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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Tahir Amin, founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) and co-author, with Rohit Malpani, of the new book Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines.

Why have prescription drugs and life-saving medicines become so expensive? Is it simply the cost of innovation, or is the modern pharmaceutical industry built around monopoly power? In this brisk, information-packed conversation, Amin examines how patents, intellectual property law, global trade agreements, financialization, and neoliberal economic policies have reshaped the pharmaceutical industry and transformed medicine into one of the world's most profitable businesses.

Drawing on the arguments in Pharma Monopoly, Amin explains how patent monopolies can delay generic competition, why the pharmaceutical industry's definition of "innovation" deserves closer scrutiny, how Wall Street increasingly influences drug development, and what the pandemic exposed about the global system for producing and distributing medicines. The conversation also explores the role of Third Way neoliberalism in the problems we face with the emergence of the pharma monopoly, criticisms of the medicines patent pool, the access-to-medicines movement, the influence of major philanthropic organizations (i.e.: Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation) and the issue of philanothro-capitalists, the financialization of the pharmaceutical industry, why the issues we are facing are not just limited to the "pharma bros." like Martin Shkreli, the potential for AI (artificial intelligence) to intensify monopoly power, and why debates over affordable medicine are inseparable from questions of democracy, public health, economic power, and who ultimately controls access to medical knowledge.

Whether you're interested in healthcare, prescription drug prices, Big Pharma, patents, public health, globalization, political economy, or the future of medicine, this episode offers a concise but wide-ranging look at the structural forces shaping modern healthcare and why the battle over medicines affects far more than the price you pay at the pharmacy.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Nate Wilcox of The MMA Draw joins us for an in-depth conversation about the politics, business, and corporate power behind the UFC, examining how Dana White, Donald Trump, Ari Emanuel, Endeavor, WME, TKO, and Silver Lake have transformed mixed martial arts into one of the most politically visible sports in America.

We trace the history of the UFC from its origins in 1993 and the evolution of MMA, including the influence of Brazilian Vale Tudo, Japanese MMA, and catch wrestling, before exploring the organization's dramatic shift following Endeavor's $4 billion acquisition of the UFC in 2016. Nate explains how Dana White's political evolution differed from that of the Fertitta family, their earlier relationship with Democratic politicians like Harry Reid, and how White's alliance with Donald Trump fundamentally changed the UFC's public image.

We also examine the complex corporate relationships connecting Ari Emanuel, TKO, WME, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, major media companies, and private equity, discussing how ownership and corporate interests shape the UFC's direction far beyond what fans see inside the Octagon. We discuss fighter pay, revenue sharing, athletic commissions, Nevada politics, and the business incentives driving modern combat sports.

From there, we dive into the controversial Freedom 250 event at the White House, discussing its symbolism, security concerns, officiating controversies, fighter safety, the Association of Boxing Commissions, and the headline bout featuring Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. We also examine the political messaging surrounding the event and why the UFC has become an increasingly prominent stage for American politics.

Nate and I also discuss controversial UFC personalities including Sean Strickland and Bryce Mitchell, media figures such as Ariel Helwani and Luke Thomas, and the role of independent MMA journalism in covering the sport's political and business dimensions. We examine the influence of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, sovereign wealth funds, boxing, media consolidation, lobbying, AIPAC, and the intersection of combat sports, entertainment, and geopolitics.

Finally, Nate discusses his work with Zach Arnold on The MMA Draw, where they investigate the business, financial, legal, and political forces shaping the UFC, TKO, professional wrestling, and the wider combat sports industry.

Recorded: 6-12-26

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On this edition of Parallax Views, former CIA intelligence officer and Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Non-Resident Fellow Paul R. Pillar joins us to discuss his recent Responsible Statecraft article, “Senate wants to force US to share sensitive intel with Israel,” and the implications of Section 622 of the Senate Intelligence Authorization Act. The provision, championed by Sen. Tom Cotton, would require the executive branch to expand and enhance intelligence sharing with Israel while making it significantly more difficult for any administration to limit or suspend such cooperation.

Drawing on his 28-year career in the U.S. intelligence community—including service as National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, Deputy Chief of the DCI Counterterrorist Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence—Pillar explains why he considers the proposal highly unusual and potentially dangerous. He argues that intelligence-sharing relationships are complex arrangements normally managed by intelligence professionals and the executive branch, not dictated by congressional mandate.

Pillar also discusses the often-overlooked world of intelligence liaison relationships, the risks associated with sharing sensitive intelligence, Israel's history of espionage against the United States—including the Jonathan Pollard affair—and concerns that intelligence provided by Washington could be used in ways that conflict with broader U.S. interests in the Middle East. He further contends that the legislation reflects a broader effort to deepen U.S.-Israeli integration through mechanisms that receive less public scrutiny than direct military aid.

Among the topics explored in this conversation:

• What Section 622 would actually do and why it has received relatively little attention
• How intelligence-sharing relationships are normally managed
• Why Pillar calls congressional mandates on intelligence liaison "bizarre"
• The history of Israeli espionage against the United States
• The Jonathan Pollard case and its continuing significance
• Intelligence sharing, executive authority, and congressional oversight
• U.S.-Israel relations in the lieu of the Iran war
• Whether American and Israeli interests are increasingly diverging in the Middle East
• The broader push toward deeper U.S.-Israeli military and intelligence integration

Paul R. Pillar is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies, and a retired 28-year veteran of the U.S. intelligence community. He is the author of several books, including Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform and Why America Misunderstands the World: National Experience and Roots of Misperception.

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Note: Sorry for mispronunciation of Ben Gvir's name. Should be pronounced "guh-veer" not "geever". A rather stupid mistake on my end that makes me sound ignorant.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli dissident commentator Ori Goldberg returns to discuss how Israel has reacted to the Trump-Iran MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and the "crazy-making" state of Israeli politics today. Goldberg argues that Israeli politics has come to revolve around the axis of Benjamin Netanyahu rather than policy or problem-solving. There are those who support Bibi and those who don't. But questions pertaining to the world outside Netanyahu's leadership, he says, are ignored. He reports a sense of aimlessness or listlessness in Israeli political life and criticizes not only Netanyahu, but also the Yair Lapid-led opposition and the Yair Golan-led Democrats party for bending towards neoliberalism and ignoring the Israel-Palestinian issue in favor of saber-rattling about Iran or, increasingly, even Turkey and Syria. We'll also discuss the news that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz due to Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon and dissect some of the misinformation/disinformation or about Israel's engagement in Lebanon and Hezbollah's response. Moreover, Goldberg comments on JD Vance's warning to Israel that the Trump administration is the only ally Israel has left and that Israel cannot solve all its problems through killing. Although Goldberg does not trust Trump or Vance, he does believe that the administration's relationship with Israel is fraying and that it may find Israel less useful going forward. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views!

THIS IS A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EDITION OF PARALLAX VIEWS! PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING ON PATREON TO KEEP THIS SHOW GOING FORWARD IF YOU APPRECIATE THE WORK I DO!

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On this special edition of Parallax Views, J.G. and a slew of top-notch guests delve into the antiwar movement and the attacks, past and present, on antiwar voices and dissidents.

First up, Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin makes her Parallax Views debut! Code Pink is one of the most well-known antiwar, pro-peace groups in America today and have been protesting since the days of the Iraq War. Found by grassroots feminists, Code Pink seeks to counter the War Party with on-the-ground activism. Recently, Medea and Code Pink along with political streamer Hasan Piker were targeted by the Trump administration for their activism related to Cuba, a country currently being starved by U.S. sanctions. Medea and I talk about her recent, highly publicized run-in with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who claimed that Medea had assaulted her. The video footage, however, tells a different story and Medea. We'll also talk about the recent attempt by Bari Weiss' Free Press to whip up a deportation campaign against the Quincy Institute's Trita Parsi. Medea will also offer her thoughts on how to overcome the War Party's intimidation tactics and how the peace movement can give people young and old a sense of community.

In the second segment of this special edition, Chip Gibbons, Policy Director of Defending Rights and Dissent, dives deep into how the second Trump administration, with help from foundations built by previous administrations of both the Democratic and Republican stripe, is cracking down on antiwar voices and dissidents more broadly. Learn about NSPM-7 and how its broad language poses a grave threat to free speech as well as how previous administrations helped pave the way for the Trump administration's current moves against dissenting voices. Chip lays it all out in informative fashion, connecting past to present and overing some hope at the end by discussing the at-least-for-the-moment defeat of a FISA Section 702, which allowed for warrantless wiretapping.

In segment three, longtime peace activist David Swanson of World BEYOND War joins the show to offer his perspective on the antiwar and pro-peace movements in the age of Trump. We delve into the challenges faced by activists today, including the insidious practice of debanking, as well as why dissent is more necessary than ever. We also discuss the attacks on Palestine Solidarity in the U.K., David's book offering commentary on the antiwar works of Gen. Smedley Butler, and more!

In the fourth and final segment of this special edition presentation, Angela Keaton of Antiwar.Com makes her Parallax Views debut! We delve into the need for antiwar voices on the left and right to oppose the War Party's machinations. We also discuss Mayor Karen Bass' activities in LA against pro-Palestinian activists and why the wars abroad always come back home with civil liberties suffering domestically. Angela also tells the story of how Antiwar.Com's editors, specifically Justin Raimondo and Eric Garris, were spied on by the FBI.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Iranian journalist, political analyst, and independent scholar Peiman Salehi joins the show to discuss his exclusive interview with former IRGC commander and senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mohsen Rezaei, who recently declared that Lebanon and Hezbollah constitute a "non-negotiable red line" for Tehran in any future negotiations with the United States.

Speaking from Iran, Salehi provides background on Rezaei's significance as one of the most influential figures in the history of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and explains why his comments offer an important window into contemporary Iranian strategic thinking. We then delve into why Lebanon has become so central to Tehran's calculations, why Iranian officials increasingly reject the notion that regional issues can be separated from nuclear diplomacy, and what Rezaei means when he argues that Hezbollah and Lebanon are inseparable from any future deal with Washington.

Additionally, Salehi explores whether Iran is undergoing a broader shift in strategic doctrine, one that increasingly views diplomacy, military deterrence, regional alliances, and the balance of power in West Asia as components of a single strategic equation rather than separate policy tracks. We also discuss how concepts of credibility, alliance maintenance, and deterrence factor into Iran's relationship with Hezbollah and why many Iranian policymakers view support for regional partners as a strategic necessity rather than a negotiable issue.

Finally, we examine what all of this could mean for the future of U.S.-Iran negotiations. Is Tehran effectively signaling that future talks can no longer focus solely on sanctions and the nuclear program? Is Lebanon becoming a test case for a broader Iranian effort to redefine the framework of diplomacy with Washington? And what might American policymakers be misunderstanding about the evolving relationship between Iran's regional security concerns and its diplomatic agenda?

All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Iraq War-era Pentagon whistleblower and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski returns to the program to discuss the growing crackdown on antiwar voices, the controversial Section 224 of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S.-Israel military integration, the military-industrial complex, and what she describes as the accelerating decline of the American Empire.

Kwiatkowski, who became one of the most prominent critics of the George W. Bush administration's Iraq War from within the Pentagon, reflects on her own experiences being targeted and smeared after exposing the manipulation of intelligence in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Drawing on those experiences, she examines current attacks on dissident and anti-interventionist voices, including streamer Hasan Piker, Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, and Quincy Institute Executive Vice President Trita Parsi, who have faced accusations and scrutiny tied to their opposition to war and interventionist foreign policy.

The conversation also takes a deep dive into Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA and concerns about increasing U.S.-Israeli military integration. Kwiatkowski explains why she believes these developments blur the lines between American and Israeli strategic interests and what that could mean for U.S. foreign policy. And yes, we do discuss the Iran war, Gaza, and the general situation in the Middle East

Additionally, Kwiatkowski discusses the relationship between the Israel lobby and the military-industrial complex, how both influence policymaking in Washington, and why she believes they often reinforce interventionist and militaristic agendas. She also offers her perspective on the future of the United States as a global power, the signs of imperial decline, and how ordinary Americans can prepare for a period of increasing political, economic, and geopolitical instability.

All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, reporter Kelley Vlahos, head of the Quincy Institute's Responsible Statecraft magazine, makes her long-awaited return to the show to discuss the disappointing House Armed Services Committee markup on the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The 2027 NDAA has come under scrutiny recently for Section 224, which critics argue would entrench U.S.-Israeli military integration in ways that would bypass transparency. Vlahos and I delve into how member of the House Committee responded to this criticism, namely by brushing them off entirely. We do delve into some dissenting voices, however, such as Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Sara Jacobs, the latter of whom brought up Israel's controversial Pegasus spyware and how it has been used to spy on Americans. Kelley walks us through Rep. Ro Khanna's opposition to Section 224 and why he says support for it is not being on "Team America". We also talk about the potential for Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, a Democrat and a Republican, to keep fighting against Section 224 going forward. Also, Vlahos previews an upcoming Responsible Statecraft piece dealing with how a Senate equivalent of Section 224 is being introduced by Rep. Tom Cotton which would entrench U.S.-Israeli intelligence integration. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Dutch-Palestinian analyst of Middle East affairs Mouin Rabbani returns to discuss a number of topics related to U.S. foreign policy, Israel, and the Iran war. We'll begin the conversation with a rundown on the Iran war situation and delve into the Israeli strikes on Lebanon in relation to it all. Mouin offers a concise breakdown of everything happening in regard to Iran and Lebanon out of the gate. We then move onto a number of other topics including the news of the Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA that would further entrench U.S.-Israeli military integration. We'll also discuss the recent NYT article by Nicholas Kristof dealing with allegations of disturbing treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prison. Finally, Mouin and I discuss the unhinged propaganda coming out of certain pro-Israel echo chambers and how they apply antisemitic conspiracy tropes to Arab and Muslim voices.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, possibly the most important edition this month, the Quincy Institute's Benjamin Freeman returns to discuss a little-noticed provision buried within the House's 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that could fundamentally transform the relationship between the United States and Israel.

While public attention remains focused on wars in Gaza and Iran, Congress is quietly advancing Section 224, the "United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative." According to Freeman, this provision goes far beyond military aid and arms sales. Instead, it lays the groundwork for unprecedented integration between the American and Israeli defense establishments. From artificial intelligence and cyberwarfare to autonomous weapons systems, quantum technologies, biotech, and intelligence sharing, the proposal would create a level of military-industrial cooperation unlike any other U.S. partnership in the world.

Why does this matter? Freeman argues that Section 224 represents the first step toward what amounts to a merger of critical components of the American and Israeli military-industrial complexes. The proposal envisions joint ventures, co-production agreements, shared research and development, network integration, and even "data fusion." In practical terms, that could mean deeper institutional ties, reduced transparency, and diminished public oversight.

Critics warn that this shift would move U.S.-Israel military cooperation away from visible debates over foreign aid and into the far more opaque world of defense procurement and technological integration, where congressional scrutiny is limited and accountability is often difficult to achieve. At a moment when many Americans are questioning unconditional support for Israel and expressing concern about being drawn into new conflicts in the Middle East, Congress may be creating mechanisms that bind the military futures of the two countries together for decades to come in ways that are close to irreversible without massive costs.

Benjamin explains what is actually contained in Section 224, how it could reshape U.S. foreign policy, why it may expand Israeli influence through defense contracting and co-production projects on American soil, and why he believes lawmakers should reject what he views as a dangerous and largely unnoticed U.S.-Israeli military-industrial merger before it becomes reality.

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On this edition of the Parallax Views, returning guest Geoffrey Aronson joins us to discuss his article "The Unexpected Consequences of Dispelling Israeli Nuclear Ambiguity." As a growing number of House Democrats led by Rep. Joaqiun Castro (D-TX) call for greater transparency regarding Israel's long-unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, Aronson argues that the issue goes far beyond nuclear weapons themselves. We examine the decades-old doctrine of Israeli "nuclear ambiguity," the origins of the U.S.-Israel strategic bargain forged after the 1967 war, and the concept of Israel's "Qualitative Military Edge" (QME). Aronson contends that congressional efforts to openly address Israel's nuclear capabilities could force a broader reconsideration of the foundations of the U.S.-Israel security relationship at a moment when the fallout from the war with Iran is reshaping political debates in Washington. We also discuss how changing public opinion, shifting attitudes on Capitol Hill, and questions surrounding deterrence, proliferation, and regional power may be challenging assumptions that have guided U.S. Middle East policy for more than half a century.

Geoffrey Aronson is an American writer, analyst, and consultant specializing in Middle East affairs, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has participated in Track II diplomatic initiatives involving Israeli and Palestinian groups and facilitated engagement between Israeli and Syrian representatives in 2005. He is the author of several books, including Creating Facts: Israel, Palestinians and the Intifada and From Sideshow to Center Stage: US Policy towards Egypt. Check out his Substack at Geoffrey Aronson | Substack.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, conservative libertarian Jack Hunter offers his commentary on Thomas Massie's primary loss and we delve into the cracks in the MAGA movement from his perspective. We'll discuss the generational difference in people who voted for Massie, the role of AIPAC and the broader pro-Israel lobby in the primary, separating antisemitism from criticism of Israel, and more. We'll also delve into how neocons have long tried to define conservatism as inherently interventionist, depsite the history of conservative figures dating back to Robert Taft that believed small government was not just restricted to domestic policy, but foreign policy as well. Jack will also give his views on the abuse of the term "domestic terrorist" in a way that'll rankle both the left and the right as he believes American citizens involved with both BLM and J6 shouldn't be targeted under domestic terrorist lines but rather on existing laws that don't invoke federal terrorism enhancement. Finally, we talk a bit about our great love of pro wrestling and how politics is often kayfabe. You may not agree with either of us on a number of issues, but you'll hopefully find it a fascinating conversation!

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On this edition of Parallax Views, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's Blaise Malley, who has been covering current events related to foreign policy for Responsible Statecraft, joins the show to discuss Thomas Massie's defeat in the Republican primary for Kentucky's 4th Congressional district. An unprecedented amount of money was spent on this election to defeat Massie and deliver victory to Ed Gallrein. In this conversation we discuss how both President Donald Trump and the pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC (the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee), were big supporters of Gallrein and detractors of Massie. Did they help deliver the defeat to Massie? We also discuss Blaise's article "House GOP yanks Iran war powers vote amid fears it could pass House GOP yanks Iran war powers vote amid fears it could pass". All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

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NOTE: There's a bit of a question of whether Marvin Antelman was involved in the creation of the mood ring. Dr. Jonathan Sarna claimed this to Jay Michaelson, as detailed in the interview. But he may be confusing Antelman with Marvin Wernick. I only caught this detail after recording the episode, but wanted my listeners to know. It's my mistake for stating that claim more definitively in the intro than Michaelson did in the conversation. Again, the claim is courtesy of Dr. Jonathan Sarna in communication with Michaelson.

On this edition of Parallax Views, first time guest Jay Michaelson, author of The Heresy of Jacob Frank, joins the program to discuss the fascinating and disturbing backstory behind Candace Owens’ antisemitic grand conspiracy narrative about a Frankist-Sabbatean cabal supposedly controlling world events.

The conversation begins with an in-depth exploration of the historical figures of Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank, two controversial Jewish messianic figures whose radical theological movements have, over centuries, become distorted and mythologized within conspiracy culture. Jay explains the actual history behind Sabbateanism and Frankism, what these movements really believed, and how obscure religious controversies became transformed into modern political mythology. And yes, we delve into the role of sex plays into these radical theologies.

A major focus of the conversation centers on the late Orthodox rabbi, inventor, and conspiracy theorist Marvin Antelman. Antelman is perhaps one of the strangest figures in modern conspiracy culture: a rabid anti-communist who allegedly helped invent the mood ring per Dr. Jonathan Sarna, patented a supposed “cure” for AIDS, and co-founded the self-styled Rabbinic Court of America alongside two other rabbis. The Rabbinic Court of America sought to expose Jewish public figures Antelman believed had “betrayed” the Jewish people, targeting figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to Noam Chomsky.

Jay and I examine Antelman’s bizarre worldview, including his belief that heretical Jewish sects like the Sabbateans and Frankists secretly evolved into hidden revolutionary networks tied to the Illuminati, communism, liberalism, and modern global power structures. We discuss how Antelman’s deeply illiberal nationalism, obsession with internal enemies, and conspiratorial anti-communism shaped his theories, as well as how later conspiracy figures like David Icke and Candace Owens would appropriate and twist aspects of Antelman’s ideas into narratives about occult conspiracies that could be weaponized far more broadly against Jews in openly antisemitic ways.

We also delve into the overlap between antisemitism, anti-communism, anti-globalism, religious conspiracism, and internet-age political mythology; the migration of Antelman's fringe theological and poltical ideas into evangelical and conspiracy media ecosystems as well as the extreme world of Kahanist Zionism (the followers of the ultra-Zionist Rabbi Meier Kahane); and why movements like Frankism continue to exert such a strange pull on the conspiratorial imagination.

All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Quincy Institute research associate Lee Schlenker joins us to unpack the Trump administration’s escalating pressure campaign against Cuba and why Marco Rubio’s hardline approach may be pushing the island, and U.S.-Cuba relations, toward a dangerous breaking point. Drawing on Lee’s recent Responsible Statecraft article “As Rubio turns into punisher, Cubans wary of final blow,” we examine the administration’s strategy of intensified sanctions, economic pressure, and threats aimed at forcing political change in Havana.

The conversation also explores the political influence of South Florida’s Cuban exile community and the Cuba-America lobbying apparatus, including how decades of exile politics continue to shape U.S. foreign policy toward Havana. Lee explains the internal contradictions of the administration’s strategy, why the pressure campaign has yet to produce meaningful results, and how it could instead deepen instability, worsen humanitarian suffering, and push Cuba further into China’s extra-hemispheric sphere of influence.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, anthropologist and author Ida Susser joins us to discuss her book The Yellow Vests and the Battle for Democracy and the deeper political crisis underlying the rise of the Yellow Vest movement in France. What happens when traditional left vs. right politics begin to break down under the pressures of neoliberalism, austerity, economic precarity, and collapsing public trust?

Susser explains how the Yellow Vests emerged not simply as a protest movement, but as a broader democratic experiment shaped by “commoning,” horizontal organizing, and grassroots political participation. We explore the movement’s unusual ideological makeup, including tensions between populism, class politics, nationalism, environmentalism, and anti-elite anger. We also examine the concepts of “thresholding” and “they are stealing the state,” and how they help explain contemporary political unrest not only in France, but across the globe.

Additionally, we discuss the historical roots of French protest culture, the legacy of movements like Nuit Debout and Occupy Wall Street, the crisis of democratic legitimacy in the West, and whether leaderless social movements can produce lasting political transformation or are destined to remain unstable and contradictory. Along the way, we touch on neoliberalism, authoritarianism, class fragmentation, race and immigration, and the future of democracy in an increasingly polarized world.

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As debates over censorship, misinformation, and the power of corporate media reach a fever pitch, Project Censored—one of the longest-running media watchdog organizations in the United States—marks its 50th anniversary. But in 2026, what does “censorship” actually look like?

On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Mischa Geracoulis, Outreach and Engagement Officer for Project Censored, about the evolving landscape of media ethics, independent journalism, and the fight for a truly informed public.

Geracoulis breaks down how news values are shifting in the 21st century, why “media democracy in action” matters more than ever, and how independent outlets are working to challenge the narratives and omissions of the corporate press. In an era defined by algorithmic influence, disinformation, and declining public trust, this conversation asks a fundamental question: Who decides what counts as news... and what gets left out?

From the role of critical media literacy to the urgent need for watchdog journalism, this episode explores how Project Censored continues to spotlight underreported stories and hold power accountable, five decades after its founding.

Key topics:

• Media censorship vs. “junk food news” in the digital age
• The ethics and values shaping modern journalism
• Why independent media is essential to democracy
• “Media Democracy in Action” and real-world examples
• How audiences can become more critically engaged news consumers

If you’re concerned about the state of the free press—or wondering how to separate signal from noise in today’s media ecosystem—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Patricia Martin,host of the Jung in the World podcast, to explore her provocative new book Will the Future Like You?: Reflections on the Age of Hyper-Reinvention. In a wide-ranging and deeply thought-provoking conversation, Martin examines how technology, social media, and the pressures of constant self-reinvention are reshaping our understanding of identity itself. From the concept of “persona fog” to the psychological toll of living multiple digital selves, she unpacks why so many people today feel stuck, fragmented, and uncertain about who they are.... as well as who they’re becoming.

Drawing on Jungian psychology, cultural analysis, and years of research, Martin explains how the collapse of traditional identity anchor like family, work, and institutions has ushered us into what she calls the “post-identity” era. The discussion delves into the rise of chronic self-doubt, the emotional costs of hyper-connectivity, and the hidden ways digital life can both expand and erode the self. At the same time, Martin offers insight into how we might reclaim a deeper sense of meaning and navigate an uncertain future with greater awareness.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in psychology, technology, culture, and the evolving nature of human identity in the 21st century.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, political scientist Maya Kornberg joins the show to discuss her new book on why Congress seems increasingly unable to function as an effective, representative, and co-equal branch of government. Drawing on deep research into three pivotal waves of congressional reform—the post-Watergate class of 1974, the Republican Revolution of 1994, and the diverse, media-savvy newcomers of 2018—Kornberg argues that today’s legislative dysfunction is not simply the result of partisan gridlock, but the product of deeper structural forces reshaping American democracy.

In this wide-ranging and enlightening conversation, we explore how money, media, and political violence have transformed the incentives facing members of Congress. From the relentless pressure to fundraise, to the rise of social media as a source of political power, to the chilling effects of threats and intimidation, Kornberg paints a sobering picture of an institution struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing political environment.

We also delve into the historical cycles of reform and institutional change, asking whether today’s Congress is fundamentally different from past eras of crisis. Why were earlier reformers able to reshape the institution, while modern efforts seem to falter? Has Congress ceded too much power to the presidency? And what would it take to restore the legislative branch as a meaningful check in the American system?

Despite the challenges, Kornberg offers thoughtful and pragmatic ideas for reform, from strengthening congressional capacity to rethinking the internal structures that govern how lawmakers operate. Throughout the discussion, she provides valuable insight into not just what is broken in Congress, but why it has proven so difficult to fix.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in American politics, democratic institutions, and the future of governance in an era of polarization and uncertainty.

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Recorded 3-11-26

On this edition of Parallax Views, sociologist and public intellectual Charles Derber joins us to discuss his book Fighting Oligarchy: How Positive Populism Can Reclaim America and the growing struggle between democracy and oligarchic power in the United States. As economic inequality deepens and public trust in institutions erodes, populist movements—both left and right—are reshaping the political landscape. But what exactly is populism, and why has it become such a defining force in modern politics?

Derber argues that contemporary American politics is increasingly defined by a battle between corporate oligarchy and competing forms of populism. While figures like Donald Trump present themselves as anti-elite champions of “the people,” Derber contends that this rhetoric often masks policies that ultimately benefit billionaires and entrenched corporate power. In contrast, he proposes the idea of “positive populism”—a democratic, multiracial movement capable of challenging oligarchic influence while rebuilding solidarity among working-class Americans.

In this conversation we explore the roots of populist politics in American history, from the anti-robber baron movements of the Gilded Age to the New Deal era and the social movements of the 1960s. Derber also offers a controversial critique of contemporary liberal politics, arguing that the Democratic Party’s shift away from class-based politics toward professional-class liberalism and cultural identity conflicts may have unintentionally opened the door for right-wing populism.

We discuss the contradictions of Trumpism, the role of identity politics and culture wars in dividing the working class, and whether a broad democratic coalition capable of confronting corporate power is still possible in today’s polarized political climate. Is the United States already drifting toward oligarchy? Can populism strengthen democracy rather than undermine it? And what would a genuine anti-oligarchic political movement look like in the twenty-first century?

All this and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, media scholar Robin Andersen joins us to discuss her new book The Complicit Lens: US Media Coverage of Israel’s Genocide in Gaza. In this conversation, Andersen examines how major American news outlets framed the war in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 attacks and why mainstream reporting often echoed official Israeli and U.S. government narratives while marginalizing Palestinian perspectives.

Drawing on detailed media analysis, Andersen argues that corporate media frequently downplayed the scale of Palestinian suffering, repeated unverified atrocity claims, and adopted language that framed Israeli military actions as defensive while obscuring accusations of war crimes and genocide. She also explores the role of editorial directives, narrative framing, and propaganda tropes in shaping coverage—from the portrayal of October 7 as the sole starting point of the conflict to the treatment of Palestinian journalists, aid workers, and civilian casualties.

In the course of our discussion, Andersen highlights how independent journalists, social media, and alternative outlets challenged these dominant narratives, often providing documentation and eyewitness testimony that contradicted establishment media coverage. We also examine controversies surrounding reporting by major outlets like The New York Times, the role of atrocity stories in wartime propaganda, and the broader implications for press freedom, public opinion, and democratic accountability.

Ultimately, The Complicit Lens raises urgent questions about journalism’s responsibilities during wartime: What happens when the media becomes a conduit for official narratives rather than a check on power? And what does the Gaza war reveal about the limits of U.S. media institutions in covering conflicts involving close American allies?

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On this edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael speaks with Nathan Taylor, a representative of the Election Truth Alliance (ETA), about controversial claims regarding vulnerabilities in U.S. election systems and the group’s ongoing efforts to investigate potential irregularities in recent elections.

Taylor explains the Election Truth Alliance’s stated mission: conducting nonpartisan investigations into the integrity of American voting infrastructure. Drawing on election forensics methods, public records, field research, and statistical analysis, ETA says it is examining whether existing voting systems and administrative processes are adequately safeguarding the democratic process.

During the conversation, Taylor discusses findings the group says raise questions about election infrastructure and data integrity in several states. In Florida, ETA has examined voter rolls, ballot custody logs, and turnout data in places like St. Lucie County, where the organization claims to have identified unusual turnout figures and discrepancies between votes cast and registered voters. The group has also reviewed historical concerns about cybersecurity threats to election systems, including reports of malware activity in Florida counties during the 2016 election cycle.

The discussion also turns to Pennsylvania, where ETA has conducted statistical analyses of voting patterns across multiple counties and says it has identified anomalies that warrant further scrutiny. Taylor explains that the organization has pursued legal action related to voting system reliability and describes issues such as ballot-scanner failures reported in Cambria County during the 2024 election.

Throughout the interview, Taylor emphasizes that ETA frames its work as independent of partisan politics, arguing that election transparency and verifiable vote counts should be priorities regardless of which party benefits. At the same time, the group’s findings and interpretations remain controversial and are part of a broader national debate over election security, voting technology, and public trust in democratic institutions.

J.G. Michael presses Taylor on the methodology behind ETA’s analyses, the evidence supporting their claims, and how critics view these investigations. The result is a probing discussion about election forensics, statistical anomaly detection, cybersecurity concerns surrounding voting infrastructure, and the broader challenge of maintaining public confidence in U.S. elections.

Whether one views the Election Truth Alliance’s work as an important call for greater transparency or as part of a contentious debate over election integrity claims, this conversation explores the arguments, evidence, and questions at the center of the controversy.

Recorded 4-2-2026

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest James M. Dorsey joins us to discuss the Iran War one month on and its potential consequences for the United States, Europe, the Gulf States, Israel, and Iran itself. Reflecting on the conflict, Dorsey argues bluntly: “This was unnecessary and a huge mistake, for which everybody is going to pay a heavy price.”

We begin with Donald Trump’s latest speech addressing the war before broadening the conversation to the geopolitical fallout of the conflict. Dorsey explains why the war risks further destabilizing the Middle East, warning that tensions between Iran and the Gulf States could worsen dramatically while leaving all parties worse off.

The conversation also explores the long and troubled history of U.S.–Iran relations, including the legacy of the Iran–Iraq War and U.S. support for Saddam Hussein during that conflict, even as his regime deployed nerve gas on the battlefield. Understanding that history, Dorsey argues, is essential for grasping the deep mistrust that continues to shape the current crisis.

We also discuss the surprising intervention of prominent neoconservative thinker Robert Kagan, whose article “America Has Become a Rogue Superpower” challenges assumptions about the hawkish foreign policy establishment. Finally, we examine the role of the Pentagon under Pete Hegseth, including concerns about religious rhetoric and ideological overtones surrounding the war effort.

All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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In this explosive edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael is joined by former CIA analyst and counterterrorism official Larry C. Johnson of the Sonar21 blog to discuss the rapidly escalating U.S.–Iran war and why Johnson believes the Trump administration’s public messaging about peace negotiations is deeply misleading.

Drawing on his recent article “Is Trump Serious About Negotiations with Iran?”, Johnson argues that claims of imminent diplomacy with Tehran should be treated with extreme skepticism. In fact, he bluntly warns listeners: “Don’t believe ’em — they’re lying.” According to Johnson, statements about ceasefires or talks may be intended to calm markets and suppress oil prices rather than signal genuine negotiations. He predicts that after markets close on Friday, the conflict could escalate dramatically.

The conversation dives deep into the strategic and economic stakes of the war, including the potential for catastrophic disruption to global energy infrastructure and the risk of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. Johnson explains why proposals to seize strategic islands in the Persian Gulf could expose U.S. forces to devastating missile, drone, and naval attacks — and why such moves might trigger a wider economic shock affecting oil, LNG, fertilizer, and even global metals supply chains.

J.G. and Johnson also examine how this conflict compares to earlier U.S. wars in the Middle East. Johnson argues that the current war is even more dangerous than the Bush-era invasion of Iraq, noting that this time there has been little effort to manufacture public consent on this war of choice.

