According to journalist Andrew Cockburn in his latest book, The Spoils of War: Power, Profit and the American War Machine, our bloated $778 billion defense budget doesn’t necessarily provide for our safety. Cockburn, the Washington editor of Harper’s, has spent decades covering the Pentagon and defense industry and says money and power - not legitimate security concerns - is what drives our ballooning military budget. Our podcast conversation details how we got here. According to Cockburn,...

Routing the Taliban from Afghanistan was a successful exercise in brute force. But keeping them out - and helping the Afghans keep them out - was something that required skills not currently in America’s tool box. If anything, we proved the ultimate futility of endless violence. We succeeded at waging war, but we failed miserably at providing the conditions of a sustainable post-war state of peace.  THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN: An Effort to More Deeply Understand, is compiled from interviews that...

Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM: MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com   Visit FreeDonziger.com to learn more about Steven and his case.   Follow Steven Donziger on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sdonziger   Steven Donziger is a Harvard law school graduate who went to Ecuador in the 1990’s. He was traveling with a team of lawyers and doctors to view the horrific evidence that Texaco, an oil giant since bought by Chevron, had poisoned a huge swath of the Ecuadorian Amazon during oil...

REFLECTIONS ON AFGHANISTAN: A lecturer of conflict resolution at the American University in Afghanistan, Obaidulluh Baheer decided to stay in Kabul when many were trying to escape during the US evacuation. His family history made him feel he could have a unique role to play in helping the country make a palatable transition to Taliban rule.   Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM: https://mariannewilliamson.substack.com/   Subscribe to Marianne's TRANSFORM podcast:...

REFLECTIONS ON AFGHANISTAN: My guest for this episode of Conversations with Marianne is Joe Cirincione, a distinguished fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington DC. Previously Joe worked for the US House of Representatives on the Armed Services Committee and the Committee on Government Operations.   In our conversation we talk about Afghanistan, the military industrial complex, President Biden, Pakistan, China, and more. The only way we’re going to transform...

Subscribe to Marianne’s Substack, TRANSFORM: MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com In part 2 of Transforming Capitalism, we continue our examination of the ways in which modern American capitalism fails to adequately provide for the majority of Americans. We discuss some concrete policies that would ease the financial oppression that burdens so many of our citizens, and how a financially secure populace benefits us all. We hear about some hopeful signs that the tides might be turning against the...

Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM: MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com Subscribe to Marianne's TRANSFORM Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3mMKauu REFLECTIONS ON AFGHANISTAN: Having lived there originally in the 1970’s, Tom Freston was excited to go back again after the fall of the Taliban, this time as a successful American media executive who would play a major role in establishing Afghanistan’s first television and radio stations.  Freston talks with Marianne about his time spent living...

Williamson in discussion with Zainab Salbi. Salbi is founder of Women for Women International, a humanitarian organization that invests in rebuilding the lives of female victims of war. Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM: MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com Subscribe to Marianne's TRANSFORM Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3mMKauu Learn more about Zainab: http://zainabsalbi.com/ Learn more about Women For Women International: https://www.womenforwomen.org Follow Marianne on Social Media: ...

Williamson and Chayes discuss Chayes' article “The Ides of August,” about her experiences working as a reporter and special counsellor to the head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the war in Afghanistan. Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM: MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com Subscribe to Marianne's TRANSFORM Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3mMKauu Watch the full interview: https://youtu.be/6rPjZBNBPrY Learn more about Sarah: https://www.sarahchayes.org/ Read "The Ides of...

Williamson and Joseph discuss the economic and social systems prevailing in the world today and what is needed to heal society. Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM: MarianneWilliamson.Substack.com Subscribe to Marianne's TRANSFORM Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3mMKauu Learn more about Peter Joseph: https://www.peterjoseph.info Read Peter's Book: The New Human Rights Movement: Reinventing the Economy to End Oppression https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781942952657 

Economist and Professor Richard Wolff analyzes the deficiencies of modern capitalism, articulating the benefits of a socialist system and the road to a more equitable society. He promotes not a radical shift in economic system, but a gradual transformation involving a shift in consciousness from profits before people to people above all else. Listen to the full TRANSFORMING Capitalism Podcast: https://spoti.fi/3BjzGai Subscribe to Marianne's Substack, TRANSFORM:...

This edition of the TRANSFORM Podcast is Part One of our exploration of  modern American capitalism. Our current economic model serves a small group of people at the expense of the economic security of the vast majority of Americans. Why is that true and how can we change it? Our podcast presents a rundown of how the United States has historically attempted to balance public and private interests, and how we have arrived in our current moment of wealth inequality and rampant economic...

Coming Monday, August 23rd

John Adams said that he hoped that every July 4th, Americans would revisit its first principles. Those principles are found in the Declaration of Independence and today we celebrate the 245th anniversary of its signing.  I sat down with author and progressive radio host, Thom Hartmann, to discuss those first principles, how our democracy is being threatened and the steps needed to save it… Let this year’s July 4th celebration be mindful rather than mindless. What should we celebrate, and...

For Pride month, Marianne chose to highlight the issues transgender people face. Too many Americans don’t know someone who is trans…their journey, their experience, and the issues that they face. Very valuable insight comes from hearing their stories. Meet two fantastic transgender women, plus a mother now dealing with a child who is currently transitioning. Much to be aware of, and much to celebrate! Subscribe to The Marianne Williamson Podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/36qnqH4 ...

A giant in the fields of alternative medicine and spirituality, my friend of three decades, Deepak Chopra, joins me on today’s podcast. We dive into the state of the world today, the miracle of human existence, and how aging has led us both to reevaluate the way we approach our lives.  After the interview I take listener questions. Deepak’s Website: https://www.deepakchopra.com Follow Deepak on Instagram Follow Deepak on Twitter Subscribe to The Marianne Williamson Podcast Apple...

The recent conflict between Israel and Hamas has caused deep questioning and soul-searching. I sat down with JStreet’s Josh Lockman and Democracy for the Arab World Now’s (DAWN) Raed Jarrar to discuss how peace can be accomplished, and how changes in US policy can contribute to fundamental change. JStreet DAWN Follow Marianne on Social Media @MarWilliamson on Twitter Marianne's Facebook Page @MarWilliamson on Instagram Marianne Williamson's YouTube Channel 

Lana Shehadeh was on a Ph.D research trip in the West Bank when fighting broke out a couple weeks ago. No one can inform us of what’s going on in the Middle East like those who are actually living there. Lana was kind enough to take some time out of her day to share with me what life is like as a Palestinian-American mother living south of Ramallah. Follow Marianne on Social Media @MarWilliamson on Twitter @MarianneWilliamson on Instagram Marianne Williamson's Facebook page Marianne...

With rates of depression and anxiety rising — skyrocketing during the pandemic — we’re all looking for a quick fix.But a quick fix doesn’t get to the root of the problem as author Johann Hari details in his book, "Lost Connections: Why You’re Depressed and How to Find Hope."  Suffering from depression for most of his life, Hari set out to study why so many are struggling and what he came up with, his 9 causes of depression, is spot-on.  This is a topic that’s close to my heart - something...

One of the pioneers of the human potential movement (how many people wrote a book that John Lennon described as "the best book I ever read”?), author and futurist Jean Houston joins me to discuss a much needed shift in the orientation of our inner as well as outer lives. She has extraordinary insight into what she calls the Future Human. Jean Houston’s webpage https://www.jeanhouston.com Subscribe to The Marianne Williamson Podcast YouTube Channel:  https://bit.ly/3lEb6JT Apple Podcasts:...

Author Anne Applebaum has chronicled the rise of European right wing politics for more than two decades. Weaving history with current events, Anne stresses how fragile our democracy really is and the importance of staying vigilant against the threat of authoritarianism. Also she makes clear in this interview that just because Trump is out of office, that doesn’t mean the United States is in the clear.  Anne's Website: https://AnneApplebaum.com Follow Anne on Twitter:...

Anne Lamott is known for her insightful prose and deep spirituality. A best-selling author of more than 15 books, Anne’s advice is sought by readers worldwide. Her latest book “Dusk, Night, Dawn” doesn’t disappoint as it thoughtfully tackles issues of aging (growth), life, politics and faith. The famously progressive Annie and I go way back, and it was fun to have her join me to talk about her books, her family and how she survived the Trump years. She is as delightful and insightful as...

A doctor of functional medicine, Dr. Mark Hyman makes clear that healthy food choices are the best way to prevent and in many cases heal disease. But how can we make the best food choices when corporate forces too often conspire against our ability to do so? Hyman’s work dives into this topic head-on. I sat down with Mark this week to discuss the history of our food system and how current corruption is accelerating the threats of food-related chronic disease, climate change, poverty,...

Chani Nicholas is one of the most popular astrologers today, weaving social justice and politics into her weekly horoscopes. Her combination of astrological expertise and social and psychological insight has made her a huge hit on social media and for good reason. This week, Chani and I reflect on what the world is going through today, including the astrological aspects of the United States. Follow Chani on Social Media:Twitter: https://twitter.com/chaninicholasInstagram:...

Dr. Gabor Maté’s approach to working with patients suffering from addiction, stress and trauma has earned him worldwide praise. Maté, author of “In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts,” stresses that trauma is not what happened to you, but what happens inside you and when this is acknowledged the healing process can begin. In this interview, Gabor and I discuss the larger societal issues that are causing so many stressors, generational trauma, why we develop addictions and the importance of...