The truest things that are said today are said by comedians.

Sean’s Monologue: Where’s the Democracy?

Today on Coup Save America, Sean has a conversation with Paul Greenberg, author of seven books, including the New York Times bestseller Four Fish. Paul’s most recent book, A Third Term is a work of satirical fiction, in which Paul explores what might happen if a sitting president were to finagle an extra four years from the American people – and could this problem be solved by resurrecting George Washington and bringing him to the 21st century?

Paul starts by sharing his childhood passion for the environment, which moved him to become an author. His disgust for the theatrics of politics inspired him to make a shift from non-fiction and pen a novel based on the ultimate theatrical president (guess who?). Paul answers the question of why satire is an effective method of making a point. He tells us about his friendship with his cover designer, Barry Blitt, artist of The New Yorker fame.

Paul goes on to explain why he chose not to use Trump’s name in A Third Term, although the book’s antagonist is blatantly based on our current president. How does Hollywood contribute to public awareness and opinion? Was the movie Jaws a political allegory? 

Without revealing the twist ending, Sean and Paul discuss whether the events of A Third Term are really so absurd as to be impossible – aside from resurrecting dead presidents, of course. Paul disagrees with Sean’s belief that America was intentionally built and designed to disenfranchise the poor, and he shares his opinions on the founding father’s potential motives. And what would George Washington have thought about Donald Trump? Is there anything about “the tyrant” that may have impressed him? What’s the deal with presidents who have served in the military vs. those who did not?

Paul shares personal stories about other podcast appearances and his work with a non-profit in Russia. He and Sean wonder if Al Franken could have defeated Trump – and was that why he got cancelled? – and they discuss the hypocrisy of the Epstein files controversy. They talk about how politicians use distraction to cover up what really going on (with RFK being one of those distractions), then Paul turns the tables and asks Sean to answer a few questions about his own belief system.

Paul tells us what he’s found to be the most surprising thing about the first six months of the second Trump administration, and he shares some interesting ideas about making it illegal to be a lawyer and designing “MAGA goggles.” Then he talks about how autocracies work, using examples from his time in Russia, the book 1984, Croatia, and South Park.

Sean and Paul then focus on the story elements of A Third Term. Paul tells us how term limits began in the first place and explains a workaround used in Serbia to bypass term limit laws. He tells a story about bumping in Chuck Schumer one Christmas Eve.

Paul asks the question, “Why must our politicians be so darn old?” He and Sean talk about how Zohran Mamdani is actually seeing problems and proposing solutions, and they look again at the debacle of Boomers vs. Millennials and how the latter get a bad rap simply for growing up in a society that worked differently from previous decades.

Finally, we listen to an excerpt from A Third Term, and we find out something that Sean has in common with George Washington. Paul talks about how America is in literal physical pain, and what that does to a nation. He discusses the historical and scientific accuracy of his book, and he tells us how AI helped him with the 2024 rewrite. Paul concludes with a brief overview of his previous works, and he promises to come back on the show to discuss other important matters he’s studied.

You can learn about Paul and his many books by visiting:

www.paulgreenberg.org

You can connect with Paul at:

https://bsky.app/profile/4fishgreenberg.bsky.social

“We need human contact to help people succeed.”

Sean’s Monologue: Epstein, Espionage, and Inconvenient Truths

Today, Coup Save America has a conversation with Lance Hillslinger, a veteran social worker and author of the advocacy books: Build a Better Bridge: Social Policy for the 21st Century and In Place of the Parent: Inside Child Protective Services.

The episode begins as Lance describes his career as a Child Protective Services agent in the state of California and shares a bit about how the system works. He talks about how his experiences inspired him to write books that will educate and advocate for change. Lance briefly addresses the Jeffrey Epstein controversy and asks the question, “Where were the parents of the girls on Epstein’s island?”

