Elon Musk and the Rebirth of Company Towns feat. Steven Monacelli & Dr. Michael Phillips
In Texas, the world’s richest man is bringing back to life one of the worst ideas of the Gilded Age, local Robber Baron-owned dictatorships called company towns. Elon Musk has already established two in Texas and other high-tech oligarchs like Peter Theil hope to create more. In this episode, journalist Steven Monacelli and historian Dr. Michael Phillips explore the history of company towns in the United States and their disturbing rebirth. Sources: Margaret Crawford, Building the Workingman's Paradise: The Design of American Company Towns Alan Dawley, Struggles for Justice: Social Responsibility and the Liberal State Hardy Green, The Company Town: The Industrial Edens and Satanic Mills That Shaped the American Economy Chad Pearson, Capitalism’s Terrorists: Klansmen, Lawmen, and Employers in the Long Nineteenth CenturySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
19 Elo 37min
The Federalization of DC Police feat. Bridget Todd
DC resident Bridget Todd talks with Garrison about Trump’s police takeover in Washington DC, the manufacturing of crime panics, and how federal police are effecting the city.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
18 Elo 41min
CZM Book Club: Hermetica, by Alan Lea, Part Three
Margaret brings you further along into the tale of Hermetica, the generation ship. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
17 Elo 32min
It Could Happen Here Weekly 195
All of this week's episodes of It Could Happen Here put together in one large file. - Infrastructure as Control feat. Andrew - Why Trump is Obsessed with the Autopen - How Tucson Beat Amazon’s Data Center - Tariffs and the Corruption State - Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #29 You can now listen to all Cool Zone Media shows, 100% ad-free through the Cooler Zone Media subscription, available exclusively on Apple Podcasts. So, open your Apple Podcasts app, search for “Cooler Zone Media” and subscribe today! http://apple.co/coolerzone Sources/Links: Why Trump is Obsessed with the Autopen https://www.shapell.org/behind-the-scenes/the-robot-pen/ https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1908354 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/lead-investigator-james-comer-biden-autopen-digital-signature-rcna216719 https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/politics/autopen-trump-biden-analysis https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-pardon-autopen-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-clemency-interview.html How Tucson Beat Amazon’s Data Center http://nodesertdatacenter.com https://apnews.com/article/electricity-prices-data-centers-artificial-intelligence-fbf213a915fb574a4f3e5baaa7041c3a https://vermaland.com Tariffs and the Corruption State https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/economy/tariff-more-expensive https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-hikes-india-tariffs-50-percent-buying-russian-oil-rcna223374 https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/us-tariffs-take-effect-08-07-25 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nvidia-amd-chip-sales-china-15-percent-h20-mi308/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/business/tariffs-switzerland-trump.html https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/07/trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-come-into-effect-hitting-dozens-of-us-trading-partners.html https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/8/12/trump-extends-china-tariff-deadline-for-the-second-time-what-does-it-mean https://www.tradecomplianceresourcehub.com/2025/08/12/trump-2-0-tariff-tracker/ https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/business/trade-exemptions-tariffs-trump https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7jjkvzmkxo https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/us-tariffs-take-effect-08-07-25#cme17o5l400003b6ns7mwdwnv https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/tech/apple-investment-us-trump https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-tariffs-latest-round-takes-effect-thursday-august-7-2025-rcna223461 https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/us-tariffs-take-effect-08-07-25 https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-administration-tells-foreign-military-junta-wants-hear-raising-e-rcna221569 https://restofworld.org/2023/foxconn-iphone-factory-china/ https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/tech/apple-investment-us-trump https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/i-wont-humiliate-myself-brazils-president-sees-no-point-tariff-talks-with-trump-2025-08-06/ Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #29 https://www.cvesd.org/parents/family-and-community-resourceslausd.org https://www.lausd.org/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/577/Parent%20Resources/ComResourceGuideEng.pdf https://www.kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2024/11/21/with-trump-back-in-power-advocates-criticize-gloria-for-shuttering-immigrant-affairs-office https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/business/trump-bls-ej-antoni.html https://x.com/AngulusTerrarum/status/1955320816855294169 https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/1955041060197114136 https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/stephen-miran-federal-reserve-board-e7855877 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-bls-appointment-ej-antoni-alarms-economists-2112440 https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/business/bls-nominee-trump https://abcnews.go.com/Business/ej-antoni-trumps-pick-lead-bls/story?id=124579471 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/restoring-law-and-order-in-the-district-of-columbia/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8600x7dnn4o https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-democrats-return-after-governor-ends-special-session/story?id=124592449 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5loldo4Vmno https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspected-gunman-cdc-shooting-fired-500-rounds-officials/story?id=124577732 https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/rfk-jr-in-interview-with-scripps-news-trusting-the-experts-is-not-science https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-formally-asked-overturn-landmark-same-sex/story?id=124465302See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
