Fault Lines

On today's episode of Fault Lines with hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan, they discussed the news of the day and topics ranging from the Democrats virtual convention to the prospects of Middle East peace to the situation in Belarus.


GUESTS


Scott Ritter - Former U.N. Weapons Inspector & WMD Whistleblower | Deal of the Century?


Marshall Auerback - Market Analyst, writer for the Independent Media Institute | The UAE / Israel Deal and the US Economy


Michael Maloof - RT National Security Analyst, former senior security policy analyst in the Office of the Secretary of Defense | Belarus and Beyond


In his first hour monologue, Jamarl discussed last night’s speeches at the Democratic National Convention promoting Biden which he found underwhelming.


Then the hosts were joined by Scott Ritter, and they discussed the recent peace deal brokered by Jared Kushner between the United Arab Emirates and Israel, which the Trump administration refers to as the Deal of the Century. Ritter said that each result in lasting peace would require the Palestinians to be part of the peace process of Israel to embrace a two state solution, but he believes this is highly unlikely because Israel has accepted conflict in the region as a reality. He also said that Turkey and Iran would be ready to fill the gap in if states like UAE are not involved, and then in that sense the deal is significant. He also sees a deemphasizing of the importance of the role of Saudi Arabia as smaller Gulf states like UAE become more significant.


In the second hour they talked to Marshall Auerback, who agreed with Scott Ritter’s view that the UAE-Israel peace deal is very significant for the region, although it has left the Palestinians out. He pointed out that it is more than political cosmetics and that the UAE stands to benefit from its new relationship with Israel, with things like access to tech investment defense against Iran. Marshall also noted the political benefits for Donald Trump and Jared Kushner. Then they discussed terms of the economy, and Marshall said that the pandemic and related economic problems have clearly exposed structural problems in the economy, including the healthcare system in the United States. He said he didn't believe politicians were handling it properly and is concerned that it's one factor that could lead to a real revolution in the United States.


In the third hour, the hosts were joined by defense expert Michael Maloof and began by discussing the situation in Belarus, which Maloof said seems like is developing in a very similar way to the Ukrainian situation a few years ago that led to the ouster of that country's leader. Lukashenko's increasing pressure from the United States is possibly playing out the same way, although Maloof said there is some possibility in Belarus it might not end the same, and he said he has also seen no solid evidence that the election was rigged. Looking at other areas of world politics, Maloof said the United States is worried about the involvement of countries like China in the Caribbean and South America. He also said he believes that if Donald Trump is elected, he will work towards better relations with Russia while he sees no possibility that Biden will be open to that.

On today's episode of Fault Lines, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jamarl Thomas discussed the news of the day and also discussed whether the Democrats deserve to lose the election in 2020, relations between the US and China, and America's deepening political divide.



GUESTS



Ian Goodrum - Senior Editor and Columnist at China Daily | Myths About China



John Wood, Jr. - Former Nominee for Congress, contributor at Quillette Magazine and a national ambassador for Braver Angels | America’s Political Divide Grows



Tom Luongo - Geopolitical Analyst & Publisher of the Gold Goats 'n Guns Newsletter | Defining Political Terms Clearly



In Jamarl's first hour monologue, he criticized Bernie Sanders for saying that he would push for Medicare for All the day after Joe Biden was elected, arguing that Sanders was giving up any leverage he had. Then the hosts talked to Ian Goodrum and discussed the latest developments in the crumbling relationship between the United States and China. They talked about the contrasting ways that the Chinese and United States governments have handled the COVID-19 pandemic and pointed out that China's numbers have significantly dwindled, allowing the opening of movie theaters and other public recreation, while the United States’ numbers continue to skyrocket. He said he believes that the US media is trying to undercut China's work to develop a vaccine in case they develop it first. They also discussed President Trump's executive order on the tech company TikTok, and Ian said he believes that China may be hoping that Biden will get elected.



In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by John Wood, Jr., and they discussed the increasingly divisive rhetoric between the left and right in America. John said he is concerned that the tone has gone beyond simple political disagreement and into an atmosphere where both sides are unable to simply reason together and remember that our political opponents are also our fellow citizens. He also discussed his belief that many Americans have outsourced their own political thought to others, and suggested that digital tools, if utilized properly, could be a way for people to have meaningful dialogue about policy in traditional political circles.



In the third hour, the hosts were joined by Tom Luongo, and they discussed his views as a libertarian on the current state of the political debate in America. Tom said he believes it is more important than ever to define certain political terms properly and suggested that America is largely ruled by what he would term as fascists on both the left and right. Tom said it is difficult for him to focus much on political minutia when he sees so many long-term and large structural problems in both politics and the economy. Tom also discussed the reasons behind the recent spike in the price of gold and said that it is nearly breeding season for the goats that he raises.

