Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

THIS EPISODE CONTAINS A SPECIAL INTROUDCTION BY J.G. SHARING HIS THOUGHTS ON ORI GOLDBERG (RIP) AND IS FOLLOWED BY TWO INTERVIEWS: THE FIRST ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON 07-28-24 AND THE SECOND RELEASED ORIGINALLY RELEASED ON 04-08-25.

I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Ori Goldberg, one of my most thoughtful yet incisive guests on the topic of Israel. Although many knew him just an as Israeli dissident, I considered Ori a friend and always loved talking with him. He always went out of his way to promote my show and spoke so honestly with me both on-air and off-air. The last time we spoke I talked with him a little bit off-air about his illness. I didn't want to believe Ori was going to pass, but I had a bad feeling even before that last time we spoke. Its why I tried to have him on so often. He was just a font of analysis and commentary. He often spoke in an almost poetic way, while also being down-to-earth. And again, so open about both himself and his perceptions of Israel, life, and facing death. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone else like him. He was something special.

In his memory I'll be reposting his interviews on Parallax Views throughout the week. A bit shook by this passing. Although it was known that Ori was ill, his passing is a great loss. Here's to you Ori.

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07-28-24 Episode Synopsis:

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israel commentator Ori Goldberg joins me from Tel Aviv to discuss the rocket that hit a soccer field in the Druze village of Majdal Shams within the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Israel has blamed the attacked on a Hezbollah strike. Hezbollah denied being behind the attack. Speculation arose that it was actually due to a malfunction of Israel's Iron Dome. That said, there is evidence that this was likely a Hezbollah rocket. In any case, 12 Druze children perished due to the rocket. At the funeral for the dead children, members of the Druze community protested the presence of Israeli ministers. Meanwhile, a number of Israelis are turning "We Are All Druze Now" into a slogan as fears of a full-blown war between Israel and Hezbollah grow.

Ori offers his thoughts on the incident, and makes the case that the deaths of the Druze children was likely accidental based on Hezbollah past history and concerns that any false move could start a war. He DOES NOT deny that Hezbollah conducted strikes. Nor does he seek to deny the tragedy of children being killed. Additionally, he questions/challenges the conspiracy theories arising that this was an Israeli false flag and gives his reasons for believing this is not the case. With that in mind, he cautions against drawing any firm conclusions about whether this was a mistake or intentional until there is further investigation. Ori also argues that this will not lead to a war between Israel and Hezbollah because, in his analysis, neither the IDF or Hezbollah want a full-blown war at this time.

In addition to all of this we'll also discuss the death of Mohammad Bhar, a young Palestinian man afflicted with autism and Down syndrome who was mauled by an Israel Defense Forces attack dog and bled out in the aftermath. Moreover, we will discuss the Israeli psyche at this moment, the situation of the Bedouin and Druze minorities in Israel and discrimination against them, the Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People that was passed by the Israeli Knesset in 2018, why Ori believes the Gaza war is slouching towards an inevitable close/end, Benjamin Netanyahu's speech to U.S. congress, post-war Gaza and "The Day After", Netanyahu announcing the he's "postponing" the departure of sick children from Gaza who need life-saving therapy because of the Majdal Shams indecent, the blowing up of Rafah's water reservoir, Israeli hopes of introducing "de-radicalization" into Gazan education post-war, and much, much more.

04-08-25 Episode Synopsis:

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli commentator Ori Goldberg returns to the show to discuss the latest development in Gaza and Israel. This conversation came about due to the horrific stories coming of the southern Gaza city Rafah and touches upon that as well as the political turmoil currently bubbling to a fever pitch in Israel. J.G. specifically reached out to interview Ori in the hopes of trying to make sense of what is happening on the ground. Abstractions are often attendant to discussions of Israel/Palestine, but the human cost cannot be forgotten. That is what led to this discussion, and it proved difficult on some level due to the intense nature of the horrors we've seen in the past year and a half whether it be the events of October 7th or the scenes coming out of Rafah. Ori's approach is highly reflective in nature and as such has a certain unique quality. Whether you agree or disagree with Ori's thinking, this is hopefully going to be a powerful discussion.

I'm deeply saddened by the passing of Ori Goldberg, one of my most thoughtful yet incisive guests on the topic of Israel. Although many knew him just an as Israeli dissident, I considered Ori a friend and always loved talking with him. He always went out of his way to promote my show and spoke so honestly with me both on-air and off-air. The last time we spoke I talked with him a little bit off-air about his illness. I didn't want to believe Ori was going to pass, but I had a bad feeling even before that last time we spoke. Its why I tried to have him on so often. He was just a font of analysis and commentary. He often spoke in an almost poetic way, while also being down-to-earth. And again, so open about both himself and his perceptions of Israel, life, and facing death. I'm not sure I've ever met anyone else like him. He was something special.

In his memory I'll be reposting his interview on Parallax Views throughout the week. A bit shook by this passing. Although it was known that Ori was ill, his passing is a great loss. Here's to you Ori.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli commentator Ori Goldberg, who has become well-known since the Gaza war began for his criticisms of Netanyahu and the state, or mindset, of Israeli society since October 7th. In a previous life he was a Middle East scholar who specialized in studying Iran. We start the conversation off with that as Ori gives his thoughts on the death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and comments on the adaptability of the Islamic Republic in face of crisis.

From there we shift to a conversation about the state of Israeli society today. Before October 7th much was made about the internal divisions in Israeli political life that has been summed up as a battle between a secular state of Israel vs. a religious state of Judea embodied by the far-right coalition created by Benjamin Netanyahu. Then the Hamas attack of October 7th happened. And in Ori's estimation it has led to a surfacing of something almost mythical in regard to the Israeli identity. In the course of our conversation Ori attempts to articulate the mindset that and structural make-up of Israeli society and the Israeli psyche. This leads us to a discussion of supremacist beliefs in Israeli society and how Israel sees itself in relation to the world. He argues that his country must go through a reckoning and transformation for a viable future. But he does not argue this from the frame of a mundane political analysis. Rather he seeks to offer what he believes is an intimate and intense portrait of Israel at this moment. Ori will also offer his thoughts on the dehumanization of Palestinians in Israel and how the process dehumanization degrades and dehumanizes even the perpetrator of it. Finally he comments on his statement that, in Israel, "Palestinian blood has become cheaper than air." Ori paints a grim picture of where Israel is at as a society, but maintains that he is optimistic about change and transformation.

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NOTE: I was not able to work with my usual microphone on this one, so please bear in mind audio on my end may sound a bit odd but hopefully not too distracting.

On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Allison Butler, author of The Judgment of Gender: How Women Are Centered and Silenced in Pop Culture, for a conversation about the ways in which popular culture frames, judges, and often silences women. From the public spectacles surrounding Tonya Harding and Lorena Bobbitt to the broader cultural treatment of women who speak out, challenge expectations, or find themselves at the center of controversy, Butler examines how gender shapes the stories we tell about women and the ways audiences are encouraged to perceive them.

The conversation also raises questions that remain urgently relevant amid contemporary cases involving sexual violence, including the Cornell 7 case and the recent sexual assault allegations reported by congressional candidate Bernadette Greene-Placentia. How do media narratives shape public perceptions of victims, perpetrators, and accountability? Why are women so often scrutinized for their behavior while the broader social dynamics surrounding violence and misogyny receive less attention? And what can critical media literacy teach us about questioning the narratives presented to us by popular culture?

Drawing on her work in media literacy, Butler invites us to look beyond familiar headlines and celebrity controversies to consider how women are simultaneously placed at the center of public attention and denied the ability to control their own stories.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Kurt Avery, founder and president of Sawyer Products, about the growing threat of mosquito-borne illnesses, tick-borne disease, and the practical ways people can protect themselves and their families.

With dengue appearing in Florida and West Nile virus being reported across the United States, why do mosquito-borne illnesses often seem to surge later in the year? Avery explains what he calls the “inverse pyramid,” in which mosquito-borne infections can build throughout the warmer months as more infected people provide opportunities for mosquitoes to spread disease.

Avery breaks down the differences between dengue and West Nile, how mosquitoes transmit these illnesses, why standing water in something as small as a flower pot or birdbath can become a breeding ground, and why avoiding mosquito exposure at dawn and dusk can make a difference.

We also get into one of the most interesting aspects of mosquito prevention: permethrin-treated clothing. Avery explains how permethrin works, why he considers it a first line of defense, how long treatment can remain effective, and why treated clothing can be especially useful for children, hikers, hunters, gardeners, and anyone spending time outdoors. He also discusses picaridin as an alternative to DEET and explains why Sawyer has increasingly focused on what he calls “the two Ps,” permethrin and picaridin.

But mosquitoes aren't the only problem. Avery argues that ticks may pose an even greater threat, discusses the diseases they can transmit, and offers practical advice for reducing exposure, including treating shoes and socks with permethrin.

