American Exception

This special episode features Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg. About a year ago, on Groundhog Day 2021, Ellsberg came my peace studies class. He was prepared to answer questions from students, which he did, but only after being surprised by a number of luminaries who had previously agreed to join us. The surprise guests included James Galbraith, Peter Kuznick, Katharine Gun, and Peter Dale Scott. The class—Peace Studies of the American Century—is one that I developed in collaboration with American University history professor Peter Kuznick and filmmaker Oliver Stone. Daniel Ellsberg is the author of Secrets: A Memoir of Vietnam and the Pentagon Papers, and The Doomsday Machine: Confessions of a Nuclear War Planner. His life story is the subject of The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers, the Oscar-nominated documentary that Edward Snowden credited for inspiring his own act of whistleblowing. Lastly, we are joined by former CIA officer John Kiriakou, the heroic individual who went to jail for blowing the whistle on CIA torture. He was kind enough to offer his own very memorable tribute to Daniel Ellsberg. Special thanks to Mickey Huff and Anthony Fest of Project Censored, Casey Moore for the episode art, and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: "End of the World" by Mock Orange

Legendary filmmaker Oliver Stone talks about his new JFK assassination documentary with special guest host Abby Martin. Stay tuned after the interview for a postscript detailing how the JFK assassination was an Establishment or deep state production that must be placed in the context of the post-World War II US imperial project for global dominance. Part 9 of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, this episode also features Hailey Rounsaville of TheKultureDotTV. Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Please check out: Abby Martin at The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio. James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Episode Music: "Too Good Your Dreams Don't Come True" by Mock Orange

In this episode, Aaron is joined by Daniel Bessner to discuss propaganda in the USA. Bessner is co-host of the American Prestige podcast and a professor in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. He is also a Non-Resident Fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and a Contributing Editor at Jacobin. In 2019-2020, he served as a foreign policy advisor to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Daniel is an intellectual historian of U.S. foreign relations and the author of Democracy in Exile: Hans Speier and the Rise of the Defense Intellectual. After the interview, this episode also features a discussion on materialism, ideology, and propaganda with Our Man in Boston, Ben Howard! Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: "This Nation" by Mock Orange

In Part 8 our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron continues his discussion with James DiEugenio. They cover Vietnam and other key aspects of President Kennedy's foreign policy. Collectively, JFK's plans to end the Cold War and his support for Third World nationalism represented a radical break from the imperialist Acheson-Dulles consensus which had prevailed since the end of World War II. Unfortunately, Kennedy's visionary plans placed him in the cross hairs of the US Empire's beneficiaries. These amoral members of the American power elite commanded the world's leading corporate, military, and political organizations. James DiEugenio is the screenwriter and co-creator of Oliver Stone's new documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass as well as JFK: Destiny Betrayed, the four-hour cut of the film coming to the US in late February. Jim is also the author of Destiny Betrayed: JFK, Cuba, and the Garrison Case and The JFK Assassination: The Evidence Today. Additionally, he runs the fantastic website Kennedys and King and makes regular appearances on Len Osanic's BlackOp Radio. Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Please check out: Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange

In this seventh episode of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron talks with James DiEugenio, the screenwriter and co-creator of Oliver Stone's new documentary JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass as well as JFK: Destiny Betrayed, the four-hour cut of the film coming to the US in late February. Jim is also the author of Destiny Betrayed: JFK, Cuba, and the Garrison Case and The JFK Assassination: The Evidence Today. Additionally, he runs the fantastic website Kennedys and King and makes regular appearances on Len Osanic's BlackOp Radio. In this conversation, Aaron and Jim discuss JFK's Vietnam policies, including a deeper look at the November 1963 coup that resulted in the assassination of South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem. This episode also features Hailey Rounsaville (@roun_sa_ville) of TheKultureDotTV Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Please check out: Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange

Hailey and Aaron are joined by Peter Kuznick, Professor of History and Director of the Nuclear Studies Institute at American University. Kuznick is the author numerous books and articles. Perhaps most notably, he is the co-creator (with Oliver Stone) of The Untold History of the United States--a 12-part documentary series that first played on Showtime. There’s also an excellent book version of The Untold History of the United States, now in its second edition. Hailey and Aaron discuss Kuznick's American University history course, Oliver Stone's America, with the professor. Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: "Old Movies" by Mock Orange

In this sixth episode of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron continues his discussion with Professors John Newman and James Galbraith. John Newman is the author of JFK and Vietnam: Deception, Intrigue, and the Struggle for Power. James Galbraith is the author of a number of books, including The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. His longest article on JFK and Vietnam is Exit Strategy: In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam. Please check out: Abby Martin's The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio. James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music by Mock Orange

This episode features Aaron and his Peace Studies of the American Century students in conversation with retired CIA officer Ray McGovern. The discussion ranges across Ray’s experiences as a CIA officer from the Kennedy administration to first George Bush administration—as well as his post-CIA work as a peace activist weighing in on Iraq WMD, CIA torture, Julian Assange, and the Russiagate hoax. Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: "Grow Your Soul Away" by Mock Orange

