105: Empire of Mediocrity (with Vijay Prashad)

Vijay Prashad, director of the Tricontinental Institute and author of books such as Washington Bullets and The Darker Nations joins the show for a wide ranging conversation that touches on everything from The Kate Middleton Conspiracy, the absurdity of the coming Biden/Trump rematch, the ongoing atrocities in Gaza, the threat a declining United States poses to the rest of the world... even the latest self-help trend sweeping the nation. Listen to my other interviews with Vijay here: 2022: https://youtu.be/gc_IGqmS6vY?si=h9zQB9oAiaLunTwS 2023: https://youtu.be/t3HM-M_cXLA?si=WlGGQKeOjUFrHbS_ Purchase tickets to my live show with Nashwa Lina Khan and Paris Marx here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/canada-what-are-we-doing-here-harbinger-soapbox-series-vol2-tickets-857046066857?aff=oddtdtcreator Support the show here: http://www.patreon.com/robrousseau Catch TRRS Live here: http://www.twitch.tv/robrousseau  

Newly-independent Hamilton MPP Sarah Jama joined me to talk about her censure in Ontario Parliament and expulsion from the NDP caucus following the statement she released shortly after Oct 7th, how Canadian political culture stifles free expression, some of the things she's hoping to accomplish as an independent, and the constant bad faith discourse surrounding Israel/Palestine in this country. https://www.sarahjama.ca/ http://patreon.com/robrousseau Listen to our LIVE show about Canadian media featuring me, Nashwa Lina Khan and Paris Marx: https://www.listennotes.com/podcasts/harbinger-showcase/harbinger-showcase-ep20-live-juG_D21mA-9/    

I talked with Camila Escalante (TeleSUR, Kawsachun News) about Canada and the rest of the Anglo American Empire's ongoing decline, our western values, the global south, with some additional analysis on the Guyana–Venezuela territorial dispute and what it means to be "sovereign." Support the work I do on Patreon http://patreon.com/robrousseau follow Camila here: https://twitter.com/camilapress  

Jesse Hawken of the Junk Filter podcast joins the show to talk about the latest chapter in the ongoing Two Michaels saga that has captivated the nation. Were the Michaels two good old Canadian lads who were unjustly held captive by a totalitarian, authoritarian regime? Is this latest story a cynical ploy on the part of our media to pit Michael against Michael? Or was the Chinese government acutally being more honest and transparent about this situation than our own government and its media stenographers? All this is explored in this episode. Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/robrousseau Tune in live on twitch: twitch.tv/robrousseau

Hello. Yes, it's true. The podcast is back. I spoke with Justin Podur of the Anti-Empire Project and Jon Elmer of Electronic Intifada about the unfolding horrific violence in Gaza. support the show on Patreon: www.patreon.com/robrousseau

Yes, you read that right. It's the last episode of 49th Parahell. Moving forward I am going to be doing all my interviews and commentary on my live show on Twitch, with an audio version coming soon, so this week I brought back several friends of the show to talk about Doug Ford, the pandemic, Quebec's social solidarity, Joe Biden, Canada's relationship to Israel/Palestine and much more. patreon.com/robrousseau twitch.tv/robrousseau join the discord community: https://discord.gg/4Cq2XkWVgm  

I talked to writer and low-key hustle guy Abdul Malik about the Toronto Raptors as an avatar for Canadian nationalism, the climate crisis, how taking a day off is good but celebrating genocide is bad, and much more. www.patreon.com/robrousseau

The uncovering of a mass grave outside a former "residential school" in Kamloops has made international headlines and once again forced people in what we know as Canada to talk about the brutal violence, cruelty and genocide that this nation is founded on and continues to engage in. Harbinger Media board member Kai Nagata and Kolin Sutherland-Wilson of the Gitxsan Nation join the show to talk about the old-growth logging blockades in BC and how the supposed Dark Chapter in Canadian History never actually ended. https://www.patreon.com/colonialismincanada https://www.instagram.com/kolinsutherlandwilson/ Git'luuhl'um'hetxwit Media: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9Am0RWoa-wZUs1EGeOF66A/ https://www.instagram.com/git_luuhl_um_hetxwit/

Forced expulsions in the Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah have led to another cycle of Palestinian opposition and brutal repression by the Israeli government. Why does only one side of this "conflict" have the right to defend itself? How has Canada contributed to this situation? Is there a positive shift happening in the way that people in media and politics discuss this issue? Amy Kishek and Omar Burgan join the show this week to answer some of these questions. http://www.patreon.com/robrousseau

We regret to inform you that Doug Ford is, in fact, "at it again." I've got writer/researcher John Semley and Junk Filter Pod host Jesse Hawken joining me here in riff city to talk about Doug's very bad week and whether or not we're on board with the redemption arc. http://www.patreon.com/robrousseau