Fire at Will

For many voters, the upcoming US election isn't really about the border, or the deficit, or guns, or healthcare, or abortion. As many pundits have now suggested, it's about the vibes.  It raises an unsettling question: does policy even matter anymore? Is the spin more important than the substance?  There's no one better to answer that question than the Chairman and Co-Founder of Purple Strategies, a bipartisan public affairs firm, Alex Castellanos. Alex is one of the America's best known and most successful media consultants and strategists. He has served as media consultant to seven U.S. Presidential campaigns, and has been credited with the discovery of the "political soccer mum" and called the father of the attack ad. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Comic and GB News Host Nick Dixon was on the show a few weeks ago. He returned the favour by inviting Will on his podcast, "The Current Thing," last week. This podcasting pyramid scheme turned out rather well – it was a fun conversation covering the US election, the latest Churchill controversy, and the Starmergeddon facing Britain.  Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Follow "The Current Thing" here [https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-current-thing/id1671573905].

Talking about Islam is a dangerous business, but talk about it we must. The West is facing a civilisational moment, and tensions between Islamism and Western liberal democracy may well determine its future.  Joining Will in these murky waters is GB News Presenter and the founder of the online video platform Reasoned, Darren Grimes. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Subscribe to Reasoned here [https://www.youtube.com/@Reasoned].

Free speech is under attack all over the Western world, but the assault may be the most sinister in the United Kingdom. Keir Starmer's authoritarian regime seems intent on chipping away at civil liberties until very few remain standing. To discuss the state of free speech in the UK today, Will is joined by journalist, commentator, and the Founder of the Free Speech Union, Toby Young. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Join the FSU here [https://freespeechunion.org/].

It's easy to say that "woke ideology" is a nonsense. It's much harder to say that when your job, your social status, or your friendships may be put at risk by doing so. We need a practical, principled approach to fighting back against wokeism. Enter Helen Pluckrose.  Helen is a political and cultural author and speaker. She is the co-author of 'Cynical Theories', which was book of the year in The Times, Sunday Times and Financial Times. Her latest book, 'The Counterweight Handbook,' is a practical guide to help you survive and defeat critical social justice at school, at work, and beyond. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

The United Kingdom is a great country. It's arguably contributed more to the flourishing of Western civilization than any other. Which is why recent events have left many people heartbroken.  Racially and culturally motivated riots have erupted on British streets, met with a two-tiered policing and judicial response, a crackdown on free speech, and an awful sense that the next five years could see the country change beyond recognition.  At the same time, the United Kingdom has faced dark moments before, and triumphed. Will it do so once again? To help Will answer that question, he is joined by GB News presenter and the co-host of The Weekly Skeptic podcast, Nick Dixon. Please leave Fire at Will a rating and a review in your favourite podcast app! Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

Across the Anglosphere, governments on both sides of politics have never been more interested in the personal lives of their citizens. The nanny state thrives from Australia to the United Kingdom, and even in that traditional bastion of freedom, the USA. Christopher Snowdon is the UK's leading warrior against the excesses of the nanny state. He is the Head of Lifestyle Economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, the author of six books, the editor of the Nanny State Index, and the co-host of the brilliant "Last Orders" podcast from Spiked. Please leave Fire at Will a rating and a review in your favourite podcast app! Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/]. Visit Christopher's website here [https://www.christophersnowdon.com/].

What the mainstream media calls a "conspiracy theory" is often nothing more than an amalgam of incentives hiding in plain sight. Once you see that, the rest becomes pretty obvious. Misaligned incentives are everywhere, and are the root cause of some of our thorniest global challenges. So how can we fix them?  There is no one better qualified to answer that question than Liv Boeree. Liv has one of the world's most interesting CVs. She has a First Class degree in Astrophysics, she has won European Poker Tour and World Series of Poker championship titles, she is a Ted Talk phenomenon, and a successful YouTuber and podcaster. Her podcast 'Win Win', encourages us to understand the good, bad and ugly parts of competition, and find ways to harness the power of game theory to build a more positive-sum world. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Read The Spectator Australia here [https://www.spectator.com.au/].

