Radically Human

No, you don't have the right to your own opinion.

(00:00) Intro

(02:59) News Segment: HHS Science Advisor Paul Alexander recommended intentionally spreading Covid to achieve "herd immunity." Rand Paul’s admission that he doesn’t want black people to vote. Cyberwarfare update: Hundreds of US government departments and private companies have been hacked by a foreign government, almost certainly Russia. The completely unhinged attempts by republicans to submit “alternate” electors to change last Monday’s electoral college vote. Trump supporters are now threatening legal action because bookies are paying off election bets. The Dodge City, Kansas Mayor who resigned over death threats because she supported a mask mandate. People leaving the Republican Party, and Bill Barr resigns.

(47:57) The Opinion Card: America’s crisis of truth and democracy, and how we got here. We’ve touched on this before in our segments on free speech and libertarianism, and also when we discussed the film The Social Dilemma. But we’ve reached yet another milestone in reality distortion, with Trump’s post-election autocoup attempt, and the full complicity of the Republican party.

So we’re going to really drill down into the damage caused by this lurch in the past two decades toward the elevation of opinion over facts and expertise. This phenomenon parallels the rise of social media, but isn’t entirely defined or caused by it. The Opinion Card is a broader interpersonal dynamic, one that’s also been co-opted by our political system and even by algorithms. Opinions have become weapons of mass destruction. The way people are choosing to use their freedom of conscience to either employ or fight back against these weapons of mass destruction, and the systemic impact of those collective decisions, is changing our world as never before.

(02:13:57) Outro

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Show Notes:

"America, We Have a Problem" The rise of “political sectarianism” is putting us all in danger.

"The Doomsday Machine"

"The Red Web"

"Homo/Hetero: The Struggle for Sexual Identity" Joseph Epstein, Harper's Magazine, September 1970 (Reactionary, self-loathing, homophobic garbage alert!)

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Covid Deaths and the Right's Organized Temper Tantrum

(00:00) Intro

(01:32) News Segment: Trump coup-coup update. Moratorium on evictions is about to expire. Over 50 million Americans are food insecure. State and local governments don’t have money to distribute vaccines. There are no jobs. Mitch McGollum's Covid corporate liability shield. Nestle's child slavery case hits the Supreme Court. Capt. Amy Bauernschmidt gets a nuclear aircraft carrier command. Comparison to Star Trek Voyager's Capt. Kathryn Janeway. SpaceX Starship SN-8 launch.

(53:35) Guest segment: Joseph Occhipinti is a graduate of McGill University. He has a degree in Human Geography. As a geographer, he focuses on spatial patterns and dynamics. He is also a professor. He is a writer, a nature blogger and considers himself an explorer of both places and ideas. He has been working to educate others both in the classroom and on social media about climate change for many years, and more recently the emerging threat of Covid-19.

Topics:

Analysis of wastewater for Covid-19. The impact on hospital capacity. Vaccine acceptance, and how to incentivize/enforce compliance. The three vaccines, Moderna, Pfizer, and Astra Zeneca, and how they work. Examination of the relationship between cases and death rates, and the time delay. Why do they have to be kept so cold? How long it takes to build immunity. Vaccine side effects. The importance of scientific controls, placebos.

Lack of community/public health orientation in the Unites States. Cultural factors discouraging community participation. Other nations compared to the US. The right's continued media drumbeat against solving collective action problems. Counterprotest as an "organized temper tantrum" against problem-solving.

(02:11:12) Outro

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Show notes:

'This Must Be Your First’ Acting as if Trump is trying to stage a coup is the best way to ensure he won’t.

Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election

Nestle, Cargill at high court in child labor case

Documentary film: "The Corporation"

For the First Time, a Woman Will Take Command of an Aircraft Carrier

Space X's Mars prototype rocket exploded yesterday. Here's what happened on the flight

Democracy in Chains by Nancy MacLean

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(0:00) Intro

(02:45) News segment: Trump’s ongoing and FLAILING efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. Which at this point have devolved into a giant grift to extract money from his weeping supporters to the tune of over $200 million. Farting Ghouliani and his actress/”witness” Saturday Night Live skit in the Michigan legislature. The Justice Department is investigating presidential pardons-for-sale. Trump’s purge of the Pentagon and seating of loyalists. Will he or won’t he fire Barr? Trump sycophants’ scary, but ultimately empty threats to impose martial law. The Covid crisis goes from bad to worse, with daily death totals exceeding 9/11. The tragic loss of the Arecibo observatory.

