

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

Oct 7, 2022 • 1h 58min
Season 4 Episode 13: Debunking NatCons, Watching Ana Debate Prager & Lula Livre (ft. Matt McManus)
Buy tickets now to the VERY FIRST GTAA LIVE SHOW (co-sponsored by This is Revolution and Left Reckoning) at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angels on October 23rd, featuring Ana Kasparian, Nando Vila, Ben Burgis, Jason Myles, Kuba Wrzesniewski, David Griscom, Matt Lech, Daniel Bessner, C. Derrick Varn, and more:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005D19D53D5C6C**************************It's time. In this episode we finally subject you to some videos from the National Conservatism conferences and debunk the lunacy found therein. We're sorry but you knew what you were getting into when you signed up as a fan of this podcast. And hey at least you get to hear some top-notch analysis of it all from Dr. Matthew McManus,Before that part of the episode, Jason Myles of This is Revolution come on to look at some clips from the great Ana Kasparian's recent debate with Dennis Prager. Then at the end of the main show, an organizer for the October 6th #BansOffOurBodies National Student Strike for abortion rights comes on to briefly chat about what they've got planned, and Ben and the crew raise a glass to toast to Lula's win in the first round of the Brazilian election--on to the second round in a few weeks! Last but most definitely not least, C. Derrick Varn of Varn Vlog (and TiR Gaming Materialists) fame hangs out in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Follow Matt on Twitter: @mattpolprofFollow Varn on Twitter: @skepoetFollow 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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Sep 25, 2022 • 2h 16min
Season 4 Episode 12: Postmodernity + Prager U (ft. Matt McManus)
Buy tickets now to the VERY FIRST GTAA LIVE SHOW (co-sponsored by This is Revolution and Left Reckoning) at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angels on October 23rd, featuring Ana Kasparian, Nando Vila, Ben Burgis, Jason Myles, Kuba Wrzesniewski, David Griscom, Matt Lech, Daniel Bessner, C. Derrick Varn, and more:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005D19D53D5C6C************************Matt McManus talks about his brand new book "The Emergence of Post-modernity at the Intersection of Liberalism, Capitalism, and Secularism: The Center Cannot Hold." There's a philosophy segment w/Dr. Jennifer Burgis at the end where we continue the logical fallacies series and then it's off to the postgame for patrons. But first: It's been much too long since we did one of our deep dives into the course offerings at Prager University. Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew start the show at the U.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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Sep 17, 2022 • 2h 7min
Season 4 Episode 11: Remembering Barbara Ehrenreich w/Micah Uetricht
Buy tickets now to the VERY FIRST GTAA LIVE SHOW (co-sponsored by This is Revolution and Left Reckoning) at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angels on October 23rd, featuring Ana Kasparian, Nando Vila, Ben Burgis, Jason Myles, Kuba Wrzesniewski, David Griscom, Matt Lech, Daniel Bessner, C. Derrick Varn, and more:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005D19D53D5C6C**************************Ben Burgis and the GTAA chat about the glorious beginning of the reign of "King Charles III", and Ben's article about an Oklahoma teacher pushed out of her job & being denounced by state-wide elected officials for helping her students who wanted to read banned books get public library cards before Jacobin Editor Micah Uetricht joins us to talk about the socialist legacy of the great Barbara Ehrenreich, who passed away at the beginning of the month. After a quick philosophy segment with Dr. Jennifer Burgis, Catherine Liu hangs out in the postgame for GTAA patrons and talks some more Ehrenreich.Follow Micah on Twitter: @micahuetrichtFollow Catherine on Twitter: @bureaucatliuFollow 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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Sep 10, 2022 • 1h 30min
Season 4 Episode 10: Debating Sohrab Ahmari on Social Democracy w/Right-Wing Characteristics
