Dive into the complex interplay between nationalism and globalism, exploring how these forces shape societies, power dynamics, and individual lives. Ryan Haylett unpacks narratives of exclusion, dehumanization, and economic exploitation, while proposing a balanced approach to sovereignty and empathy.

This episode exposes how profit-driven motives have shaped America's private prison system, fueling corruption, inequality, and cycles of incarceration. Ryan Haylett breaks down the business behind bars, the human costs, and the tangled web connecting private interests to public pain.

Long before Bush, Nixon, or Reagan ever stepped into the Oval Office, four lesser-known presidents laid the groundwork for some of the darkest chapters in American history. This episode takes a hard look at James Buchanan, Franklin Pierce, Millard Fillmore, and Andrew Johnson—names that history class skimmed over, but whose failures echo through generations.

We examine how Fillmore’s support of the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Act emboldened slaveholders and escalated tensions between North and South. Then, we dive into Pierce’s disastrous Kansas-Nebraska Act and the ensuing violence known as “Bleeding Kansas.” Both men failed to preserve peace—or take a moral stand—when the nation needed it most.

Arguably the most inept president in U.S. history, Buchanan sat idly as Southern states seceded and the country careened toward civil war. His endorsement of the Dred Scott decision and refusal to confront slavery not only deepened the divide but made conflict nearly inevitable.

After Lincoln’s assassination, Johnson—a Southern Democrat and Lincoln’s accidental VP—took the reins. His open hostility to civil rights and Reconstruction gutted the fragile progress made after the Civil War. He vetoed the Freedmen’s Bureau Act and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, and he empowered ex-Confederates to regain political control, paving the way for Jim Crow.

These men weren’t just products of their time—they were active enablers of division, violence, and regression. While history often forgets them, their legacies still shape the struggles for justice and equality in America today.

Listen as we resurrect the names no one remembers—because forgetting them is how we keep repeating the same mistakes.

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In this episode of Red, White & Bruised, Ryan Haylett explores the shift from democracy to technocracy, examining how tech giants and figures like Peter Thiel are reshaping power structures. From the origins of technocracy to the looming threat of technofeudalism, Ryan delves into what this means for our future and the fight to reclaim digital democracy.

Ryan Haylett dives into the explosive partnership between Palantir and the Trump administration, exposing how personal data and AI are fueling a new era of surveillance, control, and ethical controversy. With real examples and sharp analysis, this episode unpacks the expanding reach of tech giants into everyday American life.

From the American Revolution to modern-day debates about digital rights and surveillance, liberty remains a defining and evolving concept. This episode examines how figures like Frederick Douglass and social justice movements have reshaped its meaning while reflecting on Ryan’s personal experiences with the tensions between historical and current freedoms.

This episode examines a dystopian scenario involving surveillance, government power, and the erosion of liberties. We connect fears of authoritarianism to the Founders' vision behind the Second and Fifth Amendments, exploring historical and modern anxieties about state control. With perspectives on gun rights, personal freedom, and global security policies, this discussion highlights the cultural and ideological complexities of safeguarding democracy.

This episode examines the historical roots of the left/right political divide, tracing its origins to the French Revolution and its transformation into rigid ideological categories. We critique how media and social media exacerbate polarization while highlighting figures like Malcolm X and Dwight D. Eisenhower, whose ideas transcend simple labels. Discover alternative frameworks for understanding political identities and building cross-ideological coalitions.

This episode explores the philosophical roots and enduring legacy of the First Amendment. From Jefferson's "wall of separation" metaphor to Franklin's warnings about media misuse, we examine how these foundational ideas resonate with today's debates on free speech, digital expression, and misinformation. Join us as we look at pivotal moments and modern controversies shaping these freedoms.