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Why Is Fascism on the Rise Right Now?
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comDonald Trump's “dictator for a day” promise is seemingly stretching in to weeks, with each one feeling like an eternity. Meanwhile, leaders and parties across Europe are applying their own versions of MAGA at home. With the world in such a bitter spot, Mehdi and Owen Jones have no plans to sugarcoat our new reality in this latest episode of ‘Two Outspoken’, filmed last week in London.Since taking over Twitter, Elon Musk weaponized the social platform in ways that make the truth debatable, facts irrelevant, and honesty a mirage. The tech billionaire’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), which he leads, was recently granted access to a federal system responsible for $6 trillion in annual payments, and with it, the private information of millions of Americans.“It is a complete coup because these people [DOGE] are not elected. They now have control of data. They have control of money… He's [Musk] just sitting on Twitter, just unilaterally chatting to his rightwing fans going ‘What should I cancel next? What should I stop payments to?’ Sorry, Who the f*ck are you?” Mehdi asks (to which Musk would likely answer with “I’m dark MAGA,” but that’s just our guess!)The two also discuss “Trumpism” and its different mutations across Europe, where Owen argues that “what Trumpism offers is a coherent vision, whether we like it or not.”“People concluded democracy doesn't deliver the goods… and unless you have something else which explains, no, don't blame the fact that you've got freedom and you're able to decide who rules over you, blame the fact you've got a system which is very good for those who make money but actually is rigged against your interests… then you get the way for a right wing authoritarian takeover. And that is what is happening,” Owen explains.Mehdi and Owen discuss the rise of the right everywhere from the US to the UK to Germany, while paying special attention to the failures of Keir Starmer’s Labour government in the UK.Also, as you’ll see in the show — Mehdi and Owen are sporting our brand new Zeteo merch! You can snag your own hoodie, or coffee mug, or tote bag, by heading to shop.zeteo.com.(Paid subscribers get a 20% DISCOUNT CODE by scrolling to the bottom of this page.)Paid subscribers can watch the full discussion above (free subscribers can watch a 10-minute preview). You can also subscribe and have a listen wherever you get your podcasts: ‘Two Outspoken’ is available on Spotify and Apple.
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11:34
Did the Left Fail Syria? | Two Outspoken
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comSyria is carving a new path forward after the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad. While the country’s future remains uncertain, Mehdi Hasan and Owen Jones have a brutally honest and outspoken conversation in London about how the Western Left has reacted to the fall of the Assad regime.“Yes, Israel may benefit from the fall of Assad,” Mehdi argues, “And yes, the United States did want Assad to fall and spent millions of dollars. But so did Syrian people. And we shouldn’t strip them of their agency and their desires.”Owen adds, “It is important that we, on the Left, keep our house in order, and we have a universal, emancipatory project which is about freeing people from all forms of oppression, violence, wherever that comes from. You know, the United States of America, they pick and choose. It’s what they did with Saddam Hussein for a long time … It’s Orwellian.”The two also unpack the double standards when it comes to Syria and Palestine. “On the pro-Palestine side, you have some people who are pro-Palestinian, anti-Israel … But then when it comes to Syria, they're pro-Assad, which I find inconsistent morally and politically,” Mehdi says, pointing out that Western powers do the reverse — backing an al-Qaeda offshoot in Syria, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), while obsessing over Hamas in Gaza.As Syria begins to rebuild after Assad, Owen emphasizes the importance of anti-imperialism: “We need an anti imperialism, which is also about consistent liberation and not dictatorship, because the point with Assad is he used that rhetoric for legitimacy rather than actually practical help for the Palestinians.”Watch the full show above to hear Mehdi and Owen get into this lively, impassioned, and timely discussion, including on Israel’s seizure of Syrian land — they don’t hold back! And for those of you who are paid subscribers, join the conversation in the comments. We love to hear what you think of this episode of ‘Two Outspoken.’
