The Civil Discourse Society

In this episode, we focus on Kimberly's perspective on how Trump's racist tweets affected her Republican identity and the deepening divides between Republicans she saw in her Facebook feed in the aftermath.

The Civil Discourse Society remains a space for Democrats, Republicans, Independents, and anyone else to come and have a friendly think about policy options.

Sources:

Link to: New polling indicates Republicans actually like Trump more following racist tweet controversy, VOX (Please note in this article 37% of Republicans thought the tweets were offensive despite the article headline)

Hillary and Kimberly chat about their learning arcs from researching the three National Debt episodes, where we changed our minds, and our shared love of herd immunity.

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss the state of the US budget, where it’s heading, and what we can do to make things better. We also have a few laughs along the way.

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance.

What Are We Talking About?

The big three: Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, as well as welfare programs like TANF and SNAP.

Then we will discuss what needs fixing and brainstorm better governance on this important topic.

Sources

Link to: Historical Background and Development of Social Security, SSA

Link to: Johnson signs Medicare into law, History.com

Link to: The Facts about Medicaid Fraud, National Review

Link to: Repairing the Safety Net: The Welfare State needs Updating, The Economist

Link to: The American Social Safety Net Does Not Exist, The Nation

Link to: JW modifier allows physicians to get paid for some discarded drugs, AAFP

Link to: Maximum Taxable Earnings Benefits Planner, SSA

Link to: How the Safety Net Can Survive Trump, Foreign Affairs

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss the state of the US budget, where it's heading, and what we can do to make things better. We also have a few laughs along the way.

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance.

What Are We Talking About?

The Congressional Budget Office's US budget information!

If only they had an awesome infographic!

What needs fixing?

Where to start? Size of pie, tax revenue, tax cuts, transparency, auditing, not deficit spending during an economic boom.

Brainstorm Better Governance

Audits on all government programs

Better training for government employees to create better oversight and management of payments

Tax reform, reverse tax cuts

Fully fund the IRS

Reduce crop insurance program

Reduce payments for commodity crops

Reduce spending for other DOD procurement

Sources

Link to Social Security (SSA) Maximum Taxable Earnings Info

Link to CBO Federal Buget 2017 Infographic -Congressional Budget Office

Link to "U.S. National Debt Hits Record $22 Trillion" -NPR

Link to "As Debt Rises, the Government Will Soon Spend More on Interest Than on the Military" -NewYorkTimes

Link to "Debt-to-GDP Ratio Definition" -Investopedia

Link to "That $22 trillion national debt number is huge, but here's what it really means" -CNBC

Link to "The National Debt Dilemma" -Council on Foreign Relations

Link to "New Air Force Planes Go Directly to 'Boneyard'" -Military.com

Link to "How To Waste $100 Billion: Weapons That Didn't Work Out" -Forbes

Link to Congressional Budget Office Cost Estimate

Link to "Shutting down fraud, waste, and abuse: Moving from rhetoric to real solutions in government benefit programs" -Deloitte Insights

Link to "Prime Cuts Summary" -Citizens Against Government Waste 2015

Link to "5 ways to cut government down to size" -TheHill

Link to "Government spending: yes, it really can cut the U.S. deficit" -Brookings

Link to "Reduce Subsidies in the Crop Insurance Program" -CBO

Link to "Federal budget: 10 cuts that would save the most" -The Week

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss some interesting moments in the history of liquidity, money, and national debt. We also have a few laughs along the way.

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance.

What Are We Talking About?

Finance and Trade history! The Knights Templar being allowed to act as proto banks, the needs of larger economies, fractional reserve banking, Alexander Hamilton's national debt, Andrew Jackson eliminating the national debt, and our ever increasing need for liquidity.

What Needs Fixing?

1.) Lack of deep conversation about entitlement programs and the national debt as a whole. Entitlements are necessary, but at what level?

2.) The use of national debt as a political tool only to complain about the party in power.

3.) Lack of education on the national debt.

4.) Lack of discussion about how to address the national debt.

Brainstorm Better Governance

1.) We need to get educated about the national debt and the monetary system.

2.) Conversation about what we are paying for and what ultimately matters.

Thank you to PodSummit.com for the free music and FreeSound for the free sounds.

Sources

Link to US Debt Clock

Link to Extra History's The History of Paper Money - Origins of Exchange - Extra History - #1

Link to Philip IV King of France -Britannica

Link to "Busting the Myth of Friday the 13th and the Knights Templar" -National Geographic

Link to "Whatever happened to the Knights Templar?" -The Guardian

Link to "When the US Paid Off the Entire National Debt (And Why It Didn't Last)" -NPR

Link to Pentagon Audit Article. -DefenseNews

Link to Congressional Budget Office website Great Source!!

Link to Bipartisan Policy Center

Link to Niskanen Center

Link to The Concord Coalition

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss the positives and negatives of globalization on the American job market…and have a few laughs along the way.

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance. Most importantly, we zing each other at the end of each episode with “epic” partisan one-liners. Vote for your favorites on our Instagram, The Civil Discourse Society, so one of us can have bragging rights.

