Explore every episode of the podcast Neutrality Studies

Originally published on 13 Jul 2025.

Today I’m talking to Nel Bonilla, a writer and researcher, running the Substack “Worldliness: The Threads Connecting Geopolitics”. She recently wrote a highly interesting piece on “Elite Capture & European Self-Destruction” about the trans-atlantic networks that are in her assessment one of the main reasons for the brain-dead geopolitics coming from the Europeans at the moment. This is what we want to discuss today.Links:Nel’s Susbtack: https://themindness.substack.comNel’s Twitter: https://x.com/noirnenNeutrality Studies Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 14 Jul 2025.

Today I’m talking again to Dr. David Gibbs, a Professor of History at the University of Arizona. The occasion is a sad one, as we are commemorating this month the 30th anniversary of the Srebrenica Massacre in 1995.Professor Gibb’s Book:First Do No Harm: Humanitarian Intervention and the Destruction of Yugoslavia https://www.vanderbiltuniversitypress...Our Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 15 Jul 2025.

The following is an assessment of an article written by Dmitri Trenin, a Russian thinker who I had on this channel 3 years ago. Back then Trenin was assessing that the Ukraine war was the advent of a new Cold War. He revised his views in the meantime, arguing today that we are already inside World War 3, although not all theatres of the war have erupted in kinetic warfare yet. But the direction, according to him, is pretty clear.Trenin's article: https://profile.ru/politics/epoha-voj...My interview with Dmitri Trenin and Anatol Lieven 3 years go:    • It's an Existential Threat! | Dmitri Treni...  Support us through our shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 17 Jul 2025.

It has happened again. This time it's the new western darling, "good Syria" that is coming under direct attack by Israel for the crime of still existing. At the same time, in Colombia there is some much needed multilateralism forming against the Gaza Genocide and in the West, the Anti-Russian propaganda bubble still pretends that Russia is losing 10x the soldiers Ukraine loses. Our shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 18 Jul 2025.

Today I’m talking to a former Hungarian Diplomat, His excellency, Ambassador Sandor Zoltan Kusai. Ambassador Kusai served his country in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office in various capacities, most importantly he spent a total of 18 years in China, including in the top position as Ambassador between 2008-2014. He is now working as a scholar in research and education back home in Hungary and it’s a pleasure having him here today.https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

15 Jun 2025A second night of all out war between Israel and Iran has produced large-scale destruction not only in Tehran but also in Tel Aviv, Haifa and other Israeli cities. The "iron dome" is not able to shoot down Iranian projectiles and the operation won't be as much of a cake walk the neocons might have thought it will be. At the same time, this is a new low even for US standards, as it is now clear the US was not negotiating in good faith with the Iranians but, on the contrary, was trying to distract them from the sneaky surprise attack that was being planned.

Originally published on 16 Jun 2025.

Today I’m joined again by Professor Seyed Marandi, a Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran. I am extremely grateful for him coming online as his country just went through a second night of all-out warfare with Israel after an absolutely sneaky surprise attack on Iran in the early hours of Friday.

Originally published on 17 Jun 2025.

Today we once more need to discuss the fresh war that Israel and the US plunged Iran into after the sneaky surprise attack on Tehran and other Iranian cities last Friday. To discuss the situation from one of Iran’s northern neighbours I’m joined by Dr. Arthur Khachikian.Arthur holds a PhD in International Relations from Stanford University, and currently teaches at the Armenian University in Yerevan, the capital.

Originally published on 17 Jun 2025.

In a Truth Social Post that was subsequently posted on the White House Twitter page Trump announced that the time had run out for Iran and that many people will die. He urged that everybody should leave Tehran, a city of 10 million people. In the meantime, Iran targets and kills Journalists and the media infrastructure of Iran while blocking reporting from the sites in Israel that were hit. This is not escalation, this is preparation for the imminent US intervention in the war and probably for the carpet bombing of Tehran's cities.

Originally published on 18 Jun 2025.

