POPULARITY
On this edition of Parallax Views, it's a monster-sized edition of our "Reflections of Afghanistan" series with not one but two guests join us for a nearly two hour roundtable conversation asking about how we got to this moment, what the past 20 years of U.S. involvement in Afghanistan says about our society, and what our withdrawal portends for a future in which China's rise looms and climate change seems ready to change the world. Joining us is long-time friend of the show JP Sottile aka "The Newsvandal" and former marine and State Deparment official Matthew Hoh, who famously blew the whistle on the 2009 surge in Afghanistan. The conversation begins with Matthew describing his background in both the Iraq War and Afghanistan War and his opposition to the 2009 surge. From there we delve into a number of issues with JP commenting on the media coverage of Afghanistan and the complicity we may all share in what he calls "The Empire of Oil". The conversation branches out from there as we discuss everything from the late Michael Hastings (a friend of Matthew Hoh) to the defense contractors that benefitted from the war and the F-35 boondoggle on this mammoth edition of the program. NOTE: HAD TO USE A DIFFERENT MIC FOR THIS EPISODE. I DON'T THINK THE AUDIO QUALITY IS EFFECTED THAT MUCH ON MY END. AND IT'S LARGELY JUST ME MODERATING JP AND MATTHEW.
On this edition of Parallax Views, Trump loyalist Tom Barrack was recently arrested on explosive charges of acting as a foreign agent for the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Whether you're still Trump-obsessed or flat-pout Trump fatigued, or you (in many ways rightfully) think we should move on with Biden, this story may prove more important than anyone realizes. And it may cast a different light on Russiagate and the Mueller investigation that puts the mainlight spotlight on Trump the UAE. But, as this scandal unfolds, it may prove to teach us about something much bigger than Trump. Our guest on this edition of the program, the crackerjack journalist JP Sottile aka "The Newsvandal", calls it the "Empire of Oil" that may well explain our current geopolitics. As Joe Pesci's David Ferrie opines in Oliver Stone's JFK, “Oh, what a deadly web we weave, When first we practice to deceive!" JP and I dig deep getting into the UAE scandal as well as how all of it may connect to a bigger geopolitical picture over the past few years and decades. We talk the sabotaging of the Iran deal, Israel-based private intel firm Psy-Group (covered in the Muller report, but underdiscussed), the NSO and Pegasus spyware scandal, the role of oil in geopolitics, fracking, OPEC and OPEC+, the 9/11 families lawsuit against Saudi Arabia, and much, much more! We had some light-hearted talk about classic Bond Girl Caroline Munro and even Eric Clapton (P.S. - minor mistake in saying he made a "River of Blood" speech meant to say he more or less endorsed Enoch Powell and the sentiment of Powell's "River of Blood" speech).
On this edition of Parallax Views, J.P. Sottile aka the Newsvandal joins us to unpack where America is at after the chaos on Capitol Hill last week in which angry, unruly Trump supporters, QAnon believers, Oath Keepers, and others stormed D.C. in the belief that Joe Biden's Presidential victory was the belief of election fraud and that a second term in the White House was stolen from Trump as a result. J.P., as someone who studied fascism during his years in academia and grew up in an evangelical Christian family, has an interesting take on these matters and believes that the Republican Party has unleashed a beast that has been caged since the McCarthy era. The discussion moves towards one of a philosophical nature as we delve into the idea of Victims and Perpetrators in society and politics with J.P. contending that we are all complicit in a deeply broken society. J.P. mentions the Iraq War in this regard and J.G. brings up Umberto Eco's "Ur-Fascism" essay, but the discussion goes down many different and varied rabbit holes. A deeply thoughtful conversation.
