Unshocked with Naomi Klein

About Unshocked with Naomi Klein

A monthly conversation on the world around us and the history that informs it with Naomi and Mehdi. zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com/s/unshocked?utm_medium=podcast)

Publisher

Zeteo

Category

news · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

30 Apr 2024

Latest episode

7 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

14 of 16 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   7 Jul 2026TRANSCRIPT

   World’s Worst Person Is Also World’s First Trillionaire. What Does That Mean for the Rest of Us?

   Naomi Klein and Mehdi Hasan interview each other, exploring how Elon Musk's trillionaire status impacts democracy and the influence of billionaires.

2. 

   23 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Should the Left and Right Unite Against Israel? Naomi and Mehdi Debate How to Respond to Tucker, MTG, and the MAGA Antiwar Splits

   Naomi Klein and Mehdi Hasan debate whether the left should unite with the anti-war, anti-Epstein right, exploring the implications of MAGA splits.

3. 

   14 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Breaking Down the REAL Conspiracies Behind Epstein and His Elite Circle

   Naomi Klein and Mehdi Hasan explore how people believe conspiracy theories, analyzing the Epstein file revelations and discussing power, wealth, and the individuals implicated in this interview episode.

4. 

   22 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT

   ‘How Are You Going to Survive?’: Doctor Describes ‘Horrific’ Humanitarian Situation in Gaza

   This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) In this second part of Zeteo’s live ‘Unshocked,’ as a part of Zeteo’s one-year anniversary tour, Mehdi and Naomi interview Dr. Yasser Khan, a Canadian ophthalmologist and plastic surgeon who has traveled twice to Gaza since October 7, 2023. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) WATCH ‘UNSHOCKED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/unshocked (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND NAOMI: Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomiaklein/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Naomi’s website: https://naomiklein.org/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

5. 

   9 Jul 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Israel's Tech Boom & the Economy of Genocide

   This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) In this episode of ‘Unshocked,’ Naomi Klein brings on Albanese to discuss her key findings, what Klein describes as “an economy that is booming off of annihilation.” As Klein explains, Israel is known as a startup nation. And the tech part of Israel's economy is central to why the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange has boomed since the October 7th attacks. But there is a dark side that needs to be discussed. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) WATCH ‘UNSHOCKED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/unshocked (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND NAOMI: Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomiaklein/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Naomi’s website: https://naomiklein.org/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

6. 

   19 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

   ‘How Zionism Turns Trauma Into an Ethnic Supremacist Weapon’: Mehdi and Naomi Live in Toronto

   Naomi Klein and Mehdi Hasan analyze Zionism and its use of trauma to justify ethnic supremacy in a live recording, offering listeners critical perspectives on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict; this is an interview.

7. 

   3 Jun 2025TRANSCRIPT

   ‘An Ongoing Nakba’: How Israel, the Media, and the West Set the Stage for Gaza’s Genocide

   Naomi Klein interviews Rula Jebreal, Palestinian foreign policy analyst, about her book on Israel's attacks, the Western media's role, and the ongoing Nakba, revealing the intertwined history of violence against Palestinians.

8. 

   14 Apr 2025

   Silicon Valley’s AI Coup: ‘It’s Draining Our Real World’

   This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) In this special episode of ‘Unshocked,’ Naomi is joined tech analyst, journalist, and author Paris Marx to break down the dangers behind Silicon Valley’s push for an AI-centered world, including for the environment, education, and democracy. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) WATCH ‘UNSHOCKED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/unshocked (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND NAOMI: Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomiaklein/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Naomi’s website: https://naomiklein.org/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

9. 

