Around The Empire

Guest: Craig (Pasta) Jardula. Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. We talk about the latest developments in the election integrity arena surrounding the 2020 election, especially the Arizona audit. There have been a lot of claims about audits in various states but the term "audit" means a lot of different things in American elections (as in some "audits" are really not audits). However, the audit that is happening in the state of Arizona right now is a real audit, which is important for a lot of reasons that we discuss in this episode. Around the Empire's main focus is not electoral politics or any politics in particular. But politics are at the center of all wars and foreign policy and the presidential elections in the United States are at the center of most wars and foreign policy in today's world. Craig (aka Pasta) Jardula is a host on the Convo Couch show, an independent media show focused on politics, rooted in progressivism and one that strives to stand up for the little guy against the machine. They've done extensive work with candidates and investigation of elections and election systems. FOLLOW Pasta on Twitter at @yopasta and @theconvocouch, and find their show on YouTube, Rokfin and other platforms. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on May 8, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Video Clip: Craig Jardula interview Ken Bennett (Twitter) Justice Dept. Letter on Arizona Audit Democrats Lied About the Georgia Senate Bill, The Truth About The Election Integrity Act, Fiorella Isabel Convo Couch Live Inside Arizona Audit 5/5/21 Convo Couch LIVE: Maricopa Audit @ Veterans Memorial Coliseum 5/5/21 Convo Couch LIVE Outside Coliseum Interviews with Brandon Slayton & John Brakey #ArizonaAudit #AZAuditPool 5/6/21 Convo Couch Mark Finchem discusses Arizona Audit and Election Integrity 5/8/21 Convo Couch LIVE AZ State Senator Sony Borrelli joins The Convo Couch to talk #AZAudit #Arizona #AZAuditPool Convo Couch What's Really Happening At The Maricopa County Audit? (Rokfin)

Guest: Danny Sjursen. We talk about reasons for the 2011 regime change in Libya, the complex power struggle and foreign intervention that has ensued ever since and the importance of that story in understanding everything else in the Sahel areas of Africa and the broader region. We also discuss the 21st century American-enabled version of the French and British empires, European influence in African countries and how military operations in Africa are largely hidden from the citizens of the NATO countries who are driving them. In a recent article, Sjursen wrote about the impact: Conflicts are catalyzed, authoritarianism accelerated, human rights go to hell-in-a-hand-basket, and the cycle runs on repeat like a skipping (non-) strategy record. Generally, at least in Franco-America's African adventures, it's all done so secretly, sleazily, and – because hidden from the pesky public's peepers – almost silently. Only sometimes the most wretched walking evidences of criminal complicity have a nasty habit of dying on us, and, for a moment the conspirators stand exposed. That's when the linguistic-apologia indecency starts. In a bonus question we talk about NATO, how its priorities are set and how its mini-empires are sustained. Major Danny Sjursen, USA (ret.) is prolific writer and speaker and a leading expert voice among veterans. He is a Director of the Eisenhower Media Network, a senior fellow at the Center for International Policy, contributing editor at Antiwar.com, the co-host of the Fortress on a Hill podcast and the author of two books: Ghostriders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge, his new book Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War. FOLLOW @SkepticalVet, SUBSCRIBE to the Fortress on a Hill podcast and buy his book Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War published by Heyday. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 29, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Our 'Dear Friend' Deby Is Dead – Yea, About That…, Danny Sjursen Deby's Death, Chad's Crisis, and the Ghosts of Libyan Fiascoes Past, Danny Sjursen New Hillary Emails Reveal Propaganda, Executions, Coveting Libyan Oil and Gold, Brad Hoff (2016) State Department FOIA Archives, Clinton email December release

Guest: Dan Kovalik. We talk about his op-ed "The West's sole prerogative is that Russia has no right to self-defense... even when the threat is right on its border" Daniel Kovalik teaches International Human Rights at the University of Pittsburgh School of Law, and is author of the book: No More War: How the West Violates International Law by Using "Humanitarian" Intervention to Advance Economic and Strategic Interests. FOLLOW @danielmkovalik and find his book at Skyhorse Publishing. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 27, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: The West's sole prerogative is that Russia has no right to self-defense... even when the threat is right on its border, Dan Kovalik

Guest: Alan MacLeod. We discuss his article "Support the Tropes: How media language encourages the left to support wars, coups and intervention" and how how media is used as an instrument to manufacture consent for regime change and various acts of war, especially targeting left-leaning audiences. In a bonus segment we talk about Alan's research on Bellingcat and his article How Bellingcat Launders National Security State Talking Points into the Press. Dr. Alan MacLeod is an academic, an author and a journalist who does work on media analysis and politics with a focus on social media, Latin American politics and propaganda. He writes for MintPress News and Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting and he has written two recent books, Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. FOLLOW Alan on Twitter at @AlanRMacLeod. Find his work at MintPress News and look for his books Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 26, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Support the Tropes: How media language encourages the left to support wars, coups and intervention, Alan MacLeod, FAIR Humanitarian Imperialism: How corporate media sell regime change, Intervention and war to progressive audiences, Alan MacLeod, FAIR How Bellingcat Launders National Security State Talking Points into the Press, Alan MacLeod, MintPress News

Guest: Alison McDowell. We talk about her research into Agenda 21, the transformation of education, the natural systems being financialized, the biosecurity state, stakeholder capitalism and more. In a bonus question we talk about why the "great reset" or new normal agenda seems to have been fast-tracked and if there are common threads in the institutions and entities who are behind it. Alison McDowell is a mom, a prolific researcher and producer of network mapping and reporting on her independent media site, wrenchinthegears.com and her Youtube channel. FOLLOW @Philly852 SUBSCRIBE to her YouTube channel. Find her work at her website wrenchinthegears.com Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 19, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guest: Michael Vlahos. We discuss his article published at The American Conservative titled "The Doom Of The Elite: The rise and fall of elites shapes our history and can be predicted". In a bonus episode we talk about the prospects for a new civil war, Vlahos' theory that "cancel culture" is a response to the decline, and other warnings from his recent article titled "There Will Be Blood: Beware the Ides of March!" Michael Vlahos is an author, a military historian and strategist. He has taught war and strategy graduate courses at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), the U.S Naval War College, and at Centro Estudios Superiores Navales, D.F. He is the author of the book Fighting Identity: Sacred War and World Change and he is a weekly contributor to The John Batchelor Show. Michael Vlahos is a writer and author of the book Fighting Identity: Sacred War and World Change. He has taught war and strategy at Johns Hopkins University and the Naval War College and other institutions. FOLLOW @Michalis_Vlahos and find his blog at anewcivilwar.com. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 15, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: The Doom Of The Elite: The rise and fall of elites shapes our history and can be predicted. Michael Vlahos, American Conservative There Will Be Blood: Beware the Ides of March!, Michael Vlahos Old Civil Wars Never Die: Like Zombies They Are Raised By History to Devour Us, Michael Vlahos

Swapcast with Liberty Weekly / Patrick MacFarlane. In this age of decline of the establishment mainstream media, the pundits and the usual chinahawk commentators aren't the only ones parroting the hostile and aggressive narratives toward China. A surprising number of independent media personalities with large followings are doing the same thing. Patrick takes note of some of the people and places where this is happening and also does some deep dive research into the Uyghur genocide claims and counterclaims themselves and takes a sober look at the evidence. Patrick MacFarlane is a practicing attorney in Wisconsin, a libertarian podcaster and a contributor at the Libertarian Institute. FOLLOW @liberty_weekly SUBSCRIBE to his podcast Liberty Weekly. Find his work at libertyweekly.net and the Libertarian Institute Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 16, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Independent Media Parrots Questionable Uyghur Genocide Claims, Patrick MacFarlane, Libertarian Institute Conflicts of Interest #93 - China's Uyghurs: Genocide Victims or CIA Pawns? ATE Ep 207 Chinahawks' Uyghur Genocide Narrative feat Gareth Porter ATE Ep 181 Xinjiang and the Uyghurs feat Peter Lee

