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This podcast really shines when it covers middle eastern current affairs because Rory actually knows a lot more about it than any of the usual talking heads.
What ?? A posh gap year student and a spell as part of a military operation that was an utter failure ? Yeah great expertise. Syria is a massively complex issue and this is like asking my dog
Yeah and Alastair is a war criminal in the region. What a base of expertise. These guys are DEFINITELY experts and provide fantastic analysis of foreign affairs, e.g., American election.
@@virtualalyou utter dimwit, Rory was a governor of an Iraqi region after the war there helping the reconstruction effort, be informed before you make idiotic statements
I live in New Zealand and host a Syrian refugee, it’s a pleasure and a privilege and I must say that this guy has amazing character and personality. The stories of suffering and fear are just beyond imagination. We all have to do our bit large or small to move to better times.
The refugee hosting scheme is the best way to deal with refugees. In the UK the problem with refugees is that they get bundled into hotels where they then take over Town centres and never learn the cultural norms of the UK. Putting refugees in with people with spare rooms etc is a great way to give them good safe places to live and actually learn the local cultural norms and integrate better. Unfortunately when you're refugee problem feels more like an invasion with endless tides of migrants often from countries with no conflict mixed in with genuine refugees fleeing actual war. New Zealand is nicely isolated from the rest of the world it doesn't have to deal with that bullshit.
Rory talking about how Macron refuses to acknowledge the result of the election while dismissing the largest party of the largest block in parliament 🤦♂️
“It’s crucial to acknowledge Alastair Campbell’s positive contributions, including modernizing government communications and advocating for mental health awareness, despite the controversy over the “dodgy dossier.””
What's up with this account? Why are the top comments in all recent Rest is Politics videos from this "person"/apologist spamming defensive messages against any criticism of Alastair
What a show, brilliant. As an outside observer, European working in UK, you're asking question that I had on my mind for ages, it's amazing. First, for Syria, there is a way of dealing with horrible history, it's Nuremberg trials. Second, France and Germany are main powers next year, my question is, why not Britain? What is your PM problem? Third, nobody, literally nobody in UK talks about Brexit, why, seriously, why? Wasn't it THE biggest thing is generation? It's THE elephant in the room
If the government implied in any way that they'd start a rapprochement with Europe, their feral and rabid press would go crazy. They're caught in a bind and they're trying to get other important things done, within their power. I would make a guess that Brexit will be addressed in the next election campaign (2029).
One thing that may be difficult to appreciate if you're a non-Brit (I don't know if you were in the UK at the time), or a Brit but very politically disengaged, was how divisive the Brexit result was. For like 4 years between the referendum result in 2016 and Covid hitting in 2020, it felt like your entire cultural and political identity became whether you were a 'Remoaner' or a 'Brexiteer'. All of politics was paralysed by it, families fell out over it. It cut completely across existing political divides. Most people, remainders and leavers alike, really reaaaaaallly don't want to go back to that and would rather leave the status quo as it is for a few years. Politicians included.
Getting Farage on would be a great listen. We need more diverse opinions on this show. It is very one-sided. I enjoy the insights, but it is highly focused on topics that many of the working people of Britain are not impacted by in their daily life. Things like Taxation, NHS, Policing, Immigration, Schooling, Government waste, and so on.
Dear Alastair Campbell, I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your incredible insight on the Syrian war. Your depth of knowledge and ability to articulate the complexities of such a challenging subject have been truly enlightening. Beyond your expertise, it’s clear that you approach these matters with genuine compassion and a strong moral compass. It’s rare to encounter someone who combines intellect with such humanity, and it’s clear that you are a good man working to make a positive impact in the world. Thank you for your dedication to shedding light on critical global issues. Your work inspires and informs, and it’s greatly appreciated
But why do we take such an interest with what’s going on in another country? Nothing to do with us. We have got so many problems of our own; peadophilia rearing its UGLY head in every nook and crevice of our society?
I'm getting the feeling the state of the world is directly proportional to the length of time Rory takes for a grimace at the start or every sentence. Don't forget Campbell was a major part of the government that welcomed Assad to Downing St, and it's not really enough to say "how could we know" because his Dad was a well known quantity.
How can Syria (and other countries with an interest) make sure they don't fall into infighting like Libya ans Sudan? And how can they ensure they don't just fall to a new dictatorship like Egypt? Is there any path to a country which both respects minority groups while being democratic?
