MTracey podcast

Bit of a break from regular programming here — sorry if you were expecting another scintillating essay on Israel/Palestine. But for the first time, watching a movie motivated me to track down the director and interview him about it, in hopes that I could encourage more people to watch. The movie is called Get full access to Michael Tracey at mtracey.substack.com/subscribe

Notwithstanding the comically intense online vitriol he often seems to provoke, Jesse Singal is a fairly laid-back guy. He also has a new book out this week, The Quick Fix, which I’ve read and can recommend. Upon its publication Singal has been greeted with a new wave of attempts to stigmatize both him and the book, primarily on the ground that he is allegedly “transphobic”—even though the book has nothing to do with Trans issues, and by no conceivable standard of reasonability could he be deemed “transphobic.” But that hasn’t stopped the LGBTQ advocacy organization “GLAAD” from placing him on their scary-sounding “Accountability List,” with the precise mechanism of “accountability” they are aiming for left suspiciously unspecified.The book provides a helpful framework to understand how bogus, evidence-devoid pop psychology concepts get transmitted through the academia —> journalism pipeline, and how the uncritical acceptance of those concepts encourages poor reasoning and bad political outcomes. So if you notice any questionable “fads” gaining prominence today, the book will give you a methodology to process them with some critical distance—which, as Singal demonstrates, the media is often uninterested in doing.Reminder that in addition to listening directly on Substack, you can subscribe to the podcast on all the typical platforms, as well as YouTube where I post video versions. Enjoy! Get full access to Michael Tracey at mtracey.substack.com/subscribe

Helen Andrews’ fabulously acidic book Boomers has earned a rousing enough recommendation from me that I decided to feature her as the first guest in the newly revived M. Tracey podcast series, now hosted on Substack. Previously I’d been averse to demarcating political conflict by generational lines, but this book has spicily dispelled any lingering apprehension I had in that regard. There’s plenty of cancellable material in here if you’re inclined to be scandalized — an apologia for the virtues of old-style European empire, a counter-intuitive ode to the savvy of Al Sharpton, numerous bitter pills to swallow on the failures of American imperial hegemony and modern feminism, etc. Mysteriously though, Helen reports not yet having been canceled — which raises the question of whether she’s immunized by dint of already being a hardened conservative, and therefore not susceptible to demands for her to grovelingly repudiate herself. Or maybe it’s just because the potentially-scandalized lack the attention span to get through the book, which would be in keeping with her general thesis of boomer violence upon our collective cognitive faculties. Hope you enjoy the conversation. Get full access to Michael Tracey at mtracey.substack.com/subscribe

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I talked to Branko Marcetic, writer for Jacobin and In These Times, about the foreign policy positioning of the Democratic primary candidates (or lack thereof). Support/subscribe on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey

I talked to Aaron Maté about the latest Ukraine/impeachment developments. This is derived from a YouTube livestream recorded September 25. Support MT on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey

I spoke to Ben Howe, author of the new book "The Immoral Majority," about his criticism of Evangelical Christian political power in the age of Trump. He himself is an Evangelical Christian and strongly dislikes Trump, but I tried to avoid the typical "Never Trump" discursive pitfalls! Support the podcast on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey

I spoke to Democratic presidential candidate Joe Sestak in New Hampshire. If you're not familiar with him, you're probably not alone. But even "minor" candidates deserve a fair hearing, and it was an interesting discussion. Support on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey  

Fredrick Brennan, the founder of 8chan, has been in the news due to mass shooters posting "manifestos" on the site. We discuss his views on the contemporary internet. Support on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey

I talked to Kyle Kulinski, the popular YouTube commentator also known as Secular Talk, about how he conceives of his role in the contemporary media landscape. We also discuss how he set up Bernie Sanders' interview with Joe Rogan! Support MT on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey  

I talked to former Congressman and two-time presidential candidate Dennis Kucinich about the most recent Democratic debates, his 2017 trip to Syria with Tulsi Gabbard, and more. Support MT on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey

I talked to Chris Arnade, author of the new book "Dignity," about the virtues and despairs of the American underclass -- and about why some prominent Republicans like his book so much.

I talk to Christine Ahn, the executive director of Women Cross DMZ, about Trump's surprise meeting with Kim Jong Un and Democrats' dismissive response. Support on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mtracey Support via PayPal: https://paypal.me/mctracey Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCaLn4FMU_Fp-LBcdbYgYWow

MT went over various observations from the Democratic debates in Miami with Matt McDonald, managing editor of The Spectator USA.

I talked to Bhaskar Sunkara, the editor and founder of Jacobin magazine, about his new book, "The Socialist Manifesto," as well as Bernie, Warren, and online culture wars.

The comedian Jamie Kilstein discusses his recent personal issues and the online culture wars that have driven us all insane.

I talk to Suhag Shukla, the executive director of the Hindu American Foundation, about the accusation that Tulsi Gabbard is a "Hindu Nationalist."

I talked to Alan Dershowitz about Robert Mueller's melodramatic statement and various legal issues around impeachment.

I talk to Michael Caputo, former advisor to Trump, on his political history and the nature of his involvement with Robert Mueller's investigation.

I spoke to Sen. Mike Gravel, who at 89 is mounting another campaign for president after having been recruited by some teens.

Legendary journalist James Bamford discusses the abhorrent ordeal of Maria Butina, who is currently sitting in federal prison on trumped up charges of being a "Russian agent."

I talked with Benjamin Wittes, a co-founder of Lawfare, about issues around the Mueller Report and media reporting thereof.

Michael Tracey interviews music promoter Rob Goldstone, who unwittingly arranged the infamous Trump Tower meeting in 2016 and became embroiled in all manner of investigations for two years. Likely his most comprehensive interview to date.

Michael Tracey talks to Glenn Greenwald about the fallout from the Mueller Report and the media's descent into deranged madness

I interview George Papadopoulos, the man at the heart of the Trump/Russia investigation.

Michael Tracey and Cenk Uygur debate the fallout from Trump/Russia.

I talk to Aaron Maté about the monumental catastrophe of the Russiagate saga, which he documented assiduously for The Nation magazine.

Today I'm speaking with Matt Taibbi on the past week's frenzy of news, and the past 33 months of covering Russiagate.

For this episode, I spoke with social media personality and 2017 March for Truth organizer Jordan Uhl.

In the first episode of the podcast, I spoke with Hawaii congresswoman and Democratic presidential candidate Tulsi Gabbard.