Copy of Geopolitical Economy Report

The Socialist Program with Brian Becker

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A recent article in The Guardian parroted a US state-funded group's evidence-free allegations that The Grayzone’s Aaron Maté -- who has reported extensively on the OPCW’s Syria cover-up scandal -- is "the most prolific spreader of disinformation" about Syria among a "network" of "conspiracy theorists."

Aaron called Guardian reporter Mark Townsend on the phone to ask him to substantiate these defamatory claims, and why he didn’t reach out before printing them. 

Guest: Mark Townsend. Reporter for The Guardian who wrote the story, “Network of Syria conspiracy theorists identified” — now updated with Aaron Maté’s response. 
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/19/russia-backed-network-of-syria-conspiracy-theorists-identified

Note: to reduce repetition, the recording of the phone call between Aaron and Mark Townsend has been shortened. Townsend was contacted for comment prior to publication of this segment, but did not respond.

Grayzone challenges Guardian reporter on US state-funded Syria smears

USMC Veteran Lucas Gage discusses joining the marines after 9/11 and then becoming disillusioned with the GWOT, Military-Industrial-Complex, and American Empire. U.S. Empire or neoliberal globalism has basically taken over the planet with cultural, financial, and military conquest, but it's stretching itself thin and the world's getting sick of it. The U.S. has put Ukraine on a suicide mission and doesn't' give a damn about the country. The American political elite are keeping the nation divided (e.g. race, vaxxed, gender) as they pillage the country. America under Biden looks weak and WW3 is not impossible. He gives some tips on activism and planting seeds of peace and truth.

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Websites
Website http://lucasgage.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/LucasGage84

About Lucas Gage
Born in Italy on May 18, 1984, I came to America at the age of two, and have lived most of my life in the State of New Jersey.

After I saw the 9/11 attacks live on television, I signed up for the Marine Corps. Four days after my high school graduation, I went straight to boot camp at Parris Island, South Carolina. I endured three months of hell, but graduated as a United States Marine.

During my service, I was deployed twice to Iraq: Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, and Operation Enduring Freedom in 2004. I was honorably discharged as a corporal after four years of service. But my return to civilian life would prove to be difficult. Within months of being home, I began to experience symptoms of post­traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This affected my personal relationships and several other facets of my life.

Trying to find out how to fix what was wrong with me, I stumbled upon neuro-linguistic programming (NLP). I found the subject interesting and decided to become an NLP practitioner. After two years of study, I graduated from the Center for Positive Change and Hypnosis in New York. NLP helped me greatly with my personal challenges, and so I wanted to help others with theirs. I started a life-coaching business, and helped a few clients, but it didn’t last long, thanks to my PTSD.

I was very angry and resentful at this time. I really hated how corrupt the system was, and it drove me into politics. Becoming an anti-war activist, I spent many years exposing the warmongers and corrupt traitors in our government. But after years of activism, I only made a small dent in the narrative, and the stress and anxiety trying to “wake” everyone up, only made my PTSD worse.

Still trying to heal myself, I stumbled upon the works of Marcus Aurelius, Alan Watts, and Lao Tzu. Their teachings led me down a spiritual path that changed my life. The combination of NLP, reading their work, and practicing meditation, led me to have a spiritual epiphany. This caused me to abandon my belief system and transcend identity politics completely. I decided to quit politics and get back what I originally wanted to do: writing, philosophy, and life coaching.

*Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Lucas Gage: U.S. Empire & Neoliberal Globalism Stretching Thin, World's Getting Sick of It #322

Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he’s running for president again, despite only delivering a “red trickle” in the midterm elections and losing the presidency by seven million votes in 2020. What was his real record in office?

Brian is joined by Eugene Puryear, an author, activist, and co-host with Rania Khalek of The Freedom Side LIVE, a live video show every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. ET on BreakThrough.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Trump’s 2024 Announcement Speech Debunked — His Real Record Against Workers

Patreon only: Jeff Sachs on Anthony Fauci and the lab leak theory. https://www.patreon.com/posts/75690871

Jeff Sachs talks about the proxy war in Ukraine and how the West provoked Russia. Norman Solomon talks about the "Don't Run, Joe" campaign, why Biden 2024 would be a "disaster," and the danger of corporate Democrats.

Jeff Sachs is an economist, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University and president of the U.N. Sustainable Development Solutions Network. 

Norman Solomon is an American journalist, media critic, author, activist and is co-founder and national coordinator of RootsAction.org. His latest book, "War Made Invisible: How America Hides the Human Toll of Its Military Machine," will be published by The New Press in June 2023.

