What if tech companies had more power over your life than your own government?

Big Tech isn't just business anymore. Silicon Valley now runs its own foreign policy. Over 60 countries have opened diplomatic missions there to negotiate with tech companies as if they were nation-states. AI CEOs sit at the same tables as world leaders. And the revolving doors between government and Big Tech are spinning faster than ever.

This week on The Tea, former diplomat Dr Jennifer Cassidy, Lecturer in Diplomacy and Technology at the University of Oxford, joins us to break down how Big Tech quietly became more powerful than the states meant to govern it — and why almost no one is stopping it.

Also in the show:

⚡ Trump's AI deepfakes: a tool of mass confusion

⚡ Big Tech: a techno-fascist takeover?

⚡ Digital sovereigns: how Big Tech became more powerful than governments

⚡ State embassies in Silicon Valley: the new corporate diplomacy

⚡ Government officials to Big Tech: revolving doors and the old boys' club

⚡ Why regulation keeps falling short

As our guest argues, tech companies wield power that fundamentally compromises our national security and sovereignty. States should force these companies to be transparent. Right now, they're not.

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🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #AI #BigTech #TechPolitics #Trump2026 #SiliconValley #TechPower #Surveillance #Diplomacy #Democracy #Technofeudalism #news #currentaffairs

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Jennifer Cassidy

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadege Bizimungu & Iman Saleh

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Researcher: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Is the AI apocalypse real or is Silicon Valley selling us a story?

We're told AI could destroy jobs, outsmart humanity and even turn against us. At the same time, it's cracking 50-year-old scientific problems and pushing new drugs into human trials.

So are we living through a genuine technological revolution that could transform humanity or is apocalyptic rhetoric fueling one of the biggest bubbles in tech history?

This week on The Tea, we're joined by bestselling author Cory Doctorow to cut through the AI hype. In his latest book, The Reverse Centaur's Guide to Life After AI, Cory argues that AI isn't gonna replace us, but it'll trap us into serving machines instead of being served by them.

Also in the show:

⚡ Big Tech surveillance: they spy on us because we let them

⚡ AI psychosis and the mythology of Silicon Valley

⚡ OpenAI's agent "revolt" — bad code, or something bigger?

⚡ Will AI take our jobs, or just make us babysit the machines?

⚡ The hidden bubble behind the AI growth story

⚡ How do we actually change the balance of power?

As Cory argues, shopping our way out of corporate power isn't politics. Real change can only come from organising, building solidarity and becoming citizens rather than consumers.

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #CoryDoctorow #AI #BigTech #OpenAI #SiliconValley ##AIBubble #News #CurrentAffairs #USPolitics #Surveillance #FutureOfWork

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Cory Doctorow

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadege Bizimungu & Sanjna Selva

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell & Robyn Moffat

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

00:00:00 Introduction – Is the AI Apocalypse Really Coming?

00:03:16 Cory Doctorow on Technology, Surveillance and Corporate Power

00:06:34 How Big Tech Monopolies Took Over the Internet

00:09:29 Is AI the Latest Silicon Valley Bubble?

00:11:48 What Science Fiction Teaches Us About Technology

00:18:11 Why AI Doesn't Actually Understand Anything

00:24:13 Could AI Ever Become Conscious?

00:25:09 Why AI Insiders Believe Their Own Hype

00:30:32 The Psychology Behind Silicon Valley's AI Obsession

00:34:20 Are Rogue AI Agents Actually Dangerous?

00:41:29 The Real Technological Threat Isn't AI

00:48:38 Is AI Really Coming for Your Job?

00:56:30 Can AI Really Replace Doctors?

01:05:15 Why Cory Doctorow Thinks AI Is a Bubble

01:14:21 Why Big Tech Keeps Pouring Billions Into AI

01:20:59 What Actually Happens When the AI Bubble Bursts?

01:27:01 How Ordinary People Can Fight Back

01:28:37 Why Shopping Is Not Politics

01:32:06 Building Solidarity in an Age of Crisis

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The wound is the place where the light enters you.” You’ve probably seen those words plastered across a thousand sunset photos. What you certainly haven’t seen is the Islamic world that gave birth to them.

Rumi is the best-selling poet in America. Yet the Rumi embraced by the West is a very different figure from the Muslim mystic who wrote the poetry a Rumi detached from Islam and the Quran, stripped of the faith that shaped his work.

https://www.theteanetwork.co

This week on The Tea, we’re joined by leading Islamic scholar Omid Safi to reclaim the Rumi behind the Instagram quotes. We also explore what this erasure tells us about the West’s relationship with Islam—and the rising Islamophobia that shapes it.

Also in the show:

⚡ Rising Islamophobia: the double standards applied to Muslims and Islam

⚡ The self-help industrial complex: when ancient spirituality becomes a wellness commodity

⚡ The Filton 4: what happens when corporate property is treated as sacred, but human life is not?

⚡ Gen Z and the crisis of hope: is the future still salvageable?

⚡ Trump and Hegseth: when religion serves power

⚡ Radical love: when spirituality becomes a force for social justice

As Omid argues, the question is bigger than any one politician. If we don’t confront the systems that produce them, there will always be another Trump, another charlatan.

👉 Subscribe for independent, unfiltered conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeawithMyriamFrancois #Rumi #Islam #Sufism #Spirituality #Islamophobia #Religion #Gaza #Palestine #politics #Trump2026 #currentaffairs

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Omid Safi

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who really rules the world?

For decades, the global order had a clear centre. After the Cold War, the United States emerged as the world’s sole superpower while liberal democracy was proclaimed history's final destination. That story is now dead.

As Western power cracks and the global economy reels from the fallout of the Iran war, the real winners are hiding in plain sight — mega-corporations more powerful than the states that host them. They profit from war no matter who wins. They're not just close to power, they're fused with it. And in some cases, they're not new players at all — just empire, rebranded.

This week on The Tea, Professor and award-winning author Kojo Karam joins us to expose the rise of corporate power, the decolonisation project that was never finished, and whether the old empire has really disappeared — or simply changed shape.

Also in the show:

⚡ Britain’s Iran Playbook — the 1950s colonial blueprint still shaping Iran today

⚡ The New War Profiteers — Saudi Aramco, BP and the Trump family: who’s cashing in?

⚡ Corporations vs States — are mega-corporations becoming more sovereign than governments?

⚡ BRICS & the Global South — a genuine shift in power, or the same interests in new places?

⚡ Reparations and the empire-nostalgia comeback

⚡ The end of the War on Drugs — A new corporate gold rush?

👉 Subscribe for independent, unfiltered conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Kojo Koram

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell, Iman Saleh

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades, China was presented as the authoritarian rival to the West: censored, controlled and fundamentally opposed to liberal democracy. But that story is now more co…

Read more

Six months into the catastrophic US-Israeli war on Iran, Washington's stockpiles are severely depleted, oil and food prices are spiralling globally, and the Middle East is…

Read more

For decades, corporate power seemed untouchable. But a new generation of workers is fighting back. From Amazon to Starbucks, a new gener…

Read more

The internet promised freedom. But has it delivered?

When the World Wide Web launched, it promised a borderless world of knowledge, connection and freedom.

More than three d…

Read more

What if your favourite video game was spying on you?

Gaming isn't just entertainment anymore. With more than 3.5 billion players worldwide, it's become one of the most powe…

Read more

Was the creation of the state of Israel really the only answer to antisemitism?

Nearly three years into Israel's genocide in Gaza, support for Israel has fallen sharply acr…

Read more

AI is transforming the way we work, think and create. As machines begin outperforming humans in more tasks, the race to AGI and even superintelligence is often treated as inevitable. But is it? Or are we buying into Silicon Valley's biggest story?

This week on The Tea, we are joined by one of Britain's sharpest voices on the human impact of technology, Anne-Marie Imafidon CEO of Stemettes and trustee at the Institute for the Future of Work to unpack what AI is really changing, why intelligence is far more complex than Silicon Valley admits, and what it means to remain human in an age racing towards artificial superintelligence.

