In Conversation with... Alastair Campbell

In episode 5 of his podcast, An Tánaiste Micheál Martin is joined by Alastair Campbell from ‪@restispolitics‬. The two have a wide ranging discussion covering Alastair's new book 'But What Can I Do?', the rise in populism and polarisation, his regret about not running for election himself, the Good Friday Agreement, Brexit and mental health.

[@briancollins9898]

A yearning for change which u will see at the next election👍🏻

[@christophercoffey4231]

Lessons have been learnt.

[@ilikedabeans9971]

azad talukder is a violent monster whose a councilman for Fianna Fáil

[@stephenpaul5957]

The next podcast, 'In Conversation with Azad Talukder'... Azad advises Michael on strategies for Irish politicians to adopt when faced with plebs who don't have the correct opinions.

[@djoseph5072]

I respect that you have kept the comment section open. Solution is, as always, communication. To talk to the so called radicals. And by that I mean those who speak, most competantly, on the nationalist, conservative, anti-immigration, anti-globalist side. Give a platform to those who you disagree with, instead of dealing out the double whammy injustice of condemning, while also censoring. You therefore deny them the opportunity to defend themselves. I think you would find, that while these people hold to a different worldview they are not so radical, as is suggested by the mainstrem, and they have genuine and valid concerns. If you and others constantly proclaim them as hooligans, and extremists and radicals, while never giving them a place to defend themselves or air their views, then you only make the problems worse. And then you follow up with even more authoritarian measures. The desire to censor is, in my opinion, merely a more or less subconscious (or more or less conscious, in which case it is malicious) desire, to silence arguments that you cannot defeat by engagment. In my opinion these mens ignorance of the issues facing the world today are clearly on display in this interview. I suggest speaking to Keith Woods. Judging by your track records, he is, on the contrary, someone you would do all in your power to silence. It is abhorrent to your type that his views would be heard. Because if his views were heard they might spread. Perhaps they would spread because they hold a truth that you do not possess. You are blind. All you can do is suppress. Allowing people to speak does not breed hatred, on the contrary, it is the effect of not allowing people to speak. If you are right, engage with it, fairly, defeat it with reason, because all that you do, proclaims that you cannot. Human beings have a right to hate something and a right to complain about what they hate. Violence and vandalism are different, and already against the law.

[@Sdakouls3]

All that wind-up and morality signalling, only to suggest that he talks to that valueless child Keith Woods. You couldn't make this nonsense up.

[@djoseph5072]

@@Sdakouls3 Quod Erat Demonstrandum.

[@rossgeography]

we may need to have a (difficult) conversation about immigration but most people's "concerns" are largely imaginary - social media posts along the lines of 'Irish Lives Matter' generated outside the state - I'm not saying there wasn't fertile ground for those seeds of discontent but be mindful of forces internal and external trying to conflate to different but intersecting (i.e. housing and govt services) issues

[@pegitwillcomebacktoyou]

The Paddy took down the bollix that ye brought to our country

[@stephenpaul5957]

Our tanaiste interviews a man who lied to create a pretext for war.

[@karlmichaelcronin9618]

That was cool. Had no idea an Tánaiste had a podcast. I'm sticking with labour, but very interesting.

[@wmoellers]

Sinn Fein my man

[@christophercoffey4231]

Where is your humanity?

[@jamescole8771]

Alastair Campbell = Pillock