London Edition: Satire in the Age of Murdoch and Trump

The hosts interview Ian Hislop at the offices of Private Eye magazine in London about his running of the magazine and British politics.

Rupert Murdoch's influence on media and politics is discussed, including his failed attempt to set up Talk TV in Britain and the News of the World phone hacking scandal.

UK leaders like Boris Johnson and Donald Trump are following a similar playbook, leading to concerns about a world where corruption goes unpunished.

Boris Johnson was removed from office for appointing a known groper to a government post against his cabinet's objections.

Scandals such as the health secretary caught kissing his assistant during COVID lockdowns are blowing up in British politics.

Repetition is effective in calling out lies and making them a liability.

The right wing in the US has laid the groundwork for Trump over 40-50 years by building parallel structures to control the narrative.

Extreme positions taken by certain media outlets and the revolving door between government and media make controlling the sensible narrative difficult.

Brexit was an outbreak of Trumpian nationalism and little England isolationism.

Populism has taken hold in various countries due to factors such as globalization, destabilization of the Middle East, and failure to consider the worst off sections of populations.

The Brexit movement was driven by a desire for control and nostalgia, but it was a bad idea executed poorly.

Joseph Goebbels warned against reading mainstream media and promoted propaganda.

Liz Trust's austerity measures led to disastrous consequences, including bankrupting the country.

Public figures often say one thing while doing another behind closed doors, as seen in leaked WhatsApp messages from UK government officials and the Dominion lawsuit in the US.

The UK economy is predicted to perform worse than Russia this year.

Boris Johnson's lack of understanding of basic math during COVID outbreak is concerning.

Accountability for explicit corruption in American life is lacking, while mechanisms for accountability still exist in the UK.

AM talk radio and selective news stories have led to an impermeable divide in American society.

Putin's regime is not democratic and has a history of authoritarianism, despite being viewed as an ally by conservative groups in America and Britain.

The alliances between conservative groups and tyrants suggest a willingness to align with those lacking morals or ideologies.

Practical problems such as climate change require compromise, negotiation, and coordinated effort, not culture wars.

Propaganda in authoritarian regimes is explicit and corrupt, as seen in the emails of the Dominion lawsuit.

The power of money behind the scenes is corrupt and can influence what happens without being tested.

There is a growing awareness of the need for multiple narratives and a desire to turn a corner away from corruption.

A public figure has been compared to Trump and it may be the end of their career.

Exposing the flaws and ridiculousness of those in power is important, as seen in the downfall of the Ku Klux Klan.

An upcoming podcast episode features an interview with David Petraeus where he admits to being wrong about the military industrial complex and comes out as a pacifist.