Podcasts about Arab Spring

From a powerful Alawite family in Syria, Loubna Mrie trusted the Assad regime – until witnessing its violent crackdown led her to defy loyalty and secretly film the uprising.In 2011, 20‑year‑old Loubna Mrie was an English literature student from a high-profile Alawite family, the same minority sect as the Assads who had ruled Syria for decades. For most of her life, loyalty felt like survival. Loubna had grown up believing the Assad regime protected her community, and that dissent was unthinkable. But as the Arab Spring reached Syria, Loubna became curious and secretly went to an anti-government protest in Damascus. Unable even to chant against the president she'd been taught to revere, Loubna's loyalties collapsed when security forces opened fire on the unarmed demonstrators. Narrowly escaping, Loubna's decision to side with the uprising brought her into open conflict with her family – especially her father, whose wealth and power had defined her life. Yet with her mother's encouragement, Loubna stepped into a world she'd been kept apart from: Damascus' underground activist networks. There, among Syrians from all sects, she began using her Alawite identity as a shield – to slip through government checkpoints, smuggle medical aid, and protect friends who would otherwise be at risk. Loubna also picked up a camera, learning to film the revolution from within, convinced that showing the world what was happening might help change it. Loubna shares her story over two episodes. In this first episode, she describes her journey from a loyalist upbringing to becoming one of the unlikely young revolutionaries who documented Syria's uprising. In part two, the same identity that once protected her would soon become a threat when she is mistaken for a spy.Presenter: Jo Fidgen Producer: Maryam Maruf Editor: Munazza KhanLives Less Ordinary is a podcast from the BBC World Service that brings you the most incredible true stories from around the world. Each episode a guest shares their most dramatic, moving, personal story. Listen for unbelievable twists, mysteries uncovered, and inspiring journeys - spanning the entire human experience. Step into someone else's life and expect the unexpected.   Got a story to tell? Send an email to liveslessordinary@bbc.co.uk or message us via WhatsApp: 0044 330 678 2784   You can read our privacy notice here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/5YD3hBqmw26B8WMHt6GkQxG/lives-less-ordinary-privacy-notice

Christians in the West see chaos growing: violent protests, unbiblical social movements, political instability and even pressures to shutter churches. So how should Christians respond? The Arab Springs offer a helpful case study of Christians responding in the midst of chaos. During the Arab Spring (roughly 2010 - 2012 AD), protests swept through many Middle Eastern countries and several governments fell. Poverty, extremism and war threatened the Christians who called those nations home.  How they responded offers us clues in how we can respond to growing pressures today. "John," a Christian worker born and raised in Syria, returned to the Christian Emergency Podcast to offer insights from this chaotic period. Originally recorded in November 2020, this encore episode examines what Christians can expect in unstable days, thoughtful ways we can respond, and spiritual opportunities to look for.  If you are blessed by this encore episode, please leave us a five star rating. Also share the Christian Emergency Podcast with your friends.Learn more about John's ministry, Ananias House, by visiting https://ananiashouse.org/.Learn more about the Christian Emergency Alliance - or donate to our ministry - at https://www.christianemergency.com/.Follow the Christian Emergency Alliance on Twitter: @ChristianEmerg1Follow the Christian Emergency Alliance on Facebook: @ChristianEmergencyThe Christian Emergency Podcast is a production of the Christian Emergency Alliance.Soli Deo Gloria

Free and fair elections rarely come easily — especially in countries with long histories of political upheaval. In 2024, Bangladesh held a vote that, while not without incidents of violence, was significantly more peaceful and orderly than many comparable political transitions in recent history.In this episode of The More Freedom Foundation Podcast, Rob Morris and Ruairi explore how Bangladesh navigated a fragile democratic moment after years of turbulence, authoritarian drift, and deep political rivalry. While clashes and tensions did occur, the scale of unrest was far lower than the chaos seen during events like the Arab Spring, raising an important question: has Bangladesh turned a corner?We unpack the country's complex political story, from the legacy of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to the dominance of powerful political families who have shaped its modern trajectory. How has Bangladesh balanced Islamism and secularism? Why has power repeatedly consolidated at the top? And what made this election cycle different?We also examine the remarkable role of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who at 83 stepped in during a sensitive transition period. What reforms are being discussed? Could greater accountability and stronger parliamentary oversight reduce the risk of future instability?Bangladesh remains vulnerable, to climate catastrophe, economic pressure, and regional geopolitical tension. But in a world where political transitions often descend into widespread violence, even a mostly peaceful democratic process can represent meaningful progress.Is this the start of a more stable democratic era, or just a temporary pause in a longer struggle?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Books⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok

Episode 225: Student Movements and Transnational Connections in Tunisia's 1968 In this podcast, Burleigh Hendrickson discusses his book, Decolonizing 1968: Transnational Student Activism in Tunis, Paris, and Dakar (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 2022). The book was awarded the French Colonial Historical Society's 2023 Alf Andrew Heggoy Prize for best book published in the preceding year dealing with the French colonial experience from 1815 to the present. Decolonizing 1968 focuses on the postcolonial relationships between France and its former colonies during the global protests of 1968. Combining multi-sited archival research with the oral histories of former activists, his research makes visible the enduring links between France and its ex-colonies at the end of formal empire. Burleigh Hendrickson an Assistant Professor in the department of French & Francophone Studies at Penn State University. A scholar of French Empire and decolonization, his research and teaching apply transnational and comparative approaches to the history of the Francophone world, with emphasis on the Maghreb and West Africa. He is also interested in cultures of protest, knowledge production, and historical claims for human dignity. He is the past recipient of Mellon research and writing fellowships from the Council for European Studies and the Social Science Research Council (IDRF), as well as a Fulbright-Hays Fellowship and the Society for French Historical Studies. More recently, he received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award to France to carry out research on his second book project, “Losing Empire: Dignity and Indignation from the Enlightenment to the Arab Spring.” This episode was recorded on the 9th of November, 2023, with Luke Scalone, at the Centre d'Études Maghrébines à Tunis (CEhttps://www.cematmaghrib.org/MAT). We thank our friend Mohamed Boukhoudmi for his interpretation of the extract of "Nouba Dziriya" by Dr. Noureddine Saoudi for the introduction and conclusion of this podcast. Production and editing: Lena Krause, AIMS Development and Digital Resources Liaison.

February 11, 2011. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak steps down after nearly 30 years in power, following mass demonstrations that were part of the pro-democracy uprisings known as the Arab Spring. This episode originally aired in 2022. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more. History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

What counts as “real” participation in a revolution? To what extent does gender in a revolution nowadays? What are the outcomes of mass mobilization? How do Ukrainian women participate in a revolution? In our podcast, we attemptto find an answer to these questions with Olena Nikolayenko around her latest book, Invisible Revolutionaries: Women'sParticipation in Ukraine's Euromaidan.  Published in April 2025 by Cambridge University Press, her research focuses on the women's participation in the Ukrainian Euromaidan. In the podcast, Olena Nikolayenko places women's protest within a broader framework, which includes the Arab Spring and Belarus.Her claim is that age, class, region and political experience shape women's forms of engagement. Based on these observation, Invisible Revolutionaries distinguishesbetween three models of participation: patriarchal, emancipatory, and hybrid.The methodology received a particular focus in our conversation. The Ukrainian Euromaidan was accuratelydocumented through multiple projects, such as the Ukrainian Institute of National Remembrance's Maidan: Oral History  and Maidan.Testimonies. As art is equally a key component duringrevolutions, Olena Nikolayenko presents the main artistic projects of the Revolution of Dignity. Olena Nikolayenko claims that Euromaidan is not a singular moment in history. Instead, it belongs within the Ukrainian's longer history of women's activism, which starts from the 1917-1921 Ukrainian revolution to Orange Revolution. However, this legacy remained largely invisible in the English-language historiography. In this context, the conversation ends by emphasizing possible avenues. Researchers dealing with this topic should investigate the relationship between gender andnonviolence, and how nonviolent resistance participation influences subsequent engagement in armed conflict. The question of how women's activism evolves fromcultural and civic resistance to armed defense of national identity remains particularly relevant given Ukraine's ongoing struggle.

