Trickle-Down Socialism

Pat talks to journalist Ben Norton of Multipolarista about multiple countries and regions in Latin America. The interview focuses on what we miss as consumers of US media, namely the working-class opinion of Socialist regimes like Maduro in Venezuela and the Cuban government. The topic of Puerto Rico also came up and Ben explains the devastating consequences that have come from the privatization of national utilities after Hurricane Maria. As a show, we have always been dedicated to countering mainstream media narratives and this episode takes that same focus to examine Latin American countries that are often misrepresented in American media. 

In the open, CMoney, Dan, and Pat provide a lot of context that will help the listener understand the issues discussed in interviews. Also discussed is the recent Congressional passage of a law allowing for Puerto Rico to hold a vote deciding its future: will Puerto Rico join the Union as the 51st state, vote for independence, or vote for something in between?

CMoney talks to Kentucky Congressional Candidate, Progressive Democrat Connor Halbleib about his run in the whitest and second poorest district in the US. Halbleib outlines the ways in which a Progressive platform can appeal to working-class voters, even in a red district. The GOP incumbent in the district, Hal Rogers, has been in office since 1981 and is nicknamed the "Prince of Pork" for his ability to bring money to the district (despite the fact that this money mostly benefits the super-rich and corporations.) 

Connor explains that Medicare for All, while it would be transformative, is still a compromise position because it isn't the strongest single-payer option on the table. In a similar way, Connor explains each of the policies in his platform and why they would benefit the constituents of Kentucky's 5th district. Also discussed in the open and interview is the draft Supreme Court opinion from Justice Sam Alito which was leaked - a decision that would establish a new precedent on a woman's right to choose, essentially setting us back decades and making access to safe and legal abortion unavailable in many states. 

You can learn more about Connor Halbleib's campaign here: https://conorhalbleib.com/ 

Pat talks to California resident, father, immigrant and indigenous advocate, Shervin Aazami who is running for US Congress in CA's 32nd district. Aazami brings a committed voice for fighting poverty: Housing First, public health advocacy for the unhoused, financial reform, the Green New Deal, and the public's overwhelming support for these bold programs was among topics discussed. As the child of Iranian immigrants by way of Italy, Aazami knows first-hand about both the opportunities in the US and the pitfalls of the predatory system of extraction that is our free-market, Capitalist system. 

Aazami shows deep knowledge of topics and brings life-experience that include lobbying Congress on behalf of indigenous groups. He spoke to Pat about the experience of having bills that were critical to the health of entire tribal groups tied to completely unrelated legislation. When elected leaders told Aazami that he should have "fought harder" for his cause, he knew that the system was rigged by corporate influence in the form of campaign sponsorship and other means. This episode focuses on two main topics: the system of extraction perpetuated by the undue influence of money on our political system and measures that SHOULD be passed into law which would eradicate poverty (for a sum of roughly 70 billion dollars in a year.)

For more on the Faircloth amendment (law which severely limits construction of new Federally subsidized housing) and contemporary attempts to block it: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/04/opinion/public-housing-faircloth-amendment-repeal.html

For more on Shervin Aazami, his policy positions, and his background: https://shervin4congress.com/

Pat talks to Shawn Lawler, a leftist podcaster from Ontario, about the "Freedom Convoy" or "Trucker Convoy," protests that have grown into blockades of various roadways. Shawn and Pat examined the influence of Right Wing media and Facebook on the anti-vaccine mandate demands from the participating individuals as well as the role US billionaires have played in funding the blockades. Shawn explains that police have been sympathetic, at times even helping protestors who have shown little regard for the people of Ottawa. Also discussed was the contradiction inherent in the protests: while the protestors are accusing the Canadian government of instituting overbearing laws, it is the US Government policy requiring vaccination of drivers for trucks to cross the border.

In the open, co-hosts Pat Donohue, CMoney Burns, and Dan Goldsbury, discuss recent Union wins, Union agitation at Starbucks locations across the country, a new vote at Bessemer, Alabama's Amazon facility and more. 

