Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

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On this edition of Parallax Views, returning guest Richard Silverstein—journalist, founder of the Tikun Olam blog, and contributor to The New Arab and Jacobin—returns to discuss whether Abdul El-Sayed's stunning victory in Michigan's Democratic Senate primary marks a turning point in the political influence of AIPAC.

Silverstein argues that despite unprecedented spending by AIPAC's United Democracy Project and its billionaire-backed network, El-Sayed's grassroots campaign demonstrated that people-powered organizing can overcome massive outside money. We examine why Silverstein believes the race, alongside recent progressive victories in New York City—including Zohran Mamdani's win despite millions spent against him—signals that AIPAC has lost the aura of political invincibility it once enjoyed.

The conversation explores the changing dynamics inside the Democratic Party, including the growing divide between establishment centrists and an energized progressive base. Silverstein discusses Republican and Wall Street donors' involvement in Democratic primaries, the effectiveness of accusations of anti-Semitism and communism against critics of Israel, changing attitudes toward Zionism among American Jews, and why he believes more Democratic lawmakers are beginning to distance themselves from AIPAC.

We also delve into the ongoing war in Gaza and the controversial "Board of Peace" proposal, which Silverstein describes as an unrealistic geopolitical project detached from conditions on the ground. He explains why he views the initiative as a political and financial grift, examines former British Prime Minister Tony Blair's role, and analyzes Israel's evolving demands regarding Hamas, Palestinian displacement, and postwar governance.

Finally, we turn to the broader regional picture, including Israel's confrontation with Iran, Benjamin Netanyahu's strategy toward the Iranian regime, the future of Hezbollah and Lebanon, and what an Abdul El-Sayed victory in the general election could mean for the balance of power within the Democratic Party, the U.S. Senate, and the future direction of progressive politics in America.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, former Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Reagan administration Bruce Fein joins us for an in-depth discussion of President Donald Trump's war against Iran and why he believes it represents one of the gravest constitutional crises in modern American history. Fein argues that the Constitution's Declare War Clause (Article I, Section 8, Clause 11) gives Congress alone the authority to take the United States from a state of peace to a state of war, and contends that Trump's unilateral military campaign against Iran violates both the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution of 1973.

Fein explains why the Founding Fathers—including George Washington, James Madison, and James Wilson—understood the war power to belong exclusively to Congress, and why he believes there is no constitutional ambiguity on the issue. He also discusses the origins of the War Powers Resolution following the Vietnam War and the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, focusing on Section 5(c), which allows Congress to direct the cessation of hostilities through a concurrent resolution. According to Fein, Congress has already exercised that authority by passing a resolution ordering an end to the conflict with Iran, making Trump's refusal to comply an unprecedented constitutional confrontation.

Beyond the immediate controversy, Fein argues that presidents of both political parties have steadily expanded executive war-making powers since the Korean War, citing military interventions from Truman through Vietnam, Panama, Kosovo, Libya, Syria, Gaza, and now Iran. He contends that Congress has repeatedly failed to defend its constitutional prerogatives, contributing to an erosion of the rule of law and the growth of an increasingly imperial presidency.

The conversation also explores the legal and political mechanisms Fein believes remain available to Congress, including pending legislation sponsored by Representatives Gregory Meeks and Tom Massie that would authorize the House Speaker to seek a federal injunction enforcing Congress's war powers. Fein further discusses impeachment as a constitutional remedy for a president who refuses to faithfully execute the law, and examines whether electoral outcomes could reshape Congress's willingness to reassert its authority.

Finally, Fein warns that the consequences extend far beyond the current conflict. He argues that attacking a non-nuclear state like Iran creates powerful incentives for nuclear proliferation, encourages strategic competition by powers such as China and Russia, and accelerates the pattern of imperial overreach that has historically led to the decline of great powers. Throughout the interview, Fein urges citizens to pressure Congress to enforce the Constitution's allocation of war powers before precedents established today become burdens inherited by future generations.

Bruce Fein is a constitutional lawyer, former Associate Deputy Attorney General under President Ronald Reagan, and author of Constitutional Peril: The Life and Death Struggle For Our Constitution and Democracy.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, geopolitical analyst Eldar Mamedov joins us to examine the unprecedented migration crisis in Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave, where tens of thousands of migrants crossed the border from Morocco in a matter of days, triggering a humanitarian emergency and a fierce debate over migration, European solidarity, and geopolitical coercion. As Spanish authorities regained control within roughly 48 hours and most migrants were returned to Morocco, the political fallout has only intensified.

Was this simply a spontaneous migration surge, or was Morocco deliberately using migration as a geopolitical weapon? Mamedov argues that Rabat's decision to loosen border controls followed Spain's recent diplomatic outreach to Algeria, Morocco's regional rival, fitting a broader pattern in which migration is leveraged as a tool of statecraft. He compares the tactic to other forms of coercive diplomacy, drawing parallels to previous crises involving Belarus and Turkey while rejecting speculation that Israel played any demonstrable role in the events.

