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In this episode Sian Norris speaks with The Guardian’s Luke Harding about his book Betrayal: Putin, Trump and the New Age of Conquest (https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781783353378), covering Harding’s 2007–2011 Moscow posting, FSB harassment and his expulsion while investigating Litvinenko and Putin’s wealth. Luke argues Putin’s worldview is neo-imperial and explains how Western leaders misread Russia before the February 2022 full-scale invasion. He describes Biden’s fear of nuclear escalation and slow delivery of weapons, and says some Ukrainians hoped Trump might end the war, but Harding believes Trump behaves like a Russian asset, citing deference to Putin, policy shifts, cuts to Ukraine aid, and possible kompromat. We also explore Kremlin ties to the British right, Brexit-era influence, Nigel Farage’s Russia Today appearances, and the Nathan Gill bribery case, before ending on Ukraine’s resilience, drone innovation, and a strategy of degrading Russia’s war economy. 00:00 Introduction 01:13 Expelled From Moscow 03:34 FSB Harassment Campaign 07:05 Warnings Before Invasion 10:17 Putin Mythology Ukraine 13:56 Biden Zelensky Tensions 17:51 Alaska Summit Deference 20:03 Why Trump Aligns Russia 23:42 Oval Office Ambush 26:15 Britain Right Russia Links 29:27 Nathan Gill Bribery Case 35:12 Far Right Influence Network 37:18 New Age Of Conquest 40:05 Drone Warfare Template 40:54 Ukraine Resilience Winter 43:49 Ukraine Innovation Victory Presented by Sian Norris Produced by harry Beney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do progressive movements defeat the far right without adopting their doom-laden narrative? In this episode of In Solidarity, Aman is joined by fellow openDemocracy investigative journalists Sian Norris and Ethan Shone to break down the recent Labour conference and how it fits into the rapidly changing political landscape in the UK. From repealing Thatcher-era bans on public water ownership to tackling the decades-long crisis in social care, does Burnham’s vision offer genuine structural reform or merely "empty calories" wrapped in charismatic delivery? Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Produced by Harry Beney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Governments hand out billions in lucrative contracts to tech corporations to build surveillance systems, track migrants, and process public health data. Yet those same companies use every legal loophole available to avoid paying tax on their profits. In this episode of In Solidarity, openDemocracy editor Aman Sethi and tech reporter Jade-Ruyu Yan sit down with Jason Ward, principal analyst at the Centre for International Corporate Tax Accountability and Research (CICTAR), to analyze Palantir’s global tax practices. Palantir supplies technology to US immigration enforcement, the Israeli military, and the UK’s NHS. Despite reporting 55% profit margins and over $1.6 billion in net income, Palantir maintains an effective global tax rate of just 1.4% and pays zero federal income tax in the United States. Chapter Timestamps 00:00:00 - Introduction & What is Palantir? 00:03:25 - Palantir in the UK: NHS Contracts & Low Tax Bills 00:04:37 - Why Investigate Palantir's Tax Practices? 00:05:37 - Peter Thiel, JD Vance, and Silicon Valley Ideology 00:07:02 - The 1.4% Effective Tax Rate: How Palantir Dodges Taxes 00:10:47 - Explaining the Stock-Based Compensation Loophole 00:15:15 - Corporate Taxes, Democracy, and Inequality 00:18:48 - Who Works for Palantir? Inside Employee Motivations 00:20:21 - The France Exception: Why Worker Power Matters for Tax 00:23:14 - Australia’s Tax Transparency Revolution 00:26:32 - Debunking Corporate Excuses & Pushing for Reform Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Produced by Harry Beney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nine months after the US abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, a highly unusual oil deal has surfaced. The US claims to have struck an agreement to take control of about a fifth of Venezuela's oil reserves. But this isn't a standard international trade agreement; it’s structured through a Barbados-based private company owned by a controversial businessman, with the US Department of Defense taking a 35% stake. In this episode, we sit down with Francisco Rodríguez, a Venezuelan economist and author of The Collapse of Venezuela: Scorched-Earth Politics and Economic Decline. Rodríguez dismantles the mechanics of this unprecedented $100 billion deal, explaining why major oil companies are nowhere to be found and why Venezuela is currently shipping 40,000 barrels of oil to the US at cost. Chapters:  00:00:00 - Introduction 00:03:00 - The Barbados Company and the Missing $100 Billion 00:05:00 - Replenishing the US Strategic Reserve at Venezuela's Expense 00:07:00 - Bypassing Venezuelan Law and the National Assembly 00:09:00 - Comparisons to the 