The Douglas Rushkoff Interview - Part II
The song you just heard at the top of the show was 'Last Gasp of the Dinosaurs' by Arthur Loves Plastic. You can find more of Arthur Loves Plastic's music on Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/arthurlovesplastic
This is Part II of our discussion with Douglas Rushkofff, author of the must-read Team Human and Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires. Rushkoff is an author and documentarian on the frontlines of understanding how technology and tech billionaires are impacting our lives and the world. His twenty books also include the bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks and the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus. His films include the PBS Frontline documentaries Generation Like, The Persuaders, and Merchants of Cool. He won the Marshall McLuhan Award for his book Coercion, and the Media Ecology Association honored him with the first Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. For more on his indispensable work visit his website.
In our bonus episode, Rushkoff takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show!
And don’t forget that Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!
Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire
What's a book you think everyone should read and why?
What's a documentary everyone should watch and why?
What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why?
Who are some historical mentors who inspire you?
What's the best concert you've ever been to?
What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces?
Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight?
What's the best advice you've ever gotten?
What's your favorite place you've ever visited?
What's your favorite work of art and why?
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The Douglas Rushkoff Interview - Part I
Billionaire Bunkers are a stunning exercise in self-delusion, as the books of our next guest show. In this inspiring conversation with Douglas Ruskofff, author of the must-read Team Human and Survival of the Richest: Escape Fantasies of the Tech Billionaires, the topics range from how to be a respectable prepper to how to raise good humans and whether A.I. is coming for our jobs and our minds.
Rushkoff is an author and documentarian on the frontlines of understanding how technology and tech billionaires are impacting our lives and the world. His twenty books also include the bestsellers Present Shock, Throwing Rocks and the Google Bus, Program or Be Programmed, Life Inc, and Media Virus. His films include the PBS Frontline documentaries Generation Like, The Persuaders, and Merchants of Cool. He won the Marshall McLuhan Award for his book Coercion, and the Media Ecology Association honored him with the first Neil Postman Award for Career Achievement in Public Intellectual Activity. For more on his indispensable work visit his website.
In our bonus episode, Rushkoff takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. To submit your own answers and give inspiration for ways to recharge as we run our marathon together to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show!
And don’t forget that Andrea will join comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a special live event at Caveat in New York City on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation book Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To get a ticket to that event in person or to watch the livestream, visit this website. Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!
Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire
What's a book you think everyone should read and why?
What's a documentary everyone should watch and why?
What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why?
Who are some historical mentors who inspire you?
What's the best concert you've ever been to?
What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces?
Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight?
What's the best advice you've ever gotten?
What's your favorite place you've ever visited?
What's your favorite work of art and why?
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Americonned: Organize, Fight, Win
Welcome to the Gaslit Nation Presents: The Future of Dictatorship. To start things off, we’re looking at how technology is worsening the income inequality crisis in America and what to do about it.
For that, meet this week’s guests, the brilliant minds behind the must-watch documentary Americonned, inside America’s income inequality crisis as told through the heroic grassroots power to unionize at Amazon in an age of A.I. and automation. The film’s director-producer is Sean Claffey, who has worked in the film industry on feature films, documentaries, and commercials for 25 years, and the writer-producer is Dave Pederson, the producer of the Oscar nominated film “Super Size Me”, and the Cannes Award winning “The Third Wave.” Here is the trailer of their powerful must-watch film.
In our bonus episode, Dave Pederson takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. For our next Gaslit Nation live taping, join Andrea and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a show at Caveat in New York on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To join in person or virtually, reserve your ticket here! Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!
To submit your own answers and share inspiration for ways to recharge as we together run a marathon to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show!
Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire
What's a book you think everyone should read and why?
What's a documentary everyone should watch and why?
What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why?
Who are some historical mentors who inspire you?
What's the best concert you've ever been to?
What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces?
Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight?
What's the best advice you've ever gotten?
What's your favorite place you've ever visited?
What's your favorite work of art and why?
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How to Stand Up to a Bully
It’s Independence Day! There’s no better way to celebrate than standing up to a bully. Whether it’s a twice-indicted Russian mafia asset running for president, or his cult of violent white supremacists, there’s no shortage of bullies running amok these days. Science journalist and bestselling author David McRaney, author of the books How Minds Change and You Are Now Less Dumb, shares his research on how to handle a situation where the person you're talking to insists on an alternative reality, using that to try to gaslight, intimidate, and, in a word, bully.