Bevan Ramsden and Ann Wright are members of the Pacific Peace Network, which recently launched a peace and solidarty campaign calling on Pacific Rim countries to declare their neutrality for the sake of preventing a US-China war. JOIN THE CALL NOW! Sign the Petition.Sign the Neutrality Petition: https://worldbeyondwar.org/declareneu...Pacific Neutrality Campaign Launch Webinar - Saturday, June 21 at 11:00am AEST: https://worldbeyondwar.org/neutrality...Pacific Peace Conference on August 2nd at 9:00am-5:00pm AEST in Brisbane (+ option to join on Zoom): https://events.humanitix.com/pacific-...

Originally published on 18 Jun 2025.

On the fifth day of the new Middle East War all is not lost yet. The expected swift regime-change in Tehran is not happening and the Iranians are actually getting better at their air defence against the Israeli aggression. In the meantime, Trump seems erratic and pushed into a corner of his own making, lashing out against the defectors in this circle. Will he pull back from this brink of a new US Forever War? There are efforts underway in the US to constrain his power, but can they win against the war pigs and the imminent danger of a false-flag attack?

Originally published on 19 Jun 2025.

Today I’m talking to Sebastian Contin Trillo-Figueroa, a Hong Kong based geopolitical analyst and EU - Asia consultant with many years experience in unpacking European shenanigans. He also contribute to academic initiatives at the University of Hong Kong, and beyond.He recently wrote a very good analysis of what he calls the EU’s “Anti-Diplomacy” - in which he lays out just how purely the EU currently performs when it comes to international relations. This is what we want to discuss today.Links:LinkedIn profile:   / sebastiancontin  HKU profile: https://www.asiaglobalinstitute.hku.h...Neutrality Studies Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 20 Jun 2025.

Today (18.6.2025) I’m talking to Professor Mazin Qumsiyeh, the Director of the Palestine Museum of Natural History at Bethlehem University. Dr. Yumsiyeh got a PhD from Connecticut University and then taught for many years in the US, including Tennessee Duke and Yale University. He returned to Palestine in 2008 where he is also right now.Links:Mazin Qumsiyeh's personal website: http://qumsiyeh.org/Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) (mentioned in the video): https://www.palestinenature.org/

Originally published on 21 Jun 2025.

Today I’m talking to Stanislav Krapivnik, a former US Army officer, supply chain executive and military-political expert who always provides valuable insights especially on security affairs in and around Russia.We are talking today on June 19th, 6 days after Israel’s attack on Iran and with the imminent threat of the US also launching an all-out military assault. What will Russia do and how does this new reality change Eurasian geopolitics? That’s what we want to discuss today.Links:Stanislav Krapivnik's YouTube Channel: ‪@MrSlavikman‬Stanislav Krapivnik's Telegram: https://t.me/stastydaiobratnoNeutrality Studies Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 21 Jun 2025.

While Tel Aviv is getting hit harder and harder, the Israeli's are getting desperate to finally push the US into a direct military attack on Iran. But for now, Donald Trump says he has not taken a decision. It might be an another lie to then hit Iran unexpectedly, or it might be an indication for a political battle inside Washington. Another indication of this is that Tulsi Gabbard just took back or March statement that Iran was not seeking a nuklear bomb. At the same time, we see massive Israeli propaganda on Twitter trying to foment the idea that the Iranian population is begging Israel to bomb them harder. Times Article by Narges Bajoghli on Iran's internal workings: https://time.com/7295877/issues-with-...RT Article about China-Iran relations by Ladislav Zemanek: https://www.rt.com/news/620053-where-...

Originally published on 21 Jun 2025.

Today I’m talking again to Pietro Shakarian, an Armenian historian at the Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg who has analysed the Russian-Iranian relationship for a while. We are talking on June 19th, only 6 days after Israel’s sneak attack on Iran and currently everybody is waiting for what the US will do, but a direct military attack seems likely—at least right now. Today we discuss what this means for the political relationship between Iran and Russia.Links:Pietro's Book on Amastas Mikoyan: https://iupress.org/9780253073556/ana...Neutrality Studies Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 22 Jun 2025.

