It Might Be Interesting

For roughly the last decade, it seems as though Americans have become more and more divided, entrenching themselves deeper and deeper along one of two main parties. Furthermore, during the same time, a mirror image of this division has been echoed through the halls of congress, and only growing louder. Politicians from both parties refuse to even try work together to solve problems, leaving countless issues to grow worse as they fail to find a solution. This, in turn, only makes the initial divide between Americans worse.

In this episode, we dive into the Two Party System, and discuss the history of political parties in America, how the modern-day Democratic and Republican parties came to be, which countries are two-party vs multi-party, and round out the episode looking at some of the best arguments in favor of and opposed to a two-party system before addressing the main question: do we need to break up the stronghold of the two major parties in order to finally start seeing progress again? Don’t forget to send us your thoughts on this, either on social media or at [email protected].

Connect Us. (2019, May 13). 16 Advantages and Disadvantages of the Two Party System. Retrieved from https://connectusfund.org/16-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-two-party-system

Green Garage. (2015, Dec 30). 10 Essential Pros and Cons of a Two Party System. Retrieved from https://greengarageblog.org/10-essential-pros-and-cons-of-a-two-party-system

HIstory Hit. (2018, Aug 17). The Origins of the United States Two-Party System. Retrieved from https://www.historyhit.com/the-origins-of-the-united-states-two-party-system/

Horger, M. (2013, July). Breaking Up Is Hard to Do: America's Love Affair with the Two-Party System. Retrieved from http://origins.osu.edu/article/breaking-hard-do-americas-love-affair-two-party-system

Prokop, A. (2014, Jul 30). 40 charts that explain money in politics. Retrieved from Vox.com: https://www.vox.com/2014/7/30/5949581/money-in-politics-charts-explain

U.S. History . (2019). http://www.ushistory.org/us/19c.asp. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/us/19c.asp

Countless people suffer from an illness that affects their lives every day. Desperate for even just a modicum of reprieve from their illness, they turn to platforms like YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to see if there’s anything out there that might help. And on these platforms, it often takes them no time at all to encounter a segment that has seen an unprecedented rise in popularity over the years: Alternative Medicine.

These videos and posts are usually by people who themselves have been impacted by the same illness. And they claim that the alternative remedy that helped them carried far less risk, and was far more effective, than treatments offered by modern medicine. It sounds appealing, and even a safe way to treat their illness. But the problem is, most of the people promoting these alternatives are either not licensed doctors, or simply promoting an alternative that’s a product they sell and make money from.

In this episode, we dive into the world of Alternative Medicine. We discover the factors that have helped contribute to the rise in popularity, discuss the risks associated with this practice, shed light on who owns many of the alternative medicine products that are marketed as “Anti-Big Pharma.” And finally, we discuss what various researchers have found about the effectiveness of alternative medicine, from everything from extreme cleansing and other similar approaches, right down to the most basic daily multivitamins.

Baron, J. (2018, Nov 30). Forbes. Retrieved from Social Media Is A Good Source Of Bad Medicine: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jessicabaron/2018/11/30/social-media-bad-medicine/#73caff5c62e1

Christensen, J. (2015, Feb 11). CNN. Retrieved from A third of Americans use alternative medicine: https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/11/health/feat-alternative-medicine-study/index.html

John Hopkins Medicine. (2019, Jan). www.hopkinsmedicine.org. Retrieved from Is There Really Any Benefit to Multivitamins?: https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/is-there-really-any-benefit-to-multivitamins

Lo, C. (2018, Aug 20). Pharmaceutical Technology. Retrieved from The People vs Big Pharma: tackling the industry’s trust issues: https://www.pharmaceutical-technology.com/features/people-vs-big-pharma-tackling-industrys-trust-issues/

Marshall, M. (2015, Mar 4). The Guardian. Retrieved from Why media coverage of alternative cancer cures is dangerous;A Mirror Online report on a breast cancer patient who refused medical treatment for so-called natural alternatives ignores the health risks: https://www.theguardian.com/science/blog/2015/mar/04/why-media-coverage-of-alternative-cancer-cures-is-dangerous

Mayo Clinic. (2019, Jan). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved from Integrative medicine: Evaluate CAM claims: https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/consumer-health/in-depth/alternative-medicine/art-20046087

