The Echo Chamber from Tortoise Shack

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory and Tony discuss the costs of Trump's war - Israel's ongoing attacks on Lebanon, the fuel protests, the need for societal solidarity and how they reflect a deep distress amongst people struggling with the cost of living and where this is all headed. They draw the parallel between government arrogance and lack of compassion on Homelessness and evictions, which are at record levels, to their dismissive response to the scenes on our streets. Hubris? Maybe. But not unfounded until now. Prof Richard Murphy on the global energy...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Dr. Belal Alakhras is a lecturer at the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) who was born and raised in Gaza. His research focuses on settler colonial studies, conflict resolution, and the geopolitical dynamics of the Middle East and Southeast Asia and the escalating war on Iran. In this episode, he talks about his experience watching the genocide unfold in Gaza from afar and how it feels heavier than he'd imagined. He also offers his expert perspective on geopolitics in the Middle East and the impact of the ongoing war and the centrality of...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Timmy Facciola is a freelance journalist who worked previously with the New York Times and Politico. He now covers the new Mayor Zohran Mamdani from his excellent substack https://judgestreetjournal.substack.com/ He made his first ever podcast appearance on the shack earlier and we discussed his work, the mad king Trump, the Jewish communities feelings towards Mayor Mamdani and why local journalism is so important in this global news obsessed era. Rory Hearne on joining the dots from the Fuel Protests to the Cost of Living Crisis:https://www.patreon.com/posts...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Solicitor and Digital Rights expert, Simon McGarr re-joins me to discuss the recent legal woes for Big Tech, the novel legal argument that challenges their business model, the Government's attempts to improve online safety and why what Ireland is planning to do with its EU Presidency is at odds with tackling online disinformation and misinformation. Spoiler: It's deeply ironic that we're arguing for less Big Tech regulation, while complaining that the streets are blocked up by people who were "radicalised online." Rory Hearne on joining the dots from the Fuel Protests to the...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Editors Note: Contains strong language from a part of the protest The fuel protests have caused havoc to people's travel plans and made many turn on the protests. But Dublin City Councillor, Conor Reddy went along twice and despite what you see in the video at the start, he was able to find common ground with many there and engage in civil debate and conversations even with those of whom he disagreed. We have many crises facing this country and if we don't show up to support and offer solutions, another side will...

Please visit AFSC.org "We cried with my mother every time. She cried from pain and agony, and we cried from our helplessness and inability to provide assistance, medication, or relieve her pain. My mother suffered all the time, and our hearts were crushed with pain. This is our mother whom we love dearly, whom we do not want to lose, and who loves life and wants to continue it with us in good health." My Mother Returned Home to Die: The Injustices against Elderly Patients in the Gaza Strip is written by Ali Al Owisi and narrated by Irish...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Editor's note: I'd recommend watching this episode as Noor shares some glimpses of Gaza now. Noor Alhinnawi is a Palestinian writer from Gaza. She is graduating this semester and planning to start her career. After multiple displacements and attempts to cross to the south, she now lives in her relatives home after their own home was destroyed by Israel. She shares stories of displacement and surging death with us. Tune in for the full story. Simon McGarr on Meta and Google's legal losses:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-154840735 The ShedSit Pod with...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Rejoining me on the shack to delve into Iran, the US, Big Tech, the interlinked global financial system and the economic troubles ahead is author of Tax Haven Ireland and editor of the Irish Marxist Review, Dr Brian O'Boyle. This is a deep dive into the economics of this idiotic war, shadow banking, tax avoidance and the long-term geopolitical game behind the game. Simon McGarr on Meta and Google's legal losses:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-154840735 The ShedSit Pod with Sustainable Urbanism expert Phil Lawton:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-154676562 The...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack CEO of Emergency Logistics Team, Will Holden has spent years in some of the most dangerous places in the world. From Yemen to Syria and the then ISIS run Iraq, he’s seen a lot. He joined me from Erbil, Kurdistan to talk about the current situation, the supply chain issues created by the war and why this situation has him more concerned than anything he’s encountered previously. Iran, Shadow Banking, Shadow Fleets and the two week war podcast:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-154596249 Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad Hind Raja...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack The Government has sought to limit Access to Justice via their public consultation on the regulation of costs payable in matters prescribed on foot of section 294 of the Planning and Development Act 2024 (Scale of Fees). But it turns out that the public are overwhelmingly (98%) opposed. So what now for the planning eejitry? Solicitor Fred Logue joins me to talk about the report that has given the government the results it did not want and what the implications might and might not be for planning, climate action, bohs jerseys and access to justice. I...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Shahd Ismail Mahmoud Miqdad , is a PhD student from Gaza, who dreams of a life beyond the genocide where she will complete her education and life a an independent life safe, far from anything that hurts or touches her or her loved ones. Will Holden joins us from Ebril, Kurdistan, Iraq:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-154305070 Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad Hind Rajab:https://cabin-music.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-ivy-house Support the Hind Rajab Centre here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/quick-thank-you-152402329 SpiceBag Hind Jajab Centre Jersey:https://spicebagmerch.com/

