Podcast / American Prestige / Feb 20, 2024

UFO Mythology, With David Halperin

On this episode of American Prestige, a discussion about the role of UFO sightings in politics and culture.

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.

UFO Mythology with David Halperin | American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

On this episode of American Prestige, Danny and Derek speak with David Halperin, retired professor of Jewish studies at UNC Chapel Hill, about his book Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO. The group looks at the phenomenon of UFO encounters as part of a longer tradition of mythology, examining their relationship to the historical epochs in which they occur, their place in politics and culture, and what ultimately the search for aliens says about our own views of humanity.

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

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

A digital composite of a UFO flying above an urban park.

A digital composite of a UFO above an urban park.

(Ray Massey / Getty Images)

On this episode of the American Prestige podcast, we speak with David Halperin, retired professor of Jewish studies at the University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill, about his book, Intimate Alien: The Hidden Story of the UFO.

We examine the phenomenon of UFO encounters as part of a longer tradition of mythology, examining their relationship to the historical epochs in which they occur, their place in politics and culture, and what ultimately the search for aliens says about our own views of humanity.

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.

War Breaks in Tigray, Brazil Elections, Houthi/Ansar Allah Attacks Hit Saudi Airports / American Prestige
byThe Nation Magazine

Derek has returned, but he keeps trying to get Danny to go to some seminar led by a charismatic “mentor” he encountered in his travels. In this week’s news: war breaks out in Ethiopia’s Tigray region (0:43); Flavio Bolsonaro wins the first round of Brazil’s presidential election as the right makes major gains (6:46); in Yemen, the government’s counteroffensive against Ansar Allah stalls (9:51), the group attacks airports in Saudi Arabia and Yemen (12:40), and Saudi Arabia seeks outside military support (13:42); the U.S. prepares to resume its war against Iran as the Islamic Republic intensifies attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz (17:44); in Japan, a U.S. Marine’s arrest for alleged murder sparks protests against the American military presence on Okinawa (22:18); Sudan’s military advances in North Kordofan (25:20) and Sudanese military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan rejects peace talks (28:06); in Mali, Tuareg rebels withdraw from Kidal as government forces retake the town (29:54); the U.S. and the WHO seek information about suspected plague cases at a Russian lab (29:54); Russian attacks across Ukraine kill at least 25 (32:57); Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez calls a snap election (35:00); the U.S. bombs another alleged drug boat in the Caribbean (37:12); and Trump creates a new AI task force called the Super Intelligence Force (38:12).

Note: Since recording, Trump has said that the U.S. will not attack Iran before the November midterm elections.

Watch a replay of last night’s livestream with journalist Michael Fox about Brazil’s elections.

Subscribe and check out our History of Modern Palestine series with Rashid Khalidi.

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

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

Subscribe to The Nation to Support all of our podcasts

Daniel Bessner

Daniel Bessner is a historian of US foreign relations and is the author of, among other books, Imperialist Realism.

Derek Davison

Derek Davison is a writer and analyst specializing in international affairs and US foreign policy. He is the publisher of the Foreign Exchanges newsletter, cohost of the American Prestige podcast, and former editor of LobeLog.

More from The Nation

The NEXTDC data center in the northern Canberra suburb of Bruce, Australia, on August 26, 2026.

The AI Buildout Is a Boon for the Fossil Fuel Industry—With Ketan Joshi The AI Buildout Is a Boon for the Fossil Fuel Industry—With Ketan Joshi

Paris Marx talks to Ketan Joshi about how the data center buildout is driving a surge in fossil fuel investment, and how it’s all playing out in Australia.

Paris Marx

Google headquarters campus in Mountain View, California.

How Mass Layoffs Changed Working in Tech—Clarissa Redwine & JS Tan How Mass Layoffs Changed Working in Tech—Clarissa Redwine & JS Tan

Discussing the state of worker organizing in the tech industry, including how it’s changed since the mid-2010s and where it needs to go from here.

Paris Marx

Congressional Candidate Sam Husseini and Talking NBA Over-Unders

Congressional Candidate Sam Husseini and Talking NBA Over-Unders Congressional Candidate Sam Husseini and Talking NBA Over-Unders

Green Party candidate Sam Husseini joins the show and Arya returns.

Dave Zirin

Tech Fascism Has Come for American Democracy—With Gil Durán

Tech Fascism Has Come for American Democracy—With Gil Durán Tech Fascism Has Come for American Democracy—With Gil Durán

Paris Marx is joined by Gil Durán to discuss Silicon Valley’s embrace of far-right politics and the tech billionaires seeking to consolidate corporate and political power.

Paris Marx

https://bookshop.org/a/15865/9780316450850

Government Is Putting AI Before People and the Planet—With Matt Haugen Government Is Putting AI Before People and the Planet—With Matt Haugen

Paris Marx is joined by Matt Haugen to discuss how AI policy benefits tech giants at the planet’s expense—and what a people- and climate-first alternative could look like.

Paris Marx

Concerned Rockland County residents joined members of Food & Water Watch, Indivisible Rockland and the Bi-State Data Center Crisis Coalition of NY/NJ outside the Orangetown Town Hall in Orangeburg, New York.

Data Center Opposition Is Uniting Communities—With Saul Levin Data Center Opposition Is Uniting Communities—With Saul Levin

Saul Levin joins Paris Marx to discuss how rising opposition to data center construction is uniting people across party lines.

Paris Marx

x