Geopolitics & Empire

Geopolitics & Empire · Noah Coburn: The Invisible Workers of America’s Global War #086 Political Anthropologist Dr. Noah Coburn discusses his latest book "Under Contract: The Invisible Workers of America's Global War" as we delve into the lives of over 3 million private contractors who service the logistics and underbelly of the Global War On Terror in Afghanistan. Show Notes Trump’s Disastrous Plan to Increase Contracting in Afghanistan https://thediplomat.com/2018/08/trumps-disastrous-plan-to-increase-contracting-in-afghanistan Trump’s Afghanistan strategy won’t end human rights violations among immigrant contractors https://qz.com/1062034/trumps-afghanistan-strategy-wont-end-human-rights-violations-among-immigrant-contractors Websites https://noahcoburn.com http://noahcoburn.bennington.edu https://www.twitter.com/NCoburnNoah Books https://www.amazon.com/Noah-Coburn/e/B005MYUBQM/ref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share https://www.sup.org/books/title/?id=29268 About the Guest Noah is a political anthropologist focusing on political structures and violence in the Middle East and South Asia and the Director of the Consortium for Innovative Environments in Learning. At Bennington College he teaches courses on the overlap of politics, power and culture. He has conducted over 5 years of field research in Afghanistan, and has also conducted field research in Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Nepal, Georgia, Turkey and India.  His most recent work focus on international contractors from Nepal, the Republic of Georgia and India, who fought during the war in Afghanistan. He tells their stories and looks at what this means for the future of war and the American Empire in his book Under Contract: The Invisible Workers of America’s Global War. Follow him on twitter: @NCoburnNoah. *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 · Isa Blumi: The Geopolitics of the War on Yemen #085 Dr. Isa Blumi discusses his book "Destroying Yemen" which explains how the Atlanticist empire has sought for a century to secure financial, political, and resource control over an independent Yemeni state with the help of GCC actors. Blumi also explains how Saudi Arabia is quickly disintegrating and what this means for the future. Show Notes In Yemen, Hardly A Revolution https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/09/opinion/09blumi.html What's Going On In Yemen? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6oJf8g6FDHo Websites https://www.su.se/english/profiles/iblum-1.253921 https://www.twitter.com/isablumi Books https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520296145/destroying-yemen About the Guest Isa Blumi is Senior Lecturer/Associate Professor of Turkish Studies at Stockholm University Institute for Turkish Studies. He holds a PhD in History and Middle Eastern/Islamic Studies from New York University and a Master of  Political Science and Historical Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York. Dr. Isa Blumi joins Stockholm University after spending the last 10 years teaching and researching in universities located in Germany, Belgium, Turkey, the USA, United Arab Emirates, Switzerland, and Albania/Kosovo. Isa Blumi researches societies in the throes of social, economic, and political transformation. His latest work covers the late Ottoman period and successor regimes, arguing that these events are part of process that interlinks the Balkans, the Middle East, and the larger Islamic world. In this respect, it is key to explore in a comparative, integrated manner how post-Ottoman Turkey fits into what is a global story of transition. As he expands his work to include more of the 20th century, Blumi explores processes of change induced by Muslim refugees who ended up settling throughout the world. Exploring these refugees' stories through this global perspective helps question how we understand identity and social organization, themes Blumi will focus on in the courses he will teach. Beyond his historical research, Blumi also regularly writes, and lectures on contemporary Balkan and Middle Eastern politics (especially Kosovo, Turkey and Yemen) and political Islam. *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 · Balihar Sanghera: Central Asia as the New Economic Battleground for China, Russia, and the USA #084 Dr. Balihar Sanghera discusses the economic dystopia left behind by the Soviet Union in Central Asia as well as why he thinks the United States holds the upper hand in the region despite Russia's formidable Eurasian Union project and China's Belt and Road. Websites https://www.kent.ac.uk/sspssr/staff/academic/s/sanghera-balihar.html Show Notes https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/balihar-sanghera/economic-dystopia-in-kyrgyzstan https://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/balihar-sanghera-and-elmira-satybaldieva/global-capitalism-in-central-asia https://theconversation.com/central-asia-is-the-new-economic-battleground-for-the-us-china-and-russia-98263 About the Guest Balihar Sanghera is the Director of Graduate Studies (Taught) and a Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Kent’s School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research, Medway campus. His main interests are political economy, social theory and ethics. Currently, he is writing up four research projects: Geopolitics and competing economic imaginaries in Central Asia (with Dr Elmira Satybaldieva) The moral economy of credit in Kyrgyzstan (with Dr Elmira Satybaldieva) The neoliberal judiciary and property rights in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan Social justice philanthropy in the UK Before joining SSPSSR in 2004, he was a visiting lecturer at the Sociology Department, American University – Central Asia (2002-04), at the Sociology Department, Novosibirsk State University (2000-02), and at the Economics Department, University of Central England in Birmingham (1999-2000). He was also senior research fellow at the Management Department, University of Central England in Birmingham (1998-1999). *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 · Jeremy Kuzmarov: The New Cold War is a Farce #083 Academic and author Jeremy Kuzmarov discusses his latest book "The Russians Are Coming, Again: The First Cold War as Tragedy, the Second as Farce." Topics covered include the true origins of the Cold War, how a Henry Wallace presidency could've altered the course of history, the Military-Industrial-Academic-Complex, the use of propaganda against Russia in the New Cold War, NATO expansion, color revolutions, and how the Democratic left is perpetuating McCarthyism in the age of Trump. Websites https://jeremykuzmarov.com Books https://www.amazon.com/Russians-Are-Coming-Again-Tragedy/dp/1583676945 About the Guest Jeremy Kuzmarov has taught at numerous universities and colleges in the field of U.S. history and foreign relations. He has undertaken extensive specialized research on the following topics: —  Covert dimensions of U.S. foreign policy —  The War on Drugs —  U.S. policing and prisons and the internationalization of U.S. criminal justice —  U.S. airpower and its human cost —  American military base networks —  The false manipulations of the public in selling American wars, among other topics. Kuzmarov has contributed to many progressive publications like The Progressive Magazine, Counterpunch, the LA Progressive, the Huffington Post, Z Magazine, Z Net and has appeared in various media outlets, including on radio and television programs.  He is also a contributor to a peace website, developed by historian Roger Peace, that provides comprehensive overviews of major U.S. wars and assesses them from a just war perspective. Kuzmarov has been active in local peace groups, and is a board member of the Tulsa Peace fellowship, a friend of the Asia-Pacific Journal, and on the Steering committee for Historians for Peace and Democracy. He is also part of a network, headquartered at the University of Exeter, that studies colonial history and counterinsurgencies in comparative perspective. *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 · Adriel Kasonta: Has Brexit Become a US Foreign Policy Tool Against the EU and Russia? #082 Political analyst and consultant Adriel Kasonta discusses potential Brexit scenarios and how it has been weaponized by the United States against the EU and Russia. Websites https://www.adrielkasonta.com https://www.twitter.com/Adriel_Kasonta About the Guest Adriel Kasonta is a London-based professional with a strong background in law, politics and diplomacy. He is currently serving as editorial board member at the Central European Journal of International and Security Studies (CEJISS) in Prague and European affairs analyst at Wikistrat, a geostrategic consulting firm based in Washington, D.C. He regularly blogs at Russian International Affairs Council. Adriel is former project manager at the British Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC) in London and chairman of the International Affairs Committee at the oldest conservative think tank in the United Kingdom, The Bow Group, where he authored a research paper titled “Reflections on the Revolution in Ukraine” and was the editor and leading author of a report titled “The Sanctions on Russia”. Furthermore, in this capacity, he also authored a research paper titled “British Euroscepticism”, which was published by The Bruges Group think tank. His opinion and analysis has appeared in Forbes, The National Interest, National Review, The American Conservative, Antiwar.com, RealClearReligion, CapX, EurActiv, Russia Direct and Sputnik News (PL). *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 · Dan Kovalik: The CIA and Deep State Plot To Attack Iran #081 Human Rights Attorney Dan Kovalik and author of "The Plot To Scapegoat Russia" and "The Plot To Attack Iran" discusses the US drive to overthrow Iran which includes proxy wars in Nicaragua, Yemen, Libya, and Syria that have the potential to pull Russia and China into a greater conflict. Websites https://twitter.com/danielmkovalik Publications https://www.amazon.com/Dan-Kovalik/e/B06XZ9ZRSD/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1537885269&sr=8-1 About the Guest Daniel Kovalik