The Bugle - Bugle 4072 The Question

Episode Date: June 16, 2018

Anuvab Pal joins Andy to talk about the G7 summit and the beginnings of a special relationship with North Korea. We contrast the morning routines of Prime Ministers and a glorious summer of sport beck...ons to distract us from Brexit insanity.With@HelloBuglers@anuvabpal@Wahwah_UKMore episodes and info on our website: http://thebuglepodcast.comWe are proud members of Radiotopia Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Starting point is 00:00:00 Dancelaguard fans, you will be thrilled to know a book is coming out if you fund it via Unbound. We are publishing the Dancelaguard Reader by Alice Fraser and Dancelaguard, a glorious insight into the world of Dancelaguard, self-published romance maven, and online bestseller. If you would like to find out how to support it, go to thebugelpodcast.com. If we get enough support, we will publish the book. That's a real thing that's going to happen. Thebugelpodcast.com to support the Danciler Guard Reader. The Bugle, audio newspaper for a visual world! Hello, Bee Euglers and welcome to issue 4,072 of the bugle which is not only the world's leading and only audio newspaper for a visual world, but also a truly indispensable guide
Starting point is 00:00:56 to life packed. With sage advice on issues ranging from how not to become a tribal warlord, how to avoid being mistaken for a billionaire oil tycoon and how not to win Wimbledon if you've listened to this show. From the start in 2007 you would have achieved all three of those goals. I am Andy Zoltzman, you may know me from such well-known shows as The Bugle Podcast, Andy Zoltzman's Water Slide Mayhem, why is my turkey still alive, how to avoid simple cooking errors at Christmas, and when Andy met Gandy, fictional meetings between low profile comedians and major historical figures, part one.
Starting point is 00:01:30 I'm also a freelance astronaut, although I will admit work has been a little thin on the ground, what with the moon landing, having ended in 1972, a couple years before I was born, I chose the wrong time to specialise. And this, as I said, is bugle 4,072 by the most pecor of coincidences. That is the exact same number as the number of spiders legs found this week in a secret draw in Steve Bannon's old desk in the White House. It remains unclear whether Bannon, the former White House chief strategist and incarnation of BLs about franchisee, had pulled all the legs off 509 spiders, or one leg off 472 spiders, or an average of 4.51 legs off 903 spiders, or some combination of the above,
Starting point is 00:02:17 or whether he'd actually more positively ordered a job lot of spiders legs from an alternative medicine site on the darknet in order to find the perfect fitting replacement leg for his beloved pet policy arachnid, who of course went by the name of Inzaman Wins Stanley or Inzi Winsy Spider. See, he is human after all. I'm joined this week all the way from Mumbai India by a man who skillfully combines the varying challenges of being a comedian, a screenwriter and a glamour model by focusing ruthlessly on the first two of those three jobs. It's Anuva Pal. Hi Andy, hello, happy to be here.
Starting point is 00:02:54 And also, Andy, I should tell you, the monsoons have started in India and I don't know if you're listening, no, but during the monso it's very interesting time to be doing this, Andy, because while we speak, you know, there is a very strong possibility that my neighbors may get washed away, and I will get you neighbors. I may get washed away to a different location. So this is going to be an interesting conversation, Andy, because although I am stationary,
Starting point is 00:03:22 I cannot guarantee that I will be for the hour. Right, okay. So I mean, what level of rainfall is there at the moment? Are you in a a dry bit or a very wet bit? Well, I'm glad you asked that, because I think Noah, the guy that you guys have in your religious books, Noah, when he built that arc, has nothing going on an average South Asian monsoon. Nothing. I could say I'm in the dry bit, but when I say dry bit it basically means ankle deep in water. So we are recording on the 15th of June 2018, the anniversary of the exact same day by amazing coincidence of the 15th of June in the year 1215,
Starting point is 00:04:07 when King John of England put his seal to the Magna Carta, the document that burns bright in the heart of every English-hearted person, inshining such precious rights that we hold dear to this day. For example, the rights for anyone who has borrowed some of money from Jewish people and has died before that debt has been replayed. Their heir needs to pay no interest on that debt for as long as they remain underage. That is one of the most important rights enshrined by the Magna Carta. Also a crucial right, this that no town or person shall be forced to build bridges over rivers except
Starting point is 00:04:52 those with an ancient obligation to do so. I mean that is I can't I cannot begin to explain the number of times I've been saved from being obliged to build a bridge and Evabonets just nice to have that freedom to walk down a river as an English person protected by the rights of the Magna Carta to think, well someone could ask me to build a bridge over that and I'd have to tell them to f**k right off. And also that he is, he is, I-I-S, and may be given in marriage, but not to someone of lower social standing and that term, and he's an absolutely, as a father of two children, that is a right, I'm going to be absolutely all over, at some point in my life. On this day in 1667, the first human blood transfusion was administered by Dr Jean-Baptiste D'inese in France and the 1668 Tour de France
Starting point is 00:05:44 smashed every single record in the book, draw your own conclusions, 16th century cycling fans. As always a section of the bugle is going straight in the bin. This week a special pull out section, celebrities and the things they temporarily lost, what I'm admittedly we and other media outlets are struggling to find new things for celebrities to talk to us about. But we are looking at things that have been lost for a little while by the great and famous. We talked to Philmacter Al Pacido, who looks back on the time. He couldn't find his favourite pen before finally locating it after a mildly irritated eight minute search.
