In this episode we talk about the rise of fascist politics, its effects on society and the danger it poses to democracy everywhere. We cover what fascism exactly means, the insidious nature of fascist leaders, how propaganda can fool even the most wary, and what you can do to help stem the destruction of all we hold dear.

In this episode, we talk about the increasing shittiness of the products and services we buy. We cover what enshittification and shrinkflation mean, why the quality of goods is getting worse despite increasing prices, some surprising examples of how this phenomena affects our everyday lives, and what we think can be done to fix the problem.

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Resources to support Sudan:

Save Al-Geneina Initiative

HomeTaxSD

Sudanese Charity Collective

In this episode we talk about AI, its effects on society and how it’s changing the world. We cover what exactly counts as "AI", how AI is being used today, and the things you may not have known about AI that we think you should be aware of.

The Ugly Truth Behind ChatGPT

How Can We Trust AI

AI's Impact on Climate

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In this episode, we talk about youth activism and how young people are making their voices heard. We talk about who exactly is considered a "youth", the history of student protests, how and why young people engage in political discourse, and why it's important to pay attention.

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In this episode, Mahdi & Alex take on the "stan" phenomena. We discuss some of the biggest online fandoms, the characteristics of modern-day internet stans, the psychology behind parasocial relationships, and the very real effects these communities have on our society and the way we talk to each other.

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In today's episode, Alex joins me to dissect the bizzare (and sometimes dangerous) culture that surrounds incels and the mens-rights movement. We discuss the origins of the word "incel", the societal factors that make this phenomena so prevalent amongst young men, and what people can do to help others who have fallen prey to the manosphere.

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Sudan Relief Fund

HomeTax Sudan Relief

Sudan Humanitarian Fund

In this mini-episode, I dive into media bias and the ways it manifests in the news. I cover some of the reasons the news is reported in its current form, and share some surprising facts about how news organizations operate. I also give some tips that can hopefully help you decide whether to trust a news source and how to detect bias in a story.

Is The New York Times’ newsroom just a bunch of Ivy Leaguers? (Kinda, sorta.) - Joshua Benton

(Pay)Walled Gardens: Status and Racialized Discourse Among Authors of Student Loan News Articles - Dominique J. Baker, Jaime Ramirez-Mendoza, Lauren Mena Shook, Christopher T. Bennett

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In today's episode, I am joined again by Alex to break one of the most controversial topics in politics today: immigration. We talk about the shifting views on immigrants, go into some of the absurdities of the legal immigration process, and dissect the moralities and practicalities of the various immigration policies today.

Articles referenced in episode:

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A new year, and a new episode of the podcast. We are now The Takedown! In this episode I was joined by fellow amateur podcaster Alex to talk about the Hustle Culture phenomenon. We break down what hustle culture means to us, discuss some surprising statistics about the workplace, talk about how hustle culture affects women and minorities differently and how all that you see on social media may not be all that real.

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This week, I did something different and hit the streets of NYC to ask people about some of the recent headlines in the news. I asked people about issues they care about, recent political developments, and the things they feel media should be covering. 

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