Middle Theory

This week we look at an apparent shift toward the center by many 2020 Presidential hopefuls, and key moments in the recent impeachment hearings in Washington.

This week, we open with strange and "smashing" tales of cyber-trucks and time-traveling climate activists, in a futuristic look at the world of tomorrow. We also touch on the recent Democratic Debates, and why many of the contenders heading into 2020 appear to suddenly be shifting toward the center (with notable exceptions like Bernie Sanders). We also look at some of the colorful moments, which include Joe Biden saying we need to keep "punching at" the issue of domestic violence.

We then shift our attention to the testimony that has been unfolding in the Nation's Capital, which includes statements made by Gordon Sondland that some commentators call a significant shift in the ongoing questions of impropriety by Donald Trump in his dealings with Ukraine. We also look at key perspectives offered by Dr. Fiona Hill, whose testimony along with that of David Holmes provided key insights into the nature of the events which spurred the historic impeachment hearings now underway. We also look at Hill's statement that the term "Burisma", when being used by Rudy Giuliani and others in Trump's camp had been a "code" for Joe Biden and the pay-for-play scandal associated with them.

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Jennie Vongvith
• Georgi Bonchev
• Ali Buchan 
• Mark Hankins II
• Jamie Craven
• Lauren Turinetti 

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• CYBER SMASH: Tesla claimed its pickup truck was ‘bulletproof’, then smashed its windows
• TIME TRAVEL ALERT: 120-year-old photo sparks Greta Thunberg conspiracy theories
• TUB 25: Put Harriet Tubman on a New $25 Bill
• IN BLOOM: Bloomberg announces he's entering the 2020 presidential race
• DEM DEBATE: The Democratic Candidates Are Moving to the Center
• THE FORGOTTEN: Forgotten? Why MSNBC’s Democratic debate made no news
• HIGHLIGHTS: Klobuchar and Buttigieg stand out in tame night for Democrats
• SHAKE IT UP: Amy Klobuchar’s shaking leaves viewers rattled
• PUNCHING BAG: Biden says you have to 'keep punching' to address domestic violence
• THE CHILL PILL: Obama urges Democrats to 'chill out' over 2020 candidates at California fundraiser
• TALES OF PETE & TULSI: The Democratic ticket Trump doesn't want in 2020
• IMPEACHMENT: Officials handed the House a pile of evidence for impeachment
• GORD’S GOLD: Gordon Sondland May Have Just Sealed President Trump's Impeachment
• Sondland Updates Impeachment Testimony, Describing Ukraine Quid Pro Quo
• AUDIO: King: Sondland has guaranteed Trump's impeachment
• HILL & HOLMES: Key Moments From Hill and Holmes’s Testimony in the Impeachment Inquiry
• CODE BURISMA: Hill says "it was clear that Burisma was code for the Bidens"
• FILE FLIP: The untold story: Behind the Krishnamoorthi and Stefanik viral video
• TRUMP AUDIO: Trump on Fox and Friends: “I want a trial.”
• MORE AUDIO: Trump calls for Senate trial, seeks whistleblower and Schiff as impeachment witnesses

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To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

As the 2019 impeachment proceedings continue, we take a look at its historic roots in ancient Rome, and the rationale the Founding Fathers gave for it in the United States. 

Many have debated what some call the "genius" of Kanye West, which might more accurately be described as a basket of paradoxes: he is a leading pop artist of ethnicity, but one who embraces Donald Trump and his message of "Make America Great Again." After singing about sex, drugs, and hip hop for years, he has now embraced Christianity and the Megachurch movement (if one can call it that). Critics are asking what Kanye's real motivations are... has he "seen the light," or has he really just got dollar signs in his eyes?

We also look at the alarming "Groyper" phenomenon, which involves a group of Alt-Right infiltrators who have begun to appear at events held by conservative voices like Ben Shapiro (as well as "conservatives" like Dave Rubin),and even Donald Trump Jr., arguing about immigration issues, and why these commentators and personalities take too-soft a stance against it. Even more curious is why someone like Michelle Malkin would endorse them, which has resulted in her being booted from the Young America's Foundation.

Finally, getting around to the recent impeachment proceedings, after recapping some notable "high points" in the last three days of hearings, as well as a bit of focus on Lt. Col Vindman and his testimony on Tuesday, we look at the way that many commentators are concerned about how things might shake out for American government in light of all of this, with particular focus placed on the lessons of history. This brings us to the roots of impeachment in Ancient Rome, and why the American Founding Fathers (including monarchist Alexander Hamilton) borrowed the Roman idea, but allowed for its use with the President, and not merely Senators as the Romans had. There is one particularly surprising reason why they felt this was important, which we discuss this week, along with (yet another!) update in the ongoing Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• RUNE 
• Sascha Neubauer
• Jessica Riley

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• CHRISTIAN KANYE: Kanye West, Despite Himself, Is Bigger Than Ever
• Kanye West says supporting Trump is 'God's practical joke to all liberals'
• Can Kanye West make Christianity great again?
• FAR TOO ALT: Conservatives seek to stifle new 'alt-right' movement steeped in anti-Semitism
• Michelle Malkin Fired From Conservative Group For Backing Alt-Right Holocaust Denier
• LIBELOUS LEADS: White House official sues Politico, targets Schiff’s role in impeachment
• IMPEACH MENTALITY: Crucial impeachment hearings break into open for all to see
• Crucial impeachment hearings break into open for all to see
• White House official sues Politico, targets Schiff’s role in impeachment
• Who Is Alexander Vindman? White House Aide Reported Ukraine Concerns
• WHEN IN ROME: Ancient Rome’s lesson for Washington as impeachment inquiry progresses
• THE CONVERSATION: From Caesar to Trump: Immunity is a hard thing to give up
• SMITHSONIAN: Presidents Can Be Impeached Because Benjamin Franklin Thought It Was Better Than Assassination
• EPSTEIN CONSPIRACY: Prison guards charged with conspiracy and filing false records on the night of Jeffrey Epstein's death

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To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

This week we examine one publication's concerns about a new "Civil War", and the science behind why Americans are more polarized than ever.

"O Captain! my Captain! our fearful trip is done, the ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won." These were the wors of poet Walt Whitman, whose famous words became among his most memorable, as they commemorated the fallen president Abraham Lincoln, whose leadership during the American Civil War helped to preserve the Union between the states of the nation. 

In modern times, we often take for granted that we have preserved unity for as long as we have, although the idea of civil war has never really left us. After it was evoked by Donald Trump on Twitter, who said this would be the result if impeachment proceedings continued, The Atlantic took to the pages of its publication asking whether this threat could be more real than many recognize.

We examine this, along with the thoughts of members of the psychological community in terms of trying to understand how we ever became so polarized, and what history really teaches us about how political attitudes have changed over time. 

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Lars Knapp 
• Bethany Trottier  
• James Malone 
• John Lipartito 

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• O CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN: The Famous Poem Whitman Sometimes Wished He Hadn’t Written
• DAZE OF OUR LIVES: Entire Cast Released From Contract; Is the End Nigh?
• FACE OFF: Corbyn ‘backs Johnson for Prime Minister’ in eerily realistic deepfake clip
• Twitter drafts a deepfake policy to label and warn, but not always remove, manipulated media
• THE NEW AMERICAN CIVIL WAR: Provocative Atlantic asks how civil war can be avoided
• How America Ends: A tectonic demographic shift is under way. Can the country hold together?
• Party Animals? Extreme Partisan Polarization and Dehumanization
• Jonathan Haidt on the top ten reasons American politics have become broken

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

Image in episode art by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons. 

This week, as we ponder the words of the "Mad Prophet" Howard Beale of Network fame, we look at Epstein updates and Election news in advance of 2020. 

"This tube can make or break presidents, popes or Prime Ministers; this tube is the most awesome god-damned force in the whole godless world! Woe is us if it ever falls into the hands of the wrong people..." 

Thus spake Howard Beale, the "Mad Prophet" of the airwaves as depicted in the classic film Network, as he described an entire television generation "that never knew anything that didn't come out of this tube." As we consider Beale's words, we look at some of the latest revelations in the ongoing saga of the strange death of billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, following the release of a bombshell new candid video of an ABC News anchor discussing how she had not been allowed to break the news about Epstein, his connections to the rich and powerful, and even U.S. Presidents.

Then later in the show we turn our attention to the local elections occurring around the country, and what they mean in advance of 2020. Issues range from Beto O'Rourke and his influence on Texas politics, as well as shifts between Democrat and Republican strongholds in various Southern states. We also touch on the controversy surrounding the idea of raising the legal voting age in a general election should be raised to age 16, and also what the impact could be if scary "Deep Fake" videos were to start appearing during this, or any future election.

Finally, what are the political reasons behind the recent statement by more than 11,000 scientists who came out in support of the idea of population control? We think it's a slippery slope, but then again, the statement was issued just one day after measures began to enact Donald Trump's plans to withdraw the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord.

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Betty June
• Daniel Baumberger
• Jon Haskins 
• Jill Ellis
• Robert Westfall
• Grimerica
• Robert Walshe

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• EPSTEIN: Jeffrey Epstein, a Disputed Autopsy and a Claim of Homicide
• Epstein's social contacts with Stephanopoulos, other celebs scrutinized
• Leaked Recording From ABC NEWS Reveals Network Killed Story Implicating Epstein
• ALCOHOLICS OMINOUS: 5 Reasons to Question Alcohol Breath Tests (NYT) 
• TRUTH OR DARE: The Truth About Lie Detectors (American Psychological Association) 
• BYE BYE BETO: Beto O’Rourke’s out, but he still casts a shadow on the 2020 Texas elections
• AMERICA VOTES: What Tuesday's elections could tell us a year before Trump faces voters
• THE LOWER LIMITS: Lower the voting age to 16 for federal elections?
• FAKE ELECTIONS: ‘Deep fake’ videos could upend an election — but Silicon Valley may have a way to combat them
• FEWER FOLKS FOR EARTH: Scientists: Earth Needs Fewer People to Beat the Climate Crisis

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

Image in episode art by Gage Skidmore via Wikimedia Commons. 

This week on the podcast, we look at "zombie" politics in America, and the operation that led to the recent takedown of the leader of ISIL, as announced by the Trump administration. 

Around this time every year, the dead begin rising from the grave... and in a similar way every four years, just like the walking dead, the ghosts and corporeal cadavers of the American political past begin shambling onto stages and appealing to voters. Specifically, we mean the political ideologies and processes that have successfully elected candidates in the past, which according to many commentators today, are simply outdated. One example, given recently by New York Magazine, is the "Zombie Campaign" of Democratic front-runner Joe Biden, an affair more than a half-century in the making that looks a lot more like the politics of several decades ago, rather than the kind of front-running campaign we'd expect today.

Then in what will likely be viewed in years to come as a defining moment of Donald Trump's presidency, we look at the recent operation that led to the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Since the operation, announced by Donald Trump in a press conference on Sunday, ISIS has already allegedly appointed another leader, amidst claims that Baghdadi may not have been running the group. We also look at how Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria might have 'jeopardized'--or even catalyzed--the Baghdadi mission, and how the Washington Post was getting backlash for it's a twice-changed headline that called the ISIS terrorist leader an 'austere religious scholar'.

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Jon Haskins 
• Georgi Bonchev
• Jamie Craven 
• Brian Davis
• Mark Hankins II 
• Jessica Zucarello

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• SOCIALIST MEDIA: 7 in 10 millennials say they would vote for a socialist: poll
• 1 In 3 Millennials See Communism As Favorable, Survey Finds
• WEEKEND AT BIDEN’S: The Zombie Campaign: Joe Biden is the least formidable front-runner ever. Will it matter?
• BAGHDADI DOWN: The tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-Baghdadi
• ISIS Already Has a New Leader, But Baghdadi May Not Have Been Running the Group Anyway
• Donald Trump's decision to withdraw US troops from Syria 'jeopardised' Baghdadi mission
• The Washington Post faces backlash for headline calling ISIS terrorist 'austere religious scholar'
• ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi ‘not killed by US military’ Russia claims
• France on high alert for revenge attacks following death of Baghdadi
• TO A WATERY GRAVE: Remains of ISIL Leader were Buried at Sea
• Burial at Sea: A Time-Honored Tradition
• FLASHBACK: Osama bin Laden's burial at sea: critics range from 9/11 families to militants

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

This week Tulsi Gabbard becomes a target as Hillary Clinton weighs in on the 2020 Election, and historical perspectives are offered relating to Donald Trump's use of the word "lynching." 

