Benjamen Walker's Theory of Everything

During the first Trump presidency I produced a radio drama with Jonathan Mitchell at The Truth Podcast about camp MAGA. In 2017 the idea of Trump locking up Americans in camps was a bit silly… that could never happen here? But in 2024, as private prison stocks soar to new heights, things like a little different.  Perhaps Marx got it wrong. Perhaps the repetitions of History are both farcical and tragic.  

Earlier this year I read a book called The End of Reality  by the writer Jonathan Taplin. The book is a meditation on the outsize power and influence of four billionaires: Peter Thiel, Mark Zuckerberg, Marc Andreesen, and Elon Musk. After the election I rang Jonathan up for a special post election conversation about his book and our new Oligarchy.  Also, Radiotopia is running its annual fundraiser right now, we only do this once a year. If you can donate please do! Support this show and indy podcasts. 

A few years ago I put together a story about the Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory with the writer and historian Martin Jay, today in 2024 the Cultural Marxism Industry is stronger than ever. An update for 2024.  

Joel Whitney’s book Finks is a seminal book about American intellectuals and American security agencies,  mainly because it illuminates the real story behind the CIA’s involvement with the founding of a little magazine called The Paris Review  which hit the scene in the early 1950s at the height of the Cold War. In Joel Whitney’s new book Flights,  he continues his historical excavations -  more stories about writers intellectuals and activists who found themselves in the cross hairs of American security agencies like the CIA and the FBI. Your host discusses both books with Joel Whitney and the discipline of secret history itself. 

Travel back to 1984 with intriguing sounds from commercials and movies that set the mood of a pivotal year. Explore how electronic media mirrored Orwell's themes of surveillance and totalitarianism in everyday life. Laugh along with anecdotes about Reaganomics while navigating socio-economic disparities and personal ambitions. Dive into a dystopian satire inspired by the 1984 Olympics, highlighting a chaotic atmosphere filled with humor. Reflect on the indelible moments in music, film, and pop culture that shaped a generation.

We now have many ways to tell the story of America's tilt towards authoritarianism, but for your host one image  sums up the whole sordid business: a mashup of Donald Trump and the Marvel comic book character The Punisher. In this episode we talk with Kent Worcester, author of a new cultural history of the Punisher. It's a conversation about America's fascination with, and attraction to, a black and white vision of justice and vengeance. 

Intelligence scholar Hugh Wilford's excellent new book grapples with the paradox at the heart of America’s covert intelligence agency. Many of the CIA’s founding fathers were staunch anti-imperialists, but during the Cold War, the US took up the mantle of Europe’s colonial projects.Hugh Wilford's book The CIA: an Imperial History is out now.  Hugh Wilford has written numerous books about the CIA and Cold War intelligence history, he made two appearances in our recent Not All Propaganda is Art mini-series. Also the mini-series got a really nice write up in the New Yorker last month!

In this thought-provoking discussion, Richard Wright, the renowned novelist behind 'Native Son,' and Dwight Macdonald, the incisive cultural critic, tackle the nuances of censorship and cultural expression during the Cold War. Wright reflects on the struggles of Black artists, while Macdonald critiques mid-culture's mediocrity. They delve into how societal pressures distort art and explore the dark shadows of propaganda. This vibrant conversation offers powerful insights into race, culture, and the complexities of artistic identity.

Julia Wright, daughter of renowned author Richard Wright, shares her journey in bringing her father's unpublished novel, 'The Man Who Lived Underground,' to light. She discusses the complications of racial injustice and police brutality relevant today. The conversation also dives into the mysterious circumstances surrounding her father’s death, exploring themes of espionage during his exile in Paris. Julia sheds light on the controversial figure Richard Gibson and his alleged ties to the CIA, complicating her father's legacy amid a backdrop of artistic expression and decolonial struggles.

Kenneth Tynan, a trailblazing British theatre critic and cultural commentator, dives into the cultural dissent of the late 1950s during a time of rising anti-American sentiment. He discusses his groundbreaking documentary on American non-conformism amid Cold War tensions and explores how art intersects with politics. Tynan also reflects on the Beat Generation's rebellion and the complexities of communication in a capitalist society. His insights reveal how dissent and expression shape narratives, challenging societal norms and censorship.