Scott Adams discusses the latest happenings in the world through a persuasion filter. Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-adams00/support" rel="payment">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/scott-adams00/support</a>

Episode 3052 CWSA 12/24/25

Real Coffee with Scott Adams

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Opening and Health Issues: Scott Adams begins the Christmas Eve show dealing with asthma problems, warning he may need to step away to use a steamer but will keep the stream running. Despite respiratory issues from a tough night, he makes it through the entire broadcast while using lozenges and steroids.

Tesla Full Self-Driving Experiences: Discussion of people's reactions to their first Tesla self-driving experience, with viewers confirming they can "sense the sentience" of the AI. Nvidia's director of robotics calls it like passing a physical Turing test. Tesla plans to produce Cyber Cabs at a rate of one every five seconds on assembly lines moving so fast people won't be able to get near them.

Climate Data Fraud: UK Met Office discovered over 80% of their temperature monitoring sites are "junk" with measurement uncertainties of 2-5 degrees Celsius, with some sites non-existent or in heat islands. Adams argues humans cannot accurately measure Earth's temperature and introduces his recurring theme that "all data that's important is fake" in political and economic domains.

Refugee Fraud Statistics: Reports show 79% of refugees have vacationed in the countries they supposedly fled from for safety, suggesting massive fraud in refugee claims. Adams uses this as another example of data showing widespread fraudulent activity.

DOGE Accomplishments and Skepticism: Reports claim DOGE cut 9% of federal workers, improved Social Security Administration effectiveness by 65%, reduced claims by 35%, and saved $214 billion. However, Adams applies his own "all important data is fake" filter and questions whether these numbers are accurate, though he trusts the directional improvement.

California Financial Mismanagement: California spent $24 billion on homelessness without any tracking system to measure results. The state has 171 homeless people (30% of US total), and eight state agencies were identified as "high risk" for waste, fraud, and abuse. Steve Hilton is running for governor promising to cut electricity bills in half by eliminating bad climate policies.

Elon Musk's "Based" Commentary: Musk posts that The Atlantic is kept alive by Laurene Jobs using Steve Jobs' money for something he would despise, then doubles down saying "balls deep woke white women are the doom of Western civilization." Adams agrees this wouldn't have happened if liberal white women didn't have voting rights, noting we wouldn't have open borders without their forced empathy.

Minnesota Mandatory Ethnic Studies: New K-12 requirements include transgender affirmation, dismantling cisgender privilege, Black Lives Matter principles, distrust of nuclear family, and videos about George Floyd Square. The SBA is withholding $5.5 million from Minnesota due to fraud concerns, and Republicans are proposing a "WALZ Act" anti-fraud bill named after the sitting governor.

Democrats as Criminal Organization Theory: Adams argues that when examining NGO money laundering, SNAP fund theft, ActBlue allegations, election rigging, California's disappeared funds, Russia collusion hoax, and Clinton Foundation issues, the Democratic Party collectively appears to be a criminal organization (excluding individual voters). He asks if he's in a bubble seeing only Democrat fraud while acknowledging Republicans might just be better at hiding it.

GDP Growth and Economic Predictions: US GDP grew 4.3% versus predictions of 3.3%, while Canada's GDP shrank by 0.3%. Thousands of economists who predicted recession due to tariffs were completely wrong while Trump and Bessent were right. Adams questions if economics is a respectable profession given their inability to predict outcomes, and applies his "fake data" filter to question if even the GDP number is reliable.

Epstein Files Redaction Failure: The latest Epstein file dump was redacted using Adobe Acrobat but someone forgot the second step to flatten the file, allowing people to reverse the redactions. However, no smoking guns were found. Adams applies the "Dilbert filter" to conclude this was likely incompetence rather than intentional disclosure, since whoever did it will face serious consequences.

Israel-Gaza Situation: Israeli Defense Minister says the military will never leave Gaza despite peace deal terms. Adams observes that a two-state solution has never been realistic since there's zero chance Israel would actually agree to it, making it just negotiating rhetoric. He maintains his position of neither pro nor anti-Israel, simply observing as an American focused on US interests.

Medical Breakthrough Claims: Israeli company Matcha Self claims to have reversed paralysis in rats within days using stem cells from patients' own tissue with scaffolding material. Adams expresses skepticism about the "within days" timeline since nerve regrowth typically takes much longer, though he's "waiting in line behind the rats."

Functional Fiction and Democracy: Adams explores whether democracy can handle truth, arguing that functional lies and propaganda may be necessary to hold countries together. He cites Trump's optimism as an example—always saying things are great motivates business investment which then makes it true. He suggests democracy and capitalism require "enlightened propaganda" done for people's best interests rather than truth.

Venezuela and Maduro: Trump warns Maduro it would be "smart" to leave and says if he resists "it'll be the last time he's able to do so." Russia is reportedly evacuating diplomats. Adams analyzes whether Trump can win a war without firing a shot purely through intimidation, suggesting Trump might negotiate with Putin to provide Maduro a safe haven as part of broader Russian negotiations.

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Want to dominate your league and earn Fantasy Football bragging rights? Join host Adam Aizer, analysts Dave Richard, Jamey Eisenberg, Heath Cummings, and the rest of our crew throughout the year. Start or Sit, Waiver Wire, Buy or Sell, Grade the Trade, Fantasy Cops to settle your league disputes and mailbag episodes from your emails and #AskFFT tweets. Come hang out with your buddies and talk Fantasy Football! This is the only podcast you'll need to win your league!

Week 17 Tough Calls, Christmas Day Start or Sit (12/24 Fantasy Football Podcast)

Fantasy Football Today

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Quarterback Dilemmas for Week 17: Baker Mayfield (vs Miami) and Jared Goff (at Minnesota) present tough decisions. The panel is split, with Jamie preferring Mayfield due to Minnesota's historic defensive run (six straight games without allowing a passing touchdown), while Dave and Heath lean slightly toward Goff despite the difficult matchup. Dak Prescott is a consensus top-three quarterback against Washington, though there's concern about the Commanders' potentially weak offensive output affecting game flow.

Running Back Tough Calls: DeAndre Swift (at San Francisco) ranks highest among a problematic group that includes Tony Pollard (vs New Orleans), Bucky Irving (at Miami), and Tyrone Tracy (at Las Vegas). Swift is clearly ahead despite his inconsistent receiving work, while Pollard ranks lowest due to concerns about Tennessee's offense and the Saints' surprisingly strong defense. The panel notes Bucky Irving has morphed into an "ultimate trap back" with limited passing down work and no carries inside the five-yard line.

Wide Receiver Considerations: Michael Wilson, Zay Flowers, Christian Watson, and Tetairoa McMillan are all borderline WR2/WR3 options this week. Wilson at Cincinnati gets the most support despite Marvin Harrison Jr. returning, while the others face quarterback uncertainty (Flowers/Watson) or volume concerns (McMillan). The panel generally prefers these receivers over running backs like Bucky Irving in PPR formats.

Detroit's Offensive Weapons Against Minnesota: Despite Minnesota's dominant defensive run, the panel recommends starting Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameer Gibbs. Jameson Williams is more controversial—he's been excellent in tough matchups lately but faces a Vikings defense allowing minimal passing production. The Vikings' quarterback situation with Max Brosmer (4.7 yards per attempt, 8.5% interception rate) significantly limits their offensive ceiling.

Vikings' Offensive Struggles: Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison face an excellent matchup against Detroit's depleted secondary, but Brosmer's ineffectiveness makes them virtually unstartable. The panel notes this is remarkable given their preseason expectations. Aaron Jones is a low-end RB2 if Jordan Mason sits, though concerns exist about his health and the Vikings' limited scoring potential (18-point implied total).

Dallas-Washington Game Analysis: If Josh Johnson starts for Washington instead of Marcus Mariota, fantasy prospects dim considerably. Johnson's career stats are abysmal (3.5% touchdown rate, 5.1% interception rate), though Dallas's defense is historically bad against quarterbacks. Terry McLaurin remains a low-end WR2, while Debo Samuel becomes a desperation flex. The Cowboys' offense should thrive against a checked-out Dolphins defense.

RJ Harvey as a Top-10 Running Back: The panel loves Harvey this week against Kansas City's depleted defense that will be resting players. His limited workload last week (seven carries) was attributed to the Broncos playing from behind and Harvey returning from a rib injury. The matchup and game script should favor a heavy rushing attack from Denver.

Chiefs' Fantasy Wasteland: With Carson Wentz expected to start at quarterback, virtually no Chiefs player is startable except possibly Travis Kelce as a desperation option. The panel notes Kelce could see forced targets in what's likely his final home game, but questions whether a third-string quarterback can execute. Isiah Pacheco showed receiving upside last week (six catches) but faces a strong Denver defense.

Troy Franklin's Emergence: With Pat Bryant out, Franklin becomes a viable WR3 option for Denver. He's in the same tier as players like Parker Washington and Stefan Diggs. The Chiefs' secondary injuries make Denver's passing game more appealing, though Bo Nix remains a borderline QB1/QB2 option with limited touchdown upside lately despite high yardage totals.

Tight End Scarcity Continues: Jake Ferguson's matchup against Washington is favorable, but concerns exist about Dallas favoring CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens in the passing game. Heath notes there are only about nine tight ends worth starting this week, with roughly 17 others likely to score between 6-9 points. Ferguson, Dallas Goedert, and Travis Kelce are all touchdown-dependent plays in similar ranges.

Weather and Injury Monitoring: The panel emphasizes checking updates before Sunday, as Wednesday rankings may become outdated. Key concerns include weather in Buffalo-Philadelphia and Cleveland-Pittsburgh, Jordan Love's concussion protocol status, and various offensive line injuries (particularly Andrew Thomas for the Giants). Lamar Jackson's status for Saturday's game is also being monitored closely.

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The logic of personal, philosophical and political freedom.

6237 Why You Choose What You Choose! Twitter/X Space

Freedomain with Stefan Molyneux

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Personal Responsibility for Life Choices Over Cultural Messaging: The episode challenges the narrative that people, particularly women, are simply victims of societal messaging about delaying marriage and children for education and careers. While acknowledging that propaganda exists, the host argues that individuals must take responsibility for choosing the easier, more hedonistic path of extended education over early family formation. People were "bribed" with the appeal of university life—parties, minimal work requirements, and delayed adulthood—rather than being helpless victims of messaging.

Secondary Gains and Hidden Benefits of Avoidance: The concept of "secondary gains" explains why people gravitate toward solutions like SSRIs for mental health issues or extended university education—these choices allow avoidance of harder paths like confronting childhood trauma or entering the workforce early. Taking pills is easier than doing years of therapy and having difficult conversations with abusive parents. Similarly, university provides an appealing daycare for young adults that delays real-world responsibilities while offering social validation.

The Catastrophic Failure of Government Schools: Government education is characterized as a systematic theft of childhood that leaves students with virtually no marketable skills after 12-13 years of schooling. The host expresses volcanic rage at how schools rob children of thousands of hours while failing to teach anything useful about business, economics, entrepreneurship, or practical life skills. Students emerge cynical, burnt out, and economically useless, requiring additional years of university to potentially become employable.

Quality Recognition Requires Personal Quality: The discussion of dating in youth reveals that attracting quality partners requires becoming a quality person yourself. The host reflects on being unable to attract high-quality women in his younger years, and observing that even high-quality women often chose poor partners—confident but ultimately unreliable men who lacked genuine substance. This pattern suggests that youth and inexperience prevent people from accurately assessing character and long-term compatibility.

The University Bribery System: Higher education is exposed as an adult daycare system that bribes young people with laziness and hedonism—minimal class hours, extended summers off, loan money, parties, and social opportunities—rather than rigorous intellectual development. The host contrasts this with how free-market education would function through apprenticeships, IQ testing, and accelerated practical training. Universities became necessary partly because employers cannot legally use IQ tests, forcing them to rely on degrees as proxies.

Self-Knowledge Through Confrontation: The path to self-knowledge requires having honest, difficult conversations with people who have wronged you to determine if your perceptions are accurate. When confronting people about past wrongs, their responses reveal their true character—good people will listen and try to make amends, while bad people will gaslight, deny, and do additional wrong. This process, while painful, is necessary to identify who deserves to remain in your life.

Women's Misunderstanding of Their Market Value: Women often confuse their sexual market value (men willing to sleep with them) with their romantic market value (men willing to marry them). The host argues that women subsidize their attractiveness through their twenties with sexual access, then fail to recognize that their true value is measured by marriage proposals, not casual interest. Career achievements, education, and income don't increase romantic value to men the way they would for women evaluating men.

The Aging Woman's Dilemma: Women in their thirties frequently fail to adjust their standards downward despite diminishing options, operating under the delusion that they're more valuable than in their twenties because of accumulated career experience and education. This creates a disconnect where women with no marriage offers continue raising their demands rather than recognizing the need to lower standards. The analogy used is trying to sell a house with no offers by raising the price.

Sales Success Through Desperation and Mentorship: A caller's story illustrates how sales skills can be developed through intense motivation (refusing to accept failure), good mentorship from a managing partner, extensive reading beforehand, and exposure to successful role models who demonstrated that wealth could coexist with family values and ethical behavior. This contrasts sharply with the useless education received in university grievance studies.

Modern Dating Challenges for Men Seeking Families: The caller at 32 encounters women his age who remain on SSRIs, lack clear non-negotiables for partners, prioritize whether a man would be "a good hang" with their friends, and still engage in drinking and marijuana use. These women, despite approaching the end of their fertility, haven't developed the seriousness or clarity needed for family formation, showing how cultural messaging has delayed maturity.

The Impossibility of Fixing Personality Disorders: Sociopathy and antisocial personality disorders are presented as incurable conditions that even professionals with total institutional control cannot fix. This reality means ordinary people should never believe they can change or fix highly dysfunctional individuals. The comparison is made to seeing someone with a tumor and thinking you can fix it with household items—it's dangerously delusional.

The Public School Hangover Effect: A second caller describes experiencing a "public school hangover" lasting into his mid-thirties—a period where curiosity and genuine learning desire were completely suppressed by the trauma of forced education. Only after this hangover cleared did authentic intellectual curiosity emerge. The rage upon realizing how much time was stolen and how comprehensively one was misdirected about life requires channeling into relentless criticism of government education systems.

Teachers as Indoctrinators Rather Than Heroes: The narrative that teachers are heroic and underpaid is rejected entirely. If teachers were truly passionate and skilled educators, they would teach in the free market through tutoring, coaching, or online platforms. The lack of correlation between teacher pay and student performance, combined with the propaganda-focused curriculum, reveals teachers as primarily leftist indoctrinators benefiting from a captive audience they cannot earn in voluntary exchange.

Career Women and the Childcare Paradox: Men interested in having stay-at-home mothers for their children find career-focused women unattractive not because of intelligence but because these women won't abandon careers to raise children. Marrying a career woman who outsources childcare creates a "weird polygamy" where one woman works, another cooks and cleans, and a third raises the children—often a non-English speaker from an incompatible culture.

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<h4>AI Inside explores the complexities of artificial intelligence and its impact on the world at large. Hosted by tech podcaster&nbsp;Jason Howell&nbsp;and media expert&nbsp;Jeff Jarvis, AI Inside takes a thoughtful look at the promise and challenges of AI while inviting some of the industry's most notable players and thinkers to engage in thoughtful dialogue about AI, neither overhyping its potential nor dismissing public concerns about its development. With a deep interest in AI's impacts on art and culture, Jason uses his rich experience in technology and creativity to understand its capabilities better. Jeff is a respected voice on technology's influence on media and society, thanks to his popular blog BuzzMachine and books like "Public Parts" and "The Gutenberg Parenthesis." Together, Jason and Jeff aim to advance public understanding of this world-changing technology at an important inflection point.</h4> <hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Ben Goertzel of SingularityNET: What AGI Means Now, Open Source AI, and Compute Constraints

AI Inside

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Origins and Evolution of AGI Terminology: Ben Goertzel coined the term "artificial general intelligence" (AGI) in the early 2000s for a book on building thinking machines that could match and exceed human-level intelligence. The original meaning focused on systems capable of generalizing beyond their training data across diverse environments, but recent commercial interpretations have diluted this to mean market caps or automating jobs—related concepts but not the same as true general intelligence.

AGI as the Original Goal, Not a New Target: Contrary to popular perception, AGI wasn't a later addition to AI research but the field's founding objective from the 1950s-60s. Narrow AI emerged in the 1970s when researchers realized how difficult true general intelligence would be. I.J. Good's 1965 concept of the "intelligence explosion" predicted that the first truly intelligent machine would be humanity's last necessary invention through recursive self-improvement.

The Gap Between Human-Level and Superhuman AI May Be Brief: While Ray Kurzweil predicted human-level AGI by 2029 and superintelligence by 2045, Goertzel believes the 16-year gap is likely too long. Given current LLM capabilities in math and science, a system achieving human-level general intelligence would probably reach radically superhuman levels much faster than previously expected, potentially accelerating the intelligence explosion timeline.

LLMs Won't Achieve AGI But Reveal Economic Vulnerabilities: Goertzel firmly believes large language models cannot become AGI because they're architecturally designed to interpolate within their training distribution rather than make creative leaps beyond it. However, LLMs surprisingly revealed that 90-95% of economic jobs may not require true general intelligence—just pattern matching and imitation of existing work—meaning AI could automate most employment without achieving AGI.

The Dangerous Interim Period Before Superintelligence: Goertzel's primary concern is the gap between early-stage AGI automating jobs and superintelligence creating abundance for all. Developed nations may implement social safety nets, but developing countries lack resources for universal basic income. When AI eliminates middle-class factory and service jobs in places like Ethiopia or the Congo, populations may face extreme hardship before superintelligence can provide technological abundance.

Scale Matters But Big Tech Overestimates Requirements: While scale is genuinely important for AGI—Marvin Minsky's belief that a 486 PC could run AGI was wrong—big tech companies likely overestimate compute requirements by a factor of ten. The first human-level AGI won't run on a laptop, but neither will it require the trillion-dollar server farms tech giants claim, especially if designed for heterogeneous distributed computing rather than monolithic infrastructure.

Big Tech Has Incentives to Inflate Compute Needs: Major technology companies benefit from promoting AI methods requiring massive data and monolithic server farms because these requirements eliminate competition. By making AGI development appear to need resources only they possess, big tech ensures market dominance. The industry should instead focus on developing methods requiring less data and more flexible, distributed compute infrastructure.

True Open Source AI Requires More Than Code: Opening source code alone doesn't fulfill the spirit of open source when systems require billions of dollars in compute and proprietary training data. Genuine openness demands transparent training data and pipelines, flexible deployment across diverse compute infrastructures, and algorithms designed to work on heterogeneous systems rather than requiring specific massive server farms that only big tech can afford.

Multiple Promising AI Paradigms Beyond LLMs Need Funding: Neural-symbolic AI combining neural networks with logical reasoning, evolutionary programming, genetic algorithms, and concept blending have all shown promise at small scales. While LLM success has likely increased absolute funding for alternative approaches, the disproportionate pile-on to LLMs represents missed opportunities to scale up diverse AI techniques that could contribute differently to AGI development.

Three Requirements for Open AGI Development: Success requires governments avoiding regulations that enable big tech capture of AI (Trump's opposition to restrictive California regulations helps); research and development communities willing to use less polished tools instead of convenient big tech ecosystems; and sufficient funding for hardware infrastructure. Goertzel's projects have been funded through cryptocurrency since 2018, though it's uncertain if crypto alone can sustain open AGI development.

Building Heterogeneous Infrastructure for Distributed AI: Goertzel's OpenCog Hyperon project develops neural-symbolic evolutionary AI infrastructure, while SingularityNET and the ASI chain platform enable flexible deployment across decentralized processor networks. The goal is determining which AGI components truly require centralized server farms versus which can run on mesh networks of phones, laptops, or other distributed systems.

Advice for Young People: Master Foundations and Adaptability: Rather than pursuing specific career tracks that AI may disrupt, young people should focus on what they're passionate about, develop strong foundational knowledge in mathematics, physics, literature and philosophy, and cultivate the ability to learn and adapt quickly. The era of choosing a major like computer science or business to guarantee career security is over, including for trades like plumbing as robotics advances.

