• Ep 245: The Authenticity Affect (Part III) - Left Politics as Effete, College Kid Artifice
    Oct 7 2026

    In part 3 of our three-part series on the uses and misuses of "authenticity" in political media, we examine the popular media trope that progressive politics are exogenous to core Democratic constituencies who, we are told, are axiomatically conservative, pro-Israel and anti-welfare state.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 20 Min.
  • News Brief: 2028, Israel's Progressive Rebrand and the Risk of "Genocide" as Rhetorical Box Check
    30 Min.
  • Ep 244: The Authenticity Affect (Part II) - The Dopey, Power-Flattering, Media-Created "Maverick" Politician
    Sep 30 2026

    In Part 2 of our 3-part series on the uses and misuses of "authenticity," we examine the media obsession with "political mavericks" who "buck party orthodoxy"—almost aways with either trivial interventions or, as is most often the case, throwing vulnerable populations and causes under the bus.

    With guest Jack Mirkinson, senior editor at The Nation magazine.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 8 Min.
  • Ep 243: The Authenticity Affect (Part I) — Whistlestop Tours, Smarm, and the Art of Channeling 'Folk'
    Sep 23 2026

    In part 1 of our 3-part series on the uses and misuses of "authenticity," we examine the Real America "listening tour," its propaganda utility, and how it uses the superficial aesthetics of rural simplicity to sell class-flattening, power-serving narratives.

    With writer and teacher John Patrick Leary.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 26 Min.
  • Ep 242 - The Disempowering Politics of 'Inevitability' Part 2: US Empire as Mysterious, Teleological Force
    Aug 19 2026

    In this episode, we discuss how circular "inevitability" arguments have been used for centuries to justify war, expansionism and perpetual hostility — most recently against China.

    Our guest is organizer and writer Tobita Chow.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 17 Min.
  • Ep 241 - The Disempowering Politics of 'Inevitability' Part 1: Data Centers and LLM as 'The Future'
    Aug 12 2026

    In this episode, we breakdown the popular "inevitability" argument AI companies are using to bulldoze over democracy and how the "inevitability" line has been used to sell everything from Manifest Destiny to poverty-creating "free trade deals".

    We are joined by guest Amy Woodson Bolton, professor of British and Irish history at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    1 Std. und 29 Min.
  • News Brief: Very Serious New Yorker Article Launders Biden Officials' Responsibility for Gaza Genocide
    Jul 29 2026

    In this News Brief, we are joined by Kaleem Hawa to discuss David K Kirkpatrick's 10,000 word PR job that feigns criticism of Biden officials, but ultimately serves to distance them from the horrors of Gaza.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    41 Min.
  • News Brief: Why US Media Has Evoked Israel's "Right to Exist" 1,001 Times vs Only 6 For Palestine
    Jul 15 2026

    In this News Brief, we dissect the Orwellian phrase "right to exist," why it only applies to Israel, what purpose it serves, and why Palestinians are never said to have such a right.

    Mehr anzeigen Weniger anzeigen
    29 Min.