While an opposition violence charges of assault after his reporting on venice while an opposition violence weve been speaking to his lawyer. These charges are weve been speaking to his lawyer. These charges are blatantly false and highly inflammatory. The u. K. Is heading for a false highly inflammatory. The u. K. Is heading for a general Election Parliament approved Boris Johnsons bill seeking a december 28th general election as parliament approved Boris Johnsons bill seeking a december 12th vote to break the breaks that impasse. Well the 12th vote to break the brics it impasse. Well those are the headlines ill be back here in around and i was time with another round up mean time savers are the headlines ill be back here in around and i was time with another round up meantime stay. The Crosstalk International next. International next. Hello and what. Hello and welcome to crossfire were all things are considered times Peter Lavelle all across the middle east and beyond theyre all from the crosstalk were all things are considered times Peter Lavelle all across the middle east and beyond there are large scale protests and growing political instability in many countries the old way large scale protests and growing political instability in many countries the old ways of doing business but only in rich privileged elite while the prospects for the many artists of doing business but only in rich privileged elite while the prospects for the many are few and far in between the elites have answers for todays growing problem few and far in between the elites have answers for todays growing problems. The bill. The bill of the im joined by my guest james jaharis and watch and hes a former u. S. Diplomat and former advisor to lady im joined by my guest james jatra soon watch and hes a former u. S. Diplomat and former advise. Eyes are for the u. S. Senate Republican Leadership in plymouth we have he is the executor of the u. S. Senate Republican Leadership in plymouth we have and he is the executive editor of the news website 21st century wired dot com and in norman we cross to editor of the news web site 21st century wired dot com and in norman we cross to Joshua Landis he is director of the center of middle east studies at the university of landis he is director of the center of middle east studies at the university of oklahoma all right gentlemen crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want and i always appreciate joshua look lahoma all right gentlemen crosstalk rules in effect that means you can jump in anytime you want and i always appreciate joshua let me go to you 1st in norman all across the globe we have iraq we let me go to you 1st in norman all across the globe we have iraq we have we have lebanon we have chile we have many other places around the world plus we have the have we have lebanon we have chile we have many other places around the world plus we have the whole division over brags that in the u. K. We have the division in the United States whole division over braggs it in the u. K. We have the division in the United States theres a lot of instability out there but i want to talk about the specific country of lebanon just says that a lot of instability out there but i want to talk about the specific country of lebanon just to start it off here a lot of people say that it is the bellwether for the recent started off here a lot of people say that it is the bellwether for the region what happens there 1st is an indication of what possibly and probably will happen and what happens there 1st is an indication of what possibly and probably will happen in a number of other countries in the region how do you reflect upon that go ahead joshua and the number of other countries in the region how do you reflect upon that go ahead joshua. Well i think youre right lebanon is one of the is the 3rd most indebted country in the world well i think youre right lebanon is one of the is the 3rd most indebted country in the world riad salame a the head of the central bank said to the country will crash and riyadh salah may the head of the central bank said to the country will crash economically if these protests go on much longer but the protests are in many ways economically if these protests go on much longer but the protests are in many ways i think a reflection of a tremendous change in the world i think a reflection of tremendous change in the world a an income gap that is yawning but i mean rich and poor and we an income gap that is yawning but i mean rich and poor and we can see that from across the world you know europe is the most equal can see that from across the world you know europe is the most equal part of the world at 30 percent of wealth is held by the top 10 percent part of the world at 30 percent of wealth is held by the top 10 percent but the middle east is the worst its 61 percent of all wealth but the middle east is the worst its 61 percent of all wealth is held by the top 10 percent now russia and america are hovering in the us held by the top 10 percent now russia and america are hovering in the middle but but its that you know the world is becoming more and more unequal but but its that you know the world is becoming more and more unequal and i think in places where you have bad governments like lebanon iraq will and i think in places where you have bad governments like lebanon iraq egypt syria youre seeing this kind of explosion egypt syria youre seeing this kind of. Of real you know theres not enough jobs there is bad Government People are robbed of real you know theres not enough jobs there is bad Government People are robbing at the top and the public feels like theyre getting a very bad deal and dumping at the top and the public feels like theyre getting a very bad deal and theyre up in arms you know patrick and i did everything that joshua to said there are up in arms you know patrick and i did everything that joshua to said there but we have these ruling elites as i said in my introduction you know still doing business as usual but we have these ruling elites as i said in my introduction you know still doing business as usual the old ways here and this is a real wake up call and one more thing we look