1996 Russian Privatization 00:13:00 - Hugo Chávez and the Origins of Economic Collapse 00:18:00 - The Devastating Impact of US Sanctions 00:22:00 - The Opposition’s "Faustian Bargain" with Washington 00:25:00 - "Regime Compliance" and the Future of US Intervention Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Produced by Harry Beney Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is Reform fascist, far-right or merely right wing? And do we really need to get into this? Our guest on this episode, thinks we should: Daniel Trilling is a journalist, a long-time openDemocracy contributor, and the author of a new Book: If We Tolerate This: How the British Establishment Made the Far Right Respectable. Daniel has spent decades covering the wild west of right-wing politics in England— from the fascists to the conservatives.  And his point, which we dig into over the length of this episode, is we need to correctly diagnose what Reform is, and what they are tapping into, before we decide what to do about it. I found this conversation particularly thought provoking for two reasons: Whenever we cover Reform on openDemocracy (and we go at them very hard), we often get readers writing in saying, “I support Reform but I’m not racist”; On the other hand, I worry — to borrow from the title of Daniel’s book, if we are making a dangerous group respectable. So yes, we need to get into it, and Daniel is just the person to do this with.  Buy Daniel's book: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781037411571 Subscribe to openDemocracy: opendemocracy.net 00:00 Introduction 01:05 The Collapse of the UK's Two-Party System 02:18 The First-Past-The-Post Lottery 03:07 What is the "British Establishment"? 04:19 The Media Elite & Private School Pipelines 05:32 The "Punitive State": Working Class vs. The State 07:37 The Nigel Farage Playbook 10:48 The False Promise of "Fixing the Country" 13:30 "Anti-Nationals" & The Right-Wing Identity Crisis 16:32 Scottish Nationalism vs. Englishness 18:23 The Identity Void of Post-Empire Britain 21:40 How to Actually Defeat Reform UK & The Far-Right Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The climate crisis is changing the way nations think about food, energy, resources, war and peace. Melting ice caps are opening up new trade routes fought over by the world's great powers, conflicts are waged over food and mineral resources, shifting climates are fuelling migration – and Donald Trump says it's all just a scam. Join Arthur Snell as he discusses his new book Elemental: the new geography of climate change and how we survive it. Spanning conflict in the Sahel, Russia's war in Ukraine, the US coveting Greenland, NEOM in Saudi Arabia, and China's energy push, Snell explores how the climate crisis is now in every part of our politics. But while there is much to concern us here, there's hope too. The world faces various futures, and it can adapt and respond to the realities of a changing climate. 📕 Buy Elemental: The New Geography of Climate Change and How We Survive it https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781035412945 👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/  ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Chapters:  00:00 Introduction 01:20 The Petro-State Panic: Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the End of Oil 03:32 The Sahel Crisis: Climate Migration and Fragile States 08:24 Uranium & Mercenaries: Russia vs. France in Africa 10:25 The Arctic: Melting Ice, Shipping Routes, and Donald Trump 16:21 Ukraine: Why Putin is Weaponizing Food and Farmland 21:35 China’s Monopoly & Russia's Future as an "Economic Colony" 28:18 The Surprising Winners: Morocco, Interconnectors, and Climate Hope 32:41 Outro Credits: Presented by Sian Norris Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"My ultimate vision... was to achieve by means of AI and technology, what Jeremy Bentham tried to do with his panopticon." — UK Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood. When the state openly admits it wants its eyes on you at all times, how do citizens fight back? In this episode of In Solidarity, Matthew Linares sits down with Jim Killock, Executive Director of the Open Rights Group. We cut through the Silicon Valley PR to expose the terrifying reality of the modern surveillance state. From the aggressive rollout of facial recognition and predictive policing to the "revolving door" between Big Tech lobbyists and policymakers, we explore how our democratic infrastructure is being hollowed out for corporate profit. This isn't just a warning - it's an escape plan. Jim breaks down the illusion of corporate regulation, the realities of "enshittification," and the actionable steps you can take to reclaim your digital sovereignty today. Get involved offline. Find an Open Rights Group meetup near you: https://www.openrightsgroup.org/get-involved/ 👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/  ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction 00:01:27 - The AI Panopticon 00:04:18 - The Lobbyist Loop & The “Rip-Off” 00:10:26 - “Enshittification” & The Illusion of Choice 00:14:48 - Why relying on tech regulators is a “mug’s game” 00:18:51 - Escaping the Matrix: Interoperability, analog meetups, and fighting back Credits: Presented by Matthew Linares Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to escalate, the effects of the conflict are spiralling outwards across a world already whiplashed by cross-border violence, global tariffs, and the unravelling of regional alliances. There is much that we do not know: How will spiking energy prices affect developing economies in Asia and Africa? What are the long term impacts of the destabilisation of the Gulf, a region that has long served as a magnet for labour and capital from around the world? What does the conflict in Iran reveal about the latest chapter in the relationship between international finance capital and nation states? To talk through these questions, I interviewed analyst and columnist Mihir Sharma. Sharma is a principal research fellow at IPPR, and has been a Bloomberg Opinion columnist on global economics and politics for over a decade. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why are British and European politicians obsessed with Denmark's immigration strategy? We uncover the dark reality of the "Danish Model" and how it punishes asylum seekers by design. Politicians across Europe - including the UK government - increasingly point to the so-called "Danish Model" as the ultimate solution for controlling borders, immigration, and asylum. But beyond the political talking points, what does this model actually look like on the ground? In this episode of In Solidarity, host Aman Sethi sits down with Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, the first-ever Danish Professor in Migration and Mobility Law. They break down the harsh reality of "indirect deterrence," how Europe's most liberal border became its strictest, and the secret history of the modern passport. Finally, they unpack the recent push by the UK and Denmark to bypass the European Court of Human Rights, and what that means for the future of global mobility. If you want to understand the reality behind the political rhetoric on border control, this is your essential briefing. Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen is the director of MOBILE, the Danish National Research Foundation's Center of Excellence on Global Mobility Law. 👉 Stay informed. Sign up for the openDemocracy newsletter: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/  ✊ Support our work. In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. We rely on listeners like you to keep our independent journalism free. Donate today: https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Chapters:  00:00 The Cruelty of the "Danish Model"  01:59 What Actually is the Danish Asylum Strategy?  05:39 Does "Indirect Deterrence" Actually Stop Migration?  07:16 The Human Cost: Punishing Migrants to Send a Message  14:18 The Secret History of the Modern Passport  19:00 The UK and Denmark's Plot Against Human Rights Law Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are anti-rights movements infiltrating high schools? We uncover the deliberate, decades-old strategy the far-right is using to target young people, weaponise their insecurities, and build a pipeline of extremist power. In this episode of In Solidarity, openDemocracy’s Senior Investigations Reporter Sian Norris sits down with Jamie Vernaelde, Senior Researcher at Ipas. They dive deep into a chilling new report detailing how far-right and anti-rights movements are actively grooming the next generation. From exploiting economic and physical insecurities to pumping massive financial investments into youth pipelines, Jamie exposes the conservative playbook for molding young minds. More importantly, they discuss what the progressive movement is getting wrong about youth engagement and how we can fight back by giving young people the space and resources to lead. Read the full report here: https://www.ipas.org/resource/future-proofing-the-professionalization-of-an-anti-rights-youth-generation/ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Chapters: 00:00 How the Far-Right Targets Gen Z 04:15 Why Young Women are Drifting to the Far-Right 06:23 The 'Tradwife' Trend: A Pipeline to Radicalisation? 08:13 Rebranding Extremism for Secular Youth 11:36 The Wellness-to-Alt-Right Pipeline Explained 13:07 Why Contraception is the Right’s Next Target 15:12 Exposing the Dark Money Behind Anti-Rights Groups 18:04 The Playbook to Weaponise the Courts 20:08 Inside the Global War on Human Rights 22:57 The 'Elite' Seduction: Recruiting on Campus 24:39 Weaponising Victimhood: The Conservative Media Strategy 28:13 The Left’s Blindspot: How Progressives Can Fight Back Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over 71,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the war began on Oct 7 2023, in what a UN inquiry has described as a “genocide”.  