At Gaslit Nation, one of the questions we often get from our listeners is how to help loved ones lost to a disinformation cult, like QAnon and Trump's Big Lie. From harassing election workers to overwhelming school board meetings to disinformation merchants challenging actual experts to debates (“Debate me, bro!”), the Bannon strategy of flooding the zone with shit has ensnared people, separating families and friends. McRaney shares his surprising insights on how to reach people and provide an empathetic space for them to find their way back. For more on this topic, listen to Gaslit Nation's discussion with cult expert Dr. Janja Lalich, who recommends a slightly approach. Both discussions are essential guides for navigating this time of rampant disinformation and toxic political cults.
In our bonus episode, McRaney takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A. For our next Gaslit Nation live taping, join Andrea and comedian Kevin Allison of the RISK! Storytelling podcast for a show at Caveat in New York on Saturday August 5th at 4pm to celebrate the launch of the new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To join in person or virtually, reserve your ticket here! Signed copies of the book can be ordered at the event!
To submit your own answers and share inspiration for ways to recharge as we together run a marathon to protect our democracy, leave your answers in the comments section or send an email to GaslitNation@gmail.com. We’ll read some of the responses on the show!
Gaslit Nation Self-Care Questionnaire
What's a book you think everyone should read and why?
What's a documentary everyone should watch and why?
What's a dramatic film everyone should watch and why?
Who are some historical mentors who inspire you?
What's the best concert you've ever been to?
What are some songs on your playlist for battling the dark forces?
Who or what inspires you to stay engaged and stay in the fight?
What's the best advice you've ever gotten?
What's your favorite place you've ever visited?
What's your favorite work of art and why?
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Is Russia Headed Towards Collapse?
Putin is weak and getting weaker. In this special live taping of Gaslit Nation, Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman, who has a long history of investigating and exposing the Russian mafia state’s active measures in the U.S. and Europe, joins Andrea to discuss where things are headed in Russia’s escalating power struggle, what it means for Ukraine, and how the world needs to start preparing for a post-Putin Russia.
“Putin is finished,” Olga warns in this urgent discussion. Putin may be forced into retirement in a dacha on the outskirts of Russia or “die in his sleep,” with Shoigu or another tool of the Russian security forces becoming the new strongman. Prighozin’s attempted military coup was the inevitable escalation of growing tensions between warring factions, but as Olga points out, the siloviki–the ruthless, imperialistic, genocidal security forces–are in charge, and always have been, even during the collapse of the Soviet Union. They are the kingmakers, and it’s clear that they want Putin gone. Prigozhin served a purpose of striking Putin with a fatal blow, and the months ahead will continue to weaken him as Russia continues to lose an unwinnable war in Ukraine.
Our bonus episode this week includes our extended audience Q&A at our live taping, with a focus on Russia’s influence campaigns in U.S. elections. As mentioned in this week’s show, there’s going to be a special live taping of Gaslit Nation held in New York City at the Lower East Side venue Caveat, hosted by Kevin Allison of the popular and provocative storytelling podcast RISK! on Saturday August 5th at 4pm EST. The discussion will include the making of the brand new Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think!, and include an opportunity to order signed copies. For tickets to join the event in person or wherever you are by watching the livestream, get your tickets here!
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The Merrick Garland "We Told You So" Special
Gaslit Nation has been vindicated, and it sucks to be vindicated about the deadly inertia of a mafia state accomplice! After two years of describing obvious inaction on obvious crimes and being assured by an army of bot-brained propagandists that Merrick Garland is fighting the good fight but Must Keep Silent for Reasons You Will Understand in Time, we have new confirmation that, no, he’s just a terrible Attorney General! And that Lisa Monaco, the deputy attorney general, is equally bad! In this episode we discuss the Washington Post expose “FBI resisted opening probe into Trump’s role in Jan. 6 for more than a year”, dig into the background of Monaco (for more background on Garland, listen to our enormous archive of treasonous complicity), and talk about what Biden should do next.
