#GetNuanced with TJC

Updated description for this episode and video edition coming soon!

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Recommended Resources:

https://hensloweasablog.blogspot.com/2020/05/20-may-1596-tragedy-of-phocas.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktcs2VrLPbw

https://thehistoryofbyzantium.com/2014/01/09/episode-42-in-fairness-to-phocas/

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Support the Show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/GetNuanced

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Stay Connected:

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[Additional information including recommended resources will be provided and is coming soon!)

Updated description for this episode and video edition coming soon!

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Recommended Resources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban_of_Twitter_in_Nigeria

https://www.africanews.com/2021/06/09/trump-congratulates-nigeria-for-shutting-down-twitter/

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-57336571

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/03/27/many-nigerians-tunisians-and-kenyans-say-they-plan-to-leave-their-countries-in-the-next-five-years/#:~:text=In%20Nigeria%2C%20Africa's%20most%20populated,countries%20surveyed%20across%20four%20continents.&text=In%20nations%20surveyed%20outside%20of,say%20they%20plan%20to%20migrate.

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Support the Show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/GetNuanced

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[Additional information including recommended resources will be provided and is coming soon!)

Previous Discussion on this Particular Subject: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5FaFv6Juk8

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Support the Show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/GetNuanced

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[Additional information including recommended resources will be provided and is coming soon!)

In the aftermath of Alexander the Great's epic conquest of the Achaemenid Persian Empire and much of the known world (at least as far as the contemporary Ancient Greeks / Macedonians had been geographically cognizant of), his former companions would become in turn his successors (aka: "The Diadochi") and would each attempt through their own respective means to carve out their own Hellenistic Kingdom(s) at the expense of their former brothers in arms who overnight (and due to the untimely demise of Alexander) had become little more than treacherous, bitter rivals.

This podcast segment will provide an introductory point for future discussions on the broader historical context of the Hellenistic Era via a critical analysis and biographical breakdown of one of the period's most underrated, yet nonetheless major players —Lysimachus, the Basileus of Thrace (and also at the apex of his tenure as monarch —Pontus, Macedonia, Thessaly, and most of what is modern-day Anatolia (Asia Minor / "Little Asia"))

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Support the Show: https://www.gofundme.com/f/GetNuanced

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Worth a Gander: 

Video Edition of this Podcast Segment: *Coming Soon!*

Written Version of this Podcast Subject: *Coming Soon!*

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WATCH + LEARN More:

[coming soon!]

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Stay Connected:

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TAGS: #Lysimachus #Basileus #HellenisticEra #AsiaMinor #Thrace #Anatolia #Macedonia #AlexanderTheGreat #History #Biography 

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STAY SAFE & PEACE OUT,

-@TJC

Almost an entire millennia before the famous "Battle of Lepanto" (1571) was fought against the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League, another decisive naval engagement took place on the high seas of the Mediterranean —the fateful "Battle of the Masts" (aka: the Battle of Phoenix) in the year of 654 / 655 AD. 

This major conflict between the forces of the (Medieval) Roman Empire led by then Emperor Constans II and the Rashidun Caliphate led by then Caliph Muawiyah I would inaugurate centuries of prolonged struggle for geopolitical hegemony of the Mediterranean Sea (which had itself prior up until that point been a Roman Lake for centuries) between the great powers who respectively championed the Christian & Islamic religion, at least ostensibly.

Despite the former being only possible due to the latter taking place prior —the Battle of the Masts is in contrast to the Battle of Lepanto far less documented in regards to the available professional scholarship and even casual creators of digital material such as myself who tend to frame it (if at all) only within the narrow context of the event itself and not the broader historic factors which the causes and outcomes of battle are even themselves relatively few and far between.

