This Time Tomorrow

In the seventh episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri and Benni talk about what’s been happening on the two sides of the Atlantic: 1) the accelerating collapse of what’s been known as the constitutional order of the United States of America, and 2) what Europeans have been calling ‘ReArm Europe’.What does this all mean for democracy in Europe and worldwide?For the US Democrats, the campaign of a lifetime awaits…This is no time for liberal democrats around the world to rest on their laurels. Source, clip at the top of the episode: YouTube, The Daily Show, “Jon Stewart Knocks Dems’…” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

In this monologue, Omri reflects on… time. Yes, time, that old, finite, existential resource. And he does so by linking personal focus to global political urgency. Because at a time when digital “surveillance capitalism” monetises our attention, fuels our distraction, and weakens our democracy and collective problem-solving, major crises are being ignored. Climate change, AI, inequality, and rising autocracy are not just features of our social media feeds… they’re out there, happening. But it’s not just us, as individuals. As we doom scroll for updates instead of taking action, our institutions, too, fail to act quickly enough in the face of existential challenges. Are we doomed to sleepwalk into irreversible catastrophe while we wait for the next seven year budget cycle?It doesn’t have to be that way.Drawing on how the US military increased its operational capacity during World War II, Omri demonstrates that large-scale mobilisation and investment to defend democracy and address existential threats is possible without dragging ones feet… As long as the threat is seen for what it is.Tune in for your daily dose of metaphysics, if not for a dramatic call to action. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

In the 37th episode of This Time Tomorrow, we discuss the absurd, surreal escalation of Donald Trump’s long-standing fixation on Greenland, including threats of tariffs against Europe and rhetoric that continues to undermine international norms. The move simply does not make much sense, given existing US–Denmark agreements that already allow unlimited American military presence on Greenland. So what’s actually in it for Trump?European leaders have responded rhetorically by backing Denmark and Greenland’s right to self-determination, while debating trade retaliation tools and limited military signalling. And yet, coordination and resolve remain… Well, a bit weak? Trump’s behavior appears to be driven less by policy than by a desire to dominate headlines, extract concessions, and destabilise institutions (if not a downright desire to “burn down” the global order). Europe must plan for worst-case scenarios by building greater military, economic, and technological autonomy. (Basically, it’s time for Europe to dump her crazy boyfriend and delete his number.) In the meantime, the bare minimum we can do is try to manage various Trumpian psychodrama to avoid outright conflict. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Authoritarianism advances gradually. In the 36th episode of This Time Tomorrow, we compare Iran’s brutal crackdown on mass protests with developments in the United States. They’re not the same, but they do represent different points along the same downward trajectory. In Iran, widespread participation in ongoing protests signals a potentially transformative moment that the regime is trying to suppress through extreme violence. In the US, the expansion and normalisation of aggressive federal forces like ICE is indicative of an early-stage pattern seen historically in fascist and autocratic takeovers. And Europe…? Europe must clearly choose to defend democratic norms—now, pronto, immediately and forcefully— because waiting until violence is fully normalised is only going to make meaningful resistance a lot harder.Join Omri, Benni and Daniela as they explain why it’s time to leave the gym (that NY resolution never sticks, anyway) and start saving democracy instead. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

With their recent invasion of Venezuela and the kidnapping of president Nicolás Maduro, the United States are signalling a return to a “spheres of influence” world order. By treating Vladimir Putin as a peer and focussing US dominance on the Western Hemisphere, the US is retreating from the rules-based international order it once upheld. Was the US intervention in Venezuela part of an implicit bargain with Russia, in which the US traded freedom of action in the Americas for Russian leeway in Ukraine? Either way, the shift from a rules-based world order leaves Europe dangerously exposed and strategically sidelined… We can now only assume that US security guarantees are no longer reliable, and must therefore urgently prepare for an increasingly erratic kings-and-empires world order.Join Omri, Benni and Daniela for a frank and open discussion about what all of this means for Europe and the future of European democracy.Want to take action? At work, ask your boss or co-workers the following: In which ways are we dependent on American services, and what are we doing to switch to European providers? Want to do more? Subscribe to This Time Tomorrow, and share this episode with a friend or two.As always, thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

In Bulgaria, Gen Z has toppled the government after weeks of protests. What happened? Why? And what’s next? In the US, a longer version of the National Security Strategy has leaked… and, again, it’s bad news for democracy in Europe. In Israel, democrats are still reeling after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked president Herzog for a pardon for bribery and fraud charges and an end to a five-year corruption trial. Will he get one? And what does the country teach us about the autocrats’ playbook? Join Omri, Benni and Daniela for another report from the frontlines against autocracy and far-right populism. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

As fathers, this one is close to our hearts.Join Omri and Benni for the 33rd episode of This Time Tomorrow as they sit down with co-founder George Gabriel to talk about The Dad Shift — the campaign for better paternity leave in the UK.In a wide-ranging conversation, they dig into the economic case for better paternity leave, exploring why backing fathers isn’t just socially important, it also makes financial sense for families and the wider economy. They unpack the somewhat uncomfortable truth that the UK currently offers the worst paternity leave in Europe, and how this reality feeds into outdated expectations, toxic masculinity, and the cultural baggage that in some ways still shape what fatherhood is “supposed” to look like.George also lifts the curtain on the inner workings of The Dad Shift campaign, from how the idea first sparked, to the early organising efforts, to shaping the strategy and the practical, on-the-ground tactics being used to push for change. If you’re into political campaign design and herding cats (i.e. MPs and hundreds of activists!) then look no further. George has got the goods. Towards the end, George also shares where he hopes the campaign is headed, and what a transformed future for dads and families could look like.Go on now. Give it a listen. It’s a really powerful episode with real heart, real stakes, and a vision for what fatherhood and family life in the UK could be.And if you like the episode, then please share it with a friend to help us to grow our audience, and the Dad Shift to gain more followers and activists.As ever, thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Sometimes, all you need to do is to enforce the law. Just enforce the law. In the 32nd episode of This Time Tomorrow, we give a nod of appreciation to the European Commission for doing the right thing and issuing a fine of €120 million to X for breaching its transparency obligations under the Digital Services Act. But is that enough? Is Elon Musk shaking in his boots? And what now?Next up, we head over to Washington to discuss the new US National Security Strategy… if that is what you should call it when you decide to abandon your European allies and hand over your foreign policy to Russia.Last, we travel east to Germany and take a look at the German Mittelstand’s flirt with the far-right. What’s happening with the German firewall? Are German SMEs inviting the AfD to step out of the cold and into… the foyers of mainstream society? Are you as concerned about the state of the world as we are? Not quite pleased with the global rise of anti-democrats and the far-right?Then join us. Become a democracy defender. Join a cause or a party, stand up for freedom and human dignity. Take action, action, action.Don’t wait. Do it today. And if you like this episode of This Time Tomorrow, then please share it with a friend to help us grow our audience.As ever, thanks for listening. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

When the political world begins to describe acts of cruelty as technical mastery, then that’s a sure sign that our collective humanity is starting to wither away. Gestures of tenderness, hesitation, or mercy start to look clunky… and inefficient. And when they disappear completely, cruelty no longer shocks us. Indeed, it simply looks like order is being restored.In this monologue, Ted applies Gonçalo M. Tavares’s novel, Learning to Pray in the Age of Technique (2011), to something Donald Trump said in a recent interview with 60 Minutes. Tavares’s main character—Lenz Buchmann—may be fiction, but his logic is not. Donald Trump is definitely not fiction—but his logic is the same. The danger is not just that such men gain power, but that we begin to see the world through their eyes.TW: violent/sexual imagery.Make sure you never miss an episode of This Time Tomorrow—hit subscribe or follow, and please leave us a review. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

