Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

J.G.
  • 4.4 (137)
  • Society & Culture
  • Updated Daily

A podcast where politics, history, and culture are examined from perspectives you may not have considered before. Call it a parallax view.

  1. 8h ago

    The View from Israel: Israel & Its Supporters Going Crazy Over Trump-Iran MOU w/ Ori Goldberg

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli dissident commentator Ori Goldberg returns to discuss how Israel has reacted to the Trump-Iran MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) and the "crazy-making" state of Israeli politics today. Goldberg argues that Israeli politics has come to revolve around the axis of Benjamin Netanyahu rather than policy or problem-solving. There are those who support Bibi and those who don't. But questions pertaining to the world outside Netanyahu's leadership, he says, are ignored. He reports a sense of aimlessness or listlessness in Israeli political life and criticizes not only Netanyahu, but also the Yair Lapid-led opposition and the Yair Golan-led Democrats party for bending towards neoliberalism and ignoring the Israel-Palestinian issue in favor of saber-rattling about Iran or, increasingly, even Turkey and Syria. We'll also discuss the news that Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz due to Israel's continued attacks on Lebanon and dissect some of the misinformation/disinformation or about Israel's engagement in Lebanon and Hezbollah's response. Moreover, Goldberg comments on JD Vance's warning to Israel that the Trump administration is the only ally Israel has left and that Israel cannot solve all its problems through killing. Although Goldberg does not trust Trump or Vance, he does believe that the administration's relationship with Israel is fraying and that it may find Israel less useful going forward. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views!

    1h 5m

  2. 3d ago

    Antiwar Dissent & Free Speech Special w/ Medea Benjamin, Chip Gibbons, David Swanson & Angela Keaton

    THIS IS A SPECIAL TWO-HOUR EDITION OF PARALLAX VIEWS! PLEASE CONSIDER DONATING ON PATREON TO KEEP THIS SHOW GOING FORWARD IF YOU APPRECIATE THE WORK I DO! 👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this special edition of Parallax Views, J.G. and a slew of top-notch guests delve into the antiwar movement and the attacks, past and present, on antiwar voices and dissidents. First up, Code Pink founder Medea Benjamin makes her Parallax Views debut! Code Pink is one of the most well-known antiwar, pro-peace groups in America today and have been protesting since the days of the Iraq War. Found by grassroots feminists, Code Pink seeks to counter the War Party with on-the-ground activism. Recently, Medea and Code Pink along with political streamer Hasan Piker were targeted by the Trump administration for their activism related to Cuba, a country currently being starved by U.S. sanctions. Medea and I talk about her recent, highly publicized run-in with Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, who claimed that Medea had assaulted her. The video footage, however, tells a different story and Medea. We'll also talk about the recent attempt by Bari Weiss' Free Press to whip up a deportation campaign against the Quincy Institute's Trita Parsi. Medea will also offer her thoughts on how to overcome the War Party's intimidation tactics and how the peace movement can give people young and old a sense of community. In the second segment of this special edition, Chip Gibbons, Policy Director of Defending Rights and Dissent, dives deep into how the second Trump administration, with help from foundations built by previous administrations of both the Democratic and Republican stripe, is cracking down on antiwar voices and dissidents more broadly. Learn about NSPM-7 and how its broad language poses a grave threat to free speech as well as how previous administrations helped pave the way for the Trump administration's current moves against dissenting voices. Chip lays it all out in informative fashion, connecting past to present and overing some hope at the end by discussing the at-least-for-the-moment defeat of a FISA Section 702, which allowed for warrantless wiretapping. In segment three, longtime peace activist David Swanson of World BEYOND War joins the show to offer his perspective on the antiwar and pro-peace movements in the age of Trump. We delve into the challenges faced by activists today, including the insidious practice of debanking, as well as why dissent is more necessary than ever. We also discuss the attacks on Palestine Solidarity in the U.K., David's book offering commentary on the antiwar works of Gen. Smedley Butler, and more! In the fourth and final segment of this special edition presentation, Angela Keaton of Antiwar.Com makes her Parallax Views debut! We delve into the need for antiwar voices on the left and right to oppose the War Party's machinations. We also discuss Mayor Karen Bass' activities in LA against pro-Palestinian activists and why the wars abroad always come back home with civil liberties suffering domestically. Angela also tells the story of how Antiwar.Com's editors, specifically Justin Raimondo and Eric Garris, were spied on by the FBI.