Other topics explored in this wide-ranging conversation include:

• The geopolitical consequences of closing the Strait of Hormuz and what it means for the global oil market • A bit on Kharg Island, a significant Iranian oil export hub • The potential economic ripple effects of war on commodities like copper, uranium, and nickel • The role of Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel lobby in shaping U.S. policy toward Iran • The resignation of Joe Kent and what it signals about internal divisions within the Trump administration • The historical roots of U.S.–Iran hostility, including Washington’s support for Saddam Hussein during the Iran–Iraq War • Why Johnson believes American troops could soon face significant casualties if escalation continues and troops on the ground are deployed.

Johnson, who served as an analyst at the CIA and later as Deputy Director in the U.S. State Department’s Office of Counterterrorism, brings decades of intelligence and national security experience to his analysis of the unfolding crisis.

If Johnson’s predictions are correct, the coming days could reshape not only Middle East geopolitics but also the global economy and energy system.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, historian, retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, and foreign policy critic William J. Astore joins the show to discuss what he calls the sorry state of affairs that is contemporary American foreign policy—particularly as the United States becomes increasingly entangled in a new war with Iran.

Astore and J.G. Michael examine the long historical arc behind the current crisis, including the legacy of the 1953 Iranian coup d'état that overthrew Iran’s democratically elected prime minister Mohammad Mosaddegh—a pivotal moment that cemented decades of mistrust between Washington and Tehran. From there, the conversation widens into a critique of American imperial ambitions, regime-change politics, and the bipartisan foreign policy consensus that has repeatedly drawn the U.S. into conflicts across the Middle East.

The discussion also explores the influence of the Israel lobby on U.S. policy toward Iran, including the role played by organizations such as American Israel Public Affairs Committee and other hardline pro-Israel advocacy groups in shaping Washington’s approach to the region.

In addition, Astore and Michael analyze recent political developments inside the U.S. national security apparatus, including the resignation of Joe Kent, the former head of the National Counterterrorism Center, who stepped down in protest over the Iran conflict. They also discuss the muted response of Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard—once known for her anti-interventionist rhetoric—raising questions about the limits of “antiwar” branding within the realities of power politics.

All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Dublin-based historian and guide Garvan Rushe, founder of Dublin Tour Guide. Rushe discusses his approach to bringing the history of Dublin to life for visitors—not by simply reciting dates and facts, but by telling human stories that connect people to the places they’re walking through.

The conversation explores how Rushe personalizes his tours and adapts them to the interests of each group, treating tour guiding as a form of storytelling that blends history, culture, and lived experience. Along the way, they touch on some of the figures and traditions that loom large in Dublin’s past, including the legacy of the great Catholic emancipator Daniel O'Connell, the influence of Catholicism on Irish identity and public life, and the role of labor activism through working-class leader Jim Larkin.

Rushe reflects on how guiding people through the city can open up conversations about Irish history in ways that feel immediate and personal, allowing visitors to see Dublin not just as a tourist destination but as a place shaped by generations of struggle, faith, culture, and everyday life. The result is a wide-ranging discussion about history, memory, and the art of helping people experience a city through the stories embedded in its streets.

Recorded 3-18-26

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On this edition of Parallax Views, I’m joined by journalist Eli Clifton and political scientist Ian S. Lustick to discuss their provocative The Nation article, “The Israeli Tail Wags the American Dog,” as well as their forthcoming book Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power. We examine their central argument that recent U.S. policy—particularly the Trump administration’s war with Iran—cannot be fully understood through traditional national interest frameworks but instead reflects the outsized influence of Israel’s government and its allies within the United States. The conversation explores how Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has historically sought to shape U.S. Middle East policy, including his role in advocating for the Iraq War and the current war with Iran.

We also delve into Lustick’s intellectual evolution on Israel-Palestine and the lobby question, offering a reflective opening to the discussion, before turning to key case studies like the Steven Rosen espionage affair and the broader ecosystem of lobbying, campaign finance, and elite influence networks. Clifton, known for his investigative work on money in politics and foreign policy, helps unpack how these forces operate in practice. Additionally, we address the role of Christian Zionism, discussing the Israel lobby without falling into antisemitism, and how this new book builds upon—and updates—the arguments made in The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy by Stephen Walt and John Mearsheimer. All that and more in this wide-ranging conversation about power, influence, and the future of U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.

Recorded 3-18-26

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In this episode of Parallax Views, retired U.S. diplomat Patrick N. Theros returns to examine what he sees as a catastrophic turning point in American foreign policy: the Trump administration’s decision to wage war with Iran. A career Foreign Service officer who served across the Middle East—including as U.S. Ambassador to Qatar and as a political advisor to U.S. Central Command—Theros brings decades of regional expertise to a sobering assessment of the conflict and its potential consequences.

Theros argues that the longer the United States remains entangled in this war, the more severe the economic and geopolitical fallout will become. From his perspective, even an imperfect, face-saving exit would be preferable to a prolonged escalation. He also suggests that Trump has been influenced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in pursuing this course, raising concerns about external pressures shaping U.S. policy. In a striking reflection of the current political moment, Theros describes a “Twilight Zone” dynamic in which he finds himself agreeing—at least on this issue—with figures like Marjorie Taylor Greene.

Drawing on his experience in the region, Theros challenges simplistic narratives about Iran, rejecting the idea that it is a “failing petro-state” and instead emphasizing the resilience of its revolutionary system despite decades of sanctions. The discussion also explores how distorted perceptions, the complexities of the Iranian diaspora vs. the population on the ground in Iran, and enduring currents of Orientalism continue to undermine sound U.S. policymaking.

A key historical parallel in the conversation, albeit only briefly covered, is the Iraq War and the role of controversial exile figure Ahmed Chalabi. Theros recounts meeting Chalabi in Jordan and coming away deeply skeptical of him—a judgment that history would largely vindicate. Chalabi, later convicted of bank fraud in Jordan and widely criticized as a fabricator of intelligence, played a central role in promoting false claims about weapons of mass destruction that helped justify the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Many critics would later describe him as a “conman” who misled policymakers and the public in the run-up to war. Theros believes something similar may be at play with the hoisting up of Reza Pahlavi, Iran's exiled monarchic son, as a possible "transitional" figure/leader of a post-Islamic Republic Iran.

The episode also offers a comparative analysis of the Iraq and Iran wars. While both conflicts are shaped by flawed assumptions and ideological pressures, Theros argues that the current Iran war may be even more dangerous. The Bush administration, however misguided, at least operated with a defined (if deeply flawed) strategic framework for regime change in Iraq. By contrast, the present conflict appears to lack any coherent long-term plan, increasing the risks of escalation, economic disruption, and unintended consequences across the region.

All this and more on the latest edition of Parallax Views.

Recorded 3-15-2026

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Wahid Azal—an independent scholar of Islamic esotericism, Sufi mystic, and founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order—joins us to unpack the rapidly escalating Iran War and its potentially seismic consequences for the global economy and geopolitical order.

Azal, a multilingual scholar educated in the United States and Australia who specializes in Islamic mystical and occult traditions, offers a deeply heterodox perspective shaped by both spiritual insight and geopolitical analysis. At the center of our conversation is his stark warning: “Iran has got a loaded gun to the head of the global economy, standing in the Strait of Hormuz.” We explore what this means in practical terms, as Iran has effectively rendered the Strait of Hormuz—through which a significant portion of the world’s oil supply flows—functionally constrained, even absent a formal closure. With oil prices already spiking in the wake of the conflict, the implications for global markets, energy security, and everyday life are profound.

From there, we delve into why Azal believes Iran holds a strategic upper hand in the conflict. He argues that the decentralized and networked nature of the Iranian state—particularly its military and security apparatus—makes any attempt at “decapitation futile, complicating conventional U.S. and Israeli war doctrines. As such the Ayatollah's assassination have not been able to topple the Islamic Republic and the IRGC remains in tact. We also examine how economic chokepoints give Iran tools that extend far beyond traditional battlefield metrics and any attempt to repeat the 1953 coup.

The conversation also takes a critical turn toward diaspora politics. Azal challenges what he sees as the largely uncritical support for war among segments of the Persian diaspora, arguing that these voices often fail to represent the realities and sentiments of Iranians داخل ایران (inside Iran). Relatedly, we discuss what he calls the “mirage of monarchical salvation” surrounding Reza Pahlavi, and why he views such narratives as detached from the political complexities on the ground.

Importantly, Azal outlines a position that resists easy categorization: while he expresses support for Iran’s women’s rights and democratic movements, he simultaneously defends the Islamic Republic against what he sees as an aggressive war waged by the United States and Israel. This tension—between internal critique and external opposition—forms a key throughline of the discussion.

All this and much more in a wide-ranging, provocative conversation that challenges conventional narratives about Iran, war, and the global system.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, I’m joined by historian and political analyst Michael F. Duggan for a wide-ranging discussion on realism in international relations, the legacy of George Kennan, and the emerging multipolar world order.

We begin with a deep dive into the thought of Cold War strategist George Kennan. Duggan explains what “realism” actually means in the context of foreign policy and why Kennan’s ideas are frequently misunderstood or oversimplified. We discuss Kennan’s skepticism toward ideological crusades in foreign policy, his emphasis on historical and cultural understanding in diplomacy, and the ways in which his outlook reflected a certain elitism that remains controversial today. At the same time, Duggan argues that Kennan remains an indispensable thinker for understanding the limits of power and the dangers of moralistic or utopian approaches to global politics.

From there, the conversation turns to Duggan’s argument that the era of American global primacy is drawing to a close. Drawing on his article “Realism and Regionalism: The United States in a Multipolar World,” Duggan outlines his case for a shift toward what he calls moderate realism and a strategic reorientation in which the United States consolidates its role as a regional power centered on North America rather than attempting to maintain global hegemony.

We also discuss Duggan’s critique of the ideological consensus that has dominated U.S. foreign policy since the end of the Cold War, including both neoconservative and liberal interventionist approaches, and why he believes they have contributed to imperial overstretch.

In the latter portion of the conversation, we examine Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s recent speech at Davos calling for a new role for “middle powers” in global politics. Duggan analyzes Carney’s proposal for greater strategic autonomy among mid-sized nations and explores whether coalitions of middle powers could realistically balance the influence of larger states in an increasingly multipolar system.

All that and more in this conversation about realism, strategy, and the shifting architecture of global power.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Jon Hoffman, a research fellow in defense and foreign policy at the Cato Institute specializing in U.S. Middle East policy and political Islam, joins us to discuss the Trump administration’s risky aerial campaign against Iran—dubbed Operation Epic Fury—and the troubling lack of clarity surrounding the war’s objectives.

In our conversation, Jon and I examine what appears to be a startling degree of thoughtlessness behind this preemptive war. While the U.S. has already killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Islamic Republic itself remains intact, and the broader strategic goalposts seem to shift by the day. Pete Hegseth, the Trump administration’s Pentagon chief, insists this is not a regime-change war, while Donald Trump simultaneously signals that he intends to play a role in determining Iran’s future leadership. The result: mixed signals, strategic ambiguity, and no clear exit strategy or endgame.

At one point in the discussion Jon remarks, “We’ve seen this movie before.” The line captures a central theme of our conversation: the sense that the United States is once again embarking on a war whose consequences are poorly understood and whose goals are constantly shifting. From the quagmire of the Vietnam War to the long and costly interventions in the Iraq War and the War in Afghanistan, and the destabilizing aftermath of the 2011 NATO intervention in Libya, recent history offers numerous examples of military campaigns launched with confidence but ending in chaos, instability, or strategic failure.

Jon warns that nobody really knows what happens next—and he suspects the administration doesn’t either.

We discuss the many potential consequences of this conflict: a massive refugee crisis, further polarization within the United States, terrorist blowback and radicalization, rising gas prices, and broader regional instability. We also examine how the war was launched without congressional approval and why United States Congress has thus far failed to meaningfully challenge the executive branch’s decision to initiate hostilities.

Along the way we explore troubling precedents already emerging in the prosecution of the war—including the destruction of an Iranian ship in international waters—and how the preemptive nature of the campaign risks reinforcing global perceptions of the United States as a rogue state. We also discuss the role of the Israel lobby, a fossilized foreign policy establishment still obsessed with maintaining U.S. primacy, and the unusual coalition—ranging from libertarians and leftists to Resistance liberals neoconservatives like Bill Kristol—that has emerged in opposition to Trump’s conduct of the war.

Other topics include comparisons between Israel’s war in Gaza and Operation Epic Fury, the shaky legal and moral foundations of the conflict (including Karoline Leavitt’s vibes-based claim that “President Trump felt there was an imminent threat”), the absence of a clear casus belli, and the historical lesson that bombing populations rarely liberates them from authoritarian regimes.

The bottom line? A massive geopolitical gamble has been taken—and no one knows where it leads next.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning for his monthly visit, journalist and geopolitical analyst James M. Dorsey of The Turbulent World joins us to unpack what the escalating Iran war means—and what it reveals about Donald Trump’s muscular foreign policy doctrine.

At the heart of our conversation is a striking reality: Tehran may be the first major state actor to flatly refuse Trump’s pressure tactics. As Dorsey explains, Trump has repeatedly relied on coercive threats and brinkmanship to extract varying degrees of compliance from adversaries and allies alike. Iran, however, has effectively said “no.” Whether one supports or opposes the Islamic Republic, Dorsey argues this moment is geopolitically significant because it directly tests the credibility of Trump’s “might-is-right” approach.

Drawing on his latest analysis, Dorsey contends that Iran gambled Washington would prefer a limited strike rather than risk a prolonged regional conflict—a bet that may have been a miscalculation but still represents an unprecedented challenge to Trump’s playbook. Even the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, he cautions, does not automatically translate into regime collapse or strategic victory.

We also dig into the growing debate over who bears responsibility for the war. Responding to claims amplified in some reporting that Gulf states pushed events toward conflict, Dorsey urges listeners to treat the “blame the Gulf” narrative with a heavy grain of salt. While Gulf monarchies remain deeply wary of Iran’s missile program and regional network of allies, he emphasizes that many of them have strong incentives to avoid a wider war that could leave their own territory and energy infrastructure exposed.

The conversation explores the limits of regime change by airpower and what this war means to Washington, Tehran, and Israel. Ultimately, Dorsey suggests the real benchmark may be far narrower than public rhetoric: regime survival for Iran versus clearly defined—and achievable—objectives for the United States.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Ori Goldberg—Israeli dissident, former academic, and Middle East analyst—joins the program to discuss the rapidly escalating U.S.–Israel war on Iran and why he believes the conflict was both avoidable and dangerous. He gives a "View from Israel" on the events we see unraveling.

From his vantage point inside Israel, Goldberg characterizes the current military campaign as a war of choice and an illegal war of aggression. He argues that despite official justifications framed around security concerns and Iranian “liberation,” the underlying motivations of both Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are more complex—and potentially at odds.

A key focus of the conversation is Goldberg’s provocative claim that Trump and Netanyahu are not as aligned as commonly portrayed. While public optics suggest tight coordination, Goldberg contends that personal ambition, ego, and strategic calculation may be creating quiet fissures between Washington and Jerusalem. He suggests Trump has “succumbed to an urge to gamble” on Iran in pursuit of historical legacy, even as officials like Pete Hegseth publicly insist the conflict is not aimed at regime change—something Goldberg believes Netanyahu may view differently.

The discussion also explores how the war is being perceived within Israel itself. Goldberg argues that many Israelis are operating from a distinct internal logic that blends genuine security fears with a belief that military action could help “free” Iranians. This, he says, reflects deeper ideological currents within Israeli society, including what he describes as forms of Jewish exceptionalism that shape public opinion.

Beyond geopolitics, the conversation tackles sensitive but crucial distinctions between American Jewish and Israeli perspectives on Israel, emphasizing how identity, diaspora experience, and political culture diverge in important ways. Goldberg stresses that criticism of state ideology must be carefully distinguished from antisemitism, and the episode examines how debates over exceptionalism, chauvinism, and ethnonationalism play out across different communities.

All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Richard Silverstein of the Tikun Olam blog joins us to discuss his latest article, “Iran: Trump’s War of Annihilation.” Silverstein argues that Donald Trump has embarked on a dangerously escalatory military campaign against Iran, undertaken in close coordination with Benjamin Netanyahu, that risks massive civilian casualties, regional destabilization, and long-term blowback.

In this conversation, Silverstein contends that the strategy of decapitating Iranian leadership—including the reported killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei—rests on flawed assumptions drawn from past U.S. interventions in places like Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. Rather than producing regime collapse and democratic transition, he warns, such actions historically create power vacuums, fuel insurgencies, and entrench nationalist resistance.

The discussion turns to domestic politics in both the United States and Israel, where Silverstein suggests the war may function as a political distraction for embattled leaders facing declining approval ratings and mounting controversies. He cites polling data indicating significant American opposition to war with Iran and explores what he sees as shifting public opinion in the U.S.—particularly among younger Americans—regarding Israel and Palestine.

We'll also discuss what this means long-term for the U.S./Israel as well as Iran and the region as a whole, whether the Islamic Republic can survive this, and even delve into what this means for the Gulf state monarchies. Richard also discusses some of his recent articles on issues like the Israeli use of U.S. thermobaric weapons that are said to "vaporize" targets.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest James M. Dorsey, independent journalist and scholar at The Turbulent World Substack, breaks down the latest developments shaping the Middle East. We start with the high-stakes U.S.-Iran talks, where Dorsey explains the deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran, the obstacles to a deal, and why, despite tensions, he doubts Trump seeks a full-scale war. We explore what military action against Iran could mean for the Gulf States, Turkey, and the Caucasus, and the broader question of regional stability.

Next, we analyze Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, D.C., his fraught relationship with Trump, and what’s at stake politically for Israel as elections approach. Dorsey explains what Netanyahu likely seeks from the former president on Iran and why mutual distrust may be defining their interactions.

In the latter half, we dive into the rising rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, examining shifts in Saudi regional strategy, the UAE’s backing of militias and separatists, and the potential dangers this poses across North Africa, especially in Sudan. We also discuss the UAE’s growing closeness with Israel, Qatar’s positioning in the Saudi-UAE rivalry, and what these dynamics reveal about the future of Middle East geopolitics.

All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael speaks with international relations expert Dr. Arta Moeini of the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy about the United States being on the brink of war with Iran. Moeini explains how we arrived at this dangerous moment and why escalating confrontation would be bad news for the U.S., Iran, Donald Trump’s presidency, and even Israel in the long run.

The conversation examines how hardliners in both Washington and Tehran feed off one another, creating a volatile cycle of escalation. Moeini warns that any U.S. strike could trigger a powerful “rally around the flag” effect inside Iran that would marginalize moderates who oppose war. The discussion also explores Trump’s instincts on Iran, how his approach differs from traditional neoconservative thinking, and why sustained pressure campaigns can convince targeted states that they face an existential threat requiring a do-or-die response.

The picture that emerges is stark: a grim geopolitical moment where miscalculation could have far-reaching consequences.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Reason journalist Matthew Petti about his reporting on Jeffrey Epstein, the Epstein network, and what newly surfaced emails reveal about Epstein’s attempts to enter the surveillance and security technology world in the final years of his life. Drawing from Petti’s article “Inside Jeffrey Epstein’s Spy Industry Connections,” the conversation examines Epstein’s ties to figures such as former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, connections to Russian oligarch Viktor Vekselberg, and the broader intersection of New York finance, global business elites, and intelligence-adjacent technology.

The discussion explores why the Epstein files are unlikely to contain a single “smoking gun,” instead reflecting networks built on influence, ambiguity, and deniability that leave behind oblique references rather than clear paper trails. Petti also addresses the challenges of reporting on Epstein in an environment shaped by misinformation and why dismissing the entire Epstein story as moral panic — as some commentators have done — risks overlooking the real lessons about power, access, and elite networks revealed by the case.

This episode focuses on separating reporting from speculation while examining what the Epstein story can still teach us about wealth, influence, surveillance technology, and the global connections that defined Epstein’s orbit.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest James M. Dorsey, independent journalist and scholar at The Turbulent World Substack, breaks down the latest developments shaping the Middle East. We start with the high-stakes U.S.-Iran talks, where Dorsey explains the deep mistrust between Washington and Tehran, the obstacles to a deal, and why, despite tensions, he doubts Trump seeks a full-scale war. We explore what military action against Iran could mean for the Gulf States, Turkey, and the Caucasus, and the broader question of regional stability.

Next, we analyze Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Washington, D.C., his fraught relationship with Trump, and what’s at stake politically for Israel as elections approach. Dorsey explains what Netanyahu likely seeks from the former president on Iran and why mutual distrust may be defining their interactions.

In the latter half, we dive into the rising rivalry between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, examining shifts in Saudi regional strategy, the UAE’s backing of militias and separatists, and the potential dangers this poses across North Africa, especially in Sudan. We also discuss the UAE’s growing closeness with Israel, Qatar’s positioning in the Saudi-UAE rivalry, and what these dynamics reveal about the future of Middle East geopolitics.

All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Jordan Liz — Associate Professor of Philosophy at San José State University and a contributor to Common Dreams — about ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), the Department of Homeland Security, and why Liz argues that the “Abolish ICE” movement represents not a radical departure but a necessary response to the post-9/11 transformation of American governance.

Liz contends that ICE is not a longstanding institution but a product of the Bush administration’s Global War on Terror, created alongside DHS in an atmosphere shaped by fear, threat inflation, and national security panic. Rather than emerging as a neutral immigration enforcement body, Liz argues that ICE was embedded from the beginning within a broader security framework that treated immigration through the lens of counterterrorism — effectively recasting migrants as potential internal threats. This, he claims, helped fuel the militarization of policing and laid the groundwork for an expansive surveillance apparatus whose implications extend far beyond immigration policy.

Drawing on arguments developed in his Common Dreams writing, Liz explains why he believes ICE cannot be meaningfully reformed. In essays such as “Abolish ICE — and DHS Too,” he argues that the very concept of “homeland security” fused immigration enforcement with civilizational and cultural anxieties about national identity, encouraging policies that frame immigrants as existential dangers to the nation’s “way of life.” In his view, this logic incentivizes perpetual expansion of enforcement powers, increased funding, and the normalization of aggressive tactics justified by ever-inflated threats.

The conversation also explores Liz’s critique of DHS as an institution born from the War on Terror’s security paradigm. According to Liz, DHS consolidated vast surveillance and enforcement powers under a single umbrella, contributing to what he sees as the growth of a domestic security state capable of undermining civil liberties. His writing frequently warns that technologies such as biometric identification, data integration, and algorithmic policing expand ICE’s reach not only over undocumented migrants but over citizens as well, disproportionately affecting people of color and reshaping the boundaries of belonging in American political life.

Liz connects these concerns to his broader philosophical work on race and the “politics of belonging,” arguing that immigration enforcement reflects deeper questions about who is recognized as fully American and who remains perpetually suspect. The discussion examines how narratives of cultural threat and national decline shape immigration debates, and how these narratives intersect with policy decisions, surveillance practices, and enforcement priorities.

In addition, the episode addresses controversies surrounding ICE since its early years, the role of protest and public witnessing in challenging state power, and the human consequences of immigration enforcement, including the killings of Alex Pretti and Rene Good. Ultimately, the conversation grapples with a larger question: whether the post-9/11 security architecture has pushed the United States toward what critics describe as “Police State USA,” and what alternatives might exist for immigration policy outside the framework of national security.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Joseph Sciortino and Grant Gallagher of The Rabble Report to examine the World Economic Forum (WEF), Trump, and the shifting global order through the lens of anti-politics — the growing antagonism between society and the political sphere. The conversation explores the ongoing crisis of faith in institutions and how political actors increasingly act as scavengers, exploiting anti-political sentiment for power. From there, the discussion unpacks the complex relationship between anti-politics and populism, clarifying how the two overlap while remaining distinct phenomena shaping contemporary political discourse.

The episode then turns to the 2026 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, where leaders framed the apparent decline of the U.S.-led liberal international order in terms of “national interest,” marking a notable rhetorical shift among European elites. J.G., Joseph, and Grant analyze Mark Carney’s remarks on the role of Middle Powers, debate how much of this new positioning reflects genuine geopolitical change versus political theater and consider whether Europe and Canada are truly capable of decoupling from the United States. What does relative U.S. decline actually mean for the future of global hegemony? Is the liberal order ending; or merely transforming under new pressures and dependencies? The conversation also examines how populist rhetoric surfaced “invisibly” at Davos itself, the challenges facing European leadership, and how these dynamics connect back to domestic U.S. politics, including ICE, the specter of the Middle American Radicals (MARs), and much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael is joined by film analyst Albert Lanier of the Final Cut Substack newsletter and podcast for an in-depth conversation on the Oscars, awards season as we approach the 98th Annual Academy Awards, and what the awards season and ceremony reveal about the film industry today. Moving beyond the usual debates over winners and snubs, the discussion explores how the Oscars function not just as a celebration of art, but as a crucial economic engine for Hollywood — shaping careers, influencing distribution, and sustaining the business of filmmaking itself.

J.G. and Albert examine how the Oscars have evolved in the years since Parasite’s historic Best Picture win, with the Academy increasingly embracing international cinema and positioning itself as a global counterbalance to an era dominated by franchise filmmaking and MCU-style blockbusters. The episode also offers a deep dive into this year’s Best Picture nominees — including Bugonia, F1, Frankenstein, Hamnet, Marty Supreme, One Battle After Another, The Secret Agent, Sentimental Value, Sinners, and Train Dreams — with particular attention paid to the political dimensions of Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another and the acclaimed The Secret Agent, which Albert argues is the best film of the year.

The conversation also looks at the strong showing for horror at this year’s Oscars, from multiple nominations for Ryan Coogler’s Sinners to recognition for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein and Amy Madigan’s Best Supporting Actress nomination for Zack Cregger’s Weapons. Along the way, Albert shares his experiences attending formal Oscar viewing events, reflects on Roger Ebert’s relationship to the Academy Awards, and explains why he approaches nominations and outcomes without cynicism or outrage — seeing the Oscars instead as a fascinating snapshot of where cinema and culture intersect at a given moment.

If you’re interested in film criticism, awards season analysis, the politics of cinema, and the future of Hollywood in a globalized film landscape, this episode offers a thoughtful and engaging look at what the Oscars really mean.

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In this urgent, unflinching conversation, former U.S. Marine infantryman and seasoned policy voice James R. Webb — son of Senator Jim Webb, ex-Military Legislative Assistant to Rand Paul, and writer for Responsible Statecraft and Military Times — breaks down the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis and why it terrifies him as a veteran and citizen. Pretti’s death on January 24, 2026 — captured on video amid clashes between Customs and Border Protection agents and bystanders — has ignited national outrage after footage and witness accounts surfaced that contradict official claims that he was an armed threat. The killing, which followed the controversial ICE operation “Operation Metro Surge” and another fatal federal shooting in the city, has spurred protests and legal challenges and raised pressing questions about force, civil liberties, and federal overreach.

James contextualizes Pretti’s death through his own combat experience, calling it “horrifying” and “disgusting,” and explores how this moment reflects deeper fault lines in American politics and institutions. We discuss Marjorie Taylor Greene’s response, which focused on government overreach and political division; the dark fruits of Steve Bannon’s divisive media strategy; and Trump’s post-2024 trajectory, including his rhetoric about sidelining elections and fears of authoritarian maneuvering. James also shares personal insights from his time working with Rand Paul on confronting Trump’s policy impulses, and why someone who voted for Trump twice still views the current direction with alarm.

Other topics include:

• Why the Pretti killing isn’t just a tragedy but a political flashpoint in immigration enforcement and civil rights.

• The implications of ICE and CBP overreach on American democracy and community trust.

• Trump’s strained relations with European allies and attacks on GOP figures like Thomas Massie.

• How veterans’ service shapes perceptions of security, authority, and the rule of law.

Essential listening for anyone trying to understand what the Pretti case reveals about law enforcement, executive power, political polarization, and the soul of the republic.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Ambassador Patrick Theros offers a seasoned diplomat’s assessment of the first year of Donald Trump’s second presidency. The conversation is anchored in Theros’ recent National Herald column, “Twenty Twenty-Five: What I Got Right, What I Got Wrong, and Why 2026 Looks Worse,” in which he reflects on his expectations for the administration and how rapidly events have outpaced them.

Theros breaks down what he underestimated, what surprised him, and why the speed and scale of developments in Trump’s second term have been so destabilizing. We examine Trump’s foreign and domestic policy record, including ICE and the killing of Alex Pretti, the administration’s contradictory impulses, and whether Trump is actively governing or allowing loyalists and ideological actors to run policy in his absence. Theros argues that Trump’s inability to manage multiple crises simultaneously has produced dangerous incoherence.

The discussion ranges widely across geopolitics and political economy: Gaza and the broader Middle East, Trump’s relationship with Netanyahu, the erosion of U.S. soft power, and how Trump’s National Security Strategy places new risks on Gulf States—raising doubts about an 85-year partnership with the United States. Theros explains why “might makes right” is a recipe for bad statecraft, how hubris historically brings dominant powers down, and why the current moment resembles the end of the liberal, U.S.-led international order.

We also explore Europe as a potential model for the United States, including a detailed discussion of VAT taxation and European-style healthcare, as well as Europe’s response to Trump’s posturing over Greenland. Additional topics include the return of multipolarity and balance-of-power geopolitics, the revival of spheres of influence, the Athenians’ folly as a historical lesson, and why the Russo-Ukraine war is likely to grind on.

Theros weighs in on the potential rise of India as a hemispheric power, Trump’s view of Russia, China’s current geopolitical position, and the isolationist impulses now visible in both Washington and Beijing. We also discuss Trump’s approach to Latin America, the global loss of trust in the United States, and the danger posed by the administration’s attacks on universities and institutional capacity.

The episode concludes with an extended discussion of Theros’ recent essay “Of Whales and Windmills,” examining American industrial policy, shipbuilding, and the myth of U.S. industrial self-sufficiency—along with why Trump cannot restore mid-20th-century industrial dominance by sheer political will. The article takes aim at Trump's "Restoring America's Maritime Dominance" Executive Order.

We also talk about tariffs and other economic policies and the contradictions of Trump's economic policies. We'll also discuss the need to break up the defense industry monopolies and other related issues.

All this, and much more, on the latest edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, libertarian gadfly Jim Bovard returns to dissect the federal killing of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis and its disturbing parallels to the infamous Ruby Ridge standoff. Bovard, author of ten books including Public Policy Hooligan, Attention Deficit Democracy, The Bush Betrayal, and Lost Rights: The Destruction of American Liberty, examines how federal law enforcement, including ICE, Border Patrol, and the FBI, have historically operated under preemptive “Rules of Engagement” that sanction the use of deadly force against American citizens. He traces the echoes of Ruby Ridge, where the Weaver family was ambushed by FBI snipers and U.S. Marshals, to the recent Minneapolis shooting, highlighting patterns of threat inflation, government cover-ups, and the erosion of civil liberties.

In this episode, we discuss Alex Pretti’s killing—shot in the back multiple times despite surrendering a legally carried firearm—and the official government narrative that quickly labeled him a “domestic terrorist.” Bovard contrasts the federal and political spin surrounding Pretti with the 1992 FBI and ATF operations in Idaho, where Randy and Vicki Weaver, along with family friend Kevin Harris, were targeted under similarly aggressive rules of engagement. He details how, in both cases, federal agents preemptively used lethal force, disregarded due process, seized evidence to prevent independent investigation, and faced little accountability, despite public outcry and judicial rebukes.

Bovard also examines the broader implications for civil liberties, gun rights, and freedom of speech, including how videotaping federal agents has become criminalized in practice and how political partisanship—exemplified by Trump administration officials and conservative media—can shape public acceptance of state violence. He unpacks the historical, legal, and political dimensions of these incidents, from the misrepresentation of armed threats to the systematic attempts at cover-up by the Justice Department and federal law enforcement agencies.

This episode is essential listening for anyone concerned with U.S. federal law enforcement abuses, ICE and Border Patrol accountability, FBI sniper operations, government overreach, civil liberties in America, the politics of domestic terrorism labeling, and the ongoing legacy of Ruby Ridge in contemporary policing. Bovard’s insights offer a stark reminder of how federal power can be misused and why vigilance is necessary to protect individual rights against state violence.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we’re joined by Sheldon Richman, executive editor of The Libertarian Institute and former senior editor at the Cato Institute, to unpack his provocative article “TGIF: The Trumpian ICE Age.” Richman argues that the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement reflects a larger trend of unchecked federal power and erosion of individual liberty. He frames recent actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and related agencies as emblematic of an expanding coercive state that dismisses constitutional limits and civil liberties.

At the heart of our conversation is the tragic killing of Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old Minneapolis ICU nurse and U.S. citizen who was fatally shot by federal Border Patrol agents during a January protest against immigration raids. Video evidence and eyewitness accounts indicate Pretti was unarmed — holding a phone and attempting to assist another person — when he was pepper-sprayed, wrestled to the ground, disarmed, and then shot multiple times; federal claims that he posed an imminent threat are widely disputed.

Pretti’s death — coming just weeks after another U.S. citizen and mother of three, Renée Good, was killed in a similar context — has sparked nationwide outrage, protests, legal actions demanding preservation of evidence and accountability, and intense debate about federal overreach, use of force, and the future of civil liberties under powerful enforcement agencies.

Richman situates these events within a broader critique of how executive power is exercised in the name of security and enforcement, warning that such episodes are symptomatic of structural threats to freedom rather than isolated policy mistakes.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, geopolitical analyst Deep State Kuba—a veteran of both public and private sector work and a regular guest on THIS IS REVOLUTION and GIVE THEM AN ARGUMENT w/ Ben Burgis— returns to unpack Mark Carney’s stunning speech at the Davos World Economic Forum, where Carney declared that the so-called post–Cold War “rules-based international order” was a fiction—and that it’s now dead.

