America Unleashed: Why the US Can’t Kick Its Addiction To Empire (S01E88)

Here’s What The Iran War Looks Like (S01E111)

Monday, July 20, 2026, Chicago The US military completed a ninth consecutive night of airstrikes on Iran, and Iran reciprocated with missile and drone strikes of its own over the weekend targeting not just the Gulf states but Jordan and Iraq. At least two US soldiers died in Jordan, and another soldier remains missing. Another US solider was killed in northern Iraq, apparently while attempting to defuse an Iranian explosive drone that was struck done. For months, both the US and its allies and Iran have offered highly censored images of the war damage. But some footage and pictures have begun to emerge, and in today’s edition of badlands, I attempt to compile and describe some of that imagery. Other topics include Donald Trump’s humiliation of himself and anything he touches, and the emerging importance of Jordan, as well as potential economic impact of the continuing war on everything from summer travel prices to Gulf economies in a pair of discussions with India’s NewsX World. badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Why Israel Has Gone Off The Rails (S01E108)

Wednesday, July 15, 2026, Chicago Israel’s wars in Gaza, the West Bank, Iran, and Lebanon have led to ambiguous military outcomes but undoubtedly increased the isolation of the country, both in terms of diplomacy and its worldwide image. In part two of her interview with badlands, Noga Tarnopolsky [https://substack.com/profile/256999-noga-tarnopolsky] discusses what I describe as the “malaise” that seems to be afflicting Israeli society. She describes fear and loathing whipped up by a gang of rightwing politicians to exploit the horror of October 7 to keep a tight reign over society and pursue their maximalist demands. We also discuss Benjamin Netanyahu’s latest power grab, in which he defies a supreme court ruling in order increase his control over the country’s media ahead of elections now scheduled for October 27. Subscribe to Noga’s newsletter [https://nogatarnopolsky.substack.com/] now! Also today, I provide some brief updates on the escalation in the Persian Gulf and Donald Trump’s various flip flops in an interview with France 24. [https://www.france24.com/en/tv-shows/the-debate/20260714-war-talks-repeat-how-to-break-the-cycle-between-us-and-iran?utm_slink=f24.my%2FC3TH] badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Sleepwalking Into A Forever War With Iran (S01E110)

Friday, July 17, 2026, Chicago As the Iran war escalates, Donald Trump rehashes his nonsensical election conspiracy theories. The Democrats come out strongly opposed to the war, but their criticism that the US has no plan appears off-the-mark. Washington indeed seems to have a single-minded goal for the escalation: get the Strait of Hormuz reopened, and potentially create regional divisions inside Iran. Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio shows his desperation, while Vice President JD Vance positions himself against the neocons, and reporting on a well-known Israeli influence operation and Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to Israeli intelligence [https://borzou.substack.com/p/epstein-was-a-spy-prove-me-wrong] finally reach the mainstream media. Plus, interviews with me on India’s NewsX World and the Pakistan TV about the state of the conflict and US and Iranian political calculations. badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Corrupt, Violent Gangs Rule Over Libya (S01E109)

Thursday, July 16, 2026, Chicago Libya has often been described as yet another US-led Middle East regime change operations that led to catastrophic results for its people and for the world. Nearly 15 years after the 2011 overthrow of dictator Muammer Gaddafi, the country is indeed a mess. It is divided by civil conflict and being exploited for its resources by rival families working in conjunction with their foreign backers. In part one of a special edition of badlands, Libya expert Anas el-Gomati [https://x.com/AGomati], founder of Libya’s Sadeq Institute, and I recount Libya’s recent history and discuss the sudden international interest in Libya, including meetings between warlord Khalifa Haftar’s and both US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdogan, as well as fresh interest in the country’s oil reserves. “The oil is the best reason why everybody always comes back to Libya,” he says. There is also talk of a unification deal, between the two fractured halves of the country. “It’s being noted and penned as a unification deal,” he says. “It’s really a merger between these two rival families.” As the powerful grapple for power and resources, ordinary Libyans are suffering immensely, with declining living standards and eroding infrastructure, exemplified by the 2023 dam failures in eastern Libya that led to the deaths of at least 7,800 people. Also in this episode, I discuss the confusion over Donald Trump’s Iran strategy as well as the impact of the war on the global economy and the prospects for peace in interviews with India’s NewsX World. badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]

Neocons Drag World Back To Brink Of Total Iran War (S01E107)

Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Chicago US President Donald Trump plans to re-impose the blockade on Iranian ships transiting the Persian Gulf. As for other ships, he claims that not only is the Strait of Hormuz is “OPEN” but soon to become a cash machine for America! In the latest episode of badlands, Brett Erickson [https://substack.com/profile/401162156-brett-erickson] of Obsidian Risk Advisors joins the podcast again to help unravel the combination of delusion and confusion that appears to be driving the Trump administration’s Middle East policy. “He's desperate and he's clearly under way more pressure,” he tells me “I don’t think anyone expected it to go this bad. And I mean, he's just tweeting or Truthing. He's just spewing out nonsense because he's not putting thought into it because he's angry.” Also, on today’s show, I discuss the whether diplomacy can still salvage the memorandum of understanding, as well as the increasing risk of Yemen being drawn onto the conflict in an interview with NewsX World. Separately, I spoke about the latest news in the Persian Gulf in an interview with NPR’s mid-afternoon show Here & Now [https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2026/07/13/strait-of-hormuz-strikes]. badlands is a listener-supported podcast. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit borzou.substack.com/subscribe [https://borzou.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_2]