The Peter McCormack Show

PMQs #007 - Why Trump Wants Venezuela

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 - me@petermccormack.com › 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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

#138 – Steve Baker – The Structural Failure of Government

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 – me@petermccormack.com › 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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

PMQs #006 - The Quiet Leviathan — Inflation Is Breaking Everything

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 - me@petermccormack.com › 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

#137 - Larry Sanger - Will AI Replace Wikipedia?

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 – me@petermccormack.com › 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

PMQs #005 - This Country Doesn't Work Anymore

This country doesn't work anymore. In this episode, I explain why I no longer believe voting can fix what's broken and why the real problem isn't left vs right, race vs race, or party vs party but unconstrained government power. This is a continuation of ideas sparked by recent debates around Nick Fuentes, Carl Benjamin, identity politics and the collapse of legitimacy in modern democracies. I'm not calling for violence. I'm not calling for chaos. I'm calling for something far more dangerous to the state: Withdrawal of consent. This is a conversation about: – Why living standards never improve – Why every government consolidates power – Why identity politics is a trap – Why money printing breaks societies – And why peaceful, lawful non-compliance may be inevitable 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 - me@petermccormack.com › 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 01:55 – "This Country Doesn't Work Anymore" 05:36 – Government as an Extractive Machine 06:33 – Nick Fuentes & Piers Morgan 09:41 – Why Identity Politics Makes the State Stronger 12:22 – Voting Isn't an Option 15:00 – What Withdrawing Consent Means 22:25 – Peaceful vs Violent Revolution 29:47 – Mass Lawful Non-compliance Explained 36:27 – Creating a Movement 40:54 – Uncontrolled Money Creation 48:26 – Separation of Money & State 51:00 – Final Position: Why I'm Convinced This is Right - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 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 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -