American Exception

Episode 121: Chasing the Octopus

Matt from Ghost Stories for the End of the World joins us to talk about Danny Casolaro’s doomed quest to expose “the Octopus.”
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: “Tell Me” by Mock Orange

Episode 120: JFK and Israel (EDS 27) [TRAILER]

We look at JFK’s policies toward the Middle East and Israel most specifically. This is the 27th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. Again I am joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Geopolitical Economy as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 119: The F-Word [TRAILER]

Gabriel Rockhill joins us again to talk about the F-word…Fascism! Rockhill is the Founding Director of the Critical Theory Workshop, Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, and the author or editor of nine books, as well as numerous scholarly and general public articles.
These Rockhill articles are particularly relevant to this discussion:
“Fascism: Now You See It, Now You Don’t!”
“Liberalism and Fascism: Partners in Crime.”
“The U.S. Did Not Defeat Fascism in WWII, It Discretely Internationalized It.”
“Liberalism & Fascism: The Good Cop & Bad Cop of Capitalism.”
“Fascist Plots in the US: Contemporary Lessons from the 1934 ‘Business Plot.’”
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: “Bad Things” by Mock Orange

Episode 118: The Mysterious Nord Stream Mystery [TRAILER]

Ola Tunander joins us to talk about his recent article on the Nord Stream bombing. He is Research Professor Emeritus with the Peace Research Institute in Oslo. Ola Tunander earned his doctoral degree in 1989 with a thesis on US Maritime Strategy. He has written and edited 15 books on geopolitics, military strategy, European security, submarine warfare, and deception operations (aka psychological operations).
Today we focus largely on two of his articles:
"After Seymour Hersh’s article"
"'An Underwater U-2': Part I"
Ola Tunander is also the author of the seminal scholarly article on the deep state in the West: “Democratic State v Deep State”
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Payroll" by Mock Orange

Episode 116: JFK and Nasser (EDS 26) [TRAILER]

We look at JFK’s admirable but doomed attempt to repair US-Egyptian relations and stabilize the Middle East by working with Nasser. This is the 26th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. Again I am joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 115: A Maidan Coup for Georgia? [TRAILER]

Aaron is joined again by Kit Klarenberg--an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. We speak about two of Kit’s recent articles:
At GrayZoneUK: “‘Rigorous’ Maidan massacre exposé suppressed by top academic journal”
At MintPress: “Dare Call It A Coup? CIA Front Threatens Color Revolution in Georgia”
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Grow Your Soul Away” by Mock Orange

Episode 114: US Empire v. Assange

Kevin Gosztola joins us to discuss his new book, Guilty of Journalism: The Political Case Against Julian Assange. Kevin is also the co-host (with Rania Khalek) of the Unauthorized Disclosure podcast.
Thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: “Motel Man” by Mock Orange

Episode 113: Sukarno and JFK (EDS 25) [TRAILER]

We look at JFK’s admirable but doomed attempt to salvage US-Indonesia relations and avert catastrophe in Sukarno’s Indonesia. This is the 25th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. Again I am joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 112: A Chinese Lab Leak? [TRAILER]

Gumby returns to talk about the latest developments in the covid origins mystery. Gumby is an independent researcher who often posts on Twitter.
Very special thanks to Bijan Sharifi for the artwork! Bijan is an art teacher and freelance artist in Tokyo. Follow Bijan on Instagram!
Thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: “Driving Day” by Mock Orange

Episode 111: Operation POMO [TRAILER]

Gabriel Rockhill joins us to talk about postmodernism and its usefulness to imperial capitalism. We also touch on the subject of fascism. Rockhill is the Founding Director of the Critical Theory Workshop, Professor of Philosophy at Villanova University, and the author or editor of nine books, as well as numerous scholarly and general public articles, including:
“The CIA Reads French Theory: On the Intellectual Labor of Dismantling the Cultural Left”
“The CIA & the Frankfurt School’s Anti-Communism”
“Liberalism & Fascism: The Good Cop & Bad Cop of Capitalism”
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: “Be Gone” by Mock Orange