Heart Yoga Radio

LAO TZU 31

This episode of our Lao Tzu series deals with Chapter 44 of the Tao Te Ching. This chapter urges us not to be too caught up the pursuit of wealth and status but to find peace in alignment with the Tao. [Free. 18 minutes.]

REASON ON REASON 1 - MAPPING THE TERRAIN

This podcast introduces our series on the nature of reason by mapping the terrain that needs to be covered. It does not attempt definition of reason but rather explores the uses the terms 'reason' and 'rationality' are put to. As well as being a vital questioning in its own right, this series aims to support our contention, made in other podcasts, that fascism embraces a rejection of reason and that this finds a contemporary expression in the complex of climate denial, covid denial, antivax, fantasy conspiracy theories and far right movements. [Free. 27 minutes.]

LAO TZU 30

This episode of our Lao Tzu series considers Chapter 43 of the Tao Te Ching. It deals with non-doing and the power of water-like softness. [Free. 18 minutes.]

POST TRUTH THIS WEEK - INTERESTING TIMES 16

In this edition of our Interesting Times series, I consider three different manifestations of the widespread disregard for truth which is now a feature of our public discourse. These are Trump's refusal to concede the US Presidential election, the suspension, re-instatement and fresh suspension of Jeremy Corbyn from the UK Labour Party, and the increase in defence spending announced by UK PM Boris Johnson. [Free. 41 minutes.]

WHAT IS FASCISM? 3 - THE CORPORATE-GOVERNMENTAL ECONOMY

In this podcast, I consider the proposition that the UK economy conforms to Mussolini's characterisation of fascism as the complete entanglement of corporate and state power. I do this through a close comparison of the corporate document produced by the Serco Institute, Lessons learned from the collapse of Carillion (2018) and the UK Government document The Outsourcing Playbook (2020). The resonance between the two documents is sufficient to intensify the suspicion that corporations and government are bed-fellows and dangerously so. A side-effect of this investigation is to reveal the purely ideological character of the Tory government's espousal of neoliberalism. [Free. 57 minutes.]

TRUMP'S REFUSAL TO CONCEDE - INTERESTING TIMES 15

In this episode of Interesting Times we consider some of the details of Trump's refusal to conceded the US Presidential Election and his claim that he has been cheated. [Free. 34 minutes.]

US ELECTION AND THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE - INTERESTING TIMES 14

This brief episode of Interesting Times takes a  brief look the general chaos in the US and the UK before outlining the undemocratic nature of the US electoral college. [Free. 15 minutes.]

EHRC REPORT & CORBYN SUSPENSION - INTERESTING TIMES 13

This episode of Interesting Times gives a close reading of the main features of The EHRC Report Investigation into Antisemitism in the Labour Party. I take issue with the epistemological lacunae in the report whilst concluding that should the Labour Party implement its legal requirements and recommendation, it will have unimpeachable complaints processes in place for dealing with complaints of antisemitism which may throw an unflattering light on the other UK parties. I note that the contents of the report are being grossly distorted in the MSM. I move on to discuss the suspension of Jeremy Corbyn from the Labour Party. [Free. 1 hour 5 minutes.]

REVOLVING DOORS & COSY CABALS - INTERESTING TIMES 12

In this podcast, I examine some current examples of the entanglement of state, media and corporate power in the UK. I focus on questions asked in parliament of The Secretary of State for Health by Richard Burgon MP about the role of outsourcing corporation Serco in the COVID 19 pandemic [asked on 16/10/20]. I particularly light upon the Minister of Health's former role as 'Serco's chief spin doctor' which looks like a classic case of the revolving door.  I also draw attention to other examples of this phenomenon as well as drawing out the wide connections of  The Prime Minister's new press secretary which suggest that a rather cosy cabal sits at the heart of government. [Free. 28 minutes.]

LAO TZU 29

In this episode we consider Chapter 42 of The Tao Te Ching. This chapter explicates with the way in which the Tao gives rise to all things through a metaphor of the sequence of numbers. Not only does this metaphor illuminate evolution but also the involutionary approach to meditation designed for encountering the Tao within oneself. [Free. 11 minutes.]