It is time for Europe to get past squabbling and realise that the US is no longer even ambivalent, but an active hostile antagonist, intent on picking off liberal democracies one-by-one. Unless we can unite.
PLUS: A very interesting experiment with social media is taking place in Australia. Can it work?
Alex Andreou and Naomi Smith are joined by brilliant satirist and former "Secret Tory", Henry Morris.
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“If you've ever showed any interest in truth or accuracy, you can consider yourself banned from the USA. It is the upside-down world in which we're now living. The Gilead reality of Trump 2.0.”
“What that National Security document, ridiculous as it is, reveals is that there's obviously a notional line in their heads, behind which brown people ought to stay and beyond which this country or that continent ought to be white.”
“The history of humanity is about immigration. People moving around. The tapestry that mixing weaves has always changed and will keep changing. It's ultimately a fool's errand to think that you can try and stop that from happening.”
“I don't want genderless biscuits invading my single-sex spaces. I don't want some gingerbread 'person' to be allowed to come and undress next to me at the gym.”
“What we do know is that the algorithm makes assumptions based on somebody’s location, age profile, and gender, then serves them very rapidly content it thinks will hook them and keep them engaging. You're 16 and a man living in a rural environment, you're probably an incel. Have this lovely Jordan Peterson video.”
“I feel very lucky not to have grown up with this. I don't know anyone my age that would say: Gosh, I wish there was social media around when I was 13!”
“The advantage of income tax is that it is progressive and you are pretty sure you will get money from it. Tinkering with many small measures can induce changes in behaviour that completely offset what you’re trying to do, so then you have to tinker more.”
“In Australia, the tech companies are the ones enforcing the ban, which seems to me problematic, to say the least. I used to work for a gambling company, that made all the right noises about self-regulation, but was also very keen to take as much money off people as possible. They're being pulled into very different directions at the same time.“
“It’s quite a good deathbed thing to do and it got me thinking, what's going to be my last act? How can my Nissan be put to good use, once I'm not here?”
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Brought to you by Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell.
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