Lance and Sean discuss the correlations between poverty and our country’s various social problems, talk about the governmental standards that define poverty, and decide that the War on Poverty has only made things worse. Lance tells us that the most common reason why children are removed from homes is because their parents neglect to care for them because of drug use. He expresses empathy toward these parents, pointing out the underlying causes of drug addiction, how drugs can alter a parents’ perception of what a child needs, and the roadblocks these parents face while living in poverty, such as the difficulty of securing things like affordable dental care for their children. Do poor people have more children? Why has poverty increased? And is homelessness a gender inequality issue?

Lance talks about how our government is “pennywise and pound foolish” when it comes to funding social services. He shares how child support works when the non-custodial parent is low income, goes through the history of social services, then describes the shortages of resources and how the decline in home ownership rates is detrimental to future generations.

Lance and Sean go on to discuss the importance of education. What can be done to increase the graduation rate for boys? Would adjusting our methods of teaching English be helpful? Lance shares a couple of cost-free changes that California has made in their school systems to increase attendance and academic success.

Sean asks Lance about the intent of the War on Poverty and why it didn’t succeed. They discuss issues such as age-adjusted food stamp benefits, public transportation, job availability, and metrics to measure the success of anti-poverty programs. Lance stresses the importance of the government supporting outdoor recreation and schools doing a better job of encouraging music and sports. Are men being left behind in current society? Gender disparities in education and the work force seem to suggest so.

Lance opines on the importance of a social network for parenting, developing morality in kids, and the strengths/weaknesses of Child Protective Services. As always, Sean brings up the Nordic model of social safety, and he and Lance discuss why politicians demonize any systems – working or not – that suggest any level of “socialism.” Could a Universal Basic Income make a difference? Lance points out the misunderstandings and misinformation about welfare programs, and then shares ideas about how to combat chronic unemployment.

You can find Lance’s books at:

http://lancehillisnger.net

For every book purchased, Lance donates money to Razom, a humanitarian program in Ukraine.

“Voters are looking for an economy that works. From anyone…even an orange-haired reality host.”

Sean’s Monologue: An Empire in Peril

Today Sean talks with Cameron Cowan of The Cameron Journal. Cameron is joining us to promote his new book America’s Lost Generation and to discuss various current events. He launches right with telling us how there really is no hope for Millennials, the Americans born between 1980 and 1996. Sean and Cameron discuss the possibility of Social Security collapsing in 2035, micro-transition generations, and how Millennials don’t deserve the bad reputation that the media likes to promote. What will our country look like when all of our politicians are Millennials?

Cameron points out that progressives urgently need better PR. As time passes, will they return to center or go for broke? He uses the example of fascist Italy to explain how the right-wing is realigning itself with the economic populist message. Cameron goes on to answer questions about what AI could do to our workforce and whether we can still use the old paradigm to build an economy that works for everyone. He talks about how young men are being left behind in current society…and what the heck is happening now in Japan?

Cameron explains how WE are the ones paying the cost of tariffs and tells the story of how America lost its manufacturing power. Could massive government subsidies restore our working force and economy? Learn how the Boomer generation benefited from an older system and how our country accidentally destroyed its own steel industry.

Cameron uses the universal healthcare debacle as an example of how we can’t make major changes because just enough Americans are doing okay, so there’s not enough push to upset the apple cart. Just wait until a few more of us hit bottom. Cameron tells us how and why inflation became the biggest issue for the last election, then he talks about the need for progressives to find the right message to make people who are not affected care about social problems. The concept of individual exceptionalism makes it necessary to keep your message “personal and local.”

Sean and Cameron discuss the ever-popular topic of corporate influence on elections. Listen to learn what quietly happened during Trump’s first term to help the rich get richer while keeping the poor down in the muck. And how did Joe Biden help facilitate the 2008 financial crisis? Cameron talks about going around state capitals to get things done, how owning assets gets you ahead while labor no longer can, and that crypto currency is a Ponzi scheme that our society embraces out of desperation. Is there anything we can do to save the middle class? Cameron says, “Well, disenfranchise the rich -but good luck with that!”

