American Exception

Imperial Pipe Dreams (DCC44)

We discuss pipeline geopolitics and US imperialism with attorney and historian Charlotte Dennett. Charlotte is the author of:
'Follow the Pipelines: Uncovering the Mystery of a Lost Spy and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil' (See: American Exception 110)
"Israel, Gaza, and the Struggle for Oil"
"War in Ukraine Could Be the Mother of All Energy Wars: But the Media Still Misses the Context"
Charlotte Dennett is also the co-author (with Gerard Colby) of 'Thy Will Be Done: The Conquest of the Amazon : Nelson Rockefeller and Evangelism in the Age of Oil' (See: American Exception 107)
Image: A US soldier walks towards a burning oil well in Iraq's vast Rumaila oil fields in March of 2003. (Yannis Behrakis/Reuters)
Special thanks to:
Dana Chavarria, production
Casey Moore, graphics
Michelle Boley, animated intro
Mock Orange, music

Chaos at the Twilight of Empire: The Trump Shooting (AE179)

This episode includes my recent interview with John Kiriakou and Michelle Witte as well as some additional commentary on the assassination attempt.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: "Some Say" by Mock Orange

Deez Lone Nutz Strike Again!? (DCC43)

Aaron and Bryce review and discuss Bryce's recent and brief interview appearance on British television before getting into a longer discussion on the Trump assassination plot and Trump's VP pick.
Image: AP Photo/Evan VucciSpecial thanks to:
Dana Chavarria, production
Casey Moore, graphics
Michelle Boley, animated intro
Mock Orange, music

Minding the Darkness, Minding the Light w/Peter Dale Scott - Part 26 (AE178)

In this episode, we get a reading and discussion of politically and biographically inspired poetry from Peter’s new poetry collection, Dreamcraft.
This is the 26th installment of our oral history series with the prolific poet, historian, and political theorist who gave us parapolitics as well as the deep politics approach.
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: "Some Say" by Mock Orange

A Deadly Betrayal? (DCC42)

Aaron speaks to Lawrence Wilkerson about a new book on the Iraq War for which Wilkerson wrote the foreword: 'Deadly Betrayal: The Truth About Why the United States Invaded Iraq'.
Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired United States Army Colonel and former chief of staff to United States Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Image: US Marine places flag over statue of Saddam Hussein in Baghdad in 2003 (AFP)
Special thanks to:
Dana Chavarria, production
Casey Moore, graphics
Michelle Boley, animated intro
Mock Orange, music

Far West and the Global Drug Meta-Group - Part 5 (AE177)

Ben Howard and Aaron to continue our series on the post-Cold War global drug meta-group (GDMG). In this installment, they are joined by Peter Dale Scott who finally breaks his semi-silence on the subject!For a time, the GDMG was centered around the milieu at Far West, a private military/intelligence outfit that combined elements of classic deep state outfits like the World Commerce Corporation, Booz Allen, BCCI, etc.
The basis for this series is Peter's epic 2005 Lobster magazine article, “The Global Drug Meta-Group: Drugs, Managed Violence, and the Russian 9/11.” In this episode, we focus on the essay's fourth section, “The Meta-Group, the War on Terror, and 9/11.”
The 2005 article and its subject matter were a major part of Peter's poem, “A Ballad of Drugs and 9/11,” which we discussed in Part 20 of our Peter Dale Scott Oral History series.
Check out the CovertAction Magazine 9/11 trilogy by Good, Howard, Scott:
The Twenty Year Shadow of 9/11: U.S. Complicity in the Terror Spectacle and the Urgent Need to End It
The Twenty Year Shadow of 9/11: Why Did Key U.S. Officials Protect the Alleged 9/11 Plotters?
The Twenty Year Shadow of 9/11: U.S. Complicity in the Terror Spectacle and the Urgent Need to End It
Episode art by Casey Moore!
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: "Only in Dreams" by Mock Orange

Independence Day! (DCC41)

On Independence Day, Aaron and Bryce discuss how current events show that the world is incrementally declaring independence from Western imperialism!
Image: The Bidens watch the fireworks from the White House on July 4, 2021. Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz.
Special thanks to:
Dana Chavarria, production
Casey Moore, graphics
Michelle Boley, animated intro
Mock Orange, music

David Talbot: A Tribute and Call to Action (DCC40)

An All-Star line-up pays homage to our founding Devil’s Chess Club co-host, the great journalist and historian, David Talbot, who recently suffered his second near-fatal stroke in seven years.
Please contribute here if you can: Help David Talbot After a Severe Stroke
In this episode, we hear from:
Glenn Greenwald
James DiEugenio
Jefferson Morley
John Kirby
Libby Handros
Oliver Stone
Peter Dale Scott
Ben Howard
Bryce Greene
Karen Croft
 
Special thanks to:
* Dana Chavarria, production
* Casey Moore, graphics
* Michelle Boley, animated intro
* Mock Orange, music

Far West and the Global Drug Meta-Group - Part 4 (AE176)

Ben Howard joins us to continue our series on the post-Cold War global drug meta-group (GDMG). For a time, the GDMG was centered around the milieu at Far West, a private military/intelligence outfit that combined elements of classic deep state outfits like the World Commerce Corporation, Booz Allen, BCCI, etc.
The basis for this series is Peter Dale Scott's epic 2005 Lobster magazine article, “The Global Drug Meta-Group: Drugs, Managed Violence, and the Russian 9/11.” In this episode, we focus on the essay's fourth section, “The Meta-Group, the War on Terror, and 9/11.”
The 2005 article and its subject matter were a major part of Peter's poem “A Ballad of Drugs and 9/11” which we discussed in Part 20 of our Peter Dale Scott Oral History series.
Check out the CovertAction Magazine 9/11 trilogy by Good, Howard, Scott:
The Twenty Year Shadow of 9/11: U.S. Complicity in the Terror Spectacle and the Urgent Need to End It
The Twenty Year Shadow of 9/11: Why Did Key U.S. Officials Protect the Alleged 9/11 Plotters?
The Twenty Year Shadow of 9/11: U.S. Complicity in the Terror Spectacle and the Urgent Need to End It
Episode art by Casey Moore!
Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for producing the episode!
Music: “High Octane Punk Mode” by Mock Orange

The Collapse of Empire (DCC39)

Retired US Marine and former UN Weapons Inspector Scott Ritter joins Aaron, Bryce, and guest co-host Wiley Boley to discuss the multiple crises facing the US Empire.
Please contribute here if you can: Help David Talbot After A Severe Stroke
Special thanks to:
Dana Chavarria, production
Casey Moore, graphics
Michelle Boley, animated intro
Mock Orange, music