Happy Pride Month! For the second part of this episode, Andrea interviews Lindz Amer who is back on Gaslit Nation to discuss their new must-read book Rainbow Parenting Your Guide to Raising Queer Kids and Their Allies. From their author bio: “Lindz Amer created Queer Kid Stuff—an award-winning original LGBTQ+ educational webseries for all ages—that has reached millions of families. They perform at libraries, schools, and theaters all over the world spreading queer joy and working on numerous projects that bring queer and trans representation into mainstream children's media. In 2019, they gave a viral TED Talk on the importance of talking to kids about gender and sexuality. They currently write for preschool television and also host the parenting podcast Rainbow Parenting, as well as Activist, You! for kids featuring interviews with youth activists.” Check out Rainbow Parenting today!
Our bonus episode is our usual Q&A of questions from Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender lever or higher, and is available to listeners at the Truth-Teller lever or higher. If you asked a question and we haven’t answered it yet, don’t worry – we are getting through the backlog this month. Sarah took a couple weeks off due to a family emergency but is back so we will both have everything answered by the end of June. Next week June 27 12pm EST will be a live-taping of Gaslit Nation featuring Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman. To sign up for that, support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher to receive a link to join the virtual event on the morning of the show! Thank you for your support of Gaslit Nation!
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Trump’s Arrest, Kissinger’s War Crimes, and The Long Hunt for Justice
Gaslit Nation comes full circle! Our new graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! was released today, on the same day longtime Russian mafia asset Donald Trump was finally arrested on federal charges of espionage. The A.I. overlords writing the simulation we’re all stuck in certainly have a festive spirit!
If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy, including for a young person in your life, check out this endorsement for the book and the show from historian Timothy Snyder, the New York Times bestselling author of On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century: “Everyone who wants to grow up in a healthy democracy should know about Gaslit Nation.” We agree! Which brings us to this week’s big news. We’re going to record a Trump Federal Arrest Super Special, out Friday, featuring Sarah back on the show to share her insights and predictions on what’s next as the Trump criminal circus plays out heading into 2024.
Today’s episode puts on trial celebrated war criminal Henry Kissinger, a villain of history who kept popping up like a Where’s Waldo? in our research for Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! To walk us through some of his latest reporting unearthing the horrors Kissinger committed, investigative journalist Nick Turse stops by Gaslit Nation. Terse is a contributing writer for The Intercept, covering national security and foreign policy, and the author of the books Next Time They’ll Come to Count the Dead: War and Survival in South Sudan; Tomorrow’s Battlefield: U.S. Proxy Wars and Secret Ops in Africa; and Kill Anything That Moves: The Real American War in Vietnam. He is also the managing editor of TomDispatch.com.
This week’s bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher on Patreon, will be the full episode of our Trump Federal Indictment Super Special, which we’ll share a free excerpt of wherever you get your podcasts. If you’re not already a part of our community of listeners, be sure to sign up at the Truth-teller level or higher to get access to the live taping of Gaslit Nation on June 27 at 12pm EST featuring Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman answering your questions about the Trump indictments, the Russian elites civil war, Russian spy networks in the West, and more! The show link will be sent straight to your inbox on the morning of the event for Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level or higher so be sure to subscribe today to support the Gaslit Nation! Thank you to everyone supporting independent journalism, especially in these uncertain times! We could not make the show without you!
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The Marie Yovanovitch Interview
This week’s special episode opens with a news round-up, asking once again–who paid $500,000 to bail George Santos out of jail, and what do they expect in return? Nikki Halely’s genocidal hate speech against trans people gets fact-checked. (Halely is reportedly the Kushner’s horse in the race in their attempt at a comeback.) Mike Pence formally announced he’s running for president, presenting an opportunity on the debate stage to talk about that time Trump’s violent mob chanted, “Hang Mike Pence!”
At the top of the show, there’s a special highlight of Russia’s explosion of a dam in the southern Ukraine region of Kherson, flooding the homes of thousands of people as well as drowning a zoo. To explain the stakes for Ukraine and the world in its existential struggle against Russia’s genocidal invasion, Ambassador Marie Yovanovitch drops by Gaslit Nation. Ambassador Yovanovitch was targeted by the dark web of corruption driven by Trump and Rudy Giuliani. She shares her harrowing story in her inspiring memoir Lessons from the Edge, out now in paperback with a new afterword.
