The Lowdown from Nick Cohen

The World's growing Trump crisis - the rogue U.S. president is everyone's biggest problem now

This week, Nick Cohen interviews Paris-based American journalist and author Claire Berlinski, editor ofThe Cosmopolitan Globalist, about the ongoing crisis involving Iran, Israel, and the United States. Nick and Claire discuss Donald Trump's decision to launch military strikes against Iran without congressional approval, with Claire describing it as a diplomatic catastrophe and economic disaster. They discuss Trump's rapidly deteriorating mental state and cognitive abilities, with Claire arguing that Trump increasingly appears to be losing his inhibitions and suffering from dementia. They explore potential outcomes of the messy, growing conflict, including the possibility of regime change in Iran and the implications for NATO. They also touch on the lack of understanding in Western media about the toxic religious ideology of Iran's religious leaders and the unpredictability and ruthlessness of Iran's political and security leaders.

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Claire Berlinski @Claire Berlinski is an American author and commentator based in Paris. Claire's regular Substack column The Cosmopolitan Globalist - is a must read for anyone looking for keen analysis of insight into the continuing Trump Trauma in the U.S. - a crisis which has serious implications for all of us and the current world order. Claire also co-hosts a podcast - Critical Conditions - with Dan Perry

Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.
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Novelist Howard Jacobson discusses his new comic novel exploring post-October 7th anti-Semitism

In this weeks The Lowdown podcast, Nick Cohen and Howard Jacobson, discuss Howard's latest novel "hoWL" which explores antisemitism and Jewish fear in the world following the October 2023 Hamas attacks on Israel. Howard and Nick discuss whether the recent rise in anti-Jewish sentiment in Britain represents a new wave of anti-Semitism or a reemergence of historical hatred that had been suppressed since the Holocaust.

Howard Jacobson argues that the attacks provided "permission" for anti-Semitic views to surface openly, particularly among university students and left-wing activists who - he claims - were celebrating Jewish deaths. The discussion also touched on the complex political situation in Israel and Palestine, with Howard defending his decision to use comedy in his novel rather than taking a more polemical approach, while acknowledging the difficult position many Jewish people now find themselves in when discussing Israeli policy. Howard explains a novel is not a protest march, but more of a song or a poem, and describes how comedy can be a brilliant tool for writers plumbing the darker themes of life.

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Howard Jacobson has written 20 books, including 17 novels, and is a former winner of the Booker Prize. His latest novel is hoWL and is available now. Howard also writes his own Substack column, Streetwalking with Howard Jacobson

Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.
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Is this the end for Viktor Orbán - the Godfather of European authoritarianism?

Nick Cohen talks to Hugarian author, journalist and politician Zsuzsanna Szelényi about the the upcoming Hungarian election on April 12th, where Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party faces a significant challenge from the opposition Tizsa party led by Péter Magyar. Could this - at last - be the end for the role model for Donald Trump and the rest of the authoritarian right?

Over the last 16 years, Orbán has shown the radical right how to eat out a democracy and fashion an authoritarian state from what remains. He's created a game plan for the AfD, Reform UK and the Rassemblement National to follow to take and hold power through the manipulation of think tanks, corruption, state capture of institutions and the media and electoral manipulation. Trump has proved to be an avid student of Orbán''s methods

Zsuzsanna Szelényi, a former Hungarian politician and author of "Tainted Democracy," explains how Orbán transformed from a liberal politician in the 1990s to an authoritarian leader who controls the media, civil service, and state resources through corruption and conspiracy theories. Nick's and Zsuzsanna's discussion highlights Orbán's cosy relationship with Vladimir Putin despite Hungary's historical opposition to Russian influence, - not least when it fell under Soviet Union control between 1945-1989 - and examines how Orbán's regime has spread disinformation about Ukraine and the financier George Soros while using state resources to fund a global network of conservative think tanks. Their chat concludes with Szelényi expressing hope for Orbán's defeat in the upcoming election, though she acknowledges that even if Fidesz loses, Hungary would face a complex transition period as the country seeks to emerge from Orbán's 16-year authoritarian rule.

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Zsuzsanna Szelényi @ZSzelenyi is the author of #TaintedDemocracy Director, Democracy Institute Leadership Academy, former Hungarian MP, Richard von Weizsäcker Fellow at RBA, Europe’s Future Fellow IWM.

Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.

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America may take back control from Trump's cold, dead hands!

In his latest Lowdown podcast episode, recorded before US strikes against Iran, Nick Cohen talks to Washington-based British journalist and commentator, Ben Cohen, about the terrible state of the American and politics, particularly focusing on Donald Trump's disastrous presidency and the challenges faced by the Democratic Party. Ben is convinced that - Dracula-like - Donald Trump will keep manipulating events to stay in power however low he sinks in the opinion polls.

Nick and Ben discuss Trump's declining popularity but noted his ability to survive scandals and maintain support through his base. Ben highlights how the Democratic Party's partially "Woke" agenda and lack of self-criticism had made them unpopular, while Trump's rampant corruption and lack of accountability currently remains unchecked. They explore potential future candidates for the Democratic nomination and agree that a new, populist figure would be needed to challenge Trump in 2028. They also discuss the broader implications for international relations and the urgent need for Britain to recognise its only Brexit-induced isolation and the threat to its own security and realign its foreign policy away from the United States.

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Read Ben Cohen @thedailybanter The Banter Substack here and listen to his podcasts here.

Nick Cohen's @NickCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.
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France is heading for a far right take over

In this latest Lowdown podcast Nick Cohen talks in-depth to with Financial Times journalist Victor Mallet, a former F.T Paris correspondent about his book "Far-Right France: Le Pen, Bardella, and the Future of Europe." Mallett explores how the French far-right, led by Marine Le Pen and her protege Jordan Bardella, has become a mainstream political force after decades of gradual growth since the 1950s. Nick and Victor discuss how the far-right has capitalised on immigration concerns, economic grievances, and media influence to gain power, while the traditional left and centre-right parties have struggled to maintain relevance.

Victor Mallet explains how the far-right's seemingly more pragmatic approach and media support have helped them transform from a fringe party to a dominant force in French politics, with significant implications for the European Union's future and the broader European project, and possibly the hard-won peace of Europe.

The Far Right is on the march across Europe

Nick and Victor discuss how the far right is across the march across Europe, aided and supported by Trump's White House and Putin's Kremlin.

They discuss the rise of far-right and nationalist populist parties across Europe and the United States, noting that countries with histories of fascist rule, like Germany and Italy, are now seeing significant support for these parties. They attribute this phenomenon to factors such as immigration, economic challenges, and the "Fox Newsification" of media, which fuels a culture war. Nick suggests that governments' currently tough stances on immigration, mirrored by leaders like Sir Keir Starmer in Britain and Friedrich Mertz in Germany, fail to resonate positively with voters, highlighting the stubborn complexity of addressing anti-immigrant sentiment at the ballot box.

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Victor Mallet FT @VJMallet is a journalist, and was formerly the paper's Paris correspondent in the last of three stints in France for the FT. He is also an author, most recently of Far-right France: Le Pen, Bardella and the Future of Europe (Published by Hurst, and available now.) Victor is currently still based in Europe.

Nick Cohen's @NichCohen4 latest Substack column Writing from London on politics and culture from the UK and beyond.
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