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Delve into the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, triggered by years of Western meddling and the rise of the Mujahideen. The episode exposes the sophisticated US propaganda campaign, including distorted media reports and false allegations, designed to frame the conflict as "Russia's Vietnam." It also uncovers the CIA's covert operations, the crucial role of figures like Charlie Wilson and General Zia, and the devastating impact on Afghan civilians amidst a complex web of international alliances and betrayals.
The episode delves into Afghanistan's tumultuous history, from its ancient empires and its role in the British "Great Game" to the post-WWII Cold War era. It uncovers how British colonialism, US covert operations via entities like the Safari Club, and internal Afghan political struggles—including the rise of the Communist Party and figures like Hafizullah Amin—set the stage. The narrative highlights the shifting alliances and interventions by global powers, ultimately detailing the events and debates within the Kremlin that preceded the fateful Soviet invasion in 1979, aiming to trap the Soviets in their own "Vietnam."
Welcome to Season 4, a deep dive into the war in Afghanistan, tracing its roots from 1970s CIA operations to the Soviet invasion, 9/11, and America's "War on Terror." This episode challenges popular narratives, revealing the intertwined history of US foreign policy, Islamic fundamentalism, and the figures who shaped a 40-year conflict, including the unexpected role of heroin trade and the connections between US and Saudi elite families.
The armistice in Korea is supposed to be temporary. But a peace treaty never comes. As decades roll on, the war becomes permanent. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Stalemate on the battlefield does not stop the United States from obliterating North Korea. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
President Truman and his “Big General in the Far East” enter their final standoff over the war. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The US threatens to cross the Yalu. The Chinese leadership debates its options in Korea. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Gen. MacArthur executes his revenge. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With a rightwing, US-backed klepto-case to his South, Kim Il-Sung bets the house. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The war before the war on a self-reliant island off South Korea. Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/album/4e9hkmGdDhycmgcGKe3bF0?si=d97_H1fvS5CV84ZvcEhZqQ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
After a flash of hope post-WWII Korea is divided into North and South. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A pocket-sized history of the Korean peninsula, the upstart US and Japanese empires, and World War II. Soundtrack: https://open.spotify.com/album/4e9hkmGdDhycmgcGKe3bF0?si=d97_H1fvS5CV84ZvcEhZqQ Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices...
A new season, a new story: The Korean War. To listen to the rest of season 3 right now, visit www.blowback.show Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The third season of Blowback — the story of the Korean War — arrives July 2022. Pre-order and listening details at https://blowback.supportingcast.fm Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guests Helen Yaffe, José Pertierra and Marta Núñez Sarmiento discuss the protests in Cuba during July 2021. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A rundown of the Cuban revolution's foreign policy in Africa with guest, Cuban diplomat Oscar Oramas-Oliva. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Noah talks with José Pertierra, a Cuban-American immigration attorney who has long tangled with right-wing Miami Cubans in the media and in court. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guest Bill Corbett (Mystery Science Theater 3000, Rifftrax) and Brendan hang out and talk about some bad Cuba movies. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A discussion of Operation Peter Pan with Prof. Nelson Valdes, with a detour into Hungary, 1956. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
A brief overview of how American nuclear weapons strategy ran parallel to the story in our main narrative. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guest Luna Olavarria-Gallegos explains how the US government infiltrated and co-opted the hip-hop scene in Cuba. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We talk to activists and historians about Cuba, black radicalism, and how the Revolution attacked the problem of racism. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Interviews with history professor Michelle Chase and Cuban scholar Marta Nuñez Sarmiento. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guatemala: an origin story, inspiration, and cautionary tale just a few hundred miles from our main story. Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Following JFK's assassination, US-Cuba diplomacy waned despite initial efforts by figures like Lisa Howard and Fidel Castro's desire for peace. The episode delves into a continuous cycle of US aggression, covert operations, and economic sanctions, including the collapse of the Soviet Union's impact on Cuba and controversies surrounding figures like Jack Ruby, Che Guevara, and the Bush family. It concludes with Obama's attempted rapprochement, Trump's renewed sanctions, and Cuba's enduring struggle under new leadership.
This episode delves into the Cuban Missile Crisis, from Che Guevara's early visit to Hiroshima shaping Cuban views on nuclear war, to the tense diplomatic maneuvering between Kennedy and Khrushchev. It highlights the US policy of labeling Cuban missiles 'offensive' while its own were 'defensive,' and reveals the near-miss nuclear launch by a Soviet submarine. Despite a resolution, Cuba's demands for an end to US aggression and embargo were largely ignored, leaving a legacy of discontent and historical revisionism.
This episode uncovers the intricate covert operations and escalating tensions that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis. It details Khrushchev's secret plan to deploy nuclear missiles in Cuba (Operation Anadyr) as a defensive measure against perceived US aggression and existing nuclear threats. Concurrently, it exposes renewed CIA plots to assassinate Castro and American pressure tactics. The narrative culminates with the U-2 discovery of missiles and the Kennedy administration's frantic initial ExComm meetings, debating military action versus a blockade, pushing the world to the brink of nuclear war.
Following the Bay of Pigs failure, a humiliated JFK is determined to oust Fidel Castro, leading to the covert Operation Mongoose. This multi-agency effort includes assassination plots, fabricated provocations like Operation Northwoods, widespread economic warfare, and extensive propaganda. As the US escalates its efforts and military exercises simulating an invasion, Cuba solidifies ties with the USSR, setting the stage for a major Cold War confrontation.
The episode delves into the disastrous 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, examining the imperial hubris of CIA planners and the mob's failed assassination attempts against Fidel Castro. It explores President Kennedy's internal conflict and political pressures that led to the invasion's approval, juxtaposed with Castro's deep understanding of the land and Cuba's unified, effective defense. The narrative highlights the immediate chaos, the unraveling of US cover stories, and the enduring myths surrounding the invasion's failure, ultimately concluding with Che Guevara's rejected peace offer and the profound legacy of this pivotal Cold War event.
