326: ERIC SWALWELL, YOU MESSY B!TCH!

Welcome to Without a Country, where we break down the biggest stories in politics, culture, and the internet without the usual filter.This episode covers a wide range of topics, starting with the LA mayor race and why Spencer Pratt is being taken more seriously than people expected. There’s also a surprising shift from Perez Hilton after a near-death experience that completely changed his perspective.We get into the situation between Alex Cooper and Alex IRL and what it says about the podcast and influencer space right now. From there, the conversation moves into a New York Times op-ed, the idea of a “liberal Joe Rogan,” and why figures like Hasan Piker keep coming up in media discussions.There’s also a longer breakdown of Zionism, anti-Zionism, and how the meaning of those terms has evolved, along with how younger generations are viewing Israel and Palestine differently.Later in the episode, we talk about the SantaCon fraud story and how something that’s supposed to be charitable turned into a major scandal. Then we spend time unpacking the allegations against Eric Swalwell and the larger conversation around power, politics, and sexual misconduct.The episode wraps up with a deeper look at global conflict, including the situation in the West Bank and what it could mean going forward.00:00:00 Intro00:02:30 Show Overview News, Politics, Culture00:02:50 LA Mayor Race Spencer Pratt vs Karen Bass00:05:00 Perez Hilton Near-Death and Religious Shift00:09:50 Alex Cooper vs Alex IRL Drama00:12:30 Call Her Daddy Industry Tension00:15:10 NYT Op-Ed Breakdown Ezra Klein00:17:00 Liberal Joe Rogan Debate00:21:00 Hasan Piker and Media Hypocrisy00:26:00 Zionism vs Anti-Zionism Deep Dive00:32:00 Language, Politics and Online Narratives00:36:00 Israel, Gaza and Lebanon Discussion00:39:00 Democrats, Media Strategy and Cancel Culture00:41:20 Why Conversation Matters More Than Agreement00:45:00 Cancel Culture Backfiring00:49:30 Algorithm Clips and Misrepresentation00:51:00 SantaCon Fraud Scandal NYC00:54:30 Money Laundering and Arrest Breakdown00:55:50 Patreon and Show Support01:00:00 Eric Swalwell Allegations Begin01:02:00 Power, Politics and Timing of Accusations01:08:00 Additional Accusers and Misconduct Claims01:12:00 Workplace Dynamics and Power Imbalance01:18:00 Believability vs Political Strategy01:25:00 Sexual Misconduct in Politics01:35:00 Cultural Patterns and Repeated Behavior01:45:00 Global Abuse Cases and Survivor Stories01:48:30 Case Studies and Trauma Impact02:00:00 Trust, Trauma and Psychological Fallout02:10:00 Justice System Failures02:20:00 Gender, Power and Media Commentary02:35:00 Audience Reflection and Societal Patterns02:50:00 Political Media and Messaging Frustrations02:55:00 NYC Politics and Content Strategy03:00:00 Final Israel and West Bank Discussion03:01:00 Settler Violence and Long-Term Consequences03:05:00 Outro and CreditsSUBSCRIBE TO THE PATREON:https://patreon.com/WithoutACountry?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLinkFOLLOW WITHOUT A COUNTRY ON IG: @withoutacountryppodcastFOLLOW CORINNE ON IG: @philanthropygalFOLLOW MIKE ON IG: @themharringtonLiberal Joe Rogan Op Ed: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/12/opinion/hasan-piker-democrats.htmlENEMY OF THE STATE: Santaconhttps://archive.is/gkNzfDICTATOR = Christopher FanguyCapitalist Pigs, Cuties!Hello to my newest Capitalist Pig = Xana RogersMAIN STORYEric Swalwell (and Tony Gonzalez) https://www.thecut.com/article/all-the-allegations-against-eric-swalwell.htmlhttps://www.archivebuttons.com/articles?article=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/04/eric-swalwell-abuse-allegations-lewd-photos.html#google_vignettehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/15/swalwell-allegations-democrats-california-rise/Tony Gonzalez'https://archive.is/QUgSSCutie Cornerhttps://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/pennsylvania-man-pleads-guilty-creating-and-distributing-animal-crush-videosGUUUURLTicketmasterhttps://www.npr.org/2026/04/15/nx-s1-5786715/live-nation-ticketmaster-antitrust-verdict-monopolyTrump As Jesushttps://archive.is/snmkZSurveillance in Americahttps://www.npr.org/2026/04/14/nx-s1-5768270/what-to-know-about-section-702-surveillanceSam Altmanhttps://archive.is/ClM50Hungarian electionhttps://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2026/04/13/hungary-election-orban-defeat-message-democrats-00868584https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/14/world/europe/viktor-orban-peter-magyar-election.htmlIsrael/Lebanonhttps://www.democracynow.org/2026/4/15/headlines/lebanon_and_israel_hold_first_direct_talks_in_more_than_three_decadesFP article actually critical of Israelhttps://www.thefp.com/p/israel-has-an-extremism-problem?utm_campaign=260347&utm_source=cross-post&r=3l2hy&utm_medium=emailSexual Violence by IDFhttps://www.middleeasteye.net/news/i-wished-death-sexual-violence-israels-prisons-organised-state-policy See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.