Connecting the Dots

This is not inflammatory. This is the Art of Self Defense.It is my hope that when people hear this episode, they can walk away eager or at least curious to learn any new methods of self defense to help resist victimization, encroachment, and manipulation. Instrumentalize yourself. Your mind, your body, your spirit.Strength in the body, Knowledge in the mind, Courage in the heart = Empowerment. PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATIONS:Dead Prez- Way Of life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vZOcOtl1i1gBronze Nazareth- Shaolin Kung Fu Traininghttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=freIpOss45YStic- White Belthttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ctehvAbsWIBOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: “Self Defense: A Philosophy of Violence” by Elsa Dorlin https://www.amazon.com/Self-Defense-Philosophy-Elsa-Dorlin/dp/1839761059/ref=sr_1_1?crid=LEHWEFRWCS3&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.HOKSf6KMdrta7oBm60_82w1eD9-mvkLoaEtRG7xZ_nupuaO0yqD4PQ3MMkl8Wvfnjj0HgZoQi2FzOGVu-AlsbBkkt-_IJAqf61UyVrEwRyufEz8sDe2JkOSiLTmmj3QU5d_Sdoa_V4Lpdc0DX10TiAm8i_0QWS7hYj3CZqBsZw9iTRoTLHoWM9zwO3Az1RoWANIcpGt7ITtEmJ7IyYb8Uj6-4OGS1Z-MojBnDMcu5rE.fSEmN9Ceo_AtbVjUexMExzrnnvwEuO_5no02XoHpBHA&dib_tag=se&keywords=self+defense+a+philosophy+of+violence&qid=1740093098&sprefix=self+defense+a+phil%2Caps%2C150&sr=8-1“To Die For the People” by Huey Newtonhttps://www.thriftbooks.com/w/to-die-for-the-people-the-writings-of-huey-p-newton_huey-p-newton/726608/?resultid=3b47cb9b-c2d7-4e9a-81a7-a9c5f3512f1e#edition=7263167&idiq=10230414“The Autobiography of Malcolm X” as told by Alex Haleyhttps://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x_malcolm-x/248487/#edition=2363449&idiq=737840“The Art of War” by Sun Tzuhttps://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-art-of-war_sun-tzu_sunzi/250412/?resultid=99eca233-1bc3-4f4e-a704-b6d991b522be#edition=64242054&idiq=54704519“Lessons In The Art Of War” by Martina Sprague https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/lessons-in-the-art-of-war-martial-strategies-for-the-successful-fighter/9216040/?resultid=1dd47d1b-7fee-4be7-a524-075a4301337f#edition=65310702&idiq=62242658“Book of Five Rings” by Miyamoto Musashihttps://www.thriftbooks.com/w/a-book-of-five-rings-the-classic-guide-to-strategy-by-miyamoto-musashi/273038/?resultid=d5f56f2c-7a0d-451b-a0cf-9297795dafd1#edition=4494403&idiq=173633RESOURCES:https://cldc.org/de-arrestinghttps://www.bostonreview.net/articles/chad-kautzer-political-philosophy-self-defense/https://jacobin.com/2021/01/martial-arts-ufc-trump-far-right-police-militaryhttps://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1101&context=tapestrieshttps://www.walterlippmann.com/mx-nyt.htmlhttps://www.law.cornA Political Philosophy of Self-Defense - Boston Reviewell.edu/wex/self-defense#:~:text=The%20use%20of%20force%20to,criminal%20lawhttps://supersoldierproject.com/the-history-of-the-filipino-martial-arts/INTRO:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGesWAWyv5E&t=423sOUTRO:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzaWAEhFWpw

If you're a Marvel/Disney fan, this episode may piss you off. If you glorify the military/empire, this episode may piss you off. If you love propaganda, this episode may piss you off. PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATIONS: Dead Prez- Propaganda https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIhIsHEAM8w Immortal Technique- Freedom of Speech https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAEbWSSo9AQ BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: Edward Bernays- Propaganda https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/propaganda_edward-l-bernays/271440/?resultid=bf3aa14a-7371-4e7f-81d0-9e0a3bb7ab54#edition=14599611&idiq=46473416 Noam Chomsky- Manufacturing Consent https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/manufacturing-consent-the-political-economy-of-the-mass-media_noam-chomsky_edward-s-herman/250546/?resultid=a5ad3ad5-f38f-40c7-b5a9-c89f5e80fe1e#edition=3389416&idiq=10196061 Paulo Freire- Education for Critical Consciousness https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/education-for-critical-consciousness_paulo-freire/285357/?resultid=63ba8060-c876-49e5-8ebc-10dbf7c9cae8#edition=4382559&idiq=4611527 ARTICLES: https://therealnews.com/cop-land-is-still-one-of-the-best-hollywood-depictions-of-police-corruption https://www.yipinstitute.com/article/how-do-the-marvel-movies-promote-the-us-military https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2021/11/05/new-marvel-film-puts-spotlight-on-hollywoods-military-ties/ https://mronline.org/2022/02/08/the-pentagon-and-cia-have-shaped-thousands-of-hollywood-movies-into-super-effective-propaganda/ https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/the-great-war-master-of-american-propaganda/ https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/09/wandavision-pentagon-propaganda-marvel-disney-fbi https://www.liveabout.com/pentagon-support-for-war-films-3438458 https://www.newsweek.com/captain-marvel-superhero-movies-air-force-comic-book-military-promotion-1348486 https://www.blackagendareport.com/wakanda-must-fall https://www.military.com/daily-news/2020/01/05/captain-marvel-effect-air-force-academy-sees-most-female-applicants-5-years.html THEATERS OF WAR LINK: https://vimeo.com/ondemand/theatersofwar LINK FOR THE INTRO/OUTRO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ML3qYHWRIZk https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAykOz1gWi4&t=50s --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kevin-garci/message

Just some thoughts for thought.  BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS:  Bruce Lee- Striking Thoughts https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/striking-thoughts-bruce-lees-wisdom-for-daily-living-the-bruce-lee-library_bruce-lee/296561/?resultid=4dd9bac5-0ba2-47e4-93bc-3296be88a015#edition=3673054&idiq=4467350 Marcus Aurelius- Meditations https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/marcus-aurelius---meditations-adapted-for-the-contemporary-reader_marcus-aurelius/27292127/?resultid=b43aaddd-1bb9-468e-868f-528b5d64bc5d#edition=14781957&idiq=28997502 Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga- The Courage to be Disliked https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/kirawareru-yuki_-_ichiro-kishimi/10893847/?resultid=7e6a22ce-69e4-47d2-9a67-4f274229aa92#edition=19865634&idiq=30126954 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION:  U2- Rejoice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JxRGvzwzxc --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kevin-garci/message

This episode is meant to tie together our two worlds, the internal & the external. It emphasizes how the political, economical, and social issues of this country are capable of inducing mass trauma & mental suffering. I want to acknowledge how this affects us as individuals and as a society when we internalize it. More importantly, as a result of this reality, I want to emphasize the necessity for radical change and societal/personal RELEASE. BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine Transforming Trauma With Jiu Jitsu by Jamie Marich & Anna Pirkl Health Justice Now by Timothy Faust What Happened Here: Bush Chronicles by Eliot Weinberger https://www.thriftbooks.com/ PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATIONS: Fort Minor- Kenji Kenji - Fort Minor Muse- Psycho https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UW09k8P0zTc Pearl Jam- Release Pearl Jam - Release (Official Audio) The Rolling Stones- Doom and Gloom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPFGWVKXxm0 U2- Bad https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCdltGg4EzM LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN8ej4k2ilc RESOURCES: https://www.verywellmind.com/effects-of-collective-trauma-5071346 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6095989/ https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/mortality-rates-u-s-compare-countries/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6603306/ https://oie.duke.edu/inter-generational-trauma-6-ways-it-affects-families https://www.childhelp.org/child-abuse-statistics/ https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/9-11-twenty-years https://www.aclu.org/other/surveillance-under-usapatriot-act https://www.cato.org/commentary/make-america-safer-shut-down-department-homeland-security --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kevin-garci/message

