Sunday School: The Big Blag Theory

Who is María Corina Machado - the woman who won the Nobel Peace Prize? Is the Gaza 20-point plan anything more than a ceasefire with a wishlist attached? And what is Trump up to inside the US? ALSO - Reform UK councils seem to be finding it more difficult than predicted to find any savings. Has swagger met reality? PLUS - Jilly Cooper, queen of the steamy beach read is gone, but what are our favourite guilty reads? Alex and Naomi talk through the week's news. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** “Is peace merely the absence of war? Or is it something else that involves wellbeing, prosperity, democracy, and the rule of law, so conflict can be resolved in a civilised way? That seems a more positive and more enduring vision than ‘we’ve stopped shooting each other for now’. On that basis, Trump is moving America in the opposite direction.” “The idea of Trump as a senile old kaker is optimistic. The darker interpretation is that all this - what happened in Los Angeles and Washington DC, and now in Chicago and Portland - is getting people used to army in their streets, that it is leading somewhere.” “This was very predictable. Quite a few people welcomed Reform taking control of a few councils, this far out from a general election, in the full knowledge that they could not find the savings they promised; that they would fail on their own terms.” “Reform seems to do very well at gaining elected officials, but not so well at keeping them. Since May, they have shed a remarkable 24 councillors for a variety of very embarrassing reasons, including losing eight, in September alone. They have also lost staff from HQ.” “Most journalists compliment policies as ‘eye-catching’. What does that even mean? Are they realistic? Practical? Ethical? ‘Eye-catching’ brought us Brexit. ‘Eye-catching gave us Johnson. ‘Eye-catching’ resulted in Trump. Maybe it’s time to interrogate the concept.” GRIN AND SHARE IT Share the good news about Green Turtle Power here. Buy something from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠our bookshop here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠quietriotpod@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Or visit our website ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.quietriotpod.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. With Naomi Smith, Alex Andreou and Kenny Campbell. Quiet Riot is a Cooler Heads podcast. ***SPONSOR US AT ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠KO-FI.COM/QUIETRIOTPOD⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠*** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices