Catching Zs: Putting False Narratives to Sleep Once and for All

Episode Title:
Isolationism vs. Anti-Interventionism: The Lie That Built the American Empire

Episode Description:

For more than a century, critics of U.S. wars and foreign interventions have been dismissed with a single word: isolationist. But is that label accurate—or is it a political weapon used to shut down debate?

In this deep-dive episode, we unpack the crucial difference between isolationism and anti-interventionism, two ideas that are often deliberately conflated in American political discourse. From the warnings of George Washington and John Quincy Adams, to the anti-war movements of the 20th century and the conflicts shaping today’s world, this episode traces how dissent against military intervention has repeatedly been reframed as weakness or retreat.

Through historical analysis and investigative storytelling, we explore:

• The founding debates over foreign alliances and military entanglements
• The rise of interventionism during World War I and World War II
• Cold War coups and covert operations, including the overthrow of Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953 Iranian coup d'état
• The lessons of Vietnam War and the anti-war movement led by voices like Martin Luther King Jr.
• The post-9/11 wars and the debate over intervention in the modern era
• The current geopolitical tensions surrounding Iran and the renewed arguments over U.S. involvement abroad

Drawing on the work of historians such as Andrew Bacevich and Stephen Kinzer, this episode examines how the language of foreign policy shapes public perception—and why the distinction between restraint and isolation has never mattered more.

This is a three-hour historical investigation into war, rhetoric, and the stories governments tell to justify intervention.

If you care about foreign policy, history, and the power of language in shaping public debate, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Seventy years ago, the CIA and British intelligence orchestrated a coup in Iran that toppled democratically elected Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh and installed a dictatorship that would rule for decades. In this episode of Catching Zs, we unravel the story of Operation Ajax, drawing on declassified CIA documents, Stephen Kinzer’s reporting, and historical archives.

From propaganda campaigns and economic pressure to street unrest and covert manipulation, we trace the playbook that shaped modern intelligence operations—and explore how its echoes appear today, from the 2026 Iranian protests to allegations of Mossad involvement.

Join us for a deep dive into the history, the tactics, and the enduring shadows of a coup that still defines Iran’s relationship with the West.

Kamala Harris didn’t lose the 2024 election because of third-party voters or “the far left.” She lost because she ran a campaign dripping in war, wrapped in neoliberal delusion, and deaf to the demands of the very people she needed most. In this explosive episode, we tear into the liberal blame game, dismantle the spoiler myth with hard numbers, and call out the influencers and institutions that protected empire while Gaza burned.

We warned them. They ignored us. Now they want to blame us?

Not this time.

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For decades, we’ve been told the United Nations is the last line of defense against genocide, war crimes, and tyranny. But from Gaza to Rwanda, Bosnia to Yemen, the record is clear: the UN doesn’t stop atrocities — it manages the optics around them.

In this episode of Catching Zs, we tear apart the myth of international humanitarian law by exposing how the UN enables empire, silences truth, and sacrifices the oppressed at the altar of diplomacy. From the rigged foundation of the Security Council to the ICC’s selective prosecutions and the political assassination of UNRWA, we lay bare the complicity, cowardice, and calculation behind the blue flag.

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In this episode of Catching Zs, we rip the mask off the nonprofit industrial complex and expose the colonial logic hiding behind humanitarian language. From Gaza to Standing Rock, from Haiti to post-Katrina New Orleans, we break down how NGOs often serve empire, not the people.

We follow the money, interrogate the savior complex, and show how Western donors dictate what can — and can’t — be said about injustice. We explore the growing backlash against NGO presence in occupied Palestine, and spotlight movements building power outside the NGO model.

Featuring case studies like Grassroots Al-Quds and Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, this episode asks: What happens when the people refuse to be “saved”?

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The Global War on Terror wasn’t about justice. It wasn’t about freedom. It was about power, profit, and propaganda.

In this episode, we dismantle the official story. From the lies that led to Iraq, to the surveillance state built at home, to the trillions funneled into private military contracts — we follow the money, name the names, and expose the ideology of endless war.

We also draw direct lines to our last episode on the myth that the United States spreads democracy, showing how empire cloaks itself in virtue while waging destruction abroad and repression at home.

This isn’t just a history lesson. It’s a wake-up call.

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They told us the U.S. spreads freedom and democracy. What they didn’t tell us was how often that “freedom” came at the barrel of a gun — or how many democracies we’ve overthrown in the name of empire. This episode of Catching Zs dismantles the lie that the United States is a beacon of liberty, exposing the coups, puppet regimes, and power plays behind the patriotic packaging.

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What if the founding of Israel wasn’t about survival, but conquest?

In this episode, we dismantle the Zionist narrative from the inside out: exposing the truth behind Plan Dalet, the Tantura massacre, and the silencing of historian Teddy Katz. We unpack the colonial roots of Zionist military tactics, the British hand in shaping them, and how Palestinian resistance, like GUPS, fought to reclaim identity in exile. This is the history you were never meant to hear — unfiltered, unsanitized, and undeniable.

In this trailer for Catching Zs, we set the foundation for everything to come. This isn’t just a podcast—it’s an unlearning journey. Host Kareem dives into the purpose behind Catching Zs and why dismantling false narratives is more urgent than ever. From the stories we’re fed in school to the myths upheld by media, politics, and pop culture, this episode explores how power hides in plain sight—and how waking up to it can be disorienting, uncomfortable, and necessary. Expect raw truth, critical insight, and an open invitation to start seeing the world as it is, not as we’ve been told it is.