MAYDAY!!! Protest Song Recommendations: Paolo Nutini- Iron Sky, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF_PkvMm9_c Bob Marley- Work, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKHdvDkDAHk U2- Red Hill Mining Town, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yafHtWzWx0s Jefferson Airplane- Volunteers, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xaw--HWHecg Pete Seeger- Solidarity Forever, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZW_1hP0SHSQ Book Recommendations: Labor's Untold Story, by Richard O' Boyer, https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/labors-untold-story_richard-o-boyer_herbert-m-morais/264902/?resultid=c56b445e-fff8-4237-962b-4fe946c22c1b#edition=724864&idiq=5115529 Fight Like Hell, by Kim Kelly, https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/fight-like-hell-the-untold-history-of-american-labor_kim-kelly/29057042/?resultid=2f141869-e5c8-4ee4-9d56-d0fae834ff4c#edition=60148856&idiq=47185332 The Meritocracy Trap, by Daniel Markovits Beyond Outrage, by Robert Reich The People's History of the United States, by Howard Zinn Articles: https://www.americanprogress.org/article/its-a-good-jobs-shortage-the-real-reason-so-many-workers-are-quitting/ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-10-15/u-s-labor-unions-are-having-a-moment https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/07/business/economy/treasury-competition-report.html https://www.usnews.com/news/economy/articles/2021-10-07/the-labor-market-is-undergoing-a-seismic-shift-as-markets-await-septembers-jobs-report https://theconversation.com/union-battles-at-amazon-and-starbucks-are-hot-news-which-can-only-be-good-for-the-labor-movement-172932 https://www.encyclopedia.com/economics/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/san-francisco-general-strike-1934 https://archive.iww.org/history/library/misc/origins_of_mayday/ http://www.illinoislaborhistory.org/the-haymarket-affair http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/economy-1991/labor-in-america-the-trade-unions-role/current-labor-issues.php https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/06/us/police-unions-minneapolis-kroll.html https://www.huffpost.com/entry/amazon-anti-union-consultants_n_62606f2ce4b041ee26501ca2 --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kevin-garci/message

LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/all-about-love-new-visions-bell-hooks-love-trilogy_bell-hooks/248913/?resultid=595b688d-e936-4181-b121-65b31be6db0b#edition=2337244&idiq=10183064 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enmitbt3yAs LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0uEVTh0ios --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kevin-garci/message

BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: 1) Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-sorrows-of-empire-militarism-secrecy-and-the-end-of-the-republic-the-american-empire-project_james-carroll_chalmers-johnson/257596/?resultid=fb0f7e1f-fa69-44cd-8991-f7fa1b27c13d#edition=3677168&idiq=2963848 2) Imperial Ambitions by Noam Chomsky https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/imperial-ambitions-conversations-on-the-post-911-world_noam-chomsky_david-barsamian/383572/?resultid=7f48e7ee-1619-4d3c-a16c-756b49659170#edition=3781570&idiq=672750 3) The One Percent Doctrine by Ron Suskind https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-one-percent-doctrine-deep-inside-americas-pursuit-of-its-enemies-since-911_ron-suskind/431152/?resultid=b3d2eeb8-23fc-462e-bfaf-44cfb067e957#edition=3511383&idiq=5851242 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IKOVG8hitk LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGRcgSz-jqI&t=11s LINK TO THE ARTICLES: https://theintercept.com/drone-papers/the-assassination-complex/ https://www.ogj.com/pipelines-transportation/pipelines/article/14188746/tapi-pipeline-afghanistan-construction-to-start-in-herat https://www.upstreamonline.com/production/taliban-tapi-gas-pipeline-is-a-priority-project/2-1-1053761 https://www.history.com/topics/21st-century/afghanistan-war https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/asia-jan-june11-timeline-afghanistan --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/kevin-garci/message

