Is the West still a democracy – or already a declining empire?

Joe Lauria analyzes the role of the United States in Ukraine, Gaza, and the global power struggle – and raises a crucial question:

Is freedom of speech in the West being systematically restricted to protect geopolitical narratives?

In this conversation, we discuss:

– The founding of Consortium News and the Iran-Contra scandal
– Russiagate as a political construct
– The role of the U.S. in the 2014 Maidan coup
– Ukraine as a proxy war against Russia
– Information warfare, censorship, and repression against journalists
– The decline of the U.S. dollar and the rise of the BRICS nations

“They needed Russia to invade.”

When geopolitical interests are sold as moral missions, the line between information and propaganda begins to blur.
And when alternative media come under pressure, more is at stake than just a political debate.

Lauria calls for:

– Professionalization of independent media
– Historical context instead of dominant narratives
– Defense of press freedom against state interference

A conversation about empire, propaganda, multipolarity, and democracy.

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▶ Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:06 Founding of Consortium News & Iran-Contra
08:40 Russiagate – a political construct?
18:30 Maidan 2014 & the role of the U.S.
29:00 Ukraine as a proxy war
39:30 Information warfare & media narratives
49:00 Repression against journalists
57:30 Empire, BRICS & shifting global power

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⚖ Disclaimer
This interview serves political opinion-forming purposes in accordance with Article 5 of the German Basic Law.

#AgainstTheCurrent #PatrikBaab #JoeLauria #Ukraine #Empire #PressFreedom #podcast

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