Worlds most famous publisher Julian Assange and also more coming up in todays going on the ground but lets go straight to one of the greatest living political activists and writers who has inspired antiwar figures from malcolm x. To John Lennon Tariq Ali joins us from his north london home via skype thanks so much for coming on the program i have to declare an interest because you brought me to channel 4 in the 1980 s. And you were my boss but what would you say now to the millions who have been inspired by your work the fight for freedom and justice that youve undertaken in your life what would you say to them who are now profoundly pessimistic about the neoliberal response to a pandemic let alone gross inequality around the world well basically. We fight. Its difficult to come out on the streets because of the nature of this but i make sure i take what you have been to make actually teaches is that the system under which we live it is. Belief law. And it does not alter the worlds fut
Charm since the ninetys of the last century needs to be dismantled all the countries there are seriously attempting to come to grips with this epidemic i mean macro in france was korea it was election is based on making france until premier liberal state has now been full struve us all that and offering d to pay the utility bills council tax will go up you know people not so well off except princess shows that deep down this entire and they owe through worse major government in the western world are aware that the system which then being defended and supporting doesnt work for a majority of people thats the lesson to be drawn after the virus has been tackled there and should if i may just say one of the concrete. Letters showed no panic because it is bad for these caves is the tiny island of cuba where cruise ships which are not allowed to land anywhere on joc anywhere are jocking in cuba being greeted by the population most all and are to be treated by the doctors and the cubans are s
A majority of the people thats the lesson to be drawn after the virus has been tackled there and should if i may just say one of the countries that are shown no panic because it is bad for these claims is the tiny island of cuba where cruise ships which are not allowed to land anywhere on joke anywhere jocking in cuba being greeted by the population most all and are being treated by the doctors and the cubans are sending free medicines all over africa now that is the model whereas in the west this didnt come to sight whether to maintain sanctions against iran or venezuela which is totally and completely disgusting then this is still going on when those in higher world is facing this crisis in fairness to our struggles Foreign Office and the stand that the British Government have thanked for the. Cuban government for taking the ship or the braemar into port but certainly no condemnation from here about the u. S. Sanctions on the island i want to get on to some of those other issues a bi
Its difficult to come out on the streets because the nature of this epidemic but i think what the epidemic actually teaches us is that the system under which we live is a sound belief lot. And it does not alter the worlds future that is worth living to boarded at its heart i mean the notion well is the only do not in nature so to prove the earth. And then to this day and wealthy people will get their way. By saving their lives so i dont write to them but what about the restaurants the work so i teach the new liberal capitalist system which has been in full snow expected at least since the eightys. Charmed since the ninetys of the last so you treat me. To be dismantled all the countries there are seriously attempting to come to grips with this epidemic i mean macro in france was korea it was election is based on making france to be near liberal state has now been forced to reverse all that and offering d to pay the utility beers council tax look you know people not so well off except fo
A bit later and todays anniversary of the iraq war but youre also a novelist and putting your novelist hat on how do you characterize near liberal culture and art given the fact that most peoples cultural imagination of a pandemic is really from hollywood and from films that what we have to go on well i mean you know its lost both of the culture today of fetus is dominated by a form of neo liberalism. Ill carriages individualists some of the most group has sort of you know this and be worshiped of 1st celebrities then someone extremely well known on television or a very strong. Actor is almost greeted as a dog and this is really deep deep you know much much worse so that. 30 to 40 you know so this. Proves various people almost not completely from thinking collectively and actually its not tell by the technology either the old internet revolution that has stayed in place encourages individual ism of course it needs i mean the number of people you run into on the buses all the tubes or o