It was funny. But it also revealed a serious problem.

As the developing world gains broader access to the internet, American political and cultural discourse becomes increasingly vulnerable to foreign influence.

According to the International Telecommunication Union, 5.4 billion people had internet access in 2023, roughly 67% of the world’s population. That marked a 4.7% increase from 2022. Because 93% of people in high-income countries already had internet access, most of the growth is now coming from poorer countries. The ITU reports that internet access in low-income countries increased 44.1% from 2020 to 2023. From 2022 to 2023 alone, the number of internet users in low-income countries rose 14.3%.

Simply put, the internet becomes more global every day.

What does that mean for Americans? After all, foreign users do not vote in our elections. Why should anyone care what people in slums halfway across the world say about American politics?

That objection misses the nature of the problem.

In the age of social media, clicks are king. To be important online is to have a large following. All of us, to some degree, are tempted to think this way. We see a big number on someone’s profile and assume, “This person matters.”

Audience size has always mattered in media. Television executives obsessed over ratings. But when American television dominated American culture, a large American audience usually meant actual Americans were watching. Access outside the country was limited.

That is no longer true. The internet has democratized and globalized the distribution of information. English remains the world’s dominant online language, creating a new path to political and cultural relevance. If your business is clicks, it doesn’t really matter whether those clicks come from Nigeria or Wisconsin.

There is nothing inherently wrong with appealing to an international audience. The problem comes when influencers convert foreign support into domestic political capital. Credulous observers see a large following and conclude that someone must be expressing the voice of America’s silent majority.

The silent majority of Jakarta, perhaps.

Foreign bot networks make the problem worse by artificially boosting narratives and talking points that serve non-American interests. But even organic foreign engagement threatens the coherence of American political discourse when it is mistaken for domestic opinion.

The rise of the so-called “anti-Zionist right” offers a useful example. Since October 7, a collection of questionable internet personalities has tried to steer American right-wing discourse away from domestic concerns and toward the Israel-Palestine conflict. As with any foreign country, Israel is open to valid criticism. But the monomaniacal focus on Gaza demanded by this crowd goes far beyond normal foreign-policy debate.

Domestic support for Israel has declined, especially among Democrats and younger Americans. But anyone using social media as the primary barometer would likely assume the decline is far greater than it is. Why? Because anti-Israel content appeals to large foreign audiences, especially in the developing world. Bot networks amplify it as well.

This helps explain why Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback has put anti-Zionism at the center of his campaign. In an ad posted to X, Fishback referenced claims that Israel is committing genocide and that Benjamin Netanyahu is a war criminal — claims he suggested could land people in jail. Florida does have anti-Semitism laws, and while such legislation should raise concerns, asking those questions will not send Floridians to prison.

The ad drew three million views and 30,000 likes. That is more traction than most campaign ads receive online. Based on those numbers alone, you might conclude Fishback is going places.

There is only one problem: He is polling at 7%.

As it turns out, catering to the anti-Israel online sphere is not a clear path to electoral success as a Republican. A poll of attendees at the recent Turning Point USA America Fest conference found that only 13.3% did not believe Israel is an ally of the United States.

Fishback’s campaign shows what happens when political actors mistake the internet for real life. The size of your reach matters, but so does its composition. It is not only how many people you reach; it is who they are.

Larger influencers have made the same mistake. Candace Owens has bragged about her sizable international audience. She once claimed that her documentary on Brigitte Macron went viral in China. I believe it. But millions of Chinese viewers watching an American political broadcaster does not mean Americans should treat her as a serious representative of domestic public opinion.

So what can be done?