(48:14) Guest segment with Bob Donaldson: Moving Toward Enhanced Cultures.

Bob Donaldson is a change management expert. Based in northern California, he’s served in public water systems such as Silicon Valley Clean Water, Monterey One Water, Calveras County Water District, and Dublin San Ramon Services District. He’s also worked for private engineering firms including PinnacleART, Whitley Burchett, and Kennedy Jenks--and a host of corporate clients.

In the mid-1980s he joined an organization that was recovering from a labor strike. Employees were at odds; people were keying cars, vandalizing lockers, throwing lunches in the garbage and placing nails against car tires. Verbally backstabbing and publicly slandering people was a full-on sport. Drug and alcohol use was occurring on company time. Morale was low, and organizational efficiency was extremely poor. It was the wild west.

When he first arrived, he put the focus squarely on behavior. It was surprisingly controversial!

Within five years, this group became an award-winning model that the industry held as an example. The organization became a well-oiled machine. And that translated into highly motivated and efficient work teams that either met or exceeded all objectives of its mission statement.

(02:05:53) Close and outro

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Show notes:

Contact info for Bob Donaldson:

Leadership Training Experts

[email protected]

1-866-773-4473

Bullshit Jobs, by David Graeber

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The Radical Secular presents a special bonus episode with Christophe Difo and Sean Prophet, guesting on the Blinded by the Light Podcast with Bayard Lewis and Justice Bartlett. This episode was taped on November 19, 2020, and was originally posted November 24, 2020.

We discuss the process of leaving cults and harmful religions. We dive into their personal stories of leaving Church Universal and Triumphant and how they came to terms with embracing a more healthy worldview.

Topics include:

- Stories behind the scenes of the CUT hierarchy

- Rationalizing the failure of prophecy

- How bomb shelter lunacy led to disillusionment

- Hypocrisy that undermined legitimacy

- How homophobia can undermine fundamentalism and be a tipping point for people to leave religions.

- How physical distance from believers helps one to break free

- Inner conflict about social justice

- The Just World fallacy

- Taming the voice of shame

- How members were publicly shamed for normal sexuality

- Sexual repression

- Inability to discuss life issues with family members

- Hidden rage, anger, and insecurity of messengers

- A cosmic/spiritual caste system

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(00:00) Intro

(01:16) T-shirts, including discussion of "The Squad" and their role in Congress, and Nancy Pelosi as speaker.

(10:52) The news. The Trump Sore Loser Club. Trump hiding in the White House. Rudy (Ghoul) Giuliani and his mob-style post-election shenanigans. Fired cybersecurity chief Chris Krebs "the most dangerous hour and 45 minutes of television in American history." Comparison of Trump's attempted coup with the contested election of 1876. 50% of Republicans suspect the 2020 election was manipulated. The outdated "pony express" method of how US elections are tabulated and settled. A Constitutional crisis is happening along with the worst pandemic we've faced in 100 years. Our lack of Covid-19 response has a lot to do with the lack of understanding of the exponential function. The connection of church services to the spread of the pandemic. The higher risk factors of those, especially BIPOC, working through the pandemic, because they can't afford to quarantine or are in essential jobs. Trump's inaction as a form of genocide.

(44:47) Nigeria update.

(51:36) Blinded by the Light podcast update.

(53:25) MAIN SHOW FEATURE TOPIC: Biology, genetics, and race. The left's failure to accept the bell curve of intelligence and personality traits, even though they seem to have no problem with bell curves of bodily traits. The self-refuting nature of post-modernism. The James Damore incident. Irrefutable evidence of systemic racism, such as disparities in housing appraisals. Increasing egalitarianism in society, as a driver for essentialist allegations of racial inferiority--to preserve a rationalization for hierarchy. Phrenology was used in the American South to justify the treatment of slaves. Inequality as a driver of Trumpism.

The poor white doesn't identify with the poor black. They identify with the wealthy white capitalist. When democrats try to raise taxes on the wealthy, middle class republicans hear "I'm going to raise YOUR taxes." When they hear democrats want to raise minimum wages, working class republicans hear "we want all burger flippers to drive a Mercedes."

Charles Murray in his book The Bell Curve argues in favor of cutting social services altogether. In fact, we need to do the opposite. The IQ gap is narrowing as black people have gained more civil rights and economic justice. Robert Plomin debunks the significance of group IQ differences. The true and false premises of Charles Murray's argument. The opportunity cost of letting minds go to waste.

