Ep84. Through the Looking Glass: Trump’s Appointments and Can Starmer do Global Leadership?

Nov 26, 2024

Dive into the chaos of Trump's controversial appointments and their impact on American institutions. Explore the evolving legal challenges Trump faces while pondering whether Biden's approach has been too timid. Meet Xela Llah Llah, a quirky alter-ego providing insights from beyond the political looking glass. Shift focus to Starmer's role in global leadership and his COP appearance, questioning the future of multilateralism. The discussion blends humor with serious political critique, showcasing complex character dynamics and the state of UK politics.

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Intro

00:00 • 2min

Chaos and Controversy: Navigating Trump's Appointments

01:43 • 19min

Concerns over the Supreme Court and Biden's Foreign Policy

20:57 • 12min

Examining Contrasting Views on Climate Change and Energy Independence

32:57 • 2min

Eccentric Characters and Holiday Discussions

34:43 • 2min

Navigating Political Turmoil

37:05 • 8min

Exploring Zella's Life and Patriotism

44:55 • 2min

We have crossed through the looking glass – Up is Down, Disorder is Order, Vice is Virtue, Felony is a Positive, and Rape Convictions are a reason to get a cabinet position. With Trump unsurprisingly appointing disruptors to his administration, Global Disorder beckons. How did we get here? Seemingly because Biden wasn’t bold enough in trying to assert order. Is Starmer making the same mistake?

In this episode, Jason and Alex discuss what will happen to the ongoing legal cases against Trump, the forthcoming Trump administration’s attempts to disorder and dismantle American institutions and checks and balances, and the likely evolution of the Supreme Court. After a lengthy discussion of the initial proposal of Matt Gaetz’s as Attorney General and his subsequent withdrawal, Alex introduces listeners to Xela Llah Llah, her Trump-voting alter-ego who lives on the other side of the looking glass and who will occasionally be coming on the podcast to explain politics from her point of view.

After some wise words from Xela which ‘help us empathize with the other side’, Jason and Alex turn their attention back to the UK, looking at whether Starmer’s appearance at COP means anything, and how (if at all) he can push to become a more prominent global leader on a range of issues. In a rather downbeat and informal Ordering the Disorder segment, we examine the future of multilateralism and the global political order (is there any such thing anymore?)

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Show Notes Links

Matt Gaetz’s Bio and why Criminality leads to loyalty: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-daily/id1200361736?i=1000677307816

On Matt Gaetz’s replacement Pam Bondi: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/us/politics/pam-bondi-attorney-general-trump.html

And for a Trump Cabinet Tracker: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/us/politics/trump-administration-cabinet-appointees.html

Also a link back to last week’s episode discussing how Starmer should be bolder: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/ep83-trump-derangement-syndrome-with-the-two-matts/id1706818264?i=1000677421360

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