How U.S. Meddling Distorted Russian Politics, with Leftist Alexey Sakhnin
In the American mind, Russia is associated with the Soviet Union — the red menace — and long standing Russophobia clearly echoes in the coverage of Putin today. The Communist Party of the Russian Federation (KPRF) officially received 19 percent of the vote, but the KPRF claims their vote totals were suppressed. What explains the […]
Killing Modernity: How the US & Britain Destroyed the Afghan Left, with Vijay Prashad
It’s been 20 years since the US invaded Afghanistan. As the US finally withdrew, Taliban control over Afghanistan has been portrayed as inevitable. But what happened to the other political forces in the country? The war on Afghanistan didn’t really start in 2001. US meddling goes back to the 1970s and British meddling even further. […]
Voices from the African Left: China vs the US & the New Cold War
Western governments along with their loyal media and think tanks warn that China is colonizing, exploiting, and forcing Africa into a debt trap. Is this true? Or is it Cold War propaganda? What is China’s actual role in Africa and how does it compare with the West’s? To help us understand what’s really happening, […]
Marxist Epidemiologist Calls Bullsh*t on Antivaxxers, Details COVID’s Capitalist Roots
Anti-scientific conspiracy theories are spreading, not just among the right, but even even among some segments of the left. To address this issue from a Marxist perspective, Rania Khalek spoke with Rob Wallace, an evolutionary epidemiologist at the Agroecology and Rural Economics Research Corps in St. Paul and author of “Dead Epidemiologists: On the Origins […]
Red Yemen: From Socialist State to Bombed-Out Neoliberal Ruin
The Saudis, backed by the Americans, have been waging a war against Yemen since 2015, causing massive civilian casualties as well as famine and a cholera epidemic. How did Yemen get here? Yemen’s modern history is fascinating and overlooked, and few are aware of the Marxist republic that existed in South Yemen from 1967 to […]
Kurdistan: Iraq’s Unknown Dictatorship, with Kamal Chomani
The Game of Thrones politics of Kurdistan is fascinating and neglected, involving family and tribal dictators, international intrigue from the likes of Turkey, Iran and Israel, and the elusive PKK. Rania Khalek spoke with Kamal Chomani, a political analyst from Iraqi Kurdistan. They discussed the nuances of the political parties that make up the leadership […]
How China Lifted 850 Million People Out of Extreme Poverty, with Tings Chak
In February, the Chinese government celebrated the eradication of extreme poverty within its borders. This would be a massive achievement for any country, but for China it’s even more so as it is home to some 1.4 billion people and is considered a developing country. China is credited with lifting over 800 million people out […]
Xinjiang, Hong Kong, Media Lies and the War On China, with Daniel Dumbrill
Rania Khalek was joined by Daniel Dumbrill, a political commentator on China-related issues who is based in Shenzhen, to speak about his experiences in Hong Kong, his recent trip to Xinjiang and how it relates to America’s new Cold War. You can listen to all episodes of Rania Khalek Dispatches anywhere you get podcasts like […]