Americans Pay $2 BILLION A DAY for Iran War: Afshin Rattansi Challenges Ex-Deputy CENTCOM Commander

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Vice Admiral Robert Harward, former Deputy Commander of US CENTCOM and Executive Vice President of Shield AI. Afshin Rattansi challenges him on his support for the US regime change war on Iran, Iran’s de facto alliance with the US against ISIS & Al Qaeda, the economic cost of the war on Iran at $2 billion a day for Americans, the level of the Iranian threat against the United States before the war on Iran began, the fate of the US’ bases in the GCC after the war on Iran ends, the US’ sanctions on Iran and the 38 million deaths caused by US sanctions up until 2021, the state of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine and Kiev being unable to ‘win’ the war, Ukraine’s strikes on Russian refineries fuelling the global energy crisis, the Maidan Coup and the NATO provocations that caused Russia’s invasion in 2022, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro: State of the region after Iran war(00:01:28) - National security adviser question and multi-front strategy(00:03:00) - History of Iran-US relations since 1979(00:06:33) - Cold War alliances and Soleimani contacts(00:09:58) - Prioritizing the Middle East vs China(00:11:47) - Would Harward have stopped the Iran war?(00:14:00) - Assessing Rubio and the Iran threat debate(00:16:45) - Retaliation, US bases, and threat justification(00:18:58) - Sanctions, history of chemical weapons, and blame(00:20:18) - Drone warfare in Ukraine and Kiev strategy(00:23:15) - Ukraine, NATO expansion, and Putin's motives(00:25:48) - Israel, GCC, and closing remarks

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Joe Kent, former Director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, who resigned from the Trump Administration after the US-Israeli war on Iran was launched. He discusses the effects of the war on Iran domestically in the United States and how Israel marched the US to war on Iran, who the individual access points are for the Israel lobby in the Trump Administration, what was behind Israel’s calculation to assassinate Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on the first day of the war to keep Trump stuck in the Iran War, why Donald Trump has decided not to aid Saudi Arabia militarily in the campaign against the Houthis in Yemen, the association of Nicolas Maduro with Tren de Aragua—the pretext for regime change in Venezuela, why nothing has been done about the perpetrators about the Russiagate hoax, the ongoing cover-up of 9/11, the anniversary of the Nordstream attacks and whether the US was behind the attack, why no one resigned from the Biden Administration over the Gaza genocide, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro: Nord Stream Anniversary and Global Context(00:00:53) - Introducing Joe Kent and His Resignation(00:03:16) - The Israel Lobby's Influence on Trump(00:05:55) - Killing the Supreme Leader and Locking In War(00:07:15) - Trump's Restraint on Yemen and the Houthis(00:09:40) - Signal Gate Leak and Yemen Terrain Challenges(00:11:19) - Financial Fallout of Middle East Wars(00:13:25) - Break(00:13:40) - Venezuela, Tren de Aragua, and Intelligence Politics(00:17:30) - Russiagate and Trust in the Intelligence Community(00:19:28) - 9/11 Secrets and Al Qaeda/ISIS Questions(00:22:05) - Nord Stream Suspicions and Gaza Genocide Silence(00:24:59) - Charlie Kirk Assassination Investigation Doubts(00:27:14) - Closing Remarks and Next Episode Preview

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Steve Hanke, Professor of Applied Economics at Johns Hopkins University. He discusses the Federal Reserve hiking interest rates by 25 basis points last Wednesday, the real reason behind the US bond market being in a slump and why inflation will be around for a while, why he recommends private investors to stay away from the US bond market, why Donald Trump has no good options to escape the current inflation and bond market crisis, the war on Iran’s impact on the US government’s budget deficit, increased energy prices in the US being a ‘war tax’ on the American people, and how Donald Trump has put oxygen into the BRICS thanks to his actions, and why Xi Jinping holds all the cards against the United States. Prof. Hanke and Afshin Rattansi also debate the legacy of Hugo Chavez’ Bolivarian Revolution, with Hanke calling Chavez an economic disaster for Venezuela and calling for the adoption of the dollar for Venezuela, while Afshin Rattansi points out the achievements of Chavez in improving the lives of ordinary Venezuelans. Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and geopolitical overview(00:01:35) - Fed rate hike and impact on world(00:03:26) - Money supply, Divisia M4 and inflation risks(00:05:29) - Bond market manipulation by Treasury(00:07:29) - Divisia data, Iran war and money supply link(00:10:02) - War costs, deficits and inflation tax(00:12:03) - Debate on interest rates vs. war as inflation cause(00:13:13) - Oil chokepoints and Saudi production decline(00:13:58) - Break(00:14:16) - War tax impact on truck drivers and farmers(00:15:29) - Environmental costs of war and GDP accounting(00:17:48) - Trump's strategy and BRICS dynamics(00:19:33) - BRICS communique and Iran war rhetoric(00:21:27) - Venezuela dollarization plan and debate over Chavez(00:24:53) - China, Xi Jinping meeting and global pivot(00:26:40) - Closing remarks