Iran and Russia backed Assad, both are losing, straining their resources to support him Iran used to leverage Hezbollah to support them, they're now wounded and under siege There's the connection
So, basically, we live in a world where everyone's weak: retreating and increasingly isolationist US, politically destabilized France and Germany, UK being almost irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, Russia being at its most precarious and vulnerable state for the past 100 years (with Potyomkin's village of its conventional military forces being totally exposed and bogged down in a positional warfare against the Ukraine, of all things), and China with its extremely big and extremely fragile economy. I think everyone should thank their respective Gods and Buddhas that there are no Napoleons, Hitlers or Bolshevik leaders around, because this time they would've easily achieved their goals.
Campbell must have being equally horrified at those held captive in Guantanamo bay and how they were treated by law abiding American government Hypocrisy
Obviously they had no idea of the extent of what this man would do or was capable of when that was considered. A strong ally in that region with a ‘charming’, moderate sounding wife from London would have been very advantageous. Most importantly they didn’t do it and they didn’t put him forward. It was considered. I’ve considered not listening to anymore political discussions but I’ll never do it.
@DanRoddy it's nearly 10% of Israel, so yeah enormous. Since you're obsessed with Size Gibraltar is tiny, why don't you give it away and see what happens. If Worcestershire is so insignificant, why not just hand it over to the French or the Irish. The quality of people I come across on RUclips is just stupendous.
Not a big fan of Israel's brutal approach towards its neighbours but maybe there are some good side-effects of them having reduced the power of Iran and their proxies. It's still difficult to see a stable result short and mid-term given the many, diverse and violent actors in the region. But who knows - I wouldn't have bet on the Good Friday process either.
Why are the top comments in all recent Rest is Politics videos from this "person"/apologist spamming defensive messages against any criticism of Alastair....
The article Campbell mentions, advocating talking to proscribed groups, is hardly novel in policy circles. There’s a lot of evidence that terrorist proscription just acts as a barrier to deradicalisation, and discourages violent groups from engaging in the political process, Sophie Haspeslagh recently wrote a book about this in relation to FARC. Stewart recognises the absurdity of it when he talks about filling your car up in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. This shouldn’t be a mind blowing idea to someone claiming authority on political topics.
i want to hear more about the kurds!!! is this an opportunity for national liberation? will the map be redrawn? should the uk, us, eu support them? i'm of the belief that this is a revolutionary and shining example of democratic potential in the middle east. the way we abandoned them is a stain on our honour
The Issue is Kurdish controlled territory is majority Arab inhabited especially along the Euphrates. Also Turkey will never allow that. Iraqi Kurds seem to have a deal in place with Turkey for autonomy and not independence. Syrian Kurds have picked a fight with Turkey. The best they can do is a semi-autonomous region in Kurdish dominated areas.
Brave appearance here by Mr Stewart following your recent recurrence of Dunning-Kruger Syndrome, we appreciate your dedication to the Western narrative.
Mr Starmer looking down at his notes, a habit from his days a barrister. So what's the problem with that? He's prepared and briefed. Why does he have to be 'televisual' I for one don't look at him and wonder what ever. I must confess though the Mooch is easy on the eye 😂😂
Campbell going for Farage over Brexit on QT completely failed... Farage utterly destroyed Alastair and was correct to say he was living in the past and a sore loser over Brexit
As a leftist I struggle to find a right wing news source that isn't just lies and nonsense, despite not particularly liking either host I find this podcast a good mix of fact and a challenge to my echo chamber
@@danielmoir13I'm what they'd probably call a socialist and find Rory far more likable than the supposedly more left wing Alastair. Alastair often just doesn't know what he's talking about and starts responding with Blaireite war on terror dribble
@jasonhaven7170 I don't really think about it, I think if it wasn't constantly drummed up in the media then most people wouldn't either, it's a manufactured issue to create a scapegoat for the blame which should land at the feet of the government and the rich
An Assad minister was asked by Golani guys, what does your minister do? He said: we mske flags, a lot of flags, we use thousands of flags in every official visit or event !! So There is what needs Baath departyfication
45:00 "Time for Europe to step forward": what about the UK saying right, the world has changed, we have to get back into the EU as soon as they will have us?
50:56 how is having offices, handing out paper trash and knocking on doors "the good stuff"? None of that matters one iota when your policy is bad. And yeah, you don’t need ground staff in a global digital era. That might have been a thing back in the day when you needed people to relay your message but not in 2024.
Policy didn't matter one but either. Trump ran a campaign promising an additional 20% sales tax on imported goods (tariff) and somehow winning on his ability to lower grocery prices.