at the the old ways here and this is a real wake up call and one more thing we look at the disparity in income we can look at the usefulness of a lot of these countries a lot of people a disparity in income we can look at the usefulness of a lot of these countries a lot of people. Under 18 and what prospects do they have here but my issue with under 18 and what prospects do they have here but my issue is with governance here whats it going to take because as joshua pointed out here this is this is with governance here whats it going to take because as joshua pointed out here this is this can explode it is exploding go ahead patrick you know this is a very difficult can explode it is exploding go ahead battery you know this is a very difficult topic to kind of get your head around because theres so many brazil topic to kind of get your head around because theres so many uprising zork does so much political unrest happening simultaneously and i think theres a tendency by the meetings or the so much political unrest happening simultaneously and i think theres a tendency by the media by political commentators by economists and political cause by political commentators by economists and political. Mr try to find some generalized terms to sort of describe what is to try to find some generalized terms to sort of describe what its like a global phenomenon i think that was a mistake that the west made with the arab spring but whats like a global phenomenon i think that was a mistake that the west made with the arab spring by putting it all into one kind of soup and i think the reality is you have by putting it all into one kind of soup and i think the reality is you have you have different aspects and different characteristics with each of these there are commonalities however if you want to talk about overarching. Different aspects and different characteristics with each of these there are commonalities however if you want to talk about overarching framework for analyzing this youve got post colonial identity issues youve got frameworks for analyzing this youve got post colonial identity issues youve got post colonial border mapmaking issues that are still plaguing places like the middle oneill border mapmaking issues that are still plaguing places like the middle east all the way back from war one youve got neoliberal policies elian at least all the way back from war one youve got neo liberal policies elian of neo liberal policies you have u. S. Meddling which would go under the neo liberal policies you have us meddling which would go under the banner of imperialism you could say u. S. Foreign policy this is all the banner of imperialism you could say u. S. Foreign policy this is also a big big issue how that effects and how it has affected a lot of these countries in so a big big issue how that effects and how it has affected a lot of these countries in regions and you also have the failure of soviet era collectivism regions and you also have the failure of soviet era collective. Just social economic structures and dependency issues. Social economic structures and dependency issues and also dependency issues with all of these countries economically i mean you look at a country and also dependency issues with all of these countries economically i mean you look at a country like lebanon they have absolutely nothing that they produce they import everything lebanon they have absolutely nothing that they produce they import everything there economically completely dependent on things like foreign aid and thing there economically completely dependent on things like foreign aid and an ngo sector economy that sort of drives the middle class in that country thats just one ngo sector economy that sort of drives the middle class in that country thats just one example so its it is very difficult i think hong kong is also an example so its it is very difficult i think hong kong is also has been mischaracterized by the press because its. Hasnt just been mischaracterized by the press because its it wasnt just an uprising to do with class this had something to do with just uprising to do with class this had something to do with change this was kind of an imported revolution this is indicative of the change this was kind of an imported revolution this is indicative of the into individualized young middle class Global Citizen into individualized young middle class Global Citizen yet that exists virtually their identity from social media and i think that and yet that exists virtually their identity from social media and i think that also drives that change drives it but they dont know where to go with this change well the political organizing also drives that change drives it but they dont know where to go with this change well political or. Noising isnt there that the ideas arent there to go anywhere with it you know what you patrick you just did a thing isnt there that the ideas arent there to go anywhere with it you know what you patrick you just did a ph d. On t. V. In about 3 minutes easing to me let me go to james now ph d. On t. V. In about 3 minutes easing to me let me go to james now you know i can you know that this has a lot to do with expectations and i think that you know i can you know that this has a lot to do with expectations and i think that you know patrick was hit the nail on the head there and be people being so interconnected was hit the nail on the head there and be people being so interconnected is well here but you know what what we have here is we we have is one. Well but you know what what we have here is we we have global elites that are not delivering theyre doing quite well and they dont have any solution leads that are not delivering theyre doing quite well and they dont have any solutions here and at the same time you have a lot of people protesting it in more than protestations here and at the same time you have a lot of people protesting in more than protesting out of the fact that they dont see that they have a future here and that is a toxic mixture and out of the fact that they dont see that they have a future here and that is a toxic mixture go ahead james it is that i think those are the maybe of some of the