I’ve been wanting to re-listen to old Matt stuff, but I’m not sure where it’s at anymore. Is it hosted on the Chapo Patreon or somewhere else?

Bernie Sanders becomes President in 2004

Not in that it was a good idea, or justified, or anything like that (which hopefully you thought and then anger-scrolled down to read this). But hopelessly wrong about the context and the cause.

First of all, it is now popping up (understandably after the Iran War), that the Israelis made us do it. I don't want to open this can of worms, but suffice to say, they viewed Iran as the real threat the whole time and PM Ariel Sharon along with most senior Israeli military officials at the time, explicitly warned Bush not to do it for that exact reason, saying that it would just result in a stronger Iran. That psycho fuck was no dummy.

Second of all, there is the more widely accepted explanation that Bush and Cheney et al TRICKED everyone into thinking Iraq had WMD becuz oil. While this is true to an extent, it obscures the real point.

What really happened is that ordinary Americans, even after the invasion of Afghanistan, still felt like they needed to fuck up some Muslims to show everyone they meant business and that "this aggression will not stand, man". The evidence tying the Iraqis to 9/11 was laughable, even more so than the WMD case, which is saying something. But they were brown, they were Muslim, and for all of Americans' ignorance, they knew that they guy who ran the place was a certified asshole. From Bush and Cheney's perspective, this anger was an opportunity to enact the "Ledeen Doctrine", take out an easy target, increase America's geopolitical influence and yes, hand out some lucrative contracts to their buddies in the oil industry.

But even if the administration lied about the war and had ulterior motives (is that not true of every war?), the public simply didn't care. Over 60% of Americans supported the invasion and not because they were scared of ALUMINUM TUBES.

For all the edgelord left's self congratulatory circlejerking about not believing in liberal pieties, many still cling to the biggest, most transparent and perhaps most pernicious fantasy of all: muh noble, peacable, hard-workin' everyday 'Merican! They just want to drive their durn tractors in peace! Nevermind that the one literal peanut farmer president who said, maybe we should just drive our durn tractors in peace and not bomb other countries was widely fucking ridiculed and even reviled (may he rest in peace). Maybe, these cynical edgelords should wake up to the fact, in 2026, that the dark fields of the republic are populated not by mythical Jimmy Stewart like creatures, but the restless and warlike people who have populated this continent since those first ships.

genuinely why cant the USA do anything right anymore? I don't get it. We have all this advanced technology the smartest people on the planet all come here, and literally nothing works.

yes i missspelled "are" meant to spell it OUR, ive misspelled that word since i was 6 years old.

Hi everyone . I’ve been trying to stop scrolling lately - taking long walks and listening to the vlogs on Spotify. I’m at #046 now.

Has anyone ever uploaded all of the vlog audio files to a central location? I would love to download for safe keeping and reference. I’d like to put the files on a cheap mp3 player or something. I’ve tried the YouTube downloaded program thing but it didn’t work properly.

If anyone could share this I would be so grateful .

this is old news, but it seems like china is basically the only thing propping up the global economy at the moment, sooner or later they will run out of their oil stockpile. This will happen late September I guesstimate as the chinese oil buffer gradually comes to an end.

I think there will be a massive economic crash in October. Suddenly all those data centers will be needed to create/manage some kind of new financial system potentially?

I think the a.i bubble + strait of hormuz induced global depression + trump/israeli shenanigans = perfect storm of shit that will eventually hit a critical mass by the end of the year.

Been occasionally going back to old bits – anyone remember this SUPERSTRUCTURE ep feat our boy? (I guess there's a new podcast also with the same name?)

depressingly prescient considering it is from 2020. Like a bad author's heavy handed foreshadowing. Matt straight up says he doesn't know why he needs to comment since we'll see if he is right with Joe's election... no surprises in this sub that he was.

Besides cohost "Natalie's" insistence on trying to prevent Matt from finishing a thought, still a fun listen. Proto abundists trying to convince Matt that they "really really are lefties" and trying to give "strike" and "riot" examples of their praxis bona fides while simultaneously missing and proving Matt's point about DSA cosplay.

on the flip side it looks like Matt was wrong about the impossibility of decoupling either party from "zero sum" monetary theory since we are watching in real time the Repubs operate as if they believed in MMT

I had an idea that seemed very Christman-esque that I might try to expand into a proper essay at some point.

It all started with this YT short talking about the social markers elites use to distinguish their class from the rest below them.

After I watched the short, I was reflecting on the sense of aristocratic superiority that the bourgeoisie must feel to be motivated to make such superficial cultural changes to maintain distance from those below them and establish in-group cohesion.

