252 - David Kipping: Alien Civilizations, Megastructures, Spacecraft, and Artificial Intelligence

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join Richard Wolff is Professor Emeritus of Economics at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and co-founder of Democracy at Work. Cornel West holds the Dietrich Bonhoeffer Chair at Union Theological Seminary. Norman Finkelstein is a political scientist and author who received his PhD in politics from Princeton University. In this episode, Richard, Cornel, Norman, and Robinson discuss the crisis of the American left and whether it can rebuild its political power. More particularly, they discuss Zohran Mamdani’s compromises, Cornel’s warning that he could become another Barack Obama, and their disagreements over working with Tucker Carlson. They also discuss Donald Trump and American decline, Bernie Sanders and class politics, Cornel’s break with Jill Stein and the Green Party, immigration, Gaza, and where to draw moral lines when building political coalitions. Their recent books include Richard’s Understanding Capitalism (Democracy at Work, 2024), Cornel’s Truth Matters, coauthored with Robert P. George (Post Hill Press, 2025), and Norman’s Gaza’s Gravediggers: An Inquiry into Corruption in High Places (OR Books, 2026). Richard’s Website: https://www.rdwolff.com/ Understanding Capitalism: https://www.democracyatwork.info/understanding_capitalism Cornel’s Website: https://www.cornelwest.com/ Truth Matters: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Truth-Matters/Robert-P-George/9798888451700 Norman’s Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.com/ Gaza’s Gravediggers: https://www.orbooks.com/catalog/gazas-gravediggers/ OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 01:06 What Do Elections Actually Change? 05:47 How Enthusiasm Turned Into Disappointment for Zohran Mamdani 09:36 The Deep Denial in the United States 14:11 Is Another New Deal Still Possible? 17:27 The Repression of American Colonialism 23:49 Is America’s Decline Irreversible? 30:25 Cornel West on Bernie, Mamdani, and Colonialism 42:12 America Fears Socialism—But for How Long? 44:36 Neoliberalism Is a Curse on Socialism 49:06 Jill Stein and Why Cornel West Left the Green Party 52:15 Bernie Sanders and the Holocaust 59:52 Is Tucker Carlson Dangerous for the Left? 1:06:53 Can Immigration Be Fixed? 1:11:04 How Capitalism Destroyed Itself in Germany 1:15:21 Do Blacks Have Legitimate Complaints About Immigrants? 1:19:23 International Relations 1:21:04 Biden, Obama, and Red Lines 1:25:09 What If Our Heroes Were Racist? 1:27:27 Will the Rest of Us Ever Be Prosperous Again? 1:42:29 Who Is Pumping Denial Down America’s Throat? 1:48:55 John Stuart Mill on Truth 1:50:34 Rick’s Biggest Mistake in Life 1:57:00 Cornel’s Biggest Mistake in Life 2:01:49 The Academy Caved to Biden, Trump, and Israel Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Support the Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsxwneBx6apV1mQ7CbWKfXQ/join Robert Pape is Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and director of the Chicago Project on Security and Threats. In this episode, Robert and Robinson discuss why the Iran war has become an escalation trap for Donald Trump, the United States, and Israel. More particularly, they talk about Pape’s argument that the war has strengthened Iran while weakening America’s regional position, Iran’s leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, and how cheap drones and precision weapons are changing the balance of military power. They also discuss how the 2026 midterms could prolong escalation, the limits of predicting war, how AI could make political assassinations easier, and the risks of weapons operating without human oversight. Robert’s latest book is Our Own Worst Enemies: America in the Age of Violent Populism (The New Press, 2026). Robert’s Substack (Prof Robert Pape): https://professorrobertpape.substack.com/ Robert’s Substack (Escalation Trap): https://escalationtrap.substack.com/ Robert’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ProfRobertPape Our Own Worst Enemies: https://thenewpress.org/books/our-own-worst-enemies/ OUTLINE 00:00 Introduction 00:45 Why the Iran War Is Nowhere Near Over 08:08 How Iran Can Defy a Superpower 15:22 How Cheap Drones Changed the Balance of Power 20:31 Is America Building Weapons for the Wrong War? 29:00 Why War Experts Must Risk Being Wrong 40:25 Has Pape Been Wrong About Iran? 45:33 How Time Shifts the Balance of Power 51:23 Why the 2026 Midterms May Prolong the Iran War 55:16 How a Leader’s Health Can Change a War 1:01:40 How Assassinations and Elections Can Upend the World 1:05:28 Is AI Making Iran’s Attacks More Deadly? 1:07:38 Could AI Make Assassinations Easier? 1:13:36 Could Hezbollah Shut Down Israel’s Ports? 1:18:25 When Weapons Act Without Human Control Robinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University, where he is also a JD candidate in the Law School.

Rick Wilson is a political strategist, author, and co-founder of The Lincoln Project. After decades working in Republican politics, he became a prominent conservative critic of Donald Trump. In this episode, Rick and Robinson discuss the Republican Party Rick believes Trump has destroyed, America’s changing position in the world, and the struggle to defeat Trumpism. More particularly, they talk about the GOP’s competing factions, Trump’s relationships with Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin, and American policy toward Iran and Venezuela. They also discuss divisions among Democrats, Bernie Sanders and the progressive left, Abdul El-Sayed and James Talarico, the influence of podcasts and social media, and the prospects for the 2026 and 2028 elections. Rick’s books include Running Against the Devil (Forum Books, 2020).

Anne Applebaum is a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and staff writer at The Atlantic. Her work focuses on authoritarianism, democracy, and the history of Central and Eastern Europe. In this episode, Anne and Robinson discuss corruption, foreign policy, and the threat of autocracy in Donald Trump’s America. More particularly, they talk about Anne’s assessment of unprecedented corruption, Trump’s relationship with Vladimir Putin, and Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff’s involvement in diplomacy and business negotiations. They also discuss China’s mass surveillance system, the power of tech companies to suppress political campaigns, retaliation against political opponents, and whether the 2026 elections can slow America’s democratic decline. Anne’s recent book is Autocracy, Inc.: The Dictators Who Want to Run the World (Doubleday, 2024).