Episode

1/6 Steven Cook: The Saudi Arabia & Iran Crisis & Omer Aziz: The Islam “Reformation” Scam

January 6, 2016

Steven A. Cook is on to discuss the Saudi perspective on current turmoil in the region as a “status-quo” power(5:50). Why the Saudis see the Iranians as meddling. The power and hypocrisy of the House of Saud and its support of radical ideologies(9:33). Why the House of Saud and Wahabi radicals are reliant on each other. On Iran(14:07). What is the next logical step in heightened aggression. Why Steve doesn’t expect a ground war, and why continuance of proxy wars can be expected. The situation in Yemen. Why the Saudis miscalculate when they see Iranian manipulation behind uprisings in Bahrain and elsewhere. On Iraq and Syria(20:12). What does the Iran/Saudi for the fight against ISIS? Saudia Arabia’s insecurity around US relations with Iran. The difficulty of negotiating between “bad actors,” and the conversation the US needs to have about our interests in the Middle East(23:48). What is the effect from the global transition from oil.

Omer Aziz on Sam Harris(32:16). Harris’ inability to deal with the complexity of issues in the Islamic history. How “muslim reformers” are intellectual junk food that pays well. How “Islamic reformers” ignore the interpretive function of the religious. Diversity of political, cultural, and scientific traditions within Islam(41:24). What would a genuine Islamic reformation look like? The “hubris” of self-identifying as a “reformer,” especially in a culture that isn’t your own.

On the Fun Half – Conservatives mock Obama tears, Candy Carson shares more implausible Ben Carson lore, Donald Trumps new ad, and your calls and IMs!

Past Episodes

It's Casual Friday! Sam speaks with with Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon.com and proprietor of the blog Hullabaloo, to round up the week in news. First, Sam runs through updates on Harris’ post-debate polling bump, the disturbing impact of anti-migrant conspiracy about ...
It's ESVN OT! Emma and Bradley give their picks for week 2 of the NFL season! Follow Emma and Bradley on Twitter: @EmmaVigeland @BradKAlsop Check out Ava Raiza's music here! https://avaraiza.bandcamp.com/ EMMA AND BRADLEY'S PICKS OF THE WEEK: Emma (1-2): Ravens -8.5 vs. ...
It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with adrienne maree brown, writer, activist, and co-founder of the United States League of Young Voters, to discuss her recent book Loving Corrections. Then, she's joined by Jakob Johnston, writer and researcher at the Center for Economic and ...