What happens when a nation drifts so far from its founding principles that it becomes America in name only? Dan Happel revisits a pivotal conversation first held before the 2024 election with Charles Cole—Army intelligence veteran, linguist, and author of America In Name Only.

In that earlier program, Cole warned that the U.S. was mirroring the same destructive collectivist patterns he saw firsthand in the Soviet Union. Now, a year and a half later—and after Donald Trump’s return to the White House—the question is urgent: are we witnessing a course correction, or merely new chaos in an already unstable system?

Drawing on Soviet history, Jacobin France, and decades of cultural “long march” infiltration, Cole and Happel explore how lawfare, cancel culture, and media propaganda are used to undermine liberty. Together with Michael “Badass Uncle Sam” Debar, the discussion links today’s prosecutions and political double standards to show trials of the past, exposes the swamp’s entrenched bureaucratic power, and warns of an approaching AI-driven surveillance state.

This redux episode forces us to ask: is Trump’s second presidency strong enough to pull America back from collapse, or are we still sliding toward a republic that exists only in name?

Historical collectivist regimes provide a roadmap for recognizing authoritarian drift in America.

Lawfare, propaganda, and cancel culture are recurring tools of political control.

Without accountability, corruption and treasonous acts will persist unchecked.

Grassroots action, education reform, and constitutional principles are essential for resistance.

Faith and moral grounding remain central to sustaining liberty.

Political labels (“liberal,” “progressive”) obscure deeper ideological agendas.

AI and surveillance infrastructure may entrench authoritarianism faster than past regimes.

Generational shifts and homeschooling could catalyze a cultural renewal.

AI & Palantir — How exactly is this being deployed in government contracts?

Election integrity — Beyond anecdotal examples, what structural reforms are achievable?

International parallels — How do current U.S. trends compare with EU/China governance?

Solutions — What realistic pathways exist for “accountability” without civil breakdown?

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Revisiting America In Name Only and parallels with Soviet history

Lawfare, gaslighting, and projection in modern politics

Gerrymandering hypocrisy & partisan power grabs

Cancel culture, monuments, and historical erasure

J6 compared to Soviet and Nazi show trials

Accountability, lawfare, and grand juries

Rhinos, populism, and grassroots state politics

Media propaganda then and now

The AI “electronic prison” and looming threats

Hope in homeschooling, younger generations, and grassroots action

Closing reflections: faith, resilience, and resisting collectivism