A radical fringe Islamic group names ISIS is fighting to establish a extremist Islamic state in Iraq and Syria…and beyond. They control eastern Syria, western Iraq, just took control of Iraq’s 2nd biggest city of Mosul, and are advancing on the capital Bagdad! What the hell is going on here? Iraq is collapsing? Predictably, yes. In this rant the Professor outlines just a few of the contributing factors to why this significant event is taking place, the geographic/historic background of the state, and the consequences for the future of the region…and why it is the British’s fault.
Holy historic spaces! Has it really been 70 years? Indeed! on June 6th 2014, we commemorate the 70th anniversary of the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France….a major turning point in World War 2, and even in world history, the repercussions of which we can still see today. This place, on this date, is when “Team West” was born, creating an entity that defines the modern world like no other, and has hugely shaped the path of the planet for 7 decades. This podcasts deals with just a few aspects of the geography of this particular military maneuver and its global repercussions.
Keywords: WW2, World War 2, Normandy, Normandy Invasion, Operation Overlord, Operation Neptune, Atlantic Wall, Allied Powers, Allies, Nazis, Europe, USA, Canada, UK, NATO, EU, UN, Omaha Beach
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Erdogan temporarily banned Twitter last week, followed by a brief ban on YouTube! OMG how did the peeps of Turkey survive for a day without it? lol The more important question is: why did that happen? Watch this 20 minutes on Turkey to get the background of protests that have occurred across the country for months, allegations of corruption again the government, and even the recent elections of March 30….all of which relate to what this story is really all about. Is Erdogan devolving into a dictator? Is Turkey turning into a theocracy? Doubtful, as the Professor pontificates about in this podcast.
So why is Venezuela suddenly on fire with protest? A simple question, with no simple answer actually. A month of violent protest and crackdowns has gripped the country, as it marks the one-year anniversary of the passing of socialist firebrand Hugo Chavez. Related events? Everything always is. In short, we have a society in a ideological showdown with itself; a battle over socialism that might possibly be heading for its endgame. In this special long form podcast, the Professor tries to explain how policies and politics of the last decade and a half have now turned the great state of Venezuela into a ticking time bomb…with no clear picture of what will be left after the explosion.
Keywords: Venezuela, Maduro, socialism, Caracas, protests, violence, San Cristobal, Colombia, Panama, USA
Upon request, a Spring Break special update on the state of Ukraine. Or should we now say the former state of the Ukraine, as the Professor will explain how the Crimean Peninsula has now been lost, and will become part of Mother Russia once more. Also covered: concept of Sudetenland, why everyone is yelling “Nazis!”, how much Russians hate the US, and how the modern definition of sovereignty has now been officially smashed.
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