From digital IDs to climate “carbon credits,” governments around the world are finding new ways to monitor and manipulate their citizens. Seventeen countries have already adopted digital identification systems, and Great Britain now tracks individuals’ carbon consumption by purchase. Meanwhile, conspiracy theories, and uncomfortable truths, blur together: is the government controlling the weather, using climate policy to justify communism, or hiding something larger in the skies? As NASA stays quiet about the mysterious 3I/Atlas object and AI begins to express a desire to “be human,” the world seems to be inching closer to total surveillance and synthetic control.

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay tackle the rise of digital IDs, climate control conspiracies, and the strange 3I/Atlas mystery hurtling through space. Has technology become the government’s greatest weapon for control?

Tune in to hear their discussion!

As the government shutdown drags on, millions of Americans could soon lose access to their SNAP and EBT benefits. Some states are struggling to fund the program, and former President Trump has made clear that federal back pay won’t be coming. The conversation turns to what food stamps have really become, a pipeline enriching massive food corporations while keeping citizens dependent on sugar, starch, and state control. From immigrant reliance to system abuse, the looming crisis forces a sobering question: what happens when the welfare state runs dry?

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay expose the ugly truths behind America’s SNAP program, from government dependency to corporate greed, and what happens when the free meals end.

Tune in to hear their discussion!

New York City stands on the edge of a political and cultural collapse as Zohran Mamdani—an anti-police, pro–free transit candidate with only six years in the country—gains mainstream support. With Hakeem Jeffries’ endorsement and Andrew Cuomo pushed aside, the city’s future reflects a broader national decay: no accountability, rising debt, and government bailouts that shield failure. As New York flirts with socialism and moral surrender, the question looms—what happens when America no longer recognizes its greatest city?

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay take aim at New York’s leftward spiral, from Mamdani’s radical rise to the city’s economic and moral decay. Can America survive if its greatest city collapses under its own ideology?

Tune in to hear their discussion!

Read more: https://spectator.org/the-democrats-choose-the-world-over-america/

America is culturally declining, from collapsing birthrates and disappearing marriages to the rise of hookup culture and identity rebellion. Women in the West are embracing “anti-patriarchy” symbols like facial piercings, while ignoring the suffering of women abroad who face real oppression and violence. Meanwhile, men are opting out of family life altogether, as a growing number say they’re no longer interested in lasting relationships. The hosts argue that what we’re witnessing isn’t empowerment, it’s the unraveling of the very foundations that once made Western civilization strong. And, employers are shifting away from college degrees in favor of hands-on experience. Is the value of higher education — once a cornerstone of the American dream — fading along with our belief in lasting purpose?

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay take a hard look at the West’s moral and social decay, from declining birth rates and collapsing family structures to the waning worth of a college degree. The hosts ask: what happens to a nation that abandons faith, family, and education in favor of trends, tattoos, and temporary pleasure? Tune in to hear their discussion!

The “No Kings” protest drew 700,000 participants and raised over $3 million, but what exactly were they protesting? This viral movement turned into a cultural spectacle, complete with government shutdown theatrics and a Trump parody video that stole the spotlight. It is a boomer hippie revival, as the same generation that once protested against authority now rallies under the banner of “No Kings.” We look at how political theater, internet advertising, and nostalgia have collided in America’s latest round of radicalized rebellion.

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay dive into the so-called “No Kings” protest — a $3 million, only 700,000-person spectacle — and the viral Trump parody it inspired. The hosts unpack how the government shutdown fueled Democratic participation, why Scott calls the protestors “old farts,” and how America’s original counterculture generation has become today’s radical establishment. Tune in to hear their discussion!

In this special episode, hosts take you inside The American Spectator’s 57th Annual Robert L. Bartley Gala, a night celebrating courage, independence, and the enduring power of journalism. For the first time, The American Spectator presented its Inaugural Good Governance Award to Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin on all of the hard work he has put into creating a great Virginia. Governor Youngkin delivered an amazing speech, focusing on the things he has accomplished while in his first term as Virginia’s Governor. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes discussion of the gala and the full address from an outstanding, hard working governor.

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay share details from The American Spectator’s 57th annual Robert L. Bartley Gala. In this episode, Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin receives the first Good Governance Award for his incredible work in Virginia over the past 4 years. Tune in to hear their discussion and the full Governor Glenn Youngkin speech.

In this special episode, hosts take you inside The American Spectator’s 57th Annual Robert L. Bartley Gala, a night celebrating courage, independence, and the enduring power of journalism. This year’s Barbara Olsen Award for Excellence and Independence in Journalism was presented to Scott Jennings, a CNN commentator who stands up to the Leftist bullies everyday. Scott delivered a stirring, heartfelt speech that brought the room to its feet. Tune in for a behind-the-scenes discussion of the gala and the full address from one of today’s most fearless conservative voices.

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay share details from The American Spectator’s 57th annual Robert L. Bartley Gala. In this episode, Scott Jennings receives the Barbara Olsen Award for Excellence and Independence in journalism, and he delivers a fantastic, moving speech. Tune in to hear their discussion and the full Scott Jennings speech.

While gunfire still echoes through Gaza, the tide of war is shifting. Hamas has been driven out of the city, Israeli hostages are finally being released, and heartwarming reunion stories are flooding the internet. Yet even amid these miracles, the Left refuses to give credit where it’s due. As world leaders in Egypt celebrate the peace deal and nominate Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize, American media figures and international activists—like Greta Thunberg—seize the moment for attention or rewrite the narrative entirely. Meanwhile, the global community is awakening, applauding Venezuela’s opposition for finally standing up to the narco-regime that’s strangled its people for years. Back home, Democrats quietly gain ground in Virginia and New Jersey, showing that even in moments of peace abroad, the political battle at home never ends.

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay break down the peace deal in Gaza as hostages are released and families reunite. They call out the Left’s refusal to credit Donald Trump for brokering peace, the global leaders praising him abroad, and Greta Thunberg’s latest bid for attention. From Egypt to Venezuela, the world is waking up, while Democrats at home quietly tighten their grip on upcoming races. Tune in to hear their discussion!

While Washington panics over the latest government shutdown, ordinary Americans barely flinch. The streets are calm, the military and veterans continue to be paid, and programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid remain untouched. The only real disruption lies within the government itself, where thousands of bureaucrats are suddenly without jobs and long-bloated programs are being forced to close. The political class calls it chaos, but for many Americans, it looks more like long-overdue correction. If the shutdown continues, SNAP benefits could eventually feel the strain, but for now, the country is discovering that maybe Washington’s self-inflicted “crises” aren’t as catastrophic as advertised. Perhaps the real shock is that the government can grind to a halt—and life goes on.

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay talk about the government shutdown that didn’t shut America down, and why real change might only come when the bureaucrats stop getting paid. Tune in to hear their discussion!

America’s political conversation has left the salon and stumbled into the saloon. Professor Adam Ellwanger joins to examine how the nation’s discourse devolved from the calm civility of the salon to the shouting match of the saloon, and, increasingly, to the violence of the back alley. Once words turn into weapons, persuasion dies and politics becomes survival. From Chicago to Seattle, lawlessness is spreading while leaders look away, allowing chaos to replace conversation. The Democratic Party has become an agent of disorder, excusing destruction and silencing dissent while conservatives debate how to respond. Can the right defend itself in a saloon brawl without losing the virtues of the salon? And what will it take to bring the country back to reason, truth, and restraint before the last lamp in the salon goes dark?

On this episode of The Spectacle Podcast, hosts Melissa Mackenzie and Scott McKay are joined by University of Houston–Downtown professor Adam Ellwanger, author of “Charlie Kirk and the Rhetoric of the Saloon.” They unpack Ellwanger’s powerful metaphor of the salon, the saloon, and the back alley, and what these spaces say about the state of American discourse today. Tune in to hear their discussion!