Dilemma Podcast

From Evangelical Zionism to Anti-Colonial Solidarity w/ Melani McAlister

01 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode I speak with Melani McAlister, professor of American Studies and International Affairs at George Washington University and author of t...

The ‘Crazy Uncle’ Was Right: Epstein, Israel, Africa & the Oligarchy

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine it’s Thanksgiving ten years ago. Your slightly unhinged Uncle Bob starts talking about a mysterious financier with a private island, underag...

How Zohran Mamdani's Exposes The True Bigotry of Bill Maher, Sam Harris, and Western "Culture Talk"

12 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Zohran Mamdani’s victory didn’t just shake New York politics — it cracked open a deeper fear that’s defined Western liberal discourse for deca...

The Rashomon Effect and a Death In Palestine

09 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The Rashomon Effect - Multiple people witnessing the same event remember it in contradictory ways, often colored by their own self-interest, trauma, o...

The International Malcolm X: Gaza, Violence, and the Fight Against Colonialism w/ Michael Sawyer

08 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Malcolm X was more than an activist or organizer. In this conversation, Michael Sawyer, author of Black Minded and the forthcoming The Door of No Retu...

How Zionism & Islamism Became Colonial Twins w/ Hamid Dabashi

02 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Iranian scholar Hamid Dabashi goes deep on empire, Iran’s revolutionary currents, and Palestine. We cover his “two nemeses” frame—global imper...

The False Lure of National Sovereignty and the Mirage of Liberation w/ Nandita Sharma

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation with sociologist Nandita Sharma, we dig into the deep contradictions of nationalism, sovereignty, and the postcolonial state. Sha...

Confessions of an Israel PR Insider: Manufacturing Consent In the Pews

09 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A former Israel Consulate staffer for the U.S. Southeast—Brandt Burleson—breaks silence. For eight years he built church networks, wrote Bible-lac...

Palestine, Petrodollars, and the Climate: The Converging Capitalist Crisis with Adam Hanieh

04 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation with political economist Adam Hanieh, we trace the deep connections between fossil fuels, finance, Palestine, and the climate cri...

Fear of Nonviolence: A Life of Resistance and The Deportation of Mubarak Awad

30 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with Mubarak Awad, often called the Gandhi of Palestine. Born in Jerusalem during the Nakba, Mubarak’s life has bee...

Falling into the Zionism Vortex - My Failed Efforts with Coleman Hughes and Sam Harris

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A final word on my efforts to help (no matter what you think) people like Coleman Hughes and Sam Harris avoid falling into the Zionist trap. Thoughts ...

Zionism, Gaza, & Starvation Motives Debating Israel & Palestine with Coleman Hughes Part 2 of 2

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2 of this 2 part conversation, we dive deeper into Gaza after Israel’s 2005 “withdrawal”, examine the blockade, restrictions, and the mo...

Justice vs Peace? Debating Israel & Palestine with Coleman Hughes Part 1 of 2

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In part 1 of a 2 part conversation I attempt to engage with former co-host Coleman Hughes in a deep, difficult, and (hopefully) helpful debate about I...

Israel Crosses the Rubicon - Lessons from South Africa with Patrick Bond

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this wide-ranging conversation, political economist Patrick Bond joins me from Johannesburg to trace the lessons of South Africa’s struggles — ...

The Dollar, Gaza, and Marxist Analysis of Capitalism’s Violent Global Decline — with Radhika Desai

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Political economist Radhika Desai offers a Marxist reading of today’s global crises — from Gaza to the dollar’s fragility. We unpack why she bel...

Existential Authoritarianism vs Humanism Explained

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Some thoughts on authoritarianism and humanism with a passage from Erich Fromm's Psychoanalysis and Religion from 195000:00 Authoritarianism as fo...

Iraq, Israel, Empire, Epstein, and Endless War - Scott Horton on The Coming Crack-Up

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, anti-war libertarian Scott Horton joins me for a wide-ranging conversation on the true mechanics of American empire. We talk about the ...

Who’s First—Israel or America? An Invitation to Think Deeper

22 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I explore the growing clash between “America First” and “Israel First”—a fracture exposing deeper contradictions in U.S. poli...

