Best Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine Podcasts (2025)

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Ep. 621: Meet the Parents (ft. Kyle) 57:59

13d ago57:59

57:59

Kyle returns to talk with Teen about getting ready to have the first child, and traveling to Korea to meet his birth parents and siblings for the very first time.Part 1 of 2For access to bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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D. R. Congo after Mobutu to the present with Jeremy Rich 1:56:09

12d ago1:56:09

1:56:09

Rudy joins Jeremy Rich for a discussion on the Democratic Republic of the Congo from the late 80s to the present. We cover the decay of Mobutu's regime, the changes in the 90s, how the Rwandan Civil War prompted an invasion and the first and second Congo Wars, the factions involved in these wars including the special role of Rwanda and Paul Kagame.…

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Ep. 619: The Utter Hypocrisy of the West's Human Rights Project (ft. Q. Anthony Ali) 1:06:02

20d ago1:06:02

1:06:02

Q joins Teen from Tianjin, China to catch up briefly about the first few months of living in China, the hypocrisy of the West's human rights rhetoric for China vs Israel -- including the recent genocide denialism of Bret Stephens -- and an extended talk in the bonus about the potential dangers for Jewish people in the West presented by Israel's atr…

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Ep. 617: The Anti-Modernity of the Young and the Old (ft. Jess) 1:04:17

28d ago1:04:17

1:04:17

Jess and Teen rail against modernity, a tendency it seems of the young and the old, but not of those stuck in the fat middle slog of life. The retreat of culture from physical real estate, the Hobbesian all-against-all ethic of the social media era, and how none of this is new, it's just getting worse. And an extended discussion in the bonus around…

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Superman Through the Ages: Hero of the Zeitgeist 55:08

1M ago55:08

55:08

Rudy sits down with Hank Kennedy, author of From Champion of the Oppressed to Truth, Justice, and the American Way: Who Took the Socialism Out of Superman? to discuss the surprising political journey of Superman, tracing his evolution from a Depression-era defender of the oppressed to a complex symbol shaped by changing American ideologies. We dive…

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Ep. 615:The Human Zoo (ft. Jess) 1:00:57

1M ago1:00:57

1:00:57

Jess joins Teen to reflect on 8 years of friendship through working on Plan A, the endless treadmill of careerism, and how we all live in a Human Zoo. Made by and for humans.Part 1 of 2For bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 613: Set the World on FIRE (ft. Jess) 1:00:31

2M ago1:00:31

1:00:31

Jess and Teen talk about a long running theme on this podcast: the trap of professional managerial class careerism, the cognitive traps built into it, and potential ways to get out of playing the squid game.Part 1 of 2Bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 611: Why This Is Not Iraq Redux 27:05

2M ago27:05

27:05

Shorter pod today where Teen gives his thoughts on why we aren't facing Iraq War Redux, and why liberals are engaging in mass self-deception as a form of covert therapy rather than an assertion of their (completely discredited) world view.Bonus pod this week is a discussion with Carl Zha about initial impressions of the US bombing of Iran, as well …

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Ep. 609: What If We Just Fade Away? (ft. Steve) 1:02:39

2M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

Steve joins Teen from HK to talk about soft retirement plans. What if instead of working your ass off like a chimp until you earn the brass ring (FAKE), we just hit a target number and fade into 'maintenance' mode?Part 1 of 2For access to Part 2 and bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 606: Asia's Utopian Tech Futurism (ft. John Pang) 1:20:04

2M ago1:20:04

1:20:04

John Pang joins Teen to discuss the contrast between America's dark vision of tech leading us into a dystopain near-future, while Asia dreams of a tech utopia. And theories on why China is building data centers in space.Part 1 of 2.To get access to bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 604: Taiwan's Rootless Cosmopolitans (ft. Angelica Oung) 1:01:33

3M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

Angelica Oung joins Teen from Taipei to talk about perfect bilingualism, wayward Taiwanese politics, and Noah Smith's weaboo fixations.Pt. 1 of 2Bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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An Introduction To Kojin Karatani with Gabriel Tupinambá 52:08

