Going Underground Episode Archive

We speak to Chuck Collins, Director of the Program on Inequality and the Common Good at the Institute for Policy Studies. He discusses the contents of the Pandora Papers which reveal the state of South Dakota to be a $367 billion tax haven, extreme income inequality in the United States and America’s historical tolerance of inequality, the capture of the US’ political system by corporate interests, the trend that most Americans side more with Bernie Sanders on addressing inequality than with corporate Democrats, the massive increase in billionaire wealth over the Coronavirus pandemic, the propensity for violence as inequality worsens and much more!

We speak to Prof. Jim Al-Khalili, the University of Surrey’s Distinguished Chair in Theoretical Physics for World Space Week. He discusses the importance of including science in popular culture and broadening the understanding of ordinary citizens on the way science works, social media’s amplification of anti-scientific conspiracy theories, the overwhelming benefit science has brought to the world despite nefarious uses such as in war, the Islamic world’s pioneering of modern science in contrast to Boris Johnson’s remarks that Islam put the Muslim world ‘century’s behind’, the study of quantum biology and much more!

We speak to Paul Ekins, former co-Director of the UK Energy Research Centre. He discusses the energy crisis wreaking havoc in the UK seeing fuel shortages at petrol pumps due to a lack of HGV drivers as well as electricity and gas prices soaring, the centrality of the need to reduce fossil fuel usage, how the energy crisis can be an opportunity for a stronger shift towards renewable energy, the bogus arguments behind corporate carbon offsetting, China’s efforts to decarbonise, the argument that energy in the UK should be nationalised and much more! We contacted the Oil and Gas Authority about the allegations in this show and they said: “In accordance with the OGA’s conflict of interest policy, Directors must declare any financial interests which may, or may be perceived to, influence their judgment in performing their duties as Directors of the OGA. This is done on appointment and annually. Directors are further asked to declare any conflicts of interest at the start of each board meeting. If a Director declares a conflict of interest with any agenda item, they will not participate in the discussion of that item..” They also pointed us to this web page: https://www.ogauthority.co.uk/media/7685/oga-annual-report-and-accounts-2020-21.pdf We also contacted California Governor Gavin Newsom about allegations made and the Governor’s press office forwarded us a link to this press release: https://www.gov.ca.gov/2021/07/09/governor-newsom-holds-virtual-discussion-with-leading-climate-scientists-on-states-progress-toward-carbon-neutrality/

Going Underground’s Deputy Editor Charlie Cooke speaks to Barney White-Spunner, author of ‘Berlin: The Story of a City’. He discusses the history of the rise of Berlin to the capital of modern Germany, the unique character of Berlin which sets it apart from other German cities, the false notion that Berlin’s history is defined by the bloody 20th Century, Berlin’s history of welcoming immigrants, the division of the city during the Cold War, Berlin’s Holocaust Memorial and what it says about Germany and much more!

Retired US Army Major Danny Sjursen, author of ‘A True History of the United States: Indigenous Genocide, Racialized Slavery, Hyper-Capitalism, Militarist Imperialism and Other Overlooked Aspects of American Exceptionalism’, discusses how America's wars abroad gradually erode freedom at home, with police forces becoming more militarized and governments seizing more and more power in areas such as mass surveillance. You can watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/42IoTiZ4we4

We speak to former German Permanent Representative to NATO Joachim Bitterlich. He discusses the formation of the AUKUS security pact behind the backs of European NATO allies, especially France which has had a major diplomatic row with Australia, the West’s increasing militarisation against and encirclement of China, the need for a reset of Germany’s and the European Union’s relationship with the United States, the legacy of outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, NATO policy towards Russia and Ukraine and much more!

We speak to Morris Pearl, former Managing Director at Blackrock and Chair of ‘Patriotic Millionaires’. He discusses the purpose of Patriotic Millionaires- wealthy millionaires campaigning to pay more taxes and advocate the building of a fairer tax system to ease the burden on the poor, the unsustainable inequality crisis rising in the US and Western Europe which could lead to society falling apart, the era where the United States thrived with high taxes on the rich, his criticisms of those who are against taxation and government intervention, the boom of billionaire wealth coupled with poverty for millions during the Coronavirus pandemic and much more!

We speak to Prof. David Blanchflower of Dartmouth College and a former member of the Bank of England’s Monetary Policy Committee (2006-2009). He discusses China’s Evergrande crisis and the ripple effects it could have across the global economy, the lesson of 2008 on just how interconnected the global economy is, Boris Johnson’s regional ‘levelling up’ economic development program and why he considers it a ‘laughable joke’, why the UK’s inflation rise is largely a combination of temporary shocks, the scrapping of the £20-a-week Universal Credit uplift and national insurance tax hike which he calls deliberate attempts to worsen the conditions of the poor and much more!

We speak to Green COO Steven Redmayne on the UK’s energy crisis. He discusses the causes of the energy crisis including the UK’s lack of gas storage comparative to other countries, an expected wave of energy suppliers collapsing over the winter months further consolidating market share for the biggest energy companies, rising demand in China for natural gas, how the halting of the opening of Russia’s Nordstream 2 Pipeline is causing energy prices to spike, inaction by Boris Johnson’s government and European governments exacerbating the crisis and much more! We contacted Ofgem about the allegations made in this segment and a spokesperson said: “In recent weeks there has been an unprecedented increase in global gas prices which is unfortunately putting financial pressure on suppliers. Our number one priority is protecting customers. In the event a supplier fails, Ofgem has robust systems in place and our safety net ensures customers’ electricity and gas supply continue and protects their credit balances.”

We speak to Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, former Chief of Staff to US Secretary State Colin Powell. He discusses 9/11 20 years on including the initial reaction to 9/11, how fear and rage drove the Bush Administration’s response to the terror attacks, the military-industrial complex and its desire for endless war which in part fuelled the expansion of NATO, how the US military sabotaged Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan and made it look chaotic, how 9/11 can be laid at the feet of Saudi Arabia who he considers the biggest state sponsors of terror, Biden’s executive orders to declassify 9/11 documents and much more!

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. A.C. Grayling, author of ‘The Frontiers of Knowledge: What We Know About Science, History & The Human Mind’. He discusses the historical tension between science and religion, the giant strides in scientific and historical knowledge made between generations, how we are still finding out the greatness of past civilisations such as in modern-day Iraq and Syria, how superstition and religion manage to hold up on a modern world with vast scientific knowledge, the propensity for humans to grasp for simple answers to complex questions, bitter partisanship between in the US among the population and elected Republicans and Democrats, why he believes Brexit was a disaster and much more!

We firstly speak to Mohammad Umer Daudzai, President Ashraf Ghani’s Special Envoy for Pakistani Affairs. He discusses the Taliban’s rapid takeover of districts and key cities across Afghanistan, the lack of any real hope in Taliban-Afghan government peace talks, the extent of Pakistan’s role in The Taliban’s rapid military advances, the Afghan government’s recruitment of former warlords associated with gross human rights abuses, the move from NATO consensus over Afghanistan to regional consensus over Afghanistan involving China, India, Russia, Iran and Pakistan and much more.

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to the Iranian Ambassador to the UK Mohsen Baharvand. He discusses why comparisons between the Taliban and Iran are not credible, talks between the Taliban militants and Iran, the Afghan refugee crisis which has seen 3 million Afghans flee to Iran, the NATO legacy in Afghanistan and the ‘mess’ the United States has left behind, the new Iranian government’s position on negotiations to restore the Iranian nuclear deal (JCPOA) and much more! Finally, we speak to the Spokesperson for the UN Refugee Agency Matthew Saltmarsh. He discusses what Western countries, many involved in the war, should do to aid the plight of Afghan refugees, the lack of funding for the UN mission to aid Afghan refugees, the urgency of the right to asylum being upheld and much more!

We speak to Enter Shikari’s Rou Reynolds, author of ‘A Treatsie on Possibility: Perspectives on Humanity Hereafter’. He discusses how his book tries to intrigue a younger audience rather than to bludgeon them with ideological dogma, how so many of society’s ills stem from neoliberalism and the primacy of the profit motive, the climate crisis and how governments haven’t grabbed big oil and the fossil fuel industry ‘by the balls’, Extinction Rebellion and the crackdown on protests by Boris Johnson’s government and much more!

On this online exclusive edition of Going Underground, Social Media Producer Farhaan Ahmed speaks to Pablo Vivanco, a Chilean journalist and the former director of TeleSUR English for the 48th Anniversary of the US-backed, CIA-facilitated coup in Chile which saw the death of democratically-elected socialist President Salvador Allende and the beginning of an era of neoliberal fascism. He discusses the events on the day of the coup, the US’ campaign with Chilean allies to sabotage the Allende government and foment economic chaos, the Pinochet regime’s transformation of Chilean society into one modeled off of the Chicago Boys’ neoliberalism, conditions for the working class during the Pinochet regime and the rise of a continent-wide purge of the left through the US-organised Operation Condor, Britain and the US’ role in supporting the Pinochet dictatorship, the 2020 referendum which saw Chileans reject the Pinochet constitution and the Chilean general elections in November!

We speak to Jimmy Dore, host of the Jimmy Dore Show. He discusses why the Afghanistan withdrawal is window dressing to shift divert attention from a refocusing of US imperialism, the West’s concerns for women’s rights in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover, the Afghanistan war as a big win for military-industrial complex, the arguable irony of the West helping overthrow the Soviet-backed communist government that protected the freedoms that the Taliban now threatens, US President Joe Biden’s refusal to enact a $15 minimum wage, why he calls for a US military intervention in Los Angeles, the climate crisis and the role of the US military in worsening it and much more!

