Welcome back to Circa 1945: Breaking the Machine.

This podcast asks one question: what would it take to genocide-proof a society?

I want to start this episode somewhere unexpected.

Not with history.

Not with politics.

Not even with the news.

I want to start with a little cartoon.

There’s a character online called Tubby Nugget. He’s round. He’s gentle. He’s deeply earnest. And in one short video, he says something like this:

“Oof. I feel awful.

My body feels like it’s working against me.

So… I’m going to get better.

Out of spite.”

It’s funny. It’s cute.

And it stopped me in my tracks.

Because beneath the humor, there’s something very old and very serious being said.

Check out Tubby Nugget here: ⁠https://www.tubbynugget.com/