You can hear Shawn Lawler's podcast on the NFL here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/out-of-boundz/id1509494421

Trickle-Down Socialism is edited, mixed, and mastered by CMoney Burns. If you have audio needs, contact him at Cmoneyburns@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CMoneyBurns 

Journalist, Novelist, Author Ross Barkan talks to Pat about the overwhelming influence wasted by Senator Manchin, Biden's first year in office and how Biden should get some important work done with Executive Actions, the NYC Mayoral race of 2021, and the future of Progressivism after a likely defeat for Democrats in the 2022 Midterms. 

Ross Barkan is a freelance journalist whose work is featured in Jacobin, the Guardian, and many other important publications. He writes novels and non-fiction - his latest novel, "The Night Burns Bright" is due out in February of this year. His perspective is unique and his writing is clear and often critical of elements of the Left that are not productive. Subscribe to his substack, and consider becoming a subscriber, here: https://rossbarkan.substack.com/

Episode Topics: Biden's First Year, Cancelling Student Loan Debt, How Biden could lower prescription drug prices, Pharmaceutical influence on Congress, Why Senator Manchin is Impervious to criticism, Senator Sinema and how she doesn't represent what Arizona is becoming, Corporate influence on the Media, The loss of local papers across the country, and What will happen to the Progressive movement if (when) Democrats lose in the 2022 midterms. 

This episode was mixed, mastered, and edited by CMoney Burns. If you have audio content that needs a professional touch and a golden ear, contact him at cmoneyburns@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Cmoneyburns 

To kick off Season 4, Dan, Pat, and C$ tried something a little different: no guest interview, just the three co-hosts cutting it up, updating listeners on some previous guests like Dr. Asatar Bair, Lourin Hubbard, Dan Wilson, Robb Smith, and more. 

Topics discussed: 

Unions making in-roads at Starbucks, Successful strikes like St. Vincent Nurses' strike in Worcester, MA, "The Big Quit"

Gary Chambers announces run for Senate with a video of him smoking a blunt, explaining how marijuana prohibition has disrupted countless lives, especially black and brown lives. 

How Cryptocurrency is a scam, how Crypto mining and trading threatens to destroy the planet, and how the instability of the "decentralized" currency could harm countries from El Salvador to Kazakhstan. 

This episode was produced by TDS podcast co-host C$ Burns. If you like the sound of this show, and you have audio editing needs: music, podcast, any other audio - reach out to him at Cmoneyburns@gmail.com or follow him and say hi on twitter: @Cmoneyburns 

Follow this podcast on Twitter @trickledownsoc

Pat's twitter: @profPatch83

Owen Symes, a Socialist Historian, sat down with Pat to discuss his book: "He was Our Man in Washington." You can find the book here: https://www.johnhuntpublishing.com/zer0-books/our-books/he-was-our-man-in-washington 

Symes' account of Obama's presidency is a fair-minded exploration of recent US history, an honest look at Obama's campaign goals and how they turned out, and Obama's inability to break from both the heavy influence of lobbyists in DC and the military industrial complex. Symes also applies the history he's written to relatively recent events like the chaotic withdrawal of US troops and the lightning-quick Taliban takeover of the country. 

In the open, Dan and Pat discuss many recent events in union organizing: a union-yes vote at Buffalo Starbucks, Bessemer, AL Amazon facility conducting a new vote for unionization, and Kellogg's despicable firing of striking workers. Stay tuned for our Season 3 finale, which will be a Dan, Pat, and CMoney wrap-up. The final episode of the season will not include a guest interview so we can focus more on wrapping up all the ideas discussed in Season 3. 

This episode was mixed, mastered, and edited by CMoney Burns. If you have audio content that you would like his help with, please email him at CMoneyBurns@gmail.com or follow him and say hi on Twitter @cmoneyburns 

Pat talked to Daniel Wilson, a self-described working-class Trans Veteran, about his politics and his reasons for running for Congress in California's 26th Congressional district. Wilson has a keen understanding of issues, including the need to save the United States Postal Service and how Postal Banking could do that, the Green New Deal and how a Red Black and Green New Deal would center the needs and aspirations of the nation's Indigenous, Black, and Brown people, and how Medicare For All needs to happen. Also discussed is how the Democratic Party Establishment has treated Progressive candidates like Nina Turner and why that has pushed Dan to choose to run without affiliation with either of the two major political parties. Dan also describes much of the direct action that he's engaged in - far more than the average candidate. 

In the open, Dan Goldsbury, Pat, and CMoney provide a leftist review of Election Day 2021 and a look at a few of the bigger political debates of the week. 

