PODCAST · society
Manufacturing Dissent
by Hani and Shawn
Welcome to Manufacturing Dissent, where Hani, Shawn, and a revolving panel of comrades explore the intersections of empire, resistance, religion, and culture through the lens of hegemony and global political economy. Join us as we unpack the machinery of power at home and across the globe — tracing the lines between assimilation, imperialism, and the mythos of diasporic identity. Listen on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts. Welcome friends.
Episodes
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End of an Era: The Unwinding of Global Hegemony
In the wake of the Islamabad Talks, the crew zooms out to examine whether the world is entering a new phase of multipolarity. We connect the upcoming Trump–Xi meeting, China’s Taiwan posture, and Beijing’s careful Iran diplomacy to a broader unwinding of uncontested U.S. hegemony (0:00). The...
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The Arm of the Deal: Islamabad Talks & Pakistan's Power Play
Amidst the ongoing ceasefire between Iran and the US, the crew breaks down the geopolitical reshuffling underway in the region, focusing on the Islamabad Talks and Pakistan’s emergence as a central mediator. We unpack the initial 21-hour negotiations what was actually achieved behind the scenes…
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The Grass is Always Greyer: The Limitations of Western Epistemology
Continuing from the previous episode, the crew examines the limitations of Western modes of analysis in understanding Islam, Iran, and the wider crisis of empire. We argue that liberalism, capitalism, and nationalism have trained people to read the world ahistorically, flattening spiritual and...
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Vanguardian Jurist: Imam Sayed Ali Khamenei
In the aftermath of the assassination of Seyyed Ali Khamenei, the crew reflects on the life, legacy, and historical weight of a figure they argue defined resistance in the post-Cold War era. We explore what it means to meet the historical moment, contrasting Seyyed Khamenei’s life of struggle…
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Manufacturing Dissent w/ Nora Barrows-Friedman from Electronic Intifada
In the aftermath of the Gaza ceasefire, Shawn sits down with Electronic Intifada’s Nora Barrows-Friedman to trace how independent journalism, student organizing, and a globalized Intifada broke the Zionist narrative monopoly (14:30), exposed the failures of international law and liberal...
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Prelude— Hyphenated Histories: India–Pakistan, and the Contradictions in South Asian Identity
As the year comes to a close, Hani and Shaheer set the stage for the upcoming Hyphenated Histories series by highlighting what might have been lost in the chaos of 2025: how Pakistan, despite chronic instability and innumerable contradictions, continues to “fail upward” into workable…
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The Rebrand of Riyadh: Screens, Sportswashing, and Saudi's soft power play (ft. Shaheer)
A conversation that begins with the quiet disappearance of “outside” childhood turns into Hani and Shaheer tracing how screens, and specifically the iPad, became the decisive generational rupture reshaping attention, leisure, and social space. What starts as a critique of stagnant video games and...
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The Walkout on Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi in Houston | Full Story
A few weeks ago, members of the Houston Shia Muslim community staged a silent walkout before Sayed Ali Abbas Razawi’s sermon at a local Shia imambargah. This action was a response to Sayed Razawi's signing of the Drumlanrig Accords, an initiative marketed as “interfaith peacebuilding”, but signed...
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The Four-Day India Pakistan War: Modi's Kargil? (ft. Dana)
In the days after Operation Sindoor, Hani, Shawn, and Dana gleefully deconstruct the "Four-Day War" between India’s Hindutva regime and Pakistan’s deep state. From Bollywood-style war coverage (8:25) to Modi’s failed election stunt (26:45), the group tries to explain the ideological and cultural...
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Art of the Steal: Trumpian Diplomacy (ft. Dana)
Season 3 kicks off with Dana joining our protagonists behind the mic after a 2 year hiatus, just in time to discuss Donald Trump's ongoing Gulf tour and alleged redefining of U.S. Middle East policy (3:10). From the Abraham Accords and preservation of the petrodollar (06:30) to JCPOA 2.0 (26:45)...
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The Tentative Deal: Trumps Tariffs and Trilateralism
As season 2 comes to a close in the fog of Trump’s tariff wars, Hani and Shawn deep dive into how Trump's “Tentative Deal” has successfully replaced the New Deal as the American Social Contract at home (1:06) while reengineering US policy abroad (13:50). The duo breaks down the use of trade wars...
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Season 3 Prelude: Pakistan
In this sneak peek into Season 3, the hosts along with Ashmal and Bilawal take a brief, nostalgic look at the cultural decay of Pakistan through a half-comedic, half-tragic lens: why has Pakistan’s music and film industry flatlined? What killed artistic innovation? And why does every pop star end...
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Josephs Brotherhood: A New New Middle East
Following the ideological realignment of the Middle East after the fall of Syria and collapse of Assad's regime earlier this week, the hosts explore the resurgence and reconfiguration of Islamist political identity—from the Muslim Brotherhood’s grassroots project (1:30) and Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman...
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The Empire Strikes Back: Kicking Assad
In the aftermath of the fall of Bashar al-Assad, Hani and Shawn perform the postmortem on the Syrian regime, dissect it's swift collapse, and discuss what it reveals about the strategic and ideological fractures within the Axis of Resistance (3:28). They challenge the manufactured image of Assad…
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Evangelical Islam Part 4: The Sunni Model Majority? (ft. Ashmal & Bilawal)
Continuing the conversation from the previous episode, the crew examines the ideological landscape of American Sunni Muslims and the problematic state of the community's thought leadership. Ashmal and Bilawal map their forays into religious heterodoxy: from Orthodox Sunni beliefs to Protestant...
