Episodes

  • E189 - The Financialization of Modern Media w/ Andrew deWaard

    E189 - The Financialization of Modern Media w/ Andrew deWaard
    Dec 16 2024
    Danny speaks with Andrew deWaard, assistant professor of media and popular culture at UC San Diego, about his book Derivative Media: How Wall Street Devours Culture. The two discuss how the falling rate of profit shapes the modern media landscape, the increased drive toward consolidation in entertainment companies, the big movers like private equity firms, hedge funds, asset managers, and venture capitalists, artists' limited ability to defend themselves, the rise of IP, and more.
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    1 hr and 2 mins
  • Bonus - Political Violence w/ Rachel Kleinfeld (Preview)

    Bonus - Political Violence w/ Rachel Kleinfeld (Preview)
    Dec 15 2024
    Danny and Derek speak with Rachel Kleinfeld, senior fellow in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, about her recent article co-authored with Nicole Bibbins Sedaca, "How to Prevent Political Violence". They explore different types of political violence, the connection between online threats and real life action, the rise of political violence in the US since 2015, "violence entrepreneurs", polarization, the role of ideology, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode! Note: This interview was recorded December 3, 2024, i.e. one day before UHC CEO Brian Thompson was shot. Recommended reading: Invisible Rulers: The People Who Turn Lies into Reality by Renee DiResta
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    10 mins
  • News - Hottest Year on Record, Syria's Transition, Biden Migrant Detention Facilities

    News - Hottest Year on Record, Syria's Transition, Biden Migrant Detention Facilities
    Dec 13 2024
    The news roundup is once again delivered to your temporal lobe. This week: 2024 is officially the hottest year on record (0:57), particularly because the Arctic is no longer a carbon sink, but rather a net carbon emitter (2:40); regarding the situation in Syria, an update on the political transition (5:16), renewed fighting between the SDF and Turkish proxies (10:56), and Israel makes a land grab for an extended "buffer zone" (15:01); in Israel-Palestine, Hamas makes a major ceasefire concession (18:22); rebels in Myanmar seize the Bangladesh border (21:29) while other factions call for a ceasefire (22:51); President Yoon of South Korea survives his first impeachment vote and chaos ensues (24:30); Ethiopia and Somalia strike a deal to settle their recent tensions (30:14); in Russia-Ukraine, Trump's demand for a ceasefire panics Zelenskyy (33:22); Romania's constitutional court annuls the first round of its presidential election (37:14); an armed group commits a massacre in Haiti (40:25); and the Biden administration is building migrant detention facilities (42:00). Subscribe today and check out our in-depth specials on stories from this week: South Korea, Martial Law, and President Yoon w/ Eun A Jo The Fall of Bashar Al-Assad w/ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
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    44 mins
  • E188 - US Sanctions as Economic Warfare w/ Jeff Stein

    E188 - US Sanctions as Economic Warfare w/ Jeff Stein
    Dec 10 2024
    Danny and Derek speak with Jeff Stein, White House economics reporter for The Washington Post, about his series on US sanctions for the Post, "The Money War". They talk about the function of economic sanctions for the US and how that's changed over time, broader cases like Iran to targeted ones like Russian businessman Viktor Vekselberg, how sanctions can "disconnect" war from the public, the humanitarian impact, and more. Subscribe now at Supporting Cast! Also check out Jeff's podcast on John Brown, American Carnage. And be sure to take a look at Jeff's work in "The Money War": Part I: How 4 U.S. presidents unleashed economic warfare across the globe Part II: Sanctions crushed Syria's elite. So they built a zombie economy fueled by drugs. Part III: Trump White House was warned sanctions on Venezuela could fuel migration Part IV: Washington targeted 'corrupt' mines. Workers paid the greatest price. Part V: A new Washington influence industry is making millions from sanctions Part VI: How a Russian oligarch's $90 million megayacht landed in US custody
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    57 mins
  • Special - The Fall of Bashar Al-Assad w/ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (Preview)

    Special - The Fall of Bashar Al-Assad w/ Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi (Preview)
    Dec 8 2024
    Derek once again speaks with translator and historian Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, this time to break down the ousting of Bashar Al-Assad from power in Syria. They discuss why the regime collapsed so quickly after this particular offensive, the armed groups at play, what this means for Syrian civilians, how support from outside actors factors into things, what kind of polity might emerge, and more. Subscribe now for the full episode. Check out Aymenn's forthcoming The Conquest of al-Andalus: a Translation of Fatḥ al-Andalus.
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    11 mins
  • Bonus - Drugs in America, Pt. 2 w/ Ben Fong (Preview)

    Bonus - Drugs in America, Pt. 2 w/ Ben Fong (Preview)
    Dec 8 2024
    Danny and Derek welcome back to the show Ben Fong of Arizona State University for the second part of their discussion about his book Quick Fixes: Drugs in America from Prohibition to the 21st Century Binge. In this episode, they explore psychedelic drugs and their journey from CIA attempts at mind control to modern biohacking, the bourgeois, neoliberal drug of cocaine, the cultural connotations of its powder form vs crack, marijuana and the "green rush", and the quick fix of both using drugs and attempts at suppressing their usage. Check out more of Ben's work at his Substack on labor and logistics, On the Seams.
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    9 mins
  • News - Syria Offensive, South Korea Martial Law, French Coalition Collapse

    News - Syria Offensive, South Korea Martial Law, French Coalition Collapse
    Dec 6 2024
    Danny and Derek once again combine powers to find that they have none. This week: an update on the "ceasefire" in Lebanon (0:29); the situation in Syria progresses as rebels take Hama (4:38); in Israel-Palestine, Amnesty accuses Israel of genocide (12:34) as parties make another push for a ceasefire (14:27); South Korea's President Yoon (briefly) declares martial law (17:05); the Zamzam displacement camp is shelled in Sudan (19:59); Chad's government breaks a military agreement with France (21:46); in Ukraine, Zelenskyy broaches territorial concessions, but demands NATO membership in return (24:53); the Barnier government in France falls in a no confidence vote (27:49); NATO makes a new push to ramp up defense spending amidst concerns over sabotage (30:48); and President Biden makes his first (and last) trip to Africa (34:21). Be sure to check out our special on South Korea with Eun A Jo.
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    37 mins
  • Special - South Korea, Martial Law, and President Yoon w/ Eun A Jo (Preview)

    Special - South Korea, Martial Law, and President Yoon w/ Eun A Jo (Preview)
    Dec 5 2024
    Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast Eun A Jo to talk about this week's events in South Korea, where President Yoon declared martial law after accusing the opposition of “anti-state activities”. They discuss why Yoon made this move, the mobilization of Koreans against the attempted coup, regional responses, the imminent vote on Yoon's impeachment, and more. Eun is an Edelson Fellow in international security at Dartmouth College’s Dickey Center for International Understanding and an incoming assistant professor of government at William and Mary. She works on questions of memory, democracy, and peace in East Asia, with a focus on South Korea and Taiwan. Check out Eun's explainer of the events.
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    6 mins