We dig into what that admission really means, whether the global order many Americans have taken for granted is fully unraveling under a second Trump presidency, and how to think clearly about power without collapsing realism into the lazy mantra of “might makes right.” Along the way, we explore the rising role of “middle powers,” the contradictions between MAGA’s industrial ambitions and Trump’s actual policy choices, the controversial use of ICE, the perils of state hubris, the odd mutations of 21st-century conservatism, and the broader sense of political and cultural vertigo defining the current zeitgeist.

Topics include:

• Mark Carney at Davos and the end of the rules-based order

• Trump’s second presidency and global instability

• Middle powers and a shifting multipolar world

• Realism vs. “might makes right” caricatures

• ICE, state power, and the domestic situation in the United States

• MAGA, U.S. industry, and policy contradictions

• Conservatism’s strange new form in the 21st century and the "black is white, white is black... we're through the looking glass now" reality of the current zeitgeist

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On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist James M. Dorsey of The Turbulent World blog returns to unpack Donald Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” for the reconstruction of Gaza and why, despite its branding, it is not really just about Gaza — yet may still represent the only option Gaza is being offered amid total devastation and geopolitical paralysis.

From there, we widen the lens to examine how this proposal fits into Trump’s broader authoritarian impulse and a growing willingness to sidestep international law, including the controversial capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro and what it signals about changing norms of sovereignty and legality.

We then turn to Iran, taking an in-depth look at ongoing protests, the Islamic Republic’s violent crackdown on dissent, and circumstantial evidence suggesting Mossad meddling in the unrest. The discussion expands further to Trump’s aggressive global posturing — including his claim that Greenland should belong to the United States — and how such moves reflect a rapidly shifting balance of power. Israel is also discussed, with specific attention given to Benjamin Netanyahu stating that he'd like to see Israel "taper" off U.S. aid over the course of the next decade.

Additionally, we explore European resistance to Trump, a recent speech by Canada’s prime minister declaring the old “rules-based international order” more or less dead, and what it means to be entering uncharted territory as the post–Cold War world order continues to fracture.

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In this episode of Parallax Views, I’m joined once again by historian James L. Gelvin to assess the state of the Middle East in 2026. Drawing on his 2017 book The New Middle East: What Everyone Needs to Know, we examine what has changed—and what hasn’t—over the past decade. We discuss U.S. foreign policy and why the Obama administration’s Asia Pivot and partial retreat from the region failed to stabilize it, as well as the Trump administration’s erratic and contradictory Middle East policies.

The conversation explores Iran, Gaza, Turkey, Israel, Iran, and Saudi Arabia; why the Saudi–Iranian “rapprochement” is better understood as a détente; the limits of sectarian explanations to understanding the Middle East and the enduring problem of Orientalism; shifting American and European public attitudes toward Israel; the spread of new conflict zones since 2017; regional powers jockeying for influence; Trump and Nixon's "Madman" Doctrine; the great risks in the Middle East today and the lessening of U.S. hegemony in the Middle East; Cold War-era offshore balancing vs. today's U.S. policies in the Middle East; where the U.S. discourse on the Middle East has failed; what role energy and economics will play in the region going forward; the impact of Trump's Venezuela operation (the abduction of Maduro) and what it means for international law, U.S. foreign policy, and the Middle East; Netanyahu's statements that Israel needs to taper itself off from U.S. assistance in the next decade; hubris, the lessons of history, and policy failures; the ascent of Al-Sharaa in Syria and the future of Syria; and much, much more.

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On this episode of Parallax Views, historian Alejandro Velasco—associate professor at New York University and author of Barrio Rising: Urban Popular Politics and the Making of Modern Venezuela—joins the show for an in-depth analysis of the dramatic events reshaping Venezuela and U.S.–Latin America relations.

We examine the implications of the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro, the resurgence of gunboat diplomacy in Latin America under the Trump administration, and what these developments mean for Venezuela and the broader region. Velasco unpacks the idea of “Two Venezuelas”—the divide between the Venezuelan diaspora and those living inside the country—and explains how this split shapes politics, perception, and international policy.

The conversation also explores key political figures, including María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, and Delcy Rodríguez, who has emerged as Venezuela’s de facto leader following Maduro’s capture. Finally, Velasco analyzes the forces driving U.S. foreign policy toward Venezuela, arguing that Donald Trump’s focus on material interests like oil intersects with the more ideological agendas of figures such as Stephen Miller and Marco Rubio, creating a volatile convergence that could spell instability and conflict for Latin America in the years ahead.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Christopher Mott of the Institute for Peace and Diplomacy joins the show to break down the Trump administration’s alleged abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, the escalating fears of war with Venezuela, and what these developments signal for U.S. foreign policy in Latin America. Could Washington and Caracas be drifting toward open conflict, or is something even bigger underway beneath the surface?

As the conversation unfolds, the focus widens to the changing nature of the global geopolitical order itself. Mott argues that the liberal, international rules-based order is rapidly eroding and being replaced by a multipolar world defined by spheres of influence—neither a utopia nor an apocalypse, but a reality that demands clear-eyed

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue covering the explosive developments of last week with the abduction of Nicolas Maduro by the United States. Joining me is Kyle Anzalone, opinion editor at Antiwar.com and host of Conflicts of Interest and The Kyle Anzalone Show, to break down what we know so far about the operation, what remains unclear, and what it could ultimately entail for Venezuela, the region, and the United States of America.

We discuss the circumstances surrounding Maduro’s kidnapping, including whether he may have been sold out by elements within his own government, as well as popular narratives pointing to Israel and oil interests as prime drivers—and why we’re skeptical of those explanations. Kyle and I also examine the broader political context: Maduro’s prior willingness to work with the Trump administration on oil, the propaganda buildup ahead of the operation (including Trump branding Maduro a “narco-terrorist”), and, most significantly, the role of Marco Rubio and South American Republicans tied to the Cuban-American exile lobby. In that light, we explore whether Venezuela is being treated as a testing ground or prelude for future U.S.-backed destabilization or regime change efforts in Cuba, the fractures this episode reveals within MAGA-world, and how war hawks have worked to cognitively infiltrate the so-called anti-interventionist movement to reorient those elements back into more hawkish sentiments.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, critical media literacy scholar Nolan Higdon of The Gaslight Gazette joins the show to unpack what is unfolding right now in Venezuela following the U.S. military’s seizure of President Nicolás Maduro. Drawing on his recent analysis, Higdon examines how familiar narratives — “narco-terrorism,” the war on drugs, and energy security — are being rapidly mobilized to normalize what amounts to an extraordinary act of regime change.

Higdon breaks down how the charge of “narcoterrorism” functions less as a factual claim than as a flexible legal and media framework, one that allows U.S. policymakers to recast military intervention as law enforcement while sidestepping serious questions about international law, sovereignty, and constitutional authority. He situates this rhetoric within a longer history of U.S. interventions where criminalization replaces diplomacy and invasion is reframed as necessity.

The conversation also interrogates claims that Venezuelan oil is central to U.S. energy security, with Higdon noting how negotiations and existing arrangements were previously rejected — suggesting that control, leverage, and geopolitical signaling matter more than resource access itself. From naval blockades to information management, he outlines how pressure campaigns escalate into open force while media coverage often lags behind the reality on the ground.

Links: Oil, Narcoterrorism, and Regime Change by Nolan Higdon - The Gaslight Gazette

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Replay for the holiday season (and because yours truly is having issues with his equipment): a timely episode from 2020 on Epstein with Ohio-based investigative journalist Bob Fitrakis that's relevant in lieu of the Epstein Files dropping and DropSite News' covering the Epstein connection to Iran/Contra

On this edition of Parallax Views, Les Wexner, the founder of L Brands and former CEO of Victoria's Secrets, has come under scrutiny in the past year for his close association with the late billionaire pedophile "International Man of Mystery" Jeffrey Epstein. In some ways Wexner's association with the wealthy abuser can be considered the "Ohio Connection" to the sordid saga of Jeffrey Epstein. Lawyer, professor of political science, and maverick Columbus, Ohio-based journalist Dr. Robert Fitrakis joins, who has been investigating the Wexner/Epstein story since the 1990s, joins us to discuss this aspect of the Epstein scandal. Our resident Epstein correspondent in France, Marlon Ettinger, joined J.G. to co-host this episode.

In this conversation we discuss: - Bob's background in journalism and how he got on the trail of the billionaire Les Wexner in Columbus, Ohio

- How Epstein and Wexner met

- The 1985 mob-style murder/hit carried out against Wexner's tax attorney Arthur Shapiro and "The Shapiro Murder File"

- Wexner's connections to public corruption and organized crime in central Ohio

- State of Ohio Inspector General David Sturtz, who went after Epstein and Wexner and referred to Epstein as Wexner's "boyfriend"

- Wexner's ties to the scandalous Iran/Contra affair through the CIA-connected Southern Air Transport (SAT)

- The Wexner Foundation's involvement in the selling of the Iraq War

- Epstein and sexual blackmail operations; the large sums of money transferred from Wexner to Epstein; why Bob believes that Wexner is still worth looking into rather than someone who didn't know Epstein's true nature; the arrest of Ghislaine Maxwell (does she have the goods?) and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by freelance film journalist Corey Atad, who has written for such publications as The Baffler and Defector, to break down the growing likelihood of Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery and what a Netflix–Warner Bros. merger would mean for Hollywood, media competition, and the future of cinema. The discussion examines how Netflix’s ambitions could end up reshaping the entertainment industry—often at the expense of workers, audiences, and cultural life.

Atad also analyzes David Ellison’s attempted hostile takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery, a move widely seen as an effort to block a Netflix takeover. Despite positioning himself as an alternative to Netflix, Ellison—who is aligned with MAGA political networks and Silicon Valley power structures—raises serious concerns due to his erratic leadership style and behind-the-scenes dealings, including reported personal outreach to Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav while actively attempting to seize control of the company.

The episode further explores fears that a Paramount–Skydance merger could transform CNN into a MAGA-aligned media outlet, with Atad arguing that the deeper issue may be the accelerating collapse of cable news itself rather than partisan capture alone.

A central theme of the conversation is how Netflix and streaming consolidation threaten movie theaters, which Atad frames as vital communal spaces in a time of increasing social atomization. Michael and Atad discuss how the Netflix business model, rooted in a Silicon Valley “disruptive” mindset, prioritizes scale and dominance over shared cultural experiences—placing theatrical exhibition and mid-budget filmmaking at risk.

The episode concludes by arguing that neither Netflix absorbing Warner Bros. nor a Skydance takeover represents a good outcome, and that a functioning democratic state would prevent this level of media consolidation in the first place. Special attention is given to how a Netflix–Warner Bros. deal could harm Canada’s media industry, where Atad is based.

In other words, this episode discusses regulation, monopoly, culture, the potential death of theaters, and what it all in the bigger picture for America and the world through a conversation about Netflix's acquiring Warner Bros. It's a doozy at around 2 hours but should interest movie and non-movie fans alike!

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Mickey Huff, director of Project Censored, to discuss Project Censored’s State of the Free Press 2026, a landmark edition marking the 50th anniversary of the long-running media watchdog organization. The annual report offers all the news relevant to the public that the mainstream media ignored.

Huff reflects on the origins of Project Censored under Sonoma State University professor Carl Jensen during the Watergate era and explores how its mission to highlight underreported stories and challenge entrenched power structures in the media remains as vital as ever.

The conversation also delves into the escalating crisis of corporate news media consolidation, with special attention to concerns surrounding CNN’s potential acquisition by Paramount-Skydance and what such shifts mean for journalistic independence, public trust, and the future of a free press.

In the final portion of the episode, Huff discusses his work at the Park Media Center and the Izzy Awards (named in honor of legendary independent journalist I.F. Stone) spotlighting the importance of recognizing investigative journalism that holds power accountable.

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On this episode of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with acclaimed journalist and author Jacob Ward, former NBC News technology correspondent and author of The Loop: How AI Is Creating a World Without Choices and How to Fight Back. Ward lays out his thesis that commercial AI is quietly reshaping human decision-making—much like GPS rewired our sense of direction—by exploiting the shortcuts and biases built into our brains.

We explore Ward’s early research into algorithmic influence, how his work anticipated today’s conversations around “AI psychosis,” and why the public’s psychological relationship with these systems is becoming increasingly unstable. The conversation also dives into the emerging “AI hivemind” problem: the risk that large-scale, widely adopted AI systems may compress human culture and thought into homogenized patterns, narrowing the diversity of choices, perspectives, and creative possibilities.

Ward offers concrete insights on what institutions can do to safeguard human autonomy, what individuals can do to resist passive decision-outsourcing, and what the next five years of AI development might bring—both the dangers and the opportunities.

A deep, challenging look at the intersection of technology, psychology, and human agency—exactly the kind of perspective you expect from Parallax Views.

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On this episode of Parallax Views, J. G. Michael speaks with sociologist and public intellectual Charles Derber about his urgent new book BONFIRE, a sweeping analysis of whether the United States is now committing sociocide, which Derber defines as a self-inflicted destruction of the social bonds that make collective life and democracy possible.

Derber argues that the U.S. has crossed a historic tipping point. According to him, America has shifted from a merely sociopathic society marked by hyper-individualism and neoliberal competition into a sociocidal society where the foundational social bones of community, solidarity, and shared democratic norms are being burned away. From the breakdown of workplace and family ties to the isolating architecture of Big Tech, climate crisis, political violence, and the rise of Trumpist authoritarianism, Derber contends that America is waging a kind of war on itself. This descent threatens to culminate in what he calls policide, or the death of democratic politics altogether.

Is America burning down its own social foundations? And if sociocide is societal suicide, what would it mean for the United States to choose life? This conversation confronts both the peril and the possibilities at one of the most dangerous junctures in American history.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Jim Lobe, one of the foremost critical chroniclers of neoconservatism as an intellectual movement and a key analyst of the role neoconservatives played in shaping the post-9/11 era and the Iraq War. In light of the recent passing of former Vice President Dick Cheney, we explore Cheney’s legacy as a Machtpolitik figure who, while not himself a neocon, became the indispensable enabler and amplifier of neoconservative power inside the George W. Bush administration.

Lobe walks us through the deeper history: the Cold War roots of the neoconservative worldview; the pivotal “Team B” exercise and its culture of threat inflation; and how those networks and habits of mind brought Cheney and the neocons into alignment. We trace neoconservatism’s evolution from its beginnings among largely Jewish intellectuals, including the early influence of Norman Podhoretz's Commentary magazine and Jewish liberal who became disullisioned with liberals and the Left, and key non-Jewish intellectuals like Jean Kilpatrick figures as well its eventual transformation into a major force inside the Republican foreign-policy establishment.

The conversation examines how this ideological project culminated in the Iraq War and how the Cheney and neocon worldviews, from his embrace of the Unitary Executive theory to his anti-elite, anti-intellectual posture, helped pave the path toward today’s right-wing populism and, ultimately, Donald Trump. We discuss continuities and divergences between Trump and the neocons, including their shared skepticism of climate science, hostility to “political correctness” and "wokeness" and belief in a strong executive, as well as the question of whether Trump’s approach on Israel truly represents a break with neocon orthodoxy or if it is more posturing than anything concrete.

Jim will also go into details on the key neocon figures in the Bush administration, the formation of the Project for a New American Century, the Paul Wolfowitz Doctrine, Richard Perle, Douglas Feith and the politicization of intelligence leading up the Iraq invasion, the infamous "Securing the Realm"/"Clean Break" document and its significance to understanding neoconservatism, and much, much more.

All that and much more in a wide-ranging conversation that places Cheney’s legacy, the neocons, and the currents shaping today’s right in a deeper historical and political context.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with journalist and author Aaron Magid about his major new biography The Most American King, an in-depth exploration of King Abdullah II of Jordan and his quarter-century on the throne. Magid draws on more than a decade of reporting and over one hundred interviews with Jordanians, U.S. officials, and regional figures to unpack how Abdullah has maintained his rule through a combination of strategic alignment with Washington, careful political calibration at home, and the enduring stability of Hashemite monarchy amid Middle Eastern turmoil.

In this conversation, Magid discusses Abdullah’s unique personal background—including his Americanized upbringing, fluency with U.S. politics and culture, and unusual pop-cultural references—and how these shaped his political style and foreign policy choices. We dive into Jordan’s pivotal role in U.S. Middle East strategy, the kingdom’s complicated position between Israel and the Palestinians, and the often-overlooked internal dynamics of Jordanian society: economic stagnation, youth frustration, corruption, tribal politics, recurring but stunted reform cycles, and the Muslim Brotherhood’s fraught relationship with the state.

We also explore Magid’s comparison of Abdullah with his father, King Hussein; the political implications of the 2021 Prince Hamzah affair; the Pandora Papers leaks and corruption in Jordan; King Abdullah approach to Israel/Palestine and the Gaza War; and the carefully managed public rollout of Crown Prince Hussein as the next monarch. Ultimately, the discussion interrogates the core tension of Abdullah’s legacy: a king celebrated abroad for moderation and stability, yet presiding over persistent domestic challenges and an increasingly weary public.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Justin Logan, Director of Defense and Foreign Policy Studies at the Cato Institute, for a deep-dive into the dangers of U.S.-led regime change in Venezuela. Logan discusses the new article he co-wrote with friend of the show Brandan Buck for The American Conservative, “Don’t Do It, Mr. President,” a forceful argument rooted in the foreign-policy tradition of realism and restraint.

Logan unpacks why he and Buck see the Trump administration’s escalating military posture—from a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the USS Gerald Ford carrier strike group—as a perilous slide toward yet another unnecessary intervention. We also examine the administration’s bogus claims about “drug boats” allegedly bound for the U.S., a flimsy public rationale that Logan and Buck argue doesn’t withstand even minimal scrutiny.

From there, the conversation shifts to the long, troubled history of U.S. involvement in Latin America and the legacy of the Monroe Doctrine; why Venezuela, a country twice the size of Iraq with a loyal military, would be an extraordinarily difficult and dangerous target for regime change; and how the lessons of Iraq and Libya loom ominously in the background. Logan and Buck’s analysis stands as a welcome antidote to the neoconservative saber-rattling typified by Bret Stephens’s New York Times op-ed, “The Case for Overthrowing Maduro.”

Throughout the discussion, Logan offers a grounded reminder of why military adventurism contradicts the very promises Trump made about ending wars; and why Venezuelan regime change would almost certainly worsen the very problems Washington claims it wants to solve.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, independent journalist James Dorsey of The Turbulent World with James Dorsey returns for our regular Middle East update. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss the historic visit of Al-Sharaa to Washington and what it signals for U.S.–Syria relations, the internal ethno-religious divides within Syria, and the concerns of Alawite minorities amid shifting regional dynamics.

We then turn to Mohammed bin Salman’s Saudi Arabia, where a push toward economic and cultural liberalization coexists uneasily with continued political repression.

From there, we unpack the tenuous Gaza ceasefire, examining why some see it as farcical, how Israel’s long-term right-wing radicalization complicates peace efforts, and the internal divisions within the Palestinian world that further muddy the waters.

Finally, we explore the emerging MAGA split on Israel—how evangelical Christians, particularly in the Global South, are no longer uniformly pro-Israel; and how segments of the MAGA movement are expressing a mix of Islamophobia and antisemitism, reframing their stance on Israel in troubling ways.

As always, James Dorsey brings deep insight and context to a region where politics, religion, and power intersect in volatile and unexpected ways.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, writer, scholar, and activist Omar Zahzah, author of Terms of Servitude: Zionism, Silicon Valley, and Digital Settler Colonialism in the Palestinian Liberation Struggle. Zahzah discusses how he came to explore the intersection of Big Tech and Zionism, arguing that Silicon Valley’s digital infrastructure is censoring pro-Palestinian voices.

The conversation delves into how tech giants collaborate with Israeli interests, the emergence Balaji Srinivasan's “Tech Zionism,” and how platforms like Meta and X weaponize algorithms and vague “community guidelines” to suppress Palestinian voices through censorship and shadow banning. Zahzah also examines AI-driven tools like Lavender, the broader implications of digital repression, and how recent reports of Hollywood blacklists echo the politics of silencing seen across digital platforms.

It's a conversation dealing with Israel/Palestine, social media and digital platform, and free speech on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, film writer and critic Nathan Wardinski, author of Dissecting Cannibal Holocaust, joins me for a spooky season deep dive into one of the most infamous, controversial, and, perhaps, critically misunderstood films in horror history. We explore how Ruggero Deodato’s Cannibal Holocaust defies easy categorization within either progressive or conservative politics — a film that seeks to explode racist hierarchies even as it offers a bleak, reactionary view of human nature. For Deodato’s jungle nightmare, civilization itself is just a thin facade: whether “modern” or “primitive,” we are all savages beneath the surface.

Wardinski and I also unpack the film’s unique structure, the enduring myth that Deodato and his crew were tried for murder due to the film’s realism, and the strange, lifelong relationship the director had with his most notorious work. In the final portion of the conversation, we tackle one of the film’s most controversial aspects — the onscreen animal slaughter — clarifying the difference between slaughter and cruelty, and placing Cannibal Holocaust within a larger cinematic and cultural context where animals have been killed on camera, from ethnographic films to even mainstream television. Some of the portion of the discussion is in the earlier part of the conversation, but most of it is back-ended to the final 10 or so minutes for the benefit of listeners who may not want to hear about that aspect of the film due to the subject matter.

It’s a challenging conversation — one that asks uncomfortable questions about art, exploitation, and our own complicity as viewers.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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On this edition of the Parallax Views spooky season series, we dive into the world of Ed and Lorraine Warren, the infamous paranormal investigators whose cases inspired the Conjuring films. The Warrens became household names for claiming to confront ghostly hauntings, demonic possession, and other supernatural phenomena—including their involvement in the notorious Amityville haunting—but their legacy is controversial, blending storytelling, spectacle, and a heavy dose of sensationalism. They have also faced accusations of exploiting vulnerable people for fame and profit. Nonetheless, The Conjuring series has become a Hollywood juggernaut, captivating audiences and shaping pop culture’s view of the paranormal.

With the release of The Conjuring: Last Rites, the final film in the franchise, interest in the Warrens is hotter than ever. In this episode, skeptical paranormal investigator Benjamin Radford of the Skeptical Inquirer offers a dissenting take, unpacking the problems with the Warrens’ cases and explaining how their work intersects with Satanic Panic-era hysteria. We also explore how these patterns of belief and fear echo in modern conspiracy cultures like QAnon.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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This spooky season on Parallax Views, we venture behind the Iron Curtain with historian Alexander Herbert, author of Fear Before the Fall: Horror Films in the Late Soviet Union. Herbert uncovers a hidden world of Soviet horror cinema — films that reflected the fears, contradictions, and collapsing certainties of late socialism.

We talk about Viy (1967), the first officially Soviet horror movie and a chilling adaptation of Nikolai Gogol’s tale about a terrified seminarian forced to pray over a witch’s corpse. From there, Herbert explores how later Soviet filmmakers created movies that were either horror or horror-adjacent. It's an exploration of a rather unexplored topic.

It’s a conversation about horror, history, and ideology — and how the Soviet Union’s final decades produced some of the most fascinating and overlooked genre films ever made.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our annual Spooky Season series with a chilling deep dive into one of Hollywood’s most infamous real-life tragedies — the Twilight Zone: The Movie helicopter crash. Journalist Steve Chain, author of Fly By Night: The Secret Story of Steven Spielberg, Warner Bros., and the Twilight Zone Deaths, joins the show to uncover the haunting true story that forever changed the film industry.

Chain’s explosive investigation revisits the 1982 disaster that claimed the lives of actor Vic Morrow and two children on set — and the five-year legal battle that followed. Was it a tragic accident, or was there a cover-up to protect some of Hollywood’s most powerful names, including John Landis and Steven Spielberg? Chain pulls back the curtain on the shocking evidence, courtroom drama, and corporate maneuvering behind one of Tinseltown’s darkest chapters.

As part of Parallax Views’ spooky season lineup, this episode isn’t about ghosts or monsters — it’s about real-life horror: power, negligence, and the human cost of spectacle. If you’re fascinated by true crime, Hollywood scandals, media history, or the eerie intersection of fame and tragedy, you won’t want to miss this one.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our Halloween “spooky season” series with an episode exploring how true crime stories—particularly those involving serial killers—are brought to life on screen. Screenwriter Stephen Johnston joins the show to discuss the process of writing films about notorious figures like Ed Gein, Ted Bundy, and The Hillside Stranglers (Angelo Buono and Kenneth Bianchi).

Johnston’s screenwriting credits include Chuck Parello’s Ed Gein (2000; aka In the Light of the Moon), starring Steve Railsback (known for his portrayal of Charles Manson in the 1976 TV film Helter Skelter) and Carrie Snodgress (Diary of a Mad Housewife); Matthew Bright’s darkly comic and controversial Ted Bundy (2002); and Parello’s The Hillside Strangler (2004), featuring C. Thomas Howell (Red Dawn) and Nicolas Turturro (NYPD Blue).

Most recently, Johnston wrote the screenplay for Chad Ferrin’s Ed Kemper, a biopic about “The Co-Ed Killer” that received its video-on-demand (VOD) release earlier this year.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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The Parallax Views spooky season series continues with a brand-new Halloween treat! Host J.G. Michael unearths a never-before-released conversation with Jason Nunes — a behind-the-scenes veteran of ’90s horror and B-movie filmmaking whose art department credits include NECRONOMICON: BOOK OF THE DEAD, LEPRECHAUN 2, PUMPKINHEAD II: BLOOD WINGS, RETURN OF THE LIVING DEAD III, and GHOULIES IV.

Nunes shares fascinating stories about the challenges and creativity of bringing low-budget horror films to life — from improvised effects and set design ingenuity to the unpredictable energy of 1990s horror production. He also offers firsthand memories of working with Warwick Davis, Brian Yuzna, Melinda Clarke, Richard Lynch, Screaming Mad George, Mickey Rooney, Bruce Payne, David Warner, and others, plus surprising anecdotes involving Corey Haim, Matt Damon, and Tobey Maguire. Oh, and we talk about the craziness of working with Jim Wynorski on Ghoulies IV!

Perfect for Halloween, this episode dives deep into the world of cult horror, practical effects, and the art department magic that defined a generation of B-movie filmmaking.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our annual Halloween “spooky season” episodes with Marta McDowell, author of Gardening Can Be Murder: How Poisonous Poppies, Sinister Shovels, and Grim Gardens Have Inspired Mystery Writers. McDowell, known for her books connecting literature and horticulture, turns her attention to crime fiction and shows how gardens, plants, and gardeners themselves have played a surprisingly sinister role in the mystery tradition. From poisonous blooms slipped into a cup of tea to trowels and hedges concealing dark secrets, McDowell explores how the world of horticulture has provided inspiration, atmosphere, and even murder weapons for generations of writers. In this conversation, we discuss why gardens make such fertile ground for crime stories, how botany intersects with the genre’s history, and what these recurring motifs reveal about cultural attitudes towards nature, danger, and death.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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On this edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael speaks with journalist and activist Hadas Thier, author of A People’s Guide to Capitalism: An Introduction to Marxist Economics, about her recent Nation magazine article, “How DSA Built Zohran Mamdani’s Electoral Machine.”

In this in-depth conversation, Thier breaks down how the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) powered Zohran Mamdani’s groundbreaking mayoral campaign in New York City, transforming it into a model for grassroots political organizing. She explains how DSA’s field-first strategy, volunteer-driven infrastructure, and commitment to democratic socialist politics built one of the most effective electoral machines in the country—mobilizing over 50,000 volunteers, knocking on millions of doors, and reshaping NYC’s political landscape.

J.G. and Hadas also explore what Mamdani’s victory means for the future of the left, working-class politics, and progressive movements across the United States. Could DSA’s organizing model become a roadmap for challenging the Democratic establishment nationwide?

Tune in for a timely discussion on DSA, Zohran Mamdani, democratic socialism, and the new era of grassroots political power in America.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, the Quincy Institute's Middle East program research fellow Dr. Annelle Sheline, known for resigning from the State Department over the Biden administration's handling of Gaza, returns to the program to discuss Trump, Israel, and the Gaza "peace talks" taking place in Egypt. She argues that these "peace talks" are a facade. We also discuss a number of topics related to Gaza and Israel including the way in which Israel's two year war has not brought back any hostages, the figure of Marwan Barghouti as a potential unifying figure amongst Palestinians, the corruption of the Palestinian Authority, report that Trump is fed up with Netanyahu and skepticism towards those reports, the changing relationship between the Gulf monarchy states and Israel, the incredible amount of death and destruction that has been wrought on Gaza in the past two years, and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli dissident commentator Ori Goldberg returns to discuss the current situation in Israel, Gaza, and the West Bank amid the U.S. President’s push for a Gaza peace deal. A frequent guest since the October 7th attacks and the subsequent bombing campaign, Goldberg offers insight into how Trump and the Gulf monarchies are growing increasingly frustrated with Israel—even without much sympathy for Palestinians.

We explore the dynamics of Israeli protests against the Gaza war and Goldberg’s analysis of the psychology driving the Israeli body politic. He also examines the rise of the Qatari/Iranian psyop conspiracy theory—the claim that graphic images from Gaza are fabrications meant to stoke anti-Israel sentiment—a narrative now spreading beyond Israel and recently echoed by Van Jones on Bill Maher’s Real Time.

Goldberg further critiques the alliances between pro-Israel figures and anti-Islam activists like Tommy Robinson, describing an “Alex Jones-ification” of Israeli politics centered on the “Islamo-wokeism” conspiracy theory, which portrays Islamists and the left as conspiring to destroy the West with Israel as the last line of defense. Along the way, he offers sharp criticisms of not only Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israeli right, but also Israeli liberals. The subject of Israeli settlers in the West Bank is also discussed.

All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our annual Halloween "spooky season" series with a previously unreleased, wide-ranging conversation with Stephen Biro — filmmaker, writer, and the driving force behind the boutique cult label Unearthed Films. Known for bringing some of the most infamous extreme horror titles to audiences worldwide, Biro joins us for a wide-ranging discussion that veers from the psychedelic to the grotesque. Some of the conversation may not be for the faint of heart as we delve into why some people are drawn toward extreme horror like A Serbian Film or the Japanese Guinea Pig movies. We begin the conversation, however, talking about Biro's experiences tripping on LSD. After that we go all over the place discussing the old underground/bootleg tape trading circuit of the pre-streaming era, the world of boutique labels and how they're run, and how Stephen Biro brough Hong Kong's notorious "Category III" (essentially NC-17) movies like Herman Yau's shocker THE UNTOLD STORY, featuring an award-winning performance by Anthony Wong, to a wider audience in the U.S. We also go into some pretty weird tangents about all kinds of dark subject matter including the question of whether or not snuff is real, how Illuminati conspiracy theories influenced extreme horror movies like the American Guinea Pig movies, recent Unearthed Films titles like the Henry Lee Lucas biopic Confessions of a Serial Killer and the long-awaited anthology The Profane Exhibit (featuring such stalwart filmmakers of the genre as Cannibal Holocaust's Ruggero Deodato, the controversial Uwe Boll, Spanish filmmaking maverick Nacho Vigalondo, and others), body modification and Biro's script to an unmade sequel to Brian Yuzna's body horror cult classic Society, Srdjan Spasojevic's A Serbian Film and Biro's documentary on it called A Serbian Documentary, and much, much more. Again, this episode is about extreme horror movies so proceed with caution if you're squeamish.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we begin our annual "Spooky Season" Halloween countdown with a chilling true crime story that shows how online conspiracy theories can spiral into dangerous cults — and even death. Journalist Tony Russo joins us to discuss his book Dragged into the Light: Truthers, Reptilians, Super Soldiers & Death Inside an Online Cult. Before QAnon captured headlines, there was Sherry Shriner, a self-styled online prophet whose bizarre mix of Bible prophecy, reptilian shapeshifter & super soldier conspiracies, and “orgone energy”— a mystical life force Shriner promoted as being able to fight demons, UFOs, clones, and "synthetic robotoids" — built a digital following with deadly consequences.

Russo — also featured in Season 2 of VICE’s The Devil You Know — unravels the disturbing saga of how Shriner manipulated followers through online talk radio, social media, and her infamous website, The Watcher Files. At the heart of this story are two tragedies: the 2017 killing of Steven Mineo, which left his girlfriend Barbara Rogers facing a murder charge, and the earlier 2012 death of 22-year-old Kelly Pingilley, a devoted Shriner follower who was found dead while wearing one of the cult’s “orgone” pendants. These cases reveal how apocalyptic paranoia and online manipulation can lead not only to broken lives but to fatal consequences.

Music by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio - Track: "Exorcism"

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In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, I speak with renowned foreign policy expert Vali Nasr about his book Iran’s Grand Strategy: A Political History. We examine the historical roots of Iran’s political and strategic thinking, from the Persian Empire to the modern Islamic Republic, and explore how ideology, geopolitics, and domestic politics shape Iran’s approach to the world. Nasr explains how Iran perceives the United States and its foreign policy, and how this perception informs Tehran’s dealings with the U.S., its own diplomacy, and its long-term strategy. He also offers a reassessment of the 1953 Iranian coup d’état, arguing that while the U.S. supported it, the coup itself emerged organically from Iranian political dynamics. And yes, we will discuss the issue of Iran and its nuclear program, including what the strike against Fordow nuclear site entails for Iran.

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Apologies for background, but it was raining at Dorsey's house in Singapore.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israel continues bombing Gaza, Houthis launch a drone strike on the Israeli city of Eilat, Israel conducts airstrikes in Doha, Qatar, the Gaza aid flotilla is being swarmed by Israel according to crew, and European states are recognizing Palestinian statehood. A lot is going on in terms of the Middle East and especially Israel Palestine. James M. Dorsey of the Turbulent World blog/Substack, a longtime scholarly commenter on the Middle East, returns to break it all down and discuss a number of topics including the two-state solution vs. the one-state solution vs. the one-state reality, Gulf and Arab states now seeing Israel as a bigger security threat than Israel, Israel's attack on a compound in Gaza that killed members of the Doghmush clan and its implications, Israeli spy Jonathan Pollard's Knesset run, problems with the Palestine Authority, Israel's West Bank annexation plans, and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, a previously unreleased conversation from July 2025 with Yale historian and legal scholar Samuel Moyn returns to the program to unpack the arguments in his recent Guardian article, “America is over neoliberalism and neoconservatism. Trump is not.”

Moyn argues that while Donald Trump has often been portrayed as an unprecedented break with American politics—whether as a populist challenger to the status quo or as an authoritarian threat—the reality is more complicated. Yes, Trump has moved in an authoritarian direction, from mass immigration roundups to open pandering to extremist forces. But at the same time, his administration has doubled down on the “zombie ideologies” of the past fifty years: neoliberalism in domestic policy and neoconservatism in foreign policy.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, a cross-over episode w/ Jason Myles' This is Revolution that was recorded last Thursday on the assassination of Charlie Kirk and what political violence in America means in the 21st century. This was recorded before many of the facts in the case were public, and deals more with the nature of political violence and its potential consequences in this turbulent moment of America's history.

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On this episode of Parallax Views, Charlotte Dennett, author of Follow the Pipelines: Uncovering the Mystery of a Lost Spy and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil, unpacks the high-stakes geopolitical and economic forces behind the war in Gaza. Drawing on decades of research—including declassified CIA documents connected to her father’s post-WWII counterintelligence work in the Middle East (who died in a mysterious plane crash)—Dennett explores how energy interests, infrastructure projects, and pipelines have shaped conflicts from the Arabian Peninsula to the Eastern Mediterranean in what she calls "The Great Game for Oil.

We discuss the so-called “Gaza post-war plan,” the IMEC pipeline linking India to Haifa, and how longstanding ambitions to transform Israel into a regional energy corridor intersect with war, displacement, and geopolitics. Dennett also traces surprising links between conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, and the broader web of financial, intelligence, and political interests that underlie modern crises.

Topics include:

• How energy infrastructure has influenced decades of Middle East policy.

• The “costs", including depopulation and military campaigns, associated with securing oil and gas reserves.

• The intersection of geopolitics, corporate interests, and intelligence operations from WWII to today.

• Connections between global conflicts, including Gaza and Ukraine, and "The Great Game for Oil".

• The GREAT (Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation) Trust plan
• And... The Jeffrey Epstein connection?

Supplementary Materials and Images to Help You Understand This Episode: Image:

Rendering of the GREAT Trust "Day After" plans for Gaza

Image: Netanyahu presenting controversial maps at the UN, Sept 2023, surprising delegates by omitting Palestine. The “curse” represents the so-called “Axis of Resistance,” while the “blessing” shows what appears to be the route (by red arrow) of the IMEC pipeline connecting India to Saudi Arabia and the port of Haifa.

Links:

The India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor: Connectivity in an era of geopolitical uncertainty - Atlantic Council

Let's Call the 'GREAT' Gaza Post-War Plan Exactly What It Is: Ethnic Cleansing - Zeteo

Netanyahu Presents Controversial Maps at UN, Surprising Everyone by Omitting Palestine | India.com

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Richard Silverstein joins us to discuss his reporting for Jacobin on the dramatic shift in American public opinion on Israel amid the ongoing civilian casualities in Gaza. For the first time ever, polls show more Americans support Palestinians than Israel, with majorities opposing U.S. arms shipments and the Democratic Party’s unconditional support for the Israeli state. Silverstein breaks down the IDF’s leaked internal report admitting failures in Gaza, highlighting poor strategic planning, ineffective operations, and the resilience of Hamas despite massive Israeli assaults. He also analyzes the so-called GREAT Trust plan— a postwar scheme framed as reconstruction but effectively a Trump-backed grift, offering Palestinians just $5,000 to leave while opening Gaza to luxury resorts, high-tech investments, and U.S.-administered “trusteeship” oversight, enriching private investors while displacing millions. We explore how these developments are reshaping U.S. politics, divisions within the Democratic Party, and the broader implications of it all.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with journalist and author Ross Halperin about his new book Bear Witness: The Pursuit of Justice in a Violent Land.

Halperin takes us deep into the Honduran barrio of Nueva Suyapa, where poverty and gang violence created a landscape of fear and impunity. At the heart of his narrative are Kurt Ver Beek, an American sociologist, and Carlos Hernández, a Honduran educator, who together founded the Association for a More Just Society (ASJ). Rejecting traditional models of charity, ASJ pursued justice through daring, sometimes clandestine, methods—taking on gangs, corrupt officials, and a failing state.

We discuss the book’s central themes: the moral compromises of activism, the dangers of confronting entrenched power, the role of faith in motivating social justice, and the question of whether justice is possible in places where institutions have collapsed. Along the way, we examine how Halperin’s reporting complicates tidy narratives about NGOs, reform, and the global fight against corruption.

Bear Witness has already drawn praise from writers like David Grann and Larissa MacFarquhar for its gripping, ethically charged storytelling. In this conversation, Halperin reflects on the limits of reform, the risks of speaking truth in violent lands, and what it really means to “bear witness.”

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On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist and author Daniel Lazare, author of The Frozen Republic: How the Constitution is Paralyzing Democracy, joins the show to dissect the forces behind Trumpism and the broader American political landscape. They explore why Lazare believes Trump is not a fascist, despite popular claims, and what his rise reveals about the collapse of liberal institutions. This does not, however, mean that Lazare think Trump is benign. Nor is he claiming that Trump isn't authoritarian. But the analysis can't of Trump, he argues, can't claim that the phenomena of Trumpism is alien to America. Lazare explains how the U.S. Constitution, far from being inherently protective of democracy, contains authoritarian mechanisms that have enabled the concentration of power.

The conversation also delves into Trump’s foreign policy, drawing parallels with Putin’s consolidation of power and the revival of Teddy Roosevelt’s “Big Stick” approach in a multipolar world. Lazare analyzes how neoliberal elites and cultural movements intended to strengthen their position have inadvertently fueled working-class resentment, contributing to Trump’s appeal.

This episode is a deep dive into the structural forces shaping contemporary American politics, the myths of “alien fascism,” and the real threats to democracy that come from within.

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Howard Stern has gone from a sleazy shock jock interviewing C-list celebrities to a pop culture icon whose a friend of Jimmy Kimmel and a judge on America's Got Talent. Not all of Howard's fanbase have stayed with him through thick and thin, however. In fact, a group of former fans have started a podcast called Radio Gunk dedicated to exposing what they see as the alt-radio host's hypocrisy. Radio Gunk's Monique joins us to discuss the podcast and her journey from Howard fanatic to Stern critic.

Howard Stern has been feuding with shock jockette Wendy William who accused Howard of being a sell out recently

Monique and I begin the conversation by discussing the genesis of Radio Gunk. Then Monique turns the tables to ask why a non-Howard Stern listener like myself invited her onto the show. From there we delve into why the Radio Gunk crew have become ex-Howard Stern fans since Stern's famous jump from K-Rock to Sirius Radio. We then discuss a number of issues related to the hypocrisies of Howard Stern and even how Donald Trump and Howard Stern, who fancies himself as a feminist Democrat nowadays, have a lot in common.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist and war correspondent Tom Mutch, author of The Dogs of Mariupol: The Invasion of Ukraine and the Future of War, joins the show to discuss his frontline reporting on the Russia–Ukraine war and the hard lessons of a conflict that continues to reshape global politics.

We begin by revisiting the shocking first days of Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, when many in Moscow and the West assumed Ukraine would collapse within days. Why did so many analysts underestimate Ukraine’s resilience, and what explains the country’s remarkable ability to withstand Vladimir Putin’s assault?

From there, we examine how the war has evolved between 2022 and 2025—highlighting acts of courage by Ukrainian civilians and soldiers, but also the immense human cost of the conflict. Tom reflects on mistakes made by Ukraine and the West, including the absence of a coherent U.S. strategy for aiding Kyiv, and whether Washington’s focus has sometimes been more about weakening Russia than guaranteeing Ukraine’s territorial sovereignty. We also address difficult questions such as the controversial defense of Bakhmut, whether Ukraine committed critical tactical errors, and what the future may hold: negotiations, diplomacy, or total victory.

The conversation goes beyond Ukraine as well. We discuss the significance of Nagorno-Karabakh in understanding today’s revived great-power politics, and how the war in Gaza has negatively impacted Ukraine, especially as Israel's actions have come under scrutiny and undermined U.S. moral credibility as an arbiter of the global order.

Finally, Tom speaks to audiences split on the war—those skeptical of Ukraine’s continued fight and U.S. military aid, and those who strongly defend Kyiv’s efforts. While Mutch comes from a firmly pro-Ukraine perspective, he offers a nuanced and critical edge that challenges simplistic narratives on both sides of the debate. He also offers criticisms of the American right-wing's views on Ukraine, addresses controversies around the Azov Battalion and the cultural significance of WWII-era far-right figure Stepan Bandera in modern Ukraine, and more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Alex Jordan and Courtney Rawlings — hosts of the Quincy Institute’s foreign policy podcast Always at War — join the show for a hard-hitting conversation on some of the most urgent global issues. We discuss the deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where starvation is setting in and U.S. politicians have failed to halt the suffering or reconsider military aid to Israel. From there, we examine the rise of a multipolar world order, the dangers of unmanaged Great Power competition, and how smaller nations risk being trampled by larger powers.

We also break down the role of the U.S. national security state and the foreign policy “Blob” in eroding democratic governance, the connection between endless wars abroad and diminished freedoms at home, and how unaccountable institutions shape policy without public consent. The conversation concludes with a look at the Ukraine–Russia war, its global ramifications, and what it reveals about shifting geopolitical realities.

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In this explosive episode of Parallax Views, investigative journalist Jack Poulson joins host J.G. Michael to uncover the shadowy post-retirement career of Michael Anne Casey-Tyler, a former CIA official alleged to be one of the real-life inspirations behind Jessica Chastain’s character “Maya” in Zero Dark Thirty. She's also for her controversial role in the CIA’s Bin Laden Issue Station, namely being accused of blocking critical 9/11 intelligence from reaching the FBI. Now Casey-Tyler has resurfaced in the private sector and her latest affiliations are raising eyebrows.

Poulson breaks down his bombshell reporting on how Casey-Tyler consulted with McNally Capital, a private equity firm that now has an “economic interest” in Safe Reach Solutions, the security partner behind the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a militarized aid operation accused of facilitating the deaths of over 600 Palestinians and providing cover for Israeli displacement efforts.

We dive deep into:

• Connections between former intelligence officials and militarized humanitarian aid

• The role of private military contractors like Safe Reach Solutions and UG Solutions

• How McNally Capital and Orbis Operations are profiting from crisis zones

• The controversies around the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which is being called a “fig leaf for further violence” by UN officials

Is humanitarian aid being weaponized? Is the post-CIA private sector creating a new form of covert empire? And what do these shadowy networks say about the future of war, intelligence, and privatized power?

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On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Eric Margolis returns to discuss his articles "The Honey Trap on East 71st" and, more recently, "The Epstein Scandal". Margolis recounts his experience at a luncheon hosted by Epstein at his palatial residence on East 71st Street in New York City. Margolis was offered a 'massage' soon after arriving at Epstein's house, and was puzzled by it. As someone who'd spent time in Russia and dealt with KGB, he immediately believed that this was a honey trap. That is to say, an operation to get kompromat on prominent, influential, and powerful individuals through sexual liasons. Margolis believes that at the heart of the Epstein scandal is espionage, specifically an intelligence operation, and blackmail. He also speculates that Israeli intelligence fingerprints are all over the case. We discussed all of this as well as the Jonathan Pollard spying case, the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal (which has received renewed attention due to an article entitled "Did Benjamin Netanyahu Blackmail Bill Clinton Over the Monica Lewinsky Sex Tapes?" by Ryan Grim at Drop Site News), and more.

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In the wake of Hulk Hogan’s death, this episode of Parallax Views looks past the familiar WWE narrative to uncover the real history of professional wrestling’s popularity—before, during, and after Hulkamania. Wrestling historian Matt Farmer joins us to explore the career of Hulk Hogan—from his early days in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling Association and Japan as well as his first WWE run to the meteoric rise of "Hulkmania" as a phenomenon that took America by storm— and assess his legacy as it pertain to the wrestling. Additionally, you'll hear Farmer discuss the days of pro wrestling prior to Vince McMahon's national expansion of the WWE. Farmer gives an insight into the landscape of wrestling before Hogan, how it marked by regional territories run by various promoters, and its overlooked popularity in the pre-Hulkmania era.

We examine the massive crowds and box office success of stars like Jim Londos, Rikidōzan, and Bruno Sammartino, who sold out arenas and stadiums long before the WWF’s national expansion in the 1980s. At the same time, Farmer doesn’t deny Hogan’s genuine drawing power. He talks about how Hogan became a cultural icon, one of pro wrestling's biggest box office attraction of all time and played a key role in fundamentally transforming wrestling during the cable TV boom. We'll also discuss the factors that led to Vince McMahon and WWE's national expansion, the target audience of the WWE during the Hulkamania era, how McMahon having access to the New York market gave him a structural advantage in his pursuits, and much, much more.

But what did the industry gain—and what did it lose? We look at the audience that faded away after Hogan’s massive rise to superstardom, and why history often forgets them. We also tackle the problem of revisionist history: how simplified corporate narratives rewrites wrestling’s past, erasing earlier eras and larger contexts in favor of a historically inaccurate and imprecise narratives about the profession's storied history. And not all the blame can be placed on WWE. That's part of it, but there's also the issue of how institutions didn't exist after the territories fell to McMahon's national expansion to preserve collective memory. Additionally, Farmer explains how regional wrestling promoters played a role in the profession's history not always being preserved.

All that and much more in this edition of Parallax Views that should also be of interest to those interested in case studies of how history is remembered and forgotten as well as the reasons why oversimplified revisionism takes hold. In that sense, it's not just an episode about pro wrestling and Hulk Hogan, but historiography, hagiography, and the ways in which the two often butt heads like a grueling bout in the squared circle.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Matthew Ellis, a senior instructor in Portland State University's film and media studies program, joins the show to discuss, and more specifically demystify, the much celebrated "New Hollywood" period of American cinema. Don't be mistaken, this episode isn't an attack on the great films that came out of that period: Arthur Penn's Bonnie & Clyde, William Friedkin's Sorcerer, Haskell Wexler's Medium Cool, Francis Ford Coppola's The Godfather, Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange, Sam Peckinpah's The Wild Bunch, and Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull. It is, however, an attempt to look at the material and economic factors that led to this incredible period in American cinema. In other words, a material analysis. Coming from a Marxist perspective, Ellis is more than equipped to look at the ways in which economic forces influenced the trajectory that gave us New Hollywood. In that sense, this conversation is a look at the myths and realities of New Hollywood.

We discuss the birth of the modern blockbuster in the 1970s through Steven Spielberg's Jaws and George Lucas's Star Wars, the uses and abuses of Laura Mulvey's male gaze theory in film studies, the narrative about Michael Cimino's Heaven's Gate and the end of New Hollywood, Roger Corman and how B-movies paved the way for A-list 70s movies like Jaws, the auteur theory of cinema and criticisms of it, the Paramount drama series The Offer (which is about the development of Coppola's adaptation of Mario Puzo's The Godfather), the companies behind production and distribution in Hollywood vs. the hired hands (directors), how French director's viewed American filmmakers like John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock, neoliberalism and cinema, capitalism and the production of movies, the 1948 ruling that broke up the Hollywood studio system's monopoly on film production, Old Hollywood's producer unit system of production and the shift to the package unit system in the 1960s, and much, much more

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we dive deep into the 17th BRICS summit, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on July 6–7, 2025.

BRICS—originally made up of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa—is an bloc of emerging economies seeking to build an alternative to the U.S. global economic order outside traditional Western-dominated institutions. In recent years, BRICS has expanded to include countries like Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and the UAE, representing an even larger share of the Global South.

Journalist Michael Fox joins us to report on what he saw at the summit: Brazilian President Lula da Silva's words at the summit and what it says about BRICS vision, the question of global reform to address pressing international issues balanced with national sovereignty, de-dollarization, and more.

We also discuss the newly created BRICS Popular Council, a civil society forum designed to amplify grassroots voices from across the Global South and break down what the official BRICS Leaders’ Declaration tells us about the bloc’s evolving vision.

On this episode of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by writer and self-described film analyst Albert Lanier to discuss his work on the blog The Final Cut and his Retro Reviews website. We kick things off by exploring why Albert prefers the term “film analyst” over “movie reviewer,” delving into what it means to engage deeply with cinema rather than simply judge it.

From there, we dive into his thoughtful takes on:

• Psycho II, the surprising and often overlooked sequel to Hitchcock’s classic, and how it rethinks Norman Bates for a new era.

• Tobe Hooper’s Lifeforce, a wild blend of sci-fi, horror, and eroticism that could only have come out of the 80s.

• The heyday of raunchy 80s comedies, what they reflected about the culture at the time, and why they endure (or don’t).

• Split Image, a lesser-known thriller about cults that holds up as both a tense drama and a cultural artifact of its period.

It’s a conversation that ranges from cult cinema (and movies about cults) to the philosophy of film criticism, nostalgia, and why some forgotten gems deserve a second look.

On this edition of Parallax Views, George Beebe — Director of Grand Strategy at the Quincy Institute, former director of the CIA's Russia analysis, and a former  staff advisor on Russia matters to Vice President Dick Cheney — about the shifting architecture of global power and its impact on U.S. foreign policy.

We begin by unpacking the rise of multipolarity: what it really means for America, why it could encourage balance and restraint, and why it also carries serious risks of miscalculation and instability.

From there, we turn to the surprising recent signs of frustration between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and what that might portend for the grinding, entrenched nature of the Russia-Ukraine war.

We explore potential pathways to negotiation, asking what concessions would be unacceptable for either side — and what a settlement might look like from a realist perspective. Throughout, Beebe draws on his background in the realist school to argue for understanding geopolitical interests without morally excusing aggression.

It’s a conversation that moves beyond daily headlines to consider how shifting power dynamics, great-power rivalry, and hard strategic choices could shape the next phase of the war — and the world order that follows.

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On this episode of Parallax Views, J.G. spoke with Lev Parnas—former Trump insider turned whistleblower—for an unfiltered conversation about Donald Trump, Jeffrey Epstein, and the transactional world of MAGA politics. For many, Parnas is a controversial figure. Some hail him as a whistleblower, others question his credibility due to his conviction related to campaign finance crimes. His story involves working with Rudy Guiliani for the Trump campaign and going to Ukraine to dig up dirt on the Biden family. Parnas will be in D.C. soon to receive the Pillar Award at the Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival on July 30th, and he plans to speak with beltway congressmen and power players while in town.

Lev reveals how he broke away from what he calls the "MAGA cult" and offers an insider’s view of Trump not as a foreign agent, but as a useful idiot—a figure driven by self-interest and easily manipulated by others. We discuss Trump's shadowy dealings with the UAE, Gulf States, and other foreign nations, and how figures like RFK Jr. and JD Vance are carving out their own opportunistic lanes ahead of the next election.

But the real bombshell? Lev goes in-depth on his latest explosive article about Trump's alleged cover-up efforts around the Epstein scandal. He explains why he believes U.S. Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche—once Paul Manafort's lawyer and his own legal adversary—is now being sent in as, in Lev's words, "Trump's fixer" to meet with Ghislaine Maxwell. Lev argues this isn’t about justice, but about controlling the narrative, burying the truth, and shielding powerful elites linked to Epstein’s trafficking network.

We also talk about Trump’s move to disavow outraged MAGA supporters after Epstein files remained sealed, the rumored rift between Trump and Dan Bongino, and why Lev sees this as part of a much larger strategy to protect Trump and powerful figures associated with him.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Chris Lehmann, D.C. Bureau Chief at The Nation, joins the program to unpack the unraveling of Trump’s deep‑state narratives — and how it could spark fractures within his own movement.

At the heart of our conversation: Trump’s handling of the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. Faced with mounting pressure from the QAnon‑influenced wing of MAGA — who’ve long treated “the Epstein client list” as proof of a hidden global cabal — Trump recently pivoted to claiming the list exists but was fabricated by Obama and the Democrats. Lehmann explains how Trump's moves in relation to Epstein threatens to alienate the very conspiratorial base that, for years, functioned almost like a religious movement around Trump, providing meaning and a sense of cosmic struggle.

We explore how this moment reveals deeper tensions: what once unified the MAGA coalition is now splintering into paranoia and internal suspicion — setting the stage for a potential “MAGA civil war.”

From there, we dive into Lehmann’s other recent piece on Trump’s omnibus “Big Beautiful Bill,” which quietly funnels billions into ICE and federal law enforcement — constructing the scaffolding of an unprecedented police state, largely unnoticed amid the media circus.

Finally, we turn to the Democratic Party’s failures: why their reluctance to engage on issues like immigration and their procedural, visionless opposition have helped clear the path for authoritarian expansion.

Together, we trace how conspiracy, disillusionment, and institutional power are converging — and what that might mean for America’s political future.

Further reading:

Trump’s Deep-State Conspiracy Theories Are Getting Beyond His Control | The Nation

Trump’s Big Bill Is Building a Big Police State | The Nation

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On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Klaus Marre—senior editor for Politics and director of the Mentor Apprentice Program at WhoWhatWhy—joins the show to explore rising tensions inside the MAGA movement over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal and whether it could spark a kind of “MAGA Civil War.”

Recently, Donald Trump has publicly dismissed supporters still demanding answers about the Epstein case. Meanwhile, the FBI and DOJ insist there’s nothing more to investigate and no secret “client list.” Some MAGA influencers have rushed to defend Trump or shifted blame to figures like Pam Bondi—but at the grassroots level, frustration and disillusionment with Trump appear to be growing.

Klaus breaks down what his reporting reveals about this internal MAGA divide, analyzes how the right‑wing media and propaganda ecosystem shape the narrative, and offers a critical look at how Democrats have mishandled both the Epstein issue and America’s deepening economic inequality.

Further reading:

Flailing Trump Disavows His Core Supporters Over ‘Epstein Hoax’ - WhoWhatWhy

GOP, Fox, MAGA Influencers Comply With Trump’s Directive to Move on From Epstein - WhoWhatWhy

A Golden Opportunity for Democrats Arises After Trump Bungles Epstein Response - WhoWhatWhy

Trump Tries New Tactic to Distract MAGA Base From Epstein - WhoWhatWhy

Epstein Question Rattles Trump - WhoWhatWhy

FBI’s ‘Nothing to See Here’ Epstein Memo Will Surely Placate MAGA Faithful - WhoWhatWhy

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On this edition of Parallax Views, the Center for Economic and Policy Research's Dean Baker, author of the "Beat the Press" blog at the aforementioned CEPR, joins the program to discuss President Donald Trump's Big Beautiful Bill, Zohran Mamdani's Mayoral primary win against Andrew Cuomo, and how the political status quo rigs the market in favor of the rich. A good deal of this conversation is centered on market myths, particularly what Baker sees as the pernicious myth that Republicans hate government and love free markets. On the contrary, Baker argues that Republican love government as long as it benefits monopolistic corporate power. Government, he argues, always shapes the economy and that markets need government to exist regardless of whether you're a conservative, progressive, or centrist on domestic economic issues.

We also discuss Trumponomics vs. Bidenomics, Biden's CHIPS and Science Act, Trump's tax cuts for the rich, Ezra Klein and the Abundance Movement, the Biden era NLRB (National Labor Relations Board) and Lina Khan-led FTC (Federal Trade Commission), Donald Trump and faux populism, Baker's defense of Biden's domestic economic policies, Trump's Medicaid and food assistance program cuts, understanding the issue of monopolies through the example of patent and copyright laws, non-competes and monopoly power, Baker's critique of Trump's tariffs policies, addressing Trump's so-called "populist measures in the "Big Beautiful Bill" (no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, no taxes on Social Security, and the tax deduction for interest on new car loans), inertia and laziness as a major cause of distortion in policy discussions, MAGA's desire to see manufacturing brought back to the United States, whether or not Trump is a continuation or break with the GOP, Trump's push for full employment policies in his first term, the problem with how status quo Democrats are approaching politics today, and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, urban theorist Joel Kotkin, author of The New Class Conflict and The Coming of Neo-Feudalism: A Warning to the Global Middle Class, to discuss his provocative UnHerd article, "Beware the New Eugenics." Together, they explore how today’s tech billionaires and Silicon Valley elites are reviving dangerous eugenic ideas—not through government programs, but through cutting-edge AI, gene editing, cloning, and transhumanist ideology.

Kotkin argues that the new eugenics movement and posthuman-focused big tech, driven by figures like Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Sam Altman, and Ray Kurzweil, threatens core humanist values: democracy, family, religion, and human dignity. Rather than enriching culture and community, Big Tech promotes an anti-humanist, dehumanizing vision that sees people as superfluous beings to be optimized or replaced artificial intelligence or machines.

Key topics we discuss:

• Big Tech’s cultural impact in the Bay Area and beyond

• The bipartisan danger within Silicon Valley (as in: both on the "right" and the "left" worlds of big tech politically) of fetishizing technology over humanity

• Historical parallels with past ideologies that sought to engineer a “better” human

• Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, the "Pleasure Principle", and Silicon Valley today

• Curtis Yarvin, aka Mencius Moldbug, and the techno-oligarchic right-wing in Silicon Valley

• Silicon Valley's desire to replace workers

If you're concerned about the rise of AI, transhumanism, and tech-driven efforts to reshape society, this conversation is essential listening.

Additionally, Joel gives his thoughts on the state of media and why he writes for more conservative leaning outlets, his criticisms of Donald Trump and his 2024 op-ed "The Phony Populism of [Kamala] Harris and [Donald] Trump", knowing Trump's unsavory characteristics from being a New Yorker and how Trump ultimately thinks like a rich man, thoughts on Bernie Sanders, and more.

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In this episode of Parallax Views, former senior CIA analyst and national security expert Paul R. Pillar returns to break down his latest article, “Trump’s use and misuse of Iran intel,” published in Responsible Statecraft. We explore how the Trump administration clashed with U.S. intelligence threat assessments over Iran, the problem with threat exaggeration/threat inflation, and Trump's attempt shape public perception of the Iranian nuclear threat—and how these strategies may backfire on both Trump and the U.S. in the future.

Pillar explains that within a single week, President Trump clashed with U.S. intelligence assessments on Iran in two contradictory ways—first by dismissing the Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and the intelligence community’s conclusion that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon, and then by rejecting internal Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessments suggesting that U.S. airstrikes had only set back Iran’s nuclear program by a few months. In both cases, Trump disregarded intelligence that didn’t serve his political narrative. Rather than responding to sober analysis, he sought to craft a storyline in which he faced down an imminent threat and eliminated it through decisive military action—regardless of what the intelligence actually showed. And now, Trump is going to be left in a conundrum if the DIA assessments are correct and Iran seeks to build nuclear weapons in the course of his term, especially after having declared that the capabilities had been "totally obliterated" with the strikes on Fordow and other Iranian nuclear sites.

Topics discussed include:

• How intelligence cherry-picking in this case echoes the WMD fiasco in Iraq

• The need for discourse about Iran's intentions vs. its capabilities

• Why Trump’s narrative of “obliteration” may put him in a political bind if Iran’s nuclear capability proves resilient

• The high likelihood that U.S. and Israeli strikes will accelerate Iran’s nuclear pursuits, rather than deter them

• The crucial distinction between capabilities and intentions in intelligence analysis—and why the latter is so easily politicized

• The enduring damage of the Right’s “mad mullahs” myth, which portrays Iran as irrational and suicidal, undermining effective policy and accurate assessments

• How Israel’s selective intelligence leaks are used to pressure U.S. policymakers into military escalation

We also examine the fallout for the IAEA’s monitoring capabilities; arch-neocon Robert Kagan's belief that a war with Iran is foolish because 1.) Iran is not a threat to the U.S., and 2.) it could empower authoritarian power grabs in the U.S. domestically by the administration; and more.

This is a vital conversation for anyone concerned about U.S. foreign policy, Middle East strategy, national security, and the future of intelligence integrity.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we examine how the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF)—an Israeli-backed and U.S.-funded aid initiative—is being accused of turning famine relief in Gaza into a real-life Squid Game. The allegation is disturbing: a chilling “Red Light, Green Light Game” scenario wherein starving Palestinian civilians are being forced to approach GHF aid distribution centers for food, only to risk being shot by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) securing the sites. These centers are operated with the help of armed American private military contractors, and as of late May, more than 580 Palestinians have reportedly been killed at or near them. The most shocking detail? The U.S. State Department has contributed $30 million to support this controversial operation. Worth noting is the fact thatthe controversies surrounding the GHF aren't the domain of the so-called "fringe". They've have been covered by mainstream outlets like the Haaretz and the Associated Press. Moreover, humanitarian groups have raised questions about how the GHF operates.

Joining us is investigative journalist Stavroula Pabst, whose Responsible Statecraft article reveals that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation is not a neutral NGO, but a project conceived by Israeli officials, backed by Israeli tech investors, allegedly tied to Mossad, and implemented with the involvement of U.S. private military firms linked to the CIA. Together, we explore how the scandalous bloodbaths that have occured at or near GHF aid centers, GHF's PR campaign, and the U.S. backing of the operation.

This episode dives into what appears to be the dangerous merging of humanitarian aid, military strategy, and public relations, raising urgent questions about war crimes, U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East, and the erosion of international humanitarian norms.

Stavroula's article: "Is the US now funding the bloodbath at Gaza aid centers? | Responsible Statecraft"

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

🎙️ 4TH OF JULY SPECIAL

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On this edition of Parallax Views, acclaimed author and Pulitzer Prize–winner Viet Thanh Nguyen, author fo the hit novel The Sympathizer, joins us to discuss his powerful new essay in The Nation, “Greater America Has Been Exporting Disunion for Decades.” We explore how U.S. foreign policy—past and present—continues to shape not only global politics but domestic disunion.

Nguyen draws on his recent trip to El Salvador to examine the enduring legacies of U.S.-backed wars, the violence of counterinsurgency, and how authoritarian leaders like Nayib Bukele are now being embraced by American officials like Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Donald Trump himself.

We unpack the idea of “Greater America” as a project of imperial ambition, mass incarceration, and historical amnesia—from the El Mozote massacre to the Phoenix Program, COINTELPRO, and modern immigration policy. Nguyen also reflects on what it means to be a refugee in a country responsible for your displacement, and why genuine patriotism requires memory, grief, and dissent, not myth or denial.

This wide-ranging conversation delves into empire, memory, war crimes, refugee identity, authoritarianism, and the feedback loop between U.S. intervention abroad and repression at home.

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

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On this episode of Parallax Views, Jeet Heer, National Affairs correspondent for The Nation, joins us to unpack the political shockwaves of Zohran Mamdani’s insurgent victory in the NYC Democratic Party Mayoral primaries and explore how Peter Thiel’s techno-utopianism reveals the billionaire class’s growing estrangement from humanity.

We dig into the political earthquake that is Zohran Mamdani’s mayoral primary win—not just as an electoral upset, but as a harbinger of deeper cracks in the Democratic Party establishment. Jeet Heer argues that Mamdani’s triumph over Andrew Cuomo wasn’t just a personal victory; it exposed the weakness, exhaustion, and disconnect of a party elite clinging to outdated strategies and fading legitimacy. We talk about what this means for the future of progressive politics and how Mamdani’s insurgency could signal a turning point for the Democratic Party. Specifically, we look at Mamdani's class-first focus in his campaign, the failure of Cuomo's campaign to conflate anti-Zionism with antisemitism, the billionaire class's opposition to Mamdani, the failings of Establishment Democrats and their 90s-style Clinton centrism, and much, much more.

In the second half of the conversation, we turn to Jeet Heer’s piercing critique of Peter Thiel and the billionaire class’s growing detachment from humanity. Drawing on Thiel’s recent interview with Ross Douthat, Heer explores how figures like Thiel have come to see themselves as post-human visionaries—disillusioned with democracy, disdainful of the masses, and obsessed with transcendence through AI and technology. We examine Thiel’s cultural diagnosis of Western “stagnation,” his bizarre fixation on the 1960s counterculture (hippies and Charles Manson!) and Greta Thunberg as "The Antichrist", and how his worldview reflects a deeper malaise among the ultra-wealthy. We also delve into why Douthat and other religiously minded or Christian folks, conservative or otherwise, are wary of Thiel and the techno-libertarian vision that some are calling techno-feudalism. We'll also touch upon the desire of tech billionaires to seemingly be "Kings" that rule over the masses with an Orwellian surveillance state apparatus and how this actually betrays the libertarian notions they claim to support. And yes, we briefly mention Curtis Yarvin (aka Mencius Moldbug) and Palantir among other matters. For Heer, the danger isn’t just Thiel’s eccentric futurism—it’s that this nihilistic techno-libertarianism is shaping real political and economic power.

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

Support independent media and critical journalism by donating to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

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On this edition of Parallax Views, libertarian author and critic James Bovard joins J.G. Michael to unpack Donald Trump’s recent bombing of Iran through the lens of “presidential absolutism.” Bovard argues that what appears to be unprecedented aggression is actually the culmination of decades-long erosion of constitutional checks—originating with Bush’s post‑9/11 AUMF and expansive signing statements, continuing through Obama’s targeted drone strikes on U.S. citizens like Anwar al‑Awlaki, and through congressional acquiescence to war powers abuses. Some have called this the trend of the "Imperial Presidency".

