Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael

On this edition of Parallax Views, Israeli commentator and Iran expert Ori Goldberg, hot off appearances in +972 Magazine and on Democracy Now, returns to offer his analysis of the Israel-Iran war. Ori, as an Israeli, provides a unique perspective on what is happening within Israel, while his deep expertise in Iran’s culture and history shines throughout this conversation.

Ori believes the calculus b...

In this episode of Parallax Views, journalist and foreign policy analyst Ted Snider joins us to discuss his latest article for Antiwar.com, "America’s Deception Strengthens Iranian Hardliners." As tensions between the U.S., Israel, and Iran escalate following devastating Israeli strikes, Snider breaks down how recent events, such as Trump's rhetoric following the strikes, may have sabotaged permanent...

On this edition of Parallax Views, the not-afraid-to-speak-his-mind gadfly and renegade historian Thaddeus Russel of the Unregistered and Unreported podcasts returns to the program for a wide-ranging conversation on current events. Thaddeus is the author of The Renegade History of the United States, a fascinating book delving into the ways in which criminal, deviants, wei...

In this episode of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, I’m joined by journalist and author Ross Benes to discuss his new book 1999: The Year Low Culture Conquered America and Kickstarted Our Bizarre Times. We dive into how one seemingly ridiculous year, marked by Pokémon mania, pro wrestling mayhem, aggro-fueled nu metal, and shock TV overload, actually laid the groundwork for the chaotic media and cultu...

On this edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, Andrew Day of The American Conservative returns to the program for a discussion about the recent Israeli strike on Iran and its far-reaching implications. Specifically, we explore how this development challenges the ideological coherence of conservative supporters of Donald Trump and the broader MAGA movement—particularly...

On this edition of Parallax Views, Middle East analyst James M. Dorsey, proprietor of The Turbulent World w/ James M. Dorsey blog/Substack, returns to the program to discuss what he considers a paradigm shift moment for the Middle East: last night's Israeli strike on Iran. What does it mean? How did we get to this point? Could this evolve into an all-out regional war? All...

On this edition of Parallax Views, writer and political theorist Malcolm Harris joins us to unpack his sharp critique of the so-called Abundance Agenda, popularized by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson. Harris argues that this vision—focused on building more housing, expanding clean energy, and turbocharging innovation—fails to confront the structural contradictions of capita...

On this edition of Parallax Views, journalist Jacob Silverman returns to Parallax Views to unpack his new article, “Coin Operated: The Crypto Industry’s Takeover of American Politics,” a timely investigation into how cryptocurrency has gone from financial sideshow to political powerhouse.

We explore how the crypto industry—despite a track record of scams, collapses, and regulatory defiance—has embedd...

On this gripping edition of Parallax Views, host J.G. Michael speaks with legal scholar Corinna Barrett Lain about her searing new book, Secrets of the Killing State: The Untold Story of Lethal Injection. Far from being a clean or clinical method of execution, Lain exposes lethal injection as the centerpiece of a scandalous history—rife with fake science, unqualified personnel, botched procedures, an...

In this provocative and deeply analytical conversation, journalist and author Yasha Levine joins Parallax Views to challenge a dominant narrative on both the left and right: that the Israel Lobby singularly controls U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East. Drawing from his background covering Cold War geopolitics and U.S. information warfare, Levine argues that this viewpoint dangerously simplifies th...

On this edition of Parallax Views, former CDC epidemiologist and physician Dr. Charles LeBaron joins us to discuss his explosive new book Greed to Do Good: The Untold Story of CDC’s Disastrous War on Opioids. Drawing on his rare vantage point as a public health insider (with 28 years' experience at the CDC), clinician, and former pain patient, Dr. LeBaron argues that the CDC’s 2016 opioid guidelines—...

On this edition of Parallax Views, comedian and writer Kate Willett joins us to examine the growing influence of Silicon Valley billionaires on the Democratic Party and the controversial politics behind the so-called Abundance Agenda. Framed by figures like Ezra Klein as a bold, future-focused vision of progress, this agenda is increasingly backed by tech elites such as Dustin Moskovitz—co-founder ...

In this timely conversation, Parallax Views host J.G. Michael sits down with The Nation's editorial director and longtime progressive voice Katrina vanden Heuvel to discuss the mounting political crises shaking both Europe and the United States. Drawing from her recent co-authored piece, "Report from Europe: The Center Does Not Hold," and her Mother's Day commentary in The Guardian, vanden Heuvel exp...

On this edition of Parallax Views, you will hear an incredible story that, on its surface, you may mistake as being just about professional wrestling: the life and career of "The Golden Greek" Jim Londos. He was the biggest star of not only pro wrestling in the 1920s and 1930s, but arguably of sports itself. His popularity eclipsed that of the profession itself. He sold o...

On this edition of Parallax Views, Orthodox Rabbi Yaakov Shapiro — author of The Empty Wagon: Zionism’s Journey from Identity Crisis to Identity Theft — returns to unpack the theological foundations of Jewish anti-Zionism and non-Zionism. Fresh off his participation in a protest against Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's recent U.S. visit, Rabbi Shapiro explains why he believes Zion...

On this episode of Parallax Views, we’re joined by University of Chicago political scientist Michael Albertus, author of the forthcoming book Land Power: Who Has It, Who Doesn’t, and How That Determines the Fate of Societies (Basic Books, Jan. 14, 2025). Drawing on his expertise in democracy, dictatorship, inequality, property rights, and social conflict, Albertus unpacks how land ownership lies at t...

On this May Day edition of Parallax Views w/ J.G. Michael, political theorist Matt McManus joins us to unpack The Political Theory of Liberal Socialism, his groundbreaking new book. We explore:

• Liberal Socialism Defined: Why liberal rights and socialist economics aren’t mutually exclusive—and how methodological collectivism and normative individualism unite them.

• Historical Roots: From Mary W...

On this edition of Parallax Views, we remember the late Pope Francis in conversation with veteran journalist William Dowell, who recently penned the WhoWhatWhy article “The Passing of a Genuinely Christian Pope.” Dowell reflects on Francis’s lasting spiritual legacy, portraying him as a humble and principled leader who consistently emphasized compassion for the poor, migrants, and marginalized—offeri...

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On this edition of Parallax Views with J.G. Michael, we explore the powerful financial forces behind Washington D.C.’s most influential think tanks—and how those funding streams may shape U.S. foreign p...