Eyes Left Podcast

A "mercenary Army of the poor"? Right-wing think tanks, as well as some on the left, have sought to disprove that framework. Professor Jodi Dean joins the show to critique the most recent study which portrays the rank-and-file military as a Warrior Aristocracy.

SUPPORT this podcast by making a tax-deductible donation the The Empire Files at https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles

It's much easier than the Pentagon wants you to think. Whether you're in the military or know someone who is, this is the definitive guide to walking away. And as Biden's support for genocide spins out into new US wars across the Middle East, from the Red Sea to Iraq, now would be a good time to walk away.

Featuring special guest Maria Santelli, longtime counselor with the GI Rights Hotline, which provides secure, free and expert support to any service member who wants to leave the military.

CALL the hotline anytime at 1-877-447-4487 for advice, or visit them online at https://girightshotline.org

Maria is Executive Director of the Center on Conscience and War: https://centeronconscience.org

SUPPORT this podcast by making a tax-deductible donation the The Empire Files at https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles

Major developments with Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Iran increase the potential for new wars for the US as it facilitates Israel's genocide in Gaza. All the urgent updates, plus a deeper look at the forces involved, with journalist Rania Khalek.

FOLLOW Rania at https://twitter.com/raniakhalek

WATCH her show at https://www.youtube.com/breakthroughnews

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS to refuse to participate in the the US/Israeli war machine by calling the GI Rights Hotline at 1-877-447-4487 or visiting them online at https://girightshotline.org

EYES LEFT is a production of Empire Files. Support our work here: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles

Biden plays with fire sponsoring the Gaza genocide, as US troops get hit with blowback, reinforcements rush to the Middle East, and the Pentagon escalates by bombing Iranian forces. Iran, Hezbollah, and other armed groups have a red line; how far can the US push before it's crossed? This episode includes critical information for soldiers about why and how they can resist being party to this genocide, and prevent themselves from being sacrificed by Washington.

After decades of fighting, victims of the Marine Corps mass poisoning at Camp Lejeune will finally get settlements–so an array of billionaires, hedge funds, and their far-right attorneys have wormed into the leadership of the case, attempting to loot the majority of the settlement funds.

Joining the show is Lejeune survivor, advocate and journalist Lori Freshwater

Follow EYES LEFT on Twitter & IG at @EyesLeftPod

SUPPORT our work with a tax deductible donation to https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles [Eyes Left is now a production of Empire Files, a 501(c)(3) media non-profit.]

In this first installment of our “Wake Ups” series, former Navy Petty Officer Erica Gordon shares her journey from a homeless shelter, to a hidden war, to creative forms of resistance while still in uniform. 

EYES LEFT is a project of The Empire Files, a 501(c)(3) media non-profit—support our work with a tax-deductible donation here: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles or on PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/empirefilesinc

Check out Erica's anti-recruitment efforts at https://twitter.com/LeftFlankVets

All music by ANAHEDRON

In this debut episode of our new monthly segment, Mike Prysner and SFC (Ret.) Jeff Sauter cover a range of stories that deal with the economic hardships facing active-duty troops and potential recruits—contrasted with a behemoth new Pentagon budget that funnels hundreds of billions to corporations. Plus: abortion rights for troops, the potential renaming of 9 major Army bases named after Confederate bastards & the problems with the new PACT Act.

SUPPORT Eyes Left at https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles [this podcast is a project of Empire Files, a 501(c)3 non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible.]

MUSIC by Anahedron

FOLLOW us @EyesLeftPod on Twitter and Instagram

CONTACT us at eyesleftpod[at]gmail.com

A journey into Ron DeSantis's shadowy military career reveals shocking new details about his complicity in illegal torture. Featuring exclusive never-before-heard testimony from former Guantanamo prisoner Mansoor Adayfi about DeSantis's actions at the prison camp. 

Support this show at https://www.patreon.com/EyesLeft

Eyes Left is a project of The Empire Files: https://www.patreon.com/empirefiles

After a long absence, let's talk about where the show went and where it is going.

Interview with Sergeant Kevin Benderman, sentenced to 15 months in military prison for refusing to return to Iraq on moral grounds.

The harrowing story of a VA long-term care facility where veterans watched friends die of Covid, then sentenced to a solitary-confinement lockdown. Special guest Spencer Ackerman joins to discuss this story, his new book Reign Of Terror, and more.

Spenser and Mike discuss the BLM upsurge, the role of the National Guard in suppression, and looking inward to find new paths. 

PLUS: Radical Military History - The story of the 'Fort Hood 43'

Retired Major Danny Sjursen joins Eyes Left for part II of his interview, explaining his research uncovering the West Point Class of 1986 and the powerful positions it's alumni control in the Trump Administration.

Spenser and Mike discuss Bernie leaving the presidential race: why & what's next for the movement

Spenser & Mike discuss the science of COVID-19, the political implications of the pandemic, and the need to come together as a community (just, not in person please!)

On the eve of Super Tuesday, Spenser and Mike are joined by Miguel Medrano, Iraq war veteran and Southeast Political Director for the Bernie campaign. 

As the the potential for major US war in the Middle East looms greater than the days before the 2003 invasion of Iraq, Spenser Rapone and Mike Prysner are joined by former Army Ranger, Afghanistan veteran and war resister Rory Fanning to discuss the Iran crisis, options service members have to resist, and reactions to the Democratic candidates' statements in response to Trump's war crimes. 

Spenser and Mike discuss the bombshell Afghanistan Papers, proving the depth to which the US government has been lying to keep us in the senseless war. 

Your Halloween treat, on the killing of ISIS leader al-Baghdadi, the Army's new recruitment strategy, and more video games.

PLUS Radical Military History on lost stories from the Gulf War

Spenser and Mike catch up after a month-long break to talk about Gaza, what the Epstein case reveals about the ruling class, Trump’s very large purchase of Ketamine for veterans, communist sci-fi and more.

Trump's appointed a "beer mogul" to revamp PTSD treatment... and he's into some really weird pseudoscience.  

Eyes Left interviews investigative journalist Jasper Craven—who investigates the Dept. of Veterans' Affairs for the New York Times, The Intercept and more—about this impact of VA privatization, the hidden scandal of police brutality at Veterans' Affairs hospitals and much more. 

Follow Jasper Craven on Twitter @Jasper_Craven

Spenser and Mike discuss the Democratic Party Primary candidates, Bernie Sanders, and Trump's war criminal pardons; PLUS: Afghanistan War Update & Radical Military History

Spenser and Mike mark the 16th anniversary of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq

With another white nationalist terror attack taking the lives of at least 50 Muslims, Spenser and Mike explore the many expressions of neo-Naziism today: from 4chan, to Ben Shapiro, MAGA-ism and the US military itself.

John Bolton sent 5,000 of us to die for oil in Iraq. Elliott Abrams oversaw genocide in Guatemala. Now they've teamed with Trump to launch another oil war in Venezuela. Spenser Rapone and Mike Prysner tell you why it's your right, and duty, to refuse to fight.

Spenser Rapone and Mike Prysner discuss the Army Captain who waved a Trump flag in uniform, the sociopath Marine General Jim Mattis, and Army Major Tulsi Gabbard entering the 2020 race