This week on In The Meanwhile, Nora and Marcus stare into the news-cycle roulette wheel, where every slot reads "are you kidding me?" and land on America's default coping mechanism: militarism. Press freedom under attack. ICE acting like it's Fallujah. The President threatening war like it's a vibes-based policy choice. Totally normal stuff.

They're joined by Michael McPhearson, a U.S. Army veteran and head of Veterans for Peace, who calmly explains how forever wars abroad get rebranded and redeployed at home. From "enemy combatant" logic to Congress abandoning its job, McPhearson connects the dots and makes the apparently radical case that being anti-war is actually pro-veteran. Incisive, furious, and darkly funny. Strap in.

Mentioned in the episode:

Veterans for Peace | Iraq Sanctions | Abolition of the Army in Costa Rica | Mark Fisher: Capitalist Realism | Testament of Hope: The Essential Writings and Speeches of MLK Jr.

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Crowded Out: The True Costs of Crowdfunding Healthcare | Readying to Rise

Music: No Tears for a Wolf · Ahamefule J. Oluo · Okanomodé. Used with permission.

Logo by Nikki Barron.

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