Category Archives: energy

Robert Stark talks to Constantin von Hoffmeister about the Iran War

Robert Stark speaks with German journalist and author, Constantin von Hoffmeister, about the geopolitics of the Iran War. Constantin is director of the online publishing house,  Multipolar Press, and has worked as an author, journalist, translator, editor, and business trainer in the United States, India, Uzbekistan, and Russia. Constantin has a new book out, The Fate of White America. Follow him on X and subscribe to his Substack, Eurosiberia. (update: this podcast was recorded last week during the ceasefire and the war is escalating again today)

Topics:

-The case that the Iran war was for Israel and whether antisemitic narratives deny Trump culpability
-How Trump did not even bother with a propaganda campaign for the war
-How the US attack was entirely unprovoked, which along with attacks on Iranian civilians, discredits the Trump admin
-How Israel wants Iran totally destroyed rather than regime change
-Why Iran is rational for seeking nuclear armament, and how mutual self-destruction maintains peace
-How Iran is a civilizational state unlike Arab or Latin American nations
-Contrasting the failed Iran war with Trump’s successful invasion of Venezuela
-How ironically this war would be less likely under an establishment president
-The absurdity of Trump’s statements and lack of any coherent plans
-How Trump admitted to arming protesters to get protesters harmed rather than regime change
-The violation of the reciprocity principle in bombing anti-regime Iranians and why Constantin is skeptical of any large-scale opposition to the government, even before the war
-The pro-Shah, pro-Israel demonstrations among the Iranian diaspora
-Why Constantin considers the term “regime” to be propaganda
-How the US is desperately failing to prevent a multipolar order which this war is ushering in
Prof. Robert Pape on the escalation trap in which Iran has gained the upper hand by controlling the Strait of Hormuz 
-How long can the status quo of a stalemate with a blockade of the Strait last?
-How this war exposes America as a paper tiger
-War rhetoric as market manipulation to save the stock market and keep petrol prices down
-The impacts of rising petrol prices on geopolitics and the global economy
-How a fertilizer shortage will cause a global famine that will cause a massive refugee crisis into Europe
Nigeria now has more births than all of Europe, including Russia
-Trump’s immigration policy of performative cruelty without deporting that many people
-How America will shift from being a world power to a regional power in the Western Hemisphere
-The Russia/Ukraine war; Russia as the aggressor from the non-aggression principle vs the argument that Russia’s geopolitical sphere was threatened
-Revisiting the past when Iran offered an olive branch to the US after 9/11
-How Obama’s Iran nuclear deal was successful, which Trump ripped up, discrediting diplomatic trust in the US
-How the war squanders any of Trump’s positive policy accomplishments and discredits nationalism and the Right
-Would we be better off if Kamala were president?
-Why Robert thinks that automation will reverse immigration to America in the long term, though not for Europe
-The impact of Trump and the war on Europe’s politics, and how Germany’s AFD is successfully distancing themselves from Trump
-An accelerationist case in favor of Trump weakening American imperialism and ending the American establishment’s soft power
-How radical Islam is primarily a Sunni, not Shia, problem (eg. Sunni extremist iconoclasm)
-How Islamophobia detracts from the culpability of Western elites
-Michel Houellebecq’s prophetic novel, Submission, about an Islamic takeover of France, which is ambiguous about whether that is a good or bad thing
-How remigration is unworkable and ethnopluralism as an alternative
-The Indo-Aryan connection between Iranians and Europeans, and remnants of pre-Islamic paganism in Iran
-How Israel was semi sane when it was more Ashkenazi, thus closer to Europe, and how it is just becoming another Middle Eastern country
-Whether Zionism could have worked if it didn’t embrace imperialism

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Vaporfornia, and subscribe to his Substack.

Robert Stark interviews California Gubernatorial Candidate Nickolas Wildstar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Jonathan Edwards talk to Nickolas Wildstar about his campaign for California Governor in the Recall Election. Nickolas Wildstar is a political activist, rapper, and former Libertarian gubernatorial candidate in 2018 and is running as a Republican.

Topics:

The Recall and Wildstar’s criticism of Governor Newsom’s handling of the budget, economy, and covid lockdown
Wildstar’s Phoenix Initiative to roll back the economic damage of the pandemic including nullifying California Assembly Bill 5 (2019) against independent contractors
Wildstar’s plan to address the housing crisis including 3D printed homes and zoning reform
The Gold New Deal including public banking and publicly owned energy utilities
Criminal justice reform including support for ending qualified immunity
The manufactured cancel culture, tech regulations, and corporate monopoly issues
Wildstar’s vision for a revitalized California GOP
The case for California independence
How Wildstar’s civil rights were violated for recording in court and his proposal to guarantee the right to record in court for Californians

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Robert Stark interviews Peter Nimitz about LA

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to San Fernando Valley based commentator, Peter Nimitz about the demographics, culture, economy and politics of the Los Angeles region from the perspective of a transplant. Check out Peter’s interview about the Russian Revolution and follow him on Twitter.