A weekly magazine-style radio show featuring the voices and stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders from all corners of our community. The show is produced by a collective of media makers, deejays, and activists. Envisioning Hopeful Futures Host Miko Lee speaks with two Bay Area artists, activists, and social change makers: Tara Dorabji and Cece Carpio. Both of these powerful people have been kicking it up in the bay for a minute. They worked in arts administration as community organizers and as artist activists.   LINKS TO OUR GUESTS WORK Tara Dorabji Author's website New book Call Her Freedom Find more information about what is happening in Kashmir Stand With Kashmir Cece Carpio  Tabi Tabi Po running at Somarts   SHOW Transcript Opening Music: Apex Express Asian Pacific expression. Community and cultural coverage, music and calendar, new visions and voices, coming to you with an Asian Pacific Islander point of view. It's time to get on board the Apex Express. Miko Lee: Good evening. I'm your host Miko Lee, and tonight I have the pleasure of speaking with two Bay Area local artists, activists, and social change makers, Tara Dorabji and Cece Carpio. Both of these powerful people have been kicking it up in the bay for a minute. They worked in arts administration as community organizers and as artist activists. I so love aligning with these multi hyphenated women whose works you can catch right now. First up, I talk with my longtime colleague, Tara Dorabji Tara is an award-winning writer whose first book Call Her Freedom just came out in paperback. And I just wanna give a little background that over a decade ago I met Tara at a workshop with the Great Marshall Gantz, and we were both asked to share our stories with the crowd. During a break, Tara came up to me and said, Hey, are you interested in joining our radio show, Apex Express? And that began my time with Apex and the broader Asian Americans for Civil Rights and Equality community. So if you hear a tinge of familiarity and warmth in the interview, that's because it's real and the book is so great. Please check it out and go to a local bookstore and listen next to my chat with Tara. Welcome Tara Dorabji to Apex Express.  Tara Dorabji: Thank you so much for having me. It's wonderful to be with you, Miko. Miko Lee: And you're actually the person who pulled me into Apex Express many a moon ago, and so now times have changed and I'm here interviewing you about your book Call Her Freedom, which just was released in paperback, right? Tara Dorabji: Yep. It's the one year book-anniversary. Miko Lee: Happy book anniversary. Let's go back and start with a little bit for our audience. They may have heard you, if they've been a long time Apex listener, but you as an artist, as a creator, as a change maker tell me who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? Tara Dorabji: Who are my people? My people I would say are those who really align with truth. Truth in the heart. That's like at the very core of it. And I'm from the Bay Area. I've been organizing in the Bay a long time. I started out organizing around contaminated sites from nuclear weapons. I've moved into organizing with young people and supporting storytelling. So arts and culture has been a huge part of it. Of course, KPFA has been a big part of my journey, amplifying stories that have been silenced, and I think in terms of legacy, I've been thinking about this more and more. I think it goes into two categories for me. One are the relationships and who remembers you and and those deep heart connections. So that's one part. And then for my artistry, it's the artists that come and can create. On the work that I've done and from that create things that I couldn't even imagine. And so I really think that's the deepest gift is not the art that you're able to make, but what you create so that others can continue to create. Miko Lee: Thank you so much for sharing the deep kind of legacy and sense of collaboration that you've had with all these different artists that you've worked with and it's, your work is very powerful. I read it a year ago when it first came out, and I love that it's out in paper back now. Can you tell our audience what inspired Call her Freedom. Tara Dorabji: Call Her Freedom is very much inspired by the independence movement in Indian occupied Kashmir. And for me it was during the summer uprisings when, and this was way back in, In 2010-2009, after the Arab Spring and for the entire summer, Kashmir would be striking. It would shut down from mothers, grandmothers, women, children in the street. This huge nonviolent uprising, and I was really drawn to how it's both one of the most militarized zones on earth. And how there was this huge nonviolent uprising happening and questions about what it could look like, even like liberation beyond the nation state. And so I was really drawn to that. My dad's from Bombay, from Mumbai, that's the occupying side of it, and ethnically we're Parsi. So from Persia a thousand years ago. And so I think for me, at a personal level, there's this question of, okay, my people have been welcomed and assimilated for generations, and yet you have indigenous folks to the region that are under a complete seizure and occupation as part of the post-colonial legacy. And so I went and when I went to Kashmir for the first time was in 2011, and I was there. Right when the state was verifying mass graves and was able to meet with human rights workers and defenders, and there was a woman whose husband had disappeared and she talked to me about going to the graves and she told me, she said I wanted to crawl in and hug those bones. Those are the lost and stolen brothers, sons, uncles, those are our people. And another woman I spoke to talked about how it gave her hope for the stories to carry beyond the region and for other people to hear them. And so that became a real core part of my work and really what call her freedom is born from. Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing and I know that you did a film series and I wonder if you could about Kashmir and about what's going on, and I think that's great because so many times we in American media don't really hear what's going on in these occupied lands. Can you talk a little bit about how the interconnectedness of your film series and the book and was that part of your research? Was it woven together? How did you utilize those two art forms?  Tara Dorabji: I think we're both accidental filmmakers. That might be another way that our cross, our paths cross. In terms of medium. So for me, I was actually working with Youth Speaks the Brave New Voices Network at that time and doing a lot of short form. So video content, three minutes, 10 minutes, six minutes. And it was playing really well and what I was seeing coming outta kir by local filmmakers was beautiful, gorgeous, highly repressed work generally, longer form, and not always immediately accessible to an audience that didn't have context, that hadn't been, didn't understand. And my thinking was this was a gap I could fill. I had experience, not as a filmmaker, but like overseeing film teams doing the work, right? And then here are some of the most silent stories of our time. So when I went back to do book research in 2018, I was like, Hey, why don't I make some short form films now? I didn't even know what I was getting into. And also I think. When you go in as a novelist, you're absorbing your hearing and it takes time. There's no clock. It was, it's been the hardest project to get from start to finish. And I couldn't be like, okay, Miko, like I've done it once. Now this is how you do it. And when people trust you with their story, there's an urgency. So throughout the whole project, I was always seeking form. So my first trip went straight to KPFA radio. Took the stories, project sensor, took the stories, and so I wanted to build on that. And so the documentary films provided a more some are, I'm still working on, but there was some immediacy that I could release, at least the first film and the second film, and also I could talk about how can this work dovetail with campaigns happening on the ground and how can my work accelerate what human rights defenders are doing? So the first film here still was released with the first comprehensive report on torture from the region. And so it gave that report a whole different dimension in terms of conversation and accessibility. It was a difficult film but necessary, and because I had to spend so much time with. It was a difficult film but necessary, and because I had to spend so much time with transcribing, watching the footage over and over again, it really did inform my research from the B-roll to sitting and hearing the content and also for what people were willing to share. I think people shared in a different way during video interviews than when I was there for novel research. So it worked really well. And what I am, I think most proud of is that the work was able to serve what people were doing in a really good way, even though it's really difficult work.  Miko Lee: It built on the communication strategies of those issues like the torture report and others that you're working on.  Tara Dorabji: Exactly. And in that way I wasn't just coming and taking stories, I was applying storytelling to the legal advocacy strategies that were underway. And, you make mistakes, so it's not like there weren't difficulties in the production and all of that. And then also being able to work with creatives on the ground and at times it just. You, it became increasingly difficult, like any type of money going out was too heavily scrutinized. But for a time you could work with creatives as part of the projects in the region and then that's also super exciting.    [00:11:18] Miko Lee: Yeah. Can you talk a little bit more, I heard you say something about how the, when people are telling your story for the novel versus telling the story for the video that the cadence changes. Can you share a little bit more about what you mean by that?    Tara Dorabji: Yeah, I think when I'm doing novel research, it's very expansive, so I'm dealing with these really big questions like, what is freedom? How do you live in it? How do you, how do you choose freedom when your rights are being eroded? And so that conversation, you could take me in so many different directions, but if I am focused on a very specific, okay, I'm doing a short documentary film around torture, we're gonna go into those narratives. Or if I'm coming with a film medium, like people just see it differently and they'll speak and tell their stories differently than with a novel. It's gonna be fictionalized. Some of it might get in there or not. And also with a novel, I don't ever, I don't take people and apply them to fiction. I have characters that like, I guess come to me and then they're threaded through with reality. So one character may hold anecdotes from like dozens of different people and are threaded through. And so in that way you're just taking like bits and pieces become part of it, but. You don't get to see yourself in the same way that you do with the film. So in some ways. It can be safer when the security environment is as extreme as is as it is right now. But there's also this real important part of documentary film where it's people are expressing themselves in their own words, and I'm just curating the container.  Miko Lee: Was there an issue like getting film out during the time that you were doing the documentary work? Because I've heard from other folks that were in Kashmir that were talking about smuggling film, trying to upload it and finding different, did you have to deal with any of that, or was that before the hardest crackdown? Tara Dorabji: I mean there were, there's been series, so 2019 was abrogation where there was a six month media blockade. And so just your ability to upload and download. And so that was after I had been there. The environment was there was challenges to the environment. I was there for a short time and you just come and you go. You just do what you're gonna do and you be discreet. Miko Lee: And what is going on in Kashmir now?  Tara Dorabji: The situation is really difficult. One of the lead leads of the report on torture and coordinator from the human rights group that put, that helped put out that report has been incarcerated for four years Koran Perve. Miko Lee: Based on what?  Tara Dorabji: His human rights work. So they've just been detaining him and the United Nations keeps calling for his release.  Miko Lee: And what do they give a reason even?  Tara Dorabji: They, it's yeah, they give all kinds of trumped up charges about the state and terrorism and this and that. And also. One of the journalists and storyteller and artists in the first film that I released, Iran Raj, he's been incarcerated for two years. He was taken shortly after he was married, the press, the media has been dismantled. So there was, prolific local press. Now it's very few and it's all Indian State sponsored narrative propaganda coming through. ] Miko Lee: How are concerned folks here in the US able to get any news about what's happening in Kashmere, what's really going down?  ara Dorabji: It's really hard. Stand with cashmere is a really good source. That's one. There's cashmere awareness. There's a few different outlets that cover what happens, but it's very difficult to be getting the information and there's a huge amount of repression. So I definitely think the more instagram orgs, like the organizations that go straight to the ground and then are having reels and short information and stories on Instagram is some of the most accurate information because the longer form journalism. It is just not happening right now. In that way people are being locked up and the press is being dismantled and people running, the papers are being charged. It's just horrendous. Entire archives are being pulled and destroyed. So hard. Really hard. So those, Stand With Kashmir is my go-to source, and then I see where else they're looking.  Miko Lee: So your book Call Her Freedom is a fictionalized version, but it's based around the real situation of what's been going on in Kashmir. Can you share a little bit more about your book, about what people should expect and about what you want them to walk away with understanding.  Tara Dorabji: It's a mother daughter story. It's a love story. It's about love and loss and families, how you find home when it's taken. And the mom is no Johan. She's a healer. She's a midwife. She has a complex relationship with her daughter and she haunts the book. So the story told from multiple points of view, we never get and ignore the mom's head, but. She comes back as she has a lot to say. And I think it's interesting too because in this village that's largely run by men, you have these two women living by themselves and really determining their own fate. And a lot of it has to do with both nors ability to look at ancient healing practices, but also a commitment that her daughter gets educated. And so she really like positions her daughter in between the worlds and all the while you have increasing militarization. And Aisha starts as a young girl just starting school. And then at the end of the story, she's a grandmother. We get to see her relationships evolve, her relationship with love evolve, and a lot of the imperfections in it. And one of the things in writing this is when you're dealing. Living in occupation, there's still the day-to-day challenges that so many of us endure. And you have these other layers that are horrific.  Miko Lee: Yeah. And I'm wondering how much of yourself as a mother you embedded into the book as a mother, as an activist, as a mother of daughters, how much of yourself do you feel like you put into the book?  Tara Dorabji: A ton. It's my heart and spirit in there. And there were some really, there's this scene where the mom does die, and I actually wrote that before my mom passed away. And I do remember like after my mom died, going through and editing that part. And it was just like. It was really, it was super intense and yeah, I mean it definitely made me cry and it was also like the emotion was already there, which was interesting for me to have written it before but then have it come back and a full circle, I think.  Miko Lee: So did you change it after you experienced your own mom dying?  Tara Dorabji: It was soft edits. In my second novel, there's a scene and it, that one completely changed 'cause I didn't hit the emotion. Emotional tenor, right? It's funny, but in this one it was pretty good. I was like, I did pretty good on that one. But yeah, so it was just like tinkering with it a little. I think also my daughters were about four when I started.  Miko Lee: Oh, wow.  Tara Dorabji: And it came out as, when they're 18. So the other part was I was able to use their age references constantly throughout it because. I could just map to what it's like being a mom of a kid that age. So I did ob yeah, definitely used my own. So it's an amalgam and also it's fictionalized. So in the book, it's not Kashmir, it's Poshkarbal there's right a village. And so trying to take people out of something that they can identify as reality, but then at the same time, you can see the threads of reality and create a new experience. Miko Lee: So since you brought that up, tell us about the next book that you're working on right now.  Tara Dorabji: Yes, it's still very much in a draft form, but takes place here in the Bay Area. Similar themes around militarization, family secret love, lineage loss, and part of it's in Livermore Home to one of the world's nuclear weapons lab. Mm-hmm. Part of it's in San Francisco, so exploring into the future tech, AI, and. There's an underpinning around humans' relationship to technology, and I think at this point. We know that technology isn't gonna solve the crisis of technology. And so also looking at our relationship to land and culture and lineage. So there's, it's about, now I'm looking at about a hundred year span in it.  Miko Lee: Wow. Really?  Tara Dorabji: Yeah. Contained with the geography of the Bay Area  Miko Lee: Toward the future. Toward the past? Tara Dorabji: both past and future Miko Lee: Whoa. Interesting.  Tara Dorabji: Yeah.  Miko Lee: I'm reading Empire of AI right now. I don't know if you're familiar with that, but, oh, the AI stuff is so deeply disturbing about humanity. You're really thinking about where we're going, so I'm curious to find out your fictionalized versions of the impact.  Tara Dorabji: It's a major change we're going through. Yeah, and you and I grew up in a time when we didn't have cell phones and we used maps, and Yeah. If I was gonna meet you, I had to be there and we'd have to make a plan in advance and yeah. It's just shifting so rapidly. So we went  Miko Lee: through that. Even how to read a, how to read a clock like my girls, I had to show them as adults how to read a clock. Wow, I didn't realize these things. Our world is so digitized that even the most basic, that concepts ha how are shifting and even fine motor skills. Like most young people do not have good, fine motor skills.  Tara Dorabji: Yeah.  Miko Lee: Because they're just used to being on their phone all the time.  Tara Dorabji: Yes, and the, and I would give it is during the rain over the holidays, there is just always a family out with a small child in their yellow rain boots. And the kid like reaching into the tree, grabbing, smelling it dad or mom holding them. And so there are these anchors.  Miko Lee: Yeah.  Tara Dorabji: And even though humanity is accelerating in this one way, that's very scary and digitize. It's like the anchor of the earth in our community and our relationships still is holding us. Some of, you know, there's still that pull. And so I think that how people form their communities in the future and the way that. The choices that are gonna be made are just gonna become increasingly difficult. We faced it in our generation, parenting around cell phones, social media. We're seeing that impact of the suicidality, all of those things coming up. And that's gonna accelerate. So I do think it's, definitely a major change in transition some dark times, but also some really beautiful possibilities still rooting in our communities and in the world.  Miko Lee: And because we both work in movement spaces, I'm really curious I heard you talk a lot about connection and land and I'm just curious in your book. I got this vibe and I know a lot of the work that we do in the community. I'm wondering if you could speak a little bit on the land back movement internationally. In so many of those spaces, women are at the forefront of that. I wonder if you could talk a little bit about that.  Tara Dorabji: That's one of the most exciting things happening right now is the land back movement. In my younger days when I was studying what determines a woman's quality of life internationally at a scale, it's, it was really came down to land ownership. So in societies where land ownership went to women, they were able, and it was like. Outpaced by far, education and those other things is like that access to the land and the resource in that way. And land back is an acceleration of that, and I think particularly when we're looking at a lot of questions around philanthropy, spun downs, how it's done. When you transition an asset back into the community as land and land stewardship, right? Because then there's like the ownership for the stewardship and yeah, the different ways that it's done. But that is a lasting impact for that community. And so often when you're investing in women. Then it goes not just in terms of their quality of life, but the children, right? And the whole community tends to benefit from that. And I think even looking at Kir in the, one of the things that always has fascinated me is Kashmir during, it was independence was a carve up by the British, so that's a post-colonial strategy to keep people fighting. That has been very successful in the subcontinent. Kashmir had  Miko Lee: all over the world.  Tara Dorabji: Exactly. And Kashmir had a semi-autonomous status. That's what was really stripped in 2019, was that article from the Constitution. And so in the very early days when their autonomy was stronger, they started some pretty revolutionary land reforms. And so there was actually clauses where the people that were working the land could have it. And people Kashmiris were transferring land. To two other cashmeres. And so it was this radical re resource redistribution and you have a really strong legacy of feminism and women protesting and leading in Kashmir and I think that part from my perspective is that was a threat. This fear of redistribution of resources, land distribution other areas started to follow suit and the nation state didn't want that to happen. They wanted a certain type of concentration of wealth. And so I think that was one of the factors that. There were many, but I do think that was one that contributed to it. So I do think this idea of land backed land reform is extraordinarily important, and particularly looking at our own relationship with it. How do we steward it? How do we stop stripping the land? Of its resources and start realigning our relationship to it where humans are supposed to be the caretakers. Not the ones taking from.  Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing. I was thinking so much about your book, but also about the movement that we live in and the more positive visions of the future. Because right now it's devastating all the things that are happening in our communities. So I'm trying to be a bit hopeful and honestly just to keep through it make sure that we get through each day. Given so many of our brothers and sisters are at risk right now I'm wondering what gives you hope these days?  Tara Dorabji: Yeah, a lot of things do, I think like when I do try to take the breaths for the grief and the devastation because that loss of life is deep and it's heavy and it's real and it's mounting. So one, not to shy away from feeling it. Obviously not, it's hard. You don't want to 24 7, but when it comes in to let it come in and move through. And for me it's also this idea of not. It's just like living in hope. How do you live each moment and hope? And so a big part of it for me is natural beauty, like just noticing the beauty around me and filling myself up in it because that can never be taken away. And I think also in some of the most violent acts that are being committed right now, the way people are meeting them with a pure heart.  Miko Lee: Yeah.  Tara Dorabji: It's like you can't stop, like that's unstoppable is like that beauty and that purity and that love. And so to try to live in love, to try to ground in hope and to try to really take in the beauty. And then also like how do we treat each other day to day, and really take the time to be kind to one another. To slow it down and connect. So there are, these are tremendously difficult times. I think that reality of instability, political violence, assassination, disappearances, paramilitary have come visibly. They've been in the country, but at a, in the US at a more quiet pace, and now it's so visible and visceral  Miko Lee: And blatant. Yeah. It's just out there. There's no, they're not hiding about it. They're just out there saying out there, roaming the streets of Minnesota right now and other states to come. It's pretty wild.  Tara Dorabji: Yeah. And I think that the practice is not to move in fear. The grief is there, the rage and outrage can be there. But the love and the beauty exists in our communities and and in the young people. Miko Lee: Yeah.  Tara Dorabji: And our elders too. There's so much wisdom in our, in the elders. So really soaking up those lessons as much as possible.  Miko Lee: Thank you so much for chatting with me and I hope everybody that checks out your book call Her Freedom, which has gotten some acclaim, won some awards, been out there, people can have access to it in Paper Book. We'll put a link in our show notes so people can have access to buy it from an independent bookstore.  Tara Dorabji: Thank you so much. Wonderful to catch up and thank you for all your work on Apex as well.  Miko Lee: Thank you. Next up, take a listen to “Live It Up” by Bay Area's Power Struggle.    MUSIC “Live It Up” by Bay Area's Power Struggle.  Next up I chat with Visual artist, cultural strategist and Dream Weaver, Cece Carpio about her solo exhibition that is up and running right now at SOMArts through March. Welcome, Cece Carpio to Apex Express.   [00:33:37] Cece Carpio: Thank you for having me here.   [00:33:39] Miko Lee: I am so excited to talk with you, and I wanna start with my very first question that I ask all of my guests, which is, who are your people and what legacy do you carry with you? [00:33:52] Cece Carpio: That's a packed question and something I love. just in terms of where I come from, I was born and raised in the Philippines, small little farming village town, and migrated as my first so ground in the United States here in San Francisco. So my peoples consists of many different beings in all track of. The world whom I met, who I've loved and fought with, and, relate with and connect with and vision the world with. So that includes my family, both blood and extended, and the people who are here claiming the streets and claiming. Claiming our nation and claiming our world to make sure that we live in the world, that we wanna envision, that we are visioning, that we are creating. I track along indigenous immigrant folks in diaspora. black, indigenous people of color, community, queer folks, and those are folks that resonate in, identify and relate, and live, and pray and play and create art with.  [00:35:11] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. And do you wanna talk, chat a little bit about the legacy that you carry with you? [00:35:16] Cece Carpio: I carry a legacy of. Lovers and fighters, who are moving and shaking things, who are creating things, who are the healers, the teachers, the artists and it's a lot of load to carry in some extent, but something I'm very proud of, and those are the folks I'm also rocking with right now. I think we're still continuing and we're still making that legacy. And those are the people that are constantly breathing on my neck to make sure that I'm doing and walking the path. And it's a responsibility I don't take lightly, but it's also a responsibility I take proudly. [00:35:58] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing. We are talking today because you have an exhibit that's at SOMArts Space, your first solo exhibit, and it's running all the way through March 29th, and it's called Tabi Tabi Po: Come Out With the Spirits! You Are Welcome Here First, tell me about the title and what that evokes for you. [00:36:18] Cece Carpio: Yes, so Tabi Tabi Po is a saying from the Philippines that essentially. Acknowledge, like it's most often used when you walk in the forest. And I think collectively acknowledge that there are other beings and spirits there beyond ourselves. So it's asking for permission. It's almost kind of like, excuse me, we're walking your territory right now. And, acknowledging that they're there and acknowledging that we're here or present and that, we're about to. Coexist in that space for that moment. So can we please come through? I think this is also not just like my open idea and choosing this title is not that we're only just coming through, but we're actually coming out to hang out for a little while and see what's happening here and kick it. Opening up space and welcoming folks who wants to come out and play with us and who wants to come and share the space.  [00:37:15] Miko Lee: Ooh. I really love that. I feel that when I walk in the forest to this ancestors that are with us. That's beautiful. This is your first solo exhibit, so I'm wondering what that feels like. You have been a cultural bearer for a really long time, and also an arts administrator. So what does it feel like to have your first solo exhibit and see so much of all of your work all around?  [00:37:36] Cece Carpio: Well, I'm a public artist. Most of the stuff that I've been doing the last decade has been out in public, creating murals and installations and activations, in different public spaces, and went somewhere. Specifically Carolina, who is the curator at SOMA have asked me to do this. To be honest, I was a little bit hesitant because I'm like, oh, it's a big space. I don't know. 'cause I've done group exhibitions in different parts of the years, but most of the stuff I do are affordable housing to like public activations to support the movement. Then I kind of retracted back and it's like, maybe this is the next step that I wanna explore. And it was a beautiful and amazing decision to work alongside so Mars and Carolina to make this happen 'cause I don't think it would've happened the way we did it in any other space, and it was amazing. Stressful that moments because I was still doing other projects and as I tried to conceive of a 2000 square footage gallery and so my district in San Francisco. But it was also the perfect opportunity. 'cause my community, my folks are here and. We are saying that it's a solo exhibition, but it really did take the village to make it all happen, and, which was one of my favorite part because I've been tracking this stem for so long and he is like folks on my back and I wanted to tell both my stories and our stories together. It was very opening, very humbling. Very vulnerable and exciting. All at the same time, I was able to talk or explore other mediums within the show. I've never really put out my writing out into public and is a big part and component of the exhibition as well as creating installations in the space. Alongside, what I do, which is painting mostly. But to be honest, the painting part is probably just half of the show. So it was beautiful to play and explore those different parts of me that was also playing with the notion of private and public, like sharing some of my own stories is something as I'm still trying to find ease and comfort in. Because as a public artist, I'm mostly translating our collective stories out, to be a visual language for folks to see. So this time around I was challenged a little bit to be like, what is it that you wanna share? What is it that you wanna tell? And that part was both scary and exciting. And, and he was, it was wonderful. It was great. I thought he was received well. And also, it was actually very relieving to share parts and pieces of me out with my community who have known for a long time. There were still different parts of that there were just now still learning. [00:40:39] Miko Lee: What did you discover about yourself as you're kind of grappling with this public versus private presentation? [00:40:45] Cece Carpio: What I learned about myself through this process is I can actually pretty shy. I mean, I might be, you know, um, contrary to like popular belief, but it was definitely, I'm like, Ooh, I don't know. I don't know. My folks who had been standing close with me, just like, this is dope. And also just in the whole notion that, the more personal it is, the more universal it becomes and learning that, being able to share those part of me in a way of just for the pure sake of sharing, actually allows more people to resonate and relate, and connect, which at this moment in time is I thing very necessary for all of us to know who our peoples are when this tyranny, trying to go and divide us and trying to go and separate us and trying to go and erase us. So I think there's something really beautiful in being able to find those connections with folks and spaces and places that otherwise wouldn't have opened up if you weren't sharing parts and pieces of each other.   [00:42:00] Miko Lee: That's so interesting. The more personal, kind of vulnerable you make yourself, the more it resonates with folks around the world. I think that's such a powerful sentiment because the, even just having a gallery, any piece of artwork is like a piece of yourself. So opening up a huge space like Somar, it's, that's like, come on in people. Thank you for sharing with us. To your point about the shocking, horrible, challenging, awful times that we live in. As we talk right now, which is Saturday, January 31st, there protests going on all around the country. I'm wondering if you can talk a little bit about what it means to be a visual artist, a cultural bearer in a time of fascism and in a time of struggle. [00:42:43] Cece Carpio: Well, if you go and see the exhibition, that's actually very much intertwined. My practice has always been intertwined with, creating a vision in solidarity with our communities who are believing and fighting for another world that's possible. My practice of this work has been embedded and rooted with the movement and with organizations and people who have the same goals and dreams to, bring in presence and existence of just us regular, everyday people who are still fighting to just be here to exist. So just to your question of, but what it means to do this work at this time. I think it is the imagination. It is the creativity that allow us to imagine something different. It is the imagination, it is the dreams that allow us to create that. Other world that we wanna envision when, everything else around us is telling us another way that's not really the best for ourselves and for our peoples and for the future generations that's gonna be carrying this load for us. And with this. In so many ways, a lot of my. my creating process, my making process has always carried that, and even myself, immigrating to this place that was once foreign is figuring out where I can belong. My art practice has not only been a way in which I express myself, but it has been the way in which I navigate the world. That's how I relate to people. That's how I am able to be part of different groups and community. And it's also how I communicate. , And that's always been, and still is a very big portion of my own practice.   [00:44:37] Miko Lee: Can you share a little bit more about your arts practice, especially when we're living in times where, people are trying to get a paycheck and then go to the rally, and then maybe phone banking and organizing and there's so many outside pressures for us to just continue to move on and be in community and be in movement work. I'm wondering how do you do it? Do you carve out times? Is it in your dreams? Where and how do you put yourself in your arts practice. [00:45:04] Cece Carpio: I don't think there is a wrong or right way of doing this. I think being an artist, it is not only about being creative on what, a paint on the walls, it is about being creative on how you live your life. I don't know if there's a formula and it's also been something that, to be honest, it's a real conversation. I mean, most of us artists. We're asking each other that, you know, like You do it. How do you figure out, like how do you add hours in your day? How do you continue doing what it is that you love and still fall in love with it when we're under capitalism trying to survive, all these different things. Everyone has a different answer and everyone has different ways of doing it. I'm just kind of figuring it out as I go, you know? I'm an independent artist. It is the center of the work that I do, both as a livelihood and as a creative practice, as a spiritual practice, as a connective practice. This is what I do. For me it is just like finding my peoples who wants to come and trek along. Finding folks who wants to support and make it happen. Beyond painting on walls, I'm also an educator. I've taught and pretty much most of the different levels of, what this nation's education system is like and still do that in practice, in both workshops, , sometimes classrooms, community group workshops and folks who wants to learn stern, both technical and also like conceptual skills. I consider myself also a cultural strategist, within a lot of my public activation and how I can support the movement is not just, creating banners or like little cards, but actually how to strategize how we utilize art. To speak of those things unspoken. But to gather folks together in order to create gateways for, other everyday folks who might not be as involved with, doesn't have time or availability or access to be involved to make our revolution irresistible. Many different cultural strategist comes together and we produce public art activations to make it both irresistible, but also to provide access, to folks who otherwise probably would just walk by and have to go to their everyday grind to just make it on this work. As long as I see it aligned within kind of divisions that we have together to consistently rise up and get our stories known and become. Both a visual translator but also a visual communicator in spaces and places sometimes, you know, unexpected, like for example, within the protest when protest is over, like what are left behind within those spaces where we can create memories. And not just like a moment in time, but actually how do we mark. The space and places we share and that we learn from and that we do actions with. We can make a mark and let it be seen.   [00:48:05] Miko Lee: Thank you for that. I'm wondering, as you're talking about your profound work, and how you move through the world, I'm wondering who are some of the artists that inspire you right now?  [00:48:17] Cece Carpio: So many, so many folks. Artists at this moment have been becoming vital because of the intensity of our political climate that's happening. There's so many artists right now who are. doing a lot of amazing, amazing things. I definitely always have to give shout out to my mama, Esra, which is one Alicia, who's just consistently and prolifically still creating things. And she, I've been doing and collaborating with her for many, many years. What I think I really love and enjoy is that she's continuously doing it and like it gives us more hunger to like, all right, we gotta catch up. it's amazing and  [00:48:58] Miko Lee: beautiful. Amazing work.  [00:49:00] Cece Carpio: Yes, and I've been very fortunate and been very lucky to be part of an artist Has been such an inspiration , and a collaborator and in the many process of the different works that we do. So some of the crew members definitely shout out to my brother Miguel to, folks like Frankie and Sean Sacramento. Then we have span over in New York, like we've, we're now spreading like Voltron. ‘ve been very lucky to have some amazing people around me that love doing the same things who are my family. We're continuing to do that. So many more. It's really countless. I feel like I definitely have learned my craft and this trait by. Both being out there and making happen and then meeting folks along the way who actually are in the same path. And it's such a beautiful meeting and connection when that happens. Not only just in path of creating work, but, and path of we down to do something together. There's so many, there's so many. It's so nameless.  [00:50:05] Miko Lee: Thank you for sharing some of them, some of the artists that helped to feed you, and I'm sure you feed them. You just have finished up an artist in residence with the Ohlone people. I'm wondering if you could talk a little bit about what that experience was like being an artist in residence there. [00:50:21] Cece Carpio: It has been an amazing, and the relationship continues. Karina actually gave the spirit plate on the opening, which is such a big honor because I consider her, both a mentor and a comrade and, and  [00:50:34] Miko Lee: Karina Gold, the Chair of the Ohlone tribe.  [00:50:38] Cece Carpio: Yes. And who I have such admiration for, because if. Both integrity and also the knowledge that she carries and the work that she's doing and how she opens it up for different folks. How she walks is such a big part of how that collaboration started in the first place. As an indigenous immigrant that's been consistent. Like what does even mean to be indigenous in the land that's not yours, you know? Just the notion of what is our responsibility as stewards of this land to live on stolen land? I had this specific skill that I wanted to share, and they were more than willing, and open to dream together of what that could look like and was able to do. Many different projects and different sites , of land that's been returned to indigenous hands. It was such an honor to be part of that. Creating visual markers and visual acknowledgement in spaces that, you know, kind of telling the autobiographical stories of those spaces and how it was returned, what our divisions, and to work alongside the young people, the various different communities she believes and wanted to take part of the movement. I learned as much or if not more. I share my knowledge of like how to paint a mural or all the different skills. So it was very much a reciprocal relationship and it's still a continuous relationship that we're building. It's gonna be an ongoing fight, an ongoing resistance, but an ongoing victory. They've already have shared and won and have shown and shared with us the experiences of that. It's been very rejuvenating, regenerating, revitalizing, and in all those different ways, being able to bear witness to that, but taking small part in pieces, and certain projects to uplift and support that and also just to learn from the many different folks, and people from both Sego and the communities that they've able to like. Create and build through the time, I mean through the young time actually that they've been here, but definitely still growing.  [00:52:46] Miko Lee: Thank you. Your show is up until the end of March. What do you want folks to feel after they go see Tabi Tabi Po  [00:52:55] Cece Carpio: Mostly are gonna feel whatever they wanna feel. I'm kind of curious to know actually, what is it that people are feeling and thinking, but I think Enchantment, I wanna recapture that feeling of Enchantment in a time and moment where. It can be very frustrating. It can be very, depressing. Seeing the series of event in this nation and just uncaring, and like the pickable violence that's imposed to our peoples. I wanna be able to give folks a little bit of glimpse of like, why we are fighting and why we were doing this for and even see the magic in the fight. I think that's a big part of the story that's being told and that the, knowing that we're still writing a story as we go. Within this exhibition, there's a lot of spaces of me sharing parts of my story, but a big part of that is also spaces for folks to share theirs. That exchange of magic is something that we can use as ammunitions, we can use as tools to keep us going in times that is very, very trying.  [00:53:59] Miko Lee: The magical exchange to make the revolution irresistible.  [00:54:03] Cece Carpio: Let's do it. Let's go.  [00:54:05] Miko Lee: Sounds great. We're gonna put links to the show at SoMarts we'll put them on our Apex Express, um, page, and I'm wondering what's next for you? [00:54:14] Cece Carpio: We will also have programs that coincides alongside the various stories that we're telling with this exhibition to welcome for other community members, other artists, other cultural bearers, other fighters to come and join us, and be part of it and tell stories, heal time. Imagine a magical future to celebrate the victories and wins as big and small as they come. So that is gonna be happening. What's nice for me is, actually it's going simultaneously is I'm still painting. I'm going to be in support of painting a new space opening for a Palestinian owned bakery. They're opening up a new space back in their hometown right here in Oakland. And Reem is a close friend, but also a very frontline fighter. 'cause you know, genocide is still happening right now. I wanna be able to support that and also support her. Another public art installation is actually gonna be unveiling within next month over at soma. In the district of Soma Filipino with the Jean Friend Recreation Center. I'm actually trying to carve out more time to write. I'm still exploring, definitely like in the infants stages of exploring it, but falling in love with it. At some point in time within this show, . Wanna be able to actually get it published, in a written form where both the images can accompany some of the written work , and wanna see like its duration last beyond the exhibition show. There's always the streets to come and protest to happen and contributing to that work that we do to reclaim what is ours, the world that is ours.  [00:55:53] Miko Lee: Thank you so much. You're doing so many things so powerfully, so beautifully, so articulately and I guess the best way for folks to follow up is on your Instagram. [00:56:04] Cece Carpio: Yeah, I'm still actually operating in myself.  [00:56:06] Miko Lee: Okay. Okay. Well thank you so much for your work, everything that you do in the community, so powerful, and thanks so much for speaking with us today. Thank you. Thanks so much for listening to our show tonight. Please go check out Cece's exhibition Tabi Tabi Po at SoMarts and go to a local bookstore to get the paperback version of Tara's Call Her Freedom. Support artists who are paving the way towards a vision for a new future. They are working to make the revolution irresistible. Join us. [00:56:41] Closing Music: Please check out our website, kpfa.org/program/apex Express to find out more about our show and our guests tonight. We thank all of you listeners out there. Keep resisting, keep organizing, keep creating, and sharing your visions with the world because your voices are important. Apex Express is produced by Ayame Keane-Lee, Anuj Vaidya, Cheryl Truong, Isabel Li, Jalena Keane-Lee, Miko Lee, Miata Tan, Preeti Mangala Shekar and Swati Rayasam. Tonight's show was produced by me Miko Lee, and edited by Ayame Keane- Lee. Have a great night.     The post APEX Express – 2.5.26-Envisioning Hopeful Futures appeared first on KPFA.

Kumar frames the India–EU FTA as a deal India needed, not one it merely chose, arguing that with the multilateral trade system weakened, FTAs have become the practical route to secure market access and signal openness to investment. He places the EU among India's “$100 billion club” trading partners and explains why this agreement fills a gap India cannot realistically close with China, and cannot replicate with the United States in the form of a full FTA.On timing, he calls the early 2010s a missed opportunity but notes that current geopolitical conditions have raised India's value for Europe, including Europe's push to de-risk from China and the absence of an EU–U.S. FTA. A major thread is regulation: Kumar acknowledges the EU's regulatory intensity, but argues India must adapt to global technical and sanitary standards, using the agreement's timelines and technical assistance to reduce friction and help industry upgrade over time.He clarifies the trade-offs that made the deal viable: core agriculture and dairy are left out due to political sensitivities on both sides; government procurement is excluded due to India's constraints and federal realities; and investment protection and geographical indications are kept on separate tracks to avoid a more complex EU-wide ratification path. He also describes how negotiations manage domestic sensitivities through consultation with industry, transition periods, tariff-rate quotas, and product thresholds, particularly in sectors like autos, aiming to expose firms gradually to competition while pushing manufacturing to become more competitive.In closing, Kumar argues the hard work starts after signing. He stresses that Indian industry must actually use the agreement's tariff concessions, pointing to historically low utilization of FTAs—and that domestic reforms cannot be postponed if India wants the deal to deliver results. He highlights reforms in agriculture, labor implementation, power, and land acquisition, and ties this to a broader shift he sees globally: trade policy and security policy are increasingly moving into alignment, especially in a world of dual-use technology and tighter strategic partnerships.Episode ContributorsDinakar Peri is a fellow in the Security Studies program at Carnegie India.Ambassador Mohan Kumar has an outstanding career in the Indian Foreign Service lasting 36 years which culminated in his being India's Ambassador to France based in Paris. Under his watch, the Indo-French strategic partnership was strengthened and consolidated further in spheres such as defense, space, nuclear & solar energy, smart cities and investment. Earlier, Mohan Kumar was India's Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain where he witnessed and dealt with a strategically complex region characterized by events such as the “Arab Spring”. Every two weeks, Interpreting India brings you diverse voices from India and around the world to explore the critical questions shaping the nation's future. We delve into how technology, the economy, and foreign policy intertwine to influence India's relationship with the global stage.As a Carnegie India production, hosted by Carnegie scholars, Interpreting India, a Carnegie India production, provides insightful perspectives and cutting-edge by tackling the defining questions that chart India's course through the next decade.Stay tuned for thought-provoking discussions, expert insights, and a deeper understanding of India's place in the world.Don't forget to subscribe, share, and leave a review to join the conversation and be part of Interpreting India's journey.

Robert Kesten, President and CEO of Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in Fort Lauderdale, Florida talks with Emmy Winner Charlotte Robinson host of OUTTAKE VOICES™. Founded in 1973 the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library has grown into the largest lending library of its kind in the U.S. with more than 34,000 books and audio-visual materials. The archives also contain more than 6 million pages of documents and more than 2,000 objects of critical importance to our LGBTQ history. Rotating exhibitions, talks, lectures and films have attracted thousands to the Stonewall National Museum each year enriching the lives of countless others. Some of the upcoming events include their fourth annual Gala fundraiser where they will ceremoniously and historically induct architect, philanthropist and president of the Arcus Foundation Jon Stryker, retired Congressman Barney Frank and Grammy winning singer-songwriter Janis Ian into its nationally traveling “Standing on the Shoulders of Heroes” exhibition on February 21st. This fabulous fundraising event takes place at The VENUE in Wilton Manors, FL from 6P to 9P for a fabulous night of celebration with cocktails, dinner, conversation and community. Other events include Amazon Rising: The Legacy of Wonder Woman that runs now through February 17th and Sahara: NYC's Lesbian Legacy that will be on display February 28th to April 5th. Also the Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library in partnership with the LGBTQ Sports Hall of Fame will celebrate the 2026 class of inductees recognizing the achievements and contributions of LGBTQ athletes, coaches, advocates and sports enthusiasts. We talked to Kesten about what he would like to accomplish at the Stonewall National Museum and his spin on our LGBTQ issues.  Robert Kesten is a seasoned nonprofit executive with extensive experience in the for profit and government sectors. Kesten has had the unique experience of working on the break-up of the USSR on the ground in the Soviet Union and being in Tahrir Square during the Arab Spring in Egypt. This has given him a special understanding of human rights, the need for democracy and the role education plays in the transformation of nations and their people. Kesten's varied career also includes writing and producing an award-winning documentary film on learning the lessons from the Holocaust winning the Jury Prize at the Moscow Film Festival. The Stonewall National Museum, Archives & Library is a safe welcoming place that inspires and promotes understanding through collecting, preserving and sharing the proud culture of our LGBTQ community and their significant role in American society.  For More Info… LISTEN: 600+ LGBTQ Chats @OUTTAKE VOICES

