276 | Jill Lepore on the Destructive Power of Tech

David talks to the American historian Jill Lepore about the damage new technology can do to democracy, from the 1960s to the present. Who first tried to manipulate the minds of the electorate? Where did the money come from? What happened when the same technology was applied to fighting the Vietnam War? Plus we discuss US presidential elections from 1960 to 2020: do the machines really decide who is going to win, and if he does win this time, what might Joe Biden be able to do about it?

275 | The Incompetence of Boris Johnson

This week we talk about the politics of incompetence: when does it matter and when can politicians get away with it.  Have repeated u-turns during the pandemic damaged the government?  Has Nicola Sturgeon had a better crisis than Boris Johnson or is it just competence theatre?   Is the government's incompetence going to be enough to get Keir Starmer into Downing Street?  With Helen Thompson, Chris Brooke and Chris Bickerton.

274 | The Politics of Loneliness

David talks to economist and author Noreena Hertz about loneliness and its impact on all our lives.  How does the experience of loneliness shape contemporary democracy?  What kind of politics could make us feel more connected?  Can technology bring us together or is it driving us further apart?  Plus we discuss the consequences of the pandemic for the future of work and the possibility of building a better world.

273 | Thomas Piketty: Three Years On

We revisit our interview with the economist Thomas Piketty recorded the week Emmanuel Macron won the French presidency and David and Helen ask what we have learned since.  Where does Macron fit on the
left/right political spectrum?  What has his cult of personality done to French politics?  And are we anywhere nearer knowing how to tackle the problem of inequality?  The last in our series of updates from the Talking Politics archive.

272 | Has Covid Rescued Europe?

This week we look at the big changes in European politics during the crisis and ask who has managed to turn it around.  Is Italy now a model for crisis management?  Has there been a reorientation in German politics under Merkel?  Can the EU rescue fund really rescue the European project?  Plus we discuss the long-term implications of big state politics for the future of Europe.  With Helen Thompson, Lucia Rubinelli and Hans Kundnani.

271 | Judith Butler: Then and Now

This week two conversations with the feminist theorist and writer Judith Butler: one recorded the week Trump won the presidency in 2016 and one recorded a few days ago, as his presidency (just maybe) approaches its end.  We reflect on what has changed over the last four years, what has stayed the same, and whether our worst fears were realised.  Plus Judith tells us what she sees when she sees Biden and what she hopes might come next.  Two linked conversations about misogyny, racism, representation, empowerment, hope, rage, and the damage one man can do to democracy.