Centered From Reality

Biden Addresses the Nation, Lithuania Declares an Emergency & Trump Praises Putin!

In this short episode, Alex goes over how he stayed up watching the disturbing coverage of Russian airstrikes over key locations in Ukraine. At the same time, there were reports of Belarusian and Russian forces striking the border patrol. Since last night, Alex goes over Biden’s address to the nation that just finished. Later, he discusses how Lithuania has declared a state of emergency, and Ukraine has gone into martial law. Biden has promised to defend all NATO allies and Alex worries that this conflict may not stay in Ukraine. Finally, Alex discusses the disturbing and problematic rhetoric that is coming from the populist right (and some on the progressive left). Some media figures and politicians are so busy condemning Biden and their own country, that they are defending the biggest imperial threat to the world right now. Stability in Europe was one of the biggest achievements of the 20th century, Putin is putting that at risk. 

The Pretext for War: Redefining the Meaning of Sovereignty

In this episode, Alex focuses the entire episode on the recent updates on the Ukraine-Russia crisis where Putin has clearly set his sights on taking Ukraine and has officially invaded. Alex tries to get through all of the partisan media coverage to clarify the threat of what Putin is trying to accomplish. Putin has created a situation where Russia can define the meaning of a sovereign nation. Whoever disagrees, is conspiring against Russia.  Under Putin’s definition of statehood, it leaves room for redefining nationality for nefarious reasons.

 

 In this episode: 

• Alex starts by discussing Putin’s speech to Russian television in which he goes unhinged and crosses the rubicon. In his speech, Putin recognizes the independence and sovereignty of the Donetsk People’s Republic and the Luhansk People’s Republic. Alex discusses how this is an effective means for creating a pretext for protecting Russians outside of Russian territory. 

 

• Alex tries to respond to the extremes on both sides of America’s media that claim that this is an issue the U.S. should not be involved in. He discusses polling out of Ukraine that shows that the nation is more unified around a national identity than ever before. Putin is trying to foil this. 

 

• Alex goes over why diplomacy has failed and why that works in Russia’s favor. Sanctions also may work in the short term, but the true dependent variable in this situation is China. 

A Rare Victory in San Francisco, Putin is Firehosing the West & the EU in Africa!

In this episode, Alex discusses a recent and surprising victory against unreasonable progressivism in San Fransisco. Then he goes over a tactic called the “firehose of falsehood” and why he thinks Putin is using it to cow confusion that could lead the world to a conflict in Ukraine. Finally, the EU is investing in Africa to combat China’s problematic Belt and Road Initiative. 

 

• First, according to Politico, “San Francisco voters have recalled three school board members who spurred a parental backlash for pursuing the renaming of schools and other progressive policy changes as classrooms remained empty during the coronavirus pandemic.” Alex discusses how while San Fransisco kids were doing remote learning longer than most other areas, school board members were making ridiculous arguments to change the names of schools, get rid of merit programs, and they even attacked anyone who disagreed with them. These types of policies are fueling the right and probably led to Glenn Younkin’s victory in Virginia.

 

• Second, Alex reviews the tactic known as the “firehose of falsehood.” It is a propaganda tactic, mainly used in Russia, in which a large number of messages are “broadcast rapidly, repetitively, and continuously over multiple channels.” Basically, a country’s social media and news are fled with so much disinformation and half-truths, that the populace doesn’t know what to believe and they become complacent. Putin has become infamous for using this strategy to sow discord and Alex worries he is doing the same about the Ukraine crisis. He worries this could lead to conflict because even NATO allies are unsure about what to believe is happening and Putin is just waiting for someone to act.

 

• Finally, according to reports from the Economist, “The EU announced a €150bn fund to invest in African infrastructure. The money is intended to offer an alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).” Alex goes over his paper/own views on the BRI and why it is a disingenuous attempt for the Chinese government to get its foot in the door into the African continent. The BRI is basically a “Chinese Marshall Plan” that has given loans to build infrastructure in many African countries. However, the promise to stimulate the economy hasn’t happened because the program has used Chinese labor and has may put many countries into a debt trap cycle. The EU is providing an alternative. 

The Freedom Convoy is Complicated, Tales from Trump’s Toilet & Is Trumpism Waning?

