acTVism Podcast | english

Col. Wilkerson: U.S. Attacks Iran — Are We at War Again?

In this episode of The Source, our senior editor Zain Raza speaks with retired U.S. Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson about the latest U.S.-Iran escalation and the question now hanging over the region: are we watching another limited exchange, or the beginning of a much wider war?
From U.S. strikes and Iranian retaliation to Israel’s role, the Strait of Hormuz and nuclear negotiations, Wilkerson breaks down what may really be driving the conflict — and why the official explanations may not tell the full story.
ABOUT LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Lawrence Wilkerson is currently a Senior Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and formerly a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of Williams and Mary. Lawrence Wilkerson’s last positions in government were as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff (2002-05), Associate Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning staff under the directorship of Ambassador Richard N. Haass, and member of that staff responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, political-military and legislative affairs (2001-02). Before serving at the State Department, Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army. During that time, he was a member of the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College (1987 to 1989), Special Assistant to General Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93), and Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia (1993-97). Wilkerson retired from active service in 1997 as a colonel, and began work as an advisor to General Powell. He has also taught national security affairs in the Honors Program at the George Washington University. He is currently working on a book about the first George W. Bush administration.
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Iran: The Story You’re Not Meant to Hear | Scott Horton

In this episode of The Source, our senior editor Zain Raza speaks with Scott Horton, Director of the Libertarian Institute and author, about the U.S. war with Iran and the deeper context rarely explored in mainstream coverage.
As Washington and Tehran send contradictory signals about negotiations, ceasefires, and escalation, Horton examines whether the U.S. has achieved its objectives, what role Israel plays in the conflict, and why the struggle over Iran’s nuclear program has now escalated into open war under Trump.
ABOUT SCOTT HORTON: Scott Horton is director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com, host of the Scott Horton Show and co-host of Provoked with historian Darryl Cooper. He’s the author of the 2024 book Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War With Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine.
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Iran Forces US to the Table, Nord Stream & US Withdrawal from Germany | Fabian Scheidler

In this episode of The Source, our leading editor Zain Raza interviews journalist and author Fabian Scheidler about the latest geopolitical developments. The conversation begins with the newest developments surrounding the Nord Stream sabotage investigation, including the competing theories about who was responsible and the recent arrests linked to the Andromeda yacht theory.
The interview then turns to the growing tensions between Germany and the United States following the Iran war, including Washington’s planned troop withdrawal from Germany and the halting of Tomahawk missile deployments. They also examine the latest escalation surrounding the US-Israeli war on Iran, from “Project Freedom” and the confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz to renewed diplomatic efforts amid threats of further war. Finally, the discussion turns to Ukraine and Europe’s expanding role through massive financial support and growing military-industrial cooperation with Ukraine.
ABOUT FABIAN SCHEIDLER: Fabian Scheidler, born in 1968, studied history and philosophy at the Free University of Berlin and theater directing at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Frankfurt/M. Since 2001, he has worked as a freelance writer for print media, television, theater and opera. In 2009, he founded the independent television magazine Kontext TV with David Goeßmann. Otto Brenner Media Prize for critical journalism (2009). As a dramaturge and playwright, he worked for many years for the Grips Theater in Berlin. In 2013, his opera “Death of a Banker” (music: Andreas Kersting) premiered at the Gerhart Hauptmann Theater in Görlitz. In 2015, Fabian Scheidler’s book “Das Ende der Megamaschine. Geschichte einer scheiternden Zivilisation” by Promedia Verlag (Vienna). The Robert Jungk Library for Future Studies selected it as one of the “TOP 10 Future Literature 2015”. Visit his website here: https://www.megamaschine.org/en/
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Iran, Ukraine & Japan – The Hidden Geopolitical Context | Prof. Peter Kuznick

In this episode of The Source, our founder and senior editor Zain Raza speaks with Professor Peter Kuznick about the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran and the broader geopolitical shifts shaping the world today. They examine how the war began, where it stands now, and whether the United States has achieved its strategic objectives — as well as the risks of further escalation.
The conversation then turns to Ukraine and the Asia-Pacific. As Europe takes on a larger role in financing the Ukraine war and Japan accelerates its military shift amid rising tensions around Taiwan, the interview connects these developments to a broader global pattern. What emerges is a deeper look at whether current dynamics point toward stability — or a more dangerous phase of geopolitical escalation.
ABOUT PETER KUZNICK: Peter Kuznick is Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington, D.C. He’s the co-author of the book The Untold History of the United States, written together with Hollywood film director and producer Oliver Stone. He was active in the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements and remains active in antiwar and nuclear abolition efforts.
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Col. Wilkerson: Israel Can’t Win This War with Iran