J.G. Michael also asks Avery about an important ecological question: how should communities control disease-carrying insects without creating unintended environmental consequences? Avery discusses the problems he sees with indiscriminate mosquito spraying, including the possibility of selecting for more resistant mosquito populations, and explains why his approach emphasizes repelling insects rather than simply trying to kill them.

The conversation then takes a much broader turn. Avery discusses Sawyer's work providing inexpensive water filtration systems in communities around the world, the relationship between clean water, nutrition, and malaria, and the company's efforts to use permethrin-treated baby wraps and other interventions to reduce malaria among children.

Avery describes what he calls the “30-cent solution” to the global water crisis and argues that relatively small investments in water filtration and disease prevention could dramatically improve health and economic conditions in developing countries.

It's a wide-ranging conversation about mosquitoes, dengue, West Nile virus, ticks, insect repellents, public health, environmental concerns, malaria, clean water, and the surprisingly simple technologies that Avery believes can save lives.

If you're in Florida or another part of the country dealing with mosquitoes and ticks, there's plenty of practical information here. But the discussion ultimately raises a much bigger question: how much human suffering could be prevented if we focused more resources on inexpensive prevention rather than treating disease after the fact?

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Charlotte Dennett joins us to discuss the geopolitics of oil, natural gas, pipelines, and the ongoing conflicts across the Middle East.

Charlotte Dennett is the author of Follow the Pipelines: Uncovering the Mystery of a Lost Spy and the Deadly Politics of the Great Game for Oil. Drawing on her research into the history of Middle Eastern oil politics and the mysterious death of her father, U.S. counterintelligence agent Daniel Dennett, Charlotte argues that energy resources and pipeline routes are essential to understanding conflicts that are often explained primarily through security, terrorism, ideology, or geopolitics.

We begin with the war with Iran and Charlotte's argument that the country's enormous oil reserves are an overlooked factor in understanding U.S. policy toward Tehran. We discuss the 1953 CIA-backed overthrow of Iranian Prime Minister Mohammad Mosaddegh following his nationalization of Iran's oil industry, the history of U.S. and British intervention in the Middle East, and the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz.

From there, we examine the war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia's interest in alternative oil routes that could bypass the Strait of Hormuz, and the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC). Charlotte discusses her argument that the development of new energy and trade corridors is crucial to understanding the strategic importance of Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and the eastern Mediterranean.

We also discuss the war in Gaza and Charlotte's controversial argument that energy resources and proposed pipeline routes are part of the geopolitical calculations surrounding the destruction and depopulation of Gaza and southern Lebanon. Charlotte lays out her interpretation of the offshore oil and natural-gas reserves in the eastern Mediterranean and the potential strategic importance of Haifa as an energy hub.

The conversation then turns to October 7, Netanyahu, and Charlotte's argument that Israeli officials may have deliberately allowed the attack to occur or subsequently exploited the attack as a pretext for a much larger campaign in Gaza. We also discuss the historical relationship between oil politics and Israel, including the Iraq-Haifa pipeline and the Balfour Declaration.

Charlotte also recounts her decades-long investigation into the death of her father, Daniel Dennett, who was killed in a 1947 plane crash while working on Middle Eastern and African intelligence and oil-related matters. She explains why she believes the crash may have been sabotage and how researching his death led her to what she calls the "Great Game for Oil."

Other topics include the Iraq War and 9/11, the trans-Arabian pipeline, Keystone XL, the growing energy demands of AI data centers, Trump and Big Oil, the Israel lobby, the attempted murder of three Palestinian students in Vermont, and Charlotte's concerns about the future of American democracy.

This is a wide-ranging conversation about oil, pipelines, intelligence, war, Israel, Iran, Gaza, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the often-overlooked material interests that Charlotte argues sit behind Middle Eastern geopolitics.

Follow Charlotte Dennett's work at her Substack, Who Benefits? Cui Bono?, and check out her book Follow the Pipelines.

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PRODUCER'S CREDITS SECTION AT THE END OF THE SHOW HAS BEEN UPDATED! (Going to be better about updating it in the future as I'm now getting proper notifications for new $10 and above supporters!)

On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Nat Wilson Turner of Naked Capitalism for a wide-ranging discussion about the proposed Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, the future of Hollywood, the streaming wars, and the increasingly precarious economics of the American entertainment industry.

With new questions surrounding the merger's antitrust settlement and financing, Turner breaks down why he believes the deal may be far more fragile than it appears. We discuss David Ellison's leadership of the combined company, the enormous debt involved, the role of Oracle and Gulf sovereign wealth funds in financing the deal, and whether Paramount can realistically compete with Netflix, Amazon, and Alphabet.

