Clive, Capitalism and The East India Company, with William Dalrymple and Kavita Puri

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking philanderer Carlos the Jackal sporting shades and open-neck shirts, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Taking Israel, capitalism and ‘western imperialism’ as targets, they orchestrated spectacularly violent attacks that held governments to ransom and the world gripped to their television screens. In October 2025 one of the foremost writers on terrorism and International Security Correspondent for the Guardian Jason Burke came to the Intelligence Squared stage to uncover the insider stories from the terror attacks which shaped this tumultuous decade. From the Munich Olympics and the raid on Entebbe, to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke shed light on the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents who sought to thwart and assassinate them, drawing on declassified archive material and original interviews with key actors and witnesses. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

5 Jan 35min

In the 1970s, a network of radical extremists terrorised the West with plane hijackings and hostage-takings. Among them were the beautiful young Leila Khaled with her jewellery made from grenade rings, the hard-drinking philanderer Carlos the Jackal sporting shades and open-neck shirts, and the radical leftists of the Baader-Meinhof Gang. Taking Israel, capitalism and ‘western imperialism’ as targets, they orchestrated spectacularly violent attacks that held governments to ransom and the world gripped to their television screens. In October 2025 one of the foremost writers on terrorism and International Security Correspondent for the Guardian Jason Burke came to the Intelligence Squared stage to uncover the insider stories from the terror attacks which shaped this tumultuous decade. From the Munich Olympics and the raid on Entebbe, to the Iranian Embassy Siege in London and the Beirut bombings of the early 1980s, Burke shed light on the lives and minds of the perpetrators of these attacks, as well as the government agents who sought to thwart and assassinate them, drawing on declassified archive material and original interviews with key actors and witnesses. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 Jan 40min

Tim Wu, is one of America’s leading thinkers on technology, power, and the history of monopoly powers. A Columbia Law School professor and former special assistant to President Joe Biden for technology and competition policy, Wu is best known for coining the term “net neutrality” and for his influential work in books like The Attention Merchants and The Curse of Bigness which explore the balance between innovation, corporate concentration, and the public good. On November 18, Wu came to Intelligence Squared to reveal the dangers of the new AI economy. Drawing from his new book The Age of Extraction he discussed why in the AI economy tech companies will amass unprecedented power and argued that breaking up tech monopolies is ultimately the only solution to unleash creativity and growth for the rest of society. He also discussed the history of monopoly power and offer a blueprint for an alternative AI future which would allow tech platforms to still play a major role in creating and sustaining an economic model of prosperity for everyone. --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

2 Jan 44min

Tim Wu, is one of America’s leading thinkers on technology, power, and the history of monopoly powers. A Columbia Law School professor and former special assistant to President Joe Biden for technology and competition policy, Wu is best known for coining the term “net neutrality” and for his influential work in books like The Attention Merchants and The Curse of Bigness which explore the balance between innovation, corporate concentration, and the public good. On November 18, Wu came to Intelligence Squared to reveal the dangers of the new AI economy. Drawing from his new book The Age of Extraction he discussed why in the AI economy tech companies will amass unprecedented power and argued that breaking up tech monopolies is ultimately the only solution to unleash creativity and growth for the rest of society. He also discussed the history of monopoly power and offer a blueprint for an alternative AI future which would allow tech platforms to still play a major role in creating and sustaining an economic model of prosperity for everyone. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

31 Dec 202535min

--- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

29 Dec 202535min

What would Aristotle make of Keir Starmer? Would Plato be a Republican? And what can philosophy teach us about modern world? In October 2025 philosopher Julian Baggini came to Intelligence Squared to help us understand the world of politics through philosophy. He set out why ‘polarisation’ need not be a dirty word, what differentiates conspiracy theorists from skeptics, and how to apply precepts such as: follow the facts, be humble and think for yourself but not by yourself. --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

28 Dec 202538min

Michael Rosen has known – and given – great joy in his life. And he has suffered immense sorrow.  Rosen is an author, poet and former children’s laureate, much-loved for his playful humour. He has written over 200 books, including the modern children’s classic, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. In recent years, he has become an eloquent voice on grief and sadness, and how we deal with it. His powerful writing about the death of his son and his near-lethal battle with Covid became Getting Through It, an acclaimed one-man show exploring love, loss and mortality. In 2023 he was awarded the PEN Pinter prize for what judges called a ‘fearless’ body of work that provides a ‘lesson in humanity.’ In September 2025, he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to introduce his new book, Good Days: An A-Z of Hope and Happiness. He celebrated the small things that bring joy and happiness, and explores how we can live well, even through difficult times.  Host Elle Osili Wood guided us through an inspiring conversation about grief, recovery, hope and how we can find meaning and happiness in everyday moments.  -- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

26 Dec 202542min

Michael Rosen has known – and given – great joy in his life. And he has suffered immense sorrow.  Rosen is an author, poet and former children’s laureate, much-loved for his playful humour. He has written over 200 books, including the modern children’s classic, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt. In recent years, he has become an eloquent voice on grief and sadness, and how we deal with it. His powerful writing about the death of his son and his near-lethal battle with Covid became Getting Through It, an acclaimed one-man show exploring love, loss and mortality. In 2023 he was awarded the PEN Pinter prize for what judges called a ‘fearless’ body of work that provides a ‘lesson in humanity.’ In September 2025, he came to the Intelligence Squared stage to introduce his new book, Good Days: An A-Z of Hope and Happiness. He celebrated the small things that bring joy and happiness, and explores how we can live well, even through difficult times.  Host Elle Osili Wood guided us through an inspiring conversation about grief, recovery, hope and how we can find meaning and happiness in everyday moments.  --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

24 Dec 202534min