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IDSG

Daniel Harper is a researcher who goes where few others can bear to go: he listens to what the reactionaries - from the IDW to the modern day Nazis - say to each other in *their* safe spaces!  In this timely and shocking - but entertaining - anti-fascist podcast, Daniel tells his friend, online writer Jack Graham, all about it.

I Don't Speak German

Daniel and Jack continue to be haunted by the fetid shade of David Irving as they discuss the 1991 UK television mini-series Selling Hitler (starring Jonathan Pryce, Alexei Sayle, and various once-and-future Doctor Whos)... and also the 1986 non-fiction book by Robert Harris upon which it is based... and thus also the real-life 1983 Stern Magazine fake Hitler diaries scandal which both are about. 
 
Content warning: Jack is very enthusiastic about this.
 
The mini-series, free on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLWzIjl-RsZKuDuoLINA6pvhzmAj_v9-eQ&si=2Q30UUkBb1_R7kyx
 
A good article about the real event: https://www.dw.com/en/how-a-german-magazine-fell-for-fake-hitler-diaries/a-65399517
 
Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Public Bonus: Selling Hitler (1986, 1991)

In this episode we talk about two dramatic portrayals of a seminal 2000 libel trial, the court case brought by Holocaust denier David Irving against American scholar Deborah Lipstadt: a contemporary UK television drama-documentary 'Holocaust on Trial' and the 2016 film Denial. We then consider the legacy of Irving, his reputation today, how fascists now see him, how they see the 2016 film, the planned republication of his work by Antelope Hill books, and how he is weirdly replicated in current 'rising star' internet Holocaust denier Darryl Cooper. We then consider our own coverage of Israel's genocide of the Palestinians in Gaza and the question of how to talk about genocide after the Nazi Holocaust. Our discussion also touches upon another of the 'guests' brought on by Jubilee to debate Mehdi Hasan in the recent edition of 'Surrounded'. 
 
We also briefly discuss the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad thing.
 
CONTENT WARNINGS
 
Episode Notes:
 
Mother Jones piece on Darryl Cooper: https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/07/martyr-made-darryl-cooper-nazi-jews-juggernaut-nihilism-tucker-carlson-joe-rogan-substack/
 
Mari Cohen at the *Jewish Currents*, "Can Genocide Studies Survive a Genocide in Gaza"
 
 https://jewishcurrents.org/can-genocide-studies-survive-a-genocide-in-gaza
 
"Little changed even after Amnesty International published a landmark report accusing Israel of genocide in December 2024. For Nimer Sultany, a scholar of international law at SOAS University of London, this silence pointed to a glaring double standard, in which many scholars could rush to imply that the Palestinians had committed acts reminiscent of genocide, but be “unable to or unwilling to make the same charge against Israel, when Israel has committed much worse atrocities against the Palestinians since then.” “This shows that the early use of genocide was propagandistic and political in nature. It shows that they don’t care in the same way about Palestinian civilians or Palestinian victims,” he said."
 
Polite Conversations, with the same title: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5mpxDnGm1c8isJlDGgidqc?si=igr81Hv4SvOMw_rdFA6V9Q
 
Doomernaut Substack: https://substack.com/@thatonewhitepopulist , "Number 1 alogger of the kosher right ""
 
Antelope Hill Publishing, *Nuremberg, The Last Battle* by David Irving https://antelopehillpublishing.com/product/nuremberg-the-last-battle-by-david-irving/
 
Holocaust on Trial (2000) – NOT on the pro-Irving channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCe3G9gODU4&t=1s
 
Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

134: Denial, Genocide, and the Shadow of David Irving

It's all in the title, folks. 
 
Extra content warnings on this one.
 
Episode Notes:
 
Rebecca Watson on Mehdi Hasan and Jubilee https://youtu.be/4px0MUlTvBk?si=ykE-CTKTDKWTUWHQ
 
The Bulwark interview with Medhi Hasan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhkzEgWaNSI&pp=ygUOYnVsd2FyayBtZWRoaSA%3D
 
Published as we were recording and saying how much we wanted to know who else was in the birthday book… https://www.wsj.com/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-birthday-album-included-letters-from-bill-clinton-leon-black-a7cd8cb1?st=pc73P3&reflink=article_copyURL_share
 
Jack forgot to mention this excellent article:
 
Who Needs the Epstein Files? Trump’s Modeling Agency Was a Documented Trafficking Operation: Court documents, victim testimony, and immigration records reveal how Trump Model Management systematically exploited teenage girls - while everyone chases phantom client lists. By RachelAndTheCity
 
 https://rachelandthecity.substack.com/p/who-needs-the-epstein-files-trumps
 
Kyle Kulinski video providing a quick digest of old and new stories and allegations implicating Trump and Epstein in abuses https://youtu.be/BqER8naYogA?si=atT3BHKfTK34Tnn8
 
 https://bsky.app/profile/realbbfan.bsky.social/post/3luc4tto4mo2e
 
Forbes, 2020: Trump’s Business Partners Allegedly Involved In Human Trafficking, Mafia Matters, Probable Money Laundering
 
 https://www.forbes.com/sites/danalexander/2020/08/20/trumps-business-partners-allegedly-involved-in-human-trafficking-mafia-matters-probable-money-laundering/
 
Daily Kos, 2016: "We All Knew About the Trafficking"-The Untold Story of Trump Model Management (Part 1) https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2016/10/6/1578544/-The-Untold-Story-of-Trump-Model-Management-A-Daily-Kos-Exclusive-Part-1
 
Mother Jones, 2016: Senator Calls for Homeland Security to Investigate Trump’s Model Agency - “I am extremely concerned by the claims levied against Trump Model Management.” https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/trump-models-illegal-immigration-investigation-barbara-boxer-letter/
 
Watchdog Report, 2017: Trump Model Management Investigated For Violating Teenagers, Immigration Laws and Labor Laws https://trumpwatchdogs.com/2017/07/24/trump-model-management-investigated-for-violating-teenagers-and-immigration-laws/
 
We Need to Talk About Pedocon Theory: The connection between Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein is no accident, but reveals a deep logic at the heart of reactionary politics. By Samantha Hancox-Li at Liberal Currents https://www.liberalcurrents.com/we-need-to-talk-about-pedocon-theory/
 
Show Notes:
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

News Roundup: Jeffrey Epstein and the MAGA Civil War; Mehdi Hasan and Jubilee

Originally published 11th April 2024.
 
Our series on 'movies about presidents' continues with a fun discussion of this 1997 'thriller', written by legendary Hollywood screenwriter William Goldman based on the debut novel of David Baldacci, starring/produced/directed by noted chair-interviewer Clint Eastwood, and boasting a splendid cast - including recently-deceased screen legend Gene Hackman - none of whom are given anything very interesting to do. Clint plays a suave cat burglar - with the unlikely name of Luther Whitney - who accidentally witnesses the president of the United States sexually assaulting a woman (far-fetched, right?) and getting her killed. All Hell then persistently threatens but repeatedly fails to break loose. Instead we get a slow, aimless, half-baked movie filled with good elements that don't cohere or go anywhere special. It sparked an amusing conversation though, as we hope you will agree.
 
Full episode was originally exclusive for Patreon subscribers.
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

UNLOCKED! Bonus Ep38 Absolute Power (1997)

After a brief review of Grok becoming 'MechaHitler', we chat about the hysterical meltdown that ensued upon Zohran Mamdani's victory in the Democratic primaries to become candidate for Mayor of New York. Jack brings his researches into the New York Times smear story and the fascist eugenicist blogger Jordan Lasker (AKA Cremieux) who gave the Times the leaked info. Daniel brings clips of Megyn Kelly's unhinged Islamophobic response to Mamdani on her podcast, including a conversation with Charlie Kirk in which racism wars for inanity for supremacy.
 
Content warnings.
 
Episode Notes:
 
NBC News, Asked to condemn the phrase ‘globalize the intifada,’ Mamdani says mayors shouldn’t ‘police speech’
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggV2SeiGrVw
 
Zohran Mamdani told director mom Mira Nair to pass on Harry Potter movie
 
 https://www.the-independent.com/arts-entertainment/films/news/zohran-mamdani-mira-nair-harry-potter-namesake-b2778144.html
 
"'She explained that she was just a month away from filming The Namesake when Warner Bros. reached out to her. Nair said she felt compelled to attend the meetings with the studio because her son had learned to read through J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books.
 
However, she didn’t want to give up on working on her own film, so she asked her then-14-year-old son what to do.
 
“He said to me, ‘Mamma, many good directors can make Harry Potter, but only you can make The Namesake,’” Nair recalled. “And it was such a liberating and clarifying statement, and it kind of is about how I lived my life. Like, what can I do that is so specific that you cannot do? How to make my distinctiveness my calling card.'"
 
The Times of India, Why MAGA Is Losing Its Mind Over Zohran Mamdami Eating Rice With His Hands
 
 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/why-maga-is-losing-its-mind-over-zohran-mamdani-eating-rice-with-his-hand/articleshow/122209140.cms
 
"First, let’s get one thing straight: eating with your hands isn’t dirty, weird, or backward. It’s normal. In India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, parts of the Middle East, and even in some parts of Europe, using your hands to eat is a sign of connection—to the food, to your senses, to tradition. 
 
But in the video of Mamdani eating with his fingers, Gill and his supporters saw something else. They didn’t see heritage. They saw a threat. Because in their worldview, anything outside the “white, Western” norm becomes fair game for mockery or suspicion.
 
It wasn’t about rice. It was about power."
 
Megyn Kelly Episode 1098: Tacky Celeb-Filled Bezos-Sanchez Wedding, and Zohran Mamdani's Fake Origin Story, with Walter Kirn
 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hj1yAA3Dqo&pp=ygUbbWVneW4ga2VsbHkgdGFja3kgYW5kIGdyb3Nz
 
Tweet from The Charilie Kirk Show on the value of eating with utensils.
 
 https://x.com/charliekirk11/status/1940114312124862947
 
Megyn Kelly (From Episode 1095): What It Means That Radical Socialist Muslim Zohran Mamdani WINS NYC Mayoral Primary, w/ Charlie Kirk
 
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c09GVJu_Xn0&pp=ygUbY2hhcmxpZSBraXJrIHpvaHJhbiBtYW1kYW5p
 
The Times of India, Why MAGA Is Losing Its Mind Over Zohran Mamdami Eating Rice With His Hands
 
 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/etimes/trending/why-maga-is-losing-its-mind-over-zohran-mamdani-eating-rice-with-his-hand/articleshow/122209140.cms
 
"First, let’s get one thing straight: eating with your hands isn’t dirty, weird, or backward. It’s normal. In India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, parts of the Middle East, and even in some parts of Europe, using your hands to eat is a sign of connection—to the food, to your senses, to tradition. 
 
But in the video of Mamdani eating with his fingers, Gill and his supporters saw something else. They didn’t see heritage. They saw a threat. Because in their worldview, anything outside the “white, Western” norm becomes fair game for mockery or suspicion.
 
It wasn’t about rice. It was about power."
 
Mediaite, ‘Take it Down’: Fox News Host Scolds Charlie Kirk Over ‘Gross and Islamophobic’ Post
 
"'Tarlov shot back, “I’m not afraid to say that I don’t think Mamdani’s vision for the city is a good one and I think a lot of his policies are crazy – NYC is the home of capitalism, not socialism. I want more police funding, not to defund. BDS is repellent. We can’t freeze rent, making everything free. But none of that has to do with him being Muslim.'"
 
The Lauren Southern interview we reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNxG4EYF_-0
 
Vance follows Lasker https://talkingpointsmemo.com/where-things-stand/jd-vances-neofascist-reading-list
 
Capitolhunters thread on the Lasker academic paper scandal https://bsky.app/profile/capitolhunters.bsky.social/post/3lt4cc5tmpk2n
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/article/2024/jun/16/sam-bankman-fried-ftx-eugenics-scientific-racism
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/03/natal-conference-austin-texas-eugenics
 
 https://attentiontotheunseen.com/2025/07/03/nyt-grants-anonymity-to-a-eugenicist-in-order-to-smear-mamdani/
 
 https://countylocalnews.com/2025/07/04/ny-times-shocking-deal-with-far-right-eugenicist-exposed-new-york-times-controversy-far-right-activism-exposure-eugenics-and-identity-politics/
 
 https://www.cjr.org/news/times-mamdani-college-application-race-article-hack.php
 
https://www.commondreams.org/news/zohran-mamdani-new-york-times
 
 https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/new-york-times-grants-race-science-enthusiast-anonymity-in-mamdani-hit-piece/
 
https://bsky.app/profile/petersterne.com/post/3ltdkev7t2s24
 
 https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:kjjhbsc3pp3vkqjsivk6z2yd/post/3ltep4kvwfc2h
 
https://hellgatenyc.com/nyt-race-science-zohran-mamdani/
 
https://donmoynihan.substack.com/p/whos-afraid-of-zohran-mamdani
 
The ADL identify “every damn/single time” as antisemitic trope https://www.adl.org/resources/article/coded-hate-extremists-weaponize-seemingly-innocuous-content-promote-bigotry
 
https://jwmason.org/slackwire/can-zohran-do-it/
 
Lasker on Hanania’s podcast https://www.cspicenter.com/p/35-baby-brainwaves-and-broken-science-740
 
Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

133: The Mamdani Reaction

...oh my.
 
Daniel and Jack talk about the latest lunacy with Musk and Grok, The Big Beautiful Bill, social murder, the expansion of ICE, recent SCOTUS rulings and the assaults on trans rights and birthright citizenship, Alligator Alcatraz, the horrifying flash floods in Texas and the cuts to the National Weather Service, and the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
 
Big content warnings for this one. Lots of dead children in here. Because that's the news in July 2025.
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1
 
Episode Notes:
 
Kevin Kruse on third parties https://campaign-trails.ghost.io/third-party-in-the-usa/ 
 
If Books Could Kill - Supreme Court goes full TERF https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-supreme-court-goes-full-terf-teaser/id1651876897?i=1000715268706
 
5-4 - US vs Skrmetti https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/united-states-v-skrmetti/id1497785843?i=1000715260782
 
5-4 - US vs CASA https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trump-v-casa-inc/id1497785843?i=1000716294077

News Roundup: Groks and Bills and Alligators

We're delighted to welcome back Craig Johnson - of Fifteen Minutes of Fascism - to chat about the politics and value of native English speakers learning other languages, especially Spanish.
 
Episode Notes:
 
Spanish language papers:
 
Pagina12: left Peronist, Argentina: www.pagina12.com.ar
 Proceso, Mexico: www.proceso.com.mx
 elDiario.es and Público, Spain: www.eldiario.es, www.publico.es 
 
Again, not an endorsement of these as the best and most perfect news sources in the world, they have their own biases (esp regarding their own domestic left), but good for different perspectives.
 
Craig:
 
 How to Talk to Your Son About Fascism, book.
 
15 Minutes of Fascism at Soundcloud 
 
 IDSG on 15MoF
 
Craig's bluesky
 
Craig's Patreon
 
Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

132: Why to Learn Spanish, with Craig Johnson

A News Roundup episode, and an episode of two halves. We start with a discussion of the recent public Oval Office meeting between Trump and Cyril Ramaphosa, in which Trump harangued the South African president with accusations of 'white genocide' based on 'evidence' which tracks straight back to people in our usual wheelhouse. Then we move on to a chat about the recent decision by language learning app Duolingo to replace loads of their contributors with AI, plus some dismaying news about Babbel, leading to a discussion of the impending AI jobs crisis. Then we cap it off with an odd flex for us... a feel good story!
 