Isa Blumi provides some historical background on Turkey and Ottoman empire, some more current history of Turkey and NATO and also an analysis of Turkey's current involvement in the rising crisis between US/NATO and Russia in Ukraine. We also explore the role of Turkey's president Erdogan and what it means when people say that he and his political allies have neo-Ottoman aspirations. Dr. Isa Blumi is an historian, an author and Professor of Global History, Islamic World, Ottoman Empire, Yemen, Albania. His most recent Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World tells the story of the wars in Yemen but also "ultimately tells an even larger story of today's political economy of global capitalism, development, and the war on terror as disparate actors intersect in Arabia." He also authored the book Ottoman Refugees, 1878-1939: Migration in a Post-Imperial World FOLLOW Isa Blumi @IsaBlumi and find his work at Google Scholar and his latest book at UCPress.edu. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on April 14, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guest: Peter Lee. We talk about the Fiasco in Alaska aka the Alaska Summit talks between the US and China on March 18th where Secretary of State Antony Blinken and national security advisor Jake Sullivan met with top Chinese diplomats including Yang Jiechi, the Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office in China. The preaching by the American officials was met with an unexpected clapbac and the whole affair blew up in international media including Chinese social media where the Chinese translator Zhang Jing and the defiant message she relayed was widely celebrated. We also talk about the US Indo-Pacific command's containment strategy for China, a multi-faceted Cold War on the rise, the situation with Taiwan, Project 2049, and the prospects for war between Taiwan and China. In a bonus episode Peter explains the "who lost China?" narrative that has influenced the military and diplomatic corps for decades. Before we begin the interview, I'll include some excerpts of the Chinese response to Blinken from the Fiasco in Alaska. FOLLOW @chinahand. SUBSCRIBE to Peter Lee's China Threat Report. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts Twitter @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on March 31, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Peter Lee's China Threat Report

Guest: Mark Sleboda. We talk about the state of affairs in Ukraine with the current Zelensky administration and the new US administration's policies (which involve a lot of old geopolitical rhetoric). We also talk about the escalation in the Donbas and the Black Sea region. In bonus segment for patrons, we talk about the perils of creating external enemies for political purposes and the reasons behind US sanctions and hostility toward Russia. Mark Sleboda is an International Affairs & Security Analyst, a US Navy veteran, a university lecturer and a foreign policy realist. FOLLOW Mark on Twitter @MarkSleboda1 and on Facebook, look for his appearances on RT, Sputnik and other international channels. Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. Recorded on March 26, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: ATE Episode 99 Ukraine feat Mark Sleboda ATE Ep 120 Ukraine Political Transformation? feat Mark Sleboda ATE Ep 157 Crisis of Confidence in Ukraine feat Mark Sleboda

Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. Guest: Oliver Boyd-Barrett. We discuss Boyd-Barrett's book titled RussiaGate and Propaganda: Disinformation in the Age of Social Media, which focuses on the Russiagate case in the broader understanding of propaganda. In the bonus episode, we talk about the recent resurrection of the Russiagate saga and the reasons for it. Dr. Oliver Boyd-Barrett is Professor Emeritus of Journalism and Public Relations at Bowling Green State University and the author of the book: RussiaGate and Propaganda: Disinformation in the Age of Social Media. He serves on the international advisory board of the Organization for Propaganda Studies and he is currently working on a new book "Conflict Propaganda in Syria: Narrative Battles". Find Olivery Boyd-Barrett on Facebook look for his books including RussiaGate and Propaganda: Disinformation in the Age of Social Media and his upcoming book "Conflict Propaganda in Syria: Narrative Battles". Around the Empire aroundtheempire.com is listener supported, independent media. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on Rokfin rokfin.com/aroundtheempire, Patreon patreon.com/aroundtheempire, Paypal paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod, YouTube youtube.com/aroundtheempire, Spotify, iTunes, iHeart, Google Podcasts FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. FOLLOW Kelley Lane at @KelleysWords Recorded on March 25, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Russiagate as Organized Distraction, Oliver Boyd-Barrett, Consortium News The Great Hack (2019 documentary) Brittany Kaiser

Guest: Angela McArdle. Co-hosts Joanne Leon, Kelley Lane and Kyle Anzalone. This is a swapcast for the Around the Empire podcast and the Conflicts of Interest show. It's a broad discussion about war and foreign policy, interventionism, elections and the handling of the pandemic with lockdowns and other restrictions and its impact on the lives of Americans, the economy and our rights. There is a bonus episode questioning whether censorship and lockdowns can be compared to a modern day gulag. Angela McArdle currently serves as Chair of the Libertarian Party of Los Angeles County and is seeking the National Libertarian Party Chair in 2022. Angela was a two time candidate for California's 34th Congressional District. She is a paralegal and legal aid who currently works in litigation focused mainly on real estate and constitutional law. She also has a private practice providing self help legal services to low income clients and she was a key organizer for the 2013 protest in LA against a ban on feeding in public rights of way. Angela believes strongly in the sanctity of personal choice and allowing people to govern their own lives. FOLLOW Angela at @angela4congress and on her website angelamcardle.com FOLLOW on Twitter: @KyleAnzalone_ @Con_Interest SUBSCRIBE to the Conflicts of Interest podcast at the Libertarian Institute and on YouTube and LBRY. FOLLOW Kelley at @Kelleyswords Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on March 16, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guests: Kit Klarenberg & Mohamed Elmaazi. New documents that appear to be from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office have been leaked by a group that identifies as "Anonymous" and is allegedly the same group that has published leaked documents over the past two years about UK Foreign Office covert programs. This batch of documents shows that Whitehall uses private contractors to infiltrate a variety of media (including smaller, "independent" media and social media influencers and civil society. In this case the stated noble objectives are things like improving literacy, ensuring balance in reporting and countering disinformation. The real objectives revealed in the documents are something else entirely. There is also a bonus episode for patrons about how this seems like an evolved, 21st century Operation Mockingbird. Kit Klarenberg is an investigative journalist who explores the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions and he currently writes for RT. Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law who is currently writing for Sputnik International. FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum. Follow Kit's work at RT. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on March 3, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Leaked papers allege massive UK govt effort to co-opt Russian-language anti-Kremlin media & influencers to 'weaken Russian state', Kit Klarenberg, RT From Telegram to elections: Leaked documents expose sinister workings of UK government's anti-Russian 'troll factory', RT, Kit Klarenberg UK Foreign Office Docs Reveal 'Full-Spectrum' Psyops to 'Destabilise Russia', Journalist Says, Mohamed Elmaazi, Sputnik ATE Ep 83 Temple of Covert Propaganda (Part 1) feat Mohamed Elmaazi ATE Ep 84 Temple of Covert Propaganda (Part 2) feat Mohamed Elmaazi On Contact: British government psyops with Mohamed Elmaazi Reuters, BBC, and Bellingcat participated in covert UK Foreign Office-funded programs to "weaken Russia," leaked docs reveal, Max Blumenthal, The Grayzone PNAC: Rebuilding America's Defenses: Strategy, Forces and Resources for a New Century

