In This Mad World

Episode 21 - Deploying Troops to LA and Dropping Bombs on Tehran

It's been over a month since we last joined you, and a lot has happened! We begin our discussion with the protests in Los Angeles that resulted in the deployment of the National Guard and US Marines, a dangerous new precedent for democracy as the government clamps down on immigrants. As the standoff between protesters and police appeared to reach new heights, a war erupted on the other side of the world, quickly drawing international attention as Israel launched a war of aggression on Iran.

Episode 20 - The Gaza Concentration Camp Plan

This episode examines what the UN has called "the cruelest phase" of the Israeli war and genocide in Gaza. The IDF and Israeli government are enacting a plan to conquer the entirety of Gaza, coral Palestinians into three smaller areas, and hold territory. In a new turn, Israel and the US have proposed a new joint project to "deliver aid" to those in Gaza under siege, but while sold on "humanitarian" grounds, it is actually part of a project to displace and ethnically cleanse Palestinians from the north of Gaza. This includes plans to ultimately push Palestinians into small "bubbles," or armed compounds, otherwise known as concentration camps. We briefly look at the role of concentration camps in history, its origins in colonial warfare and counter-insurgency. Ultimately, we have entered a more extreme, cruel, and dangerous phase of the genocide, and international pressure on Israel remains far from meeting the moment.

Episode 19 - Israel's Ruthless War on Gaza

In this episode, Andrew Gavin Marshall and Chelsey G return to the subject of Israel's war on Gaza, from the negotiation of the ceasefire in January, violations of the agreement, to Israel's violent and destructive return to war in March. Moving from Trump's Gaza plan to the role of Egypt and Jordan, this episode takes a look at both the geopolitics and on-the-ground realities of this ruthless war's return.

Episode 18 - Canada, America, and the Threat of Fascism

In this episode of In This Mad World, recorded on April 30, Andrew and Chelsey do a recap and analysis of the recent Canadian elections that brought former central banker Mark Carney to power and delivered a resounding loss for Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre. Additionally, they take a look at the construction of authoritarianism in America under the Trump administration, as well as examining some of the ideology and contradictions of fascism.

Episode 17 - When Trump Broke Europe, Part 1

In this episode, recorded on March 9, Andrew and Chelsey take on week 1 of when Trump broke Europe. Starting with some background on Germany and its far-right party the AfD, we take our listeners on a whirlwind tour of Europe's hellish first week of madness with the Trump administration, from the Ukraine minerals deal, the Defense Secretary's comments on giving up leverage, Trump's phone call with Putin, the Munich Security Conference and the speech given by Vice President JD Vance and the immediate efforts of European leaders like French President Macron and British Prime Minister Starmer to try to organize a coherent response. We take our listeners on a day-by-day excursion in part 1 of a multi-part focus on 'When Trump Broke Europe'.

Episode 16 - The Imperial Presidency - Trump's Potential Plans for Mexico, Panama, Greenland, and Canada

In this episode, recorded on February 12, Chelsey G and Andrew Gavin Marshall follow their previous episode on 'The Authoritarian Presidency' by expanding into the subject of Trump's 'Imperial Presidency' with its sights set on Mexico, Panama, Greenland, and Canada. We take a look at Trump's potential military options in Mexico, his threats to retake Panama, his plan to take Greenland, and his threats to annex Canada, which (as Canadians) we spend a great deal of time on, looking at the evolution of threats and game out some scenarios for how this might happen. Recorded three weeks prior to the current tariffs and trade war unleashed by the United States against Canada and Mexico, this episode takes a slightly longer-term focus that is more relevant than ever.

Episode 15 - The Authoritarian Presidency

In this episode, recorded on February 12, Andrew and Chelsey address the project being undertaken by the Trump White House to turn the United States into an authoritarian presidency, or dictatorship, one which also has expansionist aims. We look at America's history of territorial expansion and imperialism, and the era which Trump defines as "great" and thus, is the era he wants to revive. We take a look at Project 2025 in action, the centralization of executive power, the challenge of the courts, the purging of institutions, Elon Musk and the DOGE, and where this could all lead. This episode serves as a part 1 to our follow-up episode on the imperial aspect of the presidency.
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Episode 14 - The Mad King's Mad Gaza Plan

In this episode, recorded on the 5th of February, 2025, Andrew and Chelsey break down the unhinged press conference held by President Trump unveiling his ‘Gaza Plan’ while receiving his first visit from a foreign leader, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin (Bibi) Netanyahu. The plan’s headlining-grabbing details were for the United States to “take” and “own” Gaza and to turn it into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” But the Palestinians? Oh, not to worry, says Trump, they’ll simply “leave.” We bring you clips from the press conference and do some analysis (and ridiculing) in between.

Episode 13 - Is Trumpism a Brand of Fascism?

In this episode, the first of 2025, Andrew and Chelsey take a look at the first few days of the Trump administration, and ask and explore the question as to whether or not Trumpism reflects a kind of modern-day version of fascism. They examine this question by going through some of the historical precedents of fascism, analyzing defining features and processes of fascist movements and compare them to the present circumstances. In a time when the word has often been misused and abused to the point where it can mean anything to anyone, it's best to go to the history so that we can better understand what fascism is, and whether we are seeing it take shape in the United States today.

Episode 12 - South Korea's Political Crisis (with a Side of Canada)

In this episode, recorded on December 18, Chelsey G and Andrew Marshall take a look at the past couple weeks of crisis in South Korea, prompted by the president's shock declaration of martial law and the subsequent dramatic fallout, leaving Asia's fourth largest economy in a state of political chaos. We inadvertently also take an analogy detour in looking at some of Canada's own recent political chaos with the ruling Liberal government of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau facing its largest internal crisis in years.