Podcasts about Neocolonialism

Africa is at the forefront of a sustainable and connected era, from innovations in renewable energy to digital transformation. However, neocolonial dynamics and other issues threaten progress. In this episode, our guest is Soha Benchekroun, a researcher and global advisor on climate and development policy based in Rabat, Morocco. We discuss the continent's transformative potential, the risks of neocolonialism, and the complexities of this dual revolution. 

Africa is at the forefront of a sustainable and connected era, from innovations in renewable energy to digital transformation. However, neocolonial dynamics and other issues threaten progress. In this episode, our guest is Soha Benchekroun, a researcher and global advisor on climate and development policy based in Rabat, Morocco. We discuss the continent's transformative potential, the risks of neocolonialism, and the complexities of this dual revolution. 

Send us a text Brace for a raw, unfiltered episode of the Self-Reflection Podcast. Lira Ndifon ignites a firestorm, dissecting the global backlash against Captain Ibrahim Traoré and the relentless battle for Africa's liberation. This isn't just news; it's a battle cry for unity, a demand for sovereignty, and a reckoning with the forces that seek to control the continent's destiny.Lira's opening is a direct challenge, a call to action for every African, every listener, to wake up and engage. She cuts through the noise, demanding answers and sparking a conversation that echoes the urgency of the moment.At the heart of this episode is the explosive controversy surrounding Captain Ibrahim Traoré's leadership and the accusations hurled by a US General. Lira dissects the narrative, exposing the double standards and the historical patterns of Western interference that have plagued Africa for centuries. This isn't just about one leader; it's about the soul of a continent fighting for its right to self-determination.Lira plays a damning clip of a US Congressional hearing, laying bare the power dynamics at play. She doesn't shy away from naming names, from challenging the hypocrisy, and from exposing the tactics used to maintain control. This isn't a history lesson; it's a live autopsy of neocolonialism.But this isn't just about external forces. Lira turns the lens inward, challenging Africans to confront their own roles in perpetuating the status quo. She plays a powerful speech by Captain Traoré, a rallying cry against fear and a testament to the power of unity.Lira connects Traoré's courage to the hopes and dreams of a generation yearning for authentic leadership. She doesn't mince words, she doesn't sugarcoat the stakes. This is a life-or-death struggle for the future of Africa.In a direct address to her Cameroonian brothers and sisters, Lira issues a stark ultimatum: demand change, seize your destiny, or be condemned to repeat the past. She uses Traoré's example as a blueprint for a new era of African leadership, a beacon of hope in a sea of despair.The episode culminates in a powerful call to action for the youth of Africa. Lira challenges them to rise up, to reclaim their narrative, and to build a legacy of innovation and liberation. She ends with a plea to armed groups, a desperate cry for peace, a stark reminder of the human cost of endless conflict. This isn't just a podcast; it's a movement. Lira Ndifon has lit a fire, and the world is watching. Will Africa rise? Will Africans reclaim their destiny? The answer lies within you.Support the showCall to Action: Engage with the Self-Reflection Podcast community! Like, follow, and subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube (Self-Reflection Podcast by Lyra Ndifon), and all major podcast platforms. Share your insights and feedback—we value your contributions! Suggest topics you'd like us to explore. Your support amplifies our reach, sharing these vital messages of self-love and empowerment. Until our next conversation, prioritize self-care and embrace your journey. Grab your copy of "Awaken Your True Self" on Amazon. Until next time, be kind to yourself and keep reflecting.

Journalist and advocate Pontsho Pilane joins Mike Wills to explore the idea that foreign aid isn’t just about assistance—it’s about power. She examines how U.S. aid, particularly PEPFAR, has shaped global health and HIV responses in South Africa. From Trump’s aid freeze to the Global Gag Rule, they unpack how funding decisions impose ideological control, leaving local NGOs in a bind. How do evangelical interests, political agendas, and financial dependence intersect? And what does this mean for Africa’s health sovereignty? #PEPFAR, #ForeignAid, #GlobalHealth, #HIVResponse, #TrumpPolicy, #GlobalGagRule, #EvangelicalInfluence, #HealthSovereignty, #USAID, #AidDependency, #PublicHealth, #SouthAfrica, #PoliticalPower, #ReproductiveRights, #LGBTQHealth, #SexWorkRights, #NeoColonialism, #FaithAndPolitics, #HumanitarianAid, and #PolicyAndHealth.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

¡ENTERRAMOS LA CEDEAO! ¿Y ahora qué para la Alianza de los Estados del Sahel? Hoy es miércoles y toca #LALLAVE. Escúchanos en nuestros canales de YouTube y Spotify: https://youtu.be/SuKo81Wka-M El 29 de enero del 2025 la Alianza de los Estados del Sahel (A.E.S. Malí, Níger y Burkina Faso) salio oficialmente de la Comunidad Económica de Estados de África Occidental (CEDEAO) con efecto inmediato. La AES esta dando pasos de elefantes para desvincularse tajantemente del neocolonialismo occidental y sus herramientas neoliberales como la CEDEAO. En el programa hacemos un balance de el potencial de su salida y también de los riesgos. Analizamos que papel juega la CEDEAO y la Union Europea en el saqueo y explotación de los recursos naturales y humanos de Africa Investigamos el potencial de la AES en consolidar la confederación y transformarla en un único ente panafricano a la que otros estados Africanos anti-imperialistas, anti-neocolonialistas y anti-neoliberalistas se pueden añadir para cumplir el sueño del 1963, UNA ÁFRICA UNIDA POR Y PARA SUS PUEBLOS. Como siempre acompañado de música: - El Viejo Blass - E'Muan Ven - Mista O #otraáfricaesposible #SabiasqueÁfrica #AES #Malí #BurkinaFaso #Niger # Françafrique #CFA #panafricanismo #panafricanism #Neocolonialism #allafricanpeoplerevolutionaryparty

Dr. Julian E. Kunnie, professor of religious, Latin American, Middle Eastern and North African studies at the University of Arizona. It has been over 20 years since the publication of Dr. Julian Kunnie's prescient and perspicacious treatise, Is Apartheid Really Dead?: Pan Africanist Working-Class Critical Perspectives, and nine years since we first dialogued with Dr. Kunnie about his book (podcast episodes 9 and 10), so what is the political terrain of Azania (South Africa) today? Is the analysis of Is Apartheid Really Dead? in regards to post-apartheid Azania still relevant today? Is Azania finally a fully sovereign nation run by its autochthonous inhabitants? If not, is it on its way? Or worse, is Dr. Kunnie's analysis just as relevant today as it was when his book was first published; which means Azania is still suffering under neocolonial hegemony, which makes true revolutionary Pan-African working-class sovereignty for Azania a mere chimera? In this episode of Conscientization 101 podcast, we present part one of a three-part dialogue with Dr. Julian Kunnie in regards to these vexing questions. And while the aforementioned book was the original impetus for this dialogue; we also incorporate Dr. Kunnie's other publication, The Cost of Globalization: Dangers to the Earth and Its People (podcast episodes 23-25), his forthcoming book The Earth Mother and the Assault of Capitalism: Living Sustainably with All Life–scheduled for release on April 23, 2025–as well as a myriad of other topics. In part one of our scintillating series with Dr. Kunnie, we set the stage for parts two and three, by giving an analysis of the impact of imperialism on the world's people and ecosystem, and much more. We also debut our new podcast intro: written, mixed, and performed by our esteemed brother Raggo Zulu Rebel! We also discuss details about our new Conscientization 101 Premium Podcast subscription; as well as the hand Raggo Zulu Rebel played in assisting us with our premium podcast subscription by introducing us to UK based music producer–and graphic designer we might add–Morfius! A very providential occurrence indeed. And if that wasn't enough, we also discuss the following: Settler colonialism, Palestine, and why resistance against settler colonialism is never a casus belli The election of a choleric, misanthropic, septuagenarian to the U.S. presidency. The utterly absurd, out of touch, and reactionary presidential campaign of the Democratic party Neocolonialism and wokeness And, much more! This episode features music from: Conscientization 101– "Decolonize This? Properly Defining Settlers – Part 1" Fela Kuti – “Confusion Break Bones (C.B.B.)” from his album Underground System Wise Intelligent – “Robbers, Barons, And Bankers” from his album El Negro Guerrero Raggo Zulu Rebel – “Freedom” (feat. Spliffy & Killa B) from his album The Rainmaker Donnie Mossberg – “Tragedy Mix” Excerpts for our Morfius anecdote were from the following: Cyclonious – “My Name Is Morfius” from his Heroes For Hire album Big Cakes – “The Outro” from his album CCC, and “Twitter” from his album KFC (we purchased this album on November 13, 2014, but when researching for the link to this album on November 26, 2024, we noticed the only place this was available was on Big Cake's Bandcamp page, and this track no longer on the album) Raggo Zulu Rebel – “Give It To Dem” (feat. Jayjayborn2sing) from his album The Return of Jah Messenger – Vol. 2, and “Babylon” from his album Ganja Music Vol. 2  Morfius Instagram: @MorfiusUK Donnie Mossberg Instagram: @machingunfunk The Podcast Was Just A Snippet Of The Interview. Want to Listen To The Unabridged Interview? Try C-101 Premium Podcast Free For 7 Days!

Critical Thinking - Syria: How, Why & What Next? The Black Spy Podcast, Season 18, Episode 0002   The Syrian conflict, which began in 2011 as part of the broader Arab Spring, has evolved into a complex and multifaceted civil war involving numerous domestic and international actors. Initially sparked by protests against President Bashar al-Assad's regime, the conflict quickly escalated into a violent struggle as the government responded with brutal crackdowns. Over the years, the war has drawn in various foreign powers, each with its own interests and agendas. The United States has been involved in the conflict primarily through its support for rebel groups, some radical Islamists and due to its fight against the Islamic State (ISIS). Washington has provided military aid and training to these opposition forces, while also conducting airstrikes against ISIS targets. However, the U.S. has been cautious about overt direct involvement against the Assad regime, focusing instead on counterterrorism efforts. Russia, on the other hand, has been a staunch ally of the Assad government, providing military support that has been crucial in turning the tide of the war in favour of the regime. Since 2015, Russian airstrikes and military advisors have bolstered Assad's forces, allowing them to reclaim significant territory. Russia's involvement is driven by its desire to maintain a foothold in the Middle East and to counter U.S. influence in the region. The United Kingdom has also played primarily a covert role utilising humanitarian aid plus limited military support to opposition groups. The UK has been involved in airstrikes against ISIS and has supported diplomatic efforts to find a political solution to the conflict. However, its influence has been overshadowed by the more direct interventions of the U.S. and Russia. Turkey's involvement is particularly significant due to its concerns over Kurdish groups in northern Syria, which it views as extensions of the PKK (Kurdistan Workers' Party), a designated terrorist organization. Turkey has conducted military operations against both ISIS and Kurdish forces, seeking to establish a buffer zone along its border. Additionally, Turkey has supported various rebel factions, aiming to counteract both the Assad regime and Kurdish influence. Israel's role in the conflict has been more indirect but nonetheless impactful. Israel has conducted airstrikes against Iranian positions and Hezbollah in Syria, viewing the presence of these groups as a direct threat to its national security. Israel has also provided humanitarian aid to Syrian civilians, but its primary focus remains on countering Iranian influence in the region. So recent development of the fall of Damascus after Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, took Idlib changed matters totally adding another layer of complexity to the conflict. HTS, which evolved from the al-Nusra Front, is clearly the dominant force in the region, albeit that HTS is often at odds with other rebel factions in addition to the Assad regime. Al-Jolani has sought to rebrand HTS as a more moderate entity, attempting to gain legitimacy and support from local populations and international actors. The takeover by HTS has raised concerns among the major powers involved. In summary, the Syrian conflict is characterized by a web of alliances and enmities among local and international actors, with the recent developments surrounding HTS and al-Jolani further complicating an already volatile situation. The interplay of U.S., Russian, UK, Turkish, and Israeli interests will still continue to shape the trajectory of this war weary country. As always, please don't be afraid to contact us and put any questions you might have to any of the Black Spy Podcast team concerning this or any other of our fascinating subjects. And, if you want to continue learning whilst being entertained, please don't forget to subscribe to the Black Spy Podcast for free, so you'll never miss another episode. To contact Firgas Esack of the DAPS Agency go to Linked In To contact Carlton King by utilising any of the following: To donate - Patreon.com/TheBlackSpyPodcast Email: carltonking2003@gmail.com Facebook: The Black Spy Podcast Facebook: Carlton King Author Twitter@Carlton_King Instagram@carltonkingauthor To read Carlton's Autobiography: “Black Ops – The incredible true story of a (Black) British secret agent”

To run the US military in his second term, Donald Trump has nominated as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a neoconservative self-declared "crusader" who is eager for a Western civilizational war on China and Iran. Ben Norton reviews the extremely hawkish history of the Fox News host turned likely Pentagon chief. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9WBjcfVhu4 Topics 0:00 Trump's defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth 0:31 An "American Crusade" (against China & Iran) 1:53 Hegseth called on Trump to bomb Iran 4:44 Trying to divide China & Russia 5:39 Fearmongering about BRICS & de-dollarization 7:48 "Axis of Evil": neocon ideology 8:26 Neocolonialism in Latin America 9:47 Preparing for war with China 11:33 Outro

Donald Trump has appointed neoconservative Marco Rubio to oversee US foreign policy as secretary of state. Ben Norton reviews his extremely hawkish record pushing for war on China, Iran, and beyond, as well as the Florida senator's shady support for his drug lord brother-in-law, Orlando Cicilia, who was imprisoned for trafficking $15 million in cocaine. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ncw2VCsJFI Topics 0:00 Intro 0:32 China is threat to US unipolar dominance 1:21 Rubio loves Israel 1:55 Rubio wants "disproportionate" attack on Iran 2:25 Religious fundamentalism 3:47 China is "far more dangerous than the cold war" 4:33 Neocolonialism in Latin America 6:03 Rubio wants USA to invade Venezuela 6:25 Monroe Doctrine 7:42 China and Latin America 8:39 Scapegoating China 9:28 Chinagate: the new McCarthyism 10:55 Censorship 11:41 Rubio wants to censor "disinformation" 12:08 Threatening Mexico 13:05 Rubio's shady links to drug lord brother-in-law 14:02 Outro

Donald Trump has nominated warmongering neoconservatives to run his foreign policy, including Marco Rubio as Secretary of State, Mike Waltz as National Security Advisor, Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, John Ratcliffe as CIA Director, and Elise Stefanik as UN Ambassador. Ben Norton reports on their extremely hawkish views. VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwsrUUkDBWg Topics 0:00 Trump's warmongering cabinet 3:54 Strategy: try to divide Russia & China 5:05 Summary of foreign policy of Trump's 1st term 8:31 Mike Waltz, National Security Advisor 12:49 Pete Hegseth, Defense Secretary 19:52 Neocolonialism in Latin America 23:00 Marco Rubio, Secretary of State 29:20 John Ratcliffe, CIA Director 32:07 Elise Stefanik, UN Ambassador 34:53 Outro

