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Porkins Policy Radio episode 199 Matthew Alford on Brexit, Boris Johnson, and Black Rod

October 30, 2019 – 6:39 pm

This week I welcomed Matthew Alford to discuss all things Brexit. We kicked off the show by talking about Boris Johnson’s rise to power. Matt talked about Johnson’s public persona as an “inbred upperclass twit,” and how this has shaped his political career. Next, we dove head first into the ongoing drama of Brexit. Matt updated the listeners on the latest developments, including the announcement of a general election on December 12. Matt also analyzed recent polls, which suggest that Johnson and the Conservatives will most likely win and therefore push forward with his party’s plan to leave the EU. We talked about the wisdom of holding a second election and why Matt advocates for voting Labour. We also touched on complex issues like the border with Northern Ireland and how Brexit could unravel the delicate political architecture of the peace deal in Northern Ireland.

In the second hour we discussed Donald Trump’s false narrative that he is some sort of “peace president.” Matt focused on why so many in the conspiracy culture seem to latch onto this false narrative. We also spoke about Trump’s destructive policies in Venezuela and the deteriorating political situation in Haiti. Matt concluded the episode by talking about what some in the UK are overlooking (e.g., the UK as a major arms dealer) due to a strong focus on Brexit. We ended by talking about some of the positive initiatives such as climate change activism around the world, and various other protests during which individuals en mass speak truth to power.

Download episode 199

Show Notes:

Matthew Alford University of Bath

Writer With No Hands (Facebook)

@WriterWithNo

Union Jackboot: What Your Media and Professors Don’t Tell You About British Foreign Policy

How the Western media support state terror – while millions die

By porkinspolicyreview | Posted in Porkins Policy Radio | Also tagged al baghdadi, black rod, boris johnson, brexit, capitalism, conservative party, dec 12 election, EU, general election, Haiti, house of cards, ireland, jacob reese mogg, jeremy corbyn, john bercow, labour party, Matthew Alford, michael dobbs, northern ireland, nuclear weapons, parliament, remain party, sanctions, socialism, the troubles, TJ Coles, trump, UK, UK foreign policy, Union jackboot, university of bath, Venezuela, war, writer with no hands | Comments (0)

This week JP Sottile joined me for the first hour to discuss the climate catastrophe. We started out by discussing how many people, including myself, have long ignored this issue. We talked about how daunting and overwhelming the crisis is, and how this has led many to feel as though they can’t do anything to make a tangible change. We talked about Sottile’s recent op-ed in Truthout.org which links climate change to the spread of empire. JP talked about the link between US imperialism, the growth of the oil industry, and the damage is has wrought on the environment. We touched on how the Pentagon outwardly acknowledges climate change but continues to exacerbate the underlying problems. We illustrated these points in a discussion on the melting Arctic and the scramble to control its oil. Closing out the first hour, JP touched on the dangers of oil-related products such as plastic.

In the second hour, Jon Gold joined me to discuss some of the latest developments in the unending quest for truth and accountability with 9/11. We started off the the news that Attorney General William Barr has until Friday to decide to release the name of the high ranking Saudi official who oversaw the handling of 9/11 hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi. Jon talked about how listeners can get involved in pushing Barr to release the name. Later we talked about a U.S. federal judge ordering the FBI to release documents related to a probe of the the al-Hijji family in Sarasota, Florida, and its “many connections” to the hijackers including Mohammaed Atta. We finished the conversation by talking about the military trial of Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four others, which is set for January 2021 at Guantanamo Bay.