On this morning’s edition of Fault Lines, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jamarl Thomas discussed the latest news, including issues like the back-and-forth between Donald Trump and Joe Biden over the issue of a mask mandate, the situation in Belarus, and the US media's continued blame Russia narrative.

GUESTS

Mark Sleboda - International Relations & Security Analyst | Bellarus Protests


Niko House - Political Activist and Broadcast Journalist, Founder and CEO of the MCSC Network | Kamala Harris is Bad


Ian Miles Cheong - Journalist who covers media, politics & culture, Managing Editor at HumanEvents.com | Is Antifa Russian Disinfo?

In his first hour monologue, Jamarl talked about what he sees as the threat of self-driving vehicles to workers. Then the hosts were joined by Mark Sloboda, who gave a deep dive into the current situation in Belarus, where massive protests followed the recent election. Mark explained how Belarus’s leadership is facing some economic trouble due to Russia slowing down energy subsidies. Mark talked about the history from the breakup of the Soviet Union, which has led to Belarus being called Europe’s dictatorship and discussed why Russia under Vladimir Putin has a policy of not intervening in the affairs of other countries, something that Mark said led to a delayed reaction during the US overthrow of the Ukrainian government.


In the second hour, Jamarl and Shane were joined by Niko House. They discussed the upcoming presidential election and Joe Biden's choice of Kamala Harris as his running mate. Niko said he believes that Harris was chosen because Biden was trying to appeal to both corporate interests and to show that he was a "law and order" candidate. Niko and the hosts agreed that a Biden/Harris administration would actually be more dangerous than a Donald Trump second term, citing not just foreign policy but also the idea that Harris would be even tougher on Black Lives Matter protesters than Trump.


In the third hour, the hosts were joined by Ian Miles Cheong. They discussed a recent New York Times story that blamed "Russian disinformation" for a story about the group Antifa lighting fires using a Bible during the Portland protest. Jamarl argued that Antifa is a small group, and so their violent calls for revolution could be ignored, but Ian pointed out that they engaged in arson and violence, including the recent stabbing of a black Trump supporter. Ian and Jamarl agreed that Joe Biden's choice of Kamala Harris would alienate many on the left progressive left, including Black Lives Matter supporters. Ian said he thinks the corporate donors behind establishment Democrats do not actually want socialism, so they are willing to alienate progressive leftists.

On today’s episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed the news and issues ranging from Kamala Harris’s role in the election to the nature of libertarianism to voter fraud.


GUESTS


Mark Frost - Economist, professor, consultant, drummer, Eagle Scout, Marine, libertarian’ish | Saving the Economy from Covid-19


Lee Camp - American Stand-Up Comedian, writer, actor, and activist | Democrats are Too Conservative


Carmine Sabia - Writer & Editor at Large at SabiaReport.com | Kamala & the Democrats


In Jamarl’s first hour monologue, he opined about why he believes the Democrat party takes black voters for granted. Then the hosts were joined by Mark Frost, and they discussed the economy under COVID-19. Mark explained how he believes that libertarians are in many ways today's moderates, and pointed out that he believes in a liberal social agenda that opposes things like outrageously high marginal tax rates. Then Mark discussed how he differs from some libertarians in his approach to solving the economic woes caused by COVID-19, saying that the problem currently is a demand issue and that he believes more money should be "raining down" on the economy. He also expressed frustration with libertarian-leaning Republicans like Rand Paul for being too purist. He also gave his opinion on people who are concerned about the prospects of a recession and pointed out that in a mixed economy the reality is different than in theory.


In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by Lee Camp, and they discussed the prospects in the upcoming election for either voter fraud or disenfranchisement. Lee pointed out that the Democrats don't have a leg to stand on when it comes to discussing these issues because he believes they are in favor of voter fraud when it benefits the Democratic establishment, so they undercut their own position when the Republicans do it. They also discussed whether voting itself is a particularly effective means of political change, and Lee pointed out on issues like war and serving the interest of Wall Street, both Republicans and Democrats like Biden and Kamala Harris take essentially the same positions. Camp was critical of the Democrats for not supporting progressive issues like Medicare for All and for trying to defeat progressive candidates like Bernie Sanders and members of The Squad. They also discussed the idea that a Trump victory might help push the Democratic Party more to the left.