   13 Mar 2025TRANSCRIPT

   ‘Blowing up the World Order’: How Trump Is Creating a New International ‘Mafia Code'

   This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) In this new episode of ‘Unshocked’, Naomi and Mehdi discuss Trump’s recent assaults on US allies Canada and Ukraine, his growing allyship with Putin, and how Trump’s actions reflect the breakdown of international order, especially since Israel’s war on Gaza. SUBSCRIBE TO ZETEO TO SUPPORT INDEPENDENT AND UNFILTERED JOURNALISM: https://zeteo.com/subscribe (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) WATCH ‘UNSHOCKED’ ON SUBSTACK: https://zeteo.com/s/unshocked (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND ZETEO: Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeteo_news (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zeteonews (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND NAOMI: Twitter: https://twitter.com/NaomiAKlein (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/naomiaklein/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Naomi’s website: https://naomiklein.org/ (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) FIND MEHDI: Substack: https://substack.com/@mehdirhasan (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Twitter: https://twitter.com/@mehdirhasan (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/@mehdirhasan (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan (https://www.tiktok.com/@mehdirhasan) ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.In case you missed them, here are some recent stories from Zeteo:

10. 

    30 Jan 2025TRANSCRIPT

    ‘It’s All About Shock and Awe’: Trump’s Plan to Distract, Overwhelm, and Deplete

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) In this new episode of ‘Unshocked,’ the first of 2025, Naomi and Mehdi discuss the first ten days of President Donald J. Trump’s second term and his intentional use of “shock and awe” tactics, with his administration issuing a seemingly endless series of draconian and contentious executive orders, including ending DEI in the government, freezing federal money and grants, and ordering ICE to raid migrant communities – including in church! “They're sending that fear through every institution. And, of course, with the shocking immigration raids, it is a very tangible fear,” Naomi says to Mehdi. “It's designed to make you curl up in a ball and give up.” “It is about numbing us. It is about making the public not be able to keep up, journalists not be able to keep up,” Mehdi says to Naomi. In the conversation, Mehdi and Naomi also discuss why Trump and the tech oligarchs that surround him are not worried about “burning down” social programs, healthcare, the environment, or US institutions. “The billionaires who he's [Trump] really serving… their wealth really does protect them,” Naomi says to Mehdi. “I personally believe that Trump knows that the climate crisis is real. He sort of has to because Mar-a-Lago is very vulnerable. But… they've all calculated that they're going to be fine.” The two also discuss Trump’s call for the US to pursue “manifest destiny into the stars,” and how Silicon Valley’s obsession with space plays into Trump’s destructive actions. “I think space is really just a kind of clunky metaphor for what they're doing down here, which is building their escape hatches,” Naomi says to Mehdi. “They don't care what happens in the long run because – as you say – they've written off the planet, they've written off society. They're all about their bottom line,” Mehdi says to Naomi. Watch the full conversation above to hear about the use of ‘shock and awe’ during the Iraq War, Democrats' failure to be a trusted messenger, and how the message of Naomi’s book, “The Shock Doctrine,” can be used to take people out of the shock Trump has put them into. Free subscribers can watch a 9-minute preview of the episode. To access the full interview, consider upgrading to a paid subscription. ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

11. 

    23 Sept 2024TRANSCRIPT

    The Case for BDS

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) In the newest episode of ‘Unshocked,’ Mehdi and Naomi debunk the myths around the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) Movement – a nonviolent Palestinian-led movement that works to pressure Israel into complying with international law using some of the tactics of the South African ‘Anti-Apartheid Movement’. “When a call like that is made – especially when the call is to comply with international humanitarian law, the rules that we have all supposedly already agreed to – I think there's a moral responsibility to rise to that call,” Naomi tells Mehdi. As a part of Climate Week, the BDS Movement is focusing their energy on a target environmental activists like Naomi have been calling out for years: Chevron. The company is Israel’s largest supplier of energy, which not only includes power to the Israeli government, but also to Israeli military bases. “[Chevron] is entangled with Israel's military machinery. It operates and partially owns Israel's largest gas fields offshore. It's gotten very rich off of these fields… but the Israeli government takes a big piece of that, so gets hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue directly from Chevron,” Naomi explains. Mehdi and Naomi also get into why the BDS Movement gets so much backlash in the United States; why Israel “gets a special pass” despite the US having a long history of sanctions; and they address the charges of anti-Semitism against BDS. They also discuss recent gains of the movement. Watch this deep-dive episode above. Paid subscribers can watch the full episode, free subscribers get a preview). You can also listen to ‘Unshocked’ wherever you get your podcasts: Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unshocked-with-naomi-klein/id1748845345): Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2GtrytR5MGMhIxcRj7UC2N): ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

12. 