In this fifth episode of our Destiny Betrayed series, Aaron discusses John Kennedy's Vietnam policies with two towering figures in the field--Professors John Newman and James Galbraith. John Newman is the author of the orthodoxy-shattering JFK and Vietnam: Deception, Intrigue, and the Struggle for Power. James Galbraith is the author of numerous articles and books including Exit Strategy: In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam and The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. This episode also features the incomparable Abby Martin. Please check out: Abby Martin's The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio. James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange Big thanks to to Anthony Fest for engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art! In this fifth episode of our Destiny Betrayed series, Aaron discusses John Kennedy's Vietnam policies with two towering figures in the field--Professors John Newman and James Galbraith. John Newman is the author of the orthodoxy-shattering JFK and Vietnam: Deception, Intrigue, and the Struggle for Power. James Galbraith is the author of numerous articles and books including Exit Strategy: In 1963, JFK ordered a complete withdrawal from Vietnam and The Predator State: How Conservatives Abandoned the Free Market and Why Liberals Should Too. This episode also features the incomparable Abby Martin. Please check out: Abby Martin's The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio. James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange Big thanks to to Anthony Fest for engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art!

In this episode, Oliver Stone talks with Aaron and his Peace Studies of the American Century students about US history, the media, nuclear war, Platoon, JFK, Nixon, and other topics. Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Dana Chavarria for the sound engineering! Music: "Payroll" by Mock Orange

Aaron and guest co-host Ben Howard are joined by Time magazine's 2002 co-person of the year, FBI whistleblower Coleen Rowley. They discuss the inexplicable FBI failures that surrounding the 9/11 terror spectacle--in particular, Rowley's unsuccessful efforts to obtain a search warrant for the laptop of the extremely suspicious Zacarias Moussaoui, the so-called "20th hijacker." Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and J.G. Michael for the sound engineering! Music by Mock Orange

Aaron continues his discussion with Professor Peter Dale Scott about 'deep politics' and his 50+ years of historical research into the JFK assassination. In this installment, Professor Scott talks about COG or the "Doomsday Network," JFK's Vietnam withdrawal, The Dallas-Watergate connections, and the commonplace denial of deep events. Part 4 of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, this episode also features a postscript segment with Ben Howard. Peter Dale Scott is the author of Deep Politics and the Death of JFK and Dallas '63: The First Deep State Revolt Against the White House. Special thanks to Casey Moore for the episode art and Anthony Fest for the sound engineering! Music by Mock Orange

Aaron talks with Lawrence Wilkerson, the former chief of staff to US Secretary of State Colin Powell. Wilkerson is also a retired US Army Colonel and currently Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William & Mary. This discussion was recorded around September 11th. We discussed his experiences related to the events of that anniversary along with other important issues. After that, Aaron is joined by the insightful and entertaining Hailey Rounsaville. The two of them discuss Lawrence Wilkerson’s recently departed former boss, Colin Powell and the media coverage around his death.

Aaron talks with Professor Peter Dale Scott about 'deep politics' and his 50+ years of historical research into the JFK assassination. Part 3 of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, this episode also features a postscript segment with Ben Howard. Peter Dale Scott is the author of Deep Politics and the Death of JFK and Dallas '63: The First Deep State Revolt Against the White House. Please check out: James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange Big thanks to to Anthony Fest for engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art!

s features a surprise tribute to the great Peter Dale Scott which also includes the iconic Daniel Ellsberg and acclaimed filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer! In addition to the segments with Scott, Ellsberg, and Oppenheimer, this episode has an introduction with some historical background--as well as a postscript discussion with Ben Howard. Music by Mock Orange Big thanks to J.G. Michael for audio engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art! This features a surprise tribute to the great Peter Dale Scott which also includes the iconic Daniel Ellsberg and acclaimed filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer! In addition to the segments with Scott, Ellsberg, and Oppenheimer, this episode has an introduction with some historical background--as well as a postscript discussion with Ben Howard. Music by Mock Orange Big thanks to J.G. Michael for audio engineering, Dana Chavarria for remastering, and Casey Moore for the episode art!

This episode has now been remastered for American Exception! In this second episode of our Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination, Aaron talks with journalist and historian David Talbot about his masterpiece, Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years. Based on dozens of interviews with virtually all the surviving key members of the Kennedy administration, Brothers traces the history of JFK's presidency, as well as RFK's tragic quest to bring his brother's killers to justice. This episode also includes contributions from the great Abby Martin of The Empire Files and Media Roots Radio. Please check out: James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange Big thanks to Dana Chavarria for remastering and Casey Moore for the episode art!

This episode has now been remastered for American Exception! Peter Dale Scott, Pepe Escobar, John Kiriakou, and Aaron Good discuss the September 9, 2001 Ahmad Shah Massoud assassination, an event that paved the way for the long-planned US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Other topics covered include the US deployment of jihadis in the Central Asian "Great Game" as well as the significance of Xinjiang and China's New Silk Road. Here are the articles that were discussed in this episode: "Was the Now-Forgotten Murder of One Man on September 9, 2001 a Crucial Pre-condition for 9/11?" by Peter Dale Scott and Aaron Good "9/9 and 9/11, 20 years later" by Pepe Escobar Music by Mock Orange

Newly remastered, this episode is the first of the Destiny Betrayed series on the JFK assassination. It features a discussion with Zachary Sklar, co-screenwriter of Oliver Stone's 1991 masterpiece, JFK. This episode also includes contributions from the great Abby Martin of The Empire Files. Please check out: James DiEugenio's fantastic website: Kennedys and King Aaron's book: American Exception: Empire and the Deep State Project Censored Homepage The American Truth and Reconciliation Committee Music by Mock Orange