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Around The Empire

Around the Empire podcast explores the massive apparatus of the American Empire. In-depth interviews, discussions. Hosted by Joanne Leon.
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Now displaying: August, 2018

Around the Empire podcast explores the massive apparatus of the American Empire. In-depth interviews, discussions. Hosted by Joanne Leon.

Aug 20, 2018

Yemeni journalist and filmmaker Nasser Arrabyee speaks to us from Sanaa about the war in Yemen. In 2015, a CENTCOM commander told a US Senator that he did not know Saudi Arabia’s goals and objectives in its war on Yemen and therefore could not assess the chances of success. More than three years later, Nasser Arrabyee helps us explore the answers to those questions. We talk about the US-backed Saudi and UAE coalition’s mission in Yemen, the Yemeni Resistance and Iran’s involvement. Arrabyee updates us on the situation in Hodeidah and we discuss the recent AP report on the Saudi/UAE cooperation with al Qaeda.

Arrabyee has produced four documentaries about the war in Yemen and has been published by numerous media outlets including the New York Times, Bloomberg and Foreign Policy. FOLLOW @narrabyee on Twitter and find his work at his website yemen-now.com.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com.

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on August 16, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. Senate Armed Services Committee Hearing (3/26/15) exchange between Sen. Gillibrand and Gen. Lloyd Austin (at 2:16:46)
  2. America Is Committing War Crimes and Doesn’t Even Know Why, Micah Zenko, Foreign Policy
  3. The toll of wars in the Middle East, WHYY Radio Times, Marty Moss-Coane
  4. Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea?, Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Reuters
  5. Yemen: US allies don’t defeat al-Qaida but pay it to go away, AP
  6. Inside the UAE’s war on al-Qaeda in Yemen, Bel Trew, The Independent
  7. After dozens of children die, Trump administration faces mounting pressure over Yemen war, Missy Ryan, Washington Post

 

Aug 17, 2018

Analyst and writer Tom Luongo returns to the show to talk about the economic and geopolitical implications of the current hybrid war between the US and Turkey and the broader war around it. We discuss the collapse of the Turkish Lira, dollar-denominated debt, how currency wars work, and the inertia of markets and traders. We also delve into the geopolitical lead up to this crisis -- Turkey’s role in the Syrian war and a failed coup -- both of which led to realignments and new allies that might result in an unusual rescue. Will Turkey employ a Russian formula for surviving sanctions and currency crises? Will it lead to an exit from NATO?  Or will the old guard, Cold Warrior foreign policy establishment bring a defiant Erdogan back into the fold one more time?

Tom is former research chemist and a current staunch libertarian. His speciality is markets analysis informed by geopolitics. Tom currently publishes his blog, Gold Goats ‘n Guns along with a monthly investment newsletter focused on geopolitics, commodities and cryptocurrencies. His work is also featured regularly on sites like Zerohedge, Strategic Culture Foundation and Investing.com. FOLLOW Tom @TFL1728. Find his work at Gold, Goats ‘n Guns, Steemit and on YouTube.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on August 14, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. Lira Collapse To Jump The Mediterranean, Tom Luongo, ZeroHedge
  2. BRICTS: Turkey Is Getting Off The US Reservation, Tom Luongo, ZeroHedge
  3. Five Pillars of Debt Default, Tom Luongo, Gold, Goats n Guns
  4. Turkey’s president: US waging economic war against Turkey, Associated Press
  5. Losing Faith Fast, Istanbul Merchants Throw in Towel on the Lira, Bloomberg
  6. Erdogan: How Turkey Sees the Crisis With the U.S., New York Times Op-Ed

 

Aug 14, 2018

We continue our discussion with Dr. Isa Blumi, speaking to us from Sweden, about the war in Yemen including the battle for Hodeidah, the development of Horn of Africa and Red Sea coast  and the bigger picture this war reveals. We discuss the underlying existential battles between Gulf States, the political factions in the United States they’re aligned with, and the western imperial and corporate powers at work in the region. Dr. Blumi expertly analyzes and advises on how to read the western media coverage and propaganda on Yemen and the old “divide and rule” exploitation tactics that are employed.

Dr. Blumi is an historian, an author and an Associate Professor at Stockholm University. His recent book 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.

We are independent media and we rely on your contributions. Patreon: patreon.com/aroundtheempire Donations: aroundtheempire.com

FOLLOW @aroundtheempire. Follow Dan & Joanne: @USEmpireShow,  @joanneleon. SUBSCRIBE/FOLLOW us on iTunes, YouTube, Facebook.

Recorded on July 31, 2018. Music by Fluorescent Grey.

Reference Links:

  1. Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us about the World, Isa Blumi, UC Press
  2. UAE talks up diplomacy as Congress curtails US involvement in Yemen war, Jack Detsch, Middle East Monitor
  3. China probing emerging UAE reserves, Daniel J. Graeber, UPI
  4. Why is Saudi halting oil shipments through the Red Sea?, Stephen Kalin, Rania El Gamal, Reuters
  5. Yemen: US allies don’t defeat al-Qaida but pay it to go away, AP
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