When a US-brokered ceasefire was declared in October last year, the world's attention moved on to the next crisis. Since then at least 463 Palestinians had been killed by Israel as of Jan 21 this year, of whom 100 were children, according to the UN Relief and Works Agency. Anywhere where else in the world, this would be an active conflict. In Palestine, this is what a ceasefire looks like. In this episode, we speak to Jamil Sawalmeh,  the Director of ActionAid Palestine on the situation on the ground in Gaza. https://palestine.actionaid.org/ https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:41 What is the situation on the ground like Gaza? 07:04 The 'Yellow Line' 10:40 A lack of fresh water 14:00 The great displacement 14:53 Returning to Palestine is impossible 20:08 Reality of the Board Of Peace 24:08 The local infrastructure 28:12 What should the world be doing to help? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If the US once claimed it was “defending Democracy” to justify attacking countries without pretext, the current administration has made no such excuses.   Last week US security forces abducted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife from a compound in Caracas in an operation that killed 70 people. Maduro was presented in a courtroom in Manhattan, on charges of supposedly “importing tons of cocaine into the United States”, and his deputy Delcy Rodriguez was installed in his place as acting President. To make this all make sense, we speak with Laura Tedesco, a long time openDemocracy contributor and professor of political science and international relations at St. Louis university in Madrid. Prof. Tedesco is also the author of several books on democracy and politics in Latin America. Read Laura's Book, Latin America's Leaders: https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781783601028 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Waring factions have dominated the headlines, but inside the Your Party conference the embers of hope for a different kind of politics were still burning.  Investigative reporter Ethan Shone tells what the mood was like among the party members following months of public spats and PR disasters.  https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by James Battershill Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’ve normalised the idea that the world is ending, that society is tearing itself apart, that our countries — wherever we live — are falling apart. But what does that really look like? What does it feel like? What emerges in the aftermath? In this episode host Aman Sethi speaks to Renata Salecl,  a Slovenian philosopher, sociologist and political theorist to decode how the experiences of post-socialist countries can help us understand the crisis gripping the West. A Passion For Ignorance - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780691240992 The Spoils of Freedom - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780415073585 On Anxiety - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9780415312769 The Tyranny of Choice - https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8711/9781846681868 https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Aman Sethi Story production by Ayodeji Rotinwa Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:30 Post socialist societies 07:22 The modern respect for cunning 08:45 Lessons from pop culture 10:16 The (mis)use of fake news 13:53 On accelerationism 16:11 The dissolution of societies 18:53 Times when nothing and everything changes 20:50 Those that enjoy life the wrong way 22:24 Neoliberal collapse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, Labour overwhelmingly voted in favour of an amendment that would end the criminalisation of women and pregnant people seeking abortions outside the 1967 Abortion Act exemptions. As the debate went through the Lords, we sat down with MSI Reproductive Choices’ Louise McCudden to discuss why we need decriminalisation now - and what this win means amid a global backlash against abortion rights.  https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/newsletters/ In Solidarity is openDemocracy’s podcast about people, power, and politics. Support the show by visiting https://www.openDemocracy.net/donate/ Credits: Presented by Sian Norris Story production by Ayodeji Rotinwa Audio engineering by James Battershill Theme song ‘Odyssey’ performed by Edward Abela — Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:07 What is the current legal state of abortion across the UK? 05:13 The women being imprisoned for abortion 10:16 The late-term abortion argument 13:10 Imported tactics from the US 16:21 The case for optimism 19:02 Anti-abortion's international bankroll 23:17 The future of the pro-abortion movement Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.