The conversation also explores Spain's 2022 shift on Western Sahara, whether Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's earlier concessions to Morocco encouraged further pressure, and why the European Union's response appeared markedly different from its reaction to the Belarus-Poland border crisis. Mamedov contends that the muted response exposed political and ideological divisions within Europe, raising uncomfortable questions about whether the EU can truly act as a unified geopolitical actor when one of its member states comes under external pressure.

Additionally, J.G. and Eldar discuss Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's criticism of Spain and call to suspend Spain from the Schengen Area, the dangers of "weaponized migration," how migration anxiety can itself become a strategic vulnerability, and what this episode reveals about the future of EU-Morocco relations, border security, and European foreign policy.

Eldar Mamedov is a Brussels-based foreign policy expert and non-resident fellow whose work focuses on European foreign policy, the Middle East, and the post-Soviet space. He has written extensively on EU diplomacy, security, and international affairs, with particular expertise in the geopolitics of the Middle East and Europe.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by philosopher Christian Miller to discuss his book The Honesty Crisis: How to Make Sense of a World Where Everyone Lies. Miller examines one of the most important moral challenges facing contemporary society: the growing pressure placed on honesty by new technologies, changing social environments, and institutional incentives that increasingly make deception easier and more rewarding.

Drawing from moral philosophy, virtue ethics, and psychological research, Miller argues that honesty is far more complex than simply "not lying." An honest person does not intentionally distort reality as they understand it, meaning dishonesty encompasses not only falsehoods but also misleading behavior, cheating, stealing, hypocrisy, self-deception, and other ways of manipulating how reality is represented. Miller also explores the important distinction between being wrong and being dishonest, arguing that someone can sincerely believe something false while still communicating honestly.

At the heart of The Honesty Crisis is Miller's argument that society is facing multiple honesty crises when two conditions emerge: dishonest behavior becomes easier to get away with, and dishonesty becomes more attractive or rewarding. Rather than arguing that people have simply become morally worse, Miller examines how technological and cultural changes have altered the incentives surrounding honesty.

In this conversation, Miller discusses how online environments have transformed opportunities for deception in relationships and education, and how social media has created new challenges around misinformation and political polarization. He also explores why false beliefs are not necessarily dishonest beliefs, the role of "truth-default" assumptions in human communication, and why accuracy prompts and other interventions may help reduce the spread of misinformation.

The discussion also explores celebrity culture, authenticity, and the pressures created by maintaining a carefully managed public image. Miller examines honesty challenges within religious institutions, including sermon plagiarism, online misconduct, celebrity pastors, and the ways institutional pressures can encourage concealment and self-deception.

Ultimately, The Honesty Crisis is a defense of honesty as a foundational human virtue. Miller argues that honesty creates the trust necessary for relationships, communities, institutions, and democratic societies to function. In an era of AI-generated content, misinformation, and rapidly changing social incentives, Miller asks what happens when the assumptions that allow us to trust one another become increasingly fragile; and what can be done to preserve honesty as one of the virtues on which society depends.

Christian Miller is a professor of philosophy at Wake Forest University and the author of numerous works on moral psychology and virtue ethics. His research explores the nature of character, moral motivation, and how people actually behave compared with how they understand themselves morally.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Tom Joseph, founder of America's Main Street Party, join to discuss his proposed technology-driven approach to electoral reform and his argument that America's political dysfunction is rooted less in partisan differences than in a broken incentive system. Joseph argues that gerrymandered districts, donor-driven primaries, and incumbent protection have created a Congress where representatives are more accountable to fundraising networks and partisan bases than to the voters they serve.

Joseph lays out the Main Street Party's model for disrupting that cycle: a moneyless, multi-round congressional nomination process conducted through a mobile app using approval voting. Rather than candidates competing for wealthy donors and spending millions in traditional primaries, voters would decide nominees through a series of rounds designed to elevate candidates with broader support. The eventual winner would receive general election support from a super PAC while keeping the nomination process free from campaign spending and donor influence.

We discuss why Joseph believes the current primary system has created a political environment where most House members are effectively guaranteed reelection, how gerrymandering has shifted power toward narrow partisan bases, and why he sees electoral design as the key problem rather than simply Republican versus Democratic ideology. Joseph explains how candidates would be evaluated on issues, how the app-based voting process would work, safeguards against manipulation, and the organization's plans to test the model in red and blue congressional districts before potentially expanding to Senate and presidential contests.

Tom Joseph also discusses the technology behind the project, the challenges of building a new political infrastructure, and the larger question at the heart of the Main Street Party's mission: can changing the rules of American elections create a government that is more responsive to ordinary citizens?

