The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.

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On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Joe Howley on how Israel’s war in Gaza is coming to the home front. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Columbia University and the New Student antiwar movement

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Writing in The Nation, David Klion <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/biden-foreign-policy-internationalists/" rel="nofollow">recently reviewed</a> Alexander Ward’s new book on Biden’s foreign policy, which offers a redemption arc whereby an administration wounded by the botched exit from Afghanistan made good by its handling of the Ukraine invasion.But as Klion notes, the two year frame of the book is too narrow. In conversation on this podcast, David and I contextualize Biden’s foreign policy, which is deeply unpopular and flawed, in the larger history of hawkish liberalism. We look at the attempt to revive a style of military Keynesianism and at Biden’s deep investment in Zionism, as well as the contradictions on issues of human rights that are hampering Biden’s presidency.During the discussion, I alluded to this excellent Mother Jones <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/12/how-joe-biden-became-americas-top-israel-hawk/" rel="nofollow">article by Noah Lanard on Biden and Israel</a>.  Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Where Did Biden’s Foreign Policy Go Wrong?

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On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Daniel Bessner on Larry David. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Larry David Was The Last Man

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In the last few weeks, Hollywood has given us <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drive-Away_Dolls" rel="nofollow">Drive-Away Dolls</a> (directed by Ethan Coen, who also co-wrote it in collaboration with Tricia Cooke) and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Love_Lies_Bleeding_(2024_film)" rel="nofollow">Live Lies Bleeding</a> (directed by Rose Glass who co-wrote it with Weronika Tofilska). Although very different in tone, the two movies have some striking commonalities, both are set in the late 20th century and take familiar genres (the buddy road comedy, the erotic thriller) while featuring lesbian lead characters.To talk about this trend, I spoke to Moira Donegan, a frequent guest of the podcast, who sees the movies as evidence of “the lesbian plot” becoming Hollywood fare. She locates both films as exercises in nostalgia in a period when actual lesbian culture is rapidly changing. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Hollywood’s New Lesbian Plot

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Donald Trump recently hosted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, praising the would be autocrat to the skies as “fantastic” and “a boss.” Of course Trump’s love of autocrats is nothing new. Jacob Heilbrunn has written a valuable new book, <a href="https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324094661" rel="nofollow">America Last: The Right’s Century-Long Romance with Foreign Dictators</a>, that places Trump’s love of dictators in a larger historical context. I wrote about the book in <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/society/trump-dictator-fetish-heilbrunn/" rel="nofollow">this column</a>, where I summarize his arguments and take issue with a few of his claims.I was happy to talk to Jacob both about his findings and also places where we disagree. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Roots of Trump’s Dictator Fetish

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Steven D. Levitt, best known for co-writing the bestselling 2005 book <a href="https://freakonomics.com/books/#freakonomics" rel="nofollow">Freakonomics</a>, is retiring from the University of Chicago with a bang. On the Capitalism and Freedom podcast, Levitt <a href="https://newbooksnetwork.com/stevendlevitt" rel="nofollow">gave a farewell interview</a> where he detailed many internecine feuds in the discipline and examples of toxic abuse, with particular focus on his long-time colleague and nemesis <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Heckman" rel="nofollow">James Heckman</a>. The <a href="https://marshallsteinbaum.org/" rel="nofollow">economist Marshall Steinbaum,</a> a University of Chicago graduate who now teaches at the University of Utah, returns to the Time of Monsters to elucidate not just the Levitt/Heckman spat but also the question of why economics is a notoriously toxic discipline, how economics has changed over the decades rendering both Levitt and Heckman anachronistic, and the recent backlash against anti-racist politics in the discipline. To supplement the article, listeners can read: Noah Scheiber’s 2007 <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/62561/freaks-geeks" rel="nofollow">article on the intellectual origins</a> of Freakonomics, Marshall Steinbaum’s  2020 <a href="https://steinbaum.blogspot.com/2020/06/some-thoughts-on-harald-uhlig-etc.html" rel="nofollow">post about racism</a> in the University of Chicago economic department, and a recent Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2024-03-15/ejmr-economics-forum-posts-unmask-field-s-racism-and-sexism" rel="nofollow">story on racism and sexism in economics</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Farewell to Freakonomics

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On this episode of The Time of Monsters, David Klion and Jeet Heer on Dune: Part Two, the science fiction epic with real world echoes. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

“Dune” and the Allegories of Empire

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The mathematician Chandler Davis, who died in 2002 at age 96, was one of the notable victims of the second Red Scare. In 1960, Davis was sentenced to six months in prison for refusing to answer questions about his membership in the Communist Party. Davis’s lawyers defended him with the innovative legal argument that the First Amendment barred such questioning. While Davis lost in the courts, his legal battles were still an important effort in a larger battle to extend the parameters on political speech. Davis’s story is told in a new book, <a href="https://monthlyreview.org/product/the-prosecution-of-professor-chandler-davis/" rel="nofollow">The Prosecution of Professor Chandler Davis</a> by Steve Batterson. Siobhan Robert’s <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/chandler-davis-obituary/" rel="nofollow">obituary for Davis</a> ran in The Nation.On this episode of The Time of Monsters, I talked to journalist Doug Bell, who knew Chandler Davis, about this book and Davis’s larger place in history. We take up the history of anti-communism and how it has limited free speech, the legal philosophy of Alexander Meiklejohn, and the reactionary Supreme Court&#39;s use of the First Amendment to expand corporate power.   Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

