4. Proud to be a Commoner (PUBLIC WEALTH)

The fourth episode opens with a sentencing. It’s 2017, and in Aylesbury Crown Court a repeat offender is accused of a terrible crime. Showing little remorse, they are admonished for their behaviour by the judge: ‘Shocking!’ ‘Disgraceful!’ The victim of this disgraceful crime? That would be us.In this episode, we warn listeners of a great theft of our country’s social, cultural, and natural commons, focusing on the privatisation of the UK’s fresh water, and its subsequent befouling in the name of a better profit margin. We explore the now-alien notion that nature is owned by all, and trace it back to a near-forgotten document enshrined at the same time as the Magna Carta.In doing so, we are first introduced to one of the West’s most influential and pervasive ideologies, to ‘the water we swim in’: Neoliberalism. And ask…what would happen if we asked for compensation for what has been stolen from us?Listen now! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Om Podcasten

We’ve all heard the cries echoing from climate marches: “SYSTEM-CHANGE, NOT CLIMATE CHANGE!”. But what does that actually mean?This investigative mini-series explores how our society has been built, uncovers the flaws in its foundation, and asks: how might we change things for the better?Investigative journalism. Talks with world-leading experts. Complex social, historical, and scientific concepts explained simply. At a time when the headlines can seem so alarming and random, The Water We Swim In is here to give you a better understanding of what they really mean. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.