Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Norman and Robinson sit down for a discussion about Donald Trump, the latest from Israel, Palestine, and Gaza, and the dying Left. Norman also appeared on episode 192, where he and Robinson discussed allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hamas and Hezbollah, and connections between the war and the Holocaust. Norman was also featured on episode 218, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War, and episode 228, which was all about October 6th. Norman and Robinson also discuss Mehdi Hassan, Noam Chomsky, Christopher Hitchens, the Holocaust, Apartheid, Joan Peters, Julia Sebutinde, the Mossad, Sheryl Sandberg, Destiny, Lex Fridman, Bill Ackman, Alan Dershowitz, and more. Norman’s most recent book is I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023).

Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com

OUTLINE

00:00:00 Introduction

00:07:25 Mehdi Hassan: The Working Class is Stupid

00:12:59 How Far Will the Supreme Court Go with Donald Trump?

00:21:49 Why Bernie Sanders Appeals to the Common Man

00:38:12 How Did Identity Politics Help Trump Win?

00:46:02 The Joy of Stereotypes

01:01:23 Why the People Loved Bernie Sanders and Trump

01:06:16 Noam Chomsky, Philosopher King

01:11:16 Christopher Hitchens Was Not a Serious Intellectual

01:20:58 Norman’s Parents Hate For Religion After the Holocaust

01:34:06 A Lex Fridman and Destiny Conspiracy

01:37:12 Norman’s Family and the Holocaust

01:45:43 Why Jews Stopped Caring About the Holocaust

01:54:43 Why Norman Never Had a Bar Mitzvah

02:02:52 Why Norman’s Parents Hated Germans and Poles

02:11:22 Comparing Gaza to the Holocaust

02:16:48 Comparing Gaza to Apartheid South Africa

02:24:41 Corruption Over Genocide in Palestine

02:27:05 On the Colossal Joan Peters Palestine Hoax

02:30:16 On Norman’s Time as a Maoist

02:39:35 The Corruption of Julia Sebutinde at the International Court of Justice

02:42:25 Does the Mossad Blackmail Public Figures?

02:52:49 Sheryl Sandberg and the War Crime “Israeli Propaganda Machine”

03:05:19 On Accusations of Sex Crimes on October 6th

03:18:12 On His Mortal Feud With Alan Dershowitz

03:31:19 On Bill Ackman and the Pro-Israel American Billionaire Class

Robinson’s Website: http://robinsonerhardt.com

Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.