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
Feb 2, 2021 • 2h 51min
Episode 28 - The Return of Krystal Ball
Ben plays a sadly evergreen Michael Brooks clip about U.S. aggression toward Iran. Krystal Ball comes on to get into Biden's uninspiring firs two weeks in office. Ben and Forrest do a deep dive on Biden's terrible record. David Griscom talks George Jones. There's a preview of Ben's conversation with Doug Lain about free speech and tech censorship.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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.comSHOW LESS
Jan 28, 2021 • 9min
Episode 27 Preview - Amber A'Lee Frost and Daniel Bessner on QAnon (PATRON-EXCLUSIVE EPISODE)
Amber A'Lee Frost from Chapo Trap House and Jacobin Contributing Editor Daniel Bessner chat with Ben about their co-written Jacobin article "How the QAnon Cult Stormed the Capitol." (https://jacobinmag.com/2021/01/q-anon-cult-capitol-hill-riot-trump) This is a free public preview.To get the full episode, support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get a weekly bonus episode, access to the Discord server 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jan 26, 2021 • 3h 16min
Episode 28 - Biden and U.S. Empire with Katie Halper, Daniel Bessner, and Rania Khalek
Ben and Forrest break down Biden's inaugural address and his first week in office. Katie Halper, Daniel Bessner, and Rania Khalek come on for an all-star panel on Biden's foreign policy. Forrest plays a teaser of the patron-exclusive episode dropping Thursday with Ben's conversation with Bessner and Amber A'lee Frost about their excellent Jacobin piece exploring the insanity of QAnon. David Griscom talks about The Highwaymen on Outlaws & Revolutionaries. Guys, this is a fantastic episode.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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.comSHOW LESS
Jan 21, 2021 • 8min
Episode 25 Preview - Monthly Sopranos Recap w/Nando Vila, Wosney Lambre and Mike Recine (Season 1 Episode 3) (PATRON-ONLY EPISODE)
Every month Nando Vila, Wosney Lambre, and Mike Recine have been joining Ben to discuss an episode of the Sopranos. This time they're discussing Season 1, Episode 3 ("Denial, Anger, Acceptance"). This is a free public preview of a patron-exclusive episode.To get the full episode and every other Thursday patron episode, support Give Them An Argument on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/benburgis. Patrons get early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jan 19, 2021 • 3h 30min
Episode 24 - Michael Albert Thinks a Better World is Possible
Michael Albert talks about his model of "participatory economics." David Griscom talks about Kris Kristofferson and Vic Vaiana talks about Black Sabbath. Ben and Forrest talk about MLK's radical politics, the Great Trump/Fascism Debate, and how mafia movies give us a sense of what life might be like in an anarcho-capitalist "utopia."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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.comSHOW LESS
Jan 15, 2021 • 9min
Episode 23 Preview - Dasha from Red Scare (PATRON-ONLY EPISODE)
Dasha Nekrasova of the Red Scare podcast joins Ben Burgis to discuss Red Scare’s permanent ban from Twitter at the same time that Trump was banned. Later in the conversation they talk about Red Scare's politics and sense of humor, the prospects for a successful socialist project in the United States, and a lot more. This is a free public preview.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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jan 12, 2021 • 3h 41min
Episode 22 - After the MAGA Hall Putsch
Thaddeus Russell argues with Ben about socialism. Ana Kasparian discusses the state of the left and the legacy of Michael Brooks. Bryan Atinsky shares a cautionary tale about free speech from his experience on the Israeli left. Ben previews his conversation with Dasha from Red Scare. Vic Viana has technical issues. Other than that last part, this one's ridiculously full of awesome things. Check it out.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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
Jan 9, 2021 • 11min
Episode 21 Preview - A Beginners Guide to the Kurdish Liberation Struggle w/Djene Bajalan (PATRON-ONLY EPISODE)
Professor Djene Bajalan (https://twitter.com/djenebajalan) joins Ben this week for a Patron-only episode that seeks to give a basic lay-of-the-land regarding Kurdish nationalism and the resultant liberation struggle. This is a free public preview.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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.comSHOW LESS
Jan 5, 2021 • 2h 59min
Episode 20 - Richard Wolff
In this first episode with the new live format, Marxist economist Richard Wolff talks worker coops. David Griscom talks John Prine. Forrest Miller debuts in his new role as on-air producer. There's a tribute to Ben's late mentor Quentin Smith and a preview of the first patron-exclusive bonus episode (Episode 21 - A Beginner's Guide to the Kurdish Liberation Struggle). Guys, it's GTAA Version 2.0.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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.comSHOW LESS
Dec 29, 2020 • 1h 17min
Monthly Sopranos Recap Bonus Episode with Nando Vila, Big Wos, and Mike Recine (Season 1, Episode 2)
In the second installment of the monthly series of Sopranos Recap Bonus Episodes with Ben, Nando Vila, Wosney "Big Wos" Lambre, and Mike Recine, the guys talk about Season 1, Episode 2 ("46 Long").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 early access to every episode as well as a weekly bonus episode 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/BenBurgisGTAAVisit benburgis.com