What Are We Talking About?

The waves of globalization, the international diplomatic systems that make up world trade relations, and the cracks in all of it.

What Needs Fixing?

The overvalued US dollar, the weakening of international institutions, the theft of US intellectual property, human trafficking.

Brainstorm Better Governance

Rejecting isolationism, promote good journalism, and adding fair trade items to our personal budgets.

Thank you to PodSummit.com for the free music and FreeSound for the free sounds.

Sources

Link to "A Brief History of Globalization." -World Economic Forum

Link to "Trump and Globalization" slides by Joseph Stiglitz. -Columbia U

Link to International Monetary Fund. -Investopedia

Link to World Bank. -Investopedia

Link to World Trade Organization. -Investopedia

Link to US Embassy tweeting Beijing air quality. -Wired

Link to "US confirms end to funding for UN Palestinian refugees." -The Guardian

Link to "One in Five U.S. Companies Say China Has Stolen Their Intellectual Property." -Fortune

Link to "Evaluating the US-China Cybersecurity Agreement, Part 1: The US Approach to Cyberspace." -The Diplomat

Link to "The Pros and Cons of Globalization." -Forbes

Link to Fair Trade Campaigns

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss the positives and negatives of globalization on the American job market...and have a few laughs along the way.

We sponsor Amirah House, an anti-human trafficking home in New England, for this episode.

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance. Most importantly, we zing each other at the end of each episode with “epic” partisan one-liners. Vote for your favorites on our Instagram, The Civil Discourse Society, so one of us can have bragging rights.

What Are We Talking About?

How has globalization affected the US job market? How do Americans feel about it?

What Needs Fixing?

Wage Compression

Factual knowledge on immigrants in the U.S. job market

Changing the basket of goods for richer and poorer households

Brainstorm Better Governance

Expand E-Verify

More emphasis on plumbing, electrical, and contractor work in school

Education campaign about immigration

Higher incomes purchase more Fair Trade items

Zingers

Hey Hillary, why do Democrats hate buffets? Because they don't get to control everyone's food choices!

Hey Kimberly, why did the Republicans move their factories overseas? They didn't want immigrants to steal the jobs they were creating at home.

Which zinger was better? Vote on our Instagram The Civil Discourse Society

Thank you to PodSummit.com for the free music and FreeSound for the free sounds.

Sources:

Link to article about Trump’s Nationalism and comments on Globalism. -The Hill

Link to Definition of Globalization. -MerriamWebster

Link to Globalization. -Khan Academy

Link to The World is Flat. -Thomas Friedman

Link to Definition of Pay Compression. -USLegal

Link to "The Pros and Cons of Globalization." -Forbes

Link to "Did Chinese Trade Competition Increase Nativism and Elect Trump?" -Niskanen Center

Link to "Managing globalization: Has it hurt U.S. workers?" -New York Times

Link to "Globalization has lowered wages for American workers, new EPI study finds." -Economic Policy Institute

Link to "What’s the impact of globalization on wages, jobs and the cost of living?" -Our World In Data

Link to Trade Act Programs. -Department of Labor

Link to "‘This One Here Is Gonna Kick My Butt’—Farm Belt Bankruptcies Are Soaring." -WallStreetJournal

Link to "5 Things You Should Know About E-Verify." -PBS

Link to "E-Verify Brief History and Overview." -BiPartisan Policy Center

Link to "Explore unauthorized immigration by state using our new interactive." -Pew Research Center

Link to "Immigration Policy as a Jobs Program." -Niskanen Center

Link 1 Link 2 European Educational Sources

Link to Chobani on 60 Minutes

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss George Orwell's famous essay, "Notes on Nationalism," and how it can be used to check ourselves and others for the symptoms of fanaticism. We also have a few laughs along the way.

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance. Most importantly, we zing each other at the end of each episode with “epic” partisan one-liners. Vote for your favorites on our Instagram, The Civil Discourse Society, so one of us can have bragging rights.

What Are We Talking About?

We all have a touch of fanaticism about certain ideas. George Orwell sure thought that. The author of Animal Farm and 1984 makes an interesting case in his essay "Notes on Nationalism" that nationalism, what we will be calling fanaticism to differentiate it from the specific Nationalism of the current administration, is a set of behaviors and thought processes that make politics dangerous because people refuse to compromise and end up hurting each other. We definitely see it in the current administration, and there are a lot of people who are becoming too entrenched and unwilling to compromise or empathize with others. If we decide that our cause is more important than anything and anyone, including truth and progress, we all lose. But what’s the cure?

Well, what are the symptoms?

So What Needs Fixin'?

Ourselves! Our Listeners! Everyone has a touch of fanaticism.

“Let a certain note be struck…and the most fair minded and sweet tempered person may suddenly be transformed into a vicious partisan, anxious only to score over his adversary and indifferent as to how many lies he tells or how many logical errors he commits in doing so.” ~George Orwell

Brainstorm Better Governance:

We have identified four principles that seem to help:

Deny the fanatic the recognition they craveBuild CommunityUse conversations not to try to change the other's mind, but to try to humanize the other in our own mindKeeping the checks and balance system strong in the United States

Not everyone is a fanatic and not every event is an eleven.

