Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views we've got a double feature. In the first half hour of the program historian Allan Lichtman of American University discusses his The Keys to the White House model for predicting Presidential election. This model has proven extremely robust at getting election predictions right and is based on 13 true/false statements about the candidates and/or their parties preceding the election. According to the model, "If five or fewer of the following statements are false, the incumbent party is predicted to win the election. If six or more are false, the incumbent party is predicted to lose." We'll discuss a number of issues related to this election including Joe Biden recently dropping out of the election and Kamala Harris becoming the presumptive Democratic Party Presidential candidate. What does it entail for the election? Find out in this conversation with Allan Lichtman!

In the second segment of the show, a segment yours truly recorded a few months ago with Ukrainian lawyer Kateryna Busol. In a recent edition of the Journal of Genocide Studies, Busol penned a peice entitled "When the Head of State Makes Rape Jokes, His Troops Rape on the Ground: Conflict-Related Sexual Violence in Russia’s Aggression against Ukraine". We'll be discussing the issue of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) in relation the Russo-Ukrainian war, the worrying rhetoric of Timofey Sergeytsev's "What Should Russia Do With Ukraine?" that was published in Russian state-owned outlet RIA Novosti, reparations for victims of CRSV, Kateryna's work on destruction of cultural heritage in war, and the importance of applying international law to other issues like the Gaza War.

On this edition of Parallax Views, James M. Dorsey, whose commentaries can be read at his Turbulent World w/ James M. Dorsey Substack, give one of his regular visits to discuss the latest in regard to the Middle East and Israel/Palestine. This time we examine Israeli Prime Minister's visit to Washington D.C. where he gave a speech to Congress that received multiple standing ovations despite the heavy criticisms Netanyahu has come under for both how the war in Gaza has been conducted and the safety of hostages. Pro-Palestinian activist and hostages' families alike protested Netanyahu's visit. We'll discuss all of that as well as James's upcoming book The Battle for the Soul of Islam, the two-state vs. one-state solution, his views on the Confederation solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict (and why he believes it looks good on paper, but has obstacles), the calculus of Netanyahu's speech to Congress, what a second Trump term may mean for Israel, the Israeli far-right, the settler movement, land swaps in relation to solutions to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, presumptive Democratic Presidential candidate/current Vice President Kamala Harris and her rhetoric on Gaza, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Palestinian Muslim writer
Abdelhalim Abdelrahman, who has written for such publications as The New Arab, The Hill, and MSN, joins the show to discuss Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Washington D.C. to speak to Congress. Netanyahu received a standing ovation from Congressmen and Congresswomen who attended, with the notable exception of Rep. Rashida Tlaib who held up a sign that read "War Criminal". Interestingly, a number of top Democrats declined to intend, including Nancy Pelosi, who called Netanyahu's speech was "by far the worst presentation of any foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing the Congress of the United States". Meanwhile protests raged outside and a flag-burning, which has taken up much media attention, took place. Additionally, Gaza still faces a humanitarian crisis. Palestinians in Gaza face a dire situation, as exemplified by the tragic death of a 24-year old Gazan man named Mohammad Bhar. Bhar was afflicted with autism and Down's syndrome. He was killed last week after bleeding out from being bitten by an Israeli army dog as reportedly screamed "enough my dear, enough" and/or "let go my love, enough".

Worth noting as well, is the fact that it was not only pro-Palestinian activists protesting Netanyahu's D.C. visit. Families of hostages also protested, believing that Netanyahu has exploited them for politics and not done enough to secure the hostages from the October 7th. Hamas attack.

In other words, there are a lot of matters to discuss in this conversation. Abdelhalim covered all these issues with me as well as:

- The Palestinian Authority

- The letter Mahmoud Abbas sent to Donald Trump after the attempted assassination on Trump's life and Donald Trump's seemingly warm, positive feelings (at least in past rhetoric and response to the letter) to Abbas

- Elements of the American conservative movement moving away from Israel on "America First" grounds

- Thoughts on whether Kamala Harris will take a different approach to Gaza and the West Bank than President Joe Biden

- Empathetic rhetoric vs. actual concrete policy that Palestinian American want to see

- Abdelhalim's thoughts on the plight of the October 7th hostages

- The Fatah-Hamas unity deal that was signed in Beijing

- Abdelhalim's personal feelings on the Uncommitted movement and his frustration with the Democratic Party

- The Occupation of the West Bank and the issues of annexation and settlement expansion

-  The question of "synthetic" or "artificial" Arab voices claiming to be "pro-peace" or "pro-Palestinian" but demonstrating a deep bias against Palestinians

