It's Day 3 of the Majority Report Best Ofs of 2023! First, the MR Crew revisits their interview Gerald Horne, Professor of History and African American Studies at the University of Houston, to discuss his recent book The Counter-Revolution of 1836: Texas Slavery & Jim Crow and the Roots of U.S. Fascism. And then, they revisit an interview from all the way back in December of 2022 with Adam Hochschild, lecturer at the University of California, Berkeley School of Journalism, to discuss his recent book American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis.

Check out Gerald's book here: https://www.intpubnyc.com/browse/the-counter-revolution-of-1836-texas-slavery-jim-crow-and-the-roots-of-u-s-fascism/

Check out Adam's book here: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/american-midnight-adam-hochschild?variant=41003534123042

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It's Day 2 of the Majority Report's Best Ofs of the year! First, the MR Crew revisit their interview with Clara Mattei, Assistant Professor of Economics at the New School for Social Research, to discuss her recent book The Capital Order: How Economists Invented Austerity and Paved the Way to Fascism. Then, Emma revisits her conversation with Noah Kulwin and Brendan James to discuss the most recent season of the Blowback podcast. And then, comedian Judy Gold, host of the Kill Me Now podcast!

Check out Clara's book here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/C/bo181707138.html

Check out Blowback here: https://blowback.show/

Check out all of Judy's work here!: https://linktr.ee/Jewdygold

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It's Day 1 of the Majority Report's Best Ofs of the year! The Crew revisit their conversation with Naomi Oreskes, professor of the History of Science at Harvard University, author of The Big Myth: How American Business Taught Us to Loathe Government and Love the Free Market, co-authored with Erik Conway. And then, comedian Andy Kindler, host of the Thought Spiral podcast!

Check out Naomi's book here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/us/big-myth-9781635573572/

Check out Thought Spiral here: https://thoughtspiral.libsyn.com/

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It's Casual Friday and the LAST LIVE MAJORITY REPORT OF 2023! Sam and Emma are joined by Heather Digby Parton, contributing writer at Salon.com and proprietor of the blog Hullabaloo, to round up the week in news and to preview what's to come in 2024. First, Sam and Emma react to another call from Republicans, this time from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on NewsMax, to mull the idea of removing Biden from the presidential ballot in red states due to...treason based off of Biden's border policies and Biden's risk of getting impeached (sound familiar?). Then, Digby joins the program and the MR Crew discuss what a crazy year 2023 has been, with the sheer volume and intensity of news stories (can you believe the East Palestine accident was THIS calendar year?) They then discuss the state of the economy and Biden's 2024 prospects, as Digby attempts to inject some "hopium" into the doom-and-gloom discussions surrounding whether Biden at this point might be an underdog to Trump in their hypothetical 2024 contest. They also discuss the impotence of House Republicans, as well as the looming theocratic threat of Speaker Mike Johnson.

And, in the Fun Half, Sam, Emma, and Bradley discuss Laura Ingraham's latest crackpot conspiracy theory that Democrats bringing up Trump's Hitlerian rhetoric is part of a larger push to institute universal mail-in voting, Jesse Watters & Stephen Miller's continued efforts to mainstream the Great Replacement Theory as a matter of official GOP policy, as well as Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett continuing to hint that yes, some House Republicans are being blackmailed to switch votes. They then touch on the truly important work that Joe Rogan Experience producer Jamie does in fact checking Rogan when he says completely false and misguided things on his very lucrative podcast, including attributing a quote to President Biden that was, you guessed it, Biden quoting Trump. They end the year by checking in on Tim Pool speaking with Marianne Williamson, and not-so-convincingly pretending like he's forgotten who Emma was, only 6 months after she was offered a tour, sushi, and poker with the boys. Plus, your calls & IM's!

Check out Digby's work at Salon here: https://www.salon.com/writer/heather_digby_parton

