Guest
On The Freedom Side LIVE, Thursday, 7/11 at 3pm ET/12pm PT, Eugene and Rania are joined by special guests: Mikaela Nhondo Erskog - This week, Biden and leaders of other NATO member nations convened in Washington, DC for the 75th anniversary summit of the so-called “defensive alliance.” NATO’s proxy war with Russia in Ukraine and the US’s increasing military encirclement of China were major focal points of the discussion. Mikaela Nhondo Erskog, a researcher at the Tricontinental Institute for Social Research and a member of No Cold War and the Dongsheng News Collective, explains 75 years of NATO’s relentless war drive is pushing us closer and closer to WWlll. Omar Baddar - The Lancet, one of the world’s most prestigious medical journals, estimated that the real death toll in Gaza is at least 186,000 Palestinians – tens of thousands more than the Gaza Health Ministry has accounted for. Israel continues to bombard civilian infrastructure and block aid to the besieged territory, resulting in countless more deaths from disease, starvation, and lack of shelter and water. Omar Baddar, a Palestinian-American political analyst based in Washington, DC, considers how the findings of the Lancet report reveal the unprecedented nature of the US-Israeli onslaught of Palestine. Deputy Danièle Obono - The left-wing coalition in France won a surprise victory in France’s snap elections called by President Macron. The New Popular Front defeated not only Macron’s Ensemble, they beat the far-right coalition of Marine Le Pen – which had made shocking gains in the first round of voting – to become the largest bloc in Parliament. France Insoumise MP Danièle Obono discusses how the Left united to beat the far-right and secured the historic election victory. Mazda Majidi - Iranian voters just elected heart surgeon and reformist Masoud Pezeshkian as their next president, following President Raisi’s death in a helicopter crash. Pezeshkian, representing Iran’s Reform Front, campaigned on domestic reform pledges while affirming Iran’s enduring support for the Lebanese resistance movement. What implications does Pezeshkian’s election hold for Iran, the broader region, and the 'Axis of Resistance'? Joining Rania and Eugene to delve into these questions is Mazda Majidi, an anti-war activist and organizer with the ANSWER Coalition. Dr. Grieve Chelwa - The Kenyan people successfully defeated a deeply unpopular finance bill that threatened to worsen Kenya’s already-dire poverty and inflation. After massive protests that turned violent, Pres William Ruto withdrew the bill that the U.S. and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were imposing, which would have dealt the most intense austerity policies in Kenya’s history. To explain how the IMF traps countries like Kenya in cycles of debt and why these measures fail the Kenyan people, Dr. Chelwa joins the show. Dr. Chelwa is a Professor of Political Economy at the Africa Institute and Senior Fellow at Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research. Dr. Roger Stahl - The entertainment industry is another hidden tentacle of the military industrial complex that many don’t know about. From Top Gun to the Marvel franchise, reality TV, video games, ads, and even news coverage, the Pentagon wields significant influence over popular media. Dr. Roger Stahl, a Professor of Communication Studies at the University of Georgia and author of Militainment Inc., explains the profound reach and consequences of this hidden collaboration between the military, weapons makers, and Hollywood. Dr. Ben Becker - Biden’s campaign is in turmoil after his disastrous presidential debate performance last month, leading key Democratic politicians, liberal pundits, and his mega-donors to call for Biden to step down. But will a new candidate actually be capable of beating Trump? Dr. Ben Becker, the Editor-in-Chief of BreakThrough News, discusses the crisis happening inside the Democratic Party as the 2024 Presidential race heats up. #breakthroughnews
