On this edition of Parallax Views, Anatol Lieven, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's new senior research fellow on Russia and Europe as well as an Orwell-prize winning journalist and professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, joins me to discuss U.S.-Russia relations and the recent Biden-Putin summit. We also get Prof. Lieven's thoughts on the state of U.S. foreign policy discussion, discourse around Putin and human rights, the Ukraine issue, national security and the internatio...
Jun 30, 2021•38 min•Ep. 479
On this edition of Parallax Views, Barbara Boland of the Crashing the War Party podcast (which she co-hosts with the great Kelley Vlahos and Daniel Larison) joins me for a discussion about the need to reassess U.S. foreign policy, re-opening the diplomatic toolbox and remembering the value of diplomacy, and the ever contentious issues around the border and border security. Barbara formerly wrote for The American Conservative and is now writing for the Quincy Institute's Responsible Statecraft pu...
Jun 30, 2021•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 478
On this edition of Parallax Views, what and where is the intersection where organized crime and political corruption meet each other? And is it a threat to our Democracy? Author Jonathan Marshall attempts to answer those questions in his fascinating new book Dark Quadrant: Organized Crime, Big Business, and the Corruption of Democracy . In this stunning new book, Marshall details the shocking and sordid history of where and when organized crime have met in American politics from the Presidencies...
Jun 28, 2021•45 sec•Ep. 477
Mike Gravel passed away on June 26th, 2021. This epiode is offered as a replay to listeners in order to celebrate his memory. On this edition of Parallax Views, former Senator Mike Gravel made some waves earlier this year when a group of teens meme'd him into a Presidential campaign seeking the Democratic nomination. Although that campaign has since ended, Gravel is hard at work promoting one of his greatest passions: direct democracy. During his Senatorial career Gravel forcefully opposed the V...
Jun 27, 2021•45 sec•Ep. 476
On this edition of Parallax Views, Oliver Stone has proven to be one of Hollywood's most controversial and political filmmakers for many decades now. After the release of his 1991 epic JFK he received a great deal of criticisms from elements of the press for undermining the official narrative of the JFK assassination. Put simply, Stone was, despite previous highly-regarded films as Wall Street , Platoon , and Salvador , branded a "conspiracy theorist". Nonetheless, Stone kept making films and fo...
Jun 26, 2021•45 sec•Ep. 442
On this edition of Parallax Views, the issue of how politics on Capitol Hill is effected by foreign lobbies, influence peddling, and think tanks with connections to the defense industry are important but oft underdiscussed topics. Joining us to unravel these matters is Ben Freeman , Director of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy . We discuss the Foreign Agents Registration Act and its history as well as the role of Saudi lobbying on the Republica...
Jun 25, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 475
On this edition of Parallax Views, Dr. Assal Rad comes back to show to discuss the recent results of the Iranian elections, Iran's new President Ebrahim Raisi, the effect of sanctions on Iran, and the fate of the Iran nuclear deal aka the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. We discuss how Raisi's win came about, Iranian people, anti-Iran deal John Bolton's cheering on the victory of Raisi and hardliners, the U.S. federal government's seizure of Iranian state-sanctioned media outlet PressTV's web...
Jun 24, 2021•42 min•Ep. 473
This episode is being replayed in light of news of John McAfee's death. It was... a rather strange interview and I may go over my thoughts about it and McAfee on a future Patreon edition of the show. On this edition of Parallax Views, an equal parts wild and tense conversation with the founder of McAfee associates (the creators of McAfee Antivirus), bitcoin bull, Presidential candidate, international fugitive, and person of interest in the Belize murder of Gregory Faull, John McAfee. Joining me ...
Jun 23, 2021•45 sec•Ep. 474
On this edition of Parallax Views, former Congressman Dennis J. Kucinich has often been called a man ahead of his time. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 10th district from 1997 to 2013, has been both known and often ridiculed for his unwavering progressive politics. He voiced support for issues like marijuana legalization, trans individuals holding important political positions, opposing the Iraq War, making universal single-payer healthcare a reality, and more before su...
Jun 21, 2021•33 min•Ep. 472
On this edition of Parallax Views, should the U.S. consider taking a different approach to the Israel/Palestine conflict? A new paper from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace argues it should and says that a more human rights-centric approach is necessary not only on moral grounds but also for national security reasons, civil liberties in the U.S., and the sake of U.S. foreign policy objectives trumpeted by the Biden administration concerning the re-establishment of America's leadersh...
Jun 15, 2021•47 min•Ep. 471
NOTE: In the intro I repeatedly say "Palestinian Occupied Territories" when, to avoid confusion, I should have said "Occupied Palestinian Territories" to make clear that those territories are occupied by Israel. On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our exploration of the Israel/Palestine conflict. This time Canadian legal scholar and current United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Issue of Human Rights in the Occupied Palestinian Territories Since 1967 Michael Lynk joins us to discuss...
Jun 15, 2021•47 min•Ep. 470
On this edition of Parallax Views, the Iranian Presidential elections are coming up on June 18th, 2021. What to make of the election and the most likely successor to President Hassan Rhouhani, Ebrahim Raisi? Joining us to answer these questions as well as to delve into the life and assassination of General Qassam Soleimani is historian Arash Azizi, author of The Shadow Commander: Soleimani , the U.S. and Iran's Global Ambitions . Arash and I discuss discuss the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps....
Jun 10, 2021•57 min•Ep. 469
On this edition of Parallax Views, anthropologist Jeff Halper of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions and the One Democratic State Campaign joins us to give a history lesson on Israel/Palestine as well as to discuss political Zionism vs. cultural Zionism, the issue of antisemitism, and his support of the the one-state solution calling for equal citizenship and rights. During the course of our conversation Jeff helps us understand some of the key points of his new book Decolonizing Isr...
Jun 04, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 468
On this edition of Parallax Views, Ari Paul of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) joins me to discuss the recent case of journalist Emily Wilder. Wilder had just graduated Stanford University and went to work for the Associated Press. Her tenure at AP would prove short-lived, however, after a campaign from Stanford Young Republicans and publications like The Federalist began attacking Wilder's integrity and objectivity as a journalist because of her activist activities as a university stu...
Jun 04, 2021•32 min•Ep. 467
On this edition of Parallax Views, former Chicago prosecutor and current Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP; formerly Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) Dr. Inge Fryklund has extensive experience in Afghanistan having spent years in the country while working for USAID and the Marine Corps. Dr. Fyklund recently penned an op-ed for the Institute for Policy Studies' Foreign Policy in Focus project entitled "Decentralization Could Reduce Conflict in Postwar Afghanistan" . In said op-ed she a...
Jun 01, 2021•1 hr 5 min•Ep. 464
On this edition of Parallax Views, on May 13th, 2021 the New York Times published a tantalizing report by journalists Adam Goldman and Mark Mazzetti. "Activists and Ex-Spy Said to Have Plotted to Discredit Trump ‘Enemies’ in Government" , read the eye-catching headline that promised to add yet another scandalous chapter to the already scandal-ridden story of the Trump Presidency. Following the attention-grabbing headline, Goldman & Mazzetti, through documents and interviews, details a "campa...
May 29, 2021•52 min•Ep. 466
On this edition of Parallax Views, leaked material reveals a shift to hardliners ahead of the June 18th elections in Iran . Journalist Gareth Porter joins me to discuss this development as well as to cover the rocky history of U.S.-Iranian relations. During the course of our conversation Gareth and I delve into Iranian Foreign MinisterJavad Zarif conflicts with the late General Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and how Soleimani's death at the hands of a drone strike duri...
May 27, 2021•53 min•Ep. 465
On this edition of Parallax Views, former UN Assistant Secretary General and UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq Hans Von Sponeck joins us to discuss the nature of the United Nations as well as to provide his thoughts on the negative impacts of sanctions. Hans begins by explaining how he became involved in the United Nations as a German in 1968. From there we delve into his insider's perspective of the United Nations and the difference between what he calls the "two UNs": the political UN (repr...
May 25, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 458
On this edition of Parallax Views, we wrap up our series on the Israel/Palestine conflict with John Dugard, international law scholar and former UN Special Rapporteur on the Situation of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law in the Palestinian Territories. Born in South Africa, Prof. Dugard was a prominent critic of his home country's apartheid regime. His work on Israel/Palestine is particular of interest in light of the recent reports by Human Rights Watch and Israeli human rights or...
May 21, 2021•46 min•Ep. 461
On this edition of Parallax, although a ceasefire appears to be on the horizon between Israel and Hamas, it still worth discussing the latest developments in the Israel/Palestine for those concerned about international relations, peace, and justice. Phyllis Bennis of the Institute for Policy Studies is the author of the recent book Understanding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Primer. She joins us on this edition of the show to discuss the latest chapter in the Israel-Palestine conflict, cha...
May 20, 2021•30 min•Ep. 463
On this edition of Parallax Views, human rights attorney and international law expert Scott Horton joined Parallax Views to discuss the Israel/Palestine conflict in light of recent events and flare-ups in the conflict including Israeli airstrikes on Gaza and news of a potential ceasefire. In addition, Scott and I discuss the issue of the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), or the Israel lobby, and its waning influence on Capitol Hill due to the rise of direct competition in the form...
May 20, 2021•29 min•Ep. 462
On this edition of Parallax Views, University of San Francisco-based international relations scholar Stephen Zunes joins us to continue our exploration of recent events involving Israeli airstrikes, the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem, Hamas, Gaza, and U.S. foreign policy. In this conversation we discuss a number of issues with a special focus on U.S. support of Israel on Capitol Hill. Additionally, we dive into the Israeli airstrike that took down an Associated Press building, the Last...
May 19, 2021•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 460
On this edition of Parallax Views, the first in what will be a series of programs on the Israel/Palestine conflict in light of recent events. Israeli journalist/blogger Yossi Gurvitz of Mondoweiss joins us on this addition of the program to discuss what has been happening with the conflict since the tensions heated up over the Sheikh Jarrah district of East Jerusalem, the burning of the al Aqsa Mosque, Hamas firing rockets into Israel, and Israel's launching of airstrikes on Gaza in response. Ad...
May 18, 2021•57 min•Ep. 459
On this edition of Parallax Views, what are the impacts of unilateral coercive measures like sanctions on countries like Iran, Syria, and Venezuela? Although sanctions have been justified as a way to punish nations for alleged human rights violations, do unilateral sanctions themselves potentially violate human rights? Should sanctions be lifted during a crisis like the one caused by COVID-19? Questions like these have arisen especially in light of the coronavirus pandemic. Joining us to unpack ...
May 15, 2021•57 min•Ep. 453
On this edition of Parallax Views, President Barack Obama's Deputy National Security Advisor famously to Washington D.C.'s bipartisan foreign policy consensus as the "the Blob". For critics and skeptics of the dominant beltway views of U.S. foreign polciy today, this description has proven apt. The D.C. foreign policy "Blob", critics argue, has entangled the U.S. in a quagmire of "Forever Wars" in countries like Iraq and Afghanistan that have been a net negative for the U.S. and the world. Joini...
May 14, 2021•55 min•Ep. 457
On this edition of Parallax Views, what does President Joe Biden's decision to withdrawal troops from Afghanistan mean in the context of America's history with war and foreign intervention? Joining us to discuss this and the history of U.S. foreign policy in Afghanistan is the Watson Institute's Stephen Kinzer, author of Overthrow: America's Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq. This conversation was spurred on by Kinzer's April op-ed in the Boston Globe entitled "In Biden’s pledge to wi...
May 12, 2021•48 min•Ep. 456
On this edition of Parallax Views, Bill Gates has been the target of many a conspiracy theory in lieu of the COVID-19 pandemic and the COVID vaccine. But does this obscure other criticisms of Bill Gates in regards to the vaccine roll-out during the pandemic? Particularly, has Gates' adherence to intellectual property (IP) had negative impacts on the global vaccine roll-out, specifically in the global south? Journalist Alexander Zaitchik has written an extensive piece on this matter for The New R...
May 10, 2021•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 451
On this edition of Parallax Views, the "Havana Syndrome" has been in the news since U.S. diplomats in Cuba described experiencing a strange sickness involving ringing inside the ear among other symptoms. Since the initial reports of the "Havana Syndrome" were reported the idea that it is the result of exotic weaponry, either a sonic weapon or microve-based directed energy weapon, being used by Cuba (potentially with the help of Russia or China, some believe) against U.S. officials. Now reports o...
May 08, 2021•44 min•Ep. 455
On this edition of Parallax Views, Officer Derek Chauvin has been found guilty in the murder of George Floyd. The death of Floyd led to a wave of protests and renewed interest in Black Lives Matter. Many are the verdict, but will it lead to deep, systemic, structural changes in American policing? Irami Osei-Frimpong aka the Funk Academic makes his third appearance on Parallax Views to discuss why he is skeptical that Chauvin's fate is a signal of deeper changes in American policing. Additionally...
May 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 454
On this edition of Parallax Views, when I started this program I never considered doing an episode on the JFK assassination. That's because it's just a too much of a quagmire for me. I don't know enough about the assassination to really get into all the debates about Lee Harvey Oswald, Jim Garrison, whether there was a conspiracy or not, etc. But, I recently had Fred Litwin, a critic of those whom believe the assassination was the result of a conspiracy, contact me in the hopes of appearing on m...
May 04, 2021•1 hr 39 min•Ep. 450