Check out Hullaballoo here: https://digbysblog.net/

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It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! She speaks with Timothy M. Gill, assistant professor of sociology at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, to discuss his recent book Encountering US Empire in Socialist Venezuela: The Legacy of Race, Neo-Colonialism, and Democracy Promotion. Then, she is joined by David Adler, Co-General Coordinator of the Progressive International, to discuss what has transpired since Argentinian President Milei's took power. First, Emma runs through updates on the UN’s unlikely ceasefire vote, continuing reports on Israeli war crimes, US-Venezuela relations, protests in Argentina, a mass shooting in Prague, GOP primary polling, growing challenges to union-busting in the US, and the incredible use of the MTA’s funding, before parsing through a recent CNN report on the unsurprising role Israeli Settlers play in the West Bank. Timothy Gill then joins, diving right into the developments in US-Venezuela relations, including a drawback of US sanctions and a prisoner swap, and what that means moving forward. Next, Gill steps back to walk Emma through the history of the US’ neocolonial approach to Venezuela, occurring at the beginning of a shift away from blunt displays of US power towards more subtle attempts at “Democracy Building,” like the funding and bolstering sympathetic actors and political parties. Expanding on this, Gill and Emma tackle the role of NGOs and political organizations in laundering US dollars to train long-term efforts to manipulate Venezuelan elections, and how that’s reflected by the executive branch with the eager backing of un-elected leaders, first in the wake of the coup of Hugo Chávez and more recently with their uplifting of Juan Guaidó, before parsing through the particular role of the Chávez Administration – and their opposition to the US’ global war on terror – in shifting the US stance toward Venezuela. Wrapping up, Gill explores the role of anti-imperialism as a patriotic force within Venezuela, and touches on the lingering tentacles of US neo-colonialism. David Adler then jumps right into the early action of Javier Milei’s administration in Argentina as a direct representation of his extreme anarcho-capitalist ideology and his coalition with the “Law and Order” right, including an unprecedented crackdown on peaceful protests with direct attacks on their rights and welfare as they speak out against his attacks on their rights and welfare. Adler also parses through Milei’s most recent display of hyper-neoliberalism – via a sweeping 600-article piece of legislation – before exploring the strong majority with which Milei won office, and what that means for the staunch backlash to his early actions. After expanding on the important context of massive foreign debt left by Mauricio Marcri’s Administration, David and Emma wrap up with an assessment of yesterday’s mass protests of the free-speech crackdown by Milei, and what that suggests for the future of the administration.

And in the Fun Half: Emma is joined by Brandon Sutton and Matt Binder as they reflect on the politics of Late Night TV and the coverage of women in 2000s media, listen to Tim Pool’s newest song courtesy of DJ Danarchy, and watch Tulsi Gabbard unite islamophobia and antisemitism at TPUSA’s America Fest. The MR Crew also parses through John Fetterman’s apparent right-wing turn as he goes all in on the ethnic cleansing of Gaza and brutal US immigration policies, and Sargent Flux from the MR Chat calls in to talk SSDI reform, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out Timothy's book here: https://upittpress.org/books/9780822947448/#:~:text=A%20very%20interesting%20and%20relevant,literature%20on%20US%20foreign%20policy

Check out the Progressive International here: https://progressive.international/

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It's Hump Day! Sam and Emma speak with Joshua Kaplan, reporter at ProPublica, to discuss recent reporting surrounding Justice Clarence Thomas's finances. Then, they speak with Roge Karma, staff writer at The Atlantic, to discuss his recent piece entitled "The Secretive Industry Devouring the U.S. Economy." First, Sam and Emma run through updates on DT getting DQ’ed from CO’s ballot, the US vetoing another UN ceasefire resolution, dropping US housing aid, environmental policy, Tennessee fascism, EU immigration policies, 2023’s precipitous drop in crime, and US-China relations, before diving into Trump’s active embrace of Nazi rhetoric. Josh Kaplan then joins, diving right into the new revelations that document Clarence Thomas’ pleas to sitting GOP officials to boost SCOTUS Justice pay in the years before the takeoff of his relationships with billionaire benefactors Leonard Leo and Harlan Crow. Expanding on this, Kaplan walks Sam and Emma through the shady details of these “requests,” alongside the shady execution of payments to both Justice Thomas and his wife, and how these elements helped keep this budding (and blatantly corrupt) relationship behind a curtain. Finally, they wrap up the interview by looking at the next steps the Senate must take, and what lingering questions remain. Roge Karma then brings Sam and Emma through the evolution of Private Equity’s takeover of the US economy over the last few decades, the role of the financial crisis in driving their proliferation, and the particular issue of their privatization – and thus the obscuring – of the operations of so much of our economy. Next, Karma explores how Private Equity systematically buys up massive public companies and entire private industries only to kill their services and sell them off for a profit – a tactic that extends to lifesaving services like nursing homes, which has resulted in some 20 thousand deaths – alongside taking up the “shadier” operations of legitimate companies and removing any kind of oversight. He also explores the potential of a collapse of the Private Equity industry and what shockwaves that could have on the rest of the US economy, before wrapping up with ongoing FTC challenges to the industry, and what the ideal financial reform would be.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma reflect on Sam’s infamous “War on Christmas” bit, walk through another exposé on the myth of the retail crime wave, and do a deep dive into Krystal Ball’s deconstruction of RFK’s insane claims about Israel and Palestine. Jason Whitlock argues against his own rights in a particularly specific manner, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out the reporting Josh contributed to here: https://www.propublica.org/article/clarence-thomas-money-complaints-sparked-resignation-fears-scotus

