Zooey Greif Interviews Pepe Escobar
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Globetrotting journalist Pepe Escobar discusses why the Academy Award winning movie “A Separation” should be required viewing for Americans; how the Western powers will have trouble enforcing sanctions on Iran’s oil exports; the European Union’s weakness on foreign policy; how sanctions hurt the Iranian people much more than the government; and the IAEA’s conversion from impartial observer to political attack dog.
MP3 here. (20:09)
Pepe Escobar is the author of Globalistan: How the Globalized World is Dissolving Into Liquid War and Obama Does Globalistan.
An extreme traveler, Pepe’s nose for news has taken him to all parts of the globe. He was in Afghanistan and interviewed the military leader of the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance, Ahmad Shah Masoud, a couple of weeks before his assassination. Two weeks before September 11, 2001, while Pepe was in the tribal areas of Pakistan, Asia Times Online published his prophetic piece, “Get Osama! Now! Or else …” Pepe was one of the first journalists to reach Kabul after the Taliban’s retreat, and more recently he has explored and reported from Iraq, Iran, Central Asia, US and China.
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 5:08 am
Reuters poll — 56% of Americans support war on Iran
Having grown up in the slums of Milwaukee, Minneapolis and LA, may I say, that no poll is conducted in the slums were the 49% impoverished laboring class reside. For in shopping centers where the 51% most wealthy spend their money, that is poll territory.
So, this poll shows the greedy feelings of the 51% most greedy in America, all those with great jobs, terrific homes and deluxe healthcare. For they want their hero Obama to be a three-time winner, for first Obama stole all the oil from the Muslims in Iraq, and then stole all the oil from the Muslims in Libya.
And now comes his once in a lifetime chance for a winning war to steal from the Muslims in Iran a full 133 billion barrels of oil. And with this the world's third largest oil reserves, Emperor Obama also wins for our American Empire the world’s second largest natural gas reserves.
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 5:08 am
Say, did you know that evil Chavez in Venezuela, that he is building nuclear weapons? Just think, the world’s largest oil reserves protected by nukes, what a disaster that would be for our ever expanding Empire. Well, we shall just see about that.
Anonymous
March 14th, 2012 at 6:12 am
Yeah, chavez is a commie atheist, and bush was born again christian.
Steal from the muslims in iran? Are you deranged? Who gives a fcuk about that. Isn’t stealing 133 billion barrels enough? Why do emphasize on islam, there are joos,christians,atheist,zoroastrians,.. in iran too you nitwit!
Whats your agenda here?????
god fearing christian, muslim loving, atheist hateing, free-markeds loving, ron paul voting, leftist, 99%’er!!
eCAHNomics
March 14th, 2012 at 6:32 am
Isn't the point of sanctions to weaken the infrastructure of the country to the point at which U.S. invasion is a cakewalk? That seems to have been the outcome in Iraq, and presumably the sense in which Albright thought killing 500,000 Iraqi children was "worth it."
Anonymous
March 14th, 2012 at 8:03 am
Pepe, there are infact in my opinion better iranian films out there and they have been winning Can, Berlin film and other festivals on row for many years. Actually anyone with a bit ‘culture’ gives a rats azz about oscar, the equivalent of nobel peas price of films.
But, theres a but, it is not a mere chance that in this juncture an iranian film won. A film that is not shown in iran anymore. I assert that powers in iran are not that stupid, they know exactly what they are doing. A seperation is sponsered by a private bank
I’m a poor monkey, but I take your bet on that expensive wine you wrote about, if I live that long
one more thing, Brasilian biff is industrial mass produced, Iranian biff is organic wih a bit of depleted uranium blowing in from afghanistan and irak, THANKS to USA, and as you know depleted uranium is not cheap. Thanks USA for all you’ve done for humanity and that includes NUKES,GMOs,DRONEs,LAB-VIRUSes,LAB-GERMs,WEATHER-ENGINEERINGs,NUTRITIOUS-FOODs(McShyt,Killoggs,BurgerDumps,FIFSI,Cock’a'cola,Aspartame),AGENT-ORANGE,KILLERSEEDs,OIL-DOLLARs,ARAB-MONARCHIES,DALAI-LAMA,SEA_SHEPEARDs,GPS,WAR_ON_TERROR,HUMAN-RIGHTs…..
Anonymous
March 14th, 2012 at 8:31 am
Oh sorry I forgot to thank god for all that and say GOD BLESS AME-RICH-A
dndn
March 14th, 2012 at 10:21 am
Very good interview, I like how this interviewer keeps it formal and does not interrupt like Scott does. We get more information that way.
