276 | Jill Lepore on the Destructive Power of Tech

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David talks to the American historian Jill Lepore about the damage new technology can do to democracy, from the 1960s to the present. Who first tried to manipulate the minds of the electorate? Where did the money come from? What happened when the same technology was applied to fighting the Vietnam War? Plus we discuss US presidential elections from 1960 to 2020: do the machines really decide who is going to win, and if he does win this time, what might Joe Biden be able to do about it?

271 | Judith Butler: Then and Now

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This week two conversations with the feminist theorist and writer Judith Butler: one recorded the week Trump won the presidency in 2016 and one recorded a few days ago, as his presidency (just maybe) approaches its end.  We reflect on what has changed over the last four years, what has stayed the same, and whether our worst fears were realised.  Plus Judith tells us what she sees when she sees Biden and what she hopes might come next.  Two linked conversations about misogyny, racism, representation, empowerment, hope, rage, and the damage one man can do to democracy.

270 | Brexit, Trump and Aldershot FC

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This week David and Helen talk with the historian David Kynaston about his diary of the 2016-17 season in football and in politics, when a lot happened both to the world and to his beloved Aldershot FC.  It's a conversation about loyalty, identity and belonging, and about what sorts of change we can tolerate and what we can't.  Plus Helen reflects on her life as a West Ham fan.

256 | James Meek on Healthcare: from WHO to NHS

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David talks to the writer James Meek about what the Covid crisis has revealed about how we understand healthcare and how we think about the organisations tasked with delivering it.  A conversation about hospitals and community care, about Trump's America and Johnson's Britain, and about WHO and NHS. More of James' writing on these themes is available on the LRB website.

252 | American Fascism: Then and Now

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David and Helen talk with historian Sarah Churchwell about the origins, uses and abuses of the idea of American fascism.  Where does American fascism come from?  Does it follow a European model or is it something exceptional?  What role do white supremacy and anti-Semitism play in its development?  How close has it got to power?  Plus we ask the big question for now: Does it make sense to call Trump a fascist?

251 | Police State USA

We talk to Adom Getachew, Jasson Perez and Gary Gerstle about the politics of protest and the politics of policing in America.  What does 'Defund the Police' mean in practice?  Is the current crisis likely to empower or curtail the surveillance state?  How are the current protests different from ones we've seen in the past?  And where Minneapolis leads, will the world follow?  Plus we talk about the implications of the protests for the November elections.