Packageing Law.COM. (2010, Jul 13). www.packaginglaw.com. Retrieved from What is the Difference Between "FDA Compliant" and "FDA Approved"?: https://www.packaginglaw.com/ask-an-attorney/what-difference-between-fda-compliant-and-fda-approved

Pitts, P. (2015, Sep 24). CNN. Retrieved from Why people don’t trust drug makers: https://nypost.com/2015/09/24/why-people-dont-trust-drug-makers/

Smoller, N. (2018, mar 30). Woodstock Vitamins. Retrieved from The 14 Mega Corporations That Own Your Supplement Brand: https://www.woodstockvitamins.com/blogs/learn/the-mega-corporations-that-own-your-supplement-brand

United States Food & Drug Administration. (2019, Jan). fda.gov. Retrieved from Is It Really 'FDA Approved?': https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/it-really-fda-approved

Ventola, C. L. (2010, Aug). Current Issues Regarding Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States. Pharmacy and Therapeutics, 35(8), 461-468.

WebMD. (2019, Jan). WebMD . Retrieved from What Exactly Is Alternative Medicine?: https://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/what-is-alternative-medicine#1

There are many things to be said in regards to Brexit, Trump's rise to power, Putin's push against NATO and Rupert Murdoch's unwillingness to give it fair coverage of these events at his best, and at his worst an all out promotion of all of them. In this episode, we look at the history of Rupert Murdoch and his life in the news business, as well as his well know scandals, personal ambition, as well as his provision of shade over the operations of Putin and Trump on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. What draws these characters together can seem to be speculative at times, but so much of it is easily found in newspapers and television shows, not to mention documentaries, that it makes it hard to really call it conspiratorial. 

This episode also covers the ascension of Vladimir Putin, his penchant for criminal behavior, his hatred of democratic values and the countries who support it. One of Putin's long term desires is to reunite the Soviet Union, and what stands in his way is liberal democracy, NATO as well as trade agreements between the EU, US, UK and Western allies.  What lengths do those in power go to stay in power? What length would Putin go? Why does Murdoch promote his agenda, either on purpose or accident, in both the US and UK? We'll take a look in this episode and hope you find it interesting. 

References

Bryan, J. (Director). (2018). Active Measures [Motion Picture].

Chotiner, I. (2019, Mar 20). The Atlantic. Retrieved from Donna Brazile Explains Why She’s Working for Fox News: https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/donna-brazile-explains-why-she-is-working-for-fox-news

Detrick, H. (2018, Jan 16). Fortune. Retrieved from What You Need to Know About Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Wendi Deng Murdoch, and Chinese Spying: https://fortune.com/2018/01/16/kushner-trump-deng-murdoch-china-spy/

Frontline.Org. (2015, Jan 13). Putin's Way. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-way/

Frontline.Org. (2017, Oct 25). Putin's Revenge. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-revenge/

Hemmer, N. (2014, Jan 17). The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Conservative War on Liberal Media Has a Long History: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-conservative-war-on-liberal-media-has-a-long-history/283149/

Hosenball, M., & Bryanski, G. (2012, Mar 9). Reuters. Retrieved from FBI looking at Murdoch operations in Russia: https://www.reuters.com/article/murdoch-russia/fbi-looking-at-murdoch-operations-in-russia-idUSL2E8E7HJN20120309

Mahler, J., & Rutenberg, J. (2019, Apr 3). The New York Times. Retrieved from How Rupert Murdoch's Empire of Influance Changed the World: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/magazine/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-trump.html

Mayer, J. (2019, Mar 4). The New Yorker. Retrieved from The Making of the Fox News White House: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house

Reuters. (2019, Jun 27). Russia's Putin says liberal values are obsolete: Financial Times. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-europe-values/russias-putin-says-liberal-values-are-obsolete-financial-times-idUSKCN1TS2UF

Roth, A. (2019, Jan 25). The Guardian. Retrieved from Ukraine's ex-president Viktor Yanukovych found guilty of treason: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/ukraine-ex-president-viktor-yanukovych-found-guilty-of-treason

Newstalk. (2019, Jun 15). Why Does Rupert Murdoch want a Brexit. Retrieved from https://www.newstalk.com/business/why-does-rupert-murdoch-want-a-brexit-592236

