Boondoggle: Recent Episodes
Jim Driscoll
A transatlantic take on the crisis of Western democracy. Jim Driscoll and Chris Floyd discuss the US, UK, and European political scene and the rise of authoritarianism around the world.
Chris talks to Jim about his recent relocation to Birmingham to start an MA in Global Conflict and Cooperation, and his fifteen-and-a-half day journey from Oxford to Birmingham by narrowboat. What does taking so long to travel such a small distance do to your conception of time? How do you steer the thing anyway? And will Chris ever learn how to pronounce the name of the city properly?
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BoondogglePodcast2020
Jim and Chris discuss themes arising from the recent Democratic Convention in Chicago - how, beyond the schmaltz, nothing much changes; how the centrist project leads to the triumph of the right; and how we are living in a decadent democratic culture. Also, Chris sings a number made familiar (but not written) by Woody Guthrie, The Hobo's Lullaby.
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BoondogglePodcast2020
With Chris back from his secret mission for the mysterious figure known only as 'Toolmaker', and in an episode recorded in the hours before Kamala Harris gave her speech, Jim and Chris briefly discuss the strange experience of watching a Democratic convention full of hope and energy at the same time as US-funded atrocities continue in Gaza.
They then move on to assess the performance of the Labour government in the UK after its first seven weeks. During the course of this discussion, Chris makes a brave and foolhardy attempt at a Scottish accent. It is fair to say, of both accent and government, that it is remarkable how quickly something can go so utterly wrong.
This episode is brought to you by Crab Tut Beer - it'll keep you going all night long!
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BoondogglePodcast2020
Following the restructuring of our corporate sponsor, Crab Tut Beer (the best beer you've ever seen), Boondoggle is amending its offer by incorporating various modalities of speech-based content into a new magazine-style format designed to appeal across various demographics that engage with the podcast space. That's what the brief said, anyway, but who reads that crap? Forced to present the podcast alone due to co-host Chris Floyd being stranded on the South coast engaged in a secret mission detecting small boats on behalf of a mysterious individual known only as 'Toolmaker', and with the planned launch show in front of thousands of paying subscribers at a secret venue somewhere in the Home Counties consequently redesigned as a five-hour banjo concert, Jim is forced instead to interview Sasha Abramsky, the Boondoggle North America correspondent, about recent developments in US politics ahead of the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. (Apologies for the background noise in this segment of the show - on reflection, the choice of a cutlery factory as the venue to record the interview was not an entirely sensible one. Oh well, you live and learn.)
For anyone who listens to the end, there are no details in the description.
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BoondogglePodcast2020
Chris and Jim begin by discussing recent developments in the Middle East, with tensions running high and fears of escalation after Israel reserves the right to respond to Iran's launching of drones and missiles at Israel (itself a retaliation for Israel's attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus).
The bulk of the episode consists of a discussion of the notion of fragility, introduced in the previous episode, but developed here in relation to the climate emergency. Chris and Jim explore how political and cultural fragility, exemplified by the unresponsiveness of political systems to reality and the wishes of the population and the prevalence of disinformation in the public sphere, prevent productive debate around specific responses to the climate emergency, using the polarised debate around the introduction of LTNs (low traffic neighbourhoods) in their hometown of Oxford and the absurd misrepresentation of the notion of a 15-minute city as examples. The discussion then broadens out into a consideration of the way the climate movement has begun to engage with wider political and social justice issues, and the magnitude of the task of achieving the kind of profound social change required in a non-violent fashion.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
Political discussion with Jim Driscoll and Chris Floyd.
In this episode, Jim begins by asking Chris about his experiences growing up in rural Tennessee during the Civil Rights era. They then use these experiences to explore the relationship between cultural anxiety and economic stability, and to begin to develop a notion of 'fragility', a feature that societies can have that renders them more liable to conflict and vulnerable to shocks. They then discuss ways in which society has become more fragile in recent years and think about why that may be the case.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
Chris and Jim discuss the several concerning developments in Gaza over the Easter weekend and ask why it is that the West sees fit to continue arming Israel even as its actions are condemned in ever stronger terms.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
After catching up on some of the recent developments with respect to Gaza, Jim and Chris discuss possible ways in which those on the left can deal with the political situation as it confronts us. The focus in this episode is mainly on the UK, with discussion of a campaign for a hung parliament and the idea of a progressive alliance, before getting on to the topic of the importance of a new political party to occupy the large space to the left of Labour and the requirement to reconnect politics with the people via grassroots organising.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
Jim and Chris discuss parallels between the current moment and the post-9/11 situation, and what the Iraq War can teach us about now.
