society
Last Monday night, Newcastle United played Liverpool in a game which told the story of the Premier League.One club is owned by Saudi Arabia, the other belongs to an American multisports holding conglomerate.It was played at St James’ Park in front of 50,000 frothing Newcastle supporters who were enraged that their best player had gone on strike because he wants to play for Liverpool.This was a show staged in one of the great cities of industrial England for the benefit of television and with the supporters simply as extras.On Free State today, the great football historian David Goldblatt talks about how football explains so much of where England is today in society.He looks at how the kitsch of poppy commemorations became an opportunity to demonstrate militaristic credentials with Millwall playing a game in a camouflage kit.It has led to the demonisation of someone like James McClean. This Goldblatt says shows that these people, who are also raising flags across England today, are living in “fantasy land” when it comes to England’s history. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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1:07:56
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1:07:56
Render unto Trump…
"Render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s and unto God what is God’s." In Donald Trump’s America you can render unto Donald Trump what is God’s as well.On Free State today, Dion and Joe look at the gangsterism that is taking over Britain and America and how the media fail to challenge it.Trump is intimidating and seizing power in America while Nigel Farage is being elevated by a media that knows what it’s doing.The consequences of this are obvious but still so many deny what is happening. Why? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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52:10
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52:10
Beware the Sons of Ulster, Marching Across the World
‘Northern Ireland,’ Margaret Thatcher said once, ‘is as British as Finchley’But what if Britain is as Northern Irish as Ballymena? On Free State today we look at what unites the right wing Tories and the unionist parties. Is it the racism? Is it the punching down on minorities? And what is it about the genocide in Gaza that they admire so much? In Britain Operation Raise the Colours is distracting people with arguments about flags. Where have we heard this before?But what does the Ulsterisation of Britain mean? Why are we being sucked into these wars that have no meaning when the really dangers are all around us? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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38:36
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38:36
Which came first the music or the mayhem? Musician Keith Donald on Van Morrison, Moving Hearts and drink
First there was the music. Keith Donald was always looking to escape. Music offered the first exit. Then came drink.Keith Donald was abused as a child by his headmistress. He found that jazz had the power to transform his existence.As a teenager he began to play music wherever he could. He played for a band on the Twelfth and toured the country with showbands.On Free State today Keith Donald talks about the music and the mayhem and how he found peace. He speaks about founding Moving Hearts and why even now music has the power to transform. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Free State is a podcast for the curious that stimulates, provokes, challenges and entertains, while never taking itself too seriously. Free State covers topics from sport to politics, love to loss, the human condition and how to fix the world, with guests from across the planet including Nigerian princes, former Prime Ministers, ex convicts, footballers, boxers and extraordinary people from every walk of life. Free State is presented by Joe Brolly and Dion Fanning. Brolly is a barrister, an original thinker with a fascinating backstory, who donated a kidney to a stranger and then led a crusade to transform organ donation on the island of Ireland, and Fanning is an award-winning interviewer and author. They are not motivational gurus or life coaches. They will never try to sell you a penis scented candle. They are two people from very different worlds, with one core belief uniting them - this is not a high performance podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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