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Weekly podcasts with Paul Merriman. Strategic planning for investing at every stage of life. 

The Importance of Keeping Investing Simple

Sound Investing

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The 2026 Lifetime Investment Education Project: Paul announces an upcoming comprehensive project aimed at ensuring every investor who follows his work will understand how to invest successfully for their entire life. While his daughter gave him a coffee cup reminding him to "keep it simple," he acknowledges that achieving true simplicity requires carefully navigating many important investment decisions along the way.

The Challenge of Making Investing "Fun": Many investors email Paul asking how to make investing more interesting through individual stock picking or trading. However, his sole focus is on being a successful investor to meet his family's needs and eventually leave money to charitable causes like Western Washington University and local foundations—none of which requires making investing "fun."

The Stock vs. Bond Decision and Historical Returns: The market has produced about 10% compound annual returns over 90+ years, with 40-year periods averaging around 11% since 1928. While terrible periods occur, a broadly diversified portfolio of hundreds or thousands of companies eliminates the risk of going broke, unlike concentrated positions.

The Many Forks in the Equity Investment Road: Investors face countless choices when investing in equities—from illiquid private company startups to single public companies, from sector concentration to market timing. Paul shares his personal experience investing in four startups where three went to zero, but one unexpectedly turned into millions, illustrating both the potential and risks of concentrated bets.

The Dangers of Single Company or Sector Concentration: Dr. Bessembinder's research shows that about half of all public companies either went broke or made no substantial returns. While some investors succeeded with Microsoft, others lost everything with Washington Mutual. Even investing in supposedly promising sectors like software or artificial intelligence carries significant concentration risk that Paul cannot recommend for long-term success.

The Diversification Solution: Rather than picking individual companies or sectors, Paul advocates for diversification across four major equity asset classes—combining large growth, large value, small growth, and small value companies, both in the US and internationally. This approach provides exposure to 2,000-4,000 different companies in a single portfolio.

A Simple Enhancement That May Add 1% Annually: Adding just 20% small cap value to 80% total market index is not complex and doesn't require rebalancing. If academics are correct about small cap value's long-term performance, maintaining this allocation for a lifetime could add approximately 1% extra return, with the 20% allocation potentially growing to exceed the value of the 80% in the S&P 500.

Cryptocurrency Viewed as Speculation, Not Investment: Paul reports that most academics don't consider cryptocurrency an investment but rather rank speculation, with many viewing it as part of a con job. He notes it would be unprecedented in history for a currency itself to become a primary source of wealth creation, though acknowledging many believe fortunes will be built in crypto.

The Three-Legged Stool of Investment Success: The foundation starts with saving discipline—it's your money, not anyone else's, that builds wealth. The second leg is investing intelligently through proper asset allocation. The third leg is building a portfolio so well-constructed that you don't need to constantly touch it, monkey with it, or second-guess your decisions.

Controlling What You Can Control: While life is complex and many things remain outside our control, Paul's goal as a teacher is to help investors control as much of the investment process as possible. This includes making key decisions about dollar-cost averaging versus lump sum investing, monthly versus quarterly contributions, and whether to rebalance or stay the course.

The Path Forward for 2026: Paul plans to dig deeper into major investment decisions throughout 2026, examining each fork in the road to guide investors toward the path with the highest probability of success. His upcoming work will include showing how to build a glide path determining appropriate allocations between equities and fixed income for long-term financial success.

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Diggnation is back! After a 15-year break, the guys are returning with all new episodes. Diggnation covers the top stories from around the internet. Kevin Rose and Alex Albrecht give you their unique, sometimes awkward, and always hilarious take on the edges of the internet. Just a couple of geeks sitting on a couch.

Diggnation Holiday Highlights | AI, Mike Tyson, Retro Cars & More

Diggnation v2.0 (rebooted)

Diggnation (Rebooted)

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Holiday Episode Format and Gift Exchange: This is a special holiday clip show episode where Kevin and Alex revisit memorable moments from their first year back after rebooting Diggnation. Kevin brings holiday gifts including Gentleman Jack for Alex, Dalmore King Alexander III scotch, and Dom Pérignon, setting a festive tone for the retrospective.

Mike Tyson Fight Discussion: The hosts debate whether they would fight Mike Tyson at various ages for different amounts of money, ranging from $75 million to $500,000. After seeing Tyson's recent fight performance, they discuss his mobility limitations but acknowledge he could still be dangerous. Kevin contemplates taking a single punch to the stomach for half a million dollars, while Alex remains skeptical about surviving any direct hit from the boxing legend.

Hyundai Pronunciation Saga: A viewer named Ju corrected their repeated mispronunciation of Hyundai, leading to comedic attempts at the proper Korean pronunciation. The conversation pivots to Hyundai's retro Heritage Series concept cars from the 1980s, sparking discussion about how automakers often fail to bring bold concept designs to production, with the Cybertruck being a rare exception.

Digg Platform Development Progress: Kevin provides updates on Digg's relaunch, explaining they've been building essential backend infrastructure including authentication, bot prevention, and security. Recent improvements include 10x faster login speeds and upcoming community features. The beta has strong engagement with many users waiting for the full launch expected in early 2025.

AI-Powered Web App Creation: Alex shares his experience building a web app using Cursor during a weekend trip to Palm Springs to split expenses among friends. He simply prompted the AI to create an expense-splitting tool with PDF export functionality, demonstrating how accessible coding has become. This represents a shift toward a "codeless world" where AI generates programs on-demand.

Telepathy Tapes Podcast and Autism Insights: Kevin discusses the compelling Telepathy Tapes podcast about non-verbal autistic individuals who display extraordinary abilities including apparent telepathy and knowledge of subjects they've never studied, like Egyptian hieroglyphics. The podcast explores consciousness theory suggesting these individuals can access a "global cloud mind," challenging assumptions about cognitive disabilities and revealing heightened abilities in other areas.

ChatGPT for Negotiation and Communication: The hosts discuss using AI tools loaded with content from books like "Never Split the Difference" and "Crucial Conversations" to improve negotiation skills. Kevin shares how a family member successfully used ChatGPT-generated strategies in a custody dispute. They emphasize that repeated use of these AI-assisted techniques helps internalize effective communication patterns, including the psychological power of using "because" in requests.

Alex's Questionable AI Trading Ideas: In a humorous clip, Alex proposes training ChatGPT to do day trading automatically, leading Kevin to point out the logical flaw that if everyone uses AI to make money, no one actually makes money. Alex repeatedly emphasizes "this is not financial advice" in an over-the-top legal disclaimer, becoming a running joke throughout the episode.

Kevin's Netflix and Chill Misunderstanding: Kevin reveals he had been innocently using the phrase "Netflix and chill" with coworkers without understanding it's slang for sexual encounters. His embarrassed realization that he'd used this phrase inappropriately in professional settings provides one of the episode's most cringe-worthy moments, leading to discussion about generational slang gaps.

Aphantasia and the Missing Spank Bank: Kevin discusses his aphantasia—the inability to visualize images in his mind—and his shock at discovering the "spank bank" is real for most people. He explains how he processes information through emotional feelings rather than visual imagery, which he believes has heightened his instincts for product potential and investment decisions, using Twitter as an example where he sensed the emotional connection celebrities and users would form.

Emotional Intelligence as a Superpower: Kevin explores how lacking visual imagination may have enhanced his ability to sense when something isn't right or won't succeed. His investment strategy relies on feeling the emotional impact products will have on users rather than visualizing features, describing it as an "emotional eye" that has guided his most successful investment decisions including early Twitter.

Reflection on the Reboot Journey: The episode concludes with appreciation for their audience's support since relaunching in September 2024. They note how much fun they've had with the more manageable monthly recording schedule compared to the original show, and express gratitude for being in the same city to continue making content together.
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This podcast is for individual interviews on the Scott Horton Show. See the Q & A show feed to hear Scott answer listener questions and for the full show archives.

Scott Horton is the author of Fool's Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan, and is the host of the Scott Horton Show podcast. He has conducted over 5,500 interviews with authors, journalists, activists, and whistleblowers on the most important foreign policy issues since 2003.

12/23/25 Phil Tourney on the Barbarity and Relevance of the USS Liberty Attack

Scott Horton Show - Just the Interviews

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The USS Liberty Attack on June 8, 1967: Phil Tourney, a USS Liberty survivor, describes how the unarmed American naval spy ship was brutally attacked by Israeli forces while positioned 12.5 miles off the Egyptian coast during the Six-Day War. After friendly reconnaissance flights all morning where Israeli aircraft waved at the crew, unmarked jets suddenly began a 25-minute assault with napalm and rockets, followed by torpedo boats that killed 34 Americans and wounded 174. The ship survived only because one torpedo struck an I-beam that deflected the explosion.

The American Flag Was Clearly Visible: Tourney emphatically states the ship flew three American flags that day - two 5x8 foot flags that were shot down, then a massive 7x13 foot holiday flag. On a clear, sunny day, Israeli aircraft had surveilled them for hours before the attack, identifying them as American and friendly. The Israeli excuse that they mistook Liberty for an Egyptian horse transport ship (one-third Liberty's size and out of commission) is demonstrably false.

U.S. Government Recalled Rescue Aircraft: When Liberty radioman Terry Halbardier got an emergency signal out 15 minutes into the attack, the USS Saratoga and USS America launched rescue aircraft. However, Secretary of Defense McNamara and President Johnson ordered the planes recalled, with LBJ reportedly saying "I do not care about a few dead sailors. I will not embarrass my ally." Help didn't arrive for 17 hours, leaving the crew to die.

War Crimes During the Attack: Israeli forces committed multiple war crimes, including strafing life rafts in the water (a clear Geneva Convention violation), using crew members as "pop up targets," shooting anything that moved, and preparing to board with helicopter troops before mysteriously departing. One life raft was taken as a trophy by Israeli torpedo boat crews.

The Seven-Day Coverup Investigation: Admiral Isaac Kidd and legal counsel Ward Boston conducted a fraudulent seven-day investigation (such investigations typically take six months) ordered by LBJ to find it was a "mistake in identity." Kidd threatened crew members with imprisonment in Leavenworth or "worse" if they ever spoke about what happened to anyone - parents, spouses, priests, or media.

Twenty Years of Forced Silence: Survivors were forbidden from discussing the attack with anyone, including Navy counselors or VA doctors, for approximately 20 years until officer James Ennes Jr. published "Assault on the Liberty." This began survivors' efforts to tell the truth, though they've been attacked by ADL and AIPAC ever since.

Congressional Complicity and AIPAC Control: Tourney explains that 98% of Congress takes money from AIPAC and refuses to investigate or acknowledge the Liberty attack. Representatives who supported Liberty survivors - including Devin Nunes, Pete McCloskey, Paul Findley, and Jim Traficant - were removed from office. Traficant died in what Tourney considers suspicious circumstances.

The Alleged Motive: False Flag for World War III: The plan allegedly involved sinking Liberty and blaming Egypt to bring America into WWIII on Israel's side. Tourney states that SAC aircraft with nuclear weapons were en route to bomb Egypt when the ship's survival prevented the false flag operation. This would have given Israel all the territorial gains they sought in 1967.

Recent Confrontation at Heritage Foundation: Tourney traveled to Washington D.C. to confront Ben Shapiro at the Heritage Foundation, sitting in the second row with Ward Boston's declaration that the investigation was a lie. Heritage Foundation leadership refused to meet with him privately, Shapiro wouldn't look at him, no audience questions were allowed, and Shapiro was rushed out to avoid confrontation.

Delivering Truth to the Israeli Embassy: During the same trip, Tourney went to the Israeli embassy with Ward Boston's legal declaration proving it wasn't mistaken identity but "premeditated vicious murderous attack." He demanded the return of the stolen life raft trophy and had to deal with Secret Service after making his stand.

The Attack Targeted All Americans: Tourney emphasizes that when Israel shot down American flags and attacked a U.S. naval vessel, they weren't just attacking the crew - they attacked America's symbol and every American citizen. The continued coverup by every president since LBJ represents an ongoing betrayal of the nation.

Growing Public Awareness Through Alternative Media: Tourney credits young people and independent media figures like Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson, Jake Shields, Jocko Willink, Jimmy Dore, and Scott Ritter for breaking through the coverup. He notes that Ben Shapiro's recent attempts to defend Israel's actions have backfired spectacularly, bringing unprecedented attention to the Liberty.

Recommended Resources and Documentation: Key resources include James Bamford's "Body of Secrets" (most authoritative account), documentaries by BBC and Al Jazeera, Peter Hounam's "Operation Cyanide," James Ennes' "Assault on the Liberty," and Tourney's own book "What I Saw That Day" with a new book "Stay Afloat" coming in January 2025.

Mission to Honor the Dead and Prevent Future Betrayals: Tourney dedicates his life to speaking for the 34 men killed who never had the chance to live, love, or have families. He vows to continue telling the truth until his dying breath, viewing it as his duty to expose how the U.S. government has betrayed veterans and the American people since 1967.
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Learn how the smartest people in the world are using AI to think, create, and relate. Each week I interview founders, filmmakers, writers, investors, and others about how they use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Midjourney in their work and in their lives. We screen-share through their historical chats and then experiment with AI live on the show. Join us to discover how AI is changing how we think about our world—and ourselves. 

For more essays, interviews, and experiments at the forefront of AI: https://every.to/chain-of-thought?sort=newest. 

Best of the Pod: Reid Hoffman on How AI Is Answering Our Biggest Questions

AI and I

AI & I

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Philosophy as Essential Training for Entrepreneurship: Reid Hoffman argues that a background in philosophy is more valuable for entrepreneurship than an MBA. Philosophy teaches you to think crisply about possibilities, understand theories of human nature, and anticipate how products and technology might modify human behavior. It helps founders reason through complex problems about what could be possible and how circumstances change as environments evolve.

The Problem with Trolley Problems: Hoffman critiques the misuse of thought experiments in philosophy, particularly trolley problems. These scenarios artificially constrain options by positing perfect knowledge and limited choices. In real life, the moral response isn't choosing between two bad options—it's trying to break the trolley entirely, even if you think you can't. This illustrates how certain philosophical frameworks can hijack our instincts with hidden assumptions.

Academic Disciplines Need Reinvention: The intensity of disciplinarianism in universities is a major weakness. Hoffman advocates for blowing up and reconstituting academic disciplines every 25 years to encourage multidisciplinary thinking. The most interesting thinkers are those who blend across disciplines, which is essential for understanding complex problems that don't fit neatly into traditional academic categories.

Essentialism Versus Nominalism in AI: Language models add new perspective to the ancient philosophical debate between essentialism (fundamental objective reality exists) and nominalism (truth is relative or socially constructed). While LLMs function more like Wittgenstein's later work through language games, we're simultaneously trying to make them more essentialist by grounding them in truth and reducing hallucinations. This represents a Hegelian synthesis of both approaches.

Embeddings and Logical Possibility Spaces: Token embeddings in language models represent words in high-dimensional spaces, similar to Wittgenstein's early concept of logical possibility spaces. However, these spaces are constructed based on actual usage patterns in human language rather than pure logical ordering—making them ultimately more aligned with Wittgenstein's later philosophy about language games and practical use.

Teaching LLMs to Reason: Current approaches to improving reasoning in language models involve training them on data with crisp reasoning patterns—particularly computer code and textbooks. Code teaches logical patterns that generalize beyond programming, while textbooks capture the reasoning disciplines we use to teach humans. The goal is to make models more reliable at truth discovery while maintaining their creativity.

Gödel's Theorem and the Limits of Language: Hoffman finds Gödel's theorem fascinating for thinking about AI—the idea that in any sufficiently robust language system, there are truths that cannot be expressed within that system. This relates to how we think about truth discovery in both human cognition and LLMs, and the recursive patterns that exist in logic, art, and music.

Technology Fundamentally Changes Human Nature: Humans are not static beings but are constituted by the technology we engage with. Simple examples like glasses profoundly change how we perceive the world, which changes our theories of truth (since "seeing is believing"). This concept of "Homo Techne" means we're constantly evolving through our tools, making concerns about AI "changing" us miss the point that we've always been changing.

Cultural Evolution Accelerates Human Progress: Human evolution shifted from geological (extremely slow) to biological (slow) to cultural/digital (much faster). Our success as a species comes from cultural evolution—the accumulation and transmission of knowledge across generations. AI and LLMs are tools to accelerate this cultural evolution by making humanity's collective knowledge more accessible.

Reading Rewired Human Psychology: The ability to read literally changes brain structure and creates different psychological patterns. Most psychology research is flawed because it studies WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic) people who can read, making them fundamentally different from most humans throughout history. This demonstrates how technology reshapes human cognition in profound ways.

ChatGPT as Personal Research Assistant: One of the most practical uses of ChatGPT today is as an on-demand research assistant that can access humanity's collective knowledge and deliver it in the right context at the right time. While it sometimes hallucinates, if you don't think you need a research assistant, you simply haven't thought about it enough.

Using ChatGPT to Sharpen Philosophical Thinking: Hoffman uses ChatGPT to strengthen his arguments by having it generate supporting arguments, alternative framings, and counter-arguments. He also uses it to explain complex ideas (like Gödel's theorem or Einstein's relativity) at different levels of understanding. This interactive process helps internalize better thinking patterns.

Why Philosophers Didn't Invent AI: Philosophers were too disciplinarian and focused on pure cogitation rather than engaging with technology and the world. Computer scientists asked "what can I make with this technology?" while philosophers stayed in their ivory towers with thought experiments. This demonstrates the limitation of philosophy divorced from practical engagement with tools and technology.
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Dharma Seed is dedicated to preserving and sharing the spoken teachings of Theravada Buddhism in modern languages. Since the early 1980's, Dharma Seed has collected and distributed dharma talks by teachers offering the vipassana (insight) and metta (lovingkindness) practices of Theravada Buddhism. New recordings are being added continuously from contemporary dharma teachers.

Ayya Santacitta: Reframing Perception III ~ Our Life Seen From Afar

Dharma Seed: dharma talks and meditation instruction

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Reframing Perception as a Spiritual Practice: This is the third teaching in a series on reframing perception, exploring how shifting our way of seeing can help reconnect with Jung's "unforgettable wisdom at the core of the psyche" and recognize the Buddhist insights of dukkha (suffering), anicca (impermanence), and anatta (not-self). These insights support the mind in letting go and seeing reality more clearly.

Humans as Somatic Receptors for Earth's Intelligence: The teaching presents humanity as part of the sensing and organizing system of the earth body, with human bodies serving as somatic receptor sites for the planet's self-organizing intelligence. Our nervous systems are literally organs of the planet we've grown out of, capable of receiving information from the vaster body of the earth.

Becoming Cosmological Beings: Rather than contracting into consumption, scarcity, and obsession with what we lack—patterns heavily reinforced by culture—we can expand our perception to see ourselves as part of a vast living universe. This shift helps us recognize the earth as a living being and ourselves as participating cells within that larger organism.

The Year-End as a Time for Determination: The end of the year is presented as a particularly salient time for making adhitthana (determination in Buddhist teaching)—setting intentions to create new, healthy habits. One suggested practice is placing images in our living spaces as reminders that we are part of a living, intelligent earth.

Trauma's Interruption of Planetary Feedback: Unprocessed trauma disrupts the feedback flow between humans and the earth. When nervous systems are disorganized and fragmented, we experience ourselves as separate with little capacity for attunement, leading to feelings of needing to extract, dominate, and control—patterns that reflect our cultural conditioning.

Breaking the Cycle of Dependent Origination: The Buddhist teaching of dependent origination can be interrupted by staying with feeling tones without moving into craving and clinging. This requires awareness to notice the moment between feeling tone and craving, where we can break the cycle that leads to suffering, though this can be challenging and overwhelming.

Perception as Learned and Culturally Conditioned: Ancient languages like Greek, Latin, Pali, and Sanskrit had no separate word for blue, raising questions about whether ancients perceived this color. Studies show hunter-gatherers distinguish 15+ shades of green while Westerners see only about five, and Inuit have many more words for snow—demonstrating that perception is trained through cultural conditioning rather than being intrinsically real.

