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Alex Kopytko is a ”radical centrist” that wants to understand the extremes. He has worked in politics and has studied public policy and political science. Alex argues that centrism is less about being a contrarian, it is about being able to change your mind and embrace an openness to new ideas. He is concerned about where the United States is headed and through conversations with people from all sides of the political spectrum, he wants to know how Americans can limit the tribalism that is flourishing. As someone that dances along the center-right of the political spectrum, Alex thinks the country needs to come together and talk to one another before it could be too late. This podcast covers domestic politics, as well as political philosophy, and international issues.
Episodes

Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Bye Bye Boris, 4th of July Chaos & Adam Kinzinger Death Threats
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
Wednesday Jul 06, 2022
In this episode, Alex discusses the tragedy in Highland Park on the 4th of July and why as Tom Nichols says, “the effect of these mass shootings is the same as terrorism: They rob us of a general sense of safety and turn us into a nation of hostages.”Then he discusses some new revelations from the investigation into the Trump team in Georgia, Lindsey Graham, and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani have been called to testify. Then Alex provides a compilation of disturbing threats to Adam Kinzinger, that his team has put together. The threats help explain why Kinzinger could be resigning in November. Finally, Alex discusses how the clock may be running out on Boris Johnson’s time as PM of the United Kingdom. He has been hit by numerous scandals of his own creating and the master of chaos has caused too much of it.

Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
In this episode, Alex starts by talking about the pros and cons of Finland and Sweden joining NATO. Then he discusses the troubling testimony from Trump’s former aide, Cassidy Hutchinson. She not only described Trump’s knowledge of the mob being armed but also discussed how he was fine with it and wanted to join them at the capitol. Apparently, Trump also acted like a maniac and threw burgers, staining the walls of the White House with ketchup. Later, Alex discusses the West Virginia v. EPA case and how the SCOTUS will make it harder to create a robust clean energy economy. It will also make it harder to uniformly regulate carbon emissions across the United States. This decision will make things more expensive and less effective. Finally, Alex discusses how companies like Meta, Alphabet, Reddit, and Tik Tok could provide user data to law enforcement officials in states that have outlawed abortion. If a woman goes over state lines to get an abortion, these apps could provide that information to law enforcement. Catherine Crump, a law professor and director of the Samuelson Law, Technology and Public Policy Clinic at UC-Berkeley’s law school, says that “digital evidence has just revolutionized how criminal investigations are conducted in this country. We live our lives online, we leave digital breadcrumbs of our prior activities, and of course, those are going to be caught up in abortion investigations.”

Monday Jun 27, 2022
America Is Going Backwards
Monday Jun 27, 2022
Monday Jun 27, 2022
In this episode, Alex reflects on the Supreme Court Decision that overturned Roe v Wade, an almost fifty-year precedent. Alex discusses how this is going to cause chaos and a potential constitutional crisis. In a day, a right that women had for multiple generations has now been stripped away. Alex worries that the pro-life movement has no plan on how to help women during this time and this will just accelerate America’s breakdown into two very separate countries. He also discusses the concurring opinions of Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh and what they may mean for other privacy decisions.

Friday Jun 24, 2022
Concealed to Carry Anywhere & Intimidation is the End Goal
Friday Jun 24, 2022
Friday Jun 24, 2022
In this episode, Alex goes over new revelations from the January 6th hearings, how the MAGA base is becoming more involved in deplorable acts of intimidating families, how the U.S. needs to find its sense of humor, and why the SCOTUS made a bad choice on its new concealed carry decision in New York.
- Rusty Bowers, the Arizona Republican Speaker of the State House, testified that he was intimidated and asked to do unconstitutional acts during the 2020 election. He helped certified Joe Biden in Arizona while being a 2020 Trump supporter. While he stood up to the Big Lie and testified to the committee about the dangerous acts of the Trump administration, he has also said that he would vote for Trump over Biden in 2024. Alex ponders this dilemma and why it persists. Alex also discusses how the Trump base is becoming more violent in its rhetoric toward detractors.
- Alex discusses how a sense of humor is necessary for a healthy society and that people need to be able to get offended. He discusses how the term “harmful” has been wrongfully misused. He uses examples from the recent Washington Post controversies, Taylor Lorenz’s reaction to a joke from Matthew Yglesias, and Dave Chappelle’s constant criticism. He notes that the nation has lost its sense of humor and that is not good for its cohesion.
- The Supreme Court of the United States is going to make some controversial decisions over the next week and it has already made one. While the country is waiting on the decision regarding the Mississippi court case that could overturn Roe v Wade, the SCOTUS has already made a radical one regarding concealed carry permits for firearms. SCOTUS overturned a law in New York and now, it will be easier for Americans to concealed carry in a myriad of public spaces in New York. This decision is likely to overturn state regulations regarding concealed carry laws. Alex thinks this is the worst possible decision in a time when Americans are on edge and uncertainty is looming. The Atlantic poses some questions that this new decision has created “Are people carrying guns at schools and shopping malls and public parks? What about at churches and synagogues and mosques? What is it like to pray in places where fellow supplicants are armed?”

Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
Stagflation, Hunting RINOS, Patriot Front & Colombia’s Elections
Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
Wednesday Jun 22, 2022
In this episode, Alex discusses Colombia’s troubling elections, recession and stagflation worries, Eric Greiten’s new campaign ad glorifying political violence, and the growing threat of white nationalist groups like Patriot Front.
- Colombia’s outgoing president, a moderate named Ivan Duque, has tried to do everything right and has saved the country from economic collapse during the pandemic, however, his popularity was around 20%. Instead, two populists (far left and far right) are the most popular in Colombia for the presidential election. Alex ponders why the populace is so unhappy with Duque even when most indicators show he did a good job
- Alex worries that a recession could be inevitable in the coming year. Goldman Sachs has cut its economic forecast growth reports. Also, Bloomberg notes that “The Goldman team sees a 30% probability of entering a recession over the next year, up from 15% previously, and a 25% conditional probability of entering a recession in the second year if one is avoided in the first. That implies a 48% cumulative probability in the next two years versus 35% previously.” The Federal Reserve has also raised its interest rate by 75 basis points, Alex discusses how the goal of this is to cool off the economy by suppressing demand. Some worry that this may spark a recession and a spike in unemployment. These are symptoms of a malfunctioning economy or “stagflation.”
- Eric Greitens, the former governor of Missouri who had to resign due to assault charges and was accused of abusing his wife and children, has a new ad. This ad has him hunting “RINOS” (Republicans in Name Only). RINOS are Republicans like Liz Cheney that have criticized the MAGA movement and have condemned violent extremism. Alex worries that Greitens is glorifying political violence. However, it looks like he may win his election.
- Last week, 31 men were arrested for attempting to violently riot at a pride event in Idaho. They were members of the white nationalist group Patriot Front. Alex discusses that this group is growing in numbers and has had a national presence since its founding in 2017.

Monday Jun 20, 2022
Ukraine’s Glass is Looking Half Empty & Mike Pence Could Have Died!
Monday Jun 20, 2022
Monday Jun 20, 2022
In this episode, Alex starts with his thoughts on Juneteenth. Then he goes over some highlights from the January 6th hearings. He feels that the testimonies from people like William Barr, Ivanka Trump, and Bill Stepien were necessary but too late. These people were cowards who waited too long and still are prospering off of the Trump grift. Alex also discusses how new revelations show that the mob came within 40 feet of Mike Pence and had a plan to kill him.
In the main part of the episode, Alex gives an update on the war in Ukraine. Russia’s war of attrition seems to be working as Ukrainian forces are being outgunned and are losing morale. Also, NATO’s chief, Secretary-General, Jens Stoltenberg, has warned that the West should prepare for a war that will last years. Alex worries that the fragmented west, along with a collapsing global economy, could lead to a populist/isolationist backlash in places like the US, France, and Germany. He ends by discussing how India, a close ally of Russia, and an enemy of China, should be utilized in helping foster negotiations. The United States should also work to get India off of its dependence on Russian weapons.

Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Did COVID Kill Mountain Towns? (Classic Episode)
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Tuesday Jun 07, 2022
Alex is off for the week while on vacation. This is an episode from April 2021 that goes over the impacts of the COVID pandemic and changing work dynamics in mountain towns.
A headline out of the San Francisco Gate Newspaper reads “'Another family losing their home' as SF transplants are displacing Tahoe locals.” This is a trend that is growing in mountain towns across the United States in which remote work has allowed white-collar workers from cities to relocate to rural areas. Now, towns from California to Colorado are seeing surges in transplants that are causing a housing shortage that may kick out locals that work in the tourism industry that are needed to run these local economies. In this episode, Alex discusses how this is just another aspect of the inequalities that COVID-19 has brought to the surface. He also proposes a few solutions such as affordable housing.

Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Make America Nuanced Again!
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
Wednesday Jun 01, 2022
In this episode, Alex talks a deep dive into why the United States lacks nuance and perspective, it seems like the public discourse has been filled up with performative anger and misconceptions. He gives some tips of his own on how to listen to others and why it could help us come back from the brink. he also looks into studies that show that both the left and the right have overexaggerated and incorrect views about one another.

Monday May 30, 2022
The Case for Mandatory Voting & the Australian Election
Monday May 30, 2022
Monday May 30, 2022
In this Memorial Day episode, Alex discusses mandatory or compulsory voting and why he thinks it could help alleviate some of America’s current woes. He thinks that one of the biggest problems in the United States is that a lot of people do not have faith in its elections. It has created a legitimacy crisis that is self-fulfilling. Mandatory voting creates a system where people do not need to register to vote and it is considered their constitutional duty to vote. If they choose not to vote, they must actively deregister or be fined a small fee. Australia is a key example of this system and last week the nation held an election that kicked out the current right-wing prime minister who was considered the “Trump from down under.” Alex discusses how this style of voting could help kick out extreme ideas and figures from the political arena because, in the current state of affairs, the most radical voices in the United States usually get heard. If everyone voted, it would likely moderate politics. Of course, it will be difficult and many Americans would not be fond of the government requiring them to vote.

Friday May 27, 2022
Thoughts on the Uvalde Tragedy & Orban’s Manufactured State of Emergency
Friday May 27, 2022
Friday May 27, 2022
In this episode, Alex gives his thoughts on the tragic shooting in Uvalde, Texas that left 19 children and two teachers dead. He shares his anger at the frequency of these mass shootings and discusses his perspective on why nothing changes. He also goes into the hypocrisy of many right-wing politicians saying that we must “leave politics out of this.” He also discusses why the “good guys with guns” argument has again proven to not work, how arming teachers is ridiculous, and how this is more than a mental health issue. He thinks that Republicans are widening the goal post involving their defense of firearms because they know they are losing the debate. Later, Alex gives an update on Ukraine and Henry Kissinger’s comments about giving Putin an offramp. He ends with some new worrying news out of Hungary. Apparently, Victor Orban has issued another state of emergency, this time it is about the War in Ukraine. In reality, he is using this emergency to rule by decree and erode more civil rights inside the country.