Debating the American Role in the Middle East

Mia looks at how recent shifts in gas prices tell the story of a series of global wars and American empire. Sources: https://www.npr.org/2026/09/18/nx-s1-5973810/houthi-attacks-saudi-oil-world-markets https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/oil-executives-say-the-great-fuel-crisis-is-here-b6b32030 https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2026/09/19/attacks-choke-off-saudi-oil-kingdom-confronts-limits-trumps-friendship/ https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/article/oil-hovers-near-100-as-analysts-warn-trump-diesel-export-ban-would-tighten-global-supply-130359301.html https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/what-is-saudi-arabias-east-west-pipeline-and-why-is-it-rocking-oil-markets-3e9823a3?mod=article_inline https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/oil-prices-mixed-as-traders-weigh-u-s-iran-talks-saudi-pipeline-progress-3b33f75c https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/trumps-oil-allies-see-nightmare-scenario-of-diesel-export-ban-becoming-reality-16973ae2 https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/trump-weighs-diesel-export-ban-as-fuel-prices-soar-6d1a3d2e https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-energy-secretary-wright-says-diesel-export-ban-would-not-work-2026-09-23/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj207y30wp0lo https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/trump-wants-big-oil-to-build-more-refineries-thats-a-tough-sell-54666292?mod=article_inline https://www.ft.com/content/05887f92-c777-48ab-8efa-9a39e7e18a9f?syn-25a6b1a6=1 https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/the-relentless-crypto-billionaire-who-moved-to-venezuela-in-pursuit-of-oil-a4f0f219? https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/inside-trumps-plan-to-give-the-pentagon-a-stake-in-venezuelas-oil-riches-f054cdc2?mod=article_inline https://finance.yahoo.com/energy/articles/chevron-ceo-thinks-world-spare-154027206.html See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James is joined by Andrew to discuss diversity and its value as a concept, not a corporate buzzword.   Sources: In Light of Our Differences        by David Harmon The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies        by Scott E. PageSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Garrison outlines various proposals for a regulatory “slowdown” of frontier AI models, Trump’s push against regulation, the risk of regulatory capture, legislation for public ownership of AI companies and control of this technology, and the organizing limits of AI-denialism.Sources: https://x.com/hilbertspaess/status/2097476196791709843 https://x.com/sama/status/2098811563415150910?s=20 https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/glossary/frontier-models/ https://www.crowdstrike.com/en-us/cybersecurity-101/artificial-intelligence/frontier-ai/ https://darioamodei.com/post/we-must-pace-the-frontier https://www.anthropic.com/constitution https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social/post/3mvg527c3k22n https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117269745153543631 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099597928142688610?s=20 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099648450069512426?s=20 https://x.com/atrupar/status/2099132465612828964?s=20 https://x.com/cspan/status/2099878657174941991?s=20 https://x.com/benitoz/status/2099572926865715548?s=20 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2098973625252708460?s=20 https://x.com/Jason/status/2098817101628600383?s=20 https://x.com/daniel_koss/status/2099751931400847840?s=20 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/12/anthropics-amodei-proposes-plan-to-slow-the-pace-of-advancing-ai-capabilities.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/anthropic-walks-tightrope-to-nasdaq-pushing-slowdown-and-pursuing-ipo.html  https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/  https://abdulforsenate.com/2026/06/first-do-no-harm-ai-under-democracy/ https://geesemag.com/articles/stop-the-ai-arms-race https://x.com/linamkhan/status/2099204390548639960?s=20 https://www.kirosforco.com/priorities-2  https://reports.verasight.io/r/june-2026-ai-survey#key-takeaways https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-introduces-legislation-to-create-7-trillion-ai-sovereign-wealth-fund/ https://council.nyc.gov/press/2026/09/16/3240/  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

James talks about the ecological disaster that is the border wall and interviews Dr. Christina Aiello about the Peninsular Bighorn ram that was killed by razor wire in the Jacumba mountains. Sources: https://www.usaspending.gov/search?hash=29de9d51905bd175a701b04c24176b46 https://www-jstor-org.sdmesa.idm.oclc.org/stable/3636811?seq=5 https://www.fec.gov/data/receipts/individual-contributions/?contributor_employer=Atkore https://tucson.com/news/local/border/article_a11265b0-17c3-5bed-b50a-72e5d17e1369.html https://www.blm.gov/visit/jacumba-wilderness https://www.usaspending.gov/search?hash=29de9d51905bd175a701b04c24176b46 https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/04/08/2025-05992/determination-pursuant-to-section-102-of-the-illegal-immigration-reform-and-immigrant-responsibility https://www.enr.com/articles/54215-us-settles-border-wall-suit-against-contractor-fisher-sand-gravel https://www.atkore.com/about-us https://desertreport.org/a-border-wall-in-the-jacumba-wilderness-area/ https://gizmodo.com/trumps-border-wall-torn-apart-by-arizona-monsoon-rains-1847535174 https://www.usaspending.gov/award/CONT_AWD_70B01C25F00001112_7014_70B01C23D00000010_7014 https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1666138/000166613826000010/atkr-20260429.htm See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Dana El Kurd talks about how the settlers and the Israeli state are working hand in hand to ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the West Bank, and how we should understand the relationship between the two actors.      