This episode was edited, mixed, and mastered by CMoney Burns. If you have audio editing, mixing/mastering needs, please check him out on twitter @cmoneyburns or send him an email at cmoneyburns@gmail.com

Pat spoke to Awkword, a founding member of Ten Demands, the Road to Abolition about the need for transformational change to our systems of policing and incarceration. With a system that was founded on racism, with its roots in slave-catchers, activists like Awkword contend that the system as it currently exists cannot simply be reformed. The conversation touched on many important aspects of an Abolitionist mindset: Mutual Aid, providing for key essentials in underserved communities, and helping communities thrive in order to eliminate the need for police and prisons. Also discussed: why the recent "crime wave" is just another scare tactic from the establishment to justify further investment in law enforcement. 

In the open, Dan, C-Money, and Pat discuss the need to ditch Columbus Day, move to naming it Indigenous People's Day, AND couple that change with real progress making with Indigenous groups across the US - like the Land Back movement. 

For more information on Ten Demands, the Road to Abolition: https://www.tenforjustice.com/demands

Pat talks to promising young Progressive Congressional Candidate Muad Hrezi, running for US Congress in CT-01, about the potential for transformational change that Medicare for All would provide for individuals, families, Unions, and small businesses. The benefits of a single payer system that were discussed included: negotiating drug prices to bring costs down, standardizing hospital costs, eliminating the costs to the system of uninsured or underinsured patients, and more. The potential boon to small businesses of having healthcare already covered for any employees was another topic discussed. In the midst of a deadly pandemic, with many insurance companies already starting to refuse coverage for Covid related expenses, the time to reimagine our healthcare system is now. A single payer system is the best way to reduce cost, improve outcomes, and ensure that resources are allocated based on need, not based on profit potential. 

In the open, Dan, CMoney, and Pat discussed the potential implications on healthcare of the upcoming Infrastructure bill and the "Build Back Better" bill that are currently being debated in Congress. 

You can learn more about Muad Hrezi here: https://hrezi.com/

or follow him on Twitter: @muadhrezi 

As always, this podcast was edited, mixed/mastered by audio production guru CMoney Burns. If you have audio that you want to publish with professional sound quality, connect with CMoney on twitter: @cmoneyburns 

Dr. Asatar Bair, Economics professor, meditation coach, and Twitter's most famous Marxist sits down for his second TDS podcast interview. This time, he's interviewed by TDS podcast teammate CMoney Burns. The conversation covered Dr. Bair's viral tweet in defense of a more balanced view of Stalin, whether markets have any place in a Socialist Economy, Afghanistan and the rapid takeover of Taliban forces, and more. Have a listen, then check out Dr. Bair on Youtube or by connecting with him on Twitter: @asatarbair 

Pat talks to Kurt Andersen about his book: Evil Geniuses, the Unmaking of America. Andersen is the author of novels such as Fantasyland. He co-founded Spy Magazine, was managing editor of Time magazine, lead host of NPR's studio 360 and he's covered the politics and architecture beat for various publications. While he was aware of the widening wealth gap throughout the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, it wasn't until he wrote Fantasyland and started research for Evil Geniuses that he saw the intentionality and deviousness of the systematic way in which corporate interests have shaped our political economy over the last 50 years. 

Evil Geniuses examines coordinated efforts to achieve conservative economical and political changes in the United States from the 1970s to 2020, and discusses how the resulting unfettered laissez-faire approach to capitalism has resulted in an extreme level of economic inequality. 

In addition to talking about the history of how the system was rigged, how Americans were taught to distrust the government, and how taxes and regulations have been systematically slashed since the 1970s, Andersen explains in the interview some potential solutions to wealth inequality: Universal Basic Income, Boosting Union membership and Union power, worker Co-operatives, removing the profit motive from healthcare, and more. 

In the open, Dan is back! We went for a longer discussion this episode to provide plenty of discussion around some of the key issues that Pat and Kurt Andersen discuss in the interview. We discussed the current Infrastructure Bill as well. 

