I attempt to explain the "complexities" of the Israel/Palestinian conflict on 3 levels: 1: The history. How did we get here? Does one side in fact share more of the blame? 2: The current geo-politics. How do the motives of Iran, Saudi Arabia, the US, et al factor into this conflict? 3: The US culture war. Progressive institutions, movements, and intellectuals have unmasked themselves, being suspiciously forgiving of the slaughter of innocent civilians. And people are noticing. Also, MLB...

I interview Richard Hanania on his recently released Best-Selling book "Origins of Woke: Civil Rights Law, Corporate America and the Triumph of Identity Politics". This book has been lauded by notable figures such Elon Musk, and criticized by the mainstream press with The Atlantic going so far as to call it "a Trojan Horse for White Supremacy". It appears to be an explanation for the Woke phenomenon focused around Civil Rights Law and its overreach. Listen and decide for yourself. On a...

Russell Brand is the target of sexual assault accusations & a vicious censorship campaign. While the charges appear serious, many suspect Brand is being targeted less for his bad behavior in the past, & more for his recent turn as an anti-Establishment media figure. What happens when a person is being rightly prosecuted but for the wrong reasons? Also, Emilie Hagen & Jennifer Carmody join me for a follow-up to our discussion on the House in Habit podcast about Bari Weiss' public...

The most interesting story nobody is talking about. El Salvadorian President Nayib Bukele has instituted a brutal gang crackdown imprisoning nearly 1% of the entire population over the past year (the equivalent of over 3 million people in the US). This war against the gangs has been brutal...and effective. El Salvador's murder rate has plummeted 94%(!) since 2015, when it was the most violent nation in the Western Hemisphere. President Bukele suspended many civil rights and essentially locks...

Hollywood is at a stand-still with both the actor's and writer's guilds striking simultaneously for the 1st time since 1960. What is the battle over? What does this portend for the future of media? Transgender Health Secretary Rachel/Richard Levine makes controversial statements about childhood puberty and puberty blockers. LA (and Illinois) have reinstated "Zero Bail" policies for some crimes - and can no long jail criminals before trial. Internet Personality Adam 22 celebrates his wife...

Meta releases Threads - the first true challenge to Twitter's supremacy as the "digital town square". What was the thinking behind Threads? Will it spell the end for Twitter? Who is using Threads so far and how? Jonah Hill's ex-girlfriend releases a batch of private texts supposedly showing him to be abusive and it's got the digital sphere talking. Another example of how we no longer know where to draw the line between Private & Public. NY Times publishes a hit piece suggesting Clarence...

"Diversity", "Equity", & "Inclusion" are seemingly separate principles. However, the terms have been lumped together, co-opted by an industry of professionals, and implanted bureaucratically in Corporate America. With expensive "DEI Consultants" renting themselves out to companies, and "DEI Executives" occupying lofty (and expensive) positions at major corporations, no one seemed to ever ask the question "Does any of this stuff actually work?". Conor Friedersdorf of The Atlantic has taken...

Originally intended to measure strict environmental impact, "Environment Social Governance" or "ESG" scores are now used by financial institutions to reward and punish companies based on their supposed ethics. But are these scores actually measuring the right things? When Phillip Morris earns an ESG score multiples of Tesla - despite making a product that is literally killing people - it appears safe to say that the scoring system is broken. Haley Kennington of Wrong Speak has been studying...

The battle against ISIS and Vladimir Putin's invasion of Crimea in 2014 woke up the American national security apparatus to the notion of "hybrid war" - the impact of social media activity on battlefield results.  Beginning with the election of Donald Trump in 2016, this national security apparatus was aimed away from external enemies and turned inwards against American citizens - any of those deemed to be engaging in "Disinformation".  "Disinformation" formerly meant to refer to false...

Special Counsel John Durham finally released his report documenting massive misconduct and lies by the FBI and security agencies in conducting the Trump Russia investigation. Sports Illustrated has turned the Swimsuit Edition Woke - which begs the question: Why do male oriented brands feel the need to scold and alienate their core audience? Elon Musk has hired a new CEO for Twitter - NBC Advertising Guru Linda Yaccarino. What does this mean for the platform and free speech? A House...

New York City's subways have returned to the urban chaos of the 80's and 90's, leading to an inevitable fatal incident of vigilante-ism. A Marine trying to restrain an unhinged homeless person who had been threatning passengers, with a fatal result.  What conditions led to this? Could it have been prevented? Was it a just result? What can be done to rectify it? Adam Coleman is a writer who has been pondering these questions. He has a unique perspective here, as he was formerly homeless...

After about a million false rumors of Donald Trump being arrested, one of the rumors finally came true. And the charges are pathetically weak - a flimsy attempt by Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg to flip a misdemeanor into a felony. On this episode I discuss: -The legal charges themselves and why there are baseless; a blatant example of prosecutorial misconduct and selective prosecution -The political fallout & why this helps Trump (hint: he thrives off attention, good or bad) -Manhattan DA...

Freddie DeBoer is one of my favorite writers and someone whose blunt yet thoughtful wisdom is sorely needed these days. Freddie joins me to discuss: The explosion in ADHD diagnosis and prescription drugs such as Aderral and Ritalin. How ADHD and other disorders have become "cultures" and "communities" that define people's identities The role of pharmaceutical companies and bureaucratic rewards incentivizing claims of ADHD and other disorders How "Safetyism" (the prioritization of...

Social commentary has become a lost art in movies and television, but recently 3 works were very deliberate in exploring the unique features of modern life: HBO mini-series White Lotus, and the films Tar & Triangle of Sadness.  My friend and comedian Leah Lamarr joins me to discuss these works and the social issues they comment on: - Shifting gender roles in modern relationships - do women want to be "equal partners"? - The unique dysfunctions of the rich & beautiful in the social...

World renowned health and fitness celebrity CHRISTINE BULLOCK shares the secrets of her 20+ years in the industry and along the way she welcomes some of the biggest names and best minds to share their techniques and ideas... all in an effort to help you Keep it Simply, Sexy! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Despite being both anonymous and controversial, Niccolo Soldo (not his real name) has built up one of the most popular pages on Substack and interviewed some of the leaders of media and industry. He joins me to discuss many of the wide ranging and fascinating topics he covers on his Substack: - "Turbo America": His contrarian theory that America is now actually more powerful than ever. - History of AIDS: Niccolo is one of the world's leading researchers on the history of AIDS, and recently...

Roy Price has always been 2 steps ahead in the media world. He was the 1st employee of Amazon Video and the Head of Amazon Studios as TV and Film consumption shifted to streaming platforms. Roy built Amazon's streaming and production resources seemingly from nothing - presiding over 12 productions that won Best Series at the Emmy's and Golden Globes.  Roy is sharing his insights and predictions for the media business on his Substack, Price Point, and joined me this week to discuss.  Learn...

Joe Biden delivered his 1st post-mid terms State of the Union. Does he benefit from our low expectations? How real are his (claimed) accomplishments? Are the Republicans botching a response? (some are, some aren't) Louis C.K., Dave Chappelle, Armie Hammer, & Salman Rushdie all back in the news this week. Has Cancel Culture faded? Was it real in the first place? Why or why not? Exploration of 2 great pieces on identity politics - 1 by Thomas Chatterton Williams and 1 by Andrew Sullivan....

By now we're all familiar with the Fyre Fest debacle and the man behind it all - Billy McFarland. Billy has paid his debt to society with 4 years in prison...but now has to pay his debt to Fyre Fest victims to the tune of $26 million (non-dischargeable!!!). Billy appears to be taking responsibility for his mishaps, and is saying all the right things. But he's had a habit of saying the right things and doing the wrong ones. Will his actions match his words this time and lead him down the Road...

In 2017 explosive claims dropped about NXIVM and its leader Keith Raniere. Lurid tales of sexual abuse, blackmail, financial impropriety, and even physical "branding" with hot irons.  The court system agreed and sentenced Raniere to 120 years in prison.  NXIVM member Nicki Clyne was front and center for it all. She claims the accusations against Raniere and NXIVM are predominantly false and obscured by media hysteria. She joins me to present her case and an insider's account of what really...

Marty Callner has directed the most iconic figures of the past 50 years - Madonna, the Rolling Stones, Cher, Brittney Spears, Aerosmith, Whitney Houston, Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, George Carlin....the list goes on and on.  The NY Times has called him "the most influential director you've never heard of" and that is quite the under-statement as Marty revolutionized THREE different entertainment mediums - music videos, comedy specials, and sports broadcasting.  Marty directed award winning...

4:00 - The ChatGPT app rocked the tech world just before the holidays, providing us a glimpse into the commercial capabilities of Artificial Intelligence. Former Twitter engineer and machine learning expert Nikolai Yakovenko joins us to break down this technology and its anticipated impact on our lives. 47:16 - Aaron Sibarium has been documenting the Woke takeover over critical institutions ranging from medicine and education to corporate American and finance...and even law. How the Culture...

To start off 2023, all anyone can talk about are the revelations from Prince Harry & his wife Meghan Markle....or how they're tired of hearing about them. Kinsey Schofield has researched the claims made by H & M and we put them under a microscope, and discuss how this saga speaks to larger issues in current media and culture.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

End of the year controversy and arrest for provocateur Andrew Tate. The popularity of online personalities like Tate and Jordan Peterson (for different reasons) expose a vacuum in healthy representations of masculinity, and serve as a broad canvas for Culture War paranoias/suspicions. 6:17 - Dan Holloway is an Army veteran and shrewd student of these dynamics, and he joins me to discuss.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Congress is about to vote on a $1.7 TRILLION Omnibus Spending Bill which is receiving lot of criticism. I analyze the Bill.  An investigation into CLEAR, the TSA, and the current state of the airport security experience.  Perry Rahbar defied tough market conditions and sold his Fin-Tech start-up DV01 this year. He joins us to discuss many entrepreneurial lessons learned and the global economy.  American birth and marriage rates are plummeting. A Special Guest joins to discuss the social...