"The process of liberation is irresistible and irreversible" w/ Vijay Prasad

The brothers welcome historian and journalist Vijay Prasad to the show to discuss the emergence of Palestine as the keystone struggle of the Global South, the importance of the PLO, the question of sovereign national interests vs. solidarity with Palestinian liberation, and the radical student movements rising up across the West.
Date of recording: Apr 30, 2024.
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[@claire1rl]

Hi Vijay, Ireland have missed our Indian brothers & sisters sane voices in the media 💚

[@user-ng1bo1zl5y]

A brilliant discussion. Thanks.

[@okaytoletgo]

Yes yes yes: salutes to the trade union organizers in Palestine! Thank you all.

[@SallyValjean]

Thank you, Makdisi Brothers & Vijay Prashad! Love you all!❤☮🙏🏽

[@terriej123]

Love me some Vijay Prashad🥰 I could listen to him indefinitely.

[@rouxbe3595]

Thanks for this brilliant discussion! What a gift you brothers have contributed to the world with this podcast, so much history, context, and nuance. You deserve a much larger audience on KZbin- I’ve subscribed and shared while I make my way through your previous episodes. I contributed to bail for protesters jailed this morning, and finished May Day on a high note listening and learning from Vijay & the Makdisi bros.💪❤️✌️

[@MyRaberto]

Big solidarity and Handshakes in thought from your Republican brothers and sisters from Belfast. As our comrade Bobby Sands famously said - Our Revenge will be the Laughter of our Children

[@user-mu4vz9cr2j]

Thank you all, best wishes from Brazil!

[@zeynepoguz7107]

the best episode. thank you all.

[@Ded_Silu]

Priceless podcast with Maksidi Brothers

[@micheleyapur2065]

Awesome guest! Great conversation! Thanks so much!🤩

[@manarbakhsh7776]

I am learning so much from these necessary acamdemic discussion with your distinguished guests. I salute you brothers.

[@RobinHerzig]

Shoutout ‘Beirut Fragments’ 📖👏

[@haydock18]

I wish you could get someone on who argues strongly that the dog is the usa.... and others to argue the other side (that the usa is the tail)...I really appreciate the authentic, intellectual discussions you have (so hard to find on the internet). It is great when brothers disagree and try to convince each other, in serious discussions.

[@Anubis-hm7ro]

Thank you

[@aline5771]

Truly exceptional episode and podcast.

[@Laila-ud1ip]

This was a very insightful episode that helps connects many dots. The point that Karim raises in his summary about the US-imposed conditionality surrounding the acceptance/normalization of the zionist entity in the post-cold war world order is worth exploring in greater detail.

[@mtotheptothed]

My first time coming across you all other than Vejay. Looking forward to checking out your previous and coming work. Great show.

[@chandrabudhu5228]

Thank you Vijay and the Makdisi brothers for a great interview.

[@lorilea3188]

As we learned from North Ireland, Peace comes when women are empowered to make it.

[@lisawilliamson5012]

Fascinating discussion. I am sharing and I will listen again. Thank you so much.

[@Caro-ys4kk]

Great discussion! Thanks

[@LadyBug1967]

I'm really enjoying this video and I think Mr Prasad is spot on when he said there's a fifty first state that calls itself Israel & it's really part of the United States. I had read online that the Netherlands had decided to do away with dual citizenship and I thought they were talking about Israeli Dutch dual citizenship because obviously the Israeli Dutch citizens fight for Israel, they do not fight for Holland, hence the loyalties lie with Israel. I thought that was a brilliant idea til i later read that it was Palestinian dutch dual citizens that were going to be forced to give up their dutch citizenships. That said I am 100% opposed to Israelis who have citizenship also in America because I believe they fight for Israel & their loyalties lie with Israel-- not with America. Once their citizenship is denied, they may not run for political office which they have done. They've infiltrated all of the local political offices within all the 50 states and they are passing laws such that 37 states in America now say it is against the law to criticize Israel. NO American would say such an insane thing because Israel's a foreign country and we can criticize foreign nations, as well as our own country. we can definitely criticize a foreign Nationso you know this is coming from an israeli. The new law would be very simple if you have fought in the Israeli army you may not have American citizenship. I have heard that Trump says when he gets in power, he will deport any American who criticizes Israel. Can you believe that? . I bet you can because you know he's insane and you know he's 200% behind Israel due to his grandkids being Jews. I would be surprised if Jared kushner wasn't dual citizenship israeli-american because as a realtor he's already talked about selling land in Gaza to Jews to make it a beachfront resort type community and when Trump gets in power he will probably do that because once again nepotism will kick in and he will be given a position in the government. I recall Norman Finkelstein saying about 10 years ago that he gave up finally on Palestine although he had fought for them for all of his life. He is once again reinvigorated and I do think Palestine will get its freedom; its sovereignty; and its statehood but I think at the same time America is a failed State; it's a failed democracy; and I have given up on America. It is true that the zionist state is only 75 years old but America is only 250 years old and already it has failed. Its always been said that America was an experiment. I say now that experiment has failed. I say that as a Daughter of the American Revolution, as well as a Daughter of the Texas Republic. MY ancestors fought for freedom but ultimately we have lost and there is no way to regain it, at least not in my lifetime. I will continue to stand with Palestine and for its freedom-- rather than just for a ceasefire as your guest points out--but I will no longer put any of my energy into the country of my birth because I feel it is beyond hope. The Mosad controls the Zionist State & they do it up front , right in your face. IT'S not a hidden deep State at all. l AND I believe they control America as well.

