https://simplecast.com Mallen Baker: Faultlines 'Dangerously reasonable' analysis on politics, science, and particularly the bit where they bump into each other. I aim to give an independent, fact-focused, non-ideological take on the issues that matter. (c) Mallen Baker en-gb Thu, 9 Apr 2026 20:27:42 +0000 Thu, 9 Apr 2026 20:27:54 +0000 http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Mallen Baker: Faultlines https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/fa16bb74-a88c-4842-af41-3a59307421c5/583607d0-0166-43d3-a1d2-0820a02880be/3000x3000/faultlines-podcast.jpg?aid=rss_feed http://mallenbaker.net/podcast episodic 'Dangerously reasonable' analysis on politics, science, and particularly the bit where they bump into each other. I aim to give an independent, fact-focused, non-ideological take on the issues that matter. Mallen Baker false https://feeds.simplecast.com/o6If5_XZ sustainability, integrity, climate change, pragmatism, politics Mallen Baker mallen@mallenbaker.net 654d8492-439a-4dd2-b5c7-40d8b17248cd Trump Panics As World Notices He Lost Iran War More and more world figures, leaders, commentators, are agreeing in public that the US seems to have lost the Iran war. And that includes oil company executives, horrified that Trump seems to have accepted Iran will remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump is clearly not happy about it - he wants to end the war with the world believing he triumphed. And what seems to be panic at the opposite being the case, is seeing him lashing out anew at the allies he claims didn't help, new demands for those allies to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz. Claims that the agreement never included Lebanon, even though there is evidence in writing that it did. It's all getting a bit messy. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 9 Apr 2026 20:27:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast More and more world figures, leaders, commentators, are agreeing in public that the US seems to have lost the Iran war. And that includes oil company executives, horrified that Trump seems to have accepted Iran will remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump is clearly not happy about it - he wants to end the war with the world believing he triumphed. And what seems to be panic at the opposite being the case, is seeing him lashing out anew at the allies he claims didn't help, new demands for those allies to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz. Claims that the agreement never included Lebanon, even though there is evidence in writing that it did. It's all getting a bit messy. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Panics As World Notices He Lost Iran War Mallen Baker 00:13:01 More and more world figures, leaders, commentators, are agreeing in public that the US seems to have lost the Iran war. And that includes oil company executives, horrified that Trump seems to have accepted Iran will remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump is clearly not happy about it - he wants to end the war with the world believing he triumphed. And what seems to be panic at the opposite being the case, is seeing him lashing out anew at the allies he claims didn't help, new demands for those allies to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz. Claims that the agreement never included Lebanon, even though there is evidence in writing that it did. It's all getting a bit messy. Let's discuss. More and more world figures, leaders, commentators, are agreeing in public that the US seems to have lost the Iran war. And that includes oil company executives, horrified that Trump seems to have accepted Iran will remain in control of the Strait of Hormuz. President Donald Trump is clearly not happy about it - he wants to end the war with the world believing he triumphed. And what seems to be panic at the opposite being the case, is seeing him lashing out anew at the allies he claims didn't help, new demands for those allies to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz. Claims that the agreement never included Lebanon, even though there is evidence in writing that it did. It's all getting a bit messy. Let's discuss. false full 553 10837388-1dcc-46e1-8655-256b658a75a6 Trump's Ceasefire Shows Iran Really Won This War After all the fire and thunder, the deadline came, and it presented mostly as a feeble capitulation to the need for compromise. In spite of all the usual bluster from President Donald Trump and his administration, all the protestations of 'negotiating from strength' and 'the art of the deal', it seems that Iran is predominantly setting the terms of reference for the discussion, and determined to hold onto its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations may follow, but these are the factors that suggest Iran has won the war - so you can check to see which of them endure through the talks.

]]> Wed, 8 Apr 2026 22:32:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast After all the fire and thunder, the deadline came, and it presented mostly as a feeble capitulation to the need for compromise. In spite of all the usual bluster from President Donald Trump and his administration, all the protestations of 'negotiating from strength' and 'the art of the deal', it seems that Iran is predominantly setting the terms of reference for the discussion, and determined to hold onto its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations may follow, but these are the factors that suggest Iran has won the war - so you can check to see which of them endure through the talks.

]]> Trump's Ceasefire Shows Iran Really Won This War Mallen Baker 00:15:11 After all the fire and thunder, the deadline came, and it presented mostly as a feeble capitulation to the need for compromise. In spite of all the usual bluster from President Donald Trump and his administration, all the protestations of 'negotiating from strength' and 'the art of the deal', it seems that Iran is predominantly setting the terms of reference for the discussion, and determined to hold onto its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations may follow, but these are the factors that suggest Iran has won the war - so you can check to see which of them endure through the talks. After all the fire and thunder, the deadline came, and it presented mostly as a feeble capitulation to the need for compromise. In spite of all the usual bluster from President Donald Trump and his administration, all the protestations of 'negotiating from strength' and 'the art of the deal', it seems that Iran is predominantly setting the terms of reference for the discussion, and determined to hold onto its dominance over the Strait of Hormuz. Negotiations may follow, but these are the factors that suggest Iran has won the war - so you can check to see which of them endure through the talks. false full 552 125223cd-9f06-4340-ba77-20085171bb28 Trump Threatens War Crimes In Holy War On Iran Immediately after celebrating the rescue of a US airman from Iran, Trump launched into a tirade that was extraordinary even for him - where he threatened actions that would count as war crimes against Iran, suggesting they had to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday to avert it. Just another flip-flop then, following his earlier message that he didn't care if the Strait was open or not? Well, yes. But the US normalising of intended war crimes, and the rise of somewhat disturbing 'holy war' rhetoric, is starting to make the operation seem even more unhinged than it did already. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 5 Apr 2026 22:53:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Immediately after celebrating the rescue of a US airman from Iran, Trump launched into a tirade that was extraordinary even for him - where he threatened actions that would count as war crimes against Iran, suggesting they had to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday to avert it. Just another flip-flop then, following his earlier message that he didn't care if the Strait was open or not? Well, yes. But the US normalising of intended war crimes, and the rise of somewhat disturbing 'holy war' rhetoric, is starting to make the operation seem even more unhinged than it did already. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Threatens War Crimes In Holy War On Iran Mallen Baker 00:13:39 Immediately after celebrating the rescue of a US airman from Iran, Trump launched into a tirade that was extraordinary even for him - where he threatened actions that would count as war crimes against Iran, suggesting they had to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday to avert it. Just another flip-flop then, following his earlier message that he didn't care if the Strait was open or not? Well, yes. But the US normalising of intended war crimes, and the rise of somewhat disturbing 'holy war' rhetoric, is starting to make the operation seem even more unhinged than it did already. Let's discuss. Immediately after celebrating the rescue of a US airman from Iran, Trump launched into a tirade that was extraordinary even for him - where he threatened actions that would count as war crimes against Iran, suggesting they had to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Tuesday to avert it. Just another flip-flop then, following his earlier message that he didn't care if the Strait was open or not? Well, yes. But the US normalising of intended war crimes, and the rise of somewhat disturbing 'holy war' rhetoric, is starting to make the operation seem even more unhinged than it did already. Let's discuss. false full 550 e928b2e4-4ba9-482d-b829-9cdbbff30b63 Macron Calls Out Trump Bizarre Iran Behaviour | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday April 3rd 2026. After Trump's incoherent address to the nation the backlash against his war on Iran is widening, and given voice by a particularly sharp attack by French President Macron. The Pentagon is looking to exploit its existing treaty with Denmark to open three new military bases on Greenland - but that treaty was struck at a time before the US became a rogue superpower. And there has been a sudden rush of purges. President Trump fired Pam Bondi, possibly because she couldn't deliver convictions against Trump's enemies. And Pete Hegseth fires the most senior general - in the middle of a war - and replaced him with a loyalist.

]]> Fri, 3 Apr 2026 22:02:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday April 3rd 2026. After Trump's incoherent address to the nation the backlash against his war on Iran is widening, and given voice by a particularly sharp attack by French President Macron. The Pentagon is looking to exploit its existing treaty with Denmark to open three new military bases on Greenland - but that treaty was struck at a time before the US became a rogue superpower. And there has been a sudden rush of purges. President Trump fired Pam Bondi, possibly because she couldn't deliver convictions against Trump's enemies. And Pete Hegseth fires the most senior general - in the middle of a war - and replaced him with a loyalist.

]]> Macron Calls Out Trump Bizarre Iran Behaviour | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:21:51 In this news round-up of the week for Friday April 3rd 2026. After Trump's incoherent address to the nation the backlash against his war on Iran is widening, and given voice by a particularly sharp attack by French President Macron. The Pentagon is looking to exploit its existing treaty with Denmark to open three new military bases on Greenland - but that treaty was struck at a time before the US became a rogue superpower. And there has been a sudden rush of purges. President Trump fired Pam Bondi, possibly because she couldn't deliver convictions against Trump's enemies. And Pete Hegseth fires the most senior general - in the middle of a war - and replaced him with a loyalist. In this news round-up of the week for Friday April 3rd 2026. After Trump's incoherent address to the nation the backlash against his war on Iran is widening, and given voice by a particularly sharp attack by French President Macron. The Pentagon is looking to exploit its existing treaty with Denmark to open three new military bases on Greenland - but that treaty was struck at a time before the US became a rogue superpower. And there has been a sudden rush of purges. President Trump fired Pam Bondi, possibly because she couldn't deliver convictions against Trump's enemies. And Pete Hegseth fires the most senior general - in the middle of a war - and replaced him with a loyalist. false full 549 036f7adc-c193-4b71-bef2-fd0cc7a16f89 Trump Tied Aid To Minerals - Zambia Just Said No The administration of President Donald Trump was quick to cancel USAID. But quietly since then, it has been reinstating some programmes - with a catch. Increasingly, his 'art of the deal' team are demanding that essential aid for HIV sufferers is tied to preferential access to minerals, and a ten year access to health information for all citizens. The 'deals' are egregiously one-sided, assuming that the other side will have no option. But increasingly now African nations are saying no. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia is the most recent, following in the wake of Zimbabwe's similar refusal. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 2 Apr 2026 21:18:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The administration of President Donald Trump was quick to cancel USAID. But quietly since then, it has been reinstating some programmes - with a catch. Increasingly, his 'art of the deal' team are demanding that essential aid for HIV sufferers is tied to preferential access to minerals, and a ten year access to health information for all citizens. The 'deals' are egregiously one-sided, assuming that the other side will have no option. But increasingly now African nations are saying no. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia is the most recent, following in the wake of Zimbabwe's similar refusal. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Tied Aid To Minerals - Zambia Just Said No Mallen Baker 00:09:29 The administration of President Donald Trump was quick to cancel USAID. But quietly since then, it has been reinstating some programmes - with a catch. Increasingly, his 'art of the deal' team are demanding that essential aid for HIV sufferers is tied to preferential access to minerals, and a ten year access to health information for all citizens. The 'deals' are egregiously one-sided, assuming that the other side will have no option. But increasingly now African nations are saying no. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia is the most recent, following in the wake of Zimbabwe's similar refusal. Let's discuss. The administration of President Donald Trump was quick to cancel USAID. But quietly since then, it has been reinstating some programmes - with a catch. Increasingly, his 'art of the deal' team are demanding that essential aid for HIV sufferers is tied to preferential access to minerals, and a ten year access to health information for all citizens. The 'deals' are egregiously one-sided, assuming that the other side will have no option. But increasingly now African nations are saying no. President Hakainde Hichilema of Zambia is the most recent, following in the wake of Zimbabwe's similar refusal. Let's discuss. false full 548 545e55f5-b37b-437f-b45f-f965d63d8667 Trump Threatens To Pull From NATO Another day, another verbal twist from the President of War. Yes, now Trump is SO furious at all those Europeans who apparently care about international law and war crimes, that he is threatening to pull the United States out of NATO. It's something we've heard before, and generally it's about trying to terrify the Europeans into dancing to President Trump's tune. But it's getting to the point where many will be seeing such an exit as not just inevitable - but actually a desirable outcome.

]]> Wed, 1 Apr 2026 21:32:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Another day, another verbal twist from the President of War. Yes, now Trump is SO furious at all those Europeans who apparently care about international law and war crimes, that he is threatening to pull the United States out of NATO. It's something we've heard before, and generally it's about trying to terrify the Europeans into dancing to President Trump's tune. But it's getting to the point where many will be seeing such an exit as not just inevitable - but actually a desirable outcome.

]]> Trump Threatens To Pull From NATO Mallen Baker 00:11:30 Another day, another verbal twist from the President of War. Yes, now Trump is SO furious at all those Europeans who apparently care about international law and war crimes, that he is threatening to pull the United States out of NATO. It's something we've heard before, and generally it's about trying to terrify the Europeans into dancing to President Trump's tune. But it's getting to the point where many will be seeing such an exit as not just inevitable - but a desirable outcome. Another day, another verbal twist from the President of War. Yes, now Trump is SO furious at all those Europeans who apparently care about international law and war crimes, that he is threatening to pull the United States out of NATO. It's something we've heard before, and generally it's about trying to terrify the Europeans into dancing to President Trump's tune. But it's getting to the point where many will be seeing such an exit as not just inevitable - but a desirable outcome. false full 547 7c02102f-8266-4e0e-8228-dd1d894e82fe Trump Tells World Go Get Your Own Oil President Donald Trump, who just yesterday was threatening to commit war crimes against Iran if it didn't open the Strait of Hormuz, is now on whiplash mode again, and is now talking up the prospect of leaving Iran after a bit more bombing, whether the Strait is open or not. Those countries who need that oil, he said, can sort out the mess (that he is single-handedly responsible for) for themselves. Needless to say, many are not happy at this proposition. But out of the two scenarios, there is cause to think this will endure as the likeliest one to actually be executed. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:15:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Donald Trump, who just yesterday was threatening to commit war crimes against Iran if it didn't open the Strait of Hormuz, is now on whiplash mode again, and is now talking up the prospect of leaving Iran after a bit more bombing, whether the Strait is open or not. Those countries who need that oil, he said, can sort out the mess (that he is single-handedly responsible for) for themselves. Needless to say, many are not happy at this proposition. But out of the two scenarios, there is cause to think this will endure as the likeliest one to actually be executed. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Tells World Go Get Your Own Oil Mallen Baker 00:15:21 President Donald Trump, who just yesterday was threatening to commit war crimes against Iran if it didn't open the Strait of Hormuz, is now on whiplash mode again, and is now talking up the prospect of leaving Iran after a bit more bombing, whether the Strait is open or not. Those countries who need that oil, he said, can sort out the mess (that he is single-handedly responsible for) for themselves. Needless to say, many are not happy at this proposition. But out of the two scenarios, there is cause to think this will endure as the likeliest one to actually be executed. Let's discuss. President Donald Trump, who just yesterday was threatening to commit war crimes against Iran if it didn't open the Strait of Hormuz, is now on whiplash mode again, and is now talking up the prospect of leaving Iran after a bit more bombing, whether the Strait is open or not. Those countries who need that oil, he said, can sort out the mess (that he is single-handedly responsible for) for themselves. Needless to say, many are not happy at this proposition. But out of the two scenarios, there is cause to think this will endure as the likeliest one to actually be executed. Let's discuss. false full 546 ce81751d-c34e-4178-971c-1f2a35c4739b Trump ‘Wants Iran’s Oil’ And Other Fantasies The multi-faceted stream of consciousness from President Donald Trump about what he wants from the Iran war, when and how he might end said war, and more besides continues. Now he is saying straight out that he would like to take Iran's oil - something that would only be possible if the US actually occupied Kharg island, something which most analysts say could only happen at very high cost. So maybe he'll just bomb the island's facilities instead, along with all the rest of Iran's energy and water infrastructure. Or maybe America will declare victory, leave, and then work out how to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened. Oh, and in the mean time, they're going to take those weapons for Ukraine that Europe BOUGHT from the US, and send them to the Middle East instead. No refunds, obviously. What could possibly go wrong?

]]> Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:06:38 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The multi-faceted stream of consciousness from President Donald Trump about what he wants from the Iran war, when and how he might end said war, and more besides continues. Now he is saying straight out that he would like to take Iran's oil - something that would only be possible if the US actually occupied Kharg island, something which most analysts say could only happen at very high cost. So maybe he'll just bomb the island's facilities instead, along with all the rest of Iran's energy and water infrastructure. Or maybe America will declare victory, leave, and then work out how to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened. Oh, and in the mean time, they're going to take those weapons for Ukraine that Europe BOUGHT from the US, and send them to the Middle East instead. No refunds, obviously. What could possibly go wrong?

]]> Trump ‘Wants Iran’s Oil’ And Other Fantasies Mallen Baker 00:15:09 The multi-faceted stream of consciousness from President Donald Trump about what he wants from the Iran war, when and how he might end said war, and more besides continues. Now he is saying straight out that he would like to take Iran's oil - something that would only be possible if the US actually occupied Kharg island, something which most analysts say could only happen at very high cost. So maybe he'll just bomb the island's facilities instead, along with all the rest of Iran's energy and water infrastructure. Or maybe America will declare victory, leave, and then work out how to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened. Oh, and in the mean time, they're going to take those weapons for Ukraine that Europe BOUGHT from the US, and send them to the Middle East instead. No refunds, obviously. What could possibly go wrong? The multi-faceted stream of consciousness from President Donald Trump about what he wants from the Iran war, when and how he might end said war, and more besides continues. Now he is saying straight out that he would like to take Iran's oil - something that would only be possible if the US actually occupied Kharg island, something which most analysts say could only happen at very high cost. So maybe he'll just bomb the island's facilities instead, along with all the rest of Iran's energy and water infrastructure. Or maybe America will declare victory, leave, and then work out how to get the Strait of Hormuz reopened. Oh, and in the mean time, they're going to take those weapons for Ukraine that Europe BOUGHT from the US, and send them to the Middle East instead. No refunds, obviously. What could possibly go wrong? false full 545 c228a5c8-9f13-4c50-82dc-017ae7f3a695 Enabling Trump Has Turned Palantir Toxic In principle, Palantir is just a company that helps governments to work smarter. In practice, it has embraced the absence of guardrails of the US administration of President Donald Trump, its technology can be used for expanding surveillance, and for making life and death decisions that are extremely in the public eye right now. Its most high profile project has been its support of ICE's mass deportation efforts, that have been so controversial they turned Trump's most popular issue into a liability. Now, it seems there is increasing pushback, and taking support from Palantir is becoming toxic in a number of areas. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 28 Mar 2026 18:42:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In principle, Palantir is just a company that helps governments to work smarter. In practice, it has embraced the absence of guardrails of the US administration of President Donald Trump, its technology can be used for expanding surveillance, and for making life and death decisions that are extremely in the public eye right now. Its most high profile project has been its support of ICE's mass deportation efforts, that have been so controversial they turned Trump's most popular issue into a liability. Now, it seems there is increasing pushback, and taking support from Palantir is becoming toxic in a number of areas. Let's discuss.

]]> Enabling Trump Has Turned Palantir Toxic Mallen Baker 00:16:23 In principle, Palantir is just a company that helps governments to work smarter. In practice, it has embraced the absence of guardrails of the US administration of President Donald Trump, its technology can be used for expanding surveillance, and for making life and death decisions that are extremely in the public eye right now. Its most high profile project has been its support of ICE's mass deportation efforts, that have been so controversial they turned Trump's most popular issue into a liability. Now, it seems there is increasing pushback, and taking support from Palantir is becoming toxic in a number of areas. Let's discuss. In principle, Palantir is just a company that helps governments to work smarter. In practice, it has embraced the absence of guardrails of the US administration of President Donald Trump, its technology can be used for expanding surveillance, and for making life and death decisions that are extremely in the public eye right now. Its most high profile project has been its support of ICE's mass deportation efforts, that have been so controversial they turned Trump's most popular issue into a liability. Now, it seems there is increasing pushback, and taking support from Palantir is becoming toxic in a number of areas. Let's discuss. false full 544 cf663705-4564-4a44-9565-8ec325fd64f8 Trump's Bizarre Iran Fantasies Are Getting Weirder | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday, March 27th 2026. Trump declares that Iran negotiations, which seem mostly to be conducted between the voices in his head, are going very well - meanwhile Iran is solidifying its control of the Strait of Hormuz. Meta and YouTube were found legally liable by a California jury for deliberately addicting users and causing harm to young people. A finding that could open the floodgates to many more. And Robert F Kennedy Junior's anti-vax agenda is falling apart as the Trump administration notices it might not be the vote-winner it had hoped it would be.

]]> Fri, 27 Mar 2026 23:40:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday, March 27th 2026. Trump declares that Iran negotiations, which seem mostly to be conducted between the voices in his head, are going very well - meanwhile Iran is solidifying its control of the Strait of Hormuz. Meta and YouTube were found legally liable by a California jury for deliberately addicting users and causing harm to young people. A finding that could open the floodgates to many more. And Robert F Kennedy Junior's anti-vax agenda is falling apart as the Trump administration notices it might not be the vote-winner it had hoped it would be.

]]> Trump's Bizarre Iran Fantasies Are Getting Weirder | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:31 In this news round-up of the week for Friday, March 27th 2026. Trump declares that Iran negotiations, which seem mostly to be conducted between the voices in his head, are going very well - meanwhile Iran is solidifying its control of the Strait of Hormuz. Meta and YouTube were found legally liable by a California jury for deliberately addicting users and causing harm to young people. A finding that could open the floodgates to many more. And Robert F Kennedy Junior's anti-vax agenda is falling apart as the Trump administration notices it might not be the vote-winner it had hoped it would be. In this news round-up of the week for Friday, March 27th 2026. Trump declares that Iran negotiations, which seem mostly to be conducted between the voices in his head, are going very well - meanwhile Iran is solidifying its control of the Strait of Hormuz. Meta and YouTube were found legally liable by a California jury for deliberately addicting users and causing harm to young people. A finding that could open the floodgates to many more. And Robert F Kennedy Junior's anti-vax agenda is falling apart as the Trump administration notices it might not be the vote-winner it had hoped it would be. false full 543 285cbacb-671c-4ae6-b9dd-420aae9a1a2b The Iran War Peace Plans Are A Farce - But No-One's Laughing Even though President Trump declared to the world that peace negotiations with Iran were advanced, and seeing agreement on most points of substance - today the US presented Iran with its starting-position 15 point plan. Iran basically shrugged it off, presented its own demands, and repeated that no negotiations have taken place, and Iran is not interested in a ceasefire. The absurd Trump claims would be hilarious if the conflict weren't causing such major consequences. But is it all a delaying game? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 25 Mar 2026 23:06:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Even though President Trump declared to the world that peace negotiations with Iran were advanced, and seeing agreement on most points of substance - today the US presented Iran with its starting-position 15 point plan. Iran basically shrugged it off, presented its own demands, and repeated that no negotiations have taken place, and Iran is not interested in a ceasefire. The absurd Trump claims would be hilarious if the conflict weren't causing such major consequences. But is it all a delaying game? Let's discuss.

]]> The Iran War Peace Plans Are A Farce - But No-One's Laughing Mallen Baker 00:11:22 Even though President Trump declared to the world that peace negotiations with Iran were advanced, and seeing agreement on most points of substance - today the US presented Iran with its starting-position 15 point plan. Iran basically shrugged it off, presented its own demands, and repeated that no negotiations have taken place, and Iran is not interested in a ceasefire. The absurd Trump claims would be hilarious if the conflict weren't causing such major consequences. But is it all a delaying game? Let's discuss. Even though President Trump declared to the world that peace negotiations with Iran were advanced, and seeing agreement on most points of substance - today the US presented Iran with its starting-position 15 point plan. Iran basically shrugged it off, presented its own demands, and repeated that no negotiations have taken place, and Iran is not interested in a ceasefire. The absurd Trump claims would be hilarious if the conflict weren't causing such major consequences. But is it all a delaying game? Let's discuss. false full 542 5f20110c-efa3-42c1-9f8b-42da2b31aed7 Can Trump and Putin Save Viktor Orban? The election in Hungary is getting closer - and we've been seeing all the things we knew were coming - Trump's endorsement of Viktor Orban, related to CPAC Hungary conference. Other far-right figures from across Europe turning up to give their support. Reams of Russian disinformation on social media. And ... wait, a false flag assassination attempt? Well, evidence has emerged that the idea was floated to the Kremlin at least - whether it was agreed or not. It gives some indication just how much weight Viktor Orban's autocratic allies are putting on him surviving his closest election yet. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 24 Mar 2026 23:57:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The election in Hungary is getting closer - and we've been seeing all the things we knew were coming - Trump's endorsement of Viktor Orban, related to CPAC Hungary conference. Other far-right figures from across Europe turning up to give their support. Reams of Russian disinformation on social media. And ... wait, a false flag assassination attempt? Well, evidence has emerged that the idea was floated to the Kremlin at least - whether it was agreed or not. It gives some indication just how much weight Viktor Orban's autocratic allies are putting on him surviving his closest election yet. Let's discuss.

]]> Can Trump and Putin Save Viktor Orban? Mallen Baker 00:11:45 The election in Hungary is getting closer - and we've been seeing all the things we knew were coming - Trump's endorsement of Viktor Orban, related to CPAC Hungary conference. Other far-right figures from across Europe turning up to give their support. Reams of Russian disinformation on social media. And ... wait, a false flag assassination attempt? Well, evidence has emerged that the idea was floated to the Kremlin at least - whether it was agreed or not. It gives some indication just how much weight Viktor Orban's autocratic allies are putting on him surviving his closest election yet. Let's discuss. The election in Hungary is getting closer - and we've been seeing all the things we knew were coming - Trump's endorsement of Viktor Orban, related to CPAC Hungary conference. Other far-right figures from across Europe turning up to give their support. Reams of Russian disinformation on social media. And ... wait, a false flag assassination attempt? Well, evidence has emerged that the idea was floated to the Kremlin at least - whether it was agreed or not. It gives some indication just how much weight Viktor Orban's autocratic allies are putting on him surviving his closest election yet. Let's discuss. false full 541 ad19e625-8ce3-4d33-8ccf-c019f62fa903 Trump's Bizarre Made-Up Iran Negotiations President Donald Trump has form in claiming that he is in active negotiations with other leaders, or with countries, when the other parties deny any such thing is happening, and it turns out that they were right. So it's somewhat surreal to find him making exactly that sort of claim about the Iranian leadership, when there is precisely nothing you would expect could be achieved by doing so. Except that any excuse to delay an unviable deadline gives him more time to come up with more distractions. And any excuse will give the stock market a boost and oil markets a price drop - and that's enough for today's headlines. But it's hard to see how any of it turns into the off-ramp he's now obviously seeking. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 23 Mar 2026 20:51:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Donald Trump has form in claiming that he is in active negotiations with other leaders, or with countries, when the other parties deny any such thing is happening, and it turns out that they were right. So it's somewhat surreal to find him making exactly that sort of claim about the Iranian leadership, when there is precisely nothing you would expect could be achieved by doing so. Except that any excuse to delay an unviable deadline gives him more time to come up with more distractions. And any excuse will give the stock market a boost and oil markets a price drop - and that's enough for today's headlines. But it's hard to see how any of it turns into the off-ramp he's now obviously seeking. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Bizarre Made-Up Iran Negotiations Mallen Baker 00:12:05 President Donald Trump has form in claiming that he is in active negotiations with other leaders, or with countries, when the other parties deny any such thing is happening, and it turns out that they were right. So it's somewhat surreal to find him making exactly that sort of claim about the Iranian leadership, when there is precisely nothing you would expect could be achieved by doing so. Except that any excuse to delay an unviable deadline gives him more time to come up with more distractions. And any excuse will give the stock market a boost and oil markets a price drop - and that's enough for today's headlines. But it's hard to see how any of it turns into the off-ramp he's now obviously seeking. Let's discuss. President Donald Trump has form in claiming that he is in active negotiations with other leaders, or with countries, when the other parties deny any such thing is happening, and it turns out that they were right. So it's somewhat surreal to find him making exactly that sort of claim about the Iranian leadership, when there is precisely nothing you would expect could be achieved by doing so. Except that any excuse to delay an unviable deadline gives him more time to come up with more distractions. And any excuse will give the stock market a boost and oil markets a price drop - and that's enough for today's headlines. But it's hard to see how any of it turns into the off-ramp he's now obviously seeking. Let's discuss. false full 540 117154e2-aa83-46ef-8ea2-e5bccc1632f9 Why Trump’s Iran Whiplash Points To Growing Desperation In the course of 24 hours, President Donald Trump went from saying that he was looking at 'winding down' the Iran war, to issuing threats to escalate the crisis should Iran refuse to completely open up the Strait of Hormuz. Such massive whiplash on positions suggest that he is getting increasingly agitated about his options, and is looking around - and testing out publicly - the course of action that will enable him to get out of this situation while credibly claiming victory. But, on that score, nothing much is going his way. Which could be entertaining to watch, except that the consequences for the rest of the world seem likely to get more and more difficult as he follows the logic of his position to its end conclusion. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2026 21:38:56 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the course of 24 hours, President Donald Trump went from saying that he was looking at 'winding down' the Iran war, to issuing threats to escalate the crisis should Iran refuse to completely open up the Strait of Hormuz. Such massive whiplash on positions suggest that he is getting increasingly agitated about his options, and is looking around - and testing out publicly - the course of action that will enable him to get out of this situation while credibly claiming victory. But, on that score, nothing much is going his way. Which could be entertaining to watch, except that the consequences for the rest of the world seem likely to get more and more difficult as he follows the logic of his position to its end conclusion. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Iran Whiplash Points To Growing Desperation Mallen Baker 00:12:29 In the course of 24 hours, President Donald Trump went from saying that he was looking at 'winding down' the Iran war, to issuing threats to escalate the crisis should Iran refuse to completely open up the Strait of Hormuz. Such massive whiplash on positions suggest that he is getting increasingly agitated about his options, and is looking around - and testing out publicly - the course of action that will enable him to get out of this situation while credibly claiming victory. But, on that score, nothing much is going his way. Which could be entertaining to watch, except that the consequences for the rest of the world seem likely to get more and more difficult as he follows the logic of his position to its end conclusion. Let's discuss. In the course of 24 hours, President Donald Trump went from saying that he was looking at 'winding down' the Iran war, to issuing threats to escalate the crisis should Iran refuse to completely open up the Strait of Hormuz. Such massive whiplash on positions suggest that he is getting increasingly agitated about his options, and is looking around - and testing out publicly - the course of action that will enable him to get out of this situation while credibly claiming victory. But, on that score, nothing much is going his way. Which could be entertaining to watch, except that the consequences for the rest of the world seem likely to get more and more difficult as he follows the logic of his position to its end conclusion. Let's discuss. false full 539 44b00b10-aabd-4221-9035-b82da9ebbe5b Trump Blunders A Huge Energy Crisis Onto The World | News Round-Up In this news round-up for March 20th 2026: Iran's strike on Qatar has triggered what energy analysts are calling an "Armageddon scenario" for global gas markets — and Trump's denial that the US knew about the Israeli attack that provoked it lacks credibility. President Trump invoked Pearl Harbor during the latest Oval Office struggle session, this time with Japan's prime minister Takaichi. Then praised Japan for support that seems somewhat theoretical. And eleven weeks after US forces arrested Venezuela's president, we catch up with what's been happening there since.

]]> Fri, 20 Mar 2026 22:21:34 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up for March 20th 2026: Iran's strike on Qatar has triggered what energy analysts are calling an "Armageddon scenario" for global gas markets — and Trump's denial that the US knew about the Israeli attack that provoked it lacks credibility. President Trump invoked Pearl Harbor during the latest Oval Office struggle session, this time with Japan's prime minister Takaichi. Then praised Japan for support that seems somewhat theoretical. And eleven weeks after US forces arrested Venezuela's president, we catch up with what's been happening there since.

]]> Trump Blunders A Huge Energy Crisis Onto The World | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:18:49 In this news round-up for March 20th 2026: Iran's strike on Qatar has triggered what energy analysts are calling an "Armageddon scenario" for global gas markets — and Trump's denial that the US knew about the Israeli attack that provoked it lacks credibility. President Trump invoked Pearl Harbor during the latest Oval Office struggle session, this time with Japan's prime minister Takaichi. Then praised Japan for support that seems somewhat theoretical. And eleven weeks after US forces arrested Venezuela's president, we catch up with what's been happening there since. In this news round-up for March 20th 2026: Iran's strike on Qatar has triggered what energy analysts are calling an "Armageddon scenario" for global gas markets — and Trump's denial that the US knew about the Israeli attack that provoked it lacks credibility. President Trump invoked Pearl Harbor during the latest Oval Office struggle session, this time with Japan's prime minister Takaichi. Then praised Japan for support that seems somewhat theoretical. And eleven weeks after US forces arrested Venezuela's president, we catch up with what's been happening there since. false full 538 26b97717-e2f3-43ea-be25-952837b076f3 How Trump’s America First Became America Alone According to one of his best allies in the Senate, President Donald Trump is more furiously angry about having none of America's allies agree to join it dealing with the consequences of his illegal war on Iran, than he's ever been seen. How did we reach this moment? From the time when the consensus seemed to be to flatter and appease Trump, to the point where former allies of the United States are content to defy his wishes - and have clearly reached the conclusion that the consequences of so doing are little different to those of doing what Trump wants. And hence, suddenly 'America First' has truly become 'America Alone'. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 19 Mar 2026 19:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast According to one of his best allies in the Senate, President Donald Trump is more furiously angry about having none of America's allies agree to join it dealing with the consequences of his illegal war on Iran, than he's ever been seen. How did we reach this moment? From the time when the consensus seemed to be to flatter and appease Trump, to the point where former allies of the United States are content to defy his wishes - and have clearly reached the conclusion that the consequences of so doing are little different to those of doing what Trump wants. And hence, suddenly 'America First' has truly become 'America Alone'. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump’s America First Became America Alone Mallen Baker 00:14:17 According to one of his best allies in the Senate, President Donald Trump is more furiously angry about having none of America's allies agree to join it dealing with the consequences of his illegal war on Iran, than he's ever been seen. How did we reach this moment? From the time when the consensus seemed to be to flatter and appease Trump, to the point where former allies of the United States are content to defy his wishes - and have clearly reached the conclusion that the consequences of so doing are little different to those of doing what Trump wants. And hence, suddenly 'America First' has truly become 'America Alone'. Let's discuss. According to one of his best allies in the Senate, President Donald Trump is more furiously angry about having none of America's allies agree to join it dealing with the consequences of his illegal war on Iran, than he's ever been seen. How did we reach this moment? From the time when the consensus seemed to be to flatter and appease Trump, to the point where former allies of the United States are content to defy his wishes - and have clearly reached the conclusion that the consequences of so doing are little different to those of doing what Trump wants. And hence, suddenly 'America First' has truly become 'America Alone'. Let's discuss. false full 537 cdae300b-487d-4f6f-ba95-b3473856cdda Trump Wants To Bury Bad News About the Iran War In the last few days, the administration of President Donald Trump has been going hard after the media - any journals or networks that have reported the slightest bad news about Trump's Iran war have been getting schooled on being more patriotic. That could just be so much business as usual - except that the FCC Chair Brendan Carr has pitched in to suggest that 'fake news' about the war would be remembered at licence renewal time, and defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been publicly pitching for the takeover of CNN to see a more compliant political stance. Is American freedom of the press in serious trouble? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 17 Mar 2026 23:36:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the last few days, the administration of President Donald Trump has been going hard after the media - any journals or networks that have reported the slightest bad news about Trump's Iran war have been getting schooled on being more patriotic. That could just be so much business as usual - except that the FCC Chair Brendan Carr has pitched in to suggest that 'fake news' about the war would be remembered at licence renewal time, and defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been publicly pitching for the takeover of CNN to see a more compliant political stance. Is American freedom of the press in serious trouble? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Wants To Bury Bad News About the Iran War Mallen Baker 00:14:27 In the last few days, the administration of President Donald Trump has been going hard after the media - any journals or networks that have reported the slightest bad news about Trump's Iran war have been getting schooled on being more patriotic. That could just be so much business as usual - except that the FCC Chair Brendan Carr has pitched in to suggest that 'fake news' about the war would be remembered at licence renewal time, and defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been publicly pitching for the takeover of CNN to see a more compliant political stance. Is American freedom of the press in serious trouble? Let's discuss. In the last few days, the administration of President Donald Trump has been going hard after the media - any journals or networks that have reported the slightest bad news about Trump's Iran war have been getting schooled on being more patriotic. That could just be so much business as usual - except that the FCC Chair Brendan Carr has pitched in to suggest that 'fake news' about the war would be remembered at licence renewal time, and defence secretary Pete Hegseth has been publicly pitching for the takeover of CNN to see a more compliant political stance. Is American freedom of the press in serious trouble? Let's discuss. false full 536 5dd9d3ce-a13f-45e6-919b-0875c56d0dc9 Trump Threatens NATO: Help Now Or Regret It President Trump told NATO allies, as well as countries like Japan, South Korea and even main geopolitical rival China, that they must send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz - or else. This would be bad for NATO. He would delay his planned visit to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping. And so far, having spent the last year being insulted, threatened, tariffed and bullied - all of those countries are saying 'no thanks'. Is this the pivotal moment where the US, having realised it needs alliances, will cut them off one and for all? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 16 Mar 2026 22:24:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump told NATO allies, as well as countries like Japan, South Korea and even main geopolitical rival China, that they must send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz - or else. This would be bad for NATO. He would delay his planned visit to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping. And so far, having spent the last year being insulted, threatened, tariffed and bullied - all of those countries are saying 'no thanks'. Is this the pivotal moment where the US, having realised it needs alliances, will cut them off one and for all? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Threatens NATO: Help Now Or Regret It Mallen Baker 00:11:28 President Trump told NATO allies, as well as countries like Japan, South Korea and even main geopolitical rival China, that they must send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz - or else. This would be bad for NATO. He would delay his planned visit to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping. And so far, having spent the last year being insulted, threatened, tariffed and bullied - all of those countries are saying 'no thanks'. Is this the pivotal moment where the US, having realised it needs alliances, will cut them off one and for all? Let's discuss. President Trump told NATO allies, as well as countries like Japan, South Korea and even main geopolitical rival China, that they must send warships to help open the Strait of Hormuz - or else. This would be bad for NATO. He would delay his planned visit to Beijing to meet with Xi Jinping. And so far, having spent the last year being insulted, threatened, tariffed and bullied - all of those countries are saying 'no thanks'. Is this the pivotal moment where the US, having realised it needs alliances, will cut them off one and for all? Let's discuss. false full 535 eb1066db-7c16-46c8-9623-82490cb8317b Elon Musk’s Grok AI Platform Just Blew Up In His Face It's not a secret that Elon Musk's xAI platform, Grok, is not entirely like other AI models. Specifically, he has gone to great lengths to ensure it absorbs his ethos and "anti-woke" mindset, even as he has been promising it would overtake all the other models any day soon. However, it seems not all has been well in xAI - and Musk has been clearing out the old guard, firing people all over, and talking publicly about reapproaching people who were rejected for job interviews who may have been what they needed after all. Could it be that training an AI on ideology is NOT the most effective way? Maybe - but it seems a long way distant that such a thought would occur to Musk. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 15 Mar 2026 23:44:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It's not a secret that Elon Musk's xAI platform, Grok, is not entirely like other AI models. Specifically, he has gone to great lengths to ensure it absorbs his ethos and "anti-woke" mindset, even as he has been promising it would overtake all the other models any day soon. However, it seems not all has been well in xAI - and Musk has been clearing out the old guard, firing people all over, and talking publicly about reapproaching people who were rejected for job interviews who may have been what they needed after all. Could it be that training an AI on ideology is NOT the most effective way? Maybe - but it seems a long way distant that such a thought would occur to Musk. Let's discuss.

]]> Elon Musk’s Grok AI Platform Just Blew Up In His Face Mallen Baker 00:12:35 It's not a secret that Elon Musk's xAI platform, Grok, is not entirely like other AI models. Specifically, he has gone to great lengths to ensure it absorbs his ethos and "anti-woke" mindset, even as he has been promising it would overtake all the other models any day soon. However, it seems not all has been well in xAI - and Musk has been clearing out the old guard, firing people all over, and talking publicly about reapproaching people who were rejected for job interviews who may have been what they needed after all. Could it be that training an AI on ideology is NOT the most effective way? Maybe - but it seems a long way distant that such a thought would occur to Musk. Let's discuss. It's not a secret that Elon Musk's xAI platform, Grok, is not entirely like other AI models. Specifically, he has gone to great lengths to ensure it absorbs his ethos and "anti-woke" mindset, even as he has been promising it would overtake all the other models any day soon. However, it seems not all has been well in xAI - and Musk has been clearing out the old guard, firing people all over, and talking publicly about reapproaching people who were rejected for job interviews who may have been what they needed after all. Could it be that training an AI on ideology is NOT the most effective way? Maybe - but it seems a long way distant that such a thought would occur to Musk. Let's discuss. false full 534 302be428-0722-41e6-aa14-42307bd904ca US Ammunition Crisis As Iran Grows Bolder | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 13th 2026. Pentagon insiders reveal that Trump's war on Iran has burned through years of critical munitions in two weeks of his illegal war on Iran. And this could seriously weaken the US in dangerous times. As the Pentagon tries to isolate and damage AI company Anthropic for ethical restrictions on what its system will do, Microsoft has stepped out, risking billions in government contracts, to stand alongside it. And Trump's threats and insults against Canada continue to backfire as Mark Carney's government comes close to an overall parliamentary majority.

]]> Fri, 13 Mar 2026 23:34:28 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 13th 2026. Pentagon insiders reveal that Trump's war on Iran has burned through years of critical munitions in two weeks of his illegal war on Iran. And this could seriously weaken the US in dangerous times. As the Pentagon tries to isolate and damage AI company Anthropic for ethical restrictions on what its system will do, Microsoft has stepped out, risking billions in government contracts, to stand alongside it. And Trump's threats and insults against Canada continue to backfire as Mark Carney's government comes close to an overall parliamentary majority.

]]> US Ammunition Crisis As Iran Grows Bolder | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:04 In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 13th 2026. Pentagon insiders reveal that Trump's war on Iran has burned through years of critical munitions in two weeks of his illegal war on Iran. And this could seriously weaken the US in dangerous times. As the Pentagon tries to isolate and damage AI company Anthropic for ethical restrictions on what its system will do, Microsoft has stepped out, risking billions in government contracts, to stand alongside it. And Trump's threats and insults against Canada continue to backfire as Mark Carney's government comes close to an overall parliamentary majority. In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 13th 2026. Pentagon insiders reveal that Trump's war on Iran has burned through years of critical munitions in two weeks of his illegal war on Iran. And this could seriously weaken the US in dangerous times. As the Pentagon tries to isolate and damage AI company Anthropic for ethical restrictions on what its system will do, Microsoft has stepped out, risking billions in government contracts, to stand alongside it. And Trump's threats and insults against Canada continue to backfire as Mark Carney's government comes close to an overall parliamentary majority. false full 533 32e3beb5-e20d-48b3-9b4b-01890bd25a73 How The Massive Impact Of Trump’s War Is Hitting The Entire World The alarm bells across the world are really starting to sound loudly now, as the short-term effects on the cost and availability of energy and fertiliser is hitting the citizens of countries across the world. President Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. He has proven unable to reopen it, and the future consequences if this remains the case for an extended period have been predicted as being 'catastrophic'. Let's do the quickest of canters across the globe to see what's happening right now - and reflect on Trump's latest contribution where he shows zero interest in any of it.

]]> Thu, 12 Mar 2026 22:39:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The alarm bells across the world are really starting to sound loudly now, as the short-term effects on the cost and availability of energy and fertiliser is hitting the citizens of countries across the world. President Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. He has proven unable to reopen it, and the future consequences if this remains the case for an extended period have been predicted as being 'catastrophic'. Let's do the quickest of canters across the globe to see what's happening right now - and reflect on Trump's latest contribution where he shows zero interest in any of it.

]]> How The Massive Impact Of Trump’s War Is Hitting The Entire World Mallen Baker 00:14:17 The alarm bells across the world are really starting to sound loudly now, as the short-term effects on the cost and availability of energy and fertiliser is hitting the citizens of countries across the world. President Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. He has proven unable to reopen it, and the future consequences if this remains the case for an extended period have been predicted as being 'catastrophic'. Let's do the quickest of canters across the globe to see what's happening right now - and reflect on Trump's latest contribution where he shows zero interest in any of it. The alarm bells across the world are really starting to sound loudly now, as the short-term effects on the cost and availability of energy and fertiliser is hitting the citizens of countries across the world. President Donald Trump's war of choice with Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz. He has proven unable to reopen it, and the future consequences if this remains the case for an extended period have been predicted as being 'catastrophic'. Let's do the quickest of canters across the globe to see what's happening right now - and reflect on Trump's latest contribution where he shows zero interest in any of it. false full 532 07f48272-1c37-4485-beb8-34318492aa00 Peter Magyar vs Putin, Trump AND Orban | Hungary’s Crossroads Today, the Financial Times reported on a leaked proposal for Russia to engage in a disinformation and influence campaign in support of the re-election of autocrat Viktor Orban. This comes as his opponent in next month's election, Peter Magyar, is significantly ahead in independent polling. But President Vladimir Putin does not want to lose his best ally in Europe. President Donald Trump likewise. And hence begins what may be a template election for Russian and American influence campaigns on behalf of populists across Europe over the coming years. The stakes could not be higher. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 11 Mar 2026 20:45:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Today, the Financial Times reported on a leaked proposal for Russia to engage in a disinformation and influence campaign in support of the re-election of autocrat Viktor Orban. This comes as his opponent in next month's election, Peter Magyar, is significantly ahead in independent polling. But President Vladimir Putin does not want to lose his best ally in Europe. President Donald Trump likewise. And hence begins what may be a template election for Russian and American influence campaigns on behalf of populists across Europe over the coming years. The stakes could not be higher. Let's discuss.

]]> Peter Magyar vs Putin, Trump AND Orban | Hungary’s Crossroads Mallen Baker 00:13:45 Today, the Financial Times reported on a leaked proposal for Russia to engage in a disinformation and influence campaign in support of the re-election of autocrat Viktor Orban. This comes as his opponent in next month's election, Peter Magyar, is significantly ahead in independent polling. But President Vladimir Putin does not want to lose his best ally in Europe. President Donald Trump likewise. And hence begins what may be a template election for Russian and American influence campaigns on behalf of populists across Europe over the coming years. The stakes could not be higher. Let's discuss. Today, the Financial Times reported on a leaked proposal for Russia to engage in a disinformation and influence campaign in support of the re-election of autocrat Viktor Orban. This comes as his opponent in next month's election, Peter Magyar, is significantly ahead in independent polling. But President Vladimir Putin does not want to lose his best ally in Europe. President Donald Trump likewise. And hence begins what may be a template election for Russian and American influence campaigns on behalf of populists across Europe over the coming years. The stakes could not be higher. Let's discuss. false full 531 c73b006c-e9bb-4195-84a5-365973f23887 Is Trump About To TACO Out Of Iran? Trump has started talking in terms of the war being complete, and stressing that it was just an 'excursion' - a sign, according to stock markets and commodity traders, that he is looking pretty urgently for an off-ramp from the Iran war. Is Trump, some are asking, about to TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) out of the Iran war? Well, unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. In a war, it doesn't fall to just one side whether it stops or not. And, in this case, there is plenty of evidence that the consequences will be significant even if it stopped tomorrow. And then there are questions about all the dead civilians, and the fact that Trump's department of defence deliberately dismantled the programme that aimed to prevent innocent deaths. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 10 Mar 2026 23:28:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump has started talking in terms of the war being complete, and stressing that it was just an 'excursion' - a sign, according to stock markets and commodity traders, that he is looking pretty urgently for an off-ramp from the Iran war. Is Trump, some are asking, about to TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) out of the Iran war? Well, unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. In a war, it doesn't fall to just one side whether it stops or not. And, in this case, there is plenty of evidence that the consequences will be significant even if it stopped tomorrow. And then there are questions about all the dead civilians, and the fact that Trump's department of defence deliberately dismantled the programme that aimed to prevent innocent deaths. Let's discuss.

]]> Is Trump About To TACO Out Of Iran? Mallen Baker 00:14:00 Trump has started talking in terms of the war being complete, and stressing that it was just an 'excursion' - a sign, according to stock markets and commodity traders, that he is looking pretty urgently for an off-ramp from the Iran war. Is Trump, some are asking, about to TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) out of the Iran war? Well, unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. In a war, it doesn't fall to just one side whether it stops or not. And, in this case, there is plenty of evidence that the consequences will be significant even if it stopped tomorrow. And then there are questions about all the dead civilians, and the fact that Trump's department of defence deliberately dismantled the programme that aimed to prevent innocent deaths. Let's discuss. Trump has started talking in terms of the war being complete, and stressing that it was just an 'excursion' - a sign, according to stock markets and commodity traders, that he is looking pretty urgently for an off-ramp from the Iran war. Is Trump, some are asking, about to TACO (Trump Always Chickens Out) out of the Iran war? Well, unfortunately, it's not quite that simple. In a war, it doesn't fall to just one side whether it stops or not. And, in this case, there is plenty of evidence that the consequences will be significant even if it stopped tomorrow. And then there are questions about all the dead civilians, and the fact that Trump's department of defence deliberately dismantled the programme that aimed to prevent innocent deaths. Let's discuss. false full 530 7d32343e-c855-4107-82e2-0e745e665413 Why Trump's Iran Assassination Threats Are A Huge Deal Even before Iran had announced the selection of its new Supreme Leader, President Trump and Israel had said they were intending to assassinate whoever it was - unless Trump was involved in the selection. It's a breathtaking statement of imperial ambition - and one that has not been revised after the revealing of Mojtaba Khamenei as that leader. It's also a major breach of the last 400 years of statecraft. This is not a new norm the world wants to set, and yet who is really standing up to defend the old order? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 9 Mar 2026 23:50:08 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Even before Iran had announced the selection of its new Supreme Leader, President Trump and Israel had said they were intending to assassinate whoever it was - unless Trump was involved in the selection. It's a breathtaking statement of imperial ambition - and one that has not been revised after the revealing of Mojtaba Khamenei as that leader. It's also a major breach of the last 400 years of statecraft. This is not a new norm the world wants to set, and yet who is really standing up to defend the old order? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump's Iran Assassination Threats Are A Huge Deal Mallen Baker 00:15:28 Even before Iran had announced the selection of its new Supreme Leader, President Trump and Israel had said they were intending to assassinate whoever it was - unless Trump was involved in the selection. It's a breathtaking statement of imperial ambition - and one that has not been revised after the revealing of Mojtaba Khamenei as that leader. It's also a major breach of the last 400 years of statecraft. This is not a new norm the world wants to set, and yet who is really standing up to defend the old order? Let's discuss. Even before Iran had announced the selection of its new Supreme Leader, President Trump and Israel had said they were intending to assassinate whoever it was - unless Trump was involved in the selection. It's a breathtaking statement of imperial ambition - and one that has not been revised after the revealing of Mojtaba Khamenei as that leader. It's also a major breach of the last 400 years of statecraft. This is not a new norm the world wants to set, and yet who is really standing up to defend the old order? Let's discuss. false full 529 0f1008d3-d36a-48e1-900b-455971c4e689 China's Five Lessons From Trump's Iran War Xi Jinping's China sees itself as the rising primary power in the world, soon to take over from the fading old empire of the United States. But it knows its new, rapidly growing military, is untested, and may remain so up until it gets called into action over Taiwan. So it has been taking a very keen interest in President Donald Trump's war in Iran, and took the unusual step of releasing five of the key lessons they have learned from doing so. They are real points, and quite instructive, so let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 8 Mar 2026 22:17:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Xi Jinping's China sees itself as the rising primary power in the world, soon to take over from the fading old empire of the United States. But it knows its new, rapidly growing military, is untested, and may remain so up until it gets called into action over Taiwan. So it has been taking a very keen interest in President Donald Trump's war in Iran, and took the unusual step of releasing five of the key lessons they have learned from doing so. They are real points, and quite instructive, so let's discuss.

]]> China's Five Lessons From Trump's Iran War Mallen Baker 00:18:59 Xi Jinping's China sees itself as the rising primary power in the world, soon to take over from the fading old empire of the United States. But it knows its new, rapidly growing military, is untested, and may remain so up until it gets called into action over Taiwan. So it has been taking a very keen interest in President Donald Trump's war in Iran, and took the unusual step of releasing five of the key lessons they have learned from doing so. They are real points, and quite instructive, so let's discuss. Xi Jinping's China sees itself as the rising primary power in the world, soon to take over from the fading old empire of the United States. But it knows its new, rapidly growing military, is untested, and may remain so up until it gets called into action over Taiwan. So it has been taking a very keen interest in President Donald Trump's war in Iran, and took the unusual step of releasing five of the key lessons they have learned from doing so. They are real points, and quite instructive, so let's discuss. false full 528 daed060b-5616-4143-8846-49c7b8285c3c Kristi Noem Is Fired - For Making Trump Look Bad | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 6th 2026. The first of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries to be fired is Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump declares that he will only accept Unconditional Surrender from Iran, but don't worry - it's not REALLY a war. We discuss something you may not have noticed, sparked by the appearance of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. And Anthropic is officially designated a risk to national security - and yet Claude is now number one in the Apple app store.

]]> Fri, 6 Mar 2026 23:54:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 6th 2026. The first of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries to be fired is Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump declares that he will only accept Unconditional Surrender from Iran, but don't worry - it's not REALLY a war. We discuss something you may not have noticed, sparked by the appearance of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. And Anthropic is officially designated a risk to national security - and yet Claude is now number one in the Apple app store.

]]> Kristi Noem Is Fired - For Making Trump Look Bad | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:22:36 In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 6th 2026. The first of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries to be fired is Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump declares that he will only accept Unconditional Surrender from Iran, but don't worry - it's not REALLY a war. We discuss something you may not have noticed, sparked by the appearance of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. And Anthropic is officially designated a risk to national security - and yet Claude is now number one in the Apple app store. In this news round-up of the week for Friday March 6th 2026. The first of Trump's Cabinet Secretaries to be fired is Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Trump declares that he will only accept Unconditional Surrender from Iran, but don't worry - it's not REALLY a war. We discuss something you may not have noticed, sparked by the appearance of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz in the Oval Office. And Anthropic is officially designated a risk to national security - and yet Claude is now number one in the Apple app store. false full 527 604558dd-96a8-4cd0-8631-4fc4881f34d8 Spain Doesn't Mince Words About Trump's Illegal War Most of the international community know that President Donald Trump's war on Iran, having been launched without any sort of imminent threat, having been focused on assassinating all the leadership of the regime, is illegal under international law. Hence why they have not been queueing up to take part in the offensive operations. But so far, they have mostly been muted in their criticism. Step forward Pedro Sanchez, prime minister of Spain, who has been extremely forthright in his condemnation of the action, and robust in the face of threats from Trump about sanctions that may be brought to bear against Spain as a result. First there was Mark Carney, now Pedro Sanchez. Is this the start of a trend? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 6 Mar 2026 00:19:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Most of the international community know that President Donald Trump's war on Iran, having been launched without any sort of imminent threat, having been focused on assassinating all the leadership of the regime, is illegal under international law. Hence why they have not been queueing up to take part in the offensive operations. But so far, they have mostly been muted in their criticism. Step forward Pedro Sanchez, prime minister of Spain, who has been extremely forthright in his condemnation of the action, and robust in the face of threats from Trump about sanctions that may be brought to bear against Spain as a result. First there was Mark Carney, now Pedro Sanchez. Is this the start of a trend? Let's discuss.

]]> Spain Doesn't Mince Words About Trump's Illegal War Mallen Baker 00:11:37 Most of the international community know that President Donald Trump's war on Iran, having been launched without any sort of imminent threat, having been focused on assassinating all the leadership of the regime, is illegal under international law. Hence why they have not been queueing up to take part in the offensive operations. But so far, they have mostly been muted in their criticism. Step forward Pedro Sanchez, prime minister of Spain, who has been extremely forthright in his condemnation of the action, and robust in the face of threats from Trump about sanctions that may be brought to bear against Spain as a result. First there was Mark Carney, now Pedro Sanchez. Is this the start of a trend? Let's discuss. Most of the international community know that President Donald Trump's war on Iran, having been launched without any sort of imminent threat, having been focused on assassinating all the leadership of the regime, is illegal under international law. Hence why they have not been queueing up to take part in the offensive operations. But so far, they have mostly been muted in their criticism. Step forward Pedro Sanchez, prime minister of Spain, who has been extremely forthright in his condemnation of the action, and robust in the face of threats from Trump about sanctions that may be brought to bear against Spain as a result. First there was Mark Carney, now Pedro Sanchez. Is this the start of a trend? Let's discuss. false full 526 714f940f-31a7-4647-a552-a001eb3d0697 Trump's Leaked Plot to Take Over Elections Exposed President Donald Trump has muttered darkly about the need to take federal control of the mid-term elections. And now, the evidence suggests that his team has a plan for how to do it - how to take control, and you have to presume to seek to get the outcome that he desires. This is the key pivot point for American democracy - because this will either be the moment that shocks America awake to its democratic backsliding - or it chooses not to engage, and accepts the end destination of elective autocracy. Let's discuss. While we still can.

]]> Thu, 5 Mar 2026 00:40:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Donald Trump has muttered darkly about the need to take federal control of the mid-term elections. And now, the evidence suggests that his team has a plan for how to do it - how to take control, and you have to presume to seek to get the outcome that he desires. This is the key pivot point for American democracy - because this will either be the moment that shocks America awake to its democratic backsliding - or it chooses not to engage, and accepts the end destination of elective autocracy. Let's discuss. While we still can.

]]> Trump's Leaked Plot to Take Over Elections Exposed Mallen Baker 00:17:17 President Donald Trump has muttered darkly about the need to take federal control of the mid-term elections. And now, the evidence suggests that his team has a plan for how to do it - how to take control, and you have to presume to seek to get the outcome that he desires. This is the key pivot point for American democracy - because this will either be the moment that shocks America awake to its democratic backsliding - or it chooses not to engage, and accepts the end destination of elective autocracy. Let's discuss. While we still can. President Donald Trump has muttered darkly about the need to take federal control of the mid-term elections. And now, the evidence suggests that his team has a plan for how to do it - how to take control, and you have to presume to seek to get the outcome that he desires. This is the key pivot point for American democracy - because this will either be the moment that shocks America awake to its democratic backsliding - or it chooses not to engage, and accepts the end destination of elective autocracy. Let's discuss. While we still can. false full 525 8ff68d20-3379-4b40-9d26-42ebccedab3a Total IDIOTS Are Leading America’s War In Iran War is a serious business. You would hope. But since President Donald Trump announced the start of the war against Iran, the US conduct has been typified by constantly changing commentary on why the war was started, and what its objectives are, constant lying about various details, and nothing that suggests that the mortal danger created for American servicemen and Iranian civilians is being created with any sort of care and attention. Indeed, it could best be described as a clown show. If the US soldiers are lions, then they truly are being led by donkeys. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 4 Mar 2026 00:17:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast War is a serious business. You would hope. But since President Donald Trump announced the start of the war against Iran, the US conduct has been typified by constantly changing commentary on why the war was started, and what its objectives are, constant lying about various details, and nothing that suggests that the mortal danger created for American servicemen and Iranian civilians is being created with any sort of care and attention. Indeed, it could best be described as a clown show. If the US soldiers are lions, then they truly are being led by donkeys. Let's discuss.

]]> Total IDIOTS Are Leading America’s War In Iran Mallen Baker 00:17:01 War is a serious business. You would hope. But since President Donald Trump announced the start of the war against Iran, the US conduct has been typified by constantly changing commentary on why the war was started, and what its objectives are, constant lying about various details, and nothing that suggests that the mortal danger created for American servicemen and Iranian civilians is being created with any sort of care and attention. Indeed, it could best be described as a clown show. If the US soldiers are lions, then they truly are being led by donkeys. Let's discuss. War is a serious business. You would hope. But since President Donald Trump announced the start of the war against Iran, the US conduct has been typified by constantly changing commentary on why the war was started, and what its objectives are, constant lying about various details, and nothing that suggests that the mortal danger created for American servicemen and Iranian civilians is being created with any sort of care and attention. Indeed, it could best be described as a clown show. If the US soldiers are lions, then they truly are being led by donkeys. Let's discuss. false full 524 6a008131-9a9f-47f2-9d35-87b4e7fe81ea Trump Just Demolished 80 Years of Global Order There are seven ways that President Donald Trump has broken, or significantly altered, the US system, and the global political or economic system. Ways that mean that, when he has finally left office, the world will still remain a very different place to how it was when he most recently found it. Let's look at each of those seven ways, along with the two that either are not yet broken, or might yet still be retrievable. And we'll reflect on why none of this should be the end of focus and hope for the future. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 2 Mar 2026 22:44:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast There are seven ways that President Donald Trump has broken, or significantly altered, the US system, and the global political or economic system. Ways that mean that, when he has finally left office, the world will still remain a very different place to how it was when he most recently found it. Let's look at each of those seven ways, along with the two that either are not yet broken, or might yet still be retrievable. And we'll reflect on why none of this should be the end of focus and hope for the future. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Just Demolished 80 Years of Global Order Mallen Baker 00:17:43 There are seven ways that President Donald Trump has broken, or significantly altered, the US system, and the global political or economic system. Ways that mean that, when he has finally left office, the world will still remain a very different place to how it was when he most recently found it. Let's look at each of those seven ways, along with the two that either are not yet broken, or might yet still be retrievable. And we'll reflect on why none of this should be the end of focus and hope for the future. Let's discuss. There are seven ways that President Donald Trump has broken, or significantly altered, the US system, and the global political or economic system. Ways that mean that, when he has finally left office, the world will still remain a very different place to how it was when he most recently found it. Let's look at each of those seven ways, along with the two that either are not yet broken, or might yet still be retrievable. And we'll reflect on why none of this should be the end of focus and hope for the future. Let's discuss. false full 523 e041195a-e34d-4403-a0b0-36418b0a50be Trump Getting A Taste For War Is Not Going To End Well President Trump has declared war - not a special military operation, not an in-and-out abduction. A full-on offensive assault with the stated goal of regime change. The assault has targeted the country's senior leadership, has been accompanied by calls to the people to rise up and depose their government. And the argument has been that this is okay because the regime is genuinely deplorable and deserves to fall. And yet, Donald Trump and his bizarre collection of loyalists is the very definition of someone you would not entrust to such a venture. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 1 Mar 2026 22:54:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has declared war - not a special military operation, not an in-and-out abduction. A full-on offensive assault with the stated goal of regime change. The assault has targeted the country's senior leadership, has been accompanied by calls to the people to rise up and depose their government. And the argument has been that this is okay because the regime is genuinely deplorable and deserves to fall. And yet, Donald Trump and his bizarre collection of loyalists is the very definition of someone you would not entrust to such a venture. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Getting A Taste For War Is Not Going To End Well Mallen Baker 00:18:29 President Trump has declared war - not a special military operation, not an in-and-out abduction. A full-on offensive assault with the stated goal of regime change. The assault has targeted the country's senior leadership, has been accompanied by calls to the people to rise up and depose their government. And the argument has been that this is okay because the regime is genuinely deplorable and deserves to fall. And yet, Donald Trump and his bizarre collection of loyalists is the very definition of someone you would not entrust to such a venture. Let's discuss. President Trump has declared war - not a special military operation, not an in-and-out abduction. A full-on offensive assault with the stated goal of regime change. The assault has targeted the country's senior leadership, has been accompanied by calls to the people to rise up and depose their government. And the argument has been that this is okay because the regime is genuinely deplorable and deserves to fall. And yet, Donald Trump and his bizarre collection of loyalists is the very definition of someone you would not entrust to such a venture. Let's discuss. false full 522 0e3add6e-aa5f-46d7-b3c1-d938903cd79b Anthropic Stands Up To Trump Despite The Cost | News Round-Up In this news round-up for the week of 27 February 2026: If 2025 was about corporate cowardice and capitulation to the Trump revolution, 2026 is seeing more and more standing up to the bullying. So the AI company Anthropic - threatened with massive sanction by the Pete Hegseth's Pentagon - has regardless refused to give it the right to use its models for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Netflix publicly defied President Trump over a board member not to his liking because, and walked away from a major merger deal after meeting the White House. And Nearly two thousand companies are looking for payback from Trump for his illegal tariffs, suing the government for refunds that it doesn't want to give, following the Supreme Court reversal. But are Trump's new tariffs similarly doomed to failure in the courts?

]]> Fri, 27 Feb 2026 23:08:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up for the week of 27 February 2026: If 2025 was about corporate cowardice and capitulation to the Trump revolution, 2026 is seeing more and more standing up to the bullying. So the AI company Anthropic - threatened with massive sanction by the Pete Hegseth's Pentagon - has regardless refused to give it the right to use its models for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Netflix publicly defied President Trump over a board member not to his liking because, and walked away from a major merger deal after meeting the White House. And Nearly two thousand companies are looking for payback from Trump for his illegal tariffs, suing the government for refunds that it doesn't want to give, following the Supreme Court reversal. But are Trump's new tariffs similarly doomed to failure in the courts?

]]> Anthropic Stands Up To Trump Despite The Cost | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:21:44 In this news round-up for the week of 27 February 2026: If 2025 was about corporate cowardice and capitulation to the Trump revolution, 2026 is seeing more and more standing up to the bullying. So the AI company Anthropic - threatened with massive sanction by the Pete Hegseth's Pentagon - has regardless refused to give it the right to use its models for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Netflix publicly defied President Trump over a board member not to his liking because, and walked away from a major merger deal after meeting the White House. And Nearly two thousand companies are looking for payback from Trump for his illegal tariffs, suing the government for refunds that it doesn't want to give, following the Supreme Court reversal. But are Trump's new tariffs similarly doomed to failure in the courts? In this news round-up for the week of 27 February 2026: If 2025 was about corporate cowardice and capitulation to the Trump revolution, 2026 is seeing more and more standing up to the bullying. So the AI company Anthropic - threatened with massive sanction by the Pete Hegseth's Pentagon - has regardless refused to give it the right to use its models for mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. Netflix publicly defied President Trump over a board member not to his liking because, and walked away from a major merger deal after meeting the White House. And Nearly two thousand companies are looking for payback from Trump for his illegal tariffs, suing the government for refunds that it doesn't want to give, following the Supreme Court reversal. But are Trump's new tariffs similarly doomed to failure in the courts? false full 521 37b1c430-1704-44d6-a31f-e9a4ee5f61bc Epstein Files And The Massive Gap In Accountability Today saw Hillary Clinton being quizzed in Congress about the man she never met, while President Trump, who is all over the files, faces no such pressure. We have news that certain key files, including testimony about Trump's alleged wrongdoing, is being withheld by the Department of Justice. Meanwhile, across Europe, real people are feeling much more robust repercussions for their own part in one of the worst scandals in modern history. Why is it one way in the US, and another way elsewhere? And what happens next? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 26 Feb 2026 22:58:33 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Today saw Hillary Clinton being quizzed in Congress about the man she never met, while President Trump, who is all over the files, faces no such pressure. We have news that certain key files, including testimony about Trump's alleged wrongdoing, is being withheld by the Department of Justice. Meanwhile, across Europe, real people are feeling much more robust repercussions for their own part in one of the worst scandals in modern history. Why is it one way in the US, and another way elsewhere? And what happens next? Let's discuss.

]]> Epstein Files And The Massive Gap In Accountability Mallen Baker 00:18:06 Today saw Hillary Clinton being quizzed in Congress about the man she never met, while President Trump, who is all over the files, faces no such pressure. We have news that certain key files, including testimony about Trump's alleged wrongdoing, is being withheld by the Department of Justice. Meanwhile, across Europe, real people are feeling much more robust repercussions for their own part in one of the worst scandals in modern history. Why is it one way in the US, and another way elsewhere? And what happens next? Let's discuss. Today saw Hillary Clinton being quizzed in Congress about the man she never met, while President Trump, who is all over the files, faces no such pressure. We have news that certain key files, including testimony about Trump's alleged wrongdoing, is being withheld by the Department of Justice. Meanwhile, across Europe, real people are feeling much more robust repercussions for their own part in one of the worst scandals in modern history. Why is it one way in the US, and another way elsewhere? And what happens next? Let's discuss. false full 520 3afc75d3-6b95-461b-9687-656b9025a90c Trump Flailing And FURIOUS On His Way To State Of Union Trump promised that the State of the Union address 2026 would be 'long, because there's lots to talk about'. Some of that talk is likely to be peevish, complaining, even angry. After all, having started the year on a high, it's been pretty much a massive slog ever since. And especially with the huge setback on tariffs, that we have to pretend wasn't a setback at all, and the uncomfortable fact that having marched the US navy to Iran, he doesn't quite know what he wants them to do while they're there. And all his party wants him to talk about is the economy and the cost of living. Good luck with that.

]]> Tue, 24 Feb 2026 22:39:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump promised that the State of the Union address 2026 would be 'long, because there's lots to talk about'. Some of that talk is likely to be peevish, complaining, even angry. After all, having started the year on a high, it's been pretty much a massive slog ever since. And especially with the huge setback on tariffs, that we have to pretend wasn't a setback at all, and the uncomfortable fact that having marched the US navy to Iran, he doesn't quite know what he wants them to do while they're there. And all his party wants him to talk about is the economy and the cost of living. Good luck with that.

]]> Trump Flailing And FURIOUS On His Way To State Of Union Mallen Baker 00:14:41 Trump promised that the State of the Union address 2026 would be 'long, because there's lots to talk about'. Some of that talk is likely to be peevish, complaining, even angry. After all, having started the year on a high, it's been pretty much a massive slog ever since. And especially with the huge setback on tariffs, that we have to pretend wasn't a setback at all, and the uncomfortable fact that having marched the US navy to Iran, he doesn't quite know what he wants them to do while they're there. And all his party wants him to talk about is the economy and the cost of living. Good luck with that. Trump promised that the State of the Union address 2026 would be 'long, because there's lots to talk about'. Some of that talk is likely to be peevish, complaining, even angry. After all, having started the year on a high, it's been pretty much a massive slog ever since. And especially with the huge setback on tariffs, that we have to pretend wasn't a setback at all, and the uncomfortable fact that having marched the US navy to Iran, he doesn't quite know what he wants them to do while they're there. And all his party wants him to talk about is the economy and the cost of living. Good luck with that. false full 518 e4319d42-dc7c-47c3-9def-cc703e681232 Trump’s Most Absurd Greenland Gambit - What’s Really Going On In (yet another) moment of the truly surreal, President Trump announced this weekend that he is sending a hospital ship to Greenland to help with all the people getting sick there who are being left untreated. Which is odd, since that's not happening. It seems, on its face, to be the world's clumsiest attempt to curry favour with a people who you've literally just united against you by threatening to take them over by force. So what's going on? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 22 Feb 2026 20:18:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In (yet another) moment of the truly surreal, President Trump announced this weekend that he is sending a hospital ship to Greenland to help with all the people getting sick there who are being left untreated. Which is odd, since that's not happening. It seems, on its face, to be the world's clumsiest attempt to curry favour with a people who you've literally just united against you by threatening to take them over by force. So what's going on? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Most Absurd Greenland Gambit - What’s Really Going On Mallen Baker 00:09:13 In (yet another) moment of the truly surreal, President Trump announced this weekend that he is sending a hospital ship to Greenland to help with all the people getting sick there who are being left untreated. Which is odd, since that's not happening. It seems, on its face, to be the world's clumsiest attempt to curry favour with a people who you've literally just united against you by threatening to take them over by force. So what's going on? Let's discuss. In (yet another) moment of the truly surreal, President Trump announced this weekend that he is sending a hospital ship to Greenland to help with all the people getting sick there who are being left untreated. Which is odd, since that's not happening. It seems, on its face, to be the world's clumsiest attempt to curry favour with a people who you've literally just united against you by threatening to take them over by force. So what's going on? Let's discuss. false full 517 929e33c8-fd97-4cc0-8d81-1bb41cd246e7 Supreme Court Hands Trump His Biggest Defeat Yet | News Round-Up In this news roundup of the week for Friday February 20th 2026. The Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's emergency tariffs in the single biggest setback since he started his second term. We discover exactly why Trump flip-flopped yet again on the UK transferring ownership of the Chagos islands. And Trump makes a dramatic new announcement - about aliens.

]]> Fri, 20 Feb 2026 20:00:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news roundup of the week for Friday February 20th 2026. The Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's emergency tariffs in the single biggest setback since he started his second term. We discover exactly why Trump flip-flopped yet again on the UK transferring ownership of the Chagos islands. And Trump makes a dramatic new announcement - about aliens.

]]> Supreme Court Hands Trump His Biggest Defeat Yet | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:13:46 In this news roundup of the week for Friday February 20th 2026. The Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's emergency tariffs in the single biggest setback since he started his second term. We discover exactly why Trump flip-flopped yet again on the UK transferring ownership of the Chagos islands. And Trump makes a dramatic new announcement - about aliens. In this news roundup of the week for Friday February 20th 2026. The Supreme Court strikes down President Trump's emergency tariffs in the single biggest setback since he started his second term. We discover exactly why Trump flip-flopped yet again on the UK transferring ownership of the Chagos islands. And Trump makes a dramatic new announcement - about aliens. false full 516 974ac6af-366f-431c-8e13-26996bf359c4 How Trump’s Autocrats Club Is Looking To Profit From Peace Trump's Board of Peace had its first meeting today, and it was pretty much what you would have expected. Lots of praise for Trump, lots of big promises for the great future ahead of Gaza with all the development that will be coming - and relatively little attention to the tricky obstacle that none of it can happen until Hamas agrees to disarm, which they show little inclination to do. And while Trump and the assembled mostly-autocrats wax lyrical on peace, Trump is pondering the options for launching a military strike against Iran. Because that's what 'Peace Presidents' do in 2026. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:31:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's Board of Peace had its first meeting today, and it was pretty much what you would have expected. Lots of praise for Trump, lots of big promises for the great future ahead of Gaza with all the development that will be coming - and relatively little attention to the tricky obstacle that none of it can happen until Hamas agrees to disarm, which they show little inclination to do. And while Trump and the assembled mostly-autocrats wax lyrical on peace, Trump is pondering the options for launching a military strike against Iran. Because that's what 'Peace Presidents' do in 2026. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump’s Autocrats Club Is Looking To Profit From Peace Mallen Baker 00:11:57 Trump's Board of Peace had its first meeting today, and it was pretty much what you would have expected. Lots of praise for Trump, lots of big promises for the great future ahead of Gaza with all the development that will be coming - and relatively little attention to the tricky obstacle that none of it can happen until Hamas agrees to disarm, which they show little inclination to do. And while Trump and the assembled mostly-autocrats wax lyrical on peace, Trump is pondering the options for launching a military strike against Iran. Because that's what 'Peace Presidents' do in 2026. Let's discuss. Trump's Board of Peace had its first meeting today, and it was pretty much what you would have expected. Lots of praise for Trump, lots of big promises for the great future ahead of Gaza with all the development that will be coming - and relatively little attention to the tricky obstacle that none of it can happen until Hamas agrees to disarm, which they show little inclination to do. And while Trump and the assembled mostly-autocrats wax lyrical on peace, Trump is pondering the options for launching a military strike against Iran. Because that's what 'Peace Presidents' do in 2026. Let's discuss. false full 515 ca679ab2-03fb-4e69-a8b5-7f202953283d Three Ways Reality Is Smacking Trump In The Face It would be entirely possible for President Trump, or A.N.Other autocrat, to seek to dismantle the guardrails of democracy in their country and all the rest of it, while still keeping a firm grasp of what is, or isn't reality, and dealing with it as needed. But that is not the current way, because Trump is determined to believe only his own version of reality, even when that is massively and easily contradicted by facts and events. The trouble is that if you insist on flying in the face of reality, it will often not end well. Let's look at the three biggest areas where the Trump operation is struggling and / or will inevitably struggle in the future, because that pesky reality thing just isn't going to do his bidding.

]]> Tue, 17 Feb 2026 22:09:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It would be entirely possible for President Trump, or A.N.Other autocrat, to seek to dismantle the guardrails of democracy in their country and all the rest of it, while still keeping a firm grasp of what is, or isn't reality, and dealing with it as needed. But that is not the current way, because Trump is determined to believe only his own version of reality, even when that is massively and easily contradicted by facts and events. The trouble is that if you insist on flying in the face of reality, it will often not end well. Let's look at the three biggest areas where the Trump operation is struggling and / or will inevitably struggle in the future, because that pesky reality thing just isn't going to do his bidding.

]]> Three Ways Reality Is Smacking Trump In The Face Mallen Baker 00:13:01 It would be entirely possible for President Trump, or A.N.Other autocrat, to seek to dismantle the guardrails of democracy in their country and all the rest of it, while still keeping a firm grasp of what is, or isn't reality, and dealing with it as needed. But that is not the current way, because Trump is determined to believe only his own version of reality, even when that is massively and easily contradicted by facts and events. The trouble is that if you insist on flying in the face of reality, it will often not end well. Let's look at the three biggest areas where the Trump operation is struggling and / or will inevitably struggle in the future, because that pesky reality thing just isn't going to do his bidding. It would be entirely possible for President Trump, or A.N.Other autocrat, to seek to dismantle the guardrails of democracy in their country and all the rest of it, while still keeping a firm grasp of what is, or isn't reality, and dealing with it as needed. But that is not the current way, because Trump is determined to believe only his own version of reality, even when that is massively and easily contradicted by facts and events. The trouble is that if you insist on flying in the face of reality, it will often not end well. Let's look at the three biggest areas where the Trump operation is struggling and / or will inevitably struggle in the future, because that pesky reality thing just isn't going to do his bidding. false full 514 ab579626-cf6a-4bea-b39b-e2746eabd394 'Presidential' Rubio Demands Europe Falls In Line With Trump Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, and he made probably the most cogent and professional speech on behalf of the MAGA world view we've heard. Unfortunately, the sentiments it expressed stood in stark contrast to the words of his boss and the actions of the administration - a fact that was not lost on his audience. But the quality of the speech, and the way he handled the occasion, has some chattering with renewed vigour about the possibility of a Rubio presidential candidacy for 2028. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 16 Feb 2026 00:05:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, and he made probably the most cogent and professional speech on behalf of the MAGA world view we've heard. Unfortunately, the sentiments it expressed stood in stark contrast to the words of his boss and the actions of the administration - a fact that was not lost on his audience. But the quality of the speech, and the way he handled the occasion, has some chattering with renewed vigour about the possibility of a Rubio presidential candidacy for 2028. Let's discuss.

]]> 'Presidential' Rubio Demands Europe Falls In Line With Trump Mallen Baker 00:14:04 Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, and he made probably the most cogent and professional speech on behalf of the MAGA world view we've heard. Unfortunately, the sentiments it expressed stood in stark contrast to the words of his boss and the actions of the administration - a fact that was not lost on his audience. But the quality of the speech, and the way he handled the occasion, has some chattering with renewed vigour about the possibility of a Rubio presidential candidacy for 2028. Let's discuss. Trump's Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke this weekend at the Munich Security Conference, and he made probably the most cogent and professional speech on behalf of the MAGA world view we've heard. Unfortunately, the sentiments it expressed stood in stark contrast to the words of his boss and the actions of the administration - a fact that was not lost on his audience. But the quality of the speech, and the way he handled the occasion, has some chattering with renewed vigour about the possibility of a Rubio presidential candidacy for 2028. Let's discuss. false full 513 2c6b4fdc-af9c-4b69-9b26-2f487fa4d6eb Will The Epstein Class Be Trump's Downfall? | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 13th 2026. As the Epstein Files revelations have continued to appear, the talk has turned to just how far-reaching the so-called Epstein Class has turned out to be - and it's feeding a real push for messaging around the midterm elections. The Trump administration abolishes the basis for most climate regulation in America. And Trump is staring Iran in the face, with his naval armada at his back, and yet it seems likely he will be the one to blink first.

]]> Sat, 14 Feb 2026 01:39:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 13th 2026. As the Epstein Files revelations have continued to appear, the talk has turned to just how far-reaching the so-called Epstein Class has turned out to be - and it's feeding a real push for messaging around the midterm elections. The Trump administration abolishes the basis for most climate regulation in America. And Trump is staring Iran in the face, with his naval armada at his back, and yet it seems likely he will be the one to blink first.

]]> Will The Epstein Class Be Trump's Downfall? | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:24:51 In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 13th 2026. As the Epstein Files revelations have continued to appear, the talk has turned to just how far-reaching the so-called Epstein Class has turned out to be - and it's feeding a real push for messaging around the midterm elections. The Trump administration abolishes the basis for most climate regulation in America. And Trump is staring Iran in the face, with his naval armada at his back, and yet it seems likely he will be the one to blink first. In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 13th 2026. As the Epstein Files revelations have continued to appear, the talk has turned to just how far-reaching the so-called Epstein Class has turned out to be - and it's feeding a real push for messaging around the midterm elections. The Trump administration abolishes the basis for most climate regulation in America. And Trump is staring Iran in the face, with his naval armada at his back, and yet it seems likely he will be the one to blink first. false full 512 334adfe2-131f-4573-9053-2140ec8681e4 NATO Heads To Greenland - It's NOT About Russia Or China As the Munich Security Conference kicks off this year - the same one that was made famous last year thank's to JD Vance's speech telling Europeans to shape up - NATO is conducting exercises in Greenland. The official story is that this is all about reassuring US President Trump that the country is defended against the nefarious Russians and Chinese. But it is obviously widely understood that it's not about REASSURING Trump, but more about deterring him. This comes as several scenario planning exercises suggest that NATO would crumble quickly in contact with a Russian incursion - thanks to Trump's unlikeliness to stand by America's Article 5 commitment. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 12 Feb 2026 19:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As the Munich Security Conference kicks off this year - the same one that was made famous last year thank's to JD Vance's speech telling Europeans to shape up - NATO is conducting exercises in Greenland. The official story is that this is all about reassuring US President Trump that the country is defended against the nefarious Russians and Chinese. But it is obviously widely understood that it's not about REASSURING Trump, but more about deterring him. This comes as several scenario planning exercises suggest that NATO would crumble quickly in contact with a Russian incursion - thanks to Trump's unlikeliness to stand by America's Article 5 commitment. Let's discuss.

]]> NATO Heads To Greenland - It's NOT About Russia Or China Mallen Baker 00:09:00 As the Munich Security Conference kicks off this year - the same one that was made famous last year thank's to JD Vance's speech telling Europeans to shape up - NATO is conducting exercises in Greenland. The official story is that this is all about reassuring US President Trump that the country is defended against the nefarious Russians and Chinese. But it is obviously widely understood that it's not about REASSURING Trump, but more about deterring him. This comes as several scenario planning exercises suggest that NATO would crumble quickly in contact with a Russian incursion - thanks to Trump's unlikeliness to stand by America's Article 5 commitment. Let's discuss. As the Munich Security Conference kicks off this year - the same one that was made famous last year thank's to JD Vance's speech telling Europeans to shape up - NATO is conducting exercises in Greenland. The official story is that this is all about reassuring US President Trump that the country is defended against the nefarious Russians and Chinese. But it is obviously widely understood that it's not about REASSURING Trump, but more about deterring him. This comes as several scenario planning exercises suggest that NATO would crumble quickly in contact with a Russian incursion - thanks to Trump's unlikeliness to stand by America's Article 5 commitment. Let's discuss. false full 511 83e5c7de-78b4-4a44-b4a8-15ceb06bc4bc Trump's Latest Canada Attack - It's Not About The Bridge President Trump has attacked Canada again, and this time said that he will prevent the opening of a new bridge between the two countries. And this is ostensibly because of a long list of supposed grievances, up to and including something about China banning ice hockey. But the real story is more prosaic, and one that seems unlikely to go away any time soon. As much to do with the quiet but determined role prime minister Mark Carney has played in reflecting reality in his recent speeches, and the fact that Canada refused to bow down to Trump in order to get a supposed trade deal. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 11 Feb 2026 00:27:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has attacked Canada again, and this time said that he will prevent the opening of a new bridge between the two countries. And this is ostensibly because of a long list of supposed grievances, up to and including something about China banning ice hockey. But the real story is more prosaic, and one that seems unlikely to go away any time soon. As much to do with the quiet but determined role prime minister Mark Carney has played in reflecting reality in his recent speeches, and the fact that Canada refused to bow down to Trump in order to get a supposed trade deal. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Latest Canada Attack - It's Not About The Bridge Mallen Baker 00:09:59 President Trump has attacked Canada again, and this time said that he will prevent the opening of a new bridge between the two countries. And this is ostensibly because of a long list of supposed grievances, up to and including something about China banning ice hockey. But the real story is more prosaic, and one that seems unlikely to go away any time soon. As much to do with the quiet but determined role prime minister Mark Carney has played in reflecting reality in his recent speeches, and the fact that Canada refused to bow down to Trump in order to get a supposed trade deal. Let's discuss. President Trump has attacked Canada again, and this time said that he will prevent the opening of a new bridge between the two countries. And this is ostensibly because of a long list of supposed grievances, up to and including something about China banning ice hockey. But the real story is more prosaic, and one that seems unlikely to go away any time soon. As much to do with the quiet but determined role prime minister Mark Carney has played in reflecting reality in his recent speeches, and the fact that Canada refused to bow down to Trump in order to get a supposed trade deal. Let's discuss. false full 510 c6d7e330-caf4-42a3-b561-449953fd12d9 How Europe Is Fighting Back Against Trump's America Greenland was the pivotal moment. Before then, appeasement was the only game in town. But now, Europeans are increasingly joining Canadians in resisting Trump's America in the ways that are available to them, and governments are frantically seeking to reduce their exposure, and to "derisk" their integration, with the US economy. This is going to take time, but it's worth noting some of the ways that we can see this taking place. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 9 Feb 2026 20:15:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Greenland was the pivotal moment. Before then, appeasement was the only game in town. But now, Europeans are increasingly joining Canadians in resisting Trump's America in the ways that are available to them, and governments are frantically seeking to reduce their exposure, and to "derisk" their integration, with the US economy. This is going to take time, but it's worth noting some of the ways that we can see this taking place. Let's discuss.

]]> How Europe Is Fighting Back Against Trump's America Mallen Baker 00:12:45 Greenland was the pivotal moment. Before then, appeasement was the only game in town. But now, Europeans are increasingly joining Canadians in resisting Trump's America in the ways that are available to them, and governments are frantically seeking to reduce their exposure, and to "derisk" their integration, with the US economy. This is going to take time, but it's worth noting some of the ways that we can see this taking place. Let's discuss. Greenland was the pivotal moment. Before then, appeasement was the only game in town. But now, Europeans are increasingly joining Canadians in resisting Trump's America in the ways that are available to them, and governments are frantically seeking to reduce their exposure, and to "derisk" their integration, with the US economy. This is going to take time, but it's worth noting some of the ways that we can see this taking place. Let's discuss. false full 509 a09794c1-ffea-48ac-aac1-155aedda854f Trump’s Mid-Term Election Plot Is Getting Clearer | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 6th 2026, President Trump is getting very focused on the mid-term elections. We discuss what that’s likely to mean. And because he likes to share the love, the Trump state department Is allocating pots of cash for subverting European democracy - Or ‘spreading American values’ as they describe it. And bad news if you’re fed up of hearing about Trump, because If he has his way, just about every damn thing is going to be named after him. Or else. Also, I reply to a viewer question.

]]> Sat, 7 Feb 2026 00:17:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 6th 2026, President Trump is getting very focused on the mid-term elections. We discuss what that’s likely to mean. And because he likes to share the love, the Trump state department Is allocating pots of cash for subverting European democracy - Or ‘spreading American values’ as they describe it. And bad news if you’re fed up of hearing about Trump, because If he has his way, just about every damn thing is going to be named after him. Or else. Also, I reply to a viewer question.

]]> Trump’s Mid-Term Election Plot Is Getting Clearer | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:26:35 In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 6th 2026, President Trump is getting very focused on the mid-term elections. We discuss what that’s likely to mean. And because he likes to share the love, the Trump state department Is allocating pots of cash for subverting European democracy - Or ‘spreading American values’ as they describe it. And bad news if you’re fed up of hearing about Trump, because If he has his way, just about every damn thing is going to be named after him. Or else. Also, I reply to a viewer question. In this news round-up of the week for Friday February 6th 2026, President Trump is getting very focused on the mid-term elections. We discuss what that’s likely to mean. And because he likes to share the love, the Trump state department Is allocating pots of cash for subverting European democracy - Or ‘spreading American values’ as they describe it. And bad news if you’re fed up of hearing about Trump, because If he has his way, just about every damn thing is going to be named after him. Or else. Also, I reply to a viewer question. false full 508 9542c765-79a7-467a-bd5f-8f9b95c5ab6c Epstein Scandal Threatens To Bring Down Britain’s Keir Starmer Out of all the names that have come out in the latest massive tranche of Epstein files, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, and all the others - not one of them are that of Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer. And yet, right now he is seriously at risk of the scandal sinking his premiership as many of his own MPs turn against him. And it all comes down to his appointment of Peter Mandelson - who is all over said Epstein files - to the position of US ambassador. But what's interesting about the story is as much what ISN'T being said right now as what is. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 5 Feb 2026 23:19:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Out of all the names that have come out in the latest massive tranche of Epstein files, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, and all the others - not one of them are that of Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer. And yet, right now he is seriously at risk of the scandal sinking his premiership as many of his own MPs turn against him. And it all comes down to his appointment of Peter Mandelson - who is all over said Epstein files - to the position of US ambassador. But what's interesting about the story is as much what ISN'T being said right now as what is. Let's discuss.

]]> Epstein Scandal Threatens To Bring Down Britain’s Keir Starmer Mallen Baker 00:16:39 Out of all the names that have come out in the latest massive tranche of Epstein files, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, and all the others - not one of them are that of Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer. And yet, right now he is seriously at risk of the scandal sinking his premiership as many of his own MPs turn against him. And it all comes down to his appointment of Peter Mandelson - who is all over said Epstein files - to the position of US ambassador. But what's interesting about the story is as much what ISN'T being said right now as what is. Let's discuss. Out of all the names that have come out in the latest massive tranche of Epstein files, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Bill Gates, Steve Bannon, and all the others - not one of them are that of Britain's prime minister Keir Starmer. And yet, right now he is seriously at risk of the scandal sinking his premiership as many of his own MPs turn against him. And it all comes down to his appointment of Peter Mandelson - who is all over said Epstein files - to the position of US ambassador. But what's interesting about the story is as much what ISN'T being said right now as what is. Let's discuss. false full 507 391be1bf-7092-47fc-be0a-4a91bf1a1b2e Trump’s Abject Retreats Are Becoming Hard To Ignore | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for January 30th 2026 - Trump's string of humiliating retreats in recent days continued with this week's abject U-turn on the subject of ICE operations in Minnesota, and the killings there of protestors. The Trump administration also is caught out having meetings with Albertan separatists, looking for support to break up Canada. And the UK risks enraging Trump by striking deals with China. But it's all happening as China's Xi Jinping has been purging the top ranks of his military - which seems significant.

]]> Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:30:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for January 30th 2026 - Trump's string of humiliating retreats in recent days continued with this week's abject U-turn on the subject of ICE operations in Minnesota, and the killings there of protestors. The Trump administration also is caught out having meetings with Albertan separatists, looking for support to break up Canada. And the UK risks enraging Trump by striking deals with China. But it's all happening as China's Xi Jinping has been purging the top ranks of his military - which seems significant.

]]> Trump’s Abject Retreats Are Becoming Hard To Ignore | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:20:28 In this news round-up of the week for January 30th 2026 - Trump's string of humiliating retreats in recent days continued with this week's abject U-turn on the subject of ICE operations in Minnesota, and the killings there of protestors. The Trump administration also is caught out having meetings with Albertan separatists, looking for support to break up Canada. And the UK risks enraging Trump by striking deals with China. But it's all happening as China's Xi Jinping has been purging the top ranks of his military - which seems significant. In this news round-up of the week for January 30th 2026 - Trump's string of humiliating retreats in recent days continued with this week's abject U-turn on the subject of ICE operations in Minnesota, and the killings there of protestors. The Trump administration also is caught out having meetings with Albertan separatists, looking for support to break up Canada. And the UK risks enraging Trump by striking deals with China. But it's all happening as China's Xi Jinping has been purging the top ranks of his military - which seems significant. false full 505 a934d926-5d77-478e-8731-f534ca7d21db Everything Trump Is Trying To Do Is Blowing Up In His Face - Here's Why From the start of his second term, President Trump has been 'flooding the zone' with large numbers of major norm-breaking initiatives. The strategy was intended to overwhelm the opposition, exhaust the watchdogs, to get as much done as possible in the shortest time. The problem with that strategy, especially when so many of the initiatives are frankly misconceived, is that the consequences will eventually outpace the intensity and quantity of the original actions. We're starting to see that happen now. So let's review just a few of the unintended consequences we noticed in the last few days.

]]> Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:13:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast From the start of his second term, President Trump has been 'flooding the zone' with large numbers of major norm-breaking initiatives. The strategy was intended to overwhelm the opposition, exhaust the watchdogs, to get as much done as possible in the shortest time. The problem with that strategy, especially when so many of the initiatives are frankly misconceived, is that the consequences will eventually outpace the intensity and quantity of the original actions. We're starting to see that happen now. So let's review just a few of the unintended consequences we noticed in the last few days.

]]> Everything Trump Is Trying To Do Is Blowing Up In His Face - Here's Why Mallen Baker 00:13:46 From the start of his second term, President Trump has been 'flooding the zone' with large numbers of major norm-breaking initiatives. The strategy was intended to overwhelm the opposition, exhaust the watchdogs, to get as much done as possible in the shortest time. The problem with that strategy, especially when so many of the initiatives are frankly misconceived, is that the consequences will eventually outpace the intensity and quantity of the original actions. We're starting to see that happen now. So let's review just a few of the unintended consequences we noticed in the last few days. From the start of his second term, President Trump has been 'flooding the zone' with large numbers of major norm-breaking initiatives. The strategy was intended to overwhelm the opposition, exhaust the watchdogs, to get as much done as possible in the shortest time. The problem with that strategy, especially when so many of the initiatives are frankly misconceived, is that the consequences will eventually outpace the intensity and quantity of the original actions. We're starting to see that happen now. So let's review just a few of the unintended consequences we noticed in the last few days. false full 504 2111b63c-5ce0-4767-ba9b-22c923e2e549 Why NATO’s Trump-Crisis Is Splitting Europe In Half European leaders have become clear post-Greenland crisis that Europe needs to disentangle itself from President Trump's America. But Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of NATO, and most famously the 'Trump-whisperer', has other ideas - arguing that purely on a practical basis, Europe is incapable of defending itself without the central participation of the United States. But does that really hold up - when the debate is no longer whether Trump will WALK AWAY from Europe, rather it is how many ways will Trump ACTIVELY ATTACK Europe? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 28 Jan 2026 23:17:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast European leaders have become clear post-Greenland crisis that Europe needs to disentangle itself from President Trump's America. But Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of NATO, and most famously the 'Trump-whisperer', has other ideas - arguing that purely on a practical basis, Europe is incapable of defending itself without the central participation of the United States. But does that really hold up - when the debate is no longer whether Trump will WALK AWAY from Europe, rather it is how many ways will Trump ACTIVELY ATTACK Europe? Let's discuss.

]]> Why NATO’s Trump-Crisis Is Splitting Europe In Half Mallen Baker 00:15:22 European leaders have become clear post-Greenland crisis that Europe needs to disentangle itself from President Trump's America. But Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of NATO, and most famously the 'Trump-whisperer', has other ideas - arguing that purely on a practical basis, Europe is incapable of defending itself without the central participation of the United States. But does that really hold up - when the debate is no longer whether Trump will WALK AWAY from Europe, rather it is how many ways will Trump ACTIVELY ATTACK Europe? Let's discuss. European leaders have become clear post-Greenland crisis that Europe needs to disentangle itself from President Trump's America. But Mark Rutte, Secretary-General of NATO, and most famously the 'Trump-whisperer', has other ideas - arguing that purely on a practical basis, Europe is incapable of defending itself without the central participation of the United States. But does that really hold up - when the debate is no longer whether Trump will WALK AWAY from Europe, rather it is how many ways will Trump ACTIVELY ATTACK Europe? Let's discuss. false full 503 4488df6d-a094-4764-85a0-444b041e2c3c Why This Is A Huge Pivot Point For Trump's America The yawning gulf between the claims made by the Trump administration after the shooting of Alex Pretti and the events shown by the video evidence widely seen since, has put the US into a major pivot point. Moreso than after the first event, which could have been dismissed as a one-off, an aberration, now all Americans, including GOP senators, including former presidents, and including an awful lot of people who have been taking to the streets, have to decide whether this is the point where the line gets drawn. Or does America follow the downward spiral further towards the unhappy place this obviously takes it. Well, let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 26 Jan 2026 22:15:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The yawning gulf between the claims made by the Trump administration after the shooting of Alex Pretti and the events shown by the video evidence widely seen since, has put the US into a major pivot point. Moreso than after the first event, which could have been dismissed as a one-off, an aberration, now all Americans, including GOP senators, including former presidents, and including an awful lot of people who have been taking to the streets, have to decide whether this is the point where the line gets drawn. Or does America follow the downward spiral further towards the unhappy place this obviously takes it. Well, let's discuss.

]]> Why This Is A Huge Pivot Point For Trump's America Mallen Baker 00:13:56 The yawning gulf between the claims made by the Trump administration after the shooting of Alex Pretti and the events shown by the video evidence widely seen since, has put the US into a major pivot point. Moreso than after the first event, which could have been dismissed as a one-off, an aberration, now all Americans, including GOP senators, including former presidents, and including an awful lot of people who have been taking to the streets, have to decide whether this is the point where the line gets drawn. Or does America follow the downward spiral further towards the unhappy place this obviously takes it. Well, let's discuss. The yawning gulf between the claims made by the Trump administration after the shooting of Alex Pretti and the events shown by the video evidence widely seen since, has put the US into a major pivot point. Moreso than after the first event, which could have been dismissed as a one-off, an aberration, now all Americans, including GOP senators, including former presidents, and including an awful lot of people who have been taking to the streets, have to decide whether this is the point where the line gets drawn. Or does America follow the downward spiral further towards the unhappy place this obviously takes it. Well, let's discuss. false full 502 ee8a5a01-5f89-4aed-896c-234aff01d26b Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Canada over China deal We already knew President Donald Trump was irritated that Canada's Mark Carney's speech got rave reviews at Davos. And that it plainly laid out - in words that other leaders have not been daring to voice out loud - how Trump has changed the world, and what medium powers should be doing collaboratively to deal with it. Now, Trump is venting big time by threatening 100% tariffs against Canada should it go ahead with its agreed trade deal with China. But, of course, that's not the real reason Trump's taking action. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 24 Jan 2026 18:30:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We already knew President Donald Trump was irritated that Canada's Mark Carney's speech got rave reviews at Davos. And that it plainly laid out - in words that other leaders have not been daring to voice out loud - how Trump has changed the world, and what medium powers should be doing collaboratively to deal with it. Now, Trump is venting big time by threatening 100% tariffs against Canada should it go ahead with its agreed trade deal with China. But, of course, that's not the real reason Trump's taking action. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump threatens 100% tariffs on Canada over China deal Mallen Baker 00:10:09 We already knew President Donald Trump was irritated that Canada's Mark Carney's speech got rave reviews at Davos. And that it plainly laid out - in words that other leaders have not been daring to voice out loud - how Trump has changed the world, and what medium powers should be doing collaboratively to deal with it. Now, Trump is venting big time by threatening 100% tariffs against Canada should it go ahead with its agreed trade deal with China. But, of course, that's not the real reason Trump's taking action. Let's discuss. We already knew President Donald Trump was irritated that Canada's Mark Carney's speech got rave reviews at Davos. And that it plainly laid out - in words that other leaders have not been daring to voice out loud - how Trump has changed the world, and what medium powers should be doing collaboratively to deal with it. Now, Trump is venting big time by threatening 100% tariffs against Canada should it go ahead with its agreed trade deal with China. But, of course, that's not the real reason Trump's taking action. Let's discuss. false full 501 c0c8e053-7980-4629-b4dd-2b974e4dfe23 Trump’s Armada Heads To Iran - What Next? | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 23rd, 2026 - Trump's America has a major armada of military force currently heading for Iran. Trump says it's "just in case", but then similar type messages were made about Venezuela. Mark Carney is disinvited from Trump's Board of Peace, which deprives him of the chance to sit down with autocrats and even war criminals from across the world. And Trump sparks yet more fury across the NATO allies by suggesting that their military - some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice - were kept away from the action. Plus, I reply to a few comments.

]]> Fri, 23 Jan 2026 23:55:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 23rd, 2026 - Trump's America has a major armada of military force currently heading for Iran. Trump says it's "just in case", but then similar type messages were made about Venezuela. Mark Carney is disinvited from Trump's Board of Peace, which deprives him of the chance to sit down with autocrats and even war criminals from across the world. And Trump sparks yet more fury across the NATO allies by suggesting that their military - some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice - were kept away from the action. Plus, I reply to a few comments.

]]> Trump’s Armada Heads To Iran - What Next? | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:19:48 In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 23rd, 2026 - Trump's America has a major armada of military force currently heading for Iran. Trump says it's "just in case", but then similar type messages were made about Venezuela. Mark Carney is disinvited from Trump's Board of Peace, which deprives him of the chance to sit down with autocrats and even war criminals from across the world. And Trump sparks yet more fury across the NATO allies by suggesting that their military - some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice - were kept away from the action. Plus, I reply to a few comments. In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 23rd, 2026 - Trump's America has a major armada of military force currently heading for Iran. Trump says it's "just in case", but then similar type messages were made about Venezuela. Mark Carney is disinvited from Trump's Board of Peace, which deprives him of the chance to sit down with autocrats and even war criminals from across the world. And Trump sparks yet more fury across the NATO allies by suggesting that their military - some of whom paid the ultimate sacrifice - were kept away from the action. Plus, I reply to a few comments. false full 500 f84d221c-4f65-4d36-a9be-edc4c3bf8ad5 Trump's Greenland Deal Creates Chaos and Uncertainty So Trump did a complete U-Turn on Greenland, and everything is now all right again. Right? Well, not so fast. Why hasn't this detail been written down, and how can the Trump administration have any trust for the process when, just a week ago, they immediately tried to reframe their discussions with Greenland to their own benefit? The fact is that the process of negotiating an 'off-ramp' deal seems just as likely to go horribly wrong as ... well, the last deal. So Denmark and Greenland are not happy. But still - rejoice! The Board of Peace has been launched. It's a truly bizarre creation - but it has a purpose not many people are talking about yet. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:17:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So Trump did a complete U-Turn on Greenland, and everything is now all right again. Right? Well, not so fast. Why hasn't this detail been written down, and how can the Trump administration have any trust for the process when, just a week ago, they immediately tried to reframe their discussions with Greenland to their own benefit? The fact is that the process of negotiating an 'off-ramp' deal seems just as likely to go horribly wrong as ... well, the last deal. So Denmark and Greenland are not happy. But still - rejoice! The Board of Peace has been launched. It's a truly bizarre creation - but it has a purpose not many people are talking about yet. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Greenland Deal Creates Chaos and Uncertainty Mallen Baker 00:14:19 So Trump did a complete U-Turn on Greenland, and everything is now all right again. Right? Well, not so fast. Why hasn't this detail been written down, and how can the Trump administration have any trust for the process when, just a week ago, they immediately tried to reframe their discussions with Greenland to their own benefit? The fact is that the process of negotiating an 'off-ramp' deal seems just as likely to go horribly wrong as ... well, the last deal. So Denmark and Greenland are not happy. But still - rejoice! The Board of Peace has been launched. It's a truly bizarre creation - but it has a purpose not many people are talking about yet. Let's discuss. So Trump did a complete U-Turn on Greenland, and everything is now all right again. Right? Well, not so fast. Why hasn't this detail been written down, and how can the Trump administration have any trust for the process when, just a week ago, they immediately tried to reframe their discussions with Greenland to their own benefit? The fact is that the process of negotiating an 'off-ramp' deal seems just as likely to go horribly wrong as ... well, the last deal. So Denmark and Greenland are not happy. But still - rejoice! The Board of Peace has been launched. It's a truly bizarre creation - but it has a purpose not many people are talking about yet. Let's discuss. false full 499 3f292f11-6f47-4d7f-bc63-d81be1d29f82 Trump’s Reluctant Greenland Climbdown - As Mark Carney Steals Show At Davos The Trump administration has stormed the World Economic Forum at Davos in force - and his senior lieutenants, such as Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent have been ruffling feathers and making waves. Today it was Trump's turn, and on the topic that everyone has been talking about, we saw the start of a climbdown from the reckless rhetoric of threatening the use of the military against Greenland. This followed Mark Carney's highly regarded speech the day before which set the standard for countries looking to stand with dignity in the face of Trump's America. A fact that did not escape Trump's notice. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 21 Jan 2026 19:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump administration has stormed the World Economic Forum at Davos in force - and his senior lieutenants, such as Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent have been ruffling feathers and making waves. Today it was Trump's turn, and on the topic that everyone has been talking about, we saw the start of a climbdown from the reckless rhetoric of threatening the use of the military against Greenland. This followed Mark Carney's highly regarded speech the day before which set the standard for countries looking to stand with dignity in the face of Trump's America. A fact that did not escape Trump's notice. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Reluctant Greenland Climbdown - As Mark Carney Steals Show At Davos Mallen Baker 00:14:19 The Trump administration has stormed the World Economic Forum at Davos in force - and his senior lieutenants, such as Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent have been ruffling feathers and making waves. Today it was Trump's turn, and on the topic that everyone has been talking about, we saw the start of a climbdown from the reckless rhetoric of threatening the use of the military against Greenland. This followed Mark Carney's highly regarded speech the day before which set the standard for countries looking to stand with dignity in the face of Trump's America. A fact that did not escape Trump's notice. Let's discuss. The Trump administration has stormed the World Economic Forum at Davos in force - and his senior lieutenants, such as Howard Lutnick and Scott Bessent have been ruffling feathers and making waves. Today it was Trump's turn, and on the topic that everyone has been talking about, we saw the start of a climbdown from the reckless rhetoric of threatening the use of the military against Greenland. This followed Mark Carney's highly regarded speech the day before which set the standard for countries looking to stand with dignity in the face of Trump's America. A fact that did not escape Trump's notice. Let's discuss. false full 498 25ead143-35c0-49ae-bae2-f367f57fbf33 Trump’s Nobel Prize Snub Means All Bets Are Off On Greenland President Trump told Norway that because - in his mind - the country snubbed him for the Nobel Peace Prize, now he believes he no longer needs to only be about peace. Make of that what you will. Meanwhile, he has been announcing and gathering together his so-called Board of Peace, which already has some eye-catching invitees, and a rapidly expanding remit. Meanwhile, Trump is still refusing to rule out using military force on Greenland, while European leaders continue to try to get to grips with an obviously changed world reality. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 19 Jan 2026 22:43:40 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump told Norway that because - in his mind - the country snubbed him for the Nobel Peace Prize, now he believes he no longer needs to only be about peace. Make of that what you will. Meanwhile, he has been announcing and gathering together his so-called Board of Peace, which already has some eye-catching invitees, and a rapidly expanding remit. Meanwhile, Trump is still refusing to rule out using military force on Greenland, while European leaders continue to try to get to grips with an obviously changed world reality. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Nobel Prize Snub Means All Bets Are Off On Greenland Mallen Baker 00:14:28 President Trump told Norway that because - in his mind - the country snubbed him for the Nobel Peace Prize, now he believes he no longer needs to only be about peace. Make of that what you will. Meanwhile, he has been announcing and gathering together his so-called Board of Peace, which already has some eye-catching invitees, and a rapidly expanding remit. Meanwhile, Trump is still refusing to rule out using military force on Greenland, while European leaders continue to try to get to grips with an obviously changed world reality. Let's discuss. President Trump told Norway that because - in his mind - the country snubbed him for the Nobel Peace Prize, now he believes he no longer needs to only be about peace. Make of that what you will. Meanwhile, he has been announcing and gathering together his so-called Board of Peace, which already has some eye-catching invitees, and a rapidly expanding remit. Meanwhile, Trump is still refusing to rule out using military force on Greenland, while European leaders continue to try to get to grips with an obviously changed world reality. Let's discuss. false full 497 5d0ec782-6e8c-45dd-83eb-06d72fe1da60 Greenland Tariffs Have European Leaders Ready To Give Up On Trump Yesterday, Trump made good on his threats and announced new tariffs to be levied against eight European countries for daring to defy his wish to annex Greenland against the wishes of its residents and of Denmark, whose territory it currently is. And FINALLY this move seems to have pushed the European leaders to the point where they are now ready to give up on the ever-lasting strategy of seeking to appease Trump, flatter him and woo him. Instead, they are threatening retaliation, on the principle that bullies only respect strength, and it might just be time to show some. Well, we'll see. But in the mean time, let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 18 Jan 2026 21:58:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Yesterday, Trump made good on his threats and announced new tariffs to be levied against eight European countries for daring to defy his wish to annex Greenland against the wishes of its residents and of Denmark, whose territory it currently is. And FINALLY this move seems to have pushed the European leaders to the point where they are now ready to give up on the ever-lasting strategy of seeking to appease Trump, flatter him and woo him. Instead, they are threatening retaliation, on the principle that bullies only respect strength, and it might just be time to show some. Well, we'll see. But in the mean time, let's discuss.

]]> Greenland Tariffs Have European Leaders Ready To Give Up On Trump Mallen Baker 00:11:31 Yesterday, Trump made good on his threats and announced new tariffs to be levied against eight European countries for daring to defy his wish to annex Greenland against the wishes of its residents and of Denmark, whose territory it currently is. And FINALLY this move seems to have pushed the European leaders to the point where they are now ready to give up on the ever-lasting strategy of seeking to appease Trump, flatter him and woo him. Instead, they are threatening retaliation, on the principle that bullies only respect strength, and it might just be time to show some. Well, we'll see. But in the mean time, let's discuss. Yesterday, Trump made good on his threats and announced new tariffs to be levied against eight European countries for daring to defy his wish to annex Greenland against the wishes of its residents and of Denmark, whose territory it currently is. And FINALLY this move seems to have pushed the European leaders to the point where they are now ready to give up on the ever-lasting strategy of seeking to appease Trump, flatter him and woo him. Instead, they are threatening retaliation, on the principle that bullies only respect strength, and it might just be time to show some. Well, we'll see. But in the mean time, let's discuss. false full 496 2275b395-c9af-4430-b569-bb64e7489692 Trump Grabs Peace Prize While Threatening War | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 16th, 2026: Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado hands her medal to President Trump - and it's as cringeworthy as you would expect. Trump threatens punitive action against the countries standing up for Greenland, even as US lawmakers are drawing a line. More consequences of Trump's policies become visible, as Canada's Mark Carney agrees a major deal with China's Xi Jinping. And President Trump is taking a major delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos - which is odd, because they're supposed to be the anti-MAGA.

]]> Fri, 16 Jan 2026 22:18:25 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 16th, 2026: Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado hands her medal to President Trump - and it's as cringeworthy as you would expect. Trump threatens punitive action against the countries standing up for Greenland, even as US lawmakers are drawing a line. More consequences of Trump's policies become visible, as Canada's Mark Carney agrees a major deal with China's Xi Jinping. And President Trump is taking a major delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos - which is odd, because they're supposed to be the anti-MAGA.

]]> Trump Grabs Peace Prize While Threatening War | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:19:00 In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 16th, 2026: Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado hands her medal to President Trump - and it's as cringeworthy as you would expect. Trump threatens punitive action against the countries standing up for Greenland, even as US lawmakers are drawing a line. More consequences of Trump's policies become visible, as Canada's Mark Carney agrees a major deal with China's Xi Jinping. And President Trump is taking a major delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos - which is odd, because they're supposed to be the anti-MAGA. In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 16th, 2026: Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado hands her medal to President Trump - and it's as cringeworthy as you would expect. Trump threatens punitive action against the countries standing up for Greenland, even as US lawmakers are drawing a line. More consequences of Trump's policies become visible, as Canada's Mark Carney agrees a major deal with China's Xi Jinping. And President Trump is taking a major delegation to the World Economic Forum in Davos - which is odd, because they're supposed to be the anti-MAGA. false full 495 8b80cb5a-447f-40d5-a4e6-e92ed410e570 Joe Rogan Compares ICE To The Gestapo - Is He Right? He was a highly influential Trump endorser in the election - but he has been critical several times since the Trump administration took office. And this week, in his most forthright commentary yet, even comparing ICE officers to the Nazi Gestapo. This is just a side-note, of course, to the massive chorus of concern that President Trump's souped up immigration police is morphing before our eyes into something more expansive, and something that feels it can act with impunity. Well, let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 15 Jan 2026 23:28:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast He was a highly influential Trump endorser in the election - but he has been critical several times since the Trump administration took office. And this week, in his most forthright commentary yet, even comparing ICE officers to the Nazi Gestapo. This is just a side-note, of course, to the massive chorus of concern that President Trump's souped up immigration police is morphing before our eyes into something more expansive, and something that feels it can act with impunity. Well, let's discuss.

]]> Joe Rogan Compares ICE To The Gestapo - Is He Right? Mallen Baker 00:12:18 He was a highly influential Trump endorser in the election - but he has been critical several times since the Trump administration took office. And this week, in his most forthright commentary yet, even comparing ICE officers to the Nazi Gestapo. This is just a side-note, of course, to the massive chorus of concern that President Trump's souped up immigration police is morphing before our eyes into something more expansive, and something that feels it can act with impunity. Well, let's discuss. He was a highly influential Trump endorser in the election - but he has been critical several times since the Trump administration took office. And this week, in his most forthright commentary yet, even comparing ICE officers to the Nazi Gestapo. This is just a side-note, of course, to the massive chorus of concern that President Trump's souped up immigration police is morphing before our eyes into something more expansive, and something that feels it can act with impunity. Well, let's discuss. false full 494 606442a9-6ba4-4a1a-a147-2dc44f951bde Trump Rejects Europe’s Best Face-Saving Offer On Greenland Staring directly in the face of the End Of NATO, the European NATO countries, along with Denmark and Greenland, have come up with their best version of an off-ramp - a solution that would enable President Trump to claim a win, while still keeping Greenland's territorial integrity intact, and the NATO alliance, at least in name. But Trump dashed all hopes with new contributions that made it clear he was not interested in anything short of total ownership. Meanwhile, Danes and Greenlanders had a one-to-one summit with JD Vance and Marco Rubio today ... and it went about as well as you would expect. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 14 Jan 2026 23:17:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Staring directly in the face of the End Of NATO, the European NATO countries, along with Denmark and Greenland, have come up with their best version of an off-ramp - a solution that would enable President Trump to claim a win, while still keeping Greenland's territorial integrity intact, and the NATO alliance, at least in name. But Trump dashed all hopes with new contributions that made it clear he was not interested in anything short of total ownership. Meanwhile, Danes and Greenlanders had a one-to-one summit with JD Vance and Marco Rubio today ... and it went about as well as you would expect. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Rejects Europe’s Best Face-Saving Offer On Greenland Mallen Baker 00:10:19 Staring directly in the face of the End Of NATO, the European NATO countries, along with Denmark and Greenland, have come up with their best version of an off-ramp - a solution that would enable President Trump to claim a win, while still keeping Greenland's territorial integrity intact, and the NATO alliance, at least in name. But Trump dashed all hopes with new contributions that made it clear he was not interested in anything short of total ownership. Meanwhile, Danes and Greenlanders had a one-to-one summit with JD Vance and Marco Rubio today ... and it went about as well as you would expect. Let's discuss. Staring directly in the face of the End Of NATO, the European NATO countries, along with Denmark and Greenland, have come up with their best version of an off-ramp - a solution that would enable President Trump to claim a win, while still keeping Greenland's territorial integrity intact, and the NATO alliance, at least in name. But Trump dashed all hopes with new contributions that made it clear he was not interested in anything short of total ownership. Meanwhile, Danes and Greenlanders had a one-to-one summit with JD Vance and Marco Rubio today ... and it went about as well as you would expect. Let's discuss. false full 493 283cf57a-d106-4c3d-ac36-17dc0ad1adde Will Europe Fight For Greenland If Trump Invades? Over the weekend, we heard that Trump had instructed options to be drawn up for taking Greenland through military action. Also, the European NATO members discussed what could be done to fend this off. And the proposal was made that they should send their own military forces to Greenland as soon as possible. But the reason they said they were doing this is certainly not the actual reason. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 12 Jan 2026 22:39:08 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Over the weekend, we heard that Trump had instructed options to be drawn up for taking Greenland through military action. Also, the European NATO members discussed what could be done to fend this off. And the proposal was made that they should send their own military forces to Greenland as soon as possible. But the reason they said they were doing this is certainly not the actual reason. Let's discuss.

]]> Will Europe Fight For Greenland If Trump Invades? Mallen Baker 00:09:51 Over the weekend, we heard that Trump had instructed options to be drawn up for taking Greenland through military action. Also, the European NATO members discussed what could be done to fend this off. And the proposal was made that they should send their own military forces to Greenland as soon as possible. But the reason they said they were doing this is certainly not the actual reason. Let's discuss. Over the weekend, we heard that Trump had instructed options to be drawn up for taking Greenland through military action. Also, the European NATO members discussed what could be done to fend this off. And the proposal was made that they should send their own military forces to Greenland as soon as possible. But the reason they said they were doing this is certainly not the actual reason. Let's discuss. false full 492 4a62474f-f83b-4071-b91e-52d9d69292f1 Q&A: Will The Iranian Regime Collapse? To mark the start of 2026, and also the milestone of 150k subscribers for this channel, a Q&A, where we cover Trump, Venezuela, Europe, Greenland, economic collapse, and a great deal more besides. Also, I recount the moment where I nearly died in Washington DC. Seriously.

]]> Sun, 11 Jan 2026 23:40:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast To mark the start of 2026, and also the milestone of 150k subscribers for this channel, a Q&A, where we cover Trump, Venezuela, Europe, Greenland, economic collapse, and a great deal more besides. Also, I recount the moment where I nearly died in Washington DC. Seriously.

]]> Q&A: Will The Iranian Regime Collapse? Mallen Baker 00:26:04 To mark the start of 2026, and also the milestone of 150k subscribers for this channel, a Q&A, where we cover Trump, Venezuela, Europe, Greenland, economic collapse, and a great deal more besides. Also, I recount the moment where I nearly died in Washington DC. Seriously. To mark the start of 2026, and also the milestone of 150k subscribers for this channel, a Q&A, where we cover Trump, Venezuela, Europe, Greenland, economic collapse, and a great deal more besides. Also, I recount the moment where I nearly died in Washington DC. Seriously. false full 491 814827a6-21af-498c-a24b-208f08f8a5b6 Oil Companies Say NO to Trump's Venezuela Plan Trump enjoyed his most dramatic "success" at the start of the year, with his military's flawless operation to grab Nicolas Maduro, and to extort Venezuela into giving the US exclusive access to its oil resources. He promised big as a result - American oil companies would now invest $100 billion into Venezuela's crumbling oil infrastructure to bring it back up to peak productivity. But in a major humiliation to arguably his biggest achievement so far, the oil companies are turning him down. It turns out that Trump's promises are not something they feel they can take to the bank. Even an industry used to managing risk finds President Trump plain too risky. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 10 Jan 2026 19:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump enjoyed his most dramatic "success" at the start of the year, with his military's flawless operation to grab Nicolas Maduro, and to extort Venezuela into giving the US exclusive access to its oil resources. He promised big as a result - American oil companies would now invest $100 billion into Venezuela's crumbling oil infrastructure to bring it back up to peak productivity. But in a major humiliation to arguably his biggest achievement so far, the oil companies are turning him down. It turns out that Trump's promises are not something they feel they can take to the bank. Even an industry used to managing risk finds President Trump plain too risky. Let's discuss.

]]> Oil Companies Say NO to Trump's Venezuela Plan Mallen Baker 00:09:23 Trump enjoyed his most dramatic "success" at the start of the year, with his military's flawless operation to grab Nicolas Maduro, and to extort Venezuela into giving the US exclusive access to its oil resources. He promised big as a result - American oil companies would now invest $100 billion into Venezuela's crumbling oil infrastructure to bring it back up to peak productivity. But in a major humiliation to arguably his biggest achievement so far, the oil companies are turning him down. It turns out that Trump's promises are not something they feel they can take to the bank. Even an industry used to managing risk finds President Trump plain too risky. Let's discuss. Trump enjoyed his most dramatic "success" at the start of the year, with his military's flawless operation to grab Nicolas Maduro, and to extort Venezuela into giving the US exclusive access to its oil resources. He promised big as a result - American oil companies would now invest $100 billion into Venezuela's crumbling oil infrastructure to bring it back up to peak productivity. But in a major humiliation to arguably his biggest achievement so far, the oil companies are turning him down. It turns out that Trump's promises are not something they feel they can take to the bank. Even an industry used to managing risk finds President Trump plain too risky. Let's discuss. false full 490 453f3932-599d-4f92-893c-d144c4fb6925 How Minneapolis ICE Shooting Normalises US Political Violence | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 9th, 2025. The US takes another step towards normalising political violence with the shooting of a woman by ICE in Minneapolis. President Trump declares that it might well be that he has to choose between taking Greenland and keeping NATO intact. Elon Musk’s Twitter is on the verge of being banned from the United Kingdom, and maybe the European Union. And the White House launches a new website with its own version of recent history - that is as bad as you might expect.

]]> Fri, 9 Jan 2026 22:52:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 9th, 2025. The US takes another step towards normalising political violence with the shooting of a woman by ICE in Minneapolis. President Trump declares that it might well be that he has to choose between taking Greenland and keeping NATO intact. Elon Musk’s Twitter is on the verge of being banned from the United Kingdom, and maybe the European Union. And the White House launches a new website with its own version of recent history - that is as bad as you might expect.

]]> How Minneapolis ICE Shooting Normalises US Political Violence | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:18:03 In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 9th, 2025. The US takes another step towards normalising political violence with the shooting of a woman by ICE in Minneapolis. President Trump declares that it might well be that he has to choose between taking Greenland and keeping NATO intact. Elon Musk’s Twitter is on the verge of being banned from the United Kingdom, and maybe the European Union. And the White House launches a new website with its own version of recent history - that is as bad as you might expect. In this news round-up of the week for Friday January 9th, 2025. The US takes another step towards normalising political violence with the shooting of a woman by ICE in Minneapolis. President Trump declares that it might well be that he has to choose between taking Greenland and keeping NATO intact. Elon Musk’s Twitter is on the verge of being banned from the United Kingdom, and maybe the European Union. And the White House launches a new website with its own version of recent history - that is as bad as you might expect. false full 489 420fa8d1-f165-402f-869d-edc17ba84060 Will Europe Fight For Greenland If Trump Invades? Since the operation against Nicolas Maduro, the Trump Administration has been in bullish mood about its ability to use military power to get anything it wants around the world. And one of the most commonly mentioned targets in the last few days has been Greenland. They assume that the US has such overwhelming force, nobody would try to stop an armed invasion. But Denmark is a member of NATO, and the pledge is that an attack on one is an attack on all. So will European NATO members actually fight for Greenland should it come to it? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 7 Jan 2026 23:18:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Since the operation against Nicolas Maduro, the Trump Administration has been in bullish mood about its ability to use military power to get anything it wants around the world. And one of the most commonly mentioned targets in the last few days has been Greenland. They assume that the US has such overwhelming force, nobody would try to stop an armed invasion. But Denmark is a member of NATO, and the pledge is that an attack on one is an attack on all. So will European NATO members actually fight for Greenland should it come to it? Let's discuss.

]]> Will Europe Fight For Greenland If Trump Invades? Mallen Baker 00:13:52 Since the operation against Nicolas Maduro, the Trump Administration has been in bullish mood about its ability to use military power to get anything it wants around the world. And one of the most commonly mentioned targets in the last few days has been Greenland. They assume that the US has such overwhelming force, nobody would try to stop an armed invasion. But Denmark is a member of NATO, and the pledge is that an attack on one is an attack on all. So will European NATO members actually fight for Greenland should it come to it? Let's discuss. Since the operation against Nicolas Maduro, the Trump Administration has been in bullish mood about its ability to use military power to get anything it wants around the world. And one of the most commonly mentioned targets in the last few days has been Greenland. They assume that the US has such overwhelming force, nobody would try to stop an armed invasion. But Denmark is a member of NATO, and the pledge is that an attack on one is an attack on all. So will European NATO members actually fight for Greenland should it come to it? Let's discuss. false full 488 ee8af033-53fb-45b2-8a93-d1533ede3f69 Why Venezuela Could Explode Into Civil War Two things we've learned in the last couple of days. One - the Trump administration officially could not care less about international law, at least - if it should ever prove to be a constraint on them doing exactly what they want to do. And two - for all that MAGA social media posts have been bigging up the initial celebration of Venezuelans at Maduro's downfall, Trump actually is just fine with an authoritarian regime staying in place, just with someone different at the head of it. So all those people who initially celebrated are now feeling crushing disappointment, and the ones actually living in Caracas are hiding from the armed militia crackdown. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 6 Jan 2026 23:22:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Two things we've learned in the last couple of days. One - the Trump administration officially could not care less about international law, at least - if it should ever prove to be a constraint on them doing exactly what they want to do. And two - for all that MAGA social media posts have been bigging up the initial celebration of Venezuelans at Maduro's downfall, Trump actually is just fine with an authoritarian regime staying in place, just with someone different at the head of it. So all those people who initially celebrated are now feeling crushing disappointment, and the ones actually living in Caracas are hiding from the armed militia crackdown. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Venezuela Could Explode Into Civil War Mallen Baker 00:13:02 Two things we've learned in the last couple of days. One - the Trump administration officially could not care less about international law, at least - if it should ever prove to be a constraint on them doing exactly what they want to do. And two - for all that MAGA social media posts have been bigging up the initial celebration of Venezuelans at Maduro's downfall, Trump actually is just fine with an authoritarian regime staying in place, just with someone different at the head of it. So all those people who initially celebrated are now feeling crushing disappointment, and the ones actually living in Caracas are hiding from the armed militia crackdown. Let's discuss. Two things we've learned in the last couple of days. One - the Trump administration officially could not care less about international law, at least - if it should ever prove to be a constraint on them doing exactly what they want to do. And two - for all that MAGA social media posts have been bigging up the initial celebration of Venezuelans at Maduro's downfall, Trump actually is just fine with an authoritarian regime staying in place, just with someone different at the head of it. So all those people who initially celebrated are now feeling crushing disappointment, and the ones actually living in Caracas are hiding from the armed militia crackdown. Let's discuss. false full 487 0e4c712e-5694-47a3-b701-7a6ddd229b95 Will Venezuela Be The Mistake That Defines Trump’s Presidency? So the plan to oust Nicolas Madura resulted in an attack, during which the dictator and his wife were seized and transported to the United States. This is an undoubted breach of international law, but Trump and MAGA don't care about that. It also broke the rules of the United States, but nobody seems inclined to enforce those. Nevertheless, this isn't just another mad President Trump moment - this has pushed Trump, the bully who used tariffs to put extreme pressure on other countries - across the line into the use of military force to do likewise. This makes it highly likely more will follow. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 4 Jan 2026 23:18:56 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So the plan to oust Nicolas Madura resulted in an attack, during which the dictator and his wife were seized and transported to the United States. This is an undoubted breach of international law, but Trump and MAGA don't care about that. It also broke the rules of the United States, but nobody seems inclined to enforce those. Nevertheless, this isn't just another mad President Trump moment - this has pushed Trump, the bully who used tariffs to put extreme pressure on other countries - across the line into the use of military force to do likewise. This makes it highly likely more will follow. Let's discuss.

]]> Will Venezuela Be The Mistake That Defines Trump’s Presidency? Mallen Baker 00:14:04 So the plan to oust Nicolas Madura resulted in an attack, during which the dictator and his wife were seized and transported to the United States. This is an undoubted breach of international law, but Trump and MAGA don't care about that. It also broke the rules of the United States, but nobody seems inclined to enforce those. Nevertheless, this isn't just another mad President Trump moment - this has pushed Trump, the bully who used tariffs to put extreme pressure on other countries - across the line into the use of military force to do likewise. This makes it highly likely more will follow. Let's discuss. So the plan to oust Nicolas Madura resulted in an attack, during which the dictator and his wife were seized and transported to the United States. This is an undoubted breach of international law, but Trump and MAGA don't care about that. It also broke the rules of the United States, but nobody seems inclined to enforce those. Nevertheless, this isn't just another mad President Trump moment - this has pushed Trump, the bully who used tariffs to put extreme pressure on other countries - across the line into the use of military force to do likewise. This makes it highly likely more will follow. Let's discuss. false full 486 ff5ab95a-daa5-4e1d-b200-36f86689564b Trump Warns Iran 'LOCKED AND LOADED' | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for January 2nd 2026, President Trump threatens military action against Iran, as the regime there tries to cope with mass protests. Global warming is already hitting Southern Europe so hard that growers there are having to give up traditional crops such as citrus fruit. Elon Musk makes a shocking observation about the state of government that someone really ought to do something about. And the people that took Russian money to fund MAGA Influencers have been allowed back into the US - because foreign interference is just fine so long as it’s Vladimir Putin.

]]> Fri, 2 Jan 2026 22:53:40 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for January 2nd 2026, President Trump threatens military action against Iran, as the regime there tries to cope with mass protests. Global warming is already hitting Southern Europe so hard that growers there are having to give up traditional crops such as citrus fruit. Elon Musk makes a shocking observation about the state of government that someone really ought to do something about. And the people that took Russian money to fund MAGA Influencers have been allowed back into the US - because foreign interference is just fine so long as it’s Vladimir Putin.

]]> Trump Warns Iran 'LOCKED AND LOADED' | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:16:33 In this news round-up of the week for January 2nd 2026, President Trump threatens military action against Iran, as the regime there tries to cope with mass protests. Global warming is already hitting Southern Europe so hard that growers there are having to give up traditional crops such as citrus fruit. Elon Musk makes a shocking observation about the state of government that someone really ought to do something about. And the people that took Russian money to fund MAGA Influencers have been allowed back into the US - because foreign interference is just fine so long as it’s Vladimir Putin. In this news round-up of the week for January 2nd 2026, President Trump threatens military action against Iran, as the regime there tries to cope with mass protests. Global warming is already hitting Southern Europe so hard that growers there are having to give up traditional crops such as citrus fruit. Elon Musk makes a shocking observation about the state of government that someone really ought to do something about. And the people that took Russian money to fund MAGA Influencers have been allowed back into the US - because foreign interference is just fine so long as it’s Vladimir Putin. false full 485 931fe8d4-7f3b-4732-888b-2a6e81258d93 Democracy Is Collapsing. Here's How To Get It Back What are the three basic values and processes of democratic systems that we are most in danger of losing - both in Trump's United States and much of Europe, and elsewhere in the world? And - having identified what makes a healthy democracy work, how can we halt the process of democratic decline that we see all around us? In other words, how can we make 2026 the beginning of the fightback for democracy against autocracy? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 1 Jan 2026 18:49:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast What are the three basic values and processes of democratic systems that we are most in danger of losing - both in Trump's United States and much of Europe, and elsewhere in the world? And - having identified what makes a healthy democracy work, how can we halt the process of democratic decline that we see all around us? In other words, how can we make 2026 the beginning of the fightback for democracy against autocracy? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Democracy Is Collapsing. Here's How To Get It Back Mallen Baker 00:15:34 What are the three basic values and processes of democratic systems that we are most in danger of losing - both in Trump's United States and much of Europe, and elsewhere in the world? And - having identified what makes a healthy democracy work, how can we halt the process of democratic decline that we see all around us? In other words, how can we make 2026 the beginning of the fightback for democracy against autocracy? Well, let's discuss. What are the three basic values and processes of democratic systems that we are most in danger of losing - both in Trump's United States and much of Europe, and elsewhere in the world? And - having identified what makes a healthy democracy work, how can we halt the process of democratic decline that we see all around us? In other words, how can we make 2026 the beginning of the fightback for democracy against autocracy? Well, let's discuss. false full 484 b09515d5-1fb2-4560-8773-3ff831a3c50f Why Trump Will Have A Terrible New Year The New Year is upon us - a time for new beginnings! But for President Trump, the early days of 2026 could see the Supreme Court ruling on the legality of his tariffs - and to all appearances the merits of the case are overwhelmingly against him. Should the justices rule accordingly, the tariff Plan B will be invoked - and the administration will pretend it's all okay, but it will have defanged Trump by removing his most powerful and arbitrary weapon. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 30 Dec 2025 22:38:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The New Year is upon us - a time for new beginnings! But for President Trump, the early days of 2026 could see the Supreme Court ruling on the legality of his tariffs - and to all appearances the merits of the case are overwhelmingly against him. Should the justices rule accordingly, the tariff Plan B will be invoked - and the administration will pretend it's all okay, but it will have defanged Trump by removing his most powerful and arbitrary weapon. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump Will Have A Terrible New Year Mallen Baker 00:09:51 The New Year is upon us - a time for new beginnings! But for President Trump, the early days of 2026 could see the Supreme Court ruling on the legality of his tariffs - and to all appearances the merits of the case are overwhelmingly against him. Should the justices rule accordingly, the tariff Plan B will be invoked - and the administration will pretend it's all okay, but it will have defanged Trump by removing his most powerful and arbitrary weapon. Let's discuss. The New Year is upon us - a time for new beginnings! But for President Trump, the early days of 2026 could see the Supreme Court ruling on the legality of his tariffs - and to all appearances the merits of the case are overwhelmingly against him. Should the justices rule accordingly, the tariff Plan B will be invoked - and the administration will pretend it's all okay, but it will have defanged Trump by removing his most powerful and arbitrary weapon. Let's discuss. false full 483 19a47c49-9b0a-4266-8281-aed0af6ec72b Trump Faces Huge MAGA Revolt Against AI Data Centres In the first half of 2025, the massive investment in Artificial Intelligence data centres was by far the largest part of the economic growth that the US economy registered. This reflects a breathtaking scale of activity. But every action has an equal and opposite reaction - and communities across the United States, across the political divide, are starting to vigorously protest all these new energy-hungry data centres. And that presents a particular problem for Trump, allied as he is to the tech billionaires. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 29 Dec 2025 23:08:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the first half of 2025, the massive investment in Artificial Intelligence data centres was by far the largest part of the economic growth that the US economy registered. This reflects a breathtaking scale of activity. But every action has an equal and opposite reaction - and communities across the United States, across the political divide, are starting to vigorously protest all these new energy-hungry data centres. And that presents a particular problem for Trump, allied as he is to the tech billionaires. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Faces Huge MAGA Revolt Against AI Data Centres Mallen Baker 00:13:08 In the first half of 2025, the massive investment in Artificial Intelligence data centres was by far the largest part of the economic growth that the US economy registered. This reflects a breathtaking scale of activity. But every action has an equal and opposite reaction - and communities across the United States, across the political divide, are starting to vigorously protest all these new energy-hungry data centres. And that presents a particular problem for Trump, allied as he is to the tech billionaires. Let's discuss. In the first half of 2025, the massive investment in Artificial Intelligence data centres was by far the largest part of the economic growth that the US economy registered. This reflects a breathtaking scale of activity. But every action has an equal and opposite reaction - and communities across the United States, across the political divide, are starting to vigorously protest all these new energy-hungry data centres. And that presents a particular problem for Trump, allied as he is to the tech billionaires. Let's discuss. false full 482 397b337d-e4e0-4ddf-9aaf-2109de06ae65 Trump's Christmas Bombs In Nigeria | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 26th 2025. Trump's America launches a bombing strike against ISIS targets in Nigeria - but with the support of the government there, contrary to its earlier approach. Five Europeans who are deemed to be beastly to American free speech are barred from being in the United States - and why this is a trend we'll be seeing more of. And Trump world is dismayed that the Administration's extraordinary incompetence in its messaging over the Epstein Files has made it far worse, and laster longing, than it ever needed to be.

]]> Fri, 26 Dec 2025 18:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 26th 2025. Trump's America launches a bombing strike against ISIS targets in Nigeria - but with the support of the government there, contrary to its earlier approach. Five Europeans who are deemed to be beastly to American free speech are barred from being in the United States - and why this is a trend we'll be seeing more of. And Trump world is dismayed that the Administration's extraordinary incompetence in its messaging over the Epstein Files has made it far worse, and laster longing, than it ever needed to be.

]]> Trump's Christmas Bombs In Nigeria | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:18:43 In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 26th 2025. Trump's America launches a bombing strike against ISIS targets in Nigeria - but with the support of the government there, contrary to its earlier approach. Five Europeans who are deemed to be beastly to American free speech are barred from being in the United States - and why this is a trend we'll be seeing more of. And Trump world is dismayed that the Administration's extraordinary incompetence in its messaging over the Epstein Files has made it far worse, and laster longing, than it ever needed to be. In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 26th 2025. Trump's America launches a bombing strike against ISIS targets in Nigeria - but with the support of the government there, contrary to its earlier approach. Five Europeans who are deemed to be beastly to American free speech are barred from being in the United States - and why this is a trend we'll be seeing more of. And Trump world is dismayed that the Administration's extraordinary incompetence in its messaging over the Epstein Files has made it far worse, and laster longing, than it ever needed to be. false full 481 276c1756-f982-432d-ad5f-e1a0e1953ba8 Does the US Navy Need ‘Trump Class’ Ships? President Trump has launched a new battleship concept for the US Navy, bigger, more advanced, faster - what else could it be called other than 'Trump Class'? But is this project just a misconceived fantasy - a vanity project that could divert major spending from the things the US military actually needs to do to keep pace with its rivals? Or is it the way of the future? And if the latter - why a battleship - given that these were abandoned after the second world war, and for good reason? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 23 Dec 2025 22:59:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has launched a new battleship concept for the US Navy, bigger, more advanced, faster - what else could it be called other than 'Trump Class'? But is this project just a misconceived fantasy - a vanity project that could divert major spending from the things the US military actually needs to do to keep pace with its rivals? Or is it the way of the future? And if the latter - why a battleship - given that these were abandoned after the second world war, and for good reason? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Does the US Navy Need ‘Trump Class’ Ships? Mallen Baker 00:09:39 President Trump has launched a new battleship concept for the US Navy, bigger, more advanced, faster - what else could it be called other than 'Trump Class'? But is this project just a misconceived fantasy - a vanity project that could divert major spending from the things the US military actually needs to do to keep pace with its rivals? Or is it the way of the future? And if the latter - why a battleship - given that these were abandoned after the second world war, and for good reason? Well, let's discuss. President Trump has launched a new battleship concept for the US Navy, bigger, more advanced, faster - what else could it be called other than 'Trump Class'? But is this project just a misconceived fantasy - a vanity project that could divert major spending from the things the US military actually needs to do to keep pace with its rivals? Or is it the way of the future? And if the latter - why a battleship - given that these were abandoned after the second world war, and for good reason? Well, let's discuss. false full 480 06264b7d-aca0-4b94-93c8-2bdfffc6c269 Trump Escalates Moves Against Greenland With 'special envoy' President Trump had already told us that he wanted to take over Greenland. Then we got the sense that it was a live project when it was revealed that spies had been sent to the island on a 'covert influence' operation. Now, Trump has announced a "special envoy" for Greenland, placing it at the top of a priority list, and alarming Greenland and Denmark over what this means might be coming next. Meanwhile, Europe pretends that nothing much has changed with the US, and we're all still the best of allies. At what point does that change? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:45:48 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump had already told us that he wanted to take over Greenland. Then we got the sense that it was a live project when it was revealed that spies had been sent to the island on a 'covert influence' operation. Now, Trump has announced a "special envoy" for Greenland, placing it at the top of a priority list, and alarming Greenland and Denmark over what this means might be coming next. Meanwhile, Europe pretends that nothing much has changed with the US, and we're all still the best of allies. At what point does that change? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Escalates Moves Against Greenland With 'special envoy' Mallen Baker 00:09:17 President Trump had already told us that he wanted to take over Greenland. Then we got the sense that it was a live project when it was revealed that spies had been sent to the island on a 'covert influence' operation. Now, Trump has announced a "special envoy" for Greenland, placing it at the top of a priority list, and alarming Greenland and Denmark over what this means might be coming next. Meanwhile, Europe pretends that nothing much has changed with the US, and we're all still the best of allies. At what point does that change? Let's discuss. President Trump had already told us that he wanted to take over Greenland. Then we got the sense that it was a live project when it was revealed that spies had been sent to the island on a 'covert influence' operation. Now, Trump has announced a "special envoy" for Greenland, placing it at the top of a priority list, and alarming Greenland and Denmark over what this means might be coming next. Meanwhile, Europe pretends that nothing much has changed with the US, and we're all still the best of allies. At what point does that change? Let's discuss. false full 479 bc374c1c-d4c6-47f4-84da-61621dafe47a Trump's Nightmare: China's Growing Power In South America In its recent National Security Strategy, the Trump Administration lay claim to Central and South America as being 'its neighbourhood', where it would exert more control and expect to be able to shape events to its satisfaction. And it specifically said it would seek to push out third party countries, and it was clear that this meant China. But China just released its own strategy, and it's making it clear that it has no intention of going anywhere. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 21 Dec 2025 21:00:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In its recent National Security Strategy, the Trump Administration lay claim to Central and South America as being 'its neighbourhood', where it would exert more control and expect to be able to shape events to its satisfaction. And it specifically said it would seek to push out third party countries, and it was clear that this meant China. But China just released its own strategy, and it's making it clear that it has no intention of going anywhere. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Nightmare: China's Growing Power In South America Mallen Baker 00:09:37 In its recent National Security Strategy, the Trump Administration lay claim to Central and South America as being 'its neighbourhood', where it would exert more control and expect to be able to shape events to its satisfaction. And it specifically said it would seek to push out third party countries, and it was clear that this meant China. But China just released its own strategy, and it's making it clear that it has no intention of going anywhere. Let's discuss. In its recent National Security Strategy, the Trump Administration lay claim to Central and South America as being 'its neighbourhood', where it would exert more control and expect to be able to shape events to its satisfaction. And it specifically said it would seek to push out third party countries, and it was clear that this meant China. But China just released its own strategy, and it's making it clear that it has no intention of going anywhere. Let's discuss. false full 478 e2712bd0-c5ae-4784-8be1-5e64410ff112 Trump’s Panic On Full View To The Nation | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 19th, 2025. President Trump addresses the nation, and it's fascinating for what it says about the pressure the administration is under. President Putin addresses the nation, and apart from the stark contrast, it's worth noting what it says about the end game for Ukraine. And the Epstein Files release day is today - and the administration will fail the requirement to release all of them, because they just haven't had time to censor them all. Let's jump in.

]]> Fri, 19 Dec 2025 22:34:51 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 19th, 2025. President Trump addresses the nation, and it's fascinating for what it says about the pressure the administration is under. President Putin addresses the nation, and apart from the stark contrast, it's worth noting what it says about the end game for Ukraine. And the Epstein Files release day is today - and the administration will fail the requirement to release all of them, because they just haven't had time to censor them all. Let's jump in.

]]> Trump’s Panic On Full View To The Nation | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:40 In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 19th, 2025. President Trump addresses the nation, and it's fascinating for what it says about the pressure the administration is under. President Putin addresses the nation, and apart from the stark contrast, it's worth noting what it says about the end game for Ukraine. And the Epstein Files release day is today - and the administration will fail the requirement to release all of them, because they just haven't had time to censor them all. Let's jump in. In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 19th, 2025. President Trump addresses the nation, and it's fascinating for what it says about the pressure the administration is under. President Putin addresses the nation, and apart from the stark contrast, it's worth noting what it says about the end game for Ukraine. And the Epstein Files release day is today - and the administration will fail the requirement to release all of them, because they just haven't had time to censor them all. Let's jump in. false full 477 d909f515-a4c5-43fe-932b-f1135d98fe66 Trump Team Panics When Susie Wiles Tells The Truth President Trump's trusted and loyal chief of staff, Susie Wiles, always known as the quiet person who got everything done, has hit the news big time with a series of interviews she did with Vanity Fair, where she gave strikingly honest assessments of her colleagues, some of Trump's recent actions and his motivations. It made a big impact - some of it wasn't news, or at least shouldn't have been. But some of it was important background to the administration's political strategy and the White House infighting and debate. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 17 Dec 2025 23:09:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump's trusted and loyal chief of staff, Susie Wiles, always known as the quiet person who got everything done, has hit the news big time with a series of interviews she did with Vanity Fair, where she gave strikingly honest assessments of her colleagues, some of Trump's recent actions and his motivations. It made a big impact - some of it wasn't news, or at least shouldn't have been. But some of it was important background to the administration's political strategy and the White House infighting and debate. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Team Panics When Susie Wiles Tells The Truth Mallen Baker 00:12:51 President Trump's trusted and loyal chief of staff, Susie Wiles, always known as the quiet person who got everything done, has hit the news big time with a series of interviews she did with Vanity Fair, where she gave strikingly honest assessments of her colleagues, some of Trump's recent actions and his motivations. It made a big impact - some of it wasn't news, or at least shouldn't have been. But some of it was important background to the administration's political strategy and the White House infighting and debate. Let's discuss. President Trump's trusted and loyal chief of staff, Susie Wiles, always known as the quiet person who got everything done, has hit the news big time with a series of interviews she did with Vanity Fair, where she gave strikingly honest assessments of her colleagues, some of Trump's recent actions and his motivations. It made a big impact - some of it wasn't news, or at least shouldn't have been. But some of it was important background to the administration's political strategy and the White House infighting and debate. Let's discuss. false full 476 15ddabf9-a36f-4692-9d74-5e3a58748153 The MAGA Base Is Turning on Trump By all accounts, the MAGA faithful are starting to despair at the disconnect between what candidate Donald Trump promised during his election campaign, and what President Trump is actually delivering. Whether it comes to affordability, the Epstein Files, Artificial Intelligence and more - Trump is seen as aligning with billionaires and tech oligarchs, not the ordinary people. And, according to a series of articles in the Washington Post today, he's simply not listening to the feedback, which could mean nothing is going to improve much from this point forward. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 15 Dec 2025 23:11:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast By all accounts, the MAGA faithful are starting to despair at the disconnect between what candidate Donald Trump promised during his election campaign, and what President Trump is actually delivering. Whether it comes to affordability, the Epstein Files, Artificial Intelligence and more - Trump is seen as aligning with billionaires and tech oligarchs, not the ordinary people. And, according to a series of articles in the Washington Post today, he's simply not listening to the feedback, which could mean nothing is going to improve much from this point forward. Let's discuss.

]]> The MAGA Base Is Turning on Trump Mallen Baker 00:15:50 By all accounts, the MAGA faithful are starting to despair at the disconnect between what candidate Donald Trump promised during his election campaign, and what President Trump is actually delivering. Whether it comes to affordability, the Epstein Files, Artificial Intelligence and more - Trump is seen as aligning with billionaires and tech oligarchs, not the ordinary people. And, according to a series of articles in the Washington Post today, he's simply not listening to the feedback, which could mean nothing is going to improve much from this point forward. Let's discuss. By all accounts, the MAGA faithful are starting to despair at the disconnect between what candidate Donald Trump promised during his election campaign, and what President Trump is actually delivering. Whether it comes to affordability, the Epstein Files, Artificial Intelligence and more - Trump is seen as aligning with billionaires and tech oligarchs, not the ordinary people. And, according to a series of articles in the Washington Post today, he's simply not listening to the feedback, which could mean nothing is going to improve much from this point forward. Let's discuss. false full 475 c2af7a62-a3f7-4cd3-8abd-0e0ac355332d Elon Musk Admits DOGE Was A Dud - Wouldn’t Do It Again In an interview a few days ago, Elon Musk - normally the purveyor of hubris and inflated promises - said that DOGE had been "a little bit" successful. This was clearly the closest to reality he could bring himself to admit in public, but the fact he went on to say that he wouldn't do it if he had his time again really tells the story. So that moment of self-reflection is worth noting. But then you have to note how he remains of the view that his vision for the world must be indulged by governments worldwide, and he will seek to attack or undermine those who disagree. Arguably, that's entirely the improvement we might have hoped for from Elon Musk 'spending more time on his businesses'. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 14 Dec 2025 21:52:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In an interview a few days ago, Elon Musk - normally the purveyor of hubris and inflated promises - said that DOGE had been "a little bit" successful. This was clearly the closest to reality he could bring himself to admit in public, but the fact he went on to say that he wouldn't do it if he had his time again really tells the story. So that moment of self-reflection is worth noting. But then you have to note how he remains of the view that his vision for the world must be indulged by governments worldwide, and he will seek to attack or undermine those who disagree. Arguably, that's entirely the improvement we might have hoped for from Elon Musk 'spending more time on his businesses'. Let's discuss.

]]> Elon Musk Admits DOGE Was A Dud - Wouldn’t Do It Again Mallen Baker 00:11:26 In an interview a few days ago, Elon Musk - normally the purveyor of hubris and inflated promises - said that DOGE had been "a little bit" successful. This was clearly the closest to reality he could bring himself to admit in public, but the fact he went on to say that he wouldn't do it if he had his time again really tells the story. So that moment of self-reflection is worth noting. But then you have to note how he remains of the view that his vision for the world must be indulged by governments worldwide, and he will seek to attack or undermine those who disagree. Arguably, that's entirely the improvement we might have hoped for from Elon Musk 'spending more time on his businesses'. Let's discuss. In an interview a few days ago, Elon Musk - normally the purveyor of hubris and inflated promises - said that DOGE had been "a little bit" successful. This was clearly the closest to reality he could bring himself to admit in public, but the fact he went on to say that he wouldn't do it if he had his time again really tells the story. So that moment of self-reflection is worth noting. But then you have to note how he remains of the view that his vision for the world must be indulged by governments worldwide, and he will seek to attack or undermine those who disagree. Arguably, that's entirely the improvement we might have hoped for from Elon Musk 'spending more time on his businesses'. Let's discuss. false full 474 df43ce39-e383-40cd-9fb1-e8a9a0637dd9 The Real Reason Trump Wants Maduro Out Of Venezuela | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 12th 2025: President Trump's Navy seizes an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude which highlights what may be the real reason why he won't stop until Maduro is gone; A leaked briefing paints in vivid colours the reality that if the US ends up in a shooting war with China, America itself expects to lose, in spite of all its expensive weapons; And while some are excited that the Epstein files are supposed to be released next week, there are two good reasons to presume it's going to be yet another dud.

]]> Fri, 12 Dec 2025 23:00:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 12th 2025: President Trump's Navy seizes an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude which highlights what may be the real reason why he won't stop until Maduro is gone; A leaked briefing paints in vivid colours the reality that if the US ends up in a shooting war with China, America itself expects to lose, in spite of all its expensive weapons; And while some are excited that the Epstein files are supposed to be released next week, there are two good reasons to presume it's going to be yet another dud.

]]> The Real Reason Trump Wants Maduro Out Of Venezuela | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:22:01 In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 12th 2025: President Trump's Navy seizes an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude which highlights what may be the real reason why he won't stop until Maduro is gone; A leaked briefing paints in vivid colours the reality that if the US ends up in a shooting war with China, America itself expects to lose, in spite of all its expensive weapons; And while some are excited that the Epstein files are supposed to be released next week, there are two good reasons to presume it's going to be yet another dud. In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 12th 2025: President Trump's Navy seizes an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude which highlights what may be the real reason why he won't stop until Maduro is gone; A leaked briefing paints in vivid colours the reality that if the US ends up in a shooting war with China, America itself expects to lose, in spite of all its expensive weapons; And while some are excited that the Epstein files are supposed to be released next week, there are two good reasons to presume it's going to be yet another dud. false full 473 dfa36a54-c483-474b-8410-7f0f95e5c1b4 Trump To Force Tourists To Give Social Media History At The Border One of the big stories of 2025 has been the plummeting rates of foreign tourists entering the United States. Whether because President Trump has insulted their countries, or because they just don't fancy visiting the country the US has become - people are staying away in droves. Now, as though that isn't nearly bad enough, the Trump administration seems determined to impose even more onerous and intrusive tests on the way in - with the possibility that if you have the "wrong opinions" about the Dear Leader, you might not be let in at all. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 10 Dec 2025 22:01:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast One of the big stories of 2025 has been the plummeting rates of foreign tourists entering the United States. Whether because President Trump has insulted their countries, or because they just don't fancy visiting the country the US has become - people are staying away in droves. Now, as though that isn't nearly bad enough, the Trump administration seems determined to impose even more onerous and intrusive tests on the way in - with the possibility that if you have the "wrong opinions" about the Dear Leader, you might not be let in at all. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump To Force Tourists To Give Social Media History At The Border Mallen Baker 00:09:36 One of the big stories of 2025 has been the plummeting rates of foreign tourists entering the United States. Whether because President Trump has insulted their countries, or because they just don't fancy visiting the country the US has become - people are staying away in droves. Now, as though that isn't nearly bad enough, the Trump administration seems determined to impose even more onerous and intrusive tests on the way in - with the possibility that if you have the "wrong opinions" about the Dear Leader, you might not be let in at all. Let's discuss. One of the big stories of 2025 has been the plummeting rates of foreign tourists entering the United States. Whether because President Trump has insulted their countries, or because they just don't fancy visiting the country the US has become - people are staying away in droves. Now, as though that isn't nearly bad enough, the Trump administration seems determined to impose even more onerous and intrusive tests on the way in - with the possibility that if you have the "wrong opinions" about the Dear Leader, you might not be let in at all. Let's discuss. false full 472 e42c1643-a9cf-4014-8bb5-dee38f4359b3 Why Is Europe Still Pretending Trump Is Their Ally? European leaders and Ukraine's President Zelensky have been meeting yet again to agree a way forward in the face of Trump's pressure for Ukraine to sign a variation on its one-sided deal with Putin's Russia. And STILL, after Trump's dismissive insults towards them all has been codified as official US security policy - they are keeping up the pretence that the US is still Europe's biggest ally. Why? When do we re-enter a world where public figures talk in a relatively frank way about how they see the world, and what their objectives are? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 9 Dec 2025 22:43:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast European leaders and Ukraine's President Zelensky have been meeting yet again to agree a way forward in the face of Trump's pressure for Ukraine to sign a variation on its one-sided deal with Putin's Russia. And STILL, after Trump's dismissive insults towards them all has been codified as official US security policy - they are keeping up the pretence that the US is still Europe's biggest ally. Why? When do we re-enter a world where public figures talk in a relatively frank way about how they see the world, and what their objectives are? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Is Europe Still Pretending Trump Is Their Ally? Mallen Baker 00:15:51 European leaders and Ukraine's President Zelensky have been meeting yet again to agree a way forward in the face of Trump's pressure for Ukraine to sign a variation on its one-sided deal with Putin's Russia. And STILL, after Trump's dismissive insults towards them all has been codified as official US security policy - they are keeping up the pretence that the US is still Europe's biggest ally. Why? When do we re-enter a world where public figures talk in a relatively frank way about how they see the world, and what their objectives are? Let's discuss. European leaders and Ukraine's President Zelensky have been meeting yet again to agree a way forward in the face of Trump's pressure for Ukraine to sign a variation on its one-sided deal with Putin's Russia. And STILL, after Trump's dismissive insults towards them all has been codified as official US security policy - they are keeping up the pretence that the US is still Europe's biggest ally. Why? When do we re-enter a world where public figures talk in a relatively frank way about how they see the world, and what their objectives are? Let's discuss. false full 471 88dcd6d1-6c38-4471-9af5-004eb3610a28 Japan Trusts Trump On China - Then Instantly Regrets It The new Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, established a great rapport with President Trump right from the start - or so it seemed. But when she immediately lined up with Trump to draw a hard line with Xi Jinping's China, she turned around and discovered he wasn't there. Trump's America is interested, according to it's recent National Security Strategy (and its observed behaviour) in money. Not geopolitics. Not values. Money. Japan, having attracted the fury of Beijing, is suddenly wondering if its best ally is no longer an ally at all. And even the uncertainty throws the stability of Southeast Asia into a doubt it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 7 Dec 2025 22:18:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The new Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, established a great rapport with President Trump right from the start - or so it seemed. But when she immediately lined up with Trump to draw a hard line with Xi Jinping's China, she turned around and discovered he wasn't there. Trump's America is interested, according to it's recent National Security Strategy (and its observed behaviour) in money. Not geopolitics. Not values. Money. Japan, having attracted the fury of Beijing, is suddenly wondering if its best ally is no longer an ally at all. And even the uncertainty throws the stability of Southeast Asia into a doubt it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss.

]]> Japan Trusts Trump On China - Then Instantly Regrets It Mallen Baker 00:09:52 The new Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, established a great rapport with President Trump right from the start - or so it seemed. But when she immediately lined up with Trump to draw a hard line with Xi Jinping's China, she turned around and discovered he wasn't there. Trump's America is interested, according to it's recent National Security Strategy (and its observed behaviour) in money. Not geopolitics. Not values. Money. Japan, having attracted the fury of Beijing, is suddenly wondering if its best ally is no longer an ally at all. And even the uncertainty throws the stability of Southeast Asia into a doubt it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss. The new Prime Minister of Japan, Sanae Takaichi, established a great rapport with President Trump right from the start - or so it seemed. But when she immediately lined up with Trump to draw a hard line with Xi Jinping's China, she turned around and discovered he wasn't there. Trump's America is interested, according to it's recent National Security Strategy (and its observed behaviour) in money. Not geopolitics. Not values. Money. Japan, having attracted the fury of Beijing, is suddenly wondering if its best ally is no longer an ally at all. And even the uncertainty throws the stability of Southeast Asia into a doubt it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss. false full 470 aa5174bc-96e5-407d-a2f3-4646bffbc0ab Trump’s World Strategy Shocks Europe And The World | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 5th 2025 - The US launches its new security strategy, and it doesn't mince words in laying out the real thinking behind Trump's bizarre foreign policy. The question is - will Europeans actually do anything about the admission that Trump aims to replace them all with far-right parties, that he aims to hand Ukraine to Russia, or any of the rest of it - or will they keep pretending it's business-as-usual? Also, the Ukraine Russia peace negotiations fizzle as they were always going to, and the EU rankles Trump's America by fining Elon Musk's Twitter. Also, I note a true unsung hero, and talk about a skunk and a raccoon.

]]> Fri, 5 Dec 2025 23:13:09 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 5th 2025 - The US launches its new security strategy, and it doesn't mince words in laying out the real thinking behind Trump's bizarre foreign policy. The question is - will Europeans actually do anything about the admission that Trump aims to replace them all with far-right parties, that he aims to hand Ukraine to Russia, or any of the rest of it - or will they keep pretending it's business-as-usual? Also, the Ukraine Russia peace negotiations fizzle as they were always going to, and the EU rankles Trump's America by fining Elon Musk's Twitter. Also, I note a true unsung hero, and talk about a skunk and a raccoon.

]]> Trump’s World Strategy Shocks Europe And The World | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:35 In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 5th 2025 - The US launches its new security strategy, and it doesn't mince words in laying out the real thinking behind Trump's bizarre foreign policy. The question is - will Europeans actually do anything about the admission that Trump aims to replace them all with far-right parties, that he aims to hand Ukraine to Russia, or any of the rest of it - or will they keep pretending it's business-as-usual? Also, the Ukraine Russia peace negotiations fizzle as they were always going to, and the EU rankles Trump's America by fining Elon Musk's Twitter. Also, I note a true unsung hero, and talk about a skunk and a raccoon. In this news round-up of the week for Friday December 5th 2025 - The US launches its new security strategy, and it doesn't mince words in laying out the real thinking behind Trump's bizarre foreign policy. The question is - will Europeans actually do anything about the admission that Trump aims to replace them all with far-right parties, that he aims to hand Ukraine to Russia, or any of the rest of it - or will they keep pretending it's business-as-usual? Also, the Ukraine Russia peace negotiations fizzle as they were always going to, and the EU rankles Trump's America by fining Elon Musk's Twitter. Also, I note a true unsung hero, and talk about a skunk and a raccoon. false full 469 60ed8c3a-dae2-4a5b-816e-536158740bc1 Trump Suddenly Realises He's Caught In A Trap President Trump assumed that waving a big stick in front of Venzuela's Nicolas Maduro would result in him agreeing to step down, since the US has all of its economic and military might to bring to bear. But Maduro has called his bluff, and suddenly Trump is finding that the ground is disappearing under his feet. The attacks against boats are attracting talk of war crimes. Congress is starting to get seriously unhappy. And the latest revelation about a second strike made just to kill survivors - a war crime in any similar context - has the administration changing its story daily as it slowly realises that consequences are coming. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 3 Dec 2025 21:35:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump assumed that waving a big stick in front of Venzuela's Nicolas Maduro would result in him agreeing to step down, since the US has all of its economic and military might to bring to bear. But Maduro has called his bluff, and suddenly Trump is finding that the ground is disappearing under his feet. The attacks against boats are attracting talk of war crimes. Congress is starting to get seriously unhappy. And the latest revelation about a second strike made just to kill survivors - a war crime in any similar context - has the administration changing its story daily as it slowly realises that consequences are coming. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Suddenly Realises He's Caught In A Trap Mallen Baker 00:12:59 President Trump assumed that waving a big stick in front of Venzuela's Nicolas Maduro would result in him agreeing to step down, since the US has all of its economic and military might to bring to bear. But Maduro has called his bluff, and suddenly Trump is finding that the ground is disappearing under his feet. The attacks against boats are attracting talk of war crimes. Congress is starting to get seriously unhappy. And the latest revelation about a second strike made just to kill survivors - a war crime in any similar context - has the administration changing its story daily as it slowly realises that consequences are coming. Let's discuss. President Trump assumed that waving a big stick in front of Venzuela's Nicolas Maduro would result in him agreeing to step down, since the US has all of its economic and military might to bring to bear. But Maduro has called his bluff, and suddenly Trump is finding that the ground is disappearing under his feet. The attacks against boats are attracting talk of war crimes. Congress is starting to get seriously unhappy. And the latest revelation about a second strike made just to kill survivors - a war crime in any similar context - has the administration changing its story daily as it slowly realises that consequences are coming. Let's discuss. false full 468 f8ba0ada-4acf-4cb9-9ece-49af5a8326b3 NATO Wants a More Aggressive Face to Putin – Will Trump Block It? NATO is realising that the hybrid warfare being waged against it by Russia, via sabotage, airspace incursions, disinformation and hacking attacks, are too serious to continue to be shrugged off. So today one of NATO's top military leaders put it out there that NATO should be taking more aggressive and proactive action, and that such action would count as a defensive measure in the current situation. This matches the threat - but it suffers the one drawback that the lynchpin member of NATO is President Trump's United States. And Trump is very obviously a Putin ally. So could NATO adopt such a stance - or would it simply get vetoed?

]]> Mon, 1 Dec 2025 20:59:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast NATO is realising that the hybrid warfare being waged against it by Russia, via sabotage, airspace incursions, disinformation and hacking attacks, are too serious to continue to be shrugged off. So today one of NATO's top military leaders put it out there that NATO should be taking more aggressive and proactive action, and that such action would count as a defensive measure in the current situation. This matches the threat - but it suffers the one drawback that the lynchpin member of NATO is President Trump's United States. And Trump is very obviously a Putin ally. So could NATO adopt such a stance - or would it simply get vetoed?

]]> NATO Wants a More Aggressive Face to Putin – Will Trump Block It? Mallen Baker 00:11:02 NATO is realising that the hybrid warfare being waged against it by Russia, via sabotage, airspace incursions, disinformation and hacking attacks, are too serious to continue to be shrugged off. So today one of NATO's top military leaders put it out there that NATO should be taking more aggressive and proactive action, and that such action would count as a defensive measure in the current situation. This matches the threat - but it suffers the one drawback that the lynchpin member of NATO is President Trump's United States. And Trump is very obviously a Putin ally. So could NATO adopt such a stance - or would it simply get vetoed? NATO is realising that the hybrid warfare being waged against it by Russia, via sabotage, airspace incursions, disinformation and hacking attacks, are too serious to continue to be shrugged off. So today one of NATO's top military leaders put it out there that NATO should be taking more aggressive and proactive action, and that such action would count as a defensive measure in the current situation. This matches the threat - but it suffers the one drawback that the lynchpin member of NATO is President Trump's United States. And Trump is very obviously a Putin ally. So could NATO adopt such a stance - or would it simply get vetoed? false full 467 09db6b26-3b2e-45b3-8daa-289ec3a77f0e Leaked Illegal Order On Venezuela Boats Could Be War Crime According to the Washington Post, President Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth ordered specifically that there should be no survivors from the first of the US military strikes against boats in waters close to Venezuela. This meant that when two people survived the initial strike, the US navy carried out a second strike specifically just to eliminate those survivors - an act that would be considered by international law as murder, as a war crime, or both. The news has Republicans in Congress launching moves to hold the administration to account in another symbol of Trump's fading grip on his party. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 30 Nov 2025 22:45:34 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast According to the Washington Post, President Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth ordered specifically that there should be no survivors from the first of the US military strikes against boats in waters close to Venezuela. This meant that when two people survived the initial strike, the US navy carried out a second strike specifically just to eliminate those survivors - an act that would be considered by international law as murder, as a war crime, or both. The news has Republicans in Congress launching moves to hold the administration to account in another symbol of Trump's fading grip on his party. Let's discuss.

]]> Leaked Illegal Order On Venezuela Boats Could Be War Crime Mallen Baker 00:11:30 According to the Washington Post, President Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth ordered specifically that there should be no survivors from the first of the US military strikes against boats in waters close to Venezuela. This meant that when two people survived the initial strike, the US navy carried out a second strike specifically just to eliminate those survivors - an act that would be considered by international law as murder, as a war crime, or both. The news has Republicans in Congress launching moves to hold the administration to account in another symbol of Trump's fading grip on his party. Let's discuss. According to the Washington Post, President Trump's defence secretary Pete Hegseth ordered specifically that there should be no survivors from the first of the US military strikes against boats in waters close to Venezuela. This meant that when two people survived the initial strike, the US navy carried out a second strike specifically just to eliminate those survivors - an act that would be considered by international law as murder, as a war crime, or both. The news has Republicans in Congress launching moves to hold the administration to account in another symbol of Trump's fading grip on his party. Let's discuss. false full 466 0e8ba1b2-a3ef-40fc-b799-0a7ce40a1197 Massive Judicial Revolt Over Trump’s Illegal Orders | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 28th 2025. President Trump faces a major legal backlash as analysis shows hundreds of judges have ruled his latest actions on deportations to be illegal - and now a class action is coming that may force a change in policy. Taiwan shows how it is coming to terms with the unreliability of its greatest ally. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff shows the world he's really all-in on Russia's side. And I reply to a viewer comment.

]]> Fri, 28 Nov 2025 18:47:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 28th 2025. President Trump faces a major legal backlash as analysis shows hundreds of judges have ruled his latest actions on deportations to be illegal - and now a class action is coming that may force a change in policy. Taiwan shows how it is coming to terms with the unreliability of its greatest ally. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff shows the world he's really all-in on Russia's side. And I reply to a viewer comment.

]]> Massive Judicial Revolt Over Trump’s Illegal Orders | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:48 In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 28th 2025. President Trump faces a major legal backlash as analysis shows hundreds of judges have ruled his latest actions on deportations to be illegal - and now a class action is coming that may force a change in policy. Taiwan shows how it is coming to terms with the unreliability of its greatest ally. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff shows the world he's really all-in on Russia's side. And I reply to a viewer comment. In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 28th 2025. President Trump faces a major legal backlash as analysis shows hundreds of judges have ruled his latest actions on deportations to be illegal - and now a class action is coming that may force a change in policy. Taiwan shows how it is coming to terms with the unreliability of its greatest ally. Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff shows the world he's really all-in on Russia's side. And I reply to a viewer comment. false full 465 3be34194-88cf-4750-9ff2-bad2a999980c The World Is Starting To Push Back On Trump This week, we saw the Trump Administration trying to blackmail the EU with steel and aluminium tariffs to get it to dismantle its regulations on big tech. We saw scandal in Switzerland over the donations to Trump of a Rolex clock and a gold bar to get tariffs reduced there. And we saw Trump declare that, as the host of the next G20 meeting in 2026, he is going to bar South Africa from attending because he has special opinions that must be accommodated. But in all of them, there are - to different degrees, and with caveats - signs of growing restiveness with the Trump bullying. A lot of Trump's power is gifted to him by the targets of his attacks - and more and more leaders are starting to show signs of concluding that enough is enough. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 27 Nov 2025 22:13:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week, we saw the Trump Administration trying to blackmail the EU with steel and aluminium tariffs to get it to dismantle its regulations on big tech. We saw scandal in Switzerland over the donations to Trump of a Rolex clock and a gold bar to get tariffs reduced there. And we saw Trump declare that, as the host of the next G20 meeting in 2026, he is going to bar South Africa from attending because he has special opinions that must be accommodated. But in all of them, there are - to different degrees, and with caveats - signs of growing restiveness with the Trump bullying. A lot of Trump's power is gifted to him by the targets of his attacks - and more and more leaders are starting to show signs of concluding that enough is enough. Let's discuss.

]]> The World Is Starting To Push Back On Trump Mallen Baker 00:13:43 This week, we saw the Trump Administration trying to blackmail the EU with steel and aluminium tariffs to get it to dismantle its regulations on big tech. We saw scandal in Switzerland over the donations to Trump of a Rolex clock and a gold bar to get tariffs reduced there. And we saw Trump declare that, as the host of the next G20 meeting in 2026, he is going to bar South Africa from attending because he has special opinions that must be accommodated. But in all of them, there are - to different degrees, and with caveats - signs of growing restiveness with the Trump bullying. A lot of Trump's power is gifted to him by the targets of his attacks - and more and more leaders are starting to show signs of concluding that enough is enough. Let's discuss. This week, we saw the Trump Administration trying to blackmail the EU with steel and aluminium tariffs to get it to dismantle its regulations on big tech. We saw scandal in Switzerland over the donations to Trump of a Rolex clock and a gold bar to get tariffs reduced there. And we saw Trump declare that, as the host of the next G20 meeting in 2026, he is going to bar South Africa from attending because he has special opinions that must be accommodated. But in all of them, there are - to different degrees, and with caveats - signs of growing restiveness with the Trump bullying. A lot of Trump's power is gifted to him by the targets of his attacks - and more and more leaders are starting to show signs of concluding that enough is enough. Let's discuss. false full 464 972f618b-3eb3-4d34-a0d2-07ff07eba2bc Why Michelle Obama Is Wrong About America A couple of weeks ago, Michelle Obama said that America wasn't ready to vote for a woman as President. Today, in the UK - which has had three women Prime Ministers and counting - another woman in a top position - Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, got to hold the centre of attention of the country for a couple of days having complained about misogyny and 'mansplaining' that she has to deal with. These statements have to deal with an inconvenient truth. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 26 Nov 2025 23:34:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A couple of weeks ago, Michelle Obama said that America wasn't ready to vote for a woman as President. Today, in the UK - which has had three women Prime Ministers and counting - another woman in a top position - Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, got to hold the centre of attention of the country for a couple of days having complained about misogyny and 'mansplaining' that she has to deal with. These statements have to deal with an inconvenient truth. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Michelle Obama Is Wrong About America Mallen Baker 00:17:19 A couple of weeks ago, Michelle Obama said that America wasn't ready to vote for a woman as President. Today, in the UK - which has had three women Prime Ministers and counting - another woman in a top position - Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, got to hold the centre of attention of the country for a couple of days having complained about misogyny and 'mansplaining' that she has to deal with. These statements have to deal with an inconvenient truth. Let's discuss. A couple of weeks ago, Michelle Obama said that America wasn't ready to vote for a woman as President. Today, in the UK - which has had three women Prime Ministers and counting - another woman in a top position - Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, got to hold the centre of attention of the country for a couple of days having complained about misogyny and 'mansplaining' that she has to deal with. These statements have to deal with an inconvenient truth. Let's discuss. false full 463 078e3370-a82a-4e36-9aab-e0de7ba3fc45 Why Trump’s MAGA Movement Is Falling Apart We've talked before about the two sides of MAGA - the personality cult / ideological part, which is noisy and enthusiastic at times, and perpetually confused with Trump's frequent inconsistencies - and the tech billionaire part, with their views on the post-democracy AI future they think they should be left to bring about. Earlier predictions that these two might not be the best of room-mates are becoming a safer and safer bet every day. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 24 Nov 2025 22:41:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We've talked before about the two sides of MAGA - the personality cult / ideological part, which is noisy and enthusiastic at times, and perpetually confused with Trump's frequent inconsistencies - and the tech billionaire part, with their views on the post-democracy AI future they think they should be left to bring about. Earlier predictions that these two might not be the best of room-mates are becoming a safer and safer bet every day. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s MAGA Movement Is Falling Apart Mallen Baker 00:10:15 We've talked before about the two sides of MAGA - the personality cult / ideological part, which is noisy and enthusiastic at times, and perpetually confused with Trump's frequent inconsistencies - and the tech billionaire part, with their views on the post-democracy AI future they think they should be left to bring about. Earlier predictions that these two might not be the best of room-mates are becoming a safer and safer bet every day. Let's discuss. We've talked before about the two sides of MAGA - the personality cult / ideological part, which is noisy and enthusiastic at times, and perpetually confused with Trump's frequent inconsistencies - and the tech billionaire part, with their views on the post-democracy AI future they think they should be left to bring about. Earlier predictions that these two might not be the best of room-mates are becoming a safer and safer bet every day. Let's discuss. false full 462 43da36dc-a6ca-4f21-84e9-422d63473f96 Trump Demands Thanks For His Ukraine Surrender Plan As expected, European and Ukrainian leaders have been locked in urgent talks with the US as they try to negotiate down the Trump Ukraine Surrender Plan to something more acceptable. As they do so, Trump is plumbing new depths in his public expression of contempt for Ukraine, saying that it's leaders have not been sufficiently appreciative of everything he has done for them. For some reason, he failed to list all those things. But needless to say, in spite of the stupidity, it all matters a great deal. So let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 23 Nov 2025 21:47:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As expected, European and Ukrainian leaders have been locked in urgent talks with the US as they try to negotiate down the Trump Ukraine Surrender Plan to something more acceptable. As they do so, Trump is plumbing new depths in his public expression of contempt for Ukraine, saying that it's leaders have not been sufficiently appreciative of everything he has done for them. For some reason, he failed to list all those things. But needless to say, in spite of the stupidity, it all matters a great deal. So let's discuss.

]]> Trump Demands Thanks For His Ukraine Surrender Plan Mallen Baker 00:11:41 As expected, European and Ukrainian leaders have been locked in urgent talks with the US as they try to negotiate down the Trump Ukraine Surrender Plan to something more acceptable. As they do so, Trump is plumbing new depths in his public expression of contempt for Ukraine, saying that it's leaders have not been sufficiently appreciative of everything he has done for them. For some reason, he failed to list all those things. But needless to say, in spite of the stupidity, it all matters a great deal. So let's discuss. As expected, European and Ukrainian leaders have been locked in urgent talks with the US as they try to negotiate down the Trump Ukraine Surrender Plan to something more acceptable. As they do so, Trump is plumbing new depths in his public expression of contempt for Ukraine, saying that it's leaders have not been sufficiently appreciative of everything he has done for them. For some reason, he failed to list all those things. But needless to say, in spite of the stupidity, it all matters a great deal. So let's discuss. false full 461 25d546ec-bcfd-4f52-b553-22d001679f0c Trump Aims To FORCE Ukraine Surrender | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 21st, 2025, we examine the text of Trump's Ukraine surrender plan and the attempt to force Ukraine to sign it, with the threat of letting Putin win the war if it doesn't. We also look at Japan's new Prime Minister facing a massive confrontation with China over Taiwan, and the UK's detailed COVID-19 inquiry report.

]]> Fri, 21 Nov 2025 22:54:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 21st, 2025, we examine the text of Trump's Ukraine surrender plan and the attempt to force Ukraine to sign it, with the threat of letting Putin win the war if it doesn't. We also look at Japan's new Prime Minister facing a massive confrontation with China over Taiwan, and the UK's detailed COVID-19 inquiry report.

]]> Trump Aims To FORCE Ukraine Surrender | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:29:35 In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 21st, 2025, we examine the text of Trump's Ukraine surrender plan and the attempt to force Ukraine to sign it, with the threat of letting Putin win the war if it doesn't. We also look at Japan's new Prime Minister facing a massive confrontation with China over Taiwan, and the UK's detailed COVID-19 inquiry report. In this news round-up of the week for Friday, November 21st, 2025, we examine the text of Trump's Ukraine surrender plan and the attempt to force Ukraine to sign it, with the threat of letting Putin win the war if it doesn't. We also look at Japan's new Prime Minister facing a massive confrontation with China over Taiwan, and the UK's detailed COVID-19 inquiry report. false full 460 0ebed644-2eeb-4f8b-8b5a-a0a802c6841f Trump And Putin's Secret Plan To Stitch Ukraine Up It's just been revealed that Putin's Russia has been working in secret with the Trump administration to agree what is described as a 28-point plan, based on the Gaza peace plan. One thing is clear - if such a plan is taking shape, it is doing so very much according to Putin's desires which, by definition, means an extremely rough deal for Ukraine. It seems that President Trump retains the belief that first led him to imagine he could end the Ukraine war 'very quickly' - that if he can agree a deal with Vladimir Putin, he will then be able to force it onto an unwilling Ukraine. Is that the basis of this new plan? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 19 Nov 2025 22:34:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It's just been revealed that Putin's Russia has been working in secret with the Trump administration to agree what is described as a 28-point plan, based on the Gaza peace plan. One thing is clear - if such a plan is taking shape, it is doing so very much according to Putin's desires which, by definition, means an extremely rough deal for Ukraine. It seems that President Trump retains the belief that first led him to imagine he could end the Ukraine war 'very quickly' - that if he can agree a deal with Vladimir Putin, he will then be able to force it onto an unwilling Ukraine. Is that the basis of this new plan? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump And Putin's Secret Plan To Stitch Ukraine Up Mallen Baker 00:12:04 It's just been revealed that Putin's Russia has been working in secret with the Trump administration to agree what is described as a 28-point plan, based on the Gaza peace plan. One thing is clear - if such a plan is taking shape, it is doing so very much according to Putin's desires which, by definition, means an extremely rough deal for Ukraine. It seems that President Trump retains the belief that first led him to imagine he could end the Ukraine war 'very quickly' - that if he can agree a deal with Vladimir Putin, he will then be able to force it onto an unwilling Ukraine. Is that the basis of this new plan? Let's discuss. It's just been revealed that Putin's Russia has been working in secret with the Trump administration to agree what is described as a 28-point plan, based on the Gaza peace plan. One thing is clear - if such a plan is taking shape, it is doing so very much according to Putin's desires which, by definition, means an extremely rough deal for Ukraine. It seems that President Trump retains the belief that first led him to imagine he could end the Ukraine war 'very quickly' - that if he can agree a deal with Vladimir Putin, he will then be able to force it onto an unwilling Ukraine. Is that the basis of this new plan? Let's discuss. false full 459 2d98a72a-c400-4945-bc30-2aee6c34fb3d Humiliating Epstein U-Turn Has Ended Trump’s Power Over His Own Party With one abrupt and astonishing U-turn, President Trump has removed all doubt that he's prematurely entering the lame duck phase of his presidency. Faced with a massive revolt by Republican lawmakers to vote for the Epstein files to be released, he used the masterful arts of a confused toddler in seeking to persuade them that, contrary to everything said and done so far, he really wants them to vote YES to release the files. It's a breathtaking collapse, and the end of the period when he can push his party to do whatever he wants. An absolutely pivotal moment. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 17 Nov 2025 22:28:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast With one abrupt and astonishing U-turn, President Trump has removed all doubt that he's prematurely entering the lame duck phase of his presidency. Faced with a massive revolt by Republican lawmakers to vote for the Epstein files to be released, he used the masterful arts of a confused toddler in seeking to persuade them that, contrary to everything said and done so far, he really wants them to vote YES to release the files. It's a breathtaking collapse, and the end of the period when he can push his party to do whatever he wants. An absolutely pivotal moment. Let's discuss.

]]> Humiliating Epstein U-Turn Has Ended Trump’s Power Over His Own Party Mallen Baker 00:11:08 With one abrupt and astonishing U-turn, President Trump has removed all doubt that he's prematurely entering the lame duck phase of his presidency. Faced with a massive revolt by Republican lawmakers to vote for the Epstein files to be released, he used the masterful arts of a confused toddler in seeking to persuade them that, contrary to everything said and done so far, he really wants them to vote YES to release the files. It's a breathtaking collapse, and the end of the period when he can push his party to do whatever he wants. An absolutely pivotal moment. Let's discuss. With one abrupt and astonishing U-turn, President Trump has removed all doubt that he's prematurely entering the lame duck phase of his presidency. Faced with a massive revolt by Republican lawmakers to vote for the Epstein files to be released, he used the masterful arts of a confused toddler in seeking to persuade them that, contrary to everything said and done so far, he really wants them to vote YES to release the files. It's a breathtaking collapse, and the end of the period when he can push his party to do whatever he wants. An absolutely pivotal moment. Let's discuss. false full 458 16ce7bde-fa0f-42ca-b471-1286ef43337f Q&A: Will America Return To Democracy After 2029? Lots of questions for this video to celebrate my long-delayed YouTube silver button! Lots on the United States and democracy, what the Trump administration end game is, whether the US will be able to recover its democracy after Trump's term is over and more. Also, what did Putin hope to get out of threatening to give Venezuela weapons to use against the US? And then a few questions about me. Let's dive straight in.

]]> Sun, 16 Nov 2025 23:11:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Lots of questions for this video to celebrate my long-delayed YouTube silver button! Lots on the United States and democracy, what the Trump administration end game is, whether the US will be able to recover its democracy after Trump's term is over and more. Also, what did Putin hope to get out of threatening to give Venezuela weapons to use against the US? And then a few questions about me. Let's dive straight in.

]]> Q&A: Will America Return To Democracy After 2029? Mallen Baker 00:27:27 Lots of questions for this video to celebrate my long-delayed YouTube silver button! Lots on the United States and democracy, what the Trump administration end game is, whether the US will be able to recover its democracy after Trump's term is over and more. Also, what did Putin hope to get out of threatening to give Venezuela weapons to use against the US? And then a few questions about me. Let's dive straight in. Lots of questions for this video to celebrate my long-delayed YouTube silver button! Lots on the United States and democracy, what the Trump administration end game is, whether the US will be able to recover its democracy after Trump's term is over and more. Also, what did Putin hope to get out of threatening to give Venezuela weapons to use against the US? And then a few questions about me. Let's dive straight in. false full 457 339eeb32-8f87-43d7-a206-9b07b278f5bd Why Trump Just Put All of Latin America on Notice | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday November 14th 2025 - An announcement by Trump's War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to signal a completely new focus for how America uses its military power in the future, and it's not great news for Latin America. Trump is mired once again in the Epstein files - but what is at the heart of the weird contradiction we're seeing play out before our eyes? And the BBC respectfully tells Trump it will contest his desire to sue it for a billion dollars, even though he seems to think this would be a public duty.

]]> Fri, 14 Nov 2025 22:13:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday November 14th 2025 - An announcement by Trump's War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to signal a completely new focus for how America uses its military power in the future, and it's not great news for Latin America. Trump is mired once again in the Epstein files - but what is at the heart of the weird contradiction we're seeing play out before our eyes? And the BBC respectfully tells Trump it will contest his desire to sue it for a billion dollars, even though he seems to think this would be a public duty.

]]> Why Trump Just Put All of Latin America on Notice | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:23 In this news round-up of the week for Friday November 14th 2025 - An announcement by Trump's War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to signal a completely new focus for how America uses its military power in the future, and it's not great news for Latin America. Trump is mired once again in the Epstein files - but what is at the heart of the weird contradiction we're seeing play out before our eyes? And the BBC respectfully tells Trump it will contest his desire to sue it for a billion dollars, even though he seems to think this would be a public duty. In this news round-up of the week for Friday November 14th 2025 - An announcement by Trump's War Secretary Pete Hegseth seems to signal a completely new focus for how America uses its military power in the future, and it's not great news for Latin America. Trump is mired once again in the Epstein files - but what is at the heart of the weird contradiction we're seeing play out before our eyes? And the BBC respectfully tells Trump it will contest his desire to sue it for a billion dollars, even though he seems to think this would be a public duty. false full 456 83870c43-17dd-4fd3-99b6-ecad2db50665 Why Canadians’ Boycott Of Trump’s America Is Turning Into Habit Boycotts rarely work, and even the ones that do, rarely stick. But Canadians are making themselves the exception. Ten months in, they are still avoiding travelling to the US in significant numbers. They are still shunning American brands in the stores in significant numbers. And while they're doing that, they're looking with new eyes to many of the potential other partners - including Trump's biggest geopolitical rival, China. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 13 Nov 2025 21:25:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Boycotts rarely work, and even the ones that do, rarely stick. But Canadians are making themselves the exception. Ten months in, they are still avoiding travelling to the US in significant numbers. They are still shunning American brands in the stores in significant numbers. And while they're doing that, they're looking with new eyes to many of the potential other partners - including Trump's biggest geopolitical rival, China. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Canadians’ Boycott Of Trump’s America Is Turning Into Habit Mallen Baker 00:10:36 Boycotts rarely work, and even the ones that do, rarely stick. But Canadians are making themselves the exception. Ten months in, they are still avoiding travelling to the US in significant numbers. They are still shunning American brands in the stores in significant numbers. And while they're doing that, they're looking with new eyes to many of the potential other partners - including Trump's biggest geopolitical rival, China. Let's discuss. Boycotts rarely work, and even the ones that do, rarely stick. But Canadians are making themselves the exception. Ten months in, they are still avoiding travelling to the US in significant numbers. They are still shunning American brands in the stores in significant numbers. And while they're doing that, they're looking with new eyes to many of the potential other partners - including Trump's biggest geopolitical rival, China. Let's discuss. false full 455 15a628c7-fd74-43b5-9f83-cc39a229228d Even Trump's Best Allies Are Turning Against Him The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has gone to great lengths to stay on the right side of President Trump since he was re-elected. All the usual flattery, plus an unprecedented second state visit, with all the pomp and pageantry. But it was always obvious that sooner or later, Donald Trump would cross a line too far, and push the 'special relationship' into crisis. We learned this week that the first fissure has appeared, thanks to America's blatantly illegal attacks on boats in the waters near to Venezuela - not to mention it's possibly attacking the country now its aircraft carrier has arrived in the area. This has prompted the UK to take the first step to distance itself from its ally - is it the beginning of the end? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 12 Nov 2025 20:36:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has gone to great lengths to stay on the right side of President Trump since he was re-elected. All the usual flattery, plus an unprecedented second state visit, with all the pomp and pageantry. But it was always obvious that sooner or later, Donald Trump would cross a line too far, and push the 'special relationship' into crisis. We learned this week that the first fissure has appeared, thanks to America's blatantly illegal attacks on boats in the waters near to Venezuela - not to mention it's possibly attacking the country now its aircraft carrier has arrived in the area. This has prompted the UK to take the first step to distance itself from its ally - is it the beginning of the end? Let's discuss.

]]> Even Trump's Best Allies Are Turning Against Him Mallen Baker 00:10:12 The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has gone to great lengths to stay on the right side of President Trump since he was re-elected. All the usual flattery, plus an unprecedented second state visit, with all the pomp and pageantry. But it was always obvious that sooner or later, Donald Trump would cross a line too far, and push the 'special relationship' into crisis. We learned this week that the first fissure has appeared, thanks to America's blatantly illegal attacks on boats in the waters near to Venezuela - not to mention it's possibly attacking the country now its aircraft carrier has arrived in the area. This has prompted the UK to take the first step to distance itself from its ally - is it the beginning of the end? Let's discuss. The UK's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has gone to great lengths to stay on the right side of President Trump since he was re-elected. All the usual flattery, plus an unprecedented second state visit, with all the pomp and pageantry. But it was always obvious that sooner or later, Donald Trump would cross a line too far, and push the 'special relationship' into crisis. We learned this week that the first fissure has appeared, thanks to America's blatantly illegal attacks on boats in the waters near to Venezuela - not to mention it's possibly attacking the country now its aircraft carrier has arrived in the area. This has prompted the UK to take the first step to distance itself from its ally - is it the beginning of the end? Let's discuss. false full 454 4ac594e4-9e0a-4d75-85e9-e0fbd0714a33 How The BBC Is Losing The War For Reality On one level, the BBC made some pretty evident mistakes on impartiality - and most damagingly on a documentary on Trump, the echoes of which quickly reverberated across the Atlantic. And as a result, Tim Davie, the Director General had to resign. But there's a lot more to the story than that - and the truth is that the institution has been under attack for the last few years as political polarisation has made its mission increasingly impossible. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 10 Nov 2025 22:05:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast On one level, the BBC made some pretty evident mistakes on impartiality - and most damagingly on a documentary on Trump, the echoes of which quickly reverberated across the Atlantic. And as a result, Tim Davie, the Director General had to resign. But there's a lot more to the story than that - and the truth is that the institution has been under attack for the last few years as political polarisation has made its mission increasingly impossible. Let's discuss.

]]> How The BBC Is Losing The War For Reality Mallen Baker 00:16:22 On one level, the BBC made some pretty evident mistakes on impartiality - and most damagingly on a documentary on Trump, the echoes of which quickly reverberated across the Atlantic. And as a result, Tim Davie, the Director General had to resign. But there's a lot more to the story than that - and the truth is that the institution has been under attack for the last few years as political polarisation has made its mission increasingly impossible. Let's discuss. On one level, the BBC made some pretty evident mistakes on impartiality - and most damagingly on a documentary on Trump, the echoes of which quickly reverberated across the Atlantic. And as a result, Tim Davie, the Director General had to resign. But there's a lot more to the story than that - and the truth is that the institution has been under attack for the last few years as political polarisation has made its mission increasingly impossible. Let's discuss. false full 453 e09a4c87-f0c3-4b4b-aae2-5888413288db Trump’s Panic Offer To Give Everyone Free Money - On One Condition President Trump just unleashed a barrage on social media where he railed against the Supreme Court, against anyone and everyone who is against tariffs - and then he, apparently by-the-by, said that everyone would be getting a $2000 payment. It's not the first time such things have been suggested as a result of the income from tariffs - but it was a very specific promise at this very specific moment. And what it shows is that Trump is beginning to panic that the Supreme Court is going to rule against him, and he is shaken that the recent elections showed the American public irritated he is putting up prices when they can't afford to make ends meet. So is this a real promise? And what's the strategy behind it? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 9 Nov 2025 20:31:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump just unleashed a barrage on social media where he railed against the Supreme Court, against anyone and everyone who is against tariffs - and then he, apparently by-the-by, said that everyone would be getting a $2000 payment. It's not the first time such things have been suggested as a result of the income from tariffs - but it was a very specific promise at this very specific moment. And what it shows is that Trump is beginning to panic that the Supreme Court is going to rule against him, and he is shaken that the recent elections showed the American public irritated he is putting up prices when they can't afford to make ends meet. So is this a real promise? And what's the strategy behind it? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Panic Offer To Give Everyone Free Money - On One Condition Mallen Baker 00:09:55 President Trump just unleashed a barrage on social media where he railed against the Supreme Court, against anyone and everyone who is against tariffs - and then he, apparently by-the-by, said that everyone would be getting a $2000 payment. It's not the first time such things have been suggested as a result of the income from tariffs - but it was a very specific promise at this very specific moment. And what it shows is that Trump is beginning to panic that the Supreme Court is going to rule against him, and he is shaken that the recent elections showed the American public irritated he is putting up prices when they can't afford to make ends meet. So is this a real promise? And what's the strategy behind it? Let's discuss. President Trump just unleashed a barrage on social media where he railed against the Supreme Court, against anyone and everyone who is against tariffs - and then he, apparently by-the-by, said that everyone would be getting a $2000 payment. It's not the first time such things have been suggested as a result of the income from tariffs - but it was a very specific promise at this very specific moment. And what it shows is that Trump is beginning to panic that the Supreme Court is going to rule against him, and he is shaken that the recent elections showed the American public irritated he is putting up prices when they can't afford to make ends meet. So is this a real promise? And what's the strategy behind it? Let's discuss. false full 452 2721b4c6-4d0a-4e39-bd2b-252e50c1a524 Russia Threatens Trump's America Over Venezuela | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, Russia considers giving Maduro its latest hypersonic missiles to use to defend himself against Trump's America, even as China is protesting about his threats to its strategic partner Nigeria. The administration has begun a charm offensive to persuade its supposed allies that it really CAN be trusted when it comes to intelligence sharing. And Elon Musk is granted a theoretical $1 trillion payday - the big 'if' attached to it doesn't cancel the enormity of what that figure for one person really represents. Also, I answer a viewer comment and announce a Q&A. Add your questions below.

]]> Fri, 7 Nov 2025 23:29:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, Russia considers giving Maduro its latest hypersonic missiles to use to defend himself against Trump's America, even as China is protesting about his threats to its strategic partner Nigeria. The administration has begun a charm offensive to persuade its supposed allies that it really CAN be trusted when it comes to intelligence sharing. And Elon Musk is granted a theoretical $1 trillion payday - the big 'if' attached to it doesn't cancel the enormity of what that figure for one person really represents. Also, I answer a viewer comment and announce a Q&A. Add your questions below.

]]> Russia Threatens Trump's America Over Venezuela | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:23:30 In this news round-up of the week, Russia considers giving Maduro its latest hypersonic missiles to use to defend himself against Trump's America, even as China is protesting about his threats to its strategic partner Nigeria. The administration has begun a charm offensive to persuade its supposed allies that it really CAN be trusted when it comes to intelligence sharing. And Elon Musk is granted a theoretical $1 trillion payday - the big 'if' attached to it doesn't cancel the enormity of what that figure for one person really represents. Also, I answer a viewer comment and announce a Q&A. Add your questions below. In this news round-up of the week, Russia considers giving Maduro its latest hypersonic missiles to use to defend himself against Trump's America, even as China is protesting about his threats to its strategic partner Nigeria. The administration has begun a charm offensive to persuade its supposed allies that it really CAN be trusted when it comes to intelligence sharing. And Elon Musk is granted a theoretical $1 trillion payday - the big 'if' attached to it doesn't cancel the enormity of what that figure for one person really represents. Also, I answer a viewer comment and announce a Q&A. Add your questions below. false full 451 468b79a3-361f-4ed6-9419-8fd905eabd67 Was THIS The Week Trump Became A Lame Duck President? Political fortunes can turn on a dime. One second, a major figure can seem immovable, all powerful - then suddenly something shifts and they're left trying to hold it all together as it slips from their grasp. This week has seen a series of failures for Trump that has dented his projected image of power, and reminded Congressional Republicans that politics-as-usual probably still applies, and in that world Trump will never be on the ballot ever again. It's early days, but already we're seeing the signs that this could be the week a line was crossed. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 6 Nov 2025 21:26:56 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Political fortunes can turn on a dime. One second, a major figure can seem immovable, all powerful - then suddenly something shifts and they're left trying to hold it all together as it slips from their grasp. This week has seen a series of failures for Trump that has dented his projected image of power, and reminded Congressional Republicans that politics-as-usual probably still applies, and in that world Trump will never be on the ballot ever again. It's early days, but already we're seeing the signs that this could be the week a line was crossed. Let's discuss.

]]> Was THIS The Week Trump Became A Lame Duck President? Mallen Baker 00:12:34 Political fortunes can turn on a dime. One second, a major figure can seem immovable, all powerful - then suddenly something shifts and they're left trying to hold it all together as it slips from their grasp. This week has seen a series of failures for Trump that has dented his projected image of power, and reminded Congressional Republicans that politics-as-usual probably still applies, and in that world Trump will never be on the ballot ever again. It's early days, but already we're seeing the signs that this could be the week a line was crossed. Let's discuss. Political fortunes can turn on a dime. One second, a major figure can seem immovable, all powerful - then suddenly something shifts and they're left trying to hold it all together as it slips from their grasp. This week has seen a series of failures for Trump that has dented his projected image of power, and reminded Congressional Republicans that politics-as-usual probably still applies, and in that world Trump will never be on the ballot ever again. It's early days, but already we're seeing the signs that this could be the week a line was crossed. Let's discuss. false full 450 e526e635-261b-4096-9534-b28156f908b5 Is Trump's Power About To Be DESTROYED By The Supreme Court? The lower courts have both ruled that the bulk of Trump's tariffs are plainly unconstitutional. Now it has come to the Supreme Court, and it's arguably the moment the Conservatives on the court have been dreading. The case seems legally very clear that Trump has no case. The hearing that took place today sounded very much like a majority of them were sceptical of the arguments put before them. But Trump REALLY wants this power the way he can have it under this measure. While he could rebuild a higher tariff base with other measures, he couldn't so arbitrarily use the power to bully the world on a day-to-day basis. So how will they jump? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 5 Nov 2025 21:16:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The lower courts have both ruled that the bulk of Trump's tariffs are plainly unconstitutional. Now it has come to the Supreme Court, and it's arguably the moment the Conservatives on the court have been dreading. The case seems legally very clear that Trump has no case. The hearing that took place today sounded very much like a majority of them were sceptical of the arguments put before them. But Trump REALLY wants this power the way he can have it under this measure. While he could rebuild a higher tariff base with other measures, he couldn't so arbitrarily use the power to bully the world on a day-to-day basis. So how will they jump? Let's discuss.

]]> Is Trump's Power About To Be DESTROYED By The Supreme Court? Mallen Baker 00:13:29 The lower courts have both ruled that the bulk of Trump's tariffs are plainly unconstitutional. Now it has come to the Supreme Court, and it's arguably the moment the Conservatives on the court have been dreading. The case seems legally very clear that Trump has no case. The hearing that took place today sounded very much like a majority of them were sceptical of the arguments put before them. But Trump REALLY wants this power the way he can have it under this measure. While he could rebuild a higher tariff base with other measures, he couldn't so arbitrarily use the power to bully the world on a day-to-day basis. So how will they jump? Let's discuss. The lower courts have both ruled that the bulk of Trump's tariffs are plainly unconstitutional. Now it has come to the Supreme Court, and it's arguably the moment the Conservatives on the court have been dreading. The case seems legally very clear that Trump has no case. The hearing that took place today sounded very much like a majority of them were sceptical of the arguments put before them. But Trump REALLY wants this power the way he can have it under this measure. While he could rebuild a higher tariff base with other measures, he couldn't so arbitrarily use the power to bully the world on a day-to-day basis. So how will they jump? Let's discuss. false full 449 62ccd022-f8ff-4ae7-bcb0-b1a4f0042f4b The 'New Elites' Looking To Win The MAGA Civil War The Trump MAGA base - with its mix of personality cultists, conspiracy theorists and uneasy traditional Republicans - is in uproar right now as Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Nick Fuentes was seen by many to breach the line. The fight over what can, or cannot, be normalised is an early sign of the fight for the future soul of MAGA for the post-Trump era. Meanwhile, the other part of MAGA - that which is being planned and executed by the tech bros and other billionaires - is organising quietly, but not wholly unnoticed. New details of how they think, how they organise, and what they want to happen next, have just been revealed in the Washington Post today. Let's discuss.

Article referenced in this video:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/04/chris-buskirk-maga-vance-post-trump/ (paywall)

]]> Tue, 4 Nov 2025 22:20:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump MAGA base - with its mix of personality cultists, conspiracy theorists and uneasy traditional Republicans - is in uproar right now as Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Nick Fuentes was seen by many to breach the line. The fight over what can, or cannot, be normalised is an early sign of the fight for the future soul of MAGA for the post-Trump era. Meanwhile, the other part of MAGA - that which is being planned and executed by the tech bros and other billionaires - is organising quietly, but not wholly unnoticed. New details of how they think, how they organise, and what they want to happen next, have just been revealed in the Washington Post today. Let's discuss.

Article referenced in this video:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/04/chris-buskirk-maga-vance-post-trump/ (paywall)

]]> The 'New Elites' Looking To Win The MAGA Civil War Mallen Baker 00:14:03 The Trump MAGA base - with its mix of personality cultists, conspiracy theorists and uneasy traditional Republicans - is in uproar right now as Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Nick Fuentes was seen by many to breach the line. The fight over what can, or cannot, be normalised is an early sign of the fight for the future soul of MAGA for the post-Trump era. Meanwhile, the other part of MAGA - that which is being planned and executed by the tech bros and other billionaires - is organising quietly, but not wholly unnoticed. New details of how they think, how they organise, and what they want to happen next, have just been revealed in the Washington Post today. Let's discuss. Article referenced in this video: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/04/chris-buskirk-maga-vance-post-trump/ (paywall) The Trump MAGA base - with its mix of personality cultists, conspiracy theorists and uneasy traditional Republicans - is in uproar right now as Tucker Carlson's recent interview with Nick Fuentes was seen by many to breach the line. The fight over what can, or cannot, be normalised is an early sign of the fight for the future soul of MAGA for the post-Trump era. Meanwhile, the other part of MAGA - that which is being planned and executed by the tech bros and other billionaires - is organising quietly, but not wholly unnoticed. New details of how they think, how they organise, and what they want to happen next, have just been revealed in the Washington Post today. Let's discuss. Article referenced in this video: https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2025/11/04/chris-buskirk-maga-vance-post-trump/ (paywall) false full 448 5dc1fc90-5392-436d-85f6-298f55213490 How The ‘Peace President’ Is Bullying The World Two stories came out today. One - it's becoming clear just how aggressively the Trump administration threatened delegates to the International Maritime Organisation to push them not to vote for the net zero carbon tax on international shipping. Two - we have Trump threatening Nigeria with an armed incursion by American forces in the face of what Trump rather absurdly suggests is an 'existential' genocide for Christians in Nigeria. Very different issues - but with one inescapably common element. And it's notice that even now much of the trade stuff is dying down, Trump's modus operandi with the world is fixed in one mode only. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 2 Nov 2025 21:57:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Two stories came out today. One - it's becoming clear just how aggressively the Trump administration threatened delegates to the International Maritime Organisation to push them not to vote for the net zero carbon tax on international shipping. Two - we have Trump threatening Nigeria with an armed incursion by American forces in the face of what Trump rather absurdly suggests is an 'existential' genocide for Christians in Nigeria. Very different issues - but with one inescapably common element. And it's notice that even now much of the trade stuff is dying down, Trump's modus operandi with the world is fixed in one mode only. Let's discuss.

]]> How The ‘Peace President’ Is Bullying The World Mallen Baker 00:13:32 Two stories came out today. One - it's becoming clear just how aggressively the Trump administration threatened delegates to the International Maritime Organisation to push them not to vote for the net zero carbon tax on international shipping. Two - we have Trump threatening Nigeria with an armed incursion by American forces in the face of what Trump rather absurdly suggests is an 'existential' genocide for Christians in Nigeria. Very different issues - but with one inescapably common element. And it's notice that even now much of the trade stuff is dying down, Trump's modus operandi with the world is fixed in one mode only. Let's discuss. Two stories came out today. One - it's becoming clear just how aggressively the Trump administration threatened delegates to the International Maritime Organisation to push them not to vote for the net zero carbon tax on international shipping. Two - we have Trump threatening Nigeria with an armed incursion by American forces in the face of what Trump rather absurdly suggests is an 'existential' genocide for Christians in Nigeria. Very different issues - but with one inescapably common element. And it's notice that even now much of the trade stuff is dying down, Trump's modus operandi with the world is fixed in one mode only. Let's discuss. false full 447 08c8dd35-3b75-4f23-8deb-2b64c1be5adb Why Trump’s Nuclear Test Order Is A Massive Own-Goal | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, Trump orders a resumption to nuclear testing - a move that would have major global consequences, and apparently he did so on a complete misunderstanding of reality. The Netherlands election shows that far-right populism can be reversed where it is taking hold in Europe. A MAGA-friendly major German influencer is the first to take up Trump's invitation to seek asylum in the United States. And we pick up on stories on China, and Bill Gates covered earlier in the week. And I answer questions on Trump's ICE private militia and whether Russia is about to imminently collapse. Let's jump in.

]]> Fri, 31 Oct 2025 22:16:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, Trump orders a resumption to nuclear testing - a move that would have major global consequences, and apparently he did so on a complete misunderstanding of reality. The Netherlands election shows that far-right populism can be reversed where it is taking hold in Europe. A MAGA-friendly major German influencer is the first to take up Trump's invitation to seek asylum in the United States. And we pick up on stories on China, and Bill Gates covered earlier in the week. And I answer questions on Trump's ICE private militia and whether Russia is about to imminently collapse. Let's jump in.

]]> Why Trump’s Nuclear Test Order Is A Massive Own-Goal | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:27:02 In this news round-up of the week, Trump orders a resumption to nuclear testing - a move that would have major global consequences, and apparently he did so on a complete misunderstanding of reality. The Netherlands election shows that far-right populism can be reversed where it is taking hold in Europe. A MAGA-friendly major German influencer is the first to take up Trump's invitation to seek asylum in the United States. And we pick up on stories on China, and Bill Gates covered earlier in the week. And I answer questions on Trump's ICE private militia and whether Russia is about to imminently collapse. Let's jump in. In this news round-up of the week, Trump orders a resumption to nuclear testing - a move that would have major global consequences, and apparently he did so on a complete misunderstanding of reality. The Netherlands election shows that far-right populism can be reversed where it is taking hold in Europe. A MAGA-friendly major German influencer is the first to take up Trump's invitation to seek asylum in the United States. And we pick up on stories on China, and Bill Gates covered earlier in the week. And I answer questions on Trump's ICE private militia and whether Russia is about to imminently collapse. Let's jump in. false full 446 02cb4a5d-80ea-45c7-8154-1e403e6ba643 Trump Just Lost The Trade War With China President Trump's much-anticipated summit with China's Xi Jinping has confirmed what was already obvious to all but the most MAGA-faithful - Trump lost the trade war he picked with China. The threat of crippling restrictions on strategically essential rare earth minerals will be held over America's head to be reviewed every year. Donald Trump thought he held all the cards, but it turns out he badly miscalculated. As a result, we now live in a world where interdependence has been weaponised by the powerful. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 30 Oct 2025 19:08:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump's much-anticipated summit with China's Xi Jinping has confirmed what was already obvious to all but the most MAGA-faithful - Trump lost the trade war he picked with China. The threat of crippling restrictions on strategically essential rare earth minerals will be held over America's head to be reviewed every year. Donald Trump thought he held all the cards, but it turns out he badly miscalculated. As a result, we now live in a world where interdependence has been weaponised by the powerful. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Just Lost The Trade War With China Mallen Baker 00:11:03 President Trump's much-anticipated summit with China's Xi Jinping has confirmed what was already obvious to all but the most MAGA-faithful - Trump lost the trade war he picked with China. The threat of crippling restrictions on strategically essential rare earth minerals will be held over America's head to be reviewed every year. Donald Trump thought he held all the cards, but it turns out he badly miscalculated. As a result, we now live in a world where interdependence has been weaponised by the powerful. Let's discuss. President Trump's much-anticipated summit with China's Xi Jinping has confirmed what was already obvious to all but the most MAGA-faithful - Trump lost the trade war he picked with China. The threat of crippling restrictions on strategically essential rare earth minerals will be held over America's head to be reviewed every year. Donald Trump thought he held all the cards, but it turns out he badly miscalculated. As a result, we now live in a world where interdependence has been weaponised by the powerful. Let's discuss. false full 445 dd16bc72-9588-425b-b1f2-278e51f30a7e Did Bill Gates Just Make A Shocking Admission On Climate Change? Headlines are on all the major news sites - Bill Gates just did a major u-turn on climate change. He now says it's NOT the end of the world. He says the United Nations needs to pivot. And he says all this just a week before the next COP climate conference is due to start in Brazil. What's going on? Well, the headlines - most of them - are not telling the accurate story. And few of them are tracing the causal factors back to the Trump administration - and how its dismantling of USAID has completely rocked the life mission that Gates has been following for the last two decades. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 28 Oct 2025 22:20:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Headlines are on all the major news sites - Bill Gates just did a major u-turn on climate change. He now says it's NOT the end of the world. He says the United Nations needs to pivot. And he says all this just a week before the next COP climate conference is due to start in Brazil. What's going on? Well, the headlines - most of them - are not telling the accurate story. And few of them are tracing the causal factors back to the Trump administration - and how its dismantling of USAID has completely rocked the life mission that Gates has been following for the last two decades. Let's discuss.

]]> Did Bill Gates Just Make A Shocking Admission On Climate Change? Mallen Baker 00:15:21 Headlines are on all the major news sites - Bill Gates just did a major u-turn on climate change. He now says it's NOT the end of the world. He says the United Nations needs to pivot. And he says all this just a week before the next COP climate conference is due to start in Brazil. What's going on? Well, the headlines - most of them - are not telling the accurate story. And few of them are tracing the causal factors back to the Trump administration - and how its dismantling of USAID has completely rocked the life mission that Gates has been following for the last two decades. Let's discuss. Headlines are on all the major news sites - Bill Gates just did a major u-turn on climate change. He now says it's NOT the end of the world. He says the United Nations needs to pivot. And he says all this just a week before the next COP climate conference is due to start in Brazil. What's going on? Well, the headlines - most of them - are not telling the accurate story. And few of them are tracing the causal factors back to the Trump administration - and how its dismantling of USAID has completely rocked the life mission that Gates has been following for the last two decades. Let's discuss. false full 444 ca45be54-587c-4c74-bcb3-d01320ca7fe0 Trump Wants A Third Term - Why That Could Go Badly Wrong For Him We know that Trump would LOVE to run for a third term - not least because he keeps telling us so. And now some of his people, such as Steve Bannon, are saying that it's all possible, although they won't yet say how. It could well just be trolling, but let's say for a moment that they're right. It's possible. There's a pretty good rationale for why it would potentially wreck their movement, and destroy their momentum if they were to try to go for it. While staying within the bounds of what we know about Trump's support base, let's play the scenario.

]]> Mon, 27 Oct 2025 22:18:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We know that Trump would LOVE to run for a third term - not least because he keeps telling us so. And now some of his people, such as Steve Bannon, are saying that it's all possible, although they won't yet say how. It could well just be trolling, but let's say for a moment that they're right. It's possible. There's a pretty good rationale for why it would potentially wreck their movement, and destroy their momentum if they were to try to go for it. While staying within the bounds of what we know about Trump's support base, let's play the scenario.

]]> Trump Wants A Third Term - Why That Could Go Badly Wrong For Him Mallen Baker 00:13:41 We know that Trump would LOVE to run for a third term - not least because he keeps telling us so. And now some of his people, such as Steve Bannon, are saying that it's all possible, although they won't yet say how. It could well just be trolling, but let's say for a moment that they're right. It's possible. There's a pretty good rationale for why it would potentially wreck their movement, and destroy their momentum if they were to try to go for it. While staying within the bounds of what we know about Trump's support base, let's play the scenario. We know that Trump would LOVE to run for a third term - not least because he keeps telling us so. And now some of his people, such as Steve Bannon, are saying that it's all possible, although they won't yet say how. It could well just be trolling, but let's say for a moment that they're right. It's possible. There's a pretty good rationale for why it would potentially wreck their movement, and destroy their momentum if they were to try to go for it. While staying within the bounds of what we know about Trump's support base, let's play the scenario. false full 443 64a38e54-f208-471d-9f94-f726bb1631b5 Trump Dances In Malaysia - But China Is Not Impressed President Trump has arrived in Malaysia for his tour of Southeast Asia. Pausing in Malaysia only to do some embarrassing dancing and signing supposed peace deals, he will be heading to Japan to give new Prime Minister Takaichi her first real test, and then to South Korea where the highlight will be an in-person summit meeting with Xi Jinping. Scott Bessent said that positive progress has been made with the Chinese in advance of the summit, but given Trump's preference for little preparation and maximum playing it by ear, is he really ready for the hardball play he can expect from China on Thursday? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 26 Oct 2025 22:14:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has arrived in Malaysia for his tour of Southeast Asia. Pausing in Malaysia only to do some embarrassing dancing and signing supposed peace deals, he will be heading to Japan to give new Prime Minister Takaichi her first real test, and then to South Korea where the highlight will be an in-person summit meeting with Xi Jinping. Scott Bessent said that positive progress has been made with the Chinese in advance of the summit, but given Trump's preference for little preparation and maximum playing it by ear, is he really ready for the hardball play he can expect from China on Thursday? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Dances In Malaysia - But China Is Not Impressed Mallen Baker 00:12:34 President Trump has arrived in Malaysia for his tour of Southeast Asia. Pausing in Malaysia only to do some embarrassing dancing and signing supposed peace deals, he will be heading to Japan to give new Prime Minister Takaichi her first real test, and then to South Korea where the highlight will be an in-person summit meeting with Xi Jinping. Scott Bessent said that positive progress has been made with the Chinese in advance of the summit, but given Trump's preference for little preparation and maximum playing it by ear, is he really ready for the hardball play he can expect from China on Thursday? Let's discuss. President Trump has arrived in Malaysia for his tour of Southeast Asia. Pausing in Malaysia only to do some embarrassing dancing and signing supposed peace deals, he will be heading to Japan to give new Prime Minister Takaichi her first real test, and then to South Korea where the highlight will be an in-person summit meeting with Xi Jinping. Scott Bessent said that positive progress has been made with the Chinese in advance of the summit, but given Trump's preference for little preparation and maximum playing it by ear, is he really ready for the hardball play he can expect from China on Thursday? Let's discuss. false full 442 103f6118-babe-4d37-a68b-c910540406c6 The Real Reason Trump Pulled Canada Trade Deal | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week - Trump declares sanctions against the two biggest Russian oil companies - will it finally push China and India away from Putin? The president also attacks Canada for - um - quoting Ronald Reagan entirely accurately when it comes to tariffs, and declares that the trade negotiations are OVER. But it seems likely the outrage over the ad is just a cover. And Trump shocks even conservative outlets such as Fox News with his most nakedly autocratic actions so far. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 24 Oct 2025 21:28:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week - Trump declares sanctions against the two biggest Russian oil companies - will it finally push China and India away from Putin? The president also attacks Canada for - um - quoting Ronald Reagan entirely accurately when it comes to tariffs, and declares that the trade negotiations are OVER. But it seems likely the outrage over the ad is just a cover. And Trump shocks even conservative outlets such as Fox News with his most nakedly autocratic actions so far. Let's discuss.

]]> The Real Reason Trump Pulled Canada Trade Deal | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:19:02 In this news round-up of the week - Trump declares sanctions against the two biggest Russian oil companies - will it finally push China and India away from Putin? The president also attacks Canada for - um - quoting Ronald Reagan entirely accurately when it comes to tariffs, and declares that the trade negotiations are OVER. But it seems likely the outrage over the ad is just a cover. And Trump shocks even conservative outlets such as Fox News with his most nakedly autocratic actions so far. Let's discuss. In this news round-up of the week - Trump declares sanctions against the two biggest Russian oil companies - will it finally push China and India away from Putin? The president also attacks Canada for - um - quoting Ronald Reagan entirely accurately when it comes to tariffs, and declares that the trade negotiations are OVER. But it seems likely the outrage over the ad is just a cover. And Trump shocks even conservative outlets such as Fox News with his most nakedly autocratic actions so far. Let's discuss. false full 441 ef634f46-64d4-42b7-b791-c1c20294d2a7 Top Generals Are Turning On Trump And Hegseth Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, in service of President Trump, is on a mission to de-wokify the US armed forces. Well, okay. But what else? The top generals and other senior leaders expect their leader to focus on strategy and big-picture stuff. So imagine how underwhelmed they must have been when he gathered them all together for a big talking to - only to tell them to lose weight and get a haircut. Along with that, and some of the disastrous actions since, some of those top generals are starting to let their real feelings leach out into the public domain. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 23 Oct 2025 20:30:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, in service of President Trump, is on a mission to de-wokify the US armed forces. Well, okay. But what else? The top generals and other senior leaders expect their leader to focus on strategy and big-picture stuff. So imagine how underwhelmed they must have been when he gathered them all together for a big talking to - only to tell them to lose weight and get a haircut. Along with that, and some of the disastrous actions since, some of those top generals are starting to let their real feelings leach out into the public domain. Let's discuss.

]]> Top Generals Are Turning On Trump And Hegseth Mallen Baker 00:09:38 Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, in service of President Trump, is on a mission to de-wokify the US armed forces. Well, okay. But what else? The top generals and other senior leaders expect their leader to focus on strategy and big-picture stuff. So imagine how underwhelmed they must have been when he gathered them all together for a big talking to - only to tell them to lose weight and get a haircut. Along with that, and some of the disastrous actions since, some of those top generals are starting to let their real feelings leach out into the public domain. Let's discuss. Former Fox News host Pete Hegseth, in service of President Trump, is on a mission to de-wokify the US armed forces. Well, okay. But what else? The top generals and other senior leaders expect their leader to focus on strategy and big-picture stuff. So imagine how underwhelmed they must have been when he gathered them all together for a big talking to - only to tell them to lose weight and get a haircut. Along with that, and some of the disastrous actions since, some of those top generals are starting to let their real feelings leach out into the public domain. Let's discuss. false full 440 2b946cb6-cd0d-479c-93c3-d5b900d69e4a How America’s Fake Free Speech Is Poisoning The West President Trump's America is making a thing out of lecturing its allies about the importance of free speech. And yet while doing this, they spread toxic disinformation over and over again, and you quickly realise that America believes - uniquely of any country currently in the world - that 'free speech' means the 'right to lie'. But this definition is a relatively recent one. So let's discuss how it changed, and why this perversion of one of the most important democratic principles should be resisted.

]]> Wed, 22 Oct 2025 19:46:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump's America is making a thing out of lecturing its allies about the importance of free speech. And yet while doing this, they spread toxic disinformation over and over again, and you quickly realise that America believes - uniquely of any country currently in the world - that 'free speech' means the 'right to lie'. But this definition is a relatively recent one. So let's discuss how it changed, and why this perversion of one of the most important democratic principles should be resisted.

]]> How America’s Fake Free Speech Is Poisoning The West Mallen Baker 00:12:28 President Trump's America is making a thing out of lecturing its allies about the importance of free speech. And yet while doing this, they spread toxic disinformation over and over again, and you quickly realise that America believes - uniquely of any country currently in the world - that 'free speech' means the 'right to lie'. But this definition is a relatively recent one. So let's discuss how it changed, and why this perversion of one of the most important democratic principles should be resisted. President Trump's America is making a thing out of lecturing its allies about the importance of free speech. And yet while doing this, they spread toxic disinformation over and over again, and you quickly realise that America believes - uniquely of any country currently in the world - that 'free speech' means the 'right to lie'. But this definition is a relatively recent one. So let's discuss how it changed, and why this perversion of one of the most important democratic principles should be resisted. false full 439 3a543010-3577-4d3a-8e80-8759b756deef The Summit Is OFF And America's Allies Make Clear They Don’t Trust Trump The planned second summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin is suddenly off - following the realisation that Russia has no intention of negotiating, it is only interested in surrender. This is a massive humiliation to Trump having come off all the hubris around the Middle East peace deal, to find that he isn't being given the time of day by the one dictator he truly admires. But at the same time as all that's happening, we are learning that European security forces are no longer sharing all the things with Trump's America that they used to. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 21 Oct 2025 20:39:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The planned second summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin is suddenly off - following the realisation that Russia has no intention of negotiating, it is only interested in surrender. This is a massive humiliation to Trump having come off all the hubris around the Middle East peace deal, to find that he isn't being given the time of day by the one dictator he truly admires. But at the same time as all that's happening, we are learning that European security forces are no longer sharing all the things with Trump's America that they used to. Let's discuss.

]]> The Summit Is OFF And America's Allies Make Clear They Don’t Trust Trump Mallen Baker 00:12:27 The planned second summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin is suddenly off - following the realisation that Russia has no intention of negotiating, it is only interested in surrender. This is a massive humiliation to Trump having come off all the hubris around the Middle East peace deal, to find that he isn't being given the time of day by the one dictator he truly admires. But at the same time as all that's happening, we are learning that European security forces are no longer sharing all the things with Trump's America that they used to. Let's discuss. The planned second summit between President Trump and Vladimir Putin is suddenly off - following the realisation that Russia has no intention of negotiating, it is only interested in surrender. This is a massive humiliation to Trump having come off all the hubris around the Middle East peace deal, to find that he isn't being given the time of day by the one dictator he truly admires. But at the same time as all that's happening, we are learning that European security forces are no longer sharing all the things with Trump's America that they used to. Let's discuss. false full 438 20388abd-84ae-4f53-91a4-38169d0434c9 Revealed: Trump Demanded Ukraine SURRENDER In Zelensky Meeting We knew that Trump had been somewhat swayed by Russia's Vladimir Putin in their phone call last Thursday, but it has just been revealed today just how much Trump threw Putin talking points verbatim at Ukraine's President Zelensky when they met at the Oval Office on Friday. All the progress of recent weeks, where Trump had become more positive towards Ukraine, seem to have been reversed. Instead, Trump was going further than ever in demanding Zelensky accept Russia's terms for ending the war - in other words, surrender. And this is the backdrop for the proposed Trump / Putin summit to take place in Budapest. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 19 Oct 2025 19:56:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We knew that Trump had been somewhat swayed by Russia's Vladimir Putin in their phone call last Thursday, but it has just been revealed today just how much Trump threw Putin talking points verbatim at Ukraine's President Zelensky when they met at the Oval Office on Friday. All the progress of recent weeks, where Trump had become more positive towards Ukraine, seem to have been reversed. Instead, Trump was going further than ever in demanding Zelensky accept Russia's terms for ending the war - in other words, surrender. And this is the backdrop for the proposed Trump / Putin summit to take place in Budapest. Let's discuss.

]]> Revealed: Trump Demanded Ukraine SURRENDER In Zelensky Meeting Mallen Baker 00:10:40 We knew that Trump had been somewhat swayed by Russia's Vladimir Putin in their phone call last Thursday, but it has just been revealed today just how much Trump threw Putin talking points verbatim at Ukraine's President Zelensky when they met at the Oval Office on Friday. All the progress of recent weeks, where Trump had become more positive towards Ukraine, seem to have been reversed. Instead, Trump was going further than ever in demanding Zelensky accept Russia's terms for ending the war - in other words, surrender. And this is the backdrop for the proposed Trump / Putin summit to take place in Budapest. Let's discuss. We knew that Trump had been somewhat swayed by Russia's Vladimir Putin in their phone call last Thursday, but it has just been revealed today just how much Trump threw Putin talking points verbatim at Ukraine's President Zelensky when they met at the Oval Office on Friday. All the progress of recent weeks, where Trump had become more positive towards Ukraine, seem to have been reversed. Instead, Trump was going further than ever in demanding Zelensky accept Russia's terms for ending the war - in other words, surrender. And this is the backdrop for the proposed Trump / Putin summit to take place in Budapest. Let's discuss. false full 437 01b0e6b8-e6ef-4311-b8b0-3957f6b04ffa Trump FURIOUS As World Ignores His Threats Over UN Climate Move President Trump is used to getting his way - with just about anyone (except possibly Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping). In particular, he's used to being able to threat tariffs or other measures and have most of the countries of the world falling in line, doing whatever he demands in order to avoid his wrath. But this week, the world is about to agree a measure that introduces a global tax - and even worse than that, a global tax relating to climate action. Trump's America has bellowed 'no', and is threatening all sorts of reprisals if countries vote for this measure. And right now, it seems that mostly they are ignoring him and intending to go ahead anyway. This is ... interesting. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 16 Oct 2025 20:22:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump is used to getting his way - with just about anyone (except possibly Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping). In particular, he's used to being able to threat tariffs or other measures and have most of the countries of the world falling in line, doing whatever he demands in order to avoid his wrath. But this week, the world is about to agree a measure that introduces a global tax - and even worse than that, a global tax relating to climate action. Trump's America has bellowed 'no', and is threatening all sorts of reprisals if countries vote for this measure. And right now, it seems that mostly they are ignoring him and intending to go ahead anyway. This is ... interesting. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump FURIOUS As World Ignores His Threats Over UN Climate Move Mallen Baker 00:11:12 President Trump is used to getting his way - with just about anyone (except possibly Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping). In particular, he's used to being able to threat tariffs or other measures and have most of the countries of the world falling in line, doing whatever he demands in order to avoid his wrath. But this week, the world is about to agree a measure that introduces a global tax - and even worse than that, a global tax relating to climate action. Trump's America has bellowed 'no', and is threatening all sorts of reprisals if countries vote for this measure. And right now, it seems that mostly they are ignoring him and intending to go ahead anyway. This is ... interesting. Let's discuss. President Trump is used to getting his way - with just about anyone (except possibly Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping). In particular, he's used to being able to threat tariffs or other measures and have most of the countries of the world falling in line, doing whatever he demands in order to avoid his wrath. But this week, the world is about to agree a measure that introduces a global tax - and even worse than that, a global tax relating to climate action. Trump's America has bellowed 'no', and is threatening all sorts of reprisals if countries vote for this measure. And right now, it seems that mostly they are ignoring him and intending to go ahead anyway. This is ... interesting. Let's discuss. false full 435 beb56b1d-9217-4b16-a303-a8a6b8dff847 Trump vs China - The Rest Of The World Is Caught In The Crossfire While Trump was being treated as an all-conquering hero in the Middle East, he had hanging over him the one fight he just realised he can't win - his renewed trade blow-up with Xi Jinping's China. Having threatened yet another bombastic massive tariff barrage in response to China's control of rare earth minerals, he quickly started to backpedal. Almost as though he remembered what happened the last time they went that route. The thing is that China's moves now are affecting the whole world - and China and the US are both pushing other countries to pick a side. This is a tricky situation - let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 14 Oct 2025 21:42:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast While Trump was being treated as an all-conquering hero in the Middle East, he had hanging over him the one fight he just realised he can't win - his renewed trade blow-up with Xi Jinping's China. Having threatened yet another bombastic massive tariff barrage in response to China's control of rare earth minerals, he quickly started to backpedal. Almost as though he remembered what happened the last time they went that route. The thing is that China's moves now are affecting the whole world - and China and the US are both pushing other countries to pick a side. This is a tricky situation - let's discuss.

]]> Trump vs China - The Rest Of The World Is Caught In The Crossfire Mallen Baker 00:13:33 While Trump was being treated as an all-conquering hero in the Middle East, he had hanging over him the one fight he just realised he can't win - his renewed trade blow-up with Xi Jinping's China. Having threatened yet another bombastic massive tariff barrage in response to China's control of rare earth minerals, he quickly started to backpedal. Almost as though he remembered what happened the last time they went that route. The thing is that China's moves now are affecting the whole world - and China and the US are both pushing other countries to pick a side. This is a tricky situation - let's discuss. While Trump was being treated as an all-conquering hero in the Middle East, he had hanging over him the one fight he just realised he can't win - his renewed trade blow-up with Xi Jinping's China. Having threatened yet another bombastic massive tariff barrage in response to China's control of rare earth minerals, he quickly started to backpedal. Almost as though he remembered what happened the last time they went that route. The thing is that China's moves now are affecting the whole world - and China and the US are both pushing other countries to pick a side. This is a tricky situation - let's discuss. false full 433 b7ee8970-ca15-44d3-b7ad-af1ad973b6f9 What Happens To US Democracy If MAGA Loses In 2028? Let's say that the 2028 Presidential Election goes ahead, and Trump has imploded over the course of his term, so that regardless of their various attempts to weight the scales in their favour, MAGA Republicans lose. The new incoming administration is going to face a remarkably transformed America. And they will have to have a very clear idea of the spirit, and the detail, of how they hope to move forward. They will need to do so knowing that tailwinds for Trump will turn into headwinds for them. And there will be powerful enemies, and difficult temptations. Do they need their own 'Project 2029'? And what will it need to cover, if so? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 12 Oct 2025 21:03:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Let's say that the 2028 Presidential Election goes ahead, and Trump has imploded over the course of his term, so that regardless of their various attempts to weight the scales in their favour, MAGA Republicans lose. The new incoming administration is going to face a remarkably transformed America. And they will have to have a very clear idea of the spirit, and the detail, of how they hope to move forward. They will need to do so knowing that tailwinds for Trump will turn into headwinds for them. And there will be powerful enemies, and difficult temptations. Do they need their own 'Project 2029'? And what will it need to cover, if so? Let's discuss.

]]> What Happens To US Democracy If MAGA Loses In 2028? Mallen Baker 00:14:33 Let's say that the 2028 Presidential Election goes ahead, and Trump has imploded over the course of his term, so that regardless of their various attempts to weight the scales in their favour, MAGA Republicans lose. The new incoming administration is going to face a remarkably transformed America. And they will have to have a very clear idea of the spirit, and the detail, of how they hope to move forward. They will need to do so knowing that tailwinds for Trump will turn into headwinds for them. And there will be powerful enemies, and difficult temptations. Do they need their own 'Project 2029'? And what will it need to cover, if so? Let's discuss. Let's say that the 2028 Presidential Election goes ahead, and Trump has imploded over the course of his term, so that regardless of their various attempts to weight the scales in their favour, MAGA Republicans lose. The new incoming administration is going to face a remarkably transformed America. And they will have to have a very clear idea of the spirit, and the detail, of how they hope to move forward. They will need to do so knowing that tailwinds for Trump will turn into headwinds for them. And there will be powerful enemies, and difficult temptations. Do they need their own 'Project 2029'? And what will it need to cover, if so? Let's discuss. false full 432 a24f4280-94e3-45e1-aee7-024c878068f1 China’s Stark Warning To Trump And The West | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, China stuns the West and infuriates Trump by expanding its tight control over more of its rare earth minerals - with particular implications for Western militaries. Trump's many court cases are starting to get more and more pushback from judges exasperated with the administration's arrogance and incompetence, just as another vengeance indictment is brought against Letitia James. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, which for some reason gets a lot more attention this year than usual. Also, I answer a Patreon question on Europe and Trump if Russia loses the war. Let's dive in.

]]> Fri, 10 Oct 2025 20:31:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, China stuns the West and infuriates Trump by expanding its tight control over more of its rare earth minerals - with particular implications for Western militaries. Trump's many court cases are starting to get more and more pushback from judges exasperated with the administration's arrogance and incompetence, just as another vengeance indictment is brought against Letitia James. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, which for some reason gets a lot more attention this year than usual. Also, I answer a Patreon question on Europe and Trump if Russia loses the war. Let's dive in.

]]> China’s Stark Warning To Trump And The West | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:19:23 In this news round-up of the week, China stuns the West and infuriates Trump by expanding its tight control over more of its rare earth minerals - with particular implications for Western militaries. Trump's many court cases are starting to get more and more pushback from judges exasperated with the administration's arrogance and incompetence, just as another vengeance indictment is brought against Letitia James. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, which for some reason gets a lot more attention this year than usual. Also, I answer a Patreon question on Europe and Trump if Russia loses the war. Let's dive in. In this news round-up of the week, China stuns the West and infuriates Trump by expanding its tight control over more of its rare earth minerals - with particular implications for Western militaries. Trump's many court cases are starting to get more and more pushback from judges exasperated with the administration's arrogance and incompetence, just as another vengeance indictment is brought against Letitia James. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, which for some reason gets a lot more attention this year than usual. Also, I answer a Patreon question on Europe and Trump if Russia loses the war. Let's dive in. false full 431 d25b60db-3c06-4cc1-bdd7-e4fa0ad0b2c8 Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal Is Made Ridiculous By Hubris It may only be the first part that will be implemented, but even so the Trump peace deal for Gaza represents - against all the odds - a real breakthrough. Both parties have swallowed a starting position that crosses their previous red lines. But while families are anxiously awaiting the release of hostages, and everyone is celebrating as though peace has finally been delivered, the truth is that there is a lot more hard work to be done. And there's nothing in the somewhat juvenile posturing right now that suggests that here is an administration equal to the task. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 9 Oct 2025 21:17:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It may only be the first part that will be implemented, but even so the Trump peace deal for Gaza represents - against all the odds - a real breakthrough. Both parties have swallowed a starting position that crosses their previous red lines. But while families are anxiously awaiting the release of hostages, and everyone is celebrating as though peace has finally been delivered, the truth is that there is a lot more hard work to be done. And there's nothing in the somewhat juvenile posturing right now that suggests that here is an administration equal to the task. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Gaza Peace Deal Is Made Ridiculous By Hubris Mallen Baker 00:10:35 It may only be the first part that will be implemented, but even so the Trump peace deal for Gaza represents - against all the odds - a real breakthrough. Both parties have swallowed a starting position that crosses their previous red lines. But while families are anxiously awaiting the release of hostages, and everyone is celebrating as though peace has finally been delivered, the truth is that there is a lot more hard work to be done. And there's nothing in the somewhat juvenile posturing right now that suggests that here is an administration equal to the task. Let's discuss. It may only be the first part that will be implemented, but even so the Trump peace deal for Gaza represents - against all the odds - a real breakthrough. Both parties have swallowed a starting position that crosses their previous red lines. But while families are anxiously awaiting the release of hostages, and everyone is celebrating as though peace has finally been delivered, the truth is that there is a lot more hard work to be done. And there's nothing in the somewhat juvenile posturing right now that suggests that here is an administration equal to the task. Let's discuss. false full 430 9947c5dc-d192-46e0-95d7-2aec740c13ae Trump Shows EU That His Trade Deals Are Worthless The US / EU trade deal was always tricky - within hours of it being signed the two sides were giving radically different interpretations of what it covered. Well, now - unsurprisingly - President Trump is back and he has the EU's regulations in his sights. Specifically, any regulations that get applied to American companies, such as the tech giants. He has environmental rules in his sights, as well as privacy and anti-trust laws. He's doing it because the EU demonstrated weakness in negotiating the deal. The question is - will they now push back against the demands, at the risk of losing the deal they thought was already in the bag? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 8 Oct 2025 20:14:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US / EU trade deal was always tricky - within hours of it being signed the two sides were giving radically different interpretations of what it covered. Well, now - unsurprisingly - President Trump is back and he has the EU's regulations in his sights. Specifically, any regulations that get applied to American companies, such as the tech giants. He has environmental rules in his sights, as well as privacy and anti-trust laws. He's doing it because the EU demonstrated weakness in negotiating the deal. The question is - will they now push back against the demands, at the risk of losing the deal they thought was already in the bag? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Shows EU That His Trade Deals Are Worthless Mallen Baker 00:10:58 The US / EU trade deal was always tricky - within hours of it being signed the two sides were giving radically different interpretations of what it covered. Well, now - unsurprisingly - President Trump is back and he has the EU's regulations in his sights. Specifically, any regulations that get applied to American companies, such as the tech giants. He has environmental rules in his sights, as well as privacy and anti-trust laws. He's doing it because the EU demonstrated weakness in negotiating the deal. The question is - will they now push back against the demands, at the risk of losing the deal they thought was already in the bag? Let's discuss. The US / EU trade deal was always tricky - within hours of it being signed the two sides were giving radically different interpretations of what it covered. Well, now - unsurprisingly - President Trump is back and he has the EU's regulations in his sights. Specifically, any regulations that get applied to American companies, such as the tech giants. He has environmental rules in his sights, as well as privacy and anti-trust laws. He's doing it because the EU demonstrated weakness in negotiating the deal. The question is - will they now push back against the demands, at the risk of losing the deal they thought was already in the bag? Let's discuss. false full 429 c4f9e9dd-96b8-4d63-8234-5faced8b5498 Macron’s France Is Collapsing - And This Is Just The Start French President Emmanuel Macron's fifth prime minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned after just a couple of weeks in post, as it became obvious that the task was simply impossible. This leaves France in a political mess, largely because of its ongoing economic mess. However, this goes way beyond France. Arguably, Macron's France is just the advance guard for the political upheavals that are coming to all Western democratic countries - and soon. Sounds like something we should discuss!

]]> Tue, 7 Oct 2025 21:20:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast French President Emmanuel Macron's fifth prime minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned after just a couple of weeks in post, as it became obvious that the task was simply impossible. This leaves France in a political mess, largely because of its ongoing economic mess. However, this goes way beyond France. Arguably, Macron's France is just the advance guard for the political upheavals that are coming to all Western democratic countries - and soon. Sounds like something we should discuss!

]]> Macron’s France Is Collapsing - And This Is Just The Start Mallen Baker 00:10:42 French President Emmanuel Macron's fifth prime minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned after just a couple of weeks in post, as it became obvious that the task was simply impossible. This leaves France in a political mess, largely because of its ongoing economic mess. However, this goes way beyond France. Arguably, Macron's France is just the advance guard for the political upheavals that are coming to all Western democratic countries - and soon. Sounds like something we should discuss! French President Emmanuel Macron's fifth prime minister Sebastien Lecornu resigned after just a couple of weeks in post, as it became obvious that the task was simply impossible. This leaves France in a political mess, largely because of its ongoing economic mess. However, this goes way beyond France. Arguably, Macron's France is just the advance guard for the political upheavals that are coming to all Western democratic countries - and soon. Sounds like something we should discuss! false full 428 31916e1f-b4d6-47ae-bd56-9d39da9d495f What A Judge’s Burning House Says About Political Violence in America Judge Diane Goodstein ruled against the Trump administration recently, and got numerous death threats for her pains. Two days ago, her house burned down. At this point, there is no evidence whatsoever that this was a deliberately caused event, but it is obvious - at a time when the rhetoric against judges who impede President Trump has been vitriolic - that it could be the latest incident in the run of political violence incidents. Even if it's not, it's highly instructive just how America has been responding during the early hours when not much is known for sure. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 6 Oct 2025 20:53:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Judge Diane Goodstein ruled against the Trump administration recently, and got numerous death threats for her pains. Two days ago, her house burned down. At this point, there is no evidence whatsoever that this was a deliberately caused event, but it is obvious - at a time when the rhetoric against judges who impede President Trump has been vitriolic - that it could be the latest incident in the run of political violence incidents. Even if it's not, it's highly instructive just how America has been responding during the early hours when not much is known for sure. Let's discuss.

]]> What A Judge’s Burning House Says About Political Violence in America Mallen Baker 00:13:14 Judge Diane Goodstein ruled against the Trump administration recently, and got numerous death threats for her pains. Two days ago, her house burned down. At this point, there is no evidence whatsoever that this was a deliberately caused event, but it is obvious - at a time when the rhetoric against judges who impede President Trump has been vitriolic - that it could be the latest incident in the run of political violence incidents. Even if it's not, it's highly instructive just how America has been responding during the early hours when not much is known for sure. Let's discuss. Judge Diane Goodstein ruled against the Trump administration recently, and got numerous death threats for her pains. Two days ago, her house burned down. At this point, there is no evidence whatsoever that this was a deliberately caused event, but it is obvious - at a time when the rhetoric against judges who impede President Trump has been vitriolic - that it could be the latest incident in the run of political violence incidents. Even if it's not, it's highly instructive just how America has been responding during the early hours when not much is known for sure. Let's discuss. false full 427 a4413f92-1116-476e-a184-e149083fb7d4 The World Plays ‘Fantasy Trump Peace Deal’ In Gaza The Trump 20-point peace deal for Gaza has been welcomed by all the people worldwide who routinely flatter Trump at every opportunity - but also by others, such as the Arab states who have significant influence with Hamas. So should we be optimistic then, with everyone talking about how all the hostages will be freed within days, and this could finally be the big shift - Israel will withdraw, Gaza will be at peace, an oversight body will begin reconstruction leading a pathway to future Palestinian self-rule? Well, not so fast. Because amongst all that optimism, there seems to be rather a large pinch of wishful thinking going on. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 5 Oct 2025 20:51:33 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump 20-point peace deal for Gaza has been welcomed by all the people worldwide who routinely flatter Trump at every opportunity - but also by others, such as the Arab states who have significant influence with Hamas. So should we be optimistic then, with everyone talking about how all the hostages will be freed within days, and this could finally be the big shift - Israel will withdraw, Gaza will be at peace, an oversight body will begin reconstruction leading a pathway to future Palestinian self-rule? Well, not so fast. Because amongst all that optimism, there seems to be rather a large pinch of wishful thinking going on. Let's discuss.

]]> The World Plays ‘Fantasy Trump Peace Deal’ In Gaza Mallen Baker 00:10:43 The Trump 20-point peace deal for Gaza has been welcomed by all the people worldwide who routinely flatter Trump at every opportunity - but also by others, such as the Arab states who have significant influence with Hamas. So should we be optimistic then, with everyone talking about how all the hostages will be freed within days, and this could finally be the big shift - Israel will withdraw, Gaza will be at peace, an oversight body will begin reconstruction leading a pathway to future Palestinian self-rule? Well, not so fast. Because amongst all that optimism, there seems to be rather a large pinch of wishful thinking going on. Let's discuss. The Trump 20-point peace deal for Gaza has been welcomed by all the people worldwide who routinely flatter Trump at every opportunity - but also by others, such as the Arab states who have significant influence with Hamas. So should we be optimistic then, with everyone talking about how all the hostages will be freed within days, and this could finally be the big shift - Israel will withdraw, Gaza will be at peace, an oversight body will begin reconstruction leading a pathway to future Palestinian self-rule? Well, not so fast. Because amongst all that optimism, there seems to be rather a large pinch of wishful thinking going on. Let's discuss. false full 426 b53e77f6-8473-48ce-af33-6982f4db8063 Putin SIDELINES Trump On Ukraine | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, while testing Europe with drones, Russia's President Putin gives a major speech where he makes a substantial pivot in how he treats Trump's United States in relation to Ukraine. The US government is shut down, and both sides are trying to blame the other for what follows. YouTube gives Trump lots of money to spend on his ballroom. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question about Keir Starmer's Digital ID proposal in the United Kingdom. Let's jump in.

]]> Fri, 3 Oct 2025 20:58:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, while testing Europe with drones, Russia's President Putin gives a major speech where he makes a substantial pivot in how he treats Trump's United States in relation to Ukraine. The US government is shut down, and both sides are trying to blame the other for what follows. YouTube gives Trump lots of money to spend on his ballroom. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question about Keir Starmer's Digital ID proposal in the United Kingdom. Let's jump in.

]]> Putin SIDELINES Trump On Ukraine | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:22:01 In this news round-up of the week, while testing Europe with drones, Russia's President Putin gives a major speech where he makes a substantial pivot in how he treats Trump's United States in relation to Ukraine. The US government is shut down, and both sides are trying to blame the other for what follows. YouTube gives Trump lots of money to spend on his ballroom. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question about Keir Starmer's Digital ID proposal in the United Kingdom. Let's jump in. In this news round-up of the week, while testing Europe with drones, Russia's President Putin gives a major speech where he makes a substantial pivot in how he treats Trump's United States in relation to Ukraine. The US government is shut down, and both sides are trying to blame the other for what follows. YouTube gives Trump lots of money to spend on his ballroom. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question about Keir Starmer's Digital ID proposal in the United Kingdom. Let's jump in. false full 425 1711274c-6756-46b5-9a11-dac12ab9c7bb Leaked Email Has Farmers FURIOUS On Trump’s Argentina Bailout Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had his email read by a cameraman with a zoom lens, and it exposed the fury going on behind the scenes over President Trump's $20 billion support for Argentina's populist leader Javier Milei. At a time when Trump's tariffs and trade war with China has resulted in American soybean farmers being thrown into crisis, they can't help but notice one thing that has really added insult to injury. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 1 Oct 2025 21:01:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had his email read by a cameraman with a zoom lens, and it exposed the fury going on behind the scenes over President Trump's $20 billion support for Argentina's populist leader Javier Milei. At a time when Trump's tariffs and trade war with China has resulted in American soybean farmers being thrown into crisis, they can't help but notice one thing that has really added insult to injury. Let's discuss.

]]> Leaked Email Has Farmers FURIOUS On Trump’s Argentina Bailout Mallen Baker 00:09:55 Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had his email read by a cameraman with a zoom lens, and it exposed the fury going on behind the scenes over President Trump's $20 billion support for Argentina's populist leader Javier Milei. At a time when Trump's tariffs and trade war with China has resulted in American soybean farmers being thrown into crisis, they can't help but notice one thing that has really added insult to injury. Let's discuss. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had his email read by a cameraman with a zoom lens, and it exposed the fury going on behind the scenes over President Trump's $20 billion support for Argentina's populist leader Javier Milei. At a time when Trump's tariffs and trade war with China has resulted in American soybean farmers being thrown into crisis, they can't help but notice one thing that has really added insult to injury. Let's discuss. false full 424 ea8d55b7-ca5d-435c-aaf6-73df37d7efc2 US Military Discovers It Is Led BY IDIOTS Pete Hegseth insisted on bringing together the very top brass of all the US military into one room so he could ... lecture them on grooming. And the Warrior Ethos. And then President Trump took over, to give a rambling rant about - well, all the things he usually rants about. Plus a few pointers on using the military within the US against American protestors, and giving permission for the use of lethal force. But mostly it was about anti-woke, and insisting that if they didn't like it, they should resign. In exactly the way that authoritarians through time immemorial have done, but just a lot less competently. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 30 Sep 2025 20:39:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Pete Hegseth insisted on bringing together the very top brass of all the US military into one room so he could ... lecture them on grooming. And the Warrior Ethos. And then President Trump took over, to give a rambling rant about - well, all the things he usually rants about. Plus a few pointers on using the military within the US against American protestors, and giving permission for the use of lethal force. But mostly it was about anti-woke, and insisting that if they didn't like it, they should resign. In exactly the way that authoritarians through time immemorial have done, but just a lot less competently. Let's discuss.

]]> US Military Discovers It Is Led BY IDIOTS Mallen Baker 00:09:17 Pete Hegseth insisted on bringing together the very top brass of all the US military into one room so he could ... lecture them on grooming. And the Warrior Ethos. And then President Trump took over, to give a rambling rant about - well, all the things he usually rants about. Plus a few pointers on using the military within the US against American protestors, and giving permission for the use of lethal force. But mostly it was about anti-woke, and insisting that if they didn't like it, they should resign. In exactly the way that authoritarians through time immemorial have done, but just a lot less competently. Let's discuss. Pete Hegseth insisted on bringing together the very top brass of all the US military into one room so he could ... lecture them on grooming. And the Warrior Ethos. And then President Trump took over, to give a rambling rant about - well, all the things he usually rants about. Plus a few pointers on using the military within the US against American protestors, and giving permission for the use of lethal force. But mostly it was about anti-woke, and insisting that if they didn't like it, they should resign. In exactly the way that authoritarians through time immemorial have done, but just a lot less competently. Let's discuss. false full 423 855b570f-3518-46d8-98ef-27bc47c011eb Is MAGA Cruelty Becoming America's Face To The World? The Ryder Cup made headlines this weekend - because the MAGA crowd barracked the opposing team, hurled abuse at the players, offensive insults at their wives, even threw beer over Erika McIlroy, and tried to put the European team off their stroke by calling out as they were taking their swing. Ugly, despicable behaviour, just hours after Trump had visited to show his support. Maybe it's a one-off, but it feels more like the MAGA movement is making cruelty a feature of America's face to the world. And this event is therefore more symbolic of the change that's happening than it might appear at first glance. Well, let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 29 Sep 2025 21:30:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Ryder Cup made headlines this weekend - because the MAGA crowd barracked the opposing team, hurled abuse at the players, offensive insults at their wives, even threw beer over Erika McIlroy, and tried to put the European team off their stroke by calling out as they were taking their swing. Ugly, despicable behaviour, just hours after Trump had visited to show his support. Maybe it's a one-off, but it feels more like the MAGA movement is making cruelty a feature of America's face to the world. And this event is therefore more symbolic of the change that's happening than it might appear at first glance. Well, let's discuss.

]]> Is MAGA Cruelty Becoming America's Face To The World? Mallen Baker 00:09:27 The Ryder Cup made headlines this weekend - because the MAGA crowd barracked the opposing team, hurled abuse at the players, offensive insults at their wives, even threw beer over Erika McIlroy, and tried to put the European team off their stroke by calling out as they were taking their swing. Ugly, despicable behaviour, just hours after Trump had visited to show his support. Maybe it's a one-off, but it feels more like the MAGA movement is making cruelty a feature of America's face to the world. And this event is therefore more symbolic of the change that's happening than it might appear at first glance. Well, let's discuss. The Ryder Cup made headlines this weekend - because the MAGA crowd barracked the opposing team, hurled abuse at the players, offensive insults at their wives, even threw beer over Erika McIlroy, and tried to put the European team off their stroke by calling out as they were taking their swing. Ugly, despicable behaviour, just hours after Trump had visited to show his support. Maybe it's a one-off, but it feels more like the MAGA movement is making cruelty a feature of America's face to the world. And this event is therefore more symbolic of the change that's happening than it might appear at first glance. Well, let's discuss. false full 422 251451a5-9f18-45c4-9639-46fc9a4109ea Why MAGA Gets Away With Blatant Lying And Hypocrisy When President Trump and Stephen Miller argue that heated rhetoric encourages political violence, you might think it is a fair comment point of view. And yet, it's impossible not to note that both utilise more inflammatory language than almost anyone else. And their opponents frequently point this out ... to almost zero effect. This video is about why the blatant hypocrisy works as a device for preparing the population for authoritarian acts of impunity. It matters, because if the opposition is to be effective, they have to stop falling into the traps set for them. So let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 28 Sep 2025 21:21:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast When President Trump and Stephen Miller argue that heated rhetoric encourages political violence, you might think it is a fair comment point of view. And yet, it's impossible not to note that both utilise more inflammatory language than almost anyone else. And their opponents frequently point this out ... to almost zero effect. This video is about why the blatant hypocrisy works as a device for preparing the population for authoritarian acts of impunity. It matters, because if the opposition is to be effective, they have to stop falling into the traps set for them. So let's discuss.

]]> Why MAGA Gets Away With Blatant Lying And Hypocrisy Mallen Baker 00:17:31 When President Trump and Stephen Miller argue that heated rhetoric encourages political violence, you might think it is a fair comment point of view. And yet, it's impossible not to note that both utilise more inflammatory language than almost anyone else. And their opponents frequently point this out ... to almost zero effect. This video is about why the blatant hypocrisy works as a device for preparing the population for authoritarian acts of impunity. It matters, because if the opposition is to be effective, they have to stop falling into the traps set for them. So let's discuss. When President Trump and Stephen Miller argue that heated rhetoric encourages political violence, you might think it is a fair comment point of view. And yet, it's impossible not to note that both utilise more inflammatory language than almost anyone else. And their opponents frequently point this out ... to almost zero effect. This video is about why the blatant hypocrisy works as a device for preparing the population for authoritarian acts of impunity. It matters, because if the opposition is to be effective, they have to stop falling into the traps set for them. So let's discuss. false full 421 82bede94-3341-47c0-9d6b-748e78a3ee66 Trump's Shock Indictment of Former FBI Boss Comey | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, we cover the Trump DOJ move at last to put into practice the boss's public instructions to get an indictment. Even if this case stands little chance of success, it is a new front and will be the first of numerous attempts to come. Also we discuss Tulsi Gabbard abandoning future-looking Intelligence reports because the facts don't fit the current ideology. RFK Jr's puzzling harangue of the United Nations on health. YouTube's admission that it was put under pressure by the Biden Administration to censor content, and Albania's new AI initiative that we might not want to follow. Oh, and I answer a couple of comments / questions.

]]> Fri, 26 Sep 2025 21:40:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, we cover the Trump DOJ move at last to put into practice the boss's public instructions to get an indictment. Even if this case stands little chance of success, it is a new front and will be the first of numerous attempts to come. Also we discuss Tulsi Gabbard abandoning future-looking Intelligence reports because the facts don't fit the current ideology. RFK Jr's puzzling harangue of the United Nations on health. YouTube's admission that it was put under pressure by the Biden Administration to censor content, and Albania's new AI initiative that we might not want to follow. Oh, and I answer a couple of comments / questions.

]]> Trump's Shock Indictment of Former FBI Boss Comey | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:28:38 In this news round-up of the week, we cover the Trump DOJ move at last to put into practice the boss's public instructions to get an indictment. Even if this case stands little chance of success, it is a new front and will be the first of numerous attempts to come. Also we discuss Tulsi Gabbard abandoning future-looking Intelligence reports because the facts don't fit the current ideology. RFK Jr's puzzling harangue of the United Nations on health. YouTube's admission that it was put under pressure by the Biden Administration to censor content, and Albania's new AI initiative that we might not want to follow. Oh, and I answer a couple of comments / questions. In this news round-up of the week, we cover the Trump DOJ move at last to put into practice the boss's public instructions to get an indictment. Even if this case stands little chance of success, it is a new front and will be the first of numerous attempts to come. Also we discuss Tulsi Gabbard abandoning future-looking Intelligence reports because the facts don't fit the current ideology. RFK Jr's puzzling harangue of the United Nations on health. YouTube's admission that it was put under pressure by the Biden Administration to censor content, and Albania's new AI initiative that we might not want to follow. Oh, and I answer a couple of comments / questions. false full 420 145b8614-2d2d-403a-8c05-8eb14855d323 Why Trump’s Huge Pivot On Ukraine Is Not What It Seems After his big moment berating the United Nations, President Trump met with President Zelensky and had things to say on the Ukraine war that nobody was quite expecting. Not only was Zelensky astonished, the Europeans stunned, but Russia's administration reacted with a sharpness that we've not seen in reaction to Trump so far this year. Something has changed - but does it actually mean anything? And why has the US quietly paused selling weapons to NATO countries? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 24 Sep 2025 20:07:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast After his big moment berating the United Nations, President Trump met with President Zelensky and had things to say on the Ukraine war that nobody was quite expecting. Not only was Zelensky astonished, the Europeans stunned, but Russia's administration reacted with a sharpness that we've not seen in reaction to Trump so far this year. Something has changed - but does it actually mean anything? And why has the US quietly paused selling weapons to NATO countries? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Huge Pivot On Ukraine Is Not What It Seems Mallen Baker 00:14:17 After his big moment berating the United Nations, President Trump met with President Zelensky and had things to say on the Ukraine war that nobody was quite expecting. Not only was Zelensky astonished, the Europeans stunned, but Russia's administration reacted with a sharpness that we've not seen in reaction to Trump so far this year. Something has changed - but does it actually mean anything? And why has the US quietly paused selling weapons to NATO countries? Well, let's discuss. After his big moment berating the United Nations, President Trump met with President Zelensky and had things to say on the Ukraine war that nobody was quite expecting. Not only was Zelensky astonished, the Europeans stunned, but Russia's administration reacted with a sharpness that we've not seen in reaction to Trump so far this year. Something has changed - but does it actually mean anything? And why has the US quietly paused selling weapons to NATO countries? Well, let's discuss. false full 419 b7e87833-4e04-4fe5-85b8-965dd99bf5ab Kimmel Returns - But This Is Just The Start Just when it looked like the Trump Administration could just demand whatever it wanted and all the institutions, all the corporations, all the politicians would ultimately just quietly fold - finally at least one corporation - for now - has stood back up again. And the result of that move by Disney / ABC is that the Jimmy Kimmel Show is back on air from tonight. But this is the beginning of the fight, not the victory. The local affiliates who pulled the show from their areas are still not distributing it. The FCC Chair is swearing he didn't intend to threaten anyone, but we will see if anyone takes that remotely seriously. But if the question asked a couple of days ago on this channel - has Trump overstepped the mark? - is perhaps being answered here, it could go into some very interesting places.

]]> Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:17:25 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Just when it looked like the Trump Administration could just demand whatever it wanted and all the institutions, all the corporations, all the politicians would ultimately just quietly fold - finally at least one corporation - for now - has stood back up again. And the result of that move by Disney / ABC is that the Jimmy Kimmel Show is back on air from tonight. But this is the beginning of the fight, not the victory. The local affiliates who pulled the show from their areas are still not distributing it. The FCC Chair is swearing he didn't intend to threaten anyone, but we will see if anyone takes that remotely seriously. But if the question asked a couple of days ago on this channel - has Trump overstepped the mark? - is perhaps being answered here, it could go into some very interesting places.

]]> Kimmel Returns - But This Is Just The Start Mallen Baker 00:11:51 Just when it looked like the Trump Administration could just demand whatever it wanted and all the institutions, all the corporations, all the politicians would ultimately just quietly fold - finally at least one corporation - for now - has stood back up again. And the result of that move by Disney / ABC is that the Jimmy Kimmel Show is back on air from tonight. But this is the beginning of the fight, not the victory. The local affiliates who pulled the show from their areas are still not distributing it. The FCC Chair is swearing he didn't intend to threaten anyone, but we will see if anyone takes that remotely seriously. But if the question asked a couple of days ago on this channel - has Trump overstepped the mark? - is perhaps being answered here, it could go into some very interesting places. Just when it looked like the Trump Administration could just demand whatever it wanted and all the institutions, all the corporations, all the politicians would ultimately just quietly fold - finally at least one corporation - for now - has stood back up again. And the result of that move by Disney / ABC is that the Jimmy Kimmel Show is back on air from tonight. But this is the beginning of the fight, not the victory. The local affiliates who pulled the show from their areas are still not distributing it. The FCC Chair is swearing he didn't intend to threaten anyone, but we will see if anyone takes that remotely seriously. But if the question asked a couple of days ago on this channel - has Trump overstepped the mark? - is perhaps being answered here, it could go into some very interesting places. false full 418 3f5b821f-6649-4d23-89ab-f8eee9a816c4 The Terrifying Future Of AI-Powered Digital Surveillance We all know about China's surveillance state - it's pretty terrifying, but it was built more or less from the ground up to suit the authoritarians. Every other autocrat - or would-be autocrat - will have to retrofit the technology onto existing internets that were built by private companies following demand, rather than any kind of state-sponsored plan. Russia is now leading the way - with a three-tier plan that is being executed right now. And when you look at what it's doing - well, there's some spooky parallels with things that Trump is doing in the very different environment of the US. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 22 Sep 2025 19:21:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We all know about China's surveillance state - it's pretty terrifying, but it was built more or less from the ground up to suit the authoritarians. Every other autocrat - or would-be autocrat - will have to retrofit the technology onto existing internets that were built by private companies following demand, rather than any kind of state-sponsored plan. Russia is now leading the way - with a three-tier plan that is being executed right now. And when you look at what it's doing - well, there's some spooky parallels with things that Trump is doing in the very different environment of the US. Let's discuss.

]]> The Terrifying Future Of AI-Powered Digital Surveillance Mallen Baker 00:11:17 We all know about China's surveillance state - it's pretty terrifying, but it was built more or less from the ground up to suit the authoritarians. Every other autocrat - or would-be autocrat - will have to retrofit the technology onto existing internets that were built by private companies following demand, rather than any kind of state-sponsored plan. Russia is now leading the way - with a three-tier plan that is being executed right now. And when you look at what it's doing - well, there's some spooky parallels with things that Trump is doing in the very different environment of the US. Let's discuss. We all know about China's surveillance state - it's pretty terrifying, but it was built more or less from the ground up to suit the authoritarians. Every other autocrat - or would-be autocrat - will have to retrofit the technology onto existing internets that were built by private companies following demand, rather than any kind of state-sponsored plan. Russia is now leading the way - with a three-tier plan that is being executed right now. And when you look at what it's doing - well, there's some spooky parallels with things that Trump is doing in the very different environment of the US. Let's discuss. false full 417 5b73b082-5baf-483b-8c6a-3aa9493c7a1a Did Trump Just Make The Misstep That Will Bring Him Down? The Charlie Kirk memorial today marked the inflection point that MAGA believes the event of his assassination represented. As a result, the administration has ramped up its move against President Trump's opponents. Yesterday, Trump accidentally told the world that he is pushing the Attorney General Pam Bondi towards bringing prosecutions against key political figures. It could not be more blatant - but blatant is suddenly becoming the standard operating practice. Is MAGA mistaking the moment - thinking that Kirk's death has given them permission to go further and faster than they really have? Which is why suddenly even some of Trump's biggest supporters are looking alarmed at the real face that they're seeing? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 21 Sep 2025 21:10:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Charlie Kirk memorial today marked the inflection point that MAGA believes the event of his assassination represented. As a result, the administration has ramped up its move against President Trump's opponents. Yesterday, Trump accidentally told the world that he is pushing the Attorney General Pam Bondi towards bringing prosecutions against key political figures. It could not be more blatant - but blatant is suddenly becoming the standard operating practice. Is MAGA mistaking the moment - thinking that Kirk's death has given them permission to go further and faster than they really have? Which is why suddenly even some of Trump's biggest supporters are looking alarmed at the real face that they're seeing? Let's discuss.

]]> Did Trump Just Make The Misstep That Will Bring Him Down? Mallen Baker 00:14:01 The Charlie Kirk memorial today marked the inflection point that MAGA believes the event of his assassination represented. As a result, the administration has ramped up its move against President Trump's opponents. Yesterday, Trump accidentally told the world that he is pushing the Attorney General Pam Bondi towards bringing prosecutions against key political figures. It could not be more blatant - but blatant is suddenly becoming the standard operating practice. Is MAGA mistaking the moment - thinking that Kirk's death has given them permission to go further and faster than they really have? Which is why suddenly even some of Trump's biggest supporters are looking alarmed at the real face that they're seeing? Let's discuss. The Charlie Kirk memorial today marked the inflection point that MAGA believes the event of his assassination represented. As a result, the administration has ramped up its move against President Trump's opponents. Yesterday, Trump accidentally told the world that he is pushing the Attorney General Pam Bondi towards bringing prosecutions against key political figures. It could not be more blatant - but blatant is suddenly becoming the standard operating practice. Is MAGA mistaking the moment - thinking that Kirk's death has given them permission to go further and faster than they really have? Which is why suddenly even some of Trump's biggest supporters are looking alarmed at the real face that they're seeing? Let's discuss. false full 416 b94b9d2e-570b-4370-975e-dbf2c5df8819 How Trump Is Going Full Out To Stay In Power | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week - In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the Trump team has been acting quickly on its intended crackdown on opponents. Trump's FCC chairman got rid of another late night comedian, Jimmy Kimmel. Trump designated Antifa as a terrorist organisation. But this is just the start - various experienced politicians close to the action identify that the real target is much bigger. Also, it is confirmed that Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prison. Russia tests NATO again. And we learn that the AI robot revolution - well, it faces an apparent formidable obstacle.

]]> Fri, 19 Sep 2025 22:31:17 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week - In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the Trump team has been acting quickly on its intended crackdown on opponents. Trump's FCC chairman got rid of another late night comedian, Jimmy Kimmel. Trump designated Antifa as a terrorist organisation. But this is just the start - various experienced politicians close to the action identify that the real target is much bigger. Also, it is confirmed that Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prison. Russia tests NATO again. And we learn that the AI robot revolution - well, it faces an apparent formidable obstacle.

]]> How Trump Is Going Full Out To Stay In Power | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:25:00 In this news round-up of the week - In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the Trump team has been acting quickly on its intended crackdown on opponents. Trump's FCC chairman got rid of another late night comedian, Jimmy Kimmel. Trump designated Antifa as a terrorist organisation. But this is just the start - various experienced politicians close to the action identify that the real target is much bigger. Also, it is confirmed that Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prison. Russia tests NATO again. And we learn that the AI robot revolution - well, it faces an apparent formidable obstacle. In this news round-up of the week - In the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination, the Trump team has been acting quickly on its intended crackdown on opponents. Trump's FCC chairman got rid of another late night comedian, Jimmy Kimmel. Trump designated Antifa as a terrorist organisation. But this is just the start - various experienced politicians close to the action identify that the real target is much bigger. Also, it is confirmed that Alexei Navalny was poisoned in prison. Russia tests NATO again. And we learn that the AI robot revolution - well, it faces an apparent formidable obstacle. false full 415 0235653c-6064-4e93-81d6-63ee9ec88259 Why The Jimmy Kimmel Firing Crosses A HUGE Red Line As we already anticipated, the aftermath of the shooting of Charlie Kirk is seeing a wave of increasingly audacious action by the Trump Administration to crack down on political opponents and criticism of their operation. Now, following the previous shutting down of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, we have the next in line - with Jimmy Kimmel's show being cancelled for what seems, on inspection, to be a pretty safe commentary. But what was safe yesterday, is no longer safe. Not since the FCC is leveraging corporate cowardice to get its way. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 18 Sep 2025 20:30:28 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As we already anticipated, the aftermath of the shooting of Charlie Kirk is seeing a wave of increasingly audacious action by the Trump Administration to crack down on political opponents and criticism of their operation. Now, following the previous shutting down of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, we have the next in line - with Jimmy Kimmel's show being cancelled for what seems, on inspection, to be a pretty safe commentary. But what was safe yesterday, is no longer safe. Not since the FCC is leveraging corporate cowardice to get its way. Let's discuss.

]]> Why The Jimmy Kimmel Firing Crosses A HUGE Red Line Mallen Baker 00:12:14 As we already anticipated, the aftermath of the shooting of Charlie Kirk is seeing a wave of increasingly audacious action by the Trump Administration to crack down on political opponents and criticism of their operation. Now, following the previous shutting down of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, we have the next in line - with Jimmy Kimmel's show being cancelled for what seems, on inspection, to be a pretty safe commentary. But what was safe yesterday, is no longer safe. Not since the FCC is leveraging corporate cowardice to get its way. Let's discuss. As we already anticipated, the aftermath of the shooting of Charlie Kirk is seeing a wave of increasingly audacious action by the Trump Administration to crack down on political opponents and criticism of their operation. Now, following the previous shutting down of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert, we have the next in line - with Jimmy Kimmel's show being cancelled for what seems, on inspection, to be a pretty safe commentary. But what was safe yesterday, is no longer safe. Not since the FCC is leveraging corporate cowardice to get its way. Let's discuss. false full 414 8248704e-1ae1-4e8d-9197-a150e4bbda47 Has The World Really Given Up On Climate Change? As the COP30 climate conference approaches, it's hard to ignore that a backlash against climate policy - and a scepticism in some quarters about climate change full stop - is growing in many parts of the world. Partly, this is down to the Trump effect, with Trump himself actively pushing countries to commit to fossil fuels, and with MAGA-style populists taking up the anti-net zero theme wherever they rise. Partly, it's also due to the moment - and the fact that the political pendulum swings back eventually. So what does that mean for our progress in actually getting on top of the problem? Some thoughts.

]]> Wed, 17 Sep 2025 21:58:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As the COP30 climate conference approaches, it's hard to ignore that a backlash against climate policy - and a scepticism in some quarters about climate change full stop - is growing in many parts of the world. Partly, this is down to the Trump effect, with Trump himself actively pushing countries to commit to fossil fuels, and with MAGA-style populists taking up the anti-net zero theme wherever they rise. Partly, it's also due to the moment - and the fact that the political pendulum swings back eventually. So what does that mean for our progress in actually getting on top of the problem? Some thoughts.

]]> Has The World Really Given Up On Climate Change? Mallen Baker 00:09:46 As the COP30 climate conference approaches, it's hard to ignore that a backlash against climate policy - and a scepticism in some quarters about climate change full stop - is growing in many parts of the world. Partly, this is down to the Trump effect, with Trump himself actively pushing countries to commit to fossil fuels, and with MAGA-style populists taking up the anti-net zero theme wherever they rise. Partly, it's also due to the moment - and the fact that the political pendulum swings back eventually. So what does that mean for our progress in actually getting on top of the problem? Some thoughts. As the COP30 climate conference approaches, it's hard to ignore that a backlash against climate policy - and a scepticism in some quarters about climate change full stop - is growing in many parts of the world. Partly, this is down to the Trump effect, with Trump himself actively pushing countries to commit to fossil fuels, and with MAGA-style populists taking up the anti-net zero theme wherever they rise. Partly, it's also due to the moment - and the fact that the political pendulum swings back eventually. So what does that mean for our progress in actually getting on top of the problem? Some thoughts. false full 413 2fdc56e3-1db5-4b64-afd9-09cd694d2f37 How Dark Is The Trump Crackdown Going To Get? The Trump Administration is full of talk about the crackdown they will be bringing in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump has said he wants George Soros to be in prison. Maybe Antifa could be designated a terrorist organisation. Maybe various trans groups. Stephen Miller has ideas of his own, as does JD Vance. Pam Bondi wants to go after 'hate speech'. All they need is some tenuous link between their target and what they're calling 'radical left lunacy'. And some of the links so far are pretty tenuous. So is this really going to happen? And if so, how far will it really go? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 16 Sep 2025 21:40:19 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump Administration is full of talk about the crackdown they will be bringing in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump has said he wants George Soros to be in prison. Maybe Antifa could be designated a terrorist organisation. Maybe various trans groups. Stephen Miller has ideas of his own, as does JD Vance. Pam Bondi wants to go after 'hate speech'. All they need is some tenuous link between their target and what they're calling 'radical left lunacy'. And some of the links so far are pretty tenuous. So is this really going to happen? And if so, how far will it really go? Let's discuss.

]]> How Dark Is The Trump Crackdown Going To Get? Mallen Baker 00:19:51 The Trump Administration is full of talk about the crackdown they will be bringing in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump has said he wants George Soros to be in prison. Maybe Antifa could be designated a terrorist organisation. Maybe various trans groups. Stephen Miller has ideas of his own, as does JD Vance. Pam Bondi wants to go after 'hate speech'. All they need is some tenuous link between their target and what they're calling 'radical left lunacy'. And some of the links so far are pretty tenuous. So is this really going to happen? And if so, how far will it really go? Let's discuss. The Trump Administration is full of talk about the crackdown they will be bringing in the aftermath of the assassination of Charlie Kirk. President Trump has said he wants George Soros to be in prison. Maybe Antifa could be designated a terrorist organisation. Maybe various trans groups. Stephen Miller has ideas of his own, as does JD Vance. Pam Bondi wants to go after 'hate speech'. All they need is some tenuous link between their target and what they're calling 'radical left lunacy'. And some of the links so far are pretty tenuous. So is this really going to happen? And if so, how far will it really go? Let's discuss. false full 412 f19b42b3-c707-4ea3-aff1-6dc73e190862 How China Is Making Trump Squirm On Tariffs The US and Xi Jinping's China have been conducting more trade talks - and today it was announcement that maybe they'd reached a deal ... on TikTok. Meanwhile, the consequences of President Trump's tariffs are really starting to make themselves felt, with American soybean farmers having no orders from China, with all farmers suffering from soaring input costs, and meanwhile China is buying more than it ever has from countries like Brazil, and selling more than it ever has to the continent of Africa. Those consequences are going to become more an more far-reaching, and they are likely to outlive Trump himself. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2025 21:18:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US and Xi Jinping's China have been conducting more trade talks - and today it was announcement that maybe they'd reached a deal ... on TikTok. Meanwhile, the consequences of President Trump's tariffs are really starting to make themselves felt, with American soybean farmers having no orders from China, with all farmers suffering from soaring input costs, and meanwhile China is buying more than it ever has from countries like Brazil, and selling more than it ever has to the continent of Africa. Those consequences are going to become more an more far-reaching, and they are likely to outlive Trump himself. Let's discuss.

]]> How China Is Making Trump Squirm On Tariffs Mallen Baker 00:13:40 The US and Xi Jinping's China have been conducting more trade talks - and today it was announcement that maybe they'd reached a deal ... on TikTok. Meanwhile, the consequences of President Trump's tariffs are really starting to make themselves felt, with American soybean farmers having no orders from China, with all farmers suffering from soaring input costs, and meanwhile China is buying more than it ever has from countries like Brazil, and selling more than it ever has to the continent of Africa. Those consequences are going to become more an more far-reaching, and they are likely to outlive Trump himself. Let's discuss. The US and Xi Jinping's China have been conducting more trade talks - and today it was announcement that maybe they'd reached a deal ... on TikTok. Meanwhile, the consequences of President Trump's tariffs are really starting to make themselves felt, with American soybean farmers having no orders from China, with all farmers suffering from soaring input costs, and meanwhile China is buying more than it ever has from countries like Brazil, and selling more than it ever has to the continent of Africa. Those consequences are going to become more an more far-reaching, and they are likely to outlive Trump himself. Let's discuss. false full 411 280ebc27-e11f-4757-b63d-9173bab3cdc1 Q&A: Is It Time For Europe To Give Up On Trump? In this Q&A video I cover Europe giving up on expecting Trump to play a part in Ukraine peace process, predictions for our polarised societies - is this here to stay? Why is the US stock market so strong despite the downsides of Trump's tariffs? Did we learn the lessons from Kamala's defeat? Trump's intentions on Alberta separatism. The impact of US poisoned politics on the UK. Teflon Trump. What should Brits do about racism? And then a couple of questions on my political past.

]]> Sun, 14 Sep 2025 22:18:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this Q&A video I cover Europe giving up on expecting Trump to play a part in Ukraine peace process, predictions for our polarised societies - is this here to stay? Why is the US stock market so strong despite the downsides of Trump's tariffs? Did we learn the lessons from Kamala's defeat? Trump's intentions on Alberta separatism. The impact of US poisoned politics on the UK. Teflon Trump. What should Brits do about racism? And then a couple of questions on my political past.

]]> Q&A: Is It Time For Europe To Give Up On Trump? Mallen Baker 00:39:56 In this Q&A video I cover Europe giving up on expecting Trump to play a part in Ukraine peace process, predictions for our polarised societies - is this here to stay? Why is the US stock market so strong despite the downsides of Trump's tariffs? Did we learn the lessons from Kamala's defeat? Trump's intentions on Alberta separatism. The impact of US poisoned politics on the UK. Teflon Trump. What should Brits do about racism? And then a couple of questions on my political past. In this Q&A video I cover Europe giving up on expecting Trump to play a part in Ukraine peace process, predictions for our polarised societies - is this here to stay? Why is the US stock market so strong despite the downsides of Trump's tariffs? Did we learn the lessons from Kamala's defeat? Trump's intentions on Alberta separatism. The impact of US poisoned politics on the UK. Teflon Trump. What should Brits do about racism? And then a couple of questions on my political past. false full 410 39fa1c65-ca42-4e4e-97ea-f591e06d76f6 Will Trump Get His Far-Reaching Retribution? | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week for Friday September 12th 2025 - The fall-out from the assassination of Charlie Kirk continues, and the Trump team are talking about the shape of the retribution to come. The shooter himself is in custody, no thanks to Kash Patel's FBI, although he's keen to take the credit. One country just had a revolution, all because the government tried to ban social media. Donald Trump says the drone incursion sent into Poland by Russia could well have 'been a mistake' as Russia gears up for major war game exercises near the border. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question.

]]> Fri, 12 Sep 2025 21:42:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for Friday September 12th 2025 - The fall-out from the assassination of Charlie Kirk continues, and the Trump team are talking about the shape of the retribution to come. The shooter himself is in custody, no thanks to Kash Patel's FBI, although he's keen to take the credit. One country just had a revolution, all because the government tried to ban social media. Donald Trump says the drone incursion sent into Poland by Russia could well have 'been a mistake' as Russia gears up for major war game exercises near the border. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question.

]]> Will Trump Get His Far-Reaching Retribution? | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:26:54 In this news round-up of the week for Friday September 12th 2025 - The fall-out from the assassination of Charlie Kirk continues, and the Trump team are talking about the shape of the retribution to come. The shooter himself is in custody, no thanks to Kash Patel's FBI, although he's keen to take the credit. One country just had a revolution, all because the government tried to ban social media. Donald Trump says the drone incursion sent into Poland by Russia could well have 'been a mistake' as Russia gears up for major war game exercises near the border. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question. In this news round-up of the week for Friday September 12th 2025 - The fall-out from the assassination of Charlie Kirk continues, and the Trump team are talking about the shape of the retribution to come. The shooter himself is in custody, no thanks to Kash Patel's FBI, although he's keen to take the credit. One country just had a revolution, all because the government tried to ban social media. Donald Trump says the drone incursion sent into Poland by Russia could well have 'been a mistake' as Russia gears up for major war game exercises near the border. And I answer a Patreon supporter's question. false full 409 d4d6f03d-1fb8-48a8-8bf1-0c33ca82cd64 America's Downward Spiral With Political Violence The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has jolted America, but seems unlikely to provide the crisis moment that shocks the country awake to its catastrophic decline towards crisis. The rise of political violence is a reflection of the intense polarisation, as well as the influence of social media bubbles that help each side to dehumanise the other. The question will be what the Trump administration does next with this. That could go very dark, or could be passed up entirely. Either way, it's hard to see a circumstance where this situation improves quickly. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 11 Sep 2025 20:44:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has jolted America, but seems unlikely to provide the crisis moment that shocks the country awake to its catastrophic decline towards crisis. The rise of political violence is a reflection of the intense polarisation, as well as the influence of social media bubbles that help each side to dehumanise the other. The question will be what the Trump administration does next with this. That could go very dark, or could be passed up entirely. Either way, it's hard to see a circumstance where this situation improves quickly. Let's discuss.

]]> America's Downward Spiral With Political Violence Mallen Baker 00:13:48 The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has jolted America, but seems unlikely to provide the crisis moment that shocks the country awake to its catastrophic decline towards crisis. The rise of political violence is a reflection of the intense polarisation, as well as the influence of social media bubbles that help each side to dehumanise the other. The question will be what the Trump administration does next with this. That could go very dark, or could be passed up entirely. Either way, it's hard to see a circumstance where this situation improves quickly. Let's discuss. The tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk has jolted America, but seems unlikely to provide the crisis moment that shocks the country awake to its catastrophic decline towards crisis. The rise of political violence is a reflection of the intense polarisation, as well as the influence of social media bubbles that help each side to dehumanise the other. The question will be what the Trump administration does next with this. That could go very dark, or could be passed up entirely. Either way, it's hard to see a circumstance where this situation improves quickly. Let's discuss. false full 408 433321ee-636e-427d-87c6-5c6e7eafb7a5 Putin Tests NATO With A Dangerous Escalation Russia sent a number of drones into Poland - the first major incursion into NATO territory that Russia has made in recent times. This provoked NATO forces to shoot down those drones - but the outstanding question is - what's the play? Most likely, it is all about Vladimir Putin poking NATO trying to reveal to the world, and to itself, that President Trump's America will run away if it thinks that Article 5 might be close to being invoked. It's a dangerous game - and one that might well succeed. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 10 Sep 2025 21:02:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia sent a number of drones into Poland - the first major incursion into NATO territory that Russia has made in recent times. This provoked NATO forces to shoot down those drones - but the outstanding question is - what's the play? Most likely, it is all about Vladimir Putin poking NATO trying to reveal to the world, and to itself, that President Trump's America will run away if it thinks that Article 5 might be close to being invoked. It's a dangerous game - and one that might well succeed. Let's discuss.

