Bad Faith Episode 535 - Veterans Are the New Black: The Graham Platner Story (w/ Branko Marcetic, Matthew Hoh, & Yasmin Nair)
Dec 18, 2025
Branko Marcetic, a journalist and columnist for Jacobin, Matthew Hoh, a veteran and Green Party candidate, and Yasmin Nair, editor-at-large at Current Affairs, explore the complexities of Graham Plattner's candidacy. They discuss the left's troubling embrace of military candidates, the fetishization of veteran identity, and the implications of Plattner's background. The panel debates the authenticity of politically driven veteran narratives, the moral challenges of supporting such figures, and the nuanced perspectives on anti-imperialism within this context.
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Masculinity Fetish Shapes Left Politics
- Yasmin Nair argues Plattner fits a pattern of left fetishizing militarized masculinity as electoral asset.
- She warns this risks normalizing redemption narratives built on violence and empire.
Veteran's Mirror Of Conflict
- Matthew Hoh described seeing his own conflicted veteran identity reflected in Plattner's story.
- He recounted evolving from patriotic certainty to critical self-awareness after exposure to new ideas.
Veteran Credibility On Anti‑War Stance
- Branko argues veteran status can lend credibility to anti-war positions and sway voters.
- He contends veterans often oppose sending others to die more than non-veteran politicians.