Propaganda Loves You

Mutual Aid, Empathy, and Integration: Social Meditation with Vince Fakhoury Horn (Part 2)

In part two of an interview on Propaganda Loves You, hosts continue their conversation with Vince Fakhoury Horn of the Buddhist Geeks organization about mutual aid, community, and contemplative practice. Horn connects disaster-driven mutual aid after Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina to rebuilding everyday human connection through communities of practice. The discussion explores empathy (cognitive, emotional, and somatic) and balancing self- and other-focus, then shifts to awakening as experience versus abstraction, perception as sense-making, and Buddhist ideas like emptiness and interdependent arising. Horn emphasizes embodied “live words” over “dead words,” and frames integration as functioning in conventional reality while incorporating transformative insights, noting risks of psychedelics including his own psilocybin-induced psychosis. They distinguish concentration (“stopping”) from insight (“looking”), recommend finding suitable meditation objects, and demonstrate a brief peer-to-peer social meditation “there is” noting practice, concluding with reflections on mutual attunement.

00:00 Part Two Setup

01:02 Mutual Aid And Community

04:21 Empathy In Social Practice

07:25 Awakening Experience Vs Concept

08:19 Perception Self And Emptiness

16:30 Live Words And Embodiment

19:17 Integration Psychedelics Risks

24:09 Disillusionment And Trust

27:20 Truth Through Illusion

29:05 Disco Ball Metaphor

29:57 Transcend And Include

32:30 Meditation Basics Explained

33:30 Concentration Vs Insight

36:42 Finding Your Object

38:59 Why Social Meditation

40:18 There Is Noting Practice

44:13 Five Minute Group Sit

49:17 Reflections And Wrap Up

https://www.buddhistgeeks.org/

First Interview Episode: Vince Fakhoury Horn on Buddhism, Narrative Framing, and Propaganda After 9/11 and Gaza

Joe and Arthur interview Vince Fakhoury (Buddhist Geeks), a Dharma teacher and Palestinian American, about generational tensions between Buddhist teachers, tech-driven “schismogenesis,” and formative experiences of propaganda after 9/11, including his grandparents’ treatment during travel and business scrutiny. Vince links propaganda to linguistic framing via “social meditation,” arguing those who control frames shape what’s discussable, and critiques “neoliberal Buddhism” for avoiding systemic issues like Gaza. He describes building connective tissue between individual practice and social liberation through relational practice and projects like Insight Diaspora, and discusses Buddhist history, non-duality, and unconditional generosity.

00:00 Housekeeping Updates

00:36 First Interview Tease

01:42 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:17 Vince Background and Work

04:42 Generational Dharma Tensions

08:30 Schismogenesis and Projects

10:41 Defining Propaganda

11:06 Post 9/11 Propaganda Impact

13:10 Meditation Framing and Language

17:31 Media Narratives and Awakening

20:31 Developmental Stages and Systems

22:49 Nietzsche and Buddhist Suffering

24:51 Early Buddhism Nirvana Escape

25:28 Mahayana Nonduality Shift

27:13 Modern Buddhism Remixing

28:28 Meditation Versus Social Media

29:19 Buddhist Modernism Limits

32:06 Lions Roar For Gaza

34:40 Neoliberal Dharma Frustrations

39:05 Developmental Lens And Growth

42:00 Social Meditation Connective Tissue

45:59 Dana And Unconditional Generosity

49:25 Closing And Support

Getting Started with Meditation: Using Noting to Stay Present

The episode guides listeners through two short meditations while teaching foundational skills for beginners. It begins with settling into a comfortable posture, setting a relaxed intention to stay still, and finding an easy, comfortable way of breathing, using breath and whole-body physical sensations as an anchor to the present moment. The host addresses feeling overwhelmed by an active mind, emphasizing that meditation is not about stopping thoughts but relating to them skillfully by categorizing mental content as helpful or unhelpful and remembering you don’t need to finish a thought before returning to the breath. The core technique introduced is noting: using quick one-word labels to track experience (e.g., “breathing,” “feeling/body,” “thinking”) and keeping present-moment sensations in the foreground while allowing other mental chatter to remain in the background.

00:00 Welcome and First Sit

00:52 Posture and Breath Comfort

04:14 Expand to Body Awareness

07:31 When Meditation Feels Overwhelming

08:52 Helpful vs Unhelpful Thoughts

10:35 You Don’t Have to Finish Thoughts

12:01 Noting Technique Explained

14:59 Foreground vs Background Mind

16:53 Second Meditation with Noting

18:50 Three Labels Practice

22:20 Closing Reminder

Elon Musk’s PAC Reprimanded for Georgia Voter Fraud Allegations, Iran Strikes, and Disinformation Flooding X

Host Kodie and co-hosts share listener statistics (top countries outside the U.S. include the UK, Singapore, Russia, Mexico, and Belgium) and play a “spot the lie” game tied to current events, then discuss reports that the Trump DOJ withheld Epstein-related documents, including FBI memos about an alleged sexual assault accusation against Donald Trump. They cover renewed U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran, alleged civilian casualties, and concerns about deliberate targeting, alongside a Wired report describing X being flooded with disinformation, including recycled footage, AI-generated images, and monetized false posts from blue-check accounts. The episode pivots to Elon Musk’s America PAC, which Georgia’s State Elections Board reprimanded over allegedly sending partially prefilled absentee ballot applications and misleading formatting. They also discuss DOGE’s restructuring and argue U.S. foreign policy and government action serve corporate interests. Next week they plan an Edward Bernays focus and Adam Curtis’s “The Century of the Self,” and they close with news that Saranac Lake will remove Flock AI cameras after public pushback.

00:00 Welcome Back and Setup

01:15 Housekeeping Global Listeners

03:05 Spot the Lie Game

05:22 Lie Revealed and Real Headlines

07:10 Epstein Files and Privilege

11:21 Epstein Lottery Money Laundering

12:29 Satirical Education Network Ad

14:10 Iran Strikes and Moral Fallout

20:13 Wired Report X Disinformation

24:21 X as Tabloid Media

26:07 Curating Social Feeds

28:50 Frameworks for Foreign Policy

39:53 Lobbying and Class Power

44:21 Militarism and Identity

47:00 Business Plot Revival

48:43 Satirical Sponsor Break

50:43 Musk PAC Voter Fraud

55:41 DOGE and DDS Takeover

59:09 Loyalty Over Competence

01:03:37 Wrap Up and Next Week

01:06:46 Good News Local Cameras

01:07:33 Final Sign Off

Getting Started with Meditation: Breath Basics and the Kite-Flying Metaphor

This episode continues a series on starting a meditation practice by reviewing basic setup: finding a comfortable posture (seated, lying down, or standing), scanning the body for tension, and using the breath as the main meditation object by noticing its physical sensations and choosing to breathe in a more relaxing, refreshing way. It notes how body, breath, and mind influence each other, and suggests an alternate practice of checking in with the six sense doors if focusing on the breath feels tedious. The host introduces a kite-flying metaphor, describing the initial effort of “getting the kite in the air” as the deliberate, persistent attention needed to lock onto the meditation object, and distractions as the wind dropping and the kite falling, requiring a restart that becomes easier with repetition. The session ends with a guided breath meditation emphasizing detailed sensation tracking and noticing changes over time.