On this special episode of Going Underground, we speak to Tucker Carlson, Host of The Tucker Carlson Show, and one of the most famous journalists on the planet. He discusses the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine and the risk of nuclear war, the disastrous US-Israeli war on Iran, eroding political freedoms in the United States as censorship of dissent and anti-Israel voices becomes more prevalent, the rise of BRICS and China’s ever-growing superpower status, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro: Season Premiere with Tucker Carlson(00:01:00) - JD Vance, Trump Loyalty, and Departures from Administration(00:04:20) - Betrayal of Trump's Voters and Neocon Appointments(00:07:07) - Pentagon Chaos and Nuclear Weapons Discussions(00:09:15) - Attempted Assassination of Putin and War with Russia(00:11:39) - US Sovereignty, Deep State, and Nuclear Doctrine(00:15:19) - Mass Hysteria, Spiritual Forces, and Public Ignorance(00:20:51) - Christian Zionism vs Traditional Christianity(00:23:25) - Russia's Christian Revival and Western Elite Hostility(00:26:58) - Britain, Israel, and the Balfour Legacy(00:28:09) - The Iran War Decision and Trump's Reluctance(00:30:39) - Rubio, Vance, and the Iran War Fallout(00:32:54) - Economic Costs and the Petrodollar Risk(00:34:35) - Israel's Regional Hegemony and the Gulf States(00:37:43) - Trump's Affection for the Gulf and the Mystery of Betrayal(00:38:59) - Minab School Massacre and Moral Reckoning(00:40:13) - Trump's Psychology and the Nuclear War Fear(00:42:31) - Rubio's Cover Story and Trump Being Played(00:44:44) - Anti-Semitism Accusations and Personal Risk(00:47:30) - Midterms, Impeachment, and War as Political Escape(00:52:56) - 9/11, Israel's Influence, and the Charlie Kirk Assassination(00:58:24) - Empire Decline and the Rise of BRICS(01:02:16) - Russia, China Alliance, and the Failure of Anchorage Summit(01:06:46) - European Troops, Police States, and Debanking Dissidents(01:10:35) - Israel-Aligned Censorship in the US(01:15:07) - Personal Risk, Freedom, and Closing Reflections

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Ken Silva, Author of ‘The Trump Assassination Plots’ to discuss everything from the Ukrainian and Israeli connection to the assassination attempts, Israel’s alleged role in cooking up fake assassination plots to make Trump more hawkish on Iran, unexplained coincidences, and whether a cover-up is taking place. Chapters (00:00:00) - Going Undercover: The Trump Assassination(00:01:44) - The Iranian Threat to Assassinate Trump(00:05:02) - Trump Is Trying to Kill Himself(00:13:58) - The Autopsy on the Shooter of Trump(00:18:11) - Israeli Spyware in the FBI's Trump Case(00:19:46) - The Case of the Plot to Kill Trump(00:22:55) - The Threats Against John Bolton(00:24:44) - The Secret Life of the Assassination Attempt(00:26:56) - Going Undercover: The Trump Assassination Plans

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Dr. Michael O’Hanlon, former Pentagon Defense Policy Board member, former CIA External Advisory Board member, and Author of ‘To Dare Mighty Things: U.S. Defense Strategy Since the Revolution’. He discusses the role of asymmetric warfare from the American Revolution to the wars of today, the paradox of the US’ superpower status despite many military defeats and stalemates since Korea and Vietnam, the myth of American isolationism, the legacy of the US invasion of Afghanistan, the US’ role in the rise of ISIS & Al Qaeda, his view of the root causes of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, the risk of direct NATO-Russia conflict as NATO continues to build up on Russia’s borders, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Going Undercover: The End of the American Empire(00:01:25) - With Dr. Michael O'Hanlon(00:01:49) - The Making of a Great Power(00:08:12) - President Trump on America's Aggressiveness(00:11:07) - The War in Afghanistan: In Valor or Loss?(00:13:56) - Michael O'Hanlon on US Defense Strategy Since the Revolution(00:17:11) - In your book, You Don't Have to Support Putin(00:19:32) - Joe Biden on the Ukraine Crisis(00:27:51) - Going Underground: Secret Plot to Kill Donald Trump