Check out Roge's piece here: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/private-equity-publicly-traded-companies/675788/

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It's News Day Tuesday! But first, Sam and Emma speak with Peter Beinart, editor-at-large at Jewish Currents, author of the Beinart Notebook on SubStack, and professor at the CUNY School of Journalism, to discuss his recent piece entitled "Harvard Is Ignoring Its Own Antisemitism Experts." First, Sam and Emma run through updates on an upcoming UN Security Council ceasefire vote, the Huthis’ attacks on Red Sea shipping lanes, Biden’s record (low) polling numbers, Google’s monopolies, Rudy’s big mouth, Medicaid, Texan fascism, and the EU’s take-on of Twitter, also touching on the – uh – ‘diverse’ representations of Trump’s agenda between members of the GOP and the actual Donald Trump himself. Peter Beinart then joins, first tackling the evolution of the discourse around Israel’s apartheid state over the last two months, before assessing the particular impact of Hamas’ October 7th attacks in changing that conversation. Continuing, Beinart walks Sam and Emma through the consistent stifling of any non-violence Palestinian resistance movements and how that contrasts with the success of Hamas’ and Hezbollah’s militant actions to affirm the necessity of violence in the resistance, also touching on how this violence alongside the constant violence of the Israeli occupation gives little to no room for “legitimate” political movements to flourish. Next, they step back to look at the US in particular, exploring how, particularly among more conservative and traditional Americans (including Joe Biden), the direct parallels between the founding myths of the US and Israel bring out a passionate defense of settler-colonialism, and how the recentering of colonization and imperialism in a modern-day setting brings into question narratives of the moral arc of progress. After briefly touching on the ongoing divide in the “University” discourse, Beinart, Sam, and Emma look to the statist zionist project in general, exploring the absolute failure of Israel in creating any semblance of a safe space for Jewish people and why the only way to stop a violent anti-apartheid movement is ending apartheid, before they wrap up with an assessment of the Israeli polis, and what the “left” and “right” actually mean in Israel.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma run through some highlights from this weekend’s TPUSA “America Fest,” plus John from San Antonio parses through AIPAC-DMFI’s mass investment against Democratic candidates of color and the future of Biden’s candidacy. They also parse through updates on the joint planning of January 6th between Trump’s administration and conservative organizers, Kaitlan Collins continues her evisceration of Ron Johnson, Israeli politicians show off their dearth of knowledge about their own political situation, and Malcolm at Harvard calls in to discuss his perspective on Harvard’s campus ongoings. They wrap up the fun half with some uplifting content courtesy of America’s Mayors Rudy Giuliani and Eric Adams, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out Peter's work at Jewish Currents here: https://jewishcurrents.org/author/peter-beinart

Check out the Beinart Notebook here: https://peterbeinart.substack.com/

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join

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Happy Monday! Sam and Emma speak with Diane Winston, Professor of Journalism and Communication at the University of Southern California, to discuss her recent book Righting the American Dream: How the Media Mainstreamed Reagan’s Evangelical Vision. First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Israel’s murder of Israeli hostages, Netanyahu’s political career, Pope Francis’ reign, immigration reform, Biden’s polling numbers, Rudy’s big suit, the Florida GOP Chair, Clarence Thomas’ (and the Supreme Court’s) corruption, and the battles of the administrative state. Diane Winston then joins, jumping right into a background on Ronald Reagan’s religiosity, and how – despite media presentation – it was a consistent through line in his life, and central to his successful pivot from Democrat and former Union President, to GOP Governor of California, as he emphasized his born again bona fides in his plea to the supposed “moral majority.” Next, Winston walks Sam and Emma through the contrast between the representation of Ronald Reagan’s Christianity in the media and how it was viewed and interpreted by his base, with the media largely ignoring it – or at most taking it with a grain of salt – allowing him to imbue political messages with the moral concepts of the evangelical community (e.g. lowering taxes to raise “personal responsibility”), set the conversation around policy, and reinvent conservatism as a hopeful ideology. After briefly expanding on the role of religion and religious law in his administration, Winston, Sam, and Emma wrap up with an assessment of the direct line between the anti-government and pro-market government of Reagan to the fascistic and anti-human GOP of today.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma parse through the coverage of Israel’s unsurprising and indiscriminate murder of their own civilians, the past and future of Netanyahu’s domination of Israel’s apartheid regime, and watch Ehud Olmert acknowledge exactly that. They also bask in the glory of Rudy’s near $150 million defamation suit, the GOP’s continued struggle to define Biden’s impeachable offenses, DeSantis’ cuckery, and the Pope’s recent moral battles, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out Diane's book here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/R/bo195433961.html

CHECK OUT SAM & EMMA ON THE AMERICAN PROSPECT TELETHON HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNjqRDN4dkM&ab_channel=TheAmericanProspect

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It's Casual Friday! Sam and Emma speak with David Dayen, executive editor at the American Prospect, to round up the week in news.

