In this video, I sit down with journalist and author Anjan Sundaram to explore the crisis of journalism, the emotional strain of witnessing trauma, and the uneasy coexistence of catastrophe and daily life. We discuss how the news is shaped, the search for the “perfect victim,” and the geopolitical narratives that demand palatable symbols of justice. Anjan’s insights are paired with an essay on the story of Josh Gibson and Jackie Robinson as an analogy for the West’s desire for “safe” exits from guilt.

Anjan’s site with links to books, TED Talks, Journalism on Congo/CAR/Mexico/Cambodia : https://anjansundaram.com/

Jay Shapiro’s Film OPPOSITE FIELD (Uganda Little League Baseball) : https://www.primevideo.com/region/na/detail/0G6JGS036H3RX0YN1WIRSESFPO/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

Anjan and Lindsy Hilsum in conversation: https://granta.com/in-conversation-anjan-sundaram-and-lindsey-hilsum/

James Baldwin Essay "The Devil Finds Work": https://www.are.na/block/28328065

The Defiant Ones (1958) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Defiant_Ones

Jay's website with essays, archive, and contact information: whatjaythinks.com

00:00:00 Intro: Anjan’s Path and My Philosophical Lane

00:04:50 Intro: Journalism’s Role and Letters with Lindsey Hilsum

00:13:10 From Ivy League Mathematics phd to Congo Stringer

00:16:46 Running From or Running To?

00:22:35 Broken Journalism after October 7th

00:29:28 The Neocolonial Journalistic Informational Flows

00:37:51 Guns to my Head Multiple Times is Part of the Job

00:45:43 A Mind in Two Worlds: War and Home

00:53:20 Putting Ourselves in the Story

00:56:23 Journalism in Crisis the Ruins of Neoliberalism

01:05:28 Five Seconds to Tell the Story

01:11:39 The Intersection of Activism and Journalism

01:19:09 What Should We Know About the People We Never Hear About

01:26:20 Holding Power to Account… Who Are you Really Talking To

01:31:05 “Where is the world?”

01:37:38 “True Human Cost of the Phone” versus “Radical Change” through Inspiration

01:41:43 Immortal Stories and Art

01:44:36 Outro: The Defiant Ones (1958)

01:49:28 Outro: Josh Gibson, Jackie Robinson and The “Perfect Victims” of Racism

02:15:28 Outro: The Silent Cry of the Imperfect Victims

In this video, I sit down with scholar and author A. Dirk Moses to unpack how the merging of the Holocaust’s specific history with the generic concept of genocide—and its elevation to the “crime of crimes”—has shaped our collective imagination in ways that blind us to potentially far worse horrors. Moses explains how the pursuit of permanent security by states and groups enacts devastating violence against civilians under the guise of prevention and control. Stick around for the outro, where I use an X-Men analogy to explore the moral dilemmas of invulnerability, trauma, civilizational Darwinism, and the concomitant nightmares of absolute safety. DILEMMA EPISODE WITH UYGHUR ACTIVIST - History Rhymes - Uyghur Genocide - Rahima Mahmut - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/s02e04-history-rhymes-uyghur-genocide-rahima-mahmut/id1470490447?i=1000487315464 Jewish Currents Journal - https://jewishcurrents.org/ Dirk Moses Books, Podcasts, and Public Works - https://www.dirkmoses.com/ Journal of Genocide Research - https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/cjgr20 Just Security - https://www.justsecurity.org/ From the Periphery "Zionism from the Standpoint of one of it's victims" - https://youtu.be/bZWvvXVR8po?si=SAYcijQpAavGFZxb X-Men Vs Magneto! Issue 150 (1981) Comics Bazaar - https://youtu.be/TooOu8QondM?si=X_ctDOV4kXX_KBHk 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:05 Intro: A Story From A Genocide Studies Department at My Alma Matter 00:12:50 Intro: Language as Obstacle and Path to Action 00:15:28 Dirk Moses’s Path To These Questions 00:23:13 Dirk Encounters The Intellectual Problems with “Genocide” 00:28:02 The Emotional Confusion of “Genocide” and “Holocaust” 00:32:27 “Genocide”, Aerial Bombing, and Weaponizing Holocaust Memory 00:41:16 The ICJ, The Rome Statute, UN Convention and the “Crime of Crimes” 00:51:22 Exploiting the Genocide Mixed Intention Loophole and Rigging the Law 00:57:35 The Logic of Permanent Security and Artificial Legal Constructs 01:05:41 “We Had To Do This for Security” and Preemptive Killings 01:09:30 The Legal Recognition of “Genocide” 01:14:29 The Fusion of “The Holocaust” and “Genocide” and Zionist Ambitions 01:21:26 Academia’s Paralysis, Firings, and Confusions 01:30:25 The Aesthetics of Killing and Future Surveillance 01:33:48 Teetering International Legal Order: Global North or South? 01:43:43 Why the Focus on Israel’s Crimes? 01:47:55 Outro: Dystopia and Absolute Safety 01:50:50 Outro: Collateral Damage Maximization Policy 01:58:35 Outro: X-Men’s Magneto and Zionism's Deadly Darkness 02:11:12 Outro: Why The Whole World Is Watching

In this interview with Stavit Sinai, we explore her journey from growing up in a Zionist environment to avoiding conscription in the IDF, and the challenges she faced, including accusations of antisemitism for her activism. I also provide an in-depth breakdown of the psychological phenomenon of cognitive dissonance and its relevance to these complex issues. 00:00 Introduction 04:19 Born to Holocaust Survivors into an Apartheid 8:48 Two Shades of the Same Ideology 12:02 Contact with Palestinians 13:45 High School and the Path to the IDF 16:05 Coexistence, Reform Religion, and Zionism 17:52 Pre Military Camp, Dirty Tents, and avoiding the IDF 23:43 The Role of the Moral Reasons 27:29 Cracks in The Zionist Ideology 29:16 A Dive into Cognitive Dissonance 48:53 The Friends Who Didn't Get Away 52:10 Unlearning Zionism and Execution After Death 55:11 Standing up to Zionism and Shlomo Sand 58:07 The Intifada and A Bus Bombing 1:01:30 Power Relations, Historical Context, and The Big Bad ‘T’ Word 1:06:56 An Abolitionist Paper Covers Nat Turner Revolt 1:11:45 An Emotional Issue and Family Strains 1:17:00 Does Changing Opinions Matter? 1:20:04 First Arrest 1:25:16 Liberal Zionism Legitimizes the Project 1:30:41 The Humboldt University Speaker and Yair Lapid 1:34:03 A Gas Chamber Dark Prophecy 1:36:40 The Humboldt Protest 1:40:35 The White Rose Underground 1:46:45 The Antisemitism Smear and Plato’s Crito 1:51:22 From BDS to Palestine Action and Elbit Systems 2:02:59 Arrest and Jail Time 2:05:50 Direct Action Success 2:08:25 What About October 7th and After 2:15:55 A Silver Lining to the Honest Far Right 2:23:17 Our Capacity to Liberate Ourselves

Vijay Prashad and I discuss the fierce defiance of the Global South, from the legacies of leaders like Kwame Nkrumah to the global conversation about neocolonialism. We dive into the new mood of the Global South after October 7th, the fight for dignity in places like the West Bank, and the global power dynamics that continue to shape these battles. whatjaythinks.com 00:00 Pop Quiz Introduction 03:16 Vijay’s Interest in the Global South 08:19 The Case for Kwame Nkrumah 14:09 Nkrumah and Pan Africanism 19:19 Controlling Resources, Sovereignty, and MultiNational Corporations 25:15 National Liberation and getting Branded a Marxist 27:57 The Difficult First Phase After Gaining “Independence” 39:38 The New Mood of the Global South After October 7th 50:45 Controlling the High Ground and “Air Superiority” 56:14 “You eat. And you want Dignity.” Water in the West Bank 1:04:15 The Reverse of Dignity and the Erasure of Humanity 1:07:21 Utilitarian Progress and Humiliation and Nuclear Weapons 1:12:25 Hiroshima Day 1:19:04 The US Election and do I need a hug? 1:22:54 I do love Jill Stein… 1:25:43 Final Thoughts and References for Further Reading 1:32:52 Tolerances of Freedom Mobutu v Lumumba and Hamas’s “Decision” 1:41:12 An Actual Smile to End City Population Projections: https://sites.ontariotechu.ca/sustainabilitytoday/urban-and-energy-systems/Worlds-largest-cities/population-projections/city-population-2100.php Kwame speech to Pan African leaders https://youtu.be/nrYf97_IUrE?si=KAXfXNCHuwzpjE47 Kwame speech from exile https://youtu.be/2niDtrZalWc?si=yKyqXTYskeFCHXxT Patrice Lumumba speech https://youtu.be/ouXas0XYHxM?si=wJKlh9nW2iPO7Gh5 Qaddafi on the Gold Dinar https://theecologist.org/2016/mar/14/why-qaddafi-had-go-african-gold-oil-and-challenge-monetary-imperialism https://thenewamerican.com/us/economy/markets/gadhafi-s-gold-money-plan-would-have-devastated-dollar/ https://millenium-state.com/blog/2019/05/03/the-dinar-gold-the-real-reason-for-gaddafis-murder/ Hilary emails about Gaddafi https://www.foreignpolicyjournal.com/2016/01/06/new-hillary-emails-reveal-true-motive-for-libya-intervention/ The non alignment movement https://www.fikerinstitute.org/publications/the-non-aligned-movement-history-relevance-reform https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/cold-wars/nonalignment/50C54C20DC60A6DE4F28F44AD2E6B2A2 George Padmore Book https://dialecticalartist.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/panafricanism-or-communism.-the-coming-struggle-for-africa-by-george-padmore-.pdf Congo Mine That Build the Atomic Bomb https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200803-the-forgotten-mine-that-built-the-atomic-bomb https://www.wired.com/story/the-dark-history-oppenheimer-didnt-show/ Bitter Fruit https://www.hup.harvard.edu/books/9780674019300 Fidel Castro speech to the intellectuals June 1961 http://lanic.utexas.edu/project/castro/db/1961/19610630.html This Way To the Spring https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27774750-the-way-to-the-spring Curb Your Enthusiasm "Palestinian Chicken" https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1640882/

A reflection on my first trip abroad, where I first learned the name Kwame Nkrumah and started wondering why things were the way they were. An effort to broaden the conversation from Palestine, exploring the tangled relationship between peace, justice, free will, the principle of Unjust Riches and the impact of the past year’s global events.

An examination of the intertwining of Zionist ideology and symbology in my upbringing in Judaism. What Kamala was talking about when she spoke to AIPAC. And who I am voting for in the US elections.

An essay which takes this question seriously.

00:00 Introduction

01:00 What does condemn mean?

02:46 Condemnation and victims statements

08:54 Two paths to being condemned

11:11 Do I condemn the condemned?

12:06 Children aren´t condemned

13:23 Nemr´s Pain

16:51 Doesn't delegitimize

19:05 Native American Analogy

21:00 Manifest Destiny

23:50 Would you argue against the Trail of Tears?

26:48 The Condemnable Future is not Inevitable

29:35 A Short Answer

30:26 Nemr´s Interview from Middle East Eye

Jay discusses Palestine with historian and author Ilan Pappe. Together they ponder if we are seeing the end of Zionism and what might that collapse might look like.

Jay then reads an essay on the topic of forgiveness and redemption and how the psychology of cognitive dissonance prevents us from having evidence change our mind.

In the final part of this series, Jay dissects the definition of the words Zionism, Israel, and Judaism and delivers a Speech he wishes a future Prime Minister of Israel would give. The entire collection and all resources can be found here: whatjaythinks.com

A conversation with Miko Peled on his journey from unquestioned Zionism to becoming an active Palestinian Activist.

In this episode we discuss:

Jacob Israel de Haan

Where are the Palestinian Nelson Mandelas?

How Miko changed his mind

When the only thing left is violence

Why Zionism is flawed from the beginning

What the future might hold for Israel

Zionism vs Judaism

and more...

A conversation with Richard English who dares ask the question "Does Terrorism Work?" In this episode we discuss: The IRA The Troubles Hamas Al Qaeda Jewish Terrorists Whether Israel is an example of successful Terrorism The motivations of terrorists How to evaluate the success of terrorists Deciphering the intent of terrorists How terrorist motivations change when they take power and more...

1948 Einstein and Arendt letter to the NY Times More information and recommendations at whatjaythinks.com