Episode 110: 1989 - Tiananmen Square massacre
The Y in History
The Tiananmen Square protests started in April 1989 with students protesting in favor of a proper state funeral for the popular but disgraced reformist leader, Hu Yaobang. Tensions between the Student Leaders and Chinese government escalated due to a series of missteps from the Chinese government. On June 4, 1989, army tanks rolled into the Tiananmen Square to crush the revolt via military might.
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Episode 109: The US rise to Global Power
The Y in History
The Spanish-American War of 1898 marked the first milestone of the US making an appearance as a global power. But the period between the two World Wars was one of isolation for the US. However, once it entered WWII in 1941, the US showed it military, economic and financial might, emerging as a global Super power, by the end of the War.
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Episode 108: Pakistan Terror Camps
The Y in History
After the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA began a covert operation known as “Operation Cyclone”, aiming to support Afghan mujahideen through funding, training, and supplying weapons. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region became the hub for the mujahideen training camps. Gradually, Pakistan expanded its terror training infrastructure and expertise to its north eastern border with India to conduct a proxy war in the Indian states of Punjab and Kashmir. Pakistan now struggles to contain this Frankenstein it created, in the 1980s.
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Episode 107: Globalization - a history
The Y in History
European Explorers kicked off globalization during the Age of Discovery as they ventured to find a see route to India and circumnavigate the globe. This was followed by the first wave of globalization from 1870 to 1914. Post WWII, the US led the establishment of a new financial order which culminated in China joining the WTO in December 2001.
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Episode 106: 1914 - the Panama Canal
The Y in History
After taking over from the French, the US oversaw the successful opening of the Panama Canal on August 15, 1914. 3 Chief Engineers - Wallace, Stevens and Goethals overcame several odds, both engineering and manpower related, during their respective tenures, to see the Canal through to completion. Equally commendable was the contribution of Chief Sanitation Officer, William Gorgas in defeating the scourge of Yellow Fever and Malaria, within the Canal Zone.
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Episode 105: 2023 - the Israel Gaza War
The Y in History
Post the Oct 7 attack by Hamas, Israel declared war in Gaza. Initially, the civilian population was asked to migrate South, but subsequently, Southern Gaza was attacked as well, leading to a human catastrophe. Towards late 2024, several Hamas and Hezbollah leaders were assassinated, but peace continues to evade the region, with both sides hardening their stance. But, there is a glimmer of hope.
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Episode 104: 2023 - the HAMAS Oct 7 Attack
The Y in History
On October 7, 2023, HAMAS surprised Israel by infiltrating into Israeli territory after breaching its defenses along its border with Gaza. Who were the masterminds and who were the financiers? And how did HAMAS manage to keep Israel in the dark about this operation? Tune in for some eye-opening revelations.
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Episode 103: Espionage - the Moles
The Y in History
During and after WWII, the Cambridge Five spy for the KGB while working within the British government. CIA's billion dollar spy volunteers to be a mole to exact revenge on Soviet Russia. The Head of German Military Intelligence during WWII tries to sabotage Hitler's plans as he gets disillusioned with Hitler's leadership.
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Episode 102: 1948 - the Marshall Plan
The Y in History
On April 3, 1948, President Harry Truman signed the Economic Recovery Act of 1948, aka the Marshall Plan. Named after Secretary of State George Marshall, who in 1947 proposed that the United States provide economic assistance to restore the economic infrastructure of postwar Europe, the Plan contributed $13.3 billion in aid to 16 European nations between 1948 and 1951. The successful design, planning and execution of the Plan has been a role model for several development plans across the globe.
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Episode 101: US Democracy and Oligarchy
The Y in History
In 2010, the Supreme Court issued a ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission case that corporations (and, by extension, unions and other groups) may make unlimited expenditures on messages encouraging votes for or against specific candidates, so long as they're not coordinated with candidates or parties. This gave birth to Super PACs and a foray of oligarchs in the US democratic process. The first group of oligarchs though, influenced US democracy in the late 19th Century during the gilded era. With the Tech oligarchs at the helm in 2025, lot more is at stake than just election...
info_outlineAfter the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, the CIA began a covert operation known as “Operation Cyclone”, aiming to support Afghan mujahideen through funding, training, and supplying weapons. Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region became the hub for the mujahideen training camps. Gradually, Pakistan expanded its terror training infrastructure and expertise to its north eastern border with India to conduct a proxy war in the Indian states of Punjab and Kashmir. Pakistan now struggles to contain this Frankenstein it created, in the 1980s.