War is Stupid: An Anti-War Podcast About War

Orli Matlow sits down with foreign affairs correspondent Ashley Gate, who lectures at Columbia University on AI and drones, for the episode with the most “oh my god”s yet. They discuss the terrifying ways Artificial Intelligence is used in Gaza, Iran, and by men on the subway, and how war has evolved from using horses to employing “killer robots.” Ashley explains whether or not “autonomous weapons” are really autonomous, the need for regulation, and how accountability *isn’t* impossible. 
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Orli Matlow sits down with organizer and creator Jean-Paul Fartre for a conversation that’s more political philosophy than flatulence. Professor Fartre reveals the connection between dating apps and the post-9/11 War on Terror, because they're even worse than we thought. He shares his experiences teaching in San Quentin State Prison, and the differences between socialist organizing in The Philippines and the United States. They talk dialectics, how discussing American military dominance can help fight antisemitism, and JP makes the most enthusiastic case for revolutionary optimism yet. 
Recorded while Trump’s Memorandum of Understanding with Iran was technically still Memorandum of Understanding-ing. 
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Orli Matlow sits down with political scientist Bill Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and standup comedian. They discuss his latest book, The Trillion Dollar War Machine: How Runaway Military Spending Drives America into Foreign Wars and Bankrupts Us at Home. Bill shares what the anti-war movement can learn from the anti-apartheid movement, the Luddites, and the 2026 NBA Champion New York Knicks, and how community can beat Silicon Valley.
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Orli Matlow sits down Rabbi Jill Jacobs, the CEO of T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights, an organization that trains and mobilizes rabbis and cantors and their communities to bring a moral voice to protecting and advancing human rights in North America, Israel, and the occupied Palestinian territories. They discuss Truah’s decision to host Mayor Zohran Mamdani at their gala rather than declare him “an enemy of the Jewish people” (like a certain chair of UJA Federation did), and how that rhetoric does not help the Jewish community. Rabbi Jacobs shares her vision for a New York Jewish Parade to replace the Israel Day Parade, reflects on T'ruah’s work defending immigrants, and reveals her favorite niche tractate of Talmud. 
Note: Recorded BC (Before Championship). Knicks in 5!
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Orli Matlow sits down with British Jewish historian, writer, and musician Joseph Finlay, who passionately argues against her claim from the Amsterdam episode that “London is like NYC for goyim.” They explore the rich Jewish history of London, which was one of socialism and anarchism up until Thatcherism. They discuss the anti-fascist resistance of the 1936 Battle of Cable Street, which was recently co-opted by the Zionist Right in response to a protest against West Bank settlement sales. They talk about British Jewish heroes like Oliver!’s Lionel Bart and British Jewish villains like Lord Chief Rabbi Sir Jonathan Sacks—and the contradictions of a “Rabbi Lord.” Joseph breaks down philo-semitism, a phenomenon that endangers Jews while mainstream institutions cheer it on.
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Orli Matlow sits down with Italian American comedian Ron Placone, whose show Anti-Fascist Pasta Night is heading to the Edinburgh Fringe this August. They discuss the true history of fighting fascism with food, covering everything from Mussolini to Heated Rivalry. Ron opens up about his political awakening during the Iraq War, the multiplicity of Italian American identity, and shares his pro tips for surviving a run at the biggest arts festival on the planet. 
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Orli Matlow sits down with British Jewish filmmaker Gillian Mosely, whose latest film Planet Israel explores Israeli society during and after October 7th. She investigates how right-wing Religious Zionism and settler ideology came to dominate Israel, with its roots in the work of Bibi’s dad’s boss Ze’ev Jabotinsky and Brooklyn-born convicted felon Rabbi Meir Kahane. They discuss what we owe our ancestors, interviewing people in Gaza, and the British Jewish experience—including Orli (figuratively) bombing in Camden cabarets.
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Orli Matlow sits down with Common Defense organizer Michael Carter and member Susan O’Neill, who served as an Operating Room Nurse in Vietnam. They discuss organizing veterans against forever wars, authoritarianism and VA privatization, and what Supporting The Troops actually looks like, with shoutouts to Stephen Sondheim and Bruce Springsteen along the way. They talk the realities that lead people to join the military, the militarization of society, and finding hope in people—and birds. 
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Orli Matlow sits down with comedian Gabe Pacheco, who might soon be subpoenaed by the federal government for joining the same aid mission to Cuba as Hasan Piker. They talk about Cuba’s history and present, whether Che Guevara shirts are as popular there as they are at liberal arts colleges, and why we need to bring the name Smedley back. 
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Orli Matlow sits down with Mattan Berner-Kadish, an advocate for civil rights in Israel since his parents sued the country when he was four years old. Mattan talks about his work in the Occupied West Bank, bearing witness to extreme Israeli settler and military violence, including the killing of his close friend and fellow football fan Awdah Hathahleen. They talk nepo babies in the IDF, ICC evidence on Israeli Tinder, and how American Jews are the most progressive in the world (complimentary). Mattan talks about his new nonprofit From Here Forward, and makes the case that Naftali Bennett is not the Great Hope to save lives in Palestine and Israel—American primary voters are. 
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