]]> Putin Tests NATO With A Dangerous Escalation Mallen Baker 00:14:51 Russia sent a number of drones into Poland - the first major incursion into NATO territory that Russia has made in recent times. This provoked NATO forces to shoot down those drones - but the outstanding question is - what's the play? Most likely, it is all about Vladimir Putin poking NATO trying to reveal to the world, and to itself, that President Trump's America will run away if it thinks that Article 5 might be close to being invoked. It's a dangerous game - and one that might well succeed. Let's discuss. Russia sent a number of drones into Poland - the first major incursion into NATO territory that Russia has made in recent times. This provoked NATO forces to shoot down those drones - but the outstanding question is - what's the play? Most likely, it is all about Vladimir Putin poking NATO trying to reveal to the world, and to itself, that President Trump's America will run away if it thinks that Article 5 might be close to being invoked. It's a dangerous game - and one that might well succeed. Let's discuss. false full 407 431fd758-ca72-46e5-a944-fb65db50060d JD Vance's Shocking Take On Venezuela Boat Attack The concerns about the Trump Administration's summary execution of eleven people in a boat in international waters off Venezuela - alleged to be gang members involved in drug smuggling - have been growing louder. This burst into full view with an angry spat between vice president JD Vance and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul over Vance's statement of impunity over the action. Meanwhile, the US forces remain in place, Venezuela is poking them with near fly-pasts by its air fighters, and it could all escalate further at any moment. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 9 Sep 2025 21:54:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The concerns about the Trump Administration's summary execution of eleven people in a boat in international waters off Venezuela - alleged to be gang members involved in drug smuggling - have been growing louder. This burst into full view with an angry spat between vice president JD Vance and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul over Vance's statement of impunity over the action. Meanwhile, the US forces remain in place, Venezuela is poking them with near fly-pasts by its air fighters, and it could all escalate further at any moment. Let's discuss.

]]> JD Vance's Shocking Take On Venezuela Boat Attack Mallen Baker 00:11:06 The concerns about the Trump Administration's summary execution of eleven people in a boat in international waters off Venezuela - alleged to be gang members involved in drug smuggling - have been growing louder. This burst into full view with an angry spat between vice president JD Vance and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul over Vance's statement of impunity over the action. Meanwhile, the US forces remain in place, Venezuela is poking them with near fly-pasts by its air fighters, and it could all escalate further at any moment. Let's discuss. The concerns about the Trump Administration's summary execution of eleven people in a boat in international waters off Venezuela - alleged to be gang members involved in drug smuggling - have been growing louder. This burst into full view with an angry spat between vice president JD Vance and Kentucky Senator Rand Paul over Vance's statement of impunity over the action. Meanwhile, the US forces remain in place, Venezuela is poking them with near fly-pasts by its air fighters, and it could all escalate further at any moment. Let's discuss. false full 406 74558256-cc1f-4b2f-8e90-985037531447 The Terrible Habit The World Is Picking Up From Trump The stoics would tell you that you can't control what happens to you in the world, you can only control how you respond to it. Well, it turns out that having a post-truth populist in charge of the most powerful country in the world has ripple effects over the rest of the world. Other world leaders, the mainstream media, and indeed other autocrats - it could be that the majority of Trump's impact on the world will come not from the individual acts he takes, but how the rest of the world changes its own behaviours to cope with Trump. And the first visible sign of that - it's getting harder to identify the truth in the places where we used to most often find it. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 8 Sep 2025 21:17:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The stoics would tell you that you can't control what happens to you in the world, you can only control how you respond to it. Well, it turns out that having a post-truth populist in charge of the most powerful country in the world has ripple effects over the rest of the world. Other world leaders, the mainstream media, and indeed other autocrats - it could be that the majority of Trump's impact on the world will come not from the individual acts he takes, but how the rest of the world changes its own behaviours to cope with Trump. And the first visible sign of that - it's getting harder to identify the truth in the places where we used to most often find it. Let's discuss.

]]> The Terrible Habit The World Is Picking Up From Trump Mallen Baker 00:17:09 The stoics would tell you that you can't control what happens to you in the world, you can only control how you respond to it. Well, it turns out that having a post-truth populist in charge of the most powerful country in the world has ripple effects over the rest of the world. Other world leaders, the mainstream media, and indeed other autocrats - it could be that the majority of Trump's impact on the world will come not from the individual acts he takes, but how the rest of the world changes its own behaviours to cope with Trump. And the first visible sign of that - it's getting harder to identify the truth in the places where we used to most often find it. Let's discuss. The stoics would tell you that you can't control what happens to you in the world, you can only control how you respond to it. Well, it turns out that having a post-truth populist in charge of the most powerful country in the world has ripple effects over the rest of the world. Other world leaders, the mainstream media, and indeed other autocrats - it could be that the majority of Trump's impact on the world will come not from the individual acts he takes, but how the rest of the world changes its own behaviours to cope with Trump. And the first visible sign of that - it's getting harder to identify the truth in the places where we used to most often find it. Let's discuss. false full 405 0cdd6b4a-dad8-4c2f-9c17-26bf8b13d11d What Should Brits Do About Trump's State Visit? Trump is coming to the UK in ten days time. And not just for any old visit, but for a 'very special' and 'unprecedented' second state visit. All the pomp and pageantry ... and protest. In this video I answer the question, what SHOULD Brits do about the honoured guest Trump when he arrives for his state visit. Is there anything they could do that would make any sort of difference? Well, let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 7 Sep 2025 20:56:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump is coming to the UK in ten days time. And not just for any old visit, but for a 'very special' and 'unprecedented' second state visit. All the pomp and pageantry ... and protest. In this video I answer the question, what SHOULD Brits do about the honoured guest Trump when he arrives for his state visit. Is there anything they could do that would make any sort of difference? Well, let's discuss.

]]> What Should Brits Do About Trump's State Visit? Mallen Baker 00:17:47 Trump is coming to the UK in ten days time. And not just for any old visit, but for a 'very special' and 'unprecedented' second state visit. All the pomp and pageantry ... and protest. In this video I answer the question, what SHOULD Brits do about the honoured guest Trump when he arrives for his state visit. Is there anything they could do that would make any sort of difference? Well, let's discuss. Trump is coming to the UK in ten days time. And not just for any old visit, but for a 'very special' and 'unprecedented' second state visit. All the pomp and pageantry ... and protest. In this video I answer the question, what SHOULD Brits do about the honoured guest Trump when he arrives for his state visit. Is there anything they could do that would make any sort of difference? Well, let's discuss. false full 404 30b17970-2f47-4735-8211-ecd3b51c6a83 Huge Trump Pivot On China Flagged By Leaked Document We'd already picked up that Trump's America wanted to pull resources from Europe and the Middle East with a view to concentrating its full focus on its main rival and growing threat - China. Well, a leaked draft Defence Strategy seen by Politico, has revealed that the thinking has done a sharp pivot specifically in relation to China. It is hugely consequential, and might reflect the core of a strategy that survives Trump and defines America's future place in the world. So let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 6 Sep 2025 20:47:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We'd already picked up that Trump's America wanted to pull resources from Europe and the Middle East with a view to concentrating its full focus on its main rival and growing threat - China. Well, a leaked draft Defence Strategy seen by Politico, has revealed that the thinking has done a sharp pivot specifically in relation to China. It is hugely consequential, and might reflect the core of a strategy that survives Trump and defines America's future place in the world. So let's discuss.

]]> Huge Trump Pivot On China Flagged By Leaked Document Mallen Baker 00:18:16 We'd already picked up that Trump's America wanted to pull resources from Europe and the Middle East with a view to concentrating its full focus on its main rival and growing threat - China. Well, a leaked draft Defence Strategy seen by Politico, has revealed that the thinking has done a sharp pivot specifically in relation to China. It is hugely consequential, and might reflect the core of a strategy that survives Trump and defines America's future place in the world. So let's discuss. We'd already picked up that Trump's America wanted to pull resources from Europe and the Middle East with a view to concentrating its full focus on its main rival and growing threat - China. Well, a leaked draft Defence Strategy seen by Politico, has revealed that the thinking has done a sharp pivot specifically in relation to China. It is hugely consequential, and might reflect the core of a strategy that survives Trump and defines America's future place in the world. So let's discuss. false full 403 04b11f31-163f-4bf1-a07b-c99367eb4e7b Trump Sides With Putin Against Europe | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, Trump sides with Putin in blaming European leaders for his frustrations about the lack of progress in ending the Ukraine war. The US blows a boat with eleven people out of the water because it has decided they are narco-terrorists. The world's smallest and newest petrostate just had a crucial election. And a good old-fashioned British tabloid feeding frenzy has brought the deputy Prime Minister down. Plus, I respond to a comment on a recent video.

]]> Fri, 5 Sep 2025 16:55:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, Trump sides with Putin in blaming European leaders for his frustrations about the lack of progress in ending the Ukraine war. The US blows a boat with eleven people out of the water because it has decided they are narco-terrorists. The world's smallest and newest petrostate just had a crucial election. And a good old-fashioned British tabloid feeding frenzy has brought the deputy Prime Minister down. Plus, I respond to a comment on a recent video.

]]> Trump Sides With Putin Against Europe | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:22:19 In this news round-up of the week, Trump sides with Putin in blaming European leaders for his frustrations about the lack of progress in ending the Ukraine war. The US blows a boat with eleven people out of the water because it has decided they are narco-terrorists. The world's smallest and newest petrostate just had a crucial election. And a good old-fashioned British tabloid feeding frenzy has brought the deputy Prime Minister down. Plus, I respond to a comment on a recent video. In this news round-up of the week, Trump sides with Putin in blaming European leaders for his frustrations about the lack of progress in ending the Ukraine war. The US blows a boat with eleven people out of the water because it has decided they are narco-terrorists. The world's smallest and newest petrostate just had a crucial election. And a good old-fashioned British tabloid feeding frenzy has brought the deputy Prime Minister down. Plus, I respond to a comment on a recent video. false full 402 b478d50d-b46f-4ec4-ab01-665a3c2d8981 Why MAGA Thinks The UK Has A Free Speech Problem The leader of Reform UK and best bud of Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, testified to Congress yesterday and told Americans that the UK has a free speech crisis and has become akin to North Korea. That is patently absurd, and some of the supporting evidence given for it is likewise. But some of it is not, and some of the most telling instances are not even being highlighted. So what's really going on? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 4 Sep 2025 21:43:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The leader of Reform UK and best bud of Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, testified to Congress yesterday and told Americans that the UK has a free speech crisis and has become akin to North Korea. That is patently absurd, and some of the supporting evidence given for it is likewise. But some of it is not, and some of the most telling instances are not even being highlighted. So what's really going on? Let's discuss.

]]> Why MAGA Thinks The UK Has A Free Speech Problem Mallen Baker 00:17:05 The leader of Reform UK and best bud of Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, testified to Congress yesterday and told Americans that the UK has a free speech crisis and has become akin to North Korea. That is patently absurd, and some of the supporting evidence given for it is likewise. But some of it is not, and some of the most telling instances are not even being highlighted. So what's really going on? Let's discuss. The leader of Reform UK and best bud of Donald Trump, Nigel Farage, testified to Congress yesterday and told Americans that the UK has a free speech crisis and has become akin to North Korea. That is patently absurd, and some of the supporting evidence given for it is likewise. But some of it is not, and some of the most telling instances are not even being highlighted. So what's really going on? Let's discuss. false full 401 99f60106-cc2e-4f9e-89f2-863f2e74339c Trump’s Impotent Fury As China Exploits His Mistakes China has been hosting an economic summit that brought together Russia, Indian and numerous other countries from the global south. And then it topped that off with one of its spectacular military parades that put Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in the spotlight, and rather showed up Trump's birthday parade as being a pale imitation. But the serious business underlying all this is the growing momentum the Trump administration is giving to the growth of a powerful and assertive group of non-Western nations, and the rise of China as the first and most powerful amongst them. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 3 Sep 2025 20:19:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China has been hosting an economic summit that brought together Russia, Indian and numerous other countries from the global south. And then it topped that off with one of its spectacular military parades that put Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in the spotlight, and rather showed up Trump's birthday parade as being a pale imitation. But the serious business underlying all this is the growing momentum the Trump administration is giving to the growth of a powerful and assertive group of non-Western nations, and the rise of China as the first and most powerful amongst them. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Impotent Fury As China Exploits His Mistakes Mallen Baker 00:19:01 China has been hosting an economic summit that brought together Russia, Indian and numerous other countries from the global south. And then it topped that off with one of its spectacular military parades that put Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in the spotlight, and rather showed up Trump's birthday parade as being a pale imitation. But the serious business underlying all this is the growing momentum the Trump administration is giving to the growth of a powerful and assertive group of non-Western nations, and the rise of China as the first and most powerful amongst them. Let's discuss. China has been hosting an economic summit that brought together Russia, Indian and numerous other countries from the global south. And then it topped that off with one of its spectacular military parades that put Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un in the spotlight, and rather showed up Trump's birthday parade as being a pale imitation. But the serious business underlying all this is the growing momentum the Trump administration is giving to the growth of a powerful and assertive group of non-Western nations, and the rise of China as the first and most powerful amongst them. Let's discuss. false full 400 17c860d3-19ee-44d1-bd0b-9c5581ce6701 International Tourists Avoiding Trump’s America Back in May, we saw the numbers of visitors to the United States plummeting in the wake of President Trump's attacks on most countries in the world with his tariffs and much else besides. Particularly with visitors from Canada, but also Europe and elsewhere. It was speculated that, if it continued, it would wipe billions of revenue off the US tourism industry and leave a lot of, particularly small, tourist businesses in significant trouble. So at the end of the holiday season, how much did those predictions bear up? As it turns out, pretty robustly. With one interesting exception. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 1 Sep 2025 19:29:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Back in May, we saw the numbers of visitors to the United States plummeting in the wake of President Trump's attacks on most countries in the world with his tariffs and much else besides. Particularly with visitors from Canada, but also Europe and elsewhere. It was speculated that, if it continued, it would wipe billions of revenue off the US tourism industry and leave a lot of, particularly small, tourist businesses in significant trouble. So at the end of the holiday season, how much did those predictions bear up? As it turns out, pretty robustly. With one interesting exception. Let's discuss.

]]> International Tourists Avoiding Trump’s America Mallen Baker 00:10:12 Back in May, we saw the numbers of visitors to the United States plummeting in the wake of President Trump's attacks on most countries in the world with his tariffs and much else besides. Particularly with visitors from Canada, but also Europe and elsewhere. It was speculated that, if it continued, it would wipe billions of revenue off the US tourism industry and leave a lot of, particularly small, tourist businesses in significant trouble. So at the end of the holiday season, how much did those predictions bear up? As it turns out, pretty robustly. With one interesting exception. Let's discuss. Back in May, we saw the numbers of visitors to the United States plummeting in the wake of President Trump's attacks on most countries in the world with his tariffs and much else besides. Particularly with visitors from Canada, but also Europe and elsewhere. It was speculated that, if it continued, it would wipe billions of revenue off the US tourism industry and leave a lot of, particularly small, tourist businesses in significant trouble. So at the end of the holiday season, how much did those predictions bear up? As it turns out, pretty robustly. With one interesting exception. Let's discuss. false full 399 b11966f3-45a3-4cc8-b63f-eec73f5f2a35 If Trump Went Early, America Faces a Techno-MAGA Dictatorship Lots of people have been speculating this weekend that maybe Trump has been out of sight because his health isn't good. That all seems overblown, but it did focus people's minds briefly on what would come next had it been the case. And the fact is that there are reasons to think it would be substantially different, and in many ways potentially much more difficult even than the erratic Trump 2.0 experience. It all focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence, and how the race to the bottom on AI-enabled authoritarianism, and the rise of tech companies as sovereign global players, is going to make life complicated. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 31 Aug 2025 21:29:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Lots of people have been speculating this weekend that maybe Trump has been out of sight because his health isn't good. That all seems overblown, but it did focus people's minds briefly on what would come next had it been the case. And the fact is that there are reasons to think it would be substantially different, and in many ways potentially much more difficult even than the erratic Trump 2.0 experience. It all focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence, and how the race to the bottom on AI-enabled authoritarianism, and the rise of tech companies as sovereign global players, is going to make life complicated. Let's discuss.

]]> If Trump Went Early, America Faces a Techno-MAGA Dictatorship Mallen Baker 00:09:40 Lots of people have been speculating this weekend that maybe Trump has been out of sight because his health isn't good. That all seems overblown, but it did focus people's minds briefly on what would come next had it been the case. And the fact is that there are reasons to think it would be substantially different, and in many ways potentially much more difficult even than the erratic Trump 2.0 experience. It all focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence, and how the race to the bottom on AI-enabled authoritarianism, and the rise of tech companies as sovereign global players, is going to make life complicated. Let's discuss. Lots of people have been speculating this weekend that maybe Trump has been out of sight because his health isn't good. That all seems overblown, but it did focus people's minds briefly on what would come next had it been the case. And the fact is that there are reasons to think it would be substantially different, and in many ways potentially much more difficult even than the erratic Trump 2.0 experience. It all focuses on the rise of artificial intelligence, and how the race to the bottom on AI-enabled authoritarianism, and the rise of tech companies as sovereign global players, is going to make life complicated. Let's discuss. false full 398 3f00ccb0-3b0e-47f7-821f-8e52aeab62c8 Trump’s Presidency Is In Chaos After Tariffs Struck Down If anything has defined Donald Trump's second term as president, it is his use of tariffs to bully the world into giving the US highly unequal trade deals. He has used tariffs as an economic bludgeon, but also a political punishment weapon - targeting India and Brazil for political, not economic, reasons. Well, now it is all up in the air as the appeals court has confirmed that all of it was Trump exceeding his powers and authority. Now he is left dangling for months waiting for the Supreme Court to rule - and if it upholds the decision against him, all those tariffs will have to be paid back. And that will leave Trump looking ridiculous before the world, and his administration in total chaos. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 30 Aug 2025 21:23:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast If anything has defined Donald Trump's second term as president, it is his use of tariffs to bully the world into giving the US highly unequal trade deals. He has used tariffs as an economic bludgeon, but also a political punishment weapon - targeting India and Brazil for political, not economic, reasons. Well, now it is all up in the air as the appeals court has confirmed that all of it was Trump exceeding his powers and authority. Now he is left dangling for months waiting for the Supreme Court to rule - and if it upholds the decision against him, all those tariffs will have to be paid back. And that will leave Trump looking ridiculous before the world, and his administration in total chaos. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Presidency Is In Chaos After Tariffs Struck Down Mallen Baker 00:12:05 If anything has defined Donald Trump's second term as president, it is his use of tariffs to bully the world into giving the US highly unequal trade deals. He has used tariffs as an economic bludgeon, but also a political punishment weapon - targeting India and Brazil for political, not economic, reasons. Well, now it is all up in the air as the appeals court has confirmed that all of it was Trump exceeding his powers and authority. Now he is left dangling for months waiting for the Supreme Court to rule - and if it upholds the decision against him, all those tariffs will have to be paid back. And that will leave Trump looking ridiculous before the world, and his administration in total chaos. Let's discuss. If anything has defined Donald Trump's second term as president, it is his use of tariffs to bully the world into giving the US highly unequal trade deals. He has used tariffs as an economic bludgeon, but also a political punishment weapon - targeting India and Brazil for political, not economic, reasons. Well, now it is all up in the air as the appeals court has confirmed that all of it was Trump exceeding his powers and authority. Now he is left dangling for months waiting for the Supreme Court to rule - and if it upholds the decision against him, all those tariffs will have to be paid back. And that will leave Trump looking ridiculous before the world, and his administration in total chaos. Let's discuss. false full 397 acf534fe-5fec-4ab1-a2f2-cd46dd58d350 The World Is Turning On Trump's America | News Round-Up In this news round-up of the week, countries are forming common-interest groups across the world to find ways to reduce their exposure to Trump's America and to work on the old rules-based trade order. Also, the world postal services stop sending parcels to the US. Russia pummels Ukraine's capital - Europeans hope Trump will take note, and you can guess how that goes. The head of the CDC is fired for not being anti-vax enough. And more. Plus, I answer a couple of your questions.

]]> Fri, 29 Aug 2025 21:39:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, countries are forming common-interest groups across the world to find ways to reduce their exposure to Trump's America and to work on the old rules-based trade order. Also, the world postal services stop sending parcels to the US. Russia pummels Ukraine's capital - Europeans hope Trump will take note, and you can guess how that goes. The head of the CDC is fired for not being anti-vax enough. And more. Plus, I answer a couple of your questions.

]]> The World Is Turning On Trump's America | News Round-Up Mallen Baker 00:22:20 In this news round-up of the week, countries are forming common-interest groups across the world to find ways to reduce their exposure to Trump's America and to work on the old rules-based trade order. Also, the world postal services stop sending parcels to the US. Russia pummels Ukraine's capital - Europeans hope Trump will take note, and you can guess how that goes. The head of the CDC is fired for not being anti-vax enough. And more. Plus, I answer a couple of your questions. In this news round-up of the week, countries are forming common-interest groups across the world to find ways to reduce their exposure to Trump's America and to work on the old rules-based trade order. Also, the world postal services stop sending parcels to the US. Russia pummels Ukraine's capital - Europeans hope Trump will take note, and you can guess how that goes. The head of the CDC is fired for not being anti-vax enough. And more. Plus, I answer a couple of your questions. false full 396 818801a2-f6b3-4a15-8c50-c412fb8f7123 How Trump Is Making Billions From Being President You're not supposed to be able to use the Presidency of the United States in order to enrich yourself. Indeed, previous presidents provoked controversy even from commanding lucrative deals AFTER they'd been in the office. But all those rules are out of the window with President Trump. Between deals for Trump licensing, gifts, crypto initiatives, and more - Trump has been doing very well indeed over the last seven months. Indeed, once you step back you can't help but notice - his distinctive style of confrontational leadership couldn't be better calculated to encourage lots of wealthy people to see it as being in their interest to give him money. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 28 Aug 2025 21:28:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast You're not supposed to be able to use the Presidency of the United States in order to enrich yourself. Indeed, previous presidents provoked controversy even from commanding lucrative deals AFTER they'd been in the office. But all those rules are out of the window with President Trump. Between deals for Trump licensing, gifts, crypto initiatives, and more - Trump has been doing very well indeed over the last seven months. Indeed, once you step back you can't help but notice - his distinctive style of confrontational leadership couldn't be better calculated to encourage lots of wealthy people to see it as being in their interest to give him money. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump Is Making Billions From Being President Mallen Baker 00:15:14 You're not supposed to be able to use the Presidency of the United States in order to enrich yourself. Indeed, previous presidents provoked controversy even from commanding lucrative deals AFTER they'd been in the office. But all those rules are out of the window with President Trump. Between deals for Trump licensing, gifts, crypto initiatives, and more - Trump has been doing very well indeed over the last seven months. Indeed, once you step back you can't help but notice - his distinctive style of confrontational leadership couldn't be better calculated to encourage lots of wealthy people to see it as being in their interest to give him money. Let's discuss. You're not supposed to be able to use the Presidency of the United States in order to enrich yourself. Indeed, previous presidents provoked controversy even from commanding lucrative deals AFTER they'd been in the office. But all those rules are out of the window with President Trump. Between deals for Trump licensing, gifts, crypto initiatives, and more - Trump has been doing very well indeed over the last seven months. Indeed, once you step back you can't help but notice - his distinctive style of confrontational leadership couldn't be better calculated to encourage lots of wealthy people to see it as being in their interest to give him money. Let's discuss. false full 395 f0613854-a657-4fc4-8c66-3a36d5cff43d Trump’s Spies Caught Out In Greenland Takeover Plot We knew that Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had directed spies to go into Greenland as part of a covert influence operation. Now, Denmark has identified three individuals doing exactly what she had directed - gathering names of potential supporters to try to seed a secessionist movement, to create conflict and division between Greenlanders and Denmark. This shows that, not only has Trump's ambition to take Greenland not gone away, but it's likely that lack of progress to date may prompt him to become impatient. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 27 Aug 2025 20:28:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We knew that Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had directed spies to go into Greenland as part of a covert influence operation. Now, Denmark has identified three individuals doing exactly what she had directed - gathering names of potential supporters to try to seed a secessionist movement, to create conflict and division between Greenlanders and Denmark. This shows that, not only has Trump's ambition to take Greenland not gone away, but it's likely that lack of progress to date may prompt him to become impatient. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Spies Caught Out In Greenland Takeover Plot Mallen Baker 00:08:46 We knew that Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had directed spies to go into Greenland as part of a covert influence operation. Now, Denmark has identified three individuals doing exactly what she had directed - gathering names of potential supporters to try to seed a secessionist movement, to create conflict and division between Greenlanders and Denmark. This shows that, not only has Trump's ambition to take Greenland not gone away, but it's likely that lack of progress to date may prompt him to become impatient. Let's discuss. We knew that Trump's Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had directed spies to go into Greenland as part of a covert influence operation. Now, Denmark has identified three individuals doing exactly what she had directed - gathering names of potential supporters to try to seed a secessionist movement, to create conflict and division between Greenlanders and Denmark. This shows that, not only has Trump's ambition to take Greenland not gone away, but it's likely that lack of progress to date may prompt him to become impatient. Let's discuss. false full 394 752c61b2-b6a7-4a3e-87e0-193b928d9556 How Trump Is Fixing America's Elections So MAGA Never Loses We know all about some of the very public moves - gerrymandering in Texas, for instance. But across multiple measures - many of which are hidden in plain sight - Trump's MAGA Republican Party is step by step dismantling America's processes for ensuring free and fair elections. The details don't capture the public attention, but unless they're halted, it could be the start of an extended dark period for the US the like of which it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 26 Aug 2025 21:26:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We know all about some of the very public moves - gerrymandering in Texas, for instance. But across multiple measures - many of which are hidden in plain sight - Trump's MAGA Republican Party is step by step dismantling America's processes for ensuring free and fair elections. The details don't capture the public attention, but unless they're halted, it could be the start of an extended dark period for the US the like of which it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump Is Fixing America's Elections So MAGA Never Loses Mallen Baker 00:12:30 We know all about some of the very public moves - gerrymandering in Texas, for instance. But across multiple measures - many of which are hidden in plain sight - Trump's MAGA Republican Party is step by step dismantling America's processes for ensuring free and fair elections. The details don't capture the public attention, but unless they're halted, it could be the start of an extended dark period for the US the like of which it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss. We know all about some of the very public moves - gerrymandering in Texas, for instance. But across multiple measures - many of which are hidden in plain sight - Trump's MAGA Republican Party is step by step dismantling America's processes for ensuring free and fair elections. The details don't capture the public attention, but unless they're halted, it could be the start of an extended dark period for the US the like of which it hasn't seen for a very long time. Let's discuss. false full 393 b0ed82ea-993b-40d8-bc2b-c65f3a7f23f3 How Trump’s Bizarre Anti-Science Cult Is Hurting America The US used to lead the world in its innovation, including in energy and industry, and also in its medical advances. And that was because it invested in scientific knowledge, and turned that knowledge into useful services that were easily sold to the whole world. Now, the Trump administration is fixated on articles of faith, not actual scientific advance. It hates renewable energy, which the rest of the world sees as the technology of the future. It hates the mRNA vaccine technology that Trump originally championed during the Covid pandemic, but which has become mired in conspiracy theories. And it is now shaping public policy to match its superstitions and myths. It's hurting America - and may well be exported to some of the rest of us. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 25 Aug 2025 21:27:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US used to lead the world in its innovation, including in energy and industry, and also in its medical advances. And that was because it invested in scientific knowledge, and turned that knowledge into useful services that were easily sold to the whole world. Now, the Trump administration is fixated on articles of faith, not actual scientific advance. It hates renewable energy, which the rest of the world sees as the technology of the future. It hates the mRNA vaccine technology that Trump originally championed during the Covid pandemic, but which has become mired in conspiracy theories. And it is now shaping public policy to match its superstitions and myths. It's hurting America - and may well be exported to some of the rest of us. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump’s Bizarre Anti-Science Cult Is Hurting America Mallen Baker 00:14:38 The US used to lead the world in its innovation, including in energy and industry, and also in its medical advances. And that was because it invested in scientific knowledge, and turned that knowledge into useful services that were easily sold to the whole world. Now, the Trump administration is fixated on articles of faith, not actual scientific advance. It hates renewable energy, which the rest of the world sees as the technology of the future. It hates the mRNA vaccine technology that Trump originally championed during the Covid pandemic, but which has become mired in conspiracy theories. And it is now shaping public policy to match its superstitions and myths. It's hurting America - and may well be exported to some of the rest of us. Let's discuss. The US used to lead the world in its innovation, including in energy and industry, and also in its medical advances. And that was because it invested in scientific knowledge, and turned that knowledge into useful services that were easily sold to the whole world. Now, the Trump administration is fixated on articles of faith, not actual scientific advance. It hates renewable energy, which the rest of the world sees as the technology of the future. It hates the mRNA vaccine technology that Trump originally championed during the Covid pandemic, but which has become mired in conspiracy theories. And it is now shaping public policy to match its superstitions and myths. It's hurting America - and may well be exported to some of the rest of us. Let's discuss. false full 392 a49e45d3-9f99-41c4-b533-0e1189a792a2 Trump’s Ukraine Hypocrisy Exposed It was just a couple of days ago that President Trump was telling us in no uncertain terms that Ukraine needed to be able to hit deep inside Russia to have a chance of defending itself - and that it had been a major failure of Biden to have not let them do this for so long. And yet, it was revealed today that Trump's Pentagon has been blocking Ukraine from doing just that - and it doesn't seem inclined to change that. On Ukraine's Independence day, let's discuss this latest evidence that the US is an adversary of Ukraine, not an ally.

]]> Sun, 24 Aug 2025 20:30:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It was just a couple of days ago that President Trump was telling us in no uncertain terms that Ukraine needed to be able to hit deep inside Russia to have a chance of defending itself - and that it had been a major failure of Biden to have not let them do this for so long. And yet, it was revealed today that Trump's Pentagon has been blocking Ukraine from doing just that - and it doesn't seem inclined to change that. On Ukraine's Independence day, let's discuss this latest evidence that the US is an adversary of Ukraine, not an ally.

]]> Trump’s Ukraine Hypocrisy Exposed Mallen Baker 00:12:44 It was just a couple of days ago that President Trump was telling us in no uncertain terms that Ukraine needed to be able to hit deep inside Russia to have a chance of defending itself - and that it had been a major failure of Biden to have not let them do this for so long. And yet, it was revealed today that Trump's Pentagon has been blocking Ukraine from doing just that - and it doesn't seem inclined to change that. On Ukraine's Independence day, let's discuss this latest evidence that the US is an adversary of Ukraine, not an ally. It was just a couple of days ago that President Trump was telling us in no uncertain terms that Ukraine needed to be able to hit deep inside Russia to have a chance of defending itself - and that it had been a major failure of Biden to have not let them do this for so long. And yet, it was revealed today that Trump's Pentagon has been blocking Ukraine from doing just that - and it doesn't seem inclined to change that. On Ukraine's Independence day, let's discuss this latest evidence that the US is an adversary of Ukraine, not an ally. false full 391 ca4137ae-69f2-4454-b4d0-b4d3e0e2e282 Russia Is Laughing At Trump’s Peace Efforts For just a few days, there was an illusion of real momentum arising from the Trump Putin Summit in Alaska, and the Zelensky Europeans meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. But very quickly, reality is reasserting itself. All the concessions that Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff believed they had gotten from Putin in Anchorage are dropping one after the other. No, Putin doesn't want to meet Zelensky. No, they haven't adapted their territory demands. No, they haven't agreed to robust security guarantees for Ukraine. And with their most recent statement on the latter, it is impossible to ignore that the Russians are just laughing at Trump's amateur-hour efforts at peace. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 22 Aug 2025 20:23:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast For just a few days, there was an illusion of real momentum arising from the Trump Putin Summit in Alaska, and the Zelensky Europeans meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. But very quickly, reality is reasserting itself. All the concessions that Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff believed they had gotten from Putin in Anchorage are dropping one after the other. No, Putin doesn't want to meet Zelensky. No, they haven't adapted their territory demands. No, they haven't agreed to robust security guarantees for Ukraine. And with their most recent statement on the latter, it is impossible to ignore that the Russians are just laughing at Trump's amateur-hour efforts at peace. Let's discuss.

]]> Russia Is Laughing At Trump’s Peace Efforts Mallen Baker 00:13:16 For just a few days, there was an illusion of real momentum arising from the Trump Putin Summit in Alaska, and the Zelensky Europeans meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. But very quickly, reality is reasserting itself. All the concessions that Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff believed they had gotten from Putin in Anchorage are dropping one after the other. No, Putin doesn't want to meet Zelensky. No, they haven't adapted their territory demands. No, they haven't agreed to robust security guarantees for Ukraine. And with their most recent statement on the latter, it is impossible to ignore that the Russians are just laughing at Trump's amateur-hour efforts at peace. Let's discuss. For just a few days, there was an illusion of real momentum arising from the Trump Putin Summit in Alaska, and the Zelensky Europeans meeting with Trump in the Oval Office. But very quickly, reality is reasserting itself. All the concessions that Trump and his envoy Steve Witkoff believed they had gotten from Putin in Anchorage are dropping one after the other. No, Putin doesn't want to meet Zelensky. No, they haven't adapted their territory demands. No, they haven't agreed to robust security guarantees for Ukraine. And with their most recent statement on the latter, it is impossible to ignore that the Russians are just laughing at Trump's amateur-hour efforts at peace. Let's discuss. false full 390 41a8569b-e502-4c14-a44d-7f7567b3536c Insults To China BLOW UP Trump’s Crony Capitalism Scheme Trump's administration has started getting directly involved with businesses in the United States, especially those considered strategic. Up to, and including, taking part-ownership of Intel. But it's the plan to get AI chips being sold to China, with a slice of the revenue going to the government, that has really stirred things up. Not least because China is now turning away from those chips completely after the Trump administration boasted they were selling them redundant tech and boasted they were doing so to trap them. Another genius day in Trump Land. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 21 Aug 2025 21:41:31 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's administration has started getting directly involved with businesses in the United States, especially those considered strategic. Up to, and including, taking part-ownership of Intel. But it's the plan to get AI chips being sold to China, with a slice of the revenue going to the government, that has really stirred things up. Not least because China is now turning away from those chips completely after the Trump administration boasted they were selling them redundant tech and boasted they were doing so to trap them. Another genius day in Trump Land. Let's discuss.

]]> Insults To China BLOW UP Trump’s Crony Capitalism Scheme Mallen Baker 00:12:16 Trump's administration has started getting directly involved with businesses in the United States, especially those considered strategic. Up to, and including, taking part-ownership of Intel. But it's the plan to get AI chips being sold to China, with a slice of the revenue going to the government, that has really stirred things up. Not least because China is now turning away from those chips completely after the Trump administration boasted they were selling them redundant tech and boasted they were doing so to trap them. Another genius day in Trump Land. Let's discuss. Trump's administration has started getting directly involved with businesses in the United States, especially those considered strategic. Up to, and including, taking part-ownership of Intel. But it's the plan to get AI chips being sold to China, with a slice of the revenue going to the government, that has really stirred things up. Not least because China is now turning away from those chips completely after the Trump administration boasted they were selling them redundant tech and boasted they were doing so to trap them. Another genius day in Trump Land. Let's discuss. false full 389 6154aace-6750-46e3-8387-c393ea2fe8f6 Why Is Trump Punishing Only India For Buying Russian Oil? Trump loves strong man leaders, and it used to be that he loved Narendra Modi as a result. They were great friends, the world was told, and so Modi thought. The world looks different now as President Trump's America is tariffing India more severely than almost any other country - and doing so allegedly because it buys Russian oil. But is that really the reason? And regardless of why - what will be the impact in a more volatile multi-polar world? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 20 Aug 2025 21:36:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump loves strong man leaders, and it used to be that he loved Narendra Modi as a result. They were great friends, the world was told, and so Modi thought. The world looks different now as President Trump's America is tariffing India more severely than almost any other country - and doing so allegedly because it buys Russian oil. But is that really the reason? And regardless of why - what will be the impact in a more volatile multi-polar world? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Is Trump Punishing Only India For Buying Russian Oil? Mallen Baker 00:14:41 Trump loves strong man leaders, and it used to be that he loved Narendra Modi as a result. They were great friends, the world was told, and so Modi thought. The world looks different now as President Trump's America is tariffing India more severely than almost any other country - and doing so allegedly because it buys Russian oil. But is that really the reason? And regardless of why - what will be the impact in a more volatile multi-polar world? Let's discuss. Trump loves strong man leaders, and it used to be that he loved Narendra Modi as a result. They were great friends, the world was told, and so Modi thought. The world looks different now as President Trump's America is tariffing India more severely than almost any other country - and doing so allegedly because it buys Russian oil. But is that really the reason? And regardless of why - what will be the impact in a more volatile multi-polar world? Let's discuss. false full 388 49d98b12-ca81-4f47-9c8c-082604aaab77 Why Trump’s Security Guarantee For Ukraine Is Worthless There are two live issues being played out following the Alaska summit and the ensemble meeting at the White House. First, Trump's determination that there should be a trilateral meeting with Zelensky, Putin and himself. And Second, that there should be some commitment around a security guarantee that would aim to prevent war from simply restarting soon in the future. All the players are seeking to navigate these to best effect, while all the time having to deal with the unguided missile at the centre of everything - President Trump. But the three-way meeting is being resisted hard by Putin, while pretending to be open for it. And the security guarantee - well, everyone right now is pretending it's real. But really, it's just not. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 19 Aug 2025 20:42:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast There are two live issues being played out following the Alaska summit and the ensemble meeting at the White House. First, Trump's determination that there should be a trilateral meeting with Zelensky, Putin and himself. And Second, that there should be some commitment around a security guarantee that would aim to prevent war from simply restarting soon in the future. All the players are seeking to navigate these to best effect, while all the time having to deal with the unguided missile at the centre of everything - President Trump. But the three-way meeting is being resisted hard by Putin, while pretending to be open for it. And the security guarantee - well, everyone right now is pretending it's real. But really, it's just not. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Security Guarantee For Ukraine Is Worthless Mallen Baker 00:13:53 There are two live issues being played out following the Alaska summit and the ensemble meeting at the White House. First, Trump's determination that there should be a trilateral meeting with Zelensky, Putin and himself. And Second, that there should be some commitment around a security guarantee that would aim to prevent war from simply restarting soon in the future. All the players are seeking to navigate these to best effect, while all the time having to deal with the unguided missile at the centre of everything - President Trump. But the three-way meeting is being resisted hard by Putin, while pretending to be open for it. And the security guarantee - well, everyone right now is pretending it's real. But really, it's just not. Let's discuss. There are two live issues being played out following the Alaska summit and the ensemble meeting at the White House. First, Trump's determination that there should be a trilateral meeting with Zelensky, Putin and himself. And Second, that there should be some commitment around a security guarantee that would aim to prevent war from simply restarting soon in the future. All the players are seeking to navigate these to best effect, while all the time having to deal with the unguided missile at the centre of everything - President Trump. But the three-way meeting is being resisted hard by Putin, while pretending to be open for it. And the security guarantee - well, everyone right now is pretending it's real. But really, it's just not. Let's discuss. false full 387 ba10c377-f7ac-4f33-be56-95024ab80121 Showdown! Europe And Ukraine Join Forces To Confront Trump Following Trump's failure to hold the simple lines agreed with European leaders in advance of his summit with President Putin, the heads of the largest European countries, along with others with good relationships with Trump, are going with President Zelensky for meetings at the White House. Their fear is that Trump will seek to bully Ukraine into accepting Putin's terms for a peace deal. Their determination is to prevent another 'Oval Office' meltdown, and to undo some of the damage done by Putin's three hour stint with him in Alaska. The stakes are pretty high - let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 17 Aug 2025 21:22:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Following Trump's failure to hold the simple lines agreed with European leaders in advance of his summit with President Putin, the heads of the largest European countries, along with others with good relationships with Trump, are going with President Zelensky for meetings at the White House. Their fear is that Trump will seek to bully Ukraine into accepting Putin's terms for a peace deal. Their determination is to prevent another 'Oval Office' meltdown, and to undo some of the damage done by Putin's three hour stint with him in Alaska. The stakes are pretty high - let's discuss.

]]> Showdown! Europe And Ukraine Join Forces To Confront Trump Mallen Baker 00:14:38 Following Trump's failure to hold the simple lines agreed with European leaders in advance of his summit with President Putin, the heads of the largest European countries, along with others with good relationships with Trump, are going with President Zelensky for meetings at the White House. Their fear is that Trump will seek to bully Ukraine into accepting Putin's terms for a peace deal. Their determination is to prevent another 'Oval Office' meltdown, and to undo some of the damage done by Putin's three hour stint with him in Alaska. The stakes are pretty high - let's discuss. Following Trump's failure to hold the simple lines agreed with European leaders in advance of his summit with President Putin, the heads of the largest European countries, along with others with good relationships with Trump, are going with President Zelensky for meetings at the White House. Their fear is that Trump will seek to bully Ukraine into accepting Putin's terms for a peace deal. Their determination is to prevent another 'Oval Office' meltdown, and to undo some of the damage done by Putin's three hour stint with him in Alaska. The stakes are pretty high - let's discuss. false full 385 4e2b4d84-e6ab-4c18-ab5e-9a875ca7ca32 Putin Completely Plays Trump For A Fool The big summit meeting in Alaska finally took place. After being talked about, written about and speculated about for the preceding week, it turned out to be ... exactly what we thought. For Trump, there was no escaping the fact this was a monstrous fail, as his amateur-hour combo went up against well-prepared, highly experienced opponents. Initially, even Trump didn't much want to speak to the press while he processed what had just happened, and tried to work out how to spin it into some face-saving formula. So now that that's out of the way - what's next? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 16 Aug 2025 19:15:25 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The big summit meeting in Alaska finally took place. After being talked about, written about and speculated about for the preceding week, it turned out to be ... exactly what we thought. For Trump, there was no escaping the fact this was a monstrous fail, as his amateur-hour combo went up against well-prepared, highly experienced opponents. Initially, even Trump didn't much want to speak to the press while he processed what had just happened, and tried to work out how to spin it into some face-saving formula. So now that that's out of the way - what's next? Let's discuss.

]]> Putin Completely Plays Trump For A Fool Mallen Baker 00:15:03 The big summit meeting in Alaska finally took place. After being talked about, written about and speculated about for the preceding week, it turned out to be ... exactly what we thought. For Trump, there was no escaping the fact this was a monstrous fail, as his amateur-hour combo went up against well-prepared, highly experienced opponents. Initially, even Trump didn't much want to speak to the press while he processed what had just happened, and tried to work out how to spin it into some face-saving formula. So now that that's out of the way - what's next? Let's discuss. The big summit meeting in Alaska finally took place. After being talked about, written about and speculated about for the preceding week, it turned out to be ... exactly what we thought. For Trump, there was no escaping the fact this was a monstrous fail, as his amateur-hour combo went up against well-prepared, highly experienced opponents. Initially, even Trump didn't much want to speak to the press while he processed what had just happened, and tried to work out how to spin it into some face-saving formula. So now that that's out of the way - what's next? Let's discuss. false full 384 1fd21505-0083-4a29-8511-ea18add67d99 China Is Playing Trump’s Game Better Than He Is China continues to make the most of its near-monopoly on rare earth minerals and magnets - now it is telling businesses they are not allowed to build up a reserve or stockpile. If China suspects them of doing so, they will have their supplies slashed. This is an indicator that Xi Jinping has been emboldened by President Trump's attempts to extort the entire world, and is seeking short-term advantage by making the most of its current stranglehold. While all the drama is happening in Alaska, this is the quieter, but more steady, story about the current power play shaping our world. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 15 Aug 2025 20:59:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China continues to make the most of its near-monopoly on rare earth minerals and magnets - now it is telling businesses they are not allowed to build up a reserve or stockpile. If China suspects them of doing so, they will have their supplies slashed. This is an indicator that Xi Jinping has been emboldened by President Trump's attempts to extort the entire world, and is seeking short-term advantage by making the most of its current stranglehold. While all the drama is happening in Alaska, this is the quieter, but more steady, story about the current power play shaping our world. Let's discuss.

]]> China Is Playing Trump’s Game Better Than He Is Mallen Baker 00:11:46 China continues to make the most of its near-monopoly on rare earth minerals and magnets - now it is telling businesses they are not allowed to build up a reserve or stockpile. If China suspects them of doing so, they will have their supplies slashed. This is an indicator that Xi Jinping has been emboldened by President Trump's attempts to extort the entire world, and is seeking short-term advantage by making the most of its current stranglehold. While all the drama is happening in Alaska, this is the quieter, but more steady, story about the current power play shaping our world. Let's discuss. China continues to make the most of its near-monopoly on rare earth minerals and magnets - now it is telling businesses they are not allowed to build up a reserve or stockpile. If China suspects them of doing so, they will have their supplies slashed. This is an indicator that Xi Jinping has been emboldened by President Trump's attempts to extort the entire world, and is seeking short-term advantage by making the most of its current stranglehold. While all the drama is happening in Alaska, this is the quieter, but more steady, story about the current power play shaping our world. Let's discuss. false full 383 1f632d6c-3909-4e5d-9330-e42361bcd0fe America’s Allies Are Ditching the F-35 - Because Of Trump In this highly uncertain world, with wars raging and tensions rising - many countries have committed to boosting their defence spending - and that includes buying new fighter jets. Many countries in NATO and elsewhere, had committed to buying American F-35 jets. President Trump loves the F-35, and encourages everyone to buy them. But suddenly people are dropping those commitments like hot stones, as it sinks in just what a strategic risk it would be for any country to buy such technology from America. Because plain and simple, they trust it no more. And this is just the first substantial sign of how Trump's bullying is coming back to bite America hard. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 14 Aug 2025 20:59:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this highly uncertain world, with wars raging and tensions rising - many countries have committed to boosting their defence spending - and that includes buying new fighter jets. Many countries in NATO and elsewhere, had committed to buying American F-35 jets. President Trump loves the F-35, and encourages everyone to buy them. But suddenly people are dropping those commitments like hot stones, as it sinks in just what a strategic risk it would be for any country to buy such technology from America. Because plain and simple, they trust it no more. And this is just the first substantial sign of how Trump's bullying is coming back to bite America hard. Let's discuss.

]]> America’s Allies Are Ditching the F-35 - Because Of Trump Mallen Baker 00:14:03 In this highly uncertain world, with wars raging and tensions rising - many countries have committed to boosting their defence spending - and that includes buying new fighter jets. Many countries in NATO and elsewhere, had committed to buying American F-35 jets. President Trump loves the F-35, and encourages everyone to buy them. But suddenly people are dropping those commitments like hot stones, as it sinks in just what a strategic risk it would be for any country to buy such technology from America. Because plain and simple, they trust it no more. And this is just the first substantial sign of how Trump's bullying is coming back to bite America hard. Let's discuss. In this highly uncertain world, with wars raging and tensions rising - many countries have committed to boosting their defence spending - and that includes buying new fighter jets. Many countries in NATO and elsewhere, had committed to buying American F-35 jets. President Trump loves the F-35, and encourages everyone to buy them. But suddenly people are dropping those commitments like hot stones, as it sinks in just what a strategic risk it would be for any country to buy such technology from America. Because plain and simple, they trust it no more. And this is just the first substantial sign of how Trump's bullying is coming back to bite America hard. Let's discuss. false full 382 f032177a-90a7-469c-a53f-2f8cab4a861d Trump's America Really IS A Banana Republic A week ago, we were noting that President Trump fired the head of the statistics bureau that gave the world the bad news about US jobs growth. And we speculated over whether he was really going to push a compliant partisan into that post, given that just about everybody said that if he did, it would completely undermine America's credibility when it came to information about its economy. Well, that's exactly what he did. So let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 13 Aug 2025 19:42:40 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A week ago, we were noting that President Trump fired the head of the statistics bureau that gave the world the bad news about US jobs growth. And we speculated over whether he was really going to push a compliant partisan into that post, given that just about everybody said that if he did, it would completely undermine America's credibility when it came to information about its economy. Well, that's exactly what he did. So let's discuss.

]]> Trump's America Really IS A Banana Republic Mallen Baker 00:10:11 A week ago, we were noting that President Trump fired the head of the statistics bureau that gave the world the bad news about US jobs growth. And we speculated over whether he was really going to push a compliant partisan into that post, given that just about everybody said that if he did, it would completely undermine America's credibility when it came to information about its economy. Well, that's exactly what he did. So let's discuss. A week ago, we were noting that President Trump fired the head of the statistics bureau that gave the world the bad news about US jobs growth. And we speculated over whether he was really going to push a compliant partisan into that post, given that just about everybody said that if he did, it would completely undermine America's credibility when it came to information about its economy. Well, that's exactly what he did. So let's discuss. false full 381 c429ef0b-8944-4bf9-a94d-b979b5c1b7f3 Why Trump’s Alaska Summit with Putin Is Already a Disaster The more that President Trump does his trademark freewheeling in the run-up to his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the more it becomes apparent that this is an illegitimate process. Trump's America has no valid cause to be inserting itself into a conflict from which it is walking away, and on behalf of a side that has not granted it power to represent it at the negotiating table. The trouble is - nobody is prepared to cross Trump by telling him such a thing, and so the slow-motion car crash continues to its inevitable conclusion. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 12 Aug 2025 20:16:35 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The more that President Trump does his trademark freewheeling in the run-up to his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the more it becomes apparent that this is an illegitimate process. Trump's America has no valid cause to be inserting itself into a conflict from which it is walking away, and on behalf of a side that has not granted it power to represent it at the negotiating table. The trouble is - nobody is prepared to cross Trump by telling him such a thing, and so the slow-motion car crash continues to its inevitable conclusion. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Alaska Summit with Putin Is Already a Disaster Mallen Baker 00:17:25 The more that President Trump does his trademark freewheeling in the run-up to his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the more it becomes apparent that this is an illegitimate process. Trump's America has no valid cause to be inserting itself into a conflict from which it is walking away, and on behalf of a side that has not granted it power to represent it at the negotiating table. The trouble is - nobody is prepared to cross Trump by telling him such a thing, and so the slow-motion car crash continues to its inevitable conclusion. Let's discuss. The more that President Trump does his trademark freewheeling in the run-up to his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, the more it becomes apparent that this is an illegitimate process. Trump's America has no valid cause to be inserting itself into a conflict from which it is walking away, and on behalf of a side that has not granted it power to represent it at the negotiating table. The trouble is - nobody is prepared to cross Trump by telling him such a thing, and so the slow-motion car crash continues to its inevitable conclusion. Let's discuss. false full 380 ebc00922-f2a3-43e3-9194-8d72bbbff371 Is Britain Falling Apart? A growing number of rather vocal people, some with large platforms to amplify their message, are utterly convinced that Britain is in deep decline, on the verge of a massive uprising and even civil war, thanks to widespread perceptions of crisis. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK is one of the most prominent, with his 'lawless Britain' campaign. And yet when you look at some of the statistics where you would expect to see evidence of such a crisis - they seem not to justify the rhetoric. So is this purely an online perception? How could such a thing happen, and what are the chances it becomes reality in the near future? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:42:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A growing number of rather vocal people, some with large platforms to amplify their message, are utterly convinced that Britain is in deep decline, on the verge of a massive uprising and even civil war, thanks to widespread perceptions of crisis. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK is one of the most prominent, with his 'lawless Britain' campaign. And yet when you look at some of the statistics where you would expect to see evidence of such a crisis - they seem not to justify the rhetoric. So is this purely an online perception? How could such a thing happen, and what are the chances it becomes reality in the near future? Let's discuss.

]]> Is Britain Falling Apart? Mallen Baker 00:17:39 A growing number of rather vocal people, some with large platforms to amplify their message, are utterly convinced that Britain is in deep decline, on the verge of a massive uprising and even civil war, thanks to widespread perceptions of crisis. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK is one of the most prominent, with his 'lawless Britain' campaign. And yet when you look at some of the statistics where you would expect to see evidence of such a crisis - they seem not to justify the rhetoric. So is this purely an online perception? How could such a thing happen, and what are the chances it becomes reality in the near future? Let's discuss. A growing number of rather vocal people, some with large platforms to amplify their message, are utterly convinced that Britain is in deep decline, on the verge of a massive uprising and even civil war, thanks to widespread perceptions of crisis. Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK is one of the most prominent, with his 'lawless Britain' campaign. And yet when you look at some of the statistics where you would expect to see evidence of such a crisis - they seem not to justify the rhetoric. So is this purely an online perception? How could such a thing happen, and what are the chances it becomes reality in the near future? Let's discuss. false full 379 a5608a03-4509-49a1-bb89-0774e4ce65b7 Trump’s Putin Summit Based On A Big Misunderstanding? The Trump Putin summit has been confirmed to take place in the state of Alaska next Friday. But as more has come to light, it seems possible that the whole event, and the optimism that Trump expressed for what might come out of it - might just have hinged on a mistake made by Trump's hapless special envoy Steve Witkoff when he met Vladimir Putin a few days ago. Even before that possibility came out, it seemed somewhat unlikely it would do anything but provide yet another chapter in the long ongoing saga. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 9 Aug 2025 21:07:48 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump Putin summit has been confirmed to take place in the state of Alaska next Friday. But as more has come to light, it seems possible that the whole event, and the optimism that Trump expressed for what might come out of it - might just have hinged on a mistake made by Trump's hapless special envoy Steve Witkoff when he met Vladimir Putin a few days ago. Even before that possibility came out, it seemed somewhat unlikely it would do anything but provide yet another chapter in the long ongoing saga. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Putin Summit Based On A Big Misunderstanding? Mallen Baker 00:13:30 The Trump Putin summit has been confirmed to take place in the state of Alaska next Friday. But as more has come to light, it seems possible that the whole event, and the optimism that Trump expressed for what might come out of it - might just have hinged on a mistake made by Trump's hapless special envoy Steve Witkoff when he met Vladimir Putin a few days ago. Even before that possibility came out, it seemed somewhat unlikely it would do anything but provide yet another chapter in the long ongoing saga. Let's discuss. The Trump Putin summit has been confirmed to take place in the state of Alaska next Friday. But as more has come to light, it seems possible that the whole event, and the optimism that Trump expressed for what might come out of it - might just have hinged on a mistake made by Trump's hapless special envoy Steve Witkoff when he met Vladimir Putin a few days ago. Even before that possibility came out, it seemed somewhat unlikely it would do anything but provide yet another chapter in the long ongoing saga. Let's discuss. false full 378 0cecb082-b478-408a-9233-e57c4d24b0b5 Is Trump Bringing In The New Dark Ages? The comforting line is that it's all just temporary. Sacking the scientists. Removing the research studies. Publishing anti-scientific conspiracy nonsense as if it were fact. But there are some very good reasons to think we simply cannot be so complacent - that forces are coming together to make this a moment in history where we could - with all our technology and hubris - be about to take a step back away from an evidence-based enlightenment to a faith / superstition based period in history. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 8 Aug 2025 21:14:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The comforting line is that it's all just temporary. Sacking the scientists. Removing the research studies. Publishing anti-scientific conspiracy nonsense as if it were fact. But there are some very good reasons to think we simply cannot be so complacent - that forces are coming together to make this a moment in history where we could - with all our technology and hubris - be about to take a step back away from an evidence-based enlightenment to a faith / superstition based period in history. Let's discuss.

]]> Is Trump Bringing In The New Dark Ages? Mallen Baker 00:14:36 The comforting line is that it's all just temporary. Sacking the scientists. Removing the research studies. Publishing anti-scientific conspiracy nonsense as if it were fact. But there are some very good reasons to think we simply cannot be so complacent - that forces are coming together to make this a moment in history where we could - with all our technology and hubris - be about to take a step back away from an evidence-based enlightenment to a faith / superstition based period in history. Let's discuss. The comforting line is that it's all just temporary. Sacking the scientists. Removing the research studies. Publishing anti-scientific conspiracy nonsense as if it were fact. But there are some very good reasons to think we simply cannot be so complacent - that forces are coming together to make this a moment in history where we could - with all our technology and hubris - be about to take a step back away from an evidence-based enlightenment to a faith / superstition based period in history. Let's discuss. false full 377 41e34add-f251-4a32-ab7d-ccd4c2e7f4c2 Will The Trump / Putin Summit End The War In Ukraine? Suddenly, President Trump and Russia's President Putin are on course to have a face-to-face meeting, possibly as soon as next week. What changed? Was it the threat of secondary tariffs against countries like India and China for buying Russian oil? Was it the three hour meeting between Putin and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, which apparently saw great progress, but no major breakthroughs? Whatever it was, the meeting is supposed to be on, and it's worth considering whether it represents any kind of move forward, even a potential step change - or just another chapter in more-of-the-same? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 7 Aug 2025 19:39:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Suddenly, President Trump and Russia's President Putin are on course to have a face-to-face meeting, possibly as soon as next week. What changed? Was it the threat of secondary tariffs against countries like India and China for buying Russian oil? Was it the three hour meeting between Putin and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, which apparently saw great progress, but no major breakthroughs? Whatever it was, the meeting is supposed to be on, and it's worth considering whether it represents any kind of move forward, even a potential step change - or just another chapter in more-of-the-same? Let's discuss.

]]> Will The Trump / Putin Summit End The War In Ukraine? Mallen Baker 00:12:28 Suddenly, President Trump and Russia's President Putin are on course to have a face-to-face meeting, possibly as soon as next week. What changed? Was it the threat of secondary tariffs against countries like India and China for buying Russian oil? Was it the three hour meeting between Putin and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, which apparently saw great progress, but no major breakthroughs? Whatever it was, the meeting is supposed to be on, and it's worth considering whether it represents any kind of move forward, even a potential step change - or just another chapter in more-of-the-same? Let's discuss. Suddenly, President Trump and Russia's President Putin are on course to have a face-to-face meeting, possibly as soon as next week. What changed? Was it the threat of secondary tariffs against countries like India and China for buying Russian oil? Was it the three hour meeting between Putin and Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff, which apparently saw great progress, but no major breakthroughs? Whatever it was, the meeting is supposed to be on, and it's worth considering whether it represents any kind of move forward, even a potential step change - or just another chapter in more-of-the-same? Let's discuss. false full 376 d5429427-b0be-4b8b-b5fa-3d6d888071ee Trump’s Epstein Diversion: What His ‘Revenge Plan’ Really Means As he campaigned for re-election, Trump made it quite clear that part of his agenda was one of vengeance against all those he felt had wronged him - especially his political opponents. He appointed slavishly loyal figures to head up all the key agencies - and now that plan is starting to kick into high gear. Pursuing Obama and members of his administration on what appear to be flimsy accusations of 'treason' over Russian interference in the 2016 election. And also, most conveniently for him, finding a way to deflect the focus of attention for the Epstein files onto people like Bill Clinton, rather than Donald Trump. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 6 Aug 2025 20:53:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As he campaigned for re-election, Trump made it quite clear that part of his agenda was one of vengeance against all those he felt had wronged him - especially his political opponents. He appointed slavishly loyal figures to head up all the key agencies - and now that plan is starting to kick into high gear. Pursuing Obama and members of his administration on what appear to be flimsy accusations of 'treason' over Russian interference in the 2016 election. And also, most conveniently for him, finding a way to deflect the focus of attention for the Epstein files onto people like Bill Clinton, rather than Donald Trump. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Epstein Diversion: What His ‘Revenge Plan’ Really Means Mallen Baker 00:12:41 As he campaigned for re-election, Trump made it quite clear that part of his agenda was one of vengeance against all those he felt had wronged him - especially his political opponents. He appointed slavishly loyal figures to head up all the key agencies - and now that plan is starting to kick into high gear. Pursuing Obama and members of his administration on what appear to be flimsy accusations of 'treason' over Russian interference in the 2016 election. And also, most conveniently for him, finding a way to deflect the focus of attention for the Epstein files onto people like Bill Clinton, rather than Donald Trump. Let's discuss. As he campaigned for re-election, Trump made it quite clear that part of his agenda was one of vengeance against all those he felt had wronged him - especially his political opponents. He appointed slavishly loyal figures to head up all the key agencies - and now that plan is starting to kick into high gear. Pursuing Obama and members of his administration on what appear to be flimsy accusations of 'treason' over Russian interference in the 2016 election. And also, most conveniently for him, finding a way to deflect the focus of attention for the Epstein files onto people like Bill Clinton, rather than Donald Trump. Let's discuss. false full 375 71f6ac86-7d7e-49bb-8439-017325180265 There Are No Adults In The Trump White House In his first time, President Trump was partly constrained by the so-called 'adults in the room' - people who could explain to him why some particularly mad idea would not work. We already knew that this time was different, but we had been lead to hope that there might be at least one or two adults in the room - keeping their heads down and choosing their moments. Marco Rubio or Scott Bessent perhaps. Some constraints. The evidence is piling up that that's really not the case. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 5 Aug 2025 21:09:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In his first time, President Trump was partly constrained by the so-called 'adults in the room' - people who could explain to him why some particularly mad idea would not work. We already knew that this time was different, but we had been lead to hope that there might be at least one or two adults in the room - keeping their heads down and choosing their moments. Marco Rubio or Scott Bessent perhaps. Some constraints. The evidence is piling up that that's really not the case. Let's discuss.

]]> There Are No Adults In The Trump White House Mallen Baker 00:14:26 In his first time, President Trump was partly constrained by the so-called 'adults in the room' - people who could explain to him why some particularly mad idea would not work. We already knew that this time was different, but we had been lead to hope that there might be at least one or two adults in the room - keeping their heads down and choosing their moments. Marco Rubio or Scott Bessent perhaps. Some constraints. The evidence is piling up that that's really not the case. Let's discuss. In his first time, President Trump was partly constrained by the so-called 'adults in the room' - people who could explain to him why some particularly mad idea would not work. We already knew that this time was different, but we had been lead to hope that there might be at least one or two adults in the room - keeping their heads down and choosing their moments. Marco Rubio or Scott Bessent perhaps. Some constraints. The evidence is piling up that that's really not the case. Let's discuss. false full 374 029fe471-e5f2-45f9-ba34-be27bfa8cc41 Is Elon Musk’s New Political Party Dead Already? Elon Musk just got the first piece of good news he's had for a long time - a massive $30 billion bonus from the Tesla board if he stays with Tesla as CEO and, you know, actually focuses on doing that job rather than running around playing politics and alienating all of Tesla's customers. While no announcement has been made about Musk's promised new political party, The America Party, the implication is surely that the project is now dead. But will that alone be enough to revive Tesla's fortunes? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 4 Aug 2025 20:41:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Elon Musk just got the first piece of good news he's had for a long time - a massive $30 billion bonus from the Tesla board if he stays with Tesla as CEO and, you know, actually focuses on doing that job rather than running around playing politics and alienating all of Tesla's customers. While no announcement has been made about Musk's promised new political party, The America Party, the implication is surely that the project is now dead. But will that alone be enough to revive Tesla's fortunes? Let's discuss.

]]> Is Elon Musk’s New Political Party Dead Already? Mallen Baker 00:10:52 Elon Musk just got the first piece of good news he's had for a long time - a massive $30 billion bonus from the Tesla board if he stays with Tesla as CEO and, you know, actually focuses on doing that job rather than running around playing politics and alienating all of Tesla's customers. While no announcement has been made about Musk's promised new political party, The America Party, the implication is surely that the project is now dead. But will that alone be enough to revive Tesla's fortunes? Let's discuss. Elon Musk just got the first piece of good news he's had for a long time - a massive $30 billion bonus from the Tesla board if he stays with Tesla as CEO and, you know, actually focuses on doing that job rather than running around playing politics and alienating all of Tesla's customers. While no announcement has been made about Musk's promised new political party, The America Party, the implication is surely that the project is now dead. But will that alone be enough to revive Tesla's fortunes? Let's discuss. false full 373 29f1947e-b520-4557-8995-b13da6aa8243 The Real Meaning Of Trump’s Nuclear Threat President Trump claims he ordered two nuclear submarines to change their position in relation to Russia, in response to some inflated rhetoric from Dmitry Medvedev. This was portrayed as projecting strength in the face of Russian intransigence in Ukraine. But it actually conveys two things that Trump certainly didn't intend. One is weakness, as opposed to strength. And the other is the fact that Trump is beginning to realise that he needs another way to try to dominate Russia on the world stage, because Plan A has failure built in. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 3 Aug 2025 20:45:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump claims he ordered two nuclear submarines to change their position in relation to Russia, in response to some inflated rhetoric from Dmitry Medvedev. This was portrayed as projecting strength in the face of Russian intransigence in Ukraine. But it actually conveys two things that Trump certainly didn't intend. One is weakness, as opposed to strength. And the other is the fact that Trump is beginning to realise that he needs another way to try to dominate Russia on the world stage, because Plan A has failure built in. Let's discuss.

]]> The Real Meaning Of Trump’s Nuclear Threat Mallen Baker 00:12:28 President Trump claims he ordered two nuclear submarines to change their position in relation to Russia, in response to some inflated rhetoric from Dmitry Medvedev. This was portrayed as projecting strength in the face of Russian intransigence in Ukraine. But it actually conveys two things that Trump certainly didn't intend. One is weakness, as opposed to strength. And the other is the fact that Trump is beginning to realise that he needs another way to try to dominate Russia on the world stage, because Plan A has failure built in. Let's discuss. President Trump claims he ordered two nuclear submarines to change their position in relation to Russia, in response to some inflated rhetoric from Dmitry Medvedev. This was portrayed as projecting strength in the face of Russian intransigence in Ukraine. But it actually conveys two things that Trump certainly didn't intend. One is weakness, as opposed to strength. And the other is the fact that Trump is beginning to realise that he needs another way to try to dominate Russia on the world stage, because Plan A has failure built in. Let's discuss. false full 372 c9fe5ed3-6f6e-4a3e-8029-2ddbef645edf Trump’s America Really Is Becoming A Banana Republic Having previously boasted about how good the US jobs numbers were, and taken credit for that, it was obviously an unpleasant surprise for President Trump to find they had been over-stated, and actually there is a slump in jobs growth - clearly tied to some of his policies. So he did what anyone would do - he, um, fired the head of the agency that collects the statistics. In so doing, he crossed another line in the undermining of America's reputation as a place to do business - by casting down on the future reliability of its economic data. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 2 Aug 2025 16:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Having previously boasted about how good the US jobs numbers were, and taken credit for that, it was obviously an unpleasant surprise for President Trump to find they had been over-stated, and actually there is a slump in jobs growth - clearly tied to some of his policies. So he did what anyone would do - he, um, fired the head of the agency that collects the statistics. In so doing, he crossed another line in the undermining of America's reputation as a place to do business - by casting down on the future reliability of its economic data. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s America Really Is Becoming A Banana Republic Mallen Baker 00:14:14 Having previously boasted about how good the US jobs numbers were, and taken credit for that, it was obviously an unpleasant surprise for President Trump to find they had been over-stated, and actually there is a slump in jobs growth - clearly tied to some of his policies. So he did what anyone would do - he, um, fired the head of the agency that collects the statistics. In so doing, he crossed another line in the undermining of America's reputation as a place to do business - by casting down on the future reliability of its economic data. Let's discuss. Having previously boasted about how good the US jobs numbers were, and taken credit for that, it was obviously an unpleasant surprise for President Trump to find they had been over-stated, and actually there is a slump in jobs growth - clearly tied to some of his policies. So he did what anyone would do - he, um, fired the head of the agency that collects the statistics. In so doing, he crossed another line in the undermining of America's reputation as a place to do business - by casting down on the future reliability of its economic data. Let's discuss. false full 371 3bc332e2-cfab-4a1d-afd3-7e637d77ee91 This Is How Trump Intends To Rule The World Rather a lot of people believe that once all the countries have either negotiated 'deals' with the United States, or have resigned themselves to higher tariff rates, everything will settle down. The US will have higher tariffs, and that will just become the new normal. They are completely missing the point. President Trump fully intends to remain at the centre of world events for the full length of his term, and he is developing a pretty sharp appetite for interfering in the affairs of others right across the world. What will that look like? And who are the people, like Exxon Mobil, lining up to get a piece of the action? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 1 Aug 2025 21:12:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Rather a lot of people believe that once all the countries have either negotiated 'deals' with the United States, or have resigned themselves to higher tariff rates, everything will settle down. The US will have higher tariffs, and that will just become the new normal. They are completely missing the point. President Trump fully intends to remain at the centre of world events for the full length of his term, and he is developing a pretty sharp appetite for interfering in the affairs of others right across the world. What will that look like? And who are the people, like Exxon Mobil, lining up to get a piece of the action? Let's discuss.

]]> This Is How Trump Intends To Rule The World Mallen Baker 00:12:54 Rather a lot of people believe that once all the countries have either negotiated 'deals' with the United States, or have resigned themselves to higher tariff rates, everything will settle down. The US will have higher tariffs, and that will just become the new normal. They are completely missing the point. President Trump fully intends to remain at the centre of world events for the full length of his term, and he is developing a pretty sharp appetite for interfering in the affairs of others right across the world. What will that look like? And who are the people, like Exxon Mobil, lining up to get a piece of the action? Let's discuss. Rather a lot of people believe that once all the countries have either negotiated 'deals' with the United States, or have resigned themselves to higher tariff rates, everything will settle down. The US will have higher tariffs, and that will just become the new normal. They are completely missing the point. President Trump fully intends to remain at the centre of world events for the full length of his term, and he is developing a pretty sharp appetite for interfering in the affairs of others right across the world. What will that look like? And who are the people, like Exxon Mobil, lining up to get a piece of the action? Let's discuss. false full 370 e4a5e102-f568-4da5-9df7-cbe378ea7758 Toolbox GB Skip navigation Search 1.4 K 60m 124.2 K 48h insert_chart refresh vidIQ badge 34 Create 9+ Avatar image Why Is Trump Singling Out Canada Over Palestine? In the last few days, President Macron of France, Keir Starmer of the UK, and Mark Carney of Canada have all announced that they will recognise the state of Palestine. President Trump rather shrugged at the first two, while acknowledging that they had the right to their position even if he didn't agree with it. But that wasn't remotely his reaction to Canada doing the same thing. This, he declared, would be the end of the trade talks with Carney's team. This came at the same time as he was applying pressure on Brazil over their prosecution of former president Bolsonaro. It seems Trump is very much in the business of pushing other countries on how they should behave - exactly what he once said he would not do. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 31 Jul 2025 21:08:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the last few days, President Macron of France, Keir Starmer of the UK, and Mark Carney of Canada have all announced that they will recognise the state of Palestine. President Trump rather shrugged at the first two, while acknowledging that they had the right to their position even if he didn't agree with it. But that wasn't remotely his reaction to Canada doing the same thing. This, he declared, would be the end of the trade talks with Carney's team. This came at the same time as he was applying pressure on Brazil over their prosecution of former president Bolsonaro. It seems Trump is very much in the business of pushing other countries on how they should behave - exactly what he once said he would not do. Let's discuss.

]]> Toolbox GB Skip navigation Search 1.4 K 60m 124.2 K 48h insert_chart refresh vidIQ badge 34 Create 9+ Avatar image Why Is Trump Singling Out Canada Over Palestine? Mallen Baker 00:14:38 In the last few days, President Macron of France, Keir Starmer of the UK, and Mark Carney of Canada have all announced that they will recognise the state of Palestine. President Trump rather shrugged at the first two, while acknowledging that they had the right to their position even if he didn't agree with it. But that wasn't remotely his reaction to Canada doing the same thing. This, he declared, would be the end of the trade talks with Carney's team. This came at the same time as he was applying pressure on Brazil over their prosecution of former president Bolsonaro. It seems Trump is very much in the business of pushing other countries on how they should behave - exactly what he once said he would not do. Let's discuss. In the last few days, President Macron of France, Keir Starmer of the UK, and Mark Carney of Canada have all announced that they will recognise the state of Palestine. President Trump rather shrugged at the first two, while acknowledging that they had the right to their position even if he didn't agree with it. But that wasn't remotely his reaction to Canada doing the same thing. This, he declared, would be the end of the trade talks with Carney's team. This came at the same time as he was applying pressure on Brazil over their prosecution of former president Bolsonaro. It seems Trump is very much in the business of pushing other countries on how they should behave - exactly what he once said he would not do. Let's discuss. false full 369 f982672e-0608-489e-899e-64eb21c4ea2e Has Trump Finally Turned Against Putin? President Trump had threatened Russia's President Putin - agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within 50 days, or I'll hit you with secondary sanctions against everyone who buys your oil. Putin shrugged, and accelerated his campaign. Now Trump has cut the deadline to ten days, without provoking any noticeable increase in urgency on the other side. But even as he did so, he was beginning to do something he had never done before. To express his own doubt to impose his will on others. Having sailed through a bunch of tariff deals designed to humiliate other countries, suddenly he is finding that the real power brokers are not so compliant. And in this one move, he should logically be threatening all of them - Putin's Russia, Xi's China, and Modi's India. Likely, he won't go after any of them. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 30 Jul 2025 21:05:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump had threatened Russia's President Putin - agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within 50 days, or I'll hit you with secondary sanctions against everyone who buys your oil. Putin shrugged, and accelerated his campaign. Now Trump has cut the deadline to ten days, without provoking any noticeable increase in urgency on the other side. But even as he did so, he was beginning to do something he had never done before. To express his own doubt to impose his will on others. Having sailed through a bunch of tariff deals designed to humiliate other countries, suddenly he is finding that the real power brokers are not so compliant. And in this one move, he should logically be threatening all of them - Putin's Russia, Xi's China, and Modi's India. Likely, he won't go after any of them. Let's discuss.

]]> Has Trump Finally Turned Against Putin? Mallen Baker 00:15:59 President Trump had threatened Russia's President Putin - agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within 50 days, or I'll hit you with secondary sanctions against everyone who buys your oil. Putin shrugged, and accelerated his campaign. Now Trump has cut the deadline to ten days, without provoking any noticeable increase in urgency on the other side. But even as he did so, he was beginning to do something he had never done before. To express his own doubt to impose his will on others. Having sailed through a bunch of tariff deals designed to humiliate other countries, suddenly he is finding that the real power brokers are not so compliant. And in this one move, he should logically be threatening all of them - Putin's Russia, Xi's China, and Modi's India. Likely, he won't go after any of them. Let's discuss. President Trump had threatened Russia's President Putin - agree to a ceasefire in Ukraine within 50 days, or I'll hit you with secondary sanctions against everyone who buys your oil. Putin shrugged, and accelerated his campaign. Now Trump has cut the deadline to ten days, without provoking any noticeable increase in urgency on the other side. But even as he did so, he was beginning to do something he had never done before. To express his own doubt to impose his will on others. Having sailed through a bunch of tariff deals designed to humiliate other countries, suddenly he is finding that the real power brokers are not so compliant. And in this one move, he should logically be threatening all of them - Putin's Russia, Xi's China, and Modi's India. Likely, he won't go after any of them. Let's discuss. false full 368 641e6d35-e41e-49cd-8a77-1abc6c2d75ed Will Canada Stand Up To Trump Where Europe Caved? The European 'deal' is rather falling apart within a day of being announced, with various provisions being presented wildly differently by both sides. What must Mark Carney and Canada be making of the sight, as they note the looming August 1 deadline for their own trade deal with Trump? Carney said that Canada wouldn't accept a bad deal, but it seems that bad deals is all Trump has to offer. So will Canada be the one to actually stand up to Trump, in spite of the consequences of a vindictive trade war? Or will Trump just kick the can a little further down the road? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 29 Jul 2025 20:50:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The European 'deal' is rather falling apart within a day of being announced, with various provisions being presented wildly differently by both sides. What must Mark Carney and Canada be making of the sight, as they note the looming August 1 deadline for their own trade deal with Trump? Carney said that Canada wouldn't accept a bad deal, but it seems that bad deals is all Trump has to offer. So will Canada be the one to actually stand up to Trump, in spite of the consequences of a vindictive trade war? Or will Trump just kick the can a little further down the road? Let's discuss.

]]> Will Canada Stand Up To Trump Where Europe Caved? Mallen Baker 00:13:44 The European 'deal' is rather falling apart within a day of being announced, with various provisions being presented wildly differently by both sides. What must Mark Carney and Canada be making of the sight, as they note the looming August 1 deadline for their own trade deal with Trump? Carney said that Canada wouldn't accept a bad deal, but it seems that bad deals is all Trump has to offer. So will Canada be the one to actually stand up to Trump, in spite of the consequences of a vindictive trade war? Or will Trump just kick the can a little further down the road? Let's discuss. The European 'deal' is rather falling apart within a day of being announced, with various provisions being presented wildly differently by both sides. What must Mark Carney and Canada be making of the sight, as they note the looming August 1 deadline for their own trade deal with Trump? Carney said that Canada wouldn't accept a bad deal, but it seems that bad deals is all Trump has to offer. So will Canada be the one to actually stand up to Trump, in spite of the consequences of a vindictive trade war? Or will Trump just kick the can a little further down the road? Let's discuss. false full 367 4a8623a0-a68d-4c4a-bd7d-fc26197041a1 Did The EU Just Cave To Trump? The EU and US announced a "trade deal" that was declared by Trump to be "the biggest ever". Ursula von der Leyen was less bombastic, but still expressed satisfaction. Europe had been said to be negotiating tough in talks with Trump's trade team. It is a major trading bloc, representing a huge slice of US commerce. So it should have been able to get a reasonably equal deal - or at least somewhat better than those much smaller than them. Right? Well, not exactly. Let's discuss - and explore what this means in terms of changing global power.

]]> Mon, 28 Jul 2025 20:43:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The EU and US announced a "trade deal" that was declared by Trump to be "the biggest ever". Ursula von der Leyen was less bombastic, but still expressed satisfaction. Europe had been said to be negotiating tough in talks with Trump's trade team. It is a major trading bloc, representing a huge slice of US commerce. So it should have been able to get a reasonably equal deal - or at least somewhat better than those much smaller than them. Right? Well, not exactly. Let's discuss - and explore what this means in terms of changing global power.

]]> Did The EU Just Cave To Trump? Mallen Baker 00:14:07 The EU and US announced a "trade deal" that was declared by Trump to be "the biggest ever". Ursula von der Leyen was less bombastic, but still expressed satisfaction. Europe had been said to be negotiating tough in talks with Trump's trade team. It is a major trading bloc, representing a huge slice of US commerce. So it should have been able to get a reasonably equal deal - or at least somewhat better than those much smaller than them. Right? Well, not exactly. Let's discuss - and explore what this means in terms of changing global power. The EU and US announced a "trade deal" that was declared by Trump to be "the biggest ever". Ursula von der Leyen was less bombastic, but still expressed satisfaction. Europe had been said to be negotiating tough in talks with Trump's trade team. It is a major trading bloc, representing a huge slice of US commerce. So it should have been able to get a reasonably equal deal - or at least somewhat better than those much smaller than them. Right? Well, not exactly. Let's discuss - and explore what this means in terms of changing global power. false full 366 2b089cb7-55c8-4b12-885f-a7c68096309c Trump's Epstein Escape Plan Is Going Full Speed Ahead Nothing screams 'banana republic' more than what is going on right now with Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump's former lawyer and assistant attorney general goes for two days of secret talks with the partner of Jeffrey Epstein. No independent observers. No transcript or record. The nature of the exercise is transparent and shockingly corrupt. And yet merely saying so doesn't deflect it from being carried out in the slightest. Now influencers are lining up behind the idea that this is the way to get to the bottom of the Epstein files - at least in a way that guarantees only the opposition get people named and shamed. Can it really be true? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 27 Jul 2025 19:31:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Nothing screams 'banana republic' more than what is going on right now with Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump's former lawyer and assistant attorney general goes for two days of secret talks with the partner of Jeffrey Epstein. No independent observers. No transcript or record. The nature of the exercise is transparent and shockingly corrupt. And yet merely saying so doesn't deflect it from being carried out in the slightest. Now influencers are lining up behind the idea that this is the way to get to the bottom of the Epstein files - at least in a way that guarantees only the opposition get people named and shamed. Can it really be true? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Epstein Escape Plan Is Going Full Speed Ahead Mallen Baker 00:12:08 Nothing screams 'banana republic' more than what is going on right now with Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump's former lawyer and assistant attorney general goes for two days of secret talks with the partner of Jeffrey Epstein. No independent observers. No transcript or record. The nature of the exercise is transparent and shockingly corrupt. And yet merely saying so doesn't deflect it from being carried out in the slightest. Now influencers are lining up behind the idea that this is the way to get to the bottom of the Epstein files - at least in a way that guarantees only the opposition get people named and shamed. Can it really be true? Let's discuss. Nothing screams 'banana republic' more than what is going on right now with Ghislaine Maxwell. Trump's former lawyer and assistant attorney general goes for two days of secret talks with the partner of Jeffrey Epstein. No independent observers. No transcript or record. The nature of the exercise is transparent and shockingly corrupt. And yet merely saying so doesn't deflect it from being carried out in the slightest. Now influencers are lining up behind the idea that this is the way to get to the bottom of the Epstein files - at least in a way that guarantees only the opposition get people named and shamed. Can it really be true? Let's discuss. false full 365 391c826e-f902-4e8b-bf42-f33a54423a94 Q&A: How Can Democrats Become Relevant Again? I asked for questions, and you delivered! A far-ranging Q&A covering the future for the Democratic Party, and why the US system is particularly brutal towards the non-incumbent party. Why no Trump top officials have resigned in spite of his assault on American democracy. The future of Trump's plan for Gaza. Whether Reform UK will win the next UK election, and whether there will be election reform under Keir Starmer. Oh, and - who's this Mallen fella anyway?

]]> Sat, 26 Jul 2025 19:08:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast I asked for questions, and you delivered! A far-ranging Q&A covering the future for the Democratic Party, and why the US system is particularly brutal towards the non-incumbent party. Why no Trump top officials have resigned in spite of his assault on American democracy. The future of Trump's plan for Gaza. Whether Reform UK will win the next UK election, and whether there will be election reform under Keir Starmer. Oh, and - who's this Mallen fella anyway?

]]> Q&A: How Can Democrats Become Relevant Again? Mallen Baker 00:39:52 I asked for questions, and you delivered! A far-ranging Q&A covering the future for the Democratic Party, and why the US system is particularly brutal towards the non-incumbent party. Why no Trump top officials have resigned in spite of his assault on American democracy. The future of Trump's plan for Gaza. Whether Reform UK will win the next UK election, and whether there will be election reform under Keir Starmer. Oh, and - who's this Mallen fella anyway? I asked for questions, and you delivered! A far-ranging Q&A covering the future for the Democratic Party, and why the US system is particularly brutal towards the non-incumbent party. Why no Trump top officials have resigned in spite of his assault on American democracy. The future of Trump's plan for Gaza. Whether Reform UK will win the next UK election, and whether there will be election reform under Keir Starmer. Oh, and - who's this Mallen fella anyway? false full 364 2e255ca3-2a32-48c0-b022-29f4dab3d575 How Trump’s Chaos Hands China the Future This week, President Trump continued the trend he has established so many times, he pulled the United States out of UNESCO. And as he did so, China was embedded itself more deeply in the institution he had vacated. Between America's retreat from every international body on the grounds that it's not 'America First' enough (how could it ever be?), and its pursuit of allies and enemies alike with punitive tariffs, China is taking full advantage to speed up the transition to what it believes is its inevitable rise. It's a major shift in world power dynamics, so let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 25 Jul 2025 22:24:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week, President Trump continued the trend he has established so many times, he pulled the United States out of UNESCO. And as he did so, China was embedded itself more deeply in the institution he had vacated. Between America's retreat from every international body on the grounds that it's not 'America First' enough (how could it ever be?), and its pursuit of allies and enemies alike with punitive tariffs, China is taking full advantage to speed up the transition to what it believes is its inevitable rise. It's a major shift in world power dynamics, so let's discuss.

]]> How Trump’s Chaos Hands China the Future Mallen Baker 00:11:23 This week, President Trump continued the trend he has established so many times, he pulled the United States out of UNESCO. And as he did so, China was embedded itself more deeply in the institution he had vacated. Between America's retreat from every international body on the grounds that it's not 'America First' enough (how could it ever be?), and its pursuit of allies and enemies alike with punitive tariffs, China is taking full advantage to speed up the transition to what it believes is its inevitable rise. It's a major shift in world power dynamics, so let's discuss. This week, President Trump continued the trend he has established so many times, he pulled the United States out of UNESCO. And as he did so, China was embedded itself more deeply in the institution he had vacated. Between America's retreat from every international body on the grounds that it's not 'America First' enough (how could it ever be?), and its pursuit of allies and enemies alike with punitive tariffs, China is taking full advantage to speed up the transition to what it believes is its inevitable rise. It's a major shift in world power dynamics, so let's discuss. false full 363 d2661c8d-f81c-498b-a7b6-920f821ae3d4 Flirting with Civil War: Trump’s Dangerous New Rhetoric The mainstream media are downplaying Trump and Tulsi Gabbard's rhetoric on former President Obama and 'treason' over Russian influence on the 2016 election. But in the other news bubble, the MAGA crowd are absolutely convinced that Obama was criminal, they are demanding his arrest, and we seem a step closer to the executive pursuing political opponents and jailing them on trumped-up charges. Once that line is crossed, politics becomes a much more existential struggle, and an extremely dangerous line may well have been crossed. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 24 Jul 2025 21:56:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The mainstream media are downplaying Trump and Tulsi Gabbard's rhetoric on former President Obama and 'treason' over Russian influence on the 2016 election. But in the other news bubble, the MAGA crowd are absolutely convinced that Obama was criminal, they are demanding his arrest, and we seem a step closer to the executive pursuing political opponents and jailing them on trumped-up charges. Once that line is crossed, politics becomes a much more existential struggle, and an extremely dangerous line may well have been crossed. Let's discuss.

]]> Flirting with Civil War: Trump’s Dangerous New Rhetoric Mallen Baker 00:16:39 The mainstream media are downplaying Trump and Tulsi Gabbard's rhetoric on former President Obama and 'treason' over Russian influence on the 2016 election. But in the other news bubble, the MAGA crowd are absolutely convinced that Obama was criminal, they are demanding his arrest, and we seem a step closer to the executive pursuing political opponents and jailing them on trumped-up charges. Once that line is crossed, politics becomes a much more existential struggle, and an extremely dangerous line may well have been crossed. Let's discuss. The mainstream media are downplaying Trump and Tulsi Gabbard's rhetoric on former President Obama and 'treason' over Russian influence on the 2016 election. But in the other news bubble, the MAGA crowd are absolutely convinced that Obama was criminal, they are demanding his arrest, and we seem a step closer to the executive pursuing political opponents and jailing them on trumped-up charges. Once that line is crossed, politics becomes a much more existential struggle, and an extremely dangerous line may well have been crossed. Let's discuss. false full 362 67e4b806-b0fe-430b-a3e5-fbcb4d17456d The Question Trump's DOJ Will Be Asking Ghislaine Maxwell Trump still can't get rid of the Epstein files obsession. Even though he is doing his best to distract the attention of his base with empty promises that former President Obama could be prosecuted for 'treason'. So now his Department of Justice has announced that it will carry out an interview with Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell. And, in considering just what they might be seeking to achieve by that move, one obviously Trumpian answer springs into view. Is THIS Trump's secret plan to get out of his Epstein dilemma? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 23 Jul 2025 21:12:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump still can't get rid of the Epstein files obsession. Even though he is doing his best to distract the attention of his base with empty promises that former President Obama could be prosecuted for 'treason'. So now his Department of Justice has announced that it will carry out an interview with Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell. And, in considering just what they might be seeking to achieve by that move, one obviously Trumpian answer springs into view. Is THIS Trump's secret plan to get out of his Epstein dilemma? Let's discuss.

]]> The Question Trump's DOJ Will Be Asking Ghislaine Maxwell Mallen Baker 00:14:02 Trump still can't get rid of the Epstein files obsession. Even though he is doing his best to distract the attention of his base with empty promises that former President Obama could be prosecuted for 'treason'. So now his Department of Justice has announced that it will carry out an interview with Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell. And, in considering just what they might be seeking to achieve by that move, one obviously Trumpian answer springs into view. Is THIS Trump's secret plan to get out of his Epstein dilemma? Let's discuss. Trump still can't get rid of the Epstein files obsession. Even though he is doing his best to distract the attention of his base with empty promises that former President Obama could be prosecuted for 'treason'. So now his Department of Justice has announced that it will carry out an interview with Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell. And, in considering just what they might be seeking to achieve by that move, one obviously Trumpian answer springs into view. Is THIS Trump's secret plan to get out of his Epstein dilemma? Let's discuss. false full 361 3d4d1780-74c7-4266-9d90-821d912562d6 Is Zelensky Going Too Far? Ukraine’s Democratic Dilemma Zelensky's war-torn Ukraine is being accused by many, including the European Union, of authoritarian slide. This has come to a head recently with the vote to remove independence from key anti-corruption watchdogs, and to pursue prosecutions against a number of well known anti-corruption activists. But Ukraine is in the middle of an existential war, the like of which no democracy has endured since World War 2. Just how do we EXPECT that a modern democracy can fight such a war? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 22 Jul 2025 21:33:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Zelensky's war-torn Ukraine is being accused by many, including the European Union, of authoritarian slide. This has come to a head recently with the vote to remove independence from key anti-corruption watchdogs, and to pursue prosecutions against a number of well known anti-corruption activists. But Ukraine is in the middle of an existential war, the like of which no democracy has endured since World War 2. Just how do we EXPECT that a modern democracy can fight such a war? Let's discuss.

]]> Is Zelensky Going Too Far? Ukraine’s Democratic Dilemma Mallen Baker 00:14:06 Zelensky's war-torn Ukraine is being accused by many, including the European Union, of authoritarian slide. This has come to a head recently with the vote to remove independence from key anti-corruption watchdogs, and to pursue prosecutions against a number of well known anti-corruption activists. But Ukraine is in the middle of an existential war, the like of which no democracy has endured since World War 2. Just how do we EXPECT that a modern democracy can fight such a war? Let's discuss. Zelensky's war-torn Ukraine is being accused by many, including the European Union, of authoritarian slide. This has come to a head recently with the vote to remove independence from key anti-corruption watchdogs, and to pursue prosecutions against a number of well known anti-corruption activists. But Ukraine is in the middle of an existential war, the like of which no democracy has endured since World War 2. Just how do we EXPECT that a modern democracy can fight such a war? Let's discuss. false full 360 1ead4e26-12d7-48e8-8a60-dd9e842bdb6d Trump’s DOJ Targets Obama – What Comes Next Is Dangerous It was always predicted that Trump 2.0 would include a certain amount of payback - and that was particularly the case when he brought in unqualified loyalists to take up key positions in the intelligence services, the DOJ, and the FBI. Well, now it seems that the Trump Administration is looking to go after former President Obama, with an incoherent charge that he had the intelligence services make up reports on Russian election interference in order to undermine Trump's first term. This is where stuff potentially gets real, so let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 21 Jul 2025 20:26:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It was always predicted that Trump 2.0 would include a certain amount of payback - and that was particularly the case when he brought in unqualified loyalists to take up key positions in the intelligence services, the DOJ, and the FBI. Well, now it seems that the Trump Administration is looking to go after former President Obama, with an incoherent charge that he had the intelligence services make up reports on Russian election interference in order to undermine Trump's first term. This is where stuff potentially gets real, so let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s DOJ Targets Obama – What Comes Next Is Dangerous Mallen Baker 00:12:35 It was always predicted that Trump 2.0 would include a certain amount of payback - and that was particularly the case when he brought in unqualified loyalists to take up key positions in the intelligence services, the DOJ, and the FBI. Well, now it seems that the Trump Administration is looking to go after former President Obama, with an incoherent charge that he had the intelligence services make up reports on Russian election interference in order to undermine Trump's first term. This is where stuff potentially gets real, so let's discuss. It was always predicted that Trump 2.0 would include a certain amount of payback - and that was particularly the case when he brought in unqualified loyalists to take up key positions in the intelligence services, the DOJ, and the FBI. Well, now it seems that the Trump Administration is looking to go after former President Obama, with an incoherent charge that he had the intelligence services make up reports on Russian election interference in order to undermine Trump's first term. This is where stuff potentially gets real, so let's discuss. false full 359 e5f0fa65-b120-44f6-8fd4-a725e7a1ffa6 How Much Trouble Is Trump REALLY In? We had gotten used to the idea that nothing stuck to Donald Trump. Previous politicians could be brought down by the slightest indiscretion, or fumble in the campaign. But Trump spoke offensively, had been shown to have behaved outrageously, and none of it stuck to him in the slightest. And none of it dented his confidence. But now he's on the back foot, playing serious defence. This time it's different, and it's worth looking at why that is. So let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 19 Jul 2025 17:33:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We had gotten used to the idea that nothing stuck to Donald Trump. Previous politicians could be brought down by the slightest indiscretion, or fumble in the campaign. But Trump spoke offensively, had been shown to have behaved outrageously, and none of it stuck to him in the slightest. And none of it dented his confidence. But now he's on the back foot, playing serious defence. This time it's different, and it's worth looking at why that is. So let's discuss.

]]> How Much Trouble Is Trump REALLY In? Mallen Baker 00:12:30 We had gotten used to the idea that nothing stuck to Donald Trump. Previous politicians could be brought down by the slightest indiscretion, or fumble in the campaign. But Trump spoke offensively, had been shown to have behaved outrageously, and none of it stuck to him in the slightest. And none of it dented his confidence. But now he's on the back foot, playing serious defence. This time it's different, and it's worth looking at why that is. So let's discuss. We had gotten used to the idea that nothing stuck to Donald Trump. Previous politicians could be brought down by the slightest indiscretion, or fumble in the campaign. But Trump spoke offensively, had been shown to have behaved outrageously, and none of it stuck to him in the slightest. And none of it dented his confidence. But now he's on the back foot, playing serious defence. This time it's different, and it's worth looking at why that is. So let's discuss. false full 358 d267abef-1674-4bd5-aae8-cf90b964091c Did Trump Get Stephen Colbert's Show Cancelled? According to CBS, it was a purely financial decision. But then, that was always going to be the line because if it was actually what everybody thinks it looks like, it would hardly admit it. Just like they didn't admit that the $16 million court settlement to Trump was a bribe, and yet Trump himself tacitly acknowledged exactly that during one of his ramblings. So was it Trump that got one of his most effective critics silenced? Is it a one-off, or is he going to be targeting the others next. And how far does this go towards chilling effective criticism of the type that most gets under Trump's skin? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 18 Jul 2025 20:37:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast According to CBS, it was a purely financial decision. But then, that was always going to be the line because if it was actually what everybody thinks it looks like, it would hardly admit it. Just like they didn't admit that the $16 million court settlement to Trump was a bribe, and yet Trump himself tacitly acknowledged exactly that during one of his ramblings. So was it Trump that got one of his most effective critics silenced? Is it a one-off, or is he going to be targeting the others next. And how far does this go towards chilling effective criticism of the type that most gets under Trump's skin? Let's discuss.

]]> Did Trump Get Stephen Colbert's Show Cancelled? Mallen Baker 00:09:31 According to CBS, it was a purely financial decision. But then, that was always going to be the line because if it was actually what everybody thinks it looks like, it would hardly admit it. Just like they didn't admit that the $16 million court settlement to Trump was a bribe, and yet Trump himself tacitly acknowledged exactly that during one of his ramblings. So was it Trump that got one of his most effective critics silenced? Is it a one-off, or is he going to be targeting the others next. And how far does this go towards chilling effective criticism of the type that most gets under Trump's skin? Let's discuss. According to CBS, it was a purely financial decision. But then, that was always going to be the line because if it was actually what everybody thinks it looks like, it would hardly admit it. Just like they didn't admit that the $16 million court settlement to Trump was a bribe, and yet Trump himself tacitly acknowledged exactly that during one of his ramblings. So was it Trump that got one of his most effective critics silenced? Is it a one-off, or is he going to be targeting the others next. And how far does this go towards chilling effective criticism of the type that most gets under Trump's skin? Let's discuss. false full 357 6fd3f99e-6337-4142-b1e7-2c08a53e44b2 Trump Just Admitted He’s Rigging the Next Election Remember all that stuff about how Trump was sure the only way he could lose an election would be if there was fraud? Well, it seems he's coming round to rigging the elections - so long as it's done by his side. It's not that gerrymandering is new - but the idea that a US president would be co-ordinating the practice by his side across the country, keeping count of the extra House seats that might be won - that is a different level altogether. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 17 Jul 2025 20:52:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Remember all that stuff about how Trump was sure the only way he could lose an election would be if there was fraud? Well, it seems he's coming round to rigging the elections - so long as it's done by his side. It's not that gerrymandering is new - but the idea that a US president would be co-ordinating the practice by his side across the country, keeping count of the extra House seats that might be won - that is a different level altogether. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Just Admitted He’s Rigging the Next Election Mallen Baker 00:10:21 Remember all that stuff about how Trump was sure the only way he could lose an election would be if there was fraud? Well, it seems he's coming round to rigging the elections - so long as it's done by his side. It's not that gerrymandering is new - but the idea that a US president would be co-ordinating the practice by his side across the country, keeping count of the extra House seats that might be won - that is a different level altogether. Let's discuss. Remember all that stuff about how Trump was sure the only way he could lose an election would be if there was fraud? Well, it seems he's coming round to rigging the elections - so long as it's done by his side. It's not that gerrymandering is new - but the idea that a US president would be co-ordinating the practice by his side across the country, keeping count of the extra House seats that might be won - that is a different level altogether. Let's discuss. false full 356 c017d109-7cd0-4ea2-aae0-039bfd571310 How Trump Is Wrecking The MAGA Succession When President Trump's second term started, the notable thing was just how far-reaching his actions were, just how norm-breaking and transgressive they were, and how little his supporters seemed to care. Suddenly, the story has changed. Now there have been three occasions where his MAGA base was divided because Trump did things that run counter to the emerging orthodoxy. What had seemed previously to be a pure cult of personality has turned into something with a much more ideological wing. And that completely transforms the practicalities of the succession race to come. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 16 Jul 2025 21:40:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast When President Trump's second term started, the notable thing was just how far-reaching his actions were, just how norm-breaking and transgressive they were, and how little his supporters seemed to care. Suddenly, the story has changed. Now there have been three occasions where his MAGA base was divided because Trump did things that run counter to the emerging orthodoxy. What had seemed previously to be a pure cult of personality has turned into something with a much more ideological wing. And that completely transforms the practicalities of the succession race to come. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump Is Wrecking The MAGA Succession Mallen Baker 00:12:32 When President Trump's second term started, the notable thing was just how far-reaching his actions were, just how norm-breaking and transgressive they were, and how little his supporters seemed to care. Suddenly, the story has changed. Now there have been three occasions where his MAGA base was divided because Trump did things that run counter to the emerging orthodoxy. What had seemed previously to be a pure cult of personality has turned into something with a much more ideological wing. And that completely transforms the practicalities of the succession race to come. Let's discuss. When President Trump's second term started, the notable thing was just how far-reaching his actions were, just how norm-breaking and transgressive they were, and how little his supporters seemed to care. Suddenly, the story has changed. Now there have been three occasions where his MAGA base was divided because Trump did things that run counter to the emerging orthodoxy. What had seemed previously to be a pure cult of personality has turned into something with a much more ideological wing. And that completely transforms the practicalities of the succession race to come. Let's discuss. false full 355 87b1db2f-ecb8-45a9-b2b3-932f5bd16f97 Surviving Trump's Age Of Stupid Trump came to power on the back of multiple disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories. While there's some satisfying karma to see his administration being bitten back by one such conspiracy that MAGA promoted, the truth is that we now have a government that disparages expertise of all types, insists on dealing with other countries in profound ignorance of their outlook and position, and continues to weaponise disinformation. Is there any way back from this? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 15 Jul 2025 16:50:17 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump came to power on the back of multiple disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories. While there's some satisfying karma to see his administration being bitten back by one such conspiracy that MAGA promoted, the truth is that we now have a government that disparages expertise of all types, insists on dealing with other countries in profound ignorance of their outlook and position, and continues to weaponise disinformation. Is there any way back from this? Let's discuss.

]]> Surviving Trump's Age Of Stupid Mallen Baker 00:17:17 Trump came to power on the back of multiple disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories. While there's some satisfying karma to see his administration being bitten back by one such conspiracy that MAGA promoted, the truth is that we now have a government that disparages expertise of all types, insists on dealing with other countries in profound ignorance of their outlook and position, and continues to weaponise disinformation. Is there any way back from this? Let's discuss. Trump came to power on the back of multiple disinformation campaigns and conspiracy theories. While there's some satisfying karma to see his administration being bitten back by one such conspiracy that MAGA promoted, the truth is that we now have a government that disparages expertise of all types, insists on dealing with other countries in profound ignorance of their outlook and position, and continues to weaponise disinformation. Is there any way back from this? Let's discuss. false full 354 808077f7-2722-4245-8d42-7c7eecf9704c Trump’s ‘Big Threat’ To Putin – A 50 Day Deadline President Trump had trailed a 'big announcement' on Ukraine and Russia coming today - and we even had Mark Rutte, the head of NATO in the White House for the occasion. And ... well, while it wasn't nothing, there are good reasons to think that Trump's threat of secondary tariffs (unspecified, but set at 100%) with a 50 day deadline - may not get the job done. But at least it means that America won't be actively undermining the defence of Ukraine any more, and that actually matters. So that's something. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 14 Jul 2025 19:25:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump had trailed a 'big announcement' on Ukraine and Russia coming today - and we even had Mark Rutte, the head of NATO in the White House for the occasion. And ... well, while it wasn't nothing, there are good reasons to think that Trump's threat of secondary tariffs (unspecified, but set at 100%) with a 50 day deadline - may not get the job done. But at least it means that America won't be actively undermining the defence of Ukraine any more, and that actually matters. So that's something. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s ‘Big Threat’ To Putin – A 50 Day Deadline Mallen Baker 00:10:10 President Trump had trailed a 'big announcement' on Ukraine and Russia coming today - and we even had Mark Rutte, the head of NATO in the White House for the occasion. And ... well, while it wasn't nothing, there are good reasons to think that Trump's threat of secondary tariffs (unspecified, but set at 100%) with a 50 day deadline - may not get the job done. But at least it means that America won't be actively undermining the defence of Ukraine any more, and that actually matters. So that's something. Let's discuss. President Trump had trailed a 'big announcement' on Ukraine and Russia coming today - and we even had Mark Rutte, the head of NATO in the White House for the occasion. And ... well, while it wasn't nothing, there are good reasons to think that Trump's threat of secondary tariffs (unspecified, but set at 100%) with a 50 day deadline - may not get the job done. But at least it means that America won't be actively undermining the defence of Ukraine any more, and that actually matters. So that's something. Let's discuss. false full 353 6f263e6c-fa29-40ff-a498-0c07653caac9 Trump Broke the World Order — He Won't Like What Comes Next Arguably, the world has been going through the five stages of grief since Trump came back to the Presidency six months ago. And with the latest actions to cut right across difficult negotiations to hand out more egregious tariff rates, it seems likely we've finally achieved at the final stage - acceptance. But not acceptance of Trump's terms. Not acceptance of Trump's view of the world order. More acceptance that now all the other countries have to rebuild the trade and security system specifically to exclude Trump's America. The world is turning on Trump - and it started here. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 13 Jul 2025 20:58:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Arguably, the world has been going through the five stages of grief since Trump came back to the Presidency six months ago. And with the latest actions to cut right across difficult negotiations to hand out more egregious tariff rates, it seems likely we've finally achieved at the final stage - acceptance. But not acceptance of Trump's terms. Not acceptance of Trump's view of the world order. More acceptance that now all the other countries have to rebuild the trade and security system specifically to exclude Trump's America. The world is turning on Trump - and it started here. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Broke the World Order — He Won't Like What Comes Next Mallen Baker 00:13:57 Arguably, the world has been going through the five stages of grief since Trump came back to the Presidency six months ago. And with the latest actions to cut right across difficult negotiations to hand out more egregious tariff rates, it seems likely we've finally achieved at the final stage - acceptance. But not acceptance of Trump's terms. Not acceptance of Trump's view of the world order. More acceptance that now all the other countries have to rebuild the trade and security system specifically to exclude Trump's America. The world is turning on Trump - and it started here. Let's discuss. Arguably, the world has been going through the five stages of grief since Trump came back to the Presidency six months ago. And with the latest actions to cut right across difficult negotiations to hand out more egregious tariff rates, it seems likely we've finally achieved at the final stage - acceptance. But not acceptance of Trump's terms. Not acceptance of Trump's view of the world order. More acceptance that now all the other countries have to rebuild the trade and security system specifically to exclude Trump's America. The world is turning on Trump - and it started here. Let's discuss. false full 352 48dd38b9-1d84-41ef-873c-e30e078b7c42 Will America Really Defend Taiwan? Yesterday, it emerged that the Trump team has been asking its (former) allies Japan and Australia a very strange question - demanding clarity from them on a subject for which the US has a policy not to provide any such clarity. It is, of course, the question of what would they do should China invade Taiwan. But is it really asking? Or is it creating the impression of preparation as part of an operation to dissuade Xi Jinping from even considering doing such a thing ... at least until President Trump is no longer in office? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 12 Jul 2025 17:29:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Yesterday, it emerged that the Trump team has been asking its (former) allies Japan and Australia a very strange question - demanding clarity from them on a subject for which the US has a policy not to provide any such clarity. It is, of course, the question of what would they do should China invade Taiwan. But is it really asking? Or is it creating the impression of preparation as part of an operation to dissuade Xi Jinping from even considering doing such a thing ... at least until President Trump is no longer in office? Let's discuss.

]]> Will America Really Defend Taiwan? Mallen Baker 00:10:50 Yesterday, it emerged that the Trump team has been asking its (former) allies Japan and Australia a very strange question - demanding clarity from them on a subject for which the US has a policy not to provide any such clarity. It is, of course, the question of what would they do should China invade Taiwan. But is it really asking? Or is it creating the impression of preparation as part of an operation to dissuade Xi Jinping from even considering doing such a thing ... at least until President Trump is no longer in office? Let's discuss. Yesterday, it emerged that the Trump team has been asking its (former) allies Japan and Australia a very strange question - demanding clarity from them on a subject for which the US has a policy not to provide any such clarity. It is, of course, the question of what would they do should China invade Taiwan. But is it really asking? Or is it creating the impression of preparation as part of an operation to dissuade Xi Jinping from even considering doing such a thing ... at least until President Trump is no longer in office? Let's discuss. false full 351 8ab05b58-74e4-49f9-912b-1d0a7e20cb07 Trump's Word Means Nothing – Ask Canada and Vietnam Canada thought it was making good progress in negotiations with the Trump team - then he announced even higher tariffs against it. Vietnam thought it had agreed a deal with a much lower tariff figure, but then Trump simply announced a higher one. The first countries through the gate are finding - and the rest of the world is noting - that nothing Trump or his team say can be trusted, that any deal can simply be changed at a whim, and this is not a serious process. So what does the world do about it? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:47:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Canada thought it was making good progress in negotiations with the Trump team - then he announced even higher tariffs against it. Vietnam thought it had agreed a deal with a much lower tariff figure, but then Trump simply announced a higher one. The first countries through the gate are finding - and the rest of the world is noting - that nothing Trump or his team say can be trusted, that any deal can simply be changed at a whim, and this is not a serious process. So what does the world do about it? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Word Means Nothing – Ask Canada and Vietnam Mallen Baker 00:10:42 Canada thought it was making good progress in negotiations with the Trump team - then he announced even higher tariffs against it. Vietnam thought it had agreed a deal with a much lower tariff figure, but then Trump simply announced a higher one. The first countries through the gate are finding - and the rest of the world is noting - that nothing Trump or his team say can be trusted, that any deal can simply be changed at a whim, and this is not a serious process. So what does the world do about it? Let's discuss. Canada thought it was making good progress in negotiations with the Trump team - then he announced even higher tariffs against it. Vietnam thought it had agreed a deal with a much lower tariff figure, but then Trump simply announced a higher one. The first countries through the gate are finding - and the rest of the world is noting - that nothing Trump or his team say can be trusted, that any deal can simply be changed at a whim, and this is not a serious process. So what does the world do about it? Let's discuss. false full 350 96920237-46c7-43f9-874f-a151dd0f0f05 Trump Uses Tariffs To Topple Brazil's Democracy The US President just announced a massive 50% tariff on Brazil. Nothing to do with the usual excuses - trade deficits - the US has a trade surplus with Brazil. No, instead he is punishing the country for the fact that it is prosecuting former strong man authoritarian president Bolsonaro - one of the leaders Trump saw as 'one of us'. Why is it prosecuting him? Well, he denied the election result that he lost in 2022, and tried to instigate a coup. No idea why Trump might relate to such deeds. But let's discuss anyway.

]]> Thu, 10 Jul 2025 20:23:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US President just announced a massive 50% tariff on Brazil. Nothing to do with the usual excuses - trade deficits - the US has a trade surplus with Brazil. No, instead he is punishing the country for the fact that it is prosecuting former strong man authoritarian president Bolsonaro - one of the leaders Trump saw as 'one of us'. Why is it prosecuting him? Well, he denied the election result that he lost in 2022, and tried to instigate a coup. No idea why Trump might relate to such deeds. But let's discuss anyway.

]]> Trump Uses Tariffs To Topple Brazil's Democracy Mallen Baker 00:11:37 The US President just announced a massive 50% tariff on Brazil. Nothing to do with the usual excuses - trade deficits - the US has a trade surplus with Brazil. No, instead he is punishing the country for the fact that it is prosecuting former strong man authoritarian president Bolsonaro - one of the leaders Trump saw as 'one of us'. Why is it prosecuting him? Well, he denied the election result that he lost in 2022, and tried to instigate a coup. No idea why Trump might relate to such deeds. But let's discuss anyway. The US President just announced a massive 50% tariff on Brazil. Nothing to do with the usual excuses - trade deficits - the US has a trade surplus with Brazil. No, instead he is punishing the country for the fact that it is prosecuting former strong man authoritarian president Bolsonaro - one of the leaders Trump saw as 'one of us'. Why is it prosecuting him? Well, he denied the election result that he lost in 2022, and tried to instigate a coup. No idea why Trump might relate to such deeds. But let's discuss anyway. false full 349 5c1b6db1-8a95-4ebd-842b-e5b6bbc8da40 Is Trump Finally Turning On Putin? Trump has muttered, he has grumbled, he has occasionally threatened, but never has there been the slightest sign that he would actually take action of any sort against Vladimir Putin's Russia over its war against Ukraine. But now it suddenly seems as though that might be about to change. Not only did Trump ensure the weapons flow to Ukraine restarted, but he has strongly hinted his interest in endorsing the radical sanctions bill that has been drawn up for just this moment in Congress. If passed, it would have a huge impact on Russia's economy, not to mention on China, India and Turkey if they keep buying Russia's oil. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 9 Jul 2025 18:19:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump has muttered, he has grumbled, he has occasionally threatened, but never has there been the slightest sign that he would actually take action of any sort against Vladimir Putin's Russia over its war against Ukraine. But now it suddenly seems as though that might be about to change. Not only did Trump ensure the weapons flow to Ukraine restarted, but he has strongly hinted his interest in endorsing the radical sanctions bill that has been drawn up for just this moment in Congress. If passed, it would have a huge impact on Russia's economy, not to mention on China, India and Turkey if they keep buying Russia's oil. Let's discuss.

]]> Is Trump Finally Turning On Putin? Mallen Baker 00:11:46 Trump has muttered, he has grumbled, he has occasionally threatened, but never has there been the slightest sign that he would actually take action of any sort against Vladimir Putin's Russia over its war against Ukraine. But now it suddenly seems as though that might be about to change. Not only did Trump ensure the weapons flow to Ukraine restarted, but he has strongly hinted his interest in endorsing the radical sanctions bill that has been drawn up for just this moment in Congress. If passed, it would have a huge impact on Russia's economy, not to mention on China, India and Turkey if they keep buying Russia's oil. Let's discuss. Trump has muttered, he has grumbled, he has occasionally threatened, but never has there been the slightest sign that he would actually take action of any sort against Vladimir Putin's Russia over its war against Ukraine. But now it suddenly seems as though that might be about to change. Not only did Trump ensure the weapons flow to Ukraine restarted, but he has strongly hinted his interest in endorsing the radical sanctions bill that has been drawn up for just this moment in Congress. If passed, it would have a huge impact on Russia's economy, not to mention on China, India and Turkey if they keep buying Russia's oil. Let's discuss. false full 348 34308ab6-c32f-47b9-8871-3743b8c8a59e “We Don’t Want an Emperor” — World Slams Trump Tariff Demands Another day, another round of tariff dramas. Trump revealed the new tariff rates he was 'granting' to various countries via letter, along with a new deadline for those countries to come to a deal with him before the rates come into force. It's just another way of seeking to bully the world into agreeing to give one-sided deals to the most powerful country in the world, and to string out the process and the uncertainty, making the whole thing about one man. But while countries are jumping through hoops to get the least worst outcome, the extortion and the drama are starting to backfire. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 8 Jul 2025 18:19:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Another day, another round of tariff dramas. Trump revealed the new tariff rates he was 'granting' to various countries via letter, along with a new deadline for those countries to come to a deal with him before the rates come into force. It's just another way of seeking to bully the world into agreeing to give one-sided deals to the most powerful country in the world, and to string out the process and the uncertainty, making the whole thing about one man. But while countries are jumping through hoops to get the least worst outcome, the extortion and the drama are starting to backfire. Let's discuss.

]]> “We Don’t Want an Emperor” — World Slams Trump Tariff Demands Mallen Baker 00:14:16 Another day, another round of tariff dramas. Trump revealed the new tariff rates he was 'granting' to various countries via letter, along with a new deadline for those countries to come to a deal with him before the rates come into force. It's just another way of seeking to bully the world into agreeing to give one-sided deals to the most powerful country in the world, and to string out the process and the uncertainty, making the whole thing about one man. But while countries are jumping through hoops to get the least worst outcome, the extortion and the drama are starting to backfire. Let's discuss. Another day, another round of tariff dramas. Trump revealed the new tariff rates he was 'granting' to various countries via letter, along with a new deadline for those countries to come to a deal with him before the rates come into force. It's just another way of seeking to bully the world into agreeing to give one-sided deals to the most powerful country in the world, and to string out the process and the uncertainty, making the whole thing about one man. But while countries are jumping through hoops to get the least worst outcome, the extortion and the drama are starting to backfire. Let's discuss. false full 347 f1ad2dd0-48f5-437a-a00f-b91ab93a4244 The Real Reason the US and UK Political Systems Are Breaking So Elon Musk is launching a new political party in the US. And former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is doing something similar in the UK, albeit with a very different political bent. And you're adding those to the existing UK 'upstart' party Reform UK, which is already doing extremely well in the polls. But wait ... aren't both of these countries famously and rigidly two party systems? Aren't third parties always doomed to obscurity, by dint of the brutal logic of the electoral system? Yes, that's the conventional wisdom. But a great deal is changing in politics right now, thanks to our populist moment. And maybe this is going to turn out to be a sea change that shakes those big two party establishments to their core. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 6 Jul 2025 21:27:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So Elon Musk is launching a new political party in the US. And former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is doing something similar in the UK, albeit with a very different political bent. And you're adding those to the existing UK 'upstart' party Reform UK, which is already doing extremely well in the polls. But wait ... aren't both of these countries famously and rigidly two party systems? Aren't third parties always doomed to obscurity, by dint of the brutal logic of the electoral system? Yes, that's the conventional wisdom. But a great deal is changing in politics right now, thanks to our populist moment. And maybe this is going to turn out to be a sea change that shakes those big two party establishments to their core. Let's discuss.

]]> The Real Reason the US and UK Political Systems Are Breaking Mallen Baker 00:16:21 So Elon Musk is launching a new political party in the US. And former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is doing something similar in the UK, albeit with a very different political bent. And you're adding those to the existing UK 'upstart' party Reform UK, which is already doing extremely well in the polls. But wait ... aren't both of these countries famously and rigidly two party systems? Aren't third parties always doomed to obscurity, by dint of the brutal logic of the electoral system? Yes, that's the conventional wisdom. But a great deal is changing in politics right now, thanks to our populist moment. And maybe this is going to turn out to be a sea change that shakes those big two party establishments to their core. Let's discuss. So Elon Musk is launching a new political party in the US. And former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is doing something similar in the UK, albeit with a very different political bent. And you're adding those to the existing UK 'upstart' party Reform UK, which is already doing extremely well in the polls. But wait ... aren't both of these countries famously and rigidly two party systems? Aren't third parties always doomed to obscurity, by dint of the brutal logic of the electoral system? Yes, that's the conventional wisdom. But a great deal is changing in politics right now, thanks to our populist moment. And maybe this is going to turn out to be a sea change that shakes those big two party establishments to their core. Let's discuss. false full 346 f47fddfc-ad87-4952-bca0-20275a93d576 China Just Stunned Europe and Ukraine - ‘We Won’t Let Russia Lose’ China has had a public line on Ukraine for the last three years - studied neutrality that didn't entirely fool anybody. Well, yesterday it blew that up with a frank admission to a top level delegation from the EU that left them astonished. Not for the reality of it, but for the fact that they would even admit it. Because they said yes - China will not allow Russia to be beaten in the Ukraine war. And the reason why not? Mostly, it has to do with Donald Trump. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 5 Jul 2025 21:39:08 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China has had a public line on Ukraine for the last three years - studied neutrality that didn't entirely fool anybody. Well, yesterday it blew that up with a frank admission to a top level delegation from the EU that left them astonished. Not for the reality of it, but for the fact that they would even admit it. Because they said yes - China will not allow Russia to be beaten in the Ukraine war. And the reason why not? Mostly, it has to do with Donald Trump. Let's discuss.

]]> China Just Stunned Europe and Ukraine - ‘We Won’t Let Russia Lose’ Mallen Baker 00:10:39 China has had a public line on Ukraine for the last three years - studied neutrality that didn't entirely fool anybody. Well, yesterday it blew that up with a frank admission to a top level delegation from the EU that left them astonished. Not for the reality of it, but for the fact that they would even admit it. Because they said yes - China will not allow Russia to be beaten in the Ukraine war. And the reason why not? Mostly, it has to do with Donald Trump. Let's discuss. China has had a public line on Ukraine for the last three years - studied neutrality that didn't entirely fool anybody. Well, yesterday it blew that up with a frank admission to a top level delegation from the EU that left them astonished. Not for the reality of it, but for the fact that they would even admit it. Because they said yes - China will not allow Russia to be beaten in the Ukraine war. And the reason why not? Mostly, it has to do with Donald Trump. Let's discuss. false full 345 e5526af7-6d5f-44a0-b6cc-55714f80cdc7 How Free Speech Is Dying In Trump's America For an administration that talks a lot about free speech, President Trump sure seems to sue a lot of news media companies for reporting on things he wishes they wouldn't. He also is suing a lot of social media companies. To all appearances, these are about chilling free speech, while also extorting significant sums of money for Trump's 'presidential library'. It's not even subtle, but we're getting to the stage now where it's starting to become normalised and accepted as a cost of doing business under the new regime. This would be a big mistake. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 4 Jul 2025 21:33:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast For an administration that talks a lot about free speech, President Trump sure seems to sue a lot of news media companies for reporting on things he wishes they wouldn't. He also is suing a lot of social media companies. To all appearances, these are about chilling free speech, while also extorting significant sums of money for Trump's 'presidential library'. It's not even subtle, but we're getting to the stage now where it's starting to become normalised and accepted as a cost of doing business under the new regime. This would be a big mistake. Let's discuss.

]]> How Free Speech Is Dying In Trump's America Mallen Baker 00:14:59 For an administration that talks a lot about free speech, President Trump sure seems to sue a lot of news media companies for reporting on things he wishes they wouldn't. He also is suing a lot of social media companies. To all appearances, these are about chilling free speech, while also extorting significant sums of money for Trump's 'presidential library'. It's not even subtle, but we're getting to the stage now where it's starting to become normalised and accepted as a cost of doing business under the new regime. This would be a big mistake. Let's discuss. For an administration that talks a lot about free speech, President Trump sure seems to sue a lot of news media companies for reporting on things he wishes they wouldn't. He also is suing a lot of social media companies. To all appearances, these are about chilling free speech, while also extorting significant sums of money for Trump's 'presidential library'. It's not even subtle, but we're getting to the stage now where it's starting to become normalised and accepted as a cost of doing business under the new regime. This would be a big mistake. Let's discuss. false full 344 4b205134-4593-4daf-9235-33ede1ad7251 Trump Blindsides Allies, Stops Ukraine Weapons — Then Calls Putin It came out of the blue, with all the NATO allies of Ukraine having thought they'd done a great job of keeping Trump on side at last week's NATO summit. Suddenly, they were learning that Trump had paused weapons already agreed to be sent to Ukraine. Not only that, but Trump was suddenly taking a direct call with Vladimir Putin to discuss all the possibilities of how they could work together. This in contrast with how he is ratcheting up the pressure on China, and increasingly demanding of the same allies that they distance themselves from Xi Jinping. Just another day in Trump world. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 3 Jul 2025 21:25:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It came out of the blue, with all the NATO allies of Ukraine having thought they'd done a great job of keeping Trump on side at last week's NATO summit. Suddenly, they were learning that Trump had paused weapons already agreed to be sent to Ukraine. Not only that, but Trump was suddenly taking a direct call with Vladimir Putin to discuss all the possibilities of how they could work together. This in contrast with how he is ratcheting up the pressure on China, and increasingly demanding of the same allies that they distance themselves from Xi Jinping. Just another day in Trump world. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Blindsides Allies, Stops Ukraine Weapons — Then Calls Putin Mallen Baker 00:11:11 It came out of the blue, with all the NATO allies of Ukraine having thought they'd done a great job of keeping Trump on side at last week's NATO summit. Suddenly, they were learning that Trump had paused weapons already agreed to be sent to Ukraine. Not only that, but Trump was suddenly taking a direct call with Vladimir Putin to discuss all the possibilities of how they could work together. This in contrast with how he is ratcheting up the pressure on China, and increasingly demanding of the same allies that they distance themselves from Xi Jinping. Just another day in Trump world. Let's discuss. It came out of the blue, with all the NATO allies of Ukraine having thought they'd done a great job of keeping Trump on side at last week's NATO summit. Suddenly, they were learning that Trump had paused weapons already agreed to be sent to Ukraine. Not only that, but Trump was suddenly taking a direct call with Vladimir Putin to discuss all the possibilities of how they could work together. This in contrast with how he is ratcheting up the pressure on China, and increasingly demanding of the same allies that they distance themselves from Xi Jinping. Just another day in Trump world. Let's discuss. false full 343 1eaed899-c908-43e9-9b40-802a0ce0afa4 Why Trump’s Mega-Bill Could Blow Up on MAGA The controversial Trump Budget Mega-Bill squeaked its way through the Senate, thanks to the casting vote of JD Vance. And now it has come back to the House somewhat changed from how it was when it left. Specifically, with more debt loaded into it. And more severe cuts to Medicaid. Democrats are convinced this bill is going to come back to haunt the Republicans, and by all accounts Republicans fear that will be the case as well. How far might that go? And could it be the act of self-sabotage that destroys MAGA's project before it can get fully embedded? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 2 Jul 2025 21:03:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The controversial Trump Budget Mega-Bill squeaked its way through the Senate, thanks to the casting vote of JD Vance. And now it has come back to the House somewhat changed from how it was when it left. Specifically, with more debt loaded into it. And more severe cuts to Medicaid. Democrats are convinced this bill is going to come back to haunt the Republicans, and by all accounts Republicans fear that will be the case as well. How far might that go? And could it be the act of self-sabotage that destroys MAGA's project before it can get fully embedded? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Mega-Bill Could Blow Up on MAGA Mallen Baker 00:12:14 The controversial Trump Budget Mega-Bill squeaked its way through the Senate, thanks to the casting vote of JD Vance. And now it has come back to the House somewhat changed from how it was when it left. Specifically, with more debt loaded into it. And more severe cuts to Medicaid. Democrats are convinced this bill is going to come back to haunt the Republicans, and by all accounts Republicans fear that will be the case as well. How far might that go? And could it be the act of self-sabotage that destroys MAGA's project before it can get fully embedded? Let's discuss. The controversial Trump Budget Mega-Bill squeaked its way through the Senate, thanks to the casting vote of JD Vance. And now it has come back to the House somewhat changed from how it was when it left. Specifically, with more debt loaded into it. And more severe cuts to Medicaid. Democrats are convinced this bill is going to come back to haunt the Republicans, and by all accounts Republicans fear that will be the case as well. How far might that go? And could it be the act of self-sabotage that destroys MAGA's project before it can get fully embedded? Let's discuss. false full 342 4b1d3f99-ac6a-4d41-bff9-07b87cd09ebb Why Global Population Collapse Is Coming Sooner Than We Thought We know that big changes are happening in the world. Some of them are well known as cycles in history, and affect the current geopolitical order. But there are also four aspects where what we face is unique to our time - things the human race has never dealt with before. And the most important of those four is the one the effects of which are coming whether we like it or not - and sooner than the UN is projecting. Global population decline, and then collapse. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 1 Jul 2025 21:59:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We know that big changes are happening in the world. Some of them are well known as cycles in history, and affect the current geopolitical order. But there are also four aspects where what we face is unique to our time - things the human race has never dealt with before. And the most important of those four is the one the effects of which are coming whether we like it or not - and sooner than the UN is projecting. Global population decline, and then collapse. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Global Population Collapse Is Coming Sooner Than We Thought Mallen Baker 00:15:42 We know that big changes are happening in the world. Some of them are well known as cycles in history, and affect the current geopolitical order. But there are also four aspects where what we face is unique to our time - things the human race has never dealt with before. And the most important of those four is the one the effects of which are coming whether we like it or not - and sooner than the UN is projecting. Global population decline, and then collapse. Let's discuss. We know that big changes are happening in the world. Some of them are well known as cycles in history, and affect the current geopolitical order. But there are also four aspects where what we face is unique to our time - things the human race has never dealt with before. And the most important of those four is the one the effects of which are coming whether we like it or not - and sooner than the UN is projecting. Global population decline, and then collapse. Let's discuss. false full 341 63bb52a8-2769-4609-b6f9-3c697557a3f2 How Elon Musk Sabotaged His Own Legacy Musk has largely gone back to focusing on his own businesses - but he couldn't help making a last public stab at President Trump's big budget bill which will eviscerate support for EVs and clean technology, while boosting it instead for fossil fuels. He must be reflecting how badly served his original missions for Tesla and SpaceX have been by his biggest single mistake surely in his life - getting involved in MAGA politics and helping bring into being an administration that has really been the end of what he wanted to achieve in the world. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 30 Jun 2025 21:58:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Musk has largely gone back to focusing on his own businesses - but he couldn't help making a last public stab at President Trump's big budget bill which will eviscerate support for EVs and clean technology, while boosting it instead for fossil fuels. He must be reflecting how badly served his original missions for Tesla and SpaceX have been by his biggest single mistake surely in his life - getting involved in MAGA politics and helping bring into being an administration that has really been the end of what he wanted to achieve in the world. Let's discuss.

]]> How Elon Musk Sabotaged His Own Legacy Mallen Baker 00:16:25 Musk has largely gone back to focusing on his own businesses - but he couldn't help making a last public stab at President Trump's big budget bill which will eviscerate support for EVs and clean technology, while boosting it instead for fossil fuels. He must be reflecting how badly served his original missions for Tesla and SpaceX have been by his biggest single mistake surely in his life - getting involved in MAGA politics and helping bring into being an administration that has really been the end of what he wanted to achieve in the world. Let's discuss. Musk has largely gone back to focusing on his own businesses - but he couldn't help making a last public stab at President Trump's big budget bill which will eviscerate support for EVs and clean technology, while boosting it instead for fossil fuels. He must be reflecting how badly served his original missions for Tesla and SpaceX have been by his biggest single mistake surely in his life - getting involved in MAGA politics and helping bring into being an administration that has really been the end of what he wanted to achieve in the world. Let's discuss. false full 340 b6364768-121b-459a-ba60-ef6b616e1de7 What Are The REAL Lessons From Zohran Mamdani's New York Win? Lots of people have gotten excited about an upset win for an old-fashioned socialist candidate in the New York Mayoral race. Notwithstanding the implications or otherwise of the politics of it, the real lesson that Democrats and everyone else involved in politics should be paying attention to is the fact that someone finally showed up the dismal level of what passes for political campaigning right now. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 29 Jun 2025 21:07:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Lots of people have gotten excited about an upset win for an old-fashioned socialist candidate in the New York Mayoral race. Notwithstanding the implications or otherwise of the politics of it, the real lesson that Democrats and everyone else involved in politics should be paying attention to is the fact that someone finally showed up the dismal level of what passes for political campaigning right now. Let's discuss.

]]> What Are The REAL Lessons From Zohran Mamdani's New York Win? Mallen Baker 00:14:16 Lots of people have gotten excited about an upset win for an old-fashioned socialist candidate in the New York Mayoral race. Notwithstanding the implications or otherwise of the politics of it, the real lesson that Democrats and everyone else involved in politics should be paying attention to is the fact that someone finally showed up the dismal level of what passes for political campaigning right now. Let's discuss. Lots of people have gotten excited about an upset win for an old-fashioned socialist candidate in the New York Mayoral race. Notwithstanding the implications or otherwise of the politics of it, the real lesson that Democrats and everyone else involved in politics should be paying attention to is the fact that someone finally showed up the dismal level of what passes for political campaigning right now. Let's discuss. false full 339 8208d1e8-f3c1-42ae-a26b-4177264361ce Trump’s Massive Canada Tantrum – The Trade War Is Back On Suddenly, Trump had a moment and called off the ongoing trade talks with Canada. The reason - or, at least, the excuse - was the incoming Digital Services Tax about to be implemented (and running as a forerunner to the same device in the EU). Now the trade war is back on. Trump will be announcing the new tariff rate for Canada in the coming week, and it's unlikely to be a minor affair - because it looks very much like whatever it will be will simply be calculated to force Ottawa to back down on their tax, even as it's being put into practice. How bad does this get, and what really prompted it? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 28 Jun 2025 19:31:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Suddenly, Trump had a moment and called off the ongoing trade talks with Canada. The reason - or, at least, the excuse - was the incoming Digital Services Tax about to be implemented (and running as a forerunner to the same device in the EU). Now the trade war is back on. Trump will be announcing the new tariff rate for Canada in the coming week, and it's unlikely to be a minor affair - because it looks very much like whatever it will be will simply be calculated to force Ottawa to back down on their tax, even as it's being put into practice. How bad does this get, and what really prompted it? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Massive Canada Tantrum – The Trade War Is Back On Mallen Baker 00:12:57 Suddenly, Trump had a moment and called off the ongoing trade talks with Canada. The reason - or, at least, the excuse - was the incoming Digital Services Tax about to be implemented (and running as a forerunner to the same device in the EU). Now the trade war is back on. Trump will be announcing the new tariff rate for Canada in the coming week, and it's unlikely to be a minor affair - because it looks very much like whatever it will be will simply be calculated to force Ottawa to back down on their tax, even as it's being put into practice. How bad does this get, and what really prompted it? Let's discuss. Suddenly, Trump had a moment and called off the ongoing trade talks with Canada. The reason - or, at least, the excuse - was the incoming Digital Services Tax about to be implemented (and running as a forerunner to the same device in the EU). Now the trade war is back on. Trump will be announcing the new tariff rate for Canada in the coming week, and it's unlikely to be a minor affair - because it looks very much like whatever it will be will simply be calculated to force Ottawa to back down on their tax, even as it's being put into practice. How bad does this get, and what really prompted it? Let's discuss. false full 338 960ccdd8-9346-4108-9c5c-a7b25b4ae7b5 Quackery at the Top: How RFK Jr. Is Rewriting Vaccine Policy We heard all the promises during the confirmation hearing for Robert F Kennedy Jr. He was not anti-vax. He was not promoting conspiracy theories. He was not going to be messing around with immunisations schedules for children. Well, that didn't last long. Right now, fundamental changes are being made that remove actual vaccine expertise and replace it with pseudoscience and quackery. It's early days, but the first steps could not be less clear about the direction of travel. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 27 Jun 2025 20:46:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We heard all the promises during the confirmation hearing for Robert F Kennedy Jr. He was not anti-vax. He was not promoting conspiracy theories. He was not going to be messing around with immunisations schedules for children. Well, that didn't last long. Right now, fundamental changes are being made that remove actual vaccine expertise and replace it with pseudoscience and quackery. It's early days, but the first steps could not be less clear about the direction of travel. Let's discuss.

]]> Quackery at the Top: How RFK Jr. Is Rewriting Vaccine Policy Mallen Baker 00:10:19 We heard all the promises during the confirmation hearing for Robert F Kennedy Jr. He was not anti-vax. He was not promoting conspiracy theories. He was not going to be messing around with immunisations schedules for children. Well, that didn't last long. Right now, fundamental changes are being made that remove actual vaccine expertise and replace it with pseudoscience and quackery. It's early days, but the first steps could not be less clear about the direction of travel. Let's discuss. We heard all the promises during the confirmation hearing for Robert F Kennedy Jr. He was not anti-vax. He was not promoting conspiracy theories. He was not going to be messing around with immunisations schedules for children. Well, that didn't last long. Right now, fundamental changes are being made that remove actual vaccine expertise and replace it with pseudoscience and quackery. It's early days, but the first steps could not be less clear about the direction of travel. Let's discuss. false full 337 3a7f8d0b-4832-408d-8374-8485b8997c69 How China Is Exploiting Trump’s Global Blunders Trump's use of military force in Iran has made his enemies and rivals sit up and take notice - especially those in China who have been evaluating the likelihood of the US intervening should they finally decide to make a move on Taiwan. How much has really changed because of what just happened over Iran's nuclear programme? And what are the huge mistakes President Trump is making that is giving Xi Jinping the opportunity to step more quickly into the role of rising, pre-eminent world superpower? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 26 Jun 2025 19:24:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's use of military force in Iran has made his enemies and rivals sit up and take notice - especially those in China who have been evaluating the likelihood of the US intervening should they finally decide to make a move on Taiwan. How much has really changed because of what just happened over Iran's nuclear programme? And what are the huge mistakes President Trump is making that is giving Xi Jinping the opportunity to step more quickly into the role of rising, pre-eminent world superpower? Let's discuss.

]]> How China Is Exploiting Trump’s Global Blunders Mallen Baker 00:11:58 Trump's use of military force in Iran has made his enemies and rivals sit up and take notice - especially those in China who have been evaluating the likelihood of the US intervening should they finally decide to make a move on Taiwan. How much has really changed because of what just happened over Iran's nuclear programme? And what are the huge mistakes President Trump is making that is giving Xi Jinping the opportunity to step more quickly into the role of rising, pre-eminent world superpower? Let's discuss. Trump's use of military force in Iran has made his enemies and rivals sit up and take notice - especially those in China who have been evaluating the likelihood of the US intervening should they finally decide to make a move on Taiwan. How much has really changed because of what just happened over Iran's nuclear programme? And what are the huge mistakes President Trump is making that is giving Xi Jinping the opportunity to step more quickly into the role of rising, pre-eminent world superpower? Let's discuss. false full 336 ccbaaa11-4e96-45b4-ac48-fc7ba7e5a1c7 Why THIS Is The Dumbest Thing Trump Does The NATO Summit came to a relatively successful conclusion, given the rather limited ambition it had set for itself. But throughout the event, Trump insisted on a version of reality of the recent US military strike against Iran's nuclear sites, that is not supported by evidence, and demanded that everyone else should actively agree. And this in spite of the fact that a preliminary assessment by his own defence department contradicted him. However the facts of the case eventually unfold, this habit of Trump's of turning his own wishful thinking into a loyalty test for all those around him - that is going to result in some crashingly bad consequences. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 25 Jun 2025 18:24:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The NATO Summit came to a relatively successful conclusion, given the rather limited ambition it had set for itself. But throughout the event, Trump insisted on a version of reality of the recent US military strike against Iran's nuclear sites, that is not supported by evidence, and demanded that everyone else should actively agree. And this in spite of the fact that a preliminary assessment by his own defence department contradicted him. However the facts of the case eventually unfold, this habit of Trump's of turning his own wishful thinking into a loyalty test for all those around him - that is going to result in some crashingly bad consequences. Let's discuss.

]]> Why THIS Is The Dumbest Thing Trump Does Mallen Baker 00:12:52 The NATO Summit came to a relatively successful conclusion, given the rather limited ambition it had set for itself. But throughout the event, Trump insisted on a version of reality of the recent US military strike against Iran's nuclear sites, that is not supported by evidence, and demanded that everyone else should actively agree. And this in spite of the fact that a preliminary assessment by his own defence department contradicted him. However the facts of the case eventually unfold, this habit of Trump's of turning his own wishful thinking into a loyalty test for all those around him - that is going to result in some crashingly bad consequences. Let's discuss. The NATO Summit came to a relatively successful conclusion, given the rather limited ambition it had set for itself. But throughout the event, Trump insisted on a version of reality of the recent US military strike against Iran's nuclear sites, that is not supported by evidence, and demanded that everyone else should actively agree. And this in spite of the fact that a preliminary assessment by his own defence department contradicted him. However the facts of the case eventually unfold, this habit of Trump's of turning his own wishful thinking into a loyalty test for all those around him - that is going to result in some crashingly bad consequences. Let's discuss. false full 335 8a41efde-8f24-487c-bba5-cf2da2e7bf48 Trump Floats Regime Change As Iran Strikes Back All of Trump's team were on message - the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites was a one-off strike, not a declaration of war, and certainly not directed towards regime change in Iran. Then Trump floated exactly that, and it seemed that he was piling pressure onto Iran to capitulate. Did this mean he didn't think he'd completely destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities? Did it mean that he was trying to prevent the US from being dragged further into a war? And, with the latest news that Iran has made a first retaliation against US military in the Middle East, does that mean his gamble is failing - or that it paid off? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 23 Jun 2025 19:37:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast All of Trump's team were on message - the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites was a one-off strike, not a declaration of war, and certainly not directed towards regime change in Iran. Then Trump floated exactly that, and it seemed that he was piling pressure onto Iran to capitulate. Did this mean he didn't think he'd completely destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities? Did it mean that he was trying to prevent the US from being dragged further into a war? And, with the latest news that Iran has made a first retaliation against US military in the Middle East, does that mean his gamble is failing - or that it paid off? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Floats Regime Change As Iran Strikes Back Mallen Baker 00:14:41 All of Trump's team were on message - the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites was a one-off strike, not a declaration of war, and certainly not directed towards regime change in Iran. Then Trump floated exactly that, and it seemed that he was piling pressure onto Iran to capitulate. Did this mean he didn't think he'd completely destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities? Did it mean that he was trying to prevent the US from being dragged further into a war? And, with the latest news that Iran has made a first retaliation against US military in the Middle East, does that mean his gamble is failing - or that it paid off? Let's discuss. All of Trump's team were on message - the US bombing of Iranian nuclear sites was a one-off strike, not a declaration of war, and certainly not directed towards regime change in Iran. Then Trump floated exactly that, and it seemed that he was piling pressure onto Iran to capitulate. Did this mean he didn't think he'd completely destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities? Did it mean that he was trying to prevent the US from being dragged further into a war? And, with the latest news that Iran has made a first retaliation against US military in the Middle East, does that mean his gamble is failing - or that it paid off? Let's discuss. false full 333 2a6cce80-be1f-43fe-96ee-7a0ef44a6ea7 Trump Bombs Iran – Desperately Hopes That’s the End of It So the President Trump's United States just dropped a bunch of its 'bunker buster' bombs on the nuclear enrichment sites in Iran. Technically, that means it has joined the war between Iran and Israel. But it all depends on what happens next - because neither Trump nor Iran has an interest in taking each other on in a long drawn-out conflict. That said, even if it ends quickly (no guarantee), Trump has crossed a line that has a bunch of consequences built in. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 22 Jun 2025 14:33:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So the President Trump's United States just dropped a bunch of its 'bunker buster' bombs on the nuclear enrichment sites in Iran. Technically, that means it has joined the war between Iran and Israel. But it all depends on what happens next - because neither Trump nor Iran has an interest in taking each other on in a long drawn-out conflict. That said, even if it ends quickly (no guarantee), Trump has crossed a line that has a bunch of consequences built in. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Bombs Iran – Desperately Hopes That’s the End of It Mallen Baker 00:12:25 So the President Trump's United States just dropped a bunch of its 'bunker buster' bombs on the nuclear enrichment sites in Iran. Technically, that means it has joined the war between Iran and Israel. But it all depends on what happens next - because neither Trump nor Iran has an interest in taking each other on in a long drawn-out conflict. That said, even if it ends quickly (no guarantee), Trump has crossed a line that has a bunch of consequences built in. Let's discuss. So the President Trump's United States just dropped a bunch of its 'bunker buster' bombs on the nuclear enrichment sites in Iran. Technically, that means it has joined the war between Iran and Israel. But it all depends on what happens next - because neither Trump nor Iran has an interest in taking each other on in a long drawn-out conflict. That said, even if it ends quickly (no guarantee), Trump has crossed a line that has a bunch of consequences built in. Let's discuss. false full 332 54c78592-0894-4cd8-8e7b-4f8a686e1976 Trump Enrages Key Ally Japan – Just As China Unveils A Game Changer The Trump Administration's trademark abrupt bullying has just led to key regional ally Japan cancelling an annual security summit. Between America's sudden unreliable ally status, and its assault on Japan's economy via tariffs, it is now quickly re-evaluating its options. Just as all that is happening, the US has woken up with a start to not one, but two ways they might be directly threatened by China that they hadn't seen coming. Not exactly the best time to be losing allies left, right and centre you might think.

]]> Sat, 21 Jun 2025 20:05:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump Administration's trademark abrupt bullying has just led to key regional ally Japan cancelling an annual security summit. Between America's sudden unreliable ally status, and its assault on Japan's economy via tariffs, it is now quickly re-evaluating its options. Just as all that is happening, the US has woken up with a start to not one, but two ways they might be directly threatened by China that they hadn't seen coming. Not exactly the best time to be losing allies left, right and centre you might think.

]]> Trump Enrages Key Ally Japan – Just As China Unveils A Game Changer Mallen Baker 00:11:57 The Trump Administration's trademark abrupt bullying has just led to key regional ally Japan cancelling an annual security summit. Between America's sudden unreliable ally status, and its assault on Japan's economy via tariffs, it is now quickly re-evaluating its options. Just as all that is happening, the US has woken up with a start to not one, but two ways they might be directly threatened by China that they hadn't seen coming. Not exactly the best time to be losing allies left, right and centre you might think. The Trump Administration's trademark abrupt bullying has just led to key regional ally Japan cancelling an annual security summit. Between America's sudden unreliable ally status, and its assault on Japan's economy via tariffs, it is now quickly re-evaluating its options. Just as all that is happening, the US has woken up with a start to not one, but two ways they might be directly threatened by China that they hadn't seen coming. Not exactly the best time to be losing allies left, right and centre you might think. false full 331 2fe85d32-d6c0-4b54-9a52-1a40fe455db2 Trump ‘Not Ruling Out’ Dropping A Nuke On Iran You read that right - The Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran, located as it is beneath a mountain, is considered by some in the Pentagon to be so hard to reach, that even America's famed 'bunker-buster' might not get the job done. In which case, the only conceivable alternative - well, it would cross a red line that the world has been observing without fail for eighty years. And yet we know that President Trump loves nothing more than ignoring other people's red lines. But would he seriously consider this one? According to the White House, nothing is off the table. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:27:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast You read that right - The Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran, located as it is beneath a mountain, is considered by some in the Pentagon to be so hard to reach, that even America's famed 'bunker-buster' might not get the job done. In which case, the only conceivable alternative - well, it would cross a red line that the world has been observing without fail for eighty years. And yet we know that President Trump loves nothing more than ignoring other people's red lines. But would he seriously consider this one? According to the White House, nothing is off the table. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump ‘Not Ruling Out’ Dropping A Nuke On Iran Mallen Baker 00:11:46 You read that right - The Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran, located as it is beneath a mountain, is considered by some in the Pentagon to be so hard to reach, that even America's famed 'bunker-buster' might not get the job done. In which case, the only conceivable alternative - well, it would cross a red line that the world has been observing without fail for eighty years. And yet we know that President Trump loves nothing more than ignoring other people's red lines. But would he seriously consider this one? According to the White House, nothing is off the table. Let's discuss. You read that right - The Fordow nuclear enrichment site in Iran, located as it is beneath a mountain, is considered by some in the Pentagon to be so hard to reach, that even America's famed 'bunker-buster' might not get the job done. In which case, the only conceivable alternative - well, it would cross a red line that the world has been observing without fail for eighty years. And yet we know that President Trump loves nothing more than ignoring other people's red lines. But would he seriously consider this one? According to the White House, nothing is off the table. Let's discuss. false full 330 038b6ab0-4087-43b7-91cc-ea208a669113 It’s Official - The World Hates Trump’s America New research by the Pew Research Centre has looked at worldwide attitudes to President Trump, and as a consequence Trump's America. Some of it won't be hugely surprising - yes, with the exception of five countries in the sample, Trump is viewed negatively. But some of the results are less intuitive, some are downright bizarre. And many of them tell a story about how we see the world, and what we're looking for in a time of conflict. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 19 Jun 2025 19:51:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast New research by the Pew Research Centre has looked at worldwide attitudes to President Trump, and as a consequence Trump's America. Some of it won't be hugely surprising - yes, with the exception of five countries in the sample, Trump is viewed negatively. But some of the results are less intuitive, some are downright bizarre. And many of them tell a story about how we see the world, and what we're looking for in a time of conflict. Let's discuss.

]]> It’s Official - The World Hates Trump’s America Mallen Baker 00:20:26 New research by the Pew Research Centre has looked at worldwide attitudes to President Trump, and as a consequence Trump's America. Some of it won't be hugely surprising - yes, with the exception of five countries in the sample, Trump is viewed negatively. But some of the results are less intuitive, some are downright bizarre. And many of them tell a story about how we see the world, and what we're looking for in a time of conflict. Let's discuss. New research by the Pew Research Centre has looked at worldwide attitudes to President Trump, and as a consequence Trump's America. Some of it won't be hugely surprising - yes, with the exception of five countries in the sample, Trump is viewed negatively. But some of the results are less intuitive, some are downright bizarre. And many of them tell a story about how we see the world, and what we're looking for in a time of conflict. Let's discuss. false full 329 2a898533-0d88-41b8-8c8c-bac10a55a47f Trump Broke The World Order - So Is War With Iran Next? The G7 Summit of 2025 may come to represent the last gasp of the old rules-based world order, condemned to impotence and irrelevance as President Trump pondered whether to enter the war with Iran, and showed the shift symbolically be leaving the summit half way through. But there's a lot at stake in just how Trump's new 'might-makes-right' world order gets shaped - and an early taste of the glory of military victory might be extremely bad for what comes next. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 18 Jun 2025 18:06:35 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The G7 Summit of 2025 may come to represent the last gasp of the old rules-based world order, condemned to impotence and irrelevance as President Trump pondered whether to enter the war with Iran, and showed the shift symbolically be leaving the summit half way through. But there's a lot at stake in just how Trump's new 'might-makes-right' world order gets shaped - and an early taste of the glory of military victory might be extremely bad for what comes next. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Broke The World Order - So Is War With Iran Next? Mallen Baker 00:16:16 The G7 Summit of 2025 may come to represent the last gasp of the old rules-based world order, condemned to impotence and irrelevance as President Trump pondered whether to enter the war with Iran, and showed the shift symbolically be leaving the summit half way through. But there's a lot at stake in just how Trump's new 'might-makes-right' world order gets shaped - and an early taste of the glory of military victory might be extremely bad for what comes next. Let's discuss. The G7 Summit of 2025 may come to represent the last gasp of the old rules-based world order, condemned to impotence and irrelevance as President Trump pondered whether to enter the war with Iran, and showed the shift symbolically be leaving the summit half way through. But there's a lot at stake in just how Trump's new 'might-makes-right' world order gets shaped - and an early taste of the glory of military victory might be extremely bad for what comes next. Let's discuss. false full 328 017990e7-fbcd-4237-bd29-1115cdbae2dc How Trump Is Breaking the Last Barrier to Dictatorship The most frequent setbacks to the Trump Administration have been in the courts, up to and including the Supreme Court with its Trump-appointed judges - as things it seeks to do are found to be illegal. Of course, this has been met with Trump bluster - lots of name calling and probably empty threats to do with impeachment. But the authoritarian playbook has plenty of history for how such issues get dealt with - and now Trump is making a move that firmly follows exactly that guide. And if this line gets crossed, America should know that the floodgates are truly open towards a different sort of society. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 17 Jun 2025 19:34:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The most frequent setbacks to the Trump Administration have been in the courts, up to and including the Supreme Court with its Trump-appointed judges - as things it seeks to do are found to be illegal. Of course, this has been met with Trump bluster - lots of name calling and probably empty threats to do with impeachment. But the authoritarian playbook has plenty of history for how such issues get dealt with - and now Trump is making a move that firmly follows exactly that guide. And if this line gets crossed, America should know that the floodgates are truly open towards a different sort of society. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump Is Breaking the Last Barrier to Dictatorship Mallen Baker 00:12:39 The most frequent setbacks to the Trump Administration have been in the courts, up to and including the Supreme Court with its Trump-appointed judges - as things it seeks to do are found to be illegal. Of course, this has been met with Trump bluster - lots of name calling and probably empty threats to do with impeachment. But the authoritarian playbook has plenty of history for how such issues get dealt with - and now Trump is making a move that firmly follows exactly that guide. And if this line gets crossed, America should know that the floodgates are truly open towards a different sort of society. Let's discuss. The most frequent setbacks to the Trump Administration have been in the courts, up to and including the Supreme Court with its Trump-appointed judges - as things it seeks to do are found to be illegal. Of course, this has been met with Trump bluster - lots of name calling and probably empty threats to do with impeachment. But the authoritarian playbook has plenty of history for how such issues get dealt with - and now Trump is making a move that firmly follows exactly that guide. And if this line gets crossed, America should know that the floodgates are truly open towards a different sort of society. Let's discuss. false full 327 ee0ebcbb-a7cf-4398-8825-31d990818e82 Why Ukraine Made The Iran War Inevitable The G7 summit is under way in Canada, and the biggest agenda item by far is the war between Israel and Iran. Almost certainly, nothing said or done there will make the slightest difference. Since Russia's war on Ukraine showed up the brutal logic of nuclear-armed power, the entire world has shifted in ways that weren't first apparent. And that means that Israel will stop at nothing to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons - and this conflict likely will just be the first of its kind. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 16 Jun 2025 20:02:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The G7 summit is under way in Canada, and the biggest agenda item by far is the war between Israel and Iran. Almost certainly, nothing said or done there will make the slightest difference. Since Russia's war on Ukraine showed up the brutal logic of nuclear-armed power, the entire world has shifted in ways that weren't first apparent. And that means that Israel will stop at nothing to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons - and this conflict likely will just be the first of its kind. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Ukraine Made The Iran War Inevitable Mallen Baker 00:11:12 The G7 summit is under way in Canada, and the biggest agenda item by far is the war between Israel and Iran. Almost certainly, nothing said or done there will make the slightest difference. Since Russia's war on Ukraine showed up the brutal logic of nuclear-armed power, the entire world has shifted in ways that weren't first apparent. And that means that Israel will stop at nothing to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons - and this conflict likely will just be the first of its kind. Let's discuss. The G7 summit is under way in Canada, and the biggest agenda item by far is the war between Israel and Iran. Almost certainly, nothing said or done there will make the slightest difference. Since Russia's war on Ukraine showed up the brutal logic of nuclear-armed power, the entire world has shifted in ways that weren't first apparent. And that means that Israel will stop at nothing to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons - and this conflict likely will just be the first of its kind. Let's discuss. false full 326 cc3ac6bf-c1c7-49ad-84c0-143028f504e5 The Alarming Rise of Political Violence in America This weekend, we saw the tragic eruption once again of political violence in America. Unfortunately, this is just the extreme end of a growing wave of threats, intimidation and occasionally worse that is hitting public officials at all levels. While America has gone through waves of more and less violent periods in its recent past, this wave is distinctive, and it is very much coming as part and parcel of a new authoritarian moment. Such times call for clear heads and careful analysis, so let's make a start.

]]> Sun, 15 Jun 2025 21:32:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This weekend, we saw the tragic eruption once again of political violence in America. Unfortunately, this is just the extreme end of a growing wave of threats, intimidation and occasionally worse that is hitting public officials at all levels. While America has gone through waves of more and less violent periods in its recent past, this wave is distinctive, and it is very much coming as part and parcel of a new authoritarian moment. Such times call for clear heads and careful analysis, so let's make a start.

]]> The Alarming Rise of Political Violence in America Mallen Baker 00:15:41 This weekend, we saw the tragic eruption once again of political violence in America. Unfortunately, this is just the extreme end of a growing wave of threats, intimidation and occasionally worse that is hitting public officials at all levels. While America has gone through waves of more and less violent periods in its recent past, this wave is distinctive, and it is very much coming as part and parcel of a new authoritarian moment. Such times call for clear heads and careful analysis, so let's make a start. This weekend, we saw the tragic eruption once again of political violence in America. Unfortunately, this is just the extreme end of a growing wave of threats, intimidation and occasionally worse that is hitting public officials at all levels. While America has gone through waves of more and less violent periods in its recent past, this wave is distinctive, and it is very much coming as part and parcel of a new authoritarian moment. Such times call for clear heads and careful analysis, so let's make a start. false full 325 b96f0fbc-bcc5-4045-ad93-1702bed468e2 Trump’s Quiet Immigration U-Turn Just Exposed His Weakness Something happened almost, but not quite, unnoticed. Trump admitted that his administration's approach to its mass deportation project was having a major consequence - and the policy on illegal immigration has been quietly changed as a result. That in itself is quite interesting - but it actually reflects a solid reason why Trump's authoritarian experiment can only ever go so far before it hits similar roadblocks. And while his populist playbook is highly effective, it gives hints as to how it can perhaps be countered in the future. Worth discussing anyway.

]]> Sat, 14 Jun 2025 20:06:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Something happened almost, but not quite, unnoticed. Trump admitted that his administration's approach to its mass deportation project was having a major consequence - and the policy on illegal immigration has been quietly changed as a result. That in itself is quite interesting - but it actually reflects a solid reason why Trump's authoritarian experiment can only ever go so far before it hits similar roadblocks. And while his populist playbook is highly effective, it gives hints as to how it can perhaps be countered in the future. Worth discussing anyway.

]]> Trump’s Quiet Immigration U-Turn Just Exposed His Weakness Mallen Baker 00:20:11 Something happened almost, but not quite, unnoticed. Trump admitted that his administration's approach to its mass deportation project was having a major consequence - and the policy on illegal immigration has been quietly changed as a result. That in itself is quite interesting - but it actually reflects a solid reason why Trump's authoritarian experiment can only ever go so far before it hits similar roadblocks. And while his populist playbook is highly effective, it gives hints as to how it can perhaps be countered in the future. Worth discussing anyway. Something happened almost, but not quite, unnoticed. Trump admitted that his administration's approach to its mass deportation project was having a major consequence - and the policy on illegal immigration has been quietly changed as a result. That in itself is quite interesting - but it actually reflects a solid reason why Trump's authoritarian experiment can only ever go so far before it hits similar roadblocks. And while his populist playbook is highly effective, it gives hints as to how it can perhaps be countered in the future. Worth discussing anyway. false full 324 0dbc65bd-43d1-4040-adcc-67efcf8767f7 Israel’s Iran Attack Just Exposed Trump’s Biggest Weakness Israel has transformed the world geopolitical stage again by launching a direct and sustained assault on Iran. It wrongfooted President Trump by doing so in open defiance of his wishes, and it has presented him with a massive dilemma. Because the president who is both Israel's staunch ally AND the president who promised not to get involved in foreign wars, is now caught on the edge of events he can't control. The day before he's due to strut in front of the largest and most powerful army in the world, the question really is what does that even mean in an era when 'big history' has returned with a vengeance? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:32:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Israel has transformed the world geopolitical stage again by launching a direct and sustained assault on Iran. It wrongfooted President Trump by doing so in open defiance of his wishes, and it has presented him with a massive dilemma. Because the president who is both Israel's staunch ally AND the president who promised not to get involved in foreign wars, is now caught on the edge of events he can't control. The day before he's due to strut in front of the largest and most powerful army in the world, the question really is what does that even mean in an era when 'big history' has returned with a vengeance? Let's discuss.

]]> Israel’s Iran Attack Just Exposed Trump’s Biggest Weakness Mallen Baker 00:14:45 Israel has transformed the world geopolitical stage again by launching a direct and sustained assault on Iran. It wrongfooted President Trump by doing so in open defiance of his wishes, and it has presented him with a massive dilemma. Because the president who is both Israel's staunch ally AND the president who promised not to get involved in foreign wars, is now caught on the edge of events he can't control. The day before he's due to strut in front of the largest and most powerful army in the world, the question really is what does that even mean in an era when 'big history' has returned with a vengeance? Let's discuss. Israel has transformed the world geopolitical stage again by launching a direct and sustained assault on Iran. It wrongfooted President Trump by doing so in open defiance of his wishes, and it has presented him with a massive dilemma. Because the president who is both Israel's staunch ally AND the president who promised not to get involved in foreign wars, is now caught on the edge of events he can't control. The day before he's due to strut in front of the largest and most powerful army in the world, the question really is what does that even mean in an era when 'big history' has returned with a vengeance? Let's discuss. false full 323 c1d2fbac-ee14-4a03-9e78-4a7c2a032eaa Trump’s America vs the World: AUKUS, NATO, G7 at Risk A period of extreme stress has begun for many of the leaders of the free world. Beginning with the announcement from the US that it is throwing the Aukus partnership into the air to see if it lands 'America First' side up, and then going from there to the G7, and then the NATO summit. Everyone is asking one question - what will President Trump do? Seriously - agendas are being shaped not around the world's greatest problems but how can we avoid a meltdown? But the real question that won't be tabled should be this - is the US still fit to be called an ally of any of the countries around any of the tables? If so - why is it continually acting more like an adversary? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 12 Jun 2025 20:23:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A period of extreme stress has begun for many of the leaders of the free world. Beginning with the announcement from the US that it is throwing the Aukus partnership into the air to see if it lands 'America First' side up, and then going from there to the G7, and then the NATO summit. Everyone is asking one question - what will President Trump do? Seriously - agendas are being shaped not around the world's greatest problems but how can we avoid a meltdown? But the real question that won't be tabled should be this - is the US still fit to be called an ally of any of the countries around any of the tables? If so - why is it continually acting more like an adversary? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s America vs the World: AUKUS, NATO, G7 at Risk Mallen Baker 00:12:49 A period of extreme stress has begun for many of the leaders of the free world. Beginning with the announcement from the US that it is throwing the Aukus partnership into the air to see if it lands 'America First' side up, and then going from there to the G7, and then the NATO summit. Everyone is asking one question - what will President Trump do? Seriously - agendas are being shaped not around the world's greatest problems but how can we avoid a meltdown? But the real question that won't be tabled should be this - is the US still fit to be called an ally of any of the countries around any of the tables? If so - why is it continually acting more like an adversary? Let's discuss. A period of extreme stress has begun for many of the leaders of the free world. Beginning with the announcement from the US that it is throwing the Aukus partnership into the air to see if it lands 'America First' side up, and then going from there to the G7, and then the NATO summit. Everyone is asking one question - what will President Trump do? Seriously - agendas are being shaped not around the world's greatest problems but how can we avoid a meltdown? But the real question that won't be tabled should be this - is the US still fit to be called an ally of any of the countries around any of the tables? If so - why is it continually acting more like an adversary? Let's discuss. false full 322 16016b75-769b-4e6d-a48f-c08627fd99d7 China Just Taught Trump’s America A Hard Lesson China and the US just wrapped up two days of trade talks in London. But the fascinating thing is what they are NOT saying about what was agreed. There's more to it than meets the eye, and there's a reason why Trump isn't admitting what he gave the Chinese - because he's not keen to confess that he made a massive miscalculation when he launched his original unprovoked attack on them. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 11 Jun 2025 19:30:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China and the US just wrapped up two days of trade talks in London. But the fascinating thing is what they are NOT saying about what was agreed. There's more to it than meets the eye, and there's a reason why Trump isn't admitting what he gave the Chinese - because he's not keen to confess that he made a massive miscalculation when he launched his original unprovoked attack on them. Let's discuss.

]]> China Just Taught Trump’s America A Hard Lesson Mallen Baker 00:13:33 China and the US just wrapped up two days of trade talks in London. But the fascinating thing is what they are NOT saying about what was agreed. There's more to it than meets the eye, and there's a reason why Trump isn't admitting what he gave the Chinese - because he's not keen to confess that he made a massive miscalculation when he launched his original unprovoked attack on them. Let's discuss. China and the US just wrapped up two days of trade talks in London. But the fascinating thing is what they are NOT saying about what was agreed. There's more to it than meets the eye, and there's a reason why Trump isn't admitting what he gave the Chinese - because he's not keen to confess that he made a massive miscalculation when he launched his original unprovoked attack on them. Let's discuss. false full 321 8fcf0e11-2840-486a-b7e7-d507911d186c The Real Reason Trump Sent in the Troops — And What It Sets Up Next The crisis in LA has deepened since we discussed it two days ago. President Trump doubled the number of National Guard, and added 700 US marines for good measure. He speculated about the merit of arresting state governor Gavin Newsom, and his team have been spreading through social media that the Democrats are basically supporting an insurrection against the duly elected Trump administration. The rhetoric sounds wild and unhinged, but it isn't accidental, and it very much points to the playbook this entire event was created for. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 10 Jun 2025 21:07:51 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The crisis in LA has deepened since we discussed it two days ago. President Trump doubled the number of National Guard, and added 700 US marines for good measure. He speculated about the merit of arresting state governor Gavin Newsom, and his team have been spreading through social media that the Democrats are basically supporting an insurrection against the duly elected Trump administration. The rhetoric sounds wild and unhinged, but it isn't accidental, and it very much points to the playbook this entire event was created for. Let's discuss.

]]> The Real Reason Trump Sent in the Troops — And What It Sets Up Next Mallen Baker 00:17:43 The crisis in LA has deepened since we discussed it two days ago. President Trump doubled the number of National Guard, and added 700 US marines for good measure. He speculated about the merit of arresting state governor Gavin Newsom, and his team have been spreading through social media that the Democrats are basically supporting an insurrection against the duly elected Trump administration. The rhetoric sounds wild and unhinged, but it isn't accidental, and it very much points to the playbook this entire event was created for. Let's discuss. The crisis in LA has deepened since we discussed it two days ago. President Trump doubled the number of National Guard, and added 700 US marines for good measure. He speculated about the merit of arresting state governor Gavin Newsom, and his team have been spreading through social media that the Democrats are basically supporting an insurrection against the duly elected Trump administration. The rhetoric sounds wild and unhinged, but it isn't accidental, and it very much points to the playbook this entire event was created for. Let's discuss. false full 320 ee282742-048d-42ed-9fd4-389d5b5948a7 Why Trump’s Golden Dome Makes The World LESS SAFE It's a great idea in theory - an impregnable missile defence shield to protect the country from any attack from its numerous enemies around the world. But for a variety of reasons, numerous experts, agencies and countries believe President Trump's Golden Dome project will have the overall effect of making the world less safe - and that includes the United States as well. That's even before you get to those with rather powerful arguments as to why it won't even work anyway. It could completely upend current assumptions about war, deterrence and the exercise of power in the world - we should probably discuss.

]]> Mon, 9 Jun 2025 19:47:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It's a great idea in theory - an impregnable missile defence shield to protect the country from any attack from its numerous enemies around the world. But for a variety of reasons, numerous experts, agencies and countries believe President Trump's Golden Dome project will have the overall effect of making the world less safe - and that includes the United States as well. That's even before you get to those with rather powerful arguments as to why it won't even work anyway. It could completely upend current assumptions about war, deterrence and the exercise of power in the world - we should probably discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Golden Dome Makes The World LESS SAFE Mallen Baker 00:10:50 It's a great idea in theory - an impregnable missile defence shield to protect the country from any attack from its numerous enemies around the world. But for a variety of reasons, numerous experts, agencies and countries believe President Trump's Golden Dome project will have the overall effect of making the world less safe - and that includes the United States as well. That's even before you get to those with rather powerful arguments as to why it won't even work anyway. It could completely upend current assumptions about war, deterrence and the exercise of power in the world - we should probably discuss. It's a great idea in theory - an impregnable missile defence shield to protect the country from any attack from its numerous enemies around the world. But for a variety of reasons, numerous experts, agencies and countries believe President Trump's Golden Dome project will have the overall effect of making the world less safe - and that includes the United States as well. That's even before you get to those with rather powerful arguments as to why it won't even work anyway. It could completely upend current assumptions about war, deterrence and the exercise of power in the world - we should probably discuss. false full 319 9b116d85-1bd0-4470-9014-9552d7f63417 Trump Sends National Guard To LA - Why It’s Just The Beginning The use of the National Guard to quell violent protests / riots in LA obviously crosses a line, but it's only the start of a journey that was mapped out by the authors of Project 2025 before Trump was re-elected. The administration was given the perfect excuse they've been waiting for, and they have done exactly what they've been planning to do. But it's what comes next that matters. Because the authoritarian playbook takes this in a specific direction, and it will be easy to pretend it's sort-of business-as-usual right up until the point you realise you crossed the point of no return without noticing some way back. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 8 Jun 2025 20:35:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The use of the National Guard to quell violent protests / riots in LA obviously crosses a line, but it's only the start of a journey that was mapped out by the authors of Project 2025 before Trump was re-elected. The administration was given the perfect excuse they've been waiting for, and they have done exactly what they've been planning to do. But it's what comes next that matters. Because the authoritarian playbook takes this in a specific direction, and it will be easy to pretend it's sort-of business-as-usual right up until the point you realise you crossed the point of no return without noticing some way back. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Sends National Guard To LA - Why It’s Just The Beginning Mallen Baker 00:12:22 The use of the National Guard to quell violent protests / riots in LA obviously crosses a line, but it's only the start of a journey that was mapped out by the authors of Project 2025 before Trump was re-elected. The administration was given the perfect excuse they've been waiting for, and they have done exactly what they've been planning to do. But it's what comes next that matters. Because the authoritarian playbook takes this in a specific direction, and it will be easy to pretend it's sort-of business-as-usual right up until the point you realise you crossed the point of no return without noticing some way back. Let's discuss. The use of the National Guard to quell violent protests / riots in LA obviously crosses a line, but it's only the start of a journey that was mapped out by the authors of Project 2025 before Trump was re-elected. The administration was given the perfect excuse they've been waiting for, and they have done exactly what they've been planning to do. But it's what comes next that matters. Because the authoritarian playbook takes this in a specific direction, and it will be easy to pretend it's sort-of business-as-usual right up until the point you realise you crossed the point of no return without noticing some way back. Let's discuss. false full 318 677d9b82-528e-464a-980a-3ce7cfb515fb Leaked Russian Spy Memo Says China Is The Enemy A leaked FSB briefing document has been revealed - and it is fascinating for what it shows about Russia's REAL attitude to its supposed close ally China. These are two authoritarians side by side in opposition to the hegemony of the United States, but they are also deeply suspicious of each other and know full well that the alliance is only skin deep. And even with all that being said, President Trump's plan to pull them apart is doomed to abject failure. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 7 Jun 2025 20:24:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A leaked FSB briefing document has been revealed - and it is fascinating for what it shows about Russia's REAL attitude to its supposed close ally China. These are two authoritarians side by side in opposition to the hegemony of the United States, but they are also deeply suspicious of each other and know full well that the alliance is only skin deep. And even with all that being said, President Trump's plan to pull them apart is doomed to abject failure. Let's discuss.

]]> Leaked Russian Spy Memo Says China Is The Enemy Mallen Baker 00:12:40 A leaked FSB briefing document has been revealed - and it is fascinating for what it shows about Russia's REAL attitude to its supposed close ally China. These are two authoritarians side by side in opposition to the hegemony of the United States, but they are also deeply suspicious of each other and know full well that the alliance is only skin deep. And even with all that being said, President Trump's plan to pull them apart is doomed to abject failure. Let's discuss. A leaked FSB briefing document has been revealed - and it is fascinating for what it shows about Russia's REAL attitude to its supposed close ally China. These are two authoritarians side by side in opposition to the hegemony of the United States, but they are also deeply suspicious of each other and know full well that the alliance is only skin deep. And even with all that being said, President Trump's plan to pull them apart is doomed to abject failure. Let's discuss. false full 317 2132711f-3716-4969-a16a-4573038e6187 The Musk vs Trump Civil War - Why It’s Bigger Than You Think Yes, Elon Musk vs Donald Trump - it's very entertaining. The memes are flowing in industrial quantities. But a lot of people are missing just how important a pivot point this is. In classic authoritarian regimes, the betrayal by the insider is the moment that provokes the most powerful reaction - and the terms in which Musk has attacked are not light, they are serious and existential. However they play the first few days in the aftermath, there will now be a longer game cranking into gear. And the shape of that will determine just how deep this authoritarian moment in America's history is going to get. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 6 Jun 2025 18:23:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Yes, Elon Musk vs Donald Trump - it's very entertaining. The memes are flowing in industrial quantities. But a lot of people are missing just how important a pivot point this is. In classic authoritarian regimes, the betrayal by the insider is the moment that provokes the most powerful reaction - and the terms in which Musk has attacked are not light, they are serious and existential. However they play the first few days in the aftermath, there will now be a longer game cranking into gear. And the shape of that will determine just how deep this authoritarian moment in America's history is going to get. Let's discuss.

]]> The Musk vs Trump Civil War - Why It’s Bigger Than You Think Mallen Baker 00:18:25 Yes, Elon Musk vs Donald Trump - it's very entertaining. The memes are flowing in industrial quantities. But a lot of people are missing just how important a pivot point this is. In classic authoritarian regimes, the betrayal by the insider is the moment that provokes the most powerful reaction - and the terms in which Musk has attacked are not light, they are serious and existential. However they play the first few days in the aftermath, there will now be a longer game cranking into gear. And the shape of that will determine just how deep this authoritarian moment in America's history is going to get. Let's discuss. Yes, Elon Musk vs Donald Trump - it's very entertaining. The memes are flowing in industrial quantities. But a lot of people are missing just how important a pivot point this is. In classic authoritarian regimes, the betrayal by the insider is the moment that provokes the most powerful reaction - and the terms in which Musk has attacked are not light, they are serious and existential. However they play the first few days in the aftermath, there will now be a longer game cranking into gear. And the shape of that will determine just how deep this authoritarian moment in America's history is going to get. Let's discuss. false full 316 b0038f65-4c87-4dc9-9c52-479580b8432a China and Germany Manage Trump Like A Toddler We got a surprise today, when it was suddenly announced that China's President Xi Jinping and President Trump had spoken directly on the phone. And then it was the turn of Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz to play the game of 'spin the Oval Office wheel'. Would he get ambushed, or treated with respect? And what difference would it make that both men had been playing hardball in recent weeks and months with the US administration? Well, the other world leaders have been playing close attention, so let's discuss what they've been seeing.

]]> Thu, 5 Jun 2025 20:27:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We got a surprise today, when it was suddenly announced that China's President Xi Jinping and President Trump had spoken directly on the phone. And then it was the turn of Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz to play the game of 'spin the Oval Office wheel'. Would he get ambushed, or treated with respect? And what difference would it make that both men had been playing hardball in recent weeks and months with the US administration? Well, the other world leaders have been playing close attention, so let's discuss what they've been seeing.

]]> China and Germany Manage Trump Like A Toddler Mallen Baker 00:16:08 We got a surprise today, when it was suddenly announced that China's President Xi Jinping and President Trump had spoken directly on the phone. And then it was the turn of Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz to play the game of 'spin the Oval Office wheel'. Would he get ambushed, or treated with respect? And what difference would it make that both men had been playing hardball in recent weeks and months with the US administration? Well, the other world leaders have been playing close attention, so let's discuss what they've been seeing. We got a surprise today, when it was suddenly announced that China's President Xi Jinping and President Trump had spoken directly on the phone. And then it was the turn of Germany's Chancellor Friedrich Merz to play the game of 'spin the Oval Office wheel'. Would he get ambushed, or treated with respect? And what difference would it make that both men had been playing hardball in recent weeks and months with the US administration? Well, the other world leaders have been playing close attention, so let's discuss what they've been seeing. false full 315 16171a64-03fc-40c2-aafe-4ee401665b5d Why The Trump And Musk Explosion Was Inevitable Everyone - even me - was saying that sooner or later a huge falling out between President Trump and Elon Musk would have to happen. Just when we thought that had been avoided, suddenly it's all kicking off. The fact of the falling out, then, is as expected - but the fact that it's over a point of real substance that matters - actually, that's more surprising. It may just focus an important part of America on the issue of the national debt. And given who's involved, it will probably do so in ... colourful ways. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 4 Jun 2025 20:52:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Everyone - even me - was saying that sooner or later a huge falling out between President Trump and Elon Musk would have to happen. Just when we thought that had been avoided, suddenly it's all kicking off. The fact of the falling out, then, is as expected - but the fact that it's over a point of real substance that matters - actually, that's more surprising. It may just focus an important part of America on the issue of the national debt. And given who's involved, it will probably do so in ... colourful ways. Let's discuss.

]]> Why The Trump And Musk Explosion Was Inevitable Mallen Baker 00:17:25 Everyone - even me - was saying that sooner or later a huge falling out between President Trump and Elon Musk would have to happen. Just when we thought that had been avoided, suddenly it's all kicking off. The fact of the falling out, then, is as expected - but the fact that it's over a point of real substance that matters - actually, that's more surprising. It may just focus an important part of America on the issue of the national debt. And given who's involved, it will probably do so in ... colourful ways. Let's discuss. Everyone - even me - was saying that sooner or later a huge falling out between President Trump and Elon Musk would have to happen. Just when we thought that had been avoided, suddenly it's all kicking off. The fact of the falling out, then, is as expected - but the fact that it's over a point of real substance that matters - actually, that's more surprising. It may just focus an important part of America on the issue of the national debt. And given who's involved, it will probably do so in ... colourful ways. Let's discuss. false full 314 79149c72-7be1-43da-818a-0e936e8b2c0e Trump's Ambassador Tells Canada To Quit Moaning! Trump's Canada ambassador Pete Hoekstra already got noticed by scolding Canadians for boycotting American products in their stores. Now, he's back to tell the country that Trump just tariffed at 50% (steel and aluminium) to get over themselves. That should work. Meanwhile, Canada is fast-tracking projects to boost growth, build alternative trade routes and generally leave the United States behind like a bad dream. At least, that's the plan. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 3 Jun 2025 16:46:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's Canada ambassador Pete Hoekstra already got noticed by scolding Canadians for boycotting American products in their stores. Now, he's back to tell the country that Trump just tariffed at 50% (steel and aluminium) to get over themselves. That should work. Meanwhile, Canada is fast-tracking projects to boost growth, build alternative trade routes and generally leave the United States behind like a bad dream. At least, that's the plan. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Ambassador Tells Canada To Quit Moaning! Mallen Baker 00:09:35 Trump's Canada ambassador Pete Hoekstra already got noticed by scolding Canadians for boycotting American products in their stores. Now, he's back to tell the country that Trump just tariffed at 50% (steel and aluminium) to get over themselves. That should work. Meanwhile, Canada is fast-tracking projects to boost growth, build alternative trade routes and generally leave the United States behind like a bad dream. At least, that's the plan. Let's discuss. Trump's Canada ambassador Pete Hoekstra already got noticed by scolding Canadians for boycotting American products in their stores. Now, he's back to tell the country that Trump just tariffed at 50% (steel and aluminium) to get over themselves. That should work. Meanwhile, Canada is fast-tracking projects to boost growth, build alternative trade routes and generally leave the United States behind like a bad dream. At least, that's the plan. Let's discuss. false full 313 0e8bfa7a-84c6-46df-8337-2ac7131016c5 Ukraine’s Bold Attack Exposes Trump’s Impotence on Russia Ukraine sat down for more direct talks with Russia today - and that managed not to remotely be the story. More important was Ukraine's dramatic strike on air bases deep into Russian territory, where they demonstrated their ability to take the fight to the enemy. All this throws into sharp contrast President Trump's attempts to remain relevant to the conflict, and the futility of the so-called peace process when Russia clearly right now does not want peace. And yet Ukraine, and its European allies, continue to give Trump power in the process by pretending he's crucial to it. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 2 Jun 2025 20:26:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Ukraine sat down for more direct talks with Russia today - and that managed not to remotely be the story. More important was Ukraine's dramatic strike on air bases deep into Russian territory, where they demonstrated their ability to take the fight to the enemy. All this throws into sharp contrast President Trump's attempts to remain relevant to the conflict, and the futility of the so-called peace process when Russia clearly right now does not want peace. And yet Ukraine, and its European allies, continue to give Trump power in the process by pretending he's crucial to it. Let's discuss.

]]> Ukraine’s Bold Attack Exposes Trump’s Impotence on Russia Mallen Baker 00:14:38 Ukraine sat down for more direct talks with Russia today - and that managed not to remotely be the story. More important was Ukraine's dramatic strike on air bases deep into Russian territory, where they demonstrated their ability to take the fight to the enemy. All this throws into sharp contrast President Trump's attempts to remain relevant to the conflict, and the futility of the so-called peace process when Russia clearly right now does not want peace. And yet Ukraine, and its European allies, continue to give Trump power in the process by pretending he's crucial to it. Let's discuss. Ukraine sat down for more direct talks with Russia today - and that managed not to remotely be the story. More important was Ukraine's dramatic strike on air bases deep into Russian territory, where they demonstrated their ability to take the fight to the enemy. All this throws into sharp contrast President Trump's attempts to remain relevant to the conflict, and the futility of the so-called peace process when Russia clearly right now does not want peace. And yet Ukraine, and its European allies, continue to give Trump power in the process by pretending he's crucial to it. Let's discuss. false full 312 d70cf592-d8aa-47d5-a5a7-8e6c73ce4b94 Even Business Travellers Are Scared Of Trump's America We've heard about how tourists are either boycotting holiday travel to the US, or are just scared by stories of people being detained for days or weeks on the border. But now it seems that even business travellers, who you would expect to be resistant to such issues, are also worried about, and increasingly avoiding, travel to Trump's America. And when they do go, they are taking the sort of precautions they previously only worried about if they were travelling to Communist China or Putin's Russia. Let's have a look.

]]> Sun, 1 Jun 2025 19:20:40 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We've heard about how tourists are either boycotting holiday travel to the US, or are just scared by stories of people being detained for days or weeks on the border. But now it seems that even business travellers, who you would expect to be resistant to such issues, are also worried about, and increasingly avoiding, travel to Trump's America. And when they do go, they are taking the sort of precautions they previously only worried about if they were travelling to Communist China or Putin's Russia. Let's have a look.

]]> Even Business Travellers Are Scared Of Trump's America Mallen Baker 00:13:54 We've heard about how tourists are either boycotting holiday travel to the US, or are just scared by stories of people being detained for days or weeks on the border. But now it seems that even business travellers, who you would expect to be resistant to such issues, are also worried about, and increasingly avoiding, travel to Trump's America. And when they do go, they are taking the sort of precautions they previously only worried about if they were travelling to Communist China or Putin's Russia. Let's have a look. We've heard about how tourists are either boycotting holiday travel to the US, or are just scared by stories of people being detained for days or weeks on the border. But now it seems that even business travellers, who you would expect to be resistant to such issues, are also worried about, and increasingly avoiding, travel to Trump's America. And when they do go, they are taking the sort of precautions they previously only worried about if they were travelling to Communist China or Putin's Russia. Let's have a look. false full 311 7fda5f63-5333-4cc2-850a-e54118050261 Why Trump’s MAGA Is Interfering In Poland Elections Poland goes to the polls to elect its next president this weekend. And Trump's MAGA movement has been actively campaigning for the candidate it sees as most aligned with the Trumpian populist wave they want to sweep across Europe. Their manifesto is hostile to the European Union and similarly so to basic democratic institutions. Hostile as well to Donald Tusk's government, which is finding much of what it wants to do blocked by the Trump-friendly incumbent. And the opinion polling shows the vote is on a knife-edge. So how is MAGA getting involved, and what is really at stake in this election? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 31 May 2025 19:18:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Poland goes to the polls to elect its next president this weekend. And Trump's MAGA movement has been actively campaigning for the candidate it sees as most aligned with the Trumpian populist wave they want to sweep across Europe. Their manifesto is hostile to the European Union and similarly so to basic democratic institutions. Hostile as well to Donald Tusk's government, which is finding much of what it wants to do blocked by the Trump-friendly incumbent. And the opinion polling shows the vote is on a knife-edge. So how is MAGA getting involved, and what is really at stake in this election? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s MAGA Is Interfering In Poland Elections Mallen Baker 00:10:24 Poland goes to the polls to elect its next president this weekend. And Trump's MAGA movement has been actively campaigning for the candidate it sees as most aligned with the Trumpian populist wave they want to sweep across Europe. Their manifesto is hostile to the European Union and similarly so to basic democratic institutions. Hostile as well to Donald Tusk's government, which is finding much of what it wants to do blocked by the Trump-friendly incumbent. And the opinion polling shows the vote is on a knife-edge. So how is MAGA getting involved, and what is really at stake in this election? Let's discuss. Poland goes to the polls to elect its next president this weekend. And Trump's MAGA movement has been actively campaigning for the candidate it sees as most aligned with the Trumpian populist wave they want to sweep across Europe. Their manifesto is hostile to the European Union and similarly so to basic democratic institutions. Hostile as well to Donald Tusk's government, which is finding much of what it wants to do blocked by the Trump-friendly incumbent. And the opinion polling shows the vote is on a knife-edge. So how is MAGA getting involved, and what is really at stake in this election? Let's discuss. false full 310 57d0e14f-47b9-4e89-ba1f-cd7753723927 Why Did Trump Suddenly Turn On China Again? Everything seems to have settled down with President Trump's America and China now that they'd climbed down from their maximalist tariff barrage. But Trump doesn't do quiet and settled, and so he exploded the peace with a range of new measures targeting China, along with an explosive tweet where he accused them of breaking the 'agreement' they had previously reached. What caused it - and does this mean we're back into the spiralling world of consequences? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 30 May 2025 20:12:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Everything seems to have settled down with President Trump's America and China now that they'd climbed down from their maximalist tariff barrage. But Trump doesn't do quiet and settled, and so he exploded the peace with a range of new measures targeting China, along with an explosive tweet where he accused them of breaking the 'agreement' they had previously reached. What caused it - and does this mean we're back into the spiralling world of consequences? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Did Trump Suddenly Turn On China Again? Mallen Baker 00:14:26 Everything seems to have settled down with President Trump's America and China now that they'd climbed down from their maximalist tariff barrage. But Trump doesn't do quiet and settled, and so he exploded the peace with a range of new measures targeting China, along with an explosive tweet where he accused them of breaking the 'agreement' they had previously reached. What caused it - and does this mean we're back into the spiralling world of consequences? Let's discuss. Everything seems to have settled down with President Trump's America and China now that they'd climbed down from their maximalist tariff barrage. But Trump doesn't do quiet and settled, and so he exploded the peace with a range of new measures targeting China, along with an explosive tweet where he accused them of breaking the 'agreement' they had previously reached. What caused it - and does this mean we're back into the spiralling world of consequences? Let's discuss. false full 309 79ad4219-8e3e-41a5-96a5-c9d21c8a605d Trump’s Tariffs In Disarray - Why This Could Be A Dangerous Moment President Trump has been having SO much fun, slapping tariffs on the EU, hitting China, randomly spraying charges on everybody including the penguins. But now it has been pointed out, not unreasonably, that maybe one person shouldn't have the power to single-handedly reduce global economic growth on the basis of fringe ideas about how trade and the economy work. Will this be the start of the slide for Trump's presidency - or the inciting incident for his administration finally crossing the Rubicon into full-on authoritarian mode? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 29 May 2025 17:30:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has been having SO much fun, slapping tariffs on the EU, hitting China, randomly spraying charges on everybody including the penguins. But now it has been pointed out, not unreasonably, that maybe one person shouldn't have the power to single-handedly reduce global economic growth on the basis of fringe ideas about how trade and the economy work. Will this be the start of the slide for Trump's presidency - or the inciting incident for his administration finally crossing the Rubicon into full-on authoritarian mode? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Tariffs In Disarray - Why This Could Be A Dangerous Moment Mallen Baker 00:13:48 President Trump has been having SO much fun, slapping tariffs on the EU, hitting China, randomly spraying charges on everybody including the penguins. But now it has been pointed out, not unreasonably, that maybe one person shouldn't have the power to single-handedly reduce global economic growth on the basis of fringe ideas about how trade and the economy work. Will this be the start of the slide for Trump's presidency - or the inciting incident for his administration finally crossing the Rubicon into full-on authoritarian mode? Let's discuss. President Trump has been having SO much fun, slapping tariffs on the EU, hitting China, randomly spraying charges on everybody including the penguins. But now it has been pointed out, not unreasonably, that maybe one person shouldn't have the power to single-handedly reduce global economic growth on the basis of fringe ideas about how trade and the economy work. Will this be the start of the slide for Trump's presidency - or the inciting incident for his administration finally crossing the Rubicon into full-on authoritarian mode? Let's discuss. false full 308 c259af61-bee4-43ca-8104-8a3f4a9f02d4 Will Trump Succeed In Killing Climate Action Worldwide? We all know that President Trump has taken the decision to end climate action previously being taken by the United States - that is very much his prerogative, albeit that it makes sense only if you can pretend that climate change doesn't exist. But it doesn't stop there. Because the administration is taking an active, blocking campaign out to the wider world to see to punish those who remain committed to climate action, and to remove any barriers to a new patently suicidal age of fossil fuels. What is Trump doing - and will it work? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 28 May 2025 16:44:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We all know that President Trump has taken the decision to end climate action previously being taken by the United States - that is very much his prerogative, albeit that it makes sense only if you can pretend that climate change doesn't exist. But it doesn't stop there. Because the administration is taking an active, blocking campaign out to the wider world to see to punish those who remain committed to climate action, and to remove any barriers to a new patently suicidal age of fossil fuels. What is Trump doing - and will it work? Let's discuss.

]]> Will Trump Succeed In Killing Climate Action Worldwide? Mallen Baker 00:14:30 We all know that President Trump has taken the decision to end climate action previously being taken by the United States - that is very much his prerogative, albeit that it makes sense only if you can pretend that climate change doesn't exist. But it doesn't stop there. Because the administration is taking an active, blocking campaign out to the wider world to see to punish those who remain committed to climate action, and to remove any barriers to a new patently suicidal age of fossil fuels. What is Trump doing - and will it work? Let's discuss. We all know that President Trump has taken the decision to end climate action previously being taken by the United States - that is very much his prerogative, albeit that it makes sense only if you can pretend that climate change doesn't exist. But it doesn't stop there. Because the administration is taking an active, blocking campaign out to the wider world to see to punish those who remain committed to climate action, and to remove any barriers to a new patently suicidal age of fossil fuels. What is Trump doing - and will it work? Let's discuss. false full 307 dc355764-b0a3-4b1f-8ea5-f5346d40d524 Trump Quietly Launching Attack On European Democracy Having told the Middle East, that America wouldn't be telling the world 'how to live their lives', the Trump Administration is launching a very active campaign against democratic guardrails in Europe. It is doing so under the name of 'free speech'. On this channel, I am a great champion of free speech, but the Trump version is not all that it seems. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 27 May 2025 19:55:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Having told the Middle East, that America wouldn't be telling the world 'how to live their lives', the Trump Administration is launching a very active campaign against democratic guardrails in Europe. It is doing so under the name of 'free speech'. On this channel, I am a great champion of free speech, but the Trump version is not all that it seems. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Quietly Launching Attack On European Democracy Mallen Baker 00:16:55 Having told the Middle East, that America wouldn't be telling the world 'how to live their lives', the Trump Administration is launching a very active campaign against democratic guardrails in Europe. It is doing so under the name of 'free speech'. On this channel, I am a great champion of free speech, but the Trump version is not all that it seems. Let's discuss. Having told the Middle East, that America wouldn't be telling the world 'how to live their lives', the Trump Administration is launching a very active campaign against democratic guardrails in Europe. It is doing so under the name of 'free speech'. On this channel, I am a great champion of free speech, but the Trump version is not all that it seems. Let's discuss. false full 306 ebcb21e0-d812-4c45-975b-905bec5b07ce Why Trump is Terrified Of ‘Crazy’ Putin Fiona Hill was President Trump's Russia advisor in his first term - back when he had advisors who actually knew their subject. In an interview today with the Telegraph, she talked about the moment where she saw how Trump was literally terrified by Putin, and understood how this affected the way that he dealt with him then, and likely still does in how he deals with him today. We could consider this against the backdrop of Putin's casting aside Trump's hopes for a ceasefire, his pummelling of Ukraine with a fierce attack over the weekend, and Ukraine's President Zelensky's prod for a reaction. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 26 May 2025 18:58:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Fiona Hill was President Trump's Russia advisor in his first term - back when he had advisors who actually knew their subject. In an interview today with the Telegraph, she talked about the moment where she saw how Trump was literally terrified by Putin, and understood how this affected the way that he dealt with him then, and likely still does in how he deals with him today. We could consider this against the backdrop of Putin's casting aside Trump's hopes for a ceasefire, his pummelling of Ukraine with a fierce attack over the weekend, and Ukraine's President Zelensky's prod for a reaction. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump is Terrified Of ‘Crazy’ Putin Mallen Baker 00:15:55 Fiona Hill was President Trump's Russia advisor in his first term - back when he had advisors who actually knew their subject. In an interview today with the Telegraph, she talked about the moment where she saw how Trump was literally terrified by Putin, and understood how this affected the way that he dealt with him then, and likely still does in how he deals with him today. We could consider this against the backdrop of Putin's casting aside Trump's hopes for a ceasefire, his pummelling of Ukraine with a fierce attack over the weekend, and Ukraine's President Zelensky's prod for a reaction. Let's discuss. Fiona Hill was President Trump's Russia advisor in his first term - back when he had advisors who actually knew their subject. In an interview today with the Telegraph, she talked about the moment where she saw how Trump was literally terrified by Putin, and understood how this affected the way that he dealt with him then, and likely still does in how he deals with him today. We could consider this against the backdrop of Putin's casting aside Trump's hopes for a ceasefire, his pummelling of Ukraine with a fierce attack over the weekend, and Ukraine's President Zelensky's prod for a reaction. Let's discuss. false full 305 6eb6416f-2aea-4c7a-9872-16eefce72225 Gen Z Is ABANDONING Trump A remarkable feature of the 2024 presidential election was just how much Gen Z voters swung towards Trump, particularly young men. There's a popular narrative as to why that happened, which right now is the one that best fits the facts - and which becomes all the more intriguing because recent polls have suggested that this is a process that is now starting to reverse itself. It's early days, perhaps, but having won Gen Z, Trump is now losing them. Whether the Democrats can actively win them while the opportunity is there is another thing altogether. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 25 May 2025 20:39:51 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A remarkable feature of the 2024 presidential election was just how much Gen Z voters swung towards Trump, particularly young men. There's a popular narrative as to why that happened, which right now is the one that best fits the facts - and which becomes all the more intriguing because recent polls have suggested that this is a process that is now starting to reverse itself. It's early days, perhaps, but having won Gen Z, Trump is now losing them. Whether the Democrats can actively win them while the opportunity is there is another thing altogether. Let's discuss.

]]> Gen Z Is ABANDONING Trump Mallen Baker 00:16:27 A remarkable feature of the 2024 presidential election was just how much Gen Z voters swung towards Trump, particularly young men. There's a popular narrative as to why that happened, which right now is the one that best fits the facts - and which becomes all the more intriguing because recent polls have suggested that this is a process that is now starting to reverse itself. It's early days, perhaps, but having won Gen Z, Trump is now losing them. Whether the Democrats can actively win them while the opportunity is there is another thing altogether. Let's discuss. A remarkable feature of the 2024 presidential election was just how much Gen Z voters swung towards Trump, particularly young men. There's a popular narrative as to why that happened, which right now is the one that best fits the facts - and which becomes all the more intriguing because recent polls have suggested that this is a process that is now starting to reverse itself. It's early days, perhaps, but having won Gen Z, Trump is now losing them. Whether the Democrats can actively win them while the opportunity is there is another thing altogether. Let's discuss. false full 304 afc4348e-4b7e-4260-a517-a2293935ad34 Why Insane Trump Tariffs Against EU And Apple Will Backfire Just when it seemed that things might be stabilising just a bit, Trump posted onto social media and suddenly we're right back into the throes of new trade chaos. A 50% tariff against the European Union. A 25% tariff against Apple iphones that are manufactured in India. The reasoning behind the moves is as fantastical as all the tariff stuff has been so far - so now it's the EU's turn to decide whether to fight or concede, and Apple has to work out what it does with the impossible dilemma it's been presented with. And in the mean time, it is yet more self-harm from the US which continues to send out the message that you expose yourself to high risk if you engage with it. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 24 May 2025 20:40:31 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Just when it seemed that things might be stabilising just a bit, Trump posted onto social media and suddenly we're right back into the throes of new trade chaos. A 50% tariff against the European Union. A 25% tariff against Apple iphones that are manufactured in India. The reasoning behind the moves is as fantastical as all the tariff stuff has been so far - so now it's the EU's turn to decide whether to fight or concede, and Apple has to work out what it does with the impossible dilemma it's been presented with. And in the mean time, it is yet more self-harm from the US which continues to send out the message that you expose yourself to high risk if you engage with it. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Insane Trump Tariffs Against EU And Apple Will Backfire Mallen Baker 00:16:40 Just when it seemed that things might be stabilising just a bit, Trump posted onto social media and suddenly we're right back into the throes of new trade chaos. A 50% tariff against the European Union. A 25% tariff against Apple iphones that are manufactured in India. The reasoning behind the moves is as fantastical as all the tariff stuff has been so far - so now it's the EU's turn to decide whether to fight or concede, and Apple has to work out what it does with the impossible dilemma it's been presented with. And in the mean time, it is yet more self-harm from the US which continues to send out the message that you expose yourself to high risk if you engage with it. Let's discuss. Just when it seemed that things might be stabilising just a bit, Trump posted onto social media and suddenly we're right back into the throes of new trade chaos. A 50% tariff against the European Union. A 25% tariff against Apple iphones that are manufactured in India. The reasoning behind the moves is as fantastical as all the tariff stuff has been so far - so now it's the EU's turn to decide whether to fight or concede, and Apple has to work out what it does with the impossible dilemma it's been presented with. And in the mean time, it is yet more self-harm from the US which continues to send out the message that you expose yourself to high risk if you engage with it. Let's discuss. false full 303 06f1a2ba-9cf0-4f47-9d2d-aef2b0e85a81 The Crucial Lessons From Biden's Decline America Needs To Learn Books have been landing in recent weeks opening up windows into the behind-the-scenes action around the cognitive decline of US president Joe Biden, and how the messy events of his nomination, and then withdrawal, in the 2024 campaign played out. We're left with a disturbing outcome. We could all see that Biden was not in great shape all the way back to the start of his 2020 election campaign. And yet experts, informed as they were by insiders talking his condition up, failed to believe it. And we're left looking at a process that - in multiple ways - contributed to America's democratic decline, and opened the door to Trump 2.0. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 23 May 2025 16:00:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Books have been landing in recent weeks opening up windows into the behind-the-scenes action around the cognitive decline of US president Joe Biden, and how the messy events of his nomination, and then withdrawal, in the 2024 campaign played out. We're left with a disturbing outcome. We could all see that Biden was not in great shape all the way back to the start of his 2020 election campaign. And yet experts, informed as they were by insiders talking his condition up, failed to believe it. And we're left looking at a process that - in multiple ways - contributed to America's democratic decline, and opened the door to Trump 2.0. Let's discuss.

]]> The Crucial Lessons From Biden's Decline America Needs To Learn Mallen Baker 00:18:50 Books have been landing in recent weeks opening up windows into the behind-the-scenes action around the cognitive decline of US president Joe Biden, and how the messy events of his nomination, and then withdrawal, in the 2024 campaign played out. We're left with a disturbing outcome. We could all see that Biden was not in great shape all the way back to the start of his 2020 election campaign. And yet experts, informed as they were by insiders talking his condition up, failed to believe it. And we're left looking at a process that - in multiple ways - contributed to America's democratic decline, and opened the door to Trump 2.0. Let's discuss. Books have been landing in recent weeks opening up windows into the behind-the-scenes action around the cognitive decline of US president Joe Biden, and how the messy events of his nomination, and then withdrawal, in the 2024 campaign played out. We're left with a disturbing outcome. We could all see that Biden was not in great shape all the way back to the start of his 2020 election campaign. And yet experts, informed as they were by insiders talking his condition up, failed to believe it. And we're left looking at a process that - in multiple ways - contributed to America's democratic decline, and opened the door to Trump 2.0. Let's discuss. false full 302 d4d0e4d1-0525-40de-a1c8-fe0a3f73d7d4 Trump Is CLUELESS On What He Just Did To Himself So we had another White House Struggle Session this week, this time with Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa. President Trump's ambush, watched silently by Elon Musk, unloaded a stream of accusations based on social media disinformation that made the United States look, once again, utterly foolish in the direct view of the world. By doing this a second time, and given which country he chose to do it to, Trump has harmed himself and the interests of his country a lot more than he could ever realise. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 22 May 2025 20:24:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So we had another White House Struggle Session this week, this time with Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa. President Trump's ambush, watched silently by Elon Musk, unloaded a stream of accusations based on social media disinformation that made the United States look, once again, utterly foolish in the direct view of the world. By doing this a second time, and given which country he chose to do it to, Trump has harmed himself and the interests of his country a lot more than he could ever realise. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Is CLUELESS On What He Just Did To Himself Mallen Baker 00:19:05 So we had another White House Struggle Session this week, this time with Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa. President Trump's ambush, watched silently by Elon Musk, unloaded a stream of accusations based on social media disinformation that made the United States look, once again, utterly foolish in the direct view of the world. By doing this a second time, and given which country he chose to do it to, Trump has harmed himself and the interests of his country a lot more than he could ever realise. Let's discuss. So we had another White House Struggle Session this week, this time with Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa. President Trump's ambush, watched silently by Elon Musk, unloaded a stream of accusations based on social media disinformation that made the United States look, once again, utterly foolish in the direct view of the world. By doing this a second time, and given which country he chose to do it to, Trump has harmed himself and the interests of his country a lot more than he could ever realise. Let's discuss. false full 301 76f8b850-373a-4199-8ab8-522081849e0b Elon Musk Admits It’s Over – No More Political Money We've known Elon Musk was on his way out for several weeks, but yesterday he added the final straw - he said he was going to cut any political spending right down. This is the final end of his political adventure, because it was only his potentially unlimited amounts of cash that gave him leverage over the GOP, and that kept him useful to the Trump team regardless of his personal unpopularity with the public. If that's being ruled out for the future, it gives you some idea of how wounded he is with the experience, and how much he realises it has damaged his business interests. So what does it mean - and what are the implications for Trump and the GOP? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 21 May 2025 19:22:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We've known Elon Musk was on his way out for several weeks, but yesterday he added the final straw - he said he was going to cut any political spending right down. This is the final end of his political adventure, because it was only his potentially unlimited amounts of cash that gave him leverage over the GOP, and that kept him useful to the Trump team regardless of his personal unpopularity with the public. If that's being ruled out for the future, it gives you some idea of how wounded he is with the experience, and how much he realises it has damaged his business interests. So what does it mean - and what are the implications for Trump and the GOP? Let's discuss.

]]> Elon Musk Admits It’s Over – No More Political Money Mallen Baker 00:15:22 We've known Elon Musk was on his way out for several weeks, but yesterday he added the final straw - he said he was going to cut any political spending right down. This is the final end of his political adventure, because it was only his potentially unlimited amounts of cash that gave him leverage over the GOP, and that kept him useful to the Trump team regardless of his personal unpopularity with the public. If that's being ruled out for the future, it gives you some idea of how wounded he is with the experience, and how much he realises it has damaged his business interests. So what does it mean - and what are the implications for Trump and the GOP? Let's discuss. We've known Elon Musk was on his way out for several weeks, but yesterday he added the final straw - he said he was going to cut any political spending right down. This is the final end of his political adventure, because it was only his potentially unlimited amounts of cash that gave him leverage over the GOP, and that kept him useful to the Trump team regardless of his personal unpopularity with the public. If that's being ruled out for the future, it gives you some idea of how wounded he is with the experience, and how much he realises it has damaged his business interests. So what does it mean - and what are the implications for Trump and the GOP? Let's discuss. false full 300 95631a48-a834-445c-b098-03751c44a033 The Truth About Trump and Putin's Big Phone Call US President Trump and Russian President Putin held their direct call - the one that was supposed to see Trump pushing Putin into embracing a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war. The outcome seemed not to be much in doubt - it was pretty well known that Putin was not planning to cede to such demands. The only question was whether he could play Trump so well as not to lose his support and have him come out of the call in a rage. On that grounds, the victory seems hands-down one for President Putin. Indeed - when the European leaders heard Trump's account of the call, insiders have leaked that they were stunned with shock. Let's discuss what it means, and what happens next.

]]> Tue, 20 May 2025 19:22:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast US President Trump and Russian President Putin held their direct call - the one that was supposed to see Trump pushing Putin into embracing a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war. The outcome seemed not to be much in doubt - it was pretty well known that Putin was not planning to cede to such demands. The only question was whether he could play Trump so well as not to lose his support and have him come out of the call in a rage. On that grounds, the victory seems hands-down one for President Putin. Indeed - when the European leaders heard Trump's account of the call, insiders have leaked that they were stunned with shock. Let's discuss what it means, and what happens next.

]]> The Truth About Trump and Putin's Big Phone Call Mallen Baker 00:15:36 US President Trump and Russian President Putin held their direct call - the one that was supposed to see Trump pushing Putin into embracing a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war. The outcome seemed not to be much in doubt - it was pretty well known that Putin was not planning to cede to such demands. The only question was whether he could play Trump so well as not to lose his support and have him come out of the call in a rage. On that grounds, the victory seems hands-down one for President Putin. Indeed - when the European leaders heard Trump's account of the call, insiders have leaked that they were stunned with shock. Let's discuss what it means, and what happens next. US President Trump and Russian President Putin held their direct call - the one that was supposed to see Trump pushing Putin into embracing a 30-day ceasefire in the Ukraine war. The outcome seemed not to be much in doubt - it was pretty well known that Putin was not planning to cede to such demands. The only question was whether he could play Trump so well as not to lose his support and have him come out of the call in a rage. On that grounds, the victory seems hands-down one for President Putin. Indeed - when the European leaders heard Trump's account of the call, insiders have leaked that they were stunned with shock. Let's discuss what it means, and what happens next. false full 299 621bf169-1ac8-414e-8c46-2aa23ac3a414 The UK EU Brexit Reset Deal - Did It Blow Up UK Politics? The UK and the EU announced a big post-Brexit trade deal today. For some, it was a common sense shift from the original terms of the Brexit deal to make trade a little easier, and to facilitate much needed defence co-operation in the face of Trump's disruption of European defence realities. For others, it was a total betrayal of Brexit, and the reason why Trump-lite Reform UK's Nigel Farage could end up becoming the next prime minister - albeit not until 2029. So what's the truth? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 19 May 2025 19:57:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK and the EU announced a big post-Brexit trade deal today. For some, it was a common sense shift from the original terms of the Brexit deal to make trade a little easier, and to facilitate much needed defence co-operation in the face of Trump's disruption of European defence realities. For others, it was a total betrayal of Brexit, and the reason why Trump-lite Reform UK's Nigel Farage could end up becoming the next prime minister - albeit not until 2029. So what's the truth? Let's discuss.

]]> The UK EU Brexit Reset Deal - Did It Blow Up UK Politics? Mallen Baker 00:11:47 The UK and the EU announced a big post-Brexit trade deal today. For some, it was a common sense shift from the original terms of the Brexit deal to make trade a little easier, and to facilitate much needed defence co-operation in the face of Trump's disruption of European defence realities. For others, it was a total betrayal of Brexit, and the reason why Trump-lite Reform UK's Nigel Farage could end up becoming the next prime minister - albeit not until 2029. So what's the truth? Let's discuss. The UK and the EU announced a big post-Brexit trade deal today. For some, it was a common sense shift from the original terms of the Brexit deal to make trade a little easier, and to facilitate much needed defence co-operation in the face of Trump's disruption of European defence realities. For others, it was a total betrayal of Brexit, and the reason why Trump-lite Reform UK's Nigel Farage could end up becoming the next prime minister - albeit not until 2029. So what's the truth? Let's discuss. false full 298 8f75d1de-70b0-4fb4-af14-d02a08a4edc4 Former US Ambassador To Ukraine SLAMS Trump Betrayal Bridget Brink was the US Ambassador to Ukraine during the three years post-invasion where the United States was standing relatively firm alongside its allies. Supporting the invaded party, opposing the aggressor. A month ago, she stepped down - and now she has come out with a blistering attack on the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine. Siding with Russia. Putting all the pressure on Ukraine. She had served under five presidents, she said, Republican and Democrat, but this now wasn't the America her grandparents would have recognised as the ideal they fought for. This attack comes as Trump prepares to make a direct call to Putin - so what happens next? Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 18 May 2025 18:18:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Bridget Brink was the US Ambassador to Ukraine during the three years post-invasion where the United States was standing relatively firm alongside its allies. Supporting the invaded party, opposing the aggressor. A month ago, she stepped down - and now she has come out with a blistering attack on the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine. Siding with Russia. Putting all the pressure on Ukraine. She had served under five presidents, she said, Republican and Democrat, but this now wasn't the America her grandparents would have recognised as the ideal they fought for. This attack comes as Trump prepares to make a direct call to Putin - so what happens next? Let's discuss.

]]> Former US Ambassador To Ukraine SLAMS Trump Betrayal Mallen Baker 00:12:41 Bridget Brink was the US Ambassador to Ukraine during the three years post-invasion where the United States was standing relatively firm alongside its allies. Supporting the invaded party, opposing the aggressor. A month ago, she stepped down - and now she has come out with a blistering attack on the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine. Siding with Russia. Putting all the pressure on Ukraine. She had served under five presidents, she said, Republican and Democrat, but this now wasn't the America her grandparents would have recognised as the ideal they fought for. This attack comes as Trump prepares to make a direct call to Putin - so what happens next? Let's discuss. Bridget Brink was the US Ambassador to Ukraine during the three years post-invasion where the United States was standing relatively firm alongside its allies. Supporting the invaded party, opposing the aggressor. A month ago, she stepped down - and now she has come out with a blistering attack on the Trump Administration's policies towards Ukraine. Siding with Russia. Putting all the pressure on Ukraine. She had served under five presidents, she said, Republican and Democrat, but this now wasn't the America her grandparents would have recognised as the ideal they fought for. This attack comes as Trump prepares to make a direct call to Putin - so what happens next? Let's discuss. false full 297 ff6e94d9-f7b9-48ea-be2a-6c8a0c1eabca Trump Ambassador Attacks Canada For Being Mean To America So Trump's attempted interference in Canada backfired, and the Liberals' Mark Carney won the recent election. The question is - now what? Can Canada negotiate down those tariffs and establish a relationship with the US that puts Trump's annexing ambitions out of contention? And can it do that while doing what Carney said it must - diversifying its trading base to become less vulnerable to the future whims of the US? Because the Trump team have noticed that ambition, and they're pushing back against it hard. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 17 May 2025 16:39:40 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So Trump's attempted interference in Canada backfired, and the Liberals' Mark Carney won the recent election. The question is - now what? Can Canada negotiate down those tariffs and establish a relationship with the US that puts Trump's annexing ambitions out of contention? And can it do that while doing what Carney said it must - diversifying its trading base to become less vulnerable to the future whims of the US? Because the Trump team have noticed that ambition, and they're pushing back against it hard. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump Ambassador Attacks Canada For Being Mean To America Mallen Baker 00:13:06 So Trump's attempted interference in Canada backfired, and the Liberals' Mark Carney won the recent election. The question is - now what? Can Canada negotiate down those tariffs and establish a relationship with the US that puts Trump's annexing ambitions out of contention? And can it do that while doing what Carney said it must - diversifying its trading base to become less vulnerable to the future whims of the US? Because the Trump team have noticed that ambition, and they're pushing back against it hard. Let's discuss. So Trump's attempted interference in Canada backfired, and the Liberals' Mark Carney won the recent election. The question is - now what? Can Canada negotiate down those tariffs and establish a relationship with the US that puts Trump's annexing ambitions out of contention? And can it do that while doing what Carney said it must - diversifying its trading base to become less vulnerable to the future whims of the US? Because the Trump team have noticed that ambition, and they're pushing back against it hard. Let's discuss. false full 296 fdb472dc-1081-4fc3-ae13-c918bdd237c7 Trump’s Insane Bid To Put Ex FBI Director In Jail - For Free Speech Every relevant senior member of the Trump cabinet has come out with an attack on former FBI Director James Comey - a truly astonishing exercise in gaslighting to swear that something nobody had previously suggested was the case, is self-evidently the case and it means that a pretty innocent social media post Comey put onto his Instagram feed was really a serious threat against the life of the President. It seems so ridiculous, it must be a prank. But the administration says it is launching an investigation, and numerous senior figures are saying they think Comey should be in jail. Is this the beginning of something - or just the worst example of trolling you could think of? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 16 May 2025 18:13:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Every relevant senior member of the Trump cabinet has come out with an attack on former FBI Director James Comey - a truly astonishing exercise in gaslighting to swear that something nobody had previously suggested was the case, is self-evidently the case and it means that a pretty innocent social media post Comey put onto his Instagram feed was really a serious threat against the life of the President. It seems so ridiculous, it must be a prank. But the administration says it is launching an investigation, and numerous senior figures are saying they think Comey should be in jail. Is this the beginning of something - or just the worst example of trolling you could think of? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Insane Bid To Put Ex FBI Director In Jail - For Free Speech Mallen Baker 00:14:44 Every relevant senior member of the Trump cabinet has come out with an attack on former FBI Director James Comey - a truly astonishing exercise in gaslighting to swear that something nobody had previously suggested was the case, is self-evidently the case and it means that a pretty innocent social media post Comey put onto his Instagram feed was really a serious threat against the life of the President. It seems so ridiculous, it must be a prank. But the administration says it is launching an investigation, and numerous senior figures are saying they think Comey should be in jail. Is this the beginning of something - or just the worst example of trolling you could think of? Let's discuss. Every relevant senior member of the Trump cabinet has come out with an attack on former FBI Director James Comey - a truly astonishing exercise in gaslighting to swear that something nobody had previously suggested was the case, is self-evidently the case and it means that a pretty innocent social media post Comey put onto his Instagram feed was really a serious threat against the life of the President. It seems so ridiculous, it must be a prank. But the administration says it is launching an investigation, and numerous senior figures are saying they think Comey should be in jail. Is this the beginning of something - or just the worst example of trolling you could think of? Let's discuss. false full 295 ddd58901-3ad3-47db-b008-98b953e4e139 Why Trump REALLY Lifted Sanctions On Syria President Trump has had perhaps his best week so far of his second term, being hosted by some of the richest countries of the world. He has also been making jaws drop with bold moves, particularly in meeting the new leader of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa, regardless of his recent status as a jihadist, and also announcing that he would be lifting sanctions against Syria, crediting as he did so the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for the initiative. Even some of Trump's fiercest critics have welcomed the move. Others have expressed confusion that he did so without even asking for any concessions from the Syrians. They are missing the point of what is going on. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 15 May 2025 19:35:51 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has had perhaps his best week so far of his second term, being hosted by some of the richest countries of the world. He has also been making jaws drop with bold moves, particularly in meeting the new leader of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa, regardless of his recent status as a jihadist, and also announcing that he would be lifting sanctions against Syria, crediting as he did so the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for the initiative. Even some of Trump's fiercest critics have welcomed the move. Others have expressed confusion that he did so without even asking for any concessions from the Syrians. They are missing the point of what is going on. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump REALLY Lifted Sanctions On Syria Mallen Baker 00:14:08 President Trump has had perhaps his best week so far of his second term, being hosted by some of the richest countries of the world. He has also been making jaws drop with bold moves, particularly in meeting the new leader of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa, regardless of his recent status as a jihadist, and also announcing that he would be lifting sanctions against Syria, crediting as he did so the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for the initiative. Even some of Trump's fiercest critics have welcomed the move. Others have expressed confusion that he did so without even asking for any concessions from the Syrians. They are missing the point of what is going on. Let's discuss. President Trump has had perhaps his best week so far of his second term, being hosted by some of the richest countries of the world. He has also been making jaws drop with bold moves, particularly in meeting the new leader of Syria Ahmed al-Sharaa, regardless of his recent status as a jihadist, and also announcing that he would be lifting sanctions against Syria, crediting as he did so the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for the initiative. Even some of Trump's fiercest critics have welcomed the move. Others have expressed confusion that he did so without even asking for any concessions from the Syrians. They are missing the point of what is going on. Let's discuss. false full 294 0fd14f99-046e-4a29-b053-9c99b8b20838 How Putin, China And The World Are Learning How To Play Trump It used to be that the United States, as the dominant world power, was the most powerful driving force behind world events, for better or for worse. It made mistakes sometimes, but it was a player. Now, with Trump in charge, the world has been learning that it has to manipulate him in order to get what it wants. Through flattery, or offering a deal, or refusing to budge until he inevitably backs down. This has changed the whole dynamic in ways you don't spot immediately. Although all the noise and bluster makes you think that the US is pushing everyone else to respond, actually, it has made itself into a piece on the board, rather than a player in its own right. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 14 May 2025 21:29:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It used to be that the United States, as the dominant world power, was the most powerful driving force behind world events, for better or for worse. It made mistakes sometimes, but it was a player. Now, with Trump in charge, the world has been learning that it has to manipulate him in order to get what it wants. Through flattery, or offering a deal, or refusing to budge until he inevitably backs down. This has changed the whole dynamic in ways you don't spot immediately. Although all the noise and bluster makes you think that the US is pushing everyone else to respond, actually, it has made itself into a piece on the board, rather than a player in its own right. Let's discuss.

]]> How Putin, China And The World Are Learning How To Play Trump Mallen Baker 00:16:50 It used to be that the United States, as the dominant world power, was the most powerful driving force behind world events, for better or for worse. It made mistakes sometimes, but it was a player. Now, with Trump in charge, the world has been learning that it has to manipulate him in order to get what it wants. Through flattery, or offering a deal, or refusing to budge until he inevitably backs down. This has changed the whole dynamic in ways you don't spot immediately. Although all the noise and bluster makes you think that the US is pushing everyone else to respond, actually, it has made itself into a piece on the board, rather than a player in its own right. Let's discuss. It used to be that the United States, as the dominant world power, was the most powerful driving force behind world events, for better or for worse. It made mistakes sometimes, but it was a player. Now, with Trump in charge, the world has been learning that it has to manipulate him in order to get what it wants. Through flattery, or offering a deal, or refusing to budge until he inevitably backs down. This has changed the whole dynamic in ways you don't spot immediately. Although all the noise and bluster makes you think that the US is pushing everyone else to respond, actually, it has made itself into a piece on the board, rather than a player in its own right. Let's discuss. false full 293 c5d7730e-b51e-419b-b2f1-f8cb800af531 Why Trump’s MAGA Base Is FURIOUS With Him We've been taking it as read that Trump's MAGA base would stay unquestioningly loyal to him no matter what. But that support is starting to splinter. One half are noticing the blatant corruption, and they aren't happy because they believed in 'draining the swamp'. The other half are caught in a purity spiral that nobody can survive, and they are most furious this week with RFK Jr's pick of Casey Means for Surgeon General. It's early days, but it gives us a preview of how it may all start to disintegrate later in Trump's term. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 13 May 2025 20:00:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We've been taking it as read that Trump's MAGA base would stay unquestioningly loyal to him no matter what. But that support is starting to splinter. One half are noticing the blatant corruption, and they aren't happy because they believed in 'draining the swamp'. The other half are caught in a purity spiral that nobody can survive, and they are most furious this week with RFK Jr's pick of Casey Means for Surgeon General. It's early days, but it gives us a preview of how it may all start to disintegrate later in Trump's term. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s MAGA Base Is FURIOUS With Him Mallen Baker 00:11:50 We've been taking it as read that Trump's MAGA base would stay unquestioningly loyal to him no matter what. But that support is starting to splinter. One half are noticing the blatant corruption, and they aren't happy because they believed in 'draining the swamp'. The other half are caught in a purity spiral that nobody can survive, and they are most furious this week with RFK Jr's pick of Casey Means for Surgeon General. It's early days, but it gives us a preview of how it may all start to disintegrate later in Trump's term. Let's discuss. We've been taking it as read that Trump's MAGA base would stay unquestioningly loyal to him no matter what. But that support is starting to splinter. One half are noticing the blatant corruption, and they aren't happy because they believed in 'draining the swamp'. The other half are caught in a purity spiral that nobody can survive, and they are most furious this week with RFK Jr's pick of Casey Means for Surgeon General. It's early days, but it gives us a preview of how it may all start to disintegrate later in Trump's term. Let's discuss. false full 292 0b18d2eb-e598-48f1-a068-0c0cf28da002 How Trump's Lying Is Making The Whole World Stupid Yes, yes, we all know Trump lies - so what? Well, the point is that since the US is now bullying the entire world on trade, as well as using its leverage over various countries in other ways - this has changed the entire dynamic. World leaders are starting to repeat Trump's lies back to him. They are starting to attest in public that his (highly unlikely) telling of major events is in fact accurate. In other words, his fantasy reality is starting to seriously infect what leading players tell us about the world, and hence how we understand it. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 12 May 2025 20:19:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Yes, yes, we all know Trump lies - so what? Well, the point is that since the US is now bullying the entire world on trade, as well as using its leverage over various countries in other ways - this has changed the entire dynamic. World leaders are starting to repeat Trump's lies back to him. They are starting to attest in public that his (highly unlikely) telling of major events is in fact accurate. In other words, his fantasy reality is starting to seriously infect what leading players tell us about the world, and hence how we understand it. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump's Lying Is Making The Whole World Stupid Mallen Baker 00:16:51 Yes, yes, we all know Trump lies - so what? Well, the point is that since the US is now bullying the entire world on trade, as well as using its leverage over various countries in other ways - this has changed the entire dynamic. World leaders are starting to repeat Trump's lies back to him. They are starting to attest in public that his (highly unlikely) telling of major events is in fact accurate. In other words, his fantasy reality is starting to seriously infect what leading players tell us about the world, and hence how we understand it. Let's discuss. Yes, yes, we all know Trump lies - so what? Well, the point is that since the US is now bullying the entire world on trade, as well as using its leverage over various countries in other ways - this has changed the entire dynamic. World leaders are starting to repeat Trump's lies back to him. They are starting to attest in public that his (highly unlikely) telling of major events is in fact accurate. In other words, his fantasy reality is starting to seriously infect what leading players tell us about the world, and hence how we understand it. Let's discuss. false full 291 0acdbb06-5d81-41a9-bde5-0a88728dfc44 Why Trump Is Already Panicking About The Midterms Trump only just completed his first hundred days, so it's a bit early to be thinking about it all ending, right? Except, by all reports, Trump is already obsessed about the looming midterm elections. Why? Because if he really HAS accepted that he can't run for a third term, which is what he says, then he sure wants to be able to make the most of his remaining full four years. The idea of reaching the half way point and then losing the House and / or the Senate, and having all the inquiries and impeachments - avoiding that is now his biggest goal. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 11 May 2025 19:40:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump only just completed his first hundred days, so it's a bit early to be thinking about it all ending, right? Except, by all reports, Trump is already obsessed about the looming midterm elections. Why? Because if he really HAS accepted that he can't run for a third term, which is what he says, then he sure wants to be able to make the most of his remaining full four years. The idea of reaching the half way point and then losing the House and / or the Senate, and having all the inquiries and impeachments - avoiding that is now his biggest goal. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump Is Already Panicking About The Midterms Mallen Baker 00:13:12 Trump only just completed his first hundred days, so it's a bit early to be thinking about it all ending, right? Except, by all reports, Trump is already obsessed about the looming midterm elections. Why? Because if he really HAS accepted that he can't run for a third term, which is what he says, then he sure wants to be able to make the most of his remaining full four years. The idea of reaching the half way point and then losing the House and / or the Senate, and having all the inquiries and impeachments - avoiding that is now his biggest goal. Let's discuss. Trump only just completed his first hundred days, so it's a bit early to be thinking about it all ending, right? Except, by all reports, Trump is already obsessed about the looming midterm elections. Why? Because if he really HAS accepted that he can't run for a third term, which is what he says, then he sure wants to be able to make the most of his remaining full four years. The idea of reaching the half way point and then losing the House and / or the Senate, and having all the inquiries and impeachments - avoiding that is now his biggest goal. Let's discuss. false full 290 d7697e3e-1376-4924-a8e1-0c54a643d1db Why Trump LOST To China Even Before Talks Started Having created a major impasse between the US and China with mutual tariff obliteration, Trump has been trying to work out how the US can extract itself from at least some of the self-inflicted harm. Since neither leader will call the other, second level executives from each side are meeting in Switzerland this weekend to conduct exploratory pre-negotiations. But Trump has already signalled he would be inclined to reduce tariffs to half the current amount - a visible sign of wavering that will surely only add strength and confidence to the other side, which currently insists he should remove all the tariffs. So what happens next? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 10 May 2025 18:29:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Having created a major impasse between the US and China with mutual tariff obliteration, Trump has been trying to work out how the US can extract itself from at least some of the self-inflicted harm. Since neither leader will call the other, second level executives from each side are meeting in Switzerland this weekend to conduct exploratory pre-negotiations. But Trump has already signalled he would be inclined to reduce tariffs to half the current amount - a visible sign of wavering that will surely only add strength and confidence to the other side, which currently insists he should remove all the tariffs. So what happens next? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump LOST To China Even Before Talks Started Mallen Baker 00:11:39 Having created a major impasse between the US and China with mutual tariff obliteration, Trump has been trying to work out how the US can extract itself from at least some of the self-inflicted harm. Since neither leader will call the other, second level executives from each side are meeting in Switzerland this weekend to conduct exploratory pre-negotiations. But Trump has already signalled he would be inclined to reduce tariffs to half the current amount - a visible sign of wavering that will surely only add strength and confidence to the other side, which currently insists he should remove all the tariffs. So what happens next? Let's discuss. Having created a major impasse between the US and China with mutual tariff obliteration, Trump has been trying to work out how the US can extract itself from at least some of the self-inflicted harm. Since neither leader will call the other, second level executives from each side are meeting in Switzerland this weekend to conduct exploratory pre-negotiations. But Trump has already signalled he would be inclined to reduce tariffs to half the current amount - a visible sign of wavering that will surely only add strength and confidence to the other side, which currently insists he should remove all the tariffs. So what happens next? Let's discuss. false full 289 480b41bc-f7aa-44c0-81f4-d15010230119 US Caught Spying On Greenland To Prepare For Takeover Trump may have (reluctantly) accepted that Canada is not going to fall into his embrace, but he is going full speed ahead in his quest to get Greenland. This was evident when he sent JD Vance to visit there, and it was evident this week when the Wall Street Journal revealed that US spies have been tasked with covert surveillance on the island. Their mission - to sniff out the independence movement and how easy it would be to influence / win over, and to find any and all individuals whose views align with those of the United States. It all seems like preparation for a concerted operation to influence the population. But has it been scuppered now that it's been uncovered? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 9 May 2025 19:19:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump may have (reluctantly) accepted that Canada is not going to fall into his embrace, but he is going full speed ahead in his quest to get Greenland. This was evident when he sent JD Vance to visit there, and it was evident this week when the Wall Street Journal revealed that US spies have been tasked with covert surveillance on the island. Their mission - to sniff out the independence movement and how easy it would be to influence / win over, and to find any and all individuals whose views align with those of the United States. It all seems like preparation for a concerted operation to influence the population. But has it been scuppered now that it's been uncovered? Let's discuss.

]]> US Caught Spying On Greenland To Prepare For Takeover Mallen Baker 00:11:48 Trump may have (reluctantly) accepted that Canada is not going to fall into his embrace, but he is going full speed ahead in his quest to get Greenland. This was evident when he sent JD Vance to visit there, and it was evident this week when the Wall Street Journal revealed that US spies have been tasked with covert surveillance on the island. Their mission - to sniff out the independence movement and how easy it would be to influence / win over, and to find any and all individuals whose views align with those of the United States. It all seems like preparation for a concerted operation to influence the population. But has it been scuppered now that it's been uncovered? Let's discuss. Trump may have (reluctantly) accepted that Canada is not going to fall into his embrace, but he is going full speed ahead in his quest to get Greenland. This was evident when he sent JD Vance to visit there, and it was evident this week when the Wall Street Journal revealed that US spies have been tasked with covert surveillance on the island. Their mission - to sniff out the independence movement and how easy it would be to influence / win over, and to find any and all individuals whose views align with those of the United States. It all seems like preparation for a concerted operation to influence the population. But has it been scuppered now that it's been uncovered? Let's discuss. false full 288 bd10fade-80a5-4c44-b927-59988b95cc8f How Trump Bullied Tariffed Nations To Accept Musk’s Starlink On Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day', a number of countries suddenly discovered that they were to be whacked with massive tariffs from the United States - including some of the poorest countries in the world. They quickly set about trying to win favour with the Trump regime, to get to negotiate their way out of a hole they'd been thrust into for no fault of their own. Curiously, for a number of them this started with granting Elon Musk's business SpaceX with a licence to run its Starlink satellite internet service in the country. Now, a new report from internal memos in the State Department, shows how the Trump administration has been pushing and promoting Starlink across the world. 'Conflict of interest' doesn't come close. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 8 May 2025 18:41:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast On Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day', a number of countries suddenly discovered that they were to be whacked with massive tariffs from the United States - including some of the poorest countries in the world. They quickly set about trying to win favour with the Trump regime, to get to negotiate their way out of a hole they'd been thrust into for no fault of their own. Curiously, for a number of them this started with granting Elon Musk's business SpaceX with a licence to run its Starlink satellite internet service in the country. Now, a new report from internal memos in the State Department, shows how the Trump administration has been pushing and promoting Starlink across the world. 'Conflict of interest' doesn't come close. Let's discuss.

]]> How Trump Bullied Tariffed Nations To Accept Musk’s Starlink Mallen Baker 00:10:38 On Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day', a number of countries suddenly discovered that they were to be whacked with massive tariffs from the United States - including some of the poorest countries in the world. They quickly set about trying to win favour with the Trump regime, to get to negotiate their way out of a hole they'd been thrust into for no fault of their own. Curiously, for a number of them this started with granting Elon Musk's business SpaceX with a licence to run its Starlink satellite internet service in the country. Now, a new report from internal memos in the State Department, shows how the Trump administration has been pushing and promoting Starlink across the world. 'Conflict of interest' doesn't come close. Let's discuss. On Trump's so-called 'Liberation Day', a number of countries suddenly discovered that they were to be whacked with massive tariffs from the United States - including some of the poorest countries in the world. They quickly set about trying to win favour with the Trump regime, to get to negotiate their way out of a hole they'd been thrust into for no fault of their own. Curiously, for a number of them this started with granting Elon Musk's business SpaceX with a licence to run its Starlink satellite internet service in the country. Now, a new report from internal memos in the State Department, shows how the Trump administration has been pushing and promoting Starlink across the world. 'Conflict of interest' doesn't come close. Let's discuss. false full 287 5e096cc7-697c-434a-b26b-2826252e586c Why Trump Will Fail — But What Comes After Will Be Worse Whether in his stated terms, the policy changes he aims to make, or in the Project 2025 actions he's taking to bring in an autocratic system to the US, there are a number of reasons why President Trump is almost sure to fail. Yes, he can do damage in the mean time, but he won't succeed. The real challenge will be what comes afterwards - either the next president or the one after that if Republicans lose the subsequent election. Because there is now a proven playbook for how those guardrails can be dismantled, that in the hands of a more competent would-be authoritarian, could be the last shove needed to turn it all upside down. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 7 May 2025 16:20:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Whether in his stated terms, the policy changes he aims to make, or in the Project 2025 actions he's taking to bring in an autocratic system to the US, there are a number of reasons why President Trump is almost sure to fail. Yes, he can do damage in the mean time, but he won't succeed. The real challenge will be what comes afterwards - either the next president or the one after that if Republicans lose the subsequent election. Because there is now a proven playbook for how those guardrails can be dismantled, that in the hands of a more competent would-be authoritarian, could be the last shove needed to turn it all upside down. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump Will Fail — But What Comes After Will Be Worse Mallen Baker 00:17:12 Whether in his stated terms, the policy changes he aims to make, or in the Project 2025 actions he's taking to bring in an autocratic system to the US, there are a number of reasons why President Trump is almost sure to fail. Yes, he can do damage in the mean time, but he won't succeed. The real challenge will be what comes afterwards - either the next president or the one after that if Republicans lose the subsequent election. Because there is now a proven playbook for how those guardrails can be dismantled, that in the hands of a more competent would-be authoritarian, could be the last shove needed to turn it all upside down. Let's discuss. Whether in his stated terms, the policy changes he aims to make, or in the Project 2025 actions he's taking to bring in an autocratic system to the US, there are a number of reasons why President Trump is almost sure to fail. Yes, he can do damage in the mean time, but he won't succeed. The real challenge will be what comes afterwards - either the next president or the one after that if Republicans lose the subsequent election. Because there is now a proven playbook for how those guardrails can be dismantled, that in the hands of a more competent would-be authoritarian, could be the last shove needed to turn it all upside down. Let's discuss. false full 286 73d61a5d-e6c7-479b-948b-64df3eb5e3fd The Trump-Style Farage Revolution Coming To The UK? In elections in Canada and Australia, we saw figures who had been even lightly associated with Donald Trump's MAGA movement losing, whereas before Trump had returned to office, they had been leading. But in the UK, Nigel Farage's Reform UK did the exact opposite - dominating the local elections and Parliamentary by-election. His aim is to break the two-party system, and to get himself installed as prime minister. Where his party has taken over councils, their very first statements have all been culture-war MAGA-style moves, even when the nature of the bodies is more about making sure the bins get emptied. The main parties are in clear disarray - could Farage's Project 2029 actually come true? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 6 May 2025 16:54:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In elections in Canada and Australia, we saw figures who had been even lightly associated with Donald Trump's MAGA movement losing, whereas before Trump had returned to office, they had been leading. But in the UK, Nigel Farage's Reform UK did the exact opposite - dominating the local elections and Parliamentary by-election. His aim is to break the two-party system, and to get himself installed as prime minister. Where his party has taken over councils, their very first statements have all been culture-war MAGA-style moves, even when the nature of the bodies is more about making sure the bins get emptied. The main parties are in clear disarray - could Farage's Project 2029 actually come true? Let's discuss.

]]> The Trump-Style Farage Revolution Coming To The UK? Mallen Baker 00:16:45 In elections in Canada and Australia, we saw figures who had been even lightly associated with Donald Trump's MAGA movement losing, whereas before Trump had returned to office, they had been leading. But in the UK, Nigel Farage's Reform UK did the exact opposite - dominating the local elections and Parliamentary by-election. His aim is to break the two-party system, and to get himself installed as prime minister. Where his party has taken over councils, their very first statements have all been culture-war MAGA-style moves, even when the nature of the bodies is more about making sure the bins get emptied. The main parties are in clear disarray - could Farage's Project 2029 actually come true? Let's discuss. In elections in Canada and Australia, we saw figures who had been even lightly associated with Donald Trump's MAGA movement losing, whereas before Trump had returned to office, they had been leading. But in the UK, Nigel Farage's Reform UK did the exact opposite - dominating the local elections and Parliamentary by-election. His aim is to break the two-party system, and to get himself installed as prime minister. Where his party has taken over councils, their very first statements have all been culture-war MAGA-style moves, even when the nature of the bodies is more about making sure the bins get emptied. The main parties are in clear disarray - could Farage's Project 2029 actually come true? Let's discuss. false full 285 5b28f268-80e2-433e-b7e4-4ad81cb90348 Trump’s America Declares A WORLD WAR Against Truth How do we know if the economy is doing well? There are reliable statistics for that. How do we know what's happening with the climate? There is reliable data for that. How do we know what are the worldwide energy trends? That are analytical reports for that. What if all of those statistics, the data, the analyses, get wiped out and replaced by the "alternative facts" that Donald Trump, and others such as RFK Jr, would wish to be the case? Well, buckle up, because that's exactly what's happening. Oh, and just because you don't live in the US, don't get complacent. Because Trump's America is starting to aggressively reach out and demand that international bodies start to fall into line. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 5 May 2025 18:21:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast How do we know if the economy is doing well? There are reliable statistics for that. How do we know what's happening with the climate? There is reliable data for that. How do we know what are the worldwide energy trends? That are analytical reports for that. What if all of those statistics, the data, the analyses, get wiped out and replaced by the "alternative facts" that Donald Trump, and others such as RFK Jr, would wish to be the case? Well, buckle up, because that's exactly what's happening. Oh, and just because you don't live in the US, don't get complacent. Because Trump's America is starting to aggressively reach out and demand that international bodies start to fall into line. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s America Declares A WORLD WAR Against Truth Mallen Baker 00:12:56 How do we know if the economy is doing well? There are reliable statistics for that. How do we know what's happening with the climate? There is reliable data for that. How do we know what are the worldwide energy trends? That are analytical reports for that. What if all of those statistics, the data, the analyses, get wiped out and replaced by the "alternative facts" that Donald Trump, and others such as RFK Jr, would wish to be the case? Well, buckle up, because that's exactly what's happening. Oh, and just because you don't live in the US, don't get complacent. Because Trump's America is starting to aggressively reach out and demand that international bodies start to fall into line. Let's discuss. How do we know if the economy is doing well? There are reliable statistics for that. How do we know what's happening with the climate? There is reliable data for that. How do we know what are the worldwide energy trends? That are analytical reports for that. What if all of those statistics, the data, the analyses, get wiped out and replaced by the "alternative facts" that Donald Trump, and others such as RFK Jr, would wish to be the case? Well, buckle up, because that's exactly what's happening. Oh, and just because you don't live in the US, don't get complacent. Because Trump's America is starting to aggressively reach out and demand that international bodies start to fall into line. Let's discuss. false full 284 e3542f04-c73a-42e1-acbd-dfefb8720352 Will Ukraine Rain (Missiles) on Putin’s Parade? Russia's President Putin is gearing up for the annual grand military parade in Moscow. This year is a big one because it's the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, and bigger names from the subset of the geopolitical world prepared to be seen in Russia are going to be attending. But Ukraine has rejected Putin's offer of a 3-day ceasefire during the period of the parade, and has said that it cannot guarantee the safety of dignitaries who attend the Moscow event. Are they planning an attack? Is it a big bluff? And just how much has it rattled Putin as he contemplates being humiliated by Ukraine in front of Xi Jinping?

]]> Sun, 4 May 2025 19:39:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia's President Putin is gearing up for the annual grand military parade in Moscow. This year is a big one because it's the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, and bigger names from the subset of the geopolitical world prepared to be seen in Russia are going to be attending. But Ukraine has rejected Putin's offer of a 3-day ceasefire during the period of the parade, and has said that it cannot guarantee the safety of dignitaries who attend the Moscow event. Are they planning an attack? Is it a big bluff? And just how much has it rattled Putin as he contemplates being humiliated by Ukraine in front of Xi Jinping?

]]> Will Ukraine Rain (Missiles) on Putin’s Parade? Mallen Baker 00:11:16 Russia's President Putin is gearing up for the annual grand military parade in Moscow. This year is a big one because it's the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, and bigger names from the subset of the geopolitical world prepared to be seen in Russia are going to be attending. But Ukraine has rejected Putin's offer of a 3-day ceasefire during the period of the parade, and has said that it cannot guarantee the safety of dignitaries who attend the Moscow event. Are they planning an attack? Is it a big bluff? And just how much has it rattled Putin as he contemplates being humiliated by Ukraine in front of Xi Jinping? Russia's President Putin is gearing up for the annual grand military parade in Moscow. This year is a big one because it's the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2, and bigger names from the subset of the geopolitical world prepared to be seen in Russia are going to be attending. But Ukraine has rejected Putin's offer of a 3-day ceasefire during the period of the parade, and has said that it cannot guarantee the safety of dignitaries who attend the Moscow event. Are they planning an attack? Is it a big bluff? And just how much has it rattled Putin as he contemplates being humiliated by Ukraine in front of Xi Jinping? false full 283 8dd5bc38-a468-48ae-b124-427822d60c26 Trump’s Deportation Blitz Is Failing Badly In The Courts - Why It Matters On day one, he declared several emergencies. Later, he backed this up by invoking the Alien Enemies Act. This has been an ongoing and deliberate push by President Trump to extend the powers of the executive, to overcome the resistance of the courts, and hence to set up what is referred to as a legal abyss. A situation existing alongside the legal system as usual where some people can find themselves no longer subject to the usual rules, only to the whim of the government. It's a textbook approach for creeping authoritarianism, and it means that such a state arrives for some citizens earlier than others. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 3 May 2025 20:03:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast On day one, he declared several emergencies. Later, he backed this up by invoking the Alien Enemies Act. This has been an ongoing and deliberate push by President Trump to extend the powers of the executive, to overcome the resistance of the courts, and hence to set up what is referred to as a legal abyss. A situation existing alongside the legal system as usual where some people can find themselves no longer subject to the usual rules, only to the whim of the government. It's a textbook approach for creeping authoritarianism, and it means that such a state arrives for some citizens earlier than others. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Deportation Blitz Is Failing Badly In The Courts - Why It Matters Mallen Baker 00:19:38 On day one, he declared several emergencies. Later, he backed this up by invoking the Alien Enemies Act. This has been an ongoing and deliberate push by President Trump to extend the powers of the executive, to overcome the resistance of the courts, and hence to set up what is referred to as a legal abyss. A situation existing alongside the legal system as usual where some people can find themselves no longer subject to the usual rules, only to the whim of the government. It's a textbook approach for creeping authoritarianism, and it means that such a state arrives for some citizens earlier than others. Let's discuss. On day one, he declared several emergencies. Later, he backed this up by invoking the Alien Enemies Act. This has been an ongoing and deliberate push by President Trump to extend the powers of the executive, to overcome the resistance of the courts, and hence to set up what is referred to as a legal abyss. A situation existing alongside the legal system as usual where some people can find themselves no longer subject to the usual rules, only to the whim of the government. It's a textbook approach for creeping authoritarianism, and it means that such a state arrives for some citizens earlier than others. Let's discuss. false full 282 ea8313c5-f604-4660-8e1c-9d9a7606137b The MAGA-Inspired Populist Surge That’s Changing Everything In some places, such as Canada and maybe this weekend Australia, populist-right politicians, although they clearly show the signs of being influenced by Trump's MAGA movement, have been disavowing the link as their populations turn against it. In other places, more established figures on the populist and far-right, are less mired by the association, even as MAGA influencers, and often even the top politicians, endorse them and promote them on social media. If democracy is in decline in the US - how much of this new wave is going to be posing serious challenges to democracy in other countries? And since support for many of these parties is growing - how many could realistically take control of their countries? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 2 May 2025 19:33:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In some places, such as Canada and maybe this weekend Australia, populist-right politicians, although they clearly show the signs of being influenced by Trump's MAGA movement, have been disavowing the link as their populations turn against it. In other places, more established figures on the populist and far-right, are less mired by the association, even as MAGA influencers, and often even the top politicians, endorse them and promote them on social media. If democracy is in decline in the US - how much of this new wave is going to be posing serious challenges to democracy in other countries? And since support for many of these parties is growing - how many could realistically take control of their countries? Let's discuss.

]]> The MAGA-Inspired Populist Surge That’s Changing Everything Mallen Baker 00:18:41 In some places, such as Canada and maybe this weekend Australia, populist-right politicians, although they clearly show the signs of being influenced by Trump's MAGA movement, have been disavowing the link as their populations turn against it. In other places, more established figures on the populist and far-right, are less mired by the association, even as MAGA influencers, and often even the top politicians, endorse them and promote them on social media. If democracy is in decline in the US - how much of this new wave is going to be posing serious challenges to democracy in other countries? And since support for many of these parties is growing - how many could realistically take control of their countries? Let's discuss. In some places, such as Canada and maybe this weekend Australia, populist-right politicians, although they clearly show the signs of being influenced by Trump's MAGA movement, have been disavowing the link as their populations turn against it. In other places, more established figures on the populist and far-right, are less mired by the association, even as MAGA influencers, and often even the top politicians, endorse them and promote them on social media. If democracy is in decline in the US - how much of this new wave is going to be posing serious challenges to democracy in other countries? And since support for many of these parties is growing - how many could realistically take control of their countries? Let's discuss. false full 281 70f348a8-c5ab-4dd8-8d10-4db3c9e27806 Ukraine’s Minerals Deal with the US: Hidden Costs, False Promises? So Ukraine has finally signed the Minerals Deal with the Trump Administration. And news commentators are full of speculation about how much this deal now has changed Trump's orientation with the Ukraine war, how much it will translate into security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, and whether it means Trump is finally ready to get tough with Russia's President Putin. It's remarkable how much is being projected onto a text that doesn't merit any of it. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 1 May 2025 18:55:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So Ukraine has finally signed the Minerals Deal with the Trump Administration. And news commentators are full of speculation about how much this deal now has changed Trump's orientation with the Ukraine war, how much it will translate into security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, and whether it means Trump is finally ready to get tough with Russia's President Putin. It's remarkable how much is being projected onto a text that doesn't merit any of it. Let's discuss.

]]> Ukraine’s Minerals Deal with the US: Hidden Costs, False Promises? Mallen Baker 00:17:13 So Ukraine has finally signed the Minerals Deal with the Trump Administration. And news commentators are full of speculation about how much this deal now has changed Trump's orientation with the Ukraine war, how much it will translate into security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, and whether it means Trump is finally ready to get tough with Russia's President Putin. It's remarkable how much is being projected onto a text that doesn't merit any of it. Let's discuss. So Ukraine has finally signed the Minerals Deal with the Trump Administration. And news commentators are full of speculation about how much this deal now has changed Trump's orientation with the Ukraine war, how much it will translate into security guarantees for Ukraine in the future, and whether it means Trump is finally ready to get tough with Russia's President Putin. It's remarkable how much is being projected onto a text that doesn't merit any of it. Let's discuss. false full 280 8e0aa822-9165-4790-834e-672e1d581799 Tariffs Chaos Shrinks US Economy - And This Is Just The Start The news arrived today that the US economy has dramatically cratered - shrinking in the first quarter of the year, whereas it had been strongly growing before. It is fairly clear with the breakdown that this is due to the short-term impact of tariffs, and that it's just the first sign of the scale of the disruption being caused, which will turn into yet more problems down the line. And yet President Trump says tariffs are wonderful and blames Joe Biden for the crash, even though his own advisors say otherwise. What's going on? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 30 Apr 2025 20:11:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The news arrived today that the US economy has dramatically cratered - shrinking in the first quarter of the year, whereas it had been strongly growing before. It is fairly clear with the breakdown that this is due to the short-term impact of tariffs, and that it's just the first sign of the scale of the disruption being caused, which will turn into yet more problems down the line. And yet President Trump says tariffs are wonderful and blames Joe Biden for the crash, even though his own advisors say otherwise. What's going on? Let's discuss.

]]> Tariffs Chaos Shrinks US Economy - And This Is Just The Start Mallen Baker 00:13:39 The news arrived today that the US economy has dramatically cratered - shrinking in the first quarter of the year, whereas it had been strongly growing before. It is fairly clear with the breakdown that this is due to the short-term impact of tariffs, and that it's just the first sign of the scale of the disruption being caused, which will turn into yet more problems down the line. And yet President Trump says tariffs are wonderful and blames Joe Biden for the crash, even though his own advisors say otherwise. What's going on? Let's discuss. The news arrived today that the US economy has dramatically cratered - shrinking in the first quarter of the year, whereas it had been strongly growing before. It is fairly clear with the breakdown that this is due to the short-term impact of tariffs, and that it's just the first sign of the scale of the disruption being caused, which will turn into yet more problems down the line. And yet President Trump says tariffs are wonderful and blames Joe Biden for the crash, even though his own advisors say otherwise. What's going on? Let's discuss. false full 279 dfd69308-ca84-4aed-84e6-d3db37caaf0d The Trump Spoiler Move That May Be Carney's First Big Test Mark Carney's Liberal Party has won the Canadian election. It was close, but still extraordinary that he was able to turn around the massive deficit the party originally had with Pierre Poilièvre's Conservatives. And he did so facing a barrage of social media disinformation as we've seen in other MAGA-involved elections. Now, he faces a Trump who remains fixated on Canada becoming the 51st State. He will, as a first step, be seeking allies amongst the other democracies worldwide. But Trump may just have a spoiler he will be trying to play to frustrate that attempt. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 29 Apr 2025 17:43:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Mark Carney's Liberal Party has won the Canadian election. It was close, but still extraordinary that he was able to turn around the massive deficit the party originally had with Pierre Poilièvre's Conservatives. And he did so facing a barrage of social media disinformation as we've seen in other MAGA-involved elections. Now, he faces a Trump who remains fixated on Canada becoming the 51st State. He will, as a first step, be seeking allies amongst the other democracies worldwide. But Trump may just have a spoiler he will be trying to play to frustrate that attempt. Let's discuss.

]]> The Trump Spoiler Move That May Be Carney's First Big Test Mallen Baker 00:11:16 Mark Carney's Liberal Party has won the Canadian election. It was close, but still extraordinary that he was able to turn around the massive deficit the party originally had with Pierre Poilièvre's Conservatives. And he did so facing a barrage of social media disinformation as we've seen in other MAGA-involved elections. Now, he faces a Trump who remains fixated on Canada becoming the 51st State. He will, as a first step, be seeking allies amongst the other democracies worldwide. But Trump may just have a spoiler he will be trying to play to frustrate that attempt. Let's discuss. Mark Carney's Liberal Party has won the Canadian election. It was close, but still extraordinary that he was able to turn around the massive deficit the party originally had with Pierre Poilièvre's Conservatives. And he did so facing a barrage of social media disinformation as we've seen in other MAGA-involved elections. Now, he faces a Trump who remains fixated on Canada becoming the 51st State. He will, as a first step, be seeking allies amongst the other democracies worldwide. But Trump may just have a spoiler he will be trying to play to frustrate that attempt. Let's discuss. false full 278 de85563d-f533-4a47-bd58-141d2f06cbed What Everyone Missed About This Iconic Moment The big story about the Pope's funeral - bigger than the event itself on some measures - was a 15 minute one-on-one conversation between Presidents Trump and Zelensky - captured in a photo that is already on its way to becoming one of those iconic images. Commentators have been speculating that maybe in that 15 minutes, Zelensky was able to turn Trump's perspective around, to persuade him that Putin really didn't want peace. That's not what was going on here at all, and the people indulging in that speculation are engaging in wishful thinking. But simply by drawing on what we know about Trump's character, we can get some insights. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:15:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The big story about the Pope's funeral - bigger than the event itself on some measures - was a 15 minute one-on-one conversation between Presidents Trump and Zelensky - captured in a photo that is already on its way to becoming one of those iconic images. Commentators have been speculating that maybe in that 15 minutes, Zelensky was able to turn Trump's perspective around, to persuade him that Putin really didn't want peace. That's not what was going on here at all, and the people indulging in that speculation are engaging in wishful thinking. But simply by drawing on what we know about Trump's character, we can get some insights. Let's discuss.

]]> What Everyone Missed About This Iconic Moment Mallen Baker 00:12:41 The big story about the Pope's funeral - bigger than the event itself on some measures - was a 15 minute one-on-one conversation between Presidents Trump and Zelensky - captured in a photo that is already on its way to becoming one of those iconic images. Commentators have been speculating that maybe in that 15 minutes, Zelensky was able to turn Trump's perspective around, to persuade him that Putin really didn't want peace. That's not what was going on here at all, and the people indulging in that speculation are engaging in wishful thinking. But simply by drawing on what we know about Trump's character, we can get some insights. Let's discuss. The big story about the Pope's funeral - bigger than the event itself on some measures - was a 15 minute one-on-one conversation between Presidents Trump and Zelensky - captured in a photo that is already on its way to becoming one of those iconic images. Commentators have been speculating that maybe in that 15 minutes, Zelensky was able to turn Trump's perspective around, to persuade him that Putin really didn't want peace. That's not what was going on here at all, and the people indulging in that speculation are engaging in wishful thinking. But simply by drawing on what we know about Trump's character, we can get some insights. Let's discuss. false full 277 2027dbf8-fa03-4eb2-914c-29bdba051e96 Why Trump Is Suddenly Lying About Talking To China We're used to the idea that Trump lies a lot - I mean, even his supporters know this, although they will use euphemisms to make it sound ok. But WHY has Trump suddenly started telling people that Xi Jinping has called him to discuss a deal on tariffs? It's clearly not true. It's clearly infuriating the Chinese and making it less likely they give him the deal he actually does want. So is he just making it up as he goes along (often the case), or is this laying the groundwork for the next move. No, we're not talking '4D chess' here. But I do think there's a purpose to what he's currently doing. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 27 Apr 2025 16:12:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We're used to the idea that Trump lies a lot - I mean, even his supporters know this, although they will use euphemisms to make it sound ok. But WHY has Trump suddenly started telling people that Xi Jinping has called him to discuss a deal on tariffs? It's clearly not true. It's clearly infuriating the Chinese and making it less likely they give him the deal he actually does want. So is he just making it up as he goes along (often the case), or is this laying the groundwork for the next move. No, we're not talking '4D chess' here. But I do think there's a purpose to what he's currently doing. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump Is Suddenly Lying About Talking To China Mallen Baker 00:09:57 We're used to the idea that Trump lies a lot - I mean, even his supporters know this, although they will use euphemisms to make it sound ok. But WHY has Trump suddenly started telling people that Xi Jinping has called him to discuss a deal on tariffs? It's clearly not true. It's clearly infuriating the Chinese and making it less likely they give him the deal he actually does want. So is he just making it up as he goes along (often the case), or is this laying the groundwork for the next move. No, we're not talking '4D chess' here. But I do think there's a purpose to what he's currently doing. Let's discuss. We're used to the idea that Trump lies a lot - I mean, even his supporters know this, although they will use euphemisms to make it sound ok. But WHY has Trump suddenly started telling people that Xi Jinping has called him to discuss a deal on tariffs? It's clearly not true. It's clearly infuriating the Chinese and making it less likely they give him the deal he actually does want. So is he just making it up as he goes along (often the case), or is this laying the groundwork for the next move. No, we're not talking '4D chess' here. But I do think there's a purpose to what he's currently doing. Let's discuss. false full 276 8b9fc3e0-7783-401d-a49b-115c4671fac1 Why Elon Musk’s DOGE has been a dismal failure Musk's time with DOGE is coming to an end - or at least will be massively dialled back. But the fact is that the exercise, which promised so much, seems to have ended up a failure on every measure. It failed to save the government money - indeed, it may have cost more than it saved. It failed to make government more efficient. It may have made government systems vulnerable to data theft, not least from Elon himself. And it has been a personal disaster for Musk and for the businesses he's associated with. For one last time - let's take stock of how a formerly inspirational role model turned into a car-crash cautionary tale for the future.

]]> Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:43:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Musk's time with DOGE is coming to an end - or at least will be massively dialled back. But the fact is that the exercise, which promised so much, seems to have ended up a failure on every measure. It failed to save the government money - indeed, it may have cost more than it saved. It failed to make government more efficient. It may have made government systems vulnerable to data theft, not least from Elon himself. And it has been a personal disaster for Musk and for the businesses he's associated with. For one last time - let's take stock of how a formerly inspirational role model turned into a car-crash cautionary tale for the future.

]]> Why Elon Musk’s DOGE has been a dismal failure Mallen Baker 00:14:15 Musk's time with DOGE is coming to an end - or at least will be massively dialled back. But the fact is that the exercise, which promised so much, seems to have ended up a failure on every measure. It failed to save the government money - indeed, it may have cost more than it saved. It failed to make government more efficient. It may have made government systems vulnerable to data theft, not least from Elon himself. And it has been a personal disaster for Musk and for the businesses he's associated with. For one last time - let's take stock of how a formerly inspirational role model turned into a car-crash cautionary tale for the future. Musk's time with DOGE is coming to an end - or at least will be massively dialled back. But the fact is that the exercise, which promised so much, seems to have ended up a failure on every measure. It failed to save the government money - indeed, it may have cost more than it saved. It failed to make government more efficient. It may have made government systems vulnerable to data theft, not least from Elon himself. And it has been a personal disaster for Musk and for the businesses he's associated with. For one last time - let's take stock of how a formerly inspirational role model turned into a car-crash cautionary tale for the future. false full 275 38c786fc-df40-4107-aa8b-e015009e43e4 Trump's tariff blunders blow up in his face It's official. Trump's tariffs on the world, but especially on China, are making the whole world poorer. Trump wants China to make a deal - but he set the terms of the negotiation in such a way as to make it certain they won't respond. Meanwhile, the punitive tariffs Trump has imposed on China, and the corresponding equal tariffs placed by Beijing on the US, is starting to make itself felt. Major retailers are warning about imminent empty shelves. Tech firms are unable to continue with products requiring certain materials, such as rare earth magnets. And Trump is under more and more pressure to respond to China on its terms - in other words, to drop the additional tariffs before talks can start. But that would require a major u-turn. Will Trump do it? And how much damage will be done before it's settled?

]]> Thu, 24 Apr 2025 19:06:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It's official. Trump's tariffs on the world, but especially on China, are making the whole world poorer. Trump wants China to make a deal - but he set the terms of the negotiation in such a way as to make it certain they won't respond. Meanwhile, the punitive tariffs Trump has imposed on China, and the corresponding equal tariffs placed by Beijing on the US, is starting to make itself felt. Major retailers are warning about imminent empty shelves. Tech firms are unable to continue with products requiring certain materials, such as rare earth magnets. And Trump is under more and more pressure to respond to China on its terms - in other words, to drop the additional tariffs before talks can start. But that would require a major u-turn. Will Trump do it? And how much damage will be done before it's settled?

]]> Trump's tariff blunders blow up in his face Mallen Baker 00:17:30 It's official. Trump's tariffs on the world, but especially on China, are making the whole world poorer. Trump wants China to make a deal - but he set the terms of the negotiation in such a way as to make it certain they won't respond. Meanwhile, the punitive tariffs Trump has imposed on China, and the corresponding equal tariffs placed by Beijing on the US, is starting to make itself felt. Major retailers are warning about imminent empty shelves. Tech firms are unable to continue with products requiring certain materials, such as rare earth magnets. And Trump is under more and more pressure to respond to China on its terms - in other words, to drop the additional tariffs before talks can start. But that would require a major u-turn. Will Trump do it? And how much damage will be done before it's settled? It's official. Trump's tariffs on the world, but especially on China, are making the whole world poorer. Trump wants China to make a deal - but he set the terms of the negotiation in such a way as to make it certain they won't respond. Meanwhile, the punitive tariffs Trump has imposed on China, and the corresponding equal tariffs placed by Beijing on the US, is starting to make itself felt. Major retailers are warning about imminent empty shelves. Tech firms are unable to continue with products requiring certain materials, such as rare earth magnets. And Trump is under more and more pressure to respond to China on its terms - in other words, to drop the additional tariffs before talks can start. But that would require a major u-turn. Will Trump do it? And how much damage will be done before it's settled? false full 274 1e731671-632f-45eb-a030-93cde684a4a4 Trump’s Meltdown As Ukraine Surrender Plan Fails At the start of the day, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff were on their way to a top-level meeting in London to discuss President Trump's seven-point "peace" plan. But when the details of the plan were revealed, Ukraine immediately said that it was not acceptable - that it was not a peace plan, but a surrender plan. Cue meltdown. Trump pulled Rubio and Witkoff from the meeting, JD Vance took time out in India to rail on the subject, and Trump then added his own narrative on social media. Once again the US is threatening to walk about - but just like everything else they say right now, it seems likely this is more bluff than substance. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 23 Apr 2025 18:31:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast At the start of the day, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff were on their way to a top-level meeting in London to discuss President Trump's seven-point "peace" plan. But when the details of the plan were revealed, Ukraine immediately said that it was not acceptable - that it was not a peace plan, but a surrender plan. Cue meltdown. Trump pulled Rubio and Witkoff from the meeting, JD Vance took time out in India to rail on the subject, and Trump then added his own narrative on social media. Once again the US is threatening to walk about - but just like everything else they say right now, it seems likely this is more bluff than substance. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Meltdown As Ukraine Surrender Plan Fails Mallen Baker 00:14:50 At the start of the day, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff were on their way to a top-level meeting in London to discuss President Trump's seven-point "peace" plan. But when the details of the plan were revealed, Ukraine immediately said that it was not acceptable - that it was not a peace plan, but a surrender plan. Cue meltdown. Trump pulled Rubio and Witkoff from the meeting, JD Vance took time out in India to rail on the subject, and Trump then added his own narrative on social media. Once again the US is threatening to walk about - but just like everything else they say right now, it seems likely this is more bluff than substance. Let's discuss. At the start of the day, Marco Rubio and Steve Witkoff were on their way to a top-level meeting in London to discuss President Trump's seven-point "peace" plan. But when the details of the plan were revealed, Ukraine immediately said that it was not acceptable - that it was not a peace plan, but a surrender plan. Cue meltdown. Trump pulled Rubio and Witkoff from the meeting, JD Vance took time out in India to rail on the subject, and Trump then added his own narrative on social media. Once again the US is threatening to walk about - but just like everything else they say right now, it seems likely this is more bluff than substance. Let's discuss. false full 273 db11c6e0-8805-4479-860f-65f3620fe1d9 American Institutions Fight Back Against Trump Power Grab President Trump came out of the gates quickly in his second term, testing the limits of his power in all directions at once, and assaulting numerous institutions to show them that he could bully them into compliance with a radical change agenda. Initially, it looked like most of them would just cave in to his demands. But increasingly, from Harvard to numerous law firms and now even the Supreme Court, lines are being drawn in the sand. How important is this moment in terms of constraining the actions of an increasingly authoritarian regime? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 22 Apr 2025 19:31:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump came out of the gates quickly in his second term, testing the limits of his power in all directions at once, and assaulting numerous institutions to show them that he could bully them into compliance with a radical change agenda. Initially, it looked like most of them would just cave in to his demands. But increasingly, from Harvard to numerous law firms and now even the Supreme Court, lines are being drawn in the sand. How important is this moment in terms of constraining the actions of an increasingly authoritarian regime? Let's discuss.

]]> American Institutions Fight Back Against Trump Power Grab Mallen Baker 00:19:27 President Trump came out of the gates quickly in his second term, testing the limits of his power in all directions at once, and assaulting numerous institutions to show them that he could bully them into compliance with a radical change agenda. Initially, it looked like most of them would just cave in to his demands. But increasingly, from Harvard to numerous law firms and now even the Supreme Court, lines are being drawn in the sand. How important is this moment in terms of constraining the actions of an increasingly authoritarian regime? Let's discuss. President Trump came out of the gates quickly in his second term, testing the limits of his power in all directions at once, and assaulting numerous institutions to show them that he could bully them into compliance with a radical change agenda. Initially, it looked like most of them would just cave in to his demands. But increasingly, from Harvard to numerous law firms and now even the Supreme Court, lines are being drawn in the sand. How important is this moment in terms of constraining the actions of an increasingly authoritarian regime? Let's discuss. false full 272 e6fad20a-0b00-4afa-999d-7209fe60f39b Pentagon Chaos: Will Trump Finally Fire Pete Hegseth? Reports are coming into view about complete disarray at the Pentagon under Trump's controversial pick for secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth. He has fired all his senior advisors, he is isolated, unqualified and unexperienced. And this is damaging one of the most important departments of state, even as Trump defends him against any suggestion of media witch hunts. But if the chaos is real, how long can Trump actually hold out before he bows to what seems to be the increasingly inevitable? And how much difference does it make that he has also been found to have engaged in a SECOND Signal group chat, that shared secret information with people unauthorised to receive it? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 21 Apr 2025 17:01:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Reports are coming into view about complete disarray at the Pentagon under Trump's controversial pick for secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth. He has fired all his senior advisors, he is isolated, unqualified and unexperienced. And this is damaging one of the most important departments of state, even as Trump defends him against any suggestion of media witch hunts. But if the chaos is real, how long can Trump actually hold out before he bows to what seems to be the increasingly inevitable? And how much difference does it make that he has also been found to have engaged in a SECOND Signal group chat, that shared secret information with people unauthorised to receive it? Let's discuss.

]]> Pentagon Chaos: Will Trump Finally Fire Pete Hegseth? Mallen Baker 00:15:48 Reports are coming into view about complete disarray at the Pentagon under Trump's controversial pick for secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth. He has fired all his senior advisors, he is isolated, unqualified and unexperienced. And this is damaging one of the most important departments of state, even as Trump defends him against any suggestion of media witch hunts. But if the chaos is real, how long can Trump actually hold out before he bows to what seems to be the increasingly inevitable? And how much difference does it make that he has also been found to have engaged in a SECOND Signal group chat, that shared secret information with people unauthorised to receive it? Let's discuss. Reports are coming into view about complete disarray at the Pentagon under Trump's controversial pick for secretary of defence, Pete Hegseth. He has fired all his senior advisors, he is isolated, unqualified and unexperienced. And this is damaging one of the most important departments of state, even as Trump defends him against any suggestion of media witch hunts. But if the chaos is real, how long can Trump actually hold out before he bows to what seems to be the increasingly inevitable? And how much difference does it make that he has also been found to have engaged in a SECOND Signal group chat, that shared secret information with people unauthorised to receive it? Let's discuss. false full 271 4b3c256a-fea7-4172-9ea5-f56873f65039 Should Denmark Throw America Out Of Its Greenland Base? Answering a question from a Patreon supporter - Should Greenland kick the US out of its one remaining Greenland base, since - if Trump were to make good on his threat to take the island by force - it could be used as an entrance point? The sentiments are understandable, but the realpolitik of the situation really comes down to how Denmark and Greenland are most likely to be able to retrieve the optimal outcome from this episode of Trump posturing. A full-frontal attack of this sort might be temporarily satisfying, but the consequences would likely be worse. But it's certainly an open question, so let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 20 Apr 2025 17:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Answering a question from a Patreon supporter - Should Greenland kick the US out of its one remaining Greenland base, since - if Trump were to make good on his threat to take the island by force - it could be used as an entrance point? The sentiments are understandable, but the realpolitik of the situation really comes down to how Denmark and Greenland are most likely to be able to retrieve the optimal outcome from this episode of Trump posturing. A full-frontal attack of this sort might be temporarily satisfying, but the consequences would likely be worse. But it's certainly an open question, so let's discuss.

]]> Should Denmark Throw America Out Of Its Greenland Base? Mallen Baker 00:11:35 Answering a question from a Patreon supporter - Should Greenland kick the US out of its one remaining Greenland base, since - if Trump were to make good on his threat to take the island by force - it could be used as an entrance point? The sentiments are understandable, but the realpolitik of the situation really comes down to how Denmark and Greenland are most likely to be able to retrieve the optimal outcome from this episode of Trump posturing. A full-frontal attack of this sort might be temporarily satisfying, but the consequences would likely be worse. But it's certainly an open question, so let's discuss. Answering a question from a Patreon supporter - Should Greenland kick the US out of its one remaining Greenland base, since - if Trump were to make good on his threat to take the island by force - it could be used as an entrance point? The sentiments are understandable, but the realpolitik of the situation really comes down to how Denmark and Greenland are most likely to be able to retrieve the optimal outcome from this episode of Trump posturing. A full-frontal attack of this sort might be temporarily satisfying, but the consequences would likely be worse. But it's certainly an open question, so let's discuss. false full 270 886e4387-2d97-401c-9d7a-ae3eb98ec6ad Why Did Trump Suddenly Stop Attacking Canada? We've been witnessing something really strange over the last three weeks. Trump has been ... silent. OK, only about one thing, but even so. He's been wholly quiet on the subject of Canada, and his previous expressed desire that it should become the 51st state of the USA. The silence can mean only one thing - he actually really does understand how much he blew it with Canada - turning an entire nation against him and making it highly unlikely he will ever achieve his goals. The Canadian federal election is in full swing - and Trump's effect is everywhere, even if his voice is absent. But the big question is - will his silence kick in before election day to undo the impact he has had so far on voting intentions? Pierre Poilièvre is certainly hoping so. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 17 Apr 2025 18:54:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We've been witnessing something really strange over the last three weeks. Trump has been ... silent. OK, only about one thing, but even so. He's been wholly quiet on the subject of Canada, and his previous expressed desire that it should become the 51st state of the USA. The silence can mean only one thing - he actually really does understand how much he blew it with Canada - turning an entire nation against him and making it highly unlikely he will ever achieve his goals. The Canadian federal election is in full swing - and Trump's effect is everywhere, even if his voice is absent. But the big question is - will his silence kick in before election day to undo the impact he has had so far on voting intentions? Pierre Poilièvre is certainly hoping so. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Did Trump Suddenly Stop Attacking Canada? Mallen Baker 00:11:06 We've been witnessing something really strange over the last three weeks. Trump has been ... silent. OK, only about one thing, but even so. He's been wholly quiet on the subject of Canada, and his previous expressed desire that it should become the 51st state of the USA. The silence can mean only one thing - he actually really does understand how much he blew it with Canada - turning an entire nation against him and making it highly unlikely he will ever achieve his goals. The Canadian federal election is in full swing - and Trump's effect is everywhere, even if his voice is absent. But the big question is - will his silence kick in before election day to undo the impact he has had so far on voting intentions? Pierre Poilièvre is certainly hoping so. Let's discuss. We've been witnessing something really strange over the last three weeks. Trump has been ... silent. OK, only about one thing, but even so. He's been wholly quiet on the subject of Canada, and his previous expressed desire that it should become the 51st state of the USA. The silence can mean only one thing - he actually really does understand how much he blew it with Canada - turning an entire nation against him and making it highly unlikely he will ever achieve his goals. The Canadian federal election is in full swing - and Trump's effect is everywhere, even if his voice is absent. But the big question is - will his silence kick in before election day to undo the impact he has had so far on voting intentions? Pierre Poilièvre is certainly hoping so. Let's discuss. false full 269 8aaeebfc-00ee-4b32-8f8d-6d1f26c25e45 Trump Defies Courts To Lock People Up Without Due Process The Supreme Court ruled decisively 9-0 that the man incorrectly removed from the USA to one of the most notorious prisons in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia, that he should be returned to be afforded the due process any human being should expect. The Trump Administration has, instead claimed the ruling vindicated their position, and in a set-piece in front of the media with the El Salvador President made it clear that it will be making no efforts to return him. What's more, Trump said that they would happily send American citizens also to such places. If the courts have no sway, and people can be taken off the streets and exported without consequence, what is the end point for the slide to authoritarian rule?

]]> Tue, 15 Apr 2025 17:18:25 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Supreme Court ruled decisively 9-0 that the man incorrectly removed from the USA to one of the most notorious prisons in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia, that he should be returned to be afforded the due process any human being should expect. The Trump Administration has, instead claimed the ruling vindicated their position, and in a set-piece in front of the media with the El Salvador President made it clear that it will be making no efforts to return him. What's more, Trump said that they would happily send American citizens also to such places. If the courts have no sway, and people can be taken off the streets and exported without consequence, what is the end point for the slide to authoritarian rule?

]]> Trump Defies Courts To Lock People Up Without Due Process Mallen Baker 00:15:45 The Supreme Court ruled decisively 9-0 that the man incorrectly removed from the USA to one of the most notorious prisons in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia, that he should be returned to be afforded the due process any human being should expect. The Trump Administration has, instead claimed the ruling vindicated their position, and in a set-piece in front of the media with the El Salvador President made it clear that it will be making no efforts to return him. What's more, Trump said that they would happily send American citizens also to such places. If the courts have no sway, and people can be taken off the streets and exported without consequence, what is the end point for the slide to authoritarian rule? The Supreme Court ruled decisively 9-0 that the man incorrectly removed from the USA to one of the most notorious prisons in El Salvador, Abrego Garcia, that he should be returned to be afforded the due process any human being should expect. The Trump Administration has, instead claimed the ruling vindicated their position, and in a set-piece in front of the media with the El Salvador President made it clear that it will be making no efforts to return him. What's more, Trump said that they would happily send American citizens also to such places. If the courts have no sway, and people can be taken off the streets and exported without consequence, what is the end point for the slide to authoritarian rule? false full 268 562dd7ca-4630-4469-b3c7-f494e7db323c Can the West Trust China More Than Trump? The Trump / China Trade War enters its third week, and the stakes are only getting higher and the measures more intense. While Trump is busy pulling various other countries into the White House to beat them down in negotiations in the face of their tariffs, Xi Jinping is conducting a charm offensive to the countries he trades the most with, and with America's former allies who are now desperately looking for options. Will he outlast Trump in the trade war? Will he win the trust and support - at least to a larger degree than before - of the countries Trump has spurned? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 14 Apr 2025 19:36:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Trump / China Trade War enters its third week, and the stakes are only getting higher and the measures more intense. While Trump is busy pulling various other countries into the White House to beat them down in negotiations in the face of their tariffs, Xi Jinping is conducting a charm offensive to the countries he trades the most with, and with America's former allies who are now desperately looking for options. Will he outlast Trump in the trade war? Will he win the trust and support - at least to a larger degree than before - of the countries Trump has spurned? Let's discuss.

]]> Can the West Trust China More Than Trump? Mallen Baker 00:16:49 The Trump / China Trade War enters its third week, and the stakes are only getting higher and the measures more intense. While Trump is busy pulling various other countries into the White House to beat them down in negotiations in the face of their tariffs, Xi Jinping is conducting a charm offensive to the countries he trades the most with, and with America's former allies who are now desperately looking for options. Will he outlast Trump in the trade war? Will he win the trust and support - at least to a larger degree than before - of the countries Trump has spurned? Let's discuss. The Trump / China Trade War enters its third week, and the stakes are only getting higher and the measures more intense. While Trump is busy pulling various other countries into the White House to beat them down in negotiations in the face of their tariffs, Xi Jinping is conducting a charm offensive to the countries he trades the most with, and with America's former allies who are now desperately looking for options. Will he outlast Trump in the trade war? Will he win the trust and support - at least to a larger degree than before - of the countries Trump has spurned? Let's discuss. false full 267 a0df118f-a04a-4753-9855-4cdd458ecade How Trump Is Dismantling Election Protections If the Trump administration is taking the United States in the direction of autocracy, there are certain steps that you would commonly expect to see being taken, in common with other countries that have taken this journey over the last couple of decades. So what steps HAVE we been seeing that are compatible with the idea that future elections, though they are likely still to happen, may no longer be quite as free and fair as Americans have come to expect? Let's have a look.

]]> Sun, 13 Apr 2025 19:50:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast If the Trump administration is taking the United States in the direction of autocracy, there are certain steps that you would commonly expect to see being taken, in common with other countries that have taken this journey over the last couple of decades. So what steps HAVE we been seeing that are compatible with the idea that future elections, though they are likely still to happen, may no longer be quite as free and fair as Americans have come to expect? Let's have a look.

]]> How Trump Is Dismantling Election Protections Mallen Baker 00:18:43 If the Trump administration is taking the United States in the direction of autocracy, there are certain steps that you would commonly expect to see being taken, in common with other countries that have taken this journey over the last couple of decades. So what steps HAVE we been seeing that are compatible with the idea that future elections, though they are likely still to happen, may no longer be quite as free and fair as Americans have come to expect? Let's have a look. If the Trump administration is taking the United States in the direction of autocracy, there are certain steps that you would commonly expect to see being taken, in common with other countries that have taken this journey over the last couple of decades. So what steps HAVE we been seeing that are compatible with the idea that future elections, though they are likely still to happen, may no longer be quite as free and fair as Americans have come to expect? Let's have a look. false full 266 1c201c05-4e08-42fa-ab1c-119ed1b27f19 Harsh Tariff Truths Sinking In, While MAGA Celebrates Trump 'Genius' Trump reversed course, and the stock market flowered in response, and everything's now OK, right? Well, except that a lot of damage has been done, most of the tariffs actually still remain, and there's no sign that the administration really has learnt the lessons of what just happened. As a result of that sinking in, the stock markets have been sliding again today. And the world is getting to grips with what it really means to have the two biggest trading nations locked in a fierce trade war. While we're doing that, MAGA leaders are celebrating Trump's genius and saying how this was the plan all along. As a result of the stupidity, this episode carries an 'enhanced snark' warning!

]]> Thu, 10 Apr 2025 19:32:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump reversed course, and the stock market flowered in response, and everything's now OK, right? Well, except that a lot of damage has been done, most of the tariffs actually still remain, and there's no sign that the administration really has learnt the lessons of what just happened. As a result of that sinking in, the stock markets have been sliding again today. And the world is getting to grips with what it really means to have the two biggest trading nations locked in a fierce trade war. While we're doing that, MAGA leaders are celebrating Trump's genius and saying how this was the plan all along. As a result of the stupidity, this episode carries an 'enhanced snark' warning!

]]> Harsh Tariff Truths Sinking In, While MAGA Celebrates Trump 'Genius' Mallen Baker 00:12:37 Trump reversed course, and the stock market flowered in response, and everything's now OK, right? Well, except that a lot of damage has been done, most of the tariffs actually still remain, and there's no sign that the administration really has learnt the lessons of what just happened. As a result of that sinking in, the stock markets have been sliding again today. And the world is getting to grips with what it really means to have the two biggest trading nations locked in a fierce trade war. While we're doing that, MAGA leaders are celebrating Trump's genius and saying how this was the plan all along. As a result of the stupidity, this episode carries an 'enhanced snark' warning! Trump reversed course, and the stock market flowered in response, and everything's now OK, right? Well, except that a lot of damage has been done, most of the tariffs actually still remain, and there's no sign that the administration really has learnt the lessons of what just happened. As a result of that sinking in, the stock markets have been sliding again today. And the world is getting to grips with what it really means to have the two biggest trading nations locked in a fierce trade war. While we're doing that, MAGA leaders are celebrating Trump's genius and saying how this was the plan all along. As a result of the stupidity, this episode carries an 'enhanced snark' warning! false full 265 5a2f2b95-d799-45ac-b75a-c62535f32de2 Trump’s Panic Tariff Pause - Why It Might Be Too Late The news is just in - after all the bluster and the boasting, Trump finally noticed that not all was going swimmingly with his tariffs on the entire world, and he has hit the pause button. For everyone save China, because he can't abide the idea of backing down. But this comes just a day after the full ugliness of this extortion attempt was on show for all to see - and the damage to the idea that the United States treasuries might be the world's safe haven has already been done. So is the backtrack - even if it should become permanent - too late? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 9 Apr 2025 19:23:38 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The news is just in - after all the bluster and the boasting, Trump finally noticed that not all was going swimmingly with his tariffs on the entire world, and he has hit the pause button. For everyone save China, because he can't abide the idea of backing down. But this comes just a day after the full ugliness of this extortion attempt was on show for all to see - and the damage to the idea that the United States treasuries might be the world's safe haven has already been done. So is the backtrack - even if it should become permanent - too late? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Panic Tariff Pause - Why It Might Be Too Late Mallen Baker 00:13:25 The news is just in - after all the bluster and the boasting, Trump finally noticed that not all was going swimmingly with his tariffs on the entire world, and he has hit the pause button. For everyone save China, because he can't abide the idea of backing down. But this comes just a day after the full ugliness of this extortion attempt was on show for all to see - and the damage to the idea that the United States treasuries might be the world's safe haven has already been done. So is the backtrack - even if it should become permanent - too late? Let's discuss. The news is just in - after all the bluster and the boasting, Trump finally noticed that not all was going swimmingly with his tariffs on the entire world, and he has hit the pause button. For everyone save China, because he can't abide the idea of backing down. But this comes just a day after the full ugliness of this extortion attempt was on show for all to see - and the damage to the idea that the United States treasuries might be the world's safe haven has already been done. So is the backtrack - even if it should become permanent - too late? Let's discuss. false full 264 b96c1533-d0e2-4381-b27d-33ffbb0bdcc3 Why China Won't Back Down On Trump's Tariff Shakedown When President Trump announced his tariffs to the world, China was right at the top of the list, and it was hit with one of the largest tariffs of the day. This was supposed to get Beijing to the negotiating table to beg for tariff relief, but instead Xi Jinping declared a trade war, and said that China would win this, and any other sort of war Trump wanted to fight with them. Why did it escalate so quickly? Because Trump's power play is about trying to hold on to American hegemony and China is determined to oust it from the top slot. So this one is in deadly earnest. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 8 Apr 2025 18:50:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast When President Trump announced his tariffs to the world, China was right at the top of the list, and it was hit with one of the largest tariffs of the day. This was supposed to get Beijing to the negotiating table to beg for tariff relief, but instead Xi Jinping declared a trade war, and said that China would win this, and any other sort of war Trump wanted to fight with them. Why did it escalate so quickly? Because Trump's power play is about trying to hold on to American hegemony and China is determined to oust it from the top slot. So this one is in deadly earnest. Let's discuss.

]]> Why China Won't Back Down On Trump's Tariff Shakedown Mallen Baker 00:15:25 When President Trump announced his tariffs to the world, China was right at the top of the list, and it was hit with one of the largest tariffs of the day. This was supposed to get Beijing to the negotiating table to beg for tariff relief, but instead Xi Jinping declared a trade war, and said that China would win this, and any other sort of war Trump wanted to fight with them. Why did it escalate so quickly? Because Trump's power play is about trying to hold on to American hegemony and China is determined to oust it from the top slot. So this one is in deadly earnest. Let's discuss. When President Trump announced his tariffs to the world, China was right at the top of the list, and it was hit with one of the largest tariffs of the day. This was supposed to get Beijing to the negotiating table to beg for tariff relief, but instead Xi Jinping declared a trade war, and said that China would win this, and any other sort of war Trump wanted to fight with them. Why did it escalate so quickly? Because Trump's power play is about trying to hold on to American hegemony and China is determined to oust it from the top slot. So this one is in deadly earnest. Let's discuss. false full 263 10fe5dcb-9a8b-45a8-beb2-057cc29f8fc5 The GOP Is ALREADY Preparing for the Post-Trump Fight Trump is at the centre of things - throwing the global economy into turmoil in the aim of reshaping everyone's relations with the US, as well as reshaping geopolitical alliances and introducing autocratic measures into the federal government. While all that is going on, the signs are being picked up of how GOP senators and others are preparing the ground for the moment Trump's grasp on power begins to slip. At that point, there will begin a likely bitter fight for the soul of the party between the traditionalists and the would-be MAGA standard-bearers for the next generation. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 7 Apr 2025 19:53:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump is at the centre of things - throwing the global economy into turmoil in the aim of reshaping everyone's relations with the US, as well as reshaping geopolitical alliances and introducing autocratic measures into the federal government. While all that is going on, the signs are being picked up of how GOP senators and others are preparing the ground for the moment Trump's grasp on power begins to slip. At that point, there will begin a likely bitter fight for the soul of the party between the traditionalists and the would-be MAGA standard-bearers for the next generation. Let's discuss.

]]> The GOP Is ALREADY Preparing for the Post-Trump Fight Mallen Baker 00:11:06 Trump is at the centre of things - throwing the global economy into turmoil in the aim of reshaping everyone's relations with the US, as well as reshaping geopolitical alliances and introducing autocratic measures into the federal government. While all that is going on, the signs are being picked up of how GOP senators and others are preparing the ground for the moment Trump's grasp on power begins to slip. At that point, there will begin a likely bitter fight for the soul of the party between the traditionalists and the would-be MAGA standard-bearers for the next generation. Let's discuss. Trump is at the centre of things - throwing the global economy into turmoil in the aim of reshaping everyone's relations with the US, as well as reshaping geopolitical alliances and introducing autocratic measures into the federal government. While all that is going on, the signs are being picked up of how GOP senators and others are preparing the ground for the moment Trump's grasp on power begins to slip. At that point, there will begin a likely bitter fight for the soul of the party between the traditionalists and the would-be MAGA standard-bearers for the next generation. Let's discuss. false full 262 db823a29-3a41-4bb7-8eb0-bd4156355652 Is Trump about to invoke the insurrection act? President Trump wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act back in 2020, but he was prevented by the opposition of his then-defence secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But now those people have been replaced with loyalists, and there's nobody around him who is going to tell him it's a bad idea. On his first day, he inserted a ticking time bomb into one of his initial Executive Orders - a deadline for when he should receive a report recommending whether or not he should cross that line. The deadline expires very soon ... Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 6 Apr 2025 18:02:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act back in 2020, but he was prevented by the opposition of his then-defence secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But now those people have been replaced with loyalists, and there's nobody around him who is going to tell him it's a bad idea. On his first day, he inserted a ticking time bomb into one of his initial Executive Orders - a deadline for when he should receive a report recommending whether or not he should cross that line. The deadline expires very soon ... Let's discuss.

]]> Is Trump about to invoke the insurrection act? Mallen Baker 00:11:27 President Trump wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act back in 2020, but he was prevented by the opposition of his then-defence secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But now those people have been replaced with loyalists, and there's nobody around him who is going to tell him it's a bad idea. On his first day, he inserted a ticking time bomb into one of his initial Executive Orders - a deadline for when he should receive a report recommending whether or not he should cross that line. The deadline expires very soon ... Let's discuss. President Trump wanted to invoke the Insurrection Act back in 2020, but he was prevented by the opposition of his then-defence secretary and the Joint Chiefs of Staff. But now those people have been replaced with loyalists, and there's nobody around him who is going to tell him it's a bad idea. On his first day, he inserted a ticking time bomb into one of his initial Executive Orders - a deadline for when he should receive a report recommending whether or not he should cross that line. The deadline expires very soon ... Let's discuss. false full 261 9942ae98-066e-4795-9971-0c8ecc1cb169 Is The US (Still) On Course For Civil War? I've been talking about the likelihood of the US heading towards a second civil war for some time on this channel. Patreon supporter Peter asked me if I still felt that to be the case, with everything that's been happening recently with the Trump 2.0 administration. It's a good question, and certainly bears some further exploration - so let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 5 Apr 2025 14:58:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast I've been talking about the likelihood of the US heading towards a second civil war for some time on this channel. Patreon supporter Peter asked me if I still felt that to be the case, with everything that's been happening recently with the Trump 2.0 administration. It's a good question, and certainly bears some further exploration - so let's discuss.

]]> Is The US (Still) On Course For Civil War? Mallen Baker 00:12:05 I've been talking about the likelihood of the US heading towards a second civil war for some time on this channel. Patreon supporter Peter asked me if I still felt that to be the case, with everything that's been happening recently with the Trump 2.0 administration. It's a good question, and certainly bears some further exploration - so let's discuss. I've been talking about the likelihood of the US heading towards a second civil war for some time on this channel. Patreon supporter Peter asked me if I still felt that to be the case, with everything that's been happening recently with the Trump 2.0 administration. It's a good question, and certainly bears some further exploration - so let's discuss. false full 260 8e01951d-beba-4f2b-a94b-9d0fe1296107 Why does JD Vance hate Europe? The recent Signalgate text messages leak gave us a real insight into just how much JD Vance really actually hates and despises Europe - much more than had previously been stated in public. We'd seen him argue that Europeans should care more about free speech, and we'd seen him wish for more of the far-right populist parties on the Continent to be elected. So what is it about his own personal and political journey that has left him with such an antipathy for the 'old world'? This guy is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, so we should probably discuss!

]]> Fri, 4 Apr 2025 18:41:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The recent Signalgate text messages leak gave us a real insight into just how much JD Vance really actually hates and despises Europe - much more than had previously been stated in public. We'd seen him argue that Europeans should care more about free speech, and we'd seen him wish for more of the far-right populist parties on the Continent to be elected. So what is it about his own personal and political journey that has left him with such an antipathy for the 'old world'? This guy is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, so we should probably discuss!

]]> Why does JD Vance hate Europe? Mallen Baker 00:16:27 The recent Signalgate text messages leak gave us a real insight into just how much JD Vance really actually hates and despises Europe - much more than had previously been stated in public. We'd seen him argue that Europeans should care more about free speech, and we'd seen him wish for more of the far-right populist parties on the Continent to be elected. So what is it about his own personal and political journey that has left him with such an antipathy for the 'old world'? This guy is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, so we should probably discuss! The recent Signalgate text messages leak gave us a real insight into just how much JD Vance really actually hates and despises Europe - much more than had previously been stated in public. We'd seen him argue that Europeans should care more about free speech, and we'd seen him wish for more of the far-right populist parties on the Continent to be elected. So what is it about his own personal and political journey that has left him with such an antipathy for the 'old world'? This guy is a heartbeat away from the Presidency, so we should probably discuss! false full 259 d0e0a82f-c033-404a-abd6-be8598a99b8e Trump Sparks World Economic Crisis President Trump called it 'Liberation Day' - but that's not what many others were calling it. Instead, the wide-ranging raft of tariffs levied on imports to the US, which seemed based on wholly fictitious claims of how much other countries levied against the US, has thrown the stock markets, the leaders of all other nations, and even some Republicans (quietly) into turmoil. Most believe that Trump's faith in tariffs as the way to 'make America wealthy again' is unfounded, and that instead he is imposing a global recession on the population of the world - and the US itself will suffer not benefit. This could be the most consequential act by one man in our lifetimes. We'd probably better discuss.

]]> Thu, 3 Apr 2025 18:10:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump called it 'Liberation Day' - but that's not what many others were calling it. Instead, the wide-ranging raft of tariffs levied on imports to the US, which seemed based on wholly fictitious claims of how much other countries levied against the US, has thrown the stock markets, the leaders of all other nations, and even some Republicans (quietly) into turmoil. Most believe that Trump's faith in tariffs as the way to 'make America wealthy again' is unfounded, and that instead he is imposing a global recession on the population of the world - and the US itself will suffer not benefit. This could be the most consequential act by one man in our lifetimes. We'd probably better discuss.

]]> Trump Sparks World Economic Crisis Mallen Baker 00:15:22 President Trump called it 'Liberation Day' - but that's not what many others were calling it. Instead, the wide-ranging raft of tariffs levied on imports to the US, which seemed based on wholly fictitious claims of how much other countries levied against the US, has thrown the stock markets, the leaders of all other nations, and even some Republicans (quietly) into turmoil. Most believe that Trump's faith in tariffs as the way to 'make America wealthy again' is unfounded, and that instead he is imposing a global recession on the population of the world - and the US itself will suffer not benefit. This could be the most consequential act by one man in our lifetimes. We'd probably better discuss. President Trump called it 'Liberation Day' - but that's not what many others were calling it. Instead, the wide-ranging raft of tariffs levied on imports to the US, which seemed based on wholly fictitious claims of how much other countries levied against the US, has thrown the stock markets, the leaders of all other nations, and even some Republicans (quietly) into turmoil. Most believe that Trump's faith in tariffs as the way to 'make America wealthy again' is unfounded, and that instead he is imposing a global recession on the population of the world - and the US itself will suffer not benefit. This could be the most consequential act by one man in our lifetimes. We'd probably better discuss. false full 258 3685b3b1-ed77-4926-b071-4d2b600a8ff7 Trump’s Science Purge: Why Researchers Are Leaving the US in Droves Health researchers, climate scientists, and more - they are finding significant projects being axed for what appear to be purely ideological grounds. This can include projects you would think would be immune to such factors, such as cancer research. The US has had the benefit of cutting edge research and technology for many decades - it has been one of the assets that has made it so successful. But now scientists are being sacked, and even the ones that haven't been yet are nevertheless looking to abroad to be able to work again in an environment where the basics of science are understood and valued. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 2 Apr 2025 18:07:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Health researchers, climate scientists, and more - they are finding significant projects being axed for what appear to be purely ideological grounds. This can include projects you would think would be immune to such factors, such as cancer research. The US has had the benefit of cutting edge research and technology for many decades - it has been one of the assets that has made it so successful. But now scientists are being sacked, and even the ones that haven't been yet are nevertheless looking to abroad to be able to work again in an environment where the basics of science are understood and valued. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump’s Science Purge: Why Researchers Are Leaving the US in Droves Mallen Baker 00:13:52 Health researchers, climate scientists, and more - they are finding significant projects being axed for what appear to be purely ideological grounds. This can include projects you would think would be immune to such factors, such as cancer research. The US has had the benefit of cutting edge research and technology for many decades - it has been one of the assets that has made it so successful. But now scientists are being sacked, and even the ones that haven't been yet are nevertheless looking to abroad to be able to work again in an environment where the basics of science are understood and valued. Let's discuss. Health researchers, climate scientists, and more - they are finding significant projects being axed for what appear to be purely ideological grounds. This can include projects you would think would be immune to such factors, such as cancer research. The US has had the benefit of cutting edge research and technology for many decades - it has been one of the assets that has made it so successful. But now scientists are being sacked, and even the ones that haven't been yet are nevertheless looking to abroad to be able to work again in an environment where the basics of science are understood and valued. Let's discuss. false full 257 d16d8396-04de-4c4f-ad3e-b73f6a1480e2 Elon Musk is nearly finished at DOGE - what next? Elon Musk has been all over the Federal Government for the last ten weeks. But his original term of office is coming to an end, and both Trump and Musk himself are now talking as though that will be it. He has to get back to his businesses, they say, which have been suffering. But he does not want to stop playing this fun political game - and so he is throwing his money into today's State Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, and threatens to do the same for a lot of other races in the future. But has he become such damaged goods that even him money will be toxic for Republicans in the future? Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 1 Apr 2025 18:44:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Elon Musk has been all over the Federal Government for the last ten weeks. But his original term of office is coming to an end, and both Trump and Musk himself are now talking as though that will be it. He has to get back to his businesses, they say, which have been suffering. But he does not want to stop playing this fun political game - and so he is throwing his money into today's State Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, and threatens to do the same for a lot of other races in the future. But has he become such damaged goods that even him money will be toxic for Republicans in the future? Let's discuss.

]]> Elon Musk is nearly finished at DOGE - what next? Mallen Baker 00:12:59 Elon Musk has been all over the Federal Government for the last ten weeks. But his original term of office is coming to an end, and both Trump and Musk himself are now talking as though that will be it. He has to get back to his businesses, they say, which have been suffering. But he does not want to stop playing this fun political game - and so he is throwing his money into today's State Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, and threatens to do the same for a lot of other races in the future. But has he become such damaged goods that even him money will be toxic for Republicans in the future? Let's discuss. Elon Musk has been all over the Federal Government for the last ten weeks. But his original term of office is coming to an end, and both Trump and Musk himself are now talking as though that will be it. He has to get back to his businesses, they say, which have been suffering. But he does not want to stop playing this fun political game - and so he is throwing his money into today's State Supreme Court election in Wisconsin, and threatens to do the same for a lot of other races in the future. But has he become such damaged goods that even him money will be toxic for Republicans in the future? Let's discuss. false full 256 eca3327a-9461-4b6c-b059-fb9db448ebd5 Marine Le Pen BARRED - Harsh Justice Or Legal Coup? The front-runner for the next French Presidential elections, according to current polls, Marine Le Pen has been sensationally barred from standing by a judge who was sentencing her in an embezzlement case. The verdict had expected to be less severe, and to be no block to her challenging the political establishment as the potential first far-right candidate to cross the finish line. But the State Prosecutor had requested the banning, and the judge went for it. Now, voices of condemnation are loudly raised - as you would expect - but the truth is nobody knows just how this shocking outcome will affect the result of the next election, and the tone of French politics in the mean time. And, of course, the edgy discourse between MAGA America and Europe, come to that.

]]> Mon, 31 Mar 2025 19:20:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The front-runner for the next French Presidential elections, according to current polls, Marine Le Pen has been sensationally barred from standing by a judge who was sentencing her in an embezzlement case. The verdict had expected to be less severe, and to be no block to her challenging the political establishment as the potential first far-right candidate to cross the finish line. But the State Prosecutor had requested the banning, and the judge went for it. Now, voices of condemnation are loudly raised - as you would expect - but the truth is nobody knows just how this shocking outcome will affect the result of the next election, and the tone of French politics in the mean time. And, of course, the edgy discourse between MAGA America and Europe, come to that.

]]> Marine Le Pen BARRED - Harsh Justice Or Legal Coup? Mallen Baker 00:10:07 The front-runner for the next French Presidential elections, according to current polls, Marine Le Pen has been sensationally barred from standing by a judge who was sentencing her in an embezzlement case. The verdict had expected to be less severe, and to be no block to her challenging the political establishment as the potential first far-right candidate to cross the finish line. But the State Prosecutor had requested the banning, and the judge went for it. Now, voices of condemnation are loudly raised - as you would expect - but the truth is nobody knows just how this shocking outcome will affect the result of the next election, and the tone of French politics in the mean time. And, of course, the edgy discourse between MAGA America and Europe, come to that. The front-runner for the next French Presidential elections, according to current polls, Marine Le Pen has been sensationally barred from standing by a judge who was sentencing her in an embezzlement case. The verdict had expected to be less severe, and to be no block to her challenging the political establishment as the potential first far-right candidate to cross the finish line. But the State Prosecutor had requested the banning, and the judge went for it. Now, voices of condemnation are loudly raised - as you would expect - but the truth is nobody knows just how this shocking outcome will affect the result of the next election, and the tone of French politics in the mean time. And, of course, the edgy discourse between MAGA America and Europe, come to that. false full 255 ad30e87f-a2ef-423f-a9d8-6c851f0f2652 What Makes A Democracy Turn Into A Dictatorship? In their book 'How Democracies Die', Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt identify the four tells for a despot-in-waiting, the democratic guardrails that all dictators-in-progress seek to dismantle, and how they go about it - and the two other essential ingredients that protect a system that people often underestimate, or even miss entirely. And it won't astonish you to learn that all of this is really rather relevant to Donald Trump's America (and a number of other places besides). Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 30 Mar 2025 17:55:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In their book 'How Democracies Die', Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt identify the four tells for a despot-in-waiting, the democratic guardrails that all dictators-in-progress seek to dismantle, and how they go about it - and the two other essential ingredients that protect a system that people often underestimate, or even miss entirely. And it won't astonish you to learn that all of this is really rather relevant to Donald Trump's America (and a number of other places besides). Let's discuss.

]]> What Makes A Democracy Turn Into A Dictatorship? Mallen Baker 00:23:09 In their book 'How Democracies Die', Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt identify the four tells for a despot-in-waiting, the democratic guardrails that all dictators-in-progress seek to dismantle, and how they go about it - and the two other essential ingredients that protect a system that people often underestimate, or even miss entirely. And it won't astonish you to learn that all of this is really rather relevant to Donald Trump's America (and a number of other places besides). Let's discuss. In their book 'How Democracies Die', Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt identify the four tells for a despot-in-waiting, the democratic guardrails that all dictators-in-progress seek to dismantle, and how they go about it - and the two other essential ingredients that protect a system that people often underestimate, or even miss entirely. And it won't astonish you to learn that all of this is really rather relevant to Donald Trump's America (and a number of other places besides). Let's discuss. false full 254 a403165d-77ea-4454-a4a7-8e14076541c3 JD Vance SLATES Denmark, Hides from Greenland So the visit to Greenland of the Vice President JD Vance finally happened. Originally intended to be a 'charm offensive' to the population, eventually the Americans could find no Greenlanders who wanted to talk to them or who wanted them there at all, so they flew into the US base and stayed there. And slated Denmark for being a bad ally. And said that the wonderful people of Greenland would be much better off as part of America. But we all know that Trump won't take 'no' for an answer, so for all that the official line is that America respects Greenlander's right of self-determination - what happens now?

]]> Fri, 28 Mar 2025 19:25:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So the visit to Greenland of the Vice President JD Vance finally happened. Originally intended to be a 'charm offensive' to the population, eventually the Americans could find no Greenlanders who wanted to talk to them or who wanted them there at all, so they flew into the US base and stayed there. And slated Denmark for being a bad ally. And said that the wonderful people of Greenland would be much better off as part of America. But we all know that Trump won't take 'no' for an answer, so for all that the official line is that America respects Greenlander's right of self-determination - what happens now?

]]> JD Vance SLATES Denmark, Hides from Greenland Mallen Baker 00:12:41 So the visit to Greenland of the Vice President JD Vance finally happened. Originally intended to be a 'charm offensive' to the population, eventually the Americans could find no Greenlanders who wanted to talk to them or who wanted them there at all, so they flew into the US base and stayed there. And slated Denmark for being a bad ally. And said that the wonderful people of Greenland would be much better off as part of America. But we all know that Trump won't take 'no' for an answer, so for all that the official line is that America respects Greenlander's right of self-determination - what happens now? So the visit to Greenland of the Vice President JD Vance finally happened. Originally intended to be a 'charm offensive' to the population, eventually the Americans could find no Greenlanders who wanted to talk to them or who wanted them there at all, so they flew into the US base and stayed there. And slated Denmark for being a bad ally. And said that the wonderful people of Greenland would be much better off as part of America. But we all know that Trump won't take 'no' for an answer, so for all that the official line is that America respects Greenlander's right of self-determination - what happens now? false full 253 26392c38-3545-41a0-84e5-762c7ab51582 Ukraine Stunned As Trump’s Ruthless Minerals Grab is BACK ON In the immediate aftermath of the debacle in the Oval Office, it was reported that Trump wanted the minerals deal toughened up to 'punish' Ukraine. This week we got first news that this is exactly what has been done - the Ukrainians were presented with a full proposal that reportedly gives America 100% control of all of its resources in perpetuity! It is a ridiculous deal, one that Ukraine could surely never sign up to. But then that raises the questions of what will be consequences of turning it down? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 27 Mar 2025 17:39:34 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the immediate aftermath of the debacle in the Oval Office, it was reported that Trump wanted the minerals deal toughened up to 'punish' Ukraine. This week we got first news that this is exactly what has been done - the Ukrainians were presented with a full proposal that reportedly gives America 100% control of all of its resources in perpetuity! It is a ridiculous deal, one that Ukraine could surely never sign up to. But then that raises the questions of what will be consequences of turning it down? Let's discuss.

]]> Ukraine Stunned As Trump’s Ruthless Minerals Grab is BACK ON Mallen Baker 00:10:22 In the immediate aftermath of the debacle in the Oval Office, it was reported that Trump wanted the minerals deal toughened up to 'punish' Ukraine. This week we got first news that this is exactly what has been done - the Ukrainians were presented with a full proposal that reportedly gives America 100% control of all of its resources in perpetuity! It is a ridiculous deal, one that Ukraine could surely never sign up to. But then that raises the questions of what will be consequences of turning it down? Let's discuss. In the immediate aftermath of the debacle in the Oval Office, it was reported that Trump wanted the minerals deal toughened up to 'punish' Ukraine. This week we got first news that this is exactly what has been done - the Ukrainians were presented with a full proposal that reportedly gives America 100% control of all of its resources in perpetuity! It is a ridiculous deal, one that Ukraine could surely never sign up to. But then that raises the questions of what will be consequences of turning it down? Let's discuss. false full 252 e734a9c1-9e5b-42b1-8e1e-0c6fa0dc0a55 National Security Disaster Gets Bigger - And They Just Don’t Care! After various members of the senior Trump administration stated flatly that no classified information was revealed in the group chat on the bombing of Yemen, The Atlantic went ahead and published the entire chat thread, showing clearly the detail of attack plans, precise timings, weapons and systems to be used, that were added to the thread by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Various voices have been raised to say that - obviously in these circumstances, Hegseth and probably others should resign. But the administration just doesn't seem to think it's that big a deal.

]]> Wed, 26 Mar 2025 19:04:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast After various members of the senior Trump administration stated flatly that no classified information was revealed in the group chat on the bombing of Yemen, The Atlantic went ahead and published the entire chat thread, showing clearly the detail of attack plans, precise timings, weapons and systems to be used, that were added to the thread by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Various voices have been raised to say that - obviously in these circumstances, Hegseth and probably others should resign. But the administration just doesn't seem to think it's that big a deal.

]]> National Security Disaster Gets Bigger - And They Just Don’t Care! Mallen Baker 00:08:41 After various members of the senior Trump administration stated flatly that no classified information was revealed in the group chat on the bombing of Yemen, The Atlantic went ahead and published the entire chat thread, showing clearly the detail of attack plans, precise timings, weapons and systems to be used, that were added to the thread by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Various voices have been raised to say that - obviously in these circumstances, Hegseth and probably others should resign. But the administration just doesn't seem to think it's that big a deal. After various members of the senior Trump administration stated flatly that no classified information was revealed in the group chat on the bombing of Yemen, The Atlantic went ahead and published the entire chat thread, showing clearly the detail of attack plans, precise timings, weapons and systems to be used, that were added to the thread by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Various voices have been raised to say that - obviously in these circumstances, Hegseth and probably others should resign. But the administration just doesn't seem to think it's that big a deal. false full 251 e9f82d3c-67fe-4e02-90ed-304452e154eb Is INCOMPETENCE America’s biggest security threat? Convention would have you believe that the most classified American secrets - such as live military operations to strike at targets abroad - are handled with total security and professionalism. There are strict protocols and any security professional is thoroughly briefed and trained in them from the beginning. And yet in the Trump 2.0 administration, such discussions happen on third party apps on phones that may, or may not, have been compromised by adversaries. Oh, and then they are also sent to whoever might have been absent-mindedly added to the group chat - including national journalists. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 25 Mar 2025 18:18:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Convention would have you believe that the most classified American secrets - such as live military operations to strike at targets abroad - are handled with total security and professionalism. There are strict protocols and any security professional is thoroughly briefed and trained in them from the beginning. And yet in the Trump 2.0 administration, such discussions happen on third party apps on phones that may, or may not, have been compromised by adversaries. Oh, and then they are also sent to whoever might have been absent-mindedly added to the group chat - including national journalists. Let's discuss.

]]> Is INCOMPETENCE America’s biggest security threat? Mallen Baker 00:14:57 Convention would have you believe that the most classified American secrets - such as live military operations to strike at targets abroad - are handled with total security and professionalism. There are strict protocols and any security professional is thoroughly briefed and trained in them from the beginning. And yet in the Trump 2.0 administration, such discussions happen on third party apps on phones that may, or may not, have been compromised by adversaries. Oh, and then they are also sent to whoever might have been absent-mindedly added to the group chat - including national journalists. Let's discuss. Convention would have you believe that the most classified American secrets - such as live military operations to strike at targets abroad - are handled with total security and professionalism. There are strict protocols and any security professional is thoroughly briefed and trained in them from the beginning. And yet in the Trump 2.0 administration, such discussions happen on third party apps on phones that may, or may not, have been compromised by adversaries. Oh, and then they are also sent to whoever might have been absent-mindedly added to the group chat - including national journalists. Let's discuss. false full 250 22fc8645-5b98-4d4b-90ea-8ad635cf3e26 Trump's shock move on Greenland provokes fear and fury If the people of Greenland thought they would get a respite while they engage in the slow negotiations to form the next government following their recent election - they were wrong. The surprise announcement that top US officials, along with the wife of the Vice President, would be visiting the country this week sent shockwaves to every level. Condemned by the Greenlanders. Condemned by the political leadership of Denmark. But apparently none of that is much of interest or concern to the administration. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:23:17 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast If the people of Greenland thought they would get a respite while they engage in the slow negotiations to form the next government following their recent election - they were wrong. The surprise announcement that top US officials, along with the wife of the Vice President, would be visiting the country this week sent shockwaves to every level. Condemned by the Greenlanders. Condemned by the political leadership of Denmark. But apparently none of that is much of interest or concern to the administration. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's shock move on Greenland provokes fear and fury Mallen Baker 00:11:17 If the people of Greenland thought they would get a respite while they engage in the slow negotiations to form the next government following their recent election - they were wrong. The surprise announcement that top US officials, along with the wife of the Vice President, would be visiting the country this week sent shockwaves to every level. Condemned by the Greenlanders. Condemned by the political leadership of Denmark. But apparently none of that is much of interest or concern to the administration. Let's discuss. If the people of Greenland thought they would get a respite while they engage in the slow negotiations to form the next government following their recent election - they were wrong. The surprise announcement that top US officials, along with the wife of the Vice President, would be visiting the country this week sent shockwaves to every level. Condemned by the Greenlanders. Condemned by the political leadership of Denmark. But apparently none of that is much of interest or concern to the administration. Let's discuss. false full 249 e8b97f8f-2cb8-4c79-958a-20d244ac6624 Has the European populist wave been killed by MAGA? Over the last few years, the rise of populist and far right parties in a number of key European countries has been a feature of the changing political landscape. With the emergence of Giorgia Meloni into the mainstream, and others like Farage and Le Pen similarly seeking to 'detoxify' their parties to make it as potential parties of government, it seemed that some major change was on the cards. But then Trump came along, and that excited the true radicals, who wanted to upend the institutions not inhabit them. And it then created a toxic association all of its own, that now those parties are desperately trying to distance themselves from. It's all up in the air. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 23 Mar 2025 20:19:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Over the last few years, the rise of populist and far right parties in a number of key European countries has been a feature of the changing political landscape. With the emergence of Giorgia Meloni into the mainstream, and others like Farage and Le Pen similarly seeking to 'detoxify' their parties to make it as potential parties of government, it seemed that some major change was on the cards. But then Trump came along, and that excited the true radicals, who wanted to upend the institutions not inhabit them. And it then created a toxic association all of its own, that now those parties are desperately trying to distance themselves from. It's all up in the air. Let's discuss.

]]> Has the European populist wave been killed by MAGA? Mallen Baker 00:14:01 Over the last few years, the rise of populist and far right parties in a number of key European countries has been a feature of the changing political landscape. With the emergence of Giorgia Meloni into the mainstream, and others like Farage and Le Pen similarly seeking to 'detoxify' their parties to make it as potential parties of government, it seemed that some major change was on the cards. But then Trump came along, and that excited the true radicals, who wanted to upend the institutions not inhabit them. And it then created a toxic association all of its own, that now those parties are desperately trying to distance themselves from. It's all up in the air. Let's discuss. Over the last few years, the rise of populist and far right parties in a number of key European countries has been a feature of the changing political landscape. With the emergence of Giorgia Meloni into the mainstream, and others like Farage and Le Pen similarly seeking to 'detoxify' their parties to make it as potential parties of government, it seemed that some major change was on the cards. But then Trump came along, and that excited the true radicals, who wanted to upend the institutions not inhabit them. And it then created a toxic association all of its own, that now those parties are desperately trying to distance themselves from. It's all up in the air. Let's discuss. false full 248 c297dfa6-9b32-4c57-9c7a-044792736ee4 America’s Institutions Are Caving to Trump —Here’s Why One of the key guarantees against authoritarian rule in the United States is the independence of a number of key institutions, especially the judiciary, but also academia, the press, and legislators. We know that President Trump is keen to maximise executive power - but is it simply a case of testing the boundaries and pushing them as far as they will go - or is it a process of silencing and co-opting all those institutions by the raw exercise of power? And how far can the latter go before you don't have a democracy worth the name any more? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 22 Mar 2025 19:53:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast One of the key guarantees against authoritarian rule in the United States is the independence of a number of key institutions, especially the judiciary, but also academia, the press, and legislators. We know that President Trump is keen to maximise executive power - but is it simply a case of testing the boundaries and pushing them as far as they will go - or is it a process of silencing and co-opting all those institutions by the raw exercise of power? And how far can the latter go before you don't have a democracy worth the name any more? Let's discuss.

]]> America’s Institutions Are Caving to Trump —Here’s Why Mallen Baker 00:17:38 One of the key guarantees against authoritarian rule in the United States is the independence of a number of key institutions, especially the judiciary, but also academia, the press, and legislators. We know that President Trump is keen to maximise executive power - but is it simply a case of testing the boundaries and pushing them as far as they will go - or is it a process of silencing and co-opting all those institutions by the raw exercise of power? And how far can the latter go before you don't have a democracy worth the name any more? Let's discuss. One of the key guarantees against authoritarian rule in the United States is the independence of a number of key institutions, especially the judiciary, but also academia, the press, and legislators. We know that President Trump is keen to maximise executive power - but is it simply a case of testing the boundaries and pushing them as far as they will go - or is it a process of silencing and co-opting all those institutions by the raw exercise of power? And how far can the latter go before you don't have a democracy worth the name any more? Let's discuss. false full 247 63d8188c-5009-45e6-8911-4b2b036f749c Is Trump's America leading the world to autocracy? A new report about the state of democracy in the world makes for sobering reading. But the most striking thing about it is that it adds additional content to note that, since the date of the report deadline, the first weeks of the Trump Administration have seen the US autocratising - becoming more autocratic and less democratic - is happening at a faster rate than they have ever seen anywhere else in the world. That sounds like something we should probably talk about.

A link to the report discussed in this episode:
https://www.v-dem.net/documents/60/V-dem-dr__2025_lowres.pdf

]]> Thu, 20 Mar 2025 19:29:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A new report about the state of democracy in the world makes for sobering reading. But the most striking thing about it is that it adds additional content to note that, since the date of the report deadline, the first weeks of the Trump Administration have seen the US autocratising - becoming more autocratic and less democratic - is happening at a faster rate than they have ever seen anywhere else in the world. That sounds like something we should probably talk about.

A link to the report discussed in this episode:
https://www.v-dem.net/documents/60/V-dem-dr__2025_lowres.pdf

]]> Is Trump's America leading the world to autocracy? Mallen Baker 00:11:12 A new report about the state of democracy in the world makes for sobering reading. But the most striking thing about it is that it adds additional content to note that, since the date of the report deadline, the first weeks of the Trump Administration have seen the US autocratising - becoming more autocratic and less democratic - is happening at a faster rate than they have ever seen anywhere else in the world. That sounds like something we should probably talk about. A new report about the state of democracy in the world makes for sobering reading. But the most striking thing about it is that it adds additional content to note that, since the date of the report deadline, the first weeks of the Trump Administration have seen the US autocratising - becoming more autocratic and less democratic - is happening at a faster rate than they have ever seen anywhere else in the world. That sounds like something we should probably talk about. false full 246 b2555a83-ac07-4803-96cf-b5ac869e7477 Why Trump's Putin call was a total bust So President Trump finally held his call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. And for all his advance pronouncements that they would be carving up the assets of Ukraine in this call, it seems as though they got nowhere close. Instead, as the read-outs show, Putin agreed to nothing that Trump wanted him to do - at least with regard to Ukraine - and yet they still came out of it saying it had been a great call, and with Trump clinging to the barest figleaf he could call a win. So what now? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 19 Mar 2025 19:01:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So President Trump finally held his call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. And for all his advance pronouncements that they would be carving up the assets of Ukraine in this call, it seems as though they got nowhere close. Instead, as the read-outs show, Putin agreed to nothing that Trump wanted him to do - at least with regard to Ukraine - and yet they still came out of it saying it had been a great call, and with Trump clinging to the barest figleaf he could call a win. So what now? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump's Putin call was a total bust Mallen Baker 00:10:56 So President Trump finally held his call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. And for all his advance pronouncements that they would be carving up the assets of Ukraine in this call, it seems as though they got nowhere close. Instead, as the read-outs show, Putin agreed to nothing that Trump wanted him to do - at least with regard to Ukraine - and yet they still came out of it saying it had been a great call, and with Trump clinging to the barest figleaf he could call a win. So what now? Let's discuss. So President Trump finally held his call with Russia's President Vladimir Putin. And for all his advance pronouncements that they would be carving up the assets of Ukraine in this call, it seems as though they got nowhere close. Instead, as the read-outs show, Putin agreed to nothing that Trump wanted him to do - at least with regard to Ukraine - and yet they still came out of it saying it had been a great call, and with Trump clinging to the barest figleaf he could call a win. So what now? Let's discuss. false full 245 b9f7dfb5-68a6-4cf6-a534-54c31284c16d UK's Net Zero consensus EXPLODES The Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced an end to her party's support for the previously consensus climate change policy target of net zero by 2050. In a speech that has created shockwaves through the UK parliamentary system, she said that the target was impossible to achieve, and policy debate would be better served by being realistic about the facts. In this video, we look at what has been said - and I talk about why, regardless of your political affiliation, or personal position on speed of climate action - this is probably a good thing. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 18 Mar 2025 18:56:31 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced an end to her party's support for the previously consensus climate change policy target of net zero by 2050. In a speech that has created shockwaves through the UK parliamentary system, she said that the target was impossible to achieve, and policy debate would be better served by being realistic about the facts. In this video, we look at what has been said - and I talk about why, regardless of your political affiliation, or personal position on speed of climate action - this is probably a good thing. Let's discuss.

]]> UK's Net Zero consensus EXPLODES Mallen Baker 00:18:28 The Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced an end to her party's support for the previously consensus climate change policy target of net zero by 2050. In a speech that has created shockwaves through the UK parliamentary system, she said that the target was impossible to achieve, and policy debate would be better served by being realistic about the facts. In this video, we look at what has been said - and I talk about why, regardless of your political affiliation, or personal position on speed of climate action - this is probably a good thing. Let's discuss. The Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has announced an end to her party's support for the previously consensus climate change policy target of net zero by 2050. In a speech that has created shockwaves through the UK parliamentary system, she said that the target was impossible to achieve, and policy debate would be better served by being realistic about the facts. In this video, we look at what has been said - and I talk about why, regardless of your political affiliation, or personal position on speed of climate action - this is probably a good thing. Let's discuss. false full 244 cfa64d55-6704-4768-a1ea-882d3bd54a7c Trump boasts of giving Ukraine's assets to Putin President Trump and President Putin have a direct call scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday 18th Mar). In talking about it, Trump said that part of the discussion would cover the division of assets, including land and energy infrastructure. This, along with several other indicators that have emerged today, suggest that Trump remains of a mind to give Putin most of what he would ever want in order to get to a ceasefire. And since a lot of it won't be acceptable to Ukraine, we can expect some serious pressure to be applied in the wake of whatever agreement emerges, if indeed it does. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 17 Mar 2025 18:11:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump and President Putin have a direct call scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday 18th Mar). In talking about it, Trump said that part of the discussion would cover the division of assets, including land and energy infrastructure. This, along with several other indicators that have emerged today, suggest that Trump remains of a mind to give Putin most of what he would ever want in order to get to a ceasefire. And since a lot of it won't be acceptable to Ukraine, we can expect some serious pressure to be applied in the wake of whatever agreement emerges, if indeed it does. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump boasts of giving Ukraine's assets to Putin Mallen Baker 00:10:05 President Trump and President Putin have a direct call scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday 18th Mar). In talking about it, Trump said that part of the discussion would cover the division of assets, including land and energy infrastructure. This, along with several other indicators that have emerged today, suggest that Trump remains of a mind to give Putin most of what he would ever want in order to get to a ceasefire. And since a lot of it won't be acceptable to Ukraine, we can expect some serious pressure to be applied in the wake of whatever agreement emerges, if indeed it does. Let's discuss. President Trump and President Putin have a direct call scheduled to take place tomorrow (Tuesday 18th Mar). In talking about it, Trump said that part of the discussion would cover the division of assets, including land and energy infrastructure. This, along with several other indicators that have emerged today, suggest that Trump remains of a mind to give Putin most of what he would ever want in order to get to a ceasefire. And since a lot of it won't be acceptable to Ukraine, we can expect some serious pressure to be applied in the wake of whatever agreement emerges, if indeed it does. Let's discuss. false full 243 b6f75775-c4c5-4093-8b0a-dc08d778b031 Two signs Putin could be about to TURN on Trump The awkward pause continues, with Russia's President Putin keeping the world, and specifically President Trump, waiting and guessing about his ultimate response to the Ukraine ceasefire proposal. But while Trump continues to talk the process up, almost unnoticed signs are emerging that Putin is preparing his population for the contingency that it's all about to get a lot more hostile. It doesn't mean he's planning it that way, but he's certainly minded that what he's about to do is likely to provoke a reaction. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 16 Mar 2025 18:29:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The awkward pause continues, with Russia's President Putin keeping the world, and specifically President Trump, waiting and guessing about his ultimate response to the Ukraine ceasefire proposal. But while Trump continues to talk the process up, almost unnoticed signs are emerging that Putin is preparing his population for the contingency that it's all about to get a lot more hostile. It doesn't mean he's planning it that way, but he's certainly minded that what he's about to do is likely to provoke a reaction. Let's discuss.

]]> Two signs Putin could be about to TURN on Trump Mallen Baker 00:07:41 The awkward pause continues, with Russia's President Putin keeping the world, and specifically President Trump, waiting and guessing about his ultimate response to the Ukraine ceasefire proposal. But while Trump continues to talk the process up, almost unnoticed signs are emerging that Putin is preparing his population for the contingency that it's all about to get a lot more hostile. It doesn't mean he's planning it that way, but he's certainly minded that what he's about to do is likely to provoke a reaction. Let's discuss. The awkward pause continues, with Russia's President Putin keeping the world, and specifically President Trump, waiting and guessing about his ultimate response to the Ukraine ceasefire proposal. But while Trump continues to talk the process up, almost unnoticed signs are emerging that Putin is preparing his population for the contingency that it's all about to get a lot more hostile. It doesn't mean he's planning it that way, but he's certainly minded that what he's about to do is likely to provoke a reaction. Let's discuss. false full 242 fc78c370-cafd-4d9a-b62f-a1d71f918b14 Elon Musk is self-destructing Nobody has been so embedded with the Trump operation as Elon Musk has been over the last couple of months. And it's fair to say he's been everywhere - every government department, all over social media, in the faces of various world leaders and other figures. Energetic, rude, abrasive, headline grabbing. But his popularity has plunged. His businesses are suffering. And there's every sign that he is now beginning the final act of what was always going to be the inevitable fall after the ascent. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 15 Mar 2025 18:40:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Nobody has been so embedded with the Trump operation as Elon Musk has been over the last couple of months. And it's fair to say he's been everywhere - every government department, all over social media, in the faces of various world leaders and other figures. Energetic, rude, abrasive, headline grabbing. But his popularity has plunged. His businesses are suffering. And there's every sign that he is now beginning the final act of what was always going to be the inevitable fall after the ascent. Let's discuss.

]]> Elon Musk is self-destructing Mallen Baker 00:18:08 Nobody has been so embedded with the Trump operation as Elon Musk has been over the last couple of months. And it's fair to say he's been everywhere - every government department, all over social media, in the faces of various world leaders and other figures. Energetic, rude, abrasive, headline grabbing. But his popularity has plunged. His businesses are suffering. And there's every sign that he is now beginning the final act of what was always going to be the inevitable fall after the ascent. Let's discuss. Nobody has been so embedded with the Trump operation as Elon Musk has been over the last couple of months. And it's fair to say he's been everywhere - every government department, all over social media, in the faces of various world leaders and other figures. Energetic, rude, abrasive, headline grabbing. But his popularity has plunged. His businesses are suffering. And there's every sign that he is now beginning the final act of what was always going to be the inevitable fall after the ascent. Let's discuss. false full 241 29d17db5-f7af-4895-ac7e-c37e25c449ab How Putin is playing Trump on Ukraine ceasefire Putin has said he accepts Trump's unconditional ceasefire agreement ... with some conditions. In this video, we look at the game of chess that's being played out, the complementary objectives Putin is trying to achieve, while seeking to manage the unpredictability and thin skin of the US president. And why Ukraine is worried, and probably should be. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 14 Mar 2025 17:07:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Putin has said he accepts Trump's unconditional ceasefire agreement ... with some conditions. In this video, we look at the game of chess that's being played out, the complementary objectives Putin is trying to achieve, while seeking to manage the unpredictability and thin skin of the US president. And why Ukraine is worried, and probably should be. Let's discuss.

]]> How Putin is playing Trump on Ukraine ceasefire Mallen Baker 00:16:03 Putin has said he accepts Trump's unconditional ceasefire agreement ... with some conditions. In this video, we look at the game of chess that's being played out, the complementary objectives Putin is trying to achieve, while seeking to manage the unpredictability and thin skin of the US president. And why Ukraine is worried, and probably should be. Let's discuss. Putin has said he accepts Trump's unconditional ceasefire agreement ... with some conditions. In this video, we look at the game of chess that's being played out, the complementary objectives Putin is trying to achieve, while seeking to manage the unpredictability and thin skin of the US president. And why Ukraine is worried, and probably should be. Let's discuss. false full 240 628c50e6-5b22-4761-9423-87ba8d6bd913 Has Trump's Gaza plan been thwarted? Trump had a dream of the Gaza Riviera, where the Palestinians had been cleared from their own country and resettled in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, leaving a redeveloped paradise for the beautiful people to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, the Arab states were not on board with this vision, and so Egypt has delivered its very own plan. The Arab states have endorsed it. European leaders have smiled warmly upon it. There's just one problem - Trump and Israel reject its failure to deal with the role of Hamas. And meanwhile, the existing ceasefire could break down at any point. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 13 Mar 2025 18:07:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump had a dream of the Gaza Riviera, where the Palestinians had been cleared from their own country and resettled in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, leaving a redeveloped paradise for the beautiful people to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, the Arab states were not on board with this vision, and so Egypt has delivered its very own plan. The Arab states have endorsed it. European leaders have smiled warmly upon it. There's just one problem - Trump and Israel reject its failure to deal with the role of Hamas. And meanwhile, the existing ceasefire could break down at any point. Let's discuss.

]]> Has Trump's Gaza plan been thwarted? Mallen Baker 00:11:11 Trump had a dream of the Gaza Riviera, where the Palestinians had been cleared from their own country and resettled in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, leaving a redeveloped paradise for the beautiful people to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, the Arab states were not on board with this vision, and so Egypt has delivered its very own plan. The Arab states have endorsed it. European leaders have smiled warmly upon it. There's just one problem - Trump and Israel reject its failure to deal with the role of Hamas. And meanwhile, the existing ceasefire could break down at any point. Let's discuss. Trump had a dream of the Gaza Riviera, where the Palestinians had been cleared from their own country and resettled in neighbouring Egypt and Jordan, leaving a redeveloped paradise for the beautiful people to enjoy. Unsurprisingly, the Arab states were not on board with this vision, and so Egypt has delivered its very own plan. The Arab states have endorsed it. European leaders have smiled warmly upon it. There's just one problem - Trump and Israel reject its failure to deal with the role of Hamas. And meanwhile, the existing ceasefire could break down at any point. Let's discuss. false full 239 c93e551c-5ee0-4a60-bf49-2b706c489e25 The US-Ukraine Ceasefire Plan - Why it's a big problem for Putin So the US - Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia conclude with a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. A full ceasefire, not the partial one the Ukrainians had initially wanted. Why is the distinction between the partial and total ceasefire important - and how did the Ukrainians manage to get a clause inserted that potentially side-steps the trap that Russia and the US had laid for them in their previous summit? Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 12 Mar 2025 17:10:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast So the US - Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia conclude with a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. A full ceasefire, not the partial one the Ukrainians had initially wanted. Why is the distinction between the partial and total ceasefire important - and how did the Ukrainians manage to get a clause inserted that potentially side-steps the trap that Russia and the US had laid for them in their previous summit? Let's discuss.

]]> The US-Ukraine Ceasefire Plan - Why it's a big problem for Putin Mallen Baker 00:11:37 So the US - Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia conclude with a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. A full ceasefire, not the partial one the Ukrainians had initially wanted. Why is the distinction between the partial and total ceasefire important - and how did the Ukrainians manage to get a clause inserted that potentially side-steps the trap that Russia and the US had laid for them in their previous summit? Let's discuss. So the US - Ukraine talks in Saudi Arabia conclude with a proposal for a 30-day ceasefire. A full ceasefire, not the partial one the Ukrainians had initially wanted. Why is the distinction between the partial and total ceasefire important - and how did the Ukrainians manage to get a clause inserted that potentially side-steps the trap that Russia and the US had laid for them in their previous summit? Let's discuss. false full 238 65e8d4e0-8e28-4a0d-9fa3-6637a021fd93 What would fascism in America REALLY look like? Various people have been asking if the radical new type of government the US has found itself with - undoubtedly more authoritarian by instinct than previous incumbents - should be labelled with one of the big ugly words of history - fascism. Various people do - but in this video we highlight exactly what that label describes, why it shouldn't be demeaned by mis-use, but also why we SHOULD be concerned about the direction of travel. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 11 Mar 2025 19:05:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Various people have been asking if the radical new type of government the US has found itself with - undoubtedly more authoritarian by instinct than previous incumbents - should be labelled with one of the big ugly words of history - fascism. Various people do - but in this video we highlight exactly what that label describes, why it shouldn't be demeaned by mis-use, but also why we SHOULD be concerned about the direction of travel. Let's discuss.

]]> What would fascism in America REALLY look like? Mallen Baker 00:20:57 Various people have been asking if the radical new type of government the US has found itself with - undoubtedly more authoritarian by instinct than previous incumbents - should be labelled with one of the big ugly words of history - fascism. Various people do - but in this video we highlight exactly what that label describes, why it shouldn't be demeaned by mis-use, but also why we SHOULD be concerned about the direction of travel. Let's discuss. Various people have been asking if the radical new type of government the US has found itself with - undoubtedly more authoritarian by instinct than previous incumbents - should be labelled with one of the big ugly words of history - fascism. Various people do - but in this video we highlight exactly what that label describes, why it shouldn't be demeaned by mis-use, but also why we SHOULD be concerned about the direction of travel. Let's discuss. false full 237 06445721-4bb0-42db-bf37-e53c76541a31 Why Trump’s Ukraine betrayal will come back to bite the US The US-Ukraine talks begin tomorrow in Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine at least will find out then just how ruthless the US intends to be in threatening to let Putin overrun their country unless they agree to cede territory to him in the negotiations. Ukraine is going still with an agenda that assumes there will be a process where someone meets them halfway - but the evidence to date is that that's not the process they're walking into. At that point, what will they have to lose if they simply tell the US to get lost? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 10 Mar 2025 19:27:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US-Ukraine talks begin tomorrow in Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine at least will find out then just how ruthless the US intends to be in threatening to let Putin overrun their country unless they agree to cede territory to him in the negotiations. Ukraine is going still with an agenda that assumes there will be a process where someone meets them halfway - but the evidence to date is that that's not the process they're walking into. At that point, what will they have to lose if they simply tell the US to get lost? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump’s Ukraine betrayal will come back to bite the US Mallen Baker 00:16:25 The US-Ukraine talks begin tomorrow in Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine at least will find out then just how ruthless the US intends to be in threatening to let Putin overrun their country unless they agree to cede territory to him in the negotiations. Ukraine is going still with an agenda that assumes there will be a process where someone meets them halfway - but the evidence to date is that that's not the process they're walking into. At that point, what will they have to lose if they simply tell the US to get lost? Let's discuss. The US-Ukraine talks begin tomorrow in Saudi Arabia, and Ukraine at least will find out then just how ruthless the US intends to be in threatening to let Putin overrun their country unless they agree to cede territory to him in the negotiations. Ukraine is going still with an agenda that assumes there will be a process where someone meets them halfway - but the evidence to date is that that's not the process they're walking into. At that point, what will they have to lose if they simply tell the US to get lost? Let's discuss. false full 236 8fa85d1e-3842-40ec-b8d7-bab01a76b678 Is Mallen 'off the fence' on President Trump? I've had a couple of YouTube comments recently asking if the slightly different tone of videos in the last few weeks means that the non-partisan position of the channel has been put aside. In other words, am I now 'off the fence' - at least when it comes to Donald Trump? This doesn't quite catch the whole point of non-partisanship as practiced on this channel, so I thought it was worth discussing. It's a change of pace, if nothing else!

]]> Sun, 9 Mar 2025 17:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast I've had a couple of YouTube comments recently asking if the slightly different tone of videos in the last few weeks means that the non-partisan position of the channel has been put aside. In other words, am I now 'off the fence' - at least when it comes to Donald Trump? This doesn't quite catch the whole point of non-partisanship as practiced on this channel, so I thought it was worth discussing. It's a change of pace, if nothing else!

]]> Is Mallen 'off the fence' on President Trump? Mallen Baker 00:15:46 I've had a couple of YouTube comments recently asking if the slightly different tone of videos in the last few weeks means that the non-partisan position of the channel has been put aside. In other words, am I now 'off the fence' - at least when it comes to Donald Trump? This doesn't quite catch the whole point of non-partisanship as practiced on this channel, so I thought it was worth discussing. It's a change of pace, if nothing else! I've had a couple of YouTube comments recently asking if the slightly different tone of videos in the last few weeks means that the non-partisan position of the channel has been put aside. In other words, am I now 'off the fence' - at least when it comes to Donald Trump? This doesn't quite catch the whole point of non-partisanship as practiced on this channel, so I thought it was worth discussing. It's a change of pace, if nothing else! false full 235 2d995826-2c87-4f15-8475-c9a864852947 Yes, Trump really DOES mean to annex Canada When he first said it, everyone thought he was joking. It was a joke that Canadians found insulting, but even so. But then in subsequent discussions, Canadian prime minister Trudeau and his officials found that Trump was getting very specifically detailed in the treaties and historical agreements that defined Canada's border - documents he feels can be disregarded. Quickly they came to the conclusion that Trump is out to destroy Canada's economy, which he feels will make it easier to annex it. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 8 Mar 2025 18:19:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast When he first said it, everyone thought he was joking. It was a joke that Canadians found insulting, but even so. But then in subsequent discussions, Canadian prime minister Trudeau and his officials found that Trump was getting very specifically detailed in the treaties and historical agreements that defined Canada's border - documents he feels can be disregarded. Quickly they came to the conclusion that Trump is out to destroy Canada's economy, which he feels will make it easier to annex it. Let's discuss.

]]> Yes, Trump really DOES mean to annex Canada Mallen Baker 00:09:39 When he first said it, everyone thought he was joking. It was a joke that Canadians found insulting, but even so. But then in subsequent discussions, Canadian prime minister Trudeau and his officials found that Trump was getting very specifically detailed in the treaties and historical agreements that defined Canada's border - documents he feels can be disregarded. Quickly they came to the conclusion that Trump is out to destroy Canada's economy, which he feels will make it easier to annex it. Let's discuss. When he first said it, everyone thought he was joking. It was a joke that Canadians found insulting, but even so. But then in subsequent discussions, Canadian prime minister Trudeau and his officials found that Trump was getting very specifically detailed in the treaties and historical agreements that defined Canada's border - documents he feels can be disregarded. Quickly they came to the conclusion that Trump is out to destroy Canada's economy, which he feels will make it easier to annex it. Let's discuss. false full 234 561a234b-6f4b-4d5c-a9d5-db84f42100b4 Trump just killed NATO - but they won't admit it The current European leaders, along with the NATO Secretary General, are all agreed that NATO remains solid, the United States partnership likewise, the mutual defence promise at the heart of the Treaty has the full commitment of President Trump. And we all know that they don't believe that at all. They say it because they hope that they can buy time to backfill the NATO joint effect of deterrence and stability before Trump finally calls time. But it's fooling nobody, least of all Vladimir Putin. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 7 Mar 2025 18:20:48 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The current European leaders, along with the NATO Secretary General, are all agreed that NATO remains solid, the United States partnership likewise, the mutual defence promise at the heart of the Treaty has the full commitment of President Trump. And we all know that they don't believe that at all. They say it because they hope that they can buy time to backfill the NATO joint effect of deterrence and stability before Trump finally calls time. But it's fooling nobody, least of all Vladimir Putin. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump just killed NATO - but they won't admit it Mallen Baker 00:11:03 The current European leaders, along with the NATO Secretary General, are all agreed that NATO remains solid, the United States partnership likewise, the mutual defence promise at the heart of the Treaty has the full commitment of President Trump. And we all know that they don't believe that at all. They say it because they hope that they can buy time to backfill the NATO joint effect of deterrence and stability before Trump finally calls time. But it's fooling nobody, least of all Vladimir Putin. Let's discuss. The current European leaders, along with the NATO Secretary General, are all agreed that NATO remains solid, the United States partnership likewise, the mutual defence promise at the heart of the Treaty has the full commitment of President Trump. And we all know that they don't believe that at all. They say it because they hope that they can buy time to backfill the NATO joint effect of deterrence and stability before Trump finally calls time. But it's fooling nobody, least of all Vladimir Putin. Let's discuss. false full 233 f6fdfc5f-5d3b-42cf-9987-79fe057a4e46 Trump's secret moves to bring down Zelensky Today it was revealed that senior members of the Trump administration have been talking to the political opposition in Ukraine, seeking to find who would be the alternative leader to Zelensky who would be more palatable to Vladimir Putin, and who would embrace America's help to get them elected? This is all in line with the plan we know the US and Russia discussed - to bring in a ceasefire, and then use that as an excuse to push Ukraine into an election - an election that Russia and the US will be doing their best to see Zelensky lose. Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 6 Mar 2025 18:14:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Today it was revealed that senior members of the Trump administration have been talking to the political opposition in Ukraine, seeking to find who would be the alternative leader to Zelensky who would be more palatable to Vladimir Putin, and who would embrace America's help to get them elected? This is all in line with the plan we know the US and Russia discussed - to bring in a ceasefire, and then use that as an excuse to push Ukraine into an election - an election that Russia and the US will be doing their best to see Zelensky lose. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's secret moves to bring down Zelensky Mallen Baker 00:13:58 Today it was revealed that senior members of the Trump administration have been talking to the political opposition in Ukraine, seeking to find who would be the alternative leader to Zelensky who would be more palatable to Vladimir Putin, and who would embrace America's help to get them elected? This is all in line with the plan we know the US and Russia discussed - to bring in a ceasefire, and then use that as an excuse to push Ukraine into an election - an election that Russia and the US will be doing their best to see Zelensky lose. Let's discuss. Today it was revealed that senior members of the Trump administration have been talking to the political opposition in Ukraine, seeking to find who would be the alternative leader to Zelensky who would be more palatable to Vladimir Putin, and who would embrace America's help to get them elected? This is all in line with the plan we know the US and Russia discussed - to bring in a ceasefire, and then use that as an excuse to push Ukraine into an election - an election that Russia and the US will be doing their best to see Zelensky lose. Let's discuss. false full 232 01693b4d-f5ca-42bd-8ad6-10f8bf3ec507 Ukraine's Zelensky is walking into a trap Zelensky has sent the letter to president Trump that was demanded - agreeing to sign the one-sided minerals deal, to put himself 'under Trump's strong leadership' and to agree to an early ceasefire. This is what Ukraine's European allies, such as Keir Starmer from Britain, and Emmanuel Macron from France, have urged him to do. But it's a trap. He knows it's a trap. They may or may not know, but if they do - they think it's worth the risk of stepping into it anyway. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 5 Mar 2025 16:53:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Zelensky has sent the letter to president Trump that was demanded - agreeing to sign the one-sided minerals deal, to put himself 'under Trump's strong leadership' and to agree to an early ceasefire. This is what Ukraine's European allies, such as Keir Starmer from Britain, and Emmanuel Macron from France, have urged him to do. But it's a trap. He knows it's a trap. They may or may not know, but if they do - they think it's worth the risk of stepping into it anyway. Let's discuss.

]]> Ukraine's Zelensky is walking into a trap Mallen Baker 00:16:57 Zelensky has sent the letter to president Trump that was demanded - agreeing to sign the one-sided minerals deal, to put himself 'under Trump's strong leadership' and to agree to an early ceasefire. This is what Ukraine's European allies, such as Keir Starmer from Britain, and Emmanuel Macron from France, have urged him to do. But it's a trap. He knows it's a trap. They may or may not know, but if they do - they think it's worth the risk of stepping into it anyway. Let's discuss. Zelensky has sent the letter to president Trump that was demanded - agreeing to sign the one-sided minerals deal, to put himself 'under Trump's strong leadership' and to agree to an early ceasefire. This is what Ukraine's European allies, such as Keir Starmer from Britain, and Emmanuel Macron from France, have urged him to do. But it's a trap. He knows it's a trap. They may or may not know, but if they do - they think it's worth the risk of stepping into it anyway. Let's discuss. false full 231 df452348-2b5a-43cf-87b5-00a10a7c31de European peace plan in tatters as Trump cancels Ukraine support In spite of Europe's hopes that somehow there would be a path to keeping Trump onside with supporting Ukraine, the inevitability of the dashing of those hopes is now plain to see. Trump has pulled military support for Ukraine - including weapons that were agreed before he came to office that were literally in the process of being delivered. The intent is clearly to put maximum pressure on for Kyiv to have to accept his terms for 'peace'. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 4 Mar 2025 17:33:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In spite of Europe's hopes that somehow there would be a path to keeping Trump onside with supporting Ukraine, the inevitability of the dashing of those hopes is now plain to see. Trump has pulled military support for Ukraine - including weapons that were agreed before he came to office that were literally in the process of being delivered. The intent is clearly to put maximum pressure on for Kyiv to have to accept his terms for 'peace'. Let's discuss.

]]> European peace plan in tatters as Trump cancels Ukraine support Mallen Baker 00:13:26 In spite of Europe's hopes that somehow there would be a path to keeping Trump onside with supporting Ukraine, the inevitability of the dashing of those hopes is now plain to see. Trump has pulled military support for Ukraine - including weapons that were agreed before he came to office that were literally in the process of being delivered. The intent is clearly to put maximum pressure on for Kyiv to have to accept his terms for 'peace'. Let's discuss. In spite of Europe's hopes that somehow there would be a path to keeping Trump onside with supporting Ukraine, the inevitability of the dashing of those hopes is now plain to see. Trump has pulled military support for Ukraine - including weapons that were agreed before he came to office that were literally in the process of being delivered. The intent is clearly to put maximum pressure on for Kyiv to have to accept his terms for 'peace'. Let's discuss. false full 230 dae806a2-efa8-48d1-b78b-6ef22fb1cfee Trump's pro-Putin anti-Zelensky stance hardens Europe and Ukraine's desperate plan is to win back Trump to the cause of supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. But while they work on the details of that, the US is relaxing more of its measures against Russia and signalling a ramping up of the normalisation of relations. The Kremlin is delighted - and a Putin Trump summit is now being fast-tracked. And MAGA voices, including those within the administration, are starting to mutter about how Zelensky should be replaced as leader of Ukraine. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 3 Mar 2025 18:21:16 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Europe and Ukraine's desperate plan is to win back Trump to the cause of supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. But while they work on the details of that, the US is relaxing more of its measures against Russia and signalling a ramping up of the normalisation of relations. The Kremlin is delighted - and a Putin Trump summit is now being fast-tracked. And MAGA voices, including those within the administration, are starting to mutter about how Zelensky should be replaced as leader of Ukraine. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's pro-Putin anti-Zelensky stance hardens Mallen Baker 00:15:05 Europe and Ukraine's desperate plan is to win back Trump to the cause of supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. But while they work on the details of that, the US is relaxing more of its measures against Russia and signalling a ramping up of the normalisation of relations. The Kremlin is delighted - and a Putin Trump summit is now being fast-tracked. And MAGA voices, including those within the administration, are starting to mutter about how Zelensky should be replaced as leader of Ukraine. Let's discuss. Europe and Ukraine's desperate plan is to win back Trump to the cause of supporting Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression. But while they work on the details of that, the US is relaxing more of its measures against Russia and signalling a ramping up of the normalisation of relations. The Kremlin is delighted - and a Putin Trump summit is now being fast-tracked. And MAGA voices, including those within the administration, are starting to mutter about how Zelensky should be replaced as leader of Ukraine. Let's discuss. false full 229 2cd47986-1924-4132-aa32-17ec8a6e522c The Starmer plan to win Trump for Ukraine back - and why it will fail Europe has been regrouping with president Zelensky and trying to come to terms with the fallout from the massive meltdown in the Oval Office on Friday. And British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is primed to act as a key facilitator to bring Ukraine and the US together - putting together an alternative peace plan that Trump can support, which will have concrete security guarantees. The only problem - it won't work. They probably know it won't work, but they have to try - because the alternative will be a lot worse. Let's discuss.

]]> Sun, 2 Mar 2025 19:08:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Europe has been regrouping with president Zelensky and trying to come to terms with the fallout from the massive meltdown in the Oval Office on Friday. And British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is primed to act as a key facilitator to bring Ukraine and the US together - putting together an alternative peace plan that Trump can support, which will have concrete security guarantees. The only problem - it won't work. They probably know it won't work, but they have to try - because the alternative will be a lot worse. Let's discuss.

]]> The Starmer plan to win Trump for Ukraine back - and why it will fail Mallen Baker 00:16:56 Europe has been regrouping with president Zelensky and trying to come to terms with the fallout from the massive meltdown in the Oval Office on Friday. And British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is primed to act as a key facilitator to bring Ukraine and the US together - putting together an alternative peace plan that Trump can support, which will have concrete security guarantees. The only problem - it won't work. They probably know it won't work, but they have to try - because the alternative will be a lot worse. Let's discuss. Europe has been regrouping with president Zelensky and trying to come to terms with the fallout from the massive meltdown in the Oval Office on Friday. And British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is primed to act as a key facilitator to bring Ukraine and the US together - putting together an alternative peace plan that Trump can support, which will have concrete security guarantees. The only problem - it won't work. They probably know it won't work, but they have to try - because the alternative will be a lot worse. Let's discuss. false full 228 764e1a6f-9688-45b2-8a66-4c1b23e7971a What nobody's saying about the Oval Office meltdown Macron and Starmer had had visits to the White House that had been described as triumphs, simply because they avoided humiliation. In other words, they avoided exactly what then happened with President Zelensky at the end of the week. But he had a much harder job than they did - they had been able to fail on Ukraine gracefully, but he did not have that option. Most of the commentary on this is ignoring the context, and focusing instead on who was to blame. We can do better - let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 1 Mar 2025 15:41:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Macron and Starmer had had visits to the White House that had been described as triumphs, simply because they avoided humiliation. In other words, they avoided exactly what then happened with President Zelensky at the end of the week. But he had a much harder job than they did - they had been able to fail on Ukraine gracefully, but he did not have that option. Most of the commentary on this is ignoring the context, and focusing instead on who was to blame. We can do better - let's discuss.

]]> What nobody's saying about the Oval Office meltdown Mallen Baker 00:14:00 Macron and Starmer had had visits to the White House that had been described as triumphs, simply because they avoided humiliation. In other words, they avoided exactly what then happened with President Zelensky at the end of the week. But he had a much harder job than they did - they had been able to fail on Ukraine gracefully, but he did not have that option. Most of the commentary on this is ignoring the context, and focusing instead on who was to blame. We can do better - let's discuss. Macron and Starmer had had visits to the White House that had been described as triumphs, simply because they avoided humiliation. In other words, they avoided exactly what then happened with President Zelensky at the end of the week. But he had a much harder job than they did - they had been able to fail on Ukraine gracefully, but he did not have that option. Most of the commentary on this is ignoring the context, and focusing instead on who was to blame. We can do better - let's discuss. false full 227 6bb56af9-4545-43a9-aa5d-5a053a6faff9 Starmer's visit to Trump - not quite a triumph We are being told that UK prime minister Keir Starmer's visit to Trump in the White House was a 'triumph'. On one level - that of managing a potential unpredictable encounter that could have spiralled off into embarrassment at any point - I suppose it was. But in terms of the real meat of the discussion - the clash between the new Trump 'might-makes-right' world order, and the old one that is rallied behind Ukraine's survival - not so much. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 28 Feb 2025 18:05:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We are being told that UK prime minister Keir Starmer's visit to Trump in the White House was a 'triumph'. On one level - that of managing a potential unpredictable encounter that could have spiralled off into embarrassment at any point - I suppose it was. But in terms of the real meat of the discussion - the clash between the new Trump 'might-makes-right' world order, and the old one that is rallied behind Ukraine's survival - not so much. Let's discuss.

]]> Starmer's visit to Trump - not quite a triumph Mallen Baker 00:08:41 We are being told that UK prime minister Keir Starmer's visit to Trump in the White House was a 'triumph'. On one level - that of managing a potential unpredictable encounter that could have spiralled off into embarrassment at any point - I suppose it was. But in terms of the real meat of the discussion - the clash between the new Trump 'might-makes-right' world order, and the old one that is rallied behind Ukraine's survival - not so much. Let's discuss. We are being told that UK prime minister Keir Starmer's visit to Trump in the White House was a 'triumph'. On one level - that of managing a potential unpredictable encounter that could have spiralled off into embarrassment at any point - I suppose it was. But in terms of the real meat of the discussion - the clash between the new Trump 'might-makes-right' world order, and the old one that is rallied behind Ukraine's survival - not so much. Let's discuss. false full 226 b62e6c9a-9291-4e14-b807-4042a790dc21 Did Trump accidentally save Canada's Liberals? For the last couple of years, it has looked a foregone conclusion that Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was going to go down in flames at the next election, and Trump-aligned Pierre Poilievre would rise in his place, bringing the MAGA revolution north of the border. But Trump's jibes, his threats of 25% tariffs and his desire that Canada should become the 51st state, have thrown all the normal political logic in the air. This week, the Liberals topped the poll again. Has Trump, inadvertently, buried his would-be torchbearer just when it most counts?

]]> Thu, 27 Feb 2025 17:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast For the last couple of years, it has looked a foregone conclusion that Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was going to go down in flames at the next election, and Trump-aligned Pierre Poilievre would rise in his place, bringing the MAGA revolution north of the border. But Trump's jibes, his threats of 25% tariffs and his desire that Canada should become the 51st state, have thrown all the normal political logic in the air. This week, the Liberals topped the poll again. Has Trump, inadvertently, buried his would-be torchbearer just when it most counts?

]]> Did Trump accidentally save Canada's Liberals? Mallen Baker 00:09:38 For the last couple of years, it has looked a foregone conclusion that Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was going to go down in flames at the next election, and Trump-aligned Pierre Poilievre would rise in his place, bringing the MAGA revolution north of the border. But Trump's jibes, his threats of 25% tariffs and his desire that Canada should become the 51st state, have thrown all the normal political logic in the air. This week, the Liberals topped the poll again. Has Trump, inadvertently, buried his would-be torchbearer just when it most counts? For the last couple of years, it has looked a foregone conclusion that Justin Trudeau's Liberal Party was going to go down in flames at the next election, and Trump-aligned Pierre Poilievre would rise in his place, bringing the MAGA revolution north of the border. But Trump's jibes, his threats of 25% tariffs and his desire that Canada should become the 51st state, have thrown all the normal political logic in the air. This week, the Liberals topped the poll again. Has Trump, inadvertently, buried his would-be torchbearer just when it most counts? false full 225 aa7fa2bf-ea7a-4f61-b1e3-86d54beea45f Trump's minerals deal changed the world Ukraine has negotiated a form of Trump's critical minerals deal that it is prepared to sign. We haven't seen it yet, but it's clear that it has been nudged just over the line with the removal of the most egregious demands, rather than sailing triumphantly over the line as a well-crafted vehicle for mutual benefit. The truth is that the mere fact of this deal taking place has now changed the dynamics of the world order, and we're already starting to see the first signs of this in practice. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 26 Feb 2025 17:35:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Ukraine has negotiated a form of Trump's critical minerals deal that it is prepared to sign. We haven't seen it yet, but it's clear that it has been nudged just over the line with the removal of the most egregious demands, rather than sailing triumphantly over the line as a well-crafted vehicle for mutual benefit. The truth is that the mere fact of this deal taking place has now changed the dynamics of the world order, and we're already starting to see the first signs of this in practice. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's minerals deal changed the world Mallen Baker 00:11:44 Ukraine has negotiated a form of Trump's critical minerals deal that it is prepared to sign. We haven't seen it yet, but it's clear that it has been nudged just over the line with the removal of the most egregious demands, rather than sailing triumphantly over the line as a well-crafted vehicle for mutual benefit. The truth is that the mere fact of this deal taking place has now changed the dynamics of the world order, and we're already starting to see the first signs of this in practice. Let's discuss. Ukraine has negotiated a form of Trump's critical minerals deal that it is prepared to sign. We haven't seen it yet, but it's clear that it has been nudged just over the line with the removal of the most egregious demands, rather than sailing triumphantly over the line as a well-crafted vehicle for mutual benefit. The truth is that the mere fact of this deal taking place has now changed the dynamics of the world order, and we're already starting to see the first signs of this in practice. Let's discuss. false full 224 ebed894a-00be-423b-b634-9fe22700b072 Is DOGE starting to FAIL? For the last few weeks, all we've been hearing about has been Doge! According to some, it's slashing through government bureaucracy spectacularly laying waste to fraud and mismanagement. According to others, it's thrashing about randomly causing immense damage to everything it touches. But there are signs growing that maybe it has over-reached, and the pushback isn't coming from the political opposition, but within the home team. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:50:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast For the last few weeks, all we've been hearing about has been Doge! According to some, it's slashing through government bureaucracy spectacularly laying waste to fraud and mismanagement. According to others, it's thrashing about randomly causing immense damage to everything it touches. But there are signs growing that maybe it has over-reached, and the pushback isn't coming from the political opposition, but within the home team. Let's discuss.

]]> Is DOGE starting to FAIL? Mallen Baker 00:18:50 For the last few weeks, all we've been hearing about has been Doge! According to some, it's slashing through government bureaucracy spectacularly laying waste to fraud and mismanagement. According to others, it's thrashing about randomly causing immense damage to everything it touches. But there are signs growing that maybe it has over-reached, and the pushback isn't coming from the political opposition, but within the home team. Let's discuss. For the last few weeks, all we've been hearing about has been Doge! According to some, it's slashing through government bureaucracy spectacularly laying waste to fraud and mismanagement. According to others, it's thrashing about randomly causing immense damage to everything it touches. But there are signs growing that maybe it has over-reached, and the pushback isn't coming from the political opposition, but within the home team. Let's discuss. false full 223 159917f5-536d-46a8-8f7f-430b0eb4e853 Can Europe go it alone in supporting Ukraine? Germany elected a new government yesterday, and the new chancellor led off with his ambition to make Europe and Germany independent of America. As if to highlight this, the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine was marked by various European leaders (and Canada) travelling to Kyiv. The US was not present. And also at the same time, a fight is raging at the UN over different versions of Ukraine resolutions to be voted on. But the question is - can Europe actually go it alone? It's a huge ask. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 24 Feb 2025 17:12:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Germany elected a new government yesterday, and the new chancellor led off with his ambition to make Europe and Germany independent of America. As if to highlight this, the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine was marked by various European leaders (and Canada) travelling to Kyiv. The US was not present. And also at the same time, a fight is raging at the UN over different versions of Ukraine resolutions to be voted on. But the question is - can Europe actually go it alone? It's a huge ask. Let's discuss.

]]> Can Europe go it alone in supporting Ukraine? Mallen Baker 00:16:47 Germany elected a new government yesterday, and the new chancellor led off with his ambition to make Europe and Germany independent of America. As if to highlight this, the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine was marked by various European leaders (and Canada) travelling to Kyiv. The US was not present. And also at the same time, a fight is raging at the UN over different versions of Ukraine resolutions to be voted on. But the question is - can Europe actually go it alone? It's a huge ask. Let's discuss. Germany elected a new government yesterday, and the new chancellor led off with his ambition to make Europe and Germany independent of America. As if to highlight this, the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine was marked by various European leaders (and Canada) travelling to Kyiv. The US was not present. And also at the same time, a fight is raging at the UN over different versions of Ukraine resolutions to be voted on. But the question is - can Europe actually go it alone? It's a huge ask. Let's discuss. false full 222 0496ecab-aa6f-4104-ab88-84dd7737351c Ukraine stunned by US demands it withdraws Russia-critical UN motion February 24th is the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and - as with the previous years, Ukraine and co-sponsors has put a motion to be voted on by the UN general assembly condemning Russia's actions and abuses of human rights, and calling for Ukraine's territorial sovereignty to be upheld. This year, underlining again the complete change in stance, the US administration, under president Trump, has called on Ukraine to withdraw its motion in favour of a shorter one from the US that avoids any mention of Russia's responsibility. This is the new might-makes-right world confronting its victim in the very institution set up to support the old rules-based order. Also, there's an update on the US Ukraine Starlink story, which we'll also discuss.

]]> Sun, 23 Feb 2025 16:09:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast February 24th is the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and - as with the previous years, Ukraine and co-sponsors has put a motion to be voted on by the UN general assembly condemning Russia's actions and abuses of human rights, and calling for Ukraine's territorial sovereignty to be upheld. This year, underlining again the complete change in stance, the US administration, under president Trump, has called on Ukraine to withdraw its motion in favour of a shorter one from the US that avoids any mention of Russia's responsibility. This is the new might-makes-right world confronting its victim in the very institution set up to support the old rules-based order. Also, there's an update on the US Ukraine Starlink story, which we'll also discuss.

]]> Ukraine stunned by US demands it withdraws Russia-critical UN motion Mallen Baker 00:11:48 February 24th is the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and - as with the previous years, Ukraine and co-sponsors has put a motion to be voted on by the UN general assembly condemning Russia's actions and abuses of human rights, and calling for Ukraine's territorial sovereignty to be upheld. This year, underlining again the complete change in stance, the US administration, under president Trump, has called on Ukraine to withdraw its motion in favour of a shorter one from the US that avoids any mention of Russia's responsibility. This is the new might-makes-right world confronting its victim in the very institution set up to support the old rules-based order. Also, there's an update on the US Ukraine Starlink story, which we'll also discuss. February 24th is the anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and - as with the previous years, Ukraine and co-sponsors has put a motion to be voted on by the UN general assembly condemning Russia's actions and abuses of human rights, and calling for Ukraine's territorial sovereignty to be upheld. This year, underlining again the complete change in stance, the US administration, under president Trump, has called on Ukraine to withdraw its motion in favour of a shorter one from the US that avoids any mention of Russia's responsibility. This is the new might-makes-right world confronting its victim in the very institution set up to support the old rules-based order. Also, there's an update on the US Ukraine Starlink story, which we'll also discuss. false full 221 b1e9d301-d39c-4135-83f7-34c1187f9a6c US threatens to PULL STARLINK from Ukraine Zelensky's refusal to sign an apparently absurdly one-sided deal where Ukraine hands over half of the value of its resources for nothing in return from the USA, has led to pressure being applied. Previously, it was pressure in the form of Trump apparently gearing up to give Putin everything he wants, and at the same time labelling Zelensky "a dictator". Now, it has moved on to the direct threat that Elon Musk's Starlink internet service, on which Ukraine has depended since the start of the war, will be withdrawn unless Zelensky signs the deal. It may be a revised deal that Ukraine could sign. It may still be a one-sided detail that they would not sign ... unless they were put in a position where they had no choice. This is another step into a new world order that is showing a very ugly face. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 22 Feb 2025 14:23:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Zelensky's refusal to sign an apparently absurdly one-sided deal where Ukraine hands over half of the value of its resources for nothing in return from the USA, has led to pressure being applied. Previously, it was pressure in the form of Trump apparently gearing up to give Putin everything he wants, and at the same time labelling Zelensky "a dictator". Now, it has moved on to the direct threat that Elon Musk's Starlink internet service, on which Ukraine has depended since the start of the war, will be withdrawn unless Zelensky signs the deal. It may be a revised deal that Ukraine could sign. It may still be a one-sided detail that they would not sign ... unless they were put in a position where they had no choice. This is another step into a new world order that is showing a very ugly face. Let's discuss.

]]> US threatens to PULL STARLINK from Ukraine Mallen Baker 00:11:18 Zelensky's refusal to sign an apparently absurdly one-sided deal where Ukraine hands over half of the value of its resources for nothing in return from the USA, has led to pressure being applied. Previously, it was pressure in the form of Trump apparently gearing up to give Putin everything he wants, and at the same time labelling Zelensky "a dictator". Now, it has moved on to the direct threat that Elon Musk's Starlink internet service, on which Ukraine has depended since the start of the war, will be withdrawn unless Zelensky signs the deal. It may be a revised deal that Ukraine could sign. It may still be a one-sided detail that they would not sign ... unless they were put in a position where they had no choice. This is another step into a new world order that is showing a very ugly face. Let's discuss. Zelensky's refusal to sign an apparently absurdly one-sided deal where Ukraine hands over half of the value of its resources for nothing in return from the USA, has led to pressure being applied. Previously, it was pressure in the form of Trump apparently gearing up to give Putin everything he wants, and at the same time labelling Zelensky "a dictator". Now, it has moved on to the direct threat that Elon Musk's Starlink internet service, on which Ukraine has depended since the start of the war, will be withdrawn unless Zelensky signs the deal. It may be a revised deal that Ukraine could sign. It may still be a one-sided detail that they would not sign ... unless they were put in a position where they had no choice. This is another step into a new world order that is showing a very ugly face. Let's discuss. false full 220 44e9d485-9964-481e-a3d9-5fe4f5fc9748 Anti-woke right divided on Trump's Ukraine pitch Trump's demand for total loyalty while also making statements such as 'Ukraine started the war' and 'Zelensky is a dictator' is dividing his natural support base. Some are dancing one hundred percent to his tune. Others are, to varying degrees, either pushing back or finding other ways to try to keep some semblance of integrity. Figures such as Ben Shapiro, Konstantin Kisin, Niall Ferguson are all finding ways to make a stand - and some of them are drawing heat from the centre of the administration for doing so. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 21 Feb 2025 19:32:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's demand for total loyalty while also making statements such as 'Ukraine started the war' and 'Zelensky is a dictator' is dividing his natural support base. Some are dancing one hundred percent to his tune. Others are, to varying degrees, either pushing back or finding other ways to try to keep some semblance of integrity. Figures such as Ben Shapiro, Konstantin Kisin, Niall Ferguson are all finding ways to make a stand - and some of them are drawing heat from the centre of the administration for doing so. Let's discuss.

]]> Anti-woke right divided on Trump's Ukraine pitch Mallen Baker 00:18:15 Trump's demand for total loyalty while also making statements such as 'Ukraine started the war' and 'Zelensky is a dictator' is dividing his natural support base. Some are dancing one hundred percent to his tune. Others are, to varying degrees, either pushing back or finding other ways to try to keep some semblance of integrity. Figures such as Ben Shapiro, Konstantin Kisin, Niall Ferguson are all finding ways to make a stand - and some of them are drawing heat from the centre of the administration for doing so. Let's discuss. Trump's demand for total loyalty while also making statements such as 'Ukraine started the war' and 'Zelensky is a dictator' is dividing his natural support base. Some are dancing one hundred percent to his tune. Others are, to varying degrees, either pushing back or finding other ways to try to keep some semblance of integrity. Figures such as Ben Shapiro, Konstantin Kisin, Niall Ferguson are all finding ways to make a stand - and some of them are drawing heat from the centre of the administration for doing so. Let's discuss. false full 219 5209eff5-d46f-4fab-9c4a-606c18972a20 How Russian disinformation poisoned our society The mere word 'disinformation' has become controversial in the modern culture wars - which is great news for the hostile states who actually use disinformation as a tool of 'war by other means'. In this video, we talk about how the KGB perfected the craft of disinformation, how modern Russian usage differs from the Soviet form, and how the end goal that was always identified for these 'active measures' looks a lot like our modern polarised society. Is it too late to do anything about it? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 20 Feb 2025 18:16:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The mere word 'disinformation' has become controversial in the modern culture wars - which is great news for the hostile states who actually use disinformation as a tool of 'war by other means'. In this video, we talk about how the KGB perfected the craft of disinformation, how modern Russian usage differs from the Soviet form, and how the end goal that was always identified for these 'active measures' looks a lot like our modern polarised society. Is it too late to do anything about it? Let's discuss.

]]> How Russian disinformation poisoned our society Mallen Baker 00:25:37 The mere word 'disinformation' has become controversial in the modern culture wars - which is great news for the hostile states who actually use disinformation as a tool of 'war by other means'. In this video, we talk about how the KGB perfected the craft of disinformation, how modern Russian usage differs from the Soviet form, and how the end goal that was always identified for these 'active measures' looks a lot like our modern polarised society. Is it too late to do anything about it? Let's discuss. The mere word 'disinformation' has become controversial in the modern culture wars - which is great news for the hostile states who actually use disinformation as a tool of 'war by other means'. In this video, we talk about how the KGB perfected the craft of disinformation, how modern Russian usage differs from the Soviet form, and how the end goal that was always identified for these 'active measures' looks a lot like our modern polarised society. Is it too late to do anything about it? Let's discuss. false full 218 9aac0a65-03a1-403b-8e3f-89dcad050166 Trump and Putin's shock call - what no-one's saying This week, Putin and Russian commentators were delighted, and Ukraine and Western ones were distraught, when Trump announced that he had a long call with Vladimir Putin, and they would be meeting soon to begin negotiating for peace in Ukraine. As he did so, he seemed to be making numerous concessions to Putin, even before the talks had begun. How could this make sense, various media commentators have asked? Well, there might just be something they're missing about the dynamic here. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 14 Feb 2025 17:57:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week, Putin and Russian commentators were delighted, and Ukraine and Western ones were distraught, when Trump announced that he had a long call with Vladimir Putin, and they would be meeting soon to begin negotiating for peace in Ukraine. As he did so, he seemed to be making numerous concessions to Putin, even before the talks had begun. How could this make sense, various media commentators have asked? Well, there might just be something they're missing about the dynamic here. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump and Putin's shock call - what no-one's saying Mallen Baker 00:21:09 This week, Putin and Russian commentators were delighted, and Ukraine and Western ones were distraught, when Trump announced that he had a long call with Vladimir Putin, and they would be meeting soon to begin negotiating for peace in Ukraine. As he did so, he seemed to be making numerous concessions to Putin, even before the talks had begun. How could this make sense, various media commentators have asked? Well, there might just be something they're missing about the dynamic here. Let's discuss. This week, Putin and Russian commentators were delighted, and Ukraine and Western ones were distraught, when Trump announced that he had a long call with Vladimir Putin, and they would be meeting soon to begin negotiating for peace in Ukraine. As he did so, he seemed to be making numerous concessions to Putin, even before the talks had begun. How could this make sense, various media commentators have asked? Well, there might just be something they're missing about the dynamic here. Let's discuss. false full 217 feedd9cb-18bd-47d9-88b2-d0af37bc15d3 China's shocking progress on Taiwan a test for Trump China has its sights on reunification with China - what people don't realise is how much progress it has been making over the last year in the direction of satisfying that goal. How has their thinking been affected by the advent of the second Trump term at the White House? Not necessarily in the way you might think. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 11 Feb 2025 18:49:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China has its sights on reunification with China - what people don't realise is how much progress it has been making over the last year in the direction of satisfying that goal. How has their thinking been affected by the advent of the second Trump term at the White House? Not necessarily in the way you might think. Let's discuss.

]]> China's shocking progress on Taiwan a test for Trump Mallen Baker 00:14:58 China has its sights on reunification with China - what people don't realise is how much progress it has been making over the last year in the direction of satisfying that goal. How has their thinking been affected by the advent of the second Trump term at the White House? Not necessarily in the way you might think. Let's discuss. China has its sights on reunification with China - what people don't realise is how much progress it has been making over the last year in the direction of satisfying that goal. How has their thinking been affected by the advent of the second Trump term at the White House? Not necessarily in the way you might think. Let's discuss. false full 216 e9f0f227-64a9-42af-a328-f86f18edd749 Trump's Gaza plan has changed the Middle East When Trump announced his extraordinary vision for the future of the Gaza Strip, many dismissed it as just a madcap idea. But while the enormity of what it would represent has been sinking in, a number of people have started to see how this fits into a negotiating model for the current state of play, based on some of the presumptions that made the Abraham Accords successful. That said, it's a big stretch, and you have to swallow a big change in the world order that many will not be prepared to consider. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 7 Feb 2025 19:28:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast When Trump announced his extraordinary vision for the future of the Gaza Strip, many dismissed it as just a madcap idea. But while the enormity of what it would represent has been sinking in, a number of people have started to see how this fits into a negotiating model for the current state of play, based on some of the presumptions that made the Abraham Accords successful. That said, it's a big stretch, and you have to swallow a big change in the world order that many will not be prepared to consider. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Gaza plan has changed the Middle East Mallen Baker 00:20:09 When Trump announced his extraordinary vision for the future of the Gaza Strip, many dismissed it as just a madcap idea. But while the enormity of what it would represent has been sinking in, a number of people have started to see how this fits into a negotiating model for the current state of play, based on some of the presumptions that made the Abraham Accords successful. That said, it's a big stretch, and you have to swallow a big change in the world order that many will not be prepared to consider. Let's discuss. When Trump announced his extraordinary vision for the future of the Gaza Strip, many dismissed it as just a madcap idea. But while the enormity of what it would represent has been sinking in, a number of people have started to see how this fits into a negotiating model for the current state of play, based on some of the presumptions that made the Abraham Accords successful. That said, it's a big stretch, and you have to swallow a big change in the world order that many will not be prepared to consider. Let's discuss. false full 215 551d5ff0-a353-4156-a417-92fabbc1278a Trump shreds American soft power President Trump has bashed America's close allies Canada and Mexico in return for stuff they were already doing anyway. He has threatened the EU with likewise, and pummelled Colombia into instant submission. And that's before he decides whether he wants to invade Greenland for real. What we're seeing is the abandonment of any valuing of what was termed 'American soft power' in exchange for the harsh realities of hard power. America is certainly in a position where it can do that - but there are consequences. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 4 Feb 2025 19:53:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Trump has bashed America's close allies Canada and Mexico in return for stuff they were already doing anyway. He has threatened the EU with likewise, and pummelled Colombia into instant submission. And that's before he decides whether he wants to invade Greenland for real. What we're seeing is the abandonment of any valuing of what was termed 'American soft power' in exchange for the harsh realities of hard power. America is certainly in a position where it can do that - but there are consequences. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump shreds American soft power Mallen Baker 00:22:35 President Trump has bashed America's close allies Canada and Mexico in return for stuff they were already doing anyway. He has threatened the EU with likewise, and pummelled Colombia into instant submission. And that's before he decides whether he wants to invade Greenland for real. What we're seeing is the abandonment of any valuing of what was termed 'American soft power' in exchange for the harsh realities of hard power. America is certainly in a position where it can do that - but there are consequences. Let's discuss. President Trump has bashed America's close allies Canada and Mexico in return for stuff they were already doing anyway. He has threatened the EU with likewise, and pummelled Colombia into instant submission. And that's before he decides whether he wants to invade Greenland for real. What we're seeing is the abandonment of any valuing of what was termed 'American soft power' in exchange for the harsh realities of hard power. America is certainly in a position where it can do that - but there are consequences. Let's discuss. false full 214 073c6ffc-9980-464e-8435-97f0cce7c2e5 DC air crash tragedy - can we get past the politics? At Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, we have seen a major tragedy with the mid-air collision of a passenger airliner and a military helicopter. Almost immediately, the public space has been awash with a blame game. Trump kicked it off, but the mainstream media chose to make his DEI comments the main story. Others hit back, saying the crash was Trump's fault for actions taken in his first week. In the mean time, we're left asking what actually happened, and what will be the grown-up lessons to be learned from it, so that the personal tragedy of all those whose lives were lost, and all those who now mourn them, at least may not have been in vain? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 31 Jan 2025 19:30:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast At Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, we have seen a major tragedy with the mid-air collision of a passenger airliner and a military helicopter. Almost immediately, the public space has been awash with a blame game. Trump kicked it off, but the mainstream media chose to make his DEI comments the main story. Others hit back, saying the crash was Trump's fault for actions taken in his first week. In the mean time, we're left asking what actually happened, and what will be the grown-up lessons to be learned from it, so that the personal tragedy of all those whose lives were lost, and all those who now mourn them, at least may not have been in vain? Let's discuss.

]]> DC air crash tragedy - can we get past the politics? Mallen Baker 00:16:47 At Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, we have seen a major tragedy with the mid-air collision of a passenger airliner and a military helicopter. Almost immediately, the public space has been awash with a blame game. Trump kicked it off, but the mainstream media chose to make his DEI comments the main story. Others hit back, saying the crash was Trump's fault for actions taken in his first week. In the mean time, we're left asking what actually happened, and what will be the grown-up lessons to be learned from it, so that the personal tragedy of all those whose lives were lost, and all those who now mourn them, at least may not have been in vain? Let's discuss. At Reagan National Airport in Washington DC, we have seen a major tragedy with the mid-air collision of a passenger airliner and a military helicopter. Almost immediately, the public space has been awash with a blame game. Trump kicked it off, but the mainstream media chose to make his DEI comments the main story. Others hit back, saying the crash was Trump's fault for actions taken in his first week. In the mean time, we're left asking what actually happened, and what will be the grown-up lessons to be learned from it, so that the personal tragedy of all those whose lives were lost, and all those who now mourn them, at least may not have been in vain? Let's discuss. false full 213 e300e50c-9f87-4fc4-9193-b7e3a61fa96f China's new AI destroys America's tech complacency The Chinese company DeepThink has just released its latest AI large language model - and it has caused a massive reaction. It runs rings around the American AI models for how cheaply and efficiently it is produced and trained, while matching those models for performance. The implications have seen tech stocks plunging today, with Nvidia, the main AI chipmaker, leading the fall. While it sounds like just a tech story, it's actually a profound shift in the balance of technological power of the world. Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 27 Jan 2025 18:43:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Chinese company DeepThink has just released its latest AI large language model - and it has caused a massive reaction. It runs rings around the American AI models for how cheaply and efficiently it is produced and trained, while matching those models for performance. The implications have seen tech stocks plunging today, with Nvidia, the main AI chipmaker, leading the fall. While it sounds like just a tech story, it's actually a profound shift in the balance of technological power of the world. Let's discuss.

]]> China's new AI destroys America's tech complacency Mallen Baker 00:07:35 The Chinese company DeepThink has just released its latest AI large language model - and it has caused a massive reaction. It runs rings around the American AI models for how cheaply and efficiently it is produced and trained, while matching those models for performance. The implications have seen tech stocks plunging today, with Nvidia, the main AI chipmaker, leading the fall. While it sounds like just a tech story, it's actually a profound shift in the balance of technological power of the world. Let's discuss. The Chinese company DeepThink has just released its latest AI large language model - and it has caused a massive reaction. It runs rings around the American AI models for how cheaply and efficiently it is produced and trained, while matching those models for performance. The implications have seen tech stocks plunging today, with Nvidia, the main AI chipmaker, leading the fall. While it sounds like just a tech story, it's actually a profound shift in the balance of technological power of the world. Let's discuss. false full 212 ce6efbaa-b7eb-48e7-8043-84e148e6e215 Trump's Ukraine war pitch: NOT what we were expecting In his first week back as president of the United States, Donald Trump started making significant noises on the Ukraine war, and his opening pitch could certainly not be described as good news for Vladimir Putin. But does it even matter? Putin has waited out Biden, has endured everything Europe could throw at him - what does Trump even have left at his disposal? Well, it turns out a lot more than you. might think, should he choose to use it. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 24 Jan 2025 18:12:33 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In his first week back as president of the United States, Donald Trump started making significant noises on the Ukraine war, and his opening pitch could certainly not be described as good news for Vladimir Putin. But does it even matter? Putin has waited out Biden, has endured everything Europe could throw at him - what does Trump even have left at his disposal? Well, it turns out a lot more than you. might think, should he choose to use it. Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's Ukraine war pitch: NOT what we were expecting Mallen Baker 00:12:00 In his first week back as president of the United States, Donald Trump started making significant noises on the Ukraine war, and his opening pitch could certainly not be described as good news for Vladimir Putin. But does it even matter? Putin has waited out Biden, has endured everything Europe could throw at him - what does Trump even have left at his disposal? Well, it turns out a lot more than you. might think, should he choose to use it. Let's discuss. In his first week back as president of the United States, Donald Trump started making significant noises on the Ukraine war, and his opening pitch could certainly not be described as good news for Vladimir Putin. But does it even matter? Putin has waited out Biden, has endured everything Europe could throw at him - what does Trump even have left at his disposal? Well, it turns out a lot more than you. might think, should he choose to use it. Let's discuss. false full 211 db3f1f84-2699-4f8c-8f10-7b7dadcd680f How the mainstream media lies to you You hear it often - the mainstream media lies. You can't trust them. But the fact is that - in volume terms - they do so only very occasionally. It's just that in tends to be in dealing with the most important and consequential content when they do. Maybe 5% of the volume, but 50% of the impact. What are the different ways that the media tends to lie, either by intent or simply as a consequence of the biases they have and the incentives they follow? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 17 Jan 2025 19:34:16 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast You hear it often - the mainstream media lies. You can't trust them. But the fact is that - in volume terms - they do so only very occasionally. It's just that in tends to be in dealing with the most important and consequential content when they do. Maybe 5% of the volume, but 50% of the impact. What are the different ways that the media tends to lie, either by intent or simply as a consequence of the biases they have and the incentives they follow? Let's discuss.

]]> How the mainstream media lies to you Mallen Baker 00:17:47 You hear it often - the mainstream media lies. You can't trust them. But the fact is that - in volume terms - they do so only very occasionally. It's just that in tends to be in dealing with the most important and consequential content when they do. Maybe 5% of the volume, but 50% of the impact. What are the different ways that the media tends to lie, either by intent or simply as a consequence of the biases they have and the incentives they follow? Let's discuss. You hear it often - the mainstream media lies. You can't trust them. But the fact is that - in volume terms - they do so only very occasionally. It's just that in tends to be in dealing with the most important and consequential content when they do. Maybe 5% of the volume, but 50% of the impact. What are the different ways that the media tends to lie, either by intent or simply as a consequence of the biases they have and the incentives they follow? Let's discuss. false full 210 11c67610-c9f2-4d8b-97a5-6d7cfd6e3569 Musk and Cummings 'plot' to overthrow Keir Starmer? Reports came out on Sunday that the former advisor to the prime minister and Brexit campaign supremo Dominic Cummings has been in discussion with Elon Musk about how to get rid of Keir Starmer before the next scheduled election. But, knowing what we know, it's likely this isn't the sole, possibly even the main, point. More likely, it's Dominic Cummings' plan for a new populist party of technocrats. Yes, sounds like a contradiction in terms, but that's what he wants - and it could be a plan custom built to appeal to Musk's sense of self and his mission in the world. Let's discuss.

]]> Tue, 14 Jan 2025 11:03:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Reports came out on Sunday that the former advisor to the prime minister and Brexit campaign supremo Dominic Cummings has been in discussion with Elon Musk about how to get rid of Keir Starmer before the next scheduled election. But, knowing what we know, it's likely this isn't the sole, possibly even the main, point. More likely, it's Dominic Cummings' plan for a new populist party of technocrats. Yes, sounds like a contradiction in terms, but that's what he wants - and it could be a plan custom built to appeal to Musk's sense of self and his mission in the world. Let's discuss.

]]> Musk and Cummings 'plot' to overthrow Keir Starmer? Mallen Baker 00:20:56 Reports came out on Sunday that the former advisor to the prime minister and Brexit campaign supremo Dominic Cummings has been in discussion with Elon Musk about how to get rid of Keir Starmer before the next scheduled election. But, knowing what we know, it's likely this isn't the sole, possibly even the main, point. More likely, it's Dominic Cummings' plan for a new populist party of technocrats. Yes, sounds like a contradiction in terms, but that's what he wants - and it could be a plan custom built to appeal to Musk's sense of self and his mission in the world. Let's discuss. Reports came out on Sunday that the former advisor to the prime minister and Brexit campaign supremo Dominic Cummings has been in discussion with Elon Musk about how to get rid of Keir Starmer before the next scheduled election. But, knowing what we know, it's likely this isn't the sole, possibly even the main, point. More likely, it's Dominic Cummings' plan for a new populist party of technocrats. Yes, sounds like a contradiction in terms, but that's what he wants - and it could be a plan custom built to appeal to Musk's sense of self and his mission in the world. Let's discuss. false full 209 6c6582ea-5d59-4bc9-9ce2-055ce7407963 Why Trump's Greenland gambit has changed everything In a press conference this week, president-elect Trump said that he wanted to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal - not ruling out the use of military force to do so. Oh, and Canada, but limiting himself to economic force for that job. All of it matters, but Greenland is probably the point of geopolitical tension and change that matters the most. Trump has been clearer and bolder than his predecessors in getting its importance, but his approach to tackling it could just have passed by what would have been the easiest win of his presidency. And in the process, handing the win to Putin and Xi in granting them their favoured new world order. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 10 Jan 2025 18:28:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In a press conference this week, president-elect Trump said that he wanted to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal - not ruling out the use of military force to do so. Oh, and Canada, but limiting himself to economic force for that job. All of it matters, but Greenland is probably the point of geopolitical tension and change that matters the most. Trump has been clearer and bolder than his predecessors in getting its importance, but his approach to tackling it could just have passed by what would have been the easiest win of his presidency. And in the process, handing the win to Putin and Xi in granting them their favoured new world order. Let's discuss.

]]> Why Trump's Greenland gambit has changed everything Mallen Baker 00:21:14 In a press conference this week, president-elect Trump said that he wanted to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal - not ruling out the use of military force to do so. Oh, and Canada, but limiting himself to economic force for that job. All of it matters, but Greenland is probably the point of geopolitical tension and change that matters the most. Trump has been clearer and bolder than his predecessors in getting its importance, but his approach to tackling it could just have passed by what would have been the easiest win of his presidency. And in the process, handing the win to Putin and Xi in granting them their favoured new world order. Let's discuss. In a press conference this week, president-elect Trump said that he wanted to take control of Greenland and the Panama Canal - not ruling out the use of military force to do so. Oh, and Canada, but limiting himself to economic force for that job. All of it matters, but Greenland is probably the point of geopolitical tension and change that matters the most. Trump has been clearer and bolder than his predecessors in getting its importance, but his approach to tackling it could just have passed by what would have been the easiest win of his presidency. And in the process, handing the win to Putin and Xi in granting them their favoured new world order. Let's discuss. false full 208 c73da2fc-40b5-417a-9ecc-ed7531196ee6 Elon Musk takes on the world - this won't end well Elon Musk has been ... busy. Attacking Keir Starmer and his government in the UK, whilst praising Tommy Robinson and calling for him to be released from jail. And attacking Olaf Scholz, and calling for Germany's controversial AfD party to be elected instead. And attacking various MAGA figures over immigration, provoking an attack from Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer and support ... for now ... from Donald Trump. What are we to make of the world's richest man - a man strongly associated with the next US administration - going so hard after other countries, campaigning so nakedly for political outliers and generally making a lot of noise. Is this the rise of oligarchy - part of global democratic decline? Or just an aberration - a moment of over-excitement - soon to be reined in by a President Trump who won't be overshadowed. Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 4 Jan 2025 10:43:26 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Elon Musk has been ... busy. Attacking Keir Starmer and his government in the UK, whilst praising Tommy Robinson and calling for him to be released from jail. And attacking Olaf Scholz, and calling for Germany's controversial AfD party to be elected instead. And attacking various MAGA figures over immigration, provoking an attack from Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer and support ... for now ... from Donald Trump. What are we to make of the world's richest man - a man strongly associated with the next US administration - going so hard after other countries, campaigning so nakedly for political outliers and generally making a lot of noise. Is this the rise of oligarchy - part of global democratic decline? Or just an aberration - a moment of over-excitement - soon to be reined in by a President Trump who won't be overshadowed. Let's discuss.

]]> Elon Musk takes on the world - this won't end well Mallen Baker 00:28:06 Elon Musk has been ... busy. Attacking Keir Starmer and his government in the UK, whilst praising Tommy Robinson and calling for him to be released from jail. And attacking Olaf Scholz, and calling for Germany's controversial AfD party to be elected instead. And attacking various MAGA figures over immigration, provoking an attack from Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer and support ... for now ... from Donald Trump. What are we to make of the world's richest man - a man strongly associated with the next US administration - going so hard after other countries, campaigning so nakedly for political outliers and generally making a lot of noise. Is this the rise of oligarchy - part of global democratic decline? Or just an aberration - a moment of over-excitement - soon to be reined in by a President Trump who won't be overshadowed. Let's discuss. Elon Musk has been ... busy. Attacking Keir Starmer and his government in the UK, whilst praising Tommy Robinson and calling for him to be released from jail. And attacking Olaf Scholz, and calling for Germany's controversial AfD party to be elected instead. And attacking various MAGA figures over immigration, provoking an attack from Steve Bannon and Laura Loomer and support ... for now ... from Donald Trump. What are we to make of the world's richest man - a man strongly associated with the next US administration - going so hard after other countries, campaigning so nakedly for political outliers and generally making a lot of noise. Is this the rise of oligarchy - part of global democratic decline? Or just an aberration - a moment of over-excitement - soon to be reined in by a President Trump who won't be overshadowed. Let's discuss. false full 207 31408201-9500-4ea2-b4fe-e68919518025 This podcast / channel in 2025 This channel has always had a perspective, but it has been something of a blank page - always looking at whatever seems important that has come into view. But it's time for that to change - for the channel to become more focused on the biggest themes that come through these videos time and time again. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 1 Jan 2025 19:10:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This channel has always had a perspective, but it has been something of a blank page - always looking at whatever seems important that has come into view. But it's time for that to change - for the channel to become more focused on the biggest themes that come through these videos time and time again. Let's discuss.

]]> This podcast / channel in 2025 Mallen Baker 00:26:35 This channel has always had a perspective, but it has been something of a blank page - always looking at whatever seems important that has come into view. But it's time for that to change - for the channel to become more focused on the biggest themes that come through these videos time and time again. Let's discuss. This channel has always had a perspective, but it has been something of a blank page - always looking at whatever seems important that has come into view. But it's time for that to change - for the channel to become more focused on the biggest themes that come through these videos time and time again. Let's discuss. false full 206 75b148ab-7aac-4d9f-b385-4e98ca25a0ec 2025 will be PEAK TRUMP - but it's going to be tougher than he thinks Looking forward to 2025 - there's no doubt it is going to be the year of Trump. But not only that, it's going to be the year of peak Trump. With every year that follows, his power to achieve his domestic agenda starts to erode. He will still be operating big on the world stage, although the other players will be developing strategies to deal with him. So the question is - will he hit the ground running? Will 2025 be the year when Trump's ambitious plan to reshape the US succeeds beyond all hope? Let's discuss.

]]> Sat, 28 Dec 2024 12:23:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Looking forward to 2025 - there's no doubt it is going to be the year of Trump. But not only that, it's going to be the year of peak Trump. With every year that follows, his power to achieve his domestic agenda starts to erode. He will still be operating big on the world stage, although the other players will be developing strategies to deal with him. So the question is - will he hit the ground running? Will 2025 be the year when Trump's ambitious plan to reshape the US succeeds beyond all hope? Let's discuss.

]]> 2025 will be PEAK TRUMP - but it's going to be tougher than he thinks Mallen Baker 00:22:26 Looking forward to 2025 - there's no doubt it is going to be the year of Trump. But not only that, it's going to be the year of peak Trump. With every year that follows, his power to achieve his domestic agenda starts to erode. He will still be operating big on the world stage, although the other players will be developing strategies to deal with him. So the question is - will he hit the ground running? Will 2025 be the year when Trump's ambitious plan to reshape the US succeeds beyond all hope? Let's discuss. Looking forward to 2025 - there's no doubt it is going to be the year of Trump. But not only that, it's going to be the year of peak Trump. With every year that follows, his power to achieve his domestic agenda starts to erode. He will still be operating big on the world stage, although the other players will be developing strategies to deal with him. So the question is - will he hit the ground running? Will 2025 be the year when Trump's ambitious plan to reshape the US succeeds beyond all hope? Let's discuss. false full 205 e72a65b8-53a8-4fc3-9647-0e436dce0760 Normalising violence - the response to Luigi Mangioni In the last week, there has been much comment on the astonishing internet response to the murderer of CEO Brian Thompson. Large numbers of people have expressed support and admiration for the action, have heralded Mangioni as a folk hero, and used the incident to air their grievances about American health insurance companies.

In this video, I talk about how this is another step in the ongoing normalisation of political violence in the US, why it will come to be seen as a model to follow by extremists for other causes, and why this is a line that your society crosses at its peril.

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The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Prefer it on podcast? Audio versions are available wherever you get your podcasts, or see https://the-mallen-baker-podcast.simplecast.com/

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 13 Dec 2024 19:45:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the last week, there has been much comment on the astonishing internet response to the murderer of CEO Brian Thompson. Large numbers of people have expressed support and admiration for the action, have heralded Mangioni as a folk hero, and used the incident to air their grievances about American health insurance companies.

In this video, I talk about how this is another step in the ongoing normalisation of political violence in the US, why it will come to be seen as a model to follow by extremists for other causes, and why this is a line that your society crosses at its peril.

Support Mallen's work on Patreon!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

Support Mallen via Paypal
https://paypal.me/mallenbaker
[ please use the website, not Apple IOS Patreon app, as Apple takes a big slice of money from the latter ]

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Prefer it on podcast? Audio versions are available wherever you get your podcasts, or see https://the-mallen-baker-podcast.simplecast.com/

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Normalising violence - the response to Luigi Mangioni Mallen Baker 00:12:50 In the last week, there has been much comment on the astonishing internet response to the murderer of CEO Brian Thompson. Large numbers of people have expressed support and admiration for the action, have heralded Mangioni as a folk hero, and used the incident to air their grievances about American health insurance companies. In this video, I talk about how this is another step in the ongoing normalisation of political violence in the US, why it will come to be seen as a model to follow by extremists for other causes, and why this is a line that your society crosses at its peril. In the last week, there has been much comment on the astonishing internet response to the murderer of CEO Brian Thompson. Large numbers of people have expressed support and admiration for the action, have heralded Mangioni as a folk hero, and used the incident to air their grievances about American health insurance companies. In this video, I talk about how this is another step in the ongoing normalisation of political violence in the US, why it will come to be seen as a model to follow by extremists for other causes, and why this is a line that your society crosses at its peril. false full 204 296b5020-c047-47c2-8297-c46e222c434b Are Nigel Farage and Elon Musk about to transform UK politics? This week, Keir Starmer made a keynote speech laying out his six milestones for how the Labour government should, in his view, be judged at the next election. It's not the first time since taking office he has launched a set of campaign promises, but it's the most significant time for doing so as talk is rife about how Elon Musk and Nigel Farage could be in line to completely upend British politics as we know it. Is big money about the change the face of the British scene? Can decent but slightly boring technocrat Starmer fend off the vigorous populist challenge? Or is everything up in the air from this point onwards? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 6 Dec 2024 19:08:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week, Keir Starmer made a keynote speech laying out his six milestones for how the Labour government should, in his view, be judged at the next election. It's not the first time since taking office he has launched a set of campaign promises, but it's the most significant time for doing so as talk is rife about how Elon Musk and Nigel Farage could be in line to completely upend British politics as we know it. Is big money about the change the face of the British scene? Can decent but slightly boring technocrat Starmer fend off the vigorous populist challenge? Or is everything up in the air from this point onwards? Let's discuss.

]]> Are Nigel Farage and Elon Musk about to transform UK politics? Mallen Baker 00:17:08 This week, Keir Starmer made a keynote speech laying out his six milestones for how the Labour government should, in his view, be judged at the next election. It's not the first time since taking office he has launched a set of campaign promises, but it's the most significant time for doing so as talk is rife about how Elon Musk and Nigel Farage could be in line to completely upend British politics as we know it. Is big money about the change the face of the British scene? Can decent but slightly boring technocrat Starmer fend off the vigorous populist challenge? Or is everything up in the air from this point onwards? Let's discuss. This week, Keir Starmer made a keynote speech laying out his six milestones for how the Labour government should, in his view, be judged at the next election. It's not the first time since taking office he has launched a set of campaign promises, but it's the most significant time for doing so as talk is rife about how Elon Musk and Nigel Farage could be in line to completely upend British politics as we know it. Is big money about the change the face of the British scene? Can decent but slightly boring technocrat Starmer fend off the vigorous populist challenge? Or is everything up in the air from this point onwards? Let's discuss. false full 203 35c13703-333c-4cb7-a1f1-958345f7ccbc Do-it-yourself cults - are you in one? Lots of groups in these polarised times get accused by their opponents of 'being in a cult'. And sometimes, actually quite often, they have a point. But beware, because half the time while you're pointing to someone else's cultish behaviour, you might be ignoring the self-same telltale signs in your own. So what are the aspects of actual real-life cults that many people have now embraced for themselves? What are the smaller number of differences? And if you find yourself in that position, how do you get out of it? Let's discuss.

]]> Thu, 5 Dec 2024 17:26:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Lots of groups in these polarised times get accused by their opponents of 'being in a cult'. And sometimes, actually quite often, they have a point. But beware, because half the time while you're pointing to someone else's cultish behaviour, you might be ignoring the self-same telltale signs in your own. So what are the aspects of actual real-life cults that many people have now embraced for themselves? What are the smaller number of differences? And if you find yourself in that position, how do you get out of it? Let's discuss.

]]> Do-it-yourself cults - are you in one? Mallen Baker 00:20:17 Lots of groups in these polarised times get accused by their opponents of 'being in a cult'. And sometimes, actually quite often, they have a point. But beware, because half the time while you're pointing to someone else's cultish behaviour, you might be ignoring the self-same telltale signs in your own. So what are the aspects of actual real-life cults that many people have now embraced for themselves? What are the smaller number of differences? And if you find yourself in that position, how do you get out of it? Let's discuss. Lots of groups in these polarised times get accused by their opponents of 'being in a cult'. And sometimes, actually quite often, they have a point. But beware, because half the time while you're pointing to someone else's cultish behaviour, you might be ignoring the self-same telltale signs in your own. So what are the aspects of actual real-life cults that many people have now embraced for themselves? What are the smaller number of differences? And if you find yourself in that position, how do you get out of it? Let's discuss. false full 202 0c276b0f-aaa1-4489-8e85-9bf0dec58c33 UK Parliament approves assisted dying - at least in principle The UK Parliament today debated a groundbreaking assisted death bill that could reshape how we approach end-of-life care. The Labour Party has brought forward legislation that would introduce new palliative care options for terminally ill adults, while ensuring strict safeguards around euthanasia and human rights protections. It's one of those huge moral questions. Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 29 Nov 2024 18:23:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK Parliament today debated a groundbreaking assisted death bill that could reshape how we approach end-of-life care. The Labour Party has brought forward legislation that would introduce new palliative care options for terminally ill adults, while ensuring strict safeguards around euthanasia and human rights protections. It's one of those huge moral questions. Let's discuss.

]]> UK Parliament approves assisted dying - at least in principle Mallen Baker 00:13:31 The UK Parliament today debated a groundbreaking assisted death bill that could reshape how we approach end-of-life care. The Labour Party has brought forward legislation that would introduce new palliative care options for terminally ill adults, while ensuring strict safeguards around euthanasia and human rights protections. It's one of those huge moral questions. Let's discuss. The UK Parliament today debated a groundbreaking assisted death bill that could reshape how we approach end-of-life care. The Labour Party has brought forward legislation that would introduce new palliative care options for terminally ill adults, while ensuring strict safeguards around euthanasia and human rights protections. It's one of those huge moral questions. Let's discuss. false full 201 50e894b2-732b-41ad-ae16-8687a4af2b6f Electric vehicles facing struggles worldwide We know the story - China is dominating the EV industry with its remarkable and cheap cars which the Western bloated manufacturers simply can't compete with. But of course, there's a lot more going on than that. In China, most of those companies are losing money hand over fist, trying to get enough market share so they can be one of the handful left still standing at the end. In the West, setbacks abound. Northvolt, the EU battery maker went bust. The UK is rowing back on its targets for mandated EV takeover. It's all looking a bit lively - let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 27 Nov 2024 19:29:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast We know the story - China is dominating the EV industry with its remarkable and cheap cars which the Western bloated manufacturers simply can't compete with. But of course, there's a lot more going on than that. In China, most of those companies are losing money hand over fist, trying to get enough market share so they can be one of the handful left still standing at the end. In the West, setbacks abound. Northvolt, the EU battery maker went bust. The UK is rowing back on its targets for mandated EV takeover. It's all looking a bit lively - let's discuss.

]]> Electric vehicles facing struggles worldwide Mallen Baker 00:12:30 We know the story - China is dominating the EV industry with its remarkable and cheap cars which the Western bloated manufacturers simply can't compete with. But of course, there's a lot more going on than that. In China, most of those companies are losing money hand over fist, trying to get enough market share so they can be one of the handful left still standing at the end. In the West, setbacks abound. Northvolt, the EU battery maker went bust. The UK is rowing back on its targets for mandated EV takeover. It's all looking a bit lively - let's discuss. We know the story - China is dominating the EV industry with its remarkable and cheap cars which the Western bloated manufacturers simply can't compete with. But of course, there's a lot more going on than that. In China, most of those companies are losing money hand over fist, trying to get enough market share so they can be one of the handful left still standing at the end. In the West, setbacks abound. Northvolt, the EU battery maker went bust. The UK is rowing back on its targets for mandated EV takeover. It's all looking a bit lively - let's discuss. false full 200 ab31f5b1-d21c-4e55-b5aa-1a4eb2f984f6 The British farmers protests - explained In the UK, farmers are protesting in a way they haven't in recent times. They are furious about proposed inheritance tax changes to be brought in by the Labour government. The government claims the changes will only affect a tiny minority. The national farmers union claim they have got their numbers wildly wrong. Who's right - and is there a better answer already put forward that, so far, both sides are stubbornly ignoring? And will this represent a critical moment in uk politics as rural communities begin to push back on the newly elected government? Let's discuss.

]]> Mon, 25 Nov 2024 19:04:33 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the UK, farmers are protesting in a way they haven't in recent times. They are furious about proposed inheritance tax changes to be brought in by the Labour government. The government claims the changes will only affect a tiny minority. The national farmers union claim they have got their numbers wildly wrong. Who's right - and is there a better answer already put forward that, so far, both sides are stubbornly ignoring? And will this represent a critical moment in uk politics as rural communities begin to push back on the newly elected government? Let's discuss.

]]> The British farmers protests - explained Mallen Baker 00:17:39 In the UK, farmers are protesting in a way they haven't in recent times. They are furious about proposed inheritance tax changes to be brought in by the Labour government. The government claims the changes will only affect a tiny minority. The national farmers union claim they have got their numbers wildly wrong. Who's right - and is there a better answer already put forward that, so far, both sides are stubbornly ignoring? And will this represent a critical moment in uk politics as rural communities begin to push back on the newly elected government? Let's discuss. In the UK, farmers are protesting in a way they haven't in recent times. They are furious about proposed inheritance tax changes to be brought in by the Labour government. The government claims the changes will only affect a tiny minority. The national farmers union claim they have got their numbers wildly wrong. Who's right - and is there a better answer already put forward that, so far, both sides are stubbornly ignoring? And will this represent a critical moment in uk politics as rural communities begin to push back on the newly elected government? Let's discuss. false full 199 fa913f7d-01f7-4b0b-b067-fb24cd71ed36 America's extremes are tearing it apart One of the regular topics of discussion in the media in the US recently has been how polarised and divided the country has become, even to the extent where there is regularly speculation about what a new civil war would actually look like, if things continued to worsen. How did America get here? How did it end up with two parties of extremes circling a hollowed-out centre? How did it end up with weakened political institutions, and politicised non-political institutions? And what, if anything, can be done about it?

]]> Sat, 23 Nov 2024 08:28:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast One of the regular topics of discussion in the media in the US recently has been how polarised and divided the country has become, even to the extent where there is regularly speculation about what a new civil war would actually look like, if things continued to worsen. How did America get here? How did it end up with two parties of extremes circling a hollowed-out centre? How did it end up with weakened political institutions, and politicised non-political institutions? And what, if anything, can be done about it?

]]> America's extremes are tearing it apart Mallen Baker 00:18:30 One of the regular topics of discussion in the media in the US recently has been how polarised and divided the country has become, even to the extent where there is regularly speculation about what a new civil war would actually look like, if things continued to worsen. How did America get here? How did it end up with two parties of extremes circling a hollowed-out centre? How did it end up with weakened political institutions, and politicised non-political institutions? And what, if anything, can be done about it? One of the regular topics of discussion in the media in the US recently has been how polarised and divided the country has become, even to the extent where there is regularly speculation about what a new civil war would actually look like, if things continued to worsen. How did America get here? How did it end up with two parties of extremes circling a hollowed-out centre? How did it end up with weakened political institutions, and politicised non-political institutions? And what, if anything, can be done about it? false full 198 d470a82a-86b9-4312-ba5a-e30d3ce70054 China has now caused more global warming than the EU This week sees the COP29 conference on climate change, where the expectation is that the next US president will walk away from the issue, leaving China a golden opportunity to step into the role of global leadership it covets. And the landmark we learned this week has been reached - that China's cumulative emissions are now greater than those of the EU - that reflects changes in China's profile and role in this area whether it chooses them or not. Let's discuss.

]]> Wed, 20 Nov 2024 18:30:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week sees the COP29 conference on climate change, where the expectation is that the next US president will walk away from the issue, leaving China a golden opportunity to step into the role of global leadership it covets. And the landmark we learned this week has been reached - that China's cumulative emissions are now greater than those of the EU - that reflects changes in China's profile and role in this area whether it chooses them or not. Let's discuss.

]]> China has now caused more global warming than the EU Mallen Baker 00:15:46 This week sees the COP29 conference on climate change, where the expectation is that the next US president will walk away from the issue, leaving China a golden opportunity to step into the role of global leadership it covets. And the landmark we learned this week has been reached - that China's cumulative emissions are now greater than those of the EU - that reflects changes in China's profile and role in this area whether it chooses them or not. Let's discuss. This week sees the COP29 conference on climate change, where the expectation is that the next US president will walk away from the issue, leaving China a golden opportunity to step into the role of global leadership it covets. And the landmark we learned this week has been reached - that China's cumulative emissions are now greater than those of the EU - that reflects changes in China's profile and role in this area whether it chooses them or not. Let's discuss. false full 197 8c7805ac-64ee-4141-aeae-4683d357002a Trump's cabinet picks get wild - but can they get through? Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr are amongst the recent names released by President-Elect Trump as his nominations for his cabinet. To say the least, they have caused something of a stir - a lot more so than his earlier picks. Why are they controversial? Will they get through the confirmation process? And will Trump try to sidestep that process to get his picks through, regardless what the founders intended when they framed the constitution? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 15 Nov 2024 19:49:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr are amongst the recent names released by President-Elect Trump as his nominations for his cabinet. To say the least, they have caused something of a stir - a lot more so than his earlier picks. Why are they controversial? Will they get through the confirmation process? And will Trump try to sidestep that process to get his picks through, regardless what the founders intended when they framed the constitution? Let's discuss.

]]> Trump's cabinet picks get wild - but can they get through? Mallen Baker 00:20:28 Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr are amongst the recent names released by President-Elect Trump as his nominations for his cabinet. To say the least, they have caused something of a stir - a lot more so than his earlier picks. Why are they controversial? Will they get through the confirmation process? And will Trump try to sidestep that process to get his picks through, regardless what the founders intended when they framed the constitution? Let's discuss. Matt Gaetz, Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F Kennedy Jr are amongst the recent names released by President-Elect Trump as his nominations for his cabinet. To say the least, they have caused something of a stir - a lot more so than his earlier picks. Why are they controversial? Will they get through the confirmation process? And will Trump try to sidestep that process to get his picks through, regardless what the founders intended when they framed the constitution? Let's discuss. false full 196 9a22ed28-f4a5-4527-91ea-2c09f2d956b1 Why Kamala lost and Trump won big After years of our lives being taken up by the campaign for the US presidency, we finally have a result. And against the apparent polling, it is a clear and unambiguous result. Donald Trump has performed the most remarkable political comeback, has cemented his role as a transformational president in the politics of the United States, and at a stroke has removed his legal woes and avoided any likelihood of going to prison. How did the Democrats lose this, when they felt they had fought a "nearly flawless" campaign and outspent Trump three to one? How did Trump win this, when he had the most disastrous debate performance since ... um, well, Joe Biden's debate performance in the immediately preceding debate? And what can we say about the next four years that isn't just idle speculation? Let's discuss.

]]> Fri, 8 Nov 2024 19:05:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast After years of our lives being taken up by the campaign for the US presidency, we finally have a result. And against the apparent polling, it is a clear and unambiguous result. Donald Trump has performed the most remarkable political comeback, has cemented his role as a transformational president in the politics of the United States, and at a stroke has removed his legal woes and avoided any likelihood of going to prison. How did the Democrats lose this, when they felt they had fought a "nearly flawless" campaign and outspent Trump three to one? How did Trump win this, when he had the most disastrous debate performance since ... um, well, Joe Biden's debate performance in the immediately preceding debate? And what can we say about the next four years that isn't just idle speculation? Let's discuss.

]]> Why Kamala lost and Trump won big Mallen Baker 00:20:55 After years of our lives being taken up by the campaign for the US presidency, we finally have a result. And against the apparent polling, it is a clear and unambiguous result. Donald Trump has performed the most remarkable political comeback, has cemented his role as a transformational president in the politics of the United States, and at a stroke has removed his legal woes and avoided any likelihood of going to prison. How did the Democrats lose this, when they felt they had fought a "nearly flawless" campaign and outspent Trump three to one? After years of our lives being taken up by the campaign for the US presidency, we finally have a result. And against the apparent polling, it is a clear and unambiguous result. Donald Trump has performed the most remarkable political comeback, has cemented his role as a transformational president in the politics of the United States, and at a stroke has removed his legal woes and avoided any likelihood of going to prison. How did the Democrats lose this, when they felt they had fought a "nearly flawless" campaign and outspent Trump three to one? false full 195 0cc4bf15-37e8-42c6-ba67-5d2520859aed The US election is here, and it got even more stupid The US election has ... finally ... arrived. It's all over, bar the shouting. Except that the shouting has gotten pretty loud, and it's likely to continue for quite some time after the election has taken place. This possibly counts as one of the dumbest elections in American history - and if possible it got even dumber over the last week. Let's recount the ways, and make some fervent hopes for an outcome that manages not to wreck the US system of democracy - whichever candidate wins.

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The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 1 Nov 2024 17:55:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US election has ... finally ... arrived. It's all over, bar the shouting. Except that the shouting has gotten pretty loud, and it's likely to continue for quite some time after the election has taken place. This possibly counts as one of the dumbest elections in American history - and if possible it got even dumber over the last week. Let's recount the ways, and make some fervent hopes for an outcome that manages not to wreck the US system of democracy - whichever candidate wins.

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Support Mallen via Paypal
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The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> The US election is here, and it got even more stupid Mallen Baker 00:13:58 The US election has ... finally ... arrived. It's all over, bar the shouting. Except that the shouting has gotten pretty loud, and it's likely to continue for quite some time after the election has taken place. This possibly counts as one of the dumbest elections in American history - and if possible it got even dumber over the last week. Let's recount the ways, and make some fervent hopes for an outcome that manages not to wreck the US system of democracy - whichever candidate wins. The US election has ... finally ... arrived. It's all over, bar the shouting. Except that the shouting has gotten pretty loud, and it's likely to continue for quite some time after the election has taken place. This possibly counts as one of the dumbest elections in American history - and if possible it got even dumber over the last week. Let's recount the ways, and make some fervent hopes for an outcome that manages not to wreck the US system of democracy - whichever candidate wins. false full 194 ed76143d-6add-4c15-b1e7-b31726c570d0 Israel and Hamas War - Making sense of where we are It has been the sort of week that will be referred to in decades, even centuries, hence as being one that was a turning point in history. There is a lot to come, but let's see if we can make sense of where we have gotten to in just the last few days.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 13 Oct 2023 18:02:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It has been the sort of week that will be referred to in decades, even centuries, hence as being one that was a turning point in history. There is a lot to come, but let's see if we can make sense of where we have gotten to in just the last few days.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Israel and Hamas War - Making sense of where we are Mallen Baker 00:20:25 It has been the sort of week that will be referred to in decades, even centuries, hence as being one that was a turning point in history. There is a lot to come, but let's see if we can make sense of where we have gotten to in just the last few days. It has been the sort of week that will be referred to in decades, even centuries, hence as being one that was a turning point in history. There is a lot to come, but let's see if we can make sense of where we have gotten to in just the last few days. false full 193 6b3a03de-2b4a-49b4-9114-3aed4da25fc4 Electric vehicles - the new battleground for the world In the US, in the UK and the EU - the proposed shift from internal combustion cars to electric vehicles is starting to become a major factor in a big political shift that's going on. What's driving it (pun not intended!), and just how far is it going to go in rocking our old political assumptions? Let's have a look.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 29 Sep 2023 18:52:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the US, in the UK and the EU - the proposed shift from internal combustion cars to electric vehicles is starting to become a major factor in a big political shift that's going on. What's driving it (pun not intended!), and just how far is it going to go in rocking our old political assumptions? Let's have a look.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Electric vehicles - the new battleground for the world Mallen Baker 00:20:36 In the US, in the UK and the EU - the proposed shift from internal combustion cars to electric vehicles is starting to become a major factor in a big political shift that's going on. What's driving it (pun not intended!), and just how far is it going to go in rocking our old political assumptions? Let's have a look. In the US, in the UK and the EU - the proposed shift from internal combustion cars to electric vehicles is starting to become a major factor in a big political shift that's going on. What's driving it (pun not intended!), and just how far is it going to go in rocking our old political assumptions? Let's have a look. false full 192 fdcf10fa-5315-4464-b4d7-fceb06bdb25c UK net zero debate just changed ... for the better This week, Rishi Sunak just announced pushing back of a few net zero targets - but much more significantly signalled a shift in campaign positioning that has thrust the issue to the centre of the conflict between the two main parties in advance of the general election. Labour leader Keir Starmer now has to work out if this is a great opportunity, or a poison-laden trap. It's a more subtle question than the ideologues on either side think it is.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 22 Sep 2023 19:22:38 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week, Rishi Sunak just announced pushing back of a few net zero targets - but much more significantly signalled a shift in campaign positioning that has thrust the issue to the centre of the conflict between the two main parties in advance of the general election. Labour leader Keir Starmer now has to work out if this is a great opportunity, or a poison-laden trap. It's a more subtle question than the ideologues on either side think it is.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> UK net zero debate just changed ... for the better Mallen Baker 00:18:14 This week, Rishi Sunak just announced pushing back of a few net zero targets - but much more significantly signalled a shift in campaign positioning that has thrust the issue to the centre of the conflict between the two main parties in advance of the general election. Labour leader Keir Starmer now has to work out if this is a great opportunity, or a poison-laden trap. It's a more subtle question than the ideologues on either side think it is. This week, Rishi Sunak just announced pushing back of a few net zero targets - but much more significantly signalled a shift in campaign positioning that has thrust the issue to the centre of the conflict between the two main parties in advance of the general election. Labour leader Keir Starmer now has to work out if this is a great opportunity, or a poison-laden trap. It's a more subtle question than the ideologues on either side think it is. false full 191 0bc1293e-1b21-4eae-b7b6-8693442fab88 Civil war talk hits the mainstream More mainstream voices are starting to be raised highlighting the likely outcome for where America is currently headed. One of them is Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor whose book 'Principles for dealing with a changing world order' identified the cycles that inevitably define the rise and fall of empires. Let's have a look at what he has to say.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 1 Sep 2023 19:14:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast More mainstream voices are starting to be raised highlighting the likely outcome for where America is currently headed. One of them is Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor whose book 'Principles for dealing with a changing world order' identified the cycles that inevitably define the rise and fall of empires. Let's have a look at what he has to say.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Civil war talk hits the mainstream Mallen Baker 00:17:42 More mainstream voices are starting to be raised highlighting the likely outcome for where America is currently headed. One of them is Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor whose book 'Principles for dealing with a changing world order' identified the cycles that inevitably define the rise and fall of empires. Let's have a look at what he has to say. More mainstream voices are starting to be raised highlighting the likely outcome for where America is currently headed. One of them is Ray Dalio, the billionaire investor whose book 'Principles for dealing with a changing world order' identified the cycles that inevitably define the rise and fall of empires. Let's have a look at what he has to say. false full 190 627c784e-5fbd-402e-a752-6fb72acec577 Is Elon Musk now the face of unaccountable power? Elon Musk is so often at the centre of every important issue or controversy - he is a techno-optimist, he is pro-free speech, he is desperate for man to colonise Mars - you name it. He is also powerful on the world stage. And somewhat unaccountable. Is that a problem? Let's discuss. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world. 

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Fri, 25 Aug 2023 19:17:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Elon Musk is so often at the centre of every important issue or controversy - he is a techno-optimist, he is pro-free speech, he is desperate for man to colonise Mars - you name it. He is also powerful on the world stage. And somewhat unaccountable. Is that a problem? Let's discuss. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The ‘Dangerously Reasonable’ channel by Mallen Baker covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, looking for how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world. 

Quotes reported in this video should not be taken as an implication of their author’s endorsement or involvement in this video.

]]> Is Elon Musk now the face of unaccountable power? Mallen Baker 00:21:03 Elon Musk is so often at the centre of every important issue or controversy - he is a techno-optimist, he is pro-free speech, he is desperate for man to colonise Mars - you name it. He is also powerful on the world stage. And somewhat unaccountable. Is that a problem? Let's discuss. Elon Musk is so often at the centre of every important issue or controversy - he is a techno-optimist, he is pro-free speech, he is desperate for man to colonise Mars - you name it. He is also powerful on the world stage. And somewhat unaccountable. Is that a problem? Let's discuss. false full 189 16445d47-38e1-4d6a-9c13-efb419850b1e Ukraine's slow counter-offensive - this could last for years Two months in to Ukraine's counter-offensive, and so far - while there have been gains - they are well short of what people had hoped for. The implication is that this war is going to last years not months, notwithstanding the unexpected. How does that realisation begin to change the landscape - for Russia, for Ukraine, for the West?

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 18:17:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Two months in to Ukraine's counter-offensive, and so far - while there have been gains - they are well short of what people had hoped for. The implication is that this war is going to last years not months, notwithstanding the unexpected. How does that realisation begin to change the landscape - for Russia, for Ukraine, for the West?

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Ukraine's slow counter-offensive - this could last for years Mallen Baker 00:14:17 Two months in to Ukraine's counter-offensive, and so far - while there have been gains - they are well short of what people had hoped for. The implication is that this war is going to last years not months, notwithstanding the unexpected. How does that realisation begin to change the landscape - for Russia, for Ukraine, for the West? Two months in to Ukraine's counter-offensive, and so far - while there have been gains - they are well short of what people had hoped for. The implication is that this war is going to last years not months, notwithstanding the unexpected. How does that realisation begin to change the landscape - for Russia, for Ukraine, for the West? false full 188 7bfda98a-5f45-4141-b08d-e8978fb3f42a A new political phase on climate change is emerging Over time, how we understand an ongoing issue, and aim to act on it, will evolve and change. We've been in the same phase on climate change for several decades - but right now it seems as though we may be entering the transition to the next phase. In this podcast, we look at why that may be, but why it will reach America later than many other places.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 28 Jul 2023 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Over time, how we understand an ongoing issue, and aim to act on it, will evolve and change. We've been in the same phase on climate change for several decades - but right now it seems as though we may be entering the transition to the next phase. In this podcast, we look at why that may be, but why it will reach America later than many other places.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> A new political phase on climate change is emerging Mallen Baker 00:16:06 Over time, how we understand an ongoing issue, and aim to act on it, will evolve and change. We've been in the same phase on climate change for several decades - but right now it seems as though we may be entering the transition to the next phase. In this podcast, we look at why that may be, but why it will reach America later than many other places. Over time, how we understand an ongoing issue, and aim to act on it, will evolve and change. We've been in the same phase on climate change for several decades - but right now it seems as though we may be entering the transition to the next phase. In this podcast, we look at why that may be, but why it will reach America later than many other places. false full 187 dd8d3db4-5d8d-4d26-bb34-85be4d48abe4 Exclusive diversity - has values-led business gone astray? Maybe companies should have values. But should they have the sort of values that are about holding powerful corporations to account, or the ones that turn powerful corporations into policeman over how we live our lives? There's nuance to be had, but a crucially important distinction not many commentators are making right now.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 21 Jul 2023 18:12:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Maybe companies should have values. But should they have the sort of values that are about holding powerful corporations to account, or the ones that turn powerful corporations into policeman over how we live our lives? There's nuance to be had, but a crucially important distinction not many commentators are making right now.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Exclusive diversity - has values-led business gone astray? Mallen Baker 00:16:35 Maybe companies should have values. But should they have the sort of values that are about holding powerful corporations to account, or the ones that turn powerful corporations into policeman over how we live our lives? There's nuance to be had, but a crucially important distinction not many commentators are making right now. Maybe companies should have values. But should they have the sort of values that are about holding powerful corporations to account, or the ones that turn powerful corporations into policeman over how we live our lives? There's nuance to be had, but a crucially important distinction not many commentators are making right now. false full 186 39006aac-d9eb-4372-8093-d9b883ea0486 Can Britain stop worshipping its failing health service? Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 7 Jul 2023 19:02:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Can Britain stop worshipping its failing health service? Mallen Baker 00:16:19 This week was the 75th anniversary of Britain's health service, which people have said to themselves for decades is "the envy of the world". Well, maybe once. But now it costs more money than most, for worse actual health outcomes. What went wrong - and does anyone dare even discuss it in public? This week was the 75th anniversary of Britain's health service, which people have said to themselves for decades is "the envy of the world". Well, maybe once. But now it costs more money than most, for worse actual health outcomes. What went wrong - and does anyone dare even discuss it in public? false full 185 5121ff1d-ff04-4fdf-ab22-122bd6378c17 Putin's bad week It wasn't a coup, but it looked like a coup. Putin wasn't bothered, but he certainly looked bothered. Really, it was just a protest. The sort of protest where you destroy military planes on the way. So just what HAS been going on in Russia this week, and what does it mean?

]]> Fri, 30 Jun 2023 19:48:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It wasn't a coup, but it looked like a coup. Putin wasn't bothered, but he certainly looked bothered. Really, it was just a protest. The sort of protest where you destroy military planes on the way. So just what HAS been going on in Russia this week, and what does it mean?

]]> Putin's bad week Mallen Baker 00:13:33 It wasn't a coup, but it looked like a coup. Putin wasn't bothered, but he certainly looked bothered. Really, it was just a protest. The sort of protest where you destroy military planes on the way. So just what HAS been going on in Russia this week, and what does it mean? It wasn't a coup, but it looked like a coup. Putin wasn't bothered, but he certainly looked bothered. Really, it was just a protest. The sort of protest where you destroy military planes on the way. So just what HAS been going on in Russia this week, and what does it mean? false full 184 7722a52e-0607-47fb-9630-9a5b3c6a9514 The Boris question: Should voters be allowed to vote for liars? Boris Johnson has left the building - before launching a broadside against the Parliamentary Privileges Committee process just before it delivered its damning verdict. It found that he had lied repeatedly - which isn't much of a shock. The question is this. Was this the system upholding its commitment to integrity in public life? Or was it a politically biased hatchet job carrying out an act of sabotage against Johnson's hopes of a return? Indeed - could it be both at the same time? Let's discuss.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 16 Jun 2023 17:51:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Boris Johnson has left the building - before launching a broadside against the Parliamentary Privileges Committee process just before it delivered its damning verdict. It found that he had lied repeatedly - which isn't much of a shock. The question is this. Was this the system upholding its commitment to integrity in public life? Or was it a politically biased hatchet job carrying out an act of sabotage against Johnson's hopes of a return? Indeed - could it be both at the same time? Let's discuss.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> The Boris question: Should voters be allowed to vote for liars? Mallen Baker 00:17:09 Boris Johnson has left the building - before launching a broadside against the Parliamentary Privileges Committee process just before it delivered its damning verdict. It found that he had lied repeatedly - which isn't much of a shock. The question is this. Was this the system upholding its commitment to integrity in public life? Or was it a politically biased hatchet job carrying out an act of sabotage against Johnson's hopes of a return? Indeed - could it be both at the same time? Let's discuss. Boris Johnson has left the building - before launching a broadside against the Parliamentary Privileges Committee process just before it delivered its damning verdict. It found that he had lied repeatedly - which isn't much of a shock. The question is this. Was this the system upholding its commitment to integrity in public life? Or was it a politically biased hatchet job carrying out an act of sabotage against Johnson's hopes of a return? Indeed - could it be both at the same time? Let's discuss. false full 183 83622933-5762-4343-bdbb-03638fec3a13 Will Rishi and Joe save us from the AI slaughterbots? This week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the US President Joe Biden and amongst the various topics they discussed was Britain’s desire to carve out a role for itself on the discussion around Artificial Intelligence. In recent weeks, we’ve seen voices raised – including those of some of the pioneers in AI – warning about the potential existential danger to humanity posed by the technology, alongside the appreciation of the benefits it offers as well.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
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]]> Fri, 9 Jun 2023 17:51:31 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the US President Joe Biden and amongst the various topics they discussed was Britain’s desire to carve out a role for itself on the discussion around Artificial Intelligence. In recent weeks, we’ve seen voices raised – including those of some of the pioneers in AI – warning about the potential existential danger to humanity posed by the technology, alongside the appreciation of the benefits it offers as well.

Support this channel!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Will Rishi and Joe save us from the AI slaughterbots? Mallen Baker 00:14:26 This week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the US President Joe Biden and amongst the various topics they discussed was Britain’s desire to carve out a role for itself on the discussion around Artificial Intelligence. In recent weeks, we’ve seen voices raised – including those of some of the pioneers in AI – warning about the potential existential danger to humanity posed by the technology, alongside the appreciation of the benefits it offers as well. This week, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak met the US President Joe Biden and amongst the various topics they discussed was Britain’s desire to carve out a role for itself on the discussion around Artificial Intelligence. In recent weeks, we’ve seen voices raised – including those of some of the pioneers in AI – warning about the potential existential danger to humanity posed by the technology, alongside the appreciation of the benefits it offers as well. false full 182 39f66e59-6c90-4dfb-865f-59aca8fff28b 1.5 degrees warming coming soon? There has been a lot of talk this week about how the world may nose its way across the 1.5ºC line soon. It's been held up as a major landmark for so long - and generally with menaces attached. So is it truly on the cards? And how significant a line is it anyway?