From McCarthyism to Citizens United

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On this episode of The Time of Monsters, a discussion with Adam Johnson on the Democrats&#39; failed border policy. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Democrats Embrace the Right on Immigration

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On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Moira Donegan on Joe Biden’s need to embrace pro-choice politics. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Abortion Battle Needs A Fighting President

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Gaza, under siege and bombardment from Israel, remains ground zero for violence in the Middle East, sending shock waves through the region. The Gaza onslaught is provoking a series of escalating wars with the United States and Israel on one side against Iran and its allies and proxies on the other. Fighting of various degrees of intensity has broken out in Yemen, the Red Sea, Lebanon, Iraq, and Syria as well as the borders of Israel, among other places.This week, I speak with Trita Parsi, <a href="https://quincyinst.org/author/trita-parsi/" rel="nofollow">vice president and co-founder of The Quincy Institute,</a> about the cascading violence in the region. We also take up the Biden administration’s decision to double down on its push for a Saudi/Israeli alliance, a program that could itself deepen the violence. As an alternative, we consider the possibility of other great powers taking over the job of negotiating a settlement to the regions problems. Trita has <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/israel-hamas-hezbollah-iran/" rel="nofollow">written on these issues</a> in many venues, including The Nation. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Dangers of a Wider War In The Middle East

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On this episode of The Time of Monsters, I talked to Yousef Munayyer, a Palestinian-American analyst who <a href="https://arabcenterdc.org/team/yousef-munayyer/" rel="nofollow">heads the Palestine/Israel Program</a> at the Arab Center in Washington, DC. He offered an informed perspective on the ideological origins of the bear hug strategy and how it has manifestly failed in its stated goal of trying to restrain Israel from excessive violence. We also discuss the way Biden’s strategy is bad for American national interest and hurts Biden’s re-election chances. We also take up the repression of free speech as a result of the conflict. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Biden’s Bear Hug Disaster

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This week, I talked with Matt Duss, executive vice president of the Center for International Policy, about the recent death of Henry Kissinger and how the violence in Israel/Palestine could realistic give way to diplomatic solutions.﻿ Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Kissinger’s Corruption and Palestinian Solutions`

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For this week&#39;s episode of The Time of Monsters, I’m doing <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/kennedy-w-jeet-93078739?token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJyZWRpc19rZXkiOiJpYTI6ZDMyYmQ3OGYtNjJlZS00MWIyLTkwZWEtY2NjZDk2ZTdmNDViIiwicG9zdF9pZCI6OTMwNzg3MzksInBhdHJvbl9pZCI6NTEzNzAwNzR9.bgW1Fc1y4qFkbIXgyfQjWcWAiCkTEIG_Ks6ZHJ6SjPA&utm_campaign=patron_engagement&utm_medium=post_notification_email&utm_source=post_link" rel="nofollow">a joint podcast with the crew from Know York Enemy</a> (Sam Adler-Bell and Matt Sitman) talking about the legacy of the Kennedy family. Our talk is based on our shared love for Garry Wills’ The Kennedy Imprisonment, a revelatory book about not just the Kennedy family but the nature of &#39;great man politics.&#39; Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Garry Wills and the Real Kennedy Curse

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On Wednesday, Alex Sammon <a href="https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2023/11/squad-primary-battle-israel-gaza-pacs.html" rel="nofollow">reported</a> in Slate that “one of the biggest, bitterest, and most expensive political battles of the 2024 election cycle has emerged: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], one of the most powerful, best-funded influence operations in Washington, is planning to go all out to knock the famed “Squad”—the small group of highly visible and popular progressive legislators of color, most of them women—out of office.”AIPAC is planning on spending more than $100 million to push the Democratic party to the right. Given AIPAC’s successful track record, this is a genuine threat. For this episode of the podcast, Alex and I sat down to talk about this development, the way the current Israel-Palestine conflict is sending political shockwaves in America, and the Democratic party’s selective defense of incumbents. We also discuss the fact that Israel’s war is increasingly unpopular and facing mass opposition— a fact that could undermine AIPAC’s agenda. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

AIPAC Versus the Squad

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The news from the Middle East remains bleak, with the Israeli response to the Hamas massacre leading to more than 10,000 deaths, mainly of civilians. Most people regard the unfolding news with horror, but there is a subset of people who are not hiding the fact they are thrilled. A subset of evangelicals known as Pentecostals see the news as proof that the long awaited apocalypse, which will herald the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, is at hand. They are strongly pro-Israel because they believe that the return of the Jews to the holy land, to be followed by their mass conversion to Christianity, is a necessary fulfillment of God’s plan.My Nation colleague, Chris Lehmann wrote about this influential religious faction <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/american-evangelicals-israel-gaza/" rel="nofollow">in a recent column</a>. On this episode of the podcast, Chris and I discuss Pentecostal beliefs about the Middle East, the Cold War, Trumpism, the prosperity gospel and the Americanization of the faith.We also talk about alternative Christian traditions that don’t hunker after Armageddon but work for peace. An <a href="https://www.thenation.com/podcast/society/tom-posner-robertson/" rel="nofollow">earlier conversation</a> I had with Sarah Posner took up the history of the religious right and is a good companion for this podcast. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Religious Right Is Loving the Middle East Apocalypse

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Martin Scorsese’s masterful new movie, Killers of the Flower Moon strikes out to new territory for the famed director. It’s his first foray into the American West (although set a generation after the traditional western and overturning many of the conventions of the genre).The film also explores many of his familiar themes: toxic masculinity, domestic violence, gangs, criminal conspiracies, spirituality and the limits of the law. On this episode of The Time of Monsters, I am joined by David Klion to talk about this fascinating movie. David wrote about the movie <a href="https://newrepublic.com/article/175073/killers-flower-moon-groundbreaking-achievement-martin-scorsese-review" rel="nofollow">for The New Republic</a> and my review appeared <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/culture/flower-moon-racism-domestic-violence-scorcese/" rel="nofollow">here</a>. In the course of the discussion, I mentioned a novel about the Osage murders recommended by Lily Gladstone. The novel is Charles Red Corn’s <a href="https://birchbarkbooks.com/products/a-pipe-for-february" rel="nofollow">A Pipe for February</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

Scorsese’s Indigenous Epic

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Last month, the Canadian parliament embarrassed itself during an official visit by Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Zelensky when the entire legislative body gave a standing ovation to a veteran of the Waffen SS, the paramilitary wing of the Nazi movement. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau later apologized for incident. To understand what happened, it’s important to realize that Canada, like other Western nations, has a long history of sheltering Nazi war criminals. This was not a matter of negligence but official policy. During the Cold War, these hardened Nazi criminals were seen as valuable allies against the Soviet Union. This policy is all the more shameful because during World War II, the vast majority of Ukrainians who took up arms did so in the Red Army against Nazism.Lev Golinkin, a Ukrainian-American reporter, has been doing excellent work for <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20231011204216/https:/forward.com/news/563068/canadian-government-has-given-2-million-to-ukrainian-canadian-groups-that-celebrate-nazi-collaborators/" rel="nofollow">The Forward</a> and <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/canada-nazi-monuments-antisemitism/" rel="nofollow">The Nation</a> bringing this shameful history to light. On this episode of The Time of Monsters, I sat down with Lev to talk about the long history of Canada’s hospitality to Nazi war criminals. In the podcast, he references <a href="https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn1002627" rel="nofollow">this enlightening video</a>. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

How Canada Became a Nazi Haven

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The Hamas massacres that started last Saturday and the ensuing retaliation by the Israel government deserve both a moral witness and policy analysis. On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Spencer Ackerman, Nation contributor who <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/world/israel-us-saudi-arabia-deal-palestine-gaza/" rel="nofollow">wrote about the events here,</a> provides both.In a searing and informed conversation, he places front and center the human worth of all the innocent victims. He also places the event in the framework of the bipartisan Abraham Accords, supported by Donald Trump and Joe Biden alike, which elevated alliances between authoritarian states at the expense of human rights. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The Moral and Policy Catastrophe in Israel/Palestine

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A government shutdown has been temporarily avoided, but congress remains a mess. Kevin McCarthy has been <a href="https://www.thenation.com/article/politics/kevin-mccarthy-gaetz/" rel="nofollow">ousted</a> from his position as House Speaker. The hand-shake deal he made over Ukraine funding is now in doubt and the prospect of another shutdown drama looms, bringing with it the real danger of a prolonged government closure.Chris Lehmann, D.C. Bureau Chief for The Nation joins the program to look at the deep history of the GOP’s persistent proclivity for empowering extremists in congress. Special emphasis is given to Newt Gingrich and the Tea Party. <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2023/10/05/mcarthy-tea-party-theda-skocpol-00120009" rel="nofollow">This Politco interview</a> with the sociologist Theda Skocpol is also discussed. Advertising Inquiries: <a href='https://redcircle.com/brands'>https://redcircle.com/brands</a> Privacy & Opt-Out: <a href='https://redcircle.com/privacy'>https://redcircle.com/privacy</a>

The GOP Congressional Clown Show

The Time of Monsters podcast features Nation national-affairs correspondent Jeet Heer’s signature blend of political culture and cultural politics. Each week, he’ll host in-depth conversations with urgent voices on the most pressing issues of our time.