Centered From Reality

The Yin and Yang of Society: What Can Athens and Sparta Tell Us?

In this episode - Netflix issues, no more masks on planes, an ex-Navy officer and journalist is now fighting in Russia, Ukraine is being creative in exposing Russian atrocities, and Alex dives into what Ancient Athens and Sparta may tell us about the “yin and yang” of democracy and why balance is crucial. 

• Before going into a deep dive into a theory he is working on, Alex discusses the new show he likes on Disney+, how Netflix is struggling and what this may tell us about the future of streaming, and why he thinks streaming has lost its allure. He discusses that the oversaturation of choice/options may be to blame. Also, people may not be able to share their passwords anymore. 

 

• Alex discusses how overnight, the federal mask mandate for transportation was lifted. Apparently, the Florida judge found that the CDC did not “justify its decision and did not follow proper rulemaking procedures that left it fatally flawed.” Alex thinks that the Biden administration will not challenge this issue because it has been looking for an offramp for this mandate for a while.

 

• Malcolm Nance, a former United States Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer, and MSNBC contributor are in Ukraine, serving with the International Legion of Territorial Defense. He has been quoted as discussing how he is tired of talking and wants to help. Of course, he has received criticism, but Alex is impressed.

 

• Alex looks at what Ancient Sparta and Ancient Athens can tell us about the balances in society and how cultures can go in different ways. He thinks that in a sense, Sparta and Athens are different sides of the same coin. One was focused on order and militaristic control, the other on openness and progressive (for its time) change. After a chaotic century of revolts and war, Sparta became regimented and based on loyalty to the military and state. Athens, on the other hand, seemed to be focused on civil society and the future of democratic discourse. Alex looks into how these two views, may explain how a balance is needed between freedom and control — order versus chaos. He applies to how populism or fascism can occur when an extreme comes out of the balance. 

Draconian Measures in Shanghai, Ghost Guns & Ukraine’s Next Phase

In this episode, Alex talks about the draconian measures taking place in Shanghai’s massive lockdown. Then he talks about the tragic shooting in NYC’s subway and how shootings are on the rise everywhere. Then he goes into why the Justice Department is trying to regulate “ghost guns.” Finally, Alex talks about the next stage of the War in Ukraine. The Russians have appointed a new general to lead the war effort, he is known as the “Butcher of Aleppo” and is trained in urban warfare. 

Movie Night at Mar-a-Lago, Congrats to Judge Jackson & MTG is SCARY!

In this episode, Alex starts with worries about the French elections on Sunday and how Emmanuel Macron could lose. His chance of winning has been decreasing almost every day and Alex worries that if Marine Le Pen were to win, it could destabilize the EU. He then goes into how illiberal democracies are becoming more prominent. Then Alex gives some updates from a few days at Mar-a-Lago. The former President held an event where he premiered a movie about how Mark Zuckerberg stole the election for the Democrats. Trump also did an interview with The Washington Post where he discussed how his biggest regret on January 6th was “not marching to the capitol with his supporters.” He also said that “he deserved more credit for drawing such a large crowd to the Ellipse.” Alex discusses how it almost seems like Trump wants to get prosecuted. Later, Alex plays a video where Marjorie Taylor Greene compares all Democrats to pedophiles. He worries this rhetoric is dangerous and will lead to more violence and hate towards minority communities. He also discusses how these extreme views are moving closer to the mean inside of the party. To end, Alex discusses how happy he is that Ketanji Brown Jackson was confirmed to the SCOTUS. He is disturbed by the Republican attacks on her but is glad she can represent a lot of Americans on the court. 

Twitter: Into the Musk-Verse (& Making Unions Great Again!)

In this episode, Alex starts with an update on Ukraine and how the atrocities committed in Bucha may show the cultural and organizational issues of Russia’s military. Then Alex goes into a discussion about Elon Musk buying 9.2% of Twitter’s total shares, making him the majority shareholder. The media is up in arms about this and many free speech absolutists are thrilled. Alex thinks that Musk is an important figure in exploration and technology, but is not sure if he should be so influential on Twitter. Alex goes into the history of Musk’s murky relationship with free speech. He discusses how Musk seems to believe in free speech for himself, but not for the average joe. He loves radical speech and compliments but is not as friendly to disagreement and ridicule. Alex feels that Musk is not a free speech absolutist, he is more of a free speech elitist. Finally, Alex goes into how unionization in the United States is seeing an impressive comeback. The Conversation writes that “April 1, 2022, may go down as a pivotal day in the history of American unions… the independent Amazon Labor Union, got the better of the previously successful anti-union efforts of the online retailer. The warehouse in Staten Island, New York, will be the first to have a unionized workforce.” Alex also discusses how there have been successes in Starbucks attempts where Starbucks Workers United has seen 10 out of 11 wins since the Buffalo branch won its unionization election in 2021. Alex is happy to see this is occurring but discusses the challenges ahead and how corporations will throw all their resources at stopping this. 