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Evangelical Islam Part 3: The Irrelevance of the Philosophers (ft. Ashmal & Bilawal)
In the latest installment of the “Evangelical Islam” series, Ashmal and Bilawal join our hosts to explore the ideological, social, and philosophical underpinnings of Sunni Muslim discourse in the American diaspora. The conversation dissects the preponderance of Youtube debaters and Dawah...
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Evangelical Islam Part 2: The Shia Comprador Minority?
In the 2nd installation of the Evangelical Islam series, the hosts along with Seyyed Muzzamil Zaidi interrogate the uncomfortable truths about the political apathy, performative charity, and spiritual emptiness that define much of the American Shia and the broader American Muslim experience. From...
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Evangelical Islam Part 1: Communal Silence
One year after the Al-Aqsa Flood operation, Hani and Shawn are joined by Seyyed Muzzamil Zaidi to revisit what has — and hasn’t — changed since October 7th. From Gaza to Yemen, the group charts the evolution of resistance forces and examine why the West still misunderstands military objectives…
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Presidential Impunity: Managing Empire
In the 2nd part of the season opener, Hani and Shawn try pulling back the curtain on the spectacle of the U.S. presidency, comparing it to WWE kayfabe—where the performance of conflict hides deeper consensus and mutual interest. From Bush Sr.’s deep state pedigree and Skull and Bones lineage…
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A New New Hope: The Axis of Resistance
Season 2 opens with Hani and Shawn returning behind the mic to dissect the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle following Kamala Harris’s landslide defeat (1:20). From her unearned and abrupt coronation to the rise of the consultant-industrial complex (10:50), our hosts explore how the...
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Servant of the Sheeple (The Zelensky Files)
Just days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Hani and Shawn sit down to unpack the long arc of regional tensions—from the collapse of the Soviet Union to NATO’s eastward creep. They explore the deep anthropological, historical, and geopolitical forces that shaped this conflict, analyzing how...
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Clandestimes: The CIA's role in US politics
In this Season 1 finale, Hani and Shawn carry on the conversation from the last episode as they reflect on Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to San Francisco, contrasting his political stature with the decaying U.S. political class. They unpack America’s long history of presidents with…
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Electile Dysfunction (ft. Donald Lu)
Hani and Shawn return to unpack the slow-motion collapse of two deeply dysfunctional democracies: Pakistan and the United States. Starting with the unraveling of the U.S. settler-imperial project (7:53), they ask whether today’s reactionary politics are born of naïveté or willful ignorance—or…
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Pyramid Scheme (ft. Aman)
Aman joins Hani and Shawn on the microphone, coincidentally the same day Bitcoin crashes—fitting timing for a lighthearted Rogan impersonation that spans financial hype and ancient mysteries. The crew opens with a critique of crypto culture before diving into the true age of the pyramids and what...
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The Jailed State v. Imran Khan (ft. Dana)
The group picks up where they left off last episode Manufacturing Dissent—this time directly confronting the question: What can be done to support global resistance from within the Imperial Core? The crew navigates a series of sharp, yet good-humored disagreements, diving into whether the idea of…
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If You can't beat Them, (ft. Dana)
Fresh off a flight from Karachi, Dana joins Hani and Shawn for a candid conversation on political expression, diasporic disillusionment, and the cost of speaking out. Dana reflects on his return to Pakistan and the risks of airing dissent on social media (7:06), while the crew discuss the learned...
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Two-state Confusion (ft. Bilawal)
Following a heated Clubhouse exchange with fellow Pakistani millennials on the subject of Israel's latest attack on Gaza (05/21), Hani and Shawn unpack the polarized discourse around Palestine within Pakistan’s public sphere and professional classes. From the temptation to play Oppression…
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Project for a New American Dycentury 2025
Picking up from their previous episode, Hani and Shawn dig into the root causes of America’s increasingly vapid political and social atmosphere—and what it signals for the decade ahead. From the ousting of Kevin McCarthy by the Freedom Caucus to the Squad’s missed moment during Force The Vote…
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Houston, We Have a Problem....
After a long hiatus, Hani and Shawn return to confront the empty critiques and political nihilism surrounding the recent wave of Palestine solidarity protests. The duo discusses a flurry of subjects like gaming, the US Presidential Candidates as the primary season kicks off (5:45), and Kanye West...
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Remanufacturing Content (ft. Aun)
Aun links up with hosts Hani and Shawn during peak COVID19 lockdowns for the debut episode of Manufacturing Dissent: Hani opens with his new obsession: turn-based strategy games. What begins as a chat about gaming quickly spirals into deeper reflections on media, art, and the algorithms shaping…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to Manufacturing Dissent, where Hani, Shawn, and a revolving panel of comrades explore the intersections of empire, resistance, religion, and culture through the lens of hegemony and global political economy.
Join us as we unpack the machinery of power at home and across the globe — tracing the lines between assimilation, imperialism, and the mythos of diasporic identity.
Listen on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts.
Welcome friends.
HOSTED BY
Hani and Shawn
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Manufacturing Dissent have?
Manufacturing Dissent currently has 30 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Manufacturing Dissent about?
Welcome to Manufacturing Dissent, where Hani, Shawn, and a revolving panel of comrades explore the intersections of empire, resistance, religion, and culture through the lens of hegemony and global political economy. Join us as we unpack the machinery of power at home and across the globe — tracing...
How often does Manufacturing Dissent release new episodes?
Manufacturing Dissent has 30 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Manufacturing Dissent?
You can listen to Manufacturing Dissent on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Manufacturing Dissent?
Manufacturing Dissent is created and hosted by Hani and Shawn.
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