This book by Timothy Faust, takes a critical look at the American Health"care" System, covering issues related to private insurance, uninsurance, racism, sexism, poverty, and disability within the industry and issues related around mental health, trans health, immigration, and work. There are so many levels at play in this one book and the author does an excellent job of honing in on them nicely. This podcast episode is much more general and mostly covers the profit motives of the "health" industries biggest players such as hospitals, CEO's, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and device manufacturers. This book and this episode also advocate for the Federal Universal Single Payer system. These are the primary topics of this episode but the book itself holds so much more valuable insight and information that are worth understanding. The author does a phenomenal job of making so much expansive and complicated material very digestible for people that just want to learn more about the injustices and greed that is pervasive within the industry. I cannot advocate for this book more intensely than I already do. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/health-justice-now-single-payer-and-what-comes-next/18669773/?resultid=a3544daf-c636-4f60-b409-65254d347594#edition=19896149&idiq=33910542 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyOsJWE_GbY LINK TO THE SCENE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oceYG6ogT_E

This is one of the oldest books we've covered so far, The Other America by Michael Harrington, first published in 1962. As the title implies, it covers the other side of America, specifically regarding poverty. Harrington's personal experiences, analyzation, and critical perspective offer some truly insightful looks into the depths of the other America. The book also covers alcoholism, drug abuse, mental health, trauma, social stigmatization, and many other aspects related to poverty. This book is extremely powerful and moving and has been deemed a true classic. It's a light read, easy to follow, and powerful to have. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-other-america_michael-harrington/276861/?resultid=f0ba225d-b383-48a8-b389-fbf2e210d795#edition=3405243&idiq=10249063 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DyJLh_zXXvM LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20NQQr2Iu_E

Out of all the books this podcast has covered, this one may be one of, if not the easiest to read and follow along. This doesn't mean the content is simple or easy to understand even, but Robert Reich, the author, is a phenomenal writer and he has the ability to make complex information easy to understand. This is important for the majority of people. He puts things in a way that allows for people to obtain an understanding, myself included. He explains why and how so much of our country's wealth continues to flow to the top of the economy and how this is detrimental and harmful to everyone else. He explains the "rigged game", the impediment of conservatives, how income inequality is distorting our democracy, and how we can take action and he of course offers some guidance and proposed solutions to the issues we face. This book is called Beyond Outrage and i'm sure that after reading it and obtaining an understanding of the grander scheme of things, you too will be outraged. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/beyond-outrage-expanded-edition-what-has-gone-wrong-with-our-economy-and-our-democracy-and-how-to-fix-it_robert-b-reich/342642/?resultid=af046e76-4270-4b60-8642-da6b97a2bef4#edition=7087922&idiq=3873125 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Dq9q6afIP8 LINK TO THE DOCUMENTARY: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T9E2DBzAaI https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9REdcxfie3M

This episode is centered around Anand Giridharadas' book: Winners Take All. Anand is a phenomenal speaker, writer, analyst, and he has incredible insight and understanding regarding contemporary social issues, especially pertaining to our elites. I recommend following him on social media/twitter if you want more exposure to his insights and perspective. This book covers issues with inequality, extreme hoarding and extreme charity, opportunist, and self exalted leaders who insinuate change, but preserve the status quo. Although this book was not one of my favorites, I still recommend it due to the power of its content. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/winners-take-all-the-elite-charade-of-changing-the-world_anand-giridharadas/18603433/?resultid=2c2bec34-a635-446b-8b8f-8f7676f2be87#edition=21309754&idiq=40895548 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUGE8Y07-2k LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H32z45o0WxA

A great and critical book by Andrea Mcdonnell and Susan j. Douglas. They elaborate beautifully on how celebrities and celebrity culture has affected American culture. This episode hopes to elaborate on that just a bit and show how celebrity culture affects us individually and collectively. They also talk about in great detail how technology has been fundamentally useful for celebrities going back to radio, film, television and social media. This episode specifically focuses on social media as it is contemporarily and arguably the most culturally relevant and relatable. The book also talks about how essential celebrities are for capitalism and this episode also expands on that as well. This is an incredibly detailed and thorough book that looks at America's biggest cultural icons from the Beatles to the Kardashians and it reflects us as a people and how we respond to these celebrities, for better or for worse. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/celebrity-a-history-of-fame_susan-douglas_andrea-mcdonnell/20332628/?resultid=8b84c65b-1c8e-40c9-bff5-7d9cbae9ce7c#edition=21655026&idiq=32425307 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syeyKhfChfA PLOT TO OVERTHROW AMERICA TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_Xu6FuP-IM LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qkU-evkvMo CELEBRITY CULTURE EXEMPLIFIED: https://twitter.com/Epithymia__/status/1385684052544397315?s=20 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wH7InxylzRU

This episode is covering the book: Because We Say So, by Noam Chomsky. The book is actually a collection of short essays, covering many different issues and topics such as: threats to world peace, issues with Iran, Gaza, and Palestine, the 2012 election, Edward Snowden, and many more. This podcast episode covers the assault on public education, global warming, and the Vietnam war specifically. Its a dense book honestly, but it provides a lot of information. It does take some work to sit through and read and understand, but a lot of insight and information can be extracted as well. Although some of the information is dense, maybe even complicated, Chomsky really makes readers reflect on the state of the world and our current world order. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/because-we-say-so_noam-chomsky/14075776/?resultid=7a838459-6a37-4560-b1dd-d08db98b6ae9#edition=9698543&idiq=19966207 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RI9hDxVDobI LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b80Bsw0UG-U

This is a phenomenal book that really emphasizes and illuminates the struggles of the middle class, the domination of the rich, and the myth of the American dream and upward mobility. The author, Daniel Markovits, puts together a brilliant book that deeply covers comparisons between the rich and the rest, related to education, healthcare, jobs, etc. He deeply covers our nations inequalities, contradictions of the system, and class warfare. If I could only recommend one book to people of the contemporary middle and working class, it would be this one.  LINK TO THE BOOK: ritocracy-trap-how-americas-foundational-myth-feeds-inequality-dismantles-the-middle-class-and-devours-the-elite_daniel-markovits/20170934/?resultid=9a51b197-0255-440d-93ca-a1d8b06cabc5#edition=29749700&idiq=44185471 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AhTC7dpWOyM LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4srY7G7cha8

A great, independent, non partisan book that covers issues related to our way of policing, the war on drugs, and militarized policing. The author, Radley Balko, provides loads of research and exposes a lot of history and scenarios in which policing methods and tactics clearly run wild, hurting and killing people as a result. The author asserts that our militarized way of policing is contradictory to the professed values of a free society and America. This isnt just a book about cops though, Balko emphasizes that our politicians, lawyers, prosecutors, and judges all play a part in the emboldening and empowerment of police officers, at the expense of the people. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/rise-of-the-warrior-cop-the-militarization-of-americas-police-forces_radley-balko/699579/?resultid=78acd366-6560-4422-a50b-9417142d52cc#edition=9022633&idiq=10770518 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lIqNjC1RKU LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PeqTXDyG0k EPITOMIZATION OF MILITARIZATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3TFV2bTj38

This episode is based on Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed. This is a must read for anyone looking to expand their ideas and proposed solutions to our social issues. A great book for students, educators, instructors, and parents as well. The author provides a new way of looking at/engaging with the world and he proposes an entirely new style, method, and approach between the student/teacher dynamic. This is a book for anyone who links education to social change. New ideas and conversations are desperately needed and this book is a great source that may provide this. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=pedagogy+of+the+oppressed&crid=7GX1E8P7PYOZ&sprefix=pedagogy+%2Caps%2C-1&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_1_8 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxF_-M-A9ME LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Imq5DS6PZMo

Back in the game. This is the first episode of a new season and this episode is centered around a book titled, The Revolution We Expected by Claudio Naranjo. This has quickly become one of my favorite books and there's a reason why I chose this one to kick off a new season. Its unique, expanding, thought provoking, and should lead to genuine and profound reflection if read with an open mind and heart. The back of the book sums up the work nicely, as the author makes "a final call to humanity to awaken to our collective potentials". It covers topics related to the patriarchy, education, human development, self awareness, and even the utilization of meditation. This man applies his brilliant mind and perspective to all of these issues and this is only to the benefit of the reader. I'd rather you actually read and experience the book for yourself instead of listening to this podcast, so get to it. If anyone is interested in spirituality, meditation, humanization, and the remedy of our social and political issues, this is the book for you. And if not, try and expand your mind and give it a chance anyways. Huge thanks to my brother Andres for providing the new intro song and another huge thanks to my partner for providing a new mic for better audio. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-revolution-we-expected-transforming-education-and-society-for-a-post-patriarchal-future/24883889/?resultid=123cb5b6-73dd-4aee-8fea-729fbc80d5a0#edition=26583182&idiq=41478154 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=721JQZw6Spg LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5E9gS4RZOo&t=172s

Final thoughts! PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bURgTLHryrg LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-art-of-war_sun-tzu_sunzi/250412/#edition=394366&idiq=3855993 LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGi9L85NSgs

This episode covers a book called Empire of Illusion by Chris Hedges. Dope book. It provides incredible perspective and insight on American culture, entertainment, the media, elites, and corporations. I highly recommend it, its not too long, very easy to read, and it effortlessly compels the reader to reflect on what they are consuming, the reality of the entertainment industry/media, and the power and facade of celebrities. This episode is intended to challenge listeners, break any held delusions, and challenge all to think critically and question the day to day consumptions based around entertainment, as well as to encourage all to stop idolizing celebrities, celebrity culture and to encourage empowerment of self, self awareness, and a re investment back into reality. LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/empire-of-illusion-the-end-of-literacy-and-the-triumph-of-spectacle_chris-hedges/279338/#edition=5881671&idiq=822082 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwSRqaZGsPw LINK FOR THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z7E4sg2Z5aI LINK FOR CHRIS HEDGES SPEECH- THE PEOPLES CONVENTION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmVqGeUHZiI

This episode covers a book titled: Diversity in the Power Elite by Richard Zweigenhaft and G. William Domhoff. It’s rich with analysis, statistics, insight, and names of some of the most powerful people in the country. It looks at minorities within the power elite including: Jews, Blacks, women, Latinos, Asian Americans, and gays and lesbians. It looks at their numbers and presence in the military, corporate, and political sectors as well. It’s not a difficult read but honestly, I’d recommend starting with C. Wright Mills’ Power Elite, which this book simply builds off of. Check it out though if you’re serious about gaining more insight or want a more contemporary look at the Power Elite. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/diversity-in-the-power-elite-how-it-happened-why-it-matters_richard-l-zweigenhaft/739561/#edition=4503131&idiq=27726848 LINK TO THE BOOK (2): https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-power-elite_c-wright-mills/281713/#edition=2349473&idiq=1652236 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Do8HBJuf8 LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbRCDsrmnwg

This book is a highkey recommendation. It’s called On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder. Super quick read. You can have it done in one day. It’s light and easy to read but gives a lot of perspective to apply towards many of our current issues. Covers elements of history, tyranny. psychology, politics, activism, and social awareness. Definitely worth a look at. Get a quick read in. LINK TO THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/on-tyranny-twenty-lessons-from-the-twentieth-century_timothy-snyder/13462819/#edition=13124516&idiq=18491658 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0D-D3AWzSr0 LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88YuQHm6Tig

This episode covers a dope book titled The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Johnathan Haidt. It has such an independent tone and perspective, giving criticism towards both liberals and conservatives, shedding light on both of their shortcomings and habits. In addition, the book also covers contemporary problems regarding students and their anxiety/depression rates, social media, children, fearful parents, coddling public universities, political polarization, and other super interesting insights and societal problems. There are also traces of psychological insights and perspectives applied towards many of these issues and populations that are discussed. If you want to look at these problems from a relatively objective lens, this book absolutely provides that. I'd recommend this book to ANY incoming college student or currently enrolled undergrad and also to parents and educators! LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-coddling-of-the-american-mind-how-good-intentions-and-bad-ideas-are-setting-up-a-generation-for-failure_jonathan-haidt_greg-lukianoff/18599541/#edition=19797967&idiq=33503327 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kH6OCtT7LE LINK TO THE SPEECH: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzadDomO5cA