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 11:00 am
Always a way forward — If your running for daylight
As a retired vocational school instructor, may I suggest that half of the military trainers in Afghanistan be brought home and replaced with vocation instructors. For nothing makes a solder more patriotic and willing to defend his country then receiving job skills that increase his self-worth and future income.
Problem is, the last thing our Empire wants is for Afghans troops to be like the young men in Iran, ready, willing and able to defend their country.
Rabbi Lippshitz
March 14th, 2012 at 12:04 pm
Vocational school instructor? What does that mean? What kind of school? What kind instuuctor? Instructing what?
@JohnEllis02
March 14th, 2012 at 12:21 pm
Panetta — Car explodes on runway as he lands in Afghanistan
Father Butt O'churnin
March 14th, 2012 at 1:03 pm
I too, I was working at a Cat’o'lick all Boy School as a body instructor.
Clitt O. Reese
March 14th, 2012 at 1:07 pm
I was a gym teacher. Retiered is pretty strange word, as though we were once tired before.
Mark Erickson
March 14th, 2012 at 1:53 pm
A Separation is playing in two theaters in Minneapolis MN. 6 times daily. This is not fly over land.
Mark Erickson
March 14th, 2012 at 2:36 pm
A Separation is showing at two theaters in Minneapolis, MN. 6 shows daily. Pepe knows about a lot of the world, but has he ever been to the Midwest? If he comes, I'll put him up. Let me know, Pepe!
PS Angela, comments from iPhones still aren't showing up on the non-mobile site. There were 6 comments showing here, but 13 on the iPhone.
Anonymous
March 14th, 2012 at 2:37 pm
This movie is also political and you get it if you watch all parts http://youtube.com/v/Zr5ZG_3T4O0
uwopuwop
March 14th, 2012 at 10:38 pm
@ dndn
3d3d
umopumop
March 14th, 2012 at 10:39 pm
sorry bad spelling!
Anonymous
March 14th, 2012 at 11:36 pm
Midwest, miniApolice state, Mew Nexico, the belly of the beast! 6 shows daily, how many watched the show? Hey, 3d3d if you make it there you may make it out.
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 12:01 am
Vote Mittens Romney, Bible ( king james’, micro edition, with commentary, specialy printed in battelHam izraill ) in one hand, sword in the other! Tall and with natural black hair that never grays and skin soft as baby’s ars.
Vote now, vote now and get it over with, why wait?
And he needs your support, preferably Dollars but also Sterling and even Euro.
Vote with your money, give it to him now and he will reduce your taxes.
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 12:24 am
Later, reduce your taxes later, god willing, maybe, if economy allows.
I am Mittens and I approved this massage.
ummabdulla
March 15th, 2012 at 1:18 am
Ah – the 'great, globetrotting Pepe Escobar' again… and again, his insights on Iranians mostly come from the same film he's mentioned before.
As for Iran importing meat from Brazil, I'm not quite sure what reason he was giving for that – whether he blamed the sanctions or Ahmadinejad, or both. But the fact is that there are meat companies in Brazil that are certified halal (slaughtered according to Islamic law) and have good reputations, and they export a great deal to the Middle East. In Kuwait, I normally buy Sadia chicken (http://www.sadia.com/en/home/index.asp). It's in every store, and that doesn't make Kuwait an economic basket case. (And they export to many parts of the world.) I don't have time or inclination to research it, but I'm guessing that Brazil has been selling meat to Iran for a long time – before Ahmadinejad or the sanctions.
ummabdulla
March 15th, 2012 at 1:25 am
Forgot to say that for almost 20 years (in other words, long before Ahmadinejad and these sanctions), I've been hearing Iranians complain about their government. Iranians will tell you that they have vast natural resources – not only oil and gas, but agricultural products – yet the people don't see any benefit from them.
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 1:33 am
Ah the great logician-ulla. He simply noted that iranian produced meat is more expensive, and that is strange because iran is not a high-wage country so the domestic produce should be cheaper. GET IT?
Now do you know why jooz don’t eat pork? BattleHam of course. After what happend in BattleHam, in jooish Ham Battle, with those 3 immigrants (mexican I think) and all that marre and those smelly stuff and all, they can’t stomich Ham anymore.
Why is it that muslim don’t eat pork while they devour camels left and right?
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 1:58 am
Oh Mark Erickson, don’t worry this site has been mirrored for mobile devices somewhere else, those with needs will go there!
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 4:11 am
And Mark Erickson, show those 6 shows to Angela and Kelley, maybe they one get on board
Anonymous
March 15th, 2012 at 12:24 pm
Angela Darling, how would it look like if there were disCrapencies between what is observed and saved what is shown based on geoloc? Would not be very amusing would it?
Think about that for awhile, sure your friends will bring your answer 2 me
Bye Love! Watch a show tonightand and have fun! You are always in my thoughts.
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