U.S. Politics

Venture Capital Fuels U.S. Military Support for Israel, Egypt, and Saudis – Shana Marshall
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Venture Capital Fuels U.S. Military Support for Israel, Egypt, and Saudis – Shana Marshall

ByTalia Baroncelli

Dr. Shana Marshall is the Associate Director of the Institute for Middle East Studies at George Washington University in D.C. She highlights a crucial element of financing the military and defense technology sector by venture capitalist and private equity firms with dubious financial and political interests. She explains how the business models of these firms shape the sort of weaponry produced in the U.S., such as an increase in drones and AI-powered systems and the “attritable” form of warfare that is waged as a result. Furthermore, she argues that U.S. policy in the Middle East and American support for authoritarian regimes has had dire consequences for the people in the region.

Systemic Corruption at Home and Abroad – Sarah Chayes

Systemic Corruption at Home and Abroad – Sarah Chayes

ByTalia Baroncelli

Author of the book “On Corruption in America: And What is at Stake” and former NPR correspondent Sarah Chayes discusses embedded corruption networks in Afghanistan, particularly under U.S. and allied occupation, and other countries plagued by endemic corruption. She argues that the very institutions— primarily Western— seeking to tackle corruption in these countries end up propping up corrupt financial and military institutions by supporting networks of elite capital interests and a conglomeration of private contractors.

Strategically and Morally Bankrupt: U.S. Policy in the Middle East – Col. Lawrence Wilkerson
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Strategically and Morally Bankrupt: U.S. Policy in the Middle East – Col. Lawrence Wilkerson

ByTalia Baroncelli

Retired U.S. Colonel Larry Wilkerson discusses the Biden administration’s unconditional support for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bombardment of Gaza and large-scale indiscriminate attacks on Palestinian civilians. He points to state-sanctioned torture and other unlawful acts committed by the U.S. after 9/11 and asserts that the Israeli government is responding to Hamas’ attacks in a similar fashion by wholly disregarding international legal norms. In doing so, Israel is putting its own population at risk, as well as collectively punishing the Palestinians.

Christian Nationalism Unleashed in the U.S. Military – Mikey Weinstein

Christian Nationalism Unleashed in the U.S. Military – Mikey Weinstein

ByTalia Baroncelli

Mikey Weinstein, founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, a non-profit organization, explains why proselytizing in the U.S. military is both dangerous and unconstitutional. Christian nationalist and dominionist ideologies are espoused by high-ranking officers in the military, some of whom are involved in nuclear war and military planning. This highly disturbing reality, Mikey argues, is largely ignored by policymakers. As was reported following the U.S. Capitol attack on January 6th, 2021, an unusually high number of those charged in relation to the attack had a military background, and some of them adhered to radical Christian views.

Climate Lobbyists Hijack Progressive Climate Bills – Rebecca Burns
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Climate Lobbyists Hijack Progressive Climate Bills – Rebecca Burns

ByTalia Baroncelli

Rebecca Burns, journalist at the investigative news outlet The Lever, discusses her reporting on extensive lobbying efforts to hold up legislation which would require companies to disclose all of their greenhouse gas emissions. In a recent report, she details how the same lobbyists who seek to derail progressive climate legislation in California are also getting paid by counties and cities along the California coast to deal with the impact of coastal erosion and fires.

Paul Jay on 9/11
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Paul Jay on 9/11

ByLaw and Disorder

Jay discusses his interviews with Sen. Bob Graham, who chaired the joint congressional investigation into the events of 9/11 and was the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. Graham outright accused Bush and Cheney of facilitating the 9/11 attacks. Jay also discusses his interviews with former NSA official Thomas Drake, who says intercepts that could have prevented 9/11 were never acted on. Paul Jay was a guest on Law and Disorder, hosted by Michael Smith. This interview was originally recorded on October 18, 2021.

Russian Invasion a War of Aggression – Offer of Ukraine in NATO a Provocation – Paul Jay
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Russian Invasion a War of Aggression – Offer of Ukraine in NATO a Provocation – Paul Jay

ByIndia and Global Left

Paul Jay and Jyotishman Mudiar, host of India & Global Left, discuss and debate the war against Ukraine and the role of NATO and the US. Jay states, “NATO doesn’t exist to invade Russia. NATO exists to assert American hegemony in Europe.”

Debt Ceiling Theater and the Trump Parallel Universe
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Debt Ceiling Theater and the Trump Parallel Universe

ByPaul Jay

Paul Jay interviews Tom Ferguson about the debt ceiling crisis in the United States. Ferguson explains that the debate over the debt ceiling is largely theater, with both Democrats and Republicans working together to cut spending while maintaining the appearance of opposition. He criticizes the Democrats for not raising the debt ceiling earlier when they had the opportunity and suggests that their reluctance is due to their desire to secure more campaign funding for future elections. Ferguson argues that the spending cuts rolled back are not significant enough to impact inflation and proposes alternative measures, such as taxing the wealthy and reducing defense spending, to address the issue. He also discusses the influence of money in politics and the Democratic Party’s efforts to weaken the progressive wing.

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.”

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