Novara Media

I did manage to miss that..

I listened a Bastani interview with a total dickhead, a godawful ex-macroeconomist (whatever the fuck one of them is) podcaster with nothing insightful to say about anything. His schtick was "we used to live in unipolar world but since the collapse of the USSR it's a multipolar world" - wow, mind blown. It was just two horrible men talking over each other. Somehow I lasted an hour, but I was busy cooking and it was on in the background.

Guys is the quashing of human rights a bad thing if it gets the trains to run on time, I’m a “liberal leftist”

From late last year but found this interesting on Bukele and El Salvador, which filled me in a bit more on something I wasn't too familiar with

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEI6gDJBCZ0

Its a bit more focused on what might happen next and likely directions than anything else, at least with 2 of the 3 guests. Probably old news but instructive for me at least

y'know, the word Strasserite is overused (by me) but

An interesting development

I’m a Christian. I think killing unarmed civilians is bad. That’s why I think Israel should be isolated like never before by the entire international community.

What they did was daft, yes. I said that and I believe it.

— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) February 15, 2024

They haven't been on my timelines for a while

I think that’s a great way to raise kids, but it doesn’t mean it’s true!

— Michael Walker (@michaeljswalker) April 11, 2024

wtf is going on with these cunts. Bastani's been a lost cause for a while, now this guy's terfing it up, is this thew new RCP->Spiked pipeline or something?

I remember being surprised by Novara's low YouTube subscriber count before, given their profile booking by the BBC (250K subscribers didn't seem appropriate for something not entirely organic). I checked now and they've almost tripled to 732K which is a big move in 18 months and starting to at least be in the ballpark of respectable (great if not for their relative high media profile middling otherwise)

But then I checked Spiked. 97K subscribers, and their last video (on the topic of woke) got 14K views

aren't Spiked still funded by the Charles Koch Foundation? They can live with low numbers on YT

I presumed they were funded by someone like that, plus I assume still get the same promotional boost from the BBC that Novara does. Its just interesting that in both cases they don't really have any actual viewers of their own (though I'd say Novara's increase from looking last time is now pulling them out of that category).

That being said, the BBC or mainstream outlets that promote these kind of things probably don't have great viewership/readership figures either

not too surprised as walker never seemed like the most nuanced thinker in the first place. re the yt channel, i find the fox news editorialised presenting style (lots of rhetorical questioning to the viewer etc) v off putting. my partner and I were wondering what james butler makes of it these days.

it's embarrassing enough that Bastani keeps doing these sycophantic brownnosing sessions with Hitchens. He had this guest on called Gary Stephenson, who he introduced with effusive praise ... oh this guy is so insightful and amazing ... we had a zillion views last time he was on etc. He was a tedious mockney city trader caricature with nothing insightful to say about capitalism other than the bleeding obvious. Really annoying prettyboy who loves himself and has a book to plug. If it wasn't for Ash Sakar and Moya McLean I'd probably block this channel.

There's not much good news these but Spiked contributers regularly turning up on the BBC and Sky seems to be a thing of the past. I assume that's down to the advent of GB News and Talk TV.

I am writing this statement as unfortunately Novara Media have left me little choice. In light of the organization’s refusal to address the actions of one of its senior employees that led to the persecution of three young women of color and their ultimate conviction under the…

— Mohammed El-Kurd (@m7mdkurd) April 15, 2024

Lol @ Bastani is out of control

Statement in reference to tweet of 15 April. pic.twitter.com/TllW35rotT

— Novara Media (@novaramedia) April 17, 2024

doubling down on it while one of the women he helped get arrested is a Palestinian refugee who is now having her immigration status reviewed. An absolute fucking scumbag.

Acting and excusing themselves like any other company lol

My response to the recent tweet, and statement, made by Mohammed El-Kurd on 15 April. pic.twitter.com/6pn4WtMHBD

— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) April 17, 2024