The U.S. is technically under a ceasefire with Iran, yet its leadership is sharing the usual full-throated genocidal threats, as Pete Hegseth was the most recent among Trump’s admin to do. According to Pete, the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports will last indefinitely, as long as it must last to ensure the U.S. has the upper hand. We talk about the implications and consequences of this foreign policy with Toure, who has a new YouTube Channel, this week’s special guest. Watch below:

Pete Hegseth just reminded Iran, amidst a ceasefire to the conflict that has wrought devastation in Iran and killed hundreds, that the U.S. is ready to pursue an endless path of bloodshed and destruction, down to the last bomb in its arsenal. It’s a glaring violation of the basic principles of the ceasefire to which our country committed. And it might be a war crime! Taking a look under the facade of America’s commitment to international peace and democracy — a facade that appears more cracked than ever during Trump’s endless, baseless war — we talk about the U.S.’s violent posturing, how it’s being perceived by Iran, and the instability and lack of control that our country’s defense forces are hiding. This could, we argue, mark the beginning of the end of American hegemony.

We also look at the issue of Israel-Palestine and investigate the conflict surrounding it within the Democratic Party, the establishment of which has shamefully refused to pressure the U.S. government to cut off support to Israel. As we saw from the outset of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, young people in particular have rejected our country’s rationale for materially supporting Israel. But now more than ever, AIPAC seems to be losing its grip on American electoral politics, the Democratic voter base has articulated a clear majority pro-Palestine stance, and the Dem politicians who continue to ignore what the base is saying will struggle more than ever to maintain power. We talk to Toure about this internal struggle for the party, about what the political success stories of pro-Palestinian advocates like Abdul El-Sayed tell us about American politics, and about what we can see is about to happen next in the U.S.-Iran conflict.

Thanks for watching (and for your continued support of the show!). This episode will be available on major streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and more.