OK Talks

Yet again the global economy is at risk due 100 percent to the shameless and nihilistic political gamesmanship of the American Republican Party. A default on America's debt would be catastrophic, but a bunch of them seem legitimately excited about it. In this episode I explore what the debt ceiling is, where it came from, what damage blowing through it could cause, and what could be done about it. Views my own.

Turkey holds its first round of elections in less than a week - elections that represent the last best chance to stop the authoritarian backslide personified by the country's Sultan-wannabe President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. I share a bit of background as to the damage Erdogan has done, and am joined by Gökhan Dilek to discuss the upcoming elections. Views very much our own.

In the last 24 hours, Tucker Carlson, the most dangerous purveyor of conspiracy theories, xenophobia, white supremacy, and pro-Russia propaganda at a network full of dangerous purveyors of those things, was pushed out of Fox News, and then Joe Biden, easily the most effective American president since 1968, officially announced he's running for reelection. I explain why both things matter, and both are very good for fans of American democracy and liberal western civilization.

In this episode I'm joined by Omri Lavi, an Israeli pro-democracy activist and Major in the IDF Intelligence Corps reserves, to discuss the massive protests in Israel responding to the brazen attack on democracy in that country by the most dangerously rightwing government in the history of the Jewish state. Views very much our own.

Multiple sources are reporting that Donald Trump is quite possibly for the first time in his life going to be held accountable for breaking the law. I discuss why it is so important that this coming indictment be the first of many, and that subsequent ones follow quickly. Views very much my own.

In this episode, I'm joined by Edgar Lopez to discuss, well, wtf is happening in Mexico around that country's President's attempts to "reform" the institution that protects free and fair elections there. Views very much our own.

Peru has had a turbulent few years politically - over the last few years, that country has produced more Presidents than Disney has produced Marvel movies. I'm joined in this episode I'm joined by Peruvian former journalist Darwin Cruz to discuss the chaos and protests that have dominated Peru since the failed auto-coup carried out by former Peruvian President Pedro Castillo in December. Views very much our own.

A year into Putin's three-day "special military operation" to subjugate the free people of Ukraine, we have to ask ourselves... is Russia just bad at this? In this episode, I reflect on implications of a year of Russia's vicious and unjustifiable full-scale invasion of its democratic neighbor. Views very much my own.

Those who follow American politics snicker at Kevin McCarthy (even now that he has managed to cobble together the ricketiest of coalitions to allow him to achieve his goal of being Speaker of the House). Those who follow American politics less closely don't know who he is, but are starting to hear his name. In this episode, I explain a bit about who Kevin McCarthy is, and why you should probably be laughing at him. Views very much my own.

After years of being a Democratic Senator in little more than name, Kyrsten Sinema has decided to drop the name part as well.

Who is Kyrsten Sinema? What has she been doing as a (as of a few hours ago, former) Democratic Senator? What will her leaving the party mean for the balance of power in the US? I discuss all this and a bit more in this (poorly timed – wish she hadn’t picked a Friday/hope my audience has nothing better to do on a Saturday) episode.