Podcasts about marxist

This week on the Mark Levin Show, the Woke Reich isolationists in the Trump administration who are leaking confidential if not classified discussions with the President respecting options against Iran are committing crimes. They must be found and prosecuted. DOJ should ask the FBI to launch an investigation into the sources of these leaks. Then, lots of Democrats are boycotting the State of the Union address. The truth is they'd be more comfortable sitting in UN seats listening to some Marxist or Islamist dictator spewing hate about our country. This is a party that accepts no traditions or customs. The Democrat Party is radical and intent on destroying the economy, citizenship, and national sovereignty. They want to dismantle the American system through policies like open borders, no deportations, treating illegal aliens as citizens, and eliminating voter ID. No more fan dancing around with Iran. They have no intention of honoring agreements and is reconstituting its nuclear program with help from allies like China, Russia, and North Korea. There is overwhelming U.S. military superiority in the region. This is not about endless wars or interventionism but confronting a clear, existential threat. Leaving this weakened regime in place betrays future generations, as it will never abandon its nuclear ambitions aimed at America. Enough is enough—it is time to act decisively. The moment is now. Later, propaganda, siding with Iran and Putin against America while pretending patriotism. Why aren't top Republicans throughout Washington calling out Carlson. They need to stop whispering about him and speak openly and publicly. The same goes for too many in the media, some of which promote him and some of which field his leaks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today on Joe Oltmann Untamed, We're fired up and diving straight into the cultural war that's tearing at the fabric of this country. We start with Yuri Bezmenov's chilling 1983 warning, useful idiots pushing Marxist agendas only to be crushed once the system they helped build takes full control. Look around schools, media, and culture are saturated with it. Social justice warriors are the foot soldiers, but history shows they're the first ones crushed when the revolution turns. We're living that warning right now.We expose the betrayal on our own side too—Milo calling out paid attacks on Candace Owens, leading to questioning motives, and the same old pattern of grifters and sellouts sowing confusion for a paycheck. Meanwhile, we've got LGBTQ influencers turning surrogate babies into clickbait content, trans surgeries exploding under Biden's watch, and a Wisconsin hearing where a “they/them/she/him” activist can't even keep pronouns straight. Add in Colorado's Rep. Ken DeGraaf correctly calls out a trans legislator as “Mr.” while the left screams discrimination it's all part of the same playbook to erode norms and punish anyone who dares speak the truth.This episode is a gut-check for every parent, patriot, and person who's sick of watching society normalize chaos. From Muslim prayer in classrooms to violent attacks on conservative kids, useful idiots parroting lies, and the slow destruction of basic decency, we're laying it all out. Tune in for the raw, no-holds-barred truth because if we don't call it what it is, we lose everything. You won't walk away the same.

Spying without warrants. Calls for executions in political meetings. And Democrats afraid to condemn violence publicly. Today on AmperWave Daily, we examine claims that a radical Marxist faction is reshaping the Democrat Party — and what insiders say about their public and private behavior.

******Support the channel******Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thedissenterPayPal: paypal.me/thedissenterPayPal Subscription 1 Dollar: https://tinyurl.com/yb3acuuyPayPal Subscription 3 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ybn6bg9lPayPal Subscription 5 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/ycmr9gpzPayPal Subscription 10 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y9r3fc9mPayPal Subscription 20 Dollars: https://tinyurl.com/y95uvkao ******Follow me on******Website: https://www.thedissenter.net/The Dissenter Goodreads list: https://shorturl.at/7BMoBFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedissenteryt/Twitter: https://x.com/TheDissenterYT This show is sponsored by Enlites, Learning & Development done differently. Check the website here: http://enlites.com/ Dr. Richard Wolff is Professor of Economics Emeritus at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. He is currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University, New York City. He is also the co-founder of Democracy at Work and host of their nationally syndicated show Economic Update. In collaboration with his colleague, Stephen Resnick, he has developed a new approach to political economy. While it retains and systematically elaborates the Marxist notion of class as surplus labor, it rejects the economic determinism typical of most schools of economics and usually associated with Marxism as well. In this episode, we talk about what Marxism is. We discuss what dialectical materialism is and how it relates to Marxism. And we also discuss how Marxists should approach Marxism, since scientific knowledge keeps evolving.--A HUGE THANK YOU TO MY PATRONS/SUPPORTERS: PER HELGE LARSEN, BERNARDO SEIXAS, ADAM KESSEL, MATTHEW WHITINGBIRD, ARNAUD WOLFF, TIM HOLLOSY, HENRIK AHLENIUS, ROBERT WINDHAGER, RUI INACIO, ZOOP, MARCO NEVES, COLIN HOLBROOK, PHIL KAVANAGH, SAMUEL ANDREEFF, FRANCIS FORDE, TIAGO NUNES, FERGAL CUSSEN, HAL HERZOG, NUNO MACHADO, JONATHAN LEIBRANT, JOÃO LINHARES, STANTON T, SAMUEL CORREA, ERIK HAINES, MARK SMITH, JOÃO EIRA, TOM HUMMEL, SARDUS FRANCE, DAVID SLOAN WILSON, YACILA DEZA-ARAUJO, ROMAIN ROCH, YANICK PUNTER, CHARLOTTE BLEASE, NICOLE BARBARO, ADAM HUNT, PAWEL OSTASZEWSKI, NELLEKE BAK, GUY MADISON, GARY G HELLMANN, SAIMA AFZAL, ADRIAN JAEGGI, JOÃO BARBOSA, JULIAN PRICE, HEDIN BRØNNER, FRANCA BORTOLOTTI, GABRIEL PONS CORTÈS, URSULA LITZCKE, SCOTT, ZACHARY FISH, TIM DUFFY, SUNNY SMITH, JON WISMAN, WILLIAM BUCKNER, LUKE GLOWACKI, GEORGIOS THEOPHANOUS, CHRIS WILLIAMSON, PETER WOLOSZYN, DAVID WILLIAMS, DIOGO COSTA, ALEX CHAU, CORALIE CHEVALLIER, BANGALORE ATHEISTS, LARRY D. LEE JR., OLD HERRINGBONE, DAN SPERBER, ROBERT GRESSIS, JEFF MCMAHAN, JAKE ZUEHL, MARK CAMPBELL, TOMAS DAUBNER, LUKE NISSEN, KIMBERLY JOHNSON, JESSICA NOWICKI, LINDA BRANDIN, VALENTIN STEINMANN, ALEXANDER HUBBARD, BR, JONAS HERTNER, URSULA GOODENOUGH, DAVID PINSOF, SEAN NELSON, MIKE LAVIGNE, JOS KNECHT, LUCY, MANVIR SINGH, PETRA WEIMANN, CAROLA FEEST, MAURO JÚNIOR, TONY BARRETT, NIKOLAI VISHNEVSKY, STEVEN GANGESTAD, TED FARRIS, HUGO B., JORDAN MANSFIELD, CHARLOTTE ALLEN, PETER STOYKO, DAVID TONNER, LEE BECK, PATRICK DALTON-HOLMES, NICK KRASNEY, RACHEL ZAK, DENNIS XAVIER, CHINMAYA BHAT, RHYS, AND ALEX MACLEOD!A SPECIAL THANKS TO MY PRODUCERS, YZAR WEHBE, JIM FRANK, ŁUKASZ STAFINIAK, TOM VANEGDOM, BERNARD HUGUENEY, CURTIS DIXON, BENEDIKT MUELLER, THOMAS TRUMBLE, KATHRINE AND PATRICK TOBIN, JONCARLO MONTENEGRO, NICK GOLDEN, CHRISTINE GLASS, IGOR NIKIFOROVSKI, AND PER KRAULIS!AND TO MY EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, MATTHEW LAVENDER,SERGIU CODREANU, AND GREGORY HASTINGS!

Get access to The Backroom (100+ exclusive episodes) on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/OneDimeThis week on 1Dime Radio, Tony is joined again by Benjamin Studebaker, political theorist with a PhD from Cambridge, to dig into Ben's recent article on “Debilitated Democracy,” the idea that modern democracies do not simply “decline”, they get structurally less capable over time, as modernization accelerates, politics fractures, and governance is pushed into an executive-technical machine that neither elected leaders nor technocrats can fully control. From there, we tackle Ben's argument for why America can't become an autocracy, and why people confuse authoritarian policy with autocratic rule, plus how federal complexity, institutional pluralism, and factional conflict make “dictatorship” fantasies harder to cash out in real life.Parts 2 and 3 of my conversation with Studebaker are in The Backroom on Patreon only. In The Backroom, as alluded to in the Backroom Preview in the first 2.5–3 minutes, Benjamin and I answer some of the most common questions we get regarding our politics. Are we post-left? Marxist? Or what? In particular, I try to get Studebaker to articulate what his personal political philosophy is, and what solutions or alternatives to our current impasse he believes in.Timestamps:00:00:00 Studebaker's Political Philosophy (The Backroom Preview)00:04:13  Intro, “Debilitated Democracy,” and the autocracy question00:13:08  Technocrats as “priests,” and why institutional trust collapses00:28:08  Elected officials vs technocrats, the executive branch tug-of-war00:47:36  Kelsen, Habermas, and democracy's legitimation crisis00:54:47  Trump, tariffs, visas, and the political limits of “disentangling” from the world order00:59:18  Authoritarian policy vs autocratic rule, why America can't be an autocracy01:11:59  Nick Land, Curtis Yarvin, and the “CEO-king” temptation01:23:23  Government shutdowns, food stamps, and “embedded democracy.”01:35:25  Managing the European right, and why France and Germany are different01:43:05  State capacity, charismatic leaders, and modern governance limits01:56:08  Backroom teaser: what “left” and “right” even mean nowGUEST:Benjamin Studebaker• Substack: https://bmstudebaker.substack.com/• Website: https://benjaminstudebaker.com/• X: https://x.com/BMStudebakerFOLLOW 1Dime:• Substack (Articles and Essays): https://1dimereview.substack.com/• X/Twitter: https://x.com/1DimeOfficial• Instagram: instagram.com/1dimeman• Check out my main channel videos: https://www.youtube.com/@1DimeeLeave a like, drop a comment, and give the show a 5-star rating on Spotify, Apple, or wherever you listen to this.

Renue Healthcare https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Your journey to a better life starts at Renue Healthcare. Visit https://Renue.Healthcare/Todd Bulwark Capital https://KnowYourRiskPodcast.com Be confident in your portfolio with Bulwark! Schedule your free Know Your Risk Portfolio review. Go to KnowYourRiskPodcast.com today. Alan's Soaps https://www.AlansArtisanSoaps.com Use coupon code TODD to save an additional 10% off the bundle price.Bonefrog https://BonefrogCoffee.com/Todd Get the new limited release, The Sisterhood, created to honor the extraordinary women behind the heroes. Use code TODD at checkout to receive 10% off your first purchase and 15% on subscriptions.LISTEN and SUBSCRIBE at:The Todd Herman Show - Podcast - Apple PodcastsThe Todd Herman Show | Podcast on SpotifyWATCH and SUBSCRIBE at: Todd Herman - The Todd Herman Show - YouTubeAfter LAUSD's superintendent openly admitted he's an illegal immigrant, Pam Bondi and the FBI actually took action and raided his home and office.Episode Links:FBI agents raid Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) Superintendent Alberto Carvalho's California home and office BREAKING: Leading Attorney John Manly alleges an “epidemic of sexual abuse” against minors in California Public Schools by teachers, coaches, and other school employees. Manly exclusively tells Straight to the Point that his firm has uncovered over 350 cases of alleged sexual abuse in California classrooms alone and believes there to be “many more” statewide.WATCH: Minnesota Republicans proposed age verification for websites that host adult content. Rep. Leigh Finke (D) argues that queer kids should have access to it for educational purposes. WTF?Here in CO, when Republicans have tried time and again to protect kids from trafficking and sexual assault, Democrats have shut it down. One argument I heard while listening turned my stomach: “‘LGBTQ kids' are kicked out on the streets, and this measure would deprive them of their income.” One of the Dems now bringing a bill to legalize prostitution in our state (@RepLorenaGarcia) said she didn't want to send child traffickers to prison because they might get raped.High school senior facing more than 300 felony charges in alleged sextortion scheme targeting minors: reports; Zachariah Abraham Meyers, 18, allegedly targeted underage victims through schemes using fake social media profilesMeet Randi Weingarten. A childless hate filled Marxist. President of the American Federation of Teachers. Her salary is $570,000 a year. (Not a typo) Now pressuring companies to push anti-ICE rhetoric. What does it have to do with child education? Evil.HE IS A SCHOOL PRINCIPAL!!! This deranged man disguises his pedophilia as infantilism!!! Why in the hell are we hiring these people?!An 11-year-old called his mom from the side of a busy highway, alone and terrified: “I'm very scared… come pick me up.” His school didn't even notice he was gone. While Dundee Middle School was consumed by an ICE walkout, Harley — an 11-year-old with a federally protected disability plan — was left behind.

On Tuesday's Mark Levin Show, lots of Democrats are boycotting the State of the Union address. The truth is they'd be more comfortable sitting in UN seats listening to some Marxist or Islamist dictator spewing hate about our country. This ​is ​a ​party ​that ​accepts ​no ​traditions ​or ​customs. The Democrat Party is radical and intent on destroying the economy, citizenship, and national sovereignty. They want to dismantle the American system through policies like open borders, no deportations, treating illegal aliens as citizens, and eliminating voter ID. Also, Tucker Carlson is an evil traitor. He's stabbing the president in the back to foreign countries and undermining our country and our military. He's promoting anti-Israel, anti-Semitic propaganda in Saudi Arabia and Qatar, defending Sharia law and Islam while attacking Christians and Jews, and giving aid to enemies amid potential war with Iran. Later, secularists, Marxists, and Democrats hypocritically enforce strict separation of church and state, which has banned displays of the Ten Commandments and even silent prayer in schools while expunging Christian influences from classrooms. In contrast, over the last 10–15 years, Islamists have gained influence, with schools distributing Qurans, Sharia law materials, and allowing Muslim prayers. The core problem is weakness among American institutions and ruling class figures who are intimidated, frightened, or sympathetic believers. Islamists exploit the federalist system's local sovereignty by heavily organizing and attending meetings to push their agenda, while Democrats view them as a new voting constituency. Finally, Tommy Robinson calls in with a warning to America – don't make the same mistake Britain, Germany or France did. Robinson describes his personal experience growing up in a town 30 miles north of London, where the Muslim population has dramatically increased since his birth in 1982 turning White English people into a minority. He warns that mass immigration from Muslim-majority countries has planted similar destructive seeds in America. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Spencer Leonard and Douglas Lain on "The Spencer Leonard Hour" as they engage in a systematic study of the history of sociology. They explore the intricate relation between sociological imagination and Marxist theory. This discussion offers a clear perspective on the economy through a socialist lens.Support Sublation Media on Patreonhttps://patreon.com/dietsoap

Suzi speaks to Ukrainian socialist Oleksandr Kyselov, who says the current “peace process” is a dangerous illusion. Russia's goal, he argues, is not compromise but subjugation — and any ceasefire that doesn't confront that reality only postpones the next war. We discuss the Witkoff-Dmitriev 28-point plan (critics call it the “DimWit plan”), exhaustion inside Ukraine, and why calls from the Western left for immediate, unconditional ceasefire, without a single protest outside a Russian embassy, are, as Kyselov puts it, “beyond naive.” Ksenia Kagarlitskaya then joins us from her exile in Montenegro. Her father, Marxist sociologist Boris Kagarlitsky, has now spent two years in Penal Colony No. 4 for opposing Putin's war. She discusses her father's imprisonment and the explosion of political prisoners inside Russia since 2022. Ksenia runs Freedom Zone, an organization that raises funds and organizes events globally to support political prisoners and their families. Ksenia reminds us that political prisoners don't appear in any of the current peace negotiations, because Russia doesn't acknowledge that they exist. Jacobin Radio with Suzi Weissman features conversations with leading thinkers and activists, with a focus on labor, the economy, and protest movements.