In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with former U.S. Army Colonel and former Chief of Staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, Lawrence Wilkerson, about the U.S.–Israeli war on Iran and the rapidly escalating regional consequences.
They explore the motivations behind the war, the military capacities of the actors involved, and whether the United States and Israel can realistically emerge victorious from such a confrontation. The conversation also examines how Western governments, including Germany, are responding to the conflict and what the war could mean for the future of the international order.
ABOUT LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Lawrence Wilkerson is currently a Senior Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and formerly a Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of Williams and Mary. Lawrence Wilkerson’s last positions in government were as Secretary of State Colin Powell’s Chief of Staff (2002-05), Associate Director of the State Department’s Policy Planning staff under the directorship of Ambassador Richard N. Haass, and member of that staff responsible for East Asia and the Pacific, political-military and legislative affairs (2001-02). Before serving at the State Department, Wilkerson served 31 years in the U.S. Army. During that time, he was a member of the faculty of the U.S. Naval War College (1987 to 1989), Special Assistant to General Powell when he was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-93), and Director and Deputy Director of the U.S. Marine Corps War College at Quantico, Virginia (1993-97). Wilkerson retired from active service in 1997 as a colonel, and began work as an advisor to General Powell. He has also taught national security affairs in the Honors Program at the George Washington University. He is currently working on a book about the first George W. Bush administration.
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Epstein, Iran & The End of Western Power | Vijay Prashad

In this episode of The Source, our host and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with historian and best-selling author Vijay Prashad about the release of the Epstein files, the widening fallout across the United States and Europe, and what it reveals about elite networks and political power. The conversation then turns to Iran, where escalating sanctions, nuclear negotiations, and open talk of military confrontation raise the stakes for the entire region.
They also examine the stalled Ukraine peace talks, shifting battlefield dynamics, and what the Munich Security Conference revealed about fractures within the West. Finally, they discuss Donald Trump’s newly launched Board of Peace for Gaza alongside the deepening crisis at the United Nations — and ask whether we are witnessing the unraveling of the current international order or the emergence of a new geopolitical framework.
ABOUT VIJAY PRASHAD: Vijay Prashad is an Indian historian and journalist. Prashad is the author of forty books, including Washington Bullets, Red Star Over the Third World, The Darker Nations: A People's History of the Third World and The Poorer Nations: A Possible History of the Global South. His latest book The Withdrawal: Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan, and the Fragility of U.S. Power (2022) was written with Noam Chomsky. He is Executive Director of The Tricontinental: Institute for Social Research and Chief Correspondent for Globetrotter. He is also the Chief Editor of LeftWord Books (New Delhi) and a senior non-resident fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China. He has appeared in two films – Shadow World (2016) and Two Meetings (2017).
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Epstein, Iran, Ukraine & Japan: The Geopolitical Context

In this interview, host Zain Raza speaks with historian Prof. Peter Kuznick about the deeper geopolitical forces shaping today’s most volatile flashpoints. They begin with the latest revelations surrounding the Epstein files and the broader power networks those disclosures uncover.
The conversation then moves to Iran, covering recent unrest, diplomatic negotiations, sanctions, and strategic pressure. Next, they examine Ukraine’s evolving conflict and the push for peace talks amid continued escalation. Finally, they explore Japan’s shifting foreign policy and military posture in the context of rising Asia-Pacific tensions.
ABOUT PETER KUZNICK: Peter Kuznick is Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University in Washington, D.C. He’s the co-author of the book The Untold History of the United States, written together with Hollywood film director and producer Oliver Stone. He was active in the Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War movements and remains active in antiwar and nuclear abolition efforts.
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Israel’s Fragile State: Reality Behind the Gaza Peace Plan, Ceasefire & Economy

In this episode of The Source, supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with economist and author Dr. Shir Hever about Israel’s position after more than two years of war. The conversation begins with Gaza — the humanitarian situation since October 2023, the reality behind the so-called ceasefire, and what Trump’s peace plan has actually changed on the ground.
They then examine key developments shaping Israel’s future, including reports of Israeli-backed militias operating in Rafah, rising tensions with Iran alongside diplomatic signals, and claims of economic recovery following the war. Dr. Hever assesses whether Israel has truly emerged stronger — or whether military, political, and economic fragilities are being masked by official narratives.
He is the author of The Privatisation of Israeli Security (Pluto, 2017) and The Political Economy of Israel’s Occupation (Pluto, 2010). He is currently the military embargo coordinator of the BNC (Boycott National Committee) of the BDS movement.
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Crowdfunding Result - Can we continue with our journalism?

In this podcast, our founder Zain Raza shares the final outcome of our crowdfunding campaign and explains what it means for the future of acTVism Munich.
We will return in early February and will then communicate transparently which path we will take going forward.
Until then, there is still an opportunity to influence the future course of our organization. We would like to sincerely thank everyone who supported this campaign. Your trust, solidarity, and generosity make our independent, non-profit journalism possible.
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The Venezuela Interview You Won’t See in the Media | Gregory Wilpert

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In this episode of The Source, our founder and supporting editor Zain Raza speaks with Gregory Wilpert, sociologist and co-founder of Venezuelanalysis, about Venezuela’s political trajectory and the international forces shaping it. The discussion takes an in-depth look at Venezuela’s history before and after Hugo Chávez, and how both internal dynamics and external pressures have shaped the country’s social and political landscape.
The conversation also explores how Venezuela is portrayed in Western media, the framing and terminology commonly used in coverage of the conflict, and what is often left out of the public discussion. Wilpert examines the geopolitical stakes surrounding Venezuela’s oil, the roles of the United States, Russia, and China, and how recent developments could reshape regional stability and global power dynamics.
ABOUT GREGORY WILPERT: Gregory Wilpert is a German-American sociologist and journalist who co-founded Venezuelanalysis.com. He is also the author of the book “Changing Venezuela by Taking Power: The History and Policies of the Chávez Government ”
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