Michael Brooks (political commentator) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Michael Brooks
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Brooks on Novara Media in March 2020
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| Born |
Michael Jamal Brooks
August 13, 1983 |
| Died | July 20, 2020 (aged 36) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Bates College |
| Occupation |
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| Years active | 2011–2020 |
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Notable work
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Against the Web: A Cosmopolitan Answer to the New Right (2020) |
| YouTube information | |
| Years active | 2018–present |
| Genre | Politics, opinion, comedy |
| Subscribers | 141,000 |
| Total views | 30,129,394 |
| Associated acts |
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| Subscriber and view counts updated as of December 12, 2022. | |
Michael Jamal Brooks (born August 13, 1983 – died July 20, 2020) was an American talk show host, writer, and political commentator. He was also known for his comedy. Michael co-hosted The Majority Report with Sam Seder and started his own show, The Michael Brooks Show, in 2017. He often shared his thoughts on current events for different news groups.
Brooks wrote for many publications like HuffPost and The Washington Post. In April 2020, his book Against the Web: A Cosmopolitan Answer to the New Right was released. Michael believed in ideas like progressivism, internationalism, and democratic socialism. He often talked about US foreign policy, the Middle East, Latin America, and capitalism.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Michael Jamal Brooks was born in 1983 to Donna and Glenn Brooks. He grew up in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. His younger sister, Lisha, has continued to work on The Michael Brooks Show after his passing.
From a young age, Michael was interested in politics. At 11, he joined a group called Revolutionary Anarchist Youth (RAY). He also became interested in Buddhism. He regularly attended silent retreats to practice meditation.
Brooks went to North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens and the Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School. He studied political science at Bates College, graduating in 2009. During his college years, he also studied in Turkey.
Career Highlights
Michael Brooks started his career in comedy and meditation. He even co-wrote a meditation guide called The Buddha's Playbook in 2011. He also worked for news outlets like Talking Points Memo.
In 2012, Brooks began working for The Majority Report with Sam Seder. He was known for mixing serious political discussions with humor. In 2017, he launched his own podcast, The Michael Brooks Show. This show became very popular, reaching over 130,000 subscribers.
On his show, Michael interviewed many important thinkers like Noam Chomsky and Cornel West. He was a big fan of Brazilian president Lula da Silva. In 2020, Michael even traveled to Brazil to interview Lula. He also wrote the introduction for a book about politics in Brazil.
Before he passed away, Brooks also co-hosted a YouTube show called Weekends with Ana Kasparian and Michael Brooks. He was planning to host another show called The Jacobin Show.
Brooks wrote for many different magazines and websites, including Al Jazeera and Jacobin. He also appeared on TV shows around the world, like The Young Turks and Al Jazeera English.
Writings
Against the Web
On April 24, 2020, Michael Brooks's book Against the Web: A Cosmopolitan Answer to the New Right was published. In this book, he shared his thoughts on popular online figures. He also argued that focusing too much on stopping people from speaking (called "deplatforming") can hurt efforts to bring people together for good causes.
The book suggests a "cosmopolitan socialism." This idea means being open to all cultures and encouraging people to share and mix different cultural ideas. Many people praised the book for its clear arguments.
Essays
Michael Brooks wrote many essays for different publications. Here are some of his published works:
- "US Reparations for Iraq Are Long Overdue" (Al Jazeera, November 2013)
- "Bill Maher Makes Us Dumber: How Ignorance, Fear and Stupid Pop-Culture Clichés Shape Americans' View of the Middle East" (Salon, March 2017)
- "The American AKP" (Jacobin, July 2017)
- "Selahattin Demirtaş Is Not a Terrorist" (Jacobin, December 2018)
- "How Bernie Sanders Should Talk About Venezuela and US Intervention in Latin America" (Jacobin, September 2019)
- "The Annihilation of Rojava" (Jacobin, October 2019)
- "Turkey's War on Rojava" (Tribune, October 2019)
- "Bernie Has Called to Free Lula. Why Won't the Rest of the Democratic Field?" (Jacobin, October 2019)
- "Ilhan Omar and the Turkey Question" (Jacobin, November 2019)
- "It's Good That Joe Rogan Endorsed Bernie. Now We Have to Organize." (Jacobin, January 2020)
- "After Bernie" (Tribune, April 2020)
- "Michael Brooks on Why the War on the Poor Must End" (Published after his death by Jacobin, July 2021)
Political Views
New Atheism
Michael Brooks did not criticize atheism itself. However, he did criticize some well-known figures in the "New Atheism" movement, like Sam Harris and Richard Dawkins. For example, he thought Sam Harris's views on Islam were too simple.
Intellectual Dark Web
Brooks was critical of a group of public figures often called the "intellectual dark web." He believed these people were "fixated on justifying hierarchies." He also said that some of them, like Jordan Peterson, complained about being "persecuted" while holding important positions.
Israeli–Palestinian Conflict
Brooks often spoke out against the Israeli government's actions in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. He believed Israel's policies were unfair to Palestinians. He was against Israeli settlements and military actions in the Gaza Strip. He also condemned Hamas for harming civilians.
In 2019, Brooks praised presidential candidate Bernie Sanders for suggesting that the U.S. should use its aid to Israel to encourage different actions. He defended Representative Ilhan Omar when she was criticized for her views on Israel.
Syrian Civil War
Brooks argued that Turkey's actions in the Syrian civil war were partly an effort to erase Kurdish culture in northern Syria. He showed support for the Kurds, praising their progressive political ideas.
Death and Tributes
On July 20, 2020, Michael Brooks passed away suddenly at 36 years old. His sister, Lisha, later shared that he died from a blood clot.
Many people shared their sadness and respect for Michael. The President of Brazil, Lula da Silva, who was a hero to Brooks, sent his condolences. Jane Sanders, wife of Senator Bernie Sanders, said that Brooks's "work on behalf of justice, humanity, and peace... will live on." Cornel West praised Michael's "soulfulness" and his ability to be self-critical.
After Michael's death, The Michael Brooks Show continued for a while with his sister Lisha and other colleagues. Later, the team started The Michael Brooks Legacy Project. This project uses his YouTube channel to share educational content and support new voices. In 2021, Lisha Brooks started a new show and podcast about her brother's life.
