Hyperfixed x American Prestige: In Conversation with Morgan Spector

Podcast: Hyperfixed & Radiotopia
Episode: Presenting: American Prestige w/ Morgan Spector
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Alex Goldman (Hyperfixed)
Guests: Daniel Bessner, Derek Davison (American Prestige), Morgan Spector (actor)

Overview:

This special feed drop features Alex Goldman (Hyperfixed) introducing Daniel Bessner and Derek Davison's American Prestige—a podcast known for deep, historical context on U.S. foreign policy—followed by an in-depth interview with actor Morgan Spector. Spector, star of HBO's The Gilded Age and The Plot Against America, joins to discuss his own political awakening, Hollywood's political economy, the rise and meaning of socialism, and the entanglements of U.S. power at home and abroad. The episode weaves through personal, cultural, and political threads, elevating the discussion with Spector's incisive and candid analyses.

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Hyperfixed Intro & Radiotopia Fundraiser [00:03–04:34]

Alex takes a few minutes to encourage listeners to support Radiotopia, highlighting its role in supporting independent podcasts, fostering collaboration, and boosting creator sustainability.
Notable mention: 100% of Radiotopia donations go toward supporting member shows, and gifts are tax-deductible.

2. Alex Interviews Daniel Bessner (American Prestige) [04:36–11:07]

Daniel explains the purpose of American Prestige: to interrogate U.S. foreign policy by situating contemporary events in historical context.
Daniel on the show's thesis:
“We look at US Foreign policy and international affairs asking the question, what if the assumptions of the past about the United States running the world or having the strongest military were questioned?” [04:50]
Discussion about the importance of moving past the American “eternal present” to understand policy with depth.

About Morgan Spector [07:13–10:40]

Daniel introduces Morgan Spector as a politically engaged artist, impressed by his grasp of history and foreign policy—a rare crossing of arts and political literacy reminiscent of past eras when the worlds of culture and politics intertwined.
Both commend his unique actor’s viewpoint, especially the way his union experiences in Hollywood inform his political outlook.

American Prestige x Morgan Spector: In-depth Conversation

Note: From this point, Daniel (B), Derek (C), and Morgan (D) conduct the majority of the discussion.

3. Political Awakening & Path to Socialism [13:24]

Morgan’s political path: Raised in an informed, opinionated family viewing politics as “the strong eat the weak,” Spector says his deeper politicization began during the Iraq War. Disillusionment with the Obama years led to an embrace of structural change à la Bernie Sanders.

“...I think my political commitments come from a sense of outrage at US foreign policy... when America is the country that goes into a place like Iraq and kills a million people for absolutely no reason... that, you know, America become like this sort of idea of this country is obviously disfigured.”
—Morgan Spector [23:53]
Daniel and Morgan agree that for their micro-generation, post-Cold War, “there was no sense of the left”—the notion of an alternative to capitalism was almost unimaginable until Bernie Sanders’ campaign.

4. Hollywood's Political Culture & Unions [18:27]

Hollywood’s political divisions: Morgan explains the industry’s upper echelons skew center-right/liberal, with true leftism rare among leadership. Ground-level actors and talent are largely liberal, humanitarian, and union-oriented, but social justice is often conflated with representation rather than economic justice.
Unions’ role: Hollywood's heavy unionization (in contrast to other creative industries) has somewhat protected wages and job security. Discussion of proposed unionization for new media creators, including podcasters and YouTubers.

5. On Gaza, Jewish Identity, and Speaking Out [23:15]

Morgan’s activism: His views on Gaza arise from his broader opposition to destructive U.S. foreign policy, feeling a personal and communal moral imperative as an American (and secular Jew) to oppose the U.S.’s complicity.

“Being a citizen of a country that rules in that way is, I don't think that different from being a citizen of Nazi Germany. I mean, it is like, it's. It's absolutely hideous. It's utterly discomforting.” —Morgan [23:53]
Reception in Hollywood has been generational: younger people overwhelmingly pro-Palestine, while older leadership is more resistant.

6. Socialism's Resurgence & Generational Shifts [32:10]

The conversation pivots to the evolving meaning of socialism in America, with Morgan highlighting the “genuine resurgence” of left-wing candidates and policies, once unimaginable in the ’90s.
Noted that liberalism's inability to deliver on its promises has fueled interest in socialism:

“Liberalism actually can't fulfill its own promise, but socialism can fulfill the promise of liberalism... I think that's become clearer and clearer.” —Morgan [32:37]

7. The Gilded Age, Class, & Capitalist Archetypes [38:43]

Morgan discusses his portrayal of a Gilded Age industrialist—modeled partly on Jay Gould. The show’s moral ambiguity allows viewers to find themselves rooting for “outsider” capitalists against WASP elites.
Daniel observes the cleverness of humanizing a robber baron via progressive gender politics—complicating the audience’s ethical response.
Thoughts on shifts in American oligarchy, from industrialists who left behind tangible civic institutions to today’s tech billionaires, whom Morgan criticizes for their lack of embodied legacy and increasingly virtual, extractive products.

8. AI, Hollywood, and the Creative Economy [59:22]

The looming impact of artificial intelligence is dissected: while AI will likely replace many jobs in background work and special effects, writing may be more protected due to union rules.
Morgan remains optimistic that “real people pretending” will retain artistic value—there is a difference between watching true acting and animation, even if AI-generated.
Daniel: “Writing is going to be one of the most protected elements of the entertainment industry because no matter what, there's going to have to be a human getting credit on that script.” [62:17]

9. Building a Left Foreign Policy [63:16]

Morgan asks whether the American left has succeeded in building a coherent socialist foreign policy. Daniel and Derek agree the answer is “not yet,” due to institutional destruction since the Red Scare and New Deal era.
The left’s weakness in creating policy and staff for governance is compared with the lack of institutional buildup seen in the Corbyn movement in the UK.

10. Why Does the US Support Israel? [71:20]

Morgan seeks to understand the “deep” rationale for unwavering U.S. support for Israel. Derek suggests a mix of domestic political lobbying (AIPAC, Christian Zionism), ingrained policy “muscle memory,” and hard-power goals vis-à-vis Iran. Daniel adds that Israel functions as both a client state and colonial outpost in a region seen as “barbaric”—making it a consistent anchor for U.S. interests.

11. Internationalism, Intervention & Restraint [77:56]

When (if ever) is military force justified to halt atrocities? Morgan wrestles with humanitarian intervention in Gaza—does a restraint-oriented leftist foreign policy allow for force to prevent genocide?
Daniel and Derek explain that U.S.-led intervention inevitably strengthens the imperial project, so the true solution would require an actual, democratic international or regional institution—a world that does not yet exist, and which the U.S. itself stands in the way of realizing.

“If you do use the empire in a ‘good’ way, it necessitates the use of the empire in the bad way. And again, I think history demonstrates that you don't get like the ending of Srebrenica without now we have the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act. They actually fundamentally go together.” —Danny Bessner [81:19]
Region-building (e.g., North American integration) may offer a more realistic pathway toward internationalist, democratic governance than the current mirage of global law enforced by a superpower.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Left’s lost institutions:
“[From] 1948 to 2014, 15, just no institutions of what a genuine left wing foreign policy would be.” —Daniel Bessner [64:06]
On contemporary US policy toward Israel:
“I disagree with the take that the domestic aspect doesn't matter at all, that the Israel lobby doesn't matter. I think it matters a great deal, especially to politicians who are … of a certain age ...” —Derek Davison [73:19]
On the new class of oligarchs:
“My contention is that we have the worst oligarchs ... these guys built stuff, right ... they built nice-looking buildings. What we have now is... the mattress pad you need to buy a subscription for.” —Derek Davison [50:56]
On the shifting American dream:
“Every generation feels this way, but my contention is we have the worst class of oligarchs this country has ever had...” —Derek Davison [50:56]
On techno-billionaires’ legacy:
“In the 19th century, they were embodied people who created embodied spaces... These people [tech oligarchs] are creating platforms and virtual spaces that exclude the body.” —Morgan Spector [52:24]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[04:50] Daniel explains American Prestige’s approach to foreign policy history
[13:24] Morgan Spector’s journey to socialism
[18:27] Hollywood’s internal political and class divides
[23:53] Spector’s moral outrage over US foreign policy, particularly Gaza
[32:37] On socialism’s resurgence and generational change
[38:43] Depiction of class conflict in The Gilded Age
[50:56] The problem of today’s billionaire class
[59:22] AI in Hollywood and labor impacts
[63:16] The state (and failures) of left foreign policy
[71:20] Why the US backs Israel—dissecting motives
[77:56] Humanitarian intervention, power, and restrainer worldview