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Show notes:

The contested 1876 election of Rutherford B. Hayes

The James Damore incident

House appraisal for mixed race couple comes in $135,000 higher when black woman moves out of home

Sam Harris interviews Charles Murray

Sam Harris interviews Robert Plomin

Ezra Klein debunks Sam Harris re: Charles Murray

Always a Bigger Fish (video explaining why conservatives cling to hierarchy)

The Reactionary Mind, by Corey Robin

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(00:00) Intro

(02:14) T-Shirts. America's Post-election Chaos. The Republican Party's failure to acknowledge Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' historic popular and electoral college vote win--raises fear of a potential coup. But GOP delusion about their election loss seems to be only matched by their legal incompetence. None of the election challenges are going anywhere, many have already been thrown out of court. Biden's 306 electors are legally required to respect the will of the people, and even the republican legislatures in 4 marginal states have rejected the notion of replacing electors. Mike Pompeo's treason on the world stage has sullied the image of the United States. Trump's fund-raising corruption.

(22:51) Africa News: Ivory Coast post-election violence. Ghana's former president Jerry Rawlings dies. Mali runs successful anti-terror operation and kills Al Qaeda leader.

(31:16) Hong Kong: Beijing fires 4 pro-democracy legislators, 15 more resign. Hong Kong's democracy is effectively dead.

(37:51) The Blinded by the Light Podcast: Christophe Difo and Sean Prophet will be guests of Bayard Lewis, guest episode to air Monday November 30, 2020.

(40:04) What does it mean to be Radically Secular? This is our definitive explainer of our founding philosophy. Secularism vs. atheism. Secularism as a positive position vs. criticism of religion. Secularism as the strongest protection for religious freedom. Religious freedom vs. religious privilege, and the terrible legal doctrines regarding the first amendment--being promoted by Associate Justice Samuel Alito, and other theocratic Supreme Court Justices like Clarence Thomas and Amy Coney Barrett. Secularism as the opposite of theocracy, and an antidote for sectarianism. Secularism as the underpinning of the rule of law, and of justice, and equality. Secularism and religious tax exemption. Secularism in education.

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Show notes:

The Blinded by The Light Podcast

PEW Study on Religious Repression

Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari

Speech by Samuel Alito at the Federalist Society, November 12, 2020

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(0:00) Intro

(01:31) US 2020 election coverage. Polls and what they really meant. The GA Senate races. How people of color made this victory happen. What the executive branch can and cannot do. Potential problems with the 6-3 right-wing SCOTUS. Implications for 2022 and 2024 elections. The Democratic squeeze play, and potential defections by the progressive left and people of color. The cultural rifts in minority populations. The continued right-wing messaging on socialism and how it skews election outcomes. Various methods of voter suppression, gerrymandering, and propaganda, and how this distorts America's image of itself. The profound implications of having a female Vice-President of color.

(59:02) Nigeria update.

(01:00:58) Guest Segment with Ari Venezia-Zahemski. Ari is a first generation American, and the daughter of holocaust survivors. Raised on Social Action and Justice, Star Trek, and Politics. Dissent is in her blood.

Her Grandmother, born in Poland 1910, was jailed for being a Socialist and Zionist just prior to WWII. While she is neither of those specifically she is all about the fight for social and political justice since she was old enough to hold a sign. She is a happily married wife, Mom and dog Mom.

By day she works on a national project to promote transparency in crime reporting that grew out of a need for more incident based information about hate crimes, domestic violence and sex crimes from police departments which puts her smack in the middle of the police reform movement. Ari's first bumper sticker read "Keep Your Laws Off My Body."

She is a trained Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Advocate. She is self-educated in a number of areas, and a dilettante in a whole bunch more. Ari will tell you she is a graduate of the school of "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." She hates misogyny and racism and bigotry of all types and strives to bring light and truth everywhere she goes. Her dream job is doing research and advocacy for wrongly incarcerated women, especially those were defending themselves in domestic violence and sexual assault cases.

(02:07:30) Final thoughts and outro.

Show notes:

Media Bias Chart

13 Keys to US Presidential Elections

Domestic Violence Hotline

1-800-799-SAFE (phone number is for people who cannot use internet safely)

Georgia Runoff Races for Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock

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Instagram: @radical_secular

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The Just Words Fallacy

(00:00) Intro

(03:30) Segment 1: Christophe Difo and Sean Prophet break down the pre-election news.

(18:33) White supremacy, police-nationalism and the blue-stripe flag, reading flag commentary by Jeff Sharlet.

(31:22) Elections in Africa, as a cautionary tale as to where American democracy may be headed.

(42:37) Segment 2: The terrible, terrible idea of libertarianism. This is the definitive explainer on libertarianism from The Radical Secular. Freedom vs. Accountability, Freedom from vs. Freedom to, Environment, Cornucopianism vs. Sustainability, Free will vs. freedom of thought, the blank slate, the just world fallacy. Failing to plan for best outcomes. The social contract, vs. deontology and absolute power. Taxation as a check on power. Justice Louis Brandeis on democracy vs. wealth. The problem of billionaires. Minority rule. Private property / rents vs. personal property. The bogus claim that "Taxation is theft." The scare-word of "SOCIALISM" as a block to a cooperative, inclusive society. The scare-word of "STATISM" as a block to high-functioning government. The assault on government, the goal being "government small enough to drown in a bathtub." Picking the scab of tribalism. Learning from history what ideas can and should be disqualified. The wealthy put their thumbs on the scale of not only democracy, but the marketplace of ideas. Buying academia. Re-opening old wounds, and revisiting settled law. Ayn Rand and the "virtues" of selfishness. The narrow individualist definition of "rational self-interest."

(01:42:14) Off the Radical Secular Radar

(01:44:45) Segment 3: Radical Solutions

The Radical Secular presents politics from a liberal, cosmopolitan perspective.

Show notes:

Jeff Sharlet's thread on police nationalism

"That which can be destroyed by the truth, should be."

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The Just Words Fallacy

(01:39) Segment 1: Christophe Difo and Sean Prophet break down the news. The final presidential debate, white supremacist violence, death squads in Nigeria, Poland's new abortion ban, and the Geneva Consensus Declaration stating that there is "no international right to abortion."

(38:40) Segment 2: Star Trek Discovery and Evolutionary Psychology. Our Better Angels and the Five Inner Demons. Universal human values. Honor culture and its perversions.

(01:26:02) Off the Radical Secular Radar.

(01:28:58) Segment 3: Radical Solutions. Relationships with friends and family in the Trump and post-Trump era.

The Radical Secular presents politics from a liberal, cosmopolitan perspective.

Show notes:

Nigerian death squads

Poland's Abortion Ban

The Geneva Consensus Declaration

The Blank Slate

The Better Angels of our Nature

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The Just Words Fallacy: https://medium.com/just-words-fallacy

(02:27) Segment 1 - Amy Covid Serena Joy Barrett. Christophe Difo and Sean Prophet break down the news. The Trump campaign’s crash-and-burn strategy for the home stretch, the collapse of Attorney General Bill Barr’s fake investigation of President Obama. The supreme court confirmation hearings for judge Barrett, Mitt Romney, Keith Olbermann, and republican rats like Senator Ben Sasse, jumping off the sinking Trump ship.

(30:14) - Segment 2 - Guest segment: Before Q, There Was CUT, with Joe Szimhart. Joe Szimhart is an artist, a cult information specialist, and a mental health professional who currently works for a psychiatric emergency hospital in Pennsylvania. He made his living as a cult interventionist from 1985 through 1998 after exploring and rejecting groups and teachings derivative of Theosophy and New Thought including Agni Yoga and The Summit Lighthouse also known as Church Universal and Triumphant. Earlier this year, he published “Santa Fe, Bill Tate, and me: How an artist became a cult intervention specialist.” He is sought often by the media for his opinions and expertise about cult phenomena.

(01:34:52) - Off-The-Radical-Secular-Radar

(01:38:19) - Segment 3 - Cleaning up the mess. Will we ever get rid of conspiracy cults? Packing the court? The post-Roe vs. Wade abortion landscape, and what that new reality will do for the Democratic party. Restoring voting rights.

The Radical Secular presents politics from a liberal, cosmopolitan perspective.

Show notes:

Keith Olbermann's new YouTube series

Joe Szimhart's YouTube channel:

Santa Fe, Bill Tate, and Me: How an Artist Became a Cult Interventionist:

Website for TSL/CUT:

The I AM activity:

The Agni Yoga Society:

The Theosophical Society:

___________________________

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @radical_secular

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theradicalsecular

Twitter: @RadicalSecular

Podcast: https://the-radical-secular.captivate.fm

All standard podcast venues: Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon, Gaana, Saavn

The Just Words Fallacy: https://medium.com/just-words-fallacy