@@PH4RX The thing is that his stated tariff policy is in direct contradiction to his aim of lowering prices. A tariff is by definition an additional sales tax. It is a mathematical certainty that tariffs increase prices, and indeed Trump's tariffs last time did exactly that. Policy had nothing to do with Trump's win. In fact, if you asked people who had the better policies without the candidates name attached to them, Kamala won overwhelmingly. Trump's win was a consequence of right wing mainstream media and dissatisfaction.
My friend in Damascus said some of these guys didn’t speak Arabic and had a native English accent. He said they were extremely careful not to be filmed
BTW…Weren’t these horrific Syrian prisons also used as subcontracted torture “black sites” by the CIA in the early days of the War in Terror? I’m visiting Buenos Aires a a tourist right now. Am meeting a Dirty War victim family tomorrow night. This is a very compelling subject. Visited Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA yesterday and had an extremely visceral emotional experience. I’m 69 and every “disappeared” kid in those exhibits looked like someone I attended high school with. What we’re seeing in Syria is similar but on a whole other level. “Truth and reconciliation” is essential. It won’t be perfect but it’s urgently needed. Who knows…someday Rikers Island may also end up as a UNESCO site. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers have landed there over the years for “disturbing public administration”. Pardon my gallows “humor” on the subject of “criminal” justice.
I love the fact that Israel is so special, that even Rory mentions the news of Israel wiping out Syria's entire military infrastructure so casually and that we're all supposed to accept this as normal ! ( And then ofcourse ritually re-commit to Israel's right to defend itself)
Rory's statements about the importance of Macron are incorrect. Macron would be important if there was a strong German leader. But a power vacuum in Germany limits the expectations that one can place upon Macron. If support for Ukraine is going to fail because of American and German weakness, then it really isn't up to Macron to spend all his political capital trying to address the problem.
I always enjoy your shows. Btw you said Abu Mohammed al-Jolani studied media studies or PR I believe? Is there sources that confirm this because I’ve been taking such classes too and I’d like to explore this more.
I agree and thank you for addressing Romania. I am a dual Romanian/ UK citizen and having studied politics I have been following the situation quite closely. I think generally what people miss (when Calin Georgescu is painted as a Eurosceptic, Russophile) is the far right underbelly in Romania. He considers Corneliu Zelea Codreanu a hero (equivalent to saying that about the Fuhrer) and behind the messianic rhetoric about an independent, sovereign Romania (in itself quite absurd as we are a developing economy), sits a neo nazi (or neo legionnaire group). These are people with quite extreme views and openly talk about ethnic cleansing (of Jewish people and our Roma minority). Recently a few CG associates have been caught with an arsenal of weapons as they were driving towards Bucharest to disrupt protests. So generally this violent, far-right aspect of the 'surprise candidate' as he is often spoken about is misleading. He isn't a Nigel, but a Tommy Robinson type gaining a worrying amount of traction. Sadly Romania is plagued with corruption, and nothing seems to change - which is what lead to the voter frustration we are seeing now. Because of this corruption, we have a very weak state, and the secret services and police were asleep at the wheel. Elections cancelled... undemocratic? in my opinion if clearly tampered with (particularly by a foreign state) perhaps justified, though the issue is still very much alive and disputed.
On the Golan Heights being "illegally occupied by Israel" since the 1967 war. The fact is that Syria was late to the 1967 Six-day-war, they actually started shelling Israel territory on the fourth day of the war, wrongly believing Egypts war propaganda that they were crushing Israeli forces. Israel lost soldiers in their response to the Syrian attacks, and ended up taking the Golan Heights, actually approaching some kilometers before Damascus, only to cede some of the gained land back to Syria and only "occupying temporarily" the Golan Heights. They tried negotiating with Syria in the following years, land for peace, as they did with Egypt and Jordan, but to no avail. The eventually passed the Golan Heights Law, in 1981. Remained opened to negotiations, the Assad´s never approach them. So they finally kept them. Who cares about "international law", abusing the term to simplify such a complex situation I think is failed reasoning.
Please consider keeping the graphics/text on screen for longer. e.g. 27:08 only stays on about 6secs which for a slow reader like me isn't long enough!!! 😃
Alastair, please go and get your health checked with your GP. This is the 2nd time I have watched and felt you don't look like you're oygenating adequatly. (Had there been a less public way of contacting you I would have).
Wot, Farage have a chat with couple of thoughtful guys who know somethings about politics and world affairs, Nah too busy. I am a lefty and a keen follower.
The letter ج in arabic could be pronounced as G like in guitar. This is the Yemeni G spoken in Yemen Egypt Oman . Then G or J like Germany is pronounced everywhere else .. to go deeper, it could be pronounced in very local communities as a Ya in southern Iraq UAE Q8 Bahrain. So the Golan lights or Jolan hights is where you get the Jolani name from .