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this episode journalist with El Pais in Latin America, Nicholas Dale Leal talks Cuba and the impossible choice facing its citizens, the Trump regime’s mafia style bullying of its neighbours and the lack of support for Cuba from her traditional allies. We also discuss the US-Ecuador attacks on “narco-terrorists” that killed innocent dairy farmers and what is happening in the Colombian presidential election. Will Holden joins us from Ebril, Kurdistan, Iraq:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-154305070 Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad Hind Rajab:https://cabin-music.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-ivy-house Suppor...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Former US Green Beret and Gaza Humanitarian Foundation whistleblower and now US Senate candidate, Anthony Aguilar rejoined me to discuss the current situation in Cuba, Iran and the US. He outlines the military situation and, not to be all doomer, gives a stark assessment of where things are heading. A must listen/watch Vijay Prashad podcast:https://www.patreon.com/posts/jwe-iran-crisis-153857539 Lynn Boylan MEP Pod:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-153100794

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack This Reboot Republic again delves into Ireland's housing crisis, government policies, and the influence of international investment on the economy. Rory and Tony analyse the systemic issues, the role of private sector interests, the government fund festival vs the mass evictions that are occuring and the potential solutions for sustainable, green and public owned development. Cuba podcast with El Pais journalist in Latin America, Nicholas Leal here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-153943715 Former US Green Beret, Anthony Aguilar podcast here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-153986148 Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Martin Leahy is a real one. The dedicated housing protester, activist and musician shares his journey from housing struggles to completing a one-man a 200-week housing crisis protest. We talk about the power of activism, protest songs, community building, and the ongoing fight to make housing a human right. Hope to see lots of you outside the Dáil on Thursday at 1pm!

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Prof of Economics, Constantin Gurdgiev, rejoins us from an unseasonably warm Colorado to talk US politics, global economics and polarising geopolitics. We delve deeper into the cracks in the social contract and ask what it means for a world that is more war focused than solution oriented. Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad Hind Rajab:https://cabin-music.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-ivy-house Latest Reboot Pod on the Rise in Evictions:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-153505035 Support the Hind Rajab Centre here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/quick-thank-you-152402329

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack The campaign to kick Israel out of football got A LOT spicier this week when FIFA President Gianni Infantino disagreed with international law over the Israeli illegal occupation of Palestinian lands. Re-joining me to talk about this, the awkward Slovenian dinner table discussions and what is going to happen next is cofounder of #GameOverIsrael Ashish Prashar. Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad Hind Rajab:https://cabin-music.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-ivy-house Latest Reboot Pod on the Rise in Evictions:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-153505035 Support the Hind Rajab Centre here:https://www.patreon...

Join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Emma Ward is a disability rights activist, a freelance journalist, an Irish Traveller and a person with a disability. She is also unapologetically outspoken, mischievous, ambitious and just great to talk to. She speaks about her struggles honestly and her passion to leave the world a better place than she found it. Her love of family, friends and community is obvious. As is her ability to get things done. Song by Cabin proceeds to Ionad Hind Rajab:https://cabin-music.bandcamp.com/album/live-from-the-ivy-house Latest Reboot Pod on the Rise in Evictions:https://www.patreon...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Author of Tax Haven Ireland, editor of the Irish Marxist Review and listener favourite, Dr Brian O'Boyle has written an excellent piece of analysis on the US-Israel war on Iran. He joins us to talk through the many narratives, underlying motivations and the overarching hegemonic battle central to these awful events. MEP Lynn Boylan on Gaza, Iran and the EU: https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-153100794 Read the piece here:https://rebelnews.ie/2026/03/14/trumps-attack-on-iran-four-lessons-on-us-imperialism/ Support the Hind Rajab Centre here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/quick-thank-you-152402329

