In the days after Operation Sindoor, Hani, Shawn, and Dana gleefully deconstruct the "Four-Day War" between India’s Hindutva regime and Pakistan’s deep state. From Bollywood-style war coverage (8:25) to Modi’s failed election stunt (26:45), the group tries to explain the ideological and cultural backdrop of the conflict, along with its geopolitical consequences. The crew examines India’s attempted leap toward hard power (41:07), draws sharp contrasts between BJP/RSS's nationalist project and Pakistan's national identity, and the real cost of Modi’s Kargil moment before signing off amidst a sleuth of disagreements between Dana and Hani — which they promise to finish the next time Dana joins the crew.

Sir, Full Support Sir.

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Season 3 kicks off with Dana joining our protagonists behind the mic after a 2 year hiatus, just in time to discuss Donald Trump's ongoing Gulf tour and alleged redefining of U.S. Middle East policy (3:10). From the Abraham Accords and preservation of the petrodollar (06:30) to JCPOA 2.0 (26:45) and BRICS expansion hastening the collapse of Western Hegemony (30:20), the trio examines these issues as case studies in how imperial decay reconciles with its decline while pretending to negotiate from strength:

Trumpian Diplomacy— peace is bought, Palestine is sold.

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As season 2 comes to a close in the fog of Trump’s tariff wars, Hani and Shawn deep dive into how Trump's “Tentative Deal” has successfully replaced the New Deal as the American Social Contract at home (1:06) while reengineering US policy abroad (13:50). The duo breaks down the use of trade wars (08:40) to crystalize blocs between China, Russia, and the U.S. (39:30)—and how that is a continuation of a long-standing Imperial Management Playbook. From geopolitical theatre to economic chess, this episode dissects the hollowing out of American industrial promise, its implications for the world order (48:30), and the future of US hegemony (62:12).

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In this sneak peek into Season 3, the hosts along with Ashmal and Bilawal take a brief, nostalgic look at the cultural decay of Pakistan through a half-comedic, half-tragic lens: why has Pakistan’s music and film industry flatlined? What killed artistic innovation? And why does every pop star end up in Laundry Detergent commercials, selling out to Bollywood, or starring in a Ramzan game show?

The crew discuss Imran Khan’s rise and fall as a symptom of deeper cultural rot (3:15), the country’s vanishing relevance in a multipolar world (5:20). and Coke Studio’s recycling addiction (9:15), as well as what happens when a people lose the will to imagine something new — the spiritual death of art in the absence of ideological or revolutionary energy (12:25).

This isn’t just a diaspora rant—it’s a sleepy-eyed autopsy of Pakistani soft power, from its music to its politics.

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Following the ideological realignment of the Middle East after the fall of Syria and collapse of Assad's regime earlier this week, the hosts explore the resurgence and reconfiguration of Islamist political identity—from the Muslim Brotherhood’s grassroots project (1:30) and Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman aspirations (7:50), to Iran’s revolutionary fatigue (21:10). Through recent geopolitical shifts, Hani and Shawn trace the political evolution of The Muslim Brotherhood, the cost of propping up Assad for Iran (10:07), and the global energy chessboard (26:27) shaping a renewed world order. The duo examines how state and non-state actors—Sunni and Shia, alike—are realigning and possibly converging in a post-Assad era (41:10).

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In the aftermath of the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Hani and Shawn perform the postmortem on the Syrian regime, dissect it's swift collapse, and discuss what it reveals about the strategic and ideological fractures within the Axis of Resistance (3:28). They challenge the manufactured image of Assad as an anti-imperialist strongman amongst his sycophants (15:07), discuss Iran’s strategic follies during the Syrian Civil War, Erdogan's emergence as the winner from the fog of war (38:55), and HTS's precarious position after taking power. As insurgencies become state apparatuses and warlords rebrand themselves for Western media (35:40), the episode interrogates how narratives are spun in real time—blurring the line between resistance and regime change.

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Continuing the conversation from the previous episode, the crew examines the ideological landscape of American Sunni Muslims and the problematic state of the community's thought leadership. Ashmal and Bilawal map their forays into religious heterodoxy: from Orthodox Sunni beliefs to Protestant Bible studies, and from there to self-guided inquiry into Nahj al-Balagha (3:24). The duo's experiences shed light on how religious identity is often forged outside and despite of traditional institutions (5:17). Hani and Shawn continue building on the theme of assimilation into the empire scripting Muslim-American identity and theology (16:33). This dynamic has given birth to a distinct, neoliberal Islam—cut off from global resistance, reframed as lifestyle, and shaped by leisure class interests and Evangelical logics (23:48).

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In the latest installment of the “Evangelical Islam” series, Ashmal and Bilawal join our hosts to explore the ideological, social, and philosophical underpinnings of Sunni Muslim discourse in the American diaspora.

The conversation dissects the preponderance of Youtube debaters and Dawah influencers, the reliance on recycled apologetics, and the lack of contemporary Sunni thought leadership (10:42). The group questions the mainstream Sunni emphasis on discipline and regurgitation over critical thinking, and contrasts this with both Shi’a scholarly structures and broader philosophical lenses—such as Marxist materialism (14:28).

Together, the hosts investigate the vacuum of original thought in the South Asian-Sunni diaspora, the performative religiosity of “Redemption Arc” Muslims, and the anti-intellectualism perpetuated by institutional masjids (19:30). With humor, candor, and provocation, the episode highlights the consequences of cultural Islam passed down without interrogation— and discusses the dark side of the Masjid Industrial Complex (24:14).

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