The Majority Report with Sam Seder

In the jam-packed FINAL day of the Best Of 2021: Sam hosts Adam Jentleson, former advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, to discuss his new book Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy on how the filibuster negatively impacts American democracy. How John C. Calhoun and other Southern Senators pioneered the filibuster to block civil rights legislation during Reconstruction. How it persisted through the Jim Crow era and became normalized. Reforms that could change the majority required to pass legislation in the Senate back to 50%.

Then, Sam and Emma host Rosa Brooks, law professor at Georgetown University, to discuss her recent book Tangled Up In Blue: Policing in the American City, and her experiences as a part-time volunteer reserve police officer in Washington, D.C. Professor Brooks discusses how she came to the topic; following her work on “How Everything Became War and The Military Became Everything,” she picks up on the trail of the normalized violence of American policing and looks into the behind-the-scenes elements of how officers grapple with and make sense of their role. Beginning with the academy, Brooks walks through how the culture of policing emphasizes danger, defense, and discipline – exploring how police overstate the threat to their livelihood in the line of duty, encouraging the use of force whenever deemed necessary. Next, she, Sam, and Emma talk about the changes in the academy over the last half-decade, both as reforms slowly trickle in and younger generations begin to take hold of departments, how we can assess the success of reforms and consent decrees during a period in which crime has continued to drop (wow maybe crime CAN be a product of policing), and why even police acting within legal and constitutional guidelines engage in incredibly harmful behavior. They round out the interview with a conversation on why Rosa feels reform must be embraced, and why the conversation on policing should be focused on imagining new systems of safety, rather than on budgetary punishments of police departments.

Lastly, Sam and Emma are joined by David Feldman of The David Feldman Show as they discuss his small-government, Ayn Randian approach to Marxism, the neediness of progressives in negotiations, and the intoxicating misogyny of Jimmy Dore. Plus, David gives a spiel on Bernie Sanders’ overwhelming kielbasa.

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

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Check out today’s sponsors:

sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 1231_jentleson_brooks_feldman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:39pm EST

Sam and Emma host Congresswoman Ilhan Omar of Minnesota's 5th District, whose recent book, This Is What America Looks Like: My Journey from Refugee to Congresswoman, is out in paperback now! Representative Omar, Sam, and Emma take on a variety of issues central to the progressive cause as the Biden administration has begun to falter. They begin with key issues on immigration and refugees, as Ilhan Omar touches on the shameful continuation of Trump policies under Biden, particularly exploring the treatments of Afghan and Haitian refugees and the Biden administration’s reliance on Title 42, taking on also why he has failed to stick to this campaign promise. Next, they move to the topic of student debt relief, as Congresswoman Omar dives into the mysterious missing memo that stands as the only thing preventing Biden from putting pen to paper with an executive order, and what could be behind the delay, before they jump to the topic of the reconciliation platform and how debt relief may or may not fit in. She, Emma, and Sam also dive into the discussion around reconciliation spending, why a shorter span on funding is easily okay by progressives if Sinema and Manchin will just clarify what they would like, and explore the developing role of the progressive caucus.

Then Sam and Emma are joined by comedian Ben Gleib to discuss his recent dust up with Charlie Kirk! They run through the highlights of his very calm discussion with Charlie Kirk, including Kirk’s anger and confusion regarding human anatomy, American citizenship, and what his role is within the right.

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

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You can now watch the livestream on Twitch

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

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@MattLech

@BF1nn

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Direct download: 1230_Ilhan_Gleib.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:38pm EST

In today's Best of 2021: Sam and Emma host Pascal Robert of the This is Revolution podcast to discuss the Moïse assassination in Haiti as a product of neoliberalism and colonialism, before they touch on the US’s foreign policy role in the Caribbean, and what Eric Adams’s Democratic primary victory means for progressive democrats moving forward. Emma, Sam, and Pascal start with the context for the Western occupation of Haiti, starting with the Haitian Revolution that forced the French, Spanish, and British armies off of the Island after centuries of brutal enslavement and abuse under settler-colonialism, with attempts by the French to reclaim the country continuing into the 19th Century. Next, Robert walks us through the U.S.’ role as one of the biggest beneficiaries of Haitian independence, with the Louisiana Purchase stemming as a direct result, and how we took advantage of the continued inequality and lack of colonial power with an occupation of Haiti from 1915-34, extracting what resources we could, and a return to colonial practices under neoliberalism, with U.S. backed Dictators as the only leaders with any prolonged stay in office since the Regan administration. They wrap up the interview by looking into how the assassination of Moïse came to be, stemming from conflict with a largely non-Haitian Oligarchical class that the U.S. likely could not stand by any longer, and Pascal Roberts discusses the importance of the Black and Creole middle classes in how the country moves forwards.

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

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Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

(Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com)

You can now watch the livestream on Twitch

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn

@BradKAlsop

Direct download: 1229_pascal.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:58pm EST

In today's jam-packed Best of 2021: Sam and Emma host author Clint Smith, staff writer at the Atlantic, to discuss his new book, How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America on how the legacy of slavery has been passed down and obscured through generations of storytelling, and the manner in which this manifests in modern society. They walk through the sites that Smith visits in his book – from Monticello, looking at how the stories of Thomas Jefferson perfectly encapsulate the cognitive dissonance of how Americans view ourselves, to Angola Prison as a symbol of modern enslavement literally build upon a plantation – and how the heirloom of ideology is passed down through every element of our society, through education, through infrastructure, and certainly through community policing measures. Smith explores his experiences at a Sons of Confederate Veterans celebration, and the importance of elevating empirical historical facts in making space for activists and organizers to express contemporary racism as carrying the remnants and residues of these systems through all elements of American society.

Then Sam sits down with with Harvard history professor Annette Gordon-Reed on her new book, On Juneteenth, which explores the Texas roots and national consciousness of the holiday celebrating the end of slavery in the South. Beginning in the 1500s, Gordon-Reed walks us through the arrival of slavery in Texas with Spanish settlers, and its development as an Enslaver’s Republic as it broke away from Mexico and U.S. slaveholders ventured into the state to capitalize on the protection of the industry. Then, they discuss Gordon Granger’s arrival in Texas on June 19, 1865, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, and the active and direct removal of status from former slave owners and deliverance of autonomy to Black freed folk, before they move into the violence of reconstruction in Texas and the South. Professor Gordon-Reed then walks through the importance of Juneteenth since the arrival of Granger, with the purchasing of what would become Emancipation Park in Houston as a grounds for celebration directly following it, why this day, in particular, took off as a celebration of manumission, and how Juneteenth has come into more widespread popularity.

Lastly, Sam and Emma are joined by Jason Myles, co-host of the This Is Revolution podcast, as they dissect his Medium article, “I Was a Teenage Anarchist," on the growth of the punk movement around the concepts of authenticity and deconstruction, how that hindered its growth and ability to alter the mainstream, instead, setting it up to be absorbed by the machine, and what that can teach us about the state of the online left today.

