As the United States marks its 250th anniversary—a testament to endurance, sacrifice, and democratic aspiration—it does so under a dark and foreboding shadow. At this defining moment, the nation finds itself led not by steadiness or vision, but by a figure whose erratic conduct, corrosive narcissism, and moral decay mock the very ideals this milestone…
As midterm campaigns accelerate and disillusionment with Trump’s domestic and foreign policies widens, a stark scenario emerges: America faces a perilous inflection point demanding immediate action before democratic erosion becomes irreversible Donald Trump did not invent America’s vulnerabilities, but he has driven them to a breaking point. His contempt for democratic norms, alliances, and international…
A war launched to reshape the Middle East has instead exposed the limits of force—and the cost of misunderstanding a nation that has spent millennia learning how to endure The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that was finally unveiled a few days ago only reaffirmed how misguided the joint US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28…
Benjamin Netanyahu’s political career will be remembered not for an era of national stewardship, but as a prolonged exercise in political survival at the expense of Israel’s security, democratic health, and moral standing For nearly three decades, Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu has treated the state as an instrument of personal power rather than a public…
At the core of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is not only about land or security; it is about competing claims to justice. One philosophical truth stands out: a nation cannot secure its future by indefinitely denying other people their fundamental rights.
Today’s podcast guest is Jason Pack, Senior Analyst for Emerging Challenges at the NATO Defense College Foundation and Associate Fellow at RUSI. He is the Host of the Disorder Podcast, and author of Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder.
In this episode, we discuss the end of the post-WWII global order and the prevailing disorder since 2011, the loss of American leadership, the Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the United States, particularly in comparison to the 2015 JCPOA, and the broader regional fallout from the war with Iran.
Listen now; link in bio.
Full bio
Jason Pack is the Founder of Libya-Analysis LLC, and the host of Disorder, a geopolitics podcast co-produced with Goalhanger Podcasts. He is an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) and the Senior Analyst for Emerging Challenges at the NATO Defence College Foundation in Rome.
His most recent book, Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder (Hurst 2021 / Oxford University Press 2022) is a ‘cross-over’ academic book that explores what Libya’s dysfunctional economic structures and its ongoing civil war reveal about our era of 21st-century geopolitics. Jason’s ‘Enduring Disorder’ concept – that we no longer inhabit the post-Cold War World, but have entered a new era – the ‘Enduring Disorder’ – was conceived to describe the collective action failures that have come to define international politics.
Jason has lived in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Oman, Qadhafi-era Libya, and Trump-era Washington, DC. Proficient in Arabic, French, and Hebrew, he has been kidnapped twice, and served as the Executive Director of a K St-based Trade Association. He is open for media appearances about US foreign policy, conspiracy theories, the state of the global system, neopopulism, and especially the Middle East.
When not podcasting or consulting on the Middle East, Jason plays backgammon semi-professionally. He was the 2018 World Champion of Doubles Backgammon, came 2nd place in the 2024 World Championship of Speedgammon, and has achieved the rank of Grandmaster – placing him in the top 100 players in the world. He also writes about gambling’s connections to geopolitics.
Today’s guest is Dr. Daniel Bar-Tal, Professor Emeritus at the School of Education, Tel Aviv University. In this episode, we discuss differing narratives between Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs and how to bridge that gap, the decline of the Israeli peace movement, and changing public opinion toward Israel abroad.
Listen now; link in bio.
Full bio
Dr. Daniel Bar-Tal is Professor Emeritus at the School of Education, Tel Aviv University. Dr. Bar-Tal received his graduate training in social psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, and completed his doctoral thesis in 1974. He previously served as a Director of the Walter Lebach Research Institute for Jewish-Arab Coexistence through Education, Tel Aviv University and as President of the International Society of Political Psychology, and was Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Palestine Israel Journal. In 2013 he received honorary membership in the Polish Society of Social Psychology.
Since the early eighties his interest has shifted to political psychology and the study of the socio-psychological foundations of intractable conflicts and peace building, including reconciliation. In the latter area, he studied the evolvement of the socio-psychological infrastructure in times of intractable conflict that consists of shared societal beliefs of ethos of conflict, collective memory, and emotional collective orientations. He also studied socio-psychological barriers to peacemaking and ways to overcome them, and acquisition of the conflict repertoire by children and adolescents.
Within this scope of studies he developed with his collaborators theoretical frameworks for concepts like siege mentality, intractable conflict, delegitimization, collective victimhood, socio-psychological infrastructure, culture of conflict, effects of lasting occupation, barriers to peace making, construction and struggle over conflict supporting narratives, acquisition of intergroup psychological repertoire, early development of the ethos of conflict, transitional context, collective identity, and peace education, among many others.
Elizabeth Hoffman, Executive Director, North America at ONE, joined me on my podcast to discuss the urgent humanitarian situation in Sudan as a result of its ongoing civil war. She speaks about the background to the civil war and the players involved, and discusses the techniques of fear being used in the war, and the horrific crimes against humanity being committed by both the RSF and the SAF.
Listen to this and more in my latest episode, available now - link in bio.
