The Fire These Times

For episode 190 of The Fire These Times, Dr. Michael Paarlberg talks to guest host Dana El Kurd about El Salvador’s ‘state of exception’ under Nayib Bukele, how Trump sees that as a model, the conditions of Salvadorian prisons and what happens to the Venezuelan and other refugees and migrants deported from the USA by Trump and the unaccountable state actors doing his bidding.Paarlberg is associate professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and non-resident fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies. He was previously on TFTT in August of 2024 (episode 164) to talk about how Bukele created a ‘Gang State’ in El Salvador. As that was before Trump’s election, it is a good primer into what is it about El Salvador today that makes it so appealing to the maga movement.Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:Dana El Kurd is on BlueskyMichael Paarlberg is on BlueskyCredits: Dana El Kurd (host), Elia Ayoub (producer, episode designer), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics). 

For episode 189 of The Fire These Times, Elia Ayoub is joined by friend of the pod Molly Crabapple to talk about the Jewish Labor Bund and how their concept of Doikayt (‘Hereness’) can help us build a better world than the hellscape being proposed by techno-dystopianism and end-time fascism. Molly’s upcoming book is called “here where we live is our country: the story of the jewish labor bund.” Speaking of end-time fascism, Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor will be joining Elia and Dana El Kurd on TFTT to talk about their essay “The rise of end times fascism.” Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:Molly has a website and newsletterCredits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, sound editor, episode design), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics). Molly’s portrait on the cover photo is also done by her.

How did Sudanese revolutionaries organize neighborhood and resistance committees to resist state and non-state violence? What are some of the principles underpinning their worldview? What can we learn from them?For episode 188 of The Fire These Times, Elia Ayoub is joined by Sudanese journalist Eiad Husham to talk about his piece "revolutionary aid in Sudan" for The New Internationalist and try and answer those questions.Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:Eiad is on X and writes for The Internationalist, The New Humanitarian, Geeska and 3ayin among others.Credits:Elia Ayoub (host, producer, sound editor, episode design), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design) and ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics). Original photo by Ela Yokes for The New Internationalist.

This is a special announcement episode broadcast on all FTP channels. We at FTP are hosting a series of weekly film screenings and discussions on the Lebanese wars starting this Sunday April 20. In this short episode, Elia and Ayman go through the list of films they selected, what you can expect from the screenings, and how you can participate. To sign up and join the watch parties head over to ⁠our Patreon⁠ where you'll find ⁠this post with the invitation link⁠.Invites are immediately available to all Patreon members. If you don't want to become a member, you can buy the link with a one-time purchase.--All the films (except the last) are already publicly available on ⁠this playlist⁠ on our Youtube Channel.The films we'll watch are: ⁠A Feeling Greater than Love⁠ (2017) dir. Mary Jirmanus Saba - A feature-length documentary about the class struggle and labour movements in the lead up to the outbreak of the war in 1975.⁠Lebanon's War⁠ - Part 3: Explosion (2001) - A 42 minute episode of a documentary series by Al-Jazeera on the Lebanon Wars that covers in great depth the 1975 outbreak of the civil war with incredible, rare interviews.⁠Beirut, My City⁠ (1983) dir. Jocelyne Saab - A 38 minute film by a legendary Lebanese filmmaker filmed in Beirut amidst the Israeli siege that serves as a timeless intimate meditation on a city tortured by war and occupation.⁠Souha, Surviving Hell⁠ (2001) dir. Randa Chahal Sabagh - A 57 minute documentary following communist resistance fighter South Bechara as she returns to the south of Lebanon after its liberation from Israeli occupation in 2000.⁠Last Days of the Man of Tomorrow⁠ (2017) dir. Fadz - A short film that serves as a brilliant, illuminating, and humorous retrospective on the war by the post-war generation.-- -- Hope to see you at the film screenings! ⁠Here again is the link to sign up. ⁠

Elia reads and comments on his essay "⁠Restorative vs reflective nostalgia⁠" for ⁠Hauntologies.net⁠ The Hauntologies Podcast is a production of From The Periphery and part of The Fire These Times podcast. A newsletter version exists at hauntologies.net but most recordings will be for Patreon supporters only.To support us, please head out to Patreon.com/fromtheperiphery to subscribe. For More:Elia is on ⁠Bluesky⁠, ⁠Mastodon⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠From the Periphery is on ⁠Bluesky⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠The Fire These Times is on ⁠Bluesky⁠ and ⁠InstagramFrom The Periphery is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti, israa abd elfattah, with more joining soon!

Our very own Ayman Makarem released his new video essay ‘⁠Where Are the Arabs?⁠’ on March 9, 2025. In this round table, he is joined by Elia and israa to expand on the topics discussed in the video, the context around it, and the need for more intellectual and class-based analysis on Arab nationalism and its many manifestations. If you haven’t watched the video yet you’ll still be able to follow this episode since Ayman provides a brief overview of the main themes. If you have watched the video, there are some key additions and interventions made by all 3 hosts that explore the themes of the video deeper. This is part 2 of that discussion, first published on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:Ayman Makarem is on ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠Israa is on ⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠Credits:Ayman Makarem (host, producer, sound editor), Elia Ayoub (host), Israa (host), ⁠⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (original TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design), ⁠⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics), Elia Ayoub (episode design).From The Periphery is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti and israa abd elfattah.⁠⁠The Fire These Times⁠⁠ by⁠⁠ Elia Ayoub⁠⁠ is licensed under⁠⁠ Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

