It’s the Corruption, Stupid—With David Sirota
David Sirota on how we got here and how we can claw our way out.
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.
It’s the Corruption, Stupid w/ David Sirota
You may have noticed that corruption is legal in our country. At this point, it’s almost like the air we breathe or the water we swim in—it’s everywhere, and so it almost feels natural, like something we just have to accept. But that’s horseshit, according to David Sirota, investigative journalist and editor-in-chief of The Lever. David has spent his career uncovering and opposing corruption. So we asked him to help us understand how we got here (hint: it wasn’t by accident), and how, for the love of all that’s good and holy, we can claw our way out. This is an important one if you want to understand the state of our world today!
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.S. President Donald Trump looks on during an event in the Oval Office of the White House on May 21, 2026 in Washington, DC.
(Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)You may have noticed that corruption is legal in our country. At this point, it’s almost like the air we breathe or the water we swim in—it’s everywhere, and so it almost feels natural, like something we just have to accept. But that’s horseshit, according to David Sirota, investigative journalist and editor in chief of The Lever. David has spent his career uncovering and opposing corruption. So we asked him to help us understand how we got here (hint: It wasn’t by accident), and how, for the love of all that’s good and holy, we can claw our way out. This is an important one if you want to understand the state of our world today!
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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.
Chud of the Rings w/ Bret Devereaux / Fighting Fascism
We all love making fun of fascists. But Dr. Bret Devereaux makes an art of it. Bret is a historian of antiquity and a Tolkien scholar, and he doesn’t suffer fools. He’s been going at it with the world of online chud “historians” — the fascists who say they’re fighting to defend “Western Civilization,” something they’ve never bothered to actually try to understand. And he has similarly choice words for the far right billionaire freaks who idolize, and utterly misunderstand, the Lord of the Rings.
This is a genuinely delightful conversation for nerds like us. But it’s also a serious look into the ways the far right misuses history and literature to advance their fucked up worldviews — and how we can fight back.
Check out Bret’s WONDERFUL blog, A Collection of Unmitigated Pedantry, at acoup.blog.
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