Kissinger's Bastards

I’d like to hear more detail on why we wouldn’t want to sound like ‘grayzone guys’. Ben Norton (no longer with Grayzone) has been saying that by strict definition Russias actions are not imperialist. Controversial for sure. But I am curious what your grievances are with Landis, Blumenthal, Rubenstein, Maté & Cohen are? If you object to their work you should be specific. You do realize your audience reads their work? You can’t just smear and walk away, there should be detail about which Grayzone guys and why. I’m a new subscriber so forgive me if I’m missing an episode where you did go into detail on the Grayzone.

Something doesn't sit quite right with me here. I get the impression you might be deeply uncomfortable about how you have primed your audience, now that the awaited conflict is happening. The first half of the episode......There seemed to be an urgent need to caveat everything and affirm "Putin evil", and awkwardly use the term "imperialism". It didn't come off as sincere. it came across as "Look I'm calling Putin imperialist so you can't criticize my earlier work". I'm fine with seeing this as a battle between two evil empires, but as much as it's evil to use and destroy a 'little crappy country' as a pawn, the Russian empire is making a defensive move in that framing. Even if its absolutely inexcusable for them to do this, framing it as an imperial conquest presupposes this would have happened even if the west didn't provoke it. If we're going to use that standard then we should clearly call out the expansion of NATO as also imperialism at every step. Which of course it is. The call-out of the Grayzone was gratuitous and unpleasant but I think it also speaks to the conflict that you might be feeling here. This whole situation sucks and the ukrainan nation is fucked. I pray it ends soon. This is a really critical comment but I love your show and I felt I heard a similar kind of anguish in your voices in how to process things. Anyway sorry if this is out of line.

Riley sounded really stressed out.

I’m so interested in what you are saying about the utter spiritual bankruptcy of western liberal democracies & capitalism broadly, perhaps because I’ve seen it (and felt it) in my own life. Do y’all have any further reading suggestions on this topic?

Good discussion, looking forward to the discussion on sanctions as that's such a huge factor here. Can y'all post a note when those Ukraine interviews are back? Been meaning to relisten with everything going on.

it’s kind of disturbing to hear you say, from one side of your mouth, that russia’s actions are unquestionably imperialist (not saying it’s good, saying that imperialism has a definition that russia does not meet) and then, from the other side, hear the way you talk about freeland and the rest of the west’s liberal fascism, the most deadly, imperialist ideology and force on the planet. we already went into their country, we already overthrew their government, we killed their people, starved their economy, retrained their military, empowered fascist nationalists, pumped arms and training into the country. “the end of history” doesn’t mean history didn’t happen, and a complete refusal to understand russia’s reasoning behind this, whether you agree or not, means that your analysis will be shallow at best, and laundering american global hegemony and terror for the left at worst. it sounds like you haven’t even read dan’s own party’s line on the war, much less held it, which is a massive disappointment, considering dan is one of the comparty’s most prominent and well-known members. i’m not trying to trash you guys or anything, hope you don’t take it that way. we agree on needing a diplomatic end to this conflict as soon as possible. but i fear that many western communists who think that this isn’t the same as america’s other imperial campaigns because it isn’t iraq or vietnam are forgetting the korean and kosovo wars, and these same communists will see themselves sheepdogged into defanged positions – not to say advocating war, but incapable of pushing the bounds what is compatible to capitalism, including historical and geopolitical narratives. parenti’s words and writing are more vital than ever right now.

Thank you. This is a great discussion and you guys have taken responsible position taken as regards calling for a peaceful solution. The only issue I have is the lack of mention as regards the sanctions, destabilization campaigns and other provocations Russia was dealing with before this conflict broke out and how they fed into the decision to invade. The Russian Government position seems to be that, regardless of the outcome of what happens with the war, the goal of the U.S. and West in general is to install a friendly or puppet regime and break up the country. This attitude appears to be shared by the majority of the Russian population who do not share the liberal outlook of those in the upper class.