Tone & Takeaways

The discussion is rigorous, earnest, and unflinching—anchored by Bessner and Davison’s historical materialism and Spector’s actor/activist perspective.
Morgan’s candidness—about Hollywood, his political journey, and his anger at US policy—infuses the episode with urgency and personal stakes.
The episode closes with a sobering call: the work of building genuine left and international institutions must start regionally and incrementally, with the understanding that structural change is slow, complex, but essential.

For further listening:

American Prestige’s deep-dive history series on Afghanistan, Brazil, and the military-industrial complex
The documentary The Big Scary S Word (co-executive produced by Spector), exploring the past and future of American socialism

This summary omits sponsorship spots, advertisements, and introductory/outro content, focusing on the core themes, discourse, and speaker perspectives of the American Prestige x Hyperfixed collaborative episode.

Hyperfixed x American Prestige: In Conversation with Morgan Spector

Overview:

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Hyperfixed Intro & Radiotopia Fundraiser [00:03–04:34]

Alex takes a few minutes to encourage listeners to support Radiotopia, highlighting its role in supporting independent podcasts, fostering collaboration, and boosting creator sustainability.
Notable mention: 100% of Radiotopia donations go toward supporting member shows, and gifts are tax-deductible.

2. Alex Interviews Daniel Bessner (American Prestige) [04:36–11:07]

Daniel explains the purpose of American Prestige: to interrogate U.S. foreign policy by situating contemporary events in historical context.
Daniel on the show's thesis:
“We look at US Foreign policy and international affairs asking the question, what if the assumptions of the past about the United States running the world or having the strongest military were questioned?” [04:50]
Discussion about the importance of moving past the American “eternal present” to understand policy with depth.

About Morgan Spector [07:13–10:40]

Daniel introduces Morgan Spector as a politically engaged artist, impressed by his grasp of history and foreign policy—a rare crossing of arts and political literacy reminiscent of past eras when the worlds of culture and politics intertwined.
Both commend his unique actor’s viewpoint, especially the way his union experiences in Hollywood inform his political outlook.

American Prestige x Morgan Spector: In-depth Conversation

Note: From this point, Daniel (B), Derek (C), and Morgan (D) conduct the majority of the discussion.

3. Political Awakening & Path to Socialism [13:24]

Morgan’s political path: Raised in an informed, opinionated family viewing politics as “the strong eat the weak,” Spector says his deeper politicization began during the Iraq War. Disillusionment with the Obama years led to an embrace of structural change à la Bernie Sanders.

“...I think my political commitments come from a sense of outrage at US foreign policy... when America is the country that goes into a place like Iraq and kills a million people for absolutely no reason... that, you know, America become like this sort of idea of this country is obviously disfigured.”
—Morgan Spector [23:53]
Daniel and Morgan agree that for their micro-generation, post-Cold War, “there was no sense of the left”—the notion of an alternative to capitalism was almost unimaginable until Bernie Sanders’ campaign.

4. Hollywood's Political Culture & Unions [18:27]

Hollywood’s political divisions: Morgan explains the industry’s upper echelons skew center-right/liberal, with true leftism rare among leadership. Ground-level actors and talent are largely liberal, humanitarian, and union-oriented, but social justice is often conflated with representation rather than economic justice.
Unions’ role: Hollywood's heavy unionization (in contrast to other creative industries) has somewhat protected wages and job security. Discussion of proposed unionization for new media creators, including podcasters and YouTubers.

