Hi, it's Brendan here. Before we get started with this episode, I wanted to let you know how you can help

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That's W.W.

Spiked hypOnline.com and press the big red donate button. Now on with a show. The parties have more

more or less ceased to function and they are now basically

brand labels and the only people really committed to them are the actual politicians themselves,

people who want appointments, and their allies in the media and consulting agencies

who sell candidates to the public.

So it's gone from a participatory political system to one which is really, it's like consumer capitalism, you know know that is there's this product.

Hello and welcome to the Brendan O'Neill show with me Brendan O'Neill. This is a podcast in which an esteemed guest

joins me to talk about the big ideas, the bad ideas, the problems and the

controversies of life in the early 21st century.

In this episode I am delighted to be joined by Michael Linde.

Michael is an American academic and commentator. He has worked at numerous publications including

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