Geopolitics & Empire

Geopolitics & Empire · Paul Robinson: Russia, the West, and the World #096 Dr. Paul Robinson from the University of Ottawa explains the current state of US-Russia relations. We talk Putin, Trump, Russiagate, media propaganda, the New Arms Race, the Russian economy, and his forthcoming book on Russian conservatism. Websites https://irrussianality.wordpress.com https://uniweb.uottawa.ca/members/994/profile Publications https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Robinson/e/B001HQ26YE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1549382146&sr=8-3 About the Guest Paul Robinson holds an MA in Russian and Eastern European Studies from the University of Toronto and a D. Phil. in Modern History from the University of Oxford. Prior to his graduate studies, he served as a regular officer in the British Army Intelligence Corps from 1989 to 1994, and as a reserve officer in the Canadian Forces from 1994 to 1996. He also worked as a media research executive in Moscow in 1995. Having published six books, he has also written widely for the international press on political issues. His research focuses generally on military affairs. In recent years, he has worked on Russian history, military history, defence policy, and military ethics. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Geopolitics & Empire · Bill Simpich: Kennedys and Kings Call for New Probe into Deaths of JFK, RFK, MLK, Malcolm X #095 Civil rights attorney Bill Simpich joins us to discuss the new call put forward by Kennedy and King family members as well as 50+ other prominent Americans to open new probes into the deaths of JFK, RFK, MLK, and Malcolm X. Mr. Simpich explains why the call is happening now, who is behind it, what needs to happen in the future, and why it is so important for American democracy. He explains deep politics and provides some interesting personal anecdotes along the way. Show Notes Kennedy, King Families to Congress: Reopen Probes https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/01/19/kennedy-king-families-to-congress-reopen-probes Kennedy, King, Malcolm X Relatives and Scholars Seek New Assassination Probes https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2019/01/25/kennedy-king-malcolm-x-relatives-scholars-seek-new-assassination-probes Websites https://twitter.com/BillSimpich https://www.maryferrell.org https://jfkfacts.org/author/bill-simpich https://capa-us.org/bill-simpich https://aarclibrary.org/bill-simpich-analyzing-the-new-jfk-revelations Publications https://www.maryferrell.org/pages/State_Secret.html About the Guest Bill Simpich is a civil rights attorney in the San Francisco Bay Area. The main areas of his law practice are government misconduct, housing and toxic tort violations. A contributor to Reader Supported News, he is the author of “State Secret:  Wiretapping in Mexico City, Double Agents, and the Framing of Lee Oswald.”  He is analyzing CIA cryptonyms at the Mary Ferrell Foundation website.  He is also reviewing the forensic evidence indicating that Oswald did not use a weapon on Nov. 22, 1963. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6SuX47jF-GM Dr. Paul Craig Roberts joins us to discuss US military interventions, how the "Everything Bubble" won't pop until the dollar ceases to be the world reserve currency, the Orwellian media landscape, and how identity politics is causing violent polarization in America that could lead to internal conflict. Websites http://www.paulcraigroberts.org Books https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Craig-Roberts/e/B001ITWVPE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2?qid=1494260819&sr=8-2 About Paul Craig Roberts Paul Craig Roberts has had careers in scholarship and academia, journalism, public service, and business. He is chairman of The Institute for Political Economy. Dr. Roberts has held numerous academic appointments including the William E. Simon Chair in Political Economy in the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He has contributed chapters to numerous books and has published many articles in journals of scholarship. He has testified before committees of Congress on 30 occasions. Dr. Roberts was associate editor and columnist for The Wall Street Journal and columnist for Business Week and the Scripps Howard News Service. He was a nationally syndicated columnist for Creators Syndicate in Los Angeles. In 1992 he received the Warren Brookes Award for Excellence in Journalism. In 1993 the Forbes Media Guide ranked him as one of the top seven journalists in the United States. President Reagan appointed Dr. Roberts Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and he was confirmed in office by the U.S. Senate. From 1975 to 1978, Dr. Roberts served on the congressional staff where he drafted the Kemp-Roth bill and played a leading role in developing bipartisan support for a supply-side economic policy. After leaving the Treasury, he served as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Department of Commerce. Dr. Roberts was awarded the Treasury Department’s Meritorious Service Award for “his outstanding contributions to the formulation of United States economic policy.” In 1987 the French government recognized him as “the artisan of a renewal in economic science and policy after half a century of state interventionism” and inducted him into the Legion of Honor. He is listed in Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in the World. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Geopolitics & Empire · Klaus Dodds: Scramble for the Poles? Geopolitics of the Arctic and Antarctic #093 Professor of geopolitics Klaus Dodds explains the 'Scramble for the Poles' and how elements of stagecraft and triumphant geopolitics are used by countries such as Canada, China, and Russia to gain currency in order to better assert themselves in the Arctic and Antarctic. He explains the legal regimes that govern the regions, the Cold War military history, and what the future holds for one of the last frontiers. Show Notes In 30 years the Antarctic Treaty becomes modifiable, and the fate of a continent could hang in the balance https://theconversation.com/in-30-years-the-antarctic-treaty-becomes-modifiable-and-the-fate-of-a-continent-could-hang-in-the-balance-98654 Triumphant geopolitics? Making space of and for Arctic geopolitics in the Arctic Ocean https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/publications/triumphant-geopolitics-making-space-of-and-for-arctic-geopolitics-in-the-arctic-ocean(71b6e049-147b-4b33-8234-7291e58f7702).html Websites https://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/klaus-dodds(fb99b223-7661-4aa1-95f6-1cd527dd0fc7).html https://twitter.com/klausdodds Publications https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=dp_byline_sr_book_1?ie=UTF8&text=Klaus+Dodds&search-alias=books&field-author=Klaus+Dodds&sort=relevancerankhttps://pure.royalholloway.ac.uk/portal/en/persons/klaus-dodds(fb99b223-7661-4aa1-95f6-1cd527dd0fc7)/publications.html About the Guest Professor Klaus Dodds researches in the areas of geopolitics and security, media/popular culture, ice studies and the international governance of the Antarctic and the Arctic. He has published many authored and edited books including Ice: Nature and Culture (Reaktion 2018), Research Companion on the Politics of the Antarctic (Edward Elgar 2017 with Alan Hemmings and Peder Roberts), The World is Not Enough: The Geographies, Genders and Geopolitics of James Bond (Palgrave Macmillan with Lisa Funnell 2016), Scramble for the Poles? The Contemporary Geopolitics of the Arctic and Antarctic (Polity 2015 with Mark Nuttall), International Politics and Film (Columbia University Press 2014 with Sean Carter), The Antarctic: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press 2012), Geopolitics: A Very Short Introduction (Oxford University Press, 2007 and 2014 second edition), Global Geopolitics: A Critical Introduction (Pearson Education, 2005) and Pink Ice: Britain and the South Atlantic Empire (I B Tauris, 2002) and co-edited The Ashgate Research Companion to Critical Geopolitics (Ashgate 2013), Spaces of Security and Insecurity (Ashgate 2009), Observant States: Geopolitics and Visual Culture (I B Tauris 2009), Geopolitical Traditions (Routledge 2000), Polar Geopolitics: Knowledges, Legal Regimes and Resources (Edward Elgar 2014). His newest book is co-authored with Mark Nuttall, The Arctic: What Everyone Needs to Know (OUP 2019). He has acted as external/visiting examiner for University College London and University College Dublin, and in 2017 was appointed as external examiner for the Politics Department's two masters programmes at Birbeck College, London and MPhil Polar Studies at the University of Cambridge. In November 2005, he was awarded the Philip Leverhulme Prize for his achievements in the fields of geopolitics and human geography. In academic year 2010-11, he was a visiting fellow at St Cross College, Oxford and HARC fellow at Royal Holloway. In October 2012, he was elected Academician (now Fellow) of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS). In November 2016, he was awarded a Major Research Fellowship by the Leverhulme Trust (2017-2020) for a project examining 'A new North? The making and remaking of the global Arctic'. In academic year 2017-18, he was a visiting fellow at St John's College, Oxford. He was editor of The Geographical Journal between 2010-2015 and is currently editorial board member of Critical Studies on Security, Geopolitics,

Geopolitics & Empire · Elijah J. Magnier: The War in Syria is Over, What Happens Next? #092 Senior Political Risk Analyst Elijah J. Magnier discusses the end of the war in Syria and what follows as the U.S. pulls out, Syria is reintegrated into the Arab League, Russia helps consolidate Syrian sovereignty, the Kurds are left to fend for themselves, and Turkey and Israel ponder on how to move forward. Transcript Podcast: On this edition of Geopolitics and Empire, we interview senior political risk analyst, Elijah Magnier, who has over 30 years of experience and in depth knowledge of the Middle East. We'll be looking at the developments in Syria, and examine whether the war is really over. Why don't we start with President Trump's announcement of US withdrawal? Podcast: This is confusing, because we know the US has had a long term plan of regime change in Syria, and just a week or two ago, an article was published describing how US forces would remain indefinitely in Syria, and then we hear Trump say that US forces are pulling out. His claim that the US has defeated ISIS is kind of silly, because in reality, it's been Syria, Russia, and Iran who were largely responsible for defeating a US sponsored ISIS, but Trump's comment is a face saving measure perhaps before a naïve US populace. Podcast: Some people remain skeptical as to the US pulling out, what is your assessment? [spoiler] Elijah Magnier: Yes, hi, I think from what we have seen today, and what we have seen in the last couple of weeks, it seems Trump is serious about pulling out his troops from Syria, particularly in the area that his forces are occupying in the Northeast of Syria, and that is [inaudible 00:01:27] province, and [inaudible 00:01:28], and part of [inaudible 00:01:30]. Elijah Magnier: The reaction of his defense secretary, the reaction of other diplomats like Brett McGurk, who resigned from the US establishment, was a good indication that Trump wants to go ahead and pull out of Syria. Moreover, the reaction of Turkey that was insisting on disarming the YPG Kurds that are the PKK version, Syria PKK version, that also confirm one thing, that the US can no longer protect the Kurds, and can no longer stay in that part of the country. Elijah Magnier: Today, we saw the Syrian forces deploying two small divisions in Manbij, and particularly in an area around Arima that's a village west of Manbij that they Syrian and the Russian use to maintain an observation location in the area for over a year, and they pull out from this 20 location in the area, like Arima, Arab Hassan Kabir, [inaudible 00:02:54], Al Furat, Dandaniya, and all these villages. Elijah Magnier: They pull out, and they pull out when Turkey attack Afrin, and they returned only three days ago, but before they have reached an agreement with the Kurds yesterday evening, late around midnight, so they have decided to send two small divisions in the city of Manbij, and the Kurds, YPG, announce their withdrawal from the city, although the Americans are still there, but the Americans can do nothing without the Kurds, because they have used the Kurds as a human shield to protect them, and the presence of 2,000, or 2,000 or a little bit more than 2,000 American troops are not enough to protect the Americans in an area that is more or less 50,000 square meters. That is more or less a third of Syria, which is exactly between 23 to 24% of the geographic Syria. Elijah Magnier: Therefore, they need the Kurds, and if they Kurds pulled out of Manbij, there are no other forces that can protect the Americans, so, yes, my answer is Trump seems serious, now the Syrian army moved in, they put the Russian and the Syrian flag on all the position, they are regaining control of to give a strong indication to the Americans and to Turkey that now Russia is involved, and no other force will regain the force of the Syrian territory but the Syrian army. Podcast: We're seeing other promising signs,

Geopolitics & Empire · Todd Weaver: Privacy Protection in the Age of Surveillance Capitalism #091 Founder and CEO of Purism, Todd Weaver, discusses surveillance capitalism, digital rights, and why he decided to create an entire ecosystem of computers, mobile phones, and software that provide users with nearly 100% control over their devices. Websites https://puri.sm https://twitter.com/puri_sm About the Guest Serial entrepreneur and successful businessman, Todd has been recognized for his visionary strategy, technical leadership, and relentless drive, with more than 20 years of entrepreneurial experience, using, installing, and promoting Free Software. Todd has consistently predicted market directions and executed disruptive technologies in a wide range of industries, including in-store entertainment, collaborative financial solutions, and starting the first online cable company. Todd has a deep understanding of the hardware manufacturing process, and an unwavering belief for users to retain their essential freedoms via free software, making Purism (the marriage of high quality hardware and free software), his most ambitious, disruptive, and exciting venture yet. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Geopolitics & Empire · Steven Seegel: The Geographers Who Defined East Central Europe #090 Professor of History Dr. Steven Seegel discusses his book "Map Men: Transnational Lives and Deaths of Geographers in the Making of East Central Europe" and how famous geographers such as Isaiah Bowman or Hungarian Prime Minister Count Pál Teleki influenced maps and policy in the 20th century. Websites https://twitter.com/steven_seegel http://unco.academia.edu/StevenSeegel Books https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/M/bo27760776.html About the Guest Steven Seegel is Professor of Russian and European History at the University of Northern Colorado. He is the author, most recently, of Map Men: Transnational Lives and Deaths of Geographers in the Making of East Central Europe, which came out with University of Chicago Press in June 2018. He has also published Ukraine under Western Eyes (Harvard University Press, 2013), and Mapping Europe's Borderlands: Russian Cartography in the Age of Empire (University of Chicago Press, 2012). He has been a contributor to the fourth and fifth volumes of Chicago's international history of cartography series, and has translated over 300 entries from Russian and Polish for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum's Encyclopedia of Camps and Ghettos, 1933-1945, in multiple volumes, published jointly by USHMM and Indiana University Press. Professor Seegel is also a former director at Harvard of the Ukrainian Research Institute's summer exchange program. *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Geopolitics & Empire · William Engdahl: Are the French Protests a U.S. Color Revolution & is Trump the Real Deal? #089 Strategic risk consultant and best-selling author F. William Engdahl discusses his latest book "Manifest Destiny" describing US-sponsored democratic regime change operations known as "color revolutions" which utilize civil society organizations such as USAID, Soros' Open Society Foundations, and NGOs such as the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). He provides his analysis on whether or not the French "Yellow Vest" revolution is sponsored by the U.S. and discusses his change of mind on whether President Trump is an authentic patriot fighting against globalism. Transcript Podcast:                               On this edition of geopolitics and empire, we interview strategic risk consultant and best-selling author, F. William Engdahl. We'll be talking about his latest book, Manifest Destiny, and the latest in Geopolitics, Economy War, Trump and Empire. Let's start with the main idea of your latest book, Manifest Destiny. Now, I wrote my graduate thesis on this topic of U.S. sponsored democratic regime change otherwise known as Color Revolutions about a decade ago. In my thesis, I tried to look at a color revolution that was not written much about. I looked at Mongolia in the 1990s because I spent some time there as a peace corp volunteer. I was surprised to discover the same U.S. State Department, National Endowment for Democracy NED, Soros' Open Society formula at play there that you detail in your book, Manifest Destiny. After the Soviet Union FELL, sure enough, James Baker paid a visit to Ulan Bator, Mongolia, the capital. The young Mongolian named Elbegdorj who was educated in the U.S. at Harvard, just like Saakashvili, the former leader of Georgia. Elbegdorj founded a liberty center, which Saakash really did as well in Georgia with the same name. They were both funded by Soros, NED, USAID. I documented that about Mongolia and interesting that Elbegdorj eventually became the president in 2009. In your book, Manifest Destiny, you basically look at how Washington has systematically attempted to take over nation after nation including Poland, Yugoslavia, Russia, China, Georgia, Ukraine. Could you, for listeners, describe this basic framework or template that Washington uses to take down foreign governments in a way that makes it look like Washington had nothing to do with it. [spoiler] William Engdahl:              What happened in the 1980s, there was a whole series of congressional investigations, exposés, whistle blowers, et cetera, about the illegal activities of the CIA. Assassinations of people like Pinochet in Chile, the coup d'état against Mosaddegh in Iran, in Guatemala, Árbenz and so forth. As damage control, Reagan's head of CIA, and Will Casey, proposed a privatization of this regime change machine instead of using CIA agents on the street in civilian clothes who can be discovered and then revealed as a government operation. He said, "Let's do it through private NGOs, non-governmental organizations," and then if they're caught in some attempt in some country, we can always say, "Oh, that's private. We can't control what private foundations do. They want human rights, liberty, democracy." You allow them to work in your country. We have no ... Et cetera. That was actually at the beginning of brilliant and very effective way to get rid of regimes that Washington didn't like. This was ruled out in one of the earliest experiments in Poland with the help of the Pope, John Paul II, who had a secret meeting with President Reagan and worked out an agreement where the pope would be informed of the CIA's activities in Poland with Solidarnosc, the trade union movement and then would appear in Poland, in the streets, and give support to the fight for liberty and freedom. Of course, ultimately led to the topelling of the communist government. Then, one by one, the communist countries in the east block,

Geopolitics & Empire · Dmitry Orlov: How the Technosphere Threatens the Biosphere and our Freedoms #088 Dmitry Orlov rejoins us to discuss his book on the technosphere and how it threatens the environment or biosphere, limits our economic freedoms, and can become weaponized as a political technology. He gives some recommendations on ways to mitigate against the overarching influence of the technosphere. Transcript Podcast: Returning to the Geopolitics and Empire Podcast is author Dmitry Orlov. We'll be discussing his book, Shrinking the Technosphere: Getting a Grip on Technologies that Limit our Autonomy, Self-sufficiency, and Freedom, which touches on ways technology or this thing known as technosphere limits our economic and political freedoms as well as threatens the biosphere and environment. I'd also like to remind listeners to subscribe to all of our social media and weekly newsletter, all of which can be found at geopoliticsandempire.com, and thank the few of you who have left a tip via Patreon, PayPal, or Bitcoin, and ask new listeners for continued support because it does cost a considerable amount of time, energy, and money to produce this podcast. Without further ado, thanks for coming back on, Dmitry. [spoiler] Dmitry Orlov: Thank you for inviting me. Glad to discuss this topic. Podcast: Yeah, and I purchased this book from you a year ago, and only got around to reading it recently. You put to paper succinctly a lot of thoughts I've had on this subject of the technosphere, but let's start with what is the technosphere. The term, for me, evokes