Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views, Ken Silva of the Epoch Times joined me to discuss his reporting on the FBI's PATCON (Patriot Conspiracy) operation, which attempted to infiltrate the far-right "Patriot"/militia movement in the early 1990s, and the questions that remain about the federal handling of the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building aka the Oklahoma City Bombing on April 19th, 1995. Although Silva works for the admittedly very conservative Epoch Times he believes the story of PATCON should be of concern to everyone given the history of FBI operations like COINTELPRO. We discuss how the FBI set up front groups like the Veterans Aryan Movements to target militia/"Patriot" movement targets such as Tom Posey, a veteran who became radicalized after being thrown under the bus by the Reagan administration in the aftermath of Iran/Contra. We also delve into how the story of PATCON was first reported by extremism researcher J.M. Berger, then covered by a whistleblower in a heavily redacted Newsweek piece, and, rather critically, by Wend S. Painting in her book Aberration in the Heatland of the Real about Timothy McVeigh. Ken and I discuss how PATCON may have created blowback and even, potentially, contributed to aiding far-right wing activities in the lead up to the OKC bombing (PATCON was shuttered in 1993; two years before the bombing). We also dissect the rather complex story of the OKC bombing including the neo-nazi terrorist bank robbers known as the Aryan Republican Army, the private white nationalist city Elohim City and its mysterious head of security Andreas Strassmeir, the ongoing high-stakes case of Jesse Trentadue (whose brother Kenneth Michael Trentadue was founding hanging in a cell during the OKC bombing investigation) and how it relates to the case, a whistleblower who claims feds were involved in the incitement of extremist groups, Aryan Republican Army Donna Langan (formerly Peter Langan), the Wolverine Watchmen case and the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot, the possibility that the OKC bombing was the result of a failed sting operation (as opposed to other, more sensational theories claiming it was an "inside job" or had Iraqi connections), Ken's recent interview with Bob Ricks (FBI Assistant Special Agent in Charge during the 1993 Waco Siege and FBI Special Agent in Charge during the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing investigation), ATF informant and white supremacist Carol Howe (who claims that she informed federal authorities of plans emanating from Elohim City to attack federal buildings in the lead up to the OKC bombing), United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, PATCON as a failure at best and having led to incitement at worst, the origins of the Patriot movement, domestic spying, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, outgoing United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 S. Michael Lynk joins us to discuss his latest report on the situation of human rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. Dr. Lynk, who is also an associate professor at the University of Ottawa, describes how he wrote the report and the difficulties of writing due to roadblocks from both the pandemic and Israeli officials. We then begin to delve into the findings of the report with a focus on the shocking stories of settler violence detailed within, the unequal practice of law and policy in the OPT in regard to its Israeli and Palestinian citizens, housing demolition and the issue of collective punishment, "permanent occupation" as a legal paradox, international law, institutionalized systems of racial oppression and domination, the differences between what took place in apartheid South Africa and what is happening now in the Occupied Territories, and much, much more. Additionally, we do raise the issue of the "A" word, or apartheid, in the OPT. What does it mean? What does it entail? And why does Lynk's report employ the term. This specific UN report raises the issue of apartheid alongside a growing number of others in the past few years including B'tselem, Human Rights Watch, and Amnesty International. What does it all mean and what are Lynk's recommendations going forward? Also, what does the report mean when it calls for the United Nations to re-establish the Special Committee Against Apartheid and what are the broader ramifications of what is currently occurring in the OPT according to Lynk's report? All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

