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Syria, Authoritarianism, and U.S. Politics
51:10|Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comThis week on Angry Planet writer David Faris joins us to talk about his time in Syria and life in America.David’s travels from Lebanon to SyriaWhen people hoped Bashar al-Assad would change SyriaWhat a real totalitarian state feels likeThe nightmare that follows the collapse of a dictatorshipOnce again, the ugly legacy of colonialism rears its headThe post-Assad playersAfter 15 years, everyone is tired of warTurning to domestic politicsDon’t panic“Trump will govern very corruptly.”Talking politics with childrenThe Trump Cinematic Universe“We need billionaires to fight billionaires.”The collapse of the liberal intelligentsiaThe McDonald’s bombing in Beirut
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A Crash Course on Indian Assassinations and ISIS in Canada
57:51|Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comThis week Angry Planet turns its attention to Canada. Global News investigative journalist Stewart Bell joins us to walk through his two latest pieces and give Matthew a crash course on Canadian history. What do outlaw motorcycle gangs, extrajudicial assassinations, an Indian separatist movement, and a resurgent Islamic State all have in common?Canada.Bell is here to explain it all.The pros and cons of extremists recruiting on social mediaAre you talking to a fed?Remembering Air India Flight 182 or Matthew learns Canadian historyThe Khalistan movementWhat makes a 14-year-old interested in Islamic State?Eric Hoffer on what makes a True BelieverSpreading ideologies with an answering machineThe budding new era of political violenceVisas as a tool of foreign interferenceUsing gangs to assassinate your political enemiesThe ups and downs of hiring biker gangs for intelligence workIndia’s superpower glow upISIS arrests are spiking in Canada and youths are driving the resurgenceInvestigation: Visas have become an Indian foreign interference toolU.S. Defense Contractors Are Using ‘Battle Tested in Ukraine’ As a Marketing Label
01:02:59|On today’s episode, I talked to Kollen Post about how and why Silicon Valley markets their drones as “battle tested in Ukraine.” We recorded it on Thanksgiving, Jason was busy spending time with his family, and Post and I went down some weird philosophical rabbit holes.Impromptu drone developersThe Western image of the Ukrainian drone operatorOpen source is kingThe decentralized nature of Ukrainian societyFundraising for warThe ignorance of the American peopleTrump’s promise: You can forget itAmericans want to be heroesPalmer Luckey is selling drone piece loot cratesiPhone vs. LinuxJamming with GithubOnshoring the drone manufacturing process‘Battle-tested in Ukraine’ — How US drone makers turned Ukraine into a tagline to sell westUkraine’s drones have a reputation for low cost. Buntar Aerospace wants to make them boutiqueHow Palantir Is Using AI in UkraineThe Anduril merch storeNorth Korea and Russia—A Very Special Relationship
59:35|Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comNorth Korean troops are fighting alongside Russian ones in Ukraine. Bringing the two together hasn’t all gone smoothly. There are language barriers, cultural barriers, and a whole lot of Russian territory to recover. The results have been mixed, but the partnership points to a deepening of the special relationship between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and the Russian Federation.On this episode of Angry Planet, Jenny Town is here to explain the deepening ties between Russia and North Korea. Town is a Senior Fellow and Director at the Stimson center and writes at 38 North.Initial reactions to the “ICBM attack” in UkraineThe special relationship between Russia and North KoreaThe growing anti-western sphere of influenceWhat the North Korean military is doing in Ukraine100,00 more North Korean troops in Ukraine?Is Kim Jong Un preparing for war?North Korea’s brand new uranium enrichment photos.What would it take for South Korea to get a nuclear weapon?Making use of the Kaesong Industrial ComplexIs Kim Jong Un Preparing for War?First Look at North Korea’s Uranium Enrichment CapabilitiesKaesong Industrial Complex: A Tortured History and Uncertain FutureQuick Take: North Korea’s Coverage of Russian War Against UkraineDon't Fall for Donald the Dove
01:00:10|Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comThe planet isn’t going to get any less angry.This week, Aram Shabanian comes on the show again to help us work through what the next Trump presidency may mean for America, Europe, and the rest of the world.Matthew’s hippie metaphor1931 or 1939?America’s allies know it’s all on them nowNorth Korea in UkraineWho gets a nuke first?Musk diplomacyA 50% chance of nuclear war is too highMinuteman III’s for saleDon’t turn inwardThe future of newsCall of the Hat ManElon Musk joined Trump's call with ZelenskyyMusk joined a phone call between Trump and a Serbian leaderThe Donkey Kong paintingA Calm Conversation About Israeli Settlements and Blame vs Responsibility
01:00:28|Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comWARNING: This episode contains nuance in the discussion of subjects usually left to screaming and violence!This week we get into a bunch of stuff around Israel that we normally avoid. Settlements. Blame versus responsibility. The definition of colonialism. The social media posts of IDF soldiers. It’s a calm, nuanced conversation with Shaiel Ben-Ephraim. No, really.Netanyahu as an obstacle to peaceWhy no one talks about what comes nextIsrael loses MatthewAmerica and Israel’s “special relationship”When Bush (senior) stood up to IsraelGoing down the colonialism rabbit holeThe social media output of IDF soldiers on the ground in Gaza and Lebanon“There’s terrible things they’re not taping.”Explaining Ben-Gvir and SmotrichHow right wingers paralyze the Israeli governmentIsrael is eyeing settlements in the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon which is, in fact, colonialismThe difference between blame and responsibilityThe episode is not anti-Israel, so save your letters and phone calls.Shaiel Ben-Ephraim Explains Israel The History Of The Land Of Israel PodcastStephanie Baker on ‘Punishing Putin’
58:17|Listen to this episode commercial free at https://angryplanetpod.comHow’s that sanctions regime working out for the U.S. and Russia? This week on the show, we have Stephanie Baker, a senior writer at Bloomberg, to try to answer the question. She just published Punishing Putin, a book all about it.What’s a Russian oligarch like in person?How America’s sanction regime against Russia worksThe nuclear warfare of it allDo Putin’s “red lines” mean anything?The complex nature of the world’s oil economyWhat are the limits of economic power?Where are the semiconductors coming from?What western technology tell us about Russia’s war machinesRTWorshiping World War IIThis is the end of globalizationThe war doesn’t end without the end of PutinWhat to do with Russia’s bank reserves?Hungary?He Had 5 Followers on YouTube. It Landed Him in Jail, Where He Died.Go here to buy Punishing Putin