Starting point is 00:06:20 In the trouser pocket of a suit he'd worn the day before. American golf legend Jack Nicholas tells us about trying to make a beef strong enough from a recipe book, whilst frantically trying to locate a pot of mustard that turned out to be on his spice rack rather than in his fridge where he had been looking. German politics star Angela Merkel shares the heart-running tale of when in her days on the amateur German athletic circuit she misplaced a discus and had to throw a sleeping cat that she found by the side of the track instead. And the former Archbishop of Canterbury run Williams. He spills the beans on how he once left his Bible in the place
Starting point is 00:06:53 that he usually kept his 1954 edition of Advanced Lawn Mell Maintenance and Vice-Verser. And then had to improvise an Easter service about how Jesus was both the oil in the engine and the grass box providing refuge for the humble blades of lawn cut down by fate. That section. In the bin. Eugula's here is an important announcement. It seems that none of us know how to brush our teeth properly. But don't panic, quip is here to save your teeth.
Starting point is 00:07:22 Quip is an electric toothbrush that's a fraction of the cost of balkier brushes. It's essentially like having your teeth gently licked by a benevolent angel. It has an inbuilt timer, no cutting corners my toothy friends, and they send new brush heads every three months so your brush keeps your teeth looking absolutely sensational. Quip was called the best electric toothbrush by GQ and the Tesla of toothbrushes by in Bloomberg. Let's assume those were meant as compliments. Quip starts at just $25 and if you go to getquip.com slash bugle right now, you'll get your first refill pack free with a quip electric toothbrush. That's your first refill pack
Starting point is 00:07:56 free at getquip.com slash bugle spelled g-e-t-q-u-i-b.com slash bugle. spelled g-e-t-q-u-i-p.com slash bugle. Time now for top story this week. And as always, the question is, what the fuck is going on in the world? AnuVab, you represent over 60% of the world's population. You're God-given role as the bugle's Asia correspondent. Correct. You have been right on the continent
Starting point is 00:08:26 where it was all happening earlier this week, the North Korea Summit, which took place in Singapore. How has your continents reacted? One of the first things that I think Trump said is that he will know in the first three minutes of meeting Kim Jong-un, whether the treaty may or may not be
Starting point is 00:08:46 signed. And when I read that, I realized, isn't that that is how all great treaties did get signed, the Marshall Plan, the Treaty of Versailles. All great treaties, the end of the World War, the Japanese surrender, all great, about the first three minutes, based on twitching, In about the first three minutes, based on twitching, eye contact and a certain feeling in both the world leaders' bottoms, they were able to decide it. Well, as you know, we have been tearing ourselves apart over Brexit and the complicated negotiations do we need to just adopt the Trumpian style and just have Theresa May and whoever is currently King or Queen of Europe standing six inches away from each other's faces for three silent minutes before they both go, yeah, and it's all done.