This episode was edited, mixed, and mastered by CMoney Burns. For help with your audio needs, feel free to contact him on Twitter at @CMoneyBurns

Further reading on this topic:

The Powell Memo: https://law2.wlu.edu/deptimages/Powell%20Archives/PowellMemorandumTypescript.pdf 

Invisible Hands: The Making of the Conservative Movement from the New Deal to Reagan by Kim Phillips-Fein 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2751831-invisible-hands

Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Right's Stealth Plan for America by Nancy MacLean

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30011020-democracy-in-chains 

CMoney Burns interviews Ben Burgis: philosophy professor, host of "Give them an Argument" podcast, and author of "Canceling Comedians while the World Burns: a Critique of the Contemporary Left." In the interview, Burgis explains key ideas from his recent book, including how the phenomena that the Right has dubbed "Cancel Culture" might not be the best use of time and energy on the Left, but that it comes from a place of frustration, lack of policy wins, and a desire to see at least some results from activity on the Left. Burgis uses the example of Bernie's recent interview with Maureen Dowd of the NYT, in which Bernie demanded that the interview stay focused on policy proposals that Senator Sanders was trying to include in legislation in the Senate rather than cultural 'distractions' like the #FreeBritneySpears controversy, to demonstrate what discipline on the Left looks like. Also mentioned in the interview: Stalin's recent rise to "trending" status on Twitter and how Burgis doesn't think trotting out Stalin is the best way to convince new people to join the Left. 

Burgis writes for Jacobin in addition to his recent book on Cancel Culture. You can find him on Twitter @BenBurgis and his book is available wherever you get your books. 

This episode was edited, mixed, and mastered by CMoney Burns. For help with your audio needs, feel free to contact him on Twitter at @CMoneyBurns

Pat speaks to William Dakota Compton, candidate for Congress in Kentucky's 1st district. Compton is a public school music teacher who has seen first-hand how the move to defund schools has affected the quality of education for our nation's youth. He worked as a fast-food worker through college and grad school, and speaks about the grueling and demanding nature of such jobs, the need for more unions, and the need to pay all workers a living wage. Compton is openly gay and his candidacy represents hope and recognition for countless youth and adults in his district, state, and the South in general who are questioning their identities or sexualities and who might not feel safe in their homes or communities to say anything about it or come out publicly. 

Also - Dan is back from the wilderness of New Hampshire - back in time to argue the finer points of Student Debt Cancellation. Up next for TDS podcast: philosophy professor and author of Give them an Argument: Logic for the Left will sit down with CMoney Burns of the TDS pod to talk about the Left, about Cancel Culture, and about how to forge ahead without getting into the traps of Left in-fighting. After CMoney's conversation with Ben Burgis, we will feature an interview with Kurt Andersen, author of "Evil Geniuses: the Unmaking of America." Stay tuned - subscribe, rate, review us wherever you get your podcasts. 

To learn more or support William Compton's candidacy, you can find him here: https://www.williamcompton.com/

or follow him on twitter @Compton4KY2022 

As always, this episode was edited, mixed, and mastered by CMoney Burns, who has an incredible audio studio in his apartment. For rates on your own audio editing, mixing/mastering follow him or say hello on twitter: @cmoneyburns or send him an email at cmoneyburns@gmail.com 

Remember - the level of inequality in our country has not always been this high and it doesn't have to be. We the people can decide we want to live better than this. 

Survey Link here: https://forms.gle/MYfpV4P4GYnxLYYd7 (Help us make the Podcast Better - 5 Questions)

Pat talks to Lourin Hubbard, who is running for the Democratic Nomination for US Congress in California's 22nd District, about why big Progressive ideas are interconnected in terms of the impact they could have on communities. Mr. Hubbard has served the public throughout his entire career and has seen the urgency for action on the climate crisis and infrastructure in his role as Operations Manager for the California Water Department. If Hubbard wins the Democratic Nomination for CA-22, he would face off against Devin Nunes - a GOP Representative who has shown himself interested in serving Trump's interests, but who hasn't seeemed interested in actually helping the people of California's Central Valley (San Joaquin Valley.) Learn More about Lourin Hubbard here: https://www.lourinhubbard.com/

Pat, Dan, and CMoney Welcomed Jordon Barney as guest co-host in the open. Jordon's Leftist Podcast can be found here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/805uncensored/id1471552828

Topics discussed: Homelessness, Medicare For All, Efficiency in Government, Retirement in the United States, Defund the Police, Allocation of Resources, the Modern GOP, Free Higher Education, Free Public Colleges and Universities, QAnon and the consequences it has had on the electorate and families, the Infrastructure Bill, Water Scarcity, Climate Change, the Green New Deal, Housing First, Housing as a Human Right. 