Guest: Monica Perez from the Propaganda Report show. We talk about the October, 2019 exercise called Event 201 hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, the World Economic Forum and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation which illustrated that "public/private partnerships will be necessary during the response to a severe pandemic in order to diminish large-scale economic and societal consequences." We have a wide-ranging discussion about the Great Reset and other emerging plans that have been set out by various global institutions. We focus on the immense public relations and propaganda efforts around these things and other broader topics about the way the world is changing. There is also a bonus episode for patrons about what the end game is and how likely it is to be successful. Monica Perez is co-host of the Propaganda Report podcast and was the host of The Monica Perez Show for 8 1/2 years on WSB in Atlanta. Prior to that she was an investment banker. She holds a degree from Harvard and a JD-MBA from Stanford and she is a Chartered Financial Analyst and member of the bar of the State of New York. Monica now lives in Los Angeles, California and is the proud (and busy) mother of three teenagers. FOLLOW Monica @MonicaPerezShow, SUBSCRIBE to the Propaganda Report podcast and https://rokfin.com/propagandareport Rokfin channel. Find her work at The Propaganda Report website or MonicaPerezShow.com Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 17, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We talk about the the three attacks in one week on US bases in Iraq following an announcement that the US will escalate the operation in Iraq. US and NATO troops will no longer be withdrawn from Iraq but instead the escalate and expand the mission substantially. We also talk about Syria, the axis of resistance and the broader region. When we recorded this interview a few days ago the media was reporting that the Biden administration is taking a calm approach, investigating the source of the attacks and not overreacting. All of that changed just a couple of days later when Biden launched an retaliatory attack on "infrastructure utilized by Iranian-backed militant groups in eastern Syria." Reports on the multiple-target attack are still varying at the moment but the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights claims that 22 people were killed. The strikes happened in al Bukamal near the border with Iraq and the "Iranian-backed militant groups" that the Pentagon spokesman referred to are Iraqi Popular Mobilization Force (PMF) fighters. The PMF is sponsored by the Iraqi government and was reorganized around 2014 to fight against ISIS, something that Elijah has explained in previous interviews on this podcast. No evidence from the alleged investigation that the media claimed the Biden administration was conducting before any response has been reported. The Pentagon frames it as a defensive strike and also claims that this was an attempt to "de-escalate the overall situation in both eastern Syria and Iraq." There is also a bonus question for patrons about US support for Saudi operations in Yemen and an increase in deployment of US troops in Saudi Arabia and why the American people don't elect leaders who can end the forever wars. FOLLOW Elijah on Twitter @ejmalrai. Find and support his work at ejmagnier.com where you can subscribe to his articles and donate. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 23, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guest: Gareth Porter. We discuss Gareth's new article on the Biden administration's endorsement of the Chinahawk narrative on Uychur genocide. Gareth examines the origin, source and credibility of that narrative, the Uyghur people and the Xinjiang province in China. There is also a bonus question about the likelihood of the Biden administration re-entering the JCPOA Iran deal and US military buildup in Saudi Arabia and the Persian Gulf area. There is also a bonus question for patrons where Gareth gives his thoughts about a US return to the Iran deal under the new Biden administration and some further thoughts on Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Gareth Porter is an independent Investigative historian and journalist on the national security state. He is the author of numerous books including Perils of Dominance: Imbalance of Power and the Road to War in Vietnam (2005) and Manufactured Crisis: the Untold Story of the Iran Nuclear Scare (2014).and the co-author with John Kiriakou of his latest book The CIA Insider's Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War. Gareth is the winner of the 2012 Gellhorn Prize for Journalism FOLLOW Gareth on Twitter at @GarethPorter. Find his work at The Grayzone. Read his most recent book authored with John Kirakou: The CIA Insider's Guide to the Iran Crisis: From CIA Coup to the Brink of War. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Reference Links: US State Department accusation of China 'genocide' relied on data abuse and baseless claims by far-right ideologue, Gareth Porter at The Grayzone

Swapcast: Kyle Anzalone from Conflicts of Interest and Joanne Leon from Around the Empire. We compare the Biden foreign policy to the Trump, Obama and Bush administrations, analyze press conference and announcements from NATO's Jen Stoltenberg about expanding the number of troops and area of operation in Iraq and freezing any withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, and more. FOLLOW on Twitter: @KyleAnzalone_ @Con_Interest SUBSCRIBE to the Conflicts of Interest podcast at the Libertarian Institute and on YouTube and LBRY. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 18, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: NATO press conference: Stoltenberg speaks to media on second day of NATO ministerial meetings America after Trump isn't exactly popular around the world, MSNBC US goes one year without a combat death in Afghanistan as Taliban warn against reneging on peace deal, Stars & Stripes

Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. Guests: Craig Jardula (aka Pasta) and Fiorella Isabel from the Convo Couch We talk about Biden's foreign policy speech (and other declarations) and the people who are now returning to the helm of the "national security state". We talked about the increase in censorship (including the recent demonetizing of Convo Couch and others), the "blue fascism" of the establishment and our thoughts on the time being ripe for for a broad, independent political movement. There is a bonus question for patrons about election integrity and the "storming of the citadel of democracy" on January 6th and the impeachment that followed. Fiorella and Pasta were there on the ground in Washington that day and they share with us their observations and analysis of the situation. Craig (aka Pasta) Jardula and Fiorella Isabel are the hosts of the Convo Couch show, an independent media show focused on politics, rooted in progressivism and one that strives to stand up for the little guy against the machine. They've done extensive work with candidates and investigation of elections and election systems. FOLLOW them on Twitter and other social media platforms at @theconvocouch, @Fiorella_im and @yopasta and find their show on YouTube, Rokfin and Patreon. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 11, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Swapcast: Kyle Anzalone from Conflicts of Interest and Joanne Leon from Around the Empire. We discuss the 2020 election and a new Time magazine article titled "The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election" which explains how an "elite-cabal" "saved democracy" by 'influencing perceptions, changing rules and laws, steering media coverage and controlling the flow of information". These actions are not illegal, but they affirm the feeling of many Americans that something was wrong with the 2020 election. Joanne and Kyle argue that the article is even more nefarious than it appears. The bold, and likely exaggerated, claims about the cabal's influence are reported as unquestionably heroic. Meanwhile any effort by Trump or his supporters to question or challenge the "shadow campaign" is treated as an evil attack on democracy. The message is: Americans need our elites to craft the appropriate narrative so Americans consume the right information and vote for the correct candidate. FOLLOW Kyle on Twitter: @KyleAnzalone_ SUBSCRIBE to the Conflicts of Interest podcast at the Libertarian Institute and on YouTube. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 6, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: The Secret History of the Shadow Campaign That Saved the 2020 Election, Time Nevada bill would allow tech companies to create governments, AP Bill would allow tech companies to create local governments, Las Vegas Review Journal

Guest: Tom Luongo. We talk about market trading, the short squeeze tactic, Robinhood, Gamestop, silver and other assets that have been in play recently along with an allegedly grassroots populist, online-coordinated effort to rebel against hedge funds and Wall Street. Some have framed this movement as another generation of Occupy Wall Street. We also had a broader conversation about the overall unrest and in a bonus question about the possibility that behind the latest chaos might be yet another factional battle that could even involve foreign entities in a hybrid type war. This podcast is another example of how both Tom Luongo and I seek out common ground for discussions even though our views are very different on some issues. But we both believe that a huge number of people from across the spectrum have many of the same fundamental wants, needs and objectives and we should seek those out when we can instead of demonizing and waging war against each other. These divides can be (and are) manipulated, aren't in our best interest and only favor people who we should be opposing because they absolutely don't have the best interests of the populace at heart. When we do that, we all lose, so let's find common ground. FOLLOW Tom at @TFL1728. Find his work at Gold, Goats 'n Guns Also find his work at Patreon, Youtube and DLive and other platforms. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on February 1, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Market Weekly: Game Stop Revolution or the Matrix Reloaded?, Tom Luongo Gold Goats 'n Guns Live -- The Silver #ShortSqueeze, Tom Luongo GameStop Short Squeeze: These Are the Big Wall Street Players Who Stood to Make Billions, Wall Street on Parade GameStop Promoter Keith Gill Was No "Amateur" Trader; He Held Sophisticated Trading Licenses and Worked in the Finance Industry, Wall Street on Parade GameStop Shares: Dark Pools Owned by Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, UBS, et al, Have Made Tens of Thousands of Trades, Wall Street on Parade Last American Vagabond Interview with Whitney Webb

Guest: Whitney Webb. We talk about the Solar Winds hack that has been reported by the media since December, including an important update on January 6 which was largely drowned out by the January 6 incidents at the Capitol and the 24/7 media blast that followed. News articles about the Solar Winds hack with warnings about impending disaster continue to be published frequently. An article in Lawfare today titled "The SolarWinds Hack Can Directly Affect Control Systems" said: "As Microsoft's CEO pointed out, what's been seen so far is only the 'first phase' of the attack that targeted IT systems in the government and companies large and small. While disconnecting the SolarWinds Orion system from one's IT system may mitigate some of the damage, it neglects the possibility that potentially destructive malware could easily have been planted on OT systems as well. And the impact of OT breaches can be more significant than mere IT penetration; OT consists of systems that affect the physical world."… "By attacking the SolarWinds platform, the Russians were able to get a "two-fer," that is, persistent access and data exfiltration from the IT networks and access to control system devices and control system OT networks." Lawfare directly attributes all of this to the Russian government and it should be noted that Lawfare is very well connected to the national security establishment and has been one of the most extreme promoters of the Russiagate narrative for the past four years. In the story about the Solar Winds hack, some key cybersecurity entities familiar to us from Russiagate reappear, like CrowdStrike and FireEye as do some familiar figures like Ghilaine Maxwell's sister, Isabel. Reports of a massive and ongoing compromise to a broad range of government and private networks with a weak attribution claim about Russian state-sponsored hackers began to spread like a 2016 DNC "hack" narrative deja vu. Dire warnings about dark winters and ruinous cybersecurity attacks have been put on a loop setting, predicting unprecedented economic and institutional impact. Some new entities have emerged and some old figures have reappeared in the latest impending crisis. At the same time there have been rigorous efforts to shift the threat target toward domestic terrorism and dissent. One of the disturbing aspects of the whole thing is that long before the reports about the Solar Winds hack, similar but more vague warnings along these lines have been put out into the public by entities whose exercises and simulations have tended to actually occur in real life. There is also a bonus question about how the 2020 election was a prerequisite for a much larger, more broad transformative objective that has been signaled by various official organizations inside and outside the US government and marketed by the World Economic Forum whose annual meeting in Davos begins today. FOLLOW Whitney @_whitneywebb SUBSCRIBE to her podcast Unlimited Hangout and find her work at the Unlimited Hangout website, Rokfin and at The Last American Vagabond. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on January 25, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: (Jan, 2021) Another Mega Group Spy Scandal? Samanage, Sabotage, And The SolarWinds Hack, Whitney Webb (Jan, 2021) Silicon Valley and WEF-Backed Foundation Announce Global Initiative for COVID-19 Vaccine Records, Whitney Webb (Jan, 2021) Lawfare: The SolarWinds Hack Can Directly Affect Control Systems (Jan. 20. 2021: WHO Information Notice for IVD Users 2020/05: Nucleic acid testing (NAT) technologies that use polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for detection of SARS-CoV-2 (July, 2020) Why a Shadowy Tech Firm With Ties to Israeli Intelligence Is Running Doomsday Election Simulations, Whitney Webb (July, 2020) How an Israeli Spy-Linked Tech Firm Gained Access to the US Gov't's Most Classified Networks, Whitney Webb (July, 2020) The Maxwell Family Business: Espionage, Whitney Webb

Guest: Mohamed Elmaazi. The long awaited extradition decision for Julian Assange came on Monday, January 4, 2021, followed by a bail hearing two days later. These recent days have been an emotional rollercoaster for Assange supporters and many were surprised, even shocked, by both decisions. Mohamed Elmaazi continues to be one of the foremost journalists covering the case on the ground at the Old Bailey Courthouse in a press annex or other nearby locations, attending via video link as required during the Covid lockdowns. And two weeks from now the executive power changes hands. The news from the second hearing, the bail hearing, happened on the same day that Congress held the session with the electors from the states in the presidential election and all hell broke loose, so the news about the bail hearing was drowned out. In this interview he provides us with details and analysis on what happened in those hearings. Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He writes for Sputnik News, he publishes The Interregnum blog and he has been a contributor to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network. FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on January 6, 2021. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: UK Judge Denies Bail for Julian Assange During US Extradition Appeal, Mohamed Elmaazi Assange's Lawyers to Seek Bail After UK Judge Ruled Against Extradition to US, Mohamed Elmaazi Judge Rules Against Extraditing Julian Assange to the US, Purely Based On His Risk of Suicide, Mohamed Elmaazi Britain Refuses to Extradite 'Suicidal' WikiLeaks Founder to US (VoA interview with Marcy Wheeler) Video version of the interview here

Guest: Mohamed Elmaazi. Journalist Mohammed Elmaazi and I had this conversation the week before Christmas just as new exculpatory evidence, audio of conversation between Julian Assange and a State Department official, was released by Project Veritas. We are also now in the final weeks leading up to the court decision on Assange's extradition from the United Kingdom to the United States and there have been many people, including some pretty influential people, urging Trump to pardon Assange. In our conversation we reviewed some of the events and players and skullduggery over the years since the early days of Wikileaks. Plus there is a bonus episode with our thoughts on whether Assange will be pardoned, who we think are the most influential people lobbying Trump for and against a pardon and how things might play out if Assange is pardoned. Even The Guardian, whose behavior toward Assange has been contemptible, made an editorial statement opposing extradition. Mohammed commented on it on Twitter: "This editorial statement by The Guardian on Julian Assange is spot on. If only they made this clear years ago rather than 3 weeks before the judge is due to give her decision." I'd also like to mention a few of the things have happened recently since we recorded this interview. First. there was breaking news about members of the UK parliament now lobbying for an Assange pardon and also German MPs have formed a working group to free Julian Assange. Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He writes for Sputnik News, he publishes The Interregnum blog and he has been a contributor to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network. FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Reference Links: Assange Supporters Denounce 'Lies', 'Smears' and 'Fabrications' Outside The Guardian Headquarters, Mohamed Elmaazi Audio Recordings Confirm Assange Spoke to US State Dept to Stop Publication of Unredacted Cables, Mohamed Elmaazi German MPs Form 'Free Julian Assange' Working Group Amid Growing Calls for a Trump Pardon, Mohamed Elmaazi Assange's Removal From Embassy Was Coordinated on 'Direct Orders From the US President', Court Told, Mohamed Elmaazi (Mohamed interview of Cassandra Fairbanks) Tucker Carlson interview with Stella Moris "Project Veritas" Leak: Julian Assange Asked Clinton State Department For Help Mitigating Damage Of Unintentional 2011 Data Dump, Real Clear Politics Glenn Greenwald on Tucker Carlson show re: Assange

Guest: Ford Fischer. Ford has been covering the various protests and counterprotests that we have seen since May, 2020. These including the Black Lives Matter and social justice protests, pro and anti police demonstrations, pandemic related things like the anti-lockdown and back to work demonstrations, anti-fascist protests and counter protests, and also the multitude of election related protests during that period of time. Often these protests aren't easily categorized as Left or Right or pro/anti-Trump or Biden or political party. Ford not only describes the things he has witnessed on the ground at these events but helps analyze what they're about and what is happening with a more informed and nuanced perspective based on his observations and interactions with the people on the ground. In a bonus question we talk about the recent warnings and predictions that a civil war is brewing. Ford Fischer is an independent videographer and editor, a computer scientist and web designer. He's the editor-in-chief and co-founder of News2share.com where citizen journalists and independent videographers and citizen journalists contribute content to the evolving news cycle. His work has been featured on many news networks. He also does freelance work as a videographer/journalist. FOLLOW Ford on Twitter at @FordFischer. Follow his news site at @N2Sreports on Twitter and at news2share.com on the web. Support his work at https://www.patreon.com/FordFischer/. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on December 15, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: ATE Ep 95 Chelsea Manning Jailed, Resisting Wikileaks Grand Jury feat Ford Fischer

