The Lesley Riddoch Podcast

The Lesley Riddoch Podcast Trailer Bonus Episode 863 Season 1

Culture and Wars

Culture and WarsCulture and Wars

00:00
The new Trump administration has continued its assault on the norms of political activity by appeasing Putin and Russia over the war in Ukraine.
Representatives of the USA and Russia are meeting in Saudi Arabia but there's no place for Zelensky. Meanwhile the USA has made a bid to "buy" Ukraine's rare earth minerals.
What does this tell you about Trump's foreign policy? is there any more to it than an admiration for so called strong men and a desire to extend economic colonialism?
Meanwhile Vice President JD Vance in a speech in Munich lambasted the European liberal democracies claiming that they were in retreat from their most fundamental values, and that this ,not China or Russia, was the true threat to Europe.
This was echoed by Kemi Badenoch, hard on the heels of the mutually shameful exchange on Palestinian refugees at PMQs with Starmer, in a another speech given at the ARC -Alliance for Responsible Citizenship- conference in London. She clearly played the anti-immigration culture wars card. 
Not to be left out UK Health Secretary Wes Streeting was quick to concur with Richard Madeley on Good Morning Britain that immigration  was a key factor in pressures on the NHS. 
Are we seeing the ground that the next UK General Election being fought on laid out in front of us as both Labour and the Tories seek to see off Reform?
Streeting has mad no secret of his intention to expand private involvement in the English health system this while privatised Thames water staggers from crisis to financial crisis.
Brewdog's James Watt has announced his intention to start up a "Shadow UK DOGE" mimicking Musk's cost cutting regime in the USA. How practical are Watt's ideas? Has he completely misread the reality behind the rhetoric in the States?
We also discuss David Tennant's BAFTA kilted singing exploits plus the other usual other meanderings.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUr8QyTCph8
The Brewdog forest and Parkswatch https://parkswatchscotland.co.uk/2024/02/14/brewdogs-lost-forest-at-kinrara-lost-trees-lost-carbon-and-lost-finances/
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What is The Lesley Riddoch Podcast?

Scottish politics dissected from a left, pro-independence stance. Each week, award-winning broadcaster and journalist, Lesley Riddoch chews over the week’s news with former media lecturer and Dundee United fan, Pat Joyce. If you like intelligent, quirky chat about Scottish society and culture, and Scottish, UK and international politics analysed from a Scottish perspective; this podcast is for you.