[@lisawilliamson5012]

You guys rock! Where else can I get such Truth? Thank you!

[@mohamedhusanee8241]

Thanks for the truths

[@eddieabd9802]

Another brilliant discussion 🙌🏽 ...love especially your follow up questions to clarify points that need more unpacking. Thank you Makdisi brothers , looking forward to the next gulf special.

[@enriquesalas-limon9989]

So which of the makdisi bros are going to write the comparative history of client states controlling the metropole??? We need that book! Does another similar work exist??

[@user-pw2de9tk8s]

Another great podcast from the Makdisi bro with Vijay, and excellent guest to present the current and historical global south perspective!

[@romanahowe67]

Thank you! Great interview! Free Palestine!

[@DianaValerie]

One of the richest conversations yet. Who has the cooler hotel room--Ussama or Saree?

[@gulliegulliver4546]

thank you, another excellent discussion

[@soulstar2401]

And so it is. ❤

[@nawafdreams]

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:02 *🤖 Introduction and welcome* - Introduction to the podcast episode and guests. - Reminder to subscribe and support the podcast. 00:30 *🌍 Vijay Prashad's background and expertise* - Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian, journalist, and author who has written extensively on the global South. - He has held academic positions, including at Trinity College in the U.S. - His work focuses on issues related to Palestine and the global South's perspective on global affairs. 02:08 *🇵🇸 Prashad's personal connection to Palestine* - Prashad was deeply impacted by the Sabra and Shatila massacre in Lebanon in 1982. - His early experiences in India also shaped his understanding of violence and human rights abuses. - Prashad's subsequent visits to Palestine, including Gaza in 2014, further solidified his commitment to the Palestinian cause. 07:19 *📚 Prashad's historical perspective on the global South* - Prashad discusses the significance of anti-colonialism in the post-World War II period and the centrality of the Palestinian struggle to the global South's consciousness. - He explains how the Palestinian cause was elevated to become a core aspect of third world decolonization in the 1960s and 1970s. 16:34 *🕰️ The evolving role of Palestine in the global South's consciousness* - Prashad responds to the argument that Palestine was not a major issue for the global South until the 1960s, challenging this interpretation. - He emphasizes the centrality of anti-colonialism as the prevailing morality in the 1940s and 1950s, which laid the groundwork for the subsequent rise of the Palestinian cause. 24:01 *🗽 The evolving role of Palestine in global activism* - Palestine continues to hold symbolic importance in the global South, as seen in the standing ovations for Mahmoud Abbas at the UN General Assembly. - However, Palestine has also become central to domestic struggles in the global North, particularly in the U.S., where it is connected to movements like Black Lives Matter and indigenous rights. 26:06 *🌍 Palestine's reception in the global South vs. the global North* - In countries outside the global North, such as Ghana, Namibia, and India, the Palestinian cause is more openly embraced by both governments and the public. - This contrasts with the need for grassroots activism and encampments in the global North to keep the Palestinian issue visible and on the political agenda. 35:18 *🇮🇳 The complexity of India's stance on Palestine* - There are three levels to understand India's relationship with Palestine: the pragmatic, the programmatic, and the underlying anti-colonial tradition. - At the pragmatic level, India has increased military and technological cooperation with Israel, driven by U.S. pressure and the collapse of Soviet-era arms supplies. 42:04 *🌍 The reluctance of the global South to confront the West on Palestine* - Prashad questions why countries in the global South, such as Egypt, have not taken more assertive action to support Gaza, despite their military capabilities. - He suggests that the global South countries, including the BRICS nations, have lacked the confidence to directly challenge the West on the Palestinian issue, as seen in their failure to fund UNRWA after the West's defunding. 46:42 *🤝 The reluctance of the global South to confront the West on Palestine* - The global South countries, including the BRICS nations, have been largely polite and symbolic in their support for Palestine, without taking concrete actions to challenge the West. - This reluctance stems from a fear of confronting the U.S., which dominates global military spending and has the power to impose sanctions and consequences. 51:42 *🇺🇸 The decadence of Western leadership on the Palestinian issue* - Prashad argues that the Western leadership, particularly in the U.S. and Europe, has displayed a moral and intellectual decline in their response to the Palestinian crisis. - Their statements and policies in support of Israel have become increasingly hollow and disconnected from the realities on the ground in Gaza. 55:24 *🗣️ The need for Palestinian leadership to drive the global solidarity movement* - Prashad acknowledges that the Palestinian insertion into the third world solidarity movement in the 1960s and 1970s was driven by strong Palestinian leadership, which is currently lacking. - He argues that without assertive Palestinian leadership, it is difficult to sustain and cohere a global movement of solidarity, despite the widespread revulsion at Israeli policies. 01:00:02 *🔥 The significance of the Palestinian struggle in the history of decolonization* - Prashad emphasizes that the Palestinian struggle epitomizes the deeper philosophical and moral commitment to decolonization held by billions of people around the world. - He highlights the remarkable achievements of the PLO in the 1960s in making the Palestinian cause a central issue in the global decolonization movement. 01:03:31 *🇮🇱🇺🇸 The anomalous relationship between Israel and the United States* - Prashad and the interviewer discuss the anomalous nature of the relationship between Israel and the United States, where the smaller "client state" appears to exert significant influence over the imperial center. - This dynamic is seen in the way U.S. politicians and institutions, such as universities, seem to be taking orders from Tel Aviv, rather than the other way around. 01:08:24 *🇮🇱🇺🇸 The anomalous relationship between Israel and the United States* - Prashad suggests that Israel is like a powerful state of the United States, with deep entanglements between high officials in both countries. - The flow of people and ideas between the two countries creates an "underground bridge" that blurs the lines between them. 01:12:54 *🌍 Historical precedents for the Israel-U.S. relationship* - Prashad provides historical examples of settler colonies defended by imperial powers, such as Rhodesia and Kenya under British rule, which share some similarities with the Israel-U.S. relationship. - However, Prashad also acknowledges that the Israel-U.S. dynamic is not entirely unique, as it has elements of both similarity and difference compared to previous colonial-settler relationships. 01:19:20 *🇺🇸🇮🇱 The limits of U.S. influence over Israel* - The interviewer pushes back on the idea that Israel completely controls the U.S., arguing that there are moments when the U.S. has drawn a line and asserted its own interests, even against Israel. - However, the interviewer acknowledges that generally, the path to influence in Washington does go through Tel Aviv, with the U.S. often relinquishing its power to Israel. 01:21:30 *🌍 The changing geopolitics and the decline of U.S. power* - The interviewer suggests that the current situation reflects the broader decline of U.S. power, both globally with the rise of BRICS and regionally in the Middle East. - The interviewer argues that countries in the Gulf are now looking to diversify their relationships and influence, beyond just relying on the U.S., as they see the limitations of American power. 01:24:21 *🇨🇳🇰🇸 The Gulf states' strategic interests and their shifting priorities* - Prashad discusses the recent efforts to establish a Middle East-India-Europe trade corridor, driven by concerns over China's Belt and Road Initiative and the desire for economic diversification. - He argues that the Gulf states, particularly Saudi Arabia, are increasingly focused on their economic and geopolitical positioning in a post-U.S. world, with China and India becoming more prominent in their strategic calculations. 01:29:19 *🌍 The shifting geopolitical landscape and the changing priorities of global powers* - Prashad argues that the current geopolitical landscape is much more complex, with various "dogs" vying for power and influence, beyond just the U.S. and Israel. - He suggests that even for some sections of the U.S. ruling class, the Palestinian conflict is becoming a distraction from their primary concerns, such as jockeying for economic and geopolitical development. 01:31:40 *🕰️ The significance of May Day and the legacy of Palestinian labor organizers* - Prashad emphasizes the importance of cultural events like May Day in connecting people and giving a sense of shared purpose. - He highlights the courageous efforts of Palestinian trade unionists who have struggled to organize workers, often under immense hardship and repression, and deserve to be recognized and remembered. 01:35:24 *⚖️ The evolving relationship between the global South and Palestine* - The interviewer and Prashad discuss the continued significance of the global South's solidarity with the Palestinian cause, despite the shifting geopolitical dynamics. - They acknowledge the complexity of this relationship, including the ways in which some governments have attempted to use the Palestinian issue for their own political ends. Made with HARPA AI