When it comes to conflict in the Middle East, there's the war, and then there's the war about the war. Of course, this isn't new. Caesar was penning war reports in Gaul and sending them back to Rome to win hearts and minds over 2000 years ago. But, back then Caesar could control the narrative.  Today that is almost impossible. Social media, an activist mainstream media, and more sophisticated disinformation techniques have combined with millennia-old prejudices, and made it exceedingly difficult for Israel to communicate why they are fighting, how they are doing, and what still needs to be done.  Eylon Levy has been on the frontline of the war about the war. Eylon is a former Israeli government spokesperson, and International Media Advisor to the President of Israel. He is now co-founder of the Israeli Citizen Spokespersons' Office and host of the State of a Nation podcast.  Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

The American experiment is failing. Division, mistrust and misinformation are now the country's defining characteristics. The storming of the Capitol, the prosecution of Donald Trump and battles over gun rights and abortion raise the spectre of further political violence. We often hear that these events are unprecedented. On the contrary, author and journalist Nick Bryant suggests that the hate, divisiveness and paranoia we see today are in fact a core part of America's story. His remarkable new book is titled 'The Forever War: America's Unending Conflict with Itself'. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

Sir Niall Ferguson is arguably the world's greatest living historian. He first pointed out that we're in Cold War II back in 2018. In articles for The New York Times and National Review, Sir Niall tried to show how China now occupies the space vacated by the Soviet Union when it collapsed in 1991. This view is less controversial now than it was then. China is clearly not only an ideological rival; it's also a technological competitor, a geopolitical rival, and a military rival. Sir Niall has recently amended his thesis to something altogether more disturbing. What if, in this new Cold War, the US — and not the Chinese - might be the Soviets?  Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

Education was once the search for truth. Sadly, this is no longer the case in many universities across the Western world. Instead of promoting debate, disagreement, and viewpoint diversity, too many institutions peddle a series of ideological narratives that seek to engrain a black armband view of history, an assertion of the importance of identity over merit, and a subjective definition of truth. That's why there is no more urgent priority in the world today for sensible conservatives than to fight back against the radical left's colonisation of education. Wilfred Reilly has accepted the challenge. Wilfred is a political science professor at Kentucky State University, and the author of the wonderful new book, "Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me: Debunking the False Narratives Defining America's School Curricula". NOTE: We had some very minor issues with Will's sound. Rest assured the tech team have been severely reprimanded. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

It wasn't so long ago that one phrase sat above any other in the hierarchy of endorsements for a British or Australian male: "He's a good bloke."  You don't hear it as much in 2024 because blokehood is under attack across the Western world. Historically positive masculine virtues are now shamed as toxically masculine. At a minimum, blokeishness is derided as boorishness by our social betters in the media, politics, business, and culture.  The first step to reclaiming blokehood is understanding it, which is what Geoff Norcott has done. As a rare right-winger, Geoff is a unique voice in British comedy, and has been hugely successful on the stand up circuit, with his podcast, and on TV.  His latest book has made him the official expert on British blokes. It is titled, "The British Bloke: Decoded – From Banter to Man Flu, Everything Finally Explained." Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/] Visit Geoff's website here [http://geoffnorcott.co.uk/].

It feels like AI can now write anything for us and create anything for us. In some respects it's exciting, but it's also scary, and it raises a depressing question: will technology kill creativity? There are few people better placed to answer that question than Polish-American artist Agnieszka Pilat. Agnieszka is the Silicon Valley elite's favourite artist. Intelligencer magazine has called her the court painter of the potentate's of Silicon Valley, including Elon Musk, who has twice invited her onsite for an artist residency at SpaceX.  She is best known for her work with Spots: dog-like robots designed by Boston Dynamics, which are more usually used by mining companies or militaries than by artists. In her own words, "Machines are humanity's children. I am just giving them a page in a family album." Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