Our very own Ayman Makarem released his new video essay ‘Where Are the Arabs?’ on March 9, 2025. In this round table, he is joined by Elia and israa to expand on the topics discussed in the video, the context around it, and the need for more intellectual and class-based analysis on Arab nationalism and its many manifestations. If you haven’t watched the video yet you’ll still be able to follow this episode since Ayman provides a brief overview of the main themes. If you have watched the video, there are some key additions and interventions made by all 3 hosts that explore the themes of the video deeper. This is part 1 of the discussion. Part 2 will be released next week. Support: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠For more:Ayman Makarem is on ⁠Bluesky⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠Israa is on ⁠Bluesky⁠Credits:Ayman Makarem (host, producer, sound editor), Elia Ayoub (host), Israa (host), ⁠⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (original TFTT theme design), ⁠⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design), ⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics), Elia Ayoub (episode design).From The Periphery is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti and israa abd elfattah.⁠The Fire These Times⁠ by⁠ Elia Ayoub⁠ is licensed under⁠ Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

In a thought-provoking conversation, Ukrainian journalist Romeo Kokriatski shares his insights on the emotional complexities of living through war in Ukraine. He discusses shifting public sentiments and the fading hope for resolution amidst political disappointments. Kokriatski highlights geopolitical dynamics affecting military aid and European responses to the conflict. He also reflects on the importance of combating isolationism in American politics and fostering hope through truthful media initiatives. His expertise provides a deeper understanding of the challenges facing Ukraine today.

On Feb 27, Abdullah Öcalan, the long-time jailed leader of the PKK (Kurdish Worker’s Party), released a statement that shocked many. In the statement he called for the PKK to lay down their arms, which could spell the end of the 40-year long armed struggle against the Turkish state, and for the creation of a legal, diplomatic framework to ensure inclusion, rights, and dignity for the Kurdish communities within a democratic Turkish nation. In this episode, Ayman Makarem, Israa, and Karena Avedissian are joined by Dîlan who provides a thorough overview of the present moment, situates it within the longer history of the Kurdish struggle, and explores analysis of what this all means - for Kurds and other communities across the WANA region. Dîlan is a reluctant academic and tired organizer. She is interested in alternative historiographies, feminist methodologies, and memory. She considers herself an equal-opportunity hater regarding states and authoritarian power structures, and is a dedicated skeptic of reactionary tendencies in both organizing and academic spheres.Links:https://wjas.org/en/the-foundation/https://nudemorg.com/support/https://rojavainformationcenter.org/donate/For more:Ayman Makarem is on Bluesky and InstagramKarena Avedissian is on Bluesky Israa is on BlueskySupport: You can support my work with⁠ ⁠a one-off or monthly donation⁠⁠ on Ko-fiMasterclass on Modern Lebanon:⁠ ⁠Registration is now open⁠⁠Newsletter: Subscribe to⁠ ⁠Hauntologies⁠⁠Social Media: I’m on⁠ ⁠Bluesky⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠Instagram⁠⁠ and⁠ ⁠Mastodon⁠⁠Contact: To collaborate, reach out on ⁠⁠ayoub@thefirethesetimes.com⁠⁠The Fire These TimesSocial Media: TFTT is on⁠ Bluesky⁠ and⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Transcription: You can help⁠ ⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠ transcribe TFTT episodes⁠ here⁠Website: All episodes are archived ⁠on the website⁠From The PeripheryTFTT is a proud member of ⁠⁠From The Periphery Media Collective⁠⁠⁠, which you can support⁠ on Patreon⁠ and follow on⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ and⁠⁠ Instagram⁠.Check out other project wherever you get your podcasts:⁠ ⁠⁠Politically Depressed⁠⁠⁠Syria: The Inconvenient Revolution⁠ ⁠From The Periphery Podcast⁠ ⁠The Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠Credits:Ayman Makarem (host, producer, sound editor), Karena Avidissian (host), Israa (host), Dîlan (guest), ⁠Rap and Revenge⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (Music), ⁠Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (original TFTT theme design), ⁠Hisham Rifai⁠⁠⁠ (FTP theme design), ⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (FTP team profile pics), Elia Ayoub (episode design).From The Periphery is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti and israa abd elfattah.The Fire These Times by Elia Ayoub is licensed under Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International

In this special collab episode betweenObscuristan and The Fire These Times, Karena Avedissian and Anna are joined by Daniel Voskoboynik to discuss the life of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny and what his death means for those of us not quite at the heart of the Russian empire.Obscuristan and The Fire These Times are proud members of⁠⁠ ⁠From The Periphery (FTP) Media Collective⁠⁠⁠. Check out other projects in our media ecosystem: the Mutual Aid Podcast⁠⁠,⁠⁠ Politically Depressed⁠⁠,⁠⁠ and⁠⁠Antidote Zine⁠⁠. To support FTP please head out to⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Transcriptions: Transcriptions are done byAntidote Zine and will be published on The Fire These Times’ transcript archive.For more:Karena Avedissian is onBlueskyObscuristan is onInstagram Daniel Voskoboynik is onBluesky and has anewsletter and awebsiteThe Fire These Times is onBluesky,IG and YouTube and has awebsite⁠ ⁠From The Periphery is on⁠Patreon⁠,Bluesky,YouTube⁠,Instagram, and has awebsite⁠Credits:Hosts: Karena Avedissian and Anna | Guest: Daniel Voskoboynik | Music: Sarven Yapar⁠⁠ | TFTT theme design:Wenyi Geng⁠⁠⁠ | FTP theme design:Hisham Rifai⁠ | Sound editor: Anna | Team profile pics: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Molly Crabapple⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Episode design: Elia Ayoub | Producers: Elia Ayoub and AnnaFrom The Periphery is built by Elia Ayoub, Leila Al-Shami, Ayman Makarem, Dana El Kurd, Karena Avedissian, Daniel Voskoboynik, Anna M, Aydın Yıldız, Ed S, Alice Bonfatti, israa abd elfattah, with more joining soon!The Fire These Times by Elia Ayoub is licensed underAttribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International