Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

• Trump and Rubio Call Ukraine a Proxy War – with The Duran

  Go to our sponsor https://venice.ai/useful and use code useful to enjoy private, uncensored AI. Using our code will get you 20% off a pro plan.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at http://betterhelp.com/USEFUL and get on your way to being your best self.Check out DeleteMe and use our code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click here for the full interviews with The Duran's Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-episode-trump-and-rubio?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseFollow The Duran: https://www.youtube.com/theduranhttps://x.com/AMercourishttps://x.com/AXChristoforouSee Katie and Yanis live in Brussels on March 7: https://diem25.org/brussels-event-the-battle-for-europes-future-starts-now-yanis-varoufakis-katie-halper-grace-blakeley-and-melanie-schweizer/Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Trump Attacks Trans Mice; MSNBC Attacks a Child https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/trump-attacks-trans-mice-msnbc-attacks?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseFor $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.comJoin us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to.This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio made a stunning and unprecedented statement to the world: he called the Ukraine war a proxy war.Rubio’s statement makes him the highest ranking official to admit what has been happening in Ukraine since the start of this war. Adam Schiff said it: “The United States aids Ukraine and her people so that we can fight Russia over there and we don’t have to fight Russia over here.” Lindsey Graham said it: “As long as we help Ukraine with the weapons they need and the economic support, they will fight to the last person.”Now Rubio: “I’ve been very clear from the beginning that President Trump views this as a protracted stalemated conflict, and frankly it’s a proxy war between…the United States and Russia.”The Duran's Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris join the show this week to explain the history of the proxy war, the magnitude of this unprecedented statement, and why it could represent a major shift away from the last 30 years of US foreign policy.“Since 2014,” Alexander explains, “[the CIA] has basically been controlling Ukraine's intelligence services and has even trained people who have taken part in the assassinations of rebel leaders in the Donbas. Admissions are slowly coming out about what has preceded all of this and what helped provoke Russia to invade.”But Rubio’s statement could be more than an admission; it could be a policy shift. “It's just so unprecedented to get at this level. The secretary of state saying, ‘This is indeed a proxy war. It has to come to an end.’ I think Rubio knew exactly what he was doing. He made this extraordinary statement a few weeks ago that the unipolar moment is over, that the United States is one great power amongst several, that it must pursue its own interests, that the entire history period of American foreign policy has essentially come to an end. Which is a massive reversal of everything that the US has been saying it's been doing for the last thirty years.”Subscribe to hear the full interview with Alex and Alexander on whether a proposed peace deal would actually be accepted by Russia, why there hasn’t been a single US lawmaker to oppose any military spending for Ukraine, and if the Trump administration’s peace messaging will extend to their policies in the Middle East.00:00 Intro00:16 Dems protest Trump's speech by doing nothing07:41 Trump attacks free speech on college campuses13:38 "Jewish women with big racks" go to the ADL16:10 Democrats TikTok malfunction18:25 Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris interview19:27 Will Trump end the Ukraine War?22:26 Rubio said it!25:09 The CIA is more involved than we realize30:55 Is Trump meeting with Zelensky's political opponents?37:22 The EU is all in on the war41:25 A pacified Russia45:30 Will Russia accept a deal?Our Sponsors:* Check out American Giant: https://american-giant.com/USEFUL* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com* Check out DeleteMe and use my code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/useful-idiots-with-katie-halper-and-aaron-mate/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  47:09
• Yanis Varoufakis: 'Capitalism is DEAD'

