There are a couple of serious geopolitical analysts I follow to make sense of the ever shifting power dynamics of global politics, and Pyotr Kurzin is one of them. The London based journalist has a fantastic Youtube channel called the Global Gambit, and has recently started a rapidly growing Substack newsletter. You can subscribe here: I spoke to Pyotr about Trump’s foreign policy and what it actually represents beneath the slogans — whether it’s isolationism, transactional nationalism, or a deeper shift in how American power is exercised. We unpacked the logic behind unpredictability as strategy, the treatment of alliances as leverage rather than institutions, the use of tariffs and trade as geopolitical tools, and the long-term consequences for Europe, China, Russia, and the global order itself. Enjoy! If you enjoy what we do here at The Banter, please consider becoming a paid subscriber. We rely entirely on our readers to fund us, so your contribution helps enormously. You’ll also get access to all members only content and exclusive chat threads. Join today!: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

A quick note to Banter readers: I’m making this video free because I think it’s a super important topic. If you’re not a video person here’s a lightly edited transcript: by Ben Cohen I wanted to talk a bit today about the attacks on the Jewish synagogue in Manchester, because we have a big anti-Semitism problem in the UK. Is this a problem about Islam? Is it a problem about the Israel–Gaza war? This is a complicated topic — really, really complicated.I’d really like to get some feedback from everybody watching, and all Banter listeners and readers.So what do we know about the anti-Semitic attacks thus far? This is from CNN:At least two Jewish worshippers were killed and several others injured in a car ramming and stabbing attack outside the synagogue in the English city of Manchester on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year. Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer flew back early to the UK from Denmark to chair an emergency meeting, condemned the attack, and warned that hatred is rising once again and Britain must defeat it once again.He used his address to reassure Britain’s Jewish community and vowed to do everything in his power to guarantee their security, starting with a “more visible police presence protecting your community.” UK authorities announced heightened security measures at synagogues across the country after police declared a terrorist incident against the backdrop of rising anti-Semitism and other forms of religious hatred worldwide following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attacks and Israel’s war in Gaza.The framing of this is extremely interesting. A lot of people were saying they blame Benjamin Netanyahu for attacks on synagogues and attacks on Jews. And I can understand that, I really can.I think Benjamin Netanyahu is a terrible, terrible human being who has done more to inflame tensions in the Middle East than almost anyone outside of Hamas, obviously, and Iran. He’s a despicable person, and I can’t wait for him to go. He should be in prison on corruption charges.But I want to express some concern I have about blaming Netanyahu — or blaming Israel — for attacks on Jews worldwide. This is something Jews have had to swallow for years. The fact is that anti-Semitism spiked, particularly in the UK, after October 7. This was after Israel was attacked and before the Israeli government had declared war on Hamas. Anti-Semitism spiked to a ludicrous degree.Jewish schools and synagogues in the UK do active-shooter drills. English kids don’t — because there aren’t many guns in the UK — but Jewish kids do, because of fundamentalist Islamic extremists and their threats against synagogues. There is some anti-Semitism from the far right too, but it’s less so. Way less than from fundamentalist Muslims. That needs to be spoken about.Not subscribed to The Banter? Get the best political analysis on the interwebs: Look, being Islamophobic is terrible. I have a lot of Muslim friends in the UK and I don’t like seeing them discriminated against. But there is a serious problem with fundamentalist Islam, extremist Islam, in the UK, and the UK government has not dealt with this at all.Two people have been killed in a synagogue. And the statistics are staggering. From the BBC: reports of anti-Semitic incidents in the UK in the first half of 2024 reached another record high, according to a Jewish security charity. From January to June 2024, there were 1,978 anti-Jewish hate incidents. No other minority has to put up with this. None.If you think it’s about the war in Gaza, then where are all the attacks on Russians? Where are the mass killings of Russians in the diaspora? Are they being shot in the streets like the two Israeli embassy members in Washington, D.C.? Do Russian places of worship have to do active-shooter drills? I don’t think so. But the Jews do.This