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

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Join the Majority Report Discord!
http://majoritydiscord.com/

Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

(Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com)

You can now watch the livestream on Twitch

Check out today’s sponsors:

sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn

@BradKAlsop

Direct download: 1228_Smith_Reed_Myles.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:04pm EST

In today's best of 2021: Sam hosts Russ Feingold, President of the American Constitution Society and former United States Senator from Wisconsin, to discuss the legacy 9/11 has had on the American national security state, and what to expect going forward, to discuss the legacy 9/11 has had on the American national security state, and what to expect going forward. Senator Feingold starts off by jumping back to the first reports of the attacks trickling in nearly twenty years ago, and what his experiences on Capitol Hill were like as flight 93 approached DC. Then, he and Sam get into the political response in each branch of the US government, starting with George W. Bush’s response, developing from what Senator Feingold saw as one of the greatest presidential speeches, immediately following 9/11, to, within days, capitalizing on the horror to progress the conservative agenda around both the Iraq War and with the Patriot Act with his “axis of evil” speech. Sam and Russ explore how the Patriot Act was brought to the floor, recalling why Senator Feingold was the only Senator at that time to vote against the bill, including the elements in the bill that clearly had nothing to do with terrorism alongside the conservative exploitation of the moment to bolster their run to take back the house in 2002. Next, the jump into the similar role played by Democrats in approving the Iraq War – outside of those like Feingold and Wellstone – and what it took for them to come around on it, including how resistance to the war bolstered Obama’s 2008 run. They then jump into the years under Obama, and how his deference to the FBI and military allowed the progression of the Military State to continue to infringe on the liberties of citizens and non-citizens alike, before they wrap up the interview with a conversation on the developments of that we have seen in the role of SCOTUS over the last two decades, moving from the failures of Bush v. Gore in 2000 to the obstructionism of McConnell and the build of the current Court. Sam concludes the free half with a review of the Greg Gutfeld comedy hour hitting all of the key conservative comedy pieces, including wives that hate their husbands, ethnicity jokes, and laughing at whatever Donald Trump says.

Then, the ever emotionally intelligent David Feldman, of the David Feldman Show, joins to discuss the childish nature of marching for M4A, the importance of anonymous donation – such as his most recent gift to the Michael Brooks Legacy Foundation – and why Jimmy Dore, the true everyman moron that always gets it right, nailed his three-dimensional diarrhea on the American oligarchy, before Feldman connects this back to the march for M4A, and why the true oligarchs (AOC and the Squad) are the real reason M4A hasn’t come to pass.

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

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Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

(Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com)

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GiveWell: When you give to charity, it can be hard to know how exactly your money will be used. If you want to help people with evidence-backed, high-impact charities, check out GiveWell! Over 50,000 donors have used GiveWell to donate more than 750 million dollars that will save tens of thousands lives AND improve the lives of MILLIONS more. If you’ve never donated to GiveWell’s recommended charities before, you can have your donation matched up to TWO HUNDRED FIFTY DOLLARS before the end of the year or as long as matching funds last. To claim your match, go to givewell.org and pick PODCAST and enter “The Majority Report with Sam Seder” at checkout. Make sure they know that you heard about GiveWell from The Majority Report to get your donation matched.

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn

@BradKAlsop

Direct download: 1227_feingold_feldman.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:49pm EST

In the first Best Of of 2021: Andreas Malm joins Sam to discuss his new book, How to Blow Up a Pipeline: Learning to Fight in a World on Fire. Andreas begins by explaining that while the pandemic has temporarily tamped down the climate movement, it has simultaneously led to a 7% drop in world-wide emissions and demonstrated how government can effectively intervene in the private sector during a crisis. Then, Sam asks Andreas to explain the two strategies of the climate movement, one being putting pressure on the government to pass policy and the other being reducing profits of fossil fuel companies through physically shutting down their operations. Andreas discusses the limitations of peaceful climate activism and argues for the need for a more radical flank in the movement. And finally, as it turns out, renewable energy is actually much cheaper to produce, but companies refuse to switch over because they can get away with a much higher markup on fossil fuels than they would be able to on renewables.
 
Then, Judy Gold joins the program to celebrate Trump's defeat with special guest Donald Trump! Comedian James Austin Johnson sticks around to discuss growing up an evangelical Christian, conservative comedy, and how his Republican family members like his Trump impression.

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

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Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

(Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com)

You can now watch the livestream on Twitch

Check out today’s sponsors:

Shaker and Spoon: If you’re looking for the perfect last-minute holiday gift, definitely check this out! Shaker & Spoon is a monthly cocktail subscription box that delivers the ingredients and recipes for amazing craft cocktails, right to your door. And they’re giving you $20 off when you use the promo code MAJORITY. Each monthly box comes with 3 original cocktail recipes, and enough ingredients for 12 cocktails, 4 from each recipe, and each box is themed around one type of liquor that will fit all three recipes for that month!

Go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221 and use code MAJORITY to get $20 off your first box! Thanks to Shaker & Spoon for sponsoring today's episode.

sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn

@BradKAlsop

Direct download: 1224_Best_Of_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:23pm EST

It's the FINAL live show of 2021! Emma is joined by Brandon Sutton IN-STUDIO, alongside Matt Binder for the WHOLE show, to round up the week in news, and reflect on the year that was. They begin by covering the recent NYT scoop on the FBI’s infiltration into Black Lives Matter protests in Portland last year, in which they employed mass surveillance and entrapment tactics to round up leftists for vandalism or having arms, as well as the wild contrast between these widespread efforts and the solo informant and lack of presence by the FBI at the Jan 6 insurrection. This allows Matt, Brandon, and Emma to look into the history of the FBI’s infiltration of the left, and how, no matter the amount of self-victimization on the right, their complaints simply cannot compare to the levels of surveillance and oppression of leftist groups. Next, they cover Donald Trump, the racist clock, somehow being right twice yesterday, including his blunt shutdown of Candace Owens as he flaunts the three Trump vaccines and a critique of his wife’s own NFT drive. This brings up a prolonged discussion of crypto’s continuation of capitalist scams, and how this new frontier of the internet is working to commodify every element of the online world, ultimately serving the same speculative pockets that succeeded in running wild after 2008. They also touch on the new COVID pill, and explore where we’re at two years into the pandemic.

And in the Fun Half: Matt, Matt, Brandon, and Emma discuss the set up to the JFK assassination, Dave from Jamaica asks the hosts to remove one technological innovation from history and what they think about Trump’s pro-vaccine rhetoric, before he and Brandon jump off into a discussion of Ice Cube’s “Black. White.” race-swapping reality TV show from the aughts. Mike Huckabee and Donald Trump reflect on their reclamation of the Christmas spirit, and the crew brainstorms the best non-Christmassy Christmas movies. Elon joins the Babylon Bee to remind us that the right is getting better at comedy, and it's making the left nervous… wait no it's that the world is getting more woke and it’s making HIM nervous, Blake Masters finally capitalizes on his meet-cute with Peter Thiel at Stanford, and Kowalski concludes this year’s agricultural reports, plus, your calls, IMs, and goodbyes heading into the New Year!