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To begin, Steven tells us about how he got involved in politics. We then discuss the murder of Henry Nowak. Steven walks us through what went down that fateful night. We talk about the various factors that made the incident possible, such as DEI and mass immigration. Prime Minister Starmer condemned Nowak’s killing. What are we to make of that? Toward the end of the first half, Steven sheds some light on the state of British politics, including the Restore and Reform parties.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), I review a clip from Megyn Kelly’s recent appearance on Shawn Ryan’s show. These two intellectual titans claim that everyone but Israeli pedophiles has abandoned MAGA. Is that really true? I then talk about the Axios report (which, after the episode was recorded, Trump verified) and reflect on its significance. I explain that while the Israeli government and pro-Israel organizations in America certainly influence U.S. policy, that is much different than Israel “controlling” America. This seems obvious to me. But most people who talk about Israel all the time have it wrong. Why is that? Tune in to find out.

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To begin, I review James Talarico’s basic biographical information. I then take a look at his pinned tweet, a three-minute video in which he outlines his worldview: it isn’t about right versus left, it’s about top versus bottom. Is that really the sort of rhetoric a suspected closet case should be using? Next, I review a montage of James Talarico’s worst moments, explaining why he is considerably to the left of the average Democrat politician.

In the second half of the show, I talk about Stephen Miller’s spat with the Democrats account, which is apparently run by a thirty-something Asian woman dating a white man. Every single time. I then review the prediction markets and polls, predicting a Paxton victory, but urging people not to underestimate the threat younger, more left-wing politicians like Talarico pose to America. Switching gears, I review the recent New York Times article detailing Peter Thiel’s decision to decamp to Argentina. What does this say about the future of the country? Not that much, honestly, as it isn’t uncommon for billionaires to have backup plans. I then explore Peter Thiel’s concept of the Antichrist, which is influenced not just by the New Testament but also by Francis Bacon, Gulliver’s Travels, Watchmen, and One Piece. Yes, that One Piece. You watched thousands of episodes of that anime series, but you never considered that it was actually about the Antichrist. Not so smart now, are you?

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To begin, Dr. Gottfried provides a major update on Chronicles Magazine, which you may or may not have heard about. I then ask him what he makes of Trump’s second term thus far. This raises the question of whether the political polarization seen in recent years is entirely Trump’s fault. We reflect on the 2024 election, with Dr. Gottfried urging us not to become complacent. We then discuss the prospect of the Democrats moderating. Dr. Gottfried doesn’t believe they need to, as the left still retains considerable institutional control, which is evidence that wokeness is not in retreat, as some have claimed.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), I ask Dr. Gottfried whether he believes the leftward cultural drift we’ve witnessed for many decades will continue – and if so, which remaining taboos will be violated. Switching gears, I ask Dr. Gottfried about his thoughts on Thomas Massie (the episode was recorded Tuesday afternoon, before his primary loss). We talk about Ken Paxton. I ask Dr. Gottfried if he has a shot. Later, we discuss 2028, considering Vance, Rubio, and DeSantis. Toward the end of the show, we give the neoconservatives a well-deserved drubbing, because it wouldn’t be an interview with Dr. Gottfried if we didn’t.

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I start by reviewing some of the fraud task force’s recent wins, explaining why cracking down on fraud is one of the best things for Republicans to do—for the country and for the party. I then discuss OPT fraud a bit and make the case for ending the program. Next, I explain why it’s important to appeal to smart people rather than low-info weed smokers who watch Joe Rogan. Toward the end of the first half, I take a look at the Thomas Massie hush money scandal. I argue that Massie is bad news even if you aren’t pro-Israel.

In the second half of the show (link in reply), I wrap up the Massie stuff by taking a look at his polling numbers. He’s down in the latest poll overall, but young people in his district love him – similar to James Fishback. What does this say about the future of right-wing politics?

I then switch gears to discuss Chud the Builder, the livestreamer known for saying the n word in public. He was recently hit with several charges, including attempted murder, after shooting a mentally unstable black guy with a criminal record. I marvel at how such a crude form of internet content can have so many dimensions. I talk about the legal, political, cultural, and racial dynamics involved in the “Chud the Builder” phenomenon. I argue that while people have free speech, it’s probably unwise to antagonize others while armed. But that doesn’t give angry black people the right to attack him.

