Holy Hong Kong Phooey! Pro-democracy protest have erupted in Hong Kong, shutting this world city down, and causing a direct face-off with the powerful Chinese government! The Professor explains the background of this flashpoint face-off, and the repercussions that will impact the city, the state, and the century to come! It’s a big HK democracy deal! Or is it?
Holy kilt-lifter! A historic Scottish vote goes down tomorrow, Sept 18, to determine the fate of a future state called Scotland! The Professor talks about why this is happening, as well as the much bigger repercussions it has for Europe and the world!
So much sovereignty shenanigans happening across the planet right now that the Professor was compelled to crank out an update! Due to the actions of both Russia in Ukraine and ISIS in the Middle East, it appears that the modern definition of sovereignty (based on mutual recognition and UN rules of conduct) is now defunct, and the old school rules of ‘protecting tribe’ and ‘defendability’ are back in play. In addition, he chats briefly about Scotland, Kurdistan, Palestine, and other areas were sovereign state status is somewhat mysterious!
Keywords: Scotland, Kurdistan, Palestine, IS, ISIS, Russia, Ukraine
Holy horrific un-natural disasters! A Malaysian Airlines passenger plane with 295 people was just shot out of the air over eastern Ukraine today killing everyone onboard! The Professor pontificates on how this bizarre attack will be spun in the press, as well as why the pro-Russian rebels and Russia itself will be pushed to significantly modify their objectives in Ukraine after this international incident.
In this second podcast on the rise of ISIS, the Professor points out a variety of repercussions (to the region and the world) from the declaration of an Islamic State by the radical group that has been destabilizing SYria and Iraq. Some of the ripples in the pond caused by this ISIS rock include: re-thinking rebel/Assad support in Syria; an independent Kurdish state; a large Sunni-Shia schism; and most importantly, a possible thaw in relations between the US and Iran, and Iran and the Arab states.
Keywords: Iraq, Iran, ISIS, IS, Islamic State, Islam, Sunni, Shia, Shiite, Wahhabism, Ira-Iraq War, Saddam Hussein, Syria, Arab, Persian, Persian Gulf, oil, Saudi Arabia, US, Russia, Kurds, Kurdish, Kurdistan
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