Last May, journalist Bari Weiss wrote in the New York Times that the Intellectual Dark Web was, "a collection of iconoclastic thinkers, academic renegades and media personalities who are having a rolling conversation — on podcasts, YouTube and Twitter, and in sold-out auditoriums — that sound unlike anything else happening, at least publicly, in the culture right now. Feeling largely locked out of legacy outlets, they are rapidly building their own mass media channels."

Since that time, many have tried to understand what, precisely, the Intellectual Dark Web is, and what it represents in the American intellectual movement. Michael Shermer offers a few perspectives, which we outline before turning our attention to Tulsi Gabbard, who was recently the object of criticisms by Hillary Clinton, who seemed to imply that Gabbard was being "coopted" by Russian interests. We also examine Clinton's general perspectives on the 2020 Election and Donald Trump's role in it.

However, Trump is getting negative press this week for more than just the forthcoming impeachment hearings, as he recently referred to his plight as "a lynching." It was a poor choice of words since the history of this term is most often associated with hate crimes against African Americans during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

According to Merriam Webster's online dictionary, lynching is defined as a verb meaning, "to put to death (as by hanging) by mob action without legal approval or permission." However, Donald Trump's use of the term has not only stirred controversy over its apparent racial overtones, but also the way his history of remarks that seem to indicate negative attitudes toward minority groups haven't helped him in the aftermath of referring to his own ordeal as a political "lynching."

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Jennie Vongvith
• Ali Buchan
• Lauren Turinetti

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• STUDIES IN DARKNESS: Preliminary Empirical Study Shedding Light on the Intellectual Dark Web
• TAKING ON TULSI: The complete and utter weirdness of Hillary Clinton's attack on Tulsi Gabbard
• AUDIO: Hillary Clinton talks about the 2020 presidential election
• AUDIO: Gabbard slams allegations of Russian influence
• LYNCH-PINNING: Trump likens House impeachment inquiry to 'a lynching'
• A mob lynching of 4 black sharecroppers in 1946 is focus of court battle over grand jury secrecy
• Some Congressmen Show Support Following Trump’s Lynching Tweet
• NAACP History of Lynchings in the United States
• Donald Trump's history on race makes his 'lynching' comment crystal clear
• AUTHORS ANONYMOUS: Anonymous author of Trump ‘resistance’ op-ed to publish a tell-all book

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

This week we look at shifting attitudes among Americans in response to the recent Democratic Debate, and whether the Democratic message is one that voters in the Midwest can get behind. 

Behold, the signs of the times... families locked up in basement bunkers literally awaiting "the end of time," as well as world leaders riding majestic white stallions to sacred mountaintops, destabilization in the Middle East, and perhaps most telling of all, USA Today becoming the latest casualty of the Internet Age, with reports the leading "McPaper" may be phasing out its print edition altogether. The times they are a-changin'... but what does that mean?

After world news and other commentary, we take a look at American attitudes in relation to issues discussed by Democratic hopefuls during the latest round of debates, which ranked as the largest in history. Among the topics discussed were Joe Biden's son and the present Ukraine scandal, Elizabeth Warren's Medicare for All plan, and the lack of substantive answers as to how it will be paid for without imposing undue tax burdens on Americans, and of course, the impeachment of Donald Trump.

However, many pundits were asking questions about the age of frontrunners Biden, Warren, and Sanders, as well as whether many of these Democrats are shifting too far to the left with their messages and policies. In an unexpected response to this leftward-shift, Pete Buttigieg, mayor of Southbend, Indiana, made quite an impact during the debate, which raises more fundamental questions about whether voters in the Midwest will get behind the message of messages that are increasingly being compared to "culture wars."