Pat talks to District Attorney Rachel Rollins, who was elected to the Suffolk County (Boston, MA) top law enforcement position on a platform of declination and diversion instead of prosecuting low-level crimes, especially crimes associated with poverty, mental illness, and drug use. In the interview, D.A. Rollins explains her progressive values and her philosophy for reforming the criminal justice system and holding police accountable for uses of force and misconduct. District Attorney Rollins takes bold stances, like her willingness to forgive all convictions that drew on evidence that was processed at the embattled drug lab in Massachusetts. Rollins even took a new bold stance on the TDS Podcast, publicly supporting the idea of beginning the process of creating supervised use facilities in Massachusetts, arguing that the open-air drug market on Mass Ave and Melnea Cass has all the negative consequences of a supervised use facility without any of the public health benefits. Rollins also discusses how some police hide behind the "Blue Wall" of silence when they should come out and condemn actions like the actions Chauvin took that killed George Floyd. 

C-Money Burns, Pat, and Dan discuss the Chauvin trial in the open. 

George Floyd, Black Lives Matter, Police Accountability, Derek Chauvin trial, Supervised Use Facilities, Police Reform, Criminal Justice Reform, District Attorney Rachael Rollins, Treatment, Decriminalize Mental Health, Decriminalize Drug Addiction, Decriminalize Homelessness, Defund the Police, Abolish Prisons, 

Pat talks to Ally Dalsimer, an environmental expert who is running for Congress in Virginia after 30 years of working for Department of Defense's environmental management program. She talks about how she is refusing corporate donations from the outset, how it's too late for half-measures on climate change mitigation and environmental protection measures, about how her opponent doesn't do what he says he will do in Washington, and about how all of these issues are interconnected. You can find out more about Ally Dalsimer here: https://www.allyforcongress.com/ 

CMoney Burns joins Dan and Pat for his second appearance as a co-host and they discussed marijuana legalization, a proposed infrastructure bill, the purported end of "Trickle-Down Economics" and more. Burns is a hip-hop artist and member of his local (Portland, ME) Democratic Socialists of America chapter, provides cutting analysis of current political events in the episode's open. You can hear his unique brand of socialist inspired hip-hop here: https://brzowskimusic.bandcamp.com/

Environmental Justice, Green New Deal, Environmental Justice, Corporate money in Congress, Dominion Energy, Virginia Legislature, United States Congress, Migratory Bird Patterns, Deb Haaland Director of Interior, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Virginia 11 District, 

Dan talks to lifelong educator Josette Williams who is running for Boston City Council about how she plans to reactivate her district (D4) to create a city government that works for all residents, not just the fortunate few. Topics of their discussion include: a city-wide minimum wage, equity in public education, how to engage youth in government and education, racial and gender equity, and the myth of progress being achieved after one person breaks the glass ceiling. https://www.voteforjosette.com/

Special guest co-host: Deirdre Baugh, a Boston Public School Art teacher, shares her perspective on how things are going in Boston. You can check out her amazing artwork, printed on a t-shirt or sweatshirt, here (support black artists) https://www.thedeitrixartproject.com/

All politics are local

Our guest this week, Mayor Colin Byrd, is mayor of Greenbelt, Maryland, the youngest black mayor in the US, a member of the Greenbelt city council, and has announced a run for US Congress, announcing his run against Steny Hoyer, who has held that seat for over 20 years. We discuss what he calls the "Audacity of Progressives" and his vision for his city, his district, and the country. 

In the open we talk about AOC on the picket lines, Bernie as Senate Budget Committee Chairman, and more. 

Please subscribe, rate us, and review us wherever you get your podcasts. 

In our final episode of Season 2, Dan talks to Pastor Chris Hall. They discuss what Christianity means to them, how Conservatives used wedge issues like abortion and gay marriage to consolidate political power, and how the New Testament can fit in with robust social programs that aim to alleviate poverty and extend equal opportunity to all citizens. 

