The Majority Report with Sam Seder

On today's show: Mike Cernovich wants to buy Gawker for $500k, and his stooge Jack Posobiec's marriage is totally not on the rocks. We revisit some of the lowlights of Trump's SOTU: In an address that garnered the lowest net positive ratings since 1998, Trump attacked public sector unions under the guise of helping the VA, took credit for a long term trend in black unemployment rates, lied about "chain migration" and the visa lottery to whip up anti-immigrant sentiment, and mentioned the MS-13 gang about a million times. We break down what Joe Kennedy got wrong in his response and what Bernie Sanders got right.

On the fun half: Ronald Raygun points out Trump fabricated his gang and crime factoids and explains how nativist immigration policy actually worsens the problem. Congressman Jeff Duncan (R-SC) gets Trump to say on a hot mic that he will "100%" release the Nunes memo. Sam tells a story about a woke biker gang he met in Australia. Ryan in Ohio says Ohioans are on the side of the Palestinian man who got deported after 40 years in the US. Are liberal elites being hypocrites when they call working class people racists? Meghan in NJ says the Dems could have done more to protest during the SOTU and tells us Trump's hidden history as an anchor baby. Mr. Jamie Peck calls in to talk direct action and take Sam to task for focusing so much on electoral politics. Mindy defends Joe Kennedy. Should millennials be bringing children into this messed up world?

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Direct download: 1-31-18-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:34pm EDT

Join us for a special edition of the Majority Report as we watch Donald Trump's first State of the Union address with our old friend, the hilarious Judy Gold (@jewdygold). Afterwards, Judy responds with her own SOTU, then we watch responses from Joseph Kennedy III and Bernie "only guy who gets it" Sanders.

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Direct download: 1-30-18-Judy_Gold-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:26pm EDT

On today's show: SNL reminds everyone that Bush was actually a terrible president. Christian Picciolini, a reformed white supremacist turned peace activist, joins us to discuss his new book, "White American Youth: My Descent into America's Most Violent Hate Movement--and How I Got Out," and explain how the white supremacist movement has grown and thrived in the age of Trump. From his own experiences as a member of a neo-Nazi skinhead gang, he concludes the white power movement preys on people's need for community, targeting disaffected, insecure, or otherwise marginalized youth. He traces his journey from when he first joined CASH (Chicago Area Skin-Heads) to when he exited the group years later after making personal connections with black and Jewish customers at his record store. He discusses the connections between American neo-Nazis and Islamist groups like ISIS. Finally, he breaks down what's going on with so-called "alt-right" groups and offers suggestions for how to combat their influence through empathy. (We're probably still going to make fun of their leaders, but it's food for thought.)

On the fun half: Donald Trump tries to explain climate change (or "heating and cooling") to Piers Morgan, Jeb Bush takes some weak shots at Rubio and Trump and is generally miserable, a caller says Americans need to stop letting the aristocracy divide us, a caller shares firsthand knowledge of the Hell's Angels, why are the Democrats so committed to bipartisanship when their base DGAF, is Obama to blame for rehabilitating Bush II's image? (yes), the connection between right-wing libertarianism and the alt-right, Stephanie Hamill whines about fake news re: Mueller and gets called out for her #Pizzagate tweet, has Sam ever been in a fist fight?, and Sam reminisces about the time he got yelled at by Carl Bernstein.

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Direct download: 1-29-18-Christian_Picciolini-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:31pm EDT

Cliff Schecter (@CliffSchecter) and Isabel Gillies (@IsabelGillies) join us for Casual Friday.

On today's show: ICE strikes a deal to track people's license plates, Sean Hannity backs off his claim that Trump trying to fire Mueller is "fake news," and Cliff Schecter (@CliffSchecter) joins us to talk Mueller, government shutdown, cowardly Democrats, and more. After taking Chuck Schumer to task for his poor negotiation skills, Cliff and Sam posit some ideas for who might do a better job as Senate minority leader in the age of Trump. Next, Isabel Gillies (@IsabelGillies) calls in to talk star sightings, the Oscars, and #metoo's effect on Hollywood. Is Casey Affleck's stepping down from presenting the "best actress" award a sign things are changing? Isabel shares a personal story that relates to the current conversation.

