Disorder

In honour of the 2026 midterms, Jason is joined by Beau Breslin, Skidmore College political scientist and author of ‘A Constitution for the Living’, to ask a rather awkward question: what if America’s political dysfunction isn’t just about Trump, polarization or bad politicians — but the unintended consequences of the Constitution itself?

From Jefferson’s argument for rewriting the Constitution every generation to Madison’s preference for continuity, they explore how the constitutional compromises around the following issues--the Senate, the Electoral College, gerrymandering, and presidential war powers--laid the door open to our current dysfunction.

Given that the constitution is not really functioning anymore we ask: Can Congress reclaim its power of the purse? Has Citizens United helped turn democracy into plutocracy? And why are politicians so reluctant to make the case for structural reform? They also consider what a new Congress might actually change — before Beau offers a surprisingly practical prescription for Ordering the American disorder: bring back the bowling league. It may be easier than impeaching a president.

ORDERING THE DISORDER: Rebuilding American democracy requires enforceable checks, fairer elections and institutions that reconnect citizens — not simply changing the politicians at the top.

MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: Jason and Beau convene their own imaginary constitutional convention. One to five senators per state based on population! Term limits, independent redistricting, a parliamentary-style way to remove presidents, public campaign funding and a redesigned Electoral College!! Join at https://disordershow.com/club to hear what they would rewrite and how.

Producer: George McDonagh

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Disorder on YouTube -

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SHOWNOTES LINKS
Beau Breslin — A Constitution for the Living (Skidmore College overview)
https://www.skidmore.edu/news/2022/0106-breslin-book.php
Listening to America — Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a New Constitution for the United States, with Beau Breslin and Prairie Gunnels
https://jeffersonhour.libsyn.com/1661-artificial-intelligence-ai-and-a-new-constitution-for-the-united-states
Listening to America — The Iran War and the U.S. Constitution, with Beau Breslin
https://ltamerica.org/listen-2/
Disorder Ep 172 — Graham Zellick on Britain’s unwritten constitution and legal accountability
https://podcasts.apple.com/se/podcast/ep-172-looking-beyond-the-headlines-of-the-iran/id1706818264?i=1000753646258&l=en-GB
Disorder — Elie Honig on accountability and the Special Prosecutor system (linked in Ep 172 shownotes)
https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/NmU0ZGIzZTQtYjhhMS0xMWYwLTk0NWQtZWZlN2MwMWI1YWJm
National Archives — The US Constitution, full text
https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript
Brennan Center — Citizens United and money in politics
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/money-politics/campaign-finance-courts/citizens-united
Brennan Center — Redistricting and independent commissions
https://www.brennancenter.org/topics/voting-elections/redistricting
Robert D. Putnam — Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community
https://robertdputnam.com/bowling-alone/

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Jason and Jane are back with your questions — and an encouragingly modest agenda: saving centrism, standing by Ukraine, surviving the US midterms, tackling climate change and keeping the Red Sea open. Is anti-incumbency a symptom of a broken social contract? Can democracies outlast Putin without American leadership? And is a protest movement without a concrete demand doomed to achieve nothing?
We also tackle Trump’s Russian diesel deal, whether Trump will fightback after a midterms loss coherent fightback, what COP31 can achieve in Antalya, and how the Houthis connect the Iran war to the Horn of Africa. Along the way, Jason offers the Democrats a slogan, and we discover that puppet satire may be the most reliable form of political analysis.
ORDERING THE DISORDER: Big collective-action problems need leadership, enforceable rules and practical demands — not just outrage.
MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: Israel votes on 27 October. Could Netanyahu survive yet again? Jason and Jane examine Gadi Eisenkot, Naftali Bennett, Avigdor Lieberman and the Arab parties; ultra-Orthodox conscription; and the prospect of a knesset that cannot form a government. Join at https://disordershow.com/club.
Producer: George McDonagh
Subscribe to our Substack -
https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Disorder on YouTube -
https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow
SHOWNOTES LINKS
Disorder Ep 212 — Mark Galeotti on War Putinism and Russian bears
https://podfollow.com/disorder/episode/502c88e21901dc3f66bac9d075868ce5dd86ca63/view
The Rest Is Politics: Leading — Mary Trump, “Trump’s Niece on Why He’s on Putin’s Side”
https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/trumps-niece-on-why-hes-on-putins-side/id1665265193?i=1000796648618
The Rest Is Politics — Trump and Putin vs Zelensky: Is Europe Sleepwalking into Disaster?
https://www.iheart.com/podcast/867-the-rest-is-politics-107223135/episode/581-trump-and-putin-vs-zelensky-348060976/
Puppet Regime — official political satire site
https://puppetregime.com/
Spitting Image — official YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/@SpittingImage
UN Climate Change — COP31 in Antalya, 9–20 November 2026
https://unfccc.int/cop31
The Atlantic — Trump’s “Staggering One-Two Punch” to Ukraine
https://www.theatlantic.com/podcasts/2026/10/ra-ukraine/689068/
Disorder — join the Mega Orderers Club
https://disordershow.com/club

