Best The Political Abstract Podcasts (2024)

This week on the TechTank podcast, co-host Nicol Turner Lee is joined by her colleagues, co-host Darrell West, and Elaine Kamarck, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and Founding Director of the Center for Effective Public Management. Together, they will discuss the impact of disinformation on society and explore solutions presented in th…

1
Episode 263 - The Art of Investment in AI art. 27:03

Play Pause

3h ago27:03

27:03

This week we talk money and how the in reality these investments in art "art" are really short sighted financially. By alienating the creative user base companies are going to quickly find themselves in the process of needing unique ideas. Something AI cannot generate without theft. There is also the question of financial return. If you invest a fe…

1
My life, Arfek! EP10. Gangstarr, Roc Raida, 22:57

7d ago22:57

22:57

This week marks the double digits episode, I've got a special interview with the legendary Grandmaster Roc Raida, recorded during his first visit to Australia. I induct a KING into Australian Hip Hop. We breakdown the discography of legends Gangstarr. I interview one of Australian Hip Hops most significant figures, a person who never receives enoug…

1
0:00 / 19:22 What did Socrates teach? Or why you only understand Plato if he is decolonised 19:22

3d ago19:22

19:22

What Socrates taught is, of course, the wrong question. For, if there is one thing that Plato is quite clear about, it is that Socrates taught nothing. Something else is going on when you encounter this figure. So what is it? In this talk I look first at common errors concerning Plato, such as that he pitched body against soul or thought poets were…

1
The Final 10% Will Test You: Abstractions From App Development To Life 19:58

2h ago19:58

19:58

In todays episode I pull out lessons from taking a goal to fruition and reflect on how the last 10%, the final milestone, was arguably where I encountered the most learnings and ran into unexpected challenges. This is where most people quit and this is why you shouldn't!Want to listen to more episodes?Visit https://www.monologuesbyhasi.com/ or subs…

1
My life, Arfek! EP09 Dj Jay, Dj Dexter, True Crime 25:05

15d ago25:05

25:05

Welcome. This week has our first interstate interview! Dj Dexter from Melbourn was holidaying in Sydney many moons ago when I caught up with him and asked some questions. We've also got Sydney OG Dj Jay and his beginning in Hip Hop and the future. Ritual goes all in on Drum n Bass, and why it and Hip Hop need to come together. It' no holds barred. …

1
Will VP Harris close the gaps for the digitally invisible if elected? 42:54

3d ago42:54

42:54

In this episode of the TechTank podcast, co-host, Darrell West speaks to Nicol Turner Lee, co-host and author of Digitally Invisible, to discuss what can be done by policymakers, industry, and civil society to talk about her new book, and share her thoughts on what it will take to narrow the widening disparities that exist around connectivity. Host…

1
Episode 262 - Is "Sign here" worth it when art is involved? Feat Emma Loughlin 1:00:32

6h ago1:00:32

1:00:32

This week i sit down with good friend of mine Emma Louhglin! Emma and I have known each other for a few years now and actually did the terrible dangerous thing of chatting via the internet first when i was streaming throughout the pandemic! Turns out we ended up living in the same area but she is in her own right a talented marketing manager workin…

1
City2Surf 2024: Takeaways From Race Day 22:11

22d ago22:11

22:11

After having been running (distances 5 km and above) for over a year now I pulled off a personal feat shaving 10 min off my original City2Surf time finishing the beautiful 14 km's in a tad under 81 minutes. Whilst I'm clearly not an athlete I'm rather proud of where I've come from and am probably in the best shape of my life as I approach 30. Takin…

1
My life, Arfek! EP08, Abstract Rude, Et-nik Tribe, Western Sydney 20:16

6d ago20:16

20:16

Welcome. This week, I've got an interview with the amazing lyricist, Abstract Rude. Recorded while he toured Australia with Aceyalone and Ammbush. We've got 2 Sydney Mc's on the mic, Sleek The Elite interviewing Khalil from the Et-nik Tribe. So many topics get discussed, don't miss it. There's music from Southwest Syndicate, who coincidentally are …

1
To see a world in a grain of sand. Poetry & philosophy for a civilisation in distress. A conversation with Valentin Gerlier 49:50

16d ago49:50

49:50

What has poetry to do with philosophy? Why might poetry particularly matter now? How did figures from Plato to Einstein value the poetic voice? Valentin Gerlier and Mark Vernon return for another conversation about the manner in which we humans are gifted with symbolic as well as cognitive imaginations. They ask why we keep returning to poets such …

1
My life, Arfek! EP07. DJ Bonez, COD, Classic Hip Hop Albums 21:19

6d ago21:19

21:19

Welcome to another episode of the podcast, My life, Arfek! We can probably call this the "classics episode". I've got an in depth interview of a very young Dj Bonez, done by Chloe. He talks about starting out and what the future holds. 2 classic album reviews, Step in The Arena & Amerikkka's Most Wanted, courtesy of Abstract Rude. Plus rare instrum…

1
What Project 2025 says about AI, antitrust, and public radio 31:31

8d ago31:31

31:31

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Darrell West is joined by Roxana Mika Muenster, COMPASS fellow at Brookings’ Center for Technology and a doctoral student at Cornell University. Together, they explore what Project 2025 envisions for tech and media policy, and try to understand the impact their agenda would have on industry politics, and t…

1
A Short Discourse On Letting Go Of Expectations 12:45

10d ago12:45

12:45

I've often found myself being a prisoner to expectations I've created which seem to conflict with what nature has in plan. In this episode I reflect on this very statement in light of my last few weeks in Japan and plans going astray.Want to listen to more episodes?Visit https://www.monologuesbyhasi.com/ or subscribe on your favouritepodcast app.To…

1
Episode 261 - What happens to passion when it's focused on pineapple on pizza? 25:07

25d ago25:07

25:07

This week we focus on the big questions the non trivial internet answers. What happens when your mind is so focused on small arguments that you expunge your energy and thoughts into the simple idea of putting a fruit on a pie? I tend not to get dragged into internet arguments, even in real life i avoid these kinds of asks because I have other thing…

1
My life, Arfek! EP06. Killawattz, Grizzly Bastard, The Nobodies 28:02

24d ago28:02

28:02

It doesn't get anymore exclusive than this. An interview with all three members of Killawattz before they performed for the first time as Killawattz 🤯 I've got another track specially recorded for this podcast/album. It's by Grizzly Bastard.....Where did all the Humane Humans go? I discuss Hip Hop lyrics, my personality and Issues 3 and 4 of Arfek …

1
My life, Arfek! EP05, Blaze, Idiotproof, Australian Hip Hop, Interviews 24:21

1M ago24:21

24:21

The legendary and revered, Australian Hip Hop 1st generation participant, the original Blaze, and publisher of the world's first Hip Hop magazine, Vapors, is the extra special guest this week. He talks about the release of the first track from his label Parallax View and which releases were slated to come out but never did. There's also interview w…

1
Where was tech policy in the presidential race before Biden dropped out? 35:00

22d ago35:00

35:00

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Dr. Nicol Turner Lee is joined by Steven Overly, the host of POLITICO Tech at POLITICO, and Darrell West, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution and TechTank co-host. Together, they discuss where tech and tech policies are in the upcoming election and understand what hotbed issues resonate with candida…

1
Hallam v the State, and free speech. The Just Stop Oil desecrations are calling to our humanity 26:52

1M ago26:52

26:52

Just Stop Oil and the imprisonment of Roger Hallam and others has provoked an outcry, on both sides of the dispute. And the heightened emotions have made me think. What's going on here? What is at stake? I suspect that what’s being missed is something fundamental to human society and how we participate in a wider environment, and that can be discer…

