Episode details

Radio 3,19 Jun 2014,45 mins
Libertarianism, Trevor Paglen and Surveillance, Civil War Ranters
Free ThinkingAvailable for over a year
A new collection of Ranter writings from the English Civil War sheds light on their extreme libertarian views. Anne McElvoy is joined by the book's editor Nigel Smith, Professor of Ancient and Modern Literature at Princeton to talk about how they became the enemy of seventeenth century orthodoxy, whilst cultivating an array of lively literary prose styles. Libertarianism has long left the contrarian political fringes it occupied during Britain's revolutionary period and seems to be on the ascendance. Journalist Rod Liddle and Conservative Party politician Douglas Carswell join Anne to discuss the ideology today. A 62 metre photographic installation unveiled at London's Gloucester Road Tube station depicts the US reconnaissance base in North Yorkshire. Anne speaks to the image's creator Trevor Paglen about how much - or little - we understand of global surveillance. New Generation Thinker Naomi Paxton reflects on the Actresses' Franchise League. Producer: Georgia Catt.
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