  Go to our sponsor https://venice.ai/useful and use code useful to enjoy private, uncensored AI. Using our code will get you 20% off a pro plan.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at http://betterhelp.com/USEFUL and get on your way to being your best self.Check out DeleteMe and use our code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click here for the full interviews with Yanis Varoufakis: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-episode-yanis-varoufakis-928?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseSee Katie and Yanis live in Brussels on March 7: https://diem25.org/brussels-event-the-battle-for-europes-future-starts-now-yanis-varoufakis-katie-halper-grace-blakeley-and-melanie-schweizer/Watch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Brian Stelter: Voters Who Want Peace Are Illiterate https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/brian-stelter-voters-who-want-peace?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseFor $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.comJoin us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to.Useful Idiots’ resident economist Yanis Varoufakis returns to the show this week to analyze Trump and Musk’s chainsaw cuts to Medicaid, USAID, and other government programs, answering the important question: is it actually bad for a government to run a deficit?But before getting into the DOGE of it all, Varoufakis gives an economic explanation for how Trump reclaimed power, and whose fault it is.“Donald Trump is the creation of the Democratic Party's spectacular, lamentable failures,” he says. “The first time he was elected, it was entirely due to Barack Obama. Barack Obama betrayed every single promise or principle that he put forward in 2008.”And his reelection was a result of the same calculated missteps by the Dems. “The average American couldn't make ends meet. And yet the liberal establishment were saying you've never had it so good and you should celebrate the fact that we've had a recovery in the labor market and inflation. People couldn't make ends meet. And there was a Democratic establishment telling them that it was the best of all possible worlds. How dare you complain about your finances?”Just as he did after Obama, Trump capitalized on this: “Trump comes again and says, I'm looking you in the eye and I can recognize your pain and I'm going to make you great. So he got elected as a result of very concerted efforts by the Democrats to lose.”ShareBut will Trump follow through on these promises to help the working class, or will the donors in Mar-a-Lago trump the voters?“The Republicans,” Yanis explains, “are notorious for being exceptionally liberal when it comes to handing money to themselves, to their friends, to the financial and real estate community. They have no problem doing that. But they look at a single cent, nickel, or dime being spent on a poor person and they scream blue murder. Why? Because they are class warriors. They're in the business of conducting a vicious class war against the little people.”But the even harsher reality, he says, is the reason it will be so challenging to fix any of these problems: “Unfortunately, the Democrats have been even more efficient class warriors than the Republicans.”Subscribe for the full interview with Yanis Varoufakis where he explains this, plus why Amazon is “the wet dream of the Soviet Economic Planning Ministry,” how technofeudalism killed capitalism, and the real reason that Germany is so beholden to Israel (hint: it’s not Holocaust guilt like they say).00:00 Intro01:01 Dems are MAD about peace talks with Russia09:20 Trump's totally gonna cut Medicaid20:30 Jake Tapper lied about everything24:38 Meet the Snowflake: Christopher Rufo28:50 Yanis Varoufakis interview29:54 Less evil voting34:44 Will Trump lower the cost of eggs?38:59 Does government spending cause inflation?42:36 What is the impact of a deficit?45:30 Is it bad to run a deficit?51:15 They're lying through their teeth53:44 What is Elon Musk doing?58:22 What is technofeudalism?1:02:34 How do we stop Amazon?Our Sponsors:* Check out American Giant: https://american-giant.com/USEFUL* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com* Check out DeleteMe and use my code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/useful-idiots-with-katie-halper-and-aaron-mate/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  1:04:52
• Ukrainian Historian Exposes the Real Zelensky

