Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

Filmmaker Lexi Alexander and political strategist Rania Batrice each take a side Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Victoria Nuland Preemptively Warns Putin Stole the Election https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/victoria-nuland-preemptively-warns?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. If you want to experience smoother digestion, a boost of energy, and an overall healthier body go to http://roundhouseprovisions.com/USEFUL for up to 44% off your regular-priced order plus a 90-day, money-back guarantee! Support local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show! BET ON THE ELECTION! Check out MyBookie and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: http://www.mybookie.ag “What is your overall view of 2024 and what should be done?” This is the question we asked two Palestinian-Americans: Lexi Alexander [https://x.com/LexiAlex], a filmmaker, and Rania Batrice [https://x.com/RaniaBatrice], a political strategist who served as deputy campaign manager for Bernie Sanders in 2016. Both guests took the question not to mean who will be better between Trump and Harris, but instead which evil will be worse. “Number one,” responded Lexi, “is that I don't think anybody in any situation ever should vote for genocide. Not just for Palestinians, but for themselves. And so I find myself constantly shocked to watch Americans eagerly vote for what I consider to be Adolf Hitler in 1942.” Voting for either candidate, she argues, is a vote for genocide. “If Trump will be worse, then we'll endure it together. And we'll fight that fucker too. But you still can't reward genocide.” Rania, on the other hand, warns of the dangers of a second Trump presidency. “I don't think we get to continue this fight and continue fighting for humanity, for Palestinian people, and many, many other communities under a Donald Trump presidency. But I do believe that with a President Kamala Harris, we have a fight to fight.” The two each give a long list of reasons why both candidates are terrible, but give different takes on whether a genocide could get worse, whether or not Jill Stein is a worthwhile candidate, and how the two candidates compare on domestic issues. Plus, Katie reveals who she’s voting for in 2024. 00:00 Intro 02:19 Bill Clinton vs Rudy Giuliani 28:10 Lexi Alexander interview 30:05 Voting for Adolf in 1942 33:49 Will Trump's genocide be worse? 37:55 Is punishing the Dems too dangerous? 46:44 Clinton's messianic argument 49:04 Does Netanyahu want Trump? 57:47 Working in film 1:00:48 HOW TO HELP 1:06:06 Who are you voting for? (Katie shares her vote too) 1:07:52 Rania Batrice interview 1:08:59 A different take on what should be done 1:13:45 There's a fight to be fought under Harris 1:15:09 What do you think of Jill Stein? 1:22:41 What's going to happen? Our Sponsors: * Check out American Giant and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.american-giant.com * Check out MyBookie and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Click here for the full interview with Elijah J. Magnier: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/israel-is-not-winning-military-analyst?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Marvel Announces Next Movie: Liz Cheney the Liberal Superhero https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/marvel-announces-next-movie-liz-cheney?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. If you want to experience smoother digestion, a boost of energy, and an overall healthier body go to http://roundhouseprovisions.com/USEFUL for up to 44% off your regular-priced order plus a 90-day, money-back guarantee! Support local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show! BET ON THE ELECTION! Check out MyBookie and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: http://www.mybookie.ag Over a year after the start of Israel’s mass-murder campaign in Gaza, what Netanyahu anticipated to be a swift destruction and short-order real estate sale has escalated into a regional war, slipping further out of his control with each attack. Elijah J. Magnier, a journalist who has covered the Middle East for over 35 years, specializing in politics, strategic and military planning, and terrorism and counter-terrorism, joins the show to give an update on Israel’s war on the Middle East. “We don't have a loser and a winner now,” he says. “They're both fighting, and certainly Israel is not winning.” So what is happening? After the IDF’s assassinations of Hezbollah leader Sayyed Nasrallah and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who each proposed multiple peace offers which were all refused by both Israel and the US, the chances of a ceasefire have plummeted, leaving only uncertainty for the region. Day after day, Magnier