is Senior Associate General Counsel of the United Steelworkers, AFL-CIO (USW). He has worked for the USW since graduating from Columbia Law School in 1993. While with the USW, he has served as lead counsel on cutting-edge labor law litigation, including the landmark NLRB cases of Lamons Gasket and Specialty Health Care. He has also worked on Alien Tort Claims Act cases against The Coca-Cola Company, Drummond and Occidental Petroleum – cases arising out of egregious human rights abuses in Colombia. The Christian Science Monitor, referring to his work defending Colombian unionists under threat of assassination, recently described Mr. Kovalik as “one of the most prominent defenders of Colombian workers in the United States.” Mr. Kovalik received the David W. Mills Mentoring Fellowship from Stanford University School of Law and was the recipient of the Project Censored Award for his article exposing the unprecedented killing of trade unionists in Colombia. He has written extensively on the issue of international human rights and U.S. foreign policy for the Huffington Post and Counterpunch and has lectured throughout the world on these subjects. *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 · Morris Berman: End Of Empire...Are We There Yet? #080 We return to the broadcast with cultural historian Dr. Morris Berman to discuss his latest book titled “Are We There Yet?” which consists of a collection of lectures, unpublished essays and reflections on the continued decline of American Empire. Websites http://morrisberman.blogspot.com Publications http://www.amazon.com/Morris-Berman/e/B001HCWOWM About the Guest Morris Berman is well known as an innovative cultural historian and social critic. He has taught at a number of universities in Europe and North America, and has held visiting endowed chairs at Incarnate Word College (San Antonio), the University of New Mexico, and Weber State University. During 1982-88 he was the Lansdowne Professor in the History of Science at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. Berman won the Governor’s Writers Award for Washington State in 1990, the Rollo May Center Grant for Humanistic Studies in 1992, and the Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity (from the Media Ecology Association) in 2013. He is the author of a trilogy on the evolution of human consciousness–-The Reenchantment of the World (1981), Coming to Our Senses (1989), and Wandering God: A Study in Nomadic Spirituality (2000)–and in 2000 his Twilight of American Culture was named a “Notable Book” by the New York Times Book Review. Dr. Berman relocated to Mexico in 2006, and during 2008-9 was a Visiting Professor at the Tecnologico de Monterrey, Mexico City. *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 · Tom Luongo: Has The Deep State Defeated Trump In Syria? #079 Geopolitical analyst Tom Luongo discusses the recent US strikes in Syria and whether President Trump has effectively been neutered by the Deep State and Military-Industrial-Complex. Also, is Trump in control of his own Twitter account and will he succeed in North Korea? Show Notes 'The Goal for China is to Open Up the Yuan Trade' – Tom Luongo on Sputnik News https://sputniknews.com/analysis/201804051063239817-china-petro-yuan-oil-us The Neocons’ Real Plan for Syria Emerges from the Lack of Rubble https://tomluongo.me/2018/04/16/the-neocons-real-plan-for-syria-emerges-from-the-lack-of-rubble Trump is Done, Mattis Won, Thank the Gods https://tomluongo.me/2018/04/14/trump-is-done-mattis-won-thank-the-gods Will Trump and Mattis Run Out the Neocon’s Doomsday Clock? https://tomluongo.me/2018/04/13/will-trump-and-mattis-run-out-the-neocons-doomsday-clock The Coup is Complete – Trump is Done https://tomluongo.me/2018/04/11/the-coup-is-complete-trump-is-done Websites https://tomluongo.me https://www.patreon.com/GoldGoatsNGuns https://seekingalpha.com/author/tom-luongo/articles#regular_articles About Tom Luongo Tom Luongo is a former research chemist by trade and an Austrian Economist by study and a market analyst by choice. For the past four years he has been a Senior Financial Editor with Newsmax Media publishing thoughts on where markets, central banks, gold and geopolitics meet and explode. He is now the publisher of Gold, Goats n' Guns, a monthly newsletter offered through Patreon. He has been an investor and market analyst for more seventeen years and is an astute observer in changes within the culture and the political landscape. *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 · Christian Costamagna: The 'Special War' Doctrine to Destroy Yugoslavia #78 Dr. Christian Costamagna brings to light new research on the Yugoslav "Special War" describing the foreign interference and destabilization of Yugoslavia in the 1980s which exacerbated the existing internal crises and led to the bloodiest war in Europe since WWII. Show Notes Archival Documents Reveal Late-Yugoslav Strategic Thinking on the ‘Special War’ http://www.balkanalysis.com/blog/2018/02/05/archival-documents-reveal-late-yugoslav-strategic-thinking-on-the-special-war OSS, CIA and European unity: The American committee on United