In the Year of Africa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo negotiated independence from Belgium to the rhythm of the country's greatest export: Congolese rumba. The wildly popular and meaningful genre became a soundtrack to global change. Written by Emily Hardick. Narration by Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Production by Laura Seeger and Dr. Nicholas B. Breyfogle. Video and text versions of this podcast are available at https://origins.osu.edu/article/year-of-africa-1960-rumba-pan-africanism-Kariba. This is a production of Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective at the Goldberg Center in the Department of History at The Ohio State University and the Department of History at Miami University. Be sure to subscribe to our channel to receive updates about our videos and podcasts. For more information about Origins: Current Events in Historical Perspective, please visit origins.osu.edu. Additional Resources: Elkins, Caroline. Imperial Reckoning: The Untold Story of Britain's Gulag in Kenya. Toronto: CNIB, 2008. Fanon, Frantz. Toward the African Revolution: Political Essays. New York: Grove, 1952. Lee, Christopher J. Making a World after Empire: The Bandung Moment and Its Political Afterlives. Athens: Ohio University Press, 2010. Monson, Jamie. Africa's Freedom Railway: How a Chinese Development Project Changed Lives and Livelihoods in Tanzania. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009. Phiri, Kings M. Malawi in Crisis: the 1959/60 Nyasaland State of Emergency and Its Legacy. Zomba, Malawi: Kachere, 2012. Sartre, Jean-Paul. Colonialism and Neocolonialism. Abingdon, UK: Routledge, 1964. Tischler, Julia. Light and Power for a Multiracial Nation: the Kariba Dam Scheme in the Central African Federation. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Collinet, Georges. “Hidden Meanings in Congo Music.” Afropop Worldwide, December 21, 2011. https://afropop.org/audio-programs/hidden-meanings-in-congo-music. Gondola, Didier. The History of Congo. Westport, Conn: Greenwood, 2002. Kazadi, Pierre Cary (Kazadi wa Mukuna). “The Genesis of Urban Music in Zaïre.” African Music 7, no. 2 (1992): 72–84. Nzongola-Ntalaja, Georges. Patrice Lumumba. First edition. Athens, Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2014. White, Bob W. Rumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutu's Zaire. Durham and London: Duke University Press, 2008. Iwa Dworkin, Congo Love Song: African American Culture and the Crisis of the Colonial State (University of North Carolina Press, 2017) Kevin K. Gaines, American Africans in Ghana: Black Expatriates and The Civil Rights Era (University of North Carolina Press, 2006) James Meriwether, Proudly We Can Be Africans: Black Americans and Africa, 1935-1961 (University of North Carolina Press, 2002)

Educational neocolonialism refers to the subtle perpetuation of colonial power dynamics through educational systems and practices. Rev. Amb. Prof. Oluwafemi Esan, Vice Chancellor of African Union University and a Professor of Transpersonal Psychology, emphasizes the importance of recognizing these dynamics. ___________________________________ Want To Learn More About The Obehi Podcast? Since 2019, the Obehi Podcast has been providing its listeners with in-depth interviews, covering such important topics as Business, Leadership, History, Storytelling, Content Creation, and the relationship between Africa and the rest of the world. Now, you can dive even deeper with Obehi Podcast by taking advantage of his signature program, “OWN YOUR STORY”, A Five-step Transformative Journey to Reshape Your Professional and Business Narrative for Success in Less Than 90 Days.

Western money, western ideas, and western decadence are set to destroy Africa — especially the most prosperous nations.  The Deuteronomy 8:14 principle applies just as much to Africa and East Asia as to the West.  The richest nations in the world are the ones plunging headlong into decadence. Some nations like Ghana are doing what they can to stave off the onslaught. This program includes: 1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus (Tennessee Senator: "Jesus Christ is Lord", French authorities arrest Christian activists, Rwanda closes over 4,000 churches) 2. Generations with Kevin Swanson

Western money, western ideas, and western decadence are set to destroy Africa-especially the most prosperous nations. The Deuteronomy 8-14 principle applies just as much to Africa and East Asia as to the West. The richest nations in the world are the ones plunging headlong into decadence. Some nations like Ghana are doing what they can to stave off the onslaught.

Western money, western ideas, and western decadence are set to destroy Africa—especially the most prosperous nations. The Deuteronomy 8:14 principle applies just as much to Africa and East Asia as to the West. The richest nations in the world are the ones plunging headlong into decadence. Some nations like Ghana are doing what they can to stave off the onslaught.

Western money, western ideas, and western decadence are set to destroy Africa - especially the most prosperous nations.--The Deuteronomy 8-14 principle applies just as much to Africa and East Asia as to the West.--The richest nations in the world are the ones plunging headlong into decadence. Some nations like Ghana are doing what they can to stave off the onslaught.--This program includes---1. The World View in 5 Minutes with Adam McManus -Tennessee Senator- -Jesus Christ is Lord-, French authorities arrest Christian activists, Rwanda closes over 4,000 churches---2. Generations with Kevin Swanson

A new MP3 sermon from Generations Radio is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Neocolonialism and Africa - Western Money, Ideas, and Decadence Speaker: Kevin Swanson Broadcaster: Generations Radio Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 8/8/2024 Length: 23 min.

A new MP3 sermon from Generations Radio is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Neocolonialism and Africa - Western Money, Ideas, and Decadence Speaker: Kevin Swanson Broadcaster: Generations Radio Event: Radio Broadcast Date: 8/8/2024 Length: 23 min.

Photo by Karol Stefański on Unsplash Support me at patreon.com/bionicplanet Related Links to Follow In episode 108 of Bionic Planet, I delve into a recent article published by the Washington Post that is riddled with inaccuracies, false premises, and misleading information. The episode serves as a critical analysis of the article, highlighting the importance of fact-checking and the credibility of mainstream media in reporting on complex issues such as climate change and carbon finance. The episode begins with a passionate rant about the Washington Post's story, titled "How Carbon Cowboys Are Cashing In on Protected Amazon Forest," which misrepresents the reality of carbon credits and their role in combating climate change. The host points out the flaws in the article's framing of the issue of nebulous land titles in the Brazilian Amazon and its failure to provide a nuanced understanding of the complexities involved. Throughout the episode, the host emphasizes the difference between uncertainty and inaccuracy, drawing on examples from the article to illustrate the importance of distinguishing between the two. The host also references the concept of Gell-Mann amnesia, highlighting the tendency for readers to overlook inaccuracies in one area while trusting the same source on other topics. The episode delves into the challenges of reporting on climate finance and the need for accurate and nuanced coverage in mainstream media. The host critiques the Washington Post's oversimplification of the issue of tangled land titles in Brazil and highlights the importance of understanding the nuances of carbon finance and climate solutions. In conclusion, the host calls for a more informed and critical approach to reporting on climate issues, emphasizing the need for accuracy, accountability, and progress in media coverage. The episode ends with a call to support the podcast through Patreon and sponsorship opportunities, highlighting the importance of amplifying legitimate debates and challenging misinformation in the climate realm. Overall, episode 108 of Bionic Planet offers a thought-provoking analysis of the Washington Post's misleading story, shedding light on the complexities of climate finance and the challenges of reporting on environmental issues in mainstream media. Timestamps 00:00:00 - Introduction to Rant about Washington Post Article 00:05:30 - Gell-Mann Amnesia Effect 00:11:30 - Critique of Washington Post's Misleading Claims 00:17:45 - Misrepresentation of Carbon Market 00:20:59 - Importance of Voluntary Carbon Market 00:23:10 - Criticism of The Guardian's Perspective 00:25:28 - Examination of World Rainforest Movement 00:29:12 - Issues with Independent Auditing Groups 00:30:14 - Conclusion and Call to Action Quotes "The only possible explanation for our behavior is amnesia." - 00:05:21-00:05:32 "We chase the immediate, the ephemeral, and ignore the seismic, the fundamental." - 00:18:37-00:18:48 "Let's not forget that we're here because we failed." - 00:20:59-00:21:10 "The fact is that many, and perhaps most, project developers were bleeding red ink for most of the past 15 years." - 00:17:45-00:17:55 "The Washington Post seriously overstates the prices that developers have received over the past 25 years." - 00:19:38-00:19:48 "The impetus for this Washington Post piece was a seriously flawed bit of blather called Neocolonialism in the Amazon, Red Projects in Portal, Brazil." - 00:24:46-00:24:57 "The problems with this Washington Post piece go on and on, but it also raises a few points that could be serious if they turn out to be true, and that's what's so frustrating." - 00:30:14-00:30:24 "Given the reporter's failure to get even basic premises right, and to insist on presenting an old, gray, intractable problem as a new, simple story complete with heroes and villains, I'm inclined to disbelieve those parts that seem to offer answers where I've only found questions." - 00:30:24-00:30:36 "I'm not here to balance negative stories with positive ones. I'm here to balance half-baked simplistic gibberish with contextualized complex truth." - 00:31:39-00:31:49

Neo-colonialism concerns the actions and effects of certain remnant features and agents of the colonial era. One way in which neocolonialism can be seen is through unequal patterns of cultural goods between the Global North and Global South. Debates surrounding cultural globalization have traditionally divided proponents of free trade and cultural preservation. In this episode we are talking to two Political Scientists who's alternative account is grounded in a global application of the ideal of social equality. Citizens of privileged societies ought to regard and relate to citizens of disadvantaged societies as social equals, and patterns of cultural exchange play an important role in promoting these relationships. Historically, colonized peoples were often regarded as inferior based on perceived failures to produce cultural achievements, to the extent that unequal global cultural production and exchange persist, and the colonial pattern remains. We are delighted to be joined by Prof Alan Patten and Dr Shuk Ying Chan, who argue that the duty to relate to foreigners as equals implies that Global North countries should stop pressing for cultural trade concessions and instead favor the import of cultural goods from the Global South. Mentioned in this episode:Shuk Ying Chan and Alan Patten. (2023) What's Wrong with Neocolonialism: The Case of Unequal Trade in Cultural Goods. American Political Science Review. UCL's Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy offers a uniquely stimulating environment for the study of all fields of politics, including international relations, political theory, human rights, public policy-making and administration. The Department is recognised for its world-class research and policy impact, ranking among the top departments in the UK on both the 2021 Research Excellence Framework and the latest Guardian rankings.

In this episode we interview Tammy Kovich and El Jones to discuss the book Antifascism Against Machismo Published by our good friends at Kersplebedeb, and described as  “An intergenerational dialogue on the meaning of feminist antifascism. Anti-Fascism Against Machismo collects and continues a conversation begun by Tammy Kovich (as “Petronella Lee”) in 2019. Four feminist, antifascist revolutionaries jump off from each other's reflections and bring the particularities of their varied contexts to bear on one central problem: What has and will a women's war against fascism look like?” We pick up this conversation with Tammy Kovich who wrote the original zine upon which the book is constructed as well as El Jones who wrote the introduction. The book itself also includes contributions from Veronica L and from the late great Butch Lee who became an ancestor in 2021, and who we all spend time honoring in this conversation. Among other things we discuss different variants of fascist or far right patriarchy and misogyny, the problems of the politics of representation and neocolonialism, and histories of the resistance of women in antifascist movements including in Ethiopia, Yugoslavia, and Spain. I will add that we recorded this conversation back in August, and I am sure that if we had recorded it after October 7th we would have talked about what an antifascist war against zionism might look like and the contributions of women and children in the Palestinian struggle against genocide. We very much appreciated this book and encourage folks to pick it up from Kersplebedeb's retail arm which is leftwingbooks.net/. It is currently 40% off for the month of March along with over 400 titles at their online bookstore. If you appreciate the work that we do, becoming a patron of the show or increasing your pledge to the show if you can afford to do so, are the most meaningful ways you can help us keep it going. We would not be able to bring you these episodes on a weekly basis and the livestreams we put out multiple times per week without the support of our listeners. We also will be starting a new study group in April and the best place for you to find out more about that and track everything we release is to become a patron for as little as $1 a month at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism    