Episode Notes:
 
Trump spreads racist South African Farm Murders Memes in meeting with Ramaphosa
 
Trump/Ramaphosa meeting:
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TLkZv3gzO0
 
Response:
 
 https://www.cnn.com/2025/05/21/politics/video/trump-ramaphosa-south-africa-video-larry-madowo-vrtc
 
*
 
A check of Trump's false claims about white genocide in South Africa | Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-makes-false-claims-white-genocide-south-africa-during-ramaphosa-meeting-2025-05-21/
 
Trump’s evidence of South Africa ‘white genocide’ contains images from DR Congo – The Irish Times https://www.irishtimes.com/world/africa/2025/05/23/trumps-evidence-of-south-africa-white-genocide-contains-images-from-dr-congo/
 
Trump confronted South African president with ‘evidence’ of genocide – here’s what the video really showed | The Independent https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-south-africa-genocide-video-b2755625.html
 
Trump ambushes South African president with video and false claims of anti-white racism | Trump administration | The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/may/21/trump-south-africa-president-meeting?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=bluesky&CMP=bsky_gu
 
What's Behind Trump’s South Africa Obsession? | Benjamin Fogel | TMR https://youtu.be/gR_gwPI5l-0?si=QfWeEuoosYeUD-JG
 
South Africa to offer Elon Musk Starlink deal ahead of Trump meeting | Business Insider Africa https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/markets/south-africa-to-offer-elon-musk-starlink-deal-ahead-of-trump-meeting/v0k8bxk?op=1
 
White Nationalists Praise Trump’s Promotion Of White Genocide Conspiracy Theory – Angry White Men https://angrywhitemen.org/2025/05/22/white-nationalists-praise-trumps-promotion-of-white-genocide-conspiracy-theory/
 
Exclusive: Trump Shared Racist, Flat-Earth Facebook Account With South African President https://www.meidasplus.com/p/exclusive-trump-shared-racist-flat
 
Roaming Charges: White Lies About White Genocide - CounterPunch.org https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/05/23/white-lies-about-white-genocide/
 
DR Congo: Killings, Rapes by Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels | Human Rights Watch https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/06/13/dr-congo-killings-rapes-rwanda-backed-m23-rebels
 
As Goma ceasefire largely holds, Congo rushes to bury bodies from rebel offensive | Reuters https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/east-congo-city-goma-rushes-bury-bodies-after-rebel-offensive-2025-02-04/
 
A white nationalist moved to Idaho in search of an ‘ethnic enclave.’ He’s not alone. https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2022/jul/21/a-white-nationalist-moved-to-idaho-in-search-of-an/
 

 
*
 Duolingo Replacing Contract Workers With AI 
The Verge, “Duolingo will replace contract workers with AI”
 
 https://www.theverge.com/news/657594/duolingo-ai-first-replace-contract-workers
 
“AI isn’t just a productivity boost,” von Ahn says. “It helps us get closer to our mission. To teach well, we need to create a massive amount of content, and doing that manually doesn’t scale. One of the best decisions we made recently was replacing a slow, manual content creation process with one powered by AI. Without AI, it would take us decades to scale our content to more learners. We owe it to our learners to get them this content ASAP.”
 
von Ahn’s email follows a similar memo Shopify CEO Tobi Lütke sent to employees and recently shared online. In that memo, Lütke said that before teams asked for more headcount or resources, they needed to show “why they cannot get what they want done using AI.”
 
Fortune, “Duolingo CEO walks back AI-first comments: ‘I do not see AI as replacing what our employees do’”
 
“To be clear: I do not see AI as replacing what our employees do (we are in fact continuing to hire at the same speed as before),” he wrote. “I see it as a tool to accelerate what we do, at the same or better level of quality. And the sooner we learn how to use it, and use it responsibly, the better off we will be in the long run.”
 Babbel quietly ending Babbel Live 
Babbel Support, “Discontinuation of Babbel Live”
 
 https://support.babbel.com/hc/en-us/articles/26749152437522-Discontinuation-of-Babbel-Live
 
“Babbel Live was introduced in 2021. Knowing the power of human teachers, we aimed to offer our learners this experience from their homes. Over time, however, we did see a clear trend: the majority of them did not accept Babbel Live as part of their language learning path, making it impossible for us to sustain it as a business.
 
This change will help us achieve our goal of helping you become fluent in your new language quickly by enabling us to focus on improving our app, which most learners, especially beginners, prefer.”
 Boycott Over Upcoming E-sports Event in Riyadh Makes Geoguessr Change Its Stance 
Geoguessr Community Protests Esports World Cup by Disabling Popular Maps.
 
 https://www.si.com/esports/news/geoguessr-protests-esports-world-cup
 
Statement from Feneb, one of the World Championship players, about his decision to boycott the Riyadh event.
 
 https://discord.com/channels/1003591679644807229/1026965093331779634/1375003211513204746
 
“The decision to participate in the Esports World Cup, which is directly funded by the Saudi Arabian government in an effort to distract public attention from the above human rights violations, is thus directly incompatible with any stated aims by GeoGuessr to promote an inclusive and diverse community, and extremely disappointing. I also do not want to dismiss the issue of hosting a tournament in Saudi Arabia, regardless of whether the event is directly run by the Saudi government or not. It is completely unnecessary to host a tournament in a country which some current or possible future world league players would be unable to travel to safely.”
 
Statement from Geoguessr regarding their decision to reverse the event in Riyadh (Reddit)
 
 https://www.reddit.com/r/geoguessr/comments/1ksky0k/geoguessr_is_withdrawing_from_the_esports_world/
 
Geoguessr challenge links:
 
(Standard) World Map
 
https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/MIJFcVhIFNpVapVs https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/sedHxYRoMPdmFxdZ https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/eIRYCYBhuUUBVIT2
 
An Official World
 
https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/tK9A8O1KUXQfZgCu https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/NGYJ4uk0WhxNR5Ui https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/Yc4uD6P8lFISKIgb
 
A Community World
 
https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/B87Y20LMvmtDvUwN https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/I9ub9gc9CmoEQpjn https://www.geoguessr.com/challenge/ZwKxnW3Ms9UTZZt6
 
*
 
The AI jobs crisis is here, now - by Brian Merchant https://www.bloodinthemachine.com/p/the-ai-jobs-crisis-is-here-now
 
Something Alarming Is Happening to the Job Market - The Atlantic https://www.theatlantic.com/economy/archive/2025/04/job-market-youth/682641/
 
 Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

131: Trump and South Africa, Duolingo and AI

Daniel and Jack are joined by special guest, South African anti-disinformation advocate, Bianca van Wyk, to discuss the issue of 'South African farm murders', the reality vs the right-wing narrative, some of the bad actors pushing the fake version of the story, and the links to the 'white genocide' conspiracy theory. Bianca helps us get the whole thing into proper context, especially re South Africa's history and current politics. Also discussed: the recent fast-tracking of refugee status for white South Africans by the Trump administration, the US Right's embrace of the South African far-right's propaganda, the 'Kill the Boer!' chant and what it really means, Elon Musk, and the recent reprogramming of X's AI chatbot Grok.
 
Content Warnings apply.
 
