Give Them An Argument

Ben Burgis debates New York Post writer Brad Polumbo on student debt forgiveness. Before that, Ben and the GTAA crew look back at Norm Finkelstein's feud with Christopher Hitchens and talk about Ben's article on the Trump indictment:https://jacobin.com/2023/08/donald-trump-prosecution-election-crimes-justice-departmentFollow 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.com

Matt McManus comes back for the fuller discussion of his new book "The Political Right and Equality: Turning Back the Tide of Egalitarian Modernity" we teased a few weeks back, and then Ben and the crew switch to a distinctly more low-brow look at the strangest aspect of Matt Wlash's interests in the postgame. At the beginning of the main show, they talk about two of Ben's recent articles for Jacobin. One takes on the idea that we won't have bananas under socialism:https://jacobin.com/2023/07/bananas-socialist-economy-production-consumption-abundance-twitterThe other talks about the way that conservative freakouts about pride flags and drag shows on military bases (along with several other issues) have made the process of nailing down this year's Pentagon budget unusually contentious--even as the vast majority of lawmakers in both parties if fundamentally on board with a country that doesn't even have universal healthcare pouring an unprecedented 900 billion dollars into its war machine:https://jacobin.com/2023/07/pentagon-budget-right-wing-culture-war-amendments-house-bernie-sanders-ndaaLast but very definitely not least, they mention Jason Myles' Kayfabe documentary. You can contribute to make that happen (and get various perks) here:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kayfabe-documentary#/Order Matt's book:https://www.routledge.com/The-Political-Right-and-Equality-Turning-Back-the-Tide-of-Egalitarian-Modernity/McManus/p/book/9781032310831Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattPolProfFollow Katie on Twitter: @kthalpsFollow 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.com

This is Revolution podcast host and Sublation magazine columnist Jason Myles returns to talk about his latest for Sublation, "The Grifters: The Capitalist Realism of Left Media":https://www.sublationmag.com/post/the-grifters-the-capitalist-realism-of-left-mediaWe've all heard the term "grifters" thrown around as an all-purpose insult for whatever figures in left-wing media someone dislikes. But Jason wants us to think harder about what it actually means, whether the shoe fits, and whether it really captures what's wrong with even the most unhelpful and audience-captured figures out there. (And yes, we're talking about specific people in this discussion!)Here's that link to the Indiegogo for Jason's feature-length documentary:https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/kayfabe-documentary#/In the postgame for GTAA patrons, actress, filmmaker and SAG-AFTRA member Kt Baldassaro talks about the writers' and actors' strike shutting down Hollywood.Check out Kt's IMDB page:https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3539674/Follow her on Twitter: @ZombieHunterKtFollow Jason on Twitter: @J-Myles_TiRFollow 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.com

Cedric Johnson is a professor of African-American studies and political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago and author of, most recently, After Black Lives Matter: Policing and Anti-Capitalist Struggle from Verso Books:https://www.versobooks.com/products/3057-after-black-lives-matterBen Burgis chats with Cedric about his book. Before that, Ben and the GTAA crew talk about Ben's most recent Jacobin article on G.A. Cohen ("The Tragic Failure of the Soviet Experiment Doesn't Mean We Should Reject Socialism") and a previous one on human nature arguments against socialism ("Socialism Can Help Contain Humanity’s Worst Impulses and Encourage Our Best"), watch a video from a recently unlocked debate Ben did last year in the UK with Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire, and take a moment to remember the late great Michael Brooks. Ed Keenan--the musician and DSA-LA activist behind the TMBS Debunk Song--hangs out in the postgame for GTAA patrons and shares some more of his music.Follow 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.com

