People talk about "horseshoe theory," but where does it come from? The idea of a "red-brown alliance" has been part of political discourse for decades, and plays up on the notion that the very far left and very far right have common interests in countering the status quo. Alexander Reid Ross is a geographer and political historian who has written about this phenomenon extensively. Tracing it back to its roots, he also has documented instances of where he has observed this in his own activism — which has sometimes earned him criticism. Dave talks with Alex about the history of this phenomenon and what we can do about it going forward.

More info: https://alexanderreidross.net

Keywords: Red-brown alliance, communism, fascism, Guenon, Dugin, Rene Girard, Bakunin, Yockey, Sorokin, Ilyin, Occupy, Horseshoe theory, dirtbag left, Willis Carto, David Icke, David Duke.

David Kertzer is the Pultizer-prize winning author of several books, including several about the rise of fascism in Europe and its interface with the Catholic Church. His latest book, The Pope at War: The Secret History of Pius XII, Mussolini, and Hitler, chronicles the complex history of the Church during World War II. Dave talks with Kertzer about his research, much of which was only possible because of new archival material released by the Vatican in 2020, and what this important history means for us today as we grapple with a global resurgence of Fascism and right-libertarianism.

Buy the book:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60098361-the-pope-at-war

Keywords: Mussolini, Hitler, Kertzer, Pope Pius XII, Pope Pius XI, Pope Francis, Pope John Paul II, Catholic Church, Fascism, World War II, Italy, History, Capitalism, Communism, P2, CIA, gold, Roosevelt, Nazis

What if January 6th was... all about gold?

Sure, it sounds improbable at first, but since last year, Dave has been digging into the improbable backstory that got us here. From goldbugs to the "I AM" cult to libertarianism, crypto, and QAnon, this story has it all.

In this episode, Dave continues his conversation with Hamilton Fish, editor of The Washington Spectator, which published his piece, "Paranoia on Parade: How Goldbugs, Libertarians and Religious Extremists Brought America to the Brink." Dave and Hamilton discuss the process for developing this story and some of the things they learned in reporting it.

Keywords: New Deal, Libertarianism, gold, goldbugs, Roosevelt, John Birch Society, Jack Singlaub, Philippines, Michael Flynn, QAnon, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reagan, anticommunist, Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Koch, Council for National Policy, CNP, Newsmax, Sovereign Individual, Agora Publishing, James Dale Davidson, William Rees-Mogg, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Technocracy, Occupy, Federal Reserve, National Association of Manufacturers, American Legion, American Liberty League, Silver Legion, "I AM", fascism, Moonies, VFW, QAnon, Brock Pierce, Steve Bannon, Ron Paul, Oathkeepers, January 6, Freedom School, Robert LeFevre, Hunt Brothers.

Read "Paranoia on Parade" at Washington Spectator:

https://washingtonspectator.org/paranoia-on-parade/

What if January 6th was... all about gold?

Sure, it sounds improbable at first, but since last year, Dave has been digging into the improbable backstory that got us here. From goldbugs to the "I AM" cult to libertarianism, crypto, and QAnon, this story has it all.

In Part 1, Dave and Jack covered the origins of goldbuggery, from the New Deal to the Reagan era.

In this episode, they cover the 1990's to today, and make some startling connections along the way. Dave reads the second half of "Paranoia on Parade: How Goldbugs, Libertarians and Religious Extremists Brought America to the Brink" and discusses it in real-time with film director Jack Bryan, (Active Measures, 2018). They cover topics that couldn't fit into the article, and help explain the wild story behind the obsessions that helped lead us to January 6th and Putin's war in Ukraine. And the wild conclusions have to be heard to be believed!

Keywords: New Deal, Libertarianism, gold, goldbugs, Roosevelt, John Birch Society, Jack Singlaub, Philippines, Michael Flynn, QAnon, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reagan, anticommunist, Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Koch, Council for National Policy, CNP, Newsmax, Sovereign Individual, Agora Publishing, James Dale Davidson, William Rees-Mogg, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Technocracy, Occupy, Federal Reserve, National Association of Manufacturers, American Legion, American Liberty League, Silver Legion, "I AM", fascism, Moonies, VFW, QAnon, Brock Pierce, Steve Bannon, Ron Paul, Oathkeepers, January 6, Freedom School, Robert LeFevre, Hunt Brothers.

Read "Paranoia on Parade" at Washington Spectator:

https://washingtonspectator.org/paranoia-on-parade/

What if January 6th was... all about gold?

Sure, it sounds improbable at first, but since last year, Dave has been digging into the improbable backstory that got us here. From goldbugs to the "I AM" cult to libertarianism, crypto, and QAnon, this story has it all.

In this episode, Dave talks with Hamilton Fish, editor of The Washington Spectator to introduce the show, and then reads the first half of his recently published piece, "Paranoia on Parade: How Goldbugs, Libertarians and Religious Extremists Brought America to the Brink" and discusses it in real-time with film director Jack Bryan, (Active Measures, 2018). They cover topics that couldn't fit into the article, and help explain the wild story behind the obsessions that helped lead us to January 6th and Putin's war in Ukraine. You won't want to miss this!

