OK Talks

Initially alarmed by the optics of the debate (boy do I hope President Biden mainlines vitamin C before the next one), I'm joined at 5:30AM Barcelona time by former Republican and current fellow Dem Abroad Robert Gerrard to provide our half-asleep reactions to the debate, and, hopefully, some counter to the doom-and-gloom narrative that's been the initial reaction. I mean come on, the NYT ran their first "Biden should drop out" op-ed before we even made it to the first commercial break of last night's presidential debate.

This past weekend, elections were held across the EU for the European Parliament, with the results showing an undeniable shift rightward. I examine what could be the reason for this outcome (digging into questions of how Europeans view immigration and security), and what it might mean. Views my own.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we got him. ...well, maybe not quite yet. This podcast reacts to the milestone in the seemingly endless saga of Trump's legal issues, and analyzes some of the questions raised by the former president having been found guilty of all charges in the first of the multiple trials he should be facing. Views my own.

In this episode, following up on the previous one, I'm joined by Spencer Morin Reynolds, who is an expert on third party movements and a veteran of the Forward Party. We discuss the impediments to minor parties in the US political system and why minor party Presidential campaigns at the moment are tilting at windmills, and how a what would be necessary for a third party to actually stand a chance in the US. Views our own.

In this episode, I discuss the impact of minor party presidential candidates in elections within the relatively unique American electoral system, and take a look at the minor party candidates playing spoiler in this particular election year. Views my own.

In this episode, I discuss the Israeli response to the large-scale attack on their territory by the Islamic Republic of Iran, the broader theory around escalation and deterrence. On the home front, I talk about excesses among and responses to the anti-Israel protests across US college campuses this past week, and some broader themes around how people protest. Views my own.

This episode, which should be seen as a spin-off of the last, discusses the patterns of mistakes made in the coverage of Israel's war in Gaza, and examines the consequences of those mistakes. Views my own.

As mentioned in the episode, linked here is a piece by Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at West Point John Spencer: https://www.newsweek.com/israel-has-created-new-standard-urban-warfare-why-will-no-one-admit-it-opinion-1883286

And here is The Atlantic piece by a former AP journalist describing the complex relationship between the press and NGOs in the Israel-Palestine conflict: https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2014/11/how-the-media-makes-the-israel-story/383262/

This episode takes apart the idea that the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the broader Israel-Palestine conflict can be broken down into "two sides," and discusses the alarming rise in antisemitism around the world. Views my own.

In this episode, we cover and analyze several more events that unfolded over the last week:

- The very different way in which Brazil is handling the aftermath of its version of January 6th

- The star-studded Biden campaign fundraiser last week in the context of the Democrats' very real need for a huge cash advantage in order to have a fair fight

- The Russian campaign to kidnap citizens of western countries to be used as bargaining chips in Russia's war against liberal democracy

- Donald Trump, Traveling Bible Salesman

Views my own

After the unplanned hiatus, I'm back with takes on several of the leading stories over the past week or so. In this episode, we discuss:

- The nonsense scandal around the prosecutor of Trump's election interference case in Georgia

- The broader issue of justice delayed when it comes Trump

- The ISIS attack in Russia, what it means, and some ties to the situation in the Middle East

- The spread of measles in the US as a result of anti-vaxxers

Views my own.