Also on the show:

⚡ AGI & the Silicon Valley narrative – AI hype or the next reality?

⚡ What human intelligence really is

⚡ AI and the future of work

⚡ Can AI agents ever become conscious?

⚡ The race to superintelligence – Who benefits?

⚡ What it means to be human in the age of AI

Despite the apocalyptic headlines, our guest argues that a dystopian future isn't preordained. AI remains a human technology, shaped by human choices. As she puts it: "Technology is that it is still democratic... You don't have to be funded by the big whoever to build alternatives."

👉 Subscribe for fearless, independent conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #AnneMarieImafidon #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #AGI #FutureOfWork #Technology #OpenAI #HumanIntelligence #CurrentAffairs #news

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Anne-Marie Imafidon

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rising inequalities. Endless austerity. Genocide. Permanent war. Climate collapse. AI-driven job losses. For best-selling author and economist Clara Mattei, these aren't failures of capitalism—they're the system working exactly as designed.

This week on The Tea, Mattei joins us to challenge one of the most powerful assumptions of our time: that there is no alternative. Drawing from her new book, Escape from Capitalism, Mattei argues that capitalism isn't natural or inevitable. It has always depended on political intervention, economic precarity, and the violent suppression of alternatives to keep itself alive.

If today's crises feel permanent, this is because they're built into the model.

Also in the show:

⚡ BlackRock, Vanguard, State Street & the concentration of global wealth

⚡ Billionaires' growing obsession with land grabbing

⚡ China's hybrid model explained

⚡ Militarism - The beating heart of capitalism

⚡ Scandinavia and the myth of "humane capitalism"

⚡ Palestine as a lens on how austerity, militarisation, and state power converge

⚡ AI, automation & the loss of control

⚡ What would it take to build a better economic system?

If capitalism is functioning exactly as intended, the question isn't how to fix it—but how we can get out of this trap and build a better system.

👉 Subscribe for fearless, independent conversations.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #ClaraMattei #Capitalism #Inequality #Economics #news #AI #UKPolitics #USPolitics #Billionaires #genocide

Check out the Forum for Real Economic Emancipation (FREE)

https://www.freefreeforum.org/about

Head here to check the FREE podcast

https://www.youtube.com/@UCimEsFacMz1lz6m6_MFgnmg

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Clara Mattei

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The words are: "I support Palestine Action." 

Following the group's proscription under UK terrorism law, expressing support can now constitute a serious criminal offence.

This week on The Tea, we're joined by Palestine Action co-founder Huda Ammori to examine one of the most controversial political decisions in modern Britain. Why has Palestine Action been placed in the same legal category as ISIS and neo-Nazi organisations? And what does that mean for democracy, civil liberties and the future of political protest?

From the Filton Four case to the government's use of counterterrorism powers, we ask: where is the line between criminal damage, civil disobedience and terrorism? Is this about protecting national security—or expanding the definition of terrorism to encompass political dissent?

Also in the show:

⚡ How Palestine Action was formed: Ammori’s path to direct action

⚡ Can BDS change the system? The power of political campaigning

⚡ Is Palestine treated differently? Zionist influence in British politics

⚡ The Filton Four case explained

⚡ From Greta Thunberg to Massive Attack: the policing of dissent

⚡ Arms companies, accountability and the ethics of activism

👉 Subscribe for independent, unfiltered conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #HudaAmmori #PalestineActionBan #Gaza #PoliticalActivism #BDS #IsraelPalestine #Protest 

DISCLAIMER: Nothing in this video, nor in any associated social clips, should be interpreted or deemed to constitute support for, endorsement of, or affiliation with any proscribed organisation.

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Huda Ammori

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law. This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing. The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So what’s really driving this shift? This week on The Tea, we’re joined by bestselling author and feminist activist Laura Bates to unpack the growing backlash against feminism, the rise of the so-called manosphere — and the emerging “womanosphere” — and how algorithm-driven radicalisation is reshaping ideas about gender, power and truth.

