Status Updates From Putevi svile

America's road to nefarious involvement in the Middle East, coupled with Britain's hasty and reckless retreat. Incredibly timely read! This chapter spent much time discussing 1940s and 50s Iran, focusing on the CIA-backed coup to protect the West's oil access. It all comes back to oil. Anyway, power to the protestors in Iran. Incredible and scary scenes there - but powerful to see.

World War II. Wheat shortages in captured Soviet territory force Hitler's hand. Also... Zionists bargaining with Hitler for Palestinian land in 1940. Insane, though not surprising considering that Israel still shrugs off ACTUAL anti-Semitism as long as it's to their benefit. Fuck Israel and free Palestine. Anyway, I'm disappointed the author didn't mention other groups targeted in the Holocaust. Still a good chapter.

Germany and the USSR aligning themselves led to Germany invading Poland and launching Europe into WWII. Germany continued to feel economic pressure as Stalin tightly controlled the oil and agricultural imports into Germany. Hitler devises Operation Barbarossa so that Germany may gain control of Ukraine and its agricultural assets. He's also sweet-talking Persia and other Islamic leaders on the side. So many threads.