  Go to our sponsor https://venice.ai/useful and use code useful to enjoy private, uncensored AI. Using our code will get you 20% off a pro plan.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at http://betterhelp.com/USEFUL and get on your way to being your best self.Check out DeleteMe and use our code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click here for the full interviews with Marta Havryshko: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/ukrainian-historian-exposes-the-real?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseWatch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Rachel Maddow Incites a New January 6 Over Ukraine Peace Talks https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/rachel-maddow-incites-a-new-january?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseFor $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.comJoin us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to.“Every single day, we are losing territories. Every single day, we are losing people. Every single day, our children in Ukraine are suffering from these rocket attacks, drone attacks. And nobody knows what happened next.”Dr. Marta Havryshko is a Ukrainian historian and professor at Clark University. She has watched as the proxy war between the United States and Russia has destroyed her country.“Those who want to continue this disaster and this hell,” she says, calling out the proxy warriors and those who have criticized her for seeking peace, “are you ready to sacrifice your life? Are you ready to sacrifice the life of your brother, son, and other loved ones for this crazy idea that victory can be achieved?”Ukraine, she believes, was doomed from the beginning of the war.“Russia is bigger, Russia has a lot of resources, Russia has powerful friends. I can't even understand who in their right mind actually can believe that Ukraine can change the situation on the front line and retake all those territories.”Marta has watched as her family members were forced to fight and die for this proxy war. She shows us footage of the Ukrainian army chasing and kidnapping men as a method of forced conscription as the fighting population wanes.“Who will retake those territories? Many of my friends, many of my relatives are in the army now. They suffer from suicidal thoughts. They suffer from this desperation, frustration. But nobody can replace them because we have this problem with mobilization, we are running out of manpower.”And she explains who Ukrainians are blaming: “That's why the popularity of Zelensky nowadays is really low. Ukraine under Zelensky is not a democracy.”Subscribe for the full interview with Marta Havryshko on how western media whitewashes neo-Nazis, why comparing Putin to Hitler doesn’t work, and how Zelensky shut down TV channels to censor opponents.00:00 Intro01:43 Chuck Schumer: Influencer08:22 Trump's cutting Medicaid14:58 Fighting Trump with Dance17:25 NYT covers for a Hate Crime20:22 Marta Havryshko interview21:53 Will Trump Make Peace in Ukraine?31:48 Why she voted for Zelensky in 201935:29 WaPo's Scantily Clad War Propaganda40:08 Death Threats for Criticizing Nazis45:18 Zelensky, the Azov Battalion, and Corporate MediaOur Sponsors:* Check out American Giant: https://american-giant.com/USEFUL* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com* Check out DeleteMe and use my code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/useful-idiots-with-katie-halper-and-aaron-mate/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  50:40
• What Is Elon Up To? Inside the Broligarchy with Quinn Slobodian and Michael Tracey

  Go to our sponsor https://venice.ai/useful and use code useful to enjoy private, uncensored AI. Using our code will get you 20% off a pro plan.This episode is brought to you by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at http://betterhelp.com/USEFUL and get on your way to being your best self.Check out DeleteMe and use our code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Click here for the full interviews with Quinn Slobodian and Michael Tracey: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-episode-what-is-elon-up?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseWatch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna Calls on Ghost Witnesses from JFK Commission https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/rep-anna-paulina-luna-calls-on-ghost?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseFor $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.comJoin us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to.This week, the world saw the president of the United States sit quietly at his desk while the richest person in the world stood over him to take questions from reporters. It comes only days after another subservient look from “tough guy” Trump when he pushed in his boss’s chair like a waiter:While Netanyhu seems to be in complete control of Trump internationally, we’re turning to the domestic front to ask: how much power do Musk and the Broligarchy have over the president’s decisions?Quinn Slobodian, professor of international history at Boston University and author of the upcoming book Hayek's Bastards: Race, Gold, IQ, and the Capitalism of the Far Right, and journalist Michael Tracey join the show to unravel the mystery around Elon Musk, analyzing what he’s already done, what DOGE has the power to do, and how he plans to build his influence.Quinn explains the difficulty in putting a label on Musk, which he says is often helpful in giving a historical analysis for a person. Some call Musk a techno-fascist, others call him a libertarian, and others a tech oligarch. Quinn doesn’t quite agree with any of these labels, and begins building a new one.We also ask him about Steve Bannon, who has been replaced at Trump’s side by Musk, and whether there will be some kind of MAGA civil war between the pseudo-populists and the tech elites. And dive into how Elon Musk was shaped by the South African apartheid.Michael Tracey discusses Trump’s role in the Ukraine War. After Trump’s failed promise to end the war in “24 hours,” it’s become clear that he doesn’t plan to stop giving aid to Ukraine. And with reports of a historic phone call this week between Trump and Putin, what is next for Ukraine?Subscribe for the full interview with Michael Tracey on what Russia is willing to accept from Trump, the hypocrisy of the culture wars, and what Tulsi Gabbard’s confirmation as director of national intelligence means for foreign policy.00:00 Intro01:26 Dems are PISSED at constituents and activists09:49 Republicans are slashing Medicaid21:05 Trump calls FRAUD on policy he doesn't like24:39 Plastic straws and sharkaganda26:57 Quinn Slobodian interview27:40 How much power does Elon Musk have?31:12 The PayPal Mafia35:43 DOGE targets the Pentagon40:56 Musk got his contract under Biden48:23 Elon's obsession with population53:33 A MAGA civil war?57:02 The 5 Core Propositions of Elon Musk1:04:16 Michael Tracey interview1:04:54 Trump called Putin1:08:21 KGB spies in the White House1:13:13 How does Trump view Ukraine?1:20:47 Trump wants to raise military spending??1:24:12 What will Russia accept?Our Sponsors:* Check out American Giant: https://american-giant.com/USEFUL* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com* Check out DeleteMe and use my code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/useful-idiots-with-katie-halper-and-aaron-mate/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  1:27:10
• Former Marine DEBUNKS USAID Rumors