00:00 Welcome and Plan

01:05 Guided Breath Setup

03:20 Body Breath Mind Foundation

07:54 Beyond the Breath Options

10:05 Meditation Like Flying a Kite

13:02 Effort Distraction and Restart

16:29 Closing Guided Practice

17:53 Micro Sensations and Curiosity

21:58 Noticing Change and Wrap Up

Flock AI Cameras in Saranac Lake, ICE Warehouse Markups, and DOJ Cases Falling Apart

Kodie hosts episode season two, episode four of “Propaganda Loves You” with Arthur and Joe, framing the show around Fourth Amendment concerns and government access to personal data via corporate brokers. The group discusses Saranac Lake, New York installing Flock AI license plate reader and security cameras using a $241,500 state grant, including how the system profiles vehicles, stores data for 30 days, shares with other law enforcement, and is leased from Flock; they review the local reporting on mixed community reaction, error rates, privacy and security risks, misuse concerns, potential ICE access, and new Flock products linking vehicle data to personal data. A satirical ad break for “Victory Coffee” follows. Joe introduces a TikTok report (Jess Craven 101) alleging ICE is repeatedly overpaying for warehouses converted into detention centers, citing specific examples and markups (including a Social Circle, Georgia purchase for $128.5M after a $29.4M purchase less than two years prior), and raising questions about oversight, competitive bidding, and who benefits, amid claims of large ICE spending plans. The hosts connect this to broader patterns of government-enabled profiteering and discuss potential accountability, including recovering misused funds. Another satirical ad break for “Harmony Pods” follows. Arthur summarizes a Guardian-reported pattern where DOJ/DHS bring aggressive charges for assaulting or impeding federal officers during immigration enforcement and protest contexts, but cases collapse when evidence is tested, including Minneapolis examples where video contradicts sworn statements and charges are dismissed with prejudice; similar lack of convictions is noted in Chicago and repeated defense wins in Los Angeles. They discuss what “with prejudice” means and whether repeat misconduct should restrict future charging power. The episode closes with “good news” updates: mention of Prince Andrew being arrested on his birthday, New Mexico reopening a probe into Epstein’s Zorro Ranch and seeking unredacted federal files, and Bill Gates withdrawing from an AI summit keynote after disclosure of an Epstein-related email allegation; they also share personal updates about trapping and spaying a pregnant stray cat and note an upcoming release of episode two of Joe’s meditation series.

00:00 Welcome and Premise

00:55 Today’s Topics Preview

01:03 DOJ Cases Falling Apart

01:54 ICE Spending Corruption Tease

04:01 Listener Stats Update

06:39 Flock Cameras Arrive

13:56 How Flock Works

15:03 Privacy and Misuse Concerns

17:26 Fourth Amendment Debate

28:44 Oversight and Next Steps

29:34 Satirical Sponsor Break

31:15 TikTok Exposé on Warehouses

32:22 ICE Warehouse Markups

33:26 No Oversight Spending

34:36 Upward Redistribution Pattern

37:26 Brazen Corruption Examples

39:57 Public Anger Watershed

41:09 Justice and Clawbacks

44:28 Epstein Lottery Tangent

45:46 Harmony Pods Ad Break

47:02 DOJ Cases Falling Apart

50:27 Dismissed With Prejudice

54:39 Supreme Court Endgame

57:52 Accountability Updates

01:02:03 Good News and Plugs

01:05:13 Show Wrap and Outro

Resources used for this episode -

https://www.adirondackdailyenterprise.com/news/local-news/2026/02/new-flock-police-cameras-take-roost-in-saranac-lake/

https://deflock.org/map#map=15/44.327241/-74.135377

https://deflock.org/

https://www.kenklippenstein.com/p/the-revolution-is-here

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/21/doj-protesters-federal-agents-cases

https://www.illinoislegalaid.org/legal-information/difference-between-dismissed-or-without-prejudice#:~:text=Judges%20are%20careful%20about%20dismissing,gives%20you%20another%20chance%20to:

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39wj94me31o

https://www.tiktok.com/@jesscraven101/video/7608386500606119181?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc

Propaganda Loves You Special: Joe’s Getting Started with Meditation Sessions

This special Propaganda Loves You episode introduces a set of meditation recordings created by Joe, who volunteers with a group teaching meditation to incarcerated people in the DC area and other communities with limited access. The show explains that four 20–25 minute beginner-focused sessions have been produced, each structured as a guided meditation, a short technique talk, and a second guided practice that builds on the first. Joe then leads a “getting started with meditation” lesson: establishing a safe, comfortable posture; using the breath as an anchor; and treating distraction as a normal part of practice by gently returning attention to breathing. He compares meditation to physical exercise—encouraging experimentation to find what fits—and recommends starting with a small daily habit (about three to five minutes) while noticing benefits like greater calm and awareness of unhealthy thought loops. The episode closes with a second guided meditation that adds a survey of the senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, body sensations) and a brief check-in with thoughts before returning attention to the breath or repeating the sensory scan.

00:00 Propaganda Loves You Special: Introducing Joe’s Meditation Series

00:25 Why These Recordings Exist (Meditation for Incarcerated Communities)

02:38 Episode 1 Roadmap: Two Meditations + Technique Talk

03:18 Guided Meditation #1: Posture, Breath Anchor, Returning from Distraction

10:01 Meditation Explained: Training the Mind Like Exercise

14:56 How to Start a Daily Practice (3–5 Minutes, Build Consistency)

17:49 Guided Meditation #2: Breath + Survey of the Senses

20:09 Sense Scan Deep Dive: Sight, Sound, Smell, Taste, Body, Thoughts

27:54 Closing: Keep Practicing and Check In with Your Experience

Deep Dive: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Epstein, and How Antisemitic Conspiracies Get Repackaged

The episode opens with a contrast between Donald Trump’s claim that the released Epstein files “totally exonerate” him and Rep. Ted Lieu’s opposing view of what the documents and related issues suggest. The main deep dive focuses on the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion,” framed as a 120+ year-old antisemitic disinformation operation likely to resurface amid discussion of Epstein’s alleged ties to Israeli intelligence and the Israeli state. Using a Holocaust Encyclopedia article, the hosts summarize the protocols’ origins in Russia in 1903, its fabrication and plagiarism from earlier works (including Maurice Joly’s 1864 political satire), and how it spread internationally, was repeatedly exposed as a forgery, and was still leveraged by Nazi leaders and propaganda despite being known as false. The discussion highlights how the protocols are regularly adapted to fit current events, how scapegoating works, and why it’s important to focus accountability on specific perpetrators rather than blaming Jewish people as a whole. The hosts also discuss media ownership and technology’s role in amplifying propaganda, including comparisons to modern billionaire-owned outlets and concerns about AI systems promoting conspiratorial content, illustrated by a cyberpunk-style ad segment about a fictional Neuralink-like “intimacy stream.” They further explore the conflation of Judaism with the state of Israel, arguing criticism of a government should not be treated as antisemitism, and note Christian Zionism as part of the broader ideological landscape. The episode closes with a recommendation for a New York Times The Daily episode titled “The Secret Plan to End US Climate Regulations,” brief local announcements, and a plug encouraging listeners to grow food for resilience as environmental and food safety standards are discussed as being undermined.

00:00 Cold Open: Famous Political Quotes & Soundbites Mashup

01:18 Epstein Files: Trump Claims ‘Total Exoneration’ vs. Ted Lieu’s Take

03:58 Why Talk ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion’ Now? Epstein, Israel & Prebunking Antisemitic Narratives

16:48 Media Power Then & Now: Newspaper Barons, Bezos, and Tech as Propaganda Infrastructure

18:02 Cyberpunk Interlude: ‘Intimacy Stream / Neuralink’ Satire on High-Tech, Low-Freedom Life

19:38 Protocols Exposed: Plagiarism, The Times Investigation, and the Forgery’s Paper Trail

30:37 From Nazis to Today: How the Protocols Spread, Mutated, and Still Gets Weaponized

35:41 Scapegoats vs. Systems: Billionaire Class, Nationalism, and Separating Judaism from the Israeli State

38:50 Wrap-Up: Watch for the Narrative Online + Links in Show Notes

39:58 Bonus Recommendation: NYT The Daily on the ‘Secret Plan’ to End US Climate Regulations