The USA just announced with a lot of fanfare that it bombed the three nuclear sites in Iran, Forod, Natanz and Isfahan. But is that true? Did it actually deliver bombs with its airplanes as the president said? The Iranians are not yet confirming what happened and some limited reports have been out about the strikes actually not doing much more damage than what has already been inflicted in previous strikes by Israel on the same facilities. What could this mean?

Originally published on 15 May 2025.

Today I’m talking again to Dr. Dr. Alfred de Zayas, a Professor at the Geneva School of Diplomacy, who used to work as a senior lawyer in the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights and later became the first UN Independent Expert on International Order, serving in that capacity from 2012 to 2018.Two years ago, Alfred wrote an important scholarly article entitled “Who will guards over the guardians” about the weaponization of human rights and how the west is transforming the entire discourse into a geopolitical tool.Links:Alfred's human rights trilogy: https://www.claritypress.com/book-aut...Alfred's book Nemesis at Potsdam, that was reissued by Routlede as "Routledge Revivals": https://www.routledge.com/Routledge-R...Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 13 May 2025.

War is not a choice. War is a system—a self-perpetuating process. And in the US we have a deadly principe of mass-slaughter and violence baked into the logic of the economic organisation of the nation. Listen to Professor Radhika Desai dismantling the core of the imperial logic with her Geopolitical Economy approach to Marxist theory.Many of you will know her since she is a prolific writer and guest on many YouTube shows. Links to her work:This explains GE in short: https://valdaiclub.com/a/valdai-paper...And this shows it is rooted in Marx: https://www.academia.edu/77369299/Mar...More info at: http://Radhikadesai.comGoods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 11 May 2025.

You know you are nearing the end of empire when the chief extortionists start asking for ever more money for ever less return. The US is caught in a spiral of economic and moral bankruptcy. To help us take a step back and look at the big picture, I've got today Arnaud Bertrand back on the channel, one of Twitter/X’s best and most profound political analysts. Links:Aranaud’s Twitter/X Profile: https://x.com/rnaudbertrandOur new Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 9 May 2025.

The emperor is naked by now in so many areas that it is difficult to still find even just a shred of fabric somewhere. Even financially, there is no more sweet talking the situation. The US economy is only weeks away from a real supply shock that the bond marked it not playing ball with Trump's trade wars.Today I’m talking to Sean Foo. Many of you will probably know Sean because he is the host of a very successful and useful YouTube channel on geoeconomics on which he posts daily analysis about the global economy and the impact of political events on various markets. I find his analysis always insightful and realistic, so I am very happy he agreed to answer some of my questions. Sean, welcome!Links:Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...Sean Foo’s Channel: ‪@SeanFooGold‬

Originally published on 8 May 2025.

Today I’m talking to Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a Professor of English Literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, an advisor to the Iranian nuclear negotiating team, and a prolific commentator here on YouTube and on other platforms. Professor Marandi always offers important Iranian viewpoints as well as realist analysis, so I’m happy he agreed to come online.Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

7 May 2025 InterviewsDid Pakistan lose control of the terrorism it created in the name of the USA or is the escalation of recent days part and parcel of how the politics of regional terrorism is conducted?To discuss all this, today I'm talking to Dr. Hazrat Bahar. Dr. Bahar is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Communication and Media Studies at Leipzig University in Germany. His research focuses on the transformation of Afghanistan's media system over the past two decades and he was recommended to me by a close friend as the right person to discus the ongoing Inida-Pakistan Crisis from the Afghan side, since the politics of the region is inextractably interlinked

Originally published on 6 May 2025.

