Fault Lines

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked about the Belt & Road Initiative, the definition and feasibility of hyperinflation in America, the human rights impact of unilateral sanctions, and Bolivia cutting down on coca production under Morales.

Guests:

Carl Zha – Host of the Silk and Steel Podcast | One Belt, One Road & Myanmar

Mark Frost – Economics Professor and Entrepreneur | How Likely Is Hyperinflation in the USA?

Alena Douhan – United Nations Special Rapporteur | The Human Rights Impact of Sanctions

Oliver Vargas – Journalist and Writer | Coca Production Drops In Bolivia After Morales Expels U.S. Drug Officials

In our first hour we were joined by Carl Zha to talk about the coup in Myanmar from the perspective of China's government, the cultural legacy of the Silk Road and how it's seeing a reprisal in China's Belt and Road Initiative, and whether China could turn into a military hegemony as it moves into a position of global supremacy.

In our second hour we were joined by Mark Frost to discuss and diminish spreading worries that the United States will undergo hyperinflation with 2020 breaking records on government spending. We were later joined by Alena Douhan to look at how sanctions hurt human rights, and the history of unilateral sanctions as a tool of first resort by Western governments.

In our last hour we were joined by Oliver Vargas to talk about the hypocrisy of media coverage in the Western press as coca production actually dropped in Bolivia after Evo Morales became president, a fact the media overlooks -- while also ignoring Columbia's overwhelming role in the production of cocaine. We turned to the prospect of a South American power bloc as Lula de Silva returns as a viable leftist candidate for president in Brazil, and socialist governments on the continent show signs of pushing for regional political unification.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked about PBS whitewashing a former Al Qaeda leader, a new test on muons set to reshape modern physics, the latest on the USPS, the Amazon unionization vote in Alabama, and Biden's new personnel pick to stop Nord Stream 2.

Guests:

Maram Susli – Political Commentator and Geopolitical Analyst | PBS's Frontlines Whitewashing of Former Al Qaeda Leader

Markus Klute – Professor of Physics | New Fermilab Muon Test Will Force a Deeper Rethinking of Modern Physics

Chuck Zlatkin – Legislative and Political Director for New York Metro Area Postal Union | The USPS's Ten Year Plan and the DEJOY Act

Prof. John Logan – Professor and Director of Labor and Employment Studies at SFSU | Amazon Unionization Vote: Looks Like A No, Potential Union Busting Tactics

Peter Oliver – EU correspondent for RT International | Amos Hochstein: Biden's Pick to Stop Nord Stream 2

In our first hour we were joined by Maram Susli to talk about an article and upcoming documentary on Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, the former head of Al Qaeda in Syria who rebranded as the head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a force fighting the Syrian government alongside U.S. Islamist proxies. We turned to Antony Blinken's morally blind comments on saving children in Syria and surveyed the strategic and economic importance of the Golan Heights.

In our second hour we were joined by Markus Klute to talk about a new test out of Fermilab that confirms a 20-year-old discovery shaking up modern physics from its foundations. We talked about muons and Higgs bosons, asking why this new discovery is so significant and what questions it may pose for quantum physicists and mathematicians looking to understand our universe on its deepest known levels..

Later in the hour we were joined by Chuck Zlatkin to review the legacy of Louis DeJoy, Postmaster General for the United States Postal Service, talking about attempts to private the USPS, the slowdowns to be implemented in the USPS's new 10-year plan, and the DEJOY Act and what it would entail.

In our last hour we were joined by John Logan to talk about the ongoing count of the Amazon unionization vote in Bessemer, Alabama, which at a 2-to-1 margin now looks to be set to shut down the prospect of the plant forming a union. Later in the hour we were joined by Peter Oliver to talk about Amos Hochstein, Biden's new pick for special envoy on Nord Stream 2, and how his history as a member of a supervisory board for a Ukrainian gas company leaves him ill-fit to head the United States' response to Nord Stream 2.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked about the soft war the West is waging in Ukraine, the blue wall cracking in the Derek Chauvin trial, the investigation into Matt Gaetz's alleged sex crimes, gun rights and gun safety, and the IMF's calls for a wealth tax.

Guests:

Stephen Lendman – Author and Geopolitical Analyst | Battleground Ukraine

Garland Nixon – Sputnik Political Analyst and the Co-Host of The Critical Hour | Blue Wall Crumbling Around Derek Chauvin

Ted Rall – Political Cartoonist & Syndicated Columnist | DoJ Investigation into Rep. Matt Gaetz on Alleged Sex Crimes

Maj Toure – Founder of Black Guns Matter and Former NRA Member | Biden's Executive Actions on Guns

Prof. Richard Wolff – Professor, Host, and Author | IMF Calling for Wealth Tax, What Would It Take to Remove Poverty in the U.S.A.?

In our first hour we were joined by Stephen Lendman to discuss the perils of the accelerating military conflict in Ukraine and what the West actually wants from the conflict.

In our second hour we were joined by a trio of guests. Starting with Garland Nixon, we spoke about the Derek Chauvin trial as this week a series of law enforcement officers came out against Chauvin. We were next joined by Ted Rall to discuss the DoJ's investigation into Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz, how men think and talk about women in our society, and the strong political motivations behind the media's coverage of the allegations. We followed this up with a conversation with Maj Toure on the history of gun restrictions in America as Pres. Biden is today set to announce executive actions on gun control.

In our last hour we were joined by Prof. Richard Wolff to talk about the IMF's calls for wealth taxes being implemented around the world to repair economies on the other side of COVID-19 -- and how the funds from those taxes would be used by governments seeking them. We turned next to the question: what would it take to remove poverty in the United States? Wolff answered that we'd need to see big boosts to incomes, a change in the kinds of jobs people get and how they see their lives fitting into society, and a significant shift in the ownership of workplaces.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked about the relationship between Turkey and the EU, how Ukraine's unlikely to join that bloc anytime soon, the suppression of Tara Reade's allegations of sexual harassment against Biden, and Georgia's new voting law.

Guests:

Mark Sleboda – International Relations and Security Analyst | Prospects of Erdogan's Turkey and Ukraine Joining the EU

Tara Reade – Author and Survivor | #MeToo Turncoats Suppressing Tara's Story and Attacking Her At Every Turn

Pete Ingemi – Author and Radio Host | Theodicy and Georgia's New Voting Law

In our first hour we spoke with Mark Sleboda about the strained relationship between the European Union and Turkey, which has descended into political suppression and human rights abuses under Erdogan and yet remains a large trading partner for the European power bloc. We continued the conversation on EU membership by turning to Ukraine, with Mark telling us about the numerous infrastructural and political obstacles keeping the country out of the bloc.

In our second hour we were joined for 45 minutes by Tara Reade, a woman best known by the public for her allegations of sexual harassment and abuse by then-Senator, now-President Joe Biden. She talked about the cold reception her story received in American media, the constant attacks and legal threats she came under while disclosing her story, the link between Democratic Party strong-arming and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo's sexual harassment and assault allegations, as well how she's grown over recent years while coming through this crisis.

In our last hour we were joined by Pete Ingemi for a wide-ranging interview that started with questions of God, morality, and free will before turning to the new voting law in Georgia and how widespread the problem of voter fraud really is.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked about Hunter Biden's press coverage, mounting tensions in Ukraine, the Biden admin's plans for corporate tax hikes in America and abroad, and Benjamin Netanyahu's criminal trial and his primacy in Israeli politics.
Guests:

Alexander Mercouris – Editor-in-Chief at The Duran | The Suppression of Hunter Biden's Scandals, Mounting Tensions in Ukraine

Mark Frost – Economist & Professor | Corporate Tax Rates in the U.S.A. and Around the World

Miko Peled – Human Rights Activist and Author | Benjamin Netanyahu's Criminal Trial and Political Longevity

Ted Rall – Political Cartoonist & Syndicated Columnist | Hunter Biden Scandal Redux, Georgia's Voter Fraud Law, Progressive/Democrat Politics

In our first hour we spoke with Alexander Mercouris about the suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story during last year's presidential election, why the son of the president is suddenly so vocal about his scandalous past, and whether the ongoing federal investigation into Hunter will bear any fruit. We turned to the growing tensions in Ukraine as, following Ukrainian troop movements toward the borders of the Luhansk and Donetsk People's Republics, the Russians have followed suit by repositioning troops on the border. We talked about the possibility of an open war and how this issue has been treated in the Western press.

In our second hour we spoke with Mark Frost about Biden's planned corporate tax hike, a key financial support for his $2.3 trillion infrastructure bill, the American Jobs Plan. We also looked at former Fed chair and current Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's proposed global minimum corporate income tax policy, including whether it's even possible under the current international political system.

After Mark we spoke with Miko Peled about the recently resumed trial of Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of corruption and graft. Miko told us why he thinks Netanyahu is still in power: he's not just a charismatic political figure, he's also become ever more popular with the movement of the American embassy to Jerusalem and the country's world-leading vaccine rollout.

In our last hour we spoke with Ted Rall about Georgia's new voting rights law and what it represents for Georgia and the Democrat party. We turned quickly to the Hunter Biden story, looking at the April Fools Day retraction of the story by NPR, and whether that will lead to any wider press. We closed by talking about the twisted fealty of Progressives in Congress to the Democratic Party.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan talked Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, the tax proposals in Biden's infrastructure bill, what Iran and the U.S. are bringing to the table for indirect negotiations on the JCPOA, and the latest military buildup in Ukraine.

Guests:

Luis Elizondo – Former Director Of AATIP | UAPs and Hard Questions, Part Two

Steve Grumbine – Founder of Real Progressives and Real Progress in Action | Biden's Corporate Tax Hike

John Kiriakou – Co-host of The Back Story & Former CIA Officer | Iran & USA Entering Indirect Negotiations on JCPOA

Lee Stranahan – Co-host of The Back Story | Escalation in Ukraine and the Possibility of War with Russia

In our first hour we spoke with Luis Elizondo, a former program director for the American government's program investigating Unidentified Aerial Phenomena, about research into advanced material technologies salvaged from downed vehicles, what that research yielded, and how the American public would respond if everything the program was investigating was brought to light.

As Congress debates the size and merits of Biden's infrastructure bill, we spoke with Steve Grumbine about the prospect of a tax hike for corporations and what he'd propose instead: taxes levied directly on the CEOs and shareholders of big companies.

We turned to the increasingly tense relationship between Iran and the United States with our next guest, John Kiriakou, who gave us his take on the talks: Biden would be better off pushing for a hasty return to the JCPOA. We talked about the motivations for America's shaky policy on the Iran nuclear deal and did our best to disinter the buried news on what led to the deal's creation and its breakdown.

In our last hour we were joined by Lee Stranahan to talk about ongoing escalation in the country of Ukraine. Media in the West has painted this as a Russian-driven campaign of military escalation, leaving out Ukrainian troop movements and worrying domestic political and media suppression in the country. Lee gave us his take on why the United States might back a doomed war: media in the West could paint it as Russian aggression and use it to justify a deepening of tensions.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl L. Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed the republican's plan to attack Biden's infrastructure bill, UFOs with the former director of the Pentagon's unacknowledged UFO research program, China's growth and geopolitical stature, Bolivia as it emerges from the US backed coup, the reasons for mass homicides in the United States and last but not least, the reason and significance of Ukrainian troop movements near the border.

Guests:

Luis 'Lue' Elizondo - Former Director Of ATTIP | Government's Upcoming Report on UAPs & What We've Learned Through Scientific Observation

Ian Goodrum - Senior editor and columnist at China Daily | China Signs 25 Year Economic & Military Cooperation Deal With Iran & China's Growth In Response To Hostility From The West

Camila Escalante - TV news producer and presenter at teleSUR English who also works with Kawsachun News | Bolivia Govt Reconciles the Problems & Injustices Created By The Coup That Violently Removed Evo Morales

Margaret Kimberly - Margaret Kimberly is a Senior Columnist and Editor for Black Agenda Report | Why Mass Killings Are So Prevalent In US & Blacks Getting Cozy With Cuomo

Mark Sleboda - International Relations and Security Analyst | Troop Movements in the Ukraine Could indicate A War Over Nord Stream Pipeline

In the first hour, Former Director of the Pentagon's unacknowledged study into UFOs, Luis Elizondo, gives the goods on what we know through scientific observation about UFOs.

We were also joined by Ian Goodrum to discuss China's 25 year deal with Iran for economic and military cooperation. We also discuss the principle of win win relationships versus the scorched earth zero sum playbook of the United States and whether this forces China to alter the tenor of it's interaction on the world stage.

At the end of the hour, Camila Escalante provided a fantastic report out of Bolivia on the government as it works through its problems - legal and existential, extending from the Anez coup government. The country's problems are made all the more complicated as the US (backed the coup) is putting pressure on the country to stay it's hand regarding the prosecutions of the coup mongers.

In the last hour, we were joined with Black Agenda Report's Margaret Kimberly in a discussion on mass killings and why they're so prevalent in the United States compared to other industrialized nations. We also discussed her article on an embattled Cuomo finding a safe space among the black "misleadership" class in New York. This included a shameless comparisons of Gov Cuomo to Emmett Till or the exonerated Central Park Five.

In the last segment, usually "The Wrap", we were joined by Mark Sleboda to discuss troop movements by the Ukrainian military. Mark believes there's an actual chance for a larger conflict due the declining internal dynamic of Western Ukraine in addition to the politics around the Nord Stream 2 pipeline.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed Europe's COVID problems and what's keeping the EU from working with Russia on vaccine deployment, Biden's glossed-over migrant crisis and sizable infrastructure bill, and the facts and fallout from the trial of Derek Chauvin.

Guests:

Alexander Mercouris – Editor in Chief of The Duran | Putin, Merkel, and Macron's Vaccine Talks, Marine La Pen's Upswing in France

Ted Rall – Political Cartoonist & Syndicated Columnist | Distracted from Biden's Migrant Crisis & Marijuana Legalized in New York

Garland Nixon – Co-Host of The Critical Hour | The Derek Chauvin Trial & Biden's Infrastructure Bill

This Tuesday Emmanuel Macron of France and Angela Merkel of Germany met with Vladimir Putin of Russia to talk about their potential procurement of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine. We spoke with Alexander Mercouris about what's at play and what's at stake for Europe on this issue. In our second segment with Alexander, we turned to the topic of Marine La Pen's upswing, whether her National Rally party's policies deserve the label of 'far-right,' and the throughline between her policies and those of former French president Charles de Gaulle.

We were joined by Ted Rall in our second hour to talk about the root causes of the migrant crisis that Biden inherited, and contributed to, and how the public is forever left hanging on the facts and consequences of America's overthrow-first policy when it comes to the countries to our south. We turned to the topic of marijuana legalization in New York state and whether Biden's infrastructure plan is up to snuff.

In our last hour we discussed the Derek Chauvin trial with Garland Nixon, former law enforcement officer, looking at the legal facts in the case and the likely civil fallout from any verdict on the case. We turned the discussion in our second segment with Garland to Biden's infrastructure plan, and why the long-needed overhaul of American highways, bridges, housing, and manufacturing is so overdue: we're too busy fighting wars and funding military contractors and bloated banks Wall Street to heed the real and constant problems facing the residents of Main Street.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed Germany's COVID confusion, the fallout from the Suez blockage, what a work-from-home world would look like, Myanmar's ethnic divisions, mask mandate reversals, the new WHO report, and Ethiopia's ongoing civil conflict.

