This week's Fact Check Dispatch is a breakdown of what really caused the 2025 government shutdown. Despite the headlines, it was not about “healthcare for illegal immigrants.” It was about H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which gutted healthcare programs and turned next year’s funding into a political weapon.

The episode unpacks how that law’s cuts to ACA subsidies and Medicaid created the shutdown crisis, then moves into the larger story of how fear and control shape political systems. We turn to the fall of the Galactic Republic, examining how Chancellor Palpatine manufactured wars, staged threats, and used emergency powers to build an empire.

The episode closes by connecting those same tactics to modern history, showing how leaders from the 1930s to today have used crisis as a pretext for control.

Show Notes and Sources: Available at ⁠www.wesidedwiththerebellion.com⁠

Contact:⁠ [email protected]⁠

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Disclaimer:This podcast is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Lucasfilm Ltd., Disney, or Star Wars. Any references remain the property of their respective owners and are used for commentary and educational purposes only.

Silence serves the oppressor. Truth fuels the rebellion.

In this episode, we begin with the leaked NY Young Republicans group chat that revealed racist, antisemitic, and violent messages among group members. The group has since been disbanded, but the incident exposes how extremist ideologies continue to exist within modern political spaces.

From there, we connect fiction to reality, examining how Star Wars illustrates the same authoritarian playbook used throughout history and today. Palpatine’s rise to power through chaos, fear, and manipulation mirrors how real-world leaders exploit crises to gain control.

This episode explores how propaganda, misinformation, and the illusion of order erode democracy from within, and what it means when history’s darkest lessons start repeating.

Show Notes and Sources: Available at www.wesidedwiththerebellion.com

Contact: [email protected]

Follow: @WeSidedPodcast on...Instagram | Threads | TikTok | Bluesky | YouTube

Disclaimer:This podcast is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Lucasfilm Ltd., Disney, or Star Wars. Any references remain the property of their respective owners and are used for commentary and educational purposes only.

Silence serves the oppressor. Truth fuels the rebellion.

When we were kids, we rooted for the rebels... the ones who stood up when no one else would. We Sided with the Rebellion is a show about what that means in real life: breaking down U.S. politics, media spin, and disinformation through the lens of pop culture and history. Hosted by Tee, this podcast cuts through the noise with honesty, humor, and a little rebellion.