explains, Israel mounts attacks which aren’t the decisive and strategic successes they planned but instead amplifiers for the international coalition forming against them. “The mistake that Israel did,” he continues, “was bombing the south of Lebanon, forcing the inhabitants to be displaced. The entire society that Hezbollah is part of and the society that protects Hezbollah is already displaced. Therefore, Hezbollah doesn't have anything anymore to be afraid of. It gave more freedom for Hezbollah to attack the Israelis.” Subscribe for the full interview with Elijah J. Magnier for a full military analysis dissecting the next moves for each side and the one way to stop Israel. Plus, who does Elijah think would be worse for the region: Trump or Harris? 00:00 Intro 02:08 Harris and Trump LOVE genocide 23:41 Elijah J. Magnier interview 24:54 Israel vs Hezbollah update 28:07 Israel's 'civilian target' strategy 30:51 Why did Hezbollah get involved? 33:45 Did Hezbollah miscalculate? 36:08 Israel is crazier than they realized 41:02 What is Israel's goal? 44:13 The effect of assassinating leaders 51:12 How to stop Israel Our Sponsors: * Check out American Giant and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.american-giant.com * Check out MyBookie and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Click here for the full interview with Haim Bresheeth-Zabner: http://usefulidiotspodcast.com Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Bill Maher vs Chappell Roan https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/bill-maher-vs-chappell-roan?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at www.usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. If you want to experience smoother digestion, a boost of energy, and an overall healthier body go to roundhouseprovisions.com/USEFUL for up to 44% off your regular-priced order plus a 90-day, money-back guarantee! Support local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show! BET ON THE ELECTION! Check out MyBookie and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: http://www.mybookie.ag “They want world war.” This is the conclusion, after fighting in the IDF, after watching Israeli aggression expand for decades, and after watching the occupation and destruction of Gaza, of Professor Haim Bresheeth-Zabner. Haim’s latest book, An Army Like No Other [https://www.versobooks.com/products/950-an-army-like-no-other?srsltid=AfmBOopz8ApgYdBSn8s46KsOig1oXrRDi3muRzC0l_TWcTAxHiiODdgk], shows how the state of Israel has been formed out of its wars. So after last week’s politically-focused interview with Norman Finkelstein [https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/norman-finkelstein-isnt-giving-up-045?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web], we’re now running a military analysis with our guest Haim, who fought for Israel in the 1967 War and has seen first-hand how the army is embedded in all aspects of Israeli daily life and identity. He begins with the notion that what is happening in Gaza could be called a war: “Israel is not fighting against any army at the moment,” he explains. “They're not able to train an army that can fight guerrillas.” And the reason why is a centuries old truth of war. “Those guerrillas in Gaza, in the West Bank, the people of Hezbollah, and other organizations are all fighting for their home. They are fighting to defend their right to live where they are. And they will fight over it until they're killed or they're winning.” The Israelis, on the other hand, “are fighting for real estate.” And the US, in it’s long-term plan to weaken Russia and China, is more than happy to have Israel play it’s local part in this. “It is the West,” says Haim, “that is doing this genocide, and Israel is the tool.” Haim goes on to explain a history of the conflict in the Middle East, how it has expanded, when it will reach the inevitable breaking point, and the only way Israel can be stopped. “I don't think that anyone can actually stand in the way of this unless BRIC came together and said, ‘We will destroy you if you start this war. You want a deterrent? This is the deterrent.’ Now, the Russians more or less said this. And if you follow the press, Biden thinks that they are bluffing. Well, that's not a joke.” Iran also gave a similar warning, he says. “What the Iranians have done is told Israel, ‘Please, please, please don't fight us. We don't want to fight you. We don't want to kill people in Israel. We can do that. Just give it up, stop the genocide, and we promise we won't touch you.’” But if those warnings continue to be ignored? Haim asks: “Who is going to stop it? I don’t know.” Subscribe for the full interview with Haim Bresheeth-Zabner on the Israeli occupation policy that is worse than the Nazis, an analysis of who in the West is really in charge, and a dark conclusion from this genocide: “Life is [now] impossible in Gaza.” 00:00 Intro 00:58 State Dept lets Israel burn patients alive 14:57 Professor Haim Bresheeth-Zabner interview 15:27 Fighting for the IDF 26:42 Will Israel succeed? 36:57 Can Hezbollah stop Israel? 52:11 What would World War look like? Our Sponsors: * Check out American Giant and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.american-giant.com * Check out MyBookie and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Click here for the full interview with Norman Finkelstein: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/norman-finkelstein-isnt-giving-up-045?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Kamala Harris reveals her main difference with Joe Biden https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/kamala-harris-reveals-her-main-difference?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at www.usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. If you want to experience smoother digestion, a boost of energy, and an overall healthier body go to roundhouseprovisions.com/USEFUL for up to 44% off your regular-priced order plus a 90-day, money-back guarantee! Support local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show! BET ON THE ELECTION! Check out MyBookie and use our code USEFUL for a great deal: http://www.mybookie.ag “I think the reasonable conclusion is that Gaza is no more. There's nothing left in Gaza.” Monday the 7th marked one full year of genocide in Gaza, the darkest era of a decades-long occupation by Israel, which has now begun to spread into the broader Middle East region. This week we’re joined by Gaza expert [https://www.middleeastbooks.com/products/gaza-an-inquest-into-its-martyrdom-by-norman-g-finkelstein?srsltid=AfmBOorgnyCqycsDeN-hGE68h-BcevsS6KBp2qSB_moM72UgOOJdzFdW] and Useful Idiots fan-favorite Norman Finkelstein to look back on this genocidal year. Norm points out that this is not, as Western and Israeli media claims, an “Israel-Hamas war.” This is not war. This is genocide. And Israel is not targeting Hamas; they are killing civilians, destroying civilian infrastructure, and picking off journalists, health workers, and children. “I read this letter,” he tells us, “from sixty-five physicians from around the world who gave testimony as to what they observed. And every one of the physicians testified that the children who were coming into the hospital had bullet wounds to the skull or to the chest. No shrapnel. It wasn't bombs and shrapnel. It was targeted bullet wounds to the skull and to the chest of children. What does that have to do with war?” “There were fifty-four disabled children who used the school in the convent complex. They fired two shells at it. What does that have to do with war?” Norman also recalls meeting Hezbollah members, and shares what he got wrong about the organization. “Israel, he says, “is willing to kill for material benefit, and Hezbollah and Hamas are willing to die for survival” He also recounts his time meeting Hamas leaders, and explains Israel’s unfair advantage: “Israel is the entrenched, concentrated manifestation of Western imperialism. It's got deep roots. It's got the whole Western system behind it, that Western system which won't let go. It will nuke China before it lets go of its global dominance. And in order to defeat it, it requires a very long-term struggle and intense calculation.” Subscribe for the full interview where Norman explains this despair, and the generational hopelessness which lacks historical precedent. “Our generation,” he laments, “has, for good reason, lost the belief, the conviction that we have the force of history behind us. That we have the force of justice behind us. Our generation believes there's a good chance we'll be defeated. There's a good chance we're not going to win.” But that doesn’t mean we should give up. “The only thing I can say as a conclusion is you never know. You can only know one thing for certain: If you do nothing, it can only get worse.” It’s that certainty that he says keeps him going. “If you resist, there are moments where it looks very grim. And then there's that folk song, it's always darkest before the dawn. It's this hope that keeps me carrying on. It's always darkest before the dawn.” “There's another reality. There's something in the human constitution that simply can't do nothing. In the face of such death and devastation, you just can't.” 00:00 Intro 01:07 The State Department admits it is COMPLICIT 27:00 Norman Finkelstein interview 28:47 One year of genocide 37:54 Why did Hezbollah intervene? 42:56 What did Norman get wrong about Hezbollah? 48:17 Israel's sadistic advantage 58:18 Palestine doesn't have military targets 1:01:06 Is resistance pointless? Our Sponsors: * Check out American Giant and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.american-giant.com * Check out MyBookie and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]

