

Give Them An Argument
Ben Burgis
Give Them An Argument is a YouTube show and podcast dedicated to building a smarter, funnier and more strategic Left. New episodes are live on YouTube on Monday nights with an exclusive postgame for GTAA patrons after the main show. (To become a patron, go to patreon.com/benburgis and sign up for the monthly cost of a milkshake at a 50s nostalgia diner in 1994.) Past guests have included Slavoj Žižek, Richard Wolff, David Pizarro, Gregory Sadler, Glenn Greenwald, Krystal Ball, Bhaskar Sunkara, Sam Seder, Ana Kasparian, Emma Vigeland, Matt Christman, and Amber Frost. The show has also featured debates between host Ben Burgis and opponents ranging from Walter Block to Charlie Kirk.Ben is a philosophy professor, Jacobin columnist, and frequent debater. He did a regular "Debunk" segment on the Michael Brooks Show until 2020. He's appeared on the Debate Night with Charlie Kirk, System Update with Glenn Greenwald, Rising, Krystal, Kyle & Friends, the Majority Report w/Sam Seder & the Joe Rogan Experience.benburgis.compatreon.com/benburgis
Episodes
Mentioned books

Nov 4, 2023 • 1h 43min
Season 5 Episode 39: Andy's Dumpster-Dive on Rumble
Andy, Jake, Rayyvana, and Kristina explore strange and disturbing clips from the internet, including Israel's comedy show featuring Greta Thunberg, parenting challenges, homeschooling, the significance of masculine youth, casting controversies, and analyzing controversial statements and empathy towards listeners. They also discuss symbols in Egyptian mythology and Freemasonry, a parent's heartbreaking account of losing their child to 'gender ideology,' and conspiracy theories and the manipulation of anger.

Oct 31, 2023 • 2h 5min
Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Sam Harris vs. Chris Hedges
C. Derrick Varn, Jordan Dubin and Deep State Kuba once again join Ben Burgis to continue the weekly series of Thursday Night Debate Breakdowns by watching Sam Harris's 2007 debate with Chris Hedges on politics and religion. (Note that we initially mistakenly thought this was from 2011--the date on the video we were sharing--and some of the discussion reflects that assumption!)Follow Varn on Twitter: @skepoetFollow Deep State on Twitter: @DrKuba2Follow Producer Jordan on Twitter: @jayohardeeayenFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

Oct 27, 2023 • 1h 46min
Season 5 Episode 38: Debate w/Siaka Massaquoi Live In Studio + Matt Lech in the Postgame
On the main show, GTAA host Ben Burgis debates Los Angeles GOP Vice Chair + Prager U and Babylon Bee contributor Siaka Massaquoi. (Note: This was originally scheduled elsewhere but we ended up having to move it to just do it tonight int he studio, which is bad news for LA listeners who wanted to see it in person--sorry about that!--but good news for listeners everywhere else who now get access to it sooner?) Before that, Ben and the GTAA crew talk a bit about Ben's article reporting Joe Biden's "kill all the Canadians if there's terrorism from Canada" hypothetical (from his 1982 conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin) for the first time in the English-language press. Left Reckoning host Matt Lech hangs out in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Follow Siaka on Twitter: @_SiakaMassaquoiFollow Matt on Twitter: @MattLechFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

Oct 24, 2023 • 2h 17min
Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Norm Finkelstein Debates Israel/Palestine at the Cambridge Union
Victor Bruzzone and Ethan from the Confronting Capital channel once again join Ben Burgis for a Thursday Night Debate Breakdown. This week they're taking a look at a Cambridge Union debate from 5 years ago where Norman Finkelstein, left-wing Israeli journalist Gideon Levy and several other speakers debate the question of whether the two-state solution is dead. [Note: The original plan was to watch a different Cambridge Union debate with Norm but we had to switch due to audio issues. Sorry about the confusion!]Read Ethan's Substack:https://confrontingcapital.substack.com/Check out Victor and Ethan's podcast (with Matt McManus and Gordon Katic) "Academic Edgelords"):https://academicedgelords.com/Follow Ethan on Twitter: @anontwtuser11Follow Victor on Twitter: @victorbruzzoneFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