#Christianity

#RepublicanJesus

#SocialistJesus

Pat interviews one of the co-founders of a brave independent media outlet named Unicorn Riot https://unicornriot.ninja/ who explains why independent media matters, what being independent allows them to cover that corporate media is unable to cover, and a number of interesting stories from covering dangerous stories like the protests to block the Dakota Access Pipeline and some of the more unstable protests across the US. The interview explains what US viewers and readers miss out on when they rely on corporate media, how we can support independent media, and why the future looks bright for outfits like Unicorn Riot in terms of generating enough funding to run a robust reporting operation. 

Dan, Pat, and Carlos talk about a few issues of the day to open the episode:

High levels of voter turnout due to mail-in ballots

Secretary of Labor trying to dismantle the Department of Labor - Bernie as Secretary of Labor?

Justification for "packing" the Supreme Court

In Rhode Island's September primaries, the Working Families Party pulled off an astonishing feat: 90% of the primary seats they sought were won by the party endorsed candidate. In a state where the Democratic primary often serves as the de facto general election, these victories mean that the Rhode Island State Senate and State House will have 12 new members, all of whom have earned the endorsement of the Working Families Party https://workingfamilies.org/about/

In Episode 5, Pat talked to a promising and energetic candidate who is party of this cohort of WFP backed candidates: Leonela Felix, candidate for State House seat from District 61. Leonela tells her story: she's an immigration attorney who got her start in politics through activism and doing the grassroots campaign work that characterizes the Working Families Party. The party pushed her to run because of her energy, her advocacy, as well as her skills and focus that would be an asset to the state and her constituents. We think you'll find that she's involved in politics for all the right reasons, and she's ready to work hard for the people of Rhode Island -- so ready that she walked 370 miles in the process of campaigning for the seat. If you liked what you heard from Leonela and want to learn more or donate to her campaign, follow this link: https://www.leonelafelix.com/

Dan, Carlos, Deto, and Pat also discuss Trump's recent Covid diagnosis and what that means for his campaign strategy, Amy Coney Barret's nomination process and other pressing political matters of the day. 

#WorkingFamiliesParty #RhodeIsland #StatePolitics #EstablishmentDems 

This Presidential Administration has been marked by a seemingly endless stream of whistleblowers who bravely risk their own careers to call out the waste, fraud, and abuse of power that they see as endemic to this president. Pat sits down with Nat Smith, a Whistleblower Protection attorney, to learn the ins and outs of whistleblowing, the types of retaliation that whistleblowers face, and the laws that are in place to protect the brave men and women who blow the whistle in a desperate attempt to shed light on corruption that they feel endangers our democracy. Learn why whistleblowers make our government better and more efficient.

Pat, Dan, and Carlos also discuss the recent death of RGB and what another Trump Supreme Court pick could mean for our country.

#Whistleblowers, #Corruption, #GovernmentAccountability

Chuck Rocha, Senior Advisor to Bernie Sanders' historic 2020 Presidential Primary campaign, talks with Pat about his new book, "Tio Bernie," which chronicles the incredible Latino outreach conducted by the campaign. Chuck explains how he went from working in a Union Tire Factory early in his career to leading a team of organizers who engaged Latinx voters like no national political campaign has done before and he explains what most of the Democratic Party still gets wrong when trying to connect with voters of Hispanic descent. Aside from being an organizer, an author, and a political strategist, Chuck is an engaging storyteller and he shares a few of those stories in the interview. 

His book is available for pre-order at www.tioberniebook.com 

Dan, Pat, Carlos, and Deto open the episode with a Roundtable discussion of a couple of big news items from the week and close the episode with a post-interview wrap-up. 

Season 2 opens with two new members of the team. Deto-22 and Carlos Benitez are now part of the TDS podcast team, and the episode starts with a Roundtable discussion featuring all 4 team members. 

The episode also features three interviews, all designed to shed light on the looming eviction crisis that will hit the country if our governments don't act. 

Interview 1: Pat talks to Will, executive director of the Mayor's Office for Fair Housing, Equity, and Civil Rights, who explains what his office does and how his office fights against discrimination towards tenants who try to use vouchers to rent, often black and brown residents of Boston. 

Interview 2: Pat talks to a former student who is using the pseudonym: Franchesca. Franchesca shares her personal experience of homelessness shortly after she arrived in the United States from the Dominican Republic. 