In the third hour, they were joined by Carmine Sabia who talked about Kamala Harris as VP pick for Biden and said he thinks she'll be a poor choice but that Biden himself has very few options because there are currently no superstars among the Democrats. He also discussed the idea that centrist Democrat sucker Pete Buttigieg seems more like the actual future of the Democratic Party, not the progressive groups that he considers to be fringe and said that things like the protests are actually firing up the right more than they are the Democrats. Carmine said he believed Trump would be much more relaxed if he were to win the election in 2020.


They also discussed mail-in voting, which Carmine feels is an extremely flawed process that would take far too long and is susceptible to human bias and vote miscounting.

On today's episode of Fault Lines, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jamarl Thomas discussed the headlines of the day, including the big news that Joe Biden has chosen California Senator Kamala Harris to be his running mate. They also discussed topics such as the impact of COVID-19 on the UK economy, the latest updates on the explosion in Beirut, and the social/analytical tipping point the United States finds itself in.



GUESTS


Alexander Mercouris - Editor-in-Chief at TheDuran.com | Monarchy in the UK


Laith Marouf - Award-winning Multimedia Producer and media policy/law consultant | Live From Beirut - Latest Explosion Updates


Chris Hedges - Pulitzer Prize-winning Journalist, author, and host of On Contact airing on RT America | The Deeper Issues Behind the Protests


In Jamarl’s monologue, he discussed Kamala Harris many flaws as a vice presidential pick for Joe Biden. Then Shane and Jamarl were joined by Alexander Mercouris, who discussed the devastating impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the British economy, which has been one of the hardest hit countries. Alexander said the structure of the UK economy is a problem, and he sees an incredibly botched response from Johnson's government. They also discussed the general state of the United Kingdom and looked at the impact it is having on the coronavirus policy. They also discussed the state of the National Health Service.


In the second hour, the hosts were joined by Laith Marouf, who discussed the very latest developments from Beirut after the massive explosion that rocked that city's port last week. They discussed the events that led up to the explosion, including a press conference the Prime Minister was set to give two days before the explosion. They also talked about the combustible materials that were being stored at the port. They discussed suspicions within the country that Lebanese officials may have been involved in the recent resignation of Lebanon's entire cabinet. They also looked at the historic factors that have led to Lebanon's governmental structure and talked about possible resolutions to the explosion, which he sees Israel playing a central part in.


In the third hour, Jamarl and Shane were joined by Chris Hedges, who discussed the major economic problems that were facing many Americans prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, problems that he blames on previous Democrat administrations and cited examples of how Clinton era economic policies such as NAFTA were a betrayall to workers. While criticizing Donald Trump’s nepotism and corruption, Hedges also pointed to similar problems with Joe Biden, including his son Hunter's $50,000 a month job with a Ukrainian energy company. They also raised the question as to who would want to be president right now given the problems facing whoever wins the 2020 election.

On today’s episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed a range of topics from the latest announcement by Putin that Russia had developed a vaccine against COVID-19 to the cause of the recent deadly explosion in Lebanon to Joe Biden's vice presidential pick possibilities to the state of the US Postal Service.


GUESTS


Maram Susli - Political Commentator and Geopolitical Analyst | The Beirut Explosion in Context


Chuck Zlatkin - Legislative and Political Director, New York Metro Area Postal Union | Trump vs. the Mailmen


Caleb Maupin - Speaker, author of City Builders and Vandals in Our Age: Articles and Essays on Socialism | Left Eye on the News


In Jamarl’s first hour monologue, he said that Joe Biden is a horrible candidate for the Democrats. Jamarl also wished Shane a happy birthday. Then Shane and Jamarl were joined by Maram Susli, and they discussed the recent explosion in the port of Beirut, Lebanon, that injured thousands and killed hundreds. Maram said she believes it is important to look at the events that led up to the explosion in trying to determine what actually happened, and she believes it is suspicious that the blast came during a time of such economic hardship and unrest in Beirut, and especially as Lebanon was beginning to explore other economic options for itself. She said the blast has left Lebanon desperate from the International Monetary Fund. Maram also discussed the role of the French in the response of the explosion as well as historically and said that French president Emmanuel Macron is one of the people who stands to benefit most.


In the second hour, Jamarl and Shane talked with Chuck Zlatkin about the importance of the postal system, especially in the era of COVID-19, and how the Trump administration is currently trying to dismantle it. John talked about the importance of the universality of the Postal Service and how they deliver mail to anyone anywhere in the United States and contrast that with big private carriers like FedEx and UPS. He pointed out that not many people are aware that those private carriers often use the US Postal Service to deliver the "last mile" and get packages to people in remote areas. He pointed out how the Trump administration had made the new Postmaster General a logistics person who is cutting overtime and putting people in the positions who are not aware. He also said this war with the Postal Service at such a critical time may backfire on President Trump.