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on January 16th HERE!

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com

Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here.

Join the Majority Report Discord!
http://majoritydiscord.com/

Get all your MR merch at our store https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

(Merch issues and concerns can be addressed here: majorityreportstore@mirrorimage.com)

You can now watch the livestream on Twitch

Check out today’s sponsors:

Shaker and Spoon: If you’re looking for the perfect last-minute holiday gift, definitely check this out! Shaker & Spoon is a monthly cocktail subscription box that delivers the ingredients and recipes for amazing craft cocktails, right to your door. And they’re giving you $20 off when you go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221 Each monthly box comes with 3 original cocktail recipes, and enough ingredients for 12 cocktails, 4 from each recipe, and each box is themed around one type of liquor that will fit all three recipes for that month!

Go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221 and use code MAJORITY to get $20 off your first box! Thanks to Shaker & Spoon for sponsoring today's episode.

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn

@BradKAlsop

Direct download: 12_23_Emma_Brandon_Matt_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:51pm EST

Emma hosts Joe Margulies, Professor of Law and Government at Cornell University, to discuss his recent book Thanks For Everything (Now Get Out): Can We Restore Neighborhoods Without Destroying Them? on the never-ending process that is neoliberal gentrification, why it's so hard to stop, and what we can do to return the power to the neighborhoods we are so intent on “improving.” They begin by touching on why Professor Margulies decided to focus on a particularly devastated region of Providence, Rhode Island - Olneyville - rather than notorious gentrification hotbeds such as Brooklyn and Chicago, walking through the historical collapse, and eventual rebuilding of the neighborhood over the last century, before they look at how this process, as it exists, simply moves the neighborhood’s residents from an environment of toxicity to an environment where they cannot afford to live in their own houses anymore – as soon as it becomes safer, the reckoning begins. This brings Professor Margulies and Emma to the topic of neoliberalism and how this has massively spurred the gentrification process, including looking at its carceral mindset that addresses poverty and houselessness with imprisonment rather than money and housing, puts the only agency and power in the hands of external non-profits rather than community members, and only seeks transformation for capital gains of investors rather than to grow the capital of the neighborhood itself. This allows them to discuss the role of non-profits and incentives such as Opportunity Zones in ensuring that the only winners from neighborhood investment are for gentrifiers and investors, before they wrap up the interview by touching on Professor Margulies’ concept of “neighborhood trusts” and how they can support a community-led investment that keeps the agency and fruits of labor in the hands of the residents.  Emma also touches on the devastation of the monoclonal antibody supplies and her continued support for Odell Beckham Jr.

And in the Fun Half: Matt Lech takes the stage to discuss recent revelations on the JFK assassination, walking through the lack of credibility in the traditional “lone gunman” narrative, the CIA’s pre-existing relationship with Lee Harvey Oswald, and why the conspiracy should empower the public, before he highlights Jefferson Morley’s recent exploration of the legacy of doubt amidst Kennedy’s closest allies, and the integral role of anti-communism. He and Emma also cover updates on the Aguilera-Mederos truck accident and Build Back Better, Nathanial from Fresno updates us on CA's redistricting, and Eric Adams reminds us that as a former cop, he still has the right to abuse citizens. CNA Socialist calls in to share their own stories of being an overworked and excessively traumatized nurse under COVID, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Shaker and Spoon: If you’re looking for the perfect last-minute holiday gift, definitely check this out! Shaker & Spoon is a monthly cocktail subscription box that delivers the ingredients and recipes for amazing craft cocktails, right to your door. And they’re giving you $20 off when you go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221 Each monthly box comes with 3 original cocktail recipes, and enough ingredients for 12 cocktails, 4 from each recipe, and each box is themed around one type of liquor that will fit all three recipes for that month! Go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221 and use code MAJORITY to get $20 off your first box! Thanks to Shaker & Spoon for sponsoring today's episode.

sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Direct download: 12_22_Margulies_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:56pm EST

Emma and Matt break down a crazy weekend in news, from the breakdown of BBB negotiations to labor, COVID, the courts, and more! Beginning with an update on Omicron, Emma walks through the state of coronavirus, the importance of mRNA vaccines, and the Biden Administration’s turn on testing infrastructure, before she looks at Donald Trump and Bill O’Reilly coming out as boosted while DeSantis discusses his premonition that COVID would develop variants. Next, they cover Manchin’s secret rage at being held accountable on the public stage, and how this is totally what inspired his backing out of Build Back Better, not his corporate ideology, before walking through the state of the bill, and looking at Ben Shapiro’s level-headed response to Manchin’s move, with some talking points eerily reminiscent to one Joe Biden in how they fetishize incrementalist procedure. They also cover Donald Trump coming after Tish James on the legal stage due to his well-known aversion to politicized Attorneys General.

And in the Fun Half: Nomiki Konst joins as Emma and Matt take a call from Kowalski to cover “cover crops,” Matt gives his Lech-ture on the recent 110-year sentence for a 23 y/o trucker and the solidarity we’ve seen around it, and Phil from the Chicago suburbs shoots Emma some compliments before they bond over being self-hating militant vegans. They also cover Kyle Rittenhouse’s epic entrance at Turning Points USA's AmericaFest, NYC covid updates, and the Pentagon’s UFO release as a distraction from genuine conspiracy. Alex from NYC gives his celebrity fight club matchups, Nomiki discusses stopping by Dan Bongino’s show to discuss a cigarette-health-issue-denying firm’s statistics on natural disasters and climate change, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Shaker and Spoon: If you’re looking for the perfect last-minute holiday gift, definitely check this out! Shaker & Spoon is a monthly cocktail subscription box that delivers the ingredients and recipes for amazing craft cocktails, right to your door. And they’re giving you $20 off when you go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221. Each monthly box comes with 3 original cocktail recipes, and enough ingredients for 12 cocktails, 4 from each recipe, and each box is themed around one type of liquor that will fit all three recipes for that month! Go to https://thld.co/shakerandspoon_majority1221  and use code MAJORITY to get $20 off your first box! Thanks to Shaker & Spoon for sponsoring today's episode.

