Pushback with Aaron Mate

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Indictment of Steele dossier source humiliates its media, intel cheerleaders Nov 15, 2021

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Igor Danchenko, the main source for the Clinton-campaign funded Steele dossier, has been indicted for lying to the FBI. The indictment's revelations are humiliating for the influential political, media, and intelligence voices who promoted Steele as credible, and raise new questions about the FBI's handling of the Trump-Russia probe. Veteran journalist Barry Meier, author of "Spooked", and Aaron Maté discuss. Guest: Barry Meier. A veteran, Pulitzer Prize winning journalist. His latest book is "Spooked: The Trump Dossier, Black Cube, and the Rise of Private Spies." https://www.barrymeierbooks.com/ Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Inside Puerto Rico's struggle against crippling austerity and Hurricane Maria's devastation Nov 12, 2021

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Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate In his new documentary "Drills of Liberation" (Simulacros de liberación), filmmaker Juan Carlos Dávila goes inside Puerto Rico's social movements as they resist crippling Washington-imposed austerity and provide life-saving mutual aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria. Guest: Juan Carlos Dávila. Journalist and documentary filmmaker whose new documentary is "Drills of Liberation" (Simulacros de liberación). https://twitter.com/juancinedoc https://www.simulacrosdeliberacion.com/

Fmr. CIA analyst on the hidden realities of Syria's war and new novel, 'Damascus Station' Nov 09, 2021

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Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate As a CIA analyst, David McCloskey covered Syria from 2008 to 2014. He draws on his experience for his new spy thriller, "Damascus Station," set during the early years of the Syrian war. David McCloskey joins Aaron Maté to discuss "Damascus Station"; the early years of the Syrian war; the role of foreign powers including the US; the US decision to support the insurgency despite knowing that Al Qaeda and other Salafi jihadist groups were its "primary engine"; allegations of chemical weapons attacks in Syria; and the direction of US policy in post-war Syria. Guest: David McCloskey. Former CIA analyst who covered Syria for six years, from 2008 to 2014. Wrote memos for the President’s Daily Brief (PDB), lived and worked in CIA field stations throughout the region, and briefed senior White House officials, members of Congress, and Arab royalty. His new book is "Damascus Station", a spy thriller set during the early years of the Syrian war. "Damascus Station", by David McCloskey https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393881042

CrowdStrike one of Russiagate's 'biggest culprits': ex-House investigator Oct 28, 2021

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Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate As a top investigator on the House Intelligence Committee, Kash Patel helped uncover the Clinton campaign's funding of the Steele dossier and the FBI's extensive and deceptive reliance on it. Patel joins Aaron Maté to discuss Steele's new attempt to defend his discredited work via a softball interview with ABC News. Patel also addresses the key role of newly indicted Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann in hiring and overseeing another heavily influential Clinton campaign contractor, CrowdStrike, the cyber-firm behind the foundational allegation that Russia hacked the DNC. "CrowdStrike is one of the biggest culprits of the Russia fraud," Patel says. "For some reason, for the only time in FBI history that I can think of, they allowed an outside non-government entity to referee. That is, to go in and seize the servers of a target of an investigation and let a third party, CrowdStrike, referee what the FBI could and could not have access to." Guest: Kash Patel. Former senior government official in the Trump administration. Previously, Patel served as a top investigator on the GOP-led House Intelligence Committee, where he was instrumental in exposing US intelligence misconduct in the Trump-Russia investigation. Also served as a national security official in the Obama-era Justice Department and Pentagon.

New book debunks widespread claim that Hunter Biden laptop was 'Russian disinformation' Oct 17, 2021

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Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate On the eve of the 2020 presidential election U.S. media outlets and social media platforms censored reporting on the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop, based on the evidence-free claim that the story was "Russian disinformation." In his new book "The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s 50-Year Rise to Power," Politico reporter Ben Schreckinger authenticates multiple emails from that laptop as part of a deep look at the Biden family and Joe Biden's 50-year political career. Guest: Ben Schreckinger. National political correspondent for Politico and author of "The Bidens: Inside the First Family’s 50-Year Rise to Power." https://twitter.com/SchreckReports http://benschreckinger.com/

Humane: How Obama sanitized war and killed the US anti-war movement Oct 15, 2021

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In his new book "Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War," scholar Samuel Moyn argues that post-9/11 efforts to reform the conduct of US military operations have ultimately sanitized and prolonged the underlying illegal warfare. Moyn discusses the Obama administration's key role in sanitizing warfare and how it undermined the US anti-war movement. He also addresses criticism of how the legendary human rights attorney Michael Ratner factors into his book's arguments. Guest: Samuel Moyn. Professor at Yale Law School and a professor of history at Yale University. His new book is "Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War." Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

From Hunter’s laptop to 'Havana syndrome,' Russiagate disinformation hits new low Oct 03, 2021

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Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate Glenn Greenwald weighs in on a series of new embarrassments for the Russiagate disinformation campaign targeting the US public: Hunter Biden's laptop confirmed; Hillary Clinton's lawyer indicted; and 'Havana syndrome' debunked. Plus, the CIA's war on Julian Assange. Guest: Glenn Greenwald. Independent journalist who writes at https://greenwald.substack.com/.

Inside the CIA plot to kidnap, kill Julian Assange Sep 30, 2021

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As the Biden administration continues to seek the extradition of Julian Assange, new details have emerged about the Trump administration's secret war against Assange and his organization, Wikileaks. Michael Isikoff of Yahoo News discusses his team's explosive reporting on the CIA plot to surveil, kidnap, and even kill Assange -- all overseen by Michael Pompeo. Isikoff and Aaron Maté also debate Russia's role in the Assange controversy, particularly the allegation that Russia stole Democratic Party emails in 2016 and gave them to Wikileaks. Guest: Michael Isikoff, chief investigative correspondent for Yahoo News. "Kidnapping, assassination and a London shoot-out: Inside the CIA's secret war plans against WikiLeaks." https://news.yahoo.com/kidnapping-assassination-and-a-london-shoot-out-inside-the-ci-as-secret-war-plans-against-wiki-leaks-090057786.html Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

How the Taliban won the Afghan war Sep 12, 2021

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After being toppled in the war's early months, the Taliban managed to defeat the US military and return to power 20 years later. Author and scholar Antonio Giustozzi on how the Taliban beat the world's most powerful army and what the future holds under its rule. Guest: Antonio Giustozzi. Senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and visiting professor at King’s College London. His books include "The Islamic State in Khorasan" and "The Taliban at War." Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

Marvin Gaye's biographer on 50 years of 'What's Going On' Sep 10, 2021

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Released 50 years ago, Marvin Gaye's album "What's Going On" remains just as relevant today. David Ritz, author of "Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye" and friend/collaborator of the late singer, on the lasting power of Gaye's 1971 timeless anti-war masterpiece. Guest: David Ritz. Author and songwriter whose many books include "Divided Soul: The Life of Marvin Gaye." Support Pushback at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/aaronmate

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