The Bunker – News without the nonsense

We’ve got a bit less music on this week’s podcast than we’d like but you can hear it in full on our rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk This week: As the third season of dynastic epic Succession begins on Sky, what makes it the most compelling thing on TV? After 40 years in the game, Duran Duran make a genuinely fantastic album: we listen to Future Past. And a real find on Netflix in unreal Chilean horror movie Fever Dream. Entertainment Weekly’s Clark Collis is our guest. Presented by Siân Pattenden, Alex Andreou and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cities are slowly coming back to life after COVID. But has the pandemic permanently changed our urban spaces, and how we live within them? Co-author of Survival of the City and Harvard University Professor Edward L. Glaeser talks to Ros Taylor about how commuting has always been defined by class divides, whether fifteen minute cities could work…and why we need a “NATO of healthcare”. “Once we’re healthy again, there’s little chance cities will atomise.” “There's no Democratic or Republican way to clean the streets. The same should go for fighting pandemics.” “Teleworking makes cities up their game on cost and quality of life.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/669805/survival-of-the-city-by-edward-glaeser-and-david-cutler/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Enigmatic Californian tech investor and libertarian Peter Thiel is best known for his controversial ‘spy tech’ company Palantir and for enabling Hulk Hogan to sue gossip site Gawker out of business. But as new book The Contrarian shows, Thiel has always had bigger ambitions to use tech to sideline government itself. Author Max Chafkin tells Andrew Harrison about the Randian ideas that propelled Thiel from the “Paypal Mafia” to Trump’s White House – and why we should worry about ‘Thielism’. “Thiel is both a superhero and supervillain, like Ayn Rand crossed with… Ayn Rand.” “Thiel is the one person aside from Mark Zuckerberg who is responsible for Facebook’s success.” “He named Palantir after this all-seeing orb from Lord of the Rings. And Sauron is not the good guy.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Britain surges forward into the 1950s, the Prime Minister goes on holiday – again. Will fuel costs, supply chains, staff shortages and reskilling just, you know, sort themselves out? Or do we need to reacquaint ourselves with stagflation? Plus, can the fallout from the sentencing of Sarah Everard’s murderer and the increasing focus on misogyny in society really become a moment of change? Special guest Emma Kennedy joins us to gaze into this week’s political abyss. “We’re culling perfectly good pigs and importing pork from the EU? This is making Britain self-sufficient?” – Emma Kennedy “We’ve been expecting disaster for so long that if it doesn’t arrive, the government can fall back on, Hey, the doomsters were wrong again…” – Justin Quirk “If there was a shortage of baguettes in Paris, the French would burn the place to the ground. The British, sadly, are not like that.” – Emma Kennedy “The notion of rebalancing the economy by market shock is quite insane.” – Alex Andreou “Violence against women will never change until we make it as utterly unacceptable as drink-driving… Men have got to step up.” – Emma Kennedy https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Alex Andreou with Ayesha Hazarika and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Unelected Brexit panjandrum David Frost gets ready to blow up the Northern Ireland deal that he and Johnson sold to the public. Is Poland really shaping up to leave the EU? The first ‘Covid: Lessons Learned’ report looms into view. Plus bizarre elections in the Czech Republic, Facebook in the dock and an old-fashioned nuclear spy scandal. Arthur Snell starts your week. “Frost and Johnson’s strategy has been to pretend it’s someone else’s deal and that it needs to be renegotiated." “From a very dark tactical perspective, the return of the threat of violence in Ireland would be to Johnson and Frost’s advantage.” “Facebook has run out of road, it doesn’t really have any political friends anymore.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DANGER, SPOILERS! James Bond finally returns to cinemas in a world where questions about sexism, racism and Britishness have seldom been more pointed. Is there a place for a suave, womanising emissary of British power in the modern world? Is it time to reassess the role of Bond in British culture? Regulars and Bond fiends Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell talk to Ian Kinane, editor of the International Journal of James Bond Studies and a senior lecturer in English literature, about their first Bonds and where 007 should go next. Do not listen unless you’ve seen the film. “Bond offers a parallel universe in which Britain always wins.” - Arthur Snell “Bond probably has many fatherless children all over the world.” - Ian Kinane “James Bond is so far from the boring reality of intelligence work, like people staring at databases.” - Arthur Snell “Shirley Bassey is seen as singing an anthem of Britain's glory days of Empire.” - Ian Kinane “Bond seems to embody what is properly British, but more often he’s played by actors who aren't British themselves.” - Ian Kinane Presented by Ros Taylor and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember you can hear the music from every Culture Bunker in full on our rolling playlist. Joining us for this week’s tour de pop culture are guests J. Willgoose, leader of avant pop band Public Service Broadcasting, and author Jenny Colgan. On the agenda: Could you play the Squid Game? We look at the Netflix breakout hit. Does new documentary The Beatles And India turn the tablas on our ideas of Western pop? And new music from Mancunian electro explorers W.H. Lung. Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Antisemitism remains one of the Labour Party’s most painful problems. It’s an issue with deep roots, dragged up by Corbyn, and left to Starmer to deal with. Trade unionist Daniel Randall, author of Confronting Antisemitism on the Left, and sociologist Keith Kahn-Harris, join Dorian Lynskey to discuss what distinguishes left from right wing anti-Jewish racism, and what can be done about it. “The 2007 financial crisis brought antisemitism on the left to the fore.” - Daniel Randall “Gaslighting and denial is just as harmful as antisemitism itself.” - Keith Kahn-Harris “In some analyses, capitalism is coded as a specifically Jewish endeavour.” - Daniel Randall “Antisemitism has a complicated ideology. It's not just, 'Jews bad, non-Jews good.'“ - Daniel Randall “There's a moralistic element to Corbyn's politics, and it's difficult to situate Jews within that.” - Daniel Randall “Anti-racism is a lifelong struggle. But Corbyn treated it like a journey where one could arrive.” - Keith Kahn-Harris Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.nopasaran.media/confronting-antisemitism-on-the-left/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Should we feel more compassion towards men who are send to public schools? And what do boarding school books reveal about the emotions of society’s elites? With fellow students like Boris Johnson and David Cameron, Richard Beard’s latest book, Sad Little Men, explores his time at school. He tells Ros Taylor why private school only gives kids a partial education, how sexist attitudes linger beyond the school gates…and why years of emotional suppression makes private school boys very good spies. “You're supposed to leave your time at school behind and go on and be successful.” “When you arrive as a small child, your instinct is to run away back home.” “There is a conflict between what adults are telling you is good for you, and your emotional experience.” “This confidence applies to a limited area of life - but one where power resides.” “It was male opinion that mattered to us, and it remained so when we left school.” “Parents and children are drawn into this delusion that boarding school is for the best.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Richard-Beard/Sad-Little-Men--Private-Schools-and-the-Ruin-of-England/25942336 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Britain staggers into another Winter of Discontent but the atmosphere in the Conservative Party Conference is serenely unworried, says our woman on the spot Marie le Conte. Can anything penetrate Boris Johnson’s reality-distortion field? Plus special guest Annette Dittert, London bureau chief of Germany’s TV channel ARD, explains what the German elections really mean – and how Germany thinks Brexit is going. And is the BBC’s schmaltzy Ridley Road really the best way to dramatise real political events? https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie le Conte and Gavin Esler. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Conservatives convene for their Manchester conference, are there sufficient supplies of Churchillian cosplay, blather about levelling up and performative woke-bashing to cover up their failings on supply lines, fuel, COVID and the economy? Will anyone dare mention the “B” word? Plus the Pandora Papers lift the lid on big money chicanery, anger over police misogyny grows, and who will win the Nobel Peace Prize? Naomi Smith starts your week. “There's petrol in Kabul, but there’s no petrol in Brighton." “Johnson’s performance on Marr was so embarrassing. He's trying to gaslight the nation.” “How many appalling situations does Cressida Dick have to preside over before something is done?” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a groundbreaking study, a team of scientists at the University of Dusseldorf have grown mini brains, each with their own sets of “eyes” that can detect light. Dr Jay Gopalakrishnan, the leader of the project, spoke to Alex Andreou about the extraordinary research going on the field of these “organoids”, miniature versions of organs that scientists can grow in the lab from stem cells, and where this remarkable study could lead us in the years ahead. “In the last 10 years my lab has made brains, livers, lungs… every human organ type has been made from stem cells” “My guess is that in 10 years you’ll be able to generate your own cell type for transplants” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember you can hear the music from every Culture Bunker in full on our rolling playlist. On this week’s pop culture roundtable we meet John Cooper Clarke, the William Blake of Salford, on the occasion of his new collection of poems – and he reads us one too. Plus, have Apple TV+ successfully filmed the unfilmable with their adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation? Is “all the men are dead” comic book adaptation Y: The Last Man any good? The genius of 80s remixer Shep Pettibone. And Jonny Trunk of Trunk Records on the out-thereness of library music. Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickinson. The Culture Bunker is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Red Wall has been the backbone of Labour's vote in the Midlands and the North of England. But in 2019, it dramatically turned blue for the first time in living memory. So what do we get wrong about the Red Wall? Nick Cohen talks to the Financial Times’ Sebastian Payne about his new book, Broken Heartlands, his time in ten constituencies across the North, and what Labour needs to do to recover regional electoral support. “The collapse of the Red Wall has been gradual, then sudden.” “Brexit broke the umbilical cord between collectivised communities.” “I couldn't tell you a single soundbite from Ken Clarke's career. But he told a convincing narrative.” “There is nothing inevitable about demographics in this country.” Presented by Nick Cohen. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sebastian-Payne/Broken-Heartlands--A-Journey-Through-Labours-Lost-England/25842557 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many of us, politics is a hobby. We soak in the gossip, eat up the statistics and tweet our outrage when an unpopular decision is made. But if we want to make change, should we get off our sofas and start to mobilise? Tufts University politics professor and author of Politics Is for Power, Eitan Hersh tells Ros Taylor why we should stop treating politics like entertainment, and the steps we can take for more effective political participation. “For decades we’ve seen the decline of in-person civic participation.” “After the 2016 election students were in tears about the result, but they didn’t lift a finger during the campaign.” “If more people understood how power flowed in their community, they’d know what to do when there was conflict.” “White Americans are less likely to spend their political time on volunteering than minority communities.” “Well-educated people know that political engagement is something they should do, but they still don’t do it.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic, Jacob Archbold and Nat Amos. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Out early for Patreon people… When a government fails to deliver the basics – like getting petrol to the pumps – can it ever win back the confidence it has lost? Is Keir Starmer pulling off the relaunch he needed at the Labour conference? We ask special guest Stephanie Lloyd, former deputy director of Blairite think tank Progress, if the Party’s centrists have enough to offer beyond “Not Corbyn Any More.” And can James Bond still be a fantasy of omnicompetent Britishness in an age when Britain is falling apart? “The Army and the public quite like it when crises like this happen. The military enjoy being the people who clean up the mess.” – Arthur Snell “We are eighteen months into the pandemic, and five years into Brexit. Where was the planning?” – Stephanie Lloyd “James Bond allows Britain to see itself as bigger than it really is.” – Arthur Snell Presented by Andrew Harrison with Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They cancel Christmas earlier every year, don’t they? As petrol queues swamp Britain, will the EU lorry drivers we told to get out come back now we need them? (Spoiler: non, nein, όχι). Plus the German election results, Keir Starmer’s big moment at the Labour Conference, and phone hacking is back back back! Alex Andreou starts your week. “HGV drivers are not short of work in Europe. Offering them a visa is far too little, far too late.” “We’re now being told that Brexit means we can solve the problems created by Brexit…” “As Labour voters, we've come too good at punching ourselves in the face.” “So it’s OK in politics to be a lying scumbag, but it’s not OK for people to say it?” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With gas prices soaring, and energy companies going bust, is it time for the Government to intervene? And while the Business and Energy Secretary described events as a “perfect storm”, how much of that storm was warned about, and even self-inflicted? Former energy trader and co-founder of one of the UK’s largest green energy suppliers, Amit Gudka tells Alex Andreou why Britain is so exposed to volatile prices, what the Government should be doing to solve the crisis, and if Brexit is to blame. “This is a sector where there have been very low margins for a while, putting a cap on prices only increases the pressure.” - Amit Gudka “If you nationalise the supply sector, with the UK being a net importer of gas, you do put yourself at risk to global price rises.” - Amit Gudka “Moving investment into batteries is the big challenge, but it’s also a big opportunity.” - Amit Gudka Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear the music from every edition on our rolling playlist. Our new weekend pop culture roundtable returns with special guest Lynval Golding of The Specials, and their latest album, Protest Songs. Journalist Ian Harrison joins us to chew on new films The Farewell and Sweetheart, and we all listen to Bright Magic, the latest offering from Public Service Broadcasting. "The history of music can almost be seen as one long protest song." - Sian Pattenden. "I was born in Jamaica, I am living in America, but England is my home." - Lynval Golding "Gay men get films set in Lombardy. Gay women get the caravan park in Dorset." - Alex Andreou. Because of licensing issues we’ll have to use fewer music clips than usual in the main release – but Patreon people, rest assured you’ll get “a few extras” in this version. And all the music is on The Culture Bunker’s rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickenson. Bigmouth is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are humans really driven by desire for power, money, sex and comfort – or is something even deeper at play? Beneath greed, acquisitiveness, and even altruism and self-sacrifice is an even more fundamental motivation, says science writer Will Storr: the scramble for status. He tells Andrew Harrison about his new book The Status Game: On Social Position And How We Use It, and the hidden social systems that program us to perform acts of great benefit to our fellows, deeds of heroism… and some of the most infamous crimes in human history. “We're a tribal animal. And once we’ve connected with our tribe, the jostling for position begins.” “The brain’s basic rule is ‘connect with people and go for status’.” “Morality is just a way we play for status.” “Humans are at their worst when they’re deprived of status.” “Even people who complain about virtue signalling are virtue signalling themselves.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Will-Storr/The-Status-Game--On-Social-Position-and-How-We-Use-it/25325652 Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

COVID has transformed the way we work. But not everyone’s a winner, especially women, with many in jobs that make working from home is impossible, undertaking twice as much unpaid overtime, or being pushed back into the office at risk of potential pay cuts. So what can be done to support working women? Naomi Smith talks to Maya Jeyabraba and Rose Lasko-Skinner from DEMOS, who have just published Distanced Revolution, a report all about how COVID caused a revolution in home working - and what needs to happen next. “Lots of people were excited about the flexibility without recognising the risks of working from home.” - Rose Lasko-Skinner “Flexible working can help with levelling up. But that too needs a legislative framework.” - Rose Lasko-Skinner “Even before the pandemic, women were taking on the second shift at home.” - Maya Jeyabraba Presented by Naomi Smith. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://demos.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/Distanced-Revolution.pdf Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As gas prices soar and energy providers go out of business, is Britain heading for another winter of discontent? Plus, how is the Republic of Ireland finding Brexit? Is there any sympathy for the UK in Brussels? Tony Connelly, Europe editor for Irish state broadcaster RTE, joins us to discuss. And are the French right to be angry about the new AUKUS alliance? “On gas providers the Government sounds like Lord Farquaad, ‘some of you may die”' - Marie Le Conte “Europe is worryingly dependent on Russian Gas, and that is all part of a big geopolitical game” - Tony Connelly “It doesn’t matter how political you are, if the pound in your pocket gets you less, people will be angry” - Marie Le Conte “The entire UK political system did not understand the gravity of leaving the single market” - Tony Connelly “There is little sympathy in Brussels and Dublin for this idea that the UK was bullied” - Tony Connelly Presented by Alex Andreou with Marie Le Conte and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Johnson and Truss head stateside, what will their New York trip mean for the UK’s environment strategy? Could AUKUS prove awkward at the international dinner table? And: why have so many people stopped wearing their COVID face coverings? Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan chew on the new cabinet appointments, gas shortages, and the Great British Bake Off stars to watch. • “A lot of Johnson's New York trip is about making COP26 a success.” - Yasmeen Serhan • “The AUKUS is a direct challenge to China, but it seems to have angered the French the most.” – Yasmeen Serhan • “Wearing masks is such a small thing that we can all do to cut transmission.” - Yasmeen Serhan Presented by Ros Taylor and Yasmeen Serhan. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Nuclear anxiety was an everyday emotion in the 1980s, sparking atomic pop culture and peace camps across the world. September 2021 marks 40 years since the RAF Greenham Common protests, when a handful of Welsh women left their homes to march against the arrival of US nuclear warheads at the base in Berkshire. Professor Jane Holgate and Stephanie Davies, author of Other Girls Like Me, are both former Greenham women. They tell Ros Taylor about their time at the camp, why Greenham was a vital space for women, and what’s next for the anti-nuclear movement. “We came for the peace, and we stayed for the feminism.” - Stephanie Davies “You could break UK law to prevent a greater crime. I was trying to protest apartheid in another country,” - Stephanie Davies “Horrible, smelly lesbians was a phrase used against Greenham women.” - Jane Holgate “People supported the peace movement and getting rid of the missiles. But as women, we were seen as part of the threat.” - Stephanie Davies “A lot of women left the camp because they feared losing custody of their children.” - Jane Holgate Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production http://binkbooks.bedazzledink.com/books/books-n/other-girls-like-me/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear the music from every edition on our rolling playlist. Welcome to the debut of our new weekend pop culture roundtable, as the podcast formerly known as Bigmouth joins The Bunker. This week, special guest Dan Gillespie Sells, composer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie joins us to talk over the musical’s transition to Amazon Prime film. Critic Michael Hann helps us unpack Sex Education Series 3 on Netflix, and The North Water. Plus friend of the podcast Naomi Smith joins to share her pick of the horror flicks out in cinemas now. "Pop music is something you have on when you're dropping the kids off swimming. Writing for musical theatre is very different." - Dan Gillespie Sells. "Drag queens are superheroes." - Alex Andreou. "When I came out, I wore a white wedding dress and sang Don't Cry for Me, Argentina in the town square." - Alex Andreou. "Sex Education is for people to reminisce about the sex they didn't have as teenagers." - Michael Hann. Because of licensing issues we’ll have to use fewer music clips than usual in the main release – but Patreon people, rest assured you’ll get “a few extras” in this version. And all the music is on The Culture Bunker’s rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Alex Andreou. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickenson. Bigmouth is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If Apple Inc. was an economy, it would be the eighth largest in the world. But facing huge lawsuits across the world, it is finally starting to encounter the weight of its success. Has the company abused its market monopoly position in tightening its technological grip? Alex Andreou talks to Brooke Masters, Chief Business Correspondent at the FT, and Reuters Tokyo’s Tim Kelly about big tech battles in India, Japan, and South Korea…and why Epic has merely taken a byte out of the Apple Store. “Apple generally has a principle that whatever it does applies globally.” - Brooke Masters “The revenue from Apple's App Store is a huge source of revenue for the company.” - Brooke Masters “Technology has moved on, but the law hasn't moved as fast.” - Tim Kelly “Apple's business model is to keep people in their universe and buying stuff.” - Brooke Masters “If Apple is the subject of anti-trust action, then what does that mean for Google?” - Tim Kelly Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parties are the engines of democratic politics. But they also pit us apart as people and polities. So what are the new ways of political polarization, and what can we do to tackle them? Alison Goldsworthy, CEO of the Depolarization Project and former Lib Dem deputy chair, and behavioural scientist Alexandra Chesterfield are two of the authors of Poles Apart and the brains behind the Changed My Mind podcast. They talk to Ros Taylor about deconstructing confirmation bias, why facts and stats can cause unintentional polarization - and how Jewish family dinners helped deradicalize a member of the KKK… “Polarisation isn't always about the extremes. It's about how radically you hold on to your identity.” - Alison Goldsworthy. “It makes us feel psychologically uncomfortable, even pained, to change our minds.” – Alexandra Chesterfield. “Reputationally, it doesn't fit the perception of a leader to be inconsistent.” – Alexandra Chesterfield. “In this government, people are promoted on the basis of loyalty, not talent.” - Alison Goldsworthy. “The odds are that you change your opinions based on feelings and allegiances, not facts.” - Alison Goldsworthy. “There's an awful lot you can hold Nick Clegg and the coalition government responsible for. The decision to hold a referendum is not one of them.” - Alison Goldsworthy. “We saw a member of the KKK, exposed to so-called scientific education, changed his mind.” – Alexandra Chesterfield. Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/111/1119814/poles-apart/9781847942951.html https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/changed-my-mind-a-republicans-journey-to-backing-criminal-justice-reform/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As we brace ourselves for “permanent” shop shortages and price hikes, we hear from lorry driver and transport expert Tom Reddy and Food and Drink Scotland’s James Withers on what’s behind the HGV driver shortages. Plus: how did hapless Education Secretary Gavin Williamson get to where he is today, and what does it take to make a sporting hero? And from the States, Joanna Walters unpacks Texas’ constitutional battle over abortion. "The margins in hauling are next to nothing." - Tom Reddy "I'm only 36, and I'm already tired of lorry driving. Nothing is changing in the conditions of the job." - Tom Reddy "Eastern European lorry drivers work a lot harder than we do." – Tom Reddy "It suits Boris Johnson to have an Education Secretary like Gavin Williamson - someone who won't slag him off, or make him look incompetent." - Ayesha Hazarika "We always think of Texas as being solidly Republican. But the game is still in play." - Justin Quirk "I still think Gareth Southgate should be Prime Minister." - Ayesha Hazarika "Women's sports is only now coming anywhere near gender parity." - Ayesha Hazarika https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Ros Taylor with Justin Quirk and Ayesha Hazarika. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the Government pushes ahead with plans to vaccinate children, is their COVID strategy only guided by the science when convenient? Plus: could Emma Raducanu’s stunning US Open success strike back against Priti Patel’s oppressive immigration policies? Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell unpack Afghanistan’s new cabinet, whether the latest lobbying scandals will affect Johnson’s rumoured cabinet reshuffle, and what Westminster will do to quell Sturgeon’s demands for Scottish independence. “We may be vaccinating people to protect them from catching COVID, not to stop them getting seriously ill from it.” - Alex Andreou. “If you've already clearly broken the ministerial code and gotten away with it, it will give you a green light to go ahead with it.” - Arthur Snell. “17 out of the 33 members of the Taliban cabinet are on the UN Sanctions list.” - Arthur Snell. Presented by Alex Andreou and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When award-winning author and journalist Evan Osnos returned home to America after a decade away, he found a nation gripped by fear and anger, with democratic norms under attack. But how did this happen? Evan talks to Dorian Lynskey about his latest book, Wildland: The Making of America’s Fury, which chronicles two decades of political fury and disfunction, from the September 11th attacks right up to the January 6th Capitol Siege, by following ordinary people in the places he grew up, as they navigate 21st century America. “There has been so much deception in U.S. politics, people discount the truth of anything.” “For most of American history, people were disadvantaged because of who they were. We’re talking about that more now.” “The effect of the pandemic has been to make more Americans at the top of society aware of those at the bottom.” “Donald Trump has not been banished from the system by any means, in fact he still holds huge sway over it.” “In trying to be bipartisan, Biden is appealing to Republican’s interests, not their sensibility.” “January 6th felt like the inevitable result of cynicism at the top of the GOP, and Trump’s time in charge.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hear the music from every edition on our rolling playlist. Welcome to the debut of our new weekend pop culture roundtable, as the podcast formerly known as Bigmouth joins The Bunker. This week, special guest Sarah Cracknell of pop couturiers Saint Etienne joins us to talk over their new album I’ve Been Trying To Tell You. Plus critic John Mullen helps us dissect the new Steve Martin/Selena Gomez/Martin Short crime caper Only Murders In The Building plus new albums from Antipodean punks Amyl & The Sniffers and Art School Girlfriend, the ambient sound of Wrexham. Because of licensing issues we’ll have to use fewer music clips than usual in the main release – but Patreon people, rest assured you’ll get “a few extras” in this version. And all the music is on The Culture Bunker’s rolling playlist: https://bit.ly/CultBunk Produced and presented by Siân Pattenden and Andrew Harrison. Assistant producer Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. Theme music: ‘Bunker Theme (Juntos Mix)’ by Kenny Dickenson. Bigmouth is a Podmasters production. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The book index might be an unassuming tool, yet it has a remarkable history - not least because it has shaped the modern world. Author, English professor and book historian Dennis Duncan talks to Alex Andreou about his latest novel Index, A History of the, which tells the remarkable story of our first search engine, from its invention (twice) in the 14th century, to preventing someone from becoming Speaker of the House, right up to our current love for Ctrl-F. “When we started to use books rather than read them, we needed to navigate them in a different way. that’s where the index came in” “An index actually prevented someone from being Speaker of the House of Commons” “It’s an unwritten rule that fiction books don’t have an index, but it hasn’t always been that way” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dennis-Duncan/Index-A-History-of-the/25605199 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chances are you haven’t willingly eaten an insect. But two billion people are already bugging out on this sustainable source of protein. Could insects offer the perfect solution for our post-Brexit and pandemic supply chain problems? Entomologist Brian Fisher and Imperial College London’s Dr. Tilly Collins join Ros Taylor to chew on how we can change perceptions about insects in the West, how health clinics are battling for cricket powder, and why Welsh schools are already using mealworm mince in their insect bolognaise….plus Ros and Tilly snack on crickets live in the studio. “With big animals, we only eat a bit of them. With insects, you eat the whole thing…” – Tilly Collins “Insects are the glue that holds the world together… If we could introduce the Bacon Bug, everyone would love it.” – Brian Fisher “Do you eat prawns? Why not eat a woodlouse?” – Tilly Collins “Eating sushi was a huge cultural change. But now it's a popular component of easy, fast food.” – Tilly Collins Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You couldn’t make it up: the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks coincides almost perfectly with the fall of Afghanistan and the West is left wondering what it was all for. Gavin Esler, former diplomat Arthur Snell and terrorism expert Dr Maria Norris recall where they were on the day the world changed, and ask if we’ve learned the right lessons. Plus, will climate change plus conflict create a new kind of crisis in Afghanistan? And how did 9/11 change pop culture. “We were told we’d seen the end of history. Then 9/11 happened.” – Gavin Esler “All war is about resources.” – Maria Norris “You can draw the cynical politics of the Trump era right back to 9/11.” – Arthur Snell https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Gavin Esler and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Parliament returns to a family-sized party pack of Government cruelty and ineptitude: a National Insurance hike that hits the lowest-paid the hardest, an end to the £20 Universal Credit bonus for the neediest families, and an Elections Bill that makes it harder for us to vote them out. Business as usual, then. Plus: the Texas Taliban’s war on abortion, the 20th anniversary of 9/11, and where in the world is Andrew Neil? Alex Andreou starts your week. “The message to backbenchers is, stop opposing us and we might just cancel those vaccine passports you hate.” “Cancelling the extra Universal Credit isn’t just unjust, it’s economically illiterate.” “If I'd have said 'drink bleach, it's good for acne', I'd have been bundled into the back of a van. So why are the police ignoring COVID sceptics?” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What stopped Heseltine, Ken Clarke, Dennis Healey and Kinnock from taking the top slot? Why didn’t Barbara Castle become Britain’s first female PM? The Observer’s Nick Cohen talks to the political columnist and podcaster Steve Richards about his new book The Prime Ministers We Never Had… the intriguing factors that prevented these politicians from reaching power… the tragedy of the Miliband Brothers… and the alternate futures we could have seen if these flawed talents had won. “Those with a formidable past tend not to take the crown BECAUSE of that past.” “If Heseltine had won the leadership contest in 1990, he would have redefined the Tories as a pro-EU party.” “The Dennis Healeys and RAB Butlers were TOO good. They alienated their own parties.” “Ken Clarke used to say ‘My hobby is standing in Tory leadership contests and losing.’” “Ed Miliband destroyed David – but David destroyed Ed too. Because Ed then lost all sense of who he was.” https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Steve-Richards/The-Prime-Ministers-We-Never-Had--Success-and-Failure-from-Butler-to-Corbyn/26113646 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Middle Ages are an unloved tract of history, by turns alien and baffling – but these thousand years of violence, crisis and conquest set the foundations for our modern world in the most unexpected ways. Historian, TV presenter and journalist Dan Jones tells Alex Andreou how his new book Powers and Thrones unveils a medieval world few of us understand, the parallels between Millwall and the Middle Ages, and why Dick Whittington deserves more than his panto fame… “The real Dick Whittington was an oligarch – and a mayor in France.” “We treat ‘medieval’ as an insult but the medieval world is not that different to our own.” “The things that animated people in the Middle Ages like climate change and plagues still animate us now.” “Unlike Empress Theodora, Dominic Cummings won't be that important in twenty years.” “The Crusades was more than a clash of civilisations – and you don’t learn that at school.” Presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Dan-Jones/Powers-and-Thrones--A-New-History-of-the-Middle-Ages/25535694 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The sight of Michael Gove getting his rave on in Aberdeen is the only cheering