Just some personal thoughts and insights for the upcoming election and the ramifications of it. Applying everything we’ve covered so far to this episode and topic. There’s so much talk around the election so I tried very hard to apply a unique perspective and take a different angle on it, while filtering out all the bullshit and conventional rhetoric you can find literally anywhere. This is an independent perspective and a challenge to anyone who needs it. I’m hoping it can invigorate and empower any one who listens. LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x_malcolm-x/248487/#edition=2363449&idiq=4322 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-8BoWU3XMo

This episode covers a book called the Nordic Theory of Everything by Anu Partanen. It’s the first book that we’re breaking down that’s authored by a woman and it’s inspiring as well as revealing. It’s one thing to complain and educate ones self on the social and systematic issues we face as a country, but it’s another to aspire for something better and this book helps provide that. The author is from Finland but moved to America and she describes the massive disparities between the 2 countries and how we choose to run our societies. This book should not only piss you off to know that we could be living much better lives collectively, but also that there is hope. It’s easy to think otherwise. This dope ass book provides some light and insight and it’s absolutely worth the read. It’s light and easy to follow along, but it’s rich in knowledge and absolutely worth a buy. LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-nordic-theory-of-everything-in-search-of-a-better-life_anu--partanen/9949949/#edition=13197816&idiq=19947682 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf3FCjMdQN4

This book takes a great, in depth look at the fast food industry, covering so many areas related to the unhealthy foods we eat, to the teens working in fast food restaurants, and the men and women who work in slaughterhouses and meat packaging facilities. It’s super light to read and not dense at all, but the reality of the industry is heavy and harsh. It’s very exposing and enlightening, and taught me so much new information! I definitely recommend it, it’s been one of my favorite books to read this year!

This episode covers Masters of Mankind by Noam Chomsky. It’s a dope book, a little dense and heavy but he provides a lot of information and perspective and it can be very challenging who hasn’t yet looked at American business and government in a critical way. Check. It. Out. LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/masters-of-mankind-essays-and-lectures-1969-2013_noam-chomsky/8899021/#edition=8166230&idiq=11986836 LINK FOR PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GjXWtEqs8I4

This episode covers a book titled Dismantling the Empire by Chalmers Johnson. A dope book that covers the American empire, the U.S. military, the CIA, our impact oversees, and our destructive and embarrassing activities and disregard for humanity. LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/dismantling-the-empire-americas-last-best-hope_chalmers-johnson/385394/#isbn=0805094237&idiq=7044645 PROTEST SONG: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXW7NajVsQU

This episode covers a book called The Power Elite by C. Wright Mills. It focuses on 3 entities: 1) Corporations 2) Military 3) Politicians. I lightly cover each of them but also provide insight on how they work together to maintain and centralize their power and influence. PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kln9s-LsKs4 LINK FOR THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-power-elite_c-wright-mills/281713/#isbn=0195133544&idiq=6632528

This book is awesome! It’s a little more on the dense side as the author is very well informed and articulate. It provides a great analysis and critique of the Left, our culture wars, and how we have fragmented ourselves, stalling progress. Dope for anyone wanting to see through BS and push on to create real and fundamental change. LINK TO PURCHASE THE BOOK (CHEAP): https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-twilight-of-common-dreams-why-america-is-wracked-by-culture-wars_todd-gitlin/900591/#isbn=0805040900&idiq=602722 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3pRrMz_Uqk

This episode covers the Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols. It offers some insight and perspective on our current American culture/behaviors and our overall arrogance and divisiveness. Also, our resentment and dismissiveness towards experts and people who can actually offer some explanation and guidance. It challenges the readers to view things differently. LINK TO PURCHASE THE BOOK: https://www.thriftbooks.com/w/the-death-of-expertise-the-campaign-against-established-knowledge-and-why-it-matters_thomas-m-nichols/13523294/#isbn=0190469412&idiq=24526522 PROTEST SONG RECOMMENDATION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dybeo35JfvM

An episode covering an original piece of writing that I have to help give some insight and perspective on me, lightly covering some of the themes and issues we’ll be talking about on this podcast.

Just a quick intro on myself, but mainly the intent of this podcast and what it will have to offer!