different themes, such as the technocracy, the 1930s scientific dictatorship movement, which I suppose is still alive today in some form. Some people talk about the term globalism, an elite who wield technology to tighten their grip on power, perhaps private corporations who wield greater power than states, such as Silicon Valley, who, at this moment, are purging any anti-establishment voices from their online platforms. It also, the technosphere reminds me of the Belgian utopian Paul Otlet who wanted to classify the world and create some sort of world city, as well as it evokes images of science fiction dystopian literature in film, such as The Matrix. Could you tell us what is the technosphere? Dmitry Orlov: Well, what got me thinking about it initially was this thought that there are systems that human being evolve at various points that are not necessarily in their individual or group interest and that these systems behave as emergent intelligences and as agents independent of the human will, that they manipulate people as opposed to people controlling them.Probably, the first one is agriculture. It made people sicker. It bound them to the earth. It made them unable to move around as they have before, but it increased population density and allowed more powerful systems of control to develop. It gave rise to empires, whereas before, we had basically bands and tribes. That took over. Then, later on, we had the development of the financial realm and money lending, which was only made possible by agriculture and by the accumulation of harvests, of harvested wealth. Eventually, this way of handling wealth involving money and debt took over and grew out of control, so that money became this necessary evil that people required to keep people at bay.Then later on, with industrialization and especially with the development of fossil fuels, we had the full development of the technosphere, which is now a realm onto its own, an emergent intelligence that we have no chance outside of that we must allow to take priority over our own interests, even if our basic interest is just elemental survival in terms of not destroying the biosphere or what's left of the biosphere. Podcast: Just, again, to clarify that note on your definition of the technosphere. It's not any sentient being, but I suppose it can be wielded by political elites? Dmitry Orlov: Yes, well,

Geopolitics & Empire · Dmitry Orlov: How the Technosphere Threatens the Biosphere and our Freedoms #088 Schiller Institute science advisor Jason Ross discusses China's imperial ambitions in Africa through its Belt And Road Initiative and the challenges it poses to the US-dominated Bretton Woods system. Show Notes Extending the New Silk Road to West Asia and Africa https://schillerinstitute.com/extending-new-silk-road-west-asia-africa Why China’s ‘Debtbook Diplomacy’ is a Hoax https://schillerinstitute.com/why-chinas-debtbook-diplomacy-is-a-hoax Africa's Bright Future on China's Belt and Road Initiative https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIvC_Kdvc4E China: A New Imperial Power? https://www.transcend.org/tms/2018/10/a-new-imperial-power Websites https://schillerinstitute.com https://www.twitter.com/JasonA_Ross About the Guest Jason Ross is a Science Advisor at The Schiller Institute. In America, the Institute, a non-profit corporation headquartered in Washington, D.C., was founded in May 1984. The Schiller Institute is also established in Australia, Canada, Russia, Denmark, Germany, France, Italy, Poland, Slovakia, Sweden, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, and has a growing influence in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Helga Zepp LaRouche, the founder of the Schiller Institute internationally, is also Chairman of its Board of Directors in the United States. A German citizen, Mrs. Zepp LaRouche is wife of Lyndon H. LaRouche, Jr., statesman and economist, who, with his wife, is a true citizen of the world, in Schiller's sense. In her Founding Message for the American Schiller Institute, in 1984, Chairman Helga Zepp LaRouche outlined the Institute's objectives as follows: "The clock of mankind has advanced to a point where the old lackluster ways will no longer work. According to all established criteria, mankind has gambled away all its chances for survival. Too many catastrophes are crowding in upon us, the entropic process has proceeded too far and the rift between the U.S.A. and Western Europe is all but accomplished. For precisely this reason, we are founding the Schiller Institute. We do so not only because there is a vacuum we need to fill with institutions willing to revive the spirit of the American Revolution and the German classical period. We are founding the Schiller Institute because Schiller's special method of approaching world-historical problems is the only one which can still bring about a solution today. The kernel of this method can be defined in Schiller's own words: Man is greater than his fate. Even if the objective situation looks almost hopeless and desperate, we, like Schiller, are sure that a courageous spirit and human reason will always be able to find the higher level where the problems are solvable...."The Schiller Institute will work for this perspective. You, dear citizens of America, are called upon to help in this process. We can win, but. as Schiller stated, 'world history is the world's court of justice!''' *Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)