Topics:

LA’s class structure
City-Data Forum thread on demographic trends of the past decade by city
Immigrant groups in the LA region, including from Mexico, China, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Armenia, various European nations, and more recent community from Uzbekistan
Industry in LA, including entertainment, aerospace, tech, and shipping
Unique LA tropes/archetypes
Contrasting communities that have strong patronage networks with those that are more atomized
Poll on hypothetical proposal to base immigration on a local level
America’s neo-tribal future
The Double Horseshoe Theory of Class Politics and how that impacts how different demographic groups align politically
Crucial California issues of housing (YIMBYism), energy, water, and infrastructure being neglected by a one party state focused on national issues and a GOP that’s out of touch with younger voters and urban concerns
The degree to which LA’s post pandemic exodus and urban decay is overhyped
New urban development in LA (ex. futuristic complex planned in Beverly Hills) and metro expansions
The debate about education reform,

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagramStark Truth TV, novel Journey to Vapor Island, and in production documentary The Gospel of Gibson


Robert Stark talks to Paul Tripp about his proposal for a Green New Right

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark talks to Unz review writer about his proposal for The Green New Right. Paul is also the author of Psionism.

Topics:

Paul’s critique of the Left’s handling of environmental issues
The focus on carbon emissions and the degree to which climate change is responsible for habitat loss
The Left’s focus on the West while ignoring ecological devastation in the developing world
The Left’s lack of concern for overpopulation in the developing world while telling Westerners to reduce their birthrates
Mass immigration’s impact on ecological footprints
Education, IQ, and Fertility
The need for rural revitalization for the new green economy
How sustainable agriculture would need a much larger and higher skilled workforce
The mainstream right’s neglect of environmentalism
How economic nationalism and tariffs would help end the exploitation of resources by global capitalism
The environmental origins of the coronavirus pandemic
The problems of a consumption based economic model
Why profits should be based upon reciprocity
One-Third of American Workers Pay Is Being Stolen. Here’s How
The decline in workers’ purchasing power
Why the Financialization of the economy is a bigger issue than labor supply
Paul’s book Psionism about rejecting an imposed mono culture in favor of neo-tribalism

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Checkout Robert Stark’s Facebook pageTwitterInstagram, Stark Truth TV, and novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Guillaume Durocher about the Yellow Vests & National Economics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark and Anatoly Karlin talk to Alt-French Unz Review blogger  about the Yellow Vest Protests, political situation in France, and National Economics.

Topics:

The gas tax as largely symbolic for overall populist discontent
Macron’s Neoliberal economic polices
Decentralized nature of the movement
The culture of protest in France
The role of the police(update: Police Deploy Rifles with Live Ammunition to Yellow Vest Protests)
The White Working Class demographic
Fusion of Left and Right Populism and support from both nationalist Le Pen and leftist Mélenchon supporters
How the outcome of the Yellow Vest protests will impact the next election
Why movements need a segment of the elite to succeed
Russian and American(ex. Steve Bannon) conspiracy theories
Orbánomics, or the Return of National Economics
National Economic policies such as state control of banks, national banks, and local production
The Economics of Globalism and High vs. Low Globalism
Left Wing French Social Nationalist Alain Soral
France Is Becoming More Violent

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s PaintingsStark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark talks to Richard Register about Resilient Design in the San Francisco Bay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Register is a theorist in ecology and urban design, the author of several books on the topic of ecologically sustainable cities, and founder and President of Ecocity World.

Topics:

The Bigger Bay Ecotropolis
The degree to which sea level rise is inevitable
Drawdown: The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming
How people in Ancient Mesopotamia adapted to flooding with artificial mounds
How that concept can be incorporated in the San Francisco Bay Area and Mississippi River Delta
How that concept is not adaptable in spread out suburbia
Building on elevated terrain in compact pedestrian developments
The All Bay Collective Proposals
Why damming the Golden Gate is not viable
The long term goal of living car free
Underground highways
Retrofitting suburbs into compact villages surrounded by open space
How that model is more sustainable to natural disasters such as wild fires
Yv 88: An Eco-Fiction of Tomorrow and its depiction of a car free Yosemite Valley

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s PaintingsStark Truth TV, and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Richard Register about Ecocities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Richard Register is a theorist in ecology and urban design, the author of several books on the topic of ecologically sustainable cities, and founder and President of Ecocity World.

Topics:

Richard’s concept of an Ecocity
Paolo Soleri’s concept of an Arcology and his project Arcosanti in Arizona
The Ecosa Institute which is doing what Soleri intended on a smaller scale
Ancient examples of the Arcology go back to Ur in Mesopotamia and Çatalhöyük in Turkey
The city as a complex living organism
Horizontal vs. three dimensional cities
Implementing an ecocity on a large scale as an Ecotropolis
Why density is more ecologically sustainable
Ecocity Zoning
The goal of creating a car free city
The use of bridges between structures
John C. Portman’s Embarcadero Center in San Francisco which has aspects of an Arcology
Exterior glass elevators
Richard’s book Ecocity Berkeley and NIMBY imposed barriers to change in Berkeley
Opening up the creek systems in urban areas
Creating Ecocity village cores in the suburbs and how to retrofit aesthetically pleasing suburbs(ex. Santa Barbara, Marin County, and wealthy East Bay suburbs)
Reducing the foot print of cities and suburbs and opening up new land to agriculture and wilderness
Richard’s illustrations and the importance of aesthetics in urbanism
New Urbanism as a step in the right direction but too rigid in height and density
Richard’s trip to the Galapagos Islands and observations of how architecture coexists with nature
Ecocities in China
Robert’s observation that Las Vegas despite being an ecological catastrophe has many aspects of the Arcology

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings and his novel Journey to Vapor Island




Robert Stark interviews Santa Barbara Mayoral Candidate Maiza Hixson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, co-host Pilleater, and Cartrell Payne(The Adventure Kid) talk to art advocate and candidate for Santa Barbara Mayor Maiza Hixson. Maiza is the Former Chair of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and Co-Director, Curator, and Artist in Residence at SBCAST – Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science & Technology. Her campaign website is MaizaHixson.com.

Topics:

What inspired Maiza to run for mayor and her key issues
Making the city an arts destination and giving artist opportunities to network with local businesses
Economic niches in the art world and the need to support a variety of art
Giving artist a role in urban planning and city government
Solutions to the lack of affordable housing including rent control
The debate about housing density and height limits
The problem of empty storefronts on State Street, holding land owners accountable(ex. Transient Occupancy Tax), and Maiza’s proposal to use them for art
Ending the reliance on car transportation and creating a pedestrian friendly environment
The water shortage, water pollution, re-using reclaimed water, and the The Blue Economy
Transit, improving the bus network, and rail and monorail proposals
The City Budget

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Check Out Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark interviews Jeffery J. Smith

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JEFFERY J. SMITH published The Geonomist, which won a California GreenLight Award, has appeared in both the popular press (e.g.,TruthOut) and academic journals (e.g., USC’s “Planning and Markets”), been interviewed on radio and TV, lobbied officials, testified before the Russian Duma, conducted research (e.g., for Portland’s mass transit agency), and recruited activists and academics to Progress.org. A member of the International Society for Ecological Economics and of Mensa, he lives amidst the beauty of Northern California. Jeffery is currently Chief Editor at Progress.org.

Topics:

Jeffery Smith’s new science fiction novel Perfect Timing about time travel to a future society
How the book conveys the tone of Hitchhiker’s Guide, offers insights like Stranger in a Strange Land, and presents an upbeat alternative to Brave New World
The theme and implementation of a Basic Income in the future society
Why a basic income is necessary and ways to implement it
The artificial notion of the work week and the book The Overworked American
The Post-scarcity economy and how the surplus of wealth is concentrated in the top 1%
The theme of Utopia; Aldous Huxley’s utopian novel Island
The future society of Geotopia, the theme of Ecotopia, and the book by Ernest Callenbach
Ecological based economics; Herman Daly’s Steady State Economics
Geonomics, Georgism, and the land value tax
How a land value tax is different from a property tax and leads to more efficient land use
City Density—Friend of Trip Efficiency
The book Better NOT Bigger: How to Take Control of Urban Growth and Improve your Community
Jeffery Smith’s upcoming book on measuring the indicators of land value

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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!




Robert Stark talks to Anatoly Karlin about Automation & the Basic Income

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Robert Stark, Rabbit, and co-host Pilleater talk to Anatoly Karlin about Automation, the Basic Income, and Future Trends. Anatoly blogs for The Unz Review and is on the Russian language podcast rogpr.

Topics:

Anatoly’s analysis of the French election results and our show prior to the election
Political trends among Millennials and Gen Z
How automation will be the main political and economic issue in the future
The Automation of low skilled jobs in the near future and super intelligence in the distant future
Where Automation Will Replace Jobs in American Cities and what demographic groups will be impacted the most
The effects of automation on immigration, birthrates, and Human Bio Diversity
How automation will exacerbate income inequality
Whether automation will create a new political realignment
Why automation will make a basic income necessary
Proposals for generating revenue for the basic income, taxing robots, and why Anatoly finds it more feasible to tax the ultra rich
Rabbit’s proposal to break up the United States and why Anatoly thinks it would only exacerbate inequality in regards to automation
The Creation of a leisure class, liberating creative types, and addressing the right’s concerns that a basic income would lead to degeneracy
Peak Oil, Alternative Energy Sources, self driving cars, and how those will effect urban trends
Affordable Family Formation
Technological effects on socializing and dating
Anatoly’s participation in a Transhumanist Debate on immigration and the basic income in the SF East Bay
Hive Mind: How Your Nation’s IQ Matters So Much More Than Your Own
Artificial Wombs and CRISPR gene editing
Scott Jackisch’s The Robot Lord Scenario


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This show is brought to you by Robert Stark’s Paintings!