Our opening clip was the 1989 trailer for Roger & Me, the breakthrough Michael Moore documentary and a favorite of Erica Smiley, Executive Director of Jobs With Justice and one of the most powerful voices in today’s labor movement.

Smiley is reshaping how we think about power, not just at work, but across our democracy. She co-authored The Future We Need: Organizing for a Better Democracy in the Twenty-First Century, making the case that collective bargaining isn’t only about wages. It’s about people reclaiming control over the decisions that define their lives. From Amazon warehouses to grassroots coalitions, her work connects the dots between economic justice and political freedom. In a time of rising authoritarianism, Erica Smiley is showing us that organized people, not organized money, can win. It’s a lesson worth remembering, especially in the wake of New York City’s mayoral race.

Want more conversations like this? Join the Gaslit Nation Salon, live every Monday at 4pm ET. It’s our weekly Zoom gathering for listeners to vent, connect, strategize, and build community while documenting this moment in real time.

Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit. Annual memberships are discounted, and we’re grateful to everyone who keeps the show going. You can also give the gift of membership to help others join the fight.

And if you’re headed to the beach, or just need a break from doomscrolling, don’t miss the Gaslit Nation graphic novel, Dictatorship: It’s Easier Than You Think!  Follow our morally bankrupt narrator, Judge Lackey, as he navigates the dark comedy of authoritarianism, dodging accountability and panicking over activists and journalists. Find it at your local library or at Bookshop.org.

EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:

• NEW DATE! Thursday July 31 4pm ET – the Gaslit Nation Book Club discusses Antoine de Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince written in the U.S. during America First. 

• Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, available on Patreon. 

• Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other, available on Patreon. 

• Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect, available on Patreon. 

• Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join, available on Patreon. 

• Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group, available on Patreon. 

• Have you taken Gaslit Nation’s HyperNormalization Survey Yet?

• Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and the first ~40 minutes are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!