Interview 3: Pat talks to Tim Scalona, an advocate for homeless students and a public policy grad student at UMass Amherst. Tim shares about his experience with homelessness as a kid and how that shapes who he is today, plus some clear policy goals that could help prevent the massive wave of evictions that looms. 

eviction, foreclosure, homelessness, shelter, housing vouchers, discrimination,  

Pat talks to Adam Christensen, a small business owner and Democratic candidate for the US 3rd Congressional District of Florida. Adam talks about his conservative upbringing, why he switched to the Democratic Party and moved left of most Democrats, and why Medicare For All makes sense from a moral, fiscal, and entrepreneurial perspective. He describes his challenges heading into the August 18 primary and what his likely Republican opponent would look like were he to win the primary. 

Christianity

Medicare For All

US Congress

Florida 3rd Congressional District

Gainesville, Florida 

Nate Simms talks to Dan about why he protests, what it took to succeed in Boston Public Schools, what needs to change, and even gets into some details about Candace Owens that you won't want to miss. 

As mentioned in the episode, please call us at 781.343.1813 and leave us a comment about how the media has portrayed the protests. Please be sure to mention your name, and give us a call back number at the end of your message so we can distribute your gift (first 10 callers.) we will cut your number before we publish your comment in the next episode. 

Black Lives Matter

Socialism 

Protests

George Floyd

When a package is delivered to your door, it has changed hands plenty of times already. The workers who move items from the manufacturing floor to your doorstep have been on the front lines of this pandemic. This week we talk to a Socialist from Dallas who is a truck driver and a member of his local Teamsters Union. Learn how the union has provided him the safety he would not have had otherwise. 

Unions, Unionism, 

Three Stimulus packages have been passed, but where is the relief for the folks who need it the most right now? Covid-19 can cause anyone to get sick, but the economic effects are being felt the hardest by those closest to the poverty line. Why can't we just cancel the rent? Dan and Pat explore the issues underlying this question: some socialist ideology about landlordism, the implications of putting a pause on rent collection, and the unsustainable nature of landlordism in general. 

Ahmaud Arbery's killing sparks a discussion about gun violence in the United States. Dan and Pat discuss the details of the extrajudicial killing of Arbery, how we almost didn't hear about this travesty, why gun control is such a difficult task in American politics, and why the 2nd Amendment was included in the Bill of Rights in the first place (hint - it wasn't included just so we could fight off a tyrannical government.)

Dan sits down with his friend Cindy Diggs, Founder of Peace Boston and Team Leader for the Louis D. Brown Peace Institute.  They discuss the Mother's Day Walk for Peace and and the effort to end senseless gun violence on Boston's streets. 

Dan and Pat, because of their melanin deficiency, can't speak to being black in America during a pandemic. Luckily, they have two friends who can. Episode Six explores the history of race in the US and how skin color can affect health outcomes, often in horrifically disproportionate ways. Dan gives up his ridiculous "commercials" so that the podcast can highlight two very important causes: Fair Fight 2020 (www.fairfight.com) and Rescuing Leftover Cuisine Boston (https://www.rescuingleftovercuisine.org/massachusetts)

Another stimulus package was passed by both houses of Congress. We take a look at what that bill does and does not accomplish. What could the government accomplish if priorities were different?

Democratic Socialism

Tranche of Stimulus money

Small Businesses 

Germany

Mitch McConnell

Episode 4 focuses on the White House Press briefing from Monday, April 13th. The episode also features an interview with a CIA trained expert in detecting deception who teaches us some of the key indicators of detecting deception. We examine three of the most shocking details from that press briefing: Dr. Fauci's "apology," the video that Trump showed to demonstrate how well he responded to the pandemic, and the astute reporter who pointed out that the video didn't mention the fact that the Administration didn't do anything to mitigate the spread of the virus in the month of February. 

Key details:

Dr. Fauci Coronavirus, Covid-19

Trump, Daily press briefings, lying 

Detecting deception, Republican Party, Climate Change

As the Coronavirus crisis enters its second month in the United States, many hospitals have nearly exhausted their PPE.  We talk to a local ER nurse on the front lines in Boston.

In our second episode, we dig deep into the three phases of the congressional response.  In particular, we examine the recipients of such federal spending and the influence of corporate socialism on this critical and urgent legislation.