The Fault Line: Bush, Blair and Iraq
3.8/5
Critic Rating
Portland-based anti-fascist Sean Kealiher was killed in 2019, months before the uprising that would bring Portland international attention. Nearly two years later, his homicide remains unsolved. His mother, Laura, believes she hasn't received justice because of police hatred for her son and his politics. Dying For A Fight, the second installment in Somethin’ Else’s Fault Line series, goes in search of answers: What happened the night Sean was killed? Why have no arrests been made? Who are the Americans living at the political extremes? And how did things escalate from Portland to the Capitol? This show is a co-production with Oreg...
Critic Reviews
Score: 3
James Marriot • The Times UK • Oct 29, 2020
"Mainly thanks to being narrated by David Dimbleby, The Fault Line: Bush, Blair and Iraq is not as bad as it should be. The mindless detours into things that even the dimmer American listeners must know (Ronald Reagan is widely recognised as having a positive attitude towards capitalism) sound like proper history lessons. It’s impossible to escape the conclusion that most podcasts should be narrated by Dimbleby."
Score: 4.5
Miranda Sawyer • The Guardian • Oct 3, 2020
"The Fault Line, produced by Somethin’ Else, is a clear and classy listen. Informative, too: Dimbers, as ex-host of Question Time, has an enviable contact list, and we hear from many important behind-the-scenesters. I’m not sure what I expected from this podcast. I think I thought I knew the story, so worried that I might be bored. I was very wrong: the show reminds you of those months before the invasion, but also gives context, unpicks relationships, underpins everything with insider info. Plus, The Fault Line has something else on its mind. Dimbleby asserts that this particular time, this particular US-UK love affair, laid the foundations for the current breakdown of trust between the electorate and our politicians. The podcast has not quite got there yet (an interview with Blair is promised, as well as Alastair Campbell."
