Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

J.G.
  • 4.5 (139)
  • Society & Culture
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A podcast where politics, history, and culture are examined from perspectives you may not have considered before. Call it a parallax view.

  1. 1d ago

    The 2026 Midterms, Israel's Election, Iran, the Gulf, and the Changing Middle East w/ James Dorsey

    👉 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, J.G. Michael welcomes back Middle East analyst James M. Dorsey of The Turbulent World with James M. Dorsey to discuss the geopolitical ramifications of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections and Israel's recent general election. With Democrats poised to take control of Congress following a major electoral victory, what does the changing political landscape mean for the U.S.-Israel relationship, American military aid to Israel, and the ongoing war with Iran? Dorsey examines the potential for a Democratic-controlled Congress to push for an end to the Iran war, restrict further war funding, and introduce greater conditionality on U.S. military assistance to Israel. We also discuss the political significance of Abdullah El-Sayed becoming the first Muslim senator, growing divisions within American Jewish communities over Israeli government policy, and the changing nature of public opinion toward Israel and U.S. involvement in the Middle East. Turning to Israel, Dorsey analyzes the country's recent election, Benjamin Netanyahu's fight to remain politically relevant, and the historic electoral gains made by Palestinian-Israeli parties, which secured 19 seats in the Knesset. Could these parties become kingmakers in a potential Gadi Eisenkot-led government? What would an Eisenkot premiership actually change about Israeli policy toward Palestinians, the West Bank, and Gaza? We also examine Netanyahu's efforts to cast doubt on election integrity by alleging foreign interference and raising accusations surrounding Palestinian-Israeli voter participation. Other topics include: The U.S.-Israel relationship: The future of the $3.8 billion annual American military aid package, congressional efforts to condition or reduce assistance, and Israel's potential transition toward greater military self-sufficiency. Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states: How the Iran war has shattered the Gulf's image as an island of stability, undermining Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 ambitions and disrupting major sporting events, investment conferences, and economic development projects. Iran and the regional balance of power: Is Iran a regional hegemon? Dorsey considers the competing geopolitical ambitions of Iran, Turkey, Egypt, and Israel, and why Tehran's regional influence cannot be understood in isolation. The limits of military escalation: Why the maximalist negotiating strategies of Washington and Tehran have produced a diplomatic dead end, the dangers of renewed U.S. attacks on Iran, and why military force is unlikely to produce the political outcomes Washington seeks. Iranian nationalism and regime survival: How the war may have strengthened the Iranian government's domestic position in the short term by transforming perceptions of the conflict from a war against the Islamic Republic into a war against Iran itself. The future of Saudi Arabia's regional ambitions: The impact of the Iran war and the Saudi-Houthi conflict on the kingdom's security, economic diversification, and international standing. We also discuss the significance of the term Palestinian Israelis, the complicated relationship between Israel and Qatar, Turkey's emergence as a regional rival, and the possibility that changing American political attitudes toward the Middle East could reshape the calculations of both Washington and Jerusalem. James M. Dorsey writes The Turbulent World with James M. Dorsey, providing analysis of international affairs, Middle Eastern politics, and geopolitics.

  2. 1d ago

    Trump's Midterm Humiliation, the Blue Wave, Israel's Election, & the Information Crisis w/ Deep State Kuba

    👉 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, J.G. Michael is joined by Deep State Kuba (Jakub Wrzesniewski), political analyst, geopolitical commentator, and regular contributor to Jason Myles' This Is Revolution, for an expansive discussion of the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, the political fallout from the Iran War, Israel's electoral crisis, and the increasingly troubling state of the information ecosystem in the United States. The 2026 midterms delivered a stunning repudiation of Donald Trump and the MAGA-led Republican Party, with what Kuba describes as a categorical political failure that exceeded even optimistic Democratic projections. But what does this blue tsunami mean for the future of the GOP? We discuss the growing influence of the Groyper movement and white Christian nationalism among younger Republican operatives, Tucker Carlson's potential role in the post-Trump right, and how opposition to the Iran War became a significant political liability for the Republican establishment. We also examine the challenges facing Democrats as they prepare to take advantage of their electoral victory. Could Silicon Valley oligarchs and tech interests, including Peter Thiel and Palantir, attempt to reposition themselves with a Democratic-led Congress to avoid accountability? Kuba discusses the dangers of Democratic demobilization, the temptation to simply turn the page on Trump-era abuses, and his provocative argument for why Democrats might be better off leaving Trump in the political spotlight while pursuing impeachment proceedings against figures like JD Vance, Marco Rubio, and Pete Hegseth. The conversation then turns to Israel and its own political crisis. Despite historic electoral gains by Palestinian and Arab parties, the prospect of their inclusion in a governing coalition remains remote. What does this reveal about the relationship between democratic institutions and Israeli society? We discuss Benjamin Netanyahu's political future, the Israeli far right, the marginalization of anti-apartheid activists, the implications of the Iran War for Israel's regional security, and whether the American midterm results could undermine Netanyahu's longstanding claim that he can guarantee U.S. support for Israeli security objectives. Finally, we dig into something that deserves considerably more attention: the deterioration and suppression of independent reporting on national security and geopolitical affairs. From the disappearance of embedded journalism and Pentagon access to the exclusion of foreign correspondents from Gaza, Kuba argues that the public is increasingly being forced to rely on OSINT, alternative media, and adversarial sources to understand major international developments. We explore the dangers of information bottlenecks, drawing comparisons with the Soviet and Chinese experiences of authoritarian information control, as well as the corporate media's gutting of specialist reporting in areas like finance, economics, labor, and military affairs. Plus, a discussion of ethnic identity, nationalism, Canadian multiculturalism, and why the notion of Team White erases the complex cultural and historical identities that exist within American society. A wide-ranging conversation about the 2026 midterms, Trumpism, the Republican Party's future, Israel-Palestine, the Iran War, media censorship, corporate journalism, and the politics of information.

  3. 1d ago

    The Blue Tidal Wave: 2026 U.S. Midterm Elections Post-Mortem w/ Ben Burgis

    👉 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, J.G. Michael is joined by longtime friend of the show Ben Burgis, host of Give Them an Argument, to break down the 2026 US midterm elections and what could prove to be a historic repudiation of Donald Trump and the Republican Party. Dubbed a "blue tidal wave," the election saw Democrats flip major seats in traditionally Republican territory, including Texas and Kansas, while Florida Democrat Angie Nixon came remarkably close to victory. Meanwhile, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) and the broader progressive left celebrated significant gains, including Abdul El-Sayed's Senate victory in Michigan and five DSA candidates reportedly winning seats in the House. But what does this electoral success actually mean for the future of American politics? Ben and J.G. discuss the growing influence of Bernie Sanders-style economic populism, Medicare for All, working-class politics, and the struggle between the Democratic Party's progressive and establishment wings. They also examine Zohran Mamdani's record as mayor of New York City, his embrace of municipal socialism and the sewer socialist tradition, and the strategic questions facing the DSA as it looks to expand beyond traditionally safe Democratic districts. The conversation also examines the political fallout from Trump's war with Iran, which emerged as a major liability for Republicans. With polling indicating widespread opposition to the war, rising energy prices, and growing skepticism toward US support for Israel, Burgis and J.G. discuss the administration's shifting justifications for military intervention and the striking absence of the kind of public propaganda campaign that preceded the Iraq War. Other topics include the Trump administration's authoritarianism and ongoing constitutional crisis, the future of the Republican Party after Trump, the possibility of a post-Trump right led by figures like Tucker Carlson, and why Democrats shouldn't mistake an electoral rebuke of Trump for an enduring political realignment. Is this the beginning of a new era for the American left, or another turn in the cycle of Republican overreach and Democratic complacency? And will the Democratic establishment actually do anything with this historic opportunity? Plus: Ben recounts his surreal election-night experience appearing on Patrick Bet-David's Valuetainment coverage of the midterms and getting into an on-air argument with Eduardo Bolsonaro, son of former Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro, over claims that Lula stole Brazil's election.

  4. Oct 29

    UFOs, High Strangeness, and the Excluded Middle w/ Red Pill Junkie

    👉 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, J.G. Michael welcomes Miguel Romero, better known as Red Pill Junkie, for a Halloween-season conversation about UFOs, high strangeness, and the strange territory between belief and skepticism. Drawing on the work of researchers like Jacques Vallée and Greg Bishop, Romero advocates for what’s known as the “excluded middle,” an approach that resists both the assumption that UFOs must be extraterrestrial spacecraft and the reflexive dismissal of the phenomenon as hoaxes or delusion. What if the UFO phenomenon is less straightforward than either camp would have us believe? We explore the idea that UFO encounters can function as a kind of Rorschach test, reflecting the psychology, cultural assumptions, and technological expectations of the people who experience them. From the airship sightings of the 1890s to the flying saucer imagery of the postwar era, we discuss how the phenomenon appears to change alongside the prevailing zeitgeist. Romero also considers the more unsettling cases of high strangeness, including reports of violent encounters in Brazil, and whether these experiences might have a cultural, psychological, or even metaphysical dimension. The conversation turns to the work of Jacques Vallée, the possibility of human manipulation and government disinformation, and the dangers of treating UFOs as a conventional extraterrestrial visitation problem. We discuss the strange history of figures like Richard Doty, the exploitation of ufologists by intelligence operatives, and the recurring tendency for people who distrust official institutions to nevertheless place their faith in government insiders who promise the long-awaited truth. Romero is also sharply critical of the modern disclosure movement, questioning the growing involvement of defense contractors, Silicon Valley interests, and corporate money in a field that once thrived on the margins. Does the demand for official disclosure ultimately empower the public, or does it make the government the final authority on what is real? We also examine ufology’s enduring carnival atmosphere, from Jaime Maussan’s infamous Roswell slides presentation to the continuing controversy surrounding the so-called Nazca mummies. And what happens when the promise of disclosure begins to resemble a religious movement, complete with its own prophets, revelations, and articles of faith? Finally, we venture into the metaphysical side of high strangeness, discussing altered states of consciousness, DMT, synchronicity, the work of Jeffrey Kripal, and the possibility that encounters with the inexplicable can produce profound changes in how people understand reality. Romero even entertains the provocative notion that hoaxes and trickster figures might play a role in the phenomenon itself, serving as a kind of “cosmic placebo” that opens people to experiences they otherwise might never have considered. Is the UFO phenomenon an extraterrestrial mystery, a psychological and cultural mirror, a form of consciousness we don’t yet understand, or something that refuses to fit neatly into any of these categories? Join us for a wide-ranging exploration of UFOs, institutional power, altered consciousness, and the value of remaining open to the unknown without pretending to have all the answers.

  5. Oct 26

    The Zodiac Killer C̶a̶s̶e̶ Hoax? w/ Eddie McNamara

    👉 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, J.G. Michael is joined by former police officer Eddie McNamara, author of Zodiactually: The Real Story of a Fake Serial Killer (Feral House), for a Halloween-season deep dive into one of America's most notorious unsolved criminal cases and the media mythology that has grown around it. What does McNamara mean when he calls the Zodiac Killer a fake serial killer? He isn't suggesting that the murders never happened. Rather, he argues that the crimes attributed to the Zodiac were committed by different perpetrators and that multiple letter writers helped construct the image of a single, elusive mastermind. Drawing on police and FBI records, contemporary newspaper accounts, and the findings of original investigators, McNamara challenges the conventional narrative popularized by Robert Graysmith's book, David Fincher's Zodiac, and decades of documentaries and true-crime speculation. We examine the Lake Herman Road murders, the killings at Blue Rock Springs, the murder of cab driver Paul Stine, and the controversial inclusion of the Sherry Jo Bates murder in the Zodiac case. Along the way, McNamara discusses alternative suspects, inconsistencies in the evidence, the work of investigators who questioned the prevailing narrative, and how the tendency to lump separate crimes together may have hindered the search for answers. We also explore the distinction between an actual criminal investigation and the mythology built around it, including the consequences of publicly associating eccentric or otherwise innocent people with notorious crimes. The conversation extends beyond the Zodiac case to consider the broader relationship between media, crime, and popular folklore. Beginning with the mythology surrounding the Kitty Genovese murder, we discuss how misleading narratives can become accepted as fact, from the supposed bystander effect to sensationalized accounts of Columbine. As McNamara puts it, the problem is often less about conspiracy than commerce: the memorable story can prove more profitable than the complicated truth. We also touch on the recurring dynamics of moral panics, the Satanic Panic, and the ways sensationalist narratives continue to resurface in contemporary conspiracy culture. Is the Zodiac Killer as we know him a historical figure, or a media-created boogeyman assembled from unrelated crimes, questionable evidence, and competing stories? McNamara makes his case in this provocative examination of true-crime culture, investigative history, and the stories we tell ourselves about the darkest corners of American life.

  6. Oct 24

    Weirdumentary: Exploring the 1970s Strange Documentary Boom w/ Gary D. Rhodes

    👉 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/ IT'S OUR ANNUAL HALLOWEEN SERIES OF SHOWS! PREPARE TO GET OUT THERE AS PARALLAX VIEWS GOES ALL COAST 2 COAST AM FOR A SPELL! On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by film historian Gary D. Rhodes, author of Weirdumentary, to investigate a strange cinematic phenomenon that helped bring UFOs, ancient astronauts, Bigfoot, and other paranormal mysteries into the American mainstream. Imagine Rod Serling, Leonard Nimoy, or Orson Welles solemnly narrating grainy dramatic reenactments of encounters with the unexplained, all packaged with the authority of a network news broadcast. Welcome to the weirdumentary, a distinctive 1970s film subgenre that capitalized on public fascination with the paranormal while blurring the boundaries between documentary, speculation, and entertainment. We explore Sun Classic Pictures, the Utah-based outfit that turned these films into box-office successes through an ingenious four-walling distribution model, bypassing Hollywood to bring titles like Chariots of the Gods and The Legend of Boggy Creek to audiences nationwide. But why did these films strike such a nerve? Gary and J.G. examine the cultural climate behind their popularity, from Watergate-era distrust of government to New Age spirituality and the influence of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Along the way, we discuss the rural Gothic atmosphere of The Legend of Boggy Creek, the insect-apocalypse pseudo-documentary The Hellstrom Chronicle, producer Alan Landsberg's television legacy, and the influence of weirdumentaries on later mockumentaries and found-footage horror. From ancient alien theories to creatures lurking in the swamps, these films reveal how the strange and supposedly inexplicable became a remarkably successful form of popular entertainment.

  7. Oct 21

    Epstein, Psyops, & the Launch of the CommuNoid Zine w/ ParaPower Mapping

    👉 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/ To Download Issue 1 of Communoids Enter the following paraphrase into the terminal at https://parapowermapping.com/: PEOPLES_printshopCN01solidarity_PRESS On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by "Klonny Gosch" of ParaPower Mapping to discuss the launch of Communoids, a free underground zine bringing Marxist theory into conversation with parapolitics, deep political research, and the study of power networks that operate beyond public scrutiny. Available as a PDF, EPUB, and DIY print edition, Communoids aims to provide an alternative space for pseudonymous writing outside the constraints of bourgeois social media platforms. Its inaugural issue takes Jeffrey Epstein as a “skeleton key” for examining the intersections of the transnational bourgeoisie, intelligence-connected figures, and criminal networks. The conversation explores Epstein’s connections to Leslie Wexner, Southern Air Transport, and the international trafficking networks associated with Jean-Luc Brunel and the MC2 modeling agency. J.G. and Klonny also discuss “conspiraphobia” on the left, the right’s effective monopoly on conspiratorial thinking, and how dismissing individual agents and covert networks can obscure the concrete workings of power. From algorithmic censorship and the political economy of AI to cybernetics, DARPA, Palantir, and the ultra-wealthy’s preparations for societal collapse, the discussion examines the historical continuities between technological development, social control, and elite power. What can parapolitics contribute to a Marxist understanding of capitalism, imperialism, and the state?

  8. Oct 20

    This I Don't Believe: A Fulfilling Life Without Meaning w/ Robert Jensen

    👉 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, J.G. Michael is joined by Robert Jensen, author of This I Don't Believe: A Fulfilling Life Without Meaning, for a wide-ranging conversation about radical humility, intellectual curiosity, and what it means to live a fulfilling life without believing in a transcendent or cosmic purpose. A former journalism professor at the University of Texas at Austin, Jensen reflects on how his own experiences, relationships, and intellectual evolution shaped his philosophical outlook, from his youthful embrace of Ayn Rand's Objectivism to his present-day skepticism toward dogmatism, certainty, and intellectual tribalism. Jensen discusses the distinction between meaning and fulfillment, his skepticism toward free will, and why he rejects the smug certainties of the New Atheist movement without insisting that others abandon their religious or spiritual beliefs. He also opens up about his traumatic childhood, dissociative amnesia, and the difficult process of understanding how our personal histories shape the beliefs we hold. Along the way, Jensen reflects on the profound influence of his friend and mentor Jim Coplin, the importance of ordinary work and human relationships, and the value of what Coplin called “open-ended disciplined inquiry.” The conversation also ventures into ecological radicalism, the limits of technological solutions to environmental catastrophe, and why Jensen believes the ecological crisis demands a fundamental reconsideration of high-energy, high-consumption lifestyles. From the plasticity of human nature and the dangers of zealotry to the satisfaction found in everyday routines, this is a conversation about learning to live with uncertainty, recognizing the limits of our own knowledge, and finding fulfillment without pretending to have all the answers.

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4.5
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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
    983
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2018 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

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