Reuters. (2019, Jul 9). Reuters. Retrieved from Russia's Putin says wind power harmful to birds and worms: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-renewables/russias-putin-says-wind-power-harmful-to-birds-and-worms-idUSKCN1U422X

Reuters. (2019, Jun 27). Reuters. Retrieved from Russia's Putin says liberal values are obsolete: Financial Times: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-europe-values/russias-putin-says-liberal-values-are-obsolete-financial-times-idUSKCN1TS2UF

Syal, R., Mason, R., & O'Carrol, L. (2019, Jul 23). The Guardian. Retrieved from Sky executive among Johnson's first appointments: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/jul/23/sky-executive-among-johnson-first-appointments-andrew-griffith-munira-mirza

Under both major political parties, Labor Unions have been on a steady decline over the last few decades. But what has also been on a steady decline during this time? Inflation-adjusted wages, working and middle class economic purchasing power, health and retirement benefits, and long-term job security.

In this episode, we attempt to take a non-partisan look at the impact Labor Unions have had on the American economy and working class families, analyze the cause of the decline, take a look at some of the strongest arguments both in favor of and opposed to Labor Unions, and address the ultimate question: Are Labor Unions simply becoming obsolete in the market? Or are they more critical than ever?

Ayres, C. (2019, Jan). Ittana Personal Finance Blog.org. Retrieved from 13 Advantages and Disadvantages of Labor Unions: https://vittana.org/13-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-labor-unions

Dray, P. (2010). There is Power in a Union; The Epic Story of Labor In America. New York: Double Day.

North Country Carpenter. (2007, Jan). The Union Advantage: Benefit. Retrieved from Union workers pay less: http://northcountrycarpenter.org/pdf/Union%20benefits%20graph.pdf

United States Dpartment of Labor. (2019, Jan 25). Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved from TED: The Economics Daily : https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/union-membership-rate-10-point-5-percent-in-2018-down-from-20-point-1-percent-in-1983.htm

United Steelworkers. (n.d.). Facts ABout So-Called "Right to Work" . Retrieved from https://www.usw.org/act/campaigns/rtw/resources/facts-about-so-called-right-to-work

If you've watched any news channel in the last few years, you probably have noticed an increase in attention and commentary on voters and problems faced by those in the Midwestern United States. Some outlets stress the importance of the issues faced by those in this region. Yet others still talk about them as a tertiary focus for political parties.

What are the issues faced by those in the Midwest? How long have these issues been going on? How unique are these issues compared to issues faced by those on the coastal United States? How big of an impact do they play for political parties? And is the U.S. now really split between the middle vs. the coasts? Or is that more rhetoric being used to further divide us Americans? In this episode, we dive into what the research suggests about all those questions.

Anderso, T. (2016, Jul). For Midwest, population growth will be a greater demographic, policy challenge in years ahead. The Council of State Governments. Retrieved from https://www.csgmidwest.org/policyresearch/0616-demographic-future-Midwest.aspx

Duke, B. (2017, Jun 7). Center for Amercian Progress. Retrieved from Interactive Map: The Midwestern Recession: https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/economy/news/2017/06/07/429380/interactive-map-midwestern-recession/

MuniNet Guide. (2018, Jul 14). Midwest Demographic, Economic, and Debt Factors: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. Retrieved from Population growth of Midwest states and the U.S. Since 1990: https://muninetguide.com/midwest-demographic-economic-debt-factors-good-bad-ugly/

Vance, J. (2018). Hillbilly-Elegie: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisi. May: Harper Paperbacks.

Wikipedia. (2019). List of U.S. states and territories by GDP. Retrieved from Wikipedia.com: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_and_territories_by_GDP

Wuthnow, R. (2018). The Left Behind: Decline and Rage in Small-Town America. Princeton University Press; Reprint edition (April 30, 2019).

The Media Diet (part 3)

Have you ever met someone who just made bad arguments and could not carefully or accurately define what their position was on any given topic? Perhaps their reactions were knee-jerk, explosive or just ill-informed. What if that same person was given a platform where in they broadcasted into millions of American's living rooms each night? Dialog and understanding comes from gaining perspective on nuance and allowing a deeper understanding of any given topic. 

We all have a family member, friend or acquaintance hooked on a partisan news organization. Perhaps it's time we ask them to consider consuming something more neutral. Please share our podcast with the family/friend who you feel could benefit from being a bit more objective. 