Joanne Leon and Kyle Anzalone, hosts of Around the Empire and Conflicts of Interests podcasts, team up for another swapcast. We discuss the 2020 election, upcoming electoral college vote, protests and some of Biden's potential picks for high level positions, like Mike Morrell as director of the CIA. We also talk about the risk of war with Iran and other issues in the Middle East. FOLLOW Kyle on Twitter: @KyleAnzalone_ SUBSCRIBE to the Conflicts of Interest podcast at the Libertarian Institute and on YouTube. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on December 13, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: RAY McGOVERN: Why Michael Morell Cannot Be CIA Director Multiple people stabbed after thousands gather for pro-Trump demonstrations in Washington Michael Flynn Says Trump Will Remain President in First Public Remarks Since Pardon EXCLUSIVE: West working to 'deprive Russia of right to determine its future' & is pushing for 'regime change,' Lavrov tells RT The Coming Wave of Evictions Will Significantly Worsen America's Covid-19 Crisis DIANA JOHNSTONE: The Great Pretext … for Dystopia

Guest: Gunar Olsen. Gunar recently published a response to an historian's analysis of the Soviet Afghan invasion and the question of whether or not Zbigniew Brzezinski's goal (under the Carter administration) in assisting the mujahedin was really about provoking the Soviet military intervention. There is also a bonus question on why there was so much push back and resistance to Trump's last ditch effort to withdraw troops from Afghanistan and what the real reasons behind it. Gunar Olsen is an independent scholar, writer and journalist who covers the politics of U.S. imperialism. His articles have been published in The New Republic, The Nation, Jacobin, The Grayzone, Fairness and Accuracy In Reporting and other publications. He also provides research for the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. FOLLOW @GunarOlsen. Find him and his work at his website gunarolsen.com Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: "We Don't Need a Smoking Gun": U.S. Provocations and the Soviet Invasion of Afghanistan, Gunar Olsen

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We talk about the recent assassination of an Iranian top scientist and threats of retaliation proposed by hardline Iranian media, the precarious situation due to Trump likely leaving office soon and Netanyahu's political troubles. We discuss the failure to withdraw US troops from Iraq and the likely consequences, the prospects for rejoining the JCPOA Iran nuclear deal and the things that could complicate that, the stronger influence of Russia and China in the region and finally a bonus question about the relationship between Trump and Netanyahu near the end of his term. FOLLOW Elijah on Twitter @ejmalrai. Find and support his work at ejmagnier.com. There is a "donate" button at the bottom of the page. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on November 29, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: IS THE MIDDLE EAST ON JOE BIDEN'S PRIORITY LIST? (1), Elijah Magnier CAN IRAN CONVINCE BIDEN TO RESOLVE THE NUCLEAR DEAL? (2), Elijah Magnier WHY IRAQ IS EXPECTED TO BE HOT FOR JOE BIDEN AND VICE-VERSA? (3), Elijah Magnier WHY DOES IRAN BELIEVE ISRAEL COULD BE PREPARING A STRIKE AGAINST ITS NUCLEAR FACILITY?, Elijah Magnier The Pride of Israel: Assassinations, Haaretz Iran plans 'calculated' response after nuclear scientist killed as newspaper calls for revenge on Israeli city, Fox News

Guest: Convo Couch hosts Fiorella Isabel and Craig (Pasta) Jardula. Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. We discuss corrupt voting systems and party machines, rigging the Democratic primary elections and signs of rigging the 2020 elections by a bipartisan establishment, irregularities and challenges to the 2020 election results and more. Craig (aka Pasta) Jardula and Fiorella Isabel are the hosts of the Convo Couch show, an independent media show focused on politics, rooted in progressivism and one that strives to stand up for the little guy against the machine. They've done extensive work with candidates and investigation of elections and election systems. FOLLOW them on Twitter at @theconvocouch, @Fiorella_im and @yopasta and find their show on YouTube, Rokfin and Patreon. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on November 18, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Ways To Flip And/Or Fix An Election w/David Webber, Convo Couch

Guest: Afshin Rattansi. Hosts: Joanne Leon and Kelley Lane. We discussed the Biden transition team, the direction that a Biden cabinet would take in war and foreign policy, Brexit and the US/UK and EU relationship, and the current state of the media. Afshin Rattansi is an award-winning journalist, author and the host of the show "Going Underground" that airs three times weekly on the RT network. He has previously worked for BBC Radio, CNN International, Press TV, Al Jazeera and various other international media organizations. He began his journalism at The Guardian and still contributes at Counterpunch. FOLLOW Afshin on Twitter @afshinrattansi. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire @joanneleon @Kelleyswords SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on November 16, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: What Will Biden's Foreign Policy Look Like? (Prof. Charles Krupchan, Ex-Special Adviser to Obama), Going Underground 11/14/20 The Joe Biden Presidency: Will It Be Neoliberalism & Regime Change or Progressivism? (Matt Taibbi), Going Underground 11/14/20

Guest: Isa Blumi. We discuss the recent lifting of sanctions in Sudan, the development of the strategic Red Sea region and the historical trends, wars, economic collapse, exploitation, violence and political engineering that led up to it as part of a much larger strategy and ambitions. In a bonus question we discuss the likelihood that the 2020 elections cleared the way for multinational factions to resume imperial enterprises and transformations and the way that politics, media and pandemic are employed. Dr. Isa Blumi is an historian, an author and Professor of Global History, Islamic World, Ottoman Empire, Yemen, Albania. His very prescient book, titled Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World tells the story of the wars in Yemen but also "ultimately tells an even larger story of today's political economy of global capitalism, development, and the war on terror as disparate actors intersect in Arabia." FOLLOW Isa Blumi @IsaBlumi and find his work at Google Scholar and his latest book at UCPress.edu. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on November 12, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Trump lifts sanctions on Sudan as he announces deal between African nation and Israel, ABC News

Guest: Rod Phillips ("Rod from Philly"). On the weekend after the election Rod Phillips and I got together to talk about our thoughts on the contested election, what we have seen and experienced in real life in the Philadelphia area, the bigger questions and the impact on average Americans. In a bonus question we talked about how we see this playing out, corruption, common ground and what we would like to see going forward. Rod is a media analyst and the current producer on the radio show "The Backstory" (Radio Sputnik 4-6 PM EST Mon-Fri). He is a former athlete and worked as an EMT for more than seven years. FOLLOW Rod on Twitter @Rodr_76. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on November 7, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

With guest co-host Kelley Lane we talk about what we're observing in real life in the days before the 2020 election, rallies, polls, fearmongering and the extraordinary measures that have been put in place for this election. We talk about our concerns and in a bonus segment about our predictions for outcomes and things that might happen. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on November 2, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guests: Tim Canova and Kelley Lane tell the story of Tim Canova's experience running in the Democratic primary against Debbie Wasserman-Schultz in Florida's 23rd district in 2016 and running again in the general election as an independent in 2018. We also talk about election integrity issues and the upcoming 2020 presidential election. Tim Canova is an activist, politician and law professor specializing in banking and finance. Since 2012 he has been a Professor of Law and Public Finance at Nova Southeastern University. He's the chairman of Progress for All, a small-donor based grassroots political and community action group supporting progressive candidates and causes at the national, state, and local levels. Kelley Lane is an independent journalist and activist. She is a board member for Candidates With A Contract (CWAC) and the editor/producer of the Assange Countdown to Freedom show and a volunteer with AuditUSA.. FOLLOW Tim at @Tim_Canova and find his work.at progressforall.org FOLLOW Kelley at @Kelleyswords. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on October 19, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: http://www.johnanthonymarie.com/election/methodology_presentation.pdf https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DzBI33kOiKc&feature=youtu.be

