Politically Depressed

The Israeli blockade on Gaza will kill 14,000 babies in 48 hours if it is not lifted. This was announced today by the UN. It has been 79 days since the total blockade was placed on Gaza, after Israel unilaterally ended the ceasefire agreement they signed with Hamas. It is impossible to deny what is being painfully and maliciously enacted on a daily basis: a genocide, mass extermination and annihilation. Two million Palestinians in Gaza are being starved and bombed. This has to stop. I don't know how, but it has to.

Donate to support community kitchens in Gaza: https://chuffed.org/project/allchildrenareourchildren

Elon Musk is one of the most dangerous men alive today. But he didn't come out of nowhere. In this episode I talk about one thing that he's done, that I think most people don't even know he did. To me, it's amongst the worst of it all.

Note: When I list some of the wort things he's done, I forget to mention his creation and involvement in DOGE, which I know is a pretty huge thing to miss, but alas.

Also, this was recorded on Tuesday May 13 (3 days ago). Since then the podcast 'Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution' has released a new episode!

Check out the first two episodes here.

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I've been a bit absent from this podcast the last couple of weeks. I share why - which amounts to some pretty good, interesting news. One thing I forgot to mention in the episode is that I've also been arranging a few interviews for this podcast by really really cool people, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, I guess the crunch is over, so I'll go back to releasing episodes on the weekly.

Film Club: https://www.patreon.com/posts/lebanon-wars-126557915

New Video Essay: https://youtu.be/W1pKLk-E6J0

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This is a special announcement episode broadcast on all FTP channels.

We at FTP are hosting a series of weekly film screenings and discussions on the Lebanese wars starting this Sunday April 20.

In this short episode, Elia and Ayman go through the list of films they selected, what you can expect from the screenings, and how you can participate.

To sign up and join the watch parties head over to ⁠our Patreon⁠ where you'll find ⁠this post with the invitation link⁠.

Invites are immediately available to all Patreon members. If you don't want to become a member, you can buy the link with a one-time purchase.

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All the films (except the last) are already publicly available on ⁠this playlist⁠ on our Youtube Channel.

The films we'll watch are:

⁠A Feeling Greater than Love⁠ (2017) dir. Mary Jirmanus Saba

- A feature-length documentary about the class struggle and labour movements in the lead up to the outbreak of the war in 1975.

⁠Lebanon's War⁠ - Part 3: Explosion (2001)

- A 42 minute episode of a documentary series by Al-Jazeera on the Lebanon Wars that covers in great depth the 1975 outbreak of the civil war with incredible, rare interviews.

⁠Beirut, My City⁠ (1983) dir. Jocelyne Saab

- A 38 minute film by a legendary Lebanese filmmaker filmed in Beirut amidst the Israeli siege that serves as a timeless intimate meditation on a city tortured by war and occupation.

⁠Souha, Surviving Hell⁠ (2001) dir. Randa Chahal Sabagh

- A 57 minute documentary following communist resistance fighter South Bechara as she returns to the south of Lebanon after its liberation from Israeli occupation in 2000.

⁠Last Days of the Man of Tomorrow⁠ (2017) dir. Fadz

- A short film that serves as a brilliant, illuminating, and humorous retrospective on the war by the post-war generation.

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Hope to see you at the film screenings! ⁠Here again is the link to sign up. ⁠

Going back to basics for this episode. I talk about how sad I've been, how so many of us are unwell, and how we should talk about it more.

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I'm just so damn mortified by the daily massacres. The images. The wailing screams. The f*scist apologia.

This was recorded on Wednesday, April 3th.

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Joy at others misfortunes. It's fine when it's punching up, but I've noticed it too often be used to punch down. I talk about it.

Headlines:

- Israel kills two more journalists in Gaza: Hussam Shabbat and Mohammad Mansour

- Protests seize Turkey after Erdogan's latest power grab

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I talk about the idea that I have for the next video essay.

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Support Ali's Go Fund Me

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There were numerous massacres that happening in the Syrian coast over the last week. I talk about them, share some information that I have about them and the reactions to them. I also provide some context to recent developments in Syria which I think too many are confused by and even more are coopting for ideological purposes.

Here's some additional resources on the coast massacres:

Article by Robin Yassin-Kassab

Report by the Syrian Network for Human Rights

Short video by Megaphone News

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New video essay 'Where Are the Arabs?'

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As always I'll be going live this Sunday at 6pm CET to talk more about what I discuss in this episode. Join me if you have any questions or just want to hold space.

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Just a personal rant about feeling sad that my therapist can no longer do sessions with me. I also share some thoughts about why therapy was so useful/helpful for me, especially in this present moment of despair and gloom.

Headlines: Zelensky v. Trump, Vance; Israeli aggression on Syria.

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