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Heba Zeineddin holds a Bachelors Degree in English language and Teaching Methods from Alaqsa University in Gaza. She shares details of her life of displacement and loss in Gaza, where she has displaced with her family, including brother who has a disability, to a tent 12 times. Her family’s home was destroyed. Now she is trying to get back to normal by teaching Arabic to non-Arabic speakers. She joins us from her tent in Gaza to tell her story. Tune in for the full story. Trump's war on Iran podcast:https://www.patreon.co...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack We have one very big podcast about two very important stories both covered superbly by freelance journalist and soon-to-be author, Tommy Greene. Both are a testament to good old fashioned journalism. Tommy explains how it’s taken almost 8yrs to get some traction with the case of NHS Whistleblower, Dr Chris Day and then we get into the latest for-profit suggestions regarding Lough Neagh, Stormont's inaction and the PR interview given by the Lord of Shaftesbury. Note: C4 updated their piece to credit the work of Tommy NHS Story:https://www.livpost.co.uk...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack With over 250 journalists killed in Gaza since Oct 7th 2023, there is no more dangerous place in the world to be reporting the news. The threat of death hangs over the journalist and their families. Joining us is Issam Adwan, who is a Palestinian researcher whose work bridges international media, grassroots activism, and academic inquiry. He has worked as a journalist for global outlets including The Associated Press and Al Jazeera English, providing frontline coverage and investigative reports from Gaza during times of crisis. He joins us to discuss his displacement, the choices he...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Davy Adams has lived many lives, from becoming a loyalist paramilitary, to go on to contribute to the initial ceasefire agreement and subsequent Good Friday Agreement and then to carry out another lifetime of humanitarian work in places like Syria, Sudan and Sierra Leone. He joined me to talk about his bottom-up view on conflict, his take on the US-Israel war on Iran and why despite all the horrors he's seen, he remains hopeful. An unremarkable looking remarkable man is Wee Davy. The ICE and Forever War podcast with Greg Stoker is here...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack It’s all a bit mad at the moment, so it was a salve for the soul to sit down and chat with Palestinian photo-journalist from Gaza, Eman Mohamed. She describes growing up in a matriarchal household, going to a convent school and falling in love with photography. We discuss her life outside of Gaza, in the US and now in Ireland. I loved this conversation and I hope you will too. See emanmohammed.com for more The ICE and Forever War podcast with Greg Stoker is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/pa...

For more please visit AFSC.org Ahmed Alnaouq grew up in Gaza and is the cofounder of We Are Not Numbers. 21 members of his family were killed in one Israeli airstrike during the ongoing genocide. 'During the ethnic cleansing of the Nakba 76 years ago, Palestinians took it upon themselves to immortalize their stories, documenting these massacres in writing. But, the old did not die, and the young did not forget, as Zionist leaders wrongly assumed they would. Palestinians, within the confines of their prison in Gaza, are once again writing their stories and recording history.' To purchase Displaced in...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Editors Note: I’d recommend watching this interview in order to get a sense of the reality in Gaza right now. Muhammad Almassarey holds a PhD in Business-Management (Entrepreneurship) from UUM- Malaysia. He wrote 60% of his thesis during the genocide from Gaza. He shares with us the journey of getting his PhD from a tent in Gaza and how acts of solidarity allowed him to achieve his goals, despite all challenges and having been displaced 10 times after losing his home. He literally rescued his PhD thesis from under the rubble, repeating “There is tomo...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Editors Note: This podcast was recorded shortly before the Green Party won the UK by-election Prof Richard Murphy is one of the best commentators and analysts of the UK’s politics, economy and societal challenges. His own blog and output reaches millions of people every month. Which makes the fact that he is a tortoise shack regular all the more remarkable. We love having him and this is him at his frank speaking (Starmer, Polanski, SNP etc) best. Note: Richard also discusses his diagnosis with Autism as an older person and how that af...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Tucker Carlson’s interview with US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee made headlines across the world for many reasons. Not least of which was the Ambassador’s personal attack on Gaza Humanitarian Foundation whistleblower, US veteran and former Green Beret, Anthony Aguilar. Anthony joined me to talk about his experiences in Gaza, what it is like to be in the centre of a propaganda war, his own political ambitions and how ICE have rapidly become the Trump Regimes own personal army. Support the Ionad Hind Rajab here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/ionad-hind-rajab-150782129