The Guided Meditation Journey: A practice called "Our Life Seen From Afar" (from The Work That Reconnects) invites participants to dissolve from present time and space, returning to a realm before birth—a formless realm of pure compassion. From this perspective, participants gaze down at Earth in the 21st century, witnessing both its beauty and its suffering.

The Compassionate Commitment to Take Birth: The meditation guides participants to see themselves making a commitment to be reborn into Earth to help, taking form in utero as compassionate beings. Every challenge, trauma, struggle, and joy experienced throughout life becomes understood as necessary training to fulfill this intention to help and heal.

Remembering Our Forgotten Aspiration: The teaching suggests that from birth, we've forgotten our original compassionate commitment—buried "like a jewel in a heap of garbage." Through meeting the Dharma and each other, we slowly remember this radiant heart and recognize we made this commitment together to bring love, compassion, and healing in both small and large ways.

Metta and Karuna Radiation Practice: The session concludes with loving-kindness (metta) and compassion (karuna) meditation, breathing in these qualities and radiating them outward through the body and beyond, using phrases like "May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness" while sitting in an orb of compassionate energy, particularly resonant during the holiday season's emphasis on generosity and gathering.

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THE CARDONE ZONE is the one place to find everything Grant Cardone: Real Estate Investing Made Simple, Power Player interviews with superstar entrepreneurs, authors, experts, coaches, and business leaders; The G&E Show - the business of Marriage and How to Build an Empire; Digital Marketing tips; Young Hustlers for Sales Professionals; and much, much more!

College, Targets, and the Middle-Class Lies

The Cardone Zone

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College Is Not the Path to Wealth Creation: Grant challenges the conventional wisdom that college is necessary for financial success, arguing it creates massive debt ($1.7 trillion in middle-class debt) and delays real earning potential by 4-5 years. He points out that many billionaires like Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, and Oprah Winfrey dropped out of college, and that 73% of college graduates don't even work in their field of study. The real value of education should be in gaining practical skills, not accumulating information or degrees.

Schools Don't Teach Wealth Creation Skills: Traditional education focuses on compliance and information rather than the practical skills needed for wealth building. Universities don't offer courses on increasing income, sales, marketing, scaling businesses, or real estate investing. Grant emphasizes that visionaries, creators, and entrepreneurs need different knowledge than what formal institutions provide, which are designed to create employees, not wealth creators.

The Millionaire Next Door Trap: Grant criticizes the popular book "The Millionaire Next Door" for setting the wrong target and promoting a scarcity mindset focused on cutting costs rather than creating abundance. He argues that millionaires are not actually wealthy people and often live in constant worry about money. The book's advice to buy used cars, avoid Starbucks, and live frugally keeps people stuck in middle-class thinking rather than pursuing true wealth.

Millionaire Status Is Insufficient: Having a net worth of one or two million dollars does not equal financial freedom or wealth. Grant explains that millionaires are often misers who focus on protecting what they have rather than creating more. They're "one emergency away from being broke" and still worry constantly about expenses. True wealth means having more than enough of everything vital to your survival and no longer worrying about money.

Study Billionaires, Not Millionaires: The fundamental mistake people make is seeking advice from millionaires instead of billionaires. Billionaires think about expansion and income generation, while millionaires think about contraction and cost-cutting. Billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Warren Buffett focus on creating value and scaling operations, not on saving pennies or avoiding $5 coffees.

Obsess Over Income Generation, Not Expense Reduction: The key to wealth is focusing on creating new income streams rather than obsessing over cutting costs. Grant shares that the most important money he ever earned was going from $3,000 to $4,000 per month at the same job, because it showed him he could control his income production. Confidence comes from earning more, not from saving more.

Think Bigger and Want Bigger Problems: Grant advocates for expanding your vision rather than playing it safe. Bigger challenges create bigger opportunities, and the super successful want more employees, more costs, and more investments because these lead to greater impact and wealth. Working 100-hour weeks and taking on massive projects is how billionaires operate, not by seeking 4-hour work weeks.

Your Thoughts and Language About Money Matter: How you think and talk about money directly impacts your ability to create it. Phrases like "money doesn't grow on trees," "money is the root of all evil," or "I don't need money" push wealth away. Grant recommends monitoring your thoughts and language about money for 72 hours and replacing negative beliefs with abundance-focused thinking.

Personal Journey From Addiction to Success: Grant shares his own story of drug addiction that lasted ten years and nearly killed him three times. His mother eventually had to kick him out, which became the catalyst for change. He emphasizes that no amount of drugs, money, or external validation makes you feel better about yourself—true transformation comes from changing how you think about yourself and your potential.

The Real Reason People Don't Have Money: Most people struggle financially not because they're stupid or lazy, but because they've been taught wrong about money and wealth. Living in the richest country in the world with 250 million people nearly broke proves the education system has failed to teach wealth creation. People need examples and mentors who can show them what's possible and how to achieve prosperity.

Wealth Means Freedom and Power of Choice: The ultimate goal isn't just accumulating money for its own sake, but gaining the freedom to make choices about your life, time, and resources. True wealth provides the power to impact billions of lives, create generational legacy, and live without constant worry about finances. It's about abundance and prosperity in all areas of life, not just bank account balances.

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Think is a daily, topic-driven interview and call-in program hosted by Krys Boyd covering a wide variety of topics ranging from history, politics, current events, science, technology and emerging trends to food and wine, travel, adventure, and entertainment.

Best of Think '25: Stuff you can do to be happier

KERA's Think

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Managing Life Like a Startup: Rather than requiring a rigid business plan, happiness comes from developing good habits and structures that increase your chances of finding love and fulfillment. Just as successful entrepreneurs often don't have formal business plans but take calculated risks for outsized rewards, we should treat our lives as enterprises worth investing in strategically.

Embracing Failure as a Learning Tool: High achievers often fear failure most intensely because they have the least experience with it. Keeping a "failure journal" helps move negative experiences from the emotional centers of the brain to the prefrontal cortex where we can analyze them. Writing down failures and returning weeks later to document what you learned, then months later to note how you benefited, transforms setbacks into valuable lessons.

Strategic Procrastination Can Boost Creativity: Not all procrastination is harmful. Deliberately postponing creative work until the next day when dopamine levels are naturally higher can dramatically improve productivity and quality. The key is distinguishing between avoidance (repeatedly putting something off) and strategic delay (waiting one day to tackle a problem with a fresher mind).

The Reverse Bucket List Approach: Instead of only adding new goals, create a "to-don't list" of activities and relationships that no longer serve you. Chipping away old attachments that drain energy or cause unhappiness reveals the authentic self underneath, like a sculptor removing excess material to reveal the artwork within.

Remote Work's Hidden Cost: While convenient and efficient, remote work deprives us of crucial human bonding facilitated by oxytocin, which requires in-person eye contact and touch. This neurochemical withdrawal leads to loneliness, depression, anxiety, and even increased consumption of comfort foods. People need to actively seek human connection outside work if they're permanently remote.

Money's Relationship to Happiness: There's no magic dollar amount that guarantees happiness. What matters more is your motivation for earning money and how you spend it. Four proven ways to buy happiness include: purchasing experiences to share with loved ones, buying time by outsourcing tasks (then using that time meaningfully), giving money away privately, and saving money for a sense of progress.

Managing Worry Through Metacognition: Chronic worry keeps anxieties in the primitive limbic system where they can't be rationally addressed. Writing down worries and underneath each listing the worst-case, best-case, and most likely scenarios with probabilities and action plans moves them to the prefrontal cortex where they can be managed. This DIY cognitive behavioral therapy approach often reveals that feared outcomes are unlikely.

Emotional Self-Control Versus Emotional Expression: Being a "high affect" person who feels emotions intensely isn't problematic if you manage those emotions rather than letting them manage you. The key is consciously moving emotional experiences from the limbic system to the prefrontal cortex, creating space between feeling and expressing so you can decide which emotions to share and when.

The Fluid to Crystallized Intelligence Shift: Midlife crises often result from trying to maintain skills that peak in youth (fluid intelligence: innovation, working memory, intense focus) rather than developing age-appropriate strengths (crystallized intelligence: pattern recognition, wisdom, teaching ability). Success in later life requires recognizing this transition and pivoting to activities that leverage accumulated knowledge and experience.

Creating a Culture of Honest Feedback: Constructive criticism is a gift when offered in love rather than as a weapon. Establishing relationships built on trust where feedback flows freely—like hedge fund manager Ray Dalio's "radical honesty" culture—helps everyone improve. Importantly, receiving criticism doesn't require agreement; it's simply valuable data to consider alongside other information.

Happiness as Progress, Not Arrival: Awards, trophies, and photos with important people that remind us of past glory actually undermine happiness by emphasizing who we used to be rather than who we're becoming. Human satisfaction comes from making progress each day toward goals, not from having already arrived at some destination or past achievement.

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A daily news show from the publisher of The Monthly and The Saturday Paper. Hear from the country’s best reporters, covering the news as it affects Australia. This is news with narrative, every weekday.

The best films of 2025

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One Battle After Another - Political Epic with Prescient Themes: Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film tops Kate Jinx's list as a high-budget epic about leftist radicals breaking immigrants out of ICE-like detention. The film combines spectacular action sequences with timely political commentary about polarization, government distrust, and radicalization in contemporary society. Johnny Greenwood's sixth collaboration with Anderson features a discordant piano, percussion, and synth score that matches the film's frenetic energy and is likely Oscar-bound.

The Mastermind - Kelly Reichardt's Hapless Heist Film: This intimate heist film set in early 1970s America follows a middle-class man played by Josh O'Connor who becomes obsessed with paintings in a local museum and orchestrates a clumsy robbery with incompetent accomplices. Despite critical acclaim, the film struggled at the box office with only $1.4 million, reflecting ongoing challenges for smaller, character-driven films in an era of streaming dominance. The film shares thematic connections with Anderson's work through its exploration of political apathy and despondency against the backdrop of Vietnam War protests.

Sorry Baby - Innovative Debut Addressing Sexual Assault: Eva Victor's directorial debut tells the story of a college professor reckoning with a past assault from a trusted individual during her undergraduate years. The film's non-linear structure reflects the protagonist's emotional state while maintaining a surprisingly funny and tender tone. Victor, who previously made short comedic videos on social media during COVID, premiered this accomplished first feature at Cannes and demonstrates how familiar subject matter can be told in fresh, authentic ways.

Hard Truths - Mike Lee's Dark Comedy About Depression: Mike Lee's best film in years stars Marianne Jean-Baptiste (reuniting with the director after 1996's Secrets and Lies) as Pansy, a deeply unpleasant woman whose depression and anxiety manifest as hostility toward everyone she encounters. The film balances her darkness with scenes featuring her joy-filled sister and nieces, created through Lee's signature collaborative process involving 14 weeks of rehearsals. John Waters aptly described it as "a wretched experience I'll cherish forever."

The Golden Spurtle - Scottish Porridge Competition Documentary: Constantine Costi's debut feature documentary follows competitors at an annual porridge-making competition in Carbridge, a small Scottish Highlands town. The film elevates the competition documentary genre through gorgeous cinematography of the Scottish landscape and intimate portraits of local residents who support the event. Contestants take their craft seriously, with some bringing their own bore water to create the perfect bowl using just three ingredients: water, oatmeal, and salt.
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FCTTN is a spin-off of the hugely successful rugby league show Full Credit to the Boys, hosted by internet personality Former Legend, which wrapped up at the end of 2023.

Former Legend, a knowledgeable motorsport fan, will host the fast-moving, unpredictable spin-off along with Andrew van Leeuwen in what will be an unmissable listen.

KTM Summer Grill: How Daniel ‘Chucky’ Sanders conquered Dakar

Full Credit to the Noise

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2025 Dakar Rally Victory and World Championship Success: Daniel "Chucky" Sanders won both the 2025 Dakar Rally and the 2025 Rally Raid World Championship, achieving nearly an undefeated 12-month streak. He credits his success to being the best prepared he's ever been going into Dakar, maintaining consistency and health throughout the entire grueling season.

Experience and Team Support as Key Success Factors: Sanders emphasized that having five years with KTM and treating the team like a second family created a positive atmosphere that brought out the best results. His previous Dakar experiences helped him stay prepared for unexpected challenges, whether weather changes, terrain variations, or navigation surprises, reducing pressure and preventing surprises during the race.

Race Strategy and Mental Approach: By day four of Dakar, Sanders had built a substantial lead and knew it was his race to lose. The key challenge was maintaining focus throughout every stage without slipping up or thinking he'd already won. He approached each day with the mindset that he could still lose the race, which helped him stay sharp and avoid overconfidence.

The Emotional Finish Line Moment: Crossing the finish line was described as an overwhelming moment of release after pushing through extreme dehydration and sleep deprivation. Sanders experienced goosebumps and disbelief that the race was finally over after being in such an intense "rabbit hole" of grit and determination throughout the two-week event.

Documentary Premiere and Personal Story: Red Bull produced a documentary about Sanders called "Scene Double," capturing his journey through injuries, comeback, and ultimate victory. The film showcases his hectic lifestyle juggling farm work, beekeeping, earth moving, making moto tracks, training, racing internationally, and maintaining relationships, giving viewers insight into what goes through his mind daily.

Life After Victory and Future Goals: Despite his achievements, Sanders says life hasn't changed much beyond improving his financial situation for buying property. He remains focused on being a competitor, looking forward to the next race and trying to win as many as possible throughout his career. His goal for the upcoming season is to win two more championships.

Limited Edition KTM 450 Rally Bikes: Five special edition Chucky Sanders 450 rally bikes were built worldwide, with two coming to Australia. These bikes featured factory Red Bull KTM paint jobs, Dakar World Championship exhaust systems, and factory parts, making them extremely special limited editions that Sanders was proud to see go to passionate Australian rally fans.

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Ben, Brett and Jordy Meiselas are three brothers with very unique backgrounds! Ben is a top lawyer and Colin Kaepernick’s business partner. Brett is a two-time Emmy award winning video editor from the world of film and television. Jordy, the fan favorite, was an award-winning advertising executive in New York. The brothers' unique approach at covering news by combining hilarious brother banter with an unapologetic support of democracy has earned them millions of supporters in America and across the globe and made them social media icons. The MeidasTouch Podcast combines brotherly love, comedy, news coverage, and deep discussions about supporting our democracy and is the go-to destination for top political leaders who view the podcast as a pivotal stop for their interviews. Join the Meiselas brothers and their loyal following — the self-described MeidasMighty — with new episodes featuring all three brothers released every Tuesday and Friday morning, and breaking news updates every single day! Catch the MeidasTouch Podcast with the brothers LIVE on video every Monday and Thursday night at 8p ET/5p PT on the MeidasTouch YouTube channel!

Trump Loses It on Christmas Eve as His Past Haunts Him

The MeidasTouch Podcast

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Trump's Plummeting Approval Ratings: Trump's approval rating has dropped to 38% with a net negative 18 points, while disapproval stands at 56%. Polling shows that voters' most important priority for the upcoming midterms is electing representatives who will serve as a check and balance against Trump's authoritarianism.

Epstein Files Controversy and DOJ Credibility Crisis: The Department of Justice is under fire for releasing potentially fabricated documents related to Jeffrey Epstein, including a questionable letter allegedly from Epstein to a NASA official. The DOJ's social media account, now controlled by Trump's White House communications director, has been calling journalists "dopes" for questioning why fake documents would be prioritized over FBI interviews, survivor statements, and draft indictments. Even Republican Congress members like Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene have criticized the handling as a "horrific cover up" and violation of the Epstein Transparency Act.

Cruel Immigration Messaging on Christmas Eve: The official White House account posted memes encouraging people to "self deport before Christmas," while ICE documents revealed Acting Director Todd Lyon's plan to treat immigration enforcement "like Amazon Prime, but with human beings," proposing to hold 80,000 immigrants in warehouses and treating people like products.

Healthcare Costs Driving Economic Anxiety: Despite reported GDP growth, the increase is largely driven by skyrocketing health insurance costs that are bankrupting Americans. Marjorie Taylor Greene warned that Republican failure to address this healthcare crisis will cost them in the midterms, criticizing both parties for inaction while Americans suffer.

White Collar Job Losses and AI Displacement: Peter Navarro, a top Trump advisor who recently served prison time for his January 6th role, stated that "all the white collar jobs are going away pretty damn quick" due to AI, arguing that tariffs are needed to protect blue collar jobs. This contrasts sharply with the manufacturing boom under Biden, which created 16 million jobs, while over a million jobs have been lost under Trump's regime with unemployment rising to 4.6%.

Data Center Misinformation and Rising Energy Costs: Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick falsely claimed that data centers would lower electricity prices in surrounding areas, despite electricity prices actually rising 15% and data centers being widely opposed by local communities for environmental and economic harm. This contradicts the administration's promises of lower costs across the board.

Deteriorating International Relations with Europe: A top French general has indicated that the United States may need to be deemed a "strategic adversary" against France and Europe. This comes as the Trump administration has removed sanctions against top Russian officials and companies while sanctioning key European officials who support Europe's sovereignty and fight against disinformation, representing a dramatic reversal in transatlantic relations and Trump's broken promise to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours.

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Listening to the news can feel like a journey. But 1A guides you beyond the headlines – and cuts through the noise. Let's get to the heart of the story, together – on 1A. Support NPR and get your news sponsor-free with 1A+. Learn more at plus.npr.org/the1a

Best Of: The Financial Burden Of Caregiving

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Rising In-Home Care Costs Outpacing Inflation: In-home care costs are rising more than three times faster than inflation, driven by demographic changes including an aging population (the "silver tsunami" of baby boomers), fewer young workers available to provide care, and recent immigration crackdowns that have reduced the workforce since approximately one-third of caregivers are immigrants. This creates a supply-demand mismatch where demand is soaring but the workforce is shrinking.

Staggering Out-of-Pocket Expenses for Families: AARP estimates caregivers spend an average of $7,242 annually out of pocket and lose more than $43,000 in income due to caregiving demands. Real-world examples include costs of $3,000-4,000+ per week for 24/7 in-home care, and one caregiver spending over $293,000 annually (mostly state-covered) for her disabled adult daughter's care. These costs force families to drain retirement savings and personal assets.

Complex Financial and Emotional Decision-Making: Caregivers face difficult ethical dilemmas when managing a loved one's finances, especially when they stand to inherit remaining assets. This creates a "double dealing" scenario where caregivers must balance their loved one's best interests against their own financial future, making decisions about nursing homes versus in-home care particularly fraught with moral complexity.

Medicaid Cuts and Federal Program Challenges: The Trump administration's cuts to Medicaid will reduce federal spending by approximately $900 billion over 10 years while adding new work requirements. These cuts particularly impact home and community-based services, which states often eliminate first when facing budget constraints. Over 8 million family caregivers rely on Medicaid for their own healthcare coverage.

Bureaucratic Barriers to Accessing Benefits: Federal support programs are difficult to navigate even before recent cuts, with Medicaid applications running hundreds of pages long and requiring lawyers to complete. The application process involves outdated technology systems and long wait times, creating additional costs and barriers for families already struggling with caregiving responsibilities.

Generation X's Retirement Crisis: The "sandwich generation" (Generation X) faces particular financial strain, caring for aging parents, sometimes grandparents, and often children simultaneously. This generation lacks pensions, started 401(k) contributions without the benefit of auto-enrollment and auto-escalation features, and is now far behind on retirement savings while being forced to deplete those limited resources for caregiving.

Workforce Economics Don't Add Up: Despite high demand for caregivers, wages remain low—often less than Target or McDonald's pays—because public funding limits how much these workers can earn. Companies that connect families with caregivers also take a cut, further complicating the economics. This creates a paradox where care is unaffordable for families but workers remain poorly compensated.

Impact on Women and the Broader Economy: Women disproportionately bear the burden of unpaid caregiving, often leaving jobs or reducing hours, which costs the economy in lost talent and productivity. Research shows that when adequate elder care is available through immigrant workers, birth rates even increase among educated women who can better balance work and family responsibilities.