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]]> Fri, 19 May 2023 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast There has been a lot of talk this week about how the world may nose its way across the 1.5ºC line soon. It's been held up as a major landmark for so long - and generally with menaces attached. So is it truly on the cards? And how significant a line is it anyway?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> 1.5 degrees warming coming soon? Mallen Baker 00:14:32 There has been a lot of talk this week about how the world may nose its way across the 1.5ºC line soon. It's been held up as a major landmark for so long - and generally with menaces attached. So is it truly on the cards? And how significant a line is it anyway? There has been a lot of talk this week about how the world may nose its way across the 1.5ºC line soon. It's been held up as a major landmark for so long - and generally with menaces attached. So is it truly on the cards? And how significant a line is it anyway? false full 181 2f377a48-bc43-40ab-a95d-cebce2bbdef8 Donald Trump could be president in 2025 Trump's Town Hall on CNN gave him his very best day of his 2024 election campaign, by far. How did it happen at all? And how much does it really change the equation for the next election, and indeed the next period of American political history?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 12 May 2023 18:03:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Trump's Town Hall on CNN gave him his very best day of his 2024 election campaign, by far. How did it happen at all? And how much does it really change the equation for the next election, and indeed the next period of American political history?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Donald Trump could be president in 2025 Mallen Baker 00:15:54 Trump's Town Hall on CNN gave him his very best day of his 2024 election campaign, by far. How did it happen at all? And how much does it really change the equation for the next election, and indeed the next period of American political history? Trump's Town Hall on CNN gave him his very best day of his 2024 election campaign, by far. How did it happen at all? And how much does it really change the equation for the next election, and indeed the next period of American political history? false full 180 01fe3f6b-5b6d-4f7b-b280-7e528fdd464d Nobody tried to kill Putin A drone attack hits the Kremlin building. Once again, the world is left wondering "who dunnit?". Was it a false flag attack by a Russian leadership determined to drive a wedge between Ukraine and its allies? Or an attack by Kyiv, or even the United States - or a Russian partisan group? Let's look at the theories that are flying around - and at least discount the one that seems on its face to be a non-starter.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 5 May 2023 17:53:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A drone attack hits the Kremlin building. Once again, the world is left wondering "who dunnit?". Was it a false flag attack by a Russian leadership determined to drive a wedge between Ukraine and its allies? Or an attack by Kyiv, or even the United States - or a Russian partisan group? Let's look at the theories that are flying around - and at least discount the one that seems on its face to be a non-starter.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Nobody tried to kill Putin Mallen Baker 00:13:02 A drone attack hits the Kremlin building. Once again, the world is left wondering "who dunnit?". Was it a false flag attack by a Russian leadership determined to drive a wedge between Ukraine and its allies? Or an attack by Kyiv, or even the United States - or a Russian partisan group? Let's look at the theories that are flying around - and at least discount the one that seems on its face to be a non-starter. A drone attack hits the Kremlin building. Once again, the world is left wondering "who dunnit?". Was it a false flag attack by a Russian leadership determined to drive a wedge between Ukraine and its allies? Or an attack by Kyiv, or even the United States - or a Russian partisan group? Let's look at the theories that are flying around - and at least discount the one that seems on its face to be a non-starter. false full 179 39f205c9-9b17-4d17-b1d2-2bf0fe561095 The REAL reason Xi Jinping called Zelensky He's spoken to Vladimir Putin five times since the war started - but this was the first time he picked up the phone to Ukraine's Volodymir Zelensky. What does the call say about China's intended role in the Ukraine war - why might it signal hope for an end to the conflict - or, depending on your perspective - provoke fear in how China might use that end to its own advantage?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 28 Apr 2023 17:53:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast He's spoken to Vladimir Putin five times since the war started - but this was the first time he picked up the phone to Ukraine's Volodymir Zelensky. What does the call say about China's intended role in the Ukraine war - why might it signal hope for an end to the conflict - or, depending on your perspective - provoke fear in how China might use that end to its own advantage?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The REAL reason Xi Jinping called Zelensky Mallen Baker 00:14:52 He's spoken to Vladimir Putin five times since the war started - but this was the first time he picked up the phone to Ukraine's Volodymir Zelensky. What does the call say about China's intended role in the Ukraine war - why might it signal hope for an end to the conflict - or, depending on your perspective - provoke fear in how China might use that end to its own advantage? He's spoken to Vladimir Putin five times since the war started - but this was the first time he picked up the phone to Ukraine's Volodymir Zelensky. What does the call say about China's intended role in the Ukraine war - why might it signal hope for an end to the conflict - or, depending on your perspective - provoke fear in how China might use that end to its own advantage? false full 178 87b7f053-e98b-4590-8f04-e5cfcc1d3b1e Poverty vs Climate Change - The World Bank's Dilemma During the last week, a major summit that was supposed to advance climate onto the World Bank agenda hit an impasse. Meanwhile, China is rapidly gaining as the alternative lender to developing countries. The stakes are pretty big - it could just be the biggest problem that no-one's talking about.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 21 Apr 2023 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast During the last week, a major summit that was supposed to advance climate onto the World Bank agenda hit an impasse. Meanwhile, China is rapidly gaining as the alternative lender to developing countries. The stakes are pretty big - it could just be the biggest problem that no-one's talking about.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Poverty vs Climate Change - The World Bank's Dilemma Mallen Baker 00:20:46 During the last week, a major summit that was supposed to advance climate onto the World Bank agenda hit an impasse. Meanwhile, China is rapidly gaining as the alternative lender to developing countries. The stakes are pretty big - it could just be the biggest problem that no-one's talking about. During the last week, a major summit that was supposed to advance climate onto the World Bank agenda hit an impasse. Meanwhile, China is rapidly gaining as the alternative lender to developing countries. The stakes are pretty big - it could just be the biggest problem that no-one's talking about. false full 177 eac879da-e983-4454-b973-60f6264078e2 The dismal truth revealed by the US intel leak A hugely significant leak of US intelligence has dominated the week ... and it's one unlike any that came before it. But what's really interesting, is what it says about the rapidly changing place of America in the world. And it's not good news.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 14 Apr 2023 18:10:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A hugely significant leak of US intelligence has dominated the week ... and it's one unlike any that came before it. But what's really interesting, is what it says about the rapidly changing place of America in the world. And it's not good news.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The dismal truth revealed by the US intel leak Mallen Baker 00:20:32 A hugely significant leak of US intelligence has dominated the week ... and it's one unlike any that came before it. But what's really interesting, is what it says about the rapidly changing place of America in the world. And it's not good news. A hugely significant leak of US intelligence has dominated the week ... and it's one unlike any that came before it. But what's really interesting, is what it says about the rapidly changing place of America in the world. And it's not good news. false full 176 c37dd237-3fbd-49a0-ac27-3e266836c6ee Trump Indictment - America Gambles Bigly Some reflections on the week that saw former president Donald Trump appearing in criminal court for the first - but surely not the last - time. Is this a shrewd political game? Or crass stupidity pushing the country closer to civil war?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 7 Apr 2023 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Some reflections on the week that saw former president Donald Trump appearing in criminal court for the first - but surely not the last - time. Is this a shrewd political game? Or crass stupidity pushing the country closer to civil war?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Trump Indictment - America Gambles Bigly Mallen Baker 00:17:48 Some reflections on the week that saw former president Donald Trump appearing in criminal court for the first - but surely not the last - time. Is this a shrewd political game? Or crass stupidity pushing the country closer to civil war? Some reflections on the week that saw former president Donald Trump appearing in criminal court for the first - but surely not the last - time. Is this a shrewd political game? Or crass stupidity pushing the country closer to civil war? false full 175 9da36be5-8c9a-46e7-998d-c6278283c520 China makes its move on Ukraine China’s Xi Jinping to visit Putin in Moscow as China outflanks the US on the world stage. Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse – is the world economic system teetering on the edge of major meltdown? And Dutch farmers hit back against green policies with a major election win from nowhere.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 17 Mar 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China’s Xi Jinping to visit Putin in Moscow as China outflanks the US on the world stage. Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse – is the world economic system teetering on the edge of major meltdown? And Dutch farmers hit back against green policies with a major election win from nowhere.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> China makes its move on Ukraine Mallen Baker 00:18:05 China’s Xi Jinping to visit Putin in Moscow as China outflanks the US on the world stage. Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse – is the world economic system teetering on the edge of major meltdown? And Dutch farmers hit back against green policies with a major election win from nowhere. China’s Xi Jinping to visit Putin in Moscow as China outflanks the US on the world stage. Silicon Valley Bank, Credit Suisse – is the world economic system teetering on the edge of major meltdown? And Dutch farmers hit back against green policies with a major election win from nowhere. false full 174 d2e8f58c-00cc-4b4f-a3c4-87da79d49e46 Nordstream sabotage - now it's getting weird Suggestions come from US intelligence that a pro-Ukraine group was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. We learn that the UK government had an undisclosed position to reject the lab leak hypothesis to keep good relations with China. Massive farmers protests in Brussels underline how the EU’s. Farm to Fork sustainability policy is falling in the face of the Ukraine war. And in this week’s short thought, the horrifying realisation just how badly served today’s youngster have been by the teaching of history.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 10 Mar 2023 19:12:31 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Suggestions come from US intelligence that a pro-Ukraine group was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. We learn that the UK government had an undisclosed position to reject the lab leak hypothesis to keep good relations with China. Massive farmers protests in Brussels underline how the EU’s. Farm to Fork sustainability policy is falling in the face of the Ukraine war. And in this week’s short thought, the horrifying realisation just how badly served today’s youngster have been by the teaching of history.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Nordstream sabotage - now it's getting weird Mallen Baker 00:23:30 Suggestions come from US intelligence that a pro-Ukraine group was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. We learn that the UK government had an undisclosed position to reject the lab leak hypothesis to keep good relations with China. Massive farmers protests in Brussels underline how the EU’s. Farm to Fork sustainability policy is falling in the face of the Ukraine war. And in this week’s short thought, the horrifying realisation just how badly served today’s youngster have been by the teaching of history. Suggestions come from US intelligence that a pro-Ukraine group was responsible for the Nord Stream pipeline explosions. We learn that the UK government had an undisclosed position to reject the lab leak hypothesis to keep good relations with China. Massive farmers protests in Brussels underline how the EU’s. Farm to Fork sustainability policy is falling in the face of the Ukraine war. And in this week’s short thought, the horrifying realisation just how badly served today’s youngster have been by the teaching of history. false full 173 9ddb6754-07ae-4e03-b55d-c3f6a4099177 UK Covid lockdown mistakes revealed It’s retro news week, apparently. A massive leak of whatsapp text messages from the heart of government shows the unedifying reality of the UK’s response to Covid. The US energy department declares that it now believes a lab leak is the most likely cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. And, in this week’s short thought – do we believe in science or in magical thinking? I wish you’d make your mind up.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 3 Mar 2023 18:57:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It’s retro news week, apparently. A massive leak of whatsapp text messages from the heart of government shows the unedifying reality of the UK’s response to Covid. The US energy department declares that it now believes a lab leak is the most likely cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. And, in this week’s short thought – do we believe in science or in magical thinking? I wish you’d make your mind up.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> UK Covid lockdown mistakes revealed Mallen Baker 00:20:30 It’s retro news week, apparently. A massive leak of whatsapp text messages from the heart of government shows the unedifying reality of the UK’s response to Covid. The US energy department declares that it now believes a lab leak is the most likely cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. And, in this week’s short thought – do we believe in science or in magical thinking? I wish you’d make your mind up. It’s retro news week, apparently. A massive leak of whatsapp text messages from the heart of government shows the unedifying reality of the UK’s response to Covid. The US energy department declares that it now believes a lab leak is the most likely cause of the Covid-19 pandemic. And, in this week’s short thought – do we believe in science or in magical thinking? I wish you’d make your mind up. matt hancock whatsapp, lockdown files, telegraph lockdown files false full 172 6d666ce3-e0ec-46a6-96c5-20571ec104e9 Are we inevitably drifting towards technocracy? Last week, the former UK Labour prime minister Tony Blair, and  the former would-be Conservative prime minister William Hague produced a joint report calling for a British technology revolution. Some of the response to this – particularly on the populist right – was that this was the face of technocracy. Partly that’s true – and partly it’s not. But the push towards technocracy is inbuilt to our current situation. Let's discuss.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Tue, 28 Feb 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Last week, the former UK Labour prime minister Tony Blair, and  the former would-be Conservative prime minister William Hague produced a joint report calling for a British technology revolution. Some of the response to this – particularly on the populist right – was that this was the face of technocracy. Partly that’s true – and partly it’s not. But the push towards technocracy is inbuilt to our current situation. Let's discuss.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Are we inevitably drifting towards technocracy? Mallen Baker 00:28:39 Last week, the former UK Labour prime minister Tony Blair, and the former would-be Conservative prime minister William Hague produced a joint report calling for a British technology revolution. Some of the response to this – particularly on the populist right – was that this was the face of technocracy. Partly that’s true – and partly it’s not. But the push towards technocracy is inbuilt to our current situation. Let's discuss. Last week, the former UK Labour prime minister Tony Blair, and the former would-be Conservative prime minister William Hague produced a joint report calling for a British technology revolution. Some of the response to this – particularly on the populist right – was that this was the face of technocracy. Partly that’s true – and partly it’s not. But the push towards technocracy is inbuilt to our current situation. Let's discuss. false full 171 ed892e55-d540-45d2-9b6c-8ab87a8b6911 One year on - Not where we wanted to be The world marks the one year anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war with big speeches on all sides saying nothing new. China puts itself forward as a neutral peace broker in ways that may please neither Russia nor America. The US supreme court is offered the chance to break the internet with a single decision, but looks like declining the offer. And in this week’s short thought – the so-called scientists arguing for climate-focused rationing illustrate an important lesson.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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And my website
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]]> Fri, 24 Feb 2023 18:55:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The world marks the one year anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war with big speeches on all sides saying nothing new. China puts itself forward as a neutral peace broker in ways that may please neither Russia nor America. The US supreme court is offered the chance to break the internet with a single decision, but looks like declining the offer. And in this week’s short thought – the so-called scientists arguing for climate-focused rationing illustrate an important lesson.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> One year on - Not where we wanted to be Mallen Baker 00:25:06 The world marks the one year anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war with big speeches on all sides saying nothing new. China puts itself forward as a neutral peace broker in ways that may please neither Russia nor America. The US supreme court is offered the chance to break the internet with a single decision, but looks like declining the offer. And in this week’s short thought – the so-called scientists arguing for climate-focused rationing illustrate an important lesson. The world marks the one year anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war with big speeches on all sides saying nothing new. China puts itself forward as a neutral peace broker in ways that may please neither Russia nor America. The US supreme court is offered the chance to break the internet with a single decision, but looks like declining the offer. And in this week’s short thought – the so-called scientists arguing for climate-focused rationing illustrate an important lesson. false full 170 54d74cce-5bb8-43cf-a554-894c85c17770 Will Russia or Ukraine exhaust themselves first? As the anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war approaches both sides burn through their resources at a rapid rate. The EU’s corruption crisis continues to deepen as more MEPs are named in the Qatargate scandal. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is brought down after being damaged by the trans prisoners row. And in this week’s short thought, how to step back from the modern trend to attacking the opponent, not the argument.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Fri, 17 Feb 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As the anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war approaches both sides burn through their resources at a rapid rate. The EU’s corruption crisis continues to deepen as more MEPs are named in the Qatargate scandal. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is brought down after being damaged by the trans prisoners row. And in this week’s short thought, how to step back from the modern trend to attacking the opponent, not the argument.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Will Russia or Ukraine exhaust themselves first? Mallen Baker 00:24:44 As the anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war approaches both sides burn through their resources at a rapid rate. The EU’s corruption crisis continues to deepen as more MEPs are named in the Qatargate scandal. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is brought down after being damaged by the trans prisoners row. And in this week’s short thought, how to step back from the modern trend to attacking the opponent, not the argument. As the anniversary of the start of the Ukraine war approaches both sides burn through their resources at a rapid rate. The EU’s corruption crisis continues to deepen as more MEPs are named in the Qatargate scandal. Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is brought down after being damaged by the trans prisoners row. And in this week’s short thought, how to step back from the modern trend to attacking the opponent, not the argument. false full 169 e15ac8b4-f39c-42d4-969d-d2657487e891 Did the spy balloon wreck US China peace hopes? A Chinese sky balloon is blown out of the sky along with recent hopes of easing tension between the two countries. Russia apparently begins to ramp up for a major offensive as President Zelensky visits the UK and Europe. Did we just get the real story about the exploding Nord Stream pipelines – or was it just a pipe dream? And, in this week’s short thought – the creative tension between change and stability we all have to navigate.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 10 Feb 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A Chinese sky balloon is blown out of the sky along with recent hopes of easing tension between the two countries. Russia apparently begins to ramp up for a major offensive as President Zelensky visits the UK and Europe. Did we just get the real story about the exploding Nord Stream pipelines – or was it just a pipe dream? And, in this week’s short thought – the creative tension between change and stability we all have to navigate.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Did the spy balloon wreck US China peace hopes? Mallen Baker 00:23:17 A Chinese sky balloon is blown out of the sky along with recent hopes of easing tension between the two countries. Russia apparently begins to ramp up for a major offensive as President Zelensky visits the UK and Europe. Did we just get the real story about the exploding Nord Stream pipelines – or was it just a pipe dream? And, in this week’s short thought – the creative tension between change and stability we all have to navigate. A Chinese sky balloon is blown out of the sky along with recent hopes of easing tension between the two countries. Russia apparently begins to ramp up for a major offensive as President Zelensky visits the UK and Europe. Did we just get the real story about the exploding Nord Stream pipelines – or was it just a pipe dream? And, in this week’s short thought – the creative tension between change and stability we all have to navigate. false full 168 a0414fe8-ff5d-4296-b2d7-ea83bdc5f678 Trans row could dethrone Scotland's leader Corruption continues to be the focus as more are raided in Ukraine and the EU and the UK have problems of their own. The UK’s armed forces recruitment comes under scrutiny with allegations that competence is no longer a key criteria for air force pilots. The trans rapist prisoner row in Scotland has reached the point where Nicola Sturgeon’s political end seems to be in sight. And in this week’s short thought – we consider two articles that point to the ongoing demise of the mainstream media.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

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]]> Fri, 3 Feb 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Corruption continues to be the focus as more are raided in Ukraine and the EU and the UK have problems of their own. The UK’s armed forces recruitment comes under scrutiny with allegations that competence is no longer a key criteria for air force pilots. The trans rapist prisoner row in Scotland has reached the point where Nicola Sturgeon’s political end seems to be in sight. And in this week’s short thought – we consider two articles that point to the ongoing demise of the mainstream media.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Trans row could dethrone Scotland's leader Mallen Baker 00:25:28 Corruption continues to be the focus as more are raided in Ukraine and the EU and the UK have problems of their own. The UK’s armed forces recruitment comes under scrutiny with allegations that competence is no longer a key criteria for air force pilots. The trans rapist prisoner row in Scotland has reached the point where Nicola Sturgeon’s political end seems to be in sight. And in this week’s short thought – we consider two articles that point to the ongoing demise of the mainstream media. Corruption continues to be the focus as more are raided in Ukraine and the EU and the UK have problems of their own. The UK’s armed forces recruitment comes under scrutiny with allegations that competence is no longer a key criteria for air force pilots. The trans rapist prisoner row in Scotland has reached the point where Nicola Sturgeon’s political end seems to be in sight. And in this week’s short thought – we consider two articles that point to the ongoing demise of the mainstream media. false full 167 3d357247-fd0c-42c0-b0c8-192da29e8ee9 Did corruption in Ukraine deflect from the war? Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 27 Jan 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Did corruption in Ukraine deflect from the war? Mallen Baker 00:24:25 Ukraine is rocked by serious revelations of corruption as the West finally organises to send it tanks. The SNP’s gender recognition bill blows up in its face as it backs down on sending a rapist to a women’s prison. And Switzerland could soon be undertaking a highly symbolic referendum on net zero policies Ukraine is rocked by serious revelations of corruption as the West finally organises to send it tanks. The SNP’s gender recognition bill blows up in its face as it backs down on sending a rapist to a women’s prison. And Switzerland could soon be undertaking a highly symbolic referendum on net zero policies false full 166 abc08763-5282-4995-aa07-95c7dc0efa8f Putin's real war is not in Ukraine Putin’s latest moves suggest he’s fighting a political war at home as much as a military one in Ukraine. China urges its people not to travel for the Chinese New Year as Covid starts to hit the rural areas hard. President Biden is deeply embarrassed by the discovery of top secret documents in his garage. And in this week’s short thought, why responding to crises is a healthy part of a normal system

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
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]]> Fri, 13 Jan 2023 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Putin’s latest moves suggest he’s fighting a political war at home as much as a military one in Ukraine. China urges its people not to travel for the Chinese New Year as Covid starts to hit the rural areas hard. President Biden is deeply embarrassed by the discovery of top secret documents in his garage. And in this week’s short thought, why responding to crises is a healthy part of a normal system

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

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]]> Putin's real war is not in Ukraine Mallen Baker 00:21:00 Putin’s latest moves suggest he’s fighting a political war at home as much as a military one in Ukraine. China urges its people not to travel for the Chinese New Year as Covid starts to hit the rural areas hard. President Biden is deeply embarrassed by the discovery of top secret documents in his garage. And in this week’s short thought, why responding to crises is a healthy part of a normal system Putin’s latest moves suggest he’s fighting a political war at home as much as a military one in Ukraine. China urges its people not to travel for the Chinese New Year as Covid starts to hit the rural areas hard. President Biden is deeply embarrassed by the discovery of top secret documents in his garage. And in this week’s short thought, why responding to crises is a healthy part of a normal system false full 165 e112e777-3d5c-4356-bc69-5c533c2a22e4 Ukraine’s HUGE advantage in 2023 Russia suffers a major blow on the battlefield the strategic implications of which highlight its biggest challenge. Republicans in the US celebrate their election gains by demonstrating an inability to agree on electing a House Speaker. Campaign group Extinction Rebellion gives up breaking the law but faces an upward struggle regardless, and in this week’s short thought, the power of taking responsibility – versus casting blame.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 6 Jan 2023 20:02:34 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia suffers a major blow on the battlefield the strategic implications of which highlight its biggest challenge. Republicans in the US celebrate their election gains by demonstrating an inability to agree on electing a House Speaker. Campaign group Extinction Rebellion gives up breaking the law but faces an upward struggle regardless, and in this week’s short thought, the power of taking responsibility – versus casting blame.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
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]]> Ukraine’s HUGE advantage in 2023 Mallen Baker 00:24:23 Russia suffers a major blow on the battlefield the strategic implications of which highlight its biggest challenge. Republicans in the US celebrate their election gains by demonstrating an inability to agree on electing a House Speaker. Campaign group Extinction Rebellion gives up breaking the law but faces an upward struggle regardless, and in this week’s short thought, the power of taking responsibility – versus casting blame. Russia suffers a major blow on the battlefield the strategic implications of which highlight its biggest challenge. Republicans in the US celebrate their election gains by demonstrating an inability to agree on electing a House Speaker. Campaign group Extinction Rebellion gives up breaking the law but faces an upward struggle regardless, and in this week’s short thought, the power of taking responsibility – versus casting blame. false full 164 12f0347e-499b-41ce-bcc5-85ce5b624466 World turns on China Covid tourists In this news round-up of the week for 30th December 2022, as Covid rages across China, some countries bring in restrictions on travellers blaming the fear of new variants. Russian oligarchs continue to die by sudden falling out of hotel windows syndrome. A controversial leading light of the manosphere Andrew Tate picks a fight with Greta Thunberg and ends up sad. And in this week’s short thought, one more thing about those new year resolutions.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 30 Dec 2022 19:33:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for 30th December 2022, as Covid rages across China, some countries bring in restrictions on travellers blaming the fear of new variants. Russian oligarchs continue to die by sudden falling out of hotel windows syndrome. A controversial leading light of the manosphere Andrew Tate picks a fight with Greta Thunberg and ends up sad. And in this week’s short thought, one more thing about those new year resolutions.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> World turns on China Covid tourists Mallen Baker 00:18:12 In this news round-up of the week for 30th December 2022, as Covid rages across China, some countries bring in restrictions on travellers blaming the fear of new variants. Russian oligarchs continue to die by sudden falling out of hotel windows syndrome. A controversial leading light of the manosphere Andrew Tate picks a fight with Greta Thunberg and ends up sad. And in this week’s short thought, one more thing about those new year resolutions. In this news round-up of the week for 30th December 2022, as Covid rages across China, some countries bring in restrictions on travellers blaming the fear of new variants. Russian oligarchs continue to die by sudden falling out of hotel windows syndrome. A controversial leading light of the manosphere Andrew Tate picks a fight with Greta Thunberg and ends up sad. And in this week’s short thought, one more thing about those new year resolutions. false full 163 ffc9eda5-1217-462a-b07a-977b09d3b36a Putin's stunning admission Vladimir Putin makes a startling statement after Ukraine’s Zelensky makes an appearance in the US. Scottish lawmakers pass a controversial trans self-ID bill, creating a likely constitutional crisis with the UK government. The summit on biodiversity reaches a final agreement and needless to say not everybody’s happy. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how we should rediscover the value of old ceremonies.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 23 Dec 2022 19:24:48 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Vladimir Putin makes a startling statement after Ukraine’s Zelensky makes an appearance in the US. Scottish lawmakers pass a controversial trans self-ID bill, creating a likely constitutional crisis with the UK government. The summit on biodiversity reaches a final agreement and needless to say not everybody’s happy. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how we should rediscover the value of old ceremonies.

Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
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]]> Putin's stunning admission Mallen Baker 00:22:58 Vladimir Putin makes a startling statement after Ukraine’s Zelensky makes an appearance in the US. Scottish lawmakers pass a controversial trans self-ID bill, creating a likely constitutional crisis with the UK government. The summit on biodiversity reaches a final agreement and needless to say not everybody’s happy. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how we should rediscover the value of old ceremonies. Vladimir Putin makes a startling statement after Ukraine’s Zelensky makes an appearance in the US. Scottish lawmakers pass a controversial trans self-ID bill, creating a likely constitutional crisis with the UK government. The summit on biodiversity reaches a final agreement and needless to say not everybody’s happy. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how we should rediscover the value of old ceremonies. false full 162 b1f52c2c-3611-4003-ad08-29d5322e6b9a Putin and Xi are missing The EU is rocked to its core by a massive corruption scandal that its enemies believe could become a rout of the bureaucrats. China is seeing its hospitals rapidly overwhelmed as the Covid takes off, but they’re not reporting how many are dying. And Vladimir Putin cancels all of his most important engagements fuelling speculation as to whether the end is in sight.

Support this channel!

[https://patreon.com/mallenbaker\](https://patreon.com/mallenbaker)

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:   

[https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker\](https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker)

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[https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow\](https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow)

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]]> Fri, 16 Dec 2022 19:33:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The EU is rocked to its core by a massive corruption scandal that its enemies believe could become a rout of the bureaucrats. China is seeing its hospitals rapidly overwhelmed as the Covid takes off, but they’re not reporting how many are dying. And Vladimir Putin cancels all of his most important engagements fuelling speculation as to whether the end is in sight.

Support this channel!

[https://patreon.com/mallenbaker\](https://patreon.com/mallenbaker)

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:   

[https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker\](https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker)

Follow the show page on Facebook  

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]]> Putin and Xi are missing Mallen Baker 00:21:23 The EU is rocked to its core by a massive corruption scandal that its enemies believe could become a rout of the bureaucrats. China is seeing its hospitals rapidly overwhelmed as the Covid takes off, but they’re not reporting how many are dying. And Vladimir Putin cancels all of his most important engagements fuelling speculation as to whether the end is in sight. The EU is rocked to its core by a massive corruption scandal that its enemies believe could become a rout of the bureaucrats. China is seeing its hospitals rapidly overwhelmed as the Covid takes off, but they’re not reporting how many are dying. And Vladimir Putin cancels all of his most important engagements fuelling speculation as to whether the end is in sight. false full 161 674e0d06-91f2-4444-a305-94dfade6d1b3 Xi Jinping's spy tech squashes protests Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
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]]> Fri, 2 Dec 2022 19:25:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Xi Jinping's spy tech squashes protests Mallen Baker 00:24:07 China cracks down on protests as Xi Jinping struggles to contain the failure of Zero Covid. Apple and Elon Musk spar over whether the tech giant is actively trying to bring Twitter down. The Dutch government tries a new tack to try to shut down food production in the name of the climate. And in this week’s short thought – a politician in the jungle reveals how far removed from reality you become if you let yourself be a hater. China cracks down on protests as Xi Jinping struggles to contain the failure of Zero Covid. Apple and Elon Musk spar over whether the tech giant is actively trying to bring Twitter down. The Dutch government tries a new tack to try to shut down food production in the name of the climate. And in this week’s short thought – a politician in the jungle reveals how far removed from reality you become if you let yourself be a hater. false full 160 5b5ca775-b2f9-41b1-9170-c51d5114593e Woke World Cup proves Putin right? The EU and the US have a huge falling out over Biden’s big subsidies for climate change action. China looks to be crossing the tipping point on its zero covid policy as cases surge upwards. Does the virtue signalling around the World Cup prove Vladimir Putin right about the West’s growing intolerance? And in this week’s short thought, why good quality thought benefits from the simple habit of being specific.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 25 Nov 2022 19:35:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The EU and the US have a huge falling out over Biden’s big subsidies for climate change action. China looks to be crossing the tipping point on its zero covid policy as cases surge upwards. Does the virtue signalling around the World Cup prove Vladimir Putin right about the West’s growing intolerance? And in this week’s short thought, why good quality thought benefits from the simple habit of being specific.

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]]> Woke World Cup proves Putin right? Mallen Baker 00:27:19 The EU and the US have a huge falling out over Biden’s big subsidies for climate change action. China looks to be crossing the tipping point on its zero covid policy as cases surge upwards. Does the virtue signalling around the World Cup prove Vladimir Putin right about the West’s growing intolerance? And in this week’s short thought, why good quality thought benefits from the simple habit of being specific. The EU and the US have a huge falling out over Biden’s big subsidies for climate change action. China looks to be crossing the tipping point on its zero covid policy as cases surge upwards. Does the virtue signalling around the World Cup prove Vladimir Putin right about the West’s growing intolerance? And in this week’s short thought, why good quality thought benefits from the simple habit of being specific. false full 159 f4adedab-a2f6-47d7-b3e2-b5388db4df42 China divides and conquers at the G20 China dominates the world stage at the G20 summit and Western countries start dialling back their hostility to it. Ukraine’s power grid is seriously knocked out by Russian attack as the UN criticises it for human rights abuses. Donald Trump announces that he is candidate for President but his strategy is already a defensive one. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why you should expect and welcome chaos.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 18 Nov 2022 20:17:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China dominates the world stage at the G20 summit and Western countries start dialling back their hostility to it. Ukraine’s power grid is seriously knocked out by Russian attack as the UN criticises it for human rights abuses. Donald Trump announces that he is candidate for President but his strategy is already a defensive one. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why you should expect and welcome chaos.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> China divides and conquers at the G20 Mallen Baker 00:28:43 China dominates the world stage at the G20 summit and Western countries start dialling back their hostility to it. Ukraine’s power grid is seriously knocked out by Russian attack as the UN criticises it for human rights abuses. Donald Trump announces that he is candidate for President but his strategy is already a defensive one. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why you should expect and welcome chaos. China dominates the world stage at the G20 summit and Western countries start dialling back their hostility to it. Ukraine’s power grid is seriously knocked out by Russian attack as the UN criticises it for human rights abuses. Donald Trump announces that he is candidate for President but his strategy is already a defensive one. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why you should expect and welcome chaos. false full 158 a666d3d1-312c-493e-8288-5f10e576400f Will Ron DeSantis save America from itself? The US mid-term elections deliver a surprising result that arguably makes US civil war just a bit less likely. Ukraine takes back control of Kherson city as senior figures in the US administration urge them to negotiate with Putin. Social media giants Twitter and Meta are in meltdown as the online landscape seems vulnerable to change. And in this week’s short thought, why the blame game at COP27 and everywhere else is so unproductive.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 11 Nov 2022 20:13:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US mid-term elections deliver a surprising result that arguably makes US civil war just a bit less likely. Ukraine takes back control of Kherson city as senior figures in the US administration urge them to negotiate with Putin. Social media giants Twitter and Meta are in meltdown as the online landscape seems vulnerable to change. And in this week’s short thought, why the blame game at COP27 and everywhere else is so unproductive.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Will Ron DeSantis save America from itself? Mallen Baker 00:28:43 The US mid-term elections deliver a surprising result that arguably makes US civil war just a bit less likely. Ukraine takes back control of Kherson city as senior figures in the US administration urge them to negotiate with Putin. Social media giants Twitter and Meta are in meltdown as the online landscape seems vulnerable to change. And in this week’s short thought, why the blame game at COP27 and everywhere else is so unproductive. The US mid-term elections deliver a surprising result that arguably makes US civil war just a bit less likely. Ukraine takes back control of Kherson city as senior figures in the US administration urge them to negotiate with Putin. Social media giants Twitter and Meta are in meltdown as the online landscape seems vulnerable to change. And in this week’s short thought, why the blame game at COP27 and everywhere else is so unproductive. false full 157 f27ceee8-1e8e-4e75-9e64-c05b4666c10e America's democratic decline America prepares itself for the mid-term elections as late polls suggest Republicans may soon control both houses, Brazil’s president Bolsonaro narrowly loses his election but does that actually mean the Amazon rainforest is safe? Rishi Sunak changes his mind about going to COP27 – we  review the issues up for debate at the climate conference. And in this week’s short thought, how almost unnoticed we’re now at the point where you can be jailed for private speech.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 4 Nov 2022 20:12:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast America prepares itself for the mid-term elections as late polls suggest Republicans may soon control both houses, Brazil’s president Bolsonaro narrowly loses his election but does that actually mean the Amazon rainforest is safe? Rishi Sunak changes his mind about going to COP27 – we  review the issues up for debate at the climate conference. And in this week’s short thought, how almost unnoticed we’re now at the point where you can be jailed for private speech.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> America's democratic decline Mallen Baker 00:22:21 America prepares itself for the mid-term elections as late polls suggest Republicans may soon control both houses, Brazil’s president Bolsonaro narrowly loses his election but does that actually mean the Amazon rainforest is safe? Rishi Sunak changes his mind about going to COP27 – we review the issues up for debate at the climate conference. And in this week’s short thought, how almost unnoticed we’re now at the point where you can be jailed for private speech. America prepares itself for the mid-term elections as late polls suggest Republicans may soon control both houses, Brazil’s president Bolsonaro narrowly loses his election but does that actually mean the Amazon rainforest is safe? Rishi Sunak changes his mind about going to COP27 – we review the issues up for debate at the climate conference. And in this week’s short thought, how almost unnoticed we’re now at the point where you can be jailed for private speech. false full 156 c2f67ede-cea2-4f29-bb69-4ff67b4771bf The most dangerous decade US political support for Ukraine shows first signs of fracturing as Vladimir Putin predicts the most dangerous decade. The UK has a new prime minister in Rishi Sunak who promises a return to competence in government. And the global climate summit COP27 is looming, which means a rash of updates on how we’re not on target. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how far adrift from reality some American views on the UK have become.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 28 Oct 2022 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast US political support for Ukraine shows first signs of fracturing as Vladimir Putin predicts the most dangerous decade. The UK has a new prime minister in Rishi Sunak who promises a return to competence in government. And the global climate summit COP27 is looming, which means a rash of updates on how we’re not on target. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how far adrift from reality some American views on the UK have become.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The most dangerous decade Mallen Baker 00:20:55 US political support for Ukraine shows first signs of fracturing as Vladimir Putin predicts the most dangerous decade. The UK has a new prime minister in Rishi Sunak who promises a return to competence in government. And the global climate summit COP27 is looming, which means a rash of updates on how we’re not on target. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how far adrift from reality some American views on the UK have become. US political support for Ukraine shows first signs of fracturing as Vladimir Putin predicts the most dangerous decade. The UK has a new prime minister in Rishi Sunak who promises a return to competence in government. And the global climate summit COP27 is looming, which means a rash of updates on how we’re not on target. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on how far adrift from reality some American views on the UK have become. false full 155 7e4a7af3-1758-40ee-bca4-9f49f70e71b8 Is nuclear war Putin's last stand? Ukraine continues to make advances as the world is newly alarmed about potential nuclear war. The UK’s brand new government sees more consequences from its self-sabotage. And EU members push back against the bloc’s plans to reduce pesticides in the middle of a world food crisis.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 7 Oct 2022 18:30:48 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Ukraine continues to make advances as the world is newly alarmed about potential nuclear war. The UK’s brand new government sees more consequences from its self-sabotage. And EU members push back against the bloc’s plans to reduce pesticides in the middle of a world food crisis.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Is nuclear war Putin's last stand? Mallen Baker 00:27:13 Ukraine continues to make advances as the world is newly alarmed about potential nuclear war. The UK’s brand new government sees more consequences from its self-sabotage. And EU members push back against the bloc’s plans to reduce pesticides in the middle of a world food crisis. Ukraine continues to make advances as the world is newly alarmed about potential nuclear war. The UK’s brand new government sees more consequences from its self-sabotage. And EU members push back against the bloc’s plans to reduce pesticides in the middle of a world food crisis. false full 154 c90b4de6-8a73-4be1-8819-f8a63e2569ef Putin’s plan to bring the West to its knees Putin draws his red line and dares the West to cross it by formally annexing four regions of Ukraine. The UK Truss government’s mini-budget explodes in their faces and gives Labour real hope of regaining power. And controversial and Eurosceptic right winger Georgia Meloni wins Italy’s election, the latest populist wave that seems possibly to be sweeping Europe.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 30 Sep 2022 18:25:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Putin draws his red line and dares the West to cross it by formally annexing four regions of Ukraine. The UK Truss government’s mini-budget explodes in their faces and gives Labour real hope of regaining power. And controversial and Eurosceptic right winger Georgia Meloni wins Italy’s election, the latest populist wave that seems possibly to be sweeping Europe.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Putin’s plan to bring the West to its knees Mallen Baker 00:27:33 Putin draws his red line and dares the West to cross it by formally annexing four regions of Ukraine. The UK Truss government’s mini-budget explodes in their faces and gives Labour real hope of regaining power. And controversial and Eurosceptic right winger Georgia Meloni wins Italy’s election, the latest populist wave that seems possibly to be sweeping Europe. Putin draws his red line and dares the West to cross it by formally annexing four regions of Ukraine. The UK Truss government’s mini-budget explodes in their faces and gives Labour real hope of regaining power. And controversial and Eurosceptic right winger Georgia Meloni wins Italy’s election, the latest populist wave that seems possibly to be sweeping Europe. false full 153 1c11c8fd-ba4b-4f36-a4a1-c608bd3c043d Putin's end game is in sight Russia announces a major mobilisation of its citizens while repeating its threats of nuclear war. The UK’s new government announces the unbanning of fracking and the most radical tax cutting day in fifty years. And in this week’s short though, we look at the latest tech giant, PayPal, to exercise unaccountable power against its customers apparently to the detriment of free speech.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Sat, 24 Sep 2022 09:21:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia announces a major mobilisation of its citizens while repeating its threats of nuclear war. The UK’s new government announces the unbanning of fracking and the most radical tax cutting day in fifty years. And in this week’s short though, we look at the latest tech giant, PayPal, to exercise unaccountable power against its customers apparently to the detriment of free speech.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Putin's end game is in sight Mallen Baker 00:23:55 Russia announces a major mobilisation of its citizens while repeating its threats of nuclear war. The UK’s new government announces the unbanning of fracking and the most radical tax cutting day in fifty years. And in this week’s short though, we look at the latest tech giant, PayPal, to exercise unaccountable power against its customers apparently to the detriment of free speech. Russia announces a major mobilisation of its citizens while repeating its threats of nuclear war. The UK’s new government announces the unbanning of fracking and the most radical tax cutting day in fifty years. And in this week’s short though, we look at the latest tech giant, PayPal, to exercise unaccountable power against its customers apparently to the detriment of free speech. false full 152 5a18b3f1-c42b-42e2-9161-7fe26ff7efbf Vladimir Putin's VERY BAD WEEK Putin has a bad week in the war, and not a great time with China’s Xi Jinping who has ‘concerns’ about Ukraine. Sweden sees an election upheaval as concern about gun crime and immigration creates a populist backlash. And the second largest cryptocurrency ethereum slashes its massive energy use at a stroke, but will others follow? And in this week’s short thought, how our values are changing and we didn’t much notice.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 16 Sep 2022 18:14:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Putin has a bad week in the war, and not a great time with China’s Xi Jinping who has ‘concerns’ about Ukraine. Sweden sees an election upheaval as concern about gun crime and immigration creates a populist backlash. And the second largest cryptocurrency ethereum slashes its massive energy use at a stroke, but will others follow? And in this week’s short thought, how our values are changing and we didn’t much notice.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Vladimir Putin's VERY BAD WEEK Mallen Baker 00:24:25 Putin has a bad week in the war, and not a great time with China’s Xi Jinping who has ‘concerns’ about Ukraine. Sweden sees an election upheaval as concern about gun crime and immigration creates a populist backlash. And the second largest cryptocurrency ethereum slashes its massive energy use at a stroke, but will others follow? And in this week’s short thought, how our values are changing and we didn’t much notice. Putin has a bad week in the war, and not a great time with China’s Xi Jinping who has ‘concerns’ about Ukraine. Sweden sees an election upheaval as concern about gun crime and immigration creates a populist backlash. And the second largest cryptocurrency ethereum slashes its massive energy use at a stroke, but will others follow? And in this week’s short thought, how our values are changing and we didn’t much notice. false full 151 9fd876ff-095a-4059-b99c-d7a9460d0c13 New PM has the WORST job Liz Truss is poised to become the next UK prime minister - I look at what she’s said so far she will actually do. A critic of Vladimir Putin mysteriously falls from a window and his history making predecessor, Mikhail Gorbachev, dies. A genuine climate catastrophe has a third of Pakistan under water and is likely to be followed by famine. And in this week’s short thought, I look at a small example of real elite technocratic thinking that we should be quick to push back against.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 2 Sep 2022 19:32:19 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Liz Truss is poised to become the next UK prime minister - I look at what she’s said so far she will actually do. A critic of Vladimir Putin mysteriously falls from a window and his history making predecessor, Mikhail Gorbachev, dies. A genuine climate catastrophe has a third of Pakistan under water and is likely to be followed by famine. And in this week’s short thought, I look at a small example of real elite technocratic thinking that we should be quick to push back against.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> New PM has the WORST job Mallen Baker 00:25:36 Liz Truss is poised to become the next UK prime minister - I look at what she’s said so far she will actually do. A critic of Vladimir Putin mysteriously falls from a window and his history making predecessor, Mikhail Gorbachev, dies. A genuine climate catastrophe has a third of Pakistan under water and is likely to be followed by famine. And in this week’s short thought, I look at a small example of real elite technocratic thinking that we should be quick to push back against. Liz Truss is poised to become the next UK prime minister - I look at what she’s said so far she will actually do. A critic of Vladimir Putin mysteriously falls from a window and his history making predecessor, Mikhail Gorbachev, dies. A genuine climate catastrophe has a third of Pakistan under water and is likely to be followed by famine. And in this week’s short thought, I look at a small example of real elite technocratic thinking that we should be quick to push back against. false full 150 e9b5a651-fed7-487f-aa14-021f28fab74b Putin burns Europe's gas As energy prices across Europe are soaring, Russia is burning off its excess gas highlighting Putin’s high stakes gamble. UK prime minister candidate Rishi Sunak blows up the secrecy behind the UK’s covid lockdowns. China, the would-be great emerging superpower is assailed on all sides by problems of its own. And in this week’s short thought, I discuss the mindset change to best equip you to tackle these challenging times.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 26 Aug 2022 19:04:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As energy prices across Europe are soaring, Russia is burning off its excess gas highlighting Putin’s high stakes gamble. UK prime minister candidate Rishi Sunak blows up the secrecy behind the UK’s covid lockdowns. China, the would-be great emerging superpower is assailed on all sides by problems of its own. And in this week’s short thought, I discuss the mindset change to best equip you to tackle these challenging times.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Putin burns Europe's gas Mallen Baker 00:27:03 As energy prices across Europe are soaring, Russia is burning off its excess gas highlighting Putin’s high stakes gamble. UK prime minister candidate Rishi Sunak blows up the secrecy behind the UK’s covid lockdowns. China, the would-be great emerging superpower is assailed on all sides by problems of its own. And in this week’s short thought, I discuss the mindset change to best equip you to tackle these challenging times. As energy prices across Europe are soaring, Russia is burning off its excess gas highlighting Putin’s high stakes gamble. UK prime minister candidate Rishi Sunak blows up the secrecy behind the UK’s covid lockdowns. China, the would-be great emerging superpower is assailed on all sides by problems of its own. And in this week’s short thought, I discuss the mindset change to best equip you to tackle these challenging times. false full 149 5d473df4-d7be-44a4-a1e4-7852c0d76633 Killing more people than Covid? The UK government identifies causes for the surge in excess deaths which, for 2022, could be killing more people than covid, Liz Cheney loses her election, and Sam Harris goes viral in a bad way – all in the name of keeping Trump out of the white house, Russia begins to process of wiping out national cultural identity in the areas it occupies in Ukraine. And in this week’s short thought I reflect on the free speech questions hanging in the air after the attack on Salman Rushdie.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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And my website
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]]> Fri, 19 Aug 2022 18:15:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK government identifies causes for the surge in excess deaths which, for 2022, could be killing more people than covid, Liz Cheney loses her election, and Sam Harris goes viral in a bad way – all in the name of keeping Trump out of the white house, Russia begins to process of wiping out national cultural identity in the areas it occupies in Ukraine. And in this week’s short thought I reflect on the free speech questions hanging in the air after the attack on Salman Rushdie.

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]]> Killing more people than Covid? Mallen Baker 00:26:04 The UK government identifies causes for the surge in excess deaths which, for 2022, could be killing more people than covid, Liz Cheney loses her election, and Sam Harris goes viral in a bad way – all in the name of keeping Trump out of the white house, Russia begins to process of wiping out national cultural identity in the areas it occupies in Ukraine. And in this week’s short thought I reflect on the free speech questions hanging in the air after the attack on Salman Rushdie. The UK government identifies causes for the surge in excess deaths which, for 2022, could be killing more people than covid, Liz Cheney loses her election, and Sam Harris goes viral in a bad way – all in the name of keeping Trump out of the white house, Russia begins to process of wiping out national cultural identity in the areas it occupies in Ukraine. And in this week’s short thought I reflect on the free speech questions hanging in the air after the attack on Salman Rushdie. false full 148 150885ac-83d0-4c6c-b166-5ff3abd14b3e Pelosi PROVOKES CHINA and leaves China responds with fury to the visit by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The referendum in Kansas pushes back on banning abortion and changes the landscape for the midterm elections. Europe and elsewhere continue to see real consequences to continuing heatwaves and drought. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on the phenomenon of audience capture and how it push creators down a slippery slope indeed.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 5 Aug 2022 18:35:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast China responds with fury to the visit by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The referendum in Kansas pushes back on banning abortion and changes the landscape for the midterm elections. Europe and elsewhere continue to see real consequences to continuing heatwaves and drought. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on the phenomenon of audience capture and how it push creators down a slippery slope indeed.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Pelosi PROVOKES CHINA and leaves Mallen Baker 00:25:27 China responds with fury to the visit by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The referendum in Kansas pushes back on banning abortion and changes the landscape for the midterm elections. Europe and elsewhere continue to see real consequences to continuing heatwaves and drought. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on the phenomenon of audience capture and how it push creators down a slippery slope indeed. China responds with fury to the visit by US House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. The referendum in Kansas pushes back on banning abortion and changes the landscape for the midterm elections. Europe and elsewhere continue to see real consequences to continuing heatwaves and drought. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on the phenomenon of audience capture and how it push creators down a slippery slope indeed. false full 147 d590cc0d-9f04-4c5c-b764-a8a6eed6af8f Biden gets his climate bill A major climate change bill suddenly appears in the US when everyone was least expecting it. More signs of the health impact of lockdowns are emerging but people are instead focusing on monkeypox. The UK NHS shuts down the Tavistock gender clinic whose rush to prescribe puberty blockers was labelled a danger to children. And in this week’s short thought, is body positivity something to be embraced or roundly rejected?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 29 Jul 2022 19:23:46 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A major climate change bill suddenly appears in the US when everyone was least expecting it. More signs of the health impact of lockdowns are emerging but people are instead focusing on monkeypox. The UK NHS shuts down the Tavistock gender clinic whose rush to prescribe puberty blockers was labelled a danger to children. And in this week’s short thought, is body positivity something to be embraced or roundly rejected?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Biden gets his climate bill Mallen Baker 00:28:16 A major climate change bill suddenly appears in the US when everyone was least expecting it. More signs of the health impact of lockdowns are emerging but people are instead focusing on monkeypox. The UK NHS shuts down the Tavistock gender clinic whose rush to prescribe puberty blockers was labelled a danger to children. And in this week’s short thought, is body positivity something to be embraced or roundly rejected? A major climate change bill suddenly appears in the US when everyone was least expecting it. More signs of the health impact of lockdowns are emerging but people are instead focusing on monkeypox. The UK NHS shuts down the Tavistock gender clinic whose rush to prescribe puberty blockers was labelled a danger to children. And in this week’s short thought, is body positivity something to be embraced or roundly rejected? false full 146 f9b0cfbe-3f76-4d4b-b23d-25ae72a7fd52 Beast mode Biden and the coming civil war Joe Biden nearly declares a climate emergency – would it be a move too far for America’s fragile situation? The final two candidates for UK prime minister are settled but whether they like net zero or not, their options are limited. The European Commission instructs EU members states to cut gas use, and most of them fight back. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the value of admitting when you were wrong.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 22 Jul 2022 18:20:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Joe Biden nearly declares a climate emergency – would it be a move too far for America’s fragile situation? The final two candidates for UK prime minister are settled but whether they like net zero or not, their options are limited. The European Commission instructs EU members states to cut gas use, and most of them fight back. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the value of admitting when you were wrong.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Beast mode Biden and the coming civil war Mallen Baker 00:26:15 Joe Biden nearly declares a climate emergency – would it be a move too far for America’s fragile situation? The final two candidates for UK prime minister are settled but whether they like net zero or not, their options are limited. The European Commission instructs EU members states to cut gas use, and most of them fight back. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the value of admitting when you were wrong. Joe Biden nearly declares a climate emergency – would it be a move too far for America’s fragile situation? The final two candidates for UK prime minister are settled but whether they like net zero or not, their options are limited. The European Commission instructs EU members states to cut gas use, and most of them fight back. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the value of admitting when you were wrong. false full 145 ca776f14-3a1a-4ea1-aaaa-c0a9e1c92891 Putin TURNS OFF the gas Russia turns off the gas supply, and Europe’s fear it won’t be turned back on has far reaching impacts. President Biden goes to deal with people he labelled as pariahs even as America’s own bad behaviour is brought to attention. The UK conservative party fights like ferrets in a sack over who will be the next Prime Minister. And in this week’s short thought, I dream of an end to safetyism in a country braced in terror over a coming heat wave.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Tue, 19 Jul 2022 15:27:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia turns off the gas supply, and Europe’s fear it won’t be turned back on has far reaching impacts. President Biden goes to deal with people he labelled as pariahs even as America’s own bad behaviour is brought to attention. The UK conservative party fights like ferrets in a sack over who will be the next Prime Minister. And in this week’s short thought, I dream of an end to safetyism in a country braced in terror over a coming heat wave.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Putin TURNS OFF the gas Mallen Baker 00:27:38 Russia turns off the gas supply, and Europe’s fear it won’t be turned back on has far reaching impacts. President Biden goes to deal with people he labelled as pariahs even as America’s own bad behaviour is brought to attention. The UK conservative party fights like ferrets in a sack over who will be the next Prime Minister. And in this week’s short thought, I dream of an end to safetyism in a country braced in terror over a coming heat wave. Russia turns off the gas supply, and Europe’s fear it won’t be turned back on has far reaching impacts. President Biden goes to deal with people he labelled as pariahs even as America’s own bad behaviour is brought to attention. The UK conservative party fights like ferrets in a sack over who will be the next Prime Minister. And in this week’s short thought, I dream of an end to safetyism in a country braced in terror over a coming heat wave. false full 144 c2fbf0d5-d11b-4391-92f6-3f856173ebb0 Boris gets EXIT done Boris Johnson is finally felled as a long downward spiral comes to an end China brings in and then abandons vaccine mandates as the UK and some other countries are showing an unexplained increase in non-covid deaths. The EU sees turmoil as it classifies nuclear and gas as green and Dutch farmers protest draconian laws on nitrogen. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on what makes for effective leadership, even as we wonder when we might again see it in political life.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 8 Jul 2022 18:15:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Boris Johnson is finally felled as a long downward spiral comes to an end China brings in and then abandons vaccine mandates as the UK and some other countries are showing an unexplained increase in non-covid deaths. The EU sees turmoil as it classifies nuclear and gas as green and Dutch farmers protest draconian laws on nitrogen. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on what makes for effective leadership, even as we wonder when we might again see it in political life.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Boris gets EXIT done Mallen Baker 00:27:23 Boris Johnson is finally felled as a long downward spiral comes to an end China brings in and then abandons vaccine mandates as the UK and some other countries are showing an unexplained increase in non-covid deaths. The EU sees turmoil as it classifies nuclear and gas as green and Dutch farmers protest draconian laws on nitrogen. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on what makes for effective leadership, even as we wonder when we might again see it in political life. Boris Johnson is finally felled as a long downward spiral comes to an end China brings in and then abandons vaccine mandates as the UK and some other countries are showing an unexplained increase in non-covid deaths. The EU sees turmoil as it classifies nuclear and gas as green and Dutch farmers protest draconian laws on nitrogen. And in this week’s short thought, I reflect on what makes for effective leadership, even as we wonder when we might again see it in political life. false full 143 44354983-ba4a-4305-8653-7db7ac22db00 Supreme Court kills climate action? The US Supreme Court rips up a key measure on climate change and makes America a bit less governable even than it already was. Meanwhile Democrats try to put Roe v Wade on the ballot for 2022 elections while taking Donald Trump OFF the ballot for 2024. Russia hits a major civilian target with significant loss of life but the G7 responds with juvenile drivel. And in this week’s short thought, we talk about how your biggest critic might just be your best ally.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 1 Jul 2022 18:32:19 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US Supreme Court rips up a key measure on climate change and makes America a bit less governable even than it already was. Meanwhile Democrats try to put Roe v Wade on the ballot for 2022 elections while taking Donald Trump OFF the ballot for 2024. Russia hits a major civilian target with significant loss of life but the G7 responds with juvenile drivel. And in this week’s short thought, we talk about how your biggest critic might just be your best ally.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Supreme Court kills climate action? Mallen Baker 00:27:46 The US Supreme Court rips up a key measure on climate change and makes America a bit less governable even than it already was. Meanwhile Democrats try to put Roe v Wade on the ballot for 2022 elections while taking Donald Trump OFF the ballot for 2024. Russia hits a major civilian target with significant loss of life but the G7 responds with juvenile drivel. And in this week’s short thought, we talk about how your biggest critic might just be your best ally. The US Supreme Court rips up a key measure on climate change and makes America a bit less governable even than it already was. Meanwhile Democrats try to put Roe v Wade on the ballot for 2022 elections while taking Donald Trump OFF the ballot for 2024. Russia hits a major civilian target with significant loss of life but the G7 responds with juvenile drivel. And in this week’s short thought, we talk about how your biggest critic might just be your best ally. false full 142 ce6baa4d-bd2d-4f0a-9784-cda0f5c23361 Bad leaders fighting the inevitable In this news round-up of the week for 24th June 2022, Boris Johnson teeters on the brink once again after the worst by-election results in living memory. The US Supreme Court delivers a huge decision (and that's BEFORE today's one, which came too late for this video)! The EU confirms Ukraine as a candidate for membership even as the EU’s unity falls apart. China extends its grip on internet censorship, and it’s not the only one. And, in this week’s short thought, I draw lessons from an example of unintended consequences from worthy actions.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 24 Jun 2022 18:30:15 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for 24th June 2022, Boris Johnson teeters on the brink once again after the worst by-election results in living memory. The US Supreme Court delivers a huge decision (and that's BEFORE today's one, which came too late for this video)! The EU confirms Ukraine as a candidate for membership even as the EU’s unity falls apart. China extends its grip on internet censorship, and it’s not the only one. And, in this week’s short thought, I draw lessons from an example of unintended consequences from worthy actions.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Bad leaders fighting the inevitable Mallen Baker 00:26:08 In this news round-up of the week for 24th June 2022, Boris Johnson teeters on the brink once again after the worst by-election results in living memory. The US Supreme Court delivers a huge decision (and that's BEFORE today's one, which came too late for this video)! The EU confirms Ukraine as a candidate for membership even as the EU’s unity falls apart. China extends its grip on internet censorship, and it’s not the only one. And, in this week’s short thought, I draw lessons from an example of unintended consequences from worthy actions. In this news round-up of the week for 24th June 2022, Boris Johnson teeters on the brink once again after the worst by-election results in living memory. The US Supreme Court delivers a huge decision (and that's BEFORE today's one, which came too late for this video)! The EU confirms Ukraine as a candidate for membership even as the EU’s unity falls apart. China extends its grip on internet censorship, and it’s not the only one. And, in this week’s short thought, I draw lessons from an example of unintended consequences from worthy actions. false full 141 c08c12c6-9584-428b-8070-d82f63b785cf Jan 6th Trump trial is all about elections In this news round-up of the week for 10th June 2022 In the US, the Jan 6th hearings begin but it’s really all about future elections not past ones. The European Parliament goes into full meltdown as its signature climate policies suffer major setbacks. President Putin talks about his war aims as three foreign soldiers are sentenced to death. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why it’s an advantage in your life to take the initiative.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 10 Jun 2022 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week for 10th June 2022 In the US, the Jan 6th hearings begin but it’s really all about future elections not past ones. The European Parliament goes into full meltdown as its signature climate policies suffer major setbacks. President Putin talks about his war aims as three foreign soldiers are sentenced to death. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why it’s an advantage in your life to take the initiative.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Jan 6th Trump trial is all about elections Mallen Baker 00:23:29 In this news round-up of the week for 10th June 2022 In the US, the Jan 6th hearings begin but it’s really all about future elections not past ones. The European Parliament goes into full meltdown as its signature climate policies suffer major setbacks. President Putin talks about his war aims as three foreign soldiers are sentenced to death. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why it’s an advantage in your life to take the initiative. In this news round-up of the week for 10th June 2022 In the US, the Jan 6th hearings begin but it’s really all about future elections not past ones. The European Parliament goes into full meltdown as its signature climate policies suffer major setbacks. President Putin talks about his war aims as three foreign soldiers are sentenced to death. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about why it’s an advantage in your life to take the initiative. false full 140 56d88459-1e68-4db8-9c62-4b5a4eb729e4 Will ZERO COVID end Xi Jinping’s rule? Shanghai emerged from lockdown but the zero Covid policy is putting doubt over Xi Jinping’s status as dictator for life. President Biden u-turns with dizzying speed on sending long-range missiles to Ukraine American Republicans signal a shift to being more positive on climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the choice we make about whether or not to use polarising language.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 3 Jun 2022 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Shanghai emerged from lockdown but the zero Covid policy is putting doubt over Xi Jinping’s status as dictator for life. President Biden u-turns with dizzying speed on sending long-range missiles to Ukraine American Republicans signal a shift to being more positive on climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the choice we make about whether or not to use polarising language.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Will ZERO COVID end Xi Jinping’s rule? Mallen Baker 00:25:24 Shanghai emerged from lockdown but the zero Covid policy is putting doubt over Xi Jinping’s status as dictator for life. President Biden u-turns with dizzying speed on sending long-range missiles to Ukraine American Republicans signal a shift to being more positive on climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the choice we make about whether or not to use polarising language. Shanghai emerged from lockdown but the zero Covid policy is putting doubt over Xi Jinping’s status as dictator for life. President Biden u-turns with dizzying speed on sending long-range missiles to Ukraine American Republicans signal a shift to being more positive on climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the choice we make about whether or not to use polarising language. china leadership, zero covid, xi jinping false full 139 6ea177d3-3699-432e-b437-dc1e534e1753 Zelensky admits the tide may be turning Russia starts making ground in the Ukraine war as the parts of its military machine finally start working together. America endures another school mass shooting and descends into the usual internal warfare. A hacker releases documents from Chinese police stations in Xinjiang showing just what’s happening to the Uighers. The UK introduces a post-Brexit bill to deregulate gene editing. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the what it means to think for yourself.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 27 May 2022 18:32:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia starts making ground in the Ukraine war as the parts of its military machine finally start working together. America endures another school mass shooting and descends into the usual internal warfare. A hacker releases documents from Chinese police stations in Xinjiang showing just what’s happening to the Uighers. The UK introduces a post-Brexit bill to deregulate gene editing. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the what it means to think for yourself.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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And my website
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]]> Zelensky admits the tide may be turning Mallen Baker 00:28:43 Russia starts making ground in the Ukraine war as the parts of its military machine finally start working together. America endures another school mass shooting and descends into the usual internal warfare. A hacker releases documents from Chinese police stations in Xinjiang showing just what’s happening to the Uighers. The UK introduces a post-Brexit bill to deregulate gene editing. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the what it means to think for yourself. Russia starts making ground in the Ukraine war as the parts of its military machine finally start working together. America endures another school mass shooting and descends into the usual internal warfare. A hacker releases documents from Chinese police stations in Xinjiang showing just what’s happening to the Uighers. The UK introduces a post-Brexit bill to deregulate gene editing. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about the what it means to think for yourself. false full 138 aa382ea4-f7cc-483b-bedd-3c1e74d7e6c9 How global FOOD CRISIS will turn into riots The growing global food crisis starts to see unrest spreading in the countries that are being worst hit. Russia finally crushes resistance at Mariupol, but is mostly focused on the blame game for its failures. In the US means the left has jumped onto a terrible shooting as a tool to associate their opponents with actual neo-nazism. Australia is imminently to head to the polls – in an election that has been avoiding the topic the voters say they most care about. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about avoiding the victim role people may try to put you into thinking they’re doing you a favour.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 20 May 2022 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The growing global food crisis starts to see unrest spreading in the countries that are being worst hit. Russia finally crushes resistance at Mariupol, but is mostly focused on the blame game for its failures. In the US means the left has jumped onto a terrible shooting as a tool to associate their opponents with actual neo-nazism. Australia is imminently to head to the polls – in an election that has been avoiding the topic the voters say they most care about. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about avoiding the victim role people may try to put you into thinking they’re doing you a favour.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> How global FOOD CRISIS will turn into riots Mallen Baker 00:28:49 The growing global food crisis starts to see unrest spreading in the countries that are being worst hit. Russia finally crushes resistance at Mariupol, but is mostly focused on the blame game for its failures. In the US means the left has jumped onto a terrible shooting as a tool to associate their opponents with actual neo-nazism. Australia is imminently to head to the polls – in an election that has been avoiding the topic the voters say they most care about. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about avoiding the victim role people may try to put you into thinking they’re doing you a favour. The growing global food crisis starts to see unrest spreading in the countries that are being worst hit. Russia finally crushes resistance at Mariupol, but is mostly focused on the blame game for its failures. In the US means the left has jumped onto a terrible shooting as a tool to associate their opponents with actual neo-nazism. Australia is imminently to head to the polls – in an election that has been avoiding the topic the voters say they most care about. And in this week’s short thought, I talk about avoiding the victim role people may try to put you into thinking they’re doing you a favour. false full 137 356233bd-d64a-4733-b01d-ca6115287c30 How Russia plans to CRIPPLE the West As Russia’s campaign in Ukraine does badly on the ground it is raising alarm bells thanks to its manoeuvres in space. China and now North Korea battle with Covid as the WHO upends a lot of cherished misconceptions about the pandemic. The democrats put a radical abortion bill to the senate so that its glorious defeat can motivate the base. And the BBC gets caught mistaking campaigning for journalism when it comes to climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I focus on the big moves to ratchet up online censorship.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 13 May 2022 17:59:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As Russia’s campaign in Ukraine does badly on the ground it is raising alarm bells thanks to its manoeuvres in space. China and now North Korea battle with Covid as the WHO upends a lot of cherished misconceptions about the pandemic. The democrats put a radical abortion bill to the senate so that its glorious defeat can motivate the base. And the BBC gets caught mistaking campaigning for journalism when it comes to climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I focus on the big moves to ratchet up online censorship.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> How Russia plans to CRIPPLE the West Mallen Baker 00:29:21 As Russia’s campaign in Ukraine does badly on the ground it is raising alarm bells thanks to its manoeuvres in space. China and now North Korea battle with Covid as the WHO upends a lot of cherished misconceptions about the pandemic. The democrats put a radical abortion bill to the senate so that its glorious defeat can motivate the base. And the BBC gets caught mistaking campaigning for journalism when it comes to climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I focus on the big moves to ratchet up online censorship. As Russia’s campaign in Ukraine does badly on the ground it is raising alarm bells thanks to its manoeuvres in space. China and now North Korea battle with Covid as the WHO upends a lot of cherished misconceptions about the pandemic. The democrats put a radical abortion bill to the senate so that its glorious defeat can motivate the base. And the BBC gets caught mistaking campaigning for journalism when it comes to climate change. And in this week’s short thought, I focus on the big moves to ratchet up online censorship. false full 136 547e92d0-b082-4339-a30a-4c2e3f74782b Putin's dismal victory A split in the EU over oil sanctions over Ukraine and a panic at the White House over being blamed for dead Russian generals. Elections in the UK, and primaries in the US give clues on the fate of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. The aftermath of the draft Roe v Wade judgement continue to send shockwaves through the US. We look at how much India is following China’s lead on digital censorship and autocracy. And in this weeks short thought, how rational discussion has been squashed once again by ideology and wishful thinking.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 6 May 2022 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A split in the EU over oil sanctions over Ukraine and a panic at the White House over being blamed for dead Russian generals. Elections in the UK, and primaries in the US give clues on the fate of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. The aftermath of the draft Roe v Wade judgement continue to send shockwaves through the US. We look at how much India is following China’s lead on digital censorship and autocracy. And in this weeks short thought, how rational discussion has been squashed once again by ideology and wishful thinking.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Putin's dismal victory Mallen Baker 00:28:35 A split in the EU over oil sanctions over Ukraine and a panic at the White House over being blamed for dead Russian generals. Elections in the UK, and primaries in the US give clues on the fate of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. The aftermath of the draft Roe v Wade judgement continue to send shockwaves through the US. We look at how much India is following China’s lead on digital censorship and autocracy. And in this weeks short thought, how rational discussion has been squashed once again by ideology and wishful thinking. A split in the EU over oil sanctions over Ukraine and a panic at the White House over being blamed for dead Russian generals. Elections in the UK, and primaries in the US give clues on the fate of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump. The aftermath of the draft Roe v Wade judgement continue to send shockwaves through the US. We look at how much India is following China’s lead on digital censorship and autocracy. And in this weeks short thought, how rational discussion has been squashed once again by ideology and wishful thinking. false full 135 347180e0-0b6e-4ed7-93b1-852f09492c53 Putin cuts off the gas Russia begins cutting the flow of gas to EU countries that refuse to pay the bill in Roubles. Russia also bombs Kyiv while the UN secretary general is there as everyone digs in for a long war. Polls show that EU citizens want an elected president but the bloc is struggling to hold together. Also, we look at whether China’s failed Zero Covid policy is just the beginning for a failure to take world dominance, and this week’s short thought on why you should be clear about how you measure the success of the things you try to do.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 29 Apr 2022 18:28:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia begins cutting the flow of gas to EU countries that refuse to pay the bill in Roubles. Russia also bombs Kyiv while the UN secretary general is there as everyone digs in for a long war. Polls show that EU citizens want an elected president but the bloc is struggling to hold together. Also, we look at whether China’s failed Zero Covid policy is just the beginning for a failure to take world dominance, and this week’s short thought on why you should be clear about how you measure the success of the things you try to do.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Putin cuts off the gas Mallen Baker 00:28:34 Russia begins cutting the flow of gas to EU countries that refuse to pay the bill in Roubles. Russia also bombs Kyiv while the UN secretary general is there as everyone digs in for a long war. Polls show that EU citizens want an elected president but the bloc is struggling to hold together. Also, we look at whether China’s failed Zero Covid policy is just the beginning for a failure to take world dominance, and this week’s short thought on why you should be clear about how you measure the success of the things you try to do. Russia begins cutting the flow of gas to EU countries that refuse to pay the bill in Roubles. Russia also bombs Kyiv while the UN secretary general is there as everyone digs in for a long war. Polls show that EU citizens want an elected president but the bloc is struggling to hold together. Also, we look at whether China’s failed Zero Covid policy is just the beginning for a failure to take world dominance, and this week’s short thought on why you should be clear about how you measure the success of the things you try to do. false full 134 6eaba80c-17ae-4148-9fa9-7789ef6edd15 Allies and media panic at Biden genocide claim President Biden caused another stir by labelling Russia’s war in Ukraine as genocide. Boris Johnson survived a week where he went from glory to disgrace to controversy. Elon Musk offered to by twitter, and the French election gets to the pointy end.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 15 Apr 2022 18:44:38 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Biden caused another stir by labelling Russia’s war in Ukraine as genocide. Boris Johnson survived a week where he went from glory to disgrace to controversy. Elon Musk offered to by twitter, and the French election gets to the pointy end.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Allies and media panic at Biden genocide claim Mallen Baker 00:27:54 President Biden caused another stir by labelling Russia’s war in Ukraine as genocide. Boris Johnson survived a week where he went from glory to disgrace to controversy. Elon Musk offered to by twitter, and the French election gets to the pointy end. President Biden caused another stir by labelling Russia’s war in Ukraine as genocide. Boris Johnson survived a week where he went from glory to disgrace to controversy. Elon Musk offered to by twitter, and the French election gets to the pointy end. false full 133 4f98b0f1-70c2-4a98-a1f8-0775ee22d4d0 UK to get EIGHT new nuclear stations? The war in Ukraine shifts to the South East as atrocities against civilians are being revealed. The UK government launches its bold and ambitious energy security policy – at least that’s what they say. And France suddenly faces the possibility of being the site of the next big populism political upset as Marine Le Pen surges at the last minute.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 8 Apr 2022 18:41:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The war in Ukraine shifts to the South East as atrocities against civilians are being revealed. The UK government launches its bold and ambitious energy security policy – at least that’s what they say. And France suddenly faces the possibility of being the site of the next big populism political upset as Marine Le Pen surges at the last minute.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> UK to get EIGHT new nuclear stations? Mallen Baker 00:29:57 The war in Ukraine shifts to the South East as atrocities against civilians are being revealed. The UK government launches its bold and ambitious energy security policy – at least that’s what they say. And France suddenly faces the possibility of being the site of the next big populism political upset as Marine Le Pen surges at the last minute. The war in Ukraine shifts to the South East as atrocities against civilians are being revealed. The UK government launches its bold and ambitious energy security policy – at least that’s what they say. And France suddenly faces the possibility of being the site of the next big populism political upset as Marine Le Pen surges at the last minute. false full 132 b7a7b51e-b4a2-41c9-afd6-c661c98cdae7 Ukraine's first big mistake The Ukraine war shifts into another gear as Russia moves its forces and the West tries to psyche Putin out, and Ukraine's perfect PR war suffers a first setback when its troops commit a serious war crime. And the US splits over whether the parental rights bill in Florida really does mean teachers should not say gay.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 1 Apr 2022 18:37:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Ukraine war shifts into another gear as Russia moves its forces and the West tries to psyche Putin out, and Ukraine's perfect PR war suffers a first setback when its troops commit a serious war crime. And the US splits over whether the parental rights bill in Florida really does mean teachers should not say gay.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Ukraine's first big mistake Mallen Baker 00:26:16 The Ukraine war shifts into another gear as Russia moves its forces and the West tries to psyche Putin out, and Ukraine's perfect PR war suffers a first setback when its troops commit a serious war crime. And the US splits over whether the parental rights bill in Florida really does mean teachers should not say gay. The Ukraine war shifts into another gear as Russia moves its forces and the West tries to psyche Putin out, and Ukraine's perfect PR war suffers a first setback when its troops commit a serious war crime. And the US splits over whether the parental rights bill in Florida really does mean teachers should not say gay. false full 131 81abea1b-e95b-4add-b36b-330ee1399a56 Energy crisis BLOWS UP COP26 The massive consequences of the Ukraine war on the world’s energy supplies continue to emerge, and one of them is to blow up the promises made at the COP26 climate conference. New claims are made that Vladimir Putin is in danger of a coup the longer the war drags on. And America indulges in the usual political showboating over the latest supreme court nomination.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 25 Mar 2022 19:29:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The massive consequences of the Ukraine war on the world’s energy supplies continue to emerge, and one of them is to blow up the promises made at the COP26 climate conference. New claims are made that Vladimir Putin is in danger of a coup the longer the war drags on. And America indulges in the usual political showboating over the latest supreme court nomination.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Energy crisis BLOWS UP COP26 Mallen Baker 00:25:18 The massive consequences of the Ukraine war on the world’s energy supplies continue to emerge, and one of them is to blow up the promises made at the COP26 climate conference. New claims are made that Vladimir Putin is in danger of a coup the longer the war drags on. And America indulges in the usual political showboating over the latest supreme court nomination. The massive consequences of the Ukraine war on the world’s energy supplies continue to emerge, and one of them is to blow up the promises made at the COP26 climate conference. New claims are made that Vladimir Putin is in danger of a coup the longer the war drags on. And America indulges in the usual political showboating over the latest supreme court nomination. false full 130 3fda983b-5689-4908-a732-427a5cffdc8f The truth about Ukrainian bioweapons The Russian military tightens the noose around Kyiv while Moscow takes claims of bioweapons to the UN security council. Despite Putin’s new laws, the truth about the war is exposed on State television in Russia. And the UK SAGE committee winds up in a symbolic end to the pandemic in Britain, while in Hong Kong things have never been so bad.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 11 Mar 2022 19:19:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Russian military tightens the noose around Kyiv while Moscow takes claims of bioweapons to the UN security council. Despite Putin’s new laws, the truth about the war is exposed on State television in Russia. And the UK SAGE committee winds up in a symbolic end to the pandemic in Britain, while in Hong Kong things have never been so bad.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The truth about Ukrainian bioweapons Mallen Baker 00:28:57 The Russian military tightens the noose around Kyiv while Moscow takes claims of bioweapons to the UN security council. Despite Putin’s new laws, the truth about the war is exposed on State television in Russia. And the UK SAGE committee winds up in a symbolic end to the pandemic in Britain, while in Hong Kong things have never been so bad. The Russian military tightens the noose around Kyiv while Moscow takes claims of bioweapons to the UN security council. Despite Putin’s new laws, the truth about the war is exposed on State television in Russia. And the UK SAGE committee winds up in a symbolic end to the pandemic in Britain, while in Hong Kong things have never been so bad. false full 129 45aa24f6-76bc-4baf-989f-07220a0a6713 The "worst is yet to come" The invasion of Ukraine has continued, with a significant shift towards indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets, not to mention a nuclear power plant. Putin has declared his settled will to take the whole of Ukraine regardless of the backlash against him. Also, it's being suggested that the Kremlin is on the verge of declaring martial law in Russia – a move which would have far-reaching consequences for Russians and for the world. Also we learned today that Ukrainian president Zelensky has survived three assassination attempts this week – and with hundreds of operatives active in the country with the same mission, there will likely be more to come.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 4 Mar 2022 19:21:47 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The invasion of Ukraine has continued, with a significant shift towards indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets, not to mention a nuclear power plant. Putin has declared his settled will to take the whole of Ukraine regardless of the backlash against him. Also, it's being suggested that the Kremlin is on the verge of declaring martial law in Russia – a move which would have far-reaching consequences for Russians and for the world. Also we learned today that Ukrainian president Zelensky has survived three assassination attempts this week – and with hundreds of operatives active in the country with the same mission, there will likely be more to come.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The "worst is yet to come" Mallen Baker 00:23:14 The invasion of Ukraine has continued, with a significant shift towards indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets, not to mention a nuclear power plant. Putin has declared his settled will to take the whole of Ukraine regardless of the backlash against him. The invasion of Ukraine has continued, with a significant shift towards indiscriminate shelling of civilian targets, not to mention a nuclear power plant. Putin has declared his settled will to take the whole of Ukraine regardless of the backlash against him. false full 128 b11c15ac-c865-41ad-8d52-7502f6c0054a Putin, Ukraine, and the NEW WORLD ORDER Russia invades Ukraine. We talk about why it happened, why the response by the West will make zero difference to what happens next, and whether this is the first concrete shift towards a new world order, as some people believe.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 25 Feb 2022 20:43:48 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Russia invades Ukraine. We talk about why it happened, why the response by the West will make zero difference to what happens next, and whether this is the first concrete shift towards a new world order, as some people believe.

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]]> Putin, Ukraine, and the NEW WORLD ORDER Mallen Baker 00:27:32 Russia invades Ukraine. We talk about why it happened, why the response by the West will make zero difference to what happens next, and whether this is the first concrete shift towards a new world order, as some people believe. Russia invades Ukraine. We talk about why it happened, why the response by the West will make zero difference to what happens next, and whether this is the first concrete shift towards a new world order, as some people believe. false full 127 ac9ff4e4-6d1e-41e1-b1e2-8da8608713e1 The END GAME for Covid restrictions UK prime minister Boris Johnson says he’ll end all Covid restrictions in two weeks, and the inevitable backlash is in full swing. Justin Trudeau’s strong stand against Canadian truckers begins to crumble as voices on his own side begin to attack a divisive approach to Covid policy. And Democrats retreat on their own Covid policies while Republicans begin to fight in earnest for the soul of their own party.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 11 Feb 2022 19:30:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast UK prime minister Boris Johnson says he’ll end all Covid restrictions in two weeks, and the inevitable backlash is in full swing. Justin Trudeau’s strong stand against Canadian truckers begins to crumble as voices on his own side begin to attack a divisive approach to Covid policy. And Democrats retreat on their own Covid policies while Republicans begin to fight in earnest for the soul of their own party.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The END GAME for Covid restrictions Mallen Baker 00:29:17 UK prime minister Boris Johnson says he’ll end all Covid restrictions in two weeks, and the inevitable backlash is in full swing. Justin Trudeau’s strong stand against Canadian truckers begins to crumble as voices on his own side begin to attack a divisive approach to Covid policy. And Democrats retreat on their own Covid policies while Republicans begin to fight in earnest for the soul of their own party. UK prime minister Boris Johnson says he’ll end all Covid restrictions in two weeks, and the inevitable backlash is in full swing. Justin Trudeau’s strong stand against Canadian truckers begins to crumble as voices on his own side begin to attack a divisive approach to Covid policy. And Democrats retreat on their own Covid policies while Republicans begin to fight in earnest for the soul of their own party. false full 126 d3ceca6e-7fd4-47c4-a8f6-35a1a8b7c86f Farage to go after Net Zero referendum? As Boris Johnson falters, momentum is growing for a new populist campaign to bring down net zero with him - and Nigel Farage thinks he might be just the man for the job. President Biden’s administration is under fire for allegedly trying to push its ideology into institutions it doesn’t belong. And from Canada truckers to Austria protestors, the fallout from attempted vaccine mandates continues.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 4 Feb 2022 20:19:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As Boris Johnson falters, momentum is growing for a new populist campaign to bring down net zero with him - and Nigel Farage thinks he might be just the man for the job. President Biden’s administration is under fire for allegedly trying to push its ideology into institutions it doesn’t belong. And from Canada truckers to Austria protestors, the fallout from attempted vaccine mandates continues.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Farage to go after Net Zero referendum? Mallen Baker 00:27:45 As Boris Johnson falters, momentum is growing for a new populist campaign to bring down net zero with him - and Nigel Farage thinks he might be just the man for the job. President Biden’s administration is under fire for allegedly trying to push its ideology into institutions it doesn’t belong. And from Canada truckers to Austria protestors, the fallout from attempted vaccine mandates continues. As Boris Johnson falters, momentum is growing for a new populist campaign to bring down net zero with him - and Nigel Farage thinks he might be just the man for the job. President Biden’s administration is under fire for allegedly trying to push its ideology into institutions it doesn’t belong. And from Canada truckers to Austria protestors, the fallout from attempted vaccine mandates continues. false full 125 934d3198-a605-47cd-8366-07381eb0eabb The knives are out for Boris Johnson The Tory civil war to take out Boris Johnson goes up a gear, but he plans to fight to the end. Joe Biden’s voting reform bill fails as predicted and he suggests the next election will be stolen as a result, and Joe Biden also alarms Ukraine by suggesting that a minor invasion by Russia might be sort-of OK.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 21 Jan 2022 19:28:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Tory civil war to take out Boris Johnson goes up a gear, but he plans to fight to the end. Joe Biden’s voting reform bill fails as predicted and he suggests the next election will be stolen as a result, and Joe Biden also alarms Ukraine by suggesting that a minor invasion by Russia might be sort-of OK.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The knives are out for Boris Johnson Mallen Baker 00:28:16 The Tory civil war to take out Boris Johnson goes up a gear, but he plans to fight to the end. Joe Biden’s voting reform bill fails as predicted and he suggests the next election will be stolen as a result, and Joe Biden also alarms Ukraine by suggesting that a minor invasion by Russia might be sort-of OK. The Tory civil war to take out Boris Johnson goes up a gear, but he plans to fight to the end. Joe Biden’s voting reform bill fails as predicted and he suggests the next election will be stolen as a result, and Joe Biden also alarms Ukraine by suggesting that a minor invasion by Russia might be sort-of OK. false full 124 8afbe40b-8a2b-4bb6-b84f-04490bb49568 Why the Jan 6th focus isn't working for Biden In this news roundup of the week, President Biden talked about Trump’s threat to democracy while his supporters care more about whether their kids are in school, another UK jury acquits campaigners in spite of the facts of their guilt not being in dispute, and the standoff between tennis number one Novak Djokovic and the Australian government continues.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 7 Jan 2022 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news roundup of the week, President Biden talked about Trump’s threat to democracy while his supporters care more about whether their kids are in school, another UK jury acquits campaigners in spite of the facts of their guilt not being in dispute, and the standoff between tennis number one Novak Djokovic and the Australian government continues.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Why the Jan 6th focus isn't working for Biden Mallen Baker 00:28:02 In this news roundup of the week, President Biden talked about Trump’s threat to democracy while his supporters care more about whether their kids are in school, another UK jury acquits campaigners in spite of the facts of their guilt not being in dispute, and the standoff between tennis number one Novak Djokovic and the Australian government continues. In this news roundup of the week, President Biden talked about Trump’s threat to democracy while his supporters care more about whether their kids are in school, another UK jury acquits campaigners in spite of the facts of their guilt not being in dispute, and the standoff between tennis number one Novak Djokovic and the Australian government continues. false full 123 f9b4bf42-0b26-4d11-929b-f61db3a6ffa5 Surfing into 2022 on a wave of stupid In this news round-up of the week, continuing good news on omicron fails to stem the tide of policy chaos and disarray, Germany shuts down three of its nuclear power plants making it more dependent on fossil fuels, and America counts the cost of defunding the police in 2021.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Sat, 1 Jan 2022 16:09:58 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news round-up of the week, continuing good news on omicron fails to stem the tide of policy chaos and disarray, Germany shuts down three of its nuclear power plants making it more dependent on fossil fuels, and America counts the cost of defunding the police in 2021.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Surfing into 2022 on a wave of stupid Mallen Baker 00:28:02 In this news round-up of the week, continuing good news on omicron fails to stem the tide of policy chaos and disarray, Germany shuts down three of its nuclear power plants making it more dependent on fossil fuels, and America counts the cost of defunding the police in 2021. In this news round-up of the week, continuing good news on omicron fails to stem the tide of policy chaos and disarray, Germany shuts down three of its nuclear power plants making it more dependent on fossil fuels, and America counts the cost of defunding the police in 2021. false full 122 89d4eb11-9a78-4551-97d9-2a1c588be060 Has "the science" fallen into disrepute? The threat of new restrictions in England recede in the face of the latest scientific studies into Omicron, the scientific advisors on both sides of the channel come under unprecedented attack for breach of trust, and the Christmas spirit of peace and unity unexpectedly descends upon Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 24 Dec 2021 19:39:56 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The threat of new restrictions in England recede in the face of the latest scientific studies into Omicron, the scientific advisors on both sides of the channel come under unprecedented attack for breach of trust, and the Christmas spirit of peace and unity unexpectedly descends upon Joe Biden and Donald Trump.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Has "the science" fallen into disrepute? Mallen Baker 00:28:10 The threat of new restrictions in England recede in the face of the latest scientific studies into Omicron, the scientific advisors on both sides of the channel come under unprecedented attack for breach of trust, and the Christmas spirit of peace and unity unexpectedly descends upon Joe Biden and Donald Trump. The threat of new restrictions in England recede in the face of the latest scientific studies into Omicron, the scientific advisors on both sides of the channel come under unprecedented attack for breach of trust, and the Christmas spirit of peace and unity unexpectedly descends upon Joe Biden and Donald Trump. false full 121 f6e8e483-8c17-40b2-ba68-7f72923d7c6e Terrifying mild disease sweeps the nation In this week’s round-up of the news, Boris Johnson gets battered from all signs as people demand a return to competent government, the Omicron variant continues to be labelled as a major health emergency but the public are not convinced, the cost of lockdown policies continue to be felt as inflation surges on both sides of the Atlantic, and the EU is riven by internal divisions over nuclear power.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 17 Dec 2021 19:33:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this week’s round-up of the news, Boris Johnson gets battered from all signs as people demand a return to competent government, the Omicron variant continues to be labelled as a major health emergency but the public are not convinced, the cost of lockdown policies continue to be felt as inflation surges on both sides of the Atlantic, and the EU is riven by internal divisions over nuclear power.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Terrifying mild disease sweeps the nation Mallen Baker 00:25:47 In this week’s round-up of the news, Boris Johnson gets battered from all signs as people demand a return to competent government, the Omicron variant continues to be labelled as a major health emergency but the public are not convinced, the cost of lockdown policies continue to be felt as inflation surges on both sides of the Atlantic, and the EU is riven by internal divisions over nuclear power. In this week’s round-up of the news, Boris Johnson gets battered from all signs as people demand a return to competent government, the Omicron variant continues to be labelled as a major health emergency but the public are not convinced, the cost of lockdown policies continue to be felt as inflation surges on both sides of the Atlantic, and the EU is riven by internal divisions over nuclear power. false full 120 9151d5ea-00b9-4ee6-ae10-a65b3e55a78a Why are we still panicking? The UK government continues to suffer the death of a thousand self-inflicted wounds, the evidence seems to be growing that the Omicron variant causes mostly mild disease but the government is still panicking and talking about masses of deaths, and Jussie Smollett is found guilty of stoking up racial tension in the name of his career

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 10 Dec 2021 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK government continues to suffer the death of a thousand self-inflicted wounds, the evidence seems to be growing that the Omicron variant causes mostly mild disease but the government is still panicking and talking about masses of deaths, and Jussie Smollett is found guilty of stoking up racial tension in the name of his career

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Why are we still panicking? Mallen Baker 00:26:53 The UK government continues to suffer the death of a thousand self-inflicted wounds, the evidence seems to be growing that the Omicron variant causes mostly mild disease but the government is still panicking and talking about masses of deaths, and Jussie Smollett is found guilty of stoking up racial tension in the name of his career The UK government continues to suffer the death of a thousand self-inflicted wounds, the evidence seems to be growing that the Omicron variant causes mostly mild disease but the government is still panicking and talking about masses of deaths, and Jussie Smollett is found guilty of stoking up racial tension in the name of his career false full 119 67ffd44b-aee2-4f18-ae96-6d4e423c72d2 Europe goes all compulsory on vaccines Germany locks down the unvaccinated and signals a vote on mandatory vaccination. The Womens Tennis Association cancels all events in China over missing Peng Shuai. And the US Supreme Court starts the process of the overthrow of Roe v Wade.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 3 Dec 2021 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Germany locks down the unvaccinated and signals a vote on mandatory vaccination. The Womens Tennis Association cancels all events in China over missing Peng Shuai. And the US Supreme Court starts the process of the overthrow of Roe v Wade.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Europe goes all compulsory on vaccines Mallen Baker 00:25:43 Germany locks down the unvaccinated and signals a vote on mandatory vaccination. The Womens Tennis Association cancels all events in China over missing Peng Shuai. And the US Supreme Court starts the process of the overthrow of Roe v Wade. Germany locks down the unvaccinated and signals a vote on mandatory vaccination. The Womens Tennis Association cancels all events in China over missing Peng Shuai. And the US Supreme Court starts the process of the overthrow of Roe v Wade. false full 118 b431d372-bd43-48e9-8593-928067f4efc8 Variant of concern In this week’s news roundup, a new Covid-19 variant in Africa is causing enough concern that the UK is banning flights from affected countries. Germany forms a new coalition government and it’s remarkably woke, but can it last? And UK prime minister Boris Johnson has problems of his own as internal dissatisfaction with his leadership spills into the open.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 26 Nov 2021 19:31:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this week’s news roundup, a new Covid-19 variant in Africa is causing enough concern that the UK is banning flights from affected countries. Germany forms a new coalition government and it’s remarkably woke, but can it last? And UK prime minister Boris Johnson has problems of his own as internal dissatisfaction with his leadership spills into the open.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Variant of concern Mallen Baker 00:27:37 In this week’s news roundup, a new Covid-19 variant in Africa is causing enough concern that the UK is banning flights from affected countries. Germany forms a new coalition government and it’s remarkably woke, but can it last? And UK prime minister Boris Johnson has problems of his own as internal dissatisfaction with his leadership spills into the open. In this week’s news roundup, a new Covid-19 variant in Africa is causing enough concern that the UK is banning flights from affected countries. Germany forms a new coalition government and it’s remarkably woke, but can it last? And UK prime minister Boris Johnson has problems of his own as internal dissatisfaction with his leadership spills into the open. false full 117 74bcf340-391b-4968-a079-abf90e83f083 Europe turns on the unvaxxed Europe joins Biden’s America in using the power of the law against the unvaccinated. The world of women’s tennis refuses to bend to China’s will in defence of missing tennis champion Peng Shuai. And the Biden relationship with Kamala Harris becomes the source of intense speculation.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Sat, 20 Nov 2021 09:56:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Europe joins Biden’s America in using the power of the law against the unvaccinated. The world of women’s tennis refuses to bend to China’s will in defence of missing tennis champion Peng Shuai. And the Biden relationship with Kamala Harris becomes the source of intense speculation.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Europe turns on the unvaxxed Mallen Baker 00:25:51 Europe joins Biden’s America in using the power of the law against the unvaccinated. The world of women’s tennis refuses to bend to China’s will in defence of missing tennis champion Peng Shuai. And the Biden relationship with Kamala Harris becomes the source of intense speculation. Europe joins Biden’s America in using the power of the law against the unvaccinated. The world of women’s tennis refuses to bend to China’s will in defence of missing tennis champion Peng Shuai. And the Biden relationship with Kamala Harris becomes the source of intense speculation. false full 116 71b7266a-7569-41e7-a673-0eabaefd9172 Did COP26 fix climate change? COP26 is almost finished – what did it actually achieve? The UK and the US have declining covid cases but are contemplating vaccine mandates anyway. And Chinese premier Xi Jinping takes another step towards becoming ruler for life.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 12 Nov 2021 19:16:32 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast COP26 is almost finished – what did it actually achieve? The UK and the US have declining covid cases but are contemplating vaccine mandates anyway. And Chinese premier Xi Jinping takes another step towards becoming ruler for life.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Did COP26 fix climate change? Mallen Baker 00:24:38 COP26 is almost finished – what did it actually achieve? The UK and the US have declining covid cases but are contemplating vaccine mandates anyway. And Chinese premier Xi Jinping takes another step towards becoming ruler for life. COP26 is almost finished – what did it actually achieve? The UK and the US have declining covid cases but are contemplating vaccine mandates anyway. And Chinese premier Xi Jinping takes another step towards becoming ruler for life. false full 115 e3d4564a-9090-44c0-a7ba-319ea3ce8dd1 Our leaders are all idiots The Boris Johnson government grapples with the consequences of its apparent incompetence in the fall-out over sleaze. The Biden administration grapples with the consequences of Democrats political radicalism in the wake of this week’s elections. And the COP26 conference actually surprises all of us by achieving more – on paper at least – than we expected.

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]]> Fri, 5 Nov 2021 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The Boris Johnson government grapples with the consequences of its apparent incompetence in the fall-out over sleaze. The Biden administration grapples with the consequences of Democrats political radicalism in the wake of this week’s elections. And the COP26 conference actually surprises all of us by achieving more – on paper at least – than we expected.

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]]> Our leaders are all idiots Mallen Baker 00:26:49 The Boris Johnson government grapples with the consequences of its apparent incompetence in the fall-out over sleaze. The Biden administration grapples with the consequences of Democrats political radicalism in the wake of this week’s elections. And the COP26 conference actually surprises all of us by achieving more – on paper at least – than we expected. The Boris Johnson government grapples with the consequences of its apparent incompetence in the fall-out over sleaze. The Biden administration grapples with the consequences of Democrats political radicalism in the wake of this week’s elections. And the COP26 conference actually surprises all of us by achieving more – on paper at least – than we expected. false full 114 1c504910-0940-4137-b148-40c402c5bbf9 COP26 has failed before it even begins? Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Sat, 30 Oct 2021 13:38:04 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> COP26 has failed before it even begins? Mallen Baker 00:27:22 The COP26 climate summit is here but has it already failed to achieve it’s goal? The UK accidentally runs a large-scale real-life experiment on the pandemic spread and European fights continue, with France versus the UK and the EU versus Poland. The COP26 climate summit is here but has it already failed to achieve it’s goal? The UK accidentally runs a large-scale real-life experiment on the pandemic spread and European fights continue, with France versus the UK and the EU versus Poland. false full 113 3386d10d-19fc-4f39-aec6-04358d72444e New lockdown pressure grows In this news roundup of the week, the UK government is fighting calls to bring back Covid restrictions as cases increase. Boris Johnson launched the long-awaited net zero strategy creating a heated debate about cost. And the EU’s constitutional bust-up with Poland threatens to bring the whole structure tumbling down.

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]]> Fri, 22 Oct 2021 18:07:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this news roundup of the week, the UK government is fighting calls to bring back Covid restrictions as cases increase. Boris Johnson launched the long-awaited net zero strategy creating a heated debate about cost. And the EU’s constitutional bust-up with Poland threatens to bring the whole structure tumbling down.

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]]> New lockdown pressure grows Mallen Baker 00:26:41 In this news roundup of the week, the UK government is fighting calls to bring back Covid restrictions as cases increase. Boris Johnson launched the long-awaited net zero strategy creating a heated debate about cost. And the EU’s constitutional bust-up with Poland threatens to bring the whole structure tumbling down. In this news roundup of the week, the UK government is fighting calls to bring back Covid restrictions as cases increase. Boris Johnson launched the long-awaited net zero strategy creating a heated debate about cost. And the EU’s constitutional bust-up with Poland threatens to bring the whole structure tumbling down. false full 110 eb244d84-47ee-48ae-8c82-ae4998d818e6 China en route for world domination? The former chief software officer of the US Defence Department declares that China has won the race for AI supremacy and is assured of future world domination. The world continues to grapple with the energy crisis confronting leaders with the choices they’d hoped to avoid. And Google announces a crackdown on YouTube content that denies the reality of climate change.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 15 Oct 2021 18:31:49 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The former chief software officer of the US Defence Department declares that China has won the race for AI supremacy and is assured of future world domination. The world continues to grapple with the energy crisis confronting leaders with the choices they’d hoped to avoid. And Google announces a crackdown on YouTube content that denies the reality of climate change.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> China en route for world domination? Mallen Baker 00:26:42 The former chief software officer of the US Defence Department declares that China has won the race for AI supremacy and is assured of future world domination. The world continues to grapple with the energy crisis confronting leaders with the choices they’d hoped to avoid. And Google announces a crackdown on YouTube content that denies the reality of climate change. The former chief software officer of the US Defence Department declares that China has won the race for AI supremacy and is assured of future world domination. The world continues to grapple with the energy crisis confronting leaders with the choices they’d hoped to avoid. And Google announces a crackdown on YouTube content that denies the reality of climate change. false full 109 fb14a0b5-b5ea-4f76-891b-47eab74bef28 Everything's falling apart? The UK faces a winter of discontent as everything seemingly falls apart at once. Some significant new promises are made in advance of the COP26 climate conference. And the US and China promise not to go into a cold war while continuing to behave like they’re in a cold war.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 24 Sep 2021 18:12:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK faces a winter of discontent as everything seemingly falls apart at once. Some significant new promises are made in advance of the COP26 climate conference. And the US and China promise not to go into a cold war while continuing to behave like they’re in a cold war.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Everything's falling apart? Mallen Baker 00:26:11 The UK faces a winter of discontent as everything seemingly falls apart at once. Some significant new promises are made in advance of the COP26 climate conference. And the US and China promise not to go into a cold war while continuing to behave like they’re in a cold war. The UK faces a winter of discontent as everything seemingly falls apart at once. Some significant new promises are made in advance of the COP26 climate conference. And the US and China promise not to go into a cold war while continuing to behave like they’re in a cold war. false full 108 35860edd-0a8a-4711-bbe7-6f88e0ec17db The slippery slope to war? A new defence pact against the growing influence of China receives a furious response. America ponders whether a top general committed treason in an attempt to save it from Trump. And there are big political changes in the UK, but will they deliver the bit that really matters?

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 17 Sep 2021 19:08:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A new defence pact against the growing influence of China receives a furious response. America ponders whether a top general committed treason in an attempt to save it from Trump. And there are big political changes in the UK, but will they deliver the bit that really matters?

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]]> The slippery slope to war? Mallen Baker 00:28:06 A new defence pact against the growing influence of China receives a furious response. America ponders whether a top general committed treason in an attempt to save it from Trump. And there are big political changes in the UK, but will they deliver the bit that really matters? A new defence pact against the growing influence of China receives a furious response. America ponders whether a top general committed treason in an attempt to save it from Trump. And there are big political changes in the UK, but will they deliver the bit that really matters? false full 107 141e776a-9266-4f04-8f05-ab6b4beff153 Biden's war on the unvaxxed President Biden announces it’s time to blame the unvaccinated and mandate them into compliance. China says ‘no’ to pressure on climate change. And the Taliban are rebuked by the EU for being insufficiently inclusive.

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]]> Fri, 10 Sep 2021 18:28:19 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Biden announces it’s time to blame the unvaccinated and mandate them into compliance. China says ‘no’ to pressure on climate change. And the Taliban are rebuked by the EU for being insufficiently inclusive.

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]]> Biden's war on the unvaxxed Mallen Baker 00:27:26 President Biden announces it’s time to blame the unvaccinated and mandate them into compliance. China says ‘no’ to pressure on climate change. And the Taliban are rebuked by the EU for being insufficiently inclusive. President Biden announces it’s time to blame the unvaccinated and mandate them into compliance. China says ‘no’ to pressure on climate change. And the Taliban are rebuked by the EU for being insufficiently inclusive. false full 106 d93038d7-b785-493b-8999-1982073eeb8e "Immoral" rich world booster vaccines? Europe and the US are all focused on booster shots for the vaccine, in the face of significant criticism. Joe Biden announces America will focus on its interests first and foremost, and it immediately descends into another bitterly fought battle over abortion.

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]]> Fri, 3 Sep 2021 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Europe and the US are all focused on booster shots for the vaccine, in the face of significant criticism. Joe Biden announces America will focus on its interests first and foremost, and it immediately descends into another bitterly fought battle over abortion.

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]]> "Immoral" rich world booster vaccines? Mallen Baker 00:26:24 Europe and the US are all focused on booster shots for the vaccine, in the face of significant criticism. Joe Biden announces America will focus on its interests first and foremost, and it immediately descends into another bitterly fought battle over abortion. Europe and the US are all focused on booster shots for the vaccine, in the face of significant criticism. Joe Biden announces America will focus on its interests first and foremost, and it immediately descends into another bitterly fought battle over abortion. false full 105 22be1b7f-1a5a-47db-aa56-cea0562e73c3 From farce to tragedy The retreat from Afghanistan takes an extremely grim turn, with consequences being felt across the world. Excess deaths and supply chain chaos are evident as the consequences of Covid lockdowns continue to emerge. And Joe Biden’s 3 month inquiry into the origins of Covid is reportedly over.

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]]> Sat, 28 Aug 2021 16:30:33 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The retreat from Afghanistan takes an extremely grim turn, with consequences being felt across the world. Excess deaths and supply chain chaos are evident as the consequences of Covid lockdowns continue to emerge. And Joe Biden’s 3 month inquiry into the origins of Covid is reportedly over.

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]]> From farce to tragedy Mallen Baker 00:26:21 The retreat from Afghanistan takes an extremely grim turn, with consequences being felt across the world. Excess deaths and supply chain chaos are evident as the consequences of Covid lockdowns continue to emerge. And Joe Biden’s 3 month inquiry into the origins of Covid is reportedly over. The retreat from Afghanistan takes an extremely grim turn, with consequences being felt across the world. Excess deaths and supply chain chaos are evident as the consequences of Covid lockdowns continue to emerge. And Joe Biden’s 3 month inquiry into the origins of Covid is reportedly over. false full 104 75f8b034-8cd1-4148-af2e-f95659ea175c America's Afghanistan shame President Biden’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan has been condemned across the world as catastrophic and incompetent, horrifying America’s allies and delighting its enemies. The UK has launched its hydrogen strategy, and the SNP in Scotland say they want to make their emergency Covid powers permanent.

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]]> Fri, 20 Aug 2021 20:23:09 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Biden’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan has been condemned across the world as catastrophic and incompetent, horrifying America’s allies and delighting its enemies. The UK has launched its hydrogen strategy, and the SNP in Scotland say they want to make their emergency Covid powers permanent.

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]]> America's Afghanistan shame Mallen Baker 00:27:10 President Biden’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan has been condemned across the world as catastrophic and incompetent, horrifying America’s allies and delighting its enemies. The UK has launched its hydrogen strategy, and the SNP in Scotland say they want to make their emergency Covid powers permanent. President Biden’s withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan has been condemned across the world as catastrophic and incompetent, horrifying America’s allies and delighting its enemies. The UK has launched its hydrogen strategy, and the SNP in Scotland say they want to make their emergency Covid powers permanent. false full 103 8c6fec26-c747-412b-839f-1b689ddfeb3f What is the cost of net zero? Hard questions are finally starting to be asked about what will be the real cost of net zero carbon by 2050. President Biden infuriates his environmentalist base by asking Opec for more oil. And there are new developments on both the Covid origins question, and on the fights over Ivermectin.

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]]> Fri, 13 Aug 2021 18:20:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Hard questions are finally starting to be asked about what will be the real cost of net zero carbon by 2050. President Biden infuriates his environmentalist base by asking Opec for more oil. And there are new developments on both the Covid origins question, and on the fights over Ivermectin.

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]]> What is the cost of net zero? Mallen Baker 00:27:23 Hard questions are finally starting to be asked about what will be the real cost of net zero carbon by 2050. President Biden infuriates his environmentalist base by asking Opec for more oil. And there are new developments on both the Covid origins question, and on the fights over Ivermectin. Hard questions are finally starting to be asked about what will be the real cost of net zero carbon by 2050. President Biden infuriates his environmentalist base by asking Opec for more oil. And there are new developments on both the Covid origins question, and on the fights over Ivermectin. false full 102 75c4d32a-0f4a-44fb-8753-30467e8347dc The Biden honeymoon is over Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 6 Aug 2021 18:49:55 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Support this channel!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> The Biden honeymoon is over Mallen Baker 00:29:31 America is back into the thick of Covid rows as President Biden’s political honeymoon is well and truly over. The zero-covid countries are fighting a possibly losing battle to keep the Delta variant at bay. And extreme weather events hit southern Europe, leading to yet more instances of multiple wildfires. America is back into the thick of Covid rows as President Biden’s political honeymoon is well and truly over. The zero-covid countries are fighting a possibly losing battle to keep the Delta variant at bay. And extreme weather events hit southern Europe, leading to yet more instances of multiple wildfires. false full 101 37e2b819-aeca-479b-9678-586e203871bd Vaccine coercion is contagious Governments are upping the pressure on the unvaccinated. The true costs of net zero carbon policies begin to emerge. And a lot of people who should know better talk nonsense about climate change.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 30 Jul 2021 18:11:35 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Governments are upping the pressure on the unvaccinated. The true costs of net zero carbon policies begin to emerge. And a lot of people who should know better talk nonsense about climate change.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Vaccine coercion is contagious Mallen Baker 00:27:18 Governments are upping the pressure on the unvaccinated. The true costs of net zero carbon policies begin to emerge. And a lot of people who should know better talk nonsense about climate change. Governments are upping the pressure on the unvaccinated. The true costs of net zero carbon policies begin to emerge. And a lot of people who should know better talk nonsense about climate change. false full 100 c3c4fd4d-e5a8-409c-a891-d6edd81884a1 Let's call the whole ping off In the UK, the pingdemic is bringing the country to its knees in ways that Covid-19 never managed. China is taking a battering from both world opinion and the weather. And the scale of technological capability in spying on people has been dramatically exposed.

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Fri, 23 Jul 2021 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the UK, the pingdemic is bringing the country to its knees in ways that Covid-19 never managed. China is taking a battering from both world opinion and the weather. And the scale of technological capability in spying on people has been dramatically exposed.

Support this podcast
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

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]]> Let's call the whole ping off Mallen Baker 00:27:22 In the UK, the pingdemic is bringing the country to its knees in ways that Covid-19 never managed. China is taking a battering from both world opinion and the weather. And the scale of technological capability in spying on people has been dramatically exposed. In the UK, the pingdemic is bringing the country to its knees in ways that Covid-19 never managed. China is taking a battering from both world opinion and the weather. And the scale of technological capability in spying on people has been dramatically exposed. false full 99 bdd426c6-7dd8-411e-8758-fff017ed81c0 Shocking medical fraud explodes Ivermectin Dramatic evidence of medical fraud seems to undermine the case for Ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment. The EU launches its massive Green Deal plan and braces itself for what it expects to be a massive backlash. And Britons are being forced into quarantine by an out of control app while being told to eat algae.

Support this podcast!
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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 16 Jul 2021 18:04:09 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Dramatic evidence of medical fraud seems to undermine the case for Ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment. The EU launches its massive Green Deal plan and braces itself for what it expects to be a massive backlash. And Britons are being forced into quarantine by an out of control app while being told to eat algae.

Support this podcast!
https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Shocking medical fraud explodes Ivermectin Mallen Baker 00:26:23 Dramatic evidence of medical fraud seems to undermine the case for Ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment. The EU launches its massive Green Deal plan and braces itself for what it expects to be a massive backlash. And Britons are being forced into quarantine by an out of control app while being told to eat algae. Dramatic evidence of medical fraud seems to undermine the case for Ivermectin as a Covid-19 treatment. The EU launches its massive Green Deal plan and braces itself for what it expects to be a massive backlash. And Britons are being forced into quarantine by an out of control app while being told to eat algae. false full 98 a88561d3-18b6-4316-8d18-4a1610481e24 Unhappy Freedom Day In the UK, the promised freedom day is on the horizon and yet nobody’s happy. An attribution study shows just how extraordinary was the recent heatwave in the US and Canada. And a leaked draft of the IPCC 2022 report has many convinced it’s the end of the world.


Support this channel!

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 9 Jul 2021 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In the UK, the promised freedom day is on the horizon and yet nobody’s happy. An attribution study shows just how extraordinary was the recent heatwave in the US and Canada. And a leaked draft of the IPCC 2022 report has many convinced it’s the end of the world.


Support this channel!

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The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
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]]> Unhappy Freedom Day Mallen Baker 00:29:59 In the UK, the promised freedom day is on the horizon and yet nobody’s happy. An attribution study shows just how extraordinary was the recent heatwave in the US and Canada. And a leaked draft of the IPCC 2022 report has many convinced it’s the end of the world. In the UK, the promised freedom day is on the horizon and yet nobody’s happy. An attribution study shows just how extraordinary was the recent heatwave in the US and Canada. And a leaked draft of the IPCC 2022 report has many convinced it’s the end of the world. false full 97 b3332f00-6d54-47f8-81f5-9c45bab0391f Hancock's Covid rules killing the UK? intrusive rules that have just become dumb. Northwestern America has been hit by a truly intense heatwave feeding into the debate around Joe Biden’s huge spending climate bills. And former President Trump’s new social media platform is launched – for real this time. But will he even join it himself?

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 2 Jul 2021 19:15:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast intrusive rules that have just become dumb. Northwestern America has been hit by a truly intense heatwave feeding into the debate around Joe Biden’s huge spending climate bills. And former President Trump’s new social media platform is launched – for real this time. But will he even join it himself?

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Hancock's Covid rules killing the UK? Mallen Baker 00:28:58 The UK health secretary is brought down, but the country is increasingly chafing against intrusive rules that have just become dumb. Northwestern America has been hit by a truly intense heatwave feeding into the debate around Joe Biden’s huge spending climate bills. And former President Trump’s new social media platform is launched – for real this time. But will he even join it himself? The UK health secretary is brought down, but the country is increasingly chafing against intrusive rules that have just become dumb. Northwestern America has been hit by a truly intense heatwave feeding into the debate around Joe Biden’s huge spending climate bills. And former President Trump’s new social media platform is launched – for real this time. But will he even join it himself? false full 96 765b88e5-2e52-426f-80ed-ecf579c39c7b Nobody is telling the truth Joe Biden’s losses on climate change and voting rights show just how weak the administration’s position currently is. Rumours swirl of a top-level Chinese defector with news of the truth about the origin of Covid-19. And early sequences of the virus are discovered after they were attempted to be deleted by Chinese researchers.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 25 Jun 2021 18:28:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Joe Biden’s losses on climate change and voting rights show just how weak the administration’s position currently is. Rumours swirl of a top-level Chinese defector with news of the truth about the origin of Covid-19. And early sequences of the virus are discovered after they were attempted to be deleted by Chinese researchers.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Nobody is telling the truth Mallen Baker 00:27:52 Joe Biden’s losses on climate change and voting rights show just how weak the administration’s position currently is. Rumours swirl of a top-level Chinese defector with news of the truth about the origin of Covid-19. And early sequences of the virus are discovered after they were attempted to be deleted by Chinese researchers. Joe Biden’s losses on climate change and voting rights show just how weak the administration’s position currently is. Rumours swirl of a top-level Chinese defector with news of the truth about the origin of Covid-19. And early sequences of the virus are discovered after they were attempted to be deleted by Chinese researchers. false full 95 755d6c84-1f2e-4784-8918-b2aadcb366f5 Still leading the free world? Joe Biden goes out to tell the world and Vladimir Putin particularly that he’s not Donald Trump. The UK pushes back the opening from lockdown by a month creating significant backlash. And the world tests out my theory that green politicians can’t sell radical policies to the electorate.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 18 Jun 2021 19:52:36 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Joe Biden goes out to tell the world and Vladimir Putin particularly that he’s not Donald Trump. The UK pushes back the opening from lockdown by a month creating significant backlash. And the world tests out my theory that green politicians can’t sell radical policies to the electorate.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show covers news, current affairs, science and politics. It aims to be independent, fact-focused and non-ideological. A rational and reasoned approach to some of the difficult issues of our time, including climate change, the Covid pandemic, and how we can best survive and thrive in the modern world.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Still leading the free world? Mallen Baker 00:29:26 Joe Biden goes out to tell the world and Vladimir Putin particularly that he’s not Donald Trump. The UK pushes back the opening from lockdown by a month creating significant backlash. And the world tests out my theory that green politicians can’t sell radical policies to the electorate. Joe Biden goes out to tell the world and Vladimir Putin particularly that he’s not Donald Trump. The UK pushes back the opening from lockdown by a month creating significant backlash. And the world tests out my theory that green politicians can’t sell radical policies to the electorate. false full 94 a01e6dfd-02d4-4812-83ab-64e943bdf0eb Biden gives UK a Brexit kicking The US delivers a formal rebuke to the UK normally reserved for enemies not allies, falling vaccination rates mean the US is unlikely to meet its target for independence day. And is the UK betraying the poor by cutting back on its foreign aid?

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 11 Jun 2021 18:26:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The US delivers a formal rebuke to the UK normally reserved for enemies not allies, falling vaccination rates mean the US is unlikely to meet its target for independence day. And is the UK betraying the poor by cutting back on its foreign aid?

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Biden gives UK a Brexit kicking Mallen Baker 00:26:32 The US delivers a formal rebuke to the UK normally reserved for enemies not allies, falling vaccination rates mean the US is unlikely to meet its target for independence day. And is the UK betraying the poor by cutting back on its foreign aid? The US delivers a formal rebuke to the UK normally reserved for enemies not allies, falling vaccination rates mean the US is unlikely to meet its target for independence day. And is the UK betraying the poor by cutting back on its foreign aid? false full 93 c34a144b-fe6d-457e-858c-f7d43a271a68 Freedom denied? The UK government wreaks havoc with yet more sudden changes on Covid policy. Dr Anthony Fauci’s emails become the latest topic of furious partisan battles in the US. And China’s Ji Xinping decides the country needs to be more loveable

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 4 Jun 2021 18:11:22 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK government wreaks havoc with yet more sudden changes on Covid policy. Dr Anthony Fauci’s emails become the latest topic of furious partisan battles in the US. And China’s Ji Xinping decides the country needs to be more loveable

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Freedom denied? Mallen Baker 00:27:16 The UK government wreaks havoc with yet more sudden changes on Covid policy. Dr Anthony Fauci’s emails become the latest topic of furious partisan battles in the US. And China’s Ji Xinping decides the country needs to be more loveable The UK government wreaks havoc with yet more sudden changes on Covid policy. Dr Anthony Fauci’s emails become the latest topic of furious partisan battles in the US. And China’s Ji Xinping decides the country needs to be more loveable false full 92 c2787d8f-6486-4cf4-aa41-b22c35563adc Return of the Leaky Lab The mainstream focus has turned to seriously consider the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis. The UK prime ministers’s former number one aide Dominic Cummings unleashes a massive attack on the government’s competence in the face of the pandemic. And oil company Shell is told by a court that it has to cut its emissions nearly in half within ten years.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 28 May 2021 18:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The mainstream focus has turned to seriously consider the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis. The UK prime ministers’s former number one aide Dominic Cummings unleashes a massive attack on the government’s competence in the face of the pandemic. And oil company Shell is told by a court that it has to cut its emissions nearly in half within ten years.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Return of the Leaky Lab Mallen Baker 00:27:56 The mainstream focus has turned to seriously consider the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis. The UK prime ministers’s former number one aide Dominic Cummings unleashes a massive attack on the government’s competence in the face of the pandemic. And oil company Shell is told by a court that it has to cut its emissions nearly in half within ten years. The mainstream focus has turned to seriously consider the Wuhan lab leak hypothesis. The UK prime ministers’s former number one aide Dominic Cummings unleashes a massive attack on the government’s competence in the face of the pandemic. And oil company Shell is told by a court that it has to cut its emissions nearly in half within ten years. false full 91 202a0024-6392-4f5e-b76d-9f2baa07aa71 The BBC in disgrace The BBC faces its biggest scandal, over its own deceit that may have led to the death of Princess Diana, The latest Israel Palestine conflict may be at an end and few are really talking about why it happened. And the German Greens are in with a shot in the government elections, if they can win support for their shock radical proposal.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Sat, 22 May 2021 09:06:24 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The BBC faces its biggest scandal, over its own deceit that may have led to the death of Princess Diana, The latest Israel Palestine conflict may be at an end and few are really talking about why it happened. And the German Greens are in with a shot in the government elections, if they can win support for their shock radical proposal.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> The BBC in disgrace Mallen Baker 00:28:17 The BBC faces its biggest scandal, over its own deceit that may have led to the death of Princess Diana, The latest Israel Palestine conflict may be at an end and few are really talking about why it happened. And the German Greens are in with a shot in the government elections, if they can win support for their shock radical proposal. The BBC faces its biggest scandal, over its own deceit that may have led to the death of Princess Diana, The latest Israel Palestine conflict may be at an end and few are really talking about why it happened. And the German Greens are in with a shot in the government elections, if they can win support for their shock radical proposal. false full 90 769b044d-ca01-4580-9c0f-a2ba0a1219df Hackers expose America’s weakness A major American gas pipeline is taken out by hackers giving a taste of how the coming cold war is going to work. The CDC says that actually the vaccinated don’t have to wear masks after all, while Britons are worried about the new Indian variant. And Elon Musk pulls support from bitcoin based on its environmental footprint.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Fri, 14 May 2021 18:02:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A major American gas pipeline is taken out by hackers giving a taste of how the coming cold war is going to work. The CDC says that actually the vaccinated don’t have to wear masks after all, while Britons are worried about the new Indian variant. And Elon Musk pulls support from bitcoin based on its environmental footprint.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Hackers expose America’s weakness Mallen Baker 00:27:39 A major American gas pipeline is taken out by hackers giving a taste of how the coming cold war is going to work. The CDC says that actually the vaccinated don’t have to wear masks after all, while Britons are worried about the new Indian variant. And Elon Musk pulls support from bitcoin based on its environmental footprint. A major American gas pipeline is taken out by hackers giving a taste of how the coming cold war is going to work. The CDC says that actually the vaccinated don’t have to wear masks after all, while Britons are worried about the new Indian variant. And Elon Musk pulls support from bitcoin based on its environmental footprint. false full 89 7e1e32d3-5ff5-4d8e-9541-ab0e4d661328 Trump 2024 depends on Facebook? Facebook grapples with the realisation that what it does next may affect whether Donald Trump stands for election in 2024. Britain engages in a wet fish fight with the French in the bay of Jersey. And President Biden attacks the companies that delivered him vaccines by calling for the waiving of patent rights.

Support this channel!

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The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Sat, 8 May 2021 08:20:50 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Facebook grapples with the realisation that what it does next may affect whether Donald Trump stands for election in 2024. Britain engages in a wet fish fight with the French in the bay of Jersey. And President Biden attacks the companies that delivered him vaccines by calling for the waiving of patent rights.

Support this channel!

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Trump 2024 depends on Facebook? Mallen Baker 00:27:09 Facebook grapples with the realisation that what it does next may affect whether Donald Trump stands for election in 2024. Britain engages in a wet fish fight with the French in the bay of Jersey. And President Biden attacks the companies that delivered him vaccines by calling for the waiving of patent rights. Facebook grapples with the realisation that what it does next may affect whether Donald Trump stands for election in 2024. Britain engages in a wet fish fight with the French in the bay of Jersey. And President Biden attacks the companies that delivered him vaccines by calling for the waiving of patent rights. false full 88 ed17818b-5cf1-4099-9d04-978f604455f7 Biden's Big Promise President Biden makes big promises to lead the world on climate change, but not everyone’s convinced. Europe tries to tackle the downsides of artificial intelligence while China enthusiastically embraces its dark side. And Covid-19 vaccines are proving highly effective in some places – and rather less so elsewhere.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 23 Apr 2021 18:24:05 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast President Biden makes big promises to lead the world on climate change, but not everyone’s convinced. Europe tries to tackle the downsides of artificial intelligence while China enthusiastically embraces its dark side. And Covid-19 vaccines are proving highly effective in some places – and rather less so elsewhere.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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]]> Biden's Big Promise Mallen Baker 00:28:58 President Biden makes big promises to lead the world on climate change, but not everyone’s convinced. Europe tries to tackle the downsides of artificial intelligence while China enthusiastically embraces its dark side. And Covid-19 vaccines are proving highly effective in some places – and rather less so elsewhere. President Biden makes big promises to lead the world on climate change, but not everyone’s convinced. Europe tries to tackle the downsides of artificial intelligence while China enthusiastically embraces its dark side. And Covid-19 vaccines are proving highly effective in some places – and rather less so elsewhere. false full 87 4b66d93e-16a8-4a9f-aeee-5c7d8f529d0d Should you fear the blood clots? | The Mallen Baker Show The UK regulator confirms a likely link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and extremely rare blood clots. The prosecution in the George Floyd trail runs into all sorts of problems raising the possibility of an explosive ending. And backlash sinks the early plans of the people who plan to dim the sun in order to cool the planet.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
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]]> Fri, 9 Apr 2021 19:23:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK regulator confirms a likely link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and extremely rare blood clots. The prosecution in the George Floyd trail runs into all sorts of problems raising the possibility of an explosive ending. And backlash sinks the early plans of the people who plan to dim the sun in order to cool the planet.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
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And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Should you fear the blood clots? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:27:49 The UK regulator confirms a likely link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and extremely rare blood clots. The prosecution in the George Floyd trail runs into all sorts of problems raising the possibility of an explosive ending. And backlash sinks the early plans of the people who plan to dim the sun in order to cool the planet. The UK regulator confirms a likely link between the AstraZeneca vaccine and extremely rare blood clots. The prosecution in the George Floyd trail runs into all sorts of problems raising the possibility of an explosive ending. And backlash sinks the early plans of the people who plan to dim the sun in order to cool the planet. false full 86 6eed4a62-1e13-45ba-a0cf-3e9ee07b1b1a America holds its breath The George Floyd murder trial gets underway in America as a row breaks out in the UK about the idea that Britain might NOT be institutionally racist. The WHO produces a report saying Covid probably didn’t leak from a lab, but nobody believes it. And the EU says it will definitely snatch vaccines from a lab in which the UK invested 20 million pounds and the EU invested zero.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 2 Apr 2021 18:30:54 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The George Floyd murder trial gets underway in America as a row breaks out in the UK about the idea that Britain might NOT be institutionally racist. The WHO produces a report saying Covid probably didn’t leak from a lab, but nobody believes it. And the EU says it will definitely snatch vaccines from a lab in which the UK invested 20 million pounds and the EU invested zero.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> America holds its breath Mallen Baker 00:27:18 The George Floyd murder trial gets underway in America as a row breaks out in the UK about the idea that Britain might NOT be institutionally racist. The WHO produces a report saying Covid probably didn’t leak from a lab, but nobody believes it. And the EU says it will definitely snatch vaccines from a lab in which the UK invested 20 million pounds and the EU invested zero. The George Floyd murder trial gets underway in America as a row breaks out in the UK about the idea that Britain might NOT be institutionally racist. The WHO produces a report saying Covid probably didn’t leak from a lab, but nobody believes it. And the EU says it will definitely snatch vaccines from a lab in which the UK invested 20 million pounds and the EU invested zero. false full 85 7078a020-ebbc-4443-94b0-421c7e81c0ff China's Big Mistake The West hardens its lines against China, while Joe Biden struggles with the border crisis the EU steps back, for now, from the brink of vaccine nationalism and Donald Trump signals his intention to run his own social media platform.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 26 Mar 2021 19:38:29 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The West hardens its lines against China, while Joe Biden struggles with the border crisis the EU steps back, for now, from the brink of vaccine nationalism and Donald Trump signals his intention to run his own social media platform.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> China's Big Mistake Mallen Baker 00:28:45 The West hardens its lines against China, while Joe Biden struggles with the border crisis the EU steps back, for now, from the brink of vaccine nationalism and Donald Trump signals his intention to run his own social media platform. The West hardens its lines against China, while Joe Biden struggles with the border crisis the EU steps back, for now, from the brink of vaccine nationalism and Donald Trump signals his intention to run his own social media platform. false full 84 01c9ebec-1655-4561-83b2-97cb0a01da07 Vaccine madness | The Mallen Baker Show Europe’s vaccine madness puts off its citizens from getting vaccinated even as it threatens to seize other people’s vaccines. Joe Biden’s puzzled as to why he has a border crisis. And the UK is gripped by a wave of angst over violence to women.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 19 Mar 2021 19:38:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Europe’s vaccine madness puts off its citizens from getting vaccinated even as it threatens to seize other people’s vaccines. Joe Biden’s puzzled as to why he has a border crisis. And the UK is gripped by a wave of angst over violence to women.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Vaccine madness | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:27:40 Europe’s vaccine madness puts off its citizens from getting vaccinated even as it threatens to seize other people’s vaccines. Joe Biden’s puzzled as to why he has a border crisis. And the UK is gripped by a wave of angst over violence to women. Europe’s vaccine madness puts off its citizens from getting vaccinated even as it threatens to seize other people’s vaccines. Joe Biden’s puzzled as to why he has a border crisis. And the UK is gripped by a wave of angst over violence to women. false full 83 96658cbe-da42-4a00-8b84-0de8579d6e84 Save us from online harm Heavyweight figures call for action against online harm in the UK. US democrats cite exactly that principle to call for conservative channels to be removed from video platforms. Europe and the US fight over the influence of Russia and the EU shoots itself in the foot over vaccines.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Sat, 27 Feb 2021 10:18:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Heavyweight figures call for action against online harm in the UK. US democrats cite exactly that principle to call for conservative channels to be removed from video platforms. Europe and the US fight over the influence of Russia and the EU shoots itself in the foot over vaccines.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Save us from online harm Mallen Baker 00:27:58 Heavyweight figures call for action against online harm in the UK. US democrats cite exactly that principle to call for conservative channels to be removed from video platforms. Europe and the US fight over the influence of Russia and the EU shoots itself in the foot over vaccines. Heavyweight figures call for action against online harm in the UK. US democrats cite exactly that principle to call for conservative channels to be removed from video platforms. Europe and the US fight over the influence of Russia and the EU shoots itself in the foot over vaccines. false full 82 5033d32a-6b35-47c6-8a2d-7a7f15bf9d72 Vaccine passports are coming Vaccine passports seem inevitably on the horizon whether we like them or not. The US continues to fail in achieving unity. And companies push ahead on net zero carbon moves while governments struggle.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 19 Feb 2021 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Vaccine passports seem inevitably on the horizon whether we like them or not. The US continues to fail in achieving unity. And companies push ahead on net zero carbon moves while governments struggle.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Vaccine passports are coming Mallen Baker 00:27:04 Vaccine passports seem inevitably on the horizon whether we like them or not. The US continues to fail in achieving unity. And companies push ahead on net zero carbon moves while governments struggle. Vaccine passports seem inevitably on the horizon whether we like them or not. The US continues to fail in achieving unity. And companies push ahead on net zero carbon moves while governments struggle. false full 81 9e0687e9-c6b8-4dbd-9649-5c6e24a4fd60 World order "crumbling" The UK defence minister gives a stark warning that the current world order is crumbling and it’s becoming more likely that use of biological and chemical weapons is in the future. We look at some of the factors shaping the more dangerous world of the coming decades. Moderate Republicans ponder splitting from the party of Donald Trump as impeachment hearings continue. And another of the big oil companies puts out its plan to convert from fossil fuels by 2050.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 12 Feb 2021 19:52:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The UK defence minister gives a stark warning that the current world order is crumbling and it’s becoming more likely that use of biological and chemical weapons is in the future. We look at some of the factors shaping the more dangerous world of the coming decades. Moderate Republicans ponder splitting from the party of Donald Trump as impeachment hearings continue. And another of the big oil companies puts out its plan to convert from fossil fuels by 2050.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at:
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> World order "crumbling" Mallen Baker 00:27:29 The UK defence minister gives a stark warning that the current world order is crumbling and it’s becoming more likely that use of biological and chemical weapons is in the future. We look at some of the factors shaping the more dangerous world of the coming decades. Moderate Republicans ponder splitting from the party of Donald Trump as impeachment hearings continue. And another of the big oil companies puts out its plan to convert from fossil fuels by 2050. The UK defence minister gives a stark warning that the current world order is crumbling and it’s becoming more likely that use of biological and chemical weapons is in the future. We look at some of the factors shaping the more dangerous world of the coming decades. Moderate Republicans ponder splitting from the party of Donald Trump as impeachment hearings continue. And another of the big oil companies puts out its plan to convert from fossil fuels by 2050. false full 80 f1981cb5-825d-4b79-9900-96b165beae3f Climate action for thee but not for me Whether it’s the UK and French governments or climate czar John Kerry, everybody gets hammered for saying one thing and doing another this week. China is attacked by some for latest reports alleging systematic rape and torture of Uighers and the fall out in the EU from the vaccine wars continues.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at: 
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Sat, 6 Feb 2021 09:57:10 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Whether it’s the UK and French governments or climate czar John Kerry, everybody gets hammered for saying one thing and doing another this week. China is attacked by some for latest reports alleging systematic rape and torture of Uighers and the fall out in the EU from the vaccine wars continues.

https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at: 
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Climate action for thee but not for me Mallen Baker 00:28:18 Whether it’s the UK and French governments or climate czar John Kerry, everybody gets hammered for saying one thing and doing another this week. China is attacked by some for latest reports alleging systematic rape and torture of Uighers and the fall out in the EU from the vaccine wars continues. Whether it’s the UK and French governments or climate czar John Kerry, everybody gets hammered for saying one thing and doing another this week. China is attacked by some for latest reports alleging systematic rape and torture of Uighers and the fall out in the EU from the vaccine wars continues. false full 79 deb2b780-4011-4d9c-932c-71ca6aa8f27f Vaccine Wars A vicious vaccine war breaks out as the EU threatens to divert doses from the UK, Joe Biden launches a barrage of first week measures on climate change and much else besides. And we note how the pandemic has changed the world in ways that will echo for decades.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at: 

https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website

https://mallenbaker.net

 

]]> Fri, 29 Jan 2021 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A vicious vaccine war breaks out as the EU threatens to divert doses from the UK, Joe Biden launches a barrage of first week measures on climate change and much else besides. And we note how the pandemic has changed the world in ways that will echo for decades.

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

You can also find videos at: 

https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker

Follow the show page on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow

And my website

https://mallenbaker.net

 

]]> Vaccine Wars Mallen Baker 00:29:02 A vicious vaccine war breaks out as the EU threatens to divert doses from the UK, Joe Biden launches a barrage of first week measures on climate change and much else besides. And we note how the pandemic has changed the world in ways that will echo for decades. A vicious vaccine war breaks out as the EU threatens to divert doses from the UK, Joe Biden launches a barrage of first week measures on climate change and much else besides. And we note how the pandemic has changed the world in ways that will echo for decades. false full 78 e511f320-a40e-464f-8421-f5886c126f4f The rise of Captain Unity Joe Biden is inaugurated as Captain Unity, with a mission to unite America. The EU and Australia open new fronts in the war against the tech giants. And the UK ponders a vaccine-led future of long-term closed borders. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Fri, 22 Jan 2021 19:38:12 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Joe Biden is inaugurated as Captain Unity, with a mission to unite America. The EU and Australia open new fronts in the war against the tech giants. And the UK ponders a vaccine-led future of long-term closed borders. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> The rise of Captain Unity Mallen Baker 00:28:10 Joe Biden is inaugurated as Captain Unity, with a mission to unite America. The EU and Australia open new fronts in the war against the tech giants. And the UK ponders a vaccine-led future of long-term closed borders. Joe Biden is inaugurated as Captain Unity, with a mission to unite America. The EU and Australia open new fronts in the war against the tech giants. And the UK ponders a vaccine-led future of long-term closed borders. false full 77 276644b3-795d-4d95-8a14-4a8ad0689905 The BIG TECH coup The tech giants demonstrate their power in obliterating any online presence for Donald Trump and taking down the independent Parler platform. In the UK conservatives threaten Boris Johnson’s leadership unless he maps out the terms on which lockdown will be ended. And America looks nervously ahead to an inauguration where multiple protests and violence are reportedly imminent. 

Support this channel: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

You can also find videos at: 
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker 

Follow the show page on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow 

And my website 
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> Fri, 15 Jan 2021 21:00:51 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast The tech giants demonstrate their power in obliterating any online presence for Donald Trump and taking down the independent Parler platform. In the UK conservatives threaten Boris Johnson’s leadership unless he maps out the terms on which lockdown will be ended. And America looks nervously ahead to an inauguration where multiple protests and violence are reportedly imminent. 

Support this channel: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

You can also find videos at: 
https://odysee.com/@mallenbaker 

Follow the show page on Facebook 
https://www.facebook.com/mallenbakershow 

And my website 
https://mallenbaker.net

]]> The BIG TECH coup Mallen Baker 00:29:20 The tech giants demonstrate their power in obliterating any online presence for Donald Trump and taking down the independent Parler platform. In the UK conservatives threaten Boris Johnson’s leadership unless he maps out the terms on which lockdown will be ended. And America looks nervously ahead to an inauguration where multiple protests and violence are reportedly imminent. The tech giants demonstrate their power in obliterating any online presence for Donald Trump and taking down the independent Parler platform. In the UK conservatives threaten Boris Johnson’s leadership unless he maps out the terms on which lockdown will be ended. And America looks nervously ahead to an inauguration where multiple protests and violence are reportedly imminent. false full 76 49fbc7bd-d432-4ca9-92d7-ec41928d1e97 WHAT NEXT after the US Capitol Building drama? After the week that rocked America and the world, we look at what really happened in Washington DC and, more importantly, what happens next.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> Fri, 8 Jan 2021 19:17:53 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast After the week that rocked America and the world, we look at what really happened in Washington DC and, more importantly, what happens next.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> WHAT NEXT after the US Capitol Building drama? Mallen Baker 00:28:59 After the week that rocked America and the world, we look at what really happened in Washington DC and, more importantly, what happens next. After the week that rocked America and the world, we look at what really happened in Washington DC and, more importantly, what happens next. false full 75 5853351c-34f1-4e86-b696-3e1d2f425db1 Attack of the MUTANT VIRUS A mutant virus cancelled Christmas – was it just another example of over-reaction by the government? A Brexit trade deal limps over the line at the very last minute. And President Trump is urged to sabotage Joe Biden’s intent to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Thu, 24 Dec 2020 19:54:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A mutant virus cancelled Christmas – was it just another example of over-reaction by the government? A Brexit trade deal limps over the line at the very last minute. And President Trump is urged to sabotage Joe Biden’s intent to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Attack of the MUTANT VIRUS Mallen Baker 00:27:43 A mutant virus cancelled Christmas – was it just another example of over-reaction by the government? A Brexit trade deal limps over the line at the very last minute. And President Trump is urged to sabotage Joe Biden’s intent to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change A mutant virus cancelled Christmas – was it just another example of over-reaction by the government? A Brexit trade deal limps over the line at the very last minute. And President Trump is urged to sabotage Joe Biden’s intent to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change false full 74 ab9eef48-463f-463a-8cb6-cf70b5d0ebe8 A merry little COVID Christmas While Europe locks down, Britain resists for now the pressure to abandon its plans to let people use their own judgement on how they spend Christmas. The UK government reveals its plans for an online harms bill and its plans for energy. And more people get cancelled, including Abraham Lincoln himself.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> Fri, 18 Dec 2020 20:22:37 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast While Europe locks down, Britain resists for now the pressure to abandon its plans to let people use their own judgement on how they spend Christmas. The UK government reveals its plans for an online harms bill and its plans for energy. And more people get cancelled, including Abraham Lincoln himself.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> A merry little COVID Christmas Mallen Baker 00:31:08 While Europe locks down, Britain resists for now the pressure to abandon its plans to let people use their own judgement on how they spend Christmas. The UK government reveals its plans for an online harms bill and its plans for energy. And more people get cancelled, including Abraham Lincoln himself. While Europe locks down, Britain resists for now the pressure to abandon its plans to let people use their own judgement on how they spend Christmas. The UK government reveals its plans for an online harms bill and its plans for energy. And more people get cancelled, including Abraham Lincoln himself. false full 73 448eab48-bbe1-4308-b0cf-5901c636b9e8 Sweden's Covid approach FAILED? Sweden’s totally different approach to the pandemic has failed, and it’s now caved in and followed the rest of us into lockdown. That’s what some are saying, but has it really? Also, did Britain go into lockdown based on dodgy figures? The US media suddenly notice that Hunter Biden is in trouble. And a leading figure who called for the punishment of Covid lockdown breakers gets caught breaking lockdown.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2020 19:25:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Sweden’s totally different approach to the pandemic has failed, and it’s now caved in and followed the rest of us into lockdown. That’s what some are saying, but has it really? Also, did Britain go into lockdown based on dodgy figures? The US media suddenly notice that Hunter Biden is in trouble. And a leading figure who called for the punishment of Covid lockdown breakers gets caught breaking lockdown.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> Sweden's Covid approach FAILED? Mallen Baker 00:27:56 Sweden’s totally different approach to the pandemic has failed, and it’s now caved in and followed the rest of us into lockdown. That’s what some are saying, but has it really? Also, did Britain go into lockdown based on dodgy figures? The US media suddenly notice that Hunter Biden is in trouble. And a leading figure who called for the punishment of Covid lockdown breakers gets caught breaking lockdown. Sweden’s totally different approach to the pandemic has failed, and it’s now caved in and followed the rest of us into lockdown. That’s what some are saying, but has it really? Also, did Britain go into lockdown based on dodgy figures? The US media suddenly notice that Hunter Biden is in trouble. And a leading figure who called for the punishment of Covid lockdown breakers gets caught breaking lockdown. false full 72 f4b59e18-4b03-455b-a6ec-ee63a7526a95 High Court says NO PUBERTY BLOCKERS for kids | The Mallen Baker Show A huge judgement as the High Court rules that children cannot consent to body-changing trans treatments such as puberty blockers. Britain picks playground fights with Dr Fauci and everyone else about how much better it is than them. Joe Biden’s emerging new team signals a final end to the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. And cancel culture hits English Master Will Knowland at Eton School. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Fri, 4 Dec 2020 20:29:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A huge judgement as the High Court rules that children cannot consent to body-changing trans treatments such as puberty blockers. Britain picks playground fights with Dr Fauci and everyone else about how much better it is than them. Joe Biden’s emerging new team signals a final end to the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. And cancel culture hits English Master Will Knowland at Eton School. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> High Court says NO PUBERTY BLOCKERS for kids | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:27:14 A huge judgement as the High Court rules that children cannot consent to body-changing trans treatments such as puberty blockers. Britain picks playground fights with Dr Fauci and everyone else about how much better it is than them. Joe Biden’s emerging new team signals a final end to the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. And cancel culture hits English Master Will Knowland at Eton School. A huge judgement as the High Court rules that children cannot consent to body-changing trans treatments such as puberty blockers. Britain picks playground fights with Dr Fauci and everyone else about how much better it is than them. Joe Biden’s emerging new team signals a final end to the dream of Martin Luther King Jr. And cancel culture hits English Master Will Knowland at Eton School. false full 71 183b79be-711f-4186-a87b-44007a04fcc2 Will they take the Covid VACCINE? It seems as though it’s unending covid lockdowns until the vaccines arrive. But will people take them when they get here? Joe Biden pleases some and upsets others and he gears up for action on climate change. And for once, attempts to cancel both the living and the dead fail miserably.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

 

]]> Fri, 27 Nov 2020 19:33:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast It seems as though it’s unending covid lockdowns until the vaccines arrive. But will people take them when they get here? Joe Biden pleases some and upsets others and he gears up for action on climate change. And for once, attempts to cancel both the living and the dead fail miserably.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

 

]]> Will they take the Covid VACCINE? Mallen Baker 00:28:43 It seems as though it’s unending covid lockdowns until the vaccines arrive. But will people take them when they get here? Joe Biden pleases some and upsets others and he gears up for action on climate change. And for once, attempts to cancel both the living and the dead fail miserably. It seems as though it’s unending covid lockdowns until the vaccines arrive. But will people take them when they get here? Joe Biden pleases some and upsets others and he gears up for action on climate change. And for once, attempts to cancel both the living and the dead fail miserably. false full 70 5cee6c68-82a0-4ea7-a3b3-99dac30fcdd7 The Boris climate gamble | The Mallen Baker Show Boris Johnson launches his ten-point plan for the green industrial revolution. Question marks get raised over whether Covid-19 actually started in China, even as protests against lockdowns continue. And we ask the question whether there’s any answer now to our deeply polarised society.

