Author: Talia Baroncelli

Modern Iran: National Identity as a Tool of Resistance or Coercion?

Modern Iran: National Identity as a Tool of Resistance or Coercion?

ByTalia Baroncelli

Historian, Assal Rad, explores identity formation in modern Iran, both under the Pahlavi dynasty as well as after the 1979 Revolution under the Islamic Republic. Her book “State of Resistance: Politics, Culture, and Identity in Modern Iran” examines top-down and bottom-up manifestations of national identity as narrated by state structures and popular culture, respectively. Her fascinating analysis is based on a historical assessment of how modern state-building in Iran inculcated a sense of national belonging in the population, as well as on interviews with people in Tehran and examples taken from popular music and film. Can national identity play a positive role in liberation struggles?

Massive French Protests Continue – Renaud Lambert

Massive French Protests Continue – Renaud Lambert

ByTalia Baroncelli

Renaud Lambert, journalist at Le Monde diplomatique, discusses the nationwide anti-pension reform protests in France, which have consisted of over a million people taking to the streets on more than one occasion. He underscores how French President Emmanuel Macron’s tax cuts for the wealthy have increased the current deficit, exposing how workers will now need to work longer to make up for the decreases in government revenue.

Yemen: Biden’s Hypocrisy and Possible Peace?
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Yemen: Biden’s Hypocrisy and Possible Peace?

ByTalia Baroncelli

Shireen Al-Adeimi, Professor of Language and Literacy at Michigan State University, lays out the U.S., U.K., and Canada’s role in perpetuating the brutal Saudi-led blockade of Yemen. She exposes Biden’s continued military support of Saudi Arabia, despite the administration’s pledge to only send defensive support, and calls into question the misleading dichotomy of “offensive” vs. “defensive” military support. Is a peace deal more likely now that the Houthi and Saudi representatives have met in Sana’a?

Capitalism Has Never Been This Irrational – Paul Jay (pt 3/3)
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Capitalism Has Never Been This Irrational – Paul Jay (pt 3/3)

ByTalia Baroncelli

Talia Baroncelli interviews Paul Jay; “The financial elites know how dangerous the climate crisis is, but they won’t acknowledge the only solution is central planning, government regulation, and intervention. They know market mechanisms won’t work within a time frame that matters, if at all. They’re not against central planning. What is the Pentagon if not central planning? What is the Fed and bank bailouts if not central planning? Central planning in their interests and under their control is okay. But government planning that transforms the economy and phases out fossil fuel, is unacceptable. They hate any form of socialism more than they hate risking the end of civilization.”

Donald Trump and the (Non) Prosecution of Presidential Crimes (pt 2/3)

Donald Trump and the (Non) Prosecution of Presidential Crimes (pt 2/3)

ByTalia Baroncelli

In part two of this three-part series, Paul Jay speaks about the grave war crimes committed by numerous U.S. presidents, which have gone largely unpunished. The current corporate political class is hyper-focused on President Donald J. Trump’s unlawful behavior as if it constitutes an anomaly in the historical trajectory of presidential crimes. Despite this double standard, Trump should not be exempt from judicial scrutiny and prosecution.

Class and the War in Ukraine – Paul Jay (pt 1/3)
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Class and the War in Ukraine – Paul Jay (pt 1/3)

ByTalia Baroncelli

Paul Jay is back to speak about the war in Ukraine, the irrevocable effects of climate change, and the ever-present but often downplayed danger of nuclear warfare. He explains how the transnational capitalist elite continue to benefit from the war at the expense of the average Ukrainian and Russian worker. He also speaks about his new documentary film project on nuclear winter and his recent trip to visit political activist Daniel Ellsberg, whose insights on the Cuban Missile Crisis and potential human error leading to nuclear confrontation are heavily featured in the film. This is part one of a three-part series.

Detroiters Fight to Reclaim Their City From Real Estate Vultures – Linda Campbell

Detroiters Fight to Reclaim Their City From Real Estate Vultures – Linda Campbell

ByTalia Baroncelli

Linda Campbell, Director of the Detroit People’s Platform, has worked as a community organizer in Detroit for decades. She speaks about local initiatives which advocate for investment in affordable housing and oppose the public financing of big real estate projects which have historically contributed to community land dispossession. She also applauds the Michigan Democrats’ recent repeal of right-to-work legislation and calls upon the political leadership to fight for higher wages, particularly for non-union workers not covered by prevailing wage protections.

U.S. Interference in the Middle East – 20 Years Since the U.S. Invasion of Iraq – Col. Larry Wilkerson
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U.S. Interference in the Middle East – 20 Years Since the U.S. Invasion of Iraq – Col. Larry Wilkerson

ByTalia Baroncelli

Col. Larry Wilkerson speaks about how the media’s portrayal of the U.S. invasion of Iraq barely encapsulates the damage wrought by the U.S.-led “coalition of the willing.” He also addresses recent developments in the Middle East, including Israel’s increasingly belligerent policy on Iran, how the Saudi-Iran deal might end the Saudi blockade of Yemen, and the military significance of Israel being moved from U.S. European Command to U.S. Central Command.

Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage and One Year Since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Larry Wilkerson
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Nord Stream Pipeline Sabotage and One Year Since Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine – Larry Wilkerson

ByTalia Baroncelli

Over a year has passed since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24th, 2022, with both sides suffering enormous casualties. Talia Baroncelli speaks to retired Col. Lawrence Wilkerson about the credibility of various reports on the Nord Stream pipeline sabotage, noticeable tensions between Wagner Group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin and Russian President Vladimir Putin, as well as possible steps towards achieving a negotiated settlement.

Significance of China-Brokered Iran-Saudi Agreement – Trita Parsi
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Significance of China-Brokered Iran-Saudi Agreement – Trita Parsi

ByTalia Baroncelli

Saudi Arabia and Iran have agreed to re-establish diplomatic ties, with China showing itself to be a neutral and effective negotiator in the region. Talia Baroncelli speaks to Trita Parsi, the Executive Vice President of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, on how this shift in Saudi-Iran relations affects Israel’s posture toward achieving normalization with Saudi Arabia. Furthermore, the United States’ recent departure from its usual condemnation of Israeli drone strikes on Iran and its open support for Israeli belligerence signals a new dangerous policy that increases the likelihood of war with Iran.

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