Got questions? We got answers! This week’s bonus episode out Friday will provide a deep dive on the news, point to where things are headed, and answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To submit your questions and get access to bonus shows, live events and our full back catalog of bonus episodes, be sure to subscribe to Gaslit Nation on Patreon! We’ll be back with a live taping of Gaslit Nation on Tuesday June 27 at 12pm EST with Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman. If you’re signed up at the Truth-teller level or higher, look out for a link sent to your inbox the morning of the event on how to join. We look forward to seeing you there and invite you to drop your questions in the chat!
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Saving Democracy
This conversation was recorded May 24, 2023 as a Gaslit Nation live taping and includes at the end a Q&A of questions dropped in the chat by our audience. Thank you to everyone who joined us!
Can Florida, and with it, the rest of our democracy be saved? Or is Florida destined to be an authoritarian cesspool under Brooks Brother Viktor Orbán – Ron DeSantis? In this special solution-rich episode of Gaslit Nation, author David Pepper discusses his latest book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American.
David shares important lessons from the upset of Jacksonville’s mayoral race; why Florida’s Democratic Party State Chair Nikki Fried could give DeSantis a run for his money, and we discuss how Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota have their acts together while New York’s Democratic Party remains stuck under Jay Jacobs who handed the House to Kevin McCarthy, bringing the American and therefore the global economy to the brink. (Elections have consequences, which is why Jay Jacobs must be replaced – join the movement here!)
If you’re stuck in a so-called blue state like New York that’s failing due to machine politics and complacency, or if you live in a fascist-gerrymandered hostage state known as a red state, this discussion has concrete steps you can take to empower your community. Local elections are the frontlines of our democracy, no matter where you live. And none of us are in this battle alone.
Thank you to everyone who joined our live taping with David Pepper. Be sure to check out his book Saving Democracy. If you would like to join a future live taping of Gaslit Nation, be sure to support the show at the Truth-teller level or higher. And to submit questions for our regular Q&As, sign up at the Democracy Defender level or higher. We’ll be back with an all new Q&A this coming Friday so stay tuned! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
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Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think!
Welcome to our special live taping of Gaslit Nation! Thank you to everyone who joined us and asked such profound and moving questions in the live Q&A. It was a replenishing joy to hear from you. Thank you so much to the great Kasia Babis, a renowned illustrator and activist in Poland who created the visual world of the Gaslit Nation graphic novel Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think! available now on pre-order, and out everywhere starting June 13. If you haven’t met the book’s rascally narrator yet, Judge Lackey, see him at work by watching the book’s fun animated trailer.
Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman also joined the live-taping to discuss whether Putin’s days are numbered (they are!), who will replace him (someone worse?), and whether the Freedom of Russia Legion liberating Russian towns and villages inside Russia from Putin’s dictatorship is real (it appears so!), and what it all means. Will Putin use nukes, especially as Ukraine’s spring offensive gets underway? What should the world’s response be to Putin going nuclear?
We're having another live taping Wednesday May 24 at 2pm EST with David Pepper on his new book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American. You can get access to that by subscribing to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher -- details will be sent out to those subscribers on how to join the live taping the morning of the event.
Our bonus episode this week will be the Q&A of our live taping. We’ll be back with an all new Q&A answering questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. To submit your questions or to get access to the bonus episodes, and our full back catalog of bonus episodes, be sure to subscribe to the show on Patreon to keep us going! Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
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George Santos, Nikki Haley, the Kushners, Giuliani, and Other Ponzi Schemes
Sports Illustrated cover model George Santos was arrested for fraud! This week’s episode processes the shock over that news, and asks the all important question of who in their right mind would post a $500,000 bond to bail out George Santos, and what are they getting in return? Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and Santos is the smoke of a larger corruption ushering in fascist kleptocracy.
In this week’s episode, Andrea is joined by old friend of the show Terrell Starr of the essential podcast Black Diplomats. Sarah is taking a step back from the show to deal with a family situation, as she has shared on Twitter. In this episode, Terrell and Andrea discuss the Durham Report, Nikki Haley and her pals the Kushners clawing their way back to the White House to steal more from the American people, and the inspiring resilience of the Ukrainian people facing off against Russia’s genocide.