Episode Notes:
 
X @biancavanwyk16
 
TikTok @BiancaSays3
 
YouTube @WhiteWhineTalks
 
Sour Grapes — The Toxic Vintage of White Whine by Bianca https://iol.co.za/news/politics/2024-05-16-bianca-van-wyk-sour-grapes-the-toxic-vintage-of-white-whine/
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/23/trump-orders-close-study-of-south-africa-farmer-killings
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/23/white-farmers-trump-south-africa-tucker-carlson-far-right-influence
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/09/us-grants-asylum-to-54-white-afrikaner-south-africans
 
 https://apnews.com/article/trump-musk-whites-south-africa-us-fdef8e9d4d2186227f75b817d8e1d7eb
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/may/14/elon-musk-grok-white-genocide
 
 https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-news/elon-musk-x-grok-white-genocide-holocaust-1235341267/
 
 https://www.404media.co/why-did-grok-start-talking-about-white-genocide/
 
 https://newrepublic.com/article/195383/trump-south-africans-takes-immigration
 
 https://apnews.com/video/trump-defends-admitting-white-south-africans-as-refugees-after-halting-resettlement-for-most-others-b3e74c6b4e584a02b798f7598dfd2132
 
 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/14/us/politics/trump-south-africa-afrikaners.html
 
 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/12/us/politics/white-south-africans-refugees.html
 
 https://www.levernews.com/trump-taps-refugee-fund-to-welcome-white-south-africans-within-days/
 
 https://www.mediamatters.org/tucker-carlson/trumps-south-africa-tweet-tucker-carlson-has-turned-white-nationalist-narrative
 
 https://www.peoplefor.org/rightwingwatch/post/tucker-carlson-injected-white-nationalist-propaganda-into-the-presidents-brain
 
 https://theconversation.com/south-africas-white-right-the-alt-right-and-the-alternative-103544
 
https://jacobin.com/2025/03/musk-looks-to-the-motherland
 
https://jacobin.com/2025/02/musk-south-africa-white-far-right
 
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwyj1198wy3o
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-45336840
 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c9wg5pg1xp5o
 
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cx2q937wlqgo
 
 https://harpers.org/archive/2019/03/the-myth-of-white-genocide-in-south-africa/?curator=alphaideas
 
 https://www.splcenter.org/resources/hatewatch/dangerous-myth-white-genocide-south-africa/
 
Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

130: South African Farm Murders and 'White Genocide', with Bianca van Wyk

In this immediately out-of-date episode, Daniel and Jack discuss the 2024 movie Conclave in light of the (at the time of recording) underway 2025 Conclave in the Vatican to choose a new Pope. Both your hosts talk a little about their own religious backgrounds, review the film, and then get onto the politics of the Catholic Church, particularly the integration of right-wing US bishops with American reactionaries.
 
Episode Notes:
 
 https://www.ncronline.org/culture/book-reviews/playing-god-traces-history-catholic-conservatism-gone-extreme
 
 https://publicseminar.org/2024/08/the-catholic-new-right-and-project-2025/
 
 https://www.vanityfair.com/news/story/catholic-right-celebrity-conversion-industrial-complex?srsltid=AfmBOooTq0kt0MevV9R8VfOMTL3vn5n2JBO1URs0O1qbA9760WPUWsRa
 
 https://www.politico.eu/article/vaticans-church-catholic-pope-francis-hard-right/
 
https://sojo.net/magazine/march-2019/rise-catholic-right
 
 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/28/maga-catholics-vatican-pope-conclave
 
https://youtu.be/Mb3zYyhrUWg?si=d1UG7bpGi16WAaRo
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dKW-0fIDHdw&t=220s
 
Show Notes:
 
Please consider donating to help us make the show and stay ad-free and independent. Patrons get exclusive access to at least one full extra episode a month plus all backer-only back-episodes.
 
Daniel's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/danielharper/posts
 
Jack's Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/user?u=4196618&fan_landing=true
 
IDSG Twitter: https://twitter.com/idsgpod
 
Daniel's Twitter: @danieleharper
 
Jack's (Locked) Twitter: @_Jack_Graham_
 
Jack's Bluesky: @timescarcass.bsky.social
 
Daniel's Bluesky: @danielharper.bsky.social
 
IDSG on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-dont-speak-german/id1449848509?ls=1

Public Bonus: Selling Hitler (1986, 1991)

Lyt når som helst, hvor som helst

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