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On this edition of Parallax Views, reporter Kelley Vlahos, head of the Quincy Institute's Responsible Statecraft magazine, makes her long-awaited return to the show to discuss the disappointing House Armed Services Committee markup on the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act. The 2027 NDAA has come under scrutiny recently for Section 224, which critics argue would entrench U.S.-Israeli military integration in ways that would bypass transparency. Vlahos and I delve into how member of the House Committee responded to this criticism, namely by brushing them off entirely. We do delve into some dissenting voices, however, such as Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Sara Jacobs, the latter of whom brought up Israel's controversial Pegasus spyware and how it has been used to spy on Americans. Kelley walks us through Rep. Ro Khanna's opposition to Section 224 and why he says support for it is not being on "Team America". We also talk about the potential for Rep. Ro Khanna and Rep. Thomas Massie, a Democrat and a Republican, to keep fighting against Section 224 going forward. Also, Vlahos previews an upcoming Responsible Statecraft piece dealing with how a Senate equivalent of Section 224 is being introduced by Rep. Tom Cotton which would entrench U.S.-Israeli intelligence integration. All that and much more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Dutch-Palestinian analyst of Middle East affairs Mouin Rabbani returns to discuss a number of topics related to U.S. foreign policy, Israel, and the Iran war. We'll begin the conversation with a rundown on the Iran war situation and delve into the Israeli strikes on Lebanon in relation to it all. Mouin offers a concise breakdown of everything happening in regard to Iran and Lebanon out of the gate. We then move onto a number of other topics including the news of the Section 224 of the 2027 NDAA that would further entrench U.S.-Israeli military integration. We'll also discuss the recent NYT article by Nicholas Kristof dealing with allegations of disturbing treatment of Palestinian detainees in Israeli prison. Finally, Mouin and I discuss the unhinged propaganda coming out of certain pro-Israel echo chambers and how they apply antisemitic conspiracy tropes to Arab and Muslim voices.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, possibly the most important edition this month, the Quincy Institute's Benjamin Freeman returns to discuss a little-noticed provision buried within the House's 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that could fundamentally transform the relationship between the United States and Israel.

While public attention remains focused on wars in Gaza and Iran, Congress is quietly advancing Section 224, the "United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative." According to Freeman, this provision goes far beyond military aid and arms sales. Instead, it lays the groundwork for unprecedented integration between the American and Israeli defense establishments. From artificial intelligence and cyberwarfare to autonomous weapons systems, quantum technologies, biotech, and intelligence sharing, the proposal would create a level of military-industrial cooperation unlike any other U.S. partnership in the world.

Why does this matter? Freeman argues that Section 224 represents the first step toward what amounts to a merger of critical components of the American and Israeli military-industrial complexes. The proposal envisions joint ventures, co-production agreements, shared research and development, network integration, and even "data fusion." In practical terms, that could mean deeper institutional ties, reduced transparency, and diminished public oversight.

Critics warn that this shift would move U.S.-Israel military cooperation away from visible debates over foreign aid and into the far more opaque world of defense procurement and technological integration, where congressional scrutiny is limited and accountability is often difficult to achieve. At a moment when many Americans are questioning unconditional support for Israel and expressing concern about being drawn into new conflicts in the Middle East, Congress may be creating mechanisms that bind the military futures of the two countries together for decades to come in ways that are close to irreversible without massive costs.

Benjamin explains what is actually contained in Section 224, how it could reshape U.S. foreign policy, why it may expand Israeli influence through defense contracting and co-production projects on American soil, and why he believes lawmakers should reject what he views as a dangerous and largely unnoticed U.S.-Israeli military-industrial merger before it becomes reality.

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On this edition of the Parallax Views, returning guest Geoffrey Aronson joins us to discuss his article "The Unexpected Consequences of Dispelling Israeli Nuclear Ambiguity." As a growing number of House Democrats led by Rep. Joaqiun Castro (D-TX) call for greater transparency regarding Israel's long-unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, Aronson argues that the issue goes far beyond nuclear weapons themselves. We examine the decades-old doctrine of Israeli "nuclear ambiguity," the origins of the U.S.-Israel strategic bargain forged after the 1967 war, and the concept of Israel's "Qualitative Military Edge" (QME). Aronson contends that congressional efforts to openly address Israel's nuclear capabilities could force a broader reconsideration of the foundations of the U.S.-Israel security relationship at a moment when the fallout from the war with Iran is reshaping political debates in Washington. We also discuss how changing public opinion, shifting attitudes on Capitol Hill, and questions surrounding deterrence, proliferation, and regional power may be challenging assumptions that have guided U.S. Middle East policy for more than half a century.

