As the situation continues to spiral into bloody chaos in Syria, the regime of Bashar al-Assad is not the only party that is going to lose big when the state fully collapses into civil war: believe it or not, it’s Iran that stands to be the Biggest Loser, and I ain’t talkin’ about shedding pounds on network TV my friends! In this plaid-cast, the Professor points out multiple ways that Iran is currently getting squeezed by the international community, and how the loss of Syria, its only major ally in the region, is going to be a devastating blow to their power, influence, and status in the Middle East and possibly the wider world.
Keywords: Syria, Iran, Homs, Arab, Persian, Hormuz, nuclear weapon, Hezbollah, embargo, civil war
The violence continues to escalate in Syria, where the entrenched regime of Bashar al-Assad continues a bloody repression of protestors who are trying to bring the ‘Arab Spring’ revolution to their country. In the latest news, Russia has now publicly stated that there is no way in hell they will allow any UN-sponsored and NATO-led invasion of Syria—the likes of which toppled Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi last year. Say what? Why would Russia openly support a civilian-slaughtering regime? The Professor talks about some of the reasons for this Russian promise of a veto at the UN, and also why the Syrian regime has lasted longer than other Arab dictatorships which have bitten the dust much quicker.
Keywords: Syria, regime, Russia, veto, UN, Security Council, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Arab Spring, weapons, revolution
Say what? Why would a non-state like Palestine joining a sub-group of the UN named UNESCO be of any global significance? Oh man, I’m telling you, this is a sign of things to come! Listen to this podcast to understand how the US may be isolating itself to its own detriment on the world stage, and how this little ‘global parks service’ entity’s vote on Palestine may be a harbinger of things to come at the UN as a whole. The US’ role in the world is changing…and I want to know what you think of it!
Keywords: UNESCO, UN, US, Palestine, Israel, Canada, sovereignty, UNICEF, Halloween
Yes, yes, yes, there is tremendous hype and pomp and circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden by US forces who covertly invaded Pakistan and took out the head terrorist honcho of al-Qaeda a couple of weeks ago. While much attention has been focused on the man since his death, and the future of his death-wielding terrorist group, and even on how this affects US power/prestige in the world, the Plaid Avenger believes the biggest impacts of bin Laden’s locational transfer to hell will be most felt by the Afghanistan Taliban…who will be ‘legitimized’ and become an accepted power player in Afghan politics.
Say what? Yeah, confusing stuff! That’s why the Avenger did this two-part series to unpack it for you:
Part 1 goes over the differences between the main groups involved in the chaos in this neighborhood, including the goals and objectives of the Afghan Taliban, the Pakistani Taliban, and al-Qaeda.
Part 2 offers 5 reasons why the death of Osama bin Laden will influence the US, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the wider world to accept the Afghan Taliban as a legitimate component of a future stabilized Afghanistan.
The Avenger also points out some relevant insight into the dangers of a growing Pakistani Taliban, and what this might mean for future US/Pakistani relations. And he wants your opinion on how that should be proceeding as well…
In this final flustered finale part 4 on what’s happening in Libya, the Plaid Avenger answers a host of other questions sent into him by you, the intelligent and inquisitive plaid viewers. And BTW thanks so much for those questions and comments! Topics for this Libya rant include why the Arab League supported an invasion of a fellow Arab country, why the French and British have been so hawkish on this whole affair, why other Arab states with uprisings are not being considered for like-minded invasions, who now supports this Libyan mission, who does not, and the greater repercussions of this event not just to Libya and the Middle East but to the entire world. And please comment below about what story the Avenger should report on next! The True Finns or the BRICS?
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