This Is Hell!

Séamus Malekafzali, journalist and international affairs analyst, breaks down how U.S. actions reshape global norms. He connects the Soleimani killing to the Maduro abduction and critiques media framing. He discusses European reactions, legal loopholes for political killings, and how foreign interventions boomerang back into domestic policing. Short, sharp, and provocative.

Clara E. Mattei, professor of economics and founder of FREE, author of Escape from Capitalism. She frames capitalism as a global, violent order tied to imperialism and extraction. She traces how history and elites shape economics, critiques austerity and market myths, and highlights collective alternatives like cooperatives, participatory budgets, and food sovereignty.

Twenty-two years after last joining us, we welcome back Mohamad Bazzi. He discusses his latest at the Guardian, "Trump promised no wars. Now he’s a Bush-style regime change president," and "Trump’s war in Iran marks the culmination of his imperial presidency." "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview in which he, "fights to wake up from a DARVOnian nightmare." Check out Mohamad's latest writing at the Guardian here: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/mohamad-bazzi Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell Please rate and review This Is Hell! wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps the show ascend the algorithm to reach new listeners.

Brian Mier returns to This Is Hell! to discuss his new writing at his Substack, De-Linking Brazil, "30 Days in Venezuela." "Rotten History" from Renaldo Migaldi follows the interview. Check out Brian's report here: https://bmier.substack.com/p/30-days-in-venezuela Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell Please rate and review This Is Hell! wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps the show ascend the algorithm to reach new listeners.

Laleh Khalili, professor of international politics and author, returns to discuss her London Review of Books piece. She examines how military pageantry normalizes intervention. She traces US counterinsurgency, covert operations, and links between wars and global drug flows. She exposes selective criminalization where allies traffic while enemies are demonized.

Academic and writer Timothy Mitchell joins This Is Hell! to talk about his new book his new book "The Alibi of Capital: How We Broke the Earth to Steal the Future on the Promise of a Better Tomorrow”, published by Verso Books (https://www.versobooks.com/products/3452-the-alibi-of-capital). Mitchell is the William B. Ransford Professor of Middle Eastern Studies at Columbia University. His is based in the Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. We will have new installments of Rotten History and Hangover Cure. We will also be sharing your answers to this week's Question from Hell! from Patreon. Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/thisishell

Caroline Light joins us to discuss her book, "Stand Your Ground: A History of America’s Love Affair with Lethal Self-Defense." A 10th anniversary edition with a new introduction and a preface by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz is now available from Beacon Press. "The Moment of Truth" with Jeff Dorchen follows the interview. Check out Caroline's book here: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/815354/stand-your-ground-by-caroline-light/ Help keep This Is Hell! completely listener supported and access bonus episodes by subscribing to our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thisishell Please rate and review This Is Hell! wherever you get your podcasts. It really helps the show ascend the algorithm to reach new listeners.

Alex De Waal, director of the World Peace Foundation and scholar of famine, conflict, and pandemics, discusses his 'World War X' series. He maps how kleptocratic empires, political money, tax havens, and globalized corruption entangle local wars. He connects mediation norms, legal limits on strikes, and why financial power reshapes modern conflict.

Julie K. Brown, award-winning investigative reporter who broke the Jeffrey Epstein story, walks through how files, recruiters, and powerful connections shaped a vast trafficking operation. She discusses grooming tactics, prosecutorial failures, the FBI 'Epstein list,' and why documents and Epstein’s death demand continued scrutiny. Short, sharp, and revelatory takes on a sprawling scandal.

Award-winning climate and environment journalist Whitney Bauck discusses her latest at the Guardian, "The criminalizing of protest and dissent has a long history in America." Our conversation will also cover her previous posts describing "How activism is tackling the US loneliness epidemic," and "How US cities are helping each other resist ICE." Checkout Whitney's recent Guardian pieces here: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/whitney-bauck Whitney currently serves as a contributing writer for the Guardian, and previously served as print editor at the climate and culture magazine Atmos.