On anti-racism, communism, and philosophy. Alex Gourevitch talks to political philosopher Paul Gomberg about his original and deep Marxist arguments for what makes racism wrong, why racism cannot be eradicated without overcoming capitalism, and the limits of many contemporary anti-racist arguments. What does it mean to "alienate" race? What is the harm in racism? How does it harm everyone, not just its obvious victims? Why does Gomberg argue that can racism cannot be overcome in capitalist society? Has official racism been replaced by official anti-racism in the neoliberal era? What does it mean to understand anti-racism as communism? How did Gomberg's communist militancy impact his philosophy? For the full episode, subscribe at patreon.com/bungacast Links: Anti-Racism as Communism, Paul Gomberg, Bloomsbury How to Make Opportunity Equal: Race and Contributive Justice, Paul Gomberg, Blackwell

Go to https://strongcell.com and use code LARRY for 20% off! Zoran Mamdani’s “Marxist mayor” moment just got uglier. While NYC demanded two forms of ID to shovel snow, voters still get waved through — and Jake Tapper barely pushed back. Then a viral blizzard video shows NYPD officers pelted with snowballs and ice as the city spirals. Even Fareed Zakaria is sounding the alarm on blue-city incompetence: high taxes, endless spending, and nothing to show for it. SHOP OUR MERCH: https://store.townhallmedia.com/ BUY A LARRY MUG: https://store.townhallmedia.com/products/larry-mug Watch LARRY with Larry O'Connor LIVE — Monday-Thursday at 12PM Eastern on YouTube, Facebook, & Rumble! Find LARRY with Larry O'Connor wherever you get your podcasts! SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7i8F7K4fqIDmqZSIHJNhMh?si=814ce2f8478944c0&nd=1&dlsi=e799ca22e81b456f APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry/id1730596733 Become a Townhall VIP Member today and use promo code LARRY for 50% off: https://townhall.com/subscribe?tpcc=poddescription https://townhall.com/ https://rumble.com/c/c-5769468 https://www.facebook.com/townhallcom/ https://www.instagram.com/townhallmedia/ https://twitter.com/townhallcomBecome a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Prism of America's Education with Host Karen Schoen – Now ask yourself, who is controlling all of this information? No matter where you go, no matter what you listen to, whether it's an education, or in the mind of a transgender, Marxist, or Communist, all the messages are always the same. Trump, MAGA, Grassroots, you are at fault. You are a racist, Trump is a pedophile, and Trump is a racist...

What if the most consequential “Marxist” of a generation refused to call himself one—and was more consistent for it? We dive into Immanuel Wallerstein's intellectual journey, from C. Wright Mills's classrooms to African political movements and a close reading of Fanon, to the long durée horizons inspired by Fernand Braudel. Along the way, we unpack how world‑systems analysis took shape against modernization theory, challenged neat stages of growth, and rejected methodological nationalism without abandoning struggles for national liberation.We trace Wallerstein's friendships and frictions with the thinkers often grouped as the world‑systems “gang of four”—Samir Amin, Giovanni Arrighi, and Andre Gunder Frank—and the Maoist currents that pulled many left intellectuals in the 1960s and 70s. Then we explore where they parted: Frank's ancient world system, Arrighi's China‑as‑hegemon thesis, and Wallerstein's claim that capitalism entered structural crisis in the 1970s, foreclosing any stable successor hegemon. We also revisit Monthly Review's influence (underdevelopment, unequal exchange) and what Wallerstein rejected (monopoly capital as a “stage,” stagist history, and nation‑bound strategies).If you've heard core, periphery, and semi‑periphery tossed around like a simple map, this conversation resets the frame: these are world‑systemic relations that cut within and across states. We highlight why Wallerstein's absolute immiseration thesis matters now, how his optimism lived in the transition—50 percent chance for a better system, 50 percent for worse—and why internationalism is the missing key when national victories stall out. From techno‑feudalism chatter to BRICS and the Belt and Road, we ask whether we're seeing a new phase or an old system failing, and what agency looks like on the far side of decay.Listen for a clear, historically grounded tour through Wallerstein's ideas, the debates they shaped, and the stakes they raise for today's left. If the road ahead isn't automatic progress, it's strategy and solidarity. Subscribe, share with a friend, and tell us: is socialism or barbarism more likely where you live?About Sam ChianSam Chian is an educator based in Oslo, Norway, where he teaches Economics and Social Studies at the upper secondary level. He holds a Master's degree in Sociology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). As a researcher, he has contributed to the Review of African Political Economy (ROAPE), specifically investigating the career and intellectual development of Immanuel Wallerstein.Relevant Links & Resources:doi.org/10.62191/ROAPE-2025-0001 doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.2025.1304 doi.org/10.1007/s12108-025-09671-5Send a text Musis by Bitterlake, Used with Permission, all rights to BitterlakeSupport the showCrew:Host: C. Derick VarnIntro and Outro Music by Bitter Lake.Intro Video Design: Jason MylesArt Design: Corn and C. Derick VarnLinks and Social Media:twitter: @varnvlogblue sky: @varnvlog.bsky.socialYou can find the additional streams on YoutubeCurrent Patreon at the Sponsor Tier: Jordan Sheldon, Mark J. Matthews, Lindsay Kimbrough, RedWolf, DRV, Kenneth McKee, JY Chan, Matthew Monahan, Parzival, Adriel Mixon, Buddy Roark, Daniel Petrovic,Julian

This episode is part 1 of 2 addressing a video from Dan McClellan called "Was 1 Enoch considered inspired scripture?"Dan McClellan claims to be a Latter-day Saint, although his views don't reflect those of typical Mormons. He has impressive credentials and he uses them to make Tiktok and YouTube videos that promote a deconstructionist view of Scripture under the guise of "Data > dogma." He also promotes leftist political ideas that are uniformly Marxist and identity politics.This episode looks at McClellan's argument that the canon was not certain in the first century A.D. and that Josephus didn't clarify which books were in the 22 books he regarded as Scripture. He argues that 1 Enoch may have been considered Scripture during this time before that idea faded out later because of how many copies of it were found in the Dead Sea Scrolls at Qumran.We see what the Essenes believed in the Qumran community and why they may have liked 1 Enoch. We also test Josephus' threefold division of the Tanakh to see if 1 Enoch could fit.Sources Cited:Dan McClellan, "Was 1 Enoch considered inspired scripture?"Dan McClellan, YHWH's Divine Images: A Cognitive Approach, (SBL Press, Atlanta, 2022).Ether's Elephant, "Dan McClellan being Woke for 8 Minutes"Dan McClellan, "Does the Social Justice of the Bible Differ from the Social Justice of Today?"Eva Mroczek, "How Many Books are in the Bible? Qualitative Numbers, or Math for Biblical Scholars," (University of California, Davis, July 2016)."The Scroll of the War of the Sons of Light against the Sons of Darkness I-II – The Thirty-Five Years War"Flavius Josephus, Against Apion (Translated by William Whiston)2 Esdras 14 (RSV), Bible Society UK.First Enoch (Christian Classics Ethereal Library)We value your feedback!Have questions for Truthspresso? Contact us!

A Marxist from Bahrain reflects on the struggle for Arab liberation. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Each one teach one! www.londonworker.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/

1. Criticism of Democratic Leaders on Law Enforcement Barack Obama, Gavin Newsom, and other Democratic figures are hostile toward law enforcement agencies, particularly ICE and National Guard deployments. Obama is quoted as describing some federal agents’ actions as “rogue,” which the speakers interpret as an attack on ICE. Gavin Newsom is criticized for comments comparing masked federal agents to authoritarian “secret police,” specifically referencing imagery associated with Germany’s past. Newsom’s claim that National Guard federalization was unprecedented. President Eisenhower’s 1957 use of federal authority to enforce desegregation in Little Rock, Arkansas. Newsom is “historically illiterate,” which later triggers a public Twitter exchange. 2. Newsom’s Response and the Dyslexia Angle Newsom accuses Ted Cruz of mocking his dyslexia. Cruz responds that “historically illiterate” referred to misunderstanding history, not reading ability. A social‑media back‑and‑forth unfolds, including jokes, memes, and comparisons of engagement statistics. Obama is: Highly partisan, Influential on younger progressive Democrats, Associated with cultural or “Marxist” ideological trends (as described by the speakers), Possibly influential behind the scenes during the Biden administration. Obama’s presidency contributed to increased political division. 3. Discussion of Tucker Carlson’s Recent Behavior Carlson has changed significantly since leaving Fox News. Anti‑Israel sentiment Hosting extremist guests Favoring authoritarians such as Putin or Iranian leadership Attacking Christian Zionists He may have ulterior financial or ideological motivations (while acknowledging no direct evidence). Carlson claimed Israeli airport officials detained him and questioned his team. Video footage showed him freely interacting with people at the airport, Israeli officials denied detaining him, A U.S. embassy statement also contradicted Carlson’s story. Carlson traveled to Israel to interview the ambassador but insisted on conducting the interview at the airport. Carlson claiming safety concerns while contrasting it with his willingness to travel in Russia or Qatar. Please Hit Subscribe to this podcast Right Now. Also Please Subscribe to the 47 Morning Update with Ben Ferguson and The Ben Ferguson Show Podcast Wherever You get You're Podcasts. And don't forget to follow the show on Social Media so you never miss a moment! Thanks for Listening YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruz/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/verdictwithtedcruz X: https://x.com/tedcruz X: https://x.com/benfergusonshowYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@VerdictwithTedCruzSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week on the Mark Levin Show, AOC, Gavin Newsom and Hillary Clinton trash our country overseas because they hate our country. While our brave and patriotic military personnel stationed overseas are protecting the free world, they give aid and comfort to our enemies. And none of them have done anything for the betterment of our country. Later, a massive raw sewage spill is occurring in the Potomac River due to a break in a six-foot pipe on the Maryland side, dumping millions to hundreds of millions of gallons of raw sewage into the river flowing through Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C. This poses serious health risks, environmental damage, and threats to people, wildlife, the regional water supply, and potentially the Atlantic Ocean. This is Democrat mismanagement—particularly by Maryland's Democrat leaders—for causing the crisis. Meanwhile, Democrats in Congress have defunded FEMA forcing its employees to coordinate cleanup efforts without pay. Also, processed foods should be defended against their common portrayal as dietary villains. About 100 years ago, mass urbanization, poverty, and lack of refrigeration made fresh food scarce, expensive, and prone to spoilage or contamination in cities, leading to widespread issues like foodborne illnesses, malnutrition, stomach cancer, dysentery, and short life expectancy. Processed foods, including canning, pasteurization, and preservatives, emerged as a critical solution to feed growing populations safely and affordably, preventing starvation and reducing risks from rancid or adulterated items. While some synthetic additives may have downsides, they are far safer than historical alternatives like rotten eggs or swill milk. Our military personnel deserve our respect and our gratitude. They stand ready to act on orders from President Trump to protect current and future generations from Iran. Ordinary Americans strongly support the military, unlike Marxists, Islamists, woke individuals, neo-Nazis, and isolationists. Isolationism against evils like Islamism, Communism, and fascism is suicidal. Sen Bernie Sanders continues to display a perplexing misunderstanding of economics with his recent attacks on billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. He claims these wealthy individuals are thwarting a wealth tax measure and insists they should pay their "fair share," ignoring the fact that the top 1% already contribute over 40% of federal income taxes. Instead of fostering an informed dialogue about economic realities, Sanders resorts to Marxist and Socialist rhetoric that vilifies success and oversimplifies the complexities of wealth creation. It's high time we confront this misguided socialist perspective and recognize the vital role that successful entrepreneurs play in driving our economy forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today Ron Simmons unpacks the latest Epstein file fallout, listing major resignations, such as Thomas Pritzker, Larry Summers, and Morgan McSweeney, as well as the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. He uses these men to warn about how “bad company ruins good morals” for both public figures and families. He then analyzes Marco Rubio's Munich Security Conference speech on Western civilization, sovereignty, and strong allies, contrasting it with AOC's bumbling on Taiwan and Marxist definition of culture. Ron then offers practical financial advice for young families and answers listener questions on raising godly kids, government assistance, marriage prep, and why Christianity is true. Share the Arrows 2026 is on October 10 in Dallas, Texas! Tickets are on sale now at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharethearrows.com⁠⁠⁠⁠ Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.toxicempathy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ — Timecodes: (00:00) Intro(03:30) The Epstein Files(14:20) Munich Security Conference(19:40) Marco Rubio's Speech(27:00) AOC's Response(31:30) Financial Advice for Young Families(42:50) Answering Viewer Questions — Today's Sponsors: Good Ranchers | Go to ⁠⁠GoodRanchers.com⁠⁠ and subscribe to any box of 100% American meat, and you'll save up to $500 a year! Plus, if you use code ALLIE, you'll get an additional $25 off your first order. — Related Episodes: Ep 1300 | Was the Government Shutdown a Win or Loss for Trump? | Ron Simmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000748662175 Ep 1293 | Ron Simmons | Can Trump Use the Insurrection Act Against Minnesota Mayhem? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000746486355 Ep 1286 | Maduro Detained, Minnesota ICE Altercation, Can Trump Save Single-Family Homes? | Ron Simmons https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/relatable-with-allie-beth-stuckey/id1359249098?i=1000744608458 — Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (and That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.alliebethstuckey.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Relatable merchandise: Use promo code ALLIE10 for a discount: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In celebration of Presidents Day, we shared the unspoken history of Abraham Linocoln. On In The Market with Janet Parshall this week we our guest explained how Lincoln’s faith was pivotal to shaping him into the man he became and how it guided and sustained him during one of our nation’s most violet and critical times in history. What is required to be a Christian dissident? Our guest warned us that as we see a growing acceptance of socialist and Marxist views in our nation, believers need to be prepared to stand up and fight for their guaranteed freedoms that the Founders fought to provide and preserve as part of our national heritage. Every day we are reminded that the cost of liberty is high. Part of our liberty as Americans is our right to free speech but the days of sitting back and trusting that those rights were above question or attempts to curtail are far behind us now. That is why Janet and Craig took a deep dive into a recent House Judiciary Committee hearing that addressed challenges to our right to free speech. They shared their analysis of what the lawmakers had to say about efforts to bring European style censorship to this country and why do so would be devastating to our national identity and why we must not allow the slow creep of these ideas to take away this fundamental right as Europe and other countries have, to devastating effect. We opened our phones and you flooded them once again with your questions on spiritual warfare as one of our favorite guests and highly respected expert in this area turned our hearts and minds back to God’s truth as we wrestle with the many issues surrounding the impact of the supernatural world on ours. The week is coming to an end, but our need to see and clearly understand the ideas that are being pushed on us through the media never does. That is why Janet and Craig continue to encourage you to be wise watchmen and women on the walls to protect your families by measuring those confusing and misleading ideas against the truth of God’s word.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKdH6jfv9vA&t=2s 13 Feb 2026 Garland Nixon and Joti Brar Reproduced from ‪@garlandn‬ with thanks. Joti Brar: This week I spoke with Garland Nixon about the Epstein files. What do they reveal to us about the nature of the capitalist-imperialist state machinery and western bourgeois democracy? What has been exposed is not just the depravity, supremacy and criminality of the ruling elites, but the personal networks (long ago described by the founders of Marxist science) through which they operate, do deals and manage the direction of the system – far away from any mechanisms of public accountability, scrutiny or control. The truth is that we didn't need these fresh revelations to prove that the present system is inherently genocidal, sociopathic and anti-worker, or to understand that it is irreformable in all its essentials. But the latest revelations certainly confirm that putting our hopes for change in the replacement of a few ruling-class puppets in Parliament or Downing Street is a futile activity. We spoke about Peter Mandelson's role in the Labour party, and the dangerous game being played by opponents who are keen to use the revelations for party-political point-scoring. A prolonged focus on the Epstein scandal might seem like a heaven-sent distraction from all the imperialist warmongering and looming economic catastrophe, but it could end up exposing and ruining not just a particular politician or party, but the whole system of bourgeois rule in the eyes of the people. Along the way, we also asked why so many independent media commentators continue to repeat imperialist lies about Venezuela's leadership having ‘sold out' and the USA's regime-change operation having been successful, although there is still no evidence to support such assertions and every reason to treat them as US psyop narratives. Finally, we talked about why there is no way forward for humanity while this system continues to exist, and why, despite all its horrors, there are still some who fear the prospect of the ‘instability' (ie, social upheaval) that will inevitably accompany the collapse, defeat and dismantlement of Anglo-American imperialism. Subscribe! Donate! Join us in building a bright future for humanity! www.thecommunists.org www.lalkar.org www.redyouth.org Telegram: t.me/thecommunists Twitter: twitter.com/cpgbml Soundcloud: @proletarianradio Rumble: rumble.com/c/theCommunists Odysee: odysee.com/@proletariantv:2 Facebook: www.facebook.com/cpgbml Online Shop: https://shop.thecommunists.org/ Education Program: Each one teach one!: https://thecommunists.org/education-programme/ Join the struggle www.thecommunists.org/join/ Donate: www.thecommunists.org/donate/

On Thursday's Mark Levin Show, Bernie Sanders continues to display a perplexing misunderstanding of economics with his recent attacks on billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. He claims these wealthy individuals are thwarting a wealth tax measure and insists they should pay their "fair share," ignoring the fact that the top 1% already contribute over 40% of federal income taxes. Instead of fostering an informed dialogue about economic realities, Sanders resorts to Marxist and Socialist rhetoric that vilifies success and oversimplifies the complexities of wealth creation. It's high time we confront this misguided socialist perspective and recognize the vital role that successful entrepreneurs play in driving our economy forward. In addition, Tucker Carlson made a brief stop at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel to film an interview with US Ambassador Mike Huckabee without ever stepping outside the airport. Carlson lied about leaking the fact that Israeli police and staff at the airport was mistreating him, even though there is video footage of Tucker hugging people. Also, at least a dozen Democrats from both the House and Senate will skip President Trump's State of the Union address to attend a rally on the National Mall as an alternative protest against his presidency. Lastly, Rep. Bryan Steil joins the show to discuss how Democrats are trying to find ways to protect illegal aliens from getting deported, and by not passing the SAVE Act, so that illegal aliens can vote. The people need to call our senators to pass the Save Act now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What links Bridget Jones to social media regulation?The answer: Baroness Beeban Kidron. In 2004 she directed the Bridget Jones sequal. 20 years later, she became one of the most vocal campaigners for regulation of social media and tech in the UK.She joins Nick in the Political Thinking studio to tell her story, from joining Marxist dinner parties in her childhood home, to filming and living with the protesters of Greenham Common in the 1980s.Today, she has strong words for Keir Starmer's government, and is pushing for law-changes from her seat in the House of Lords.Producers: Daniel Kraemer and Flora Murray Editor: Giles Edwards

A majority of Gen Z voters in New York backed Zoran Mamdani. One month later? Property taxes up. Police cuts. Budget chaos. Tara breaks down the math, the promises, the Florida comparison, and why socialism always runs out of other people's money.

The State is coming for your life, your wallet, and your reputation. Today on Wake Up America, Austin Petersen breaks down the horrifying reality of Canada's "Medical Assistance in Dying" (MAID) program. We're going deep on the case of Kiano Vafaeian, a 26-year-old blind man with type 1 diabetes whose "seasonal depression" was treated with a lethal injection rather than a winter coat and a light box.

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From the TOXIC influence of social media to the radical agendas aimed at dismantling the nuclear family, Nick exposes the lies both men and women have been told about their roles. Stop being a consumer of a broken system and learn the strategic blueprint for dating with noble intentions. It is time to stop settling for "situationships" and start reclaiming biblical roles and shared faith to build a connection that actually lastsSPONSOR: Brave BooksBrave Books creates pro-God, pro-America stories teaching the lessons our culture is trying to erase, like truth, courage, sacrifice, faith, and love of country through stories kids actually want to read. Get a new book every month and FREE access to their parent-vetted streaming platform BRAVE+ when you join the BRAVE Book Club.Use code NICK for 20% off your first order at: BraveBooks.com/NICK-----GET YOUR MERCH HERE: https://shop.nickjfreitas.com/BECOME A MEMBER OF THE IC: https://NickJFreitas.comInstagram: www.instagram.com/nickjfreitas/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickFreitasVATwitter: https://twitter.com/NickJFreitasYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@NickjfreitasTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@nickfreitas3.000:00:07 – Why the modern dating environment needs to be destroyed00:01:26 – How men and women have been lied to about roles00:03:35 – Analyzing the toxicity found in modern social media00:06:23 – Examining the significant global decline in modern marriage rates00:08:05 – Understanding crisis caused by falling birth rates00:11:32 – Why both sexes believe marriage is now a bad deal00:14:31 – Radical feminism and the intentional assault on the nuclear family00:18:08 – Exploring the Marxist roots behind dismantling the traditional family00:24:06 – How the government is replacing the role of the husband00:28:21 – Addressing the male loneliness epidemic and cultural hatred of men00:33:54 – Why masculinity is wrongly labeled as toxic in modern schools00:36:26 – Analyzing Andrew Tate and his response to the dating crisis00:42:37 – Challenges for conservative women seeking traditional and virtuous men00:45:27 – Defining the biblical roles of protection, provision, peace, and passion00:49:23 – A blueprint for dating with noble and honorable intentions00:54:26 – Why shared faith and values are vital for marital success00:56:37 – Protecting your relationship by saving the physical for marriage00:58:41 – Conclusion: Breaking the cycle through faith and strong families

