Episodes
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Did news media coverage of last year's murderous Unite the Right rally tip dominoes that marginalized resurgent white nationalism? Why did this year's DC rally vanish into thin air?
Marcus and Brian discuss overt and latent American white nationalism and explore Laura Ingraham's rigid ideas about American national identity. -
Is "Fake News" a euphemism for moral relativism? Are social media feels obscuring objective fact - or leading to riots in the developing world? Marcus and Brian break down some of the theory behind the controversial phrase. Also, hundreds of migrant kids remain separated from their families and a $12 billion farm bailout probably won't save the midwest from Trump's tariffs.
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Episodes manquant?
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Seventy three years ago, Europe was literally on fire. Transatlantic cooperation and treaties helped rebuild the continent into a safe and prosperous environment. So why is President Donald Trump belittling NATO and accusing immigrants of damaging European culture? Is that a step backwards - toward isolationism, fascism and violence? Marcus and Brian break down the xenophobic logic behind "preserving culture" arguments and highlight the premise and values of NATO.
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Uncle Sam threatened to bludgeon Ecuador with harsh tariffs because they dared to sponsor a non-binding WHO resolution promoting breastfeeding. Did the Trump White House conflate specific company's profit margins and national security interests? Have we lost any sense of subtlety? Marcus and Brian also break down why Trump's musing on invading Venezuela is an awful idea and why some of AMLO's ideas in Mexico are impractical. They declare that Vermont is cool for legalizing it ... but that doesn't mean they're Willie Nelson cool.
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President Trump has ripped more than 2300 immigrant children from their parents this year, interred them in camps and deported their parents with few (if any) plans for reuniting them. But is Trump's "zero tolerance" border policy really different from W's and Obama's immigration platforms?
In a word: Yes. Marcus and Brian explore the history of legal challenges, civil and criminal immigration proceedings and the critical 1997 case Flores vs Reno, which complicates Trump's inhumane efforts to put kids in cages and create a "strong" border. -
Children are being ripped from their parents across America's southern border - including some seeking legal asylum, not illegal entry. Dr. Colleen Kraft, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, called it "nothing less than government-sanctioned child abuse." White House Chief of Staff John Kelly once called it a "deterrent." Marcus and Melissa highlight some lies and misconceptions about President Trump's policy (not law) and offer suggestions on how to help.
Also, Argentina and Ireland made major steps toward legalizing abortion in recent weeks. Traditionally, increased access to contraception and abortion has led to declines in abortion services and maternal mortality in the developed world; will that trend continue as abortion spreads to new nations? -
The 2018 World Cup begins today in Russia. Why will Mexicans loudly chant the word "puto," an undeniably homophobic slur, several times a game? Marcus and Melissa discuss the word's controversial dual nature - part hateful insult, part cavalier greeting and sports chant - and recommend a better expletive instead. Pendejo would fit the chant just fine without being intolerant.
Also, Trinidad and Tobago can't hurt us anymore. Canada, Mexico and the United States are jointly hosting the 2026 World Cup - developed nations who won't lose billions of dollars building and maintaining enormous white elephant stadiums like arenas in Brazil, South Africa, and (likely) Qatar.
Note: This podcast contains quite a bit of vulgar language and is particularly NSFW. A frank discussion of profane vocabulary wouldn't be possible if that language were censored. We say those vulgarities openly, in English and mangled Spanish. -
You’ve probably heard someone say Australia banned guns. That’s not true. What you may not have heard is that strict import regulations on firearms in 1968 and 1989 played a big role in shaping America’s gun landscape – as did a 1934 registration act for fully automatic weapons and some explosive devices that’s still enforced today. It has important similarities with broader firearm registration rules in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.
Marcus talks international and domestic gun policies with Travis Miller, a gun owner who used to work in firearms import and export in Texas. They try to negotiate Marcus’ preferences for free trade and limited regulation with the effectiveness and importance of national registries and import regulations. -
Italy finally has a government - but the only things they can agree on are "cleansing" neighborhoods of immigrants and mocking the European Union. Denmark and Bavaria are installing Islamophobic and anti-immigrant policies of their own. Marcus and Melissa, a first-generation Italian immigrant, discuss intolerance and nativism on the continent.
Also, what kind of terrorist listens to country music? Somebody saw Marcus' Ann Richards and Hillary Clinton bumper stickers and called him a terrorist, even though his Pandora was set to Thomas Rhett. Is harassment the new American normal?
Follow us on Facebook at Globalization Weekly, or email us at [email protected]. -
The fertility rate in the United States reached a new low in 2017 - and it would've been much lower without recent immigration. Also, Steve Mnuchin says the trade war with China is "on hold." Did the phone even ring? Marcus explores fertility data and the challenges facing Trumpian diplomacy. He also drops a dated movie reference in a discussion of H-2B visa cutbacks and Maryland crabbing woes.
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Should American policy be based on Biblical prophecy? President Trump & Company said yes when they moved the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, but Brian and Marcus are unconvinced. They tackle the intersections of faith and politics, challenges in cultivating civil discourse on modern social media, and plain confusion surrounding Trump's Tweets supporting China's ZTE telecom. Also, Brian out-cowboys Marcus, much to the shame of his Texas ancestors.
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Is "cultural appropriation" the same as "misogynistic cyberbullying?" In the case of a Utah teenager's prom dress, Marcus says absolutely; he's not sold on the cultural appropriation concept in general, either. He and Brian discuss Joseph Campbell's Hero with a Thousand Faces and the natural ways cultures blend and evolve. Brian, a Honduran national, speaks about surviving Hurricane Mitch and the painful challenges facing thousands of Honduran immigrants now that President Trump has let their "temporary protected status" expire.
Reach out to us at [email protected] and follow us on Facebook. -
Western news media are heralding "groundbreaking" talks between North and South Korea, but is Kim Jong Un for real? Are expectations for a de-nuclarized Korean Peninsula realistic, or are Kim's nukes a permanent part of a global web of compromises and networks? Marcus and Brian discuss Korean diplomacy. Also, President Trump's swashbucking tariffs are slipping now that the rubber is beginning to meet the road. How many deadlines will get pushed back, and will Trump's Twitter chatter screw up the combined American / Mexican / Canadian bid for the 2026 World Cup? Also, what would you do if Danny Trejo offered you a joint?
Reach out to us at [email protected], or follow us on Facebook at Globalization Weekly. -
More than 700 immigrant children have been separated from their families since last October, according to the New York Times. It's hard to think of a more un-Christ-like act, but white evangelical support from Trump is at a new high. Why? Marcus and Brian weigh in on the topic, and also discuss Trump's overtly racist tweet about "breeding" in sanctuary cities, the ongoing Russia probe, the potential "blue wave" and the globalized nature of organized religion.
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In our first dedicated interview episode, Marcus and guest Melissa Persia explore the transnational roots of American pharmaceuticals and the legal drug trade. They also reframe the so-called "opioid crisis," which has unfairly stigmatized thousands of legitimate pain patients.
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Marcus and Brian break down the policy and worldview implications of the American attacks on Syrian despot Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons stockpiles. They consider President Trump's confusing re-consideration of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, tackle passionate objections to (domestic) immigration in Austin, Texas, and briefly laugh at retiring House Speaker Paul Ryan.
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Brian digs deep into Honduran politics and history to explain the "caravan" of migrants crossing Mexico destined for the Rio Grande. They're not rapists; they're workers, families and unaccompanied children fleeing a country with few real opportunities. Also, Marcus and Brian touch on Trump's brewing trade war with China and the international politics of American high schools.
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Marcus and Brian address the inclusion of a citizenship question in the 2020 U.S. Census, a step designed to further tilt the balance of the House of Representatives toward rural conservative voters. They discuss John Bolton, ongoing trade uncertainty with China and South Korea, and the politics behind Roseanne and Pacific Rim: Uprising. Also, Brian briefly trots out a lousy fake Australian accent. It goes poorly, and Marcus judges him for it.
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Marcus and guest Dan Windle dive into deep background on free trade as an economic ideology. They address strategies for reinventing jobs for American workers in globalized industries, including supporting skills training and new educational opportunities. Dan also makes a declaration: In the era of Trump and polarized politics, many former stalwart Republicans are willing to vote for approachable Democrats.
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Marcus & guest Melissa Persia address the robot in the room: Flippy, the burger-flipping robot, and the literal and metaphorical change he represents for fast food and the Rust Belt. They discuss "Appalachian privilege" and racist undertones in Rafael "Ted" Cruz's new jingle attacking Beto O'Rourke. They also cover the anti-immigrant and anti-establishment roots in Italy's Five Star movement and recent elections, and the ideological overlap between Five Star and MAGA.
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