Topic: Sectarianism

3 chapters across the catalog

Gap Focused Thinking
Episode 656 1:49:22 - 1:53:31

656: Gap Focused Thinking

George Galloway, Imaginary Armies and Iraqi Politics

Member of Parliament George Galloway delivered a scathing critique of the war effort, calling the Free Syrian Army a "fiction" and ISIL an "imaginary army." He argued that ISIL's success is due to the local population's lack of confidence in the sectarian government in Baghdad. Galloway asserted that aerial bombardment would not solve a problem rooted in the "deliberate sectarianization" of Iraqi politics by occupation authorities.

Scam Celebrities
Episode 627 44:28 - 47:24

627: Scam Celebrities

Sectarian Violence, Proposed Partition of Iraq

The prospect of partitioning Iraq into three distinct regions—Kurdish, Sunni, and Shia—is discussed as an "unnatural" but likely outcome of the current conflict. Vice President Joe Biden previously suggested this carving up of the state in 2008. The Kurds have already seized the oil-rich city of Kirkuk, while Shia militias are mobilizing in the south, effectively erasing the borders established a century ago.

Episode 400 1:27:55 - 1:32:16

400: This is How We Spin

Bahrain Grand Prix and Civil Unrest

Despite ongoing daily protests and police violence in Bahrain, Formula One officials led by Bernie Ecclestone proceeded with the Grand Prix. The Bahraini Royal Family's 50% ownership of the McLaren team is cited as a reason for the race's continuation. The hosts contrast the lack of international condemnation for Bahrain's "Sunni elite" with the aggressive stance taken against the Syrian government.