I‘ve been wrestling with the question of how to vest approach the Yugoslav wars and finally decided to ask someone who is not from the region but studied it for decades. Today I’m talking to Susan Woodward, a professor of political science at the City University of New York (CUNY). Professor Woodward is the author of “Balkan Tragedy: Chaos and Dissolution after the Cold War,” and also the more recent work “The Ideology of Failed States: Why Intervention Fails”Today we want to discuss what happened in the 1990s and the legacy of the Balkan Wars.

Originally published on 5 May 2025.

Last week there were rather large protests in the capital Taipei against the ruling TPP party and President William Lai. This news got suprpisingly little coverage in western media, which usually is so keen on showing all kinds of “people’s power” movements when they occur against governments the west doesn’t like. But this time, rather a wave of silence.To discuss this and more, today I’m talking again to Dr. Joanna Lei, a Taiwanese business woman, media executive and former law maker for the Kuomintang Party in the Republic of China (Taiwan).Links:Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 3 May 2025.

Today I'm talking again to Michael Brenner. Michael is Professor Emeritus of International Affairs at the University of Pittsburgh and a Fellow at the Center for Transatlantic Relations at Jogn Hopkins.Links:Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...Timestamps:00:00:00 Preview00:00:51 Intro00:01:13 Connection between USA's internal politics and its foreign policy00:09:28 Is Trump doing something new, or just repeating a cycle?00:22:19 Discussing USA's military bases00:36:58 Is the current US political system sustainable?00:47:01 Israel's effect in the internal politics of USA00:51:07 The lobbying system of USA and its problems01:02:46 Will the USA understand that it doesn't have to be exceptional?01:08:20 "Kakistocracy" - The rule of the least capable01:12:00 Outro

Originally published on 2 May 2025.

In the part 2 of the conversation with Jyotishman Mudiar, we discuss the US-China relation, Asia, and the future of Global Power.Jyotishman Mudiar is the host of the very successful YouTube Channel “India and Global Left”. He has been producing great content over there for many years already, so I highly recommend checking it out.Links:Jyotishman's channel "India and Global Left": @IndiaGlobalLeft Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...Timestamps:00:00:00 Preview00:00:36 Discussing Jyotishman's channel and his motivation00:03:56 Jyotishman's interview with John Mearsheimer00:11:19 The West's perception of everything being their doing00:17:09 Jyotishman's view on USA's current "sledgehammer" approach00:22:47 Jyotishman's view on financialization's effects00:33:19 Outro

Originally 1 May 2025.

What is fueling the current tensions between India and Pakistan? What is the historical root of this conflict? How do the Indian and Pakistani media narratives differ? And where does this conflict sit in the global context?

To answer all this and more, today I’m talking to Jyotishman Mudiar, the host of the very successful YouTube Channel “India and Global Left”.

Jyotishman has also been producing great content over there for many years already, so I highly recommend checking it out.

Links:

Jyotishman's channel "India and Global Left": ‪@IndiaGlobalLeft‬

Timestamps:

00:00:00 Preview

00:01:01 Intro

00:02:07 What's happening in India-Pakistan right now?

00:08:52 Will the UN help calm down the situation?

00:13:15 Why is the India-Pakistan border so violent and unstable?

00:16:35 What is the role of internal politics in all this?

00:20:26 Does any outside power intervene in this conflict?

Check out our merch: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 30 Apr 2025.

Today I’m talking to Ali Borhani, a Geopolitical Strategist and the cohost of the BRI-Diaolgue podcast on which he talks to, experts, decision makers, and academics about all thins geopolitics and especially China’s Belt Road Initiative. In fact, Ali has been watching China very closely and included his findings in a report entitled “The Rise of Chinese Multinationals”. His insights are business focused and business relevant, so that’s what we want to discuss today.Links:Ali's China Report: https://chinareport.mediapad.eu/enAli's advisory firm: https://www.3sixtystrategicadvisors.c...My Interview on BRI-Dialogue:    • D52 w/ Pascal Lottaz #Neutrality Unle...  Chapters:00:00 Intro02:05 Ali's view on the current geopolitical landscape07:17 China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)19:48 The west's narrative of China's impending housing market implosion26:44 China's still modest response to Trump's tariffs33:17 Will John Mearsheimer's prediction about China come true?45:03 Why is China able to invest more than USA into infrastructure?52:33 Advice to companies for the coming months

Originally published on 29 Apr 2025.

Neutrality is much more than fence-sitting. It's a strategic way of approaching world affairs and it's not reserved for smalls states like Switzerland or Austria only. Want proof? Here is a short analysis of the Soviet-Japanese neutrality pact during the Second World War and some of Russia's modern use of the concept even beyond Ukraine.00:00 When Neutrality Becomes Popular05:04 How Neutrality Works11:20 Soviet-Japanese Neutrality Pact17:07 Russian-North Korean Neutrality ClauseExtract of a presentation given via video to an International Relations conference, April 2025.Check out our new Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Originally published on 27 Apr 2025.

NEW (!) Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...As we are nearing Donald Trump’s 100th day in office on April 30th, it‘s worth assessing the last three months of his eclectic policies. Today I’m talking again to Cameron Macgregor, a US entrepreneur who founded a free speech platform, a fellow youtuber with a channel on finance and geopolitics, and a Substack writer. Cameron‘s channel: ‪@Neo-Masculinity‬

Originally published on 26 Apr 2025.

What are the erratic policy decisions of the Trump administration about? And why do the Russians seem so keen on going along with a diplomatic process that seems not conducive toward solving the Ukraine war? Even though Zelensky has already rejected the US framework for a negotiated settlement with Russia, Witkoff still went to Moscow and met with V. Putin. Sergey Lavrov is still talking well about the US president on US TV. What's going on? We might seeing the contours of a process that will not necessarily lead to peace in Eastern Europe, but to a general understanding of Great Power Politics. The linkage between the Ukrainian and Iranian conflict theatres are a clear sign that both, the USA and Russia seem to agree that more is on the table than "just" Ukraine. Also China is at least in part involved in this process, as the Iranian Foreign minister just visited also Beijing. Multipolar Great Power diplomacy is now in full swing and it seems that all three, Washington, Moscow, and Beijing are understanding that this is crucial time to define the rules of engagement between them for the decades to come.

Originally published on 25 Apr 2025.

Why is the West so hell-bent on solving all its problems through warfare? What happened to those lofty goals and ideals of peaceful coexistence in Europe and the world? What happened to the visions of non-violent international relations and Europe as a peace project?Dr. Oberg is a Danish Peace Researcher in Sweden who recently wrote a noteworthy Substack article about the ongoing deterioration of peace research Europe, specifically about the gradual transformation of “Peace” into “Security”, most notoriously exemplified by SIPRI, the “Stockholm International Peace Research Institute” which today more or less exclusively works on “security” rather than peace. In Memoriam: Jan Oberg and Pascal Lottaz dedicate this conversation to Alva Myrdal - who chaired the Commission that proposed the establishment of the SIPRI, the real peace research institute, with a vision in 1966 and in 1982 received the Nobel Peace Prize - and nuclear physicist Frank Barnaby, director of SIPRI 1971-1981, and advocate of nuclear abolition.Neutrality Studies Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...Dr. Oberg's Substack Article on SIPRI: https://substack.com/home/post/p-1614...

Originally published on 24 Apr 2025.

NEW (!) Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...Today I’m talking to two colleagues in the US, James Carden and Lasha Kasradze. James is the editor of the Realist Review on Substack. And Lasha is the Liaoson officer for Sokumi state University in the US.We discuss the complexities of Trump's foreign policy as his administration nears its 100th day, and how the changing multipolar world and internal factors might check US power. We also discuss the influence of neoconservatism in Trump's approach.

Originally published on 23 Apr 2025.

NEW (!) Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...

Will BRICS rescue small states from the predatory politics of the neocolonial West or is this just the latest itineration of yet another era of global „might makes right“?

Today I’m talking to Dr. Asoka Bandarage.

Dr. Bandarage is a Sri Lankan political scientist and the author of the book “Crisis in Sri Lanka and the World” in which she analyses colonial and neoliberal origins of her country’s economic and political problems. She that the same mechanisms keep much of the developing world in a state of poverty and constant internal struggle.

I talked to Dr. Bandarage nearly two years ago about her book, and today we want to do an update on what has been happening in and around South Asia and the uncertain promises of the new multipolar world for small states.

Originally published on 21 Apr 2025.

NEW (!) Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...Today I’m talking for the second time to Ambassador Jose Zorrilla .Ambassador Zorilla joined the Spanish Diplomatic Service in 1973, becoming Consul General to Milano, Shanghai, and Moscow and finally Spain’s Ambassador to Georgia in 2011. Today we want to discuss Trump's tariffs and his “Diplomacy” since becoming president.

Originally published on 20 Apr 2025.

NEW (!) Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...All the talk about the "unbreakable" transatlantic bond between the USA and Europe is nothing but smoke and mirrors. In reality, the USA has been using Europe the way a pimp uses his mistresses. The greatest victim of US contempt is of course Ukraine who is now even asked to pay for its gang-rape in precious minerals. But the rest of the continent is not far behind. When will EU leaders wake up? The good news is, a few Europeans see right through the dirty game. First among them is Malta.Today I’m talking to Evarist Bartolo, a labor politician of the beautiful island state of Malta. Mr. Bartolo was a member of Malta’s parliament for 30 years, and he served as Minister of European and Foreign Affairs, between 2020 and 2022. Since Malta is an EU member with a neutrality clause in its constitution and Mr. Bartolo was in office right around the time when the Russia-Ukraine-NATO conflict came to its horrible boil, I thought we should talk about Malta’s experience of that.Publications: Times of Malta: [https://timesofmalta.com](https://timesofmalta.com/) (search for Evarist Bartolo)Facebook:   / evarist.bartolo  Website: https://evaristbartolo.mt/

Originally published on 19 Apr 2025.

NEW (!) Goods Shop: https://neutralitystudies-shop.fourth...„Fighting to the last Ukrainian“ — the US and European core strategy on the Ukrainian battlefield — was always predicated on their abhorrence for both, Russian AND Ukrainian lives. Using the men and women of one former Soviet Republic to eradicate as many as possible of another, is a neocon dream come true.The glee with which a recent New York Times articles speaks about the „ingenious ways“ in which the US has enabled Ukrainians to kill Russians, and how their own losses on the battlefield are due to Ukrainian incompetence (rather than Russian military abilities) shows how insanely racist the entire proxy war narrative is constructed. These attitudes are not new at all, and are a core-driver of US proxy warfare.Today I’m talking to Rob Urie, an artist and political economist. His book Zen Economics is published by CounterPunch Books and he regularly publishes on the Counter Punch online magazine as well as on his own Substack. Links:Rob's book “Zen Economics”: https://www.counterpunch.org/product/...Rob's Substack: https://substack.com/@roburie

Originally published on 18 Apr 2025.

Today I’m talking to Dr. Geoffrey Roberts, an Emeritus Professor form the University College Cork, in Ireland. Geoff is a British historian, biographer, and political commentator, a specialist in Russian and Soviet foreign and military policy, and an expert on Stalin and the Second World War. His most recent work is the book titled “Stalin's Library: A Dictator and his Books.”Geoff is one of the critical western historians who also dears to speak his mind when it comes the War in Ukraine, something that he has been critisized for strongly. So, today we want to discuss Ukraine and academic Freedom in the West.

Originally published on 15 Apr 2025.

If someone offered you money to write about the "heroic deeds" of war criminal in the Balkans, would do you so? Do you think people would fall for it? Well, here's the thing: one man's war criminal is another man's war hero...Joe Tripician is an Emmy award-winning Producer / Writer / Director and a Published Author. His work has been broadcast across America, Europe and Japan, has shown at the Cannes Film Festival, and is part of the permanent collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Joe also once was paid good money to produce a hagiography of Franjo Tudjman, the Croat leader during the Yugoslav wars. Today we discuss the ins and outs of his experience as being a paid propagandist for a darling of the western narrative about the Balkan Wars.Links:Joe’s memoir “Balkanized at Sunrise”: https://www.amazon.com/Balkanized-at-...Joe’s documentary (in production) “I Was a Paid Propagandist” Trailer: https://vimeo.com/693242604Donation link: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/joetr...Joe’s website: https://joetripician.comFollow Joe on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/joetrip.bsky...

Originally published on 14 Apr 2025.

Genocide has no speed limits nor time constrains. The two-year long slaughter of the Palestinians in Gaza is but the latest phase of a Holocaust that has been going on for nearly a century. The deliberate and collective plan to erase an entire people physically, culturally, and even strike them from the historical record is much older than "October 7". The complete destruction of this ancient Arab civilisation is systematic and perpetrated not only by the Israelis. It's the effort of white-settler colonial Europeans to pull off just one more time the annihilation of an indigenous population the way the European's exterminated already three other continents. Today I’m talking to Craig Mokhiber, the former Director of the human rights office at the UN Headquarters in New York, who in October 2023 quit the agency publically, over the already unfolding artrocities in Gaza and what most of us today recognize as the beginning of the Gaza Genocide. Craig's Article:https://mondoweiss.net/2025/04/yemen-...

Originally published on 13 Apr 2025.

Today I’m talking to Patrik Baab, one of Germany’s best and most critical international journalists. Mr. Baab is the author of the German-language bestselling book “On Both Sides of the Front,” in which he shares his experiences traveling to the Donbas. He also worked for many years as an editor for the North German Broadcasting Company (NDR) and he used to work as a lecturer at two universities.Patrik Baab’s publications can be found here:https://patrikbaab.de/https://www.buchkomplizen.de/buecher/...https://www.buchkomplizen.de/buecher/...https://www.zeit-fragen.ch/archiv/202...https://www.buchkomplizen.de/buecher/...https://www.buchkomplizen.de/buecher/...https://www.buchkomplizen.de/mediensy...https://shop.tredition.com/booktitle/...

Originally published on 12 Apr 2025.

2025 might well become for Ukraine what 1944 was for Finland, the year of capitulation. But look at what came after that for the nordic nation: 80 years of development and prosperity. Surrenders like those of Japan or the capitulation of Finland are anything but catastrophes. Unless we are talking about a war of annihilation, surrenders are the end of mass-violence and inevitably the beginning of a new chapter. In Europe and in Asia we have many examples of successful surrenders, in which "letting go" of an old regime in the ned re-started nations and set them toward prosperity in the future. And if you are not sure about that, just ask any German if he/she would prefer their nation had not lost WWII.Finland is a particularly important example for Ukraine. Not only are the political parallels striking, but the potential political settlement will almost necessarily look similar. To discuss this, I'm talking today with Dr. Tuomas Malinen, an Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Helsinki and an outspoken critic of his country’s NATO integration. Tuomas’ Substack: https://mtmalinen.substack.com

Originally published on 11 Apr 2025.

The rise of BRICS is only the beginning. Multipolarity and the empowerment of national and rural communities is crating new ideas and pathways of development that don't care about western prescriptions or interests. New initiatives are being born daily that are not under the control of the neocolonial structures of old. This dynamic is another nail in the coffin of the "Collective West" and a stepping stone of the Global South toward true and sovereign prosperity.

To discuss these developments I’m talking today to Neha Bansal, a former policy specialist at the United Nations and the Founder of the think tank “Asianism Retold – Development Pathways from the Global South”. Her think tank seeks to bring Asian values and Asian perspectives to bear on global conversations about development, immigration, health, and human flourishing. Today we want to discuss the Global South perspectives.

Originally published on 11 Apr 2025.

Donald Trump just broke a lot of China—but not the one he was actually targeting. The level of trust and good-will the US threw over board in the last week will hunt Washington for years to come, even if the political leadership should get back on track and try to be a more reliable partner again. If the goal of the Trump administration was ever to send a big middle finger to the entire world, then this did the trick, and the World has certainly seen it clearly. This begs the question, what's next? The sad answer: more uncertainty. Erratic foreign policy making is not anymore a "glitch" in the US system, it has become part and parcel of the system.

Originally published on 10 Apr 2025.

The lies, omissions, and contradictions of the War in Ukraine are still rampant. That also holds true for warcrimes and crimes against humanity committed during this war. How can there ever be healing after all sides in this war accuse each other of the most horrendous crimes imaginable? Well, healing requires justice, and justice requires truth.The most instructive example for how a process of seeking justice can bring some healing to the victims of mass-violence—on all sides—is South Africa's approach to deal with the crimes committed by both, whites and blacks during the apartheid regime. My guest today, Dr. Clivia von Dewitz, argues that this experience holds important lessons for Russia and Ukraine, too, as justice begins with the search for truth.Dr. Dewitz is a judge at a District Court in Germany. In 1997 she completed an internship at the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission and later researched for many years the role of restorative justice in Canada, Costa Rica, New Zealand, and the United States.She is also a trained mediator in criminal and civil law, and most recently she published a book with the title “A Peace Commission for the Ukraine Conflict: Could South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission be a Model?”Links:German Book Link: “Gerechtigkeit durch Wiedergutmachung?”: https://westendverlag.de/Gerechtigkei...English Book Link:https://www.amazon.de/Peace-Commissio...Peace Institute: https://peacemaking.institute/english/Homepage Clivia von Dewitz https://coachingcvd.info/

Originally published on 9 Apr 2025.

Today I’m talking again to Dr. David Gibbs, a Professor of History at Arizona University. We talked before on this channel but he recently made me aware of a noteworthy comparison, namely the striking similarities that today’s Russo-Ukrainian war has with the Soviet-Afghanistan war. At the time when the 1979 invasion took place, it was viewed in the West as completely unprovoked and a sensational threat to Western security. That’s the topic of discussion today.

Originally published on 8 Apr 2025.

The signs are not just on the wall but written in the skies and the ocean's too. The entire "western" narrative, its repressive dominance, and its hubris are about to collapse and take many of its established institutions down with it. And the kakistrocratic (aka imbecile) leadership, doesn't even realise it. If they did, they wouldn't be driving Europe into that giant iceberg. To discuss the very sorry state of the European tragedy, I'm joined again by two colleagues from the region, Dr. Jan Oberg, a peace researcher from Sweden and the former British Diplomat Ian Proud.Ian's Substack article: https://thepeacemonger.substack.com/p...Jan's Susback: https://thetransnational.substack.com

Originally published on 7 Apr 2025.

David Morris is CEO of the Australia China Business Council (Tasmania) and director of several companies and NGOs promoting trade, investment and inter-cultural understanding. He is also a Senior Research Fellow with Beijing Foreign Studies University. Previously, he was working as a diplomat, among other postings, he served in Beijing, representing the international organisation of Oceania. Today we are discussing David‘s recently published interesting book with the title “A New Era of Risk: Why We Need a New, Sustainable Internationalism to Manage the Rise of China.”Links:David's X account: https://x.com/dm_1earth1EarthVillagers website: http://1earthvillage.org/

Originally published on 6 Apr 2025.

Donald Trump has slapped massive tariffs on almost all countries that have trade with the USA and the Stockmarket has fallen into an abyss over the past 2 days. What the heck is this about and is the US digging its own grave or is this a brilliant Trumpian Masterplan?To discuss this I’m talking today with my colleague and friend, Dr. Warwick Powell who is an Adjunct Professor at Queensland University of Technology and a Senior Fellow at the Taihe Institute.Part 1 of Essay: https://open.substack.com/pub/warwick...Part 2 of Essay: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-04-05...