 First, Sam and Emma run through updates on Western aid to Ukraine and Israel, Pritzker’s assault weapons ban, Biden caving on right-wing immigration reform, the Fed’s rate cuts, and the GOP’s Santos replacement, before watching Shawn Fain continue his militant labor activism as he takes a stand with the UAW against the relentless bombing of Gaza. David Dayen then joins as he previews the American Prospect’s upcoming telethon stream, before diving into the passage of the National Defense Authorization Act, first tackling the internal politics behind the policy in the bill, and then parsing through the particulars of the bill, including the revamping of the US surveillance apparatus. Next, Dayen steps back as he, Sam, and Emma assess the state of this Congress, tackling the insanely low quantity of bills passed – the majority of which are simply naming things after people –  and why the contents of the functional bills just involves punting government funding down the road. They also walk through Biden and the Democrats’ unsurprising yet disheartening capitulation to far-right immigration reform, with anti-progressive John Fetterman joining the ride, all while refusing to challenge the far-right narrative or even suggest that immigration could be a good thing, maybe. After briefly touching on Biden’s complete endorsement of Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza, David, Sam, and Emma explore the future of the Fed’s management of the economy, and wrap up with some major takeaways from Google’s monopoly case, and the future of anti-trust in the US.

And in the Fun Half: Sam and Emma tackle John Fetterman’s “I Left the Left” turn, updates on Israel’s (admitted) murder of hostages, and the role of the ICC in Gaza. They also listen to Ahmed Tobasi’s reflections on Israeli oppression and violence in the West Bank, Dave Rubin’s reflections on making progressive taxation more conservative, Florida’s State House letting predators go unchecks when they’re also employers, and Steve Deece finally turns on Nancy Mace’s politics… for getting divorced, plus, your calls and IMs!


Check out David's work at the Prospect here: https://prospect.org/topics/david-dayen/

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join

It's an EmMajority Report Thursday! Emma speaks with writer and historian Rebecca Jane Morgan to discuss their recent book Gender Heretics: Evangelicals, Feminists, and the Alliance against Trans Liberation. Then, she speaks with Jonah Walters, postdoctoral scholar at UCLA's Institute for Society and Genetics, to discuss a book compilation he co-edited entitled Only The Good Die Young: The Verdict Against Henry Kissinger, published via Jacobin and Verso Books. First, Emma runs through updates on Jake Sullivan’s visit to various authoritarian utopias, Israel’s indiscriminate bombing, growing backlash to Israel, Biden’s bleak polling, the House impeachment inquiry, January 6th, and Floridian education action, before touching on Israel’s abuse of the Two-State solution. Rebecca Jane Morgan then joins, first taking on the definition of Trans-Exclusionary Radical Feminism, before stepping back to walk through the longer history of Evangelical Christianity to trans identity, including a long period of a mixed yet positive recognition of the community – particularly with the parallels of “rebirth” – over the 20th Century. Moving into the 2000s, Morgan tackles the role of the Gender Recognition Act in the UK in igniting Evangelical backlash – largely because of its policies around same-sex marriage – whereas the US’ legislative body took until the 2010s for the bathroom debate came to the fore. Rebecca concludes the conversation by walking through the particular alignment of Terfs and Evangelicals over their somatophobia towards trans people, and what that means for the fight for trans rights moving forward. Jonah Walters and Emma then explore the life and legacy of Henry Kissinger as they walk through his prevalent (and bipartisan) role in US politics, and his ideological grounding in pure American hegemony, before stepping back to assess the importance of his rise to power during the Cold War, bolstering the growth of America’s capital order internationally while continuously and intentionally undermining any liberatory and anti-capitalist movements in the third world. Wrapping up, Walters parses through the obscene death count that follows Kissinger to his grave.

And in the Fun Half: Emma is joined by Brandon Sutton and Matt Binder as they talk with Eddie from Ft. Worth about culturally undermining the KKK, explore the absolute vitriol that zionists have been leveling against their students, and discuss the return of severe islamophobia in the form of fear-of-arabic-words. Tommy the Music Guy tackles some music recommendations and explores tensions between the US and Mexico, and Josh Hawley presses a judicial nomination on the ethics of being brown, plus, your calls and IMs!

Check out Rebecca's book here: https://www.plutobooks.com/9780745349015/gender-heretics/

Check out "Only The Good Die Young" here: https://jacobin.com/kissinger-only-the-good-die-young

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