Germany’s National Day third of October 2026 sees large protests against the government’s foreign policy in Berlin and Stuttgart.

Michael Riches and Dennis Riches share some thoughts on the 2026 Penang Peace Dialogue, organized by the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns. Recorded in Penang, Malaysia on September 8, 2026.

Organised by the Commonwealth of World Chinatowns, the gathering included Kishore Mahbubani, Victor Gao, Joanna Lei, Jomo K. Sundaram, and even former Indonesian president Joko Widodo. Jeffrey Sachs joined remotely. These were people familiar with governments, universities, and international institutions, hence their criticism of Pax Americana came with considerable experience of how that order operates.

More: https://pascallottaz.substack.com/p/beyond-pax-americana-what-penang?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2735407&post_id=215934330&utm

If all else fails, go to war with Russia. It's an age old European strategy to keep their own population from revolting against their economic slave-masters. And sure enough, the 21st century is no exception. The elites would rather have a nuclear war with Russia than admit that their economic policies at home are ruining the continent. For this, one only needs to reactivate age-old Russophobic tropes. And here we go. Like Anti-semitism is wielded against the enemy within, Russophobia has a very specific political purpose to rally people up against the external enemy. That dynamic is now in full swing.. Dr. Yakov Rabkin, emeritus professor of history at the University of Montreal, discusses the links between Russophobia, anti-Semitism, racism, and war. He explains how stereotypes turn groups into simple enemies, block public debate, and support militarization. The conversation also covers colonial ideas, economic inequality, “demodernization,” Israel and Zionism, and why diplomacy is being replaced by deterrence.

Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi joins Pascal Lottaz to discuss the reported war around Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, attacks on US bases, and growing pressure on Gulf states. They examine the risks to energy, trade, food supplies, and the global economy, as well as Iran’s ties with China and Russia. Marandi also argues that US policy is driven by failed assumptions and lacks a clear plan.

Western states test the limits of their expansive repression of free speech in cases such as the sanctioning of German journalist, Hüseyin Dogru.

Independent journalism at Substack: https://chrishedges.substack.com/

Holocaust & Genocide Scholars: GAZA meets the definition of genocide: