Best Spark Radio Network Podcasts (2026)

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S8 Ep283: HAMAS AND THE IMPOSSIBLE RECONSTRUCTION Colleague Peter Berkowitz. Peter Berkowitz argues that Hamas, as a Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, remains committed to Israel's destruction, making peace ... 9:48

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15m ago9:48

9:48

HAMAS AND THE IMPOSSIBLE RECONSTRUCTION Colleague Peter Berkowitz. Peter Berkowitz argues that Hamas, as a Muslim Brotherhood offshoot, remains committed to Israel's destruction, making peace impossible. He criticizes the "Project Sunrise" reconstruction plan, noting that US-led development is futile without first disarming and deradicalizing Gaza,…

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S8 Ep283: THE IMPOSSIBLE DMZ Colleague John Hardie. Hardie discusses the complexities of implementing a demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Ukraine, citing disagreements over sovereignty and administration. Regarding ... 6:45

19m ago6:45

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THE IMPOSSIBLE DMZ Colleague John Hardie. Hardie discusses the complexities of implementing a demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Ukraine, citing disagreements over sovereignty and administration. Regarding the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, he notes Russia is unlikely to return control to Ukraine. He concludes that peace deals requiring Ukraine to cede terri…

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S8 Ep283: RUSSIA'S MAXIMALIST DEMANDS Colleague John Hardie. John Hardie outlines Russia's unyielding demands for peace, including territorial concessions and barring Ukraine from NATO. He notes that while ... 11:09

10m ago11:09

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RUSSIA'S MAXIMALIST DEMANDS Colleague John Hardie. John Hardie outlines Russia's unyielding demands for peace, including territorial concessions and barring Ukraine from NATO. He notes that while Zelensky is nearing agreement with the West on security guarantees, the gap with Russia remains wide. Hardie urges the Trumpadministration to increase pre…

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S8 Ep283: THE RIGHTWARD SHIFT IN ELECTIONS Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Araújo predicts the US action in Venezuela will energize the Latin American right, specifically boosting ... 8:03

13m ago8:03

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THE RIGHTWARD SHIFT IN ELECTIONS Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Araújopredicts the US action in Venezuela will energize the Latin American right, specifically boosting the Bolsonaromovement in Brazil. Peña Esclusa forecasts electoral defeats for the left in Costa Rica, Peru, and Colombia, arguing the region is turning away fr…

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S8 Ep283: PANIC AMONG THE LATIN LEFT Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Ernesto Araújo explains that leftist leaders like Lula and Petro fear the US action against Maduro because their ... 11:42

14m ago11:42

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PANIC AMONG THE LATIN LEFT Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Ernesto Araújoexplains that leftist leaders like Lula and Petro fear the US action against Maduro because their power structures share similar corruption. Peña Esclusa adds that Colombian President Petro is terrified because his campaign was funded by Venezuelan drug m…

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S8 Ep283: US DEMANDS: TERRORISTS OUT Colleague Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Peña Esclusa supports US demands for Iran, Hezbollah, and the ELN to be expelled from Venezuela, asserting the population shares these ... 5:34

21m ago5:34

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US DEMANDS: TERRORISTS OUT Colleague Alejandro Peña Esclusa. Peña Esclusa supports US demands for Iran, Hezbollah, and the ELN to be expelled from Venezuela, asserting the population shares these desires. He characterizes Maduro as a drug lord and a threat to Western security, criticizing European leftists who condemn the operation for failing to r…

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S8 Ep283: THE FALL OF MADURO Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Alejandro Peña Esclusa celebrates the swift US capture of Maduro as Venezuela's liberation. He argues Vice President Delcy ... 12:21

24m ago12:21

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THE FALL OF MADURO Colleagues Alejandro Peña Esclusa and Ernesto Araújo. Alejandro Peña Esclusacelebrates the swift US capture of Maduro as Venezuela's liberation. He argues Vice President Delcy Rodriguez must now dismantle the "Cartel of the Suns" to avoid Maduro's fate. Ernesto Araújo frames this as a decisive victory for freedom, forcing a choic…

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S8 Ep283: LEBANESE ARMY COLLUSION Colleague David Daoud. Daoud highlights the compromised nature of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), citing a recent incident where an LAF soldier killed alongside Hezbollah ... 5:19

26m ago5:19

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LEBANESE ARMY COLLUSION Colleague David Daoud. Daoud highlights the compromised nature of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF), citing a recent incident where an LAF soldier killed alongside Hezbollah members received a joint funeral. He argues this collusion makes the LAF an untrustworthy partner for Israel, as sectarian loyalties often supersede natio…

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S8 Ep283: HEZBOLLAH'S LATIN AMERICAN FINANCING Colleague David Daoud. David Daoud details Hezbollah's deep entrenchment in Venezuela, used to challenge US hegemony. He explains how the group exploits Latin ... 14:26

35m ago14:26

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HEZBOLLAH'S LATIN AMERICAN FINANCING Colleague David Daoud. David Daoud details Hezbollah'sdeep entrenchment in Venezuela, used to challenge US hegemony. He explains how the group exploits Latin Americannetworks, illicit trade, and legitimate business fronts within expatriate communities to generate essential funding, compensating for losses in Leb…

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S8 Ep283: WESTERN AIRSTRIKES ON ISIS Colleague Akmed Sharawari. Sharawari discusses recent British and French airstrikes against ISIS weapons caches in Syria. He notes that despite opposing the central ... 5:28

37m ago5:28

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WESTERN AIRSTRIKES ON ISIS Colleague Akmed Sharawari. Sharawari discusses recent British and Frenchairstrikes against ISIS weapons caches in Syria. He notes that despite opposing the central government, ISIS remains a universal threat. The chaos following the Assad regime's fall has allowed ISIS cells to regroup in urban areas, necessitating Wester…

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S8 Ep283: WESTERN AIRSTRIKES ON ISIS Colleague Akmed Sharawari. Sharawaridiscusses recent British and Frenchairstrikes against ISIS weapons caches in Syria. He notes that despite opposing the central government ... 5:28

1h ago5:28

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WESTERN AIRSTRIKES ON ISIS Colleague Akmed Sharawari. Sharawaridiscusses recent British and Frenchairstrikes against ISIS weapons caches in Syria. He notes that despite opposing the central government, ISISremains a universal threat. The chaos following the Assad regime's fall has allowed ISIS cells to regroup in urban areas, necessitating Westerni…

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S8 Ep283: SECTARIAN WARFARE IN SYRIA Colleague Akmed Sharawari. Akmed Sharawari reports on escalating violence between Syria's Alawite minority and the central government led by former jihadist Al-Shara ... 12:27

1h ago12:27

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SECTARIAN WARFARE IN SYRIA Colleague Ahmad Sharawari. Ahmad Sharawari reports on escalating violence between Syria's Alawite minority and the central government led by former jihadist Al-Shara. He explains that regime remnants and Russian influence are fueling Alawite defiance, while Druze and Kurdish factions also resist integration, complicating …

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S8 Ep283: 2026: A HOLLOW SUPERPOWER Colleagues Gordon Chang and Charles Burton. Chang and Burton speculate that the US operation in Venezuela exposes China's inability to protect its allies, making Beijing ... 6:57

5m ago6:57

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2026: A HOLLOW SUPERPOWER Colleagues Gordon Chang and Charles Burton. Chang and Burton speculate that the US operation in Venezuela exposes China's inability to protect its allies, making Beijing appear "hollow." Chang argues this weakens China's threat against Taiwan, while Burton suggests that with China's economy failing and its allies collapsin…

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S8 Ep283: CHINA'S OIL LOSS IN VENEZUELA Colleagues Gordon Chang and Charles Burton. The guests discuss how the US removal of Maduro disrupts China's oil supply, leaving Beijing with billions in unpaid ... 12:53

16m ago12:53

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CHINA'S OIL LOSS IN VENEZUELA Colleagues Gordon Chang and Charles Burton. The guests discuss how the US removal of Maduro disrupts China's oil supply, leaving Beijing with billions in unpaid debt. They note that Chinesemilitary equipment failed to detect the US operation, embarrassing Beijing. Burton suggests Canada faces a difficult choice between…

