Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

Useful Idiots, LLC
  • 4.5 (4.4K)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalist Aaron Maté and podcaster/writer Katie Halper. Episodes feature analysis of the political news of the week and exclusive interviews, with humor, commentary and dissection of why both Republicans and Democrats suck. Join Aaron and Katie as they examine important stories that have slipped through the cracks and what the media got wrong – and laugh about whatever is left to laugh about.

  1. 3d ago

    Settler Terrorists Attacked Three NBC Journalists in the West Bank – Did Meet the Press Cover It?

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out TruDiagnostic and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the ad-free interview with Professor Richard Sakwa: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/subscriber-only-ad-free-cias-secret?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: “Your parents will die young like mine!” Lindsey Graham’s Sister Unveils New Senate Campaign Promise https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  2. Aug 28

    CIA’s Secret Moscow Trip Causes PANIC in Ukraine

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out TruDiagnostic and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the ad-free interview with Professor Richard Sakwa: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/subscriber-only-ad-free-cias-secret?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: “Your parents will die young like mine!” Lindsey Graham’s Sister Unveils New Senate Campaign Promise https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. This week, a big development for the proxy war in Ukraine: CIA Chief John Ratcliffe made a surprise visit to Moscow, and depending on which corporate outlet you read, the reason for the trip is confusing. The Wall Street Journal says Ratcliffe went to issue a warning to the Russians, (‘Don’t you dare attack NATO.’) But the New York Times reported that Racliffe was merely sharing some friendly advice that the war isn’t going well for Russia and they should end it before it widens further. Either way, the CIA in Moscow, nearly five years into the war, surely means something is about to happen. To help sort out the confusion, we are joined by Richard Sakwa, author and Professor Emeritus at the University of Kent, who specializes in Russian and European Politics. He explains that, while Russia has dominated the war so far, time is actually not on their side. Useful Idiots: This war has been going on for a long time, and the longer it drags on, the bigger the risk that it widens beyond Russia and Ukraine.Richard Sakwa: That’s precisely the argument of the hardliners, the hawks in Russia, who basically say that time is not on Russia’s side in the sense that the West is in a vanguard of crossing all of Russia’s red lines.Putin himself also added to the warnings that Ukraine and the West are opening a Pandora’s box. It wasn’t quite clear yet what is in that box.In response, [UK Prime Minister] Burnham himself then said, ‘Well, you started the fire.’ Now that shows an extraordinary intellectual and conceptual myopia that the West has been locked into since the beginning of this conflict. They simply cannot understand the underlying logic of this conflict, as if Putin woke up one fine morning in February and attacked Ukraine in his mad zeal to re-establish the Soviet Empire if not the Russian EmpireSo it’s just an entrenched a position. And of course, this raises, as you suggest, that if Russia does not respond, then it is a sign of weakness.00:00 Intro 01:47 Dana Bash MELTS DOWN over Hasan Piker comments 06:24 Caught on tape: showing when Dana Bash said that EXACT THING to Netanyahu 07:41 Professor Richard Sakwa interview 08:22 Why is the CIA in Moscow? 15:31 Who really wants the war to expand? 25:31 The West is crossing Russia's Red Lines 30:43 Boris Johnson admits it again 39:10 Zelensky knew ALL ALONG Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  3. Aug 24

    “Today is D-Day for the economy in Iran”

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended, ad-free interview with Sharmine Narwani: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/extended-interview-trump-afraid-after?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Democrats ADMIT plans to sabotage progressives in general elections against Republicans https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  4. Aug 21

    Trump “Afraid” After Iran Plans New Attacks, Teams with China w/ Middle East Analyst Sharmine Narwani

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out TruDiagnostic and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended, ad-free interview with Sharmine Narwani: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/extended-interview-trump-afraid-after?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Democrats ADMIT plans to sabotage progressives in general elections against Republicans https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. On this week’s show we find out that when you launch an unprovoked regime-change war against a big country like Iran, it turns out that not only is it a bad idea militarily, but it might also tank your economy. The US debt just hit a record-setting $40 trillion, rising $3.6 trillion in the last twelve months alone. That high mark being more than double what it was in 2016. Check out the graph: More damning evidence for the 1971 theory With a ballooning military budget for Pete Hegseth’s flailing Department of War and a strangled oil market from Iran’s continued control over the Strait of Hormuz, the US and global economies have been sent reeling. Our guest, Middle East analyst Sharmine Narwani, explains why Iran’s surprise military strength has shocked both US commanders and economists, and gives her prediction that comes out quite bleak for the future of American interests on a global scale: “Major financial institutions around the world are talking about the US potentially losing its position, and the dollar losing its position as a global reserve currency. When that happens, the house of cards falls apart.You cannot finance wars. Nobody wants the dollar. Nobody’s stocking it.You can’t hold other countries to anything if they’re trading in other currencies. If it doesn’t go through New York, you don’t have eyes on things anymore. You lose control.” 00:00 Intro 00:53 Three questions about Hasan Piker 5:00 MS Now tries to get Angie Nixon to ditch the DSA 07:03 Bakari Sellers ADMITS Dems will help Republicans over progressives 07:35 Sharmine Narwani interview 08:27 Refuting Stephen Miller 20:12 US debt hits $40 trillion 23:55 Is Iran a theocracy? 45:08 American power is about to take a huge hit Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  5. Aug 17

    House Candidate Oliver Larkin Crashes Monday Mourning with Katie and Aaron

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended, ad-free interview with Michael Lange: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/extended-episode-irans-new-red-line?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: New Yorker's David Remnick Gets SCHOOLED By DSA Chair Over Ukraine https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  6. Aug 14

    Iran's New RED LINE Shocks Israel, US Flailing

    Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Follow our guests' work: https://sinatoossi.com/ https://www.michaellange.nyc/ Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended, ad-free interview with Michael Lange: https://open.substack.com/pub/usefulidiots/p/extended-episode-irans-new-red-line?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web Watch the Friday Free-For-All: New Yorker's David Remnick Gets SCHOOLED By DSA Chair Over Ukraine https://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. This week, returning guest Sina Toossi joins us to check in on Trump’s regime change war on Iran: Trump is pausing the bombing campaign in an attempt to walk away from the war after realizing the total disaster it is for the US, falsely claiming that he controls the Strait of Hormuz, hoping that will let him save face and hide back home. Now, he’s reverting to traditional neocon policy of suffocating Iran from afar, crippling Iran’s economy through murderous sanctions and hoping it submits. Sina Toossi: It’s a strategic catastrophe for America as the global empire. This war has shown America to be weaker than countries around the world thought. And this is very significant in geopolitical calculations and alliance building and countries that depend on the US to provide for their security or to be in the US block.The US war machine is not necessarily all it was made out to be despite the trillion dollar military budget. Iran was a mid-tier power that held its own and was able to inflict all these costs and destroyed a lot of US bases in the region.Hear Sina Toossi’s full analysis of the US strategy in Iran and subscribe to hear our full interview with Michael Lange on Abdul El-Sayed, Zohran Mamdani, Francesca Hong, and the battle between liberal Democrats and progressives. 00:00 Intro 01:12 Bill O'Reilly wants bombs so bad 03:50 Oracle admits their "scary tech" kills Palestinians 06:34 Sina Toossi interview 12:42 Iran is closing in on the US 24:51 Iran's OTHER negotiations 35:27 US shows weakness on the global stage 40:38 Michael Lange interview 46:34 What Francesca Hong's loss means for progressives 57:16 Dems and Progressives go to WAR Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  7. Aug 10

    Murdering 2 Birds with 1 Stone: Republicans shill for Israel while ALSO getting to call a Muslim politician a terrorist

    Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended interview with Eli Clifton: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-interview-aipac-lashes-out Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Laura Ingraham Wants to Rip Abdul El-Sayed's Tight, Communist Shirt Off and Yell At Him All Over https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/laura-ingraham-wants-to-rip-abdul?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

  8. Aug 7

    AIPAC Lashes Out After $32 Million Loss to Abdul El-Sayed

    Pre-order Eli's new book: Israel's Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power https://bookshop.org/p/books/israel-s-lobby-america-in-the-grip-of-a-foreign-power-eli-clifton/16ed5a856e6a2af0?ean=9781668210840&next=t&next=t&affiliate=124839 Pre-order Aaron's new book on the Ukraine war: Their Blood, Our Bullets https://orbooks.com/catalog/their-blood-our-bullets/ Go to https://groundnews.com/useful to get 40% off the unlimited access Vantage plan and unlock world-wide perspectives on the stories shaping our world. Check out Quince and use our code https://quince.com/useful for a great deal: https://www.quince.com Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com/IDIOTS Check out Chilipad and use my code sleep.me/USEFUL for a great deal: https://sleep.me/useful ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Support our work and get the extended interview with Eli Clifton: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-interview-aipac-lashes-out Watch the Friday Free-For-All: Laura Ingraham Wants to Rip Abdul El-Sayed's Tight, Communist Shirt Off and Yell At Him All Over https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/laura-ingraham-wants-to-rip-abdul?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI), the cartoonish caricature of a Zionist liberal who once claimed that “Israel comes to me in my dreams,” was thrust into the national spotlight when AIPAC pumped $32 million into her senate campaign, the largest single donation from any PAC or donor for any Democratic in this election cycle. This week, that proved to be poison when Abdul El-Sayed narrowly beat her for the Democratic nomination. El-Sayed, who joins the growing train of progressives toppling the Democratic establishment in places like New York City and Colorado, used this Big Money donation (which amounted to about $62 million, creating a 12-1 donation advantage over El-Sayed) against her in debates, speeches, and campaign ads. AIPAC’s main response to El-Sayed’s attacks was that Stevens would fare better come November against “evil” Republican Mike Rogers. But one day after El-Sayed’s victory, Israel’s hypocrisy shines as always as AIPAC begins donations to Rogers’ campaign. Our guest, investigative journalist Eli Clifton, whose new book with Ian Lustick Israel’s Lobby: America in the Grip of a Foreign Power is now available for pre-order, explains why he expects AIPAC to well outspend its $32 million primary efforts in November, as well as why the campaign is about to get “much uglier.” 00:00 Intro 02:16 Stephen Miller can't cope with Abdul El-Sayed 06:12 Ted Cruz also has a meltdown 08:23 But Laura Ingraham thinks El-Sayed is hot 11:11 Eli Clifton interview 13:29 People in Michigan HATE AIPAC 16:52 Van Jones gets WRECKED 25:07 How AIPAC stole the presidency from Jimmy Carter 34:18 How AIPAC has responded to Eli's reporting on them Our Sponsors: * Check out Quince and use my code quince.com/USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.quince.com * Check out TruDiagnostic and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: https://www.trudiagnostic.com Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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Useful Idiots is an informative and irreverent politics podcast with journalist Aaron Maté and podcaster/writer Katie Halper. Episodes feature analysis of the political news of the week and exclusive interviews, with humor, commentary and dissection of why both Republicans and Democrats suck. Join Aaron and Katie as they examine important stories that have slipped through the cracks and what the media got wrong – and laugh about whatever is left to laugh about.

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