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@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
In this episode, Chris and Jim discuss the increasing extremism of the political establishments of the US and the UK in relation to the continuing horrors in Gaza. They talk about the Uncommitted movement in Michigan and the degree to which it might have influenced Biden's 'ice-cream' ceasefire announcement; the continuing fallout of the chaotic ceasefire vote in the UK, most recently exemplified by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's hijacking of the airwaves on 1st March to blether on about dangers to democracy (ie people marching in support of a ceasefire); and the election of a Communist MP to the House of Commons.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
In this epsode, Chris and Jim discuss the absurd weakness of the Labour Party in the UK in the face of criticism, before moving on to the way in which democracy has been hollowed out by the adoption by the political class of a narrow consensus which seems to move ever rightwards . Chris introduces his idea that we are living in the 'Age of the Unsayable' as a way of explaining how this has happened.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
What is artificial intelligence? Is it going to take over the world, or is it just coming for our jobs? Chris and Jim discuss the political issues raised by AI and how they relate to the crisis of Western democracy.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
Chris and Jim discuss the situation at the Texas border and the UK government's Rwanda scheme, and what the dire state of the immigration debate in the two countries says about the crisis of democracy.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
Political discussion with Chris Floyd and Jim Driscoll.
This series of Boondoggle will be providing commentary on the run-up to the 2024 US and UK elections.
In this first episode, we provide a broad prospectus of how we see the political scene in both countries at the current time.
0.00-3.15 introduction
3.15-6.25 the situation in Gaza
6.25-52.25 the US
52.25-1.17.50 the UK
1.17.50-1.18.05 outro
Chris Floyd has been a journalist and columnist for nearly forty years and has written for the Nation, the Moscow Times, and Il Manifesto (Italy), amongst others. He has a long-running political blog, Empire Burlesque, and writes a regular column for Counterpunch. He is also a musician and song-writer and is the singer for The Holy Fools. His twitter handle is @empireburlesque.
Jim Driscoll is a musician and recovering philosopher, currently working on his third unpublished novel. He plays guitar for The Holy Fools and folk duo The Hex Collective.
We'd love to hear from you -
@Boondog44421386
BoondogglePodcast2020
Jim and Chris talk about Chris's time in Moscow in the mid-90s working as a journalist for the Moscow Times and his experiences of the new post-Soviet society. They then look at the similarities and differences between the situation in the USSR in the mid- to late-80s and the situation in the US today.
This discussion is prompted partly by the rash of articles discussing Barbara Walter's book How Civil Wars Start, see for example the review in the New York Times here, and this more sceptical piece in the same paper.
Second-hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich (available here) is a remarkable window into what it was like to live through the collapse of the Soviet Union. I can't recommend it enough.
In this episode, Jim and Chris discuss the recent hearing in the Supreme Court on the Mississippi abortion case, and what it might mean for the future of abortion provision and more in the United States.
The article by David Gans mentioned by Chris is here - https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2021/10/mississippi-abortion-birth-control-lgbtq-scotus.html
You might also find the following interesting -
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/09/what-can-be-done-protect-womens-abortion-rights-if-roe-falls/
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2021/12/07/supreme-court-abortion-rights-constitution/
In this first episode of the new series of Boondoggle, Jim Driscoll and Chris Floyd discuss the recent verdict in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial, what it says about American politics in this moment, and how we got into this mess.
The discussion proceeds from consideration of Patrick Blanchard's article on Gawker, 'Kyle Rittenhouse is an American' (available at https://www.gawker.com/news/kyle-rittenhouse-is-american).
In the next episode, we will be discussing the impact on politics of the climate catastrophe, and will be starting by discussing this excellent (and slightly less than despairing) article by Alex Steffen, 'The Transapocalyptic Now' (https://alexsteffen.substack.com/p/the-transapocalyptic-now).
In this episode, recorded on 17th February 2021, Sasha Abramsky (The Nation), Chris Floyd (Counterpunch), and Jim Driscoll discuss the difficulties of democratic discourse in America given that one party has gone off the authoritarian deep-end, and possible ways in which the Democrats might seek to get politics back on an even keel.
In this episode, recorded on 30th January, Chris Floyd (Counterpunch) and Jim Driscoll discuss the first ten days of the Biden administration and the future of the Republican Party as it binds itself ever tighter to Trumpist Q-Anon lunacy.
What does the future hold for Trump, the Republican Party, and the American Republic? With Sasha Abramsky (The Nation), Chris Floyd (CounterPunch) and Jim Driscoll.