This leads to remembering the revolutions in Russia and France. Cameron tells us about the acute devastation that had to occur before suffering people rose up against the wealthy and reiterates that our system “still works enough” to keep revolution at bay. “The collapse has to get a whole lot more collapse-y,” he explains, but it will happen very soon. Maybe by 2032, the 100th anniversary of America’s last economic upheaval – which was heartbreaking but left us with a functional society in the end.

Who will be our next FDR? Could it be Zohran Mamdani? Would the democrats allow that now that the whole party is so gun shy? Cameron talks about the importance of securing the black vote and how leftist progressives should start hobby podcasts so they can slip in political topics. Finally, he ends the episode by sharing his own life story.

Hear and connect with Cameron Cowan: 

http://cameronjournal.com

http://cameronjournal.com/podcast

http://instagram.com/cameroncowan

http://tiktik.com/cameronjournal

http://twitter.com/cameroncowan

https://linkedin.com/in/cameroncowan

Have you ever noticed how the word “outrage” is so close to the word “outrageous”?

Sean’s Monologue: The One Big Ugly Bill

Today Coup Save America welcomes Scott Grace – an uplifting song writer, comedian, author, and public speaker. Scott is not on the show to “get political”, but to teach us: “How to Evolve During the Trump Experience Whether Humanity Joins You or Not.”

Scott begins with a quick run-through of his life story and how he developed his entertainment (and cop dodging) skills working as a street vender in NYC…which led to him opening as a comedian for the likes of Robin Williams and Dana Carvey.

Once a self-proclaimed “MAGA Liberal”, Scott explains his disenchantment with being a member of the “Outrage Olympics” and talks about what inspired him to start his Beyond Red and Blue project, where he blends humor, music, story, and spiritual insight to help people feel less polarized, rise above outrage and reconnect—with themselves and with people with different points of view, and, dare I say it, people who voted differently.

Next, Scott tells us how nonviolent communication can be used to address political polarization and reads us a poem by his alter-ego, The Spiritual Dr. Suess. He goes on to talk about two world views – “survival of the fittest” and “we’re all in this together.” And he brings up that dirtiest of words – socialism. 

Scott believes that outrage without action can be crippling, so what do we actually do with problems like The Big Beautiful Bill. He reminds us about times of change in history and points out how there is opportunity in crisis. Is it time for the American empire to die? 

Scott tells us his story of meeting a MAGA couple on a plane & what he discovered about them and their hopes for the future. Then he answers Sean’s question about how he remains politically neutral while still honoring his true values. Then Scott brings out his guitar to play a little John Lennon and illustrate how music changed the world back in the 60’s and continues to do so today. There’s a shout out to Randy Rainbow as Scott entertains us with his own satirical cover – what Kenny Loggins’ Danny’s Song would sound like if Donald Trump had written the lyrics.

Scott tells us about his career as a musician, doing opening acts for a variety of celebrity public speakers, and in the process learning how to be a public speaker himself. Then Scott needs a bathroom break, so we play the trailer for Beyond Red and Blue.

When Scott returns, he and Sean discuss the history of polarization in politics and how to conquer social fears – both real and imagined. Scott uses the example of experiencing No Kings Day in Mexico to describe the power of social action, and when Sean presses him to come up with solutions beyond public protests, Scott plays us an awesome improvised song about Sean and his ideals. One thing Scott learned while working with famous changemakers is that “passion is messy.”

Scott tells us about the intuitive training involved in improvised comedy, the effects of AI on the economy, and why speaking with people who are ideologically different has been both encouraging and disheartening. He talks with Sean about wars, people who see Trump as a conduit to destruction, and is it for real that the NYT reports a global trend of less war and poverty?

Listen to hear about Scott’s “commit, don’t criticize” philosophy (but don’t commit suicide yet!), his book about mindful masculinity, the takeaway from the emergency meeting Scott attended after Trump’s first presidential victory, and another Suess-esque poem about peace and Trump. 

