Iran vs. USA: It Can Always Get Worse!

Iran vs. USA: It Can Always Get Worse!

Author: Steve Palley, Pete Newsom January 17, 2020 Duration: 33:28
January 8: The Iranian regime says Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752 crashed a couple hours prior because of "mechanical errors."January 11: Actually… we shot it down because we mistook it for an incoming missile. Also this is America’s fault! We will not take any questions about why a commercial flight was allowed to take off while we were launching missiles at the American troops in Iraq. Ahem. Yes.Also January 11: Turning on a dime from mourning assassinated General Qassem #Soleimani to focusing rage on a hidebound regime, the Iranian people resume protesting in face of goons firing live ammo, even though 1500+ citizens have already died.Now: These are extremely hard times in #Iran, where the 40-year-old Islamic Republic looks like it could be tottering. And you know what they say: a cornered foe can be more dangerous than a confident one...This week, Steve and Soumi talk about the Islamic Republic's many difficult challenges, as well as how things in the Middle East could somehow be even scarier now than they were a month ago, even though everyone's stopped paying attention!Further reading:1.    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-510690902.    https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2020-01-14/soleimani-strike-shows-trump-plan-for-iran-is-regime-disruption3.    https://www.npr.org/2020/01/14/796260687/iran-makes-arrests-over-accidental-downing-of-ukrainian-airliner4.    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/13/business/economy/iran-economy.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article5.    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/14/world/europe/iran-nuclear-deal.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage6.    https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2020-parliamentary-election-causing-anxiety-tehran-191213162204935.html

Navigating the daily deluge of headlines can leave anyone feeling adrift. The Elucidators: Decoding Global News is a weekly conversation designed to provide a compass. Hosts Steve Palley and Pete Newsom don't just recount the events; they unpack the historical context, the political forces at play, and the often-overlooked connections between seemingly disparate stories. Each episode takes a notable global affair and patiently breaks it down, moving beyond the sensational soundbite to explore the 'why' and the 'what next'. You'll hear them analyze the mechanics of government decisions, debate the efficacy of political rhetoric, and offer grounded commentary that prioritizes understanding over alarm. This podcast operates on the belief that being an informed citizen requires more than just consumption-it requires digestion. By tuning in, you're not simply getting a news update; you're getting a framework for thinking critically about power, policy, and the narratives that shape our world. The goal is to leave each discussion with a clearer, more nuanced picture of the forces shaping our collective future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 48

The Elucidators: Decoding Global News
Podcast Episodes
What Just Happened In The United States? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:47
Steve and Pete look back at a completely uneventful and frankly kind of boring two weeks in American politics.
Thailand's Royal Mess [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 46:24
We've got big trouble in the Land of Smiles, where a growing protest movement is squaring off against the country's retrograde monarch.
Warnings from the Far Right [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:46
Far-Right extremists have infiltrated the German armed forces, plotted to kidnap the governor of Michigan, and have been found responsible for politically-motivated murders in Greece. What's coming next?
Fishing For A Brexit Deal [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:20
We're in the final innings of the Brexit game. Is UK PM Boris Johnson going to deliver or get served?
Rumble In The Caucasus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:57
Armenia and Azerbaijan are at it again over the enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, and it may put the whole Caucasus region at risk.
Taiwan In China's Crosshairs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:22
China is rattling its saber across the Taiwan Strait by sending warplanes across the median line. Are we heading for another crisis?
Hero of Hotel Rwanda Arrested [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:34
Paul Rusesabagina, the Rwanda hotel manager whose heroism during the 1994 Genocide inspired the Oscar-nominated movie Hotel Rwanda, has been arrested and accused of terrorism.