All tagged Geopolitics

The Invasion Of Ukraine: An Imperialist War, An Unfolding Conflagration / Eric Draitser

The Invasion Of Ukraine: An Imperialist War, An Unfolding Conflagration / Eric Draitser

Patrick Farnsworth
Eric Draitser, 314

Eric Draitser, independent political analyst and host of CounterPunch Radio, joins me to discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. We recorded this discussion March 3rd 2022 — exactly seven days into this ongoing conflict.

Eric has been publishing very concise, clear, and measured analysis of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian military almost daily since it began — mostly through 15-20 minute videos published publicly, and through his Patreon page for his supporters. He applies a principled anti-imperialist, anti-war, and leftist approach to his detailed summaries of this situation as it unfolds — pointing to the roles that both Russian leadership (primarily Russian President Vladimir Putin) and the United States and its NATO partners in Europe have played in the escalation of this conflict. What are the short-term, and long-term, aims of Russia in this invasion? What is the historical context this war sits within? What are the ideological components to this? And most importantly, who ultimately suffers from this conflagration in Eastern Europe? We discuss all this and more in this interview.

Law + Disorder: Electoral Coup + An Act Of State Terror / Marjorie Cohn

Law + Disorder: Electoral Coup + An Act Of State Terror / Marjorie Cohn

Patrick Farnsworth
Marjorie Cohn, 279

Marjorie Cohn, professor emerita at Thomas Jefferson School of Law and former president of the National Lawyers Guild, discusses President Trump and his legal team's ongoing attempt to perform an "electoral coup" since the presidential election last month. She describes, in detail, the legal challenges Trump's team have made in the last several weeks, as well as the likelihood of their success in undermining the result of the election in states across the United States. After that, we discussed the recent assassination of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, Iran's top nuclear scientist, on November 27th.

The Geopolitics Of The Impossible: North/South Korea, Iran + The World Today / John Feffer

The Geopolitics Of The Impossible: North/South Korea, Iran + The World Today / John Feffer

Patrick Farnsworth
John Feffer, 118

John Feffer, director of Foreign Policy In Focus at the Institute for Policy Studies, joins me for this episode. This interview covers two major geopolitical trends currently developing in the world today: the reconciliation process currently unfolding between North and South Korea, and the inflamed tensions between the United States, Israel, and other regional players, with the government of Iran.

America Faded: Syria, Russia, & The Decline Of The American Empire w/ Dmitry Orlov

America Faded: Syria, Russia, & The Decline Of The American Empire w/ Dmitry Orlov

Patrick Farnsworth
Dmitry Orlov, 113

In this episode, I speak with Dmitry Orlov. This interview was recorded Sunday, April 15, less than two days after the events discussed in this episode. We discuss the recent missile strikes by the US military in Syria, the Trump Administration, and the broader US military establishment's true intentions and objectives behind the strike, as well as what other major world powers (Russia in particular) are doing in response to this attack. 

Dmitry presents this whole event within a broader geopolitical trend: the American Empire is fading. America's influence in the Middle East, in particular, has begun to dissipate, with Russia and other regional players aligning themselves outside US American control and influence. These nations have begun to nudge the United States out of its once dominant role on the international stage, and the response to this missile strike in Syria fits neatly within this trend.

Post-State Era: Private Military Corporations + The Decay Of Empire / Sean McFate

Post-State Era: Private Military Corporations + The Decay Of Empire / Sean McFate

Patrick Farnsworth
Sean McFate, 82

Sean McFate is an author, novelist, and expert in foreign policy and national security strategy. His career began in the U.S. Army in the 82nd Airborne Division, and later became a private military contractor in Africa for Dyncorp, where he "dealt with warlords, raised small armies, worked with armed groups in the Sahara, transacted arms deals in Eastern Europe, and helped prevent an impending genocide in the Great Lakes region."

Sean is deeply critical of the ongoing privatization of military operations by the U.S. government, as well as Erik Prince, former president and founder of Blackwater, and his proposals to dramatically privatize military operations in Afghanistan. These types of grandiose plans Prince proposed to the Trump Administration have not been implemented, but there is still much to be concerned with regarding the rise of mercenary armies and how they fit into the ever-changing face of war in the 21st century. Sean McFate goes over this and much more in this episode.

America's Identity Crisis / Liyah Babayan

America's Identity Crisis / Liyah Babayan

Patrick Farnsworth
Liyah Babayan, 51

Liyah Babayon is an Armenian refugee, activist, entrepreneur, and business owner of Ooh La La consignment boutique in Twin Falls, Idaho.

I first became familiar with Liyah after she was featured in a Slate article that explored the upsurge of anti-refugee activism in the city of Twin Falls, Idaho. I approached her to do a podcast with me, and what resulted was an in-depth and fascinating discussion into her personal history as a refugee, of starting a business during the financial crisis of 2007-2008, the Armenian Genocide, the geopolitical chess game being played between the United States and Russia in Syria and the greater Middle East, her personal experience with the xenophobic anti-refugee activism that has grown in this community, and living in this place and time during the great experiment that is America, as well as many other fascinating subjects.