The hosts were joined in the third hour by Caleb Maupin, who discussed the importance of what he sees as an FDR style work project to get the COVID-19 economy rolling again. Caleb talked about the benefits of such a project not just to the economy, but also to solving certain health and infrastructure problems that he sees the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating. They also discussed the upcoming election and Joe Biden's choice for vice president. Caleb said he believes powerful forces are battling it out behind closed doors to put Kamala Harris in as Biden's vice presidential pick, a prospect he finds scary, given what he sees as her hostility towards protesters and notably pro Palestinian activists. He said he learned of this from interviewing people who have met with Harris.

On today’s episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed issues ranging from the latest impasse on a new stimulus bill to new developments in the deadly Beirut explosion to the origins of Russiagate.


GUESTS


Manila Chan - TV Reporter for RT America | COVID-19 & School


Laith Marouf - Award-winning Multimedia Producer and media policy/law consultant | Live From Beirut


Lee Stranahan - Investigative Reporter, host of Populist.TV, director of Citizen Journalism School | Russiagate, Strobe & the Shearers


In the first hour, Shane and Jamarl talked with Manila Chan about plans to send children back to school nationwide amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Manila discussed plans some have to treat children ages 10 and under differently from older children. They also talked about the risk not just to school children, but also to teachers, administrators, and other school staff. Manila argued that teachers should be allowed to take leave time if they are concerned about the risk of infection.


In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl talked to Laith Marouf about the aftermath of the explosion in Beirut and made statements that the devastation may have been the result of an attack. They also discussed how the explosion exacerbated problems for Beirut citizens, who are already impacted by the weakened Lebanese economy and political turmoil. Adding to the problems, Lebanon is having to deal with sanctions imposed by the United States, and the explosion at the port is having a major impact on the ability to get vital goods into the country.


In the third hour the hosts were joined by investigative journalist Lee Stranahan who discussed the latest developments in the Russiagate scandal. Stranahan described the long relationship between Bill and Hillary Clinton, members of the Shearer family, and Clinton's Oxford roommate Strobe Talbott. Cody Shearer created the dossier that became the basis for the Steele dossier and Derek Shearer was an advisor for Ziff Brothers Investments, who were at the heart of the Trump Tower meeting allegations. Stranahan argues that these connections show Russiagate was largely a Clinton operation.

On today's episode of _Fault Lines_, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jamarl Thomas discussed the news of the day including the aftermath of Beirut explosion, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, to the upcoming election.


GUESTS


Miko Peled - Human Rights Activist and Author of “The General’s Son, Journey of an Israeli in Palestine” and “Injustice, The Story of the Holy Land Foundation Five” | Israel and Aperthid


Garland Nixon - Garland Nixon is a Sputnik Political Analyst and the Co-Host of The Critical Hour and Critical Hour Extended airing M-F from 6:00-8:00pm EST, right here on Radio Sputnik | Is There a Real Democratic Left?


J. Christian Adams - election lawyer who served in the Voting Rights Section at the U.S. Department of Justice.| Election Law


In today’s episode of Fault Lines, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jarmarl Thomas discussed who is responsible ultimately for the defeat of Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and laid most of that responsibility at the feet of Sanders himself. Then the hosts were joined by Miko Peled, who discussed the current political situation in Israel and with its leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who Peled says is deeply corrupt, but because of his ability to politically bargain through "horse trading," he continues to hold leadership and win elections and therefore is supported by his party. Peled also discussed what he referred to as Israel's racist apartheid system and said that, although it is having disastrous consequences because of its extremely short-term thinking, it continues to have the support of Netanyahu’s right-wing government. There is very little left-wing government in Israel.


In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by Garland Nixon and discussed the current state of the Democratic Party in the United States. Nixon castigated the Democrats for failing to use whatever leverage they have to help find a COVID-19 stimulus bill that he thinks would be more beneficial to American workers. However, Nixon pointed out that the Democrats ultimately want the same things as the Republicans in terms of military spending and handouts to corporate interests, so they were unable to muster a stronger case. Then they discussed the possibility of a more progressive wing of the Democratic Party becoming dominant, and Nixon said he believes that timing is important and the midterm elections in 2022 may provide an opportunity for progressive Democrats to genuinely shake up the party and wield power.