The 30th episode of This Time Tomorrow is about the cost of conviction. It’s about the vulnerability that comes with standing up for what’s right, the pain of being ruthlessly targeted, and the resilience it takes to… keep going. Join Omri and Benni as they speak with Nina Jankowicz, who in 2022 briefly led the Disinformation Governance Board at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Just three weeks in, an onslaught of personal attacks—and a lack of support from the Biden administration—drove her to resign. At a time when President Trump and the rest of the autocracy gang are threatening democratic institutions, this kind of bravery is not optional. It is essential for all who believe in democracy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Antilopes in the boardroom at Disney? Or zebras? Who knows—but Jimmy Kimmel is back on air again, and that tells us something about the power of unsubscribing. What next? How about Russia’s new routine violations of NATO airspace in Europe, or Benjamin Netanyahu’s shake-up at the Shin Bet, or Trump at the UN, or the indictment of James Comey… It’s a packed agenda as contributing editor Daniela Vancic (of Democracy International) joins Omri and Benni for another round of firefighting. Listen, share, subscribe! Want to get in touch? Email us at tttpodmin at proton dot me. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

This monologue doubles as a book review of a book that doubles as a weather forecast.Confusing? In Deaf Republic (2019) by Ilya Kaminsky, deafness becomes an act of collective resistance after a deaf boy is murdered by a soldier at a puppet show. It’s a book of some 60 poems that show us how love, tenderness and laughter can manifest as resistance, defiance, and insurgency.This is not poetry for leisure. This is poetry for when the streets fill with sirens.This is an instruction manual for surviving cruelty while staying human.And we desperately need it. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

In this episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri and Benni are joined by political scientist Angelos Chryssogelos to discuss the global rise of populism. From Donald Trump to Nigel Farage, from Yanis Varoufakis to Wolfgang Schäuble, from Brexit to Covid-19, from Viktor Orbán back to Trump again, the guys explore how populist movements distort our relationship with truth and facts, dismantle liberal democratic institutions, and destabilise the rules-based order… …all while asking this rather crucial question: what can we do about it? And how do we know when we’ve passed a point of no return?Tune in. Get involved. (Subscribe, leave a review!)Angelos Chryssogelos is a Reader in Politics and International Relations at London Metropolitan University, with a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence. His research specialises in international relations and foreign policy, particularly the global dimensions of populism and European politics. He has held fellowships at institutions such as LSE’s Hellenic Observatory, Harvard, SAIS-Johns Hopkins, and the Robert Schuman Centre. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

In this episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri and Benni are joined by political scientist Angelos Chryssogelos to discuss the global rise of populism. From Donald Trump to Nigel Farage, from Yanis Varoufakis to Wolfgang Schäuble, from Brexit to Covid-19, from Viktor Orbán back to Trump again, the guys explore how populist movements distort our relationship with truth and facts, dismantle liberal democratic institutions, and destabilise the rules-based order… …all while asking this rather crucial question: what can we do about it? And how do we know when we’ve passed a point of no return?Tune in. Get involved. (Subscribe, leave a review!)Angelos Chryssogelos is a Reader in Politics and International Relations at London Metropolitan University, with a PhD from the European University Institute in Florence. His research specialises in international relations and foreign policy, particularly the global dimensions of populism and European politics. He has held fellowships at institutions such as LSE’s Hellenic Observatory, Harvard, SAIS-Johns Hopkins, and the Robert Schuman Centre. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