Buy tickets now to the VERY FIRST GTAA LIVE SHOW (co-sponsored by This is Revolution and Left Reckoning) at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angels on October 23rd, featuring Ana Kasparian, Nando Vila, Ben Burgis, Jason Myles, Kuba Wrzesniewski, David Griscom, Matt Lech, Daniel Bessner, C. Derrick Varn, and more:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005D19D53D5C6C*******************************************************Happy Labor Day! Ben Burgis & the GTAA crew start things up by talking a bit about the fairly astonishing number of labor victories around the country since last year's Labor Day, and talk about some egregious (and very funny) instances of conservative hypocrisy on student debt forgiveness, labor unions, free speech, and the value of debate.The main event is a debate between Ben and Compact magazine founder Sohrab Ahmari. Compact's statement of editorial vision calls for "a strong social-democratic state that defends community — local and national, familial and religious — against a libertine left and a libertarian right."Ben critiqued that vision and defended the libertine left in an article for Jacobin shortly after Compact's launch:https://jacobin.com/2022/03/right-wing-social-democracy-conservatism-compact-magazine-mediaFollow Sohrab on Twitter: @SohrabAhmariFollow Compact on Twitter: @compactmag_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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Aug 27, 2022 • 2h 1min
Season 4 Episode 9: Ben Shapiro vs History + William Paris on Utopianism (+ Police Abolition Debate)
Buy tickets now to the VERY FIRST GTAA LIVE SHOW (co-sponsored by This is Revolution and Left Reckoning) at the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angels on October 23rd, featuring Ana Kasparian, Nando Vila, Ben Burgis, Jason Myles, Kuba Wrzesniewski, David Griscom, Matt Lech, Daniel Bessner, C. Derrick Varn, and more:https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/09005D19D53D5C6C*******************************************************Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew review Ben Shapiro's video "Marxism Can't Work in America" and correct Shapiro's understanding of American history, Marxism, and socialism, and...well...everything? After that, we play a recent friendly debate Ben (Burgis) had with a third Ben, Ben Spielberg, on how the Left approaches criminal justice reform. The main event is William Paris, the only member of the What's Left of Philosophy? podcast never to have appeared on GTAA, who joins us to talk about utopianism. After a quick philosophy segment w/Dr. Jenn, continuing our fallacy series, it's off to the postgame for GTAA patrons w/Dr. Kuba from This is Revolution. Really good stuff all around.Read William in Psyche:https://psyche.co/ideas/utopian-thinking-prompts-us-to-get-real-about-societys-needsFollow him on Twitter: @whitherutopiaFollow 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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Aug 19, 2022 • 2h 24min
Season 4 Episode 8: Ana Kasparian on Abortion, Crime, Poverty & More
Our friends Jason Myles & (briefly) Kuba Wrzeniewski from the This is Revolution podcast join Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew to talk about Dick Cheney, Woodstock 99, and a big announcement (LA live show!). The great Ana Kasparian comes on for the second half to talk about subjects ranging from abortion rights to Salman Rushdie to how socialists should talk about crime. The main show is capped off with a philosophy segment w/Dr. Jennifer Burgis. David Griscom and Matt Huber hang out on the postgame for GTAA patrons. Good stuff all around.Watch This is Revolution:https://www.youtube.com/c/THISISREVOLUTIONpodcastFollow Jason on Twitter: @J_Myles_TIR Follow Dr. Kuba on Twitter: @DrKuba2 Follow Ana on Twitter: @AnaKasparian 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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Aug 6, 2022 • 2h 25min
Season 4 Episode 7: Rick Perlstein (+ Sean Hannity Thinks You Should Work 90 Hours a Week)
