Podcasts about westerners

Episode hosted by Mark Divine: Today, Commander Divine speaks with Tony Nader, MD, PhD, global expert in the science of consciousness and human development and head of the Transcendental Meditation organizations globally. In the episode, Tony shares the science of consciousness and the relationship between mind and body, consciousness and physiology, and the possibility to develop full human potential. Key Takeaways: Transcendental Meditation as an inner and outer practice. The reality is many Westerners think of meditation as an internal-only practice and therefore avoid it at all costs. Transcendental Meditation (TM), which Dr. Nader champions in the West, is instead both an internal and external practice, used to create more harmony in our real world lives. The survey says… meditate! Tony shares how TM has created research-backed results in both physical and mental realms. For instance, TM practitioners experience increased mental clarity, peace, and happiness, as well as less physiological stress, better healing and ability to concentrate - even (get this) better behavior! Ultimate reality and… rock consciousness? Tony details how TM allows practitioners to experience ultimate reality, which is the experience of all consciousness, everything, as one. Oh, and that includes rocks, which also hold consciousness, albeit of lower values than us humans. Less than 1% to heal the world. Studies have shown, including an experiment done in Washington, D.C., that when less than 1% of a population come together and practice Transcendental Meditation, there are cosmic shifts in the overall population behaviorally and mentally. Less car crashes, less violence, crime, and so on. TM is quite literally changing the world, by bringing us into harmony with the all-encompassing oneness of everything. Connect with Mark Divine: Website https://markdivine.com/podcast YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@markdivineshow Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-mark-divine-show/id955637330 To order Dr Tony Nader's book Consciousness Is All There Is: https://www.drnaderbooks.com or use your favorite bookseller. Website: https://www.drtonynader.com MIU Website https://www.miu.edu/meet-president-tony-nader-md-phd Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drtonynader MIU Press https://www.instagram.com/miupress Facebook https://www.facebook.com/DrTonyNader YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DrTonyNader X (Twitter) https://twitter.com/DrTonyNader TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@drtonynader Linked In https://www.linkedin.com/in/drtonynader Listen to the original episode here: https://youtu.be/d_U_cyxhN_A?si=TGjeZW76blTRYIxB

While Islam has often been characterized as unitary and unchanging, by both Muslims and Westerners for their own particular reasons, that has never been the case–and today's world is no exception. Legalists and mystics debate, and radical groups exist at the same time as Muslim feminists who advocate new interpretations of the Koran.  This is the core argument of my guest John Tolan's new book Islam: A New History, from Muhammad to the Present. Ranging from new historical research on the first decades of the origins of the Muslim faith, he moves across centuries and millennia capturing the diversity and debate which characterized the history of the youngest of the three great monotheistic religions. Its diversity was fueled not just by religious debate, but by the great cultures which it assimilated, engaged, or had continual contact over the vast territory across which it spread.  John Tolan is professor emeritus of history at the University of Nantes. His books include England's Jews, Faces of Muhammad, Saint Francis and the Sultan, and Saracens.  

In this episode of Leadership and Legacy, historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist Dr. Megan Kate Nelson illuminates the life and legacy of Little Wolf, a Northern Cheyenne military, political, and diplomatic leader. Drawing from her forthcoming book The Westerners, Nelson explores how Little Wolf embodied leadership values like consensus building, generosity, strategic brilliance, and sacrifice for the greater good—principles deeply rooted in Northern Cheyenne culture. The conversation offers insight into the complexity of Indigenous governance, the strategic resistance to U.S. expansion, and the enduring relevance of leadership qualities often overlooked in traditional narratives. Little Wolf's story challenges conventional definitions of leadership and reveals the strength found in humility, discipline, and communal responsibility.Leadership and Legacy: Conversations at the George Washington Presidential Library is hosted by Washington Library Executive Director Dr. Lindsay Chervinsky. It is a production of the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association and Primary Source Media. For more information about this program, go to www.GeorgeWashingtonPodcast.com.

When the devotees first went to India, Prabhupāda was there, and he invited devotees to come over because he wanted to show what happened. You know, he went alone to America, and he comes back with all these Americans. In India, at the time, people were looking to Americans and go, like, 'How are we going to catch up to these guys? We want what they have.' And then Prabhupāda plays this trick on them, where he comes to America, he gets all these Westerners, and he comes back with a big airplane full of Westerners. 'Here you go. They want what you are supposed to want, which is pure love for God.' In Surat, devotees went there, and they were having kīrtana, and people came out of their houses, and they were grabbing the dust after the devotees walked there, so much so that there were holes in the road! And devotees were surprised and taken aback, and they asked Prabhupāda later, 'Why were they doing that?' And he said, 'Because you follow the four regulative principles and you chant Hare Kṛṣṇa, anywhere you go in the world, you'll be honored because of them.' The greatest desire one can have is what Prahlāda Mahārāja showed us: 'Oh my Lord, if I have any desire within my heart, let it be no material desire, only the desire to serve You.' So we have the stark examples: Hiraṇyakaśipu—boo! And then you have Prahlāda Mahārāja, he's worshipable to us. In fact, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, when He would sit with Gadādhara Paṇḍita to hear Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, He wanted to hear that story over and over again. Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta told all his disciples to read Prahlāda 108 times. Hear that story over and over and over and over again, and he's famous, Prahlada Maharaja. He's famous all over the world because of that. ------------------------------------------------------------ To connect with His Grace Vaiśeṣika Dāsa, please visit https://www.fanthespark.com/next-steps/ask-vaisesika-dasa/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Add to your wisdom literature collection: https://iskconsv.com/book-store/ https://www.bbtacademic.com/books/ https://thefourquestionsbook.com/ ------------------------------------------------------------ Join us live on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FanTheSpark/ Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sound-bhakti/id1132423868 For the latest videos, subscribe https://www.youtube.com/@FanTheSpark For the latest in SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/fan-the-spark ------------------------------------------------------------ #vaisesikaprabhu #vaisesikadasa #vaisesikaprabhulectures #spirituality #bhaktiyoga #krishna #spiritualpurposeoflife #krishnaspirituality #spiritualusachannel #whybhaktiisimportant #whyspiritualityisimportant #vaisesika #spiritualconnection #thepowerofspiritualstudy #selfrealization #spirituallectures #spiritualstudy #spiritualexperience #spiritualpurposeoflife #spiritualquestions #spiritualquestionsanswered #trendingspiritualtopics #fanthespark #spiritualpowerofmeditation #spiritualgrowthlessons #secretsofspirituality #spiritualteachersonyoutube #spiritualhabits #spiritualclarity #bhagavadgita #srimadbhagavatam #spiritualbeings #kttvg #keepthetranscendentalvibrationgoing #spiritualpurpose

Professor John Eastman discusses the oral arguments made on May 15 in the birthright citizenship cases before the Supreme Court and the problem of nationwide injunctions. A classic film review relevant to arrogant judges is provided of the 1940 movie, “The Westerner.”

Professor John Eastman discusses the oral arguments made on May 15 in the birthright citizenship cases before the Supreme Court and the problem of nationwide injunctions.A classic film review relevant to arrogant judges is provided of the 1940 movie, “The Westerner.”

The Rebel News podcasts features free audio-only versions of select RebelNews+ content and other Rebel News long-form videos, livestreams, and interviews. Monday to Friday enjoy the audio version of Ezra Levant's daily TV-style show, The Ezra Levant Show, where Ezra gives you his contrarian and conservative take on free speech, politics, and foreign policy through in-depth commentary and interviews. Wednesday evenings you can listen to the audio version of The Gunn Show with Sheila Gunn Reid the Chief Reporter of Rebel News. Sheila brings a western sensibility to Canadian news. With one foot in the oil patch and one foot in agriculture, Sheila challenges mainstream media narratives and stands up for Albertans. If you want to watch the video versions of these podcasts, make sure to begin your free RebelNewsPlus trial by subscribing at http://www.RebelNewsPlus.com

The election's over—but the questions are just beginning. David Leis sits down with former politician Preston Manning to talk about what the results really mean for Canada's future. Are we more divided than ever? What's fuelling the unrest in the West? And could referendums or even secession be on the table? David and Preston get into everything from pipelines and energy security to why so many Westerners feel ignored by Ottawa. If you're wondering where Canada goes from here—and whether the West will go with it—this conversation is for you.

The election's over—but the questions are just beginning. David Leis sits down with former politician Preston Manning to talk about what the results really mean for Canada's future. Are we more divided than ever? What's fuelling the unrest in the West? And could referendums or even secession be on the table? David and Preston get into everything from pipelines and energy security to why so many Westerners feel ignored by Ottawa. If you're wondering where Canada goes from here—and whether the West will go with it—this conversation is for you.

Bright on Buddhism - Episode 113 - How does Buddhism argue that one must respond when they have been wronged? Does it teach that you should just take it and not respond at all? How does this relate to Buddhist influenced martial arts?Resources: Canzonieri, Salvatore. "The Emergence of the Chinese Martial arts". Han Wei Wushu (23).; Henning, Stanley (1999b). "Martial arts Myths of Shaolin Monastery, Part I: The Giant with the Flaming Staff". Journal of the Chenstyle Taijiquan Research Association of Hawaii. 5 (1).; Henning, Stanley E. (Fall 1999). "Academia Encounters the Chinese Martial arts". China Review International. 6 (2): 319–332. doi:10.1353/cri.1999.0020. ISSN 1069-5834.; Zhāng Kǒngzhāo 張孔昭 (c. 1784). Boxing Classic: Essential Boxing Methods 拳經拳法備要 Quánjīng Quánfǎ Bèiyào (in Chinese).; Kit, Wong Kiew (2002). Art of Shaolin Kung Fu: The Secrets of Kung Fu for Self-Defense Health and Enlightenment.; Order of the Shaolin Ch'an (2004, 2006). The Shaolin Grandmaster's Text: History, Philosophy, and Gung Fu of Shaolin Ch'an. Oregon.; Shahar, Meir (2008). The Shaolin Monastery: History, Religion, and the Chinese Martial Arts. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 978-0824831103.; Liu, James J.Y. (1967). The Chinese Knight Errant. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul. pp. 87–88. ISBN 0-2264-8688-5.; Henning, Stanley (1994). "The Chinese Martial Arts in Historical Perspective" (PDF). Journal of the Chenstyle Taijiquan Research Association of Hawaii. 2 (3): 1–7.; Henning, Stan; Green, Tom (2001). "Folklore in the Martial Arts". In Green, Thomas A. (ed.). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia. Santa Barbara, Calif: ABC-CLIO.; Shahar, Meir (2000). "Epigraphy, Buddhist Historiography, and Fighting Monks: The Case of The Shaolin Monastery". Asia Major. Third Series. 13 (2): 15–36.; Shahar, Meir (December 2001). "Ming-Period Evidence of Shaolin Martial Practice". Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies. 61 (2). Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 61, No. 2: 359–413. doi:10.2307/3558572. ISSN 0073-0548. JSTOR 3558572. S2CID 91180380.; Francis, B.K. (1998). Power of Internal Martial Arts: Combat Secrets of Ba Gua, Tai Chi, and Hsing-I. North Atlantic Books.; Ueshiba, Kisshōmaru (2004). The Art of Aikido: Principles and Essential Techniques. Kodansha International. p. 70. ISBN 4-7700-2945-4.; Saotome, Mitsugi (1989). The Principles of Aikido. Boston, Massachusetts: Shambhala. p. 222. ISBN 978-0-87773-409-3.; Westbrook, Adele; Ratti, Oscar (1970). Aikido and the Dynamic Sphere. Tokyo, Japan: Charles E. Tuttle Company. pp. 16–96. ISBN 978-0-8048-0004-4.; David Jones (2015). Martial Arts Training in Japan: A Guide for Westerners. Tuttle Publishing. p. 65. ISBN 978-1-4629-1828-7.; Michael A. Gordon (2019). Aikido as Transformative and Embodied Pedagogy: Teacher as Healer. Springer. p. 28. ISBN 978-3-030-23953-4.; Ueshiba, Morihei (2013). Budo: Teachings Of The Founder Of Aikido. New York: Kodansha America. pp. 33–35. ISBN 978-1-56836-487-2.; gar-Hutton, Robert (2018). The Metamorphosis of Tai Chi: Created to kill; evolved to heal; teaching peace. Ex-L-Ence Publishing. ISBN 978-1-9164944-1-1.; Bluestein, Jonathan (2014). Research of Martial Arts. CreateSpace. ISBN 978-1-4991-2251-0.; Bond, Joey (1999). See Man Jump See God Fall: Tai Chi Vs. Technology. International Promotions Promotion Pub. ISBN 978-1-57901-001-0.; Choy, Kam Man (1985). Tai Chi Chuan. San Francisco, California: Memorial Edition 1994.[ISBN missing]; Davis, Barbara (2004). Taijiquan Classics: An Annotated Translation. North Atlantic Books. ISBN 978-1-55643-431-0.Do you have a question about Buddhism that you'd like us to discuss? Let us know by emailing us at Bright.On.Buddhism@gmail.com.Nick Bright: Script, Cover Art, Music, Voice of Hearer, Co-HostProven Paradox: Editing, mixing and mastering, social media, Voice of Hermit, Co-Host

This week, Dutch YouTuber Bart van Genuchten returns to the podcast to discuss his recent trip to North Korea for the 2024 Pyongyang International Marathon — the country's first major tourism-related event since before the pandemic. Van Genugten shares what it was like being among the first Westerners allowed back into Pyongyang, navigating both awkward influencer hype and deeply personal moments of connection with North Korean guides. He also discusses the ethics of content creation in authoritarian contexts and how Pyongyang seems to be subtly shifting its messaging on unification. Bart van Genugten is a Dutch YouTuber living in Seoul, releasing videos on the channel iGoBart. He first garnered fame for his videos on a trip to North Korea in 2018 About the podcast: The North Korea News Podcast is a weekly podcast hosted by Jacco Zwetsloot exclusively for NK News, covering all things DPRK — from news to extended interviews with leading experts and analysts in the field, along with insight from our very own journalists. NK News subscribers can listen to this and other exclusive episodes from their preferred podcast player by accessing the private podcast feed. For more detailed instructions, please see the step-by-step guide at nknews.org/private-feed.

On today's show Andrew and Bill begin with the news that the US and PRC are sending representatives to Switzerland to discuss trade talks this weekend. Topics include: Why expectations should be set low, the week of signs that the PRC was willing to engage, questions about cooperating on fentanyl, and the latest measures to loosen monetary policy in Beijing. From there: An email about Chinese data spawns a conversation about increasing data opacity, and challenges for Westerners and the party alike. At the end: Thoughts on the PRC's relationship to Russia as Xi Jinping heads to Moscow, the consequences (or lack thereof) for the PRC's support for Russia's war in Ukraine, and reactions to a pair of CIA videos recruiting disaffected party members.

How can we get a Westerner to believe that if one eats cow flesh, one will become a cow in a future life who will then be eaten? by Exploring mindfulness, yoga and spirituality

With the recent influx of new listeners, I wanted to take this opportunity to introduce you to another one of my shows that I'm extremely proud of — WANTED. It's a show where I interview men and women who are, or have been, wanted by authorities from around the world.Today, I bring you Part 1 of my chat with David McMillan.David McMillan has lived a life that is almost unbelievable — it's like something straight out of a Hollywood crime thriller.Born in the UK to Australian parents, David travelled back and forth between the two countries a few times until, at the age of 10, his parents divorced. He, his sister, and his mother then made the permanent move to Melbourne.David was always different as a kid. He was expelled from school for trying to make a batch of LSD — perhaps a sign of things to come.At eighteen, David got a job at a city cinema where, by chance, he met some retired safe crackers — men who were looking to invest their money into the drug business. With no one else able to source it for them, David jumped in headfirst, changing the course of his entire life.He went on to make millions of dollars before an Australian task force swooped in, leading to him spending 10 years in maximum security prison in Victoria. Once released, David decided he was done with Australia and left for the UK — with a stopover in Thailand. It was a decision that would see him arrested again, this time facing the death penalty.Just two weeks before he was due to be executed by firing squad, David did something no other Westerner had ever achieved — he escaped.Get a copy of David's book hereJoin the One Minute Remaining Jury via Appl + HERE and get OMR early and ad free for as little as $1.69 a week!Become a Jury member on Patreon and find us on Facebook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on the Ninety-Eight, we learn alongside beloved Crosspoint members Prakrit Subba and Abhishek Indupally, who help us understand the significance of honor-shame culture. Most Westerners have a harder time seeing the honor-shame dynamic at play in the underlying context of the Bible and, even more so, may underestimate the cultural differences at play when sharing Jesus with people of Eastern descent. This episode seeks to help us process theological concepts like honor, shame, and guilt and sharpens us for greater effectiveness in ministry.