References

Ad Fontes Media. (2018). Meida Bias Chart. Retrieved from Media Bias Chart: Version 4.0: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/

Almossawi, A. (2013). An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. In A. Almossawi. New York, NY: The Experiement Publishing.

Bryan, J. (Director). (2018). Active Measures [Motion Picture].

Chotiner, I. (2019, Mar 20). The Atlantic. Retrieved from Donna Brazile Explains Why She’s Working for Fox News: https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/donna-brazile-explains-why-she-is-working-for-fox-news

Detrick, H. (2018, Jan 16). Fortune. Retrieved from What You Need to Know About Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Wendi Deng Murdoch, and Chinese Spying: https://fortune.com/2018/01/16/kushner-trump-deng-murdoch-china-spy/

Frontline.Org. (2015, Jan 13). Putin's Way. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-way/

Frontline.Org. (2017, Oct 25). Putin's Revenge. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-revenge/

Gibson, J., Claassen, C., & Barcelo, J. (2019, Jan). Deplorables: Emotions, Political Sophistication, and Political Intolerance. American Politics Research, 1-21.

Gilbert, G. (1945). Nuremberg Diary. In G. Gilbert. Farrar, Straus, 1947.

Gottfried, J., Stocking, G., & Grieco, E. (2018). Partisans Remain Sharply Divided in Their Attitudes About the News Media. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.journalism.org/2018/09/25/partisans-remain-sharply-divided-in-their-attitudes-about-the-news-media/

Gruenwald, J. (2011, Jun  . The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Fairness Doctrine Is Dead: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/06/the-fairness-doctrine-is-dead/240147/

Hemmer, N. (2014, Jan 17). The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Conservative War on Liberal Media Has a Long History: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-conservative-war-on-liberal-media-has-a-long-history/283149/

Hosenball, M., & Bryanski, G. (2012, Mar 9). Reuters. Retrieved from FBI looking at Murdoch operations in Russia: https://www.reuters.com/article/murdoch-russia/fbi-looking-at-murdoch-operations-in-russia-idUSL2E8E7HJN20120309

Mahler, J., & Rutenberg, J. (2019, Apr 3). The New York Times. Retrieved from How Rupert Murdoch's Empire of Influance Changed the World: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/magazine/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-trump.html

Mayer, J. (2019, Mar 4). The New Yorker. Retrieved from The Making of the Fox News White House: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house

Noggle, R. (2018, Aug). www.aeon.co. Retrieved from How to tell the difference between persuasion and manipulation: https://aeon.co/ideas/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-persuasion-and-manipulation?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ios_share_flow_optimization&utm_term=enabled

Piacenza, J. (2019, apr 9). Morning Consult. Retrieved from Media Credibility Perceptions Are Down, Due to Republicans: https://morningconsult.com/2019/04/09/media-credibility-perceptions-are-down-thanks-to-republicans/

Reuters. (2019, Jun 27). Russia's Putin says liberal values are obsolete: Financial Times. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-europe-values/russias-putin-says-liberal-values-are-obsolete-financial-times-idUSKCN1TS2UF

Roth, A. (2019, Jan 25). The Guardian. Retrieved from Ukraine's ex-president Viktor Yanukovych found guilty of treason: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/ukraine-ex-president-viktor-yanukovych-found-guilty-of-treason

The Media Diet (part 2)

If one wants to see into the bottom of what bad news and disinformation look like, one need only to look at the Nazi Party. This episode will continue to look at the media diet and the positive effects it can have. We also discuss what we call the Nazi power tool and how it is used to divide an audience. Using this power tool does not make one a Nazi, but rather provides them with the same tool for splitting the room and creating fear. We also look at the use of fear, hatred and anger as a means of coercing and motivating segments of groups and society. 

Countering these narratives can be difficult, and we look at what scholars have found is the most effective tool to stand up to emotional influence, political sophistication. We also look at where these tools are being used in modern American media, what it sounds like, and what the true intent is behind using them. As stated, using one of these tools does not make one a Nazi, but it will have a dramatic affect on your audience, and the bigger the microphone, the bigger the affect. Lastly we look at the algorithm used by one of America's favorite 24 hour news networks to create brand loyalty and buy-in. 

This has been one of our favorite topics and we will continue to look at media and its affects for just a bit longer.  