There has long been a curious sub-genre in liberal journalism. It can best be described as "examining working class Americans in their natural habitat." It goes something like this. Journalists from New York or California will bravely venture into a red state, observe the local inhabitants from afar, and come back with a series of superficial insights that reinforce the existing prejudices of coastal elites.  Partly as a result of this lack of journalistic curiosity, liberal America is no closer to truly understanding the underlying forces that swept Donald Trump into the White House, and may yet do so again. Batya Ungar-Sargon did something novel. She wanted to understand the American working class, so she actually spoke to them, all over the country, for over a year. Lessons learnt were captured in 'Second Class: How the Elites Betrayed America's Working Men and Women.' It is the best book to read if you want to understand the political and cultural forces at play in America in 2024. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

The most peculiar aspect of 'Pride' is how it has lumped together the gay population, with the most extreme proponents of gender ideology, when the latter have arguably done more than any other group to harm the former.  Gareth Roberts has witnessed this firsthand. Gareth has fallen into commentary on gender ideology, but like previous guests of the show such as Graham Linehan and Helen Joyce, he was marvellously successful before wading into such treacherous waters.  Gareth is a screenwriter and novelist, best known for his work on the iconic British series Doctor Who. His latest book is titled 'Gay Shame: The Rise of Gender Ideology and the New Homophobia.' Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

The world could end before you finish listening to this podcast. That's the reality of a nuclear-armed world. If a sense of complacency had crept in about the threat of nuclear weapons, Annie Jacobsen's stunning new book is a wake up call.  'Nuclear War: A Scenario' imagines the 72 minutes after the 'button is pushed', and it doesn't end well. It's shockingly realistic, due to Annie's meticulous research, which reflects her status as a Pulitzer Prize finalist and New York Times bestselling author. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/]

Heresy is defined as opinion profoundly at odds with what is generally accepted. It has rarely been more dangerous to be a heretic, which is why it's rarely been more important to champion them. There is no bigger heretic than Andrew Gold. Andrew is a journalist, author, and TV presenter who produces documentaries on bizarre and controversial subcultures. He has battled an abusive exorcist, dueled with the Crazy Baby Lady, hunted UFOs, and spoken to a teen school captain, who also happened to be a pedophile. His podcast is appropriately titled, 'heretics'. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/] Subscribe to Andrew's YouTube channel here [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3aiQJmnJ8wamobGcsBz6Ww]. Buy 'The Psychology of Secrets' here [https://www.amazon.co.uk/Psychology-Secrets-Adventures-Murderers-Influencers/dp/1035002590].

Note: We had some minor sound issues in the first 10 minutes, but we couldn't bring ourselves to edit out anything that Victor said. Stick with it. It's worth it! In some respects, the West is exhibiting similar symptoms to past civilizations that decayed, declined, or were completely wiped off the map. At the same time, there are green shoots that may point to a rebirth of the United States, and Western civilization more broadly. To put our moment in a historical context, Will is joined by the inimitable Victor Davis Hanson. Victor's latest book is titled 'The End of Everything: How Wars Descend Into Annihilation.' Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/] Buy 'The End of Everything' here [https://www.amazon.com/End-Everything-Wars-Descend-Annihilation/dp/1541673522].

Australiana is now Fire at Will - your safe space for dangerous conversations. Why is Africa poor? There's a series of trendy answers to that question, that are almost taken as read amongst the progressive elite that dominate our institutions. Racism, slavery, and colonialism.  Magatte Wade has called BS on this narrative, and she is uniquely qualified to do so, being widely regarded as the world's leading African prosperity activist. She is an entrepreneur, speaker, and author. Her latest book is titled 'The Heart of a Cheetah: How we have been lied to about African poverty, and what that means for human flourishing'. Follow Will Kingston and Fire at Will on social media here [https://linktr.ee/fireatwillpod]. Subscribe to The Spectator Australia here. [https://www.spectator.com.au/join/] Follow Magatte here [https://www.magattewade.com/].