Acts of Pod

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