Next week’s live taping of Gaslit Nation on Tuesday May 23rd at 1:30pm EST will feature Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman who grew up in Brighton Beach and, instead of becoming a Trump Crime Family accomplice, co-founded an anti-corruption NGO in Europe, Institute for European Integrity. There will be a second *newly added* live taping on Wednesday May 24th at 2pm EST featuring David Pepper to discuss his new book Saving Democracy: A User's Manual for Every American. To join those events, be sure to subscribe to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher, and look out for the details sent to your inbox on the morning of May 23rd then again on May 24th.
A new bonus episode comes out this Friday answering questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show – we could not make Gaslit Nation without you!
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The Blood-Dimmed Tide
Join us May 23rd Tuesday 1:30pm EST for a live taping of Gaslit Nation and audience Q&A! If you're subscribed on Patreon at the Truth-teller level or higher, you'll receive a guest link the morning of the event to join us. Thank you to everyone who supports the show!
What rough beast, its hour come round at last, slouches toward CNN to be born? Well, I think we all know the answer to that. This week we describe the foot-soldiers of criminal impunity that have arisen in the wake of the Trump presidency and the unpunished attempted coup. We start with Daniel Penny, who murdered homeless man Jordan Neely on the subway and was coddled and protected by politicians and the media. We go on to discuss domestic terrorist Mauricio Garcia, who murdered eight people in Texas after immersing himself in neo-nazi movements.
We also discuss the horrific fact that snuff videos and extremely graphic images are circulating online, distributed with intent to desensitize the population to violence. We examine the root causes of the crisis – lax gun laws, institutional apathy toward suffering (especially throughout the mass death of covid), failure of federal officials to respond to a right-wing, white supremacist movement that has been building since 2008 and accelerated dramatically during the Trump era, and a media/political system that wants you to accept violent extremism as normal. Do not accept it!
Andrea concludes with the latest on Russia’s war on Ukraine, a dramatic week which included drones launched at the Kremlin, and at its historical precedents as “Victory Day” comes around at a time when Putin is feeding his own population into a Stalinesque meat grinder.
We have switched the day of our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and above, to Friday! This gives us time to discuss news stories that break after we record, so for the latest on Trump being held liable in court and more, listen in. We will also answer questions from Patreon subscribers at the Democracy Defender level or higher.
We know times are tough – that’s why every other media company is going out of business! But that’s also why independent news is all the more important. Gaslit Nation is funded entirely by its Patreon subscribers, which is how we are able to speak our minds without fear. Please support us and keep independent journalism going!
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Is America Headed Towards a Civil War?
With political violence on the rise in America, along with disinformation, mainstream propaganda and the consolidation of media under conservative ownership, the scapegoating of LGBTQ+ people, women, and nonwhite people, and the weaponization of government in several Republican-led states, are we headed towards a civil war?
In this week's episode, Andrea interviews Jeff Sharlet, the author of the new book Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. Sharlet is also the author of The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, that launched the must-watch Netflix series of the same name, that takes viewers into the dark heart of corruption known as the National Prayer Breakfast, and how it's used as a tool for the extreme religious right to consolidate power. In Undertow, Sharlet takes readers on a cross-country roadtrip to show how we're in a slow-motion civil war, and provides ways to confront this dangerous crossroads, including lessons from Civil Rights leader and artist Harry Belafonte.
Sharlet is the New York Times best-selling author or editor of eight books. His writing and photography have appeared in many publications, including Vanity Fair, for which he is a contributing editor; the New York Times Magazine; GQ; Esquire; Harper’s; and VQR, for which he is an editor at large. He currently teaches the art of writing as a professor at Dartmouth College. In our bonus episode, out later this week for Patreon subscribers at the Truth-teller level or higher, Sharlet takes the Gaslit Nation Self-Care Q&A to share what art, music, books, and documentaries and other cultural resources that he recommends to help process the times we live in. We will share a free excerpt of that for all listeners wherever you get your podcasts.
We'll be back with an all new Gaslit Nation episode next week, along with our regular Q&A bonus episode for Patreon subscribers. For supporters at the Democracy Defender level and higher, submit your questions to be answered in an upcoming bonus episode. Thank you to everyone who supports Gaslit Nation and keeps our show going! To join our community of listeners, sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit
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Tucker Carlson, GOP Candidate?
