AM—ragerU is trying to take over American schools. The right-wing, pseudo-educational group is now an official educational partner in at least ten states, and blitzes children with highly questionable messaging on race, history, and politics. Even more concerning, PragerU is led by former Israeli spy, Marissa Streit, who has stated she uses the tactics and techniques honed by IDF military intelligence on the American people.

Streit’s company is involved in a big-money operation targeting children with neoconservative, pro-war, pro-business, pro-Israel messaging, attempting to indoctrinate them at their youngest and most impressionable age.

KP—Because capitalist society is organized to favor the business and investor classes, it will abjure regulation that impedes maximizing shareholder profit. (p 155) In chapter 11, Lovely documents the criminality and impunity of the AI corporate class and their corporate AI models, among them Anthropic, Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, xAI. The danger arising from this class was made clear by UBC law professor Joel Bakan in his book the corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Power, wherein he argued that the corporation is inherently psychopathic.

GG—This discussion explores the complex geopolitical tensions centered on Iran, highlighting how Western powers, especially the United States and Britain, maintain entrenched antagonisms driven by historical colonial interests and contemporary economic-military alliances. The analysis focuses on Iran’s resilience against overwhelming military pressure, its self-reliant missile capabilities, and the strategic failures of US foreign policy, particularly under administrations like Trump’s. The conversation also touches on the political implications for global justice institutions like the ICC, which faces pressure and interference primarily from Israel and its allies. Additionally, it addresses the harsh realities of ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, including the devastation in Gaza and the long-term resilience of Palestinian populations.

LJ—On Wednesday July 22, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Saree claimed an attack on two Saudi oil tankers, the Encelia and the Layla, transiting the Red Sea, using drones and missiles. The stated justification was that the vessels violated the Houthis’ maritime blockade.

Saudi Arabia’s own Saudi Press Agency, citing an official at the Transport General Authority, confirmed the Encelia was hit, reporting a fire at the bow and all crew safe.

After the Encelia attack (Wednesday) and a further strike Friday on the Saudi vessel NCC MASA(minor hull damage, continued to destination per SPA), the Saudi-led coalition struck Houthi-held Hodeidah late Friday July 24. Al-Maliki framed it as a “proportionate military response against legitimate military targets” — sites used to threaten commercial shipping — and pointedly insisted the port itself wasn’t hit and remains open. The Houthis see it differently: Al Masirah says the strikes hit state telecommunications facilities in Hodeidah city and Kamaran Island with explosions reported at the port by Reuters…

INDRAJIT—During the Cold War, the United States talked about a ‘missile gap’ with the Soviet Union. What is opening up against Iran is a missile gulf. Iran has lots of cheap missiles and drones and effectively endless productive capacity while America has a few, manufactured in bespoke quantities. Iran’s missiles are stored underground, where it can conserve them, while America just parks assets in the open, and has to expend more missiles to conserve them. Thus the delta (the difference) gets exponentially wider as Iran destroys American positions while the Americans literally pound sand and try, like Xerxes, to whip the ocean.

DW—This discussion between Nima and Professor Richard Wolff centers on the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran, highlighting its military, economic, and geopolitical dimensions. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz and recent Yemeni blockade of Saudi Arabia have significantly disrupted global oil routes, intensifying the conflict. The U.S. has pursued an aggressive campaign combining military actions and economic sanctions against Iran, but Professor Wolff emphasizes the failure of these tactics to achieve decisive results. Iran continues its missile and drone attacks on U.S. bases and allies across the Middle East, reflecting resilience and capabilities equal to American forces.

Wolff situates this conflict within a broader narrative of the decline of the American empire, comparing it to past U.S. military failures in Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq. Unlike those confined wars, the Iran conflict has global economic repercussions, affecting allies and the U.S. domestic economy, especially through skyrocketing oil prices and inflation. Sanctions, instead of crippling Iran, have been largely evadable due to support from key allies Russia and China. This alliance represents a counterbalance to U.S. hegemony, further bolstered by China’s economic rise, which continues despite American attempts at containment.