Now we see the atrocities committed by the syrian regime live and in colour on our TV screens. But these things were known before, none of this was a secret. Considering these crimes, 30.000 granted asylums for syrian refugees within 10 years in the UK is ridiculous... In Germany we have about one million Syrians in the country. Britain really failed to pull its weight. Maybe You consider these numbers the next time before you talk about the rise of the extreme right in other countries and how Britain is different.
Surely it will be up to the Syrians to develop their post-Assad justice/reconciliation/revenge, so us discussing scenarios is somewhat irrelevant. Advising on government models no we in the West have a poor record in this regard. All we can do is watch carefully to see whether any post-conflict reconstruction needs highly focussed external donor assistance.
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This podcast really shines when it covers middle eastern current affairs because Rory actually knows a lot more about it than any of the usual talking heads.
What ?? A posh gap year student and a spell as part of a military operation that was an utter failure ? Yeah great expertise. Syria is a massively complex issue and this is like asking my dog
@virtualal I suspect from your reply, you possibly do turn to your dog for enlightenment
Yeah and Alastair is a war criminal in the region. What a base of expertise. These guys are DEFINITELY experts and provide fantastic analysis of foreign affairs, e.g., American election.
@@virtualalyou utter dimwit, Rory was a governor of an Iraqi region after the war there helping the reconstruction effort, be informed before you make idiotic statements
Came for Fuze Energy, stayed for the debate.
I live in New Zealand and host a Syrian refugee, it’s a pleasure and a privilege and I must say that this guy has amazing character and personality.
The stories of suffering and fear are just beyond imagination. We all have to do our bit large or small to move to better times.
The refugee hosting scheme is the best way to deal with refugees. In the UK the problem with refugees is that they get bundled into hotels where they then take over Town centres and never learn the cultural norms of the UK. Putting refugees in with people with spare rooms etc is a great way to give them good safe places to live and actually learn the local cultural norms and integrate better. Unfortunately when you're refugee problem feels more like an invasion with endless tides of migrants often from countries with no conflict mixed in with genuine refugees fleeing actual war. New Zealand is nicely isolated from the rest of the world it doesn't have to deal with that bullshit.
Who couldn't be interested in politics after this podcast? Great job, guys. Erudite to the max.
Sarcasm?
The adverts keep getting interrupted by a couple of blokes talking. What's that all about? ;-)
I got more ads than I'm used to, as well!
Times Radio is a deal worse
😂
@@estar1758 I gave up and paid for premium.
@@geoffreynhill2833 . times radio is several people between large headphones in a basement below the old times news office .
The guy's real name is Ahmed Hussein al-Shar'a. The whole al-Julani or al-Golani was just his "nome de guerre" which he invented himself.
Rory talking about how Macron refuses to acknowledge the result of the election while dismissing the largest party of the largest block in parliament 🤦♂️
“It’s crucial to acknowledge Alastair Campbell’s positive contributions, including modernizing government communications and advocating for mental health awareness, despite the controversy over the “dodgy dossier.””
By ‘modernising government communications’- you mean SPIN ?!
A war criminal
Playing the mental health card you mean.
What's up with this account? Why are the top comments in all recent Rest is Politics videos from this "person"/apologist spamming defensive messages against any criticism of Alastair
@@chrimbus71 blood got spilled and that road got taped. that's the real definition of war, sorry bro
The new PM of Syria has a limited term until early 2025.
Unfortunately, not the only inaccurate comment in this podcast. Still, a fascinating discussion.
What a show, brilliant. As an outside observer, European working in UK, you're asking question that I had on my mind for ages, it's amazing. First, for Syria, there is a way of dealing with horrible history, it's Nuremberg trials. Second, France and Germany are main powers next year, my question is, why not Britain? What is your PM problem? Third, nobody, literally nobody in UK talks about Brexit, why, seriously, why? Wasn't it THE biggest thing is generation? It's THE elephant in the room
If the government implied in any way that they'd start a rapprochement with Europe, their feral and rabid press would go crazy. They're caught in a bind and they're trying to get other important things done, within their power.
I would make a guess that Brexit will be addressed in the next election campaign (2029).
One thing that may be difficult to appreciate if you're a non-Brit (I don't know if you were in the UK at the time), or a Brit but very politically disengaged, was how divisive the Brexit result was. For like 4 years between the referendum result in 2016 and Covid hitting in 2020, it felt like your entire cultural and political identity became whether you were a 'Remoaner' or a 'Brexiteer'. All of politics was paralysed by it, families fell out over it. It cut completely across existing political divides.
Most people, remainders and leavers alike, really reaaaaaallly don't want to go back to that and would rather leave the status quo as it is for a few years. Politicians included.
Just happy to be mentioned! 🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾
"No, no, I'm Nigel Farage, let me speak!" (Nigel Farage)
Extra good debate this evening gentlemen! Rory;s son made me smile looking over his fathers shoulder 😀
Humanity will never change
Interesting insight by both but I must say, I prefer Alastair Campbell's bookcase to Rory's
heart breaking but riveting and informed analysis
Getting Farage on would be a great listen. We need more diverse opinions on this show. It is very one-sided. I enjoy the insights, but it is highly focused on topics that many of the working people of Britain are not impacted by in their daily life. Things like Taxation, NHS, Policing, Immigration, Schooling, Government waste, and so on.
I agree, Farage is government waste, protect are boarders etc.
Really good discussion Merci
Thank you, gentlemen. The thumbnail title, is the most honest and correct thing you've said since watching your podcast
Dear Alastair Campbell,
I wanted to take a moment to express my heartfelt gratitude for your incredible insight on the Syrian war. Your depth of knowledge and ability to articulate the complexities of such a challenging subject have been truly enlightening.
Beyond your expertise, it’s clear that you approach these matters with genuine compassion and a strong moral compass. It’s rare to encounter someone who combines intellect with such humanity, and it’s clear that you are a good man working to make a positive impact in the world.
Thank you for your dedication to shedding light on critical global issues. Your work inspires and informs, and it’s greatly appreciated
geez, you need to read a few books
Alistair, is the guy on the left, did you mix them up ?
@ no
Best wishes,
Yours always,
Alastair Campbell x
@@utredutredson1686 oh yeyeeyeyy here we go lad. cue generic tales of the spin doc, even tho you were born in 2009
This Syria debate has been very interesting - thanks. It seems linked to so much in the current geopolitical situation today.
But why do we take such an interest with what’s going on in another country? Nothing to do with us. We have got so many problems of our own; peadophilia rearing its UGLY head in every nook and crevice of our society?
Rory--you are referencing Ron Paul. Do you mean, Rand Paul (The Senator)? The father, Ron Paul, is no longer in government.
Good to see Rory enjoying not one but two Lego advent calendars
I'm getting the feeling the state of the world is directly proportional to the length of time Rory takes for a grimace at the start or every sentence.
Don't forget Campbell was a major part of the government that welcomed Assad to Downing St, and it's not really enough to say "how could we know" because his Dad was a well known quantity.
How can Syria (and other countries with an interest) make sure they don't fall into infighting like Libya ans Sudan? And how can they ensure they don't just fall to a new dictatorship like Egypt? Is there any path to a country which both respects minority groups while being democratic?
Campbell isn't worried or really bothered about what comes next because it doesn't affect his bank balance, his family friends or inner circle
If we switch to fuse energy will we also be freezing to death and wearing our jackets indoors like you guys?
What an interesting wide ranging analysis on the Syrian situation and French politics.
Israel smashes Hezbollah and Assad falls … any connection ?
Distraction & opportunism
Iran and Russia backed Assad, both are losing, straining their resources to support him
Iran used to leverage Hezbollah to support them, they're now wounded and under siege
There's the connection
So, basically, we live in a world where everyone's weak: retreating and increasingly isolationist US, politically destabilized France and Germany, UK being almost irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, Russia being at its most precarious and vulnerable state for the past 100 years (with Potyomkin's village of its conventional military forces being totally exposed and bogged down in a positional warfare against the Ukraine, of all things), and China with its extremely big and extremely fragile economy. I think everyone should thank their respective Gods and Buddhas that there are no Napoleons, Hitlers or Bolshevik leaders around, because this time they would've easily achieved their goals.
.. there is the looming spectre of mr trump
Unlike those past leaders, by commission, the present climate is leadership by omission.
not a Rory fanboy, but I do love his Persian, Middle Eastern artefacts. A tour around Rory's house, now thats a programme i would love to see
Have you seen his pot?
Don’t share his politics but I think he’s a good person. Admire him for his adventures and his charity organisation.
Lawrence of Arabia wanna-be is my take on Rory…. Obviously I could be wrong
@ he doesn’t need to be a wannabe anything. He’s already a Laird.
Thank you, great insight on Syria and fully informed.
Campbell must have being equally horrified at those held captive in Guantanamo bay and how they were treated by law abiding American government
Hypocrisy
Got a real chip on your shoulder about Campbell haven't you 😂
Excellent - as usual.
I hate the atrocities commited by this jolani guy, but my other half said, lets wait and see if he really honest about his moderate approaches.
