Get it on Google Play

Downstream: The West is Over. Here’s Why w/ Pankaj Mishra

Downstream: The West is Over. Here’s Why w/ Pankaj Mishra

Author: Novara Media August 3, 2026 Duration: 1:38:19
Novara Media
NewsCulturePhilosophyPoliticsSocietySociety & Culture

In the years since October 7th, the world has been bitterly polarised over how to make sense of the violence. While polling shows that a majority of people do believe Israel’s actions amount to genocide – having witnessed it with their own eyes via their smartphones – it has been woefully hard to find mainstream media outlets in the West prepared to use this language.

On Downstream this week, Aaron Bastani sat down with Indian essayist and novelist Pankaj Mishra. His most recent book, ‘The World After Gaza’ takes stock of a world order shattered by the genocide, and a media class unprepared to recognise the truth. In response to these crises, Mishra and colleagues have just launched Equator magazine, pulling together leading writers from across the globe who are unafraid to tell the truth.

When did the so-called West first begin to lose standing in the eyes of the rest of the world? Why is the British media class positioned so uniquely close to power, so delusional, and so compromised over Gaza? Will China replace America, in the coming century, as the new hegemonic power? Has it already?


Tune in to Novara Media for a distinct and probing take on the world as it is, and as it could be. This independent podcast offers a necessary space for the conversations often sidelined elsewhere, weaving together sharp analysis of current affairs with deeper explorations of culture, philosophy and power. Each episode naturally delves into the interconnected crises shaping our time-be it the fraying edges of our economic system, the urgent fight for climate justice, or the enduring struggles against structural inequality. The discussions are built on a foundation of radical thought and a commitment to imagining alternatives, moving beyond the day's headlines to examine the root causes and potential futures. Hosted by the team at Novara Media, the audio format brings a direct, engaging and often challenging perspective, featuring interviews, panel debates and solo commentaries that refuse simplistic answers. It’s for anyone who finds mainstream narratives insufficient and is looking for a podcast that treats politics, society and culture as the complex, urgent and deeply human matters they truly are.
Author: Language: en-gb Episodes: 50

Official website RSS
instagramyoutubetiktokredditlinkedinsoundcloud
Novara Media
Podcast Episodes
Burnham Vows To Tackle Youth Unemployment [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:25:35
Andy Burnham has said he is “on a mission” to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training (NEETs), but has stopped short of pledging a concrete target. Plus: The number of millionaires in B…
Downstream: Who Profits From Genocide? w/ Andrew Feinstein [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:32:41
A new consensus has emerged in Westminster, seemingly overnight: we need more defence spending, and we need it now. But the Ministry of Defence has a record for waste that would put Tony Soprano to shame. £13 billion dow…
Downstream: You Will Rent Forever. Here’s Why. w/ Peter Apps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:48:00
We live in times of crisis. But perhaps none of the crises affect so many people in the here and now, as the housing crisis. Solving it could provide the skeleton key to unlocking so many of society’s problems. Despite t…
ACFM Microdose: Marcus Aurelius’s Meditations [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:36:46
The Meditations of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius are perhaps the best-selling self-help book of all time. Rooted in the rational philosophy of the Stoics, the 12 books offer a stream of personal musings on everything fro…
Do Your Own Research: The True Cost of AI Girlfriends w/ James Muldoon [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:15:25
AI boyfriends and girlfriends are all the rage – for some. For others, they just inspire rage. So what’s the truth about these seductive machines? Do they open up our erotic potential, or are they just an absurd fantasy?…
Downstream: Who Really Won the War on Drugs? w/ Kojo Koram [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:20:40
Last year, Zack Polanski’s Green Party suggested changes could be made to Britain’s prohibitionist approach to drugs – and felt the full force of the mainstream media’s indignation. But all over the world, the War on Dru…

«12345»