I then zoom out a bit to examine the big picture. Why is Chud’s content so popular? I explain that, whatever you make of the man and his content, there is a certain type of fatigue spreading throughout the country. What type might that be? Tune in to find out.

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To begin, Athenian provides some basic biographical information on Nietzsche. We then discuss his first book, The Birth of Tragedy. What do Apollo and Dionysus represent? Athenian explains how these archetypes can help us make sense of reality. We then discuss the first essay in Nietzsche’s On the Genealogy of Morality. What did Nietzsche mean by slave morality? Can it be found in our times?

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), I read an excerpt from Beyond Good and Evil, which leads to a discussion on Nietzsche’s views on hierarchy. What does Nietzsche mean by the pathos of distance? Athenian then explains the role breeding plays in Nietzsche’s thought.

Switching gears, we discuss one of Nietzsche’s most infamous concepts: the death of God. Did this German philosopher literally believe that God died? Or did he mean something else? I then ask Athenian about Nietzsche’s views on Jesus Christ – and Christianity more broadly. We talk about Nietzsche’s belief that Christianity made Western man weak. Is that really accurate?

Toward the end of the show, we consider Nietzsche’s views on sexuality and politics. Would he be considered right-wing by today’s standards? Tune in to find out.

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Jason Bartlett is a white South African in Alabama. He joins me to discuss his journey.

To begin, Jason recounts his upbringing in South Africa. He provides a firsthand account of the transition from apartheid to race communism. Believe it or not, South Africa is not better off today. This leads to a discussion of accelerationism. I ask Jason whether right-wingers in America who think things need to get worse before they get better are delusional. You’ll never guess his response. Later, I ask Jason what the solution to South Africa’s problem is – assuming there is one. We talk about the high level of corruption in third-world countries and why Western liberals take so much for granted. Jason and I discuss mass immigration to America. Does he think it’s a problem? Tune in to find out.

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Mark Krikorian is the Executive Director of the Center for Immigration Studies. He joins me for a broad discussion on his work, the history of CIS, and Trump’s second-term immigration track record.

To begin, Krikorian outlines his origin story. He then provides a brief history of the Center for Immigration Studies. I then ask Krikorian to make the case against legal immigration, which leads to a consideration of whether the problem is immigrants themselves or immigration as a phenomenon. Krikorian argues that it is the latter, although he states that immigrants from some parts of the world are more assimilable than others. We then talk about the forces driving mass immigration. Who’s to blame? Krikorian provides a nuanced explanation.

In the second half of the show, we switch gears to discuss Trump’s immigration record. Krikorian argues that Trump is doing a good job overall. But is there more that can be done? We cover Trump’s border policies, including the wall. I ask Krikorian if he believes Trump has abandoned mass deportations, as some have claimed. I also ask about self-deportations. How do we know that millions have left the country? We then discuss Trump’s efforts to lower legal immigration, which have come as a pleasant surprise. What are the policies that have led to the lowering of legal immigration? Tune in to find out.

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If you are reading this as a free subscriber, you should really do the right thing and subscribe! I’m putting out more content on Substack than ever. There’s never been a better time to join the club.

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To begin, I take a look at CATO’s new report. What has Trump done to reduce legal immigration? I talk for a bit about how the retard right influencers know their audiences are stupid—and how this shapes their commentary. Later, I discuss the new DHS secretary, Markwayne Mullin. Is he going to deliver?

In the second half of the show, I switch gears to talk about the latest with Iran. I argue that, even if this ceasefire doesn’t hold, it’s evidence that Trump is averse to starting another “forever war.” I then consider the U.S. blockade on Iran and outline why I’m cautiously optimistic. Toward the end of the show, I examine Trump’s ongoing spat with Pope Leo. Is the Pope more right-wing than every Republican, as some have claimed? Or is he really just a liberal at heart? Tune in to find out.

