Gilded Age
By OptOut News
Gilded AgeNov 18, 2022
Evan Greer on Net Neutrality & Online Censorship
Mark and Walker talk to Evan Greer, director of the nonprofit advocacy group Fight for the Future, about online censorship, net neutrality, the battle against disinformation, and punk rock. Greer is a longtime digital privacy rights activist, writer, and musician based in Boston, Massachusetts.
This full episode is free. Most Gilded Age episodes are available to OptOut Media Foundation donors. Support us here: https://originals.optout.news/#/portal/signup
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Fight for the Future: https://www.fightforthefuture.org/
Follow Evan on Twitter: https://twitter.com/evan_greer
Follow Evan on Mastodon: https://mastodon.online/@evangreer
PREVIEW: The Star Wars Holiday Special feat. Tom Scocca
Alex and Walker talk with Tom Scocca, the editor-in-chief of POPULA and former editor at Slate, Gawker, and Deadspin, about the new Star Wars series Andor. This "Star Wars for adults" show was surprisingly good, offering complex characters, an eerie look at the banality of evil behind the fascistic Empire, an exploration of class and exploitation, and a lot more.
This is a preview of our full discussion. To unlock the full episode, become a recurring donor to the OptOut Media Foundation: https://originals.optout.news/#/portal/signup.
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Rep. Ro Khanna on the Midterms, Ukraine, COVID, and Twitter
U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) joins the Gilded Boys to discuss the recent midterm elections, Ukraine and Saudi Arabia, COVID-19, and Elon Musk's destruction of Twitter. What are the key takeaways from the midterms? Has the Biden administration heeded Khanna's call to use diplomacy to end the war in Ukraine? Have Democrats done enough to protect us from COVID? And what's the best ownership scenario for Twitter? Khanna answers these and other questions.
Most full episodes are for recurring donors to the OptOut Media Foundation, a nonprofit charity that publishes Gilded Age and runs an independent news aggregation app, OptOut news. We are offering this episode for free in full.
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Ep. 29: Dems Are Letting Democracy Die feat. David Daley
Is Democracy over in the U.S.? It sure might be.
Alex and Walker talk with David Daley, the author of the national best-seller on partisan gerrymandering "Ratf**ked: Why Your Vote Doesn't Count" and "Unrigged: How Americans Are Battling Back to Save Democracy," about how colossally f*cked we'll be when the GOP gerrymanders congressional and state legislative districts in the coming months.
Congressional Democrats could stop this, but some senators and the president seem content to cede power to the anti-democratic GOP for the next decade or more.
Follow David Daley on Twitter: https://twitter.com/davedaley3?lang=en
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Ep. 28: Homegrown Hate with Sara Kamali
In this episode, the Gilded Boys speak with author, scholar, and holistic justice activist Dr. Sara Kamali about her new book, Homegrown Hate: Why White Nationalists and Militant Islamists Are Waging War against the United States.
"Holistic justice moves beyond anti-racism to anti-oppression in order to address militant white nationalism and end the disproportionate vilification of Muslim Americans and other marginalized groups," says Dr. Kamali.
Buy the book: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520360020/homegrown-hate
Dr. Kamali's website: https://www.sarakamali.com/
Follow Dr. Kamali on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sarakamali
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Ep. 27: How Safe Are Vaccinated People? with Deepti Gurdasani
Epidemiologist, geneticist, and Ph.D. Deepti Gurdasani, a senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London, joins Gilded Age to debunk myths about Covid-19, including some spread by health experts and governments, and answer questions about health and safety precautions.
Follow Dr. Gurdasani on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dgurdasani1
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Gilded Age is published by OptOut, a forthcoming news app for exclusively independent media. Find out more about OptOut: https://www.optout.news
Ep. 26: 'If We Get Lucky' — A Conversation with Harvard social epidemiologist Justin Feldman
Epidemiologist and Harvard fellow Justin Feldman talks with the Gilded Boys about the United States' mishandling of Covid-19 and whether, or if, the pandemic will end.
Follow Dr. Feldman on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jfeldman_epi
Read Dr. Feldman's Jacobin article on the coronavirus: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2021/01/covid-19-business-work-public-health
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Ep. 25 — Marianne Williamson on the United States of Oligarchy
Mark and Walker have a wide-ranging discussion with author and former presidential candidate Marianne Williamson about the corporate oligarchy that dominates the U.S., spirituality, Covid-19, and lots more.
Read Williamson's latest op-ed, "The United States of Oligarchy" https://www.newsweek.com/united-states-oligarchy-opinion-1575266
Follow Williamson on Twitter: https://twitter.com/marwilliamson
Listen to Williamson's podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1536043190
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Ep. 24 — Demilitarizing the Police and $1,400 Checks feat. Eoin Higgins
The Gilded Boys chat with Eoin Higgins about demilitarizing the police, especially how it relates to the Jan. 6 insurrection. We also discuss the controversy surrounding those $2,000—er, $1,400—checks that Biden's pushing for.
Follow Eoin on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EoinHiggins_
Read Eoin's recent op-ed about demilitarization: https://www.businessinsider.com/rioters-riots-capitol-police-defund-disarm-demilitarize-insurrection-accountability-2021-1
Check out Eoin's newsletter, The Flashpoint: https://theflashpoint.substack.com/
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Ep. 23: Live with New York State Rep. Ron T. Kim on COVID-19
New York State Rep. Ron Kim joins the Gilded Boys to talk about the dire circumstances in his state due to COVID-19 and the governor's refusal to raise taxes on billionaires to fund relief efforts.
Watch the video version: https://youtu.be/DxvaT_BQXJM
Follow Rep. Kim on Twitter: https://twitter.com/rontkim
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Gilded LIVE: Ep. 22 — Promoting a Yemeni Genocide Profiteer feat. Derek Davison
The Gilded Boys talk with foreign affairs journalist Derek Davison about Joe Biden's pick to lead the Defense Department as well as other highly conflicted or unqualified administration picks.
Follow Derek on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dwdavison
Check out Derek's news site, Foreign Exchanges: https://fx.substack.com/
...and this great collective of Substack writers: https://discontents.substack.com/
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Gilded LIVE: Ep. 21 — Government "Handouts" with Lindsey Boylan
Manhattan borough president candidate Lindsey Boylan joins Walker and Alex to set the record straight about Joe Biden's statement that people "don't want a handout" during a devastating pandemic and resulting economic recession. We respond to questions from the live chat.
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Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/3Bsjc9qbUbY.
Learn about Lindsey Boylan: https://www.lindseyfornewyork.com.
Follow Lindsey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/lindseyboylan.
Items referenced:
HANDOUTS: https://twitter.com/JoeBiden/status/1335346208106291206?s=20.
"Why Native Americans Have Been Protesting For A Month In The Heart Of The Hamptons" https://www.dailyposter.com/p/why-native-americans-have-been-protesting.
Support the Shinnecock Nation: https://www.gofundme.com/f/p72wbj
Ep. 19 — What Happened? feat. Malaika Jabali
Alex and Walker talk about the election and Democratic Party down-ballot failures with journalist Malaika Jabali. We recorded this the day after Election Day.
Support Gilded Age on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
Malaika on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MalaikaJabali
Malaika's 2018 Current Affairs article: https://www.currentaffairs.org/2018/10/the-color-of-economic-anxiety
Malaika's short film about voters in Milwaukee: https://youtu.be/ubd2cnslP8A
Ep. 18 — Homegrown Hate feat. Dr. Sara Kamali
The Gilded Boys speak with academic, author, and PhD Sara Kamali about white nationalist militancy in the United States—how it originates, and what we can do to stop it.
Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/gildedage
Find Dr. Sara Kamali on the web:
Site: sarakamali.com
Instagram: @sarakamali.phd
Twitter: @sarakamali
Preorder "Homegrown Hate: Why White Nationalists and Militant Islamists Are Waging War against the United States" published by University of California Press: https://www.sarakamali.com/preorder-the-book
Ep. 17 — Weapons of Mass Destruction Part 2
The Gilded Boys take you through the Bay of Pigs and several other close shaves with nuclear annihilation.
Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
Ep. 16 — Fascism Is Here feat. Jason Wilson
Walker and Alex talk with extremism reporter Jason Wilson, who lives in Portland, Oregon, about the killings at protests, white vigilantes working alongside the cops, and the sensational rightwing media that are all part of Trump's fascist campaign strategy.
Follow Jason on Twitter https://twitter.com/jason_a_w
Check out his website https://jasonwilson.media/
...and newsletter https://theend.substack.com/
...and Guardian articles https://www.theguardian.com/profile/wilson-jason
Subscribe to Gilded Age on Patreon to help us keep producing these episodes https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
Ep. 15 — Convention Special!
The Gilded Boys review Republicans' "anti-anti-racism" platform and the failure of the The Democrats™ to meet fascism with substance. The second half of our discussion will be released later this week for our premium members.
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Ep. 14 — Weapons of Mass Destruction, Part 1
Mark and Walker discuss how precariously perched we are on a cliff overlooking nuclear catastrophe.
Support Gilded Age on Patreon so we can continue bringing you these episodes about how and why we're f*cked: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
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Audio editing by Alex Kotch. Original theme music by Direwolf. Published by OptOut: https://www.optoutnews.org
Ep. 13 — The Veepstakes Are Finally Over
At last, we know who Joe Biden's running mate is. The Gilded Boys review Kamala Harris' history of being "tough on crime" and evaluate Biden's pick in a time of mass protest against police brutality and a draconian criminal justice system.
Mark and Walker's 2019 article on Harris' failed "Back on Track" program: https://www.jacobinmag.com/2019/09/kamala-harris-back-on-track-program-prisons
Help Gilded Age keep producing these podcasts: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
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Audio editing by Alex Kotch. Original theme music by Direwolf. Published by OptOut: https://www.optoutnews.org
Ep. 12 — #DNCFail feat. Nomiki Konst & Brent Welder
Former Bernie Sanders surrogate Nomiki Konst and Democratic National Committee member Brent Welder join the Gilded Boys to discuss the DNC's horrendous platform votes against a ban on corporate lobbyists, Medicare for All, legalizing pot, and many more no-brainers.
Audio editing by Alex Kotch. Original theme music by Direwolf. Published by OptOut News: https://optout.substack.com/p/a-nonprofit-news-app-thats-100-free
Support Gilded Age on Patreon. We depend exclusively on your support to keep this going! https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
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Follow Brent on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BrentWelder
Subscribe to The Nomiki Konst Show: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC-7cHr_hSHX5NUVe-t2r1g
Follow Nomiki on Twitter: https://twitter.com/NomikiKonst
Ep. 11 — Climate Deadline: Part Two feat. Roy Scranton
Author, professor, and war veteran Roy Scranton comes on the pod to talk about how the climate, and the fate of human civilization, has changed since publishing his 2015 book, Learning to Die in the Anthropocene. Sponsored by Chevron®.
Buy Dr. Scranton's books: http://royscranton.com/books
Follow him on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoyScranton
Gilded Age depends on your support. Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
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Audio editing by Alex Kotch. Original theme music by Direwolf. Published by OptOut News: https://www.optoutnews.org
Ep. 10 — Climate Deadline: Part One
In Part One of Climate Deadline, Walker, Mark, and Alex discuss just how supremely f*cked the planet is in the context of three important books on climate change. Plus, birds are freaking dinosaurs!!
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Books discussed:
Learning to Die in the Anthropocene by Roy Scranton http://royscranton.com/books/learning-to-die-in-the-anthropocene
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250062185
The Uninhabitable Earth by David Wallace-Wells https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/586541/the-uninhabitable-earth-by-david-wallace-wells
Ep. 09 — Thinkfluencers: The 'Save Journalism' Industry feat. Jack Crosbie (Preview)
In this premium episode for our patrons, the Gilded Boys sit down with journalist and photographer Jack Crosbie of the new Discourse Blog to discuss the media's useless 'thinkfluence' industry. Huge charities like the Knight Foundation have billions of dollars, but are they using them effectively?
Support us on Patreon to hear the full episode and help us continue producing these podcasts: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
Subscribe to Discourse Blog: https://discourseblog.substack.com/subscribe?utm_source=menu&simple=true&next=https%3A%2F%2Fdiscourseblog.substack.com%2F
Follow Jack on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jscros
Read Jack's piece, "Please, Fuck Off: Journalism's Slush Fund Parasites" https://discourseblog.substack.com/p/please-fuck-off-journalisms-slush
Ep. 08 — Josh Fox on Climate Justice
Documentary filmmaker and environmental activist Josh Fox joins the Gilded Boys to talk about how to get us off of fossil fuels, pipeline protests, environmental racism, and other important topics.
Follow Josh on Twitter https://twitter.com/joshfoxfilm.
Check out his work: http://joshfoxfilm.com.
Watch his new TYT show: https://tyt.com/shows/stayinghome.
Help Gilded Age keep producing these episodes: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage.
Ep. 07 — Facebook Finally Axes White Nationalists feat. Jared Holt (Preview)
In this premium episode for our patrons, Alex and Walker sit down with extremism reporter Jared Holt to discuss how prominent white nationalists are finally being kicked off of social media platforms. Plus, racist tweets from Turning Point USA Diaper Boy Caleb Hull!
To hear the full episode, become a Gilded Age supporter on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/gildedage
Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/gildedagepod
Read Jared's latest: https://www.rightwingwatch.org/post/youtube-%e2%80%8bbans-six-big-white-nationalist-channels/
Follow Jared on Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaredlholt
Check out Jared's podcast, Sh!tpost: https://shtpost.substack.com/
Ep. 06 — Social Media, Online Speech, and Section 230
Should Facebook censor its users' posts? What do we do about hate speech online? Is Mark Zuckerberg actually Godzilla? Alex, Mark, and Walker discuss speech and liability issues, the ills of giant social media companies, and potential solutions.
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Ep. 05 — New York Public Financing feat. David Moore (Preview)
In this premium episode, Sludge co-founder David Moore joins Gilded Age to explain how the New York state government approved public campaign financing, and why it hasn't been implemented yet. Read David's recent Sludge article, "Grassroots NY Challengers Take on the Pandemic and the Big Money Machine."
Follow David on Twitter. Support Sludge!
Become a patron to listen to the full episode. Follow us on Twitter.
Ep. 04 — New York Election Special feat. Akela Lacy
Akela Lacy, politics reporter at The Intercept, analyzes four exciting congressional primaries in New York that take place on Tuesday, June 23, including the heated race between hawkish incumbent Democrat Rep. Eliot Engel and surging progressive challenger Jamaal Bowman. We discuss the House contests in New York's 9th, 12th, 16th, and 17th Districts. Original theme music by Direwolf.
Read Akela's reporting: https://theintercept.com/staff/akelalacy.
Support to Gilded Age on Patreon https://www.patreon.com/gildedage.
Ep. 03 — Why Is the Media So F*cked? feat. Maria Bustillos
Alex, Mark, and Walker dissect the ills of the corporate media and its utter failure to produce accurate and independent reporting in the time of the Movement for Black Lives and Donald Trump. Popula founder Maria Bustillos joins the Gilded Boys in the second half to examine why The New York Times and other mainstream outlets cover for violent cops, mischaracterize Trump, and more broadly...suck.
Ep. 02 — How Big Money Took Over Politics feat. Rep. Ro Khanna
Alex, Mark, and Walker explain how a 1976 Supreme Court decision, Buckley v. Valeo, set the stage for a corporate takeover of U.S. elections. Representative Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) joins us for an interview at the end of the episode.
Black Lives Matter.
Original theme music by Direwolf.
Ep. 01 — Joe Biden's Chicago Boys
The Gilded Boys discuss the Biden Boys, relics from the Clinton-era past who are catastrophically advising the presumptive Democratic nominee.
Follow hosts @WalkerBragman, @alexkotch, and @MarkColangelo on Twitter.
Original theme music by Direwolf.