Returning champion Matt McManus, Jacobin contributor lecturer on Political Science at the University of Michigan, discusses his brand new book "The Political Right and Equality: Turning Back the Tide of Egalitarian Modernity." It officially releases on the 21st, but you can pre-order it here:https://www.routledge.com/The-Political-Right-and-Equality-Turning-Back-the-Tide-of-Egalitarian-Modernity/McManus/p/book/9781032310831Before that, Ben and the crew watch a throwback clip of Ben, Ana Kasparian, and Michael Brooks reacting to the Zizek/Peterson debate and a recent clip of Ana's debate over Medicare for All with Adam Friended and PSA Sitch, and Matt and the crew watch Prager U's latest attempt to make sense of Marxism. At the end of the show, Ben makes the case against canceling Ana over recent micro-controversies and Ben and Graphic Designer Andy struggle-session a bit about some of the underlying issues. Mean Djene Bajalan and the one and only Jason Myles hang out in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattPolProfFollow 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.com

Norman Finkelstein comes back to GTAA to discuss recent Supreme Court rulings and some themes from his book "I'll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom" with Ben Burgis. This is Revolution host and Sublation magazine columnist Jason Myles rides shotgun. The film criticism of one Noah Berlatsky, scourge of "class-first leftism," is dissected in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Buy Norm's book:https://www.amazon.com/Heretical-Thoughts-Identity-Politics-Academic/dp/B0BSJXB7WNRead Jason at Sublation:https://www.sublationmag.com/writers/jason-mylesFollow Jason on Twitter: @J_Myles_TIRFollow 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.com

James Lindsay went on Jordan Peterson's podcast. Matt McManus joins us to break down the resulting typhoon of reactionary pseudo-intellectual nonsense. Before that, Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew cover the controversy over the new documentary "Israelism," Charlie Kirk's reaction to Juneteenth, and a highlight of Emma Vigeland's recent conversation with Tim Pool. Last but definitely not least, Producer Jordan joins us in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Follow Matt on Twitter: @MattPolProfFollow 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.com

Special guests RM Brown, Naomi Karavani & Michele Greenstein join Ben Burgis to talk about Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. Before that, Ben, RM, and the crew discuss Cornel West's response to Ben's article. In the postgame for patrons, the gang breaks down a "Democrat for DeSantis" article.Listen to Naomi and Michele's new podcast "Cargo Cult":https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/cargo-cult/id1687043930Read Ben's article about Cornel West:https://jacobin.com/2023/06/cornel-west-democratic-party-2024-presidential-election-biden-primariesFollow RM on Twitter: @xrmbrownx2Follow Naomi on Twitter: @naomikaravaniFollow Michele on Twitter: @peopleconspireFollow 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.com

Playwright and "Succession" staff writer Will Arbery joins the show for the first time to talk about his award-winning play "Heroes of the Fourth Turning"--an intense story about young conservatives set a week after the Charlottesville riots--which came out a few months ago in book form. Before that, Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew take on the absurdly empty pseudo-populist candidacy ofd RFK, Jr. In the postgame for patrons, Producer Jordan joins Ben and the rest of the crew to continue delving into the deep lunacy of James Lindsay (and check in about what Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate have been saying about Ben on the Grayzone). Fun episode all around.Pick up a copy of "Heroes of the Fourth Turning":https://www.powells.com/book/-9781559369886/1-0Follow 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.com

A few months ago, Give Them An Argument, Left Reckoning and This is Revolution did a joint "Give Them a Revolution" live show in New York ft. special guests Bhaskar Sunkara, Emma Vigeland, and Sam Seder. We're finally making the complete recording public. Jason Myles and Deep State Kuba from TiR, David Griscom and Matt Lech from LR, and Ben Burgis and (off to the side drawing pictures sold after the show) J. Andrew World from GTAA represented and friend-of-all-the-shows Conan Neutron MC-ed. Enjoy!Follow TiR on Twitter: @TIRShowOaklandFollow LR on Twitter: @LeftReckoningFollow GTAA on Twitter: @Gtaa_ShowFollow Ben on Twitter: @BenBurgisBecome 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