One of the biggest risks people face when trying to understand the economy, investing, or personal finance isn't a lack of information. It's the illusion of being informed—while quietly limiting the sources that shape your thinking. We live in a world where information is everywhere. Podcasts, X threads, YouTube clips, newsletters, reels. But abundance doesn't equal diversity. In fact, the algorithms behind social media are designed to do the opposite: they show you more of what you already agree with. Over time, your worldview narrows—not because you chose it to, but because it was curated for you. I noticed this years ago when I started listening to alternative asset podcasts. At first, it felt refreshing—new ideas, new language, new opportunities outside the mainstream. But after a while, something became obvious. Many of these shows were operating inside an echo chamber. Different hosts. Same conclusions. Same narratives. Same villains. Same heroes. It was as if they were all listening to one another and simply regurgitating the same ideas, reinforcing them in a closed loop until they felt like truth. And to be fair—knowing many of these hosts personally—that's often the business model. Audience reinforcement is rewarded. Dissent is not. Ever since then, I've made a conscious effort to study people I don't naturally agree with. Not because I want to adopt their views—but because I want to stress-test my own. This matters more now than ever because social media accelerates groupthink at scale. When an idea gains traction online, disagreement quickly becomes social friction. It's easier to conform, retweet, and nod along than to pause and ask, “What if this is wrong?” I once had a conversation with Robert Kiyosaki where he told me he actually gets worried when everyone in the room agrees about the economy. When viewpoints converge too neatly, it's usually a sign that critical thinking has been replaced by consensus comfort—and that's exactly where blindsides are born. If your goal is to get closer to the truth, you must seek out opinions that challenge your own. That includes people you disagree with—especially people you disagree with. Truth doesn't emerge from unanimity. It emerges from tension. And that applies to me as well. Daon't let me—or anyone else—be your sole source of information. No matter how much you trust someone, outsourcing your thinking is always a risk. I can tell you from personal experience that in economics and personal finance, narrow perspectives lead to surprises you only recognize in hindsight. Those are the moments people regret most—not because they lacked intelligence, but because they lacked perspective. Financial education is critical. But a real curriculum doesn't just confirm what you already believe. It exposes you to competing frameworks, conflicting data, and uncomfortable questions—and forces you to think for yourself. That's how you build conviction that actually holds up when the world changes. This week's episode of Wealth Formula Podcast examines this groupthink problem on a broader scale throughout society with an author who wrote a bestseller on our inherent appetite for misinformation. It's a fascinating conversation that will surely get you thinking about the way you view the world. Transcript Disclaimer: This transcript was generated by AI and may not be 100% accurate. If you notice any errors or corrections, please email us at phil@wealthformula.com.  You can imagine people who are conflict avoidant, probably not so likely to post online, as opposed to people who are conflict approaching who love a fight, right? If that’s, if those are the folks who are more likely to post, that’s gonna shape our information space in really, really important ways. Welcome everybody. This is Buck Joffrey with the Wealth Formula Podcast. Coming to you from Montecito, California today. Uh, wanna remind you before we begin, there is a website associated with this podcast called wealthformula.com. That’s where you go if you wanna get more involved with, uh, the show, with the community, uh, specifically, um, if you are interested. There is a sign up there for something called investor club, which if you aren’t a credit investor, you sign up basically, uh, you, uh, get onboarded and then you can see potential deal flow that’s not available to the public. And, uh, lots of things going on in there. Real estate, we’ve had stuff in the aircraft spaced, um, interesting stuff. You should check it out for sure. If you are, uh, enter credit investor. And again, that is wealthformula.com. Just click on investor Club. Now today, let’s talk a little bit of, you know, just let’s talk a little bit about one of the biggest risks that people face when trying to understand the economy of investing personal finance. It’s not lack of information, right? These days, there’s an enormous amount of information. It’s just the illusion of being informed while quietly limiting the sources that shape your thinking in the first place. So we live in this world. I live in this world too, where information is everywhere. You got podcasts, you got X, you got YouTube newsletters, reels, random emails. Abundance of information doesn’t really equal diversity. In fact, the algorithms behind social media are designed to do the opposite. They just show you more of what you already agree with, and that is a little bit of a problem because over time your worldview really starts to narrow. And not because you chose to narrow it necessarily, but because it was curated for you. You know, I noticed this myself, uh, several years ago when I started listening to podcasts like my own. Even before I started my podcast. And what happens is that you get, initially you get kind of interested ’cause the stuff resonates with you. You get some ideas, you get new language, new opportunities outside the mainstream. But after a while you start to realize, or I start to realize that, you know, these shows were sort of operating inside of an echo chamber. They’re saying the same thing, different house, same conclusions, same narratives, villain. Same heroes, you know, it was as, again, it was as if they were all listening to one another and, and simply regurgitating the same ideas and reinforcing them, uh, in a, in a closed loop. Um, and when you do that, it starts to feel like truth. And to be fair, knowing many of these hosts personally, that is kind of the business model. You know, audience reinforcement is rewarded, descent is not so ever since then. You know, I’ve actually made a conscious effort to study people. I don’t, uh, naturally agree with. I actually don’t listen to any other personal finance podcasts, uh, that are sort of in this alternative space because I already know kind of what our narratives are. I wanna know what others think. I wanna, uh, I, it’s not necessarily that I’m looking to adopt their views, but because I wanna kind of, you know, challenge my own and this matters more now than ever. Again, because of social media. How that accelerates group think at scale. You know, when an idea gains traction online, um, you know, disagreement quickly becomes social friction. Now I think the thing to do is, you know, always be questioning yourself and asking the question really, what if I’m wrong? What if this narrative is wrong? And it reminds me actually once, uh, you know, I’ve had a chance to spend a little time with Robert Kiyosaki. Period, uh, different, different times, and I still. Kind of consider him a mentor. And I remember being at a table with him, a bunch of people talking about, you know, where the, where the economy was, what’s going on. And he looked at me and he says, this is what gets me nervous. I said, what, what gets you nervous? And he says, everyone here, everyone here, even people who normally disagree with one another, are agreeing with each other. Uh, the point is that when some of these, you know, viewpoints converge too neatly. Uh, it’s usually a sign, uh, that, you know, that critical thinking has kind of been replaced, and that’s exactly where you start to get blindside and where, you know, there’s a danger there that there’s something that no one’s, no one else has really even mentioning anymore. So if your goal is to get closer to the truth, you actually have to seek out opinions that challenge your own, and that includes. People you disagree with, especially people you disagree with. Because you know, truth doesn’t really emerge from unanimous thought. It emerges from sort of that tension and challenging, and that applies to me as well. You know, if I’m the only personal finance podcast you listen to, you probably shouldn’t be because I have, you know, made my own conclusions based on what I’m thinking and what I’m listening to. I try to get people. Um, you know, from different spaces talking about stuff, but the reality is that, you know, everyone’s biased. I’m biased too. So, um, you know, I can tell you from personal experience, uh, that in economics and in personal finance, the problem is that when you have these narrow perspectives, um, they often lead to. To prizes. Uh, you can’t, you know, they only recognize in hindsight, and those, uh, those are the moments that most people, I think, regret more than anything. Not because they lacked intelligence necessarily, but they lacked perspective, right? Listen, financial education is critical and we, we know that that’s the point of doing the show in the first place, but, you know, any real curriculum is, isn’t there, just to confirm what you already believe. I, I, if you, it should expose some competing frameworks. And, you know, different questions or different takes on things and, and that’s how you know, if you listen to those and you listen to those arguments, that’s how you can really build conviction that you can stand behind. And even if you’re wrong, you say, yeah, you know, I heard the other argument too. I didn’t buy it, but I guess I was wrong. Believe me, I’ve been wrong, uh, more than once myself. So the reason I bring that all up is because this week’s, uh, episode of Wealth Formula podcast really examines. Greater than just the idea of, you know, personal finance and macro economics and that type of thinking, but a greater problem, which is group think in general on a broader scale throughout society. And my, uh, my guest is a, a woman who wrote a best seller on this topic. It’s fascinating stuff. I think it’ll get you think. Make sure to listen in and we’ll have that interview right after these messages. Wealth Formula banking is an ingenious concept powered by whole life insurance, but instead of acting just as a safety net, the strategy supercharges your investments. First, you create a personal financial reservoir that grows at a compounding interest rate much higher than any bank savings account. As your money accumulates, you borrow from your own. Bank to invest in other cash flowing investments. Here’s the key. Even though you’ve borrowed money at a simple interest rate, your insurance company keeps paying you compound interest on that money even though you’ve borrowed it. At result, you make money in two places at the same time. That’s why your investments get supercharged. This isn’t a new technique. It’s a refined strategy used by some of the wealthiest families in history, and it uses century old rock solid insurance companies as its backbone. Turbocharge your investments. Visit Wealth formula banking.com. Again, that’s wealthformulabanking.com. Welcome back to the show everyone. Uh, today my guest on Wealth Formula podcast is Professor Dana Young, who’s a professor of communication and political science at the University of Delaware, where her research explores how media psychology and identity shape belief systems she’s the author of Wrong, how media politics and Identity drive our appetite for misinformation and examines why people clinging to false narratives, and how understanding identity can improve persuasion. Our work helps decode the emotional and cognitive forces behind how we process risk, truth, and decision making. Welcome, professor Young. Great. Thanks so much for having me. Thanks for that intro. Someone has done their homework. I like that. Well, I try to, uh, well, let’s start with this. You know, one of the central arguments, uh, that you have is that people often believe things, not because they’re true, but because those beliefs serve as an identity function. Interesting concept, which I can kind of see in, uh, when you watch TV these days, can you, can you talk a little bit about that? Sure. And, and realize this is not happening at a conscious level. This isn’t something that we are thinking about. We’re not thinking, I wanna believe things that are untrue, but make me feel like I’m a part of my team. It doesn’t work that way. It is the, the truth, value of the things that we perceive is contingent on how those beliefs serve our team. Mm-hmm. So if there are things that our team believes. Those are the things that sort of historically, based on evolutionary psychology, those are the belief systems that would’ve made us probably really good members of our, of our tribe. Mm-hmm. That would’ve, um, if we had embraced those beliefs that would have. Give an indication to the shared members of our team that we are a good team member and therefore they should protect us. They should protect me, I will protect them. There’s a reciprocity there. So that belief sharing with our teammates is something that historically has served us well. And when it comes to survival, we really prioritize our social motivations above all else, because that is such a huge predictor of what allows us to survive and thrive. Is being a part of a community. And so, yeah. So the empirical validity of those claims is a little bit beside the point. The obvious, uh, the, the things that I think about there, I guess the, the sort of analogy there is like, you know, being a a, like I’m a big football fan, right? So I’ve been a big fan of the Minnesota Vikings for my entire life, although I’ve not lived there in from, you know, three quarters of my life. I grew up as a kid and that was my team. People come in, right? People go out. They’re people who, you know, were never there at the beginning, but I still root for them. Yeah. Yeah. And I still believe in them. And so, yeah, it, it reminds me of the sort of a, uh, you know, this tribal thing you’re talking about. The other place you see it, uh, is, is in politics. Uh, you know, when I, when I think about like, the way the parties have changed without getting political at all here. The, the, there’s some very, very significant changes that have happened in the ideologies, uh, or maybe not in the ideologies, but in the actuality of these parties and what they believe. They’ve changed so much in the last 30 or 40 years, yet the same people believed, uh, or identify as those party members. Is that kind of what you’re getting at? Yes, and, and because I’m a political scientist and political communication scholar, a lot of my interest in this area was born out of my concerns about our political, the political moment that we’re in, and how we really lack. A shared reality that’s necessary for democratic governance. Um, we, and we are seeing that literally there are dozens of examples every single day of different perceptions of reality across the left and the right. And so, so that was sort of why I tried to understand this, um, in the first place. But the. What you can glean from these theoretical dynamics, um, extend far beyond politics, right? To, as you were saying, and everything from economics to health, to the environment. Um, but because the shift that I think has been most impactful in this area regarding political identity is that in the United States, the. How the parties, what the parties are made up of, who the parties are made up of has changed dramatically over the last half century. And so rather than being these sort of loose coalitions of interest groups that would kind of come together and perhaps share a platform on specific policies, the way that the parties have shifted, especially sort of after the Civil Rights Movement made it that. Individuals began to identify with political parties based on like fundamental characteristics of who they are. Things like race, religion, geography, and, and fundamental aspects of culture. And so you have two political parties that actually look very different from one another in their racial and ethnic and religious and geographic sort of composition that is not good for democracy. Because we actually do not want our political parties to map onto such primal aspects of identity. ’cause it creates sectarianism and opens the door for dehumanization and violence, all kinds of bad stuff. But it also really tends to fuel some of these identity-based processes that we’re talking about because when you look around and everyone on your, in your political party. Lives like you do. They look like you do they worship like you do? They have the same hobbies as you. They drive the same kind of car. You know, those kinds of things. Like there’s a lot of that overlap that really makes your political identity take on a life of its own, and that life is increasingly. Um, unrelated to policy and more about kind of culture and aesthetics. So all of these caricatures that we think about of the left and the right, the, there’s. Stereotypes for a reason. They exist for a reason and they are so exaggerated through as a result of this political party shift over time. And, um, uh, as I talk about in the book, these differences are also exploited by our media environment. It’s really good for targeting and target marketing to have these kinds of divisions, uh, not great for democracy. Um, but they, these identities become further exacerbated. The more media we consume that tends to play into these identities. Yeah. It, it’s interesting to me, I think sometimes when you, when you think about what people believe mm-hmm. And then, you know, and then. Identifying those beliefs with like a, a political party or something like that. It’s interesting to think of the actual identification of the party coming first. Yeah. And then the beliefs following. Based on the identification. So that’s almost like religion, right? Exactly. Exactly. Right. And that’s a lot of the, the metaphors that we’ve been drawing from in political science. A lot of political scientists have been writing about this, really drawing upon the sociology of religiosity and how it operates because it, it, you’ll notice there’s another similarity too, that people will. Have this large identity as like a Catholic, right? Like I was raised Catholic. It’s, it’s part of who I am. Now. Do I believe everything that they say at church? No, but my identity as a Catholic is still very big. I, I, I will let it drive certain things, but I’m gonna write off other things as like. Not as important as my overarching identity. In the same way that we will find people who have a Democrat or Republican identity, and they live like a Democrat. They live like a Republican. However, when it comes to their actual policy positions. They don’t necessarily agree with their party platform. And that actually is where I get a little more optimistic because even though these caricatures seem so distinct when you drill down to actual policy positions, Americans have a lot in common. Those divides are not as giant as we think they are. I’m curious in terms of understanding the United States versus other countries, um, we, we seem to have a certain polarity which. It’s relatively new. I would say that, you know, even compared to, um, being a kid in, in the eighties, um, feeling like, you know, there was these two parties, but they seemed to get along pretty well. Mm-hmm. And for the most part, they were both kind of near the center. Yeah. And, um, but there’s this, there’s a much bigger division now. Um. What, I guess what drives the, the changes and when you look at different countries, like if you can compare and contrast like Sure. Are there certain specific variables Yes. That about our culture that that makes us who we are. Yes. Yeah. So that first question, um, I, I think that what’s really important is that when you think about how our political parties used to operate, um, in the aftermath of the Civil War, the two parties. We’re kind of in agreement when it came to racial issues in a way that was not good for African Americans in this country. Once the great migration happened and you had blacks from, from former slave states moving north and west, there was real pressure on leaders in those cities to advance or civil rights. Platforms, civil rights legislation, and to advance the rights of African Americans. That really put pressure on the parties in such a way that then it was the Democratic Party who became the party of championing civil rights. Then there was a response from the Republican party that was framed in terms, right, in terms of. State’s rights. That really drove the sorting of different kinds of people into the parties. It’s also fascinating to look at how religiosity and religion. Play a role here because during this very moment under the Nixon administration, there were efforts to revoke the tax exempt status of certain Christian schools that were sort of defacto segregated schools that were in violation of the policy at the time, which was to integrate those, the school system well. Those Christian parents were very unhappy with this, you know, revoking their tax exempt status. And there was a man named Paul Wyrick who came in and said, you know what, this is a moment to really bring together these two issues regarding race and religion. And he mobilized and created a grassroots movement out of this effort to sort of like protect our schools. And that actually became the conservative group, the Heritage Foundation. So that, that bringing together sort of the, the project of evangelical Christianity with this sort of move in opposition to integration that has a long history in our country. To your second piece though, about why the United States is, is. Special. Um, one, we have our, our history of slavery is not fundamentally unique, right? There are many countries that also practice slavery. I think the role that slavery already p played in the founding of our nation was important to keep in mind in terms of how the, the issue of race played into these shifts across political parties. And two, probably the biggest thing of all is that we have a. Two party system in countries that are dealing with some of these same pressures related to race and ethnicity, immigration, right? Where you see some of this polarization happening on ideology and a lot of those places they have multi-party systems. Which play a real amazing role at buffering some of these dynamics. So it’s not black or white, yes or no left, left or right. Uh, so we are uniquely positioned to have a hell of a time with polarization. When I, um, uh, I, you already sort of referenced, um, media. Mm-hmm. Um, you know, like when you think about polarization or you think about like. Re um, sort of constantly, um, emphasizing the things that you already suggest that you believe, uh, social media in particular is, I mean, is just pounding away at that, right? Yeah. I mean, sure. I just think about like my own feed, the things that I Yeah. You know, respond to or the things that I, you know, show affirmative, uh, reactions to the next thing. You know, like on x, you know, on Twitter, which I’ve been in. You know, doing more of, that’s all I get. Right? Sure. And it’s interesting because the next thing you know, you feel like. Everybody agrees with you. Sure, sure. And you’re like, oh, this is, this is amazing. I’m so Right. Right. No one has, right. No one believes the opposite of me. Right. Yeah. And it feels amazing. What role is that playing? Uh, I guess in, in your view? Social media dynamics are, are really fascinating because let’s, let’s realize, talk for a second about why it is that a lot of the content that we’re exposed to on social media is so divisive and identity evoking. Um. The reason that that happens is because the algorithms really just want us to be more and more engaged, obviously, because the only way that they’re able to, to micro target us with ads, et cetera, is by making use of the data points, the breadcrumbs that we have left behind. The only time that we leave those data points that we leave those breadcrumbs is when we do things. So if we’re just lurkers, we are not serving them at all. If we’re just hanging out looking at stuff, if we are actively liking or doing an angry thing, or writing or sharing, that’s what they need. So the algorithm is going to prioritize the content that is sort of outrage inducing, especially because negative emotions are exceptionally sticky. And there’s been some amazing work by um, uh, Jay Van Beil and his team who studied the sort of virality of different kinds of content online. And they found that the kind of content that is especially suited to virality is content that is both moral. Emotional that makes claims about what ought to be and what ought not to be, but is also like really emotionally and effectively evocative. And the kinds of content that tends to check those boxes is the content that is identity activated. Us versus them. They are doing this awful thing to us. Our way of life is under threat. Um, they are the bad guys. We are the good guys. So that’s how that happens, right? So that’s the kind of content that tends to be privileged across these platforms. That’s a piece of the puzzle. Another piece of the puzzle is that the kinds of people who tend to produce the most content online. Are weird, uh, as someone who posts online, uh, I, I just offended myself, but that’s fine. Um, the people who post a lot online tend to be more ideologically extreme. They also tend to have certain kinds of personality traits that maybe aren’t great is some of my work is looking at the, the trait of conflict orientation. You can imagine people who are conflict avoidant. Probably not so likely to post online as opposed to people who are conflict approaching who love a fight, right? If that’s, if those are the folks who are more likely to post, that’s gonna shape our information space in really, really important ways. Well then you get responses that are much more aggressive too, right? Like sure. In either direction. Sure. Something that’s kind of lukewarm. No one really cares to respond to it. Right. That’s exactly right. And then, and then those, those particular posts are rewarded by the media companies themselves because they’re getting all sorts of attention rising the top and those influencers who getting paid for that. So yeah, I mean, that’s the thing that really, that’s where I, I, I get to the point sometimes with this work where I, I’ve, I do feel a bit demoralized because I don’t necessarily see. Where there are really empowered agents to who can work within the system, we have to try to dismantle the incentive structure. So you know, if there are entrepreneurs out there who can think about ways to incentivize different kinds of content, I applaud that kind of development there. There are some, of course, who, who do the sort of, um. Positivity posts, you know, posts for good and viral videos about people help helping other people, and there is some indication that those also, they’re people love those. Those do go viral, but they don’t have the immediacy of the outrage, I guess, that when you think about, you know. The implications of this is really just, you know, I guess polarization, maybe some misinformation. Even misinformation is difficult because Sure. You don’t even actually know what is real information anymore. You don’t have like, sure. You know, when I was a, again, going back to being a kid in the eighties, it’s like you had one set of. Set of facts, you know? That’s right. But now that’s, there’s lots of different sets of facts, and in reality it’s hard to know what’s real. You just, you know, you just, you, you believe something and the next thing you know, something comes out and it, boy, that wasn’t real at all. Um, yeah. And, and let’s just, I’ll pause you for a second because, you know, as someone who studies misinformation, I, I have been through quite a journey with how I’ve thought about digital technologies, right? Yeah. Whereas. When I first started in this field 20, 25 years ago, I really lamented the fact that there were these voices on high at the news organizations who got to gatekeeper. They were the ones who decided what was true and what was not. And because of the way that they produced the news, that tended to reinforce certain kinds of official narratives. You know, there were times when conspiracies were exposed later on, when we learned that Wow. They did not tell us the truth, right? So early on I thought, oh wow, digital technologies are gonna be revolutionary, citizen journalists and iPhones. Mm-hmm. And in 2011, we saw the Arab Spring and we watched all these, these, you know, dictatorships. Topple. And then we saw the real tide shift with misinformation, with and disinformation deliberate efforts to exploit those. The lack of gatekeepers to exploit the, the lack of professional, quote unquote truth tellers, and really just make hay of our information space. And now sometimes it’s amazing, right? Because sometimes. The official account is not true, and other times the official account not only is true, but belief in the official account is necessary for us to sort of make progress as a society, right? So. The trouble is we don’t know which time is which. Well, well that, that’s, that’s what I was gonna say. I mean, I, I used to actually kind of in my own rein, have this narrative that, you know, certain sources were true and certain not, but even, yeah. You know, even after, you know, things that happened during COVID, for example. Yeah. Um, um, you know, the Wuhan Laboratories and, and things like that, that, you know, everybody looked at as a. A conspiracy theory and all this stuff, right? A tinfoil hat theory, a tinfoil hat, and you brought it up and you were crazy and everybody, you know, and, and the next thing you know, that’s the truth. That’s what happened. Yeah. So it, I think you’d even take people, um, it, it makes people who, uh, believe in the system, not believe in the system anymore. And, and I think that’s kind of where a lot of people are headed. That’s where the huge danger is. Yeah. And, and I think one area of research that is so. That is empowering and is hopeful. I have a, a doctoral student who is doing her dissertation on this. It’s a, it’s a concept called intellectual humility, which is just the extent to which we acknowledge that our beliefs and our perceptions of the world could be wrong. And what happens is when you operate in an intellectually humble way when you have beliefs, but you also are open to the fact that new information could come in at any moment, that could tell you that the things that you thought were true are not true. When you live that way, you tend to. Be closer to empirical truth than the people who are intellectually arrogant because the people who are intellectually arrogant, they’re so sure they’re right and they’re never looking to update their views. Yeah. You know, curiously on that too, like what, what does a research show about like highly educated or quote unquote intelligent people? Are they just as vulnerable? Are they more vulnerable? Because of this. And you know, in some ways I would think they’re almost more vulnerable. Yeah. And, and I think that it depends. So when we look at individual level factors and how they interact with susceptibility to MIS and disinformation, all of these different, so there’ll be psychological traits that interact with education level, that interact with what kinds of things you then are exposed to. So it is complicated. It’s complicated. So it tends to be the case that people who are. Perhaps more educated are more likely to seek out information from more like legacy journalistic sources. Yeah, yeah. Right. Yeah. Right. So, and on average, those sources tend to have more things that are empirically true than if you’re just sort of like looking on the internet for whatever you can find. Um, in fact, there’s also some research that shows that the people who report, um, quote unquote doing their own research. They are statistically more likely to believe misinformation, which actually makes sense because when you think you’re doing your own research, you’re actually doing what we call selecting on the dependent variable, which is you are looking for the information that confirms what you think is true. That is just what we tend to do. Unless you’re doing a controlled experiment. Yeah. You’re not actually looking for information that contradicts your beliefs. So, you know, we do this, this is, uh, a lot of times, um, you know, we talk about, uh, personal finance and mm-hmm. And macroeconomics and stuff. How does this translate over to like, beliefs about. Economy, the, you know, ’cause these are, these are important things that, again, there is incredibly different, uh, views on. Sure. You know, um, an example now, uh, an example is that everyone, you know, whether, whatever you believe the pol policy or not, that, that, that, that tariffs were going to drive inflation, a hundred percent inflation was gonna skyrocket. The last CPI number comes under like under three right? 2.7%. Yeah. Like what, what, tell me how this all applies to that kind of news, that information. Yeah, so, so I, I’m going to make a, a couple points that I think will, will get to your question. Yeah. Because, you know, a, a lot of what I have landed on is this role of social identity, right? In shaping belief systems and. One thing that I’m sure you’re familiar with is that when the party in the White House switches overnight from Democrat to Republican, people’s perception of how the economy is doing as a function of political party flips over. So when the White House went from Biden to Trump in January, 2025, overnight, Republicans went from thinking the economy was in the trash to thinking the economy was doing excellent, and Democrats did the opposite. So is that an actual empirical observation of the world, or is that an expression of their. Perception that their team is in charge. Therefore, things must be better. Or now my team is no longer in charge, so now things must be worse. Right. That’s the big one. We see that. You know, I’m. Every election back to who, however long this has been tracked, we see this. Um, another thing that I think is interesting is in terms of people’s perceptions of whether or not the economy is good or bad, that is very much shaped by who we’re talking to and what information we’re exposed to. So this, this in invites a whole host of questions about how should elites talk about. Economic health, right? You had under Biden, Biden trying to tell people, the economy is doing really well, the economy is doing great. Look at all these metrics. The economy is doing great. And so you have Democrats saying, oh yeah, the economy is doing well, and Republicans saying, I am looking at how much things cost. I am looking at, you know, various things in my bank account. I’m gonna say the economy is not doing well. I also think that Biden is not a great president, so I tend to think that things aren’t going well when the other party’s in charge. And then you look now under Trump. Trump is in a bit of a pickle, right? Because he is saying the economy is doing well. He’s saying, look at these metrics, look at these numbers, and you have this sort of. Viral perception among people that we are in a stagnant economy. I even heard my 15-year-old, we were at Costco and we got, you know, their pizza slices are like $2. We got pizza slices and she said, well. You can get a whole dinner for $8 in this economy, Rick. I was like, what? Economy? But, but those perceptions are so, and it, it’s also very, very difficult to figure out where did that perception come from? Yeah, yeah. How do we isolate the source of that perception that this economy is, is not good. Yeah. Well then certainly like behaviors follow, right. And yeah. So I guess, yeah. I guess that’s like, I mean, I’m sure that’s a completely different thing. Like, I mean, how do, how do these, you know, different perceptions. Party based perceptions Sure. Ultimately influence the economy because of the way people think of the economy. Exactly. Right. And how, how do mm-hmm. When it comes to what have tariffs done, right? Mm-hmm. Like I’m not an economist. I do not know what tariffs have done. My understanding from my media exposure is that there are, on some certain kinds of items, prices have gone up a bit, but that some of the other. Like at the grocery store, for example, some of the price increases that we see there are not the result of tariffs. So then what are they the result of when it comes to how we attribute responsibility and blame, that is also very much shaped by our social identity. So if it helps me to think my grapes are expensive because of Donald Trump, then that’s what I’m going to think. Give us your sort of final thought here. Mm-hmm. Just in terms of, you know, what’s, what’s the learning. Here and how can we apply this to our own thinking? So, so I, I like to leave things on, on a kind of positive note because there is a lot to be concerned about in such a fractured information space. Um. One of the things that has been bringing me some, some hope that I think we could carry with us into how we think about what it is that people yearn for, what it is that people want. Even in this, this very splintered environment, I am convinced that even though all of our technology is creating atomized spaces for us to become our most exaggerated version of our self. I think what we really crave as human beings are shared experiences, opportunities for us to share experiences together, whether that be media content that we then want to talk about, whether those be events. There is a reason why football is still such a successful, um. Kind of entertainment. Right? And there’s also a reason why when there are cultural stories that allow us to all talk about them, like the couple at the cold play concert that was outed or whatever, there are reasons why those moments just catch fire. And I think it is because despite the fact that our technology platforms are trying to give us. Atomized, individualized, discreet spaces. At the end of the day, we really do want to share things with one another. Good stuff. Uh, professor Young, uh, uh, Dana Young, it, the book again is Wrong. How Media, politics and Identity Drive Our Appetite for Misinformation. Thank you so much for being on Wealth Formula Podcast. Great. Thanks so much. It was fun. We’ll be right back. You make a lot of money, but are still worried about retirement. Maybe you didn’t start earning until your thirties. Now you’re trying to catch up. Meanwhile, you’ve got a mortgage, a private school to pay for, and you feel like you’re getting further and further behind. Now, good news, if you need to catch up on retirement, check out a program put out by some of the oldest and most prestigious life insurance companies in the world. It’s called Wealth Accelerator, and it can help you amplify your returns quickly, protect your money from creditors, and provide financial protection to your family if something happens to you. The concepts here are used by some of the wealthiest families in the world, and there’s no reason why they can’t be used by you. Check it out for yourself by going to wealthformulabanking.com. Welcome back to the show everyone. Hope you enjoyed it. Again, just make sure that you are getting multiple sources of information. Whether that comes to, you know, this show really is about personal finance and macroeconomics and only politics and all that is not what I’m into, but the point is. That, uh, when it comes to, uh, when it comes to anything including personal finance and microeconomics, make sure you have multiple sources of information. Listen to the arguments and, uh, you know, make a decision that you can live with, whether you’re right or wrong. That’s it for me this week on Wealth Formula Podcast. This is Buck Joffrey signing up. If you wanna learn more, you can now get free access to our in-depth personal finance course featuring industry leaders like Tom Wheel Wright and Ken McElroy. Visit wealthformularoadmap.com.