Note: There were mono/stereo issues with the original episode. This is the same content with improved audio. Guest: Aaron Maté. We talk about OPCW whistleblowers, Jose Bustani and Aaron's testimony at the UN. We also discuss recent developments in the Russiagate conspiracy and pay tribute to the great Stephen Cohen, prominent scholar, professor and author. There is a bonus segment for patrons about who was behind the pressuring of OPCW and for what purpose. Ep 189EXTRA Relentless Pressure on OPCW feat Aaron Maté Aaron is the host of the Pushback With Aaron Maté show at the Grayzone and a contributing writer at The Nation. FOLLOW Aaron on Twitter @aaronjmate, subscribe to his show Pushback with Aaron Maté at the Grayzone channel on YouTube and support him at Patreon. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on October 16, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: The Grayzone's Aaron Maté testifies at UN on OPCW Syria cover-up, Aaron Maté (Part 1) Analysis: That Senate 'Collusion' Report? It's Got No Smoking Gun ... but It Does Have a Fog Machine,Real Clear Investigations, Aaron Maté (Part 2) Analysis: Senate Russiagate Report Left Big Stones Unturned. Two Were Named Mifsud and Assange, Real Clear Investigations, Aaron Maté Pelosis Take a Big Stake in CrowdStrike, Democrat-Connected Linchpin of Russia Probe, Real Clear Investigations, Aaron Maté Pushback: OPCW Syria whistleblower and ex-director attacked by US, UK, France at UN, Aaron Maté Ex-OPCW chief Jose Bustani reads Syria testimony that US, UK blocked at UN Pushback: Ex-OPCW chief defends Syria whistleblowers and reveals he was spied on before Iraq war, Aaron Maté

Guest: Aaron Maté. We talk about OPCW whistleblowers, Jose Bustani and Aaron's testimony at the UN. We also discuss recent developments in the Russiagate conspiracy and pay tribute to the great Stephen Cohen, prominent scholar, professor and author. There is a bonus segment for patrons about who was behind the pressuring of OPCW and for what purpose. Ep 189EXTRA Relentless Pressure on OPCW feat Aaron Maté Aaron is the host of the Pushback With Aaron Maté show at the Grayzone and a contributing writer at The Nation. FOLLOW Aaron on Twitter @aaronjmate, subscribe to his show Pushback with Aaron Maté at the Grayzone channel on YouTube and support him at Patreon. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on October 16, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: The Grayzone's Aaron Maté testifies at UN on OPCW Syria cover-up, Aaron Maté (Part 1) Analysis: That Senate 'Collusion' Report? It's Got No Smoking Gun ... but It Does Have a Fog Machine,Real Clear Investigations, Aaron Maté (Part 2) Analysis: Senate Russiagate Report Left Big Stones Unturned. Two Were Named Mifsud and Assange, Real Clear Investigations, Aaron Maté Pelosis Take a Big Stake in CrowdStrike, Democrat-Connected Linchpin of Russia Probe, Real Clear Investigations, Aaron Maté Pushback: OPCW Syria whistleblower and ex-director attacked by US, UK, France at UN, Aaron Maté Ex-OPCW chief Jose Bustani reads Syria testimony that US, UK blocked at UN Pushback: Ex-OPCW chief defends Syria whistleblowers and reveals he was spied on before Iraq war, Aaron Maté

Guest: Mohamed Elmaazi. We talk about the Assange extradition hearings, what transpired in weeks 3 and 4 and what procedures lie ahead in this process. Mohamed has been providing continuous coverage of the extradition hearings both last year and this year from the press annex of the different court facilities or from nearby facilities via video link when in person coverage wasn't possible. Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He writes for Sputnik News, he publishes The Interregnum blog and he has been a contributor to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network. FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on October 9, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Mohamed Elmaazi articles at Muckrack Assange's Extradition Hearings End With Warnings That 'Journalism is on Trial' From WikiLeaks Chief, Mohamed Elmaazi Assange's Lawyers 'Priority Targets' of US-Backed Espionage of Ecuadorian Embassy, Court Told, Mohamed Elmaazi I Had Convinced Myself That They Were Ok' Ex-Prison Warden Tells Assange Hearing on Detainee Regime, Mohamed Elmaazi

Guest: Alastair Crooke. In a recent article, Alastair said: "Theories of human 'Progress' as an upward-trending, linear continuum, inevitably leading to 'a better human end', though clothed today as technological 'miracles', were never empirical hypotheses. They were always concocted myths, answering to a human need for meaning, yet manipulated ruthlessly in the interests of power." Alastair argues that these kinds of "struggles" have a long and bloody history. Politics in the United States in 2020 have been configured into a crusade against a "cosmic evil" and we seem to be barreling toward a major crisis from which we must not avert our gaze. We go into detail on these topics and Alastair offers an insider's view of how we got to this point. There is a bonus segment for patrons, Ep 187EXTRA: Underlying Political and Ideological Battles in 2020, about who the key players are in this epic battle, what their goals are and to what lengths they are willing to take all of this. Alistair Crooke is a former British diplomat, the founder and director of the Conflicts Forum, a former ranking figure in both British intelligence (MI6) and European Union diplomacy. and he served as an advisor to the High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy of the European Union (CFSP) from 1997 to 2003. He was also a member of an international fact finding committee, the Mitchell Committee, which published the Mitchell Report in 2001 on the causes of the Second Intifada. He is the author of the book Resistance: The Essence of the Islamist Revolution which offers strategic insights into the origins and logic of Islamist groups which have adopted military resistance as a tactic. Find Alastair's writing at Strategic Culture and look for his book Resistance: The Essence of the Islamist Revolution. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on October 2, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: And Then What? – We Daren't Not Look Into the Abyss, Alastair Crooke Book: Resistance: The Essence of the Islamist Revolution.

Guest: Neda Bolourchi. We talk about the recent developments with the JCPOA Iran deal and how the Trump administration is trying to "have its cake and eat it too". We discuss the happenings in the UN general assembly and UN Security Council, the news of troop withdrawals from Iraq and a lot more. There is an extra bonus segment for patrons: Ep 186EXTRA Middle East Prospects in the New Cold War Era. Dr. Bolourchi teaches at Rutgers University-New Brunswick Center for Middle Eastern Studies. She is is a thought leader whose work crosses multiple fields, from the academic to the legal to foreign policy and more. Her academic research examines the transformative discourse on Iran during the twentieth century across the political and religious spectra. She completed years of research in Iran, Syria, and Armenia and she has provided foreign policy and security analysis and commentary for a variety of publications and news channels internationally. She previously worked on matters of civil litigation and white collar criminal defense. Her legal work includes international and comparative analysis of human rights violations in the Middle East. Find Neda at LinkedIn and find her work on her Rutgers University Center for Middle Eastern Studies web page. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on September 23, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey Reference Links: ATE Ep 86 Misunderstanding Regime Change in Iran feat Neda Bolourchi ATE Ep 143 The Killing of Soleimani feat Neda Bolourchi US success in Iran arms embargo extension 'very unlikely', Al Arabiya

Guest: Danny Sjursen. We talk about his new book Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War. We talk about the ways that Danny has broken down, categorized and explained the various forms of patriotism and dissent that he sees. He also talks about his own personal evolution in his views of these things. He gives some examples of people in American history who dissented and why that gives him cause for some optimism. One of the people who urged Danny to write this book, Robert Scheer, said: "Sjursen calls for a critical exploration of our allegiances, and suggests a path to a new, more complex notion of patriotism. Equal parts somber and idealistic, this is a story about what it means to be an American in the midst of perpetual war, and what the future of patriotism might look like." There is an extra bonus segment for patrons: Ep 185EXTRA 9/11 in 2020. Daniel A. Sjursen is a retired U.S. Army Major, a prolific writer and speaker, an author/columnist/speaker/podcast host.. He is a contributing editor at Antiwar.com. His work has appeared in the LA Times, NY Times, The Nation, HuffPost, The Hill, Salon, BuzzFeed News, Tom Dispatch and Truthdig.com, among other publications. He is the co-host of the Fortress on a Hill podcast and does interviews on numerous podcasts and other media. He wrote a memoir and critical analysis of the Iraq War titled, Ghostriders of Baghdad: Soldiers, Civilians, and the Myth of the Surge, his new book Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War was published this month and he has another book in progress on the history of the United States. FOLLOW @SkepticalVet, SUBSCRIBE to the Fortress on a Hill podcast and buy his book Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War published by Heyday. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on September 17, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Patriotic Dissent: America in the Age of Endless War, Danny Sjursen September 14, 2001: The Day America Became Israel, Danny Sjursen What Activists Today Can Learn From MLK's Bold Anti-War Stance, Danny Sjursen NYT 1967 response to MLK Beyond Vietnam speech: "Dr. King's Error" How Do You Prefer Your Empire: Coarse or Polite?, Danny Sjursen