In a fiery segment in the third hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by election law expert J. Christian Adams,  who has prosecuted numerous voter fraud cases. Adams pointed out a recent incident in Paterson, New Jersey, that ended up throwing the election and was covered by the New York Times along with other media outlets.

On today's episode of Fault Lines, hosts Shane Stranahan and Jamarl Thomas discussed the news of the day, including the Beirut explosion and primary election results from several states. They also talked about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, from the economic impact to possible treatments.


GUESTS


Dr. Mikhail Kogan - Medical Director at the George Washington Center for Integrative Medicine | COVID-19 Treatment Update


Marshall Auerback - Market Analyst and Writer for the Independent Media Institute | Why Congress Can't Fix Covid-19 Economy


Cynthia McKinney - Former Member of Congress | Is The Pandemic a Deep State Creation?


In Jamarl's first hour monologue, he railed against recent comments that implied the Democrats would do regime change better than the Republicans but not oppose it at all.


They were next joined by Dr. Mikhail Kogan, who discussed the difficulties with children returning to school, including dealing with the discipline issues of getting a large number of kids to go along with wearing masks and social distancing.  They also discussed the possibility of a vaccine being developed by 2021 and the complexities of the COVID-19 virus that make both treating it and tracking it difficult. The doctor suggested that people's diet is about 50% of the problem and that periodic fasting may be a good way to stay healthy, because of the COVID-19’s connection to inflammation.


In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by Marshall Auerback, who talked about the stalled stimulus bill that the House and Senate seem to be at an impasse on. He discussed why, even in the face of the current emergency, Congress seems unable to move forward with a bill that would have a wide range and suggested that systemic corruption is a part of it. He also discussed how corruption itself creates a self-sustaining mechanism where people have less respect for the rule of law, which creates a self-sustaining machine that makes it more difficult to get rid of corruption.



In the third hour, the hosts were joined by Cynthia McKinney, who discussed the controversial theory that the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic may be manufactured as a form of biological warfare, specifically against people of color. Cynthia talked about the Peter Dale Scott template for looking at manufactured events versus organic ones, and she sees a number of examples both actually and historically, including the South African development of an anti-black biological warfare weapon in the role of the eugenics movement to create super humans. She's also suspicious of events like the shutting down of the chemical weapons base at Fort Detrick, Maryland, recently for supposed leaks. She also mentioned the problem of the US having biological labs around the world and said taxpayers have the right to know what the United States government is doing.

On today's episode of Fault Lines, hosts Jamarl Thomas and Shane Stranahan discussed the news of the day and topics like the political fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic to healthcare in Russia to whether libertarians have hamstrung Donald Trump.


GUESTS


Peter Lavelle - Host of CrossTalk on RT, American journalist | The Coronavirus Election


Robert Wenzel - Economist, Writer at EconomicPolicyJournal.com | A Libertarian View on COVID-19


Max Blumenthal - Award-winning Journalist, best-selling author, documentarian, and founder and editor-in-chief of The Greyzone | The United States is Bad



In his monologue, Jamarl expressed his view that Donald Trump is unable to lay a glove on Joe Biden because of Donald Trump's poor handling of the COVID-19 crisis. Then they talked to TV host Peter Lavelle about Donald Trump's economic response to the COVID-19 crisis. Lovell said that the massive economic problems caused by the pandemic clearly have hurt Trump's electability, which was being boosted by a relatively strong economy especially for the financial sector. Peter pointed out that this economic objective did not help working people as much, however, and they have been hit by the coronavirus economy. Peter put the blame for Trump's ability on "libertarians" within the Trump administration, something he sees as going back to the 1980s Reagan era. Peter also discussed Russia's healthcare response to Covid, which she views as efficient because the government runs the healthcare system.


In the second hour, Shane and Jamarl were joined by libertarian economist Robert Wenzel who gave a counterpoint to Peter’s take. Wenzel discussed the dangers of inflation from what he says is essentially the government printing money out of thin air and said this is already affecting the price of food at the grocery store and restaurants. Wenzel also said he thinks the key to economic recovery is putting people back to work, especially younger people who he says are at much less risk of dying from COVID-19. He also expressed his view that people should be free to decide for themselves how they want to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.


In the third hour, Jamarl continued his interview with journalist Max Blumenthal, who talked about what he sees as a media blackout on stories that do not promote a pro empire narrative, such as biased reporting on China. They also discussed how this media blackout corresponds to United States foreign policy; it has very few consequences for the politicians engaged in empire building. Blumenthal said he believes China is not only a threat to United States hegemony but has also become an economic threat.