We speak to Dr. Agnes Kalibata, the UN Secretary General’s Special Envoy for the 2021 Food Systems summit. She discusses how our current food systems are creating biodiversity loss and contributing to climate change, the effort to upgrade Africa’s farming capacity and the aim to increase Africa’s farming yields, the involvement and promotion of the private sector in building agricultural capacity for developing nations, the involvement of billionaires such as Bill Gates and giant multinational corporations in the monopolisation of the world’s food supply and much more!

We speak to award-winning journalist and Frontline Club founder Vaughan Smith. He discusses the US, UK and NATO’s withdrawal from the Afghanistan conflict, why Britain and the US have almost nothing to show for after 20 years of conflict, the difference between the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and the NATO occupation of Afghanistan, how journalists have failed the public in their reporting of the Afghan War, why the Taliban have prevailed despite 20 years of conflict with the world’s most powerful militaries, the Biden Administration’s attempt to extradite Julian Assange and much more!

We firstly speak to Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the UN Munir Akram. He discusses India blocking Pakistan joining the discussion at the UN Security Council between countries in the region over the Afghanistan crisis, the speed of the collapse of the Afghan government, Pakistan’s operations with regional countries to reach a political settlement in Afghanistan, Russia’s initiatives in the Afghan peace process, Pakistani PM Imran Khan’s comments on the Taliban ‘freeing Afghanistan from slavery’ and much more!

We speak to Senator Sherry Rehman, the Parliamentary Leader of Pakistan’s People’s Party. She discusses the structural challenges Pakistan faces as Independence Day celebrations sweep the country, reports of a PPP-PTI alliance in the next elections, allegations of Pakistan’s backing for the Taliban, the failure of US neoconservative nation-building ventures and why it is not just Pakistan’s responsibility to help resolve the crisis, the possible role of China in helping stabilise Afghanistan and much more!

We speak to artist Samson Kambalu who won permission to design the statue for Trafalgar Square’s 4th Plinth. He discusses why he picked anti-colonial Baptist preacher John Chilembwe to be the figure for the 4th plinth on Trafalgar Square, how the statue and commemoration of the uprising brings detail to the horrors of the black experience under colonialism, how the reception of the statue is a litmus test for how welcome he is in Britain and much more!

Going Underground Social Media Producer Farhaan Ahmed speaks to former UK Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on the persecution of Julian Assange and the US’ attempts to extradite him for 175 years in a supermax prison. Jeremy Corbyn discusses what he would say to Boris Johnson regarding the case, what kind of pressure needs to be applied for Assange to be freed, the wider war on whistleblowers and press freedom and much more! If you are affected by any of the issues in this video including suicide and mental health, contact Samaritans: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

This clip is from our special episode with Retired US Army Major Danny Sjurson where he discusses the neoconservative strand of imperialism, which figures such as Donald Rumsfeld, Dick Cheney and George W. Bush belong to and the liberal strand of US imperialism which he argues figures such as Hillary Clinton belong to. He discusses the differences between the two.

We speak to CIA whistleblower Jeffrey Sterling. He discusses the growing tensions between US, Israel and Iran in the Persian Gulf, official leaks vs unofficial ‘frowned upon’ leaks, the weaponisation of the Espionage Act against himself and Daniel Hale, the man who revealed the shocking civilian casualties of the US drone program, the conditions Daniel Hale is likely to face in prison and much more!

We speak to award-winning author Alex Wheatle MBE, he discusses why he argues Boris Johnson’s government is stoking racism and xenophobia among the British public, the prospect of another uprising similar to the uprising after the killing of Mark Duggan, Boris Johnson calling the use of stop and search ‘loving’, arguably impunity for British police officers who kill black people, the history of police brutality against black people in the UK and the backlashes the brutalities have caused, the younger generation’s lack of awareness about subjects of racism abroad, why Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership of the Labour Party has decreased his hope for the future and much more. #BorisJohnson #Racism #UKpolitics UKIP spokesperson: “For Alex Wheatle to use what is a serious accusation of UKIP and “racist” so lightly - with no evidence, no substance, and no policy grounds is quite shocking. It demeans the nasty reality of racism, racial violence and hatred that is abhorrent to all fair thinking people. There is not an ounce of evidence that UKIP has policies or ever would have policies that are racist. UKIP is unafraid to say the politically unsayable which is why we have such a strong stance on things like illegal immigration into the UK, but that doesn’t make us racist. It’s simply not about race - it’s about space, visit www.UKIP.org if you need proof of that.”