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DMZ America Podcast Ep 175: Interview with Animated Political Cartoonist Mark Fiore

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Ted Rall

DMZ America co-hosts Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) turn to their colleague, Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Mark Fiore, known for his hard-hitting animated shorts about U.S. politics, to discuss the fallout of the 2024 election results and to prepare for another four years of satirizing Donald Trump. In what ways can we expect Trump’s second term to differ from his first, and does that mean approaching and criticizing him using a new or different approach? Should we expect the unexpected, and if so what?

The Wall Street Journal has called Mark Fiore “the undisputed guru of the [animated political cartoon] form.” His work has appeared on the San Francisco Chronicle’s website, Newsweek.com, Slate.com, CBSNews.com, MotherJones.com, NPR’s web site and is currently being featured by KQED.  Fiore’s political animation has appeared on CNN, Frontline, Bill Moyers Journal, Salon.com and cable and broadcast outlets across the globe.  Mark Fiore was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for political cartooning in 2010 and the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism Award in 2004.

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DMZ America Podcast Ep 169: Kamala Flagging as Trump Gains

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Ted Rall

Less than two weeks before Election Day, polls and a general sense of zeitgeist has many political commentators feeling that the tide is running away from Kamala Harris and toward Donald Trump in a razor-tight election campaign. Is it too late for Harris to solve her big problems: voters who don’t feel that they know her well enough to trust her with the launch codes, and her failure to articulate an enticing policy agenda they can easily understand? Political cartoonists and best friends Ted Rall (recovering Democrat, now Left) and Scott Stantis (recovering Republican, now Libertarian) walk you through the lay of this strange new land.

Watch the Video Version: here.

DMZ America Podcast, DMZ America, Ted Rall, Scott Stantis, politics, political podcast, politics podcast, editorial cartoons, political cartoons, cartoons, 2024 election campaign, polls, Donald Trump, Kamala Harris

DMZ America Podcast #157: Biden Drops Out. What’s Next?

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Ted Rall

Political cartoonists and analysts Ted Rall (on the Left) and Scott Stantis (on the Right) react to a shocking development in the world of politics: President Joe Biden has finally, after weeks of intrigue and pressure from within the Democratic Party succumbed to concerns about his mental acuity and dropped out of the 2024 presidential campaign weeks before the Democratic National Convention.

What happens next? Scott and Ted conduct a postmortem of what amounts to a coup d’état and call for a serious investigation of who knew what when about Biden’s mental state. They assess Vice President Kamala Harris’ chances of securing the nomination for herself, who she will pick as her own running mate, how she will likely run her campaign and what could amount to a winning strategy against Donald Trump this fall.

 

Watch the Video Version: here.

(Video will be live 7/21/24 9:00 PM EDT)

DMZ America Podcast Ep 156: Trump’s Triumph & Biden’s Final Days

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Ted Rall

Political cartoonists and analysts Ted Rall (on the Left) and Scott Stantis (on the Right) take on a dramatic week in politics. Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt and emerged looking great from the Republican National Convention. Meanwhile, Democrats continued to call for President Joe Biden to step aside from the presidential race, Kamala Harris began to fend off attacks from the Right and the Left and the beleaguered Biden was forced to quarantine himself after he came down with Covid-19.

Watch the Video Version: here.

DMZ America Podcast #151: Canada Fears US Civil War, Many Elderly Will Die Homeless, Cartoonist Jailed in Iran

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Ted Rall

The DMZ America podcast is where you’ll hear civilized, spirited debate and discussion about the politics and issues of the day. Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (Left) and Scott Stantis (Right) deliver a fast-paced look at some stories others are missing this week.

First up, a Canadian government assessment of threats to Canadian national security worries aloud about instability on their southern border: us. The worry: “U.S. ideological divisions, democratic erosion, and domestic unrest escalate, plunging the country into civil war.”

Second: People over 50 face a radically increased danger of becoming homeless and dying on the streets. What does the fact that younger generations don’t seem to care about the elderly say about American society?

Third: Cartoonist Atena Farghadani, who is on trial at Branch 26 of Tehran’s Revolutionary Court, was charged with “insulting sacred values” and “propagating against the state” for attempting to post her cartoon on the wall outside the home of the Supreme Leader. The court sentenced the cartoonist to six years in prison. 

Watch the Video Version: here.

DMZ America Podcast #148: Israel the Pariah, Alito’s False Flags, Artificial Journalism

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Ted Rall

It’s the DMZ America podcast, where political cartoonists bring their smart takes on the news to spirited, intelligent, civilized dialogue from both sides of the political aisle. Ted Rall (WhoWhatWhy, Creators Syndicate) comes from the Left, Scott Stantis (Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News) comes from the Right and sparks fly.

First up: the guys react to the increasing diplomatic isolation of Israel, marked by the decision of the International Court of Justice to order Israel to stand down in the Gaza Strip, following on the heels of the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue a warrant for the arrest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Scott, a supporter of Israel, debates Israel’s intentions and war aims with Ted, a supporter of Palestinian emancipation.

