Friends,
The time has come to talk about our current political climate and the people who led us here, leaving a trail of dead in their wake. And no, I don’t mean anything as clumsily blunt as “Republicans!” And I also don’t mean anything as complicatedly conspiratorial, no matter what threads of truth are there, as “The Deep State!” Instead, it’s time to look at the very identifiable causes of our disastrous government/foreign policy/sociopolitical moment, the neocons and neoliberal running the show behind all the figureheads.
Here to clear it up with me — particularly to clear up this Russiagate bullshit — is Robbie Martin. Robbie is a documentary filmmaker, host of Media Roots Radio (along with his sister Abby Martin, a previous guest on AEWCH), and a musician.
One of the best way of taking apart these panics and myths and misdirections is by looking their lineages and its historical contexts. Robbie’s amazing documentary, A Very Heavy Agenda, is available for purchase and to stream. WATCH THIS MOVIE. It is detailed, complex, insightful, and well done. Robbie shines light on the mesmerizing and horrifying networks of neocon/neoliberal individuals and actions throughout recent history, but never ventures into conspiracy (though if you’re into conspiracies, the sheer amount of information here will give you a lot to keep you occupied). It’s a college semster’s-worth of info and narrative on US policy since Reagan, and it’s way more fun to watch than sitting in class.
There are lots of names upfront, but we go through each figure and talk about who they are, so just bear with it until we get to
IN THIS EP
-
The difference between neocons and neoliberals. If there is any: 1:30
-
It’s impossible to be “mugged by reality” unless you’re already an asshole: 2:55
-
Who are the Kagans and how have they remained such a staple in politics for so long?: 6:45
-
The roots of Russiagate in neocon/neoliberal war strategies: 16:00
-
Nazis in the Ukraine making that US $$$: 19:00
-
Who is Bill Kristol? & the long line of hating Russia leads right up to the neocon/neolib-founded propaganda tank, Alliance For Securing Democracy : 28:40
-
In which I lose my shit reading AFSD’s idiotic statement: 34:10
-
All that’s changed since the Iraq War is the rhetoric: 35:05
-
Useful idiots. Like Michael Ian Black and Jena Friedman.: 43:20
-
What does it mean that Russian Television (RT) has to register as a “foreign agent” and why is that massively messed up?: 45:10
-
When Obama wasn’t a coward, but everyone called him a coward. When Trump was not a Putin plant, but everyone called him a Putin plant.: 54:50
-
Vice Magazine as propagandists that watch me and jerk off.: 57:10
-
Everyone loves gay people when they’re dead.: 1:06:00
-
The new way emerges from the maze of enjoyments and expertise: 1:08:35
As always show notes with links to further reading and more are on my patreon. You can support the show and keep it going strong by becoming a patreon patron for as little as $1.00/month, AND you get cool stuff!
Love!
CH
Conner Habib 