This week our guest is the incomparable Mark Sleboda! You can find me and the show on social media by searching the handle @DrWilmerLeon on X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/Drwilmerleonctd All our episodes can be found at CTDpodcast.com.   Transcript: Dr Wilmer Leon (00:48): Welcome to the Connecting the Dots podcast with Dr. Wilmer Leon. I'm Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they occur in a vacuum, failing to understand the broader historical context in which most events take place. During each episode of this podcast, my guests and I will have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between current events and the broader historic context in which they occur. This will enable you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live. On today's episode, we will discuss the recent belt and road form for international cooperation. Recently, over 500 people were killed as a result of an Al Ali Arab Hospital bombing in Gaza. And the US has provided Ukraine long range attack s missiles for insight into this. Let's turn to my guest. He's a Moscow based international relations and security analyst, mark Sloboda. Mark, let's connect some dots. Mark Sleboda (01:58): Pleasure to on connecting the dots. Dr Wilmer Leon (02:02): So Russian President Putin recently went to Beijing to participate in the third Belt and Road forum for international cooperation. Mark, how significant was this meeting? Mark Sleboda (02:17): Yeah, so I think that this meeting was significant for a number of reasons. First, for President Putin on a personal situation, it is the first time that he has left Russia since the Wess pushed international criminal court charged Vladimir Putin with the crime of helping families and caretakers in East Ukraine move their own children out of the range of Kiev regime artillery that had been bombing them for the last 10 years, also known as abducting children, which evidently is a crime when Russia does it in a time of conflict, but is not a crime when the US does it, when they move thousands of children out of Afghanistan and many thousands of children out of Vietnam in a previous generation of conflict. But besides that, the Russian Chinese relationship bilaterally, I think is probably the most important bilateral relationship for both countries. And both presidents seem to have a good working relationship, often described as a friendship and a deep understanding with each other. (03:47) And each time one of the others has been reelected to their positions. The first country that they go to is each other's, and I think that is a symbolic sign of the relationship, how important it is with each other's countries. But in a wider perspective, this Belt and Road Forum summit, it is actually the 10th anniversary of China's launching of the Belt and Road Project with the goal of which is to build deep infrastructure all along certain geographic pathways along a lot of what could have been considered the old Silk Road to facilitate trade and connections between the countries of this part of the world. And this is something that China does wherever it goes and does business is build infrastructure because it considers that as a long-term investment, not only in the process of conducting trade, but of helping their trade partner develop to a level where they can better trade with each other. (05:09) So physical infrastructure, but also schools, hospitals, things like this. Now a lot of Russian and Chinese and many other countries, leaders have done a lot about talking about the construction of a new, more multipolar, fairer and more equitable world order. And this would stand, I think, in contradiction and an obvious opposition to the current rules based orders. We make the rules, we give the orders of US led Western global hegemony, but in this emerging, shall we say, nascent being born multipolar world order, there are several countries that come to the fore as the first among equals, but certainly China and Russia, our foremost political drivers amongst that. And China stands of course head above the rest if only in terms of their population and their economic strength, which by many measures already exceeds that of the United States. And if there is a meeting and a display of this alternate world order of which China is playing such an important part, a China centric world order, if you want to call it, that was on display in this Belt and road summit. (07:00) It was a bringing together of all the countries participating in this physical implementation of a more multipolar world order. The only Western leader in attendance, very interestingly is the right wing prime minister of Hungary, the foreign policy black sheep, victor or Bond who has refused to participate in the West's proxy war in Ukraine. And its existential economic war of sanctions weaponizing its control of the global financial and economic architecture against Russia, primarily from a Hungarian national interest perspective rather than any great love of Russia or the Russian president, which is I think a position that most people would agree is something that should be something that every world leader should aspire to, that they put their own nation's interest and people above all others. Although in the current world that's not even specific. It's not, we know that it's not the case. Dr Wilmer Leon (08:25): Just asked Olaf Schultz in Germany that question you mentioned each time gee and Putin get elected, we keep hearing from Western narrative, particularly from Biden authoritarians, authoritarians G is an authoritarian, Putin is an authoritarian, can just briefly explain the fact that they're elected, they don't control their elections. They have different electoral processes than we do. They have different democratic constructs than we have, but that doesn't mean that they're authoritarian. Mark Sleboda (09:14): Yeah, I mean this is a label that is tapped on essentially to any country now that lies outside of US-led western global hegemony that does not align itself and does not meet the West's self-reflective standard of what democracy looks like. And it really, it is a way of exerting moral superiority. The idea that we are both morally and systemically superior than those people over there who are our adversaries in a different time. It was communists of course, and there have been other labels in history and certainly labels are applied to the Western countries. They are imperialists. They are hegemons. This is a standard othering device. I live in Russia, I immigrated to Russia from the United States, and I have lived here for most of two decades. And I have to be honest, after having some experience as a volunteer for the US Democratic Party, I find that politics in Russia on a whole is no more or less substantive than the democratic nature beneath the sheets of politics in the United States. I don't want to go out of the way to make it seem like it's a democratic utopia or anything like that far from it. But on a whole, knowing the warts inside and out of political systems in US and Europe and now Russia, I think that over in a general context that they're expressed themselves roughly equally. There is Dr Wilmer Leon (11:18): Politics plus they also reflect the intricacies of their cultures. And so I was having a conversation with some folks a couple of days ago and I said they were, oh, well G is an authoritarian. And I said, well, I've seen polls from Harvard and Princeton and some other western universities that show like 96% of Chinese people like their government. And I think it was 87% of Russians polled like their government support government. So if it's working for them, then who in the world am I to say that it's not good, it's not right, or what we have is better. I know Joe Biden would love to see 60% approval rating, let alone 96% approval rating. Mark Sleboda (12:15): Yeah, I think not only approval of the current government, but I've seen similar polls that asking peoples of different countries whether they think they live in a democracy and quite overwhelmingly, certainly over the 50% margin, the people of Russia feel they live in a democracy and certainly the people in China do as well to an even greater degree. Again, it doesn't look like western liberal democracy, but perhaps you could consider it of a more technocratic bureaucratic nature. But as you point out, there is a thousand multi-thousand year history of Chinese bureaucratic constructs that they are laying their future and their choices on top of. Meanwhile, in the United States, people generally feel that they don't live in a democratic system, that their government is not responsive to their needs and interests. And you could say that that is, oh, I mean all the people in Russia and China are ignorant. (13:35) They don't know the real situation of what they live and what we live in. And I got to tell you, Russian people, even Chinese people, despite the great Chinese firewall, their coordinate of the internet generally have a far higher degree of reading and understanding western media than the other way around. That is they hear our perspective and thoughts, but as Westerners, you quite often don't hear at least on your own media unless you go actively looking for it, the opinions and perspectives of other countries. So I think that assumption that all the people over in that other part of the world, they don't live in a real democracy and that they think they do is only a sign of how brainwashed and ignorant they are compared to us enlightened people on the shining city on the hill. That is a hallmark of the supremacist ideology of exceptionalism that unfortunately has come to dominate not American political culture, but I think far more important, the American political elite, the ruling class. And that has disastrous consequences for us foreign policy and the world. Dr Wilmer Leon (15:05): You are absolutely right. I've been to Iran twice and was very blessed to lecture at probably somewhere between 10 and 15 universities throughout the country. And as I traveled throughout Iran, I was amazed at how well informed the questions that these students asked me. They were right on it, man, in terms of an understanding of the politics of the moment. And again, the questions that they asked me were spot on. It indicated that they were going beyond the rhetoric, they were going beyond the talking points. And it was shocking to me how well-informed in spite of the wall that you talk about in terms of the internet, they were on point, man. Mark Sleboda (16:11): Yeah, I think it's interesting that this label is applied to adversaries like Russia and China, Russia, which has opposition parties and elections. They don't do very good right now because since the economic catastrophe of the nineties, I think the Russian population has been more united in their political vision of a path out of that and forward and retaking what they see as their place in the world after the self dissolution of the Soviet Union. That will not last forever. And a lot of people question whether it will last after Putin at all. But there is opposition political structures. The biggest opposition political party in Russia is the communist party of the Russian Federation, which polls generally somewhere around 15% of the population. And in foreign policy, it must be said, they largely agree with the current government of Vladimir Putin, but in domestic issues, they constantly fight for the Duma for things that leftist parties always fight for, more social benefits, more spending on education and medicine and other things. And if anything, I think probably the communists would probably, if they were leading the country, would probably take a more hard line foreign policy position than the current government. I think that when the US Dr Wilmer Leon (18:02): Speak to that, because a lot of people listening this will say, wait a minute, a harder line than Vladimir Putin. Oh my God. You can't get a harder line than that when the people making those observations have never listened to the man, have never read any of the speeches that he's given. And so they, again, he's evil, he's insane, all of these, he's a dictator, all of these kinds of things. Mark Sleboda (18:36): Yeah. Again, the fact that they don't hear what Vladimir Putin has to say for himself because the western media specifically does not reproduce it for them. And I have to say that Russian media does this. I mean, there are still government funded projects in Somi that translate word for word western articles in print media and televised and put it out there for Russians to listen to, not only from the United States and Europe, but from all over the world. That tradition doesn't exist on the west. It's not that it is banned, although in some cases in Europe, Artie and Sputnik are banned, aren't they? Or everything is done to take them off the airwaves as is done in the United States, and of course not just with RT and Sputnik, but now with press TV from Iran. And there are calls of course to do the same to the Chinese CCTV and now even Al Jazeera in the current climate because as the state media arm of Qatar, they are now seen as being anti-Israeli. (19:55) So a very similar phenomenon is now taking place. And in a previous conflict, there was very much the same argument being made about Al Jazeera over the situation in Iraq. So this rears its head regularly, but why is the authoritarian label not linked to actual authoritarian countries? That is dictatorships, that are politically geopolitically allied with the United States, right? Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the UAE, these are states that are starting to diversify their foreign policy. Saudi joining Brix and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is a dialogue partner and identifying China as their most important trade partner, but still they are very much linked to the United States, and certainly they have been for decades. Qatar has a giant US army base, similarly in Kuwait, the UAE. Why are the actual monarchic oligarchic dictators of these countries not referred to as authoritarian? Because the label is more about oppositional geopolitical alignment than it is in domestic, Dr Wilmer Leon (21:27): Domestic government leadership, Mark Sleboda (21:29): Any real assessment of their domestic political system. And I have to Dr Wilmer Leon (21:34): Say mbss is chopping heads. I mean Mark Sleboda (21:38): Literally as a chopping more than heads, these bones aren't sorry. Right. As a veteran, well, I'm both a military, a US military veteran and shall we say a veteran of the US political system with all the warts that the US political system has with its systemic suppression of third party movements. And I'm talking, I mean Americans don't even know this for the most part, but their own two parties of power, the Republicans and Democrats regularly sue third parties to keep them off the ballot, right? I mean, they regularly go to court every election cycle to keep them off the ballot and the whole structure of 50 separate elections and the intricacies run by the party in power, either the Republicans or the Democrats in the state does everything possible to prevent the emergence of any other voice than those two and the electoral college and the eternal problems with campaign finance and lobbying. But Americans somehow feel their political systemic superiority so strongly that they don't even think when their political and media elites judge the political system of another country. And as far as most Americans reflexively are concerned, they think they are the only democratic country on earth and the only good people, which is really kind of another iteration of we are the chosen people of God, political meme throughout history. Dr Wilmer Leon (23:35): What is more authoritarian than not having a presidential primary in a system that is based on primaries? What is more of a dictatorship than imposing Joe Biden upon Democrats instead of holding a primary look at what the Democrats did to Bernie Sanders during the Hillary Clinton campaign, hence Julian Assange's email leaks, which demonstrated all the machinations that the Clinton campaign went through to see to it that Bernie Sanders could not become the Democrat nominee. What is more authoritarian than that? Mark Sleboda (24:28): I got to tell you. Dr Wilmer Leon (24:31): Am I right? Mark Sleboda (24:32): Yeah, you're absolutely right. And I don't want to go too much myself into US domestic politics because Dr Wilmer Leon (24:40): I just raised that Mark Sleboda (24:40): As examples myself from that. I don't want to cast stones. I don't necessarily feel that it's my place to, but I'm actually a confession. I'm originally from Scranton, Wilkesboro, Pennsylvania. That's where I was born. Anyway, that's also Joe Biden's hometown, where he was born. And I distinctly remember the video. I mean, I was too young at the time to remember it politically, of course, but I've seen the videos of Joe Biden running for Congress admitting open, right, that the system is corrupt, that corrupt people are elected to office, and that at the time, the only reason he wasn't corrupt is because he wasn't given the money by the oligarchs, by the rich of the country that he had asked for because he was too untested of yet, but that if he was, he would've taken, I mean, I think there is no greater condemnation of the US political system than admissions like that coming from the very seat of the president, or I mean, shall we take the words of prior presidents Jimmy Carter coming right out and saying, America is no longer a democracy. It is an oligarchy. Dr Wilmer Leon (26:11): You mentioned that President Putin went to China for the conference and that this was the first time that he had left the country in quite a while. That to me speaks volumes in how comfortable he must be in the midst of the Russia, Ukraine conflict. His country is at war, and he feels comfortable enough to leave his go to China for a couple of days. That to me says that he's comfortable not only in his position domestically, but he's also comfortable in his country's position internationally. Mark Sleboda (26:59): Yeah, I don't think Putin does. He perfectly understands, I think as a leader what he knows and what he doesn't know. And he has made it quite clear that he does not micromanage his generals in the conflict and in the intervention, the special military operation as they call it in Ukraine, the intervention in the Ukrainian civil conflict that has been going on for a decade. Also, of course, neither Russia nor China, nor it must be said, or the United States or India, are signatories to the Rome statute of the international criminal court. So that is not an issue on the trip. In fact, when the international criminal court tried to bring charges against the US, US leaders and military leaders for crimes, alleged crimes, yeah, committed in Afghanistan, in Iraq, they sanctioned the court, they sanctioned the judges, they sanctioned the prosecutor, they threatened to remove funding from the United Nations. They put arrest warrants out for the judges and the prosecutor until the issue was withdrawn. From my understanding is there were even threats made against the families and lives of Dr Wilmer Leon (28:44): SDA was the judge. Yes. I don't remember her first name, but her last name is sda, and her family was sanctioned and threatened. Mark Sleboda (28:54): Yes. So I don't place any credits to that. And one of the reasons I don't place any credits on these charges is anything more than an instance of geopolitical capture of a un institution, which unfortunately happens far more often than it should. But my full disclosure, my wife is from Crimea, which is considered, at least according to the us, to still be part of Ukraine. And we have family all over East Ukraine, and there are some 5 million Ukrainians living and working in Russia. And that is a side of that conflict. The fact that there has been a civil conflict in that country since the openly US backed overthrow of the government there in 2014 is the internal divide in that country. And again, I know Americans think that through their propaganda bubble of the New York Times, the Washington Post, the ancient three networks and Fox and CNN, that they have a better idea what is going on in Ukraine than most Russians do. No, they don't because there are 5 million Ukrainians living in Russia who tell them all the time on tv, in media and in person because of how much families are interrelated on both sides of the border, they know far, far more about what is happening and has been happening politically in that country, not only for the last year or two, but of course going back