moment in a week of unremitting grimness. As the collapse of Afghanistan gives way to a growing refugee crisis, why is the UK Government doing the bare minimum for those who helped us? And what will the debacle mean for relations between government and military? Plus the Pen Farthing fiasco and the tyranny of TripAdvisor. “I am a Dog Fiend, but this Pen Farthing story made me so angry.” – Marie Le Conte “The Taliban don’t want the world looking too closely. Then they can start their culture war.” – Arthur Snell Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie Le Conte, Yasmeen Serhan and Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Schools are back. Will the decision not to vaccinate 12-15 year olds turn classes into superspreader factories – or do we actually want school-age kids to catch COVID and build up immunity? Plus, why the Government won’t provide the catch-up funds that education needs. What the Pen Farthing episode tells us about sentimental Britain. And the shame of Afghanistan is just beginning. Ros Taylor starts your week. “It’s simple – the Government is pursuing de facto herd immunity by not vaccinating children.” “The problem with education goes beyond our woeful Education Secretary… We have a perfect storm of public spending” “It’s hard not conclude that some of the British public care more about a dog than they care about a brown person.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For many he’s the great leader that Labour should have had. Now that he’s left frontline politics, Alan Johnson is trying his hand at writing fiction with his debut thriller The Late Train to Gipsy Hill out now. In a wide-ranging interview, he talks to Andrew Harrison about his love of suspense novels, whether the book’s plot alludes to the Litvinenko murder, Starmer’s first year in charge, Labour’s Brexit turmoil… and that infamous election night monologue against Jon Lansman. Also featuring mod talk, with a special playlist chosen by Alan. • “I never wanted to be Labour leader… neither did Corbyn and it showed” • “I was part of the history of the Labour Party. 2010 was not my time” • “The public are still unsure if we’re in the Corbyn mould. Keir needs to assure them that we’re not” • “If Theresa May’s deal had gone through the Tory Party would’ve torn themselves apart” • “Nobody should go into politics without some real-life experience under their belt” Produced and presented by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3q8577kzcw3HVN6XvabFtw?si=4BNgYsoTQTWzVSeRGDfirg&dl_branch=1 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

British-Turkish novelist and academic Elif Shafak is an international feminist icon followed by legions of passionate readers. She tells Dorian Lynskey about her latest novel The Island of Missing Trees, a story of identity, belonging and love that takes place between Cyprus and London – and how she too finds comfort in two places, her home city of Istanbul and her adopted home in the UK. Listen for a fascinating exploration of the power of fictional escapism and what it means to a citizen of the world. • “Cyprus is a place where the wounds of division are still not healed.” • “Putting yourself in the shoes of another person is a humbling experience, even if just for a few hours.” • “Fiction was my way of belonging, of tasting a sense of freedom.” • “Emotionally I’m very attached to Turkey, but it’s a difficult place to exist when you need freedom to make fun of those in power.” • “I would like to see myself as a citizen of the world, of humanity. That doesn’t make me a citizen of nowhere.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Does the year we were born really shape us people? Are Gen X Snowflakes really battling Baby Boomers in an intergenerational war? Friend of the podcast Professor Bobby Duffy returns with Ros Taylor to discuss his latest book Generations, why age cohorts aren’t so consistent, and how COVID has changed Gen Z forever… “The cliches around generations are presented as cohort characteristics. But Gen Z are more materialistic just because they’re young.” “It’s simply a myth that Gen Z are more risk averse.” “Gen Z are probably having less sex because they're drinking less.” “Intergenerational separation - not conflict - is the problem.” “Gen X got a cool name, and some cool bands and films. That's about all we have going for us.” Presented by Ros Taylor. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If we stopped trying to do everything, would we finally get chance to do what counts? Do to-do lists create anything but meaningless pressure? Can we ever really get everything done? Journalist Oliver Burkeman talks to Dorian Lynskey about how to answer the ultimate time management problem – the question of how best to use our brief moment on the planet – in his new book Four Thousand Weeks. “We’re all drawn to things that we struggle with.” “There shouldn't be anything embarrassing about the concept of self-help. It has developed a bad reputation on the basis of bad approaches.” “The action of clearing the decks just adds to the decks." “Time used to be a medium, not a resource.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Oliver-Burkeman/Four-Thousand-Weeks--Time-and-How-to-Use-it/25942066 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What sort of psychological shock with the fall of Afghanistan cause to the British establishment’s self-image? Will the country again became an incubator of terrorism? And how the hell is Dominic “Sun Lounger” Raab still in a job? Special guest SHIRAZ MAHER is the world authority on militant jihadism. He joins us to explain what the Taliban conquest of Afghanistan means. “We have a culture from the top down where nothing is a resignable offence.” – Justin Quirk “A belief set in that the US was the head of the snake. That is when jihad goes global.” – Shiraz Maher “America is edging away. We have burnt our bridges with Europe. There is no rabbit to pull out of a hat.” – Justin Quirk https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast Presented by Andrew Harrison with Marie Le Conte and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Recriminations worsen over the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the UK’s indolent response to the refugee crisis. Can Dominic Raab survive as Foreign Secretary – and what does the debacle mean for Joe Biden’s presidency? Plus, get ready for COVID at the centre of healthcare forever. And does the Brexit-COVID logistics crisis mean that Christmas is already cancelled? Naomi Smith starts your week. “Johnson doesn't want to hold Raab to any standards that he might have to face himself.” “Afghanistan is an enormous dent in Biden's ability to hold the anti-Trump coalition together.” “A quick glance at Farage's Twitter feed shows he's thrilled with the refugee situation.” Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Journalist, filmmaker and author Sarfraz Manzoor grew up in two worlds, a son of working-class Pakistani immigrants who told him he’d never be accepted by the white English – yet he immersed himself in Western pop culture and built a life in it. By 2016 he’d become anxious that the multicultural Britain that made him was falling apart. He talks to Alex Andreou about his powerful new book THEY: What Muslims and Non-Muslims Get Wrong About Each Other, and how to dispel the fears that divide us. “I was expected to have an arranged marriage and stay in Luton. I didn’t end up doing either of those things” “I don’t want my kids to feel relaxed with their white mum’s heritage but uncomfortable with their Muslim dad’s heritage.” “In 2016 I got really low. I thought, this doesn’t feel like the country I want to live in.” “If dating apps existed, I might have married someone that didn’t mean my family boycotted my wedding” “I might not live like a working class Muslim now, but it will never stop being part of me” Written and presented by Alex Andreou. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Intern: Nat Amos. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Sarfraz-Manzoor/They--What-Muslims-and-Non-Muslims-Get-Wrong-About-Each-Other/25681127 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the situation really like on the ground in Afghanistan, after the Taliban’s astonishingly swift takeover? Our panelist Arthur Snell talks to one of his contacts, presently in hiding in Kabul. We have chosen not identify them for their own safety. https://www.patreon.com/bunkercast “Kabul has been left without anything.” “Everything is closed down. You would think it is the Stone Age in Kabul. You wouldn't have seen this a week ago.” “This was a win-win for Russia.” “The Taliban have made fake promises to the international community. Of course they have not changed.” Presented by Arthur Snell. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

World War II seemed to mark the end of American conservatism, and a new liberal age. Then Reagan came along – and we’re still living with the consequences. What explains the dominance of conservatism in modern American politics? Historian Rick Perlstein talks to Dorian Lynskey about his new book, Reaganland, the finale of a three-part saga about the cutthroat strategies of the conservatives behind America’s rightwards shift… “Reagan’s inauguration was a hinge in American history.” “Before Reagan, conservatism was seen as irrelevant in America.” 1970s America was looking for a hero. They were looking for Superman, not moral ambiguity.” “Reagan wanted to write a book about how he fought the Reds of Hollywood…he was living a fantasy in his own head.” “It’s the difference between the dog whistle and the train whistle.” Presented by Dorian Lynskey. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Robin Leeburn. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Rick-Perlstein/Reaganland--Americas-Right-Turn-1976-1980/25991906 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The fall of Kabul to the Taliban has placed thousands of people in mortal danger and traumatised the entire Western security establishment. How did we get it so wrong, and what happens next? Also, the future of COVID: Leeds University Global Health Professor Garrett W. Brown joins us to set out the next pandemic and why the “Pasteurian Paradigm” won’t save us. Plus Labour expels Ken Loach, what would Immanuel Kant make of Brexit Britain… and should we stop referring to curry as “curry”? Apologies for the all-male panel this week, which is down to late changes of circumstance. We do all we can to avoid the “manel” and will restore a more reasonable gender ratio next time. “There’s a 100% chance we’ll see another pandemic in the next ten to twenty years.” – Prof. Garrett Brown “It’s as black and white as ‘These people helped us and if we don’t help them they will be killed’.” – Ahir Shah “Afghanistan shows what happens when we concentrate on the wrong things… We’ve poured all our energy into self-made disputes.” – Justin Quirk “The selfish nature of the international order today will be its own demise.” – Prof. Garrett Brown “As an Englishman, they can prise my mild korma from my cold dead hands.” – Justin Quirk Presented by Alex Andreou with Ahir Shah and Justin Quirk. Produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers: Jacob Archbold and Jelena Sofronijevic . Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. Produced by Andrew Harrison. The Bunker is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Afghan Government’s sudden collapse and the return of Taliban rule have both shocked the international community. What happens next? What can Afghan civilians and women especially expect from their new rulers? And just how big a catastrophe is this for the Biden administration? Arthur Snell, who has spent time in Helmand Province himself, lays out the consequences of a day of brutal reverse for the West – and shame for Britain. Presented and produced by Andrew Harrison. Assistant producers Jelena Sofronijevic and Jacob Archbold. Music by Kenny Dickinson. Audio production by Alex Rees. THE BUNKER is a Podmasters Production Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices