MEDIA SCUM

EI—Jon Elmer, contributing editor, covers the third week of the war across the region, including developments in the Strait of Hormuz and Lebanon. This is a segment from The Electronic Intifada’s livestream on day 895 of the Gaza genocide. Ali Abunimah, Nora Barrows-Friedman and Jon Elmer were joined by Iranian scholar Setareh Sadeqi.

GARLAND NIXON—The discussion centers on the dynamics between the United States, Israel, Iran, and their regional and global allies, including China, Russia, Syria, and North Korea. Joti Brar explains how the imperialist powers, driven by economic desperation, particularly seek control over Iran’s oil and the strategic Strait of Hormuz, but face significant resistance from a coalition of anti-imperialist states that employ asymmetric warfare and long-term strategy rather than direct military projection. The conversation delves into the historical roots of Iran’s missile program, highlighting Syrian and North Korean support in the 1980s, and how this cooperation reflects a broader anti-imperialist alliance quietly operating worldwide.

DD—The video provides a critical and satirical overview of the so-called “Board of Peace” initiative led by Donald Trump and Jared Kushner, focusing on their controversial plan to rebuild Gaza after extensive conflict and destruction. The plan is framed as a real estate redevelopment project aimed at transforming Gaza into a lucrative coastal hub with zones for tourism, industry, agriculture, sports, and residential housing. Jared Kushner’s vision emphasizes rapid construction—claiming the city can be built in two to three years—and promises economic opportunities and full employment for Gazans.
However, the commentary embedded in the transcript exposes a deep skepticism and condemnation of the plan. Rather than a genuine peace or humanitarian effort, the project is portrayed as a form of economic and political subjugation. The redevelopment is criticized for effectively erasing Gaza’s political identity and sovereignty, relegating Palestinians to subordinate labor roles without real freedom or political rights.

FINIAN CUNNINGHAM—Observers speak of a new Cold War between the United States, Russia, and China. Yet this geopolitical standoff was supposed to have ended more than 30 years ago.

The discomfiting truth is that warmongering by Washington was not an unfortunate byproduct of the five-decade Cold War period. Such warmongering existed long before the Cold War started and long after it ended. One must conclude, therefore, that such relentless aggression is an inherent feature of imperialist status, whose power is premised on acquiring global dominance. This kind of candid public discourse is off-limits in the Western mainstream media. To criticize the United States as a belligerent rogue regime is simply impermissible, even though that criticism can be substantiated by the historical record.

Wars, regime-change operations, coups, proxy wars, and economic warfare (sanctions) are all forms of aggression that the United States has engaged in, often with the complicity of other Western states. The record of conduct can be accurately defined as “state terrorism.”

No other modern nation comes close to matching the criminal record of the United States in waging wars and other forms of aggression.

DD—Tony Dokoupil’s background, including his 2014 conversion to Judaism and adult circumcision, is highlighted as emblematic of the extreme lengths Dokoupil allegedly went to align himself with a particular worldview. The transcript humorously and critically explores these personal details to question the merit behind his selection as CBS’s leading news anchor. It also delves into Dokoupil’s aggressive interview style, notably his controversial interrogation of Ta-Nehisi Coates regarding Israel and Palestine, which sparked internal disputes within CBS News.