How can someone being banned from marching in a parade lead to everyone being legally censored online?

Sean’s Monologue: Censorship Industrial Complex

Our guest today is here to tell us about a secret form of online censorship that is happening every day to people like you and me – and we don’t even know it. Robert Hawkins is a social entrepreneur and founder of Reveddit, a website that shows people where they have been censored on Reddit’s media platform. Robert became passionate about restoring free-speech values online after discovering his own comments from past years had been secretly removed, and he’s here now to blow the whistle on a practice called “shadow banning."

Robert explains how shadowing banning is a person-to-person form of censorship, not a silencing imposed by a company or a government, then he walks us step-by-step through what a person sees – or rather, DOESN’T see – when their comment has been shadow-banned. Sean and Robert talk about what Reddit promotes itself to be vs. what Reddit actually is.

They go on to discuss the intent behind shadow banning, who does it, and why. Are there good uses for shadow banning? What type of content is most frequently shadow banned? Robert tells us the justifications used to perpetuate this practice that Sean describes as “counterintuitive to democracy.” Are these justifications valid? Robert argues that they are not and tells us why.

Robert describes how bots are created, how they operate, and how they are (in some ways) smarter than humans. He tells us that he does support “transparent content moderation”, and he explains the difference between shadow banning and censorship practices that actually help users learn the rules of the platform where they are posting.

What happens when a user discovers they are being shadow banned? This practice has gone largely unchallenged, so is there any recourse to fight against it? Robert explains why there is a lack of awareness surrounding shadow banning. He tells us about his experiences at LibertyCon, and his attempts to bring shadow banning into the light. What about enacting laws against online censorship? Is it a good idea to involve our government? Robert talks about legislation that is currently in the works … in places like Texas and Florida.

Robert shares practical tips for what everyday people can do to save America from the complexities of censorship. Should people who don’t even use social media be concerned? Robert feels that even those who understand the scale of online censorship don’t acknowledge the harm it can do. He tells a story of a hidden government practice was eventually revealed to the world, and he hopes the same will be true of shadow banning.

Sean and Robert conclude the episode chatting about why political figures are unlikely to have censored comments on Reddit, which social media platforms don’t permit shadow bans, and wondering if decentralization is a potential solution. Will Robert expand his Reddit tool to encompass other social media platforms? And what was it like living in Taiwan for the past ten years? Listen to find out!

Check your Reddit account for shadow banned content at: https://www.reveddit.com/

Check out Robert’s newsletter at: https://RemovedNews.com

Watch more about shadow banning videos at: https://www.youtube.com/@robert.hawkins

When a fundamentalist Christian is preaching against abortion, don’t point out how many babies God killed in the Bible!

Sean’s Monologue: Book Banning in America

Our guest today is Mark Alsip, a computer scientist, freelance science writer, and the founder of Bad Science Debunked, a skeptical science blog. Mark is here with us today to talk about a personal history that is quite unexpected for a man of his profession - being raised in and indoctrinated into a fundamentalist Young Earth Creationist sect. He went through decades of trauma due to the conflicts between pseudo-scientific church teachings and the world of reality that was revealed to him through his love of science. After Mark left religion completely, he thought he’d be able to leave his past behind him and move on, but then fundamentalists insisted on forcing religious dogma into our government, our laws, our schools, and other secular places. Mark felt it was his duty to fight back, so he wrote the book Journey to Reason: Walking Away From Young Earth Creationism and Religious Fundamentalism.

In this episode, Mark and Sean discuss critical thinking vs. religious thinking as they swap amusing stories about growing up under the tutelage of Bible-thumping adults. They talk about how prayer is like “flipping a coin and calling it after it lands” and how religions quell logical questioning when they label disagreement with doctrine as a “sin.” Mark explains the beliefs of his childhood religion and how it sucked him in with scare tactics, such as a propaganda movie that made a whole audience of little kids cry.

Sean and Mark agree that religion is not abusive in general, and that there are many wonderful and compassionate believers in the world. They share Mark’s assertion that religion is fine, but “we just don’t need it” and people should not push it on one another. They talk about how the religious and non-religious could live together in peace and harmony if the fundamentalists weren’t such a fundamental threat to our democracy.

The conversation turns to impending legislation that supports narrow Christian viewpoints, and how such influence has come about. Mark and Sean wonder where religion is headed in America and speculate on what our future will look like if Trump wins the presidency.

Mark talks about his professional history and how it taught him critical thinking skills, he explains the relationship between capitalism and religion, and bemoans the hypocrisy of Christians who claim to believe in love for mankind while exhibiting little actual compassion for their fellow human beings. His conclusion is that we should focus on the good parts of religious teachings and reject the parts that hurt and condemn others.

You can find Mark Alsip’s book Journey to Reason: Walking Away From Young Earth Creationism and Religious Fundamentalism on Amazon, and follow him on social media:

www.facebook.com/BadScienceDebunked

www.twitter.com/markaaronky

Is economic disenfranchisement the main force fueling toxic Internet subcultures and online movements?

Sean’s Monologue: The Phenomenon of QAnon

We are joined today by Mike Trigg, a former Silicon Valley start-up guru now turned accomplished writer. Mike’s first corporate thriller Bit Flip was lauded with 5-star reviews, and now he’s on our show to talk about his newest novel, Burner, available on April 16th, 2024. Billed as a "fascinating thriller in which an online movement swallows up the person who started it" by Foreword Clarion Reviews, the novel dives headfirst into political disinformation, toxic internet subcultures, and our need for belonging and purpose in an age of distorted online personas.

Sean and Mike discuss the creation of Burner, and how it is written from a centrist point of view (even though the author is left-leaning). The stock manipulation and kidnapping elements of the book were inspired by news headlines like GameStop and January 6th. Sean praises the likability of the lead character, Shane, who Mike has dubbed “the Forest Gump of the Internet generation.”

The rest of the conversation centers around how online movements take flight – the use of Internet algorithms to normalize beliefs, the self-reinforcement, and actions driven by the underlying idea of “I am a victim, now who do I blame?” Mike and Sean talk about their election concerns and how to deprogram someone once they have been sucked into a toxic movement. The end conclusion is that – both on the Internet and in politics – people behave much better when others know who they and there is some level of accountability.

Other topics include: Mike’s time on Capitol Hill, elected officials as Internet trolls, how the Democratic Party disenfranchised blue collar America, ID verifications online, the impossibility of the TV show The Last of Us, the looming threat of AI, and the fun of recording audio books.

Find Mike on his website and all social media platforms:

https://www.miketrigg.com/

https://www.facebook.com/MikeTriggAuthor

https://www.linkedin.com/in/triggmike/

https://www.instagram.com/mike_trigg254/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVvHXnTHvExzKghoWXejT9w https://twitter.com/mike_trigg

https://podmatch.com/guestdetailpreview/17027555998711651707240ae

Did the act of dreaming bring about religion?

Sean’s Monologue – “The Poor People’s Campaign”

Tune in today to learn that everything you’ve heard about dreaming is true…sort of. Benjamin Davidson – The Dream Wizard – joins us to unravel the mystery of dreams and other human “thought experiences.” With two decades of work in the mental health field behind him, Benjamin has turned his attention to everything dreaming – from acting as a curator, collector, and publisher of historical dream research to recording his podcast of dream analysis – Dreamscapes.

Benjamin talks about what got him interested in dreams, why we dream, strangers in dreams, and what is the definition of a “dream.” He tells us about different states of consciousness, why he doesn’t believe in dream dictionaries, and why some people – like The Dream Wizard himself – seldom remember their own dreams.

Sean and Benjamin discuss how a person can stop reoccurring nightmares, and they look back on Benjamin’s career as a mental health professional in the emotionally challenging field of emergency room intake. Then the two discuss the future of brain science, bringing up both exciting and dangerous ideas about how humans might one day be able to change their own brains. Benjamin talks about the proven scientific way of looking at dreams vs. what he affectionately calls the “Spooky-woo side”, ultimately defining himself as a “credulous skeptic” when it comes to prophetic dreams and other unknowns. Sean brings up the question of whether a person’s dreams can diagnose a physical or mental disorder.

Finally, Coup Save America producer, Mckenzie, joins the conversation as Benjamin helps her analyze a dream about reptiles and a serial killer.

Visit www.BenjaminTheDreamWizard.com for episodes of the Dreamscapes Podcast and to explore the many book titles Benjamin has published on Amazon.