When Is RESISTANCE Necessary? Where the Intellectual Dark Web go?

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

I'm still waiting for a debate partner—so I've decided to start without one. In this video, I deliver my opening statement.Plus, I'm ann...

Libertarians HATE These Challenges Plus A Watch-Along Of Milton Friedman

25 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Capitalist Libertarianism sells itself as the champion of freedom and personal choice—but what happens when the very systems we’ve unleashed are s...

The Possibility of Anarchy with Sophie Scott-Brown

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, Sophie Scott-Brown, historian and political philosopher, joins me to explore how anarchism isn’t just a theory, but a way of s...

Who's Afraid of Anarchy? The Russian Revolution, Spanish Anarchy, Punks, and Today with Ruth Kinna

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In Part 2, Ruth Kinna and I trace anarchism’s turbulent path through the 20th century—from early revolutionary violence to its erasure under Lenin...

Who's Afraid of Anarchy? Part 1: From Proudhon to The Brink of War with Ruth Kinna

24 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this conversation, I sit down with Ruth Kinna, historian of anarchism and professor of political theory, to explore the roots of anarchist thought—...

Chosen People or Chosen Families: Judaism and The Destruction of Gaza with Peter Beinart

24 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I talk with Peter Beinart about Being Jewish After the Destruction of Gaza and the cracks forming in Zionism. But first, I share a pers...

Dear TRUMPERS: We have more in common than you think... from a LEFTIST

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump is often mocked for his bluntness, but what if his “no more bullshit” approach is actually revealing something deeper—something tha...

Surveillance For Sale and Threats To Pro-Palestine Protestors with Jack Poulson

12 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I sit down with journalist and whistleblower Jack Poulson to uncover the hidden world of surveillance, data brokers, and the quiet war ...

The CRISIS of Journalism with Anjan Sundaram

30 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I sit down with journalist and author Anjan Sundaram to explore the crisis of journalism, the emotional strain of witnessing trauma, a...

Something WORSE THAN GENOCIDE with Dirk Moses

02 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

In this video, I sit down with scholar and author A. Dirk Moses to unpack how the merging of the Holocaust’s specific history with the generic conc...

BREAKING AWAY, BREAKING IN from Zionism to Palestine Action - Stavit Sinai

22 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this interview with Stavit Sinai, we explore her journey from growing up in a Zionist environment to avoiding conscription in the IDF, and the cha...

Palestine and the Growing Defiance of the Global South - Vijay Prashad

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Vijay Prashad and I discuss the fierce defiance of the Global South, from the legacies of leaders like Kwame Nkrumah to the global conversation about ...

Chasing History and When My World Changed

15 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A reflection on my first trip abroad, where I first learned the name Kwame Nkrumah and started wondering why things were the way they were. An effort ...

Kamala's Little Blue Box and the Zionist Stranglehold

07 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An examination of the intertwining of Zionist ideology and symbology in my upbringing in Judaism. What Kamala was talking about when she spoke to AIPA...

Do you condemn Hamas? (a serious answer)

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

An essay which takes this question seriously. 00:00 Introduction 01:00 What does condemn mean? 02:46 Condemnation and victims statements 08:54 Two pa...

The Palestine Collection - The Collapse of Zionism and Forgiveness

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jay discusses Palestine with historian and author Ilan Pappe. Together they ponder if we are seeing the end of Zionism and what might that collapse mi...

The Palestine Collection - Zionism and a Speech For the Future

27 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the final part of this series, Jay dissects the definition of the words Zionism, Israel, and Judaism and delivers a Speech he wishes a future Prime...

The Palestine Collection - Zionist to Palestinian Activist - Miko Peled

26 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A conversation with Miko Peled on his journey from unquestioned Zionism to becoming an active Palestinian Activist. In this episode we discuss: Jaco...

The Palestine Collection - Resistance or Terror? - Richard English

24 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A conversation with Richard English who dares ask the question "Does Terrorism Work?" In this episode we discuss: The IRA The Troubles Ham...

The Palestine Collection - '48 Never Ended - Gideon Levy

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A conversation with Haaretz journalist Gideon Levy where we take the pulse of Israel and discuss how he came to question the Zionist project and where...

The Palestine Collection - The Problem of History

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Shapiro breaks down arguments being presented by popular thinkers such as Sam Harris and from Zionists who defend Israel. He walks through the com...

S03E11: Monsters and Distance - David Livingstone Smith

14 Nov 2023

Contributed by Lukas

David Livingstone Smith has been studying "dehumanization" for decades and has written three books on the subject. In this episode Jay and S...

S03E10: Antisemitism and the Future of Analysis

25 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Shapiro's personal essay and account of how the disfigurement of American Judaism has forged an existential crisis for something much bigger t...

S03E09: Israel and Palestine - Malevolent Machinery

20 Oct 2023

Contributed by Lukas

A nuanced look at the morality of intentions and self-deceptions in the Israel Palestinian conflict. A look at the moral distinction between collatera...

S03E07: Thinking of it That Way - Monica Guzman

01 Aug 2023

Contributed by Lukas

Is there any hope for that strained or broken relationship that's become a causality of the political divide? Is common ground found best by going tow...

S03E08: Objects Without Us - Ian Bogost

07 Mar 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What is it like to be a baseball bat? This episode is a dive into the philosophical approach known as Object Oriented Ontology (OOO) with the author a...

S03E06: Aspirational Nations - Tero Lundstedt

21 Feb 2022

Contributed by Lukas

How many countries are there? 197? 193? 180? It depends who you ask and who is counting. What constitutes a "state"? How does that differ from a "nati...

S03E05: What Kind of Truth? - Spencer Greenberg

17 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Does 2+2 really equal 4? What realm of truth am I in when I speak about my pain? What kind of truth claim is it to speak about the existence of "Polan...

S03E04: The Limits of Libertarianism - Nick Gillespie

10 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

Is it possible that the default position of libertarianism which has so deeply influenced politics, economics, and philosophy since the enlightenment ...

S03E03: Competing Against Everything - Alfie Kohn

03 Jan 2022

Contributed by Lukas

What if much of what we do to our children works directly against what we profess we ultimately want for them? Alfie Kohn argues that things like home...

S03E02: The Abortion Question - Bethel McGrew

01 Nov 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Is abortion ever morally permissible? Is it always wrong? Are there any morally valid exceptions? Do any if the answers to these questions demand a ce...

S03E01: Our Modern Disquiet - Benjamin Storey

25 Oct 2021

Contributed by Lukas

You know that strange nagging restlessness that you feel in your core? That difficulty focusing on what's in front of you? That flittering from one pa...

S02E22: High School Philosophy - Lawrenceville Ethics Bowl Team

15 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Do we underestimate the ability of High Schoolers to tackle complex politically charged existential and moral philosophy problems with nuance, intelli...

S02E21: Are we in a simulation? Does it matter? - Rizwan Virk

03 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Quantum mechanics, mathematical robustness, dream state deja vu oddities... these are all things that one would expect to find in a simulated world. W...

S02E20: Conspiracies Everywhere - Hugo Drochen and Annemarie S Walter

22 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

What kind of environmental and individual factors lead to the proliferation of conspiracy theories? Jay is joined by co-authors and researchers Hugo D...

S02E19: Quantum Computing - Sean Holland

08 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Have artificial intelligence fears been overblown? Are we glossing over the much more pressing issue of weaponized quantum computing? Or are these tan...

S02E18: Hostage - Michael Scott Moore

25 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Michael Scott Moore was held captive by pirates in Somalia for 977. He recounts what philosophies and psychological tactics got him through the experi...

Jay's Special Comment on The Coup with Michael Scott Moore

09 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

On the using of the word "coup" to describe the events in Washington on Jan 6 2021. Subscribe to Jay's low key email reminders to keep up with when he...

S02E17: Atheistic search for god - Seth Andrews

04 Jan 2021

Contributed by Lukas

Seth Andrews was a Christian Radio host in Tulsa Oklahoma before he began his intellectual journey to atheism. Jay and Seth discuss the philosophies u...

S02E16: The Silence Beyond Sound - Scott Barry Kaufman

14 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Why do we avoid intimacy when we know it is the deepest need we have? Scott Barry Kaufman is an author, psychologist, and podcast host. His latest boo...

S02E15: Speech on Campus - Sigal Ben-Porath

07 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are the kids alright? Sigal Ben-Porath and Jay discuss the thorny issues of free speech on college campus by first traversing some philosophical groun...

S02E14: Thanksgiving 2020 - Mom

26 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jay and his mom Sally talk about old age, being thankful in a strange year, and the lessons they're learning from COVID. Video posted on YouTube: http...

S02E13: The Power of Memes - Susan Blackmore

21 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Did Charles Darwin discover something much more fundamental than the origin of species? A defense and exploration of the field of memetics with Profes...

S02E12: How To Avoid a Civil War - Mike Selinker

12 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jay goes down the dark paths that might lie ahead spurred by the 2020 US election with Mike Selinker. Mike is an award winning game designer and game ...

S02E11: Home Field Advantage - Jon Wertheim

28 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

A look at the philosophical side of sports and what we can learn about human behavior in the time of COVID altered stadiums. Jay speaks with veteran s...

S02E10: Too Much Information - Cass Sunstein

21 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What do you NOT want to know? Jay is joined by the prolific and influential behavior economist Cass Sunstein for a conversation about his latest book:...

S02E09: What is Art? - SWOON

14 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jay tackles the age old question of philosophically defining art with the incredible street artist SWOON (Caledonia Curry). Together they wonder, can ...

S02E08: Your Right To Say It - David Goldberger

07 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

David Goldberger was raised as a proud Jew. In 1977, he was working as a civil liberties attorney for the ACLU in Illinois when a Neo-Nazi named Frank...

S02E07: The Lessons of Black Panther - Chloe Valdary

31 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Chloe Valdary, Coleman Hughes, and Jay Shapiro consider the analogies and lessons of Marvel's Black Panther. Discussed in this episode: tensions with ...

S02E06: Illusionism Part 2 : Finding Each Other - Keith Frankish

25 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In part 2 of this conversation, Keith Frankish and Jay talk about the implications of the illusionists view of mind and consciousness. They forecast t...

S02E05: Illusionism Part 1 : What Needs Explaining - Keith Frankish

17 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

“Illusionists deny that experiences have phenomenal properties and focus on explaining why they seem to have them” In part 1 of this 2 part interv...

S02E04: History Rhymes - Uyghur Genocide - Rahima Mahmut

06 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

An urgent episode about a genocide unfolding in China. Rahima Mahmut is the U.K. Project Director, World Uyghur Congress. https://www.uyghurcongress.o...

S02E03: Virtual Afterlives - Candi Cann

05 Aug 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Are virtual worlds any different than real worlds? A mother is reunited with her deceased daughter in virtual reality for a South Korean TV show. Jay ...

S02E02: The Meaning of Travel - Emily Thomas

20 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

What does travel mean? Why has formal philosophy largely ignored the question? Just how strange is it to release a book on travel in the time of a glo...

S02E01: Unattractive Discrimination - Francesca Minerva

06 Jul 2020

Contributed by Lukas

We often hear about racism, sexism, classism, and other familiar kinds of discrimination. But there is a bias which might dwarf them all, discriminati...

S01E18: Can We Sue China? - William Burke-White

10 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

International law scholar and professor William Burke-White speaks with Jay Shapiro during the ongoing global COVID19 crises. They discuss the philoso...

S01E17: Surviving a Slow Motion Disaster - Amanda Ripley

30 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Amdana Ripley, best selling author of "The Unthinkable: Who Survives when Disaster Strikes and Why" talks with Jay Shapiro during coronavirus lock dow...

S01E16: Pandemic Special: Invisible Responsibility COVID-19

16 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jay and Coleman discuss the giant trolley problem that we're all living through in the midst of the  pandemic.  Topics discusses: The "worry...

S01E15: Season 1 in Hindsight - Jay Shapiro

09 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

Jay reviews Season 1 with the help of his girlfriend, a piano, and a glass of wine. Submit your Season 2 Dilemma Ideas to [email protected]

S01E14: Selecting for Deafness - David Deutsch

26 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In the finale of Dilemma Season 1 famed author of "The Fabric of Reality" and "The Beginning of Infinity", David Deutsch, sits down with Jay Shapiro t...

S01E13: Self Driving Cars - Matthew B. Crawford

10 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The best selling author of Shop Class As Soulcraft and The World Beyond Your Head has a new book coming out entitled Why We Drive. He sits down with J...

S01E12: Medically Assisted Death - Steven Pinker

18 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

"If I lose my mind, just kill me." Co-Hosts Jay Shapiro and Coleman Hughes discuss the philosophical borders and ethical complications of Medically As...

Thanksgiving Hindsight

27 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Shapiro is joined by a very special guest... his mother, Sally. They speak about Jay's moral upbringing, Judaism, Atheism, Africa, and giving than...

S01E11: A Camera, A Child, and A Vulture - Larissa MacFarquhar

22 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the depths of a brutal famine in Sudan in 1993, Kevin Carter took a photo of a starving child and a perched vulture which appeared on the front pag...

S01E10: Clara Barton's Placebo - Stephen Finlay

11 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

A battlefield of wounded and dying soldiers in front of you. You hover over a mortally wounded man. You have medicine in one pocket and water in anoth...

Ep 9: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

29 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Do you have hill worth dying on? Jay Shapiro reflects on Dilemma Episode 9: Hurricane at a Hospital with Lisa Tessman

S01E09: A Hospital in a Hurricane - Lisa Tessman

22 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When the power went out, the flood waters rose, and supplies dwindled in Memorial Hospital in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Pau and her nur...

Ep 8: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

14 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Suffering is the price of engagement with life. The difference between pain, suffering, grief, and missing. And Wilfred Sellers manifest vs scientific...

S01E08: Friendbot - Rebecca Newberger Goldstein

08 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

When her best friend suddenly died she collected all his texts and digital communication and created a chat bot in his image. Jay Shapiro speaks with ...

Ep7: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Shapiro looks back at Episode 7 with Sean Carroll and speaks about naturalism and the optimistic search for "god" and the overrated reputation of ...

S01E07: Religion at the Hospital - Sean Carroll

23 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Betsy is a nurse who believes that one must accept Jesus to earn entry into heaven. Steve is an atheist who also happens to be on his death bed and a ...

Ep 6: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

17 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Shapiro looks back at Episode 6 with Erik Hoel and speaks about a central question about the mind/body problem. What is fundamental? Plus a guest ...

S01E06: Conscious Robots - Erik Hoel

09 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As your finger hovers over the power button on your computer it says, "Please don't turn me off. That will hurt and kill me. I want to live!" Should y...

Ep 5: in Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

03 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Jay Shapiro looks back at Episode 5 with Robin Hanson and the GMO label battles and looks forward to the looming future of food wars between Beyond Me...

S01E05: GMO Warning Labels - Robin Hanson

26 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Hosts Jay Shapiro and Coleman Hughes discuss the ethics of and hidden motivations behind the choices around food and the labels on their packaging wit...

Ep 4: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

19 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

 Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 4 of Dilemma - Listen to the Music with Nina Strohminger. 

S01E04: Listen to the Music - Nina Strohminger

12 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is it wrong to listen to the music after the musician is revealed to be a terrible person? Join us as we discuss the morality of a young girl named Fr...

Ep 3: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

05 Aug 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 3 of Dilemma - Do I Smell Donuts? with David Pizarro.

S01E03: Do I Smell Donuts? - David Pizarro

29 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Is there a point where advertising is too effective? Join us as we discuss the morality behind Dunkin' Donuts' advertising campaign where they sp...

Ep 2: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

22 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

 Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 2 of Dilemma - Star Trek's Prime Directive with Eric Linus Kaplan 

S01E02: Star Trek's Prime Directive - Eric Linus Kaplan

15 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In the long running science fiction show Star Trek, the Federation has a guiding principle referred to as the Prime Directive which instructs federati...

Ep 1: In Hindsight with Jay Shapiro

11 Jul 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Host Jay Shapiro reflects on Episode 1 of Dilemma - Fire at the Louvre with Professor Susan Wolf.