Podchaser Logo
Home
1/31 The "Gangsters" That Made American Empire w/ Jonathan M. Katz (M)

1/31 The "Gangsters" That Made American Empire w/ Jonathan M. Katz (M)

Released Monday, 31st January 2022
Good episode? Give it some love!
1/31 The "Gangsters" That Made American Empire w/ Jonathan M. Katz (M)

1/31 The "Gangsters" That Made American Empire w/ Jonathan M. Katz (M)

1/31 The "Gangsters" That Made American Empire w/ Jonathan M. Katz (M)

1/31 The "Gangsters" That Made American Empire w/ Jonathan M. Katz (M)

Monday, 31st January 2022
Good episode? Give it some love!
Rate Episode

Sam and Emma host journalist Jonathan M. Katz, author of The Racket newsletter, to discuss his recent book Gangsters of Capitalism: Smedley Butler, The Marines, and the Making and Breaking of America's Empire, which explores the founding and expansion of US imperialism in the wake of manifest destiny, as the US military looked towards Latin America and the Pacific for the future of their economic exploitations. Telling the story through the awakening of one Smedley Butler, who would go on to write “War is a Racket”, Katz begins by situating his entrance into the military, joining the Marines on the eve of the Spanish-American War in Cuba, and rising up the ranks of Imperialism throughout the beginning of the 1900s, getting increasingly insider perspectives in countless colonizations and coups until ultimately reaching a breaking point with the obvious and exclusive economic interests at play. Katz, Sam, and Emma then dive into Butler’s developing roles, looking at his entrance into imperialism with the invasion of Cuba, setting up a century defined by US intervention (but totally not colonialism…) in the region, and touch on how his role in Nicaragua and the Philippines greatly clarified the true purposes of dollar diplomacy, before the military action inched closer and closer to genocides, and the specter of fascism looked more and more like the US military. After diving into the lasting impact of slaughter and exploitation in the regions Smedley fought in, the three of them look to Smedley’s return to the US, taking on a role of speaking out against the mistreatment of veterans by the government, and how this led Gerald McGuire and the Liberty League to see him as an anti-establishment ally, rather than the anti-fascist, anti-imperialist he had become. They wrap up the interview by looking at Butler’s whistleblowing on the League’s coup attempt on FDR, and some greater notes on US fascism that the Business Plot brought about. Sam and Emma also touch on Biden ONCE AGAIN politicizing the Courts by wanting to NOMINATE a JUDGE that is a BLACK WOMAN in PREPARATION for a DIFFERENT JUDGE’s retirement.

And in the Fun Half: Jason from Columbus dives into Smedley Butler’s legacy in the marines, Paul from College explores how long COVID has been devastating young people, and Joe Rogan reminds us that the true misinformation was the knowledge that evolved along the way. Julie Banderas talks about the failure of bipartisanship, Matt Lech explores Peter Thiel’s work with the law firm that led the Guatemalan coup in the 50s, and Ben Shapiro finally finds the audience for his killer jokes about taxes (six-year-olds) Brad from Sarasota explores the Green New Deal as a step in the right direction, plus, your calls and IMs!

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on May 15th HERE:

https://thewilbur.com/artist/majority-report/

Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://madmimi.com/signups/170390/join

Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/

Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

Check out today’s sponsors:

Purchase tickets for the live show in Boston on May 15th HERE:

https://thewilbur.com/artist/majority-report/

Become a member at JoinTheMajorityReport.com: https://fans.fm/majority/join

Subscribe to the AMQuickie newsletter here: https://madmimi.com/signups/170390/join

Join the Majority Report Discord! http://majoritydiscord.com/

Get all your MR merch at our store: https://shop.majorityreportradio.com/

Check out today’s sponsors:

ZipRecruiter: Some things in life we like to pick out for ourselves - so we know we've got the one that's best for us - like cuts of steak or mattresses. What if you could do the same for hiring - choose your ideal candidate before they even apply? That’s where ZipRecruiter’s ‘Invite to Apply’ comes in - it gives YOU, as the hiring manager, the power to pick your favorites from top candidates. According to ZipRecruiter Internal Data, jobs where employers use ZipRecruiter’s ‘Invite to Apply’ get on average two and a half times more candidates — which helps make for a faster hiring process. See for yourself! Just go to this exclusive web address, https://www.ziprecruiter.com/majority to try ZipRecruiter for free!

LiquidIV: Cooler weather makes it easier to miss signs of dehydration like overheating or perspiration, which means it's even more important to keep your body properly hydrated. Liquid I.V. contains 5 essential vitamins—more Vitamin C than an orange and as much potassium as a banana. Healthier than sugary sports drinks, there are no artificial flavors or preservatives and less sugar than an apple. Grab your favorite Liquid I.V. flavors nationwide at Walmart or you can get 25% off when you go to https://www.liquid-iv.com/ and use code MAJORITYREP at checkout. That’s 25% off ANYTHING you order when you get better hydration today using promo code MAJORITYREP at https://www.liquid-iv.com/.

Stamps.com: Taking trips to the Post Office is probably not how you want to spend your time. – that's why you should mail and ship online at Stamps dot com., the place where you get the services of the Post Office and UPS all in one place. There’s NO risk - and with my promo code, MAJORITYREPORT, you get a special offer that includes a 4-week trial PLUS free postage and a digital scale. Just go to https://www.stamps.com/, click on the Microphone at the TOP of the homepage and type in MAJORITYREPORT - that's https://www.stamps.com/, promo code MAJORITYREPORT. Stamps.com - never go to the post office again.

Support the St. Vincent Nurses today! https://action.massnurses.org/we-stand-with-st-vincents-nurses/

Check out Matt’s show, Left Reckoning, on Youtube, and subscribe on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/leftreckoning

Subscribe to Matt’s other show Literary Hangover on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/literaryhangover

Check out The Nomiki Show on YouTube. https://www.patreon.com/thenomikishow

Check out Matt Binder’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/mattbinder

Subscribe to Brandon’s show The Discourse on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/ExpandTheDiscourse

Check out The Letterhack’s upcoming Kickstarter project for his new graphic novel! https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/milagrocomic/milagro-heroe-de-las-calles

Check out Jamie’s podcast, The Antifada. https://www.patreon.com/theantifada, on iTunes, or at https://www.twitch.tv/theantifada (streaming every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday at 7pm ET!)

Subscribe to Discourse Blog, a newsletter and website for progressive essays and related fun partly run by AM Quickie writer Jack Crosbie. https://discourseblog.com/

Subscribe to AM Quickie writer Corey Pein’s podcast News from Nowhere. https://www.patreon.com/newsfromnowhere

Follow the Majority Report crew on Twitter:

@SamSeder

@EmmaVigeland

@MattBinder

@MattLech

@BF1nn

@BradKAlsop

Members can watch here.

Visit SurvivorCorps.com here.

Watch Sam on Gregory from Oklahoma's show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TyKh3be23v8&feature=youtu.be

The Majority Report with Sam Seder - https://majorityreportradio.com/

Show More

Unlock more with Podchaser Pro

  • Audience Insights
  • Contact Information
  • Demographics
  • Charts
  • Sponsor History
  • and More!
Pro Features