Ep45. Part 2: Is Britain in the Moral Superiority Industry?

Jun 11, 2024

Investigative journalist Tom Burgis discusses the link between corruption in Kazakhstan and donations to the Tory party, revealing how money influences elite access in the UK. They explore potential solutions to combat illegal money flows and prevent illicit gains from shaping campaign donations.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Why Bribery?

Middlemen and bribes are necessary in corrupt systems because secrecy allows for rent extraction.
Kleptocrats prioritize personal gain over transparent processes.

INSIGHT

Moral Superiority as a Commodity

The British elite sells access to "moral superiority."
This access is a commodity like oil or coltan.

ANECDOTE

Meetings for Show

Libyan officials value meetings with US lobbyists and officials for the perceived prestige.
These meetings, though often performative, enhance their image of power and legitimacy.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

The sordid tale of Tory mega donor, Mohamed Amersi, and his libel suit against Charlotte Leslie was an attempt to turn money into control over the truth. To our mind, there is no greater example of how the underlying principles of our era of Global Enduring Disorder connect bribery in Kazakhstan and Kathmandu to Brexit, the Ukraine war, and shadowy consultancies which offer pay-for-play access to the British elite.

In part 2 of Jason’s conversation with Tom Burgis, the duo talk about some of the biggest corruption cases in British history, how the complex story of post-Cold War deregulation has fuelled both global corruption and donations to the Tory party. This story has surprising implications for who has access to the British royal family and fundamentally who owns the truth.

After the interview, Jason and Alex ‘Order the Disorder’ by discussing whether increased international co-ordination can curtail illegal money flows, and what a potential incoming Starmer-led Labour government could do domestically to prevent illicit gains from being recycled into campaign donations.

Twitter: @DisorderShow

Subscribe to our Substack: https://natoandtheged.substack.com/

Website: https://natoandtheglobalenduringdisorder.com/

Producer: George McDonagh

Exec Producer: Neil Fearn

Show Notes Links

Get Tom’s book Cuckooland: Where the Rich Own the Truth https://tomburgis.com/cuckooland

Read the New Stateman’s, ‘Britain’s new oligarchy

Tom Burgis’s Cuckooland shows how the power to shape our politics is available to the highest bidder.’ https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/book-of-the-day/2024/03/britain-new-oligarchy-tom-burgis-cuckooland

For more on CMEC’s visit to rogue Libyan general Haftar: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libyan-general-haftar-meets-uk-conservative-delegation

For more on Mohamed Amersi and his liable suit against Charlotte Leslie, read Tom’s ‘Tory fundraising machine to come under scrutiny in UK court case’ in the FT here: https://www.ft.com/content/fcf90497-e283-4645-b18f-d95d35ff3fcd

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices