Podcast
Just Asking Questions
Hosted by Reason · EN
Interrogating current events, challenging assumptions, uncovering facts, and exposing realities that the government and the media would rather not talk about. Reason’s "Just Asking Questions" is a weekly show for honesty and open inquiry. We're skeptics of unexamined power. We don't want to be told what to think. But we do want to know which questions to start asking. Hosted by Liz Wolfe and Zach Weissmueller. Produced by John Osterhoudt. Just Asking Questions is published by the Reason Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3) research and educational organization based in Los Angeles.
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Inez Stepman: How Socialism Seduced New Yorkers
Jul 3, 202501:20:50Tap to summarizeIs Zohran Mamdani's success in New York politics the mark of socialist resurgence or just a reflection of a deeply fractured party base? Zach Weissmueller is joined by two very concerned New Yorkers. Our own Liz Wolfe and Inez Stepman, who's a policy analyst at the Independent Women's Forum. Stepman critiques the ideological cocktail attracting young New Yorkers to socialism. She argues that Mamdani's appeal is more cultural than it is economic, which leads to a discussion of whether libertarianism can actually be effective in combating Mamdani-esque movements. Mentioned in the podcast: "HSTPA Impacts Study," by the Real Estate Board of New York "The Daily Dirt: 5 Questions With Socialist Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani," by Kathryn Brenzel "The Most Detailed Map of the N.Y.C. Mayoral Primary," by Martín González Gómez, Saurabh Datar, Matthew Bloch, Andrew Fischer, and Jon Huang Mamdani's homeowner policy memo Clip from Eric Adams' speech blasting socialism Mamdani's talk at the 2021 Young Democratic Socialists of America Winter Conference Chapters: 00:00—Podcast theme 00:24—Zohran Mamdani and the new face of the Democratic Socialists 05:12—Class resentment, college debt, and the upper-middle-class left 11:19—How socialism distorts incentives and degrades culture 17:32—The myth of New York's liberal monolith 22:53—Rent freezes, housing politics, and urban affordability myths 30:53—Are YIMBYs being misled by progressive rhetoric? 35:22—The cultural core of Mamdani's politics 41:45—Why Inez Stepman broke with libertarianism 48:54—Policing, public safety, and the stakes of a Mamdani mayoralty 57:58—Mental illness, civil liberties, and involuntary commitment 01:08:00—What Mamdani's rise means beyond New York Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Inez Stepman: How Socialism Seduced New Yorkers appeared first on Reason.com.
Transcribe →Ro Khanna: Congress Must Take Back Its War Powers
Jun 25, 202500:43:14Tap to summarizeWho's allowed to launch an attack on another country? Just asking questions. Rep. Ro Khanna (D–Calif.) joined Reason's Just Asking Questions podcast to discuss the War Powers Resolution he's co-sponsored with Rep. Thomas Massie (R–Ky.), which would require President Donald Trump to seek congressional approval before continuing to drop bombs in Iran. He also discussed Trump's remarks that the governments of Israel and Iran "don't know what the fuck they are doing" after they ignored his call for a ceasefire, whether or not the administration likely destroyed Iran's nuclear program, and why he's eager to work with the antiestablishment right to rein in war powers and get corrupt money out of Congress. Chapters: 00:00—Podcast theme 00:28—Introducing the War Powers Resolution and Iran airstrikes 05:19—Trump's war instincts and the MAGA anti-war base 10:10—The diplomatic alternative to military action on Iran 15:48—Israel-Iran ceasefire and Trump's response 19:30—Trump's influence over Netanyahu and Middle East peace prospects 23:05—The bipartisan push to rein in executive war powers 27:33—The Democratic Party's anti-war identity crisis 30:29—Building left-right anti-establishment alliances 34:11—Rebuilding trust in government and American purpose 39:49—Reform priorities: money in politics and war powers Transcript: This is an AI-generated transcript. Check against the original before quoting. Liz Wolfe: Who's allowed to launch an attack on another country? Just Asking Questions. Representative Ro Khanna of California is here with us today to talk about his War Powers Resolution that he's co-sponsoring with Kentucky Republican Thomas Massie, who's also been a guest on the show many times before, which would require President Trump to seek congressional approval before continuing to drop bombs in Iran. Congressman Khanna, thank you so much for coming on the show. Rep. Ro Khanna: Thank you for having me. Zach Weissmueller: So, here's the text of your resolution. It says: Directing the President pursuant to section 5(c) of the War Powers Resolution to remove United States Armed Forces from unauthorized hostilities in the Islamic Republic of Iran. And you list a few facts such as that "Congress has the sole power to declare war," "Congress has not declared war." Therefore, "forces shall be removed by the president if Congress so directs." And the kind of summary statement here is: Congress hereby directs the president to terminate the use of the United States armed forces from hostilities against the Islamic Republic of Iran unless explicitly authorized by a declaration of war or specific authorization for use of military force against Iran. So given that Trump has already dropped bombs on Iranian nuclear sites without consulting Congress, what are you worried could still transpire at this point if Congress doesn't act to pass this or the similar bill in the Senate being offered by Tim Kaine? Khanna: There's a fight for Donald Trump's decision-making here. And the fight is between the neocons—people like Lindsey Graham, who want regime change in Iran; people like Netanyahu, who want regime change in Iran; people like Brett McGurk, who have been itching for that kind of regime change, who cheer-led for the war in Iraq. And on the other side, there is the lot in the MAGA base who do not want another war in the Middle East, who do not want more of our money spent in missiles in Iran or troops in the Middle East. And we saw that Donald Trump was listening to both, in every day. Now, I believe that it was our war powers resolution and the activism of the MAGA base and other voices that convinced him not to escalate after the strikes. But he could be persuaded again to go in or say, "Well, we didn't destroy enough of the nuclear facility" or "we didn't get all the nuclear fuel." And that's why it's important that he hear from the anti-war base of his own party and from the country. Wolfe: It seems like this is kind of an opportunity to give Trump some amount of credit, if I may be so bold, because in the past, we've seen many Republican administrations that are much more firmly planted on the neocon side. Whereas it's almost like Trump has devils on his shoulders and angels on his shoulders—you know, depending on your bona fides, you can decide which side is which. But there's a real push and pull, a real tension within him as to whether the sort of neocon wing or the very anti-war wing should win out. Are you heartened to see this tension present in a Republican president right now? Khanna: I appreciate that he didn't escalate and that we have a ceasefire. I agree with you that there is a tension within his base. I do think that many people in his base felt let down that he struck initially in Iran. That's not what they voted for. It's the first time I saw any real crack in his base. I mean, the tariffs upset some of the business leaders, but this really upset people who voted for him, who said, "You're not prioritizing us. You're not prioritizing jobs here. You're engaged in the same kind of war games that other presidents have." But the place, though, that I would hope that he'd develop is that it's not enough to stay out of war. You also have to engage in top diplomacy. And the reality is I believe that we need to deny Iran a nuclear weapon. We shouldn't have gotten out, in my opinion, of the JCPOA. At the very least, we should have worked within it to strengthen it. We did get out; that led to enrichment. And now the question is, how are we going to prevent Iran from racing to the nuclear bomb? And there, I think that the president needs to engage in diplomacy that previous Republican presidents, actually, like Bush Sr. and even Ronald Reagan, had more of a commitment to. We haven't seen that from the president. Weissmueller: I want to bring up a tweet from one of your colleagues here. This is Congressman Greg Steube from Florida, he's a Republican, because I think he lays out the case for why he thinks Trump should have taken this action and why he legally is allowed to take this action. He says that: "President Trump has full constitutional authority to take military action against Iran's nuclear program without a formal declaration of war. Article II, Section 2 empowers the Commander in Chief to use the armed forces to defend national interests and respond to imminent threats. The War Powers Resolution of 1973 allows a 60-day window plus a 30-day withdrawal period as long as Congress is notified within 48 hours." Presumably he's saying that Iran having a nuclear bomb itself posed an imminent threat to U.S. security, therefore justifying this unilateral action. W...
Transcribe →Paul Pillar: America Should Not Fight Israel's War
Jun 19, 202501:13:27Tap to summarizeWhat's America's role in Israel's war with Iran? Just asking questions. U.S. forces aren't directly involved in the war with Iran…yet. But those of us who remember the 2003 Iraq invasion can't help but be struck by some of the unsettling similarities: A terrorist attack acting as an inciting event a year and a half earlier, sensational but unverified claims of weapons of mass destruction imminently falling into the wrong hands, the promise of a swift and decisive victory over a cruel and corrupt regime. There are hugely important differences between then and now, but today's guest will offer the long view. He's someone who understands first-hand how military intelligence is used and abused to justify war. Paul Pillar was a CIA analyst for 28 years, serving as the executive assistant to the CIA director from 1989 to 1991 amid the Gulf War and later rising to become the chief analyst and deputy director of the agency's Counterterrorist Center. Today he's a nonresident senior fellow at Georgetown's Center for Security Studies and a nonresident senior fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. We discuss what the Trump administration knew and when about the Israeli strike on Iran, why Pillar urged President Donald Trump to "condemn" the strike, whether or not regime change is the primary goal of this war, what Trump's likely next steps are, and how the dissent of Trump supporters like Tucker Carlson and Steve Bannon is likely to affect the outcome. Mentioned in the podcast: "Trump says he doesn't want Israel to attack Iran, but strike 'could very well happen,'" by Lazar Berman Statement from Secretary of State Marco Rubio Trump on Truth Social: The U.S. had nothing to do with the attack on Iran, tonight. If we are attacked in any way, shape or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the U.S. Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before. However, we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!! "How Trump Shifted on Iran Under Pressure From Israel," by Jonathan Swan, Maggie Haberman, Mark Mazzetti, and Ronen Bergman U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel: Overview and Developments since October 7, 2023 "Trump must condemn Israeli acts of illegal, naked aggression," by Paul Pillar Trump on Truth Social: UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! Trump on Truth Social: We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran. Iran had good sky trackers and other defensive equipment, and plenty of it, but it doesn't compare to American made, conceived, and manufactured "stuff." Nobody does it better than the good ol' USA. June 10 statement for the record by General Michael "Erik" Kurilla, commander for U.S. Central Command, concerning Iran's nuclear program Mike Huckabee's text to Trump Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant "Initial US intelligence suggests Iran was surprised by the Hamas attack on Israel," by Zachary Cohen, Katie Bo Lillis, Natasha Bertrand and Jeremy Herb Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Paul Pillar: America Should Not Fight Israel's War appeared first on Reason.com.
Transcribe →Laura Powell: Who's Most To Blame for the Latest L.A. Riots?
Jun 10, 202501:07:39Tap to summarizeProtests and unrest erupted in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids of a Home Depot parking lot and a clothing manufacturer. President Donald Trump ordered National Guard troops, and later U.S. Marines, into Los Angeles against the wishes of Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom. Downtown Los Angeles and the communities of Paramount and Compton have been wracked by riots, looting, and the burning of autonomous Waymo vehicles. Today's guest is a self-described "former leftist…politically homeless" Californian who says that California's political establishment has enabled the violence and destruction we're currently seeing in response to the immigration raids. Laura Powell is an attorney and founder of Californians for Good Governance, which was founded to fight government overreach during the COVID-19 era. We discuss Newsom's war of words with Trump, the claim that these riots are an "insurrection," why Powell thinks Democrats are "encouraging" the chaos, whether the use of the military is federal overreach, and the role government-funded nonprofits and unions may have played in escalating the the situation in L.A. 00:00—Introduction and ICE raid timeline 03:38—National Guard response: provocation or necessity? 07:09—Is Newsom abdicating responsibility? 10:01—Who are the protesters and what motivates them? 16:28—How California law enforcement lost control 19:42—Federal overreach, civil liberties, and states' rights 26:28—Has California learned anything from past unrest? 30:09—Political theater: Newsom vs. Trump 46:50—Union power and the David Huerta arrest 55:42—What if large-scale deportations actually happened? 59:34—How to fix California governance Mentioned in the podcast: Newsom on X: "One of the the cornerstones of our Nation…is that our people are governed by civil, not military rule." LAPD statement about the deployment of 700 Marines Newsom on X: "Don't give Donald Trump what he wants." Laura Powell on X: "I really do not want the feds to step in and restore order by declaring martial law." Stephen Miller on X: "An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States." "ICE arrested a California union leader. Does Trump understand what that means?" Los Angeles Times Laura Powell on X: "EXCLUSIVE: Taxpayer-Funded Nonprofit Behind the Anti-ICE Riots in Los Angeles." Producer: John OsterhoudtThe post Laura Powell: Who's Most To Blame for the Latest L.A. Riots? appeared first on Reason.com.
Transcribe →Curt Mills: Should America Police the World?
Feb 15, 2024Tap to summarize"The greatest risk of a Republican administration is a war with Iran, and the greatest risk of a Democratic administration is a war with Russia," says Curt Mills, executive director of The American Conservative, a magazine for the types of conservatives who are skeptical of foreign military intervention. Mills joined Reason's Zach Weissmueller and Liz Wolfe on the latest episode of Just Asking Questions to talk about a $95.3 billion aid package, including $60 billion for Ukraine, that passed the Senate this week, which Sen. Rand Paul (R–Ky.) called a "middle finger to America" during his filibuster of the bill. In this episode, they discuss the bill's passage, Paul's filibuster, Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent interview with Tucker Carlson, the Biden administration's airstrikes against Yemen, and whether or not the surge of foreign policy noninterventionism within the GOP is likely to last past 2024. Watch the full conversation on Reason's YouTube channel or on the Just Asking Questions podcast feed on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred podcatcher. Sources referenced in this conversation: How the Ukraine delusion may end | Curt Mills | The Critic Magazine Ukraine funding package moves closer to Senate passage | The Hill Statement from President Joe Biden on Coalition Strikes in Houthi-Controlled Areas in Yemen | The White House Mike Lee on X: "I totally agree with @RoKhanna. The Constitution matters, regardless of party affiliation." / X (twitter.com) Rep. Pramila Jayapal on X: "This is an unacceptable violation of the Constitution. Article 1 requires that military action be authorized by Congress." / X (twitter.com) Letter to Biden from Sens. Kaine, Young, Murphy, and Lee, - Jan. 11, 2024 Secretary General Annual Report 2020 (nato.int) The post Curt Mills: Should America Police the World? appeared first on Reason.com.
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