Keywords: New Deal, Libertarianism, gold, goldbugs, Roosevelt, John Birch Society, Jack Singlaub, Philippines, Michael Flynn, QAnon, Cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reagan, anticommunist, Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Koch, Council for National Policy, CNP, Newsmax, Sovereign Individual, Agora Publishing, James Dale Davidson, William Rees-Mogg, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Technocracy, Occupy, Federal Reserve, National Association of Manufacturers, American Legion, American Liberty League, Silver Legion, "I AM", fascism, Moonies, VFW, QAnon, Brock Pierce, Steve Bannon, Ron Paul, Oathkeepers, January 6, Freedom School, Robert LeFevre, Hunt Brothers.

Read "Paranoia on Parade" at Washington Spectator:

https://washingtonspectator.org/paranoia-on-parade/

SEASON 1: OIL, GOLD, CRYPTO & FASCISM: HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW TO FIX IT

Dr. Steven Hassan, a longtime collaborator, joins me to talk about the overlap between cults and disinformation. Steve was a member of the Unification Church, or Moonies, as a young man, and we dive into the deep history of the group, its historical anti-communist agenda, its role in popularizing sushi (!) and much more. We also talk about how disinformation tends to radicalize people, how to manage relationships with friends and loved ones who may have become radicalized, and cover a lot of other interesting ground too.

Keywords: Unification Church, Moonies, CIA, Korean CIA, KCIA, cults, recruitment, radicalization, sushi, Washington Times, Newsweek, Rod of Iron Ministries, BITE Model, social capital, reality testing, history, Korean War, Asia.

SEASON 1: OIL, GOLD, CRYPTO & FASCISM: HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW TO FIX IT

Dr. Lilliana Mason, an associate professor of political science at Johns Hopkins University is the author of two books that shine a light on why and how America is so divided politically, what it means, and what we might do about it. And her most recent book focuses on why Americans are increasingly willing to justify politically motivated violence. Her work is also instrumental for understanding how disinformation divides Americans into increasingly unruly social cliques. In this interview, we discuss the breadth of her work over the last several years, and what sorts of remedies we might pursue to make things better at both the national and local level.

Keywords: political violence, radicalization, partisanship, dehumanization, othering, opinion polling, social sorting, messaging, communications, rights, abortion, Roe vs. Wade, cults, sociology, psychology.

SEASON 1: OIL, GOLD, CRYPTO & FASCISM: HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW TO FIX IT

The term "Christian Nationalism" has been used to describe a broad range of religious and political belief systems in America, but we lack a detailed understanding of their belief systems and motivations. Journalist Frederick Clarkson has been bringing both nuance and clarity to the study of the interface of religion and politics in American culture. In this episode, Dave and Fred have a wide-ranging discussion about everything from the origins of the term "Christian Nationalism," how it interfaces with concepts like Dominionism and white supremacy, and its connection to the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Keywords: Christian Nationalism, religious right, millennialism, Seven Mountains Mandate, Dominionism, Catholicism, The Family, Alpha pentecostal group, Charismatic Christianity, Russian Orthodox, Ukraine, Putin, War, Traditionalism, Abortion, Jesus plus nothing, power, Council for National Policy (CNP).

SEASON 1: OIL, GOLD, CRYPTO & FASCISM: HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW TO FIX IT

Wesley Clark, Jr. is a US Army Veteran, climate activist, and sometimes screenwriter who got pulled into a strange world filled with oil contractors, private military companies, fake activists, and cults as part of a veteran action at the Standing Rock protests in 2016. And as it happens, this milieu is at the heart of what this podcast is all about — the intersection of oil, climate, and influence. Wes shares some of his experiences with us as well as how these issues connect directly to Vladimir Putin’s illegal war in Ukraine. And if Wes’ name sounds familiar, it’s because his father was the former Supreme Commander Europe of NATO, and a presidential candidate in 2004.

Keywords: oil, climate, gas, Standing Rock, Tigerswan, Blackwater, I AM, Koch, influence, cults, mind control, politics, 2022, democracy, midterms, crypto, Ukraine, Putin, Poland, Baltics, nuclear, war, NATO.

SEASON 1: OIL, GOLD, CRYPTO & FASCISM: HOW WE GOT HERE AND HOW TO FIX IT

Bitcoin first emerged on the world stage in 2009, in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. But the story of where cryptocurrencies came from goes back decades. Dave talks with software engineer and prominent cryptocurrency critic Stephen Diehl about the libertarian roots of crypto and NFTs, why it’s anti-democratic, how it radicalizes and preys on people, and why we need to pop this corrosive Ponzi scheme sooner than later.

Mentioned in the show:

Stephen Diehl’s Blog: https://www.stephendiehl.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/smdiehl

Line Goes Up video by Dan Olson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQ_xWvX1n9g 

Crypto Skeptics (Twitter List by Dave Troy)

https://twitter.com/i/lists/1470046292336336900?s=20

Keywords: cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, Ethereum, stablecoins, NFTs, libertarianism, Austrian economics, gold, Ponzi schemes, CBDC, MMM, Executive Order, Eric Adams, Francis Suarez, Mavrodi, Mussolini, Steve Bannon, Brock Pierce, Peter Thiel, Elon Musk, January 6th, insurrection, class collaboration, federal reserve, anti-Semitism, DOGE, FJB, coal, energy, renewable, eugenics, Pioneer fund, Bell Curve, China, yuan, ruble, hybrid war, crime, money laundering, oligarchs, Putin.