Sources: https://jewishcurrents.org/it-feels-like-a-death-sentence https://www.972mag.com/armed-settler-hikes-west-bank/ https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/06/opinion/israel-west-bank-settlers-violence.html https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/29/israeli-settlers-surround-palestinian-home-in-occupied-west-banks-qusra https://www.972mag.com/bilin-israeli-land-seizure-settler-road/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Margaret reads you a surreal story about the surreal Southwest, written by one of her favorite authorsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file: Sanctions, Terror, and the Internet Should AOC talk to MAHA? Debating the American Role in the Middle East A History Built of Uprising Executive Disorder: Oil Crisis, New Mail-In-Voting Rules Blocked, Macklemore Based?? You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! Sources/Links: Sanctions, Terror, and the Internet https://www.inventati.org/campaign/press https://keepitfree.ai/announcements/a/i-shuts-down-stay-human/  https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/sb0616/  https://davidgraeber.org/articles/the-new-anarchists/  Should AOC talk to MAHA? https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/28/poll-maha-health-fractures-kennedy-00972253 https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/maha-health-concerns-resonate-broadly-but-lag-behind-health-care-costs-even-for-maha-voters/ https://www.kff.org/public-opinion/kff-health-tracking-poll-maha-and-the-midterms/ https://www.politico.com/newsletters/playbook/2026/09/05/inside-aocs-maha-outreach-01066409 https://www.youtube.com/live/h6fe9CaVZCI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FRgeXPsihXI Debating the American Role in the Middle East https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-u-s-led-middle-east-order-is-over-the-mecca-agreement-proves-it https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/end-american-middle-east-iran-marc-lynch http://foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/new-old-middle-east-gause https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/12/the-re-emergence-of-the-palestine-question-in-world-politics/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/29/us-decline-world-order-replacement A History Built of Uprising https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/ch01.htm https://www.endnotes.org.uk/issues/issue-4/endnotes-a-history-of-separation-preface https://archive.org/details/blackjacobinstou0000jame Executive Disorder: Oil Crisis, New Mail-In-Voting Rules Blocked, Macklemore Based?? https://rudaw.net/english/categories/middleeast/1079247  https://www.rudaw.net/english/categories/iraq/1079243 https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2099321216683425864?s=20  https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28621690-paheivdhsord091426/ https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053.192.0.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a305_4g15.pdf https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2097872390076141726?s=20 https://x.com/USA_Polling/status/2100014172738122001?s=20 https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2098209805215080868?s=20 https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117147749847925768 https://www.foxnews.com/media/homan-confirms-criminal-investigation-involving-ilhan-omar-says-knows-things-going https://x.com/atrupar/status/2099925671795474759?s=20https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026#conventional-weapons-sep-26  https://x.com/Ibrahym22Nagi/status/2099482678479188145 https://x.com/Bafeltalabani/status/2099810675484668045  https://x.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/2099869946423431232  https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09/2003993626/-1/-1/1/OEF_Q3_JUN2026_FINAL_508%20SECURE.PDF https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-09/OIG-26-22-Sep26.pdf https://x.com/cspan/status/2099878657174941991?s=20 https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/ https://geesemag.com/articles/stop-the-ai-arms-race https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117269745153543631 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099597928142688610?s=20 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099648450069512426?s=20 https://x.com/linamkhan/status/2099204390548639960?s=20 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2098973625252708460?s=20 https://x.com/Jason/status/2098817101628600383?s=20 https://x.com/daniel_koss/status/2099751931400847840?s=20 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/12/anthropics-amodei-proposes-plan-to-slow-the-pace-of-advancing-ai-capabilities.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/anthropic-walks-tightrope-to-nasdaq-pushing-slowdown-and-pursuing-ipo.html https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social/post/3mvg527c3k22n https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/why-saudi-arabias-plan-b-for-oil-exports-is-now-under-fire/4335414/ https://www.newarab.com/news/saudi-running-out-oil-export-options-routes-choked https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/07/global-food-prices-three-year-high-heatwaves-wars-crop-costs https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/did-the-houthis-shoot-down-saudi-arabian-f-15-what-we-know-19991908.htm https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/saudi-arabia-calls-mecca-red-175848059.