1
Secessio Plebis: An Ancient Political Tool For The Modern Ages? 15:45

24d ago15:45

15:45

In 494 BC the Roman Plebians, the commoners, made a move out of their city to Mons Sacer causing the function of their capital to halt and the ruling classes to pay attention to the demands of the commoner. This was known as Secessio Plebis and occurred many another 4 times over the next 2-3 centuries. Seemingly controlled by lobbyists, both corpor…

1
Episode 260 - Fat beats for submarines Feat Bob Cronin aka @rocdocs 55:42

1M ago55:42

55:42

This week i sit down with the highly recommended Bob Cronin! Bob is a multimedia artist and creator which an in-depth knowledge of life and experience which is fascinating. The voice and host behind @rocdocs with Dennis Ball a talking tennis ball he's also a creator of mash up masterwork the Beastles back when he was under the title dj BC. This was…

1
Chance and accidents, indeterminism and prayer. A conversation with Rupert Sheldrake 38:19

26d ago38:19

38:19

Randomness and luck, fate and providence. How do these facets of life relate to one another? Or is everything, actually, mechanically determined with synchronicities, say, being no more than coincidences? In this episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon discuss the ways in which philosophers and scientists, ancien…

1
EP04, DJ Soup, Mista Sinista, Perso, 1990s Hip Hop 27:43

27d ago27:43

27:43

Welcome back for another edition of my life story, Hip Hop and how they're so tightly linked. This week I give you the run down on Issue 2 of my magazine from 1997, Arfek. We hear from 2, 1st school generation Hip Hop producers and DJ's. First is from Australia, Dj Soup of the Fonke Knomaads and the other is of the notorious DJ crew X-Men, Mista Si…

1
The Young Male Advice Column: Don't Waste The Opportunity To Learn NOW! 21:49

1M ago21:49

21:49

In this episode a misunderstood order of Takoyaki here in Hiroshima has me reflecting on the wasted opportunity to learn the non-career oriented skills that make like rich such as language learning and playing a musical instrument. As always with the Young Male Advice columns I make these because I am speaking to a younger me as much older person. …

1
EP03, 13th Son, Michael Franti and 1980's Western Sydney 24:18

1M ago24:18

24:18

This episode features an in-depth interview with Michael Franti from 1998. In it, he discusses his beliefs, the effort it takes to be on stage and why keeping your natural Australian accent when performing is a must. I've got clsssic music by Capital Punishment and a new banger recorded especially for this podcast by 13th Son. I gave 13th Son the h…

1
How Just 15 Minutes Of Daily Meditation For The Last 100 Days Has Changed Me 15:19

2M ago15:19

15:19

The 15-minute minimum I discussed is based on a NYU study showing 13-minutes as the minimum effective dose for a whole host of benefits in non-meditators (J.C. Basso et al. 2019). I've rounded this up by a couple of minutes to ensure you get the most out of your sessions. To learn more about Vipassana and find a course near you visit https://www.dh…

1
Episode 259 - Can you Gentrify a mind? 24:45

1M ago24:45

24:45

During a very recent solo podcast I talking about how the internet had become gentrified and in a world of online subscriptions, ad block and internet gate keeping we were in a different age. And Along with that I had another thought. Can you gentrify a human being? A mind? A thought? It's something I believe I've witnessed. Something where those w…

1
Cultural Christianity kills. Taking Blake's Christianity seriously. William on Jesus 51:06

2M ago51:06

51:06

At one level, Blake is clearly Christian. It’s even trivial to say so. And yet, his identification with Jesus is often sidelined, even written out, of accounts of the poet's work today. There are many reasons for this neglect: an understandable disillusionment with Christianity; the replacement of participative Christianity with cultural Christiani…

1
EP02 - Aceyalone, Mc Trey and my journey in Hip Hop 22:56

1M ago22:56

22:56

This week I continue explaining what drew me into not only US Hip Hop, but Australian Hip Hop as well. I have an interview, from 1999, with Aceyalone that takes a turn for the worse when I accidentally upset him. Plus a 1997 interview with Mc Trey, a leading light in Australian Hip Hop and Western Sydney. The interview gives great insight into Trey…

1
Trans activism, transhumanising, economic transition. Proxies for vision & the lost soul of politics 17:40

2M ago17:40

17:40

Three “trans” issues seem to be proxies for vision in contemporary politics, feeding the sense of despair and disillusion. Trans activism, which is not the same as trans pathology. Transhumanising, the techno-utopian dream of tomorrow. Transitioning the economy, moving from extractive consumption. All three are about qualities of relationship: - to…

1
Reflections On Die With Zero: What I'm Taking Away From The Book 18:32

2M ago18:32

18:32

I recently read 'Die With Zero' by Bill Perkins and in this episode discuss how I've reflected on this book based on what I've experienced myself with me and family as well as conversations I've had with others regarding life experiences and retirements and how this recent reminder has helped me make a few great decisions that will pay memory divid…

1
Episode 258 - Finding your sound in the online noise Feat @PostageTramps 1:03:54

2M ago1:03:54

1:03:54

This week we break new ground with the most people I've ever had on an episode on an episode! I'm hanging out with local New York based band @PostageTramps . Comprised of members : Tristan, Julian, Sophia and Akshay they have been doing what artists do best and finding their sound and space within NYC. That's not an easy route to take especially in…

1
My life, Arfek! EP01 20:34

2M ago20:34

20:34

This week we really get into it, there are 2 interviews, the first is with 2 trail blazers in Australia Hip Hop. Legendary journalist, Miguel Dsouza, interviewing freestyle rapper turned producer, the late Illpickl. It's an absolute honour to reproduce this interview. The second one is of me, interviewing ITF champion DJ Vin Roc from 5th Platoon. H…

1
Cut off in the literal age. Owen Barfield & Carl Jung on alienation and political disillusionment 18:47

2M ago18:47

18:47

There is a link between rising levels of mental-ill health and political disillusionment. Feeling cut off is not just an economic and psychological problem, but is a symptom of a wider alienation arising from modern consciousness. Owen Barfield argued that contemporary political problems are fundamentally due to estrangement not only from others bu…

1
Cell Membranes And Nation States: Has The West Gone Mad With Migration? 33:40

2M ago33:40

33:40

In todays episode I make an analogue between nation states and cell membranes* with respect to current state of migration in the western world. We are currently seeing a rise in racism and xenophobia with movements on the right gaining traction and the 'others' being singled out. Is there a valid reason behind this shift? I make the argument that i…

1
To Generalise is to be an Idiot. William Blake on politics, disillusionment and abstraction 13:25

2M ago13:25

13:25

William Blake lived during the period in which the modern world was born. A prophet, he detected the tendencies that now powerfully shape our age. The love of abstraction was high on his list of troubles. Such generalisations profoundly shape politics today. Politicians sell themselves on whether they will boost the economy, drive up growth, fight …

1
Intro EP00 4:31

3M ago4:31

4:31

By Paul

1
Creating Queer Inclusive Research and Experiences in AI 42:15

3M ago42:15

42:15

This week on the TechTank Podcast, co-host Nicol Turner Lee welcomes two distinguished guests: Arjun Subramonian, a Computer Science PhD candidate at the University of California, and Raj Korpan, an Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Hunter College, City University of New York. Together, they discuss their groundbreaking paper, "Queer in AI…

1
What On Earth Is Fair? Why You Should Stop Wallowing In Self Pity 10:05

3M ago10:05

10:05

"It's so unfair" is probably something we ought to cut out for our vocabularies. After being prompted externally and reflecting on how I've allowed this to creep in I reflect on the why wanting 'fairness' for the vast majority of us who are privileged to simply listen to podcasts in English is fundamentally flawed.Want to listen to more episodes?Vi…

1
God, sexuality & the psyche. CS Lewis and Sigmund Freud tabletalk. Thoughts on Freud’s Last Session 22:49

3M ago22:49

22:49

The new movie Freud’s Last Session is well worth a watch, particularly if either man is of interest. The issues you might expect are aired between them, not least belief in God. But also the more shadowy sides to their lives - Lewis’s relationship with Janie Moore, Freud’s with his daughter Anna. I enjoyed it, though also wondered if they might hav…

1
Lessons From 100 Episodes: Detaching Effort From Outcome And More 17:21

3M ago17:21

17:21

Last week I released my 100th podcast episode since starting Monologues by Hasi over 2 years ago. Throughout that period I've learnt a lot by engaging in the process of creating content and getting it out there. In this episode I condense some of the key learnings.Want to listen to more episodes?Visit https://www.monologuesbyhasi.com/ or subscribe …

1
The fullness of life. A conversation with Rupert Sheldrake 34:29

3M ago34:29

34:29

At school, we learn that being alive is to possess certain functions, from respiration to reproduction. But what is life and why can the word “life” be used more widely than referring only to biological life? In the latest episode of the Sheldrake-Vernon Dialogues, Rupert Sheldrake and Mark Vernon consider the meaning of saying that stars have a li…

1
Rendering to Caesar. Jesus on politics and the kingdom that is within 13:31

3M ago13:31

13:31

I've been thinking about politics and disillusionment that seems most characteristic of now, in the West at least, and thinking about the prepolitcal - what politics needs to work well. I've thought about Plato on beauty and Aristotle on ethics in previous posts. Now a third guide, Jesus on... which isn't immediately easy to say. And that's the poi…

1
Episode 257 - Getting evicted from the internet. 24:08

3M ago24:08

24:08

This week I get a little nostalgic. I get a little reminiscent and I get a little honest about how I was a few weeks back. The older internet was a free place but not completely free. But it was just enough that you could find random spaces and hang out there with no need to buy anything or watch an advert or even pay attention because they couldn'…

1
Understanding Nth Order Effects: How Legalising Gay Marriage May Help Straight Men 16:51

3M ago16:51

16:51

Charlie Munger, billionaire investor and vice-chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, was a large proponent of 2nd (and beyond) order thinking about the consequences of our decisions and the consequences of those consequences and so on as a good process for effective decision making. In this episode I highlight how the December 2017 changes to Australia's …

1
Ethics and the failure of politics, or why ethics is part of the problem. A dispatch from Athens 12:57

3M ago12:57

12:57

Disillusionment with politics is probably the most obvious feature of the current mood. This is, in part, because politics has collapsed onto anxiety about material improvement and lost sight of much more. In a secular society in which this facet of wellbeing is increasingly hard to deliver, politics appears therefore to be failing. So now is a goo…

1
Beauty and the failure of politics. An election dispatch from ancient Athens 11:40

3M ago11:40

11:40

Disillusionment with politics is probably the most obvious feature of the current mood. This is, in part, because politics has collapsed onto anxiety about material improvement and lost sight of much more. In a secular society in which this facet of wellbeing is increasingly hard to deliver, politics appears therefore to be failing. So now is a goo…

1
What to make of the new AI Roadmap from the Senate’s Bipartisan Commission 40:56

3M ago40:56

40:56

Join us on the latest episode of the TechTank Podcast, where co-hosts Darrell West and Nicol Turner Lee dive into the opportunities and challenges of the AI roadmap developed by Senator Schumer (D-NY) and the bipartisan commission. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the complexities and implications of this new initiative. Hosted on Acast. See…

1
Minimising Your Dependence On Neurochemical Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL) Solutions 10:21

3M ago10:21

10:21

In the world of neurochemistry buy now pay later solutions (BNPL) exist very much like they do in the world of finance - we call them intoxicants and one of the most commonly consumed globally is alcohol. After almost half a decade of not drinking alcohol I did and given the perspectives that I have gained from a past of heavy drinking, a long peri…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

The Political Abstract Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide