American Exception

[Update: We fixed and replaced the original audio file which had a problem around the introduction]

This is the 13th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

The latter portion of this episode was already posted on YouTube because we thought it was so timely after the Nord Stream attack. I hope the larger, book-related portion of the episode also provides good context for this. Strangely enough, I added that extra material to the episode plan because I thought that all of the historical exegesis from the book was really relevant to our current moment. With the Nord Stream bombing, it turned out that I was more correct than I knew.

Check out the attached PDF to see the slides we refer to.

Special thanks to Seamus for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

[Update: We fixed and replaced the original audio file which had a problem around the introduction]

This is the 13th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

The latter portion of this episode was already posted on YouTube because we thought it was so timely after the Nord Stream attack. I hope the larger, book-related portion of the episode also provides good context for this. Strangely enough, I added that extra material to the episode plan because I thought that all of the historical exegesis from the book was really relevant to our current moment. With the Nord Stream bombing, it turned out that I was more correct than I knew.

Check out the attached PDF to see the slides we refer to.

Special thanks to Seamus for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Ben Howard and Aaron continue the Long Shadow of 9/11 series with a discussion on the history of USUK imperial support for reactionary Islamism.

The first article in the series is now up at American Exception: “Prequel to Terror: The 9/9 Massoud Assassination.”

Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for his editorial work on the article and to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "High Octane Punk Mode" by Mock Orange

The image in the episode art is of the Al-Baqi cemetery before its 1926 demolition by the Saudis.

The episode title is a mishmash of three relevant book titles: Dreyfuss' 'Devil's Game', Talbot's The Devil's Chessboard, and Brzezinski's The Grand Chessboard.

Ben Howard and Aaron continue the Long Shadow of 9/11 series with a discussion on the history of USUK imperial support for reactionary Islamism.

The first article in the series is now up at American Exception: “Prequel to Terror: The 9/9 Massoud Assassination.”

Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for his editorial work on the article and to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "High Octane Punk Mode" by Mock Orange

The image in the episode art is of the Al-Baqi cemetery before its 1926 demolition by the Saudis.

The episode title is a mishmash of three relevant book titles: Dreyfuss' 'Devil's Game', Talbot's The Devil's Chessboard, and Brzezinski's The Grand Chessboard.

In this episode, we begin our historical exploration of the post-World War 2 US empire. As explained in the book and in previous episodes of this history, the history of the post-World War 2 US empire is essentially the history of the US deep state.

This is the 12th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

Check out the attached PDF to see related images.

Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

In this episode, we begin our historical exploration of the post-World War 2 US empire. As explained in the book and in previous episodes of this history, the history of the post-World War 2 US empire is essentially the history of the US deep state.

This is the 12th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

Check out the attached PDF to see related images.

Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Aaron is joined by Christopher Mott to discuss his recent article, “Woke Imperium: The Coming Confluence Between Social Justice and Neoconservatism.”

Christopher Mott is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy and the author of The Formless Empire: A Short History of Diplomacy and Warfare in Central Asia. Follow Christopher on Twitter and check out his personal website: geotrickster.com.

Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Stuck In" by Mock Orange

In this episode, we wrap up our social science exploration of imperial criminality.

We discuss dark power—i.e., top-down or despotic political power. Dark power is to be contrasted with open or democratic power—power derived from consensus and persuasion.

This is the 11th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

Special thanks to Seamus for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

In this episode, we wrap up our social science exploration of imperial criminality.

We discuss dark power—i.e., top-down or despotic political power. Dark power is to be contrasted with open or democratic power—power derived from consensus and persuasion.

This is the 11th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

Special thanks to Seamus for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

Aaron and Ben Norton of Multipolarista discuss Establishment scholar Francis Fukuyama and his strange intervention into deep state discourse.

I am hoping that Fukuyama is just building up to addressing the deep state construct in future installments because he does mention some important aspects of the emergence of the state, even as he leaves out many other angles:

Valuing the Deep State, Part I

Valuing the Deep State Part II: The Origin of States

Special thanks Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: “Nine Times” by Mock Orange

Aaron and Ben Norton of Multipolarista discuss Establishment scholar Francis Fukuyama and his strange intervention into deep state discourse.

I am hoping that Fukuyama is just building up to addressing the deep state construct in future installments because he does mention some important aspects of the emergence of the state, even as he leaves out many other angles:

Valuing the Deep State, Part I

Valuing the Deep State Part II: The Origin of States

Special thanks Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: “Nine Times” by Mock Orange

Aaron and Ben Norton of Multipolarista discuss Establishment scholar Francis Fukuyama and his strange intervention into deep state discourse.

I am hoping that Fukuyama is just building up to addressing the deep state construct in future installments because he does mention some important aspects of the emergence of the state, even as he leaves out many other angles:

Valuing the Deep State, Part I

Valuing the Deep State Part II: The Origin of States

Special thanks Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: “Nine Times” by Mock Orange

Aaron and Ben Norton of Multipolarista discuss Establishment scholar Francis Fukuyama and his strange intervention into deep state discourse.

I am hoping that Fukuyama is just building up to addressing the deep state construct in future installments because he does mention some important aspects of the emergence of the state, even as he leaves out many other angles:

Valuing the Deep State, Part I

Valuing the Deep State Part II: The Origin of States

Special thanks Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: “Nine Times” by Mock Orange

Ben Howard and Aaron kick off the Long Shadow of 9/11 series with a discussion on their own personal reckonings with the great terror spectacle of 2001.

The first article in the series is now up at American Exception: “Prequel to Terror: The 9/9 Massoud Assassination.”

Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for his editorial work on the article, to Casey Moore for the episode art, and to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "High Octane Punk Mode" by Mock Orange

Ben Howard and Aaron kick off the Long Shadow of 9/11 series with a discussion on their own personal reckonings with the great terror spectacle of 2001.

The first article in the series is now up at American Exception: “Prequel to Terror: The 9/9 Massoud Assassination.”

Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for his editorial work on the article, to Casey Moore for the episode art, and to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "High Octane Punk Mode" by Mock Orange

We discuss trace the development of parapolitics, deep politics, and the deep state in this penultimate episode on the social science of imperial criminality.

This is Part 10 of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well as our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "World of Machines" by Mock Orange

We discuss trace the development of parapolitics, deep politics, and the deep state in this penultimate episode on the social science of imperial criminality.

This is Part 10 of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well as our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the series.

Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "World of Machines" by Mock Orange

Aaron and Seamus discuss the Security Research Staff (SRS), the inner sanctum of the CIA’s Office of Security. We also discuss James McCord’s friend Lee Pennington and related issues from Jim Hougan’s masterpiece, Secret Agenda: Watergate, Deep Throat, and the CIA.

Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "World of Machines" by Mock Orange

Aaron and Seamus discuss the Security Research Staff (SRS), the inner sanctum of the CIA’s Office of Security. We also discuss James McCord’s friend Lee Pennington and related issues from Jim Hougan’s masterpiece, Secret Agenda: Watergate, Deep Throat, and the CIA.

Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering!

Music: "World of Machines" by Mock Orange