Useful Idiots
Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté
New Useful Idiots: Interview with Marianne Williamson, Matt's New Media Ambition & Traveling Through Time to Hunt Kurt Loder
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Current time: 0:00 / Total time: -47:58
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New Useful Idiots: Interview with Marianne Williamson, Matt's New Media Ambition & Traveling Through Time to Hunt Kurt Loder

Talking with the former presidential candidate about the progressive candidate summit, smears, and "liberal bullshit."

Click here for the extended interview.

“We were on Useful Idiots, bro,” said Gavin, co-host of the Vanguard podcast.

“Bro, that was fucking crazy!” said Zac, his other half.

“This was super trippy, guys,” agreed Gavin. “They were reacting to us reacting to them.”

Now, in the next episode of Useful Idiots, we react to them reacting to us reacting to them, resulting in the following visual:

The plan is to keep doing this until the center of the screen folds in on itself and we start moving backward in time. It’s not the best joke in the world, but as William Blake once said, “If the fool would persist in his folly he would become wise.”

Also this episode, we interview 2020 presidential candidate Marianne Williamson, who tells a great behind-the-scenes story about interacting with Bernie Sanders during that run, and also explains her regrets about how she responded to attacks on her by fellow Democrats and their allies in media. Marianne had some friends who’d urged her to look at it as a fighter or an athlete might: get up and knock them all out.

“I needed more people to say ‘Get up and get out there and fight,’” she said. “So much of my life had been about being gentler.”

All that, plus her thoughts on the future of the Democratic Party, Yemen, her progressive candidates summit and more, during this episode of Useful Idiots.

Discussion about this episode

I’m a subscriber, How do get the extended useful idiots show?

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It's coming on Sunday

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Have you guys figured out how to get the entire video up for the substackers? Look, I'm a payer (great move making it $40, BTW, I'm not paying @TK b/c I've hit a limit in my subs now- $225/year) . I'm paying you guys b/c of the work you're doing.

But... I REALLY miss the old format. I think I'm not the only one. Could you just put up the whole vid end to end like the old RS format? Maybe a different platform from YT?

Secondly: I could care less why you and RS parted as long as you're still out here w/ this great show.

You're going thru growing pains in a new environment. It's annoying for me as a viewer, I'll bet it's a gad-jillion times worse for you two guys. Great show!

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Will this one be just one full-length video so we don't have to watch it in two pieces?

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Bullshit

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It's coming on Sunday

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It’s Sunday. Don’t see it

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I’m loving the second half of the interview, it’s great. Although I don’t remember what they were talking about when the first half ended, since it’s been so long, but I just play it and hope I can follow. But it’s great, has me on the edge of my seat.....oh wait this is just the first one

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It’s Sunday, still the old version. This sucks.

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Click on My Account and there’s a link to the private podcast feed (audio).

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Please don't require us to hunt pieces down in different locations. And when we get to the Set Up The Private Podcast feed- "mail me a link" button, it doesn't work. Waiting patiently, tho.

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Ok, Re-read and says to open the link on your *phone*-- so now UsefulIdiots is one of my Apple Podcast subscriptions. But is the extended interview there now, too?

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Always a treat to hear MW, looking forward to this one... can you please make the substack-only release the full video so I can watch it all at once

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I second this. I came for Marianne Williamson.

I wanna hear a conversation about God, suffering, transformation and Revolution... and, while I'm here I'll go ahead and say, I wanna see a roughly 2 hour long episode as well with Dr. Cornel West about the sermon(?) he gave at Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel this past Sunday where he called for "A Multi-Dimensional Revolution."

Plus, Taibbi looks like he could use some Reassurance.

For convenience: https://youtu.be/mb_VtT7gjm8

He begins at 20:59 and it is about 20-25 minutes long.

Now, I'm off to become a paid Subscriber.

🤘🏼🤘🏼

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Rob, best recommendation ever! Still have chills from Dr. Cornell West's inspirational sermon. Come to listen for the sermon, BUT listen to the entire video for the soul-rocking singing.

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Absolutely, that performance after the sermon was incredible *chef's kiss*

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Oooops, BOB. No glasses on.

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Yes, please release the entire video for subscribers. Really, top notch.

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I paid and can never find the”full” interview. How do I listen to it? Leslie

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They should just release the full version on substack the same day the abridged youtube version comes out, if they are going to have two versions of the interview. Why the delay?

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Be patient, it will come. You have to realize Matt and Katie are cobbling this new platform together in real time. If you are a paid subscriber you will find out here and in your email.

I think it's kinda fun not knowing when something is gonna pop. It's the same as the podcast, you just never know what's next.

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Ugh, they clearly are not reading their own comments on substacl based on the end of this. Truly disappointed that the two of them pay about 1/1000th the attention to their comments as glen greenwald does

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Which comments?

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I don't actually care if the substack only version comes out first, I would just prefer that when it is out, it is just one full-length video so we don't have to watch it in pieces to get everything.

Love the show! (and your YouTube channel)

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People who pay want the entire uncut edition to come out FIRST. We're happy to pay, but do not like this piecemeal approach. In particular, the interviews just seem really short when first released, and it's not ideal to have to listen to the same interview twice to get the whole thing.

Also, you have gone back a bit on the promise of "everything that was free before will still be free" by moving the 4 food groups segment behind the paywall. But I think it's less of an issue than releasing a cut up version of the show first.

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I'm totally cool with the pod coming out in staggered parts, if that works better for you guys...in any case, you're doing a great job. I also think that the accusations that you guys aren't funny any more are totally unfounded:) My only suggestion is that you, Matt, Kyle Kulinski, Krystal Ball, Briahna, Aaron Mate etc, band together and offer some sort of Substack (or Patreon) subscription for all of your respective content. I want to be able to support all of you, paying like 5 bucks a month for all 10 podcasters is a bit much though and I really don't want to have to cancel one of my subscriptions. Imagine if you guys offered a combined substack subscription for $30 a month. It would certainly involve tons of coordination and logistics, and you would have to divvy that amount up between all of you. Maybe it's a terrible idea, but I would suspect a lot of people feel the same way.

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Also, the extended tongue in cheek discussion about leaving RS without giving any actual explanation (or an admission that you don't know why you were fired) last week was really unpopular in the comments. And you kind of doubled down on it this week.

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I wish I'd read this 30 minutes ago haha

What comments do you suppose they read? The YouTube?

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I paid $5 just to write:

Please make it one, full episode somewhere. Free or pay I don’t care. These randomly edited videos released haphazardly suck. I’m happy to pay $5 but this is so bad I’ll end up stopping paying and watching neither. And since you’re a current events video the long lags and lack of schedule between recording and upload on the 4 food groups doesn’t work. You were one of my household’s favorite shows please pull it together.

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Really great episode. Feels cut so short! Can't find the extended MW session...

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i am getting ready to pull the plug on this operation. Another week with the BORING rolling stone stuff. I DON'T CARE

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Hey Katie and Matt. The theme of people having problems with repetition comes up in this thread - starting with Pete the Content Expiration Cop. I trust U.I. to figure out content expiration dates. Just Sniff It First! The RS thing created the interaction with that other podcast - which is golden IMO. The 4 food groups is a useful way to frame the News and I still like it. Keep up the good work!

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Dope episode -- one thing I noticed is that without the four food groups, it doesn't feel like a "political" podcast to the same extent. I originally started watching because I really connected with Matt's writing, so that's fine for me, but I worry that you'll lose some portion of the audience that is actually there for the content ;)

Looking forward to the substack only portion.

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Yup, on the way to losing me and from the start I never missed an episode. For second or third week in a row getting this shitty partial podcast emailed to me without the food groups sucks. Want it all in one shot and I am a paying subscriber.

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Stupid question, as I'm sure I'm missing the obvious, but do I have to have a paid subscription to both TK News and Useful Idiots or does one sub cover both? Ladies and Gentlemen of the comment section, I am just a dummy, your world frightens and confuses me. My privative mind can't grasp this subscription concept.

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It's obvious to me that if there are 2 different URL's, you will have to pay twice. The big read [Subcribe] button is a dead giveaway. Matt's journo work on TK is much different than the infotainment on UI. Like he's said, "TK is my day job".

It was clear to me and why I subscribed to both.

p.s. You get what you pay for.

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Thanks for that. Much obliged.

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"Aw shucks" he said rubbing his toe in the dirt. I totally understand how easy it is to be a bit confused by this new thing.

One of the redeeming things about the internet is the ability to ask questions. For everyone I've answered I've asked 1,000.

Stay safe, be kind.

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Humbling to hear her now and understand that I underestimated how transformative she could have been. Grateful for run and continued presence in our public life

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I subscribed. I have nothing of substance to add to this comments thread. I like this show.

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FWIW, the comments on the paid substack stuff are pretty good. See the above one about West's sermon.

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I'm going to be contrary to some of the other commentators here, I absolutely love the four food groups. It's a great opportunity to see the banter we all enjoy and some unusual news. I'm a subscriber, so I'll see it anyway at some point. I would recommend whatever you think will capture more people and get more views. Great work as always!

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Was gonna hold off subscribing for purely budgetary reasons but when I heard you went to the mattresses for the visionary Marianne Williamson... y’all are all three incredible. Katie I’ll do ACIM w/ you!

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Good bit.

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As for all the complaints below:

It's your podcast, do what you want. I think you're more than fair with the free content you provide. I understand a lot of people are strapped for cash but you can't be all things to all people.

I prefer the content is spread out over the week, it makes it more accessible. Sometimes a 30-40 minute chuck of content is better than an hour+.

You'll work it out soon enough.

Just stop beating up on boomers. If you have a problem with a boomer call them out individually. What's the term for someone who lumps a large population of people sharing a common characteristic? Don't be that person.

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No 4 food groups this week?

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Okay what a shame but I am SO frustrated I think I will unsubscribe after my year is up because the indifference to the UI is mind-boggling and I am NOT hunting around. There’s too many other good podcasts out there that don’t make you jump through hoops. I turned a lot of people into this too.

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Can you please explain a bit more? What is missing from the 47 minute video? Is there a longer version? What is the UI problem that you see?

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Wtf is Sunday and the only thing here us the same partial one from before.

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I would have to guess that the belief that more working people in congress would result in more progressive policies is a bit misguided as Trump has a lot of support from people without a college education and these are considered "workers". These people seem to have a grievance about progressive policies that help level opportunity and thus reduce their advantage.

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I haven't listened to this yet, but I listened to the youtube video, and you mentioned working through ACIM.

I'm doing both ACIM and Massimo Pigliucci's A handbook for new Stoics right now. Unless you have some religious/spiritual bent you've kept well hidden, you might be happier with the Stoic book.

I have a strong spiritual leaning, but even I'm feeling some resistance to the Christian-like personal God of ACIM.

Just a thought.

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Not missing the 4 food groups! ;-)

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