42:44 Little Rory pops out
Ha ha, well spotted
Didn't your mate Tony "WMD" Blair propose Assad for a knighthood while he was committing all these horrors, Campbell?
Yeah Campbell likes to gloss over those things and Stewart is happy to give him a free pass
Obviously they had no idea of the extent of what this man would do or was capable of when that was considered. A strong ally in that region with a ‘charming’, moderate sounding wife from London would have been very advantageous. Most importantly they didn’t do it and they didn’t put him forward. It was considered. I’ve considered not listening to anymore political discussions but I’ll never do it.
Golan heights is 2000 sqkm of territory, it can hardly be described as a little bit of territory.
That's a substantial chunk of territory.
1,800 Sq KM
About the same as Worcestershire, so not enormous.
@persimmon3458 😂 what's your point? Grow up
@DanRoddy it's nearly 10% of Israel, so yeah enormous.
Since you're obsessed with Size Gibraltar is tiny, why don't you give it away and see what happens.
If Worcestershire is so insignificant, why not just hand it over to the French or the Irish.
The quality of people I come across on RUclips is just stupendous.
@@youknow6968 sorry to have offended you. A fair critique. I did not engage sufficiently with the matter.
The Rest is Classified, Rest is Politics, and Sarah Adam's Intel in the USA need to have a bit of a chat about the Middle East.
Not a big fan of Israel's brutal approach towards its neighbours but maybe there are some good side-effects of them having reduced the power of Iran and their proxies. It's still difficult to see a stable result short and mid-term given the many, diverse and violent actors in the region. But who knows - I wouldn't have bet on the Good Friday process either.
Nigel won't come on cos he knows you'll hold him to account
I think he will but he'll have got himself sloshed beforehand.
Bingo! He's a dim person's idea of a clever person. He'd not be able to bluster these two.
Brilliant.
Why are the top comments in all recent Rest is Politics videos from this "person"/apologist spamming defensive messages against any criticism of Alastair....
The article Campbell mentions, advocating talking to proscribed groups, is hardly novel in policy circles. There’s a lot of evidence that terrorist proscription just acts as a barrier to deradicalisation, and discourages violent groups from engaging in the political process, Sophie Haspeslagh recently wrote a book about this in relation to FARC. Stewart recognises the absurdity of it when he talks about filling your car up in Taliban controlled Afghanistan. This shouldn’t be a mind blowing idea to someone claiming authority on political topics.
Why do we talk about Romania et al. and no one ever covers Brexit and Russias influence?
Love your guys commentary despite disagreement, valuable insight from experienced politicians.
Keen for your thoughts on the current South Korean political climate. Hopefully coming soon x
Hey you mentioned my idea, I am happy :)
i want to hear more about the kurds!!! is this an opportunity for national liberation? will the map be redrawn? should the uk, us, eu support them? i'm of the belief that this is a revolutionary and shining example of democratic potential in the middle east. the way we abandoned them is a stain on our honour
The Issue is Kurdish controlled territory is majority Arab inhabited especially along the Euphrates. Also Turkey will never allow that. Iraqi Kurds seem to have a deal in place with Turkey for autonomy and not independence. Syrian Kurds have picked a fight with Turkey. The best they can do is a semi-autonomous region in Kurdish dominated areas.
Short answer: no. Reason: Turkey
Brave appearance here by Mr Stewart following your recent recurrence of Dunning-Kruger Syndrome, we appreciate your dedication to the Western narrative.
'Fuse Energy - unlike the Assad regime it won't run out'.
Mr Starmer looking down at his notes, a habit from his days a barrister. So what's the problem with that? He's prepared and briefed. Why does he have to be 'televisual' I for one don't look at him and wonder what ever. I must confess though the Mooch is easy on the eye 😂😂
Alastair wearing a hoodie!! 🤯🤯 He looks absolutely wild in that thing 😆
On top of a shirt.
Campbell going for Farage over Brexit on QT completely failed... Farage utterly destroyed Alastair and was correct to say he was living in the past and a sore loser over Brexit
Farage has publicly admitted that Brexit has failed.
Utter rubbish
I've always thought highly of Rory. But can you PLEASE tell him to stop pulling "that" face? It's really distracting.
I think it's a tick pal, don't think he has a choice.
You could just listen. My god! you people are so asinine!
