UnHerd

UnHerd episodes:

• 03.24.2020

  Ian Birrell — The truth about China and Coronavirus

  Freddie Sayers talks to Ian Birrell about his latest piece for UnHerd, "China is not the hero in this darkest hour". Read the full article here: https://unherd.com/2020/03/china-is-not-the-hero-in-this-darkest-hour/

  
• 01.23.2020

  Adam Rutherford: How To Argue With A Racist

  Giles Fraser talks to Adam Rutherford about his new book 'How To Argue With A Racist'.

  
• 01.20.2020

  Debate: How bad is Viktor Orban?

  In this UnHerd Debate, Freddie Sayers talks to Peter Franklin and Phillip Blond about whether the Hungarian Prime Minister's dangerous reputation is justified.

  
• 11.01.2019

  Rory Stewart on Love, Brexit and Boris Johnson

  Freddie Sayers talks to London mayoral hopeful Rory Stewart about Love, romantic Conservatives and how Boris Johnson made him feel like an abused wife.

  
• 06.17.2019

  David Brooks interview: why social freedom is not a good feeling

  Freddie Sayers interviews NYT columnist David Brooks about his latest book 'The Second Mountain'. They discuss how to make life – and politics – more meaningful.

  
• 03.14.2019

  Why are Millennials so miserable?

  In this Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles diagnose a generational dissatisfaction. Read the article they discuss: 'What's bugging the Millennials?' https://unherd.com/2019/01/whats-bugging-the-millennials/

  
• 02.27.2019

  A taxing time for the super rich

  In this Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin talk about the renewed interest in taxing the super rich. Given the already high levels of tax avoidance, is there any point in increasing their tax rates? Read the article they discuss: 'The irrelevant...

  
• 02.20.2019

  The myth of meritocracy

  In this Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles talk about American aristocracy and why modern meritocracy is anything but fair. Read the article they discuss: 'The most dangerous thing about meritocracy' https://unherd.com/2018/12/the-most-dangerous-thing-about-meritocracy/

  
• 02.18.2019

  The problem with experts

  This Short sees Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin unpack a paradox: the more we know, the more ignorant we become. Read the article they discuss: 'When eggheads are bigger idiots than meatheads': https://unherd.com/2018/12/why-eggheads-can-be-bigger-idiots-than-meatheads/

  
• 02.12.2019

  How politics is poisoning the truth

  UnHerd columnist Graeme Archer joins Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin to discuss how identity politics and the rush to judgement is poisoning debate. Read the two articles behind the Short: 'How politics is poisoning the truth', about the Covington Boys affair: https://unherd.com/2019/01/how-politics-is-poisoning-truth/ 'This...

  
• 02.04.2019

  The second coming of the SDP

  Giles Fraser joins Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin to discuss the UK's broken political system, and whether SDP 2.0 might be the party for the politically homeless. Read the articles they discuss: Could Brexit fix our broken politics? https://unherd.com/2019/01/could-brexit-fix-our-broken-politics/ A party for the politically...

  
• 01.22.2019

  How political correctness corrupts the Right

  In this UnPacked Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin are joined by UnHerd's US Flyover Editor, Henry Olsen, to discuss the four ways in which the Right has the wrong response to the Left's political correctness.

  
• 01.11.2019

  Is Donald Trump the Wizard of Oz?

  In this UnPacked Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin are joined by UnHerd's US Editor Henry Olsen to discuss how 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz' is a populist tale with relevance today.

  
• 12.19.2018

  The West is one crash from chaos

  10 years on from the last financial crisis, all but four countries in the OECD have higher debt to GDP ratios than they had in 2008. In this UnHerd Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin are joined by UnHerd's US-based...

  
• 12.12.2018

  Why populism is a lonely business

  If populism was about economic insecurity, wouldn't young people be casting protest votes en masse? Instead, when it comes to Right-wing populist parties at least, the older you are the more likely you are to support them. In this UnPacked Short,...

  
• 12.05.2018

  How street cred could harm your social cred

  China's much-discussed Social Credit System takes information on everything from jaywalking, to looking after your parents, to buying alcohol, in order to score your trustworthiness as a citizen. In this UnPacked Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin discuss who is most...

  
• 12.04.2018

  NEW UnHerd Podcast: Confessions with Giles Fraser - Trailer

  Subscribe to make sure you don't miss UnHerd's new podcast series featuring columnist Giles Fraser in which he talks to distinguished guests about how their beliefs shape who they are. The first three episodes are out now. Search for 'UnHerd Confessions'...

  
• 11.28.2018

  Is the City of London too big?

  Is London’s financial sector too big? That’s the argument made in a book by former Economist contributor Nicholas Shaxson. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss how size is not the issue, it’s the type of activity the...

  
• 11.19.2018

  How the American Right can recapture the moderate majority

  You'd be forgiven for thinking that American politics is incredibly polarised at the moment. But the truth is that most people are actually somewhere in the middle. Research suggests two-thirds of Americans comprise an 'exhausted majority', unsympathetic to both the ultra-progressive...

  
• 11.09.2018

  What Elizabeth Warren tells us about identity politics

  In a bid to silence Donald Trump and other critics, Massachussetts senator Elizabeth Warren recently released a DNA test she claimed proved her Native American ancestry. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles explore the latest flashpoint in the...

  
• 11.06.2018

  Will China repeat the mistakes of the USSR?

  You need more than concrete to keep an economy going, no matter how much you use. In this UnPacked Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin discuss whether China has the tools for future economic success, and whether its embrace of capitalism...

  
• 10.30.2018

  What Facebook tells us about geography

  Has our digital age made geography irrelevant? In this UnPacked Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin discuss how rather than breaking down geographical barriers, our Facebook connections are reinforcing them.

  
• 10.23.2018

  The vested interests the Tories should take on

  As part of the UnHerd series, 'What's killing conservatism', Peter Franklin took aim at the 'Ten vested interests the Tories failed to tackle'. In this UnHerd Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin pick their top 3 targets, and ask why over the...

  
• 10.11.2018

  Coercive federalism has doomed the EU

  The idea that nationalism and liberalism are enemies ignores the history of Europe. In this week's UnPacked Short, Charlotte Pickles and Peter Franklin discuss how the EU learned the wrong lessons from the fall of Yugoslavia.

  
• 10.08.2018

  Would you like a digital surrogate?

  In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the idea of 'digital surrogates', basic but convincing simulations of human personalities... But do we want to keep Trump tweeting for eternity?

  
• 10.03.2018

  The absurdity of legalising drugs

  Last week, former Lord Chancellor Charles Falconer wrote a mea culpa for UnHerd: 'Why I regret my war on drugs'. In it, he claimed the prohibition of drugs has been a failure, and proposed legalising and regulating all drugs.  In this...

  
• 10.01.2018

  The vacuum at the heart of British politics

  There is a market for a new political party in British politics, but contrary to the views of the liberal elite, the public appetite is not centrist. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the vacuum at...

  
• 09.20.2018

  Why does the Left hate Tolkien?

  JRR Tolkien is reviled by some on the Left as reactionary, even fascist, but that misinterprets his work. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the real meaning of Tolkien's Rings trilogy.

  
• 09.12.2018

  Is it time for a negative land value tax?

  A Land Value Tax is often touted as a way of clawing back from landowners some of the value generated by public investment. But what about in areas in which entire streets have been left to become derelict, and land...

  
• 09.04.2018

  How the robots of the underworld could turn your life upside down

  Cities across the globe are increasingly running out of room to expand – which explains why people are looking underground for more space. And with advancing digging technology, the potential is huge. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte...

  
• 08.29.2018

  How (some) economists finally caught up with financial reality

  Ten years after the financial crash, some economists have finally figured out why they missed it coming. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss these new revelations, and ask: what are the real world implications of too...

  
• 08.10.2018

  How low-paying businesses trap workers

  What can we do about wage stagnation? For a start, ban the use of non-compete and no-poaching clauses. In This UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss how these restrictive contractual agreements now impact millions of low paid workers,...

  
• 08.09.2018

  The Battle For Britain’s Countryside – The Other Brexit Debate

  Brexit will give Britain a chance to rethink its agricultural policy for the first time in decades, so what should we do? In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles ask, is it time to stop subsiding hill farmers...

  
• 08.06.2018

  Is a driverless future all hype?

  Driverless car technology faces substantial technical, commercial and political hurdles. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles ask: is a driverless future all hype?

  
• 08.03.2018

  Is there anyone else out there?

  How likely is it that life is unique to Earth? In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the odds of humans being the only intelligent life in the universe. Read the UnPacked behind the Short here.

  
• 08.01.2018

  The False Promise Of The Vertical City

  Towering skyscrapers are emblematic of our dynamic, global cities – they're also an architectural disaster. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the fundamental flaws in the idea of the vertical city. Read the UnPacked behind the Short here.

  
• 07.24.2018

  UnPacked Shorts – When Communities Take On The Tech Lords And Win

  Can we curb our addition to smart phones? One pioneering school is helping liberate pupils and parents from social media mania. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the ultimate mimetic product and whether community institutions can...

  
• 07.16.2018

  UnPacked Short – The Amish: America’s most sophisticated users of technology

  Before adopting any new technology, America’s Amish minority decide as a community whether it is something that will cause more harm than good. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles ask if this way of life is healthier...

  
• 07.04.2018

  UnPacked Short – Do you have to be rich to give up your smartphone?

  Is disconnecting the new status symbol? In this Unpacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss Simon Cowell's recent decision to stop using his smartphone and ask, is this really something the rest of us can afford to do?

  
• 07.03.2018

  UnPacked Short – June 23rd: An anniversary for George Osborne to celebrate!

  June the 23rd is not only the anniversary of the Brexit vote, but the date four years ago that George Osbourne gave his first Northern Powerhouse speech. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the Northern Powerhouse...

  
• 06.20.2018

  UnPacked Short – Is Europe on the brink of a new Thirty Years’ War?

  It might be 400 since the Thirty Years War, but it is a subject that Angela Merkel is currently much interested in. Could Europe be heading for another period of serious unrest? In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte...

  
• 06.18.2018

  UnPacked Short – How Thatcher’s Heirs Can Revive Popular Capitalism

  "The problem with Thatcherism is that eventually you run out of other people assets". In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss whether Thatcher's dream of "popular capitalism" can be revived by government creating new assets.

  
• 06.14.2018

  UnPacked Short – How to introduce a Land Value Tax

  In the UK, the top 10% own 45% of the nations wealth, while the bottom 50% owns less than 10% – is it time to tax wealth? In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the merits of...

  
• 06.14.2018

  Giles Fraser in conversation with: Vicky Beeching

  Giles Fraser is joined by religious commentator and musician, Vicky Beeching, to discuss the conflict in her life between the church and her sexuality.

  
• 06.11.2018

  UnPacked Short – Could the Chinese Communist Party win votes in the West?

  The Communist Party of China is organising abroad, so the prospect of them fielding candidates in the West is not too farfetched. In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss the likelihood of such move and ask, would...

  
• 06.08.2018

  Niall Ferguson – Free markets and migration clip

  Niall Ferguson – Free markets and migration clip by UnHerd

  
• 06.08.2018

  Marco Rubio – The impacts of technology and globalisation clip

  Marco Rubio speaks to Juliet Samuel about his new thinking on the impacts of tech and globalisation. This clip is taken from UnHerd's latest audio documentary: "Taking on China: how the West can save free trade" https://unherd.com/2018/05/taking-china-west-can-save-free-trade/

  
• 06.06.2018

  UnPacked Short – Should the rich be allowed to destroy their own wealth?

  Would you buy gold dusted chicken wings? In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin is joined by Charlotte Pickles to debate whether the rich should be allowed to destroy their own wealth – and the two don't entirely agree.

  
• 06.05.2018

  UnPacked Short – ‘Unconscious Bias Training’ Doesn’t Work

  In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss 'unconscious bias' in hiring practices – and why training doesn't work.

  
• 06.01.2018

  UnPacked Short – Free speech, blasphemy and structural discrimination

  In this UnPacked Short, Peter Franklin and Charlotte Pickles discuss structural discrimination, how it applies to religion and why the progressive Left are selective in calling it out.