Ukrainians have resisted Russia's aggression for years. Since the full-scale invasion of their country in 2022, Ukrainian women in particular have taken on important roles on the frontlines, in civil society, and at home. Gražina Bielousova's research examines how Ukrainian leftist feminists advocate for their causes at home and abroad, facing distinct challenges as they attempt to defend their country. The Ukrainian case is also distinct from Latvia and Lithuania, whose organizing takes on different shapes for the same cause. Bielousova joins Ben Gardner-Gill to explain these interactions and discuss the ongoing process of decolonization in Baltic Studies.Transcript Ben Gardner-Gill: Hello, and welcome to Baltic Ways. I'm your co-host, Ben Gardner-Gill. Today we're talking with Gražina Belousova. Gražina is a feminist scholar of race, religion, and gender in post-Soviet Europe. She earned her PhD from Duke University in 2022. Currently, she is a postdoctoral scholar at Vilnius University's Institute of International Relations and Political Science and a researcher at Vytautas Magnus University.Her current research project focuses on leftist feminisms in East Europe in light of Russia's war against Ukraine, which will culminate in her first book, What's Left of Feminism in East Europe.Gražina, welcome to Baltic Ways.Gražina Belousova: Thank you so much for having me, Ben.BGG: So let's kick off by just hearing a little bit more about your background. I know you finished your PhD pretty recently. Could you tell us a little bit more about how you got into academia, sort of your research interests, and what you're working on at the moment?GB: Right. Yes, I just defended my PhD in 2022. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly three years now. In my PhD, I focused on historical matters. My PhD was in religion and cultural anthropology. And one of the things that I found missing when I was trying to theorize the part of the world that I call home and that most of the world calls Eastern Europe—I realized that I was lacking a solid theory that would bridge economics, anthropology, and religious studies.I wanted to understand how religious difference, especially perceived religious difference, played a role in creating the space that we call Eastern Europe today. And that took me to 18th and 19th century travel writings by Western travelers, oftentimes who were on an official mission, to the edges or to the depths of the Russian Empire.So I've read a lot of ambassadors' letters. I've read a lot of dispatches from St. Petersburg and Moscow, trying to understand how Westerners thought about that religious difference and how that thinking structured their understanding of what this place was and why it was different. What I tried to argue is actually that perceived religious difference was at the root of thinking of Eastern Europe as something different.Now, when I chose to embark on that topic, I had to put another topic aside, which was the question of very contemporary matters, the question of leftist political thought and feminism. At that point, it felt to me more pertinent to write the kind of theory that I felt was missing. When I was given the opportunity to pursue a postdoctoral position at Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science, I pitched this idea to them.And we very quickly pulled together the application. And the next thing I knew, I was embarking on a project on leftist feminisms in Eastern Europe in light of the war in Ukraine. So, the path was windy, but here I am today, knees and elbows deep, in the project on leftist feminism.BGG: Wonderful. I mean, a windy path is going to be familiar to so many people listening.So, no surprise and no surprise as well that the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has really impacted your work and your life as it has for many of us. So tell us a little bit more about that.Over the last three years, we've been watching and seeing the horrors in Ukraine. From your perspective, from your academic work, what are some of the main things that you're looking at?GB: One of the things that I'm particularly interested in is the way that groups that are on the edges of society, on the margins of society, such as leftists, such as feminists, and especially leftist feminists—when the two come together and try to articulate their social and political vision and explain to themselves and to their fellow compatriots and oftentimes foreign donors, in my case, also Western leftist feminists, their relevance, how they're trying to articulate their position.War has a penchant for heightening nationalist tendencies. And this is not some kind of particular Eastern European pathology. War anywhere is going to produce these results. That is normal. People defend themselves and articulate themselves on the basis on which they're being attacked, on the basis on which they're being bombed.So this is what we are seeing in Ukraine. Leftism in Eastern Europe, because of the Soviet past, is often associated with Soviet nostalgia. Feminism, on the other hand, is oftentimes seen as something antithetical to national identity, something that is imported from the West, and something that either has no relevance or can be dangerous, especially when questions of national unity, questions of national defense come about.That is one of the reasons why I embarked on this journey, and this is one of the reasons why Ukraine had to be part of this picture. Because while the other countries that I'm looking at—Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Moldova—experience the threat of invasion, Ukraine is under attack.And one of the things that I'm finding is that Ukrainian leftist feminists are incredibly resourceful and incredibly gifted at articulating their relevance.One of the things that I'm going to say that stems from that understanding of leftist feminism that's erroneous, but that's pervasive, is that Ukrainian leftist feminists do not debate the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state. What is in question is the way things are happening under the conditions of war.The questions of most vulnerable people—so questions of what happens with people with disabilities, questions of what happens to single mothers, questions of what happens to the elderly people who are maybe unable to evacuate, questions of what happens to the working class people—all of these things are at the forefront of their minds. They're trying to be the advocates of their pleas to the larger society, while at the same time trying to articulate Ukraine's right to self-defense to Western leftist feminists.BGG: So they have both this tension, maybe tension is the wrong word, tell me if it isn't, but they have this tension internally where they're trying to advocate for what they see as justice or what is right with a domestic audience who, understandably, may be more frequently focused on what's happening at the front lines.And then there's also this international question, the foreign audience for these Ukrainian leftist feminists, who have a very different perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And I specifically use that verbiage instead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine because they're going to think about it very differently.So let's split those out a little bit, and I want to start with the domestic. You talked about the advocacy of these leftist feminists for the most marginalized groups in society, for those who are most vulnerable.In your view, where have they been most successful, perhaps? Where have they seen actual progress happen from their advocacy?GB: One of the things that immediately comes to mind, and many of my interlocutors were directly involved with, is the nurses' movement–the unionization and self-organization of the nurses.There is a movement called Be Like Nina, referring to one of the nurses seen as a pioneer of resisting exploitation. And, of course, under the conditions of war, the labor of nurses is incredibly valuable and needed, but not always appropriately compensated. This is what we can call essential labor, especially when we talk about the front lines, where people are wounded.Many of them are wounded very badly on a daily basis. However, there are other things that are happening in the background as well. While a lot of the resources are pulled to the front, there are people who are experiencing regular daily struggles with their health. And the nurses are being stretched very thin.And this was something that was really amazing to me. This was really one of the very few instances where I saw academics who are leftist feminists actually touching the ground with their ideas: where they got involved with helping the nurses organize, but not taking the center stage, where they acted as support, as a resource, but not overtaking the movement, rather creating the conditions under which nurses themselves could articulate what it was that they needed, what their goals were.And that was incredibly impressive to me because healthcare is severely underfunded across the whole region, and to achieve such tangible goals as wage increases and regulations that empower nurses to do their job was truly impressive. With every conversation with a woman—because I specifically talk only to women—I just felt sheer amazement, because this is so contrary to so many imaginations of what civil society, self-organization, or networks are like in Eastern Europe.This is so contrary to what some have called ‘uncivil' society. What is happening is really self-organization and civil society at its best, organized by women who are oftentimes stretched very thin, not just at work, but also at home, women whose husbands are potentially on the front lines.So to me, I really cannot think of anything else that, in terms of real life impact and in terms of transforming people's lives, has been grander (I'm going to go for that word) than this.BGG: That's remarkable, and thank you for bringing that. I had very little idea of this progress and this happening.So you use the term civil society, which I think is quite apt, and Western conceptions of civil society in the region that we call Eastern Europe can be highly misguided. Let's just put it like that. I think back to a webinar that the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) hosted on Ukrainian civil society, democratization, responses to the war, and we have this comparative Ukrainian and Baltic perspective, where we looked at how Ukrainian civil society was responding.We looked at how Baltic civil society was responding, and you're doing something similar in your research here. You're looking at Latvia and Lithuania as two of the other case studies, in addition to Poland, Moldova, and, of course, Ukraine. One thing that I think we can all observe just from watching the news, let alone being in the countries as well, is that civil society across the region has had this really robust response in the last few years.So could you speak a little bit more to that in the comparative cases outside of Ukraine that you're looking at in your research, especially Latvia and Lithuania?GB: For sure. I think that in order to theorize civil society and the region in general, we need better theory than has been used often to talk about civil society at large.Here, for example, I'm thinking about Emily Channel Justice and her work and the way that she articulates the notion of self-organization. The way that she thinks about Ukraine, especially in the context of Maidan. The way that it left a self-organization, but that can be applied also to any form of civil society, regardless of ideology, is really a network of decentralized, self-organized people's groups.If you were to look for some kind of central organizing pattern, or some kind of centralized way of doing things, most likely you're not going to find it because it's based on personal network, connections, and localized issues. And I think that's definitely something that I'm seeing in Ukraine.One of the things that I'm seeing in Lithuania and Latvia is that it's going to differ slightly because there are going to be more central organizing figures. If we talk about organizing support for Ukraine, one of the things that we're going to see is that people are going to point to nationwide initiatives.Right now in Lithuania, there is an initiative called Radarum, which is a play on words, on radar and on darom, which is a Lithuanian word for let's do it. And it's a nationwide initiative to collect funds to purchase drones and anti-drone equipment for Ukraine. And there are particular faces that we associate with this initiative.National television is running ads for it. So there's a little bit more of a centralized sense to it. But once again, I would say that this is the mainstream way of organizing civil society, which, of course, with Westernization, has taken on some of the patterns that are similar to the West.If we look towards the left, we're going to see very much that it is self-organized, small groups of people who take different initiatives, such as raising funds for medical care, such as raising funds for queer people in Ukraine. So the more mainstream we go, the more patterns that are akin to those that we see in the West we're going to see.That is also going to be true in Latvia. The further left we go, the more organic, grassroots, self-organized cells of people we're going to find who participate in smaller, less visible initiatives. So that's probably the best way that I can explain the difference.BGG: Got it. We see this distinction of centralization and decentralization.One could consider these different types of movements organic in their own ways, but different in different ways. When one thinks of leftist organizing, which has a long and rich history, organic is sort of one of the key words.It's perpetual, and these society-wide initiatives, like what's currently going on in Lithuania, that we've seen across other countries over the last few years, are maybe a little bit less frequent and less common. So there's an important distinction there.So I want to pivot to the international dimension of how the Ukrainian leftist feminists are talking, especially with Western counterparts. And by Western, we mean Western Europe. We mean American and Canadian. We mean Western, as in not Eastern Europe. So could you talk a little bit about the challenges they're facing there?I think I alluded to it earlier. You alluded to it earlier, but could you dive a little bit more into that discourse, that dialogue between the Ukrainians and their counterparts?GB: This is the main point of contention. What does it mean to be leftist? How much does local experience shape being leftist?What is the relationship of the left to the national question? And I think this is where we are seeing the real tension. Underlying this tension, of course, is the question of Russia. Let me try to unpack this. And I'm going to start from the other end than I listed, which is with the question of Russia.Eastern European in general, and Ukrainian in particular, leftist feminists have a very different understanding as to what Russia is in terms of geopolitics than the Western counterparts are going to have. This stems from very different histories. Western leftism—especially the new wave of leftism that arose in the sixties and the seventies—in many ways has redefined itself not just through the questions of class, which I would argue were lost to some extent. They lost their centrality.And they redefined themselves through the anti-colonial, anti-racist struggle. And that struggle was particularly important because after the fall of the formal colonial system, the colonial patterns of economic exploitation, of social exploitation, of brain drain still very much persisted. And naming that and defining themselves against Western neoimperialism or neocolonialism in the Global South was one of the most defining features of the Left, both in the Global South and in the West. Now, Russia at that time had positioned itself as the ally of the colonized countries. And some of it was pure show, and some of it was actual money, resources, and help that were sent, for example, to Angola. And that made a real difference. Whether that was genuine concern for the colonized people or whether that was an ideological tool is a matter of debate.Whatever it was, it had a profound impact on the way that Western leftists relate to Russia. They continue to see Russia out of that tradition, in many ways, as an ally against Western capitalism and imperialism. Their empire, against which they define themselves, continues to be in the West, and oftentimes is seen as centered on the United States.The empire against which we define ourselves in Eastern Europe is Russia, because Russia was the colonizing power in a very real sense in the region. It was our empire that subjugated us. It was the colonial power that engaged in just about every single practice in which any colonial power engages in the region.For us, if we think outside of ourselves, Russia continues to be the colonial power in the way that it relates to Central Asia, in the way that it relates to the indigenous people of Siberia, in the way that it continues to conduct business. So both the left in the West and the left in the East continue to define themselves against the empire, but disagree on who the empire is.The fundamental difference is the question of Russia. Because of the way that Western leftists, and particularly Western leftist feminists, have been taught to see the world, the way that they have been habituated to see the world, they're unable to see Russia as an aggressor. They're unable to change their narrative about how NATO might act.And of course, the criticisms of continued Western abuses of power, especially when they center on the United States—such as Afghanistan or such as Iraq, but also here in the European context, intra-European context, Serbia is another context in which that comes up—are highly debatable questions, but they're seen a certain way. They're understood in a certain way by Western leftists. And because of Russia's criticism of the West, Western leftists see it as a natural ally, or at least as an equally guilty party.BGG: That's a really great explanation. I think the way that you've laid that out makes a lot of sense.It also harkens back to where I want to bring this, which is the debate that has been going on in Baltic studies and other academic fields, especially those focusing on the region, about thinking about Baltic history in particular as a colonial history and thinking about what it means to decolonize Baltic studies as a field, to decolonize our academic thinking. There have been a lot of discussions.I know that we were in the same room at the AABS panel at Yale last year on that fantastic panel about decolonization. Where do you think this leads with regard to your research specifically? There's already this trend in this field. I get the sense that you are an advocate and moving forward in land seeking for the field as a whole to move in that direction.What do you think the next steps are? What paths do you think could be taken? What do people need to be thinking about that they may not already be thinking about?GB: Well, I think for me, the key question when we are talking about Baltic studies and decolonization is what is it that we talk about when we talk about decolonizing Baltic studies or Baltic countries?Because I think sometimes we're talking about four different things. We are talking about the question of colonialism and coloniality. That's one. We are talking about imperialism, Russian imperialism, and Russian imperiality. We are talking about Russification and what it means to de-Russify. And we are also talking about Sovietization and what it means to de-Sovietize.And I would argue that while these four concepts are very much interrelated, they have very different agendas. So, I think it's a question of definitions. How do we define what our agenda is? Which of the four do we have in mind when we talk about decolonizing Baltic countries, Baltic studies, or anything else?And I would say that each of the four has its place and is significant. But the flip side of that, especially if we stay with the question of decolonization, is the question of Western theory, practice, and scholarship as it relates to Baltic studies. Because if we go back to the early questions in the conversation of what is civil society and whether there is a civil society, Baltic countries and the region as a whole are pathologized.Because the concept of what civil society is, or is not, was based on Western understandings and Western practices. And it rendered civil society in the region invisible. In what ways does the production of scholarship and knowledge about the region continue to be based in very unequal power relationships, in such a way that it continues to pathologize the region?And these are very uncomfortable questions, because much like, you know, in the late eighteenth century when the Lithuanian Polish Commonwealth was divided between the three powers, we're facing the same question: Who is our ally? Because we have learned that Russia is definitely not, but the West is also a problematic ally.This is where I think the question of what it means to center the study of the region in the theory, in the practice, in the questions that actually originate from the ground up, are so important. And I'm not ditching all Western scholarship out the window. That would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.But I'm saying, what does it mean to balance? What does it mean to center? What does it mean to change the parameters of the conversation?BGG: Those are some weighty questions. I think they're good questions that the field is, I would say not even starting to engage with, but is engaging with, which is really excellent, but it's a long path.As anyone who is a scholar of decolonization will tell you, it doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen over a decade. It's sort of a continuous process. So, I think that is where we're going to have to leave it, knowing that there is so much more we could have talked about. But, Gražina, thank you so much.This has been a fascinating conversation. Thank you for joining Baltic Ways.GB: Thank you so much for having me, Ben. It's been a privilege.BGG: Thank you for listening to this episode of Baltic Ways, a co-production of the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies and the Foreign Policy Research Institute (FPRI). A note that the views expressed in this and every Baltic Ways episode do not necessarily reflect those of AABS or FPRI.To ensure you catch the next episode of Baltic Ways, make sure you're subscribed to your podcast feed or wherever you get your shows. Thanks so much, and we'll see you next time. Get full access to FPRI Insights at fpriinsights.substack.com/subscribe