[@kamalsaleh2390]

Why the segment kzbin.info/www/bejne/qXq8fmWomdNng8U was removed?

[@gabrielagoldberg416]

i wonder too. Seemed like an important segment

[@jason8434]

32:23 I think we need to start talking about Global Pacific and Global Atlantic. America has always been a westward-expanding power, and has many allies and friends in the Pacific. China and Russia are usually analyzed in terms of Eurasian geopolitics, but Eurasia is part of that Atlantic world from DC to Kiev and Ankara. The twenty-first century is moving westwards from San Francisco Bay and Tokyo. The twentieth century West was moving westwards from Berlin and London. That's a massive distance covered, and my theory is that the US and China, which meet in the California Republic, will propel history further westwards all the way to Africa. The Atlantic world is declining but the US keeps getting pulled back to Eurasia via Russia and Israel. The site of world history is now the Pacific Ocean, and Marx could foresee this already amid the gold rushes of the 1850s.

[@laleodekon5085]

Banker and baroness

[@leroitiaks]

Talking about "despotic" government when talking about Iran, Syria, etc... is so hypocritical for people enjoying the fruits of imperialism. Overall, there is a misunderstanding of what colonialism is from some of the hosts. V. Prashad's point that the zionist entity is just part of the US empire is more in line with the material conditions than some semi-conspiratorial zionist control theory. But for that, one has to understand the historical materialist (i.e., Marxist) approach to society. That people like anti-marxist N. Chomsky do not accept it is further proof of that.