• From AUMF to Imperial Office – How the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force became a blank check for successive presidents, and the failure of Congress to pushback.

• Bush’s Legal Legacy – The “unitary executive theory,” sanctioning torture memos and sweeping interpretations of presidential privilege that laid groundwork for future overreach.

• The Obama Continuation of Executive Overreach – Drone killings and mass surveillance helped normalize executive power grabbing.

• Trump’s Presidential Absolutism – What the bombing of Iran illustrates about the Trump administration and Presidential power in 2025. We also discuss how 

• Domestic Spillover and the Crushing of Dissent on Foreign Policy Issues – The chilling effect on dissent, illuminated by the arrest of Turkish grad student Rümeysa Öztürk, showcases how war fever and narratives about foreign enemies, especially since the Global War on Terror, lead to the curtailing of freedoms at home.

This episode is a deep and timely discussion on how America’s constitutional safeguards were weakened by successive administrations, culminating in the boldest assertions of presidential power yet—making Trump’s actions appear in some ways more like continuation than rupture.

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

Support independent media and critical journalism by donating to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

Note: There's a little bit of crackle in the audio in this episode. Attempts were made to remove crackle as much as possible, but it remains at some point. Hopefully it does not pose too much of a problem for listening.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, James M. Dorsey of the Turbulent World Substack blog returns to reflect of the "ceasefire" between Israel and Iran. Dorsey argues this is not so much a ceasefire as a fragile halt of hostilities for the time being, or a pause. Dorsey notes that it's unclear how much of Iran's nuclear program has been damaged or salvaged by the Islamic Republic in light of the strikes. That, he says, is a big question right now.

We then discuss Trump's relationship with the Gulf States and his evangelical Christian Zionist base. That poses an issue for Trump, Dorsey argues. $3.6 trillion are on the table from the Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Qatar, etc.) and they want the situation with Israel, Gaza, and Iran solved according to Dorsey. The tumult and fragility of the Middle East has become something of a headache for both the U.S. and the Gulf States.

Dorsey argues the current talk of a Gaza ceasefire is a "Fata Morgana", or a mirage, an illusion. We delve into the different interests at work when it comes to the Gulf States and Israel, and how the relationship between Israel and certain Gulf States have changed from 2015 to now. He argues that the Gulf States' perceptions of Israel have changed. For one thing, the Saudi Arabia-Iran rapprochement means that the situation of Israel's unofficial alliance with the Saudis against Iran has changed. Moreover, Dorsey says that the defense doctrine of Israel has gone from deterrence to emasculation of perceived enemies and states within the region. This changes the dynamic between Israel and the Gulf States, at least in how the Gulf States perceive Israel. Which is to say that Gulf States are now perceiving Israel as aggressive leading to the question of, "Could we be next?"

We then begin delving into some "odds and ends" in the conversation including:

- Israel, Palestine, and the issue of the 1967 borders

- The history of the U.S.-Iran relations and why they have been so tense

- Pushing back on the "mad mullahs" narrative about the Islamic Republic of Iran

- Trump's walking away from the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal)

- Is Iran more likely to go nuclear after the latest strikes?

- Biggest risk in the Middle East?: not tackling root problems; Israel's belief that it has the right to strikes whenever and wherever it wants against a perceived threat means a "law of the jungle" system in the Middle East and could become adopted by other states

- Potential deal between Israel and Syria

- The Abu Shabab clan in Gaza

- Netanyahu's rejection of any Palestinian national aspirations and what informs it

- And more!

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

Support independent media and critical journalism by donating to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

Reupload request for listener that was having issues with audio sync. I suspect it may have been an encoding issue on older podcasting platforms causing it. I checked the original pod on Spotify and Podbean players and had no issue. Using a different encoding method going forward.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, economist and author Jack Rasmus joins us to break down Donald Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”. Far from a populist breakthrough, Rasmus argues the bill is a continuation of neoliberal austerity, dressed in MAGA branding. While headline-grabbing provisions like no tax on tips aim to appeal to the working-class base and may offer said base something, the bill ultimately delivers massive tax cuts for the wealthy and deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, reinforcing longstanding elite priorities.

He also examines how the Establishment wing of the Democratic Party’s failure to seriously challenge austerity and tax cuts as well as how the Democratic Party may face implosion from a leadership that refuses to address bread and butter issues head-on. Then, in the second half of the conversation, we explore Trump's foreign policy—debunking the “isolationist” label—and consider how the MAGA movement seeks to consolidate U.S. power in the Western hemisphere and the Pacific through territorial ambitions and militaristic posturing.

Along the way, we discuss:

• The bill’s impact on healthcare and working families

• The ruling class consensus on economic policy

• The bombing of Iran, AIPAC’s influence, and the reconfiguration of U.S. global strategy

It’s a wide-ranging conversation on the economic and geopolitical architecture of 21st-century power—and who it’s really built to serve.

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

Support independent media and critical journalism by donating to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

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Four episodes. One day. Zero corporate backing. This is independent media at work — and we need your help to keep it going.

👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations.

On this edition of Parallax Views, economist and author Jack Rasmus joins us to break down Donald Trump’s so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill”. Far from a populist breakthrough, Rasmus argues the bill is a continuation of neoliberal austerity, dressed in MAGA branding. While headline-grabbing provisions like no tax on tips aim to appeal to the working-class base and may offer said base something, the bill ultimately delivers massive tax cuts for the wealthy and deep cuts to Medicaid and Medicare, reinforcing longstanding elite priorities.

He also examines how the Establishment wing of the Democratic Party’s failure to seriously challenge austerity and tax cuts as well as how the Democratic Party may face implosion from a leadership that refuses to address bread and butter issues head-on. Then, in the second half of the conversation, we explore Trump's foreign policy—debunking the “isolationist” label—and consider how the MAGA movement seeks to consolidate U.S. power in the Western hemisphere and the Pacific through territorial ambitions and militaristic posturing.

Along the way, we discuss:

• The bill’s impact on healthcare and working families

• The ruling class consensus on economic policy

• The bombing of Iran, AIPAC’s influence, and the reconfiguration of U.S. global strategy

It’s a wide-ranging conversation on the economic and geopolitical architecture of 21st-century power—and who it’s really built to serve.

NOTE: Views of guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect all the views of J.G. Michael or the Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael program

Support independent media and critical journalism by donating to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

On this edition of Parallax Views, The Nation editor and journalist D.D. Guttenplan joins the show to reflect on the 160th anniversary of The Nation— one of America's most well-known and prestigious political magazines. We explore the magazine's radical roots (it was founded by abolitionists), its enduring mission to “tell people the truth,” and its role in an era of political turbulence and institutional distrust.

Guttenplan discusses the recent special issue, These Dis-United States, which features 50 writers offering dispatches from across the country on the theme of national fragmentation, political disillusionment, and the fraying of civic bonds. We also delve into the challenges facing journalism today as both major political parties struggle to meet the needs and aspirations of the American public.

Finally, we take a deep dive into the life and legacy of legendary independent journalist I.F. Stone, or Izzy as he was known to his friends, examining his fearless truth-telling, his battle with government surveillance, and his enduring relevance in today’s media landscape. We discuss how Stone currently called the Gulf of Tonkin incident correctly in real-time during the LBJ Presidency when no other reporter did, J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI vs. Stone, Stone as a muckraker and his relationship with the great George Seldes, I.F. Stone's adage "All Governments Lie", and his book Underground to Palestine. Guttenplan is the author of American Radical: The Life and Times of I.F. Stone.

👉 Topics discussed:

• The Nation’s founding in 1865 and its legacy of dissent

• The meaning behind These Disunited States and the state of American identity

• The role of independent journalism in an age of disinformation

• I.F. Stone’s methodology, influence, and political evolution

• Why journalism must challenge power—regardless of party

Support independent media and critical journalism by donating to my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

We also discuss Richard’s recent Jacobin article, “Regime Change in Iran Will Not End Well”, which argues that the true goals of the bombing campaign — regime destabilization and securing Israel's regional dominance — have been pursued under the pretense of halting Iran’s nuclear program. Silverstein explores how U.S. and Israeli actions risk entrenching Iran’s hardliners, escalating regional instability, and backfiring catastrophically — all while sidelining diplomacy in favor of militarism and media-driven spectacle. Additionally, Richard argues that the Islamic Republic of Iran has, by surviving, won this round.

In the final part of the conversation, we turn to Silverstein’s hard-hitting piece for The New Arab, “Genocide Goes Squid Game as Israel Outsources 'Aid' to Gaza Gangs”. There, he exposes how Israel is using armed proxies — notably members of the al-Shabab clan — to control aid distribution in Gaza, with Shin Bet reportedly organizing and funding the effort. We explore how this divide-and-rule strategy recalls past Israeli use of militias in Lebanon and Syria, and how disaster capitalism, mercenary networks, and covert intelligence operations are shaping Israel’s postwar "day after" plans for Gaza. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli commentator and Iran expert Ori Goldberg, hot off appearances in +972 Magazine and on Democracy Now, returns to offer his analysis of the Israel-Iran war. Ori, as an Israeli, provides a unique perspective on what is happening within Israel, while his deep expertise in Iran’s culture and history shines throughout this conversation.

Ori believes the calculus behind Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to strike Iran is multi-faceted. First, it serves as a diversion from the horrors in Gaza and Israel's failure to complete its objectives there (such as the elimination of Hamas and the return of the hostages). Additionally, it creates a "rally around the flag" effect in Israel, which could prove beneficial to Netanyahu politically.

From there, the conversation delves into Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons versus whether Iran would actually use such weapons, the question of what U.S. President Donald Trump might do next in regard to potential U.S. involvement in the conflict, hubris in Israeli politics, the question of regime change, and how Israel’s actions embolden Iran’s hardliners. The discussion also covers understanding Iran and the Islamic Republic sociologically, public sentiment toward Israel, Israel’s fragile relationship with autocratic regimes (some of which may be growing frustrated with Israel), comments from Ehud Olmert and Yair Golan on Israel's handling of Gaza, Ori’s belief that Israel’s problems are bigger than Netanyahu and messianic Zionist settlers, his critique of Israel's liberal Zionists, and the nature of Israel’s strike requiring long-term planning—and the implications of that.

This episode is a deep dive into the dynamics of a volatile region and the geopolitics at play.

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In this episode of Parallax Views, journalist and foreign policy analyst Ted Snider joins us to discuss his latest article for Antiwar.com, "America’s Deception Strengthens Iranian Hardliners." As tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran escalate following devastating Israeli strikes, Snider breaks down how recent events, such as Trump's rhetoric following the strikes, may have sabotaged permanently sabotaged nuclear negotiations and reinforced the position of Iran’s most hawkish factions.

We examine:

• Trump’s inflammatory statements and alleged coordination with Israel

• How U.S. deception may have derailed peace talks

• The historical pattern of American betrayal toward Iranian reformists

• The long-term consequences for diplomacy and U.S.-Iran relations

This conversation provides critical context for understanding the geopolitics of the Middle East and how American foreign policy continues to undermine moderates while fueling hardliner narratives in Iran.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, the not-afraid-to-speak-his-mind gadfly and renegade historian Thaddeus Russel of the Unregistered and Unreported podcasts returns to the program for a wide-ranging conversation on current events. Thaddeus is the author of The Renegade History of the United States, a fascinating book delving into the ways in which criminal, deviants, weirdos, outsiders, and other so-called social miscreants shaped America and were often at the frontiers of freedom.

The conversation starts as a discussion of Donald Trump's betrayal of the America First, anti-interventionist wing of the MAGA coalition, but ends up going into a number of different directions over the course of about an hour and 20 minutes. Of course, Israel's strike against Iran and the beat of the war drums in the U.S., which could soon find itself in the conflict, informs a great portion of the conversation. Thaddeus argues that understanding Trump is less about understanding history than his psychology. We'll also discuss Thaddeus engagements with the dissident right, the history of paleoconservatism, why Thaddeus is pro-open borders and believes that MAGA has got immigration all wrong, disagreements with the dissident right over gender (Thaddeus opposes gender essentialism on both the left and right), the blind spots of MAGA, the history of riots in the United States and their impact on American freedom (yes, we talk the Stonewall riots), Gaza, Zionism, the Palestinian Solidarity Movement, how U.S. pop culture is more effective in changing foreign countries than soft power or hard power schemes initiated by the U.S. government (particularly in the Middle East; we mention Iran specifically in this regard, but also VERY, VERY briefly Saudi Arabia), and much, much more! Thaddeus is pretty heterodox, so his views will inevitably rankle both elements of the left and the right, but that's what makes this conversation perfect for Parallax Views!

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In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, I’m joined by journalist and author Ross Benes to discuss his new book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. We dive into how one seemingly ridiculous year, marked by Pokémon mania, pro wrestling mayhem, aggro-fueled nu metal, and shock TV overload, actually laid the groundwork for the chaotic media and cultural landscape we live in today.

• The mainstreaming of “low culture”: How daytime TV, tabloid sensationalism, and deregulated media created a new normal of trashy spectacle.

• Pokémon, Beanie Babies, and capitalist fads: The rise of speculative consumer culture and how it foreshadowed digital-era phenomena like NFTs and meme stocks.

• Pro wrestling’s Attitude Era: The dominance of WWF and the rise of crash TV under Vince Russo—and how it shaped both pop culture and politics.

• Jerry Springer and political theater: How talk show antics became a model for cable news outrage and the performance of politics.

• Porn and the internet: The explosion of pornography in the late ’90s and how smartphones have made it ever-present in daily life.

• Napster and the digital revolution: How the free-for-all of early file-sharing reshaped media consumption forever.

• Insane Clown Posse and tribal fandoms: The rise of outsider cult followings as a blueprint for today’s digital subcultures.

• Nu-metal’s noisy rebellion: Limp Bizkit as a case study in how turn-of-the-century music captured cultural anxiety and masculine angst. And Limp Bizkit's embrace of being hated.

• Why 1999 still matters: How disposable entertainment from one year has left a permanent mark on politics, culture, and digital life.

This episode is a wild ride through the trash and treasure of 1999, showing how a year often dismissed as kitsch actually set the tone for 21st-century life. If you’ve ever wondered why culture feels so chaotic, polarized, and performative today, the answers might just lie in Pokémon cards, Napster downloads, and a Kid Rock song you can’t stand.

Credit for Intro Montage in this episode:

• Track name: Dreamwalkers • Music provided by Bitoku/bitokubass

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On this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, Andrew Day of The American Conservative returns to the program for a discussion about the recent Israeli strike on Iran and its far-reaching implications. Specifically, we explore how this development challenges the ideological coherence of conservative supporters of Donald Trump and the broader MAGA movement—particularly those who advocate for a non-interventionist, "America First"-oriented foreign policy. As tensions escalate in the Middle East, what does this moment reveal about internal divisions within the American right? We also delve into why Andrew and others on the American right are questioning the U.S.-Israel special relationship and how some conservatives are frustrated with Trump's approach to Middle East foreign policy and specifically dealing with Iran. Moreover, Andrew explains why he believe this moment, which could evolve into an all-out war, could've been avoided with a different Iran policy.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Middle East analyst James M. Dorsey, proprietor of The Turbulent World w/ James M. Dorsey blog/Substack, returns to the program to discuss what he considers a paradigm shift moment for the Middle East: last night's Israeli strike on Iran. What does it mean? How did we get to this point? Could this evolve into an all-out regional war? All those questions and many more are addressed in this conversation. We will also discuss the divisions in the Trump/MAGA base over Iran, particularly the conflict between the America First foreign policy elements of MAGA and the Iran hawks within MAGA. James will also address the internal divisions in Israeli politics, as exemplified by Ehud Olmert and Yair Golan's recent critical comments about Netanyahu's approach to Gaza. Trump's strongman approach to foreign policy, the perpetual cycle between Trump and Iran that keeps repeating itself, the Gulf States, Turkey, Syria, the ultra-religious Zionist vs. the Likud, and more all comes up in this conversation as well.

On this edition of Parallax Views, writer and political theorist Malcolm Harris joins us to unpack his sharp critique of the so-called Abundance Agenda, popularized by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Harris argues that this vision—focused on building more housing, expanding clean energy, and turbocharging innovation—fails to confront the structural contradictions of capitalism and the political realities of class struggle. It's a vision of progress that avoids asking who builds, who benefits, and who decides.

We then turn to What’s Left, Harris’s ambitious new book that outlines three strategic responses to the planetary crisis: marketcraft, public power, and communism. Harris doesn’t call for ideological purity—he calls for coordination. What does democratic planning look like in an age of disaster—and how do we get there together?

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On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Jacob Silverman returns to Parallax Views to unpack his new article, “Coin Operated: The Crypto Industry’s Takeover of American Politics,” a timely investigation into how cryptocurrency has gone from financial sideshow to political powerhouse.

We explore how the crypto industry—despite a track record of scams, collapses, and regulatory defiance—has embedded itself at the heart of U.S. politics. From Donald Trump’s embrace of memecoins and bipartisan failure against the crypto lobby to the harassment of Biden-era SEC officials, Silverman traces what many see as the troubling rise of the crypto industry's political power and its potential consequences for democracy.

Jacob also shares insights from a recent Bitcoin conference in Las Vegas, offering a glimpse into how crypto culture is merging with MAGA politics, shedding its cypherpunk roots, and reshaping the conversation around money, power, and regulation.

If you want to understand how this segment of the tech sector seized political influence—and what it means for the future of democracy and finance—this episode is essential listening.

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On this gripping edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael speaks with legal scholar Corinna Barrett Lain about her searing new book, Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. Far from being a clean or clinical method of execution, Lain exposes lethal injection as the centerpiece of a scandalous history—rife with fake science, unqualified personnel, botched procedures, and layers of state secrecy designed to shield the public from the brutal reality of how America kills in the name of justice.

Lain pulls back the curtain on how this supposedly "humane" method evolved not through medical rigor, but through politics, improvisation, and obfuscation. We discuss how states have covered up grotesque failures, how governments have been swindled by shady operators like Harris Pharma, and the staggering cost to U.S. taxpayers. From inept and corrupt executioners gone rogue to a jaw-dropping story involving literal drug smuggling, Lain’s investigation blows the lid off the dark underbelly of America’s execution machinery, exposing a system held together by misinformation, malpractice, and a stunning lack of oversight.

This is an essential episode for anyone concerned with state power, the criminal justice system, and what happens when the machinery of death is hidden behind a veil of bureaucracy. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

In this provocative and deeply analytical conversation, journalist and author Yasha Levine joins Parallax Views to challenge a dominant narrative on both the left and right: that the Israel Lobby singularly controls U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Drawing from his background covering Cold War geopolitics and U.S. information warfare, Levine argues that this viewpoint dangerously simplifies the role of American imperialism—and obscures how nationalism, including Zionism, has historically been instrumentalized by empire.

We explore how the U.S. used nationalist movements as tools of psychological warfare against the Soviet Union, and how that framework led Levine to his critique of the “AIPAC as all-powerful” mindset. He explains why this narrative often becomes a convenient scapegoat that distracts from the structural and strategic interests of American power itself.

Levine, a vocal anti-Zionist who has unequivocally described Israel’s actions in Gaza as genocide, also warns of a future in which the U.S. might decide Israel is no longer geopolitically useful—potentially abandoning it, with consequences for the Jewish diaspora. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews  

On this edition of Parallax Views, former CDC epidemiologist and physician Dr. Charles LeBaron joins us to discuss his explosive new book Greed to Do Good: The Untold Story of CDC’s Disastrous War on Opioids. Drawing on his rare vantage point as a public health insider (with 28 years' experience at the CDC), clinician, and former pain patient, Dr. LeBaron argues that the CDC’s 2016 opioid guidelines—meant to reduce overdose deaths—actually worsened the crisis.

We explore how flawed data, political pressure, and a rigid, arguably even at times psuedo-scientific approach led to a policy that criminalized both doctors and patients, neglected the realities of chronic pain, and contributed to the ongoing epidemic of overdose deaths. Dr. LeBaron explains why the distinction between addiction and use of opioids as a legitimate chronic pain treatment matter, how voluntary guidelines became de facto law, and why Dr. LeBaron still sees value in the CDC as an institution and is not using the book to delegitimize it (ie: critique isn't alway for tearing down, but calling for reform)..

This is a powerful and challenging conversation about public health, institutional accountability, and the human cost of well-intentioned but disastrous policy. Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews

On this edition of Parallax Views, comedian and writer Kate Willett joins us to examine the growing influence of Silicon Valley billionaires on the Democratic Party and the controversial politics behind the so-called Abundance Agenda. Framed by figures like Ezra Klein as a bold, future-focused vision of progress, this agenda is increasingly backed by tech elites such as Dustin Moskovitz—co-founder of Facebook—and promoted through a network of well-funded think tanks, including the Niskanen Center, that aim to push the party in a technocratic, pro-market direction.

With sharp wit and political insight, Kate unpacks how the Abundance movement—closely aligned with key figures on the Tech Right—represents a slick, astroturfed rebranding of neoliberalism. Beneath its glossy surface lies a coordinated strategy to marginalize progressive and working-class voices while recasting Silicon Valley’s private interests as public goods. We explore how this plays out most visibly in San Francisco, where billionaire-funded groups have successfully reshaped local politics and helped unseat progressive officials.

Kate also offers a thoughtful critique of California’s YIMBY (Yes In My Backyard) movement. While she is not a NIMBY (Not in My Backyard) advocate either, she raises serious concerns about how YIMBY rhetoric often functions as a Trojan horse for real estate developer- and tech-driven policies that displace working-class communities under the guise of solving the housing crisis.

This episode explores the intersection of tech money, urban development, media influence, and intra-party power struggles—and asks the vital question: “Abundance for whom?”

Show Notes:

"Abundance: Big Tech’s Bid for the Democratic Party by Kate Willet (New International Magazine)

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews  

In this timely conversation, Parallax Views host J.G. Michael sits down with The Nation's editorial director and longtime progressive voice Katrina vanden Heuvel to discuss the mounting political crises shaking both Europe and the United States. Drawing from her recent co-authored piece, "Report from Europe: The Center Does Not Hold," and her Mother's Day commentary in The Guardian, vanden Heuvel explores the dangers of austerity politics, the failure of centrist consensus, and the rise of far-right insurgencies across the across Europe.

We examine how neoliberal economic policies have fueled disillusionment and opened space for authoritarian insurgents, and why a fragmented left has struggled to respond with a cohesive, inspiring alternative. From the U.K. to France to the U.S., this episode unpacks the urgent need for bold progressive politics, social investment, and renewed democratic vision in the face of political polarization and inequality.

We also discuss the controversial figure of Jean-Luc Mélenchon in France and his importance; the return of Nigel Farage to British politics and the possibility of Reform UK gaining power; European centrism's embrace of bypassing austerity for military purposes BUT not social programs; and how the right doesn’t own pro-family policy, nor does it own concepts like freedom or patriotism. At the end of the conversation, Katrina shares her thoughts on the Abundance Movement and Ezra Klein.

Essential listening for anyone concerned with the future of democracy, the right-wing insurgency in the U.S. and Europe, and the challenges — and opportunities — facing the global left.

Support me on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews  

On this edition of Parallax Views, you will hear an incredible story that, on its surface, you may mistake as being just about professional wrestling: the life and career of "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos. He was the biggest star of not only pro wrestling in the 1920s and 1930s, but arguably of sports itself. His popularity eclipsed that of the profession itself. He sold out stadiums of tens of thousands. Contrary to popular misconceptions, pro wrestling was not simply the domain of smoky rooms before the era of Hulk Hogan. Jim Londos is proof of that. In fact, it may be fair to say that Jim Londos was Hulk Hogan before Hulk Hogan. And just to drive that point home, one only need look at his match against Kola Kwariani on October 22nd, 1933 in Athens, Greece at the Panathenaic Stadium. The attendance for that event? It's said to be between 65,000 and 100,000. Simply put, Londos was a phenomenon.

But, his story is much more than that of a pro wrestler. Londos is the story of an immigrant to the United States overcoming all odds. He is the story of a man who gave hope to the masses in the trying times of The Great Depression. A man who became a symbol of being able to overcome the greatest adversities. He was smaller in stature than many of his wrestling contemporaries. The classic underdog. And the fans loved him for it. He was their hero. He was "The Golden Greek" of professional wrestling.

Joining J.G. on this edition of the show is journalist Steven Johnson. Although Johnson has done a lot of journalism related to pro wrestling and its storied history, he's also been a U.S. Senate aide and newspaper editor. Moreover, he has master’s and Ph.D. from the University of Virginia. Over more than a decade he worked on a book to finally tell the story of Jim Londos. That book, recently released, is entitled Jim Londos: The Golden Greek of Professional Wrestling. Part of MacFarland's Studies in Strength of Physical Culture series, this book uncovers the life and times of an athletic performer who has been unfairly forgotten due to having wrestled in the pre-television era of the professional wrestling.

In this conversation Steven I will discuss how he came around to the story of Jim Londos, the ways in which Londos story differs greatly from the more tragic rise & fall of early television-era wrestling Gorgeous George, the trials and tribulations of Jim Londos as a young immigrant in the United States of America in the early 20th century, the ways in which Londos is comparable to the mythical figure of Jason in the story of Jason and the Argonauts, how the legacy of Londos is carried on today by wrestlers like Bryan Danielson (aka Daniel Bryan), WWE superstar John Bradshaw Layfield's (JBL) foreword to the book, the wrestling double-crosses of the early 20th century that long predated the WWE's infamous "Montreal Screwjob", the colorful wrestling promoters of the Londos era (such as Toots Mondt and the Gold Dust Trio, Jack Pfefer, and Jack Curley), the legendary years long feud between Jim Londos and Ed "The Strangler" Lewis, Londos ability to make a crowd not only "believe" but "care" about his journey as a wrestler, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Orthodox Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro — author of The Empty Wagon: Zionism’s Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft — returns to unpack the theological foundations of Jewish anti-Zionism and non-Zionism. Fresh off his participation in a protest against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's recent U.S. visit, Rabbi Shapiro explains why he believes Zionism is not only a political nationalist ideology distinct from Judaism, but one that misrepresents the Jewish people on the global stage.

We explore the historical opposition of traditional Orthodox communities to Zionist projects, tracing the evolution of Zionism from the Revisionist movement of Ze’ev Jabotinsky to the early Religious Zionism of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook, and ultimately to the far-right nationalism of figures like Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. We also distinguish Rabbi Shapiro’s critique from that of Orthodox anti-Zionist groups like Neturei Karta; Rabbi Shapiro's argument is based in the question of Jewish identity rather than anything eschatalogical.

Along the way, we discuss Meir Kahane and how his violent ideology culminated in his assassination; Rabbi Shapiro’s personal encounters with Kahanists in 1970s Brooklyn; and his message to left-wing Zionists — namely, his belief that left Zionism inevitably paves the way for the far right. A must-listen for anyone interested in theology, nationalism, and the contested meanings of Jewish identity.

On this episode of Parallax Views, we’re joined by University of Chicago political scientist Michael Albertus, author of the forthcoming book Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies (Basic Books, Jan. 14, 2025). Drawing on his expertise in democracy, dictatorship, inequality, property rights, and social conflict, Albertus unpacks how land ownership lies at the heart of power struggles shaping both authoritarian regimes and liberal democracies.

The book explains how control over land fuels political inequality, social exclusion, environmental destruction, and even climate change. Albertus explains the historical and modern-day impacts of zoning laws, gentrification, displacement of indigenous and marginalized communities, and the structural barriers to housing affordability and economic opportunity. It also delves into the growing movements for restitution and reparations, such as Black Lives Matter and Land Back, as well as global efforts at land reform.

With insights featured in The Atlantic, Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, and The Washington Post, and appearances on outlets like NPR, CNN, and the BBC, Albertus offers a deeply researched and urgent perspective on how land shapes our societies—and what must change to build more just and democratic futures.

On this May Day edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, political theorist Matt McManus joins us to unpack The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism, his groundbreaking new book. We explore:

• Liberal Socialism Defined: Why liberal rights and socialist economics aren’t mutually exclusive—and how methodological collectivism and normative individualism unite them.

• Historical Roots: From Mary Wollstonecraft and Thomas Paine’s radical democracy to John Stuart Mill’s social liberalism, contrasted with Edmund Burke and Ludwig von Mises.

• Core Principles: A developmental ethic over mere inquiry, economic democracy within a liberal framework, and, for some, extending democratic values into the family.

• Key Influences: John Rawls’s Theory of Justice, Samuel Moyn’s critique of Cold War liberalism and the relationship between Samuel Moyn's book LIBERALISM AGAINST ITSELF: COLD WAR INTELLECTUALS AND THE MAKING OF OUR TIMES and Matt's book, and a speculative look at Richard Rorty’s pragmatic liberalism in relation to Liberal Socialism.

• Global & Anti-Colonial Critiques: Addressing charges of Eurocentrism and imperialist bias by anti-colonial and Global South critiques of Liberal Socialism.

• Critiques from the Left & Right: Responses to neoliberal, libertarian, and Marxist-Leninist objections, and why caricaturing Marx misses his nuanced view of liberal institutions.

If you’re interested in the crossroads of political philosophy, the future of democratic socialism, and reclaiming a tradition of freedom and equality, tune in to this deep dive with Matt McManus.

On this edition of Parallax Views, we remember the late Pope Francis in conversation with veteran journalist William Dowell, who recently penned the WhoWhatWhy article “The Passing of a Genuinely Christian Pope.” Dowell reflects on Francis’s lasting spiritual legacy, portraying him as a humble and principled leader who consistently emphasized compassion for the poor, migrants, and marginalized—offering a distinct moral voice in a time often marked by political polarization and societal uncertainty.

Drawing on decades of experience covering the Vatican and international affairs, Dowell shares thoughtful reflections on papal transitions, the evolving role of the Catholic Church, and how Francis’s message of empathy and humility resonated with younger generations and diverse global audiences.

The conversation also widens to examine broader political and cultural dynamics, including the rise of populist and authoritarian currents in the United States, especially in light of the 2nd Trump presidency. Dowell offers his perspective on recent political developments and contrasts the ethos of Francis’s leadership with contemporary trends he sees as driven more by power than principle. In an age where foundational democratic and ethical values are frequently contested, the discussion offers space for reflection on the role of conscience, truth, and leadership.

This wide-ranging dialogue is both a tribute to a unique papacy and an invitation to deeper thought.

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On this edition of Parallax Views with J.G. Michael, we explore the powerful financial forces behind Washington D.C.’s most influential think tanks—and how those funding streams may shape U.S. foreign policy and defense strategy. Joining us are Ben Freeman and Nick Cleveland-Stout of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft to discuss their eye-opening project: the Think Tank Funding Tracker (TTFT).

The TTFT is designed to bring much-needed transparency and accountability to the world of policy influence, exposing the financial ties between think tanks and their funders. Specifically, we look at three major sources of funding:

• U.S. government funding, led by the Department of Defense

• Foreign government contributions, including major donors like Saudi Arabia and Qatar

• Defense contractor money, with Northrop Grumman leading the charge

Think tanks play a vital role in shaping public policy through research, analysis, and recommendations. But as Ben and Nick explain, financial backing can create conflicts of interest and biases that may influence the narratives and policy prescriptions these institutions offer. Some think tanks rank high in transparency—others, particularly those with more hawkish foreign policy stances, score a troubling zero.

We also address the issue of “dark money” think tanks, declining public trust, and how the TTFT includes concrete policy recommendations to encourage better disclosure practices. The conversation highlights the need for vigilance in understanding who is funding the experts shaping public debate and decision-making.

One key case study we explore is the Atlantic Council, a major D.C. think tank whose funding sources exemplify the complex web of influence at play in the policy space.

If you’re interested in U.S. foreign policy, military-industrial complex dynamics, Middle East geopolitics, or political influence in Washington, this is a must-listen episode that breaks down the often unseen forces shaping global affairs. For more information please read Quincy Brief #68: Big Ideas and Big Money: Think Tank Funding in America.

On this special episode of Parallax Views, we enter the world of Shoot Pro Wrestling (SPW)—a new promotion looking to bring the raw intensity and legitimacy of catch-as-catch-can wrestling back to the forefront of combat sports and professional wrestling. Joining the conversation are three key figures behind the SPW movement:

– 🧠 Jake Shannon, catch wrestling historian and founder of Scientific Wrestling – 🥊 Pat Miletich, UFC legend, coach, and one of the original hybrid fighters in American MMA – 🤼 Matt Granahan, colorful grappling promoter and self-proclaimed "King of Connecticut"

Together, we dive deep into the lineage of catch wrestling, tracing its influence on both modern MMA and professional wrestling, and how SPW aims to resurrect this foundational style—not as a nostalgic throwback, but as a vital evolution of shoot-based combat.

Highlights from the conversation include:

– The roots of SPW’s ruleset in the philosophy and techniques of the legendary Karl Gotch, as Jake Shannon explains how Gotch’s vision is now being implemented in real-world matches. – Pat Miletich’s reflections on how catch wrestling shaped his fighting style and mindset, and why he believes it instills a toughness many athletes can greatly benefit from. – Pat’s firsthand account of being at the Tokyo Dome when Kazushi Sakuraba defeated Royce Gracie, and Jake discusses how Sakuraba’s iconic declaration after that historic match—“Pro Wrestling is Strong!”—relates to Shoot Pro Wrestling's attitude and ethos. – A discussion of fighting spirit, its philosophical importance, and how it manifests in catch wrestling’s brutal simplicity and mental discipline. – Matt Granahan makes a big announcement about Shoot Pro Wrestling's women’s division, marking a new chapter for female competitors in the catch lineage. – A lively pitch to both pro wrestling fans and MMA fans on why Shoot Pro Wrestling offers something radically different: real grappling, no gimmicks, no predetermined outcomes—just pure, unfiltered combat with roots in both strategy and skill. - An exploration of how foundational catch wrestling is to both MMA and pro wrestling. Although much has been made of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu's influence on the combat sports landscape, as it should, the impact of catch wrestling on combat sports deserves greater recognition. - Talking about catch wrestling as a science and a system - Pro wrestling legend Larry Zbyszko's involvement in the Shoot Pro Wrestling venture.

This episode explores the tension between tradition and innovation and why catch wrestling—often unfairly overshadowed by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and theatrical pro wrestling—may finally be getting its due in the form of an exciting new promotion dedicated to the grappling fighting style. For fans of mixed martial arts history, wrestling and combat sports philosophy, and raw fighting, this is one you won’t want to miss.

On this edition of Parallax Views, the biggest wrestling event of the year is only days away: WrestleMania. Billed as the "Showcase of the Immortals," WrestleMania is the marquee event of World Wrestling Entertainment and has been going strong for over 40 years. On April 19th and 20th, WWE will present WrestleMania 41. Yes—FORTY-ONE.

Ahead of the big event, I spoke with Gary from the YouTube channel Grapplevision—one of the most unique and compelling voices in pro wrestling media today. While most wrestling YouTubers focus on current events or canonical moments like the Montreal Screwjob, Hulk Hogan’s heel turn, or Mick Foley’s infamous fall off the Hell in a Cell, Grapplevision dives into the ghosts and glitches of wrestling history. It's a channel immersed in what you might call phantom histories: forgotten figures, obscure promotions, uncanny storylines, and the lingering specters of wrestling’s carny roots.

What sets Grapplevision apart is its unmistakably hauntological aesthetic—think VHS degradation, lost tapes, and late-night public access weirdness. The channel’s documentaries are layered with analog textures and deep archival digs, evoking the era of tape trading and underground fandom. In many ways, it feels less like a recap or explainer and more like a séance conducted with a turnbuckle and a cathode-ray screen.

From the blurred lines of shoot vs. worked fights (explored in the "Wrestling Gets Real" series), to Japanese deathmatch icon Atsushi Onita’s exploding barbed wire spectacles, to strange pop culture crossovers featuring Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, and Jim Varney’s Ernest P. Worrell—Grapplevision chronicles the strange, forgotten, and surreal corners of the squared circle. All this with an intro that cheekily nods to David Cronenberg’s Videodrome.

In this sprawling, four-and-a-half-hour conversation, you'll hear from someone who's not only been inside the industry but has also taken on the role of archivist and cultural historian. Even if you’re not a wrestling fan, there's something here for anyone interested in performance, memory, mythology, and media.

On this edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael welcomes back writer and commentator Ralph Leonard to unpack his recent UnHerd article, "Dave Smith–Douglas Murray Debate Highlights Right-Wing Fault Lines." In this wide-ranging conversation, Leonard breaks down the recent viral Joe Rogan-hosted debate between anti-war libertarian comedian Dave Smith and neoconservative public intellectual Douglas Murray — a fiery exchange that has become a flashpoint for deeper tensions within the contemporary Right.

Leonard and Michael explore how the Israel-Gaza conflict has brought long-simmering ideological contradictions on the Right to the surface, pitting libertarian anti-interventionism and populist anti-elitism against the hawkish commitments and institutional allegiances of neoconservatism. They discuss the dynamics of the debate itself — from Murray’s criticisms of Rogan's platforming of uncredentialed “armchair experts” and conspiratorial thinkers to Smith’s defense of the democratic value of non-expert participation in public discourse.

The episode also dives into the broader ecosystem of the “podcast bros” — the rise of Rogan-style infotainment as a dominant force shaping public opinion, its appeal as anti-establishment counterprogramming, and its vulnerabilities to pseudoscience and ideological echo chambers. Leonard offers a nuanced take, arguing that while the Rogan-verse isn’t above critique, it still offers a space for airing out dissent and confronting controversial issues in ways legacy media often avoids.

Together, Leonard and Michael navigate the complicated cultural terrain where influence, ideology, and epistemology collide — from libertarian anti-interventionism to the moral and strategic blind spots of neoconservatism — offering listeners a critical lens through which to understand not just one debate, but the fracturing landscape of the Right in 2025.

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Quincy Institute's Dr. Annelle Sheline, a frequent guest on the program and a former Biden-era State Dept. official who resigned over the U.S. handling of Gaza, returns to discuss her briefing "Under Primacy, Weapons Sales Will Always Supersede Human Rights". But first we discuss the article she recently co-wrote for Responsible Statecraft entitled "Trump drops news bomblet: Direct US-Iran talks this Saturday".

The conversation begins with a discussion of Netanyahu's meeting with Donald Trump earlier this week and some talk about the upcoming talks between the U.S. and Iran. We then get into the main event of this conversation: the ways in which weapons sales have trumped human rights rhetoric in U.S. foreign policy. For as much as the United States has often talked about human rights, it has often sold weapons to autocratic human rights abusers. We'll discuss a number of historical moments related to this including the assassination of Salvador Allende and the bloody Chile coup of 1973, Jimmy Carter vs. Ronald Reagan on human rights & U.S. foreign policy, the Iran-Contra affair, the legacies of the Cold War and the Global War on Terror, how wars abroad often lead to repression at home (and concerns about Trump's plans for pro-Palestinian voices in America), bridging the gap between human rights and realism/U.S. national interests, a brief look at the Leahy Laws, sanctions and weapons sales, the U.S.'s unconditional support of Israel's actions in Gaza as undermining claims to defending human rights, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Geoffrey Aronson, a noted analyst Middle East affairs and formerly the director of the Foundation for Middle East Peace, returns to discuss his latest Responsible Statecraft piece entitled "Israel's plan for Gaza is clear: 'Conquest, expulsion, settlement'". One of the key aspects of Geoffrey's analysis in said article is that Israel is currently pursuing a policy of "politicide", or, as he puts it, "destroying for all time any Palestinian hope for sovereignty west of the Jordan River." We'll be delving into elements of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that long predate the events of October 7th and what has transpired since. For example, Geoffrey will takes us back to 2005 when then Israeli Prime Minister evacuated Israeli settlers from Gaza. We'll also discuss the resurgent right-wing in Israel and its aims in Gaza, how the so-called "Day After" in Gaza is today, a brief excursion into what is happening in Syria and the weakness of Arab states (and what that means), and much, much more.

In this episode of Parallax Views, returning guest and veteran JFK assassination researcher Jim DiEugenio joins us to unpack the recent developments in the long-running battle over JFK assassination records. We dive into the legacy of President Trump’s January 2025 executive order concerning the JFK files and discuss the implications of the recent congressional hearing led by Rep. Anna Paulina Luna — to which Jim himself testified!

Jim, who was in attendance at the Luna hearing, shares his firsthand impressions of the proceedings and what they may signal for the future of the JFK Records Act. But this conversation goes beyond the question of conspiracy: we explore the broader stakes of transparency, institutional trust, and the historical significance of declassified documents — including revelations like Operation Northwoods, which had nothing to do with the assassination itself but emerged from the Assassination Records Review Board process and reshaped how we understand Cold War covert operations.

Whether or not you believe there was a conspiracy to kill JFK, the questions raised by these files and the government’s resistance to disclosure remain urgent. Tune in for a timely conversation on truth, secrecy, and why history still matters — no matter how long ago it happened. And yes, we'll address conservative pundit Ben Shapiro's angry dismissal of anyone interested in the assassination because it happened "a long time ago".

Additional topics covered include:

- Oliver Stone, the attacks on his movie JFK months before the film was even released, and the role of the Vietnam war in shaping Oliver Stone as a filmmaker and a human being.

- CIA spymaster James Jesus Angleton's chilling quote about the CIA: “If you were in a room with them, you were in a room full of people that you had to believe would deservedly end up in hell. I guess I will see them there soon.”

- The release of the unredacted Schlesinger Memo and what it tells us about covert operation during the Cold War. Learn what it is and how it enhances our understanding of a moment in history and politics.

- The surprise appearance of John Davisson, a senior counsel at the Electronic Privacy Information Center in Washington, who raised privacy concerns related to information in the recently released documents.

- Jim's thoughts on Democrats' lack of interest in the hearing and why he thinks Democrats are passing up a big opportunity with it

- And much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Left Business Observer's Doug Henwood, host of the influential radio program Behind the News, returns to the program to discuss Trump's tariffs, Bidenomics vs. Trumponomics, the legacy of the anti-WTO/anti-globalization protests of the late 1990s, and much more!

Literally a half hour before Doug and I began recording Trump announced a 90-day pause on some of his tariffs. We'll be discussing what Doug sees as Trump's nostalgia about a romanticized 1950s America and how he believes that is driving Trump's policies in many ways. Doug talks about what he sees as the nonsensical nature of Trump's tariffs and how stocks shot up immediately after Trump announced the 90-day pause. Although sometimes there's more noise than signal when looking at the stock market, in this case the response of the stock market over the past week has reflected very real economic anxieties. He also notes that the bond market has been reacting strangely in the past week in a way that is worrying. Doug notes that we'll likely see prices increase in May and June and discusses the effect these tariffs will have on those at the bottom of the income distribution. All of this will factor into Doug's analysis of why he thinks Trump has announced a 90-day pause on some tariffs.

We'll also discuss in-depth the pros and cons of Bidenomics and then look at that in comparison to Trumponomics. We'll discuss industrial policy, ways of bringing back manufacturing to the U.S. in a productive rather than destructive manner, and we'll look at the effect of tariffs on poorer countries like Vietnam or Cambodia.

We'll also discuss how there's been a wide backlash against Trump's tariffs from across the political spectrum including libertarians like Thomas Sowell, CNBC's Jim Cramer, and even some protectionists. Doug Henwood sums up the backlash as being driven ultimately by the crudeness of the tariff policy.

The conversation will also delve into Trump's romanticism about the 19th century U.S. economy, the legacy of the anti-WTO/anti-globalization protests of the late 90s, the potential of a pro-trade internationalism that isn't neoliberal and is informed by socialist or left-wing concerns, the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, the Biden team's failure to tout the positive aspects of Bidenomics, Trump's anti-libertarian streak, DOGE, the misanthropy of the Silicon Valley right-wing, comparing and contrasting the Ralph Nader and Donald Trump views on foreign trade, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Quincy Institute's Karthik Sankaran—writer, analyst, and longtime observer of global macroeconomic trends—joins the program to unpack the Trump administration’s sweeping new tariff policy. Billed as a "reciprocal tariff" strategy, the move abandons long-held trade norms like Most Favored Nation (MFN) status in favor of a confrontational approach that targets countries based on bilateral trade deficits with the U.S.

We'll end begin by discussing the logic and methodology that Karthik believes are driving the Trump tariff policies. We'll also delve into why the tariffs have been criticized across the board by neoliberals (of which Karthik describes himself as), right-wing libertarians like Thomas Sowell, and even progressively minded protectionists. The conversation will also delve into an area of particular interest to Karthik: how this will effect the Global South. We'll also delve into what the tariffs mean for U.S. foreign policy and international relations, why Brazil may come out of this better than other countries, what the tariffs mean for Europe and the EU, nearshoring vs. off-shoring and how nearshoring could be beneficial to Mexico, the U.S. move towards economic protectionism even under Biden, and what the tariffs mean for China.

Also, Karthik will address listeners that disagree with his neoliberal worldview. Karthik describes himself as a "Neoliberal Peacenik". Whether or not you agree with his overview worldview, hopefully you'll find it interesting and informative.

On this edition of Parallax Views, legal scholar and Boston University Law professor Jonathan Feingold joins us to discuss a growing crisis in higher education: the escalating assault on academic freedom. At the center of this episode is the recent dismissal of Dr. Cemal Kafadar and Dr. Rosie Bsheer—faculty leaders of Harvard's Center for Middle Eastern Studies—following politically charged accusations related to programming on the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Feingold, a member of Concerned Jewish Faculty & Staff-Boston Area, breaks down why these dismissals are not just isolated incidents but part of a broader pattern of repression targeting scholars and students advocating for Palestinian human rights. We dig into the weaponization of antisemitism discourse, the chilling effect on scholarship, and how elite institutions like Harvard are capitulating to pressure from right-wing forces and donor lobbies—including those aligned with Trump’s authoritarian cultural agenda.

This story isn’t just about Israel-Palestine. Even for those uninterested in debates over Israel-Palestine, the implications of this case are far-reaching. It raises urgent questions about academic freedom, free speech, and free inquiry in American universities. What happens when controversial topics become grounds for dismissal? How do elite institutions navigate the tension between political pressure and intellectual autonomy? And what does this say about the health of democratic discourse in higher education?

This episode is not just about one controversy at Harvard—it’s about the future of the university itself.

Recorded: 4-7-2025

On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist James M. Dorsey of the Turbulent World w/ James M. Dorsey Substack returns for another Middle East update. In this conversation we go over the visit Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is making to Washington D.C. to meet U.S. President Donald Trump. The visit will reportedly entail discussion focused on Israeli hostages in Gaza as well as U.S. tariffs. This comes on the heels of Netanyahu facing re-emerging politically turmoil domestically Israel. Netanyahu is complaining more and more of a "leftist deep state" in Israel and the U.S (see also: this report from The Times of Israel). Additionally, hundreds of thousands are fleeing the southern Gazan city of Rafah due to airstrikes and a deadly assault on medics in Gaza. Israel has had to walk back its account of how the assault on those medics happened as video of it has emerged.

We'll be discussing all of this on the show as well as the relationship between Trump and the Gulf States, specifically Saudi Arabia and the UAE. What does this mean for Israel (and the Palestinians)? We'll discuss what leverage the Saudis may have in regard to what happens next in Gaza. We'll also discuss Turkey-Israel relations and Syria. And, of course, Iran will play into the discussion. And we'll delve into the rise of civilization-states, the difference between nation-states vs. civilizational states, and the battle of narratives between Israelis and Palestinians. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael!

Recorded 4/7/2025

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli commentator Ori Goldberg returns to the show to discuss the latest development in Gaza and Israel. This conversation came about due to the horrific stories coming of the southern Gaza city Rafah and touches upon that as well as the political turmoil currently bubbling to a fever pitch in Israel. J.G. specifically reached out to interview Ori in the hopes of trying to make sense of what is happening on the ground. Abstractions are often attendant to discussions of Israel/Palestine, but the human cost cannot be forgotten. That is what led to this discussion, and it proved difficult on some level due to the intense nature of the horrors we've seen in the past year and a half whether it be the events of October 7th or the scenes coming out of Rafah. Ori's approach is highly reflective in nature and as such has a certain unique quality. Whether you agree or disagree with Ori's thinking, this is hopefully going to be a powerful discussion.

On this edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael engages renowned Israeli pollster Dahlia Scheindlin in a revealing discussion on the evolution of Israeli civil society and its dynamic relationship with both Palestinian civil society and internal societal shifts within Israel. Drawing from her insightful essay, “The Rise, Weakening, and Resurgence of Civil Society in Israel,” Dahlia navigates the complex interplay of historical, political, and social forces that have shaped civic life in the region.

- Internal Transformation: Explore how the transition to the Likud government in the 1970s led to the weakening of Israel's welfare state, creating a vacuum that civil society eagerly filled with new social and political initiatives.

- Historical Perspectives: Trace the development of Israeli civil society from its Zionist origins through the transformative eras of the Oslo Accords and beyond, while examining how these shifts have paralleled, intersected, and at times clashed with Palestinian civic movements.

- Interplay of Resistance and Repression: Learn how grassroots resistance against occupation as well as anti-democratic movements in Israel has fueled a dynamic interplay between Israeli and Palestinian civil societies, fostering both collaboration and contention in the quest for justice and democratic reform.

- Legislative and Social Backlash: Understand the impact of autocratic policies and legislative attacks under Netanyahu’s government, which not only suppressed dissent but also galvanized a renewed civic activism among diverse groups.

- Turning Points and Future Prospects: Delve into the dramatic civic mobilization following the events of October 7, 2023, and explore what this resurgence means for the future of democratic engagement and cross-community solidarity in a divided society.

This episode offers a compelling narrative that weaves together historical context, political resistance, and the powerful role of civic action in shaping both Israeli and Palestinian futures.

We will also discuss Dahlia's recent trip to the United States, where she is currently on a speaking tour. Additionally, Dahlia and will discuss into the gap between the perspectives of diaspora populations vs. those living in Israel/Palestine.

You can currently obtain an ebook download of Suppressing Dissent, which features Dahlia's essay, for FREE at the Carnegie Endowment website. Contributors include such previous Parallax Views guests as Nathan J. Brown, Dana El Kurd, and Dahlia Scheindlin as well as Lara Friedman, Marwa Fatafta, Yael Berda, Jessica Buxbaum, and many others.

Andrew details how the Trump administration’s use of a 1952 immigration statute to target Khalil’s protest activities not only oversteps constitutional protections but also sets a dangerous precedent for conservatives. He argues that even those who challenge Khalil’s views must uphold free speech and that Khalil's detainment has less to do with being a threat to "U.S. foreign policy" than the fact he was protesting Israel.

We will also discuss billionaire Trump back Miriam Adelson and pro-Israel affinity group advocacy in the U.S., disagreements that exist in the American conservative movement over the U.S. strikes against the Houthis in Yemen and concerns about the renewed potential for a conflict with Iran,

On this edition of Parallax Views, we dive into the struggles facing men in modern society with two insightful guests: Alex Gendler, author of "The New Superfluous Men" in American Affairs Journal, and Ryan Zickgraf, author of "Working-Class Men Are Not Okay" in Jacobin.

Gendler unpacks the incel phenomenon, exploring how economic shifts, social alienation, and demographic imbalances have contributed to a growing class of men who feel expendable in a post-industrial world. Meanwhile, Zickgraf examines the deeper crisis afflicting working-class men—rising mortality rates, economic precarity, loneliness, and the erosion of traditional support networks.

Are these issues cultural, political, or economic at their core? How do they fit into broader discussions about gender, class, and social discontent? And what solutions—if any—exist for reversing these trends? All that and more on this thought-provoking episode of Parallax Views.

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace's Zaha Hassan returns to the program alongside first-time guest Yousef Munayyer, a Senior Fellow at the Arab Center Washington D.C., to discuss the new book she co-edited with H.A. Hellyer entitled Suppressing Dissent: Shrinking Civic Space, Transnational Repression, and Palestine-Israel. Yousef is a contributor to the Suppressing Dissent and, amongst other things, he will discuss his piece in the book entitled "Closing Spaces Beyond Borders: Israel’s Transnational Repression Network". Zaha will discuss a number of topics related to the book as well including her contribution, co-written with Layla Gantus, called "Between a Rock and a Hard Place: The Impact of Israel’s Occupation and Palestinian Authoritarianism on Community Organizing and NGOs".

The conversation will begin, of course, with a discussion of a case that makes this book timelier than ever: the detainment of Columbia University pro-Palestinian student protester Mahmoud Khalil by the Trump administration. From there we will discuss such issues as the Israeli-based NSO Group's infamous Pegasus spyware being used against Palestinian civil society organizations, the long shadow of the Oslo Accords, the interplay between the Israeli occupation and the governance in Gaza and the West Bank, revisiting Zaha's paper on the Human Rights-centric approach to dealing with Israel/Palestine, the debanking of Palestinian civil society individuals and organizations, the Palestinian Authority vs. Palestinian civil society, and much, much more.

You can currently obtain an ebook download of Suppressing Dissent for FREE at the Carnegie Endowment website. Contributors include such previous Parallax Views guests as Nathan J. Brown, Dana El Kurd, and Dahlia Scheindlin as well as Lara Friedman, Marwa Fatafta, Yael Berda, Jessica Buxbaum, and many others.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Matthew Petti, an assistant editor at Reason magazine whose beat is national security issues, returns to the program to discuss his recent articles "Bipartisan war hawks go after Trump defense pick Elbridge Colby", "Is Trump borrowing Biden’s ‘bear hug’ approach to Israel?", and "Who is the Palestinian Columbia student detained for his protest activity?". We'll also discuss the situation in Syria, specifically the uprising and massacre of Alawite civilians in the past week. In regards to Syria, we'll dissect the information war shell game that's currently taking place and how various actors including Israel, Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the Arab Gulf States are all pushing certain narratives in relation to Syria's transitional government led by Ahmed al-Sharaa (formerly Abu Mohammad al-Julani).

In the first portion of our conversation, we look at the confirmation hearing of Elbridge Colby, who has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be his Under Secretary of Defense for Policy. Although Colby belongs to the world of defense intellectuals and is not a dove by any stretch, some of his views have a pro-restraint bent that have come under fire from both Republicans and Democrats. Republican Senator Tom Cotton, in particular, appears to take issue with Colby, specifically Colby's views on the Middle East (Colby wants to wind down U.S. involvement in the region), and is alleged by a number of Trump allies to have been behind a recent whisper campaign against Colby.

We'll examine the realist camp of figures who have been given positions within the Trump administration thus far and JD Vance and Marco Rubio's allusions to realist foreign policy views since Trump's election. We'll also discuss how the other side of the coin when it comes to this embrace of realism by elements of the Trump administration and MAGA. Namely, the increasing talk of consolidating U.S. power in its geographic sphere of influence (ie: all the talk of making Canada the "51st State"). Petti will also go over Colby's hawkish views on China, specifically in relation to Taiwan, and how his views have changed over the years.

In the latter portion of the conversation, we'll discuss Petti's notion that Trump's may well be employing the "bear hug" strategy with Israel that many claimed Biden was using during his administration in light of the Gaza War. Petti makes the case that Biden did not actually apply the bear hug strategy, but that Trump may actually be using it. On one hand, Trump is frequently proclaiming his pro-Israel credentials for domestic consumption (ie: the targeting of Gaza protesters as "pro-Hamas" sympathizer or illegal "agitators"; saying he completely wants to eradicate Hamas). On the other hand, the Trump administration just held secretive talks with Hamas that were brought ot the public by Axios journalist Barak Ravid. Ravid, who has many sources within the Israeli national security state, broke the news and it seems reasonably to say Israeli security sources wanted the story to come out even if Trump didn't want that to happen. What are the implications of this? We'll delve into that in-depth.

Afterwards we will turn our attention to detainment of Mahmoud Khalil, a lead negotiator for pro-Palestinian protest camp at Columbia University. The detainment has garnered massive media attention with Khalil currently being held at an ICE detainment center. Turns out Khalil is not in the U.S. on a student visa. He has a green card. Although the Department of Homeland Security argues that Khalil's " activities aligned to Hamas, a designated terrorist organization" he has not been charged with a crime and is a permanent legal resident of the U.S. The case is likely to raise a lot of debate about what constitutes support for a terrorist organization, specifically what constitutes material support and where the lines between 1st amendment rights and said support are drawn.

All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Terrifier 2 & Terrifier 3's star final girl, Lauren LaVera, has a new fright flick, The Fetus, coming out on March 7th that'll combine comedy and body horror! And it'll also feature horror icon Bill Moseley, know for his roles as the brutal killer Otis Driftwood in Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses & The Devil's Rejects and the demented Choptop in Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, in a deliciously macabre role as a blind veteran with psychotic side. As you can probably surmise from the title, the movie will tackle pregnancy horror and creature feature thrills vis-à-vis a demonic baby. If you're a fan of 80s horrors like John Carpenter's The Thing or Wes Craven's A Nightmare on Elm Street, you'll be glad to know that the movie relies heavily on practical creature effects. It also promises to be a timely fright flick in light of the debates the rage on in American culture over abortion.

Joining us to discuss the movie is the film's director, Joe Lam. We'll talk about the experience of working with Lauren LaVera and Bill Moseley, the long process of writing the movie, the influence of Orson Welles' Citizen Kane on Joe, the film's use of practical effects and the award-winning work of Alex Rojas on the creature effects, the decision to release The Fetus unrated and increasing obsolescence of the MPAA ratings system in the age of streaming, thoughts on Sean Baker's Oscar speech in which he made a call for defending independent film and movie theaters in an age where both are under threat, balancing comedy/humor and horror, the importance of story and character development in Joe Lam's approach to horror, and much, much more!

"It’s astonishing to me that, despite the blizzard of barbarism currently being visited on them, Palestinians continue to produce such stunning writing. This excellent compilation is essential reading.”

The above are the words of praise Brian Eno, long-time activist and one of the most consequential musicians of our time (as evidenced by his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame with Roxy Music; and that doesn't even touch on his contributions to electronica and ambient music), heaped on Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader. Co-edited by Malu Halasa and Jordan Elgrably of The Markaz Review, a literature and arts from the center of the world and the diasporas of the Middle East and North Africa, this volume gives voice to the culture of Palestinians and its relationship to political resistance.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Malu Halasa joins us to discuss Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader and the collection of poetry, visual art of all kinds (from conceptual art to posters), literary criticism, and even speculative fiction/science fiction contained within it. Although many, especially since the war in Gaza, have become aware of the political dimensions of the Palestinian people, Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader highlights the cultural dimension that is sometimes overlooked. However, that is not to say that the poltiical dimension is ignored in book. In fact, Sumūd: A New Palestinian Reader illustrates the connection, the ties that bind, between the cultural and the political for Palestinians. Contributors to the book include Israeli New Historian Ilan Pappe, noted Gaza expert Sara Roy, Palestinian-American poet Noor Hindi, Paris-based journalist Olivia Snaije, British-Palestinian writer Ahmed Masoud (whose speculative fiction/sci-fi short story "Application 39" is featured in the book and a topic of discussion in our conversation), Gaza's Theater for Everybody founder Hossam Madhoum, and many, many more!

We'll discuss a number of topics in this conversation including Gaza, political resistance, Palestinian humor, allowing Palestinian voices to speak for themselves, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, award-winning journalist and author Simon Parkin joins us to discuss his latest book, The Forbidden Garden: The Botanists of Besieged Leningrad and Their Impossible Choice. This gripping true story explores the incredible sacrifice of scientists at the world’s first seed bank, who risked—and even gave—their lives to protect a vast collection of plant biodiversity during the brutal Siege of Leningrad in World War II. We dive into the differing scientific views of pioneering botanist and geneticist Nikolai Vavilov and Soviet agronomist Trofim Lysenko, whose controversial theories led to disastrous agricultural policies and whose influence in the Soviet Union did Vavilov no favors.

In the latter part of the conversation, Parkin shares insights from his work as a video game journalist, addressing concerns about the "Fortnite-ification" of the gaming industry—where games are increasingly developed as just monetized content rather than as artistic experiences. We also discuss his Atlantic article, "How a School Shooting Became a Video Game", which covers The Final Exam, a controversial video game designed to raise awareness about school shootings. Created by Change the Ref, an organization founded by Manuel and Patricia Oliver after their son Joaquin was killed in the 2018 Parkland shooting, the game forces players to experience the horror of a school shooting scenario—not for shock value, but to confront the grim reality of gun violence in America.

Tune in for this powerful discussion on history, science, video games, and social issues—only on Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, it's Valentine's Day Parallax Views special! And to celebrate the J.G. decided to dig up an interview that was previously unreleased related to holiday.

In 1981, George Mihalka's Canadian slasher My Bloody Valentine hit theaters. In the years since it has become a cult classic, enough so, in fact, to get a Hollywood remake in 2009 directed by Wes Craven protege Patrick Lussier & starring heartthrob Jensen Ackles from the hit TV show Supernatural. The original movie, in which a town known as Valentine Bluffs experiences a series of murders seemingly committed by a vengeful, deranged miner known as Harry Warden, has never received a proper sequel. Fans of the movie, however, came together to get a professionally done, feature-length fan sequel. It's called Valentine Bluffs: A My Bloody Valentine Fan Film and even features a guest starring performance from Troma's Lloyd Kaufman as the Mayor of Valentine Bluffs. It features all the bloody mayhem one would expect from a sequel to My Bloody Valentine, and, best of all for fans of 80s horror, features lovingly made practical effects rather than CGI.

In this previously unreleased interview, I speak with director and special effects artist Tom Smith and lead actress Rachel Keefe about Valentine Bluffs: A My Bloody Valentine Fan Film in-depth! You can view the fan film for free on Youtube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIIOv49awUU. Near the end of the conversation Rachel talks about her upcoming role in Joe Lam's horror movie The Fetus. As it turns out, The Fetus is set to be released next month, March 2025, and, in addition to Rachel Keefe, stars Terrifier 2 and Terrifier 3's Lauren LaVera as well as genre stalwart Bill Moseley from Rob Zombie's House of 1000 Corpses, The Devil's Rejects, and Tobe Hooper's The Texas Chainsaw Massacre! All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

On this edition of Parallax Views, another year has passed and longtime listeners will know what that means: a look back at the news that DIDN'T get adequately covered by the corporate press. Yes, it's that time again. The annual Project Censored check-in to Parallax Views. This time we have not one but two guests from Project Censored: the returning Mickey Huff and first-time guest Shealeigh Voitl. We'll look back at the state of the media ecosystem in a turbulent year that ended with Donald Trump being elected President for a second time. We'll look at the problem of junk food news, important stories that haven't received their due coverage in the news, and much more in this conversation!

On this edition of Parallax Views, last week President Donald Trump told reporters on Air Force One that he'd like to "clean out" war-torn Gaza. He suggested Egypt or Jordan take Palestinian refugees. Joining us to discuss Trump's floated idea of "cleaning out" Gaza is the Quincy Institute's Dr. Annelle Sheline. Dr. Sheline made headlines during the Biden-era because she resigned from the State Department over that administration's handling of Gaza. In this conversation Dr. Sheline will explain why Trump's "cleaning out Gaza" idea is concerning, not least of which because it would amount to ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in Gaza. She will also delve into how carrying out the idea would impact the peace between Israel and Jordan.

In the latter portion of the program, we'll discuss the potential factional disputes in Trump's administration over U.S. foreign policy as it relates to the Middle East.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Antiwar.Com's Dave DeCamp joins the show to discuss Trump's appointment of Michael DiMino, a former CIA analyst and fellow at the realist and restraint think tank Defense Priorities, to head up Middle East policy at the Pentagon. DiMino, if his past comments are any indication, wants U.S. involvement in the Middle East to be drastically reduced. We'll also Trump envoy Steve Witkoff (specifically in relation to Gaza and Iran), Trump redesignating Cuba as a state sponsor of terror, Trump's comments about possible military intervention to deal with Mexican drug cartels, Trump's controversial statements about Greenland and the Panama Canal, and much more.

In this hard-hitting episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, we welcome Chris Gunness, former Director of Communications and Advocacy for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), to discuss Israel's controversial ban on UNRWA and its far-reaching consequences for both Palestinians and Israelis. With the Knesset's legislation poised to expel UNRWA from Jerusalem and restrict its humanitarian operations, the episode delves into the grave repercussions of this move, including its impact on over 63,000 Palestinian refugees in East Jerusalem and the broader implications for regional stability.

Gunness breaks down how this decision not only undermines UNRWA’s vital services, such as education, healthcare, and food aid, but also sets the stage for the de facto annexation of Jerusalem in violation of international law, as highlighted by the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent ruling.

Tune in for a compelling discussion that unpacks the complex layers of this issue and why it’s not only a humanitarian crisis but also a political and moral one that could harm not only Palestinians but also Israel itself. We will discuss Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem in the course of this conversation and Chris will answer questions about some of the attacks that have been made on UNRWA in the past year.

This is a must-listen episode for those seeking a deeper understanding of the intersection between international law, humanitarian aid, and the ongoing conflict in Israel-Palestine. Don’t miss it!

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Victor Pickard, C. Edwin Baker Professor of Media Policy and Political Economy at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg School for Communication and Co-Director of the Media, Inequality & Change Center at said school, joins the show to discuss America's broken media ecosystem in the age of Donald Trump. Much of this conversation will be based around an article Pickard wrote for Election Analysis immediately after the 2024 Presidential election entitled "Under media oligarchy: Profit and power trumped democracy once again". We will also discuss way that American media could be repaired today, how we can fix the media ecosystem, and the promise of Indymedia models for reviving journalism and reporting in the United States. Some other issues covered throughout the course of our conversation include: public funding of media, the BBC vs. American media, news deserts and the consequences of the decline in local newspapers/outlets, and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Arno Rosenfeld, a reporter for one of America's most prominent Jewish publications, The Forward, joins the show to discuss his reporting on the right-wing, conservative think tank The Heritage's Foundation's Project Esther. Laid out as a plan to combat antisemitism, some have noticed the Project Esther seems to promote a conspiracy theory around the causes of antisemitism that is itself pulling from antisemitic conspiracy tropes. According to Project Esther, pro-Palestinian activism and antisemitism is the result of a "Hamas Support Network". In a PowerPoint presentation Project Esther point towards Jewish figures like billionaire George Soros and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker as the "masterminds" of cabal fueling antisemitism today. Beyond the conspiratorial nature of this claim and the fact that it's arguably promoting an antisemitic conspiracy theory itself, Rosenfeld has reported on how the Heritage Foundation's approach to combatting antisemitism differs from that of Jewish institutions and discusses how American Jewish institutions have been wary to endorse the Heritage Foundation project.

These are Rosenfeld's reports on Project Esther:

"Project Esther docs describe conspiracy of Jewish ‘masterminds’"

"Scoop: Heritage Foundation plans to ‘identify and target’ Wikipedia editors – The Forward"

We will discuss the second article mentioned above and the concerns that the Heritage Foundation's plans of targeting Wikipedia editors has raised.

