Unregistered 273: Michael Tracey 

I'm glad MT is doing his work, and his contrarian stances are important, as are the points of view of Ritter and Macgregor, in my opinion. I think Ritter and Macgregor have deep insight into historical, cultural context, and military matters. Much of it is speculative, especially when talking about possible reasons why the Russian government does what it does, and they admit that. Ritter's explanation for the use of the term SMO for the conflict instead of war is clear to him and he states his case, whether one agrees or not. He's not being dishonest. I don't see him as wanting the war, but instead wanting to open up the minds and hearts of Americans towards the Russian people through understanding to do his part in averting or stopping war. I do throw at least 90% of the blame for the military conflict in Ukraine on the United States. It's a horrible and horrifying tragedy.

Good for you Thad for hearing out the establishment.

A contrarian of contrarian views risks parroting “establishment” views.

The problem with Michael Tracey is his main income sources require constant engagement i.e. picking an angle and advocating it loudly regardless of veracity - with zero interest in developing a better (o genuine) understanding. The engagement harvesting is the end in itself, like Monty Python’s 5 minute or full half hour argument (as suits a particular platform). Then, like a gadfly, on to the next zeitgeist subject, next faux-contrarian angle, next engagement cul-de-sac.

Good to hear Tracy’s viewpoint on this.. not sure I ever fully got the overall point.. I’d have to listen again.. For sure Ritter being more of a Russo cheerleader/war grifter but I always took MacGregor as just doing military analyses from a conservative isolationist career soldier. I’ll look out for it now. Both are military guys and that’s how a lot of my veteran friends view global politics as well. Hinkle’s just a kid so it’s not surprising he’s latching so hard on to a cause and taking an extreme side… being so public about it will likely make for a devastating identity crisis in his 30s.

This was a difficult interview but I’m very glad to have stuck it out. This is where/who I am on the other side of it. I am a Canadian living with the dreadful conviction that WW3 had begun at a simmer and that my own government and society is on the aggressing, escalatory side. If MLK’s assertion that there is a moral arc to the universe which bends toward justice is true my own society will be the inevitable losers of this war. That or the probable extinction of humanity. The vast majority of my neighbours, acquaintances and loved ones are by default cheerleading for the “Axis” of this global war. The existential dissonance I’m experience is profound. Cheerleading for the Eurasian side is an easy temptation to resolve this dissonance and my resistance to that temptation wavers from time to time (as does my resistance to the temptation of Aaron Bushnell’s strategy to resolve the dissonance). I am navigating through an approaching hurricane with a castaway’s raft…

Tracey needs to chill with the Ritalin and straw men.

I'm a Michael Tracy fan but he can say Ritter and MacGregor are wrong about the Russia/Ukraine war but their predictions are partly based on speculation. At least they are on the short list of geo political speakers who have said Russia has been winning this war the entire time. Also Tracy says MacGregor and Ritter get massive things wrong like predicting "That Ukraine's government would imminently collapse upon the Russian invasion" but they've already explained that they based that prediction off the way they were used to US and their shock and awe strategy of starting a war with striking all power, communication, water filtration, ect.

Informative discussion here, both in style and substance - really enjoyed it. From what I’ve seen of Tracey, which is quite a lot, he seems disinclined in interviews to opt for the short, sharp response. This means his interviewers can sometimes get antsy and start loudly talking over him - Greenwald does this all the time! But Thaddeus, to his credit, let Tracey establish his ideas without much interruption - made for a very ‘listenable’ interview. Some quite persuasive arguments from Tracey re the group think on Russia/Ukraine. But Thad also pulled Tracey up on some points when he thought it necessary, most of which I agreed with. All in all, a ripper of an episode. Would have loved the Israel discussion to have continued for longer but maybe next time…

All Michael Tracey has ever been is a contrarian and I don't even think it's driven by his predisposition at this point, it's driven by the need to be seen. To the extent an opinion he has, that he took because it was unpopular and therefore drove engagement for him, becomes popular he will disown to get engagement on the other side of it. You can see this in every subject he's ever had an opinion about. He's literally devoid of original thought or analysis or even some ideological framework he's just an engagement farmer. It's terrible to see. No one is ever correct, except him. Everyone is always going too far or not enough. Which is very useful as a self styled social critic who must go out an engage everyday or not eat tomorrow - but people like him are as bad for society as the people who mind-numbingly parrot back current thing narratives.

Tracey right , only sound position is to be neutral observer , say a theatre director of a drama play , they tell Ritter to dial it back , less drugged up passion , less amphetamine , Ritter betrays himself as not a sober detached commentator , not lucid in slightest , he makes Thad's Interview of the American fighter for Russia in Donbass look positively sound and coherent by comparison

I love hearing from tracey great ep.