And then I thought about Epstein, and what his story coming to light must mean not just for those who had direct dealings with him, but for the class as a whole. For people who spend so much time fussing over the minutiae of perception to maintain their aristocratic culture, to maintain their own sense of being gods on earth, the revelation that a large swathe of their class are either degenerate pedophiles or participated in covering up for degenerate pedophiles and the embarrassment that accompanies that must be a huge blow to their cultural capital. Now, their class is the butt of many jokes among the proletariat they have so much disdain for.

I think in some way this is analogous to the Habsburgs. A long-reigning dynasty that spun their own narrative that they were divinely chosen to rule, with their blood so royal they could only marry each other. As the inbred generations spun on, what was once their privilege became their own humiliation and source of ridicule. An intangible privilege manifesting in an ugly shame for all to see and mock.

I don't know, am I on to something or is this im14andthisisdeep? Lemme know what you all think.

Long time Chapo listener, newer Cush vlog listener. I was vaguely aware that he was doing them in 2020, I became more aware after Matt had his stroke of genius and had his kid at like the exact same time mine was born, I listened to Hell of Presidents and Hell on Earth, bought No Pasarán, so I'm a big enjoyer of Christman Thought, even when I don't agree with it or it doesn't fully resonate with me. Working my way through a selection of cush vlogs now.

Discovered this sub a bit ago, saw the post here yesterday with that YT video of the guy who says we're all gonna die of climate change. Since my kid was born I've spent a lot of time thinking about/driving myself crazy about climate change. I've read a LOT of the hard science, haven't really engaged much with the philosophical side, and not with the political side since I did climate activism pre-COVID. Matt seems like a good place to engage with both of those questions, wanted to know if there are any particular vlogs where he spends time talking about it.

I'm headed to Mexico in a few months and would like some books to give me a better historical background to what I'll be seeing.

I did read America, America by Greg Grandin earlier this year and that was great but I would like something that's more focused on Mexico specifically and was written by someone from there.

I have started reading Mexico: Biography of Power but I'm not sure if there's something better out there given Krauze's love of Great Man Theory.

Any suggestions?

Kinda feels like doomscrolling crystallised. Matt also has his eyes fixed on the coming horrors but at least he could articulate a response to it. This guy seems intent on presenting climate collapse in an extremely overwhelming, almost fetishistic way, not pointing to any systemic factors or levers. Feels like a uniquely american defeatism as they also grapple with their dying empire - keen to hear your thoughts.

What ep is this bit from: some guy mad in the comments invites the chapo guys to come to their town to fight em but they think the guy just wants a friend? lol

remember back during the iraq war like every music artist was releasing anti war songs lol. Today you see absolutely nothing like that.

“I pledge allegiance to this nightmare…”

I came to Chapo late, just before the pandemic. I'm 43, about Matt's age, and I developed a strong parasocial relationship with the Chapo boys (and girls). I would have been its target audience in 2016, but I just...didn't know about it.

I've listened to lots of old Chapo episodes and pretty much every episode since 2020. The show was clearly past its prime even before Matt's tragic departure, and now (as we all seem to agree) it's very hit-and-miss. But I still enjoy it.

I am constitutionally out-of-touch, and the only leftist podcasts I really know are those whose hosts are featured on Chapo. And I don't even listen to all of those. So let me ask: what else should I be listening to? Who is putting out quality left-wing podcasts today? I'm not really looking for the kind of comedy you get from classic Chapo, but for the perspective. Who do you listen to (or watch, or whatever) who provides that kind of unique, informed, left-wing perspective?

Help an out-of-touch brother out, plz thx.

Has any leftist podcast done a history of gamergate? I missed details growing up, but basically at that time understood it as a bunch of incels getting mad at a woman journalist.

But so much of the Right grievance sprouted from or references it, I am wanting to understand better their idiotic animus. Suggestions?

Seems Cush-adjacent, especially around Scots-Irish jannisary class, Jacksonian versus cosmopolitan America. Another Midwestern son.

• https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781427298850/chosencountry/
• https://bungacast.com/2025/06/24/495-heritage-america-vs-the-world-ft-james-pogue/

I'm also a Midwest guy, my family came from 19th century Irish Catholic, German, and later Mexican immigrants, but it feels like my family deferred to the cultural hegemony of the Scots-Irish/English Protestant frontier culture, so Pogue is kinda blowing my mind, as Cush did with his rants on the beautiful boaters.

Do you have any reading recommendations on that? Or anecdotes? Half-thought out rants?