In this new episode, host Diana welcomes back guest Jake Doberenz, who shares updates on his life since his last appearance in Season 2. They discuss Jake's new podcast 'Christianity Without Compromise,' his new Substack, and his middle-grade book series 'Super Jake.' The conversation delves into Jake's personal challenges, including a difficult divorce and the loss of his father, and how his faith journey and mental health were affected. They also cover topics such as Christian nationalism, tribalism, and the importance of returning to a Jesus-centered Christianity. Jake emphasizes the value of listening and learning from diverse perspectives as a path to spiritual and personal growth. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Welcome to the Podcast 01:28 Introducing Jake Dorin 01:50 Jake's New Ventures 02:51 Technical Difficulties and Housekeeping 03:33 Jake's Return to the Show 04:13 Jake's Journey and Challenges 13:45 Support Systems and Church Reactions 20:16 Jake's Writing Journey 26:21 Introduction to the Podcast's Mission 26:41 Focusing on Jesus-Centered Christianity 27:50 Challenges and Pushback 28:45 The Call to Smash Idols 29:38 Diverse Conversations and Controversial Topics 31:34 Personal Growth and Education 39:01 Christian Nationalism and Its Dangers 45:04 Reflecting on History and Moving Forward 48:07 Final Thoughts and Advice 50:36 Conclusion and Farewell   Jakedoberenz.com for all things Jake! I am a writer, speaker, minister, coach, and creative thinker living in Oklahoma City, OK. I have earned my Master of Theological Studies at Oklahoma Christian University, the same place I earned my Bachelor's degree in Bible with a minor in Communication Studies. I write fiction and nonfiction in a variety of mediums, including poetry, short stories, books, stage plays, academic essays, and devotionals. I also venture out into other mediums, like podcasts and video. My favorite topics of choice to discuss and write about (though always changing) include: Christian writing, helping people understand the Bible better, Christian identity, theology of technology and social media, use of humor in faith messages, how to get young people back in church, and a Christian response to culture.   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Jake Doberenz [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana. She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hello everyone. How are you guys today? This is one of our new episodes. We have Jake Dorin back on the show. He was on season two and I did rebroadcast, the first interview that I had with him. So please go back and listen to that. It is fantastic and there's a lot of new things going on with Jake. He has a new podcast, which is called Christianity Without Compromise. He also has a new substack, [00:02:00] that is fabulous. He is written a book, super Jake and a second book. Super Jake and Cool Kenny. So that's a fictional book. Got remarried recently and there's a lot of here to talk about that is very timely for today. I just love his podcast. It is really great. He talks about, current topics that affect the church. And so I'm not gonna do too much intro because, like I said, you can listen to the original podcast interview from, last time. I've got lots of questions for him. I don't really have a script today. I'm just gonna go with the flow as to, what he wants to talk about. Um, a couple housekeeping things. I had some computer problems, some internet problems, and so I [00:03:00] was this afternoon switching out my computer in my studio with my laptop, so I didn't have to do the podcast on my cell phone. Um, this camera isn't as wonderful as my other one, and the sound isn't as wonderful, but I'm gonna try and fix the sound part post-production. But this is gonna be a fantastic show, perfect for the new year. So I hope that you will enjoy my second conversation with Jake Doberenz. Alright, welcome back to the show from season two. Jake, do thanks for coming on the show again. Of course, of course. I'm glad you'll have me all these seasons later. That's, that's really fun. It's cool. Yeah. There's a lot of things that have happened since, you were on the show, so I was glad that you were looking to be a [00:04:00] guest again, and, definitely wanted you to come back and share what you've been up to since then, some exciting things, and then some contemplative things that you've experienced. So remind the folks , what you're all about. Oh, what I'm all about. I mean, the formats change, but I've always just been trying to communicate Christian truth to people, you know, through podcasts, through books, through plays, like whatever the, the medium changes all the time. I just think Jesus is pretty cool and I want people to know him better and, um, I want people to know the real Jesus and not, there's a bunch of posers running around. Don't know if you knew that, but I want people to encounter the real thing. So, I mean, that's who, that's what I'm all about. Since the last time we've talked, I've probably started and also abandoned like a hundred projects, you know, that's just my nature. Fortunately, and [00:05:00] unfortunately, well, I was a big fan of your creatively Christian mm-hmm. Podcast. I was a guest on there with Andrea. Yeah. And I really enjoyed that being a musician and everything, and a creative myself. I understand that you're not doing that anymore, right? Yeah. That one's not, active anymore. I handed that off to Brandon. Brandon was one of our anchor hosts there on the show. He still posts about the show sometimes, and, uh, he has all the rights and access to the material. And so episodes still get shared and still get listens to. I think stopped, early, like 23, or 24, man, I don't know. The years have blurred together. But I still get notifications of people wanting to be guests on that show or, you know, some, something like good pods will say, Hey, this is ranked in the top for Christian, you know, arts and stuff. I'm like, whoa, it's crazy. So it [00:06:00] still gets traction even though we're not actively publishing, which is definitely fun. Wow. And you. Have this new podcast, Christianity Without Compromise, which I am like fan number two. Jake, I just absolutely love this podcast, I know you had it branded as Smashing Idols, which actually liked that title. Oh. Or did you decide to change it? Well, I decided to change it because it's a cool title, but I would tell that to people and they'd be like, I, what is that? Huh? What's going on here? Um, and so I wanted a fit of a couple keywords in there. I wanted to be very clear. It was about Christianity and Christian stuff. So a little bit to get found better. I mean, that was a lot of it. Mm-hmm. It get understood a little bit better. Um, but we're still this pretty much the same mission. We're smashing the idols. We're trying to bring the church back to kind of a faithful Christian witness. Right. And that means, hey, there are some idols in the [00:07:00] way. We're just gonna, move them and sometimes get a hammer out and start smashing 'em. 'cause we gotta get those out of the way to get back to the real deal. I totally agree. Yeah. When you are on here in season two. You went through some really difficult times of your life and I wanted to have you share with our audience, what you've learned in, those tough times and what was your relationship with the Lord and how he helped you through that. Whatever you're comfortable sharing with us. Yeah, I mean, since then I've had my job more than a year, uh, my job, period of life, right? But before we catch everybody up, I want people to understand, like, I had a relatively more or less comfortable life. I grew up in the church. My, my parents stayed together. It wasn't perfect, but they stayed together and didn't really have anybody like die or leave in my [00:08:00] world. Like it wasn't bad. And then I grow up and become an adult human person. I graduate college and then it was a little bit downhill from there. I think we're on the Upward Hill part, but it went downhill from there. So, after college, I got married to somebody who I loved and thought loved me, and things were pretty good. Um, until a time where she just decided, I don't want to invest in this relationship anymore. I don't wanna do this thing anymore. And there were a variety of reasons for that, that I won't get into. That's something that she decided, but. Did the whole marriage counseling thing. And ultimately it comes to a point in counseling like that where there's a decision. We've spent six weeks or whatever picking apart all the problems. Now are you gonna change? Are we gonna do something about [00:09:00] it? Are we gonna fix it? And her answer was, I'm good. I don't think so. See you later. Um, and so that was a difficult year. It ended up being about a year from there, so the actual divorce papers were signed. And that was not a fun time in my life. For sure, obviously for people that have gone through any kind of broken relationships like that. Just not good. I struggled a lot, you know, you mentioned the faith journey kind of thing. Like I believed. God wanted to save my marriage. I did pretty much everything I could as a human being to save that. I did. I read all the books. I, I literally read maybe 30 marriage books. I, did counseling, you know, individual therapy, virtual therapy I talked to experts in saving marriages and marriages and crisis. I spent a good chunk of money, as kind of this [00:10:00] last ditch effort going to this conference that we both attended virtually that was supposed to kind of help get us talking and heal some things. None of that worked. And that was really challenging because I said, well, doesn't God want marriages to stay together? Isn't that what God's all about? Like, that would be God's preference, surely. Right? Um. God doesn't override free will, very often. And so that's what happened. Like people made choices and it was a eye-opening time of, like other people in the world can just make whatever choices they want and sometimes you cannot control them, right? You, you, you can't, you don't have a say. And we have to just deal with that. We have to accept that to some extent. You know, I am proud of the progress that I made and the things I did to better myself. And so I can sleep easy, so to speak, knowing that like I did my part. But. [00:11:00] There was no happy ending to that necessarily. And then pretty much shortly after that, my dad died unexpectedly. And so again, it was this, this job thing, right? It just like one after another. And, things kind of fell apart. Uh, and losing a marriage, losing a father, they for better or for worse put, put things in perspective. And so while those weren't, um, good things, like I can't call them objectively good, there was good that came out of that, I became a better. A better person. I'm just full stop. I like to think I'm a better person than I was last time I was on the show here. I am absolutely healthier spiritually, mentally, and all the ways, like I did the work in myself. It doesn't mean I'm a perfect human being, you know, still a process, but I am at a better [00:12:00] point. And, I'm remarried now. I found somebody who really likes me and she's not going anywhere. And, we put in the work together and doesn't mean things are perfect, but, we both recognize that, that we are imperfect and we're just gonna do our best each day. And if there's a problem, we're gonna address it and not hide it for, you know, three years kind of thing. Mm-hmm. And, uh, it's good. So that's been the journey, right? Literally the darkest times. I mean there was a brief moment in that darkness that the holiday after my dad died and I had gotten divorced and my dad died in the same year, I felt for the first time, like thoughts of ending it all. And those were fleeting. I didn't think that very often, but it was just like too much. But I crawled, my way out of the darkness, [00:13:00] and things. Better on the other side. Uh, so that's my story and I'm, uh, I'm sticking to it. Oh, well thank you for being so transparent. And it's not easy to say those hard times. And, I think that a lot of people listening can relate to what you just said and have been through divorce and no matter who's ended the relationship, it was mm-hmm. Ending for a reason and they question God's will. Yeah. And whether God's mad at them or the church is not supportive of them. Yeah, that was one of my questions. How did your church, respond to the divorce? Did you felt like you were cared for, or did you feel judged in any way? Or what was that like? Well, I'm gonna make a generalization [00:14:00] here, that I've noted before. my more conservative Christian Church friends didn't ever want to talk about it. They weren't gonna bring it up. They we're gonna say anything. I'm like, surely, you know, you've heard through the grapevine, you saw something, you realized who's missing in the picture. Like, you know, but they wouldn't bring it up. Uncomfortable, wouldn't talk about it. Now my more, what I'll call progressive Christian friends. They were talking about, oh, come on. You know, Jake, it's fine. Like second marriages are better. Who cares about her? Move on, man. Life can be so much great on the other side, which I mean, I get what they were trying to do, but that's not what I want to hear either. And then weirdly, um, some of my atheist friends, like coworkers and things of that nature, they were just like, man, that sucks. Like, that's tough. That's [00:15:00] terrible. And so I got a lot of my actual support from the atheists. And again, generalizations here. Like there were Christians that were g like, yeah. But um, a lot of people in the church just didn't wanna have that conversation or if they were gonna have that conversation. They wanted to go too much into the, rainbows and sunshine on the other side. But that's not what I wanted to hear. Mm-hmm. A lot of people thought I was crazy for trying to save my marriage for hoping, for wanting, everybody can make their own different choices there in relationships that are in crisis. In that point. For me, I stuck it out, basically until my dad died, where that was like in a weird way, kind of just a, a way for me to move on and say, I'm gonna focus. Like when, [00:16:00] when your life can literally just be cut short, I need to move on. I'm going to go. A new direction kind of thing. But yeah, people were strange. People acted, strangely. So I don't think I was judged or condemned. Not to my face. Nothing that I ever heard. The only thing that was judged weirdly was me, sticking it out. Mm-hmm. Trying to save that marriage. Some people did not like that, including some close friends got mad at me because they're like, well, how dare you? She doesn't want it. How dare you try to pursue, try to make this better? And that's a tough one. I mean, I think it's a little harsh and crazy to be mad at me for wanting to fix it. Yeah. And again, it comes down to yeah, you need two people. So if the two people aren't on board here. Well that can't be saved. And that's how it ended up happening. Well, I went through my own divorce, as you know, and Uhhuh I [00:17:00] on my second marriage and they church crucified me. Wow. I mean it was, very negative and very judgmental. And I did try to save the marriage. I dragged him to three different marriage counselors and Yeah, of course. Suffered a lot of abuse for 13 years and he didn't wanna save the marriage when we were together. And, I'm not gonna force somebody. For somebody to change or to repent, you can't, it's like, well you, yeah. And I'm sorry that the church didn't support me and the church decided, they were going to make me either go back to my husband or, I couldn't be part of the church anymore. It's like, no, not going. Yeah, that's insane. I'm not going back, I'm not going back to an unrepentant, husband. Mm-hmm. I'm glad that you had a good experience. Although a little strange, but you didn't seem to be ostracized or [00:18:00] gossiped about? Not to my face. I mean, yeah. Not to your face, you know, they can, I guess see what they want, but. Well, I was doing some preaching at some churches and like doing stuff like that and, I was afraid that I was gonna lose those positions. I didn't, and maybe this is a gender thing that comes into play here, but it was like, well, she decided to leave, so you're fine, you're off the hook or something like that. Some people wanted to know whose fault was it? And I'm like, well, I wasn't perfect here. There was reasons she wanted out, but at the end of the day, she was the one wanting out. So I, and this doesn't make it better or more comfortable, but I feel like there were some people in the church that were like, well, as long as it's her fault, as long as it's something. But, I don't know. I still struggled with all the. Biblical stuff myself, I gave myself enough guilt. They were quote [00:19:00] bible verses at me, right and left. Ugh. And you know, I couldn't, that's tough. Quote, goodness, couldn't get married again, blah, blah, blah. Right. You know, all the verses and, a lot of my listeners have gone through that, the same kind of negative, judgmental stuff. But glad you came out on the other side with the, um, would you call it depression when your dad died, when you momentarily wanted to Yeah. End it all. Yeah. I was briefly on antidepressants. I needed medical intervention to get out of that, as well as other coping skills and things of that nature. So, yeah. And there's no shame in that, which. A lot of people in my mending the soul groups and those that are listening here, they were shamed for going and getting some mental health, help, stating that you only need the Bible and you just need to pray more, and you don't need any of that other stuff to, get over depression. And that [00:20:00] is really so wrong, you know? Yeah. Yeah. We do need medication sometimes. Maybe not forever, but there is no sin in getting medical help. Amen. Absolutely. Well, we'll probably get onto a lighter topic here. You, uh, wrote. Were they young adult books? The Super Jake series? They're middle grade. So your 9, 10, 11, 12 year olds. That's who it's for. That's a fun age. I remember being that in that group and I did a lot of reading. Oh, me too. At Wish they had Super Jake and Cool Kenny. Yeah. When I was that age. Now just to be honest, I haven't read those books, but could you, tell the folks about your book? You're a natural writer. Is that one of your strengths or did you develop that? Fifth grade, I'm writing stories and things like that. I fell in love with the craft of storytelling, of writing. And so I'm better than I was at writing than I was in fifth [00:21:00] grade. So like, I have improved for sure. Well, when it comes to things I gotta do before I die, like this is, was one of those projects, because I had created this alter ego character, super Jake. Created him in third grade originally and started telling stories in fifth grade. It was my first creative work, right? The reason, you know, leads to creatively Christian, all the other creative endeavors that I would go to. This was my first like, love of storytelling all came from Super Jake, who was a alter ego version of myself, who was a superhero who could shoot ice cream out of his hands, because of course, that's the power when you're. You know, a 10-year-old. Shoots ice cream outta his hands. Um, and so over the years, like I, I struggled with how to tell the story or if to tell the story. I had this weird period of life where I was like, everything I have to do is Christian. So I can't tell that story because it's not [00:22:00] quote unquote Christian. There's no come to Jesus moment at the end, or he's not converting the atheist. And I said, well, you know, what I'm actually doing with these stories. What actually happened was the bad guys are elements of culture, of toxic culture. In the first book, you know, it's the bad guy at the fashion police. And, he's trying to tell everybody to be cool. You gotta dress this way, that's what you gotta do. And then, super Jake combats that with ice cream, with quips and jokes and words and, you know, and so there is no, come to Jesus moment, but. I am still trying to train specifically young boys, but any young reader who might take a look, I'm trying to train them into a better way of viewing things. The second one deals with toxic masculinity. Like the bad guy is all about, you know, men gotta lift weights and we gotta be all tough and, disrespect women and stuff like that. And so, I tackled [00:23:00] those cultural items. Oh, I wish I had super Jake when I was in grade school. 'cause Yeah. Um, I wasn't very popular because I didn't wear the designer clothes. I had the no name brands and I got picked on and bullied. And I wish I had super Jake to come to the rescue for me. Exactly. I know we all do. What could cool Kenny do? That was, his brother? Yeah. Right? The brother. Yeah. My brother, weirdly, coincidentally, happens to be named Kenny as well. Just real crazy coincidence. But, he has the, what's called prehensile hair so his hair can like grow and grab stuff and move around and things like that. So just wild, crazy powers. And, the book series makes fun of that. Like they're very self-aware that these are kind of weird powers. Maybe not the best crime fighting powers that you could ever think of, but that's the humor of it. And then you gotta be very creative. It's hard for me to be creative enough to be like, [00:24:00] okay, shooting scoops of ice cream in his hands. How could that actually save the day? So it's a good challenge for me. And you'll have to read the books to find out what happens. You'll have to read the books. Yep. I gotta get to, to finishing that series. I've been slacking, but there's a couple books out already. Yeah. And so you guys can definitely find those on, right? Amazon? Yeah. All the places Amazon, well, the listeners get good books for kids to read that are clean and have some messages and some fun at the same time. Yeah. We do have your substack that you, said is not new. I have very few people that I subscribe to on Substack because I love to read, but I have only, you know, that's right. I, not enough hours in the day to read everything. You should see my stack of books on my nightstand. Yeah. But you have a fantastic substack that I subscribe to and it goes great with your podcast and your [00:25:00] writing. In college, I minored in communication studies. 'cause I was very interested not just in the knowledge, but how do we communicate this, how do I get this across effectively? So I try to use that in my writing and my podcast. You, whatever I'm doing, I'm, I want you to understand the message the best. So I'm very picky about what words I use and when I do line breaks in spaces anyway, that's just stuff I nerd out about. I like to write, but I'm not that good at it, but I have to really, really work at it. I'm sure in your MDiv you're gonna be writing some stuff, so I've already been warned about that. You're gonna be writing a lot. Oh, you're gonna write some stuff? Yeah, it'll be great. Yeah. Spell check. I'm a good speller, and good at grammar and stuff. I have it in my head what I wanna say, but it never comes out the way I want it to come out. I gotcha. Do you have that struggle? Probably not. I do sometimes. That's why I just throw it out there and I rearrange later. Yeah. Yeah. So I definitely recommend, if you're not on substack, there's some really [00:26:00] great writers on there and people like Jake that, care about Jesus. So we did, mention your podcast. I really wanna talk about your amazing, amazing guests. You really knock it out of the park like every time. I think there's only one guest that I didn't agree with . Okay. I just turned it off 'cause I did not agree with what they were saying. But you have some amazing topics and I love that it's, a podcast for Christians weary of shallow faith in culture, war, religion. Oh my goodness. That is so perfectly worded. And bring us back to Jesus centered Christianity. I absolutely love that. Because it is about Jesus. It's not all this other junk around it. Exactly. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That we call Christianity, it's churchianity. [00:27:00] And just going back to Jesus is what I tell the survivors listening, my people, in my groups, when you're trying to reconstruct, right? Like, well, what do I do? What do I believe? Well, this is what I tell 'em is go back to Jesus. What was Jesus doing? And you talk about that quite a bit on your show. We're going to get rid of all the fluff and the legalism. You list the prosperity gospel, the purity culture, toxic church leadership, obsession with sin and hell, politics mixed in with the gospel. Mm-hmm. And so we need to get away from those things and come back to Christ alone. Yeah. Besides our current culture right now, why did you decide to do this podcast? Because, you're really, [00:28:00] right in the middle of the war zone when you come out and say these things. Hmm. Yeah. I guess I'm just a glutton for punishment or something. Right? Like, just love for people to be mad at me online. It's my favorite thing. Um, I get some pushback. Uh, when I started investing more, putting more stuff on YouTube. Obviously on YouTube you can get comments and then I see some comments of people that are like, oh, this guest is a Marxist, blah, blah, blah. You know, terrible sinner person. I'm like, did you listen to, what are you talking about, man? Jake, a Marxist? I'm like, whatever. No. Um, so sometimes I'm like reading comprehension. We need to work on that 'cause or listening comprehension. 'cause what are you guys saying? I mean it started as just a general kind of theology project. I wanted to podcast about fun topics that I cared about and then, the closest I have ever felt to hearing the audible voice of God [00:29:00] was this concept of smashing idols. This idea of be a Gideon, who, who smashes idols in the night, and has his dad defend him. Whole fun little story. And that was like a calling of God. Like this was like, this is what you're supposed to be doing, Jake. And so I followed that. I listened to that. I started focusing a little bit more on, cleaning up the church. Like you said, we're cluttered, so let's clean this extra stuff up. Let's get back to the essentials here, the basic stuff. And so yeah, it puts me into a fun spot. Where I get to have all those conversations that you mentioned. Many of those conversations I don't agree with either. We have people on all different sides of the spectrum. Well, not all sides of the spectrum. There are some sides. We're not gonna touch those sides. But we have a lot of different perspectives and things of that nature. And so I try to select guests that are gonna be more charitable and more, given us something to think about in trying to strip away stuff [00:30:00] to point us to Jesus. So, listen to some of these titles, religious Certainty and being the only one saved. Ooh. That was Scott Lloyd. Crotch Christianity misses the Gospel and yes, I did laugh at that. I thought that was a funny episode. Yeah. People hate when I say the word crotch, but you know, it's fine. Oh yes. I got a good giggle. Six in the morning when I'm on my way to work. Um, no king, but Christ rethinking State, Craig Hargus. Mm-hmm. Why I'm not a creationist anymore. That was very interesting, Jake. I listened to that very intently. The Bible is not an informational book book, which, um, I've learned that the hard way, uh, in my reconstruction. Can the Bible be an idol? Ooh, look, look at you, Jake. You're really stirring the pot now. Oh yeah. The [00:31:00] dangers of Christian nationalism and tribalism. You had Scott McKnight on Deconstruction. That was mm-hmm. Probably the first podcast I listened to and it was absolutely fantastic. Scott is amazing. Oh, and I agreed with everything that he said. I'm gonna get some of his books, Oh yeah. Yeah. Comment on some of these topics here. About the Bible's not an informational book. You've got an Miv, right? Uh, MTS Master of Theology. MM okay. So I real, what I really like about you, Jake, is that you are very transparent with, okay. I've made a lot of mistakes as a Christian in that I thought I knew everything. I thought that, I had all my beliefs set in this little box, and if anybody, challenges my box, then they were, a heretic. And, I'm super [00:32:00] Christian. Let me tell you, I was that person too. Mm-hmm. I was like that when I was in my old. Mm-hmm. I thought, wow, this guy gets it. And you're like, oh, until I went to seminary and then, uh, some of the professors took me down a peg or two. Oh, yeah. And, showed you some things. Yeah. Tell us about that. Yeah. I mean, you mentioned it, like for me, I went to college thinking I already knew the answers, but I was like, yeah, but I still have to have the degrees just to get the next job, blah, blah, blah. And really just was opened up to a world that I didn't really know that well, apparently. And just encountering diversity of thought was really important. And at its best, that's what higher education, education of any kind is supposed to do. Tell you there are some other way. Yeah. Okay. You know, two plus two equals four. But a lot of things in the world, there's like some [00:33:00] different perspectives, different angles here and things of that nature. And so kind of kicking and screaming like, uh, God brought me through education and said, Jake, yo, you don't know everything. You actually know very little things. And, um, I was humbled through that process Now. Education absolutely can lead many people to be more prideful, to be more puffed up, to be like, oh, I know everything now because I have a degree. I was a lucky case. Or it did the opposite. I still like to think I know a couple things. You know, the Bible study at church. I'm like, yeah, but have you guys considered the Greek word means? But, you know, occasionally there's still that. But I was privileged that I had professors that were, that, you know, they were Christians, they were teaching Bible and theology and they were gracious to young 20 something Jake, and we're willing to walk through [00:34:00] with him and to take his questions and. I was introduced, ultimately while I was studying the Bible. Interesting. Like as an information book, like I have my degree in the academic study of the Bible. The professors made sure I was still having encounter with Jesus, and that was the key there. It's as much as I love digging into the deep stuff about scripture, and there's so much depth, there's so many different little things you go into, you know, I like the weird parts. Give, gimme the Leviticus or whatever. Let's get weird here, you know? But, I didn't lose sight of, the real star of the story, Jesus. Mm-hmm. And, and ultimately it is Jesus. That is the truest revelation of God and not the Bible. The Bible witnesses to Jesus. But the Bible is not the main star. It is Jesus. Um, and I. Was able to realize that, and that opened up everything [00:35:00] that made me a more charitable person. It made me nicer, right? Mm-hmm. Because I didn't think I knew all the answers. So suddenly fruits of the spirit, I had the spirit because the fruits were coming out in a way they were not before. Because I had a spirit of hatred and division and rightness. Uh, not a super helpful one. So I was privileged, I was lucky. It still took me a couple years, and I am always, aware of that. I don't think anybody should change their mind overnight, like the creationist one, for instance. Um, mm-hmm. I don't expect anybody to listen to that one episode and have their whole world change maybe. But I just wanna start a conversation. Because change takes time. I took years and my homework was literally reading the Bible. Like when you're a Bible major, that's your homework. So for other people, if it takes some years, that's okay. I get it. Let's wrestle through this stuff. But as [00:36:00] we wrestle, just like when Jacob wrestled with God, you're gonna probably get a limp. You're gonna, there's something that's gonna happen here. You're gonna be changed. You're gonna get a new name. You're gonna, in his case, at least in Jacob's case, so I say let's wrestle, but be prepared to be changed here. You're not gonna be the same. Yes, I definitely, when I came out of my first marriage and had a change denominations. Yeah, I was the same mindset. 'cause I did my undergraduate and I was a missionary for 15 years and, you know, I did know a lot about the Bible, but , as you say, there's a lot that I didn't know and I had to go to another church and then I find out that, okay, this is, a church that my previous denomination said was, liberal or Sure. They were not real Christians. Their backslidden or whatever because they used a guitar in the [00:37:00] worship service. Or they, have differing beliefs in what Bible they use and mm-hmm. Or the girls wear pants. Oh goodness. The, but the first time I go into these other churches looking for a new place to serve and heal. God just hit me upside the head with a two by four and just like, look, this person here loves Jesus and serves me. So I had gone through a lot of, oh, there's other legitimate beliefs. I'm married to somebody that does not believe in the rapture. So that was, very different for me. I always thought all Christians believed in the rapture. Uh, the creationist part, I can't really ignore science. But I think what's important is that we believe, yes, God created the earth. Yes, God created man, whether it was a million years or if it was [00:38:00] 10,000 years. The important part is that I believe that God is the center of, that. It's all the details in between i'm kind of undecided. I'm still, working through all of that. We're still figuring it out. So I was glad that you brought those topics up in your podcast. You gotta be open to, okay, God, you're gonna show me what the truth is and what is non-negotiable and what is okay, we can differ on some things. Right? And I am starting in a week, going back to seminary for my M div. I didn't get to learn Greek or Hebrew the first go around, so I'm excited about that part. Good luck. Yeah. I like languages. I've already been through the humility part and God put me down a peg or two, so I think I'm on the right path to, receive some things from the professors. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You know, God bless your professors, who were so patient with you. Oh, they're the best. Yeah. That's all I can ask [00:39:00] for. And now like I said, we don't really talk about politics on the show, but, the dangers of Christian nationalism and tribalism. it's like we're all in these different camps and they're all our enemies 'cause we're in our tribe and we don't go outside our tribe and Yeah, don't talk to anybody else, you know? Unpack that a little for us 'cause you explained that so well. Oh man. Yeah. There is, there's a movement. I mean, we're talking in America specifically, but not only in America. Not only in America of any stretch of the imaginations of Christians who are feeling, the loss of power and privilege, right? Because undeniably Christians don't have the same place in, uh, many governments that they used to. That's an undeniable fact. Oh, mm-hmm. Totally agree. It's not the same. I'm in the Bible belt, there's still a church in every corner, but still it's not the same thing. It was 50 years ago. I wasn't alive 50 years ago, but [00:40:00] from what I understand, a hundred years ago, nobody was alive that long ago. Probably that listened to the show could be wrong. Um, things are different. Sure. Right. And so there is a movement of people that say, we need to, we need to get back to what was, a place when Christianity was more normalized, had that power and privilege when it made sense to pray at a football game or something, when that was just a kind of a part of the culture. And some of that is not necessarily bad. I'm always careful when I talk about Christian nationalism. Christian nationalism isn't Christians, spreading their faith or Christians having political opinions, but there comes a point when you have this nationalism, this tribalism, when it's just kind of this ugly mix of Christian values with American values, sometimes with some kind of, uh, white [00:41:00] supremacy kind of things mixed in. And the kind of cake that comes out of this recipe is just not what Jesus wants from us. It's not close to the gospel, which talks about, peacemaking and is very pro humility and not taking power. And the Jesus we encounter in scripture is very much about the least of these, not so much about let me protect my rights or my privileges and things like that. That's something Christians need to wrestle with. What are we engaging for? Are we. Engaging for what's best for me or what's best for, the person on the street or the person who just doesn't have anything or doesn't have the same, opportunities as us. Who are we fighting for when it comes to things in the political realm? And so then, yeah, that's kind of Christian nationalism. In a nutshell, it's a, it's this project to, to take [00:42:00] over and to make things much more friendly to Christianity. And to be clear, like I do actually think the world would be better if everybody was Christian, but I don't want everybody to be Christian by the point of a sword . Or because it's politically advantageous or better for business. That's not why I want somebody to encounter Jesus, because that's not how we encounter Jesus. And this isn't new. I mean, the church. The church, capital C Church has had some, a real trouble over history If, uh, you ever, looked into history, not some good moment. There was some really bad moments in church history. Yeah. And those bad moments happened because, a church got in bed with Empire and they said, well, the king will serve God. When a lot of times it was God, quote unquote, serving the king, serving the emperor and getting whatever agenda he wanted. I don't like these people. Well, God told me to do this, or [00:43:00] whatever. And it got ugly and bad and a lot of people died, which should have been red flag number one when a lot of people die. Probably not at all the way of Jesus. So we talk about that a lot on the show, in different fashions. We, talk about politics a lot. Um, unfortunately. I don't love all the politics talk, but it's something we have to have. It's something that's important, because it affects real people. Yes. And, my brothers and sisters in Christ are going after some of these movements that are making more people, I think, fall away from Jesus because they say, hold on. I read in the Bible this Jesus guy love him. But those Christians are not talking like Jesus. They're not acting like Jesus. They want to create laws that aren't like Jesus. What's going on here? Um. So, you know, I had a stint in college ministry. I've talked to a lot of young people and you know what, [00:44:00] why the young people are leaving. It's the Christians. I hear the same story every time. It's not, well, Richard Dawkins had this great argument for evolution. That's not why they're leaving. Mm-hmm. I've heard like it's the, Christians supporting this genocide in this country, or, the Christians taking away the rights of this particular group or the racist or sexist language over here. That's why, and that's really sad. And I want people to encounter that Christianity without compromise. Right. Really that's Jesus centered. And I think if we discover that, I think people will like that. And I think Jesus is pretty cool. We all gotta recognize that there's a lot of cool things about faith, but we have just cluttered it with idols and with, stuff that maybe is true but is not the most important thing to, to press somebody on. And that makes me a little disappointed to use [00:45:00] that term. And sometimes it makes me quite angry. So, yeah. Do you know who David Barton is? David Barton. I, that name is not ringing a bell. Well, he is like a pseudo historian. He made all of these, videos about how the nation was founded and it was pretty much a whitewashing of, colonial history and how wonderful the pilgrims were and had dinner with the, Native Americans and Right. It was founded on Christian principles, and this is a Christian nation. Maybe some of that is true, but a lot of his books and, reels that he made were not substantiated by actual historians. So he goes to all these churches and talks about our, founder's history. They were all Bible believing Christians, and we have to get back to our Bible roots. I've been reading a lot of history. Because my mother's [00:46:00] Cherokee, and I'm reading about my heritage. And no, we were not founded on Christianity or biblical principles. There were a lot of, genocide. The Native Americans were almost exterminated. Of course we know about the slave trade. The slaves, they went through horrible, horrible things. we had, imperialism, stealing people's land, taking whatever they want and murdering whoever gets in their way. So Christian nationalism is very, dangerous because it takes away the truth. And marginalized people get seriously hurt. Maybe that was their intent to build it on Christian principles, but that's not what happened. And we don't wanna whitewash history. We don't want to pretend that stuff didn't happen. That we have to take ownership of that as a country. And I don't see that happening right now. It's like, okay, you're gonna try [00:47:00] and take change history. You can't change it and pretend it wasn't there. Or learn from it, you know? Well, I definitely know work like his for sure. Yeah. And one of the things I try to, I don't just wanna put people down, poke holes into things, when it comes to something like this, whether you believed any of that or not. We always can discover the truth and we can change and we can make things better. Wherever the nation has been or is going. Maybe not the best direction that we're going in, but I believe we can always turn as a people, as individuals, we can always change and go back to Jesus. I never wanna leave it on the downers, what I'm trying to say. Right, right. Yeah. Um, so I just wanted to throw that in there. Uh, we can change, we can get back on track. I believe it. Yeah. I, there's definitely, things we can learn from our past and try and make mm-hmm. The world [00:48:00] a better place. Whatever part of the world we're in, we're we can influence our corner. Amen. Absolutely. For Jesus. Well, we've talked about a lot of stuff. We're all over the map today, but yeah. I love, loved what you said, what you shared with us, and, just going back and forth on things. And, I know you have your one question you always ask at the end of your show. I'm not gonna steal your idea, but, do you have any advice for my audience that's listening, some closing thoughts, that you can give them? Yeah. Um, that's very funny. I briefly thought about it. I wonder if she's gonna throw this back at me. A lot of my guests at the end of the show have a version of this. Um, but even if it wasn't popular, I would say something similar. I think we just need to listen more. We need to learn to listen. I think that's gonna help us spiritually. I think it's gonna help us. You know, as human beings in the world, I wanna challenge people to practice that discipline of [00:49:00] listening. I'm a talker, right? I have a podcast. I do have other people talk a lot on my podcast though. So that's a great time for me to practice listening. But I want to, oh, jump in and, Nope, nope. I just think, yeah, we can all practice listening a little bit more. Strike up a conversation with somebody different than you and just listen and not try to refute them, right? That's the old, that should be the old you. That was certainly the old me who is like, thinking of the argument in my head, how I'm gonna refute them, and not caring about them as a human being, not actually listening to the words they say. So, honestly, the most practical thing I can do is listen more. It's just gonna help us be better human beings. And I think as we learn to listen to people more, I think we're also going to hear god much more clearly. Right. We are going to be, if we're not transformed by the patterns of this world, as Romans twelves tells us, the rest of that verse is so that you'll know the will of God do not be transformed by the patterns of this world. But be but by the renewing of your mind. I'm butchering it out, but [00:50:00] all the parts are there. They, the point there is, we will know the will of God when we're not engaging in the patterns of the world. And one of these patterns of the world is talking more and not listening. So listen up everybody. Well I appreciate that. I appreciate you coming back onto the show. Yeah. You are invited any time to come back and talk about whatever you want. I'll come back in season, I don't know, 10, 12, whatever you to yeah. Whatever I make it to. There we go. Well, God bless you and hope you New Year. Yeah, thank you I sure hope that you enjoyed Jake Doberenz. He is a wonderful speaker, wonderful human being. We talked about doing what we call a podcast swap. So. I will be on Jake's show, uh, sometime in the future, within the next month or two, and I'll be telling my story and maybe talking about some of the [00:51:00] idols that I had to deal with and the idols that I need to smash. But you can reach out to Jake on his website that has all things. Jake, that will be jakedoberenz.com. This will all be in the show notes, but you can see all of the different Ministries that he has. The things that we talked about. So you can learn about his podcast, his substack writing, his books the Super Jake series. And he does preaching, and teaching in, other churches or conferences. Listen to his podcast on all of the major, platforms that you're familiar with. His email is contact@jakedober.com. Reach out to him if he can be of any help to you. Thanks for being here with us. [00:52:00] We will see you next time God bless and bye for now. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You could connect with us at DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.

Dr. Jonathan Hansen -- worldministries.org

Hey BillOReilly.com Premium and Concierge Members, welcome to the No Spin News for Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Stand Up for Your Country.  Talking Points Memo: Is Marxism on the rise in America? Bill analyzes Bishop Robert Barron's latest statement about the growing influence of Marxist ideas. Will Donald Trump be able to make a deal with Cuba? Bill reflects on the life of American civil rights activist and politician Jesse Jackson. Former Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson joins the No Spin News to discuss deportation numbers during Barack Obama's second term and what the Trump administration is doing differently. Why CBS blocked Stephen Colbert from interviewing Texas State Rep. James Tallarico (D). Final Thought: Remembering actor Robert Duvall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode, my guest is Leslie Kern, PhD, the author of three books about cities, including Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies and Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World. Her work provokes new ways of thinking about and creating cities that are more just, equitable, caring, and sustainable. Leslie was an associate professor of geography and environment and women's and gender studies at Mount Allison University from 2009-2024. Today, she is a public speaker, writer, and career coach for authors and academics.Show Notes* Gentrification and touristification* Naturalization of gentrification* The new colonialism* Intersectionality* Who's to blame: renter or landlord?* The hipster and the safety net* The invisible face behind gentrification and touristifcation* Transactionality or hospitality? The case of Airbnb* Commercial gentrification* The right to stay putHomeworkLeslie Kern - Website - InstagramGentrification Is Inevitable and Other Lies - USA - Canada Feminist City: Claiming Space in a Man-Made World - USA - CanadaHigher Expectations: How to Survive Academia, Make it Better for Others, and Transform the UniversityThe Tenant Class by Ricardo TranjanTranscriptChris: [00:00:00] Welcome, Leslie, to the End of Tourism Podcast. Thank you for taking time out of your day, to speak with me. Thank you. To begin, I'm wondering if you'd be willing to tell us where you find yourself today and what the world looks like there, for you.Leslie: Sure. I find myself in Cambridge, Ontario.It's a city of about 130,000 people. If I looked out my window right now, I would see a lot of blowing snow. It's about minus 27 Celsius with the windchill, or something hideous like that today, so taking the time to talk to you this morning means I don't have to go out and shovel anything just yet. So.Chris: Well, thank you. Thank you for joining us. it's a great honour and I'm really looking forward to this conversation that bears a great deal of complexity. So, I had invited you on the pod in part to explore your book, Gentrification is Inevitable and Other Lies. And [00:01:00] in it, Leslie, you write that“Gentrification has come to be used as a metaphor for processes of mainstreaming, commodification, appropriation, and upscaling that are not necessarily or directly connected to cities. In this story about gentrification, gentrification stands in for any sort of change that pulls a thing or a practice out of its original context and increases its popularity, priciness, and profit-making potential.”Given that some of our listeners might not have heard of the term “gentrification” before, although I doubt it, but given that those who have heard it might understand it also to be what you and others refer to as a “chaotic concept,” I'm wondering if you'd be willing to take a stab at defining it for us today?Leslie: Yeah, absolutely. If we [00:02:00] look to, I guess, a kind of typical scholarly definition of gentrification, it would be describing an urban process in which middle or upper class, or in some other way, privileged households start to move into a neighbourhood or area of the city that has historically been more working class, or perhaps an immigrant neighbourhood, perhaps more industrial, and begin to remake that neighbourhood, kind of in their own image, thus driving up housing prices both in the rental and ownership markets, driving up the cost of living in the area, and critically, as part of the definition, resulting in some level of displacement of the older inhabitants of that neighbourhood. “Displacement” meaning they've been kind of priced out or otherwise pushed directly or indirectly to leave and [00:03:00] move to some other neighbourhood.So, typically with gentrification, the definition is centred around it being a class-based process, but in more recent decades, many scholars, myself included, have wanted to broaden that and to acknowledge that other axes of power and privilege, for example, race, gender, ability, age, sexuality, and so on, also play a role in contributing to the kinds of forces that propel gentrification. And we can maybe get into some of that later.So for myself, in the book, I talk about gentrification as “any kind of process of taking over claiming space and remaking it in the image and for the interests and benefit of a more powerful group of people, or perhaps even corporations, to some extent.” So, [00:04:00] gentrification is really the process of taking and claiming space. And I also do include displacement as part of that process, although I also acknowledge that sometimes people can be kind of psychologically displaced, even if they aren't necessarily physically pushed out of their neighbourhoods.Chris: Mean it's something that I was noticing in Toronto before I left and moved and migrated here to Oaxaca. It's something that I think in the last five or ten years has become an unfortunate mainstay of city life in the vast majority of places, of urban places in the world.And this is also something that I've seen quite a bit here in Oaxaca, Mexico in a somewhat prolific tourist destination. And so, in places that have [00:05:00] been deemed “destinations” in this way, there's often a kind of reductionism, here anyways, and in other tourist destinations in which gentrification and what's sometimes called touristification is confused.And so one definition of “touristification” is simply “the process of transformation of a place into a tourist space and its associated effects.” So a kind of very vague and broad definition. But we also understand that gentrification can happen in places that aren't necessarily tourist destinations.And so, we've also discussed in the pod the possibility that a place doesn't necessarily need tourists in it to have touristic qualities or context what we might say. [00:06:00] And so I'm curious for you, do you think it's important to distinguish the two concepts, gentrification and touristification? And if so, why?Leslie: Yeah, great question. I think a distinction, to some extent, is important in that, yeah, there may be elements of touristification, for example, that are somewhat unique to that process, especially in terms of the kind of impact that it might have on local inhabitants who may not necessarily be displaced, but who may see their everyday lives kind of radically altered by the touristification of an area.And as you say, gentrification happens in all kinds of areas, many of which are not geared to tourism, although sometimes that is a kind of later effect of gentrification, is that tourists might be drawn to certain neighbourhoods or places that they would not have otherwise gone to in the past.As [00:07:00] you mentioned in your earlier question, there's been some concern in the gentrification literature that it's a bit of a chaotic concept, by which it is meant that it's maybe too broad of an umbrella [term], and so many different kinds of processes are kind of lumped together under that umbrella. I think it's a useful umbrella, but under that umbrella, we can try to be clear about what we're talking about when we look at particular locations, and try to articulate the impacts that these processes are having on the local community, economy, environment, and so on.Chris: Thank you, Leslie. Thank you for that. So your book is broken up into chapters that reveal the deeper realities behind the tropes or lies sometimes spouted about gentrification. And there are often many. And so I'm curious if after having done the research and writing for this book, and it was published in [00:08:00] 2022, so perhaps there's been some deeper reflection in that regard, I'm curious what you feel might be the most important lie about gentrification that requires our attention and why?Leslie: Ooh, really putting me on the hook to like pick a favorite child there. No, I'm joking. Ultimately, I mean, I guess the most straightforward answer would be the first one that I discuss in the book, which is right there in the book's title, which is the idea that gentrification is inevitable. And we can kind of unpack that a little bit further, as I do in the kind of first main chapter of the book, which is to say that in some accounts of gentrification, it's presented as a sort of natural process, right? As something that is just akin to evolution, for example. So there's this idea that if you kind of start with, for example, a working class or immigrant [00:09:00] neighbourhood, lower income community, with some other kinds of attributes that might not make it seem wealthy or desirable, that over time, just through, I don't know, a kind of mystical series of properties, the way that species evolve or human beings develop from fetus and baby to an adult through this series of difficult to trace impacts, that somehow it just happens. Right. And of course, the problem with that, again, is that if we think it's natural, then we don't really think there's any way to stop it.And also when we describe something as “natural,” we often imbue it with positive qualities. Well, if it's “natural,” it's just meant to happen. It's just the way things are. And why would we want to stand in the way of that process? From a kind of political standpoint, it becomes very problematic, because it means that there's not really a [00:10:00] willingness perhaps on the part of those who have some power and influence to slow down gentrification, to pause it, to use whatever tools they might have in their kind of legislative toolbox to create guardrails around the process happening or to try to prevent it altogether. And from a kind of community response standpoint, it can be very disempowering to believe that gentrification is inevitable, unstoppable, that once you see those first, white, middle-class families move into your neighbourhood, “boom, you're done. It's over. The clock is counting down to the time when it's not your neighbourhood anymore and you'll just have to leave, so why bother to do anything about it?”And as I also try to show in the book, you know, it's hard to fight gentrification, but there are examples around the world of communities that have pushed back and kind of “pumped the brakes on gentrification,” as one [00:11:00] activist described it to me. So, we, I think, don't want to fall into this trap of believing that communities themselves are powerless, or that our politicians and policy-makers have absolutely no tools that they can use to change this.So I would say that is probably the most important kind of first line myth or lie that we need to challenge. And then we can kind of go down the line and pick apart some of the other ones, which is how I've structured the book as you point out. Yeah.Chris: Thank you, Leslie. Yeah, I mean, that was a really jarring chapter for me, in part because of this notion that not only is quote gentrification inevitable or natural, but that the city is, according to different philosophers and thinkers, imbued with this kind of biological life and [00:12:00] and that it follows as you were mentioning certain processes that are “ natural” as far as evolution is concerned.And imediately, this brought me back to my research on what's often referred to as 19th century social evolutionist thought, these notions that were often created or maintained by kind of, elite, wealthy, white men in the 19th century, not all of whom were academics, some of them were bankers, for example, among other things, but essentially promoting this notion that certain races or genders or types of people had evolved along the natural processes of evolution either faster than others or got ahead in certain ways, and that, of course, this was a way for those people, not only the non-academics, but those in academia [00:13:00] to employ hypotheses theories as a way of justifying colonial histories and the ongoing conquests of different people around the world. And so, in that context, I'm curious if you imagine or think that gentrification understood or described as “natural” in this way is a kind of extension, a historical extension of that kind of colonial power play of the 19th century.Leslie: Yeah, I absolutely do. And there are many ways in which the power dynamics and even the language or the vocabulary around gentrification mirrors that around colonialism with all of the problematic tropes there of neighbourhoods or areas of the city being taken over where “there's really nothing there,” right?[It's the] same kind of justification for colonialism. “There's nothing there. [00:14:00] There's nobody there that we need to care about,” so European colonizers are entitled to this land. Similarly, with the way that many developers, for example, I think, rationalize or justify the kind of projects they engage in.“Oh, there's nothing really happening in that part of the city. There's not really a community there. It's just a space of problems or deviation from the norm or disorder. And so we, as developers, as city planners, we're going to bring order and light and civilization, quite frankly, to these neighbourhoods.”So I'm sure you're hearing in this, all those echoes around colonialism. And this point around the social evolution part of it, I think that is the kind of darker, maybe less acknowledged side of gentrification, is that when we start to talk about neighbourhoods as “nothing's happening there, there's nobody there.” [00:15:00] Who's “nobody,” right? Who falls into that category of “nobody,” right? It's poor people. It might be unhoused people, working-class people, people of colour, queer people, disabled people, sex workers, right?“All people who we don't really think of as kind of counting as citizens, people who we don't think have a legitimate voice in the city, people who we don't think have a right to the city or a claim on the city.” And they're just seen as disposable, as easily displaceable, as not really contributing anything to the community or to the city at large. So I think there's definitely a sense of kind of hierarchy in terms of, “who are the seemingly new people who are coming in, right?” And they're viewed as “bringing all of these kind of gifts and benefits to the neighbourhood, and in some ways, perhaps even uplifting the poor [00:16:00] or downtrodden inhabitants of the ghetto or the barrio or whatever. And the locals should somehow be grateful to receive gentrification similarly to the way that people were, say, ‘oh, you should be grateful to receive an education if you're from the lower-classes or working-classes.'”So, yeah, I think there's definitely echoes and traces of that same kind of logic, right? It's a logic of superiority, a logic of dominance, a logic of control that resonates, whether it's colonialism or social evolutionism. Um, yeah.Chris: Wow. Fascinating. Fascinating stuff. I mean, this is, I think, to a large degree culture or what we call culture or what culture might be is made on the tongue, and that the, the kind of unacknowledged ways in which we speak the world into being [00:17:00] is something that's been direly overlooked in our time. So thank you for speaking to that in that way. And I think it's something that we would properly kind of continue to wonder about as we speak and as we think, and perhaps before we speak as well.You know, you mentioned in there the different types of people that are often displaced as a result of gentrification. And this shows up quite a bit in your book. So I wanted to ask you about what you refer to as “intersectionality,” an intersectional approach to gentrification.Some of the conventional critiques that you mentioned in the book, including the economic critique (kind of follow the money), the aesthetic critique (the kind of clean lines and fancy bakeries that show up), as well as the class critique, which you mentioned kind of upward mobility, among others.That said, you focus a good portion of the book, I think, on this neglected importance of intersectionality. And so I'm curious, why do you think an intersectional approach has been ignored in the [00:18:00] past, and why might it be crucial for a cohesive or integral analysis of gentrification?Leslie: Hmm. I think an intersectional approach has been kind of sidelined, if you will, in part because most of the key kind of prominent gentrification scholars of the late 20th century and into the 21st century have been, honestly, white men probably themselves from middle-class backgrounds, or obviously university educated scholars and they've been, like neo-Marxist, or Marxist. That's their theoretical perspective. That's their training. They come from a kind of Marxist, political economy, background. That's the lens of analysis that they bring to whatever kind of problem they're looking at in the world, including gentrification.And they've done brilliant work, right, and created a lot of really foundational [00:19:00] concepts, gone and done really important empirical work so that we can actually see what the impacts of these processes are. And there's nothing I want to take away from that being a key voice within the field of gentrification studies, but I think too often either there's been kind of minimal lip service paid or kind of outright pushing to the side of feminist perspectives, anti-racist perspective, anti-colonial perspectives and more, because it's sort of seemed like, well, “class is the main driver and anything that maybe disproportionately impacts women or people of colour, or queer folks or elderly people, that's like a side effect, right? Like the main driver is class and those people are simply impacted because they also happen to fall into lower income brackets.”So it's a pretty neat and tidy [00:20:00] story and you can kind of see why it has some appeal. So I think, you know, those political economy, neo-Marxist scholars is not that they don't care about race or gender or other factors. They're just like, “well, it's all really rolled up under the umbrella of ‘class.' And if we just figure out the ‘class' piece, then those other things will kind of fall into place.” But for feminist scholars, critical race scholars, anti-colonial scholars and so on, they've wanted to point out that assuming that class is the primary driver behind things is maybe an assumption that we've held onto for too long without questioning it. And instead of seeing racial impacts and so on as something that's just happening off to the side through a class process, maybe we want to also look, especially in something like an American context, but in other places as well, at the deeply foundational layer of race to the development of cities, to the development of the [00:21:00] nation, and we can't kind of sideline the impacts of racial discrimination and the kind of hierarchy of race that has developed over many centuries in these locations and say, “oh, well it's a secondary factor.”For myself, I'm a feminist scholar. My background is in women's and gender studies before I kind of accidentally stumbled into being an urban geographer. And to me it was always kind of obvious, but I think I've had to argue this point so often that processes like gentrification, neoliberalism, urban revitalization, as it's called, doesn't just kind of impact women as a tangential side effect, but that gender inequality or assumptions about gender roles and so on are like part of what drives the process. And so I try to bring that out in the book by looking at different kinds of examples of the ways in which different sorts of [00:22:00] communities or people are impacted to hopefully show, to hopefully make a case for this idea that taking an intersectional perspective doesn't deny the class factor at all, but that it allows us to look at gentrification through a more nuanced lens and one that respects the fact that class is not the only, and not always the most salient marker of hierarchy and status in our societies.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Yeah, I did go to university a long time ago, and it seemed that what was offered up on the proverbial, kind of conceptual, bill, politically speaking was, here are your five major theories or perspectives and kind of like choose one and decide what you like the best and then argue for it or against it.But it does seem that the more apertures that we have onto the world, without necessarily needing [00:23:00] to collapse our considerations into a single one can broaden our understanding of the world deeply, right? Deeply, deeply. And it's something that I see anyways less and less of.I think there's more and more possibilities for experiencing that in our time, but I think there's a lot of processes that are happening in which there's less and less of it that's actually occurring - a kind of collapse of maybe ontological diversity or philosophical diversity.I don't know what to call it, but seems prevalent and at least from this little aperture. So.Leslie: Yeah, I would agree with that, as someone who, just in my own little brief lifetime here on this earth has been peddling my little feminist arguments for 30-plus years. And then we add on to that, the 30 years before that and 30 years before all of the previous generations. It seems like we are, [00:24:00] not just from a feminist perspective, but we are kind of constantly having to make these arguments for that ontological diversity, as you put it, or even just the idea that, oh, you can view things through different lenses and learn different things about whatever kind of process or force or issue that you're interested in.Chris: Hmm. Well, thank you for that. I'd like to, if I can, Leslie, there was something I've been wrestling with for a while and it was very much front and centre, this kind of inner wrestling when I was reading your book.And so, I'd like to share that with you at the moment if I can, and we'll see where it takes us. So part of the reason that I left Toronto a decade ago was that the housing crises, that perhaps for some wasn't yet a crisis in Toronto, has of course ballooned. But in the past five years I've watched that same housing crisis play out here in Oaxaca.