Sean Hannity thinks that if you don't want to be poor you should be willing to work "70, 80, 90 hours a week," so Ben Burgis & the GTAA crew start with that and then review an impromptu debate that Ben & Connor Halbleib (Berniecrat & Democratic nominee in Kentucky's 5th Congressional district) had with a Callin caller on Medicare for All. The main event is Ben's unlocked interview with Rock Perlstein, author of "Before the Storm," "Nixonland," "The Invisible Bridge" and (most recently) "Reaganland," which was previously released to GTAA patrons. At the end of the main show, Dr. Jennifer Burgis joins Ben for a brief philosophy segment (on the what the Ad Hominem fallacy is vs. what the internet thinks it is) and then Mean Djene Bajalan from This is Revolution hangs out in the postgame for patrons!Watch This is Revolution:https://www.youtube.com/c/THISISREVOLUTIONpodcastOrder Rick Perlstein's latest book:https://www.powells.com/book/reaganland-americas-right-turn-1976-1980-9781476793054...and while you're at it order Ben's latest book:https://redemmas.org/titles/36536-christopher-hitchens-what-he-got-right-how-he-went-wrong-and-why-he-still-matters/Follow Rick on Twitter: @rickperlsteinFollow Djene on Twitter: #djenebajal@nFollow 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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Jul 29, 2022 • 2h 33min
Season 4 Episode 6: Doomerism, Dead Punditry & Debunking Jordan Peterson (ft. Adam Proctor)
Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew start off by talking nuclear war, "doomerism," and cannibalistic mutants. (OK, that last item is just a preview of a conversation w/Jason Myles & Touré Reed on The Hills Have Eyes for GTAA patrons.) "Dead Pundits Society" host Adam Proctor is the main guest, chatting Ben about Jordan Peterson's terrible defense of capitalism and (briefly at the end) Jimmy Dore's odd theory of change. Dr. Jennifer Burgis comes on for a philosophy segment on utilitarianism and rights at the end of the main show and then Ben & the crew get into some spicier Peterson material (he has.....thoughts about porn) in the postgame for patrons.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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Jul 25, 2022 • 1h 56min
Season 4 Episode 5: Let's Talk About Adorno (ft. Charles Wofford) (+ Remembering Michael Brooks)
Charles Wofford, who appeared on the show once before to debate Ben Burgis on postmodernism and Marxism, comes back now for a more relaxed appearance to tell us all about the philosophy of Theodore Adorno. Before that, Ben & the GTAA crew talk about the Fetterman/Oz race in Pennsylvania and how Joe Biden apparently got high and forgot about his promise to deschedule cannabis and pardon everyone serving time in federal prisons for non-violent marijuana offense.Bookending it all at the beginning and end of the show, Ben & the crew mark the two-year anniversary of the premature death of perhaps the most talented political communicator in contemporary American left media--Michael Brooks. Without Michael, this show would never have existed, so we thought we'd share a few clips of him. Whether this is your first time hearing about the guy or you miss him every day, we hope you get something out of it.Read Ben's articles on Michael in Jacobin:https://jacobin.com/2020/07/michael-brooks-tmbshttps://jacobin.com/2020/08/cosmopolitan-socialism-michael-brooksFollow 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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com

Jul 15, 2022 • 1h 58min
Season 4 Episode 4: It's Toasted! (Shaun Richman on Mad Men + Who Funds Project Veritas?)
AMC's "Mad Men" came out 15 years ago this month. The main guest this week is labor organizer, writer, and professor Shaun Richman, who wrote an essay for Jacobin Magazine about the show's surprising points of connection to leftist ideas:https://jacobin.com/2022/07/mad-men-15-years-advertising-left-ideas-monopoly-capitalBefore that, Ben Burgis & the GTAA Crew go over an interesting part of Ben's debate with Tim Pool, Tulsi Gabbard & James O'Keefe where O'Keefe repeatedly dodged Ben's question about whether Project Veritas has wealthy donors. (Shockingly the answer is "yes, of course it does.") We also take a look at a recent incident where (defeating our expectations laid out in Episode 3) Jordan Peterson actually popped his head out from underneath his rock to talk to a leftist (Kyle Kulinski). At the end of the show, there's a philosophy segment on positive rights w/Dr. Jennifer Burgis and then Marcus from Left Flank Vets hangs out in the postgame for GTAA patrons.Watch the Valley Labor Report episode where they talk about the debate with Tim Pool, Tulsi Gabbard & James O'Keefe:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Djh4AiC0nTU Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Ess_DogBen Burgis faces off against an interesting trio at the Minds.com Festival of Ideas about media manipulation, freedom of speech, and labor unions.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/benburgisVisit benburgis.com