The Nation Podcasts

Hey! Smile! Good things are happening! The U.S. had an amazing election just now... and we weren’t the only ones. Brazil also recently experienced a massive victory against fascism, with President Lula defeating Flavio Bolsonaro (their equivalent of Don Trump Jr.) in a come-from-behind win that we frankly weren’t expecting. To get the skinny on Lula, the Brazilian far right, and the lessons we can learn from this election, we spoke with Andre Pagliarini, a scholar of Brazilian politics and the guy who literally wrote the book on President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (the Fighting Fascism family’s second favorite DaSilva).Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

"The insanity of the settler colonial mindset has no limit."Genocide is not only the destruction of human life. It is also the destruction of land, water, food systems, and ecosystems that make life possible. In Palestine, the devastation of agricultural lands, the poisoning and destruction of water systems, and the uprooting of hundreds of thousands of olive trees are part of a broader campaign to erase Palestinian life, culture, and connection to the land. This is the environmental Nakba: the ecological destruction woven into more than a century of settler colonialism that continues to unfold today.On this episode of A People’s Climate, Shilpi Chhotray speaks with Dr. Hatem Bazian, Palestinian-American scholar, organizer, and professor at UC Berkeley. They discuss how environmental destruction functions as a weapon of genocide and colonial control. From the destruction of Gaza’s agricultural infrastructure to attacks on beehives, they examine how the destruction of the natural world makes Palestinian life increasingly unlivable. They also explore the architecture of occupation: how border walls, checkpoints, settlements, and segregated infrastructure divide land, restrict movement, and engineer two radically unequal worlds for the colonizer and the colonized. Palestine is not somewhere “over there.” As Bazian puts it, “In every city in America, there’s a Palestine.” He points to collapsing schools, a healthcare system that leaves people to die, and endless wars waged to sell weapons. The same corporate and political systems shaping life in Palestine are also reshaping life in the U.S. But Bazian argues that colonialism is fundamentally unsustainable and is clear about what that means for Palestine. “Palestine will be free sooner than later.”Key TopicsThe environmental Nakba: How more than a century of colonization has transformed Palestine’s geography, agriculture, and ecosystems, including non-native tree species that have contributed to devastating fires.The destruction of the life-sustaining systems: Including attacks on beehives, farmland, water systems, and agricultural infrastructure, which undermine food production and make Palestinian life increasingly unlivable.Water apartheid and environmental genocide: Gaza’s contaminated aquifers, the destruction of its water systems, and the stark inequality in water access between Palestinians and Israeli settlers.The weaponization of settlement expansion: How new settlements and outposts bring waves of violence, displacement, and land seizures, pushing Palestinians out of their communities.The colonial dividing line: How the border wall’s construction uprooted hundreds of thousands of trees and creates two radically unequal worlds.Black-Palestinian solidarity: From the Black Panther Party and Angela Davis to Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, how generations of organizers have built connections across movements and struggles for liberation.Islamophobia: The demonization of Muslim communities and its role in shaping U.S. policy and public perceptions of Palestine.The role of religion in justifying empire: How religious narratives become intertwined with ideas of progress and development to legitimize military power and environmental destruction.Colonialism is fundamentally unsustainable: Why the systems built on dispossession and domination cannot last, and why Bazian believes Palestine will be free sooner than later.Resources:Seeds of Resistance with Vivien Sansour - A People’s Climate Season 1, Episode 7Palestinian Land, Heritage, and Identity, Shilpi Chhotray in conversation with Rania Batrice for Peace & RiotDr. Hatem BazianDr. Hatem Bazian’s SubstackA Dying Colonialism by Frantz FanonCreditsPresented by Counterstream Media and The NationPowered by Wildseeds FundHost: Shilpi ChhotrayExecutive Producer: Mindy Ramaker Engineer: Dennis MaxwellProject Manager: Asia SimmsDr. Hatem BazianDr. Hatem Bazian is a teaching professor at UC Berkeley and a leading decolonial scholar whose work centers Islam's epistemology and Global South analysis. He founded the Islamophobia Studies Center, serves as Editor-in-Chief of the Islamophobia Studies Journal and President of the International Islamophobia Studies and Research Association. He co-founded Zaytuna College and American Muslims for Palestine, and serves as President of the Northern California Islamic Council and Chairman of the Muslim Legal Fund for America.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

The Blue Wave has hit AP headquarters, devastating our humble operation. In this week’s news: Danny and Derek discuss the prospects for military escalation and peace talks with Iran after the midterm elections (2:06); the Red Cross delivers aid to the Yemeni city of Taiz (9:46); Netanyahu’s position weakens as coalition talks begin after Israel’s election (11:39); the FBI accuses North Korea of a $6.3 billion cryptocurrency theft (16:09); Ethiopia and Sudan close each other's consulates amid accusations of support for the RSF (18:25); the UN shuts down its Western Sahara mission (20:48); the U.S., Russia, and Ukraine schedule new peace talks in Abu Dhabi (23:28); a temporary ceasefire in southern Ukraine allows aid deliveries and civilian evacuations around Oleshky (25:12); the Trump administration pushes Europe to resume Russian gas imports (28:27); youth-led protests spread to Germany as French unions launch a nationwide strike (32:26); the U.S. negotiates a status-of-forces agreement with Venezuela (35:55); and El Salvador deploys thousands of troops to Haiti after four Salvadoran military personnel disappear (37:54).Catch Danny in-person, along with friend of the pod Nando Vila, at Stories Books & Cafe in LA, Friday Nov 6th at 6:30 PM. Don't forget to subscribe to ⁠Welcome to the Crusades: The Second Crusade⁠!Watch last night’s livestream.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

No, you're NOT seeing double. It's four F's this week as we release a bonus episode of Fighting Fascism to talk about Tuesday night's historic victories for Democrats. How it confirms some or maybe even all of our priors, why everyone seems to talk like Zohran these days, and who is in good pole position to run in 2028. No guest this episode, but Smucker joins Matt and (a healthy) Aaron for all the punditry.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

What we won this week, starting with Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan and James Talarico in Texas – John Nichols comments on the candidates and the issues. He’s The Nation’s Executive Editor.Also: Why victories in the South are especially historic and transformational – Harold Meyerson explains. He’s editor at large of The American Prospect.Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy