In this episode of UNAPOLOGETIC, we speak to writer, historian, and lifelong anti-imperialist Tariq Ali about the state of the US empire in an increasingly unstable world. From Trump’s erratic posture on Iran to the long arc of American imperial power, Ali places today’s crises in a deep historical context—stretching from Iran in 1953 to Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, and Gaza. The conversation examines how US power has adapted rather than declined, how Trump differs from previous presidents in style rather than substance, and why imperial violence is now increasingly exposed rather than hidden. We explore the limits of American dominance, the rise of China as an economic counterweight, and whether the global balance of power is truly shifting. Ali also reflects on Gaza, Western complicity, Arab state paralysis, and what he describes as a process of recolonisation in the Middle East—alongside the dangers and possibilities that lie ahead.

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

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