Potstirrer Podcast

The year 2021 has begun in the United States with a tragic attack on democracy. On January 6, pro-Trump rioters who were taking part in a protest stormed the US Capitol Building in Washington DC, during a joint session of Congress held to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election. The Capitol attack, incited by the rhetoric of Donald Trump and other Republican politicians, led to the deaths of five people, including a Capitol police officer who was murdered by rioters. It has led...

In the fourth annual Potstirrer Podcast War on Christmas Special, Jaye reflects on the strange, horrifying year that was 2020. Would a decently better response to the pandemic have netted Donald Trump a second term? And does incoming president Joe Biden have the fight in him to take on the groups who are seeking to end democracy in the United States? Twitter: @potstirrercast IG: @potstirrerpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potstirrerpodcast/ Website:...

In this flashback bonus episode - originally a two-parter first released in May and June of 2019, Jaye shares her Top Five Terrible Humans List. These are influential Americans, dead or alive, who made a negative contribution to their sphere of influence during their lifetime. In this episode, Jaye discusses her purely, 100 percent subjective criteria, dishonorable mentions, and the full list of Terrible Humans. Neither Donald Trump nor Mike Pence can be found on the list, because that's way...

The 2020 US general election has taken place, and after days of counting in several swing states, former Vice-President Joe Biden has won the election decisively over Donald Trump. However, the expected gains for Democrats in Congress - the "blue wave" - were not realized. Why did this result occur? Jaye details what she believes is the real reason why centrist Democrats are blaming progressives and black activists for the unmet expectations in Congress. Meanwhile, Trump has yet to concede...

The 2020 US general election is coming up, and it's time to get ready! Jaye discusses political polling - including why the 2016 presidential poll predictions were not as much of a failure as it has been reported in the press. Will 2020 be a repeat of 2016? Also, Jaye discusses the current landscape and provides guidance in case of a Donald Trump victory or should Joe Biden win the election. Election Protection Hotline: 1-866-OUR-VOTE (1-866-687-8683) Voter Protection Information:...

In the runup to the 2020 US general election, many events have occurred on local, state and federal levels that point to an authoritarian slide for the United States. Jaye discusses some of these events, including the presidential and vice-presidential debates, the plot to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Kentucky grand jury decision in the Breonna Taylor case, Donald Trump's ban of "critical race theory" in public schools, and the rushed efforts to confirm staunch conservative...

Christian fiction author Allison K. Garcia returns to Potstirrer Podcast to share with us about her upcoming novel, Finding Seguridad, the second in the Buscando Home series. The conversation includes discussion of themes in the book, as well as a range of topics, including the experiences of Latino immigrants and other marginalized groups in the current political and social environment, domestic violence, deconstruction and reconstruction of Christian faith, coming out as LGBTQ+ as a...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of violent themes, specifically war and genocide. Listener discretion is advised. This multi-episode series is about the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, including both US foreign policy and the Middle Eastern immigrant experience. In this episode, Jaye discusses the decline and fall of the Ottoman Empire, including World War I and the Sykes-Picot Agreement, which set into motion the partition of...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode involves discussion of crime, police brutality and bigotry, including physical violence, murder, and racism. Listener discretion is advised. In this commentary episode, Jaye shares her reaction to the events during the week of the 2020 Republican National Convention, including the shooting of Jacob Blake Jr. by police, and the shooting at the resulting Kenosha, WI protests, allegedly perpetrated by Kyle Rittenhouse. How did the police approach each of...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of physical and sexual abuse, including the abuse of children. Listener discretion is advised. In this flashback bonus episode first released as a Patreon bonus episode in August 2018 originally entitled "Abuse: Endorsed by Scripture?," Jaye discusses the use of Romans 13:1-5, a passage in the Bible invoked by then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions and the White House Press Secretary at the time, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, to justify the...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode involves discussion of crime, police brutality and bigotry, including physical violence, sexual assault, murder, racism, Islamophobia, homophobia and transphobia. Listener discretion is advised. In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the resulting Black Lives Matter uprisings and protests, there has been an ongoing national conversation regarding police brutality and race. In the final part of a two-episode series,...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode involves discussion of crime and police brutality, including violence, injury & death. Listener discretion is advised. In the aftermath of the killing of George Floyd at the hands of police, and the resulting Black Lives Matter uprisings and protests, there has been an ongoing national conversation regarding police brutality and race. In Part 1 of a two-episode series, Jaye contends that to discuss police brutality in an honest way, we must discuss...

In the public release of February 2019's Patreon bonus episode, Jaye discusses the news story from January 2019 about the confrontation in Washington DC, between Catholic high school students from Northern Kentucky and a Native American elder. How does a seemingly straightforward news story, complete with video, morph into a controversy dividing society along the familiar lines of partisanship and race? Jaye happens to live in the same metropolitan area the school is located, and she gives...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode involves discussion of the COVID-19 pandemic, police brutality, and historical events related to racial, ethnic, disability and class discrimination, including discussion of violence, illness, injury & death. Listener discretion is advised. Against the backdrop of a deadly pandemic, the fabric of the United States is coming undone. Jaye discusses the impact of the novel coronavirus on communities of color, including Black, Latino, and Native Americans....

This multi-episode series is about the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, including both US foreign policy and the Middle Eastern immigrant experience. In this episode, Jaye recounts the early history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, focusing on the Barbary Wars, and delves into early immigration to the US from the Middle East. What role did religion play in the acceptance of early Middle Eastern immigrants, and how did people of...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of war, with references to physical and sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised. This multi-episode series is about the history of relations between the United States and the Middle East, including both US foreign policy and the Middle Eastern immigrant experience. This episode is a brief history of the Middle East and Mediterranean regions, from the decline of the Roman Empire to the rise of the Ottoman Empire. In the first...

In the public release of the September 2019 Patreon Exclusive, Jaye discusses Donald Trump's "disloyalty" comments regarding Jewish Democrats. Why would Trump rely on an anti-Semitic trope while stating he is an ardent supporter of Israel? Jaye also outlines reasons why white evangelicals, who are overwhelmingly loyal to Donald Trump, are also ardent supporters of the state of Israel. How do their politics in regards to Israel mesh with their support of a president who tacitly gives cover to...

CONTENT WARNING: The following episode includes discussion of terrorism, hate crimes, disasters, & public health crises that have involved illness, injury & death. Listener discretion is advised. None of the content of this episode is a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions regarding a medical condition. Several regions around the globe have been battling the scourge of a novel coronavirus,...

After a strong showing by US Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont in the early contests of the Democratic nomination season, former Vice-President Joe Biden has gained a great deal of momentum, starting in South Carolina and thru Super Tuesday. Is this a positive turn of events for the Democrats in terms of moving away from a democratic socialist as their standard-bearer, or is having a centrist candidate as the frontrunner a bad sign for the party's chances of beating Donald Trump in the...

In the public release of the October 2018 Patreon exclusive, Jaye discusses socialism - what is socialism, why is it so misunderstood, and why would it - in some form - benefit American society? The Cold War, entitlements and more are on the menu, so check it out! Twitter: @potstirrercast IG: @potstirrerpodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/potstirrerpodcast/ Website: http://PotstirrerPodcast.com Source Material: Bump, Phillip. 2015. "Do You Know the Difference Between a Communist...