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Direct download: 12_21_Emma_Matt_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:12pm EST

Emma hosts Paul Elliott Johnson, Assistant Professor of Communications at the University of Pittsburgh, to discuss his recent book I The People: The Rhetoric of Conservative Populism, on the transformation of the conservative populist movements over the last century, and how they worked to define, and redefine, white America. Professor Johnson first works to define the malleable characteristics that guide conservative values, such as whiteness, the ability to make free decisions, and economic viability, before he and Emma get into the actual way that the right sought to define America, by its opposition to Blackness. This brings them to a quick exploration of the Black radical tradition, and its start with an emphasis on experience, before working to unpack how Blackness was used as a designation of pathological danger and negativity, and what it means to be un-American, from the "Welfare Queen" trope to healthcare. Professor Johnson then dives into how the end of the cold war put the US on the edge, ending their competition with the USSR which had driven their social justice advancements, technological advancements, and economic development over the last few decades, looking particularly at Reagan assuming his role at the pinnacle of conservatism working to join both libertarian conservatives and traditionalists against the threat of Blackness, and slavery at the hand of the state. He and Emma also dive into his more overt examples of juxtaposing true America with Blackness, as seen with his coining of the "Welfare Queen" term, and how this allowed him to put Blackness in the backseat during his 1984 reelection, instead focusing on the beauty of consumption and whiteness. They also explore figures like Newt Gingrich and how they shaped the identity of the American conservative in the ‘90s, with a focus on the angry white finance man, before wrapping up the interview by looking at the effect of the 2008 financial crisis in nearly undermining the real divides in the US, and how the Tea Party worked to completely obscure that through a re-establishment of Blackness and the slavery of the state under Obama as central threats to the US, ultimately working to the election of Donald Trump as a white, hyper-masculine head of the movement. Emma also covers Joe Manchin tanking Build Back Better, AKA what every leftist knew his Build Back Better goal was, as well as Bernie’s response, and Chile’s election.

And in the Fun Half: Matt Lech gives a myth-busting seminar on Socialism’s efficacy in Latin America in the wake of Boric’s successful presidential campaign in Chile, Kowalski calls in to talk cashews impact on climate change, and the crew explores Charlamagne Tha God breaking down Kamala Harris in an interview with a simple Manchin-related question. Gregory from OK updates us on his campaign for State House District 26, Trump discusses the failures of Jewish dual loyalty, and Nat from Portland discusses taking on the role of the NYT with friends and family, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Direct download: 12_20_Johnson_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:19pm EST

It's Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host Alex Pareene, contributing editor at the New Republic and proprietor of the AP newsletter on Substack to round up the week in news. They kick off the show with updates on the Kellogg’s unionization effort, Omicron, and Tucker Carlson’s prostate (not a metaphor for his mouth). Then, Alex joins as they cover the punting of the BBB into the business of the next Democratic administration, be it next term or next decade, the admin blaming the 50/50 Senate, and the absurd incompetence both in blowing this opportunity, and not even realizing the massive impact in the midterms and moving forwards that this will likely have. This brings them to the state of democratic leadership, Congress’ realization that they can actually just let good things expire instead of killing them, and Larry Kudlow comparing Joe Manchin to Elon Musk due to their ingenuity, rather than the ability to stifle and misdirect innovation. Then, Sam and Emma are joined by Matthew Film Guy to walk through what's on his plate, what he’s been watching, and what editors actually do. Sam gets lost in the film technology of the 80s, they discuss Matthew’s upcoming project, and dive into getting personal with the Beatles with “Get Back.”

And in the Fun Half: Tim Pool once again makes the mistake of debating someone who cares and knows what they’re talking about, Brandon stops by to bring some boxes of sweets and his winning attitude, and Sam relives his glory days as they watch his early aughts takedown of Bob Knight over the war on Christmas, reminding him that the world really hasn’t changed that much. DeSantis announces his “Stop Woke Act,” as he continues his metamorphosis into Dollar Store Trump, Marc Lamont Hill stumps Christian Walker by asking for examples, and Tucker Carlson discusses Anarcho-Tyranny with King of the working class, Kyle Rittenhouse, plus, your IMs!

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sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

MySolarNerd.comThere are a lot of homeowners that aren't aware of the solar options currently available. It is now possible to retrofit a home with solar panels for no money down. Most homeowners that switch over to solar see significant savings starting in their first year. This is possible thanks to the Solar Investor Tax Credit (going away soon). My Solar Nerd’s mission is SIMPLE: Help you find the best solar program for your home and make the transition as EASY and SMOOTH as possible. Go to mysolarnerd.com and fill out the inquiry form now. Make sure you select Majority Report Listener for how you heard about My Solar Nerd to receive a $200 gift card upon installation!

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Read Alex's piece "Losing A Street Fight To Elon Musk" here.

Direct download: 12_17_Pareene_Film_Guy_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:22pm EST

Emma hosts Ted H. Miller, associate teaching professor at Northeastern University, to discuss his recent book A Conspiratorial Life: Robert Welch, the John Birch Society, and the Revolution of American Conservatism, on the anti-communist paranoia that helped found the educational and political beliefs that define modern conservatism. Professor Miller begins with the birth of Robert Welch, eventual founder of the John Birch Society, at the end of the 19th Century, to a family engrained in the lost cause movement and fearful of an encroaching monopolizing eastern establishment, before exploring how Welch’s profession as a Candyman bolstered this tendency towards conspiracy. Next, they move towards the political developments in the first half of the 20th Century that pushed him towards the founding of the John Birch Society in 1958, starting with FDR’s new deal, with Welch fully pivoting to McCarthyist fear-mongering after China’s transition to communism and William Taft’s loss to Dwight Eisenhower solidified his belief that the U.S., like China, was being unwillingly taken over by communists. They dive into the extent of his conspiracy and paranoia during these years, including the belief that both of the Sputnik launches were faked by the U.S., as well as the Cuban missile crisis manufacturing the idea that Russia and Cuba had missile-launching capacities. Emma and Professor Miller then look into the role of William F Buckley in chronicling the conservative movement, publicly pushing back against Welch and the John Birch Society while further incorporating their educational agenda into electoral tactics. This brings us to the Kennedy administration, which saw a few key figures and concepts come into the fold of paranoia, including Reagan’s claim that under the “boyish locks of hair” laid “Karl Marx,” Dan Smoot’s creation of the concept of a “deep state,” and claims of false flag assassination attempts against Gerald Ford in the 70s. They wrap up the interview by discussing how the Reagan revolution of conservatism solidified the Robert Welch ideology into the party, finally bringing about the policies necessary for a worldview defined by evangelism and conspiracy, and look at how far ahead of the modern GOP positions Welch was. Emma also covers the devastating loss of bell hooks, and Pelosi reminding us that Congresspeople deserve to exploit the stock market too.

And in the Fun Half: Matt and Brandon join Emma as they discuss Stephen Crowder getting one strike away from coming out – I mean, being forced out – of the Youtube world, Kasey Lee from Spokane raises concerns about the Fed's report on large amounts of government spending (it's fine), and Lindsey Graham (OmegaSpectrum from the IM's) offers a surprise make-up call then asks for the crew's takes on Eric Adams. This brings them to Adams’s announcement of his new police chief in front of a mural of people who the NYPD would have probably planted evidence on at the time, a teen tech lord’s pitch for Donald Trump’s wall, and Ilya from Quebec explores emerging Islamophobic law in Canada. They also cover NFTV starting out as unoriginal as Marvel’s copy/paste series concepts, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Direct download: 12_16_Miller_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:21pm EST

Sam hosts James W. Russell, public policy affiliate scholar at Portland State University, to discuss his recent book The Labor Guide to Retirement Plans: For Union Organizers and Employees, on the importance of fighting for good end-of-life security and how employers and banks have capitalized off of the switch from pensions to 401ks. Russell and Sam begin by working to define and differentiate these two retirement plans, tracing the surge in 401ks back to the 1981 decision from the Reagan Treasury Department to make 401ks a valid substitute for a defined-benefits pension plan, rather than an additional tactic, and exploring why neoliberalism sought the switch, giving flexibility to the employer while shifting all of the risk onto the shoulders of the employee. Next, they dive into the role of labor organizing in the fight for better retirements, exploring instances of solidarity against two-tiered plans for legacy and incoming workers, and how unions can fight against what has arguably been the largest expropriation of workers’ income over the last three decades. They return to the topic of neoliberalism, diving into George W. Bush’s failed attempts to privatize social security, and the failure of the successful attempts to privatize these institutions in Chile under a Milton-Friedman-Influenced Pinochet regime. They wrap up with the role of conservative think tanks in driving privatization of retirement plans, before looking at what we can do as individuals, and organized groups, in fighting for better and more available pension plans for American workers. Sam also covers Cuomo’s corrupt book deal, LIU union-busting, and Fox News’ personalities reacting to their leaked 1/6 texts, including the case of a missing Brian Kilmeade.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and the MR crew cover Christian Walker’s personal sacrifices for his wealth (just having to deal with Herschel Walker as his father), the devastation of Hawaii’s primary water supplies at the hands of the U.S. Navy’s waste, and Dave Rubin’s wistful goodbye to California. Brian from Minneapolis calls in to discuss paramilitary terrorism against Zapatista farmers in Mexico, Stub Lord from Scottsdale chastises Matt and gives Sam some efficiency management tips, then Ben Shapiro reminds us of the classic Mandela effect that causes us to forget that the Loan Baron in Its a Wonderful Life was the hero all along. Stephen Crowder pivots perfectly from blatant racism to Omicron misinformation, and Nathan from Florida discusses the dumdum left’s orbit and lack of organizing, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Storyworth: This holiday season, give a gift to your loved ones that makes them feel special and unique Give everyone you care about StoryWorth! Storyworth is an online service that helps you and your loved ones preserve precious memories and stories for years to come. Every week StoryWorth emails your relative or friend a thought-provoking question of your choice from their vast pool of options. With StoryWorth I am giving those I love most a thoughtful, personal gift from the heart and preserving their memories and stories for years to come. Go to Storyworth.com/majority and save $10 on your first purchase! That’s StoryWorth.com/majority to save $10 on your first purchase!

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Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

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Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

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Check out Ted Leo's new song with Jeppesen Airplane "Into The Conquering Sun here! All download purchases go towards Jane's Due Process and the Frontera Fund!

Subscribe to Brian in Minneapolis's Substack here!

Direct download: 12_15_Russell_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:17pm EST

Sam breaks down what's to come in the week in news, from the continuing Build Back Better negotiations to updates on the court, labor, COVID and more! Sam is then joined by newly Twitch-banned Hasan Piker! He and the MR crew start off with Peter Doocy asking Jen Psaki about the war zone that is Christmas crime sprees as seen in the attack on the Fox News Christmas tree, before looking at the reactionary reporting on people leaving their jobs due to vaccine mandates, including a whopping 27 Air Force members. Next, they jump into the Meadows news, walking through the idiocy of turning over all of the relevant documents before refusing to testify, why Trump was able to scare him out of testifying, and the incredible 1/6 texts from notoriously reasonable characters Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and Donald Trump Jr. pleading with Trump’s Chief of Staff. Next, Hasan joins Sam for the first inaugural Crackers & Cheese segment (missing the cheese), as they explore Hasan’s recent ban from Twitch, and how bringing the “C-word” into the category of bannable slurs capitulates to white fragility and identity politics by ignoring the importance of contextual systemic subjugation. From here, they cover the importance, in general, of Terms of Service, and of de-platforming in response to overreach, discussing how a lack of ToS tends to lead to Nazis, pedophiles, and/or nazi-pedophiles, before looking at how media can and cannot encourage shifts in cultural consciousness, the importance of media aligning with existing views on material reality and inequality, and how Right Wing astroturf campaigns brilliantly and destructively unite culture war and weirdly specific policy to capitalize on this.

And in the Fun Half: The MR Crew takes on the importance of OSHA and disaster regulations in the wake of the Kentucky tornado and the multiple instances of employer-forced danger that resulted in countless deaths. Sam also gets the opportunity to differentiate types of inflation, and Danny from Culver City calls in to discuss the imprisonment of Daniel Baker, an anarchist who posted about armed defense of the Capitol after Jan 6th. Western Mass Girl calls in to discuss the horrors of home-brewed COVID prevention, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Direct download: 12_14_Seder_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:16pm EST

Sam and Emma host Elizabeth Samet, professor of English at West Point, to discuss her recent book Looking for the Good War: American Amnesia and the Violent Pursuit of Happiness, on the mythology behind the Americanized narrative of WWII, how it came to prevalence, and the role Tom Brokaw and Stephen Spielberg have to play. Professor Samet walks through the six myths she identifies throughout U.S. history, with the first – that the U.S. could not wait any longer to liberate the world from the growing threat of fascism and tyranny – starting to be manufactured as soon as the U.S. got its foot into the war, as she, Emma, and Sam dive into the isolationist nature of the US in the first few decades of the 20th Century, and the existing documents and pamphlets for soldiers attempting to revise this history to bolster their faith in the effort. Next, they look at the creation of a narrative of complete unity around this war effort in the wake of wars in the second half of the century, like Vietnam, which created division between the public and the military, which, along with a narrative exaggerating the sacrifices on our home front, worked to paint a picture of the Greatest Generation and their war as a collective American effort. They also cover the birth of the narratives of the U.S. as a liberator whose military will be greeted with open arms, which we would see repeated countless more times, most notably in the Iraq war, and the idea that this, like all U.S. wars, had a happy ending. This, at last, brings them to how these narratives were ultimately woven together, to create the final myth, which is that all of these narratives have been accepted and true since the beginning of the war. They explore how the baby boomer generation, through the works of Stephen Ambrose, Tom Brokaw, and Stephen Spielberg, among many others, revised and unified the narrative of their parents’ generation to help a country whose confidence has been shaken to regain an earlier luster. They wrap up the interview by looking at the film noir cliché around WWII and its veterans, as well as looking at the current state of public opinion on our veterans, and how it maintains a bit of a contradiction on how we want to think about them. Sam and Emma also discuss the devastation of the tornado in Kentucky, its role as one more “once in a generation event” that’s occurred this year, and the hypocrisy of libertarian ideology.

And in the Fun Half: Emma and Sam dive into the announcement by the Biden admin that they would resume student debt collection, and the absurdity of a country that attempts to make a profit off of an educated populace, while Chris from Austin calls in to talk health policy, both federal and personal. They also look at Stuart Varney’s coverage of the destruction of Seattle by a single city council member – Kshama Sawant – who helped bring about a $15 minimum wage, before moving onto the U.K. Court’s decision regarding Julian Assange’s extradition to the U.S., and contrast how it has been reported, from Joe Scarborough to Mehdi Hasan, before looking at Crowder capitalizing on the incredible masculinity he perceives emanating from Kyle Rittenhouse, and hearing Dan the Objectivist return to discuss how threats to well being aren’t coercion, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Direct download: 12_13_Samet_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:04pm EST

It's Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon and proprietor of the Hullaballoo blog, to round up the week in news. Sam and Emma start out by commemorating the historic Starbucks union vote in Buffalo. Then, Sam, Emma, and Digby dive into the numerous January 6th-related revelations that have come out in the past few weeks, starting with Mark Meadows withdrawing his cooperation with the investigation, most likely due to his fear of incurring Trump's wrath for disclosing his COVID status in his book from last year, as well as Steve Bannon's delayed contempt trial going into July 2022. Digby dives into Meadows history as a garden-variety dolt, and how Trump surrounds himself with obsequious yes-men, conflating loyalty with competence. They then dive into the recently disclosed PowerPoint coup plot document that Meadows turned over to the Jan. 6th committee, something that new Fox News outcast Lara Logan seemed to have on hand before Jan. 6th. They then discuss Trump's year plus-long obsession with the election results, the demographics of the Jan. 6th rioters, as well as the recent Barton Gellman piece in the Atlantic about election fraud and theft becoming standard GOP orthodoxy, with the Bush v. Gore "independent legislature theory" becoming a bedrock of that. Digby, Sam and Emma then touch on how this relates to Mitch McConnell's deal with Chuck Schumer on the debt ceiling, and how Lindsey Graham mounted a revolt amongst the Senate Trump-faithful to that deal, underscoring the deep fear many rank and file GOPers still have of Trump's wrath (think Brad Raffensperger). They then take a look at the extremely bizarre video that came out of Kanye West's publicist threatening a Georgia election worker to admit to election fraud in the state, the Democrats completely unprepared and limp response to all of these new threats of far-right violence being mainstreamed, the bombshell National Guard report about how the Army lied about their preparations to defend the Capitol on Jan. 6th, the deficiencies of the 50/50 Senate, the potential 2022-2024 hangover for Dem voters based on how little they've received after 2018 and 2020, and how state Dems are unwilling to go for the jugular in re-districting in states like Maryland.
 
Then, Sam and Emma are joined by comedian/Cameo celebrity  Andy Kindler, host of the Thought Spiral podcast! Andy, Sam, and Emma reflect on Bob Dole, lion of the Senate, as well as Andy's haunting Zoom setup and the progress of Sam's shingles vaccine. Then Sam, Andy, and Emma dive into Jim Breuer, new far-right comedy icon, and his positions on jesters, and whether cockatoos really talk about how much they love Dr. Fauci. They take a deeper dive into Clay Clark's psychotic Reawaken America tour, Dr. Oz, Dr. Drew, Celebrity Rehab, and how Thought Spiral is the #1 podcast for white Jews over 59. And in the Fun Half, Reverend Jacque DeGraff evokes Pearl Harbor at the Fox News tree resurrection, the San Diego Board of Supervisors gets a taste of anti-vax Mariah Carey, Lauren Boebert expands upon her Special Forces FART team in Congress, and Tucker Carlson speaks with a Jan. 6th lawyer about the insurrection's FBI "agent provocateur" (the guy is a amateur St. Louis Cardinals mascot who loves Tucker.) Plus, your IM's!

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sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Direct download: 12_10_Digby_Kindler_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:33pm EST

Emma hosts philosopher and historian Matthew Stewart to discuss his recent book The 9.9 Percent: The New Aristocracy That Is Entrenching Inequality And Warping Our Culture, on the class of people that cement the divide between the top .1%, and the bottom 90%. They begin by addressing what this segment is, exploring the people that neither make up corporate executive levels nor the working class, and the rapid isolation of this group – both physically and economically. Looking into the geographical elements, Matthew and Emma explore how certain white neighborhoods have isolated the ability to build wealth and stability by dominating the worlds of political regulations and real estate, and how this came as a response to their built wealth, rather than being a reflection of the intelligence that help bring them there.  Next, they dive into the social developments around this isolation, the culture of parental curation that has developed, and how extreme inequality has shown to cause more extreme parenting tactics as the risks of the world grow around you, before they look at how the creation of this aristocracy class has also coincided with an incredible drop in social mobility in the US. They also touch on the role of higher education in bolstering both the legitimacy and exclusivity of this class, before they get into how race is built into this inequality, from the clear disproportion of demographics between the top .1 and 9.9 percent and the US as a whole, to real estate discrimination, and how the discussion of race is explicitly disconnected from economic inequality. They wrap up the interview by touching on the collective nature of stress and how the current system piles stress on the bottom 90%, while representing it as an individual struggle, before Emma and Matthew walk through the Venn diagram between aristocracy class and the professional-managerial class. Emma also touches on Tucker and Nigel Farage debating whether Boris Johnson was feminized by COVID or his wife, and a Starbucks manager’s whistleblowing on union-busting.

And in the Fun Half: Matt and Brandon join Emma as they take on the Fox Square Bloody Christmas incident, which Fox and friends aptly dubs as a hate crime against the protected class of conservative talking heads, Bobby from FL calls in to discuss the growing red hue of Florida’s political lean, and Rep. Erica Layon reminds us that the three-fifths clause was actually a pro-Black sentiment. Felix from Manhattan ignites Emma’s inner edge lord by accidentally referring to Chess as a sport during a crypto exchange, and Warren from Toronto discusses holding our political leaders accountable. They also cover the success of the Buffalo Starbucks’ unionization effort, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Direct download: 12_9_stewart-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:19pm EST

Sam and Emma host Jonathan Levy, professor of History at the University of Chicago, to discuss his recent book Ages of American Capitalism: A History of the United States. Sam and Emma begin by discussing the newly passed defense policy bill and debt limit increase in the House, which includes a huge weapons sale to Saudi Arabia, something the strange bedfellows of Rand Paul and Bernie Sanders completely agree is a complete slap in the face to the suffering Yemeni people. Then they dive in with Professor Levy about the origins of capitalism in America starting in 1660, where they define capitalism and capital itself, before diving into the question of whether exploitation is intrinsic to capitalism, as well as its relationship to labor. They then discuss the different types of liquidity, before diving into the centrality of empire, specifically the British, empire to the first stage of capitalism. Levy also expands upon how geopolitical spread was crucial to expanding capitalism in the U.S. at this time, and this happened primarily through war-making and the expansion of slavery. Sam, Emma, and Jonathan then plumb the depths of whether capitalism could exist without slavery in the U.S., or if specifically the next era of capitalism, the Industrial Revolution could without it. Jonathan then explains how crucial the Louisiana Purchase and the Haitian Revolution were to the capitalist expansion, before going into how the Industrial Revolution may have been the greatest break in civilization since that of the transition from hunter gatherers to settler colonists. He then explains how this period was defined by speculation, something that we can see manifested today in something like stock buybacks. Going into the age of control, where the New Deal propped up the idea of the male breadwinner, as well as the idea of labor rights and wage parity being the definition of citizenry rather than property ownership, Levy also characterizes the New Deal as not as progressive as some admirers may tend to believe, mostly due to its focus on private enterprise over public investment. Sam, Emma, and Jonathan end on summarizing the post-New Deal aftereffects from those private emphases that ultimately result in massive inflation and economic turmoil during the late 70's and the Carter Administration, coinciding with the "Volcker shock", leading to the short-termism, debt-focused Clinton years. Finally, they discuss the turn towards austerity in the 2010's, how Obama essentially re-made the old economic order in the wake of the 2008 crash, and how the Trump administration and COVID completely fragmented that order, leading to some truly remarkable developments like the massive strike wave we saw this fall.