Connect with Scott Grace at:

https://www.scottsongs.com

https://www.facebook.com/scottkgrace

“From each according to his ability to each according to his need – that’s communism. That’s also a potluck.

Sean’s Monologue: The Case Against Capitalism

Today Coup Save America talks with Beth Green, a fascinating and intelligent woman who wears the many hats of author, intuitively-guided counselor, teacher, spiritual activist, composer, workshop leader, original thinker, and a catalyst for change.

According to Beth, “My life is full of horrors and miracles – there is no in-between.” She introduces herself by sharing her early experiences as a tiny activist, who, despite the setback of a serious illness continued to make political waves throughout her youth. Listen to learn about Beth’s letter to the New York Times that got her expelled from an Ivy League college.

Sean and Beth discuss the differences in activism between now and the 1960’s and the stigma associated with the label “socialism.” Beth attests that we are brainwashed from an early age and trained to compete for everything. She explains The Ego – an awareness of the individual existence – and how we must shift our consciousness before we can effectively mobilize for change. We need an inner revolution based on oneness, accountability, and mutual support. Beth sums it all up in one sentence when she says: “The purpose of the economy and society is to meet the needs of the people and the Earth.”

Beth talks about “The New Declaration of Independence” that can be found on Change.org and reminds us that it is American to abolish our government. She and Sean talk about how “It’s a lonely soul that’s caught up in competition” and “You cannot clean the air over one home in Los Angeles.” They give a shout out to mutual aid organizations.

Beth offers her insight on why people are depressed and explains more about how the ego has an infantile consciousness that needs to be taught better. She speculates with Sean about the positive roles that our egos might play, then she shares a simple question we can ask ourselves to help us make good life decisions. Beth also describes how to truly make an amend to someone you’ve wronged.

Beth goes on to explain about the spiritual awakening that completely changed her understanding of a higher power and her approach to activism. Listen to the story of her “inner voice” that even Beth admits that most people will not believe. In the end, she tells us, “Beliefs are just beliefs. They aren’t reality.” A person’s belief system changes as they grow and evolve as a person, and “we co-create reality in a subtle dance of intention and allowance.” How do we build a new consciousness? By talking to everybody and questioning everything, of course!

To conclude the show, Beth reminds us that “If you are not well, you don’t think straight – If you’re stressed, then you’re frantic.” She reiterates the many FREE resources that she offers the world for hope, healing, and a path to a better humanity.

Learn more about Beth at:

Bethgreen.org

Co-create with Beth at:

https://thestream.info/

Experience Beth’s music and books at:

https://healingartsnetwork.org/

http://facebook.com/GrannyRocksOn

 View Beth at:

https://www.youtube.com/@BethGreenTV

“We went from killing for peace to caring for peace. We’re already doing it.”

Sean’s Monologue: The Ongoing Problems We Face in Our World

As we launch our fourth season of Coup Save America, Sean interviews Jeffrey Charles Hardy, founder and president of the non-profit organization Care for Peace and author of the brilliant book To Care for Peace – A Global Mandate to Secure the Second Human Evolution in Perpetuity.

Jeff begins this interview by telling the story of how a childhood trip to Tijuana shocked him into an awareness of world conditions just beyond his own comfortable life in California, then he talks about how his later work in the U.S. Coast Guard helped him to define the true meaning of peace. This leads to an explanation of Jeff’s concept around “caring for peace.”

Jeff tells us about his lifelong career in healthcare and hospitals both domestically and abroad. He shares the successes and struggles of setting up his prototype tele-connected Care for Peace Community Development and Health Center in Myanmar, then he and Sean discuss what our society needs to change to help people “care for peace” in our hateful and divided world. Can global change agents propel the agenda by creating a new language with words that we already have?

Jeff explains that his book does not contain templates for change, but templates for considering change. We are in a pre-planning stage for evolving the human condition. He talks about the three stages of the second human evolution and describes the ways humankind is moving in the right direction during this time of suspended human evolution. But what factors are holding us back? Getting administrations to come to the right mindset is crucial to progress. Listen to learn how hospitals are like stadium bathrooms, why Jeff enjoys working with Muslim professionals, and how dictators can be beneficial to society.

Sean asks Jeff if capitalism is compatible with his vision and - spoiler alert - The Monty Python song is speaking truth when it calls Finland “the country where I’d like to be.” Jeff gives us a teaser about his new book in progress, then we hear more about Jeff’s Care for Peace clinics and learn why the individual members of Al-Qaida are probably are not as bad as we think they are.

To learn more about Jeffrey Hardy’s work and book, please visit:

https://www.CareforPeace.org

https://www.facebook.com/Care4Peace/

We are no longer relying on Bernie Sanders; we’re relying on the movement that Bernie has asked us to build.

Sean’s Monologue: America the Militarized

Today Sean speaks with author and campaign activist Kacey Carpenter about the grassroots fight for progressive change. First, Kacey tells us his story of meeting Bernie Sanders and explains the event that helped him realize that the privilege he’d enjoyed in life was tenuous and the fight for democracy belongs in the hands of the people. With his eyes open to the problems in the world, Kacey was inspired to become a campaign volunteer and to write the book My Journey with Bernie: The Revolution Starts with Us.

Sean shares the moment when Bernie Sanders won his heart, and he talks with Kacey about Bernie’s policies, how Bernie prevented Trump from winning the 2020 election, and overcoming the neoliberalism of the DNC. “The solution to the corruption of the Democratic Party is to literally stop taking the money,” Kacey says, a concept that he expands upon in his book Ready, Set, Go! Playbook for Campaigns, Candidates, and Causes.

Sean asks Kacey about his biggest fear for Donald Trump 2.0, and Kacey warns about the biggest obstacle Trump will face in his second term. Kacey tells us about his involvement in local government elections, supporting corporate-free candidates, building a coalition independent of the 2-party system, rank choice voting, and “Bernie math.”

After discussing the possibility of AOC as president, Sean and Kacey talk about the playbook for building a successful movement, then Kacey shares a pivotal moment while canvassing for Bernie in rural Pennsylvania that taught him how to talk effectively with people and convert them to action.

Now that he has shifting his focus from running for office to supporting and mentoring other candidates, Kacey has plenty of insight to share about sustaining momentum in the face of setbacks and the power of different generations coming together to teach each other new skills. Listen to find out an easy way to get a free hour of campaign coaching from Kacey!

Next, Kacey talks about separating your personal life from your political life, the power of storytelling in effecting change, and what it means to be a “conservative progressive.” He tells us about his support of local organizations that don’t take corporate money (for example – fruit gleaners) and he gives tips for organizations forming partnerships.

Kacey talks about finding commonality with your enemies and how being open to others’ beliefs is the way to dial back the MAGA movement and create a People’s Movement in its place. He and Sean discuss how misinformation has divided us and how we can find truth despite obstacles like AI and a mainstream media with corporate interests. After Kacey tells us about his experiences as a union organizer, he and Sean end the episode by talking about the time they met in person.

Subscribe to Kacey Carpenter’s free weekly newsletter at:

https://lifeisajourney.substack.com/

Learn more about Kacey’s books:

READY, SET, GO! Playbook for Campaigns, Candidates, and Causes

My Journey with Bernie

Connect with Kacey on social media:

https://www.facebook.com/kacey.carpenter.104/

https://www.instagram.com/kaceycarpenter1/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaceycarpenter/

https://x.com/kaceycarpenter

https://bsky.app/profile/kaceycarpenter.bsky.social

The more you know about the U.S. criminal justice system, the more you realize how many innocent people are being incarcerated.