  Click here for the full interview with Brian Berletic: https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/extended-episode-former-marine-debunks?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseWatch this week's Thursday Throwdown: Trump Lackeys Sell “Bold, Fresh” Gaza Expulsion Plan https://www.usefulidiotspodcast.com/p/trump-lackeys-sell-bold-fresh-gaza?r=je5va&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=falseCheck out Brian's Youtube channel, The New Atlas: https://www.youtube.com/ @TheNewAtlas  For $6 a month, become a Useful Idiot! Get extended interviews, Thursday Throwdowns, and bonus content at http://usefulidiotspodcast.comJoin us LIVE on Youtube every Monday at 10am EST for Monday Mourning, where we watch the Sunday morning news shows so that you don't have to.Support local jobs and get variety of high-quality clothing and activewear at https://www.american-giant.com and get 20% off your first order with promo code USEFUL. Thanks to American Giant for sponsoring the show!Check out DeleteMe and use our code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comFormer U.S. Marine Brian Berletic, who focuses on geopolitics in Eurasia and hosts the informative Youtube show The New Atlas, joins Useful Idiots this week as Elon Musk and the Trump administration are gutting USAID and attempting to move it under the control of Marco Rubio’s State Department.Musk claims he’s “dismantling the Deep State.” Berletic, whose years as a marine gave him a harsh awakening about the reality of US hegemony, gives an in-depth analysis of what’s really going on.He explains why each side is up-in-arms over the issue: Dems are painting USAID as an all-loving agency that is essential to upholding Democracy around the world, while Republicans are crying wokeism by finding relatively trivial expenses in the fine print. Neither, Berletic says, are highlighting the real, and much more nefarious issues with USAID.“They have not mentioned foreign interference, regime change, subversion, stifling development, and they have not said that they are going to stop any of that.”“And here's a photo,” he shows us from the U.S. Government Counterinsurgency Guide, drafted in part by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). “Just think about how tone deaf or brazen they are to post this picture. This is a picture of the Philippines, the U.S. conquered the Philippines. There was an uprising because they wanted to be an independent nation. The US military brutally suppressed it. Mass murder, concentration camps. This is all listed on the State Department's website And so they're talking about insurgency, counterinsurgency, and USAID's role in the counterinsurgency process.”Subscribe for the full interview with Brian Berletic on Trump's fight with China for the Panama Canal, Brian’s realization of the sick acts committed by marines, and what the Deep State really is.00:00 Intro00:30 Schumer's embarrassing leadership05:52 Trump's ethnic cleansing plan for Gaza10:46 The most Trumpian exchange of all time12:29 Pro-Israel group threatens Norm Finkelstein with a pager16:10 Brian Berletic interview16:48 Debunking USAID rumors18:58 What USAID actually does23:47 Is Trump WITH the Deep State?26:15 The myth of the Radical Left27:28 Marco Rubio on USAID31:30 Trump tariffs vs Biden tariffs34:21 USAID and it's "open source" cronies like Bellingcat39:04 Talk about Russia meddling in elections!42:50 CIA's new priority: UNDERMINE CHINA45:30 The China Obsession48:59 How will China respond?50:54 WHAT IS THE DEEP STATE?Our Sponsors:* Check out American Giant: https://american-giant.com/USEFUL* Check out Avocado Green Mattress: https://avocadogreenmattress.com* Check out DeleteMe and use my code IDIOTS for a great deal: https://joindeleteme.comSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/useful-idiots-with-katie-halper-and-aaron-mate/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

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  52:49

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