Ukrainians have resisted Russia's aggression for years. Since the full-scale invasion of their country in 2022, Ukrainian women in particular have taken on important roles on the frontlines, in civil society, and at home. Gražina Bielousova's research examines how Ukrainian leftist feminists advocate for their causes at home and abroad, facing distinct sets of challenges as they attempt to defend their country. The Ukrainian case is also distinct in comparison to Latvia and Lithuania, whose organizing takes on different shapes for the same cause. Bielousova joins Ben Gardner-Gill to explain these interactions and discuss the ongoing process of decolonization in Baltic Studies.TranscriptBen Gardner-Gill: Hello, and welcome to Baltic Ways. I'm your co-host, Ben Gardner-Gill. Today we're talking with Gražina Belousova. Gražina is a feminist scholar of race, religion, and gender in post-Soviet Europe. She earned her PhD from Duke University in 2022. Currently, she is a postdoctoral scholar at Vilnius University's Institute of International Relations and Political Science and a researcher at Vytautas Magnus University.Her current research project focuses on leftist feminisms in East Europe in light of Russia's war against Ukraine, which will culminate in her first book, What's Left of Feminism in East Europe.Gražina, welcome to Baltic Ways.Gražina Belousova: Thank you so much for having me, Ben.BGG: So let's kick off by just hearing a little bit more about your background. I know you finished your PhD pretty recently. Could you tell us a little bit more about how you got into academia, sort of your research interests, and what you're working on at the moment?GB: Right. Yes, I just defended my PhD in 2022. It's hard to believe that it's been nearly three years now. In my PhD, I focused on historical matters. My PhD was in religion and cultural anthropology. And one of the things that I found missing when I was trying to theorize the part of the world that I call home and that most of the world calls Eastern Europe—I realized that I was lacking a solid theory that would bridge economics, anthropology, and religious studies.I wanted to understand how religious difference, especially perceived religious difference, played a role in creating the space that we call Eastern Europe today. And that took me to 18th and 19th century travel writings by Western travelers, oftentimes who were on an official mission, to the edges or to the depths of the Russian Empire.So I've read a lot of ambassadors' letters. I've read a lot of dispatches from St. Petersburg and Moscow, trying to understand how Westerners thought about that religious difference and how that thinking structured their understanding of what this place was and why it was different. What I tried to argue is actually that perceived religious difference was at the root of thinking of Eastern Europe as something different.Now, when I chose to embark on that topic, I had to put another topic aside, which was the question of very contemporary matters, the question of leftist political thought and feminism. At that point, it felt to me more pertinent to write the kind of theory that I felt was missing. When I was given the opportunity to pursue a postdoctoral position at Vilnius University Institute of International Relations and Political Science, I pitched this idea to them.And we very quickly pulled together the application. And the next thing I knew, I was embarking on a project on leftist feminisms in Eastern Europe in light of the war in Ukraine. So, the path was windy, but here I am today, knees and elbows deep, in the project on leftist feminism.BGG: Wonderful. I mean, a windy path is going to be familiar to so many people listening.So, no surprise and no surprise as well that the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine has really impacted your work and your life as it has for many of us. So tell us a little bit more about that.Over the last three years, we've been watching and seeing the horrors in Ukraine. From your perspective, from your academic work, what are some of the main things that you're looking at?GB: One of the things that I'm particularly interested in is the way that groups that are on the edges of society, on the margins of society, such as leftists, such as feminists, and especially leftist feminists—when the two come together and try to articulate their social and political vision and explain to themselves and to their fellow compatriots and oftentimes foreign donors, in my case, also Western leftist feminists, their relevance, how they're trying to articulate their position.War has a penchant for heightening nationalist tendencies. And this is not some kind of particular Eastern European pathology. War anywhere is going to produce these results. That is normal. People defend themselves and articulate themselves on the basis on which they're being attacked, on the basis on which they're being bombed.So this is what we are seeing in Ukraine. Leftism in Eastern Europe, because of the Soviet past, is often associated with Soviet nostalgia. Feminism, on the other hand, is oftentimes seen as something antithetical to national identity, something that is imported from the West, and something that either has no relevance or can be dangerous, especially when questions of national unity, questions of national defense come about.That is one of the reasons why I embarked on this journey, and this is one of the reasons why Ukraine had to be part of this picture. Because while the other countries that I'm looking at—Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, and Moldova—experience the threat of invasion, Ukraine is under attack.And one of the things that I'm finding is that Ukrainian leftist feminists are incredibly resourceful and incredibly gifted at articulating their relevance.One of the things that I'm going to say that stems from that understanding of leftist feminism that's erroneous, but that's pervasive, is that Ukrainian leftist feminists do not debate the legitimacy of the Ukrainian state. What is in question is the way things are happening under the conditions of war.The questions of most vulnerable people—so questions of what happens with people with disabilities, questions of what happens to single mothers, questions of what happens to the elderly people who are maybe unable to evacuate, questions of what happens to the working class people—all of these things are at the forefront of their minds. They're trying to be the advocates of their pleas to the larger society, while at the same time trying to articulate Ukraine's right to self-defense to Western leftist feminists.BGG: So they have both this tension, maybe tension is the wrong word, tell me if it isn't, but they have this tension internally where they're trying to advocate for what they see as justice or what is right with a domestic audience who, understandably, may be more frequently focused on what's happening at the front lines.And then there's also this international question, the foreign audience for these Ukrainian leftist feminists, who have a very different perspective on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. And I specifically use that verbiage instead of Russia's invasion of Ukraine because they're going to think about it very differently.So let's split those out a little bit, and I want to start with the domestic. You talked about the advocacy of these leftist feminists for the most marginalized groups in society, for those who are most vulnerable.In your view, where have they been most successful, perhaps? Where have they seen actual progress happen from their advocacy?GB: One of the things that immediately comes to mind, and many of my interlocutors were directly involved with, is the nurses' movement–the unionization and self-organization of the nurses.There is a movement called Be Like Nina, referring to one of the nurses seen as a pioneer of resisting exploitation. And, of course, under the conditions of war, the labor of nurses is incredibly valuable and needed, but not always appropriately compensated. This is what we can call essential labor, especially when we talk about the front lines, where people are wounded.Many of them are wounded very badly on a daily basis. However, there are other things that are happening in the background as well. While a lot of the resources are pulled to the front, there are people who are experiencing regular daily struggles with their health. And the nurses are being stretched very thin.And this was something that was really amazing to me. This was really one of the very few instances where I saw academics who are leftist feminists actually touching the ground with their ideas: where they got involved with helping the nurses organize, but not taking the center stage, where they acted as support, as a resource, but not overtaking the movement, rather creating the conditions under which nurses themselves could articulate what it was that they needed, what their goals were.And that was incredibly impressive to me because healthcare is severely underfunded across the whole region, and to achieve such tangible goals as wage increases and regulations that empower nurses to do their job was truly impressive. With every conversation with a woman—because I specifically talk only to women—I just felt sheer amazement, because this is so contrary to so many imaginations of what civil society, self-organization, or networks are like in Eastern Europe.This is so contrary to what some have called ‘uncivil' society. What is happening is really self-organization and civil society at its best, organized by women who are oftentimes stretched very thin, not just at work, but also at home, women whose husbands are potentially on the front lines.So to me, I really cannot think of anything else that, in terms of real life impact and in terms of transforming people's lives, has been grander (I'm going to go for that word) than this.BGG: That's remarkable, and thank you for bringing that. I had very little idea of this progress and this happening.So you use the term civil society, which I think is quite apt, and Western conceptions of civil society in the region that we call Eastern Europe can be highly misguided. Let's just put it like that. I think back to a webinar that the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) hosted on Ukrainian civil society, democratization, responses to the war, and we have this comparative Ukrainian and Baltic perspective, where we looked at how Ukrainian civil society was responding.We looked at how Baltic civil society was responding, and you're doing something similar in your research here. You're looking at Latvia and Lithuania as two of the other case studies, in addition to Poland, Moldova, and, of course, Ukraine. One thing that I think we can all observe just from watching the news, let alone being in the countries as well, is that civil society across the region has had this really robust response in the last few years.So could you speak a little bit more to that in the comparative cases outside of Ukraine that you're looking at in your research, especially Latvia and Lithuania?GB: For sure. I think that in order to theorize civil society and the region in general, we need better theory than has been used often to talk about civil society at large.Here, for example, I'm thinking about Emily Channel Justice and her work and the way that she articulates the notion of self-organization. The way that she thinks about Ukraine, especially in the context of Maidan. The way that it left a self-organization, but that can be applied also to any form of civil society, regardless of ideology, is really a network of decentralized, self-organized people's groups.If you were to look for some kind of central organizing pattern, or some kind of centralized way of doing things, most likely you're not going to find it because it's based on personal network, connections, and localized issues. And I think that's definitely something that I'm seeing in Ukraine.One of the things that I'm seeing in Lithuania and Latvia is that it's going to differ slightly because there are going to be more central organizing figures. If we talk about organizing support for Ukraine, one of the things that we're going to see is that people are going to point to nationwide initiatives.Right now in Lithuania, there is an initiative called Radarum, which is a play on words, on radar and on darom, which is a Lithuanian word for let's do it. And it's a nationwide initiative to collect funds to purchase drones and anti-drone equipment for Ukraine. And there are particular faces that we associate with this initiative.National television is running ads for it. So there's a little bit more of a centralized sense to it. But once again, I would say that this is the mainstream way of organizing civil society, which, of course, with Westernization, has taken on some of the patterns that are similar to the West.If we look towards the left, we're going to see very much that it is self-organized, small groups of people who take different initiatives, such as raising funds for medical care, such as raising funds for queer people in Ukraine. So the more mainstream we go, the more patterns that are akin to those that we see in the West we're going to see.That is also going to be true in Latvia. The further left we go, the more organic, grassroots, self-organized cells of people we're going to find who participate in smaller, less visible initiatives. So that's probably the best way that I can explain the difference.BGG: Got it. We see this distinction of centralization and decentralization.One could consider these different types of movements organic in their own ways, but different in different ways. When one thinks of leftist organizing, which has a long and rich history, organic is sort of one of the key words.It's perpetual, and these society-wide initiatives, like what's currently going on in Lithuania, that we've seen across other countries over the last few years, are maybe a little bit less frequent and less common. So there's an important distinction there.So I want to pivot to the international dimension of how the Ukrainian leftist feminists are talking, especially with Western counterparts. And by Western, we mean Western Europe. We mean American and Canadian. We mean Western, as in not Eastern Europe. So could you talk a little bit about the challenges they're facing there?I think I alluded to it earlier, and you alluded to it earlier, but could you dive a little bit more into that discourse, that dialogue between the Ukrainians and their counterparts?GB: This is the main point of contention. What does it mean to be leftist? How much does local experience shape being leftist?What is the relationship of the left to the national question? And I think this is where we are seeing the real tension. Underlying this tension, of course, is the question of Russia. Let me try to unpack this. And I'm going to start from the other end than I listed, which is with the question of Russia.Eastern European in general, and Ukrainian in particular, leftist feminists have a very different understanding as to what Russia is in terms of geopolitics than the Western counterparts are going to have. This stems from very different histories. Western leftism—especially the new wave of leftism that arose in the sixties and the seventies—in many ways has redefined itself not just through the questions of class, which I would argue were lost to some extent. They lost their centrality.And they redefined themselves through the anti-colonial, anti-racist struggle. And that struggle was particularly important because after the fall of the formal colonial system, the colonial patterns of economic exploitation, of social exploitation, of brain drain still very much persisted. And naming that and defining themselves against Western neoimperialism or neocolonialism in the Global South was one of the most defining features of the Left, both in the Global South and in the West. Now, Russia at that time had positioned itself as the ally of the colonized countries. And some of it was pure show, and some of it was actual money, resources, and help that were sent, for example, to Angola. And that made a real difference. Whether that was genuine concern for the colonized people or whether that was an ideological tool is a matter of debate.Whatever it was, it had a profound impact on the way that Western leftists relate to Russia. They continue to see Russia out of that tradition, in many ways, as an ally against Western capitalism and imperialism. Their empire, against which they define themselves, continues to be in the West, and oftentimes is seen as centered on the United States.The empire against which we define ourselves in Eastern Europe is Russia, because Russia was the colonizing power in a very real sense in the region. It was our empire that subjugated us. It was the colonial power that engaged in just about every single practice in which any colonial power engages in the region.For us, if we think outside of ourselves, Russia continues to be the colonial power in the way that it relates to Central Asia, in the way that it relates to the indigenous people of Siberia, in the way that it continues to conduct business. So both the left in the West and the left in the East continue to define themselves against the empire, but disagree on who the empire is.The fundamental difference is the question of Russia. Because of the way that Western leftists, and particularly Western leftist feminists, have been taught to see the world, the way that they have been habituated to see the world, they're unable to see Russia as an aggressor. They're unable to change their narrative about how NATO might act.And of course, the criticisms of continued Western abuses of power, especially when they center on the United States—such as Afghanistan or such as Iraq, but also here in the European context, intra-European context, Serbia is another context in which that comes up—are highly debatable questions, but they're seen a certain way. They're understood in a certain way by Western leftists. And because of Russia's criticism of the West, Western leftists see it as a natural ally, or at least as an equally guilty party.BGG: That's a really great explanation. I think the way that you've laid that out makes a lot of sense.It also harkens back to where I want to bring this, which is the debate that has been going on in Baltic studies and other academic fields, especially those focusing on the region, about thinking about Baltic history in particular as a colonial history and thinking about what it means to decolonize Baltic studies as a field, to decolonize our academic thinking. There have been a lot of discussions.I know that we were in the same room at the AABS panel at Yale last year on that fantastic panel about decolonization. Where do you think this leads with regard to your research specifically? There's already this trend in this field. I get the sense that you are an advocate and moving forward in land seeking for the field as a whole to move in that direction.What do you think the next steps are? What paths do you think could be taken? What do people need to be thinking about that they may not already be thinking about?GB: Well, I think for me, the key question when we are talking about Baltic studies and decolonization is what is it that we talk about when we talk about decolonizing Baltic studies or Baltic countries?Because I think sometimes we're talking about four different things. We are talking about the question of colonialism and coloniality. That's one. We are talking about imperialism, Russian imperialism, and Russian imperiality. We are talking about Russification and what it means to de-Russify. And we are also talking about Sovietization and what it means to de-Sovietize.And I would argue that while these four concepts are very much interrelated, they have very different agendas. So, I think it's a question of definitions. How do we define what our agenda is? Which of the four do we have in mind when we talk about decolonizing Baltic countries, Baltic studies, or anything else?And I would say that each of the four has its place and is significant. But the flip side of that, especially if we stay with the question of decolonization, is the question of Western theory, practice, and scholarship as it relates to Baltic studies. Because if we go back to the early questions in the conversation of what is civil society and whether there is a civil society, Baltic countries and the region as a whole are pathologized.Because the concept of what civil society is, or is not, was based on Western understandings and Western practices. And it rendered civil society in the region invisible. In what ways does the production of scholarship and knowledge about the region continue to be based in very unequal power relationships, in such a way that it continues to pathologize the region?And these are very uncomfortable questions, because much like, you know, in the late eighteenth century when the Lithuanian Polish Commonwealth was divided between the three powers, we're facing the same question: Who is our ally? Because we have learned that Russia is definitely not, but the West is also a problematic ally.This is where I think the question of what it means to center the study of the region in the theory, in the practice, in the questions that actually originate from the ground up, rather than are solely important. And I'm not ditching all Western scholarship out the window. That would be throwing the baby out with the bathwater.But I'm saying, what does it mean to balance? What does it mean to center? What does it mean to change the parameters of the conversation?BGG: Those are some weighty questions. I think they're good questions that the field is, I would say not even starting to engage with, but is engaging with, which is really excellent, but it's a long path.As anyone who is a scholar of decolonization will tell you, it doesn't happen overnight. It doesn't happen over a decade. It's sort of a continuous process. So, I think that is where we're going to have to leave it, knowing that there is so much more we could have talked about. But, Gražina, thank you so much.This has been a fascinating conversation. Thank you for joining Baltic Ways.GB: Thank you so much for having me, Ben. It's been a privilege.To ensure you catch the next episode of Baltic Ways, make sure you're subscribed to your podcast feed or wherever you get your shows. Thanks so much, and we'll see you next time.(Image: Facebook | Феміністична майстерня)Baltic Ways is a podcast from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies, produced in partnership with the Baltic Initiative at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of AABS or FPRI. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit fpribalticinitiative.substack.com

This is episode 219 — a new Governor has sailed into Table Bay. Sir Philip Edmond Wodehouse, born in 1811, eldest child of Edmond Wodehouse who married his first cousin Lucy, daughter of Philip Wodehouse, uncle Philip to Sir Philip Edmond. How very Victorian. Queen Victoria herself, who married her first cousin Prince Albert—did allow and even encourage cousin marriage, particularly among royalty and the upper classes to consolidate power, property, and lineage. But it also increased the risk of birth defects by 2 percent, and if both parents carry a recessive gene mutation, their child has a 25 percent chance of expressing the disorder. Scientists have a well-worn phrase for this — its called inbreeding. Wodehouse junior entered the Ceylon Civil Service in 1828, and was installed as superintendent of British Honduras between 1851 to 1854. From there he sailed to British Guiana where he served as Governor between 1854 to 1861 — before heading to the Cape in 1862. It's illuminating to touch on Sir Philip Wodehouse's disastrous time in British Guiana. Two years after he took office in the South American country, the Angel Gabriel riots broke out. His implacable opponent was John Sayers Orr, whose nom de guerre was the Angel Gabriel, was half Scottish, half African. Edinburgh's Caledonian Newspaper of the time reported that his mother Mary Ann Orr was a respectable coloured woman and married to a respectable Scot — John Orr senior. Young John Sayer Orr was rabidly anti-papal, hated the Pope and had an anti-Catholic obsession. He took to the Guianese streets with bullhorn in hand, whereupon the distant Glasgow Herald noted he spoke “rampant anti-papist froth and lies..” Between 1850 and 1851 he popped up in Boston, then New York, Bath in Maine, and Manchester in New Hampshire. In 1854 he was hustled off by police in Boston. Apart from the usual racial insults levelled at him, the Boston police report says he had more impudence than brains .. “…who with a three cornered hat and a cockade on his head, and old brass horn .. took advantage of the political excitement .. travelled around the city …tooting his horn … collecting crowds in the streets, delivering what he called his political lectures and passing around the hat for contributions…” Sounds like a modern political influencer, the bullhorn, the disinformation, the extreme rhetoric, not to mention his hat which is literally crowd sourcing. He was arrested at least 20 times for what was called his international harangues tour — where he'd shout confusing messages like “Scorn be those who rob us of our rights — purgatory for popery and the Pope — Freedom to man be he black or white — Rule Britannia…!!” Bizarrely, the resonances to today's crazy politics continued, Orr was associated with the fantastically named Know Nothing Party in America. Wait to hear about this bunch, you'll recognise bits of modern USA. Members of the movement were required to say "I know nothing" whenever they were asked about its specifics by outsiders, and that providing the group with its colloquial name. Before you wonder aloud what relevance all this has, let me quickly point out that the so-called Know Nothing Party had 43 representatives in Congress at the height of its power in the late 1850s. In 1855 this strange 19th Century character pitched up in British Guiana, and Sir Philip Wodehouse had his work cut out. Soon Orr was up to his old tricks, walking about with his bull horn, carrying a flag and a British imperial badge, followed by a group of …. Well .. followers. They were not repeating they Knew Nothing, but attacking the British establishment. We'll also hear about the Angel Gabriel riots. By 1862 Wodehouse who survived a public stoning in Guiana, had arrived in the Cape as Governor. Here he was to face the implacable enemies - the Westerners and the Easterners. Two parts of the Cape that did not get along.

Exploring psychedelics as sacramental medicine, Mindrolling comrades David Silver and Raghu Markus discuss William Richards' book, Sacred Knowledge.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis week on Mindrolling, Raghu and David ponder through:The relationship between psychedelics and religious experiences The tale of Ram Dass, Neem Karoli Baba, and LSDResponsible use of psychedelics for reliability and potency David's experience with peyote shamans in South DakotaFinding out the ground of our own beings Viewing everything as God and everything as equally remarkable How spiritual awakenings are often initially nurtured through a psychedelic substance Considering set, setting, and our intentions before ingesting any entheogenComplete unity as Raghu's first memory of a psychedelic experienceCheck out the book referenced throughout this episode: Sacred Knowledge: Psychedelics and Religious Experiences About David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.“When you take these substances, you must have the right atmosphere, the right people with you, the right reason for doing it. These things have to be thought very carefully about.” – David SilverSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

⭐The Shanghai Story (1954) - Film Noir Behind the Bamboo Curtain ⭐

There's a strange hatred of all things China in the West—it's time to debunk outdated myths and find out what's true.Over the past couple of years, I've had several conversations about China, exploring why much of what we believe is either fabricated or completely false.For example,Chinese people are oppressedChina has a social credit scoreThere is a genocide of UyghursThe Chinese government harvests organsThe Tiananmen Square massacreAll of the above narratives are bunk.Lee Barrett is a British YouTuber who has lived in China for over a decade. He runs a really great YouTube channel where he posts videos about his daily life there.He chatted with me about censorship, oppression, food, culture, and why many Westerners hate China without ever visiting.It's not a utopia, but nor is it some totalitarian hellhole.Oh, by the way, he didn't use a VPN or anything to dodge the Great Firewall of China. He just recorded with me like any other guest.

Today we bring you a bonus episode from our friends at House Party, a pop-up election podcast answering one big, burning question every week. This week: Will this election bring Canada together or tear us apart?The West wants out, Quebec wants in, and Canadian unity turned into a campaign issue this week after former Reform Party and opposition leader Preston Manning claimed increasing numbers of Westerners — particularly Albertans — may see secession as the only option if the Liberals win. Yet in Quebec, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet took the opposite tack, downplaying separatist sentiment and arguing Canada needs to be united in its response to Donald Trump's tariffs. So is separatism really a ballot box issue this time around? Catherine Cullen in Ottawa, Jason Markusoff in Calgary and Daniel Thibeault in Montreal try to unite their three solitudes with an answer. Find more episodes of House Party here: https://link.mgln.ai/hpxthecurrent

Today we bring you a bonus episode from our friends at House Party, a pop-up election podcast answering one big, burning question every week. This week: The West wants out, Quebec wants in, and Canadian unity turned into a campaign issue this week after former Reform Party and opposition leader Preston Manning claimed increasing numbers of Westerners — particularly Albertans — may see secession as the only option if the Liberals win. Yet in Quebec, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet took the opposite tack, downplaying separatist sentiment and arguing Canada needs to be united in its response to Donald Trump's tariffs. So is separatism really a ballot box issue this time around? Catherine Cullen in Ottawa, Jason Markusoff in Calgary and Daniel Thibeault in Montreal try to unite their three solitudes with an answer. Find more episodes of House Party here: https://link.mgln.ai/hpxpowerandpolitics 

FAN MAIL--We would love YOUR feedback--Send us a Text MessageApril 9th marks 160 years since the surrender at Appomattox Courthouse – the moment that effectively ended America's bloodiest conflict. This anniversary offers a powerful opportunity to reflect on the Civil War's enduring impact on our national identity and democratic principles.The surrender scene itself carries deep symbolism: Lee in his pristine gray uniform meeting Grant in his characteristically muddy field attire, negotiating terms in a small Virginia parlor. What followed wasn't vengeance but surprising generosity – Confederate soldiers allowed to return home under parole, keeping their sidearms and horses, embodying Lincoln's vision for national healing "with malice toward none, with charity for all."But understanding Appomattox requires grasping the full arc of the Civil War. That's why I've curated three essential books that offer fresh perspectives on this pivotal historical moment. James McPherson's "Battle Cry of Freedom" provides the definitive single-volume account, weaving military strategy and social transformation into a compelling narrative that firmly establishes slavery as the war's central cause. Fergus Bordwitch's "Congress at War" illuminates how Radical Republicans in Congress pushed an aggressive legislative agenda that permanently altered federal-state relationships and protected civil rights. And Edward Bonekemper's "Lincoln and Grant" examines how these two underestimated "Westerners" formed an unstoppable partnership of moral vision and military tenacity.As we approach America's 250th anniversary in 2026, these readings help us comprehend how the Civil War fundamentally redefined our nation. The conflict wasn't just about preserving the Union – it transformed America's understanding of liberty itself, creating a constitutional framework that finally began aligning our practices with our founding ideals of equality. Pick up one of these books today and discover how this crucial chapter in our past continues to shape America's present and future.Key Points from the Episode:• Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson - Pulitzer Prize-winning comprehensive history that weaves military, political and social dimensions into one gripping narrative• McPherson clearly establishes slavery as the central cause of the Civil War, not simply "states' rights"• Lincoln's evolving definition of liberty shows how the war transformed American identity• Congress at War by Fergus Bordwitch - Reveals how lawmakers drove anti-slavery legislation even beyond Lincoln's initial vision• With Southerners absent, Congress embarked on transformative legislation that laid foundations for modern America• The book highlights how Congress profoundly altered federal-state relationships and protected civil rights• Lincoln and Grant by Edward Bonekemper - Examines the partnership between two "Western" leaders who brought the Confederacy to its knees• Grant's Vicksburg campaign stands as a masterpiece of military strategy• Their collaboration demonstrates how visionary leadership paired with relentless execution changed history• The Impending Crisis by David Potter (honorable mention) - Brilliant analysis of the tense pre-war years from 1848-1861As we approach America's 250th anniversary in 2026, I encourage you to pick up one of these essential reads to understand this critical chapter in our national story.Other resources: Want to leave a review? Click here, and if we earned a five-star review from you **high five and knuckle bumps**, we appreciate it greatly, thank you so much!