16 Elo 2h 45min
Executive Disorder: White House Weekly #29
The gang discuss the deployment of National Guard and federalization of police in Washington DC, a Heritage Foundation economist being appointed to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and a shooting targeting the CDC headquarters. Fundraiser: https://www.gofundme.com/f/urgent-help-for-bukets-asylum-case Sources: https://www.cvesd.org/parents/family-and-community-resourceslausd.org https://www.lausd.org/cms/lib/CA01000043/Centricity/Domain/577/Parent%20Resources/ComResourceGuideEng.pdf https://www.kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2024/11/21/with-trump-back-in-power-advocates-criticize-gloria-for-shuttering-immigrant-affairs-office https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/business/trump-bls-ej-antoni.html https://x.com/AngulusTerrarum/status/1955320816855294169 https://x.com/JosephPolitano/status/1955041060197114136 https://www.wsj.com/economy/central-banking/stephen-miran-federal-reserve-board-e7855877 https://www.newsweek.com/trump-bls-appointment-ej-antoni-alarms-economists-2112440 https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/11/business/bls-nominee-trump https://abcnews.go.com/Business/ej-antoni-trumps-pick-lead-bls/story?id=124579471 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/08/restoring-law-and-order-in-the-district-of-columbia/ https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8600x7dnn4o https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/texas-democrats-return-after-governor-ends-special-session/story?id=124592449 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5loldo4Vmno https://abcnews.go.com/US/suspected-gunman-cdc-shooting-fired-500-rounds-officials/story?id=124577732 https://www.scrippsnews.com/health/rfk-jr-in-interview-with-scripps-news-trusting-the-experts-is-not-science https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/supreme-court-formally-asked-overturn-landmark-same-sex/story?id=124465302See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
15 Elo 42min
Tariffs and the Corruption State
Mia gives an update on the recent round of tariffs and what they say about the American state under Trump. Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/01/economy/tariff-more-expensive https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-hikes-india-tariffs-50-percent-buying-russian-oil-rcna223374 https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/us-tariffs-take-effect-08-07-25 https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nvidia-amd-chip-sales-china-15-percent-h20-mi308/ https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/08/business/tariffs-switzerland-trump.html https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/07/trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-come-into-effect-hitting-dozens-of-us-trading-partners.html https://www.aljazeera.com/economy/2025/8/12/trump-extends-china-tariff-deadline-for-the-second-time-what-does-it-mean https://www.tradecomplianceresourcehub.com/2025/08/12/trump-2-0-tariff-tracker/ https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/07/business/trade-exemptions-tariffs-trump https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg7jjkvzmkxo https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/us-tariffs-take-effect-08-07-25#cme17o5l400003b6ns7mwdwnv https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/tech/apple-investment-us-trump https://www.nbcnews.com/business/business-news/trump-tariffs-latest-round-takes-effect-thursday-august-7-2025-rcna223461 https://www.cnn.com/business/live-news/us-tariffs-take-effect-08-07-25 https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/trump-administration-tells-foreign-military-junta-wants-hear-raising-e-rcna221569 https://restofworld.org/2023/foxconn-iphone-factory-china/ https://www.cnn.com/2025/08/06/tech/apple-investment-us-trump https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/i-wont-humiliate-myself-brazils-president-sees-no-point-tariff-talks-with-trump-2025-08-06/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
14 Elo 29min
How Tucson Beat Amazon’s Data Center
James is joined by Karl Kasarda of InRangeTV to discuss the Project Blue data center and the coalition of people who campaigned against its construction in Tucson. Sources: http://nodesertdatacenter.com https://apnews.com/article/electricity-prices-data-centers-artificial-intelligence-fbf213a915fb574a4f3e5baaa7041c3a https://vermaland.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
13 Elo 34min
Why Trump is Obsessed with the Autopen
Garrison talks with Robert about Republican investigations into the presidential autopen as a way to rescind pardons and remove judges. Sources: https://www.shapell.org/behind-the-scenes/the-robot-pen/ https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1908354 https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/lead-investigator-james-comer-biden-autopen-digital-signature-rcna216719 https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/05/politics/autopen-trump-biden-analysis https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-pardon-autopen-trump.html https://www.nytimes.com/2025/07/13/us/politics/biden-clemency-interview.htmlSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
12 Elo 27min