Has Hungary Reached the Point of No Return?

In this episode, Alex starts by talking about how the atrocities the Russian military committed are coming to light. On Sunday, Ukrainian forces discovered a mass grave in Bucha, a town near Kyiv. There was evidence of rape, executions, and brutality. Zelensky has said that the Russians treated these people worse than animals. Alex then discusses the parliamentary elections that took place in Hungary on Sunday. This election was seen as a last attempt to stop Viktor Orbán from completely consolidating power and getting another term in office. The opposition consisted of six parties ranging from the left to the right, and all feared Hungary’s democratic backsliding. Orbán is an ally of Putin and the opposition tried to control this narrative. Unfortunately, Orbán won the election by a larger majority than first expected and his Fidesz party is likely to control the parliament. Edit Zgut, who is a political scientist at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw, predicted that a clear victory for Orban would allow him to move further in an autocratic direction. She said that “Hungary seems to have reached a point of no return, the key lesson is that the playing field is tilted so much that it became almost impossible to replace Fidesz in elections.” Alex worries that Orbán’s playbook will be used by other wannabe dictators and that Hungary may make the Ukraine invasion more complicated. Finally, Alex touches on the French presidential elections which will start next week. Ukraine is also at the forefront of them and according to The Economist, “The average gap between Emmanuel Macron and his rival, the nationalist-populist Marine Le Pen, has narrowed from 13 points on March 15th to seven points two weeks later.” 

“A Coup in Search of a Legal Theory”

In this episode, Alex starts with the feud between Ron DeSantis and Disney, why the “Don’t Say Gay Bill” will create a permission structure to be cruel to minority groups, and why he is angry that Jen Psaki is leaving the White House for MSNBC. Then he goes into the statement from a federal judge that said Trump and his allies did commit illegal activity and were basically pursuing “… A Coup In Search Of A Legal Theory.” Alex then goes into new revelations that Trump has withheld over 7 hours of phone records from the January 6th committee. Conveniently, these 7 hours were right when the riots were occurring. Alex then discusses how prosecuting Trump could only feed the conspiracies, and that Trump is more of a political problem than a legal one. He wraps up the episode by going over some updates on Ukraine, in which a Russian fuel depot has been bombed and it looks like things aren’t deescalating too well. 

Assad is Back, Russia is Retreating & Some Scary 2022 Candidates!

In this episode, Alex discusses how there may be changes coming in the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Could it be partitioned like Korea was? Then he talks about how Syria’s president and war criminal, Bashar al-Assad, has recently been embraced by Gulf nations such as the UAE. Finally, he goes through some worrying GOP candidates for the 2022 midterms who have links to domestic abuse and violence.

• First, Alex discusses how Russia is going to pull back forces around Kyiv. A member of the Russian Defense Ministry, Vladimir Medinsky, said that the first step agreed by Russia in talks with Ukraine "concerns a gradual military de-escalation in two main directions — Kyiv and Chernihiv. He also said that “we understand that there are people in Kyiv who need to make decisions, so we do not want to expose this city to additional risk." Alex does not believe that Russia is doing this to show good faith, he thinks they are doing this because they are retreating. In the same week, Russia has changed its rhetoric about the goal of its invasion. Russia’s Defense Minister, Sergei Shoigu, has now said that “liberating” the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine has been the main goal of Moscow’s military operation. Alex looks into how some experts believe a partition of Ukraine could be in the cards. Could it look like Korea after the war? 

 

• In other news, Alex discusses how the Biden Administration was caught off guard when Syrian President Bashar al-Assad visited the United Arab Emirates. Since 2011, Assad has become a pariah on the international stage after using a heavy hand to try and prevent the Syrian Civil War. He has been responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands, the torture of many more, and the displacement of nearly half of Syria’s population. Alex worries that Assad was never held accountable and is now slowly being welcomed back by some, onto the world stage. He also discusses how this may show that American influence is waning. If Putin isn’t held accountable, Alex worries the same may happen. 

 

• Lastly, Alex goes into a worrying trend that he is seeing in some of the America-First, Right-Wing Populists, who support Trump and MAGA. Many candidates have a history of violence and abuse towards women and children. He discusses how this is often a feature of fascism in which violence is not just part of the movement, but is often a feature. He looks into people like Sean Parnell, Max Miller, Herschel Walker, and Eric Greitens. It seems like Trump is willing to overlook their histories of abuse mainly because they are willing to endorse the big lie and support Trump’s lies. 

Iceland v. Palm Oil, Wheat Shortages in Africa & Moroccan Mischief in Western Sahara

In this episode, Alex starts with the most pressing issue of our time — the spat between Will Smith and Chris Rock at the Oscars. Then he talks about Iceland reverting to Palm Oil Products and how there a fears of a mega-famine in Sub-Saharan Africa which could be made worse by the Invasion of Ukrainian. He ends by talking about how the “conflict” over Western Sahara may be coming to an end. The details — 

 

• Starting in 2018, supermarket chains in Iceland decided to ban their store-brand products from having Palm Oil, which is linked with deforestation and the extinction of several species. Unfortunately, the War in Ukraine has forced these companies to revert to using Palm Oil in their brands. Alex discusses how the war has forced countries and companies to backtrack on their environmental progress. According to the Guardian, companies had to revert to Palm Oil because “…the price of a key alternative – sunflower oil – has soared by 1,000% during the war in Ukraine.” This is mainly because the Black Sea region (mainly Ukraine and Russia) accounts for 80% of sunflower oil production. 

 

• Even before the Invasion of Ukraine, climate change was directly damaging the continent of Africa. A UN report found that “Tens of millions of people across Africa face the risk of famine, drought, disease, and displacement within decades…” The horn of Africa has already experienced a food insecurity crisis and sub-Saharan Africa has been hit with lower yields of grain. Now the continent will have to turn to other parts of the world to import grain. Unfortunately for them, the Council on Foreign Relations discusses how “The World Food Program buys more than half of the wheat it distributes around the world from Ukraine.” This is because Ukraine and Russia produce close to 30% of the world’s wheat, but the invasion has changed this scenario. Also, floods and droughts in China have led to a drop in the exportation of crops like soy, wheat, and corn as well. Alex worries that all of this food insecurity will lead to political chaos and violence. 

 

• Finally, the long-lasting war or cold war between Morocco, Spain, Western Sahara, a rebel group, and Algeria may be coming to an end. The economist notes that “Spain abandoned its long-held neutrality and tilted in favor of Morocco. Its Prime Minister called Morocco’s plan to give the Saharans autonomy within the kingdom “the most serious, realistic and credible”. The EU gave a cautious thumbs-up to Morocco, too.” Alex goes into the background on this crisis, why it is fascinating that it could be coming to an end, and why Morocco is still not a good actor in this issue. 

J.K. Rowling, Putin & Clarence Thomas Walk Into a Bar

In this episode, Alex talks about Ukraine/Russia, Putin’s strange grievance-laced comparison to J.K. Rowling, and Ginni Thomas, the wife of Justice Clarence Thomas. 

• First, President Biden was in Poland meeting with NATO allies over the weekend and has been more aggressive in his rhetoric. Alex worries about what is next as the Russian government has said that the first stage of their invasion has been “completed.” 

 

• Then he talks about Putin’s strange speech over the weekend. Putin claims that J.K. Rowling, like himself, was canceled in the west because of her views on gender, masculinity, and other issues. Alex thinks these grievance-driven speeches are Putin’s way of trying to use right-wing talking points in order to get some in America’s right-wing to sympathize with Russia. In a sense, many on America’s far-right, have similar stances on the culture war to Putin, and the Kremlin may be trying to utilize this moment.  

 

• Finally, Alex gets into Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas’ wife, Ginny Thomas. She is an “activist” that was involved in the January 6th riots and has touted QAnon and election conspiracies. Alex discusses how this may be a conflict of interest for Justice Thomas. Thomas was the only judge to vote against releasing documents on January 6th and also was the only justice to support investigating voter fraud in several states. Alex debates whether this is just part of Thomas’ consistently originalist take on the constitution, or if he is protecting something. In these divisive times, Alex worries that the court needs to look neutral more than ever, and this issue will add even more distrust. While there may be a conflict of interest, impeachment would be nearly impossible. 

FIFA Is Rotten From the Inside, Out!

In this episode, Alex starts with his thoughts on the Ketanji Brown Jackson hearing, in which he thinks that the Republicans are just using every talking point possible to try and derail the confirmation of this qualified nominee. Then he spends the rest of the podcast looking into the controversies centered around the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA). He uses the Qatar World Cup which will be played in November 2022, to discuss the issues this organization continues to face. Alex looks into the exploitation of workers in many of the countries where the World Cup takes place (such as South Africa, Brazil, and Qatar). Then he looks into the wasteful infrastructure projects that have been required for a World Cup. He finds that the projects are expensive, wasteful, neglect labor laws, and usually use vast state resources for only a few weeks of use. Later he looks into the bribery scandals, corruption charges, and FIFA’s close relationships with despots and illiberal regimes. Alex ends by talking about how inside reform is crucial because it reflects how other non-profit, international organizations are held accountable on the global stage. A research paper from the University of Colorado notes that “…If the governing body of this sport is not conducting business with integrity, it would certainly have a negative effect on the other things that football is a part of.”