In this episode, Alex starts with the ridiculous yet concerning revelations about Trump’s eating and flushing of important documents down the toilet. This comes after the National Archives went to Mar-a-Lago to get 15 boxes of government documents. Then Alex discusses the Freedom Convoy in Canada that some think is about vaccines, others think is about freedom, and others think is about extremism and destabilizing the state. Alex finds that this is a complicated issue and the US media has been genuinely covering them. He mentions that COVID has led to worse inequality and many people that couldn’t stay home are angry and lost. He thinks that we need to address the root of why these protests are happening instead of condemning them. Finally, Trump is down in the GOP and Ron DeSantis is closing in on him for 2024 polling. Some are optimistic that the GOP is moving on from Trump, Alex thinks that it is worse. The party doesn’t need Trump, but they still have Trumpism. 

Beware of the Gazpacho, STEM in West Virginia & Crucial Elections in India

In this episode, Alex talks about how Marjorie Taylor Greene’s fear of the mighty Gazpacho means that she has learned nothing from her required trips to the Holocaust museum. Then he discusses how Biden’s popularity has dropped below 40% and many states are (finally) removing mask mandates. Later in the episode, Alex discusses how California’s Congressman, Ro Khanna, may have a way to alleviate the digital divide in the US that has intensified the culture war and may have led to Trumpism. Congressman Khanna basically wants to expand the tech industry into areas that have missed out on the economic boom of the digital age (imagine tech manufacturing in West Virginia or microchips being produced in Iowa). He discusses how this could help make America more independent from China and help alleviate issues in our supply chain. Finally, Alex goes into the local elections in Uttar Pradesh, India, which are the largest in the world. Currently, Prime Minister Modi’s  BJP party has flourished on Hindu nationalism, ethnic division, and law and order. The party is slowly devolving into illiberal policies. This election seems to show some weakening of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh. If the BJP can lose enough seats, it may stop the divisive rhetoric of the BJP.  

Gaslighting About Ukraine, the Republican Civil War & An Olympics of Contradictions

In this episode, Alex goes over a new movie he watched about World War 2 and the strategy of appeasement. Then he goes into some updates on the growing issue between Russia and NATO over Ukraine. Emmanuel Macron met with Vladimir Putin and has said that there is no immediate risk of a conflict. This seems to contradict the constantly growing buildup of troops and equipment on the border. Then Alex discusses the recent news that the RNC has censured Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger. The internal conflict in the GOP may be good for Democrats, but it is not good for the country. Alex ends by going over the Olympics. He discusses how he has a few friends in the Olympics and has been watching them. However, he can’t ignore the problematic propaganda about Taiwan and the Uighurs that China is pushing forward. And he has heard reports of awful conditions for the athletes and a potential cover-up of COVID cases in the country. 

Joe Rogan, Whoopi Goldberg & Rudy Giuliani Walk Into a Bar

In this episode, Alex decides to finally address his thoughts on the Joe Rogan/Neil Young/Spotify controversy. Then he does a quick discussion around Whoopi Goldberg’s ignorant and potentially harmful comments about the holocaust. Later, Alex laughs about Rudy Guliani showing up on FOX’s “The Masked Singer.” It seems like "America's Mayor" is in his final form!

 

• Alex is torn on Joe Rogan, the podcast is fascinating, inspiring, and can challenge one’s perspective. Alex’s issue with Rogan is that he is a great listener but not always a great interviewer. He claims to be curious and wants a good conversation, but he clearly has his own blind spots and can become an activist with some issues. By bringing on Dr. Malone and Dr. McCullough, Rogan has given them a platform and has given credit to their fringe views on the COVID-19 vaccine. Alex gives examples as to why Rogan clearly agrees with both doctors and isn’t just having them on for a different perspective.

 

• Whoopi Goldberg claimed on The View that the Holocaust wasn’t about race. This was an ignorant comment that goes against any historical understanding of the holocaust. Alex doesn’t want to cancel Goldberg and doesn’t think this is a bad person, he just thinks she is looking at the holocaust through her lens of race in the United States. He discusses an article from The Atlantic that mentions that “the Nazi Holocaust in Europe and slavery and Jim Crow in the United States are outgrowths of the same ideology—the belief that human beings can be delineated into categories that share immutable biological traits distinguishing them from one another and determining their potential and behavior.” 