Europe, 1948-60 https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/pais/people/aldrich/publications/oss_cia_united_europe_eec_eu.pdf Website https://costamagna.wordpress.com http://unipmn.academia.edu/ChristianCostamagna About Christian Costamagna Dr. Christian Costamagna is an Italian scholar specialized in the history of the Balkans and Eastern Europe. During the academic year 2014-2015, he taught Contemporary History and History of Eastern Europe at the University of Eastern Piedmont. He obtained his PhD in Historical Sciences at the same university in July 2013, with a thesis on Slobodan Milošević’s ascent to power in the second half of the 1980s in Serbia. Dr. Costamagna previously undertook a seven-month internship at the Institute for Contemporary History in Belgrade in 2011. In 2012 he spent an additional semester at the Faculty of Arts at the University in Ljubljana, completing research at the National Archives of Slovenia. Dr. Costamagna has written for various Italian and other European journals about history, politics and geopolitics of the Western Balkans. He is also a member of the Scientific Committee of EastJournal.net (Italy). *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=cJHMLAm3Ozo Former U.S. diplomat Jim Jatras discusses President Trump's rush to war in Syria, the false flag chemical attacks warned about by Russia, Putin's options in case of U.S. strikes, and the real geopolitical game being played in the Middle East which can lead to fatal escalation. Transcript G&E Podcast:                     We are speaking with analyst, former U.S. diplomat and foreign policy advisor to the Senate GOP leadership, Jim Jatras. We will be discussing the U.S.-Russia tango in Syria. Let's start with Russia. First it was U.S. election meddling, then Olympics sports doping, then the Russian media acting as foreign agent, and now this incredulous Salisbury nerve gas attack. What's next? Am I going to discover that my mother has actually been a KGB spy my entire life? Is there any truth at all to the neo-McCarthyism? Jim Jatras:                           Well, I think calling it neo-McCarthyism is unfair to Joe McCarthy, that back in his day there really were Stalinist agents at the State Department. Even if his methods went a bit overboard, there was a real concern. What we're seeing today is made out of whole cloth. I think this is simply part of a political campaign against Russia. The term "deep state" has gone from going virtually unknown to being totally overused, but I think there is a reality behind that concept. It's not just U.S. deep state. It's not just the CIA and NSA and FBI, the Department of Justice. It also includes our British friends, MI6, the GCHQ. I've been writing for months that there are British fingerprints all over the Steele dossier, all over the whole Russia-gate, FISA-gate thing. We see it, obviously, all over the Skripal case. [spoiler] Jim Jatras:                           It looks like that is coordinated with these latest accusations on the use of chemical weapons in Syria, which, unfortunately, looks like it will lead to military action as early as tonight Washington time. Where I am it's a little after 10:00 p.m., and the talk is now within a few hours we should be launching an attack against Syria. I had hoped that that would have been held off until the OPCW investigators, who are on their way to Damascus, would have had a chance to look at the evidence. Honestly, I think there are people in this town, and certainly in London and some other capitals, who don't want there to be an independent investigation, that do not want their handiwork being exposed. Jim Jatras:                           This has nothing to do, really, with chemical weapons at all, in my opinion. It has to do with the fact that at the end of the Cold War in 1991 the United States emerged as the sole Superpower, unipolar moment and all that. There are people who are willing to risk plunging the world into a third world war to preserve that global hegemony against a Russia that's reasserting its own national interests, and, of course, also China. G&E Podcast:                     Let's just backtrack a bit. You are a former diplomat. Can you tell us about the significance of the recent, unprecedented, expulsion of Russian diplomats from the U.S. and the E.U.? I don't think this even happened during the first Cold War. It's quite startling. As you mentioned, it's fabricated chemical attacks with the neo-McCarthyism, and now this expulsion. If we put that all together what does this mean? Jim Jatras:                           I think what we're seeing is the kind of demonization against a target country, and especially its leader, personally, in this case Vladimir Putin, that we've see so many times in the past, whether it was Milošević in Yugoslavia, or Saddam Hussein, or Muammar Gaddafi. Everybody is Hitler. We call it "The Hitler of the month club", is that we frame the target as this horrible, evil person who must be destroyed. Animal Assad now, President Trump is calling him. That means that the rules of normal conduct are suspended because, after all,