And in the Fun Half, the MR Crew discuss AOC calling out the Senate parliamentarian in favor of a pathway to citizenship in the BBB bill, Matt cautioning that there won't be any spring rain frolicking with Dems once the GOP takes House control with Speaker Donald J. Trump replacing Pelosi, Elon Musk giving his thoughts on the bloodthirsty government and pesky electric vehicle subsidies that he would benefit (and already does) benefit from, Ben Shapiro seeing COVID as the new pagan God of the left, and Dave Rubin comparing liberals to literally Cobra Commander from GI Joe controlling a weather machine. Plus, your calls and IM's!

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Direct download: 12_8_Levy_1_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:55pm EST

Sam and Emma host David Dayen, Executive Editor at The American Prospect, to discuss his recent project "The Great Escape", about the mass quitting trend in the labor market, as well as his new piece "Lina Khan Cashes in Her Chips." They begin by confronting the numbers of the recent wave of resignations, including 4.4 million in the month of September, breaking the record set in August, making it a total of 3.3% of the American workforce leaving their jobs over those two months. David then dives into his research behind this movement, looking at both the more obvious reasons for this mass exodus, including the pandemic inflammation of already horrendous working conditions and wages, before getting into the more emotional revelations that have taken place over the workforce, including the pandemic’s emphasis on the dignity of their work in rhetoric, while in reality they were continuously exploited, as well as social media’s role in bolstering labor solidarity movements. This brings David and Sam to bring us back to their childhood, exploring the parallels we see with the pandemic of the Black Plague in the 1300s, which inspired England’s first labor laws, and saw a period of wage improvements among the serfs and peasants. They wrap up the interview by looking at David’s article on Linda Khan’s FTC filing an anti-trust suit in a bipartisan show of power against vertical mergers. Sam and Emma also cover Jen Psaki’s insane condescension in the face of a very reasonable question regarding federal COVID infrastructure.

And in the Fun Half: Nomiki joins Sam and Emma as they explore the next steps for the Cuomo brothers (perhaps as guest lecturers at the University of Austin) and Don Lemon falling into the exact same corruption Chris did. Sean Spicer gets Trump to ramble against Pence, before getting into the real insurrection that happened on November 3rd, then the crew discusses the developments around the Army’s obstruction of the facts about Jan 6th, and John Eastman’s role in Pence’s blueprint. They also cover how progressive policies have trickled out of Biden’s agenda, and the state of vaccine skepticism today, and its base in Trump’s undermining of the public health response, before touching on Boris Johnson’s detective moment, as he breaks out the monocle magnifying glass to look for evidence of cocaine on parliament’s toilet seats, plus, your calls and IMs!
 
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Sam and Emma host Claudia Goldin, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, to discuss her recent book Career and Family: Women's Century-Long Journey Toward Equity, on the history of women’s entry into the workforce and how they transitioned from a choice between career or family, to an opportunity to have both – even with many lingering effects of inequity today. After Professor Goldin clarifies the boundaries of her data collection, and why she focuses on women with a college degree, they begin walking through the numbers – starting with women who graduated in the first two decades of the 20th Century, she, Sam, and Emma explore how college-educated women had an almost perfect 50/50 split between those who had a family and those that had a career, before we see a transition to family as women began getting married earlier throughout the 30s, 40s, and 50s. This led up to the late 60s and 70s, when, alongside changing infrastructure and social values, a shift started to occur, delaying the median age of marriage year by year over the next four decades. This brings Professor Goldin to the question of why this occurred, looking at social developments, from shifting away from policies explicitly aimed at excluding married women from certain segments of the workforce, to later technological advancements with birth control and growing policies to make it accessible, before they dive into the state of gender inequity in careers today. Claudia Goldin walks Sam and Emma through the “time bind,” which is the greater rate of promotion and pay received by those who have lower caregiving responsibilities, and therefore can engage in “greedy work,” putting in hours and levels of effort that many people simply do not have the time for. They wrap up the interview with a quick debate on whether the effect of the pandemic on what constitutes reasonable levels of work will be lasting, and why, if not, we must see a reduction in the price of flexibility or price of care, if we want to reduce the inequity from this contrast. Sam and Emma also cover the recent economic issues roiling Afghanistan, leading to extreme famine, as well as Madison Cawthorn’s statements on the floor, dubbing women “eternal vessels” for his reproductive capacities, and the dismissal of the disgraced Chris Cuomo for defending the disgraced Andrew Cuomo.

And in the Fun Half: Sam, Emma, and the MR Crew cover the DSA decision on Jamaal Bowman, Jenna from San Fran boosts our egos, a caller discusses Verizon’s recently announced partnership with Lockheed Martin, and Ilhan Omar flames the cowardice and corruption of the GOP to a shocked Jake Tapper. Kim Iversen, presents a new, pro-white twist on an old media critique, Mindy gives us a perfect uplifting holiday story, and Josh from Chicago discusses the very real effects of Theresa May’s gutting of the NHS. Trump reminds Mark Levin that we need to talk about Russia, and Sydney Watson, one of those classic, anti-protester anarchists, gives Nick Fuentes his first visceral experience with a woman, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 12_6_Goldin_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:27pm EST

It's Casual Friday! Sam and Emma host Natalie Shure, columnist at the New Republic  and health policy expert, to discuss developments in federal health policy to expect with upcoming legislation and Supreme Court decisions. They begin with the state of Roe v. Wade, as the American public waits for a decision on the Mississippi law banning abortion after fifteen weeks. They begin by simply looking at what a conservative Supreme Court means, with the Federalist Society having spent decades building a conservative force from the Circuit Courts up, with abortion as the primary litmus test, and how this can very easily counter the belief that Chief Justice Roberts will act as a counterbalance to the 6-3 conservative majority. After touching on the activist nature of this specific Court and how far they’re willing to take this decision, Natalie, Emma, and Sam take on the effective impact of an overturn of Roe v. Wade, looking at the clearly classed boundaries between who can get around regional prohibitions and who cannot afford it. Next, Natalie walks Sam and Emma through the insulin copay caps in the Build Back Better bill, both exploring the incredibly important development that this represents, and how the general disaster that is our healthcare system leaves countless gaps where Americans will be left carrying the full freight price. They wrap up the interview by exploring the recent developments regarding the “Remain in Mexico” policy’s reinstatement, touching on the Biden administration’s representing the Democrats desire to reduce public criticism on immigration, despite campaign rhetoric, using the Courts as a cop-out of his promises, just as he recently did with domestic fracking. After giving some airtime to the upcoming Big Live, Sam and Emma also cover developments in job growth, and Lauren Fox keeps Kyrsten Sinema on her toes by not asking a single relevant follow-up question.

And in the Fun Half: Kowalski from Nebraska clarifies some legal questions on the upcoming Roe v. Wade SCOTUS decision, Ben Shapiro reminds Democrats to calm down about abortion using his knowledge about the bone-dry vaginal reproductive system, and Kofi from PA discusses some anti-privatization wins. Emma talks Real Housewives, Tucker Carlson thanks Hunter Biden for passing on his legacy to his son, Buckley Carlson, and Donald Trump and Mike Pence make some statements on their legacy, in picture book form and insurrection-denial, respectively. Emma reminds us that repressed religious fanaticism isn’t cool, and Irvin from GA leaves us with some kind, if pessimistic, words, plus, your calls and IMs!

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sunsetlakecbd is a majority employee owned farm in Vermont, producing 100% pesticide free CBD products. Great company, great product and fans of the show! Use code Leftisbest and get 20% off at http://www.sunsetlakecbd.com. And now Sunset Lake CBD has donated $2500 to the Nurses strike fund, and we encourage MR listeners to help if they can. Here’s a link to where folks can donate: https://forms.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

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Direct download: 112_3_Shure_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:53pm EST

Emma hosts David Wessel, senior fellow in Economic Studies at the Brookings Institution, to discuss his recent book Only the Rich Can Play: How Washington Works in the New Gilded Age., and how bipartisan legislation on Opportunity Zones has created a tax haven for the ultra-wealthy under the guise of investing in low-income communities. They begin by covering what Opportunity Zones are, and how they work, looking at tech mogul Sean Parker’s ingenious idea to promote investment in low-income neighborhoods to combat geographic inequality by giving massive tax cuts on capital gains as a reward, and how it made its way into Trump’s 2017 tax cuts, with help from Tim Scott and Cory Booker. After exploring the actual tax breaks and tax deferrals in the policy, they dive into the actual impact of the legislation, exploring how investment opportunities for the wealthy, unsurprisingly, has resulted in a focus on making capital gains on your capital gains rather than actually putting the tax break back into low-income communities. Next, David Wessel walks through concrete examples, looking at the massive investments in “Opportunity Zones” that include a Ritz Carlton condo complex and hotel in Portland, and a Goldman Sachs-backed complex in Baltimore, and the effective impact of federally-backed gentrification that the policy has created. This brings him and Emma to the real estate industry and its focus on the exploitation of legislation, exploring the Mandalay Bay Opportunity Zone convention that saw wealthy investors come together and explore their new opportunities for tax avoidance, before they wrap up the interview by looking at the future of Opportunity Zones, including the billions of tax dollars it will lose in the coming decade, and whether or not it will meet any practical pushback. Emma also covers the nation waiting on SCOTUS’ upcoming decision on Mississippi’s abortion ban, the horrifying ramifications it could lead to, and Fox’s anticipatory threats ahead of the conservative Court’s vote.

And in the Fun Half: Brandon and Matt join Emma to take on the role of musicals in this cultural moment, cover Brian Kilmeade continuing the whitewashing of the 80s with a discussion of the “overhyped” reaction to the AIDS epidemic, and BJ from Montana calls in on Governor Gianforte leaving Montana residents in ashes. They also cover puritan influencer Eric Metaxas’ impure experience with COVID, Greenwald’s poor pattern recognition as he goes after a Brazilian Petroleum Workers Union for their “privilege” in understanding the inefficiencies and exploitation in the philanthropy model, and Matt and Matt rant on cryptocurrency’s scams, plus your calls and IMs!

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Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

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Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

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Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

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Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

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Check out Paul Prescod's campaign for State Senate in Pennsylvania here!

Direct download: 12_2_Wessel_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:06pm EST

Sam and Emma host economist Michael Albert to discuss his recent book No Bosses: A New Economy For A Better World, on his theory of a third option of an allocation system, beyond free-markets and central planning, based around values of self-management, solidarity, diversity, equity, and a deconstruction of the division of labor. They begin by walking through what Albert means by “participatory economy,” and why the values he sets forwards are central to its functioning, before he, Emma, and Sam dive into why the demarkation of socioeconomic classes is so central to his program, looking at the alienating qualities of the concentration of power and decision-making in the professional-managerial class (what he calls the coordinator class). To emphasize this element, Michael Albert dives into experiences he had in Argentina in the wake of their 2001 financial crisis, working with democratized workplaces that found that, by maintaining the divisions of labor, alienation continued to find itself ingrained in unbalanced and task-based positions. Next, they dive into the role public schooling and higher education have in sorting and setting up the divide between the coordinator and task-compliant classes, before they move into the abolition of private property, but rather than putting it into the hands of the “state,” reserving it as a sort of “productive commons” where it is allocated based on responsible and socially valuable uses. Lastly, they dive into the allocation system that Albert envisions, as an evolving dialogue between workers and consumers that is aware of the necessity of pricing goods responsibly and clearly, and one that, unlike central planning or free-market systems, maintains dignity, empowers workers, promotes self-management, and maintains diversity and equity. Emma and Sam also dive into the disturbing instances of the Right’s Islamophobic abuses of Ilhan Omar, alongside the bipartisan establishment’s passive endorsement of this by refusing to hold GOP officials accountable.

And in the Fun Half: Sam, Emma, and the MR crew unpack Michael Albert’s new economic system, Matteo from Slovenia gives Sam space to wax about tax as they discuss the differences between income and VAT taxation, and Dick Durbin ponders the state of one Joe Manchin. Tucker finally finds a soft spot in his heart for brothers who defend sexual predators, before he is awe-inspired by Jason Whitlock’s 40-second dash to replacement theory. Dr. Oz announces his candidacy in Pennsylvania, Jack from Albany calls in regarding the upcoming 2022 NY Primaries and Hochul’s role as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Nancy Mace and Marjorie Taylor Greene give Kevin McCarthy trouble Democratic voters only wish their leadership would be able to achieve, plus, your calls and IMs!

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Support the St. Vincent Nurses today as they continue to strike for a fair contract! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere, at https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon!

Subscribe to Matt's other show Literary Hangover on Patreon!

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel!

Subscribe to Brandon's show The Discourse on Patreon!

Check out The Nomiki Show live at 3 pm ET on YouTube at patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada, at patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

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Direct download: 12_1_Albert_-_pub.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 4:50pm EST

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