is my issue with holding Jews accountable worldwide for what the Israeli government is doing. I know about this firsthand. My uncle, for a long time, did security in synagogues in North London because of constant death threats and security threats. A lot of it stems from the assumption that all Jews are responsible for Israel, which they are not.As somebody of Jewish heritage, I find this pretty scary. Really scary. I get death threats. People send me horrific anti-Semitic messages — people saying they wish my kids were dead. I had to pull my kids out of school on the “Day of Vengeance” after Israel launched its war in Gaza. Most Jews I know are just scared. They don’t condone what’s going on in Israel. They hate Netanyahu. I don’t know a single Jew who thinks he’s good for Israel or for the world. Most think he should be in prison.Yet Jews pay the price whenever Israel acts. That’s not fair, and that’s a double standard other minorities don’t face. This speaks to the innate anti-Semitism that exists worldwide. I’ve experienced it directly — even playing online chess with people from Jordan, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia. They send me anti-Semitic abuse just because of my last name.I know the left thinks these attacks are about Zionism, about Israel. But maybe it’s just about anti-Semitism. Maybe it’s been normalized to the point where people excuse it by saying it’s about Zionism. It’s not. The casual anti-Semitism I’ve seen recently is shocking.I even watched a video of a famous UK boxer making a casual anti-Semitic “joke” about money — and nobody blinked. On the left, this is normalized.This is why I don’t spend much time speaking out about Israel. I care about what Israel is doing to Palestinians — I think it’s terrible. But Jews already have enough problems with anti-Semitism.And why is everyone more focused on Israel than, say, the Uyghurs in China? Or the civil war in Sudan? There are deadly conflicts all over the world. But as they say: if there are no Jews, there’s no news.Is this going to get better? I don’t think so. There’s a peace proposal happening in Israel right now, but will it go through? Doubtful. Netanyahu isn’t interested in peace. The longer the war goes on, the more he’s protected from criminal trial. He has a vested interest in keeping it going.Again, no love here for Netanyahu or his government. But why do Jews in Manchester have to be murdered for this?Why does the left struggle so much to confront fundamentalist Islam and Islamic terrorism? I think it comes from identity politics: Muslims are seen as “brown people” and Jews as “white people.” Therefore, Jews must be oppressors, Muslims oppressed. It’s reductive and stupid.The left tries to force the Israeli–Palestinian crisis through the lens of colonizer vs colonized, oppressor vs oppressed. It’s not a great way of looking at it. I’ve written about this before and I’ll do more. I may even bring in contributors for a Substack Live to expand on it.But let me know what you think. I’ll post this to The Banter and would really appreciate your comments.If you are enjoying The Banter, get 50% off a Membership today. We rely on readers to keep us going and your support is hugely appreciated! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In Justin’s final appearance on the podcast we discuss ABC caving to Trump who now plans on suing every media outlet into submission. Also: Elon Musk yanks Trump’s leash and orders a government shutdown, and why are people paying attention to what Trump says? We have ‘The Backstabbing Sellouts of the Week’, and then ‘The Last Ray of Sunshine!’. For Banter Members: The Emergency Meeting Podcast: Justin’s Best Work In The Emergency Meeting Podcast we discuss some Justin’s best work on The Banter. From going after the alt left to the shocking story of his childhood, Justin has poured his heart into The Banter for almost a decade. His work has been integral to our success and it will be very sad to see him go. This is the last episode of The Emergency Meeting before we reveal a new Banter podcast for next year! To listen, get 30 days free on a Banter Membership and go here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In the show today: the coup in Syria - a bad day for Russia and a potentially good day for the Middle East? Christopher Wray obeys in advance. What does this means for the rule of law in Trump’s America? Also: Pete Hegseth is still in contention to be secretary of defense. Then we have “The stupidest thing you will hear all week” segment followed by our “Sunshine of the Week” story! For Banter Members: The Emergency Meeting: Horrors Stories in PublishingIn today’s Emergency Meeting podcast Ben and Justin reveal ‘horror stories in publishing’. We discuss how Justin helped build a monster (inadvertently), Ben’s time writing for a very scummy boxing promoter, and the time he lost all of his work for a major news organization and nearly got into an altercation with a professional