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As right-wing populist and far-right parties see a major rise across Europe, Nigel Farage is one of the most consequential politicians of our time.  
He may be the UK’s next Prime Minister. 
Investigative journalist, and best-selling author, John Sweeney is a thorn in Nigel Farage’s side. He is the Reform UK correspondent of the Nerve. He has covered wars, revolutions and disorder in a hundred countries, including going undercover in Chechnya, North Korea and Zimbabwe. He’s written 17 books including the Sunday Times bestseller ‘Killer in the Kremlin’ about Vladimir Putin.  
In this lively interview, which includes explicit language, about his new, explosive book ‘The Real Nigel Farage’ Sweeney does not hold back, citing well-sourced allegations, suggesting the charismatic and popular Reform UK leader is cruel, chaotic and akin to a leader of a cult. 
It's a packed hour full of startling allegations, such as Farage not liking working class people and academics, his sympathies towards Vladimir Putin and his narcissistic tendencies.  
Nigel Farage, as Sweeney himself makes clear throughout the interview, denies any wrongdoing and has said of Sweeney that he has caused him more misery than anyone else in 25 years of politics. Sweeney says Farage has not yet sued about any of the allegations in his book.  
Also in this interview, Sweeney reveals what really happened that caused his infamous shouting match against Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis, which has been seen by millions of people around the world.  
Sweeney also tells Out of Order with Mark Lobel why he thinks child serial killer Lucy Letby is innocent. Sweeney has reported on women wrongly jailed for murder before and revealed flaws in the case against Sally Clarke. Her verdict was subsequently overturned in 2003. 
LINKS: 
Buy John’s book, ‘The Real Nigel Farage’ here: https://amzn.eu/d/07m4laz3  
Crowdfunders for Ukraine: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/XWJOKwDn?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink  
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/qr/VlDvrKKn?utm_campaign=sharemodal&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=shortlink 
 John’s podcast on Lucy Letby https://open.spotify.com/show/0rwlMXKNQK0a7ug2p4oX1D  
John Sweeney losing his temper – Panorama, BBC One https://youtu.be/mjlo4u_8g60?is=15o0HQfnzdU5gC2f 
Contact Mark Lobel here: https://www.mark-lobel.com/getintouch  
HOST: Mark Lobel @marklobeltv
GUEST: John Sweeney @johnsweeneyroar
PRODUCER: George McDonagh

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From tear gassing student protestors in France to Britain’s chaotic party conferences with their controversial motions, Jason and Jane ask whether Western democracies can still deliver anything positive for the next generation. They take on Labour’s spending promises, the Tory’s bizzarre tax cut pledges, the Greens’ Zionism is Racism controversy and the growing power of bond markets over elected governments.
Then: are AI and its creators taking over? Jane reports from the UN General Assembly on the push for global AI rules. After the break, we turn to the US midterms and Iranian-linked security threats in Britain. Plus, Jason finally learns what “squeaky bum time” means. And apparently it is not only about clearing the midpoint.
Then in the MEGA ORDERERS BONUS just for our subscribers: Can Trump Tariff His Way to a Bolsonaro Victory? Brazil’s election, the Bolsonaro comeback, Lula’s failures, crime, evangelical politics and whether economic pressure is becoming a new form of foreign election interference.
Join the Mega Orderers Club: https://disordershow.com/club
And in the ORDERING THE DISORDER: Democracies need room to invest in the next generation and international cooperation to ensure AI serves people rather than addiction, polarisation and dominance.
Producer: George McDonagh
Subscribe to our Substack -
https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Disorder on YouTube -
https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow
SHOWNOTES LINKS
Have the Greens just voted for a de facto ban on Jews?
https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-news-agents/id1640878689?i=1000793267697
More on this https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/oct/02/green-party-anti-zionism-motion-attempt-tell-jews-how-to-think

'Everyone hates the police' – what France's school protests reveal about a divided nation
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crq5nlqnn184o 

George McDonagh produced Black Box about AI https://www.theguardian.com/technology/audio/2026/sep/03/black-box-the-chatbots-spirals-ai-psychosis-podcast 
And then an On the Media about US polarization and ice. https://open.spotify.com/episode/2RUp1IfoSX2CXl0s1eVi3h?si=1IlVr9j2SZqt9evXmucpaQ&utm_source=copy-link&t=2045 

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Jason is joined by former Kentucky congressional candidate Erin Petrie, board member of Bourbon Women and active DAR member, to dissect the ideological clash at the heart of the American left. They discuss whether progressive slogans like "abolish ICE" drive moderate voters into Trumpism, how Citizens United and billionaire donors have created a pay-to-play system and why politicians in Washington fail to address the affordability crisis in rural America.
MEGA ORDERERS BONUS: What do Erin’s experiences in post-revolutionary Libya reveal about the collapse of civic trust back home? Then, as Jason and Erin Order the Disorder, they debate whether centrist pragmatic realism or progressive dreaming is the path forward. They explore critical Senate and House races to watch in North Carolina and Texas, whether Democrats should pack the Supreme Court to counter executive overreach, and how international trade and tariffs could hit MAGA voters where it hurts. Plus: can the rule of law still win in Trump’s America, or must centrist Democrats go lower to actually restore order?

Join the Mega Orderers Club for the full bonus: 
https://disordershow.com/club
Producer: Sam Cluley
Subscribe to Ordering the Disorder: 
https://natoandtheged.substack.com/
Disorder on YouTube: 
https://www.youtube.com/@DisorderShow
SHOWNOTES LINKS
Erin’s Website: 
https://erinpetrey.com/
Erin’s Podcast: 
https://www.thekentuckyedge.com/on-the-edge-with-erin-petrey/
Kentucky Educational Television (KET) Debate Coverage
Citizens United v. FEC: 
https://www.fec.gov/legal-resources/court-cases/citizens-united-v-fec/
History of ICE:
https://www.dhs.gov/history

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