In this wide-ranging interview, former U.S. ambassador Chas Freeman offers a blunt assessment of Washington’s latest escalation against Venezuela and its global consequences.Freeman examines President Trump’s treatment of President Nicolás Maduro, arguing that the episode amounts to a political hostage crisis rather than legitimate diplomacy. He explains how the United States is openly violating international law through unilateral sanctions—and why much of the world now views U.S. power as coercive rather than rules-based.We also discuss:How other countries can counter U.S. sanctions and legal overreachThe reaction of the MAGA camp to the Venezuela escalationWhether Washington has a coherent strategy ahead—or is improvisingThe geopolitical impact of oil sanctions on China, Cuba, Russia, and the Global SouthWhy energy warfare is becoming a central tool of U.S. foreign policyThis conversation is essential viewing for anyone trying to understand U.S. imperial strategy, the future of sanctions, and the shifting global balance of power.📌 Guest: Chas W. Freeman Jr., former U.S. Ambassador and Assistant Secretary of Defense📌 Topics: Venezuela, Trump, Maduro, sanctions, oil geopolitics, China, Russia, international law, MAGA

Why does the U.S. keep escalating against Venezuela—across administrations and political parties?Journalist Ben Norton explains how oil interests, Miami-based political hawks, and China’s rise in Latin America drive Washington’s policy.🔴🔴🔴Support Independent media to remain bold: https://patreon.com/IndiaGlobalLeftLink for donation: https://paypal.me/sankymudiar🔴🔴🔴In this in-depth interview, journalist and geopolitical analyst Ben Norton breaks down the latest U.S. escalation against Venezuela and places it within the long history of Washington’s interventions in Latin America.We begin by examining Donald Trump’s renewed pressure on Venezuela and why the United States periodically intensifies confrontation with left-leaning governments across the region. Ben explains how these escalations are tied to imperial strategy, domestic U.S. politics, and economic interests, rather than genuine security concerns.A key focus of the discussion is the powerful alliance between oil interests and political hawks based in Florida and Miami, and how this nexus has shaped U.S. policy toward Venezuela, Cuba, and the wider region for decades.We also explore whether there has been a real shift in rhetoric—from framing Venezuela as a “national security threat” under Obama to accusations of drug trafficking under Trump—or whether this represents a continuity of regime-change strategy using different justifications.Finally, Ben Norton analyses how Latin American political and economic elites view the region’s deepening ties with China, and why Beijing’s growing role has triggered alarm in Washington. What does China’s presence mean for U.S. dominance in the Western Hemisphere, and how does it factor into escalating pressure on Venezuela?This conversation is essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand U.S. imperialism in Latin America, Venezuela sanctions, oil politics, China’s rise, and the real drivers of Washington’s foreign policy.Topics covered:– U.S. escalation against Venezuela– Trump vs Obama policy continuity– Oil interests and Miami political lobbies– Regime-change narratives and propaganda– Latin America–China relations– U.S. imperial strategy in the Global South🔴🔴🔴Follow us on Substack: https://substack.com/@indiagloballeftTwitter: https://twitter.com/Indiagloballeft Instagram https://www.instagram.com/indiagloballeft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559411353392Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Y9iCWUv8ha3ATsPWtWk0?si=ee1f0de3de094f17Telegram: https://t.me/+WNlqoiv1Rhg5NjEx🔴🔴🔴📌 Subscribe to India & Global Left for in-depth conversations on global politics, imperialism, and the Global South.

In this in-depth conversation, Trita Parsi joins India & Global Left to analyse the upcoming Netanyahu–Trump meeting and the renewed push by Israel for a war against Iran.We discuss how Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is attempting to shape U.S. policy under a potential Trump presidency, the strategic calculations behind escalating tensions with Iran, and whether Washington is being dragged toward another catastrophic Middle East war.Parsi breaks down the regional implications of a U.S.–Israel confrontation with Iran, including the impact on Gaza, Hezbollah, the Red Sea, Gulf states, and global energy markets. We also examine what war would mean for Iranian domestic politics, Israeli security, and the long-term balance of power in West Asia.This conversation challenges mainstream media narratives and explains who benefits from escalation, who pays the price, and why diplomacy is being sidelined at such a dangerous moment.

In this wide-ranging interview, Col. Lawrence Wilkerson—former Chief of Staff to U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell—offers a sharp critique of Washington’s evolving National Security Strategy (NSS) and the contradictions at the heart of U.S. global policy.🔴🔴🔴Support Independent media to remain bold: https://patreon.com/IndiaGlobalLeftLink for donation: https://paypal.me/sankymudiar🔴🔴🔴We begin with the hawkish turn in the NSS toward China, examining Washington’s attempt to contain Beijing economically, militarily, and technologically—and why Wilkerson believes this strategy may ultimately backfire. The discussion then turns to Turkey’s growing alignment with China, the strategic importance of Eurasian infrastructure, and why the United States is seeking renewed investment and influence across the region.Wilkerson also provides a sober assessment of the Ukraine war and prospects for a peace settlement, addressing whether diplomacy is still possible and how internal divisions within NATO shape the conflict. A key theme is the emerging rift between the U.S. and Europe, with Washington eager to pivot away from Russia while European elites continue to view Moscow as a long-term existential threat.The conversation then shifts to the Middle East. In light of recent UN Security Council resolutions, Israel’s rejection of Palestinian statehood, and the events since October 7, Wilkerson reflects on the trajectory of the Palestinian freedom movement, U.S. complicity, and the limits of international law under American hegemony.Finally, we explore Donald Trump’s revival of the Monroe Doctrine, U.S. policy toward Venezuela, and what these developments reveal about imperial decline, coercive diplomacy, and the future of the Global South.This interview is essential viewing for anyone seeking to understand the real dynamics behind U.S. foreign policy, great-power rivalry, NATO fractures, and resistance movements worldwide.🔴🔴🔴Follow us on Substack: https://substack.com/@indiagloballeftTwitter: https://twitter.com/Indiagloballeft Instagram https://www.instagram.com/indiagloballeft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559411353392Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Y9iCWUv8ha3ATsPWtWk0?si=ee1f0de3de094f17Telegram: https://t.me/+WNlqoiv1Rhg5NjEx🔴🔴🔴