5. On Gaza, Jewish Identity, and Speaking Out [23:15]

Morgan’s activism: His views on Gaza arise from his broader opposition to destructive U.S. foreign policy, feeling a personal and communal moral imperative as an American (and secular Jew) to oppose the U.S.’s complicity.

“Being a citizen of a country that rules in that way is, I don't think that different from being a citizen of Nazi Germany. I mean, it is like, it's. It's absolutely hideous. It's utterly discomforting.” —Morgan [23:53]
Reception in Hollywood has been generational: younger people overwhelmingly pro-Palestine, while older leadership is more resistant.

6. Socialism's Resurgence & Generational Shifts [32:10]

The conversation pivots to the evolving meaning of socialism in America, with Morgan highlighting the “genuine resurgence” of left-wing candidates and policies, once unimaginable in the ’90s.
Noted that liberalism's inability to deliver on its promises has fueled interest in socialism:

“Liberalism actually can't fulfill its own promise, but socialism can fulfill the promise of liberalism... I think that's become clearer and clearer.” —Morgan [32:37]

7. The Gilded Age, Class, & Capitalist Archetypes [38:43]

Morgan discusses his portrayal of a Gilded Age industrialist—modeled partly on Jay Gould. The show’s moral ambiguity allows viewers to find themselves rooting for “outsider” capitalists against WASP elites.
Daniel observes the cleverness of humanizing a robber baron via progressive gender politics—complicating the audience’s ethical response.
Thoughts on shifts in American oligarchy, from industrialists who left behind tangible civic institutions to today’s tech billionaires, whom Morgan criticizes for their lack of embodied legacy and increasingly virtual, extractive products.

8. AI, Hollywood, and the Creative Economy [59:22]

The looming impact of artificial intelligence is dissected: while AI will likely replace many jobs in background work and special effects, writing may be more protected due to union rules.
Morgan remains optimistic that “real people pretending” will retain artistic value—there is a difference between watching true acting and animation, even if AI-generated.
Daniel: “Writing is going to be one of the most protected elements of the entertainment industry because no matter what, there's going to have to be a human getting credit on that script.” [62:17]

9. Building a Left Foreign Policy [63:16]

Morgan asks whether the American left has succeeded in building a coherent socialist foreign policy. Daniel and Derek agree the answer is “not yet,” due to institutional destruction since the Red Scare and New Deal era.
The left’s weakness in creating policy and staff for governance is compared with the lack of institutional buildup seen in the Corbyn movement in the UK.

10. Why Does the US Support Israel? [71:20]

Morgan seeks to understand the “deep” rationale for unwavering U.S. support for Israel. Derek suggests a mix of domestic political lobbying (AIPAC, Christian Zionism), ingrained policy “muscle memory,” and hard-power goals vis-à-vis Iran. Daniel adds that Israel functions as both a client state and colonial outpost in a region seen as “barbaric”—making it a consistent anchor for U.S. interests.

11. Internationalism, Intervention & Restraint [77:56]

When (if ever) is military force justified to halt atrocities? Morgan wrestles with humanitarian intervention in Gaza—does a restraint-oriented leftist foreign policy allow for force to prevent genocide?
Daniel and Derek explain that U.S.-led intervention inevitably strengthens the imperial project, so the true solution would require an actual, democratic international or regional institution—a world that does not yet exist, and which the U.S. itself stands in the way of realizing.

“If you do use the empire in a ‘good’ way, it necessitates the use of the empire in the bad way. And again, I think history demonstrates that you don't get like the ending of Srebrenica without now we have the 1998 Iraq Liberation Act. They actually fundamentally go together.” —Danny Bessner [81:19]
Region-building (e.g., North American integration) may offer a more realistic pathway toward internationalist, democratic governance than the current mirage of global law enforced by a superpower.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