What to do once a fanatic is recognized?

If in power, or trying to get in power, work to keep them unelected or get them out of power. Never give them the recognition.

If they’re someone in daily life, it really depends. Don’t put ourselves in danger, but if there is the ability to keep them involved with community events with minimal disruption, do it. Worse to let the personal echo chamber get louder.

Recap:

Ok so we have reviewed aspects of fanaticism to watch out for: OBSESSION (boastful love and pride, retaliate when a hint of criticism about your side materializes, overly sensitive to pomp and circumstance), INSTABILITY (Does each political idea get glomped on to rabidly?), INDIFFERENCE TO REALITY (Is the cause beyond good and evil? Are actions applauded or vilified based on who does them?, engaged in moral relativism and fake news)?

We recognized that we start to fix fanaticism by checking ourselves.

And finally we have identified four principles that seem to help: Deny the fanatic the recognition they crave, Build community, Use conversations not to try to change the other's mind, but to try to humanize the other in our own mind, Keeping the checks and balance system strong in the United States.

Zingers:

Hey Hillary,

Hillary and Kimberly, friends from across the aisle, discuss why they are talking about solutions together.

Link to Senator Paul Wellstone quote: https://www.wellstone.org/legacy/speeches/paul-wellstone-quotes

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss current problems and agree on some solutions.

The Civil Discourse Society is a podcast put together by some Democrats and Republicans for a respectful exchange of ideas. The goal is to brainstorm better governance, with a flagrant disregard for who’s side of the aisle the ideas originated. If it’s a good idea, who cares? We have no idea if this will work. Join us won’t you?

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance. We do our research but lets be honest, this stuff is complex. So we reserve the right to “pin” certain facts and chats to come back to in later podcasts after we do more research and soul searching. Most importantly, we zing each other at the end of each episode with “epic” partisan one-liners. Vote for your favorites on our Instagram, The Civil Discourse Society, so one of us can have bragging rights.

Thank you to PodSummit.com for the free music.

Kimberly and Hillary, two friends who have been around politics and government, come together from opposite sides of the aisle and discuss the concepts of Patriotism and Nationalism and have a few laughs along the way.

The Civil Discourse Society is a podcast put together by some Democrats and Republicans for a respectful exchange of ideas. The goal is to brainstorm better governance, with a flagrant disregard for who’s side of the aisle the ideas originated. If it’s a good idea, who cares? We have no idea if this will work. Join us won’t you?

Podcast segments: What are we talking about?, What needs fixing?, and Brainstorm Better Governance. We do our research but lets be honest, this stuff is complex. So we reserve the right to “pin” certain facts and chats to come back to in later podcasts after we do more research and soul searching. Most importantly, we zing each other at the end of each episode with "epic" partisan one-liners. Vote for your favorites on our Instagram, The Civil Discourse Society, so one of us can have bragging rights.

What Are We Talking About?

Patriotism is the healthy kind of love that is also selfless. At times, you give without expectation for anything in return. Nationalism is the unhealthy kind of love: it’s the kind that can turn crazy, like those ex husbands on Dateline that murder their ex wives and claim the gun went off by accident. Like all strong emotions, Patriotism and Nationalism can subtly morph into the other, and because we are seeing this play out on the national stage, we wanted to lead off this podcast series with some thoughts on Patriotism and Nationalism in 2019.

Link to Merriam Websters Dictionary's definition of Patriotism: Love for or devotion to one's country

Link

to article with David French quote, “The Patriotism of Deeds.”

-National Review

Link to US Army Captain Humayun Khan, and his family’s, story. -Time Magazine

Link to Dr. Seuss Goes to War by Richard Minear. -Amazon

Link

to Dr. Seuss realized his bigotry and grew past it. “The Complicated

Relevance of Dr. Seuss’s Political Cartoons” -The Atlantic

Nationalism Sources:

Link

to video of Trump’s Nationalism quote. -The New York Times

Link

to article about Trump’s Nationalism and comments on Globalism. -The

Hill

Link to article on Trump’s America First inauguration comments. -BBC

Link to article on history of America First, "President Trump's America First Slogan was First Popularized by Nazi Sympathizers." -The Washington Post

Link to Anti Defamation League open letter asking Donald Trump to change slogans because of historical context. -ADL website

Link to article on historical context of prolific American terms, "The Original Meanings of the “American Dream” and “America First” Were Starkly Different From How We Use Them Today." -Smithsonian Magazine

Link to article on census data and unhyphenated Americans, "The American Nationalism Problem." -The Huffington Post

Link to Khizr Khan's speech at the DNC. -CSPAN

Link to details of Trump's military records, "Was Trump a 'draft dodger'?" -PunditFact

What Needs Fixing?

Trying to make people stand for the National Anthem

Link to article on Trump's response to kneeling during anthem, "Donald Trump Called for NFL Players to Be Fired for National Anthem Kneeling — And They Responded." -Fortune