In this wide-ranging discussion, Norman Finkelstein and Mouin Rabbani debate key fault lines in the global politics of Palestine. They disagree on whether the Arab world is genuinely “normalising” relations with Israel or whether this narrative overstates elite diplomacy at the expense of popular opposition. The conversation also examines China and Russia’s decision not to veto a UN Security Council resolution linked to the Trump plan—questioning whether this reflects cynical realist calculation or pressure and coercion from the United States. Finally, they assess the rise of far-right commentators presenting themselves as anti-Israel activists, and whether this phenomenon represents a tactical opportunity or a long-term political threat to the Palestinian cause.🔴🔴🔴Support Independent media to remain bold: https://patreon.com/IndiaGlobalLeftLink for donation: https://paypal.me/sankymudiar🔴🔴🔴Follow us on Substack: https://substack.com/@indiagloballeftTwitter: https://twitter.com/Indiagloballeft Instagram https://www.instagram.com/indiagloballeft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559411353392Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Y9iCWUv8ha3ATsPWtWk0?si=ee1f0de3de094f17Telegram: https://t.me/+WNlqoiv1Rhg5NjEx🔴🔴🔴

Kerala has recently eliminated absolute poverty and now surpasses the United States in key human development indicators such as life expectancy and literacy. In this interview, I speak with Thomas Isaac, former Finance Minister of Kerala and Central Committee member of the CPI(M), about how the Kerala Model of development achieved these outcomes. We discuss the role of public health, education, decentralised planning, social welfare, and long-term public investment—and what Kerala’s experience reveals about alternative development paths beyond GDP-centric growth.🔴🔴🔴Support Independent media to remain bold: https://patreon.com/IndiaGlobalLeftLink for donation: https://paypal.me/sankymudiar🔴🔴🔴Follow us on Substack: https://substack.com/@indiagloballeftTwitter: https://twitter.com/Indiagloballeft Instagram https://www.instagram.com/indiagloballeft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559411353392Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Y9iCWUv8ha3ATsPWtWk0?si=ee1f0de3de094f17Telegram: https://t.me/+WNlqoiv1Rhg5NjEx🔴🔴🔴

🇺🇸📘 What’s really inside the 2025 National Security Strategy?Former U.S. Ambassador Chas Freeman joins India & Global Left to break down America’s newest NSS — a document that explicitly targets China yet reveals deep contradictions within Washington’s power structure.Freeman argues the 2025 NSS is not a strategy, but a tactical, often incoherent text shaped by two competing forces inside the U.S. government:The Deep State — the security and intelligence establishmentTariff Ideologues — the economic nationalists pushing aggressive trade measuresAccording to Freeman, the result is a praise document for the “supreme leader”, not a coherent plan. He explains why the NSS feels revolutionary in tone, contradictory in substance, and disconnected from long-term strategic thinking.🔍 In this conversation, we discuss:Why the 2025 NSS explicitly names China as a threatHow internal U.S. factions shaped the documentThe “Deep State vs Tariff Ideologues” battle inside WashingtonWhy Freeman says the NSS lacks strategy and coherenceWhat this means for U.S.–China relations, global power, and future conflict

In this conversation, Chandran Nair joins India & Global Left to discuss his new book, Understanding China, and unpack what Western narratives consistently get wrong about China’s political system, economic success, and social dynamics. We explore why public satisfaction with the Chinese government remains among the highest in the world, how China’s bureaucracy and planning system have delivered decades of stability and growth, and what truly drives the country’s post-reform economic transformation — from decentralization and private enterprise to infrastructure, technology, and long-term strategic investment.🔴🔴🔴Support Independent media to remain bold: https://patreon.com/IndiaGlobalLeftLink for donation: https://paypal.me/sankymudiar🔴🔴🔴Nair also addresses widely misunderstood topics such as civil society in China, the role of NGOs, gender and environmental activism, and the rise of individualism in cities like Shanghai and Shenzhen. Finally, we discuss the real areas of concern inside China — challenges that Beijing itself acknowledges — and why separating facts from anti-China propaganda is essential for anyone trying to understand the country’s future.🔴🔴🔴Follow us on Substack: https://substack.com/@indiagloballeftTwitter: https://twitter.com/Indiagloballeft Instagram https://www.instagram.com/indiagloballeft/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559411353392Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/69Y9iCWUv8ha3ATsPWtWk0?si=ee1f0de3de094f17Telegram: https://t.me/+WNlqoiv1Rhg5NjEx🔴🔴🔴A thoughtful, respectful, and intellectually rich exchange — offering viewers a rare opportunity to see two contrasting perspectives engage without hostility, while exploring the future of the world economy.