JP Sottile of NewsVandal.com joins me in the first hour to discuss the decline of the US empire. We begin by discussing the continued decline of the US media. JP and I touch on the the ways in which the US media (particularly TV) has become ever more enamored with the cult of celebrity. We discuss the ways in which the TV talking heads will obsess over a single tweet by Trump while actual real news is happening all around us. JP and I speculate over the reasons for this trend, and why the media loves to distract us with “news items” about presidential tweets. We also touch on the lighting speed with which the news cycle now runs at. Later JP and I talk about the decline of US dominance globally and how this may explain why we are seeing so many violent conflicts erupting across the globe. JP focuses on the numerous crises in the Middle East, and how they are being exploited in order to stave of the eventual death of both the US and Saudi Arabia.
I begin the second hour by briefly touching on the arrest and escape of former Georgian President JP Saakashvili. I then turn my attention to the recent murder of former president of Yemen Ali Abduallah Saleh. I give a brief look at the recent history of modern Yemen and how it has continually been used by regional and world powers. I also talk about the Arab Spring which ousted Saleh and his return to power in 2015 with the Houthi movement. I then explore the Houthi’s and attempt to explain some of the complexities surrounding their political movement. The issue of Iranian support for them is also explored. I finish off by discussing my displeasure with some of the political rhetoric from left which appears to be supporting war against Saudi Arabia. I talk about the problems with choosing sides in any war and Yemen in particular. I also talk about how this still fits into the US/Saudi narrative of their being a “good” and “bad” side in this war.
Today I am joined by the founder of Inner City Press, Matthew Russell Lee, to discuss his investigative work inside the United Nations. Matthew and I begin by discussing his recent expulsion from the UN after his persistent work on the John Ashe UN corruption scandal. Matthew explains how Chinese billionaire Ng Lap Seng, in conjunction with former UN ambassador Frank Lorenzo, was involved in one of the largest ongoing corruption scandals at the UN. We also discuss the symbiotic relationship between corruption, media censorship and UN atrocities around the world. We talk about the head of UN peacekeeping, Herve Ladsous, and his role in maintaining France’s colonial control of Africa. Later, we discuss the crisis in Yemen and the way this is being covered up by both the UN and the media. Matthew and I also touch on some of the more bizarre stories coming out of the UN, including the one about 40 pounds of pure cocaine in the mail room. We finish off by looking at the legacy of Ban Ki-Moon’s UN, and explore the possibility of his running for president in South Korea.
Porkins Policy Review 