During Pride Month, LGBT students in Indonesia faced a surge in harassment, intimidation, and discrimination. Student journalists were pressured to remove articles documenting human rights abuses, students were publicly shamed and punished because of their perceived sexual orientation, and discriminatory university policies continued to restrict freedom of expression. This hostile environment is reinforced by laws and official rhetoric that stigmatize LGBT people rather than protect their fundamental rights. No student should fear harassment, expulsion, or violence because of who they are or whom they love. Education must foster dignity, inclusion, and critical thinking—not fear and exclusion. Indonesia should uphold its international human rights obligations by protecting freedom of expression, ending discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and ensuring that every student can learn in a safe and respectful environment.
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What about the rest of the letters. Are they okay.
Indonesia has seen what that community has done to campuses abroad. They erase fear by erasing the problem.
They're the one who brought it to themselves.
Be what you want but don’t force others to understand it. There is no hetro flag and nor should there be. You do you and don’t bother everyone else.
When we all realize the words in this song are true we will be what God hoped for. That is if you believe in God. If you don’t believe in God (and that is to be respected) you should still desire a world where love trumps all else. Choose as if our children’s futures hang in the balance. THEY DO!
Yea, lets love all cultures and respect them. But when they want to follow and focus on their own cultural beliefs, then scorn and shame them.... I can't have it both ways, either respect the country and its traditions or don't respect anything and treat everything the same. I wonder if the people hating on this would like to go to the middle east and protest for lgbt rights on those streets, knowing how they treat the community and protestors
Fuk-U
Always those animals
This is a joke right?
We should all be afraid of the T part....
REMOVING PRIDE/LGBTQ FROM OUR COMMUNITIES IS POSSIBLE: To all families and churches: The solution is not difficult: 1. Pray and fasting 2. Show up at Pride event sharing the gospel message with compassion and love firmly rooted in speaking Truth into the darkness (Keyword Search pride LGBTQ events town month) 3 Send out street ministers to preach in love and compassion but firmly speaking truth into darkness 4.Phone calls and petitions to withdraw city support of all Pride events, to remove the Pride flag from city hall and schools they do not represent us or 90% of the community 5. Pre-Schedule church events in your city for next June for every weekend next June as either an individual church or collectively, the last weekend esp. The last weekend is the zenith of Pride commemorations celebrating Stone Wall We need a sustained effort all through 2027. 6. If you send me your email I will send the Pride Sermon I am using on the streets My profile is found on FB You should also know, my city tried to shut me down this January. I am fully represented by the American Center for Law and Justice and they have been warned. Once we begin we must see it through IF YOU LIKE THIS POST PASS IT ALONG
Poor babies.
What about W.H.i.T.E.P.R.I.D.E. Month?
What about the pedophiles you let ride your coattales...?
🏳️🌈👎🏽😡💯
GO FIGURE
Erase the problem. No fear
My next podcast episode is this upcoming Tuesday, July 14, at 10:00am EDT with political analyst and author Michael Bedenbaugh, whose latest book, Reviving Our Republic: 95 Theses for the Future of America, argues the need for political renewal in the United States and presents recommendations for such reforms in a historical context. Mike’s diverse background includes five years of service in the US Navy, as well as previously serving as president and executive director of Preservation South Carolina, working to protect and preserve the state’s historic places.
Listeners can register for the live podcast recording on Zoom at the following link: us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/4917834406622/WN_tv-wLA_CT3WbeqYjevXOIQ
Archived episodes will be released the following day, on Wednesdays at noon. Subscribe on your favorite podcast app, including Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and Spotify, to be sure to always get the latest episodes.
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Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: On the Issues with Alon Ben-Meir, featuring Michael Bedenbaugh. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar.0 CommentsComment on Facebook
The conviction of environmental activist Esra Işık is another alarming example of the shrinking space for dissent in Turkey. She now faces prison after peacefully protesting the expansion of a coal mine that threatens the Akbelen Forest, local farmland, and surrounding communities. Under Erdoğan, peaceful protesters, journalists, lawyers, academics, opposition politicians, and civil society activists have increasingly faced criminal investigations, prosecutions, and imprisonment. The conviction of Esra Işık reflects a broader pattern in which the justice system is used to silence critics and discourage peaceful activism. Environmental defenders should be protected—not prosecuted. The right to peaceful protest, freedom of expression, and environmental advocacy are fundamental human rights that every democratic society should uphold.
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Germany's deportation of Tajik opposition activist Asadullo Boboev to Tajikistan raises serious concerns about compliance with international human rights obligations. Boboev, a government critic, was reportedly detained immediately upon arrival, a pattern seen in several previous cases involving deported Tajik opposition activists. International law prohibits the forced return of individuals to countries where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, or other serious human rights abuses. Political dissidents should not be sent back to governments that have a documented record of imprisoning and silencing their critics. Protecting those fleeing political persecution is a fundamental obligation—not a discretionary policy. Governments must ensure that deportation decisions fully respect the principle of non-refoulement and prioritize human rights over political expediency.
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