Starting point is 00:09:34 I think so, Andy. I think so. Basic diplomacy involves years of back-end paperwork and aids and assistance drawing out minutiae of nuclear documentation. I think it's time to do away with that Andy. I think it's time, like you said, for a mix of basic illiteracy on the spot exuberance with a fair dachsh of insanity. And also, Andy, I want to know what you think of this, because this is probably for the first time where something happened and the whole world went to Singapore and No one actually knows what happened And do you think this is the future of diplomacy where people were meet
Starting point is 00:10:15 But we don't really know why because no no Lot of journalists said no tangible deal was signed no actual dates for tangible deal was signed, no actual dates for North Korea to get rid of their weapons was decided. So, is this really how we will have meetings in the future where there will be meetings, but we would not know why? Well, I think there's a lot to be said for that. There's that famous saying, isn't it? The devil is in the detail. So if you remove all detail, then you have no devil. I mean, it was very hard to fully understand exactly what's gone on, how much we should trust Donald Trump on this matter.
Starting point is 00:10:57 He's got a bit of a boy who cried wolf issue going on has discussed on this podcast and times gone by. Maybe we should take Donald Trump at face value. Admittedly, his face is an orange tinted lie, but still, you know, we'll do our best. The wording appears to be about as watertight as a fishnet dry suit. And I mean, will it, what if it does work? Maybe this is the future. He said some truly extraordinary things about his new best friend, Kim, particularly, and we'll get onto this later when he said aside what he's been saying against. Well leaders who are slightly less tainted by the human rights abuse brush than Kim Jong Un. He described Kim as, and it was very, very touching. They gave each other some lovely gifts at the summit.
Starting point is 00:11:41 And it was very, very touching. I mean, they gave each other some lovely gifts at the summit. Donald Trump gave Kim Jong Un the joy of nepotism, classic book. From the same publisher as the joy of sex complete with the odd 1970s, pencil drawings of hippies handing power and influence to their relatives. Whilst Kim gave Trump his new PlayStation 4 game, Kim Jong Un's descent crush at 2018 from the EA Autocracy range of games. Trump described
Starting point is 00:12:07 Kim Jong Un as very talented. I guess you can interpret it in a number of ways. Talented at having his relatives executed by anti-aircraft guns. I mean, that's a talent, I guess. Not one that I've... I mean, maybe I do have that. I just haven't explored it. Rich, have you ever slain any members of your family using a large-scale weaponry? Without the talent, that's what it is, you say? Right, okay. So you've tried, but you just missed. You spread all over the place. Every shot was a trick. But Kim Jong and top of the world rankings for killing relatives with anti-aircraft guns,
Starting point is 00:12:39 although to be fair, Novak Djokovic has been injured for a lot of the last year, so he's dropped down the rankings. Also very talented at being the son of a dictator and inheriting both the dictatorship and the genes that make one more dictator-y and talented at human rights abusing. Again, a lead level, not my thing, not a talent that I admire, but I'm not really a fan of motorsports, I mean, I think that Lewis Hamilton is not a talented driver. So I guess we need to cut Kim Jong Un some slack. He also said, and this was odd, Trump said this about Kim.
Starting point is 00:13:10 He said, he's got a great personality, he's a funny guy, he's very smart. I mean, that just sounds like feedback on a first date. Is this really acceptable? Well, Andy, you know, I look like all romances, it has to start somewhere. I think too much of world diplomacy has been called, you know, I look like all romances, it has to start somewhere. I think too much of world diplomacy has been cold, you know, has been political and covered in so much, you know, process. Like, imagine if Kaiser will hand the first
Starting point is 00:13:36 when meeting with Queen Victoria could have said something similar, you know. If, if, you know, any time in human history, it really stodgy, France, Joseph, the head of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, had at one point referred to a fellow world leaders having a nice bottom. You know, I think we'd get somewhere instead. Instead, the world looks like the way it does because they would end up people talking like they were out at first dates. Which leads me to a question, Andy.
Starting point is 00:14:05 A lot of people say that there is no credibility to this meeting. But do you think, do you think, like the actual document that they sign, it says, North Korea will dismantle its nuclear weapons at a time mutually decided sometime in the future. Now, to a despot who you cannot trust, who's displayed, you know, shocking disregard for any treaties or human rights, don't you think that's a sufficient enough? I don't talk about Kim here or Trump. I mean, you have to define these things.
