Sudip Bhattacharya: Combat Literature, Authoritarianism, Fascism and Frantz Fanon

Algorithms of Empire (Ep 8); Kinan Imseis - The Matrix Of Control

In this episode of Algorithms of Empire, we speak with Kinan Imseis, Research Fellow at the Clay-Gilmore Institute for Philosophy, Technology, and Counterinsurgency, about his essay “AI and its Matrix of Control.” The conversation explores how artificial intelligence is being used in the Occupied Palestinian Territories not simply as a new military technology, but as part of a broader system of occupation, surveillance, and target acquisition.Drawing from the idea of a “matrix of control,” Imseis’s essay asks how AI strengthens existing structures of domination by making monitoring, classification, and targeting more expansive and efficient.The discussion focuses on how Palestine has functioned as a testing ground for technologies of control that can later circulate globally through military, policing, and security markets. Imseis examines systems such as Lavender and “Where’s Your Daddy?” to show how algorithmic tools can reshape military judgment, produce the appearance of precision, and distance decision-makers from the violence carried out in their name. Rather than treating AI as neutral or merely technical, the conversation considers how these systems inherit older colonial and counterinsurgent assumptions about who is dangerous, disposable, or targetable.A central theme of the episode is the production of the “outgroup male target.” The conversation asks why racialized and colonized men are so often positioned as presumptive threats within surveillance and military systems, and how AI can intensify this logic under the language of data and objectivity. The episode concludes by raising urgent questions about accountability, international law, and public resistance in an age where algorithmic systems increasingly shape how states surveil, police, and wage war.

Hotep History: Telling The Stories Of Our Enslaved Ancestors

In this episode of Wise the Dome TV, we build with Hotep History on the hidden intellectual and spiritual world of Black America during slavery and Jim Crow. The conversation explores powerful slave narratives, the fight for Black education, Hoodoo traditions, forgotten historical figures, and the brilliance that existed within the minds of the enslaved despite systems designed to suppress them. We discuss figures like Booker T. Washington and Fanny Jackson Coppin while diving into stories of resistance, literacy, memory, spirituality, and survival that are often ignored in mainstream history.Youtube Link:    / @hotephistory   [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCyNW4F5JmMQ71-l9AMyNgYw]Patreon Link: https://www.patreon.com/HotepHistory/... [https://www.youtube.com/redirect?event=video_description&redir_token=QUFFLUhqbVVaLTVkT0lqX0J5WXJ2eUJKU2ctN296Z3NDQXxBQ3Jtc0ttejE3TVdjZjVHZjFRX2dfSDM0TDdOLVFwVnhVdDBuLXhseXJnc0dRUUMwcldMZHlhYjhoZlVveHlUNmtCZFA5dE9wZjVtU3FvbU00bVRtU2haVEQwZ0tYZjhURFQ3OFJrWXhaTndVWjI0UWg5MjFxUQ&q=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.patreon.com%2FHotepHistory%2Fhome&v=JtZVTnP6ALM]

Algorithms of Empire (Ep. 7) Dr. Gideon Christian - The New Jim Crow: AI Facial Recognition Tech

In this episode, Dr. Gideon Christian discusses his paper, "The New Jim Crow: Unmasking Racial Bias in AI Facial Recognition Technology within the Canadian Immigration System," which critically examines how AI-powered facial recognition technology (FRT) is being integrated into Canada's immigration system—overseen by agencies like the CBSA and IRCC. Dr. Christian outlines how tools such as primary inspection kiosks (eGates) and NEXUS machines are revolutionizing border control but often operate without transparency, leaving individuals unaware that AI-informed decisions are being made about them. He argues that those affected have a right to know when these tools are used and must be given a genuine opportunity to challenge the outcomes, grounding his call in principles of procedural fairness.A central theme of the conversation is the deep racial bias embedded in FRT, which Dr. Christian calls "the new Jim Crow." Drawing on research from the US and UK, he explains that these systems produce significantly higher "false positives" for Black individuals—incorrectly flagging them as matches—which can lead to dangerous consequences like wrongful detention, denied refugee protection, or deportation. This bias is not a glitch but a reflection of historical failures to address race and racism in the design of facial recognition technology. Dr. Christian further illustrates this through the Barre v. Canada litigation, showing how the use of FRT in immigration enforcement raises urgent issues of racial discrimination, lack of transparency, and denied procedural fairness.In response to these harms, Dr. Christian calls for a "technological civil rights movement" to combat the normalization of unchecked AI in immigration decisions. Proper oversight, he argues, would include independent audits of FRT accuracy by race, mandatory transparency about when and how AI is used, and binding accountability mechanisms to challenge biased outcomes. Rather than simply improving the technology, he urges a fundamental shift toward upholding human rights and preventing AI from perpetuating segregationist-era exclusions under a modern, digital guise.Dr. Christian's brilliant paper can be found here: https://lawjournal.mcgill.ca/article/...

Gerald Perreira & Dwayne Wong: South Africa & Pan African Solidarity

In this powerful episode of Wise The Dome TV, we sit down with Gerald Perreira and Dwayne Wong for a deep discussion on Pan-Africanism, sovereignty, global politics, and the illusion of democracy in the modern world. We examine whether nations that cannot defend themselves militarily or economically are ultimately treated like vassal states by larger world powers, and whether the American political system truly offers meaningful political alternatives or simply manages opposition within a controlled framework.The conversation also explores the rise of Ibrahim Traoré and why he has become such a symbolic figure across Africa and the diaspora. We discuss the growing crisis in Mali, the Alliance of Sahel States (AES), and whether the emerging bloc of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger represents the beginning of a new anti-colonial movement in Africa or another complicated political moment shaped by military power and foreign pressure. We also examine France’s attempts to reposition itself in Africa and whether its policies represent genuine change or simply a new form of maintaining influence on the continent.In addition, we tackle the idea of “the myth of democracy,” the continued public interest surrounding Jeffrey Epstein, and the growing tensions surrounding xenophobia and anti-immigrant violence in South Africa. Finally, we confront the difficult question of whether Pan-Africanism today is a living political project or, for some, an unfulfilled myth. This is a wide-ranging and thought-provoking conversation on African solidarity, empire, liberation, and the political realities shaping the modern world.

Algorithms of Empire (Ep 6); Special Guest: Dr. Jon R. Lindsay - The Human Factor in AI Warfare

In this episode, we separate myth from reality in military AI. Dr. Jon R. Lindsay explains that the most persistent misconception is confusing automated weapons (like homing torpedoes or Iron Dome) with decision-support systems (like Palantir’s Maven or Israel’s Lavender). The latter don’t pull triggers—they help humans sort intelligence, prioritize targets, and plan strikes at massive scale, as seen when the U.S. claimed to hit 1,000 targets in Iran within 24 hours. Lindsay traces this back over a century, from Civil War-era naval mines to Cold War systems like SAGE and Igloo White, arguing that organizational innovation—not just better algorithms—determines whether AI amplifies or reduces human error.The conversation then turns to real-world failures and the paradox of human judgment. Lindsay walks through civilian casualties in Iraq, Afghanistan, and a 2026 Tomahawk strike on a girls’ school near an Iranian naval base, showing how algorithmic bias and over-reliance on automation have deep historical roots. He offers mitigation strategies beyond technical fixes: better rules of engagement, diverse human teams to challenge automated outputs, and auditing target lists for bias. Finally, he explains why AI makes humans more important in war—because prediction (what AI does well) is not the same as judgment (what commanders must do). People still define values, handle ambiguity, and accept responsibility, meaning technology alone will never replace the messy, moral work of war.Link to the article:https://theconversation.com/us-milita...