This particular segment aims to at least begin rectifying a situation which tends to minimize the topic into being little more than a footnote in the wider struggle of "Christianity vs. Islam" or "The Occident vs. The Orient" (aka: "The West" vs. "The East"). It is far more impactful and interesting than the simplified polemics that often are (unfortunately) contrived from modern sentiments that prioritize self-interest over the actual truth of such matters

Join Tom as he provides an overview of the conflict, dives deeper into the transformative era of the 7th century with a particular focus on the political circumstances which the Eastern Roman / Byzantine Empire was facing (along with some side notes on its geographic neighbors such as the Arabs and the Persians), and also contextualizes the evolving nature + composition of the Roman military system with an emphasis on naval warfare as the Roman Navy of antiquity concluded its transition into the Byzantine form it took in the Middle Ages.

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Important Programming Notes: Description will be further improved after I finish work this week with additional links and notes. An update segment is also forthcoming clarifying the future of #GetNuanced and also a vague schedule / sneak-peak of what is yet to come. Appreciate your patience!

*1: John Kourkouas, not John Axouch.

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Video Edition of this Podcast Segment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRV6M2ccnEI

Written Version of this Podcast Subject: *Coming Soon!*

Primary Source for this Historical Period (Theophanes the Confessor): *Coming Soon!*

WATCH + LEARN More:

• #AugustusCaesar, the #RomanEmpire, and Our #ModernWorld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiVQ-msKhao

• #Anthemius, Praetorian Prefect of the East: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_jShHkEdQ4

• Understanding the #FallOfConstantinople: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HsJ3C6iDk

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Stay Connected:

Blog / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / Website 

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TAGS: #ConstansII #NewRome #BattleOfPhoenix #MilitaryHistory #NavalWarfare #Byzantium #Geopolitics

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STAY SAFE & PEACE OUT,

-@TJC

Emperor Diocletian: Peasant, Soldier, Rebel, Emperor, and God of the Romans?!

Among the seemingly noteworthy, larger-than-life figures whose circumstances from their own times to ours have continued to deeply influence and shape mankind's historical trajectory —Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus; better known by those concerned as Diocletian, towers among the great leaders of world history for his success in not only ending the tumult and terror which characterized the Crisis of the Third Century. but thereafter introducing a stunning series of ambitious political reforms --"The Tetrarchy" ("Leadership of Four") which (among other policymaking endeavors) was a radical attempt to rectify the systemic problems which were literally and metaphorically plaguing the entire Roman Empire. The results would ultimately be mixed, but nevertheless decisive and would usher in the era of Roman History known in modernity as "The Dominate."

Join Tom in this particular segment of #GetNuanced today to explore and analyze the most meaningful tidbits of the life & times of Diocletian! 

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Programming Notes: Sorry for being super busy! Clarification via an update video is forthcoming. There is plenty more where this came from coming soon!

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Help Reinforce the Show's Foundation: (coming soon!)

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Video Edition of this Podcast Segment: ***Coming Soon!*** 

Written Version of this Podcast Subject: ***Coming Soon!***

"The Decline And Fall Of The Roman Empire" by Edward Gibbon | Chapter 13: https://www.ccel.org/g/gibbon/decline/volume1/chap13.htm

Article I had mentioned in the segment: http://historybooksreview.co.uk/diocletians-character-gibbons-decline-and-fall-of-the-roman-empire/

Learn about #Aurelian, another fascinating #RomanEmperor and historical figure: 

• Audio Version: https://anchor.fm/getnuanced/episodes/Restorer-of-the-World-Life-and-Legacy-of-the-Roman-Emperor-Aurelian--270-275-eith02

• Video Edition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tb6MA1dfj4k

WATCH and LEARN more about Greco-Roman History:

• #America, #Russia, and #Rome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEJLoyk3Y9E

• #AugustusCaesar, the #RomanEmpire, and Our #ModernWorld: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiVQ-msKhao

• #Anthemius, Praetorian Prefect of the East: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_jShHkEdQ4

• Understanding the #FallOfConstantinople: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8HsJ3C6iDk

