Bad Faith

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Investigative reporter and NYT bestselling author of The Fort Bragg Cartel Seth Harp joins Bad Faith to discuss the Thanksgiving DC shooting of two members of the National Guard by a CIA-trained Afghan national. The event provides an opportunity to unpack the fallout from Biden's 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan, revisit the U.S. military's opium war, and assess Trump's attempts to use drugs as a pretext for a new war with Venezuela. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Bronx-based Public defender & DSA organizer Delourny Nemorin recently launched her campaign to unseat Ritchie Torres in New York's 15th district. She weighs in on the rest of the field, including Michael Blake, who is emerging as an establishment-left favorite, why she's running, and the needs of the district. But first, she engages in an extended debate on the value of running to become a Democratic congress member when so many progressives before her seem to have been more changed by the system than the other way around. Does Rashida Tlaib provide an example of what is possible through entryism, or does she remain an outlier who, despite her ideological consistency, has not made the party more like her? How does Delourny interpret various squad members' pro-Israel votes, and how does she intend to insulate herself against whatever influences caused AOC to, for example, claim that Kamala Harris was "tirelessly working for a ceasefire"? What does Delourny make of Zohran's endorsement of Hakeem Jeferries as speaker of the house? And as a prospective colleague of Jefferies, does does Delourny agree that it is not the right time for a challenger? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

New York Magazine columnist and longtime knower of Zohran Mamdani, Ross Barkan, returns to Bad Faith alongside first time guest, Palestinian activist and founder of Within our Lifetime Nerdeen Kiswani, to discuss recent controversies around mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani following his historical win in New York. Why did Mamdani weigh in on Chi Ossé's potential primary against Hakeem Jefferies instead of sitting it out? If the DSA is concerned about divided resources, why didhe argue that now is not the right "time" for a primary on principle, and why did he go on to endorse Jefferies as Speaker of the House? What's the logic behind keeping Jessica Tisch on board -- especially after the recent ICE activity in NYC? And is Zohran's strategy of giving statements appealing to "both sides" -- criticizing an Israeli settler recruiting event at a NY synagogue while also discouraging protests outside of it -- a successful strategy, or does it simply serve to frustrate everyone? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Monopoly expert & author Matt Stoller joins public defender, author, civil rights lawyer, & founder of Civil Rights Corp, Alec Karatkatsanis, to hash out their online disagreements about the "defund the police" movement. Many lefty guests over the years have raised concerns with defund as a slogan or as a movement goal, but rarely do they have an opportunity to talk directly to an abolitionist and expert like Alec. This conversation represents a real step forward toward the goal better understanding why "defund" was chosen as a label, why defund doesn't necessitate a trade off with public safety, the importance of breaking from reformist movements of the past, and the root of why so many ideologically aligned people bristle at the slogan.   Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).  

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast An all-star activist panel has been assembled to answer Briahna's questions about the strategy and efficacy of contemporary direct actions. Medea Benjamin, co-founder of feminist anti-war organization code pink, Palestinian activist Hazami Barmada, who staged last week's viral "Thanksgiving" demonstration outside of Union Station in DC featuring demonstrators dressed as Trump, Netanyahu, & other war criminals; and Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, all bring their expertise and courage to the question of how direct action can fill the role historically played by organized labor, and how the left can exploit mass protests to greater effect. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Is having boyfriend embarrassing? Are we living in an era of "heteropessimism"? Are women over marriage? These questions have gone viral in recent weeks as the country continues to grapple with changing gender norms and the effect the right wing radicalization of men has had on women's' attitudes toward marriage and child bearing. This week, a new study showing that, for the first time, female high school seniors were less interested in marriage than male seniors provoked an online debate about whether this was a consequence of growing male conservatism, or alternatively, whether men were facing "bigotry" from women who were making broad and essentialist claims about men. Eighteen year old Zohran volunteer deemed "hot girl for Zohran" by the New York post found herself on one side of the argument, while Drop Site news journalist Ryan Grim found himself on the other. Bad Faith brought them together to hash it out: Whose fault is the male loneliness epidemic, and if the root of the problem is economic, how should the left express sympathy for victims of the root cause without lacking sympathy for the female victims of misogyny?   Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Lefty content creators Grace Blakeley & James Li have done terrific coverage on the newly released Epstein files, and this is ostensibly a discussion about that. But we ended up having a larger conversation about the obligation of content creators to define and broaden the terms of debate, to push left, to co-opt mainstream spaces (or create our own), to use "woke" language or avoid putting off a mainstream audience by correcting others, how to protest, and whether to own our moral judgments instead of debating about procedure. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Drop Site News journalist Murtaza Hussain joins to discuss a trove of documents which shows Jeffery Epstein's close relationship with Israeli intelligence, and which lends credibility to accusations that he may have been Mossad. Drop Site News has now reported four stories detailing Epstein's role in selling Israeli surveillance technology to Cote D'Ivoire & Russia, sending coded emails telegraphing drop-offs with Israeli intelligence in New York, and even hosting an Israeli spy at his NY apartment. Recorded hours before the House's release of Epstein emails showcasing his relationship with Trump, Larry Summers, & other powerful politicos, this episode surfaces an aspect of the story that the mainstream media is still unwilling to acknowledge: The Israel/Epstein connection. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Contributing editor at The New Republic and author of new book The Right of the People: Democracy and the Case for a New American Founding Osita Nwanevu joins Briahna to discuss the state of U.S. democracy, the failures of the Democratic Party as a resistance party, avenues for genuine resistance (e.g. packing the court, nixing the filibuster, D.C. statehood) that the Democrats have so far failed to avail themselves of, and whether Zohran Mamdani's victory changes anything about Briahna's cynicism. Is the goal winning at any cost? Are there things more important than winning elections, like the way Mamdani changed public opinion on the right of Israel to exist as an apartheid state? Is the left making a mistake in over investing in electoral victories? Or are those who criticize the left for not actually wanting power right? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Independent journalist Jasper Nathaniel joins Bad Faith to tell the harrowing story of being chased down by Israeli settlers in the West Bank before filming a now-viral scene of a settler brutally attacking a Palestinian woman with a club. Executive director of Bisan Center for Research & Development Ubai Abudi, a Palestinian who has experienced similar attacks and detainment by Israel, along with Dr. Jill Stein explain how Uniting for Peace, a UN general assembly resolution, could bring an end to the occupation and genocide by overriding the US veto and getting troops on the ground to protect Palestinians from Israeli violence. More links: https://husseini.substack.com/ https://en.pngoportal.org/post/3981/Palestinian-NGOs-Network-PNGO-Affirms-Inalienable-Rights-and-Calls-for-Urgent-International-Protection Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Independent journalist Ken Klippenstein joins Bad Faith to discuss Trump's dystopian national security memorandum broadly targeting activists, nonprofits, and critics of capitalism as terrorists, how Charlie Kirk's murder has been used to expand authoritarian overreach, and the Democrats' continuing gerentocracy problem. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast NY Rep. Ritchie Torres has a new challenger: Bronx-based teacher and member of the Party for Socialism & Liberation Andre Easton, who joins Bad Faith to talk about his decision to run outside of the Democratic Party and how Zohran's latest campaign moves -- such as retaining NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch -- might illustrate the risks of running within the duopoly. Is it possible to be in solidarity with Palestinian liberation while allying with liberal Zionists? As Andre asks, is the left fighting to get a good guy elected in a bad system? Or are we fighting for a system that doesn't tolerate "bad guys" to exist within it? What does "success" look like to an outsider insurgent campaign, and how can a leftist like Andre compete without the public financing and rank choice voting dynamics that benefited Mamdani? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast The Lever founder David Sirota returns to Bad Faith to detail his deep dive into the corporate-backed master plan to take over the country from its courts to its media. From the Powell Memo to present day, there is only one real story in American politics, and that's the role money has played in it. Could Zohran have won without public financing? How much hope should we read into the fact that Democratic establishment politicians are now publicly rebuking AIPAC donations? Is the pivot to anti-oligarchy messaging real? Or is it akin to 2020 Democratic candidates claiming to support some version of "Medicare for All" just to match Bernie's energy? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Marxist economist Richard Wolff returns to Bad Faith along with historian, professor, and Green Party candidate for governor of California Butch Ware to forensically break down Gavin Newsom's recent viral appearance on Higher Learning with Van Lathan & Rachel Lindsay. Wolff & Ware weigh in on Newsom's evasions in response to questions about the inherent contradictions of capitalism, California's failure to implement Medicare for All, & the "interesting" AIPAC moment; while the Higher Learning interview serves as a jumping off point for a broader and deeper conversation about the future of left politics, Zohran Mamdani, and the limits of the Democratic Party. (It's spooky season, and there's something magical happening with this guest pairing.) Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Assistant Professor of Political Science at Spelman College Matt McManus joins Bad Faith to make the case for "liberal socialism." Is liberal socialism an oxymoron, or should leftist seek to reclaim the positive values of the liberal tradition as a way to insulate "socialism" from the stigma of authoritarianism? But first, Briahna & Matt discuss the AOC/Bernie townhall, debates about Zohran Mamdani's perceived shift toward the center, Kamala Harris's book tour meltdowns, & more clips from a packed media week. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast The highly-anticipated astrology episode is finally here! This week Briahna talks to the incredibly warm and charming Oakland-based writer, astrologer, and host of the popular podcast Stars and Stars with Isa Isa Nakazawa about the roots of her own interest in astrology, why Brie has been attracting Cancer men, why looking at just your sun sign offers an incomplete picture, & what it means that Trump is a Leo rising. Once an astrology skeptic herself, Isa offers an explanation of why celestial events might have bearing on how we move through the world, and why an understanding of the stars and ourselves might be useful for a leftist community struggling to connect to each other and the broader world. (Skeptics should give this one a chance!) Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast The battle for control over the Democratic Party continues with liberal gatekeeper Jonathan Chait arguing, yet again, that the party's failures are a consequence of being too beholden to the "left" -- even while corporate Dems got the 2024 campaign of their dreams. Former RI State Rep. Aaron Regunberg wrote a definitive response to these arguments and made the case for why left populism is the only way to beat right populism, and Kate Willett joins to talk about the Abundance faction that informs Chait's thinking and the choices of the Democratic elite. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Grayzone Editor-In-Chief Max Blumenthal returns to Bad Faith to talk Trump's "peace deal" with Gaza, speculation that Charlie Kirk was killed by Israel, Zionist control of CBS & TikTok (and journalist Matt Taibbi's choice to exclude this issue from his 1st Amendment coverage), last week's Coates-Klein interview, Kamala's new book, and Max's predictions for 2028 -- including how the left should prepare. A ton of ground is covered in this episode, so you'll want to listen in full. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Van Lathan Jr., who went viral for confronting Kanye West over his "Black people chose slavery" remarks on TMZ, is a culture savant, podcaster, and political commentator whom you might have recently seen giving Scott Jennings the business on CNN. He joins Bad Faith to discuss Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another, which is being heralded as one of the best films of the year. But while it's being read as positive depiction of left revolutionaries, Brie has never felt a bigger urge to walk out of a theatre than she did in the first 30 minutes of this movie. Is the film a misogynoir-filled anti-left psyop? A fun action caper? Both? But first, Van and Brie discuss the spate of right-leaning podcasters expressing regret about boosting Trump, what it means to have "a politics," and how to contend with the establishment's commitment to "voting blue no matter who" and blaming third parties for the Democrats' failures. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock our full premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Executive editor of The American Prospect David Dayen returns to Bad Faith to explain the government shutdown and how Democrats are doing their darnedest to be the worst resistance party in the world. How is it that Trump seems to have infinite power when Biden, during his trifecta, had none? Did Trump really just do what we were told is impossible: overrule the parliamentarian? Why are Democrats making this a fight about healthcare rather than the fact that the GOP has already effectively shut down the government through their DOGE activities? And why should we be very very scared of OMB director Russell Vought? Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).