 References

Ad Fontes Media. (2018). Meida Bias Chart. Retrieved from Media Bias Chart: Version 4.0: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/

Almossawi, A. (2013). An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. In A. Almossawi. New York, NY: The Experiement Publishing.

Bryan, J. (Director). (2018). Active Measures [Motion Picture].

Chotiner, I. (2019, Mar 20). The Atlantic. Retrieved from Donna Brazile Explains Why She’s Working for Fox News: https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/donna-brazile-explains-why-she-is-working-for-fox-news

Detrick, H. (2018, Jan 16). Fortune. Retrieved from What You Need to Know About Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Wendi Deng Murdoch, and Chinese Spying: https://fortune.com/2018/01/16/kushner-trump-deng-murdoch-china-spy/

Frontline.Org. (2015, Jan 13). Putin's Way. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-way/

Frontline.Org. (2017, Oct 25). Putin's Revenge. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-revenge/

Gibson, J., Claassen, C., & Barcelo, J. (2019, Jan). Deplorables: Emotions, Political Sophistication, and Political Intolerance. American Politics Research, 1-21.

Gilbert, G. (1945). Nuremberg Diary. In G. Gilbert. Farrar, Straus, 1947.

Gottfried, J., Stocking, G., & Grieco, E. (2018). Partisans Remain Sharply Divided in Their Attitudes About the News Media. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.journalism.org/2018/09/25/partisans-remain-sharply-divided-in-their-attitudes-about-the-news-media/

Gruenwald, J. (2011, Jun  . The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Fairness Doctrine Is Dead: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/06/the-fairness-doctrine-is-dead/240147/

Hemmer, N. (2014, Jan 17). The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Conservative War on Liberal Media Has a Long History: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-conservative-war-on-liberal-media-has-a-long-history/283149/

Hosenball, M., & Bryanski, G. (2012, Mar 9). Reuters. Retrieved from FBI looking at Murdoch operations in Russia: https://www.reuters.com/article/murdoch-russia/fbi-looking-at-murdoch-operations-in-russia-idUSL2E8E7HJN20120309

Mahler, J., & Rutenberg, J. (2019, Apr 3). The New York Times. Retrieved from How Rupert Murdoch's Empire of Influance Changed the World: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/magazine/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-trump.html

Mayer, J. (2019, Mar 4). The New Yorker. Retrieved from The Making of the Fox News White House: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house

Noggle, R. (2018, Aug). www.aeon.co. Retrieved from How to tell the difference between persuasion and manipulation: https://aeon.co/ideas/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-persuasion-and-manipulation?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ios_share_flow_optimization&utm_term=enabled

Piacenza, J. (2019, apr 9). Morning Consult. Retrieved from Media Credibility Perceptions Are Down, Due to Republicans: https://morningconsult.com/2019/04/09/media-credibility-perceptions-are-down-thanks-to-republicans/

Reuters. (2019, Jun 27). Russia's Putin says liberal values are obsolete: Financial Times. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-putin-europe-values/russias-putin-says-liberal-values-are-obsolete-financial-times-idUSKCN1TS2UF

Roth, A. (2019, Jan 25). The Guardian. Retrieved from Ukraine's ex-president Viktor Yanukovych found guilty of treason: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/25/ukraine-ex-president-viktor-yanukovych-found-guilty-of-treason

The Media Diet (part 1)

Why do people argue over whose news organization is more reliable? Has it always been that way? Why did early broadcasters try and be as neutral as possible, and why are media sources online deliberately partisan today? Is it helping? It's absolutely critical that democracies have news organizations that present fact based reporting in an easily digestible ways in order to inform and instruct the public so that they may make informed and accurate decisions. Calls of bias and tilted media have been around for a long time, but what tools can be used to determine what is good media vs. bad media?

It can be confusing to be online and see multiple sources reporting the same story in various different methods. It can cause people to become upset, angry, frustrated and ultimately it can cause people to simply shut it off. Perhaps this isn't the proper solution. Perhaps what the country needs is to go on a media diet. To shave off a few pounds of partisan fat and go for the nutrition they've been missing out on. 

This podcast examines a method devised to assist in examining media bias, and the importance of fact based reporting. It also looks at one of the most effective marketing gimmicks in partisan media and how it has an effect of creating brand preference within various viewer's perception of the news organizations they most prefer. We look at the most trusted organizations as well as least insightful. It also discusses a good litmus test for determining what news can be avoided, as well as the messenger effect. 