3M ago52:08

52:08

We join Gabriel Tupinambá from the Subset of Theoretical Practice for a discussion on the Japanese Marxist Kojin Karatani. We discuss what Karatani's project is, why we should care about it, before focusing on his magna opus The Structure of World History. We discuss his approach to modes of exchange, and why it is a novel lens, how communism fits …

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Ep. 602: Father-Mothers (ft. Shan) 1:01:38

3M ago1:01:38

1:01:38

Shan and Teen talk about Evgenia Kovda's epic multi-day Twitter rant against stunted American adults who refuse to grow up, have children, and become 'tethered to life'. Do only parents experience the primal source of love? Can only parents be trusted to save the world? Why is the Pope an unmarried, childless bachelor?A married couple tackles these…

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Ep. 600: So How Did Moving To China Go? (ft Q Anthony Ali) 1:04:50

3M ago1:04:50

1:04:50

Q Anthony Ali joins Teen from Tianjin to talk about leaving Toronto, starting a new chapter in life in China, and the small things about adjusting to life in China.Pt 1 of 2To access bonus pods: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 597: The Dog-Eat-Dog World (ft. CS Taniguchi) 1:01:33

4M ago1:01:33

1:01:33

CS Taniguchi joins Teen to talk about trying to live your best life in an objectively bad era.Part 1 of 2To get access to Part 2 and all bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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How the US made Global Capitalism with Sam Gindin 1:15:02

4M ago1:15:02

1:15:02

Ira and Rudy sit down with Sam Gindin to discuss the evolving nature of global capitalism through the lens of U.S. hegemony, neoliberalism, and emerging geopolitical shifts. We begin by analyzing Gindin's The Making of Global Capitalism, examining how the U.S.-led global order was constructed and whether it's synonymous with neoliberalism. From the…

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Ep. 595: The Asian American-ness of Jewish Movies (ft. Trevor Beaulieu) 1:07:40

4M ago1:07:40

1:07:40

Trevor joins Jess and Teen to follow up on the discussion of Jewish American culture and its under-appreciated impact on American culture overall (see ep. 586). This time with a focus on the films 'Annie Hall' and 'Quiz Show' and how the Asian American experience echoes these earlier works, but in ways that don't often get expressed in Asian Americ…

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City Time: Life as Political Prisoners on Rikers with Jarrod Shanahan and David Campbell 1:48:04

4M ago1:48:04

1:48:04

Isaac and Jack are joined by David Campbell and Jarrod Shanahan to discuss their new book City Time: On Being Sentenced to Rikers Island, an ethnography of Rikers Island based on the author’s experiences as inmates on Rikers. We discuss the unwritten social codes that order life on Rikers, the social function of jails (and some surprising similarit…

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Ep. 593: L-Day Has Cometh (ft. Mike) 34:42

4M ago34:42

34:42

Mike joins Teen to break down last week's "Liberation Day" against the whole world, the stock market meltdown, and what kind of sense can be made of what seems to be economic seppuku by the United States. What does any of this shit mean?Part 1 of 2To access bonus pods: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 591: People Are Just Bugging Out (ft. Mike) 55:53

5M ago55:53

55:53

Mike joins Teen to talk about figuring out an alternative to the career-family path, people just cracking under the pressure, and The White Lotus.Part 1 of 2.For access to bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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The Contemporary Irish Left with Oisín Gilmore & David Landy 1:19:45

5M ago1:19:45

1:19:45

Rudy joins Oisín Gilmore and David Landy, authors of Fragments of Victory Fragments of Victory: The Contemporary Irish Left for a discussion on the unique political history of the Republic of Ireland. We talk about why the country never developed a strong social democratic tradition, the dominance of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, the economic turmoil …

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Ep. 590: Is China Switching to Offense? (ft. John Pang) 1:26:29

5M ago1:26:29

1:26:29

John Pang joins Teen to talk about Trump's escalating trade war with China, and why we in America may have grown complacent with China only playing defense i.e. responding in kind and proportion to American aggression. Is it possible that era of Chinese conservatism is over, and that we could see China taking the tempo of the fight and switching to…

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The German Left w/ Carlos from Licht & Luft 1:24:23

5M ago1:24:23

1:24:23

Rudy joins Carlos of Licht & Luft for a discussion on the Licht & Luft project and the broader German left, with a focus on Die Linke. We discuss the decision to organize within Die Linke, the political debates within the organization including the focus on economistic demands or on more political demands, a read on the recent elections, the issue …

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Ep. 588: Privatization and the Collapse of Higher Education (ft. Chong and Prof Fred) 1:04:20

5M ago1:04:20

1:04:20

Prof Fred Lee and Chong join Teen to talk about the state of higher education, why universities are bloated with administrators but short on full time professors and instructors, and the way college and grad/professional programs have become finishing schools to sell oneself into the corporate market.Part 1 of 2To access Part 2 and all bonus episod…

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Ep. 586: 90s Media Culture and the Jewish POV (ft. Treavor Beaulieu) 1:07:02

6M ago1:07:02

1:07:02

Trevor from Champagne Sharks joins after a long hiatus to talk with Jess and Teen about 90s media culture, the context-lite stochastic New York City of primetime sitcoms, the exceptionalism of 'Seinfeld', and crypto-Jews.Part 1 of 2. To access Part 2 and all bonus episodes, become a supporter at patreon.com/planamag…

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Tricontinentalism: North Korea in Havana & Georgetown with Moe Taylor 1:08:44

6M ago1:08:44

1:08:44

Rudy talks with Moe Taylor, author of North Korea, Tricontinentalism, and the Latin American Revolution, 1959–1970 to explore the overlooked role of North Korea in the revolutionary internationalist movement of the 1960s, particularly its influence on Latin America and the Global South. We highlight how the DPRK, alongside Cuba and Vietnam, contrib…

1
Ep. 584: Degen Saturday Morning Global Catchup 59:58

6M ago59:58

59:58

Mike, Steve, and Teen find the Lagrange Point of LA, HK, and NYC to catch up on all things degenerate: California, stocks, economy, and the first 30 days of Trump 2.This is part 1 of 2. For access to part 2 and all bonus episodes: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ep. 582: Stop Attacking Asian Diaspora Women FFS (ft. Lei Gong) 1:15:47

6M ago1:15:47

1:15:47

Lei Gong joins Teen to talk about the continuing attacks online against Asian diaspora women as a group, and whether the use of politics is a just a disguise to hide an underlying racialized misogyny with deep psychosexual roots (guess the answer).Part 2 bonus of this episode is a discussion about Chinese stocks and whether it's time to buy. Totall…

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Ep. 580: Trumpachev and the Last Days of Empire (ft. MeowMeow Mike) 1:06:19

6M ago1:06:19

1:06:19

Part 1 of 2Mike (@Meow_Meow_2020) joins Teen to talk about Trump being a Gorbachev figure in American history. The Final Leader, the Empire's Last Man."You are an old man who thinks in terms of nations and peoples. There are no nations. There are no peoples. There are no Russians. There are no Arabs. There are no third worlds. There is no West. The…

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Ep. 578: Tell Me About DeepSeek In the Style of 3 Asian Dudes Bullshitting (ft. Mike and Filip) 59:24

7M ago59:24

59:24

Part 1 of 2Filip joins after a long dad-duty break to chat with Mike and Teen about the DeepSeek drop, their experiences and opinions of AI tools, especially whether it's something to fear as a job destroyer or a SuperFriend when we reach are old and lonely.To get access to Part 2 and other bonus pods, support us at: patreon.com/planamag…

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Ep. 576: Trump II: The Reign of Errors (ft. Q. Anthony Ali) 1:02:32

7M ago1:02:32

1:02:32

Part 1 of 2Q. Anthony Ali (@NobleQAli on Twitter) joins Teen to talk about Trump's second term, what the new political alignments will look like, Elon's sieg heil, and whether the fall of the Empire might truly be upon us.To support the pod and gain access to Part 2 of this episode: patreon.com/planamag…

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White Hoods and Pinkertons with Chad Pearson 59:39