This week we take a look at the slate for 2024, including recently declared candidate President Biden, career criminal seditionist Donald Trump, Marianne Williamson, Robert Kennedy Jr, and possibly two more Republicans – the faltering Ron DeSantis, and the demonic Tucker Carlson, who recently was set free from his Fox News hellscape to possibly run for office. We contemplate a Carlson run, examine the Fox News lawsuit, and discuss the gutting of investigative reporting and the demise of cable news in general. At the end of the show, we debate about how Biden is doing and what he should be doing – not to win, but to fulfill his campaign promises and serve the American people, which is his job!
We also discuss the Kremlin’s latest moves into Sudan and the operations of the Wagner Group: the brutal band of professional mercenaries that has been active in Ukraine, Syria, and other regions the Kremlin seeks to drag into their sphere of influence. We discuss the history of Russia’s efforts in Africa and how Obama official Susan Rice helped paved the road for the current disaster. We also discuss what it means that Rice is finally leaving the Biden administration.
Every week we do a bonus episode for our Patreon subscribers. We’ve decided to start releasing them later in the week because we often have extra topics we don’t get to in the main show. So this week, stay tuned for some extra Gaslit Nation as well as the answers to our listener Q&A! To submit a question, join at the Democracy Defender level or higher. To listen to the bonus episode, join at the Truth-Teller level or higher.
Gaslit Nation is one of few podcasts that is free to all and that keeps all of our episodes archived online in transcript form. This is important as news websites continue to go under or paywall their content. We are under no corporate control and are funded entirely by our listeners. Help keep Gaslit Nation going by joining us on Patreon!
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Discord Traitor Bro
Another week, another set of traitors that somehow our (compromised) national security institutions were not able to catch in time! This week we take a look at Jake Teixeira, a traitor who leaked classified intelligence documents on Discord and became the new mascot of the far-right, and “Donbass Devushka”, the pathetic online persona of a former Naval official and all-around asshole from New Jersey named Sarah Bils. These two are just the latest iteration of a broader online propaganda initiative, ongoing for over a decade, to weaponize intelligence against Ukraine on behalf of the Kremlin and its American right-wing backers.
We look at the long history of intelligence failures that have led us to the point that a bunch of randos in a Discord forum are more in tune with intelligence than our politicians, who behave like characters in a reality TV show. We discuss the lack of accountability from the FBI and DOJ and the complicity of seditionists like Marjorie Taylor Green who recite their little lines in tandem with their task masters. We discuss Wagner Group and other terrorist outlets attacking Ukraine, as well as the slow-moving war itself, and Andrea again implores the US government to give Ukraine the military equipment that it needs so the war will actually end – and the only way it can end with a chance of peace for the world is with a Ukraine win.
For our bonus episode, available to Patreon subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions from our subscribers about AI and fascism, why Americans don't protest like the French, the Tennessee legislature and the protests, Clarence Thomas, NC Dem turncoat Tricia Cotham, who should primary Biden, the fading career of DeSantis, and more! And if you join at the Democracy Defender level or higher, you can join us at our live show for our upcoming graphic novel Dictatorship – It’s Easier Than You Think, which will be out June 13! The live show will be May 23 at 1:30 EST.
Gaslit Nation is an independent podcast made possible entirely by our Patreon community, so please consider joining and getting extra features and more!
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SCOTUS Corruption and the Tennessee Revolution
We're doing a live taping of Gaslit Nation on May 23 at 1:30pm EST. Make sure you're subscribed to the show at the Truth-teller level or higher to get access to that special live event to celebrate the launch of our book Dictatorship: It's Easier Than You Think!
It’s been a busy week for nazis, neo-confederates, and crimelords – and for the people fighting them! We start out this week by discussing the ProPublica article on corrupt SCOTUS justice Clarence Thomas and his Hitler swag loving backer, Harlan Crow. Sarah gives a lot of background into their relationship, including 1) allegations of sex trafficking by Crow’s brother and his ties to a client of Jeffrey Epstein 2) Thomas’s ties to GOP sex trafficking and blackmail cases in the 1980s including the Franklin Scandal 3) the combination of bribes and blackmail GOP elites use to keep their judges and reps in line 4) and how the media exposed Thomas’s corrupt relationships long ago, but officials refused to act!
Then we discuss the heartening news out of Tennessee, where representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson refused to accept their expulsion on baseless grounds, shone a light into the Tennessee legislature’s corruption, gave fuel to a national protest movement, and got reinstated into office with a global platform. We discuss the protests and large voter turnouts in gerrymandered hostage states like Tennessee, Wisconsin, and Michigan, and how this may indicate a bigger anti-authoritarian movement in America to come.
