Oh This World

In our second episode on combatting disinformation, Antoinette helps us understand the extremely pervasive use of gaslighting from the Trump administration and their allies.

We start by explaining what gaslighting is, and Antoinette and Lucas talk about if they've experienced gaslighting on a personal level, in their own lives.

Then we expand the conversation to cover the country: what happens when the whole of the United States is being gaslit by the President and his cheerleaders in Congress and in the far-right media? How can we prepare for the gaslighting that has happened, and continues to happen, in this age of coronavirus? What are the consequences of gaslighting an entire nation? And what can we do to combat it?

One place to start is by identifying how Trump and his allies use gaslighting and why. (The Coronavirus Countdown Calendar Antoinette references in this episode can be found here).

What can you do to combat gaslighting today?

1. Demand truth from your elected officials. Re-center truth by calling out gaslighting and pointing out what's actually happening in letters to the editors, on social media, and in conversations with your elected representatives.

2. Change electoral outcomes. The easiest way to get rid of the most egregious gaslighters on offer in America is to vote them out. Want to get involved but don't know where to start? Choose a local campaign, or check out organizations that can guide you in the right direction like Indivisible Austin and Flip the Texas House.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, May 27, 2020.

Today we look at why we aren't mourning COVID-19 deaths collectively, as a nation, why collective mourning is important,  and what we can do about it.

First, we look at a couple of articles that may be of interest to OTW listeners: an NPR story evaluating the risks of various summer activities, and a piece from the NYT on erosion of trust in the government (wonder why!)

For our main topic we start with the cover of Sunday's New York Times, which featured the names and short descriptions of the lives of 1,000 COVID-19 victims, 1% of the 100,000 American dead.

Why has there been no national day of mourning to honor these Americans? Why is the President only lowering the flags now, and only for two days? Why does it seem as if the Republican Party is intentionally trying to downplay what has happened here?

Because acknowledging the dead would be to acknowledge the failures of the Trump administration to adequately prepare for this crisis. The GOP, as always, would rather scapegoat, distract, and pass the buck.

We look at a couple of key GOP talking points designed to undermine these deaths, including the Republican contention that older Americans basically don't count and the baseless GOP assertion that measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus are worse than coronavirus (the GOP loves to invoke Sweden here - we look at that, too).

But just because the GOP refuses to honor the dead doesn't mean we have to play along. We look at Teju Cole's essay, "We Can't Comprehend This Much Sorrow," as well as pieces on the importance of ritual and on "new ways to mourn" in the age of coronavirus.

What can we do?

Find ways to acknowledge and honor those who have died and continue to die, either through ritual or by sharing their stories through social media, in a letter to the editor, and with your elected representatives.

And, as always, if you aren't involved in a campaign at the local, state or federal level, now is the time to get involved. We shouldn't have to have a long conversation explaining why we need to collectively grieve in the midst of a national catastrophe. We should have leaders who get it, and leaders who lead. This administration has failed, and it's on all of us - collectively - to replace them. 

This episode was recorded on Monday,

Welcome to our weekend grab bag, where we follow up on stories from throughout the week and talk about what we're listening to, reading and watching to stay grounded in this unsettling time.

We start with a look at the numbers: from both a public health perspective and an economic one. The news here in Texas is especially grim, as the state has played fast and loose with the numbers on testing. In addition, over one million Texans have likely, according to the Texas Tribune, "suffered the double whammy of losing their jobs and their employer-based health insurance."

Meanwhile, as the GOP vilifies the vast majority of Americans in favor of shutdown measures, a new study shows 36,000 American lives could've been saved had we started social distancing a week earlier.

A final follow-up: ICYMI, check out Antoinette's Oh This Small World on "Business Leaders and the Myth of the Middle Ground."

Next up is a wide-ranging conversation on political labels: do they help us understand our country and our political parties? Or are they harmful? Are the labels that we use even relevant to today?

Antoinette and Lucas also took a couple of ideological quizzes to see where they ranked and if they thought the results were accurate. Want to try them yourself? You can find them here and here.

As for weekend recs, Antoinette has Theranos on the brain: she suggests both checking out the ABC Audio podcast The Dropout, about the Elizabeth Holmes fiasco, and reading John Carreyrou's account of the same, "Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup."

Looking for a weekend LOL? Lucas puts in a plug for his husband Greg Marshall's recent humor piece up at McSweeney's. Speaking of Greg, he and Lucas have recently started taking voice lessons over Zoom. Looking to learn a new skill this summer but want to keep things socially distant? For Austin listeners, Lucas suggests considering an online class at the Contemporary Austin or taking a (virtual) Informal Class through UT-Austin.

