Best of the Spectator

Ben Domenech, editor at large of Spectator World, joins Freddy Gray to discuss the pro-Trump establishment of the Republican party, Trump's approach to the Tea Party, changing dynamics of the party-people relationship, absence of debates and its impact on the primary process, challenges of popular governors as presidential candidates, and Trump's policy positions and his association with a certain wing of argument.

Discover the early American involvement in China's economic success, including President Nixon's visit to China. Explore the motivations behind the US-China trade relationship and the shift in dynamics after the global financial crisis. The podcast also discusses the need for a global economic restructuring and the competition between the US and China in AI.

Bob Jensen, an academic and writer, discusses his feminist critique of pornography, disillusionment with the left, and the impact of cancel culture. Topics include challenges faced within left movements, contradictions in the left's approach to the trans issue, and debunking stereotypes about feminist women and their relationships with men.

For this special Americano podcast, Freddy Gray is in New Hampshire with the Spectator US team, Matt McDonald and Zach Christenson covering the chilly primaries. Are both Ron De Santis and Nikki Haley's defeat a foregone conclusion?

This week: Spectator editor Fraser Nelson on why the Emirati ownership of the magazine matters (00:30), Robert Hardman on the time the King could have poisoned Rishi Sunak (06:24) and Michael Simmons on why sobriety isn't worth it (13:02).

Theo Clarke is Conservative MP for Stafford. She is the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Kenya and sits on the International Development Select Committee. Before being elected she set up and sold her business and then went on to be Chief Executive of an international development charity backed by Bill Gates. Theo got involved in politics after the election expenses scandal and stood in Bristol East in 2015 and 2017. She currently Chairs the All Party Parliamentary Group on Birth Trauma and recently launched a national inquiry into this issue.

This week: The Spectator’s cover story looks at how Britain is sobering up, forgoing alcohol in favour of alcohol free alternatives. In his piece, Henry Jeffreys – author of Empire of Booze – attacks the vice of sobriety and argues that the abstinence of young Britons will have a detrimental impact on the drinks industry and British culture. He joins the podcast alongside Camilla Tominey, associate editor of the Telegraph and a teetotaler. (01:27)Also this week: could Mongolia be the next geopolitical flashpoint? The Spectator’s Wild Life columnist Aidan Hartley writes in the magazine about Mongolia’s fate, as the country tries to juggle a historic relationship with China and Russia, with desires for a stronger association with the West. Aidan joins us alongside Sergey Radchenko, the Wilson E. Schmidt Distinguished Professor at the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, to discuss Mongolia’s dilemma. (17:10)And finally: why isn’t Lenin as reviled as some of history’s other villains? To coincide with the centenary of Vladimir Lenin’s death, James Bartholomew writes about the increase in pro-Lenin sympathy amongst young people. He says that despite Lenin’s many crimes, around 15% of young people approve of him. To discuss James's article, Lara speaks to Robert Service, author of Lenin: A Biography. (27:39)Hosted by William Moore and Lara Prendergast. Produced by Oscar Edmondson. Applications to join the Spectator’s broadcast team will close on Sunday. So if you noticed any mistakes in this podcast, any inaccuracies or perhaps even a sloppy editing job in this podcast, then you could be exactly who we need. To apply, follow the link: https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/wanted-a-broadcast-producer-for-the-spectator-2/

In this week’s Book Club podcast, I’m joined by Rebecca Boyle to talk about her new book Our Moon: A Human History. She tells me how we know that the moon is more than just an inert lump of rock in the sky and how the whole of human life  – and civilisation – may depend on it.

Alexandra Collier, Melbourne-based writer, discusses her experience with IVF, the theatricality of restaurants, and the importance of community in raising a child. They also touch on their earliest memories of food, their career in writing, and their favorite comfort foods.

The podcast discusses the controversy surrounding the Vatican's new blessings for gay couples and the disunity it has caused within the Catholic Church. It explores the provocative book on the theology of orgasms published by Cardinal Fernandez, which has distanced leading cardinals from Pope Francis. The episode also delves into the controversy surrounding Pope Francis and his handling of sex abuse allegations, as well as the shifting power dynamics within the Church.