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FIORI: ITALIAN HERITAGE TRAINS AND POLITICAL DISPUTES Guest: Lorenzo Fiori Italy is launching heritage Christmas trains like the Espresso Monaco and Espresso Assisi, restoring old coaches and locomotives for tourists. Deputy PM Salvini is publicly criticizing aid to Ukraine, linking it to corruption, potentially as a strategy to regain consensus and boost his party's falling popularity. Nationwide student protests are occurring over school reform and the Palestine issue. Milan is preparing for Christmas celebrations.
SHOW 11-14-25 CBS EYE ON THE WORLD WITH JOHN BATCHELOR THE SHOW BEGINS IN THE DOUBTS ABOUT THE ECONOMY. FIRST HOUR 9-915 BLISS: WEST COAST URBAN ISSUES AND THE PACK FIRE Guest: Jeff Bliss Seattle elected socialist Kate Wilson, who wants public grocery stores. The Luxor Pyramid in Las Vegas has installed a massive slide for visitors. Both San Francisco and Santa Monica are seeing major business failures and mall auctions due to unchecked crime and vagrancy. Los Angeles Mayor Bass requested citizen help for cleanup before the Olympics. Meanwhile, the 3,000-acre Pack Fire in Mono County is being aided by heavy rain. 915-930 MCTAGUE: LANCASTER COUNTY ECONOMY AND AI FEAR Guest: Jim McTague Reports from Lancaster County show a strong local economy: a metal forming company is "busy as they've ever been" and actively hiring, and the mall is packed with shoppers. Tourism is thriving, exemplified by sold-out shows at the Sight and Sound Theater. However, a persistent fear of AI-driven layoffs exists among retirees, despite no personal connection to the issue. Data centers supporting AI are rapidly being built in the area. 930-945 A. THE FILIBUSTER AND CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS Guest: Professor Richard Epstein Professor Epstein discusses the filibuster's purpose: slowing down legislation to improve deliberation and mitigate hyper-partisanship. However, he argues its use against continuing resolutions is illegitimate, leading to "horrendous dislocation." He proposes changing the Senate rule to forbid filibusters on continuing resolutions, ensuring essential government functions are not held hostage for collateral political gain and maintaining fiscal continuity. 945-1000 B. BBC DEFAMATION AND THE NEED FOR REFORM Guest: Professor Richard Epstein Professor Epstein discusses the BBC's alleged defamation of President Trump through edited footage. Unlike US law, British defamation has a low bar, though damages may be smaller. Epstein contends that the BBC's reputational damage is enormous and suggests the institution is "thoroughly rotten" due to corruption and political capture. He advocates for cleansing the operation and breaking up the public monopoly. SECOND HOUR 10-1015 BRANDON-WEICHERT: AI'S IMPACT ON JOBS AND GEOPOLITICS Guest: Brandon Weichert High-profile layoffs at Amazon and Walmart are tied to AI replacing roles, fitting the anticipated economic transformation, though it may initially look like a bubble. The US leads in AI software, while China excels in robotics. Concerns exist regarding massive AI bets by industry leaders like Ellison and Altman, specifically whether their political ties could result in taxpayer bailouts if these huge projects fail. 1015-1030 FIORI: ITALIAN HERITAGE TRAINS AND POLITICAL DISPUTES Guest: Lorenzo Fiori Italy is launching heritage Christmas trains like the Espresso Monaco and Espresso Assisi, restoring old coaches and locomotives for tourists. Deputy PM Salvini is publicly criticizing aid to Ukraine, linking it to corruption, potentially as a strategy to regain consensus and boost his party's falling popularity. Nationwide student protests are occurring over school reform and the Palestine issue. Milan is preparing for Christmas celebrations. 1030-1045 A. COMMERCIAL SPACE ACHIEVEMENTS AND POLICY SHIFTS Guest: Bob Zimmerman Blue Origin's New Glenn successfully launched and landed its first stage vertically, becoming only the second company to achieve orbital stage reuse, despite its slow operational pace. VAST, a US commercial space station startup, signed a cooperation deal with Uzbekistan, possibly including flying an astronaut to its Haven One module. France announced a new, market-oriented national space policy, significantly increasing budgets and embracing capitalism via public-private partnerships. 1045-1100 B. GOLDSTONE FAILURE AND SUPERNOVA DISCOVERY Guest: Bob Zimmerman NASA's Goldstone antenna, a critical link in the Deep Space Network, is out of service due to an embarrassing error where it was over-rotated, twisting the cables. This impacts communications with interplanetary and Artemis missions. Separately, new astronomical data from a supernova explosion shows the initial eruption was not symmetrical but bipolar, pushing material and light along the star's poles, refining explosion models. THIRD HOUR 1100-1115 1. JOSEPHUS AND THE SIEGE OF JODAPATA Guest: Professor Barry Strauss The Jewish revolt against Rome, starting in 66 AD, is primarily chronicled by Josephus, a leader of the revolt and later historian. Josephus commanded the defense of Jodapata against General Vespasian. After defeat, Josephus survived a mass suicide pact, surrendered, and convinced Vespasian not to kill him by predicting he would become Roman emperor. The rebels were inspired by previous victories like the Maccabees. 1115-1130 2. TITUS'S SIEGE OF JERUSALEM Guest: Professor Barry Strauss Nero's forced suicide in 68 AD and the subsequent chaos confirmed Josephus's prophecy, leading to Vespasian being proclaimed emperor in 69 AD. Vespasian left his son Titus to lay siege to Jerusalem in 70 AD. Though Jerusalem was a strong fortress, the defenders were critically weakened by infighting among three rebel factions and their own destruction of the city's necessary grain supply. 1130-1145 3. SURVIVAL DURING THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM Guest: Professor Barry Strauss Before the siege of Jerusalem was sealed, two foundational groups fled: Rabbi Yohanan Ben Zakai, smuggled out to Yavneh to establish Rabbinic Judaism, and the followers of Jesus, who went to Pella. Titus focused the Roman assault on the city's weakest point, the northern wall. The overconfident Romans were repeatedly frustrated by Jewish defenders using effective irregular tactics, including raids and undermining siege equipment. 1145-1200 4. THE DESTRUCTION OF THE TEMPLE AND MASADA Guest: Professor Barry Strauss The Flavians decided to completely destroy Jerusalem and the Temple in 70 AD, an act of extreme Roman imperialism that left the city in ruins. Afterwards, Judea was upgraded to a formal Roman province with a governor and the 10th Legion quartered in Jerusalem. Four years later, the siege of Masada ended with the alleged suicide of defenders, though archaeological evidence remains controversial among scholars. FOURTH HOUR 12-1215 US Greenlights ROK Enrichment, Raising Proliferation Fears Guest: Henry Sokolski, Executive Director of the Non-Proliferation Policy Education Center The US agreement to support the Republic of South Korea's civil uranium enrichment and spent fuel reprocessing for peaceful uses is viewed by Sokolski as a movement toward proliferation. Sokolski notes that this decision greenlights the ROK—a treaty ally with a history of attempting to use its civil programs to make nuclear weapons—to a position similar to Iran's. The ROK successfully leveraged the inconsistency of US policy, pointing out that Japan has permission to enrich and reprocess fuel and possesses a massive plutonium stockpile. Granting the ROK these capabilities sets a concerning precedent, potentially compelling the US to allow other countries like Saudi Arabia to seek similar nuclear options. The proliferation concern is heightened further by the ROK's desire for a nuclear-powered submarine, which could lead to pursuit of a full nuclear weapons triad. 1215-1230 SOKOLSKI: CHINA'S CONVENTIONAL ICBM THREAT Guest: Henry Sokolski The US military is concerned China's PLA may field a conventionally armed ICBM able to strike the continental US. Such missiles could use maneuverable front ends to evade defenses and deliver autonomous drones. This weapon might target civil infrastructure to intimidate the US and deter intervention during a Taiwan conflict. This prospect is opening up a new and puzzling area of strategic warfare requiring urgent strategic assessment. 1230-1245 A. RARE EARTHS: CHINA'S MONOPOLY AND AUSTRALIAN SUPPLY Guest: David Archibald China's predatory pricing previously achieved a rare earth monopoly, damaging competitors like Lynas, which almost went bankrupt. Australia, via companies like Lynas and Iluka, is being eyed by the US as a non-Chinese source for rare earths critical for high-end electronics and defense. Processing is complex, requiring many steps, and often occurs in places like Malaysia. 1245-100 AM B. HIGH-TEMPERATURE RARE EARTHS AND PREDATORY PRICING Guest: David Archibald The most desirable rare earths, Dysprosium and Terbium, allow magnets to function at high temperatures. China is now sourcing 40% of its supply of these from Myanmar. Though Australia produces these, structural oversupply is a risk. Subsidies, like the floor price given to MP Materials, may be necessary to prevent Chinese predatory pricing from killing off non-commercial producers seeking market dominance.
The brothers welcome Melani McAlister, professor of American Studies at George Washington University, author of the new book Promises, Then the Storm and scholar of American culture and evangelical culture. They discuss the meaning and nature of Christian Zionism, Melani's own insight after growing up an evangelical in North Carolina, how she learned about Israel before discovering the question of Palestine, the diversity within the evangelical movement, the different ways American evangelicals are Zionist, the significance of the evident generational fracture over Palestine, and her sense of the indictment of American liberalism over its denial of the Gaza genocide. Date of recording: Oct 13, 2025. Watch the video edition on our YouTube channel Follow us on our socials: X: @MakdisiStreet YouTube: @MakdisiStreet Insta: @Makdisist TikTok: @Makdisistreet Music by Hadiiiiii Support the show on Patreon for access to all the great bonus content, including the latest bonus episode.
Qasem Waleed is a 28-year-old physicist who has lived in Gaza his whole life. In 2024, he joined a chorus of Palestinians sharing videos and pictures and writing about the chaos and violence they were living through, as Israel's military bombardment devastated their lives. But Qasem was trying to describe his reality through the lens of the most notoriously confusing and inscrutable field of science ever, quantum mechanics. We talked to him, from a cafe near the Al-Mawasi section of Gaza, to find out why. And over the course of several conversations, he told us how this reality-breaking corner of science has helped him survive. And how such unspeakable violence actually let him understand, in a visceral way, quantum mechanics' most counter-intuitive ideas. Special thanks to Katya Rogers, Karim Kattan, Allan Adams, Sarah Qari, Soren Wheeler, and Pat WaltersEPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Lulu MillerProduced by - Jessica Yungwith mixing help from - Jeremy BloomFact-checking by - Emily Kreigerand Edited by - Alex NeasonEPISODE CITATIONS:Videos - A Brief History of Quantum Mechanics with Sean Carroll, The Royal Institution (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hVmeOCJjOU)Introduction to Superposition, with MIT's Allan Adams (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ3bPUKo5zc)The Quantum Wavefunction, Explained (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sOI4DlWQ_1w)Articles - Read a selection of Qasem's published essays about his life in Gaza and the quantum world: I am stuck in a box like Schrodinger's in Gaza (https://zpr.io/ALDVi9E5bRt8) Israel has turned Gaza's summer into a weapon (https://zpr.io/YS4WK4hVQC5T)The Physics of Death in Gaza (https://zpr.io/hxsgxicVqPAd) Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.Leadership support for Radiolab's science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
Roqayah is off this week, so Kumars is joined from the top of the show by returning guest-host Nora Barrows-Friedman and first-time guest Omar Zahzah to discuss Omar's new book, Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital Settler Colonialism in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle, out now from the Censored Press and Seven Stories Press. Omar is a writer, poet, organizer, and Assistant Professor of Arab and Muslim Ethnicities and Diasporas Studies at San Francisco State University. He has organized with Palestinian Youth Movement and the US Campaign for the Cultural and Academic Boycott of Israel, among other groups, and his journalism has appeared in the Electronic Intifada, Mondoweiss, Palestine in America, and other outlets. Nora is associate editor at the Electronic Intifada, author of In Our Power: US Students Organize for Justice in Palestine and cohost of the Electronic Intifada daily news roundup livestream on YouTube. Omar, Nora, and Kumars discuss their experiences with union organizing and BDS, why academics should be freelance journalists, how Silicon Valley's digital repression has escalated since Oct. 7, how Palestinian content creators are successfully navigating it, the end of Israel's self-styled image as the "start-up nation," and what Palestine reveals about the tech industry's relationship to our world. Follow Omar on Twitter @dromarzahzah, Nora @norabf and don't forget to pick up a print or digital copy of Terms of Servitude from Seven Stories Press! If you want to support the show and receive access to tons of bonus content, including Roqayah's new weekly column "Last Week in Lebanon," you can subscribe on our Patreon for as little as $5 a month. Also, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the show on Apple Podcasts. We can't do this show without your support!!!
David Kraemer is the author of a recent book entitled Embracing Exile: The Case for Jewish Diaspora, and the Joseph J. and Dora Abbell Librarian and Professor of Talmud and Rabbinics at the Jewish Theological Seminary. He joins Dan and Lex for a conversation that uses that book as a springboard into a conversation about diaspora and exile in the Jewish past, present, and future.Access full shownotes for this episode via this link. If you're enjoying Judaism Unbound, please help us keep things going with a one-time or monthly tax-deductible donation -- support Judaism Unbound by clicking here!Join the Judaism Unbound discord, where you can interact with fellow listeners all around the world, by heading to discord.judaismunbound.com.
Reformed Brotherhood | Sound Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Brotherly Love
In this thought-provoking episode, Tony and Jesse delve into Jesus's twin parables of the hidden treasure and the pearl of great price from Matthew 13:44-46. They explore the profound economic metaphor Jesus uses to illustrate the incomparable value of the Kingdom of Heaven. Through careful examination of both parables, they discuss what it means to "count the cost" of following Christ while simultaneously recognizing that no earthly sacrifice can compare to the infinite worth of gaining Christ. The conversation moves between practical application—considering how believers assess value in their spiritual lives—and deeper theological reflections on Christ's perfect sacrifice that makes our entrance into the Kingdom possible in the first place. Key Takeaways The Kingdom of Heaven has such surpassing value that sacrificing everything to obtain it is considered a joyful exchange, not a loss. Both parables show different paths to discovering the Kingdom (unexpected finding vs. intentional seeking), but identical responses: selling everything to obtain the treasure. The parables are not primarily commanding material poverty, but rather illustrating the "sold-outness" required in pursuing the Kingdom of God. Counting the cost of discipleship is not only permissible but necessary to fully appreciate the value of what we gain in Christ. The ultimate treasure we receive in salvation is not merely benefits like eternal life, but God Himself—union with Christ and fellowship with the Trinity. Christ Himself is the one who ultimately fulfills these parables perfectly, giving everything to purchase us as His treasure. The irresistible draw of the Kingdom illustrates how God's grace works in the heart of believers, compelling joyful surrender. Exploring the Incomparable Value of the Kingdom The economic metaphor Jesus employs in these parables is striking—both the hidden treasure and the pearl are deemed so valuable that the discoverers "sell all they have" to obtain them. As Tony and Jesse point out, this transaction reveals something profound about how we should view the Kingdom of Heaven. It's not simply that the Kingdom is valuable; it's that its value so far exceeds anything else we possess that the comparison becomes almost absurd. As Tony notes, "For sure the worth of the kingdom of heaven surpasses anything we could imagine... there's no measure that is satisfying, there's no measure that can actually show us how worthwhile it is." This perspective transforms how we understand sacrifice in the Christian life. When opportunities or comforts are foregone because of our faith, we're not simply losing something—we're experiencing the reality that we've chosen something infinitely more valuable. The parables teach us to view these moments not with regret but with a clearer vision of the treasure we've received in Christ. The Ultimate Prize: God Himself Perhaps the most powerful insight from the discussion is the realization that the ultimate treasure of salvation is not the benefits we receive, but God Himself. As Tony eloquently states: "All of those things are attending gifts. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God... we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We get swept up into the life of the Trinity... We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that." This perspective reshapes how we understand the value proposition of the gospel. It's not merely that we receive eternal life, freedom from suffering, or other benefits—though these are real. The pearl of great price is relationship with God Himself. This helps explain why both men in the parables respond with such dramatic, all-encompassing sacrifice. When we truly grasp what's being offered, nothing seems too great a price to pay. Memorable Quotes "What we get in salvation ultimately is we get God. We get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit. We get swept up into the life of the Trinity... We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that." — Tony Arsenal "I often say in my own line of work, that cost only matters in the absence of value... it's like at the end of days when we think about the worthiness of our God, that there's no one like him, that he's unequal, that he has no rival, that the gospel is the sweetest message that we're rescued literally from the pit. We'll just say no matter what the cost of us personally, great or small, totally worth it." — Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript [00:00:08] Tony Arsenal: All of those things are attending gifts. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the, the power of the Holy Spirit. We, we get swept up into the life of the, the God of the universe. Like the life of the Trinity indwells us. And we, we become a part of that. We get swept up into that. We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that. [00:00:47] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 469 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. [00:00:54] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. [00:00:59] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. Discussing the Value of the Kingdom of Heaven [00:01:00] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of ears to hear, we're back at it again with a whole new, or let's say different parable from our Lord and Savior Jesus. And we've been talking about how really these parables give us this view of the face of heaven through these earthly glasses. And I am pretty interested in our conversation about what's coming up because sometimes we don't like to put too fine a points to our, our point of question to our faith. And in this case, we're gonna get to ask the question, what is it all worth, this kingdom of heaven, this rule and reign of Christ? What is it all about? Who are the beneficiaries of it? And what is it all actually worth? There's a little bit of economics in this, so we're gonna get there. And while we talk and do a little affirming or denying, you should just go ahead write to just skip, go. Do not collect $200 or maybe. Pass, go and collect $200. I dunno. But just go to Matthew chapter 13 and hang out there for just a second. Affirmations and Denials [00:01:58] Jesse Schwamb: But first, I'm always curious to know whenever we talk, are you gonna affirm with something or are you gonna die against something? We've been on a string of lots of affirmations, but I'd like to think that's just because we're fun, loving, optimistic people. But there was a day where we had to do both. And now that I only have to choose one, I do find myself gravitating almost naturally toward the affirming width. But I leave it to you, Tony, are you affirming with or denying against? [00:02:22] Tony Arsenal: I, unfortunately am denying tonight. Technical Issues with Apple Podcasts [00:02:25] Tony Arsenal: So you and I already talked about it a little bit, but uh, I'm denying Apple Podcast Connect. Oh yes. So, uh, I. Obviously, like if you're affected by this, you're not hearing the episode 'cause it's not updating for you. But, uh, if you happen to be using Apple to listen to the podcast and for some reason you're listening somewhere else, maybe you realize that the podcast has not been updating for several weeks. And so you went to a different podcast catcher. Um, apple just decided for some reason that none of our feeds were gonna update. No good reason. So I've got a ticket out to Apple and hopefully we'll get it fixed. Uh, if you do know someone who listens to the show and they use Apple, please tell them to subscribe to something else or to, uh, go to the website. You can get all of the, all of the episodes on our website. You could go to Spotify, you could do something like, uh, overcast or PocketCasts. Um, it really is just Apple. It's, it's the actual account that we use to, uh, to access. Apple's Directory is not pulling new episodes and it's not pulling new episodes on another show that I run as well. So, uh, it's not just this show, it's not our RSS feed. These things happen. It'll, you know, you'll get four or five episodes all at one time. When it, when it corrects itself, usually they're pretty quick. I put in a ticket like late on Friday afternoon, so I didn't expect them to get to it on, uh, Saturday or Sunday. So hopefully by the time you're hearing this, uh, it's resolved. I would hope so, because that means it would be about a week from today. Um, so hopefully they'll have a resolve. But yeah, it's just th thorns and thistles. This is our own, our own, uh, manifestation of the curse here in this little labor that we do. It's, it's thorns and thistles right now, but no big deal. Just, uh, catch up when you can. And, uh, yeah, so denying Apple Podcasts now, really, it's, it's a great service and this is a, a little glitch. It's, it's just a little frustrating. [00:04:20] Jesse Schwamb: The sweat of our brow. Yes. Here it is. We're just toiling over getting Apple to please release our episodes. Well, it'll be your happy day if you use Apple Podcasts and then get a bunch of them all at once. That's fantastic. It's like the gift that is over in abundance. Supporting The Reformed Brotherhood [00:04:36] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it is a good reminder that you just said, Tony, that everybody should go, just take some time. Head on over to our form brotherhood.com. You can find all the other 400 some odd episodes living over there. And while you're over there and you're perusing or searching by topic to see what we've talked about before, you're probably gonna think to yourself, this is so incredible. How is this compendium, this omnibus of all these episodes just hanging out here free of cost? And I'm so glad you're thinking about that because there are so many lovely brothers and sisters who have decided just to give a little bit to make sure that all that stuff gets hosted for free for you Yeah. And for us, so that anybody can go and explore it and find content that we hope will be edifying. So if that's something you're interested in, maybe you've been listening for a while and thought, you know what? I would like to give a little bit one time or reoccurring, we would love to, for you to join us in that mission. You can go to patreon.com/reform brotherhood, and there's all the information for you to give if that's something that you feel you would like to do, and we would be grateful for you to do it. [00:05:32] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. We, we have a group of people who support the show. They make it possible for your, uh, your ear holes to be filled with our voices. And, uh, but again, you know, the costs are going up all around and, and we would, uh, certainly love to have people partner with us. Um, we've committed to making show that the, making sure that the show is free and available. Um, it's never our intention to put anything behind a paywall or to, to barrier and in that way, but we can only do that if there's people who are supporting the show and making, making sure that we've got the funding that we need to, to keep going. So, thank you to everybody who gives, thank you to anyone who's considering it, uh, and thanking anybody who decides to, uh, jump on board with that. [00:06:11] Jesse Schwamb: Right on. We're appreciative who we really are. [00:06:13] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. So Jesse, what are you affirming or denying today? Exploring Open Webcam DB [00:06:16] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, this is what I've kind of done before, but I think I've found a new place for it. I just am continually impressed and fall in love with how great and big and lovely God's world is. So I love these types of sites that give you insight into this great big world, even if it's in unexpected places or maybe in strange places. So I'm affirming with a website called Open webcam db.com. Open webcam db.com. And it's exactly like what it sounds like. It's a database that has something like 2000 live cameras streaming daily from over 50 countries, all searchable by a category. So you can find natural landscapes, airports, construction sites, and one of my recent favorites, honestly, and this is. It's so strange, but kind of awesome is this warehouse, it's called Chinese Robotic Warehouse Buzz, and it's just robots moving pallets around or like stacks of all of these items. It's mesmerizing. But I would encourage you go to open webcam db.com, search for like your stage or your country. You'll find so many amazing things. So I've sat and just watched, you know, between tasks or when you know you just need a break or you're just curious about the world. Like I look, I watched the Krakow Maine Market Square quite a bit because it's. Beautiful and brilliant, and to think about the people moving to and fro and what they're doing, what their lives are like. There's some great scenes from San Francisco Bay. There is a bird feeder in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania that I often watch. So of course, like go out as we've said, and live and breathe and be in your own communities. And as well, if you're looking at scratch that itch of just seeing all these different places, all the different things that are happening in God's created world, I can firmly and unreservedly recommend open webcam db.com for that. [00:07:58] Tony Arsenal: Nice, nice, uh, little known fact at one point, Dartmouth Hitchcock, which is the hospital that I worked for, had to block a penguin cam, uh, because it was causing such a productivity drain combined with an actual measurable decrease in internet bandwidth at the hospital. 'cause so many people were watching this little penguin cam at some zoo in Boston. I think it probably was. Yeah, I, I love this kind of stuff. I think this kind of stuff is great. Uh, I use, uh, Dartmouth College has a, like a live one that I use all the time, especially when we're trying to figure out what the weather's gonna do. You can see it on the camera. Uh, we, we often will, you know, see, especially as we get closer to the season when we're talking about traveling to the beach and whatnot, uh, often look at the ocean grove. Oh, that's right. Uh, pier cam. So yeah, check it out. Uh, sounds like a fun time. Do not share it with too many of your friends at work. Or it may crash the network and Yeah. But [00:08:53] Jesse Schwamb: yeah, for [00:08:54] Tony Arsenal: sure. That was a funny email that they had to send out. I remember that [00:08:57] Jesse Schwamb: for sure. Use, use the penguin cam responsibly. I just did a quick search. There are four different penguin cams. Uh, three of them are in the United States, one is in New Zealand, and you better believe I'm gonna be checking those bad boys out. Yes. I didn't even think about. The penguin feature here and penguins are an amazing animal. Like we could stop right now and just shift our topic to penguins if you want to. [00:09:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. ' [00:09:16] Jesse Schwamb: cause there's so much there. And the spiritual truths are so broad and deep, but I just think penguins are kind of undervalued. Birds. Everybody should go check them out. [00:09:26] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. They're, they're pretty cool. [00:09:28] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Um, I'm like, I will watch any Penguin documentary and just be astounded by Penguin. Like, whether they're Emperor Penguins or South African Penguin, wherever. I just think they're phenomenal and hilarious and seem to be living the dream. And he doesn't want a little bit of that. [00:09:46] Tony Arsenal: You just gotta get Morgan Freeman to do the voiceover in any documentary or, or nature documentary is better with Morgan Freeman doing the voiceover. [00:09:55] Jesse Schwamb: Well, I all, this might be a deep cut real quick, but I just learned this, and I'm guessing some of our listening brothers and sisters probably already know this. Maybe you do too, Tony. So, Benedict Cumberbatch, do you know where I'm going with this? Yep, [00:10:06] Tony Arsenal: yep. Pen wing. [00:10:07] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I didn't. I cannot say that word or stumbles over its pronunciation. He did some kind of big documentary in which Penguins played at least some part. Yeah. And they were in an interview. They were giving him such a hard time because they played his reading of it like within the same kind of five minutes. And his, the word just kept degenerating in his mouth every time he said it. So it became like almost undistinguishable from the actual word. And it's like initial pronunciation. It was so hilarious. Apparently it's a big joke on the internet and I just didn't know it. [00:10:38] Tony Arsenal: Especially for someone like Bent Cumberbatch who just is, uh, like he's a world-class voice actor. [00:10:44] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:10:45] Tony Arsenal: And like a super smart ude guy and he just can't say the word penguin and penguin. Yeah. [00:10:51] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. He said, you got everybody go look it up. 'cause it is super hilarious. And now it's kind of gotten stuck in my head. But um, again, this suddenly became like the All Penguin episode all of a sudden. [00:11:01] Tony Arsenal: I mean like, he can pronounce his own last name just fine, but the word penguin escapes him. I like to call 'em blueberry crumble bottom or whatever. Crumble bunch. [00:11:11] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, see that's the good stuff right there. That's what everybody we know. This is what you all tune in for. This is what you're missing when Apple Podcast doesn't send everything out on time. Yeah. You're welcome. [00:11:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. The Parable of the Hidden Treasure and the Pearl [00:11:23] Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, why don't we, why don't we get into it? Because you know it, it's interesting. Let's [00:11:27] Jesse Schwamb: get into it. [00:11:28] Tony Arsenal: Well, it's interesting because when you, you know, you kind of, we, we sort of do the little lead to the episode and I, I suddenly realized that I think I've been interpreting this parable very differently than maybe you have or other people. Great. Do, uh, because I, I think I, I think I might have a different take on it. Let, let's do it. Yeah. So let's get into it. Uh, do you have the, the text in friend you wanna read? Uh, why don't we just do 44 all the way through 46? We'll do both parables in one reading. We'll come back and talk about it. [00:11:54] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Sorry, everybody. So here's a two for one for you. Beginning in where we're in verse 44 of Matthew chapter 13. This is Jesus speaking. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy, he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field again. The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it. Interpreting the Parables [00:12:22] Tony Arsenal: I think maybe this is the, like the beauty of parables, uh, when Christ doesn't give us a interpretation. I, I think we're, we're, we're not free to like make up whatever we want, but these kinds of teaching tools are useful because the fact that there can be multiple interpretations actually is, is probably intentional. [00:12:43] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:12:43] Tony Arsenal: So it's funny because I think when you intro the episode here, it sounds like you're going to the kingdom of Heaven being a treasure hidden in a field, being something that we should sell everything we have and go after. And when I read this, I read it as the kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure hidden a field. And the man who is Jesus goes and sells all that. He has. He gives all that he has and buys the field. So, and I, I think this is one of those ones where like. Probably both of those things are in play. Sure. But it's interesting 'cause I've never, I've never really read this and thought about myself as the person who buys the field. [00:13:19] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. Interesting. [00:13:20] Tony Arsenal: I've probably heard sermons or read devotionals where people have said that and it just never clicked. And it didn't register until just now. And you were, when you were, uh, introing the parable that maybe you are the, maybe your way of introing your, your interpretation. Maybe that's the dominant one. So I, I looked at a couple quick, um, commentaries while you were speaking and I didn't get a chance to do my commentary reading before the episode. It seems like I'm the weird one. So, but it's interesting, um, 'cause again, I think that's the, kind of the beauty of parables is that sometimes the, the, um. Ambiguity of what the possible meaning could be, probably plays into the, the, um, teaching technique itself. [00:13:58] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I, I think that's fair. I totally can take and understand what your perspective is on this. What I find interesting is that these, we've got these two abutting each other, like the cheek to cheek parallel approach here, and in doing so, there seems to be like kind of an interesting comparison between the two. Actors in this. And I think we should get into that. Like why in one case Jesus is talking about a person who finds this in a field, which by the way, I think the, the thing that jumps out to me first about that person is this person doesn't actually own the field at first. Right. That the treasure is in. So that is interesting. I'm totally with you. But then the second one, so in the first one there's kinda almost like this sense, and I don't wanna like push this too far, but that this person who finds this treasure does so very unexpectedly, perhaps like he's even the hired hand and of course not the one who owns the field. [00:14:48] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:14:49] Jesse Schwamb: And in the second case, we have somebody who almost is volitionally looking for this thing of great value, but finds the one thing above all the other things that they're used to looking for that clearly has the greatest and most. You know, essential worth and therefore the end is always the same in both of 'em. They give everything they have. They're willing for forsake all other things with great joy, recognizing the great value that's in front of them. I think there is a place to understand that as Christ acting in those ways. I think there's also interesting, again, this comparison between these two people. So I'm seeing this as we've got these varied beneficiaries of the kingdom. They both come to this place of the incomparable value of the kingdom, but then there's also like this expulsive power of the kingdom. All, all of that's, I think in there, and again, these are really, really, really brilliant, I think, because the more that you spend time meditating on these, the layers just kind of come and they fall away and you start to really consider, well, why again is Jesus using these two different characters? Why is he using this kinda different sense of things of, of worth what the people are actually after? I think all of it's in play. You're totally right. [00:15:54] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. The Cost and Value of the Kingdom of Heaven [00:15:55] Tony Arsenal: So I think, you know, when we think about the kingdom of heaven, when we think about these perils, we made this point last week, we shouldn't, um, we shouldn't restrict, we have to be careful not to restrict the comparison to just like the first noun that comes up, [00:16:08] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:16:08] Tony Arsenal: So it's not just that the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure, it, it is like a treasure, but it's like a treasure that's hidden in a field. Yes. And it's not just like a treasure that's hidden in a field, it's a treasure that's hidden in a field which a man found and covered up. Right? So, so like we have to look at that whole sequence. And I think, I think, um, you know, obviously like the, the interpretation that we are the, we're the man who finds the kingdom of heaven and we, you know, we go and buy the field. Um, that, that obviously makes perfect sense now that I'm looking at a few different commentaries. It seems to be the predominant way that this gets interpreted. And we, we look at it and we say, what, well, what does this mean for like our Christian life? Like. What does it mean? Do we have to, do we have to give everything away? Do we have to sell everything we have? Is that the point of the parable? I think some people make that the point of the parable. Um, I'm not convinced that that actually is the point of the parable. Um, because it, you know, it, it, it just, there's lots in the scripture that, that, uh, doesn't seem to require that Christians automatically like, give away everything they have. Um, maybe that's your calling. Maybe it is something that God's calling you to do to sort of, um, divest yourself of your, your belongings, either to sort of fight materialism or greed or, or just because like you're gonna need to have that fluidity and liquidity to your assets 'cause you're gonna need to move around or whatever it is. But I don't think we look at this parable and have like a, like a, a command for a life of poverty or something like that. Right. Um, really this is more about the. Utter sold outness of the Christian to pursue and seek the kingdom of God. [00:17:48] Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. [00:17:49] Tony Arsenal: And and I think that that's the same in both, even though the way that the person in the parables comes a, comes across the kingdom or they come across this, this thing of great value or thing of great price, that they find their response in both parables is the same. And to me, that that actually tells me that that's more the point of these parables. Um, or, or maybe we shouldn't even think of these as two parables, right? Some of the introductory language that we see in when we transition from one parable to another, we don't really see that here. Uh, and if, if we're gonna follow that, actually we would be going to the next parable would also kind of fall into this. But he says the kingdom of heaven is like a treasure. And then in 45 he says, again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls. We're gonna run into something like this later on when we get to like the parable of the lost sheep and the parable of lost coins. Where there are these distinct parables, but they're kind of stacked on top of each other in order to make a specific point. All of the parables that are sort of in these parable stacks are making the same point. And so I think it's not so much about like, how do we find the Kingdom of Heaven or how do we come upon the kingdom of heaven? It's more about what do we do once we've come upon it? Once we've thrown it's, that's the point of the parable that we need to unpack. [00:19:03] Jesse Schwamb: That's right. And I would add to that, like who is it that is the beneficiary of this kingdom? We have two different, very different individuals, which I, again, I think, we'll, we'll talk a little bit about, but I'm totally with you. I, I think it's, it's easier, it's almost too narrow and too easy to say. Well, this is really just about like physical ma or about wealth. Like in some way the, what we're being taught here is that you have to get rid of everything of value in exchange for this. In some ways, that almost feels too transactional, doesn't it? As if like what, what we need to do is really buy the kingdom. We express our seriousness about this kingdom or the rule and reign of God by somehow just giving up everything that we own as if to prove that we're really worthy of receiving that kingdom that we prayed enough. Right. That we've done enough, even though that we're contrite enough. Yeah. And all that stands like in direct opposition to the mercy and grace, which God gives to us through his son by the power of the Holy Spirit to bring us into this kingdom. So we know it can't really be about that. And so that leads me back again to just like the lovely details here. And like you've already said in the first case, here's what really strikes me is. For probably most of us in the West, this idea of treasure is novel and maybe romantic. There's a adventure and an energy to it. Because we've all heard stories about this, whether it's like, I don't know, pirates of the Caribbean or the county Mount Cristo. Like there's something about treasure finding some kind of, or national treasure. Sorry, that just came to my mind. Like I couldn't go any further without mentioning Nick Cage. So you know, like there's something there that pulls us in that finding this thing almost unexpectedly in a hidden place of immense worth and value is, has a real draw to it. But I imagine that in Palestine being like a war torn region in Jesus' day, in the way people might store goods of great value in the fields they own. And then of course the owner may never be able to achieve for lots of reasons, including death. And then somebody might stumble upon it. And as I understand the, the laws there, of course, if you were to stumble upon something. I was in somebody else's property and and on earth that thing take it out of the ground. In this case, you would be by law required to bring that back to the person who owned the field. So there's something interesting here that this first person, probably the more meager and humble of the two with they at least respected, like their socioeconomic status is let's, we could presume maybe going about their normal work. They find this unexpectedly in the field and it's immediately recognized to be something of great value that it is to stop and to, again, there's like a measuring that happens behind the scenes. This person at least is measuring of all the things that I own, all things I could possibly own. The better thing for me to do is to consolidate all the rest of my wealth. And this case, again, it's not the message of the story to do this, it's the exemplification of what's happening here. This person is so sold out to ensure that they acquire this great treasure that they stumbled upon, that they will take literally everything else of value that they own to exchange it for this very thing. So I'm totally with you because I think the predominant message here is not like take all your wealth and make sure that you give it to the church or that it goes to ministry or to missions. That may all be well and good and it may all be the kind of calling that you receive. However, I think the principle message here is the kingdom of God is so valuable that losing everything on earth, but getting the kingdom is a happy trade off. Like that's actually a really, really good deal. And so having the omnipotent saving reign of Christ in our lives is so valuable that if, if we lose everything in order to have it, it would be a joyful sacrifice. [00:22:20] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I think, um, I think there is a level of. Encouragement in Sacrifice and Joy in the Kingdom [00:22:27] Tony Arsenal: Sacrifice that happens for every Christian and. I mean, I, I know there's a lot of people who they, uh, come to faith as young children and we've kind of talked about that as like, that's that testimony that, you know, I think everybody really wants is like they wish they never had a time that they didn't know Jesus and Right. I don't know any parent that I've ever spoken to, and I'm certainly not any different here that doesn't want that testimony for Jesus, but, or for, for their kids in their relationship with Jesus. But. I think most people who come to faith at some point in their life when they're able to remember it, like they, they have a conscious memory of their conversion experience. There is this sort of sense of sacrifice and e even a sort of a sense of loss. Um, I think there, there are times where, and, and you know, I think maybe, um, even people who've always been in the faith, um, they probably can resonate with this. I think there are times when we might look at how our lives could have been different or could be different if we weren't in the faith. Um, and, and sometimes there's a sort of wistfulness to that. Like being a Christian can sometimes be difficult right On, um, you know, maybe you miss a promotion opportunity because you're not willing to work on the Lord's day or because you're not willing to do something unethical. Like you, you miss out on some sort of advancement and you think, well, if I could just, you know, if I could have just gotten past that, like my life would be much different. And what this parable teaches us is. That's an understandable, like that's an understandable emotion or response. Um, and there is this weighing of the cost. And in the parable here, he, like you said, there's this calculation that goes on in the background. He finds this treasure, he makes the calculation that to have this treasure is worth. Everything it's worth everything he has. He sells everything he has, and he buys the field in order to get the treasure right. And, and there's some interesting textual dynamics going on through this chapter. We've talked about how the parables kind of like the imagery across the parables in chapter 13 here of Matthew, they kind of flip certain figures around and almost, it's almost intentional because he is getting the treasure and the treasure. The kingdom of heaven here is like the treasure, but he's also getting the field right. And the kingdom of heaven is, is the field in other parables. Um, but this, this calculation that happens, um. I don't know, maybe my heart is just sensitive to this right now. I, I, I, I feel like a lot of times we look at that sort of wis wistful second glance at what could have been if we were not Christians, and we automatically feel like that's gotta be a sinful impulse. Like, how could I ever even consider what life might have been? Like this parable implies that that's the thing we actually have to do. You have to know and consider what it is you've sacrificed or will be sacrificing in order to make this transaction happen. You can't just blanketly say like, oh, of course. You know, you've gotta, you've gotta count the cost, as it were, and then you have to actually make the purchase. So I think we should look at this as a source of encouragement. Um, like I said, I'm not sure why. I feel like maybe there's, maybe there's just a, a. I dunno, I'm feeling a little weird and charismatic right now. I feel like this is something that I definitely need to be saying, like, I feel like someone needs to hear this. Maybe it's just me that needs to hear this. And that's, I'm tricking myself by thinking of someone else. But we are able, as Christians, I think God permits us and in some sense, maybe even expects and commands us to recognize what we have given to be Christians in order that we might realize how much we have gained with that transaction. It's not just this like remorse or regret, um, for the sake of remorse or regret. It's to be able to see how good and how beautiful and how worth it is the kingdom of God, uh, to, to, to claim that. [00:26:23] Jesse Schwamb: I like that there is a great discipline and a great joy in remembering worth and worthiness. So there's gonna be times, like you said, when it's hard and if you look back, look back at the ministry of Jesus, I've often thought that he's like a poor evangelizer from like modern standards. Yeah. Because often people come to him and say things like. I, I wanna be part of the kingdom of God. Well, what do I need to do to enter the kingdom of God? And here you have like a seemingly a willing convert. And he always says things like this, like, you gotta go count the cost. Yeah. Like is, is this worth it to you? Like you have to deny yourself, you have to hate your own father and your mother, and your wife and children, and brothers and sisters, even your own life. Otherwise you cannot be my disciple. And in this kind of language, it's clear that Jesus is saying you fail often. And maybe this goes back like you're saying, Tony, it's like the parable of the soil that you fail to really take into account what it means to follow with full fidelity, to commit yourself in a fully unencumbered way. Are you willing to do that? Are you willing to consider that? And as human beings, we're just not good often at counting costs. We're not good at thinking about opportunity costs. And it's interesting here that we're called out to say, even if you've already purchased the field as so to speak, that as if you've been saved by Christ, to continue to remember how good it is to be in the kingdom of God. And that the joy. Of knowing as like the Heidelberg Catechism says in the first question that all things are subservient to our salvation. Yeah. That incredible worth of, that should be a source of encouragement in times of great trial and tribulation, no matter how big or small, so that this joy that this person has when they go and sells everything he has and he buys this field, you know those details, like you're saying, do press us. It really comes to us with this idea that we should be able to see plainly why having Christ is more valuable than all other things. If the omnipotence all wise, God is ruling, ruling over all things for our joy, then everything must be working for our good, no matter how painful and in the end, God is gonna triumph over all evil and all pain. So this kingdom is a real treasure. Like it is a, it is a real. A real quantity in our life and our wellbeing and in our spiritual consistency, that'll ought demand some reflection of how valuable it truly is. And then knowing that in our minds, that like influencing our behavior, our other thought patterns, and then our actual feelings about stuff. So that when, like you said, we're passed over, we're looked over, we're ridiculed for something, we go back and we count it all joy to be worthy of being part of God's kingdom, knowing that it was because of the entrance and acceptability and the identity in that kingdom that we experience. Those things, those hardships begin with. [00:29:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and I, um, I don't want us to miss out on the fact that even as the parable may be encouraging or forcing us to think about. The cost. It, it really is trying to emphasize the great value of the kingdom. Right? Right. We, like I said, we, we don't just count the cost. In order to count the cost for its own sake. We count the cost in order to understand the great blessing that is ours in Christ. Right. All I, I count all that I have as a loss compared to the greatness of Christ Jesus. And, um, I think we just don't often do that. I, I, I think as Christians, that's probably a thought that is in our head more as young Christians, especially if we come to the faith in, in a time in our life where we're aware of things like that. We think about things like that. Reflecting on the Cost of Faith [00:29:59] Tony Arsenal: You know, I was 15 when I first came to faith and, um, I, I don't think I was in a frame of mind as a 15-year-old boy to think about, like. The cost of what I was doing, right? It's not like I was a particularly popular kid. I didn't have a, you know, I didn't, I wasn't unpopular, but it wasn't like I lost a ton of friends when I became a Christian. I didn't really lose anything that was measurable. Um, but I do think that, as, you know, someone now in my forties, looking back at, you know, 15, 20, 25 years of, of Christian life, it's easy to see that things could have been different on a sort of temporal scale. Like my, my life could probably be more comfortable in terms of wealth or opportunities or other things that might, uh, aren't, aren't even bad things necessarily. There is a sense of sacrifice. But again, God has brought us into this kingdom and he's given us parables like this and given us the ability to recognize. That we do have a cost, that there is a cost to be counted in order that we might now look at it and praise him for how great and glorious and valuable the gift that he's given us is. Understanding the Parable of the Pearl [00:31:08] Tony Arsenal: And so I think, you know, I think that's the same basic meaning of this second, second half of the same parable. I guess the, the pearl of great price or the pearl of great value. But it's not exactly the same, right? It's not like Christ is just repeating the same ver, you know, parable with, with different words for variation. Um, every word is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching correction, reproof, and training and righteousness. And I had a, I had a prophet in, uh, in Bible college who would say like, difference means difference. And he was often talking about like minute things, like the difference, um, or why, why is this word used instead of that word? This word would've worked. And, and the author chose that one. There's a reason for that. Difference means difference, but. Christ here chooses to, to tell the parable a second time, um, in a slightly different way. Uh, and Matthew chooses to record these in the same sense next to each other in slightly different ways. So what, what do we, what do we wanna pull out of this second parable that's different and what do we think it's telling us that's a little bit different than the first version Y? [00:32:14] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, that's a great question. Diverse Approaches to the Kingdom of Heaven [00:32:16] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, I love this idea because not until really, I was thinking about it this week when I read through them, was I really, again, drawn to the differences between these two main characters. Interestingly, I think in both, and we can make the case that the, the treasure, the kingdom of heaven here represented in both this pearl or in this literal treasure is in a way hidden. Certainly the first man is not necessarily looking for, it's still revealed to him, but the second in a way. And on the other hand, he knew this guy knows treasure. He's been seeking it with diligence in vigor, or at least like this is what he does for a living in his vocational career. He's out there trading pearls, presumably, and he knows something about them and how to evaluate them effectively. And so it's his business and he's dedicated himself to finding them. And apparently he's seen plenty of them over the years. But then all of a sudden, and this is wild, the beautiful, all of a sudden, clearly the search comes to like an abrupt end because he finds this one of immeasurable value, so much beauty exceeding and value exceeding all the other ones. And he doesn't need to search anymore. He just finds the one pearl that he can retire on a pearl with more than everything else. Or anything else that he's ever possessed and he gets it again. He does. And this brings him into symbol two with the first man. He does the same thing, then liquidate everything else and go after this one. Great pearl. So to me, and I'm curious your perspective on this, I'm not necessarily promulgating that. Well, the first one is not a seeker and the second one is like a seeker of of God things. Right? There is though, like you said, a difference in their approach and what they're after. And so I think what we can take from this, at the very least, is that there is diversity in these beneficiaries of the kingdom of God that's covering everybody. And just by these two kind of bookended or polar examples, that's what Jesus draws us to. But I would turn the question back to you. What do you think about this second guy? What do you think about the fact that his business is searching after these things? What? What do we take away from that? [00:34:07] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. The Ultimate Value of the Kingdom [00:34:07] Tony Arsenal: And you know, the thing that drop that jumps out to me immediately in the first parable, the kingdom of heaven is, is like the treasure hidden in the field, [00:34:16] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:34:16] Tony Arsenal: In the second one, the kingdom of heaven is the merchant who's searching, [00:34:20] Jesse Schwamb: right? [00:34:20] Tony Arsenal: Right. The kingdom of heaven is like the merchant in search of fine pearls who finds one. That's right. And so I think that they kind of are like, almost like mirror images of each other, right? One of them is about the treasure and what it takes to come upon it and then obtain it. The second is about the person who is coming upon the treasure and, and finding it. And then what it takes again to obtain that treasure. And I think, I think you're right, there is an element here that. Um, in this second parable, the person who is seeking for this treasure is one he's seeking for the treasure, right? Right. You get the image in this, in this first parable that the dude just kind of stumbles upon it. Um, I've heard this Todd as like, it's actually more like a guy who's just walking through a field rather than like a person working the field. And I'm not sure that matters that much, but there is this sense in the first parable that the guy kind of stumbles upon it. He wasn't looking, it wasn't what he was trying to do, but you're right in the second one, the kingdom of heaven, and this is where I, this is where I think I need to think more about it, is what does it mean for the kingdom of heaven to be like a merchant searching for fine pearls right [00:35:23] Jesse Schwamb: on. [00:35:23] Tony Arsenal: Rather than the pearls being the kingdom of heaven, which is what we see in the first bearable. Um, and I don't know the answer to that question. I think I need to, need to think about it and study it a little bit more. But I do like this distinction that in, in the first case, it's sort of a happy accident. And in the second case, this is, this is the life, this man's life work. He finds he's, he's in search of fine pearls. I'm not sure I know exactly what he's trying to do with the fine pearls. It seems like it implies that he's a pearl merchant or a pearl trader, but then he finds this pearl. He doesn't seek to sell it. He buys it. Right. [00:36:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right. [00:36:00] Tony Arsenal: And, and the, the, the fact that the parable stops with him buying it sort of implies that like. He actually is not going to sell it. He's just gonna keep this pearl. Now before the, the pearls, the, the source of the value of the pearls was kind of in the, the financial gain that selling or trading them could bring. But now he suddenly finds this pearl that is so valuable. It's so great, it's so beautiful. Everything he was working to obtain before all of the money he's gathered by finding and selling pearls in the previous like mode of living. He now gets rid of all of that just to purchase this one pearl and presumably to keep it. And I think that again, is kind of a, kind of a, um, statement on our Christian life is that we, we probably have all sorts of things that we've been doing our whole life and we are seeking to, to move forward in our life. And the kingdom of heaven is kind of the ultimate goal of all of that, for those who are in Christ, for those who are called according to his purpose. The purpose is not just to accumulate wealth. It's not even necessarily, uh, in and of itself to like grow in righteousness. It's to be transformed to the, uh, to the image of God's glory son, for the purpose of making him great, making his name renowned. Right. When we look at that passage in Romans that have kind alluded to, he's, he would transform into the image of Christ so that he might be the first born among many brothers. The Incomparable Worth of Salvation [00:37:24] Tony Arsenal: Ultimately, our, our sanctification and glorification is about making Jesus great and glorified, um, to give him glory, to have our glorification reflect his already intrinsic glory and the gift that he gives us, and I think that's kind of, kind of in play here, is that. Uh, we might have all sorts of goals in our life. We might have goals in our Christian life, um, that are good things that we should strive for, but at the end of the day, all of those things only serve to bring us to the kingdom of heaven, which is this pearl of great price that we, we purchase, we buy it and we just kind of hang onto it. It is its own treasure and it's, it's not about what this, this treasure can bring to us, right? Which is what the fine pearls were before they were about what the merchant can find and sell. It's, it's now about just obtaining the pearl and enjoying that pearl. Um, which I think is a little bit different than, than, um, what I would've thought of with the par before. [00:38:19] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I totally agree with you. I think, I think you're actually onto something with the distinction because I think of. So much of my career has been spent in financial services among people who are buyers and sellers of things. They're traders. And the way I read this was very similar to what you were saying to me. What resonated was if this gentleman or this person is. Trading, collecting these pearls. Presumably they have appreciation for the beauty of the pearl itself. So there is like something innate that draws them to this particular thing. And with that experience and with that knowledge and with that, that appreciation of that beauty. I think when they see this other pearl, it moves from, well, why would I ever sell that? I've seen everything. This is the most beautiful pearl I've ever laid my eyes on. And now I want to keep it for me. I want to have it in my possession. I want to cherish it and not just keep it in the inventory and then turn around and sell it for markup, presumably, because there is no nothing that would be of greater value to this person. 'cause they just sold everything else that they had. So they, it's appreciation for the pearl itself. It's going after that finding and seeking that great beauty. And then that led me right into Philippians chapter four, where Paul writes the church in Philippi, beginning of verse eight. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever's honorable, whatever's just whatever's pure, whatever's lovely, whatever's commendable. If there's any excellence, if there. Anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Practice these things and the god of peace will be with you. So this idea, like you and I, Tony, have talked about like the world has great wisdom, it has great knowledge, it has things that can lead us by way of common grace into certain amounts of peace. But the pearl of great price, the seeking after the going after all these great things is to find the gospel, to be given the gospel it revealed to you. And then say everything else I count as a loss. Everything else is worthless compared to this thing. And if you're a person that can appreciate even just by turn of mind or God's influence in your life, you know, knowledge and wisdom, and you're seeking after that, which is the ultimate expression and representation of those things, and then you find you come upon this pearl of great price, the gospel wisdom and the beauty of God represented in his son Jesus Christ. And you say, this is it. I, I know enough to know, again, by the regeneration that comes through the spirit, this is the real deal. Then I think the message still stands. We come through two different directions into the same final culminating point, which is there is a condition for having this kingdom of God, for having the king on your side as your friend, but the condition isn't like wealth or power or negotiating or intelligence or even good trading behavior or going out and finding the right thing. The condition is that we prize the kingdom more than anything else we own. The point of selling everything in these parables is to simply show where our hearts are at. And so I often say in my own line of work, that cost only matters in the absence of value. Actually, it's true for everything that we. We presumably spend our time or our money on cost only matters in the absence of value. And I think like you and I could do a fun little experiment where I don't know, you ever talking to somebody about something and you're paying a cost to have that service delivered to you and you're, and you're just like totally worth it, like I would do totally worth it. Like, yeah, that's kind of the vibe I'm getting here. It's like at the end of days when we think about the worthiness of our God, that there's no one like him, that he's unequal, that he has no rival, that the gospel is the sweetest message that we're rescued literally from the pit. We're just say no matter what the cost of us personally, great or small, totally worth it, that that's what we'll be saying for all of eternity as we worship him. [00:41:45] Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and I think even more than saying, totally worth it. I think when we are given our new eyes to see, and we no longer see through a da a glass dimly, we're gonna recognize saying that it was worth, it is is like it's a pale, like it's a faulty answer to begin with because the, for sure the worth of the kingdom of heaven surpasses anything we could imagine. And in our, you know, locked in little meat brains that we have now, we're kind of com we're just comparing it to. You know, like what, what we could have had or what we, what we've given up. Um, it, it's gonna be an incomparable comparison. Like there's no, there's no measure that is satisfying, there's no measure that can actually show us how, how worthwhile it is. And, you know, we've, we've made a point of it, like the, the blessing of salvation and, and really like what it is that we're getting, uh, in, in the. You know, the Christian understanding of salvation, it's not, it's not an eternal destiny. It's not bigger mansions in heaven. It's not freedom from death. All of those things come with it. All of those things are attending gifts. That's right. But what we get in salvation ultimately is we get God we get union with God, we get fellowship with Jesus Christ in the, the power of the Holy Spirit. We, we get swept up into the life of the, the God of the universe. Like the life of the Trinity indwells us. And we, we become a part of that. Uh, not, not in the, you know, like. Eastern Orthodox deification sense, although I think there's a proper way we can talk about deification. Um, but we get swept up into that. We gain the relationship that the son has with the father by nature. We gain that by grace and nothing can compare to that. There's nothing that we could ever point to. Um, it's funny, my, my wife and I, um, this is a little corny, but, um, we'll often say to, to each other instead of saying, I love you more than anything, we'll say, I love you more than everything. Right. And, and it's, it's a way to say like. You could take all that there is in the world, everything that I have that I could possibly consider and sum up the value. And I love my wife more than that. I love my children more than that. So it's not that I love them more than any one thing, it's that I love them more than everything combined. And this is even greater than that, right? We, we will look back at our lives and if, if it's even in our mind, if we even can, can comprehend anymore. The idea of thinking about what it costs us to obtain this pearl of great value, which is the kingdom of heaven, which is just another way to say, is just fellowship with the God of the universe. Um, we'll look at it and say no matter what it was. No matter what it could have been, I would give everything I, I love God more than everything. Right. Right. There's nothing that could ever possibly be considered that even comes close to what we gain in, in Christ Jesus, in union with, with God. And I think that's the point of this, like I think the guy who, um. Christ's Perfect Sacrifice and Our Response [00:44:58] Tony Arsenal: I think about what it would take for me to even like to sell everything, like the concept of selling everything I own. I'm not even sure how I would do that, to be honest with you. Like, I don't even know the mechanism for that kind of thing. But the idea that there's anything that could be valuable enough that I would just sell every piece of human property that I have, there's probably nothing like that in this world. Like, there probably isn't. And to, to take that comparison and then basically say like, that's just what the kingdom of God is like. 'cause that's the other thing I think we miss about parables is you, you only make a comparison when you can't describe something, um, analytically, right? There's the difference between analogically and analytically Ana lot analytically means we're able to actually quantify and explain it kind of in strict terms, right? I can, I can say that, um, uh, a heavy object ways, X number of grams or it, you know, or, um. Pounds or whatever. I can, I can measure that and make an analytical statement, or I can make an analogy, an analogy that is comparative. Uh, but by definition, or almost by by nature of the thing, when you make that comparison, you're kind of saying like, not only is it like this, but it's actually it, like it's more like this than I can even describe. Right? So when we're talking about the kingdom of Heaven here, and we say it's, it's like, it's like a man who goes, he finds a treasure and then he sells everything. He has to get that treasure. It's infinitely more like that than it actually can be described. Does that make sense? I feel like I'm rambling on that a little bit. Maybe trying to describe something that can't be described is, is hard to do. [00:46:35] Jesse Schwamb: It's, that's, yeah. But yeah, that's, that's very difficult to do. I'm actually totally with you on this. I think I understand clearly what you mean, this idea that no matter how hard we actually try to value it, we'll be incapable of doing so. Yes. And at best, it almost seems like this is a strange command in a way because it's, it's asking us to do in some ways a thing that is impossible for us to do. However, I think what you're saying is it doesn't mean that we shouldn't turn our minds toward that. We're a bit like people who, I don't know if this show is still on PBS, but like, do you know that show, remember that show The Antiques Road Show? Yeah. Where people would like come, they'd ran ransack their homes or their garages with these old antique items and they bring them to this road show where there'd be experts who would value them. And inevitably we'll be like those people who come with what we think is like a. A thousand dollars clock that we got at a garage sale thinking, wouldn't it be great? I know this is valuable. It's probably a thousand dollars. It'll be, look at the return, tenfold return, I'll get on this item, and then instead finding that it's worth $10 million when it's appraised. Yeah, I assume it'll be just like that in the Beautific vision that even maybe for all of eternity will be growing in our appreciation for just how valuable this great salvation is. And yet at the same time, I think what this should encourage us to do is to pray things like God make us real in seeing and savoring Christ in his saving work above all the other things. Yeah. So that, as you said in your example, we would cherish him above everything, above all things that you have that right place in our hearts or that we be inclined to undertake that posture, which says, God, though I cannot understand it in full. Would you help me to see that? Encouragement in Our Spiritual Journey [00:48:08] Jesse Schwamb: And I wanna just say like, as a word of encouragement, maybe I'm speaking more to myself here so everybody else can disregard this if you like, but I think sometimes there can be a little bit of intimidation then when you hear these things and say like, ah, I'm just not, I just dunno if I love God enough, like I wanna love him, or I want to want to love him more. And I think even that posture is appropriate. Yeah. Sometimes there, oftentimes in my personal life, I'll pray something like, God, help me to know how much you love me and would you give me the strength to love you back? So that even that awareness, that energy, that volition, that vitality, that, that heat, all of that, that fire itself is kindled by the Holy Spirit. It's not like we need to like try to again manufacture here. Because the point of these, these stories is not again, that we just find the means to do a transactional exchange here, but that instead we really just sit in the full promises of God. And of course to that, I would say we always need to go back to, to something like Romans eight. I mean, I know that we should, like you said, Tony, the. The standard description we give for the Bible is the one that gives itself, which is that all of it, all of it's is carried along by the Holy Spirit. All of it is God breathe. All of it is useful for something. And yet, of course, I say somewhat tongue in cheek that, you know, if I have 10 minutes to live, I'm probably not gonna the s descriptions of reading a genealogy, I'm going straight from Roman and say, Romans say, I think it's just like the pinnacle of the scriptures. And so just a couple of verses at the end there, because I think this is, this is leading us into what is this great treasure? What is the kingdom of God? Why do we value it so much? What is the saving power? And uh, these verses, I mean, always just entirely get me ready to run through a wall. So this is the end of, of Romans eight beginning verse 35. Who shall separate us from the law of Christ? Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword as it is written for your sake. We are being killed all the day long. We are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. No. In all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us for I'm sure that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from a love of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. [00:50:22] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. That's, that's a good word. And I, I, I like what you're saying too, is, is I think we, we can. There's this paradoxical thing that happens when the scriptures is trying to encourage us to do something, is we often like to get our, in our own way. And, and actually that becomes a source of discouragement for us. The Bible calls us to something and we know we can't live up to it. And that's actually like part and parcel of, of reform theology to recognize that this is law, like the, the, the, the, you know, maybe not in like the strict sense, like when we talk about dividing the scripture into law and gospel, um. It may not be that this particular passage would fall under that rubric of law normally, but this idea that we need to count the cost and that we need to be treasuring Christ more and more, and then when we feel like I'm just not getting it. I'm just not there. Like, I don't, I don't treasure Christ as much as I so should. Um, that Yeah, that's right. Nobody does. Nobody can, like, that's, that's kind of the point of this, and that's why it's law is it's, it shouldn't drive you in Christ. It should not drive you to despair. Right. It should not drive you to discouragement. It should drive you to gratitude that God saved you anyways. That, that this pearl of great value is still yours even though you can't possibly deserve it. Um, you know, we're, we're a little bit different than the, the merchant and the man who finds the treasure in the field in that we can't sell everything we have and obtain it like they have the ability to do that in the, in the parables. Right. Um, we, we don't, and we never will. And so rather than let that drive you to being discouraged that like you're just not getting. I recognize God is of infinite value and we are finite creatures. So we, we could, uh, value God perfectly. Like whatever that means, and I don't even know what that means, but we could value and cherish and love God perfectly as far as our capacities are concerned, and it still would not be enough to sufficiently merit God's favor for us. Like as much as we can, even in, even in eternity. As much as we can value and worship and love and praise Jesus, he is worth infinitely more than we could ever give, even when we do it perfectly. And this is, this is why you know Christ coming to die, to live on our behalf, to die in our place. Why that's necessary is because only this is a, maybe a different take on it. We, I think we talk a lot about how, um. Only God could, could carry, bear the wrath of God and not be destroyed. Right. Right. Only God could, um, could stand up under his own wrath, could stand up under the wrath of God and bear that punishment and not be destroyed. And so therefore, um, Christ had to be not just a man, but had to be God. But on the flip side. And God requires perfect perpetual obedience, which involves loving the Lord your God, perfectly with your whole heart at all times. Right? Only God can do that too. So it's not just that God. It's not just that G
This week we are listening back to an episode from earlier this year. Eric Newman and Kate Wolf speak with Sarah Schulman about her latest book, The Fantasy and Necessity of Solidarity. With a focus on practical politics, Schulman explores both how we imagine solidarity and what the work of solidarity requires. Rather than a horizontal movement, the book focuses on the ways achieving today's most pressing political goals—from Palestine's self-determination to immigration reform and protecting LBGTQ rights—requires working across various levels of individual privilege and power. With both historical and present day examples, Schulman presents a clear-eyed, long-term vision of a life in activism, laying out stumbling blocks and failures alongside meaningful progress, and the steps it takes to get there.
As Israel continues its relentless assault on Gaza, killing and starving hundreds of thousands of Palestinians with Western backing, even during so-called ceasefires, one thing has become clear: this isn't just about Palestine. It's about Western supremacy, empire, and the racism that underpins them both.To discuss this, Rania Khalek is joined by Dr. Ghada Karmi — academic, physician, and Nakba survivor — who has written powerfully about how Western imperialism, Arab complicity, and Zionism's own contradictions have led us here. Dr. Karmi is a former research fellow at the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies at the University of Exeter and author of many books including “One State: The Only Democratic Future for Palestine-Israel.”She has spent her life exposing the deeper roots of this catastrophe: the colonial mindset that made Palestine disposable, the Western guilt that turned Jewish suffering into Palestinian punishment, and the moral rot that allows genocide to be broadcast live without consequence.
Last week, Devika returned from the Tokyo International Film Festival, which ran from October 27 to November 5 in the Japanese capital. As one of the major festivals in Asia, the event is a great showcase for new and restored films from the region, as well as Japanese specialities like animation. While there, Devika recorded three Podcasts exploring the lineup with a stellar rotation of guests. First up, critics Vadim Rizov and Kong Rithdee join to talk about some of the big competition titles, including Annemarie Jacir's Palestine 36, which ended up winning the Grand Prix, and Rithy Panh's documentary We Are the Fruits of the Forest; as well as the the long-overdue official Japanese premiere of Paul Schrader's Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters, 40 years after its making.
This is an unlocked patreon episode. To support the show and get access to monthly bonus episodes like this one, join our patreon: www.patreon.com/revleftradio In this unlocked Patreon episode, Breht reads and responds to an article in the Tehran Times on the NYC mayoral race and left strategy around Palestine, then he plays and analyzes a Kurzgesagt video on the science and experience of marijuana dependency in your 20s and 30s, and finally Breht discusses his ongoing grieving process surrounding his Dad's death and the life lessons he's learned in the wake of it. In the process, he articulates what we need in left leaders, cultivating psychological resilience, the importance of sobriety as a baseline, the benefits of behavioral moderation, accepting worse case scenarios in life, the sweetness inherent in grief, dead loved ones visiting you in dreams, and much more. ---------------------------------------------------- Make a one-time donation to Rev Left at BuyMeACoffee.com/revleftradio Follow, Subscribe, & Learn more about Rev Left Radio https://revleftradio.com/
After two weeks of being held in a US immigration detention center, British Muslim journalist and political commentator Sami Hamdi is set to be released. In this episode, we hear from his wife, Soumaya Hamdi, about Sami's pro-Palestine advocacy, her family's ordeal and what her husband's arrest says about free speech under Donald Trump. In this episode: Soumaya Hamdi, wife of Sami Hamdi Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Noor Wazwaz and Melanie Marich with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Diana Ferraro, Farhan Rafid and Fatime Shafiq and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. Special thanks to Abubakr al Shamahi. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Rick Rush mixed this episode. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Today on The Stacks, we are joined by Sarah Aziza to talk about her debut book, The Hollow Half: A Memoir of Bodies and Borders. In this memoir, Sarah explores her struggle with anorexia through the lens of her family's history of violent displacement from Gaza, drawing haunting parallels between her personal and ancestral trauma. We talk about why she wanted to trace these connections, how she uses footnotes to complicate the narrative, and how she sees her work in conversation with those of Black feminist scholars. The Stacks Book Club pick for November is We the Animals by Justin Torres. We will discuss the book on Wednesday, November 26th, with Mikey Friedman.You can find everything we discuss on today's show on The Stacks website: https://www.thestackspodcast.com/2025/11/12/ep-398-sarah-azizaConnect with Sarah: Instagram | Threads | Website Connect with The Stacks: Instagram | Threads | Shop | Patreon | Goodreads | Substack | Youtube | SubscribeSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
There will be three of us presenting the news and views to you this week. We have Jenny Holland, our friend and colleague, in Ireland to discuss everything from Transgender Madness to Mamdani. Learn the real reason so many Irish support ‘Palestine' and how we know all the best New York intellectual salons!As we are in Ireland we discuss how the radical left in Europe and the UK are still as crazy as they've ever been. We were at the latest Transgender madness court case in Belfast and it's a complete doozy. In the crazy world of the left, questioning gender madness is enough to end your career but your terrorist boss is a bonus for the organisation. And they argued this in court!!Watch this week to hear it all. And the BBC were caught doctoring Trump's speech ahead of the 2024 election, but it's the MAGA crowd that spreads disinformation, right? Watch this week's episode to laugh at the world's most overrated media company that got caught with their TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) showing. But will they still get away with it?And Jenny, who has spent decades in New York, helps us unravel why the city of high finance has elected a self declared socialist. And should we feel sorry for his supporters?So why did everyone miss something so obvious? Also, our OCTOBER 7 play was performed in Bowdoin, Maine, but we don't know where it's going next. There is still a big problem with anti-semitism and ignorance about Israel, and it was never more apparent after Israel's darkest day in 2023. We want to continue touring our play but we need your help to make that happen. So please go to UnreportedStorySociety.com or October7thePlay.com and give what you can, and write to us if you want to bring a performance to a location near you. *****************************************************To read Jenny's Substack click here: https://jennyeholland.substack.comTo watch and subscribe to Jenny Holland's YouTube page click here:https://m.youtube.com/@SavingCultureFromItself To subscribe to our substack click here:https://phelimmcaleer.substack.com/To Donate: https://secure.anedot.com/unreported-story-society/cf0cdeea5333b147798ffProjects You Need to Check Out: https://unreportedstorysociety.com/our-projects/Social Tags: X:@SemperFemina21Insta: @jennyehollandFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jenny.hollandAnn & Phelim SocialsPhelim's X: (https://x.com/PhelimMcAleer)Ann's X: (https://x.com/annmcelhinney)USS SocialsInsta: (https://www.instagram.com/unreportedstorysociety/)Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/TheAPScoop/)X: (https://x.com/AP_Unreported)
Two years into Israel's relentless bombardment of Gaza, we listen closely to Yaqeen Baker, a mother of two little daughters, Salwa (5) and Nusaiba (2). She shares what it means to be a mother under constant Israeli fire; to love, to fear, and to hope amid the destruction. We also hear the voice of little Salwa, who gives us a glimpse into her small, innocent world that the genocide has taken away. The interview was originally recorded in Arabic and translated into English accordingly. Thank you for tuning into This is Palestine, the official podcast of The IMEU! For more stories and resources, visit us at imeu.org. Stay connected with us: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theimeu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/theIMEU Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theIMEU/ For more insights, follow our host, Diana Buttu, on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/dianabuttu
durée : 00:03:24 - Géopolitique - par : Pierre Haski - Emmanuel Macron a reçu hier Mahmoud Abbas en tant que président de l'État de Palestine que la France a reconnu le 22 septembre. Les deux dirigeants présentent des pistes pour l'avenir de Gaza, alors que le plan Trump ne parvient pas à passer à la deuxième phase, plus politique. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Today, we're flipping the script and bringing you a conversation I recorded with a dear friend of mine, a longtime Palestinian activist Matt Bowles, for his podcast, The Maverick Show.On his podcast, Matt interviews people who work at the intersection of travel and activist spaces. On it, you'll find interviews with people like Imani Bashir, a Black Muslim American who advocates for more Black people in the us to travel with her Passport initiative, and Mari Monsalve, who visited occupied Palestine and uses her platform for Palestinian solidarity.Become a Going Places member for as little as $6 a month. Visit our reimagined platform at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more.Going Places is an audience-supported platform. Become a member for as little as $6 a month and get the perks like getting on a group call with Yulia every month to ask questions, get advice, and be in community with each other.Visit us at goingplacesmedia.com to learn more.Thanks to our Founding Members: RISE Travel Institute, a nonprofit with a mission to create a more just and equitable world through travel educationRadostina Boseva, a film wedding photographer with an editorial flair based in San FranciscoWhat you'll learn in this episode:Growing up in Soviet Kazakhstan and EstoniaA culture shock of moving to the U.S. at age 16Yulia explains her decision to join the U.S. NavyHow serving in Iraq and Afghanistan impacted Yulia's politicsHow a trip to Morocco took Yulia off a corporate career pathYulia's stories set in Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Botswana, and JordanYulia explains why Jordan is so close to her heartFeatured on the show:Check out The Maverick Show with Matt BowlesFollow @maverickshowpod on InstagramListen to Part 2 of the interview, in which we unpack Orientalism and activism for PalestineGoing Places is a reader-supported platform. Get membership perks like a monthly group call with Yulia at goingplacesmedia.com!For more BTS of this podcast follow @goingplacesmedia on Instagram and check out our videos on YouTube!Please head over to Apple Podcasts and SUBSCRIBE to the show. If you enjoy this conversation, please share it with others on social and don't forget to tag us @goingplacesmedia!And show us some love, if you have a minute, by rating Going Places or leaving us a review wherever you listen. You'll be helping us to bend the arc of algorithms towards our community — thank you!Going Places with Yulia Denisyuk is a show that sparks a better understanding of...
If you'd like to see full video of this and other episodes, join the Reel Notes Patreon at the Homie ($5/month) tier or higher. Each episode is also available to buy individually for $5 (BUY IT THROUGH A WEB BROWSER OR THE PATREON ANDROID APP, NOT VIA THE PATREON iOS APP. YOU'LL GET CHARGED EXTRA MONEY AND IT WILL TAKE LONGER TO PROCESS.) You also get early access to episodes, an invite to our Discord server, access to the Reel Talk movie night archives, and more!My guest this week is Canadian rapper and host of Hip-Hop Evolution, Shad. We spoke about Highest 2 Lowest and the works of Spike Lee, An American Tale, Welcome to The Dollhouse and the works of Todd Solondz, his work on Hip-Hop Evolution, the 20th anniversary of his debut album When This Is Over, balancing having a message with having fun, the overarching narrative of his last three albums, A Short Story About a War, TAO, and the creative process behind the third, and his latest, album, Start Anew. Come fuck with us.Start Anew is available now wherever music is sold, streamed, or stolen. Consider copping it directly from Shad's Bandcamp. Follow Shad on Instagram and Twitter: @shadkmusicMy first book, Reel Notes: Culture Writing on the Margins of Music and Movies, is available now, via 4 PM Publishing. Order a digital copy on Amazon.Reel Notes stands in solidarity with American immigrants against ICE and the oppressed peoples of Palestine, Congo, Sudan, Tigray, and Haiti. Please consider donating to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, the Palestine Children's Relief Fund, The Palestinian Youth Movement, The Zakat Foundation, HealAfrica, FreeTigray, and/or Hope For Haiti. Protest, fight back, and fuck the system.Follow me on Instagram (@cinemasai), Twitter (@CineMasai_), TikTok (@cinemasai), Letterboxd (@CineMasai), and subscribe to my weeklySupport the show
durée : 00:38:30 - L'Invité(e) des Matins - par : Guillaume Erner, Yoann Duval - Annulation d'un colloque sur la Palestine au collège de France, interruption d'un concert de l'Orchestre national israélien à la Philharmonie de Paris : autant d'actualités qui convergent vers un constat : la guerre à Gaza s'est exporté en France, sous la forme d'un campisme de plus en plus radical. - réalisation : Félicie Faugère - invités : Jean Birnbaum Rédacteur en chef du Monde des livres; Joseph Confavreux Journaliste pour le site Médiapart, rédacteur en chef de la Revue du Crieur
Vuelve PUTO MIKEL para seguir recorriendo la historia del sionismo. Porque el apartheid y la ocupación siguen. Desgranamos cómo Israel ha perpetuado la ocupación y la violencia desde 1948. Buscamos las raíces ideológicas detrás de un genocidio que no ha terminado. Hablamos del pinkwashing de Israel, de la Hasbará y de cómo utiliza los derechos LGTBIQ+ en su propaganda antipalestina con una militante del colectivo Queers in Palestine. Y contamos cómo funcionan los asentamientos de colonos, y cómo Israel usa la arquitectura, el urbanismo y la historia para expulsar a los palestinos con Nadwa Abu Ghazalah, activista hispanopalestina del movimiento BDS, Boicot, Desinversiones y Sanciones; y con Héctor Grad, judío antisionista y profesor de antropología social en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Más información aquí: https://bit.ly/SionismoIICC1576 Haz posible Carne Cruda: http://bit.ly/ProduceCC
Send us a textIn this conversation, Ricardo Karam meets Munib Al-Masri, a man whose life story mirrors a century of Palestinian history.From his childhood in Nablus, where he first heard of the Balfour Declaration, to his youth spent studying geology and politics in the United States, and his return home determined to make knowledge and success serve identity rather than exile. Munib Al-Masri is a businessman who viewed wealth as a responsibility, not a privilege, building institutions, universities, and a national economy rooted in dignity and belonging.He speaks about his deep friendship with Yasser Arafat, about leadership and sacrifice, about wars, displacement, and endless political deals and about Palestine, which he calls his only party and eternal cause. Today, in what he describes as a “war of extermination,” he shares his legacy with the younger generation, calling for faith, resilience, and rebuilding rather than despair.Join Ricardo Karam and Munib Al-Masri in an honest and inspiring exchange that captures the journey of a man who carried Palestine in his heart and through his life leaving us with one lasting truth: A nation never dies as long as it keeps telling its story.في هذا الحديث، يلتقي ريكاردو كرم برجلٍ تختصر سيرته قرنًاً من حكاية فلسطين … منيب المصري، الذي عاش وطنه بكل أسمائه وحدوده وأحلامه.من طفولةٍ في نابلس سمع خلالها عن وعد بلفور، إلى شبابٍ قضاه في المنفى والدراسة بين الجيولوجيا والسياسة في الولايات المتحدة، ثم عودةٍ جعلت من العلم والعمل وسيلتين لخدمة الهوية لا للهجرة عنها. منيب المصري، رجل الأعمال الذي رأى في الثروة واجباً وطنياً، بنى المؤسسات والجامعات، وغرس فكرة أنّ النجاح الحقيقي هو ما يُترك "لهم" لا "لك".يتحدث عن صداقته العميقة بياسر عرفات، عن معنى القيادة والتضحية، عن الحروب والنزوح والصفقات، وعن فلسطين التي بقيت حزبه الوحيد رغم تبدّل الخرائط. وفي زمنٍ يسميه "حرب إبادة"، يوجّه وصاياه إلى الشباب، داعياً إلى الإيمان والعمل والتمسّك بالجذور مهما اشتدّ العصف.انضمّوا إلى ريكاردو كرم ومنيب المصري في حوارٍ صادق ومُلهم يوثّق رحلة رجلٍ حمل فلسطين في قلبه، وسار بها على دروب القرن، ليقول في النهاية: "لا يموت وطنٌ ما دام يحكي."
Nelson Mandela speaks up for the palestinian struggle in New York City Hall 1990. Hosted by Ted Koppel. Here, Nelson Mandela speaks truth to power and highlights the nature of true socialist internationalism and solidarity.
Happy birthday, Red (Taylor's Version)!!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ For this episode we chose a song from this super autumnal album, aka one of our favorite songs ever!Click here for a free Palestine.Support us on Ko-Fi!You can find us here:Instagram: @secretsessionpodcast_TikTok: @secretsessionpodcastTwitter: @secretsessiontsSpotify for CreatorsYoutubeApple Podcastse-mail: secretsessionpodcast@gmail.com Hope you'll join us in the next episodes, streaming every Wednesday.Disclaimer: we are not in any way affiliated/associated with Taylor Swift or her labels.
The arrest of the journalist and Arab Digest contributor Sami Hamdi in San Francisco is an attempt to silence criticism of Israel's genocidal war against Palestine and the Palestinians. William Law's guest this week is Hussam Ayloush the head of CAIR-LA. CAIR is the organisation that had invited our contributor to the US to speak for the Palestinian cause. Sign up NOW at ArabDigest.org for free to join the club and start receiving our daily newsletter & weekly podcasts.
durée : 00:03:24 - Géopolitique - par : Pierre Haski - Emmanuel Macron a reçu hier Mahmoud Abbas en tant que président de l'État de Palestine que la France a reconnu le 22 septembre. Les deux dirigeants présentent des pistes pour l'avenir de Gaza, alors que le plan Trump ne parvient pas à passer à la deuxième phase, plus politique. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
Tune in as Anna (@banananna024/@formergleek) hops back onto the podcast for a discussion on Rope, the 1948 thriller film about a pair of men who dare to see if they can carry out the perfect murder by hosting a dinner party at their apartment—the place where they have their victim's corpse all tucked away. The lost art of homoeroticism, avoiding the spoilery trailer for Project Hail Mary, nitpicking unrealistic depictions of strangulation, and comparing Rope to Frasier and Death Note land as a few of the subjects for this episode.Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Rope stars John Dall, Farley Granger, James Stewart, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Constance Collier, Douglas Dick, Edith Evanson, Joan Chandler, and Dick Hogan.Spoilers start at 37:35Create your podcast today! #madeonzencastrHere's how you can learn more about Palestine and IsraelHere's how you can keep up-to-date on this genocideHere's how you can send eSIM cards to Palestinians in order to help them stay connected onlineGood Word:• Anna: The Lego Batman Movie• Arthur: The GloryReach out at email2centscritic@yahoo.com if you want to recommend things to watch and read, share anecdotes, or just say hello!Be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on iTunes or any of your preferred podcasting platforms!Follow Arthur on Twitter, Goodpods, StoryGraph, Letterboxd, and TikTok: @arthur_ant18Follow Arthur on Bluesky: @arthur-ant18Follow the podcast on Twitter: @two_centscriticFollow the podcast on Instagram: @twocentscriticpodFollow Arthur on GoodreadsCheck out 2 Cents Critic Linktree
In this lecture delivered at the Property and Freedom Society, Saifedean explains why the root cause of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is the denial of property rights. Religious and racial conflict are not destined in Palestine; they are historically rare occurrences, but this system of property rights would create violent conflict anywhere.
durée : 00:03:27 - Charline explose les faits - par : Charline Vanhoenacker - Un concert de l'orchestre d'Israël perturbé à la Philharmonie de Paris, un colloque sur la Palestine annulé au Collège de France : on est vite passés de “On ne peut plus rien dire” à “On ne peut plus rien organiser” ! Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.
FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor speaks with Annelle Sheline of the Quincy Institute about Jordan, the Gulf and US policy on Palestine. They also discuss the Biden administration's complicity in genocide, who is profiting from the mass killing, and what careerism means for those who have chosen to continue to serve in the State Dept. Resources and bios at: https://fmep.org/resource/jordan-the-gulf-and-american-policy-in-palestine/
Welcome to Troll Hole episode 89! Thanks for slipping into the tranquil waters of the spit pit and letting our hilarious conversation with Atheer Yacoub wash away your impurities. In this episode we talk: The viscosity of your sperm, The Demolition of the White House, Covid Zoom Comedy Etiquette, Pest Control In NYC, Mike's Fog Machine Skills, parenting, Lying About Birthdays, Soup Season, Portable Bidets, Palestine, and so much more, Reach in. Pull it out. Subscribe to the pod. Then give us a rating and leave a review while you're here. We're trying to feed our son, Producer Neil.#FreePalestine #NewYork #TrollHole #ComedyPodcast #SelfCare Want bonus episodes and content? Check out the Troll Hole Patreon!:https://www.patreon.com/c/TrollHolePodcastFollow Troll Hole on Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/trollholepodcast/Follow Atheer Yacoub on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atheeryacoub/Follow Ben Katzner on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaqkatznerCheck Ben out live!: https://shaqkatzner.komi.io/Follow Mike Lester on Instagram!: https://www.instagram.com/justmikelesterFollow Producer Neil! https://www.instagram.com/n3ilfaceListen to Neil's music here: https://songwhip.com/sevenswordsHas anyone said anything weird to you lately? Tell us about it and we might talk about it on the pod! Send us screenshots or tell us your trolling story by dm'ing us or send it to us at Trollholepod@gmail.com
A @Christadelphians Video: Description: The mountains of Israel or the West Bank as commonly known, could become a pretext for the invasion of Russia or the Gog. The Palestinians strongly support Russia. The Palestinian President may have laid the groundwork for the Russian or Gogian invasion into Israel.This thought-provoking and insightful Watchman Report examines one of the most critical locations in Bible prophecy: the Mountains of Israel. Join Merv Islip for an expositional study of Ezekiel 38 and 39, where this phrase is central to the prophecy of a latter-day invasion. This presentation explores the biblical, historical, and modern geopolitical significance of these highlands, which today are known as the West Bank. Discover the outstanding scriptural evidence for who truly owns this contested land and how current events are setting the stage for prophetic fulfilment.**Chapters:**00:00 - Introduction00:27 - The Prophetic Focus: Ezekiel 38 & 3901:45 - The Biblical Heartland: Cities of Central Israel02:17 - The Phrase "Mountains of Israel" in Scripture03:03 - Spiritual Significance of the Mountains03:35 - Defining the Territory: Joshua 1105:09 - Modern Context: The West Bank05:53 - The Future Kingdom: Ezekiel 3706:23 - Historical Israeli Settlement Policy08:12 - A Second Geographical Marker: "Midst of the Land"09:55 - Shifting Attitudes and Annexation Calls11:03 - A Pretext for Invasion: Prophetic Scenarios13:01 - Conclusion**Bible Verses Featured:**
Goodbye for now ❤️Watch the visual version here - https://youtu.be/9MFudItFT5wExclusive Patreon episodes every Friday! - https://www.patreon.com/oddvicepodcastRelief in Palestine
This episode was presented by UJA. Support UJA's work at UJA.orgListen to Yonatan and Michal's podcast, What's Your Number?: lnk.to/GsOESPApply to become Ark Media's Production Manager: https://tinyurl.com/mthkpmnaSubscribe to Inside Call me Back: inside.arkmedia.orgGift a subscription of Inside Call me Back: inside.arkmedia.org/giftsYonatan's article on Ynet: www.ynetnews.com/opinions-analysis/article/r1izgwicexBernard Lewis books: https://tinyurl.com/5f55cnbsSubscribe to Amit Segal's newsletter ‘It's Noon in Israel':arkmedia.org/amitsegal/Watch Call me Back on YouTube: youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcastCheck out Ark Media's other podcasts: For Heaven's Sake: https://lnk.to/rfGlrA‘What's Your Number?': https://lnk.to/rfGlrAFor sponsorship inquiries, please contact: callmeback@arkmedia.orgTo contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, visit: arkmedia.org/Ark Media on Instagram: instagram.com/arkmediaorgDan on X: x.com/dansenorDan on Instagram: instagram.com/dansenorTo order Dan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of Israel: tinyurl.com/bdeyjsdnToday's Episode: In a recent piece for Yedioth Achronot, Ark Media's very own Yonatan Adiri argues that while Hamas's military capabilities have been largely destroyed, it has realized that real power has shifted from the battlefield to the international arena. By integrating into the institutions of the Palestinian Authority and leveraging its support from Qatar and Turkey to gain legitimacy, Hamas can manifest its charter through political and diplomatic means - trading its rockets for stamps, and its tunnels for offices. On today's episode, Yonatan joins Dan to discuss Hamas' position after two years of war and the evolving dynamics between Hamas, Qatar, and Turkey. CREDITS:ILAN BENATAR - Producer & EditorADAAM JAMES LEVIN-AREDDY - Executive ProducerMARTIN HUERGO - Sound EditorMARIANGELES BURGOS - Additional EditingMAYA RACKOFF - Operations DirectorGABE SILVERSTEIN - ResearchYUVAL SEMO - Music Composer
A video showing Israeli soldiers raping a Palestinian prisoner has shaken Israel’s military and judiciary, leading to the arrest of the prosecutor who leaked it. But as the fallout centers on the leak, and not the events in the video, what does it mean for the victim of the so-called Sde Teiman affair? In this episode: Nida Ibrahim, Al Jazeera Correspondent Episode credits: This episode was produced by Tracie Hunte, Sarí el-Khalili and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Melanie Marich, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang The Take production team is Marcos Bartolomé, Sonia Bhagat, Spencer Cline, Sarí el-Khalili, Diana Ferrero, Tracie Hunte, Tamara Khandaker, Kylene Kiang, Phillip Lanos, Chloe K. Li, Melanie Marich, Catherine Nouhan, and Noor Wazwaz. Our editorial interns are Farhan Rafid and Fatima Shafiq. Our host is Malika Bilal. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Steven E. Zipperstein, the director of the Nazarian Center for Israel Studies at UCLA, discusses his book, Zionism, Palestinian Nationalism and the Law: 1939-1948.
Send us a textChrista Bruhn was my student back in the 1980s. I remember very well the first time I met her. She told me she had lived for a semester in Gaza. I have been to Gaza twice and did not consider it a place for a young American woman to be spending a semester. But Christa was never able to get Palestine out of her soul. This is her own story of her life-long engagement with a land and a people whose survival is not guaranteed. In time she fell in love with a Palestinian student she met in the US. She moved with him to Jenin where she became fully integrated into her new Palestinian family. Christa shares amazing insights from her years in that land. I found it easy and very rewarding to interview her about her life and her book. This interview is over an hour long but you will be glad you listened.
The “Palestine policy” for New York City, written for Mamdani, reads like a 21st-century antisemitic manifesto, not a municipal agenda. It targets Jews, Israel, and anyone who dares support the Jewish state, proof that the radical left's war on Israel has officially come home to America. Jews, and all Americans, must wake up to what this means.Join Our Whatsapp Channel: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GkavRznXy731nxxRyptCMvFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/AviAbelowJoin our Telegram Channel: https://t.me/aviabelowpulseFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pulse_of_israel/?hl=enPulse of Israel on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IsraelVideoNetworkVisit Our Website - https://pulseofisrael.com/Donate to Pulse of Israel: https://pulseofisrael.com/boost-this-video/
One month into the ceasefire in Gaza, how have things actually improved on the ground? Has the fighting halted completely, can people return to their homes (or what's left of them) and just why is aid still being blocked?John Whyte is the Acting Senior Deputy Director of UNRWA (Operations), the United National Relief and Works Agency for Palestine, for the Gaza Strip and joins Seán to discuss.Image: Reuters
Le nouveau maire de New-York, le démocrate anti-Trump Zohran Mamdani, n'est pas seulement de nationalité américaine. Il est aussi de nationalité ougandaise, car c'est à Kampala qu'il est né, il y a 34 ans. Et sa solidarité avec le peuple palestinien tient beaucoup à l'engagement de ses parents à la fois contre l'apartheid et pour la Palestine. Quel rôle ont joué son père et sa mère, Mahmood Mamdani et Mira Naïr, dans ses choix politiques d'aujourd'hui ? Abdoulaye Bathily est l'envoyé spécial du président sénégalais Bassirou Diomaye Faye pour les affaires internationales. Il est ami avec la famille Mamdani depuis quarante ans. En ligne de Dakar, il témoigne au micro de Christophe Boisbouvier. RFI : Vous êtes un vieil ami de Mahmood Mamdani, le père de Zohran Mamdani, qui vient d'être élu à New York. Vous l'avez rencontré où, Mahmood Mamdani ? Abdoulaye Bathily : J'ai rencontré Mahmood Mamdani à Dar es Salam en 1979. Il était professeur au département de sciences politiques de l'Université de Dar es Salam, et il était à l'époque, comme beaucoup d'intellectuels ougandais, réfugié à Dar es Salam pour fuir la dictature de Idi Amin Dada qui, avec son slogan xénophobe, avait chassé tous les Asiatiques de l'Ouganda. Mais il avait aussi chassé tous les intellectuels, tous les opposants, militaires comme civils. Donc toute l'élite ougandaise s'est retrouvée à Dar es Salam. Il y avait également Yoweri Museveni, qui était étudiant là-bas, qui va par la suite former le Mouvement national de résistance contre la dictature de Idi Amin et qui va recruter des jeunes réfugiés rwandais comme Paul Kagame. Alors nous nous retrouvions souvent dans des espaces publics après les cours, après les conférences, pour discuter de l'avenir du continent, de la lutte contre l'apartheid, de la lutte contre le colonialisme. Et vous étiez tous des freedom fighters, contre l'apartheid ? Contre l'apartheid qui était soutenu à l'époque, il faut le rappeler, par Israël. Et on verra comment, en fait, le jeune Zohran, par la suite, suivra les traces de son père dans cette lutte pour le soutien à Gaza, le soutien à la Palestine. Alors, après la chute de Idi Amin Dada en 1979, Mahmood Mamdani peut rentrer en Ouganda. Et quand Mahmood Mamdani et Mira Naïr se marient et quand nait leur enfant, Zohran en 1991, la petite famille est toujours en Ouganda. Et le deuxième prénom que choisissent les parents pour leur enfant, c'est le prénom Kwame. Est-ce que c'est tout un symbole ? Mahmood Mamdani est un militant de la lutte pour l'indépendance de l'Afrique, ce qu'on appelle aujourd'hui un panafricaniste. Et pendant qu'il enseignait en Ouganda, il était régulièrement au Sénégal parce qu'il était membre actif du Conseil pour le développement de la recherche économique et sociale en Afrique, le Codesria. Il venait souvent à Dakar et d'ailleurs, en 2007, il est venu ici avec sa famille, avec le petit Zohran. Je me rappelle, ils sont venus ici à la maison. Et Zohran lui-même, il a vécu dans cette ambiance militante. Comme son prénom l'indique, puisque Kwame, c'est Kwame Nkrumah. Mais aussi Zohran a fait sa thèse sur Frantz Fanon et sur Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Donc vraiment, c'est le fils de son père. Quand Zohran nait à Kampala en 1991, sa maman, Mira Naïr, est déjà une personnalité très connue puisqu'elle a sorti « Salaam Bombay ! », un film à succès qui sera primé partout. Est-ce que Mira Naïr est aussi une femme aux convictions politiques ? Oui, elle a des convictions politiques affirmées. Je l'ai rencontrée plusieurs fois à Kampala, mais également à New York et ils sont venus ici à Dakar. Ils ont visité l'île de Gorée avec leur fils Zohran, et ils sont vraiment engagés à la fois pour les causes de l'Afrique, pour les causes de l'Asie, pour les causes de la Palestine et du monde progressiste en général. En 2018, Zohran Mamdani a été naturalisé citoyen américain et pour autant, il n'a pas abandonné sa nationalité ougandaise. Comment interprétez-vous cela ? Mahmood Mamdani, son père, est profondément attaché à l'Ouganda et à l'Afrique. Donc, cet attachement à l'Afrique, ce n'est pas quelque chose d'artificiel chez eux. Et puis leur foi musulmane également, c'est une donnée importante. C'est un couple de militants qui a donné naissance à un militant engagé pour les causes justes. Et aujourd'hui, est-ce que Mahmood Mamdani continue d'entretenir des relations avec des hommes politiques africains en dehors de vous-même ? Oui, Mahmood continue de parcourir le continent. Il est en contact avec tous nos amis d'il y a 50 ans. Donc c'est un internationaliste, Mahmood Mamdani. Et Zohran est né dans cette ambiance-là. Et est-ce que Mahmood Mamdani est toujours en contact avec Yoweri Museveni ? Oui je pense qu'ils sont en contact, mais peut-être leur chemin, en tout cas du point de vue des idées, ont divergé. Parce que malheureusement, nous avons vu que notre ancien camarade et ami Museveni aujourd'hui est au pouvoir depuis 1986, et ce n'est pas de notre goût.