Geoffrey Aronson is an American writer, analyst, and consultant specializing in Middle East affairs, particularly the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He has participated in Track II diplomatic initiatives involving Israeli and Palestinian groups and facilitated engagement between Israeli and Syrian representatives in 2005. He is the author of several books, including Creating Facts: Israel, Palestinians and the Intifada and From Sideshow to Center Stage: US Policy towards Egypt. Check out his Substack at Geoffrey Aronson | Substack.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, conservative libertarian Jack Hunter offers his commentary on Thomas Massie's primary loss and we delve into the cracks in the MAGA movement from his perspective. We'll discuss the generational difference in people who voted for Massie, the role of AIPAC and the broader pro-Israel lobby in the primary, separating antisemitism from criticism of Israel, and more. We'll also delve into how neocons have long tried to define conservatism as inherently interventionist, depsite the history of conservative figures dating back to Robert Taft that believed small government was not just restricted to domestic policy, but foreign policy as well. Jack will also give his views on the abuse of the term "domestic terrorist" in a way that'll rankle both the left and the right as he believes American citizens involved with both BLM and J6 shouldn't be targeted under domestic terrorist lines but rather on existing laws that don't invoke federal terrorism enhancement. Finally, we talk a bit about our great love of pro wrestling and how politics is often kayfabe. You may not agree with either of us on a number of issues, but you'll hopefully find it a fascinating conversation!

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On this edition of Parallax Views, the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft's Blaise Malley, who has been covering current events related to foreign policy for Responsible Statecraft, joins the show to discuss Thomas Massie's defeat in the Republican primary for Kentucky's 4th Congressional district. An unprecedented amount of money was spent on this election to defeat Massie and deliver victory to Ed Gallrein. In this conversation we discuss how both President Donald Trump and the pro-Israel lobby, AIPAC (the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee), were big supporters of Gallrein and detractors of Massie. Did they help deliver the defeat to Massie? We also discuss Blaise's article "House GOP yanks Iran war powers vote amid fears it could pass House GOP yanks Iran war powers vote amid fears it could pass". All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views!

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NOTE: There's a bit of a question of whether Marvin Antelman was involved in the creation of the mood ring. Dr. Jonathan Sarna claimed this to Jay Michaelson, as detailed in the interview. But he may be confusing Antelman with Marvin Wernick. I only caught this detail after recording the episode, but wanted my listeners to know. It's my mistake for stating that claim more definitively in the intro than Michaelson did in the conversation. Again, the claim is courtesy of Dr. Jonathan Sarna in communication with Michaelson.

On this edition of Parallax Views, first time guest Jay Michaelson, author of The Heresy of Jacob Frank, joins the program to discuss the fascinating and disturbing backstory behind Candace Owens’ antisemitic grand conspiracy narrative about a Frankist-Sabbatean cabal supposedly controlling world events.

The conversation begins with an in-depth exploration of the historical figures of Sabbatai Zevi and Jacob Frank, two controversial Jewish messianic figures whose radical theological movements have, over centuries, become distorted and mythologized within conspiracy culture. Jay explains the actual history behind Sabbateanism and Frankism, what these movements really believed, and how obscure religious controversies became transformed into modern political mythology. And yes, we delve into the role of sex plays into these radical theologies.

A major focus of the conversation centers on the late Orthodox rabbi, inventor, and conspiracy theorist Marvin Antelman. Antelman is perhaps one of the strangest figures in modern conspiracy culture: a rabid anti-communist who allegedly helped invent the mood ring per Dr. Jonathan Sarna, patented a supposed “cure” for AIDS, and co-founded the self-styled Rabbinic Court of America alongside two other rabbis. The Rabbinic Court of America sought to expose Jewish public figures Antelman believed had “betrayed” the Jewish people, targeting figures ranging from Henry Kissinger to Noam Chomsky.

Jay and I examine Antelman’s bizarre worldview, including his belief that heretical Jewish sects like the Sabbateans and Frankists secretly evolved into hidden revolutionary networks tied to the Illuminati, communism, liberalism, and modern global power structures. We discuss how Antelman’s deeply illiberal nationalism, obsession with internal enemies, and conspiratorial anti-communism shaped his theories, as well as how later conspiracy figures like David Icke and Candace Owens would appropriate and twist aspects of Antelman’s ideas into narratives about occult conspiracies that could be weaponized far more broadly against Jews in openly antisemitic ways.