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Philip Pilkington, Author of 'The Collapse of Global Liberalism’ and Host of the ‘Multipolarity’ Podcast. He discusses how Donald Trump has manipulated markets to keep oil prices artificially low using Truth Social & mainstream media, how China & the United States likely struck a deal for China to reduce its oil imports to stave off an oil shock while the US signed the Memorandum of Understanding, why there is no plan at all for the US’ war on Iran, oil market manipulation since the beginning of the Russia-NATO proxy war in Ukraine, why he predicts the Strategic Petroleum Reserve will likely creak before the midterms, why this could be the end of the US dollar global financial system, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Going Undercover: Philip Pilkington on Global Liberalism(00:01:35) - Is Trump Manipulating the Oil Price?(00:06:57) - Analyzing Why Trump Was in Beijing(00:09:21) - Deep State involvement in the Iran War(00:14:13) - Going Undercover: The Crisis in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve(00:16:57) - Will the Bretton Woods 2 Paper Fail?(00:21:49) - The Dollar System Unraveling(00:27:57) - Going Underground: America's Forever Wars

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. Branko Milanovic, former Lead Economist at the World Bank’s Research Department for almost 20 years and Author of The Great Global Transformation. He discusses the looming danger of World War 3 and the similarities of the world today with the world prior to WW1, why more globalisation actually increases the risk of World War 3, how the Ukraine proxy war specifically is putting us at risk of WW3, and the rise of military-Keynesianism in the US & Europe. Afshin Rattansi challenges him on the record of the World Bank’s destruction of the economies of so many countries, whether BRICS institutions will be able to replace the IMF & World Bank, the success of China’s economic model and whether China is trying to export Chinese communism, and whether this is the end of neoliberal economics. Chapters (00:00:00) - Going Undercover: Great Global Transformation(00:01:42) - Trump's War Plan for Asia(00:10:32) - Former World Bank Lead Economist Brago Billowicz on His Experience at(00:13:07) - Branko Milanovic on the International Organizations(00:20:13) - BRICS: At the End of Neoliberalism(00:23:47) - Military Keynesianism

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Prof. John Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago. He discusses the reports of the depletion of US critical munitions in the war on Iran including THAAD and Patriot missiles and inability of the US to escalate against Iran now, the influence of Rupert Murdoch and the role of his media outlets in manufacturing consent for the war on Iran, the future of US bases in the Gulf states after Iran’s barrages of missiles and drones, Zelensky’s apology for attacking Iranian vessels in the Caspian Sea, why drones have averted complete collapse for Ukraine but sped up the end of the war with Russia’s severe response to Ukraine’s long-range drone attacks, why sanctions have failed against Russia & Iran and only made their population more militant than their leaders, Türkiye’s understanding that it is next for Israel after Iran, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Trump's Threats to Destroy Iran(00:01:38) - Trump's War on Iran(00:09:16) - U.S. Military Presence in the Gulf(00:13:13) - Drones in the Ukraine(00:16:47) - Does Sanctions Cause Civilian Violence in Iran?(00:19:24) - Turkey Tipped Off Iran About the Funding of the Kurds(00:26:37) - Trump's foreign policy

On this episode of Going Underground, we speak to Hasan Ünal, Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Ankara’s Başkent University and Host of the Strategic Compass podcast. He discusses Türkiye’s position on the US-Israeli war on Iran and the anti-American and anti-Israeli sentiment of the Turkish public, Türkiye’s intelligence sharing with Iran to combat US-backed Kurdish groups who would have been Trump’s regime change ground troops, the US’ use of Incirlik Air Base and the presence of US troops in the country, Türkiye’s ultimatum to the US over the war on Iran, the view in Israel that the next target after Iran will be Türkiye, why Türkiye helped overthrow Bashar Al-Assad in Syria despite him being a leader against Israel, Türkiye’s supplying of Ukraine with weaponry while calling Russia a partner, why he believes NATO will crumble in the multipolar world, and much more. Chapters (00:00:00) - Going Undercover: Iran-US Relations(00:01:18) - Turkey's position on the Trump Netanyahu war on Iran(00:14:41) - Israel's Next Target(00:21:29) - Turkey-Russia Relations(00:26:21) - Iran's War Against the US and Israel