128: How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism, with Craig A. Johnson

Trump released all the remaining secret JFK files!  Except not really.  And they're full of revelations!  Except not really.  (They're mainly full of people's social security numbers which, it transpires, is pretty much all the remaining redactions were hiding.)  Anna Paulina Luna (R, FL) is leading a new congressional investigation!  Er... no, she's inviting conspiracy theorists into Congress to confirm her ill-informed beliefs.  The mystery is solved!  Or deepens!  Except nope nope and nope. In this impromptu News Brief, Jack and Daniel jump off from a supremely stupid clip of reactionary conspiracybrained shitheads Bill Maher and Andrew Sullivan to ponder the changing political meaning of the conspiracy theories around the Kennedy assassination, why it has migrated from a left preoccupation all the way over to being an obsession of MAGA and the far-right.  Along the way we encounter the peculiar and controversial author Gerald Posner, who is able to debunk JFK conspiracy theories but apparently unable to see the problems with Israel's policies in Gaza, Elon Musk doing seig heils, or Gender Criticals who think the Trans movement is all funded by evil rich Jews (or possibly alien lizards). Yes, this is the world we live in folks. Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1 * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_Posner#Controversies https://www.justthefacts.media/ https://www.justthefacts.media/p/the-ressurection-of-oliver-stone https://www.justthefacts.media/p/hitler-musk-and-the-art-of-the-smear https://www.justthefacts.media/p/the-transgender-money-pipeline https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/LGB_Alliance https://web.archive.org/web/20211009112830/https://twitter.com/christapeterso/status/1368635513775689728 https://web.archive.org/web/20211029170407/https://twitter.com/LGBAlliance_CA/status/1368988077901905925 https://www.skeptic.org.uk/2022/02/fears-of-creeping-transhumanism-give-space-for-overt-conspiracism-in-gender-critical-communities/ https://progressive.org/magazine/antisemitism-meets-transphobia-greenesmith-lorber/ https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/tv/news/donald-trump-bill-maher-real-time-b2732092.html https://youtu.be/aE9mTr2uI10?si=4OaFzGM27Y1lots9 https://youtu.be/KAMC9cxEPzo?si=4SMhZoH9XKWLcaQ5 https://youtu.be/UJ28qfIR_8M?si=-rDyDFG70OvE3--x https://youtu.be/-Lo1ButCuqE?si=tNl46hKnHyXdfvnO Sean Munger: Oswald Acted Alone Part 1: https://youtu.be/DC8tO16xdrY?si=jhWAKR-GzJHnQacz Part 2: https://youtu.be/Ptt1ti63IiE?si=Dkr3Nd75Jjlv6j95  

Our 'movies about presidents' series continues (probably for four more years) with a much better movie this time. 1993's Wolfgang Peterson joint In the Line of Fire, featuring Clint Eastwood again (are we... doing a Clint Eastwood season now?) as jaded old Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan, veteran of a particular epic fail in Dallas 1963, up against the 90s serial killer shtick of rogue CIA super-assassin John Malkovich and, even more dauntingly, the merciless side-eye of fellow agent Rene Russo. A superior slice of 90s Hollywood nonsense with a nice line in gentle self-mockery and some adorable early digital effects. This is a fun one, kids. Full episode exclusive for Patreon subscribers. Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Our series on 'movies about presidents' continues with a fun discussion of this 1997 'thriller', written by legendary Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman based on the debut novel of David Baldacci, starring/produced/directed by noted chair-interviewer Clint Eastwood, and boasting a splendid cast - including recently-deceased screen legend Gene Hackman - none of whom are given anything very interesting to do. Clint plays a suave cat burglar - with the unlikely name of Luther Whitney - who accidentally witnesses the president of the United States sexually assaulting a woman (far-fetched, right?) and getting her killed. All Hell then persistently threatens but repeatedly fails to break loose. Instead we get a slow, aimless, half-baked movie filled with good elements that don't cohere or go anywhere special. It sparked an amusing conversation though, as we hope you will agree. Full episode exclusive for Patreon subscribers. Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Jack and Daniel welcome to the show Craig A. Johnson - academic, researcher, antifascist, and host of the (excellent) podcast 15 Minutes of Fascism - to chat about his (excellent) new book How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism, a primer on today's fascist and far-right, in all their styles and iterations, aimed at people worried that a young person in their lives (most especially a young man, obviously) is being sucked into the darkness. Episode Notes: How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism, book. 15 Minutes of Fascism at Soundcloud  IDSG on 15MoF Craig's bluesky Craig's Patreon Show Notes: Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Daniel and Jack chat about the eventful millennia that have passed since they last convened...  Features Cantwell News! Show Notes: Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1  

With apologies for our latest recent hiatus, here's an old bonus episode - formerly just for patrons - in which Daniel and Jack chat about 1992's A Few Good Men, a military courtroom drama written by Aaron 'West Wing' / 'Social Network' Sorkin, and starring Kevin Pollack and some other people probably. We're still alive and the show will be back.  We appreciate your patience. Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent.   Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Jack is joined by friend (and friend-of-the-show), the writer George Daniel Lea, to talk about the online phenomenon known as 'Estranged Parents' or the 'Estranged Parents Movement'.  George did a deep dive and is here to tell us about what he found.  It turns out to be a lot more relevant to IDSG than it might seem at first glance! George's site http://www.strangeplaygrounds.com/ George on Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:luidqaapyfdytwkv6eivrfid George on Youtube https://www.youtube.com/@ExaggeratedElegy In researching this episode, and compiling a suite of clips of the infamous Estranged Parent content creator Diane, Jack made extensive use of the work of Maximmino on YouTube, who has covered this subject at length.  https://www.youtube.com/@Maximmmino Here is Maximmino's video on Diane's infamous deleted video, from which Jack harvested several clips. https://youtu.be/SpSRkNYUiAw?si=Af4kRPvMg2PQJ57i Show Notes: Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

We begin our seventh year (!) with a conversation with special guest Teddy Wilson, the journalist behind Radical Reports, on the state of the January 6th convictions, prosecutions, and investigations in the looming shadow of a second Trump presidency. Episode Notes: https://bsky.app/profile/reportbywilson.bsky.social https://bsky.app/profile/radicalreports.bsky.social https://www.radicalreports.org/ Teddy's previous IDSG appearances: https://idontspeakgerman.libsyn.com/123-moms-for-liberty-with-teddy-wilson https://idontspeakgerman.libsyn.com/bonus-hanging-out-with-eiynah Show Notes: Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

In a companion piece to the last public bonus, Daniel and Jack discuss Adam McKay's Vice from 2018, a dense metafictional dramedy biopic of Dick Cheney, unofficial president during the George W. Bush years and architect of the 'War on Terror'.  An interesting movie, possibly as flawed as it is brilliant.   Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent.  Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes. Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Another in our series of election year chats about movies about presidents.  Originally published 18th October, exclusive for Patreon subscribers of Daniel or Jack, now released for all.  By patron request, we watched and discussed 1999's delightful neo-screwball teensploitation 70s-nostalgiafest Dick, in which two teenage girls - Kirsten Dunst and Michelle Williams - accidentally find themselves befriending Richard Nixon (Dan Hedaya) and becoming entangled in Watergate. It's terribly fun. Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent.   Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_ Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1