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S8 Ep283: EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ALLIANCE VS. TURKEY Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Fitton-Brown examines the cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel as a necessary pushback against Turkish President ... 5:09

2h ago5:09

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EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN ALLIANCE VS. TURKEY Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Fitton-Brownexamines the cooperation between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel as a necessary pushback against Turkish President Erdogan's neo-Ottoman expansionism. He argues Erdogan's aggressive rhetoric regarding Jerusalem and maritime claims threatens regional stability, necessita…

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S8 Ep283: NIGERIA AIRSTRIKE AND THE JIHADIST SHIFT Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Edmund Fitton-Brownanalyzes a US airstrike against ISIS in Nigeria, discussing the growing jihadist threat in West Africa ... 12:46

2h ago12:46

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NIGERIA AIRSTRIKE AND THE JIHADIST SHIFT Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Edmund Fitton-Brownanalyzes a US airstrike against ISIS in Nigeria, discussing the growing jihadist threat in West Africa's "ungoverned spaces." He highlights a strategic shift where African juntas reject Western support for Russian mercenaries, who offer security without gover…

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S8 Ep283: NIGERIA AIRSTRIKE AND THE JIHADIST SHIFT Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Edmund Fitton-Brown analyzes a US airstrike against ISIS in Nigeria, discussing the growing jihadist threat in West Africa ... 12:46

6m ago12:46

12:46

NIGERIA AIRSTRIKE AND THE JIHADIST SHIFT Colleague Edmund Fitton-Brown. Edmund Fitton-Brownanalyzes a US airstrike against ISIS in Nigeria, discussing the growing jihadist threat in West Africa's "ungoverned spaces." He highlights a strategic shift where African juntas reject Western support for Russian mercenaries, who offer security without gover…

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S8 Ep282: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT FREEDOM VS. NARCO-TERRORISM IN THE AMERICAS Colleagues Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa. Former Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo discusses the divide between ... 4:27

5m ago4:27

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT FREEDOM VS. NARCO-TERRORISM IN THE AMERICAS Colleagues Ernesto Araujo and Alejandro Pena Esclusa. Former Foreign Minister Ernesto Araujo discusses the divide between democratic forces and "narco-terrorism" in Brazil and Venezuela. He argues that momentum favors freedom, asserting that US support under the Trump administrat…

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S8 Ep282: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSFORMING GAZA Colleague Peter Berkowitz. Peter Berkowitz analyzes the Kushner-Witkoff plan to rebuild Gaza into a modern city. He warns that the ... 3:03

39m ago3:03

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT THE CHALLENGE OF TRANSFORMING GAZA Colleague Peter Berkowitz. Peter Berkowitz analyzes the Kushner-Witkoff plan to rebuild Gaza into a modern city. He warns that the necessary disarming of Hamas and de-radicalization can likely only be achieved by the Israel Defense Forces, making implementation difficult despite potential…

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S8 Ep282: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT HEZBOLLAH'S FINANCIAL LIFELINE IN VENEZUELA Colleague David Daoud. David Daoud explains why Hezbollah remains entrenched in Venezuela. He argues the terror group urgently ... 1:58

15m ago1:58

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT HEZBOLLAH'S FINANCIAL LIFELINE IN VENEZUELA Colleague David Daoud. David Daoud explains why Hezbollah remains entrenched in Venezuela. He argues the terror group urgently needs revenue from Venezuelan resources to maintain social support among Shiites in Lebanon, seeking financial reservoirs that are situated far beyond th…

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S8 Ep282: PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT AFRICA'S SHIFT TO RUSSIAN MERCENARIES Colleague Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown. Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown examines the strategic shift in Africa, where nations ... 3:05

10m ago3:05

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PREVIEW FOR LATER TONIGHT AFRICA'S SHIFT TO RUSSIAN MERCENARIES Colleague Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown. Ambassador Edmund Fitton-Brown examines the strategic shift in Africa, where nations are rejecting Western oversight. He explains how regimes now favor partnerships with Russian mercenaries and Iran to avoid governance conditions, allowing thes…

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S8 Ep281: REEVALUATING CANADA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CUBA AMIDST VENEZUELAN TENSIONS Colleague Charles Burton. John Batchelor and Charles Burton discuss whether Ottawa's friendly ties with Havana will endure ... 1:52

9h ago1:52

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REEVALUATING CANADA'S RELATIONSHIP WITH CUBA AMIDST VENEZUELAN TENSIONS Colleague Charles Burton. John Batchelor and Charles Burton discuss whether Ottawa's friendly ties with Havana will endure given the unfolding Venezuela episode and US scrutiny. Burton argues that Cuba's failing economy and rising repression make it difficult for Canada to just…

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S8 Ep281: CANADA'S REFUSAL TO SUPPORT THE MADURO REGIME Colleague Gordon Chang. Gordon Chang predicts Canada will not align with China to support Venezuela's Maduro, viewing the crisis as a law enforcement ... 1:35

15m ago1:35

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CANADA'S REFUSAL TO SUPPORT THE MADURO REGIME Colleague Gordon Chang. Gordon Changpredicts Canada will not align with China to support Venezuela's Maduro, viewing the crisis as a law enforcement matter involving a "narco trafficker" rather than a political dispute. He asserts that nations supporting this criminal regime will eventually be embarrass…

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Bhutan Series w/ Breathe Bhutan - A Conversation with Ugyen Rinzin - Bhutan's History, Buddhism Basics + Modern Bhutanese Culture 46:58

6h ago46:58

46:58

Bhutan Series w/ Breathe Bhutan - A Conversation with Ugyen Rinzin - Bhutan's History, Buddhism Basics + Modern Bhutanese Culture In this opening episode of my Bhutan Series, I sit down for a deep, thoughtful conversation with Ugyen Rinzin, a Bhutanese local from Paro, to explore the heart and soul of one of the world’s most fascinating countries. …

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S8 Ep280: CONSTANTINOPLE AS HELM'S DEEP AND THE LATIN-GREEK SCHISM Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The final segment eulogizes Constantinople as ... 16:47

18h ago16:47

16:47

CONSTANTINOPLE AS HELM'S DEEP AND THE LATIN-GREEK SCHISM Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The final segment eulogizes Constantinople as a "perfect," intentionally designed city that served as "Helm's Deep" for Western civilization, preserving law, credit, and military organization when the rest…

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S8 Ep280: TRUMP'S MORTALITY, EUROPEAN ALARM, AND THE BEAR TRAP Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. Focusing on "Emperor" Trump, the speakers argue his ... 16:43

23h ago16:43

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TRUMP'S MORTALITY, EUROPEAN ALARM, AND THE BEAR TRAP Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. Focusing on "Emperor" Trump, the speakers argue his recent threats against Venezuelan leadership display the "mortality" and "incoherence" of age, exacerbated by the office's "transmogrification" of the indivi…

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S8 Ep280: VENEZUELA AS A POTENTIAL SINKHOLE AND THE END OF AMERICAN OMNIPOTENCE Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The speakers analyze a failed US ... 23:34

21h ago23:34

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VENEZUELA AS A POTENTIAL SINKHOLE AND THE END OF AMERICAN OMNIPOTENCE Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The speakers analyze a failed US"decapitation" strike in Venezuela intended to replace Maduro with Delcy Rodriguez, a move that resulted in confusion regarding the loyalty of Defense Minister …

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S8 Ep279: THE HOSTAGE RELEASE TIMING AND A LEGACY OF ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE Colleague Craig Unger. The final segment addresses the suspicious timing of the hostage release on January 20, 1981. Unger notes ... 7:00

31m ago7:00

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THE HOSTAGE RELEASE TIMING AND A LEGACY OF ELECTORAL INTERFERENCE Colleague Craig Unger. The final segment addresses the suspicious timing of the hostage release on January 20, 1981. Unger notes that while Carter stayed up all night negotiating, the hostages were not released until minutes after Ronald Reagan took the oath of office. This precise t…