Paul English Live 100925 Snubs, Schacht, and Showbiz: A Skeptic’s Tour of Power and Propaganda

On this week’s Paul English Live I kicked off with a few technical tweaks and two fitting tunes from The Divine Comedy, using their wry eye (and “Infernal Machines”) to frame a bigger conversation about propaganda, history and who gets to write the story of a nation. With Eric von Essex in the co‑pilot seat and guest Frederick Blackburn dropping in from the Appalachians, we unpacked competing narratives of World War II, Churchill’s legacy, David Irving’s claims, and the enduring power of banking and bureaucracy—from Montagu Norman and Hjalmar Schacht to today’s alphabet‑soup of institutions. We also detoured through the Jesse Owens “Hitler snub” myth, why background‑music‑over‑clips drives broadcasters mad, and why so many still feel demoralized by the administrative state. In the second hour we tackled reparations headlines (including Sir Lenny Henry’s £18T talking point), Legalman’s “Barnum World,” and the difference between top‑down stories and the lives people actually lead. We touched on Restore Britain’s new mass‑deportations policy paper, free‑speech fights on campus, and the way culture—songs, photos, and even coach rides on the National Express—can reveal what a people really value. It’s a rambunctious, irreverent, and candid tour through history, media, money, and morale—all with our regular blend of gallows humor, skepticism, and a few sing‑along choruses.'Paul English Live' (official site): https://paulenglishlive.com/'The Divine Comedy' (official site): https://thedivinecomedy.com/'National Express' (UK coach operator): https://www.nationalexpress.com/'National Express' — song overview (The Divine Comedy): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Express_%28song%29Caravan Palace (official site): https://www.caravanpalace.com/Was Jesse Owens snubbed by Hitler? (Britannica explainer): https://www.britannica.com/story/was-jesse-owens-snubbed-by-adolf-hitler-at-the-berlin-olympicsHoover Institution YouTube (Uncommon Knowledge and more): https://www.youtube.com/user/HooverInstitutionVictor Davis Hanson — profile (Hoover Institution): https://www.hoover.org/profiles/victor-davis-hansonRestore Britain — “Mass Deportations: Legitimacy, Legality, and Logistics” (policy paper): https://www.restorebritain.org.uk/pp_mass_deportations_legitimacy_legality_and_logisticsReal News and History — Mike King (site): https://realnewsandhistory.com/Erwin Chemerinsky — Dean, Berkeley Law (official page): https://www.law.berkeley.edu/about-us/leadership/dean-of-the-law-school/Bank for International Settlements — About: https://www.bis.org/about/index.htmHjalmar Schacht (background): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hjalmar_SchachtMontagu Norman (background): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montagu_Norman,_1st_Baron_NormanThomas Pellow — Barbary captivity narrative (background): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_PellowThomas Sowell on Uncommon Knowledge — related episode listing: https://sowell.org/videos/88Appalachian State University (official site): https://www.appstate.edu/David Irving — Focal Point Publications (homepage): https://wp.fpp.co.uk/homepage/'Barnum World' (film listing): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt32203948/