Professor Isa Blumi joins me for part 2 of our series on Yemen. We pick up in the late 90’s after Ali Abdullah Saleh has come to power in a unified Yemen. Isa discusses Saleh’s strategy of sowing chaos all over the country in order to maintain absolute power. Isa talks about Saleh’s use of extreme violence, and his reliance on US power. We then explore how the so called Arab Spring played out in Yemen. We discuss the orchestrated nature of the movement, and how is sought to control the very real desires of the Yemeni public. Isa touches on people like Tawakkol Karman and her role as a US proxy during the Arab Spring. Isa brings us all the way to Saleh’s assassination and the current state of Yemen.
Later we talk about the role that Al Qaeda plays on Yemen as a bogey man. We discuss how the US used Yemen as playground for their eventual global drone program. We address the fight going on between Saudi Arabia and the UAE in Yemen. Isa also explains the political history of Ansar Allah (Houthis) and how they are not an Iranian proxy force.
In the first hour Paul Wright of the Human Rights Defense Center and Prison Legal News joins me to discuss prisoner rights. We talk about the current state of America’s 2.5 million incarcerated individuals and the tremendous hardships they face. Paul talks about the legacy of Prison Legal News and how it represents one of the only truly independent media outlets talking about the prison system. Paul discusses PLN’s fight against the Florida Department of Corrections bogus attempts to censor and ban PLN from their jails and prisons. We also discuss the reality of the private prison system, life threatening conditions due to the recent heat wave, and actions by ICE. Paul also touches on the police state we are currently in that criminalizes poverty.
In the second hour Kevin Gosztola of Shadow Proof joins me once again to discuss the Reality Winner case. Kevin breaks down Winner’s recent plea agreement which will have her serving over 5 years in federal prison. We talk about the extremely harsh sentence and what this means for whistleblowers in the future. Kevin and I talk about the media’s complete lack of coverage of Winner’s plea agreement. Kevin also talks about the governments purist of whistleblowers James Wolfe and Terry Albury. Kevin explains how Trump could build upon tools laid out by Obama, like National Insider Threat Policy, to pursue whistleblowers. We finish off by discussing why Democrats and the left are so hesitant to defend Reality Winner.
Christian Szurko of the Dialog Centre joins us once again for a discussion about radicalization. We start off by talking about Jon’s recent trips to Lisbon and Rotterdam for a series of conferences hosted by the Radicalization Awareness Network. We discuss the growing problems of radicalization, looking at groups such as the far-right and gangs. We touch on the public’s reluctance to engage with radicalized individuals, and the false concept that they are “too far gone.” We round out the conversation by discussing how conspiracy theories play a central role in the radicalization process.
This month I do a joint subscriber podcast with good friend Aaron Franz. We discuss David Seivking’s incredible film David Wants to Fly. The film explores Seivking’s relationship and exposé of David Lynch and the destructive cult known as Transcendental Meditation. Aaron and I discuss the entire film, our views on Lynch and TM, and discuss Seivking’s journey for truth and meaning in life.
This week professor Isa Blumi joins me for an in-depth discussion of the economic and geopolitical history of Yemen. We cover the period between the mid 1800’s all the way through to the early 2000’s. Isa talks about the forgotten history of Yemen through out the conversation. We discuss Yemen’s role as a bulwark against imperialism, from its earliest days fighting against the British East India company to American oil conglomerates. Isa talks about North Yemen’s role as a progressive nation that supported everyone from the George Habash to Che Guevara. We also discuss South Yemen’s Marxist history as well. Isa also talks about the deliberately obscured fact that Yemen is rich in oil, gas, and other natural resources. Isa describes how work and regional powers have long sough to subjugate and control Yemen’s immense wealth through economic and conventional warfare.
We speak in the first hour with long-time-listener Regular Joe. It is somewhat troublesome to attempt a conversation with a Trump supporter. Joe and family go to the dentist and find that families are strangers next to each other. It is often a good thing to unplug. Joe also gives tips on how to avoid a pointless conversation feedback loop. Social media may be video games designed for people with no skills.
Pearse Redmond, also known as Porkins, appears in the second hour. Chuck and Pearse would both like a ticket back to the real timeline they came from. Is it 1984? Why do right wing celebrities suck? President Trump is exactly the damaged idiot to lead a parade of damaged idiots. Is this why David Bowie was “Afraid of Americans”? After sorting through and separating fake news from filler, it is easy to get exhausted.
Two hours with two friends from the show. We all urge you to be fearless. Big brother is not to be embraced. War is not peace. He who controls the present does control the past. He who controls the past may indeed control the future. Chuck believes we have the option to write it all ourselves or allow others to write and edit it all for us.
This week Ed Opperman joins us for a wide ranging discussion on some of the most pressing issues of the past few weeks. We start off by discussing the recent IG Report and the way that Trump supporters and the media have covered the story. Ed and I then dive into Roger Stone and his continual legal downward spiral. We also touch on Dennis Hoff, Scott Thorson, and Heidi Fleiss.
In the second hour Ed and I rant about the abhorrent situation at the border. We talk about the inhumane policy of locking up up children and the trauma that the Trump administration is inflicting on these kids. We juxtapose this with the MAGA obsession with child abuse and pedophilia. Ed also talks about the phony Child-Sex Camp out in Tuscon, and how gullible the Trump MAGA people have become.
Friend of the show, Pearse Redmond, returns for a fun and casual conversation about a myriad of conspiracy related topics. From Les Wexner and Jeffrey Epstein to Transcendental Meditation to Danny Casolaro. Listeners will be sure to enjoy this episode
In this episode, Christian Szurko of the DialogCentre UK joins hosts Pearse Redmond and Jon Atack to discuss his work counseling people who have become involved in extremist or authoritarian groups. Christian explains how he first got involved in this field of work, and they talk about how this process works from the initial first meeting all the way through to recovery. Christian and Jon both discuss the dangers of “deprograming” and the positive alternatives that are out there. They also touch on the psychological effects that leaving an extremist or authoritarian group can have on an individual.
This week Chuck Ochelli joins me to discuss geopolitics and the problems of the world. We start off discussing the recent Singapore Summit between North Korea and the US. Chuck and I both offer our opinions and analysis of the “deal” that is being hammered out by Trump. We talk about the realities of what is actually being presented, and discuss the larger context of what this may mean for the Korean Peninsula.
In the second hour Chuck and I branch off and talk about Jeff Sessions reversal of a court ruling granting asylum to immigrants fleeing domestic violence and violence from non-state actors. We also talk about the genocide in Yemen, which could see 10 million people starve to death. Chuck and I close out the show by talking about the lack of morality and respect for human life that many here in America seem to have.