Guests:

Peter Oliver – EU Correspondent for RT | Germany's COVID Scrambling & AstraZeneca Restrictions

Mark Frost – Economist and Entrepreneur | What The Ever Given Means for World Trade, and What Will Working from Home Do To Our Cities?

K.J. Noh – Writer and Teacher | Myanmar's Ethnic Divisions and Its Significance for China's Belt and Road Project

Dr. Mikhail Kogan – Medical Director & Associate Professor of Medicine | Mask Mandate Rollbacks & The WHO's New Report

Teodrose Fikre – Writer and Editor | The Ethiopian Government and Eritrea's Involvement in Tigray

Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel and Health Minister Jens Spahn joined yesterday to restrict the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine to those over the age of 60, the latest in a string of reversals in the country on COVID-19 vaccines and lockdowns. We spoke with Peter Oliver about what this means for the German public's trust in their government, and what they'd want instead of this ongoing confusion.

We were joined by Mark Frost to talk about what the Ever Given's blockage of the Suez Canal means for global trade and whether we'll see major changes in trade and industrial policy in response to this crisis and the pandemic over the least year. We also spoke about what working from home could do to cities, and how a shift to homebound work could affect the economy and daily life more broadly and in unprecedented ways.

After Myanmar had its deadliest day yet in its ongoing political and civil crisis, with 114 protestors killed and air strikes against an ethnically-held region along the Thai border, we were joined by K.J. Noh to talk about how the U.S. and China could choose to get involved as Myanmar stands as a pivotal trade route for China's ongoing Belt and Road Initiative.

We spoke with Dr. Mikhail Kogan about various states' moves to reverse mask mandates, what the vaccines mean for many seeking a return to relative normalcy, and what he thinks about the just-released WHO report on the origins of the coronavirus.

Ethiopia's president Abiy Ahmed recently confirmed the involvement of Eritrea's armed forces in Tigray, a northern Ethiopian region central to the ongoing violent civil conflict in the country, and home to the Tigrayan people and the TPLF, which until recently ruled Ethiopia for decades. We spoke with Teddy Fikre about what a push for Tigrayan independence would mean for the Ethiopian public. We also dipped our toes briefly into the topic of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, a controversial infrastructure project that could seriously affect Sudan and Egypt but is being taken up as a cause for celebration and pride by Ethiopia's government and public.

On this episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed the facts underpinning the trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, the truth behind Georgia's new voting rights law, and the slate of economic policies pushed by the outgoing presidency of Ecuador.

Guests:

Greg Palast – Author and Journalist | Georgia's Newly Passed Voter Fraud/Rights Law

Joe Emersberger – Writer and Journalist | Ecuador: The Moreno Admin's Last Gasps, Haiti: The 2004 Overthrow of Aristide

Elbert Guillory – Louisiana State Politician | The Derek Chauvin Trial

The state of Georgia has passed a major law to limit voting and fight against Republican allegations of widespread protest. Author and journalist Greg Palast joined us for a conversation on what he sees happening: ongoing racist policies Republicans are using to limit the vote after unprecedented wins for Democrats in the presidential election and two major Senate seats.

We were joined by Joe Emersberger to talk about what the outgoing Moreno presidency in Ecuador is pushing for as they seek a major trade deal with the United States and for the privatization of their central bank, and what Andrés Arauz would do about it if he becomes the next president. We also went back to 2004 to look at the West-backed overthrow of the president of Haiti and how that set the country up for years of civil unrest and protests against corruption and limited political representation.

The trial of Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin kicked off yesterday in the alleged killing of George Floyd. As a jury begins to hear witnesses on the incident that kicked off last summer's Black Lives Matter protests, we were joined by longtime Louisiana state politician Elbert Guillory to discuss the facts of the case, what the most likely verdict is going to be, and what the public will do about it.