Acts of Pod

If you check social media lately you'll see that businesses have been posting signs saying that no one has been showing up for their shifts at different restaurants and no one wants to work anymore. Republican governors have been cutting extra unemployment benefits because they want to incentivize people to get back to work who have been getting a little too comfortable with that extra $300 dollar payout during the pandemic. Is there more to the story? Are people hesitant to return to work sectors that left them high and dry the very minute they showed signs of trouble? Are people now demanding a little more from employers after they've shown what they're willing to do when times get tough? That's what we discuss on today's episode of Acts of Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you haven't heard, the radical left is coming for you and your way of life. They want to cancel your children's books, they want to take away your guns, and worst of all, limit your red meat intake to 4 pounds a year. Where is this threat coming from exactly? Great question! Can I see the data on that, is there an article or even something coming out of the White House stating their intentions? Nope. But sometimes you have to read in between the lines and intuit what's "really" going on and this has been going on in American politics from the beginning which is why we're covering some of the best historical conspiracy theories to see what they have in common with contemporary theories (quite a bit). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You would think as we are still fighting the pandemic and dealing with the fallout from quarantine, that state governments would be focusing on education, employment, or healthcare. There is so much need and healing in this country you would hardly know where to start but republican legislatures knew exactly where to start, voter suppression bills. There are literally hundreds of voter suppression bills making it more difficult for people to vote up in 47 states as we speak. We cover some of the common elements of these bills so you can know what to look for in your state. Good luck out there. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you were wondering why there are more mass shootings in the US than any other country, we'll let you in on a little secret, with only 4.4% of the world's population, we account for 46% of civilian held firearms. That's a lot of guns. And it's hard to talk about an issue with a lot of angry people that have a ton of guns, so you can see how this has become an intractable problem. Will this next generation that has lived under the shadow of school shooter drills and the threat of mass shootings be the one to mark a permanent change in the way we approach gun policy? All this and more, on this episode of Acts of Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A year into the pandemic, with over a half a million lives lost, economic stress, kids missing out on school, we all know that despite all this loss the most important issue facing us all is the threat of being cancelled, or at least you would believe that based on the amount of coverage it receives. Now if you feel cancel culture may not be as dangerous as let's say, unchecked systemic violence, you would be correct. But why is it when there are verifiably more pressing threats, that these issues from the culture wars are brought up more frequently than vaccines or education or any other of the dozens of issues that effect Americans quality of life? We cover that in today's episode of Acts of Pod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The religious right, has several names and is comprised of several groups but didn't really coalesce and show their real influence until the mid to late 70s. Surprisingly, it was not the election of the first Southern Evangelical, Jimmy Carter, that offered a cause for Southern Evangelicals and other Christian religious groups to rally around, it wasn't reproductive rights or their reintroduction of Christian prayer in schools either. This week we take a look at the religious right and it's many splinter groups and how it has impacted the American political narrative as we freeze in our Texas homes, yee haw! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There has been talk recently of finally raising the minimum wage to 15.00 dollars an hour. The last time it was raised was in 2007 to 7..25 and it has remained there despite a raise in prices, rents, and other costs of living. It wasn't until 1938 that any legislation was passed mandating a minimum of wage and even then it only covered a small percentage of American workers and it took America being in the depth of a financial crisis to get it passed. What will it take to get a similar raise passed now? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

January 6th 2021 was not the first time in American History that a group of people, unhappy with the outcome of an election resorted to violence. In fact, on November 10, 1898, in what became known as the Wilmington massacre, a group of white supremacists murdered up to an estimated 300 people and threw black officials out of their elected offices. This is why it's become more important than ever to protect not only the vote but the sanctity of the outcome. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In recent polling, Socialism is very unpopular in America and yet programs like social security and Medicare are extremely popular. How did it happen that socialist programs remain popular for decades and the mention of socialism or democratic socialist candidates consistently polls anywhere between 25 to 50%? If you can believe it, it's the result of a long and sustained campaigns starting in the late 1800s that link capitalism to patriotism and benefits the same group of people who seem to also be benefitting through this pandemic, corporations and the 1%. Here's hoping that stimulus goes a long way! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For as long as we've had infectious disease, we've had attempts at inoculations. And from the very first instances of inoculations, there have been people who have been resistant. Considering that these usually consisted of smearing the contents of pustules over newly torn skin, it's understandable how people might hesitate. Now on the brink of our most recent vaccine in the middle of this generation's pandemic, how will we react compared to generations past? We cover a brief history of vaccinations and take a look at the current climate surrounding the newest vaccine on today's episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When two dreamers met, a megalomaniacal media mogul, and a behind the scenes conservative wizard behind Nixon, Reagan and George W. Bush's campaign, who could have imagined what would have blossomed? Now in every airport, hospital lobby, military base, and probably your meemaw's house, you can see the fruits of their labor. We cover the origin story of Fox News in this episode and ways the progressive left may be able to balance the scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What makes our democracy unique? Is it because we're the best? It's because we employ electors to vote on our behalf, rather than have a one vote one voice policy or a direct democracy which most of the world with democracies have embraced. Again, we are the only country in the world who uses this method. In this episode we explore the dark origins of the electoral college and why we have been unable to rid ourselves of it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How are women holding up during the pandemic? With women dominated professions being deemed essential work, and the demands of domestic labor increasing, women are facing burn out. Increasingly, women are taking on both childcare and schooling responsibilities while also feeling increased economic pressure. In this episode we talk about how the pandemic has further clarified the systemic hardships facing women and how even a little support could go a long way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to easily one of the least fun cults available, you may never even know you've joined and the perks are lackluster at best. After the age of God Kings, how can you impress your friends and really let the world know that you're in it for the long haul, and you're something special? You build your brand. You take over media, you smack your face and name over every available surface, you have your name on everyone's lips, and you take control of the narrative. On today's Acts of Pod we cover Cults of Personality and how when it's important to actually know the truth in times of war, pandemic or famine, these governmental constructions and forced narratives end up costing lives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and then you have the tax of life. On this very special episode of Tax of Pod, we tackle the revelations of President Trump's Tax returns and link it back to the first time Presidential Tax returns made news (hint: Nixon). But beyond why it's important to know the financial entanglements of a person in a position of power and trust, this episode has highlighted how inequality impacts tax collection, how the burden of tax falls on those who can least afford it, and those asked to oversee tax collection are in an ever imperiled and vulnerable position as their budget is continuously cut. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Although we seem to be at the let's throw everything at the wall and see what sticks part of the Trump presidential reelection campaign, one strategy that has been utilized is the classic republican golden oldie the Law and Order platform. In this episode, we cover both the superficial and the dog whistle meaning of this tactic that seems to appear in American campaigns at the same time major civil rights movements develop and build momentum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What began as a post on 4chan has become one of the fastest growing movements in politics. It's an all encompassing conspiracy theory that builds on past classic fears such as Satan worship, secret cabals, harvesting the young for their life prolonging vitality, and of course they've added their own new heroes like Donald Trump and John Kennedy Jr. who has been in hiding after faking his own death. Is there a reason these movements appear when they do and what do they indicate about the state of our nation? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Between the years the 1956 and 1971 the FBI ran a covert intelligence operation headed by Hoover himself that infiltrated everything from the Socialist Workers Party to the Black Panthers under the auspices of gathering information at first and dismantling civil rights organizations later on. While these operations were well known within government, they were also completely illegal and only came to light after a break in to a small FBI satellite office during an Ali vs Frazier fight when hundreds of documents about this clandestine operation came to light. The damage to done the civil rights movement is incalculable but there are lessons to be learned and applied still. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the middle of a huge pandemic, we've also seen a large coordinated civil rights campaign that has had global participation. During this time, there has also been renewed focus on statues and monuments and what they represent, who they are glorifying and at what cost? In this episode we talk about two enormous monuments and find out what motivated their erections, the men and women behind their conceptions, and how to treat monuments going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of Acts of Pod we cover several conspiracy theories that have been spreading around the social media platforms. Everything from "Plandemic" to 5g technology's dark side, Bill Gates and his years' long crusade to introduce a virus only to cure it - at a price! Of course, these conspiracies, misinformation campaigns and disinformation from other countries is not consequence free, it puts already vulnerable people at unnecessary risk. We can only hope that this reaches all of you and yours in safety and you are coping as best you can. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices