American Exception

  We talk with Jefferson Morley about the latest developments in the JFK assassination—specifically the documents which were released in part yesterday, Thursday the 15th of December. Unsurprisingly, the CIA is still withholding many documents, after 59 years and counting. Jefferson Morley is a Washington author and veteran journalist whose novelistic non-fiction books explore untold chapters in t...

  In this episode, we look at how JFK approached the so-called Third World—examining Rostow’s modernization theory as well as cases in Africa and Indonesia. This is the 20th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. Again I am joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus...

  Aaron is joined by Grayzone UK Editor Kit Klarenberg —an investigative journalist exploring the role of intelligence services in shaping politics and perceptions. They discuss three of Kit’s recent articles:   EXPOSED: Before Ukraine blew up Kerch Bridge, British spies plotted it   Leaked documents: British spies constructing secret terror army in Ukraine   FTX partnership with Ukraine is latest...

  In this episode, we look at how JFK approached American policy in SE Asia in 1961—the first year of his presidency. Specifically, we look at how handled Laos and Vietnam during this time—culminating in his November 22, 1963 NSAM which increased military support and training for South Vietnam, even as JFK resisted enormous Pentagon/CIA pressure to commit US ground troops. This is the 19th install...

  In this episode, we start to look at JFK’s presidency. Coincidentally, we are able to kick off our exploration of the Kennedy years right after our last episode (#87) on the 59th anniversary of the assassination in Dallas. In this episode, we discuss JFK’s background—his rise from son of privilege to World War II hero to Congressman to Senator to President. We look at the forces he had to accomm...

  A special double episode on the 59th anniversary of President Kennedy’s assassination: Aaron speaks with the venerable James DiEugenio. After the discussion, Aaron looks at JFK’s “Peace Speech” at American University in which JFK called for “not just peace in our time, but peace for all time.” Calling for an end to the Cold War and for moves toward full disarmament, the speech was repeatedly bro...

  Aaron discusses the latest in the world of “biodefense” with journalist Sam Husseini and the illustrious independent researcher who posts as Gumby on Twitter. Please check out Sam Husseini’s Substack page and his recent article “ Did West Africa’s Ebola Outbreak of 2014 Have a Lab Origin? ” which he cowrote with virologist Jonathan Latham. Special thanks to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineeri...

In this video version of the episode, we close out the Eisenhower years. Specifically, we look at Eisenhower’s policies in Cuba and Congo—as well as how he made weak, half-hearted attempts to respond to the threats posed by the dangerously unaccountable CIA and the murderously greedy military industrial complex. As you will see, Ike’s was indeed a legacy of Ashes! This is the 17th installment of o...

  Aaron talks to the tireless and iconoclastic historian of post-colonial Indonesia, Greg Poulgrain. In this final part, they discuss how JFK, Dag Hammarskjold, and Sukarno were unable to stop Allen Dulles’ murderous grand strategy to turn Indonesia into world history’s most valuable neocolony—under imperial US auspices. Greg Poulgrain teaches history at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Que...

  Aaron talks to the tireless and iconoclastic historian of post-colonial Indonesia, Greg Polugrain. In this first of two episodes, they discuss Allen Dulles' dark influence over US policy in Indonesia up through the Eisenhower administration. Greg Poulgrain teaches history at the University of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, Australia. He is the author of The Genesis of Konfrontasi: Malaysia, B...

  We look at how Eisenhower and the Dulles Brothers handled two geopolitical hot spots of the Cold War: Indonesia and Egypt. This is the 16th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own Seamus McGuinness who is producing the...

  Nick Bryant discusses his prolific efforts to expose sexual blackmail as, in effect, a deep state institution. Nick is the author of The Franklin Scandal: A Story of Powerbrokers, Child Abuse & Betrayal and co-author of Confessions of a DC Madam The Politics of Sex, Lies, and Blackmail . He also has a new book coming out in a few months entitled The Truth About Watergate: A Tale of Extraordinary...

In this episode we briefly discuss what the deep state is and is not before looking at the Eisenhower administration’s imperial chicanery in Guatemala and Vietnam. This is the 15th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well our own...

  In this episode we look at Eisenhower’s ties to Big Oil and how they influenced Operation AJAX--the CIA conspiracy which overthrew Iran’s democratically elected Mohammed Mossedegh in order to install a US puppet, the Shah of Iran. This is the 14th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again...

  [Update: We fixed and replaced the original audio file which had a problem around the introduction] In this episode we look at the history behind NSC-68, the seminal document of the US military industrial complex. This is the 13th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series...

Ben Howard and Aaron continue the Long Shadow of 9/11 series with a discussion on the history of USUK imperial support for reactionary Islamism. The first article in the series is now up at American Exception: “ Prequel to Terror: The 9/9 Massoud Assassination .” Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for his editorial work on the article and to Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: " High...

  In this episode, we begin our historical exploration of the post-World War 2 US empire. As explained in the book and in previous episodes of this history, the history of the post-World War 2 US empire is essentially the history of the US deep state. This is the 12th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration of my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep...

Aaron is joined by Christopher Mott to discuss his recent article, “Woke Imperium: The Coming Confluence Between Social Justice and Neoconservatism.” Christopher Mott is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Peace & Diplomacy and the author of The Formless Empire: A Short History of Diplomacy and Warfare in Central Asia . Follow Christopher on Twitter and check out his personal website: geotricks...

  In this episode, we wrap up our social science exploration of imperial criminality. We discuss dark power—i.e., top-down or despotic political power. Dark power is to be contrasted with open or democratic power—power derived from consensus and persuasion. This is the 11th installment of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and th...

  Aaron and Ben Norton of Multipolarista discuss Establishment scholar Francis Fukuyama and his strange intervention into deep state discourse. I am hoping that Fukuyama is just building up to addressing the deep state construct in future installments because he does mention some important aspects of the emergence of the state, even as he leaves out many other angles: Valuing the Deep State, Part...

  Aaron and Ben Norton of Multipolarista discuss Establishment scholar Francis Fukuyama and his strange intervention into deep state discourse. I am hoping that Fukuyama is just building up to addressing the deep state construct in future installments because he does mention some important aspects of the emergence of the state, even as he leaves out many other angles: Valuing the Deep State, Part...

    Ben Howard and Aaron kick off the Long Shadow of 9/11 series with a discussion on their own personal reckonings with the great terror spectacle of 2001. The first article in the series is now up at American Exception: “ Prequel to Terror: The 9/9 Massoud Assassination .” Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for his editorial work on the article, to Casey Moore for the episode art, and to Dana C...

  We discuss trace the development of parapolitics, deep politics, and the deep state in this penultimate episode on the social science of imperial criminality. This is Part 10 of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series co-host Ben Norton of Multipolarista as well as our own Seamus McGui...

Aaron and Seamus discuss the Security Research Staff (SRS), the inner sanctum of the CIA’s Office of Security. We also discuss James McCord’s friend Lee Pennington and related issues from Jim Hougan’s masterpiece, Secret Agenda: Watergate, Deep Throat, and the CIA . Special thanks to Seamus McGuinness for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: " World of Machines " by...

  We discuss the higher immorality and crackpot realism as described in The Power Elite —the scholarly masterpiece of sociologist C. Wright Mills—and how these concepts can inform the sociology of the imperial American deep state. This is Part 9 of our Empire and the Deep State series--an in-depth exploration on my new book American Exception: Empire and the Deep State. I am again joined by series...