[00:25:00] And what arose almost immediately in the, we'll say media sphere, the online world and certainly on the streets as well, was a kind of xenophobic campaign or campaigns blaming tourists, digital nomads, and “expats” for the rising cost of rentals and housing. Now, while not entirely misguided, the percentage of such people is insignificant in comparison to the total population of renters and homeowners here.And then I ask myself, well, “why isn't anyone questioning the role of homeowners and landlords, those who actually decide the price of rental units, those who decide to turn long-term rentals into Airbnbs, and those who are, some of them anyways, more often than not, part and parcel of the political ruling class in many places?” Why not blame them?And so, if you think about this enough, you can [00:26:00] begin to imagine that the willingness to blame specific people, types, classes, races, et cetera, can ignore the cultural, economic and structural elements of society that allow and encourage such dynamics to emerge. And it seems to me that you speak to this, to some degree, in your book writing, how“it is not helpful in a critique of gentrification to get overly stuck on the styles and preferences of a group, when, for many decades now, gentrification has been propelled by much stronger forces than aesthetic trends.”And in another part of the book, you write that “cultural factors cannot be hastily dismissed, not when their power is easily co-opted by capital. Trends in denim and facial hair are not responsible for gentrification, but when large groups of people are redefined as a class based on their tastes, occupations, and aesthetics, they become a market and a justification for urban [00:27:00] interventions.”And so my question has to do with what I might call, I don't know if this is something that shows up in your work or in your research, but a kind of “ecological analysis,” one that doesn't necessarily separate people into essentialist categories, but contends with how maybe the rules of the game produce the player's behaviour and beliefs.And so I'm wondering, you know, in your research, is that something that is tended to, a way of, “okay so, we're not going to only blame or ask the tourists to take responsibility or the digital nomads, et cetera, and we're not only gonna blame or ask the landlords to take responsibility, but understand that they live and inhabit a kind of web of relations that has, for a long time, created the context that allows them or even [00:28:00] encourages them to proceed in a particular way?Leslie: Yes, a hundred percent. I really love the way that you put that there and giving it that kind of label of like an ecological perspective there. I think it's so important to do in the book. You know, the first quote that you read there, I think has to do with this idea that, “oh, you know, hipsters were causing gentrification” kind of thing.And I wanted to kind of, not defend the hipster per se, but to just say, well, in a city like New York, for example, the takeover of midtown Manhattan and the absolute sort of pricing out of regular people, well, from Manhattan as a whole in many cases is not to do with artists and yoga teachers moving into those neighborhoods. It has to do with massive multinational corporations buying up housing, developing condos, like all of these other things that [00:29:00] are going on. And as you say, I mean, I think it is useful to question and critique landlordism for example, and even home ownership itself, but there's a reason why people engage in these practices and as you say, it's because of these all sorts of other like prior sort of conditions and causes this kind of web of possibilities that so much of our... the policy, the legislative world, our national context shapes for us.Like in Canada for example, home ownership is, as you well know, sort of seen as the ultimate goal in the housing market. Renting is seen as very much a kind of transitional stage for people. And the idea is to eventually, sooner rather than later, own your own home.And of course there's all kinds of cultural myths around that, of homeowners being like responsible people and better citizens and all this kind of stuff that is, maybe like [00:30:00] largely nonsense. But why, in this context, do people become homeowners? Well, this is the way that we've been told “you secure your retirement in the absence of a truly kind of robust old age security net.” Yes, we have some. We have pension, old age pension, but for many people, the home is ultimately their social safety net, and government policy has very much been set up to encourage us to treat our homes in that way and to rely on paying off a mortgage and having that home to be the basis of survival into our old age.Right. And there are many other things. That's just one example. So I think, as you say, it's really important to kind of look at that whole ecosystem. And that doesn't mean that we don't say, “well, okay, what are homeowners doing that might be potentially problematic and contributing to the problem?”Well, that could include things like turning units into Airbnbs or acting in NIMBY-ish (Not In My Backyard), kind of ways that limit, for example, the amount of affordable housing that might go up in their neighbourhood and other things. Of course, all of those dynamics have to be critiqued, challenged, pushed back against. But, keeping, at the same time that kind of zoomed out perspective of like what's going on on a larger scale, in the kind of corporate and investment world and the government policy-making world, I think at least helps us to understand why these different groups are kind of positioned in the way that they do and the kind of range of possibilities that they see for themselves within that web.Chris: Mm mm Yeah. Yeah. That reminds me of a moment that I had here in Oaxaca, maybe three or four years ago. There was a student group that had come down from a Canadian university, and they were here for a couple weeks, and I was having dinner with them. Not all of them, but there was maybe four of the women from the student group that I was having dinner with.And one of them was probably in her, I would say [00:32:00] mid-fifties, an indigenous woman from Ontario. And the other three were much younger, probably in their early twenties. And they were suddenly talking about the sudden or at least recent kind of housing crisis in their university town, we'll call it, maybe a small city, but big town. And how in previous years they could afford the rent, but suddenly, and of course this was 2021-2022, when a lot of these dynamics started changing extremely rapidly. And I was kind of moderating the conversation at first. And then it turned out, she wasn't so quick to out herself as a landlord. But the indigenous woman, the 55-year-old kind of alluded to it and then said, “well, you know, for a lot of people, it's a pension plan. “It's my retirement plan, essentially.” And it was this really interesting dynamic about how these four women, who had come to this place and were in the same program, studying the [00:33:00] same thing, that one of them had to perhaps, unbeknownst to her, undermine the economic life and possibilities of those younger women by virtue of requiring a retirement plan.Right. And I think at least in Canada, in countries that are very much still welfare states, that it speaks to a, the incredible degree in which the care that's offered, especially to the elderly, is almost entirely top-down. There's so little, if any, community care.And, you know, of course this is a very kind of small example, a very kind of minute example. I think maybe a common one. But of course you also have other examples of, as you mentioned before, corporations... is it BlackRock this massive mutual fund that I know in, in Europe and places like Barcelona and the major cities there end up buying entire apartment buildings or blocks even, and evicting [00:34:00] the residents and then setting up Airbnb buildings, essentially. So, I mean, there's this incredible kind of degree of difference and diversity in terms of how, as you mentioned landlordism and rent is affecting people.But I just wanted to mention that. It was a really kind of interesting moment for me to see this dynamic and the young women kind of complaining about, you know, I guess the future, the present and the future of their economic lives. And then, this older woman also not necessarily complaining, but very much concerned about her ability to live as well, economically and to thrive economically into her older age.Leslie: Yeah. And there's these kind of ironic situations popping up all over the place where so for example, someone might have a public pension. And as you point out, many public pensions are deeply invested in real estate income trusts. This is like a huge piece for example, in Ontario, of [00:35:00] Ontario public workers' pensions, but around the world as well, and I don't have the details, but a story that was in the news several years ago about a man somewhere in Europe who was being evicted from his apartment because that one of these real estate investment corporations was taking it over and was gonna redevelop it in some way. But his public pension was invested in that very same company. Right?So many people are kind of caught in these loops where it's like, we would very much like to not be like, displacing ourselves or our neighbours or community members, but we don't necessarily have control over how our pension funds are invested, right? Like you might have a choice like, “oh, I'd like to divest from fossil fuels, for example, or from tobacco or military, like arms deals.” Like, sometimes, you can opt out of those things in your pension funds, but there's not really a way to like opt out of real estate investment.My substack is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.It's such a huge part of those things now. So I think that's an area where there's increasing kind of research and critical perspectives on that in gentrification scholarship and so on that I think is really important to look at, because it's also very hidden, right? This is another aspect I think of contemporary kind of gentrification touristification even, is that there's no face to it, right? There's no face to this process. And maybe that's why it's tempting to take, as you put it a minute ago, that kind of like xenophobic perspective or to blame “expats” in the case of Oaxaca and touristification or in cities to be like, “oh, it's these urban hipsters, maybe these like trust fund kids” or whatever label people might want to put on someone, because there's a face, right? There you can look and be like, “that's the problem.” But the reality is there is no face, right? There's no individual or even group of individuals that's easy to identify. And people doing [00:37:00] research into some of this pension fund stuff that I'm talking about, they hit very opaque walls, even just trying to get the information about how these companies work, the kinds of decisions they make, what their rubrics are around what they call “socially responsible investing.”So it's very deliberately mystified and hidden from us, and I think that is part of the challenge now is like, how do you fight this monster that you can't see, that you can barely name?So yeah, that is I think one of the kind of frightening things, if you will, about, whether we call it “gentrification,” or we think about it in this broader sense of the housing crisis, who's the face of that, the cause of that crisis? Very hard to say in many cases.Chris: Wow. Yeah, I know that these mutual fund companies that end up buying, you know, whole city blocks or buildings, apartment buildings, and then tending to renovictions or whatever they [00:38:00] might use in order to get people out. Once the buildings are “ renovated” as Airbnbs, what happens is those corporations end up outsourcing all of the operational and cleaning duties to companies that they're not involved with at all. So, again, you could have this person who's in front of you, who might be a cleaner or who comes ou in and out of the building or who might run the reservation books or something like that, but they've never met anyone from that mutual fund company. Right. They just get a paycheck.Leslie: Yeah. And it's happening on this kind of global level. The people behind the company that's investing in that building in Oaxaca, like they may have never set foot there, and they may never set foot there. Right? So it's happening from around the world, from thousands of kilometers away from behind these kind of screens of, as you said, these kind of shell companies and these subcontracted, property management companies.I mean the story you were just telling about the woman who's a landlord, like on that small scale, not that [00:39:00] there's nothing problematic about it, but it is also like, you know, she's probably met her tenants, right? She probably occasionally sets foot in the property that she owns and that she rents out, and there's like some aspect of a relationship there. It's still, you know, a problematic power dynamic and all of that, but it's on a very different scale than the investor from London who's has a stake in a condo in Oaxaca. Like, it's a very different web of of relations that goes into that.Chris: Yeah. And even if someone like that, and I've had many, many landlords over the years and I've been blessed to have a number of them who are really incredible people and really incredible in terms of showing up when they're needed in that regard. But it's something, I discussed on a previous episode regarding the Airbnb-ization of the world, a couple years ago. And one of the themes that came up was around hospitality, right? [00:40:00] And even if you have people who are kind of really engaged and really excited and responsible about having a tenant in their home or in a particular building, the kind of transactional nature of that rent almost (and then of course the history of it) precludes, almost by default, the possibility of there being a kind of host-guest relationship, right? Instead of that we are “clients” and and, and “salespeople,” businesspeople to some degree.Right. So another layer of it is this question of like, “well, is it even possible within the dynamic or structure that renting implies and incurs, is it even possible to create a dynamic wherein a person can be understood as a guest in another person's home, and another person can be understood as a host to people who are coming to live in their home? Right? That that same [00:41:00] woman, the 55-year-old landlord said that she had tenants who refused to leave for, I dunno, a year and a half or two years, and once they finally did, left her with a $40,000 damage bill. So, I think there's just layers and layers that are extremely difficult to kind of get into, I shouldn't say in terms of dialogue, in terms of investigation, but in terms of the possibility of creating different dynamics that would maybe represent or produce the kinds of dynamics and worlds that, I think, a lot of people would want to live in.Leslie: Yeah, I totally agree. I mean, I think in a lot of cases, and you honestly don't have to dig very deep, you can open up CBC News and see some poor, sad landlord story most days of the week or listen to kind of corporate or larger scale landlords talk and they often see tenants as a nuisance.“The tenants themselves are a problem,” and if they could invest in real estate and still make [00:42:00] these returns without actually having tenants, that would probably be ideal. And I think that is also part of the push to an Airbnb is that with a temporary guest, you know, a week, a weekend or whatever, you don't have the same responsibility to them as you do to someone with a year lease or perhaps the right to stay there for a longer period of time. So, all you have to do is kind of provide this very basic amenity of the space. You can even impose all these rules on them that you maybe otherwise wouldn't be able to do if it was a longer-term rental.You know, the people who check-in have many fewer rights than actual tenants do. And so in some ways it makes that relationship even more transactional and even more hands off in many cases. And of course there's the quicker profit motive is really the main driving force behind that. But I think there's also this piece of it where it's like, “well, how can I maximize the profit potential of this space with as little actually dealing with other human beings and their needs [00:43:00] as human beings as possible.And yeah, I think that is really, again, from my kind of feminist perspective, that is also interested in thinking about how do we create systems of care in our cities, and what does “care” mean, and what are our responsibilities to one another that, when we look at something like Airbnbification and the touristification and gentrification more generally, those things, in many cases kind of act against the possibility of creating more caring and careful spaces.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Yeah. Thank you for that, Leslie. I have a couple more questions for you, if that's all right?Leslie: Yes, go ahead. Yeah.Chris: All right. Wonderful. So this next question maybe requires a bit of imagination, which I think you have a good amount of, and it has to do with rent.And so one of the lies that you highlight in your book is the belief that gentrification is natural and hence forth inevitable. [00:44:00] And of course, as we've been discussing, nothing is natural nor inevitable and you make an excellent case for that throughout the book. And I feel that there is an equally and perhaps more subtle incarnation of this myth, of this inevitability, in regards to rent, that we as urban people or modern people who grow up in contemporary societies often reinforce and even naturalize a kind of rent slavery that most people rarely see, that most people rarely see their lives as indentured to their landlords.And so, when we talk about gentrification, does this show up at all? Should it? You know, this notion that, “well, if we can come to gentrification and understand that it's in fact not natural and it's not inevitable, can we do the same thing for rent? Because, maybe I haven't read much of the research, but it doesn't seem to be something that [00:45:00] people are so quick to aim their arrows at, we'll say.Leslie: Yeah. I love that question. And I think A, you're right that there hasn't been enough conversation about that. There has not been nearly enough attempts to kind of denaturalize this and B, that that perspective is emerging and growing. If I could recommend a book called The Tenant Class by Ricardo Tranjan. It's also a Toronto-based author, and he does an amazing job in this very short book of basically laying out the case against landlordism, and it totally, as you say, kind of denaturalizing and pushes back on this idea that it's inevitable that there are a class of people that own property and a class of people that rent property, and that this is not inherently a deeply problematic relation. You know, this idea that it's not in some way akin to some kind of indentureship. And he really asks us to look deeply again at this [00:46:00] idea that, if you're a landlord, “well, I have a mortgage to pay, so it's somehow natural that this other person will pay my mortgage for me,” which, when you start to think about it, like it's really messed up in a way. And once you see it, you can't unsee it. So yeah, I think looking more closely at some of these ideas, these kind of statements that come out, and again, you can see it in news articles, these kind of horror stories, and not to diminish, I'm sure, what are very real, like economic and psychological impacts of the so-called kind of nightmare tenant and all of those kinds of things.But you'll hear those kinds of statements: “you know, I have a mortgage to pay.”Well, why is this other person paying your mortgage, then?And then we could probably take a step back and be like, “why do we have mortgages to pay?” But that's maybe another conversation.But yeah, so I definitely recommend that book, The Tenant Class, as a really quick, easy to read, and kind of unforgettable primer on this question. And [00:47:00] I really appreciate you asking it, and I hope your listeners will be like, “oh, yeah, I gotta dig into that a bit more too.”Chris: Yeah.Yeah. I mean, you know, in part because, as prices have risen in most western countries in the last four or five years, there's of course, of course, protests and backlash among people, and “oh, this bakery raised their prices” or “ my rent's going up,” and all these things. But specifically in terms of products and services, you know, people complain or they just accept the fact that prices have risen to a degree that's pricing a lot of people out of their lives, really. But, you know, in the conversations I've had with people and in the literature that I've read, there's no consideration, I think, that the businesses who are raising their prices have had their rents raised, that so much of a business' costs include rent, right? And that very few businesses actually [00:48:00] own the building that they're working out of.Leslie: Yeah, commercial rent is a whole other story because, you know, the protections on residential rent are not what they could be in most places around the world, but there's no protections on commercial rent, like no limitations there. So it's entirely possible that local bakery, their rent could go up by, like double. It could go up from $20,000 a year to $60,000 a year. There's no restrictions on that. There's nowhere to appeal that. There's nothing. So, they are, in some ways, even those small businesses, especially, independent businesses and so on, are very at risk of this. And there's a whole branch of kind of retail gentrification studies as well that kind of looks at the impacts on the local economic landscape of things like this as well. Yeah.Chris: Hmm. Wow. Thank you for unveiling that for us. I mean, uh, so much.So my last question, Leslie, has to do [00:49:00] with what is mentioned in your book, what you refer to as “the right to stay put.”And so,“the right to stay put is a common rallying cry in response to the dangers of displacement. Drawing inspiration from the broader notion of the right to the city, the right to stay put insists that communities are entitled to remain in the places they have contributed to. Furthermore, the right to dwell extends beyond simply having a home in an area, encompassing the right to continue using commercial, community, and public spaces and institutions, as well as the dignity of defending such rights. Importantly, it recognizes that agency is a critical factor. People do not want to be forced to move, nor do they want to be forced to stay in place. Rather, people value choice, the ability to participate in [00:50:00] decisions that affect their communities and the right to resist when they need to.”And so I'm curious what you think it would take for people, say, in urban environments to achieve or enshrine the right to stay put or the right to dwell in their places.Leslie: Yeah, I think we could talk about kind of two main avenues. One would be more of the top-down approach, which is to work to enshrine anti-displacement measures in neighborhoods, which can include everything from rent control or rent stabilization, to the right to return when there are redevelopment projects going on, to deeply affordable housing in new developments, to communities themselves taking on the role of becoming developers, but creating housing within the community for the [00:51:00] community. Not to draw in new residents or not to primarily draw new residents. Again, we're not trying to like, build a fortress around communities or anything, but rather to say, “this is housing that we're earmarking for people from the local community who are struggling with their rent or struggling to find housing, or who need perhaps entry-level home ownership opportunities and to kind of provide that.So there's the kind of top-down approach, really pushing our local governments to have things like community benefit ordinances when new developments are happening that force developers to actually pay attention to what the community needs and to provide those benefits and such.And then, from the kind of ground-up or more grassroots piece, the right to stay put is the the willingness, the ability to organize and come together in some of the places that I mentioned throughout the book. You know, it really [00:52:00] is community-level organization where people have really rallied to make it deeply difficult for planners or developers to kind of roll in and roll out their vision without any pushbacks, to the extent that their neighbourhoods become less of a target for gentrification, because it's like, “oh yeah, we wanna build something there. Oh, that's gonna be a real pain in the butt. The community is not gonna let us get away with what we wanna do.” And that means really making it possible for people to come out to meetings, organizing protests, that kind of right to resist. Sometimes taking... You know, we have long histories in many cities of squatters movements and perhaps we need to revitalize some of that old energy, as well. A kind of refusal to leave. And to find ways, you know, perhaps they don't always have to be kind of in-your-face protest ways, but what are ways to mobilize things like mutual aid to help make sure that our [00:53:00] neighbors are supported, for example, if they have to go before a landlord-tenant board, how can we use community resources and knowledge to actually support one another to stay in place?And that can be everything from addressing food insecurity to having a local rent bank, to partnering with nonprofits, churches, other religious institutions that may have an interest in building social and nonprofit housing to create some of those options.So I think it's about looking at the kind of wide range of alternative forms of housing and housing provision, looking at community mobilizing, community resources, and also tackling the local policy agenda to make staying put as possible, or to enshrine it as a right at a kind of higher level, as well.Chris: Hmm, hmm. Yeah, you go into [00:54:00] great detail about this in the book, and I'm very grateful for that. And the right to stay put kind of jumped out, the text jumped out of the page at me, because living here in Oaxaca, I came to know about this declaration that was created in 2009 by people in a number of communities here in the Mixteca region of Oaxaca who were meeting with their migrant kin who had gone to work in California and the people who had stayed in the community.And the declaration is literally translated as “the right to not migrate.” The way it was translated in English by the author of the book of the same name, was “The Right to Stay Home.” And so while there's a lot of differences between these contexts in terms of rural, indigenous communities here in Mexico and modern urban communities in the global north, there is this sense, [00:55:00] this kind of perhaps shared context wherein the ability to to stay in a place in order so that community can be conjured and maintained and of course enjoyed and lived in, seems to thread its way through these different social movements from the global north into the global south.So, I'm really grateful to see that and to know that there's similar understandings, of course not the same, but similar understandings that are even somewhat unorthodox and unexpected given the political context that sometimes challenge them or preclude something like that from coming up.So that's a little way of saying thank you for your time today, Leslie. On behalf of our listeners, I'd like to thank you for your willingness to join me and to speak to these often complex issues. And on behalf of them, I'd also like to ask you how they might find out more about [00:56:00] your work and your books: Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies, Feminist City: Claiming Space In A Manmade World, and finally Higher Expectations: How To Survive Academia, Make It Better For Others, And Transform The University.Leslie: Yeah, thank you so much for this conversation. People can find out about me and my work at my website, which is just lesliekern.ca.If you just google my name, it will come up easily enough. Feminist City and Gentrification Is Inevitable And Other Lies. For an international audience, you can find those books through Verso books in the US and UK. There's also many translations of both of those books, so you may have the opportunity to read it in your local language if you want to do that as well.The more recent book, Higher Expectations is available from my Canadian publisher Between the Lines Books and in the US [00:57:00] from AK Books, as well. And there's also Epub versions and for the first two books, audiobook versions as well. And I've written lots of articles on these topics as well, in the Guardian and other places.So you can get a little snippet of my thoughts if you, again, Google my name and all of these things will come up in short order. So thank you for letting me share that as well.Chris: Yeah, of course. I'll make sure that the links to all those pages that you mentioned are available on the End of Tourism website and the Substack when the episode launches.And once again, Leslie, a really beautifully revealing conversation today. I think it's something that will not just provoke generally, but provoke a willingness in our listeners to reconsider some of the assumptions that they've had about gentrification.So, once again, thank you for your time today.Leslie: Thank you for having me. I really enjoyed the conversation. Appreciate it. Get full access to Chris Christou at chrischristou.substack.com/subscribe

