American Exception

Episode 19: Secrets of the Doomsday Machine: A Tribute to Daniel Ellsberg

This special episode features Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. About a year ago, on Groundhog Day 2021, Ellsberg came my peace studies class. He was prepared to answer questions from students, which he did, but only after being surprised by a number of luminaries who had previously agreed to join us. The surprise guests included James Galbraith, Peter Kuznick, Katharine Gun, and Peter Dale Scott.
The class—Peace Studies of the American Century—is one that I developed in collaboration with American University history professor Peter Kuznick and filmmaker Oliver Stone. 
Daniel Ellsberg is the author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers, and The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner. His life story is the subject of The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, the Oscar-nominated documentary that Edward Snowden credited for inspiring his own act of whistleblowing.Lastly, we are joined by former CIA officer John Kiriakou, the heroic individual who went to jail for blowing the whistle on CIA torture. He was kind enough to offer his own very memorable tribute to Daniel Ellsberg.
Special thanks to Mickey Huff and Anthony Fest of Project Censored, Casey Moore for the episode art, and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!  Music: "End of the World" by Mock Orange

Episode 18: Revisiting JFK w/Oliver Stone and Abby Martin

Legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone talks about his new JFK assassination documentary with special guest host Abby Martin.
Stay tuned after the interview for a postscript detailing how the JFK assassination was an Establishment or deep state production that must be placed in the context of the post-World War II US imperial project for global dominance.
Part 9 of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, this episode also features Hailey Rounsaville of TheKultureDotTV.
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
 
Please check out:Abby Martin at The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio.
James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King
Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State
The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Episode Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Episode 17: Propaganda: Could It Happen Here?

In this episode, Aaron is joined by Daniel Bessner to discuss propaganda in the USA. Bessner is co-host of the American Prestige podcast and a professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a Contributing Editor at Jacobin. In 2019-2020, he served as a foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Daniel is an intellectual historian of U.S. foreign relations and  the author of Democracy in Exile: Hans Speier and the Rise of the Defense Intellectual.
After the interview, this episode also features a discussion on materialism, ideology, and propaganda with Our Man in Boston, Ben Howard!
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!  Music: "This Nation" by Mock Orange

Episode 16: US Foreign Policy and the JFK Assassination w/James DiEugenio [TRAILER]

In Part 8 our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron continues his discussion with James DiEugenio. They cover Vietnam and other key aspects of President Kennedy's foreign policy.  Collectively, JFK's plans to end the Cold War and his support for Third World nationalism represented a radical break from the imperialist Acheson-Dulles consensus which had prevailed since the end of World War II. Unfortunately, Kennedy's visionary plans placed him in the cross hairs of the US Empire's beneficiaries. These amoral members of the American power elite commanded the world's leading corporate, military, and political organizations.James DiEugenio is the screenwriter and co-creator of Oliver Stone's new documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass as well as JFK: Destiny Betrayed, the four-hour cut of the film coming to the US in late February. Jim is also the author of Destiny Betrayed: JFK, Cuba, and the Garrison Case and The JFK Assassination: The Evidence Today. Additionally, he runs the fantastic website Kennedys and King and makes regular appearances on Len Osanic's BlackOp Radio. 
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Please check out:Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State
Project Censored Homepage
The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Music by Mock Orange

Episode 14: JFK and the Diem Coup w/James DiEugenio

In this seventh episode of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron talks with James DiEugenio, the screenwriter and co-creator of Oliver Stone's new documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass as well as JFK: Destiny Betrayed, the four-hour cut of the film coming to the US in late February. Jim is also the author of Destiny Betrayed: JFK, Cuba, and the Garrison Case and The JFK Assassination: The Evidence Today. Additionally, he runs the fantastic website Kennedys and King and makes regular appearances on Len Osanic's BlackOp Radio. In this conversation, Aaron and Jim discuss JFK's Vietnam policies, including a deeper look at the November 1963 coup that resulted in the assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem.This episode also features Hailey Rounsaville (@roun_sa_ville) of TheKultureDotTV 
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
 
Please check out:Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State
Project Censored Homepage
The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Music by Mock Orange

Episode 13: Oliver Stone’s America [TRAILER]

Hailey and Aaron are joined by Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University. Kuznick is the author numerous books and articles. Perhaps most notably, he is the co-creator (with Oliver Stone) of The Untold History of the United States--a 12-part documentary series that first played on Showtime. There’s also an excellent book version of The Untold History of the United States, now in its second edition.Hailey and Aaron discuss Kuznick's American University history course, Oliver Stone's America, with the professor. 
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!  Music: "Old Movies" by Mock Orange

Episode 12: JFK’s Vietnam Withdrawal Plan [TRAILER]

In this sixth episode of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron continues his discussion with Professors John Newman and James Galbraith. John Newman is the author of JFK and Vietnam: Deception, Intrigue, and the Struggle for Power. James Galbraith is the author of a number of books, including The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. His longest article on JFK and Vietnam is Exit Strategy: In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam. 
 
Please check out:
Abby Martin's The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio.
James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King
Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State
Project Censored Homepage
The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!
Music by Mock Orange

Episode 11: The CIA and the Deep State w/Ray McGovern

This episode features Aaron and his Peace Studies of the American Century students in conversation with retired CIA officer Ray McGovern. The discussion ranges across Ray’s experiences as a CIA officer from the Kennedy administration to first George Bush administration—as well as his post-CIA work as a peace activist weighing in on Iraq WMD, CIA torture, Julian Assange, and the Russiagate hoax.
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 10: JFK and Vietnam - John Newman and James Galbraith

In this fifth episode of our Destiny Betrayed series, Aaron discusses John Kennedy's Vietnam policies with two towering figures in the field--Professors John Newman and James Galbraith. John Newman is the author of the orthodoxy-shattering JFK and Vietnam: Deception, Intrigue, and the Struggle for Power. James Galbraith is the author of numerous articles and books including Exit Strategy: In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam and The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. This episode also features the incomparable Abby Martin.
Please check out:
Abby Martin's The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio.James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King
Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State
Project Censored Homepage
The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Music by Mock OrangeBig thanks to to Anthony Fest for engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art!
In this fifth episode of our Destiny Betrayed series, Aaron discusses John Kennedy's Vietnam policies with two towering figures in the field--Professors John Newman and James Galbraith. John Newman is the author of the orthodoxy-shattering JFK and Vietnam: Deception, Intrigue, and the Struggle for Power. James Galbraith is the author of numerous articles and books including Exit Strategy: In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam and The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. This episode also features the incomparable Abby Martin.
Please check out:
Abby Martin's The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio.James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King
Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State
Project Censored Homepage
The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee
Music by Mock OrangeBig thanks to to Anthony Fest for engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art!

Episode 9: Oliver Stone on History, Film, and Politics [TRAILER]

In this episode, Oliver Stone talks with Aaron and his Peace Studies of the American Century students about US history, the media, nuclear war, Platoon, JFK, Nixon, and other topics.
Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!Music: "Payroll" by Mock Orange