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• RUNE 
• Scott Dais
• Shelly Orlandini
• Sascha Neubauer
• Jessica Riley

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• AWAITING THE END: Dutch family locked in cellar for years were 'waiting for the end of time'
• KIM’S SACRED SPACE: 'Defiant message' as N.Korea's Kim rides white horse on sacred mountain
• McPAPER ONLINE… ONLY: USA TODAY phasing out print edition
• TRASH TALK: Erdogan put letter from Trump on Syria withdrawal “in the bin”
• Trump appears to confirm open secret about US nuclear weapons in Turkey
• POLL SHIFT: Congress Approval, Support for Impeaching Trump Both Up to 52% 
• Ony Once Has Gallup Seen More Support for Impeaching a President
• McConnell Tells Senators to “Prepare for Impeachment” by Thanksgiving
• DEBATE UPDATE: Invisible man: Biden fades into background as focus switches to Warren
• Is This Elizabeth Warren’s Democratic Party?
• BUTTIGIEG: Here's why pundits are praising Pete Buttigieg's performance in Ohio

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

This week, we look at how the opinions of leading conservative media personalities like Matt Drudge are swaying public opinion in favor of Donald Trump's impeachment. 

More Americans these days are complaining about issues with anxiety. In fact, one recent poll suggests that one in every five believe they suffer from an undiagnosed anxiety disorder. What could be the cause behind this, and what role does social media play in causing anxiety and general unhappiness among Americans? We also look at the "nontroversy" surrounding talk host Ellen DeGeneres, who appeared next to former President George W. Bush recently at a Dallas Cowboys game, and media reactions to the unusual alliance between them. 

In a recent Fox News poll, slightly more than half of Americans appear to be in favor of Donald Trump's impeachment and removal from office. This was certainly a surprise to be coming from a conservative media outlet, although they weren't the only ones on the political right reporting unfavorable news about Trump in recent weeks. Matt Drudge, the reclusive and highly influential owner of The Drudge Report, has recently drawn attention for featuring news and headlines that appear to cast the President he once supported in a negative light.

Even Republican talk radio host Rush Limbaugh has commented on Drudge's apparent about-face in recent weeks... but what kind of effect is this having on Trump's potential voter base for 2020, and could key players like Drudge actually be the reason behind recent polls showing lackluster support for Trump? 

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Betty June
• Daniel Baumberger
• Robert Westfall
• James Malone 
• John Lipartito
• Robert Walshe

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• ROBO NO-GO: Californian RoboCop Had To Deal With Its First Crime, And It Did Not Go Well
• NERVOUS NATION: 1 In 5 Americans Believe They Have An Undiagnosed Anxiety Disorder
• BE KIND: Ellen DeGeneres discusses sitting with George W. Bush at Ball Game
• Dear Ellen: The Problem With George W. Bush Is Not His Beliefs — It’s His War Crimes
• WHAT DOES THE FOX SAY: Fox News Poll: Record support for Trump impeachment
• DRUDGE RETORT: Matt Drudge, an influential figure in conservative media, sours on Trump as he faces impeachment
• Limbaugh: Have You Looked At The Drudge Report Lately? "It Makes It Look Like This Country's Finished"
• Limbaugh transcript from caller about Matt Drudge 
• SO LONG, SHEP: Shepard Smith to Leave Fox News

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

Matt Drudge image by John Matthew Smith www.celebrityphotos.com.

On this edition of the podcast, we examine one professor's "Theory of Bullshit", the downfall of media in the Internet Age, and the ongoing saga of the attempt to impeach Donald Trump.

Sometimes, you just have to cut the bullshit. Which is why on this episode we cut right to the chase: when did so much of the news we hear about every day become "bullshit"? A while back, Professor Harry Frankfurt of Princeton University attempted to understand the concept of "bullshit" from a scholarly perspective, which we borrow from in our examination of how the World Wide Web and issues pertaining to monetization helped foment a serious crisis in the modern media.

Then later in the program, we turn our attention to new developments in the ongoing saga that is the attempt to impeach Donald Trump. While the current debacle involving Ukraine may not involve any laws having been broken, there are nonetheless several legal arguments that have been made which justify the idea of Trump's impeachment. But is this a good idea for Democrats, or would Trump's impeachment (if they could even get the American public behind the idea) help or harm their chances in 2020?