Read Sasha's most recent article for The Nation is here.
The article by Timothy Snyder from which we derive the terminology of 'breakers' and 'gamers' that structures much of our discussion is here.
In this episode, recorded 24 hours after the events of Wednesday 6th January, Sasha Abramsky (The Nation), Chris Floyd (Counterpunch) and Jim Driscoll discuss what should happen next, the prospects for Trumpism and the Republican Party going forward, and their thoughts on the way forward for the incoming administration.
In this episode, with Trump's legal challenges grinding on under the tender care of court jester Rudy Gulliani (see this helpful video for a good discussion of their slender prospects), Chris, Sasha, and Jim discuss what the future might hold for Trump, Trumpism, and the GOP, with reference to Sasha's latest article in the Nation (here). They also discuss the prospects for the senate run-offs in Georgia, with the whole team expressing cautious optimism regarding the Democrats' chances.
In this episode, Chris, Jim, and Sasha discuss the post-election situation, unprecedented in modern times, with Trump and increasing numbers of Republican officials refusing to accept the results of the election and crying fraud. Is this a mark of desperation or a serious escalation of anti-democratic strategising? Or perhaps both? All three of us are more pessimistic than a lot of the media seem to be. (See for example this headline in the Washington Post.) But Trump has been signalling his intentions for months and so far it is all unfolding as he said it would. The only question is whether the Republican party will go along with the charade, and so far the signs are not good. Is the Democrat's current strategy adequate for the moment we find ourselves in? Will they be able to step up to the plate if the Republicans' anti-democratic intransigence continues? If you too feel a resurgence of that familiar anxiety as Trump and his enablers trash America's democratic norms, I'm afraid this episode will not make you feel any better.
Nor will these commentators -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jJrmPQf4NQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jco8c6nCUo
On the other hand, there is this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAyh2xPrFvo
In this episode, recorded on Tuesday 27th October, Chris, jim, and Sasha discuss the recent confirmation to the US Supreme Court of Amy Coney Barrett and its implications for the election. In the second half of the episode, Chris and Jim talk about their hopes and fears for a possible Biden administration.
Earlier in the day, Sasha discussed many of the same topics on act.tv - you can watch that interview here.
There is an interesting article from the Washington Post discussing in some detail Brett Kavanaugh's opinion in the Wisconsin election case, issued ust as Amy Coney Barrett was being confirmed, which you can read here.
In this episode, Chris, Sasha, and Jim explore the limits of their optimism regarding the election, discussing the significance of the high levels of early voting, the gratifying spectacle of Republicans beginning to distance themselves from Trump, and the prospects for the Senate.
In this episode, Chris and Jim discuss some more general trends in US politics and culture that are feeding into the election cycle, and wonder how optimistic we should be about the deep cultural changes that societies around the world appear to be going through. They also spend a little bit of time talking about the impact of the Covid's sudden appearance at the White House.
For a video that lays out as clearly as possible the various rules, regulations, and constitutional procedures that govern the death or incapacitation of a candidate or president elect at various points in the electoral process, see here.
Recorded slightly later in the week than normal in order to allow for discussion of the first debate between Trump and Biden, this episode looks at the impact, if any, of that debate, the revelations from the New York Times about Trump's tax affairs (see the original article here) and whether the imminent appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court will have the impact Trump appears to want on any election litigation that ends up there. Discussion of the impact on the election of Trump's Covid diagnosis is just going to have to wait until next week!
With Sasha unable to make the recording (since he was busy writing this article), Chris and Jim have a wide ranging discussion. The supreme court is on their minds, of course, with comparisons made to previous nomination battles and potential reforms of the court canvassed (many of which mirrored in this interesting leader from the Washington Post), but they also talk about Trump's unhinged rally in Minnesota and the DoJ designation of New York, Seattle, and Portland as 'anarchist jurisdictions'. Chris also speaks movingly of the fate of his hometown in Tennessee, ravaged by the economic storms of the 70s and 80s.
For a view of one possible future for America, and a powerful and compelling take on the place the country finds itself in, which interacts with many of the themes discussed in this podcast, check out Chris Hedges on Act TV here. If you subscribe to Act TV, then you may well soon get to see Sasha, who is a regular contributor to the channel.
In this episode, we begin by discussing the latest depredation or the post office, before moving on to the crazy week that has just transpired, culminating in Trump's illegal rally in Nevada. We finish with a slightly more abstract discussion about why people fall for conspiracy theories.
Sasha's piece in the Nation this week can be found here -
https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/trump-coronavirus-wildfires-elections/
You can watch Pomerantsev discuss his book Nothing is True and Everything is Possible here -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Au332OG-M4
And for a terrifying discussion of Q-Anon, you need look no further than this fine article by Adrienne LaFrance published in the Atlantic in June 2020
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/
In this episode, Sasha, Chris, and Jim discuss Sasha's latest article for the Nation, which explains how activists are organising in response to prospective election chaos. They also discuss Trump's call for his followers to vote twice. Chris remembers what happened when they first proposed flouride in the water and Sasha thinks back to the late 80s rave scene.
You can read Sasha's article here -
https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trump-coup-elections-gop/
In this episode, with Sasha unable to make the recording, Chris and Jim discuss Watergate, the 1980 election, and other events from US political history with a view to their parallels to today's situation.
Much of the discussion is prompted by Jim's reading Rick Perlstein's book The Invisible Bridge: The Fall of Nixon and the Rise of Reagan (available as an e-book here - https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Rick-Perlstein/The-Invisible-Bridge--The-Fall-of-Nixon-and-the-Rise-of-Reagan/16166184)
Perlstein, a historian of the American right, has unsurprisingly intervened in the current debate, for example at the links below -
https://www.democracynow.org/2020/8/28/rick_perlstein_rnc_trump_fascism
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/aug/15/rick-perlstein-reaganland-donald-trump-nixon-republicans
https://www.thenation.com/podcast/politics/rick-perlstein-on-the-republican-party-from-reagan-to-trump/
In this episode, Sasha, Chris, and Jim try their level best to avoid discussing the Republican National Convention, before moving on to discuss how the recent shenanigans at the USPS reveal the insidious role of big money interests in US politics. and the way in which American democracy is on a knife-edge. As Chris says at the end, 'We may already be living in the bardo'. (I had to look it up too - according to Professor Google, 'bardo' is the Tibetan term for the stage between death and rebirth.)
The issue of Vanity Fair guest edited by Ta-Nehisi Coates is available here https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/september-2020-issue-the-great-fire
His collection of writings up to 2016, We Were Eight Years In Power is also a fantastic read.
For more information on the Hard Hat Riot mentioned by Sasha, see
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_Hat_Riot
Alternatively, you may be interested in this video from the late Michael Brooks discussing whether there was a Hard Hat Rebellion for Trump (the video is from June 2020).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-Ijs2ZAZR4
In this episode, recorded during and ongoing heatwave in Sacramento, Sasha, Chris, and Jim discuss media reactions in the UK and the US to Trump's attacks on the USPS, and their possible impact on the election. They then go on to discuss Republicans at the Democratic National Convention, and the chances of Biden implementing what is shaping up to be a surprisingly progressive platform.
You can follow the Democratic Convention at https://www.demconvention.com/.
In this episode, Chris, Jim, and Sasha discuss Trump's recent Covid-related executive orders, an analogy from the end of the Soviet Union, and some breaking news (from Tuesday!). There is also some brief discussion of Slavoj Zizek (not a sentence I ever expected to write) regarding his 2016 views on the electoral contest between Trump and Clinton. See this recent article in the Irish Times for his views on the Trump-Biden match-up - https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/slavoj-%C5%BEi%C5%BEek-joe-biden-is-long-term-the-same-catastrophe-as-trump-1.4312913
In this episode, Sasha, Chris and Jim discuss what the 2020 election might look like, the role of power in politics, and several colourful metaphors for the current moment.
You can find the Steven Lukes book discussed by Sasha at https://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Radical-View-Steven-Lukes/dp/0333420926, and Lukes himself discuss these ideas at https://philosophybites.libsyn.com/steven-lukes-on-power. Chris referenced this article in the Guardian by Lawrence Douglas - https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/27/trump-loses-election-what-happens-possibilities.
The first in a series running weekly until November, Jim Driscoll, Sasha Abramsky, and Chris Floyd discuss the overlapping crises facing America in 2020 and the importance of the upcoming election.
Chris Floyd has been a journalist and columnist for nearly forty years and has written for the Nation, the Moscow Times, and Il Manifesto (Italy), amongst others. He currently writes a monthly column for CounterPunch and pieces for his long-running political blog, Empire Burlesque.
Sasha Abramsky is a prolific author and journalist who has written for a wide range of publications in the US and the UK, including the Village Voice, Rolling Stone, and the Independent. He currently writes the regular Signal:Noise column for the Nation, and maintains an archive of his work at The Abramsky Report.
Jim Driscoll is a musician and recovering philosopher, currently working on his second unpublished novel.