Guys it's not compulsory to watch this podcast, if you don't like Alastair or Rory you can watch something else
As a leftist I struggle to find a right wing news source that isn't just lies and nonsense, despite not particularly liking either host I find this podcast a good mix of fact and a challenge to my echo chamber
Right? what's going on with these comments!?! they seem pretty different to usual
@@danielmoir13I'm what they'd probably call a socialist and find Rory far more likable than the supposedly more left wing Alastair. Alastair often just doesn't know what he's talking about and starts responding with Blaireite war on terror dribble
@@danielmoir13 what do you think of migration?
@jasonhaven7170 I don't really think about it, I think if it wasn't constantly drummed up in the media then most people wouldn't either, it's a manufactured issue to create a scapegoat for the blame which should land at the feet of the government and the rich
An Assad minister was asked by Golani guys, what does your minister do?
He said: we mske flags, a lot of flags, we use thousands of flags in every official visit or event !!
So
There is what needs Baath departyfication
45:00 "Time for Europe to step forward": what about the UK saying right, the world has changed, we have to get back into the EU as soon as they will have us?
If these energy guys are so good why are you huddled up in coats and hoodies recommending them
You need to look at harder at Turkeys objectives and their hand behind these current movements. HTS is closer to Turkey than you seem to think.
Rory is the only toff that I don’t find patronising or entitled.
50:56 how is having offices, handing out paper trash and knocking on doors "the good stuff"?
None of that matters one iota when your policy is bad. And yeah, you don’t need ground staff in a global digital era.
That might have been a thing back in the day when you needed people to relay your message but not in 2024.
Policy didn't matter one but either. Trump ran a campaign promising an additional 20% sales tax on imported goods (tariff) and somehow winning on his ability to lower grocery prices.
@@jaggmor I would say that those would be a policy. Whether it can be implemented and will have the promised effect is a different thing.
@@PH4RX The thing is that his stated tariff policy is in direct contradiction to his aim of lowering prices. A tariff is by definition an additional sales tax. It is a mathematical certainty that tariffs increase prices, and indeed Trump's tariffs last time did exactly that.
Policy had nothing to do with Trump's win. In fact, if you asked people who had the better policies without the candidates name attached to them, Kamala won overwhelmingly. Trump's win was a consequence of right wing mainstream media and dissatisfaction.
You guys got no heating in the studio ?
It’s powered by fuse energy.
My friend in Damascus said some of these guys didn’t speak Arabic and had a native English accent. He said they were extremely careful not to be filmed
Is this true?
@ yes not too many of them but they were were there and they had a british accent
"Of the Golan". Well that bodes well for regional peace and stability.
Chaos. But hopefully a measured and well balanced approach to democracy and secularism.
I applaud your optimism, but I suspect the possibility of that is very low.
You mean as Syria was before the US and Israel decided to overthrow Assad?
Refraining from laughing at Macron's "négociations" (his way is "my way or the highway" --old expression).
7:56 - Milgram
BTW…Weren’t these horrific Syrian prisons also used as subcontracted torture “black sites” by the CIA in the early days of the War in Terror?
I’m visiting Buenos Aires a a tourist right now. Am meeting a Dirty War victim family tomorrow night. This is a very compelling subject. Visited Museo Sitio de Memoria ESMA yesterday and had an extremely visceral emotional experience. I’m 69 and every “disappeared” kid in those exhibits looked like someone I attended high school with. What we’re seeing in Syria is similar but on a whole other level. “Truth and reconciliation” is essential. It won’t be perfect but it’s urgently needed.
Who knows…someday Rikers Island may also end up as a UNESCO site. Tens of thousands of New Yorkers have landed there over the years for “disturbing public administration”.
Pardon my gallows “humor” on the subject of “criminal” justice.
Wtf are you talking about
I love the fact that Israel is so special, that even Rory mentions the news of Israel wiping out Syria's entire military infrastructure so casually and that we're all supposed to accept this as normal ! ( And then ofcourse ritually re-commit to Israel's right to defend itself)
Um, I turned off as you got to Farage. I was interested to hear about France thanks.
Fantastically interesting as always.
The last minute or so from this is cut off on the Spotify version
Macron ignores democracy to hand power to the right wing. "Leadership". That is one word we could use I suppose rofl
Rory's statements about the importance of Macron are incorrect. Macron would be important if there was a strong German leader. But a power vacuum in Germany limits the expectations that one can place upon Macron. If support for Ukraine is going to fail because of American and German weakness, then it really isn't up to Macron to spend all his political capital trying to address the problem.
I always enjoy your shows. Btw you said Abu Mohammed al-Jolani studied media studies or PR I believe?
Is there sources that confirm this because I’ve been taking such classes too and I’d like to explore this more.
I agree and thank you for addressing Romania. I am a dual Romanian/ UK citizen and having studied politics I have been following the situation quite closely. I think generally what people miss (when Calin Georgescu is painted as a Eurosceptic, Russophile) is the far right underbelly in Romania. He considers Corneliu Zelea Codreanu a hero (equivalent to saying that about the Fuhrer) and behind the messianic rhetoric about an independent, sovereign Romania (in itself quite absurd as we are a developing economy), sits a neo nazi (or neo legionnaire group). These are people with quite extreme views and openly talk about ethnic cleansing (of Jewish people and our Roma minority). Recently a few CG associates have been caught with an arsenal of weapons as they were driving towards Bucharest to disrupt protests.
So generally this violent, far-right aspect of the 'surprise candidate' as he is often spoken about is misleading. He isn't a Nigel, but a Tommy Robinson type gaining a worrying amount of traction.
Sadly Romania is plagued with corruption, and nothing seems to change - which is what lead to the voter frustration we are seeing now. Because of this corruption, we have a very weak state, and the secret services and police were asleep at the wheel.
Elections cancelled... undemocratic? in my opinion if clearly tampered with (particularly by a foreign state) perhaps justified, though the issue is still very much alive and disputed.
I will never watch another episode of this podcast as long as you limit resolution behind youtube premium.
Oh get over it. These guys have bills to pay too
Brilliant analysis, thank you.
Of course France matters... Think of the wine! 😊
On the Golan Heights being "illegally occupied by Israel" since the 1967 war. The fact is that Syria was late to the 1967 Six-day-war, they actually started shelling Israel territory on the fourth day of the war, wrongly believing Egypts war propaganda that they were crushing Israeli forces. Israel lost soldiers in their response to the Syrian attacks, and ended up taking the Golan Heights, actually approaching some kilometers before Damascus, only to cede some of the gained land back to Syria and only "occupying temporarily" the Golan Heights. They tried negotiating with Syria in the following years, land for peace, as they did with Egypt and Jordan, but to no avail. The eventually passed the Golan Heights Law, in 1981. Remained opened to negotiations, the Assad´s never approach them. So they finally kept them. Who cares about "international law", abusing the term to simplify such a complex situation I think is failed reasoning.
Born 1945, I've been waiting for good news all my life. Are leaders intrinsically trashy? Do they get bored? Is it the weather?🤔
Could Artificial Intelligence lend a hand?
There is certainly blood thirstier than Assad in the region…
Please consider keeping the graphics/text on screen for longer. e.g. 27:08 only stays on about 6secs which for a slow reader like me isn't long enough!!! 😃
Well. There is an Atlantic Ocean between us. If it is so important to Europe, then Europe could deal with this.
Alastair, please go and get your health checked with your GP. This is the 2nd time I have watched and felt you don't look like you're oygenating adequatly.
(Had there been a less public way of contacting you I would have).
....and people say media studies, is a crap non-degree , not worth having 😉
Wot, Farage have a chat with couple of thoughtful guys who know somethings about politics and world affairs, Nah too busy. I am a lefty and a keen follower.
The letter ج in arabic could be pronounced as G like in guitar. This is the Yemeni G spoken in Yemen Egypt Oman . Then G or J like Germany is pronounced everywhere else .. to go deeper, it could be pronounced in very local communities as a Ya in southern Iraq UAE Q8 Bahrain. So the Golan lights or Jolan hights is where you get the Jolani name from .
Not sure Mr Campbell is best placed to be talking about middle eastern politics!
Now we see the atrocities committed by the syrian regime live and in colour on our TV screens. But these things were known before, none of this was a secret. Considering these crimes, 30.000 granted asylums for syrian refugees within 10 years in the UK is ridiculous... In Germany we have about one million Syrians in the country. Britain really failed to pull its weight. Maybe You consider these numbers the next time before you talk about the rise of the extreme right in other countries and how Britain is different.
Syrians leaving Germany is a risk of collapsing the economy
Alistair, why on earth are you not advising Keir et al? Please step up to help as there is clearly a need for better PR.
Who are shareholders in FUSE.?
Tony Blair.... Sorry that was a joke LOL.
You can tell that Rory really loves marketing the merch. Very on brand for him.
Surely it will be up to the Syrians to develop their post-Assad justice/reconciliation/revenge, so us discussing scenarios is somewhat irrelevant. Advising on government models no we in the West have a poor record in this regard. All we can do is watch carefully to see whether any post-conflict reconstruction needs highly focussed external donor assistance.
Alistair owned farage . Well done .
42:35 Most curiously, *the Pope* was missing. Would have been interested to hear your thoughts on that.
18:23 very sanitised way of saying what happened in jordan….