The Peter McCormack Show

Western politics appears chaotic - broken states, endless debt and permanent crisis. Simon Dixon argues it isn't chaos at all, it's structure. In this conversation, Simon lays out how money creation, debt, asset management, and access to capital now matter more than elections, ideology, or national borders. Governments, he argues, have become balance sheets and citizens have become collateral. We talk about how the debt-based system works, why rolling over debt keeps everything alive, how asset managers shape outcomes and why wars, bailouts, inflation, and social breakdown all follow the same incentives. It's about power, money, and who actually makes decisions, and what that means for people trying to live normal lives inside a system that no longer works for them. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00:00 – Introduction 00:02:41 – Power Dynamics vs Democracy 00:06:59 – IMF Bailouts and Rolling Debt 00:10:28 – the British Empire Financial Model 00:16:31 – Blackrock, Capital Allocation & Board Control 00:18:43 – Why Ceos Aren't Really in Charge 00:25:00 – Why Revolutions Fail 00:27:56 – Russia, Sovereignty & Oil 00:30:00 – Ukraine, Nato, and Arms Incentives 00:34:10 – Profit, War, and Moral Cost 00:38:34 – Compromise, Power & Politics 00:41:53 – Immigration and Instability 00:45:29 – Surveillance, Data & Control 00:47:07 – Venezuela, Oil & Geopolitics 00:55:25 – When Debt Actually Breaks 01:03:08 – Why Stock Markets Rise as Countries Fail 01:06:30 – the Collapse of Living Standards 01:12:25 – Multipolar World Order 01:16:18 – Bitcoin as Boycott 01:24:00 – Who Survives the System 01:28:51 – Leaving the West vs Staying 01:47:32 – Property, Debt & Freedom 01:49:20 – Advice for People Who Can't Escape 01:57:19 – What Actually Breaks the System 02:02:15 – Final Reflections: Playing the Game Without Losing Yourself - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH SIMON DIXON › Website – https://www.simondixon.com/ › Twitter – https://x.com/SimonDixonTwitt SPONSORS › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Venezuela didn't fall apart by accident. It's the result of years of socialism, corruption and a regime that couldn't be removed by elections or international pressure. In this PMQs episode, Peter and Conor talk through what happened with Maduro, why Venezuelans themselves welcomed his removal, and why the usual arguments about regime change and international law don't hold up in the real world. They also look at the role of oil, US power, proxy conflicts, and why strong states operate by different rules. The episode ends on the hardest question of all: after removing a dictator, what actually comes next? SHOW NOTES › https://substack.com/@petermccormack › https://www.inolongerconsent.com/ › https://x.com/ConsentEnds CONTACT PETE › Website - http://petermccormack.com › Feedback - https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email - [email protected] › Instagram - /mccormack555 › X/Twitter - https://x.com/petermccormack/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Introduction 03:57 – Why Public Opinion Split Instantly 05:00 – Non-interventionism vs Reality 06:52 – Firsthand Experience Inside Venezuela 14:28 – Criticism From the West 17:29 – Oil Wealth, Poverty & State Failure 18:39 – Why Narratives Don't Match Reality 22:37 – Self-determination 24:20 – Does International Law Even Exist? 30:50 – Two Worlds? 33:39 – Tier-one Countries & Real Power 38:33 – the Risk of Unchecked Power 40:54 – "What's Next?" 46:24 – Post-maduro Choices 53:32 – Why Memes Dominate Political Reality 57:16 – Final Thoughts - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Steve Baker is a former Conservative MP who spent years inside the machinery of British politics. In this interview, he explains why Britain feels broken. We talk about falling living standards, a political system that keeps failing without consequence and why so many voters feel completely powerless to change anything. We also explore how a system can continue to function while delivering worse outcomes year after year. We also discuss the problem of power without limits, money without restraint and what happens to democracy when nothing fundamental can be challenged and no one is ever held to account. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Introduction 01:35 – Why Britain "Isn't Working" 03:17 – How the System Drifted Off the Rails 09:23 – The Real Incentive in Politics 11:10 – "You Get the Government You Deserve" 14:16 – Why Staying Home Changes Nothing 17:37 – Why MPs Fear Accountability 21:21 – The Collapse in Living Standards 23:06 – The Money Problem 26:44 – Bitcoin, Gold & Escaping the System 31:04 – Why Extremism Is Rising 34:51 – Liberty vs Control 40:22 – Britain Is Over-Governed 43:47 – There Is No Painless Way Out 47:51 – Why Politicians Kick the Can 50:08 – How Division Is Manufactured 57:00 – Why Politics Attracts the Wrong People 59:38 – Why Opting Out Fails 1:10:10 – Can the System Be Reset? 1:19:09 – Hope vs Reality 1:22:39 – Final Warnings - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH STEVE BAKER › Website – https://www.stevebaker.info/ › Twitter – @SteveBakerFRSA SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Inflation is the thing breaking everything. Not just prices - but trust, politics, institutions and people's belief that the system even works for them anymore. There's no sudden collapse coming and no dramatic moment where it all falls apart. It is slower than that and we're living through it right now. In this episode of PMQs, I talk through how inflation hollowed out living standards, why people are withdrawing from politics altogether, and why what looks like incompetence is often something closer to design. This isn't left vs right. It's extraction vs creation. And once you see it clearly, you can't unsee it. SHOW NOTES › https://x.com/Uncommonsince76/status/2001686827292311555 › https://www.inolongerconsent.com/ › https://x.com/ConsentEnds CONTACT PETE › Website - http://petermccormack.com › Feedback - https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email - [email protected] › Instagram - /mccormack555 › X/Twitter - https://x.com/petermccormack/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – There Will Be No Dramatic Collapse 01:17 – "This is How the World Ends" 03:45 – Why Decay Feels Normal 07:22 – Inflation as Quiet Theft 12:27 – Who Inflation Really Benefits 18:41 – Withdrawal of Consent 26:10 – Why Politics No Longer Works 34:55 – the Illusion of Reform 42:30 – Creation vs Extraction 51:01 – Why I'm Done Voting - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04

In this conversation, Larry Sanger explains how Wikipedia's governance structure allowed anonymous editors, activist groups, PR firms, and institutional power to capture what became the world's default source of truth. This isn't a culture-war rant. It's a structural explanation of how neutrality failed and why reform may no longer be possible. We discuss: – How Wikipedia was originally designed – Why expert review was rejected – Anonymous power and editor oligarchies – Activism, PR firms & source blacklists – Israel, Trump & political bias – Why "consensus" became enforcement – Whether AI will replace Wikipedia – Why Sanger believes Wikipedia may be finished - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TIMESTAMPS: 00:00 – Introduction 01:52 – How Wikipedia was originally built 09:13 – Wikipedia as a de facto truth engine 12:42 – Anonymous power inside Wikipedia 14:56 – Editors, bans and arbitrary authority 20:24 – Israel, Trump & political bias 27:29 – Activism, PR firms and capture 32:11 – Can neutrality even exist? 37:02 – Can AI be more neutral than humans? 41:03 – Testing Wikipedia with AI 49:03 – Is Wikipedia cooked? 58:56 – Why "consensus" became enforcement 01:05:30 – Source blacklists explained 01:15:12 – What Wikipedia has become 01:33:37 – Will AI replace Wikipedia? 01:40:24 – Would Sanger turn it off? 01:44:01 – Final warning - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - CONTACT PETE › Website – http://petermccormack.com › Feedback – https://www.petermccormack.com/contact › Email – [email protected] › Instagram – /mccormack555 › X/Twitter – https://x.com/petermccormack/ CONNECT WITH LARRY SANGER › Website – https://larrysanger.org/nine-theses/ › Substack – https://larrysanger.org/2025/10/grokipedia-a-first-look/ › Twitter – https://x.com/lsanger › Son's Website – https://encyclosearch.org/ SPONSORS › IREN - https://www.iren.com/ › Ledger - https://www.ledger.com/ › Gemini - https://gemini.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - LISTEN / SUBSCRIBE › Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/40ruY9K › Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wc94Vu › Fountain: https://bit.ly/FountainPM › YouTube: https://bit.ly/YouTube_PM › Rumble: https://bit.ly/RumblePM FILMED BY CURTIS TAYLOR › https://www.curttaylor.co.uk/ › https://x.com/curttayloruk/ EDITED BY CONOR MCCORMACK › https://x.com/ConorM04