The Exchange | Long-form interviews from the New Statesman

Andy Burnham and Ed Miliband have been playing the steel drums, the King has been showing off his dance moves … again … that’s right, Britain has sent its delegates to the Caribbean. But rising above the music are the growing calls for Britain to apologise for its role in the slave trade and to open the conversation on reparations.In this bonus episode of The Exchange, Oli Dugmore is joined by Brooke Newman, historian and author of The Crown’s Silence: The Hidden History of Slavery and the British Monarchy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"You may succeed in silencing one man, but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life."These are the words of Russian dissident Alexander Litvinenko, written from his hospital bed - days out from death after an excruciating month suffering from radioactive poisoning. I’d guess you remember this certain chain of events with one image: the snapshot of a frail but defiant Litvinenko covered in wires, staring from his hospital bed. A small pool of blood beside him on his pillow.20 years later, Putin is still president. Over a dozen Russia-linked deaths on British soil have been deemed suspicious. And Litvinenko’s wife, Marina, continues his howl of protest. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Michael Lewis has a unique understanding of the way modern America works, what motivates its citizens, and what makes money move.He started out on Wall Street as a bond salesman in the 1980s; this would go on to serve as inspiration for his first book, Liar's Poker. Since then, he has published over 2 dozen books, often financial thrillers, looking into subjects such as subprime mortgage loans and the global financial crisis (The Big Short), Competitive baseball league (Moneyball), and the rise and fall of fraudster Sam Bankman-Fried (Going Infinite) His latest work (Blockers) turns away from the financial markets and Wall Street, instead looking towards America's official hub of power: Washington - the four months in which Elon Musk ran amok, and the public servants who tried to stop him from disassembling the state. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We live in a world where as many people have instantaneous access to porn as to clean water. At peak times, close to a tenth of internet traffic is devoted to streaming adult content. But while porn has quietly taken over the world, it seems that this industry is no longer just about sex. It's about clicks, attention, data. And while the ubiquitous and instantaneous access to pornographic content has impacted our sexual relationships and habits, it’s also deeply changed how we see the world and our own place in it. The porn industry was the blueprint for the attention economy and the forefather of personal branding. It’s also one of the starkest examples of our phones knowing us better than we know ourselves. Patricia Nilsson, Financial Times reporter and author of Guilty Pleasure: The Pornification of the Internet, the Economy, and Everything Else joins Oli Dugmore on this episode of The Exchange. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the publication of No Logo in 1999 - a critique of big brands and consumer culture - Naomi Klein has been one of the most influential voices in leftist politics in the world. In the past 3 decades, she’s explored the intersection of capitalism, war, climate, and conspiracies.Now in her latest work, and first written collaboration, she turns to fascism. As she sees it, we’ve entered “End Times Fascism” - a perfect storm of the rise of right-wing authoritarianism, tech evangelism, and ever-growing inequality. “The most powerful people in the world are preparing for the end of the world,” she warns with co-author Astra Taylor, “an end they themselves are frenetically accelerating.” It’s a difficult conversation to have, contemplating the destruction of our world. But if there’s one person who can articulate this clearly and precisely, it’s Naomi Klein. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.