Asset Depletion and "Spending Down" Challenges: Families face psychological difficulty watching saved assets dwindle to pay for care, even though that's what the savings were intended for. One example involved a mother who lived ten years in memory care at $15,000 monthly, outliving her long-term care policy and all savings, dying just one month after funds ran out, forcing her children to cover final costs.

Disinheritance Requirements for Disabled Adults: Parents of disabled adult children must legally disinherit them to qualify for state services, as disabled individuals cannot hold assets without losing benefits. This creates complex planning scenarios where parents focus more on what happens after their death than their own retirement, living with constant anxiety about market crashes or their own potential healthcare needs depleting resources.

Need for Systemic Policy Solutions: Experts argue that individual wealth accumulation cannot solve the caregiving crisis—no one can be wealthy enough to handle all potential scenarios. The solution requires broader safety nets including affordable healthcare, education, and housing as basic rights, rather than expecting families to individually fund care through private savings.

Lack of Congressional Urgency: Despite the aging population crisis, there is currently no sense of urgency among lawmakers to address caregiving costs. While the previous administration discussed minimum wages for caregivers, current policy conversations focus primarily on ACA subsidies and health insurance costs rather than the structural caregiving workforce crisis.

Reframing the Value of Care: Caregivers emphasize the need to reconsider how society values care work and disabled individuals. Just as society justifies billionaires accumulating wealth due to their "unique talents," disabled individuals and their caregivers also contribute unique value, create jobs, and enrich communities—suggesting the cost of care should be viewed through a different moral framework than pure economic efficiency.

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The Hartmann Report is an independent daily podcast hosted by award winning, author, radio &amp; TV host Thom Hartmann. Thom’s podcast highlights the bigger picture behind politics, science and culture through discussion and debate. Catch Thom’s live show&nbsp;Monday&nbsp;through&nbsp;Friday noon ET / 9am PT-&nbsp;<a href="http://www.thomhartmann.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">www.thomhartmann.com</a>.

Daily Take: Santa Claus for Billionaires, Debt for You: Thanks Trump

The Hartmann Report

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The "Two Santa Clauses" Strategy Origins: Republican strategist Jude Wanniski developed the "Two Santa Clauses" strategy in 1974, published in the Wall Street Journal after Nixon's resignation. The strategy was designed to counter the Democratic Party's image as "Santa Claus" since the New Deal by positioning Republicans as tax-cutting Santas, while intentionally running up massive debt that would later force Democrats to cut social programs.

How the Strategy Works in Two Parts: When Republicans control the White House, they cut taxes massively on the wealthy and spend freely, deliberately creating huge deficits while stimulating the economy with a "sugar high." When Democrats take power, Republicans and conservative media scream about the national debt crisis, forcing Democrats to become "Santa killers" by cutting social programs or raising taxes—both politically damaging moves.

The $38 Trillion Debt Accumulation: When Reagan took office in 1981, the entire national debt was only $800 billion. Reagan, both Bushes, and Trump implemented this strategy through massive tax cuts for the wealthy and increased spending, creating the current $38 trillion national debt—100% of which tracks back to their tax cuts and spending policies, including Bush's two off-the-books wars.

Supply-Side Economics as Justification: Wanniski invented "supply-side economics" to provide ideological cover for the strategy, arguing that tax cuts for the wealthy "job creators" would stimulate growth by increasing supply. Arthur Laffer contributed the "Laffer Curve," claiming tax cuts would magically increase government revenue—theories that George H.W. Bush initially called "voodoo economics" before embracing them.

The Trillion Dollar Interest Payment Cost: The accumulated debt now costs approximately $1 trillion annually just in interest payments—equivalent to the entire defense budget. If this strategy had never been implemented, that trillion dollars per year could fund universal childcare ($40 billion), early education ($20 billion), paid family leave ($75 billion), free community college ($200 billion), housing construction and homelessness elimination ($200 billion), child poverty reduction ($350 billion), and automatic healthcare coverage ($115 billion).

Democratic Presidents Forced Into Austerity: The strategy successfully trapped Democratic presidents. Bill Clinton was convinced by advisors including Alan Greenspan to raise taxes, balance the budget, and cut social programs, declaring "an end to the era of big government." Barack Obama was pressured to the point of nearly proposing Social Security cuts through a "chained CPI" measure before Democratic base outrage stopped him.

Wealth Transfer and Union Destruction: Over 40 years of implementing this strategy, Republicans transferred over $50 trillion from working-class families to the top 1% and reduced organized labor representation from about one-third of workers during Reagan's time to around 6% of the non-governmental workforce today, while wages stagnated for working Americans.

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An entrepreneur channel created by Serial Entrepreneur, Patrick Bet-David. Valuetainment is referred to as the best channel for entrepreneurs with weekly How To's, Motivation and interviews with unique individuals. 

About PBD: 

During the Iranian Revolution of 1978, Patrick's family had to escape to survive and ended up living at a refugee camp in Erlangen, Germany. At 12 years old Patrick found himself collecting cans &amp; beer bottles to raise money that could help his family and get him a Nintendo. Support this podcast: <a href="https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/valuetainment/support" rel="payment">https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/valuetainment/support</a>

"Aisha Was Not Married At A Young Age" - Muslim Cleric SLAMS Prophet Muhammad Myths & Quran Lies

Valuetainment

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Misconceptions About Muhammad in the West: Imam Mohammad Tawhidi argues that the Western portrayal of Prophet Muhammad is incomplete and shaped by different historical eras. He references John Tolan's book "The Faces of Muhammad" to illustrate how the West has viewed Muhammad differently across medieval, Reformation, and Enlightenment periods—as a businessman, poet, warrior, father, and statesman—rather than understanding his core mission.

Muhammad's Core Mission Was Monotheism and Ethics: The Prophet Muhammad was sent to 7th century Arabia (born 570, died 632) to guide people away from idol worship and toward monotheism and basic ethical principles. Arabia was in a "time of ignorance" where people worshipped idols made of dates and stones, buried daughters alive, and violated fundamental moral laws. Muhammad's 23-year prophetic mission focused on teaching about one God (Allah) and establishing ethical behavior similar to Noahide laws.

Continuation, Not Innovation of Religion: Tawhidi emphasizes that Muhammad did not start a new religion but continued the tradition of previous prophets like Moses and Jesus. While Muslims view Jesus as a prophet rather than the son of God, both faiths agree he was a messenger bringing divine revelation. Islam sees itself as part of the same Abrahamic tradition.

All of Muhammad's Battles Were Defensive: The imam states that all military conflicts during Muhammad's 23-year prophetic period were defensive in nature, not offensive conquests. He offers to discuss treatment of Christians, Jews, and other groups in detail.

The Aisha Age Controversy Directly Challenged: Tawhidi forcefully rejects the narrative that Aisha was married at age 6 and the marriage consummated at age 9. Using historical mathematics and analyzing birth records of Aisha and her sister Asma, he argues Aisha was between 18 and 21 years old when married. He claims there is no true Muslim consensus on the younger age, despite its prevalence in some publications.

Prophetic Infallibility as Core Principle: When pressed on whether he would remain Muslim if the Aisha narrative were true, Tawhidi explains that for him, "prophet" means an infallible being who cannot make mistakes or errors. Therefore, it's logically impossible that Muhammad would have committed such an act. He states he would never accept any religion whose founder was proven to have married a child.

Critique of Contemporary Islamic Scholarship: The imam distinguishes between genuine theologians and mere "preachers," arguing that many who claim authority are simply sons of imams given microphones, not true scholars. He notes that some historical sources used to justify problematic narratives have been banned in certain countries and were also relied upon by ISIS, suggesting their credibility should be questioned on multiple grounds.

Faith Must Withstand Rational Scrutiny: Tawhidi emphasizes that every aspect of the Quran and Islamic teaching has a rational explanation. He states that God gave humans brains to think critically, and believers should not simply accept books or authority figures without applying mathematics, logic, and historical analysis to verify claims.
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Now in its 7th season, just like its host, artistic intellectual, Amanda Seales, Small Doses podcast is known for its hilarious, honest, and philosophical take on all “Side Effects” of life it tackles.  Each episode be edutained by high level topics grounded in down to earth conversations with icons, experts and sometimes, Ms. Seales flying solo.  Small Doses podcast raises awareness, piques curiosity, and challenges toxic norms expanding minds with one of a kind convos one episode a time!

REDACTATHON 2025! [EP 94]

Small Doses with Amanda Seales

Smart Funny & Black Productions

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Climate Change and Washington State Flooding: Amanda explains the basics of climate change, describing how fossil fuel emissions get trapped between Earth's surface and atmosphere, causing warming that forces the planet to respond through events like flooding. She criticizes mainstream media for not covering the severe Washington State floods adequately and emphasizes that climate change denial serves corporate interests while the Global South suffers most from environmental disasters.

Barry Weiss Censoring CBS News: The new head of CBS News, Barry Weiss (described as a Zionist plant), pulled a 60 Minutes segment about deportees being tortured in El Salvador's CECOT prison right before it was set to air. Despite going through all proper channels, the segment featuring interviews with immigrants who endured "four months of hell" was buried to protect the Trump administration's immigration narrative.

Epstein Files Redaction Scandal: The government released heavily redacted Epstein files (only 5% unredacted), prompting citizens to unredact them online. The revealed information confirms deep connections between Donald Trump, Bill Clinton, and Jeffrey Epstein, including a letter Epstein wrote to Larry Nassar (USA Gymnastics abuser) referencing Trump's "affinity for nubile young women." Amanda emphasizes this isn't new information but reflects society's historical failure to believe women victims.

Epstein's Connection to Larger Systems: Amanda stresses that the Epstein scandal isn't just about individual predators but connects to Zionism and systemic power structures. She criticizes people who ignore these broader connections, arguing that politicians taking money from these networks (like those supporting Larry Nassar) cannot claim to care about their communities, particularly Black women like Simone Biles.

