Outside Politics

The British government keep delaying a border poll on ending the partition of Ireland. But they cannot stop the growing discussion on what a united Ireland might look like. This episode explores the vision originally presented by the great Irish socialist, James Connolly.

Body appearance is hyped up in modern capitalism. Being 'attractive' is supposed to lead to greater 'confidence'. But there are beauty standards to live up to - standards which constantly change and which are often unattainable. This episode looks at how the global beauty industry manipulates our desires and feelings.

This episode looks at the situation of content managers and AI Annotators who work at the Covalen site in Sandyford, Dublin. They have recently taken strike action, and this has unveiled many of the unsavoury aspects of the Irish tech industry.

How should the left respond to the protests in Iran? They should support people fighting austerity but reject any intervention by Donald Trump or Israel. The Western media implies that people would prefer a monarchy to an Islamic dictatorship. But nobody should be fooled by this. The Pahlavi dynasty was brutal and subservient to the USA. There is no going back,

There is a lot of hype about Artificial Intelligence. We should not just talk about technology, but about its social implications.This episode looks at the links between AI and the US security state.It suggests that AI will be caught up in the boom-bust cycle of capitalism. Before it does so, it will help a small number of individuals make a fortune. There are, however, grave consequences for others.,Finally, the episode looks at the damaging effects of AI on the environment.

The US has no right to operate as the world's policeman. Nor should they be able to 'run' a country like Venezuela. But there is one advantage with Trump - he is so blatant about his policies. There is no talk of democracy or freedom. It is all about oil and serving the interests of the big US corporations. We are returning to the days of open, naked imperialism. It will only stoke up resentment and rebellion. Speed the day.