Going Underground Episode Archive

We speak to Consultant Editor of the Daily Mail about the newly-released Russia Report in the UK. He discusses how the report didn't live up to many people's expectations regarding Russian influence in the Brexit referendum, why the report was suppressed and wasn't released earlier, why the new committee chairman Julian Lewis may aim to be a thorn in the side of Boris Johnson, the findings of the report that Russian oligarchs find a safe haven in London and that members of the House of Lords have significant business dealings connected to Russia, allegations by the UK press that Jeremy Corbyn was Russia's 'useful idiot' and why it was ultimately proven false, the Conservative Party voting down an amendment to protect the NHS from being up for sale in a US trade deal, worsening UK-China relations and more!

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Shannon O'Loughlin, the Executive Director of the Association on American Indian Affairs. She discusses how Native Americans have been badly hit by Coronavirus, why Native Americans have been excluded from the US demographic data on Coronavirus, the Trump Administration's record of arguably trying to suppress the Native American community, the delay in getting $8 billion in funding to indigenous tribes, Andrew Jackson's statues being torn down in the US and his bloody history of repressing Native Americans, Native American solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement and more!

We firstly speak to Dan Diker, the former Secretary-General of the World Jewish Congress. He discusses Israel’s annexation of areas of Palestine’s West Bank by Benjamin Netanyahu's government, his opinion of the UN calling Israel’s settlements illegal, the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement and why he believes it’s fundamentally anti-Semitic, the Syrian civil war where President Assad has alleged Israeli backing of terrorist groups, the origins of Hamas which he flatly denies Israel had anything to do with, why he believes the annexation plan would actually set up a two-state solution and more!

We speak to Leigh Phillips, author of the People’s Republic of Wal-Mart. He discusses how crises have shown markets to be inefficient at meeting needs and demand, how capitalist corporations such as Wal-Mart and Amazon operate with central planning instead of market mechanisms, why central planning doesn’t lead to authoritarianism and how instead, authoritarianism undermines central planning such as in the Soviet Union and China, how Coronavirus is forcing capitalist economies to take a central-planning approach, the myth that free markets allow more risk-taking and innovation and much more!

Finally, we speak to Conservative Life Peer Lord Balfe MP. He discusses the findings of the Russia Report, including the accusation members of the House of Lords are unwittingly aiding Moscow’s growing power in London, the role of Russia in the Brexit referendum, the conclusion that MI5 and Boris Johnson didn’t search hard enough for Russian interference, growing hostility between the West and Russia and why he believes Russia needs to be welcomed back into the European club of nations, Jo Stevens’ and Keir Starmer’s attempts to get RT shut down in the U.K. and more!

Afshin Rattansi speaks to Prof. Clifford Stott, the U.K. SAGE Committee Sub-Group Advisor. He discusses the psychology behind recent mass protests and riots, from the Black Lives Matter global movement, to the mass protests in Hong Kong, how inequality is a fundamental cause of these protests and how Coronavirus has only amplified inequality in the minds of people, how different policing responses against different racial groups fosters distrust and discontent, why crackdowns and repression ultimately do not work and more! #BlackLivesMatter #BLM STATEMENT FROM SCOTLAND YARD: Scotland Yard spokesperson: “We understand that there are concerns across some communities that the use of the stop and search tactic during the Covid-19 lockdown has been deliberately aimed at certain groups. “We would like to reassure communities that this is absolutely not the case. “However, our use of stop and search over recent weeks has increased as additional resources have been placed into proactive patrols to tackle crime and keep London safe during this challenging period. “All stop and search data is recorded and quality assured to ensure that searches are lawful and appropriate. This information is regularly shared with stop and search monitoring groups, and includes location and reason for the stop, in addition to the age, gender and race of the person stopped. The MPS monitors this data closely to understand where there is disproportionality, and to undertake suitable action where this is the case. “We welcome any opportunity to discuss with local communities if they have a concern about stop and search or anything else with regards to their local policing area. We also encourage anyone to come forward if they are unhappy with any interaction with police, and there is also the option to make a formal complaint if preferred.”

