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
Jul 27, 2021 • 1h 44min
Season 2 Episode 22: Ben Shapiro is Wrong About Everything ft. Djene Bajalan and Nathan Robinson
Current Affairs founder Nathan J. Robinson and historian Djene Bajalan join Ben to take apart the many terrible arguments made by Ben Shapiro--an individual The New York Times once chose to call "the cool kid's philosopher." Nathan's recent article on Shapiro can be found here:https://www.currentaffairs.org/2021/0...Independent creators rely on your support to create the content you want! Support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a bonus episode every Thursday, access to the Discord server, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 23, 2021 • 16min
Season 2 Episode 21 Preview: Luke Savage on James Carville (Full Episode is Patron-Excusive)
Jacobin staff writer Luke Savage joins Ben to talk about the many inane things said in the most cursed possible context--an interview of James Carville by Chris Cuomo.Luke's original article:https://jacobinmag.com/2021/07/james-carville-centrist-politics-televisionTo access the whole episode, become a GTAA patron by going to patreon.com/benburgis. As well as the weekly Thursday bonus episodes, patrons get access to the Discord server, patron-exclusive postgames on Monday nights, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 22, 2021 • 2h 13min
Q&A Livestream
Ben answers some Q&A questions and reads an unpublished fragment by Michael Brooks.Independent creators rely on your support to create the content you want! Support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a bonus episode every Thursday, a postgame every Monday night, access to the Discord server, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 20, 2021 • 2h 9min
Season 2 Episode 20: Richard Wolff Returns & A Tribute to Michael Brooks
Michael Brooks died a year ago on Tuesday. After an interview with Richard Wolff on his most recent book and how he thinks we can move beyond capitalism, the rest of the episode is devoted to a Michael tribute. Joshua Kahn Russell joined for the postgame for patronsIndependent creators rely on your support to create the content you want! Support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a bonus episode every Thursday, a postgame every Monday night, access to the Discord server, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 16, 2021 • 14min
Season 2 Episode 19 Preview - Eric Levitz on Crime and the Left
NYMag's Eric Levitz makes an argument about how the left talks about crime. It's good stuff.To access the whole thing, become a GTAA patron by going to patreon.com/benburgis. As well as the weekly Thursday bonus episodes, patrons get access to the Discord server, patron-exclusive postgames on Monday nights, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 15, 2021 • 1h 6min
Bastille Day Bonus Episode w/Bhaskar Sunkara and Age of Napeleon host E.M. Rummage
Jacobin Magazine founder Bhaskar Sunkara (@sunrayray) and Age of Napoleon host E.M. Rummage (@Trillburne) join Ben for a special Bastille Day bonus episode on the French Revolution and its enduring significance for emancipatory politics.Subscribe to Jacobin today for a special Bastille Day discount:https://jacobinmag.com/subscribe?code=BASTILLEDAYIndependent creators rely on your support to create the content you want!Support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a Thursday bonus episode every week, access to the Discord server, a Sopranos Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosney Lambre, and regularly scheduled "Discord Office Hours" group voice chats.Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAA...Visit benburgis.com
Jul 13, 2021 • 1h 21min
Season 2 Episode 18: Hands Off Cuba (& Pascal Robert on Haiti)
Ben talks to the crew about Cuba. Pascal Robert talks about Haiti.Ben's Cuba article:https://jacobinmag.com/2021/07/us-emb...Pascal Robert is the co-host of the This is Revolution podcast:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCG9W...Independent creators rely on your support to create the content you want!Support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a Thursday bonus episode every week, access to the Discord server, a Sopranos Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosney Lambre, and regularly scheduled "Discord Office Hours" group voice chats.Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAA...Visit benburgis.com
Jul 8, 2021 • 9min
Season 2 Episode 17 Preview - Branko Marcetic on Mike Gravel (Full Episode is Patron-Exclusive)
Jacobin staff writer Branko Marcetic joins Ben to discuss the life of anti-war former Alaska Senator Mike Gravel. To access the full episode become a GTAA patron at patreon.com/benburgis.Patrons get a bonus episode every Thursday, access to the Discord server, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 8, 2021 • 2h 8min
Don't Be A Stalinist (& While You're At It Don't Fetishize FDR) w/Dejene Bajalan and Kuba Wrzesniewski (Livestream)
Left-wing history and foreign policy gurus Djene Bajalan and Kuba Wriesniewski join Ben to weigh in on all the recent discourse about Stalin (and to talk about FDR a bit while they're at it). Ben explains why he's been gone.Independent creators rely on your support to create the content you want!Support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a bonus episode every Thursday, access to the Discord server, a “Sopranos” Recap Bonus Episode every month with Mike Recine, Nando Vila, and Wosny Lambre, a monthly Discord Movie Night, and "Discord Office Hours" (regularly scheduled group voice chats).Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenBurgisLike, subscribe, and get notifications on Ben’s channel: https://www.youtube.com/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jul 6, 2021 • 1h 42min
Bonus Episode - Harvey J. Kaye & Cale Brooks History Q&A
Ben had to be gone tonight due to a family situation. Cale Brooks & Harvey J. Kaye kindly stepped in with a History Q&A.
