Welcome back to the Silk and Steel Chinese History Series.In this episode, Carl Zha and JJ return to 206 BC, in the chaotic aftermath of the collapse of the Qin Dynasty.The great rebel commander Xiang Yu has divided the former Qin territories among rival generals. He believes he can keep his potential enemies divided and under control. Liu Bang, meanwhile, has been effectively exiled to the remote Sichuan and Hanzhong region with a dramatically reduced army.Xiang Yu has made a critical mistake.He has underestimated Liu Bang. More importantly, he has failed to recognise the extraordinary talent of a 22-year-old former wanderer named Han Xin.Han Xin's early life did not suggest a future military genius. He struggled to feed himself, was mocked as a coward after he crawled between the legs of a local bully, and was repeatedly ignored by powerful commanders.Yet Xiao He recognised something nobody else could see.When Han Xin deserted Liu Bang's army, Xiao He personally chased him down and convinced him to return. Xiao He then persuaded Liu Bang to make this virtually unknown 22-year-old the Grand Commander of the Han army.What happened next would change Chinese history.Han Xin identified Xiang Yu's weaknesses, exploited Liu Bang's advantages, and helped transform a supposedly exiled force into a massive army.The Qinling Mountains appeared to be an enormous logistical obstacle. But Han Xin found a way through.The Han army eventually surged out of Sichuan with vastly superior numbers, overwhelming the divided Three Qin kingdoms. Zhang Han — once one of the most formidable commanders of the Qin — was isolated and besieged.Meanwhile, Xiang Yu was distracted by rebellions and rivalries in Qi, Zhao and elsewhere.Within a remarkably short period, Liu Bang conquered almost all of the former Qin heartland and marched east.The episode also examines the famous Chinese saying “明修栈道,暗度陈仓” — commonly understood as "appearing to repair one route while secretly moving through another." We question how much of the traditional story may have been embellished by later sources.Most importantly, this episode explains why Liu Bang succeeded where later commanders such as Zhuge Liang struggled.The difference wasn't simply clever battlefield tactics.Liu Bang knew how to delegate.Zhang Liang handled strategy.Xiao He handled logistics and administration.Han Xin commanded the army.Xiang Yu had created a divided political landscape that was supposed to protect his power. Instead, that division gave Liu Bang the opportunity to grow stronger.With Liu Bang now moving east, the stage is set for the eventual showdown between Liu Bang and Xiang Yu.► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here ► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website ► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism ► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent newsFollow #UKColumn on:► X► Telegram► Facebook ► Instagram
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Folge vom 28.08.2026The Battle Plan That Helped Create the Han Dynasty | Silk and Steel
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Folge vom 27.08.2026Military Matters: Episode 9The war narrative has ramped up. Russia is presented as an ever-increasing threat by mainstream media.The UK’s new Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, has already handed over the licence and intellectual property for Stone Cloak electronic warfare systems to Ukraine. This has resulted in civilian deaths in Russia.AI and autonomy are also discussed, and the episode rounds off with a look at the state of the British Royal Navy and the swollen coffers of the 'defence' industry.This Military Matters features video from Mark Felton Productions.► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here ► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website ► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism ► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent newsFollow #UKColumn on:► X► Telegram► Facebook ► Instagram
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Folge vom 26.08.2026$40 Trillion Later: Is the U.S. Dollar Empire Finally Breaking? | Silk and SteelRasheed and Carl Zha take a hard look at the pressures on the U.S.-led global financial and geopolitical system — from the $40 trillion U.S. debt mountain and de-dollarization to the Strait of Hormuz crisis, BRICS, China, Russia, Iran, India and the rise of a genuinely multipolar world.Does the weaponization of the U.S. dollar accelerate the de-dollarization Washington wants to prevent?Carl Zha argues that countries such as Russia, Iran and China have been forced to develop alternatives to the dollar system after financial sanctions became a geopolitical weapon. Rising interest rates and enormous U.S. debt create a dangerous dilemma: to lower rates risks a weaker dollar, but higher rates make America's debt more expensive to service.The discussion turns to the wider geopolitical crisis.The Strait of Hormuz is a critical test of American military power. The U.S. Navy faces increased logistical and readiness pressures. Carl compares the current situation to the 1950s Suez Crisis when Britain and France discovered that their traditional imperial power could no longer operate independently of the United States.The conversation also examines:?? The $40 trillion U.S. debt crisis? How weaponization of the dollar accelerates de-dollarization? The rise of BRICS and alternative financial systems?? China's increased role in global trade and finance?? Iran's resistance to U.S. pressure? The Strait of Hormuz and the limit of U.S. naval power?? India's difficult balancing act between Washington, Israel, China and BRICS?? Russia's changing position in the global system? The emergent global fertilizer and food-security problem? America's dependence on the AI investment boom? Why the U.S. economy may be more dependent on continued capital inflows?? Why Brazil and the Global South matter in the next phase of de-dollarization? The transition from a U.S.-dominated order toward multipolarity?️ China's Belt and Road alternative based on infrastructure and real-world productionRasheed and Carl ultimately ask a much bigger question:What happens when countries that once depended on U.S.-led systems build alternative systems of their own?Carl's conclusion is stark: the transition to a multipolar world may already be underway — but the road there could become chaotic as Washington attempts to preserve what leverage remains.The old order will not disappear quietly. The question is, what replaces it?► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here ► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website ► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism ► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent newsFollow #UKColumn on:► X► Telegram► Facebook ► Instagram
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Folge vom 26.08.2026Reiner Fuellmich Speaks from Prison | UK Column InterviewsA little while ago, Reiner Fuellmich was able to call Brian Gerrish from prison to talk about his case and the possibility of his release.Reiner spoke candidly about the Corona Investigative Committee finances, his actions to try and protect the donations from the state, and the resulting events which led to his imprisonment. Reiner stresses that whilst others still have the money he was accused of stealing, his actions to protect the CIC finances by buying gold have ensured the funds are still protected. Upbeat in the conversation about a positive outcome to his appeal for an immediate detention review, his hope for release from prison was to be dashed by a Court announcement on 18 August 2026. The appeal was effectively refused. Strangely, the Court used its decision dated 17 March 2026, a decision not previously announced, to justify the refusal.► Join UK Column Live every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1pm UK time or watch previous live recordings here ► [UK Column Website] Explore all our written and video content on the official UK Column website ► [Support UK Column] Please donate to support our independent journalism & investigative journalism ► [UK Column YouTube] Please subscribe to the UK Column News YouTube channel for more alternative news and independent newsFollow #UKColumn on:► X► Telegram► Facebook ► Instagram