American Exception

Episode 90: US/UK Imperial Misadventures

 
Aaron is joined by Grayzone UK Editor Kit Klarenberg—an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. They discuss three of Kit’s recent articles:
 EXPOSED: Before Ukraine blew up Kerch Bridge, British spies plotted it
 Leaked documents: British spies constructing secret terror army in Ukraine
 FTX partnership with Ukraine is latest chapter in shady Western aid saga
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Stuck In" by Mock Orange
Aaron is joined by Grayzone UK Editor Kit Klarenberg—an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. They discuss three of Kit’s recent articles:
 EXPOSED: Before Ukraine blew up Kerch Bridge, British spies plotted it
 Leaked documents: British spies constructing secret terror army in Ukraine
 FTX partnership with Ukraine is latest chapter in shady Western aid saga
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Stuck In" by Mock Orange

Episode 89: JFK: Out of the Frying Pan in SE Asia (EDS 19)

 
In this episode, we look at how JFK approached American policy in SE Asia in 1961—the first year of his presidency. Specifically, we look at how handled Laos and Vietnam during this time—culminating in his November 22, 1963 NSAM which increased military support and training for South Vietnam, even as JFK resisted enormous Pentagon/CIA pressure to commit US ground troops.
This is the 19th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange
In this episode, we look at how JFK approached American policy in SE Asia in 1961—the first year of his presidency. Specifically, we look at how handled Laos and Vietnam during this time—culminating in his November 22, 1963 NSAM which increased military support and training for South Vietnam, even as JFK resisted enormous Pentagon/CIA pressure to commit US ground troops.
This is the 19th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 88: President Kennedy: Into the Storm (EDS 18)

 
In this episode, we start to look at JFK’s presidency. Coincidentally, we are able to kick off our exploration of the Kennedy years right after our last episode (#87) on the 59th anniversary of the assassination in Dallas. In this episode, we discuss JFK’s background—his rise from son of privilege to World War II hero to Congressman to Senator to President. We look at the forces he had to accommodate and confront, and we look at how the Bay of Pigs fiasco impacted the early months of his presidency.
This is the 18th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange
In this episode, we start to look at JFK’s presidency. Coincidentally, we are able to kick off our exploration of the Kennedy years right after our last episode (#87) on the 59th anniversary of the assassination in Dallas. In this episode, we discuss JFK’s background—his rise from son of privilege to World War II hero to Congressman to Senator to President. We look at the forces he had to accommodate and confront, and we look at how the Bay of Pigs fiasco impacted the early months of his presidency.
This is the 18th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 87: A Stroke of the State: Dallas at 59 w/James DiEugenio [TRAILER]

 
A special double episode on the 59th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination: Aaron speaks with the venerable James DiEugenio. After the discussion, Aaron looks at JFK’s “Peace Speech” at American University in which JFK called for “not just peace in our time, but peace for all time.” Calling for an end to the Cold War and for moves toward full disarmament, the speech was repeatedly broadcast in the Soviet Union afterward. JFK would not have long to pursue his vision for world peace. The speech was delivered in the Summer of 1963; he would be assassinated in the Fall.DiEugenio is the screenwriter and co-creator of Oliver Stone’s JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass as well as JFK: Destiny Betrayed—the four-hour cut of the film which is now available for digital purchase. Jim also runs the fantastic Kennedys and King website and is the author of Destiny Betrayed: JFK, Cuba, and the Garrison Case as well as The JFK Assassination: The Evidence Today.
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Captain Love" by Mock Orange
A special double episode on the 59th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination: Aaron speaks with the venerable James DiEugenio. After the discussion, Aaron looks at JFK’s “Peace Speech” at American University in which JFK called for “not just peace in our time, but peace for all time.” Calling for an end to the Cold War and for moves toward full disarmament, the speech was repeatedly broadcast in the Soviet Union afterward. JFK would not have long to pursue his vision for world peace. The speech was delivered in the Summer of 1963; he would be assassinated in the Fall.DiEugenio is the screenwriter and co-creator of Oliver Stone’s JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass as well as JFK: Destiny Betrayed—the four-hour cut of the film which is now available for digital purchase. Jim also runs the fantastic Kennedys and King website and is the author of Destiny Betrayed: JFK, Cuba, and the Garrison Case as well as The JFK Assassination: The Evidence Today.
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Captain Love" by Mock Orange

Episode 86: Biodefense and the Question of Origins w/Sam Husseini and Gumby [TRAILER]

 
Aaron discusses the latest in the world of “biodefense” with journalist Sam Husseini and the illustrious independent researcher who posts as Gumby on Twitter.
Please check out Sam Husseini’s Substack page and his recent article “Did West Africa’s Ebola Outbreak of 2014 Have a Lab Origin?” which he cowrote with virologist Jonathan Latham.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Til the Mornin" by Mock Orange
Aaron discusses the latest in the world of “biodefense” with journalist Sam Husseini and the illustrious independent researcher who posts as Gumby on Twitter.
Please check out Sam Husseini’s Substack page and his recent article “Did West Africa’s Ebola Outbreak of 2014 Have a Lab Origin?” which he cowrote with virologist Jonathan Latham.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Til the Mornin" by Mock Orange

Episode 85: Ike’s Legacy of Ashes (EDS 17)

In this video version of the episode, we close out the Eisenhower years. Specifically, we look at Eisenhower’s policies in Cuba and Congo—as well as how he made weak, half-hearted attempts to respond to the threats posed by the dangerously unaccountable CIA and the murderously greedy military industrial complex. As you will see, Ike’s was indeed a legacy of Ashes!
This is the 17th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange
In this episode, we close out the Eisenhower years. Specifically, we look at Eisenhower’s policies in Cuba and Congo—as well as how he made weak, half-hearted attempts to respond to the threats posed by the dangerously unaccountable CIA and the murderously greedy military industrial complex. As you will see, Ike’s was indeed a legacy of Ashes!
This is the 17th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 84: Denouement: Allen Dulles, Sukarno, JFK, and G30S w/Greg Poulgrain [TRAILER]

 
Aaron talks to the tireless and iconoclastic historian of post-colonial Indonesia, Greg Poulgrain. In this final part, they discuss how JFK, Dag Hammarskjold, and Sukarno were unable to stop Allen Dulles’ murderous grand strategy to turn Indonesia into world history’s most valuable neocolony—under imperial US auspices.
Greg Poulgrain teaches history at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is the author of The Genesis of Konfrontasi: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, 1945-65, The Incubus of Intervention: Conflicting Indonesia Strategies of John F. Kennedy and Allen Dulles, as well as the more recent JFK vs. Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Old Man" by Mock Orange
Aaron talks to the tireless and iconoclastic historian of post-colonial Indonesia, Greg Poulgrain. In this final part, they discuss how JFK, Dag Hammarskjold, and Sukarno were unable to stop Allen Dulles’ murderous grand strategy to turn Indonesia into world history’s most valuable neocolony—under imperial US auspices.
Greg Poulgrain teaches history at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is the author of The Genesis of Konfrontasi: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, 1945-65, The Incubus of Intervention: Conflicting Indonesia Strategies of John F. Kennedy and Allen Dulles, as well as the more recent JFK vs. Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Old Man" by Mock Orange

Episode 83: Allen Dulles’ Long Game in Indonesia w/Greg Poulgrain

 
Aaron talks to the tireless and iconoclastic historian of post-colonial Indonesia, Greg Polugrain. In this first of two episodes, they discuss Allen Dulles' dark influence over US policy in Indonesia up through the Eisenhower administration.
Greg Poulgrain teaches history at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is the author of The Genesis of Konfrontasi: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, 1945-65, The Incubus of Intervention: Conflicting Indonesia Strategies of John F. Kennedy and Allen Dulles, as well as the more recent JFK vs. Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Old Man" by Mock OrangeArtwork: From the cover of TIME, Dec. 23, 1946
Aaron talks to the tireless and iconoclastic historian of post-colonial Indonesia, Greg Polugrain. In this first of two episodes, they discuss Allen Dulles' dark influence over US policy in Indonesia up through the Eisenhower administration.
Greg Poulgrain teaches history at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is the author of The Genesis of Konfrontasi: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia, 1945-65, The Incubus of Intervention: Conflicting Indonesia Strategies of John F. Kennedy and Allen Dulles, as well as the more recent JFK vs. Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Old Man" by Mock OrangeArtwork: From the cover of TIME, Dec. 23, 1946

Episode 82: Ike’s Imperial Crisis Management (EDS 16) [TRAILER]

 
We look at how Eisenhower and the Dulles Brothers handled two geopolitical hot spots of the Cold War: Indonesia and Egypt.
This is the 16th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange
We look at how Eisenhower and the Dulles Brothers handled two geopolitical hot spots of the Cold War: Indonesia and Egypt.
This is the 16th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 81: The Politics of Sexual Blackmail

 
Nick Bryant discusses his prolific efforts to expose sexual blackmail as, in effect, a deep state institution.
Nick is the author of The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse & Betrayal and co-author of Confessions of a DC Madam The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail. He also has a new book coming out in a few months entitled The Truth About Watergate: A Tale of Extraordinary Lies & Liars.
Nick’s website is here.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: “Payroll” by Mock Orange
Nick Bryant discusses his prolific efforts to expose sexual blackmail as, in effect, a deep state institution.
Nick is the author of The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse & Betrayal and co-author of Confessions of a DC Madam The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail. He also has a new book coming out in a few months entitled The Truth About Watergate: A Tale of Extraordinary Lies & Liars.
Nick’s website is here.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music: “Payroll” by Mock Orange