Turbulence
Turbulence

Turbulence is a podcast about the end of the American empire, or the end of the world—whichever comes first. Join Dylan Saba, M Ceniza, and friends as they navigate the geopolitical chaos of a world-system in flux. <br/><br/><a href="https://turbulencepod.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast">turbulencepod.substack.com</a>

James Crane joins us to discuss how Palestine shaped Deleuze & Guattari’s philosophy, and what their concepts of minoritarian politics, the war machine, and lines of flight mean for the practice of revolutionary struggle.James Crane is a PhD candidate working on post-Kantian philosophy and does research on early Frankfurt School Critical Theory. Crane is an editor at the Critical Theory Working Group, who you can find on almost all social media sites. They host bi-annual reading groups on Critical Theory, broadly understood. You can find some of Crane’s translations on his blog, Substudies, on Substack.Works referenced: “The Indians of Palestine” (1982); “The Grandeur of Yasser Arafat” (1983); “Stones” (1988); “Spoilers of Peace” (1978); A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia (1980); Anti-Oedipus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia (1972); Two Regimes of Madness: Texts and Interviews 1975–1995; Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari: Intersecting Lives (2010); Soledad Brother: The Prison Letters of George Jackson (1970); The Undercommons: Fugitive Planning & Black Study (2013); “The Author as Producer” (1934)To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.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 whether the GOP rout signals the end of the Trump era, how it shapes escalation scenarios in the Iran war, what it would mean for an electoral left to engage seriously with US decline, and the status of the Donroe Doctrine.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.For $5 a month, paid subscribers gain acces…
Hassan joins us to discuss the making of the modern Ethiopian state, the revolutionary struggles that overthrew the monarchy and the Derg, the rise and fall of TPLF rule, and Abiy Ahmed’s drive toward another war with Eritrea.Works mentioned: American UtopiaAcronym Guide:TPLF — Tigray People’s Liberation Front: Former guerrilla movement that led the coalition governing Ethiopia from 1991 to 2018.EPLF — Eritrean People’s Liberation Front: Movement that led Eritrea’s struggle for independence and took power in 1991.ELF — Eritrean Liberation Front: Earlier Eritrean independence movement, eventually displaced by the EPLF.EPRDF — Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front: TPLF-led ruling coalition that governed Ethiopia from 1991 until its dissolution in 2019.EPRP — Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party: Marxist revolutionary organization that opposed the Derg military regime.AESM (MEISON) — All-Ethiopia Socialist Movement: Marxist organization that initially supported the Derg before being violently suppressed.OLF — Oromo Liberation Front: Oromo nationalist movement advocating self-determination.OPDO — Oromo People’s Democratic Organization: Oromo constituent party of the EPRDF, later renamed the Oromo Democratic Party.OLA — Oromo Liberation Army: Armed Oromo nationalist insurgent organization.ONLF — Ogaden National Liberation Front: Somali nationalist movement seeking self-determination for Ethiopia’s Somali Region.ENDF — Ethiopian National Defense Forces: Ethiopia’s federal military.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.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 VenkatramanResearcher: KC 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 Lula’s victory in Brazil, Flavio’s exile in Miami, the results of the Israeli legislative elections, Bibi’s grand strategy, the Mecca Alliance in Tehran, and how UAE relates to the world-system.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money fro…
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the widening war in Sudan, the UAE’s destabilization campaigns, the convergence of conflicts across the Horn of Africa, and whether the disintegration of the international order is giving rise to a global civil war.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.We’re committed to independence and will never run …
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss Mamdani’s capitulation to the NYPD, Indigenous resistance to border militarization, Ansarallah’s war with Saudi Arabia, Trump’s Ukraine problem, and Erik Prince’s mercenary operations in Congo and Haiti.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take …
We continue our discussion with Mamyrah Dougé-Prosper on the history of popular resistance in Haiti, the contradictions of the Aristide era, the PetroCaribe protests of 2018, and the current struggle for sovereignty from below.Mamyrah Dougé-Prosper is an Assistant Professor of Global and International Studies at the University of California, Irvine. She is also the director of the Center for Racial Justice at UCI. Dougé-Prosper’s work generally focuses on Black social movements. More specifically, her research centers around protest movements in 21st century Haiti. Dougé-Prosper has published in political magazines such as Black Agenda Report, LeftEast, Phenomenal World, Jacobin and NACLA as well as academic journals such as Women’s Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, Kalfou, Small Axe, PoLAR and the Journal of Haitian Studies. She is completing her first manuscript titled Nation Against State: Development Contested in Occupied Haiti. Dougé-Prosper is currently a board member of Grassroots International. Between 2018 and 2024, she served as the coordinator of the Pan-African Solidarity Network with Community Movement Builders.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.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 VenkatramanResearcher: KCMix: 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