Top headlines for Wednesday, February 18, 2026In this episode, Bishop Robert Barron is raising alarms over Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's comments in Munich, accusing her of pushing an “unapologetically Marxist” view of Western culture. Colorado faces a federal lawsuit challenging its ban on public funding for religious schools, with plaintiffs arguing the state's Blaine amendment violates the First Amendment. And former President Barack Obama slams Donald Trump after a meme from Trump's Truth Social account depicted the Obamas as apes, reigniting debates over decency and political discourse.00:11 Bishop Barron Excoriates AOC for Marxist Critique of West01:03 Colorado Sued for Barring State Funding of Religious Schools01:55 Jonathan Peternel Gets 4 Years for Child Exploitation02:45 Obama Accuses Trump of Demeaning Office in Response to Monkey Meme03:32 HUD Launches Probe Into Developers of Texas Muslim Community04:20 Jesse Jackson, Controversial Civil Rights Activist, Dead at 8405:09 Hundreds Come to Christ at Franklin Graham Events in ArgentinaSubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on XChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsBishop Barron Excoriates AOC for Marxist Critique of WestColorado Sued for Barring State Funding of Religious SchoolsJonathan Peternel Gets 4 Years for Child ExploitationObama Accuses Trump of Demeaning Office in Response to Monkey MemeHUD Launches Probe Into Developers of Texas Muslim CommunityJesse Jackson, Controversial Civil Rights Activist, Dead at 84Hundreds Come to Christ at Franklin Graham Events in Argentina

New York City’s socialist experiment is already hitting the wall. Zoran Mamdani admits he’s “forced” to raid the rainy day fund, tap retiree health reserves, and hike property taxes—after promising “free” everything and claiming only the ultra-wealthy would pay. Meanwhile, homelessness policy whiplash follows deadly winter street conditions, and even CNN can’t hide the economic reality as Kevin O’Leary shocks the panel. This is what happens when Marxist math meets real budgets. SHOP OUR MERCH: https://store.townhallmedia.com/ BUY A LARRY MUG: https://store.townhallmedia.com/products/larry-mug Watch LARRY with Larry O'Connor LIVE — Monday-Thursday at 12PM Eastern on YouTube, Facebook, & Rumble! Find LARRY with Larry O'Connor wherever you get your podcasts! SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7i8F7K4fqIDmqZSIHJNhMh?si=814ce2f8478944c0&nd=1&dlsi=e799ca22e81b456f APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry/id1730596733 Become a Townhall VIP Member today and use promo code LARRY for 50% off: https://townhall.com/subscribe?tpcc=poddescription https://townhall.com/ https://rumble.com/c/c-5769468 https://www.facebook.com/townhallcom/ https://www.instagram.com/townhallmedia/ https://twitter.com/townhallcomBecome a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send a textFirst, a look at a moronic Florida candidate for Governor, and then on to Virginia for a look at some of the defenses being constructed against the Communist totalitarian disarmament schemes.Then, addressing recent shootings by "trans" persons and the circling of the protective wagons around the liberal sacrament of DEI in the wake of both. Plus, Royce enjoys exposing the rank hypocritical irony of an op-ed by a Canadian liberal who attempts to make sure conservatives remember to feel guilty somehow in the aftermath of the shooting there a few days ago.Support the showGiveSendGo | Unconstitutional 2A Prosecution of Tate Adamiak Askari Media GroupBuy Paul Eberle's book "Look at the Dirt"Paul Eberle (lookatthedirt.com)The Deadly Path: How Operation Fast & Furious and Bad Lawyers Armed Mexican Cartels: Forcelli, Peter J., MacGregor, Keelin, Murphy, Stephen: 9798888456491: Amazon.com: Books

3842 – February 17, 2026 – Bottom Feeders – Usually this term is used for “fish” who feed on the … well “fecal residue” accumulated at the bottom of a lake, sea or other body of water. However, it came to me this morning… that the Marxist-democrats are similar to Bottom Feeders. They will take advantage of the less fortunate. They ... The post Bottom Feeders appeared first on CSC Talk Radio.