What is the actual business case for combining Paramount and Warner Bros.? Is the real prize HBO Max and Warner's enormous library of intellectual property, including DC, Harry Potter, and Star Trek? And can those assets justify taking on even more debt in an industry already struggling with the collapse of the traditional studio model?

We also examine the potential consequences for Hollywood workers, independent film, theatrical releases, television, cable networks, and film preservation. J.G. raises concerns about the future of the Warner Archive and the preservation of American film history, while Turner compares the current crisis in Hollywood to the upheaval that hit the record industry during the Napster era.

The conversation also explores the collapse of traditional antitrust enforcement, the settlement involving California Attorney General Rob Bonta and other state attorneys general, and what the merger says about corporate power and elite accountability.

Beyond Paramount and Warner Bros., Turner and Michael discuss the streaming wars, the rise of user-generated media, Netflix's expansion beyond streaming, the changing global cultural landscape, copyright law and the public domain, and why the legacy entertainment industry may be losing its cultural dominance.

Plus: Power Slap, the economics and ethics of combat sports, and the case against endlessly extending copyright protection.

Topics include: Paramount-Warner Bros. merger, Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison, Skydance, Paramount+, HBO Max, Netflix, Oracle, Hollywood, streaming wars, antitrust, corporate consolidation, film preservation, Warner Archive, independent film, copyright law, media consolidation, and the future of the entertainment industry.

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Recorded 9-14-26

On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Luke Nicastro, senior editor at The American Conservative and former national security advisor to Senator Josh Hawley, about the growing conservative split over artificial intelligence.

Why is AI dividing the right? Nicastro breaks down the three emerging camps: populist and socially conservative AI skeptics worried about surveillance, children, labor, and the concentration of power; techno-optimists who argue that America must develop AI as quickly as possible to beat China; and a much larger group of Republicans who have yet to settle on a clear position.

The conversation goes beyond the usual AI debate. We discuss whether AI could produce a new wave of mass labor displacement reminiscent of deindustrialization, the threat of “techno-feudalism” and Silicon Valley concentrating economic and political power, and whether ordinary workers could lose bargaining power as AI reduces the need for human labor. We also examine the national-security argument that opposition to AI development risks helping China, and whether that logic leaves any room for regulation, restraint, or cooperation with Beijing.

Could AI become an issue where populist conservatives and progressives find common ground? Nicastro discusses the surprising possibility of figures such as Josh Hawley and Steve Bannon finding areas of agreement with Democrats and progressives on AI regulation, labor, Big Tech, and economic power. We also discuss the emerging AI “slowdown” debate involving frontier AI companies and what it could mean for the future of the technology.

Finally, we zoom out to a larger question facing American conservatism: What exactly are conservatives trying to conserve? Is the future of the right about preserving the existing market order, or restoring older ideas about family, community, labor, and social stability? Nicastro and J.G. Michael also discuss the changing conservative approach to China, realism and restraint in foreign policy, and the broader struggle over what comes after Trump.

Topics include: AI and the Republican Party, conservative AI skepticism, AI regulation, Josh Hawley, Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Silicon Valley, techno-optimism, techno-feudalism, AI and jobs, artificial intelligence and China, U.S.-China competition, Big Tech, labor displacement, AI safety, AI slowdown, populism, realism and restraint, and the future of conservatism.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Andrew Corbley of World at Large joins J.G. Michael to discuss the accelerating militarization of space and the transformation of the US Space Force into an explicitly war-fighting branch of the Pentagon.

Corbley has been reporting on the growth of the Space Force since its creation, and his latest article examines a striking recent development: US military officials acknowledging that weapons have been positioned in orbit. We discuss what the Space Force means by "orbital warfare," how its mission has evolved from protecting satellites against jamming and other attacks, and what recent exercises and statements reveal about the future of warfare in space.

The conversation also explores the rapidly expanding relationship between the Pentagon and the private space industry. Companies such as Rocket Lab and True Anomaly are developing and deploying spacecraft for military purposes, raising questions about the growing integration of commercial aerospace and the military-industrial complex.

J.G. and Corbley also examine the erosion of US arms-control agreements, the Outer Space Treaty, US claims about Chinese and Russian space capabilities, and the diplomatic barriers that make communication between rival space powers more difficult.

But the consequences aren't only geopolitical. What happens to NASA and civilian space exploration when the Pentagon's conception of space as a "war-fighting domain" increasingly dominates? Corbley discusses the competition for engineers and scientists, the economic potential of space resources, the future of lunar exploration, and the possibility that the dream of space as a domain for all humanity could be eclipsed by national-security priorities.

Topics include the US Space Force, orbital warfare, space weapons, weaponization of space, militarization of space, Pentagon, NASA, military-industrial complex, Rocket Lab, True Anomaly, Victus Haze, Jackal spacecraft, Outer Space Treaty, arms control, China, Russia, private aerospace, space exploration, and the future of warfare in space.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Charles Goyette, author of Empire of Lies: Fragments from the Memory Hole, joins J.G. Michael to discuss the deep state, the permanent national security bureaucracy, America’s postwar transformation into a global military empire, and the economic and political costs of endless war.

What exactly is the “deep state” or “blob,” and how did the national security establishment develop into a permanent bureaucracy with incentives and interests of its own? Goyette examines the rise of the national security state after World War II, the creation and evolution of the CIA, the role of “inter-agency consensus,” and the tension between elected government and an entrenched national security apparatus.

Goyette also discusses the central idea behind Empire of Lies: the “memory hole.” Drawing on George Orwell’s 1984, he argues that inconvenient facts and past government narratives can effectively disappear as official explanations change. The transformation of Ahmed al-Sharaa from a figure once associated with terrorism and a $10 million bounty into Syria’s president and a U.S. partner becomes a striking contemporary example of the phenomenon.

The conversation then turns to the economics of empire. What happens to a republic when enormous resources are continually diverted toward military power and overseas intervention? Goyette argues that the costs extend beyond the federal budget, affecting the productive economy, inflation, domestic affordability, and the future of the U.S. dollar’s international position. He also discusses the relationship between foreign wars, the defense industry, and what he sees as the erosion of civil liberties at home.

Finally, Goyette weighs in on the Trump administration, Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran, and growing American war fatigue. Why has the public become increasingly skeptical of another round of Middle Eastern intervention? How much influence does the permanent national security establishment have over American foreign policy? And can the United States maintain a global military empire without fundamentally changing the character of the republic at home?

Topics include: the deep state, the “blob,” the national security state, CIA history, the memory hole, 1984, Empire of Lies, American imperialism, endless war, the military-industrial complex, defense contractors, inflation, the dollar, Iran, Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, Donald Trump, Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, war fatigue, and the erosion of civil liberties.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with returning guest Wahid Azal, an independent scholar of Islamic esotericism and commentator on the Middle East, Iran, imperialism, and geopolitics, about the Iran war, the changing balance of power in the Middle East, and what he sees as a potential turning point in the decline of American empire.

Azal argues that the United States and Israel have encountered a strategic problem they were not prepared for, pointing to Iran's use of drones, missiles, artificial intelligence, asymmetric warfare, and what he describes as "fifth generation warfare." The conversation examines the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, the Bab al-Mandab and Red Sea, Ansar Allah (the Houthis), Saudi Arabia's vulnerability, oil markets, and the possibility of a wider global economic crisis.

From there, we discuss what Azal describes as the "end of empire," including the limits of American military power, the credibility of U.S. alliances and international agreements, the changing position of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states, and the growing importance of China, Russia, Iran, India, and BRICS in an increasingly multipolar world.

Azal also weighs in on the Trump administration, the U.S. political system and what he sees as a deeper crisis of American plutocracy, the Democratic Party and the possibility of DSA figures being absorbed into the political establishment, as well as the question of whether political outsiders can actually transform the system they enter.

The discussion also turns to Israel, Gaza, Zionism, the political future of Israel, Europe's response to the Middle East crisis, and the growing backlash against Israeli policy. Azal discusses his own experiences with attacks and accusations surrounding his criticism of Israel and introduces the concept of "parapolitical drift," his term for the way political narratives can migrate between otherwise disconnected or even opposing factions and become increasingly detached from their original context.

We also discuss the Western media's coverage of the Iran war, the apparent information blackout surrounding the conflict, Telegram and X as alternative sources of information, propaganda, narrative manufacture, imperial hubris, and what a post-American Middle East might look like.

Topics include Iran, Israel, Gaza, the Iran War, U.S. foreign policy, American empire, imperialism, fifth generation warfare, drones, missiles, artificial intelligence, Ansar Allah, the Houthis, Yemen, Bab al-Mandab, Red Sea, Strait of Hormuz, Saudi Arabia, oil prices, BRICS, China, Russia, India, Trump, American politics, Zionism, multipolarity, information warfare, propaganda, parapolitical drift, Sufism, Islamic esotericism, and the future of the Middle East.