Then Andrea details what was in those classified documents found on a Minecraft Discord server (seriously), what they mean for Russia’s war on Ukraine, and what Ukraine still needs to win the war: the global democratic alliance must make up its mind if it wants Ukraine to win the war, then give Ukraine what it keeps asking for to win the war: ATACMS (long range missiles) and F-16s.
We released our weekly Patreon bonus episode -- a special on violent feuds among the Kremlin’s elites -- earlier than usual so if you are a subscriber at the Truth-Teller level or higher, be sure to check that out. We will be back next week with our usual Q&A, so keep your questions coming! Gaslit Nation is 100% listener supported, so please consider signing up on Patreon to keep this show possible!
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Donald Trump Indictment Special
Fifty years after he was first investigated by the Department of Justice, Donald Trump has finally been indicted…for a crime for which the statute of limitations may have run out. On Tuesday, Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg announced 34 charges of falsifying business records in 2017. It is possible there are extenuating circumstances that make the case still timely – we will have to see. Regardless of what transpires, it does not change the big picture: Trump is guilty of a multitude of atrocities against the American people and he and his backers pose a clear and present danger.
We review the details of the Stormy Daniels case and the other crimes for which he should be charged, among them, sedition, abuse of the pardon power, obstruction of justice, rape, election interference, racketeering, and much, much more – and we note the terrible precedent it sets that crimes affecting national security and public safety (like, say, fomenting a violent coup!) go unpunished, opening the door for a successor to commit them. We discuss the media’s continued role as a PR outlet for Trump and the loss of publicly available archives that make it easier for the public to forget his other crimes. We also break down why Bragg was the first prosecutor to finally indict him when so many others – Mueller, Garland, Comey, Vance, etc – have failed, and speculate on what will happen in other state and local investigations. There is a LOT to unpack in this episode so be sure to tune in!
For our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-Teller level and higher, we answer questions from our Patreon subscribers on secessionist movements, the media outlets stoking civil war, whether Trump poses a flight risk, how 1980s militias and crime cults shape today’s politics, and much more! We have another bonus dropping later this week so make sure to sign up. Patreon members now have the opportunity to win a free copy of our upcoming graphic novel Dictatorship – It’s Easier Than You Think! We will be giving away one copy each month to a subscriber selected at random.
Gaslit Nation is a 100% independent podcast made possible by listener support. If you like us, please spread the word, as we are shadowbanned on Musk’s Twitter and often cannot even post links to our own show! Happy indictment day!
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Accountability Theater
In a classic American road trip tale, Sarah went on vacation hearing that indictments for Trump were imminent, turned off the news for a week, and came back to the very unindicted Trump holding a fascist rally in Waco. Why, it’s almost like the legal pundit class lying to the American people for eight years was lying yet again! This is accountability theater, nothing more. And it’s profoundly dangerous.
This week, we discuss the lack of indictments for Trump, the many crimes that he should be indicted for, the idiocy that the Stormy Daniels case of all things is where officials are focused, and the DOJ’s failure to combat domestic terrorism and transnational organized crime. Sarah gives a long history lesson about the Oklahoma City bombings and predecessor cases like the Fort Smith Sedition Trial of 1988, and Andrea discusses gun violence and the organized political oppression of LGBTQ communities that has been on the rise for the last few years. We also discuss Trump’s confessional flaunting about his relationship with the IRS, which backs up reporting Sarah did in HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT four years ago, and the Trump camp’s use of political violence to intimidate Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg. And of course we detail Merrick Garland’s failure to address any of these ongoing crises.
In our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, we answer questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. This week’s Q&A includes the pressing question and its many implications: Does Putin have a body double? For more and to support the show, sign up on Patreon to join our community of listeners and support independent journalism.
We also have an exciting announcement – we co-wrote a book! And it’s a graphic novel! About dictators! Currently listed in the humor section of Amazon! DICTATORSHIP – IT’S EASIER THAN YOU THINK will be published on June 13 and it is available for preorder now. We take you on a world historical tour of dictators, how they got in power, how they stayed in power, and how to get them out. This is the first Gaslit Nation book and we will be giving more information on special signed copies for Patreon subscribers. Stay tuned!
Our featured song for March 2023 is “Nickel and Dime” by Sofia Echegaray. You can find more of Sofia's music on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/sofia-echegaray
If you would like your music featured on Gaslit Nation, submit a song here.
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The Save Democracy Challenge
Dictators and aspiring tyrants want us to be demoralized, to be bullied psychologically into submission. Bullies are always surprised when people resist and fight back. The 2022 Midterms were a historic time of fighting back: the first major elections since the violent attempted overthrow of our democracy. People showed up and organized in record numbers, denying Trump's Big Lie and the America First fascist movement the victories they needed to steal the electoral college in 2024. Arizona, Nevada, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Pennsylvania are all protected by elected public servants who believe in democracy, and that's thanks to voters and organizers who refused to be intimidated. In this week's special episode, we highlight four Gaslit Nation listeners who worked hard to protect our democracy in the midterms, some volunteering as far as Ukraine.
In this inspiring conversation, you'll meet Dr. Nicole Speer, a recently elected member of the Boulder City Council who manages a brain imaging research facility at the University of Colorado. She shares her story of running for office and how others can do the same. You'll also hear from Hugh Stempfley of Illinois who trained as an election judge alongside his grandson, and shares their story of two generations on the frontlines of protecting our democracy. Jed Holtzman of San Francisco is active in his community advocating for policies and other actions to urgently protect our civilization from man-made climate change and his advice on why text-banking is a great way to pitch in, even if you only have an hour to spare. And finally, you'll meet entrepreneur Isaac Flanagan who left his comfortable home in Colorado to bring desperately needed humanitarian supplies to the frontlines of Russia's genocidal invasion of Ukraine, even while helping get out the vote in the U.S. midterm by calling voters in a California swing House district. We thank everyone who helped get out the vote in these and all elections. Our democracy depends on you, even though it shouldn't. Thank you to everyone who works hard to protect our democracy and shows why we always say: grassroots power is the most reliable power we have left.
In our bonus episode, available to subscribers at the Truth-teller level and higher, we cover the International Criminal Court at The Hague that just indicted war criminal Putin -- an arrest notice that makes Putin a wanted man in well over 100 countries. We also touch on the potential Trump indictment which noticeably isn't coming from the DOJ. We also answer questions submitted by our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. Thank you to everyone who supports the show and keeps our civic-action community and independent journalism going. We couldn't make this show without you!
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Peter Thiel’s Silicon Valley Bank Collapse Dreams
It looks like the Libertarians of Silicon Valley suddenly love government when they need the government to bail them out. Socialism for the mega-rich, taxes and fascism for the rest of us. In this week’s episode, we delve into the fantasy hellscape of Peter Thiel, his investments in surveillance tech and A.I. that would give aspiring autocrats like him unstoppable power; Dictator Xi of China as a warning of what could happen to the United States if the Silicon Valley Libertarian Fascist Brigade usher in Big Brother 2.0, why Democrats aren’t doing more to stop them (because some are cashing in!).
Thiel’s instigated bank collapse comes at an opportune time: rattling the economy when the 2024 presidential elections are around the corner. Economic anxiety and uncertainty will rattle the Democrats' ability to hold onto the White House. This will pave the way for a wannabe fascist dictator like Ron DeSantis, the Viktor Orban of Florida, who is using the same kind of anti-gay laws Putin used to consolidate power in Russia. DeSantis just gave an interview to Walter Duranty of Fox News, telling Tucker Carlson that supporting Ukraine in the face of an existential genocide from a modern day Hitler is not in U.S. interests, which means DeSantis has secured Russia’s help in the upcoming election.
In our bonus episode, we answer questions from our listeners at the Democracy Defender level and higher. This week’s discussion includes why we should keep an eye on Russia’s threat of invading Moldova (again!) to open up a new front to seize Ukraine; how to hold onto hope and push back against corruption; and how to organize your life to be creative and productive despite the hellscape we find ourselves in, and a fun story about a recent run-in with Hillary Clinton -- possible Gaslit Nation listener? If you want to keep Gaslit Nation going and support the show, join our community of listeners on Patreon to get access to weekly bonus episodes, to ask us anything in our frequent Q&As, and join our live events. We couldn’t produce the journalism the world needs without you!
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