41:23 Community Plugs: Voters for Change Hub + Growing Food for Resilience

43:56 Final Thanks & Sign-Off: ‘Propaganda Loves You’

Resources for this episode -

https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/protocols-of-the-elders-of-zion

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/podcasts/the-daily/trump-activists-climate-policy.html

Minneapolis Labor Organizing Against ICE: Momentum, On-Ramps, and a Closing Guided Meditation

Week three, part two of Propaganda Loves You focuses on Minneapolis-centered labor and community organizing in response to ICE actions, with an update on rapid national solidarity mobilization. The hosts cite NationalShutdown.org’s report of January 30 solidarity actions in all 50 states, totaling over 300 actions and involving more than 1,000 organizations and businesses, and MuseumOfProtest.org’s figures describing large Minneapolis crowds and coordinated actions elsewhere, including arrests of clergy in San Francisco, rallies in Dolores Park, and student walkouts. The episode centers on reading and discussing an Eric Blanc LaborPolitics.com article that distinguishes between social-media-driven “general strike” framing and actual general strikes, arguing January 30 did not materially disrupt major industry while January 23’s “Day of Truth and Freedom” in the Twin Cities showed substantial but still limited workplace disruption and mass participation. Key themes include the need for momentum, organization, and risk-tolerant leadership; the danger of calling general strikes that don’t materialize; the importance of winnable campaigns targeting corporations that enable ICE operations (such as airlines and hotels); and expanding participation through accessible “on-ramps,” highlighted by Unidos training 30,000 legal/constitutional observers and neighborhood chat coordination. The discussion emphasizes that major private-sector corporations ICE depends on were not seriously disrupted, and argues for more private-sector worker organizing, petitions, trainings, and consumer pressure campaigns, referencing examples like “Ice Out Tech,” Sunrise’s Hilton pressure campaign, and a South Korea 2024 pro-democracy labor response. A satirical sponsor interlude introduces “Veritas Vision,” a fictional required platform that stabilizes and “enhances” reality footage by removing “raw data” and ensuring compliance. The hosts briefly mention a New York Times The Daily episode, “The Secret Plan to End US Climate Regulations,” about conservative activists’ long-term effort to undermine EPA climate regulatory authority. They then review six takeaways from a Mother Jones piece, including coalition-building between labor and broader movements, asking employers to close, starting community power-building now, micro-level organizing, offering ways to participate for those who can’t strike, and connecting movements. The episode concludes with Joe leading a short guided meditation focused on comfortable posture, relaxed breath awareness, non-striving attention, and a subtle smile technique, followed by listener reflections and a resource recommendation.

00:00 Welcome Back + What This Episode Covers (Minneapolis, Labor, ICE)

00:58 Rapid-Fire Updates: Nationwide Shutdown & Minneapolis Numbers

05:04 Reading the Labor Politics Analysis: What Counts as a ‘General Strike’?

10:23 Momentum vs. Organization: Lessons from Past General Strikes

20:26 Strategy Shift: Target ICE’s Corporate Enablers (Avelo, Hilton, etc.)

21:41 Satirical Sponsor Break: ‘Veritas Vision’ and Manufactured Reality

23:18 Organizing On-Ramps: Legal Observers, Signal Groups, Building Majorities

29:17 Private-Sector Power: Campaigns Inside Target/Amazon + South Korea Example

34:32 Who Will Lead? Replicating Minneapolis & Taking Initiative

36:24 Bonus Recommendation: NYT Daily on Ending US Climate Regulations

37:49 Group Takeaways + Mother Jones’ 6 Lessons (Quick Checklist)

44:54 Guided Meditation to Settle the Nervous System

54:15 Meditation Reactions, Resources, and Closing Thanks

Resources used for this episode -

https://www.laborpolitics.com/p/how-to-organize-a-real-general-strike

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2026/02/minneapolis-minnesotas-general-strike-ice-border-patrol-trump/

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/12/podcasts/the-daily/trump-activists-climate-policy.html