    2h 1m

  3. 5d ago

    Iran's Strategic Thinking: A View from Inside Iran w/ Peiman Salehi

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, Iranian journalist, political analyst, and independent scholar Peiman Salehi joins the show to discuss his exclusive interview with former IRGC commander and senior adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mohsen Rezaei, who recently declared that Lebanon and Hezbollah constitute a "non-negotiable red line" for Tehran in any future negotiations with the United States. Speaking from Iran, Salehi provides background on Rezaei's significance as one of the most influential figures in the history of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and explains why his comments offer an important window into contemporary Iranian strategic thinking. We then delve into why Lebanon has become so central to Tehran's calculations, why Iranian officials increasingly reject the notion that regional issues can be separated from nuclear diplomacy, and what Rezaei means when he argues that Hezbollah and Lebanon are inseparable from any future deal with Washington. Additionally, Salehi explores whether Iran is undergoing a broader shift in strategic doctrine, one that increasingly views diplomacy, military deterrence, regional alliances, and the balance of power in West Asia as components of a single strategic equation rather than separate policy tracks. We also discuss how concepts of credibility, alliance maintenance, and deterrence factor into Iran's relationship with Hezbollah and why many Iranian policymakers view support for regional partners as a strategic necessity rather than a negotiable issue. Finally, we examine what all of this could mean for the future of U.S.-Iran negotiations. Is Tehran effectively signaling that future talks can no longer focus solely on sanctions and the nuclear program? Is Lebanon becoming a test case for a broader Iranian effort to redefine the framework of diplomacy with Washington? And what might American policymakers be misunderstanding about the evolving relationship between Iran's regional security concerns and its diplomatic agenda? All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

    24 min

  4. Jun 12

    The Empire is Failing, the Police State is Intensifying w/ Lt. Col Karen Kwiatkowski

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, Iraq War-era Pentagon whistleblower and retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski returns to the program to discuss the growing crackdown on antiwar voices, the controversial Section 224 of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), U.S.-Israel military integration, the military-industrial complex, and what she describes as the accelerating decline of the American Empire. Kwiatkowski, who became one of the most prominent critics of the George W. Bush administration's Iraq War from within the Pentagon, reflects on her own experiences being targeted and smeared after exposing the manipulation of intelligence in the lead-up to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Drawing on those experiences, she examines current attacks on dissident and anti-interventionist voices, including streamer Hasan Piker, Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin, and Quincy Institute Executive Vice President Trita Parsi, who have faced accusations and scrutiny tied to their opposition to war and interventionist foreign policy. The conversation also takes a deep dive into Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA and concerns about increasing U.S.-Israeli military integration. Kwiatkowski explains why she believes these developments blur the lines between American and Israeli strategic interests and what that could mean for U.S. foreign policy. And yes, we do discuss the Iran war, Gaza, and the general situation in the Middle East Additionally, Kwiatkowski discusses the relationship between the Israel lobby and the military-industrial complex, how both influence policymaking in Washington, and why she believes they often reinforce interventionist and militaristic agendas. She also offers her perspective on the future of the United States as a global power, the signs of imperial decline, and how ordinary Americans can prepare for a period of increasing political, economic, and geopolitical instability. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

    1h 28m

  5. Jun 9

    Congress Blatantly Ignores Concerns on U.S.-Israeli Military Integration w/ Kelley Vlahos

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, reporter Kelley Vlahos, head of the Quincy Institute's Responsible Statecraft magazine, makes her long-awaited return to the show to discuss the disappointing House Armed Services Committee markup on the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The 2027 NDAA has come under scrutiny recently for Section 224, which critics argue would entrench U.S.-Israeli military integration in ways that would bypass transparency. Vlahos and I delve into how member of the House Committee responded to this criticism, namely by brushing them off entirely. We do delve into some dissenting voices, however, such as Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Sara Jacobs, the latter of whom brought up Israel's controversial Pegasus spyware and how it has been used to spy on Americans. Kelley walks us through Rep. Ro Khanna's opposition to Section 224 and why he says support for it is not being on "Team America". We also talk about the potential for Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, a Democrat and a Republican, to keep fighting against Section 224 going forward. Also, Vlahos previews an upcoming Responsible Statecraft piece dealing with how a Senate equivalent of Section 224 is being introduced by Rep. Tom Cotton which would entrench U.S.-Israeli intelligence integration. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

    35 min

  6. Jun 9

    Iran, Lebanon, Palestine, U.S.-Israel Military Fusion, Unhinged Propaganda, & More w/ Mouin Rabbani

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, Dutch-Palestinian analyst of Middle East affairs Mouin Rabbani returns to discuss a number of topics related to U.S. foreign policy, Israel, and the Iran war. We'll begin the conversation with a rundown on the Iran war situation and delve into the Israeli strikes on Lebanon in relation to it all. Mouin offers a concise breakdown of everything happening in regard to Iran and Lebanon out of the gate. We then move onto a number of other topics including the news of the Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA that would further entrench U.S.-Israeli military integration. We'll also discuss the recent NYT article by Nicholas Kristof dealing with allegations of disturbing treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prison. Finally, Mouin and I discuss the unhinged propaganda coming out of certain pro-Israel echo chambers and how they apply antisemitic conspiracy tropes to Arab and Muslim voices.