factors we see in common go ahead james it is that i think those are the making of some of the factors we see in common with these things and then as we all know that there are disparate causes like in chile its trends with these things and then as we all know that there are disparate causes like in chile its transportation prices in lebanon it was communications and cell phones and whatsapp and things were taishan prices in lebanon it was communications and cell phones and whatsapp and things like that i cant help but wonder though peter that what what more is like that i cant help but wonder though peter that what what what. Or is there that meets the eye i always wonder why for example some protests and some there that meets the eye i always wonder why for example some protests in some countries get very favorable treatment from the global media which sarah shares the countries get very favorable treatment from the global media which sarah shares the same neo liberal ideology is what these people are supposedly protesting against and same neo liberal ideology is what these people are supposedly protesting against in many cases and other cases they dont get such good press for example any cases and other cases they dont get such good press for example ive noticed in all of this very few people mention sort of the the granddaddy of all this in the last year and i notice in all of this very few people mention sort of the the granddaddy of all this in the last year or so which is the yellow vests in france which i think very much were a working class which is the yellow vests in france which i think very much were a working class phenomenon against the very things were describing but theyre bad you see because theyre there theyre there theyre not really theyre the bad kind of populist as they pose to whats wrong cause phenomenon against the very things were describing but theyre bad you see because there are there are there are there are there are not really but there are the bad kind of populists as they pose to whats wrong kong thats right thats going to go on the politics behind a populist. Kids in a congo calm good oconner good ok that in the way that in the in the yellow bit in there as yellow there are us are or are disco yeah exactly theyre dependent on it we should say about spain they have a disco yeah exactly theyre dependent on it we should say about spain they have. Thats right and if the catalogs are protesting with thats good but of spirit thats right and if the catalogs are protesting with thats good but if spaniards who want spain to Stay Together are protesting well thats bad so i think theres who want spain to Stay Together protesting well thats bad so i think theres. I cant help but suspect that theres a theres a thumb on the scale i cant help but suspect that theres a theres a thumb on the scale and terms of our perceptions i keep waiting for a levy to tell us what and terms of our perceptions i keep waiting for a levy to tell us which ones are the good about and which are the bad ones. But he can keep his mouth shut its one of the good times in which a bad one. But he can keep his mouth shut as far as im concerned joshua you know. Patrick marty mentioned far as im concerned joshua you know. Patrick marty mentioned. U. S. Involvement particularly in the middle east here where you know constantly putting pressure on u. S. Involvement particularly in the middle east here where you know constantly putting pressure on the lebanese government to get rid of hezbollah that is elected to the lebanese government to get rid of hezbollah that is elected to the offices across the country as a great deal of popularity to offices across the country as a great deal of popularity and then that the in the in the and then like threatening turkeys economy and things like that i mean this doesnt and then that the in the in the and then like threatening turkeys economy and things like that i mean this doesnt make things any better i mean constantly using the dollar and the you make things any better i mean constantly using the dollar and the use in the Financial System to punish countries around the world that just takes more options off the table doesnt it an actual system to punish countries around the world that just takes more options off the table doesnt it go ahead joshua it does look sanctions is a very brutal brutal go ahead joshua. It does you know look at sanctions is a very brutal brutal response to trying to regulate refined to response to trying to regulate refine to your Foreign Policy because it hits people right across the board it is collective punishment your Foreign Policy because it hits people right across the board it is collective punishment in the worst way and were seeing that in iran with sanctions on iran which of cause it rushed in the worst way and were seeing that in iran with sanctions on iran which have caused iran to escalate violence because theyre not going to take it lying down and on to escalate violence because theyre not going to take it lying down and syria is in desperate straits and now the United States is eager to take the oil syrias in desperate straits and now the United States is eager to take the oil which syria needs in order to rebuild and lebanon of course the u. S. Which syria needs in order to rebuild and lebanon of course the u. S. Has been debating whether they should withdraw all 4 west has been debating whether they should withdraw all foreign aid to lebanon because hizbollah is part of the government but you know the ornate to lebanon because hizbollah is part of the government but you know the lebanese elite has been. Sucking money out of this system for lebanese the elite has been. Sucking money out of this system for a long time and and you know it would be terrible if 11. 00 on it collateral on time and and you know it would be terrible if 11 on it collapses i think the whole world understands that and nobody wants lebanon to collapse because it really isnt as i think the whole world understands that and nobody wants lebanon to collapse because it really isnt the sort of loans of the middle east where people can retreat the sort of loans. Of the middle east where peopl