On this edition of Parallax Views, famed Egyptologist (or as she puts it "recovering Egyptologist") Dr. Kara Cooney of UCLA joins us to explore her fascinating book The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World. Dr. Cooney describes herself as a recovering Egyptologist in order to consider the ways in which the cultural phenomena of Egyptomania may have a dark side that romanticizes and uncritically celebrates power. We discuss this as well as the parallels between King Ramsey II and Donald Trump, Orientalism, universalism vs. particularism, the problem of the Ancient Aliens narrative about the Pyramids (and why the Pharaohs would like that view), ancient Egypt's superiority complex and exceptionalism, the Pyramids as a weapon of the mind utilized by the kings, power and images, the Confederate Statues debate and how we can relate it to The Good Kings, the lamentations of the dead that take place in upper Egypt, who were the ancient people of Egypt beyond the Pharaohs (for example those who actually built the pyramids), the concept of Ma'at (related to truth and order) in ancient Egypt and its personification as a goddess, David Graeber and The Dawn of Everything, Pharaohs and authoritarianism (and autocracy), the Supreme Court and religion, and much, much more! Dr. Kara Cooney in front of one of the Pyramids in Egypt In the second segment of the show, Dr. Amineh Hoti, executive director of the Centre for Dialogue and the co-founder of the first Action and Centre for the Study of Muslim-Jewish Relation at the University of Cambridge, joins us to discuss her fascinating new book Gems and Jewels: The Religions of Pakistan. Like her father, previous Parallax Views guest Ambassador Akbar Ahmed, Dr. Hoti has sought to bridge the gap of understanding between the East and West by fostering interfaith dialogue and understanding between different cultures and their religions. In this conversation we discuss such issues as Islamophobia and its impact; Jains, Buddhists, Zoroastrianism (and the Parsi faith), Hindus, and other non-Muslim religious communities in Pakistan; Dr. Hoti's experiences teaching students who began as intolerant towards faith different than their own; Dr. Hoti's overcoming of cultural misogyny, chauvinism, and sexism and how Islam is for education of both women and men; the Sufi saint and poet Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai; how interfaith dialogue strengthens faith rather than degrading it; the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the effect it had on both the Muslim community and humanity as a whole; misunderstandings about Pakistan and the stereotypes of "the Other"; Sufism; the Orientalist romanticization of Sufism in the West; Ahuru Mazda, Zoroastrianism, and the misperception of the Parsi community as "fire worshippers" in Pakistan; Taxila and the deep roots of Buddhism in Pakistan;  the Sikh community in Pakistan, the importance of Pakistan to Sikhism, and the story of Baba Guru Nanak; the temples; the temples of the Sindh province of Pakistan; Katas Raj Temples and the body of emerald green water beside it; meeting the Christians of Pakistan in Karachi at the St. Patrick's Cathedral on Christmas Day; the Sufi saints of Pakistan and writings like the Kashf Al-Mahjub; the love stories of Sufism; how the media presents religious communities to each other and how it leads to monolithic views of those religious communities; the Abrahamic God in Islam; Muslim-Hindu unity; the United Nations and the concept of soft speech vs. hate speech; and much, much more! The Katas Raj Temples and the body of emerald, green water beside it

On this edition of Parallax Views, independent scholar Wahid Azal joins Parallax Views to discuss the ideology of Russia's Aleksandr Dugin, which he describes as steeped in imperialism and occultism. Dugin has become known in the West as "Putin's Brain", but lost his academic job at Moscow State University in 2014 after essentially calling for genocide against Ukrainians. He is known for advocating what he calls the "Fourth Political Theory" and for writing the book The Foundations of Geopolitics, which had influence in the Russian military. Wahid makes the case that while Dugin is marginal in Russia and Ukraine, his ideology has been boosted throughout Europe through oligarch funding and in the U.S. thanks to a number of factors including Dugin's Rasputin-esque image being perfectly fitted for sensational, attention-grabbing headlines and features. In this conversation we discuss the underpinnings of Dugin's thought including the idea of Atlantacism, the role of the apocalypse in Dugin's worldview, the influence of Heidegger on Dugin, Dugin's connection to Traditionalism and how the influence of Heidegger on him is not in line with Traditionalism (we also discuss what Tradtionalism is from Rene Guenon to Julius Evola and how Dugin's thinking could be described as Counter-Traditionalism), Dugin's current interest in the Russian Orthodox Church and his previous interest in chaos magick, the neo-nazi Satanist group The Order of Nine Angles, the death of Azal's wife and how he believes Duginists may have been involved in it, explaining the meaning of Dugin's quote "We will cure you with poison" and its connection to alchemy, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, April 10th, 2022 would've marked the 43rd birthday of American peace activist Rachel Corrie. In 2003 she went to the Palestinian city of Rafa in Gaza alongside other activists in the International Solidarity Movement. On March 16th of that year she stood in front of a Palestinian home that was to be demolished by an Israeli Defense Forces armored bulldozer. Corrie was crushed to death by said bulldozer. Her death led to an international uproar and her parents, Cindy and Craig Corrie, sought justice and a full investigation. It has been 19 years since Rachel's passing. In order to remember her, tell her story, and explain what she was fighting for in her support for the plight of Palestinians in the occupied territories we're joined by her parents Cindy and Craig Corrie. Cindy and Craig relate Rachel's story and the events of March 16th, 2003.

On this edition of Parallax Views, investigative journalist Karim Zidan, whose work has been featured in Foreign Policy, The Guardian, and the MMA-news website Bloody Elbow, joins us to discuss the intersection between politics and Mixed Martial Arts from Chechnya's Ramzan Kadyrov's Akmat Fight Club to Ultimate Fighting Championship President Dana White's appearances on Fox News. We'll discuss how figures from Ted Cruz to Vladimir Putin are interested in MMA and how they attempt to use it politically. We also delve into such topics as sportswashing and propaganda, Abuzayed Vismuradov (the powerful Chechnya associated with Ramzan Kadyrov and the Akmat Fight Club who is known simply as "Patriot" and is considered one of Chechnya's most dangerous men), "The Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko (and the shady history of his brother), self-described anarcho-communist fighter "The Snowman" Jeff Monson and his relationship with Russia and Vladimir Putin, Conor MacGregor, Saudi Arabia and the WWE, Khabib Nurmagomedov, and much, access journalism in MMA reporting, unionization efforts and the UFC, and much, much more! In the second segment of the show, progressive sports journalist David Zirin joins the show to discuss the intersection of sports and politics more broadly and his latest book The Kaepernick Effect: Taking a Knee, Changing the World. We discuss how David began his now almost 20-year run of writing about politics and sports before delving into such issues as leftist aversion to sports, sports and nationalism (and militarism), cheerleaders who supported Black Lives Matter, the Kaepernick Effect as about the Effect even more so than Colin Kaepernick himself, the film National Champions and efforts of NCAA college football to receive fair compensation, exploitation of athletes by owners, and more!

From Failed State Update: Daniel Muessig, the "real-life Saul Goodman" on going to prison and America's unjust legal system   Daniel Muessig is a Pittsburgh folk hero, mostly for this ad that he put together when he was kicking off his law practice: But the legal field is a tough racket. Tough enough, in fact, that Muessig eventually turned to some law-breaking of his own. Any day now he will go to prison for five years for conspiring to distribute 100 kilograms or more of marijuana and possession of marijuana. He was busted by an FBI task force who ID'd him through a wiretap. Of course, he broke the law. But should we be sending anyone to jail over marijuana? Read the rest and listen to the full podcast at Failed State Update

On this edition of Parallax Views, Dr. Annelle Sheline, Research Fellow for the Middle East at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, joins us for an in-depth examination of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen and the role of the U.S. in supporting the 7-year long Saudi intervention that has led to instability there. Although a ceasefire is under way, that doesn't mean the conflict is over and Dr. Sheline believes now is the time to apply pressure to end the intervention once and for all. In this conversation we discuss the history of the conflict between the Houthis and Saudi Arabia, Saudi human rights violations, starvation in Yemen due to the Saudi-imposed blockade, the Iranian involvement in Yemen, U.S. support of Saudi Arabia throughout the conflict through expensive arms deals, the War on Terror, the return of Great Power Competition, China, proponents of U.S. primacy believing it is necessary to support dictator and so-called "enlightened autocrats", Prince Mohammad bin Salman and Russia (and parallels between the crisis in Yemen and the invasion of Ukraine), and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, New York Times bestselling author and investigative journalist Christopher Leonard joins us to discuss his new book The Lords of Easy Money: How the Federal Reserve Broke the American Economy. The book chronicles how the Federal Reserve under Ben Bernanke dealt with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis and its aftermath from 2010-2014. In doing so he attempts to offer a concise and highly critical examination of the policy known as quantitative easing and makes the case that quantitative easing has enriched the wealthy at the expense of the working and middle classes through a form of hyper-trickle-down economics. Leonard and I begin the conversation by discussing his earlier works The Meat Racket: The Secret Takeover of America's Food Business and Kochland: The Secret History of Koch Industries and Corporate Power in America. We then discuss how his critical examination of the Federal Reserve departs from many of the criticisms of the Fed from libertarians and the right such as G. Edward Griffin's The Creature from Jekyll Island. Leonard also praises William Greider's seminal work on the subject Secrets of the Temple. From there we delve into what the Federal Reserve is, what it isn't, and the question of whether it is a public or private institution as well as the ways the Fed, and monetary policy in general, is often treated as being too mystical for a layperson to understand (even if this is not the case). Leonard also explains the concept of quantitative easing and how it has, he argues, enriched the wealthy at the expense of the working and middle classes. Among the many other topics, we cover in the conversation: the Federal Reserve and the Tea Party Movement in November 2010, the story of former President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Thomas Hoenig's dissenting from Ben Bernanke's quantitative easing policies, Alan Greenspan and ideology within the institution of the Federal Reserve, the populist William Jennings Bryan and his "Cross of Gold" speech, Bill Clinton and the declaration he made during his Presidency that "the era of big government is over", hyper-trickle-down economics, Andrew Mellon, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Daad Sharab joins me to discuss her role as a trusted troubleshooter and confidante to Libyan leader Col. Muammar Gaddafi through half of his 42-year reign. In her book The Colonel and I: My Life with Gaddafi, Sharab tells the inside story of her involvement with Gaddafi's government and the leader's spectacular fall. Daad Sharab talks about the various "missions" she went on for Gaddafi and experiences with Col. Gaddafi as well as other topics including the Lockerbie Bombing and whether Gaddafi was responsible, conflicts between her and the Libyan intelligence offices (whom she believed did a lot of things behind Gaddafi's back and without his approval), her first encounter with Gaddafi, Gaddafi's charisma, the NATO bombing of Libya, acting as an intermediary between Gaddafi's Libya and George H.W. Bush's administration in the U.S., the different sides of Gaddafi and his personality including his emotional side, helping get Libyan men who thought Libya had betrayed them released from British prison, meeting Hillary Clinton's, Gaddafi's death and Hillary Clinton's comments "We came, we saw, he died", U.S. foreign policy and the Middle East, Western double standards, Saddam Hussein, and the three leaders she liked to work with today and why (this last one gets a bit controversial).