Mamyrah Dougé-Prosper joins us to discuss the history of foreign intervention in Haiti, the political and economic origins of the country’s so-called gangs, and the centuries-long struggle between the Haitian state and popular sovereignty.Mamyrah Dougé-Prosper is an Assistant Professor of Global and International Studies at the University of California, Irvine. She is also the director of the Center for Racial Justice at UCI. Dougé-Prosper’s work generally focuses on Black social movements. More specifically, her research centers around protest movements in 21st century Haiti. Dougé-Prosper has published in political magazines such as Black Agenda Report, LeftEast, Phenomenal World, Jacobin and NACLA as well as academic journals such as Women’s Studies Quarterly, International Studies Review, Kalfou, Small Axe, PoLAR and the Journal of Haitian Studies. She is completing her first manuscript titled Nation Against State: Development Contested in Occupied Haiti. Dougé-Prosper is currently a board member of Grassroots International. Between 2018 and 2024, she served as the coordinator of the Pan-African Solidarity Network with Community Movement Builders.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.Episode Guide:* MINUSTAH — United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (2004–2017). Brazil-led UN peacekeeping mission established following the removal of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.* MINUJUSTH — United Nations Mission for Justice Support in Haiti (2017–2019). Successor to MINUSTAH, focused on policing and judicial institutions.* BINUH — United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (2019–present). UN political mission supporting governance, security, and human rights.* MSS — Multinational Security Support Mission (2024–2026). Kenya-led multinational security force authorized by the UN Security Council.* GSF — Gang Suppression Force (2026–present). Multinational force authorized to combat armed groups in Haiti.* FRAPH — Front for the Advancement and Progress of Haiti. Paramilitary organization implicated in repression following the 1991 coup against Aristide.* PHTK — Parti Haïtien Tèt Kale. Political party associated with former presidents Michel Martelly and Jovenel Moïse.* G9 — G9 an Fanmi e Alye (G9 Family and Allies). Armed-group coalition associated with Jimmy Chérizier (“Barbecue”).* ALBA — Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America. Regional cooperation initiative established by Venezuela and Cuba.* IMF — International Monetary Fund. International financial institution involved in Haiti’s economic restructuring.* OAS — Organization of American States. Regional intergovernmental organization.* HOPE — Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity through Partnership Encouragement Act. U.S. trade-preference legislation for Haitian apparel.* HELP — Haiti Economic Lift Program Act. U.S. legislation expanding trade preferences for Haitian textiles and apparel.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 VenkatramanResearcher: KCMix: 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 the third anniversary of 10/7, the French school riots, Ansarallah’s continued offensive in Yemen, their use of FPV drones, the response from the Saudi-led “coalition,” and Iranian strikes on shipping in the Gulf.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 free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss the upcoming Brazilian elections, US plans to invade Cuba, the end of the third (?) Iraq war, military escort missions in Hormuz, the detention of migrant children in Texas, and Netanyahu’s pre-election gambits.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads …
This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comIn part two of our conversation with Nathan Tankus, we discuss the finance of settler colonialism—from the Ottoman Empire’s debt crisis to the foreign capital that financed Zionist settlement and facilitated Palestinian dispossession.Nathan Tankus is a writer, researcher, and president of the publication Notes on the Crises. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Trump-Musk Payments Crisis: A 250-Year History, under contract with Viking Press. He is also the editor of We, Traitors: Bundist Writings on Zionism, Palestine, and Socialism, forthcoming from Haymarket.Nathan has created a 70% off annual subscription discount for Turbulence listeners! Access here: https://www.crisesnotes.com/turbulence.You can find Nathan on Bluesky or on Instagram.To support Palestinians in Gaza, consider donating through The Sameer Project.Full Bibliography for parts 1 and 2:Beardsley Ruml, “Warm Springs Memorandum,” April 1, 1938, Box 1, Series II, Ruml Papers (University of Chicago Special Collections)https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QX-moCOXe3sdIdb-D6nahgsZWDAP6gMe/view?usp=sharingCollins, Robert M. The business response to Keynes, 1929–1964. Columbia University Press, 1981.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1krr_0HETyEGSS47b5tbNnd4yXf_Jciqi/view?usp=sharingBlackstone, William E. “The Blackstone Memorial.” 1891. “To Show Kindness to Israel”: The Blackstone Memorial, Wheaton College Billy Graham Center Archiveshttps://www2.wheaton.edu/bgc/archives/docs/BlackstoneMemorial/intro.htmBlackstone, William E. Jesus is Coming. Fleming H. Revell Company, 1898.https://archive.org/details/JesusIsComing-raptureByWilliamW.e.b.BlackstoneHudson, Michael. Super imperialism: The origin and fundamentals of US world dominance. Pluto Books, 2003 [1972].https://www.crisesnotes.com/june2018manchesterspectrumofmonetarysovereignty/https://www.crisesnotes.com/did-the-united-states-really-invade-iraq-because-it-started-pricing-oil-in-euros/https://www.crisesnotes.com/the-oil-market-is-a-conventional-wisdom-processor/Sabbagh-Khoury, Areej. Colonizing Palestine: The Zionist left and the making of the Palestinian Nakba. Stanford University Press, 2023.https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c19cza2D0HpckCDmMUvamOVS2TnHIwYk/view?usp=sharingBeirich, Eyshe, ed. We, Traitors: Bundist Writings on Palestine 1925–1938. Translated by Eyshe Beirich. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2027.Parks, B. C., Zhang, S., Escobar, B., Walsh, K., Fedorochko, R., Vlasto, L., Zimmerman, J., Sickell, J., Bury, E., Joshi, A., Thome, L., Pandey, O., & Raja Manuri, V. P. R. 2025. Chasing China: Learning to Play by Beijing’s Global Lending Rules. Williamsburg, VA: AidData at William & Maryhttps://docs.aiddata.org/reports/chasing-china/Chasing_China_Full_Report.pdf“We are a rich Nation; we can afford to pay for security and prosperity without having to sacrifice our liberties into the bargain. In the first century of our republic we were short of capital, short of workers and short of industrial production, but we were rich, very rich in free land, and free timber and free mineral wealth. The Federal Government of those days rightly assumed the duty of promoting business and relieving depression by giving subsidies of land and other resources. Thus, from our earliest days we have had a tradition of substantial government help to our system of private enterprise. But today the Government no longer has vast tracts of rich land to give away and we have discovered, too, that we must spend large sums of money to conserve our land from further erosion and our forests from further depletion.”Roosevelt, Franklin D. “April 14, 1938: Fireside Chat 12: On the Recession.” Miller Center, University of Virginia, https://millercenter.org/the-presidency/presidential-speeches/april-14-1938-fireside-chat-12-recessionHerzl, Theodor. The Complete Diaries of Theodor Herzl. Edited by Raphael Patai, translated by Harry Zohn, vol. 1, Herzl Press / Thomas Yoseloff, 1960.Herzl, Theodor. The Complete Diaries of Theodor Herzl. Edited by Raphael Patai, translated by Harry Zohn, vol. 2, Herzl Press / Thomas Yoseloff, 1960.Herzl, Theodor. The Complete Diaries of Theodor Herzl. Edited by Raphael Patai, translated by Harry Zohn, vol. 3, Herzl Press / Thomas Yoseloff, 1960.Portnoy, Samuel A., ed.. Vladimir Medem. The Life and the Soul of a Legendary Jewish Socialist. New York: Ktav, 1979.Milgrim, Michael R. “An Overlooked Problem in Turkish–Russian Relations: The 1878 War Indemnity.” International Journal of Middle East Studies 9.4 (1978): 519-537.Forstater, Mathew. “Taxation and primitive accumulation: the case of colonial Africa.” (2005).https://web.archive.org/web/20100728002121id_/http://cas.umkc.edu/econ/economics/faculty/Forstater/papers/Forstater2005/RiPE%20Forstater.pdfMerrino, Serena. “Currency and settler colonialism: the Palestinian case.” Review of International Political Economy 28.6 (2021): 1729-1750.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09692290.2020.1803951Darity Jr, William. “African American reparations, Keynes, and the transfer problem.” Keynes for the Twenty-First Century: The Continuing Relevance of the General Theory. New York: Palgrave Macmillan US, 2008. 199-205.Darity Jr, William A., and Andrea Kirsten Mullen. From here to equality: Reparations for Black Americans in the twenty-first century. UNC Press Books, 2022.
Nathan Tankus joins us to discuss the monetary foundations of American empire, how sanctions weaponize the global financial system, the possibility of China-led de-dollarization, and what’s really going on with the oil futures market.This is part one of a two part episode. Part two, A Financial History of Zionism, will be released later this week on our paid feed. Works mentioned: A Spectrum Approach to Monetary Sovereignty and our Dollar World; Did the United States Really Invade Iraq Because it Started Pricing Oil in Euros?; Chasing China: Learning to Play by Beijing’s Global Lending Rules; The Oil Market is a Conventional Wisdom Processor; Super Imperialism: The Economic Strategy of American Empire; The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money.Nathan Tankus is a writer, researcher, and president of the publication Notes on the Crises. He is the author of the forthcoming book The Trump-Musk Payments Crisis: A 250-Year History, under contract with Viking Press. He is also the editor of We, Traitors: Bundist Writings on Zionism, Palestine, and Socialism, forthcoming from Haymarket.Nathan has created a 70% off annual subscription discount for Turbulence listeners! Access here: https://www.crisesnotes.com/turbulence.You can find Nathan on Bluesky or on Instagram.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.comThis week we’re joined by returning co-host Alexander Aviña, as well as friend of the show Barry with the NED, to go in depth on Ansarallah’s major ground offensive in Yemen, the downing of a Saudi F-15, and the US’s escalating violence in the Caribbean and Eastern Pacific.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
Hassan Ould Moctar joins us to discuss Europe’s externalized border regime, the colonial history of race and territory in Mauritania, and how migration control, counterinsurgency, and development policy have fused across the Sahel.Works mentioned: After Border Externalization: Migration, Race, and Labour in Mauritania.Hassan Ould Moctar is a Fellow at the Merian Centre for Advanced Studies in the Maghreb, University of Tunis and former lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS, University of London. His research focuses on the relationship between migration, borders, and development processes, with a regional focus on West and North Africa. He is the author of After Border Externalization: Migration, Race, and Labour in Mauritania, which is available open access from Bloomsbury Publishers.To support migrants in Senegal and those facing deportation and border violence, consider donating to Boza Fii.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 VenkatramanResearcher: KC 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 expanding conflict in Hormuz, Ansarallah’s lightning advance in Yemen, Trump’s oil problem, the surging anti-migrant right across the North Atlantic, and why Javier Milei is ratcheting up Argentine claims on Las Malvinas.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
Kai Bosworth joins us to discuss the strange politics of the data center revolt, the AI boom’s place in the global energy system, and what the rise and fall of the climate movement can teach us about the struggles taking shape in its wake.Works mentioned: Where is the U.S. climate movement?, Pipeline Populism: Grassroots Environmentalism in the 21st Century, AI Data Center Development in Frackland, Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism, The Production of SpaceKai Bosworth is a geographer and political ecologist, and an Associate Professor at the School of World Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author of Pipeline Populism: Grassroots Environmentalism in the 21st Century. His current book project is provisionally entitled Protectors of the Subsurface: Militant Investigation and Critical Imagination in Anti-Oil Activism.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 VenkatramanResearcher: KC 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 welcome Alex Aviña to Turbulence and discuss the Battle of Hormuz, Bessent’s economic D-Day for Iran, the US-Venezuela oil deal, the arrest of Fernando Cerimedo in Bolivia, and Trump’s war on the price of burger.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
Josef Burton joins us to discuss the transformation of immigration under Trump, the bureaucrats who administer US machinery of repression, and what intensifying coercion at home and imperial retreat abroad mean for our political future.Works mentioned: One Woman’s Message From the Hell of ICE DetentionJosef Burton is a writer and former US diplomat who worked mainly on consular and immigration issues. He tweets at @PinstripeBungle 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.comIn part two of our double episode with Mujamma Haraket, we discuss the history of Hamas, the relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian left, and how various factions of the resistance are approaching the upcoming Palestinian legislative elections.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
Arlene Eisen joins us to discuss the transformations in the anti-war movement across the Vietnam War, the interrelation of feminism and anti-imperialism, and what decades of state repression can teach today’s movements about security and survival.Works mentioned: In the Worldwide Family of Militant WomenArlene Eisen has been a militant in the struggle against imperialism since the 1960s—first as a protester facing tear gas and later as a teacher and writer. She edited The Movement newspaper, and was a leading voice in the anti-imperialist women’s movement of the 1970s. For the next half century, she joined the anti-apartheid movement, the movement for justice in Palestine, including the olive harvest in the West Bank, the struggle for the right to return to New Orleans after Katrina, the movements against fascist U.S. police and their deputized militias and against the holocaust in Gaza—always standing in solidarity with national liberation struggles both inside and outside the U.S. Empire.She is the author of Women of Viet Nam, Women and Revolution in Viet Nam, and the influential report Operation Ghetto Storm, which documented police killings of Black people in the United States. Her latest book, In The Worldwide Family of Militant Women, is a social history and memoir of revolutionary movements from 1962 to 1982. You can find her work here.Please consider donating to the Meera Center for Gazan children in Egypt.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 Iranian threats to strike Bulgaria, Russia supplying Iran with explosives and ammunition, the possibility of an Israel-Turkiye war, and the US reducing its military footprint in the pacific. We also bid a fond farewell to our dear Séamus.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
Mujamma Haraket joins us to discuss negotiations over Hamas’ disarmament, the collaborator militias in Gaza, Khalil al-Hayya’s rise within Hamas, the movement’s evolving relationship with Ansarallah, and the future of Palestinian armed resistance.Mujamma Haraket is a translator and academic researcher in political philosophy with a specialization in non-state actors, political Islam and the history of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).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 Trump “low-keying” the Iran war, Israel’s rejection of the Gaza disarmament deal and destruction of southern Lebanon, the expanding ICE deportation machine, Latin America’s rightward turn, and the Russia-Ukraine war extending to commercial shipping.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That me…
Isa Blumi joins us to discuss Ansarallah’s renewed war with Saudi Arabia, whether pipelines can bypass Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, the Turkey-Saudi-Pakistan defense agreement, and the Gulf powers’ long campaign to subordinate Yemen.Works mentioned: Destroying Yemen: What Chaos in Arabia Tells Us About the World.Isa Blumi is Professor at Stockholm University within the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. He holds a PhD in History and Middle Eastern/Islamic Studies from New York University (2005) and a Master of Political Science and Historical Studies from The New School for Social Research, New York (1995).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 an Iran-Oman agreement over the Strait of Hormuz, the UAE’s expanding footprint across the African continent, a horrific crisis at the Morocco-Spain border, and Trump’s saga with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool.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 free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit turbulencepod.substack.comWe discuss how the regional war has expanded north to the Caspian Sea and south to the Horn of Africa, Trump’s effort to break the oil market, a new Saudi coalition, Netanyahu’s visit to the US, and Lindsey Graham’s funeral.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
Aziz Rana joins us to discuss the Trump doctrine of foreign policy, the evolution of US hegemony since WW2, how the concept of freedom has animated American political thought and identity, and the challenge of political subjectivity.Works mentioned: The Two Faces of American Freedom, The Constitutional Bind, Workshop on Internationalism and Relations with Liberation Struggles Around the World.Aziz Rana is a professor of law and government at Boston College Law School, where his research and teaching center on American constitutional law and political development. In particular, his work focuses on how shifting notions of race, citizenship, and empire have shaped legal and political identity since the founding. He is the author of two books: The Two Faces of American Freedom and his most recent book, The Constitutional Bind: How Americans Came to Idolize a Document that Fails Them.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 Iran’s pummeling of US bases in Jordan, the rollout of “pilot zones” in southern Lebanon, Ansarallah’s blockade of Saudi oil transits in the Red Sea, the US-Saudi nuclear agreement, and the status of Venezuela’s oil revenues.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
Hakim Adi joins us to discuss the Black radicals who shaped the Comintern, the Black Belt Thesis and the national question, Pan-Africanism through decolonization, and whether the Alliance of Sahel States is a path to African sovereignty.Works mentioned: Pan-Africanism and Communism, Black Bolshevik, Africa Must UniteProf. Hakim Adi is currently a Visiting Senior Fellow at the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Professorial Research Associate at the Centre of Pan-African Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies. Hakim was the first historian of African heritage to become a professor of history in Britain. His most recent books are Pan-Africanism and Communism: The Communist International, Africa and the Diaspora, 1919-1939 (Africa World Press, 2013), Pan-Africanism: A History (1804 Books, 2023), and, as editor Black British History: New Perspectives (Zed, 2019), Black Voices on Britain (Macmillan, 2022) and Many Struggles: New Histories of African and Caribbean People in Britain (Pluto, 2023). His most recent publication, Africa and Caribbean People in Britain: A History (Allen Lane, 2023) was shortlisted for the prestigious Wolfson History Prize in Britain in September 2023.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 latest cycle of escalation between the US and Iran, the reopening of the Yemen front, ICE murders in Maine and Texas, the Trump administration’s latest attempts to crack down on the left, and Marco Rubio’s crusade against the ICC.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
Matthew Petti joins us to discuss the crack-up within the Republican Party’s base over Gaza, Netanyahu’s plan to wind down US military aid, and what the US’s performance in the Iran War portends for the future of great power conflict.Check out Matthew’s latest piece, published on Drop Site, here. You can read some of the other pieces mentioned in the interview here and here.Matthew Petti is an assistant editor at Reason who covers U.S. national security policy and its interactions with American society and domestic politics. He has previously reported for the BBC (in Persian and English), The Intercept, The Daily Beast, New Lines, Responsible Statecraft, Middle East Eye, and The National Interest, among other publications. You can find him on Substack and on X/Twitter.Please consider donating to families in need in Gaza: here, here, or 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 unravelling of the US-Iran MOU, the dissolution of Hamas’s civilian governing body in Gaza, Turkiye’s status in NATO, Rahm Emanuel’s Tel Aviv speech, and Mamdani’s persecution of the NYC Italian community.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-fund…
Nasser Elamine joins us to discuss the framework agreement between Lebanon and Israel, Hezbollah’s military reemergence, the unity of fronts strategy, and how regional states are responding to the rapidly shifting global order.Works mentioned: Interim Contours, Hezbollah’s Gamble.Nasser Elamine is a senior editor at Al-Quds Al-Arabi, a pan-Arab daily based in London, and a writer/researcher focusing on Middle Eastern geopolitics. You can find him on X/Twitter here and on Instagram 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 are joined by Noah and Brendan to discuss the evolution of US foreign policy since World War II, the extent to which Trump marks a decline in American power, and lessons they have learned across six seasons of Blowback.Works mentioned: The Yankee and Cowboy War; The Last Empire: Essays 1992-2000.Our Anti-4th of July Sale is live. For this week only (ending July 7th), you'll get 20% off both monthly and annual subscriptions. If you choose an annual plan, you'll also receive our usual $5 annual discount, giving you a full year of Turbulence at our lowest price. If you've enjoyed listening over the past eight months and you're in a position to support our work, your subscription helps us keep this show independent and sustainable.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
Noah Kulwin and Brendan James of Blowback join us to discuss their new mini-series on the history of the US-Israel relationship, how the Cold War turned into the War on Terror, and the current moment of tension over the Iran war.Blowback’s first-ever mini-series, No Daylight, is available now for Blowback subscribers.This is part one of a two-part conversation with Noah and Brendan. In part two, they reflect on the broader arc of the American century and what they have learned across six seasons of Blowback. Part two will be released on July 3rd, exclusively for Turbulence’s paid subscribers.Our Anti-4th of July Sale is live. For this week only, you'll get 20% off both monthly and annual subscriptions. If you choose an annual plan, you'll also receive our usual $5 annual discount, giving you a full year of Turbulence at our lowest price. If you've enjoyed listening over the past eight months and you're in a position to support our work, your subscription helps us keep this show independent and sustainable.Brendan James is a writer, musician, and former producer of the hit podcast Chapo Trap House. Noah Kulwin is a reporter and editor who has written for The New York Times, New York, The Drift, Jewish Currents, and elsewhere. Together, they host the political history podcast Blowback.Works mentioned: Genesis: Truman, American Jews, and the Origins of the Arab/Israeli Conflict; High Noon in Washington: The Shootout over the Loan Guarantees; Our American Israel: The Story of an Entangled Alliance; Containing Arab Nationalism: The Eisenhower Doctrine and the Middle East. 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 passing of our dear friend Alan, a deconfliction mechanism in Lebanon, Israeli troop deployments to Somaliland, the victories of DSA-backed candidates in New York, the repression of anti-ICE protestors in Texas, and Séamus breaks his silence on Ice Cream Truck-Gate.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
Torkil Lauesen joins us to discuss the political economy of imperialism and trade, Arghiri Emmanuel’s theory of unequal exchange, political action in the imperial core, his years in prison, and the current geopolitical moment of hegemonic transition.Works mentioned: Unequal Exchange: Past, Present, and Future; Unequal Exchange.Torkil Lauesen is a communist writer. In 1969 he joined a Maoist cadre organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark. It specialized in undercover material support work for liberation movements in The Third World. Besides this it provided political schooling and study groups analysing the world system for developing their strategy and praxis. This work continued for nearly 20 years until their cover was blown in 1989. He turned the years in prison into a long field study, writing a master thesis in political science about the prison system. After being released, he continued anti-imperialist activism and took up writing for publishing in an effort to pass on their experience. He is a member of anti-imperialist net and a board member of the Arghiri Emmanuel Association.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.comIn this special extended bonus episode, we go point by point through the Memorandum of Understanding to end the Iran War. We also survey some of the most charming reactions from US and Israel officials and media figures.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-fund…
Gerald Horne joins us to discuss writing history from below, whether the legacy of 1776 can be redeemed, settler colonialism as an analytic frame, the US’s Suez moment in Iran, and the challenges of contemporary left electoralism.Works mentioned: The Counter-Revolution of 1776; The Capital of Slavery; The Counter-Revolution of 1836; Armed Struggle?; Abolition Democracy; Banquo’s Ghost; Comparative Settler Colonialism: Slavery & Indigenous Dispossession in the U.S. and Canada, the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia (forthcoming).Dr. Gerald Horne is the John J. and Rebecca Moores Chair of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston. He has written over 40 books dealing with the confluence of African American History, Communist History, the struggle for liberation, internationalism, imperialism, colonialism, racism, white supremacy, and fascism.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 return of war to the Persian Gulf, negotiations over an MOU, “dark transits” through Hormuz, a proposed Syrian invasion of Lebanon, Graham Platner’s whole deal, and what the trainwreck at CBS News says about the US-Israel relationship.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
Lara Sheehi joins us to discuss the legacy of Franz Fanon, what psychoanalysis can offer liberation struggles, Zionism as the denial of Palestinian interiority, and the psychic dimensions of occupation and resistance.Please consider donating to the Lebanon Emergency Relief Fund, here: Tanseqeye Shaabeye Lebanon.Works mentioned: Black Skin, White Masks, Wretched of the Earth, Psychoanalysis Under Occupation, From the Clinic to the Streets, Molding Consciousness.Lara Sheehi is a Research Fellow at the University of South Africa’s Institute for Social and Health Sciences, a licensed clinical psychologist, and the host of the Psychic Militancy podcast. Lara’s work focuses on psychoanalysis, the psychic refusals central to liberation struggles and life-making in the Global South, the psychic dimensions of resistance and revolution, and critical Zionism studies. She is the author of From Clinic to the Streets: Psychoanalysis for Revolutionary Futures (Pluto, 2026) and co-author with Stephen Sheehi of Psychoanalysis Under Occupation: Practicing Resistance in Palestine (Routledge, 2022). Lara is a member of the founding collective for the Institute for the Critical Study of Zionism and is on the advisory board for Forensic Architecture.Patreon: www.patreon.com/psychicmilitancyIG: @psychicmilitancypod & @psychoanalystactivistWebsite: larasheehi.comWe’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 latest flare-up in the Strait of Hormuz, China’s impact on the global oil market, the new “ceasefire” in Lebanon, the disarmament of militant groups in Iraq, a new plan to militarily integrate the US and Israel, and America’s 250th birthday.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
Adam Johnson joins us to discuss his work documenting how the mainstream media supported the Gaza genocide by sanitizing Israeli war crimes, obscuring the US’s role, and systematically dehumanizing Palestinians.Works mentioned: Why Did the Heavens Not Darken?, How to Sell a Genocide.Adam Johnson is co-host of the Citations Needed podcast and author of How to Sell a Genocide: The Media’s Complicity in the Destruction of Gaza which is now out from Pluto Press.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 Netanyahu’s non-strategy in Gaza and Lebanon, the draft memorandum of understanding between the US and Iran, Trump’s last-ditch Abraham Accords push, and what’s going on with JD Vance.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 and Kurt Hackbarth of Soberanía join us to discuss a potential US military assault on Cuba, updates from Venezuela, Bolivia, Colombia, Honduras, and Mexico, and the prospects for left internationalism in Latin America.Check out José Luis and Kurt’s podcast, Soberanía.Works mentioned: Despite Trump’s Oil Blockade, the Quiet Resistance of Daily Life Continues in Cuba; Hondurasgate; AMLO Wants a United Latin America; US Sanctions and the Sharp Rise in Infant Mortality in Cuba.José Luis Granados Ceja is a journalist and political analyst based in Mexico City. He is co-host of the Mexican public television show Sin Muros, and currently covers Latin America for Drop Site News, and writes a monthly opinion column for the Mexico Solidarity Project. Follow him on Twitter @granadoscejaKurt William Hackbarth is a writer, playwright, journalist, and translator. He is co-host of the program Sin Muros on Canal Once TV and a panelist on Masiosare, a co-production of Canal Once and Canal 22. He is also co-founder and co-host of the podcast Soberanía: The Mexican Politics Podcast, as well as its interview program El Taller. He is the Mexico correspondent for Jacobin magazine and a regular contributor to Breakthrough News. He is the author of the books We Interrupt This Program (Editorial Ficticia, 2012), Symphony #1 (Matanga Taller-Editorial, 2019; second edition, 2025), and Journey to Monpratior (Matanga Taller-Editorial, 2022). Follow him on Twitter @kurthackbarth 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 scandalous reporting about a former Iranian president, the perils of situation monitoring, international outrage at Itamar Ben-Gvir, and what Abu Mohammad al-Julani’s fragrant encounter with Donald Trump means for the future of greater Israel.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That mean…
Aamer joins us to discuss the repressive crackdowns in Bahrain amidst the Iran war, the popular uprising in 2011, the history of leftist and Islamist movements in the country, and the shifting geopolitics of the Gulf.Works mentioned: The View from Bahrain, Shouting in the DarkAamer is a writer and researcher whose work focuses on the Gulf. He looks at the Gulf states’ roles in broader geopolitical issues with a special focus on Bahrain.He can be found on X/Twitter @IbnKhulthum.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 visit to Beijing, negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz, the budding UAE-Israel alliance, and advancements in Hezbollah’s drone warfare.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 a…
Salman Abu Sitta joins us to discuss his memories of the Nakba, a practical program for the return of Palestinian refugees, Zionist continuities with the Nazis, and the meaning of intergenerational resistance.Texts mentioned: Mapping My Return, The Atlas of Palestine (1917-1966), I could have been one of those who broke through the siege on October 7, Point of No Return.Dr. Salman Abu Sitta is a Palestinian historian, geographer, and researcher. He is the president of the Palestine Land Society in London. He has authored hundreds of papers on Palestinian refugee affairs.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
Navid Zarrinnal joins us from Tehran to discuss the popular mobilizations in support of the war effort, national resilience in the face of economic siege, the prospects of diplomacy with the West, and Iranian support for the Axis of Resistance.Navid Zarrinnal holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University’s Department of Middle East Studies, and has taught in the Global South for the past three years. He is currently based in Tehran and his war updates can be viewed on Instagram @navidwahramanIntro clip with subtitles: 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 most recent “plan” for the Iran war, the price of oil, the UAE leaving OPEC, Haredi anti-draft riots in Israel, and the latest updates from 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
Basil Farraj joins us to discuss Israeli carceral violence, the evolution of the Palestinian prisoners’ movement, and the life and thought of Walid Daqqa.Texts mentioned: “Parallel Time”: Cultural Productions from the Small Prison to the Large Prison; My Father Is One of Thousands Disappeared in Israel’s Prisons.Basil Farraj is the Director of the Ibrahim Abu Lughod Institute of International Studies, and an assistant professor of Philosophy and Cultural Studies at Birzeit University.Basil is working to establish a fellowship specifically for research on Israel’s carceral regime. To support that effort, donate at this link and select “Ibrahim Abu Lughod Institute Donations” from the drop down menu “Programs/Campaigns.”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 continue our coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran with a discussion of Trump’s unilateral ceasefire extension, the US naval blockade, the prospects for renewed hostilities, and the looming economic crisis.We’re committed to independence and will never run ads or take money from institutions. That means Turbulence is entirely listener-funded.For $5 …
Adam Hanieh joins us to discuss the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, how the petrodollar system shaped US-Gulf relations, the role of oil in US foreign policy, the economic rise of China, and what the war on Iran means for the climate crisis.Texts discussed: Crude Capitalism, Venezuela’s Oil in the Grip of US Empire. Also check out Hanieh’s latest in the FT, The Coming Global Food Crisis.Adam Hanieh is Director of the SOAS Middle East Institute and Professor in the Development Studies Department at SOAS, University of London. His current research looks at the interplay of fossil fuels, capitalism, and the climate emergency, with a particular focus on the Gulf states of the Middle East. He is the author of four books, including Money, Markets, and Monarchies: The Gulf Cooperation Council and the Political Economy of the Contemporary Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2018), which won the 2019 British International Studies Association IPE Group Book Prize and Crude Capitalism: Oil, Corporate Power, and the Making of the World Market (Verso 2024), which was co-winner of the 2025 Best Book by an International Scholar, Global and Transnational Section of the American Sociological Association.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 continue our coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran with a discussion of the diplomatic smoke and mirrors around renewed ceasefire talks, the US blockade outside the Strait of Hormuz, and the Israel-Lebanon direct negotiations.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
Karim Makdisi joins us to discuss the recent widespread Israeli attacks on Lebanon, the re-emergence of Hezbollah as an active fighting force in the broader regional war, what the Lebanese government is hoping to achieve with diplomacy, and the future of Israel’s struggle for hegemony.Karim Makdisi is an Associate Professor of international politics at the American University of Beirut, and the co-host of the Makdisi Street Podcast. His research focuses on the international politics of the Middle East, politics and history of the United Nations, and disarmament. He is currently working on a book project centered around Israel’s 2006 war on Lebanon.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 continue our coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran with a discussion of the “ceasefire” “agreement” brokered by Pakistan, the rescue operation following the downing of an American fighter jet, and Israel’s genocidal attacks on Lebanon.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
In the second installment of our Political Economy of Genocide series, we are joined by Tim Barker to discuss the role of the defense industry in the US economy, how the trade in weapons shapes foreign policy, and whether the war on Iran is following a capitalist logic.Texts mentioned: Merchants of Death by H.C. Engelbrecht & F.C. Hanighen; How To Ensure Israel Has the Weapons it Needs; The Inside Story of How the Navy Spent Billions on the “Little Crappy Ship”; Adjusting Certain Delegations Under the Defense Production Act. See also Weapons of the Week #4: White Phosphorus.Tim Barker is a historian who writes the Substack Origins of Our Time. His book on the political economy of the Cold War is forthcoming from Verso.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 continue our coverage of the US-Israeli war on Iran with a discussion of the strategic landscape, Trump’s address to the nation, and whether the US is about to do something extremely stupid.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
Laleh Khalili joins us to discuss the mechanics, strategy, and economics of Iran’s wartime closure of the Strait of Hormuz.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).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.comDarryl Li joins us to discuss his work deconstructing the concept of the “foreign fighter” and how ideology shapes our perception of who is fighting for what on battlefields from Palestine, to Afghanistan, to Syria, and beyond.Darryl Li is an anthropologist and legal scholar thinking mostly about questions of war, law, migration, empire, and racialization in the currents between the Middle East, South Asia, and the Balkans. He is the author of The Universal Enemy: Jihad, Empire, and the Challenge of Solidarity (Stanford University Press, 2020), an ethnographic and archival study of "jihadist foreign fighters" in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.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
We continue our coverage of what’s been called the “The Ramadan War” with a discussion of the strategic landscape, the supposed ceasefire negotiations, Iran’s development of the “Hormuz weapon,” and the prospects of a US ground invasion.This is a special public release of our News of the Week series, which is usually available exclusively to paid subscribers.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 continue our coverage of the Iran war with a discussion of shifting US and Israeli strategies, attacks on energy infrastructure, the assassination of Ali Larijani, and Israel’s invasion of southern Lebanon.Please consider donating to support families displaced from southern Lebanon here, here, here, and here.We’re committed to independence and will n…
Darryl Li joins us to assess the post-October 7 conjuncture, the US-Israel relationship, and the new regional order emerging out of the Iran war.This is the first part of a two part conversation. Part 2, where we discuss Darryl’s work deconstructing the concept of the “foreign fighter,” will be available as an exclusive for paid subscribers on April 3.Texts mentioned: Arghiri Emmanuel, White-Settler Colonialism and the Myth of Investment Imperialism.Darryl Li is an anthropologist and legal scholar thinking mostly about questions of war, law, migration, empire, and racialization in the currents between the Middle East, South Asia, and the Balkans. He is the author of The Universal Enemy: Jihad, Empire, and the Challenge of Solidarity (Stanford University Press, 2020), an ethnographic and archival study of “jihadist foreign fighters” in the 1992-1995 war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.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 continue our coverage of the Iran war with a discussion of the new Supreme Leader, Iranian and American strategic narratives, the Axis of Resistance, and the war’s global economic fallout.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 subsc…
Helen Yaffe joins us to discuss the Trump administration’s escalating attacks on Cuba, the country’s history of medical internationalism, and Che Guevara’s developmentalist socialism.Helen Yaffe is a Professor of Latin American Political Economy at the University of Glasgow, specialising on Cuba. Since 1995, she has spent time living and researching in Cuba. She is the author of Che Guevara: The Economics of Revolution (Palgrave Macmillan, 2009) and We Are Cuba! How a Revolutionary People Have Survived in a Post-Soviet World (Yale, 2020). She co-hosts Cuba Analysis podcast https://linktr.ee/cuba.analysis and has co-produced three documentaries, including Cuba & Covid-19: Public Health, Science, and Solidarity (2020) and Cuba’s Life Task: Combatting Climate Change (2021).Twitter/X: @HelenYaffe People from around the world can support or join the Nuestra América Convoy, for which people will travel to Havana by land, air and sea, for a mass mobilization on March 21.Fundraising links:* Let Cuba Live is purchasing solar panels* Saving Lives Campaign and Global Health Partners are procuring medical equipment* The Hatuey Project provides cancer medicines for Cuban childrenWe’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 rapidly expanding scope, duration, and intensity of the Iran war.Please consider donating to support families displaced from southern Lebanon here, here, here, and 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
We discuss the US and Israel’s war of aggression on Iran that has dragged the entire region into chaos.This is a special public release of our News of the Week series, which is usually available exclusively to paid subscribers.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 killing of “El Mencho” in Jalisco, an attempted gusano infiltration of Cuba, a looming war with Iran, SCOTUS knocking down Trump’s tariffs, cases against the Prairieland 19 in Texas and Pal Action in the UK, and Snowgazi in New York City.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
In the first installment of our Political Economy of Genocide series, we are joined by Edward Ongweso Jr. to discuss the use of artificial intelligence in war, Silicon Valley’s relationship with Israel, and ongoing resistance within the industry.Texts mentioned: The Eye of the Master by Matteo PasquinelliEdward Ongweso Jr. is a writer and editor based in Brooklyn, NY. Most of his work centers around tech criticism, labor and financial reporting, and book reviews. From 2019 to 2023, he was a staff writer at Motherboard, the technology section at VICE News. After leaving VICE, he was a Reporter-in-Residence at the Omidiyar Network and a guest columnist for The Nation. In 2023, He joined Logic(s) as a columnist and finance editor. In 2024, he became a Senior Researcher at Security in Context, where he focuses on artificial intelligence.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 legal troubles of the British royal family, the inaugural Board of Peace summit, a new military base in Gaza, AOC and Marco Rubio’s performances at the Munich Security Conference, and the US military buildup around Iran.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
Stuart Schrader joins us to discuss the Cold War origins of modern policing, the ongoing ICE and CBP deployments, and Zohran Mamdani’s attempts to reform the NYPD.Stuart Schrader is an associate professor of history at Johns Hopkins University, where he is the founding director of the Chloe Center for the Critical Study of Racism, Immigration, and Colonialism. He is the author of Blue Power: How Police Organized to Protect and Serve Themselves, to be published by Basic Books in April 2026. He is also the author of Badges Without Borders: How Global Counterinsurgency Transformed American Policing. He lives in Brooklyn.Twitter/X: @stschrader1 Read the full statement from the family of Jabez Chakraborty 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 blockade of Cuba, the US-Iran negotiations, an anti-immigration plebiscite in Switzerland, ICE’s prospective mass detention centers, and CBP shooting down a party balloon with a laser in El Paso. 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
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