Trent and Caitlin speak with Jack Schneider and Jennifer Berkshire about their recent book "The Education Wars: A Citizen’s Guide and Defense Manual." They discuss the faulty beliefs and logics that lead us to think about education as a tool for achievement and competition rather than a service provided by communities to their members. They ask what rhetorical strategies have been employed to convince us to allow the public school system to be degraded and dismantled, and the methods that have been working to arrest this degradation today.

Resources:

https://www.educationwarsbook.com/

Jack and Jennifer's podcast: https://www.haveyouheardpodcast.com/

Jack and Jennifer’s previous book: https://thenewpress.org/books/a-wolf-at-the-schoolhouse-door/?v=eb65bcceaa5f

The Death of Public School: How Conservatives Won the War Over Education in America: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/cara-fitzpatrick/the-death-of-public-school/9781541646773/?lens=basic-books

Mahmoud v. Taylor: https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/24pdf/24-297_4f14.pdf

Free-market logic for education: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.3102/0013189X231216953

Trent and Caitlin talk with political science assistant professor Matt McManus about far-right thinkers and their journey through the past two decades. He regales the HTA audience with nuggets of wisdom from Charlie Kirk's books and other pieces of right-wing political theory he has reviewed.

Resources

Matt's book: https://www.routledge.com/The-Political-Theory-of-Liberal-Socialism/McManus/p/book/9781032647234?srsltid=AfmBOorDA_LDtzo9xkaeEYkvNV-ZW95DeZZ_aOw4GF_kRVQM4sozwd5p

Matt's work with Liberal Currents: https://www.liberalcurrents.com/author/mattmcmanus/

Matt's work with Jacobin: https://jacobin.com/author/matt-mcmanus

Matt on Unlearning Economics Live: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jgefM1AipFs

Trent and Caitlin talk with politics blogger and podcaster Ed Burmila about the centrist arm of the Democratic Party and its zombie-like shuffle through our dark era of authoritarian overreach. We ask what exactly went wrong over the last half-century that led our ostensible protectors to be so ill-equipped for this moment? Who is failing us, who is trying something else, and what tactics seem promising?

Note: This episode was recorded before the assassination of Charlie Kirk.

Resources:

Chaotic Neutral: How Democrats Lost Their Soul In The Center https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/ed-burmila/chaotic-neutral/9781645030041/?lens=bold-type-books

Gin and Tacos blog http://www.ginandtacos.com

Mass for Shut-Ins podcast https://www.iheart.com/podcast/263-mass-for-shut-ins-the-gin-29747244/