Please join us on the media diet and pass this along to that friend or family member, work colleague or acquaintance who you know to be hooked on partisan media.   

 References

Ad Fontes Media. (2018). Meida Bias Chart. Retrieved from Media Bias Chart: Version 4.0: https://www.adfontesmedia.com/

Almossawi, A. (2013). An Illustrated Book of Bad Arguments. In A. Almossawi. New York, NY: The Experiement Publishing.

Bryan, J. (Director). (2018). Active Measures [Motion Picture].

Chotiner, I. (2019, Mar 20). The Atlantic. Retrieved from Donna Brazile Explains Why She’s Working for Fox News: https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/donna-brazile-explains-why-she-is-working-for-fox-news

Detrick, H. (2018, Jan 16). Fortune. Retrieved from What You Need to Know About Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump, Wendi Deng Murdoch, and Chinese Spying: https://fortune.com/2018/01/16/kushner-trump-deng-murdoch-china-spy/

Frontline.Org. (2015, Jan 13). Putin's Way. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-way/

Frontline.Org. (2017, Oct 25). Putin's Revenge. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/film/putins-revenge/

Gibson, J., Claassen, C., & Barcelo, J. (2019, Jan). Deplorables: Emotions, Political Sophistication, and Political Intolerance. American Politics Research, 1-21.

Gilbert, G. (1945). Nuremberg Diary. In G. Gilbert. Farrar, Straus, 1947.

Gottfried, J., Stocking, G., & Grieco, E. (2018). Partisans Remain Sharply Divided in Their Attitudes About the News Media. Pew Research Center. Retrieved from https://www.journalism.org/2018/09/25/partisans-remain-sharply-divided-in-their-attitudes-about-the-news-media/

Gruenwald, J. (2011, Jun 8). The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Fairness Doctrine Is Dead: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/06/the-fairness-doctrine-is-dead/240147/

Hemmer, N. (2014, Jan 17). The Atlantic. Retrieved from The Conservative War on Liberal Media Has a Long History: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2014/01/the-conservative-war-on-liberal-media-has-a-long-history/283149/

Hosenball, M., & Bryanski, G. (2012, Mar 9). Reuters. Retrieved from FBI looking at Murdoch operations in Russia: https://www.reuters.com/article/murdoch-russia/fbi-looking-at-murdoch-operations-in-russia-idUSL2E8E7HJN20120309

Mahler, J., & Rutenberg, J. (2019, Apr 3). The New York Times. Retrieved from How Rupert Murdoch's Empire of Influance Changed the World: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/04/03/magazine/rupert-murdoch-fox-news-trump.html

Mayer, J. (2019, Mar 4). The New Yorker. Retrieved from The Making of the Fox News White House: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/03/11/the-making-of-the-fox-news-white-house

Noggle, R. (2018, Aug). www.aeon.co. Retrieved from How to tell the difference between persuasion and manipulation: https://aeon.co/ideas/how-to-tell-the-difference-between-persuasion-and-manipulation?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ios_share_flow_optimization&utm_term=enabled

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Between 1950 and 1980, the American working and middle class saw the single greatest rise in growth, prosperity, and strength that the world had ever seen. If you were born in this time frame, it was almost a guarantee that your quality of life would be better than the lives of your parents, especially economically speaking.

But since 1980, that trend has been in reverse. For the first time in history, the vast majority of working and middle class households needed to be dual income to survive. Big businesses and the 1% grew continuously more politically influential, while everyone else quickly became left behind by the policies of politicians on both sides of the aisle.

In 2008, the financial crisis dealt a crushing blow to working and middle class communities across America. Problems like wages not commensurate with rising student debt and cost of living has a new generation struggling like few before had to. In the 1960’s and 70’s, the idea of someone with a bachelor’s degree, or even Master’s degree, having to work 2-3 jobs just to make ends meet was unheard of. Today, it’s the norm. We have now gone from the 2 income household to the 2 income individual to survive. And with political corruption not showing any signs of slowing down, Americans are barreling towards a cliff they may never recover from.

In this episode, Josh and Jon discuss how this happened in the first place, who’s affected, how, and why. And answer the ultimate question: can we turn this dangerous economic vehicle around in time? Or is the looming plunge off the economic cliff inevitable?

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