New Episode: “Sheldon Richman Discusses His Life”In this episode, Sheldon Richman—executive editor at The Libertarian Institute and former senior editor at both the Cato Institute and the Institute for Humane Studies—joins Michael Liebowitz to reflect on his life, career, and decades of work advancing the cause of liberty.Richman brings a wealth of experience and insight to the conversation, exploring the philosophical and policy debates that have shaped modern libertarian thought. The discussion ranges from the ethical and economic dimensions of immigration policy to the broader cultural misunderstandings that surround freedom and individual rights.As the author of Coming to Palestine and What Social Animals Owe to Each Other, Richman offers a seasoned perspective on peace, justice, and the moral foundations of a free society.About Michael Liebowitz – Host of The Rational EgoistMichael Liebowitz is the host of The Rational Egoist podcast, a philosopher, author, and political activist committed to the principles of reason, individualism, and rational self-interest. Deeply influenced by the philosophy of Ayn Rand, Michael uses his platform to challenge cultural dogma, expose moral contradictions, and defend the values that make human flourishing possible.His journey from a 25-year prison sentence to becoming a respected voice in the libertarian and Objectivist communities is a testament to the transformative power of philosophy. Today, Michael speaks, writes, and debates passionately in defence of individual rights and intellectual clarity.He is the co-author of two compelling books that examine the failures of the correctional system and the redemptive power of moral conviction:Down the Rabbit Hole: How the Culture of Corrections Encourages Crimehttps://www.amazon.com.au/Down-Rabbit-Hole-Corrections-Encourages/dp/197448064XView from a Cage: From Convict to Crusader for Libertyhttps://books2read.com/u/4jN6xjAbout Xenia Ioannou – Producer of The Rational EgoistXenia Ioannou is the producer of The Rational Egoist, overseeing the publishing and promotion of each episode to reflect a consistent standard of clarity, professionalism, and intellectual integrity.As a CEO, property manager, entrepreneur, and lifelong advocate for capitalism and individual rights, Xenia ensures the podcast stays true to its core values of reason, freedom, and personal responsibility.Xenia also leads Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup in Adelaide, where passionate thinkers gather to discuss Ayn Rand's ideas and their application to life, politics, and culture.Join us at: https://www.meetup.com/adelaide-ayn-rand-meetup/(Capitalism and Coffee – An Objectivist Meetup)Follow Life on Purpose – Xenia's thought-provoking essays at her Substack:https://substack.com/@xeniaioannou?utm_source=user-menu#TheRationalEgoist #Libertarianism #SheldonRichman #MichaelLiebowitz #Philosophy #IndividualRights #Liberty #Reason #Freedom
In this episode of Empowered through Compassion, I sit down with psychotherapist, trauma expert and peace-journalism pioneer Annabel McGoldrick to explore one of the most urgent humanitarian crises of our time: the crisis in Palestine. We spoke about how healing works, and the importance of connection, balance and equality. Annabel brings together nearly 25 years as a clinician specializing in trauma, EMDR and IFS-informed therapy, alongside her earlier career and passion in peace journalism. She has a deep commitment to opening up dialogue even for difficult and needed topics. We speak about how the silencing by our field, of the horrors that have been going on in Palestine feels antithetical to the healing work we are tasked to do. Together, we explore how the story of Gaza has been told, and discuss how it might be re-told in ways that reclaim the voices of the those who continue to be oppressed and subjugated in this space. Annabel's event that she is organizing is called "Breaking the Silence: Trauma Therapists Talk about Gaza." Gabor Mate will be the guest of honor. You can buy tickets here: https://events.humanitix.com/breaking-the-silence-trauma-therapists-talk-about-gaza The event will feature trauma therapists and activists to share wisdom and reflect on what it takes to truly listen to Palestinian voices, to understand deep collective wounds, and to consider how trauma-informed care intersects with humanitarian justice. There will be emotionally powerful conversation, reminding us that amid conflict and pain, we have the power to listen to provide our presence, which are radical acts of peace! If you're drawn to conversations that sit at the intersection of power, trauma, identity and hope, this episode is for you! I'm deeply grateful to Annabel for her generosity of voice and for modeling what it looks like to hold suffering with complexity and dignity. You can find out more information about Annabel at her website: https://emdrinsight.com
This week, we're sharing two segments: a chat with Palestinian writer and assistant professor Abdaljawad Omar and a segment of the October 2025 B(A)D News with network participants discussing thinking through resisting the rise of fascism. Assessing The Israeli Ceasefire First up, an interview with Abdaljawad Omar, a writer, analyst and an Assistant Professor at Birzeit University in Bethlehem in the West Bank in Palestine. For the hour we speak about the status of the ceasefire, the continued killing by the Israeli state and the lack of significant humanitarian supplies of food and medicine in Gaza, ongoing violence in the West Bank and settlement expansion and settler impunity, representation of Palestinian resistance in Western media and meaningful solidarity from abroad. Mr Omar's writing is frequently featured on Mondoweiss and the newly launched Equator Journal and other journals listed in our show notes. He can be found on X and Bluesky and has a couple of books due out in the near future. Appearances in: Mondoweiss Communis Magazine Ebb Magazine Electronic Intifada Al-Shabaka Millennails Are Killing Capitalism Truthout Equator other texts, thanks to Analu Lopez an essay by the title of one of his upcoming books on RustedRadishes Playing Out Resistance The next segment was recorded at the annual A-Radio Network gathering that happened in Freiberg, Germany, by participants in the network in attendance. For this segment, you'll hear people discuss a workshop they participated in about thinking through preparation for rising authoritarianism, keeping safe while preparing for social revolution. Feel free to reach out to projects on the participants page for the A-Radio Network website (we suggest you first try A-Radio Berlin as they're quite good at answering their email) if you would like the materials used in the workshop to host one with your community. . ... . .. Featured Track: Mapa by Murcof from Utopia
This Week: The state of Florida has distinguished itself in recent years as a true laboratory for right wing extremist policy in education. Well, the process continues as the impacts of vouchers and efforts to privatize public education are reaching new heights. As schools battle for “market share” and districts sell access to courses on an Amazon-like website, the public coffers are being drained faster than ever before. Meanwhile, in so-called liberal California, amidst the passage of AB 715, which conflates critique of Israel with Antisemitism and instills a draconian oversight structure over schools and educators, Oakland Unified is found to have created a “discriminatory environment” for things like the display of Palestinian flags, allowing an unsponsored a teach-in about Israeli genocide and colonialism, and posting “Free Palestine” posters in classrooms. Thankfully, the fight is not over on AB 715. The American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee is filing a federal lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the law, which violates first Amendment rights, and could have an extreme chilling effect on educators' ability to teach truthfully about the genocide in Palestine and the actions of the Israeli government. At the same time, the law ignores the rising tide of right wing antisemitism brewing among influencers with millions of followers, many who are teenagers sitting in American high schools. MAXIMUM WOKENESS ALERT -- get your All of the Above swag, including your own “Teach the Truth” shirt! In this moment of relentless attacks on teaching truth in the classroom, we got you covered. https://all-of-the-above-store.creator-spring.com Watch, listen and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our latest content!Listen on Apple Podcast and Spotify Website: https://AOTAshow.comStream all of our content at: linktr.ee/AOTA Watch at: YouTube.com/AlloftheAboveFollow us at: LinkedIn, Facebook.com/AOTAshow, Twitter.com/AOTAshow
The brothers welcome Mandy Turner, a senior researcher with Security in Context, to discuss the world of think tanks, how they operate as hegemony factories, and the divergence between public opinion and elites on the Gaza genocide Check out her article, "Hegemony factories or independent thinkers? Western think tanks on Israel and Palestine after October 7" Date of recording: Sept 16, 2025. Watch the video edition on our YouTube channel Follow us on our socials: X: @MakdisiStreet YouTube: @MakdisiStreet Insta: @Makdisist TikTok: @Makdisistreet Music by Hadiiiiii Support the show on Patreon for access to all the great bonus content, including the latest bonus episode.
In this episode of A People's Climate, host Shilpi Chhotray sits down with Vivien Sansour, founder of the Palestine Heirloom Seed Library, for a powerful conversation about resistance in the face of Israeli militarism, occupation, and ecological devastation.For two years, the world watched Israel's genocide in Gaza and ethnic cleansing campaign across Palestine — including the annihilation of Palestinian land, contamination of water, and the carbon-intensive bombardment that has choked the air and scorched the soil. Entire food systems have been erased. And yet, so many environmentalists remain silent. Vivien makes it clear that climate conversations cannot be separated from Western imperialism and genocide.From saving heirloom seeds to ancestral farming practices, Vivien shares how Palestinian farmers and land stewards are not only protecting the environment but also preserving culture, memory, and survival itself.Key Themes & Topics:The intersection of conservation, human rights, and food sovereigntyWhy protecting heirloom seeds is essential for culture, memory, and survivalIsraeli militarism and settler expansion in PalestineAncestral agricultural practices that date back tens of thousands of yearsThe long-standing destructive impact of industrialized agriculture on land and food systemsGlobal solidarity with Palestine ResourcesPalestine Heirloom Seed LibraryTraveling KitchenSubversive Rebels by Vivien SansourPalestinian Land, Heritage, and Identity - Shilpi Chhotray in conversation with Rania BatriceOur Sponsors:* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com* Check out BetterHelp: https://betterhelp.com/THENATIONAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy
This Week: The state of Florida has distinguished itself in recent years as a true laboratory for right wing extremist policy in education. Well, the process continues as the impacts of vouchers and efforts to privatize public education are reaching new heights. As schools battle for “market share” and districts sell access to courses on an Amazon-like website, the public coffers are being drained faster than ever before. Meanwhile, in so-called liberal California, amidst the passage of AB 715, which conflates critique of Israel with Antisemitism and instills a draconian oversight structure over schools and educators, Oakland Unified is found to have created a “discriminatory environment” for things like the display of Palestinian flags, allowing an unsponsored a teach-in about Israeli genocide and colonialism, and posting “Free Palestine” posters in classrooms. Thankfully, the fight is not over on AB 715. The American-Arab Anti Discrimination Committee is filing a federal lawsuit to challenge the constitutionality of the law, which violates first Amendment rights, and could have an extreme chilling effect on educators' ability to teach truthfully about the genocide in Palestine and the actions of the Israeli government. At the same time, the law ignores the rising tide of right wing antisemitism brewing among influencers with millions of followers, many who are teenagers sitting in American high schools. MAXIMUM WOKENESS ALERT -- get your All of the Above swag, including your own “Teach the Truth” shirt! In this moment of relentless attacks on teaching truth in the classroom, we got you covered. https://all-of-the-above-store.creator-spring.com Watch, listen and subscribe to make sure you don't miss our latest content!Listen on Apple Podcast and Spotify Website: https://AOTAshow.comStream all of our content at: linktr.ee/AOTA Watch at: YouTube.com/AlloftheAboveFollow us at: LinkedIn, Facebook.com/AOTAshow, Twitter.com/AOTAshow
Fossil-fueled climate disruption is driving political instability around the world. The relationship between climate disasters and conflict are well-established — and also complicated. Even in war-torn regions like Israel and Palestine, people work across political and ethnic divides to address humanitarian and climate crises. The Arava Institute for Environmental Studies has helped bring together Israelis, Palestinians, Moroccans, and Jordanians to study and tackle shared environmental challenges. How does climate disruption reshape cross-border relations? And can climate cooperation become a force for peace? Episode Guests: Peter Schwartzstein, Environmental Journalist; Climate Security Researcher Fareed Mahameed, Assistant Director, Center for Transboundary Water Management, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies Liana Berlin-Fischler, Associate Director, Center for Applied Environmental Diplomacy, Arava Institute for Environmental Studies For show notes and related links, visit ClimateOne.org. Highlights: 12:42 Peter Schwartzstein on seeing the link between climate and violence 21:02 Peter Schwartzstein on the importance of governance 22:56 Peter Schwartzstein on better governance examples 27:17 Peter Schwartzstein on the danger of climate induced violence in the US 31:13 Peter Schwartzstein on new paths for cooperation 36:49 Liana Berlin-Fischler on moving to Israel 37:59 Fareed Mahameed on “fixing the world” 42:16 Fareed Mahameed on being compelled to help 47:05 Fareed Mahameed on figuring out what a community needs most 51:30 Liana Berlin-Fischler on the Jumpstarting Hope in Gaza project Support Climate One by going ad-free! By subscribing to Climate One on Patreon, you'll receive exclusive access to all future episodes free of ads, opportunities to connect with fellow Climate One listeners, and access to the Climate One Discord. Sign up today. Ad sales by Multitude. Contact them for ad inquiries at multitude.productions/ads Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Palestinian-American comedian Mo Amer has spent years using humor to face pain, break silence, and speak for a people under fire. In a moment of deep loss, he turns to the stage again. What can comedy still cut through? In this episode: Mo Amer (@realmoamer), comedian, actor and writer Episode credits: This episode was produced by Melanie Marich, Sonia Bhagat, Marcos Bartolomé and Tamara Khandaker, with Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Amy Walters, Haleema Shah, Sarí el-Khalili, Farhan Rafid, Fatima Shafiq, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Kylene Kiang. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube
Protests, riots, and coordinated campus takeovers… From “No Kings” to pro-Palestine encampments, Antifa, and BLM, America is watching chaos erupt in sync across major cities and universities. But who is paying for it - and why? Jillian Michaels sits down with investigative researcher and author of Controligarchs, Seamus Bruner at The Government Accountability Institute, to follow the money and expose the billionaire networks, dark-money foundations, NGOs, and foreign influence suspected of fueling civil unrest, lawless streets, and the breakdown of public order. From Soros to Gates, Walmart Heiresses to Chinese Billionaires with CCP connections - no stone is left unturned See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.