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Max Blumenthal, Trita Parsi & Sana Saeed on New World Order & the end of U.S. Israeli Supremacy

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Overview

The Katie Halper Show episode focuses on critiques of U.S. and Israeli policy, emphasizing how narratives shape public understanding—especially around Gaza’s “media blackout,” escalation framing regarding Iran and Lebanon, and broader arguments about how power sustains itself through media manipulation, legal restrictions, and political charisma.

Gaza and Lebanon sidelined by U.S./Western media

  • Sana Saeed argues that Gaza has “fallen wayward” in media attention—by design, while Israeli expansionist wars in Lebanon, including South Lebanon, and against Iran run in parallel.
  • She highlights ongoing devastation, including claims that Israeli airstrikes have killed civilians and children, and argues that drone footage and documentation show widespread neighborhood destruction.
  • She emphasizes South Lebanon’s long history of occupation and suffering, saying coverage often erases essential historical context and depicts victims/actors without grounding.
  • Saeed also describes her direct connections with Palestinians in Gaza, arguing that:
    • aid access remains far below need
    • campaign visibility matters emotionally, even when it cannot solve structural barriers by itself.

Iran framing: “peace preference” while escalating war

Regarding Marco Rubio’s claim that the U.S. prefers peace while Iran must negotiate, Saeed argues:

  • the administration’s actions reflect posturing without credible leverage
  • there is concern about the resumption of bombing
  • Iranians also suffer materially from strikes, and U.S.-Israeli escalation is described as coupled with economic and civilian harm

Lebanon: challenging Hezbollah-centered narratives

Saeed responds to Rubio’s assertion that Israel isn’t the problem—Hezbollah is, framed as an Iranian “agent.”

She counters with a historical argument:

  • early Israeli attacks in Lebanon (e.g., Operation Litani (1978)) predate the current Iranian regime
  • Hezbollah is presented as emerging in response to Israeli occupation and repression

She argues that “Hezbollah-only” framing ignores:

  • 18 years of Israeli occupation, concentrated in the South
  • the role of a Lebanese proxy force, the South Lebanon Army, including claims of detention and torture
  • Israel’s military withdrawal in 2000, argued to result from resistance and defeat, not peace
  • motives to prevent resisters from gaining strength (including rocket exchanges in response to Gaza)

“Charisma of empire” and accountability politics (Obama/Mamdani)

Saeed discusses an essay arguing that imperial charisma disarms moral judgment—transforming structural atrocities into mere “feelings,” which she says blocks accountability.

She also argues:

  • Barack Obama’s image remains insulated despite a record of expanding/normalizing warfare, including drone and “kill list” style policymaking
  • parallels to New York Mayor Eric Adams and a Mamdani-style political narrative, which she critiques as well

In her framing, she insists:

  • harsh criticism is not the same as substantive critique
  • “purity tests” framing is often used to block accountability on core issues (especially Palestine/genocide)
  • concrete examples include praise/support she says went to figures who harmed pro-Palestine protesters, and moves she interprets as softening toward establishment power—along with an Obama photo-op she calls symbolically hollow

Operation “Freedom” / Hormuz shipping pause: partial de-escalation, still an escalation trap

Trita Parsi responds to reports that Trump paused “Project Freedom” (an escort-like effort to aid ships through the Strait of Hormuz) while reportedly keeping the blockade in force.

Parsi argues:

  • even this partial step is positive because he sees the blockade as a major escalation mistake within broader war escalation
  • the administration is trapped by an impossible goal: expecting Iran to surrender, which he says cannot realistically happen
  • U.S. interests should be understood in restrained terms: avoid war and keep trade flows open
  • the broader hegemony project in the Middle East is described as not sustainable and not worth the cost

Why diplomacy worked before (JCPOA) and why it’s failing now

Parsi discusses lessons from the JCPOA negotiations (via NIAC support), including:

  • the Obama-era approach involved real give-and-take compromise
  • current approaches (Biden/Trump) are described as pursuing concessions only from Iran, not mutual exchange

He argues U.S. “primacy” is structurally undermined because:

  • geography and asymmetric warfare (including Hormuz leverage) can prevent a “superpower” from achieving dominance
  • these dynamics, he suggests, can spill beyond the Middle East

Divergent goals: Trump/U.S. stability vs. Netanyahu’s prolonged weakening

Parsi contrasts:

  • U.S./Trump goals: some form of “victory” or agreement without major instability spilling outward
  • Netanyahu’s goals: maximum weakening of Iran, even at the cost of instability, tied to an Israeli doctrine of periodic conflict (“mowing the grass” logic)

He argues that sanctions relief (if it occurs in a deal) is described as a major Israeli red line because it would undermine long-term weakening.

UK “Palestine Action” case: legal suppression + media restrictions to delegitimize protest

Max Blumenthal shifts to Grayzone reporting on a UK crackdown involving Palestine Action.

He claims the case reflects a deliberate pattern:

  • court-ordered bans and restrictions preventing the public/media from understanding key facts
  • sentencing based on terrorism charges that he says deprived jurors of context
  • defense counsel facing contempt charges after effective advocacy

Blumenthal argues Palestine Action is targeted not because of direct danger, but because it is seen as effective at undermining Israeli war-related infrastructure in the UK (including alleged disruption and “clean room” contamination tactics against Elbit Systems).

He portrays the case as part of a broader erosion of democratic norms and freedom of assembly, drawing a parallel to what U.S. governments could do “if they could.”

Broader argument: protecting Israeli-aligned systems through narrative control

Across guests, the episode repeatedly links:

  • media attention and framing (what is covered vs. ignored)
  • political charisma and narrative insulation
  • legal/administrative suppression of protest

Together, these are presented as mechanisms that sustain U.S.-Israeli dominance while minimizing accountability.

Presenters / contributors

  • Katie Halper (host)
  • Sana Saeed (journalist/media critic)
  • Trita Parsi (Quincy Institute; author)
  • Max Blumenthal (The Grayzone)
  • Brad (reads super chats / participates in show logistics)

Original video