fighter just hours before the deadline! Listen here and get 50% off a Banter Membership!: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In the show today: we have South Korea’s bizarre attempted auto-coup, the epic Hunter Biden pardon freakout, and then Kash Patel’s insane nomination to run the FBI. Also, Pete Hegseth’s nomination is in real trouble, but Trump’s alternative could be worse? Listen on Substack or on iTunes/Spotify! For Banter Members: Is Shooting Health Insurance Executives Ever Justified?America’s healthcare system is broken beyond repair, and with the public execution of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson this week, it is now clear the public has had enough. But are insurance executives the real enemy, or just part of a broken system? Can we take our anger out on random executives? We have very different takes on this, so it’s really a “Good Ben, Bad Justin of the Week” segment. Join us for a highly controversial members podcast!Listen here and get 30 days on a Banter Membership free!: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In today's episode of The Banter Roundtable podcast, I spoke to Democratic strategist Julie Roginsky. A veteran political consultant with over two decades of experience, Julie has emerged as a compelling voice in Democratic circles for her candid analysis of party strategy. She recently gained widespread attention after her appearance on CNN, where her frank assessment of Democratic messaging sent shockwaves through the party. I had a fascinating conversation with Julie, covering all the sensitive topics she believes Democrats are avoiding, and why the party desperately needs to talk with voters, rather than to them. You can follow Julie on Substack here, and on Bluesky here. For Banter Members: Emergency Meeting: Trouble in Trump WorldIn this special episode of The Emergency Meeting we talk trouble in Trump world. Trump hasn’t taken office yet, but his insane administration picks are facing enormous challenges, and his team are beginning to turn on each other. We dig into the sordid histories of Matt Gaetz and Pete Hegseth, and look at some of the other bonkers candidates Trump wants to run the country (here’s looking at you Elon Musk).Listen to this episode and get 30 days free trial on a Banter Membership: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In the show today: We talk about the ludicrous picks Trump has made for his cabinet. What will the consequences will be? Also, how big is Trump’s mandate? Not big, despite his bragging about it. Also, we discuss the MAGA legal theory that will strip millions of US citizens, including children, of their citizenship. In these dark times, we have a ‘Ray of Pure Comedy Gold’ involving psychotic madman Alex Jones. Listen now!For Banter Members: The Emergency Meeting: Should Democrats Let Trump Go Wild? In The Emergency Meeting we debate letting Trump go wild in the White House. Should America be made to feel the consequences of electing a fascist lunatic, or should Democrats expend time and energy protecting them from their tragic mistake? Listen here! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In this special episode of The Banter Roundtable Podcast, we talk to prolific progressive author and radio host Thom Hartmann about what went wrong for the Democrats. Why did Trump beat Harris so easily? What role did Joe Biden play, and why did working class Americans abandon Democrats? Thom’s insights into the election are fascinating and his advice to liberals reeling from the election is invaluable. If you would like to support The Banter please consider becoming a member. Members get access to all premium articles, The Emergency Meeting podcast, and all member chat threads. You can get 50% off a membership here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe

In this very special episode of The Banter Roundtable Podcast, we have a secret guest on to discuss the state of the 2024 election! In the show we talk about Kamala Harris’ enormous rally on the Ellipse, Trump’s fascist rally in NYC, and the panic in MAGA land where Trump supporters have been arrested for the very things they are accusing Democrats of. Who is going to win the election, and are the polls right about it being close? You definitely don’t want to miss this one!For Banter Members: NOTE: All proceeds from Banter Membership sales will go directly to the Harris/Walz campaign!The GOP Plot to Steal the Election is Happening Right NowIn The Emergency Meeting Podcast, the Banter crew (including our secret guest!) break down the Republicans ongoing attempts to subvert the democratic process and steal the election. Republicans are now claiming there tens of thousands of illegal votes (only in swing states of course), and plan not to certify legitimate results. Will their plans work, and what are Democrats doing about it? Listen here: This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit thebanter.substack.com/subscribe