Stay safe this long weekend, and we'll see you on Monday! 

This episode was recorded on Friday, May 22, 2020.

It's never been American business custom to speak openly about politics. But when business leaders who are progressively minded do speak up, I want truth! I want resonance! I want to feel what they're saying in my bones!

That's not what we usually get, though. And today I'm calling in my business leader people. Stop imploring us to all just find a way to get along politically. That might work if we were playing by the same rules, but it turns out we aren't even playing the same game.

The COVID-19 catastrophe has highlighted major problems in America that existed well before the pandemic did, from a broken health care system to vast (and rising) inequality. But what if out of this crisis came the chance to create big change? Today our focus is on expanding our political imaginations and beginning to think about what a post-pandemic America should look like.

First, a quick follow-up, as Antoinette gives us an important update on vote by mail in Texas.

Next, we jump into our main topic. To start, we explore a couple of recent happenings that highlight the possibility of tossing aside the old, ineffective ways of doing things and searching for a better path forward. Helping guide the conversation: Jamelle Bouie's recent column in support of Elizabeth Warren for Dem V.P.; Mark Leibovich's story on Stacey Abrams; and the recent commencement address given by President Obama.

Then we dive into how previous crises have opened the door to major policy shifts and structural change in America. For more historical context, check out this Los Angeles Times piece by Mark Z. Barabak, and this Mara Liasson story from NPR.

What are the big changes your hosts would like to see? We delve into some of the big ones, including fixing our broken healthcare system, confronting white supremacy, and fighting back against the war on people who actually know what they're talking about. (For an entertaining and depressing piece on how far we've fallen in that last category, check out this excerpt from Michael Lewis' book, "The Fifth Risk.").

How do we get to a place where we can make real change? For starters, by getting real about how we got into this position in the first place. We take a look at an interesting 2018 proposition from Kevin Baker in the New Republic.

Of course, no change can happen if we can't take power, and big change can't happen if we don't play the long game by winning at the state and local, as well as federal, levels.

Your calls to action for today:

1. Get involved locally. Find a state or local election in a swing district near you and volunteer today. Have no idea where to start? If you're in Texas, check out Flip The Texas House, Swing Left and Indivisible Austin. In Texas or out of it, visit Run For Something and Sister District.

2. Create a political dream board. Figure out the change you want to see. And let us know what you're thinking. We're on Twitter and IG at @ohthisworldpod

Today, Antoinette does a deep-dive into how we can hold corporations accountable for their actions in the COVID-19 era.

Before we leap into the corporate world, Lucas looks at the latest ways Republicans are distorting information to distract from their own incredible unpreparedness on Coronavirus. He points to recent Republican insistence that red states shouldn't be "responsible" for blue states when, in fact, blue states are the ones who usually subsidize their red counterparts. (The Dave Weigel tweet he references during this mini-rant can be found here). He also looks at some repugnant statements from HHS Secretary Azar.

For the main event, Antoinette leads us through a short and sorry history of corporations. Antoinette investigates how we got to a place where we treat corporations as people, and why corporate malfeasance rarely results in individual accountability.

She also has some suggestions for new ways we can think about corporations in America during this strange time. Finally, she unveils some actions all of us take do today:

* Flex your muscle as a consumer. Dig into the practices of your favorite businesses, demand better when necessary and route your money to local and independent businesses. Hold corporations accountable for their behavior during this pandemic.

* Cultivate a conversation on social media about good corporate behavior. When a corporation's practices don't align with your values, let your circle know and organize together to create change.

This episode was recorded on Monday, May 18, 2020.

GOP voter suppression efforts in Texas continue their slog. It would be nice to not think about this for a day, but since we can't do that, let's turn our frustration into action and step up for every Texan.

Texans, please make two calls on Monday to fight for our voting rights:
Gov. Greg Abbott -- 800-843-5789
Secretary of State Ruth Hughs -- 512-463-5555

After you get to the person who's going to take your message for Gov. Abbott and then SOS Hughs, say this short script:

“Keep voters and election officials safe by giving all eligible Texas voters the option of voting by mail and ramping up public education on voting by mail.”

And then text 5 friends and ask them to make the same two calls.

Thank you ACLU Texas for the script that I adapted for this CTA.

We start our Weekend Grab Bag with some follow-ups on stories throughout the week, including an update to our disinformation episode.

Lucas points to two stories related to his Oh This Small World mini-episode addressed to his fellow white people: a disturbing piece from the New York Times about armed "protesters" in Texas, and an article on the cancellation of the legislative session in Michigan. For listeners - especially white listeners - interested in further exploring how whiteness and white supremacy influence every aspect of American life, Lucas recommends Debby Irving's memoir "Waking Up White."