    29 Aug 2024TRANSCRIPT

    ‘Extraordinarily Dishonest’: The Truth About the Ceasefire Negotiations

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) On this new episode of ‘Unshocked’, Naomi and Mehdi unpack and examine the disingenuous attempts by top Democrats, aided and abetted by the ‘liberal’ media, to give the impression that they are trying to secure a ceasefire deal to end Israel’s war on Gaza. They also get into Israel’s settlement strategy going back to Ariel Sharon, a man who the Israeli press is now calling the ‘governor of Gaza,’ and much more. Watch the full conversation above. Last week at the Democratic National Convention, Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris claimed to be “working around the clock” with President Joe Biden to secure a ceasefire deal. However, what she failed to mention was how her administration’s unwavering support for Israel has not only enabled their horrific assault on Gaza, but has also allowed Israel to sabotage the ceasefire negotiations and delay the release of their own hostages. “It's Netanyahu who has been moving the goalposts. It's Netanyahu who came along when we were so close to a deal…then says, ‘Oh, no, no, no, we're going to keep the Philadelphi corridor. We're going to keep the Netzarim corridor,’” Mehdi says. “These are two parts of Gaza that even the Egyptian government says cannot be part of any deal.” Meanwhile, Naomi calls out the “international charade” that has come from these endless negotiations, as US officials continue to falsely promise that a deal is almost done and Hamas is the only block on it. “I think we have to understand that this is worse than dishonest. This is part of the genocide. This allows it to unfold because if there's no pretext that it might stop, then the urgency to stop it would be greater,” Naomi tells Mehdi. At the Democratic National Convention last week in Chicago, the Democrats tried to rebrand themselves through promoting the message of ‘joy.’ But, as Naomi and Mehdi point out, that branding directly conflicts with Democrats’ refusal to stop all the pain and suffering that Israel is continuing to unleash on the people of Gaza. “I do think there's a cognitive dissonance here amongst grassroots Democrats.” Mehdi says. Paid subscribers can watch the full episode above (free subscribers get a five-minute free view); or listen to ‘Unshocked’ wherever you get your podcasts: Apple (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/unshocked-with-naomi-klein/id1748845345): Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2GtrytR5MGMhIxcRj7UC2N): ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

13. 

    2 Aug 2024

    The Legitimization of Rape Against Palestinians

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) NOTE: This discussion focuses on sexual violence. The specifics discussed may be disturbing for some. On this week’s episode of ‘Unshocked’, Naomi Klein speaks with fellow Zeteo contributor Rula Jebreal about the alarming pro-rape riots in Israel that made international headlines earlier this week and, as Naomi put it, “the impunity that produced these shocking scenes.” In case you missed the news, for months now, there have been leaked reports (https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/07/29/palestinian-prisoners-israel-jails-abuse/) about rampant torture and rape (https://zeteo.com/p/rioting-for-the-right-to-rape-palestinians) of Palestinian prisoners at Israel’s notorious Sde Teiman (https://zeteo.com/p/israel-sde-teiman-prisoners-palestinians-torture) detention center. Israel announced earlier this week it detained nine Israeli soldiers for questioning over the suspected rape and abuse of a Palestinian man from Gaza in the prison. But news of the investigation led to hundreds of citizens, including government ministers, protesting against the probe in support of the soldiers and their right to rape Palestinian prisoners. Angry mobs stormed Sde Teiman and another military base. If it sounds shocking, it is – and that’s exactly why this week’s episode of ‘Unshocked’ took on this story, to step back and talk about the bigger picture. “I never seen in my lifetime any entity, any regime, any soldier, or even a mob, protesting and raiding military bases, demanding or defending the right of soldiers to rape and use rape as a weapon of war,” Rula tells Naomi. “Israeli politicians are demanding (https://www.democracynow.org/2024/8/1/israel_gaza_palestinian_prisoners_torture) to protect rapists in the name of self-defense… promoting the policy as a legitimate tool of war.” Naomi talked about how governments use torture as a kind of propaganda. “Torture is always mass communication,” she explains, “You want people to know because it's part of how you discipline a population. You want the warning. But you also want the plausible deniability in the face of international courts. And so, there is a level of secrecy that has to coexist with that. There's a reason they released the photos from Guantanamo, right?” Naomi and Rula’s timely conversation discussed the use of rape as a tool of war, including October 7, the double standards from the international community when it comes to this topic, what the riots say about Israel today, and the U.S. role in all of this, especially what might be the positions of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, Kamala Harris. As Naomi says in the episode, “It has been very difficult to have honest conversations about sexual violence… and yet, we have to have these honest conversations.” Paid subscribers can watch the full episode above (free subscribers get a five-minute free view); or listen to ‘Unshocked’ wherever you get your podcasts: Spotify: Apple: ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation with acclaimed author and activist Naomi Klein, where she and Mehdi pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

