Let’s Talk about the Deep Stuff

Episode 49: When We Stop Seeing People as People: On Authoritarianism and Dehumanization


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In this episode of Let’s Talk About the Deep Stuff, Sean Kneese shares his thoughts on the growing normalization of hate, dehumanizing rhetoric, and the erosion of basic civil liberties. He talks about the danger of propaganda, the abuse of power by public figures, and why these issues go beyond politics and into basic human decency. Sources: I didn't go much into Stephen Miller in this episode but he's important to look into to understand the racist roots of Trump's immigration policy and what's really gong on here, Here's a link to info on him: https://uproxx.com/culture/stephen-miller-high-school-hostile-minorities/

Another U.S. citizen detained by ICE for 3 days not mentioned in episode- no phone call allowed, no charges: https://ktla.com/news/local-news/disabled-veteran-detained-immigration-raid-speaks-out/

Stories mentioned in podcast:   https://ktla.com/news/local-news/u-s-citizen-detained-by-ice-agents-in-downtown-los-angeles-speaks-out/amp/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLgR9tleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHsxrXKzKAzRyqWtL1XlEzbbGrOuAQP5O1CYOicPRrrITfYS6ixY6l5mkctek_aem_dVCboNCqoByyeMBK6K7hvA

https://migrantinsider.com/p/ice-has-deported-at-least-70-us-citizens?fbclid=IwY2xjawLgR_xleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHqcDq9s1D2uVJtzwQyHfcFOFKAzz08KkVPDx45DqQtGWd_ZfkPVvO0Y5HJeh_aem_Ab37ZKd7oR-6qrj3oJjb9Q

https://belatina.com/lulac-warns-sexual-predators-targeting-immigrant-women-impersonating-ice-agents/?amp&fbclid=IwY2xjawLgewlleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHnuKgs1jqq4eLVSSrWx99wKlN8XWAWuUQbrntaL_nlf2Wi0-prp-W_nHbPV__aem_V0JKj2rQGDns2EOS7zgBDQ

https://www.ntd.com/dhs-us-citizen-detained-for-obstructing-arrest-of-illegal-immigrant_1069448.html

  https://www.latintimes.com/trump-ally-slammed-saying-alligators-everglades-detention-center-are-guaranteed-least-65-586091

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5396985-trump-homan-immigration-detainments/

https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/celebrities/2025/07/12/donald-trump-threatens-revoke-rosie-odonnell-citizenship/84803705007/

https://www.ncai.org/news/ncai-condemns-ann-coulter-s-we-didn-t-kill-enough-indians-violent-and-shameful-hate-speech-targeting-tribal-nations

https://www.poynter.org/fact-checking/2022/a-surprising-number-of-americans-believe-these-6-false-claims-about-immigrants-here-are-the-facts/

 

https://www.visaverge.com/healthcare/giant-bugs-intense-heat-and-hospital-struggles-at-alligator-alcatraz/

https://www.visaverge.com/healthcare/giant-bugs-intense-heat-and-hospital-struggles-at-alligator-alcatraz/

https://www.npr.org/2025/04/16/nx-s1-5366178/trump-deport-jail-u-s-citizens-homegrowns-el-salvador

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/us-law-week/trump-discriminating-against-blue-states-sets-up-historic-crisis

https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-enemies-from-within-5c4a34776469a55e71d3ba4d4e68cf62

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-fcc-chair-goes-after-pbs-and-npr-with-twin-probes/ar-AA1y9oKI

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-fcc-chair-goes-after-pbs-and-npr-with-twin-probes/ar-AA1y9oKI

https://www.reuters.com/world/us/mamdanis-nyc-primary-win-sparks-surge-anti-muslim-posts-advocates-say-2025-06-27/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/we-are-nyc-rabbis-who-support-zohran-mamdani-heres-why/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/brad-lander-zohran-mamdani?utm_source=chatgpt.com

It turns out Thomas Jefferson NEVER said dissent is the highest form of patriotism. That quote has been misattributed to him and never verified so my mistake on that, but my opinion on that still stands. While Jefferson didn’t literally say ‘Dissent is the highest form of patriotism,’ the sentiment still holds—and his writings absolutely support the right and duty to challenge unjust power.. :   https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/dissent-highest-form-patriotism-spurious-quotation/

https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fifth_amendment

https://quoteinvestigator.com/2015/06/01/defend-say/

The Voltaire quote i mentioned is actually from Evelyn Beatrice Hall, so my mistake on that too. But once again, still something I strongly believe in

https://www.vox.com/politics/419040/zohran-mamdani-racism-islamophobia-nyc-mayoral-race?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/minnesota-state-lawmakers-shot-search-underway-suspect-local-media-reports-say-2025-06-14/?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2022_Buffalo_shooting?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2025-06-15/political-violence-is-threaded-through-recent-us-history-the-motives-and-justifications-vary?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/22/political-violence-extremism-america?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250616-trump-orders-deportation-drive-targeting-democratic-cities?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/buffaloshooting-onlineplatformsreport.pdf?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://icct.nl/publication/buffalo-attack-analysis-manifesto?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://icct.nl/publication/buffalo-attack-analysis-manifesto?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.history.com/news/kkk-birth-of-a-nation-film

https://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow

https://encyclopedia.densho.org

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/israel-s-attacks-destroy-79-of-gaza-mosques-3-churches/3469056

https://www.timesofisrael.com/smotrich-says-gaza-to-be-totally-destroyed-population-concentrated-in-small-area/

https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-seeks-to-calm-waters-with-jordan-after-racist-extremist-speech-by-smotrich/

https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/10/dont-blame-gazans-for-hamas.html

    My interview with activist Sam Stein: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5XCyQ0ztWkYsEymW1SpsVJ?si=18ND6ycyQTqik6or8SltnA&context=spotify%3Ashow%3A6aLODNXJ2EOD4iu8bxxVzL

My interview with Palestinian actress and playwright Najla Said: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2I04wqtAxkwWHoLI1WGnkU?si=ZEe9_Ie8QR-smfXioQ8OLw

 

 The intro music is "Daybreaker" by Karl Casey @ White Bat Audio

Check out more of his music here: https://karlcasey.bandcamp.com/

Or listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4oGlqi5TaK8r8K50fQhUbe?si=drdN0wQNQ7aVXEm3Nx3xhA

IG for Podcast: @letstalkaboutthedeepstuff

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Let’s Talk about the Deep StuffBy Sean Kneese