    44 min

  7. Jun 3

    The Dangerous Stealth Move by Congress to Integrate U.S. and Israeli Militaries w/ Benjamin Freeman

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of Parallax Views, possibly the most important edition this month, the Quincy Institute's Benjamin Freeman returns to discuss a little-noticed provision buried within the House's 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that could fundamentally transform the relationship between the United States and Israel. While public attention remains focused on wars in Gaza and Iran, Congress is quietly advancing Section 224, the "United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative." According to Freeman, this provision goes far beyond military aid and arms sales. Instead, it lays the groundwork for unprecedented integration between the American and Israeli defense establishments. From artificial intelligence and cyberwarfare to autonomous weapons systems, quantum technologies, biotech, and intelligence sharing, the proposal would create a level of military-industrial cooperation unlike any other U.S. partnership in the world. Why does this matter? Freeman argues that Section 224 represents the first step toward what amounts to a merger of critical components of the American and Israeli military-industrial complexes. The proposal envisions joint ventures, co-production agreements, shared research and development, network integration, and even "data fusion." In practical terms, that could mean deeper institutional ties, reduced transparency, and diminished public oversight. Critics warn that this shift would move U.S.-Israel military cooperation away from visible debates over foreign aid and into the far more opaque world of defense procurement and technological integration, where congressional scrutiny is limited and accountability is often difficult to achieve. At a moment when many Americans are questioning unconditional support for Israel and expressing concern about being drawn into new conflicts in the Middle East, Congress may be creating mechanisms that bind the military futures of the two countries together for decades to come in ways that are close to irreversible without massive costs. Benjamin explains what is actually contained in Section 224, how it could reshape U.S. foreign policy, why it may expand Israeli influence through defense contracting and co-production projects on American soil, and why he believes lawmakers should reject what he views as a dangerous and largely unnoticed U.S.-Israeli military-industrial merger before it becomes reality.

    49 min

  8. Jun 3

    Israel's "Nuclear Ambiguity" Under Fire in Congress: The Bigger Picture w/ Geoffrey Aronson

    👉 Pitch in on Patreon and fuel the future of free-thinking conversations. https://www.patreon.com/parallaxviews Also visit our returning sponsor Mike Swanson's Wall Street Window for the best financial and trading newsletter around: https://wallstreetwindow.com/ On this edition of the Parallax Views, returning guest Geoffrey Aronson joins us to discuss his article "The Unexpected Consequences of Dispelling Israeli Nuclear Ambiguity." As a growing number of House Democrats led by Rep. Joaqiun Castro (D-TX) call for greater transparency regarding Israel's long-unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, Aronson argues that the issue goes far beyond nuclear weapons themselves. We examine the decades-old doctrine of Israeli "nuclear ambiguity," the origins of the U.S.-Israel strategic bargain forged after the 1967 war, and the concept of Israel's "Qualitative Military Edge" (QME). Aronson contends that congressional efforts to openly address Israel's nuclear capabilities could force a broader reconsideration of the foundations of the U.S.-Israel security relationship at a moment when the fallout from the war with Iran is reshaping political debates in Washington. We also discuss how changing public opinion, shifting attitudes on Capitol Hill, and questions surrounding deterrence, proliferation, and regional power may be challenging assumptions that have guided U.S. Middle East policy for more than half a century. Geoffrey Aronson is an American writer, analyst, and consultant specializing in Middle East affairs, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has participated in Track II diplomatic initiatives involving Israeli and Palestinian groups and facilitated engagement between Israeli and Syrian representatives in 2005. He is the author of several books, including Creating Facts: Israel, Palestinians and the Intifada and From Sideshow to Center Stage: US Policy towards Egypt. Check out his Substack at Geoffrey Aronson | Substack.

    56 min
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4.4
out of 5
137 Ratings

About

A podcast where politics, history, and culture are examined from perspectives you may not have considered before. Call it a parallax view.

Information

  • Creator
    J.G.
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    984
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2018 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

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