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Deep States and Blobs: Who really runs the world?
34:46|Elon Musk and his DOGE squad continue their crusade against government bodies, slashing departments and firing federal employees. This, apparently, is done in the name of stripping things back, maximising efficiency and getting rid of the dark forces that obstruct government productivity. But where did the idea of federal employees as a powerful force come from? And does it exist elsewhere in the world? Rohan Venkat, Emily Tamkin and Tom Hamilton discuss how countries view their own civil servants and federal employees.Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/19/canadian-detained-us-immigration-jasmine-mooneyhttps://www.lrb.co.uk/blog/2025/january/everyone-has-their-reasonshttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/trump-doge-firing-federal-employees-ivy-league-jobs.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/19/health/food-safety-trump-fda-cutbacks-deadly-outbreaks.html (if only they’d published this before we recorded!)Subscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWS
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Trumponomics: Is Wall Street still behind the President?
34:49|With Donald Trump’s ongoing trade wars, the markets have been rattled. Tariffs come and go, but uncertainty remains. As for the American people, who were promised cheaper every day items, are they seeing more money in their pockets? Will eggs ever be a normal price again? And if not, are voter’s ready to grin and bear short term financial pain? Rohan Venkat, Tom Hamilton and Emily Tamkin discuss.Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/paradox-trumps-economic-weaponModi's India (book)https://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-14474223/Donald-Trump-unprincipled-narcissistic-charlatan-democracy-ANDREW-NEIL.htmlhttps://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/13/us/politics/trump-manufacturing-economy-risk.htmlSubscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWSTrump vs the World: how is the President being handled around the globe?
31:41|Trump 2.0 has been characterised by unpredictability. In recent days, we’ve seen a tariff war with Canada and Mexico, a shouting match in the Oval Office and the reignited call to welcome Greenland in to United States territory. So how is this unpredictability being handled by international leaders, and how do the common public feel about him abroad? Rohan Venkat, Emily Tamkin and Tom Hamilton discuss.Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://www.techdirt.com/2025/03/04/why-techdirt-is-now-a-democracy-blog-whether-we-like-it-or-not/https://themorningcontext.com/chaos/trumps-white-house-drama-with-zelenskyy-creates-strategic-nightmare-for-indiahttps://www.phenomenalworld.org/analysis/europe-enters-its-metal-era/Subscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWSHow the West was Lost: Has America retreated from the world?
27:51|Donald Trump has ripped up the rulebook on post-war Western defence strategy, indicating that conflict in Europe is Europe’s problem. What does this shift mean for those caught between Russia and the USA? Is the Western world ready to go without the backing of the USA? Rohan Venkat, Emily Tamkin and Tom Hamilton discuss.Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://snyder.substack.com/p/recoup-the-costshttps://thecritic.co.uk/the-ukrainian-minerals-myth/https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/02/trump-ukraine-russia-war-started-zelensky-putin-rakusan.htmlhttps://zygaro.substack.com/p/three-years-of-war?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2396897&post_id=157813064&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=isdo&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=emailhttps://www.africanistperspective.com/p/american-aid-cutsdisruptionsSubscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWSGermany Votes: Who will be the next chancellor?
31:11|Since 2021, Olaf Scholz has been the Social Democrat chancellor of Germany. But in November, his three way coalition collapsed in spectacular fashion. Now, the country is off to the polling booths.So, who are the front-runners and what could German leadership look like in the near future? And how has Elon Musk injected himself in to the equation? Rohan Venkat and Emily Tamkin discuss with Carol Schaeffer, an American journalist based in Germany. She has written for The Nation, Smithsonian Magazine, ProPublica, The Atlantic, and other publications.Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/02/17/marco-rubio-state-department-toosi-00204407https://theprint.in/opinion/india-us-ties-stuck-in-cute-acronyms-delhi-must-wait-out-the-chaos/2497844/Subscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWSA Bruised Opposition: How did the BJP gain New Delhi after 27 years?
38:55|The BJP have won big in New Delhi, a seat of huge symbolic importance to the party. But how did they cross the line after such a long time in the doldrums? And how did they silence Arvind Kejriwal, the, now former, Chief Minister of New Delhi and a significant thorn in Modi’s back during the last general election? Tom Hamilton, Emily Tamkin and Rohan Venkat are joined by Dhrubo Jyoti, Senior Editor at the Hindustan Times.Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://www.ft.com/content/65e2baaf-b71f-4d63-a717-d8a111392537https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/07/india/india-trump-shackles-deportations-intl-hnk/index.htmlhttps://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-swung-the-vote-in-delhi-polls-ideology-101739041081422.htmlhttps://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-swung-the-vote-in-delhi-polls-class-101739041261641.htmlhttps://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/what-swung-the-vote-in-delhi-polls-welfare-101739041382384.htmlSubscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWSHow to Dismantle a Democracy: is Slovakia's democratic project doomed?
39:30|Slovakia is at a turning point. The Prime Minister, Robert Fico, has been signalling a tilt towards a pro-Russian style of governing. However, with widespread peaceful protests across the country, is this plan working? Investigative journalist, Tomáš Madleňák, speaks to Emily Tamkin and Tom Hamilton about Fico’s Slovakia and why this shift to electoral authoritarianism is so concerning. Here are the Trike Recommendations from this episode:https://vsquare.org/vladimir-putin-robert-fico-kremlin-visit-moscow-social-media-viral-posts-inauthentic-accounts/https://vsquare.org/donate/https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/opinion/trump-musk-federal-government.htmlhttps://www.amazon.com/Democracy-Its-Critics-Robert-Dahl/dp/0300049382Subscribe below to our contributors' Substacks:ET Write Home by Emily Tamkin (via Emily's Substack you can also listen to an ad-free version of the show)India Inside Out by Rohan VenkatDividing Lines by Tom HamiltonThe Political Tricycle is a Podot podcast.It's presented by Emily Tamkin, Tom Hamilton and Rohan Venkat.Executive Producer: Nick Hilton.For sales and advertising, email nick@podotpods.comTo watch a video version of the show, go to COOLER.NEWS