The West wants out, Quebec wants in, and Canadian unity turned into a campaign issue this week after former Reform Party and opposition leader Preston Manning claimed increasing numbers of Westerners – particularly Albertans – may see secession as the only option if the Liberals win. Yet in Quebec, Bloc Quebecois leader Yves-Francois Blanchet took the opposite tack, downplaying separatist sentiment and arguing Canada needs to be united in its response to Donald Trump's tariffs. So is separatism REALLY a ballot box issue this time around? Catherine Cullen in Ottawa, Jason Markusoff in Calgary and Daniel Thibeault in Montreal try to unite their 3 solitudes with an answer.

Mary's Healing Journey: Once bedridden with dysautonomia, Mary reversed her condition through ancestral nutrition, high-fat animal foods, and nervous system restoration.

This week, I have a favorite back on the show! The one and only Jade Sol Luna returns to help us decode the energetic blueprint of 2025, specifically what happens when Saturn moves into Pisces following this powerful eclipse season. But before we go cosmic, we start at the root: self-love. This episode is both a spiritual pep talk and an astrological forecast…and the two are more connected than you think. Listen in as we explore: Why it's your job, and no one else's, to love yourself The energetic shift that happens when you're fully at home with yourself The freedom in detachment: how letting go creates alignment The magnetic power of aloneness and authenticity The deeper meaning behind Saturn's transit into Pisces and how it affects us collectively What this next cycle is asking of your soul When you can get good without having any, that's when you get it all. This episode is a call to return to your wholeness and get prepared—energetically and emotionally—for what 2025 is about to bring.  

Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks about “The Daily Show's” Jon Stewart being surprisingly open to conservative economist Oren Cass' defense of Donald Trump's tariffs, Donald Trump's “liberation day” speech where he involved the benefit of his tariffs and how experts have been wrong about NAFTA and trade deals of the past; Thomas Sowell's telling the Hoover Institution's “Uncommon Knowledge” his reaction to Trump's tariffs and if he fears it is escalating into a trade war; Sky News' profiling of the ISIS kids of Syria who make it very clear what they want to do to Westerners; Keir Starmer blaming the manosphere for the online radicalization of young boys; fencer Stephanie Turner making a brave gesture to protect women's sports and protest her being forced to compete against trans athlete Redmond Sullivan; and much more. Dave also does a special “ask me anything” question-and-answer session on a wide-ranging host of topics, answering questions from the Rubin Report Locals community. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Gravity Defyer - Sick of knee pain? Get Gravity Defyer shoes. Minimize the shock waves that normal shoes absorb through your feet, knees and hips with every step. Use the promo code "RUBIN30" at checkout, to get an extra 30% off orders over $120 or more. Just text RUBIN30 to 91888 or go to: http://gdefy.com and Use the promo code "RUBIN30" CBDistillery.com- Struggling with poor sleep or aches and pains? Take the advice of our over 2 million satisfied customers. Use CBD after physical activity for reductions in stress and pain. Order now and save up to 25% on everything! Go to: http://CBDistillery.com and enter PROMO CODE: RUBIN 1775 Coffee - Get the Longevity Bundle featuring their top-selling Anti-Aging Coffee, the ultra-rare Peaberry blend, an exclusive 1775-branded tumbler, plus more premium coffee and limited-edition merch you can't find anywhere else. Every dollar you spend enters you to win a blacked-out 2024 Tesla Cybertruck plus $30,000 cash! Rubin Report viewers get 15% off their order. Go to: https://1775coffee.com/RUBIN and use code RUBIN Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Please meet Shyamasundar Das. A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada changed the world. When he came to America from India in 1965, few Westerners knew the deep spiritual truths behind ancient Vedic philosophy and culture. Within a decade, most humans on the planet had heard the Hare Krishna mantra. Shyamasundar das (Sam Speerstra) was one of Bhaktivedanta Swami's earliest disciples, helping him shape the Krishna Consciousness movement in the Haight-Ashbury district of San Francisco, in London with the Beatles, and then, as the Swami's personal secretary, he traveled with Prabhupada in India, Russia, and all over the globe. In three volumes and nearly 600 photos, “Chasing Rhinos With The Swami” is the intimate account of Prabhupada's amazing adventures, describing in loving detail the seven years Shyamasundar spent at the side of the perfect person. Title of Session: Chasing Rhinos with the Swami Connect with Shyamasundar Das: WEBSITE: https://chasingrhinos.com/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/chasingrhinos #ShyamasundarDas #BhaktiYogaConference #HarvardDivinitySchool This event is hosted by ✨ Happy Jack Yoga University ✨ www.happyjackyoga.com ➡️ Facebook: /happyjackyoga ➡️ Instagram: @happyjackyoga Bhakti Yoga Conference at Harvard Divinity School Experience a one-of-a-kind online opportunity with 40+ renowned scholars, monks, yogis, and thought leaders! REGISTER FOR FREE: www.happyjackyoga.com/bhakti-... This conference is your opportunity to immerse yourself in the wisdom of sincere practitioners as they address the questions and challenges faced by us all. Expect thought-provoking discussions, actionable insights, and a deeper understanding of cultivating Grace in an Age of Distraction and incorporating Bhakti Yoga into your daily life.

“For many educated Westerners,” writes today's guest, “ the idea that religion promotes violence and secularism ameliorates the problem is a settled certainty, a doxa, an unstated premise of right thinking. By no means do I deny that religious energies…can be turned toward destructive ends, especially by unscrupulous politicians in times of crisis and uncertainty… Nonetheless, concentration on or simply assuming religion's inclination toward violence insouciantly glides past a glaring reality of the twentieth century: namely, that regimes committed to secularism have not infrequently possessed just as much capacity for violence as, and often much more than, those tied to religious identity.” These are some of the observations with which Thomas Albert Howard begins his new book, Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History. It is a survey and a dissection of how certain types of secularism can lead to violence as furious as that of any religious fanatic.  Thomas Albert (Tal) Howard (Ph.D, University of Virginia) is professor of humanities and history and holds the Phyllis and Richard Duesenberg Chair in Christian Ethics at Valparaiso University. His previous books include The Faiths of Others: A History of Interreligious Dialogue (Yale University Press, 2021), which was the subject of our conversation in Episode 232 of this podcast. This is his third appearance on Historically Thinking; he also discussed the life and historical project of Jacob Burckhardt long, long ago in Episode 37. (The image is of two Tibetan Buddhists undergoing a "self-criticism session" in Lhasa sometime in 1966; from picryl.com)

Did you know Buddhists "repent" for their transgressions? This is a very popular practice, but also a very important one Westerners might be missing out on. Learn more about repentance in Buddhism, why it's important, and how to do it.Contact Alan: alanpeto.com/contactPodcast Homepage: alanpeto.com/podcastPodcast Disclaimer: alanpeto.com/legal/podcast-disclaimer

In his latest book, Broken Altars: Secularist Violence in Modern History, Thomas Albert Howard presents three principal forms of modern secularism that have arisen since the Enlightenment: passive, combative, and eliminationist. Howard argues that the latter two have been especially violence-prone and says Westerners do not fully grasp this because they often mistake passive secularism […]

If you don't invest in your wellness, you'll be forced to invest in your sickness. Our guest today has been assisting people on their healing journey since 1988 at his Transformational Healing Universe in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of Los Angeles, California. His Los Angeles center has 10 cutting edge systems (some that are exclusive to him) proven to heal. He's here to share some of the biohacking modalities he knows can heal chronic conditions. Dr. Har Hari Khalsa focuses on a holistic approach to patient wellness and longevity. With 36 years of treating A-list celebrities and athletes as a pioneer in holistic care, he leverages the best of healing technology, offering a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Dr. Har Hari previously studied under Yogi Bhajan®, a master of Kundalini yoga. Through his studies, he gained wisdom and invaluable personal experience in yogic healing for himself and others. Dr. Har Hari earned his Doctor of Chiropractic from Cleveland Chiropractic College Los Angeles and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder. KEY TAKEAWAYS How Dr. Har Hari got started Several cutting-edge systems (some exclusive to Dr. Har Hari) that are proven to heal The best healing technologies People whom Dr. Har Hari treats The ailments treated at Transformational Healing Universe The biohacking modalities that can heal chronic conditions  His advanced NASA-based system that can analyze and align the spine What most Westerners get wrong in their approach to healing Some of the biggest mistakes people make in terms of their health   è To learn more about Dr. Har Hari and his cutting-edge treatments, visit Transformational Healing Universe.  è For all of the links and show notes, visit HealthyHomeHacks.

Some paths in life aren't so much chosen as they are revealed—often through unexpected encounters, serendipitous moments, or a relentless tug of curiosity. The call to become a healer, to step into the role of a doctor, is often as much about who you are as what you do.In this conversation with Dr. Steven Rosenblatt, we step back into the early days of acupuncture in the West. From his serendipitous meeting with a renowned acupuncturist in Griffith Park to becoming the first Westerner licensed to practice acupuncture in the United States, Steven's story is a rich tapestry of curiosity, perseverance, and pioneering spirit.Listen into this discussion as we explore the underground days of acupuncture in Chinatown, the quest for legal recognition of the medicine, the challenges of integrating acupuncture into mainstream healthcare, and how becoming a doctor is as much an internal calling as it is an external practice.

What can we Westerners learn about raising intrinsically happy, self-sufficient, and helpful children from the Maya of Mexico, the Inuit of the Arctic Circle and the Hadza of Tanzania? Well, it turns out, a lot!WEIRD cultures (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) have been making parenting unnecessarily more difficult than it was designed to be. From helicopter and free-range parenting, to distracting children instead of intentionally involving them in quotidian household responsibilities, we are unwittingly becoming the source of our modern-day parenting grievances.With the help of Michaeleen Doucleff, mother and New York Times best-selling author of one of our favorite reads, “Hunt Gather Parent,” we break down modern-day parenting myths and turn to our much wiser, indigenous peers for the practical tips we're all yearning for when we are in the trenches of motherhood.Resources: Buy "Hunt, Gather, Parent" from Michaeleen's website!Let Grow: Leading the Movement for Childhood IndependenceSupport the showJOIN OUR NEW, PRIVATE COMMUNITY! DONATE (Thank you!!

For centuries, ayahuasca has been a sacred plant for the Shipibo-Konibo peoples of the Peruvian Amazon. Part medicine, part spiritual ceremony, ayahuasca and other plant medicines are revered practices. But in recent years, a boom in Western interest in psychedelics has started to reshape ayahuasca ceremonies and practise. Fuelled by celebrity endorsements, a new wave of tourists are heading to purpose-built resorts in the Peruvian jungle to take ayahuasca, guided by shamans from the Shipibo-Konibo tribes. In this episode of Heart and Soul, reporter Janak Rogers travels to the Peruvian Amazon to explore this so-called ‘psychedelic renaissance'. From candlelit jungle ceremonies to bustling tourist strips, Rogers uncovers the allure of ayahuasca for Westerners seeking help and healing. But as the ayahuasca boom transforms local communities, challenges arise: the rise of unscrupulous shamans, the commercialisation of Indigenous knowledge, and risks faced by vulnerable travellers.

In this episode I got to talk with Eric Kaufmann. Eric is a professor at the University of Buckingham in Buckingham, England. He was previously a professor for over 20 years at Birbeck, University of London where his job and livelihood was attacked by the woke mob. We talked about this in our conversation. We also discussed why so many Americans (and Westerners more broadly) don't trust their institutions - whether that be universities, government agencies, or legacy media. Eric argues that we have to reform these institutions, not just destroy them or let them die. We also talk about the future of Conservatism in the West and if post-liberalism is the way forward.This was a great conversation and I hope you enjoy!SUBSCRIBE TO ORTHODOXY & ORDER NEWSLETTER HERE Sign up for my newsletter and never miss an episode: https://optivnetwork.comFollow me on X: https://x.com/andyschmitt99Email me at andy@optivnetwork.com with your questions!Music: "nesting" by Birocratic (http://birocratic.lnk.to/allYL)

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the Philippines has become the epicentre of online child sexual abuse. Clients, mostly Westerners, pay just a few dozen dollars to watch the live rape of a child. The perpetrators of these crimes are often family members – acts of incest monetised by extremely poor Filipinos, who can earn the equivalent of a year's salary in just a few days. This phenomenon, marked by extreme violence, is fuelled by the country's endemic poverty and easy internet access. The anonymity of online streaming also makes investigations more difficult. While authorities regularly arrest families that live-stream the rape of their children, it is far from enough to end the sexual exploitation of children online. William de Tamaris and Justin McCurry report.

Following a great suggestion from listener Kelly, Greg and Ed discuss the ‘expat bubble,' the tendency for expats (and tourists) to primarily spend time with foreigners, rather than experience the same Bangkok that the majority of Thais are experiencing. Kelly noted that on her recent solo travels in Bangkok, she often found truly Thai markets that were very cheap with delicious food but also that she was the only Westerner there. Certain other cheap food courts, such as those in Big C, would have a more mixed customer base. What gives? Greg and Ed do their best to untangle the mystery. Perhaps the ‘super-Thai' markets appeared too dirty to anyone but long-term expats, with tiny plastic chairs sitting among random detritus, food apparently kept sitting out too long, and the potential of random vermin running across your feet. Or could it be the expected lack of English and the social awkwardness of functioning among Thai who might not be used to tourists and foreigners? This certainly kept Greg from experiencing ‘real' Thailand during his first wasted half-year in Chiang Mai. The boys note that a lot of what's going on might just boil down to personality type. Some of us expats and tourists are just naturally more adventurous and willing to put up with some embarrassment in order to try something new. While others stick to the predictable path, if not Starbucks or McDonald's, then a ‘Thai' food court in a clean, international mall. In the end, Greg and Ed make the case for reminding yourself that perhaps 80% of Thais in Bangkok rarely interact with foreigners, and it's their lives that actually constitute the ‘real' Thailand. So if you want to experience something really new and different and not just safe, it's probably worth giving some of those crowded, hot and grimy markets a go. At the very least, you'll save money and eat well! :) Don't forget that Patrons get the ad-free version of the show as well as swag and other perks. We also sometimes post on Facebook, you can contact us on LINE and of course, head to our website (www.bangkokpodcast.com) to find out probably more info than you need to know.

In 1986, Michael Asher and his wife Mariantonietta Peru set out to cross the Sahara from west to east, by camel and on foot. Their 4,500 mile (7,200 km) journey is the longest trek ever made by Westerners in the Sahara, and the first recorded crossing from west to east by non-mechanical means.  I read Asher's book about this trip — Impossible Journey — more than twenty years ago, and it's been in my travel literature top ten ever since. We spoke about traveling by camel, Saharan cultures, and what it was like to see the Nile after nine desert months.

CT scan accidentally reveals calcium deposits where they don't belong; Dispelling the myth that hunter-gatherers get more sleep than Westerners; Blue light exposure at night impairs sleep—but morning exposure improves it; When normal B12 levels aren't enough; NT Factor vs. urolithin A (Mitopure®️) for mitochondria; Alternatives to PPIs for Barrett's Esophagus; Topical—not oral—melatonin for skin rejuvenation. 

David McMillan (born 1956) is a British-Australian former drug smuggler who is the only Westerner on record as having successfully escaped Bangkok's Klong Prem prison. His exploits were detailed in several books and in the 2011 Australian telemovie Underbelly Files: The Man Who Got Away.Follow me on all socials!Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/insidetruecrime/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mattcoxtruecrimeDo you want to be a guest? Fill out the form https://forms.gle/5H7FnhvMHKtUnq7k7Send me an email here: insidetruecrime@gmail.comNeed Prison Consulting? Book a Call With Dan Wise https://calendly.com/federalprisontime/matt-coxDo you want a custom "con man" painting to shown up at your doorstep every month? Subscribe to my Patreon: https: //www.patreon.com/insidetruecrimeDo you want a custom painting done by me? Check out my Etsy Store: https://www.etsy.com/shop/coxpopartListen to my True Crime Podcasts anywhere: https://anchor.fm/mattcox Check out my true crime books! Shark in the Housing Pool: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0851KBYCFBent: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BV4GC7TMIt's Insanity: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08KFYXKK8Devil Exposed: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08TH1WT5GDevil Exposed (The Abridgment): https://www.amazon.com/dp/1070682438The Program: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0858W4G3KBailout: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bailout-matthew-cox/1142275402Dude, Where's My Hand-Grenade?: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXNFHBDF/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1678623676&sr=1-1Checkout my disturbingly twisted satiric novel!Stranger Danger: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BSWQP3WXIf you would like to support me directly, I accept donations here:Paypal: https://www.paypal.me/MattCox69Cashapp: $coxcon69

They're Fetishizing The Bibas Kids' Red Hair To Sell Genocide To White Westerners The aggressive fetishization of the red hair of Ariel and Kfir Bibas is part of an absolutely disgusting war propaganda campaign aimed at white westerners, and we need to talk about it. Reading by Tim Foley.

In this interview I am once again joined by Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, a tantric priest in a centuries old Newari Buddhist family lineage and master of the religious dance tradition of Charya Nritya. Prajwal Vajracharya reveals the rich world of Newari life rituals, in which major life events such as birth, coming of age, marriage, and death are celebrated by religious and community rites. Prajwal Vajracharya explains the initiation rituals for boys and girls, including a 12-day dark retreat in which girls are taught essential knowledge by community members, and reveals how divination and astrology are used to determine a child's name and life path. Prajwal Vajracharya also discusses the importance of purity and discipline, bespoke rituals to clear obstacles, find a partner, and heal illness, and reflects on the challenges in bringing his ritual tradition to the USA. … Video version: https://www.guruviking.com/podcast/ep295-life-cycle-rituals-prajwal-ratna-vajracharya-3 Also available on Youtube, iTunes, & Spotify – search ‘Guru Viking Podcast'. … Topics include: 00:00 - Intro 01:02 - Life cycle rituals of the Newari tradition 02:17 - Pregnancy and birth rituals 04:40 - Is Western culture traumatising? 05:21 - Creating a happy pregnancy 06:28 - Rituals for infancy 08:28 - The baby knows what it needs 09:31 - Naming and earring rituals 11:39 - Divination and adornment rituals 12:50 - The 1 year ritual 13:41 - Egg, fish, and wine 14:26 - 2nd year ritual 16:!6 - 7th year initiation ritual for boys 17:54 - 12-day dark retreat initiation ritual for girls 20:28 - Variations among castes in Nepal 21:23 - Special, old age ritual for the 77th year 23:02 - 88th year and a rebirth ritual 25:42 - Grieving customs for parent's death 27:36 - Science of rituals and living a happy life 28:29 - In Nepal, everyone takes care of their parents 29:07 - Lack of dementia in Nepal 29:44 - Ritual as a family and community activity 31:20 - Obstacle removal, house blessing, and healing rituals 32:44 - Clay-pot rebirth ritual at 99 years old 35:53 - Respecting the elderly 36:48 - How to choose a child's name 38:25 - Spiritual names 38:58 - Divination to determine the child's career and life path 40:39 - What did Prajwal's son choose? 42:02 - Astrology chart for a new baby 42:53 - The Chudakarma ritual and monastic training 43:49 - Ritual obligations as a Vajrācārya 48:40 - When rituals go wrong! 50:28 - Origin of and textual sources for Newari rituals 52:37 - Purity and preparing for ritual 54:47 - Discipline and respecting others 55:52 - Rituals to get a girlfriend and other life situations 58:08 - The many benefits of rituals 01:01:35 - The complexities of married life 01:03:06 - Bringing Newari ritual traditions to the West 01:05:34 - Innovation and training Westerners in Vajrācārya rituals 01:08:10 - Self-initiation and awakening the channel and nerves 01:09:13 - An American Vajrācārya? 01:10:00 - Challenging reactions in Nepal 01:11:52 - Gurū maṇḍala, the heart of Newari ritual 01:13:40 - Mudrā healing … Previous episodes with Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya: - https://www.guruviking.com/search?q=prajwal To find out more about Prajwal Ratna Vajracharya, visit: - https://www.dancemandal.com/ 
For more interviews, videos, and more visit: - www.guruviking.com Music ‘Deva Dasi' by Steve James

To receive a free written summary of the podcast, sign up for our newsletter here.  (Or copy paste this link in your browser: ⁠https://vigneshdevraj.com/#:~:text=of%20future%20generations.-,SUBSCRIBE,-TO%20RECEIVED%20A⁠) In this episode, we explore the powerful influence of Karma and Karmic Relationships on our lives. From understanding the Law of Karma to examining how past actions shape our present, we discuss the complexities of karmic connections, the ties of past lives, types of Karma, and offer remedial tools  to break negative cycles. Robert Svoboda also breaks down how bad habits are linked to karma and how it builds our everyday lives and other struggles in unexpected ways. Tune in for practical insights on navigating and transforming your karmic journey.Guest Profile - Dr Robert SvobodaDr. Robert Svoboda is the first Westerner ever to graduate from a college of Ayurveda and be licensed to practice Ayurveda in India. During and after his formal Ayurvedic training he was tutored in Ayurveda, Yoga, Jyotish, Tantra and other forms of classical Indian lore by his mentor, the Aghori Vimalananda. He is the author of over a dozen books and has served as Adjunct Faculty at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, NM, and at Bastyr University in Kenmore, WA. You can find out more about his work and study online with him at www.drsvoboda.com. Topics CoveredThe Law of KarmaPast Life & Karmic RelationsKarmic Detachment from Actions Different Types of Karma How Karma Influences Bad Habits Timestamps00:00 - 00:21: Introduction 00:21 - 03:30: The Law of Karma 03:30 - 10:47: Complexities of Karma & Life10:47- 14:30: External Tools to Understand your Karmic Charts14:30 - 23:40: Connections & Karmic Relationships23:40 - 28:38: Cause & Effect Factor In Karma28:38 - 33:24: Remedies for Your Karma33:24 -  44:44: A Different Approach For Dealing With Karma 44:44 - 52:45: Bad Habits & Karma's Hold On It52:45 - 01:00:32: Karma Builds Life Beyond Control01:00:32 - 01:09:37: ConclusionDr Vignesh Devraj If you are interested in doing one on one Ayurvedic consultation with Dr Vignesh Devraj please find the details in this link:  https://calendly.com/drvignesh/30-minute-session-with-dr-vignesh-devraj-md-ay-istIf you are economically challenged, please use the form provided to request a free Ayurvedic consultation here. (or copy paste this in your browser:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd29nHcrC1RssR-6WAqWCWQWKKJo7nGcEm8ITEl2-ErcnfVEg/viewform )BALANCE THE MIGHTY VATA - ONLINE COURSE NOW AVAILABLE What makes Ayurveda unique in its treatment approach is its practical wisdom on the concept of Vata. Vata is responsible for Prana - the life energy, nervous system - the master panel of our body, and our emotions. In Ayurveda, it is mentioned that controlling Vata is the most difficult part of healing and recovery. Recently I have recorded a workshop on - Balancing The Mighty Vata which has over 6 hrs of content, with notes filled with practical inputs that can be integrated into our life. You can access this at https://drvignesh.teachable.com/For further information about Dr Vignesh Devraj, kindly visit www.vigneshdevraj.com andwww.sitaramretreat.com Instagram -  @sitarambeachretreat | @vigneshdevrajTwitter - @VigneshDevrajWe truly hope you are enjoying our content. Want to help us shape and grow this show faster? Leave your review and subscribe to the podcast, so you'll never miss out on any new episodes. Thanks for your support.Disclaimer: - The content of the podcast episodes is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical procedures, consultations, diagnosis, or treatment in any manner. We strongly do not recommend using the content of these episodes as medical advice for any medical conditions for you, others, or for treating your patients.

Above Photograph © Lou Jones Africa is the cradle of our civilization. Yet, most Westerners see this massive continent from a distance, and often through a scrim of largely negative headlines.  For more than a decade, Boston-based photographer Lou Jones has sought to challenge this misperception. In 2013, he launched an in-depth photographic documentation of individual countries across Africa under the title the panAFRICAproject.  Jones joins us on today's podcast to recap his efforts to date, which currently encompasses a third of Africa's 54 nations.  Listen in to learn how the project came to be—growing from a solo endeavor to travels with two assistants and enough photo and lighting gear to illuminate an airplane factory. We also discuss the delicate mix of diplomacy and six degrees of separation Jones employs when negotiating access to photograph—plus much, much more. “We're talking about contemporary Africa,” Jones points out. “Talking to people local—not academics in America—to tell us what's important to their culture, what's important to their country, what's important to their community, what's important to their company. Directly from people living there.” Guest: Lou Jones Episode Timeline: 2:58: Lou's earliest trips to Africa predating the panAFRICAproject, then traveling to Ghana to start the project. 7:26: The logistics of travel as a solo photographer and the six degrees of separation that informs his photographic process.  11:33: The substantial diplomacy required in meetings to negotiate access, while avoiding cliches and stereotypes. 19:29: The value of Lou's images as currency in gaining access to photograph business environments. 26:18: The evolution of Lou's photo crew, planning and packing for multiple purposes, plus the art of trading down with project costs. 32:10: The contents of Lou's gear bags, and how he packs everything from cameras to Speedlights to lighting accessories. 39:53: Photography as a bridge to cultural sensitivity and the relationship between a photographer and his or her subjects. 43:08: EPISODE BREAK 44:00: The evolving process of planning each trip to Africa and the constant work when boots are on the ground. 48:12: The complex algorithm Lou and his team use in planning which African country to document next. 53:56: Technological advances and cultural trends coming full circle in Africa, plus cell phone use and fin tech. 59:45: Two cultures side-by-side. Documenting the parallel worlds of contemporary society and indigenous traditions in daily life. 1:05:56: Use of photographs from the panAFRICAproject and maintaining connections with photographic subjects.  1:08:12: Kickstarter and crowdfunding campaigns to support panAFRICAproject travel and books. 1:16:03: Next steps in the panAFRICAproject and the project's impact on a local, grass roots level. Guest Bio: The eclectic career of Lou Jones has spanned every camera format, film type, artistic movement, and technological change, while simultaneously evolving from the commercial to the personal. Recognized by Nikon as a “Legend Behind the Lens” and honored as a Lowepro “Champion,” Jones has maintained a photography studio in Boston for more than 40 years, all while traveling to over 65 foreign countries on assignment. Jones works primarily with advertising agencies and design studios for corporate clients such as Nike, Mobil, and Federal Express, as well as influential publications like Time, Fortune, and National Geographic, among many others. The author of more than a dozen books, Jones is also an esteemed educator and has served as a board member for organizations such as ASMP National, the Photographic Resource Center and the Griffin Museum of Photography.  In tandem with his busy assignment career, Jones pursues long term projects on subjects as diverse as death row inmates, the Summer and Winter Games, and his most recent endeavor, The panAFRICAproject, a contemporary visual portrait of the entire continent, to establish an archive representing its 54 individual countries devoid of the preconceived, western notions of distress. Stay Connected: panAFRICAproject Website: https://panafricaproject.org/ Lou Jones Photography Website: https://www.fotojones.com/ Lou Jones Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loujonesstudio/ Lou Jones Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fotojones/ Lou Jones Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Jones_(photographer) Lou Jones 2018 presentation at the B&H Event Space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plVb_EFMcQM Lou Jones on the B&H Explora blog: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/explora/photography/features/lou-jones-takes-a-long-term-approach-from-jazz-portraits-to-the Lou Jones's book Speedlights & Speedlites: Creative Flash Photography at Lightspeed: https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1025994-REG/focal_press_978_0_240_82144_3_book_speedlights_speedlites.html End Credits: Host: Derek Fahsbender Senior Creative Producer: Jill Waterman Senior Technical Producer: Mike Weinstein Executive Producer: Richard Stevens

Far too ignorant of the histories of the rest of the world, being aware of only the accomplishments of Greece, Rome and Europe, Westerners have been made to believe that their societies represent the most superior examples of civilization. However, the Western value system stems from a misconception that, as in nature, human society too is evolving. The idea derives from the hidden influence of secret societies, who followed the belief in spiritual evolution of the Kabbalah, which taught that history would attain its fulfillment when man would become God, and make his own laws.Therefore, the infamous Illuminati gave its name to the Enlightenment of the eighteenth century,which claimed that human progress must abandon "superstition," meaning Christianity, in favor of "reason." Thus the Illuminati succeeded in bringing about the French and American revolutions, which instituted the separation of Church and State, and from that point forward, the Western values of Humanism, seen to include secularism, human rights, democracy and capitalism, have been celebrated as the culmination of centuries of human intellectual evolution.This is the basis of the propaganda which has been used to foster a Clash of Civilizations, where the Islamic world is presented as stubbornly adhering to the anachronistic idea of "theocracy." Where once the spread of Christianity and civilizing the world were used as pretexts for colonization, today a new White Man's Burden makes use of human rights and democracy to justify imperial aggression.However, because, after centuries of decline, the Islamic world is incapable of mobilizing a defense, the Western powers, as part of their age-old strategy of Divide and Conquer, have fostered the rise of Islamic fundamentalism, to both serve as agent-provocateurs and to malign the image of Islam. These sects, known to scholars as Revivalists, opposed the traditions of classical Islamic scholarship in order to create the opportunity to rewrite the laws of the religion to better serve their sponsors. Thus were created the Wahhabi and Salafi sects of Islam, from which were derived the Muslim Brotherhood, which has been in the service of the West ever since.But, the story of the development of these Islamic sects involves the bizarre doctrines and hidden networks of occult secret societies, being based on a Rosicrucian myth of Egyptian Freemasonry, which see the Muslim radicals as inheritors of an ancient mystery tradition of the Middle East which was passed on to the Knights Templar during the Crusades, thus forming the foundation of the legends of the Holy Grail. These beliefs would not only form the cause for the association of Western intelligence agencies with Islamic fundamentalists, but would fundamentally shape much of twentieth century history.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-opperman-report--1198501/support.

Mindrolling alumnus David Silver re-joins Raghu to help us transform our relationship with thought and lead us to growth and inner peace.Mindrolling is brought to you by Reunion. Reunion is offering $250 off any stay to the Love, Serve, Remember community. Simply use the code “BeHere250” when booking. Disconnect from the world so you can reconnect with yourself at Reunion. Hotel | www.reunionhotelandwellness.com Retreats | www.reunionexperience.orgThis journey on Mindrolling, Raghu and David weave through:Opposing the idea of ‘I think, therefore I am'The disease of overthinking and why we thinkLetting thoughts come through and letting it goHow our relationship to thought is what makes us sufferFocused, creative, compassionate thinking as the center of our growthThe necessity of compassion for oneself along with mindfulnessComing back into mantra when our mind wandersPassing through thoughts that are negative rather than getting hookedRight thinking and right actionAbout David Silver:David Silver is the former co-host of the Mindrolling podcast. He is a filmmaker and director, most recently coming out with Brilliant Disguise. Brilliant Disguise tells the unique story of a group of inspired Western spiritual seekers from the 60s, who in meeting the great American teacher, Ram Dass, followed him to India to meet his Guru, Neem Karoli Baba, familiarly known as Maharaj-ji. Two days before he left his body, Maharaj-ji instructed K.C. Tewari to take care of the Westerners, which he did resolutely until the day he died in 1997. Silver's #1 charting MGM/UA/Warners film, “The Compleat Beatles” is the critically acclaimed biopic movie about history's most famous band. The term ‘rockumentary' was first applied to this two-hour movie. Rolling Stone recently described the film as a “masterwork.” Silver's Warner Brothers' feature film, “No Nukes” also started the whole trend of music/activism feature documentaries.”This is workable conditions. We can absolutely transform so that we are not hooked and glued to these thoughts and the belief and story from which they come from.” – Raghu MarkusSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

TW: Discussions about the language used about suicide. Join comedians Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard-McLean as they explore a shared passion, serial killers. Each episode the pair will talk all things murder and macabre and have a right laugh doing it. This is part one of a two-part episode on John Martin Scripps, a British serial killer and the first Westerner to be executed in Singapore. It's also the first episode of 2025, so there's plenty to catch up on, including vegan Creme Eggs, lorry trips with parents, and Rachel having no time for sniffer dogs.

Join comedians Rachel Fairburn and Kiri Pritchard-McLean as they explore a shared passion, serial killers. Each episode the pair will talk all things murder and macabre and have a right laugh doing it. This is part two of a two-part episode on John Martin Scripps, a British serial killer and the first Westerner to be executed in Singapore. And although the details of Scripps' crimes are truly horrific, they pale in comparison to what's happened to Kiri's car...want to find out more? Grab a sick bag and press play.