7M ago59:39

59:39

Isaac, Cliff, and Jay interview Chad Pearson, author of the book Capital's Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen, and Employers in the Long Nineteenth Century. We discuss the armed, violent employer associations of the turn of the century, from the Klan to the Pinkertons. While most of our episodes look at the organization and self-activity of the oppressed…

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Ep. 574: United States of Malaysia? (ft. John Pang) Pt. 1 58:26

7M ago58:26

58:26

Part 1 of 2Friend of the pod John Pang joins from Hangzhou to discuss his home country of Malaysia with Teen. Why do Malaysians seem so familiar to us Asian Americans? And why does the modern history of Malaysia track that of America in surprising ways? The story of Malaysia can radically alter how Asian American diaspora understand our own place i…

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Ep. 572: No Bullshit Discussion on China and Economics (ft. Han Feizi) Pt. 1 1:01:46

7M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Pt. 1 of 2The elusive Han Feizi (aka @DoggyDog1208 on X) joins Teen to discuss how to think about Chinese economics, as well as national security ideas, without the usual Western media ideological bullshit distortion field.You can read his wry, informative columns at Asia Times: https://asiatimes.com/author/han-feizi/To join our Patreon and get acc…

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Ep. 570: Calling A Wrap on Asian American Liberalism Pt. 1 1:04:56

8M ago1:04:56

1:04:56

Part 1 of 2Jess joins Teen to talk about how 2024 appears to be the decisive end point of the multi-decade liberal era. With that comes the necessary end of the Asian American liberal identity and its beliefs about culture, race, assimilation, and what the good life means in America.Also, ~~Happy New Year Escape From Plan A listeners!!!~~To get acc…

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Ep. 568: Taiwanese Identity Dualism (ft. Xiangyu) Pt. 1 1:04:15

8M ago1:04:15

1:04:15

Part 1 of 2Taiwanese political commentator and rapper Xiangyu joins Teen from Taipei to talk Taiwanese politics and cultural identity, pro-China/pro-Communist diaspora viewpoints, and why people seem to lack soul these days.Xiangyu's podcast 'Strait Talk': https://straittalk.xiangyu.tw/To get access to Part 2 and the Escape From Plan A Discord: pat…

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Spanish Anarchism and the New Economy 1:26:18

8M ago1:26:18

1:26:18

Rudy joins Miguel Gómez, author of La CNT y la Nueva Economía: Del colectivismo empresarial a la planificación de la economía confederal (1936-1939) for a discussion on the most prominent Spanish anarchist union, the Confederación Nacional del Trabajo. We talk about the origins of the CNT, its base, its history under the Primo de Rivera dictatorshi…

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Ep. 566: Midlife Morass: Money or Metaphysics? (ft. Mike and Steve) Pt. 1 1:02:49

8M ago1:02:49

1:02:49

Part 1 of 2Mike (LA) and Steve (HK) join Teen (NYC) to talk about mid-life morass of having all your material needs met, your major life goals satisfied, but then having no idea wtf to do. Is it an issue of money or metaphysics?To get access to bonus pods: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Mexico 1920-40: Building the Revolutionary State 1:36:27

8M ago1:36:27

1:36:27

Amelia, Carlos and Rudy sit down for the follow-up episode on the Mexican revolution to discuss the consolidation of the revolutionary state with a focus on the figure of Lázaro Cárdenas. They discuss the origins of yellow unionism and agrarian reform in Mexico, the presidency of Plutarco Calles and the Cristero War, and the radical period in the 1…

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Ep. 564: Virtue Hoarders (ft. Prof. Fred) 1:18:01

8M ago1:18:01

1:18:01

Pt. 1 of 2Professor Fred joins Teen to talk about the Catherine Liu's polemical assessment of the professional managerial class (PMC) in her book "Virtue Hoarders" and what this group of people -- a great many who are Asian -- really face in terms of politics of both the materialist and idealist realm.To get access to bonus pods: patreon.com/planam…

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The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism by Aidan Beatty 1:35:55