Support the Mallen Baker Show https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References 

Prime Minister releases ten point plan 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-outlines-his-ten-point-plan-for-a-green-industrial-revolution-for-250000-jobs 

Carbon Brief analysis of government’s 10 point plan 
https://www.carbonbrief.org/media-reaction-boris-johnsons-10-point-net-zero-plan-for-climate-change 

Poland and Hungary create EU crisis 
https://www.politico.eu/article/polish-premier-points-finger-at-eu-in-budget-fight/ 

Tucker Carlson - time to present the evidence 
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-rudy-giuliani-sidney-powell-election-fraud 

Lebanon modelling 
https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/beirut-port-explosion

]]> Sat, 21 Nov 2020 09:21:21 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Boris Johnson launches his ten-point plan for the green industrial revolution. Question marks get raised over whether Covid-19 actually started in China, even as protests against lockdowns continue. And we ask the question whether there’s any answer now to our deeply polarised society.

Support the Mallen Baker Show https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References 

Prime Minister releases ten point plan 
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/pm-outlines-his-ten-point-plan-for-a-green-industrial-revolution-for-250000-jobs 

Carbon Brief analysis of government’s 10 point plan 
https://www.carbonbrief.org/media-reaction-boris-johnsons-10-point-net-zero-plan-for-climate-change 

Poland and Hungary create EU crisis 
https://www.politico.eu/article/polish-premier-points-finger-at-eu-in-budget-fight/ 

Tucker Carlson - time to present the evidence 
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-rudy-giuliani-sidney-powell-election-fraud 

Lebanon modelling 
https://forensic-architecture.org/investigation/beirut-port-explosion

]]> The Boris climate gamble | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:43 Boris Johnson launches his ten-point plan for the green industrial revolution. Question marks get raised over whether Covid-19 actually started in China, even as protests against lockdowns continue. And we ask the question whether there’s any answer now to our deeply polarised society. Boris Johnson launches his ten-point plan for the green industrial revolution. Question marks get raised over whether Covid-19 actually started in China, even as protests against lockdowns continue. And we ask the question whether there’s any answer now to our deeply polarised society. true full 69 bfd9dbef-398e-41bc-a570-79b107ec0eb5 Joe Biden WON’T HEAL America Joe Biden promises that he can heal America, but there are good reasons to think that he’s wrong. A vaccine is on the way that has a 90% effectiveness against Covid-19. And climate scientists stand up against end-of-the-world doomerism even as President Trump gives them a final kick on his way out of the door.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Fri, 13 Nov 2020 21:11:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Joe Biden promises that he can heal America, but there are good reasons to think that he’s wrong. A vaccine is on the way that has a 90% effectiveness against Covid-19. And climate scientists stand up against end-of-the-world doomerism even as President Trump gives them a final kick on his way out of the door.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Joe Biden WON’T HEAL America Mallen Baker 00:28:28 Joe Biden promises that he can heal America, but there are good reasons to think that he’s wrong. A vaccine is on the way that has a 90% effectiveness against Covid-19. And climate scientists stand up against end-of-the-world doomerism even as President Trump gives them a final kick on his way out of the door. Joe Biden promises that he can heal America, but there are good reasons to think that he’s wrong. A vaccine is on the way that has a 90% effectiveness against Covid-19. And climate scientists stand up against end-of-the-world doomerism even as President Trump gives them a final kick on his way out of the door. false full 68 169fa456-ead2-4421-8d42-348055c0dcb4 The Lockdown LIE? | The Mallen Baker Show England goes into full lockdown and within days the data that put it there is being ripped apart. The US presidential standoff gets uglier as President Trump alleges widespread fraud and Europe faces serious conflict over political Islam in the wake of recent terrorist attacks.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Why have No 10’s Covid forecasts changed so much?

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-have-no-10s-covid-forecasts-changed-so-much

OSR Statement on transparency of data related to Covid-19

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/osr-statement-regarding-transparency-of-data-related-to-covid-19/

Toby Young post about ‘what are they up to?’

https://lockdownsceptics.org/2020/11/04/#the-government-is-terrified

]]> Fri, 6 Nov 2020 19:12:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast England goes into full lockdown and within days the data that put it there is being ripped apart. The US presidential standoff gets uglier as President Trump alleges widespread fraud and Europe faces serious conflict over political Islam in the wake of recent terrorist attacks.

Support this podcast! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Why have No 10’s Covid forecasts changed so much?

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/why-have-no-10s-covid-forecasts-changed-so-much

OSR Statement on transparency of data related to Covid-19

https://osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk/news/osr-statement-regarding-transparency-of-data-related-to-covid-19/

Toby Young post about ‘what are they up to?’

https://lockdownsceptics.org/2020/11/04/#the-government-is-terrified

]]> The Lockdown LIE? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:27:44 England goes into full lockdown and within days the data that put it there is being ripped apart. The US presidential standoff gets uglier as President Trump alleges widespread fraud and Europe faces serious conflict over political Islam in the wake of recent terrorist attacks. England goes into full lockdown and within days the data that put it there is being ripped apart. The US presidential standoff gets uglier as President Trump alleges widespread fraud and Europe faces serious conflict over political Islam in the wake of recent terrorist attacks. false full 67 ff36aa5a-9fde-4f27-bef6-65c94fabe39f The Secret Covid Report REVEALED | The Mallen Baker Show As European countries are locking down again in the face of the pandemic, we discover the previously secret UK government advice directing its actions as we go into the predicted second wave. Plus, we review the week’s news and discuss the downsides of campaigns to feed hungry children. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

SAGE worst case scenario (paywall, but limited free sample articles) https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/classified-covid-in-winter-2020-a-worst-case-scenario 

NHS service reduction during the pandemic https://drfoster.com/2020/10/14/quantifying-nhs-activity-reduction-during-the-peak-of-the-covid-19-crisis/ 

First do no harm, letter from health professionals and scientists https://usforthem.co.uk/open-letter-from-health-professionals-and-scientists-to-the-prime-minister

]]> Fri, 30 Oct 2020 19:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast As European countries are locking down again in the face of the pandemic, we discover the previously secret UK government advice directing its actions as we go into the predicted second wave. Plus, we review the week’s news and discuss the downsides of campaigns to feed hungry children. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

SAGE worst case scenario (paywall, but limited free sample articles) https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/classified-covid-in-winter-2020-a-worst-case-scenario 

NHS service reduction during the pandemic https://drfoster.com/2020/10/14/quantifying-nhs-activity-reduction-during-the-peak-of-the-covid-19-crisis/ 

First do no harm, letter from health professionals and scientists https://usforthem.co.uk/open-letter-from-health-professionals-and-scientists-to-the-prime-minister

]]> The Secret Covid Report REVEALED | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:26:15 false full 66 b402ad49-0cc8-49ce-97ee-603e96941fa0 Things they tell us (that just AIN'T SO) | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the final presidential debate takes place against the backdrop of highly partisan media reporting. The UK throws more areas into Covid lockdown and the data shows that the coronavirus doesn’t after all care about the colour of your skin.

Support the Mallen Baker Show on Patreon! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References 

Office for National Statistics data on Covid deaths versus influenza 

Ethnic minority Covid risk 'not explained by racism' 

NY Covid mortality study 

SAGE rejects the Great Barrington Declaration (paywall)

Kemi Badenoch, speech on critical race theory

]]> Sat, 24 Oct 2020 13:55:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the final presidential debate takes place against the backdrop of highly partisan media reporting. The UK throws more areas into Covid lockdown and the data shows that the coronavirus doesn’t after all care about the colour of your skin.

Support the Mallen Baker Show on Patreon! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References 

Office for National Statistics data on Covid deaths versus influenza 

Ethnic minority Covid risk 'not explained by racism' 

NY Covid mortality study 

SAGE rejects the Great Barrington Declaration (paywall)

Kemi Badenoch, speech on critical race theory

]]> Things they tell us (that just AIN'T SO) | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:12 In this round-up of the week, the final presidential debate takes place against the backdrop of highly partisan media reporting. The UK throws more areas into Covid lockdown and the data shows that the coronavirus doesn’t after all care about the colour of your skin. In this round-up of the week, the final presidential debate takes place against the backdrop of highly partisan media reporting. The UK throws more areas into Covid lockdown and the data shows that the coronavirus doesn’t after all care about the colour of your skin. false full 65 ba214cdd-7c50-4038-99bf-e25331bdcdad Courting climate controversy | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the UK government says ‘no’ to the scientists over covid lockdowns, Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett outrages many with her comments on climate change, and both social media giants and the police are ramping up the policing of speech.

Support this podcast: https:patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> Sat, 17 Oct 2020 12:10:23 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the UK government says ‘no’ to the scientists over covid lockdowns, Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett outrages many with her comments on climate change, and both social media giants and the police are ramping up the policing of speech.

Support this podcast: https:patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

]]> Courting climate controversy | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:57 In this round-up of the week, the UK government says ‘no’ to the scientists over covid lockdowns, Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett outrages many with her comments on climate change, and both social media giants and the police are ramping up the policing of speech. In this round-up of the week, the UK government says ‘no’ to the scientists over covid lockdowns, Supreme court nominee Amy Coney Barrett outrages many with her comments on climate change, and both social media giants and the police are ramping up the policing of speech. false full 64 2d3b4b31-8e06-414c-ad44-fa765e4d622c Why the debates don't work | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, following the vice presidents debate we ask what we learned from the two candidates who are actually able to speak in complete sentences, and why the debate format is so bad. We ask whether President Trump is really as recovered and healthy as he says he is, And Britain and Europe prepare for yet more Covid-19 lockdowns in spite of the growing chorus of criticism.

]]> Sat, 10 Oct 2020 12:29:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, following the vice presidents debate we ask what we learned from the two candidates who are actually able to speak in complete sentences, and why the debate format is so bad. We ask whether President Trump is really as recovered and healthy as he says he is, And Britain and Europe prepare for yet more Covid-19 lockdowns in spite of the growing chorus of criticism.

]]> Why the debates don't work | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:32:13 In this round-up of the week, following the vice presidents debate we ask what we learned from the two candidates who are actually able to speak in complete sentences, and why the debate format is so bad. We ask whether President Trump is really as recovered and healthy as he says he is, And Britain and Europe prepare for yet more Covid-19 lockdowns in spite of the growing chorus of criticism. In this round-up of the week, following the vice presidents debate we ask what we learned from the two candidates who are actually able to speak in complete sentences, and why the debate format is so bad. We ask whether President Trump is really as recovered and healthy as he says he is, And Britain and Europe prepare for yet more Covid-19 lockdowns in spite of the growing chorus of criticism. false full 63 8ad60528-40b7-4cae-b1b6-7bceb6ea8f91 Lockdown, The Sequel | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the UK tightens and Belgium relaxes their lockdowns even though their covid-19 figures are the same, America descends further into turmoil, and China surprises the world by announcing it will commit to net zero carbon by 2060.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

References

Comres poll results
https://twitter.com/SavantaComRes/status/1308788938463678471

Belgian Doctors open letter
https://docs4opendebate.be/en/open-letter/

Examination of the Spain Covid experience
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/does-the-resurgence-of-covid-19-in-spain-exhibit-exponential-growth/

Countries with commitments to ban gasoline vehicles and by when
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehicles

 

]]> Sat, 26 Sep 2020 14:00:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the UK tightens and Belgium relaxes their lockdowns even though their covid-19 figures are the same, America descends further into turmoil, and China surprises the world by announcing it will commit to net zero carbon by 2060.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

References

Comres poll results
https://twitter.com/SavantaComRes/status/1308788938463678471

Belgian Doctors open letter
https://docs4opendebate.be/en/open-letter/

Examination of the Spain Covid experience
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/does-the-resurgence-of-covid-19-in-spain-exhibit-exponential-growth/

Countries with commitments to ban gasoline vehicles and by when
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phase-out_of_fossil_fuel_vehicles

 

]]> Lockdown, The Sequel | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:29:38 In this round-up of the week, the UK tightens and Belgium relaxes their lockdowns even though their covid-19 figures are the same, America descends further into turmoil, and China surprises the world by announcing it will commit to net zero carbon by 2060. In this round-up of the week, the UK tightens and Belgium relaxes their lockdowns even though their covid-19 figures are the same, America descends further into turmoil, and China surprises the world by announcing it will commit to net zero carbon by 2060. false full 62 fc1c5036-509c-4d51-a72a-870d9a19e718 Fiery but mostly peaceful | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, another shooting in America unleashes another round of riots, but are the protesters President Trump’s best hope of re-election? The UK gets hot under the collar over the BBC’s plan to cancel the song Land of Hope and Glory, and the UK’s disastrous wheat harvest has eco-doomers predicting the beginning of the end.

Support this podcast: https: //patreon.com/mallenbaker

References

Detailed account of shootings by Kyle Rittenhouse

https://heavy.com/news/2020/08/kyle-rittenhouse/

Don Lemon CNN says riots are helping trump

https://hannity.com/media-room/this-is-cnn-don-lemon-says-riots-have-to-stop-because-its-showing-up-in-the-polling/

Wikileaks document on Hezbollah and Ammonium Nitrate

https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/13/1336443_hezbollah-searches-for-an-alternative-explosive-.html

World grain harvest

https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/record-high-world-grain-production-for-second-year-in-a-row

China’s grain harvest fears

https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3098590/chinas-grain-scarcity-fears-say-more-about-uncertain-relations-us-food

]]> Sat, 29 Aug 2020 14:25:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, another shooting in America unleashes another round of riots, but are the protesters President Trump’s best hope of re-election? The UK gets hot under the collar over the BBC’s plan to cancel the song Land of Hope and Glory, and the UK’s disastrous wheat harvest has eco-doomers predicting the beginning of the end.

Support this podcast: https: //patreon.com/mallenbaker

References

Detailed account of shootings by Kyle Rittenhouse

https://heavy.com/news/2020/08/kyle-rittenhouse/

Don Lemon CNN says riots are helping trump

https://hannity.com/media-room/this-is-cnn-don-lemon-says-riots-have-to-stop-because-its-showing-up-in-the-polling/

Wikileaks document on Hezbollah and Ammonium Nitrate

https://wikileaks.org/gifiles/docs/13/1336443_hezbollah-searches-for-an-alternative-explosive-.html

World grain harvest

https://www.agriculture.com/news/business/record-high-world-grain-production-for-second-year-in-a-row

China’s grain harvest fears

https://www.scmp.com/economy/article/3098590/chinas-grain-scarcity-fears-say-more-about-uncertain-relations-us-food

]]> Fiery but mostly peaceful | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:01 In this round-up of the week, another shooting in America unleashes another round of riots, but are the protesters President Trump’s best hope of re-election? The UK gets hot under the collar over the BBC’s plan to cancel the song Land of Hope and Glory, and the UK’s disastrous wheat harvest has eco-doomers predicting the beginning of the end. In this round-up of the week, another shooting in America unleashes another round of riots, but are the protesters President Trump’s best hope of re-election? The UK gets hot under the collar over the BBC’s plan to cancel the song Land of Hope and Glory, and the UK’s disastrous wheat harvest has eco-doomers predicting the beginning of the end. false full 61 185f72e1-481e-4d0f-aac7-797353a027df The Panic Pandemic | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, panic provokes lockdowns and quarantines in Europe even though almost nobody’s dying, panic leads to a U-turn in the UK’s position on fantasy exam results so now there are prizes for everyone, and panic underpins the start of the US presidential elections.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

Mallen interviewed on the Ross Trevena Project

http://www.rosstrevena.com/trtp.html

References

Melbourne debates switch to covid-19 elimination plan

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/australia-debates-switch-to-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-melbourne-cases-surge

Release for ‘women make the best covid leaders’ paper

https://www.reading.ac.uk/news-and-events/releases/PR846481.aspx

Leading the Fight Against the Pandemic: Does Gender ‘Really’ Matter? https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3617953

Denver doctors may have found the answer to a pandemic mystery: What happened to all the heart attacks?

https://coloradosun.com/2020/08/17/denver-coronavirus-deaths-heart-attack/

 

]]> Sat, 22 Aug 2020 12:18:18 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, panic provokes lockdowns and quarantines in Europe even though almost nobody’s dying, panic leads to a U-turn in the UK’s position on fantasy exam results so now there are prizes for everyone, and panic underpins the start of the US presidential elections.

Support this podcast: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

Mallen interviewed on the Ross Trevena Project

http://www.rosstrevena.com/trtp.html

References

Melbourne debates switch to covid-19 elimination plan

https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/australianz/australia-debates-switch-to-covid-19-elimination-plan-as-melbourne-cases-surge

Release for ‘women make the best covid leaders’ paper

https://www.reading.ac.uk/news-and-events/releases/PR846481.aspx

Leading the Fight Against the Pandemic: Does Gender ‘Really’ Matter? https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3617953

Denver doctors may have found the answer to a pandemic mystery: What happened to all the heart attacks?

https://coloradosun.com/2020/08/17/denver-coronavirus-deaths-heart-attack/

 

]]> The Panic Pandemic | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:30:46 In this round-up of the week, panic provokes lockdowns and quarantines in Europe even though almost nobody’s dying, panic leads to a U-turn in the UK’s position on fantasy exam results so now there are prizes for everyone, and panic underpins the start of the US presidential elections. In this round-up of the week, panic provokes lockdowns and quarantines in Europe even though almost nobody’s dying, panic leads to a U-turn in the UK’s position on fantasy exam results so now there are prizes for everyone, and panic underpins the start of the US presidential elections. false full 60 75c9d543-b633-4e3a-8175-9db80f7fd70e The Leaders We Deserve? | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, anger is rising in the shell-shocked city of Beirut, leaked video evidence throws a new light on the murder of George Floyd and President Trump and Joe Biden are in a tightly fought contest to see which can do the most self-harm to their own campaigns.

Support this channel at: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References 

What really happened at the Port of Beirut? By Dr Mordechai Kedar https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/beirut-port-explosion/

]]> Sat, 8 Aug 2020 13:39:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, anger is rising in the shell-shocked city of Beirut, leaked video evidence throws a new light on the murder of George Floyd and President Trump and Joe Biden are in a tightly fought contest to see which can do the most self-harm to their own campaigns.

Support this channel at: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References 

What really happened at the Port of Beirut? By Dr Mordechai Kedar https://besacenter.org/perspectives-papers/beirut-port-explosion/

]]> The Leaders We Deserve? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:00 In this round-up of the week, anger is rising in the shell-shocked city of Beirut, leaked video evidence throws a new light on the murder of George Floyd and President Trump and Joe Biden are in a tightly fought contest to see which can do the most self-harm to their own campaigns. In this round-up of the week, anger is rising in the shell-shocked city of Beirut, leaked video evidence throws a new light on the murder of George Floyd and President Trump and Joe Biden are in a tightly fought contest to see which can do the most self-harm to their own campaigns. false full 59 968d9936-5916-4143-a170-bdf388179f9a The second spike of stupidity | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, European governments are terrified of what seems to be an emerging second wave of covid-19. Americans fight partisan wars over masks and hydroxychloroquine, and the tech companies take another step in the censorship of bad thoughts.

Includes the mask debate, the Frontline Doctors of America video, Trump's comments on election fraud, hydroxychoriquin and more. 

Support this channel: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Covid-19 Opinion Tracker https://www.kekstcnc.com/media/2793/k...

 I Was Invited to Testify on Energy Policy. Then Democrats Didn’t Let Me Speak https://quillette.com/2020/07/29/why-... 

Destroyer Mariko https://www.youtube.com/user/DestroyerMariko
Mariko's Patreon https://www.patreon.com/destroyermariko

]]> Sat, 1 Aug 2020 10:50:20 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, European governments are terrified of what seems to be an emerging second wave of covid-19. Americans fight partisan wars over masks and hydroxychloroquine, and the tech companies take another step in the censorship of bad thoughts.

Includes the mask debate, the Frontline Doctors of America video, Trump's comments on election fraud, hydroxychoriquin and more. 

Support this channel: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Covid-19 Opinion Tracker https://www.kekstcnc.com/media/2793/k...

 I Was Invited to Testify on Energy Policy. Then Democrats Didn’t Let Me Speak https://quillette.com/2020/07/29/why-... 

Destroyer Mariko https://www.youtube.com/user/DestroyerMariko
Mariko's Patreon https://www.patreon.com/destroyermariko

]]> The second spike of stupidity | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:27:35 In this round-up of the week, European governments are terrified of what seems to be an emerging second wave of covid-19. Americans fight partisan wars over masks and hydroxychloroquine, and the tech companies take another step in the censorship of bad thoughts. In this round-up of the week, European governments are terrified of what seems to be an emerging second wave of covid-19. Americans fight partisan wars over masks and hydroxychloroquine, and the tech companies take another step in the censorship of bad thoughts. false full 58 7e669f33-f675-4db7-9f84-3cf3a4872b8c Portland Protests, Media Bias and the Russia Report | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the US media shows shocking partisan bias as America sinks deeper into conflict, the UK is faced with the evidence of Russia’s attempts to do it harm and Britain’s climate campaigners turn against each other. 

Support this channel: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

This episode talks about The Russia Report, looking at Russian interference in the UK elections, Brexit and Scottish Independence referendum. It looks at President Trump, blaming the Black Lives Matter protests for spreading Covid-19. It looks at Isaiah Jackson, who knelt on the neck of a two-year-old toddler to promote Black Lives Matter, and we talk about the Beyond Politics Party, offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, brainchild of Roger Hallam, which this week covered the buildings of environmental NGOs such as Greenpeace with paint in protest at their failure to rebel against the government.

References

Paper on Black Lives Matter protests and social distancing
https://www.nber.org/papers/w27408.pdf

Paper on Black Lives Matter protests and social distancing
https://www.nber.org/papers/w27408.pdf

]]> Sat, 25 Jul 2020 13:45:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the US media shows shocking partisan bias as America sinks deeper into conflict, the UK is faced with the evidence of Russia’s attempts to do it harm and Britain’s climate campaigners turn against each other. 

Support this channel: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

This episode talks about The Russia Report, looking at Russian interference in the UK elections, Brexit and Scottish Independence referendum. It looks at President Trump, blaming the Black Lives Matter protests for spreading Covid-19. It looks at Isaiah Jackson, who knelt on the neck of a two-year-old toddler to promote Black Lives Matter, and we talk about the Beyond Politics Party, offshoot of Extinction Rebellion, brainchild of Roger Hallam, which this week covered the buildings of environmental NGOs such as Greenpeace with paint in protest at their failure to rebel against the government.

References

Paper on Black Lives Matter protests and social distancing
https://www.nber.org/papers/w27408.pdf

Paper on Black Lives Matter protests and social distancing
https://www.nber.org/papers/w27408.pdf

]]> Portland Protests, Media Bias and the Russia Report | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:29:55 In this round-up of the week, the US media shows shocking partisan bias as America sinks deeper into conflict, the UK is faced with the evidence of Russia’s attempts to do it harm and Britain’s climate campaigners turn against each other. In this round-up of the week, the US media shows shocking partisan bias as America sinks deeper into conflict, the UK is faced with the evidence of Russia’s attempts to do it harm and Britain’s climate campaigners turn against each other. false full 57 ea96a0d5-38dc-4e1a-b78a-53c06045ca44 Chinese or Woke? How do you prefer your censorship? | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, we learned that Data and research are obliterated if they tell us things we don’t want to hear. The world wakes up to how vulnerable it’s made itself to communist China. And leading figures on the left get cancelled for signing a letter calling for the end of cancel culture.

Support this channel. https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

Mallen interviewed on The Amish Inquisition podcast 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HntVHaq5bdE 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Trump rally ‘likely source’ of surge

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-07-08/health-official-trump-rally-likely-source-of-virus-surge

Demonstrations may have caused surge, Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cities-protests-coronavirus-cases-black-lives-matter

Fauci comments on Covid-19

https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-coronavirus-spreads-striking-efficiency-creates-perfect-storm-2020-7

Retraction Notice

https://retractionwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PNAS_STATEMENT.pdf

Heather MacDonald on the retraction

https://apkmetro.com/i-cited-their-study-so-they-disavowed-it/

Harpers letter

https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/

Response letter to the Harpers original

https://theobjective.substack.com/p/a-more-specific-letter-on-justice

]]> Sat, 11 Jul 2020 14:21:30 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, we learned that Data and research are obliterated if they tell us things we don’t want to hear. The world wakes up to how vulnerable it’s made itself to communist China. And leading figures on the left get cancelled for signing a letter calling for the end of cancel culture.

Support this channel. https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

Mallen interviewed on The Amish Inquisition podcast 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HntVHaq5bdE 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Trump rally ‘likely source’ of surge

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-07-08/health-official-trump-rally-likely-source-of-virus-surge

Demonstrations may have caused surge, Fox News

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/cities-protests-coronavirus-cases-black-lives-matter

Fauci comments on Covid-19

https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-coronavirus-spreads-striking-efficiency-creates-perfect-storm-2020-7

Retraction Notice

https://retractionwatch.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PNAS_STATEMENT.pdf

Heather MacDonald on the retraction

https://apkmetro.com/i-cited-their-study-so-they-disavowed-it/

Harpers letter

https://harpers.org/a-letter-on-justice-and-open-debate/

Response letter to the Harpers original

https://theobjective.substack.com/p/a-more-specific-letter-on-justice

]]> Chinese or Woke? How do you prefer your censorship? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:18 In this round-up of the week, we learned that Data and research are obliterated if they tell us things we don’t want to hear. The world wakes up to how vulnerable it’s made itself to communist China. And leading figures on the left get cancelled for signing a letter calling for the end of cancel culture. In this round-up of the week, we learned that Data and research are obliterated if they tell us things we don’t want to hear. The world wakes up to how vulnerable it’s made itself to communist China. And leading figures on the left get cancelled for signing a letter calling for the end of cancel culture. false full 56 29ca208f-493e-4e3d-aa66-f7ab79775f89 The Surge in the South | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the surge in the south puts the coronavirus back on the US agenda. A backlash grows against Black Lives Matter the organisation, and Facebook refuses to censor political speech while censoring political speech.

Support this podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> Sat, 4 Jul 2020 14:39:14 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the surge in the south puts the coronavirus back on the US agenda. A backlash grows against Black Lives Matter the organisation, and Facebook refuses to censor political speech while censoring political speech.

Support this podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

]]> The Surge in the South | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:27:21 In this round-up of the week, the surge in the south puts the coronavirus back on the US agenda. A backlash grows against Black Lives Matter the organisation, and Facebook refuses to censor political speech while censoring political speech. In this round-up of the week, the surge in the south puts the coronavirus back on the US agenda. A backlash grows against Black Lives Matter the organisation, and Facebook refuses to censor political speech while censoring political speech. false full 55 82ea7475-9610-4fe4-a620-9a5f5cc087fe Anti-slavery is CANCELLED | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, anti-racism campaigners choose increasingly bizarre targets, battles are won against cancel-culture but mostly the war is being lost, and France’s citizens assembly on climate change comes up with its list of demands. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Photos: So who was Hans Christian Heg? Here's why the Civil War hero had a statue

https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/photos-so-who-was-hans-christian-heg-heres-why-the-civil-war-hero-had-a/collection_31313606-691a-52d2-a4fa-cbe4eca84f73.html#anchor_item_5

BLM leader says they will ‘burn down the system’
https://disrn.com/news/blm-president-says-movement-prepared-to-burn-down-the-system

Trump responds to ‘treason’

https://disrn.com/news/president-trump-calls-blm-leaders-remarks-treason-sedition-insurrection 

Jake Hepple defends his case
https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/24/burnley-fan-behind-white-lives-matter-banner-insists-not-racist-12897432/

Hepple was fired
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11708/12014029/burnley-fan-jake-hepple-sacked-for-part-in-white-lives-matter-banner

Hepple’s girlfriend rejected ‘sensitivity training’ and was fired
https://summit.news/2020/06/24/girlfriend-of-man-who-flew-white-lives-matter-banner-fired-from-her-job/

Stu Peters reinstated at Manx Radio
https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/stu-peters-is-back-but-live-calls-axed/

Free Speech Union
https://freespeechunion.org/

Cambridge University rescinds Jordan Peterson invitation

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/mar/20/cambridge-university-rescinds-jordan-peterson-invitation

Frances’ Citizen Assembly on Climate Change

https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/

Residents sue Seattle over CHAZ
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/25/us/seattle-protest-zone-chop-lawsuit/index.html

]]> Sat, 27 Jun 2020 17:01:11 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, anti-racism campaigners choose increasingly bizarre targets, battles are won against cancel-culture but mostly the war is being lost, and France’s citizens assembly on climate change comes up with its list of demands. 

Support this channel! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Photos: So who was Hans Christian Heg? Here's why the Civil War hero had a statue

https://madison.com/wsj/news/local/crime-and-courts/photos-so-who-was-hans-christian-heg-heres-why-the-civil-war-hero-had-a/collection_31313606-691a-52d2-a4fa-cbe4eca84f73.html#anchor_item_5

BLM leader says they will ‘burn down the system’
https://disrn.com/news/blm-president-says-movement-prepared-to-burn-down-the-system

Trump responds to ‘treason’

https://disrn.com/news/president-trump-calls-blm-leaders-remarks-treason-sedition-insurrection 

Jake Hepple defends his case
https://metro.co.uk/2020/06/24/burnley-fan-behind-white-lives-matter-banner-insists-not-racist-12897432/

Hepple was fired
https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11708/12014029/burnley-fan-jake-hepple-sacked-for-part-in-white-lives-matter-banner

Hepple’s girlfriend rejected ‘sensitivity training’ and was fired
https://summit.news/2020/06/24/girlfriend-of-man-who-flew-white-lives-matter-banner-fired-from-her-job/

Stu Peters reinstated at Manx Radio
https://www.manxradio.com/news/isle-of-man-news/stu-peters-is-back-but-live-calls-axed/

Free Speech Union
https://freespeechunion.org/

Cambridge University rescinds Jordan Peterson invitation

https://www.theguardian.com/education/2019/mar/20/cambridge-university-rescinds-jordan-peterson-invitation

Frances’ Citizen Assembly on Climate Change

https://www.conventioncitoyennepourleclimat.fr/

Residents sue Seattle over CHAZ
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/25/us/seattle-protest-zone-chop-lawsuit/index.html

]]> Anti-slavery is CANCELLED | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:32:29 In this round-up of the week, anti-racism campaigners choose increasingly bizarre targets, battles are won against cancel-culture but mostly the war is being lost, and France’s citizens assembly on climate change comes up with its list of demands. In this round-up of the week, anti-racism campaigners choose increasingly bizarre targets, battles are won against cancel-culture but mostly the war is being lost, and France’s citizens assembly on climate change comes up with its list of demands. false full 54 fabf15f3-39b1-495d-913b-2e3b3801e277 The Crisis of Confidence | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, we begin to reap what we sowed over the last month as trust in institutions goes through the floor. And people begin to kick back against the narrative that everything is awful and everyone is racist.

Please support this content at https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

Additional Reading / References

Douglas Murray Daily Mail piece

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8418209/DOUGLAS-MURRAY-Anarchy-breaking-brakes-thing-Does-know.html

More police than usual resigning from Minneapolis police

https://disrn.com/news/minneapolis-police-resigning-in-unusually-large-numbers

Austin, Texas, protests 11 days in a row by June 7

https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/black-lives-matter-rally-draws-thousands-austin

Fear of surge in cases in Jacksonville after demonstrations

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/fear-of-surge-in-coronavirus-cases-among-african-american-communities-as-mass-protests-continue/77-d4bcce44-8955-428b-b90b-c927901bb35f

Will protests increase the spread of covid-19?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/ethics/will-protests-increase-spread-covid19-coronavirus

Interview with Professor Clifford Stott

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000k2l3

Racist police violence reconsidered

https://quillette.com/2020/06/11/racist-police-violence-reconsidered/

 

]]> Sat, 20 Jun 2020 12:25:42 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, we begin to reap what we sowed over the last month as trust in institutions goes through the floor. And people begin to kick back against the narrative that everything is awful and everyone is racist.

Please support this content at https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

Additional Reading / References

Douglas Murray Daily Mail piece

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8418209/DOUGLAS-MURRAY-Anarchy-breaking-brakes-thing-Does-know.html

More police than usual resigning from Minneapolis police

https://disrn.com/news/minneapolis-police-resigning-in-unusually-large-numbers

Austin, Texas, protests 11 days in a row by June 7

https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/black-lives-matter-rally-draws-thousands-austin

Fear of surge in cases in Jacksonville after demonstrations

https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/fear-of-surge-in-coronavirus-cases-among-african-american-communities-as-mass-protests-continue/77-d4bcce44-8955-428b-b90b-c927901bb35f

Will protests increase the spread of covid-19?
https://spectrum.ieee.org/the-human-os/biomedical/ethics/will-protests-increase-spread-covid19-coronavirus

Interview with Professor Clifford Stott

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000k2l3

Racist police violence reconsidered

https://quillette.com/2020/06/11/racist-police-violence-reconsidered/

 

]]> The Crisis of Confidence | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:38 In this round-up of the week, we begin to reap what we sowed over the last month as trust in institutions goes through the floor. And people begin to kick back against the narrative that everything is awful and everyone is racist. In this round-up of the week, we begin to reap what we sowed over the last month as trust in institutions goes through the floor. And people begin to kick back against the narrative that everything is awful and everyone is racist. false full 53 468e5426-cf01-4f98-bce6-2e939542b0b6 EVERYONE is Cancelled | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, campaigners aim to cancel the police for brutality. Others want to cancel long-dead people for slavery. Mostly they end up cancelling each other for having wrong opinions. Let's discuss. 

A star-spangled cast, with the likes of Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Gladstone rubbing shoulder to shoulder with JK Rowling, Nigel Farage, and more. 

Join the lovely people who support this channel by becoming a patron. https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Black Lives Matter website – ‘defund the police’

https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/

Mayor Garcetti disagrees with protesters' calls for defunding LAPD https://abc7.com/george-floyd-defund-lapd-the-police-use-of-force/6242698/

Forbes: Why The ACLU, Black Lives Matter And Others Want To ‘Defund The Police’ While This Weapons Supplier Disagrees
https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamelton/2020/06/08/why-the-aclu-black-lives-matter-and-others-want-to-defund-the-police-while-this-weapons-supplier-disagrees/#5e6c4222f929

Democratic leaders clash with Black Lives Matter activists over 'defund the police'

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/democratic-leaders-clash-black-lives-matter-activists-over-defund-police-n1227671

]]> Sat, 13 Jun 2020 11:53:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, campaigners aim to cancel the police for brutality. Others want to cancel long-dead people for slavery. Mostly they end up cancelling each other for having wrong opinions. Let's discuss. 

A star-spangled cast, with the likes of Winston Churchill, Gandhi and Gladstone rubbing shoulder to shoulder with JK Rowling, Nigel Farage, and more. 

Join the lovely people who support this channel by becoming a patron. https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Black Lives Matter website – ‘defund the police’

https://blacklivesmatter.com/defundthepolice/

Mayor Garcetti disagrees with protesters' calls for defunding LAPD https://abc7.com/george-floyd-defund-lapd-the-police-use-of-force/6242698/

Forbes: Why The ACLU, Black Lives Matter And Others Want To ‘Defund The Police’ While This Weapons Supplier Disagrees
https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamelton/2020/06/08/why-the-aclu-black-lives-matter-and-others-want-to-defund-the-police-while-this-weapons-supplier-disagrees/#5e6c4222f929

Democratic leaders clash with Black Lives Matter activists over 'defund the police'

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/politics-news/democratic-leaders-clash-black-lives-matter-activists-over-defund-police-n1227671

]]> EVERYONE is Cancelled | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:28:37 In this round-up of the week, campaigners aim to cancel the police for brutality. Others want to cancel long-dead people for slavery. Mostly they end up cancelling each other for having wrong opinions. Let's discuss. In this round-up of the week, campaigners aim to cancel the police for brutality. Others want to cancel long-dead people for slavery. Mostly they end up cancelling each other for having wrong opinions. Let's discuss. false full 52 e1af2933-9815-455b-ac1c-db2c53d4f79d Why America is REALLY divided and on fire | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, America sees a week of protests and riots and police brutality and political manoeuvring and almost no social distancing. The result of the terrible events that led to the death of George Floyd. 

What's the unfortunate truth why the protests are possibly going to result in the opposite to what they want? What are President Trump and Joe Biden doing to try to ensure events benefit their campaign for election? And what just happened that means we might get even worse violence further down the road? 

If you want to solve the problem, you have to know what the problem is. And that’s what we’re getting wrong. Let’s discuss. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Story about Breonna Taylor
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/13/21257457/breonna-taylor-louisville-shooting-ahmaud-arbery-justiceforbre

Statistics on people shot by police in the US

https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/

Fatal shootings by police in England and Wales

https://www.statista.com/statistics/319246/police-fatal-shootings-england-wales/

Officer characteristics and racial disparities in fatal officer-involved shootings, Johnson et al

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/32/15877

Channel 4 Fact check – Do more black Americans commit crimes?

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-black-americans-commit-crime

Definitions 2nd / 3rd degree murder, Minneapolis

https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/what-do-2nd-degree-murder-3rd-degree-murder-manslaughter

The Myth of Systemic Police Racism, Heather MacDonald, WSJ

http://archive.is/OXbjA

 

]]> Sat, 6 Jun 2020 12:06:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, America sees a week of protests and riots and police brutality and political manoeuvring and almost no social distancing. The result of the terrible events that led to the death of George Floyd. 

What's the unfortunate truth why the protests are possibly going to result in the opposite to what they want? What are President Trump and Joe Biden doing to try to ensure events benefit their campaign for election? And what just happened that means we might get even worse violence further down the road? 

If you want to solve the problem, you have to know what the problem is. And that’s what we’re getting wrong. Let’s discuss. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility.

References

Story about Breonna Taylor
https://www.vox.com/2020/5/13/21257457/breonna-taylor-louisville-shooting-ahmaud-arbery-justiceforbre

Statistics on people shot by police in the US

https://www.statista.com/statistics/585152/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-race/

Fatal shootings by police in England and Wales

https://www.statista.com/statistics/319246/police-fatal-shootings-england-wales/

Officer characteristics and racial disparities in fatal officer-involved shootings, Johnson et al

https://www.pnas.org/content/116/32/15877

Channel 4 Fact check – Do more black Americans commit crimes?

https://www.channel4.com/news/factcheck/factcheck-black-americans-commit-crime

Definitions 2nd / 3rd degree murder, Minneapolis

https://www.voanews.com/usa/nation-turmoil-george-floyd-protests/what-do-2nd-degree-murder-3rd-degree-murder-manslaughter

The Myth of Systemic Police Racism, Heather MacDonald, WSJ

http://archive.is/OXbjA

 

]]> Why America is REALLY divided and on fire | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:29:59 false full 51 c5895934-461b-4825-af0f-d8bddfde8d66 Media frenzy FAILS to bring down Dominic Cummings In this round-up of the week, the media tries to take down Brexit architect Dominic Cummings, President Trump declares war on social media companies, and YouTube removes another video for contradicting the covid-19 approved line.

References

Spiked article on Dominic Cummings’ press event

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/05/26/how-the-media-lost-the-plot/

Toby Young’s deleted video

https://www.bitchute.com/video/P7qJBIVOPoBs/

French social media law

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/05/14/french-social-media-law-is-another-coronavirus-blow-to-freedom-of-speech/#60071611703c

 

]]> Sat, 30 May 2020 12:24:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the media tries to take down Brexit architect Dominic Cummings, President Trump declares war on social media companies, and YouTube removes another video for contradicting the covid-19 approved line.

References

Spiked article on Dominic Cummings’ press event

https://www.spiked-online.com/2020/05/26/how-the-media-lost-the-plot/

Toby Young’s deleted video

https://www.bitchute.com/video/P7qJBIVOPoBs/

French social media law

https://www.forbes.com/sites/simonchandler/2020/05/14/french-social-media-law-is-another-coronavirus-blow-to-freedom-of-speech/#60071611703c

 

]]> Media frenzy FAILS to bring down Dominic Cummings Mallen Baker 00:28:02 In this round-up of the week, the media tries to take down Brexit architect Dominic Cummings, President Trump declares war on social media companies, and YouTube removes another video for contradicting the covid-19 approved line. In this round-up of the week, the media tries to take down Brexit architect Dominic Cummings, President Trump declares war on social media companies, and YouTube removes another video for contradicting the covid-19 approved line. false full 50 738342c0-3b9a-4bc2-8dcc-679ad900ebb1 FEAR of ending lockdown | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the second wave of infections is notable by its absence, the WHO comes under attack, furious debates break out over how quickly to get back to normal and we see disturbing signs of the silencing of voices critical of then virus lockdown. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

Want to see independent, fact-focused non-ideological commentary? Support this channel on Patreon! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

References 

Video with Dr Karol Sikora https://unherd.com/thepost/professor-karol-sikora-fear-is-more-dangerous-than-the-virus/

Denmark SSI doesn’t understand why there aren’t more cases https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2020-05-20-ssi-vi-forstaar-ikke-hvorfor-der-ikke-er-flere-smittede

Earlier UK lockdown could have saved lives
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-lockdown-coronavirus-deaths-avoided_uk_5ec76ad1c5b66686597a8129

Climate modeller James Annan’s original post
https://bskiesresearch.wordpress.com/2020/05/12/the-human-cost-of-delaying-lockdown/

We’re all in the big numbers now – counting the cost of the damage

https://thecritic.co.uk/were-all-in-the-big-numbers-now/

Education leaders don’t want schools to reopen

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/coronavirus-uk-schools-boris-johnson-lockdown-june-a4436626.html

British people scared of coming out of lockdown

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/02/fearful-britons-oppose-lifting-lockdown-schools-pubs-restaurants-opinium-poll

Journalist cancelled for suggesting petition to reopen schools
https://lockdownsceptics.org/the-reaction-to-a-petition-to-reopen-schools/

 

]]> Sat, 23 May 2020 11:12:52 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the second wave of infections is notable by its absence, the WHO comes under attack, furious debates break out over how quickly to get back to normal and we see disturbing signs of the silencing of voices critical of then virus lockdown. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

Want to see independent, fact-focused non-ideological commentary? Support this channel on Patreon! https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

References 

Video with Dr Karol Sikora https://unherd.com/thepost/professor-karol-sikora-fear-is-more-dangerous-than-the-virus/

Denmark SSI doesn’t understand why there aren’t more cases https://nyheder.tv2.dk/samfund/2020-05-20-ssi-vi-forstaar-ikke-hvorfor-der-ikke-er-flere-smittede

Earlier UK lockdown could have saved lives
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/uk-lockdown-coronavirus-deaths-avoided_uk_5ec76ad1c5b66686597a8129

Climate modeller James Annan’s original post
https://bskiesresearch.wordpress.com/2020/05/12/the-human-cost-of-delaying-lockdown/

We’re all in the big numbers now – counting the cost of the damage

https://thecritic.co.uk/were-all-in-the-big-numbers-now/

Education leaders don’t want schools to reopen

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/education/coronavirus-uk-schools-boris-johnson-lockdown-june-a4436626.html

British people scared of coming out of lockdown

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/02/fearful-britons-oppose-lifting-lockdown-schools-pubs-restaurants-opinium-poll

Journalist cancelled for suggesting petition to reopen schools
https://lockdownsceptics.org/the-reaction-to-a-petition-to-reopen-schools/

 

]]> FEAR of ending lockdown | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:25:50 In this round-up of the week, the second wave of infections is notable by its absence, the WHO comes under attack, furious debates break out over how quickly to get back to normal and we see disturbing signs of the silencing of voices critical of then virus lockdown. In this round-up of the week, the second wave of infections is notable by its absence, the WHO comes under attack, furious debates break out over how quickly to get back to normal and we see disturbing signs of the silencing of voices critical of then virus lockdown. lockdown, lockdown sceptics, covid-19, coronavirus false full 49 63efda09-8def-482b-a3a6-4ee46b6b77b9 Herd immunity the only Covid-19 strategy that works? | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the World Health Organisation, savages Sweden for believing in herd immunity. But is it actually the only strategy that works? The world begins to relax lockdown but sees early signs of a second spike of covid-19 cases. And Extinction Rebellion is full of rage that governments may not simply allow the air industry to die in a ditch like a dog. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

Support me on Patreon at: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

References 

Please see the YouTube video notes for references. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-tpVKu-Qg 

]]> Sat, 16 May 2020 12:06:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the World Health Organisation, savages Sweden for believing in herd immunity. But is it actually the only strategy that works? The world begins to relax lockdown but sees early signs of a second spike of covid-19 cases. And Extinction Rebellion is full of rage that governments may not simply allow the air industry to die in a ditch like a dog. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

Support me on Patreon at: https://patreon.com/mallenbaker 

References 

Please see the YouTube video notes for references. 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PO-tpVKu-Qg 

]]> Herd immunity the only Covid-19 strategy that works? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:25:38 lockdown, covid-19, herd immunity, coronavirus false full 48 7575cce0-14a0-4559-8b5c-583a606b1343 Was the LOCKDOWN MODEL wrong? In this round-up of the week, as 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson falls from grace the computer model that kept people off the streets comes under fierce attack. The global covid-19 blame game goes up ten notches. And new research challenges our theories of why insects may be in decline.

References

How ‘Professor Lockdown’ brought covid-19 into Downing Street

https://www.businessinsider.com/neil-ferguson-transformed-uk-covid-response-oxford-challenge-imperial-model-2020-4?r=US&IR=T

Nature Special Report: The simulations driving the world’s response to covid-19

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01003-6

Code review of Neil Ferguson’s model

https://lockdownsceptics.org/code-review-of-fergusons-model/

Study on grasshoppers in Texas

https://www.pnas.org/content/117/13/7271

]]> Sat, 9 May 2020 11:53:43 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, as 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson falls from grace the computer model that kept people off the streets comes under fierce attack. The global covid-19 blame game goes up ten notches. And new research challenges our theories of why insects may be in decline.

References

How ‘Professor Lockdown’ brought covid-19 into Downing Street

https://www.businessinsider.com/neil-ferguson-transformed-uk-covid-response-oxford-challenge-imperial-model-2020-4?r=US&IR=T

Nature Special Report: The simulations driving the world’s response to covid-19

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-01003-6

Code review of Neil Ferguson’s model

https://lockdownsceptics.org/code-review-of-fergusons-model/

Study on grasshoppers in Texas

https://www.pnas.org/content/117/13/7271

]]> Was the LOCKDOWN MODEL wrong? Mallen Baker 00:27:23 In this round-up of the week, as 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson falls from grace the computer model that kept people off the streets comes under fierce attack. The global covid-19 blame game goes up ten notches. And new research challenges our theories of why insects may be in decline. In this round-up of the week, as 'Professor Lockdown' Neil Ferguson falls from grace the computer model that kept people off the streets comes under fierce attack. The global covid-19 blame game goes up ten notches. And new research challenges our theories of why insects may be in decline. professor lockdown, covid-19, neil ferguson, covid model false full 47 d83277d9-de4c-47fa-b65f-d723383f05fc Sweden the post-lockdown role model? | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the world gets confused about whether Sweden’s relaxed no-lockdown approach to coronavirus is a good example, or a bad example. Track and trace apps for your phone pose the question how much you’re willing to trade your privacy for safety. And governments and climate change campaigners are determined not to let a good crisis go to waste.

]]> Sat, 2 May 2020 13:51:56 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the world gets confused about whether Sweden’s relaxed no-lockdown approach to coronavirus is a good example, or a bad example. Track and trace apps for your phone pose the question how much you’re willing to trade your privacy for safety. And governments and climate change campaigners are determined not to let a good crisis go to waste.

]]> Sweden the post-lockdown role model? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:25:24 In this round-up of the week, the world gets confused about whether Sweden’s relaxed no-lockdown approach to coronavirus is a good example, or a bad example. Track and trace apps for your phone pose the question how much you’re willing to trade your privacy for safety. And governments and climate change campaigners are determined not to let a good crisis go to waste. In this round-up of the week, the world gets confused about whether Sweden’s relaxed no-lockdown approach to coronavirus is a good example, or a bad example. Track and trace apps for your phone pose the question how much you’re willing to trade your privacy for safety. And governments and climate change campaigners are determined not to let a good crisis go to waste. false full 46 bb27ea2c-73cd-4403-b152-c50e69ea58a3 Chris Rose - What makes for effective campaigning strategy? Chris Rose is a hugely experienced environmental campaigner, and was a leading figure in the iconic Shell Brent Spar campaign with Greenpeace. He now runs his own business helping campaigns to be more effective, and he recently produced a detailed report assessing the new environmentalist movements around Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion. 

The Mallen Baker Podcast is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, and shares wisdom from some of the most successful and influential change makers in all areas - whether it be in sustainable business, government, campaigning, charities and academia. Interviews range from top CEOs, to hugely experienced campaigners, to authors and more. Guests have included Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, Claire Fox author and broadcaster, Lord Paul Boateng, former government minister, and Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion co-founder. 

Chris Rose links

 Chris' website 
http://threeworlds.campaignstrategy.org/ 

'Tragedy or Scandal? Strategies of Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg' http://threeworlds.campaignstrategy.org/?p=2442

Chris' twitter account 
https://twitter.com/campaignstrat

]]> Sun, 22 Mar 2020 15:39:59 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Chris Rose) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Chris Rose is a hugely experienced environmental campaigner, and was a leading figure in the iconic Shell Brent Spar campaign with Greenpeace. He now runs his own business helping campaigns to be more effective, and he recently produced a detailed report assessing the new environmentalist movements around Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion. 

The Mallen Baker Podcast is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, and shares wisdom from some of the most successful and influential change makers in all areas - whether it be in sustainable business, government, campaigning, charities and academia. Interviews range from top CEOs, to hugely experienced campaigners, to authors and more. Guests have included Paul Polman, former CEO of Unilever, Claire Fox author and broadcaster, Lord Paul Boateng, former government minister, and Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion co-founder. 

Chris Rose links

 Chris' website 
http://threeworlds.campaignstrategy.org/ 

'Tragedy or Scandal? Strategies of Extinction Rebellion and Greta Thunberg' http://threeworlds.campaignstrategy.org/?p=2442

Chris' twitter account 
https://twitter.com/campaignstrat

]]> Chris Rose - What makes for effective campaigning strategy? Mallen Baker, Chris Rose 01:29:58 Chris Rose is a hugely experienced environmental campaigner, and was a leading figure in the iconic Shell Brent Spar campaign with Greenpeace. He now runs his own business helping campaigns to be more effective, and he recently produced a detailed report assessing the new environmentalist movements around Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion. Chris Rose is a hugely experienced environmental campaigner, and was a leading figure in the iconic Shell Brent Spar campaign with Greenpeace. He now runs his own business helping campaigns to be more effective, and he recently produced a detailed report assessing the new environmentalist movements around Greta Thunberg and Extinction Rebellion. false full 45 c029867b-8f56-447d-995e-c67ebb609bbe BBC Climate Bias? | The Mallen Baker Show In this round-up of the week, the BBC plays host to a climate change scrap between Matt Ridley, Kevin Anderson and Greta Thunberg. And the second in line to the throne Prince William launches an ‘earthshot prize’ to tackle climate change. But is it the right initiative? And finally Amazon’s employees declare war against their own company in the name of climate change. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References 

Charles Moore Today episode (Ridley interview starts at 1:35:00) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000cpwb 

Greta Thunberg Today episode (Kevin Anderson interview starts at 0:49:45, Greta Thunberg interview starts at 2:47:15) 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000cn3h 

]]> Sat, 4 Jan 2020 13:14:08 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, the BBC plays host to a climate change scrap between Matt Ridley, Kevin Anderson and Greta Thunberg. And the second in line to the throne Prince William launches an ‘earthshot prize’ to tackle climate change. But is it the right initiative? And finally Amazon’s employees declare war against their own company in the name of climate change. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References 

Charles Moore Today episode (Ridley interview starts at 1:35:00) https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000cpwb 

Greta Thunberg Today episode (Kevin Anderson interview starts at 0:49:45, Greta Thunberg interview starts at 2:47:15) 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000cn3h 

]]> BBC Climate Bias? | The Mallen Baker Show Mallen Baker 00:24:47 In this round-up of the week, the BBC plays host to a climate change scrap between Matt Ridley, Kevin Anderson and Greta Thunberg. And the second in line to the throne Prince William launches an ‘earthshot prize’ to tackle climate change. But is it the right initiative? And finally Amazon’s employees declare war against their own company in the name of climate change. In this round-up of the week, the BBC plays host to a climate change scrap between Matt Ridley, Kevin Anderson and Greta Thunberg. And the second in line to the throne Prince William launches an ‘earthshot prize’ to tackle climate change. But is it the right initiative? And finally Amazon’s employees declare war against their own company in the name of climate change. prince william, earthshot, climate change, matt ridley, bbc bias, greta thunberg false full 44 72880925-cb43-4367-b7a8-97da88580ce3 Climate Change 'Not as bad as it once looked' In this round-up of the week, one of the most pessimistic self-described 'alarmists' David Wallace-Wells, concludes that the worst case scenario that fuelled his famous 'the uninhabitable earth' arguments is now unlikely to happen. 

Nike is sued by transgender engineer Jazz Lyles for failing to use the right pronouns. 

And Timothy Litzenburg, the man who helped sue Monsanto, is allegedly caught trying to blackmail other companies for 200 million dollars. 

00:32 David Wallace-Wells and the growing rejection of RCP8.5 

06:58 Nike sued for failing to ensure employees use the right pronouns 

11:07 Lawyer who won suit against Monsanto arrested for extortion 

14:10 Things that I like 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References and links 

David Wallace-Wells article http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/1... 

‘A 3C world is now ‘business as usual’ https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/en... https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerpie... 

New York Times article based on RCP 8.5 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/cl... 

'Things that I like' 

The French Brexit Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPLe9... 

@potholer54 latest video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QCBD...

]]> Fri, 27 Dec 2019 20:01:57 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this round-up of the week, one of the most pessimistic self-described 'alarmists' David Wallace-Wells, concludes that the worst case scenario that fuelled his famous 'the uninhabitable earth' arguments is now unlikely to happen. 

Nike is sued by transgender engineer Jazz Lyles for failing to use the right pronouns. 

And Timothy Litzenburg, the man who helped sue Monsanto, is allegedly caught trying to blackmail other companies for 200 million dollars. 

00:32 David Wallace-Wells and the growing rejection of RCP8.5 

06:58 Nike sued for failing to ensure employees use the right pronouns 

11:07 Lawyer who won suit against Monsanto arrested for extortion 

14:10 Things that I like 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References and links 

David Wallace-Wells article http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2019/1... 

‘A 3C world is now ‘business as usual’ https://thebreakthrough.org/issues/en... https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerpie... 

New York Times article based on RCP 8.5 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/23/cl... 

'Things that I like' 

The French Brexit Song

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPLe9... 

@potholer54 latest video 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QCBD...

]]> Climate Change 'Not as bad as it once looked' Mallen Baker 00:17:07 In this round-up of the week, one of the most pessimistic self-described 'alarmists' David Wallace-Wells, concludes that the worst case scenario that fuelled his famous 'the uninhabitable earth' arguments is now unlikely to happen. In this round-up of the week, one of the most pessimistic self-described 'alarmists' David Wallace-Wells, concludes that the worst case scenario that fuelled his famous 'the uninhabitable earth' arguments is now unlikely to happen. false full 43 8cd61b33-b679-42b2-a4a0-06f9253ccfb9 Are bees going extinct? According to reports, we’re facing the beepocalypse. Pollinators are dying out, and the result will be much of our food will disappear with bee extinction. If true, it’s seriously worrying. But is it true? Let’s have a look. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References 

00:56 https://www.greatoldbroads.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/44/Winfree-2010.pdf 01:14 https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8414 

02:35 https://abcnews.go.com/US/40-decline-honey-bee-population-winter-unsustainable-experts/story?id=64191609 03:08 https://beeinformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2018_2019-Abstract.pdf

04:27 https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/october/despite-elevated-loss-rate-since-2006-us-honey-bee-colony-numbers-are-stable/ 

04:47 http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA/visualize 

05:07 https://beeinformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2018_2019-Abstract.pdf 

05:20 https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/october/despite-elevated-loss-rate-since-2006-us-honey-bee-colony-numbers-are-stable/ 

06:20 https://adventuresinbeeland.com/2019/01/14/how-many-honey-bees-are-there-a-2019-update/ 

06:39 https://www.greatoldbroads.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/44/Winfree-2010.pdf 06:54 https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8414 

08:52 https://www.pnas.org/content/110/12/4656.full 

9:50 https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/ 

10:38 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-07290-w 

11:45 http://pesticideblog.lawbc.com/entry/epa-releases-final-policy-to-address-acute-risks-to-bees-from-pesticides-an 

12:21 https://risk-monger.blogactiv.eu/2014/09/30/the-save-the-bees-ban-failed-crops-and-another-precautionary-fail-who-is-to-blame/#.VDt5hufq37L 

13:09 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/07/30/the-world-faces-pollinator-collapse-how-and-why-the-media-get-the-science-wrong-time-and-again/ 

13:58 https://ipbes.net/assessment-reports/pollinators 

14:22 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/08/12/pollinator-myth-bees-responsible-one-third-global-food-heightening-crisis-like-7/ 

14:44 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/07/30/the-world-faces-pollinator-collapse-how-and-why-the-media-get-the-science-wrong-time-and-again/

]]> Tue, 17 Dec 2019 16:09:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast According to reports, we’re facing the beepocalypse. Pollinators are dying out, and the result will be much of our food will disappear with bee extinction. If true, it’s seriously worrying. But is it true? Let’s have a look. 

The Mallen Baker Show is aimed at all people who see themselves as change makers, with commentary on issues and change movements with a particular focus on climate change and environment, social issues, free speech and corporate social responsibility. 

References 

00:56 https://www.greatoldbroads.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/44/Winfree-2010.pdf 01:14 https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8414 

02:35 https://abcnews.go.com/US/40-decline-honey-bee-population-winter-unsustainable-experts/story?id=64191609 03:08 https://beeinformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2018_2019-Abstract.pdf

04:27 https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/october/despite-elevated-loss-rate-since-2006-us-honey-bee-colony-numbers-are-stable/ 

04:47 http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QA/visualize 

05:07 https://beeinformed.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/2018_2019-Abstract.pdf 

05:20 https://www.ers.usda.gov/amber-waves/2018/october/despite-elevated-loss-rate-since-2006-us-honey-bee-colony-numbers-are-stable/ 

06:20 https://adventuresinbeeland.com/2019/01/14/how-many-honey-bees-are-there-a-2019-update/ 

06:39 https://www.greatoldbroads.org/wp-content/uploads/formidable/44/Winfree-2010.pdf 06:54 https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms8414 

08:52 https://www.pnas.org/content/110/12/4656.full 

9:50 https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/sustainable-agriculture/save-the-bees/ 

10:38 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-017-07290-w 

11:45 http://pesticideblog.lawbc.com/entry/epa-releases-final-policy-to-address-acute-risks-to-bees-from-pesticides-an 

12:21 https://risk-monger.blogactiv.eu/2014/09/30/the-save-the-bees-ban-failed-crops-and-another-precautionary-fail-who-is-to-blame/#.VDt5hufq37L 

13:09 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/07/30/the-world-faces-pollinator-collapse-how-and-why-the-media-get-the-science-wrong-time-and-again/ 

13:58 https://ipbes.net/assessment-reports/pollinators 

14:22 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/08/12/pollinator-myth-bees-responsible-one-third-global-food-heightening-crisis-like-7/ 

14:44 https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2019/07/30/the-world-faces-pollinator-collapse-how-and-why-the-media-get-the-science-wrong-time-and-again/

]]> Are bees going extinct? Mallen Baker 00:18:34 According to reports, we’re facing the beepocalypse. Pollinators are dying out, and the result will be much of our food will disappear with bee extinction. If true, it’s seriously worrying. But is it true? Let’s have a look. According to reports, we’re facing the beepocalypse. Pollinators are dying out, and the result will be much of our food will disappear with bee extinction. If true, it’s seriously worrying. But is it true? Let’s have a look. bees, pollinators, species extinction, insect apocalypse false full 42 5c083d03-0928-4ca7-8050-f8e747965b74 Richard Walker – The plain-speaking approach to sustainable business In this episode, I talk to Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland Foods. Richard has become one of the most recognisable faces of sustainable business in the UK, leading campaigns on palm oil, plastics and even debating Brexit on BBC Question Time.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he’s learned along the way. We dive into some of the issues – why ban palm oil from Iceland own products rather than going for sustainable palm oil? How to remove plastics from food products when there are such difficult trade-offs? And what is the future of sustainable business, where we successfully balance the business bottom line with its wider impact.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Richard Walker when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:46)
Richard’s early time living the dream travelling the world (3:30)
Surf culture, and Richard’s involvement in the Surfers Against Sewage campaign group (5:54)
Iceland’s early involvement with sustainable issues on GM food and organic food – Richard’s perspective on those early experiments (8:19)
Richard’s unconventional entrance path into Iceland (11:36)
What was it that changed Richard’s mind about joining the family firm? (12:58)
The freedom of running a private business rather than a public listed company (14:34)
The commitment to remove palm oil and the orangutan video (15:48)
Isn’t palm oil actually one of the most efficient sources of vegetable oil, so why zero palm oil? (18:30)
Lessons from having been at the rough edge of public debate (21:33)
Eliminating single-use plastic packaging – easier to say than to do? (25:00)
How does a committed sustainability business leader get the balance right between impact and the bottom line (31:57)
The role of plain speaking in a country that has become totally polarised? (34:00)
The future for sustainable business (36:40)
Richard’s personal purpose (38:11)
One practical change Richard would like to make in the world before hanging up his gloves (39:22)
An impressive change maker Richard has been inspired by (40:27)
Advice Richard would give to his younger self (41:00)
A habit Richard would like to change (41:43)
A book or books that have changed Richard’s thinking or life (43:46)
Advice Richard would give to young would-be change makers (44:20)

Links
Richard on twitter https://twitter.com/icelandrichard
Richard’s blog https://about.iceland.co.uk/the-walker-blog/

Books
Let my people go surfing, Yvon Chouinard https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman-Including/dp/0143109677/

]]> Tue, 10 Sep 2019 16:22:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Richard Walker, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland Foods. Richard has become one of the most recognisable faces of sustainable business in the UK, leading campaigns on palm oil, plastics and even debating Brexit on BBC Question Time.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he’s learned along the way. We dive into some of the issues – why ban palm oil from Iceland own products rather than going for sustainable palm oil? How to remove plastics from food products when there are such difficult trade-offs? And what is the future of sustainable business, where we successfully balance the business bottom line with its wider impact.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Richard Walker when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:46)
Richard’s early time living the dream travelling the world (3:30)
Surf culture, and Richard’s involvement in the Surfers Against Sewage campaign group (5:54)
Iceland’s early involvement with sustainable issues on GM food and organic food – Richard’s perspective on those early experiments (8:19)
Richard’s unconventional entrance path into Iceland (11:36)
What was it that changed Richard’s mind about joining the family firm? (12:58)
The freedom of running a private business rather than a public listed company (14:34)
The commitment to remove palm oil and the orangutan video (15:48)
Isn’t palm oil actually one of the most efficient sources of vegetable oil, so why zero palm oil? (18:30)
Lessons from having been at the rough edge of public debate (21:33)
Eliminating single-use plastic packaging – easier to say than to do? (25:00)
How does a committed sustainability business leader get the balance right between impact and the bottom line (31:57)
The role of plain speaking in a country that has become totally polarised? (34:00)
The future for sustainable business (36:40)
Richard’s personal purpose (38:11)
One practical change Richard would like to make in the world before hanging up his gloves (39:22)
An impressive change maker Richard has been inspired by (40:27)
Advice Richard would give to his younger self (41:00)
A habit Richard would like to change (41:43)
A book or books that have changed Richard’s thinking or life (43:46)
Advice Richard would give to young would-be change makers (44:20)

Links
Richard on twitter https://twitter.com/icelandrichard
Richard’s blog https://about.iceland.co.uk/the-walker-blog/

Books
Let my people go surfing, Yvon Chouinard https://www.amazon.co.uk/Let-People-Surfing-Education-Businessman-Including/dp/0143109677/

]]> Richard Walker – The plain-speaking approach to sustainable business Richard Walker, Mallen Baker 00:46:17 In this episode, I talk to Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland Foods. Richard has become one of the most recognisable faces of sustainable business in the UK, leading campaigns on palm oil, plastics and even debating Brexit on BBC Question Time. In this episode, I talk to Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland Foods. Richard has become one of the most recognisable faces of sustainable business in the UK, leading campaigns on palm oil, plastics and even debating Brexit on BBC Question Time. sustainability, iceland foods, plastic, palm oil false full 41 1f057fe1-54d2-4222-b7e8-7a60bda9551b Amy Clarke – Investing in impact In this episode, I talk to Amy Clarke, co-founder and chief impact officer at Tribe Impact Capital, the award-winning wealth management firm and BCorp.

Before her current role, Amy has been senior vice president for international CSR at Bank of America, and head of CSR UK for Microsoft.

In this interview, we talk about how she got to where she is and what she learned along the way. We talk about the sustainability challenges for the finance system, and who makes up the growing body of successful people who want their money to have an impact in line with their values.

Amy is a thoughtful and highly experienced observer of the current trends and we had a great conversation.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Amy? (1:45)
At what point did Amy get set on getting into the business sector? (6:06)
Early experiences of environmental consultancy (7:52)
The first involvement with the financial sector being seconded to Barclays Bank (9:35)
How do you change an engrained culture as a change maker? (14:36)
What made Amy pivot from consultancy in the financial sector and end up going to Microsoft? (16:22)
Amy’s experience of Microsoft at a time when it was feeling the heat over its ‘monopolistic practices’ (18:36)
How are the current crop of tech giants handling their own challenges? (22:31)
The view of the financial crash from the Bank of America (25:26)
Tribe Impact Capital – what it does, and why people should invest for impact (33:10)
What sort of people tend to want this approach? (37:39)
Amy’s personal purpose (39:07)
One change Amy would like to make before hanging up her gloves (39:25)
One piece of advice Amy would give to her younger self (39:43)
Impressive change makers Amy has been inspired by (44:04)
One habit Amy would like to change (45:58)
Books that changed Amy’s thinking or her life (46:42)
Advice Amy would give to young would-be change makers looking to make the first step (48:59)

Links

Amy on Twitter
Tribe Impact Capital website
Tribe Impact Capital on twitter

Books

The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela

]]> Tue, 3 Sep 2019 15:39:27 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Amy Clarke) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Amy Clarke, co-founder and chief impact officer at Tribe Impact Capital, the award-winning wealth management firm and BCorp.

Before her current role, Amy has been senior vice president for international CSR at Bank of America, and head of CSR UK for Microsoft.

In this interview, we talk about how she got to where she is and what she learned along the way. We talk about the sustainability challenges for the finance system, and who makes up the growing body of successful people who want their money to have an impact in line with their values.

Amy is a thoughtful and highly experienced observer of the current trends and we had a great conversation.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Amy? (1:45)
At what point did Amy get set on getting into the business sector? (6:06)
Early experiences of environmental consultancy (7:52)
The first involvement with the financial sector being seconded to Barclays Bank (9:35)
How do you change an engrained culture as a change maker? (14:36)
What made Amy pivot from consultancy in the financial sector and end up going to Microsoft? (16:22)
Amy’s experience of Microsoft at a time when it was feeling the heat over its ‘monopolistic practices’ (18:36)
How are the current crop of tech giants handling their own challenges? (22:31)
The view of the financial crash from the Bank of America (25:26)
Tribe Impact Capital – what it does, and why people should invest for impact (33:10)
What sort of people tend to want this approach? (37:39)
Amy’s personal purpose (39:07)
One change Amy would like to make before hanging up her gloves (39:25)
One piece of advice Amy would give to her younger self (39:43)
Impressive change makers Amy has been inspired by (44:04)
One habit Amy would like to change (45:58)
Books that changed Amy’s thinking or her life (46:42)
Advice Amy would give to young would-be change makers looking to make the first step (48:59)

Links

Amy on Twitter
Tribe Impact Capital website
Tribe Impact Capital on twitter

Books

The Chronicles of Narnia, CS Lewis
Long Walk to Freedom, Nelson Mandela

]]> Amy Clarke – Investing in impact Mallen Baker, Amy Clarke 00:52:44 In this episode, I talk to Amy Clarke, co-founder and chief impact officer at Tribe Impact Capital, the award-winning wealth management firm and B Corp. Before her current role, Amy has been senior vice president for international CSR at Bank of America, and head of CSR UK for Microsoft. In this episode, I talk to Amy Clarke, co-founder and chief impact officer at Tribe Impact Capital, the award-winning wealth management firm and B Corp. Before her current role, Amy has been senior vice president for international CSR at Bank of America, and head of CSR UK for Microsoft. sustainability, impact investing, corporate responsibility, investing false full 40 9806d40f-d886-4a0d-825f-b58da1e94dcc Anna Cain – Boxing clever for the youngsters failed by the system In this episode, I talk to Anna Cain, chief executive of the Boxing Academy, a unique and groundbreaking school for the most hard-to-reach young people, realised through the discipline and ethos of boxing.

Anna is also an advisory board member for Feltham Young Offenders institution, a trustee of the campus educational trust and a trustee of chefs in schools.

In this interview, we talk about her remarkable story of how she got to where she is and what she learned along the way. We talk about successful educational approaches to young people who, for whatever reason, are failed by the mainstream system, and why the Boxing Academy has been so successful in making a difference to that particularly vulnerable group.

Anna is an inspiring figure, and we just had a fantastic conversation. I think you’ll get a huge amount from it

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Anna when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:45)
How life changed when she adopted her son after his brush with death (5:11)
How Anna ended up diverting from a potential career in the sciences to the Boxing Academy (10:52)
How to maintain confidence in the face of knock-backs, and how Anna became CEO (15:40)
How the Boxing Academy works (20:48)
Why does it so successfully reach the individuals that are so much failed by the mainstream system? (23:36)
The journey of a young person through the Boxing Academy experience (29:07)
What lessons can be drawn from Anna’s experience for wider government education policy? (33:17)
Is it too late to help a young person once they’ve ended up at a young offenders institution? (35:55)
The additional challenges of gang culture and knife crime (37:42)
Ambitions for the next decade (41:26)

Links

The Boxing Academy website http://www.theboxingacademy.co.uk
Boxing Academy on twitter https://twitter.com/boxing_academy?lang=en
Boxing Academy on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theboxingacademy/

]]> Tue, 16 Jul 2019 05:30:03 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Anna Cain, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Anna Cain, chief executive of the Boxing Academy, a unique and groundbreaking school for the most hard-to-reach young people, realised through the discipline and ethos of boxing.

Anna is also an advisory board member for Feltham Young Offenders institution, a trustee of the campus educational trust and a trustee of chefs in schools.

In this interview, we talk about her remarkable story of how she got to where she is and what she learned along the way. We talk about successful educational approaches to young people who, for whatever reason, are failed by the mainstream system, and why the Boxing Academy has been so successful in making a difference to that particularly vulnerable group.

Anna is an inspiring figure, and we just had a fantastic conversation. I think you’ll get a huge amount from it

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Anna when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:45)
How life changed when she adopted her son after his brush with death (5:11)
How Anna ended up diverting from a potential career in the sciences to the Boxing Academy (10:52)
How to maintain confidence in the face of knock-backs, and how Anna became CEO (15:40)
How the Boxing Academy works (20:48)
Why does it so successfully reach the individuals that are so much failed by the mainstream system? (23:36)
The journey of a young person through the Boxing Academy experience (29:07)
What lessons can be drawn from Anna’s experience for wider government education policy? (33:17)
Is it too late to help a young person once they’ve ended up at a young offenders institution? (35:55)
The additional challenges of gang culture and knife crime (37:42)
Ambitions for the next decade (41:26)

Links

The Boxing Academy website http://www.theboxingacademy.co.uk
Boxing Academy on twitter https://twitter.com/boxing_academy?lang=en
Boxing Academy on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/theboxingacademy/

]]> Anna Cain – Boxing clever for the youngsters failed by the system Anna Cain, Mallen Baker 00:45:03 In this episode, I talk to Anna Cain, chief executive of the Boxing Academy, a unique and groundbreaking school for the most hard-to-reach young people, realised through the discipline and ethos of boxing. In this episode, I talk to Anna Cain, chief executive of the Boxing Academy, a unique and groundbreaking school for the most hard-to-reach young people, realised through the discipline and ethos of boxing. education, hard-to-reach young people, boxing academy false full 39 dbefb803-c6f6-4fc9-a5a1-c2391d0d2a3e Giles Gibbons – Doing good with business and food In this episode, I talk to Giles Gibbons, founder and chief executive of Good Business, as well as founder of the sustainable restaurant association.

Giles has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable business for well over two decades, and has a wealth of experience in what really needs to happen on the ground to make a difference.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is and what he learned along the way. We talk about the future of sustainable business, how Giles got hands on experience running an ethical restaurant, and what we think about the role that government does or doesn’t have to play in encouraging healthier lifestyles. Plus I ask him one question I have never asked anyone else, which might give you a very direct action point you want to try out. So without further ado, let’s jump straight in.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Giles Gibbons when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:50)
What Giles learned from working with major brands at Saatchi and Saatchi (5:58)
How Giles met Steve Hilton and why they decided to create Good Business (7:40)
How they defined what Good Business was there to achieve (10:35)
What do the successful sustainable businesses do that the rest don’t? (13:45)
Giles’ reflections on running an agency (16:55)
Will the majority of businesses follow the net zero carbon trend? (20:35)
Why Giles and Steve launched a restaurant at the same time as running Good Business (23:35)
The rationale behind the Sustainable Restaurant Association (26:00)
The challenges of discussion about sustainability and food (31:02)
The role of government in promoting healthier diets – effective choice editing or nanny state? (36:40)
An important piece of advice you can use (40:07)
What is Giles’ personal purpose? (41:06)
What’s one practical change Giles would like to bring about before hanging up his gloves (42:10)
Advice Giles would give to his younger self (42:35)
An impressive change maker Giles has been inspired by (43:08)
A habit Giles would like to change (43:36)
A book that influenced Giles’ thinking (44:43)
Advice Giles would give to young would-be change makers starting out ()

Links
Good Business website http://www.good.business
Good Business on twitter https://twitter.com/gbminds
Giles on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-gibbons-b576134/
Sustainable Restaurant Association https://thesra.org
Paraorchestra http://paraorchestra.com
Shift https://shiftdesign.org

Books
What I talk about when I talk about running - Haruki Murakami https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Talk-About-When-Running/dp/0099526158/

]]> Tue, 9 Jul 2019 07:41:39 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Giles Gibbons) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Giles Gibbons, founder and chief executive of Good Business, as well as founder of the sustainable restaurant association.

Giles has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable business for well over two decades, and has a wealth of experience in what really needs to happen on the ground to make a difference.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is and what he learned along the way. We talk about the future of sustainable business, how Giles got hands on experience running an ethical restaurant, and what we think about the role that government does or doesn’t have to play in encouraging healthier lifestyles. Plus I ask him one question I have never asked anyone else, which might give you a very direct action point you want to try out. So without further ado, let’s jump straight in.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Giles Gibbons when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:50)
What Giles learned from working with major brands at Saatchi and Saatchi (5:58)
How Giles met Steve Hilton and why they decided to create Good Business (7:40)
How they defined what Good Business was there to achieve (10:35)
What do the successful sustainable businesses do that the rest don’t? (13:45)
Giles’ reflections on running an agency (16:55)
Will the majority of businesses follow the net zero carbon trend? (20:35)
Why Giles and Steve launched a restaurant at the same time as running Good Business (23:35)
The rationale behind the Sustainable Restaurant Association (26:00)
The challenges of discussion about sustainability and food (31:02)
The role of government in promoting healthier diets – effective choice editing or nanny state? (36:40)
An important piece of advice you can use (40:07)
What is Giles’ personal purpose? (41:06)
What’s one practical change Giles would like to bring about before hanging up his gloves (42:10)
Advice Giles would give to his younger self (42:35)
An impressive change maker Giles has been inspired by (43:08)
A habit Giles would like to change (43:36)
A book that influenced Giles’ thinking (44:43)
Advice Giles would give to young would-be change makers starting out ()

Links
Good Business website http://www.good.business
Good Business on twitter https://twitter.com/gbminds
Giles on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/giles-gibbons-b576134/
Sustainable Restaurant Association https://thesra.org
Paraorchestra http://paraorchestra.com
Shift https://shiftdesign.org

Books
What I talk about when I talk about running - Haruki Murakami https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Talk-About-When-Running/dp/0099526158/

]]> Giles Gibbons – Doing good with business and food Mallen Baker, Giles Gibbons 00:49:48 In this episode, I talk to Giles Gibbons, founder and chief executive of Good Business, as well as founder of the sustainable restaurant association. Giles has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable business for well over two decades, and has a wealth of experience in what really needs to happen on the ground to make a difference. In this episode, I talk to Giles Gibbons, founder and chief executive of Good Business, as well as founder of the sustainable restaurant association. Giles has been at the forefront of promoting sustainable business for well over two decades, and has a wealth of experience in what really needs to happen on the ground to make a difference. good business, corporate social responsibility, car, sustainable restaurant association, sustainable food false full 38 1855a616-bff3-455e-84bc-c1816efc451a Brendan May – Challenging businesses to change for good In this episode, I talk to Brendan May, chairman and founder of Robertsbridge, the sustainability strategy agency.

Brendan was formerly chief executive of the Marine Stewardship Council, and then managing director of Planet 2050, Weber Shandwick’s global sustainability practice.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is and what he learned along the way. We talk about effective campaigning in an era of polarised politics, sustainability and climate change and a range of other very current issues.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Brendan May when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:42)
Brendan’s early exposure to politics and how it led him into the environment as an issue (3:26)
The value of political pragmatism (7:43)
Brendan’s move to the Marine Stewardship Council, and the earliest priorities to make it a powerful organisation for marine sustainability (9:15)
What did Brendan learn about what worked in promoting the MSC mission? (12:50)
Is Brendan optimistic or pessimistic about the future of sustainability in the oceans? (14:29)
The move to Weber Shandwick for an early version of sustainability consultancy (16:40)
What was the state of practice at that point? (18:09)
The specific features of the Rainforest Alliance, and the tension between different NGOs? (20:20)
Are the pragmatists really winning? Can we be united again in the social media age? (22:49)
How could you rebuild consensus on climate change by reframing the policy choices to be more attractive (27:07)
Are we having to fight back because of decades of flawed environmental campaigning? (30:00)
Is there a distinction between companies doing the right thing and the rise of so-called “woke corporations” (35:58)
The creation of Robertsbridge, and why it’s not a standard consultancy (42:40)
The rise of ‘flash-mob style’ activism and the challenge to the old model of NGO campaigning (47:37)
The downside of leaderless campaign movements and why they can perform a service in spite of it (51:02)
What is Brendan’s personal purpose? (52:15)
What’s one practical change Brendan would like to bring about before hanging up his gloves (52:36)
Advice Brendan would give to his younger self (53:13)
An impressive change maker Brendan has been inspired by (53:27)
A mistake Brendan made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (54:11)
A habit Brendan would like to change (54:43)
A book that influenced Brendan’s thinking (57:07)
Advice Brendan would give to young would-be change makers starting out (57:45)

Links

Brendan on twitter https://twitter.com/bmay
Brendan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-may-82174919/
Robertsbridge website https://www.robertsbridgegroup.com

Books

Everything is Connected: The Power of Music, Daniel Barenboim https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-Connected-Power-Daniel-Barenboim/dp/0753825945/

]]> Tue, 25 Jun 2019 12:26:07 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Brendan May, chairman and founder of Robertsbridge, the sustainability strategy agency.

Brendan was formerly chief executive of the Marine Stewardship Council, and then managing director of Planet 2050, Weber Shandwick’s global sustainability practice.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is and what he learned along the way. We talk about effective campaigning in an era of polarised politics, sustainability and climate change and a range of other very current issues.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Brendan May when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:42)
Brendan’s early exposure to politics and how it led him into the environment as an issue (3:26)
The value of political pragmatism (7:43)
Brendan’s move to the Marine Stewardship Council, and the earliest priorities to make it a powerful organisation for marine sustainability (9:15)
What did Brendan learn about what worked in promoting the MSC mission? (12:50)
Is Brendan optimistic or pessimistic about the future of sustainability in the oceans? (14:29)
The move to Weber Shandwick for an early version of sustainability consultancy (16:40)
What was the state of practice at that point? (18:09)
The specific features of the Rainforest Alliance, and the tension between different NGOs? (20:20)
Are the pragmatists really winning? Can we be united again in the social media age? (22:49)
How could you rebuild consensus on climate change by reframing the policy choices to be more attractive (27:07)
Are we having to fight back because of decades of flawed environmental campaigning? (30:00)
Is there a distinction between companies doing the right thing and the rise of so-called “woke corporations” (35:58)
The creation of Robertsbridge, and why it’s not a standard consultancy (42:40)
The rise of ‘flash-mob style’ activism and the challenge to the old model of NGO campaigning (47:37)
The downside of leaderless campaign movements and why they can perform a service in spite of it (51:02)
What is Brendan’s personal purpose? (52:15)
What’s one practical change Brendan would like to bring about before hanging up his gloves (52:36)
Advice Brendan would give to his younger self (53:13)
An impressive change maker Brendan has been inspired by (53:27)
A mistake Brendan made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (54:11)
A habit Brendan would like to change (54:43)
A book that influenced Brendan’s thinking (57:07)
Advice Brendan would give to young would-be change makers starting out (57:45)

Links

Brendan on twitter https://twitter.com/bmay
Brendan on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-may-82174919/
Robertsbridge website https://www.robertsbridgegroup.com

Books

Everything is Connected: The Power of Music, Daniel Barenboim https://www.amazon.co.uk/Everything-Connected-Power-Daniel-Barenboim/dp/0753825945/

]]> Brendan May – Challenging businesses to change for good Mallen Baker 00:59:06 In this episode, I talk to Brendan May, chairman and founder of Robertsbridge, the sustainability strategy agency. Brendan was formerly chief executive of the Marine Stewardship Council, and then managing director of Planet 2050, Weber Shandwick’s global sustainability practice. In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is and what he learned along the way. We talk about effective campaigning in an era of polarised politics, sustainability and climate change and a range of other very current issues. In this episode, I talk to Brendan May, chairman and founder of Robertsbridge, the sustainability strategy agency. Brendan was formerly chief executive of the Marine Stewardship Council, and then managing director of Planet 2050, Weber Shandwick’s global sustainability practice. In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is and what he learned along the way. We talk about effective campaigning in an era of polarised politics, sustainability and climate change and a range of other very current issues. true full 37 479b296e-ebbf-4dba-b82e-d949d74e9aab In dialogue with Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion co-founder This episode is a rather different type of discussion to the usual ones I have on this podcast. Many of you will know that I do commentary videos on YouTube, and on some of those I have been strongly critical of the Extinction Rebellion group, and particularly its core organisers.

We debate these issues with vigour because they are important. However, my preference is always that we can do so as a respectful discussion rather than standing at opposite extremes and shouting at each other, which sadly seems to have become the norm for political discourse at the moment.

So I reached out to Roger Hallam, one of the co-founders of the group and the man most responsible for their early overall strategy, to see if he would be willing to discuss the group, its objectives, and some of our points of disagreement for this podcast.

Lots of people in his position would have told someone who had been so critical to get on their bike, so I think it is enormously positive that we were able to come together and make it happen.

We talk about where Extinction Rebellion came from, and what are its objectives. We cover a range of tough questions in a pretty frank and open way. We weren’t aiming to win the argument, but to explore the challenges. I think it ended up as an important and engaging conversation.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Roger Hallam when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (3:32)
First steps into activism, and then the move to organic farming and back into activism again (4:11)
Arguing for climate change to be the issue of focus amongst activist groups on the left (10:12)
What were the factors behind Extinction Rebellion’s success in mobilising large numbers of people to take part, up to the point of getting arrested? (11:18)
The initial strategy objective of Extinction Rebellion to overthrow the regime (17:07)
Is it still the objective to overthrow the regime, and is that a legitimate aim for an environmental campaign? (21:27)
Does the Extinction Rebellion approach lead us towards an authoritarian outcome? (28:19)
What are the prospects that XR’s preferred device, Citizen’s Assemblies, would actually deliver the change it wants? (34:14)
If a Citizen’s Assembly came up with radical proposals, would it be any better in persuading the population to accept unpopular measures? (37:59)
Why Extinction Rebellion doesn’t accept the government’s recently launched net zero by 2050 target (41:20)
The Committee on Climate Change report gives a detailed ambitious programme – what alternative does Extinction Rebellion have to produce the results it wants by 2025? (45:26)
Some of the claims of XR are not supported by the mainstream science, but its approach has been a motivating call to action (52:45)
Does the logic of how XR recruits people laying the groundwork for the emergence of groups in the future that use violence using the same justifications the current group uses for lesser interventions? (54.00)
The dynamics of leaderless (or semi-leaderless) campaign movements and the difficulty of following a focused strategy (57:30)
What happens next? (1:03:29)
Why did XR shut down its XR Business initiative before it had even gotten started, and its attitude to business more generally (1:06:37)
The role of government and the need for innovation (1:13:40)
Environmental campaigners need to understand better how to build support amongst the wider population (1:16:45)
Roger’s question to me – how can we engage the ‘intellectual dark web’ characters? (1:24:22)

Links

Roger Hallam’s website https://www.rogerhallam.com
Extinction Rebellion https://rebellion.earth

My critiques of the group

Why Extinction Rebellion is hurting not working https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJAVduIIYcI

Extinction Rebellion – the bit almost nobody knows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2WNssoDJ2E

]]> Tue, 18 Jun 2019 06:50:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Roger Hallam) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This episode is a rather different type of discussion to the usual ones I have on this podcast. Many of you will know that I do commentary videos on YouTube, and on some of those I have been strongly critical of the Extinction Rebellion group, and particularly its core organisers.

We debate these issues with vigour because they are important. However, my preference is always that we can do so as a respectful discussion rather than standing at opposite extremes and shouting at each other, which sadly seems to have become the norm for political discourse at the moment.

So I reached out to Roger Hallam, one of the co-founders of the group and the man most responsible for their early overall strategy, to see if he would be willing to discuss the group, its objectives, and some of our points of disagreement for this podcast.

Lots of people in his position would have told someone who had been so critical to get on their bike, so I think it is enormously positive that we were able to come together and make it happen.

We talk about where Extinction Rebellion came from, and what are its objectives. We cover a range of tough questions in a pretty frank and open way. We weren’t aiming to win the argument, but to explore the challenges. I think it ended up as an important and engaging conversation.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Roger Hallam when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (3:32)
First steps into activism, and then the move to organic farming and back into activism again (4:11)
Arguing for climate change to be the issue of focus amongst activist groups on the left (10:12)
What were the factors behind Extinction Rebellion’s success in mobilising large numbers of people to take part, up to the point of getting arrested? (11:18)
The initial strategy objective of Extinction Rebellion to overthrow the regime (17:07)
Is it still the objective to overthrow the regime, and is that a legitimate aim for an environmental campaign? (21:27)
Does the Extinction Rebellion approach lead us towards an authoritarian outcome? (28:19)
What are the prospects that XR’s preferred device, Citizen’s Assemblies, would actually deliver the change it wants? (34:14)
If a Citizen’s Assembly came up with radical proposals, would it be any better in persuading the population to accept unpopular measures? (37:59)
Why Extinction Rebellion doesn’t accept the government’s recently launched net zero by 2050 target (41:20)
The Committee on Climate Change report gives a detailed ambitious programme – what alternative does Extinction Rebellion have to produce the results it wants by 2025? (45:26)
Some of the claims of XR are not supported by the mainstream science, but its approach has been a motivating call to action (52:45)
Does the logic of how XR recruits people laying the groundwork for the emergence of groups in the future that use violence using the same justifications the current group uses for lesser interventions? (54.00)
The dynamics of leaderless (or semi-leaderless) campaign movements and the difficulty of following a focused strategy (57:30)
What happens next? (1:03:29)
Why did XR shut down its XR Business initiative before it had even gotten started, and its attitude to business more generally (1:06:37)
The role of government and the need for innovation (1:13:40)
Environmental campaigners need to understand better how to build support amongst the wider population (1:16:45)
Roger’s question to me – how can we engage the ‘intellectual dark web’ characters? (1:24:22)

Links

Roger Hallam’s website https://www.rogerhallam.com
Extinction Rebellion https://rebellion.earth

My critiques of the group

Why Extinction Rebellion is hurting not working https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJAVduIIYcI

Extinction Rebellion – the bit almost nobody knows https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2WNssoDJ2E

]]> In dialogue with Roger Hallam, Extinction Rebellion co-founder Mallen Baker, Roger Hallam 01:32:50 This episode is a rather different type of discussion to the usual ones I have on this podcast. Many of you will know that I do commentary videos on YouTube, and on some of those I have been strongly critical of the Extinction Rebellion group, and particularly its core organisers. We debate these issues with vigour because they are important. However, my preference is always that we can do so as a respectful discussion rather than standing at opposite extremes and shouting at each other, which sadly seems to have become the norm for political discourse at the moment. So I reached out to Roger Hallam, one of the co-founders of the group and the man most responsible for their early overall strategy, to see if he would be willing to discuss the group, its objectives, and some of our points of disagreement for this podcast. Lots of people in his position would have told someone who had been so critical to get on their bike, so I think it is enormously positive that we were able to come together and make it happen. We talk about where Extinction Rebellion came from, and what are its objectives. We cover a range of tough questions in a pretty frank and open way. We weren’t aiming to win the argument, but to explore the challenges. I think it ended up as an important and engaging conversation. It’s longer than usual, so that’s enough intro - let’s jump straight in. This episode is a rather different type of discussion to the usual ones I have on this podcast. Many of you will know that I do commentary videos on YouTube, and on some of those I have been strongly critical of the Extinction Rebellion group, and particularly its core organisers. We debate these issues with vigour because they are important. However, my preference is always that we can do so as a respectful discussion rather than standing at opposite extremes and shouting at each other, which sadly seems to have become the norm for political discourse at the moment. So I reached out to Roger Hallam, one of the co-founders of the group and the man most responsible for their early overall strategy, to see if he would be willing to discuss the group, its objectives, and some of our points of disagreement for this podcast. Lots of people in his position would have told someone who had been so critical to get on their bike, so I think it is enormously positive that we were able to come together and make it happen. We talk about where Extinction Rebellion came from, and what are its objectives. We cover a range of tough questions in a pretty frank and open way. We weren’t aiming to win the argument, but to explore the challenges. I think it ended up as an important and engaging conversation. It’s longer than usual, so that’s enough intro - let’s jump straight in. environmentalism, climate change, campaigning strategy, extinction rebellion false full 36 0bf0c484-8d34-4811-b8d8-d2bcf6b03f9b Anna Dixon – What works for an ageing population In this episode, I talk to Anna Dixon, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, the charity working to create a society where everyone enjoys a good later life.

Anna has spent her life working at the interface of research, policy and practice. She has been director of strategy at the department of health, as well as a number of health policy related roles at the Kings Fund, the London School of Economics and more.

In this interview, we talk about how she got to where she is and what she learned along the way, and we talk about the challenges facing us with an ageing population. What are the factors that might affect whether we have a high quality of older life, and what are the things businesses need to do to adapt to a changing demographic.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Anna Dixon when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:42)
What were the early influences that gave Anna a focus on making a difference (3:09)
How did she find the WHO as a first place to work in health policy? (6:50)
Anna’s time at the Department of Health during the Blair government (10:25)
A lesson learned early on that had relevance later on (12:41)
Examples where policy has had impact (14:15)
Processes for making good policy (16:35)
What made Anna decide to take on the challenge of our ageing society (18:49)
How did the Centre for Ageing Better get set up? (20:34)
What were Anna’s earliest priorities on taking on leadership for the Centre? (22:53)
What are some of the findings from the Centre’s latest report on how we’re ageing? (25:00)
How many of the outcomes for older people come from choices they make rather than factors outside their control? (27:20)
The issues around an ageing workforce (30:04)
How much are lifestyle issues going to affect our longevity in future? (36:14)
The challenge of an existing housing stock that is not fit for an ageing population (39:04)
What will success look like for the Centre? (41:29)
Anna’s hope for her own life when she hits eighty (43:00)
What is Anna’s personal purpose? (44:39)
What’s one practical change Anna would like to change before hanging up her gloves (45:01)
Advice Anna would give to her younger self (45:21)
An impressive change maker Anna has been inspired by (45:45)
A habit Anna would like to change (46:42)
A book that influenced Anna’s thinking (47:12)
Advice Anna would give to young would-be change makers starting out (48:27)

Links

Anna Dixon on twitter https://twitter.com/drannadixon
The Centre for Ageing Better website https://www.ageing-better.org.uk
The Centre on twitter https://twitter.com/ageing_better

Books

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Barack Obama
Obama audacity of hope https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audacity-Hope-Thoughts-Reclaiming-American/dp/1847670830/
Becoming, Michelle Obama https://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/0241334144/

]]> Tue, 4 Jun 2019 09:21:06 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Anna Dixon) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Anna Dixon, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, the charity working to create a society where everyone enjoys a good later life.

Anna has spent her life working at the interface of research, policy and practice. She has been director of strategy at the department of health, as well as a number of health policy related roles at the Kings Fund, the London School of Economics and more.

In this interview, we talk about how she got to where she is and what she learned along the way, and we talk about the challenges facing us with an ageing population. What are the factors that might affect whether we have a high quality of older life, and what are the things businesses need to do to adapt to a changing demographic.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Anna Dixon when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:42)
What were the early influences that gave Anna a focus on making a difference (3:09)
How did she find the WHO as a first place to work in health policy? (6:50)
Anna’s time at the Department of Health during the Blair government (10:25)
A lesson learned early on that had relevance later on (12:41)
Examples where policy has had impact (14:15)
Processes for making good policy (16:35)
What made Anna decide to take on the challenge of our ageing society (18:49)
How did the Centre for Ageing Better get set up? (20:34)
What were Anna’s earliest priorities on taking on leadership for the Centre? (22:53)
What are some of the findings from the Centre’s latest report on how we’re ageing? (25:00)
How many of the outcomes for older people come from choices they make rather than factors outside their control? (27:20)
The issues around an ageing workforce (30:04)
How much are lifestyle issues going to affect our longevity in future? (36:14)
The challenge of an existing housing stock that is not fit for an ageing population (39:04)
What will success look like for the Centre? (41:29)
Anna’s hope for her own life when she hits eighty (43:00)
What is Anna’s personal purpose? (44:39)
What’s one practical change Anna would like to change before hanging up her gloves (45:01)
Advice Anna would give to her younger self (45:21)
An impressive change maker Anna has been inspired by (45:45)
A habit Anna would like to change (46:42)
A book that influenced Anna’s thinking (47:12)
Advice Anna would give to young would-be change makers starting out (48:27)

Links

Anna Dixon on twitter https://twitter.com/drannadixon
The Centre for Ageing Better website https://www.ageing-better.org.uk
The Centre on twitter https://twitter.com/ageing_better

Books

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Barack Obama
Obama audacity of hope https://www.amazon.co.uk/Audacity-Hope-Thoughts-Reclaiming-American/dp/1847670830/
Becoming, Michelle Obama https://www.amazon.co.uk/Becoming-Michelle-Obama/dp/0241334144/

]]> Anna Dixon – What works for an ageing population Mallen Baker, Anna Dixon 00:50:46 In this episode, I talk to Anna Dixon, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, the charity working to create a society where everyone enjoys a good later life. In this episode, I talk to Anna Dixon, chief executive of the Centre for Ageing Better, the charity working to create a society where everyone enjoys a good later life. ageing population, health policy, ageing better false full 35 198b1ba6-4a13-446e-8ab2-d0bf78b86572 Peter Grant – Understanding effective philanthropy In this episode, I talk to Dr Peter Grant, director of charities MSC programme at Cass business school and author of various books on the theory and history of philanthropy.

Peter is one of the UK’s leading practitioners in public and charitable funding. He was the director of an inner-city youth charity for eight years before moving to Sport England where he devised the first Lottery programme to favour areas of deprivation.

In this interview, we talk about how Peter got to where he is today and what he learned along the way about what works in the charity sector. We explore some of the interesting questions about charity, including the recent criticisms of the high profile business-linked charities such as the Gates Foundation.

I found this a really engaging discussion where we go deep into some of the issues. I think you’ll get a huge amount from it.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Peter Grant when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:47)
Peter’s early experience of a dysfunctional organisation, and internal politics (4:34)
The move into an inner-city charity to encourage participation in sport (6:09)
The focus on improving the process of applying for funding for charitable causes (8:34)
The lessons Peter learned about what works and what doesn’t in making effective charity organisations (11:32)
Peter’s move into academia (19:24)
Some of the historical roots of philanthropy (22:53)
How is the sector shaping up today? (29:19)
The role of charities vs the role of the state (31:00)
The blurring of the gap between charities and businesses (37:30)
How social media has helped drive ethical corrections to the charity sector as it has with business (39:57)
Are the criticisms of entrepreneur-led foundations like the Gates Foundation valid, and are these relatively new types of charity? (41:20)
What inspired Peter’s latest book on the myth of the first world war in popular music? (46:00)
What’s one practical change Peter would like to change before hanging up his gloves (49:39)
Advice Peter would give to his younger self (50:10)
An impressive change maker Peter has been inspired by (52:07)
Mistakes Peter has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (52:58)
A habit Peter would like to change (53:29)
A book that influenced Peter thinking (53:40)
Advice Peter would give to young would-be change makers starting out (54:05)

Links

Peter at Cass Business School https://www.cass.city.ac.uk/faculties-and-research/experts/peter-grant

Books

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ragged-Trousered-Philanthropists-Wordsworth-Classics/dp/184022682X/

]]> Tue, 21 May 2019 09:13:41 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Peter Grant) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Dr Peter Grant, director of charities MSC programme at Cass business school and author of various books on the theory and history of philanthropy.

Peter is one of the UK’s leading practitioners in public and charitable funding. He was the director of an inner-city youth charity for eight years before moving to Sport England where he devised the first Lottery programme to favour areas of deprivation.

In this interview, we talk about how Peter got to where he is today and what he learned along the way about what works in the charity sector. We explore some of the interesting questions about charity, including the recent criticisms of the high profile business-linked charities such as the Gates Foundation.

I found this a really engaging discussion where we go deep into some of the issues. I think you’ll get a huge amount from it.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Peter Grant when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:47)
Peter’s early experience of a dysfunctional organisation, and internal politics (4:34)
The move into an inner-city charity to encourage participation in sport (6:09)
The focus on improving the process of applying for funding for charitable causes (8:34)
The lessons Peter learned about what works and what doesn’t in making effective charity organisations (11:32)
Peter’s move into academia (19:24)
Some of the historical roots of philanthropy (22:53)
How is the sector shaping up today? (29:19)
The role of charities vs the role of the state (31:00)
The blurring of the gap between charities and businesses (37:30)
How social media has helped drive ethical corrections to the charity sector as it has with business (39:57)
Are the criticisms of entrepreneur-led foundations like the Gates Foundation valid, and are these relatively new types of charity? (41:20)
What inspired Peter’s latest book on the myth of the first world war in popular music? (46:00)
What’s one practical change Peter would like to change before hanging up his gloves (49:39)
Advice Peter would give to his younger self (50:10)
An impressive change maker Peter has been inspired by (52:07)
Mistakes Peter has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (52:58)
A habit Peter would like to change (53:29)
A book that influenced Peter thinking (53:40)
Advice Peter would give to young would-be change makers starting out (54:05)

Links

Peter at Cass Business School https://www.cass.city.ac.uk/faculties-and-research/experts/peter-grant

Books

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ragged-Trousered-Philanthropists-Wordsworth-Classics/dp/184022682X/

]]> Peter Grant – Understanding effective philanthropy Mallen Baker, Peter Grant 00:56:15 In this episode, I talk to Dr Peter Grant, director of charities MSC programme at Cass business school and author of various books on the theory and history of philanthropy. Peter is one of the UK’s leading practitioners in public and charitable funding. He was the director of an inner-city youth charity for eight years before moving to Sport England where he devised the first Lottery programme to favour areas of deprivation. In this episode, I talk to Dr Peter Grant, director of charities MSC programme at Cass business school and author of various books on the theory and history of philanthropy. Peter is one of the UK’s leading practitioners in public and charitable funding. He was the director of an inner-city youth charity for eight years before moving to Sport England where he devised the first Lottery programme to favour areas of deprivation. philanthropy, gates foundation, csr, corporate social responsibility, peter grant, rockefeller foundation, charity sector false full 34 3b227adb-bf7a-4304-802d-3c1ba336cfad Becky Willan – Challenging brands to embrace a positive purpose In this episode, I talk to Becky Willan, managing director and co-founder of Given London, the brand agency with a focus on purpose and positive impact.

Becky was formerly an environmental manager with the Body Shop, and since then has become a widely experienced consultant with some of the top forward-thinking brands committed to doing well by doing good.

In this interview, we talk about how she got to where she is, and what she learned along the way. We talk about trends in sustainable business and how much businesses need to change to be fit for the net zero impact world we’re heading towards. Becky is an energetic and thoughtful leader in the space and I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview, in spite of the rather noisy environment the conversation took place in, while Old Street was being rebuilt around us.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Becky Willan when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:47)
What were the earliest influences that led Becky to become a change maker? (4:29)
Becky’s first sustainability job at the company that had inspired her at an early age (8:02)
How she decided to move on and go into consultancy (13:03)
The moment that prompted the initial drive to leave and form a new company (16:55)
What led to the name of the agency, Given London (17:38)
Becky’s take on how big a game changer is the corporate purpose movement (19:34)
How to bridge the historic gulf between the marketing and sustainability community and drive difficult changes within businesses (24:24)
Why short-termism is the enemy of purpose, and how can leaders resist the short-term pressures (26:37)
What has Becky learned about what works in running her own business? (28:50)
What are the trends Becky is seeing in the sustainability marketplace? (34:05)
How much are businesses influenced by the current high profile of discussions about an environmental endgame? (37:10)
Tackling cynicism around the role of brands in helping create a more sustainable world (40:18)
Ambitions for the future of Given London (42:12)
Becky’s personal purpose (43:46)
What’s one practical change Becky would like to change before hanging up her gloves (44:32)
Advice Becky would give to her younger self (45:15)
An impressive change maker Becky has been inspired by (46:19)
Mistakes Becky has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (47:47)
A habit Becky would like to change (49:11)
A book that influenced Becky’s thinking (49:57)
Advice Becky would give to young would-be change makers starting out (51:24)

Links
Given London http://www.givenlondon.com
Given London on twitter https://twitter.com/givenlondon

Books
What works - design thinking to tackle gender inequality, Iris Bohnet
https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Works-Gender-Equality-Design/dp/0674089030/

]]> Tue, 14 May 2019 08:05:56 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Becky Willan) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Becky Willan, managing director and co-founder of Given London, the brand agency with a focus on purpose and positive impact.

Becky was formerly an environmental manager with the Body Shop, and since then has become a widely experienced consultant with some of the top forward-thinking brands committed to doing well by doing good.

In this interview, we talk about how she got to where she is, and what she learned along the way. We talk about trends in sustainable business and how much businesses need to change to be fit for the net zero impact world we’re heading towards. Becky is an energetic and thoughtful leader in the space and I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview, in spite of the rather noisy environment the conversation took place in, while Old Street was being rebuilt around us.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Becky Willan when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:47)
What were the earliest influences that led Becky to become a change maker? (4:29)
Becky’s first sustainability job at the company that had inspired her at an early age (8:02)
How she decided to move on and go into consultancy (13:03)
The moment that prompted the initial drive to leave and form a new company (16:55)
What led to the name of the agency, Given London (17:38)
Becky’s take on how big a game changer is the corporate purpose movement (19:34)
How to bridge the historic gulf between the marketing and sustainability community and drive difficult changes within businesses (24:24)
Why short-termism is the enemy of purpose, and how can leaders resist the short-term pressures (26:37)
What has Becky learned about what works in running her own business? (28:50)
What are the trends Becky is seeing in the sustainability marketplace? (34:05)
How much are businesses influenced by the current high profile of discussions about an environmental endgame? (37:10)
Tackling cynicism around the role of brands in helping create a more sustainable world (40:18)
Ambitions for the future of Given London (42:12)
Becky’s personal purpose (43:46)
What’s one practical change Becky would like to change before hanging up her gloves (44:32)
Advice Becky would give to her younger self (45:15)
An impressive change maker Becky has been inspired by (46:19)
Mistakes Becky has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (47:47)
A habit Becky would like to change (49:11)
A book that influenced Becky’s thinking (49:57)
Advice Becky would give to young would-be change makers starting out (51:24)

Links
Given London http://www.givenlondon.com
Given London on twitter https://twitter.com/givenlondon

Books
What works - design thinking to tackle gender inequality, Iris Bohnet
https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-Works-Gender-Equality-Design/dp/0674089030/

]]> Becky Willan – Challenging brands to embrace a positive purpose Mallen Baker, Becky Willan 00:54:05 In this episode, I talk to Becky Willan, managing director and co-founder of Given London, the brand agency with a focus on purpose and positive impact. Becky was formerly an environmental manager with the Body Shop, and since then has become a widely experienced consultant with some of the top forward-thinking brands committed to doing well by doing good. In this episode, I talk to Becky Willan, managing director and co-founder of Given London, the brand agency with a focus on purpose and positive impact. Becky was formerly an environmental manager with the Body Shop, and since then has become a widely experienced consultant with some of the top forward-thinking brands committed to doing well by doing good. sustainability, social impact, corporate purpose, csr, branding, values, corporate responsibility, given london, entrepreneur false full 33 22d68f4a-c740-4d69-be69-b86a39e3d6c8 Tim Smit - Inspiring the self-belief of others In this episode, I talk to Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project and executive chairman of Eden Project International. The Eden Project transformed a sterile pit into a fabulous enclosed garden with rainforest and Mediterranean environments.
Tim is also known for having, along with John Nelson, restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan where he remains a director. In 2002 he was awarded a CBE and in 2012 a KBE.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is, and some of the lessons he learned along the way. Tim is a thoughtful commentator on the current state of our society, and we touch on some real solid gold insights. I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview, so let’s jump straight in.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Tim Smit when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:44)
How Tim got into the music industry, and learned about business in the process (3:45)
The factors that lead to success that don’t depend on talent (7:15)
The unromantic version of why the music business wasn’t all Tim had imagined it to be (8:50)
How Tim ended up moving to Cornwall and how this reflected a settled decision to embrace the accidental (12:14)
Why a lot of the advice you get is rubbish, and what is some of the better advice that Tim has received (13:40)
How Tim ended up taking on the Lost Gardens of Heligan (16:57)
Where the Eden Project came from, and why we shouldn’t let people get away with mediocrity (24:05)
How have we ended up with the era of mediocre leadership? And what role did the media play in this process? (29:03)
Do we spend too much time blaming the nameless other rather than taking responsibility? (35:00)
What lessons has Tim learned by running a business where he was aiming to find ways to run businesses better? (39:20)
Now Eden is focused on multiple projects across the world – what’s driving that? (43:06)
The often-missed opportunity to mobilise the most powerful people on the planet (46:17)
What book or books have inspired Tim and changed his life? (47:48)

Links

The Eden Project https://www.edenproject.com

Books

If this is a man, Primo Levi – https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-This-Man-Primo-Levi/dp/B001126VL8/
Pandaemonium, Humphrey Jennings https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pandaemonium-1660-1886-Contemporary-Observers-Oct-04-2012/dp/B00BOOZ5A6/
The Songs of Trees, David George Haskell https://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Trees-George-David-Haskell/dp/0143111302/
Sum, David Eagleman https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sum-Tales-Afterlives-David-Eagleman/dp/1847674275/
Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Cities-Vintage-Classics-Calvino/dp/0099429837/
Ishmael, Daniel Quinn https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ishmael-Daniel-Quinn/dp/0553375407/

]]> Tue, 7 May 2019 11:03:13 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Tim Smit, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project and executive chairman of Eden Project International. The Eden Project transformed a sterile pit into a fabulous enclosed garden with rainforest and Mediterranean environments.
Tim is also known for having, along with John Nelson, restored the Lost Gardens of Heligan where he remains a director. In 2002 he was awarded a CBE and in 2012 a KBE.

In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is, and some of the lessons he learned along the way. Tim is a thoughtful commentator on the current state of our society, and we touch on some real solid gold insights. I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview, so let’s jump straight in.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Tim Smit when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:44)
How Tim got into the music industry, and learned about business in the process (3:45)
The factors that lead to success that don’t depend on talent (7:15)
The unromantic version of why the music business wasn’t all Tim had imagined it to be (8:50)
How Tim ended up moving to Cornwall and how this reflected a settled decision to embrace the accidental (12:14)
Why a lot of the advice you get is rubbish, and what is some of the better advice that Tim has received (13:40)
How Tim ended up taking on the Lost Gardens of Heligan (16:57)
Where the Eden Project came from, and why we shouldn’t let people get away with mediocrity (24:05)
How have we ended up with the era of mediocre leadership? And what role did the media play in this process? (29:03)
Do we spend too much time blaming the nameless other rather than taking responsibility? (35:00)
What lessons has Tim learned by running a business where he was aiming to find ways to run businesses better? (39:20)
Now Eden is focused on multiple projects across the world – what’s driving that? (43:06)
The often-missed opportunity to mobilise the most powerful people on the planet (46:17)
What book or books have inspired Tim and changed his life? (47:48)

Links

The Eden Project https://www.edenproject.com

Books

If this is a man, Primo Levi – https://www.amazon.co.uk/If-This-Man-Primo-Levi/dp/B001126VL8/
Pandaemonium, Humphrey Jennings https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pandaemonium-1660-1886-Contemporary-Observers-Oct-04-2012/dp/B00BOOZ5A6/
The Songs of Trees, David George Haskell https://www.amazon.co.uk/Songs-Trees-George-David-Haskell/dp/0143111302/
Sum, David Eagleman https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sum-Tales-Afterlives-David-Eagleman/dp/1847674275/
Invisible Cities, Italo Calvino https://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Cities-Vintage-Classics-Calvino/dp/0099429837/
Ishmael, Daniel Quinn https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ishmael-Daniel-Quinn/dp/0553375407/

]]> Tim Smit - Inspiring the self-belief of others Tim Smit, Mallen Baker 00:52:40 In this episode, I talk to Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project and executive chairman of Eden Project International. The Eden Project transformed a sterile pit into a fabulous enclosed garden with rainforest and Mediterranean environments. In this episode, I talk to Sir Tim Smit, co-founder of the Eden Project and executive chairman of Eden Project International. The Eden Project transformed a sterile pit into a fabulous enclosed garden with rainforest and Mediterranean environments. sustainability, csr, tim smit, eden project, sir tim smit, lost gardens of heligan false full 32 b0e40bc7-d8f9-47ef-925f-33b9c332f346 David Grayson - Working carers and how to support them In this episode, I welcome back David Grayson, author, speaker and Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. You’ll remember that when he appeared previously, in episode 2 of the podcast, we talked about his thoughts on business and sustainability.

He is also the author of the book ‘Take Care: How to be a great employer for working carers’, and it’s that topic we’ll be focusing on mostly in this episode. If you are someone who has had to juggle work responsibilities with caring for a partner, a child or a parent, you’ll know how tough that can be. And if you’re an employer, you will have people in that situation in your workforce. So how do you support them?

In this interview, we talk David’s own experience of becoming a caregiver, and then mine some of the deep wisdom from his book about how large employers, small businesses and even solo operators, can go about squaring the circle of working effectively while supporting a loved one. Even if you’re not currently a carer, you may know people that are – even if they’re not telling you – and you may be facing the prospect that it will apply to you one day.

Show Notes

What has been happening for David in the six months since he was last on the podcast? (2:11)
The difference between socially responsible and ethical behaviour in business (3:54)
The example of Enron (7:11)
What is company culture, and how it shapes day to day decisions (9:48)
The continuing impact of David’s book ‘All In’ (11:25)
David’s mother, whose life inspired his book ‘Take Care’, and provided his first experience of being taken care of (12:20)
The impact that becoming a carer had one David’s own lifestyle (18:32)
How David ended up becoming chairman of Carers UK, and how he sees the task ahead (23:00)
What has David discovered about the issue since getting involved in Carers UK? (26:48)
Some statistics about the impact of becoming a carer on working people (29:27)
What are the implications of our ageing society for how such carers can be supported? (33:15)
What distinguishes the companies that do really well at this? (42:30)
The challenges of actually finding out how much of a problem you have in your workplace (45:50)
What about examples of small businesses and how they respond to the agenda (49:21)
What about those that become self-employed in order to become a carer? (52:00)
How does a global business approach this area? (54:00)

Links

Take Care, How to be a great employer for working carers, David Grayson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-Care-Employer-Working-Carers/dp/1787142930/
Carers UK website: https://www.carersuk.org
David’s website: https://davidgrayson.net
David on twitter: https://twitter.com/davidgrayson_

]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2019 05:30:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (David Grayson, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I welcome back David Grayson, author, speaker and Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. You’ll remember that when he appeared previously, in episode 2 of the podcast, we talked about his thoughts on business and sustainability.

He is also the author of the book ‘Take Care: How to be a great employer for working carers’, and it’s that topic we’ll be focusing on mostly in this episode. If you are someone who has had to juggle work responsibilities with caring for a partner, a child or a parent, you’ll know how tough that can be. And if you’re an employer, you will have people in that situation in your workforce. So how do you support them?

In this interview, we talk David’s own experience of becoming a caregiver, and then mine some of the deep wisdom from his book about how large employers, small businesses and even solo operators, can go about squaring the circle of working effectively while supporting a loved one. Even if you’re not currently a carer, you may know people that are – even if they’re not telling you – and you may be facing the prospect that it will apply to you one day.

Show Notes

What has been happening for David in the six months since he was last on the podcast? (2:11)
The difference between socially responsible and ethical behaviour in business (3:54)
The example of Enron (7:11)
What is company culture, and how it shapes day to day decisions (9:48)
The continuing impact of David’s book ‘All In’ (11:25)
David’s mother, whose life inspired his book ‘Take Care’, and provided his first experience of being taken care of (12:20)
The impact that becoming a carer had one David’s own lifestyle (18:32)
How David ended up becoming chairman of Carers UK, and how he sees the task ahead (23:00)
What has David discovered about the issue since getting involved in Carers UK? (26:48)
Some statistics about the impact of becoming a carer on working people (29:27)
What are the implications of our ageing society for how such carers can be supported? (33:15)
What distinguishes the companies that do really well at this? (42:30)
The challenges of actually finding out how much of a problem you have in your workplace (45:50)
What about examples of small businesses and how they respond to the agenda (49:21)
What about those that become self-employed in order to become a carer? (52:00)
How does a global business approach this area? (54:00)

Links

Take Care, How to be a great employer for working carers, David Grayson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Take-Care-Employer-Working-Carers/dp/1787142930/
Carers UK website: https://www.carersuk.org
David’s website: https://davidgrayson.net
David on twitter: https://twitter.com/davidgrayson_

]]> David Grayson - Working carers and how to support them David Grayson, Mallen Baker 00:58:06 In this episode, I welcome back David Grayson, author, speaker and Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. He is the author of the book ‘Take Care: How to be a great employer for working carers’, and it’s that topic we’ll be focusing on mostly in this episode. In this episode, I welcome back David Grayson, author, speaker and Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. He is the author of the book ‘Take Care: How to be a great employer for working carers’, and it’s that topic we’ll be focusing on mostly in this episode. carers, carers uk, csr, business ethics, corporate responsibility, working carers false full 31 5977dbb4-1f0b-49cc-b5b6-00df9b7fadd9 Alison Ward - Tackling issues from cocoa to cotton In this episode, I talk to Alison Ward. Alison is the chief executive of Cotton Connect, a social enterprise with a mission to transform the cotton industry for good, and former head of sustainability with Cadbury.

In this interview, we talk how she got to where she is and some of the issues that she dealt with along the way. We talk about how industries face up to the fundamental challenges to their sector that increasingly emerge in the modern age, and how companies practically get into their supply chains to make things better on the ground.

Alison has a huge amount of hands-on experience in tackling difficult issues with some inspiring companies, and I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Alison when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:35)
The first steps after graduating (4:26)
The move to a small PR agency, starting at the bottom (6:57)
The value of a no-blame culture (8:40)
The move to Hill & Knowlton, and first starting to deal with food sector issues (10:20)
Getting deeper into issues like child labour in food production (15:05)
Joining Cadbury as the company was poised to focus more on CSR and supply chains (19:30)
How the work in Cadbury’s cocoa supply chain unfolded (22:32)
Cadbury’s push of Fairtrade across its mainstream products (26:42)
The change that came when Kraft launched its takeover bid for Cadbury (29:37)
The mission of Cotton Connect (33:08)
Alison’s personal purpose (37:08)
What’s one practical change Alison would like to change before hanging up her gloves (37:50)
Advice Alison would give to her younger self (38:50)
An impressive change maker Alison has been inspired by (39:15)
Mistakes Alison has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (39:42)
A habit Alison would like to change (40:02)
A book that influenced Alison’s thinking (40:33)
Advice Alison would give to young would-be change makers starting out (41:15)

Links

Alison on twitter
Cotton Connect on twitter
Cotton Connect website

The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin
Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek

]]> Tue, 16 Apr 2019 06:29:34 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Alison Ward, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Alison Ward. Alison is the chief executive of Cotton Connect, a social enterprise with a mission to transform the cotton industry for good, and former head of sustainability with Cadbury.

In this interview, we talk how she got to where she is and some of the issues that she dealt with along the way. We talk about how industries face up to the fundamental challenges to their sector that increasingly emerge in the modern age, and how companies practically get into their supply chains to make things better on the ground.

Alison has a huge amount of hands-on experience in tackling difficult issues with some inspiring companies, and I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Alison when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:35)
The first steps after graduating (4:26)
The move to a small PR agency, starting at the bottom (6:57)
The value of a no-blame culture (8:40)
The move to Hill & Knowlton, and first starting to deal with food sector issues (10:20)
Getting deeper into issues like child labour in food production (15:05)
Joining Cadbury as the company was poised to focus more on CSR and supply chains (19:30)
How the work in Cadbury’s cocoa supply chain unfolded (22:32)
Cadbury’s push of Fairtrade across its mainstream products (26:42)
The change that came when Kraft launched its takeover bid for Cadbury (29:37)
The mission of Cotton Connect (33:08)
Alison’s personal purpose (37:08)
What’s one practical change Alison would like to change before hanging up her gloves (37:50)
Advice Alison would give to her younger self (38:50)
An impressive change maker Alison has been inspired by (39:15)
Mistakes Alison has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (39:42)
A habit Alison would like to change (40:02)
A book that influenced Alison’s thinking (40:33)
Advice Alison would give to young would-be change makers starting out (41:15)

Links

Alison on twitter
Cotton Connect on twitter
Cotton Connect website

The Icarus Deception, Seth Godin
Leaders Eat Last, Simon Sinek

]]> Alison Ward - Tackling issues from cocoa to cotton Alison Ward, Mallen Baker 00:42:29 In this episode, I talk to Alison Ward. Alison is the chief executive of Cotton Connect, a social enterprise with a mission to transform the cotton industry for good, and former head of sustainability with Cadbury. In this episode, I talk to Alison Ward. Alison is the chief executive of Cotton Connect, a social enterprise with a mission to transform the cotton industry for good, and former head of sustainability with Cadbury. organic cotton, csr, cotton connect, public relations, cadbury, corporate social responsibility, better cotton, fairtrade, food sector false full 30 9ddd1518-551b-400f-9a58-97f160f407d7 How leading change makers seize opportunities This episode is a little different to what we’ve done so far. We’re at episode number 29, and bearing in mind we launched the first three episodes all at once, that brings us just about to the half year point since the podcast was launched.

It seemed like the perfect time to look back on the great insights we’ve heard so far from some of the world-leading change makers I’ve had the privilege to talk to.

And it also is about the right time to talk about where this podcast goes next, and what you can do to help.

]]> Tue, 9 Apr 2019 11:04:44 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This episode is a little different to what we’ve done so far. We’re at episode number 29, and bearing in mind we launched the first three episodes all at once, that brings us just about to the half year point since the podcast was launched.

It seemed like the perfect time to look back on the great insights we’ve heard so far from some of the world-leading change makers I’ve had the privilege to talk to.

And it also is about the right time to talk about where this podcast goes next, and what you can do to help.

]]> How leading change makers seize opportunities Mallen Baker 00:31:25 This episode is a little different to what we’ve done so far. We’re at episode number 29, and bearing in mind we launched the first three episodes all at once, that brings us just about to the half year point since the podcast was launched. It seemed like the perfect time to look back on the great insights we’ve heard so far from some of the world-leading change makers I’ve had the privilege to talk to. And it also is about the right time to talk about where this podcast goes next, and what you can do to help. This episode is a little different to what we’ve done so far. We’re at episode number 29, and bearing in mind we launched the first three episodes all at once, that brings us just about to the half year point since the podcast was launched. It seemed like the perfect time to look back on the great insights we’ve heard so far from some of the world-leading change makers I’ve had the privilege to talk to. And it also is about the right time to talk about where this podcast goes next, and what you can do to help. mallen baker, change makers, csr, corporate social responsibility false full 29 dd823495-1d4f-40ff-9699-535a2def59b9 Mike Clasper – Sustainability at the heart of good management In this episode, I talk to Mike Clasper. Mike is the chairman of Coats Group plc. He was formerly chief executive of the airports company BAA, and was chairman of HMRC. He was awarded a CBE in 1995 for services to the environment arising from his time at Procter and Gamble.

In this interview, we talk how he got to where he is and some of the issues that he dealt with along the way. We talk about the current landscape for socially responsible business, including whether or not mainstream investors are now waking up to the issue as a factor for decision making.

Mike is a highly capable and inspirational leader with a wealth of insight and experience, and I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Mike when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:31)
How did Mike find his first job at the nationalised British Rail? (3:34)
Mike’s move to Procter & Gamble and into the world of brand management (6:42)
What accounted for Mike’s rapid rise within the ranks of P&G? (9:16)
How did Mike emerge triumphant in “the soap wars” with Unilever? A case study in managing reputation (10:33)
Mike’s initiative on packaging waste that projected him into environmental leadership within business (16:23)
What prompted Mike’s move from P&G to run British airports? (19:32)
The hornet’s nest Mike stirred up when he became chief executive (22:54)
Mike’s insistence that the airline industry should be included in emissions trading (24:40)
The challenge of the construction of Terminal 5 (27:46)
Good quality management in solving problems is sometimes what delivers the socially responsible outcome (31:30)
What has changed in the attitudes of mainstream investors? (33:55)
Can you plan for the long-term when there are raiders who want to buy companies purely for short-term returns? (37:40)
The move to the public sector as chairman of HMRC (39:30)
Why it’s so difficult to experiment with new approaches before going to scale (47:00)
How Mike’s current company, Coats, is facing up to sustainability challenges (49:00)
What’s one practical change Mike would like to change before hanging up his gloves (54:00)
Advice Mike would give to his younger self (54:36)
An impressive change maker Mike has been inspired by (55:18)
Mistakes Mike has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (56:10)
A habit Mike would like to change (59:00)
A book that influenced Mike’s thinking (59:45)
Advice Mike would give to young would-be change makers starting out (1:00:35)

Links

Mike on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-clasper-56b365164/
The Mind of the Strategist, Kenichi Ohmae https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Strategist-Art-Japanese-Business/dp/0070479046/
Coats plc https://www.coats.com/en/Responsibility/Responsibility-Overview

]]> Tue, 2 Apr 2019 10:09:17 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mike Clasper, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Mike Clasper. Mike is the chairman of Coats Group plc. He was formerly chief executive of the airports company BAA, and was chairman of HMRC. He was awarded a CBE in 1995 for services to the environment arising from his time at Procter and Gamble.

In this interview, we talk how he got to where he is and some of the issues that he dealt with along the way. We talk about the current landscape for socially responsible business, including whether or not mainstream investors are now waking up to the issue as a factor for decision making.

Mike is a highly capable and inspirational leader with a wealth of insight and experience, and I think you’ll get a huge amount from this interview.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Mike when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:31)
How did Mike find his first job at the nationalised British Rail? (3:34)
Mike’s move to Procter & Gamble and into the world of brand management (6:42)
What accounted for Mike’s rapid rise within the ranks of P&G? (9:16)
How did Mike emerge triumphant in “the soap wars” with Unilever? A case study in managing reputation (10:33)
Mike’s initiative on packaging waste that projected him into environmental leadership within business (16:23)
What prompted Mike’s move from P&G to run British airports? (19:32)
The hornet’s nest Mike stirred up when he became chief executive (22:54)
Mike’s insistence that the airline industry should be included in emissions trading (24:40)
The challenge of the construction of Terminal 5 (27:46)
Good quality management in solving problems is sometimes what delivers the socially responsible outcome (31:30)
What has changed in the attitudes of mainstream investors? (33:55)
Can you plan for the long-term when there are raiders who want to buy companies purely for short-term returns? (37:40)
The move to the public sector as chairman of HMRC (39:30)
Why it’s so difficult to experiment with new approaches before going to scale (47:00)
How Mike’s current company, Coats, is facing up to sustainability challenges (49:00)
What’s one practical change Mike would like to change before hanging up his gloves (54:00)
Advice Mike would give to his younger self (54:36)
An impressive change maker Mike has been inspired by (55:18)
Mistakes Mike has made that led to a better outcome or personal growth (56:10)
A habit Mike would like to change (59:00)
A book that influenced Mike’s thinking (59:45)
Advice Mike would give to young would-be change makers starting out (1:00:35)

Links

Mike on Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-clasper-56b365164/
The Mind of the Strategist, Kenichi Ohmae https://www.amazon.co.uk/Mind-Strategist-Art-Japanese-Business/dp/0070479046/
Coats plc https://www.coats.com/en/Responsibility/Responsibility-Overview

]]> Mike Clasper – Sustainability at the heart of good management Mike Clasper, Mallen Baker 01:02:43 In this episode, I talk to Mike Clasper. Mike is the chairman of Coats Group plc. He was formerly chief executive of the airports company BAA, and was chairman of HMRC. He was awarded a CBE in 1995 for services to the environment arising from his time at Procter & Gamble. In this episode, I talk to Mike Clasper. Mike is the chairman of Coats Group plc. He was formerly chief executive of the airports company BAA, and was chairman of HMRC. He was awarded a CBE in 1995 for services to the environment arising from his time at Procter & Gamble. sustainability, procter & gamble, airports, csr, coats plc, baa, climate change, hmrc, corporate social responsibility false full 28 02989888-74c5-4b47-88ea-100438a47f5d Stephanie Davies-Arai – Seeking the truth without fear In this episode, I talk to Stephanie Davies-Arai.

Stephanie is the founder of Transgender Trend, a parent effectiveness trainer and the author of the book ‘communicating with kids’. She was shortlisted for the John Maddox prize, which recognises individuals who have promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, with an emphasis on those who have faced difficulty or hostility in doing so.

In this interview, we talk how she got to where she is, and the journey she took from being a sculptor who wanted to change the world through art, to someone who now achieves that goal through words. We talk about the delicate balance of raising kids, and the complete imbalance of the debates around transgender children specifically.

In a world where we’re committed to change, we have to be able to treat everybody with compassion and respect, whilst at the same time looking dispassionately at facts and basing our actions on what those facts tell us.

As you’ll be aware, there are some highly fraught issues here that many would simply prefer to duck for fear of saying the wrong thing, being labelled as a bigot or worse, and having a twitter mob calling for retribution. Stephanie Davies-Arai has faced all of those and worse, and has had the courage to stand up anyway. And that’s sometimes the choice that a committed change maker has to make.

This is an important interview, I think you’ll find it fascinating.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Stephanie when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (2:12)
What were the early influences that pushed Stephanie towards sculpture? (3:59)
At what point did Stephanie’s path deviate from the traditional path of a sculptor? (8:33)
The chain of action that led her to parent effectiveness training (10:44)
The tricky balance of raising children (13:01)
Writing the book and the feedback that came as a result (18:02)
How Stephanie came to found Transgender Trend (18:45)
The current situation with regard to advice to parents regarding transgender kids (22:00)
Why Transgender Trend produced a school pack (25:20)
When did the transgender issue become so controversial that it’s become so hard to discuss? (27:18)
What was the recent story relating to the Tavistock Clinic, which is the only one in the country to deal with transgender children? (34:08)
Are the recent high profile cases of conflict part of a trend or just us trying to work out what we think about the issue? (37:56)
What advice would Stephanie give to companies grappling with the issue within their own commitment to diversity in the workplace? (44:13)
Stephanie’s personal purpose (46:46)
One single change Stephanie would like to bring about before hanging up her gloves (47:22)
Advice she would give to her younger self (48:14)
An impressive change maker that has inspired Stephanie (48:55)
A habit Stephanie would like to change (49:50)
A book that changed Stephanie’s life or thinking (50:00)
Advice to young would-be change makers (50:30)

Links

Stephanie on Twitter
Stephanie’s book, Communicating with Kids
Transgender Trend

Beyond Human Nature, Jesse Prinz

]]> Tue, 26 Mar 2019 08:12:45 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Stephanie Davies-Arai.

Stephanie is the founder of Transgender Trend, a parent effectiveness trainer and the author of the book ‘communicating with kids’. She was shortlisted for the John Maddox prize, which recognises individuals who have promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, with an emphasis on those who have faced difficulty or hostility in doing so.

In this interview, we talk how she got to where she is, and the journey she took from being a sculptor who wanted to change the world through art, to someone who now achieves that goal through words. We talk about the delicate balance of raising kids, and the complete imbalance of the debates around transgender children specifically.

In a world where we’re committed to change, we have to be able to treat everybody with compassion and respect, whilst at the same time looking dispassionately at facts and basing our actions on what those facts tell us.

As you’ll be aware, there are some highly fraught issues here that many would simply prefer to duck for fear of saying the wrong thing, being labelled as a bigot or worse, and having a twitter mob calling for retribution. Stephanie Davies-Arai has faced all of those and worse, and has had the courage to stand up anyway. And that’s sometimes the choice that a committed change maker has to make.

This is an important interview, I think you’ll find it fascinating.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Stephanie when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (2:12)
What were the early influences that pushed Stephanie towards sculpture? (3:59)
At what point did Stephanie’s path deviate from the traditional path of a sculptor? (8:33)
The chain of action that led her to parent effectiveness training (10:44)
The tricky balance of raising children (13:01)
Writing the book and the feedback that came as a result (18:02)
How Stephanie came to found Transgender Trend (18:45)
The current situation with regard to advice to parents regarding transgender kids (22:00)
Why Transgender Trend produced a school pack (25:20)
When did the transgender issue become so controversial that it’s become so hard to discuss? (27:18)
What was the recent story relating to the Tavistock Clinic, which is the only one in the country to deal with transgender children? (34:08)
Are the recent high profile cases of conflict part of a trend or just us trying to work out what we think about the issue? (37:56)
What advice would Stephanie give to companies grappling with the issue within their own commitment to diversity in the workplace? (44:13)
Stephanie’s personal purpose (46:46)
One single change Stephanie would like to bring about before hanging up her gloves (47:22)
Advice she would give to her younger self (48:14)
An impressive change maker that has inspired Stephanie (48:55)
A habit Stephanie would like to change (49:50)
A book that changed Stephanie’s life or thinking (50:00)
Advice to young would-be change makers (50:30)

Links

Stephanie on Twitter
Stephanie’s book, Communicating with Kids
Transgender Trend

Beyond Human Nature, Jesse Prinz

]]> Stephanie Davies-Arai – Seeking the truth without fear Mallen Baker 00:52:24 In this episode, I talk to Stephanie Davies-Arai. Stephanie is the founder of Transgender Trend, a parent effectiveness trainer and the author of the book ‘communicating with kids’. She was shortlisted for the John Maddox prize, which recognises individuals who have promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, with an emphasis on those who have faced difficulty or hostility in doing so. In this episode, I talk to Stephanie Davies-Arai. Stephanie is the founder of Transgender Trend, a parent effectiveness trainer and the author of the book ‘communicating with kids’. She was shortlisted for the John Maddox prize, which recognises individuals who have promoted sound science and evidence on a matter of public interest, with an emphasis on those who have faced difficulty or hostility in doing so. false full 27 6d988749-d435-4364-8f99-8ce8fc10f347 Caroline Casey – The magic of possibility In this episode, I talk to Caroline Casey.

Caroline is a social entrepreneur, international speaker and leading authority on diversity and inclusion. She is the founder of the Valuable 500 campaign, and is committed to building a global movement to create an equal society for the 1.3 billion people in the world with a disability.

In this interview, we talk about her extraordinary journey, the highs and the lows and what she learned from them both. We talk about why businesses are scared of the issue of disability, and how there’s a huge opportunity for those that step up to the plate to deal with it.

Caroline says she doesn’t believe herself to be inspirational. I, and a lot of other people I know, respectfully disagree with that assessment. She is a real force of nature and it was a huge privilege to have this frank and illuminating conversation together. I think you’re going to love this one

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Caroline as she left school and prepared for adult life? (2:02)
How did Caroline navigate through the world in her early years without realising how different she was? (4:54)
What was the factor that led Caroline to break through her early situation to become confident and successful? (7:38)
How did Caroline feel towards her parents when she discovered the truth? (11:46)
Why did she start off with a degree in Archaeology? (15:05)
How did she end up starting her career at Accenture? (16:25)
The moment when Caroline had to admit to the world what she’d been hiding (19:25)
The rock bottom moment that Caroline experienced, and the remarkable adventure it led to (21:00)
How Caroline ended up making her trip into something that would make a difference, and how it led to her very first breakthrough (23:34)
What are the obstacles that businesses have to overcome before they can embrace disability inclusion? (30:27)
What do the leading companies do successfully? (33:30)
What is the Valuable 500 and what is its call to action? (35:16)
What was the characteristic that pulled Caroline through the dark moments to get to here? (40:00)
If Caroline was to have another elephant-riding moment, what form would it take? (43:25)
What is Caroline’s personal purpose? (46:12)
One practical change Caroline would like to single-handedly bring about before hanging up her gloves (46:27)
Advice Caroline would give to her younger self (47:06)
Impressive change makers that Caroline has been inspired by (47:38)
What mistake has Caroline made that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (48:53)
What habit would Caroline most like to change? (49:59)
What book or books has had a powerful impact on her thinking or her life? (50:35)
What advice would she give to young people interested in making a difference to the world? (51:48)

Links

Caroline on Twitter
The Valuable 500 Website
Video of the Business Case for Disability Inclusion panel at Davos
Caroline's TED talk

Books

The Jungle Book
Rising Strong, Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown

]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2019 06:30:08 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, Caroline Casey) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Caroline Casey.

Caroline is a social entrepreneur, international speaker and leading authority on diversity and inclusion. She is the founder of the Valuable 500 campaign, and is committed to building a global movement to create an equal society for the 1.3 billion people in the world with a disability.

In this interview, we talk about her extraordinary journey, the highs and the lows and what she learned from them both. We talk about why businesses are scared of the issue of disability, and how there’s a huge opportunity for those that step up to the plate to deal with it.

Caroline says she doesn’t believe herself to be inspirational. I, and a lot of other people I know, respectfully disagree with that assessment. She is a real force of nature and it was a huge privilege to have this frank and illuminating conversation together. I think you’re going to love this one

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Caroline as she left school and prepared for adult life? (2:02)
How did Caroline navigate through the world in her early years without realising how different she was? (4:54)
What was the factor that led Caroline to break through her early situation to become confident and successful? (7:38)
How did Caroline feel towards her parents when she discovered the truth? (11:46)
Why did she start off with a degree in Archaeology? (15:05)
How did she end up starting her career at Accenture? (16:25)
The moment when Caroline had to admit to the world what she’d been hiding (19:25)
The rock bottom moment that Caroline experienced, and the remarkable adventure it led to (21:00)
How Caroline ended up making her trip into something that would make a difference, and how it led to her very first breakthrough (23:34)
What are the obstacles that businesses have to overcome before they can embrace disability inclusion? (30:27)
What do the leading companies do successfully? (33:30)
What is the Valuable 500 and what is its call to action? (35:16)
What was the characteristic that pulled Caroline through the dark moments to get to here? (40:00)
If Caroline was to have another elephant-riding moment, what form would it take? (43:25)
What is Caroline’s personal purpose? (46:12)
One practical change Caroline would like to single-handedly bring about before hanging up her gloves (46:27)
Advice Caroline would give to her younger self (47:06)
Impressive change makers that Caroline has been inspired by (47:38)
What mistake has Caroline made that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (48:53)
What habit would Caroline most like to change? (49:59)
What book or books has had a powerful impact on her thinking or her life? (50:35)
What advice would she give to young people interested in making a difference to the world? (51:48)

Links

Caroline on Twitter
The Valuable 500 Website
Video of the Business Case for Disability Inclusion panel at Davos
Caroline's TED talk

Books

The Jungle Book
Rising Strong, Brené Brown
The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown

]]> Caroline Casey – The magic of possibility Mallen Baker, Caroline Casey 00:53:21 In this episode, I talk to Caroline Casey. Caroline is a social entrepreneur, international speaker and leading authority on diversity and inclusion. In this episode, I talk to Caroline Casey. Caroline is a social entrepreneur, international speaker and leading authority on diversity and inclusion. disability inclusion, disability, csr, paul polman, corporate social responsibility, caroline casey, valuable 500 false full 26 4116f5f9-6516-4513-b2e7-21c02d26c1f8 Jonathon Porritt – Calling time on unsustainable wealth creation In this episode, I talk to Jonathon Porritt, co-founder of Forum for the Future.

Jonathon has been one of the most respected faces of the environmental movement for nearly forty years. He was formerly chairman of the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, director of Friends of the Earth and co-chair of the Green Party.

In this interview, we talk about what he learned through his decades in the environmental movement about what works and what doesn’t. We talk about the hopeful signs we have in front of us to balance against the immense size of the task ahead.