decades. And it is the height of hubris, I think, to think otherwise. Dr Wilmer Leon (30:48): Switching gears a bit, recently, over 500 people were killed as a result of the Al Ali Arab Hospital bombing in Gaza. And we are seeing this escalation of the conflict in occupied Palestine. As I've been listening to President Xi, as I've been listening to President Putin, they have been trying to find a way to first of all bring about a ceasefire and second of all, negotiate a settlement. I listened to Joe Biden talk about peace, but all he really seems to say is we back Israel a hundred percent. We'll provide more weapons into the region, but we need to have peace. So Mark Sleboda (31:44): Go ahead. Joe Biden has also said, you don't need to be Jewish to be a Zionist. And I think Dr Wilmer Leon (31:49): And has said very clearly that he is a Zionist Mark Sleboda (31:52): And has said that if Israel did not exist, then the United States would have to create it to pursue its interests in the Middle East because it serves such as a convenient platform for the US projection of power into the Middle East. Dr Wilmer Leon (32:11): Wait a minute, lemme throw one more in there. Tony Blinken said the last time that he was in the region, he said, I am not only here as a Secretary of state, I am here as a Jew. So forget independent thinking. Forget being a neutral arbiter here in a Jewish state. That sounds more like imperialism and Mark Sleboda (32:38): Neocolonialism than anything. Mark Sabota. Yeah. Tony Blinken also by the way, mentioned that his family were originally from Russia and that they left the country, his grandfather because of pilgrims in Russia. And I'm really interested in the timing of pilgrims and his grandfather because certainly in the distant past there were pilgrims against Jews in Russia as there were many countries, but within the lifespan of his grandfather, it would make me really seriously question that characterization and feel he's inflating his family's political disagreements within the country. But that certainly also says in the current tensions with Russia in Ukraine and the proxy war there, that he also has a personal ax to grind as do so many people driving US foreign policy on the region like Victoria Newland, whose own family is originally from Ukraine, so there is that as well. But Putin, the Russia has already put forward at the UN Security Council a resolution calling for immediate ceasefire, and this was shot down by the US and Western countries with the US saying that the resolution could not, they couldn't vote for it because it did not criticize Hamas enough, which is obviously the most important thing when you're trying to craft a ceasefire to stop people from actively killing each other. (34:24) Russia and China have been in lockstep on their calls from this. They to a certain extent have been trying to be neutral in the sense that they are refraining from, I think overt criticism of one side or the other in the interest of attaining that ceasefire. Brazil, by the way, also put forward a UN security council resolution calling at least then for humanitarian ceasefires. And that was actually vetoed by the United States as well as France and the UK in lockstep there. Russia and China have been clear, while they don't support the tactics of Hamas, they feel that this is just the latest consequence of a long-term policy of a pretense of a peace process while backed by to the hilt by the us. Israel goes about its process of what it calls settlers, which is a policy of ethnic cleansing and colonization of Palestine, of the Palestine. (35:41) America, of course, does not recognize the state of Palestine, Russia and China both do, and they think they've made it clear that this is a result of the West, the world, but most importantly the West because they're not do it, not recognizing the Palestinian state, not granting its sovereignty and its own borders, and its right, of course, to defend its own country and borders and people a right that they extend to Israelis, but not to Palestinians. Because you'll hear from multiple US politicians and political elite that they don't believe that the Palestinians are a people to, which I would say you really, really need to go visit Gaza or the West Bank then. And Americans also seem to not understand, and I'm not so sure it would make a difference, maybe it would that a third of the Palestinians are actually Christians. I mean, would that help their perception, help them get past the inherent Islamophobia involved in the issue? (36:54) I don't know, but maybe people should point that out to them that it might help the situation some. But yeah, Russia and China have been quite clear net. Putin has talked to Netanyahu. He has also of course talked to the Palestinian leader, ABAs in the West Bank, and his government has been in contact with Hamas and the other political factions in Gaza. He's also been nonstop on the phone with every major Arab and other world leader that has interests in this conflict, Iran, Hezbollah the like. And he has been trying to do his best towards trying to come to some kind of sane cessation of hostilities. But instead, what we get obviously from the Biden administration, from the eu, the Western countries in general, is they have obviously given a green light to Israel to do a ground operation in Gaza. And Israel has demanded of the, it's a city of some more than 2 million people that has been rightly called the world's largest concentration camp or an open air prison with walls built around it. The real solution is the recognition of the Palestinian state, and that's the only way to relieve the pressure of the people in Gaza. Dr Wilmer Leon (38:59): One of the things that I found incredibly telling and quite a contrast was as Tony Blinken was on his Middle Eastern tour talking to US allies, the foreign minister of Iran was on his tour of the region talking to Iranian allies. In fact, lemme take a step back. When Trump assassinated Qem soleimani, the revered Iran in general, Iran said, we will retaliate. And a lot of people thought that that meant, oh my goodness, well, over the next few days, Iran's going to do something and Iran didn't do anything. Now we've got Tony Blinken, he was on his trip. Joe Biden was there on his trip, and at the same time, the Iranian foreign minister was talking to Iranian allies, and now the Iranian foreign minister has come out and said, Israel, your time is up. Talk about what an even height, another escalation of this conflict could mean in the region and what it could mean in the world. Mark Sleboda (40:21): Yeah, there was an interesting article out yesterday in the Financial Times where an anonymous US official acknowledged that as a result of the US and the rest of the West, so wholeheartedly backing Israel in this to the degree that they have, and this obvious green light for the ground operation, which is a ethnic cleansing of Gaza, of the Palestinian population, ordering 1 million people to get out of the way. Of course it's an impossibility, where would they go is the most obvious question, even if you were able to order a million people at a time to leave their houses. But there is an alignment of global sentiment and forces, political forces going on the financial Times. This US official and the Financial Times laments that as a result of this, that this is incredibly damaging to us influence in what the US usually likes to call the global south, where if you think of the West, you think of the rest and he says they will never listen to us again. I mean, if they were already, then we've lost them, not just the Islamic world, but more broadly. And because of the recent reproach month between Saudi Arabia and Iran, the normalization of diplomatic relations, thank Dr Wilmer Leon (42:18): You, China. Mark Sleboda (42:19): Yeah. It's brokered by China and not all peaches and cream. But the last week saw the first direct phone call between the president of Iran and the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman, and they both agreed, they expressed a common position on what is happening in Palestine, in Gaza, and is what Israel is doing and how unacceptable it is. And that is already an amazing geopolitical change. Like the world has shifted, and I have to constantly ask myself, is this real right that the world has changed so much? And there's a saying attributed to Lenin that decades pass and nothing changes. And then at other times in weeks, decades pass decades of change ensue. And we're I think, living in one of those periods, one of those latter periods now where things are changing so fast and we Dr Wilmer Leon (43:37): Minute, wait a minute, a minute. Because to that point again, China helped to broker the reproach mon between the Saudis and the Iranians and the United States was in the process of brokering a reproach mon between the Saudis and Israel, and then Hamas attacks Israel and the Saudis say out Israel, that conversation we were about to have, let's put that on hold because that decade of change has taken place in the matter of a day. Mark Sleboda (44:17): Yeah, Saudi Arabia was really looking for under, shall we say, a newly foreign policy mature Moham bin Salman, who has obviously changed himself a lot in recent years from what he was when he first came into power as the heir to the ailing king who has really been running the country. He is looking for a multi-vector foreign policy with a minimal amount of conflict. So he wanted to have the foreign policy options with bricks, with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, but it doesn't mean that he wanted a complete severance of relations with the United States either. And since the Trump administration, the US has been pushing very, very hard on their policy of trying to get Arab countries to recognize in Israel and to normalize relations, diplomatic relations, and others, which would also be tantamount to accepting Israeli occupation of large parts of Palestine and ever increasingly more so, you can see where the Palestinians probably regarded a normalization deal being pushed by the US between Saudi Arabia and Israel as an existential issue for them. (45:55) Because as by many standards, the most important Sunni Islamic country, because of its holding not only of world's energy reserves with oil, but also the two holy mosques, the way Saudi Arabia goes, the rest of the SUNY Arab world would inevitably follow, and that would end any hope of Arab support for them if this deal went through. It. Also, by the way, the sweetener is a security guaranteed deal with Saudi Arabia, which would effectively elevate Saudi Arabia in security technical terms to the status of the relationship between the US and Israel, IE preferential deals on weapons systems, access to more advanced military technology, full access to intelligence training. Everything that the US provides now to Israel would also be provided at the same level, the same prices and so forth, more or less to Saudi Arabia. That was the sweetener of the deal, and I believe that Hamas' motivation in the, they killed civilians. I mean, there's been a lot of, I think, obvious beheading of babies. That's Kuwaiti incubator, baby type disinformation ized to, but that's not to excuse that they use terrorist tactics. They killed civilians. On the Dr Wilmer Leon (47:36): Other hand, wait a minute, and don't forget the Russian killing of babies in the Ukraine, the women's hospital that wasn't a women's hospital. Mark Sleboda (47:48): That is I think, a case for the point, again, for the way the US wages information war mostly against its own people, which is another fascinating at a rabbit hole to go down. But I mean, it's not to say that Israel doesn't routinely kill, I mean, on an essentially daily basis, Palestinian civilians through its process of settling, ethnic cleansing, political Dr Wilmer Leon (48:18): Oppression, it bulldozers, villages, indiscriminately arrests, detains people without charge, and basically Mark Sleboda (48:29): Regularly summarily executes people who resist that, Dr Wilmer Leon (48:34): Right? Mark Sleboda (48:35): So anyway, I believe that Hamas' primary motivation in launching this attack, a wasting military resources that they had spent years building in secret plans that they had. The timing of this tells me that it was to prevent that Saudi Israeli reproach month deal being pushed by the US from going through, because they saw it as existential for them. And if that was the goal, then it has been successful because as a result of Saudi's disproportionate response to, if Israel had said, we are going to do a targeted anti-terrorist operation in Gaza against the Hamas and the Islamic Jihad leadership who were responsible for this, and the people who carried it out, I think there would've been a very different global reaction to this. If instead we didn't have Israeli leaders saying that we're going to destroy Gaza, that we're going to wipe Gaza off the face of turn it to Dr Wilmer Leon (49:54): Dust, Mark Sleboda (49:54): Dust, and that all Palestinians civilians are the enemy. We heard that from Naftali Bennett. That would've been a very different situation. And there is, I think a much more substantial reaction, not only from the usual suspects, we've heard that from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon, the Sufi, sorry, the Shia organization there. That is demonized wrongly in this particular case because it doesn't use terrorist tactics by the US and Israel, and no country in the world really outside the West as a terrorist organization that if Israel goes a ground operation and begins cleansing Gaza, then Hezbollah will open up a second front war on the Israeli north, and then there will be a two. Iran has voiced very similar that prospects that if the Israeli government's atrocities against the Palestinian people, which as a result right now are approaching 4,000 dead, which by the way is almost four times the number of people that the Hamas' operational s of flood attacks killed four times. (51:35) So obviously proportionality is not an issue when it comes to Israel, but that Iran would feel the need to intervene. We've heard even further, surprisingly, from the government of Jordan and the king of Jordan, right? Not called authoritarian by the way, but because he was educated in Oxford, I mean, he's largely regarded across the Arab world as a western puppet, as a western aligned Arab leader with a very large Palestinian refugee population, and a people who feel very close to that situation. Jordan has come out and said that if Israel looks set to drive the Palestinians out of Gaza as they appear to be planning to do, then Jordan would consider it an act of war. Which I mean, that totally surprised me coming from the modern. Now, a lot of it is probably motivated out of self-interest of the Jordanian king. If I don't react the way my people want me to, they will overthrow me in order to be able to do something. (52:53) But regardless of his personal motivations for it, it is certainly something I did not expect. And if Jordan does, so other countries around will become involved, and then there's the prospect of other countries or say Hezbollah as an organization becomes involved, that the US becomes involved. The US has two aircraft carriers. Well, the second one's steaming on its way to the Israeli coast right now, as well as a marine amphibious expedition ships with some at least 2000 Marines. And Joe Biden has kind of, I don't know on some type of idiotic loop reel, been saying about Hezbollah and Iran don't even, as it shovels tens of billions of dollars of emergency military support of crucial military supplies into Israel. And Biden is calling for 10 billion in military emergency, military or financial aid, sorry to be transferred as well. Russia is sitting there. Russia has military bases in Syria, naval base, several other military bases where it helped prevent a US backed jihadi overthrow of the Syrian government there with the us it must be said, still illegally occupying eastern Syria, east of the river, Syria's oil fields and wheat fields, and Turkey still sitting in northern Syria with a hundred thousand Jihadists still on its payroll. (54:46) But Russia has these military bases in Syria, and it sees the US just down the coast a little bit with two aircraft carriers. And Putin has asked the question, what are you going to do with those two aircraft carriers? And they're resulting fleets, Hezbollah seriously. And Putin was obviously expressing that he doesn't believe that. So Putin ordered that Russian jet fighters, they're most modern variants, fifth gen fighters will now be patrolling the Black Sea, the extent of it with al hypersonic long range missiles that have a range of a thousand kilometers. And he very directly pointed out that fired from the Black Sea that those missiles can hit US aircraft carriers where they're sitting in the Eastern Mediterranean and again, hypersonic. Hypersonic, yeah. So very, very hard to shoot down, if not impossible. And he said, this is not a threat. This is a response. (56:03) And basically he is saying, if you attack Syria, and it has to be said that Israel has already bombed Damascus airport very heavily again, and they've been shelling Southern Lebanon, if you attack our military bases in Syria, then will take out your aircraft carriers, right? I mean, you see where this spiral of escalation is leading, right? Israel goes into Gaza, Hezbollah, maybe Iran go in, Israel conducts cleansing operations in Gaza and Jordan and probably half of the rest of the Arab world join in. They join in, and the US joins in the US attacks Syria as part of this, because Iran power projects through Syria, Russia has bases in Syria. Russia bases get attacked. Russia attacks the US boom. We're in World War III in another conflict, right, that is going on simultaneously with ripple effects from the geopolitical tension and the conflict going on in Ukraine. So all of this has me feeling very much as my used to say, as a long tailed cat in a room full of Dr Wilmer Leon (57:22): Rocks, rocking chairs, and I want to reiterate hypersonic missiles. That means that Joe Biden has basically sent two targets for Russia to attack. Mark Sleboda (57:40): Now, Russia is not going to just attack American aircraft carriers Dr Wilmer Leon (57:45): World Mark Sleboda (57:46): War ii realize. No, I realize that it's meant as a deterrent, Dr Wilmer Leon (57:50): Which, so what is a deterrent that does not deter? Mark Sleboda (57:55): That's a good question. Unfortunately, I think Russia has seen several red lines be crossed in the recent years with the US escalation in Ukraine and hasn't responded, which has led numerous White House officials to say outright, we don't believe in Russian red lines. That means that we can keep poking the bear. And no matter what they do, they won't respond because they fear a nuclear conflict more than we do. That is, well, it's more than madness. It is the death of mad. It is the death of mutually assured destruction, which takes us back to a very early Cold War era that we should all be afraid of. Dr Wilmer Leon (58:44): Just really quickly, we have just about two minutes left, and I'm glad you made that point, because whether it's Ukraine, whether it's Syria, whether it is the Black Sea, the United States seems to continue to believe a, when Vladimir Putin or when Xi Jinping says something, they don't mean it. And when they make a commitment, they will not honor it. And what I have come to see over the years is they don't bluff. They don't play, they don't joke. We got a minute. Mark Sleboda (59:22): Yeah. So how to mesh that difference between, I think demonstrable reality and what the US ruling administration as seeing as their politicized reading of their opponents, that does not match up with reality. That's a recipe for disaster, Dr Wilmer Leon (59:46): Really. Wow. Well, I want to thank my guest, mark Sloboda. Mark, thank you for joining me today. Mark Sleboda (59:54): Thanks for having me, Dr. Leon. It's been an honor and a pleasure to be on the show. Dr Wilmer Leon (59:58): Thank you, mark. Big shout out to my producer, melody McKinley. Thank you so much for joining the Connecting the Dots podcast with me, Dr. Wimer Leon. This is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history, converge talk without analysis is just chatter, and we don't chatter on connecting the dots. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share my show, follow me on social media. You can find all the links below in the show description. I'll see you next time. Until then, treat each day like it's your last, because one day you'll be right. I'm Dr. Wier Leon. Peace and Blessings. I'm out.