- Hunger and starvation in Israel

- U.S. hypocrisy/double-standards on the situation of Palestinians vs. the situation of Ukrainians; Palestinians who express support for Ukraine and Ukrainians who express support for Palestinians

- Abdelhalim's point of frustration with Nancy Pelosi's criticism of Netanyahu's speech to Congress

And much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Stephen Semler of the Security Reform Policy Institute joins us to discuss the Biden administration and the Pentagon's $280 million Gaza floating aid pier boondoggle that promised to get much needed humanitarian aid to Gazans who are now facing hunger/starvation during the Israeli bombardment. The pier became operational in May but was shut down this month, July, in what appears to have been a massive waste of time and resources that didn't even help the Palestinians of Gaza. Stephen, it turns out, was warning about the Gaza pier in Responsible Statecraft back in June when he wrote the article "Washington is not telling truth about the Gaza pier". Friend of the show and multi-time guest Kelley Vlahos also warned of the piers problems alongside others. There were logistical issues amongst much else that was criticized. We'll dive into what happened with the Gaza pier as well as discussing PR stunts and "Humanitarian Theater" being played out during the Gaza war, hunger/starvation in Gaza, the U.S. ignoring Human Rights Watch reports when it comes to the Gaza war but not the Russo-Ukraine war, Palestinian American congresswoman Rep. Rashida Tlaib, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to Congress, potential Democratic Vice-Presidential candidate Gov. Josh Shapiro and his reaction to pro-Palestinian protests, free speech and crackdowns on protesters, Donald Trump and the American right-wing's hawkishness on China, thoughts on Kamala Harris as it relates to U.S. policy on Israel/Palestine, families of hostages being held by Hamas protesting Netanyahu's visit to Congress, Palestinians being held in Israeli administrative detention, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, freelance journalist Jacob Silverman, co-author with actor Ben McKenzie (TV's The O.C. & Gotham) of Easy Money: Cryptocurrency, Casino Capitalism, and the Golden Age of Fraud, joins the show to discuss his article in The Nation entitled "It’s Official: Silicon Valley Is Fully MAGA-Pilled". With Peter Thiel associate JD Vance being unveiled as Trump's Vice President pick and Elon Musk officially throwing his endorsement to Donald Trump after the attempted assassination of the former President, this topic is timelier than ever. But Peter Thiel and Elon Musk are far from the only Silicon Valley elites to throw their weight behind Trump's campaign. They've been joined by Marc Andreassen, David Sacks, Shaun Maguire, and Joe Lonsdale. In this conversation will discuss why rich Silicon Valley power players are getting on the MAGA train. Amongst some of the topics covered in this conversation: libertarianism and the Silicon Valley ideology, the late David Golumbia's The Politics of Bitcoin: Software as Right-Wing Extremism, corporate tyranny, Thiel associate Curtis Yarvin aka Mencius Moldbug, Mark Cuban's comments about how Silicon Valley's power player may be getting behind trump as a "bitcoin play", America PAC and crypotcurrency lobbying/lobbyists, cryptocurrency-related organizations like Coinbase and Ripple Labs, the crypto PAC known as Fairshake that's interested in "installing crypto-friendly politicians and ousting those the industry views as a threat", JD Vance, Sam Bankman-Fried, right-wing faux populism, the Silicon Valley right-wing's fascination with J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, artificial intelligence, Silicon Valley apocalypticism, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Ben Burgis, Jacobin columnist and host of the Youtube show Give Them an Argument, returns to discuss a potpourri of topics and revisit his 2022 article in The Daily Beast entitled "J.D. Vance’s Unbelievably Phony Populism". And, yes, we'll also cover Joe Biden dropping out and his apparent replacement in the race, Kamala Harris. Where should the Democrats go next if they hope to win? And what should Democratic Party messaging be as we head into the heart of election season?

We'll also discuss the Republican National convention including the circus like inclusion of pro wrestling legend Hulk Hogan and the speech made by Teamsters union leader Sean O'Brien that has sparked much debate. We'll talk the records of Josh Hawley and JD Vance, rhetoric vs. records, fake antiwar sentiments amongst Republicans (and the hawkish elements in the GOP saber-rattling for a war with Iran and China), Biden's immigration record, Gaza, antitrust lawsuit and labor in the era of the Joe Biden Presidency, the GOP's deregulatory agenda and the impacts it'll have on workers, Ron DeSantis' assault on worker's rights in Florida, forever chemicals (PFAS) and Project 2025, Josh Hawley's copyright reform BUT only to target Disney, why JD Vance doesn't support the pro-labor PRO Act and Ben's response to that, the opioid epidemic and deaths of despair, and much, much more!

On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Anne Nelson, author of Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, returns to the show to discuss her piece in The Washington Spectator entitled "Project 2025: The Latest Plot Against America". Nelson gives rundown of what conservative think-tank The Heritage Foundation's 900-page document "Mandate for Leadership: The Conservative Promise" is all about and what Project 2025 entails for worker's rights, LGBTQ+ people, the economy, food safety, the environment, and more if it is implemented during a second Donald Trump Presidency, in full or part. We'll also discuss Nelson's research into the umbrella network of the American right-wing known as the Council for National Policy, a secretive organization that brings together right-wing billionaires, conservative Catholic, evangelical Christian nationalists, and other elements of American right-wing into a formidable network. The CNP was at the heart of her previously mentioned book Shadow Network and offers a glimpse into the American right-wing's machinations and maneuverings since its founding by conservative activist Paul Weyrich and Left Behind author Tim Lahaye in the era of the Ronald Reagan Presidency. We'll also manage to briefly discuss Catholic right-wing movements like the Opus Day and their relationship to the Supreme Court. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views!

On this edition of Parallax Views, Amb. Patrick Theros returns to discuss his The National Herald op-eds "Be Careful What You Wish For…" and "Tribe and Clan Wars – Is Proportional Representation the Solution?". At the beginning of the show, however, we discuss the Israeli Knesset's ruling against a two-state solution in the Israel/Palestine conflict. What does it actually mean and entail? We'll also discuss the expansion of settlements in the West Bank, what the future of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict means for the U.S. and its standing in the world, Israel's lack of a vision for the future beyond war, and related subject. Then, at around the fifteen minute mark, we will turn our attention to United States domestic politics. Firstly, we'll discuss the American two-party system and how the country's tribal war, between a Democratic "blue tribe" and a Republican "red tribe", are actually not an accurate depiction, in Amb. Theros' estimation, of the political landscape. Instead of just tribal war, Amb. Theros argues, we have clan wars. In other words, voters that are only concerned with specific issues fighting for those issues within the two-parties and often feeling dissatisifed within those parties when other factions win greater favor. This has manifested in the Republican Party, Amb. Theros say, in the abortion debate and in the Democratic Party in regard to the pro-Palestinian activists in the party who are upset with the Biden administration's handling of Gaza. We will also discuss the historic Supreme Court decision in Trump v. United States and the unprecedented power it gives to the President. Moreover, we'll discuss how this could come back to haunt Republicans. Finally, we will delve into the issue of Biden's performance at the first Presidential debate with Trump and whether or not he should drop out of the election.

On this edition of Parallax Views, Prof. Emil Draitser returns to discuss his latest book Laughing All the Way to Freedom: The Americanization of a Russian Emigre. Growing up in a Jewish family in Soviet Union-era Odessa, Emil came to the United States in the 1970s and began a new life in America. His previous books Shush! Growing Up Jewish Under Stalin: A Memoir, Farewell, Mama Odessa: A Novel, and In the Jaws of the Crocodile: A Soviet Memoir are a trilogy that chronicles his experiences in both the Soviet Union and the U.S. Laughing All the Way to Freedom continues that exploration of Emil's experiences, specifically as an emigre. What does it mean to be an emigre from another land with a different culture? And when does one truly become American, in a cultural sense, once they've settled in the U.S.? In this conversation we discuss issues that face emigres like culture shock, Russian humor and Emil's appearance on the Merv Griffin show discussing the subject of Russian humor, working as a satirical writer in Russia, the power of humor to soften barriers between people, the Russian bombing of Odessa and Emil's feelings of PTSD over the Russo-Ukrainian war, what does Americanization mean and what is the road to Americanization, mass emigration from the Soviet Union and the parallels with the biblical story of Exodus, how Americans born of Russian descent view America and the differences between their understanding of America and their parents' understanding of America, America's core values as understood by a Russian emigre, the concept of freedom and law in relation to both America and Russia, and much, much more.

On this edition of Parallax Views, former Navy journalist and ex-debt collector Jerry Ashton joins the show to discuss the End Veteran Debt campaign. As previously mentioned, Jerry was a debt collector, but Occupy Wall Street changed all of that. Inspired by the Occupy movement, Jerry went from being a debt collector to a "debt for-giver" and helped co-found the RIP Medical Debt (now known as Undue Medical Debt) 501 charity. Now he's turned his attention to the issue of veterans' debts. Believe it or not many veterans from the U.S. armed forces face debt struggles and the VA is unable in many circumstances to provide all that it can for them. As such, Jerry and other have started what they call "Operation D-Day". Not D-Day as in WWII, however. But rather Operation Debt Day to help veterans with their debts. Find out all about it on this edition of Parallax Views!