For me, it was a huge privilege to have this conversation with Jonathon, whose sage words I would often watch on BBC Question Time as a youngster, passionately concerned for the future of the world, nodding my head as he found the perfect words time and time again. He still has a huge amount to say, and I think you’ll get a lot from this conversation

What did the world look like to the young Jonathon when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:38)
What was it that first influenced Jonathon in the direction of environmental issues? (2:44)
Early experiences as a teacher of English and Drama (3:31)
What took Jonathon to the political route in those early stages of becoming an activist? (5:08)
The challenges when Jonathon arrived at Friends of the Earth (6:46)
What Jonathon learned about what works and what doesn’t during his time at Friends of the Earth (9:10)
The importance of using science properly (13:40)
The founding of Forum for the Future – what was the driver and the original vision? (15:48)
How Forum has evolved over the years (18:20)
Which are the proudest achievements of the environmental movement that we could learn from? (22:16)
The challenges that lie ahead – the focus on climate change, why it’s the hardest problem we’ve faced, but there are shafts of light to feed hope (25:38)
What are the current trends in terms of population growth? (30:45)
What chances to reverse the way climate change is being held hostage in the US by political polarisation? (34:04)
Is there any scope to change incentives for businesses to favour the long-term rather than the obsessively short-term? (38:33)
Jonathon’s personal purpose (42:21)
Advice Jonathon would give to his younger self (43:01)
Impressive change makers Jonathon has been inspired by (44:23)
A habit Jonathon would like to change (45:37)
Books that had an impact on Jonathon’s thinking (46:29)
Advice to young people that want to make a difference to the world (47:22)

Links

Jonathon on twitter https://twitter.com/jonathonporritt
Jonathon’s website http://www.jonathonporritt.com
The World We Made, Jonathon Porritt https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-We-Made-McKays-Story/dp/0714863610/

Wangari Maathai – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai
Petra Kelly - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Kelly

Blueprint for Survival, Edward Goldsmith https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blueprint-Survival-Penguin-Specials/dp/0140522956/

Small is Beautiful, EF Schumacher https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Beautiful-Economics-People-Mattered/dp/0099225611/

Prosperity without Growth, Tim Jackson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prosperity-without-Growth-Foundations-Tomorrow/dp/1138935417/

]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2019 06:30:02 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Jonathon Porritt, Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Jonathon Porritt, co-founder of Forum for the Future.

Jonathon has been one of the most respected faces of the environmental movement for nearly forty years. He was formerly chairman of the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, director of Friends of the Earth and co-chair of the Green Party.

In this interview, we talk about what he learned through his decades in the environmental movement about what works and what doesn’t. We talk about the hopeful signs we have in front of us to balance against the immense size of the task ahead.

For me, it was a huge privilege to have this conversation with Jonathon, whose sage words I would often watch on BBC Question Time as a youngster, passionately concerned for the future of the world, nodding my head as he found the perfect words time and time again. He still has a huge amount to say, and I think you’ll get a lot from this conversation

What did the world look like to the young Jonathon when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:38)
What was it that first influenced Jonathon in the direction of environmental issues? (2:44)
Early experiences as a teacher of English and Drama (3:31)
What took Jonathon to the political route in those early stages of becoming an activist? (5:08)
The challenges when Jonathon arrived at Friends of the Earth (6:46)
What Jonathon learned about what works and what doesn’t during his time at Friends of the Earth (9:10)
The importance of using science properly (13:40)
The founding of Forum for the Future – what was the driver and the original vision? (15:48)
How Forum has evolved over the years (18:20)
Which are the proudest achievements of the environmental movement that we could learn from? (22:16)
The challenges that lie ahead – the focus on climate change, why it’s the hardest problem we’ve faced, but there are shafts of light to feed hope (25:38)
What are the current trends in terms of population growth? (30:45)
What chances to reverse the way climate change is being held hostage in the US by political polarisation? (34:04)
Is there any scope to change incentives for businesses to favour the long-term rather than the obsessively short-term? (38:33)
Jonathon’s personal purpose (42:21)
Advice Jonathon would give to his younger self (43:01)
Impressive change makers Jonathon has been inspired by (44:23)
A habit Jonathon would like to change (45:37)
Books that had an impact on Jonathon’s thinking (46:29)
Advice to young people that want to make a difference to the world (47:22)

Links

Jonathon on twitter https://twitter.com/jonathonporritt
Jonathon’s website http://www.jonathonporritt.com
The World We Made, Jonathon Porritt https://www.amazon.co.uk/World-We-Made-McKays-Story/dp/0714863610/

Wangari Maathai – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wangari_Maathai
Petra Kelly - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petra_Kelly

Blueprint for Survival, Edward Goldsmith https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blueprint-Survival-Penguin-Specials/dp/0140522956/

Small is Beautiful, EF Schumacher https://www.amazon.co.uk/Small-Beautiful-Economics-People-Mattered/dp/0099225611/

Prosperity without Growth, Tim Jackson https://www.amazon.co.uk/Prosperity-without-Growth-Foundations-Tomorrow/dp/1138935417/

]]> Jonathon Porritt – Calling time on unsustainable wealth creation Jonathon Porritt, Mallen Baker 00:49:58 In this episode, I talk to Jonathon Porritt, co-founder of Forum for the Future. Jonathon has been one of the most respected faces of the environmental movement for nearly forty years. He was formerly chairman of the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, director of Friends of the Earth and co-chair of the Green Party. In this episode, I talk to Jonathon Porritt, co-founder of Forum for the Future. Jonathon has been one of the most respected faces of the environmental movement for nearly forty years. He was formerly chairman of the government’s Sustainable Development Commission, director of Friends of the Earth and co-chair of the Green Party. sustainability, environmentalism, friends of the earth, environment, forum for the future, climate change, population matters, green party, jonathon porritt, ozone layer, acid rain false full 25 9b694e20-4cf3-4dc1-a578-c04fc9b690ac Katie Buchanan – Do a few things really well In this episode, I talk to Katie Buchanan, the head of sustainability for Virgin Media.

Katie is responsible for Virgin Media's growing reputation for creative and innovative approaches to sustainability. She has also created a powerful partnership with the charity Scope focused on getting people with disabilities into the workplace.

In this interview, we talk about how she got here, and what she learned along the way. Why she has become immersed in inclusive employment issues, and why reducing its areas of focus has been so powerful for Virgin Media's overall approach to sustainability.

Katie is a dynamic change maker who was shortlisted this year for the edie Sustainability Leader of the Year. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, and I think you'll get a huge amount from it.

Show Notes

Why Katie's sustainability journey actively began right when she was back at high school (1:35)
Katie’s "lightbulb moment" when she saw corporate social responsibility as the focus for her creative energy (3:31)
First job in football hospitality (5:55)
Katie's initial move into the CSR world as a result of a NESTA award (6:42)
Why joining a CSR / sustainability agency was a great first step (10:30)
Katie's immediate draw towards the Virgin brand and how she first arrived at Virgin Media with a specific focus on the environment (12:30)
How Virgin Media's initial approach to CSR reporting involved posting hard copy reports to MPs (14:05)
The spirit of the changes Katie introduced to how the company approached its communications (15:55)
What propelled Katie within a very short period into becoming head of sustainability for the company (17:50)
Adapting to new realities when the company was bought by Liberty Global (19:40)
How Virgin Media came to focus on disability inclusion as its issue of focus (22:02)
Narrowing from 23 sustainability goals to just five on the principle of "do a few things really well" (23:48)
Identifying Scope as the one charity partner to take over from the many, and moving the focus to inclusive employment (26:00)
The huge impact the launch of the new campaign made on employees, many of whom had their own disability story (28:16)
Why the issue of disability in the workplace retains a taboo status (29:30)
What the programme does, and what obstacles are needed to be overcome (30:15)
What lessons have been learned about how to make an effective partnership? (34:41)
The areas of focus for Virgin Media's approach to sustainability, and why 'big hairy goals’ can help push a long-term view (37:00)
How to persuade upwards to get decision-makers on board (40:56)
What is Katie’s personal purpose? (45:00)
What one practical change would Katie like to bring about in the world before hanging up her gloves? (46:23)
What advice would Kate give to her younger self? (46:58)
Impressive change makers Katie has been influenced by? (48:45)
What mistake did Katie make that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (50:00)
What one habit would Katie like to change? (51:25)
What book, or books, has changed Katie's attitudes or life? (52:45)
Advice Katie would give to young change makers (55:45)

Links

Katie on twitter
Katie on Linked In
Virgin Media Sustainability

Caroline Casey's TED talk

The Big Five for Live, John P. Strelecky
Finding Your Element, Ken Robinson

]]> Tue, 5 Mar 2019 06:30:25 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Katie Buchanan, the head of sustainability for Virgin Media.

Katie is responsible for Virgin Media's growing reputation for creative and innovative approaches to sustainability. She has also created a powerful partnership with the charity Scope focused on getting people with disabilities into the workplace.

In this interview, we talk about how she got here, and what she learned along the way. Why she has become immersed in inclusive employment issues, and why reducing its areas of focus has been so powerful for Virgin Media's overall approach to sustainability.

Katie is a dynamic change maker who was shortlisted this year for the edie Sustainability Leader of the Year. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, and I think you'll get a huge amount from it.

Show Notes

Why Katie's sustainability journey actively began right when she was back at high school (1:35)
Katie’s "lightbulb moment" when she saw corporate social responsibility as the focus for her creative energy (3:31)
First job in football hospitality (5:55)
Katie's initial move into the CSR world as a result of a NESTA award (6:42)
Why joining a CSR / sustainability agency was a great first step (10:30)
Katie's immediate draw towards the Virgin brand and how she first arrived at Virgin Media with a specific focus on the environment (12:30)
How Virgin Media's initial approach to CSR reporting involved posting hard copy reports to MPs (14:05)
The spirit of the changes Katie introduced to how the company approached its communications (15:55)
What propelled Katie within a very short period into becoming head of sustainability for the company (17:50)
Adapting to new realities when the company was bought by Liberty Global (19:40)
How Virgin Media came to focus on disability inclusion as its issue of focus (22:02)
Narrowing from 23 sustainability goals to just five on the principle of "do a few things really well" (23:48)
Identifying Scope as the one charity partner to take over from the many, and moving the focus to inclusive employment (26:00)
The huge impact the launch of the new campaign made on employees, many of whom had their own disability story (28:16)
Why the issue of disability in the workplace retains a taboo status (29:30)
What the programme does, and what obstacles are needed to be overcome (30:15)
What lessons have been learned about how to make an effective partnership? (34:41)
The areas of focus for Virgin Media's approach to sustainability, and why 'big hairy goals’ can help push a long-term view (37:00)
How to persuade upwards to get decision-makers on board (40:56)
What is Katie’s personal purpose? (45:00)
What one practical change would Katie like to bring about in the world before hanging up her gloves? (46:23)
What advice would Kate give to her younger self? (46:58)
Impressive change makers Katie has been influenced by? (48:45)
What mistake did Katie make that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (50:00)
What one habit would Katie like to change? (51:25)
What book, or books, has changed Katie's attitudes or life? (52:45)
Advice Katie would give to young change makers (55:45)

Links

Katie on twitter
Katie on Linked In
Virgin Media Sustainability

Caroline Casey's TED talk

The Big Five for Live, John P. Strelecky
Finding Your Element, Ken Robinson

]]> Katie Buchanan – Do a few things really well Mallen Baker 00:59:27 In this episode, I talk to Katie Buchanan, the head of sustainability for Virgin Media. Katie is responsible for Virgin Media’s growing reputation for creative and innovative approaches to sustainability. She has also created a powerful partnership with the charity Scope focused on getting people with disabilities into the workplace. In this episode, I talk to Katie Buchanan, the head of sustainability for Virgin Media. Katie is responsible for Virgin Media’s growing reputation for creative and innovative approaches to sustainability. She has also created a powerful partnership with the charity Scope focused on getting people with disabilities into the workplace. false full 24 e2af73f2-bd91-4bf1-abdf-35bccc4c33a0 John O’Brien – Helping people maximise their potential for good What did the world look like to the young John O’Brien as he left school and embarked upon adult life? (1:29)

The startlingly different direction that John took after his first job, and why it was both the natural place to be but also slightly uncomfortable (4:54)

What was the enduring impact that came out of John’s years with the armed forces? (9:20)

Have we, as a society, become soft as a result of our recent success as a society in avoiding major challenges such as wars etc? (11:13)

The circumstances that saw John leaving the military life he loved and getting a job at a local charity (15:48)

John’s move that finally led him to join Business in the Community, and his involvement with programmes arising from the direct interests of the Prince of Wales (20:26)

What were the enduring elements from John’s time with BITC that stayed with him? (25:49)

What perspective does his history with Mosaic give John in relation to some of our national challenges in relation to national identity? (28:51)

John’s creation of the Jubilee Hour, and how it became so hugely successful (31:24)

Was it a one-time opportunity, or was it something that could be replicated in the future? (35:30)

What’s the value of companies adopting a corporate purpose? (37:37)

What’s driving the interest in purpose in those businesses that are responding to the agenda? (40:55)

What is John’s personal purpose? (50:10)

What one practical change would John like to bring about in the world before hanging up his gloves? (50:56)

What advice would John give to his younger self? (52:00)

Impressive change makers John has been influenced by? (52:27)

What mistake did John make that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (54:45)

What one habit would John like to change? (55:41)

What book, or books, has changed John’s attitudes or John’s life? (56:11)

Advice John would give to young change makers (59:24)

Links

John on twitter
One Hundred Agency

Anita Roddick
Sir Tim Smit
Caroline Casey’s TED talk

The Gift, Lewis Hyde
The Social Animal, David Brooks
Bad Blood, John Carreyrou

]]> Tue, 26 Feb 2019 06:30:01 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker, John O'Brien) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast What did the world look like to the young John O’Brien as he left school and embarked upon adult life? (1:29)

The startlingly different direction that John took after his first job, and why it was both the natural place to be but also slightly uncomfortable (4:54)

What was the enduring impact that came out of John’s years with the armed forces? (9:20)

Have we, as a society, become soft as a result of our recent success as a society in avoiding major challenges such as wars etc? (11:13)

The circumstances that saw John leaving the military life he loved and getting a job at a local charity (15:48)

John’s move that finally led him to join Business in the Community, and his involvement with programmes arising from the direct interests of the Prince of Wales (20:26)

What were the enduring elements from John’s time with BITC that stayed with him? (25:49)

What perspective does his history with Mosaic give John in relation to some of our national challenges in relation to national identity? (28:51)

John’s creation of the Jubilee Hour, and how it became so hugely successful (31:24)

Was it a one-time opportunity, or was it something that could be replicated in the future? (35:30)

What’s the value of companies adopting a corporate purpose? (37:37)

What’s driving the interest in purpose in those businesses that are responding to the agenda? (40:55)

What is John’s personal purpose? (50:10)

What one practical change would John like to bring about in the world before hanging up his gloves? (50:56)

What advice would John give to his younger self? (52:00)

Impressive change makers John has been influenced by? (52:27)

What mistake did John make that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (54:45)

What one habit would John like to change? (55:41)

What book, or books, has changed John’s attitudes or John’s life? (56:11)

Advice John would give to young change makers (59:24)

Links

John on twitter
One Hundred Agency

Anita Roddick
Sir Tim Smit
Caroline Casey’s TED talk

The Gift, Lewis Hyde
The Social Animal, David Brooks
Bad Blood, John Carreyrou

]]> John O’Brien – Helping people maximise their potential for good Mallen Baker, John O'Brien 01:01:01 Welcome to episode #23 of the Mallen Baker podcast, where I talk to successful change makers about what works and what doesn’t in making a lasting and positive impact in the world. To keep up to date with new episodes, please subscribe to the podcast. If you want additional thoughts and resources that I simply don’t share anywhere else, sign up to the newsletter at mallenbaker.net. In this episode, I talk to John O’Brien, an ethics and purpose champion, co-author of ‘the power of purpose’, and the managing partner of the One Hundred Agency. John was responsible for what the government rated as the largest mobilisation of volunteering since world war 2. He was a founder of the Mosaic network, and numerous other charitable and entrepreneurial ventures. In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he learned along the way. We talk about what made some of those campaigns particularly successful, and what we can learn from them in relation to some of the burning issues of the day. John is a thoughtful and highly engaging interviewee and we cover a lot of ground. I think you’ll get a huge amount from our discussion. Welcome to episode #23 of the Mallen Baker podcast, where I talk to successful change makers about what works and what doesn’t in making a lasting and positive impact in the world. To keep up to date with new episodes, please subscribe to the podcast. If you want additional thoughts and resources that I simply don’t share anywhere else, sign up to the newsletter at mallenbaker.net. In this episode, I talk to John O’Brien, an ethics and purpose champion, co-author of ‘the power of purpose’, and the managing partner of the One Hundred Agency. John was responsible for what the government rated as the largest mobilisation of volunteering since world war 2. He was a founder of the Mosaic network, and numerous other charitable and entrepreneurial ventures. In this interview, we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he learned along the way. We talk about what made some of those campaigns particularly successful, and what we can learn from them in relation to some of the burning issues of the day. John is a thoughtful and highly engaging interviewee and we cover a lot of ground. I think you’ll get a huge amount from our discussion. social impact, corporate purpose, csr, corporate social responsibility false full 23 72846ce0-643d-4577-aef9-4e7672a2d384 Ron Bailey – Successful campaigns against powerful opponents In this episode, I talk to Ron Bailey. This is a special one for me. Ron is a campaigning genius who has been possibly the most effective parliamentary campaigner of our time.

In his early years, Ron was one of the founding forces of the family squatting movement in response to truly awful slum landlords that blighted the lives of thousands of people at the time.

He went on to focus his attention on getting bills through Parliament – including getting a freedom of information bill through a hostile Thatcher government that had a massive majority.

In this interview, we talk about the factors that makes his approach successful, and why he has so often been able to succeed in the face of much more powerful opponents. However you approach change making in your own life, I think you’ll get a huge amount from it.

Show Notes

Ron’s recent brush with a London bus (1:49)

How did the world look to the young Ron Bailey when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (2:53)

How Ron came to be focused on the issue of homelessness and the housing crisis (4:30)

Having won the first campaign at King Hill, how Ron moved onto the next to support families, supported by the reputation of the earlier success (7:40)

How these beginnings led to the family squatting movement, and how it was supported by a medieval law (9:21)

How the campaign survived as the resistance against them got increasingly ugly and eventually won through (13:20)

The success of the campaigns to date lead to pragmatic and mutually beneficial deals struck in Lewisham (19:10)

How that deal established a common theme for Ron’s campaigns in that he finds allies in parts of the political spectrum you might find surprising (21:10)

The Community Rights Project that kickstarted Ron’s approach to Parliamentary campaigning and won his first big victory (22:33)

Ron’s process for Parliamentary campaigning (25:29)

Some of the additional campaigning details that made the difference in piling on the pressure (28:38)

Ron’s eight tactics to reliably beat an opponent (generally the Government) that is stronger than you (30:49)

Lessons from the Home Energy Conservation Act, and the crucial factor that swayed the then Secretary of State for the Environment (33:28)

The Road Traffic Reduction Acts, one successful and one of which was lost, even though a bill went through Parliament (34:12)

Why the Sustainable Communities Act is referred to by Ron as ‘the Pluto Act’, and why it’s his proudest achievement out of all the bills. (34:49)

How public meetings made the difference in winning support for the Sustainable Communities Act (37:36)

The public way that a number of MPs chose to recognise Ron’s achievements, and what he’s working on now (39:33)

How Eric Forth MP became Ron’s nemesis by using Parliamentary tactics to block his bills, and how Ron overcame his opposition (41:45)

How does Ron think about the current state of polarised politics, and what needs to be done to help us move forward (44:57)

Ron’s personal purpose (47:19)

One practical change Ron would bring about before hanging up his gloves (47:40)

Advice he would give to his younger self (48:16)

Impressive change makers Ron has been inspired by (48:38)

Books that have influenced Ron’s thinking and his life (51:02)

Links

Some more background on the early homelessness campaigns

People mentioned

A.S Neill

Rosa May Billinghurst

Daniel Isaac Eaton

Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin

]]> Tue, 19 Feb 2019 06:16:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Ron Bailey. This is a special one for me. Ron is a campaigning genius who has been possibly the most effective parliamentary campaigner of our time.

In his early years, Ron was one of the founding forces of the family squatting movement in response to truly awful slum landlords that blighted the lives of thousands of people at the time.

He went on to focus his attention on getting bills through Parliament – including getting a freedom of information bill through a hostile Thatcher government that had a massive majority.

In this interview, we talk about the factors that makes his approach successful, and why he has so often been able to succeed in the face of much more powerful opponents. However you approach change making in your own life, I think you’ll get a huge amount from it.

Show Notes

Ron’s recent brush with a London bus (1:49)

How did the world look to the young Ron Bailey when he left school and looked ahead to adult life? (2:53)

How Ron came to be focused on the issue of homelessness and the housing crisis (4:30)

Having won the first campaign at King Hill, how Ron moved onto the next to support families, supported by the reputation of the earlier success (7:40)

How these beginnings led to the family squatting movement, and how it was supported by a medieval law (9:21)

How the campaign survived as the resistance against them got increasingly ugly and eventually won through (13:20)

The success of the campaigns to date lead to pragmatic and mutually beneficial deals struck in Lewisham (19:10)

How that deal established a common theme for Ron’s campaigns in that he finds allies in parts of the political spectrum you might find surprising (21:10)

The Community Rights Project that kickstarted Ron’s approach to Parliamentary campaigning and won his first big victory (22:33)

Ron’s process for Parliamentary campaigning (25:29)

Some of the additional campaigning details that made the difference in piling on the pressure (28:38)

Ron’s eight tactics to reliably beat an opponent (generally the Government) that is stronger than you (30:49)

Lessons from the Home Energy Conservation Act, and the crucial factor that swayed the then Secretary of State for the Environment (33:28)

The Road Traffic Reduction Acts, one successful and one of which was lost, even though a bill went through Parliament (34:12)

Why the Sustainable Communities Act is referred to by Ron as ‘the Pluto Act’, and why it’s his proudest achievement out of all the bills. (34:49)

How public meetings made the difference in winning support for the Sustainable Communities Act (37:36)

The public way that a number of MPs chose to recognise Ron’s achievements, and what he’s working on now (39:33)

How Eric Forth MP became Ron’s nemesis by using Parliamentary tactics to block his bills, and how Ron overcame his opposition (41:45)

How does Ron think about the current state of polarised politics, and what needs to be done to help us move forward (44:57)

Ron’s personal purpose (47:19)

One practical change Ron would bring about before hanging up his gloves (47:40)

Advice he would give to his younger self (48:16)

Impressive change makers Ron has been inspired by (48:38)

Books that have influenced Ron’s thinking and his life (51:02)

Links

Some more background on the early homelessness campaigns

People mentioned

A.S Neill

Rosa May Billinghurst

Daniel Isaac Eaton

Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck

The Dispossessed, Ursula Le Guin

]]> Ron Bailey – Successful campaigns against powerful opponents Mallen Baker 00:52:27 In this episode, I talk to Ron Bailey. This is a special one for me. Ron is a campaigning genius who has been possibly the most effective parliamentary campaigner of our time. In his early years, Ron was one of the founding forces of the family squatting movement in response to truly awful slum landlords that blighted the lives of thousands of people at the time. He went on to focus his attention on getting bills through Parliament – including getting a freedom of information bill through a hostile Thatcher government that had a massive majority. In this episode, I talk to Ron Bailey. This is a special one for me. Ron is a campaigning genius who has been possibly the most effective parliamentary campaigner of our time. In his early years, Ron was one of the founding forces of the family squatting movement in response to truly awful slum landlords that blighted the lives of thousands of people at the time. He went on to focus his attention on getting bills through Parliament – including getting a freedom of information bill through a hostile Thatcher government that had a massive majority. change makers, friends of the earth, mallen baker, parliamentary campaigning, anarchism, climate change, eric forth mp, politics, green party, sustainable communities act, local government access to information act, environmental campaigning, ron bailey false full 22 6fd6fece-7efe-453f-b446-633fbfa95d9c Jennie Galbraith – A force for change in the world of tobacco In this episode, I talk to Jennie Galbraith who is the group head of sustainability for British American Tobacco.

Jennie is also Vice Chair and one of the founding forces behind the Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, the recently formed professional body.

In this interview we talk about how she got to where she is, and what she’s learned along the way. As you can imagine, we also talk about the social responsibility implications of working at a tobacco company, which brings unique and important issues that many others would happily leave alone, and some of the changes that have happened over the last decade.

Jenny is a practical, and determined change maker who hasn’t shirked from tackling some of the most difficult challenges a company can face. I think you’ll get a lot out of this interview.

Show Notes

How did the world look to the young Jennie when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:34)

How a chance conversation led to a change in direction that set Jennie onto the new path that eventually shaped her life (4:05)

How Sustainability North West steered Jennie into a corporate sustainability career (7:00)

Jennie’s first experience in corporate social responsibility at ethical trailblazer Co-operative Insurance Services (8:22)

How did the work change as the Co-operative became the larger Co-operative Group, with the bank and the retail arm? (10:02)

How did the company’s position as leader of an ethical niche affect the sort of work that Jennie did? (12:25)

The impact on friends and colleagues when Jennie decided to move from ethical co-op to a major tobacco corporation (14:30)

What did Jennie find at BAT when she joined, and what sort of issues were on her plate for early attention? (16:02)

How you should deal with stakeholders who are completely distrustful and suspicious of the company (20:30)

So how does Jennie respond to people who challenge her over products that kill people? (22:10)

Are the vaping products of today the answer in the quest for significantly reduced harm products? (24:40)

Other areas of focus on corporate behaviour and agricultural supply chains worldwide -particularly on human rights (26:33)

How progress has been made on supporting farmer livelihoods, as well as other areas such as marketing (30:08)

Why Jennie took a role as one of the leading instigators of the Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS) (34:27)

How does Jennie think the profession will continue to evolve over the coming decades? (37:40)

Jennie’ personal purpose (39:59)

What one practical change would Jennie want to bring about before hanging up her gloves? (41:25)

What advice would she give to the younger Jennie? (41:50)

An impressive change maker that Jennie has been inspired by (42:06)

A mistake Jennie has made that led to some better outcome or personal growth (43:20)

A habit that Jennie would like to change (44:44)

Two books that influenced Jennie’s thinking and life (45:17)

Advice to young people that are starting on their own journeys (46:03)

Links

The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS)

Walter Menzies

Cannibals with Forks, John Elkington

What got you here won’t get you there, Marshall Goldsmith

]]> Tue, 12 Feb 2019 07:20:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Jennie Galbraith who is the group head of sustainability for British American Tobacco.

Jennie is also Vice Chair and one of the founding forces behind the Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, the recently formed professional body.

In this interview we talk about how she got to where she is, and what she’s learned along the way. As you can imagine, we also talk about the social responsibility implications of working at a tobacco company, which brings unique and important issues that many others would happily leave alone, and some of the changes that have happened over the last decade.

Jenny is a practical, and determined change maker who hasn’t shirked from tackling some of the most difficult challenges a company can face. I think you’ll get a lot out of this interview.

Show Notes

How did the world look to the young Jennie when she left school and looked ahead to adult life? (1:34)

How a chance conversation led to a change in direction that set Jennie onto the new path that eventually shaped her life (4:05)

How Sustainability North West steered Jennie into a corporate sustainability career (7:00)

Jennie’s first experience in corporate social responsibility at ethical trailblazer Co-operative Insurance Services (8:22)

How did the work change as the Co-operative became the larger Co-operative Group, with the bank and the retail arm? (10:02)

How did the company’s position as leader of an ethical niche affect the sort of work that Jennie did? (12:25)

The impact on friends and colleagues when Jennie decided to move from ethical co-op to a major tobacco corporation (14:30)

What did Jennie find at BAT when she joined, and what sort of issues were on her plate for early attention? (16:02)

How you should deal with stakeholders who are completely distrustful and suspicious of the company (20:30)

So how does Jennie respond to people who challenge her over products that kill people? (22:10)

Are the vaping products of today the answer in the quest for significantly reduced harm products? (24:40)

Other areas of focus on corporate behaviour and agricultural supply chains worldwide -particularly on human rights (26:33)

How progress has been made on supporting farmer livelihoods, as well as other areas such as marketing (30:08)

Why Jennie took a role as one of the leading instigators of the Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS) (34:27)

How does Jennie think the profession will continue to evolve over the coming decades? (37:40)

Jennie’ personal purpose (39:59)

What one practical change would Jennie want to bring about before hanging up her gloves? (41:25)

What advice would she give to the younger Jennie? (41:50)

An impressive change maker that Jennie has been inspired by (42:06)

A mistake Jennie has made that led to some better outcome or personal growth (43:20)

A habit that Jennie would like to change (44:44)

Two books that influenced Jennie’s thinking and life (45:17)

Advice to young people that are starting on their own journeys (46:03)

Links

The Institute of Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability (ICRS)

Walter Menzies

Cannibals with Forks, John Elkington

What got you here won’t get you there, Marshall Goldsmith

]]> Jennie Galbraith – A force for change in the world of tobacco Mallen Baker 00:47:54 In this episode, I talk to Jennie Galbraith who is the group head of sustainability for British American Tobacco. Jennie is also Vice Chair and one of the founding forces behind the Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, the recently formed professional body. In this episode, I talk to Jennie Galbraith who is the group head of sustainability for British American Tobacco. Jennie is also Vice Chair and one of the founding forces behind the Institute for Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability, the recently formed professional body. sustainability, child labour, change makers, british american tobacco, jennie galbraith, csr, corporate social responsibility, health, human rights, mallen baker, tobacco plantations, reduced harm tobacco false full 21 8357428e-7497-48f0-b60c-e46602406763 Lord Boateng – Be prepared to be a disrupter In this episode, I talk to Lord Boateng who, as Paul Boateng, was a cabinet minister in the Blair Government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Paul also served as the British High Commissioner to South Africa from 2005 to 2009 and entered the House of Lords in 2010. He is chairman of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund.

In this interview we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he’s learned along the way. We talk about what needs to happen to make the process of government more effective, as well as some of the challenges around the future of both Britain and Africa.

Paul is hugely impressive, a politician with experience at the highest level and a pragmatic eye to what works and what doesn’t. This was a valuable and entertaining interview.

Show Notes

The early events the shaped the life and perspective of the young Paul Boateng (1:36)

How Paul ended up going into law (7:00)

Early exposure to politics (10:22)

Paul’s involvement in the Scrap Sus campaign and why he decided to seek elected office (13:28)

When Parliamentary ambitions rose to the fore, and why the ongoing legal practice was an early benefit (19:52)

The experience of government and the great challenge that needs to be overcome (27:10)

The single piece of legislation that Paul is most proud of from his time as Secretary to the Treasury (32:38)

The importance of identity and the consequence of forgetting it (34:56)

Why companies and government need to see their customers as citizens, not just as customers (39:22)

The work of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, which came out of the Africa Commission (42:37)

The advantage of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the reason why Africa represents a market opportunity (48:14)

If there was one practical change Paul could make before hanging up his gloves (55:07)

What advice would Paul give to young changemakers who are just starting out? (57:25)

Links

Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund Website

]]> Tue, 5 Feb 2019 06:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Lord Boateng who, as Paul Boateng, was a cabinet minister in the Blair Government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Paul also served as the British High Commissioner to South Africa from 2005 to 2009 and entered the House of Lords in 2010. He is chairman of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund.

In this interview we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he’s learned along the way. We talk about what needs to happen to make the process of government more effective, as well as some of the challenges around the future of both Britain and Africa.

Paul is hugely impressive, a politician with experience at the highest level and a pragmatic eye to what works and what doesn’t. This was a valuable and entertaining interview.

Show Notes

The early events the shaped the life and perspective of the young Paul Boateng (1:36)

How Paul ended up going into law (7:00)

Early exposure to politics (10:22)

Paul’s involvement in the Scrap Sus campaign and why he decided to seek elected office (13:28)

When Parliamentary ambitions rose to the fore, and why the ongoing legal practice was an early benefit (19:52)

The experience of government and the great challenge that needs to be overcome (27:10)

The single piece of legislation that Paul is most proud of from his time as Secretary to the Treasury (32:38)

The importance of identity and the consequence of forgetting it (34:56)

Why companies and government need to see their customers as citizens, not just as customers (39:22)

The work of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund, which came out of the Africa Commission (42:37)

The advantage of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, and the reason why Africa represents a market opportunity (48:14)

If there was one practical change Paul could make before hanging up his gloves (55:07)

What advice would Paul give to young changemakers who are just starting out? (57:25)

Links

Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund Website

]]> Lord Boateng – Be prepared to be a disrupter Mallen Baker 00:59:27 In this episode, I talk to Lord Boateng who, as Paul Boateng, was a cabinet minister in the Blair Government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Paul also served as the British High Commissioner to South Africa from 2005 to 2009 and entered the House of Lords in 2010. He is chairman of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund. In this episode, I talk to Lord Boateng who, as Paul Boateng, was a cabinet minister in the Blair Government as Chief Secretary to the Treasury. Paul also served as the British High Commissioner to South Africa from 2005 to 2009 and entered the House of Lords in 2010. He is chairman of the Africa Enterprise Challenge Fund. corporate sustainability, mallen baker, change makers, lord boateng, sustainable development goals, csr, tony blair, corporate social responsibility, government, paul boateng, africa false full 20 2402c782-7d6e-489e-9f07-54a2a9f49b0a Paul Polman - Leadership with purpose In this episode, I talk to Paul Polman who, until just a few weeks ago, was the chief executive of Unilever.

Paul needs very little introduction to many of the listeners of this podcast. For the last decade, he has been one of the highest profile champions for sustainable business worldwide. He’s shown that leading a business with purpose can help create new models of sustainable wealth creation whilst also delivering a fair return to shareholders.

In this interview we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he’s learned along the way. We talk about some of the obstacles to sustainable business, and what we need to do to take the next steps forward.

Paul is hugely experienced on the global stage, both in terms of what it means to tackle real poverty on the ground, and also how to build systems for top level change at scale. I learned a huge amount in our discussion and I think you will too.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Paul Polman as he left school and prepared for adult life, and what were his first steps? (1:45)

What was the influence that first started Paul on the path towards caring about social impact and sustainability? (8:04)

What were Paul’s top priorities when he took over the leadership of Unilever? (11:22)

What have been the main learnings on how to make impact in difficult markets whilst being successful? (15:04)

Some of the challenges of having a global company that is also hyper-local in its approach (22:20)

Can businesses really deliver for the long-term when the business orthodoxy rewards the short-term? (24:25)

What sort of system can deliver sustainable value in the long-term? (30:36)

How can businesses successfully create sustainable value when there are so many corporate raiders waiting to dive in on a short-term opportunity? (36:42)

The importance of including impact on society as a key feature of leadership (41:54)

Looking back having stepped down as CEO, what stands out from the last ten years at Unilever? (43:36)

Paul’s personal purpose (46:04)

One practical change Paul would make before hanging up his gloves (46:44)

Advice Paul would give to his younger self (48:09)

Impressive change makers that Paul finds inspiring (48:24)

Mistakes Paul has made that led to a positive outcome (49:34)

One habit Paul would like to change (50:13)

A book that has had a powerful impact on Paul’s thinking (50:51)

Paul’s advice to young people who want to be successful and make an impact on the world as well (52:45)

Links

Paul on Twitter

Kilimanjaro Blind Trust

The Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey

Discover Your True North, Bill George

]]> Tue, 29 Jan 2019 09:33:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Paul Polman who, until just a few weeks ago, was the chief executive of Unilever.

Paul needs very little introduction to many of the listeners of this podcast. For the last decade, he has been one of the highest profile champions for sustainable business worldwide. He’s shown that leading a business with purpose can help create new models of sustainable wealth creation whilst also delivering a fair return to shareholders.

In this interview we talk about how he got to where he is, and what he’s learned along the way. We talk about some of the obstacles to sustainable business, and what we need to do to take the next steps forward.

Paul is hugely experienced on the global stage, both in terms of what it means to tackle real poverty on the ground, and also how to build systems for top level change at scale. I learned a huge amount in our discussion and I think you will too.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Paul Polman as he left school and prepared for adult life, and what were his first steps? (1:45)

What was the influence that first started Paul on the path towards caring about social impact and sustainability? (8:04)

What were Paul’s top priorities when he took over the leadership of Unilever? (11:22)

What have been the main learnings on how to make impact in difficult markets whilst being successful? (15:04)

Some of the challenges of having a global company that is also hyper-local in its approach (22:20)

Can businesses really deliver for the long-term when the business orthodoxy rewards the short-term? (24:25)

What sort of system can deliver sustainable value in the long-term? (30:36)

How can businesses successfully create sustainable value when there are so many corporate raiders waiting to dive in on a short-term opportunity? (36:42)

The importance of including impact on society as a key feature of leadership (41:54)

Looking back having stepped down as CEO, what stands out from the last ten years at Unilever? (43:36)

Paul’s personal purpose (46:04)

One practical change Paul would make before hanging up his gloves (46:44)

Advice Paul would give to his younger self (48:09)

Impressive change makers that Paul finds inspiring (48:24)

Mistakes Paul has made that led to a positive outcome (49:34)

One habit Paul would like to change (50:13)

A book that has had a powerful impact on Paul’s thinking (50:51)

Paul’s advice to young people who want to be successful and make an impact on the world as well (52:45)

Links

Paul on Twitter

Kilimanjaro Blind Trust

The Elephant Whisperer, Lawrence Anthony

7 Habits of Highly Effective People, Stephen Covey

Discover Your True North, Bill George

]]> Paul Polman - Leadership with purpose Mallen Baker 00:55:08 In this episode, I talk to Paul Polman who, until just a few weeks ago, was the chief executive of Unilever. For the last decade, Paul has been one of the highest profile champions for sustainable business worldwide. In this episode, I talk to Paul Polman who, until just a few weeks ago, was the chief executive of Unilever. For the last decade, Paul has been one of the highest profile champions for sustainable business worldwide. mallen baker, change makers, unilever, poverty, csr, paul polman, corporate social responsibility, sustainable business, africa, corporate sustainability false full 19 c61d5202-f9f2-4f05-8673-4f2837285fac Beccy Speight – why ancient woodland matters for the future In this episode, I talk to Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the Woodland Trust.

Beccy is an energetic champion for practical environmental change. She is an articulate campaigner and an inspiring leader, drawing from her years of business experience and her management of key parts of the National Trust estates.

In this interview we talk about how she got to where she is, and the lessons she learned along the way. And we get into some detail as to why the preservation of ancient woodlands is so important, and why we need to up the ambition on the country’s planned tree-planting.

Beccy is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when people with leadership skills and solid business nous turn towards tackling a key social or environmental issue. I learned a huge amount in our discussion and I think you will too, so let’s jump straight in.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Beccy as she left school and faced the world as a young adult? (1:34)

How Beccy ended up moving to London to work for a management consultant led by a “mad genius” (4:00)

Were there any foreshadows in those early times of the values that would become such a feature of Beccy’s work later on? (5:28)

Did she see her potential future as being solidly in the private sector at that point? (6:37)

Why Beccy ended up trying again in joining the National Trust for a challenging job that stretched her from the start (7:50)

The early challenges of running a major National Trust property (9:51)

How Beccy pushed for more of a campaigning edge at the National Trust and why cause-driven people are often frustrated in their early career (11:03)

Beccy’s arrival at the Woodland Trust, and what she found when she got there (14:55)

The purpose and the origin of the Woodland Trust (16:35)

Why the interest in holding onto ancient woodland isn’t just about sentimentality (19:45)

What are the main causes of destruction of ancient woodland? (23:00)

The impacts on woodland from climate change (24:43)

How resilient will our national species be in the face of the changes? (26:13)

The best ways to go about increasing forest cover in a way to maximise the benefits (29:03)

What are the chances of upping the ambition on tree-planting? (31:29)

The role that the private sector can play (33:00)

Beccy’s message to the aspiring sustainability leaders in business (33:51)

The opportunities and dangers for the agenda from the forthcoming Brexit conclusion (35:33)

The other work the Woodland Trust does with people, in schools and woodland users – and generally pushing the issues up the political agenda (37:36)

Beccy’s personal purpose (39:10)

One practical change Beccy would want to bring about before hanging up her gloves (39:55)

Advice Beccy would give to her younger self (40:35)

Two impressive change-makers Beccy has been inspired by (41:01)

A mistake that led to some better outcome or personal growth (43:10)

A habit Beccy would like to change (44:11)

A book that has had a powerful impact on Beccy’s life (44:30)

Advice Beccy would give young people who are starting out and what to be successful whilst also making a positive impact in the world (46:00)

Links

Beccy on twitter

The Woodland Trust website

Edie Sustainable Leadership conference (Use the coupon code MALLEN10 for 10% off)

What has nature ever done for us? Tony Juniper

]]> Tue, 22 Jan 2019 09:59:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the Woodland Trust.

Beccy is an energetic champion for practical environmental change. She is an articulate campaigner and an inspiring leader, drawing from her years of business experience and her management of key parts of the National Trust estates.

In this interview we talk about how she got to where she is, and the lessons she learned along the way. And we get into some detail as to why the preservation of ancient woodlands is so important, and why we need to up the ambition on the country’s planned tree-planting.

Beccy is an inspiring example of what can be achieved when people with leadership skills and solid business nous turn towards tackling a key social or environmental issue. I learned a huge amount in our discussion and I think you will too, so let’s jump straight in.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Beccy as she left school and faced the world as a young adult? (1:34)

How Beccy ended up moving to London to work for a management consultant led by a “mad genius” (4:00)

Were there any foreshadows in those early times of the values that would become such a feature of Beccy’s work later on? (5:28)

Did she see her potential future as being solidly in the private sector at that point? (6:37)

Why Beccy ended up trying again in joining the National Trust for a challenging job that stretched her from the start (7:50)

The early challenges of running a major National Trust property (9:51)

How Beccy pushed for more of a campaigning edge at the National Trust and why cause-driven people are often frustrated in their early career (11:03)

Beccy’s arrival at the Woodland Trust, and what she found when she got there (14:55)

The purpose and the origin of the Woodland Trust (16:35)

Why the interest in holding onto ancient woodland isn’t just about sentimentality (19:45)

What are the main causes of destruction of ancient woodland? (23:00)

The impacts on woodland from climate change (24:43)

How resilient will our national species be in the face of the changes? (26:13)

The best ways to go about increasing forest cover in a way to maximise the benefits (29:03)

What are the chances of upping the ambition on tree-planting? (31:29)

The role that the private sector can play (33:00)

Beccy’s message to the aspiring sustainability leaders in business (33:51)

The opportunities and dangers for the agenda from the forthcoming Brexit conclusion (35:33)

The other work the Woodland Trust does with people, in schools and woodland users – and generally pushing the issues up the political agenda (37:36)

Beccy’s personal purpose (39:10)

One practical change Beccy would want to bring about before hanging up her gloves (39:55)

Advice Beccy would give to her younger self (40:35)

Two impressive change-makers Beccy has been inspired by (41:01)

A mistake that led to some better outcome or personal growth (43:10)

A habit Beccy would like to change (44:11)

A book that has had a powerful impact on Beccy’s life (44:30)

Advice Beccy would give young people who are starting out and what to be successful whilst also making a positive impact in the world (46:00)

Links

Beccy on twitter

The Woodland Trust website

Edie Sustainable Leadership conference (Use the coupon code MALLEN10 for 10% off)

What has nature ever done for us? Tony Juniper

]]> Beccy Speight – why ancient woodland matters for the future Mallen Baker 00:48:55 In this episode, I talk to Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the Woodland Trust. Beccy is an energetic champion for practical environmental change. She is an articulate campaigner and an inspiring leader, drawing from her years of business experience and her management of key parts of the National Trust estates. In this episode, I talk to Beccy Speight, the chief executive of the Woodland Trust. Beccy is an energetic champion for practical environmental change. She is an articulate campaigner and an inspiring leader, drawing from her years of business experience and her management of key parts of the National Trust estates. mallen baker, change makers, csr, environment, climate change, corporate social responsibility, woodland trust, brexit, ancient woodland, forest, beccy speight false full 18 8c8ef16c-a3e4-492c-b91e-0e0486810985 Claire Fox – Robust debate and Generation Snowflake In this episode, I talk to Claire Fox, Director of the Academy of Ideas and author of the book ‘I find that offensive’.

Claire is a panellist on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, and is regularly on a variety of news programmes commenting on culture, education, media and free speech issues.

In this interview we talk about how Claire came to be championing the view that ideas should be able to be freely contested without constraint, and why that basic free speech principle has come under threat in recent years.

Claire is an inspiring example of someone who believes that truth should be spoken, even in the face of difficult consequences. There are some valuable insights in our discussion and I think you'll get a lot from it.

Show Notes

How did the world look to the young Claire as she left school and looked forward to adult life (1.30)

The earliest influences that made Claire interested in ideas and politics (2.30)

The contentious act of going to university to study English (5.21)

How Claire ended up falling into an early career in social work (6.40)

The power of active experience of people in poverty to inform a political perspective (7.51)

How the interest in politics came to become Claire’s main focus (9.20)

The journey that resulted in writing and ultimately becoming a publisher of LM magazine (12.02)

How LM magazine became the focus of fresh thinking, dealing with issues of free speech and the emergence of environmental politics etc. (16.15)

The emergence of a focus on organising live events for free debate (19.17)

What’s the driving force now of the Battle of Ideas? (23.17)

The two visits to schools that prompted Claire to write her book ‘I find that offensive’ (26:55)

When did we cross the line into the world where political correctness presents career-destroying risks to people? (31.39)

Institutional cowardice is feeding the power of unreasonable demands (34.57)

The reaction against political correctness that has become labelled as ‘the intellectual dark web’ (36.24)

The fact that people are ready for long-form content, challenging the notion that people’s attention spans had shrunk (38.27)

One practical change Claire would seek to bring about before hanging up her gloves (40.08)

Advice she would give to her younger self (40.30)

An impressive changemaker (41.15)

A mistake that led to a better outcome or personal growth (42.20)

A habit Claire would like to change (43.02)

Books that have had a powerful impact on Claire’s life (43.48)

Advice to young people taking the first few steps into the world (45.10)

Links

Claire on twitter

Academy of Ideas on twitter

Academy of Ideas website

People / Books Mentioned

Hannah Arendt

On Liberty, John Stewart Mill
Brighton Rock, Graham Greene

]]> Tue, 15 Jan 2019 08:13:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Claire Fox, Director of the Academy of Ideas and author of the book ‘I find that offensive’.

Claire is a panellist on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, and is regularly on a variety of news programmes commenting on culture, education, media and free speech issues.

In this interview we talk about how Claire came to be championing the view that ideas should be able to be freely contested without constraint, and why that basic free speech principle has come under threat in recent years.

Claire is an inspiring example of someone who believes that truth should be spoken, even in the face of difficult consequences. There are some valuable insights in our discussion and I think you'll get a lot from it.

Show Notes

How did the world look to the young Claire as she left school and looked forward to adult life (1.30)

The earliest influences that made Claire interested in ideas and politics (2.30)

The contentious act of going to university to study English (5.21)

How Claire ended up falling into an early career in social work (6.40)

The power of active experience of people in poverty to inform a political perspective (7.51)

How the interest in politics came to become Claire’s main focus (9.20)

The journey that resulted in writing and ultimately becoming a publisher of LM magazine (12.02)

How LM magazine became the focus of fresh thinking, dealing with issues of free speech and the emergence of environmental politics etc. (16.15)

The emergence of a focus on organising live events for free debate (19.17)

What’s the driving force now of the Battle of Ideas? (23.17)

The two visits to schools that prompted Claire to write her book ‘I find that offensive’ (26:55)

When did we cross the line into the world where political correctness presents career-destroying risks to people? (31.39)

Institutional cowardice is feeding the power of unreasonable demands (34.57)

The reaction against political correctness that has become labelled as ‘the intellectual dark web’ (36.24)

The fact that people are ready for long-form content, challenging the notion that people’s attention spans had shrunk (38.27)

One practical change Claire would seek to bring about before hanging up her gloves (40.08)

Advice she would give to her younger self (40.30)

An impressive changemaker (41.15)

A mistake that led to a better outcome or personal growth (42.20)

A habit Claire would like to change (43.02)

Books that have had a powerful impact on Claire’s life (43.48)

Advice to young people taking the first few steps into the world (45.10)

Links

Claire on twitter

Academy of Ideas on twitter

Academy of Ideas website

People / Books Mentioned

Hannah Arendt

On Liberty, John Stewart Mill
Brighton Rock, Graham Greene

]]> Claire Fox – Robust debate and Generation Snowflake Mallen Baker 00:47:53 In this episode, I talk to Claire Fox, Director of the Academy of Ideas and author of the book ‘I find that offensive’. Claire is a panellist on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, and is regularly on a variety of news programmes commenting on culture, education, media and free speech issues. In this episode, I talk to Claire Fox, Director of the Academy of Ideas and author of the book ‘I find that offensive’. Claire is a panellist on Radio 4’s The Moral Maze, and is regularly on a variety of news programmes commenting on culture, education, media and free speech issues. change makers, political correctness, generation snowflake, academy of ideas, corporate social responsibility, mallen baker, claire fox, the moral maze, csr false full 17 ea0ba7fd-e8ee-4716-afff-9e6c9b337c1c Michael Kelly - Turning risk into opportunity In this, the first episode of 2019, I talk to Mike Kelly, chairman of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and former head of CSR for KPMG.

Mike is a seasoned campaigner from the pioneering years of corporate responsibility. He was instrumental in the creation of the UN Global Compact, and has been a consistent supporter of some of the more difficult causes, from a corporate perspective, such as homelessness and the living wage.

In this interview we talk about how he got to where he is, how he ended up creating hugely influential frameworks at the UN that have shaped the business approach to sustainability world-wide, and some of the approaches he took that successfully put KPMG into pole position in the CSR community.

Mike is a brilliant example of how you can change the world from wherever you find yourself – and how part of the task is to build the system that will embed the right values into an organisation from day to day. He’s a fascinating, thoughtful and inspiring character, and I think you'll find some real value in this interview.

Show notes

How did the world look to Mike when he first started on his adult life? (1:48)

How the family felt about dropping out of University, as the first family member to go there (3:20)

What happened on the first day, why Mike had to be called aside by the manager, and why he progressed rapidly (4:11)

How the old-style banks evaluated risk (6:20)

How Mike came to have the environment first included in his risk portfolio (8:45)

How Mike ended up becoming one of only six business representatives at the original Earth Summit in Rio (10:30)

The huge impact of the Shell Brent Spar campaign on how businesses saw the risks ahead of them (12:06)

The moment Mike began to see that the environment presented business opportunities, not just risks (14:43)

How Mike’s sense of mission shifted as he became exposed to the UN negotiation process on climate change (17:08)

Mike’s primary project at the UN – the UN Sustainable Finance Initiative (18:19)

How the environmental management agenda rolled out through Nat West (20:24)

How the UN finance initiatives developed, and where the finance sector is now, and how the financial crash played out (22:15)

The creation and early progress of the UN Global Compact (23:52)

The critics of the Global Compact, and the need to take the long view (27:08)

How the Greenwich Principles became the Equator Principles (28:40)

Why Mike decided to leave the UN and take up the job with KPMG (30:34)

What Mike found at KPMG when he first arrived, and how his entrepreneurial flair created opportunities (32:35)

Why KPMG took a leadership role in some tricky issues such as homelessness and the living wage (34:00)

Where did the commitment to the Living Wage come from, and how did it get through the Board at a time when it was laying people off? (37:14)

How Mike had an active process to ensure that incoming leaders saw the social responsibility agenda as part of what was involved in leadership (41:40)

KPMG’s support for the UK hospices in a way that would double up as carbon offsetting the company’s energy use (44:35)

Mike’s work to continue making a difference post-KPMG, including the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust (46:38)

Does Mike have a personal purpose? (50:47)

What single change would Mike most like to make before hanging up his gloves? (51:23)

What one nugget of advice would he give to the younger Mike Kelly? (52:03)

What impressive change makers have inspired Mike? (52:32)

What mistake led to some better outcome or personal growth? (53:19)

What habit would Mike most want to change? (54:17)

What book, or books had a powerful impact on your thinking or your life? (54:48)

What advice does Mike give to young would-be change-makers? (55:45)

Books mentions

The Silent Spring, Rachel Carson

Factor Four, L. Hunter Lovins, Amory B. Lovins, Ernst von Weizsacker

Links

Mike on Twitter

Dame Kelly Holmes Trust

The Passage.

]]> Tue, 8 Jan 2019 06:19:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this, the first episode of 2019, I talk to Mike Kelly, chairman of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and former head of CSR for KPMG.

Mike is a seasoned campaigner from the pioneering years of corporate responsibility. He was instrumental in the creation of the UN Global Compact, and has been a consistent supporter of some of the more difficult causes, from a corporate perspective, such as homelessness and the living wage.

In this interview we talk about how he got to where he is, how he ended up creating hugely influential frameworks at the UN that have shaped the business approach to sustainability world-wide, and some of the approaches he took that successfully put KPMG into pole position in the CSR community.

Mike is a brilliant example of how you can change the world from wherever you find yourself – and how part of the task is to build the system that will embed the right values into an organisation from day to day. He’s a fascinating, thoughtful and inspiring character, and I think you'll find some real value in this interview.

Show notes

How did the world look to Mike when he first started on his adult life? (1:48)

How the family felt about dropping out of University, as the first family member to go there (3:20)

What happened on the first day, why Mike had to be called aside by the manager, and why he progressed rapidly (4:11)

How the old-style banks evaluated risk (6:20)

How Mike came to have the environment first included in his risk portfolio (8:45)

How Mike ended up becoming one of only six business representatives at the original Earth Summit in Rio (10:30)

The huge impact of the Shell Brent Spar campaign on how businesses saw the risks ahead of them (12:06)

The moment Mike began to see that the environment presented business opportunities, not just risks (14:43)

How Mike’s sense of mission shifted as he became exposed to the UN negotiation process on climate change (17:08)

Mike’s primary project at the UN – the UN Sustainable Finance Initiative (18:19)

How the environmental management agenda rolled out through Nat West (20:24)

How the UN finance initiatives developed, and where the finance sector is now, and how the financial crash played out (22:15)

The creation and early progress of the UN Global Compact (23:52)

The critics of the Global Compact, and the need to take the long view (27:08)

How the Greenwich Principles became the Equator Principles (28:40)

Why Mike decided to leave the UN and take up the job with KPMG (30:34)

What Mike found at KPMG when he first arrived, and how his entrepreneurial flair created opportunities (32:35)

Why KPMG took a leadership role in some tricky issues such as homelessness and the living wage (34:00)

Where did the commitment to the Living Wage come from, and how did it get through the Board at a time when it was laying people off? (37:14)

How Mike had an active process to ensure that incoming leaders saw the social responsibility agenda as part of what was involved in leadership (41:40)

KPMG’s support for the UK hospices in a way that would double up as carbon offsetting the company’s energy use (44:35)

Mike’s work to continue making a difference post-KPMG, including the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust (46:38)

Does Mike have a personal purpose? (50:47)

What single change would Mike most like to make before hanging up his gloves? (51:23)

What one nugget of advice would he give to the younger Mike Kelly? (52:03)

What impressive change makers have inspired Mike? (52:32)

What mistake led to some better outcome or personal growth? (53:19)

What habit would Mike most want to change? (54:17)

What book, or books had a powerful impact on your thinking or your life? (54:48)

What advice does Mike give to young would-be change-makers? (55:45)

Books mentions

The Silent Spring, Rachel Carson

Factor Four, L. Hunter Lovins, Amory B. Lovins, Ernst von Weizsacker

Links

Mike on Twitter

Dame Kelly Holmes Trust

The Passage.

]]> Michael Kelly - Turning risk into opportunity Mallen Baker 00:58:03 In this, the first episode of 2019, I talk to Mike Kelly, chairman of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and former head of CSR for KPMG. Mike is a seasoned campaigner from the pioneering years of corporate responsibility. He was instrumental in the creation of the UN Global Compact, and has been a consistent supporter of some of the more difficult causes, from a corporate perspective, such as homelessness and the living wage. In this, the first episode of 2019, I talk to Mike Kelly, chairman of the Dame Kelly Holmes Trust and former head of CSR for KPMG. Mike is a seasoned campaigner from the pioneering years of corporate responsibility. He was instrumental in the creation of the UN Global Compact, and has been a consistent supporter of some of the more difficult causes, from a corporate perspective, such as homelessness and the living wage. sustainability, change makers, climate change, corporate social responsibility, kpmg, michael kelly, mallen baker, global compact, csr, homelessness false full 16 20db5c68-f768-4a68-bdb5-e690ef07a0f7 Be a more effective change maker in 2019 This is a different kind of episode, as we finish off 2018 with a quick look back to some things that changed my thinking over the last year, and then we’re going to talk about how you can approach planning the impact you’re going to make in 2019. So if you want to really get your life in order next year, and you want to make a difference to the world as a change maker, this is the episode for you!

Show Notes

Why change makers need to stay curious and challenge their assumptions (01:40)

The research that demonstrated how we fool ourselves all the time (02:33)

Why we’re worse than chimpanzees at understanding the world (05:30)

The factors that make up our negative mindset (07:40)

Why good people are divided over politics and religion (11:27)

How progressives and conservatives differ in how they see morality (14:54)

How those lessons can help us to more effectively change society (17:26)

How to plan for 2019 – and why you need to prioritise (20:00)

Setting goals, but then creating systems to take you towards them (22:56)

Books referenced in this episode

The Believing Brain, Michael Shermer

Factfulness, Hans Rosling

The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt

]]> Tue, 18 Dec 2018 17:47:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast This is a different kind of episode, as we finish off 2018 with a quick look back to some things that changed my thinking over the last year, and then we’re going to talk about how you can approach planning the impact you’re going to make in 2019. So if you want to really get your life in order next year, and you want to make a difference to the world as a change maker, this is the episode for you!

Show Notes

Why change makers need to stay curious and challenge their assumptions (01:40)

The research that demonstrated how we fool ourselves all the time (02:33)

Why we’re worse than chimpanzees at understanding the world (05:30)

The factors that make up our negative mindset (07:40)

Why good people are divided over politics and religion (11:27)

How progressives and conservatives differ in how they see morality (14:54)

How those lessons can help us to more effectively change society (17:26)

How to plan for 2019 – and why you need to prioritise (20:00)

Setting goals, but then creating systems to take you towards them (22:56)

Books referenced in this episode

The Believing Brain, Michael Shermer

Factfulness, Hans Rosling

The Righteous Mind, Jonathan Haidt

]]> Be a more effective change maker in 2019 Mallen Baker 00:27:19 This is a different kind of episode, as we finish off 2018 with a quick look back to some things that changed my thinking over the last year, and then we’re going to talk about how you can approach planning the impact you’re going to make in 2019. This is a different kind of episode, as we finish off 2018 with a quick look back to some things that changed my thinking over the last year, and then we’re going to talk about how you can approach planning the impact you’re going to make in 2019. csr, change makers, believing brain, factfulness, mallen baker, corporate social responsibility, jonathan haidt, michael shermer, righteous mind false full 15 af17eb50-44b5-43cd-ab42-f0ff51688bb6 Dame Julia Cleverdon – connecting the unconnected In this episode, I talk to Dame Julia Cleverdon, a passionate and practical campaigner, listed by the Times as one of the 50 most influential women in Britain.

Dame Julia is co-founder of Step Up To Serve, also known as the #iwill campaign, as well as a number of other important campaigning and charitable roles. But she was probably most prominent as the longstanding chief executive of Business in the Community between 1992 and 2008. She was appointed a CBE in 1996 and DCVO in 2008.

In this interview we talk about how Julia got to where she is, what have been the mechanics behind her incredible track record of cajoling the powerful into serving the greater good, and what she has learned from decades of working with top business leaders and even Royalty.

Anyone who knows Julia will attest that she is a real force of nature – one of life’s incredible characters and an indefatigable campaigner. If you want some inspiration that you too can make an important difference to the world, you’ll want to listen to this interview.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Julia when she left school? (1:53)

Why Julia’s campaigning zeal took her to British Leyland and why her energy was greeted with less than enthusiasm (5:04)

Julia’s move to the Industrial Society and the seminal experience she had in South Africa with the company working to help apartheid to fail (9:13)

How the latter years at the Industrial Society eventually led to the move to Business in the Community – an organisation that seemed only to speak to CEOs and prime ministers (13:03)

How does an organisation like BITC attract and sustain a high level of engagement from the top chief executives of the biggest corporations? (19:54)

The power of challenging leaders to see things for themselves – and how anyone can become a catalyst under the right circumstances (25:40)

Why Julia became focused on what’s happening in Blackpool in recent years (30:20)

Who were the businesses that impressed Julia most? (33:37)

What did Julia see as being the effective examples of programmes that made a difference? (37:40)

Julia’s focus on young people taking social action since she stepped down from BITC (42:00)

Julia’s take on the generation of young people that’s coming up now (46:10)

Julia’s pithy and well-defined personal purpose (49:05)

One practical change Julia would want to bring about before hanging up her gloves (50:16)

Advice Julia would give to her younger self (51:31)

Who’s an impressive change maker Julia has known and what made them impressive? (52:52)

A mistake Julia made that led to some better outcome or personal growth (53:43)

One habit Julia would like to change (55:13)

What books had a powerful impact on Julia’s life (55:55)

What advice Julia would give to young people who want to make a difference to the world (56:48)

Julia online

Julia on twitter

Julia’s website

People mentioned in this episode

Julia Middleton

Stephen O’Brien

Tom Shebbeare

Robert Davies

David Grayson

Lord Hector Laing

The Prince of Wales

David Varney

Derek Higgs

John Studzinski

Mike Darrington

Allan Leighton

Richard Lambert

]]> Tue, 11 Dec 2018 10:01:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Dame Julia Cleverdon, a passionate and practical campaigner, listed by the Times as one of the 50 most influential women in Britain.

Dame Julia is co-founder of Step Up To Serve, also known as the #iwill campaign, as well as a number of other important campaigning and charitable roles. But she was probably most prominent as the longstanding chief executive of Business in the Community between 1992 and 2008. She was appointed a CBE in 1996 and DCVO in 2008.

In this interview we talk about how Julia got to where she is, what have been the mechanics behind her incredible track record of cajoling the powerful into serving the greater good, and what she has learned from decades of working with top business leaders and even Royalty.

Anyone who knows Julia will attest that she is a real force of nature – one of life’s incredible characters and an indefatigable campaigner. If you want some inspiration that you too can make an important difference to the world, you’ll want to listen to this interview.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Julia when she left school? (1:53)

Why Julia’s campaigning zeal took her to British Leyland and why her energy was greeted with less than enthusiasm (5:04)

Julia’s move to the Industrial Society and the seminal experience she had in South Africa with the company working to help apartheid to fail (9:13)

How the latter years at the Industrial Society eventually led to the move to Business in the Community – an organisation that seemed only to speak to CEOs and prime ministers (13:03)

How does an organisation like BITC attract and sustain a high level of engagement from the top chief executives of the biggest corporations? (19:54)

The power of challenging leaders to see things for themselves – and how anyone can become a catalyst under the right circumstances (25:40)

Why Julia became focused on what’s happening in Blackpool in recent years (30:20)

Who were the businesses that impressed Julia most? (33:37)

What did Julia see as being the effective examples of programmes that made a difference? (37:40)

Julia’s focus on young people taking social action since she stepped down from BITC (42:00)

Julia’s take on the generation of young people that’s coming up now (46:10)

Julia’s pithy and well-defined personal purpose (49:05)

One practical change Julia would want to bring about before hanging up her gloves (50:16)

Advice Julia would give to her younger self (51:31)

Who’s an impressive change maker Julia has known and what made them impressive? (52:52)

A mistake Julia made that led to some better outcome or personal growth (53:43)

One habit Julia would like to change (55:13)

What books had a powerful impact on Julia’s life (55:55)

What advice Julia would give to young people who want to make a difference to the world (56:48)

Julia online

Julia on twitter

Julia’s website

People mentioned in this episode

Julia Middleton

Stephen O’Brien

Tom Shebbeare

Robert Davies

David Grayson

Lord Hector Laing

The Prince of Wales

David Varney

Derek Higgs

John Studzinski

Mike Darrington

Allan Leighton

Richard Lambert

]]> Dame Julia Cleverdon – connecting the unconnected Mallen Baker 00:59:11 In this episode, I talk to Dame Julia Cleverdon, a passionate and practical campaigner, listed by the Times as one of the 50 most influential women in Britain. In this episode, I talk to Dame Julia Cleverdon, a passionate and practical campaigner, listed by the Times as one of the 50 most influential women in Britain. csr, sustainability, education, business in the community, leadership, mallen baker, prince of wales, corporate social responsibility, julia cleverdon false full 14 0c6247c0-2d4e-4c4e-8e45-b49f9e0f24b6 Vicky Pryce - Economics as a vehicle for change In this episode, I talk to Vicky Pryce, economist and commentator and previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Vicky is a prolific author, whose books include Greekonomics: The Euro Crisis and Why Politicians Don’t Get it”, “Prisonomics” and “Why Women Need Quotas”. She has also held a variety of positions – Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service, Partner at KPMG, Co-Founder and Chair of Good Corporation, as well as numerous academic and advisory posts.

In this interview we talk about how she began her journey when she left Greece at the age of 17 and began a rapid rise into the world of economics, and when she began to see how the field could make a positive impact on society. What she learned along the way, with some solid gold advice on how young people can progress quickly in their own chosen field. We talk about how she took opportunity from her high-profile adversity when she was imprisoned for taking speeding points for her then-government minister husband, and why she believes now that there should be quotas for women in business.

Vicky is thoughtful, sharply intelligent and articulate, and passionately committed to making a difference. This was one of my favourite interviews to date, and I’m sure you’ll get a lot of value from it.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Vicky as she left Greece at the age of 17 to move to London? (2:03)

What was it like growing up in the dictatorship in Greece? (5:24)

The challenges of studying economics at the LSE and making early protests (7:43)

Vicky’s early adventures in misleading Canadian tourists (10:40)

The first step into the world of work, why rapid advancement followed, and why smaller organisations can be a great place to start a career (11:40)

Vicky’s role as corporate economist for Exxon (16:34)

The move to KPMG as Chief Economist, and why it pushed Vicky towards practical real-world applications not just forecasts (21:34)

Why working for the public sector gave more opportunities for making a real impact on society (25:30)

Co-founding and chairing Good Corporation (27:56)

The path that led to publishing Vicky’s first book Greekonomics, and the astonishing reality of what has been happening in Greece in recent years (30:53)

What Vicky discovered was wrong with the womens’ prison system during her time inside that led to her book ‘Prisonomics’ (36:14)

How did the adversity of that time change Vicky’s character? (41:35)

Why does Vicky believe there should be quotas for women in business? (44:21)

Vicky’s personal purpose (50:21)

One single practical change Vicky would bring about before she hung up her gloves (50:32)

One piece of advice she would give to her younger self (50:42)

Who is an impressive change-maker Vicky has been inspired by? (50:55)

What mistake has Vicky made that led to some learning or personal growth? (51:55)

What habit would Vicky most want to change? (52:15)

What book, or books, have inspired Vicky’s thinking or her life? (52:51)

What advice would Vicky give to young people looking to be successful and also make an impact on the world? (53:21)

Links

Vicky on twitter

Vicky’s website

Dr Fisher of Geneva or the Bomb Party, by Graham Greene

]]> Tue, 4 Dec 2018 08:11:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Vicky Pryce, economist and commentator and previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Vicky is a prolific author, whose books include Greekonomics: The Euro Crisis and Why Politicians Don’t Get it”, “Prisonomics” and “Why Women Need Quotas”. She has also held a variety of positions – Joint Head of the UK Government Economic Service, Partner at KPMG, Co-Founder and Chair of Good Corporation, as well as numerous academic and advisory posts.

In this interview we talk about how she began her journey when she left Greece at the age of 17 and began a rapid rise into the world of economics, and when she began to see how the field could make a positive impact on society. What she learned along the way, with some solid gold advice on how young people can progress quickly in their own chosen field. We talk about how she took opportunity from her high-profile adversity when she was imprisoned for taking speeding points for her then-government minister husband, and why she believes now that there should be quotas for women in business.

Vicky is thoughtful, sharply intelligent and articulate, and passionately committed to making a difference. This was one of my favourite interviews to date, and I’m sure you’ll get a lot of value from it.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Vicky as she left Greece at the age of 17 to move to London? (2:03)

What was it like growing up in the dictatorship in Greece? (5:24)

The challenges of studying economics at the LSE and making early protests (7:43)

Vicky’s early adventures in misleading Canadian tourists (10:40)

The first step into the world of work, why rapid advancement followed, and why smaller organisations can be a great place to start a career (11:40)

Vicky’s role as corporate economist for Exxon (16:34)

The move to KPMG as Chief Economist, and why it pushed Vicky towards practical real-world applications not just forecasts (21:34)

Why working for the public sector gave more opportunities for making a real impact on society (25:30)

Co-founding and chairing Good Corporation (27:56)

The path that led to publishing Vicky’s first book Greekonomics, and the astonishing reality of what has been happening in Greece in recent years (30:53)

What Vicky discovered was wrong with the womens’ prison system during her time inside that led to her book ‘Prisonomics’ (36:14)

How did the adversity of that time change Vicky’s character? (41:35)

Why does Vicky believe there should be quotas for women in business? (44:21)

Vicky’s personal purpose (50:21)

One single practical change Vicky would bring about before she hung up her gloves (50:32)

One piece of advice she would give to her younger self (50:42)

Who is an impressive change-maker Vicky has been inspired by? (50:55)

What mistake has Vicky made that led to some learning or personal growth? (51:55)

What habit would Vicky most want to change? (52:15)

What book, or books, have inspired Vicky’s thinking or her life? (52:51)

What advice would Vicky give to young people looking to be successful and also make an impact on the world? (53:21)

Links

Vicky on twitter

Vicky’s website

Dr Fisher of Geneva or the Bomb Party, by Graham Greene

]]> Vicky Pryce - Economics as a vehicle for change Mallen Baker 00:54:29 In this episode, I talk to Vicky Pryce, economist and commentator and previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. In this episode, I talk to Vicky Pryce, economist and commentator and previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. sustainability, greekonomics, change maker, women in business, economics, brexit, corporate social responsibility, csr, mallen baker, prisonomics, vicky pryce false full 13 a8f881e5-eb3d-4fac-b4bf-0e07f2a489ad Andy Wales - Making change that sticks In this episode, I talk to Andy Wales, the Chief Digital Impact & Sustainability Officer for BT, and formerly the Corporate Affairs Director for SABMiller Europe.

Andy is a smart and skilful change-maker with a great track record in some of the most dynamic corporate sustainability programmes we’ve seen in the last two decades.

In this interview we talk about how his upbringing and family background set him almost immediately on the search for effective social impact, how he went on to learn how to make a real difference in a number of important companies in recent years, and what he’s learned along the way about how to make change that sticks.

Andy is a thoughtful and articulate advocate. We get into some detail about the issues he’s tackled and how others can go about making an impact in their own situation.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Andy Wales? (1:38)

At what point did Andy see that making an impact could be part of his day job? (4:02)

When Andy joined Interface, early as it was on its sustainability journey, what did he find there and what were the priorities? (5:58)

What happened with Interface’s two ahead-of-their-time experiments – the one that worked and the one that didn’t? (8:16)

What Andy worked on that took him to Severn Trent, and what was learned that led to the company being split up (10:37)

One of the general challenges for the water industry around sustainability (12:31)

What were some of the highlight issues from Andy’s time at SABmiller, and what was its distinctive culture that made such a big difference to how it worked? (13:52)

When companies talk about how much water it takes to make a product, is it really as clear-cut as that sounds? (16:13)

What special issues apply to companies like alcohol companies, where they want to sell lots of product, but not too much so that it becomes a social problem? (18:20)

What sort of interventions can an alcohol company make to tackle problem drinking whilst remaining successful? (21:14)

What has Andy learned over his career about how a change-maker can work with a large company to drive sustainability? (22:49)

When leadership and ownership of businesses change so often, what can corporate responsibility teams do to ensure commitment to sustainability survives the change? (24:37)

What are the three areas Andy’s now focusing on at BT? (26:25)

How is successful, lasting impact achieved? (29:29)

Where are the areas where we need to do better to achieve sustainability? (31:35)

Does Andy have a personal purpose, and what is it? (33:30)

If there was one practical change Andy could bring about before hanging up his gloves, what would it be? (33:52)

What advice would Andy give to his younger self? (34:35)

Who’s an impressive change maker that Andy has been inspired by? (36:11)

What mistake has Andy made that led to some personal growth or learning? (37:14)

What one habit would Andy like to change? (38:04)

What book or books has made an impact on Andy’s thinking or his life? (38:30)

What advice would Andy give to young would-be change-makers just setting out? (39:15)

Links

Andy Wales on twitter

BT

]]> Tue, 27 Nov 2018 10:38:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Andy Wales, the Chief Digital Impact & Sustainability Officer for BT, and formerly the Corporate Affairs Director for SABMiller Europe.

Andy is a smart and skilful change-maker with a great track record in some of the most dynamic corporate sustainability programmes we’ve seen in the last two decades.

In this interview we talk about how his upbringing and family background set him almost immediately on the search for effective social impact, how he went on to learn how to make a real difference in a number of important companies in recent years, and what he’s learned along the way about how to make change that sticks.

Andy is a thoughtful and articulate advocate. We get into some detail about the issues he’s tackled and how others can go about making an impact in their own situation.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Andy Wales? (1:38)

At what point did Andy see that making an impact could be part of his day job? (4:02)

When Andy joined Interface, early as it was on its sustainability journey, what did he find there and what were the priorities? (5:58)

What happened with Interface’s two ahead-of-their-time experiments – the one that worked and the one that didn’t? (8:16)

What Andy worked on that took him to Severn Trent, and what was learned that led to the company being split up (10:37)

One of the general challenges for the water industry around sustainability (12:31)

What were some of the highlight issues from Andy’s time at SABmiller, and what was its distinctive culture that made such a big difference to how it worked? (13:52)

When companies talk about how much water it takes to make a product, is it really as clear-cut as that sounds? (16:13)

What special issues apply to companies like alcohol companies, where they want to sell lots of product, but not too much so that it becomes a social problem? (18:20)

What sort of interventions can an alcohol company make to tackle problem drinking whilst remaining successful? (21:14)

What has Andy learned over his career about how a change-maker can work with a large company to drive sustainability? (22:49)

When leadership and ownership of businesses change so often, what can corporate responsibility teams do to ensure commitment to sustainability survives the change? (24:37)

What are the three areas Andy’s now focusing on at BT? (26:25)

How is successful, lasting impact achieved? (29:29)

Where are the areas where we need to do better to achieve sustainability? (31:35)

Does Andy have a personal purpose, and what is it? (33:30)

If there was one practical change Andy could bring about before hanging up his gloves, what would it be? (33:52)

What advice would Andy give to his younger self? (34:35)

Who’s an impressive change maker that Andy has been inspired by? (36:11)

What mistake has Andy made that led to some personal growth or learning? (37:14)

What one habit would Andy like to change? (38:04)

What book or books has made an impact on Andy’s thinking or his life? (38:30)

What advice would Andy give to young would-be change-makers just setting out? (39:15)

Links

Andy Wales on twitter

BT

]]> Andy Wales - Making change that sticks Mallen Baker 00:41:26 In this episode, I talk to Andy Wales, the Chief Digital Impact & Sustainability Officer for BT, and formerly the Corporate Affairs Director for SABMiller Europe. In this episode, I talk to Andy Wales, the Chief Digital Impact & Sustainability Officer for BT, and formerly the Corporate Affairs Director for SABMiller Europe. change maker, sustainability, csr, andy wales, environmental change, mallen baker, corporate social responsibility, sustainable trade, water sustainability false full 12 9fa0a7a1-53de-4aac-8aa5-dba19d19e6a2 Ravinol Chambers – Storytelling with purpose In this episode, I talk to Ravinol Chambers, the founder of Be Inspired Films - a multi award-winning video production company that helps individuals and organisations working as a force for good across business and society to bring their stories to life.

Only last year, Be Inspired Films added to its haul of industry awards as ‘Production Company of the Year’ at the Recommended Agency Awards.

Rav is a regular speaker on ‘harnessing the power of storytelling’ and ‘using video to raise funds for positive change’

In this interview we talk about how Rav got here, including his journey from would-be stockbroker to buddhist monk and back again, how he set up his socially-minded small business and some of the challenges he faced – and why criticisms of his current passion project led him to push even harder to make it an effective documentary in the cause of promoting the education of girls in India.

Rav has a great positive energy and is a real blend of creativity, entrepreneurship and social conscience. We have a great, and sometimes spirited, conversation I’m sure you’ll get a huge amount from – so let’s jump straight in.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Ravinol Chambers as he left school? (2:00)

How Rav went from conventional goals to a complete change in perspective (4:09)

The sequence of events that exposed him to a very different type of community (5:37)

What happened when Rav decided it was time to rejoin the conventional world (11:52)

The challenge of entering a new career from a standing start with an unusual CV (15:24)

How film making and video became the focus (17:57)

How did the social mission move centre stage? (20:10)

Some of the lessons from the early years of Be Inspired Films (24:08)

The power of pursuing only work that fits your values and sparks your interest (29:19)

Why you shouldn’t be afraid to learn from your critics (31:08)

Ravinol’s current passion project that has been a big focus over the last couple of years (32:49)

Where there’s a social issue, all citizens should be concerned and should have a voice – regardless of what boxes people might want to put them in (38:31)

Story-telling has become hugely important – but what makes a good story? (48:35)

Some of the main lessons Ravinol has learnt about business and life over the last decade (50:53)

Ravinol’s personal purpose (58:40)

If there was one change you could bring about in the world before you retire, what would it be? (59:01)

What advice would Ravinol give to his younger self? (59:19)

Who are some impressive change makers you’ve appreciated? (1:00:31)

What mistake have you made that led to some important lesson or personal growth? (1:02:48)

What habit would Ravinol most like to change? (1:03:59)

What book, or books, have made a big impact on Ravinol’s life? (1:05:02)

What advice would Ravinol give to young would-be change-makers about taking the first steps? (1:06:52)

Ravinol on twitter

Be Inspired Films website

Bhagavad Gita

Famous Five

]]> Tue, 20 Nov 2018 08:23:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Ravinol Chambers, the founder of Be Inspired Films - a multi award-winning video production company that helps individuals and organisations working as a force for good across business and society to bring their stories to life.

Only last year, Be Inspired Films added to its haul of industry awards as ‘Production Company of the Year’ at the Recommended Agency Awards.

Rav is a regular speaker on ‘harnessing the power of storytelling’ and ‘using video to raise funds for positive change’

In this interview we talk about how Rav got here, including his journey from would-be stockbroker to buddhist monk and back again, how he set up his socially-minded small business and some of the challenges he faced – and why criticisms of his current passion project led him to push even harder to make it an effective documentary in the cause of promoting the education of girls in India.

Rav has a great positive energy and is a real blend of creativity, entrepreneurship and social conscience. We have a great, and sometimes spirited, conversation I’m sure you’ll get a huge amount from – so let’s jump straight in.

Show notes

What did the world look like to the young Ravinol Chambers as he left school? (2:00)

How Rav went from conventional goals to a complete change in perspective (4:09)

The sequence of events that exposed him to a very different type of community (5:37)

What happened when Rav decided it was time to rejoin the conventional world (11:52)

The challenge of entering a new career from a standing start with an unusual CV (15:24)

How film making and video became the focus (17:57)

How did the social mission move centre stage? (20:10)

Some of the lessons from the early years of Be Inspired Films (24:08)

The power of pursuing only work that fits your values and sparks your interest (29:19)

Why you shouldn’t be afraid to learn from your critics (31:08)

Ravinol’s current passion project that has been a big focus over the last couple of years (32:49)

Where there’s a social issue, all citizens should be concerned and should have a voice – regardless of what boxes people might want to put them in (38:31)

Story-telling has become hugely important – but what makes a good story? (48:35)

Some of the main lessons Ravinol has learnt about business and life over the last decade (50:53)

Ravinol’s personal purpose (58:40)

If there was one change you could bring about in the world before you retire, what would it be? (59:01)

What advice would Ravinol give to his younger self? (59:19)

Who are some impressive change makers you’ve appreciated? (1:00:31)

What mistake have you made that led to some important lesson or personal growth? (1:02:48)

What habit would Ravinol most like to change? (1:03:59)

What book, or books, have made a big impact on Ravinol’s life? (1:05:02)

What advice would Ravinol give to young would-be change-makers about taking the first steps? (1:06:52)

Ravinol on twitter

Be Inspired Films website

Bhagavad Gita

Famous Five

]]> Ravinol Chambers – Storytelling with purpose Mallen Baker 01:10:43 In this episode, I talk to Ravinol Chambers, the founder of Be Inspired Films - a multi award-winning video production company that helps individuals and organisations working as a force for good across business and society to bring their stories to life. In this episode, I talk to Ravinol Chambers, the founder of Be Inspired Films - a multi award-winning video production company that helps individuals and organisations working as a force for good across business and society to bring their stories to life. sustainability, educating girls, ravinol chambers, change maker, corporate social responsibility, csr, mallen baker false full 11 55024cc4-6672-4635-b812-09c277ccbd90 Your personal purpose – why and how to create one In this episode, I talk about the value of having a personal purpose – what it is, and how you can go about creating one.

Lots of the most successful sports people, business executives and other leaders have been successful precisely because they have defined for themselves what they’re trying to achieve in life, and what success would look like. If you don’t frame your own direction, then you will drift on ‘default’ mode, at the mercy of pure fluke as to what opportunities come along to shape your career and ultimately your life.

The main reason we don’t create personal purpose is that – when staring across the blank space we have to play with – it can feel incredibly hard to pin down what it is we’re really about. This episode aims to give you a starting point so you can also discover the benefits of a deliberate life, lived on your terms.

Show notes

What Rob Cameron said about searching for his personal purpose last time (00:58)

The seminal management book that first highlighted the value of a purpose-beyond-profit for corporations (02:00)

What is a personal purpose? (4:51)

Examples of the stated purpose of well-known people (6:40)

All the executives who work hard to make money and only then realise that they’re missing meaning (8:52)

People living their life in the default setting, not making deliberate choices (10:40)

Why have a personal purpose? (12:08)

Use purpose as a tool, not something that becomes oppressive (17:14)

How should you go about creating a personal purpose? (17:43)

Using the successes you had to date as a starting point, along with your values (19:32)

Identifying the scope of your intended impact (20:25)

How to go about writing down a first draft purpose (22:50)

Why I’m doing this exercise again, and what I came up with last time (23:57)

Moving from the purpose to the “and therefore …” three steps (24:52)

Why having personal purpose helps you not to get sucked into negative frames (26:50)

Links

Download the Personal Purpose Framework

Built to Last

]]> Tue, 13 Nov 2018 13:40:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk about the value of having a personal purpose – what it is, and how you can go about creating one.

Lots of the most successful sports people, business executives and other leaders have been successful precisely because they have defined for themselves what they’re trying to achieve in life, and what success would look like. If you don’t frame your own direction, then you will drift on ‘default’ mode, at the mercy of pure fluke as to what opportunities come along to shape your career and ultimately your life.

The main reason we don’t create personal purpose is that – when staring across the blank space we have to play with – it can feel incredibly hard to pin down what it is we’re really about. This episode aims to give you a starting point so you can also discover the benefits of a deliberate life, lived on your terms.

Show notes

What Rob Cameron said about searching for his personal purpose last time (00:58)

The seminal management book that first highlighted the value of a purpose-beyond-profit for corporations (02:00)

What is a personal purpose? (4:51)

Examples of the stated purpose of well-known people (6:40)

All the executives who work hard to make money and only then realise that they’re missing meaning (8:52)

People living their life in the default setting, not making deliberate choices (10:40)

Why have a personal purpose? (12:08)

Use purpose as a tool, not something that becomes oppressive (17:14)

How should you go about creating a personal purpose? (17:43)

Using the successes you had to date as a starting point, along with your values (19:32)

Identifying the scope of your intended impact (20:25)

How to go about writing down a first draft purpose (22:50)

Why I’m doing this exercise again, and what I came up with last time (23:57)

Moving from the purpose to the “and therefore …” three steps (24:52)

Why having personal purpose helps you not to get sucked into negative frames (26:50)

Links

Download the Personal Purpose Framework

Built to Last

]]> Your personal purpose – why and how to create one Mallen Baker 00:31:45 In this episode, I talk about the value of having a personal purpose – what it is, and how you can go about creating one. In this episode, I talk about the value of having a personal purpose – what it is, and how you can go about creating one. sustainability, change makers, mallen baker, corporate responsibility, csr, personal purpose false full 10 7faa8bf1-60ee-491c-823e-f01e5e9d8e25 Rob Cameron – Tackling the big emerging issues In this episode, I talk to Rob Cameron, the chief executive of the consultancy and think tank Sustainability.

Rob has been the CEO of a sustainability-focused communications company, Flag – he has been CEO of Fairtrade International and now, in his current role, deals with some of the major global businesses that see themselves on the journey for a sustainable future.

In this interview we talk about how he came to be where he is today and how he had to find his direction along the way. We talk about some of the campaigning issues he’s dealt with, particularly on areas such as fair trade and the impact it has on growers across the world, and latterly the emerging area of antimicrobial resistance.

Rob has been a personal friend of mine for many years, and he’s consistently been one of the more thoughtful and eloquent leaders in the area of sustainability. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, and I think you’ll find it a great listen.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Rob Cameron? (1:37)

Why starting in sales makes sense when you don’t know your direction or purpose (2:27)

How Rob ended up at a relatively early age in charge of the company that came to be known as Flag (3:27)

Changing the name to Flag, and why generic descriptive names are not good names for a business (4:27)

The early signs in Rob that he would come to focus on responsibility (5:31)

How Rob came to focus on corporate sustainability as a key focus for the company (7:48)

The major employee communications project that had a significant impact on accident rates in a large company (9:12)

Some of the starting points in getting to grips with corporate responsibility (11:59)

The challenge of doing sustainability communications with large corporates (15:19)

How Rob invested time and energy into getting into the network of sustainable business (16:26)

How Rob came to the point where it made sense to sell Flag (18:33)

The experience of becoming an employee in the company you formerly owned (20:38)

Rob’s move from Flag to become CEO of Fairtrade International (22:27)

The importance of the Fairtrade mission and the challenges it faced as the agenda became mainstream (27:10)

What role do schemes like Fairtrade have in continuing our progress in reducing absolute poverty worldwide? (29:44)

How important is it that some significant companies have moved away from Fairtrade in recent months? (31:34)

Rob’s move to Sustainability – a consultancy but not a standard consultancy (33:33)

How Sustainability works, both as a consultancy and as a think tank (35:21)

Why you can’t predict the future by simply extrapolating existing trends, and why ‘standing in the future’ can give a different route to insights (37:14)

The issues we need to be aware of that are coming into prominence (39:00)

One practical change Rob would like to make before hanging up his gloves (40:33)

Advice Rob would give to his younger self (41:16)

Who are some impressive change makers that have inspired Rob, and why? (42:41)

What mistake has Rob made that led to a better outcome or personal growth? (44:59)

What habit would Rob like to change? (45:28)

What books have had a powerful impact on Rob’s life? (46:11)

Advice to people just starting out who want to make a difference to the world (47:52)

Rob on Twitter

Sustainability website

Sustainability on Twitter

Books in this episode

Aesops Fables

Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Zen in English Literature, RH Blyth

]]> Tue, 6 Nov 2018 08:15:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Rob Cameron, the chief executive of the consultancy and think tank Sustainability.

Rob has been the CEO of a sustainability-focused communications company, Flag – he has been CEO of Fairtrade International and now, in his current role, deals with some of the major global businesses that see themselves on the journey for a sustainable future.

In this interview we talk about how he came to be where he is today and how he had to find his direction along the way. We talk about some of the campaigning issues he’s dealt with, particularly on areas such as fair trade and the impact it has on growers across the world, and latterly the emerging area of antimicrobial resistance.

Rob has been a personal friend of mine for many years, and he’s consistently been one of the more thoughtful and eloquent leaders in the area of sustainability. We cover a lot of ground in this interview, and I think you’ll find it a great listen.

Show Notes

What did the world look like to the young Rob Cameron? (1:37)

Why starting in sales makes sense when you don’t know your direction or purpose (2:27)

How Rob ended up at a relatively early age in charge of the company that came to be known as Flag (3:27)

Changing the name to Flag, and why generic descriptive names are not good names for a business (4:27)

The early signs in Rob that he would come to focus on responsibility (5:31)

How Rob came to focus on corporate sustainability as a key focus for the company (7:48)

The major employee communications project that had a significant impact on accident rates in a large company (9:12)

Some of the starting points in getting to grips with corporate responsibility (11:59)

The challenge of doing sustainability communications with large corporates (15:19)

How Rob invested time and energy into getting into the network of sustainable business (16:26)

How Rob came to the point where it made sense to sell Flag (18:33)

The experience of becoming an employee in the company you formerly owned (20:38)

Rob’s move from Flag to become CEO of Fairtrade International (22:27)

The importance of the Fairtrade mission and the challenges it faced as the agenda became mainstream (27:10)

What role do schemes like Fairtrade have in continuing our progress in reducing absolute poverty worldwide? (29:44)

How important is it that some significant companies have moved away from Fairtrade in recent months? (31:34)

Rob’s move to Sustainability – a consultancy but not a standard consultancy (33:33)

How Sustainability works, both as a consultancy and as a think tank (35:21)

Why you can’t predict the future by simply extrapolating existing trends, and why ‘standing in the future’ can give a different route to insights (37:14)

The issues we need to be aware of that are coming into prominence (39:00)

One practical change Rob would like to make before hanging up his gloves (40:33)

Advice Rob would give to his younger self (41:16)

Who are some impressive change makers that have inspired Rob, and why? (42:41)

What mistake has Rob made that led to a better outcome or personal growth? (44:59)

What habit would Rob like to change? (45:28)

What books have had a powerful impact on Rob’s life? (46:11)

Advice to people just starting out who want to make a difference to the world (47:52)

Rob on Twitter

Sustainability website

Sustainability on Twitter

Books in this episode

Aesops Fables

Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens

Zen in English Literature, RH Blyth

]]> Rob Cameron – Tackling the big emerging issues Mallen Baker 00:49:59 In this episode, I talk to Rob Cameron, the chief executive of the consultancy and think tank Sustainability. In this episode, I talk to Rob Cameron, the chief executive of the consultancy and think tank Sustainability. csr, sustainability, rob cameron, environmental change, corporate social responsibility, mallen baker, fairtrade, deforestation, change maker false full 9 13cc31a0-16d6-454e-84ae-aa3e7d71e6da Joost Oorthuizen – how to push positive impact to scale In this episode, I talk to Joost Oorthuizen, the chief executive of IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative.

Joost has led IDH for the ten years since its founding, and in that role has helped to broker projects on the ground in a number of sectors such as cocoa, palm oil, tea and many more, which have made real concrete progress in boosting sustainability and livelihoods for many thousands of people.

In this interview we talk about how he got to IDH, the five focuses they use to make the biggest impact on people’s lives and on the environment, and what are the priorities for action in the future.

Joost is a fantastic example of someone who took the opportunities in front of him to make a real difference to the world, and if that’s your aim as well, you should get a lot from this interview.

Show notes

How famine and the threat of war shaped Joost’s early outlook (1:45)

How come Joost became exposed at an early stage to the problems of poverty in developing country environments (2:55)

Why Joost moved from academia to become a change consultant, and what it taught him about the process of change (4:25)

Why public private partnerships were an early focus (7:01)

How and why IDH was created (8:35)

The vision for IDH at its creation, and the early first steps (11:25)

What drove the early engagement of the private sector in IDH (13:27)

What IDH has become now that it is ten years old (14:34)

The actions taken in cotton production that has made Better Cotton 20% of the world market (16:17)

The development of conditions in production of tea (19:13)

The obstacles to progress in getting decent wages for tea workers (21:47)

The five ‘externalities’ that IDH focuses on (25:28)

Inclusive business models for smallholders across the world (26:05)

Working to reduce and reverse deforestation (28:18)

Wages and labour conditions to continue progress on reducing poverty (32:55)

Responsible agrochemical management (33:58)

Gender equality and female empowerment (35:05)

What are the more important changes we need to achieve for the future? (37:02)

What has Joost learned over the decade about what makes a partnership successful? (39:45)

What are Joost’s ambitions for the next ten years at IDH? (42:02)

One change Joost would most want to achieve before hanging up his gloves (44:23)

Advice Joost would give to his younger self (45:03)

Change makers Joost has been inspired by (45:48)

Mistakes that Joost has made that turned out all right anyway (47:07)

A habit Joost would like to change (47:47)

Books that have had an impact on Joost’s life (49:10)

Advice that Joost would give to young change makers just starting out (50:30)

Links

IDH website
Joost on twitter

]]> Tue, 30 Oct 2018 07:16:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Joost Oorthuizen, the chief executive of IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative.

Joost has led IDH for the ten years since its founding, and in that role has helped to broker projects on the ground in a number of sectors such as cocoa, palm oil, tea and many more, which have made real concrete progress in boosting sustainability and livelihoods for many thousands of people.

In this interview we talk about how he got to IDH, the five focuses they use to make the biggest impact on people’s lives and on the environment, and what are the priorities for action in the future.

Joost is a fantastic example of someone who took the opportunities in front of him to make a real difference to the world, and if that’s your aim as well, you should get a lot from this interview.

Show notes

How famine and the threat of war shaped Joost’s early outlook (1:45)

How come Joost became exposed at an early stage to the problems of poverty in developing country environments (2:55)

Why Joost moved from academia to become a change consultant, and what it taught him about the process of change (4:25)

Why public private partnerships were an early focus (7:01)

How and why IDH was created (8:35)

The vision for IDH at its creation, and the early first steps (11:25)

What drove the early engagement of the private sector in IDH (13:27)

What IDH has become now that it is ten years old (14:34)

The actions taken in cotton production that has made Better Cotton 20% of the world market (16:17)

The development of conditions in production of tea (19:13)

The obstacles to progress in getting decent wages for tea workers (21:47)

The five ‘externalities’ that IDH focuses on (25:28)

Inclusive business models for smallholders across the world (26:05)

Working to reduce and reverse deforestation (28:18)

Wages and labour conditions to continue progress on reducing poverty (32:55)

Responsible agrochemical management (33:58)

Gender equality and female empowerment (35:05)

What are the more important changes we need to achieve for the future? (37:02)

What has Joost learned over the decade about what makes a partnership successful? (39:45)

What are Joost’s ambitions for the next ten years at IDH? (42:02)

One change Joost would most want to achieve before hanging up his gloves (44:23)

Advice Joost would give to his younger self (45:03)

Change makers Joost has been inspired by (45:48)

Mistakes that Joost has made that turned out all right anyway (47:07)

A habit Joost would like to change (47:47)

Books that have had an impact on Joost’s life (49:10)

Advice that Joost would give to young change makers just starting out (50:30)

Links

IDH website
Joost on twitter

]]> Joost Oorthuizen – how to push positive impact to scale Mallen Baker 00:53:32 In this episode, I talk to Joost Oorthuizen, the chief executive of IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative. In this episode, I talk to Joost Oorthuizen, the chief executive of IDH, the Sustainable Trade Initiative. sustainable trade, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, change maker, environmental change, deforestation, mallen baker, joost oorthuizen, csr false full 8 6ef02f2b-7e7a-4545-86e7-35aacedd2183 Trewin Restorick – focusing on what works for environmental change In this episode, I talk to Trewin Restorick, the founder of environmental communications charity Hubbub UK, which aims to create real practical change with positive messages and creative ideas.

He was the founder and CEO for 20 years of Global Action Plan, a UNEP-endorsed environmental organisation that ran award-winning behaviour-change programmes with businesses, schools and communities. Trewin was chair of the Environmental IT leadership team, co-chaired Defra’s Compact Group, and was trained as one of Al Gore’s UK Climate Change ambassadors. He is a frequent commentator on Channel 4, Sky, the BBC and CNN.

We talk about how he ended up getting into environmental issues, and why he moved away from a typical campaign model looking for positive vehicles to make lasting change. We talk about what he’s learned over the years about what works and what doesn’t, particularly in relation to some difficult areas such as food waste and even street littering.

Trewin is one of those people that has spent a lot of time trying to work out what actually makes a difference as opposed to simply making gestures, and this interview goes into some really useful detail.

Show notes

How did the world look to the young Trewin Restorick? (2:04)

What reaction was there from family and friends when he opted to go to Friends of the Earth? (4:28)

The experience of being at the heart of the environment campaign at a pivotal point in its history, and the gap between the anti-corporate campaigners and those that wanted business to be collaborators (5:23)

When Trewin realised it was time to take a different approach that would be more effective than campaigning (7:40)

Global Action Plan – what defined its purpose and why it was effective (8:46)

What were some of the highlights of what was achieved by Global Action Plan through it’s first twenty years? (11:03)

The concept and purpose of Hubbub UK, Trewin’s current company (14:39)

One of the examples of behaviour change in practice – the ballot bins (17:48)

What works and what doesn’t when it comes to getting people to reduce food waste? (21:15)

The habitual behaviours that work on reducing food waste (26:32)

Are we inherently unsuited to reducing waste because of our basic psychology? (28:10)

The catalyst for change that came from Blue Planet – and the value / action gap that needs to be challenged (29:39)

Social media is not the same as campaigning – the dangers of unengaging ‘clicktivism’ versus using social media to amplify and spread what works (31:15)

Hostility to environmental messaging and the polarised debate in current society (33:20)

Is Trewin an optimist or a pessimist after three decades dealing with environmental issues? (35:22)

One practical change Trewin would like to see before hanging up his campaigning gloves (37:17)

What advice would Trewin give to his younger self? (39:20)

Who are some of the most impressive change makers Trewin has met and been inspired by? (40:22)

What mistake has Trewin made that led to learning or a better future outcome? (41:09)

One habit Trewin would like to change (42:35)

Books that have influenced or changed Trewin’s life (43:06)

Advice that Trewin would give to younger would-be change makers who are just setting out on the journey (44:12)

Hubbub’s vlogging channel (45:35)

Links

Trewin on twitter
Hubbub UK

]]> Tue, 23 Oct 2018 06:00:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Trewin Restorick, the founder of environmental communications charity Hubbub UK, which aims to create real practical change with positive messages and creative ideas.

He was the founder and CEO for 20 years of Global Action Plan, a UNEP-endorsed environmental organisation that ran award-winning behaviour-change programmes with businesses, schools and communities. Trewin was chair of the Environmental IT leadership team, co-chaired Defra’s Compact Group, and was trained as one of Al Gore’s UK Climate Change ambassadors. He is a frequent commentator on Channel 4, Sky, the BBC and CNN.

We talk about how he ended up getting into environmental issues, and why he moved away from a typical campaign model looking for positive vehicles to make lasting change. We talk about what he’s learned over the years about what works and what doesn’t, particularly in relation to some difficult areas such as food waste and even street littering.

Trewin is one of those people that has spent a lot of time trying to work out what actually makes a difference as opposed to simply making gestures, and this interview goes into some really useful detail.

Show notes

How did the world look to the young Trewin Restorick? (2:04)

What reaction was there from family and friends when he opted to go to Friends of the Earth? (4:28)

The experience of being at the heart of the environment campaign at a pivotal point in its history, and the gap between the anti-corporate campaigners and those that wanted business to be collaborators (5:23)

When Trewin realised it was time to take a different approach that would be more effective than campaigning (7:40)

Global Action Plan – what defined its purpose and why it was effective (8:46)

What were some of the highlights of what was achieved by Global Action Plan through it’s first twenty years? (11:03)

The concept and purpose of Hubbub UK, Trewin’s current company (14:39)

One of the examples of behaviour change in practice – the ballot bins (17:48)

What works and what doesn’t when it comes to getting people to reduce food waste? (21:15)

The habitual behaviours that work on reducing food waste (26:32)

Are we inherently unsuited to reducing waste because of our basic psychology? (28:10)

The catalyst for change that came from Blue Planet – and the value / action gap that needs to be challenged (29:39)

Social media is not the same as campaigning – the dangers of unengaging ‘clicktivism’ versus using social media to amplify and spread what works (31:15)

Hostility to environmental messaging and the polarised debate in current society (33:20)

Is Trewin an optimist or a pessimist after three decades dealing with environmental issues? (35:22)

One practical change Trewin would like to see before hanging up his campaigning gloves (37:17)

What advice would Trewin give to his younger self? (39:20)

Who are some of the most impressive change makers Trewin has met and been inspired by? (40:22)

What mistake has Trewin made that led to learning or a better future outcome? (41:09)

One habit Trewin would like to change (42:35)

Books that have influenced or changed Trewin’s life (43:06)

Advice that Trewin would give to younger would-be change makers who are just setting out on the journey (44:12)

Hubbub’s vlogging channel (45:35)

Links

Trewin on twitter
Hubbub UK

]]> Trewin Restorick – focusing on what works for environmental change Mallen Baker 00:47:41 In this episode, I talk to Trewin Restorick, the founder of environmental communications charity Hubbub UK, which aims to create real practical change with positive messages and creative ideas. In this episode, I talk to Trewin Restorick, the founder of environmental communications charity Hubbub UK, which aims to create real practical change with positive messages and creative ideas. csr, sustainability, mallen baker, corporate social responsibility, change maker, trewin restorick, environmental change false full 7 07d01cec-5271-4e04-849a-aa4f61cf1287 David Goodhart – the new values divide that led to Brexit and Trump In this episode, I talk to David Goodhart, author of the hugely influential book ‘The Road to Somewhere – The new tribes shaping British politics’, praised as a ‘book of the year’ by the Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph and The Economist in 2017. It is described by many as the book that explains the new post-Brexit and Trump world, and challenges us to think afresh about the nature of the job at hand.

He was the founding editor of Prospect magazine, and was the director of think tank Demos. He is currently part of the Policy Exchange think tank, where he specialises in demography and immigration issues.

We talk about how his thinking developed as his journalistic starting point put him in the viewing gallery for some of the pivotal historical events of the last few decades of the 20thcentury. We talk about the controversial essay that thrust him into the spotlight, and we talk about his thesis – that separately to old left versus right divisions we now have a powerful dynamic between what he labels as somewheres and anywheres.

How did the world look to the young David Goodhart fresh out of university? (2:07)

How David got into journalism (3:34)

The stroke of luck that propelled him into the Financial Times to cover the last great strikes of the Thatcher era (5:32)

The job nobody else wanted that became the right place at the right time (10:22)

How David decided to found Prospect magazine, and what made it distinctive (12:34)

What did Prospect contribute through its early years? (16:28)

The most important thing David wrote in his life, and the impact it had on his direction (18:08)

Social media and the phenomenon of less civil political discourse that has resulted (22:02)

The evolution of David’s thinking that let him to the Road to Somewhere (24:25)

The value divide between Anywheres and Somewheres (25:40)

The spectrum between achieved identities and ascribed identities and gulf of how they’re impacted by social change (28:02)

The backlash from Somewheres that has led to Brexit and Trump (30:26)

The potential to create empathy and common ground between Somewheres and Anywheres (34:12)

The hidden majority whose ranks David feels he has now joined (36:58)

The rise of populist politics and the values stalemate we now find ourselves in (38:30)

What is one practical change David would like to make before hanging up his gloves? (44:16)

What advice would he have for the younger David? (44:53)

Who are some change makers that David has found impressive and why? (45:09)

What books have made an impact or changed David’s life? (46:55)

Links

David Goodhart on Twitter

Policy Exchange Institute

The Road to Somewhere

British Attitudes Survey

Other books mentioned

The British Dream - David Goodhart

The Future of Socialism - Anthony Crosland

Contemporary Capitalism – Hollingsworth/Boyer

Minorities in the Open Society - Geoff Dench

Transforming Men – Geoff Dench

]]> Tue, 16 Oct 2018 09:16:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to David Goodhart, author of the hugely influential book ‘The Road to Somewhere – The new tribes shaping British politics’, praised as a ‘book of the year’ by the Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph and The Economist in 2017. It is described by many as the book that explains the new post-Brexit and Trump world, and challenges us to think afresh about the nature of the job at hand.

He was the founding editor of Prospect magazine, and was the director of think tank Demos. He is currently part of the Policy Exchange think tank, where he specialises in demography and immigration issues.

We talk about how his thinking developed as his journalistic starting point put him in the viewing gallery for some of the pivotal historical events of the last few decades of the 20thcentury. We talk about the controversial essay that thrust him into the spotlight, and we talk about his thesis – that separately to old left versus right divisions we now have a powerful dynamic between what he labels as somewheres and anywheres.

How did the world look to the young David Goodhart fresh out of university? (2:07)

How David got into journalism (3:34)

The stroke of luck that propelled him into the Financial Times to cover the last great strikes of the Thatcher era (5:32)

The job nobody else wanted that became the right place at the right time (10:22)

How David decided to found Prospect magazine, and what made it distinctive (12:34)

What did Prospect contribute through its early years? (16:28)

The most important thing David wrote in his life, and the impact it had on his direction (18:08)

Social media and the phenomenon of less civil political discourse that has resulted (22:02)

The evolution of David’s thinking that let him to the Road to Somewhere (24:25)

The value divide between Anywheres and Somewheres (25:40)

The spectrum between achieved identities and ascribed identities and gulf of how they’re impacted by social change (28:02)

The backlash from Somewheres that has led to Brexit and Trump (30:26)

The potential to create empathy and common ground between Somewheres and Anywheres (34:12)

The hidden majority whose ranks David feels he has now joined (36:58)

The rise of populist politics and the values stalemate we now find ourselves in (38:30)

What is one practical change David would like to make before hanging up his gloves? (44:16)

What advice would he have for the younger David? (44:53)

Who are some change makers that David has found impressive and why? (45:09)

What books have made an impact or changed David’s life? (46:55)

Links

David Goodhart on Twitter

Policy Exchange Institute

The Road to Somewhere

British Attitudes Survey

Other books mentioned

The British Dream - David Goodhart

The Future of Socialism - Anthony Crosland

Contemporary Capitalism – Hollingsworth/Boyer

Minorities in the Open Society - Geoff Dench

Transforming Men – Geoff Dench

]]> David Goodhart – the new values divide that led to Brexit and Trump Mallen Baker 00:50:01 In this episode, I talk to David Goodhart, author of the hugely influential book ‘The Road to Somewhere – The new tribes shaping British politics’. It is described by many as the book that explains the new post-Brexit and Trump world, and challenges us to think afresh about the nature of the job at hand. In this episode, I talk to David Goodhart, author of the hugely influential book ‘The Road to Somewhere – The new tribes shaping British politics’. It is described by many as the book that explains the new post-Brexit and Trump world, and challenges us to think afresh about the nature of the job at hand. sustainability, mallen baker, immigration, the road to somewhere, david goodhart, brexit, corporate social responsibility, british politics, corporate responsibility false full 6 6a050aa2-5c32-4165-b1d2-62e90ec42d9c John May - Unleashing the power of young people In this episode, I talk to John May, the secretary general of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. He describes himself as a campaigner, storyteller, teacher, youth worker, independent diplomat, writer, broadcaster, urban cyclist, avid parkrunner, habitual chocolate cake eater and mischief-maker.

He has spent his career working with, and for, young people in the UK and across the world. He was formerly the chief executive of Young Enterprise, and the founding CEO of Career Academies UK, which became Career Ready. He worked to get businesses involved with supporting education through Business in the Community. And he was set up for all of this by his earlier stint as head teacher for Manor Farm School in High Wycombe.

In this interview we talk about what he learned by cutting his teeth as a teacher in one of the most challenging and deprived areas in the country. We talk about the experiences that can help young people to become active citizens, and whether those have changed with the rise of the post-millennial generation. And the one imperative that keeps John – and rather a lot of other leaders – awake at night.

Show Notes

What is the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award? (02:09)

What is John May’s personal purpose? (4:33)

What the world looked like to the young John May (5:10)

What early indication was there of the values that would define John in later life? And how did these develop through his early life? (6:50)

How did the experience of working in a disadvantaged school make John reflect on his upbringing? (12:28)

The time when John provoked complaints at a Scouting conference with a surprising outcome (15:33)

How did John advance so quickly to the status of head teacher? (18:40)

What were the most challenging aspects of being a head teacher? (20:05)

Why did John leave teaching to work with businesses through Business in the Community? (21:00)

What did John do with businesses to engage them effectively with the education agenda? (24:27)

From John’s travels across the world with the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, what has he picked up about the current state of young people around the world? (29:05)

What are the hard-to-measure aspects of development we’re missing in how we measure our progress in development? (32:01)

How different is the current generation of young people, and what distinguishes it from what came before? (34:53)

How much is generational conflict now a fact of our reality? (38:52)

What has been learned in recent years about how to motivate young people to become active citizens? (40:30)

What are the concerns that keep John awake at night? (42:05)

One practical change John would like to make before retiring (46:15)

What advice would John give to his younger self? (46:52)

What change-makers have inspired John and why? (47:36)

What mistake has John made that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (49:01)

What book has influenced John or made a difference to his life? (49:57)

What advice does John give to young people seeking to make their mark on the world? (51:18)

Links

John May on twitter

John May's blog

Duke of Edinburgh's International Award

The Silver Sword, by Ian Serraillier

]]> Tue, 9 Oct 2018 05:56:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to John May, the secretary general of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. He describes himself as a campaigner, storyteller, teacher, youth worker, independent diplomat, writer, broadcaster, urban cyclist, avid parkrunner, habitual chocolate cake eater and mischief-maker.

He has spent his career working with, and for, young people in the UK and across the world. He was formerly the chief executive of Young Enterprise, and the founding CEO of Career Academies UK, which became Career Ready. He worked to get businesses involved with supporting education through Business in the Community. And he was set up for all of this by his earlier stint as head teacher for Manor Farm School in High Wycombe.

In this interview we talk about what he learned by cutting his teeth as a teacher in one of the most challenging and deprived areas in the country. We talk about the experiences that can help young people to become active citizens, and whether those have changed with the rise of the post-millennial generation. And the one imperative that keeps John – and rather a lot of other leaders – awake at night.

Show Notes

What is the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award? (02:09)

What is John May’s personal purpose? (4:33)

What the world looked like to the young John May (5:10)

What early indication was there of the values that would define John in later life? And how did these develop through his early life? (6:50)

How did the experience of working in a disadvantaged school make John reflect on his upbringing? (12:28)

The time when John provoked complaints at a Scouting conference with a surprising outcome (15:33)

How did John advance so quickly to the status of head teacher? (18:40)

What were the most challenging aspects of being a head teacher? (20:05)

Why did John leave teaching to work with businesses through Business in the Community? (21:00)

What did John do with businesses to engage them effectively with the education agenda? (24:27)

From John’s travels across the world with the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, what has he picked up about the current state of young people around the world? (29:05)

What are the hard-to-measure aspects of development we’re missing in how we measure our progress in development? (32:01)

How different is the current generation of young people, and what distinguishes it from what came before? (34:53)

How much is generational conflict now a fact of our reality? (38:52)

What has been learned in recent years about how to motivate young people to become active citizens? (40:30)

What are the concerns that keep John awake at night? (42:05)

One practical change John would like to make before retiring (46:15)

What advice would John give to his younger self? (46:52)

What change-makers have inspired John and why? (47:36)

What mistake has John made that led to some better outcome or personal growth? (49:01)

What book has influenced John or made a difference to his life? (49:57)

What advice does John give to young people seeking to make their mark on the world? (51:18)

Links

John May on twitter

John May's blog

Duke of Edinburgh's International Award

The Silver Sword, by Ian Serraillier

]]> John May - Unleashing the power of young people Mallen Baker 00:53:30 In this episode, I talk to John May, the secretary general of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. He describes himself as a campaigner, storyteller, teacher, youth worker, independent diplomat, writer, broadcaster, urban cyclist, avid parkrunner, habitual chocolate cake eater and mischief-maker. In this episode, I talk to John May, the secretary general of the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award. He describes himself as a campaigner, storyteller, teacher, youth worker, independent diplomat, writer, broadcaster, urban cyclist, avid parkrunner, habitual chocolate cake eater and mischief-maker. sustainability, duke of edinburgh award, mallen baker, corporate social responsibility, car, education, john may false full 5 3c867c61-f5d2-4128-b041-e48ba6d88b21 Taking risks to tackle human rights with Chris Harrop of Marshalls In this episode, I talk to Chris Harrop, the group marketing director and the head of sustainability for Marshalls plc.

In addition to those roles, Chris is chairman of Made in Britain, and was formerly chairman of the UN Global Compact UK network. He’s a non-executive director of the Ethical Trading Initiative. He was named as a Hero of Sustainability by Ethical Corporation in 2007, and a Business Game Changer by Business in the Community in 2012.

We talk about the dramatic pivotal moment when he knew he had to take a lead in tackling child labour in Indian sandstone – and the mistakes that he feels they made at the start in attempting to tackle that most difficult of issues. We discuss the incredible and creative ways Marshalls is now building sustainability into its products, and share some reflections on how to be influential and make a difference in your career.

I have counted Chris as a friend for many years, and I regard him as one of my personal heroes for the commitment he’s brought to tackling some of the most difficult issues a company can deal with. In the early days, he was leading the fight on child labour and it was by no means obvious that Marshalls would be able to survive in the marketplace with a product that was necessarily going to be a third more expensive than that of its competitors. It was a commercial risk, with no guarantees of success.

SHOW NOTES

Chris’s personal sense of purpose (2:18)

What did the world look like to the young Chris Harrop? (4:14)

Early influences – successful marketing based on truth (7:14)

What Chris learned from his time at Shell (8:32)

How things began to change when Chris joined Marshalls (10:40)

How the use of Indian sandstone raised questions about child labour (13:55)

Marshalls early attempts to fix the problems, and what was learned (17:15)

When the consequences of fixing the problem is increased costs to the business (20:28)

Where are they now, after the lessons have been learned? (22:03)

Do measures to improve supply chain integrity also help improve quality? (23:50)

How Fairstone was introduced to communicate the value of ethical stone to the customer (25:14)

How Marshalls built environmental and social concerns into its future-facing products (28:52)

Developing for customer needs that they don’t necessarily see yet (34:12)

The unusual position of being both head of marketing and sustainability (36:42)

How is the broader base of business changing in the face of sustainability and ethical challenges? (39:51)

Is Chris optimistic about the progress we’re making towards sustainability? (42:24)

There is always space for people to step in and make a difference, rather than waiting for government to do it for you (44:26)

The advice Chris would give to his younger self (46:47)

Who are some impressive change-makers, and why? (47:06)

Mistakes that have given lessons and led to positive outcomes (48:33)

Chris’s favourite book of all time (49:19)

What advice would you give to young would-be change-makers who are just starting out on the journey? (50:14)

Links

Chris on Twitter https://twitter.com/marshalls_chris

Marshalls Sustainability https://www.marshalls.co.uk/sustainability

The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy https://amzn.to/2xPOIpJ

The UN Global Compact UK Network https://www.unglobalcompact.org.uk

]]> Tue, 2 Oct 2018 07:25:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast In this episode, I talk to Chris Harrop, the group marketing director and the head of sustainability for Marshalls plc.

In addition to those roles, Chris is chairman of Made in Britain, and was formerly chairman of the UN Global Compact UK network. He’s a non-executive director of the Ethical Trading Initiative. He was named as a Hero of Sustainability by Ethical Corporation in 2007, and a Business Game Changer by Business in the Community in 2012.

We talk about the dramatic pivotal moment when he knew he had to take a lead in tackling child labour in Indian sandstone – and the mistakes that he feels they made at the start in attempting to tackle that most difficult of issues. We discuss the incredible and creative ways Marshalls is now building sustainability into its products, and share some reflections on how to be influential and make a difference in your career.

I have counted Chris as a friend for many years, and I regard him as one of my personal heroes for the commitment he’s brought to tackling some of the most difficult issues a company can deal with. In the early days, he was leading the fight on child labour and it was by no means obvious that Marshalls would be able to survive in the marketplace with a product that was necessarily going to be a third more expensive than that of its competitors. It was a commercial risk, with no guarantees of success.

SHOW NOTES

Chris’s personal sense of purpose (2:18)

What did the world look like to the young Chris Harrop? (4:14)

Early influences – successful marketing based on truth (7:14)

What Chris learned from his time at Shell (8:32)

How things began to change when Chris joined Marshalls (10:40)

How the use of Indian sandstone raised questions about child labour (13:55)

Marshalls early attempts to fix the problems, and what was learned (17:15)

When the consequences of fixing the problem is increased costs to the business (20:28)

Where are they now, after the lessons have been learned? (22:03)

Do measures to improve supply chain integrity also help improve quality? (23:50)

How Fairstone was introduced to communicate the value of ethical stone to the customer (25:14)

How Marshalls built environmental and social concerns into its future-facing products (28:52)

Developing for customer needs that they don’t necessarily see yet (34:12)

The unusual position of being both head of marketing and sustainability (36:42)

How is the broader base of business changing in the face of sustainability and ethical challenges? (39:51)

Is Chris optimistic about the progress we’re making towards sustainability? (42:24)

There is always space for people to step in and make a difference, rather than waiting for government to do it for you (44:26)

The advice Chris would give to his younger self (46:47)

Who are some impressive change-makers, and why? (47:06)

Mistakes that have given lessons and led to positive outcomes (48:33)

Chris’s favourite book of all time (49:19)

What advice would you give to young would-be change-makers who are just starting out on the journey? (50:14)

Links

Chris on Twitter https://twitter.com/marshalls_chris

Marshalls Sustainability https://www.marshalls.co.uk/sustainability

The Hitch-hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy https://amzn.to/2xPOIpJ

The UN Global Compact UK Network https://www.unglobalcompact.org.uk

]]> Taking risks to tackle human rights with Chris Harrop of Marshalls Mallen Baker 00:53:29 In this episode, I talk to Chris Harrop, the group marketing director and the head of sustainability for Marshalls plc. We talk about the dramatic pivotal moment when he knew he had to take a lead in tackling child labour in Indian sandstone – and the mistakes that he feels they made at the start in attempting to tackle that most difficult of issues. We discuss the incredible and creative ways Marshalls is now building sustainability into its products, and share some reflections on how to be influential and make a difference in your career. In this episode, I talk to Chris Harrop, the group marketing director and the head of sustainability for Marshalls plc. We talk about the dramatic pivotal moment when he knew he had to take a lead in tackling child labour in Indian sandstone – and the mistakes that he feels they made at the start in attempting to tackle that most difficult of issues. We discuss the incredible and creative ways Marshalls is now building sustainability into its products, and share some reflections on how to be influential and make a difference in your career. sustainability, chris harrop, marhsalls plc, corporate responsibility, un global compact, marketing, corporate social responsibility, csr false full 4 95ce0e1d-ae0c-4b87-a835-81a1ebcc7247 Solitaire Townsend - positivity and its power to change the world Solitaire Townsend is an entrepreneur, sustainability expert and author of ‘The Happy Hero - How to change your life by changing the world’. She co-founded the change agency Futerra in 2001, one of the first sustainability agencies in the UK, through which she has advised governments, charities and major corporations like Danone and Nike. From humble beginnings, Futerra now has offices in London, New York, San Francisco, Mexico City and Stockholm.

She has been a TEDx speaker, and has written for the Guardian and the Huffington Post. She was named ‘Ethical Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2008, is a member of the UN Sustainable Lifestyles Taskforce, and a London Leader for Sustainability.

Soli’s book could almost be seen as a manifesto for this podcast, all about the powerful evidence that becoming a change maker is something that makes life better and more fulfilling, as well as making a difference to society. In this interview, we get into the detail of how Soli’s own life was changed dramatically by one catalytic moment, and how positivity in the face of big problems is the most powerful element you can have at your disposal.

Show notes

How the world was a very different place for the 11-year-old Solitaire, and how a humble flyer transformed it completely (2:10)

Having been inspired by success, how the support of some good people helped Soli to take the next steps (6:58)

How Futerra went from an idea for a one-off project through to becoming a thriving business (9:22)

Lessons learnt leading a company when you’ve not gone the traditional route to getting there (11:17)

Solitaire’s personal purpose, and the fact that people find it difficult to hear (16:40)

Having worked with some of the best companies, how far have we really come in our journey to sustainability? (18:06)

What are the emerging trends in business and sustainability? (20:15)

Why the UN Sustainability Development Goals have become so helpful, even though they’re far from perfect (22:30)

What inspired Soli to write the Happy Hero? (26:48)

Coping with the process of writing a book when it’s not something you naturally enjoy doing (30:15)

The core focus of positivity was obvious from the beginning, but the research gave it a huge added dimension (31:12)

Dealing with the reality that many of the campaigning community are anything but optimistic (33:18)

Why the vegan movement is an example of the difference between negative and positive energy, and the powerful symbol that came through Martin

Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech (35:51)

The damage done when the change movement is dismissive of the small steps that people take (39:42)

The crisis curve and its role in creating the conditions for change (41:00)

The three things that can happen once you reach the crisis point (43:21)

How close are we to making the wrong choice, fuelled by polarisation and negativity? (46:58)

“It’s all going to be okay” can be the most powerful message (50:25)

One practical change Soli would aim to bring about before hanging up her campaigning gloves (52:26)

What advice would she give to the younger Solitaire? (52:40)

The impressive change maker that has inspired Soli the most (54:05)

What mistake has Soli made that led to a positive outcome or personal growth? (55:33)

The thing that Soli believes that others thing is wrong (57:33)

One of Soli’s favourite books (59:18)

What advice would Soli give to young would-be change-makers who are just beginning the journey? (1:00:36)

Soli on twitter https://twitter.com/greensolitaire

Futerra - https://www.wearefuterra.com

The Happy Hero https://amzn.to/2NWyzID

A town like Alice – Neville Shute https://amzn.to/2zpmfbB

]]> Tue, 25 Sep 2018 12:26:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Solitaire Townsend is an entrepreneur, sustainability expert and author of ‘The Happy Hero - How to change your life by changing the world’. She co-founded the change agency Futerra in 2001, one of the first sustainability agencies in the UK, through which she has advised governments, charities and major corporations like Danone and Nike. From humble beginnings, Futerra now has offices in London, New York, San Francisco, Mexico City and Stockholm.

She has been a TEDx speaker, and has written for the Guardian and the Huffington Post. She was named ‘Ethical Entrepreneur of the Year’ in 2008, is a member of the UN Sustainable Lifestyles Taskforce, and a London Leader for Sustainability.

Soli’s book could almost be seen as a manifesto for this podcast, all about the powerful evidence that becoming a change maker is something that makes life better and more fulfilling, as well as making a difference to society. In this interview, we get into the detail of how Soli’s own life was changed dramatically by one catalytic moment, and how positivity in the face of big problems is the most powerful element you can have at your disposal.

Show notes

How the world was a very different place for the 11-year-old Solitaire, and how a humble flyer transformed it completely (2:10)

Having been inspired by success, how the support of some good people helped Soli to take the next steps (6:58)

How Futerra went from an idea for a one-off project through to becoming a thriving business (9:22)

Lessons learnt leading a company when you’ve not gone the traditional route to getting there (11:17)

Solitaire’s personal purpose, and the fact that people find it difficult to hear (16:40)

Having worked with some of the best companies, how far have we really come in our journey to sustainability? (18:06)

What are the emerging trends in business and sustainability? (20:15)

Why the UN Sustainability Development Goals have become so helpful, even though they’re far from perfect (22:30)

What inspired Soli to write the Happy Hero? (26:48)

Coping with the process of writing a book when it’s not something you naturally enjoy doing (30:15)

The core focus of positivity was obvious from the beginning, but the research gave it a huge added dimension (31:12)

Dealing with the reality that many of the campaigning community are anything but optimistic (33:18)

Why the vegan movement is an example of the difference between negative and positive energy, and the powerful symbol that came through Martin

Luther King’s ‘I have a dream’ speech (35:51)

The damage done when the change movement is dismissive of the small steps that people take (39:42)

The crisis curve and its role in creating the conditions for change (41:00)

The three things that can happen once you reach the crisis point (43:21)

How close are we to making the wrong choice, fuelled by polarisation and negativity? (46:58)

“It’s all going to be okay” can be the most powerful message (50:25)

One practical change Soli would aim to bring about before hanging up her campaigning gloves (52:26)

What advice would she give to the younger Solitaire? (52:40)

The impressive change maker that has inspired Soli the most (54:05)

What mistake has Soli made that led to a positive outcome or personal growth? (55:33)

The thing that Soli believes that others thing is wrong (57:33)

One of Soli’s favourite books (59:18)

What advice would Soli give to young would-be change-makers who are just beginning the journey? (1:00:36)

Soli on twitter https://twitter.com/greensolitaire

Futerra - https://www.wearefuterra.com

The Happy Hero https://amzn.to/2NWyzID

A town like Alice – Neville Shute https://amzn.to/2zpmfbB

]]> Solitaire Townsend - positivity and its power to change the world Mallen Baker 01:03:59 Solitaire Townsend is an entrepreneur, sustainability expert and author of ‘The Happy Hero - How to change your life by changing the world’. She co-founded the change agency Futerra in 2001, one of the first sustainability agencies in the UK, through which she has advised governments, charities and major corporations like Danone and Nike. Solitaire Townsend is an entrepreneur, sustainability expert and author of ‘The Happy Hero - How to change your life by changing the world’. She co-founded the change agency Futerra in 2001, one of the first sustainability agencies in the UK, through which she has advised governments, charities and major corporations like Danone and Nike. csr, sustainability, the happy hero, futerra, corporate responsibility, sustainable development goals, solitaire townsend, change maker, sdgs, positivity false full 3 39f227e2-a0ef-4d60-ad4d-6d8e584fb23e David Grayson - Why businesses need to go 'All In' David Grayson is Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. For over ten years, he was the director of the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility. He recently co-authored the influential book ‘All In – The Future of Business Leadership’. He has authored a number of other books, including most recently ‘Take Care: How to be a great employer for working carers’.

He has had a long history of working on enterprise, social impact and sustainability. Amongst many other roles, he was an early director of Business in the Community, chairman of the UK Small Business Consortium, and Managing Director of the Prince’s Youth Business Trust.

He was awarded an OBE for services to industry in 1994, and a CBE for services to disability in 1999.

David is an immensely thoughtful commentator on the state of socially responsible business, amongst other things. We have a great deep dive into the current state of business leadership, and work our way through some of the key insights that came out of the most recent book. It’s undoubtedly an interview deserving of your careful attention!

Show notes

The pivotal change to David’s life that came from a near-death experience at the age of 11 (2:28)
How David had a vision of getting into politics at the age of 10 (3:50)
David ran his first successful community campaign at the age of 15 (5:03)
How David entered the corporate world – and how the willingness to speak truth to power made it happen (6:07)
How David then moved to the NGO world, via the European Commission, as he was searching for his purpose (9:30)
The early influences of the corporate responsibility movement (13:08)
You can change the world if you don’t mind who gets the credit (18:00)
How well was business leadership engaged with the issues at the start? (20:45)
What prompted the writing of the new book ‘All In – The future of business leadership’? (23:15)
Who are the leader companies that have gone ‘All In’? (26:34)
What are the five attributes for companies that have gone ‘All In’? (28:21)
How mainstream can this approach become? Is it always just going to be a small group of leaders? (31:46)
Can society achieve sustainability in the face of mediocre leadership? (36:13)
Why aren’t the tech companies in the leading rank of sustainable businesses? (39:00)
What advice would David give to his younger self? (42:54)
Who has been an impressive change maker that has inspired David? (43:45)
What mistakes has David made that he’s learned from? (44:45)
Books that have inspired David (47:05)
Advice David would give to young people looking to take their first steps into a future where they can make a different to the world (48:25)

Links

All In – The future of business leadership https://amzn.to/2DoZlFs

Globescan survey https://globescan.com/2018-sustainability-leaders-report/

The Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/research-centres/doughty-centre-for-corporate-responsibility

Business in the Community https://www.bitc.org.uk

Interface Carpets http://www.interface.com/EU/en-GB/campaign/climate-take-back/Climate-Take-Back-en_GB

Unilever Sustainable Living Plan https://www.unilever.co.uk/sustainable-living/

Books

Small is Beautiful, EF Schumacher https://amzn.to/2DosnoA

Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell https://amzn.to/2PWDoPc

New Power, Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms https://amzn.to/2OJcZV7

Blessed Unrest, Paul Hawken https://amzn.to/2OGOxU7

Contact

David on twitter https://twitter.com/davidgrayson_

David’s personal website http://www.davidgrayson.net

]]> Tue, 25 Sep 2018 10:29:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast David Grayson is Emeritus Professor of Corporate Responsibility at the Cranfield School of Management. For over ten years, he was the director of the Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility. He recently co-authored the influential book ‘All In – The Future of Business Leadership’. He has authored a number of other books, including most recently ‘Take Care: How to be a great employer for working carers’.

He has had a long history of working on enterprise, social impact and sustainability. Amongst many other roles, he was an early director of Business in the Community, chairman of the UK Small Business Consortium, and Managing Director of the Prince’s Youth Business Trust.

He was awarded an OBE for services to industry in 1994, and a CBE for services to disability in 1999.

David is an immensely thoughtful commentator on the state of socially responsible business, amongst other things. We have a great deep dive into the current state of business leadership, and work our way through some of the key insights that came out of the most recent book. It’s undoubtedly an interview deserving of your careful attention!

Show notes

The pivotal change to David’s life that came from a near-death experience at the age of 11 (2:28)
How David had a vision of getting into politics at the age of 10 (3:50)
David ran his first successful community campaign at the age of 15 (5:03)
How David entered the corporate world – and how the willingness to speak truth to power made it happen (6:07)
How David then moved to the NGO world, via the European Commission, as he was searching for his purpose (9:30)
The early influences of the corporate responsibility movement (13:08)
You can change the world if you don’t mind who gets the credit (18:00)
How well was business leadership engaged with the issues at the start? (20:45)
What prompted the writing of the new book ‘All In – The future of business leadership’? (23:15)
Who are the leader companies that have gone ‘All In’? (26:34)
What are the five attributes for companies that have gone ‘All In’? (28:21)
How mainstream can this approach become? Is it always just going to be a small group of leaders? (31:46)
Can society achieve sustainability in the face of mediocre leadership? (36:13)
Why aren’t the tech companies in the leading rank of sustainable businesses? (39:00)
What advice would David give to his younger self? (42:54)
Who has been an impressive change maker that has inspired David? (43:45)
What mistakes has David made that he’s learned from? (44:45)
Books that have inspired David (47:05)
Advice David would give to young people looking to take their first steps into a future where they can make a different to the world (48:25)

Links

All In – The future of business leadership https://amzn.to/2DoZlFs

Globescan survey https://globescan.com/2018-sustainability-leaders-report/

The Doughty Centre for Corporate Responsibility https://www.cranfield.ac.uk/som/research-centres/doughty-centre-for-corporate-responsibility

Business in the Community https://www.bitc.org.uk

Interface Carpets http://www.interface.com/EU/en-GB/campaign/climate-take-back/Climate-Take-Back-en_GB

Unilever Sustainable Living Plan https://www.unilever.co.uk/sustainable-living/

Books

Small is Beautiful, EF Schumacher https://amzn.to/2DosnoA

Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell https://amzn.to/2PWDoPc

New Power, Jeremy Heimans and Henry Timms https://amzn.to/2OJcZV7

Blessed Unrest, Paul Hawken https://amzn.to/2OGOxU7

Contact

David on twitter https://twitter.com/davidgrayson_

David’s personal website http://www.davidgrayson.net

]]> David Grayson - Why businesses need to go 'All In' Mallen Baker 00:50:24 David is an immensely thoughtful commentator on the state of socially responsible business, amongst other things. We have a great deep dive into the current state of business leadership, and work our way through some of the key insights that came out of the most recent book. David is an immensely thoughtful commentator on the state of socially responsible business, amongst other things. We have a great deep dive into the current state of business leadership, and work our way through some of the key insights that came out of the most recent book. sustainability, all in, david grayson, corporate social responsibility, corporate sustainability, corporate responsibility, csr false full 2 c6c31156-30f2-4ea0-9431-4ed44314dbd5 Mike Barry of Marks & Spencer - the ambition to sell sustainably Mike Barry is the Director of Plan A and Sustainable Business for Marks and Spencer. He is known throughout the responsible business community as a key figure who has helped Marks and Spencer become world-renowned for its root-and-branch approach to sustainable retail. He helped to develop and deliver Plan A from its inception in 2007, and is responsible for delivering the company's ambitious plan to suport 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier and healtheir lives, and to convert M&S into a zero-waste business.

Mike was named the Guardian's inaugural Sustainable Business Innovator of the Year in 2011. He is Co-Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum's Sustainability Steering Group, Chair of the World Environment Centre, a Visiting Fellow at the Smith Centre for Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Programme for Sustainable Leadership and he sits on Business in the Community's Environment Leadership Team.

Not only is he effective at creating change, Mike is one of the most genuine and thoughtful people I know. We had a fascinating and far-ranging conversation about how to create change, and what needs to happen to make businesses more sustainable over the coming decades.

Enjoy the interview! I think you'll get a lot out of it.

Show notes
How the world looked to the young Mike Barry when he started his journey (2:25)
Why Mike took a degree on subjects he wasn’t good at, and ignored the ones he was great at (3:45)
Why the teenage Mike was ‘an angry young man’ (6:04)
What sort of early jobs did Mike get as an environmental consultant? (7:25)
How Mike ended up getting into Marks & Spencer to lead its environment work (9:07)
Why joining Marks & Spencer was not a culture shock, even though it was a big change (12:00)
The first steps that needed to be taken to get Marks & Spencer on the journey (13:15)
How Plan A was different to what had come before (16:00)
The importance of leadership – particularly in a tough retail environment (17:58)
The dangers of a change at the top, and how you can minimise them (20:48)
Why Plan A has been successful from the start and over the long term (23:56)
Sustainability challenges of a retail business model (28:20)
The biggest obstacles that have had to be overcome to make Plan A successful (31:42)
The most important workstreams that lie ahead (32:42)
The difficulties of changing people’s behaviours (34:39)
Working with the campaigners and the critics (35:48)
Why Mike is an optimist about the role of business as part of the solution (38:50)
The challenge of political polarisation in a pragmatic approach to the issues (41:50)
What one practical change would Mike want to bring about before he finally retires? (47:34)
What advice would he give to his younger self? (48:19)
Impressive change makers who have inspired Mike (48:43)
Mike’s greatest mistakes (49:36)
Inspirational books (50:19)
Advice Mike would give to young people wanting to get into the industry (51:00)

Links mentioned

Marks and Spencer’s Plan A https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a

Lewis Pugh – swimmer raising awareness of plastic pollution http://lewispugh.com

David Attenborough https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough

Andy Wales https://twitter.com/AndyCWales

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller https://amzn.to/2OLfRAI

Contacts

Mike on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-barry-9b6ab722/

Mike on Twitter https://twitter.com/planamikebarry?lang=en

]]> Tue, 25 Sep 2018 08:29:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast Mike Barry is the Director of Plan A and Sustainable Business for Marks and Spencer. He is known throughout the responsible business community as a key figure who has helped Marks and Spencer become world-renowned for its root-and-branch approach to sustainable retail. He helped to develop and deliver Plan A from its inception in 2007, and is responsible for delivering the company's ambitious plan to suport 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier and healtheir lives, and to convert M&S into a zero-waste business.

Mike was named the Guardian's inaugural Sustainable Business Innovator of the Year in 2011. He is Co-Chair of the Consumer Goods Forum's Sustainability Steering Group, Chair of the World Environment Centre, a Visiting Fellow at the Smith Centre for Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, a Senior Associate at the Cambridge Programme for Sustainable Leadership and he sits on Business in the Community's Environment Leadership Team.

Not only is he effective at creating change, Mike is one of the most genuine and thoughtful people I know. We had a fascinating and far-ranging conversation about how to create change, and what needs to happen to make businesses more sustainable over the coming decades.

Enjoy the interview! I think you'll get a lot out of it.

Show notes
How the world looked to the young Mike Barry when he started his journey (2:25)
Why Mike took a degree on subjects he wasn’t good at, and ignored the ones he was great at (3:45)
Why the teenage Mike was ‘an angry young man’ (6:04)
What sort of early jobs did Mike get as an environmental consultant? (7:25)
How Mike ended up getting into Marks & Spencer to lead its environment work (9:07)
Why joining Marks & Spencer was not a culture shock, even though it was a big change (12:00)
The first steps that needed to be taken to get Marks & Spencer on the journey (13:15)
How Plan A was different to what had come before (16:00)
The importance of leadership – particularly in a tough retail environment (17:58)
The dangers of a change at the top, and how you can minimise them (20:48)
Why Plan A has been successful from the start and over the long term (23:56)
Sustainability challenges of a retail business model (28:20)
The biggest obstacles that have had to be overcome to make Plan A successful (31:42)
The most important workstreams that lie ahead (32:42)
The difficulties of changing people’s behaviours (34:39)
Working with the campaigners and the critics (35:48)
Why Mike is an optimist about the role of business as part of the solution (38:50)
The challenge of political polarisation in a pragmatic approach to the issues (41:50)
What one practical change would Mike want to bring about before he finally retires? (47:34)
What advice would he give to his younger self? (48:19)
Impressive change makers who have inspired Mike (48:43)
Mike’s greatest mistakes (49:36)
Inspirational books (50:19)
Advice Mike would give to young people wanting to get into the industry (51:00)

Links mentioned

Marks and Spencer’s Plan A https://corporate.marksandspencer.com/plan-a

Lewis Pugh – swimmer raising awareness of plastic pollution http://lewispugh.com

David Attenborough https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough

Andy Wales https://twitter.com/AndyCWales

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller https://amzn.to/2OLfRAI

Contacts

Mike on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-barry-9b6ab722/

Mike on Twitter https://twitter.com/planamikebarry?lang=en

]]> Mike Barry of Marks & Spencer - the ambition to sell sustainably Mallen Baker 00:53:51 Mike Barry is the Director of Plan A and Sustainable Business for Marks and Spencer. He is known throughout the responsible business community as a key figure who has helped Marks and Spencer become world-renowned for its root-and-branch approach to sustainable retail. He helped to develop and deliver Plan A from its inception in 2007, and is responsible for delivering the company's ambitious plan to suport 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier and healtheir lives, and to convert M&S into a zero-waste business. Mike Barry is the Director of Plan A and Sustainable Business for Marks and Spencer. He is known throughout the responsible business community as a key figure who has helped Marks and Spencer become world-renowned for its root-and-branch approach to sustainable retail. He helped to develop and deliver Plan A from its inception in 2007, and is responsible for delivering the company's ambitious plan to suport 1,000 communities, help 10 million people live happier and healtheir lives, and to convert M&S into a zero-waste business. sustainability, mike barry, marks & spencer, corporate responsibility, mallen baker, sustainable retail false full 1 b96b6cf9-82fc-41a3-9558-ee461604c60a Introduction to the podcast A short introduction to the change maker podcast, how it's going to work and what you can expect in the first three episodes.

]]> Fri, 21 Sep 2018 13:54:00 +0000 mallen@mallenbaker.net (Mallen Baker) http://mallenbaker.net/podcast A short introduction to the change maker podcast, how it's going to work and what you can expect in the first three episodes.

]]> Introduction to the podcast Mallen Baker 00:05:33 A short introduction to the change maker podcast, how it's going to work and what you can expect in the first three episodes. A short introduction to the change maker podcast, how it's going to work and what you can expect in the first three episodes. sustainability, change makers, corporate social responsibility, csr false trailer 0