This episode is a continuation of the colonial connection series, where we speak more in depth about the origins and functions of fascism, as it relates to both Zionism today, the occupation of Palestine, and colonialism throughout history. We also talk about how reform is intrinsic to new developments of fascism that do not look exactly like what came about in Europe throughout the 1920s and 30s - today Fascism is of its own forms, which have learned lessons from the past, right beside the ruling class, and our oppressors, who work hand-in-hand (though not always in “unison) to oppress the people and make off with their riches. Please let me know what you think!

Wilmer Leon and Tom Porter discuss , as we exist in a political duopoly, what is the African American community to do when neither party is interested in representing its interests and the community does not seem willing to demand that they do.  The geopolitical landscape is changing from a unipolar world with the US as the unipolar hegemon to a multipolar world.  The US empire and neo-colonialism are struggling to survive.  This is a perfect moment in history for the African American community to coalesce with other oppressed peoples and implement change.   You can find me and the show on social media by searching the handle @DrWilmerLeon on X (Twitter), Instagram, and YouTube. Our Facebook page is www.facebook.com/Drwilmerleonctd All our episodes can be found at CTDpodcast.com. Transcript: Wilmer Leon (00:14): I'm Wilmer Leon. Here's the point. We have a tendency to view current events as though they occur in a vacuum, failing to understand the broader historical context in which most events take place. During each episode of this program, my guests and I will have probing, provocative, and in-depth discussions that connect the dots between current events and the broader historic context in which these events occur. This will enable you to better understand and analyze the events that impact the global village in which we live. What are we to do when neither party is interested in representing our interests and we don't seem to be willing to demand that they do? For insight into this, let's turn to my guest. He's a lifelong activist and scholar, former dean of the African-American Studies Department at Ohio University, and former director of the King Center in Atlanta, and former host of morning conversations with Tom Porter. He's Tom Porter. Tom, welcome, and let's connect some dots. Tom Porter (01:21): Good morning and thanks for having me Wiler. Wilmer Leon (01:23): So Tom, there's a lot going on right now. There are certain times or moments in history when you look back at some time later and you say, wow, that was a pivotal moment. That was the time that changed the world, the industrial revolution, the first man on the moon, the assassination of Dr. King. I believe that we're in one of those moments right now, the transformation from a unipolar to a multipolar world with the US no longer being the unipolar hegemon, the US Empire and Neocolonialism are struggling to survive. Tom, with that being understood, your assessment of what I've just stated and what are we to do? Tom Porter (02:12): It's an interesting question. At the same time that the world is, and rightly so focused on the events that are happening in the Middle East, not dealing with it in terms of a historical context, but at the same time that this is happening, there's a big meeting in China celebrating 10 years of the Belt Road Initiative where countries from all over the world are there. We are at a pivotal moment in history and what's happening in the Middle East. It is a reflection of that. It's a reflection of something historically that was wrong from the very, very, the state of Israel was founded in 1948, not in the biblical times of old. And not only was it founded in 1948, and the question you have to really ask yourself, why did they simply allow the Jews to stay in Europe? That's an interesting question. So now if you look at what is happening in the Middle East and if you deal with the results and not how the results were obtained, that is the state of Israel is a geopolitical construct. (03:37) I say that because it was put where it was put, not because it had something to do with the Bible or history, but because it was a strategic move on the part of the West to solve a problem of what to do with the Jews in Europe and also to solve a problem of establishing a geopolitical body in the Middle East to checkmate the Arabs. But while this is going on, the world has moved on. It's no longer a duopoly. It is no longer the West that's dominating. It's not only China, but it's various other organizations and formations around the world in Africa and Latin and Central America, and even in Asia, all pointing in one direction that is trying to find a way to solve the pressing problems of today, which cannot be solved unless you have a multipolar world. Wilmer Leon (04:48): You mentioned the 10th anniversary of China's Belt and Road initiative in the fact that a number of countries from all over the world came to China in order to convene, and you had President Putin spending three hours meeting with President Xi, and this is a rarity. When Putin and Lavrov traveled, foreign Secretary Lavrov traveled together. Lavrov goes to meet with Wangee, the Chinese foreign minister, and they're talking about all kinds of trade initiatives. They're talking about security initiatives, all of this taking place, and the United States isn't in the room. That, in my opinion, speaks volumes about how the world has changed. Tom Porter (05:46): Well, the West is no longer the center of the world. The West is no longer the dominant force in the world, politically, economically and actually militarily because you have around the world, as I said, different organizations and formations and the west has been left out. I mean, take Israel for years. Yesterday the United States representative of the UN vetoed a proposition that was put on the table by Brazil, vetoed it as it has in the past, and that is whenever the subject of Israel misdeeds would come up at the UN and it would pass overwhelmingly, but it was vetoed by the United States. The problem is now that the world is not paying any attention to that veto. But what is also interesting in all of this, Wilma, is the presence of blacks out front representing this country. It was a black woman who vetoed it, Linda Thomas Greenfield. (07:09) Yes, it was Lloyd Austin who went to Israel, went to Israel, and then there was this deputy who I'd never heard of, this black guy who popped up and they always put us out front. We were always out front, but there's never any reciprocity, and that's one of the problems in the African world, including here in this country, is the lack of an understanding of reciprocity because there's no agenda. The last time there was an agenda was the agenda at the Gary Convention. That was the last time. I mean, for instance, everybody wants us to support their position, but we never ask them, what is your position on reparations? Not reparations in some little city out in Illinois that decides that it's going to give a few houses away, but reparations in the same sense that Israel got reparations, the Jews got reparations, the Japanese got reparations. We don't even put it on the table. Where's the black caucus in this? Do they have a position on what's going on in the Middle East? Do they really see any relationship between what's going on in the Middle East and what's happening to us in this country? Gentrification is nothing more than a move against black people to take land in the fifties and sixties. (08:42) They call it urban renewal. We call it negro removal when they put expressways through every major black community in this country that they could, and therefore separating not only black people in terms of communities, but also limiting the possibility that we would be able to act as a force, a unified force. Wilmer Leon (09:07): Go ahead. Tom Porter (09:07): So we don't make the connections between what is happening in the Middle East and potentially what could happen to us in this country as we are marginalized more and more. It's not just gentrification, but it's also the reduction of the quality of education and our school systems. It's also the quality of healthcare. It's everything that we consider the misery index, Wilmer Leon (09:42): And it's all of those things, the misery index that we keep being told that we can't afford to ameliorate or we can't afford to solve, but somehow we can find a hundred billion dollars to send to Ukraine. We can now have a president in Joe Biden who wants to send not only money to Ukraine, but now also send more money to the settler colonial state known as Israel. And you even have Janet Yellen, the Secretary of the Treasury, saying, oh, we can fight wars. We can afford to fight wars on two fronts. That's not a problem at all. Well, if we can fight a war on two fronts, then why can't we fight the war on poverty? Why can't we fight the war on homelessness? Why can't we pay teachers in this country who are supposed to be educating the most significant resource in our culture, our children? Then why can't we afford to pay them more? Why can't we fight those fronts instead of printing money in order to send to Ukraine and in order to send to the settler colonial state known as Israel? Tom Porter (11:06): Exactly. And the problem that I'm having in all of this Wilma, is, and as I talk with my friends, I say the fundamental question that we must ask ourselves today. What does all of this mean for us? Should we have representatives at the Belt and Road Initiative in China? I visited Palestine and Lebanon years ago in a delegation that was led by Jack odell, and one of the things that I admired about the Palestinians, even though they were in a large ghetto, they were organized. They had their own Red Cross, they had their own school system. They acted as if they were in exile. We act as if we belong to something, which each and every day is saying to us that you could stay here, but under our conditions, and we have to really ask ourselves, should we? The UN has already said that the conditions of black people in this country is similar to crimes against humanity. Should this woman who represents the United States represent us at the un or should we have our own? We have to connect ourselves to the forces that are moving forward, not continue to stay and plead each and every day for the devil to accept us in hell. Wilmer Leon (12:47): What I hear you saying there is we should be having an international Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party. We should, as Mrs. Hamer did at the Democrat Convention because Mississippi would not seat black, a black delegation that we should create our own and take that to the United Nations. Tom Porter (13:16): Exactly. We have to act as we really are. We are people who are really in exile, whether we believe it or not, there was never any intention to free the slaves and there was never any intention when they were freed to honor that freedom in any meaningful way was never a 40 acres in a mule. I mean, there was never, they had no plan for black people of African descent in this country beyond slavery any more than they had a plan to give the land back to the Native Americans. They never had any plan, and they still don't have a plan. And we have been continuing in each generation, our politics has been focused on trying to convince the people who run this country that we are worthy of being a part of this piece of SHIT. Rather than saying, Hey, I mean it's like critical race theory. (14:25) Why should we be concerned about whether white people want to know about black people? We should be concerned about knowing about ourselves, knowing what our history is, what our history has been. It should be taught in every place that black people gather in the churches and the neighborhood houses and what have you, but we shouldn't be concerned about that. But if people seeking freedom would not be concerned whether or not they're enemies who have been their enemies and will always be their enemy because of the nature of the capitalistic system, they can't solve the problem of black people or the native Americans of brown people, of working people, of poor people within the confines of capitalism. It is impossible. Wilmer Leon (15:14): You mentioned putting black faces on the front of all of this. If we shift the conversation, for example to Haiti, that would be a perfect example of what you're talking about. It's Hakeem Jeffries who has been traversing the Caribbean, trying to convince Caribbean countries to join the US invasion of Haiti. I believe Kamala Harris was a part, I know she's not part of the CBC, but she was at one point that she also was down at Racom trying to convince Caribbean countries to back the US invasion of Haiti. And now they finally convinced Kenya to get on board and send a thousand Kenyan. So-called policemen to Haiti, and fortunately the Kenyan Supreme Court has said not so fast they think that this move violates the Kenyan constitution. But I just use that as an example of how African-Americans are put on the face. I call it minstrel internationalism because it's black face on white folks foolishness Tom Porter (16:37): Without a doubt. They haven't really asked anybody black to comment on what is happening in the Middle East. Only to say that I support the state of Israel or the state of Israel has a rhythm. Wilmer Leon (16:52): Right to exist. Tom Porter (16:53): Right to exist and right to defend itself. Well, that's an interesting question because it goes back to 1948. It's not like this is an old situation, and it was a land grab that the people who settled and formed the state of Israel were not from that part of the world world. Their history was in Europe. And that's why I say it was a geopolitical construct. I mean, they considered putting it where Uganda is, and then they were going to put it in Latin America. So they considered a number of different places. So there's nothing sacrosanct about the state of Israel because the other thing is they say that Israel is the only democracy in the, if in fact Palestinians were allowed to vote in elections in Israel, Wilmer Leon (17:57): They'd be outnumbered. Tom Porter (17:59): Yeah, they'd be outnumbered. But again, we have to ask ourselves, what does this all mean for us? Biden's making these crazy statements. What does it mean to us? What does it mean to us that we give Israel more money than we give the whole continent of Africa every year, but we take more out of the continent of Africa every year. Wilmer Leon (18:32): Go ahead, finish that. Tom Porter (18:33): Then we take out of any other continent. Wilmer Leon (18:36): And to that point, that's one of the things that motivated Niger to throw the French out of Niger, which was we have some of the most precious resources in our country that are extracted from our country every year and somehow some way we're one of the poorest countries in the world. And they were saying, we have to change that dynamic. And what did they do took, and you know what? I think this is a great place to talk about the difference between flag independence and real freedom. Because for example, when you look at Palestine, they have a flag. When you look at Niger, they have a flag. When you look at so many of these former colonial states, which are now neo-colonial states, they got their independence, which means they got a flag, they got a government to a great degree, they control a lot of their politics, but what they don't control was their economies. And when you control your economy, you then have real freedom. And that's what a lot of these resistance movements now are about, is controlling their, what did Gil Scott Heron say? When I control your resources, I control your world. Tom Porter (20:10): That's right. It's interesting because I'm constantly having to remind my friends from the Caribbean that who like to talk about we have our own flag, and I have to constantly remind them that brother and sister, that's just another place where the slave ship stop. Don't get this stuff twisted. And it's very important that we understand that because they are using, do you notice that people who were black Americans now refer to themselves as black American of Jamaican descent, black Americans, of what they were comfortable in being black Americans. And now that they understand that the country is using them, the Black studies movement was undermined by bringing reactionary Africans and people from the Caribbean into leadership. You don't have to take my word for it, do a survey. So because you can come here and don't have a commitment to the struggle of black people in this country, and you leave the real struggle that's going on in your country. So we're beginning to see that not only, but just notice this from now on, people who now say that I'm a black American and of so-and-so, but when you were taking advantage of everything that we had fought for, you were happy in being a black American. Wilmer Leon (21:37): But here's a point that I haven't heard anybody mention, and that is the Balfour Agreement from 1917, which is where the whole agreement to establish a colony in Palestine was agreed to in London. And one of the provisions of the Balfour Declaration was the civil rights and protections of the indigenous Palestinians will not be assaulted. They will be protected. In fact, if you read the Balfour Declaration, Israel isn't mentioned. All it talks about is a homeland for Jewish people in Palestine with a capital P. Tom Porter (22:33): That's interesting. But see, there you go, raising those vicious truths, Wilmer Leon (22:39): Connecting the dots, Tom Porter (22:43): Which is really so important that we understand, as Cabral would say, connecting the struggles that we understand the interrelatedness of the world in which we live, in which China talks about bringing the world together to solve pressing problems, Wilmer Leon (23:01): As does Russia, Tom Porter (23:03): Right? The West, basically everything is a matter of national security. They're motivated. The new justification for every dirty deeded that they want to do is it's a matter of national security. If black people really begin to push hard, they're going to say that it's a matter of national security that we have to deal with. Not that the issue that they're raising is not important. They're not even talking about unifying the world even to solve the problem of climate. They're not talking about peace. They're talking about war, strategic interests and what have you. They're not even discussing building a better world, because if they talked about building a better world, they would have to change the system. And I mean something as simple as trying to solve the climate problem. Well, you could always say that by so-and-so and so-and-So we're going to eliminate the use of automobiles and have more public transportation more. I mean, you can go some places in this country, like my state of Ohio, if you don't have a car, you can't get around. There's no rail system. I mean, one of the things about the east coast, you can go to Philly, you can go to New York, or you get in the Midwest, it gets tricky. Wilmer Leon (24:40): You can go to Europe and never need a car with trains and buses and subway systems. You can go to Europe and never need a driver's license. Tom Porter (24:54): It's a mess, I tell you. Wilmer Leon (24:56): But you know, I'm glad that you brought up war versus solving problems because going back to the meeting that recently took place in China, while that meeting was taking place in China and they were cutting economic deals, they were cutting development deals, they were talking about how to make the world safer and improve the world. Joe Biden was in the Middle East fanning the flames of war, encouraging Netanyahu to invade Gaza, telling him, I've got your back. Go ahead and go on in. And I found it ironic that a couple of weeks ago, maybe a month or so ago, we were looking forward to the Saudis signing a deal, an agreement to recognize the colony known as Israel. And then once Hamas went in and sent those missiles into the colony, the settler colony, Saudi Arabia said, no, that's probably not a good idea right now we need to sit back and reevaluate all of this. Tony Blinken goes to Saudi Arabia and Mohammed bin Salman makes him wait damn near an entire day before MBS sits down with Blinken sending a very clear message. The dynamic is changing Tom Porter (26:45): Because what the Arab nations have to deal with Wilmer Leon (26:50): Are the Arab people, Tom Porter (26:51): The Arab people, the Arab streets, and you got mostly all over the world. The population is getting younger and younger in Africa, in the Middle East, in Asia. It's getting young and younger, and they definitely want a better world, a world free from war. And what Biden and blinking and these people are all selling more war. Why would you send more military weapons to a country that's already just overburdened with weapons? And the thing that they don't mention in any of these discussions is that Israel has nuclear weapons that's always had them. And in contrast to when South Africa gained this political independence, the one thing that they had agreed to was to emulate their nuclear weapons. South Africa had nuclear weapons under apartheid, and one of their leading, if not leading most important trading partner was Israel. Was Israel. When people say Israel is an apartheid state, it has always supported apartheid. So that's not really, but a small step from supporting apartheid someplace else and instituting the same practices in your country. And Biden goes without any understanding, without any mentioning of the apartheid nature of Israel or in mentioning in a real meaningful, substantive sense, freedom, justice, inequality for the Palestinians. He didn't even mention the two state solution, I don't think. Wilmer Leon (28:47): No. What he did mention that he did in his last speech, he did utter the words to state solution. But what he did not do as he called for peace, he never talked about equality for the Palestinians. And he talked about democracy, but he never spoke about democracy for the Palestinians. Because if you talk, people need to ask themselves this question, what does it mean when Netanyahu or Ben or Mulch talks about an Israeli state? Nobody asks, what does that mean? And it's important for me to say right here, this is not an antisemitic conversation. This has absolutely nothing to do with Jews because this has everything to do with Zionism. And it's important for people to understand. Not all Jews are Zionists, and not all Zionists are Jews. So this conversation has nothing to do with antisemitism. It has everything to do with freedom and justice, not only for the Palestinians, because it has everything to do with freedom and justice for the world. Because if you solve that problem of the settler colonial state and the genocide that's being exercised in the settler colonial state, you can solve a lot of other problems at the same time. Tom Porter (30:40): Well, Israel will never be safe within its borders until it deals fairly with the Palestinians. I mean, you can't just, as Fanon would say, we rebel because we can't breathe. We rebel because we can't breathe. You have 2 million people pushed together in what is nothing but a ghetto. And then you're taking more and more of that each day. You're shooting more and more of them each day. We have to get beyond this notion that if we criticize Israel or if we criticize some behavior of some members of the Jewish community, that we will be accused of antisemitism. (31:29) We have to get beyond that. I mean, clearly they're going to anything that you say that is not in line with what APAC or one of those other organizations, you're antisemite. And so if you go for that, you will never say anything, even if it's in your interest. It's not in Hakeem Jeffries interest to be talking about, we got your back, Israel. They don't have your back. Where's the reciprocity? It's not in the interest of this black woman up in the UN doing the bidding of the United States by vetoing, by doing what the United States has always done. It is not in our interest. It is not an interest of black people. And you can't say that I'm doing my job because you can always leave your job. I mean, if you are doing something that's not in your interest, you're crazy. Wilmer Leon (32:30): You mentioned a world free from war, and I want to just reiterate the point that at that economic in China, they weren't talking about war. They were talking about peace. But what does Gil Scott Heron say? Ask them what they're fighting for and they'll never tell you the economics of war because you were asking about why is the United States sending more weapons into the region? The reason is Lockheed Martin makes a lot of money when they do Raytheon, which by the way, our Secretary of Defense sat on the board of makes a lot of money when they do. That's why these cluster munitions are being sent into Ukraine. Why? Because they've been sitting on the shelf for years because they've been banned internationally. They want to clear their basements and their shelves, say again, Tom Porter (33:34): Their inventory. Wilmer Leon (33:35): They want to clear their inventory why? So they can get contracts for new weapons. That's what a lot of this is all about. And because sending more weapons into Ukraine at this stage of the game isn't going to change the dynamics on the battlefield. That war is over. It's done. The only question now to answer is how much longer does the United States want to push Ukraine to continue to take this weapon? That's the only question. Tom Porter (34:07): And the fact is sitting, all these are matters into the Middle East, these ships and what have you. It's just a show and supporting the military industrial complex because the United States is not going to get involved in a war in a Middle East because it will inflame the whole Middle East and the state of Israel will cease to exist if that happens. So I mean, it is bs, but there's an old saying that capitalism can only grow under war, and socialism can only grow, can grow only in peace. And so the Chinese know that if we can build a better mousetrap, and we can't do that if we just trying to build up an army, what have you, we have an army, what have you, but we don't want to get in any kind of war at all. We're not going to get sucked into something. With Taiwan, we played a long game. The Taiwanese are Chinese people, and there's a difference between the government and people. So capitalism, the history of capitalism has been, war has been plundering, has been rape. That's the history of capitalism. It was founded Wilmer Leon (35:27): Markets and resources, markets, resources and labor. That's Tom Porter (35:34): We were both the market and the labor. Wilmer Leon (35:36): We, well, in fact, many will argue that that's one of the reasons why they had to end enslavement in this country was because they needed those enslaved individuals as customers. Tom Porter (35:52): That's interesting because that is basically what we are even in the country days, is consumers. (36:01) Consumers. And if we would stop, my godson has a book, the Myth of Black Buying Power, which is true. But the other side of that is that the strength that we do have is to withdraw participation in the game of capitalism except where necessary. That is real power. The guy who on the bus in Montgomery, he never quit lacking blacks, never quit discriminating against blacks in his mind. But he had to decide whether or not he was going to have a bus company or not, and he just held his nose and said, they can ride anywhere they want to ride. Wilmer Leon (36:48): Which is one of the things I always, and you were much closer to that than I was, than I ever could have been. I always felt that one of the mistakes that we made early in that game was getting back on the bus. Once we decided to not ride the bus. We should have sent the bus company into bankruptcy. Tom Porter (37:11): Right. And started our own. Wilmer Leon (37:14): Exactly. Exactly. Tom Porter (37:17): I mean, the history of black people in this country is that when we did our own, we had more power and greatest strength and greater community. You take the, I remember growing up with the Negro Leagues, it was nothing like it. And who cared about what Babe Ruth or somebody else was doing? Wilmer Leon (37:44): We had Hank Aaron, right? We had Josh Gibson. Tom Porter (37:47): The whole myth that black quarterbacks didn't have whatever it took to be quarterbacks, whatever were quarterbacks in every black high school to every black college in the country. They just wasn't playing in the NFL. Wilmer Leon (38:00): And look at the NFL today, Tom Porter (38:02): Right? And that is why the Negro Leagues, and that's a whole nother discussion about Jackie Robinson, not him personally, but the integrating of baseball had absolutely nothing to do, but fairness of being right by black people. It had to do with the fact that more people were going to see black baseball than was going to see white baseball. And whenever black baseball and white baseball meant black Wilmer Leon (38:33): Baseball, baseball won. Tom Porter (38:37): The same is true with the A, B, A and the NBA. More people were going to watch Dr. J and Artist Gilmore, they were going to watch the NBA. So we say we got to merge it. And it's so much that in America, it's like the difference between jazz and black music. Anybody can play jazz, but everybody can't play Wilmer Leon (38:59): Black music. Can't play black music. Well, it's interesting that you brought up the ABA and the NBA and comparing that to the integration of baseball, because when they integrated baseball, they didn't bring the black teams into Major League baseball. No, they did not. They brought the black players because if you bring the black teams, you have to bring black ownership. And I think it was Queen Mother Moore. And again, you may know that, you probably know that history a whole lot better than me, but I thought it was Queen Mother Moore in New York that kept advocating for don't take the players out of the Negro Leagues, integrate the teams. But when they went to the A, b, A and the NBA, the ABA was still, that was white ownership in the A, B, A. It was white ownership in the NBA. So what did they do with the A, B, A? They integrated players and teams instead of just players. Because if they had done the same thing with basketball that they did with baseball, a lot of those A teams would've folded. Tom Porter (40:08): You're absolutely right. You're absolutely right. So same, we see the same thing playing out today, and they give us Jay-Z and Queen B give us Obama and Michelle. They give us all of these things. And at the same time that the life for the majority of black people in this country is getting worse because it's good that magic decides to give some black kid a scholarship, but that's not the same as quality education for all black kids. That's like a lottery. You get lucky if Magic knows you or jz. JZ gets to do the Super Bowl a halftime at the Super Bowl, but that doesn't mean anything to these black kids who are out in the street, who can't go to the Super Bowl, can't go to a local NFL game, Wilmer Leon (41:17): May not have a television in their home to watch the Super Bowl. Tom Porter (41:21): It doesn't really mean anything. And so this kind of tokenism and we get caught up in it. I mean, right now we're kind of caught up in what's that? Will Smith and Jada? Jada Ja Wilmer Leon (41:34): Pinkett. Tom Porter (41:34): I don't know what it's all about, and I don't really care because it's really not that important. It just really isn't that important. So we have to be very, very, Wilmer Leon (41:44): Or the discussion about Tyler Perry and what Tyler Perry is doing and how great it is for black people, even though he has a non-union organization in Atlanta, and we know what unions did to help create the black middle class. He made a lot of his money playing off of stereotypes of black people. Tom Porter (42:08): He still, I mean, I think about a week ago I saw one of his movies, it was late at night. I turned on a movie. It was why I got Married or something. And it's basically black people playing white people in black face. That's basically what it is. I mean, the kind of issues that they have and the kind of jobs that they have Wilmer Leon (42:31): And the responses and solutions that are provided are not ours. In fact, I remember Barack is saying They playing you better than you. Tom Porter (42:42): No question. Wilmer Leon (42:45): So here's the question, Tom, what are we to do? We're looking at 2024 right now. We're looking at Trump and Biden don't know if Trump's going to get there because he may wind up in jail. Don't know if Biden's going to get there. He doesn't really know where he is. So given that right now, that's what we have. They're talking about Robert Kennedy now has declared he's going to run as an independent. Dr. West has left the Green Party and he's running as an independent. So to those that are watching and listening right now, Tom, what are we to do in a duopoly where neither party is concerned about us and we don't seem to be concerned about demanding that they are. Tom Porter (43:46): One of the reasons why they had to derail Jesse's campaign had and the Democrats derailed his campaign and led by a segment of the Jewish community. People forget that when Jesse announced that he was running for president and the convention center in Washington dc, the Jewish Defense League interrupted his announcement. And everywhere Jesse went in those early days, and in those early days, he called it the road team. It was myself, Jesse, and Florence Tate, the press secretary. We were traveling from city to city, and the JDL was harassing us at every place that we went. And it was because of the nation of Islam providing us security of security that they backed off. I can remember our first meeting in New York with a Jewish community, Jewish leaders in New York. Percy Sutton met us backstage with a Yama Corps in his head explaining to us how we had to deal with how we had to relate with Jews. (45:09) So the Jaime thing, they never heard. Jaime and Jesse never used Jaime in a negative derogative way. I mean, the Jewish community would tell you, New York is theirs, so they don't have a problem. Ask Chuck Schumer, right? So they didn't have a problem with that. Ask Gregory Meeks. But the base of the Democratic Party was labor and the black community labor split. A lot of labor went for Donald Trump. Trump. Some went for Biden. The black community is the only community that has remained loyal to the Democratic Party. The Democratic party. There's nothing on the agenda that speaks to any concrete solution to what black people need and deserve nothing at all. So my position is I'm not going to focus on the less of two evils. That's evil. Yeah, evil is evil. And that's been going on for a very long time. And we've come up short. (46:30) We came up short with Obama. We came up short with Clinton. We came up with both of the bushes. We keep coming up short. The only person who sincerely attempted to address the issues of black people was Jimmy Carter. And of course it got him in trouble. So we have to begin to think it's good to run as an independent, and I'm glad to see Cornell West through that, but he does not have the base and the understanding and the clarity that Jesse had in the notion of a rainbow coalition and the Rainbow Coalition. We used to call it the domestic third world in the sixties, the unity of black, brown and yellow people and whoever else wanted to you because that's where the strength is. And so unless Cornell West could pull it off and he can't, but we must independently, we must have an agenda that says, if you want our vote, this is what we're going to do. (47:35) And if you're not willing to do this, then we're not voting for you because you're going to come up, which we're going to come up with snake eyes anyhow. Because when you get in, as Biden has done, he does a lot of symbolic stuff and he's got some symbolic clowns around him, Clyburn Sharp, Al, and this group and all the people. I mean, there's just some interesting stuff that's happening and we're getting left out of it. Nobody asks us what we think about any of these issues, how King Jeffries can speak about the state of Israel, but he can't speak about reparations. I mean, what good is he to us if he's not carrying our water? I mean, what good is Lloyd Austin if he's Secretary of Defense Wilmer Leon (48:31): And not defending us? Tom Porter (48:32): That's right. And all of these so that if they're not doing that and we have to call 'em out, we have to call out the Black Caucus. If you say you represent us, this is what we want you to do. We'd be better off without you. Wilmer Leon (48:48): And in the state of things today. In fact, I'm glad you mentioned the Black Caucus, because I've said for a very long time that when you look at the original, I think it was 13, when you look at the original Black Caucus and you look at where they came from, they came out of the struggle. They came out of the community and they came out of organizations and organic, many of them organic organizations within the community we're now a couple of generations removed from that. And I don't think that it's an accident that they are now less progressive, less effective than the original group that was known as the Conscience, conscience of the Congress Tom Porter (49:42): And less connected to the community because they're not funded by the community. They are funded by outside interests, and they no longer see that they have to represent us. They don't go home to their communities. You don't hear anything from, I don't know any members of the black community, somebody, I mean Meeks, I don't know anything about Black Caucus. Yeah, black Caucus. I don't even know them anymore. I used to know all of them. I used to participate, but it's nothing to participate in now. And we've got to have a whole new thinking that's in line with where the world is going, not where the world has been. So that we need to have both a domestic and international policy. We need to be connected with the Belt and Road initiative. I'm not talking about just black people in this country, and there are some African countries that are connected. Wilmer Leon (50:49): A lot of them are. Tom Porter (50:52): We've got to rethink what does Pan-Africanism mean today? Because it is still important. I mean, we've only been in this country a short while, so I mean, it ain't like we've been here for a long time. So as Africa is beginning to emerge, that we must emerge with it. We must have a new way of thinking about Pan Africans and what does it mean? And the Chinese are trying bit by bit to reorganize Ong and the African, Asian and Latin American conferences that used to take place in this country. I mean in the world, we have to rethink all of this, but we have to also in rethinking that realize that we need these formations in today's world. Wilmer Leon (51:46): We need these formations in today's world. And you talk about organizing, and a lot of people listening to this might say, well, what do you mean? Well, when you look at, for example, the L-G-B-T-Q community, they organized, they demanded, they got a president to come out, an African-American president to come out and support same-sex marriage. You look at the women's movement and they organized. They demanded, and they got an African-American president who very proudly and rightfully says, the first piece of legislation that I signed was the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. And now you have folks that'll say, well, why is the African-American community complaining when there are African-American members of the L-G-B-T-Q community, there are black women that benefited from the Lily led better Fair Pay Act. There's a difference between being an indirect beneficiary of a policy. There's a difference between being an indirect beneficiary of a policy and being a direct beneficiary of a policy. Tom Porter (53:04): Well, as I say, I believe in reciprocity. And if you come to me, and I've experienced this before in the past, people asking me to support something, I said, where do you stand on the issues that affect black people? Don't come to me and say that our struggles are similar. I mean, I don't need to tell me that your struggle is similar to mine. I need you to tell me where you stand on those issues that impact me. When Kamala Harris was in Africa recently, the complaint of the Africans is that she spent more time trying to convince them why they should be involved with the LG community. I can never say that, right? Too many letters, but they complained that that's all she was talking about, the Africans. But where does this community stand? Wilmer Leon (54:03): Lemme just quickly interject that in that issue of L-G-B-T-Q on the continent, that issue was not an indigenous issue or an organic issue to countries on the continent. That issue was brought there by white evangelicals Tom Porter (54:26): Who Wilmer Leon (54:26): Went there and raised that and presented that as something that mattered in countries that didn't give a damn about it. Tom Porter (54:39): Again, as I say, we got to have a clear agenda, and it's got to be rooted in reciprocity, and it's got to be an agenda that impacts African people wherever they are. And because if you don't think about it in a large sense, what you'll get is what's happening to reparations. I mean, I think it's Evanston, Illinois, which has for some reason, they of doing something with reparations, and now they become a leader in the reparations movement. And then we have to watch these organizations in the black community because people are leading organizations today who 20 years ago were anti-socialist, were anti-communist, Ron Daniels and your mentor, I would say your mentor, but Ron Walters, they were part of expelling Ami Baraka from the Black Political Movement because he was a socialist. And yesterday Ron Daniel's organization was in Grenada supporting the anniversary of Maurice Bishop's movement. But 20 years ago, these people were on the opposite side. It's interesting that the MacArthur Foundation gave Ron Daniels $500,000. I don't know what for, but I know a leopard doesn't change its spots either. So they're bringing all of these people back. Al Sharpton, who used to be a snitch. How do you decide that you're not going to be a snitch? You go in and tell the people you were snitching to, I'm not going to do it anymore. (56:29) But these people, they have to justify. How do you come from that to where you presenting yourself as a leader? After Dr. King and all of the great speakers we have, it's easy for you to become a speaker. You can just plagiarize turn around Dr. King of Malcolm and what have you. So it's not Mr. Say, Mr. Do and what have you been doing in the past? So we got to take a look at the leadership and not be afraid to reject them. I think Barack Obama and his wife looked good. They were good representation of how middle and upper class blacks should look. Wilmer Leon (57:19): But what did they do Tom Porter (57:21): Right? Tom Wilmer Leon (57:22): Porter, I got to thank you as always, my brother. Thank you so much for joining me today. Big shout out to my producer, melody McKinley. Thank you so much, folks for joining Connecting the Dots podcast. I'm Dr. Wimer Leon. This is where the analysis of politics, culture, and history converge. And remember, talk without analysis is just chatter, and we don't chatter on connecting the dots. Stay tuned for new episodes every week. Also, please follow and subscribe. Leave a review, share my show, follow me on social media. You can find all the links on the show in the show description. I'll see you next time. Until then, treat each day like it's your last because one day you'll be right. I'm Dr. Wilmer Leon. Peace and Blessings. I'm out