9M ago1:35:55

1:35:55

James and Rudy join Aidan Beatty, author of The Party is Always Right: The Untold Story of Gerry Healy and British Trotskyism for a discussion on Gerry Healy. We discuss the figure of Gerry Healy, and his contextualization within the British left in the interwar and post-WW2 period and the evolution of his organization up to its dissolution by its …

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Ep. 562: Post-Trump Asset Pump (ft. Mike) 1:05:17

9M ago1:05:17

1:05:17

Pt. 1 of 2Mike and Teen talk about the sudden risk-on asset pump after Trump, and the dumping of safe haven assets like Treasuries and gold. Are there actual changes that need adjusting to, or is this just temporary euphoria to get a tiresome, chaotic election behind us?To get access to bonus pods: patreon.com/planamag…

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Somalia: Colonialism, Socialism and War 2:32:08

9M ago2:32:08

2:32:08

Eric and Rob join Abdi for a discussion on Somalia from the colonial period to the present. They discuss the formation of the Somali people, the long and conflictual relationship to Ethiopia, British and Italian colonization and Somali independence before moving on to the scientific socialist period under Siad Barre. They discuss the achievements o…

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Ep. 561: Election Eve Mega-Discussion (Part 2) 1:01:01

10M ago1:01:01

1:01:01

The “most important election of our lifetimes” is happening tomorrow, if you live in America. John Pang, Carl Zha and I hosted a two hour space on the eve of the US election to talk about everything that’s not being said about it in the media.In part 2, @ineedsheet joins to talk about the Asian diaspora experience with liberalism, and why many of u…

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Ep. 560: Election Eve Mega-Discussion (Part 1) 57:45

10M ago57:45

57:45

The “most important election of our lifetimes” is happening tomorrow, if you live in America. John Pang, Carl Zha and I hosted a two hour space on the eve of the US election to talk about everything that’s not being said about it in the media.In part 2, @ineedsheet joins to talk about the Asian diaspora experience with liberalism, and why many of u…

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Where is the working class' power? An interview with Peter Olney and John Womack 1:29:15

10M ago1:29:15

1:29:15

Peter Olney is a labor organizer of over half a century, long-time organizing director at the ILWU, and researcher on labor strategy. John Womack is a Harvard historian of the labor movement and the Mexican Revolution. In this episode they sit down with Ira and Rudy to discuss Peter and John’s 2023 book Labor, Power, and Strategy. They discuss the …

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Ep. 557: Why Do Kids Seem So Much Younger Than Before? (ft. Jess) 1:08:31

10M ago1:08:31

1:08:31

Jess and Teen talk about why kids growing up now seem so much younger than we were in our day at the same age. Is it a cognitive bias -- we were the same, actually -- or is there an actual change in the development path? And are parents smothering their kids these days or what?This is part 1 of 2. Part 2 is available on the Patreon feed for subscri…

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Ep. 555: An Imminent War That Never Comes (Pt. 1) 1:09:25

10M ago1:09:25

1:09:25

Mike (from Jersey) talks with Teen about whether the various discrete wars raging will merge into something like a world war. Is something actually going to Happen?This is Part 1 of 2, the second is on the Patreon.To support Plan A and get access to bonus eps and the Discord: patreon.com/planamagBy Escape From Plan A Podcast by Plan A Magazine

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Ba'ath and Ba'ath: Arab Socialism in Syria and Iraq 2:13:16

10M ago2:13:16

2:13:16

Eric, Andrew and Rudy join for a discussion on the Arab Socialist Ba'ath Party in the two regions where it held power: Syria and Iraq, covering the history of both countries from the dissolution of the Ottoman empire up to the Hama Rebellion in Syria and the Kuwait War in Iraq. Among other topics we discuss the more military and sectarian character…

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Ep. 553: One Year Into Reverse-Immigrating to Asia w/ Kids (ft. Steve) 1:00:53

10M ago1:00:53

1:00:53

Steve joins Teen from Hong Kong to recount life 1 year into his reverse-immigrating (emigrating?) to Hong Kong, what parts of it lived up to expectations and what parts did not, and the class and cultural complexity that such a move presents for his daughters.This is Part 1 of 2, the second is on the Patreon (and Mike joins as well).To support Plan…

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