The U.S. Election is finally, it appears, over. It looks as if Joe Biden is the next President Elect of the United States and that Donald Trump and his will be out of the White House by 2021. Kamala Harris will join Joe Biden in the White House as Vice President replacing Mike Pence. Democrats are celebrating in the streets over the victory, believing it represents the defeat of a 21st century fascist threat, while Trump and his supporters accuse the election of being rigged through a voter fraud conspiracy. What will the future hold for a post-Trump America?Journalist JP Sottile aka the Newsvandal joins us to provide his always insightful analysis. In this conversation JP and I discuss:- The landscape of mainstream and alternative media; Chris Ruddy and Newsmax; class and making it journalism; what has the effect of the Trump Presidency been on journalism and the press?; Fox News- The projections of Presidential victories in the media, exit polling, and the 2000 election- The election as a referendum on Trump and how Trump has created a "distortion field" that obscures what the American people want in terms of policy; the Presidential Election as a Trump "reality show"- The off-year elections in 2022 and what it will say about what Americans want- Do Americans want progressivism?; Does progressivism have a messaging problem?; the "Defund the Police" movement; Democratic Party Strategist James Carville and others blaming progressives like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar for Democrats' downballot losses; AOC's New York Times interview; can progressives learn a thing or two from the long game of the evangelical Christian Right over the past half century?- The Lincoln Project; did it play a role in the election?- High voter turnout and how the conventional wisdom of higher turnout equaling a Democratic "Blue Wave" didn't pan out- Military Keynesianism and demand side economics; can Keynesian be applied to other areas rather than those the benefit what has been referred to as the military industrial complex?; the World Economic Forum and the transnational capitalist class; supply side economics vs demand side economics; is Reaganism/Thatcherism over and did Trump show the cracks in its acceptance?- Richard Spencer's support of Biden/Harris; is Spencer getting what he wanted in the sense that the focus of the Democratic Party's leadership is shifting toward an even more "law and order" route going forward; the history of "liberal" as an epithet during the Reagan era and how "socialist" has become the new epithet
On this edition of Parallax Views, as coronavirus grips the United States and the world Parallax Views regular guest JP Sottile aka the Newsvandal joins us to discuss all the latest in current events (and their historical connections to the past) during these fearful times. We begin the conversation by discussing COVID-19. JP is currently in self-quarantine after finding out his roomamte contracted the virus. Not only that, but JP is also in one of the epicenter of coronavirus in the USA. We then go on to discuss the possible effect this pandemic may have on globalization, and how figures ranging from Foreing Policy in Focus's John Feffer to paleoconservative Pat Buchanan are considering the potential for coronavirus to deliver a death blow to the current neoliberal world order. From there we go on to discuss the resurgence of nationalism around the world coupled with the oncoming possibility of ecological crisis. This segues into a discussion of America's generational divide, the increasing anger directed at baby boomers by millennials and Gen Z, and how Generation X fits into it all. Additionally, we discuss the Democratic Primaries, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, and where progressives should put their energies in a post-Bernie scenario. Moreover, we discuss the differences between the Trumpist right that has taken over the GOP from more moderate Republican and the progressive movement, embodied by the Bernie Sanders campaign, that have sought to take over the Democratic Party. And finally we come back to the coronavirus at the end of our conversation and the scary developments around it. SUPPORT PARALLAX VIEWSON PATREON! FORBONUS CONTENTANDARCHIVED EPISODES!
On this edition of Parallax Views, crackerjack journalist JP Sotille aka The Newsvandal returns to unpack the spectacle of American politics in 2020. From the failure of the anti-climatic ending of the Impeachment trial and the chaos the Iowa Caucus "App-Ocalypse" to Rush Limbaugh winning a Presidential Medal of Honor and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi tearing up Trump's speech at the State of the Union, the political landscape has already proven to be wild since the start of the new year and will likely only get crazier leading up to the elections in November. JP has been on a roll lately with his three most recent pieces, "The Impeachment Blunder", "The Irony of Iowa's Caucus Crack-Up", and "SOTU: The Reagan Reboot Strikes Again". In this conversation he took on a noticably grimmer tone than in previous appearances and I suspect his takes on current matters ranging from the failure of Impeachment to the Democratic Party's split between progressives and its centrist establishment will have a little something for the left, right, and center alike to get a little angry about. All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views. SUPPORT PARALLAX VIEWSON PATREON! FORBONUS CONTENTANDARCHIVED EPISODES!
This week Eric welcomes back to the show political analyst and all around news vandal, JP Sottile, curator of the Newsvandal daily newsletter. Eric and JP discuss oil, oil, and more oil; how global politics and economics are being shaped by it, and what the future may hold. JP explains why he refers to this period as "Donald Trump's Oily Presidency" and what the rule of Big Oil has meant for the geopolitical chessboard in the Middle East and beyond. Eric and JP discuss the recent drone strike against Saudi oil facilities, who might have been involved, how the war in Yemen is related and so much more. The second half of the show features an in depth discussion of Russia, the strategic calculus in the era of late stage oil, and much more. A quick episode summary won't do this discussion justice. Don't miss it! Music: John Mayall - "Gasoline Blues"
This week Eric welcomes back to the show political analyst and all around news vandal, JP Sottile, curator of the Newsvandal daily newsletter. Eric and JP discuss oil, oil, and more oil; how global politics and economics are being shaped by it, and what the future may hold. JP explains why he refers to this period as "Donald Trump's Oily Presidency" and what the rule of Big Oil has meant for the geopolitical chessboard in the Middle East and beyond. Eric and JP discuss the recent drone strike against Saudi oil facilities, who might have been involved, how the war in Yemen is related and so much more. The second half of the show features an in depth discussion of Russia, the strategic calculus in the era of late stage oil, and much more. A quick episode summary won't do this discussion justice. Don't miss it! Music: John Mayall - "Gasoline Blues" More The post JP Sottile – Episode 140 appeared first on CounterPunch.org.
In this episode of the Keiser Report, Max and Stacy discuss the latest study demonstrating that it is fracking alone that has caused a huge surge in methane emissions, not industrial farming, which had been blamed by some in the media. They also react to the news of the US wanting to buy Greenland, and what the idea means in the larger geo-economic picture. In the second half, Max interviews independent journalist JP Sottile about his latest article for NewsVandal.com about the carbon feedback loop driving the US military machine. The military is used to secure oil resources that are heating up the planet, which is causing climate instability and creating a further demand, they say, for further military deployments.
The post-Epstein media ecosystem has been a clown car crash. You could say it's a... CIRCUS OF DOOM! Faithful listeners will remember the Circus of Doom from when Parallax Views covered the media brouhaha over Roger Stone w/ Pearse Redmond and Ed Opperman. This time returning guest JP Sottile, the NewsVandal himself, joins us to discuss not only the media circus around Epstein, but also establishment pundit David Frum's clownish declaration that Trump could be the US's "1st Marxist President". The conversation takes us down the general nightmare funhouse of media mayhem that's been gripping the U.S. since 2016 and is packed with JP's always articulate analysis. So step right up to hear... DAVID FRUM AND THE POST-EPSTEIN CLOWN CAR CRASH OF DOOM! Check out JP's work at Newsvandal and subscribe to the Newsvandal Rundown
Following a brief tribute to the legendary surf rock guitarist Dick Dale and some other opening comments, two-time Emmy-award winning producer and journalist JP Sottile of Newsvandal returns to discuss the Mueller Probe, the college admissions scandal, the Democrats' freshman congresswomen, rising Islamophobia in culture, and the Christchurch terror attack. The conversation begins with JP and I discussing a recent poll showing the Americans may be turning on the Mueller Probe. JP gives his take on the Mueller Probe and cautions against saying anything definitive about the report until we can see it. Additionally, we discuss how disastrous the Mueller Probe could end up being for the Democrats in the 2020 elections, Glenn Greenwald's infamous criticisms of Russiagate, if it does not deliver the goods on Russian collusion. We then segue into the topic of what could be called "The New Gilded Age" in which wealth inequality and the rigging of the system for the mega-rich continues to grow. In particular, JP and I cover the college admissions scandal that has ensnared celebrities like Felicity Huffman and Full House's Lori Loughlin. We discuss how this case is emblematic of the "rich people gone wild" age that we live in. JP details the main player in the case, William Singer aka "Rick". We delve into how Singer's college admissions scheme ties into branding culture and creating a side-door to get wealthy parents into prestigious colleges. We also relate how the college admissions scandal is only one of many scandals and discuss the Trump family fortune's equally sketchy background. From there we delve into the Christchurch Mosque shooting, which JP recently wrote about. We go over how the rhetoric behind the neoconservative's "War on Terror" has influenced Islamophobic sentiments. Then we delve into JP's thoughts on the shooting and what it says about the alt right's mindset and philosophy. Check out JP's work at Newsvandal and subscribe to the Newsvandal Rundown SUPPORT PARALLAX VIEWS ON PATREON!
Three guests joined Sandy Leonvest and Steve Horn on the show for this week.For the first third of the show, Sam Daniel, a campaigner for Greenpeace Israel, came on to talk to Steve about the massive oil spill that recently took place in southern Israel, where clean up efforts have just begun. It was the biggest spill in the history of the country.For the second third, "Newsvandal," historian and investigative journalist JP Sottile joined Steve and Sandy to discuss plummeting global oil prices and ask the questions: who, what and why? They also discussed the central role of OPEC and the Saudi Arabian autocracy, as well as the key role of the dollar empire and "petrodollars."And for the last part of the show, Steve and Sandy chatted with Anne Petermann, executive director of the Global Ecology Justice Project, about the failed (or a success, for corporate sponsors) of the Lima, Peru United Nations climate negotiations, as well as deforestation issues in Paraguay. They also discussed the "people's climate summit," a counter to the corporate-dominated event in Lima.