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Shams Mazen Rajab is a Palestinian graduate in English Language and Teaching Methods from Al-Aqsa University in Gaza. She is a writer and translator whose work conveys the resilience, struggles, and hopes of her community. Her articles and poems have been published in international platforms such as We Are Not Numbers, the collective blog Through Our Eyes, and the academic journal Brief Encounters. She joins us from her displacement tent in Deir Al Balah. Exclusive - Gaza Humanitarian Foundation whistleblower, Anthony Aguilar responds to Mike Huckabee and THAT Tucker Carlson interview here:https...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Of the 4,521 new homes built in Dublin in 2025 only 208 went For Sale in an estate agents window. Something is deeply broken and given Ireland's retirement system is based on a homeownership model, it'll only get worse if action isn't taken soon. Joining me to discuss this and a whole lot more is Housing Expert and Lecturer at TUD, Lorcan Sirr. Enjoy. Or become worried. Or do both. The ICE and Forever War podcast with Greg Stoker is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150904626 Support the Ionad Hind Rajab here:https://www.patreon...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this podcast I'm rejoined on the tortoise shack for the first time in over a year by the best voice on the biggest (and arguably least reported) public inquiry in UK history, Mr Tom Fowler. We talk how the decades long political policing of the left has contributed to the rise of the far right, how failing Prime Minister Keir Starmer keeps showing up in the SpyCops story and how an undercover British policeman led a sabotage mission on Irish farmland. Sounds mad? That's the mild stuff. The Epstein Class podcast is...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Mohammed Isdodi is an English student in Al-Azhar University, Gaza, whose studies and plans were interrupted by the genocide. He joins us from Deir Balah to talk about his experiences, dreams, plans and why he speaks with an English accent. Please note I've not done too many audio cosmetics on this podcast as we are joined by drones and jets during the interview and I think people need to hear the reality. The ICE and Forever War podcast with Greg Stoker is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150904626 Support the Ionad Hind...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Depending on the reporting Cuba has 2-4 weeks of oil left and despite Trump saying that he's not involved, my guest journalist with el Pais, Nicholas Dale Leal, thinks the US has its knee on the throat of the small nation. We get into Cuba, the US, Mexico and Venezulea post Maduro. The ICE and Forever War podcast with Greg Stoker is here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150904626 Support the Ionad Hind Rajab here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/ionad-hind-rajab-150782129

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Last November, Ireland joined with other countries by publicly calling on UEFA to suspend Israel from international football. So inevitably Ireland has been drawn against Israel in the upcoming Nations League fixtures. Sadly the FAI and Taoiseach Micheal Martin have already said that the games will take place. Joining me to discuss this is one of the founders (alongside Richard Falk and Craig Mokhiber) of Game Over. Israel, Ashish Prashar, and he has a lot to say. Time to stand up to the bullies! For more visit gameoverisrael.com The Cuba Podcast with...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Abdalkhaliq Abugaza is a high school student living in Gaza. He was born in Saudi Arabia to Palestinian parents and moved home to Gaza in 2020. He is passionate about programming, storytelling, using technology to support education and humanitarian work. In this Palcast episode, he shares his experience of displacement, loss, life before the genocide and why he feels he’s one of the lucky ones. Tune in for the full story. The SpyCops Inquiry Pod is out now:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150521167 Poet Paula Meehan pod is out now here:https://ww...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Reboot Republic podcast, Rory chats to producer Tony about the biggest changes to Ireland’s rental market in a generation, the Government’s response (or lack of) to the recent floods and the need for the opposition to make the public believe that it doesn’t have to be this way when it comes to the current politics of mediocrity. The Epstein Files and the dearth of good reporting:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150004285 Poet Paula Meehan pod is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150317193 Support Dignity for Pa...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack A lot of people are drawing comparisons between events in Minneapolis and the worst days of the Troubles. So I asked Shrapnel cohost and a loyalist voice of great sense, Sam Mcilwaine to come on and have a chat about how sometimes history doesn't rhyme, but it might echo. Editors Note: This was released for members on Jan 29th and we're lifting the paywall as supporters asked us to. The Epstein Files and the dearth of good reporting:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150004285 Poet Paula Meehan pod is out now here:https...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Hassan Abo Qamar is a journalist and writer from Gaza. He’s also a first-year engineering student at the Islamic University of Gaza. His work has been published in outlets such as The Guardian, Al Jazeera, The Nation, The Electronic Intifada, and The New Arab, among others, with a focus on documenting the humanitarian reality in Gaza beyond traditional political narratives. Not satisfied with just that, he’s also an entrepreneur and the founder of a small business called Socks Store in Gaza. Alongside his work, he is actively involved in community and volu...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack Associate Professor and contributing member of the Neutrality Roadshow, Patrick Bresnihan rejoins us on the Shack to talk about the impending erasure of the Triple Lock, the ongoing erasure of our neutrality, the fallacies at the heart of the militarisation agenda and why there is so much hope in Irish peoples pride in our peacekeeping neutrality. The Epstein Files and the dearth of good reporting:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-150004285 Shrapnel's Sam Mcilwaine on deepening political polarisation:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-149409039 Support Dignity for Palestine here:https://www.patreon.com...

Please join us at patreon.com/tortoiseshack In this Tortoise Shack Podcast, Tony is rejoined by Mr irishelectionprojections.com Harry McEvansoneya, to discuss the latest opinion polls, the Soc Dem rise, the upcoming by-elections and why we have a government who will do absolutely anything to avoid having to do something. The Triple Lock Podcast is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-149848572 The Rental Reforms Podcast with Rory Hearne is out now here:https://www.patreon.com/posts/patron-exclusive-149857391