Sean’s Monologue: The Power of Presidential Pardons

For this special episode of Coup Save America, we are joined by Shannon Lynch, the producer and host of The Alley: DC's 8th and H Case, a podcast dedicated to telling the story of six men who were falsely accused of murder and who are now seeking presidential pardons after serving long prison terms for a crime they did not commit.

On October 1st, 1984, Catherine Fuller was murdered in an alley near the intersections of 8th and H streets northeast in Washington, DC. Shannon begins by telling us the background of this brutal case and how a miscarriage of justice resulted in the arrest of eleven young black people who were falsely accused of committing a vicious gang rape. Shannon and Sean discuss the possible reasons why police and prosecutors might latch onto an incorrect theory of the crime and pursue it so doggedly despite evidence that pointed to more logical explanations of what happened that afternoon. Shannon lists the many reasons why law enforcements’ narrative of the event makes little sense, and she explains the problems posed by tunnel vision and confirmation bias.

Most people are surprised to learn that the police are allowed – and even encouraged – to lie to citizens during interrogations. Shannon sheds light on the many tactics used to obtain confessions and how these practices can destroy the accuracy of the acquired information. She talks about the evidence that was withheld during the 8th and H Case and how difficult it is to prove that prosecutors have committed a Brady violation. Why did the Supreme Court wrongly decide that the nine men ultimately charged with Catherine Fuller’s murder had received a fair trial?

Shannon goes on to explain why having eleven defendants in one case meant that the accused young people did not receive adequate representation. Why were two of the accused acquitted while the other nine were found guilty?

What is the process of applying for a presidential pardon? Shannon describes the complexities and required details that result in these petitions being upwards of 400 pages long. She walks us through what happens after your application is submitted, talks about the power of sole discretion that the president wields, and tells us why it’s so difficult for a person charged in Washington DC to receive a pardon for their crime. Listen to learn why the falsely accused men chose to remain in prison when they could have been released years earlier. 

Why seek a presidential pardon? What are the potential benefits? Shannon tells us what makes her feel so hopeful that Biden will grant clemency to the six petitioners from the 8th and H Case.

We hear about the longstanding involvement of The Innocence Project in this case, then Shannon tells us what inspired an audio engineer to step out of her comfort zone and host her own podcast about the 8th and H murder. She talks about how her impressions of our country’s criminal justice system have changed and what she has learned from her experience. Shannon plans to continue The Alley with episodes featuring the current lives of the falsely accused survivors so the whole world can be as impressed as she is by their attitudes, resilience, kindness, and their many contributions to their communities and society as a whole.

We conclude our show with a call-to-action, hoping our listeners will be inspired to spread the word and to sign the petition that might help six men receive the presidential pardons they so badly deserve.        

To learn more about the 8th and H case and to sign the pardon petition, visit:

https://8thandhjustice.org

To hear the full story and connect with Shannon Lynch, visit:

https://www.newamerica.org/the-alley/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonleighlynch/

“There will be a lot of dead people, but politicians don’t tend to care about dead people.”

Sean’s Monologue: Israeli-Palestinian Relations Recap

On today’s episode of Coup Save America, Robert Cook joins us to talk about the conflict in the Middle East. Robert is a US Veteran, Western Civilization Expert, public intellectual historian and the author of "The Mahdi," a timely thriller novel which explores geopolitical tensions through a fictional lens.

The episode opens with Robert telling us about his series of national security thrillers starring a modern, liberal Muslim character, Alex Cuchulain or “Cooch.” In previous novels, Cooch has proven his heroism in Colombia, Yemen, and Iran … but in this latest installment – The Mahdi – he returns to his Bedouin homeland and finds himself mixed up in a clash between Jewish and Islamic ideologies. Can technology and enlightened thinking prevail over entrenched dogma?

Robert talks about how his military experience has shaped his perceptions of Middle Eastern conflicts and how writing fiction allows an author certain liberties with the storytelling. As for the harsh realities of the situation between Israel and Palestine, although he “doesn’t have a dog in the fight” Robert would like the Middle East to be a good place for children to grow up. Is a US war with Iran inevitable? Listen to find out what Robert means when he says that problems in the Middle East will not be solved by politicians or by warfare – they will be solved by religion.

Sean and Robert go on to discuss “unintended consequences”, quantum computers, and how AI chatbots could be used to educate children. On the topic of innovative styles of teaching, Robert tells us about the Cook Honors College he launched at the University of Alabama in Pennsylvania.

On the topic of America’s impending regime change, Robert feels that Trump will “really break a lot of glass” but will ultimately make our country better in the end. Listen to learn why Robert feels we are better off funding the government with tariffs rather than with tax revenues. He also explains the diversity of opinions across the MAGA movement and tells us how to listen through the noise for the real message.

The conversation turns back to the implications of AI in modern warfare, along with the genocide & the future of the Palestinian State. We conclude the show with Robert’s advice for people wanting to remain informed about current events – Keep an open mind and listen to reliable voices on both sides. Don’t just be a viewer, be a thinker. 

Follow Robert Cook and buy his books at:

https://x.com/robertcooknovel

http://www.robertcooknovels.com  

Cook Honors College:

https://www.iup.edu/honors/index.html

If kindness doesn’t benefit us personally, should there be an obligation to pursue kindness without reward?

Sean’s Monologue: The Myth of Rugged Individualism

Our guest this episode is Damien Dubose, author of the book America's Ethical Archetype: Establishing the Psychology of Moral Authority and Correcting our Country’s Politics. We go into the show acknowledging that Damien’s subject matter goes against Coup Save America’s core beliefs, but we hope that he and Sean will find some common ground. We start by listening to Damien tell us what inspired him to write his book and to Sean marveling that it took only two years to write a book he describes as “in depth and intellectual.” 

Damien defines moral authority and explains why it’s so critical in modern politics. He talks about using the philosophies of Ayn Rand and Carl Jung as tools to interpret different people’s approaches to reason. Sean wonders if individualism and collectivism are incompatible, so Damien explains the individualistic approach described in his book. 

Sean and Damien discuss “group think” and “cancel culture”, then they find out that they agree about some of the flaws in our education system. Damien worries that America is not developing individuals. He feels that people will solve the world’s problems by pursuing their own values. He and Sean talk about exploitation of others and factors that contribute to a person having the ability to make decisions that are in their best interest. 

While admitting that it is not his area of expertise, Damien tells us that he is opposed to social safety net programs and he feels they should be phased out. Listen to learn why he doesn’t apply the same principles to collective social systems such as military and emergency services. The discussion turns to problems that are collective in nature and how why Damien is not in favor of using collective means to solve them. It all comes down to a question of conscious consent. Damien’s main fight is for an individualist approach in politics, so he talks about our need for better leaders. 

Sean and Damien discuss how too much technology and media might lead to a collective way of thinking, then Damien explains his philosophy that people create their own circumstance by going about their lives more intentionally. He talks about why it is important to defend individualism through philosophy rather than through tradition or religion and about how individualism is imbedded into America’s founding. Damien gives us a teaser for his book - creating a better nation would start with the legislative branch of government. 

Damien makes his case for why there should not be a negative connotation to selfishness, then Sean points out a portion of America's Ethical Archetype that he found particularly compelling. What role does emotional intelligence play in making moral decisions? Why is some outside force controlling Damien’s 401K? What does it mean that “nothingness is the villain of the story”?

The episode ends as Damien talks about the intended audience of his book, and Sean challenges listeners to read the book even if they are NOT the intended audience.

You can find America's Ethical Archetype: Establishing the Psychology of Moral Authority and Correcting our Country’s Politics on Amazon or by visiting Damien Dubose on social media:  https://x.com/US_eleader

https://www.instagram.com/damientdubose/

http://www.linkedin.com/in/damientdubose