On the Left’s lost institutions:
“[From] 1948 to 2014, 15, just no institutions of what a genuine left wing foreign policy would be.” —Daniel Bessner [64:06]
On contemporary US policy toward Israel:
“I disagree with the take that the domestic aspect doesn't matter at all, that the Israel lobby doesn't matter. I think it matters a great deal, especially to politicians who are … of a certain age ...” —Derek Davison [73:19]
On the new class of oligarchs:
“My contention is that we have the worst oligarchs ... these guys built stuff, right ... they built nice-looking buildings. What we have now is... the mattress pad you need to buy a subscription for.” —Derek Davison [50:56]
On the shifting American dream:
“Every generation feels this way, but my contention is we have the worst class of oligarchs this country has ever had...” —Derek Davison [50:56]
On techno-billionaires’ legacy:
“In the 19th century, they were embodied people who created embodied spaces... These people [tech oligarchs] are creating platforms and virtual spaces that exclude the body.” —Morgan Spector [52:24]

Timestamps for Key Segments

[04:50] Daniel explains American Prestige’s approach to foreign policy history
[13:24] Morgan Spector’s journey to socialism
[18:27] Hollywood’s internal political and class divides
[23:53] Spector’s moral outrage over US foreign policy, particularly Gaza
[32:37] On socialism’s resurgence and generational change
[38:43] Depiction of class conflict in The Gilded Age
[50:56] The problem of today’s billionaire class
[59:22] AI in Hollywood and labor impacts
[63:16] The state (and failures) of left foreign policy
[71:20] Why the US backs Israel—dissecting motives
[77:56] Humanitarian intervention, power, and restrainer worldview

Tone & Takeaways

The discussion is rigorous, earnest, and unflinching—anchored by Bessner and Davison’s historical materialism and Spector’s actor/activist perspective.
Morgan’s candidness—about Hollywood, his political journey, and his anger at US policy—infuses the episode with urgency and personal stakes.
The episode closes with a sobering call: the work of building genuine left and international institutions must start regionally and incrementally, with the understanding that structural change is slow, complex, but essential.

For further listening:

American Prestige’s deep-dive history series on Afghanistan, Brazil, and the military-industrial complex
The documentary The Big Scary S Word (co-executive produced by Spector), exploring the past and future of American socialism

Presenting: American Prestige w/ Morgan Spector

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Summary

Hyperfixed x American Prestige: In Conversation with Morgan Spector

Overview:

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Hyperfixed Intro & Radiotopia Fundraiser [00:03–04:34]

2. Alex Interviews Daniel Bessner (American Prestige) [04:36–11:07]

About Morgan Spector [07:13–10:40]

American Prestige x Morgan Spector: In-depth Conversation

3. Political Awakening & Path to Socialism [13:24]

4. Hollywood's Political Culture & Unions [18:27]

5. On Gaza, Jewish Identity, and Speaking Out [23:15]

6. Socialism's Resurgence & Generational Shifts [32:10]

7. The Gilded Age, Class, & Capitalist Archetypes [38:43]

8. AI, Hollywood, and the Creative Economy [59:22]

9. Building a Left Foreign Policy [63:16]

10. Why Does the US Support Israel? [71:20]

11. Internationalism, Intervention & Restraint [77:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Tone & Takeaways

Summary

Hyperfixed x American Prestige: In Conversation with Morgan Spector

Overview:

Episode Structure & Key Segments

1. Hyperfixed Intro & Radiotopia Fundraiser [00:03–04:34]

2. Alex Interviews Daniel Bessner (American Prestige) [04:36–11:07]

About Morgan Spector [07:13–10:40]

American Prestige x Morgan Spector: In-depth Conversation

3. Political Awakening & Path to Socialism [13:24]

4. Hollywood's Political Culture & Unions [18:27]

5. On Gaza, Jewish Identity, and Speaking Out [23:15]

6. Socialism's Resurgence & Generational Shifts [32:10]

7. The Gilded Age, Class, & Capitalist Archetypes [38:43]

8. AI, Hollywood, and the Creative Economy [59:22]

9. Building a Left Foreign Policy [63:16]

10. Why Does the US Support Israel? [71:20]

11. Internationalism, Intervention & Restraint [77:56]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Timestamps for Key Segments

Tone & Takeaways