Additionally, Arno and I will delve into the fault lines that exist in American Jewish political life today. This will make up the second half of our conversation and delves into the differences between legacy American Jewish institutions (what Jewish journalists like Rosenfeld and JTA's Ron Kampeas have called the American Jewish Establishment) and American Jews as a whole. This leads to a discussion of how American Jews are not a monolith. We will also discuss the impact of newer, counter-institutions like J Street on American Jewish political life, divisions in the American Jewish community over how to fight antisemitism, and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, is a recently declassified NSA memo the smoking gun document that proves Ethel Rosenberg was wrongfully convicted and executed for the charge of being a Soviet spy? That's the contention of her sons Michael and Robert Meeropol. Michael Meeropol joins the program to take us through exactly what this declassified memo says and what it means for the conventional understanding of the Julius and Ethel Rosenberg espionage case.

For those unfamiliar, on June 19th, 1953, during the era of Joe McCarthy and the Red Scare, Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were executed by electric chair at New York's Sing Sing Prison after being convicted of spying on behalf of the Soviet Union. They became the first Americans executed on espionage charges during a peacetime period in the United States.

Since then, the Rosenberg's sons, the aforementioned Michael and Robert Meeropol, have sought to find out the truth about their parents and whether they were wrongfully convicted and executed. In the intervening years the question of Julius Rosenberg's guilt has been answered. Simply put, he did engage in espionage for the Soviet Union. The case of Ethel Rosenberg, however, has not been so clear cut. Now, the previously mentioned NSA memo that was recently declassified appears to be powerful evidence in favor of her innocence.

In addition to discussing what is in this memo, Michael and I will also discuss his experiences growing up under the long shadow of his parents' espionage charges, the collaboration between liberals and right-wing anti-communists during the Red Scare, Michael's review of a biography about Judge Irving R. Kaufman (the judge who sentenced the Rosenbergs), and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Nikolas Schreck of the controversial cult deathrock/experimental band Radio Werewolf returns to discuss Wally George. For those unfamiliar, Wally George was the host of The Hot Seat, a popular talk show that aired in Southern California in the 80s into the 90s and even the 2000s before his passing. Dubbed the "Father of Combat TV", George provided a carnival-esque show which revolved around his shouting matches with various guests. On-air he presented himself as a conservative firebrand, complete with a John Wayne photo on his desk and an enlarged picture of a Space Shuttle blasting off behind him with the word "USA #1" written beneath. He'd bring on guests he deemed "sickos" and "freakos" including Satanists, marijuana legalization proponents, and, of course, liberals. In other words, Wally George pioneered the "Own the Libs" schtick/gimmick of Bill O'Reilly, Glenn Beck, and figures today like Ben Shapiro as well as being a precursor to the combative-and-chaotic talk show trash TV format of shows programs like the Jerry Springer Show.

In recent years, there's been comparisons made between Wally George and President-elect Donald Trump, with most pointing out how both used a vulgar, combative style to appeal to their audiences. In fact, in 2016 Talking Points Memo referred to Wally George as the "Archeo-Trump".

Nikolas Schreck, who was a practicing occultist whose band Radio Werewolf courted controversy, was a perfect fit for Wally George's The Hot Seat and he became a multi-time guest on the program. As such, Nikolas will be able to share his insight into Wally George and his audience. Some of those insights reveal George to be a consumate entertainer with a great deal of talent in terms of being able to provide a circus-like spectacle to his audience. However, Nikolas also notes a dark side to the kind of politics-as-entertainment Wally George brought to the table.

In addition to Wally George and the parallels between Wally George and Donald Trump, Nikolas and I will also discuss the Satanic Panic and his analysis of how it connects to QAnon. As someone who was in the thick of the Satanic Panic, Nikolas has a great deal to say on this subject and will detail how he and his former wife have been targetted by QAnon. We will also discuss his analysis of Trump and MAGA, the vulgarian showbiz of GOP politics, the broken American male and the misogyny of right-wing influencers like Andrew Tate, the degeneration of American political discourse, why Schreck views Trump more as a Boss Tweed figure than a fascist, and much, much more.

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Recording Date: 11-25-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, author and investigative journalist Nina Burleigh returns to discuss a potpourri of topics related to upcoming 2nd Trump Presidency after the 2024 election defeat of Kamala Harris. Nina is currently a contributing editor and writer at The New Republic and has authored such books as Virus: Vaccinations, the CDC, and the Hijacking of America's Response to the Pandemic, Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women, and, most recently, her first novel, Zero Visibility Possible. The conversation initially came about due to Nina's New Republic piece, "Trump 2.0: Here Comes the Night". We'll discuss what she expects out of Trump's second Presidency as well as some recent pieces from her Substack blog American Freakshow, which chronicles the carnival-esque grotesquerie and excess of the 21st century GOP. Additionally, Nina will preview her new novel, the aforementioned Zero Visibility Possible, which deals with the madness of America in an age of fake news, mass violence, disinformation, and the breakdown of consensus reality.

In terms of Nina's American Freakshow blog we'll discuss her articles "Predators’ Ball", about the creeps who Trump have surrounded himself around (with a particular focus in this conversation on Trump's Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth), and "God and Guns in Pennsylvania", in which Nina goes over her experiences attending a Pennsylvania MAGA rally. Interestingly, said rally has ties to Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the Moonies and one of its key speakers was Sebastian Gorka, who is set to play a role in the Trump administration as counter-terrorism chief. In this regard we'll delve into the Moonie off-shot group AR-15 and look at Sebastian Gorka penchant for wearing symbols related to Hungarian fascism. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

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Recorded: 12-18-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Patrick Hilsman, an editor at Turning Point Magazine, joins the show to discuss recent reports of leaked documents discovered after the overthrow of Assad in Syria that seem to reveal collaboration between the Assad regime and Israel. Although the documents have not been verified, the way the are written indicate they are either authentic or a carefully-crafted, elaborate hoax. Hilsman argues that if they are fake, and that is possible, they were written by someone incredibly well-researched. Hilsman will go into why there's some plausibility to the documents and how they relate to his reporting on the use of Israeli drones by Russia in, paradoxically, Syria itself. We'll go deep into the Israel-Russia relationship and how they have worked with each other over the years, especially in regard to weapons. In this regard Patrick recommends the book The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World. We'll also cover some odds and ends in both the Israel-Russia connections and how the relate to the leaked documents regarding Syria and Israel. Specifically, Patrick mention the Israel-Russia deconfliction line in relation to this story. The documents indicate that there were secret dealings between the Assad regime and Israel that were harmful to the Assad regime's ally Iran.

Patrick will also discuss his time in Syria reporting on the first battle of Aleppo in 2012 and his experiences there. We'll also delve into the problems with overly conspiratorial ways of thinking when talking about international relations, the oversimplicity of "good guys vs. bad guys" when discussing nation-states and nation-state alliances, Israel's actions in Gaza, and much more.

Guest Bio: Patrick Hilsman is a journalist and researcher who has covered the conflicts in Syria and Ukraine. He has been published by The Intercept, The Daily Beast and has had recent film work featured on PBS. He was a researcher for the Al Jazeera Documentary “the search for Assad’s executioners”

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Recorded: 12-18-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, a separate portion of the recent conversation between J.G. and Reason Magazine's Matthew Petti is presented. In the course of their most recent conversation, J.G. and Petti ended up talking about the recent flap of mysterious drone sightings that have occurred in New Jersey and seemingly spread to other states like Pennsylvania. These drone sighting and the sensationalistic response to them are akin to the UFO sightings of old, conjuring up a slew of conspiracy theories and, arguably, mass panic. Chief among those conspiracy theories is that the Islamic Republic of Iran is behind the drones. From Matthew's recent Reason Magazine piece entitled "No, an Iranian ‘mothership’ isn't attacking New Jersey with UFOs":

Something weird is going on in New Jersey, and it's not just the swamp gas. Residents across the state have been calling in nighttime sightings of unidentified flying objects for the past month, including over military bases and President-elect Donald Trump's golf course. Neither local police nor the feds can explain what is going on—but Rep. Jeff Van Drew (R–N.J.) believes he has the answer.

"Iran launched a mothership, probably about a month ago, that contains these drones. It's off the east coast of America," the congressman told Fox News on Wednesday, citing "sources who can't reveal who they are." Then he hedged his bets, saying that the "drones should be shot down, whether it was some crazy hobbyist that we can't imagine, or whether it is Iran, and I think it very possibly could be."

So, the conspiracy theories have already started. We'll talk about that, but we'll also have a more general discussion about drones, drone hobbyists, the legal issues around shooting down drones, and much more!

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Recorded: 12-18-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, Reason Magazine's Matthew Petti makes his long-awaited return to Parallax Views to discuss all things currently transpiring in the Middle East. We of course, look at Syria, but this episode also features more talk of Gaza and the continued bombardment of Gaza by Israel than the last few episodes that have dealt more exclusively with Israel/Palestine and Gaza. Matthew will offer his take on how the U.S. should approach the new regime in Syria and we'll delve into his thoughts on Jolani and HTS. Is Jolani truly reformed from his jihadist days? Time will tell, but Petti argues that his and HTS's history should not be whitewashed. We'll also discuss the Islamic Republic of Iran for a good portion of the conversation and the problems it has been facing, not the least of which is its weakening regionally by the overthrow of Assad in Syria. However, Matthew argues that the regime in Iran has been facing other problems as well and questions its adaptability in 2024 and beyond. Turkey will also come up in this conversation and we'll go pretty in-depth on a number of other topics as well. In particular, Matthew will expound on what he sees as the U.S.'s desire to replace the "Axis of Resistance" with an "Axis of Submission" (or Axis of Misery) that demands Arab populations and particularly Palestinians submit to U.S. and Israeli demands regardless of whether they are unfair to said populations. In this regard we'll discuss the Abraham Accords. We'll also discuss the Washington D.C. foreign policy blob and neoconservative triumphalism amongst other matters. At the end of the conversation Matthew will discuss some of his media criticism, specifically his latest Reason piece "CNN presented Syrian jailer Salama Mohammad Salama as a torture survivor".

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Recorded: 12-18-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, the coverage and analysis of the situaiton unfolding in Syria continues, this time with George Meneshian, an Athens-based policy analyst specializing in the Caucasus and MENA. Meneshian bring his knowledge of the Caucasus and MENA to the table to explain what the downfal of Bashar al-Assad and his replacement of the Jolani-led HTS means for the regions. Meneshian offers a crash course in what needs to happen now for Syria to be stable, what the U.S. and European role should be in dealing with HTS, concerns about HTS and Jolani's Islamist and jihadist past, Turkey's regional ambitions, what the situation in Syria means for Armenia and Azerbaijan, what the downfall of Assad means for Palestinians, the events that were set in motino by the Hamas October 7th attack of 2023, Israel's actions in post-Assad Syria and occupation of the Golan Heights, Turkey and the Kurdish Question, Iran, and much, much more.

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Recorded: 12-18-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, in the first segment of the show James W. Carden, a contributing editor to The American Conservative and a former adviser to the U.S. State Department, returns to discuss his article "Iran: America’s Next War Of Choice", co-authored with Col. Douglas MacGregor, and "How the Neocons Won the Transition". We'll delve into what the overthrow of Assad means in relation to a weakened Iran. James believes we are closer than ever before to a potential conflict with Iran as Israel's Netanyahu and neoconservative ideologues in Washington D.C. are chomping at the bit for regime change in Iran. We'll also discuss the Israel-Turkey relationship and how that relationship may become more contentious over Syria, however Carden notes that, for the time being Turkey and Iran will cooperate with each other against their shared enemy of Iran. We'll also discuss a key player in Trump's transition team, Howard Lutnick, and how he seems to have his fingers all over Trump's rather neoconservative and foreign policy hawk appointments for the 2nd Trump administration.

In the second segment of the show, international relations analyst Eldar Mamedov returns to discuss what the overthrow of Assad means for the Caucasus, with a particular focus on Armenia and Azerbaijan. With Iran's power now weakened in the region, Armenia has a lot to worry about from Azerbaijan, a country that says it wants "peace" with Armenia but only on its' own rather maximalist terms that are not going to be accepted by Armenia. We'll also discuss how the U.S. should respond to the new leadership in Syria, specifically the Islamist HTS led by Jolani, and what must be avoided to prevent instability in Syria. Moreover, Eldar and I will go over what Turkey's ambitions in Syria and the region are under the leadership of Erdogan.

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Recorded: 11-14-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, Tina Nguyen, author of The MAGA Diaries: My Surreal Adventures Inside the Right-Wing (And How I Got Out) and the resident "MAGA Whisperer" at Puck News, joins the show to discuss elements of her book, specifically the MAGA media ecosystem (ie: Tucker Carlson, amongst others), as well as the think tank she believes deserve more attention than Project 2025: the America First Policy Institute. Given that Linda McMahon, a key player at AFPI, is heading up the Trump transition team I reached out to Tina to discuss her thoughts on AFPI and how it fits into Trump's plans for his 2nd term. Tina argues that the Heritage Foundation, which drafted Project 2025, is an older institution than Trumpism with a conservative agenda that has been around for decades prior to Trumpism. AFPI, on the other hand, is a new institution and one that is grounded less in a decades-spanning conservative agenda and more in loyalty or fealty to President-elect Donald J. Trump himself. She says that while Heritage Foundation/Project 2025 figures will have a role in the Trump administration, it will be loyalists from AFPI that will be doing the management of much of the administration on behalf of Trump. All of this analysis is based on Nguyen's own contact with the MAGA world. We discuss all that and much more in the conversation on this edition of Parallax Views!

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Recorded: 12-11-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, journalsit and lawyer Charlotte Dennet returns to the program to discuss her book Follow the Pipelines: Uncovering the Mystery of a Lost Spy and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil, which features a forward by her brother, the late American philosopher and cognitive scientist Daniel C. Dennett. Previously, Charlotte, alongside Gerard Colby, co-wrote a book that has been mentioned previously on the program, Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon: Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil.

Follow the Pipelines came about as a result of Dennett's search for answers about the death of her father, Daniel Dennett, who was the U.S.'s master spy in the Middle East. Dennett died in a plane crash that remains shrouded in mystery. This led Dennett to uncover the world of what she calls "The Great Game for Oil". We discuss the relationship between war and oil pipelines in this conversation. Although Charlotte and I have discussed Follow the Pipelines before, this conversation will focus more on Syria and the Great Game in light of the overthrow of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad.

For your benefit, Charlotte has provided maps from her book that will aid in understanding the conversation:

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Recorded: 12-11-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. reached out to a very interesting political analyst in his continued coverage of the situation in Syria with the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the ascendancy of the Islamist HTS led by Abu Muhammed al-Jolani. Graham E. Fuller specializes in long-range forecasting of geopolitics. In fact, Fuller is a former vice chair of the National Intelligence Council at CIA responsible for long-term forecasting. He also served as a CIA operations officer overseas for two decades, with much of his time being spent in the Middle East. He served as the CIA Station Chief in Kabul and is the author of such books as A World Without Islam (2010) and The Future of Political Islam (2003). He is a noted analyst on Islamist movements and continues to write extensively on issues pertaining to U.S. foreign policy, the Middle East, and geopolitics.

Graham joined me for a conversation about Assad's overthrow and what it means for various geopolitical players including the U.S. Russia, Iran, Turkey, and the Gulf states. We ended up having a more broad discussion that led into many different areas including:

- Explaining the phenomena that has come to be known as "Political Islam" sans the tabloid clickbait that has unfortunately something attended the non-academic literature on the topic

- Graham's critique of John Mearsheimer's Realist school of thought in regards to international relations. Graham believes there is great value in Mearsheimer's analysis, but makes the case that Realism as a school of thought is too often mechanistic and deterministic in how it perceives the course of geopolitical trends

- The U.S.'s endless "Search for Enemies" and the consequences that approach to foreign policy creates, in relation to, for example, the U.S.-China relationship

- The question of HTS and its leader Abu Muhammed al-Jolani; how will the govern?; HTS's administration of Idlib; how al-Jolani is, in the immediate, approaching the West and Israel

- Israel and Turkey's strikes in Syria; Turkey's geopolitical concerns over the Kurds in Syria; the far-right elements that have been unleashed in Israel, especially since the October 7th, 2023 attack and how that effects both Israel and the Middle East more broadly

- And much, much more!

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Recorded: 12-11-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, Ambassador (ret.) Patrick Theros returns to discuss the coming 2nd administration of President-elect Donald J. Trump in relation to the U.S. economy, the overthrow of Assad and the situation in Syria, the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Israel/Palestine, and the future of Europe. At the beginning of the conversation Amb. Theros explains what he thinks cost the Democrats the 2024 election. He makes the case that the Democrats failed to appeal what voters were most concerned about and threw too much money at political consultants who weren't able to lead the Democrats to victory. In this regard, Theros criticizes the approach of wonks. He also argues that a number of culture war issues (ie: woke, trans issues, etc.) did not resonate during this election & the Democrats did not do enough to explain to voters why Biden's economic policies were a long-term good.

We then moved onto discussing the Trump's stated economic policies, particularly his plans for mass deportations of illegal/undocumented immigrants & tariffs. Theros argues that these two specific policies are at cross-purposes with each other. He also discusses Trump's tax cut plans.

From there we move onto international relations and foreign policy. Theros gives his take on the Syria situation (the overthrow of Assad by Syrian rebels) as well as Israel and Turkey, both U.S. allies, could come into conflict over based on what is currently been reported about Israeli strikes there. We will discuss the dynamics influencing both Turkey's Erdogan and Israel's Netanyahu and how this could lead to some real geopolitical tumult in the region.

Theros also offer his take on the Russia/Ukraine conflict, and offers what he believes is Trump's plan for ending the conflict and bringing about negotiations. We discuss EU and NATO's eastward expansion and how the approach of EU/NATO eastward expansion played into Putin's hands. However, Theros argues that Putin's amassing of military forces along the border and eventual invasion of Ukraine changed the paradigm. As much as one can criticize how NATO and the EU approached dealing with Russia in the past, Theros argues Russia crossed a line with its actions involving Ukraine in a way that cannot be rationalized by the EU/NATO eastward expansion discourse. This leads us into a conversation about the future of Europe and increased defense spending in Europe.

In the course of our conversation Theros will also offer his criticism of populist politicians and express his concerns about the potential of the Trump administration to try and politicize the military.

In the second segment of the show, Antiwar.Com newswire reporter Dave DeCamp returns to discuss the latest developments in Syria. As with others who have spoken on the program in the past few days, DeCamp cautions that we are in murky territory with how events will unfold in Syria going forward. We discuss recent reporting on Ukraine's assisting the HTS Syrian Rebels, delve into HTS and its leader Abu Muhammed al-Jolani, the Islamist nature of HTS, the best-case scenario for Syria under HTS rule, the weakening of Iran due to these events, thoughts on Trump's hawkish picks for his administration, and much, much more!

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Recorded: 12-10-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Quincy Institute's Annelle Sheline returns to discuss overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad in Syria, U.S. foreign policy, and Israel's continued bombardment of Gaza. This is the first time Dr. Sheline has been back on the show since resigning from the State Department over the Biden administration's policies on Gaza. We'll discuss this uncertain moment in the Middle East where U.S. policy has gone wrong in the Middle East and beyond, Turkey, the U.S. and Israel's strikes in Syria; the Syrian rebel faction Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) that has taken the Syrian capital of Damascus; Assad's dictatorship; U.S. double standards about international law in relation to Israel's action in Gaza; the possibility of continued conflict in Syria despite Assad's overthrow; the Kurds in northeastern Syria; concerns about Trump and Middle East policy under his administration; Iran and discourse around the "Axis of Resistance";  and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, independent scholar and political commentator Wahid Azal, founder of the Fatimiya Sufi Order, returns to discuss the overthrow of the Bashar al-Assad government in Syria by Syrian rebels groups, most notably the HTS led by Abu Muhammad al-Jolani. This conversation deal specifically with the geopolitical implications of Assad's fall & Azal's contention that this marks the beginning of the end for the Islamic Republic of Iran and a death blow to the "Axis of Resistance" (Syria, Hezbollah, Iran). We'll also discuss concerns Azal has pertaining to the Syrian rebels and jihadism as well as looking at the role of Turkey in Syria and the broader Middle East. The Abraham Accords, Israel, Gaza, the Gulf monarchies, NATO and the U.S., Islamism, imperialism, and much more will also be covered in this conversation.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our coverage of Syria and the toppling of the Assad regime. Time the Quincy Institute's Steven N. Simon, who covered Syria on the NSC for Presidents Clinton and Obama, discusses the winners and losers in lieu of Assad's overthrow. The big winner according to Steven Simon? Israel. And the big losers? Russia and Iran. We'll also discuss the Syrian rebels who were pivotal in the events that have transpired, specifically the Islamist HTS led by Muhammad al-Joulani. Additionally, Steven will give his thoughts on both the Biden administration and President-elect Donald Trump's response to this moment that Steven calls "a profound shift in the regional strategic order" for the Middle East. And, of course, we will be discussing such topics as Israel's deployment of troops in the Golan Heights, Erdogan's Turkey and the situation of the Kurds in northern Syria, and much, much more.

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Recording Date: 12-08-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, Bashar al-Assad has fled Syria as the country's rebels have taken over the capital, Damascus. Assad has been President of Syria since 2000. His toppling at the hands of Syrian rebels, most notably Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham led by Abu Mohammed al-Golani, represents a historic moment both for Syria, which has been ravaged by a civil war since March 2011, and the wider Middle East. What does this mean for all the various players in the region such as Iran, Turkey, the U.S., Russia, the Kurds, Islamic State, and, perhaps most importantly, Syria itself? In order to answer some of these questions, journalist, scholar, and frequent Parallax Views guest James M. Dorsey returned to the program to unpack this historic moment. We'll discuss the potential scenarios for Syria's future, the question of HTS and its relationship to ultra-conservative Sunni Islam, jihadism, the winners and losers in this moment of Syria's history, the Syrian Civil War, Obama's record in Syria, U.S. President-elect Trump's comments that the U.S. should not get involved in Syria going forward, and much, much more!

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Recording Date: 12-07-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, the past week on Wednesday the French government effectively collapsed when a no-confidence vote at the National Assembly toppled Prime Minister Michael Barnier. Not since 1962 has a moment of akin to this one happened in the French political scene. Joining J.G. to unpack it all are journalist and friend of the show Marlon Ettinger as well as Olly Haynes, who alongside Marlon co-hosts the FLAP24 (French Legislative Assembly Podcast 2024; formerly FLEP24).

We'll discuss a number of issues related to this historic moment including France's President Emmanuel Macron blaming a "coalition of the irresponsible" for the no-confidence vote (in other words, blaming the far-right and far-left), Barnier's austerity budget, the authoritarian streak and "Jupiterian" ethos of Macron, Marine Le Pen and the National Rally (formerly the National Front), the French left leader Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the failures of Emmanuel Macron, challenging the narrative of Macron as a centrist liberal, and much, much more. Will also discuss Marlon's recent op-ed in the New York Times entitled "Marine Le Pen Is Holding France Hostage".

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Recording Date: 11-25-24

On this edition of Parallax Views, author and investigative journalist Nina Burleigh returns to discuss a potpourri of topics related to upcoming 2nd Trump Presidency after the 2024 election defeat of Kamala Harris. Nina is currently a contributing editor and writer at The New Republic and has authored such books as Virus: Vaccinations, the CDC, and the Hijacking of America's Response to the Pandemic, Golden Handcuffs: The Secret History of Trump's Women, and, most recently, her first novel, Zero Visibility Possible. The conversation initially came about due to Nina's New Republic piece, "Trump 2.0: Here Comes the Night". We'll discuss what she expects out of Trump's second Presidency as well as some recent pieces from her Substack blog American Freakshow, which chronicles the carnival-esque grotesquerie and excess of the 21st century GOP. Additionally, Nina will preview her new novel, the aforementioned Zero Visibility Possible, which deals with the madness of America in an age of fake news, mass violence, disinformation, and the breakdown of consensus reality.

In terms of Nina's American Freakshow blog we'll discuss her articles "Predators’ Ball", about the creeps who Trump have surrounded himself around (with a particular focus in this conversation on Trump's Defense Secretary pick Pete Hegseth), and "God and Guns in Pennsylvania", in which Nina goes over her experiences attending a Pennsylvania MAGA rally. Interestingly, said rally has ties to Rev. Sun Myung Moon and the Moonies and one of its key speakers was Sebastian Gorka, who is set to play a role in the Trump administration as counter-terrorism chief. In this regard we'll delve into the Moonie off-shot group AR-15 and look at Sebastian Gorka penchant for wearing symbols related to Hungarian fascism. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

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Chip Gibbons Interview Recorded 11/25; Anatol Lieven Interview Recorded 11/26 On this edition of Parallax Views, in the first half of the program, Chip Gibbons, Policy Director of Defending Rights and Dissent, joins the program to discuss H.R. 9495 or the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act and its passage in the Congress' U.S. House of Representatives. The bill has been criticized on the grounds that it will trample on free speech, specifically in regard to pro-Palestinian protests. According to Defending Rights and Dissent, "This bill allows the Secretary of the Treasury to unilaterally strip tax-exempt status from nonprofits deemed 'terrorist supporting' without meaningful due process." Find out more about the bill and why Defending Rights and Dissent argues the bill is neo-McCarthyite in this segment of the program and the press release below: "Defending Rights & Dissent Condemns Passage of H.R. 9495 - Defending Rights & Dissent"

In the second portion of the program, Anatol Lieven of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft returns to discuss U.S. foreign policy and the future of Europe, with a particular focus on the Russia-Ukraine conflict. With a second Trump Presidency now inevitable, it seems increasingly likely that negotiations between Russia and Ukraine will happen sooner rather than later, especially if Trump decides that the U.S. will not continue arming Ukraine. What would these negotiations look like? Will parts of Ukraine be annexed? Will the two countries' maximalist demands be whittled down during negotiations? What is the future of Europe and should Europe re-arm? All of these questions, as well as the issue of climate change as a national security threat will be covered. Additionally, Anatol and I will delve into the scare concerning Russia ICBMs from last week and what it says about the conflict and where it is at right now. EDIT: In the interlude before the Lieven interview I mention annexation of Gaza and the West Bank. I'm not arguing an official annexation has happened, although many would argue that de facto annexation has been happening. There are elements of Israel openly calling for annexation.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, former CIA analyst and Cato Institute fellow Patrick G. Eddington, who specializes in issues related to homeland security and civil liberties, returns to the program to discuss a scandalous snafu on the part of the Office of National Intelligence in relation to questions of PRC espionage (specifically the issue of whether or not the PRC has made recruiting Chinese Americans for spying activities) that illustrates a massive government abuse of Freedom of Information Act Exemptions. The whole story was detailed in Patrick's Antiwar.Com article "PRC Espionage: Are Chinese Americans Their Top Recruitment Targets?".

In the second part of our conversation we delve into what a second Trump term will potentially mean for civil liberties in the United States and have a in-depth discussion about Trump's mass deportations plans for undocumented migrant/illegal immigrants. Back in August, Patrick wrote a piece for The Bulwark entitled "Trump Could Do a Mass Deportation. We’ve Done It Before.". We delve into the history of mass deportation plans than have been done in the past with a focus on Eisenhower as well as the crackdowns on German Americans during World War I. We'll also mention issues related to the internment camps of WWII and how they not only targeted Japanese American, but also German- and Italian Americans. Patrick will help us delve into the Alien Enemy Act which has been cited by Trump and his advisers already. Additionally, Patrick will comment on Kentucky Senator Rand Paul's criticisms of Trump wanting to use the U.S. military for mass deportations.

Also discussed in the course of this conversation is neo-McCarthyism and the China Initiative of the first Trump Presidency, threats to civil liberties in a second Trump term, the expansion of Presidential/Executive Branch powers over the years and its consequences, the January 6th insurrection/riots, and much, much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views (recorded 11-11-24), self-described conservative Marxist Ralph Leonard joins the show to discuss the 2024 U.S. Presidential election and his article "Old-school Leftism is going extinct in the Democratic Party" about the passing of the Bernie Sanders moment and why he believes Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and the Squad won't generate the same energy as Sanders' did in 2016 or 2020.

Much of the conversation will focus in on how President-elect Donald Trump managed to obtain the votes of a multiracial coalition that included black and latino men as well as white men and women. We'll delve into the nationalism underpinning Trump's coalition and how it is not explicitly ethno-nationalism but rather civic nationalist in a way that made a multiracial coalition possible for MAGA. We'll discuss the discourse Trump crafted around the border and Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric. Leonard also notes how horrible he finds Trump's deportation rhetoric but delves into why many voters opted for it. We'll also discuss the 2024 as the first "post-woke" election for the Democratic Party. That is to say that Kamala Harris did not run on a "woke" platform and actually ran away from it. We'll also discuss foreign policy, Israel/Palestine, Trump as a carny barker, the "Is Trump a Fascist?" debate, JD Vance, and more.

Additionally, we will delve into Ralph's views on Marx and Marxism, what people don't understand about Marxism, Marxism as an emancipatory project, and how both the Democratic and Republican Parties in the U.S. are creatures of the ruling class (or capital) rather than the working classes. All that and much more.

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On this edition of Parallax Views it's a double feature delving into the question of Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy as we head into the 2nd Trump Presidency. In the first segment, the Cato Institute's Jon Hoffman return to discuss his Responsible Statecraft article "Trump now faces 'out of control' conflict in the Middle East". We'll delve into the problems that Hoffman argues at the heart of the bipartisan consensus in U.S. foreign policy and why a change of direction is needed, especially in regard to Israel/Palestine. We'll discuss Israel's wars in Gaza and Lebanon, Hezbollah continued stiff resistance to Israel despite the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, the return of Hamas in areas of Gaza that Israel has claimed to have cleared of its influence, Israel's stated objective of total elimination of Hamas and why some argue this objective is not achievable, the situation in the West Bank, the need for a new political equilibrium to solve the Israel-Palestine conflict and achieve peace, Iran and Israel's tit-for-tat exchanges with each other and the possibility of further dangerous escalation, the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia and what it may mean for the second Trump administration's foreign policy agenda, Trump's hawkish nominations (Mike Waltz, Pete Hegseth, etc.), reckless in both Israel and the U.S.'s policies in the Middle East, the Biden administration's approach to Israel and Gaza, the crisis of humanitarian aid being in relation to Gaza, U.S. arms to Israel, J.D. Vance's comments that American and Israeli interests do not always align (especially in relation to Iran), the role of policy inertia in how the U.S. approaches the Middle East, Jon's argument for U.S. disentanglement and de-prioritization of the Middle East, and more!

In the second segment of the show (starts around 36:16), Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative, joins the show to discuss what realism and restraint minded conservatives want out of the 2nd Trump administration's foreign policy agenda. In the beginning of the conversation will discuss the trajectory of U.S. foreign policy and how the realist viewpoint fell out of favor after the Cold War. In particular Curt will talk about the period of the Reagan years to the neoconservatives of the George W. Bush administration. We'll also discuss what realism & restraint in U.S. foreign policy thought entails and how the realist and restraint movement is a broad tent that's encompasses elements from both the right and the left.

Then Curt talks about "mixed bag" of Trump's nominations for his cabinet if you come from a realist and restraint viewpoint. He'll also talk about how there's been a shift, at least in tone, towards realism and restraint in Trumpian circles since the President-elect's first term in office and go over how realism and restraint conservatives are feeling about Trump's cabinet nominations thus far like Mike Waltz, Marco Rubio, Pete Hegseth, Pete Hegseth, Tulsi Gabbard, and Matt Gaetz. Curt speaks about how, in his view, Hegseth could represent a break from business-as-usual in the Pentagon despite his hawkish views. He also discusses what realist and restraint proponents hope for with regards to U.S. involvement in Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Palestine in the second Trump administration. We'll then delve into the idea of Trump as the heir to Richard Nixon and discuss the "madman theory" of U.S. foreign policy (and Curt will provide some International Relations 101 in the process that illustrates the differences between liberal internationalists and realists). How realist and restraint conservatives have differences in how they view how the U.S. should deal with Ukraine/Russia vs. how the U.S. should deal with either Israel/Palestine, Iran, China. All that and much more in a conversation that will hopefully illustrate what a good portion of "America First" and MAGA conservatives want out of Trump's foreign policy.

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On this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michae, journalist and political commentator Jeet Heer of The Nation returns for a deep dive into the 2024 U.S. presidential election, the failings of centrist Democrats, and the implications of a potential second Trump administration.

Key topics discussed include:

• Bernie Sanders' Warning: Jeet Heer echoes Bernie Sanders’ critique that Democrats have abandoned the working-class vote. The conversation explores how the party’s failure to promote antitrust actions, like those spearheaded by Lina Khan, and Kamala Harris’s outreach to billionaires such as Mark Cuban, have alienated voters.
• Trump’s Anti-System Appeal: Heer analyzes Donald Trump’s resonance with anti-system politics in contrast to Democrats’ status-quo messaging, which he argues doomed Harris's campaign. We also discuss the Harris campaign going after the votes of moderate Republicans and cozying up to Liz Cheney (and getting an endorsement from Dick Cheney).
• Shock-and-Awe Nominations: The discussion examines Trump’s picks for key positions—Matt Gaetz as Attorney General, Tulsi Gabbard as DNI, Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, and RFK Jr. at HHS—and their potential to destabilize the political landscape. Jeet also gives his view on the strategy undergirding Trump's picks
• Mafia Governance and NATO: Jeet predicts that a second Trump term would involve a governance style favoring loyalists, with significant repercussions for NATO and European allies.
• Freedom of Speech Under Siege: Heer warns that free speech could be the first casualty of a second Trump term, with centrists potentially supporting crackdowns on pro-Palestinian protesters.
• The MAGA Antiwar Mirage: Trump’s antiwar rhetoric is dissected as a façade, with Heer pointing out hawkish tendencies toward Mexico and Ukraine within MAGA ranks.

