Prove Me Wrong, Please

After 4 years and 50 episodes, I'm throwing in the towel... Thanks to everyone who has listened and/or joined me for a conversation. Politics sucks right now, but don't become complacent and let's keep the dialogue going!

Ugh.

What have I learned after nearly 50 episodes of this podcast, and who do I think will win today's election? Listen to find out.

In my opinion, none of the major arguments in support of voting Republican this election are legitimate when you actually consider the evidence. What do you think?

Join me and my guest, an attorney from Texas who wrote the below article, talk about mental health. https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2023/12/12/a-year-ago-a-i-tried-to-quit-on-life/

In this episode, I talk politics with two Trump supporters over a casual game of beer pong. Although we don't agree on much, we were able to have a nice conversation that I hope proves that finding common ground is still possible. Thanks again Brett and Ally -- enjoy!

A quick reflection on last night's Vice Presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz.

Meet River Gassen, the woman running to represent Colorado's 5th Congressional district in Washington.

My brief thoughts about last night's debate between Trump and Harris.

Last week I traveled to the Chicago to experience the Democratic National Convention in-person (or as close as I could get, at least). Here are my thoughts on the week's events!

Meet George, an independent voter skeptical of both major parties who joined me for a conversation covering a variety of topics.

On Tuesday I went to Milwaukee to talk with attendees of the Republican National Convention. Here are my major takeaways from that experience and the overall week.

I'm back after a long hiatus, and in this episode I'm joined by the head of Robert F Kennedy Jr's campaign in Colorado's 1st district to discuss a variety of topics related to his platform and potential consequences running as a third party candidate.

In this episode I speak with a childhood friend who is a West Point graduate and most recently served as an Executive Officer in the US Army. We discuss a variety of topics related to his military career and the overall role of the US armed forces. See below for a rough outline of our conversation: 3:00 – Will's decision to join the military and his early career 20:00 – The Afghanistan withdrawal and being enlisted during COVID 40:00  – Reflecting on Will's career and view of US military role 50:00 – Partisanship & the military's independence from domestic politics 1:07:00 – Progressive changes/accommodating transgender soldiers 1:13:00 – Ukraine, China and our future role in the region 1:39:00 – Adapting to climate change and Will's future Army plans

For anyone currently living in Denver, you've probably seen my guest for this episode standing outside of the Capitol building on any given weekend protesting the Iranian regime. I recently spoke with him to gain a better understanding of why young people in Iran have been risking their lives by demonstrating on the streets for the last few months. Enjoy!

My quick reflection on this week's shooting and why I think politicians aren't the only ones who deserve our scrutiny. Email me at pmwp.pod@gmail.com if you want to share your thoughts.

In this second half of my conversation with Corey Nathan, a born-again-Christian, we delve deeper into what we believe separates Democrats from Republicans and how best to confront those we disagree with (among other topics). Enjoy!

What makes a disagreement over politics worthwhile and constructive, as opposed to counterproductive and contentious? In this episode, I am joined by Corey Nathan to discuss the value in having honest dialogue with individuals of opposing views. He draws from his experience with religion and seeking out difficult conversations in his podcast Talkin' Politics and Religion Without Killin' Each Other to share with me his insights. Part II of our conversation coming soon -- enjoy!

In this episode I am joined by a former NSA Analyst and National Intelligence professional to talk about Russia, cybersecurity, and protecting American democracy. Listen to the end if you want to know the truth about aliens -- enjoy!

I'm joined by a Brit to talk about the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and whether or not US foreign policy is incoherent, corrupt, or both. He also challenges my assumption that generally speaking, the benefits of America's role as a global superpower over the last 80ish years have outweighed the costs.

Join me as I talk with a moderate conservative about whether or not the modern Republican party is a fraudulent organization. I strongly believe that what they market themselves as (fiscally responsible, defenders of the working man, pro-democracy, etc.) is completely at odds with what their actions suggest, but my guest doesn't entirely agree. What do you think?