 

• Finally, according to Deadline “Rudy Giuliani was unmasked as an exiting costumed contestant in last week’s taping of the first Season 7 episode of Fox’s popular primetime series The Masked Singer. Deadline hears that as soon as they saw Giuliani, judges Ken Jeong and Robin Thicke quickly left the stage in protest.” Alex finds this story ridiculous. Parody and satire have been killed. Who thought it would be a good idea to bring Guliani, the guy who tried to overthrow democracy, onto a family primetime show? Maybe wait a few years!

Biden’s Blindspot in Afghanistan, Trump’s Dangerous Promise & Bomb Threats on HBCU Campuses

In this episode, Alex discusses Trump’s dangerous speech in Texas where he encouraged extralegal actions to secure the election. Then he discusses George Packer’s scathing article with new revelations about Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Finally, he discusses some recent bomb threats at HBCUs across the United States. 

 

• In Texas, Trump told supporters at his rally that “If I run and if I win, we will treat those people from January 6 fairly ... And if it requires pardons, we will give them pardons." Alex discusses how by telling his supporters that he would pardon some of them, he basically is saying that anyone who commits violence for his bidding over the election or whatever it may be, will be protected if he is back in power. This is a worrying trend - when one side thinks that the other is existentially dangerous, they may have the rationale to throw out the democratic rule book.

 

• George Packer’s new article in The Atlantic discusses Biden’s moral blindspots in foreign policy involving both Vietnam and the withdrawal from Afghanistan. The article looks at the complete failure to properly get out of the country combat interpreters, embassy support staff, intelligence informants, and simply allies that had aided the United StatesThe alarming part is that many of these people had the proper visas to be evacuated out, but because of the chaotic situation in Kabul during the withdrawal, many were left behind. Biden seems to have a history of not supporting aid to allies after a military withdrawal and that may pose some questions about his leadership style. 

 

• To start off Black History Month, over twenty historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) received bomb threats that forced them to cancel classes on Tuesday. The FBI and Homeland Security are looking into these serious threats. Alex discusses how this escalating polarization and violence in the US may lead to domestic terrorism that usually impacts minorities and people of color. 

The Good & the Bad of Biden’s Nominations: SCOTUS, Federal Judges & Ambassadors

In this episode, Alex starts by going into the recent news that Justice Breyer is going to be retiring from the Supreme Court, and President Biden may finally get the chance to nominate someone to the highest court in the land. Alex argues that Biden’s promise to nominate an African-American woman is a great idea considering the SCOTUS needs a body that represents the American people. One of the front runners for the nomination is Ketanji Brown Jackson, a highly qualified D.C. judge who was unanimously confirmed by the senate. She was also a public defender, which Alex thinks could add a needed perspective to our justice system.

 

Alex then goes into the good and the bad of Biden’s nominations up to this point. President Biden has done a great job of appointing federal appeals judges, yet he has done an atrocious job of getting ambassadors to many key countries confirmed by the senate.  

• Involving the federal judges, Biden has gotten 40 judges confirmed, which is the most at this point in a presidency since Ronald Reagan. He also has gotten more black judges confirmed than ever before and 80% of the appointed judges are women. Alex discusses how this is a lesser-known part of the Biden administration but it is an important one that will leave a legacy long after Biden is out of office. 
• Involving the State Department and ambassadorships, there still is no confirmed envoy to Ukraine and no ambassadors to Berlin, London, and Rome. Also, according to The Economist, there are “no assistant secretaries for the Near East, for international security and non-proliferation, or for arms control. Nor is there a counter-terrorism coordinator or a legal adviser.” Alex mentions that this issue is due to political fighting in the senate, as well as transparency issues between the administration, the State Department, and lawmakers. 

Will the Real Demagogue Please Stand Up?

In this episode, Alex looks at the United States’ continuous problems that involve providing a sufficient amount of “at-home” COVID tests. Later he goes over his worries regarding Biden’s “Trump-like speech” in Georgia, and why it may alienate a slim majority that Biden is holding onto. Finally, Alex looks into the Trump vs. DeSantis feud and why it is more important than some may acknowledge. Alex mentions that everyone focuses on DeSantis’ COVID policies, but DeSantis could be worse than Trump. Alex is more concerned about his calls for a “civilian-military” that reports to the governor, not the pentagon. He also is worried about DeSantis’ “anti-riot law” which was a response to the George Floyd protests, yet completely ignores the January 6th situation. DeSantis could be a good alternative to Trumpism, but instead, he seems to be accelerating the authoritarian tendencies of Trump.