In this episode, we explore the deep religious fractures that have long been exploited by Lebanon's political elites to further their own power. Our guests tackle the notion that competing religious sects are doomed to clash, arguing instead that these divisions are often manufactured and mask a wider sense of unity.
We hear from farmer Ahmad Jaafar, archi ... Show More
Jun 2024
An exhausted healthcare sector
In this episode, we put Lebanon’s healthcare sector under the microscope and find out how corruption and mismanagement made the effects of the wider economic collapse even worse and left the sector on its deathbed. Our guests are Dr. Anis Germany, a public health expert, and Niba ... Show More
22m 16s
Jun 2024
Living on the edge of society
In this episode, we take listeners to Tripoli, Lebanon's second city and one of the poorest urban areas on the Mediterranean coast. We visit the slums of Hayy al Tanak in Tripoli and then head to Hermel, a poor district where crime is rife and tribal vendettas are common. People ... Show More
18m 24s
Oct 2024
The Tragedy of the Middle East: A Letter from Lebanon
In this episode, we turn our focus to the Middle East, specifically Lebanon, a country currently at the epicentre of political and economic turmoil. Joined by Lebanese economist Carole Nakhle, we dive into the complexities of Lebanese society, a nation shaped by hyperinflation, w ... Show More
44m 34s
Sep 2020
Episode 11 - Can the Sectarian Regime Revive Itself?
<p>On the eleventh episode, Nadim El Kak is joined by political scientist Dr Bassel Salloukh to discuss the stepping down of former PM-designate Mustapha Adib, the nature of Lebanon’s sectarian regime, why it is so resilient, and how to undermine the ideological hegemony of rulin ... Show More
26m 11s
Dec 2019
Episode 66 - Those who stall, those who suffer
Nizar and Ben are joined by Timour Azhari to discuss ongoing politicking over Lebanon's next prime minister, BDL's new circular and what it means for depositors, the human cost of the dire economic situation, and the latest with the protests.
Music track: Zuhal by Elepheel, check ... Show More
47m 9s
Sep 2020
Episode 92 - Civil state or civil strife?
Discussion of rising sectarianism in Lebanon begins at 09:20. Nizar and Ben are joined by Ibrahim Halawi, teaching fellow in international relations at Royal Holloway - University of London, to analyze rising sectarian discourse, its role as part of the counterrevolution, the civ ... Show More
51m 31s