Going Underground Hosted by Afshin Rattansi

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Richard Wolff, Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He discusses the causes of the mass protests in France and the rest of Western Europe and the drive by Europe’s leaders to gear up for war against Russia, Europe’s hypocrisy in buying hundreds of billions of euros worth of Russian energy while funding Ukraine’s Zelensky, the solution to Europe’s terminal decline and loss of power, China’s and Russia’s goal being to stay on the sidelines while the US’ unipolar world implodes, whether the US working class can trust progressives and ‘democratic socialists’ ahead of the midterms, what socialism actually means for progressive politicians in the US, how socialism is likely to evolve in the US in the future, how the Israel lobby’s and military-industrial complex’s power over Congress is ultimately their downfall, the two scapegoats in the US being immigrants and Russia, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction and global context
(00:01:25) - Western Europe's war mistakes and loss of empire
(00:03:27) - Russian energy funding the war and European economic decline
(00:05:04) - Military Keynesianism and the end of colonial empires
(00:08:37) - Churchill, decolonization, and China/Russia's anti-imperialism
(00:12:06) - China's economic rise and strategic patience
(00:13:35) - US progressives, socialism, and the midterms
(00:16:21) - Mamdani, Sanders, and new American socialism
(00:20:12) - Military-industrial complex and medical industry parallels
(00:22:51) - AIPAC, Israel lobby, and shifting US politics
(00:24:09) - Democratic Party, Russia scapegoating, and closing remarks

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Paul Craig Roberts, former US Assistant Treasury Secretary for Economic Policy under Ronald Reagan and former Associate Editor of the Wall Street Journal. He discusses why the US under Donald Trump continues to supply intelligence to Ukraine despite pursuing an end to the NATO-Russia proxy war, the grip of the neoconservatives on American foreign policy, why he believes Ukraine’s Zelensky is ‘finished’, the US-Russia diesel deal and why it was struck, how Iran handed Trump a midterm victory on a silver platter only to be met with rejection and more bombing threats, why he believes Benjamin Netanyahu orchestrated October 7th, how Ronald Reagan defied the Israel lobby, the ongoing protests in France and Western Europe, the prospect of the Democrats sweeping the midterm elections, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:12) - Introduction: UN Day, Global War and Economic Crisis
(00:01:09) - Trump, Russia and the Military-Industrial Complex
(00:03:17) - Trump's Appointments and Washington Capture
(00:04:02) - Zelensky's Decline and Russian Pressures
(00:05:25) - The Diesel Deal and Global Oil Prices
(00:09:13) - Political Messaging and Manipulation of Perception
(00:10:23) - Iran Strike Risk and Trump's Missed Opportunity
(00:13:04) - Israel's Influence Over Trump and October 7th Theories
(00:14:58) - Comparisons to 9/11 and Reagan's Israel Defiance
(00:19:05) - Reagan's Assassination Attempt Speculation
(00:20:50) - Unrest in France and European Immigration Crisis
(00:25:19) - Democrats, Revolution, and Risk of Nuclear War
(00:27:41) - Closing Remarks and Show Wrap-up

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Robert Pape, Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago, and Founder of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. He discusses the rise of violent populism in the United States and Americans increasingly turning on each other, the legacy media’s deliberate omission of facts that he has found about the new middle and upper class of violent populists in the United States, why Trump’s political survival is at risk because of the war on Iran, the Iran war escalation trap that has resulted in the war expand to Saudi Arabia & Yemen, Trump’s plan for escalation against Iran, why the odds of the use of a nuclear weapon against Iran have doubled, the normalisation of political violence in the United States and the impacts it will have both at home and abroad, what could cause a mutiny in the US Armed Forces, how skyrocketing economic inequality is causing the normalisation of political violence, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction and Gaddafi Anniversary Context
(00:00:53) - Introducing Professor Robert Pape and His Book
(00:01:57) - Violent Populism in America Explained
(00:03:18) - Class Profile of Jan 6 Perpetrators
(00:04:41) - Media Distortion of Political Violence Data
(00:06:27) - Wealth Inequality Driving Violent Populism
(00:07:27) - Media Responsibility and Social Media's Role
(00:08:29) - The Escalation Trap and Trump's Iran War
(00:10:28) - Spread of War to Saudi Arabia and Yemen
(00:12:36) - Nuclear Weapon Risk Assessment
(00:14:18) - Break
(00:14:33) - Domestic Unpopularity of the Iran War
(00:16:03) - Normalization of Political Violence
(00:18:44) - Military Mutiny Risk and Insurrection Act
(00:19:48) - Trump's Address to Flag Officers
(00:21:45) - Legitimacy Shock Cycles and Normalization
(00:23:14) - Multiple Fronts: War, Economy, and Elections
(00:25:09) - The 70% Solution and No Kings Protests
(00:27:49) - Closing Remarks and Show Sign-off

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to John Perkins, former economic hitman and Author of The Art of the Steal: Trump & The Economic Hit Man Presidency. He discusses the US’ move to oligarchy and Trump’s acceleration of the shift, why he feels ashamed to be an American, the IMF & World Bank’s GDP predictions and why GDP is only a measure of how the wealthy are doing, why unity is very important for African and Latin American countries, why the US made the enormous strategic mistake of attacking Iran, why the war on Iran could be Donald Trump’s downfall, the nature of Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin, why leaders of countries continue to take hated IMF & World Bank loans, China’s strategy of sitting on the sidelines while the US makes catastrophic mistakes, and much more.

Chapters

(00:00:00) - Introduction: IMF/World Bank Meetings in Bangkok
(00:01:16) - Introducing John Perkins and The Art of the Steal
(00:01:42) - Trump, Oligarchy, and the Open Economic Hitman Strategy
(00:04:04) - Critique of GDP as a Measure of Prosperity
(00:06:27) - Trump's Debt Strategy as Inverted Economic Hitman Tactic
(00:08:42) - The Iran War and Strategic Miscalculations
(00:10:56) - Oil Profits, Cynicism, and Trump's Motives
(00:14:12) - Russia, Ukraine, and the China Factor
(00:16:32) - Corruption and Loans: Leaders vs. Their Countries
(00:19:27) - US Bases, Iran's Rising Power, and Eroding US Trust
(00:21:59) - OPEC's Decline and the Future of Oil Power
(00:24:51) - Unity as Power: Historical Lessons and Divide and Conquer
(00:26:09) - Call to Action: Individual Roles in Shaping the Future
(00:27:42) - Closing Remarks and Show Sign-off

Chapters

(00:00:11) - Introduction: Warsaw Security Forum and UN Anniversary
(00:01:34) - Roots of the Ukraine War and NATO Enlargement
(00:04:29) - Exit Ramps for Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran Conflicts
(00:08:06) - UN Paralysis and US Disregard for International Law
(00:09:04) - Trump, Putin and the Anchorage Meeting
(00:11:56) - European Incompetence and Fear of Nuclear War
(00:14:18) - Break
(00:14:36) - Jake Sullivan Conversation and NATO's 'Open Door' Myth
(00:18:29) - Western Officials' Rhetoric and Incompetence
(00:20:47) - Current US-NATO Envoys and Risks of Escalation
(00:23:41) - Media Complicity and Propaganda on the War
(00:25:26) - Iran's Existential War and Closing Remarks