“For the vast majority of people, life is unlikely to get better in the next five years. If you belong to that group of people, then you already know that. Unfortunately, that’s not the worst of it.The worst of it is that unless something changes, then life is also likely to get a lot more violent. And not just other people’s lives. Yours as well.Do I want you to be afraid? No. But perhaps we should be.”In his fourth Monologue for Democracy, Ted riffs on an old poem by W.B. Yeats, while contending that far-right ideas once seen as fringe have entered the political mainstream, reshaping culture and policy across the West.As extremists push the limits of acceptability, centrists weaken, and violence becomes an increasingly plausible outcome.History warns us that collapse is not inevitable, but silence and apathy make it more likely. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Democracy is not just elections, says Andreas Poléo in this monologue for democracy. It is about you. You have privilege. You see injustice. You feel anger. You see corruption. Change is hard. Even when you try, nothing moves. And yet you must take responsibility. Live with intention. Act on your values. Society wants you passive. They want you obedient. But you can choose. You can wake up. You can live. Start now.Andreas Poléo is a Norwegian former municipal politician and a This Time Tomorrow contributing editor. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Political campaigns are not what they used to be.Once it was about speeches, tabloids, and TV spots. Now it is behavioural experiments, voter modelling, and psychological targeting happening quietly behind the scenes. This is not just campaigning. It is science for sole purpose of securing power. It’s Moneyball applied to the War Room. Sacha Issenberg called it the Victory Lab — the conceptual space in which strategists test what makes you act, click, donate, and vote. But the question today is bigger. What was revolutionary back when Barack Obama was winning landslides has become… basic. So how do you rebuild that lab in an era of changing media, AI persuasion, and voters who know they are being played?In this episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri and Benni chat to Sacha to find out what comes after the Victory Lab and what it means for the future of democracy……and honestly, the answer might surprise you. Are we returning to the café?Sacha Issenberg is a journalist and author known for his reporting on politics, business, and culture, including The Victory Lab, which revealed how data and behavioural science transformed modern campaigning. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Where do we even start with this one?The thing about the constitutional collapse in the US is that it’s unfolding before our very eyes, on our screens, all of the time. It’s not a single event. It is an ongoing erosion playing out in public view. This is not your everyday partisan struggle. So let’s call it what it is. From the January 6th Capitol insurrection to repeated threats of government shutdown to challenging the legitimacy of the Supreme Court… … from executive and judicial overreach to crises of electoral legitimacy to constant brinkmanship…… this is what an authoritarian takeover looks like. What can defenders of democracy learn from Trump 45 and 47? Because let’s be clear: European democracies, too, face institutional strains, and the warning signs from across the pound are not subtle...Join Omri, Benjamin and Daniela as they seek to understand what the US experience teaches Europe today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Where do we even start with this one?The thing about the constitutional collapse in the US is that it’s unfolding before our very eyes, on our screens, all of the time. It’s not a single event. It is an ongoing erosion playing out in public view. This is not your everyday partisan struggle. So let’s call it what it is. From the January 6th Capitol insurrection to repeated threats of government shutdown to challenging the legitimacy of the Supreme Court… … from executive and judicial overreach to crises of electoral legitimacy to constant brinkmanship…… this is what an authoritarian takeover looks like. What can defenders of democracy learn from Trump 45 and 47? Because let’s be clear: European democracies, too, face institutional strains, and the warning signs from across the pound are not subtle...Join Omri, Benjamin and Daniela as they seek to understand what the US experience teaches Europe today. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com

Bother! Benni’s gone holidaying… So what do we do? In the 21st episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri calls Ted on his rotary dial phone (you’ll get it if you listen to the episode) to discuss media ethics in the era of Joe Rogan… and it’s all because of something BBC journalist Nick Robinson told The Guardian last month.As trust in traditional journalism crumbles and podcasts rise to fill the gap, a new media battle is underway… and this one may just be reshaping democracy itself. Are values-driven platforms holding power to account, or do they just feed polarisation? With unchallenged interviews, partisan narratives, and collapsing editorial norms, the line between informing and influencing is vanishing fast. Can modern media still serve the public good, or have they become tools for ideological warfare? Is This Time Tomorrow ’creepy’ and ’partisan’…? Whether yes or no, how do we know how to make the distinction?Join us as we debate whether media today can be partisan, popular, and still serve the democratic good. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thistimetomorrowpod.substack.com