We also delve into the overlap between antisemitism, anti-communism, anti-globalism, religious conspiracism, and internet-age political mythology; the migration of Antelman's fringe theological and poltical ideas into evangelical and conspiracy media ecosystems as well as the extreme world of Kahanist Zionism (the followers of the ultra-Zionist Rabbi Meier Kahane); and why movements like Frankism continue to exert such a strange pull on the conspiratorial imagination.

All that and more on this edition of Parallax Views.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, Quincy Institute research associate Lee Schlenker joins us to unpack the Trump administration’s escalating pressure campaign against Cuba and why Marco Rubio’s hardline approach may be pushing the island, and U.S.-Cuba relations, toward a dangerous breaking point. Drawing on Lee’s recent Responsible Statecraft article “As Rubio turns into punisher, Cubans wary of final blow,” we examine the administration’s strategy of intensified sanctions, economic pressure, and threats aimed at forcing political change in Havana.

The conversation also explores the political influence of South Florida’s Cuban exile community and the Cuba-America lobbying apparatus, including how decades of exile politics continue to shape U.S. foreign policy toward Havana. Lee explains the internal contradictions of the administration’s strategy, why the pressure campaign has yet to produce meaningful results, and how it could instead deepen instability, worsen humanitarian suffering, and push Cuba further into China’s extra-hemispheric sphere of influence.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, anthropologist and author Ida Susser joins us to discuss her book The Yellow Vests and the Battle for Democracy and the deeper political crisis underlying the rise of the Yellow Vest movement in France. What happens when traditional left vs. right politics begin to break down under the pressures of neoliberalism, austerity, economic precarity, and collapsing public trust?

Susser explains how the Yellow Vests emerged not simply as a protest movement, but as a broader democratic experiment shaped by “commoning,” horizontal organizing, and grassroots political participation. We explore the movement’s unusual ideological makeup, including tensions between populism, class politics, nationalism, environmentalism, and anti-elite anger. We also examine the concepts of “thresholding” and “they are stealing the state,” and how they help explain contemporary political unrest not only in France, but across the globe.

Additionally, we discuss the historical roots of French protest culture, the legacy of movements like Nuit Debout and Occupy Wall Street, the crisis of democratic legitimacy in the West, and whether leaderless social movements can produce lasting political transformation or are destined to remain unstable and contradictory. Along the way, we touch on neoliberalism, authoritarianism, class fragmentation, race and immigration, and the future of democracy in an increasingly polarized world.

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As debates over censorship, misinformation, and the power of corporate media reach a fever pitch, Project Censored—one of the longest-running media watchdog organizations in the United States—marks its 50th anniversary. But in 2026, what does “censorship” actually look like?

On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael speaks with Mischa Geracoulis, Outreach and Engagement Officer for Project Censored, about the evolving landscape of media ethics, independent journalism, and the fight for a truly informed public.

Geracoulis breaks down how news values are shifting in the 21st century, why “media democracy in action” matters more than ever, and how independent outlets are working to challenge the narratives and omissions of the corporate press. In an era defined by algorithmic influence, disinformation, and declining public trust, this conversation asks a fundamental question: Who decides what counts as news... and what gets left out?

From the role of critical media literacy to the urgent need for watchdog journalism, this episode explores how Project Censored continues to spotlight underreported stories and hold power accountable, five decades after its founding.

Key topics:

• Media censorship vs. “junk food news” in the digital age
• The ethics and values shaping modern journalism
• Why independent media is essential to democracy
• “Media Democracy in Action” and real-world examples
• How audiences can become more critically engaged news consumers

If you’re concerned about the state of the free press—or wondering how to separate signal from noise in today’s media ecosystem—this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.

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On this edition of Parallax Views, J.G. Michael is joined by Patricia Martin,host of the Jung in the World podcast, to explore her provocative new book Will the Future Like You?: Reflections on the Age of Hyper-Reinvention. In a wide-ranging and deeply thought-provoking conversation, Martin examines how technology, social media, and the pressures of constant self-reinvention are reshaping our understanding of identity itself. From the concept of “persona fog” to the psychological toll of living multiple digital selves, she unpacks why so many people today feel stuck, fragmented, and uncertain about who they are.... as well as who they’re becoming.

Drawing on Jungian psychology, cultural analysis, and years of research, Martin explains how the collapse of traditional identity anchor like family, work, and institutions has ushered us into what she calls the “post-identity” era. The discussion delves into the rise of chronic self-doubt, the emotional costs of hyper-connectivity, and the hidden ways digital life can both expand and erode the self. At the same time, Martin offers insight into how we might reclaim a deeper sense of meaning and navigate an uncertain future with greater awareness.

This is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in psychology, technology, culture, and the evolving nature of human identity in the 21st century.