In this second half of my conversation with Paul, a conservative-minded veteran from the midwest, we discuss the topic of gun control and the January 6th insurrection, among other topics. Enjoy!

I believe that a key component of a healthy democracy is collective trust in the institutions that were designed to balance power and reflect the interests of the people. But in today's society, that trust has eroded, as have many democratic norms that made this country great. In this episode, my guest Paul, who I met randomly online, discusses with me his interest in politics and how he would answer the question: should our federal government be trusted? Enjoy!

Has the US global campaign against the use and sale of drugs been a success? I believe the obvious answer is no, but in this episode I am joined by a former DEA agent who believes otherwise based on his vast experience in the field. Join us as we discuss the many issues related to the War on Drugs (border security, racial justice, gun control, etc.) and decide for yourself whether or not the past actions of our government to combat drugs were worth it and how we should move forward as a country.

Was the 2020 election stolen? Are voter fraud claims motivated by evidence or politics? In this episode, I seek to answer these questions and many more with a Trump supporter from Minnesota. Although we disagree on a lot, we have a shared interest: fair and honest elections.

In this episode, I am joined by an old friend who shares her personal experience dealing with issues related to mental health and how it relates to political reforms we'd both like to see happen in this country.

For this episode, I am joined by a former Republican Hill staffer and current law student to discuss the issue of restructuring the Supreme Court. We discuss both the arguments for and against court packing, along with other judicial reforms and how they could potentially prevent the further breakdown of American democracy.

In today's episode, I am joined by two people who grew up outside of the US (one in Palestine and the other in Peru), who share their reactions to the recent rise of tensions in Gaza and the larger implications of the ongoing conflict between Palestinians and Israelis.

This episode features the second half of my conversation with a Canadian police officer about his experience on the force and how he views the various reforms to policing that have been proposed in the last year.

In this episode, I speak with a Canadian police officer about his experience on the force and how his training informed his response to recent high-profile police killings in the US. Part II of our conversation will be posted next week, so stay tuned!

This episode features the second half of my conversation on the utility of faith with an Evangelical pastor and professor of religion. Be sure to check out part one of our chat in the previous episode.

In this episode, I talk with a pastor and professor of religion about the role that faith plays in politics today, and how the white evangelical movement in the US has evolved over the last half century. Our discussion was very enlightening and it covered a lot of ground, so I was forced to split it into two separate episodes. Enjoy!

Global warming is real, it's happening, and humans are to blame. The real question is how do we fix it? In this episode, I am joined by a climate and energy economist who shares his views about where to go from here, and why the solutions to our climate crisis are complex but not out of reach.

What are the pros and cons of increasing the minimum wage to $15/hour, as the Biden administration is seeking to do? In this episode, I am joined by a conservative who argues against raising the federal minimum wage. I believe that the evidence is clear: raising it benefits everyone. What do you think?

The recent stalemate between the Chicago Teachers Union and city officials has provided insight into the difficulty behind reopening public schools around the country now that the coronavirus vaccine is becoming more available. In this episode, I get the perspective of two Chicago educators about the city's reopening strategy and education reform in general.

The rise of income inequality has nearly destroyed the American dream and jeopardized our democracy, at least that's my view. In this episode, I am joined by a conservative who has a different perspective on the current economic divide growing in the US and how to effectively address it.

In this episode, I talk with a friend (who identifies as a conservative/libertarian) about the second impeachment of Donald Trump and whether or not members of Congress and the media are also to blame for the recent violence at the Capitol. We also discuss the few silver linings of Trump's presidency and what the future GOP will look like without him in office. Enjoy!

In this bonus episode, I am joined by a Trump-supporting friend of mine to reflect on the historic riot at the US Capitol last week. We talk about what led to the violence and what it means for the future of democracy.

Let's be honest, 2020 was rough. But in my mind, it could have been significantly better if we as a society truly valued education and fact-based decision making. In this episode I try and make that case while also tying up some loose ends and reflecting on the year. I also lay out the framework for what will soon be season two of Prove Me Wrong, Please -- new changes coming!

Trumpism is a cult, and crafting an alternate reality that fits one's already-held beliefs is simply incompatible with a functioning Democracy. In this episode, I attempt to back-up these claims and explore why I think it is essential to bring Trump-fans back into the fold in order to reject the slow rise of authoritarianism currently happening around the world. Trumpers -- please reach out if you want to discuss any of my arguments with me in a future episode!

In this follow up episode, I am joined by three friends to discuss the role of government in solving some of the biggest problems society faces today (reforming democracy, ending the pandemic, and addressing climate change, to name a few). Feel free to email me at pmwp.pod@gmail.com if you wish to share your thoughts on a future episode.

In this episode, I talk about why I believe the Democratic party's biggest problem is their inability to effectively refute some of the biggest lies that lay the foundation of support for the Republican party. Join me as I try and bust the following myths: Republicans are better for the economy; Democrats are weak on crime; Democrats are anti-military; all politicians are equally corrupt; Democrats have become radical left; and Republicans represent working Americans. I'm sure there opposing arguments out there that I have not yet found, so feel free to reach out with your own evidence and thoughts if you are not convinced by mine!

Fox News is arguably the most dangerous organization ever. Sounds like an extreme assertion, I know. But let's just take a look at what are considered the four most serious existential threats to human survival and how America's most popular news network refuses to cover these particular issues with the focus, attention and accuracy they deserve. As always, I encourage those listening who may disagree to prove me wrong, please by contacting me at the email provided at the end of the episode.

In this episode, I talk about what the "Defund the Police" movement actually supports, and how the two political parties have responded to protests over racial inequality and police brutality. Check below for the timestamps on different parts of my rant, in case you want to skip ahead: 2:37 - Defund the Police and Black Lives Matter 6:25 - Public support for protests AND police 8:37 - The facts behind divesting from police 12:37 - How cities have responded to activist demands 17:45 - The response from Democrats & Joe Biden 20:50 - The response from Republicans & Trump 26:09 - Fox News is partially to blame 28:03 - Reform is a must, regardless of who wins 33:10 - My China police story

In this second follow-up episode, I chat with a former colleague about a variety of topics related to race relations in the US and the upcoming election. Below are the topics we covered in our discussion: 5 mins - Life as a liberal in conservative America 13 mins - The many different displays of racism 30 mins - Joe Biden and Kamala Harris 40 mins - Growing up in a military family 50 mins - The Trump cult and news literacy 57 mins - Expressing your true political beliefs 1 hr 3 mins - Discrimination and sports Thanks again to Christian for joining me, and to Kyral x Banko for the intro track! #ProveMeWrongPlease

In my first follow-up episode, I chat with two listeners who identify as Libertarians about a variety of topics, including: cancel culture, coronavirus stimulus funding, election integrity, Joe Biden's candidacy, the Second Amendment, reforming the two party system, rising debt/the military, and the threat of China.

Trump's recent attack on the USPS ahead of the November election is part of a much larger strategy on the right to play by a different set of rules. Whether it be through Gerrymandering, Voter ID, or other various means of voter suppression, the evidence is clear that the modern Republican party has proven it does not value the basic principles of Democracy.

Seems like a no-brainer, right? Unfortunately not. For those who disagree with my assertion that Donald Trump is indeed racist, I encourage you to first examine the evidence of both his rhetoric and actions as a citizen and a president before dismissing his well-documented bigotry as just a minor problem not worth discussing.

I'm just trying to vent while hopefully adding some value to the political discourse. I hope you'll join me!

Let's face it, the last week as been rough. And that's saying a lot for 2020. Here's how I'm reflecting on the events we've seen unfold.