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To begin, I remind the audience that there is an ongoing effort to demoralize Trump supporters. Don’t fall for it. I then outline why Trump’s refugee policies are a huge win. Next, I read Trump’s brutal Truth Social post, in which he excoriates Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Megyn Kelly, and Alex Jones. I react to the video in which Tucker implies Trump is the anti-Christ and ponder whether convincing your supporters to wear a hat that reads “low IQ” is a wise move.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), I read Tucker’s response to Trump. I argue that conspiracy theories about Trump being blackmailed by Israel cause people to lose sight of the real dynamics at play. I then take a look at a few polls that suggest that Tucker is becoming less popular among Republicans. What does that mean, given that his audience is bigger than ever? Later, I examine what Candace, Megyn, and Alex were saying about Trump before he admonished them. Toward the end of the show, I consider JD Vance’s future. He wants these big names to support his 2028 run, but he needs to be able to say Trump 47 was a success. How should Vance navigate this schism? Tune in to find out.

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(Weekday matinees are great, by the way. You usually have the theater to yourself. And if anyone else is there, they’re usually nice old white people. Not the kind of people who are going to talk loudly during the movie.)

I didn’t know anything about the movie, other than that it garnered positive reviews (8.4/10 on IMDB, 94% on Rotten Tomatoes), starred Ryan Gosling, and might have aliens in it. Had I looked up the directors (Phil Lord and Christopher Miller), I would have seen that their filmography features stuff like The Lego Movie and 21 Jump Street – not exactly my cup of tea. (The latter gets credit for curing Kanye West of his anti-Semitism.)

Project Hail Mary begins with a particularly unkempt man named Ryland Grace (Ryan Gosling) waking up in a spaceship. He’s confused. His memory is foggy – he asks, “How do I know this?” regarding something scientific, but not foggy enough to prevent him from knowing where to find his crewmates’ beds. Some are empty, others are filled with dead people. Something went amiss during his hibernatory sleep, leaving him the sole survivor.

Then come the flashbacks. Grace was a school teacher before finding himself in space. During a classroom scene, he tiptoes around questions from his inquisitive students regarding the fate of the solar system. We learn that the sun is dying, and that the future of humanity isn’t looking great. When a stern woman representing an international task force arrives to speak to Grace, we learn that before he was a school teacher, he was a respected scientist – until he tanked his credibility by autisticly lashing out at someone important. (He would fit in well on right-wing Twitter.)

It turns out that the sun is being killed by astrophage, a lifeform that consumes energy from stars. (It’s in the name: star eater.) Scientists observe a lengthy span of astrophage extending from the sun to Venus known as the Petrova Line. During the flashbacks, Grace works tirelessly to discover the nature of astrophage and prepare an expedition to Tau Ceti, one of the few stars unaffected by astrophage.

Grace was not originally intended to be part of the expedition, on account of not being an astronaut. But from the beginning of the film, you’re aware that he somehow makes it to space. You only learn how toward the end of the film. This small twist was well executed, and it did a good job of linking the flashbacks to the present timeline.

Back to space. Grace recovers his memories, perhaps a bit too quickly, and does his best to complete the mission. While in space, he encounters a massive, mysterious object. Is it an asteroid? A ship? A weapon? Something else? We learn the truth soon enough. Without giving it away, Grace’s solitude comes to an end.

The scene where Grace discovers the mysterious object serves as a microcosm of Project Hail Mary as a whole. It captures what the movie does well and what it does wrong. Grace’s first encounter with the colossal object is awe-inspiring, with great music and impressive visuals. But that feeling of awe immediately ends with Grace awkwardly bouncing around the ship. (You’re supposed to laugh, it’s funny!)

Project Hail Mary, despite being a well-made film, ultimately fails the vibe check – at least for me. From the very beginning, the dialogue is intentionally awkward and quirky. It felt like every few seconds there was some cringeworthy attempt at humor. Like it’s a children’s movie or something. But I wanted a serious movie about space and aliens.

One example: After joining the task force, Grace asks Carl, the black guy who I guess is a secret agent with the task force, if their project has an expense account. The black guy looks at him calmly and says no. Grace is dejected. But then the camera pans back to Carl, who says, “But I do.” Wow, you really got me there.

What follows is a completely retarded scene in which Grace and Carl go shopping at a hardware store (Grace wishes to reconstruct Venus’s climate to discover why the astrophage is heading there). Feel-good music plays while the two grown men joke around, go bowling with duct tape, and throw a bunch of Skittles into the shopping cart. It’s like they’re on a date. Carl says something to the confused cashier about being with the government. She asks which one. “All of them,” he replies. (This is really funny.) It was hard to watch. But that type of humor – that quirky, silly mood – defines the entire film, even the tenser moments.

It just isn’t for me. And I’m honest enough to admit that this is pretty subjective. Of course, all media criticism is subjective, but only to a point. I’m capable of recognizing a masterpiece even if I’m not the target audience. Once I accepted that, I warmed up to the movie a little more. But then I found myself thinking, “Well, who is this movie for then?” The answer: women, children, dads who want to take their kids to something that isn’t totally juvenile, and redditors. It has a strong “I fucking LOVE science vibe” – not because it’s science fiction, of course, but because of its quirky vibe.

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In this rare RESTORING ORDER VIDEO GAME REVIEW I talk about the new Marathon game, explaining its origins and lore. I cover its aesthetic dimension, gameplay, shell (class) system, maps, quests, weapons, items, and factions. I compare Marathon to other extraction shooters, such as Escape from Tarkov and Arc Raiders, and ponder why this reasonably good game hasn’t had a big impact on the gaming world.

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First, we start with ancient Persia. We discuss the Achaemenid Empire, which eventually fell to Alexander the Great. After came the Parthian Empire—and after that, the Sasanids. We then discuss the Arab conquest of Persia, which replaced Zoroastrianism with Islam. Next, we cover the Mongol invasions. Toward the end of the first half, we discuss the Safavid Empire and the Qajar Dynasty.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), we switch gears to discuss the Pahlavi dynasty. What kind of man was Reza Shah Pahlavi? How was he deposed? We then discuss his son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. Were his reforms successful? This brings us to the Iranian revolution. Nemets and I detail the numerous factors that led to the revolution. We explore how it evolved over the course of 1979. Toward the end of the show, we talk about Operation Epic Fury and the future of Iran. After taking such a beating, will the Islamic Republic moderate? Tune in to find out.

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To start, Pat provides his origin story. We learn about his January 6 experience and how he got into relationship coaching. I ask Pat to tell us about what the average guy who seeks out his services is looking for. We then discuss some conventional right-wing wisdom about dating, including the claim that men should focus on making money before worrying about finding a wife. This leads to some discussion on whether women—even conservative women—are eager to marry a virgin. I’m forced to confront a difficult question: Was Future Moldovan Citizen Right? Toward the end of the first half, we consider the myriad of ways in which “trad” approaches to dating can cause problems.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), we shift gears to consider Trevor Sheatz's viral post, which garnered 35 million views. Why did people react so strongly? Was he merely encouraging promiscuous people to turn to Christ – or were his intentions less noble? I argue that, while it's great to see people turn their lives around, some things are perhaps best kept private. Next, we discuss a different hoe-turned-tradwife, who, despite being a former camgirl, had the gall to claim that men who shame previously promiscuous women are porn addicts. Pat argues that these types of women are guilty of pride and vanity above all else. Later, I ask Pat if we can ever return to the status quo of the 50s. He makes the case for that decade being somewhat of a historical anomaly. Toward the end of the show, we discuss how manophere stuff can be used for good or evil – and why it's important for younger guys to steer clear from third-world dating discourse.