For the rest of the discussion with Jeffrey Sachs, to receive bonus content, support independent media and to help make this program possible, please join us on Patreon at - https://www.patreon.com/thekatiehalpershow

Jeff Sachs On Ukraine Proxy War & Norman Solomon on 'Don't Run, Joe'

Dr. Vladimir Kozin discusses the Ukraine conflict and explains that Kiev and NATO are the aggressors against the Russian Federation. The U.S. is threatening the use of nuclear weapons on NATO's eastern flank and has abrogated all arms control agreements. There is little no communication between either side. The Pentagon has stated this war of attrition will continue for at least five years. The western and eastern blocs are fast approaching a Third World War. He comments on Western "state terrorism" (e.g. Nord Stream), Color Revolutions, and believes COVID-19 was a U.S. biological weapon. The West seeks a strategic Russian defeat but Dr. Kozin believes Moscow will win.

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About Dr. Vladimir Kozin
Dr. Vladimir Kozin is a member of the Russian Academy of Military Sciences; member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences; Vice President of the Russian National Institute for Global Security Research; Winner of Colonel-General Varfolomei Korobushin Reward (Russian Strategic Missiles Forces) and Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Reward; and a Leading Expert at the Center for Military-Political Studies of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO).

*Podcast intro music is from the song "The Queens Jig" by "Musicke & Mirth" from their album "Music for Two Lyra Viols": http://musicke-mirth.de/en/recordings.html (available on iTunes or Amazon)

Vladimir Kozin: Western & Eastern Blocs Fast Approaching Third World War #358

On today's episode Brian and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, among others, that has caused widespread panic. The federal government has bailed out these banks, which will make hard-felt U.S. inflation even worse. Are we headed for another economic crisis?

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Collapsing Banks & A Weakening U.S. Empire

NATO leaders met in Lithuania this week, and Finland and Sweden are now joining NATO, continuing the vast expansion of the military alliance. Ukraine was promised a path to NATO membership — despite the risk of further widening the war in Ukraine. Where is the newly emerging world order headed? How will the increasing contradictions resolve? And how can we better understand this historical moment to bring about an end to the scourge of imperialist war?

Brian Becker is joined by Vijay Prashad, the Executive Director of the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research, Chief Editor of LeftWord Books, and a prolific author, most recently with Noam Chomsky of “The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power.”

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

NATO Expands, Again. Will the Ukraine War Spread? w/ Vijay Prashad

On today's episode Walter Smolarek and Prof. Richard Wolff discuss the historic strike of SAG-AFTRA actors and WGA writers and what's at stake. 160,000 actors are now joining the Writers Guild on strike. They're challenging who gets to decide how to install artificial intelligence in the entertainment industry.

Professor Richard Wolff is an author & co-founder of the organization Democracy at Work. You can find his work at rdwolff.com.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at patreon.com/thesocialistprogram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

Showdown Over AI: SAG-AFTRA Actors Join WGA Writers on Strike

US government documents admit that the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was not necessary to end WWII. Japan was on the verge of surrendering. The nuclear attack was the first strike in Washington's Cold War on the Soviet Union.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=5vMEgneKF10

Links to sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/08/07/atomic-bombing-japan-not-necessary

US-backed fascism in Japan - How Shinzo Abe whitewashed genocidal imperial crimes: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/07/09/fascism-japan-shinzo-abe-empire

After nuking Japan, US gov’t lied about radioactive fallout as civilians died: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/08/16/japan-us-lied-radioactive-fallout

Atomic bombing of Japan was NOT necessary to end WWII. US gov't documents admit it

As part of negotiations for Saudi Arabia to recognize Israel, the United States is demanding that Riyadh keep pricing its oil in dollars, not China’s renminbi or other currencies.

VIDEO: https://youtube.com/watch?v=NmYybJZo3fo

Sources and more information here: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2023/08/10/us-saudi-arabia-sell-oil-dollars-chinese-yuan

How Israel is an apartheid regime, with Ali Abunimah: https://geopoliticaleconomy.com/2022/02/03/israel-apartheid-ali-abunimah

US pressures Saudi Arabia to sell oil in dollars, not Chinese yuan

As world leaders from the Global South convene in South Africa for the BRICS Summit this week, the West is watching closely. 23 countries have applied to join Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa in the grouping, which is focused on trade and development in their regions — typically dominated by colonizing powers in Europe and the United States. Where is BRICS headed and what unifies the grouping?

Brian Becker is joined by Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, member of secretariat of Pan Africanism Today, researcher at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research, member of No Cold War, and host of the podcast The Crane: An Africa-China podcast coming from the DongSheng News collective.

Please make an urgently-needed contribution to The Socialist Program by joining our Patreon community at https://www.patreon.com/TheSocialistProgram. We rely on the generous support of our listeners to keep bringing you consistent, high-quality shows. All Patreon donors of $5 a month or more are invited to join the monthly Q&A seminar with Brian.

BRICS Summit: China, Africa, Russia and the 23 New Applicants

News and views about the world for those who want to change it, with Brian Becker