Guest: Kevin Gosztola. We focus on week 2 of the Assange Extradition hearings, witness testimony from Eric Lewis, Thomas Durkin, Daniel Ellsberg, John Goetz and Carey Shenkman and Assange's defense team. We also talked about the password leaked in a book by Luke Harding and David Lee, the highly problematic Espionage Act and how it, like the Assange case, is political in nature. Kevin has been doing reporting and analysis on the cases of Chelsea Manning and Julian Assange and Wikileaks both on the ground (and now remotely) for the past decade. Kevin Gosztola is managing editor of Shadowproof, he publishes the Dissenter newsletter and he produces and co-hosts the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast with Rania Khalek. FOLLOW Kevin @kgosztola, find his work at shadowproof.com, and subscribe to his podcast Unauthorized Disclosure and his Substack newsletter The Dissenter. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on September 18, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Assange's Extradition Trial: Court Hears About the History of Political Prosecutions Under the Espionage Act, Kevin Gosztola Good Ellsberg, Bad Assange at Extradition Trial, Pentagon Papers Whistleblower Dismantles False Narrative, Kevin Gosztola Witnesses at Extradition Trial Say Assange Could Spend Rest of His Life in US Prison, Kevin Gosztola At Assange Trial, Prosecution Invokes Human Rights Court Decision That Downplayed Abusive Supermax Prisons, Kevin Gosztola Julian Assange Extradition Hearing - September 18, 2020 (video) Julian Assange Extradition Trial - September 17, 2020 (video) Julian Assange Extradition Hearing - September 16, 2020 (video) Julian Assange Extradition Hearing - September 15, 2020 (video) Julian Assange Extradition Hearing - September 14, 2020 (video) ATE Ep 110 Assange Indictments Rely on Contrived Narrative feat Kevin Gosztola Khaled El-Masri biography and statement via ACLU ATE Ep 152 Kevin Gosztola: Insights from Assange Extradition Hearing in London

Guest: Mohamed Elmaazi. We talk about the Assange extradition hearings that resumed this month in London. Mohamed gives us the highlights of the first week's proceedings with various witnesses and new charges against Assange. He has provided continuous coverage of this case and he is able to give us a sense of what it's like on the ground in London reporting on these hearings now being conducted with Covid19 special arrangements. Mohamed Elmaazi is a journalist with experience in human rights law, with degrees from American University in Cairo and SOAS. He writes for Sputnik News, he publishes The Interregnum blog and he has been a contributor to Open Democracy, The Canary, the Grayzone and The Real News Network and he publishes. FOLLOW Mohamed on Twitter at @MElmaazi. Find his writing at Sputnik News, The Canary and visit his blog The Interregnum Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on September 12, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Absolutely Ludicrous': Diplomat Reacts to Decision in Assange Case Disallowing Witness Summaries, Mohamed Elmaazi Assange Hearing: Refusal to Grant an Adjournment is a 'Gross Violation', Says WikiLeaks Chief, Mohamed Elmaazi EXCLUSIVE: 'A Danger for Justice' - Assange Defence Expert Explains How US Conspiracy Trials Work, Mohamed Elmaazi There's Strong Evidence that Assange's Prosecution is 'Politically Motivated', Defence Expert Says, Mohamed Elmaazi Charges Against Julian Assange Are 'Unconstitutional' And Threaten Press Freedom, Expert Tells Court, Mohamed Elmaazi Espionage Charges Against Assange 'An Abuse of the Criminal Law Enforcement Power': Defence Expert, Mohamed Elmaazi Journalism On Trial: The UK & Press Freedom, Redfish The War on Journalism: The Case of Julian Assange, Juan Passarelli

Guest: Bryan MacDonald. We talk about some of the history and the current state of affairs in Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko and his opposition, the recent elections and subsequent protests and whether or not this is a color revolution. Bryan has been to Belarus many times understands the politics in Russia and Eastern Europe. There's a bonus question for patrons about the alleged poisoning of Alexei Navalny and the information leaked by Lukashenko about that affair. I also add some recent updates on Navalny who posted on Instagram today after several weeks in a medically induced coma. He said that he plans to return to Russia. Bryan MacDonald is an Irish journalist based in Russia. He has written for RT since 2014. Before moving to Russia, Bryan worked for The Irish Independent, the Evening Herald, Ireland on Sunday, and The Irish Daily Mail. Follow him on Twitter @27khv FOLLOW Bryan on Twitter @27khv and find his work at RT. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on September 6,, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Tens of thousands join Belarus march against Lukashenko, AFP Lukashenko Says 'Intercepted Call' Shows Germany 'Falsified' Navalny Poisoning Claims, Moscow Times Johnson's Russia List RT Bradley Blankenship Aug 12: The Belarusian protests are not a 'color revolution' – they're the result of Lukashenko repeating Soviet mistakes Alexei Navalny Releases Photo From Hospital Bed After Nerve Agent Poisoning, NPR

Guest: Peter Lee. We discussed some of the background story on Xinjiang, a province and autonomous region in the northwest of China that borders on Mongolia, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India and is part of the historical Silk Road. We also talked about the Uyghurs, the current situation in Xinjiang, the media coverage and the escalating tensions between the US and China. In a bonus question for patrons (Ep 181EXTRA Taiwan and Top Asia-Related Issues), I asked Peter Which Asia-related issues he thinks are most pressing, worrying or important to focus on right now. Peter has decades of experience in East Asia both as a businessman and as a writer. He produces Peter Lee's China Threat Report and has been published at Asia Times, CounterPunch at his own blog, China Matters. FOLLOW @chinahand. SUBSCRIBE to Peter Lee's China Threat Report. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on September 2, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Peter Lee's China Threat Report: The Xinjiang Series No. 1: The Crisis of Governance Peter Lee's China Threat Report: Assessing the Timetable for Taiwan Independence and World War III Peter Lee's blog archive on Uyghurs Scott Horton interview with Andrew Bacevich: Ep. 5009 – Andrew Bacevich on Soros and Koch Teaming Up to End the Wars – 7/3/2019 ATE Episode 14: The Future of China in the Age of Trump feat. Peter Lee (Chinahand) ATE Episode 61: Escalation With China feat Peter Lee

Guest: Isa Blumi. We talk about the current state of affairs in the gulf states and the region during the economic crisis and lockdowns for Covid19, the UAE-Israel deal, the evolution of situation in the Middle East, the war Yemen and the rivalry between Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar and Turkey. We discuss the increasing influence of China in the region and we also talk about media coverage and how it is heavily influenced by various sources of funding. There is a bonus question for patrons at the end of the interview on China's increasing influence in the Middle East and whether they will be a savior for the Global South. Episode 180EXTRA Will China be the Savior of the Global South? Dr. Isa Blumi is an historian, an author and Professor of Global History, Islamic World, Ottoman Empire, Yemen, Albania. His very prescient book, titled Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World tells the story of the wars in Yemen but also "ultimately tells an even larger story of today's political economy of global capitalism, development, and the war on terror as disparate actors intersect in Arabia." FOLLOW Isa Blumi @IsaBlumi and find his latest book at UCPress.edu. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on August 30, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: ATE Ep 128 Will the Saudi Kingdom Survive Their War on Yemen? feat Isa Blumi ATE Ep 64 Yemen War Big Picture & Media Narrative feat Isa Blumi ATE Ep 55 Imperial War, Gulf State Rivalry, Resources and Resistance in Yemen feat Isa Blumi

Guest: Carl Zha. We did a follow up discussion about the Hong Kong protests (which we had talked about last summer in Episode 119). Then we had a longer, broad ranging discussion on the rapid deterioration of US-China relations, a new Cold War, the power structure in China, protectionism, globalism, Silicon Valley, the military-intelligence complex and more. There's a bonus question for patrons about whether we are now in a Cold War with China, the prospect of a hot war between US and China and if that did happen, what would the war look like. Episode 179EXTRA War between US and China. Carl Zha is an engineer, historian, podcaster, and a Caltech Alum. His podcast, Silk and Steel, is about China, US-China Great Power competition and the history of Empires, past and present. FOLLOW @carlzha, SUBSCRIBE to his podcast Silk and Steel and listen to his previous podcast, Clash. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on August 27, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Around the Empire Ep 119 Hong Kong Protests Reality feat Carl Zha Silk and Steel podcast EP#71-Biking to Xinjiang with Jerry Grey

Guest: Ben Norton. We talk about the latest developments in Bolivia, life in Nicaragua, the new Cold War with Russia and China and we wrapped up with a discussion about big picture geopolitics. Ben Norton is a journalist, writer, and filmmaker. He is the assistant editor of The Grayzone, and the producer of the Moderate Rebels podcast, which he co-hosts with editor Max Blumenthal. FOLLOW @BenjaminNorton Find his work at The Grayzone and subscribe to his podcast Moderate Rebels. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on August 20, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Around the Empire Ep 136 Coup in Bolivia feat Ben Norton

Guest: Doug Valentine. Doug talks about his latest book, "TDY" based on a story told to him by a veteran of the Vietnam war who was sent on a covert mission related to the CIA and military involvement in trafficking. There is also a bonus segment about how and why the CIA uses trafficking for funding of covert operations Ep 177EXTRA TDY and War Trafficking. From the book description: "This novel by Douglas Valentine, author of the nonfiction bestseller The CIA as Organized Crime, is based on a true story, one told to him by a Vietnam veteran, and barely, yet grippingly, fictionalized here. "In early 1967, a bored, adventurous photojournalist on an Air Force base in Texas is offered a Temporary Duty (TDY) assignment somewhere overseas. The mission is steeped in secrecy, but Pete is promised a large bonus and hazardous duty pay. The mission that unfolds is terrifying beyond anything Pete ever imagined." Here's what Oliver Stone said about the book: "I read it in suspense and found the last revelations after the mission even more disturbing." Douglas Valentine is an author, investigator, journalist and poet. He's the author of many other books, including "The Phoenix Program: America's Use of Terror in Vietnam," and "The CIA as Organized Crime: How Illegal Operations Corrupt America and the World." He is well known for his extensive research and interviews of numerous CIA officers, former CIA director William Colby and others involved in the Phoenix Program. The Phoenix Program was a large operation that involved kidnapping, torture, and assassination. Its goal was the destruction of the Viet Cong insurgency, a political and paramilitary movement that worked against the United States and the US-backed South Vietnamese government during the Vietnam war. FOLLOW Doug on Twitter @DougValentine77 Find his work at his website douglasvalentine.com Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on August 20, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Guest: Ehsani. We talk about the financial crisis that has been building for years and the structural problems in Lebanon's economy and banking system that has been in place since the 1990's. The Beirut explosion and widespread damage brought the broader crisis to a head and exposed how the system is broken. We also talk about the political issues, protests and external interference. There is a bonus question for patrons at the end of the interview on whether this is a push for regime change and which external forces are behind it. Ehsani is a Syrian American, born in Lebanon and raised in Aleppo. He has a solid background in finance. Find his analysis and discussion on Twitter at @ehsani22. He has also written for the Syria Comment blog under the pseudonym, "Ehsani". FOLLOW Ehsani on Twitter at @EHSANI22 Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on August 18, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Beirut faces rising poverty after blast, Al Jazeera English Lebanon's economy: Plundered by politics and banking elites | Counting the Cost, Al Jazeera English

Guest: Elijah Magnier. We talk about the August 4, 2020 explosion in the Beirut port, details of what happened, political implications, cui bono and more. Elijah has gathered information from Beirut and provided some of that information for the first time in this interview as an exclusive. There is also a bonus question for patrons, Ep 175EXTRA Beirut Explosion and Political Implications where we talk about the possibility of the faction aligned with Trump, Netanyahu and Salman wanting to escalate while they can in anticipation of Trump and Netanyahu being out of power in the near future. FOLLOW Elijah on Twitter @ejmalrai. Find and support his work at ejmagnier.com. There is a "donate" button at the bottom of the page. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on August 6, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: US-ISRAEL MEETING: WHEN IS THE HEZBOLLAH RESPONSE EXPECTED?, Elijah Magnier (7/28/20) Beirut blast: more than 100 dead and over 5,000 wounded in huge explosion, France24 Will the Beirut explosion lead to political change in Lebanon? | Inside Story, Al Jazeera English Beirut has suffered a catastrophe that will live long in the memory – and the repeated betrayal of its citizens is a travesty, Robert Fisk Around the Empire Ep 40 Lebanon Crisis feat. Sonia Mansour Robaey (12/13/17)

Guest: Tom Luongo. We talk about factional wars among the powers that be, the Ghislaine Maxwell and Epstein case, the Southern District of New York (SDNY) federal prosecutor's office and Brexit (meaning the larger battle between the EU and the US/UK). We attempt to analyze how these things are related and could provide a higher level understanding of some of the scandals and chaos we are witnessing in the run up to the 2020 election and Brexit and the chaos that has escalated to more extreme and public levels since the 2016 election. There is also a bonus episode for patrons (Ep 174BONUS Getting Started With Crypto & Gold) on getting started with investment in cryptocurrency and gold for those who might be considering alternative investments in periods of instability. Tom Luongo is an analyst, writer and a former research chemist. His specialty is markets analysis informed by geopolitics. He is a libertarian and Austrian economist who publishes a blog Gold Goats 'n Guns and a monthly investment letter. He contributes at Newsmax Media and is published by and does commentary for many other media outlets. Note: Tom and I are very different politically but we believe in finding common ground especially on war/foreign policy and also on some other very basic things. No doubt his listeners will be aggravated with me and mine with him to some extent but common ground is more important than ever and I also want to provide a variety of voices on this podcast. We already have too many echo chambers and hyperpartisanship, in my view, which are doing more harm than good. Another note: I have to apologize for the audio quality in this interview. I think we both had some internet issues that caused some audio issues which I fixed as best I could. We had to stop and start a couple times. I edited a lot of the worst problems and hopefully it's fairly easy to listen to now despite the problems. FOLLOW Tom at @TFL1728. Find his work at Gold, Goats 'n Guns Also find his work at Patreon, Youtube and DLive. Around the Empire is listener supported, independent media. Pitch in at Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire or paypal.me/aroundtheempirepod. Find all links at aroundtheempire.com. SUBSCRIBE on YouTube. FOLLOW @aroundtheempire and @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, iHeart, Spotify, Google Play, Facebook or on your preferred podcast app. Recorded on July 8, 2020. Music by Fluorescent Grey. Reference Links: Maxwell Didn't Kill Herself By Getting Arrested, Tom Luongo Tom Luongo: Podcast Episode #42 – Ghislaine Maxwell, Trump and Why Brexit Hangs in the Balance Whitney Webb's Epstein articles