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If You’re Listening — News & Politics
If You’re Listening

The world is on fire. There’s a coup. Inflation is through the roof, and AI is taking our jobs. What does it all mean? Each week, Matt Bevan explains the biggest story in world news while hiding in his basement from assassins and authoritarian regimes.

Recent episodes include an exploration of the relationship between India and China, a closer look at the Saudi Arabian city of NEOM, the conflict in the Middle East, the assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Iran, and Ukraine’s incursions into Vladimir Putin’s Russia. Matt Bevan draws connections between stories from the past and the events of the present to help listeners understand world news and international affairs.

The podcast also features series about big moments in world news; previous series have focused on the United States presidential election, the United Kingdom’s 14 years of Conservative Party leadership, Donald Trump’s relationship with Russia, Donald Trump’s presidency and promise to Make America Great Again, the Mueller Report, Vladimir Putin’s scheme to destroy western democracies, how the relationship between Australia and China came to the verge of collapse, and Australia’s turbulent history with climate change.

There’s a new episode of If You’re Listening every Thursday.

Latest Episodes:

Why Hezbollah is attacking Israel in the Golan Heights Aug 29, 2024

Show notes

It’s a dangerous moment for the Middle East. Israel and Hezbollah exchanged heavy fire over the weekend, including attacks on a pretty unique pocket of farmland — an Israeli-annexed area called the Golan Heights. In 2019 then-President Donald Trump broke with the rest of the international community and recognised it as part of Israel. There’s even an Israeli settlement named after him. Now, the world is watching the Golan Heights closely, fearful that fighting there could escalate and become a massive regional conflict.

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ChypAR3VoTs?si=xqd83_k1xcRgCRFd

Could calling Trump 'weird' lead the Democrats to victory? Aug 22, 2024

Show notes

A shift is on display at the Democratic National Convention—from fear of Donald Trump to mocking him. After years of arguing Trump is dangerous, the Democratic pick for Vice President Tim Walz is changing the party’s attack strategy, calling their opponents 'weird'. This potential path to victory is not seen as very presidential. But could it work?

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GnsBdPelMus?si=5x6EbHdto2MTIbo-

How Israel changed the way it assassinates enemies Aug 15, 2024

Show notes

In the early hours of July 31 this year, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh was assassinated in the Iranian capital Tehran. It's presumed Israel was behind the killing, with reports detailing a complex operation by its spy agency Mossad. So if it was Israel that did this, why did they do it in such an extraordinary manner, and in Iran of all places? The answer tells us a lot about the complex political situation Israel finds itself in, where it feels the need for revenge, but only in a way that doesn’t alienate its allies.

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GnsBdPelMus?si=8o31L61GJ54rqwMS

The truth about Kamala Harris’s time as ‘border czar’ Aug 08, 2024

Show notes

Since Kamala Harris became his opponent in the race for US president, Donald Trump has argued that she is responsible for a migrant crisis. He says President Joe Biden named her the ‘border czar’, in charge of dealing with the unprecedented number of people attempting to cross the US-Mexico border. It’s a policy area that the Trump campaign hopes will win him the election in November. So what’s real, and what’s fake, when it comes to Kamala Harris and the US border?

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/stoydTTN4Ko?si=Odsb3GqhrMLxaJs4

How Kamala went from unelectable to unopposed Aug 01, 2024

Show notes

Kamala Harris is the Democratic party’s presumptive nominee for President of the United States. But four years ago, she didn’t even make it to the first primary vote. They needed to pick someone who would beat Donald Trump, and Harris just wasn’t ‘electable’ enough. Whatever that means. So if she wasn’t electable then, is she electable now?

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zaDnCZHrE_g?si=Gb5TMhlaP5VNSnw2

Will Biden leaving send the Democrats into chaos? Jul 22, 2024

Show notes

After weeks of speculation and acrimony, President Joe Biden has abandoned his bid for re-election, and endorsed his Vice President Kamala Harris to be his successor.

This scenario has happened once before - late in the election cycle, a President bailed out and tried to hand over power to their Vice President. The subsequent chaos at the 1968 Democratic convention is legendary, and is something the party will be desperate to avoid in 2024.

How America was primed for Trump shooting conspiracies Jul 18, 2024

Show notes

When 20-year-old Thomas Matthew Crooks shot at former-President Donald Trump on July 13, the American public was ready with conspiracy theories explaining how and why he did it.

And that shouldn’t come as a shock. Most Americans think President John F Kennedy was assassinated as part of a conspiracy, either by the US Government, Cubans, or the Mafia.

They’re primed to believe their government is keeping secrets from them—because it is.

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://youtu.be/N2kVorMQgQA?si=dSyQHCC1idJJnHoy

Who Broke Britain: What took Labour so long? Jul 11, 2024

Show notes

Last week, the UK Labour Party won the general election in a landslide victory.

In the past four episodes we've detailed the chaos, ineptitude and hubris of the Conservative Party during their time in office.

So you might be thinking, what took the Labour Party so long to get elected?

On the final episode of our Who Broke Britain series, how Labour went to war with itself — over policy, factions, personalities, Brexit, and anti-Semitism.

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IpFHEvMWZM&list=PLDTPrMoGHssAfgMMS3L5LpLNFMNp1U_Nq

Who Broke Britain 4: Stop the boats Jul 04, 2024

Show notes

The UK election is being held today and polls indicate the Conservative Party will lose in a landslide.

One of the key policies the government is running on is a version of Australia's offshore immigration detention policy, which was launched by prime minister John Howard in the lead-up to the 2001 election.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's two year fight over this policy has not only been a colossal failure, it will likely drag the Tories down with it.

So as the UK decides on their next Prime Minister, we're asking, who really broke Britain?

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Check out our series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRNiyPh4__E

Who Broke Britain 3: The NHS in crisis Jun 27, 2024

Show notes

Britain's National Health Service was in crisis when COVID arrived in the UK.

After years of increasing demand and flatlining funding, the NHS was deeply broken.

One Chancellor called the NHS "the closest thing the English people have to a religion", so how was it left to fall into disrepair, on the edge of collapse, right as a catastrophic pandemic hit?

This is part 3 of our series, Who Broke Britain.

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Check out our Who Broke Britain series on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vobIKYrfZwg

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