Andreas Krieg joins us to discuss the United Arab Emirates’ regional rivalry with Saudi Arabia, its cultivation of an ‘Axis of Secessionists,’ and what its network-centric geopolitical approach portends for the future of the world system.Texts mentioned: A Thousand Plateaus by Gilles Deleuze and Felix Guattari.Dr. Andreas Krieg is an associate professor at the School of Security Studies at King’s College London and a Fellow at the Institute of Middle Eastern Studies. His research focuses on network-centric statecraft, information operations, and security dynamics across the Middle East. He has been seconded to the Royal College of Defence Studies since 2018. Dr. Krieg has published extensively on networked statecraft, proxy warfare, and the weaponization of narratives, with a particular emphasis on Gulf security and the geopolitical rivalry between regional actors. He is the author and coauthor of several books, including Subversion, Surrogate Warfare and Socio-Political Order & Security in the Arab World. He is the director of the London-based geostrategic risk consultancy MENA analytica since 2019.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the US-Iran negotiations in Muscat, the end of nuclear non-proliferation, the assassination of Saif al-Islam Gaddafi in Libya, oil deals in Syria, and what the Epstein files have revealed about our ruling class.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-fu…

Abby Martin of Empire Files joins us to discuss the devastating environmental impacts of US militarism, the murder-suicide pact embraced by our ruling class, and Israel’s ecocide in Gaza. Check out Abby’s new film, Earth’s Greatest Enemy, which is on tour now. Abby’s art is available here.Abby Martin is an investigative journalist, filmmaker, and activist whose work focuses on U.S. militarism, empire, and the political economy of war. She is the creator and host of Empire Files, an independently produced documentary series examining US foreign policy, corporate power, and global resistance movements.Works referenced: The Sunlight Managers by Sofia MenemenlisWe’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comIn part two of our conversation with Jake Romm, we discuss October 7th and its aftermath, and how counter-systemic movements such as Hamas and Ansarallah have attempted to redeem the emancipatory promise of international law. We also discuss Jake’s work with the Hind Rajab Foundation, an organization committed to pursuing legal accountability for the perpetrators of the Gaza genocide. Jake Romm is a New York City based writer and the Associate Editor of Protean Magazine. He is the U.S. Representative for the Hind Rajab Foundation.To support the work of the Hind Rajab Foundation, you can contribute here. We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

Jake Romm joins us to discuss the construction of the liberal international order, the latent imperialism of just war theory, and the legal infrastructure of the war on terror. This is part one of a two part conversation. Part two—in which we cover October 7th, the collapse of the liberal international order, and Jake’s work with the Hind Rajab Foundation—will be released for paid subscribers on January 30th.Works referenced: Acts Harmful to the Enemy by Jake Romm and Dylan Saba, Why Trump’s Venezuela Attacks Matter So Much by Jake Romm, America, América by Greg Grandin, A History of Bombing by Sven Lindqvist, Kill Anything that Moves by Nick Turse. Also check out Jake’s piece Against the Wound.Jake Romm is a New York City based writer and the Associate Editor of Protean Magazine. He is the U.S. Representative for the Hind Rajab Foundation.To support the work of the Hind Rajab Foundation, you can contribute here.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the state of the world order as seen from Davos, Ahmed al-Sharaa’s campaign against the Kurds in Syria, the growing possibility of a US military attack on Iran, and the unveiling of Jared Kushner’s Gaza reconstruction plan.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely…

Abdaljawad Omar joins us to discuss life under occupation in the West Bank, Israel’s strategy of permanence through crisis, and what Palestinian resistance represents from the perspective of world revolution.Works discussed: Israel Seeks Redemption in the Gaza Ruins; The Grammar of Resistance: Rethinking Palestine Beyond Pity and Fear; The Anxiety of Liberation.Abdaljawad Omar is a Palestinian writer based in Ramallah, Palestine. He lectures in the Department of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Birzeit University and holds a PhD in interdisciplinary social sciences focused on Palestinian resistance. Omar writes and publishes widely on political theory, decolonial thought, colonialism, and contemporary Palestinian life.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the Tony Dokoupil Century of Humiliation, NATO’s troop buildup in Greenland, anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis, the criminal investigation into Jerome Powell, and the latest developments in Gaza.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

José Luis Granados Ceja joins us to discuss the abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro, the US’s long war on the Bolivarian Revolution, and what to expect next from the Trump administration in Latin America.José Luis Granados Ceja is a journalist and political analyst based in Mexico City. He previously worked as a staff writer for teleSUR and currently covers Latin America for Drop Site News. He is the co-founder of the Soberanía podcast and a presenter on the show Sin Muros on Mexico’s Canal Once. His stories focus on contemporary political issues and cover social movements, elections, and human rights in Latin America.Follow him on social media: @GranadosCeja We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the abduction of Nicolás Maduro, the murder of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, the protests in Iran, and the collapse of the UAE-backed secessionist project in southern Yemen.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

Samar Al-Bulushi joins us to discuss Israel’s recognition of Somaliland, US intervention in the Horn of Africa, and why the Red Sea corridor has become such a hotspot in the rapidly shifting global order.Works mentioned: Israel, Ethiopia and the Somali questionSamar Al-Bulushi is an Associate Professor of Anthropology at UC Irvine. She is the author of War-Making as Worldmaking: Kenya, the United States, and the War on Terror (Stanford University Press, 2024). Her analysis on militarism and imperialism in Africa has been featured in The Intercept, Al-Jazeera, Teen Vogue, Jacobin, Democracy Now! and Africa is a Country.Twitter: @samar42 Bluesky: @samar42.bsky.social We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain access to weekly news analysis bonus episodes, where we respond to events as they unfold, follow up on previous discussions, and draw connections across the conflicts shaping our world.Most importantly, paid subscriptions make it possible for us to keep doing this work independently, week after week.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss Trump’s threatened blockade of Venezuelan oil, the expanded Muslim ban, Bari Weiss’s town hall with Erika Kirk, and the latest FBI sting operation.Congratulations to Dan for winning our first book giveaway! We’ll be sending you our copy of Orisanmi Burton’s Tip of the Spear.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

Adom Getachew joins us to discuss self-determination, pan-Africanism, and the life and thought of Marcus Garvey. Check out Getachew’s book, Worldmaking After Empire, here.Adom Getachew is Professor of Political Science and Race, Diaspora & Indigeneity at the University of Chicago. She is the author of Worldmaking after Empire: The Rise and Fall of Self-Determination (2019) and co-editor, with Jennifer Pitts, of W. E. B. Du Bois: International Thought (2022). As part of a four-member curatorial team, she curated the exhibition Project a Black Planet: The Art and Culture of Panafrica and co-edited the accompanying catalogue. She is currently working on a second book on the intellectual origins and political practices of Garveyism. Her public writing has appeared in Dissent, Foreign Affairs, the London Review of Books, the Nation, the New York Review of Books, and the New York Times.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comIn our first Q&A livestream, we were joined by Hassan from Episode 4: Sudan in the World System to answer questions about Salafism in the Sahel, Dubai influencers, Chinese foreign policy, developments in South Yemen, and more.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

Rania Khalek joins us to discuss the history of Hezbollah, Lebanon’s struggle for sovereignty in the face of US interference and Israeli aggression, and the country’s current political dilemmas. Watch Khalek’s documentary with Breakthrough News on Israel’s 2024 pager attacks here.Rania Khalek is an award-winning Lebanese-American journalist and host of Dispatches on Breakthrough News, where she investigates the global consequences of imperialism, war, and systemic oppression. With over a decade of frontline reporting from conflict zones and marginalized communities, her work has been featured in The Nation, The Intercept, Al Jazeera, FAIR, and The Electronic Intifada, where she served on the editorial board.X: @RaniaKhalek IG: @RaniaKhalekIn this episode, we mentioned the campaign to support one of our movement elders, Xinachtli (Alvaro Hernández), who is being killed by the Texas carceral system. X is the longest-held Indigenous political prisoner and has suffered over 23 years of his imprisonment in solitary confinement. Urgent action is needed to save his life.Sign up for the phone/email blast: bit.ly/xphoneblastSign the support letter: tinyurl.com/xsupportletterFor updates and to donate to Xinachtli’s campaign, visit their instagram page: @freexinachtlinow or website.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the death of Yasser Abu Shabab, Netanyahu’s corruption charges, the upcoming Houthi invasion of the Golan Heights, Hegseth’s double tap, and Trump’s racist tirade against Somalis.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will have access to regular new roundup bonus episodes. Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

Our friend Rob Ashlar joins us to discuss the myths and realities of the Axis of Resistance, Iranian grand strategy, and the unifying power of the Palestinian cause.Rob Ashlar is an independent researcher and reporter covering jihadist movements, particularly in West Africa and the Middle East. His primary subjects are Al Qaida in the Sahel and Islamic State during the Iraqi Insurgency. Rob also focuses on Middle Eastern geopolitics, most recently the nature of the US–Israel relationship.Twitter/X: https://x.com/RashmanTheHorseSubstack: https://robashlar.substack.com/For more on Strategic Accelerationism: https://robashlar.substack.com/p/guest-post-strategic-accelerationismIf you’re able, please consider donating to Rob’s friend Mahmoud in Gaza.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will have access to regular new roundup bonus episodes. Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek VenkatramanMix: Jasper Saba This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss Jair Bolsonaro’s failed attempt to escape from house arrest, former Obama speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz’s sensational book tour, and the Trump-Mamdani White House summit.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the McDonald’s Summit, the Donroe Doctrine, Mohammad bin Salman at the White House, and the United Nations Security Council formally endorsing Trump’s Gaza plan. We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman

Our friend Hassan joins us to discuss the devastating civil war in Sudan, the geopolitical strategy of the United Arab Emirates, and US counter-rationality as a hegemon in decline. Check out Hassan's 2022 piece on the Sudanese revolution, Where is Sudan? Refracting the Globe Through Bilad al-Dahab.If you are able, please consider donating to one of the following fundraisers to support relief efforts in Sudan:https://www.gofundme.com/f/fight-hunger-in-sudan-the-khartoum-kitchen-appealhttps://sudanfunds.com/https://www.sudansolidarity.com/We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek VenkatramanMix: Jasper Saba This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

We discuss Kazakhstan joining the Abraham Accords, the absurd failure of Saudi Arabia’s Neom, Jolani’s White House visit, and offer a critical assessment of the Mamdani mayoral victory on our first news roundup bonus episode. This is a teaser for our news roundup bonus episode. Subscribe here for access to the full version. We're committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Follow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

Orisanmi Burton joins us to discuss the legacy of Assata Shakur, the prison as a form of warfare, and transnational solidarity between Black and Palestinian revolutionary struggles. Texts discussed: Assata is Welcome Here, Tip of the Spear, and Fugitive Solidarities. Please consider donating to the commissary of Tarek Bazrouk and this fundraiser for Jakhi McCray, two political prisoners mentioned in this episode. Orisanmi Burton researches and writes about the collision between Black radical politics and state repression. He is the author of Tip of the Spear: Black Radicalism, Prison Repression, and the Long Attica Revolt (UC Press 2023).Clips at 22:30 and 1:13:21 found in the documentary ATTICA (1974). We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get regular bonus episodes, which will usually be news roundups (but may also include bonus interviews). Paid subscribers will also have access to monthly livestreams, book giveaways, and Q&A. Most importantly, our paid subscribers help us keep this project going.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek VenkatramanMix: Jasper Saba This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

Alexander Aviña joins us to discuss Israel’s Cold War involvement in Latin America, the invention of “narcoterrorism,” and the potential for solidarity between the pro-Palestine and anti-ICE movements. Check out Aviña’s work with the Anti-Imperialist Scholars Collective. Alexander Aviña is an Associate Professor of History at Arizona State University. He is a historian of modern Mexico and Latin America currently writing a book on the intersection between political radicalism, state terrorism and drug wars in Cold War Mexico. He is the author of Specters of Revolution: Peasant Guerrillas in the Cold War Mexican Countryside (Oxford U Press, 2014). Twitter/X: @Alexander_AvinaWebsite: alexanderavina.comWe’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get an early release of our intro episode, access to a launch day live stream on 10/28 with special guests, and more bonus content to come.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek VenkatramanMix: Jasper Saba This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

Laleh Khalili joins us to discuss Ansarallah’s naval blockade in support of Palestine, the politics and history of the commodities trade in the Arabian Peninsula, and "counter-logistical" strategies of resistance. Check out Khalili’s new book Extractive Capitalism: How Commodities and Cronyism Drive the Global Economy and her previous book Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula, both of which featured heavily in our discussion. Also mentioned: The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders who Barter the Earth’s Resources. Laleh Khalili is a professor of Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and the author or editor of seven books, including Heroes and Martyrs of Palestine: The Politics of National Commemoration (Cambridge 2007), Sinews of War and Trade: Shipping and Capitalism in the Arabian Peninsula (Verso 2020), and Extractive Capitalism: How Commodities and Cronyism Drive the Global Economy (Profile Books 2025). Twitter/X: @LalehKhaliliWe’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get an early release of our intro episode, access to a launch day live stream on 10/28 with special guests, and more bonus content to come.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_podTheme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek Venkatraman This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

Audio: George Habash speaks on U.S. role in Palestine and Lebanon, January 1979.Theme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)Art: Vivek VenkatramanThe American Century is ending. So far, the world order emerging in its wake has been defined by geopolitical chaos and rolling, interconnected crises—in a word: Turbulence. Whether these crises ultimately produce a new superpower, a new multipolar world, or simply more and more chaos remains open to the forces of historical contingency.This podcast is our attempt to make sense of a world in flux. What is going on? What fresh hells await us? And what the f**k, if anything, can we do about it? These are the questions we seek to answer. In the long tail of the so-called Global War on Terror—and particularly in the post October 7 world—much of these questions will lead us to the Middle East. But we’ll be going elsewhere in the periphery, and will certainly be coming back home to the core.The situation is bad, and is sure to get worse. But if there is a way out, we’ll be trying to find it. We hope you’ll join us.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get an early release of our intro episode, access to a launch day live stream on 10/28 with special guests, and more bonus content to come.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_pod This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe

Audio: George Habash speaks on U.S. role in Palestine and Lebanon, January 1979.Theme: Eye for an Eye, Haram (2017)The American Century is ending. So far, the world order emerging in its wake has been defined by geopolitical chaos and rolling, interconnected crises—in a word: Turbulence. Whether these crises ultimately produce a new superpower, a new multipolar world, or simply more and more chaos remains open to the forces of historical contingency.This podcast is our attempt to make sense of a world in flux. What is going on? What fresh hells await us? And what the f**k, if anything, can we do about it? These are the questions we seek to answer. In the long tail of the so-called Global War on Terror—and particularly in the post October 7 world—much of these questions will lead us to the Middle East. But we’ll be going elsewhere in the periphery, and will certainly be coming back home to the core.The situation is bad, and is sure to get worse. But if there is a way out, we’ll be trying to find it. We hope you’ll join us.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or have institutional affiliations. That means we’re entirely listener funded.For $5, paid subscribers will get an early release of our intro episode, access to a launch day live stream on 10/28 with special guests, and more bonus content to come.Subscribe today at turbulencepod.substack.comFollow along on Twitter/X and Instagram @turbulence_pod This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit turbulencepod.substack.com/subscribe