Meditation - https://www.youtube.com/@onthatpath

Epstein Files, DOJ Redactions, and the ‘Epstein Class’: Congress, Conspiracies, and Manufactured Confusion

Host Kodie is joined by Arthur and Joe for an episode of Propaganda Loves You, outlining a changed release schedule and announcing companion bonus content: a short guided meditation recorded on the show plus four 20–25 minute beginner meditation sessions Joe made for incarcerated people in the DC area via a volunteer group. The episode opens with discussion of an AI-generated racist video Trump posted depicting the Obamas as apes, noting it was created by the same ‘Dilly meme team’ figure discussed in season one. Arthur introduces a new recurring segment focused on Epstein updates. The hosts discuss DOJ’s release of about 3.5 million Epstein-related documents versus claims of a larger archive, Congress being allowed to view unredacted materials only in secure rooms without copies, and concerns that the rollout muddies truth and fuels misinformation. They highlight reporting and watchdog claims that communications from high-profile figures—especially Trump-era officials—were not included, and that survivor-related information remains heavily redacted while victim names and photos appear. Arthur also notes reports that DOJ drafted a statement about Epstein’s suicide the day before his death and mentions conspiracy narratives circulating online, including alleged password leaks from the dump. The conversation references Drop Site reporting describing Epstein as a nexus for a transnational neoliberal elite network involving government figures and deals tied to surveillance and tech (including Palantir), and they discuss the difficulty of addressing alleged Israeli state connections without collapsing into antisemitic framing. The episode includes a satirical ‘sponsor’ ad for a fictional authoritarian digital wallet and ‘Freedom Points’ compliance system. The hosts then watch and discuss a House floor speech about the Epstein Transparency Act and claims that Trump’s FBI scrubbed files before release, as well as a heated House Judiciary exchange featuring Pam Bondi, where members accuse DOJ of deflection and refusing to meet or apologize to survivors; the hosts contrast this with Bondi’s older campaign ad promising to put human traffickers behind bars and argue the hearings amount to theater without accountability. They close by previewing part two on Minnesota labor organizing and what a general strike could look like, plus a Thursday deep dive on Protocols of the Elders of Zion, followed by releasing Joe’s meditation series.

00:00 Welcome Back + What’s on Deck (Epstein files, bonus drops, schedule)

01:21 Bonus Episodes: Joe’s Beginner Meditation Series (and why it exists)

04:43 Trump’s Racist AI ‘Lion King’ Video & the Viral Meme Pipeline

05:48 Naming the New Segment: “Epstein Filing Cabinet of Atrocities”

07:10 Epstein Files Update: DOJ dump, access limits, and the ‘suicide statement’ draft

08:38 Conspiracy vs. Disinfo: Google Trends, fake docs, and muddying the waters

14:27 Burying Truth in Bureaucracy: information overload as a cover strategy

16:17 Geopolitics Angle: Epstein as a nexus of global elites, surveillance tech, and Israel discourse

22:08 Normalization, Culture War, and ‘Handmaid’s Tale’ Parallels

25:13 Democrats, Two-Tier Justice, and What Organizing Looks Like Now

27:07 Satirical Sponsor Break: Freedom Points, unified wallets, and compliance scoring

29:17 Watch Party: Rep. Ro Khanna on the Epstein Transparency Act & ‘Epstein Class’

41:28 House Judiciary Clips: Pam Bondi grilled, deflection tactics, and survivor accountability

48:02 Why Hearings Feel Like Theater: accountability as spectacle vs. real consequences

54:22 Wrap-Up + Next Episodes (Minnesota labor, Elders of Zion deep dive, meditation series)

Resources Used for this Episode

https://www.youtube.com/live/7zO99kcgFpI - News Roundup: Iran, Gaza, and Epstein Files

https://youtu.be/U_zWBOV_bng?si=q0ntylhuB5GEobnQ

https://youtu.be/_3PjuOxh2dI?si=5lvUNWjK08OTQUI1