With Trump’s inauguration so close what did the Biden presidency offer the world and what impacts might we see under a president roundly labelled as an outright fascist? Why are all the political parties in “western democracies” so avidly breaking institutional norms for reactionary reasons?

This episode’s co-hosts

Branko, Kyle

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

1:03 Branko on Biden

7:09 Trump Side Effect

18:34 Lack of Media Pressure

25:20 “Man Removed For Asking Questions”

29:23  Why NZ Should Care About US Politics

31:45 What is Freedom of Press

36:24 A Legacy for Stage Setting Trump

44:08 Overturning Political Norms

50:58 Closings

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

We speak with Katrina Mitchell-Kouttab about the history of Palestine and the work of Palestinians and Palestine advocates in NZ over the last 18 months.

https://www.aljazeera.com/where/palestine/
https://www.palestinechronicle.com/
https://www.ochaopt.org/
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bashsoftware.boycott&hl=en_NZ&pli=1
https://bdsmovement.net/

This episode’s co-hosts
Kyle, Katrina

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

2:30 Starting Advocacy

8:00 How This Gets Back to the West

16:41 The Wrong Leaderships

21:08 Media Control

25:28 Anti-Semitism

34:56 Benefit of the Doubt

49:33 “Condemning Hamas” 

55:14 Lack of Pressure

58:06 Advocacy at the Political Level

1:02:02 Policy Asks

1:06:40 2025 Plans

1:11:59 Gathering Pacific Support

1:20:54 Find Out More

1:22:46 Closings

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

What are the early signs of discourse for 2025, and what might they signal in politics and culture for the year ahead?

This episode’s co-hosts
Kyle, Ginny, Simone

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

1:25 Christopher Nolan’s Homer’s Odyssey

12:05 “Historic Western” Content

28:35 Capitalism Art

35:56 SEO Art

39:11 Nosferatu The Movie 

44:09 Handing Out Cookies

46:19 Imperialism Come Home

54:11 Ship of Nation State

1:04:00 Winston Peters Prediction 

1:07:45 Closings

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Will the rightwing implode in 2025 or is it all theatre? What’s on the cards for Western and NZ politics as we enter a new year.

This episode’s co-hosts
Simone, Kyle, Ginny

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

1:39 Leopards Eating Blue Checks

11:58 Deindustrialization

22:49 Soldier Worship 

29:20 Sinophobic Rhetoric 

37:14 Worst Government Since ‘91 

48:55 What Can I Do

54:48 Start-Up Investments

1:00:45 Everyone Wants to go Back

1:08:22 Closings

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

In the final(??) current events episode for the year we discuss the ways in which western politics, especially on the rightwing, is intentionally creating a policy framework to support fascism. We talk education, criminality, the alignment of capital with the far right, and try to think of some high points.

This episode’s co-hosts
Ginny, Simone, Kyle

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

2:13 Police Charges

6:47 Illiteracy 

14:50 Elon Backs AfD

28:00 Te Pati Maori Song

31:02 Greens and Media Outlets

38:53 Israel Sanctions and Embassies

42:19 Simone’s Short Film

45:53 Closing

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Oliver Neas spent months this year investigating and conducting interviews to reveal what happened behind the scenes before & after the Wellington council debated selling shares in their own airport. We discussed what processes & principles were at play, how the issue connects to local economy governance, and how best to treat these debates in your community.

Before listening, please read all 3 parts of Oliver's investigation here: Part 1: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/27-11-2024/privatisation-lost-how-the-wellington-airport-saga-split-the-left

Part 2: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/28-11-2024/privatisation-lost-the-green-party-vs-the-green-party

Part 3: https://thespinoff.co.nz/politics/29-11-2024/privatisation-lost-inside-the-final-vote-for-the-future-of-wellington-airport

And for a description of the issue framed by Wellington council staffers: https://wellington.govt.nz/your-council/projects/airport-share-sale

This episode’s co-hosts
Philip, Oliver, Max

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

2:38 Selling the Airport

8:52 Staff Power

14:03 Auckland Privatisation

19:27 Wellington Distinction 

22:35 Counsellors 

24:58 Broad Positions

28:22 Subservience to a Party

32:27 Flipping Decisions

38:55 Auckland Blocks

43:53 Progressive Privatisation

45:50 Conflict of Interest

50:11 Other Sectors

52:04 Private Insurance

56:55 Closing

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Pmax’s thoughts on students and teachers at the TPB hīkoi.

The Commerce Commission gets slightly more aggressive as the supermarket duopoly and government lean into failed, repressive carceral policy. The alleged UHC shooter has been caught -what does this mean for populism? TPM’s vote share looks to be on the rise, Māori continue to be the most likely electoral party for driving change. And the spectre of climate change is becoming a very violent poltergeist.

This episode’s co-hosts

Finlay, Kyle, Philip, Simone

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

2:10 Charging Woolworths

4:43 Facial Recognition

11:47 Te Pati Maori Polling

16:03 Tapped Out Voters

23:34 Produce Season

26:39 Luigi Got Got

36:21 One Point Five Degrees 

44:49 Three Strikes 

53:52 Closing

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

We host freelance reporter Glen Johnson and genocide researcher Kieran Kelly to discuss the recent events in Syria and what it might mean for the region.

This episode’s co-hosts
Kyle, Philip, Glen, Kieran

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

1:25 Background on Syria

5:29 US Hegemony in the Region 

8:12 Unexpected Pace

11:45 Regime Plausible Deniability 

15:20 Regional Politics

19:57 Impact of Rapid Collapse 

23:26 Terrorist Designation

28:17 Claiming Land

30:02 Secular Nationalists

32:15 Forecast of Power

36:25 Imperialism

39:43 The Role of Oil

42:35 Building a Regime

45:08 The Role of International Orgs

50:59 Closings

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200

Join us for the week that was! We talk about the death of the United Health Care CEO, the concept of Social Murder, political issues in South Korea and France and the (willing) appropriation of legacy media as a propaganda network alongside Western government authoritarianism.

https://mickhall.substack.com/p/nzs-foreign-interference-bill-repressive

This episode’s co-hosts
Kyle, Ginny, Simone

Timestamps

0:00 Introductions

1:48 United Healthcare Shooting

10:13 Redacted 

14:12 Social Murder

21:04 South Korea

33:34 Shortest Premiership in French History

39:21 Five Eyes Future

49:01 Crime Reporting

53:55 The Propaganda Network

59:12 Closings

Intro/Outro by The Prophet Motive

Support us here: https://www.patreon.com/1of200