Ondiro Oganga reports on coups rising by the day in Africa, Dr. Arikana Chihombori says she is optimistic because the coups are an indication that Africans are waking up and saying no to neo colonialism. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africandiasporanews/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africandiasporanews/support

Ondiro Oganga reports on Dr. Arikana stating West African coups are a result of French neocolonialism. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africandiasporanews/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/africandiasporanews/support

We continue our discussion of Kwame Nkrumah's "Neocolonialism," the crisis of neocolonialism, and the recent G20 summit. We also continue our discussion of George Soros.

Almost every country in Africa was colonized by Europe. Today, while nominally sovereign many of these countries are in the clutches of the big international banks.  The old colonial masters Britain and France still have a foothold in Africa but the U.S. has been pushing them aside, moving in to capture resources and markets. Washington has established an Africa Command, deployed troops, and built a string of bases. But France won't let go of its grip on its former colonies. The coup in Niger, a former French colony, is not your run-of-the-mill coup. It must be understood in the context of widespread discontent with ruling elites and their collaboration with imperialism. Genuine independence is still far off for Niger and other countries in the Sahel region of West and Central Africa.

Episode SummaryMaking sense of the plot of Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) proves almost as difficult as locating a lost civilization in the Atlantic Ocean. Erin and Rachel muddle through the complicated lore of this box office flop and manage to find some positive depictions of gender roles and racial diversity. Episode Bibliographyapneax3n0n. (2015, May 9). Nadia vs Atlantis - The More You Know post. Imgur. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://imgur.com/gallery/ytmAWAtlantis: The Lost Empire. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlantis:_The_Lost_EmpireAtlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). (n.d.). IMDb. Retrieved August 21, 2023, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0230011/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1Boone, D. (2020, January 29). Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water (Fushigi no Umi no Nadia) – Nadia vs Atlantis. The Review Heap. Retrieved August 22, 2023, from https://thereviewheap.home.blog/2020/01/29/nadia-the-secret-of-blue-water-fushigi-no-umi-no-nadia-nadia-vs-atlantis/Cayce, E. D. (1968). Edgar Cayce on Atlantis. Hawthorn Books.Davis, A. M. (2007). Good girls and wicked witches: Women in Disney's feature animation. John Libbey & Company.Davis, A. M. (2014). Handsome heroes and vile villains: Men in Disney's feature animation. John Libbey & Company.The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2023, August 14). Atlantis, legendary island. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Atlantis-legendary-islandDudley, S. (2019, March 15). Making of Atlantis: The Lost Empire (Full Documentary). YouTube. Retrieved August 19, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tvR9Zdp74fYEbert, R. (2001, June 15). Atlantis: The Lost Empire movie review (2001). Roger Ebert. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/atlantis-the-lost-empire-2001Edgar Cayce. (n.d.). Wikipedia. Retrieved August 21, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_CayceFabrikant, G. (2001, May 21). Suddenly, the Stakes Are High for Disney's Film and TV Businesses. The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2001/05/21/business/suddenly-the-stakes-are-high-for-disney-s-film-and-tv-businesses.htmlFigueroa, J. (2020, May 3). Going Down in Flames: The Story of "Atlantis" Fire Mountain at the Magic Kingdom. WDW News Today. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://wdwnt.com/2020/05/going-down-in-flames-the-story-of-atlantis-fire-mountain-at-the-magic-kingdom/Gleiberman, O. (2001, June 6). Atlantis: The Lost Empire. EW.com. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://ew.com/article/2001/06/06/atlantis-lost-empire/Hackforth, R. (1944). The story of Atlantis: Its purpose and its moral. The Classical Review, 58(1), 7-9. Hill, J. (2003, August 10). How Disney's animators lost their way on the road to "Atlantis: The Lost Empire". Jim Hill Media. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://jimhillmedia.com/how-disneys-animators-lost-their-way-on-the-road-to-atlantis-the-lost-empire/Hughey, M. W. (2010). The white savior film and reviewers' reception. Symbolic Interaction, 33(3), 475-496. Hughey, M. W. (2014). The white savior film: Content, critics, and consumption. Temple University Press. Johnson, B. (2019, June 7). Neocolonialism in Disney's Renaissance: Analyzing Portrayals of Race and Gender in Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Oregon State University.McCarthy, T. (2001, June 7). Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Variety. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://variety.com/2001/film/reviews/atlantis-the-lost-empire-1200468877/McDonald's Dives Into Disney's Atlantis. (2001, June 11). QSR magazine. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://www.qsrmagazine.com/news/mcdonalds-dives-disneys-atlantisMcKeon, M. (2018, April 19). A Walt Disney production: “Atlantis: The Lost Empire”. Medium. https://filmknife.medium.com/a-walt-disney-production-atlantis-the-lost-empire-70059df1fc28 Mitchell, E. (2001, June 8). FILM REVIEW; Under the Sea, Damp Hakuna Matata (Published 2001). The New York Times. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/08/movies/film-review-under-the-sea-damp-hakuna-matata.htmlMorris, W. (2001, June 15). 'Atlantis' is a find / Disney emphasizes adventure over cuteness, romance and song. SFGATE. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/Atlantis-is-a-find-Disney-emphasizes-2909019.phpMoseley, D. (2001, June 15). Destination Atlantis at the El Capitan. Laughing Place. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://www.laughingplace.com/w/leg/?legacyasppage=w/News-ID502800.aspNess, M. (2016, October 20). An Expensive Adventure: Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Tor.com. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://www.tor.com/2016/10/20/an-expensive-adventure-atlantis-the-lost-empire/Pinsky, M. (2004). The Gospel According to Disney: Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust. Westminster John Knox Press. https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Gospel_According_to_Disney/YGtbYTyulb4C?hl=en&gbpv=0Plato. (2008). Timaeus and Critias (D. Lee, Trans.). Penguin Books. Radulovic, P. (2020, September 23). Atlantis was meant to change the course of Disney animation. Polygon. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://www.polygon.com/animation-cartoons/2020/9/23/21446059/atlantis-the-lost-empire-disney-cast-voices-theme-park-don-hahn-tab-murphy-memesRingle, C. (2019). Fear and loathing in the Americas: White fanatics and the cinematic mindset. Terrae Incognitae, 51(3), 271-280. DOI: 10.1080/00822884.2019.1662665Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy. (2022, February 12). Plato. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/plato/Stegman, C. (2017). Remembering Atlantis: Plato's “Timaeus-Critias”, the ancestral constitution, and the democracy of the Gods. Political Theory, 45(2), 240-260. Straw, J. (2019, January 5). Atlantis: The Lost Empire and the white savior [Blog Post]. http://jessicastraw.com/2019/01/05/atlantis-the-lost-empire-and-the-white-savior/Taylor, D. (2020, June 17). Atlantis: The Lost Empire: Inside the Troubled Disney Production. Collider. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://collider.com/disney-atlantis-the-lost-empire-history-explained/Tuckey, T. (2021, June 16). Atlantis: The Lost Empire's 20th Anniversary Fan Celebration (6/15/21). YouTube. Retrieved August 22, 2023, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecABcThwkW4Turan, K. (2001, June 8). 'Atlantis' Seems Like Old Times. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2001-jun-08-ca-7799-story.htmlWise, K., & Trousdale, G. (Directors). (2001). Atlantis: The Lost Empire [Film]. Walt Disney Animation Studios.Zacharek, S. (2001, June 15). "Atlantis". Salon.com. Retrieved August 14, 2023, from https://www.salon.com/2001/06/15/atlantis/Zion, L. (2001, July 19). Nadia vs. Atlantis, Revisited! Anime News Network. Retrieved August 6, 2023, from https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/feature/2001-07-19

We discuss Kwame Nkrumah's "Neocolonialism", the crisis of neocolonialism, and the crisis of the US empire.

[This episode was conducted bilingually in French & English and there is also a French version of the episode here] In this episode we speak with Inemesit Richardson and Wendlassida Simporé of the Thomas Sankara Center for African Liberation and Unity in Burkina Faso. They are also both members of the All African People's Revolutionary Party. The Thomas Sankara Center for African Liberation and Unity is a Pan-African library and political education center in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. The Thomas Sankara center is a free community lending library supplying books about Pan-Africanism, socialism and Third World liberation. They host film screenings, debates and other free events. They also run an after-school young pioneers children's education program for primary school students ages 8-14 and  have a work-study circle for adults which meets regularly to critically study revolutionary books and put theory into praxis in their community. We talk to both of our guests about recent events in the region. In particular, about the most recent coup in Niger. They discuss the pulse on the ground with regards to Burkina Faso's current leadership, these anticolonial coups, the region's relationship to Russia, and the role of the CFA Franc in France's neocolonial system in the region. We recorded this conversation on August 10th and there have been multiple developments since then, we'll include some additional articles in the show notes. It should be noted that when we discuss a potential ECOWAS invasion during the episode, that this has not actually occurred yet, although ECOWAS is sanctioning Niger and threatening to use force to overthrow the current leadership. Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to defend Niger's leadership with military force. And there is ongoing discussion about the development of a regional federation. We will include a link to where you can support the work of the Thomas Sankara Center in Burkina Faso.  In this French language version of the episode, you will hear Inemesit translate the questions into French, and you will hear both Inemesit and Wendlassida answer the questions in French as well. There is also an English language version of this episode. Links: Thomas Sankara Center for African Liberation and Unity in Burkina Faso Burkina Faso & Mali vow to defend Niger's new leadership with force The People of Niger Want to Shatter Resignation Africa's Last Colonial Currency - The CFA Franc Story

At the end of July, the Presidential Guard of Niger, backed by the military, unseated the current president, Mohamed Bazoum, in a coup supported by the people. In response, the United States and France, with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), began planning a military intervention to return Bazoum to power. West African nations, including Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, quickly declared solidarity with the new government, a move that could turn a military intervention into a greater regional conflict. To understand what is happening in Niger and how it fits into the bigger picture of the rejection of neo-colonialism and US hegemony, Clearing the FOG speaks with Abayomi Azikiwe, the editor of the Pan-African News Wire. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Sim Tack rejoins the podcast to pick up where he and Jacob left off a month ago: about the deteriorating security situation in the Sahel. Sim and Jacob discuss the nitty-gritty of the security situation and how it raises disturbing opportunities for radicalized jihadist voices in the region. From there, they wax philosophical about whether Africa is facing a new era of colonialism and how to approach the broader challenges facing the region, before closing with some brief thoughts on Russia and Ukraine.--Timestamps:(00:00) - Introduction(02:00) – Military intervention in Niger(05:00) - If there is an intervention in Niger- who?(09:00) - Regional Interests and jihadist opportunities(12:00) - Realistic interventions(18:00) - How do you contextualize this in the larger Saheli context?(25:30) - Does this matter for the world?(31:40) - What are Russia and China thinking?(35:20) - Neocolonialism 2.0(41:46) - Chinese Interests(47:25) - Should we intervene in Niger?(55:00 - Russia-Ukraine Update--CI LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cognitive-investments/CI Website: https://cognitive.investmentsCI Twitter: https://twitter.com/CognitiveInvestJacob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-l-s-a9337416/Jacob Twitter: https://twitter.com/JacobShapSubscribe to the Newsletter: https://investments.us17.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=156086d89c91a42d264546df7&id=4e31ca1340--Cognitive Investments is an investment advisory firm, founded in 2019 that provides clients with a nuanced array of financial planning, investment advisory and wealth management services. We aim to grow both our clients' material wealth (i.e. their existing financial assets) and their human wealth (i.e. their ability to make good strategic decisions for their business, family, and career).--Referenced In The Show:--Disclaimer: Nothing discussed on Cognitive Dissidents should be considered as investment advice. Please always do your own research & speak to a financial advisor before putting your money into the markets.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Chartable - https://chartable.com/privacyPodtrac - https://analytics.podtrac.com/privacy-policy-gdrp

On July 26, former President Mohamad Bazoum was removed from power by a military general, Tchiani. This has set off a wave of condemnation and threats of military intervention from the US and France, for whom Bazoum proved to be a reliable ally. Thousands have rallied to support Niger's new leadership since July 26, reportedly carrying banners reading ”Down with France” and “Foreign bases out”. The US has about 1,100 troops in Niger and France has about 1,500.Rather than analyze the reasons behind abject poverty and anti-Western sentiment in Niger and much of the region, Western countries led by the US and France are pointing to Russian interest in the region while purposely ignoring their own neocolonial history.To understand the situation in Niger and how it impacts the rest of the African continent, and the greater geopolitical landscape, we're joined by Eugene Puryear, an author, activist and host of The Freedom Side on Breakthrough News.---To sign the petition we mentioned in the introduction opposing the McCarthyist attacks on those speaking out against a new Cold War with China, go to https://peoplesforum.org/sign-onSupport the show

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exploited, and liberalism's origin as a project of British colonialism and as a legacy of settler colonialism in the U.S. The “unruly women” in the author's title are, in liberalism, women who do not conform or who are not “suitably feminist”—like Muslim women who veil or Black women who, really, simply exist. Falguni argues that certain key terms, such as professionalism, dismissiveness, excruciation, ontopolitics, and address are crucial to our understanding of the ways that women of color are treated in legal cases and in the broader culture as well as our understanding of the psychic violence that liberalism and colonialism perpetuate on women of color. In our interview today, we discuss liberalism as a problem in theory, too, and not just in practice and its connections to the prejudice and discrimination faced by different groups of women of color. We also talk about the ways that feminism is defined by liberal and radical western feminists, the limitations of such understandings; specific supreme court and other legal cases involving discrimination against Muslim women; and the author explains the significance of political theory, liberal feminist theory, and theories of power to her arguments in the book overall. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exploited, and liberalism's origin as a project of British colonialism and as a legacy of settler colonialism in the U.S. The “unruly women” in the author's title are, in liberalism, women who do not conform or who are not “suitably feminist”—like Muslim women who veil or Black women who, really, simply exist. Falguni argues that certain key terms, such as professionalism, dismissiveness, excruciation, ontopolitics, and address are crucial to our understanding of the ways that women of color are treated in legal cases and in the broader culture as well as our understanding of the psychic violence that liberalism and colonialism perpetuate on women of color. In our interview today, we discuss liberalism as a problem in theory, too, and not just in practice and its connections to the prejudice and discrimination faced by different groups of women of color. We also talk about the ways that feminism is defined by liberal and radical western feminists, the limitations of such understandings; specific supreme court and other legal cases involving discrimination against Muslim women; and the author explains the significance of political theory, liberal feminist theory, and theories of power to her arguments in the book overall. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exploited, and liberalism's origin as a project of British colonialism and as a legacy of settler colonialism in the U.S. The “unruly women” in the author's title are, in liberalism, women who do not conform or who are not “suitably feminist”—like Muslim women who veil or Black women who, really, simply exist. Falguni argues that certain key terms, such as professionalism, dismissiveness, excruciation, ontopolitics, and address are crucial to our understanding of the ways that women of color are treated in legal cases and in the broader culture as well as our understanding of the psychic violence that liberalism and colonialism perpetuate on women of color. In our interview today, we discuss liberalism as a problem in theory, too, and not just in practice and its connections to the prejudice and discrimination faced by different groups of women of color. We also talk about the ways that feminism is defined by liberal and radical western feminists, the limitations of such understandings; specific supreme court and other legal cases involving discrimination against Muslim women; and the author explains the significance of political theory, liberal feminist theory, and theories of power to her arguments in the book overall. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exploited, and liberalism's origin as a project of British colonialism and as a legacy of settler colonialism in the U.S. The “unruly women” in the author's title are, in liberalism, women who do not conform or who are not “suitably feminist”—like Muslim women who veil or Black women who, really, simply exist. Falguni argues that certain key terms, such as professionalism, dismissiveness, excruciation, ontopolitics, and address are crucial to our understanding of the ways that women of color are treated in legal cases and in the broader culture as well as our understanding of the psychic violence that liberalism and colonialism perpetuate on women of color. In our interview today, we discuss liberalism as a problem in theory, too, and not just in practice and its connections to the prejudice and discrimination faced by different groups of women of color. We also talk about the ways that feminism is defined by liberal and radical western feminists, the limitations of such understandings; specific supreme court and other legal cases involving discrimination against Muslim women; and the author explains the significance of political theory, liberal feminist theory, and theories of power to her arguments in the book overall. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/critical-theory

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exploited, and liberalism's origin as a project of British colonialism and as a legacy of settler colonialism in the U.S. The “unruly women” in the author's title are, in liberalism, women who do not conform or who are not “suitably feminist”—like Muslim women who veil or Black women who, really, simply exist. Falguni argues that certain key terms, such as professionalism, dismissiveness, excruciation, ontopolitics, and address are crucial to our understanding of the ways that women of color are treated in legal cases and in the broader culture as well as our understanding of the psychic violence that liberalism and colonialism perpetuate on women of color. In our interview today, we discuss liberalism as a problem in theory, too, and not just in practice and its connections to the prejudice and discrimination faced by different groups of women of color. We also talk about the ways that feminism is defined by liberal and radical western feminists, the limitations of such understandings; specific supreme court and other legal cases involving discrimination against Muslim women; and the author explains the significance of political theory, liberal feminist theory, and theories of power to her arguments in the book overall. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Unruly Women: Race, Neocolonialism, and the Hijab (Oxford UP, 2022), Falguni Sheth explores the multiple ways that liberalism is understood and exploited, and liberalism's origin as a project of British colonialism and as a legacy of settler colonialism in the U.S. The “unruly women” in the author's title are, in liberalism, women who do not conform or who are not “suitably feminist”—like Muslim women who veil or Black women who, really, simply exist. Falguni argues that certain key terms, such as professionalism, dismissiveness, excruciation, ontopolitics, and address are crucial to our understanding of the ways that women of color are treated in legal cases and in the broader culture as well as our understanding of the psychic violence that liberalism and colonialism perpetuate on women of color. In our interview today, we discuss liberalism as a problem in theory, too, and not just in practice and its connections to the prejudice and discrimination faced by different groups of women of color. We also talk about the ways that feminism is defined by liberal and radical western feminists, the limitations of such understandings; specific supreme court and other legal cases involving discrimination against Muslim women; and the author explains the significance of political theory, liberal feminist theory, and theories of power to her arguments in the book overall. Shehnaz Haqqani is an Assistant Professor of Religion at Mercer University. She earned her PhD in Islamic Studies with a focus on gender from the University of Texas at Austin in 2018. Her dissertation research explored questions of change and tradition, specifically in the context of gender and sexuality, in Islam. She can be reached at haqqani_s@mercer.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/politics-and-polemics

On this episode of Hella Black we discuss what Neo-colonialism is. Tap in!

Gabriel Custodiet speaks with cultural analyst Jayant Bhandari for the second time. Bhandari reinforces his argument that culture is more important than economics or politics, providing as usual an assortment of keen observations from his childhood in India and his constant travels across the globe. In this episode they also speak about the decline of the West, whether China is as Orwellian as the media says, the India biometric Aadhaar system, how to bribe in third world countries, the rise of Indian nationalism, Indian slavery, and a particularly disturbing trip to the most lawless country on earth. Watch our first conversation here: https://odysee.com/@WatchmanPrivacy:1/Bhandari Guest Links → https://jayantbhandari.com → https://twitter.com/JayantBhandari5 → https://www.youtube.com/@CapitalismAndMorality   Watchman Privacy → https://watchmanprivacy.com (newsletter, consultation requests) → https://twitter.com/watchmanprivacy → https://www.amazon.com/Watchman-Guide-Privacy-Financial-Lifestyle/dp/B08PX7KFS2   Privacy Courses (supports the show) → https://rpf.gumroad.com/l/privatebitcoin → https://rpf.gumroad.com/l/hackproof   Monero Donation Address (If you can't see the whole string, double click in the middle to select all) →8829DiYwJ344peEM7SzUspMtgUWKAjGJRHmu4Q6R8kEWMpafiXPPNBkeRBhNPK6sw27urqqMYTWWXZrsX6BLRrj7HiooPAy   Please subscribe to and rate this podcast wherever you can to help it thrive. Thank you! → https://www.youtube.com/@WatchmanPrivacy  →https://odysee.com/@WatchmanPrivacy   Timeline 0:00 – Introduction 1:55 – Does “fixing the money” solve societal problems? 4:47 – Neocolonialism is real though, right? 7:50 – The decline of the West and the rise of the East 10:35 – Is China as bad as media portrays? 14:52 – Mohammedan countries support China despite Uyghur situation 19:29 – Can money fix global poverty? 23:06 – India's biometric database system Aadhaar 25:00 – Advice on bribing in third-world countries 27:50 – Criticism of Narendra Modi 29:50 – Does Jayant feel unsafe in India now? 31:07 – Rise of Indian nationalism 33:39 – Differences among Indian subcontinent 36:00 – Traveling to Pakistan 37:13 – Slavery in India 40:04 – The Indian caste system 42:15 – Advice for traveling in India 45:00 – His trip to Congo (**listener discretion advised**) 48:30 – Abuses of the third world are rarely covered 53:05 – Where do we get non-PC information about the third world? 54:53 – Only Western countries take refugees; consequences 58:35 – Rapid fire questions 1:00:58 – Practical advice for traveling globally 1:02:03 – How to live like a local 1:02:50 – Pitch for gold ownership 1:04:40 – Opening foreign bank and investing accounts 1:06:40 – Dollar will not collapse before other fiat currencies 1:09:00 – Elon Musk and Ray Dalio praise India 1:10:16 – What will world look 15 years from now? 1:11:18 – Final thoughts #WatchmanPrivacy #JayantBhandari #China #India #Aadhaar

Neocolonialism, Democratic Deficits and Regulatory Chill of the Investor State Dispute Settlement MechanismDiscussion with Lisa Sachs on the regulatory chill and democratic deficit of the Investor-State Dispute Settlement mechanism (ISDS). We discuss the structural issues of ISDS, including conflict of interest, lack of transparency and lack of accountability as well as its neocolonial origins and entrenchment. We also discuss the proliferation of bilateral and multilateral investment treaties, the expanding investor protections of international investment law, treaty shopping and how ISDS is distorting the investment climate in favor of fossil fuels. Additionally, we discuss the fragmentation of international law and the need to have holistic international jurisprudence and governance.For More Info:https://scholarship.law.columbia.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1070&context=sustainable_investment_staffpubshttps://ccsi.columbia.edu/content/primer-international-investment-treaties-and-investor-state-dispute-settlementhttps://ccsi.columbia.edu/sites/default/files/content/docs/publications/fJohnsonetal58-1.pdfhttps://ccsi.columbia.edu/content/investment-law-policyhttps://icsid.worldbank.org/sites/default/files/ICSID%20Convention%20English.pdfhttps://investmentpolicy.unctad.org/investment-dispute-settlementhttps://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14693062.2022.2153102?journalCode=tcpo20https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2697555https://www.oecd.org/daf/inv/investment-policy/4th-Annual-Conference-on-Investment-Treaties-agenda.pdfhttps://policyalternatives.ca/ontheoffensivehttps://unctad.org/system/files/official-document/diaepcbinf2019d3_en.pdfhttps://digitallibrary.un.org/record/803449?ln=enhttps://alexandra-arneri.medium.com/that-my-keen-knife-see-not-the-wound-it-makes-part-ii-why-loot-when-you-can-lend-the-violence-of-be65d7e16c9d

ETAO PODCAST, EPISODE 155. Esther Alter started out making games like Neocolonialism and No Pineapple Left Behind, which she now describes as “anti-fun.” But her newest game PROĆEMON is unashemedly fun, in addition to being a thoughtful experiment in how far we can push procedural generation, and in what human-machine collaborations can looks like. Here … Continue reading "This Game Beyond the Game, with Esther Alter"

President Biden "brought" leaders of selected African nations to the United States for a summit to “demonstrate the United States' enduring commitment to Africa," the White House claims. But just days before the meeting, the Biden administration imposed more economic sanctions on members of some excluded nations, a likely attempt to send a warning of what happens to those who do not comply with the US' imperialist demands. The Black Alliance for Peace (BAP) organized a week of actions to coincide with Biden's summit. Clearing the FOG speaks with Rose Brewer of BAP's Africa Team about the long history of US intervention to exploit Africans, steal resources, and suppress liberation movements and how this comes home to impact people and social movements in the US. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Alex Gladstein is Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation. In this interview, we discuss the IMF and World Bank - two powerful multinational institutions that have shaped the post-war world for developed nations' benefit. Alex uncovers the exploitation hidden from view and the ongoing real-world costs for the developing world. - - - - The IMF and World Bank are two major multinational institutions that have perhaps shaped the workings of the global economy more than any other. The issue is that, over the course of the past few decades, the IMF's and World Bank's roles and impacts have largely been forgotten. Whilst casual observers are distrustful of the IMF and World Bank, in the main, people's concern is vague, lacking facts or evidence. It's hard to know why this is, but it's worth noting that internally produced IMF and World Bank content dominates google search results at the expense of independent content. And yet, the impact of the IMF and World Bank has been catastrophic for many developing nations. Specifically, it has been problematic for those outside the gilded circles of power in such countries who have had to carry the burden of debt through significant assaults on public services, food security and other fundamental quality-of-life provisions. The reason? Neocolonialism. Extraction of resources from the periphery for the benefit of the centre. Indebtedness has been the tool used. A Ponzi scheme of debt relief to support debt servicing, designed to keep countries subservient to those controlling the IMF and World Bank. The cost is dictatorships, corruption, environmental degradation, and the destruction of potentially millions of lives. It is uncertain whether Bitcoin can fix this. But, it acts as a powerful disincentive and disruption by weakening the exorbitant privilege of the dollar and enabling the innocent people subjugated by the IMF and World Bank and their own elites, an opportunity to opt-out of this system. Our role within Bitcoin is to discuss this history and help free those still bound by its constraints.

“You talk about the CIA and American foreign policy during the Cold War…that's like level one. We're on a second level here, the IMF and World Bank are operating on a meta-level, like we're above Cold War politics, we're at the level of timeless, strong countries abusing poor countries; this is way beyond the Cold War.”— Alex GladsteinAlex Gladstein is Chief Strategy Officer at the Human Rights Foundation. In this interview, we discuss the IMF and World Bank - two powerful multinational institutions that have shaped the post-war world for developed nations' benefit. Alex uncovers the exploitation hidden from view and the ongoing real-world costs for the developing world. - - - - The IMF and World Bank are two major multinational institutions that have perhaps shaped the workings of the global economy more than any other. The issue is that, over the course of the past few decades, the IMF's and World Bank's roles and impacts have largely been forgotten. Whilst casual observers are distrustful of the IMF and World Bank, in the main, people's concern is vague, lacking facts or evidence. It's hard to know why this is, but it's worth noting that internally produced IMF and World Bank content dominates google search results at the expense of independent content.And yet, the impact of the IMF and World Bank has been catastrophic for many developing nations. Specifically, it has been problematic for those outside the gilded circles of power in such countries who have had to carry the burden of debt through significant assaults on public services, food security and other fundamental quality-of-life provisions. The reason? Neocolonialism. Extraction of resources from the periphery for the benefit of the centre. Indebtedness has been the tool used. A Ponzi scheme of debt relief to support debt servicing, designed to keep countries subservient to those controlling the IMF and World Bank. The cost is dictatorships, corruption, environmental degradation, and the destruction of potentially millions of lives. It is uncertain whether Bitcoin can fix this. But, it acts as a powerful disincentive and disruption by weakening the exorbitant privilege of the dollar and enabling the innocent people subjugated by the IMF and World Bank and their own elites, an opportunity to opt-out of this system. Our role within Bitcoin is to discuss this history and help free those still bound by its constraints.- - - - This episode's sponsors:Gemini - Buy Bitcoin instantlyLedn - Financial services for Bitcoin hodlersBitcasino - The Future of Gaming is hereFidelity - Careers in cryptoLedger - State of the art Bitcoin hardware walletWasabi Wallet - Privacy by defaultBCB Group - Global digital financial Services-----WBD587 - Show Notes-----If you enjoy The What Bitcoin Did Podcast you can help support the show by doing the following:Become a Patron and get access to shows early or help contributeMake a tip:Bitcoin: 3FiC6w7eb3dkcaNHMAnj39ANTAkv8Ufi2SQR Codes: BitcoinIf you do send a tip then please email me so that I can say thank youSubscribe on iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | SoundCloud | YouTube | Deezer | TuneIn | RSS FeedLeave a review on iTunesShare the show and episodes with your friends and familySubscribe to the newsletter on my websiteFollow me on Twitter Personal | Twitter Podcast | Instagram | Medium | YouTubeIf you are interested in sponsoring the show, you can read more about that here or please feel free to drop me an email to discuss options.

This is the second part of our two part conversation with Too Black on his piece “Laundering Black Rage”  which you can read over at Black Agenda Report. Too Black is a poet, member of Black Alliance For Peace, host of The Black Myths Podcast which can be found on Black Power Media, he's a writer, and he is the communications coordinator of the Campaign to Free the Pendleton 2.  Here is part 1 of the conversation. We continue our conversation of “Laundering Black Rage” in this episode. In this part we talk about neocolonialism. We talk about class distinctions and some of the impacts of so-called desegregation, which did not really desegregate US society, but did make certain internal borders more porous to Capital, markets and elites. In that context we have some discussion about struggling against local elites or against elite capture. Too Black also offers some valuable insights on how people have been socialized in this neocolonial era. This conversation also includes about a 25 minute back and forth between Too Black and J about the way Too Black theorizes the state. While not a debate, there is some distinction between the two points of view that we seek to clarify in discussion. Ultimately there is a lot of overlap, but a slightly different conceptualization. We hope folks enjoy listening to us grappling with this theorization together. For an update on our October campaign. October marks the 5 year anniversary of MAKC. We are trying to add 50 patrons this month. 23 new patrons have signed on so far this month, so we're almost half way to our goal as we reach the halfway point of the month. If we can add two people today we'll be back on track. You can kick in $1 a month or more and support the sustainability of this show at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism Additional links: The Black Myths Podcast Patreon  Campaign to Free The Pendleton 2 Previous conversation Too Black References from BPM along with Jared Ball, Brooke Terpstra, Erica Caines, Too Black, and Jared    

Our guest for the episode is Too Black. Too Black is a poet, member of Black Alliance For Peace, host of The Black Myths Podcast which can be found on Black Power Media, he's a writer, and he is one of the organizers of the Campaign to Free the Pendleton 2.  In this conversation we welcome Too Black to discuss his recently published 2 part essay “Laundering Black Rage” (part 1, part 2) which we will link. The essay was published at Black Agenda Report. It's a provocative analysis of the process through which Black Rage gets laundered towards other ends. The piece looks in particular at this process through the recent example of the 2020 uprisings, but it also looks at other examples. More than just a guest, Too Black is an interlocutor of ours. We've worked together on the Journalism For Liberation & Combat series (audio, video). We've had conversations about organizing and about theory that go beyond the bounds of podcast work. Due to length we split the conversation in two parts. Part 1 mostly covers the basic themes of the essay and the structure of the process of “Laundering Black Rage,” part two is a little more conversational, but there are conversational elements in both. Most importantly we will include a Link Tree for the campaign to Free the Pendleton 2 in the show notes, please check it out, and if nothing else sign the petitions, but I also encourage you to check out some of their media work, and to see if there's some way you can get involved or support the campaign. Free The Pendleton 2 Campaign Link Tree. We also encourage you all to check out The Black Myths Podcast, they have some excellent conversations, with many guests you'll recognize from our platform as well. And support them on patreon as well. Also shout-out to our friends over at Black Power Media who host the Black Myths Podcast videos. Support that work as well. And lastly for an update on our October campaign. October marks the 5 year anniversary of MAKC. We are trying to add 50 patrons this month. Currently we've got 22 new patrons for the month, so we're almost half way to our goal as we approach the half-way point of the month. You can kick in $1 a month or more and support the sustainability of this show at patreon.com/millennialsarekillingcapitalism. Additional notes: In conversation there's a mention of a Kali Akuno video.