Oct 20, 2023 • 2h 5min
Season 5 Episode 37: Nathan Robinson Goes to Prager University + Katie Halper in the Postgame
Nathan Robinson, editor of Current Affairs, discusses their guide to resisting PragerU propaganda. They also mention an upcoming debate and briefly touch on PragerU's transformation. In the postgame, Katie Halper joins to talk about Palestine.

Oct 17, 2023 • 2h 6min
Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Bernie Sanders vs. Ted Cruz
GTAA host Ben Burgis and Current Affairs magazine house economist Rob Larson continue the weekly series of Thursday Night Debate Breakdowns by watching Bernie Sanders' 2017 debate with Ted Cruz.On October 22nd at 7 PM (doors open at 6:30 PM) Ben is going to be debating Los Angeles County GOP Vice Chair (and Prager U & Babylon Bee contributor) Siaka Massaquoi:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005F42FFCD2E9B?fbclid=IwAR3Y3k9EBeA6i41Yt5E7ftL_rgkjx6rHG3KkNvllNrSnkpIPRggk7HkymbgFollow Rob on Twitter: @IronicProfessorFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

Oct 15, 2023 • 1h 43min
Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Noam Chomsky vs. Piers Morgan
Renowned philosopher and political activist Noam Chomsky joins the podcast to discuss his debate with Piers Morgan on foreign policy. They also explore topics such as the Doomsday Clock, threats to humanity, climate change denial, attack on freedom of speech, teaching American history, potential consequences of Trump running again, Dan Ellsberg's secret history, and critical race theory misconceptions.

Oct 13, 2023 • 2h 8min
Season 5 Episode 36: Quick Fixes w/Benjamin Fong + War in Palestine
Tickets for Ben's debate in LA with Siaka Massaquoi on October 22nd:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005F42FFCD2E9BHamas and the Israeli state escalated this weekend into all-out war. We start with some thoughts on that from Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew, and then go to Ben's conversation with his fellow Ben, Benjamin Fong, about Fong's book "Quix Fixes Drugs in America from Prohibition to the 21st Century Binge." In the postgame for patrons, Ryan Zickgraf talks about the Trump trials, the end of hyperpolitics, Taylor Swift, and more.Order (other) Ben's book from Verso:https://www.versobooks.com/products/2981-quick-fixesFollow (our) Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com

Oct 8, 2023 • 1h 58min
Season 5 Episode 35: Cosmopolitan Socialism (Matt McManus's Tribute to Michael Brooks)
Author Matt McManus joins the podcast to talk about his book 'A How To Guide to Cosmopolitan Socialism' and to discuss socialism, internationalism, universal values, and the cultural peculiarity. The hosts also touch on the legacy of Michael Brooks, left-leaning websites, pet adoption, the second debate, Mike Pence's tweet and presidential announcement, concerns for unions, Zelensky's speech, writing a book, universal human rights, and building a better model for society with cosmopolitan socialism.

Oct 3, 2023 • 2h 6min
Thursday Night Debate Breakdown: Kshama Sawant vs. Eric Blanc on the Russian Revolution
Ben Burgis and Producer Jordan watch Socialist Alternative leader Kshama Sawant's debate with Eric Blanc (author of "Revolutionary Social DemocracyWorking-Class Politics Across the Russian Empire (1882-1917)") on the relevance of the Russian Revolution today. The debate was moderated by Jacobin editor Bhaskar Sunkara.Follow Jordan on Twitter: @jayohardeeayenFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowBecome a GTAA Patron and receive numerous benefits ranging from patron-exclusive postgames every Monday night to our undying love and gratitude for helping us keep this thing going:patreon.com/benburgisRead the weekly philosophy Substack:benburgis.substack.comVisit benburgis.com