In this urgent and unsettling episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck argues that America is in the midst of a historic “Great Unraveling,” marked by the collapse of trust, consent, and the basic social contract that has held the country together for generations. He examines a chilling series of events in Minneapolis—two fatal shootings by federal agents in three weeks, including the killing of Alex Pretti, who was legally carrying a firearm—raising profound questions about accountability, constitutional rights, and whether the federal government can still be trusted to tell the truth when video evidence directly contradicts official accounts. As administration officials stumble through indefensible explanations, Chuck connects the domestic breakdown to a broader global rupture: allies like Canada openly describing relations with the U.S. as “ruptured,” the post–World War II rules-based order splintering, science and public health consensus eroding, and political power being wielded through favoritism and fear. The episode paints a stark picture of a country growing weaker, more isolated, and more vulnerable—not because of fate, but because unraveling is a process, and it’s happening in real time. Then, documentary filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast for a provocative, darkly funny, and unsettling conversation about AI, power, and the people building the future faster than anyone can regulate it. Lough unpacks the thinking behind his documentary Deepfaking Sam Altman, exploring why artificial intelligence inspires both awe and terror, how tech elites quietly prepare for social backlash, and why many of the skills we once told young people to master—like coding—may soon be obsolete. From Silicon Valley’s obsession with immortality and bunker-building to the fear that any job done on a computer could disappear within a few years, the discussion confronts what happens when innovation outruns accountability. The episode also dives deep into Sam Altman’s mystique, Silicon Valley’s moral blind spots, and how fear—of China, regulation, or losing dominance—is used to shape public debate around AI. Lough explains how deepfakes are made, why AI-driven scams are about to explode, and what lawmakers fundamentally misunderstand about regulating rapidly evolving technology. Ultimately, this conversation argues that the antidote to AI anxiety isn’t panic or denial—but transparency, literacy, and a serious public reckoning with who controls the tools reshaping human society. Finally, Chuck weighs in on the political disaster that is unfolding for Republicans, hops into the ToddCast Time Machine to draw parallels between modern America and Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland in the 70’s and answers listeners’ question in the “Ask Chuck” segment. Get your wardrobe sorted and your gift list handled with Quince. Don't wait! Go to https://Quince.com/CHUCK for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Now available in Canada, too! Protect your family with life insurance from Ethos. Get up to $3 million in coverage in as little as 10 minutes at https://ethos.com/chuck. Application times may vary. Rates may vary. Thank you Wildgrain for sponsoring. Visit http://wildgrain.com/TODDCAST and use the code "TODDCAST" at checkout to receive $30 off your first box PLUS free Croissants for life! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 01:45 America is going through a “Great Unraveling” 04:45 January 2026 has been a horrendous month in American history 05:45 We’re watching the collapse of consent 06:15 Federal agents involved in 2 fatal shootings in 3 week in Minneapolis 07:00 Alex Pretti was shot 10 times, this was an assassination 07:30 No consequences for agent that shot Renee Good sent a message 08:15 The federal government won’t uphold the law or constitutional rights 09:30 Administration officials make fools of themselves defending this 10:15 Alex Pretti was legally carrying his firearm 10:45 January 6th protestors were also armed 11:45 The federal government is behaving like fascists 12:45 What remains of the social contract? 13:15 Trump’s leadership is destroying everything we knew about America 14:00 Canada’s PM Mark Carney describes relations with U.S. as “ruptured” 14:45 The rules based order in splintering 15:15 TikTok deal was purely favoritism & media alignment for Trump allies 16:15 CDC now discarding science, openly questioning the polio vaccine 17:00 Government shutdown is coming later this week 18:00 100 years of consensus is shattering 19:00 Alex Pretti was carrying, not brandishing his weapon 19:45 Alex Pretti was killed in cold blood 20:30 Thank god there was video, you can’t trust the federal government 21:00 Bystander video contradicts federal government account 21:45 Patel and Noem have no credibility outside of Trump’s base 22:45 Federal agents violated half the bill of rights in one incident 24:30 Middle powers can’t assume alignment with US gives stability 25:30 Canada’s response to Trump is seismic & entirely rational 26:30 The post WW2 order was held together by trust, & that’s been shattered 28:15 Trump’s appointees are making us vulnerable to eradicated diseases 29:30 TikTok will be used by Trump allies for political alignment 30:45 Unraveling isn’t destiny… it’s process 31:30 Trump is making us weaker, more vulnerable and poorer 32:45 We’re losing our country… literally 33:30 We can’t believe anything the federal government says 40:00 Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast 42:30 Tech titans know the pitchforks are coming & are building bunkers 43:15 Did you create “Deepfaking Sam Altman” assuming the worst about AI? 45:00 The phrase Artificial Intelligence is great branding, but creates fear 46:15 How did you find funding for the documentary? 46:45 AI was one of the reasons the writer’s guild was protesting 47:30 Kids who grew up learning to code won’t have a job due to AI 48:15 Coding is now a useless skill when it was THE skill to have 10 years ago 50:15 Any job done on a computer could be gone within 3 years 50:45 Teaching critical thinking skills when a machine can do it for you? 53:00 Humans won’t be ok with robots replacing, but may not have a choice 53:30 If AI destroys humanity, it wouldn’t be deliberate 54:15 There’s a theory that AI would keep us around & find a use for us 55:00 Sam Altman has a giant collection of guns & weapons, like a prepper 55:45 Wealth creates a “prepper” mentality 57:00 There’s an obsession Silicon Valley with living forever 57:45 Was trying to interview Sam Altman always the premise of the doc? 58:45 Thought getting an interview with Sam Altman would be easy 59:15 Still haven’t heard from Altman in light of the documentary 1:00:45 What made you so threatening that Altman avoided you? 1:02:30 Other tech companies were more open to talking than OpenAI 1:03:15 Altman uses AI to read and summarize his emails, he doesn’t read them 1:04:00 Tech CEO’s tend to be antisocial, created platforms to compensate? 1:04:45 Many created products the world didn’t need just to get rich 1:06:00 Social media causes problems, but also have positives like Arab Spring 1:06:45 Totalitarian regimes found a way to weaponize social media 1:07:45 Chinese documentarian used AI to avoid government crackdown 1:09:15 Altman uses fear of China’s use of AI to avoid regulation & get investment 1:10:15 Sam Altman is a Marvel level super villain 1:10:45 Elon Musk is even more of a villain than Altman 1:11:15 Altman doesn’t have a personality, Elon has a crazy one 1:12:00 Google’s Gemini has caught up and surpassed ChatGPT 1:12:45 Altman could be a flash in the pan, or the next Steve Jobs 1:14:30 Steve Jobs and Sam Altman share a similar drive 1:15:45 Apple wouldn’t have been as successful under Wozniak, he’s too nice 1:17:00 You don’t have to be an asshole to be a successful tech CEO 1:18:30 Political leaders have given business leaders permission to be awful 1:19:00 What do you want people to take away from the documentary? 1:19:45 The best way to cure AI anxiety is to create a conversation about it 1:20:45 Concerned about legal exposure from the documentary? 1:21:15 The documentary shows how the deepfake was made 1:22:30 AI image & video generators should be forced to include a logo 1:23:15 What should politicians understand about AI regulation? 1:24:30 AI slop is getting harder than ever to identify as fake 1:26:15 AI will be an incredible tool for scamming people 1:27:00 People should have a safeword to avoid deepfake scams 1:29:15 AI will be very useful in creating archival footage 1:31:00 AI gets dystopian when you put it into weapons 1:32:30 What topics are you interested in covering next? 1:35:00 Terms & conditions that force arbitration is very coercive 1:37:15 Deepfaking Sam Altman took 18 months to create 1:41:30 Chuck’s thoughts on interview with Adam Bhala Lough 1:43:30 Elected Republicans trying to distance from Trump’s DHS 1:45:00 Marjorie Taylor-Greene argues the small c conservative position 1:46:00 MTG uses hypothetical shooting of a MAGA by Biden’s DOJ 1:48:00 Trump’s defenders try to blame Trump’s advisors rather than Trump 1:49:00 The administration is trampling the Bill of Rights 1:50:00 Minneapolis is a political disaster for Trump 1:51:00 Conservative pundits are pitching a Minneapolis off-ramp 1:52:45 Greg Bovino is trying invoke violence in the way he dresses 1:54:00 Trump’s coalition is breaking apart 1:55:45 ToddCast Time Machine 1:56:30 January 30th, 1972 - Bloody Sunday in Northern Ireland 1:57:45 British army turned into an occupying force 1:58:30 Unarmed civilians were shot by soldiers 1:59:00 Bloody Sunday ended the belief that the government could be neutral 2:00:00 When the state lies about violence, radicalism ensues 2:01:30 U2’s anthem about Bloody Sunday is expression of moral fatigue 2:02:30 Trump is the only person that can de-escalate and he refuses to 2:04:00 States tell themselves they are restoring order, consequences are permanent 2:04:45 Trust collapsed in Northern Island & happening now in Minneapolis 2:05:45 Ask Chuck 2:06:15 Agents involved in shootings weren’t new recruits? 2:11:00 How naive were we to think “it can’t happen here” How do we navigate it?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Documentary filmmaker Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast for a provocative, darkly funny, and unsettling conversation about AI, power, and the people building the future faster than anyone can regulate it. Lough unpacks the thinking behind his documentary Deepfaking Sam Altman, exploring why artificial intelligence inspires both awe and terror, how tech elites quietly prepare for social backlash, and why many of the skills we once told young people to master—like coding—may soon be obsolete. From Silicon Valley’s obsession with immortality and bunker-building to the fear that any job done on a computer could disappear within a few years, the discussion confronts what happens when innovation outruns accountability. The episode also dives deep into Sam Altman’s mystique, Silicon Valley’s moral blind spots, and how fear—of China, regulation, or losing dominance—is used to shape public debate around AI. Lough explains how deepfakes are made, why AI-driven scams are about to explode, and what lawmakers fundamentally misunderstand about regulating rapidly evolving technology. Ultimately, this conversation argues that the antidote to AI anxiety isn’t panic or denial—but transparency, literacy, and a serious public reckoning with who controls the tools reshaping human society. Timeline: 00:00 Adam Bhala Lough joins the Chuck ToddCast 02:30 Tech titans know the pitchforks are coming & are building bunkers 03:15 Did you create “Deepfaking Sam Altman” assuming the worst about AI? 05:00 The phrase Artificial Intelligence is great branding, but creates fear 06:15 How did you find funding for the documentary? 06:45 AI was one of the reasons the writer’s guild was protesting 07:30 Kids who grew up learning to code won’t have a job due to AI 08:15 Coding is now a useless skill when it was THE skill to have 10 years ago 10:15 Any job done on a computer could be gone within 3 years 10:45 Teaching critical thinking skills when a machine can do it for you? 13:00 Humans won’t be ok with robots replacing, but may not have a choice 13:30 If AI destroys humanity, it wouldn’t be deliberate 14:15 There’s a theory that AI would keep us around & find a use for us 15:00 Sam Altman has a giant collection of guns & weapons, like a prepper 15:45 Wealth creates a “prepper” mentality 17:00 There’s an obsession Silicon Valley with living forever 17:45 Was trying to interview Sam Altman always the premise of the doc? 18:45 Thought getting an interview with Sam Altman would be easy 19:15 Still haven’t heard from Altman in light of the documentary 20:45 What made you so threatening that Altman avoided you? 22:30 Other tech companies were more open to talking than OpenAI 23:15 Altman uses AI to read and summarize his emails, he doesn’t read them 24:00 Tech CEO’s tend to be antisocial, created platforms to compensate? 24:45 Many created products the world didn’t need just to get rich 26:00 Social media causes problems, but also have positives like Arab Spring 26:45 Totalitarian regimes found a way to weaponize social media 27:45 Chinese documentarian used AI to avoid government crackdown 29:15 Altman uses fear of China’s use of AI to avoid regulation & get investment 30:15 Sam Altman is a Marvel level super villain 30:45 Elon Musk is even more of a villain than Altman 31:15 Altman doesn’t have a personality, Elon has a crazy one 32:00 Google’s Gemini has caught up and surpassed ChatGPT 32:45 Altman could be a flash in the pan, or the next Steve Jobs 34:30 Steve Jobs and Sam Altman share a similar drive 35:45 Apple wouldn’t have been as successful under Wozniak, he’s too nice 37:00 You don’t have to be an asshole to be a successful tech CEO 38:30 Political leaders have given business leaders permission to be awful 39:00 What do you want people to take away from the documentary? 39:45 The best way to cure AI anxiety is to create a conversation about it 40:45 Concerned about legal exposure from the documentary? 41:15 The documentary shows how the deepfake was made 42:30 AI image & video generators should be forced to include a logo 43:15 What should politicians understand about AI regulation? 44:30 AI slop is getting harder than ever to identify as fake 46:15 AI will be an incredible tool for scamming people 47:00 People should have a safeword to avoid deepfake scams 49:15 AI will be very useful in creating archival footage 51:00 AI gets dystopian when you put it into weapons 52:30 What topics are you interested in covering next? 55:00 Terms & conditions that force arbitration is very coercive 57:15 Deepfaking Sam Altman took 18 months to createSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the face of widespread protests, the Iranian government ‘switched off' the country's access to the internet on 8th January. In Uganda, prior to recent elections, the government of president Yoweri Museveni prevented its citizens from accessing the internet. Worldwide, Afghanistan, Myanmar, India and Bangladesh – to name only a few - have all taken the decision to severely restrict internet access at times of perceived political crisis or challenge. Yet it was only fifteen years ago, during the Arab Spring, that internet access and digital media were seen as game-changing communications tools for democratisation. Now, how vulnerable is protest and political opposition to being taken offline? This episode of The Documentary comes to you from The Fifth Floor, the show at the heart of global storytelling, with BBC journalists from all around the world. Presented by Faranak Amidi. Produced by Laura Thomas, Caroline Ferguson and Hannah Dean. (Photo: Faranak Amidi. Credit: Tricia Yourkevich.)

On the first anniversary of the dismantling of USAID, the United States Agency for International Development, Thomas and Aimen trace the history of the organisation and ask whether USAID's collapse represents a failure of liberal internationalism itself, or simply the end of one particular way of organizing American power in the world. They discuss: Trump's 2025 executive order and the effective end of USAID USAID, anti-communism, and the CIA The Clinton-era debate over whether USAID should survive at all USAID in the War on Terror: Iraq, Afghanistan, and counterinsurgency The Arab Spring and the shift toward NGO-mediated governance Corruption in USAID What the end of USAID tells us about the end of the unipolar era Join the Conflicted Community here: https://conflicted.supportingcast.fm/  Find us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHconflicted And Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHconflicted And Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/conflictedpod And YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConflictedYoutube  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Conflicted is a Message Heard production. Executive Producers: Jake Warren & Max Warren. Produced by Thomas Small and edited by Lizzy Andrews. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode begins, as ever, in total disarray: missed jokes, football updates, wine anxiety, and the creeping realisation that the best material always happens before the mic is on. Then Dan drops a bombshell: The Night Manager is so tense he physically struggled to finish it.And that's the hook.Based on John le Carré's novel, The Night Manager is a six-part espionage thriller starring Tom Hiddleston as Jonathan Pine, a hotel night manager pulled into a covert operation to bring down international arms dealer Richard Roper (a towering Hugh Laurie). Set against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, it's a story of guilt, infiltration, and moral compromise — where every smile hides a weapon and every ally might be a leak.We talk about:Why this is one of the most gripping British series of the last decadeHiddleston's transformation into a Bond-adjacent undercover operativeHugh Laurie's chilling reinvention as “the worst man in the world”The mechanics of building a fake identity and earning trust from monstersOlivia Colman's ferocious MI6 handler and the cost of doing “good”The unbearable tension of near-misses, close calls, and cliffhangersJohn le Carré's MI6 roots and why his work still defines spy fictionIt's sleek, paranoid, adult television — the kind where you pause episodes just to steady your nerves. With a new season finally arriving, this is the perfect moment to (re)discover it.If you like espionage with teeth, villains who smile while they ruin lives, and stories where nobody is truly safe, this episode is your invitation to dive in.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

As deadly protests engulf Iran and a mass pro-democracy movement seems the path forward in the US, here's my 2012 conversation with WAEL GHONIM about his book, REVOLUTION 2.0. Ghonim, a 30-year-old Google manager, unwilling to publicly criticize the Egyptian regime, anonymously launched a Facebook campaign to protest one killing by security forces. How did the Egyptian people finally find their voice and reject 30 years of oppression?} Two reasons I chose this episode: 1) Iran, taking a lesson from the Arab Spring, has cut off the nation's internet. 2) Though the later Muslim Brotherhood coup was tragic, Egypt's nonviolent revolution succeeded in toppling an authoritarian dictator and regime. What did it take? How did it build? What can we learn?FF_Ghonim 2012_transcript

00:00 Intro00:58 Expert: China's Taiwan Takeover Plan Could Be Delayed01:34 10 Generals Absent From Top Anti-Corruption Meeting02:22 Expert: Xi Might Have Lost Control Over the Military04:00 Denmark: U.S. Takeover of Greenland Not Necessary05:39 China's Trade Surplus Hits Record; Exports to U.S. Drop06:50 China EVs Face EU Tariffs or Sales Limits07:30 Trump: To Be Anti-Tariff Is to Be Pro-China08:12 U.S. Approves NVIDIA H200 Chip Exports to China09:12 Activists Urge Int'l Leaders to Support Iranian People11:16 Videos: Chinese Police Practice Shooting at Civilians11:53 Authorities Link China-Made Airbags to Fatal Crashes12:52 Crane Falls on Train in Thailand, China Involved14:58 Proposed Chinese Embassy in London Raises Security Concerns16:31 As Iran Protests Grow, Lessons From the Arab Spring

America experienced its own colour revolution in 2020, when George Soros and his Open Society Foundation launched the Black Lives Matter & George Floyd psychological operations during the Summer of Love. The culture was forever changed in the aftermath of one of the dumbest periods in American history.This century, colour revolutions have been financed worldwide by the Soros network, including the Arab Spring uprisings, the first Ukrainian revolution of 2004, and the multiple operations in the former Soviet Union. Understanding the nature of the operators makes it easier to determine how to prevent future overthrows, and predicting where they might happen next.—Watch the video version on one of the Macroaggressions Channels:Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/Macroaggressions YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MacroaggressionsPodcast—MACRO & Charlie Robinson LinksHypocrazy Audiobook: https://amzn.to/4aogwmsThe Octopus of Global Control Audiobook: https://amzn.to/3xu0rMmWebsite: www.Macroaggressions.io Merch Store: https://macroaggressions.dashery.com/ Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/macroaggressionspodcast—Activist Post FamilyActivist Post: www.ActivistPost.com Natural Blaze: www.NaturalBlaze.com —Support Our SponsorsAnarchapulco: https://anarchapulco.com/ | Promo Code: MACROC60 Power: https://go.shopc60.com/PBGRT/KMKS9/ | Promo Code: MACROChemical Free Body: https://chemicalfreebody.com/macro/ | Promo Code: MACROWise Wolf Gold & Silver: https://macroaggressions.gold/ | (800) 426-1836LegalShield: www.DontGetPushedAround.com EMP Shield: www.EMPShield.com | Promo Code: MACROGround Luxe Grounding Mats: https://groundluxe.com/MACRO Christian Yordanov's Health Program: www.LiveLongerFormula.com/macro Above Phone: https://abovephone.com/macro/Van Man: https://vanman.shop/?ref=MACRO | Promo Code: MACROThe Dollar Vigilante: https://dollarvigilante.spiffy.co/a/O3wCWenlXN/4471 Nesa's Hemp: www.NesasHemp.com | Promo Code: MACROAugason Farms: https://augasonfarms.com/MACRO —

Is Stone Island actually worth the price? What lifestyle requires techwear? Is Timothee Chalamet overrated? Why does Lady Gaga feel less authentic than Charli XCX? What is gooning, and how did it end up in Harper's Bazaar? This week, Sol and Michael sit down with Shane O'Neill, writer for The Washington Post's twice-weekly pop culture newsletter "Seriously?," to unpack the weirdest corners of the internet and how they intersect with fashion, music, and modern masculinity.The trio explore the techwear vs. lifestyle debate, why Stone Island might be "a little more serious" than necessary, the complicated appeal of Timothee Chalamet vs. Pedro Pascal, and whether Madonna's Celebration Tour was genius or needed a creative director. Shane defends his take on why Charli XCX feels more genuine than Lady Gaga, the overlooked brilliance of the Blue Man Group's first album, and how his job at the Washington Post lets him explore everything from competitive Excel spreadsheet championships to extremely niche fetish communities on TikTok.The conversation goes off the deep end: gooning culture and how Shane learned about it years before it hit mainstream media, why Jeremy Scott is "the Taco Bell of fashion" (complimentary), the NFL's official stylist whose college thesis connected SpongeBob SquarePants to the Arab Spring uprisings (not a joke), and why most luxury fashion houses are actually perfume or shoe companies pretending to sell clothes. They also discuss the Ice Spice SpongeBob movie premiere outfit controversy, why people pay to stand motionless at techno clubs, and Warped Tour nostalgia.Other topics include: Devoa, the Saint Laurent SS16 Surf Sound collection, ASICS x Comme des Garçons sneakers, the oura ring and Palantir data concerns, extreme fitness culture and dissociation, Russian seal best friends named Kroshik and Shlissik, and competitive Excel spreadsheet merch.We hope you enjoy!Lots of love!Sol---Episode Tags: Shane O'Neill, Washington Post Seriously, fashion podcast 2026, gooning explained, gooning Harper's Bazaar, Jeremy Scott fashion, menswear podcast, streetwear podcast, archive fashion, internet subcultures, TikTok algorithm, competitive Excel spreadsheets, niche communities, oura ring review, Ice Spice stylist, men's fashion trends 2026, Kyle Smith NFL stylist, Alexander McQueen shoes Sol Thompson and Michael Smith explore the world and subcultures of fashion, interviewing creators, personalities, and industry insiders to highlight the new vanguard of the fashion world. Subscribe for weekly uploads of the podcast, and don't forgot to follow us on our social channels for additional content, and join our discord to access what we've dubbed “the happiest place in fashion”.Message us with Business Inquiries at pairofkingspod@gmail.comSubscribe to get early access to podcasts and videos, and participate in exclusive giveaways for $4 a month Links: Instagram TikTok Twitter/X Sol's Substack (One Size Fits All) Sol's Instagram Michael's Instagram Michael's TikTok

In this episode of Crossing Faiths, John Pinna speaks with Scott Horton about the underlying motivations and consequences of American foreign policy in the Middle East and beyond. The discussion explores the influence of neoconservative ideologies on the Iraq War, the political motivations of the Bush administration, and the subsequent "redirection" of support toward various factions in the Syrian civil war. Pinna shares his firsthand experiences working with government-funded organizations during the Arab Spring, while Horton provides a critical analysis of the military-industrial complex and the role of manufactured intelligence in driving international conflicts. Their conversation further examines the complex geopolitical landscape involving Israel, Iran, and the Kurdish regions, highlighting the economic undercurrents of oil trade and currency movement that often dictate regional stability and interventionist strategies. Scott Horton is director of the Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com and host of the Scott Horton Show from ScottHorton.org (https://scotthhorton.org). He is the author of four books. He has conducted more than 6,000 interviews since 2003. He has recently released The Scott Horton Academy of Foreign Policy and Freedom.  Scott lives in Austin, Texas with his wife, Larisa Alexandrovna Horton.

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CNN's Jake Tapper joins us this morning for a conversation about America's long struggle with terrorism — from the battlefields of Afghanistan to the aftermath of the Arab Spring, and the challenges we continue to face at home. His new book, "Race Against Terror: Chasing an Al Qaeda Terrorist at the Dawn of the Forever War," uncovers one of the most remarkable but little-known cases in recent history.

The story of a Syrian-American blogger whose posts during the Arab Spring captured hearts around the world—including a woman in Montreal who believed she was falling in love. But Amina Arraf, the author of Gay Girl in Damascus, wasn't real. She was a hoax. So how did so many people, including news organizations and governments, fall for it? And at what cost?Chameleon is a production of Campside Media and Audiochuck.Follow Chameleon on Instagram @chameleonpod Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Show Notes: Noah Feldman,  Harvard Law professor, author, and ethical advisor talks about his career in constitutional law and his experiences in Iraq and Tunisia, sharing stories from his time guiding, and in some cases, establishing, the law of countries in turmoil or collapse. He also talks about the themes explored in his books  and current pursuits. Real World Projects in Constitutional Law Noah describes his academic journey, starting from his early love for school and his decision to pursue academia full-time, with brief interruptions for real-world projects. He shares his experiences as a law clerk for the late Justice David Souter and his role as the senior constitutional advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. Noah discusses his involvement in drafting the Iraqi constitution, starting from scratch, and the unique opportunity it provided to apply his academic knowledge in a real-world scenario. He recounts his work in Tunisia after the Arab Spring, advising the Constituent Assembly on constitutional design.  Oversight on Facebook After writing his book about James Madison, Noah's next step was unexpected involvement with Facebook's Oversight Board, which was inspired by a conversation with Sheryl Sandberg and Mark Zuckerberg. He was in California giving a talk at Stanford. He was thinking about writing a book on free speech in the era of social media. He explained to Sheryl how he had the idea that Facebook would benefit from having a kind of private Supreme Court. And the idea was that all of the companies privately made content moderation decisions could actually be made in a more public and transparent way, according to principles and the doing so would add to the legitimacy of their decision-making process. She loved the idea and introduced him to Mark Zuckerberg, and the outcome was the Oversight Board. Noah explains his ongoing work advising tech companies on governance issues and the complexities of balancing free expression and ethics in the tech industry. A Sideline in Journalism and a Focus on Writing Noah mentions his sideline in journalism, starting with a recommendation from Michael Ignatieff to write for the New York Times. He shares his experience of writing for Bloomberg's opinion section for over a decade. Noah talks about his podcast, Deep Background, which he hosted for three years, and his plans to relaunch it in a slightly different format. He discusses his current book project, The Importance of Being Human, which explores the value of human relationships in the age of AI and technology. Noah elaborates on his book project, focusing on the importance of human relationships in various aspects of life, including work, family, and politics. He expresses his open-mindedness about the potential value of romantic relationships with AI, despite initially holding a different view. Following a Theme of Constitutions When asked about his book choices, Noah explains his organizing theme of constitutions, focusing on Middle Eastern and US constitutional history. Noah outlines his planned book series on the history of the US Constitution, emphasizing the narrative throughline of the people who shaped it. He shares his experiences in Iraq, describing the chaotic and disorganized environment he encountered and the challenges of creating a functioning legal system in the midst of civil disorder. He shares the biggest lesson learned, the importance of order and law, arguing that without de facto control on the ground, it is difficult to establish a functioning legal or constitutional system. He also talks about how militias were formed. Noah discusses his work in Tunisia, highlighting the successful transition to democracy and the role of Islamist political parties in the democratic process. He reflects on the importance of norms and conventions in maintaining a functional constitutional system, using the example of Tunisia's failed Constitutional Court. Norms and Conventions in Maintaining a Constitutional System Noah emphasizes the significance of norms and conventions in the functioning of institutions, including legal systems and constitutional orders. He discusses the role of norms in the US constitutional system, using the example of the impeachment of Donald Trump to illustrate how norms can be changed by actions that challenge them. Noah reflects on the importance of understanding and respecting norms and conventions in maintaining the integrity of legal and constitutional systems. He highlights the need for clear and effective checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power and ensure the rule of law. The Importance of Family Noah shares details about his personal life, including his recent marriage to Julia Allison and his two children, Jamin and Mina, who are pursuing careers in the arts. He describes his relationship with his ex-wife, Jeannie Suk Gerson, and her husband, Jake Gerson, and how they maintain a good working relationship despite being colleagues.Noah reflects on the importance of family and personal relationships in his life, noting the support and encouragement he receives from his family.  Harvard Reflections Noah reminisces about his time at Harvard, highlighting the impact of his mentors and the courses he took. He talks about his mentorship with Robert Nozick and the influence of his work on his current thinking, medieval Islamic and Jewish Studies and his professors there Isadore Turski, Bernard Septimus, and Mohsen Madi. he also mentions Richard Primus, Constitutional Law with H.W. Perry. Noah discusses his involvement with the Program on Jewish and Israeli Law at Harvard Law School and the importance of medieval Jewish and Islamic Studies in his work. He reflects on the value of response papers in developing his skills as a journalist and opinion writer. Timestamps: 03:58: Involvement in Real-World Projects 07:52 Journalism and Media Engagement  13:07: Research and Personal Insights  23:51: Lessons from Iraq and Tunisia  37:46: Impact of Norms and Conventions  42:04: Personal Life and Family  45:08: Influences and Mentorship  Links: Website: https://www.noahfeldman.com/ Email: noah_feldman@harvard.edu @professornoahfeldman Linktree Featured Non-profit The featured non-profit of this week's episode  is brought to you by Anastasia Fernand who reports: "Hi. I'm Anastasia Fernand, class of 1992. The featured non-profit of this episode of the 1992 report is the Rebecca H. Rhodes African Inclusive Literacy Research prize. The African inclusive literacy Research Fund supports African scholars and practitioners undertaking research to identify the best ways of helping children with disabilities become literate as a critical step in reaching their full potential. Rebecca was my roommate throughout college and a member of our class of 1992 Rebecca spent her career proving that every child can learn. Let's make sure her prize keeps proving it for generations to come. And now here is Will Bachman with this week's episode." To learn more about their work, visit: https://www.adeanet.org

Rania Khalek joins Habibi House for one of the most powerful, unapologetic deep dives we've ever had...covering U.S. imperialism, Israel's global influence, media manipulation, and the rise of independent Arab voices in journalism.From her recent spinal surgery recovery to her fearless commentary on Gaza, Syria, and the American political divide, Rania opens up about her life, her career, and the contradictions of power that define the modern world.Topics Covered:The right-wing fracture over Israel and U.S. politicsHow Israel and the U.S. share imperialist interestsThe myth of “progressive except for Palestine”The media's complicity in global oppressionArab representation in independent journalismWomen in liberation movementsFitness, discipline, and resilience as political actsAbout the Guest:Rania Khalek is a Lebanese-American journalist and host at BreakThrough News, known for her fearless reporting on Palestine, U.S. foreign policy, and global imperialism. Her work has appeared in The Electronic Intifada and BreakThrough News, where she hosts Dispatches.About Habibi House:Habibi House is the unapologetic voice of the Arab & MENA diaspora in global media — where culture, politics, and art collide. We've hosted guests like Cenk Uygur, Maz Jobrani, Abby Martin, and Ana Kasparian.YouTube:  @BreakThroughNews  Instagram: @raniakhalekTwitter: @RaniaKhalekListen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and all platforms:https://linktr.ee/habibihousepodcastSupport Independent Arab Media. Subscribe, share, and comment to help us grow.Hashtags#RaniaKhalek #HabibiHouse #Palestine #Syria #Gaza #IndependentMedia #USImperialism #Lebanon #ArabVoices #BreakthroughNews #MENA #Politics #Podcast #LeftistMediaTimestamps00:00 – Rania Khalek joins Habibi House00:15 – Recovering from spinal surgery like a superhero02:00 – Has Israel lost the American right?04:00 – The media war and control over public opinion05:00 – U.S. capitalism, fascism, and media monopoly06:00 – “Palestine as a laboratory” — how oppression is tested and exported08:00 – Tucker Carlson, the MAGA split, and anti-imperialist contradictions09:00 – The Democratic Party's collapse and corporate capture13:00 – The symbiotic relationship between U.S. empire and Israel17:00 – Dual citizenship and U.S.-Israel power networks19:00 – White supremacy and imperial ideology in the West27:00 – American imperialism, sanctions, and global mafia politics29:00 – The Arab Spring, Syria, and Western intervention35:00 – Being labeled an “Assadist” for anti-intervention views37:00 – Western double standards on democracy in the Middle East42:00 – Women in media and liberation movements45:00 – Representation and resilience as an Arab woman journalist48:00 – Independent media, fitness, and leftist strength51:00 – Closing thoughts: outlive RFK and Zionism

This week on Sinica, I speak with Mark Sidel, the Doyle Bascom Professor of Law and Public Affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a senior fellow at the International Center for Not for Profit Law. Mark has written extensively on law and philanthropy in China and across Asia, including widely cited analyses of how the Chinese security state came to play a central role in managing foreign civil society organizations. Since the Law on the Management of Domestic Activities of Overseas NGOs took effect on January 1, 2017, China has introduced a remarkably comprehensive, vertically integrated system of oversight for foreign NGOs, foundations, and nonprofits.We discuss how this system combines securitization and political risk management with selective accommodation of service provision and technical expertise, Mark's typology of organizational responses (survivors, hibernators, regionalizers, work-arounders, and leavers), the requirement that foreign NGOs secure professional supervisory units, the impact on China's domestic nonprofit ecosystem, and what this tells us about the party-state's long-term vision for controlled engagement with the outside world.4:43 – The landscape of non-state organizations before the 2016 law 7:06 – What changed: color revolutions, Arab Spring, and domestic anxieties 9:08 – Public security intellectuals and their influence on the law 11:51 – How registration and temporary activity filing systems work in practice 13:48 – Why the Ministry of Public Security, not Civil Affairs, was put in charge 19:31 – The professional supervisory unit requirement and dependency relationships22:48 – How the state shifted foreign NGO work away from advocacy without banning it26:17 – Mark's typology: survivors, hibernators, regionalizers, work-arounders, and leavers 35:19 – What correlates with success for those who have survived 40:41 – Impact on China's domestic nonprofit ecosystem and professional intermediaries 45:54 – What makes China's system distinctive compared to India, Egypt, Russia, and Vietnam 50:19 – The Article 53 problem and university partnerships 55:32 – Advice for mid-sized foundations or NGOs considering work in China todayPaying it Forward: Neysun Mahboubi and the Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China RelationsRecommendations:Mark: Everyday Democracy: Civil Society, Youth, and the Struggle Against Authoritarian Culture in China by Anthony SpiresKaiser: The music of Steve Morse (Dixie Dregs, The Dregs, Steve Morse Band)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week we cover nine transits, highlighted by the New Moon in Sagittarius and the Sun's entrance into Capricorn on the Winter Solstice.I share personal reflections on my first week as a father and explore the theme of breaking cycles of familial trauma through two very different stories. First, Sylvester Stallone—whose father's jealousy wounded him deeply, and who has spoken openly about the regret he carries for in the past prioritizing career over his own familial relationships. Then, the heartbreaking story of former Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore, whose firing aligned with the Mercury-Lilith conjunction in Scorpio. A father of three daughters, Moore now faces the painful consequences of choices that have upended his life. With the North Node in Pisces, we have the opportunity to sit in empathy with these stories and learn vicariously—rather than suffer through these lessons in our own lives.The centerpiece of this episode is a deep dive into Mars entering Capricorn (December 14th – January 23rd). We examine the historical pattern of this transit through events like the Gulf War, the Arab Spring, Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and the COVID-19 lockdowns—revealing how Mars exalted consistently brings decisive institutional action and contested power. What might this mean for the weeks ahead?(26:56) The Sun in Sagittarius Square Saturn in Pisces 25° – December 14 – 18 (Sunday – Thursday) – Exact Tuesday, December 16. (31:00) Mercury Exits its Retrograde Shadow in Sagittarius 6°50' – December 16, 2025October 21 – Mercury Enters its Retrograde Shadow in Scorpio 20°43'November 9 – Mercury Retrograde in Sagittarius 6°50'November 29 – Mercury Direct in Scorpio 20°43'December 16 – Mercury Exits its Retrograde Shadow in Sagittarius 6°50'(37:48) Venus in Sagittarius Trine Chiron Retrograde in Aries 22° – December 16 – 19 (Tuesday – Friday) – Exact Thursday, December 18. (40:50) The Full Moon in Sagittarius 28° at 5:44 PM PST – Friday, December 19, 2025.(47:49) The Sun in Sagittarius Square Neptune in Pisces 29° – December 18 – 21 (Thursday – Sunday) – Exact Saturday, December 20. Mercury in Sagittarius Square the North Node Retrograde in Pisces 11° – December 18 – 21 (Thursday – Sunday) – Exact Saturday, December 20. Venus in Sagittarius Square Saturn in Pisces 25° – December 18 – 21 (Thursday – Sunday) – Exact Saturday, December 20. (55:45) The Sun in Capricorn – December 21, 2025 – January 19, 2026 – The Winter Solstice (1:02:38) Jupiter Retrograde in Cancer Square Chiron Retrograde in Aries 22° – October 5, 2025 – January 10, 2026 – Exact October 23 and December 21. (1:09:44) When Authority Takes the Field: Mars in Capricorn and the Architecture of Power⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get the 2026 Astrology Guide⁠⁠⁠Check out my Appearances on the Ultra World Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join my Substack⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.theweeklytransit.com/

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comShadi is a Washington Post columnist and a senior fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding. He runs a substack with Damir Marusic called Wisdom of Crowds, and his new book is The Case for American Power. It's the third time Shadi has been on the Dishcast. We hashed out the National Security Strategy and the future of US leadership in the world, if any.For two clips of our convo — on Bush's idealism leading to anarchy in Iraq, and whether Trump's amorality is stabilizing the Middle East — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: Shadi raised with a mixed identity (American/Muslim/Arab); both parents from Egypt where he spent summers; the reinvention of immigrants; the peace and prosperity of the ‘90s; our innocence shattered on 9/11; external and internal jihad; religion in public life; the Koran; blasphemy laws in the UK; Charles Taylor and the loss of enchantment; political cults like MAGA and SJW; Deneen and other post-liberals; Obama's realism in the Mideast; the Arab Spring; Islam's tension with liberalism; how Israel undermined Obama; the settlements; Gaza; Muslim views of women and gays in the West; the US intervening in Bosnia, Kosovo, and the Persian Gulf; oikophobia; elites opening up China and creating a rival; Taiwan; Russia after the USSR; the invasion of Georgia and Crimea; the Syrian war and refugee crisis; the war in Ukraine; Vance in Munich; and Trump's pressure on NATO to arm itself.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Simon Rogoff on the narcissism of pols and celebrities (from Diddy to Churchill to Trump), Laura Field on the intellectuals of Trumpism, Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness, Vivek Ramaswamy on the right's future, and Jason Willick on trade and conservatism. Please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

December 12th 2025 In this episode, Yuriy, a journalist-turned-soldier, reflects on his experiences with body armor during his reporting years in conflict zones such as Syria, Iraq, and Gaza. He explains his decision to forgo wearing body armor due to its cumbersome nature and the logistical challenges it presented. Reflecting on the early days of his military service during the full-scale war in his country, he discusses the difficulties in acquiring suitable protective gear and the realization that body armor has an expiration date. Facing an uncertain future, he hopes that the war will end before his current body armor becomes unreliable. Send Yuriy your letter of support fightingtherussianbeast@gmail.com  Yuriy's Podbean Patron sign-up to give once or regularly: https://patron.podbean.com/yuriy   Buy Yuriy a coffee here: https://bmc.link/yuriymat  Subscribe to his substack: https://yuriymatsarsky.substack.com/  ----more---- TRANSCRIPT: (Apple Podcasts & Podbean app users can enjoy accurate closed captions)    It is December 12th. In my former life as a reporter, I eventually started neglecting my body armor. And that's easy to explain: it is heavy, takes up a lot of space, it is hot inside it, and it's difficult to move. I always took a helmet with me to every dangerous assignment, Syria, Iraq, Gaza, and so on. But the west I carried far from always did I ever regret, not taking it with me? No, at least I don't remember ever regretting it. Did I regret it when I did bring the vest? Almost every single time. I had to look for a bag big enough to fit it, pay huge extra fees for its excessive weight at airports, and once the border guards confiscated it from me, right upon arrival for the Arab Spring in Cairo- it just sat in the warehouse for two weeks until I flew back. Essentially, I just took the vest on a round trip to Africa at my own expense. And it is very hard to run in it, especially with asthma: getting into a car or an APC is a struggle and clothing under it gets ruined very quickly from friction and sweat. Long story short, at some point I simply decided I was not going to take it anymore -that a helmet alone was really enough for me. I even justified that decision with Vietnam War era statistics claiming what the likelihood of suffering a severe head injury was much higher than getting hit in the body by a bullet or shrapnel. I did not know how accurate those numbers really were, but they suited me, so I clung to them. The helmet did save me a few times. It took hits from the stones and tear gas grenades, it served as my pillow, my chair, and my hammer. At one point, I just gave my body armor to a friend who was heading into a dangerous place and told him he could keep it. I said that it only collected dust and took up space. So when the full scale war came to my own country, I ended up having no armor at all. In the first weeks of the war, they gave me a strange old plate carrier with large, heavy plates. It was poorly sewn and fell apart very quickly. I tried to find a new carrier for the plates that remained, but it turned out those plates were completely non-standard and simply did not fit into normal carriers. I had to buy new plates- with the money raised through this podcast -ordered from Austria, they arrived very quickly and fit perfectly into standard vest. Honestly, I don't remember whether I read the markings on those plates at that time or not, but recently I took them out of the vest and accidentally noticed that they have an expiration date. They are not eternal and in fact not very long lasting. Mine are good until June 2027. What happens after that is hard to say. As far as I understand, some kind of composite material, which makes the plates somewhat lighter than the solid metal ones, will start losing its properties and won't be as strong as before. Of course, they won't crumble into dust in July 2027, but they won't be as reliable as we are now. I hope I won't be serving in the army long enough for that date to matter, that the war will be over before then. But there is no guarantee at all. In the winter of 2022.    When I went into the Army, I thought it would be for a few weeks, maybe a couple of months, but I've been serving for almost four years now. June 2027 is already much closer than February 2022. 

Have a comment? Send us a text! (We read all of them but can't reply). Email us: Will@faithfulpoliticspodcast.comIn this return visit to Faithful Politics, political scientist Dr. Ethan J. Hollander helps us take a hard, honest look at the health of American democracy—and why so many people around the world are tempted by strongman rule. Drawing on his Great Courses series Democracy and Its Alternatives, Ethan walks through a clear, working definition of democracy, why “constitutional republic vs. democracy” is mostly a semantic dodge, and how all political systems are constantly trading freedom for order.Will and Josh press into the mechanics of democratic backsliding: court-packing, weaponizing the bureaucracy, gerrymandering, hollowing out norms, and the “they did it first” spiral that turns politics into a race to the bottom. Along the way, Ethan explains why ranked-choice voting can reward bridge-building candidates, why demonizing the “deep state” is so dangerous, and why, even in failing democracies, the public is still the final check on authoritarian power. This is a hopeful but unsentimental tour through the dictator's playbook—and what it will take for ordinary citizens to keep the republic.Guest Bio Dr. Ethan J. Hollander is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Wabash College, specializing in comparative politics, authoritarianism and democratization, ethnic conflict, and the politics of the Holocaust. He is the author of Hegemony and the Holocaust: State Power and Jewish Survival in Occupied Europe, and the creator of the Great Courses series Democracy and Its Alternatives, which explores how democracies thrive, why they fail, and the lessons their authoritarian competitors offer. His scholarship also includes work on democratic transitions in Eastern Europe and the Arab Spring, and he is a frequent commentator on the future of democracy around the world.Support the show

From Apple News In Conversation: Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has spent the past two decades on the front lines of many of the world’s defining conflicts and humanitarian crises — from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Arab Spring, the Libyan civil war, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A new documentary from National Geographic, Love+War, explores not only her extraordinary career in conflict zones but also her life at home in London with her husband and their two young sons. Addario sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about her high-risk work, motherhood, and what the film reveals about the complexity of both.

Pulitzer Prize–winning photojournalist Lynsey Addario has spent the past two decades on the front lines of many of the world’s defining conflicts and humanitarian crises — from Iraq and Afghanistan to the Arab Spring, the Libyan civil war, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. A new documentary from National Geographic, Love+War, explores not only her extraordinary career in conflict zones but also her life at home in London with her husband and their two young sons. Addario sat down with Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu to talk about her high-risk work, motherhood, and what the film reveals about the complexity of both.

Today's guest is David McCloskey — former CIA analyst, bestselling author, and co-host of the hit podcast The Rest is Classified.Before becoming a novelist, David served at the Central Intelligence Agency where he wrote for the President's Daily Brief, testified before Congressional oversight committees, and briefed senior White House officials, ambassadors, and military leaders.  He spent years stationed across the Middle East during the Arab Spring and later worked in the CIA's Counterterrorism Center focused on the conflicts in Syria and Iraq.David's acclaimed thrillers — DAMASCUS STATION, MOSCOW X, THE SEVENTH FLOOR, and THE PERSIAN — have established him as one of the most authentic new voices in modern espionage fiction. Damascus Station was a finalist for the 2022 International Thriller Writer's Award for Best First Novel and is currently in development for television. His latest release, The Persian, takes readers deep into a shadow war in Iran and follows a dentist living in Sweden who builds an international front to conceal a covert operation.In this episode, Jack and David discuss the inspiration behind The Persian, the real-world dynamics of the intelligence community, and the meticulous craft of writing espionage fiction rooted in truth. They talk about the creation of The Rest is Classified — a top-charting podcast exploring untold spy stories, manhunts, and historical intrigue. David also shares insights into the writing process, balancing podcasting with novel deadlines, the surprising bureaucracy of the intelligence world — past and present — and a humorous story of running into Ben Affleck at Langley during research for Argo.His new novel, THE PERSIAN, is available now.FOLLOW DAVIDX: @mccloskeybooksInstagram: @mccloskeybooksFacebook: @mccloskeybooksWebsite: https://www.davidmccloskeybooks.com/ FOLLOW JACKInstagram: @JackCarrUSA X:  @JackCarrUSAFacebook:  @JackCarr YouTube:  @JackCarrUSASPONSORSCRY HAVOC – A Tom Reece Thriller https://www.officialjackcarr.com/books/cry-havoc/Bravo Company Manufacturing - https://bravocompanyusa.com/ and on Instagram @BravoCompanyUSATHE SIGs of Jack Carr:Visit https://www.sigsauer.com/ and on Instagram @sigsauerinc Jack Carr Gear: Explore the gear here https://jackcarr.co/gear

The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan (Universal Publishers, 2025) is the first comprehensive biography on Jordan's King Abdullah. Drawing on interviews with over 100 individuals, including Abdullah's classmates, former Jordanian ministers, and CIA directors, The Most American King offers a thorough account of this key Arab leader. Aaron Magid, a former Amman-based journalist, charts Abdullah's path to power from a Massachusetts prep school to a British military academy to the throne. This book examines how Abdullah has remained in power for over a quarter century, surrounded by wars and refugee crises. While leaders nearby were ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, Abdullah survived the wave of discontent. The Most American King details Abdullah's efforts to cement an alliance with Washington. Despite leading a small desert country, the Jordanian king was the first Arab leader to meet US Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama. The kingdom has received billions in US assistance, and Abdullah's intelligence services helped the CIA foil Al-Qaeda terror plots against American targets. Abdullah's personal ties to the United States have strengthened this relationship. Abdullah trained with the US Army in Kentucky, appeared on a Star Trek episode, and interviewed with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart. While the Hashemite ruler has frequently been lauded in the West, The Most American King discusses how some of Abdullah's decisions provoked controversy inside the Hashemite Kingdom. Abdullah approved a $15 billion gas deal with Israel in 2014, but thousands of Jordanians protested the Hashemite Kingdom's largest-ever deal with the Jewish state. Over a decade earlier, Abdullah agreed to host US troops in Jordan and provide Washington with overflight rights ahead of the Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood denounced such military cooperation with the United States as it prepared to topple the government of its neighbor. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Jordanian politics. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan (Universal Publishers, 2025) is the first comprehensive biography on Jordan's King Abdullah. Drawing on interviews with over 100 individuals, including Abdullah's classmates, former Jordanian ministers, and CIA directors, The Most American King offers a thorough account of this key Arab leader. Aaron Magid, a former Amman-based journalist, charts Abdullah's path to power from a Massachusetts prep school to a British military academy to the throne. This book examines how Abdullah has remained in power for over a quarter century, surrounded by wars and refugee crises. While leaders nearby were ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, Abdullah survived the wave of discontent. The Most American King details Abdullah's efforts to cement an alliance with Washington. Despite leading a small desert country, the Jordanian king was the first Arab leader to meet US Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama. The kingdom has received billions in US assistance, and Abdullah's intelligence services helped the CIA foil Al-Qaeda terror plots against American targets. Abdullah's personal ties to the United States have strengthened this relationship. Abdullah trained with the US Army in Kentucky, appeared on a Star Trek episode, and interviewed with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart. While the Hashemite ruler has frequently been lauded in the West, The Most American King discusses how some of Abdullah's decisions provoked controversy inside the Hashemite Kingdom. Abdullah approved a $15 billion gas deal with Israel in 2014, but thousands of Jordanians protested the Hashemite Kingdom's largest-ever deal with the Jewish state. Over a decade earlier, Abdullah agreed to host US troops in Jordan and provide Washington with overflight rights ahead of the Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood denounced such military cooperation with the United States as it prepared to topple the government of its neighbor. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Jordanian politics. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

The Most American King: Abdullah of Jordan (Universal Publishers, 2025) is the first comprehensive biography on Jordan's King Abdullah. Drawing on interviews with over 100 individuals, including Abdullah's classmates, former Jordanian ministers, and CIA directors, The Most American King offers a thorough account of this key Arab leader. Aaron Magid, a former Amman-based journalist, charts Abdullah's path to power from a Massachusetts prep school to a British military academy to the throne. This book examines how Abdullah has remained in power for over a quarter century, surrounded by wars and refugee crises. While leaders nearby were ousted during the 2011 Arab Spring protests, Abdullah survived the wave of discontent. The Most American King details Abdullah's efforts to cement an alliance with Washington. Despite leading a small desert country, the Jordanian king was the first Arab leader to meet US Presidents Joe Biden, Donald Trump, and Barack Obama. The kingdom has received billions in US assistance, and Abdullah's intelligence services helped the CIA foil Al-Qaeda terror plots against American targets. Abdullah's personal ties to the United States have strengthened this relationship. Abdullah trained with the US Army in Kentucky, appeared on a Star Trek episode, and interviewed with Comedy Central's Jon Stewart. While the Hashemite ruler has frequently been lauded in the West, The Most American King discusses how some of Abdullah's decisions provoked controversy inside the Hashemite Kingdom. Abdullah approved a $15 billion gas deal with Israel in 2014, but thousands of Jordanians protested the Hashemite Kingdom's largest-ever deal with the Jewish state. Over a decade earlier, Abdullah agreed to host US troops in Jordan and provide Washington with overflight rights ahead of the Bush administration's 2003 invasion of Iraq. The Jordanian Muslim Brotherhood denounced such military cooperation with the United States as it prepared to topple the government of its neighbor. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in Jordanian politics. Roberto Mazza is currently a visiting scholar at the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs at Northwestern University. He is the host of the Jerusalem Unplugged Podcast and to discuss and propose a book for interview can be reached at robbymazza@gmail.com. Blusky and IG: @robbyref Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/biography

In this powerful episode, host Shai Davidai sits down with Dalia Ziada—an Egyptian writer, civil rights activist, and outspoken critic of extremism. Dalia shares her personal journey from growing up in a conservative Egyptian society to becoming a leading voice for peace, justice, and democratic values in the Middle East. She discusses the impact of October 7th, her fight against terrorism, and the importance of standing up against hate. Dalia also reflects on her role in the Arab Spring, the challenges of promoting nonviolence, and the ongoing struggle for human rights and coexistence in the region. This conversation offers deep insights into the complexities of the Middle East and the courage it takes to advocate for change. This season is dedicated to Shai's grandmother, Leah Davidai, who passed away earlier this year. Sponsored in part by Iron Dome Coffee, visit www.irondomecoffee.com and use the code HERE I AM for an exclusive discount just for our listeners. Guest: Dalia Ziada Consider DONATING to help us continue and expand our media efforts. If you cannot at this time, please share this video with someone who might benefit from it. We thank you for your support! COMING SOON BUY MERCH! SUPPORT SHAI ON PATREON!https://www.patreon.com/shaidavidai/about?utm_source=campaign-search-results

In this episode of the #GreenAndRedPodcast, historian #GeorgeKatsiaficas discusses the #ErosEffect and recent #AsianUprisings shaping global resistance.Mass political awakenings have occurred recently in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and most recently, Madagascar. This is part of an overall pattern of mass movements called “The Eros Effect” by historian and social theorist George Katsiaficas. In the past 60 years, this includes the global uprisings of 1968, the nuclear disarmament movement of the early 1980s, the anti-corporate globalization movement, Asia's pro-democracy uprisings in the 80s and 90s, the Arab Spring, the Indignados Movement and Occupy Wall Street movements of 2011, and now the Gen Z uprisings sweeping Asia, Africa and other parts of the world.In our latest, we talk with George Katsiaficas about the recent uprisings and the Eros Effect. Bio//George Katsiaficas is a historian and social theorist. He's the author of “Asia's Unknown Uprisings” and “The Subversion of Politics.”-----------------

Recorded at the LA Marxist School

As the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Afghanistan since 1988, during the Soviet troop withdrawal, played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin's tanks crossed the border. Most recently she reported from Tehran in the aftermath of Israel's bombing of Iran. Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In October 2025 she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from four decades on the frontlines. In conversation with fellow broadcaster Lindsey Hilsum, the International Editor for Channel 4 News who has also reported from frontlines of our time, Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her new book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid history of Afghanistan as seen from the iconic Inter-Continental Hotel. Drawing on years of interviews with its staff and guests, the book traces the country's tumultuous history – from the Soviet withdrawal and civil war to the US invasion and the return of the Taliban – through the prism of this landmark hotel and the lives of the staff who kept it running during war and peace.  --- If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As the BBC's Chief International Correspondent, Lyse Doucet has witnessed and reported on some of the most consequential events of our time. She has reported from Afghanistan since 1988, during the Soviet troop withdrawal, played a leading role in the BBC's coverage of the Arab Spring uprisings reporting from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Syria, and has covered major wars as well as efforts to make peace in the Middle East since 1994. In 2022 she covered the Russian invasion of Ukraine live from Kyiv as Putin's tanks crossed the border. Most recently she reported from Tehran in the aftermath of Israel's bombing of Iran. Doucet is renowned for her compassionate, human-centred reporting often in times of war and suffering. In October 2025 she came to the Intelligence Squared stage to share her reflections and insights from four decades on the frontlines. In conversation with fellow broadcaster Lindsey Hilsum, the International Editor for Channel 4 News who has also reported from frontlines of our time, Doucet also discussed the themes and approach of her new book, The Finest Hotel in Kabul, a vivid history of Afghanistan as seen from the iconic Inter-Continental Hotel. Drawing on years of interviews with its staff and guests, the book traces the country's tumultuous history – from the Soviet withdrawal and civil war to the US invasion and the return of the Taliban – through the prism of this landmark hotel and the lives of the staff who kept it running during war and peace.  --- This is the first instalment of a two-part episode. If you'd like to become a Member and get access to all our full ad free conversations, plus all of our Members-only content, just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll also receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events  ...  Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series … Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content and early access. … Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 2011, Emel Mathlouthi stood among the crowd of protesters in Tunis and began singing her song “Kelmti Horra,” which means “My Word Is Free.” Overnight, an anthem of the Arab Spring was born. Emel became known as “the voice of the Tunisian Revolution.”

In 2011, Emel Mathlouthi stood among the crowd of protesters in Tunis and began singing her song “Kelmti Horra,” which means “My Word Is Free.” Overnight, an anthem of the Arab Spring was born. Emel became known as “the voice of the Tunisian Revolution.”

SPONSORS: 1) GHOSTBED: Right now, as a Julian Dorey listener, you can get 25% off your order for a limited time. Just go to http://ghostbed.com/julian and use promo code JULIAN at checkout. 2) MINNESOTA NICE: Minnesota Nice wants to help you find harmony—go to www.mnniceethno.com/julian and use code JD22 for 22% off your first order! PATREON: https://www.patreon.com/JulianDorey (***TIMESTAMPS in description below) ~ Scott Horton is the director of The Libertarian Institute and editorial director of Antiwar.com. He's the author of Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terror and Fool's Errand, and one of the leading voices challenging America's endless wars. SCOTT's LINKS: X: https://x.com/scotthortonshow YT:  @scotthortonshow  PROVOKED:  @Provoked_Show  SUBSTACK: https://scotthortonshow.com/ WEBSITE: https://scotthorton.org/ BOOKS: https://amzn.to/3T9Qg7y Antiwar.com: https://antiwar.com/ FOLLOW JULIAN DOREY INSTAGRAM (Podcast): https://www.instagram.com/juliandoreypodcast/ INSTAGRAM (Personal): https://www.instagram.com/julianddorey/ X: https://twitter.com/julianddorey JULIAN YT CHANNELS - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Clips YT: https://www.youtube.com/@juliandoreyclips - SUBSCRIBE to Julian Dorey Daily YT: https://www.youtube.com/@JulianDoreyDaily - SUBSCRIBE to Best of JDP: https://www.youtube.com/@bestofJDP ****TIMESTAMPS**** 00:00 – Intro 01:25 – Piers Morgan, Iran Contra, Waco, Oklahoma, UN & Korea, Cheney, America's Decline 11:24 – China's Strategy, Smart Power, Psychology of Empire, Abandon Control, U.S. Overreach 23:18 – EU Self-Correction, $37 Trillion Debt, Cold War Promise, The Big Lie, Putin, Warsaw Pact 33:08 – HW Bush, CIA Overstep, Black Budget, World Empire vs Republic, 1,000 Lies 45:16 – T0rture Committee, John Brennan, 9/11 Saudis, Yemen War, 50lb ‘Scalpel' Bombs, Al Qaeda 58:10 – Arab Spring, Hillary & Yemen, Obama Alliance, 300K Deaths, Trump's Continuation 01:09:37 – Trump Airstrikes, Afghanistan, Northern Alliance, Anti-Fragile Terror Groups 01:36:05 – Neocons, Israel Ties, Six-Decade Pattern, Israel Lobby, Policy Influence, Corp Funding 01:46:25 – Iraq & Israel, Iran Destabilization, Clean Break, Office of Special Plans, Cooked Intel 01:57:14 – Saddam Lies, Oil Motive?, Pentagon Strategy, Cheney vs Powell, Cheney Driving Force 02:04:48 – Saddam's Real Threat, 9/11 Excuse, GW Justifications 02:18:17 – Rebuilding America's Defenses, Bojinka Plot, FISA Warrants, 9/11 Missed Prevention 02:32:30 – Freedom Fighters vs Terrorists, Pearl Harbor Debate, FDR Manipulation, Churchill 02:41:58 – WWII Revisionism, Power over Evil, FDR Treason Claim 03:02:51 – Next topics CREDITS: - Host, Editor & Producer: Julian Dorey - COO, Producer & Editor: Alessi Allaman - https://www.youtube.com/@UCyLKzv5fKxGmVQg3cMJJzyQ - In-Studio Producer: Joey Deef - https://www.instagram.com/joeydeef/ Julian Dorey Podcast Episode 344 - Scott Horton Part 1 Music by Artlist.io Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

President Macron of France has formally recognised a Palestinian state. He made the announcement at a UN summit aimed at rallying support for a two-state solution to the Middle East conflict. He began his speech by calling for the release of Israeli hostages and an end to the war in Gaza.Also in the programme: Egypt's president has pardoned the jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, who played a key role in the Arab Spring uprising of 2011; and South Korea's president tells the BBC of his hopes that North Korea will pause it nuclear weapon programme.(Photo credit: EPA)

In this conversation with Nick Fuentes I push him on faith, politics, and the future of the West in light of Charlie Kirk's assassination. We get into the rise of populism, social media's role in chaos and censorship, Israel and tribalism, the call to Christian love versus nihilism, and whether unity is even possible in an age of collapse. From Greta Thunberg to Tommy Robinson, Augustine to the Arab Spring, we wrestle with power, truth, and what it means to live as Christians now.  

Headlines for September 10, 2025; “Incendiary Moment”: Jeremy Scahill on Israel’s Bombing of Hamas in Qatar; Egypt to Reconsider Case of Alaa Abd El-Fattah, “Arab Spring” Activist Jailed for Years; “Here Comes the Sun”: Bill McKibben on Renewable Energy and the “Last Chance” for the Climate

Scott brings William Van Wagenen back on the show to continue their deep dive on the CIA's covert operations to remake the Middle East. This time, they discuss the origins of the Arab Spring uprisings and look closely at how the so-called Syrian Civil War began.   Discussed on the show: Creative Chaos: Inside the CIA's Covert War to Topple the Syrian Government by William Van Wagenen William Van Wagenen is the author of Creative Chaos: Inside the CIA's Covert War to Topple the Syrian Government. He has a BA in German literature From Brigham Young University and an MA in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School. You can read his other writings on Syria for the Libertarian Institute here. Follow him on Twitter @wvanwagenen For more on Scott's work: Check out The Libertarian Institute: https://www.libertarianinstitute.org Check out Scott's other show, Provoked, with Darryl Cooper https://youtube.com/@Provoked_Show Read Scott's books: Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine https://amzn.to/47jMtg7 (The audiobook of Provoked is being published in sections at https://scotthortonshow.com) Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism: https://amzn.to/3tgMCdw Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan https://amzn.to/3HRufs0 Follow Scott on X @scotthortonshow And check out Scott's full interview archives: https://scotthorton.org/all-interviews This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: Roberts and Roberts Brokerage Incorporated https://rrbi.co Moon Does Artisan Coffee https://scotthorton.org/coffee; Tom Woods' Liberty Classroom https://www.libertyclassroom.com/dap/a/?a=1616 and Dissident Media https://dissidentmedia.com You can also support Scott's work by making a one-time or recurring donation at https://scotthorton.org/donate/ https://scotthortonshow.com or https://patreon.com/scotthortonshow Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our opening clip featured the poet June Jordan reciting her powerful piece A Menace to My Enemies. Jordan is a sheroe of this week's guest, the unstoppable Mona Eltahawy: journalist, feminist firebrand, and global truth-teller whose voice cuts through the noise like no one else. Mona is the author of Headscarves and Hymens, The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls, and her latest, Bloody Hell!: Adventures in Menopause From Around the World. Her work spans continents and revolutions, from the frontlines of Egypt's Arab Spring to the ongoing fight against patriarchy, white supremacy, and fascism everywhere. She's here to inspire rebellion, liberation, and the refusal to be silenced. Want to be part of conversations like this? Join the Gaslit Nation Salon, live every Monday at 4pm ET on Zoom. Meet fellow listeners, trade insights, vent your rage, and help build a living archive of resistance. Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Annual memberships are discounted, and to everyone who already supports the show—thank you. You make this space possible. Looking for a summer read that pairs well with revolution? Pick up the Gaslit Nation graphic novel, Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think! Follow our shady narrator, Judge Lackey, as he bumbles through the dark comedy of authoritarianism, dodging accountability and panicking over activists and journalists. Find it at your local library or at Bookshop.org. EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: August 25 4pm ET – Join the Gaslit Nation Book Club for a powerful discussion on The Lives of Others and I'm Still Here, two films that explore how art and love endure and resist in the face of dictatorship. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, available on Patreon.  Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, available on Patreon.  Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, available on Patreon.  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Show Notes: June Jordan reciting her poem “A Menace to My Enemies” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L898_qsfv7M

If you're still waiting for someone to save democracy, Mona Eltahawy has news for you: you are the one you've been waiting for. A fearless Egyptian-American journalist and author of The Seven Necessary Sins for Women and Girls and her latest book Bloody Hell!: Adventures in Menopause From Around the World, Eltahawy is no stranger to authoritarianism. While covering Arab Spring protests in Cairo, she was seized by Egyptian security forces and sexually assaulted and beaten, her arm and hand broken. Now, she warns, America is slipping toward the same strongman rule in Egypt. And too many are sleepwalking through it. Eltahawy's prescription is feminism that terrifies, carried out by both women and men. Because anyone can be a feminist. This is feminism as revolution. As she puts it, “There is no revolution without rage, and there is no revolution without risk.” Her work urges women to embrace power, ambition, anger, and militant self-defense, not to provoke, but to defend. And for their allies to support them. Learn to protect yourself. Teach your daughters common-sense self-defense and how to take up space. Her hope is that more of us, especially white women in the U.S., will stop cosplaying resistance and start embodying it. “The Handmaid's Tale is not a documentary,” she says. “Get out of the TV and into the streets.” EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION: August 25 4pm ET – Join the Gaslit Nation Book Club for a powerful discussion on The Lives of Others and I'm Still Here, two films that explore how art and love endure and resist in the face of dictatorship. Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, available on Patreon.  Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, available on Patreon.  Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, available on Patreon.  Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon.  Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon.  Have you taken Gaslit Nation's HyperNormalization Survey Yet? Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community Show Notes:  Journalist On Being Sexual 'Prey' In Egypt https://www.npr.org/2011/11/29/142895349/journalist-on-being-sexual-prey-in-egypt   Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!