Second: Scott’s expertise as a vexologist comes into play in light of Supreme Court Samuel Alito’s decision to fly flags associated with the extreme Right at his homes. How much should we make of Alito’s flag choices? Scott argues: a lot. Should he recuse himself from Trump’s Jan. 6th case?

Third: The Washington Post tries to solve its budgetary difficulties by putting A.I. “everywhere in the newsroom,” whatever that means. Considering that Google AI is a total disaster, this might need to be rethunk. Too bad a rich guy like Jeff Bezos can’t afford to save the paper.

Watch the Video Version: here.

(Video will be live approximately 6:30 Eastern Daylight time May 24th)

DMZ America Podcast #142: RFK Jr. R.I.P., The Trouble with Bidenomics, Endangered Sperm

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Ted Rall

The DMZ America Podcast is where civilized but spirited and intelligent political talk thrives. Hosted by editorial cartoonists Scott Stantis (from the Right) and Ted Rall (from the Left), the colleagues and best friends debate the issues of the day.

Robert F. Kennedy’s choice of tech sis and fellow Californian Nicole Stranahan as his vice presidential running mate marks a decidedly unserious turn for a campaign that has already shrunk from 19% to 12% in the polls. Nothing is decided yet, of course, but Ted and Scott doubt that RFK will be able to rescue his presidential bid now.

President Biden keeps arguing that the economy is basically sound and that, sooner rather than later, Americans will start to feel better following that spike in inflation a few years back. The problem is, even if he’s right, how can this president possibly communicate that message, or any message, effectively?

Americans’ national fertility rate is 1.66 children per woman. Now it turns out that sperm counts are plummeting due to environmental causes as well as a nasty disease. Scott and Ted discuss the demographic and cultural implications.

Watch the Video Version: here.

DMZ America Podcast #135: 14th Amendment at SCOTUS, Putin Speaks, Predicting 2024

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Ted Rall

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the political Left) and Scott Stantis (from the political Right) discuss the week’s biggest stories without the boring yell fests but with force and passion.

First up this week: The Supreme Court hears oral arguments in the groundbreaking attempt by Colorado voters to remove Donald Trump from the ballot under the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Scott and Ted dissect the arguments pro and con and explain how they would resolve the impossible choice faced by SCOTUS: put the law first, or the country.

Second: Tucker Carlson’s interview with Russian President Vladimir Putin will prove especially notable for Americans’ unfiltered chance to hear firsthand about Russia’s views on the war in Ukraine. Scott and Ted explain where we are now and lay out possible scenarios for the inevitable peace negotiations now that it is clear that Ukraine has decidedly lost.

Third: Alan Lichtman’s 1981 13-point theory on predicting presidential elections based on historical metrics gives Scott and Ted a chance to geek out over the current 2024 campaign.

 

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast: here.

DMZ America Podcast Ep 132: Middle East War, Could Biden Lose New Hampshire?, Dead Tree Publications Even Deader

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Ted Rall

Editorial cartoonists and political analysts from the Left (Ted Rall) and the Right (Scott Stantis) discuss and explain the latest news and events in a unique format where disagreement and debate occurs without yelling or stupid insults.

First up this week: War across the Middle East assumes a “Guns of August” vibe as Iran and Pakistan become the latest countries to launch crossborder missile attacks, with the victims being ethnic Balochis. Ted lays out how Iran is emerging as the big winner from the Israel-Hamas War. Scott pushes back from the American perspective, questioning whether the Islamic Republic is committing diplomatic suicide.

Second: The 2024 Presidential Campaign moves from Iowa to the bizarre New Hampshire primary, which is being skipped both by President Biden and Governor Ron DeSantis. All GOP eyes will soon turn to South Carolina—will the Palmetto State be the last stand for Haley, or DeSantis, or both? Meanwhile, New Hampshire threatens to torpedo Biden for his Big Snub.

Third topic: More depressing news from the world of dead trees, where the Washington Post is losing $100 million a year and the Los Angeles Times is down $50 million despite their deep-pocketed and supposedly brilliant owners. Ted asks Scott, who has worked at numerous papers, why can’t these supposed genius billionaires turn these sinking watchdogs of democracy around?

Watch the Video version of the DMZ America Podcast: here.

DMZ America Podcast #130: Another Ivy League President Fired, Israel Gone Wild and America’s 250th Birthday

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Ted Rall

In the first DMZ America Podcast of 2024, editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) discuss the world in politics and current events.

First, Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University after drawing criticism for failing to clearly condemn antisemitism at a Congressional hearing, and then being exposed as allegedly having plagiarized dozens of times in her academic career. Right-wing conservatives are celebrating having claimed a scalp and dealt a blow against DEI, but should liberals mourn her departure?

Second, Israel claims responsibility for the drone assassination of a leader of Hamas in a suburb of Beirut, Lebanon. On the same day, two bombs killed over 100 people attending a memorial service for an Iranian general assassinated by an American drone in 2020. Are the two events linked? Will there be repercussions in the form of a larger regional conflict?

Finally, we are coming up to the 250th anniversary of America. It’s anybody’s guess what it will be called.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast here.

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