Radio War Nerd EP #218 — Lebanon Crisis & Syria War + Charles Portis
Guest: EHSANI
Recorded: February 18, 2020
PORTLAND—The War Nerd returns to the Free World (free to be manhandled by Border Police jackboots, that is) to discuss the death of Charles Portis, Lebanon & Syria, and Sinn Fein's victory.
00:00 — "The fat eagle has landed": The Nerd & Ames on Portlandia & Parasite.
At 9:00 — On the death of Charles Portis, author of "Dog of the South", "True Grit" and other great novels. And the biggest influence on your humble co-hosts' prose.
At 37:04 — We're joined by seasoned Lebanon/Syria observer who goes by the handle EHSANI, to discuss Lebanon's financial crisis, many years in the making... and the latest developments in the Syria war, and the Assad government's long view...
At 1:36:00 — the Nerd gloats over Sinn Fein's shock election victory, on account of the fact that 3 years ago almost to the date, Radio War Nerd did an episode [EP #75] on Sinn Fein's Long War Success...
Follow ESHANI on Twitter...
And don't forget to order John Dolan's comic memoir audiobook "Pleasant Hell" read by the El WarNerderino himself.
Total time: 2:03:13
Comments (25)
Can we get a live show in Derry as a victory lap :) ?
That's a great idea but Transatlantic flights are out right now. We will be heading back to Europe as soon as it's feasible, but God knows when that will be.
They made that Irish buddy comedy movie already but nobody saw it. Colm Meany! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Journey_(2016_film)
Just in regards to the Sinn Fein bit, I can't recommend strongly enough "Say Nothing", an extremely good recent book which uses an IRA hit gone wrong to take a deep dive into the Troubles, both as an insurgency and as a problem of historical memory. Lots of really in-depth cut and thrust about the how the Provos and the British actually went about killing each other, as well as really good character profiles of Gerry Adams, Dolours Price, Ivor Bell, and Brendan Hughes. The look at Gerry Adams in particular was incredible.
great episode and also i got the email alerting me of a new episode! keep on hanging on the email for the next one too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xCSv-VFNlA
You really should consider starting a YouTube channel and uploading key extracts of each episode. I's really easy - and with a quick graphic or two - it'll make an immediate impact and spread the word about the War Nerd's insights.
Yup, the world needs these insights.
Good st*ff 💪👌👌
Has anyone read the Mark Twain book about Joan of Arc?
Would love to get an episode on the Irish economic collapse in 2008. Would love more finance episodes in general, really. And to the War Nerd, please make a glorious return to Brooklyn (on a gilded chariot) — I had to miss your last two events, much to my shame.
Guys, if you are on the west coast please link up with Brace Belden from TrueAnon! He's a YPG vet and a great guy, we need a crossover ep!
This! Would be great exposure for you guys, too, their subscribership is impressive.
Absolutely. And Symes's comeback, the maudlin portrayal of Wooton as martyr, is classic. That's how people really argue. "He was the finest diagnostician of our time. I suppose you deny that too....No, go ahead. Attack him all you please. He's dead now and can't defend himself."
Haha yes that’s it, invoking pity for this disgusting scam artist
My favourite part in Dog of the South is when he is arguing with the quack doctor about whether or not the doctor’s mentor invented the clamp. “The principle of the clamp was probably known to the ancient Sumerians” is to me one of the funniest lines in literature
Something about Portis's perfect-pitch deadpan that looks so utterly artless, but I swear is derned hard to replicate. Those lines stick with you for years.
Bruce Morrison is a good guy, it turns out
Haven’t listened yet but just based on the description, this is the platonic ideal of a RWN episode. **Update:** It is.
Ha! Thanks, I felt that way too, as in we've got people like Mark and Ehsani to talk about money, of which I ain't understand none, and then I can come in and talk about words, which I does sort of understand.
Slight correction: there's not much in it (0.2% of the popular vote and a single seat) but as of the last Assembly election, the DUP are still the largest party in the north.
RIP Portis. All I've got to say is this: Masters of Atlantis. So underrated.
To add to the discussion on Sinn Fein success, I remember lamenting with someone else a year or two ago about why we had no decent left wing opposition in Ireland, despite how much we were getting fucked over by our numerous centre-right parties. My main explanation for this was that our biggest left wing party was too easy to smear with associations to terrorism. So because they were the biggest left party, all left wing efforts ended up there, but could go no further. If they gained ground, the establishment media would just ramp up the smears and put it back down. They still tried that this time around, they threw every punch they had but nothing landed. Maybe its because the Troubles are too distant a memory to the newest generation of voters, and it doesn't register anymore. But mainly I think its housing that just hit a tipping point of ridiculousness, which forced people to rethink what they had been told. There have been a shocking number of homeless deaths in Ireland recently, something that never seemed common before, even when we were a much poorer country. Social media is full of stories of landlords taking the piss. Most young people don't even consider buying a house realistic if they aren't in a higher paying job. Our city centres are emptying and being filled with fuckin Airbnbs. Lots of people have learnt that you can't trust the parties of landlords (FG/FF) to sort out the housing crisis. And Sinn Fein were the biggest party offering an alternative. And in fairness to them, the alternative even had some acedemic weight to it (Eoin Ó Broin) and a positive message. It finally seems to have overcome the old civil war political divide. Not sure what happens from here, but we're definitely into new territory. Anyway long story short, I'd say this was the Airbnb election, morso than a Brexit election. Although the demystification of the idea of a United Ireland, brought about by Brexit, probably didn't hurt SFs chances. Might have taken a bit of weight from around their necks.
Another interesting thing was how the STV votes were distributed in seats where there were too many votes for too few SF candidates - those ran off towards Labour, SD and the Greens while in the past there was very little runoff from the SF votes towards anyone.
What is the name of the novel that Mark mentions at 23:45. it sounds like "saline", they've mentioned it previously as well.
Louis-Ferdinand Céline