On the fun half: John from San Antonio talks Medicare for All, DACA, and how nobody cares about the stock market, Chris Lapakko wonders if Democrats should skip the state of the union, Ron Johnson backs off his "secret society" claim, Trump claims at Davos "the best anti-poverty program is a paycheck" (will this lead him to a federal jobs guarantee?), Republicans refuse to say they find Mike Pence more credible than Stormy Daniels, can we shame lawmakers and gun manufacturers by naming mass shootings after them?, a caller breaks down a Senate race in FL, more commie talk, and a caller wants help getting through to his centrist liberal friends (hint: send them to JoinTheMajorityReport.com).

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Direct download: 1-26-18-Cliff_schecter-Isabel_Gillies-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:21pm EDT

David A. Ansell (@DrDavidAnsell) is a Chicago-based physician, social epidemiologist and author, most recently of "The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills." His efforts at both the national and local levels have advanced concerns about health inequities and the structure of the US health care system.
 
On today's show: Pizzagater Jack Posobiec thinks someone hacked his Bumble account to make it look like he was cheating on his pregnant wife, Senator Ron Johnson claims he has an FBI informant with info on the agency's "secret society," and Lou Dobbs thinks it's "time to declare war" against the "deep state."
 
David A. Ansell (@DrDavidAnsell) joins us to discuss his new book "The Death Gap: How Inequality Kills." In this book, Ansell breaks down how economic inequality reduces the life expectancy of people in poor neighborhoods. It's not simply that low-income people lack access to healthcare; growing up in an environment of stress and depravation has also been shown to worsen health outcomes. And when people die younger, they have less time to create wealth, creating a feedback effect that further exacerbates the problem. Ansell then tells some personal stories from his time as a doctor in Chicago to hammer the point home: We live in a violent healthcare apartheid state fueled by racism, exploitation, and un-fettered capitalism.
 
On the fun half: A caller fills us in on what's going on with the Brazilian election, a caller recommends the book "American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America" by Chris Hedges, Trump "can't wait" to testify in the Mueller investigation, Trey Gowdy has questions about the FBI's secret society, a caller asks where his money will make the most difference, Sam and Jamie discuss whether or not social democracy is a sufficient solution to the problems created by capitalism, Ronald Raygun talks immigration and how he's come around on the points Jamie made about the Aziz Ansari story, and Tim from New Paltz offers scientific support for the idea that humans are a communally-inclined species. (For more on hunter-gatherer societies, check out "Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What it Means for Modern Relationships" by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha.)
 

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Direct download: 1-25-18-David_Ansell-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:38pm EDT

On today's show, James Risen joins us to discuss his piece at the Intercept, My Life as a New York Times Reporter in the Shadow of the War on Terror. When he first uncovered a scoop on warrantless wiretapping of US citizens during the Bush years, it was an uphill battle to get the New York Times to publish it. The Bush administration told them to keep it under wraps for national security reasons, and NYT executive editor Bill Killer obeyed. When Risen threatened to put his reporting in a book instead, the paper still tried to suppress information in the name of national security. Risen's bravery in moving forward with the project — which was published in 2006 under the title "State of War: The Secret History of the CIA and the Bush Administration" — as well as protecting his sources in the face of a subpoena from the Obama administration and potential jail time, helped raise standards for how the media reports on national security matters.

On the fun half: Tomi Lahren is outraged black players aren't standing for the national anthem, a DSA member asks what white gentrifiers should consider when organizing tenants' unions in their communities, "steak doctor" Willie Degel cries about how the minimum wage increase is hurting small business owners, more discussion of DACA, the wall, and spineless Chuck Schumer, Alex Jones thinks he has the real Nunes memo, Senator Ron Johnson claims to know of an FBI "secret society," Mindy shares a dispatch from the Women's March, and how do Christians rationalize voting for Trump?

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Direct download: 1-24-18-James_Risen-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:35pm EDT

On today's show, Devin Nunes claims to have a memo about the FBI and DOJ abusing FISA but won't release it, and the Democrats have no strategy in the government shutdown.

Suja Thomas (@sujathomas3) discusses her new book, Unequal: How America's Courts Undermine Discrimination Law. While discrimination is technically against the law, there are many barriers to bringing claims. Thomas goes over some examples of egregious cases that were nonetheless dismissed, then explains some of the institutional barriers that prevent people from getting justice in these cases, from precedent and doctrine to the relative privilege of the judges making the decisions.

On the fun half: A member of Generation Z calls in to question whether his generation is actually more conservative, a caller discusses the Polish doctor detained by ICE, Gavin McInnes is a sad widdle baby throwing temper tantrums about his ever-decreasing relevance, Mike from PA breaks down his state's anti-gerrymandering decision, Lyin' Ted Cruz is caught being a hypocrite about the shutdown, a carpenter shares a story of a co-worker being turned over to ICE, are police unions always bad?, Dissident Peasant takes Senate Democrats to task, a brief discussion of Chelsea Manning, and Ronald Raygun fills us in on all the ways the GOP can terrorize immigrants.

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Direct download: 1-23-18-Suja_Thomas-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:05pm EDT

Hello everyone. Today, journalist Corey Pein (@CoreyPein) joins us to discuss the brutal crackdown on immigrants and the state of the government shutdown.

First, a Steakhouse CEO is upset waitstaff no longer act like servants.

Then, Corey and Michael talk the state of play on the government shutdown. Then, the onslaught against immigrant families and sanctuary cities carried out by ICE. The role of faith groups in defending immigrants from the ICE terror campaign.

On the fun half - Joe Scarborough continues subjecting America to his lame protest tunes, Alex Jones says Trump officially not illuminati, a return of Sassy Trump, Mike Pompeo says the CIA is being less 'risk averse.' Chelsea Manning crashes alt-right party but should skip the photo ops, plus your calls and IMs.

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Direct download: 1-22-18-Corey_Pein-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:22pm EDT

On today's show: Mark Steyn says "at least white supremacists are American citizens." Heather Parton a.k.a. Digby (@digby56) joins us to talk government shutdown. Will Democrats hold the line on DACA, or will they cave like they always do? The extreme unpopularity of GOP policies, especially re: immigration, gives Digby reason to be hopeful. She then lays out a theory as to why Trump's tryst with Stormy Daniels supports the existence of a Russian piss tape. The truth is out there!

Next, Judy Gold (@JewdyGold) comes on for her patented two minutes' hate on topics including: Trump's abortion hypocrisy, the government shutdown, the New York Times' elevation of pro-Trump voices, tragic figure Chris Christie, and Trump's soft, repulsive body. Is it cool to fat-shame a monster? Roxane Gay's not willing to scold people for it, so maybe it's okay.

The family of deported father Jorge Garcia appear on "The View" to send a message to Trump.

On the fun half: Dave in Chicago plugs this weekend's protests and urges us to use encrypted messaging services, a caller talks conservatism in Hispanic communities, Carl Higbie thinks blacks see having kids "a form of employment," gun nuts think they're being persecuted like Jews during the Holocaust, and Bernie Sanders calls in to talk DACA, the shutdown, and Medicare for all. How will progressives take back the House in 2018? Via grassroots action, increased turnout, and a 50 state strategy, of course! With broad, inspiring messages like Medicare for all and a $15 minimum wage (plus increased transparency and democracy), Sanders says the party is poised to make major gains in 2018 and beyond.

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Direct download: 1-19-18-Digby-Judy_Gold-Bernie_Sanders-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:42pm EDT

On today's show: Fox News' Bob Massi thinks the Democrats boycotting Trump's state of the union are the real racists, Senator Ed Markey says Dems are "not going to blink" without DACA, General John Kelly says Trump's views on the wall have "evolved" and gets reamed out on Twitter by Boss Baby himself, Trump's policies and the El Salvador government are working together to force refugees into slave labor in Qatar. 

On the fun half: Greg in OK plugs progressive Tom Guild's 2018 congressional campaign, James in Brussels breaks down how lobbying and campaign finance work in Europe, AZ governor Doug Ducey is offended the media would tie his "school choice" campaign to the Koch brothers just because they're funding it, we discuss the Aziz Ansari story with multiple callers, Kyle Stephens confronts her rapist, former USA Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar, in court, Sam tries to bro down with a caller about carpentry, can social movements change policy or must we engage in bourgeois electoralism, Jeff Sessions spreads misinformation about the education levels of immigrants (not that it should matter; let's not play respectability politics), why is the Democratic Party so beholden to purple states, a Canadian talks about US immigration policy's effects on Canada, Ronald Raygun delivers the funny once more, and a DACA recipient calls in to share his story.

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Direct download: 1-18-18-Sam_Seder-pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:11pm EDT