Next, Antoinette does a deep-dive into all things Animal Crossing, using a recent Atlantic piece as a jumping-off point to investigate what the game - and its popularity - says about where we are as a country.

Speaking of where we are as a country, we next dive into the numbers this week, and they're harrowing. A good resource for keeping track of what's happening with COVID-19 across America: the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.  Here in Texas, meanwhile, this week saw the highest single-day hike in coronavirus deaths, two weeks after Gov. Abbott's announced partial "reopen." The economic news is no better, including record unemployment and a volatile week on the stock market. We talk about what it all means, and where we go from here.

Finally, it's Friday, which means Antoinette and Lucas give their recs for what to watch, listen to, or read this weekend to stay grounded.

Antoinette sticks with the Animal Crossing theme, recommending the game or the Pocket Camp version for iPad and iPhone. She also recs some Spotify playlists: lofi hip hop and Throwback Jams. Meanwhile, Lucas, in a rare break from Antoinette, suggests tuning into Netflix's Love is Blind if you haven't already (though he has recommendations within that recommendation). 

Let us know what you're listening to/watching/reading. We're on IG and Twitter @OhThisWorldPod or email us at [email protected]. 

Stay safe and healthy this weekend and we'll see you next week!

This episode was recorded on Friday, May 15, 2020.

On this episode, Antoinette and Lucas explore the disinformation that bad actors are spreading about coronavirus, and what all of us can do to combat it.

We start by looking at the differences between misinformation and disinformation, and recount our own experiences falling for, or dealing with people who have fallen for, false material. We also recommend this must-read Twitter thread from Andy Slavitt on how the Trump administration will try to discredit scientists in the coming days and weeks.

Next we explore the debunked "Plandemic" video that was going around recently. In understanding why the video was convincing to some people, we found this Tara Haelle piece from Forbes, "Why It's Important to Push Back on 'Plandemic' - And How To Do It," especially helpful. Haelle's piece also has some excellent advice for how to talk to friends or family who have fallen for a conspiracy theory.

Also useful in understanding 'Plandemic': this Science Magazine piece, which fact-checked and debunked multiple claims in the video.

So what can we do to combat disinformation? In addition to the Tara Haelle piece, which explains both why it's important to push back against disinformation and how to do it effectively, we recommend this excellent ProPublica article by investigative journalist Marshall Allen on the questions he asks to assess mis- and disinformation. This Atlantic story has additional suggestions for countering false claims.

Our calls to action:

1. Speak out. Check out the resources in our episode notes, and the next time you see a friend or family member spreading disinformation on social media, say something.

2. Indivisible Austin has three actions you can take this week to combat disinformation, including pressuring Gov. Abbott to listen to the scientists. All three Indivisible Austin calls to action are here.

Losing your mind with home-schooling? Lucas posted up an activity he used to do with his 7th graders to identify the credibility of different media sources. (It's not like the most fun thing ever but could definitely kill an hour and is useful, too!)

Stay safe out there, and remember: your words matter. If you see disinformation being spread, call it out.

This episode was recorded on Wednesday, May 13, 2020. 

In today's episode we look at what types of work are considered essential, how we treat our essential workers (spoiler: poorly), and what all of us can do to support America's essential workforce.

Before diving in, Antoinette calls attention to an A+ video about vote-by-mail from TX-10 Democratic candidate Mike Siegel, and Lucas gives an update on the never-ending Dallas hairdresser saga, now revealed to be (predictably) a stunt.

We also take listeners through TX-21 Rep. Chip Roy's latest embarrassing meltdown/plea for campaign donations, this one provoked by... a completely non-controversial non-binding anti-discrimination resolution from the San Antonio City Council.

For our main topic, Antoinette leads us on a deep-dive into essential work: what work is considered "essential" during COVID-19? And how can we better support these workers who allow our society to function?

Among the resources we use to understand essential work in America: this demographic profile of the country's essential workers; this Community Impact story on how coronavirus is affecting those still going into work here in Travis County; and this Marketwatch piece on the difference between essential workers and essential work.

We also explore how race has factored into the equation, recommending Adam Serwer's essay, "The Coronavirus Was an Emergency Until Trump Found Out Who Was Dying," and touch on recent protests for better working conditions among essential workers.

What can you do to support America's essential workers?

Our call to action today is to call your senators and your Congressperson and demand that they include the Essential Workers Bill of Rights in the next coronavirus aid package. Looking for a script to help you make your call? Both Indivisible and Greenpeace have great scripts for calling both your Democratic and Republican members of Congress. Make your first call today.

This episode was recorded on Monday, May 11, 2020.