Subscribe to Bad Faith on Patreon to instantly unlock this episode and our entire premium episode library: http://patreon.com/badfaithpodcast Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, author, & theologian Chris Hedges returns to Bad Faith to engage in a spirited debate about how to act now that liberal incrementalism has led to incremental fascism. Why does it feel like so much left discourse is explaining why we aren't ready to act: "Insufficient union density, insufficient political consciousness, insufficient organization"? If it only takes 3% of the population to spark revolutionary change, what can we do with the tens of millions who mobilized for George Floyd or Palestine? How do we sustain civil disobedience as the state increasingly criminalizes free speech and ratchets up penalties as they did for Jessica Reznicek? Also, Hedges discusses his viral commentary on Epstein's relationship with Noam Chomsky, why he's not a Marxist, and more. Can't skip this one. Subscribe to Bad Faith on YouTube for video of this episode. Find Bad Faith on Twitter (@badfaithpod) and Instagram (@badfaithpod). Produced by Armand Aviram. Theme by Nick Thorburn (@nickfromislands).

Fireside Chat podcast available exclusively for our Patreon supporters where we make fun of Trump's absurd text to the Norwegian Prime Minister, and what it means for the rest of the world that the US President is a half-witted narcissist.Our podcast is brought to you by our Patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, ad-free episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryWhen Trump's letter to the Norwegian PM came out, we all thought it was extremely funny. And, at WCH, we thought we'd try to produce some newsy/current affairs style content for a change.As you can see, we failed. The news cycle proved too fast for us, and we've basically just made another history episode (albeit about more recent history than usual!).Regardless, we've decided to release it anyway. So tune in to listen as Matt and John make fun of everything from Trump's punctuation and grammar, to his anti-colonial Marxist reasoning for the US takeover of Greenland. Plus, what it means to have a fascist leader in such an obvious state of cognitive decline.Listen to the full episode here:E117: Fireside Chat – Trump's letter to Norway – Available exclusively for our supporters on PatreonAcknowledgementsThanks to our Patreon supporters for making this podcast possible. Special thanks to Jazz Hands.Edited by Jesse FrenchOur theme tune is Montaigne's version of the classic labour movement anthem, ‘Bread and Roses', performed by Montaigne and Nick Harriott, and mixed by Wave Racer. Download the song here, with all proceeds going to Medical Aid for Palestinians. More from Montaigne: website, Instagram, YouTube.You can listen to all of our Patreon-exclusive podcast episodes by joining us on Patreon at patreon.com/workingclasshistory

This episode is presented by Create A Video – Democrats and media (but I repeat myself) are trying to counter Secretary of State Marco Rubio's unabashed defense of Western civilization by making Marxist arguments about class. Rubio addressed the Munich Security Council over the weekend and delivered a masterful speech that brought the Europeans to their feet for a standing ovation. Subscribe to the podcast at: https://ThePetePod.com/ All the links to Pete's Prep are free: https://patreon.com/petekalinershow Media Bias Check: GroundNews promo code! Advertising and Booking inquiries: Pete@ThePeteKalinerShow.com Get exclusive content here!: https://thepetekalinershow.com/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

For complete Medicare guidance, dial 580-308-0975 to speak with my trusted partner, Chapter, or go to https://askchapter.org/oconnor Secretary of State Marco Rubio lit up the Munich Security Conference — and the elites couldn’t stand it. Rubio delivered a bold, America First defense of Western civilization, sovereignty, energy independence, and secure borders… and European leaders gave him a standing ovation. Meanwhile, AOC completely melted down, launching into a bizarre rant packed with geography fails, “Western culture” sneers, and pure word-salad Marxist spin. Why did the networks barely cover it? Because the message was pro-America — and it landed. SHOP OUR MERCH: https://store.townhallmedia.com/ BUY A LARRY MUG: https://store.townhallmedia.com/products/larry-mug Watch LARRY with Larry O'Connor LIVE — Monday-Thursday at 12PM Eastern on YouTube, Facebook, & Rumble! Find LARRY with Larry O'Connor wherever you get your podcasts! SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/7i8F7K4fqIDmqZSIHJNhMh?si=814ce2f8478944c0&nd=1&dlsi=e799ca22e81b456f APPLE: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/larry/id1730596733 Become a Townhall VIP Member today and use promo code LARRY for 50% off: https://townhall.com/subscribe?tpcc=poddescription https://townhall.com/ https://rumble.com/c/c-5769468 https://www.facebook.com/townhallcom/ https://www.instagram.com/townhallmedia/ https://twitter.com/townhallcomBecome a Townhall VIP member with promo code "LARRY": https://townhall.com/subscribeSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I'm on the road. So, this week's episode is a shorty but goody! Our LEVEL US GUEST is educator/organizer Chris Alfonso! Who along with sharing his compelling journey of life provides insight on Marxist theory, its limitations, and its application!Watch “Views from AmandaLand” Wed 10a EST at Youtube.com/AmandaSealesTV!Listen to the podcast streaming on all podcast platforms.Keep up with my releases and appearances!Subscribe to my newsletter for free at AmandaSeales.comThis is a Smart Funny & Black Production

Our LEVEL US GUEST is educator/organizer Chris Alfonso! Who along with sharing his compelling journey of life provides insight on Marxist theory, its limitations, and its application!Watch “Views from AmandaLand” Wed 10a EST at Youtube.com/AmandaSealesTV!Listen to the podcast streaming on all podcast platforms.Keep up with my releases and appearances!Subscribe to my newsletter for free at AmandaSeales.comThis is a Smart Funny & Black Production

United States is an unprecedented form of self-sabotage or national suicide, where the greatest nation deliberately opened its borders, imported people from regions who refuse to assimilate, contribute, or integrate, and instead seek to destroy and conquer from within. This is not a hostile invasion, but a celebrated parade enabled by the Democrat Party, liberal groups in Europe and elsewhere, and secularists, and who believe in unrestricted openness. Later, the media report on every instance when ICE detains someone who, it later turns out, should not have been detained. There will always be some level of misidentification when dealing with such large numbers of people and chaotic situations. There were no endless news reports on what has happened to people when the border was wide open, and the brutality and inhumanity resulting from that policy. The murdered, raped, and otherwise brutalized American citizens are mostly ignored. The media are so completely in the tank for the Democrats and the left, they're open and blatant about it and don't give a damn. Also, this debt crisis in America predates President Trump – it stems from a massive welfare state which expanded to include illegal aliens, unchecked waste, fraud, and abuse costing hundreds of billions annually, and out-of-control Marxist-socialist policies. Congress is unable to fix this problem because Democrats want to spend even more. Unchecked fiscal irresponsibility risks economic collapse, worthless currency, stagflation, societal dislocation, and violent riots if the system fails. We need to ensure that our republic survives! Lastly, the Democrats in the House voted against funding key components of the Department of Homeland Security, including FEMA, TSA, the Secret Service, and others, while ICE funding continues through 2027. Democrats are pushing demands that would severely hamper ICE's ability to identify, apprehend, detain, and deport illegal aliens, while granting increased protections to them. Democrats will orchestrate a propaganda campaign, with media assistance, to blame Republicans for resulting inconveniences to air travelers and disaster victims when they shut down the government. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On Friday's Mark Levin Show, President Trump has likely made up his mind to act on Iran, with only military tactics possibly remaining as the question. Iran will never change their ways; there mindset is not about deals. Whether it's ​the ​Marxist or ​the ​Islamist ​ideology, ​whether ​it's ​our ​belief ​system, - it's all ​about ​power, ​the ​proper ​use ​of ​it ​and ​the ​improper ​use ​of ​it. Islamism seeks total control over mind, body, society, and government through Sharia, unlike the Judeo-Christian focus on individual liberty. Islam has not undergone an enlightenment against theocracy, and dominant Muslim groups in the West support Islamism, which rejects interpretive diversity and often prioritizes political agendas, including antisemitism and anti-Israel motives. Islamists aim to conquer rather than coexist, as shown by sectarian violence, terrorism (Hamas, Al Qaeda, etc.), and Iran's deceptive pursuit of nuclear weapons despite negotiations. Later, the Democrat Party truly hates America and they're at war with America. That's why the Islamists and the Marxists are now part of their coalition, just as decades ago the segregationists and the slavers were part of their coalition. It's all about power for this party. Democrats hate native-born Americans and seek to replace them with illegal immigrants. This is because many immigrants do not speak English, lack understanding of American civil liberties, the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution, making them easily manipulated through propaganda. Politicians promise them benefits while attacking productive native citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

** Tuesday evening we'll be listening to and discussing this episode of the podcast in our virtual community gathering. All are invited to Macro ‘n Chill, February at 8pm ET/5pm PT. Find the registration link at the top of our website: realprogressives.orgCan Marxists and MMTers find common ground, or are they doomed to be strategic enemies?Steve's guest is Australian labor historian and organizer Owen Bennett, who founded the Australian Unemployed Workers' Union in 2015, and more recently, Unionists for a Job Guarantee in 2024. He and Steve explore how to tackle the deep divide between Modern Monetary Theory and the Marxist left. Owen argues that the left's current dismissal of full-employment policy is a historic break from a time when communists and unionists successfully fought for – and won – some major concessions under capitalism. We should look to establish that kind of unity.If the state is a tool of the oligarchs, is fighting for a policy like the Job Guarantee a distraction from revolution, or is it a necessary front in the class war? Steve and Owen discuss austerity, strategy, and whether "socialism or bust" has left the working class with nothing at all.Owen Bennett is a unionist, university tutor, PhD graduate in labour history, activist, author, and researcher. He has published widely on the history of working class struggles against unemployment in Australia. His book on the struggle for full employment in post-war Australia is forthcoming.Owen founded the Australian Unemployed Workers Union in 2015 and, more recently, Unionists for a Job Guarantee in 2024.

The Marxist dems in coordination with the mainstream media have found themselves in yet another hole. When will they learn, they can not and will not ever beat Trump. Obama finding himself in the middle of a new controversy - we'll tell you all about it!Sponsor:My PillowWww.MyPillow.com/johnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On Wednesday Mark Levin Show, this debt crisis in America predates President Trump – it stems from a massive welfare state which expanded to include illegal aliens, unchecked waste, fraud, and abuse costing hundreds of billions annually, and out-of-control Marxist-socialist policies.  Congress is unable to fix this problem because Democrats want to spend even more. Unchecked fiscal irresponsibility risks economic collapse, worthless currency, stagflation, societal dislocation, and violent riots if the system fails. We need to ensure that our republic survives! Also, why are we negotiating with Iran? If Iran unexpectedly accepts all U.S. demands, an agreement might be signed, allowing the regime to survive. Failing to eliminate the Iranian regime now is unconscionable and immoral, as it will leave future generations to confront a far more dangerous Iran armed with 50,000 ballistic missiles capable of striking the entire U.S. mainland, Hawaii, and Alaska, plus nuclear warheads. Later, the House of Representatives narrowly passed the SAVE America Act requiring voter ID by a vote of 215 to 214, with Rep Thomas Massie joining with the Democrats. ID is routinely required for everyday activities like entering government buildings, courts, buying alcohol or cigarettes, renting a car, signing a lease, getting a mortgage, and more—yet Democrats oppose it for voting. Voter ID protects against fraud like illegal voting, double voting, or votes by the deceased, making it a civil rights issue where fraudulent votes dilute legitimate ones. The only reason to oppose it is to enable fraud. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New Discourses Bullets, Ep. 142 What in the world do the Woke mean by "lived experience"? (https://newdiscourses.com/tftw-lived-experience/) As has been discussed here before (https://newdiscourses.com/2022/10/lived-experience-explained/), lived experience is a kind of magical combination of what someone actually lives and experiences and a Woke (or "Critical" or Marxist) interpretation of what causes that experience and what it means. That is, it is experience plus Woke interpretation. The thing is, while only the Woke Left calls this mixture of experience and activating misinterpretation by the term "lived experience," the phenomenon is spreading outside of Leftist circles. It's important we see how. In this episode of New Discourses Bullets, host James Lindsay revisits the topic of "lived experience" and explains how it manifests outside of Leftist enclaves and without the cutesy name. You don't want to miss this one. It's an important one. Latest from New Discourses Press! The Queering of the American Child: https://queeringbook.com/ Support New Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/support Follow New Discourses on other platforms: https://newdiscourses.com/subscribe Follow James Lindsay: https://linktr.ee/conceptualjames © 2026 New Discourses. All rights reserved. #NewDiscourses #JamesLindsay #livedexperience

The House on Wednesday advanced the SAVE Act with a vote of 216-215, with only 1 'republican' voting against - Thomas Massie. That same Massie, earlier in the day, got annihilated by Pam Bondi in a hearing. Bondi took on the RINOs and Marixst Dems, with one of them falling asleep almost immediately, having to be awaken by his staff member. Congress and the dimms just keep finding ways to embarrass this country!Guest: Congressman Mike HaridopolosSponsor:My PillowWww.MyPillow.com/johnSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The New Discourses Podcast with James Lindsay, Ep. 191 Central to the idea of Marxist thought, although Marx himself rarely used the term, is the idea of "false consciousness." People, it is alleged, are going through their lives unaware of the realities of the world around them, existing in an ideologically constructed false consciousness that maintains the existing power structures of the world. (Being "Woke" in fact, is adopting an awakened "true" consciousness of the nature of self-replicating and self-sustaining systemic power and the need to overthrow it.) In the Islamism of the Muslim Brotherhood, as articulated by its intellectual centerpiece, Sayyid Qutb in his 1964 book Milestones (https://amzn.to/4sSnI33 ), there's a similar dichotomy called "Jahiliyyah" (Ignorance) and Islam (submission to God under Shari'a). Of course, this is no surprise because Qutb was a Leninist before he was an Islamist. In this episode of the New Discourses Podcast, host James Lindsay goes back into the text of Milestones to discuss this important concept and its profound parallels to Marxist Communism. Join him to understand. Milestones, Vol. 1: Islamist Bolshevism: https://youtu.be/uOR5qG07fmA Latest from New Discourses Press! The Queering of the American Child: https://queeringbook.com/ Support New Discourses: https://newdiscourses.com/support Follow New Discourses on other platforms: https://newdiscourses.com/subscribe Follow James Lindsay: https://linktr.ee/conceptualjames © 2026 New Discourses. All rights reserved. #NewDiscourses #JamesLindsay #islamism

Serving as the Regional Leader for VOM's work in Latin America, Isaac Santiago tells what it's like to be a Christian today in countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, and Colombia. He has witnessed the shift since 2018 in Nicaragua—listed as a Restricted Nation in VOM's 2026 Global Prayer Guide—through more laws that directly affect the church and severe restrictions and government pressure similar to what Christians face in Communist nations like Cuba and China. While some Christians in Nicaragua are weary and struggling to adjust to the new persecution reality, Christians in Cuba have dealt with such restrictions for more than 60 years. Isaac says pastors and leaders in the church there continue to be obedient to the Lord despite threats from their government. Isaac will also share thoughts on what the change in leadership in Venezuela means for the church there. In the last two years, he has seen a revival break out in the country and the gospel advance in many parts of the country. In Colombia, people in the cities are often oblivious to what is happening in the "red zones" where Christians are being persecuted by Marxist guerillas and other armed groups. With the current president of Colombia being a former guerrilla, persecution of the church has increased as guerrilla forces have become more powerful. Even though pastors are afraid, they are choosing to be faithful where the Lord has called them. Isaac will also share the miraculous story of a woman held at gunpoint for reaching out to youth in her area and bringing them to Jesus. To learn more about each of these nations and how you can pray, request your free copy of VOM's 2026 Global Prayer Guide. Also, check out the new Spanish language podcast called VOM Radio: La Voz de los Mártires on Spotify, Amazon Music, Spreaker, and more! The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily in 2026 for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, Iran and Bangladesh, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.