Going Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University. He discusses why Russia continues to be a winner economically as the Strait of Hormuz remains shut after the US-Israeli war on Iran, the looming full ramifications of the energy crisis that will hit in August resulting in skyrocketing energy prices, why Europe must lift sanctions on Russia to escape the dire economic situation, why the US and Israel’s miscalculations in launching a war on Iran mean that Hormuz will remain shut, his predictions for the global economy this year as the economic crisis deepens, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Going Undercover: The St. Petersburg Economic Forum
(00:02:02) - Russia's strong ruble
(00:05:33) - Oil Prices: Physical vs. Paper
(00:14:31) - What Should Europe Do About Sanctions?
(00:18:35) - Iran is like Muhammad Ali
(00:22:53) - Growth outlook for the global economy
(00:25:05) - Keynesian Militarism

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Zhang Weiwei, Director of Fudan University’s China Institute and former Translator for Chinese Paramount Leader Deng Xiaoping. He discusses China’s current attitude to the Trump Administration amid the war on Iran, how China acted over decades to lessen the impact of the US’ attempts to control China’s access to energy via the war on Iran and regime change in Venezuela, why China is winning in the tech and trade race against the US, China’s position on the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, China’s limitation of rare earth exports to the US for military purposes, China’s decoupling from the US in trade and treasury bill holdings, the low quality of the leadership in Europe and the United States, Russia as a ‘revolutionary’ against the US unipolar order whereas China is a ‘reformer’ of the world order, why tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Apple CEO Tim Cook joined Trump in visiting Beijing, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Going Undercover
(00:01:17) - Trump's visit to China
(00:11:22) - China's stance on the Strait of Hormuz
(00:13:08) - China's Role in the US-Iran War
(00:18:45) - Putin on China and the United Nations

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Paul Craig Roberts, former US Assistant Treasury Secretary for Economic Policy. He discusses why he believes Iran has prevailed in the US-Israeli war on Iran but made a mistake in agreeing to a ceasefire, why Iran’s ‘restraint’ against the hegemonic powers of the US and Israel is a flaw in their strategy, 9/11 as the US’ Pearl Harbour to wage war in support of the Greater Israel Agenda, why Trump and Netanyahu suffered humiliation by Iran in this war, the need for the Muslim world to confront the Greater Israel plan, why Israel’s Dimona serves as Iran’s nuclear weapon and the possibility of Israel using nukes against Iran, Russia’s strategic blunders in the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:11) - Paul Craig Roberts on Iran's Sanctions
(00:01:32) - Paul Krugman on the Iran War
(00:14:23) - Paul Craig Roberts: The Danger of Israel Using Nuclear Weapons
(00:22:14) - Israel and the Iranian threat
(00:23:43) - Paul Craig Roberts on Putin's Never Ending War

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Dmitri Trenin, Member of Russia’s Foreign and Defence Policy Council and former Director of the Carnegie Moscow Center. He discusses the significance of Victory Day amid the NATO-Russia proxy war in Ukraine, what ‘victory’ looks like for Russia in Ukraine and why it is likely to be a long war, whether Russia has failed to seize the opportunities presented by a Trump Presidency and Russia’s reasons for showing restraint, Europe’s increasing involvement in the proxy war, Europe’s use of hostility towards Russia to consolidate itself, why Trump has been powerless to end the war, China’s changing attitude to dealing with the US and why Trump is seeking a pause in the conflict with Beijing, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Russia celebrates Victory Day 2019
(00:01:40) - Putin on Russia's War in Europe
(00:14:49) - Putin's Plan to End the Ukraine War
(00:28:01) - Going Undercover: Trump's Wars of Aggression

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to David Pyne, Deputy Executive Director of the US Taskforce on National and Homeland Security. He discusses Donald Trump’s war on Iran being a war based of lies for the Greater Israel project, the prospect of thousands of US soldiers dying in a ground invasion of Iran, Trump’s behaviour as an Israeli vassal, why he believes many in the Gulf States are angry at the US for the destabilisation caused by the war on Iran and the prioritisation of defending Israel, the extent of the damage against US bases in the Middle East, the most recent assassination attempt against Donald Trump, why this war shows the necessity for the US to end its security relationship with Israel, the future of the US military’s presence in Western European NATO and the state of the Ukraine proxy war, and much more.