For more information on America's Main Street Party and to explore the app demo, visit mainstreetparty.org.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, it's a double-feature episode examining the changing landscape of American politics, media, and public opinion from two very different perspectives.

First, journalist Howard Polskin, founder of The Righting, joins us to discuss the modern right-wing media ecosystem and the influence it exerts on American politics. Polskin explains why he launched The Righting after the 2016 election to track the headlines, narratives, and trends emerging from conservative media, and discusses which outlets wield the greatest influence in the Trump era. We examine the relationship between major platforms like Fox News, Breitbart, Newsmax, and The Epoch Times, the rise of outrage-driven content and right-wing podcasts, and why seemingly fringe ideas can migrate into the political mainstream. Polskin also reflects on his effort to understand—rather than simply caricature—the conservative media landscape, the internal divisions within the American right over issues like Iran, and why he believes liberals, journalists, policymakers, and anyone seeking to better understand contemporary conservatism should pay closer attention to the stories shaping conservative audiences.

In the second half of the program, Ioannis (Ian) Vlahos, editorial assistant and writer at Antiwar.com and a history and journalism student at George Mason University, joins us to discuss his Antiwar.Com article "Gen Z Is Tired of War." Vlahos argues that Generation Z's worldview has been shaped less by the trauma of 9/11 itself than by growing up amid the consequences of the War on Terror and witnessing the failures of two decades of U.S. interventionism. We explore how social media, alternative media, and independent voices have helped cultivate anti-war sentiment among younger Americans, while also fueling broader distrust of institutions and the spread of conspiracy theories. Vlahos explains why many in Gen Z increasingly prioritize domestic concerns such as healthcare, student debt, and economic insecurity over foreign military interventions, discusses the cross-partisan nature of contemporary anti-interventionism, and reflects on whether this growing skepticism toward America's foreign policy establishment could eventually develop into a lasting political movement.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, acclaimed writer, cultural critic, translator, and literary anthologist Ilan Stavans joins us to discuss his new anthology, A Nation Wrestles with God: American Prophets, Philosophers, and Firebrands. Stavans, the Lewis-Sebring Professor of Humanities, Latin American and Latino Culture at Amherst College and a prolific author whose work explores language, identity, religion, and culture, offers a sweeping look at how Americans have grappled with the idea of God from the colonial era to the present day.

Rather than presenting a history of belief or unbelief, Wrestling with God traces the ongoing conversation (and often fierce argument) over faith, doubt, morality, and meaning that has shaped American life. We discuss the anthology's remarkable range of contributors, which includes figures such as Mark Twain, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Frederick Douglass, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Christopher Hitchens, Will Arbery, Molly McCully Brown, and many others.

Among the topics explored are why even outspoken skeptics and atheists like H.L. Mencken continued to wrestle with God through language, symbolism, and imagery; how religious belief and doubt have served as engines of American political, philosophical, and cultural life; and why Stavans believes America's defining religious tradition is less about consensus than about continual debate.

We also examine the democratization of America's conversation about God. As Stavans explains, the nation's religious imagination is no longer shaped solely by theologians, clergy, philosophers, or academic elites, but increasingly by novelists, filmmakers, comedians, musicians, and pop culture figures. The discussion explores how "high" and "low" culture alike have become arenas where Americans negotiate questions of faith, morality, transcendence, and identity.

Additionally, Stavans reflects on the editorial process behind assembling such an expansive anthology, the significance of concluding the volume with younger voices like playwright Will Arbery and poet Molly McCully Brown, the enduring influence of the Bible on American literature and public discourse, and why the American experiment has always involved a uniquely pluralistic struggle over the meaning of God.

Whether you're interested in religion, American history, philosophy, literature, politics, or contemporary culture, this conversation offers a fascinating exploration of one of the most enduring questions at the heart of the American experience.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Tahir Amin, founder and CEO of the Initiative for Medicines, Access & Knowledge (I-MAK) and co-author, with Rohit Malpani, of the new book Pharma Monopoly: The Battle for the Future of Medicines.

Why have prescription drugs and life-saving medicines become so expensive? Is it simply the cost of innovation, or is the modern pharmaceutical industry built around monopoly power? In this brisk, information-packed conversation, Amin examines how patents, intellectual property law, global trade agreements, financialization, and neoliberal economic policies have reshaped the pharmaceutical industry and transformed medicine into one of the world's most profitable businesses.

Drawing on the arguments in Pharma Monopoly, Amin explains how patent monopolies can delay generic competition, why the pharmaceutical industry's definition of "innovation" deserves closer scrutiny, how Wall Street increasingly influences drug development, and what the pandemic exposed about the global system for producing and distributing medicines. The conversation also explores the role of Third Way neoliberalism in the problems we face with the emergence of the pharma monopoly, criticisms of the medicines patent pool, the access-to-medicines movement, the influence of major philanthropic organizations (i.e.: Bill Gates and the Gates Foundation) and the issue of philanothro-capitalists, the financialization of the pharmaceutical industry, why the issues we are facing are not just limited to the "pharma bros." like Martin Shkreli, the potential for AI (artificial intelligence) to intensify monopoly power, and why debates over affordable medicine are inseparable from questions of democracy, public health, economic power, and who ultimately controls access to medical knowledge.

Whether you're interested in healthcare, prescription drug prices, Big Pharma, patents, public health, globalization, political economy, or the future of medicine, this episode offers a concise but wide-ranging look at the structural forces shaping modern healthcare and why the battle over medicines affects far more than the price you pay at the pharmacy.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Nate Wilcox of The MMA Draw joins us for an in-depth conversation about the politics, business, and corporate power behind the UFC, examining how Dana White, Donald Trump, Ari Emanuel, Endeavor, WME, TKO, and Silver Lake have transformed mixed martial arts into one of the most politically visible sports in America.

We trace the history of the UFC from its origins in 1993 and the evolution of MMA, including the influence of Brazilian Vale Tudo, Japanese MMA, and catch wrestling, before exploring the organization's dramatic shift following Endeavor's $4 billion acquisition of the UFC in 2016. Nate explains how Dana White's political evolution differed from that of the Fertitta family, their earlier relationship with Democratic politicians like Harry Reid, and how White's alliance with Donald Trump fundamentally changed the UFC's public image.

We also examine the complex corporate relationships connecting Ari Emanuel, TKO, WME, David Ellison, Larry Ellison, major media companies, and private equity, discussing how ownership and corporate interests shape the UFC's direction far beyond what fans see inside the Octagon. We discuss fighter pay, revenue sharing, athletic commissions, Nevada politics, and the business incentives driving modern combat sports.

From there, we dive into the controversial Freedom 250 event at the White House, discussing its symbolism, security concerns, officiating controversies, fighter safety, the Association of Boxing Commissions, and the headline bout featuring Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje. We also examine the political messaging surrounding the event and why the UFC has become an increasingly prominent stage for American politics.

Nate and I also discuss controversial UFC personalities including Sean Strickland and Bryce Mitchell, media figures such as Ariel Helwani and Luke Thomas, and the role of independent MMA journalism in covering the sport's political and business dimensions. We examine the influence of Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, sovereign wealth funds, boxing, media consolidation, lobbying, AIPAC, and the intersection of combat sports, entertainment, and geopolitics.

Finally, Nate discusses his work with Zach Arnold on The MMA Draw, where they investigate the business, financial, legal, and political forces shaping the UFC, TKO, professional wrestling, and the wider combat sports industry.

Recorded: 6-12-26

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On this edition of Parallax Views, former CIA intelligence officer and Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft Non-Resident Fellow Paul R. Pillar joins us to discuss his recent Responsible Statecraft article, “Senate wants to force US to share sensitive intel with Israel,” and the implications of Section 622 of the Senate Intelligence Authorization Act. The provision, championed by Sen. Tom Cotton, would require the executive branch to expand and enhance intelligence sharing with Israel while making it significantly more difficult for any administration to limit or suspend such cooperation.

Drawing on his 28-year career in the U.S. intelligence community—including service as National Intelligence Officer for the Near East and South Asia, Deputy Chief of the DCI Counterterrorist Center, and Executive Assistant to the Director of Central Intelligence—Pillar explains why he considers the proposal highly unusual and potentially dangerous. He argues that intelligence-sharing relationships are complex arrangements normally managed by intelligence professionals and the executive branch, not dictated by congressional mandate.

Pillar also discusses the often-overlooked world of intelligence liaison relationships, the risks associated with sharing sensitive intelligence, Israel's history of espionage against the United States—including the Jonathan Pollard affair—and concerns that intelligence provided by Washington could be used in ways that conflict with broader U.S. interests in the Middle East. He further contends that the legislation reflects a broader effort to deepen U.S.-Israeli integration through mechanisms that receive less public scrutiny than direct military aid.

Among the topics explored in this conversation:

• What Section 622 would actually do and why it has received relatively little attention
• How intelligence-sharing relationships are normally managed
• Why Pillar calls congressional mandates on intelligence liaison "bizarre"
• The history of Israeli espionage against the United States
• The Jonathan Pollard case and its continuing significance
• Intelligence sharing, executive authority, and congressional oversight
• U.S.-Israel relations in the lieu of the Iran war
• Whether American and Israeli interests are increasingly diverging in the Middle East
• The broader push toward deeper U.S.-Israeli military and intelligence integration

Paul R. Pillar is a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies, and a retired 28-year veteran of the U.S. intelligence community. He is the author of several books, including Intelligence and U.S. Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11, and Misguided Reform and Why America Misunderstands the World: National Experience and Roots of Misperception.