We firstly speak to Dr. Robert Gallo, Co-Founder of the Global Virus Network, Director of the Institute of Human Virology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He discusses the similarities between HIV and Coronavirus and why it always meant 'herd immunity' would always be a futile endeavour, why the Oxford COVID-19 Vaccine is promising compared to other vaccines, the importance of a vaccine focussing on the 'T-Cell' instead of the spike, why a Polio vaccine could massively reduce Coronavirus mortality rates as we search for a specific Coronavirus vaccine and more!

We firstly speak to Prof. Adrian Owen, world-renowned neuroscientist and CEO of Cambridge Brain Sciences. He discusses the findings of studies on recovered Coronavirus patients which show the development of neurological problems such as a worsened concentration ability and damage to senses such as smell, how this could affect employment and the global economy, how medical emergencies such as cardiac arrests caused by COVID-19 could lead to the development of neurological problems, how similar viruses in the past such as SARS-2 have caused the same neurological problems, whether the neurological complications are long-term or short-term and more!

On this episode of Going Underground, we firstly speak to Oscar Award-Winning actor Sir Mark Rylance. He discusses the idea of a National Nature Service which is gaining traction, how Coronavirus joblessness and homelessness can be solved together, comparisons of today's situation and FDR's America, the link between nutrition and pandemic fatality rates, fossil fuel companies and greenwashing, the need for wealth distribution, the roots of a Green New Deal in FDR's America and more!

Going Underground’s Social Media Producer Farhaan Ahmed speaks to fashion icon and activist Vivienne Westwood about the persecution of Julian Assange by the United States, which seeks to extradite him and jail the Wikileaks founder for 175 years. She discusses her stunt outside the Old Bailey, where she got into a giant birdcage in support of Julian Assange, what it means and allegations that Assange is a Russian agent’

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Twin Cities Democratic Socialists of America organizer Robin Wonsley about the killing of George Floyd by US Minneapolis police and the subsequent Black Lives Matter uprising that has swept the United States. She discusses the postponement of the trial of the officer who killed George Floyd, the grassroots nature of the protests with no central leadership, corporations arguably feigning support for African Americans while suppressing wages and working with the security state, the militarisation of US police, what would happen if Black Lives Matter protesters used the 2nd Amendment to arm themselves like white anti-lockdown protesters had, Minneapolis’ history of using bombings against communities of colour when they rise up, the ‘civil war’ happening in America between the state and the police vs black and brown communities and the working class, the link of capitalism with police brutality, Joe Biden attempting to gain political capital from the protests and the prospect of another 4 more years of Trump. Finally, we speak to Francisco Rodriguez, a former adviser to Venezuelan opposition candidate Henri Falcon. He discusses why he believes Maduro and Chavez’ mismanagement is the primary reason for Venezuela’s plight, the Silvercorp USA coup attempt last month and whether the US was involved, the IMF refusing to grant loans to either Nicolas Maduro or Juan Guaido, the damage of US sanctions on Venezuelan living standards and the economy and more!

We speak to alleged former Israeli spy Ari Ben Menashe about the case of Jeffrey Epstein, convicted sex offender and American financier. He alleges Jeffrey Epstein used honeytrapping to blackmail politicians to be recruited to work for Israel's Mossad, Jeffrey Epstein allegedly being introduced to Ghislaine Maxwell before the 1990s as mainstream media claims, Prince Andrew allegedly being used as a useful idiot by Jeffrey Epstein, former Israeli PM Ehud Barak's relations with Jeffrey Epstein, why he believes Jeffrey Epstein didn't commit suicide, who could have killed Robert Maxwell and more!

We speak to Prof. Richard Sakwa, author of 'The Putin Paradox'. He discusses Vladimir Putin's constitutional referendum, in which his reforms were approved by a majority of Russians. He discusses the results of the referendum being impressive for Putin, dangerous elements of the reforms, McCarthyite coverage of Russia and Putin over the allegations of Russia putting bounties on American soldiers for The Taliban in Afghanistan and Trump's victory in 2016, the journalistic bubble among Western commentators regarding Russia, the threat of nuclear conflict with Russia growing, Joe Biden threatening economic warfare if he wins and more!

We speak to legendary former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters. He discusses the threat of nuclear war in 2020, why he believes nuclear weapons need to be abolished across the world, the Black Lives Matter protests which have swept the world since George Floyd’s murder at the hands of US police, the history of the British Empire which is under increased scrutiny, the United States’ regime change attempt in Venezuela against Nicolas Maduro, Israel’s coming illegal annexation of Palestine’s West Bank, the revelations that Julian Assange had fathered two children during his time in the Ecuadorean Embassy and more! He plays us out with 'Two Suns in the Sunset'

Finally, we speak to Fiona McEntee, a US immigration lawyer. She discusses the Trump Administration and ICE’s attempts to deport foreign students from the USA due to some universities moving to online-only courses amid the Coronavirus pandemic, how the Trump Administration’s actions are a slap in the face to foreign students, how much foreign students contribute to the US economy, a potential loophole that may save many from deportation and more!

We speak to best-selling author Alex Berenson, author of ‘Unreported Truths About COVID-19 and Lockdowns’. He discusses why European countries such as the U.K. and Italy had such high death rates with elderly populations, while Japan with its aged population has seen so few deaths, how Coronavirus is drastically more dangerous to older people, statistics showing children not spreading the virus, how the negative impacts of the lockdowns have been overlooked, the media’s fear-mongering and spreading of fake news about the virus and more!

Afshin Rattansi speaks to the former translator for Chinese Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping and Vice President of the Centre for China and Globalisation. He discusses the implementation of the National Security Law by the Chinese Communist Party in Hong Kong, why he believes the law is needed, the UK’s comments and actions following the implementation of the law, allegations of the law being parallel to US national security legislation, allegations of mass internment and human rights abuses of Uighurs in Xinjiang Province, the treatment of China as an enemy nation and where UK-China relations go from here.

We speak to Marco Sánchez Cantillo, Director of ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ (2020) report of the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations. He discusses the rising levels of hunger and how almost 9% of the world’s population face hunger, how Coronavirus is expected to rapidly increase food insecurity and world hunger, how protectionism and trade blocs such as the EU are making it harder for people in poorer countries to afford a healthy diet, the progress of China in poverty reduction and much more! STATEMENT FROM THE CANADIAN HIGH COMMISSION: Pertinent information is available on our Healthy eating on a budget Web page: https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/tips-for-healthy-eating/healthy-eating-on-a-budget/

Finally, we speak to Professor Karl Friston of the Independent SAGE Committee. He discusses whether it's the right decision to ease the COVID-19 lockdown in the UK, the possibility of a second wave, the changes to the 2-metre rule, meat factories being the epicenter for new spikes in COVID cases, the accuracy of Coronavirus modelling, why the Nightingale Hospital proved to be less useful than previously thought and more! STATEMENT FROM SIR PATRICK VALLANCE: “…, two metres is safer than one metre, if it’s all unmitigated. But if you add the mitigations, and this is all in the papers that we’ve published, so if you start looking at things like orientation, are you side-by-side or back-to-back? Is ventilation good? Are face coverings being worn? Are other screens in place? Number of people in an enclosed environment is an important thing, you don't want to pack lots of people in, irrespective of whether they’re one metre or two metres apart. The time in which people spend in certain environments, and the environment itself, as we’ve just discussed in terms of the characteristics of that environment. Those are all features which are important, and what we've said in the work that’s been done by the environmental modelling group, is that one metre can be, with mitigations in place, can be equivalent risk to two metres, and that’s the basis for how you can make decisions and those are then policy decisions on the back of that. In terms of SAGE, SAGE is clearly not a, a, a decision making body, it’s an advisory body, the advice goes to all four nations and is used in all four nations and is consistent across all four.”

We speak to UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Nils Melzer. He discusses the ongoing #BlackLivesMatter protests following the death of George Floyd, President Donald Trump’s police reforms Executive Order and whether they’re good enough, alleged systemic & cultural racism in the United States, his condemnation of the US for ‘racial terror lynchings’, the ongoing persecution of Julian Assange, the Trump Administration sanctioning the International Criminal Court and more!

Going Underground’s Social Media Producer Farhaan Ahmed speaks to China’s Ambassador to the U.K. Liu Xiaoming about Boris Johnson’s decision to give access to U.K. citizenship to millions of Hong Kongers after the National Security Law was implemented by Beijing in Hong Kong. He accuses the US of still harbouring a colonial mindset and not recognising that Hong Kong is now a part of China, as well as arguing for why the National Security Law is needed.

We firstly speak to Wayne Dupree, host of the Wayne Dupree Show about Donald Trump’s response to the murder of George Floyd and #BlackLivesMatter protests. He discusses participating in the round table discussion Donald Trump chaired with prominent members of America’s black community, why he believes President Trump is a different character when it comes to speaking to minorities, the personal advice he gave to President Trump on minorities, Donald Trump’s strong support for law enforcement and police departments and why he backs Trump’s use of force against protesters, systemic police brutality and more!

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Ilan Pappe, author of 'The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine' after Nakba Day. He discusses the historical significance of Nakba Day and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians by Zionist pro-Israel forces in 1948, the conflation of anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism, whether Israel is using Coronavirus as an opportunity to further its attempts to annex the West Bank, why the Israeli blockade on Gaza is worse for Palestinians than COVID-19, the unity government of Benny Gantz and Benjamin Netanyahu, a lack of an opposing ideology against Likud and more! Finally, we speak to Anatol Lieven, Orwell Prize-winning journalist and author of ‘Climate Change and the Nation State: The Realist Case’. He argues why security policy today such as the Cold War in the South China Sea over Chinese fortifications of islands will be irrelevant in a few years thanks to climate change, how security policy is stuck in the past over Russia and other issues, the obsession of military establishments with a new Cold War, why nationalism is needed to rally action against climate change, the factor of energy security in the fight against climate change and more!

We speak to Professor Zhang Weiwei, former translator for China’s ex-Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping and Director of the China Institute at Fudan University. He discusses the border clashes between India and China in the Ladakh region of Kashmir, which has seen 20 Indian soldiers killed and an unknown number of fatalities in China’s People’s Liberation Army. He discusses why he believes the conflict and border dispute are manageable, and why he believes war will not result despite fiery rhetoric in the media, his belief that the aggression came from the Indian side, the economic reasons and military reasons he believes will mean India not going to war with China, his belief India, China and Pakistan should naturally build closer ties and more!

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the former director of the World Economic Forum, Frank-Jurgen Richter. He discusses the impact Coronavirus will have on the European Union’s unity, the possibility of class warfare and revolutions in the West comparable to Russia in 1979 and France in 1789, anti-establishment sentiment as a result of globalisation, how unfettered capitalism has created the conditions for mass social unrest amid COVID-19, the possibility of something worse than the Great Depression as the US-China rivalry heats up between Xi Jinping and Donald Trump and more! Finally, we speak to Bhaskar Sunkara, author of ‘The Socialist Manifesto’. He discusses how Coronavirus has shattered neoliberalism’s illusions, how a path to socialism can be forged out of the fallout from Coronavirus, addressing criticisms of socialism as an authoritarian ideology, the leaked Labour report revealing internal conspiracy against Jeremy Corbyn, why the state can intervene to solve crises like homelessness and poverty, America’s anti-socialist liberals and their backlash against Bernie Sanders for supporting socialists internationally and more!