Voluntary Vixens

That’s right, you do smell white privilege. And it’s lavender scented. Maddie and Jessie talk about everyone’s favorite -ism, laying out how the left tends to find racism in every nook and cranny and how in response, many on the right decide that it actually doesn’t exist. Per usual, they’re both wrong, and we try and show that middle ground where a rational person might find themselves.

Maddie takes the lead on this solo-sode to reflect on her time and experience in the yoga community, and discusses how much of a disparity there is between the yogic values and actual political stances of "peace&love" members of the yoga community. This is just an introductory episode to the idea that she'd love to explore and discuss further down the line (after more preparation and self-study!) but touches on how she believes the practice of yoga is truly in line with libertarian and voluntaryist values and principles. If you can forgive her for the rambling, and some woo woo-ness, you might see something that you haven't seen or thought of before. We all talk about how to spread the ideas of liberty, and understanding groups that may be more sympathetic to our views than we realize could be a step in the right direction.

In light of the recent headline-news mass shootings, the Vixens take the time to talk about gun control and gun culture. Maddie and Jessie give a breakdown as to how the main two political/ideological wings differ from one another, and where us "small L" libertarians tend to fit.

Maddie's back on American soil and she and Jessie pick up where they left off. They discuss the best and worst things about traveling to foreign countries, discuss what Maddie experienced in both Scotland and Ireland, American exceptionalism and what Maddie sees as the "Great" in the MAGA Mentality. They also reflect on the importance of knowing your surroundings while traveling, understanding the context you're there within, appreciating that cultures do vary and can be very different from one another. The Vixens explain that some differences we experience come down to the celebration of the individual which contradicts the latest wave of making collectivism fashionable, and the soft socialism harbored in other countries. As always, Maddie and Jessie like to stress the importance of individual freedoms, the principle of non-aggression, and in this episode they touch on how putting those ideas forth to the rest of the world, in a non-violent and non-compulsory way, would actually make us the example for the rest of the world that some Americans might think we already are.

Jessie quips back on those who are quick to claim victim blaming for "victims" of their own bad judgement. Use good judgement. Don’t put yourself in vulnerable situations and do research before you travel.

Jessie is going solo because Maddie decided Ireland and scotland is more exciting than podcasting. Jessie sits down with a local public school teacher to discuss what issues she faces under the weight of the all powerful department of education. We discuss standardized testing, state standards, how terrible meetings are, how terrible parents are, vouchers and teachers unions. We also touch on behavioral issues with students and prevalence of child abuse by teachers. There was so much to talk about that there may need to be a part 2 to this discussion somewhere in the future.

It’s been a while, but now they’re back! Jessie and Maddie discuss the challenges of being friends with those of differing political opinions. They discuss the do’s and don’ts of how to keep it sane, keep it peaceful and keep it voluntary.

Maddie and Jessie discuss the other side of the male-female coin and really lay into our fellow females with some tough love, discussing how feminism has changed over the past few decades, cross-generationally, and where it has left us all today. We talk about the role of the females in their families, workplace, communities, and society generally, and how "doing it on our own" forces us to be more than one person, which stretches us thin, causes resentment, and disrupts the balance we have to find within us to be our best selves. What drives us crazy is the inconsistency of the message of female empowerment but also the victimization and infantilization of women that we need the (Nanny) State to come in and be our men and saviors. Not cool, ladies. Be careful who you demonize!

Episode eight is all about man love. Especially, the most important role any man will ever take, that of the father. Maddie and Jessie debunk the myth of toxic masculinity and discuss how important it is for men and women to work together and coexist peacefully. They also delve into a discussion about gender roles and how those roles accomplish balance within relationships and families. Other topics include: divorce and custody battles favoring women over men, finding your authentic self, and how men are truly awesome and they deserve more appreciation than they get.

Maddie and Jessie talk this week about how the State uses intelligentsia to push its agenda (which is usually war and divisiveness) and touch on how modern day education is more propaganda than actual learning. Schooling does not equal education, education does not equal intelligence, and intelligence does not determine morality.