The episode opens with a reflection on Antonio Gramsci’s famous quote about living in "a time of monsters," setting the tone for a discussion on the political chaos of the present moment. Jeet also provides a historical perspective, linking Trumpism to the conspiratorial tendencies of the 20th-century Old Right and groups like the John Birch Society.

This thought-provoking conversation unpacks the stakes of 2024, from systemic political failures to the looming threats of authoritarianism and international instability under a second Trump administration.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Robbie Martin, filmmaker behind the documentary A Very Heavy Agenda about the history of neoconservatism & co-host with Abby Martin of Media Roots Radio, returns to discuss the 2024 election and its fallout with a particular focus on what Robbie perceives as the psyop-ing or cognitive infiltration of so-called alternative media. Robbie expresses his annoyance with the state of alternative media and what he sees as alt media figures who claim to be antiwar and against the mainstream, but are smuggling pro-war, hawkish views into the political arena while claiming to be against U.S. militarism and interventionism. We'll also delve into the parallels between this cognitive infiltration of alt media and the trajectory of the 9/11 Truth movement. Robbie and I also discuss the state of conspiracy culture, RFK Jr.'s leaked call with Trump before he suspended his campaign in the 2024 election, the paranoid climate in the post-Jeffrey Epstein moment, antisemitism in alt media, nationalist sentiments in alt media, Trump's foreign policy record in his first term (arming Saudi Arabia's war in Yemen, Ukraine and Russia, reneging on the JCPOA deal with Iran and assassinating Gen. Qassem Soleimani of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps., Latin America), the influence of Tucker Carlson, Trump's hawkish appointments (confirmed and unconfirmed at time of recording; Pete Hegseth, Marco Rubio, Mike Waltz, et al.), antiwar Libertarians getting sucked into the right-wing's culture war, the mainstream media's turn on Joe Biden,

On this edition of Parallax Views, popular election analyst Josh Cohen aka Ettingermentum returns to breakdown the 2024 election, its outcomes, and just why exactly the Democratic Party lost the Presidency, House, and Senate. We'll look at where the Kamala Harris and the Democratic Party campaign went wrong in their race against Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Josh will discuss why he believes Joe Biden played a big role in the the defeat of Democrats along with Kamala Harris's inability to differentiate herself from Biden. We'll also talk about the Harris campaign as the Democrats' first "post-woke" campaign, the issue of inflation and the economy's role in the 2024 election, Gaza and the Uncommitted campaign, and what the future may hold for the Democratic Party (we'll talk about Gretchen Whitmer, Andy Beshear, and the wide-open field for Democrats as well as the emergence of the post-Obama Democratic Party in the aftermath of this election). Josh's main analysis: bottom line, Democrats were self-indulgent and arguably played things too safe in a time where they needed to creatively respond to the situation in America.

Some other issues covered in the course of our conversation include:

- Democrats trying to appeal to moderate Republicans (as seen by the Harris campaign cozying up to Liz Cheney) in this election cycle

- Comparing Trump's win to the victories for abortion rights at the state level; are we really seeing a cultural shift to the right-wing; why was the Dobbs decision not enough for Democrats to win nationally?

- Criticism of the analysis being provided by figures like Matthew Yglesias and James Carville in relation to the election; the role of figures like Yglesias in the tone of the Democrats' overall campaign in the election cycle

- The border and immigration in relation to the 2024 election

- Israel/Palestine and the Gaza crisis as a wedge issue for Democrats

- The shattering of Joe Biden's reputation in the past 4 years and his low-approval ratings

- Comparing Democratic candidates that won their election bids in 2024 to the ones that lost

- Josh addresses the criticism that the results of the 2024 election had nothing to do with the economy because "the economy is fine"; the average Americans dissatisfaction with the current macro-economic environment

- Democrats' loss of ground in New York

- And more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, we continue our post-mortem of the 2024 election with two separate and distinguished guests. In the first segment, Stephen Semler of the date-based political blog Polygraph joins the show to discuss his articles "A couple charts to explain a Harris loss" and the facetiously titled "'The economy is fine'". Stephen delves into how the economy played a role in this election, and addresses criticisms by some pundits that economic anxieties could not have played a role in the election because the economy is doing well by some metrics and statistics (for example: low unemployment, a booming stock market, etc.). We'll delve into the difference between the economy and average American's economic well-being, and we'll look at two graphs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Census Bureau that deal with food insecurity and poverty to further elucidate Stephen's analysis. We'll also delve into Biden's Build Back Better and American Rescue Plans and how certain elements of Bidenomics in spring of 2022 got sidelined in a way that may have led to economic whiplash for American voters.

In the second segment of the show, Daniel Bessner, known for his work at the Quincy Institute and Jacobin as well as co-hosting the left-leaning foreign policy/international relations podcast American Prestige, returns to the program to give his own analysis of the 2024 election's outcome and what he expects from a 2nd Trump Presidency. We'll discuss the feeling that there's been a more muted response to this election that in 2016, the question of Trump and fascism and why Danny prefers to discuss Trump as a reactionary populist with authoritarian inclinations, Trump as a PT Barnum-esque carny barker character mixed with shades of Boss Tweed and Tammany Hall, Trump and his promises of mass deportation, what Trump means for climate change, populism and anti-establishment backlash in the 2024 election, what Danny expects out of Trump's foreign policy (with regards to Ukraine and Russia, China, Iran, and Israel/Palestine), and, most significantly, the crisis of liberalism. In regard to the crisis of liberalism we'll mention Francis Fukuyama's "End of History" hypothesis, the decline of civic institutions since the 1960s (and maybe even before), Clinton-era liberalism (colored by the primacy of Third Way neoliberalism in the Democratic Party) vs. FDR's New Deal liberalism, the liberal international order and great power politics, and much, much more.

In this insightful episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, political economist Dr. Jack Rasmus joins J.G. to dissect the reasons behind Donald Trump’s unexpected victory over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. The discussion is centered around Dr. Rasmus's article, "Why Trump Won—And Some Consequences," which explores the economic and political factors that led to Trump’s victory in both the electoral college and the popular vote. Rasmus presents an in-depth analysis of the socio-economic discontent that propelled Trump’s victory, offering a fresh perspective on the frustrations and disillusionment affecting American voters today.

Dr. Rasmus argues that economic policies affecting the middle and working classes, alongside concerns over inflation, job stability, healthcare, and childcare costs played a pivotal role in the 2024 election. Dr. Rasmus addresses the now already common retort the economy could not have driven the outcome of the 2024 election due to the stock market booming, low unemployment rates, lowering of inflation, and a good GDP. He argues that media accounts of the economy have often cherry-picked statistics and do not necessarily deal with the economic well-being of average Americans. He offers statistic in support of his claims and makes the case for why many Americans felt their economic well-being was under siege.

A key aspect of this discussion centers on why Kamala Harris lost, with Dr. Rasmus exploring what he terms “The Humphrey Effect.” Similar to Hubert Humphrey’s inability to distance himself from Lyndon B. Johnson’s policies during the 1968 election, Harris struggled to differentiate her platform from President Joe Biden’s. Rasmus argues that voters saw Harris as an extension of Biden’s policies rather than a fresh alternative, which weakened her appeal.

Additionally, Dr. Rasmus contends that Harris’s focus on issues like the January 6th insurrection and identity politics, though central to her campaign, did not resonate with a wide swath of voters. Many Americans, rightly or wrongly, felt these issues were disconnected from their immediate economic concerns. Instead, inflation, job instability, and healthcare affordability were front and center for voters struggling to make ends meet. According to Rasmus, Harris’s perceived failure to address these economic pocketbook issues head-on left many working-class and middle-class voters disillusioned and created an opening for Trump to campaign on issues like no-taxes on tipping, etc.

In a second Trump presidency, Dr. Rasmus expects sweeping economic and social policy changes that will impact Americans across various income brackets. Trump’s approach will likely center on increased tariffs, which, while meant to protect American industries, may raise consumer prices, impacting the pocketbooks of average Americans—though not as severely as some Democrats predict. Rasmus argues that while consumer goods prices will increase under the tariff agenda, he is more immediately concerned about inflationary pressures in the service sector as well looming recession in said sector, which could have far-reaching economic consequences.

Rasmus anticipates that Trump will implement further austerity measures, reducing social spending on programs. In this regard we discuss what to expect out of Trump when it comes to social security. Rasmus also discusses the likely tax cuts for the wealthy that can be expected under this second Trump administration. Additionally, we delve into what Trump's second term may entail for climate change, tensions with China, foreign policy in the Middle East, and much, much more.

In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, J.G. sits down with Tyler Joseph, co-host of the Rabble Report YouTube show, to examine the surprising results of the 2024 election, where Donald Trump achieved a historic victory over Kamala Harris, becoming the first Republican in 20 years to secure the popular vote. Tyler delves into the anti-politics phenomenon—an intensifying public disillusionment with political institutions that’s shaping how Americans vote. They discuss how figures like Trump and Obama have harnessed this discontent to their advantage, tapping into an electorate increasingly skeptical of political institutions. Beyond just examining the 2024 election, Tyler explores the role of anti-politics in the decline of civic institutions and the rise of social atomization, as communities fragment and people become more isolated. Join the conversation as J.G. and Tyler assess how anti-politics and the erosion of civic trust are reshaping America’s political and social landscape in the wake of this unprecedented election. We also delve into the overlap between anti-politics and anti-corruption rhetoric, the difference between anti-politics and anti-politicians, the pandemic, Bernie Sanders, abortion protections being won in many states despite the victory of the GOP at the national level, Joe Rogan and politics, the American voter and ideological incoherence, Jimmy Carter's "great malaise" speech, the American public and the immigration debate, New Jersey's Senate-elect Andy Kim's recent references to anti-politics, culture wars and politicians trying to game anti-politics to their own ends, the Ross Perot Presidential campaign in the 1990s and its relationship to anti-politics, George Galloway's The Worker's Part of Britain, and the Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance party in Germany, and more

I'll be back with the fallout from the election next week. But until then here's a Halloween Hangover episode of the show that consists of my appearance on Jason Myles' Pop Life. Toure Reed also joined the program. We talked about teen-campers in the woods horror movies from FRIDAY THE 13TH and SLEEPAWAY CAMP franchises to more obscure titles like THE BURNING, MADMAN, and CHEERLEADER CAMP. Toure gave his thoughts on Joss Wheadon's CABIN IN THE WOODS and its tongue-in-cheek "meta" approach to horror. Realize everyone is burned out from the election, so hopefully this episode will be some type of reprieve.

For the grand finale of this year’s Parallax Views Halloween-themed series, host J.G. Michael dives deep into the world of horror comics with none other than Stephen Bissette, legendary artist and penciler from Alan Moore’s iconic Saga of the Swamp Thing. In this episode, Bissette reveals the eerie origins and turbulent history of horror comics, starting with the foundational impact of Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine and its most well-known cover artist, Basil Gogos, which captivated a generation of horror enthusiasts. From there, the conversation explores the 1950s moral panic that vilified horror comics, leading to the creation of the restrictive Comics Code that effectively snuffed out horror comics for decades.

Bissette and Michael delve into the legendary horror tales published by Warren with Creepy and Eerie, as well as EC Comics' iconic titles like Tales from the Crypt and Vault of Horror. The conversation highlights artists who shaped the genre, including Wally Wood and Gene Colan, whose work on Tomb of Dracula remains a horror classic. We also delve into the connection between the 60s/70s counterculture, underground comix, and horror comics by discussing the way in which horror comics were available in places like headshops in the 70s and how artists like the great Richard Corben of Heavy Metal fame worked in both the underground comix and horror comics spaces. Moving into his own groundbreaking work, Bissette discusses his boundary-pushing horror anthology series Taboo, a space where comics could embrace uncensored horror storytelling. They also explore Bissette’s acclaimed run on Swamp Thing, with a particular focus on the legendary issue "The Anatomy Lesson." Bissette recounts how the eerie villain Jason Woodrue, aka the Floronic Man, came to feature as the main antagonist in the first arc of his Swamp Thing and shares how he modeled the character's unsettling look on Peter Cushing’s portrayal in Hammer’s Frankenstein films.

The conversation also covers the rebirth of gothic horror in the late 1950s, the cultural fascination with giant monster sci-fi films in the early 50s, and the impact of censorship in comics, drawing fascinating parallels to contemporary book bans by Christian nationalist groups. With an exploration of censorship's effects, the genre's evolution, and chilling themes still relevant today, this episode is packed with rich insights for horror lovers and comics fans alike.

The conversation continues with Chuck’s film Ed Gein, which diverges from fictionalized films inspired by the Butcher of Plainfield—such as Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Silence of the Lambs—and instead stays grounded in the actual life and psyche of Ed Gein. Featuring Steve Railsback, known for his unnerving performance as Charles Manson in the 1970s TV miniseries Helter Skelter, Railsback’s portrayal of Gein is both unsettling and oddly tragic, showcasing a different side of the infamous killer. Chuck and J.G. also discuss The Hillside Strangler, a disturbing portrayal of Kenneth Bianchi and Angelo Buono's deadly partnership, in which C. Thomas Howell and Nicholas Turturro take on chilling roles as the murderous cousins whose combined force drove them to escalate their crimes in late 1970s Los Angeles.

Further, Chuck shares insights on his upcoming project on the Sunset Strip Killers/The Sunset Slayers (Doug Clark and Carol Bundy) and how he was originally was slated to direct the 2002 Ted Bundy biopic before Oingo Boingo’s Matthew Bright ended up with the job. They tackle ethical questions surrounding the portrayal of real-life killers, the potential for exploitation, and the cultural obsession with true crime, shedding light on the complex responsibilities of filmmakers in this genre. This episode is a must-listen for fans of horror, crime thrillers, and serial killer cinema, as it examines the artistry and ethics of bringing these haunting real-life tales to the screen.

Get ready for a spine-tingling dive into 1988’s cult horror classic Night of the Demons on the latest episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael! Kicking off the Halloween “spooky season” series, J.G. welcomes Chris MacGibbon of the Spooky Picture Show, a die-hard fan and researcher of Night of the Demons. Chris has delved deep into the film’s eerie legacy, speaking with the cast, unearthing behind-the-scenes stories, and contributing to the Blu-ray releases of Night of the Demons and its sequels. Together, they discuss what makes this iconic film—and its sequels and remakes—so unforgettable in horror history. Tune in as they explore everything from the haunting atmosphere and cult following to the demon-filled, blood-curdling thrills that keep fans returning to this Halloween favorite year after year.

Among the topics covered:

- The making of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS (1988), which was filmed on a low-budget over a few weeks with some of the shooting taking place in gangland territory

- The on-set romance between special effects artist Steve Johnson and scream queen Linnea Quigley (who plays Suzanne in the film) after Johnson had to create a mold of Linnea's breasts

- Australian director Brian Trenchard-Smith's NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 2; although the first movie had comedic elements, NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 2 dove into full-on horror farce territory

- The strange and troubled history of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS 3 in Canada and its connections to the children's horror TV shows Are You Afraid of the Dark? and Goosebumps

- The rather disliked 2009 remake/reimagining of NIGHT OF THE DEMONS starring American Pie's Shannon Elizabeth, Freddy Vs. Jason's Monica Keena, and Terminator 2's Edward Furlong

- How NIGHT OF THE DEMONS director Kevin S. Tenney ended up working on the film after making the cult classic Witchboard

- Republic Pictures and the unexpected success of Night of the Demons on the home video market

- Amelia Kinkade, the actress who plays the goth-girl-turned-demon-possessed-villain-of-the-series Angela, and her other life as a pet psychic; also discussion of her awesome dance scenes in Night of the Demons and Night of the Demons 2 where she dances to the gothic post-punk band Bauhaus and the death metal band Morbid Angel!

- And more!

In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, we dive into the world of private military companies (PMCs) with Morgan Lerette, author of Guns, Girls, and Greed: I Was a Blackwater Mercenary in Iraq. Morgan shares his firsthand experiences as a Blackwater mercenary in Iraq, offering candid thoughts and criticisms of Blackwater's controversial activities and its founder, Eric Prince. We explore Blackwater mercenaries' interactions with Iraqi civilians, diplomats, and fellow contractors, as well as Morgan's broader critiques of the PMC industry. The conversation also touches on journalist Jeremy Scahill's journalism that specialized in heavily criticizing Blackwater, along with unique anecdotes like female military personnel tanning around Saddam Hussein's palace, the day-to-day life and drudgery of a Blackwater employee, Christmas in Baghdad, how Morgan helped put a grifter who claimed to be a CIA operative in jail, and Iraqi kids selling Morgan bootleg copies of Star Wars movies and adult. Don't miss this in-depth discussion on the gritty realities of war, mercenary culture, and the ethics of private military operations.

On this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, we dive into the world of climate science and denial with acclaimed author David Lipsky, discussing his latest book, The Parrot and the Igloo: Climate and the Science of Denial. Lipsky's narrative unravels the journey from the early days of climate awareness to the rise of misinformation and denialism that has shaped public perception and policy today.

Lipsky explores the prophetic warnings of global warming, like the New York Times' 1956 prediction of parrots in the Antarctic, and the contrasting spectacle of Senator James Inhofe's 2010 igloo on the Washington Mall, mocking climate change with a sign reading, "Al Gore's New Home: Honk If You Love Climate Change." The discussion highlights the groundbreaking work of James Hansen, an academic at Columbia University who was an important voice warning the world about the dangers of climate change and serves as one of the real life heroes in Lipsky's book. We delve into Hansen's involvement in the Pioneer Venus project and how research into Venus's atmosphere helped scientists understand the catastrophic potential of a runaway greenhouse effect—a scenario he feared could threaten Earth’s future, driving him to speak out for the sake of his grandchildren.

We also delve into the role of big business in science denial, with a focus on the tobacco industry and the Phillip Morris Science Action Plan. Lipsky illustrates how tactics developed by the tobacco industry to spread doubt about the dangers of smoking were later adapted to promote climate denial. Companies used these methods to create uncertainty around the scientific consensus on global warming, employing PR strategies that aimed to manipulate public perception.

Lipsky brings to light the financial interests and industries that fueled climate denial propaganda, referencing the controversial 2007 documentary The Great Global Warming Swindle. He introduces the concept of "The 25," the key figures in climate denialism, a term inspired by Steven Milloy's admission that there were only "25 of us" fighting against climate science. Lipsky traces how these denialists, some with backgrounds in defending tobacco, transitioned to spreading disinformation tied to the oil industry.

The episode also touches on Lipsky's thought-provoking hypothesis about societal complicity in climate denial. While J.G. Michael suggests that powerful entities like the oil industry and groups such as the Moonies were actively pushing climate skepticism, Lipsky adds that society at large may have subconsciously wanted the denialists to be right because of our dependence on fossil fuels. He suggests that instead of taking collective action, we find it easier to blame oil companies and denialists, ignoring our own unwillingness to make lifestyle changes. This, however, is not to say that Lipsky let's oil companies and interest groups off the hook, but rather points at the way we, as a society, have failed to take action when it comes to the warming of our planet.

We discuss the years of inaction on climate change by Republican administrations and the Democratic Party’s missed opportunities, specifically during the presidency of Barack Obama. Despite organized climate denial losing ground in recent years, societal action on climate change remains insufficient. Figures like Bjorn Lomborg and Dr. Timothy Ball have faded into obscurity, yet Lipsky argues that our lack of decisive action indicates that we, as a society, might now be the ones in denial.

Finally, we examine the influence of Republican pollster Frank Luntz, who reframed the conversation by popularizing the term "climate change" to make the issue seem less alarming and downplay the urgency of global warming.

Join us for a conversation that covers the heroes and villains of climate science, the spread of disinformation, and how the American character has played a role in this tragicomic battle for the truth. Whether you're a climate advocate or curious about the history of climate skepticism, this episode offers a deep dive into one of the most critical issues of our time.

On this edition of Parallax Views, we delve into the explosive story of a software company and corporate landlords accused of engaging in a criminal conspiracy to artificially jack-up prices in the U.S. rental housing market. Lee Hepner of the American Economic Liberties Project joins the show to discuss the scandal-plagued software company RealPage and algorithmic price-fixing in the U.S. rental housing market as well as what was recently described in The Atlantic as the emerging "AI Price Fixing Dystopia". We'll talk about how the relationship between vacancies and rental prices has changed since the introduction of software of the kind RealPage is selling, the significance of the RealPage antitrust case, and how scandals like this tie into the issue of evictions and homelessness. We'll also delve into broader issues related to cartels and the threat monopoly capital poses to U.S. consumers, the Google antitrust lawsuit and Judge Amit Mehta ruling that Google is a monopolist in violation of antitrust laws, the significance of the Google antitrust lawsuit and what could come of it, the Federal Trade Commision's Lina Khan and Department of Justice Jonathan Kanter & the antirust project, how price fixing also ties into food and airline prices, countering anti-antitrust propaganda, the concept of "greedflation" as the cause of inflation, and much, much more.

On this edition of of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, British reporter and book critic Samuel McIlhagga joins to dissect Anne Applebaum's latest work, Autocracy Inc., and his critique of it in his Jacobin article, "Anne Applebaum’s Dystopia of Rules." Together, they explore Applebaum's analysis of rising authoritarianism, her framing of the battle between democracy and autocracy, and how her perspective may overlook key complexities. McIlhagga challenges Applebaum's conclusions while agreeing with some parts of her general analysis, offering a deeper critique of the political narrative she builds, particularly in the context of global politics today. Amongst the topics we cover are NATO, multipolarity and the concept of the multipolar world, France's Emmanuel Macron and European intellectuals/political figures preparing for a world where Europe won't be able to rely on the U.S. (especially in the case of a 2nd Donald Trump Presidency in the White House), autocratic states that are U.S. allies vs. autocratics states that are U.S. enemies, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Latin America, the post-WWII order, geopolitical tensions, thinkers adjacent to Applebaum like Timothy Snyder, the Middle East, Israel/Palestine, Russia, Ukraine, and much, much more.

In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, historian Brandan P. Buck discusses his Reason magazine article, "Rachel Maddow's Prequel Is a Deceptively Framed History of the Radical Right." Buck critiques Maddow's portrayal of a Nazi Fifth Column attempting to influence America in the lead-up to WWII, arguing that while Nazi spies and groups like the Silver Shirts existed, their influence on U.S. non-interventionist sentiments is overstated. Citing sources like noted Holocaust historian Deborah Lipstadt’s book Beyond Belief, Buck challenges Maddow’s claims. He also emphasizes how antiwar opinions in the U.S. were shaped by the American experience of WWI and argues that Maddow does not highlight how that experience informed anti-interventionist sentiments prior to U.S. entry into WWII. Additionally, the episode explores Maddow's overestimation of groups like the Silver Shirts and the American Bund, whose actual membership was far smaller than her claims of widespread influence. This is not a defense of anti-interventionism during WWII but a critique of media oversimplification and historical distortion.

Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of U.S. antiwar movements, media narratives, and the importance of accurately framing historical events.

In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, host J.G. Michael interviews sociologist Musa al-Gharbi about his upcoming book We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite. The conversation focuses on the woke vs. anti-woke culture wars, exploring the work of French sociologist Pierre Bourdieu and his concept of symbolic capital. Al-Gharbi explains how symbolic capital, a form of social and cultural influence, plays a crucial role in shaping the ideologies and actions of today’s elites in the woke debates. And he does not limit this to people who define themselves as "woke", but also those who define themselves as "anti-woke". This hopefully insightful discussion sheds light on the contradictions and complexities of the cultural elite and their influence on modern political and cultural discourse. If you're interested in understanding the deeper sociological factors driving the woke vs. anti-woke divide, this episode may be of interest.

Pre-Order Musa's book here: https://musaalgharbi.com/2021/05/05/book-announcement-we-have-never-been-woke/

In this episode of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael engages in a thought-provoking conversation with Palestinian American activist Greg Khalil, president and co-founder of the Telos Group. The discussion dives into the complex dynamics of the Israel/Palestine conflict, with a special focus on Christian Zionism and the Telos Group's efforts to build bridge between Palestinian activists and Evangelical Christians. Khalil offers insights into how faith, politics, and activism intersect in the region, challenging traditional narratives and exploring the role Evangelical Christian communities can have in peacebuilding initiatives. Tune in to explore how Telos is fostering understanding, promoting justice, and encouraging meaningful dialogue across deep-rooted divisions.

Listeners will learn how the Telos Group came to be through an unlikely alliance between Khalil, a Palestinian American activist and lifelong Democrat, and Todd Deatherage, a conservative, evangelical Christian who worked at the State Department in the years of the George W. Bush Presidency. We'll learn about their efforts at peacemaking as well as dissecting how not all the evangelical community aligns with the politics of notable Christian Zionists like John Hagee.

On this edition of Parallax Views, historian William Hogeland joins the show to discuss his book, The Hamilton Scheme: An Epic Tale of Money and Power in the American Founding. Hogeland offers a critical examination of Alexander Hamilton, challenging the romanticized image of this influential Founding Father. The conversation explores Hamilton’s ambitious economic plans and his efforts to consolidate power through financial institutions, shedding light on the often-overlooked power struggles that shaped the early United States.

As previously noted, Hogeland challenges the romanticized image of Hamilton, popularized by the hit musical Hamilton, and critiques the "Cult of Hamilton" that has emerged in recent years. The discussion explores Hamilton’s consolidation of power through financial institutions, his alliance with figures like Robert Morris—another Founding Father of the United States and a war profiteer—and the class struggles of the founding era, positioning "The Hamilton Scheme" against the working class of the era.

Additionally, Hogeland critiques mainstream liberal "Obamaist" civics and the dominance of Clinton-era Third Way neoliberalism in the Democratic Party, particularly during Barack Obama's presidency, when economic policy was heavily influenced by figures like Tim Geithner. In this conversation, you'll find out how Hogeland views his book as "implicitly a thoroughgoing critique mainly from the left of mainstream liberal Obamaist civics regarding the US founding". The discussion also touches on the progressive vision of 18th century Christian, farmer, and activist Herman Husband, a stark contrast to Hamilton’s economic ideas, and how historians since WWII, like Douglas Adair, have downplayed class-oriented interpretations of America's founding in favor of the ideas and virtues of the Founders.

We'll also discuss Hamilton's vision for an activist government vs. Herman Husband's vision for an activist government, Gore Vidal's take on Alexander Hamilton in his historical novel Burr, the neocons and Clinton Democrats that have embraced Hamilton in recent decades, neocons vs. paleocons/liberations on Hamilton, Charles Beard and revisionist historians on the American founding, and much, much more!

In this powerful episode of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael speaks with Dr. Assal Rad about the mainstream media’s portrayal of the Gaza War and the ongoing anti-Palestinian bias in news coverage. Together, they break down the key narratives shaping how the public perceives the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and how media outlets like the New York Times are influencing those perceptions.

Highlights include:

• Media Bias in Gaza War Coverage: How mainstream media, particularly U.S. outlets, frame the conflict and marginalize Palestinian voices.
• Leaked NYT Memo: Analyzing The Intercept's explosive reporting on the leaked New York Times memo advising reporters on words to avoid when covering the Gaza War and how it shapes understanding of Israel's actions in Gaza.
• John Oliver’s Criticism of Gaza War Coverage: Why it’s a problem that a comedy show like Last Week Tonight is offering more critical coverage than respected news publications like the New York Times.
• The Killings of Shireen Abu Akleh & Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi: Discussing the deaths of these journalists and what it reveals about the media’s handling of violence against Palestinians and, in the case of Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, an American citizen. Also noted is the fact that Eygi is not the first American citizen killed in the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rachel Corrie is also covered in this regard.
• Impact of Language in Conflict Reporting: How the framing of words and phrases influences global perception and policy.
• Diversionary Tactics in Discourse Around Israel/Palestine and Gaza: The use of deflection techniques to shift attention away from criticism of Israel's actions in Gaza and focus on other narratives, such as accusations of antisemitism or emphasis on Hamas.
• Conflating Criticism of Israel with Antisemitism: How framing any critique of Israeli actions during the Gaza War as antisemitism undermines genuine efforts to combat antisemitism and stifles meaningful discussion about human rights.
• Blaming Iran for the Gaza War: Why portraying Iran as the puppet-master behind the continuation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a problematic narrative that oversimplifies the situation and distracts from the core issues driving the Gaza War. We talk about the concept of the "Axis of Resistance" in this regard and what it is and isn't.

Dr. Rad provides insight into how media bias affects public understanding of the Gaza War and what can be done to promote more balanced, human-centered reporting. This episode offers a critical examination of media coverage during one of the most significant ongoing conflicts in the Middle East.

On the edition of Parallax Views, sociologist Robert E. Bartholomew, co-author of Havana Syndrome: Mass Psychogenic Illness and the Real Story Behind the Embassy Mystery and Hysteria, returns to discuss the story that won't die: Havana Syndrome. Bartholomew dives deep into his recent Skeptical Inquirer piece, "Smoke and Mirrors: The 60 Minutes ‘Breakthrough’ on Havana Syndrome Exposed," critically analyzing the recent media coverage surrounding Havana Syndrome, particularly the claims made on CBS's 60 Minutes.

During the discussion, Bartholomew breaks down the historical context of mass psychogenic illness and applies it to the mysterious symptoms experienced by U.S. diplomats and intelligence officers. He challenges the popular narrative attributing the syndrome to foreign attacks and explores how misinformation, hysteria, and media sensationalism may have played a significant role in shaping public perceptions. The episode sheds light on the evidence, or lack thereof, surrounding the Havana Syndrome phenomenon and emphasizes the importance of scientific skepticism when dealing with high-profile public health scares.

Listeners interested in media criticism, psychological phenomena, and the intersection of science and public discourse will find this episode to be a compelling dive into the real story behind the embassy mystery.

Tune in for an enlightening conversation that questions mainstream narratives and urges listeners to think critically about sensationalist headlines.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Henry Burke of the Revolving Door Project joins the show to discuss an article he co-wrote with Max Moran for The American Prospect entitled "What We Talk About When We Talk About the Revolving Door".

Burke offers a critical examination of the revolving door phenomenon, where government officials transition into lucrative positions in the private sector and vice versa, often leading to conflicts of interest and the perpetuation of corrupt corporate practices.

The conversation explores the urgent need to crack down on these unethical practices that undermine democracy and public trust. Burke and J.G. Michael also discuss journalist Matthew Yglesias' recent defense of the revolving door, and the criticisms Burke and Moran have of Yglesias' perspective.

Ultimately, Burke argues that we need to challenge the normalization of the revolving door and calls for greater accountability in both corporate and governmental spheres.

Other subjects that get mentioned on this episode include: populism vs. faux populism, Kamala Harris and her promises to go after price-gouging in regard to groceries, the targeting of Chairperson of U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Gary Gensler by corporate interests, the crypto industry, the Biden administration and progressive economic policies, and much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Rev. Dr. Liz Theoharis, co-chair of the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival and director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary. Rev. Dr. Theoharis delves into her recent article for TomDispatch, The Nation, and Counterpunch, where she critiques the Heritage Foundation's controversial Project 2025, likening it to an American version of Pax Romana.

Key topics include the rise of right-wing Christian Nationalism, the conflict between the Christian Left and the Christian Nationalist agenda, and the implications of Project 2025 for labor rights and the working class. The conversation also covers the intersection of militarism, the war on the poor, the ongoing crisis in Gaza, and bipartisan support for the military-industrial complex, which diverts resources from critical needs like healthcare and affordable housing. Additionally, the episode examines the influence of Pax Americana and parallel rises of Christian Nationalism and neoliberalism in the United States. We'll also discuss the social justice work that the Poor People's Campaign and Kairos Center are engaged in, especially during this year's election season.

On this edition of Parallax Views, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's Asaf Elia-Shalev joins the show to discuss his riveting book, Israel's Black Panthers. This episode uncovers the untold story of Israel's Black Panthers, a radical Mizrahi movement from the 1970s, drawing critical parallels between the FBI's COINTELPRO and the Israeli security state's targeting of the Panthers. The discussion highlights the intense conflicts between Israel's Black Panthers and figures like Meir Kahane, Golda Meir, and the police, including the significant events of The Night of the Panthers and Operation Milk.

Listeners will gain insights into the racism faced by Mizrahi Jews, the internal conflict between Mizrahi and Ashkenazi Jews, and how the Mizrahi community's political alignment shifted towards the right-wing Likud Party under Menachem Begin. The episode also explores the complex relationship between Israel's Black Panthers and Palestinians, and shines a spotlight on Reuven Abergel, one of the movement’s key co-founders. Essential listening for anyone interested in Middle Eastern history, social justice, and the dynamics of political activism.

On this edition of Parallax Views, San Francisco-based journalist Gil Duran, a former communications director for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein & Kamala Harris (during her time as Attorney General), joins the show to discuss the big tech oligarchs backing Donald Trump, JD Vance, and MAGA this election season and their strange, science fiction-sounding techno-authoritarian vision for America.

Gil Duran recently wrote two pieces in The New Republic that will form the basis for this conversation. The first, "Where J.D. Vance Gets His Weird, Terrifying Techno-Authoritarian Ideas", deals with JD Vance and the figure of Mencius Moldbug aka Curtis Yarvin, both of whom have a conneciton to Peter Thiel. Moldbug/Yarvin, for the uninitiated, is a key figure in the formation of what's come to be known as "Neo-Reaction" (NRx). Yarvin has promoted many ideas over the years, including the creation of corporate-controlled sovereign "realms" such as an imagined version of San Francisco called "Friscorps". These realms would essentially serve as panopticon-esque Orwellian surveillance systems. For example, in regard to his concept of Friscorps, Yarvin writes: