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Jim Driscoll
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a guide to the omnicrisiswith Jim Driscoll and Chris Floyd

  1. 06/09/2025

    Playing Possum

    In an episode recorded before Trump raised the stakes in LA, and before Israel kidnapped the crew of the Madleen, Jim and Chris discuss the recommendations by some Democratic strategists to play possum and not react to Trump's outrages. We explain why we think that is a terrible idea. We also discuss whether socialists in the UK should join the Green party, where leadership candidate Zack Polanski is adopting some very encouraging policies. Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    1h 6m

  2. 05/29/2025

    One Ring To Rule Them All

    After a brief introductory foray into fashion, Jim and Chris return to the topic of artificial intelligence. What is the situation with the regulation of AI systems? How transformative is the technology going to be? Will AI save humanity or condemn us to oblivion?  Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    1h 10m

  3. 05/24/2025

    Dissent

    In a busy news week (is there any other kind these days?), in this episode, recorded on Tuesday evening, Jim and Chris discuss first the terrible ongoing situation in Gaza, and the shamefully belated way in which the genocide is finally being acknowledged by political leaders. They then move on to talk about a chilling article equating protest and dissent in the UK with subversion, and the frightening repercussions that could have. Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    58 min

  4. 05/12/2025

    May Day Delay

    Where was the episode last week? Jim confesses to participating rather too enthusiastically in Oxford's May Day celebrations and him and Chris swap musical stories before getting into criticisms of Labour's approach to immigration in the UK. Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    1h 7m

  5. 04/27/2025

    How To Avoid A War

    In this episode, Jim and Chris discuss whether the Russia-Ukraine war could have been avoided, in the course of which they cover the history of NATO expansion and the wrong turn taken in relations between Russia and the West in the early years of this century. Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    53 min

  6. 04/17/2025

    It's Always Been Here And Still It Arrives

    Has the much anticipated constitutional crisis finally arrived? Chris puts this question into a historical context by remembering some of the egregious actions of the Bush administration, which was, let us not forget, basically installed in a judicial coup that bypassed the will of the people.  Still, even against that dreadful standard, there is something extraordinary about the Trump regime, currently encouraging a confrontation with the judicial branch over the question of whether it can send people to lifetime incarceration in a foreign country without any due process. Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    43 min

  7. 04/13/2025

    Tariff-ology

    Talking just a few hours after Trump had announced a 90-day pause of tariffs, Jim and Chris discuss the purpose of his roller coaster tariff policy, which has very little to do with economic policy.  Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    1 hr

  8. 03/28/2025

    The Collapse of the Institutions

    In this episode, Jim and Chris discuss the woeful response of Columbia University to Trump's aggressive attempt at control and crackdown on academic freedom and free speech. They discuss the letter organised by friend of the podcast and journalist for The Nation, Sasha Abramsky, recently published in the Guardian and available here. (Incidentally, the question was raised in the episode as to the level of Columbia's endowment. It is $14 billion.) Other institutions are also crumbling, with major law firms and media organisations also bowing down before the Trump administration's threats. Where are the much vaunted guardrails of democracy now? Jim and Chris also discuss the seeming incompetence of the Trump administration. Whilst they are incompetent at governing, they are proving very competent at bending the federal government to their will, which is of course what their actual job is.  As a thought experiment, think about what circumstances you can imagine Attorney General Pam Bondi resigning under. Weaponising the federal government to go after political opponents? Of course not! Failing to express sufficient loyalty to Trump? Failing to go after Trump's political opponents? That's the ticket! Now you know what her job is. Jim and Chris finish by noting how, throughout the whole Signal scandal, very few people, including amongst the Democratic opposition in Congress, have pointed out the fact that the US bombed an entire residential building in order to take out one Houthi leader, expressly waiting until he entered his home. This might indicate what the jobs of Democratic members of Congress are too of course. Follow us on Bluesky and Substack

    1h 3m
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About

a guide to the omnicrisiswith Jim Driscoll and Chris Floyd

Information

  • Creator
    Jim Driscoll
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    62
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Boondoggle
  • Show Website
    Boondoggle