Against intervention - UChannel Podcast review

Right from the start UChannel's Podcast with Michael Scheuer captures the attention. After his book: Marching Toward Hell: America and Islam After Iraq, he explains his view on US foreign policy in very clear terms. His criticism profound and he minces no words. Throughout most of the lecture it is very refreshing to hear someone speak so unambiguously.

Scheuer's criticism in general is with America's tendency towards interventionism. Ever since 1973, so is his opinion, the US has taken it upon itself to order the world and consequently to get involved with billions of dollars in regional conflicts that are not really any of her business. Furthermore America, also as of 1973, should have understood it was too dependent on oil and has failed to disentangle itself from the grip of Saudi-Arabia and the like. On top of that, the US thinks it must bring democracy in remote quarters of the world and also take it upon itself to make war with elate 'rules of engagement'.

Scheuer pleads for rapid development of alternatives to oil. Getting disentangled from conflicts where there are no direct US interests, even in Israel and where it does get into an armed conflict, allow the freedom to maximum savagery in order to quickly and effectively win wars. Scheuer clearly steers away from the main stream of ideas on foreign policy and has no good words for others. Holbrook is stupid, Petraeus and idiot and the Europeans are feckless - no people to be allied with. And this is where one gets to feel a bit uneasy and put off by Scheuer.

More UChannel Podcast:
Lakhdar Brahimi on Afghanistan and Iraq,
Europe versus Islam,
Power of Cities,
Gaza (Tony Blair),
Whither the Middle East.

Anne is a Man in the weekend of March 13

Here is a list of reviews I am planning to publish over the weekend (Friday - Sunday).

-On a recent issue of UChannel Podcast I heard a lecture by former CIA head Michael Scheuer who sharply criticizes US foreign policy of interventionism.

-The Dutch history podcast Hoor! Geschiedenis had two issues analyzing the Dutch National Anthem in the context of the Dutch Revolt against Phillips II of Spain. This triggered a couple of thoughts about the meanings attributed to the leader of the revolt William of Orange. (review will be in Dutch)

-On EconTalk, Russ Roberts spoke with Jimmy Wales the founder of Wikipedia about the history of Wikipedia.

-BBC's In Our Time, today, had an episode about the Library at Alexandria.

-On the newly discovered history podcast New Books in History, Marshall Poe interview Gregory Cochran and spoke about human evolution also in the last 60,000 years.

If I am not going to manage to write about In Our Time, I will probably write about other UChannel Podcasts in stead, for example one about the Sudan. Otherwise the Sudan review will be after the weekend.

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