Bad Faith

Scott Ritter, a former U.S. Marine intelligence officer and UN weapons inspector, joins to dissect Trump's complex relationship with the Ukraine conflict. He explores the contradictions of Trump's anti-war rhetoric against the backdrop of ongoing tensions. Ritter discusses the historical roots of the conflict and critiques U.S. foreign policy influences, particularly the military-industrial complex. He paints a vivid picture of the geopolitical dynamics at play, urging a reevaluation of narratives surrounding both Russia and Ukraine.

Chris Smalls shares his harrowing experience after being detained by Israel while supporting Gaza's freedom. He critiques the silence of progressive leaders like Bernie Sanders and AOC amid his struggles, underscoring a betrayal felt by many in labor movements. Smalls is determined to create a new labor party, advocating for true representation outside of Democratic control. The discussion also links the struggles of Palestinian and Black communities, emphasizing the need for solidarity against systemic injustices.

Nathan J. Robinson, founder of Current Affairs, and Alex Skopic, associate editor at Current Affairs, dive into liberalism's latest controversies surrounding the Substack magazine, The Argument. They critique the gullibility in liberal ideology and the superficial tactics of political figures like Gavin Newsom. The discussion touches on why conservatives can be more ideologically consistent and highlights the systemic changes needed in media and politics. They also explore the moral responsibilities of political leaders and the challenges the left faces as the 2024 election approaches.

Alec Karakatsanis, a civil rights lawyer and author of *Copaganda*, teams up with Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises and expert on the prison industry. They dive into the private prison lobby’s role in escalating authoritarianism and the crackdown on immigrants. The discussion reveals how crime narratives influence political action in D.C., misinformation shapes public perception, and how political polarization affects our view of state power. A thought-provoking conversation on the intersection of crime and politics!

Retired U.S. Special Forces officer Anthony Aguilar shares his eye-opening experiences as a whistleblower on humanitarian aid in Gaza. He reveals the chaos and mismanagement faced by contractors, detailing how well-funded initiatives often fell short of delivering aid, with violence erupting at distribution sites. Aguilar condemns the disconnect between lavish living conditions for contractors and the starvation of Palestinians. His insights spark a discussion on the ethical implications of private military involvement in humanitarian crises and the urgent need for accountability.

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Hubert Henry Harrison was a writer, orator, & political activist who played a crucial role in the rise of Marcus Garvey and was a influential voice in the Socialist Party and in Harlem during the famed "Renaissance" of the early 20th century. And yet, as Dr. Brian Kwoba argues, Harrison has largely been erased from contemporary memory because he consistently challenged orthodoxy within both socialist and Black liberation circles, pressuring the Socialist Party to attend to the specific needs of America's most proletarian group -- Black Americans -- and scrapping with W. E. B. Du Bois and Marcus Garvey over their reformist and imperialist turns, respectively. Harrison and his erasure provide a stunning example of what happens to leftist figures who are not so easily sanitized, and Kwoba's book Hubert Harrison: Forbidden Genius of Black Radicalism reveals a history that we are regrettably reliving today. This episode addresses how to break the cycle of the endless "race first vs. class first" debate, Harrison's heterodox views on sex and non-monogamy, & more. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).

Shir Hever, a scholar focused on Israel's occupation and former BDS coordinator, provides a deep dive into the current Israeli political climate. He discusses the troubling approval among Israelis for the ongoing genocide and the expulsion of Arab citizens. Hever also critiques the two-state solution and highlights the complexities of accountability regarding international perceptions. Additionally, he sheds light on Netanyahu's political maneuvers during rising tensions and the emotional warfare impacting Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Internet culture journalist and opinion columnist Taylor Lorenz returns to Bad Faith to discuss the rise of tech policies like mandatory ID legislation that threaten free speech and social movements which, over the last few years, have grown with the aid of independent media. But first, we discuss the viral New York Times article "The Trouble With Wanting Men," which examines why women are "fed up" with dating men, and whether this "heterofatalism" is surmountable. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Professor of media and Africana Studies at Morgan State University Dr. Jared Ball, responds to Norman Finkelstein’s recent debate with Briahna about whether the assassinations of civil rights activists and politicians in the 60s had a significant effect on left movements of the time. But first, after mentioning last year’s episode on Oscar-winner American Fiction, the pair get sucked into a lengthy media critique of Superman, Judas & the Black Messiah, and the new Sydney Sweeney American Eagle jeans ad that’s been described as "eugenic." Can popular media of any kind can ever really be radical? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Independent investigative journalist and author of One Nation Under Blackmail: The Sordid Union between Intelligence & Crime That Gave Rise to Jeffrey Epstein Whitney Webb returns to Bad Faith to weigh in on Donald Trump's unwillingness to release the Epstein files and the connection between Trump, Epstein, Israeli intelligence, and America's unwillingness to break from Israel as it escalates its genocide in Palestine. Webb clarifies that Epstein provided secret info to the FBI in 2008 as part of his plea deal, making him an informant (as was Trump-booster Peter Thiel) and connects the dots among key players. She also unpacks her new bombshell reporting on Italy's Donald Trump Flavio Briatore, his connection to Epstein benefactor & Victoria's Secret owner Les Wexner, & offers evidence that Trump may be a material witness to Epstein's sex crimes. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod).