
Give Them An Argument
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
Latest episodes

Aug 9, 2024 • 2h 37min
Season 6 Episode 28: We Have Bernie at Home (ft. Jason Myles)
This is Revolution host Jason Myles joined Ben Burgis and the GTAA crew to chat about his new essay "This is What You Want, This is What You Get," which uses the classic Eddie Murphy "We've got McDonalds at home" bit to talk about the election and the overall state of American politics at a moment when hope for anything substantially better than what we've got is rapidly leeching away.Preorder Ben's pamphlet "Four Essays on Palestine" from Everyday Analysis:https://everyday-analysis.sellfy.store/p/four-essays-on-palestine-by-ben-burgis-print-and-digital-edition/Read Jason's essay on TiR's Patreon:https://www.patreon.com/posts/crisis-papers-1-109535204Follow 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.comVisit benburgis.com

Aug 2, 2024 • 2h 14min
Season 6 Episode 27: Understanding Capitalism w/Prof. Richard Wolff (+ RM Brown on the Election)
Prof. Richard Wolff came back on the show after a too-long absence to talk about his (as you'll see, apparently quite dangerous) new book "Understanding Capitalism." We talked with him him in the first hour and then our friend RM Brown came by to chat about the election in the second hour and into the postgame for patrons. Follow Prof. Wolff on Twitter: @profwolffFollow RM Brown on Twitter: @xrmbrownx2Follow 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

Jul 26, 2024 • 1h 55min
Season 6 Episode 26: It's Good that Biden Dropped Out. But He Should Be on Trial at the Hague.
In the first half hour of the show, the GTAA crew takes a look at the insanity at the RNC and Biden dropping out. Then director Kavitha Chekuru chats with Ben about her very good but extremely disturbing Al Jazeera documentary, "The Night Won't End: Biden's War on Gaza."Watch the documentary here:The Night Won’t End: Biden’s War on Gaza Follow Kavitha on Twitter: @KaviChekFollow RM on Twitter: @xrmbrownx2Follow 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

Jul 23, 2024 • 1h 49min
Season 6 Episode 25: Fine. You Win. We'll Do an Election-News Episode.
[Note: This episode was recorded before the coconut dropped on Biden actually dropping out.]We had something else planned but between the assassination attempt, the JD Vance pick, the RNC, and Biden continuing to do his best impression of an extra from Night of the Living Dead, it seems like the universe really wanted us to just talk about the election tonight. So fine. You win this one. Guest is the one and only Deep State Kuba.Follow Kuba on Twitter: @DrKuba2Follow 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.comVisit benburgis.com

Jul 12, 2024 • 2h 35min
Season 6 Episode 24: Karl Marx's Theory of History (ft. Matt McManus)
Matt McManus returns to hash out the arguments in G.A. Cohen's book "Karl Marx's Theory of History" with Ben Burgis. Before that, Ben and the crew take a look at Ben's post-debate interactions with YouTube personality Steven Bonnell ("Destiny"). No postgame on this one, but we make the main show count!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.comVisit benburgis.com

Jul 5, 2024 • 2h 18min
Season 6 Episode 23: What the F*** Was That? (Ben's Debate w/Destiny)
Last week Ben Burgis had a debate on Israel/Palestine with YouTube personality Steven Bonnell ("Destiny").It went...oddly.In this episode we break it all down.Watch the debate at MDD:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdMRphk7ij4Follow Destiny on Twitter: @TheOmniLiberalFollow 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

Jun 28, 2024 • 2h 15min
Season 6 Episode 22: The Vanquished (ft. Anders Lee & Freddy G.)
Anders Lee and Freddy G. come on to chat with Ben Burgis about their new-ish podcast The Vanquished, where they profile losing presidential candidates over the decades. We'll dig into a handful of their favorites. Before that, Ben and the crew talk about his upcoming Israel/Palestine debate with YouTube personality Steven Bonnell ("Destiny"). Last but definitely not least, returning champ Ryan Zickgraf hangs out in the postgame for patrons. This is a fun one.Listen to The Vanquished:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-vanquished/id1735216373?i=1000651259339Follow Anders on Twitter: @andersleehereFollow Freddy on Twitter: @OrangeFreddyGFollow Ryan on Twitter: @ryan_zickgrafFollow 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

Jun 15, 2024 • 2h 35min
Season 6 Episode 21: Jeet Heer on Marty Peretz
The Nation's Jeet Heer joins Ben Burgis to discuss his article "Friends and Enemies: Marty Peretz and the Travails of American Liberalism." You might not know who Marty Peretz is but you've unfortunately seen his handiwork--Anthony Blinken, for example, is a Peretz protege. So is Jim Cramer. The man's got a lot to answer for, and Jeet gets into all of it.Before that, the great RM Brown joins us for a freewheeling discussion of Dave Rubin, Jimmy Dore and much more. And in the postgame for patrons, Ben and the crew watch a very different Jeet Heer interview--Jeet's appearance on the Jesse Lee Peterson show. Don't miss that.Follow Jeet on Twitter: @HeerJeetFollow RM on Twitter: @xrmbrownx2Follow 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

Jun 8, 2024 • 2h 9min
Season 6 Episode 20: Exiting the Vampire's Castle (ft. Daniel Tutt)
Daniel Tutt discusses Mark Fisher's 'Exiting the Vampire's Castle' essay. Ben Burgis talks about NYU's reeducation program for Palestine protesters. The postgame features a debate review on Israel, Palestine & Iran with Cenk Uygur and Dave Smith.

Jun 1, 2024 • 2h 29min
Season 6 Episode 19: Tucker Carlson & Dugin (ft. Matt McManus & C. Derrick Varn)
This time we bring on the big guns--political science professor Matt McManus and Varn Vlog host C. Derrick Varn--to help Ben Burgis watch Tucker Carlson's interview with Russian fascist intellectual Aleksandr Dugin. This interview is basically GTAA catnip. Before that, we introduce new GTAA intern Aidan, talking about the protests at UCLA, and we do a quick wellness checks on Dennis Prager. Last but definitely not least, Varn and Jason Myles hang out in the postgame for patrons.Watch Varn Vlog:https://www.youtube.com/@VarnVlogFollow Varn on Twitter: @VarnVlogFollow Matt on Twitter: @MattPolProfFollow 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.comVisit benburgis.com