Air Date 11/02/2025

A lot of people on the left aren't feeling the love for their country right now and that's understandable but we have some thoughts on more productive ways to channel those conflicting feelings toward a country that is currently falling far short of living up to its founding ideals.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: Democracy's Morticians Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt on 'How Democracies Die' Part 1 - Lawfare Archive - Air Date 5-1-18

KP 2: How Trump Changed the World with Anne Applebaum Part 1 - PoliticsJOE Podcast - Air Date 6-14-25

KP 3: Giving Up Is Unforgivable with Joyce Vance Part 1 - Stay Tuned with Preet - Air Date 10-23-25

KP 4: How to FIGHT Mob Boss Politics in America with Senator Andy Kim Part 1 - How to Fix It with John Avlon - Air Date 10-19-25

KP 5: Unitary Executive Meets Textualism Part 1 - #SistersInLaw - Air Date 10-11-23

KP 6: How Underdogs Build Power Stephanie Luce Part 1 - Future Hindsight - Air Date 10-23-25

KP 7: Reclaiming Patriotism From Trumps America with Ted Johnson Part 1 - How to Fix It with John Avlon - Air Date 4-27-25

(00:59:59) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On how the Left embraces the contradictions of the US

DEEPER DIVES

(01:10:45) SECTION A: SOCIETAL DRIVERS

(01:47:04) SECTION B: INSTITUTIONAL EROSION

(02:18:26) SECTION C: MILITARIZED LAWFARE

(02:41:12) SECTION D: PATRIOTISM AND NARRATIVE

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: Composite image of the Declaration of Independence with three question marks on top filled with the image of the American flag.

Credit: Internal composite design. Images via Pixabay. | Pixabay License

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Air Date 10/28/2025

As we were looking for episode topics, I came across an article making the case that racism is a real problem in the country and that there were lots of recent examples that proved the point. And I was like, "Racism? In the US?! In Trump's Republican Party?? That doesn't sound like the country I've heard of." (sarcasm) But then we looked into it and it turns out racism is everywhere and also quite bad. (true)

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: Will Supreme Court Gut Voting Rights Act Weaken Electoral Power of Black Americans? - Democracy Now! - Air Date 10-16-25

KP 2: 'Kids Telling Edgy Jokes’? Hayes SHREDS Vance’s Defense of Racist GOP Group Chat - All In W/ Chris Hayes - Air Date 10-15-25

KP 3: Capitol Police INVESTIGATING SWASTIKA FLAG Found in REPUBLICAN CONGRESSMANS DC Office! - Jesse Dollemore - Air Date 10-16-25

KP 4: Racism Is the Policy: Here's 10 Months of Receipts - The Keith Boykin Channel - Air Date 10-15-25

KP 5: TheGrio Daily, Michael Harriot - Systemic Racism Explained - Air Date 4-22-24

KP 6: The Racist Origins of US Law - PBS Origins - Air Date 8-6-20

KP 7: ‘A Very Dangerous Theory:’ MAGA’s Mask-off Racist Vision of America - Velshi - Air Date 9-7-25

(00:50:25) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On how you CANNOT purchase your happiness with the misery of others

DEEPER DIVES

(00:56:12) SECTION A: HISTORICAL CONTEXT

(01:36:52) SECTION B: WHITE LASH

(02:04:02) SECTION C: SYSTEMIC RACISM

(02:50:39) SECTION D: TRUMP ADMINISTRATION

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: 1970s poster that says “Racism Chains Both” with an image of a black person’s hand and a white person’s hand both in connected shackles.

Credit: “Racism chains both Hugo Gellert artist” via Library of Congress Public Domain Archive

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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Air Date 10/25/2025

Trump's attacks on free speech, particularly with the use of the Federal Communications Commission, goes far beyond the Jimmy Kimmel story. We're in the middle of an all-out assault on freedom of speech, a free and unbiased press, and freedom of association.

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KEY POINTS

KP 1: FCC's Anna Gomez & Axios' Sara Fischer - Axios - Air Date 9-19-25

KP 2: Bari Weiss, CBS News, And The Conservative Media Takeover - Lever Time - Air Date 10-9-25

KP 3: Trumps Horrifying Plan to Destroy Free Speech W/ Ken Klippenstein - Current Affairs - Air Date 10-10-25

KP 4: ‘They’ll Be Others’: Trump THREATENS More Indictments of Foes After Comey - All In with Chris Hayes - Air Date 9-26-25

KP 5: Is ANTIFAscism Really a Violent Extremist Movement? - Matthew Cooke - Air Date 10-14-25

(00:48:56) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

On 'Working the Refs'

DEEPER DIVES

(00:53:51) SECTION A: ANTIFA

(01:15:09) SECTION B: POLITICAL ENEMIES

(01:53:02) SECTION C: FREE SPEECH

(02:29:52) SECTION D: MEDIA TAKEOVER

(02:52:28) SECTION E: MOCKING THE FACISTS

SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: Black and white version of the official portrait of FCC Chair Brendan Carr with the list of words banned by the Trump administration in red over his face.

Credit: Internal composite design. | Carr official portrait via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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