Question Culture

There have been a lot of stories in the news lately about Trump's fascist policies. And while it is good that people are calling these policies out for what they are, many are acting like this is something new to America. In fact, American presidents, politicians, and business leaders have deployed many fascist policies throughout the history of the country. On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the long history of fascism in America.

On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the history of vaccination and debunk the many myths surrounding vaccines.

President John F. Kennedy said “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable." On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the state's monopoly on violence, how violence permeates throughout American culture, and how both non-violence and counter-violence has been used as a form of resistance.

On this episode Brian & Lornett welcome special guest Larry Williams. Larry is a union organizer and founder of the website UnionBase. Together, they discuss the importance of labor organizing, useful tools for forming unions, and some of the adversity workers will face when organizing. They also got a little off topic and had a spirited debate about Lugi Mangione.

Brian and Lornett celebrate their 100th episode by taking a look back at some of the topics they have covered over the past 5 years.

Brian & Lornett start the year off by discussing the many ways to fight the system and organize for a better world in 2025.

On this episode Brian & Steve continue to discuss the evolution of life on earth, as well as the famous Scopes Monkey Trial. Unfortunately there was a technical issue with Lornett's microphone. That is why he is missing from most of the episode.

On this episode , Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss the life of Charles Darwin, the mechanics of evolution through natural selection, and the evolution of early life on the planet.

On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the election of Donald Trump, the failed Harris campaign, and some of Trump's cabinet picks.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss U.S. military expansion during the 1950s, the Cuban Revolution, The Bay of Pigs, and our modern situation with the two party duopoly.

On this episode Brian & Lornett question the ideas of social Darwinism, human nature, and market economics.

On this episode Brian & Lornett address the many myths surrounding America's view of crimes and criminals, and what we can do to actually decrease all forms of crime.

On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the influence of the Federalist Society on the American Judicial System and three recent Supreme Court cases that will have a lasting impact on American society.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss The Cold War, The Korean War, U.S. military interventions in Greece, The Red Scare, and much more.

On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss former President Donald Trump being shot, Joe Biden stepping down as the democratic presidential candidate, police violence, Project 2025, and much more.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett breakdown some of the myths surrounding the most glorified war in American history.

On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the Pro-Palestinian protests going on in college campuses across the country. They discuss what the students are demanding, the police response to the protests, the ongoing genocide in Palestine, and much more.

In less than a hundred years, humans have created 8.3 billion metric tons of plastic. Less than 5% of plastic has been recycled. Plastic can be found at the top of Mt. Everest and the bottom of the Mariana Trench. It's up in the clouds and down in your veins. On this episode, Brian & Lornett discuss the history of the plastics industry, how they lie about their ability to recycle and the terrifying consequences to our health.

Sports provide many physical, emotional, and social health benefits. However, they can also be used to exploit and harm both athletes and fans. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the exploitation of college athletes, private owners using tax dollars to build professional sports stadiums, how sports are used as propaganda, and much more.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss several mass strikes during the 1930s, the election of FDR, and the purpose of his "New Deal" policies.

In honor of February being black history month, Brian & Lornett wanted to share some of their favorite speeches from famous black leaders of the 1960s civil rights movement. On this episode they will share and dissect speeches from James Baldwin, Fred Hampton, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Jr.

Brian & Lornett figured a fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day would be to question the default type of relationship in western society, monogamy. Together with special guest Ashley Oakley they discuss the history of marriage, the societal pressure to form monogamous relationships, alternative relationship models, and ways we can all improve our loving relationships regardless of the type.

On this episode Brian & Lornett are joined by special guest, Janneke Parrish, to discuss her new book The Tech Worker's Guide to Unions. Using her personal experience, and the experiences of other labor organizers, Janneke has created a comprehensive guide that can be useful to workers in any industry. Together they discuss why unions are an important and effective tool for workers, the methods companies will use to union bust, useful agencies for those looking to unionize like the NLRB & CWA, and much more.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss major strikes around America following WW1, the economic state of the country during the 1920s, the beginning of the Great Depression, the Bonus Army March on Washington, and much more.

Happy holidays everyone! On this episode Brian & Lornett finish out 2023 by discussing some of their favorite song lyrics that question the system and helped shape their world view.

In our society we are taught to glorify the wealthy. We are made to believe that extremely wealthy people are smart, hard working, creative, or a combination of those things. But this is far from the truth. Billionaires should not be respected, but detested. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss all the ways billionaires exploit their workers, pillage our resources, steal our tax money, and corrupt our governments.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett take a break from questioning the system and discuss the emerging science of quantum mechanics. They discuss what led scientists to first explore the world of quantum mechanics at the turn of the last century, the many interesting experiments that improved our understanding, science's impact on humanity, and much more.

With the recent events going on in Israel and Palestine, Brian & Lornett felt it appropriate to have a special episode to discuss the situation. As always they question the narrative being spoon fed to us by the media and our politicians.

On this episode Brian, Lornett, and Steve discuss... "The War To End All Wars".... That's what they called it. lol

While the majority of the world has abolished capital punishment, it is still used in the U.S. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the history of capital punishment, its moral implications, stories about those on death row, what can be done to actually deter violent crime, and much more. *We had some unforeseen technical issues with Lornett's mic from minute 36 to 53. We apologize for the low quality in his audio during that time.

Just two men with a podcast talking about the sometimes toxic culture of men with podcasts. Figures like Andrew Tate, Kevin Samuels, Jordan Peterson, and Tariq Nasheed garner millions of (mostly male) followers and the dollars that come with them. On the surface these figures appear to be nothing more than self help gurus for men looking for structure. But a closer look shows a toxic male culture that promotes misogyny, out-dated gender roles, and reactionary politics. Brian & Lornett discuss this and much more on this episode of Question Culture.

On this episode, Brian and Lornett question an infrastructure centered around cars. They begin the episode by discussing the many ways walkable cities are better for our mental and physical health, as well as the economy and environment. They then discuss how the auto industry used its power to lobby the government and make the U.S. a car-centered society. They conclude the episode by discussing successful attempts in places like Amsterdam to build a more people-friendly city structure and the success of high-speed rail.

Brian & Lornett continue their discussion on the tumultuous period before World War 1. They begin the episode by covering a major event in U.S. history that has been swept under the rug, The Ludlow Massacre. They continue by discussing the different factions of the women's suffragette movement, progressive legislation that was passed due to the pressure from social movements, and corporation's tightening control of the political process.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss what life was like for American workers at the start of the 20th century. They cover horrible disasters like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire, corporate tactics to control workers like Taylorism, and the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World.

"Freedom" is probably the most overused word in the American lexicon. With the 4th of July quickly approaching Brian & Lornett thought it would be fun to question our idea of freedom and what it truly means to be free.

We live in a system based around debt. Whether it be student loans, school lunch, credit card, mortgage, or medical debt, at some point most working class Americans will find themselves in debt. Many may even end up in prison because of unpaid debts. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the history of central banking in America, the creation of money, and how banks use things like high interest rates, overdraft fees, and credit scores to keep people in debt.

We all know it's important to sleep. But just how important is rarely discussed. On this episode Brian & Steve explore the amazing benefits of sleep and the dangerous consequences of not getting enough.

On this episode Brian & Lornett begin by discussing myths related to working in America including the myth of the Protestant work ethic, the myth of meritocracy, the idea that "nobody wants to work". They then go on to discuss gig economy jobs, the repeal of child labor laws, the lack of vacation time, historically low wages, and much more. They end the episode by discussing ways we can improve wages, working conditions, and quality of life for all Americans.

On this episode Brian & Lornett take a break from focusing on history to instead focus on the modern state of white supremacy. They discuss how racism evolved under Trump, social media's impact on the spread of racism, and how so called "leftist" institutions pander to social justice causes without ever attacking the structural conditions that cause racism. They conclude the episode by discussing the more recent attempts to ban books and erase history from school curriculums, and the spread of ring-wing racism globally.

On this episode Brian, Lornett, and Steve discuss the Spanish-American War, American military action in the Philippines, and a bunch of other random stuff.

On 2/3/23 a train derailed in East Palestine Ohio spilling millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals. In order to clean up the spill as quickly as possible, the railroad company Norfolk Southern proceeded to burn the chemicals causing an unimaginable amount of environmental destruction. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the deregulation of the railroad industry, Norfolk Southern and the government's response to the derailment, and the impact this disaster will have on the people of East Palestine and the local environment for years to come.

The city of Atlanta is beginning construction on a $90 million police training facility in the South River Forest of Georgia. On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the political corruption that led to this project, the environmental and social ramifications, and the brave people that are putting their life on the line to go and protect the forest.

On this episode Brian & Lornett welcome special guest Nathan Shuherk. Together, they discuss a wide variety of topics including Nathan's TikTok channel Schizophrenic Reads, some of Nathan's favorite non-fiction books, the problem with most "self-help" books, how to spot propaganda when searching for something to read, issues with the current healthcare system, spreading awareness about schizophrenia and other mental health issues, and so much more.

Socialism, Communism, and Marxism are some of the most demonized words in the American lexicon, yet, socialism is growing in popularity among younger generations. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the actual definition of these terms, the myths surrounding them, and the importance of questioning the existing economic system.

Brian & Lornett finish the year by discussing one of their favorite scientific minds, Carl Sagan. They discuss his early contributions to space exploration, his amazing documentary "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage", and his activism for causes like nuclear disarmament and climate change.

*We had some technical issues with Lornett's mic so we apologize for the sound quality. It improves halfway through the episode.* On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the origins of the CIA and the common tactics used by the CIA to overthrow foreign government and sabotage progressive movements. They end the episode by discussing specific CIA operations in Iran, Chile, El Salvador, and Afghanistan.

On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the "father of modern propaganda" Edward Bernays, the utilization of propaganda by Joseph Goebbels and the Nazi party, and American war time propaganda. They conclude the episode by discussing propaganda in the social media age, and what we can do to inoculate ourselves from propaganda.

Brian & Lornett begin this episode by discussing the history of the Los Angeles Police Department including the Watts Riots, the Rodney King Riots, the 1980s crack epidemic, and the Rampart Scandal. They finish the episode by talking about more recent events like the case of Christopher Dorner, the murder of officer Houston Tippings, and the prevalence of LA Sheriff Police gangs.

On this episode Brian & Lornett question the American education system. From student lunch debt for primary school students, to a hyper-focus on standardized tests for high school students, to crippling student loan debt for college students. Brian and Lornett break down the many ways the education system is more of an indoctrination center than it is a place for critical thinking and higher learning.

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss the fight for the 8 hour work day, the Hay Market Riot, and the Pullman strikes.

Brian, Steve, and Lornett begin this episode by discussing the accumulation of wealth in the hands of a few in post Civil-War America. They go on to discuss the rebellions that soon followed and the fight for the 8 hour work day.