The Anti Empire Project with Justin Podur

Leading up to 1914 socialist movements all over Europe, notably in France and Germany, had become so strong that they were in the very halls of power. But when faced with the onset of the Great War, the established socialists blinked, unwilling to risk their heard-earned position and possibly be arrested and have their parties … Continue reading "World War Civ 24: Why socialists failed to stop the war"

Was the collapse of the international gold standard – established in 1873 – in 1914, a sure sign that war was coming? Was gold a “peaceful metal”, as Michael Hudson has argued? Does the history of finance and money, tied up with states and war, provide a theory of everything? We go way back to … Continue reading "World War Civ 23: The Rise and Fall of the Gold Standard, 1873-1914"

In this podcast, the hosts discuss the hubris of plutocrats and the challenges of the digital economy. They explore housing options on the sea and conservation gentrification. The wealthy and privileged in Jackson Hole are also examined, along with the marketing of conservation as a luxury for the wealthy. The impact of climate change on housing prices and displacement of the poor is discussed. The landmark case on climate change and green provisions in Montana is explored.

The podcast explores the issue of Irish Home Rule and Britain's near-civil war before 1914. Topics include the involvement of Protestants and Catholics in the 1798 uprising, the parallels between Israel and Protestant settlers in Ireland, the decline in population during the 1840s famine, the complexities of implementing measures, the creation of an Irish assembly with limited power, challenges to democracy and the rigged system, the socialist international, political tensions and the potential for civil war, and the conflict between government and Ulster in Ireland.

In the First Balkan War, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, and Montenegro attacked the moribund Turkey to take its remaining territories and get Turkey out of Europe. In the Second Balkan War, they fought one another over those same territories. The Balkan Republics model themselves after Italy and Germany and hope to unify their nations at the … Continue reading "World War Civ 21: Balkan Wars 1912-1913"

Stan Cox and I talk about Kim Stanley Robinson (KSR)’s 2020 book, The Ministry for the Future, which is a hugely important book because it pictures how we could get from our current situation to a world where CO2 emissions were actually trending downwards, saving human civilization from catastrophe. We talk about the climate events … Continue reading "In Real Time 13: Do we need states to solve climate change?"

After losing to Ethiopia, Italy tries to restore its reputation as a colonizer by invading Libya, following directly from France’s invasion of Morocco and leading directly to the Balkan War. The dominoes keep falling as the European colonizers keep grabbing. Libya becomes a battlefront for decades – one we will return to in future episodes.

The short Hafiziyya period in Morocco leads to the Treaty of Fez and annexation; Morocco’s lost its sovereignty but it’s Germany that feels aggrieved. More scrambling for Africa and another inter-imperial spat to inch us closer to WW1.

Arama Rata, independent Maori researcher, and Carl Zha of Silk & Steel podcast are both back! Carl reports on his lived experience as a survivor of the Prigozhin coup in Moscow; Arama outlines the anti-AUKUS speaking tour she is on with other journalists and activists; I continue my rant about the sheer plagiarism of Canada’s … Continue reading "AER 128: CAUKUZians speak out!"

Japan’s annexation of Korea in 1910 is scramble-like colonial behavior; it is the beginning of a long and bold resistance by Korean patriots whose names will return; it is the occasion for studying Japanese colonialism in East Asia as well as its disputes with Russia. A short episode on Korea’s struggles from the Russo-Japanese War … Continue reading "World War Civ 18: Japan annexes Korea 1910"