Podcast / The Time of Monsters / Nov 19, 2023

AIPAC Versus the Squad

On this episode of The Time of Monsters, Alexander Sammon on how the pro-Israel group wants to destroy progressive politics.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

AIPAC Versus the Squad | Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

On Wednesday, Alex Sammon reported in Slate that “one of the biggest, bitterest, and most expensive political battles of the 2024 election cycle has emerged: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], one of the most powerful, best-funded influence operations in Washington, is planning to go all out to knock the famed “Squad”—the small group of highly visible and popular progressive legislators of color, most of them women—out of office.”

AIPAC is planning on spending more than $100 million to push the Democratic party to the right. Given AIPAC’s successful track record, this is a genuine threat.

For this episode of the podcast, Alex and I sat down to talk about this development, the way the current Israel-Palestine conflict is sending political shockwaves in America, and the Democratic party’s selective defense of incumbents. We also discuss the fact that Israel’s war is increasingly unpopular and facing mass opposition— a fact that could undermine AIPAC’s agenda.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Joe Biden AIPAC

Then–Vice President Joe Biden addressing the American-Israeli Public Affairs Committee’s 2013 Policy Conference in Washington.

(Susan Walsh / AP Photo)

On Wednesday, Alex Sammon reported in Slate that “one of the biggest, bitterest, and most expensive political battles of the 2024 election cycle has emerged: The American Israel Public Affairs Committee [AIPAC], one of the most powerful, best-funded influence operations in Washington, is planning to go all out to knock the famed ‘Squad’—the small group of highly visible and popular progressive legislators of color, most of them women—out of office.”

AIPAC is planning on spending more than $100 million to push the Democratic Party to the right. Given AIPAC’s successful track record, this is a genuine threat.

For this episode of the podcast, Alex and I sat down to talk about this development, the way the current Israel-Palestine conflict is sending political shock waves in America, and the Democratic Party’s selective defense of incumbents. We also discuss the fact that Israel’s war is increasingly unpopular and facing mass opposition—a fact that could undermine AIPAC’s agenda.

The Nation Podcasts
The Nation Podcasts

Here's where to find podcasts from The Nation. Political talk without the boring parts, featuring the writers, activists and artists who shape the news, from a progressive perspective.

The Iran War Stalemate w/ Trita Parsi / The Time of Monsters with Jeet Heer
byThe Nation Magazine

The Trump administration has announced a new set of harsh sanctions against Iran. This is a strange development since originally Trump launched a war on Iran on the pretext that sanctions weren’t working. Trita Parsi of the Qunicy Institute argues the current tactic won’t work and is a holding action as both the US and Iran bide their time in a long conflict. Parsi’s writings can be found on his Substack. In the interview, we discuss his column on the surprising way many governments are rooting for Iran to check US imperialism.

Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Become a Sustaining Donor This September

Between the reemergence of right-wing red-baiting and Donald Trump’s use of the chilling National Security Presidential Memorandum–7 to criminalize left political organizing, we’re seeing McCarthyism reborn before our eyes.

This assault on democracy cannot be ignored or wished away. Resisting it requires bravery in the face of threats and repression, a steadfast commitment to the truth, and the unwavering belief that we can—and will—overcome this darkness.

We must have an independent media that sets the record straight, unearths corruption and abuses of power, and advances a politics of justice and dignity for all if we’re to win this fight.

That’s why I’m writing to you today. This September, The Nation needs to add 100 monthly donors to sustain our progressive journalism. Your contribution makes the next investigative report, the next truth-speaking column, and the next pathbreaking essay all possible. 

I hope you’ll support our work with a recurring donation today. If you donate $10 or more a month, we’ll send you a brand new “Hands Off the Free Press!” sticker to recognise your commitment to our cause. Please, donate today. 

Onward,

Katrina vanden Heuvel
Editor and Publisher, The Nation

Jeet Heer

Jeet Heer is a national affairs correspondent for The Nation and host of the weekly Nation podcast, The Time of Monsters. He also pens the monthly column “Morbid Symptoms.” The author of In Love with Art: Francoise Mouly’s Adventures in Comics with Art Spiegelman (2013) and Sweet Lechery: Reviews, Essays and Profiles (2014), Heer has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, The Paris Review, Virginia Quarterly Review, The American Prospect, The GuardianThe New Republic, and The Boston Globe.

More from The Nation

The Paramount logo is displayed on a water tower at the Paramount Studios in Los Angeles, California.

The Supremes Say “No” to Trump on Mail Voting—Plus, the Paramount-Warner Merger Fight The Supremes Say “No” to Trump on Mail Voting—Plus, the Paramount-Warner Merger Fight

 David Cole analyzes the court’s ruling on voting by mail, and Rashad Robinson comments on the battle to block Paramount’s takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Jon Wiener

Attendees react as US Vice President Kamala Harris concedes to Donald Trump on November 6, 2024.

Overcoming the Left’s Politics of Powerlessness—With Yotam Marom Overcoming the Left’s Politics of Powerlessness—With Yotam Marom

Yotam Marom joins Fighting Fascism to discuss the left’s relationship to power, leadership, and strategy—and how movements can overcome the habits that hold them back.

Canada-US Trade War Escalates, Houthis Seize Yemeni Port, Report Says Netanyahu Ignored 10/7 Warnings

Canada-US Trade War Escalates, Houthis Seize Yemeni Port, Report Says Netanyahu Ignored 10/7 Warnings Canada-US Trade War Escalates, Houthis Seize Yemeni Port, Report Says Netanyahu Ignored 10/7 Warnings

I, for one, welcome our new AI overlords. In this week’s news: the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service confirms last month was tied for the hottest ever recorded (0:52); the Hou…

Podcast / American Prestige

The Supremes and the Ballroom. Plus, the Dems and the Senate.

The Supremes and the Ballroom. Plus, the Dems and the Senate. The Supremes and the Ballroom. Plus, the Dems and the Senate.

Robert Weissman analyzes the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump’s White House ballroom, while John Nichols surveys the battle for control of Congress in the midterms.

Jon Wiener

Understanding MAGA as a Social Movement—With Bill Fletcher Jr.

Understanding MAGA as a Social Movement—With Bill Fletcher Jr. Understanding MAGA as a Social Movement—With Bill Fletcher Jr.

Bill Fletcher joins Fighting Fascism to discuss organized labor, anti-fascist strategy, and why understanding MAGA as a social movement matters for confronting it.

How Civilizations Fall—With Patrick Wyman

How Civilizations Fall—With Patrick Wyman How Civilizations Fall—With Patrick Wyman

Patrick Wyman joins Fighting Fascism to explore what ancient societies can teach us about social collapse, human agency, and confronting fascism in the present.

x