Trump's "Kayfabe" Political Strategy: Using wrestling terminology, Amanda explains how the Trump administration employs "kayfabe" (theatrical reality) by making atrocities seem like jokes through memes and ASMR videos of deportees in chains. This strategy differs from traditional fascism's humorlessness, making it harder to criticize through satire since they're "making the joke first."

US Colonization of the Caribbean - Historical Overview: Amanda provides extensive evidence that the Caribbean is "the Africa of the Western Hemisphere," systematically destabilized by the US. She covers Puerto Rico's forced sterilization of 1 in 3 women in the 1930s, the 1983 Grenada invasion after Maurice Bishop allied with Cuba, the 1994 NAFTA deal that devastated Caribbean trade, and ongoing destabilization of Haiti.

Maurice Bishop and Grenada: In 1981, Maurice Bishop led a socialist revolution in Grenada, alarming the US because Grenada was English-speaking and predominantly Black, making it more relatable to Americans than Cuba. A leaked State Department report explicitly stated this made Grenada "even worse" than Cuba or Nicaragua. The US orchestrated Bishop's assassination in 1983 and invaded using Americans at a medical school as justification.

Haiti's Systematic Oppression: The US has kept Haiti destabilized since its independence. Bill Clinton forced Haiti to import rice from Arkansas instead of growing their own, destroying their agricultural sovereignty. President Aristide was overthrown in 2004 by the US and France after demanding France repay the $21-30 billion Haiti was forced to pay for independence, with concerns this would set precedent for other reparations claims.

Trinidad and Tobago's Compromised Leadership: Prime Minister Kamala Persad-Bissessar, who came to power in 2010 with help from Cambridge Analytica (co-founded by Steve Bannon), openly supports US interests and potential aggression against Venezuela. Cambridge Analytica targeted young Afro-Trinidadian voters with apathy campaigns to ensure her Indian-Trinidadian voting bloc would dominate.

Cuba's Guantanamo Bay Situation: The US has controlled Guantanamo Bay since the Spanish-American War, forcing Cuba to lease land through the Platt Amendment inserted into Cuba's constitution. This was reaffirmed in a 1934 treaty essentially threatening invasion if Cuba didn't comply. Decades of sanctions against Cuba aim to prevent socialism from succeeding and spreading in the region.

Food Sovereignty as Freedom: Amanda repeatedly emphasizes that "a people who cannot feed themselves are slaves." She highlights Dr. Bertrude Albert's work to restore Haitian rice fields and build canals for irrigation as crucial resistance. The deliberate destruction of agricultural self-sufficiency through trade agreements represents a key colonial control mechanism.

Rafael Trujillo's Dominican Dictatorship: The US-backed Rafael Trujillo (1930-1961) led the 1937 Parsley Massacre, killing 15,000 Haitian men and children. This light-skinned dictator who powdered his face white maintained US interests while suppressing Black populations in the region, demonstrating how racial division serves colonial purposes.

Political Education and Personal Change: Amanda explains her decision to stop celebrating Christmas as part of refusing to behave the same way while expecting different results. She emphasizes that demonstrating personal agency through changed actions builds confidence to demand systemic change. Political education empowers people to understand colonial systems and resist them.

The Necessity of Continued Resistance: Amanda rejects defeatism, arguing that throughout history there have always been people fighting oppression, and that resistance must continue regardless of obstacles. She criticizes those who claim change is impossible, calling such attitudes "OP mindset" (opposition mindset) that serves colonial interests by promoting hopelessness.

Caribbean Unity and Pan-Africanism: Amanda connects the historical slave trade to current "Foundational Black American" divisions, explaining how enslaved Africans from different regions became the first Pan-Africanists when they realized on slave ships they'd been played against each other. She argues shared history and connectivity should be acknowledged rather than disavowed.

Word of the Day and Show Format: The word featured was "irresolute" (unable to make up one's mind). Amanda announced she's taking two weeks off and invited viewers to join her Patreon's "non-Christmas Christmas" programming on December 25th, including a cleanse recipe, watching "Sinners" with commentary, and community crafting time.
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Pete Quiñones has hosted his show, The Pete Quiñones Show (formerly titled Free Man Beyond the Wall), since July 2017 and has concentrated on topics pertaining to liberation from the Progressive influence that has taken over Western governments. His current focus is on historical revisionism and how "local politics and activism" can help mitigate Progressive influence while starting to build what comes next. Become a supporter of this podcast: <a href="https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rss">https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-pete-quinones-show--6071361/support</a>.

Reading Solzhenitsyn's '200 Years Together' w/ Dr Matthew Raphael Johnson - Part 97

The Pete Quiñones Show

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Jewish Dominance in Soviet Cultural Industries During the 1930s: The reading covers how Jews held prominent positions across Soviet cultural spheres - music, film, publishing, and propaganda. Notable examples include conductor Samuel Moo Il Somasood at the Bolshoi Theater, songwriter Isaac Dunevsky who created mass propaganda songs glorifying Stalin and Soviet life, and filmmaker R. Carmen who manipulated documentary footage to create fraudulent "genuine documentaries." These cultural figures produced easily digestible propaganda designed to brainwash the Soviet population.

The Film and Publishing Industries as Propaganda Tools: Jews comprised the majority of filmmakers in 1930s Soviet Union, creating ideologically rigid films described as "conservative in form and obsessively didactic." The state publishing apparatus was similarly controlled, with Jewish censors in Glavlet directing cultural development. After private publishers were abolished, the centralized State Publishing House became the only venue for authors, giving complete control over what could be published.

Stalin's Speeches Set to Music and Other Grotesque Propaganda: Alexander Crane composed a "Symphony Rhapsody" that was literally Stalin's speeches set to music, exemplifying the deification of Stalin. Propagandists like Boris Efimov produced crude caricatures of Western leaders while others wrote lies justifying forced labor camps. This propaganda saturated Soviet society through newspapers, brochures, songs, and films with "blatant lies" and "rude didactics."

Destruction of Russian Historical Science and Replacement with Ideologues: Between 1921-1931, authentic Russian historical institutions were abolished and prominent Russian historians were sent to camps. They were replaced by "third and fourth rate" historians willing to follow the ideological agenda. Second-rate academics who conformed to the party line filled positions across institutions, brainwashing generations with politically approved narratives.

Jewish Representation in Soviet Science and Technical Fields: By 1939, Jews comprised 17.6% of all scientists despite being a small minority of the population. They played particularly prominent roles in cutting-edge fields like physics, with institutions like Ioffe's Physical Technical Institute training many of the Soviet Union's top scientists. Even in cases where scientists were arrested during purges, this didn't represent systematic anti-Semitism according to the text.

Peak Jewish Influence in Soviet Society by the Late 1930s: The Jewish Encyclopedia itself acknowledges that by the end of the 1930s, Jewish influence reached its "apogee" in Soviet life. Statistics show Jews comprised 27% of doctors, 14% of engineers and technologists, 7% of administrators, and significant percentages of teachers, writers, journalists, actors, musicians, and lawyers - all vastly disproportionate to their population percentage.

No Evidence of Anti-Semitism in Official Soviet Policy Before WWII: The text explicitly states "the official Soviet atmosphere of 1930s was absolutely free of ill will towards Jews" and that "the overwhelming majority of Soviet Jewry sympathized with the Soviet ideology and sided with the Soviet regime." Jews occupied many personnel department positions and other influential roles, contradicting claims of persecution during this period.

Commentary on Modern Academic Censorship Parallels: Dr. Johnson draws parallels to contemporary academia, arguing that second-rate historians who follow ideological templates are being promoted today, just as in the Soviet era. He suggests current PhD students don't even recognize censorship exists because their worldview is presented as absolute truth, with dissenting views dismissed as psychological anomalies.

The Soviet Union as Jewish Homeland Before and During Hitler's Rise: As Hitler gained power in Germany, the Soviet Union was viewed by many Jews as a "promised land" and protective homeland, regardless of Zionist ideology. This perception persisted into the 1940s even after Israel's establishment, making the USSR central to Jewish security concerns during this period.

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The latest headlines and analysis from Britain’s most trusted newspaper - now delivered to you three times a day. Follow the podcast to never miss an episode.<hr> Hosted on Acast. See <a style='color:grey;' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer' href='https://acast.com/privacy'>acast.com/privacy</a> for more information.

Evening briefing on Wednesday 24th December

Times news briefing

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Trump Administration Visa Bans Target European Tech Regulators: The EU and President Macron condemned the Trump administration for imposing visa bans on five leading Europeans involved in efforts to regulate American tech and social media companies. Two of those affected are British nationals: Imran Ahmed of the Center for Countering Digital Hate and Claire Melford of the Global Disinformation Index. The government's independent terror legislation watchdog emphasized that tech giants employ behavioral scientists specifically to increase user engagement through features like notification pings and infinite scroll, making them morally responsible for the consequences.

Ukraine Peace Framework Proposes Demilitarized Zone: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy indicated openness to creating a demilitarized zone in the eastern Donbas region as part of a potential peace agreement to end the war. Zelenskyy stated that Kyiv and Washington have reached consensus on a draft peace plan that has been sent to Russian negotiators.

Prince Andrew's Links to Multiple Convicted Sex Offenders Under Scrutiny: Following the release of thousands of new files related to Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew's connections to convicted sex offenders are receiving renewed attention. Beyond his Epstein ties, documents have highlighted Andrew's links to Peter Nygaard, a Canadian fashion designer currently serving 11 years in prison for trafficking young girls, with additional charges pending. The FBI, NYPD, and New York District Attorney have sought to interview Andrew regarding both Epstein and Nygaard.

Pope Leo XIV's First Christmas as Pontiff: Pope Leo XIV was scheduled to lead his first midnight Mass as Pope on Christmas Eve, followed by the traditional Urbi et orbi blessing and message from St. Peter's Basilica on Christmas Day. The Vatican is experiencing particularly high attendance this year as it coincides with Jubilee year, drawing pilgrims from around the world.

UK Cost of Living Remains Priority as Holiday Shopping Increases: Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged ongoing struggles with living costs in his Christmas message, reaffirming it as a top priority. Despite economic challenges, UK high streets and retail parks saw increased footfall on Christmas Eve compared to the previous year, providing some relief to retailers after a difficult 12 months.
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