Doomscroll with Joshua Citarella

We discuss online media strategies and the political movements taking place in Latin America. The region is shaped by neoliberal trade agreements, a resurgent Pink Tide and an uncanny mix of pro-US right-wing nationalism.You can get access to the full catalog for Doomscroll and more by becoming a paid supporter: www.patreon.com/joshuacitarella

We explore World of Warcraft’s influence on crypto libertarianism, the Habermasian digital public sphere, and US private ownership of social media. Where does democratic legitimacy come from?

David Adler, co-general director of the Progressive International, joins me to unpack the complex history of corporate colonialism in Latin America.The United States has a long history of intervention into the affairs of Latin American countries. After the recent abduction of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, Trump openly invoked the Monroe Doctrine, or as he calls it “the Donroe Doctrine”, to signal further hostility to other nations in the region.In this episode we focus on the strange case of Prospera — a libertarian city-state that promises to create a free market utopia. Beginning in 2017, Prospera Inc purchased land within the sovereign territory of Honduras. At the time, Honduras was under the narco-dictatorship of Juan Orlando Hernandez. (In a stroke of poetic injustice, JOH was convicted of drug trafficking in 2024 and pardoned by Donald Trump in 2025.) After the dictatorship, the Honduran congress overturned this unconstitutional decision with a unanimous vote across all parties. In retaliation, Prospera Inc is now suing the state of Honduras for a staggering 10.8 billion dollars, nearly 100x their investment and roughly 2/3rds of the annual state budget. Unsurprisingly, Prospera Inc is funded by Pronomos Capital whose investors include familiar characters such as Peter Thiel, Marc Andreessen and Balaji Srinivasan.

My guest is Liz Franzcak, a co-host of TrueAnon. We discuss conspiracy theory, Lacan’s psychoanalytic insights and the influence of the early blogosphere. Is techno-capitalism a rogue AI retroactively assembling itself from the future? No, this will not be explained later.You can get access to the full catalog for Doomscroll and more by becoming a paid supporter: www.patreon.com/joshuacitarella

My returning guest is Vivek Chibber, a professor of sociology at New York University. He is the author of several books including Confronting Capitalism. What do we mean by the word “socialism” in 2025? Vivek Chibber answers foundational questions for political struggle in the 21st century.Unlock the full catalog for Doomscroll and more by becoming a paid supporter: www.patreon.com/joshuacitarella

My guest is Felix Biederman, a co-host of Chapo Trap House. We discuss Zohran Mamdani’s historic victory in NYC. After the 2024 presidential election, progressive media focused on the rightward swing of young men. However, in 2025, Zohran carried young men (ages 18 - 29) with an overwhelming +40 margin. These historic outcomes shatter many previous interpretations and force us to reframe certain narratives. Can the center of the US political establishment hold?You can get access to the full catalog for Doomscroll and more by becoming a paid supporter: www.patreon.com/joshuacitarella

My guest is Grimes, an artist and musician. We discuss the profound impacts of social media and AI, her new album and the role of art during periods of political transformation. In the 20th century, artists served as an avant-garde. Movements on both the left and right, such as the Bauhaus or Italian Futurism, offered radical new visions for a modernizing society. In the 21st century, we see a similar dynamic emerge through online folk art such as memes and other digital content. Later, we explore the complex references and symbolism throughout the Artificial Angels music video and official album artwork.You can get access to the full catalog for Doomscroll and more by becoming a paid supporter: www.patreon.com/joshuacitarella