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Stay Connected with GetNuanced:

Blog / Twitter / Instagram / YouTube / Website 

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PODCAST TAGS: 

#DIOCLETIAN #JUPITER #TETRARCHY #HISTORY #ROME

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STAY SAFE & PEACE OUT,

-@TJC

In the wake of a historic summit in Anchorage, Alaska (the so-called "Last Frontier" as it is known by many of my fellow Americans) which marked the first official face-to-face diplomatic conference between the respective representatives of the United States of America (USA) & the People's Republic of China (PRC), there are clear but incredibly important takeaways of which will be the primary subject matter for this particular segment. 

In what could only be described as a tense meeting defined by mutual animosity derived from the conflicting geopolitical interests that policymakers from Washington and Beijing would not hesitate (for those who might not be fully "in the know") to reference as talking points against their respective counterparts (key figures of note: US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan being at the head of the delegation of the former, while Chinese Foreign Minister & State Councilor Wang Yi along with Director of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission Yang Jiechi leading the latter's diplomatic envoy). 

The metaphorical gauntlet with this event has been formerly thrown down and with it comes (of course!) the ramblings from casual observers to professional analysts alike of a "New Cold War" between America and China. This prevailing narrative has swept across all relevant mainstream and independent media outlets as far as the eye can see (& as much as the digital algorithms which configure our social media timelines can optimize).

Beyond discussing the *real* state of play (along with the appropriate historical context) of what for some analysts has been referred to as being a modern-day version of Thucydides Trap, this podcast will attempt to take an even deeper dive into the ulterior machinations and their uncomfortable truths which fuel the false dialectic which is unfortunately proliferating across the political spectrum (at least the one which is defined by traditional and new media pundits who tend to be inclined towards a black-and-white worldview). 

For a subject as intricate and often misunderstood as the one being discussed —it will be clear (at least for likeminded people who are concerned with the future of mankind) that this segment, despite its *relatively* lengthy format is only beginning to truly scratch the actual surface of the shifting nature of international relations and the ongoing battle for so-called "global hegemony" between the two contemporary superpowers of the 21st century. This will not only be one of the defining issues of our own times, but that as well for the world of tomorrow & further beyond.

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RECOMMENDATIONS:

C-SPAN | https://www.c-span.org/video/?510091-1/secretary-blinken-chinese-foreign-minister-clash-meeting-anchorage-alaska

Transcript | https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/US-China-tensions/How-it-happened-Transcript-of-the-US-China-opening-remarks-in-Alaska

"Is #TheQuad an anti-China club? How 4 nations plan to engage Beijing" | https://www.straitstimes.com/world/how-quad-nations-us-japan-india-and-australia-are-squaring-up-to-china

Xi Jinping's Prior Experience in the United States | https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/cnainsider/story-xi-jinping-oldest-us-friends-what-it-shows-trade-war-china-14020306

"An Intro to Taiwanese Geopolitics" via #GetNuanced | https://youtu.be/8KXpA6aqxt0

"Geopolitics of the South China Sea" via #CaspianReport | https://youtu.be/GcFiJwpvmq0

"US-China conflict 'more likely' than five years ago, says Singapore PM" | https://youtu.be/xeXdfG-Nbpw

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CONNECT:

YouTube | http://youtube.com/GetNuanced

Twitter | http://twitter.com/GetNuanced

Instagram | http://instagram.com/GetNuanced

Website | http://GetNuanced.com

PeachiLabs | http://PeachiLabs.com/

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#InternationRelations / #ForeignPolicy

At the twilight period of the Eastern Roman / Byzantine Empire, the once secluded and seemingly almighty Emperor of the Romans in Manuel II Palaeologus (c. 1391 - 1425) would break with past precedent and in spite of the claims of divinity that his ancient office held, he would leave the Palace of the Caesars in his besieged capital of Constantinople in the East and be one of the last Emperors to visit the distant nations of the West.

Manuel would tour many of the former lands in which the Roman Empire at its height had once held sovereignty over, but by his time the Romans at the twilight of the Middle Ages were little more than rulers of a city-state in Constantinople which was being besieged by the rising Ottoman Sultanate at the time of Manuel's journey to Western Europe.

His predecessors may have been venerated and he may as well have still legally held the honor of being an heir to the legacy (and imperial title) of Augustus and Constantine, but despite the glorious reception, ceremonial splendor, and theoretical grandeur of his office, Manuel and his diplomatic envoys were little more than over glorified beggar to those who since had surpassed the polity which had once held dominion over their lands.

The tour would be chronicled by contemporary court historians from Paris to London and many would both be in awe as well as hold pity for a man who was well-educated and devoutly pious but nevertheless a tragic figure and the leader of a doomed Empire.

Little would materialize from his visit other than vague promises of aid along with token, symbolic gestures such as gifts and celebrations while he trekked across the West which was too embroiled in its own affairs to muster a proper response to the rapidly expanding Ottoman Empire which despite Manuel and his successors best efforts, would go on to conquer Constantinople and completely vanquish the final vestiges of Ancient Rome.

Despite the failure of Manuel's trip, the primary sources that chronicle his adventures in Medieval Europe provide modern observers and analysts such as ourselves with invaluable insight on the final days of Constantinople and the Roman Empire in the East.

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The source I referenced in the video: https://www.google.com/books/edition/Imagined_Communities_Constructing_Collec/_GZjDwAAQBAJ

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Second Part: ***COMING SOON!***

Video Edition on YouTube: https://youtu.be/VXyMZCtuxiI

Fall of Constantinople in 1453: https://youtu.be/E8HsJ3C6iDk

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Connect with #GetNuanced:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/GetNuanced

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/GetNuanced

Website: htttp://www.GetNuanced.com/

#TeamPeachi: http://www.PeachiLabs.com/

[more resources to be included here shortly]

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-TJC

In this special #HappyNewYear Edition of the show I will be discussing at length multiple events of pressing significance with a particular focus on the Jan. 4th verdict the extradition case which determines the fate of #WikiLeaks Founder #JulianAssange who is currently being prosecuted based on alleged violations of the Espionage Act of 1917 (this #EspionageAct itself has a worthwhile discussion forthcoming as it had been introduced in the midst of WWI and is of broader importance but especially to the former topic which is the primary subject matter for segment). 

After losing his asylum from #Ecuador which had allowed the #UnitedKingdom to enter into their diplomatic Embassy in London to detain him. Since his arrest in April 2019 has been a de facto political prisoner of conscious whose personal health as well as public reputation been under siege by those who for a number of reasons (or an equal amount of decisions produced from a lack thereof of critical thinking, perhaps?) have lobbied for the extradition from the U.K. to the U.S. of his person for a trial and imprisonment based on his publications' revelations of both horrific war crimes as well as equally embarrassing contradictions from the infinite wisdom of U.S. Policymakers which much would rather his voice along with any other that is pursuing actual #journalism be silenced by any and all means going forward, "Freedom of the Press" be damned!

The verdict announced on the 4th after months of prolonged hearings and a lengthy trial which had limited public access (as well as excessive restrictions placed on Mr. Assange and his family, friends, and other supporters who were unable to enjoy certain legal protections / rights due to the controversial and critical nature of the case). What has surprised many was the outcome being more than what many pessimists had conceived as a pretty much foregone conclusion of Mr. Assange being sent with a one-way flight ticket to a federal prison in the Washington D.C. Area (or worse). 

Despite expectations from even some of his most ardent supporters to the contrary —2021 has provided its first solid piece of good news pertaining to the potential survival as well as viability of a #FreePress and having #FreeSpeech mean more than just mere political formalities as the reality of civil liberties in the U.S. as well as the broader collection of so-called "Western, Liberal Democracies" such as France the Britain (among others) which as of recent have seen a broader trend towards a future in which society is increasing dystopian and despotic regarding the nature of relations between the the powerful and those who seek to hold such powerful interests accountable.

"District Judge Vanessa Baraitser ruled that while U.S. prosecutors had met the tests for Mr. Assange to be extradited for trial, the U.S. was incapable of preventing him from attempting to take his own life (a thinly veiled sleight at the abysmal conditions of the U.S. prison system).

Outlining evidence of his self-harm and suicidal thoughts, she said: "The overall impression is of a depressed and sometimes despairing man fearful for his future."

She said: "Faced with the conditions of near total isolation without the protective factors which limited his risk at HMP Belmarsh, I am satisfied the procedures described by the US will not prevent Mr. Assange from finding a way to commit suicide and for this reason I have decided extradition would be oppressive by reason of mental harm and I order his discharge."

(More links mentioned in the show coming soon!)

Follow Me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/TJC

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BTW - Apologies again for the delay in content programming as I have had my hands quite full during the holiday season & beginning of 2021. I hope all of my listeners have had a happy holidays & solid start to what *hopefully* will be a much happier and fortunate new year!

-TJC

WATCH the video edition of this episode of the #GetNuanced Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lG44Uc_81YU

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Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell Jr. (born February 20, 1942) is an American politician serving as the Senior United States Senator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky as well as being a leading member of the GOP and serving as the current Senate Majority Leader. 

Mitch McConnell is the second Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate, the longest-serving U.S. senator for Kentucky in the history of the state, and is also the longest-serving leader of U.S. Senate Republicans (at least as of this moment in 2020) in its entire history.

Known by many nicknames (i.e. "Cocaine Mitch", "Moscow Mitch", and "Turtle Boy" just to name a few), he fancies in particular being the self-proclaimed "Grim Reaper of the Legislative Branch." 

Getting beyond the name-calling and surface-level coverage that the mainstream media outlets tend to give, in this particular segment we will explore who exactly Mitch McConnell is, the political legacy he developing in real-time which has been his relentless mission to fundamentally alter the composition of the Judicial Branch so it can be reconfigured to ensure the agenda of the oligarchs who fund and empower his ilk can achieve their aims.

Beyon that, I will also provide an analysis on the backdrop behind the current SCOTUS fiasco pertaining to the vacant seat of the recently deceased Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Republican Party's effort to get their nominee of Amy Coney Barrett through prior to the upcoming November 3rd Election (SCOTUS in its own right will be a separate topic for broader discussion in the near future regarding its history and function in the government).

I'll also take time to dive into some of his many vested interests + affiliations, along with the grand strategy aspect of his ruthless (as well as highly controversial / totally hypocritical) yet effective wielding of political power within the Halls of Congress in Washington D.C.

Lastly, I'll do my best  in an attempt to connect all of these variables together and how they are set to impact the 2020 Presidential Election (and the down-ballot Senate Races) along with the broader the future of the United States of America. 

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES:

Goofy Political Ad Mentioned: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC28Rwv27N4

Open Secrets Profile for Senator McConnell - https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/mitch-mcconnell/summary?cid=N00003389

His Legacy: https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/07/15/how-trump-compares-with-other-recent-presidents-in-appointing-federal-judges/

His Perspective: https://apnews.com/article/c842a0bcecc840628a991092da3e7ce3

Wiki Bio: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitch_McConnell

His Wife: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elaine_Chao

Her Father: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_S._C._Chao

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CONNECT with #GETNUANCED:

SUBSCRIBE | #GetNuanced YT CHANNEL: http://www.youtube.com/GetNuanced

FOLLOW @TJC on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TJC

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READ | WEB-BLOG: http://www.GetNuanced.com/ 

JOIN | #TeamPeachi: http://www.PeachiLabs.com/

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Thanks for listening and I'll catch you all in the next one, real soon!

-TJC