The Arts of Travel

We spoke with journalist William Yang of Deutsche Welle News on How Taiwan has been able to contain the Covid-19 Coronavirus, and how its universal health care system has been crucial in this fight.

William also discusses some of the politics going on between Taiwan, China and the US at this moment where we need to work together to defeat this virus. It's a great chat with journalist during urgent important work.

For more on William, you can check out his Twitter here - @WilliamYang120

And his most recent article on Taiwan, Taiwan's Healthcare and fighting Covid-19 here - https://www.dw.com/en/taiwan-coronavirus/a-52724523

Beats by Nayz & Yz : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0r6a6dnsEg

At the outset of the US's Coronavirus outbreak, I had a fascinating conversation w. writer Vicky Osterweil on the era we live in. We'll release part 1 soon but, due to our present crisis, I'm skipping to Part 2

We look with unflinching personal honesty at our era of cascading environmental, economic, and political crisis. How this has led us to two equally horrific choices, the Ethnonationalist fascism (ala a Trump or Modi) or Neoliberal fascism (in the form of Big Tech and Silicon Valley.)

We must recognize both, reject both, and build something else. Something inclusive, moral and for the benefit of all. Vicky and I discuss how to recognize and reject... but building that third choice, is still undecided and still up to all of us.

For more from Vicky you can find her on Twitter: @Vicky_ACAB

Her writing in Real Life: https://reallifemag.com/contributors/vicky-osterweil

And the essay that spawned our interview can be found here, it's one of my favorite 'takes' on the brutal violence of neoliberalism: https://thenewinquiry.com/liberalism-is-dead/

Beats by Syndrome: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpnv_pi97yY

March 15th was the 9th anniversary of the Syrian Revolution. It's made all the more painful by the indifference from Western governments towards refugees. Hunted first by the Assad Regime they now face the invisible tormentor of the Covid-19 virus as they try to finally find stability, peace and hope.

To discuss the revolution, why the international community failed Syria, and what can be done, I spoke with Leila Al Shami, co-author with Robin Yassin-Kassab of Burning Country: Syrians in Revolution and War. Its one of my favorite recent political books and I think a must-read for anyone who wants to understand Syria.

Find Leila and Robin's book here: https://www.plutobooks.com/author/leila-al-shami/

Beat by Syndrome: https://www.beatstars.com/beat/hip-hop-swing-891376

This is the finale of our chat w. Comedian/Activist/Twitter Final Boss Jake Flores (@feraljokes). We discuss the misanthropic phenomenon of 'Edgelord' comedy, why Nanette isn't talked about more on the Left, and the emotional toil/labor of being a Stand-up Comedian under Neoliberalism.

It's a fascinating conversation w. a rising star in comedy and I know you'll laugh (and maybe cry) a little bit!

Part one of our conversation can be found here. It's a great chat about the "Brooklyn" Left, the limits of "Podcast Leftism" and the good and bad of contemporary Left Media.

• https://player.whooshkaa.com/episode?id=562590 (and iTunes/Spotify/Android)

For more on Jake check out his twitter, go see his live shows, and listen to his own podcasts:

• The more serious and academic 'Why you Mad?': https://soundcloud.com/whyyoumadpod

• And the horror/leftist/cluster-fu*k that is Pod Damn America : https://soundcloud.com/poddamnamerica

• And Jake's own website (with tours and other info) can be found here: http://www.feraljokes.com

Beats by Lakey Inspired, Golden Hour: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

I spoke w. Nicole Curato (Twitter:@NicoleCurato) an author, academic and the editor of "A Duterte Reader", one of my favorite recent books on Asia : A Duterte Reader

Nicole joined me for a complex discussion on Phillipines' leader Rodrigo Duterte, why he was elected, and how Western observers far too often use lazy tropes and stereotypes about the Philippines to try and understand Duterte, rather than looking at the myriad of complex factors that explain his rise and the rise of authoritarian leaders globally in our era of cruel Neoliberalism.

It's a fascinating chat for both scholars of the Philippines and for a casual listener who'd like to learn more. I hope you enjoy!

For more on the Duterte Reader: http://www.ateneo.edu/ateneopress/product/duterte-reader-critical-essays-rodrigo-dutertes-early-presidency

Beat is by 27Corazones Beats

Perhaps the saddest paradox of California, America's most 'progressive state' is the increasing indifference, if not outright hostility to the homeless and unhoused.

To discuss this paradox I was joined by the brilliant Cora Currier of the Intercept. Our conversation is centered on her outstanding article for Dissent Magazine about California politics and organizing unhoused communities. As well as numerous other topics.

You Can Read Cora's outstanding piece in Dissent Magazine here: https://www.dissentmagazine.org/article/organizing-skid-row

And follow groups advocating for the unhoused here:

Cora's Twitter: https://twitter.com/coracurrier

Ground Game LA: https://twitter.com/GroundGameLA

Ktown for All: https://twitter.com/KtownforAll

Los Angeles Community Action Network: https://twitter.com/LACANetwork

Invisible People: https://invisiblepeople.tv/

Podcast- We the Unhoused: https://soundcloud.com/user-369990655

Photo is Creative Commons, some rights reserved by Franco Folini

https://www.flickr.com/photos/livenature/

Music is by Lakey Inspired: https://soundcloud.com/lakeyinspired

To discuss the Coronavirus, how its affected China, and its global implications, my guest today is Rui Zhong of the Wilson Center. Rui, who has close ties to Wuhan, has been one of the more sensitive, nuanced and intelligent writers addressing the Coronavirus.

How do we sympathize with the struggles of ordinary people while furious at the actions of their governments? How do we fight the Coronavirus while not allowing states to use it as an excuse for enhancing surveillance? How do we not succumb to xenophobia at a disease which knows no borders and no flags?

In these moments of global panic, we can be our best and worst selves I discuss all this with Rui in an engaging conversation. I hope you find it useful.

For more on Wuhan, The Coronavirus and China I'd recommend the following:

A great playlist of Wuhan punk and Rock and Roll can be found here: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3Ay8sJS5rgrJK3JVLCFgo0

Rui's Foreign policy piece can be found here: https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/22/wuhan-coronavirus-quarantine-china-will-hit-poor-hardest/

New York Times Article we refer to in the piece is here: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/business/china-coronavirus-wuhan-delivery.html

The Surplus Value Podcast can be found here (Chinese Language only): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghx4l0Cp9o0

This wonderful article by Chuang (a progressive China Journal): http://chuangcn.org/2020/02/social-contagion/

Beat is by Urban Nerd Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozVQixtiq8U

網友手繪。圖片來自網絡 at https://theinitium.com/article/20200207-liwenliang-public-opinion/

Today is the 228 Holiday in Taiwan, which marks a bloody incident, and long 70+ year struggle, that eventually gave birth to Taiwan's now flourishing civil society and democracy. This stands in stark contrast to a China that demand Taiwan return to its authoritarian fold, and a Hong Kong still desperately trying to escape China and chart its own democratic future.

To help our non-Taiwan listeners better understand Taiwan and this important day, I'm joined by Researcher and PhD Candidate Lev Nachman, for an honest and engaging discussion on Taiwan's past, its current systems of Universal Health Care, Gay Marriage and Indigenous recognition, and its unclear future, where a China defined by nationalism remains unwilling to let Taiwan be free. Lev and I discuss all this, and try to chart a course for a progressive Taiwan policy under a Sanders or Warren Administration.

For more on Taiwan's history and today's Holiday, Lev and I recommend the following resources

• Lev's thread on The "228" Incident: twitter.com/lnachman32/status/1232874082854559749

• This great article by journalist Erin Hale on the complex relation between Indigenous Groups and Taiwan domestic Politics: aljazeera.com/news/2020/01/campaign-time-taiwan-indigenous-people-kmt-200108054107733.html

• The Website New Bloom , run by Activist and Researcher Brian Hioe: https://newbloommag.net/

• The book "Forget Chineseness" on Nationalism and Identity by Allen Chun: https://www.sunypress.edu/p-6355-forget-chineseness.aspx

• The Hong Kong Progressive Collective - Lausan: https://lausan.hk/

• The China Progressive Collective - Chuang: http://chuangcn.org/

• The Taiwan Magazine the Newslens: https://international.thenewslens.com/

Beats by https://omoon.beatstars.com/

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi is incredibly popular within India's diaspora. But how can one support tolerance and immigration within the context of the US or UK, and at the same time support the bigotry and Islamophobia of Modi's BJP Party in India?

To explore this paradox I spoke w. Eviane Leidig, a researcher at The Center for Research on Extremism (C-REX). We discuss the rise of the BJP, its growing ties with other global far-right leaders like Trump and Boris Johnson, and how industries like Silicon Valley are crucial to spreading its toxic message of neoliberalism and islamophobia.

For more on these subjects, I highly recommend checking out Eviane's website: https://www.evianeleidig.com/

Lastly, for four more sources, I highly recommend

• Neha Dixit for understanding the scope of violence currently being unleashed by the BJP in India

• Dr. Aihwa Ong for her examinations of how neoliberalism affects immigration policies.

• Soumya Shankar. (Her work at The Intercept) is also outstanding.

• Dr. Kecheng Fang on the rise of Ethnosupremacy & Right Wing Economics in China.

Beats by Urban Nerd Beats: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qa5VSPk6d-k

We spoke to Harvard Film Scholar Keung Yoon Bae (twitter: @becky_kybae) on the movie Parasite!

As a scholar who grew up in Korea during its "new wave" Cinema, Keung Yoon was able to explain many subtle nuances of Korea as it relates to Parasite, Korean Cinema and Korean Politics that added many new layers to my understanding of the film.* (* Warning there are spoilers!)

For more on Keung Yoon, please check out her Twitter, Academic Journals and her essay discussing the Korean Films, Burning and Parasite.

For more w. us check out Asia Art Tours .com !

Music is by Hojo Street Beats https://soundcloud.com/esponthebeats/free-sik-k-type-beat-girl-friend-kpop-beat-free-type-beat-instrumental