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Grimerica
• Jill Ellis
• Kevin Webb
• Brian Davis
• Jesica Zuccarello
• Mark Hankins II

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• ON BULLSHIT: Harry Frankfurt of Princeton University Discusses Bullshit
• On Bullshit and the News Media we’ve all helped to build
• The Full of Shit Mainstream Media
• BACK ON THE MENU: Eat Less Red Meat, Scientists Said. Now Some Believe That Was Bad Advice.
• COME ON, CUOMO: Reporters Should Stop Helping Trump Spread Lies About Biden and Ukraine
• THE GREAT DIVIDE: NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist Poll: Americans Split on House Impeachment Inquiry
• AUSSIES ARE IN ON IT: Trump Pressed Australian Leader to Help Barr Investigate Mueller Inquiry’s Origins
• Barr personally asked foreign officials to aid inquiry into CIA, FBI activities in 2016
• CRIMINAL? Donald Trump’s Call With Ukrainian Leader, One Day After Robert Mueller’s Congressional Testimony, Shows the President Is a Brazen Criminal
• Here Are 7 Crimes Trump Might Have Committed in This Ukraine Scandal
• The Legal Case For A Congressional Investigation On Whether To Impeach President Donald J. Trump
• Giuliani subpoenaed as impeachment inquiry accelerates
• WRAP UP: How Donald Trump is Working the Impeachment Inquiry to His Advantage
• Impeachment Could Lead to President Pence 
• President Pelosi? It could happen
• Why Trump's Removal Wouldn't Lead to a 'Civil War'

JOIN US: REACH OUT TO MIDDLE THEORY

To send us feedback, you can email us here. Also, follow Middle Theory on Twitter too... this is highly recommended, and may even be vital for some of you. Finally, as mentioned earlier, some may be further compelled to donate to the program, which helps keep ads for survival gear, water filters, male enhancement supplements, and do-it-yourself earthworm farming kits off the program.

This week, impeachment proceedings ensue in the aftermath of a phone call between Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky. 

Another day, another controversy... and leading off this week with commentary on what VICE has called "The Great American Vape Panic of 2019," a series of lawsuits are rocking the eCigarette industry. Also making the news from over in the UK is a Supreme Court decision that Boris Johnson's decision to suspend Parliament was unlawful, with many in government now calling for his resignation.

Then at the heart of our discussion this week, a controversial phone call between Donald Trump and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky has evoked controversy over whether the U.S. President was withholding funding aid to Ukraine, possibly as leverage for gaining the country's help in investigating claims against Democratic front-runner Joe Biden. This resulted in impeachment proceedings by the Democratic-led House, and even many of Donald Trump's supporters are talking about the problems inherent with the President's decision to release a transcript of the phone call. However, while Democrats feel justified in pushing for impeachment on account of this scandal, no laws were broken... so what here would qualify for "high crimes and misdemeanor" requisite as grounds for impeachment?

A special thank you to those who donated to the podcast this week:

• Vicky Pinderski 
• Jennie Vongvith
• Jamie Craven
• Ali Buchan
• Lauren Turinetti

If you like Middle Theory and want to help support the show, you can donate to the program here:

We also offer SUBSCRIPTION accounts for those who would like to make recurring monthly payments to Middle Theory. If you would prefer to SUBSCRIBE to the program, click here to visit our DONATES page, and scroll down below the primary DONATE button. 

• VAPING IN TURMOIL: Vape brand Juul is reportedly at the center of a criminal probe
• The Great American Vape Panic of 2019 Is Producing Some Wild Lawsuits
• SUSPENDED: Supreme Court: Suspending Parliament was unlawful, judges rule
• KOOL-AID IN THE UKRAINE: Trump Said to Have Frozen Aid to Ukraine Before Call With Its Leader
• Remarks by Vice President Pence and President Duda of Poland in Joint Press Conference
• Mike Mulvaney letter from September 3 citing “concerns”
• Seven freshman Democrats: These allegations are a threat to all we have sworn to protect
• Trump questions patriotism of whistleblower central to Ukraine firestorm
• Trump admits he delayed Ukraine aid but claims it was unrelated to Biden
• Rudy Giuliani Has Another Wild Night With Screaming Match On Live TV
• IMPEACHES & CREAM: Pelosi orders impeachment probe: ‘No one is above the law’
• Trump asked Ukraine president in phone call ‘if you can look into’ Biden and his son
• More Dems back impeachment action amid reports Trump ordered Ukraine aid frozen
• Trump's self-impeachment may be Pelosi's worst fear

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