Geopolitics

U.S., Israel, and a Lawless New World Order – Nader Hashemi
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U.S., Israel, and a Lawless New World Order – Nader Hashemi

ByPaul Jay

Israel struck Iran — but could this war set off something far more dangerous?

Middle East scholar Nader Hashemi joins Paul Jay to break down what’s really behind the so-called ’12-Day War.’ Far from a clean victory, Hashemi warns the strikes have likely strengthened Iran’s hardliners, accelerated the push toward nuclear weapons, and crushed the country’s democratic opposition. But this may not be a simple case of Western overreach — it may reflect a deep strategic split between the U.S. and Israel.

As Jay argues, Trump may be seeking to normalize relations with Iran, not to promote democracy, but to pry Tehran away from China and regain leverage in the great power rivalry — especially with most of Iran’s oil flowing to Beijing. Israel, on the other hand, appears willing to risk regional chaos to achieve regime change and eliminate its last major regional adversary.

What’s lost in the Western media narrative is the reality that the Iranian people — not the regime — are paying the price. And what’s collapsing before our eyes is not just diplomacy but the very idea of a rules-based international order.

This war may be just beginning — and its consequences could reshape the global balance of power.

America’s Twisted Iran Policy – Barbara Slavin
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America’s Twisted Iran Policy – Barbara Slavin

ByTalia Baroncelli

The Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA), which the United States was a signatory to but abandoned under former President Trump, is unlikely to be revived. Barbara Slavin, a distinguished fellow at the Stimson Center and journalist with extensive experience reporting from Iran, underscores Iran’s desperate need for sanctions relief. She argues that the JCPOA is an outdated framework, given President Biden’s refusal to sign an executive order to bring the U.S. back into the deal, and that current twisted American foreign policy greenlights Israel’s maniacal plans to target Iran.  

Pentagon’s Outrageous Anti-China Operation Threatened Lives in the Philippines – Col. Larry Wilkerson
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Pentagon’s Outrageous Anti-China Operation Threatened Lives in the Philippines – Col. Larry Wilkerson

ByTalia Baroncelli

A recent Reuters investigation uncovered a scandalous Pentagon operation that sought to discredit the Chinese Sinovac vaccine and sow distrust among the population in the Philippines towards China. Col. Larry Wilkerson discusses previous unlawful Strategic Information Operations (SIOs) launched by the Pentagon and the particular depravity of this operation initiated in Spring 2020 under President Trump’s administration, at a time when countries such as the Philippines did not possess their own vaccine manufacturing capacity and were accepting a free supply of vaccines from China. 

Russia Out of Ukraine, Disband NATO – Latvian Politician’s Plan for Peace
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Russia Out of Ukraine, Disband NATO – Latvian Politician’s Plan for Peace

ByTalia Baroncelli

As the war of attrition between Russia and Ukraine continues to exact a catastrophic death toll for civilians and military forces alike, the prospect of a lasting peace remains elusive. Latvian politician Igor Pimenov denounces President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, calling it a colonial war that also adversely affects the Russian population. Pimenov lays out his proposal for a multilateral peace agreement between Ukraine, Russia, and its European neighbors.

Genocide in Gaza Supported by Venture Capital’s AI Military Tech – William Hartung
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Genocide in Gaza Supported by Venture Capital’s AI Military Tech – William Hartung

ByTalia Baroncelli

The Israeli attack on a civilian aid convoy, which killed seven World Central Kitchen workers, has pushed U.S. officials to entertain policy alternatives to unconditional aid to Israel. Bill Hartung, national security and U.S. foreign policy analyst at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, discusses the Biden administration’s weapons sales to Israel, many of which have not been reported to U.S. Congress. Hartung addresses the role of venture capital firms in shaping the U.S. defense industry, firms which advocate the development of dual-use technology or artificial intelligence as optimized tools to wage warfare.

Catastrophic Foreign Intervention in Haiti – Jafrikayiti (pt 1/2)
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Catastrophic Foreign Intervention in Haiti – Jafrikayiti (pt 1/2)

ByTalia Baroncelli

Following a disastrous UN mission in 2010, several Western-backed coups d’état, and the U.S. occupation of 1915-1934, the initiation of yet another foreign intervention in Haiti aligns with the longstanding imperial policy of the U.S., Canada, and European powers towards the country. Jafrikayiti, author and activist for Solidarité Québec-Haiti, underscores the broken social contract in Haiti, where installed leaders are neither elected by nor are accountable to the people but serve the interests of the private sector, over a dozen rich families, and the countries of the Core Group.

Defying the World: Why the West Won’t Stop Israel’s Slaughter in Rafah – Assal Rad part 1/2
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Defying the World: Why the West Won’t Stop Israel’s Slaughter in Rafah – Assal Rad part 1/2

ByTalia Baroncelli

Despite the ICJ’s ruling calling for the prevention of plausibly genocidal acts against the Palestinians, the IDF continues its slaughter of civilians in the Gaza Strip with impunity. Assal Rad, historian, and Middle East scholar discusses the plight of 1.4 million Palestinians in Rafah and the absurdity of placing their livelihood in the hands of Israeli officials whose aim is anything but ensuring their safety. If Israeli government plans are not just another step towards ethnic cleansing, why won’t Prime Minister Netanyahu propose evacuating Palestinians to Israel in order to ensure their subsequent safe return back to the Gaza Strip?

A Viable Plan or Utter Delusion: Is the Two-State Solution (Still) Possible? – Assal Rad part 2/2
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A Viable Plan or Utter Delusion: Is the Two-State Solution (Still) Possible? – Assal Rad part 2/2

ByTalia Baroncelli

In Part 2, Assal Rad speaks to the importance of U.S. airman Aaron Bushnell’s self-immolation in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., where he stated that he would “not be complicit in genocide” in the Gaza Strip. Assal Rad, scholar of the Middle East, highlights the Biden administration’s deceitful unwillingness to hold Israel to account in the face of the IDF’s well-documented atrocities in Gaza while it simultaneously withholds funding from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) on the mere basis of allegations.

Should the U.S. Withdraw Its Troops from Iraq and Syria? – Joshua Landis (part 1/2)
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Should the U.S. Withdraw Its Troops from Iraq and Syria? – Joshua Landis (part 1/2)

ByTalia Baroncelli

Joshua Landis is a historian and Sandra Mackey Chair and Director of the Center for Middle East Studies at the University of Oklahoma, as well as a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. Landis presents the case for an immediate U.S. troop withdrawal in the Middle East, arguing that many civil society groups as well as militant groups in Iraq are strongly opposed to the U.S.’ military presence there. This is Part 1 of 2.

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