How do our government’s efforts to ban TikTok circle back around to the crisis in Gaza?

Sean’s Monologue: The USA Titanic

Today we bring back our friend Christina Khalil for an update on her New Jersey race for Senate. Running on genuine concern, compassion, and policy ideas that might actually heal our country has forced Christina to abandon the Democratic Party in favor of the Green Party. She gives us a rundown of the current situation in New Jersey – “possibly the hub of corruption in the United States” – as she describes how incumbent Democratic leaders are failing the people they claim to represent, especially in the areas of affordable housing and ending genocide in Palestine. Christina describes the actions of the Democratic Party in general as “Donald Trump wearing blue”, as she poses the question, “What does ‘progressive’ even mean anymore?”

Sean and Christina briefly break down the historical events that led up to Hamas’ attack on October 7, 2023. The United States created this monster, and why are they now trying to demonize the Jewish people who have nothing to do with the decisions made by governments who have betrayed their voters? What’s the difference between a Zionist and an ordinary Jewish citizen? Why are the very families who have been harmed by violence coming out to denounce their leaders for spreading misinformation?

Christina spells out the steps she would take as a member of Congress to protect and heal Gaza while at the same time creating jobs for the Palestinian people. The discussion the genocide evolves into an examination of the Democratic so-called progressives failures in areas such as humanitarian efforts, currency, and mainstream media control. Did you know that “The Green New Deal” was designed after ideas posed by The Green Party? We hear how President Biden’s version of this deal is manipulated in favor of destroying the planet.

The sad truth is that we have the solutions, we have the resources, we just don’t have the right people in leadership who care enough to move our nation forward. We need new leadership options, so Sean and Christina talk about the crucial 5% threshold and the “uncommitted vote” movement – both pros and cons.

Christina issues a plea for people who care about honesty and integrity to run against the incumbents in their state offices – The Green Party will give resources and support to candidates with progressive ideals. She talks about the benefits of “rank choice voting”, New Jersey’s “Green Thirteen”, and how the policy changes she wants for our country will focus on people above profits and politics.

Learn more about Christina’s campaign at - https://Khalilforsenate.com

Could “complexity, cost, and risk of change” be the three main factors holding back healthcare reform in the United States?

Sean’s monologue topic: The State of Healthcare in the States

Today on Coup Save America, our guest comes to us with a unique and creative way to spread awareness about our failing healthcare system. Greg Vigdor is the author of The Irv Tinsley Health Policy Detective series, a two-book collection of thrilling medical espionage that teach vital lessons while also entertaining their audience. Greg has the necessary expertise to write medical fiction with authority. He brings over four decades of experience to the table with a distinguished career spanning various leadership roles, from CEO to policy expert, advocate, manager, and consultant. Greg is the founder and president of the Washington Health Foundation and has served as President/CEO of the Arizona Hospital & Healthcare Association.

Greg introduces us to some of the themes from his two health detective novels, The Theory of Irv and The Covid Murders, that highlight the very non-fictional problems that exist in America’s real world healthcare system. He and Sean discuss talk about how the “MakeMost Health Corporation” in his second novel is an exaggeration of the reality we see when the pursuit of profits overrides adequately serving the health needs of a population. They discuss the benefits of the fictional “National Health Challenge”, and Greg describes his foundation implemented a real-world version of this event in his home state of Washington. They also discuss the viability of Irv’s 10-point “Federal Health Care Revival Act” outlined in the first novel.

As the conversation continues, Greg pulls from his lifetime of personal experience in healthcare reform to tackle Sean’s questions about common challenges to improving healthcare, disparities of care within marginalized communities, the national response to the covid-19 crisis and how that it could impact the next pandemic, the key lessons we can learn from past attempts at healthcare reform, plus so much more.

How can we strike a balance between personal choice and government intervention in healthcare reform policies? Listen to hear Greg’s opinion on this dilemma, as well as his examples of successful local and global healthcare systems that could work at a national level.

Tune in to Coup Save America and join the conversation on how we can heal America's health care system for the better.

Did you know that Soviet spies will turn into ash like vampires if forced to say the words “under God”?

