President Trump has lately declared his intention of putting Greenland under US control, one way or another. His reasons for doing so are varied, but the reasoning behind it is related to his view on the balance of trade between the US and foreign countries. In today's episode Thomas and Joel discuss these only subtly related topics.

[citations]

https://www.piie.com/blogs/realtime-economics/2025/origins-us-trade-deficit-and-futility-tariffs

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An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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Boy howdy, did we ever not see the Trump administration's capture of Maduro coming. In this episode Thomas and Joel assess the geopolitical implications of recent events and speculate what might happen next.

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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Thomas and Joel give their predictions for 2026 in this year-end episode. Topics range from Venezuela and Ukraine to more domestic issues.

Happy holidays, and thanks for listening!

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

[licensing]

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In today's episode Thomas discusses the so-called K-Shaped Economy and fields a few predictions for 2025.

Happy holidays!

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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In today's episode Thomas and Joel walk through five conspiracy theories related to recent news and discuss the merits of each. 

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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A brief overview of how No Child Left Behind and the doctrine of Whole Word Reading failed a generation.

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

[licensing]

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What is the U.S.'s interest in Venezuela, and why should you care?

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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In today's mini episode, Thomas braves the unmedicated pain of a broken toe to highlight three issues among the present mediascape muddle. Which are more distraction than crisis?

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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Thomas and Joel broadly describe voter suppression and discuss some of the methods that have been employed in Texas.

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

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In this episode Thomas and Joel briefly discuss the history and operation of the American Israeli Political Action Committee.

Thanks for listening.

An increasingly complex world is one that is increasingly filled with scams, tricks, and grifts. deGRIFTify is a discussion podcast intended to cut through some of that haze. Hosts Thomas and Joel summarize contemporary issues by identifying hidden interests, highlighting contradicting narratives, and drawing comparisons between familiar and unfamiliar subjects.

Intro, edits in volume only

Outro, edits in volume only

Transitional sound effects, heavily distorted