Click here for the full interview with Bashir Saade and Karim Makdisi: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-interview-how-biden-and?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: John Kerry Wants to Save Democracy (By Ending Democracy) https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/john-kerry-wants-to-save-democracy?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at www.usefulidiotspodcast.com Join us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to. If you want to experience smoother digestion, a boost of energy, and an overall healthier body go to roundhouseprovisions.com/USEFUL for up to 44% off your regular-priced order plus a 90-day, money-back guarantee! Support local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show! “It's very bloody and very violent and very dangerous.” Lebanese political scientists Bashir Saade and Karim Makdisi shed light on Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, Hezbollah, Hasan Nasrallah and more. Since the situation is so volatile, news is constantly breaking: after we recorded the interview, Lebanon’s Foreign Minister told CNN that Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah had agreed to a 21-day ceasefire just before he was assassinated by Israel. The temporary ceasefire, he claimed, was called for by President Biden, President Macron and other allies during the UN General Assembly.  During the interview Karim and Bashir predict what is to come. “The cost is going to be very high,” warns Karim. “It’s going to be very bloody.” They also reflect on why Israel’s attack on Lebanon was inevitable, but not because of Hezbollah.  “I think this is a war that has been coming,” Karim explains. “It's a war that was going to happen. And if it wasn't going to happen now, it would have happened a year from now. You have an expansionist Israel. It has always been expansionist.” And, Bashir adds, “Hezbollah is prepared for this.” They discuss the double standards faced by the IDF, which is called the most moral army in the world, and Hezbollah, which is described by western media and politicians as terrorist. As Karim explains: “Hezbollah could target civilian areas. But it's just not in their doctrine, in a sense, to hit civilian areas for the sake of it. In the way that for the Israelis, with the Dahiya Doctrine, you can level the entire civilian area if you think there's some kind of military target inside. This is something the Israelis have been doing since 1948.” Coming tragically full circle, Israel’s Dahiya Doctrine, which calls for disproportionate military responses and the targeting of civilians (war crimes), was named after a Beirut neighborhood where Nasrallah wound up being murdered.  The West justifies Israel’s war crimes by claiming that Hamas uses civilians as human shields. But this week, when Iran launched a missile attack on a Mossad weapons base, CNN itself admitted that the base was embedded in a civilian area. “The Mossad headquarters and military and defense ministry,” Karim explains, “are in various very civilian areas inside main Israeli cities. So does that mean they’re targets? Does that mean all the civilians working there and around there are targets? Does that mean that it's legitimate under self-defense or any other kind of doctrine? Does it mean that Hezbollah can blow up cell phones and pagers?” Notably, the very same western politicians and media who accuse Hamas of using human shields are absolutely silent when it comes to Israel’s documented use of Palestinian and Israeli human shields. Subscribe for the full interview with Bashir and Karim on the state of Hezbollah after the assassination of its leader Hassan Nasrallah, how corporate media is constantly working to cover up Israel’s crimes, how martyrdom is portrayed differently based on who does it, and what Bashir and Karim are calling “political suicide” for the Democratic Party. 00:00 Intro 00:50 Harris and Trump want to bomb Iran 18:30 Bashir Saade interview (with BREAKING NEWS) 19:53 Why does Hezbollah fight Israel? 24:05 Nasrallah refused to abandon Palestine 26:49 Nasrallah's ideology 27:53 Karim Makdisi joins 33:54 Why Hezbollah differentiates between civilian and military targets 40:48 Biden announces sanctions on Iran 48:09 Biden officials are celebrating 49:55 Harris vs Trump – will there be a difference? 59:05 Is Lebanon part of Israel's promised territory? Our Sponsors: * Check out American Giant and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.american-giant.com * Check out MyBookie and use my code USEFUL for a great deal: www.mybookie.ag Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands [https://redcircle.com/brands] Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy [https://redcircle.com/privacy]