What’s one band you’re ALWAYS thinking about? We start asking some universal questions. Then, we take a pair of articles that again push the idea of Biden as a transformational progressive president and ask who are they for? Why do we keep getting these? Aren’t we all just eating ice cream? C’mon man. Finally, we turn to the federalist to learn about the “flyover women”.

Chapo Trap House

538 - 100% Gordon (7/5/21)

Subscribe today for access to all premium episodes!

www.patreon.com/chapotraphouse

541 Teaser - Bolsonaro Sick

This is the first episode of Chapo all-stars Derek Davison & Daniel Bessner’s new foreign policy podcast “American Prestige”. To get more, go here: http://patreon.com/americanprestige

In the premiere episode of American Prestige, Danny and Derek get into the US's withdrawal from Afghanistan. Did the military intentionally botch the withdrawal? Has the imperial frontier contracted in any meaningful way? Will the Taliban gain legitimacy with the Afghan people?

Plus, an in-depth interview with Stephen Wertheim, discussing his new book “Tomorrow, the World”, which explores how and why during World War II U.S. elites decided that their nation should, indeed must, dominate the world.

American Prestige: E1 - Ghosting Afghanistan w/ Stephen Wertheim

"America's 50 best cities to live in," reveals USA Today. "These rising U.S. cities could become the top places to live and work from home," reports CNBC. "The best U.S. cities to raise a family," lists MarketWatch.

Over and over again in American media we hear stories centered around ranking, judging and analyzing the rather vague concept of  a city. But who is being discussed when we talk about "cities"? How are "cities" a meaningful unit to understand a given space, especially in a country marked by runaway inequality and segregation?

When we’re told Johns Creek, Georgia, is the best city for "young people," or Carmel, Indiana, is the most "livable," whose lives and experiences are the media really talking about? Who is the audience for these reports about the best cities for families, for nightlife, for safety, for education, for happiness?

The criteria most U.S. corporate media uses centers a very particular constituent: Your average homeowner or prospective homeowner, usually white, upwardly mobile, namely, those who marketers, investors and real estate agents most want to reach.

Cities then, aren't deemed livable for their fair labor practices, but for their business-friendly policies. They're not worth moving to for their abundance of free public space in low-income neighborhoods, but for their charming boutiques and chic restaurants. They don't rank high for their strong rent-control laws, but for their ability to attract tech companies and they capture attention not for their excellent mental-health statistics, but for their "booming economies".

On this episode, we parse the ways in which media coverage of cities and urban living — often crafted by white professional-class writers for white professional-class audiences, and funded by faceless parent companies and corporate advertisers — centers the most powerful while ignoring the needs of the working class, the homeless, people with disabilities, and the vast majority of Black and brown residents.

Our guest is VOCAL-NY's Jawanza James Williams.

Episode 141: How "Most Livable Cities" Lists Center Upwardly Mobile White Professionals

Almost every so-called terror attack “foiled by the FBI” in the USA is fake—and the plot to kidnap Gretchen Whitmer was, too. We also talk snitches and bullshit.

Episode 170: Gretchen

In this recording of a Live Interview for Patrons from 7/22, we discuss the scheduled shock doctrine of global sporting events like FIFA and the Olympics and how they use the PR spectacle of sports––and the emotional blackmail of "supporting athletes"–– to enhance security states, displaced the poor, loosen environmental and labor restrictions, and, above all, serve the interests of large corporate advertisers and real estate developers. 

with guests Shireen Ahmed and Jules Boykoff.

Live Interview: How the ‘Pandemic Games’ Expose the Neoliberal Scam of Global Sporting Events

We welcome Anne and Jonny from NOlympics LA to talk about how much they hate the Olympics 

First NOlympics episode here: patreon.com/posts/episode-6-29250584

Episode 172: NOlympics 2

We're back with news from Ghislaine, Jeffrey and the rest of the creep show, plus: We discuss the dark underbelly of the “real” internet and look toward the 20th anniversary of 9/11.

Episode 174: Jestermaxx

We review Obama’s 60th Birthday Bash on Martha’s Vineyard, which we were all of course invited to. Then, we take a look at the ongoing “Havana Syndrome” phenomenon, in which U.S. intelligence operatives continue to report un-diagnosable symptoms supposedly generated by a non-existent superweapon. Finally, we take a look back at everyone’s early pandemic “cuomosexual” phase.

548 - Just Kids from New York (8/9/21)

This week we cover Cuomo, climate change, cops, and vaccine mandates

Subscribe to our Patreon: www.patreon.com/trillbillyworkersparty

Episode 211: Leaving Cop City

We start off discussing Jeopardy!, Tesla Bots, and how all these conservative radio hosts keep dying of COVID. Then we talk about Tony Blair crying about Afghanistan and step inside Tom Friedman’s mind palace to explore the Taliban’s strategic cousin and nephew reserves.