This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek once again speak with Mark Ames, co-host of Radio War Nerd, for an update on what’s going on in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. They talk about the internal dynamics in Putin and Zelinskyy’s respective administrations, Russia’s Kursk counteroffensive, media framing around Ukrainian victories vs. those of Russia, when western governments wil…

It’s not the good news, but Danny and Derek bring you, well, also not good news. This week: a Gaza ceasefire talks update (1:15) while the IDF kills American citizen Aysenur Ezgi Eygi (5:18); Iraq is negotiating a deal for the US to withdraw its forces (11:43); the US gives Egypt a full military aid allotment (13:47); in Sudan, new Rapid Support Forces (RSF) activity in the country’s south (15:22); the Pentagon is trying to reconstitute a presence in West Africa (16:29); in Russia-Ukraine,...

**This episode was originally recorded and released in September, 2021** Danny and Derek begin the episode with some reflections on their 9/11 experience. They then interview Jim Lobe, director of LobeLog and contributing editor at the Quincy Institute’s Responsible Statecraft, about the intellectual origins of the coalition that after 9/11 pursued endless war. The episode ends with a discussion with Laila Ujayli, associate editor at Inkstick Media, about growing up as a young Muslim in...

Danny and Derek called an emergency pod crossover with Chapo Trap House to break down the new Reagan film, where Dennis Quaid—supported by the likes of addled Hollywood heavy hitter Jon Voight and Creed crooner Scott Stapp—takes his stab at portraying the man who brought us “Morning in America”. Don’t forget: AP is moving to Supporting Cast! Read our announcement for details on what to do to keep your paid subscription going, or decide that you’d like to join us for the wild ride of American...

Danny and Derek speak with Jake Werner, acting director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute, about his recent brief, “A Program for Progressive China Policy.” They define the current state of US policy toward China before exploring the background of US-China alignment starting in the neoliberal turn, the fundamental misconception of what’s happening in China by American policymakers, and his progressive vision for the US’s policy towards China regarding issues of the economy,...

Danny and Derek speak with Jake Werner, acting director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute, about his recent brief, “A Program for Progressive China Policy.” They define the current state of US policy toward China before exploring the background of US-China alignment starting in the neoliberal turn, the fundamental misconception of what’s happening in China by American policymakers, and his progressive vision for the US’s policy towards China regarding issues of the economy,...

Danny and Derek speak with Jake Werner, acting director of the East Asia Program at the Quincy Institute, about his recent brief, “A Program for Progressive China Policy.” They define the current state of US policy toward China before exploring the background of US-China alignment starting in the neoliberal turn, the fundamental misconception of what’s happening in China by American policymakers, and his progressive vision for the US’s policy towards China regarding issues of the economy,...

Danny melts from the LA heat while Derek pukes from the DC elite, all while giving you the news. This week: in Palestine-Israel, several Israeli hostages in Gaza are killed (1:22), Netanyahu continues to block a ceasefire (7:17), and the IDF’s operation in the West Bank goes on over one week (10:57); Turkey applies to join BRICS (14:24); Myanmar’s junta might be making election preparations (16:36); the UN negotiates a central bank resolution for Libya (18:57); the Democratic Republic of the...

Danny melts from the LA heat while Derek pukes from the DC elite, all while giving you the news. This week: in Palestine-Israel, several Israeli hostages in Gaza are killed (1:22), Netanyahu continues to block a ceasefire (7:17), and the IDF’s operation in the West Bank goes on over one week (10:57); Turkey applies to join BRICS (14:24); Myanmar’s junta might be making election preparations (16:36); the UN negotiates a central bank resolution for Libya (18:57); the Democratic Republic of the...

Danny and Derek welcome back AP mega-guest Spencer Ackerman, author of the Forever Wars newsletter and soon-to-be-published issues of Marvel Comics’ Iron Man. The group explores Spencer’s inspiration to pursue more work in the world of comic books, writing for a character who is a defense contractor, bringing left-wing messaging into the medium, the sand box of Marvel Comics vs. the behemoth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, plus Spencer’s impressions on some major current events. NOTE: This...

Danny and Derek welcome back AP mega-guest Spencer Ackerman, author of the Forever Wars newsletter and soon-to-be-published issues of Marvel Comics’ Iron Man. The group explores Spencer’s inspiration to pursue more work in the world of comic books, writing for a character who is a defense contractor, bringing left-wing messaging into the medium, the sand box of Marvel Comics vs. the behemoth of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, plus Spencer’s impressions on some major current events. NOTE: This...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast television writer and producer Justin Boyd to talk about Oliver Stone’s 1991 epic JFK. They explore Justin’s own origins as a Dallasite, the place the film occupies within the film & television canon, whether a 3 1/2 hour, paranoid epic fueled by rage could be made today, its modernist features, claims of homophobi…

Let Danny and Derek’s labor guide you into the holiday weekend newly informed. This week: Israel and Hezbollah exchange fire (0:29), an IDF operation in the West Bank (8:31), in Gaza, the IDF attacks Deir al-Balah and shrinks more protected zones (11:06) while Palestinians in Gaza also struggle to obtain a polio vaccine amid an outbreak (14:07); Yemen’s Houthi/Ansar Allah forces allow the recovery of a damaged oil tanker (17:15); Jake Sullivan is in Beijing and meets with Xi (19:14); Sudan...

Danny and Derek speak with Séamus Malekafzali, a Beirut-based journalist focusing on the Middle East, about his recent piece for The Nation, “The Rotten Partnership Between the US Media and the Israeli Military.” They check in about the current atmosphere in Beirut amid exchanges between Israel and Hezbollah, the Biden administration and US media’s current narrative around Hamas and Iran, the violence Israel has inflicted on Palestinian journalists, the double standards of their portrayal in...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome John Washington, staff writer at Arizona Luminaria, to catch us up to date on the state of play in the United States’ policies toward the southern border and asylum. They explore the extremism in the Biden administration’s recent decisions, how the current policies continue a thread going back to the 90s’ “Prevention Through Dete…

The Prestigehead Convention at the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn has drawn a record crowd, but Danny and Derek still find time for your news roundup. This week: in Russia-Ukraine, an update on Ukraine’s Kursk invasion (0:29), reports of cancelled peace talks (3:57), and a continued Russian advance in Donbas (6:32); in Palestine-Israel, an update on Gaza ceasefire talks (9:34), the IDF is moving into the last Gaza “safe zones” (15:14), an Israeli strike kills a Fatah commander in Lebanon (17:04), and the...

AP champion Stephen Wertheim, senior fellow in the American Statecraft Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, returns for a discussion of his recent piece for Carnegie, “Strategic Change in U.S. Foreign Policy.” The group muses on the difficulty of altering established foreign policy paradigms before delving into several case studies such as NSC-68, Nixon's Vietnam Withdrawal, Carter's Failed Korea Withdrawal, NATO Enlargement, and the Global War on Terror, emphasizing the...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Fritz Bartel, assistant professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University, is back for one final episode on his book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism. They explore Paul Volcker's monetarism in the 70s and the ensuing sovereign debt crisis in the Global South and commu…

Danny and Derek are just two guys who, unfortunately, pay their taxes. This week: conditions in Gaza continue to worsen under Israel (1:14), “ceasefire talks” continue to amble along (7:58), the US again to send massive amounts of weapons to Israel (12:59), and the IDF is again reported to be using Palestinians as human shields (17:18); the US lifts its ban on “offensive weapons” sales to Saudi Arabia (19:57); new attacks on Myanmar’s Rohingya people (22:51); a surprise resignation from...

Danny and Derek are back with Matthew Guariglia, senior policy analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation and visiting scholar of history at Emory University, for the second part of their discussion on the history of policing in New York City. They delve further into the NYPD’s efforts at “ethnic policing,” exploring the Italian squads of the early 20th century, how tackling the Mafia anticipated modern-day police efforts at tackling transnational crime, how World War I challenged the idea...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.comWe return with Danny and Derek’s series on the end of the Cold War with Fritz Bartel, assistant professor at the Bush School of Government & Public Service at Texas A&M University. In this second episode, the group gets into the nitty gritty of Fritz’s book The Triumph of Broken Promises: The End of the Cold War and the Rise of Neoliberalism, discussing…

Once again, the Treacherous Two bring word from the world. This week: an update on the horror in Gaza (0:32), Hamas names Sinwar as overall leader (7:07), more ceasefire efforts (9:43), and the wait for a retaliation from Iran continues (13:44); protests in Bangladesh force Sheikh Hasina’s resignation (18:43); rebels in Myanmar make gains in Shan State (23:56); Mali and Niger cut diplomatic relations with Ukraine (25:39); the US withdrawal process continues in Niger (28:12); a Ukrainian...

Check out Danny and Derek’s recent appearance on the Michael & Us podcast talking about Barry Levinson’s 1997 satire Wag the Dog. In Barry Levinson and David Mamet's WAG THE DOG (1997), a political spin-doctor teams with a movie producer to fake a war and save an incumbent president. You've heard of manufacturing consent, but to what extent can Hollywood and Washington manufacture reality? Subscribe to Michael & Us! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit www.americanprestigepod.com Danny and Derek welcome to the podcast J.W. Mason, associate professor of economics at John Jay College and fellow at the Roosevelt Institute, to help us make sense of the last several days of volatility in global markets and whether it’s time to “crack each other’s heads open and feast on the goo inside.”