Episodes

  • Cynical Talk EP 11: “Twelve Years of Conservative Rule in Britain”

    Cynical Talk EP 11: “Twelve Years of Conservative Rule in Britain”
    Nov 15 2022
    Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. This week, from the vault, we are releasing a conversation with Shakir McClean which was recorded during the political storm resulting in the eventual resignation of Mr. Kwarteng and eventually the PM Liz Truss. Although politics has progressed in leaps and bounds since, we felt this snippet of political recent history might still be quite relevant today. At that time, Liz Truss' future seemed very uncertain, and we soon discovered that meant the end of her premiership. A future episode will deal with the ramifications of her short tenure and the arrival of PM Rishi Sunak. But rather than leave the episode in the vault of outdated 'furniture', we thought much of the discussion surrounding David Cameron, Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Liz Truss was still relevant and timely. Let us know what you make of 12 years of Tory rule. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.
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  • Cynical Talk EP 10: “Joe Biden: The Unlikely Hero?”

    Cynical Talk EP 10: “Joe Biden: The Unlikely Hero?”
    Oct 14 2022
    Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. This week, we cover US President Joe Biden's presidency as we approach the crucial mid-term elections. We discuss his speech addressing the legal case between the US Government vs Donald Trump, electoral differences between them, appealing to the crucial swing voters, his focus on long-term infrastructure commitments, addressing polarisation, student loan relief package, the political party system in America, prospects for the next election, electoral costs of Biden's personal brand, withdrawal from Afghanistan, and his legacy thus far. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.
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  • “Shayāṭīn: Islam’s Demons” with Ahmed Patel [Episode 35]

    “Shayāṭīn: Islam’s Demons” with Ahmed Patel [Episode 35]
    Sep 30 2022
    In this week's episode, Ahmed Patel and I unravel the relationship between Islam and terrorism. We discuss his shock when news of his brother-in-law's (Mohammed Siddique Khan) involvement in the 7/7 London bombings, the role of grievance and victimisation in terrorist motives, the factor of substance abuse and mental health, the role of social media and the internet, differences in radicalisation for ultranationalist and Islamist terrorists, comparisons to Christianity's history of violence, and more. Join us for deep dive into Islam's demons.
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  • Cynical Talk EP 9: “Donald Trump Resurfaces”

    Cynical Talk EP 9: “Donald Trump Resurfaces”
    Sep 9 2022
    Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. This week, we discuss the sea of troubles surrounding former US President Donald Trump and the ongoing judicial case stemming from sensitive top secret documents retrieved from his Mar-A-Lago retreat. We discuss the Espionage Act, parry politics, his undeterred base of supporters, confidentiality, polarisation, prospects for the next US presidential and midterm elections, and more. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.
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    Less than 1 minute
  • Cynical Talk EP 8: “Hong Kong: Between a Rock and a Hard Place”

    Cynical Talk EP 8: “Hong Kong: Between a Rock and a Hard Place”
    Aug 19 2022
    Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. This week, we discuss the past, present and future of Hong Kong as it completes 25 years since the United Kingdom's handover of the city to China. We go over the infamous NSL (National Security Law), the effects of Covid-19 clampdown on civil rights, draconian quarantine measures on arrivals, depopulation, migration, cost of living crisis, loss of its prestige internationally, its similarity with prospects over Taiwan, the dearth of democracy and lastly, its future relationship with the Western world. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.
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  • Cynical Talk EP 7: “Showdown Over Taiwan”

    Cynical Talk EP 7: “Showdown Over Taiwan”
    Aug 12 2022
    Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. We discuss increased tension between China and the United States over the status of Taiwan, including US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's recent visit to the island, the legal status of Taiwanese sovereignty, a brief history of Taiwan following the Chinese Civil War, Taiwan's democracy, comparison to other breakaway regions such as Kosovo, the principle of self-determination in international relations, the "Two China" system and US foreign policy, the burden of a world hegemon, redrawing world maps, threat of conflict between the United States and China in the midst of the Ukraine invasion, the defensibility of Taiwan, risk of a catastrophic World War, China's policy objectives, demographic and other concerns for Chinese officials, domestic dissidence in China, and lastly the problem of rash decision-making in autocracies. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.
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  • Cynical Talk EP 6: “Russia’s Grand Strategy”

    Cynical Talk EP 6: “Russia’s Grand Strategy”
    Aug 5 2022
    Welcome back fellow cynics as your co-hosts Thomas Brancato and Jorge Shaft continue our weekly roundup series, Cynical Talk. This time around, Dr. Jozef Hrabina (Ph.D.) is invited to step in as co-host for a special Cynical Talk podcast. Jorge and Jozef discuss how the recent grain deal signed in Turkey, the global food supply crisis, the Russian economy post-USSR, Russian resurgentism, the souring of relations with the United States, the end of unipolarity, the impact of technological advances and the "Great Game" of diplomacy, the failure of maintaining the Warsaw Pact bloc, the legacy of 2014, a victory in Ukraine, and the rebuilding Russian military strength shape Russian grand strategy today. We hope you enjoy tuning in as much as we enjoy piecing these together! Drop us a comment anytime, anywhere.
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  • “Winning the Unwinnable” with Dr. Jozef Hrabina [Episode 34]

    “Winning the Unwinnable” with Dr. Jozef Hrabina [Episode 34]
    Aug 1 2022
    In this week's episode, Jozef Hrabina (Ph.D., Moscow State Institute of International Relations) and I discuss Russian-Western relations following the onset of the Russo-Ukrainian War. We discuss misperception of mindsets, the origin of Russian Statehood, Russian mobilisation, Prof. Mearsheimer's Realist views, Russian foreign reserves and capacity to weather unprecedented sanctions, Russian stranglehold over European energy security, economic damage done to Europe as a result of these sanctions and its political consequences, the failure of deposing Vladimir Putin, Russian counter-measures such as intellectual property rights, China's silent opportunism, the role of the Global South, the future of the Post-Soviet Space, and lastly what "winning the unwinnable" war might look like. Join us for deep dive into Russia's unwinnable war.
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