Starting point is 00:14:38 That was a, I think CNN newsreader described in the bill that was on the summit, talks about when the two dictators meet in, I don't know if that was a Freudian, so they're just a basic fact. It's very hard to say. I guess we all have to let history be the judge. The problem with history being the judge
Starting point is 00:14:56 is history comes up with some pretty rogue judgments over the thumb, and I'm not sure it always sits through all the evidence. I mean, we need to get some kind of jury system involved. I mean, and then another thing Trump said about Kim. He said he loves his country very much. Citation needed. Citation needed, Mr. President. I mean, admittedly, Anavab love does manifest itself in some of the most curious ways. Well, if Kim Jong Un loved his pet in parlor like he loves his country, that Impala would be starving to death mains ridden, flea bitten and blind after spending its entire life locked in a cellar
Starting point is 00:15:30 Thinking to itself when I have the chance to choose owners as an Impala with hindsight I should have gone with Mickey the freelance lion owner when I had the chance Kim's love for his country is not so much the love that day Donald speak its name as the love that speaks its name far too much through state-run TV propaganda channel. Well, you know, and he hears the thing, you know, all the great world leaders and I've been studying dictators recently. I don't know why. It just seems to be dictator week in my life, Andy. And I've been looking at Muammar Gaddafi, looking at Robin Mugabe, I'll be looking at a range of people. And, you know, I think that a fair sign of love is a major part of love is also fear.
Starting point is 00:16:12 Right. You know, I think many relationships between nations and dictators work very well. When one side says, I love you, and you know, if you do not respond with I love you, you will die. So I do hope, when you got married Anne of Abbot and if you did a speech at your wedding that you did not use that line a large part of love is fear. I did not at day because sadly I was also not backed up by a large nuclear arsenal. new clear arsenal like some of these gentlemen are, you know, I think I think it also it also helps that you bring weaponry to a relationship which Trump and Kim did, you know, and I think so basis of all good love, I said I'm who send you it, you know, all these people know it at day
Starting point is 00:16:59 which which begs the question, you know, where does the relationship go from here, right? which begs the question, where does the relationship go from here? Because you have to, as described by CNN dictators who are in love, is that enough for them not to have nuclear bombs pointed at each other? I don't think it is. I think it's imperative to have nuclear weapons when falling in love. Yeah, I hadn't really thought of it as from the romantic angle. And Trump, as we know, doesn't... I mean, he's not necessarily been entirely monogamous and faithful through his romance career. So whether this applies in politics, who knows?
Starting point is 00:17:41 Let us turn now to what he said about other world leaders, particularly in the aftermath of the almost surrealy bizarre g7 summit which seemed to have ended in a slightly tense agreement that then disintegrated into an extremely tense lack of agreement. Having described Kim as talented and loved his country and looks like he works out, he's a real dreamboat. He described Justin Trudeau as very dishonest and weak. Surely those two are the wrong way round. But I guess welcome to the new world of duplicity plumacy when no one really knows what anyone else means. It was very, very strange, I mean Trump successfully broke at a piece deal with his key ally Kim Jong Un, and globally influential trading partner in North Korea,
Starting point is 00:18:27 while skillfully and bravely standing up to the looming threat of Canada and the worthless economic spec that is Europe and the rest of the Western world. And one of the highlights was this famous photograph that went around the world, one of the classic political photographs of all time. It's kind of photograph that you feel could almost have been like a painting on a 16th century freeze of some biblical scene, or the human tension involved,
Starting point is 00:18:52 or carvings on a Greek temple. And I'm sure all buglers will have seen it. It's basically the two central characters are Angela Merkel looking at Trump as if he were a talking turd Which is not the largest leap of imagination must be said and Trump looking back at her as if he's just was in her fish tank With that unmistakable your problem not my problem look that he's perfected since birth was everyone else is standing around Patently thinking how the fuck have we come to this?
Starting point is 00:19:22 standing around and patently thinking, how the fuck have we come to this? Deep personal friends. Deep personal. I have his autograph in my toilet. Where it belongs, though. Well, it's in a little book of cartoons of the Indian 2011 World Cup Squad that I wrote the text for. So, I believe the only document in the world that has the autographs of both Andy Zoltzmann and Virat Kohli in the same place. So, I mean, the value of that, unbelievable. Now it's priceless, Andy.
Starting point is 00:20:10 Anyway, he threw a challenge to the Indian Prime Minister, a fitness challenge, and he was doing some push-ups, and he said, now I challenge you, the Prime Minister, to do something. And then the Indian Prime Minister decided he was going to make a whole YouTube video in his garden. do something and then the Indian Prime Minister decided he was going to make a whole YouTube video in his garden and basically I highly recommend all Bukeles watch this YouTube video. What it looked like basically Andy was I think he was doing yoga exercises but what it looked like was that he was lying down on a large rock and throwing his arms out that was the move but it was shot with four different cameras, some cameras focused
Starting point is 00:20:45 on the Prime Minister's feet. There was also a little pond in his garden, the Prime Minister of India has a garden, and not only did he run around his lawn, he also took a little dip in the pond and sort of splashed about like a three-year-old. At one point, I mean, at one point he was twirling some sort of a baton. Do you think this is half the words? Well, I guess nothing says, I'm a serious world leader more than splashing about and upon like a three year old.
Starting point is 00:21:13 I mean, there are just no certainties anymore in politics, Annie Vab. And, you know, if this is the way to make India function as a 21st century economic force. You know, so bit. Congress President Rahul Gandhi described it as bizarre and ridiculous, which is generally a shortcut to massive electoral success.
Starting point is 00:21:38 Well, Andy, you know, if you were leading the world's largest democracy, you know, and which I know you are, but were you to do it in practice? And you were told that 60% of your electorate is obese and disgusting. And you wanted to make a video to tell them to get fit, to get physically fit. Would your approach be to go out into your gutten and splash about a little in the pond, and then generally do a little dance with the stick. I mean, yeah, absolutely it would. I mean, because, I mean, clearly,
Starting point is 00:22:11 you mentioned the obesity problem affecting this nation, and we've had various issues with that, we brought in a new sugar tax not very long ago, because the prospect of major disease and an early death doesn't resonate with the British public, but 25 px on a bottle of Coca-Cola, you have our full undivided national attention. But we don't respond well to harsh criticism in democracies, so telling us to get a fit, serious message, we might take that on board, showing us that we can do it by just splashing around in a pond. Oh, that's the way to do it isn't it? It's just a nice acceptable message that does not require
Starting point is 00:22:51 anything. Modi is not the only world leader to have released a video of his daily morning routine. Theresa May has just done the same today jumping on this bandwagon. She's released a video of her her average morning. It's simply a video of her average morning. It's simply a video of her sitting alone at a breakfast table, poking at a bowl of cornflakes with a fork, sying before pushing the bowl of cornflakes away from her and mumbling. No. They're staring vacantly into the middle distance, then pulling the cornflakes back, eating one cornflake, staring the middle distance again, demurely spitting the cornflake into a handkerchief,
Starting point is 00:23:26 and saying, can I have toast? So all the world leaders are up to this now. There's been some other exciting news coming from India, particularly intrigued by this story about the chief minister of Delhi moving into the governor of Delhi's house because they couldn't find time to meet. That's correct, Andy. I mean, I don't know how you do your business dealings,
Starting point is 00:23:58 but I think this is a perfectly legitimate thing to do. The chief minister of Delhi needs a bunch of documents signed for day-to-day administration of Delhi from from the governor of Delhi. Now it appears that the governor of Delhi was giving him the runaround, he didn't want to meet him, he was avoiding him, so the chief minister did the next best political thing he moved into the governor's house and refused to leave. And posted photographs on Twitter of him and his two ministers sleeping in the governor's couch. Now I think in the West you might call it trespassing. Some people call it squatting. You may even call it lunacy but I think a
Starting point is 00:24:38 perfectly, perfectly legitimate way to meet someone if they don't want to meet you is to just live in their house because eventually we don't know what else will happen we don't know if the nuclear deal will work out on our work out but we know that when a man lives somewhere he will go home that's a very interesting philosophical way of looking at it and I mean it's also the British way in many ways to just turn up somewhere where someone else lives and just stay there tremendously well throughout history Well the relationship between Britain and India continues to evolve the exciting news that Britain is world number one ranked nation
Starting point is 00:25:18 for Indian billionaires on the run from accusations of fraud and just had what a great nation we are, and this Brexit era, we can still be one of the world's leading havens for fraudulent billionaires. Well, it's interesting you bring that up Andy, because in the last four years,
Starting point is 00:25:36 we've had four different billionaires cheat the country in four completely different innovative ways. But surprisingly, all of them have ended up in London. I mean, we had, there are accusations against the founder of the IPL, a tournament you know, well, Andy, Lallit Modi. And he's supposed to have cheated
Starting point is 00:26:00 the league out of Vassa Mammani. He disputes it. But he disputes it from central London. The next person, Vijay Malia, liquor barren billionaire, refutes the fact that he had an airline, King Fisher airline, and he says he does not owe Indian banks any money,
Starting point is 00:26:18 but he's saying this not from the comfort of his home in Bangalore, but from a suburb of Southwest London. The most recent, most recent Indian fugitive is a diamond billionaire, called Niraav Modi. So there is also a high proportion of Modi's involved in running away with money,
Starting point is 00:26:42 no relation to our prime minister Modi. And this gentleman has been spotted in Britain. He is accused of taking out fraudulent letters of credit from the Punjab National Bank of over $2 billion. And subsequently has not been seen in India, but has been seen in Leicester Square. So I don't know what it says about empire Empire Andy, but I know you have extensively thought about loot during Empire of how money went from India to Britain. That fortunately is a tradition we've kept up,
Starting point is 00:27:15 but now luckily our own people are looting us and going to Britain. So that's good. BLEXIT news now, and well, bugle bugle has been a sensational week in Brexit as we move towards the glorious hammer of freedom. The democracy induced sledgehammer which we are furiously debating with ourselves exactly how hard to swing it to crack ourselves in the nuts. There's been to major developments in Brexit within the British Parliament and in Europe. And I was really hoping to be able to give you a full
Starting point is 00:27:54 rundown, Puglers, on exactly what's going on. But I will be honest with you now, I haven't got a f***ing clue partly because I've been busy this week with my other, quote, job, which is talking about cricket on the radio and snuggling down in the factual comfort blanket of statistics and I was planning to catch up on what's been going on with the various Brexit votes and negotiations. But I have reached the point this week where I have definitively concluded that it is no longer worth working out what the f*** is going on because by the time you've worked it out something else the f*** will be going on
Starting point is 00:28:27 there's no point trying to work out what our politicians are currently squabbling over because by the time you've got even some of your head around that other politicians will be squabbling about something else whilst the original squabbles are saying come on now is not the time for squabbling now is the time for coming together for the sake of this nation no one knows what's going on any of that is's getting all ridiculous. The political parties have been tearing themselves apart, but in such a way that the shards of those political parties are flying into each other's
Starting point is 00:28:54 laps, so the parliamentary votes are essentially the same. There have been U-turns, double U-turns, triple-gu-salcos, backstabbings, front frontstabbing, all of which gives the impression that currently the British Parliament and the British Government is essentially acting like some kind of goldilocks for the 21st century, wandering around a deserted house, sticking our metaphorical national penis in every available electrical socket until we find the electrocution that feels just right. These are confusing times. Sport news now and well we can ignore all of the above buglers as disgust because the World Cup is underway the beautiful game on the surface as it's known depending on who's playing. And it's all underway. I don't know if there's much excitement in India,
Starting point is 00:29:46 but what a classic opening match Russia against Saudi Arabia, the world tuned in Syrians watching excitedly on their tele-to support one or other of the two forces pulling the strings in their endless civil war. Yemeni football fans coming together as one to see if Saudi Arabia could bombard the Russian penalty box with unstoppable crosses. As effective as they'd been bombarding civilians with unstoppable bombing raids over the last few years. The answer to that was no, it was a 5-0 win for Russia. Against a Saudi Arabian team, evidently discombobulated and confused by seeing women allowed in a stadium without also seeing women instantly removed from that stadium.
Starting point is 00:30:28 A 5-0 win for Russia, that feels like it must have been a hack. I will not believe that result for at least 20 years until all the evidence has come out. There was some interesting sights at the opening of the World Cup. In particular, is that saying football and politics should not mix? Well, try telling that to Vladimir Putin, the crown prince of Saudi Arabia, and the FIFA president Gianni Infantino, who sat grinningly next to each other,
Starting point is 00:30:51 chatting about one assumes football banning protests. How much fun it is to use oil wealth to repress political opposition, and how funny it is when major sporting bodies validate your dictatorial leadership by toying up to you at sporting events and sharing beauty tips. that's not beauty tips, sorry, cracking down on descent tips, I'm always getting those two mixed up, which explains why I lost my job at Cosmoopolitan magazine. I was always, I loved the idea Andy that Vladimir Putin is opening speech, had to mention, you know, apart from welcoming the whole world, said Russia is like any other country. you know, apart from welcoming the whole world, said Russia is like any other country.
Starting point is 00:31:26 I don't know that many speeches I've had at opening of events where the leader had to clarify that it was indeed a nation that they were at. And not. And he said, don't go by the media reports. Russia is a normal country. And then he added, we are a country. I don't know what these media reports are and it seems like the West are a little confused about whether
Starting point is 00:31:52 Russia is or is not an issue. We're confused about everything to do with Russia, to be honest, and in particular whether we are sufficiently skeptical of Mr Putin to abandon the World Cup, which we are often able to may well issue some form of protest. We've protested against the leadership of the host nations of World Cups repeatedly at every World Cup we've been to since 1970 by being eliminated and the interest in what point and how strongly we protest against Putin by doing the same Putin talked about the wonderful power of football. He said, wherever we live, no matter our traditions, we're all united as one team by our love for this spectacular dazzling, uncompromising game.
Starting point is 00:32:35 And this is football he's talking about, a game renowned for its tactical negativity, its endemic cheating, its rampant profiteering, it's exploitation of poor people from developing countries, it's corruption and it's complete moral vacuum. So, interesting take on football. He also called for sports to strengthen peace and mutual understanding among peoples. An extraordinary claim for Vladimir Putin, for whom that is not a prime top 10 hobby. And it disappoints me that a tournament with 35 referees on duty, there was no referee on hand to run up to Putin as he said those patently mandatious words, peace and mutual understanding among people, not run up to Putin with a yellow coward, stand right in front of him, make a vigorous no more signal with his hands and
Starting point is 00:33:21 order a free kick for humanity. no more signal with his hands, an order of free kick for humanity. Well that brings us to the end of this week's Bugle. If you have any emails for us, do send them in to a hellobugleersatthebuglepodcast.com. There are some Bugle live shows to alert you to the 10th of July at the Underbelly in London, the 15th and 22nd of August at the Edinburgh Festival. We're doing a show at the end of the road music festival. That's on the Friday
Starting point is 00:33:50 the 31st of August, Leicester Square Theatre on the 13th of September and the 14th of November and we're doing a show at the Lowry Theatre in Sulford on the 7th of October. I'm also doing a short run of the satirist for Higher Show at the Soho Theatre from the 18th to the 21st of July, so do send your email requests for that show to saturizethisatsaturistfor Higher.com. All issues considered, there's a World Cup Special Saturist Fire at the underbelly on the 5th of July. Nish will be appearing in that anime at the Edinburgh Festival from the 15th to the 26th of July, Nish will be appearing in that, and I'm at the Edinburgh Festival from the 15th to the 26th of August with the right questions, wrong answers. Here end with
Starting point is 00:34:30 the plugs. Anu Wab, do you have any shows you'd like to alert our listeners to? Yes, shockingly, Andy, I'm at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this year from August 1st to the 27th. I have never been to Scotland. My closest association at Scotland is the Shakespeare play Macbeth and I believe it the place has changed a little since then. In parts of it have, parts of it have not. So I look forward to performing there talking about very recent events like the British Empire and its relationship with India. It's subject that you and I have never explored Andy.
Starting point is 00:35:13 August 1st, 27th at the Pleasant Scorthiad. And about thanks, as always, for joining us. I do hope the monsoon season treats you well. Send us some water. We'll be back next week. Until then, be a good bye.

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