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2026/09/15/irish-acts-aaron-rowe-and-beoga-quit-ed-sheerans-us-tour-in-protest-over-palestine/ https://apnews.com/article/ed-sheeran-responds-macklemore-tour-3fd73815563039bea9b88f5efe745d62 https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49943754/patriots-kraft-says-macklemore-performance-cross-line https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-150614158.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/?stkn=MThsbzc2OWh3d2s5OQ== See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The gang discuss Ed Sheeran dropping Macklemore from his tour over pro Palestine comments, courts blocking new mail-in-ballot requirements, Houthi attacks on Saudi oil infrastructure, a report detailing tiny metal cages at Alligator Alcatraz, a general strike in Eastern Kurdistan, debate on AI regulation, and the Republican midterm convention.    Sources: https://rudaw.net/english/categories/middleeast/1079247  https://www.rudaw.net/english/categories/iraq/1079243 https://x.com/AJEnglish/status/2099321216683425864?s=20  https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/28621690-paheivdhsord091426/ https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053.192.0.pdf https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/26a305_4g15.pdf https://x.com/FoxNews/status/2097872390076141726?s=20 https://x.com/USA_Polling/status/2100014172738122001?s=20 https://x.com/bennyjohnson/status/2098209805215080868?s=20 https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117147749847925768 https://www.foxnews.com/media/homan-confirms-criminal-investigation-involving-ilhan-omar-says-knows-things-going https://x.com/atrupar/status/2099925671795474759?s=20https://www.anthropic.com/threat-intelligence-report-september-2026#conventional-weapons-sep-26  https://x.com/Ibrahym22Nagi/status/2099482678479188145 https://x.com/Bafeltalabani/status/2099810675484668045  https://x.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/2099869946423431232  https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09/2003993626/-1/-1/1/OEF_Q3_JUN2026_FINAL_508%20SECURE.PDF https://www.oig.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/assets/2026-09/OIG-26-22-Sep26.pdf https://x.com/cspan/status/2099878657174941991?s=20 https://www.sanders.senate.gov/press-releases/news-sanders-casar-introduce-legislation-to-ban-artificial-superintelligence-and-temporarily-pause-advanced-ai-development/ https://geesemag.com/articles/stop-the-ai-arms-race https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/117269745153543631 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099597928142688610?s=20 https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/2099648450069512426?s=20 https://x.com/linamkhan/status/2099204390548639960?s=20 https://x.com/DavidSacks/status/2098973625252708460?s=20 https://x.com/Jason/status/2098817101628600383?s=20 https://x.com/daniel_koss/status/2099751931400847840?s=20 https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/12/anthropics-amodei-proposes-plan-to-slow-the-pace-of-advancing-ai-capabilities.html https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/14/anthropic-walks-tightrope-to-nasdaq-pushing-slowdown-and-pursuing-ipo.html https://bsky.app/profile/bishonentype.bsky.social/post/3mvg527c3k22n https://www.financialexpress.com/world-news/why-saudi-arabias-plan-b-for-oil-exports-is-now-under-fire/4335414/ https://www.newarab.com/news/saudi-running-out-oil-export-options-routes-choked https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/aug/07/global-food-prices-three-year-high-heatwaves-wars-crop-costs https://www.cnbctv18.com/world/did-the-houthis-shoot-down-saudi-arabian-f-15-what-we-know-19991908.htm https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/articles/saudi-arabia-calls-mecca-red-175848059.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/ https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/2026/09/15/irish-acts-aaron-rowe-and-beoga-quit-ed-sheerans-us-tour-in-protest-over-palestine/ https://apnews.com/article/ed-sheeran-responds-macklemore-tour-3fd73815563039bea9b88f5efe745d62 https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/49943754/patriots-kraft-says-macklemore-performance-cross-line https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/where-patriots-owner-robert-kraft-150614158.html https://www.instagram.com/p/DdXFZLNARm4/?stkn=MThsbzc2OWh3d2s5OQ== See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mia begins a series on the history of the most recent series of uprisings by examining how history moves.Sources:https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1852/18th-brumaire/ch01.htm https://www.endnotes.org.uk/issues/issue-4/endnotes-a-history-of-separation-preface https://archive.org/details/blackjacobinstou0000jameSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode Dana El Kurd talks about the debate in DC on what the role of the US has been in the Middle East, and what it should be. She also talks about what’s missing from these discussions.    Sources: https://www.cfr.org/articles/the-u-s-led-middle-east-order-is-over-the-mecca-agreement-proves-it https://www.foreignaffairs.com/united-states/end-american-middle-east-iran-marc-lynch http://foreignaffairs.com/middle-east/new-old-middle-east-gause https://www.fpri.org/article/2023/12/the-re-emergence-of-the-palestine-question-in-world-politics/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jul/29/us-decline-world-order-replacementSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.