Sean’s monologue topic: Reparations for Africa Americans

Fayge Horesh is a public historian, tour guide, and freelance writer. They have always wanted to share their passion for history with others, so they created the podcast “D Listers of History,” where Fayge brings their research skills, curiosity, and irreverence to discuss important but mostly forgotten historical figures.

Fayge begins the interview by admitting that “‘Facts’ in history are tough, because what we ‘know’ is from whatever sources we have, and what are those sources?” They tell us stories of their tour guide experiences and how guests in recent years are more prone to disagree with the established narrative…or to not even want to talk about certain subjects at all! How has America’s newfound access to learning about history changed our overall attitudes?

During the episode, Sean and Fayge explore misunderstood historical topics of their Philadelphia base city - such as how taxation worked in colonial America, the full story of the Boston Tea Party, the fascinating life of Betsy Ross, and good and bad sides of founding father George Washington.

When discussing how the history of marginalized groups is gaining attention amidst both celebration and backlash, Fayge’s message to our audience is that everyone should be allowed to have their culture, and new traditions don’t negate or detract from our old traditions. Sean and Fayge go on to talk about how dehumanizing any group of people can (and will) lead to catastrophe. Genocide doesn’t just happen; it’s a slow process. Is Trump the next Adolf Hitler?

What do you know about American hero Tunis Campbell? French engineer Augustin-Jean Fresnel? Probably nothing, but you can learn about them right here on Coup Save America!

In all the work Fayge does, their primary goal is to make both historical stories and the study of history accessible to everyone. History is crucial to understanding where we are now and how we can build a better world in the future.

Other topics include: Nikki Haley, Juneteenth, who pays for Holocaust museums, the FBI tweeting about MLK, and what Bill Clinton should really be famous for.

“Aging is tough, but it beats the alternate.” – Morrie Schwartz

Sean’s monologue topic: How Ageism negatively impacts America

Today we are joined by Rob Schwartz, an Award-Winning Music/Film Producer, journalist and entrepreneur with 20+ years of entertainment experience. He is also the son of Morrie Schwartz, one of our culture’s most celebrated senior citizens and the subject of the best-selling book and Emmy award-winning movie Tuesdays with Morrie. (And also a play that is extremely popular in China and Japan).

Rob starts by telling the story of why, how, and when his father wrote the not-so-new book, The Wisdom of Morrie: Living and Aging Creatively and Joyfully, and how he found the completed manuscript decades later. To avoid confusion, Rob points out the distinction between this new book and Tuesdays with Morrie, which was written by his father’s former student, Mitch Albom. Tuesdays was published first, but Wisdom was written first, before Morrie was facing a fatal illness. The two books share a similar theme, but with a different presentation. When asked “What are your favorite parts of your father’s book?”, Rob replies “The times that he mentions me!”

Sean and Rob discuss the content of Morrie’s book, which Sean describes as “life affirming” and “a manifesto of living.” Rob affirms that his father’s book is not just for older people but is a roadmap to a happy life. The book teaches readers to take what you’ve learned in life and decide how you can move forward and be better. While telling full of stories about other people and their personal burdens, traumas, and anxieties, The Wisdom of Morrie, addresses negative aspects of aging as well as the positive. Ultimately, Morrie’s advice to older people is “You need to engage.” Whether that be with family, community, or interests. Don’t withdraw. Pursue interests. Make connections with new people. Engage with the world both emotionally and intellectually, at whatever level you find comfortable. Later on in the discussion, we learn about the academic book that Morrie wrote as a precursor to this more widely accessible version. “What does it mean to be human?” is the basis of all Morrie’s Schwartz’s research and investigation.

Rob shares details of his father’s fascinating life - like how the university where he worked tried to force him into retirement, and how Morrie was so concerned about the poor accessibility of mental health care in the 70’s that he helped found a clinic to provide free or low-cost therapy to those who couldn’t afford to pay.

Long before the America was acknowledging the concept of ageism, Morrie coined the term “age-casting” with the theory that if you can name a concept, you can analyze it and find ways to deal with it. Rob shares examples of age-casting, and he compares and contrasts how American and Asian cultures view the elderly.

Finally, Sean and Rob address the question of what will happen with ageism in our society as the large “Baby Boomer” population continues to grow older? Listen as Rob shatters all of Sean’s optimism.