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8:58
America in Decline and Why ‘Burning the System Down' Won't Work
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.comIn the latest episode of ‘Two Outspoken’, Mehdi and Owen talk through what this historic period in American history means - what many are calling the decline of the U.S.. From how it resembles the former Soviet Union in its dying days; to how Donald Trump - if he wins! - is planning to rebuild the nation in his autocratic image; to the implications around the world for human rights and international law, especially when it comes to Israel and Palestine. Watch the full discussion above, read more about it below, or have a listen wherever you get your podcasts: ‘Two Outspoken’ is available on Spotify and Apple. And for paid subscribers, don’t forget to tell us what you think in the comments - including what Mehdi and Owen should discuss in the next episode! On J.D. Vance…Mehdi and Owen delve into the rise of J.D. Vance as Trump’s running mate. They discuss Vance's glaring inability to bring in new votes and what that signals about Trump’s confidence. “He's a hardcore, right-wing Republican,” says Owen, about Vance. “He talks about sacking all civil servants, replacing them with ‘our people’ - basically a coup d'etat!”On America’s decline…Mehdi and Owen go on to discuss the broader implications of the U.S.’s decline, comparing it to the late USSR. Owen explains why he’s likened Biden to Brezhnev and Trump to Putin in a recent Guardian column. But what is the cost of “burning the system down”? Mehdi cautions against what it could lead to. On Europe’s genocide hypocrisy…In their discussion on foreign policy, Mehdi and Owen call out the politicians of the West for not seeing the Palestinian people as human beings, and the brazen double standards that have been revealed over the course of the last 9 months of genocidal violence in Gaza. From the hypocrisy of figures like new Labour Foreign Secretary David Lammy of the UK, meeting with the same Netanyahu he used to berate on Twitter, to the German government trying to stop the ICC case against Netanyahu and becoming involved in yet another genocide, Mehdi and Owen don’t hold back in their criticisms of the people in power. They are, after all, ‘Two Outspoken.’PROGRAMMING NOTE: Mehdi and Owen will be taking a (well-deserved?) break from ‘Two Outspoken’ in the month of August but will be coming back with new episodes in September. Stay tuned!
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7:50
UK Election: What the Media Isn't Telling You
Mehdi and Owen Jones met up in London this week to debrief the significant UK election results - and to vent about all the things the media hasn’t been covering about it! “I landed at Heathrow Airport last night, and I had a little spring in my step,” Mehdi tells Owen. “England won the quarter final. Liz Truss lost her seat.”Owen’s equally excited about what this means for the left. “I’m really optimistic,” he tells Mehdi. “Now these Labour MPs have to look over their shoulders at voters opting for the Green Party.”The truth is, as Owen explains in this episode, Labour won “a Jenga landslide.” So, what does that mean going forward? And why is the media obsessed with Nigel Farage and Reform? Where’s the coverage of the independents who won on Gaza, and the Greens?Watch Mehdi and Owen in the video above discuss everything you need to know about the UK election results in this special episode of Two Outspoken. You can also listen to the Two Outspoken podcast on Apple and Spotify. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe
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34:23
“Gaslighting People To Death”: Owen and Mehdi “Tear Their Hair Out” Over Israeli Propaganda
In the latest episode of ‘Two Outspoken’, Mehdi and Owen discuss the rescue in Gaza that saved four Israelis but also killed hundreds of Palestinians in the process, proving how little value Israel’s far-right government - and its Western allies - place on Palestinian’s lives. They also debunk U.S. government talking points on how Israel has accepted a ceasefire deal but Hamas hasn’t. —----------------------------------------------------------------‘Two Outspoken’ is a twice-monthly conversation between broadcaster, author, and Zeteo Editor-in-Chief Mehdi Hasan and political commentator, author, and activist Owen Jones. Mehdi and Owen will be discussing the news of the week, offering their analysis on the state of American and British politics, and even, from time to time, taking questions from Zeteo subscribers. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit zeteo.com/subscribe
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