I can appreciate the disdain for team sports politics but none of the ukraine war wouldn't have happened without US intervention in 2014

RU retreated from Kiev because they were about to negotiate a peace treaty, no? I.e., it was a show of good faith (if you can call it that).

Michael Douchey

I accidentally said if someone dropped leaflets from the air that said they are going to blowup my house that I might be upset, my Twitter account was disabled.

Omg this one is frustrating as hell. Michael Tracey. The guy who u wanna hear and read. But never ever ever have dinner with 😂 “u order egg plant parm? Who gets that as an entree?”

I have been to Crimea many times, both pre and post annexation. It absolutely was overwhelmingly in favor of joining Russia. Tracey is right not to trust official referenda results, but in this case they are accurate.

I love it when Michael pretends he's not ideologically stubborn on issues he really knows nothing about lmfao

Hi Michael, I'm searching for that Grayzone episode with...maybe you mean Dmitry Pesko (?). I don't deny it I'd just like to confirm it.

FT?! Really!? Stop dude.

Stop calling it Keev. It's Kiev, as in chicken kiev.

audio needs improvement :(

This is not like the old Michael Tracey. He was always somewhat of a Hot-Head, but now he is Triggered by just about any other opinion that differs from his own. No reason to get all worked up and shout, just discuss things calmly and rationally.

dont u mean 'white supremacist adjacent" Michael Tracey? 😉

Michael, they didn't say the fighting was over. The said ukraine has effectively lost, but it may drag on depending on how long the us force feeds ukraine weapons.

Listened to this on 1.5x which I think increases Tracey's obnoxious personality by 100x. I'll just read his stuff and avoid listening to him talk

47:58 It’s quite clear that Russia intended it to be a Blitzkrieg

It's my 'genuine belief' that Michael Tracey always HAS to be contrarian! Even when he has to repeat CIA talking points or flat out make up stuff... Being contrarian and pri*k is just his 'trademark'! :D

I don't agree with all of Tracey's Views but he's absolutely fearless & I agree with him on Scott Ritter & in the last Year or so Douglas McGregor isn't much better Ritter is just a Cheerleader for Russia & it's ridiculous This doesn't mean that I support Ukraine's Government, quite the opposite but to repeat the Narrative of the Russian Government & say that they're winning easily Yes their Strategy is about destroying the Ukranian Army & when they're done to push as far into the West of Ukraine as they can but everyone who has Eyes can see that the Ukranians are putting up one Hell of a fight I think that in the end Russia's going to win but with heavy loses & they'll stay International Pariahs Both Sides in this War have & will in the Future pay a heavy price for this Conflict so in my Opinion there won't be a Winner & don't get me started on Ritter's "Opinion" on Gaza & him talking about how the Palestinians are winning The whole Gaza Strip is rubble & thousands are Dead & there'll be thousands more & this is a Win?? This is just delusional I hope there'll Peace in both Countries as soon as possible Enough Death & Destruction & enough with these Grifters like Ritter & Hinkle who's even worse then all of the others combined I'll never forget him tweeting to his huge Number of Followers that they should chip in a few Bucks if they don't want the Zionists to censor him I mean wtf... Stay awake & don't trust someone just because he/she says Things that you agree with & makes you feel good Truthtellers have always been disliked because they say it like it is & not like you want it to be Never forget that!

Lasted 25 minutes. You tried your best to encourage Michael to calm down in a nice way. Its a shame as he may have had something to say later on that was valuable, but it felt like a sleep deprived evangelical spitting out Revelation and I couldn't carry on. Shame really, his interviews with some of the principals in R*gate are essential viewing. No shouting in them.

Col. Mc. Gregor hahaha proposing him as ambassador in Germany was Donnies best idea, too bad it was refused. Sadly this an unwatchable level of triggered by Mr. Tracey, he could run as president too with that range of cranky 5yr old throwing a hissy fit expressions

Maybe im that guy in the comments but the early assumptions (Russian security concerns and the assumption that Ukraine would be steamrolled) were pretty common. Basically everyone who was interested in geopolitics before it became a meme had this model a decade before the invasion. The security concerns are very real. We just made a preposterous over estimation of the Russian military. Everything we associate with having a modern military is absent. This is the reasonable argument against US involvement. Russia has trouble fighting a 3rd world country with 2nd hand weapons. They're never going to conquer Europe, build a navy, and start shelling Myrtle Beach.

Michael sounds like he is extremely confused 😅

I had a higher opinion of Michael Tracey... This was embarrassing interview. He showed incoherent/illogical position.

Ugh. Tracy is annoying. He's trying too hard to be like Hunter S Thompson or somebody so self important. I could take him and his fake outrage for about 5 minutes!