14. 

    28 Jun 2024TRANSCRIPT

    The Power of AIPAC, Israel, And The Rise Of The Far Right

    This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit zeteo.com (https://zeteo.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_7) Support for Israel, once a bipartisan issue across the West, has now become a wedge issue for the right. In New York’s 16th district, Republican donors joined with AIPAC to help defeat an outspoken critic of Israel, Jamaal Bowman, in the House Democratic primary there on Tuesday night. Naomi tells Mehdi on this episode of ‘Unshocked’: “I'm not going to sugarcoat it. It was a blow.” For Mehdi, “the idea that 14 or $15 million from AIPAC and the pro-Israel lobby in this district didn't play a role? Come on! That's just an insult to our intelligence.” Over in France, as elections approach, the center right and center left have together blamed the anti-Israel far left for rising antisemitism - and given the French far right a pass in the process! There are reports that many French Jews may now vote for Marine Le Pen’s National Rally for the first time. Naomi says “European politics is a world upside down,” and says it is “chilling” to think that the “charge of antisemitism is potentially going to facilitate the resurgence of fascism in Europe”. Although all these far-right parties are staunch supporters of Israel, Mehdi explains how “the old anti-Semitism is still very much alive and well.” A mind-boggling idea regardless of which side of the coin you choose to see it from, so mind-boggling that Mehdi says: “I feel like screaming that no one sees the obvious disconnect… these people are still anti-Semitic and they're pro-Israel. What does that tell you about them?” What does it also say about Zionism? Mehdi and Naomi discuss Zeteo’s upcoming documentary ‘Israel’s Reel Extremism (https://zeteo.com/s/reelisrael)’ and Mehdi’s participation in the Munk Debate on anti-Zionism in Toronto earlier this month. — ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation between Zeteo Editor-in-Chief Mehdi Hasan and author and activist Naomi Klein, where they pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history.

15. 

    29 May 2024TRANSCRIPT

    'Give Me a Billion Dollars': Naomi & Mehdi on Trump’s Latest Corruption Scandal

    Earlier this month, former President Donald Trump put his brazen corruption on full display for America’s top oil executives, promising (https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/05/09/trump-oil-industry-campaign-money/) to rollback the Biden administration’s environmental policies as he asked for a small campaign donation of $1 billion. “It's almost a caricature of big oil. It's like a scene out of Hollywood movies,” Mehdi says, in this latest episode of ‘Unshocked.’ “You've got the presidential candidate sitting in his wedding holiday resort in Florida eating chopped steak with 20 big oil executives saying, ‘Give me $1 billion and I'll make you $100 billion.’ ” Since that first meeting was reported, Trump has only doubled down (https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/may/22/trump-oil-industry-campaign?CMP=twt_a-environment_b-gdneco) on his quest for big oil money, visiting Houston last week to meet with fossil-fuel execs, just days after the city suffered their own climate disaster (https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/05/16/houston-texas-tornado-storm-power-outage/). “The oil companies must have been just so stunned because they're not hurting. They are posting record profits. All of these wars are fantastic for their bottom lines,” Naomi Klein tells Mehdi. In their latest conversation, Mehdi and Naomi explore what’s really behind Trump’s “drill baby drill” obsession, and what it says not only about our future, but also about the right’s preoccupation with brute force, masculinity, and of course, climate denial. “You are here on this planet, and you do have to navigate and negotiate with the force of nature, which is actually stronger than us,” Naomi said. “I think that is perceived by people like Trump as an insult to their masculinity, like the idea that nature is speaking back to them and that their worldview really is about a hierarchy where you have white men at the top.” Later in the conversation, Naomi went on to explain how the genocide in Gaza ties into America’s apathy towards climate disasters, a point made by Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro in the wake of Israel’s war on Gaza. “In October, Gustavo Petro said, this is global 1933. And he said that what they were seeing in Gaza was a glimpse of their future in the Global South,” Naomi said. “They see Gaza as part of a process of normalizing mass death, of habituating the planet to just allowing people to die.” ‘Unshocked’ is a monthly conversation between Zeteo Editor-in-Chief Mehdi Hasan and author and activist Naomi Klein, where they pull viewers ‘out of shock’ through analysis, facts, and history. Friendly reminder: All of our content is currently available to all subscribers, free or paid. But this will only be for a limited, promotional period. Building and sustaining an independent media company like this requires, above all else, money. If you appreciate the work our team is doing, and want to be a part of this effort, please consider supporting us by becoming a paid subscriber. Get full access to Zeteo at zeteo.com/subscribe (https://zeteo.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

16. 

    30 Apr 2024TRANSCRIPT

    NEW SERIES: Naomi & Mehdi discuss Zionism on 'Unshocked'

    In a conversation with Mehdi for her new contributor segment at Zeteo called ‘Unshocked,’ Jewish activist, academic, and author Naomi Klein calls for an “exodus from the ideological shackles of Zionism.” Naomi also reacts to Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu comparing student protesters at Columbia University to Nazis, telling Mehdi that when it comes to Netanyahu, “there is nobody more adept at exploiting Jewish trauma, historical trauma, and turning it into a political weapon for his own advantage.” Mehdi also opens up to Naomi about why he decided to boycott the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. “I can't call out what Israel is doing to Palestinian journalists with American-made bombs and then go to a fun, comedy-type dinner with the President of the United States — who's not just responsible for that, but is also not even acknowledging it,” Mehdi tells Naomi. In 2007, Naomi wrote The Shock Doctrine, a best-selling book that explains what happens when a national crisis throws citizens into a state of shock and how the powerful exploit those moments. Although it may be one of her most popular books, Naomi tells Mehdi that she dreams of a day where The Shock Doctrine will no longer be relevant, where people can stay grounded even in times of chaos. “The idea for calling this segment ‘Unshocked’ — it's not to communicate a kind of world weariness, like nothing can shock me… It's the idea of what I'm hoping we can do together, which is yank us out of shock through analysis, facts, history, and really rooting us in reality,” Naomi explains. Look out for ‘Unshocked’ with Naomi Klein every month, where she and Mehdi provide deeper analysis on various topics related to current events, religion, politics, ideology, and more. To sign up, click your profile icon in the top right corner of the Substack page, go to “manage subscription,” and scroll down to select. Get full access to Zeteo at zeteo.com/subscribe (https://zeteo.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4)

Inside a recent episode

World’s Worst Person Is Also World’s First Trillionaire. What Does That Mean for the Rest of Us?

Published 7 Jul 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I can't say this enough. I'm against billionaires not just because I'm on the left and I would like to see a fairer distribution of wealth and not the exploitation of labor, etc. But even if all the money they got was made fair and square through their own effort with no government help, no exploitation, even then we shouldn't have billionaires because you cannot have a democracy when one person controls so much wealth. We talked about the level of wealth compared to an ordinary person, compared even to millionaires. When people can buy elections, when people can buy governments, when people can buy themselves a government job. […]

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.8 / 5

70 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

43 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 23 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

7

Social presence

97

YouTube

0

Engagement

51

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