The Polycrisis, Worsened By War, Is Devastating Our Global Food System

The US-Israeli war on Iran and the resultant fuel shortages are already negatively impacting the global economy. One aspect that isn't gaining much attention is the impact of the war on an already fragile food system. Shortages and the rising prices of oil, fertilizer and pesticides are forcing farmers to make difficult choices and will lead to food scarcity this Fall. To understand where we are and what we can do to support food security, Clearing the FOG speaks with Kayla Dones of DD Geopolitics and Lauren Borsheim, a food policy analyst for Food and Water Watch who has been tracking the new Farm Bill legislation. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On February 28, the Trump administration, in partnership with the Zionist state of Israel, launched an illegal attack on Iran that has broadened to involve the region. Prior to the attack, Iran notified the United Nations that they would view all US assets in the area as legitimate targets for their defense. US military bases and hotels where troops were staying have been bombed. Now, the administration is threatening a ground invasion and is mobilizing Marine Expeditionary Units. Clearing the FOG speaks with Mike Prysner of the Center on Conscience and War about the large increase in military members seeking conscientious objector status. And we bring back a portion of an earlier interview with James Branum of the Military Law Task Force about other options for active military members. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel launched an illegal attack on Iran that has ignited the Gulf Region and sent ripples throughout the world. Clearing the FOG speaks with military analyst Scott Ritter who argues that the US and Israel lost the war on the first day by targeting Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and by throwing the rules of engagement out the window, as evidenced by the double bombing of a girl's school in Minab. Ritter explains that Pete Hegseth and others are guilty of war crimes. He describes the region as being at an existential crossroads that could weaken Israel and strengthen Iran in the end. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump Administration is supporting the development of privatized libertarian enclaves that are not subject to local or national laws where the wealthy can exploit land and peoples for profit. Known as the Network State Movement, many of these 'special economic free zones' already exist in the United States and around the world, but their backers, such as Peter Thiel of Palantir, are searching for a place to create the first private 'nation'. Clearing the FOG speaks with Dr. Beth Geglia, an anthropologist and documentarian who focuses on tech-futurist territorial movements, about the first zones, how Trump's Board of Peace is connected to the Network State Movement and the fight back. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Is the United States a fascist state? There is an authoritarian in the White House, systemic racism is rampant, our cities and towns are being militarized, concentration camps are under construction, and our politicians are controlled by corporations. Clearing the FOG speaks with longtime activist and lawyer, Michael Smith, host of Law and Disorder and editor of the new book, "From the Flag to the Cross: Fascism American Style", about where the United States is on the path to fascism, what we can expect and what we can do to change course. Smith explains what socialism is and why it is the solution for those who believe in democracy. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

While there has been an ongoing expansion of immigrant detention centers in the United States for nearly two decades, the government recently allocated $38.3 billion to put that on hyperdrive in order to add the capacity to detain 92,000 more people. The government is purchasing warehouses in communities across the US and even considering using military bases. Clearing the FOG speaks with journalist Sam Carliner about the expansion, who is being detained, the appalling conditions in these prisons, who is profiting and how communities are organizing to stop what are essentially concentration camps. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

On January 29, which coincides with the twelfth anniversary of the declaration of Latin America and the Caribbean as a Zone of Peace (at the CELAC meeting in Havana, Cuba), the Trump administration designated Cuba as "an unusual and extraordinary threat... to the national security and foreign policy of the United States." As a result of this designation, the US is tightening the economic blockade on Cuba, with a particular emphasis on stopping fuel deliveries, and is threatening any nation that provides aid. Clearing the FOG speaks with Netfa Freeman of the Black Alliance for Peace about the impact of the blockade, the significance of Cuba's example of internationalism and defending its sovereignty, as well as assisting other nations in doing the same, and efforts to support the Cuban people. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

The Trump administration's 'Metro Surge' in Minneapolis-St. Paul, where 3,000 or more federal agents from the Department of Homeland Security have been deployed to terrorize residents and arrest thousands of people a day, has been met with fierce resistance both locally and through national and international solidarity. Clearing the FOG speaks with FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley, who lives close to the cities, about the current situation there, the illegality of the tactics used by federal agents, and the fight back against them. Then, India McKinney of the Electronic Frontier Foundation speaks about the use of facial recognition technology, the need to abolish it, and people's rights to record law enforcement. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

This week, Clearing the FOG speaks with Ajamu Baraka, a political analyst, activist, and internationally-recognized human rights defender. Baraka discusses the recent protests in Iran, including the media misinformation campaign, manipulation of Iran's currency to lower its value, and the US-Israeli attempt to create chaos and install the son of the brutal Shah, who was ousted in 1979. He also talks about the campaign to move the World Cup out of the US and the recent violent occupation of cities by ICE in the context of the US government building the apparatus to instill terror and suppress all dissent. Baraka explains the need to educate ourselves, organize, and take action on many fronts to stop the US-led rise of global fascism. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.

Last Fall, Italians turned out in massive numbers to support the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza and to stop weapons shipments to Israel. They held nationwide days of action to "Block Everything." The Unione Syndicale de Base (USB), a grassroots worker-led organization, supported those actions and is now building an international day of action on February 6 against militarization and for stronger social programs. Clearing the FOG speaks with Francesco Staccioli, who leads USB's international organizing, about the current conditions for workers in Italy, state repression, and the necessity of building a global movement against the rise of fascism. Staccioli describes fascism as a product of capitalism and warns that we must work in solidarity to stop fascism and build alternative structures. For more information, visit PopularResistance.org.