From the attention economy to masculinity politics, we ask: is this a culture war between men and women — or something deeper being engineered beneath the surface? And who is profiting from it?

Also in the show:

⚡ Institutional misogyny across policing, politics, media, and justice

⚡ Violence against women and girls — a public health crisis

⚡ Algorithms, social media, and misogynistic radicalisation

⚡ Andrew Tate and the mainstreaming of the manosphere

⚡ UK Online Safety Act — protection or mass surveillance?

⚡ Men’s mental health crisis

⚡ The Gisèle Pelicot case and global “rape academy”

⚡ Manosphere meets the far right

⚡ From Narah Smith to Savannah Stone: the rise of the “womanosphere”

⚡ Freya India and feminism’s blind spots

Our guest argues that we’re not passive users of big tech — we’re active citizens with real choices to make about the technologies we use, the AI tools we adopt, and how we embed them in our lives.

👉 Subscribe for independent, unfiltered conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #LauraBates #GenderPolitics #Feminism #GenZ #Manosphere #womanosphere #GenderEquality #UKPolitics #USPolitics #CurrentAffairs #news

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Eight months on from the so-called ceasefire in Gaza, the headlines may have moved on — but Israel's assault has not. The siege remains. The starvation continues. The displacement continues. The destruction continues.

This week on The Tea, we speak to Dr Mads Gilbert, the award-winning Norwegian doctor and long-standing advocate for Palestinian liberation. Having worked in Gaza for decades, Gilbert offers a devastating account of what he describes as a deliberate campaign of deprivation — one designed to destroy the very foundations of life.

Water and food supplies have been strangled. Hospitals have been besieged and bombed. Doctors have been detained and killed. Every university in Gaza has been attacked. Schools, ambulances, and civilian infrastructure have all come under fire.

This is not collateral damage. It’s a deliberate process of deprivation — one that has systematically targeted the very foundations of life.

Also in the show:

⚡ A remarkable story of survival: the world record in resuscitation from hypothermia

⚡ The Oslo Accords: corruption allegations and links to Jeffrey Epstein

⚡ The mystery of the missing Oslo documents

⚡ The so-called ceasefire? It’s a re-occupation line

⚡ UNRWA and the blockade preventing aid from reaching Gaza

⚡ Israel's impunity and the failure of Western governments to act

⚡ The systematic targeting of hospitals, doctors and medical infrastructure

⚡ Horror and abuse inside Israeli prisons

⚡ Israel and the “weaponisation” of solidarity

⚡ Palestinian resistance and the right to resist occupation

"The Palestinian people, with their heroism and sacrifice, are fighting a struggle for all of us against a new wave of brutal colonialism.” Our guest argues that “if we are to take our responsibility seriously, we have to stand with them."

👉 Subscribe for fearless, independent conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts]

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #MadsGilbert #Gaza #Palestine #Israel #UNRWA #WestBank #genocides #CurrentAffairs #News #Politics #HussamAbuSafiya

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Mads Gilbert

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our guest this week, political commentator and founder of The Young Turks, Cenk Uygur, was barred from entering the UK, alongside Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, after criticising Israel, in a move that has sparked alarm over the future of free expression itself.

When does criticism of a state become "a question of public order"? Who gets to decide which opinions are acceptable? And why are some voices increasingly being shut out of public debate?

In this explosive episode of The Tea, Cenk joins us to discuss the power of pro-Israel lobbying networks, the campaign to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism, and why Western governments are becoming increasingly hostile to dissenting voices.

Also in the show:

⚡ Israeli influence and pressure on universities

⚡ How TYT has become a target in the war over Israel criticism

⚡ Why the US can fund Israel’s wars but struggles with basic healthcare

⚡ Larry Ellison, media consolidation, and control of political narratives

⚡ How the history of Israel-Palestine is framed in mainstream media

⚡ After Iran: Is Turkey the “next threat”?

⚡ “Greater Israel” and the ideological battle over Zionism

⚡ Valentina Gomez and the framing of Israel criticism as extremism

⚡ New law linking US and Israeli military more closely

⚡ The role of lobbying and money in shaping US congressional priorities

As Cenk argues: Israel is not the root cause but a symptom of a deeper system—where money and influence shape policy, and multiple lobbies exert outsized power over democratic decision-making.

👉 Subscribe for fearless, independent conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #CenkUygur #HasamPiker #Israel #travelban #Palestine #freedomofspeech #USPolitics #UKPolitics #HomeOffice #news #currentaffairs

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Cenk Uygur

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Sana Serrouk, Martha Missingham

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America has learned nothing from its wars. Not Iraq. Not Afghanistan. Not 9/11. And now, with Iran, the cycle is repeating itself. For 23 years, Michael Scheuer served inside the CIA. In this week’s episode of The Tea, he joins us to pull back the curtain on what he calls America’s “imperial hubris” — a foreign policy driven by arrogance, endless intervention, and political capture.

From Israel’s influence on Washington to the failures of the War on Terror, Scheuer argues the US keeps repeating catastrophic mistakes — while the cost is paid in blood, instability, and permanent war.

“America is still trapped in a cult of World War II, acting as though it remains the unchallenged power of 1945, despite decades of global backlash.”

Also in the show:

⚡ 9/11, bin Laden & missed opportunities

⚡ Israel’s grip on US foreign policy

⚡ The CIA rendition program

⚡ Iran — another example of American hubris

⚡ Trump’s “anti-war” promises — and the reality

⚡ The business of war — and who benefits from endless conflict

⚡ The cost of being under Israel’s thumb

⚡ Sanctions as a failed policy

⚡ AIPAC’s deep influence on Congress and the Senate

⚡ Is America drifting toward another civil conflict?

“Trump’s words and actions are a reminder that we’re at the bottom of the barrel. How long can we keep voting for people who don’t do what they say they’re gonna do?”

👉 Subscribe for fearless, independent conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #MichaelScheuer #Trump2026 #USPolitics #Iran #CIA #Israel #Zionism #MiddleEast #news # #currentaffairs

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Michael Scheuer

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Sana Serroukh

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when one of the most dangerous political theories of our time goes mainstream?

This week in San Diego, two teenagers opened fire at a mosque, killing three people, in an attack reportedly tied to a manifesto driven by “Great Replacement Theory”— the belief that immigrants, Muslims, and minorities are “replacing” white populations.

But San Diego is not an exception. From Christchurch and El Paso to Buffalo, the GRT has become the ideological spine of modern mass violence.

In this episode of The Tea, historian and bestselling author Ibram X. Kendi joins us to unpack how an extremist conspiracy theory evolved into one of the world's most influential political narratives.

The GRT transforms demographic change into an existential threat. It turns diversity into invasion, and violence into “defence.” So who is driving this shift — and whose interests are served by its spread?

Also in the show:

⚡ The origins of the GRT — from Renaud Camus to mainstream politics

⚡ The White House, “remigration,” and the normalisation of extremist rhetoric

⚡ GRT and the myth of “Judeo-Christian” that serves Israel’s agenda

⚡ Anti-racism and DEI — the corporate backlash against structural change

⚡ The rise of “Great Replacement” financiers and politicians

⚡ Tommy Robinson, Elon Musk, and the politics of hate

Kendi argues that confronting this ideology requires rejecting the zero-sum logic at its core. And recognising that shared humanity may be the only way to break the cycle of fear, division, and violence.

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#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #IbramXKendi #Islamophobia #IslamicCenter #SanDiego #GreatReplacementTheory #USPolitics #UKPolitics #news # #currentaffairs

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Ibram X Kendi

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Sana Serrouk, Martha Missingham

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We’re living through a golden age of surveillance. As monitoring reaches levels once associated with totalitarian regimes, the question becomes unavoidable: how much surveillance can a democracy sustain before it ceases to be one?

This week on The Tea, Oxford Associate Professor Carissa Véliz, a leading voice on the ethics of AI, joins us to cut through the noise. AI isn’t just forecasting the future—it’s shaping behaviour, eroding accountability, and normalising control.

Our guest argues that the rise of authoritarian tendencies alongside digital technology isn’t a coincidence. Digital tech is inherently authoritarian. And while tech executives warn of jobless, dystopian futures, they’re also shaping that reality—then positioning themselves as the solution. Manufacture the fear, sell the cure.

Also in the show:

⚡ Surveillance at an unprecedented scale

⚡ AI prediction as the blueprint for control

⚡ The rise of the “uninsurable” individual

⚡ Big Tech resignations — principled exits or strategic PR?

⚡ AI in medicine — the hidden risk of overdiagnosis

⚡ Palantir, Anthropic, and warfare — where does accountability go?

⚡ AI as the “ultimate bullshitter”

⚡ When chatbots act human — the Air Canada case

⚡ AGI — genuine goal or marketing myth?

⚡ AI companions — a mirror of our delusions

⚡ The Online Safety Act — and why it may not protect children at all

Carissa argues that if we want to resist this trajectory, we need to look up from the screen. The more we obsess over AI, the more we neglect the real world—and the human relationships that anchor it.

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🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #CarissaVeliz #Profecy #AI #USPolitics #UKPolitics #Palantir #Anthropic #ChatGpt #news # #currentaffairs

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Carissa Veliz

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell, Martha Missingham

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From Donald Trump openly dismissing the very idea of international legal norms to unprecedented sanctions imposed on senior ICC officials, the message is unmistakable: international law applies — until it threatens power.

In this episode of The Tea, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan joins us for an exclusive interview on what happens when those tasked with enforcing justice become targets themselves.

Recently cleared of misconduct allegations, he now faces renewed scrutiny amid escalating political attacks. So what becomes of global justice when prosecutors, judges, and investigators are subjected to political and financial warfare for simply doing their jobs?

Also in the show:

⚡ The “Filton 24” — an unprecedented legal case

⚡ Escalation after October 7th — a genocide broadcast in real time

⚡ US sanctions and political pressure on ICC officials

⚡ David Cameron’s intervention — how far does interference go?

⚡ Sexual misconduct allegations —why the case remains open despite clearance

⚡ Lindsey Graham’s comments and the ICC bias

⚡ Nicholas Kaufman and Israeli-driven pressures on the Court

⚡ After the arrest warrants — will Netanyahu and Gallant ever face justice?

As Khan puts it, this is a defining moment for international justice: if the law bends to power, the result will be more conflict, instability, and suffering.

👉 Subscribe for fearless, independent conversations

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts

AUDIO CREDITS

Presenter–Producer: Dr. Myriam François

Guest: Karim Khan

Senior Producer: Sara Farolfi

Producer: Nadège Bizimungu

Assistant Producer: Poppy Jacobs

Research: Constance Creswell, Martha Missingham, Iman Saleh

Video Editor: Max Bubnov

An MPWR Productions show.

#TheTeaWithMyriamFrancois #KarimKhan #ICC #ICCArrestWarrants #Israel #Netanyahu #Trump #USPolitics #UKPolitics #news # #currentaffairs #internationaljustice

Disclaimer:

The views and opinions expressed by the guest(s) on The Tea YouTube series and podcast are their own and do not reflect those of MPWR Productions or its licensees. The appearance of this YouTube programme and podcast on social media platforms does not imply endorsement by MPWR Productions. MPWR Productions disclaims any liability for damages arising from the use of the podcast and its recordings to the fullest extent permissible by law.

This video is intended for informational and commentary purposes only and reflects the personal opinions of the guest and creators. The inclusion of public figures or journalists is based on publicly available information and does not imply guilt or wrongdoing.

The views in this video do not establish a professional relationship with viewers and do not constitute legal, professional, or personal advice. Viewer discretion is advised.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.