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I begin by providing some updates on the Trump administration’s investigations into left-wing groups. I argue that, while these things do take time, we will eventually need results. Next, I consider a recent report indicating that Trump is considering deploying ground troops to Iran. Should we be concerned? I then criticize Israel for attacking Iran’s South Pars gas field. This leads to a consideration of American and Israeli interests in the Middle East. I explain that there’s overlap, but that ultimately our interests aren’t identical. And what of Israel’s role in the outbreak of hostilities with Iran? Is the Jewish state the sole factor, or is there more to it?

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), I review the Washington Post report that suggests JD Vance is considering sitting out the 2028 election. If true, what does this say about the post-Trump GOP? Next up, I talk about Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974), which I recently rewatched. I outline why it’s an incredible film, without spoiling anything. I argue that we need to reject the Chinatown mindset – the view that the world is so irreparably dark and dysfunctional that there’s no point in trying to fix it. I also argue that Roman Polanski, while a phenomenal director, is definitely a depraved guy. Toward the end of the show, I review Joe Kent’s resignation letter and a few clips from his appearance on Tucker. I also discuss the investigations into both men. Are they guilty? Tune in to find out.

Note: In the Joe Kent segment, I stated that Kent implied that Israel was behind the attempt on Trump’s life in Butler, PA. But upon rewatching the clip in question, the foreign entity he references in relation to Butler appears to be Iran, not Israel. Given that he does seem to float the possibility that Israel was responsible for Charlie Kirk’s assassination—and given Kent has also implied that Trump lives in fear of the “Epstein network”—I’m sure you can understand why I was mistaken.

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To start, Blepps gives us his take on Operation Epic Fury. After realizing that his support for the offensive far surpasses my own, I’m forced to confront a difficult question: Is this Finnish monkey more of an American patriot than I am? We then talk about reflexive third worldism on the right and how it is often the product of demoralization. Next, we talk about Trump. I remind the audience that, regardless of your position on Epic Fury, Trump is the best thing to happen to the post-war American right. But does Blepps agree? Of course he agrees. We then talk about Russia briefly, with Blepps explaining how Ivan's threat to the East has shaped Finnish politics throughout history. Toward the end of the first half, I ask Blepps what he thinks about certain American right-wingers cozying up to Islam.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers, link in reply), we continue our discussion of the threat Islam poses to the West. Blepps reminds us that Islam has been an enemy of Europe for millennia, and that Muslims immigrants, therefore, are far worse than other immigrant populations. We then talk about the connection between foreign wars and migration – a connection that many in the online right tend to exaggerate. Toward the end of the show, we discuss the European Union and NATO. Blepps, contrary to many European right-wingers, argues that America, at least these days, has a positive impact on Europe. Why is that? Tune in to find out.

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To start, I review some recent immigration white-pills. I then review some Iran updates and explain why Trump hasn’t yet ruled out boots on the ground. I explain how Americans benefit from stability in the Middle East – and why Iran threatens that stability. Next, I review some of the online right’s reactions to Epic Fury. I argue that some criticisms are more valid than others, and I remind the audience that there are many grifters trying to black-pill them.

In the second half of the show (available to subscribers), I review BAP’s take on military action in Iran. I point out that, while I don’t fully agree with him, it is a reasonable position. This proves that you can disagree with Trump without trooning out, although many appear incapable of doing so. Next, I take a look at Dr. Gottfried’s position on Epic Fury, which, of all of the takes I’ve seen online, is the closest to my own. I argue that it’s more than justified to give Trump the benefit of the doubt, while at the same time urging the administration not to overcommit. Toward the end of the show, I review some recent developments with Tucker, including his announcement that MAGA is dead, his odd clip implying that U.S. soldiers would rape Iranian women, and his now-refuted claim that Mossad agents were arrested in the Gulf.

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What are the long-term consequences of this? Has Trump betrayed his campaign promises? Can airstrikes alone topple a regime? We explore these and other related questions.

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