El Podcast

Historian and journalist Jacob Mikanowski explores the legacy of communism, post-Soviet transitions, surveillance states, and the uncertain future of Europe.Guest Bio: Jacob Mikanowski is a historian, cultural critic, and journalist. He is the author of Goodbye, Eastern Europe: An Intimate History of a Divided Land, which traces the complex past and present of the region through personal stories, political history, and cultural memory.Topics Covered:Communist nostalgia and post-1989 transitionsEconomic shocks, privatization, and hyperinflation in Eastern EuropeSurveillance tactics in Cold War-era regimes vs. modern digital surveillanceDecline of legacy media and rise of decentralized informationFertility decline, rural depopulation, and mass emigrationEU integration, expansion fatigue, and national resistanceRegional identity: Western vs. Eastern vs. Central EuropeTravel and expat life in underrated Eastern European countries like Albania and RomaniaCultural memory, censorship, and historical erasure (e.g. Tiananmen Square)Living standards and quality of life comparisons between the U.S. and Europe 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube:➡️ https://youtu.be/vqcK8hsvCzI 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

12 Loka 20241h 1min

Investigative journalist Joseph Cox joins to discuss Dark Wire, his explosive new book revealing how the FBI secretly ran a global encrypted phone company to spy on the criminal underworld.Guest Bio: Joseph Cox is an award-winning investigative journalist and co-founder of 404 Media. He specializes in cybercrime, surveillance, and hacking, and is the author of Dark Wire: The Incredible True Story of the Largest Sting Operation Ever, which is being adapted into a Netflix film directed by Jason Bateman.Topics Covered:How the FBI created and operated the encrypted phone company AnomGlobal law enforcement collaboration with countries like Australia, Sweden, and LithuaniaLegal and ethical concerns around bulk surveillance and entrapmentTechnical infrastructure and operational secrecy of the stingImpact on organized crime and the global drug tradeUse of Bitcoin and hawala for money launderingAI’s growing role in law enforcement surveillance and data analysisParanoia and fallout within the criminal underworldFuture implications for privacy, encrypted apps like Signal and Telegram, and law enforcement tactics📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️ https://youtu.be/OLvf63ZSlwk 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

5 Loka 202455min

Christine Rosen discusses her book The Extinction of Experience, warning against the societal costs of technological overreach, constant surveillance, and the erosion of human judgment and private life.Guest bio: Christine Rosen is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a contributing editor at Commentary magazine, co-host of the Commentary podcast, and a fellow at the University of Virginia’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture. She is the author of several books, most recently The Extinction of Experience: Being Human in a Disembodied World.Topics covered:Workplace surveillance and emotion-tracking appsThe illusion of AI emotional intelligence (e.g., “Moody” app misreading Hitler speech)The ethical implications of outsourcing judgment to technologyTech’s impact on relationships, parenting, and educationSocial media, teenage mental health, and gender differences in screen useElite technologists limiting their own children’s screen exposureAnalog resistance: rituals, habits, and reclaiming human experiencesGen Z workplace struggles, desocialization, and the myth of “digital natives”AI hype vs. human skills and personal responsibilityPolicy solutions: regulation, parental accountability, and civic engagementMisc info related to this podcast:Christine has twin sons in college and shared her personal experience with raising them screen-light.She critiques the techno-elite's hypocrisy—profiting from tech while shielding their families from it.Encourages a “day without the phone” experiment to rediscover human presence and attention.Closing note: technology should serve human flourishing—not replace or monitor it. 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/f-1WcPg61_s 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

28 Syys 20241h

Austin Frerick exposes the monopolistic grip on America’s food system and the consequences for quality, health, labor, and democracy in his new book Barons.Guest bio: Austin Frerick is a Yale University fellow, former tax economist at the U.S. Treasury Department, and co-chair of the Biden campaign’s agriculture and antitrust policy committee. He is the author of Barons: Money, Power, and the Corruption of America’s Food Industry.Topics covered:How monopolies dominate each sector of the food industry (hogs, grains, dairy, berries, etc.)The illusion of choice through brand consolidationDriscoll’s "Nike model" of produce controlWalmart’s dominance and corporate consolidationOffshoring, cartel control, and labor exploitation in produceAgricultural automation, data consolidation, and AIJunk science, checkoff programs, and academic corruptionObesity, the farm bill, and cheap corn-based foodMonopoly resistance, antitrust reform, and the legacy of Upton SinclairCultural reform through schools, local farming, and civic engagement 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/02B0rCgJPPU 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

20 Syys 202458min

Renowned economist Charles Goodhart joins the podcast to explore how aging populations, falling birthrates, and shifting global labor dynamics are reshaping the future of economies, politics, and social care.Guest Bio: Charles Goodhart is a British economist and former Bank of England advisor, widely recognized for his work on monetary policy and demography. He is emeritus professor at the London School of Economics and co-author of The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival.Topics Discussed:The "great demographic reversal" and its global economic impactWhy dementia and elder care pose major social and fiscal challengesDeclining fertility rates across Asia, the U.S., and EuropeThe limits of automation in aging societiesPolitical risks of reforming retirement and tax systemsLessons—and limits—of the Japanese modelThe uncertain potential of Africa as the next global labor engineWhat a post-growth economy might look likeHousing demand trends amid an aging populationSocial media’s impact on young people and public discoursePersonal reflections on aging, family, and historical change 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/cLBi-hw8bYI 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

18 Syys 202454min

Journalist and political analyst Caleb Maupin discusses his controversial book Kamala Harris and the Future of America, censorship, and the political forces shaping the 2024 U.S. presidential election.Guest Bio: Caleb Maupin is a journalist, political analyst, and founder of the Center for Political Innovation. He is the author of multiple books, including Kamala Harris and the Future of America, and has appeared on outlets such as RT, Jimmy Dore, and Kim Iversen.Topics Discussed:The thesis and early predictions in Kamala Harris and the Future of AmericaAlleged censorship of the book following Harris’s nominationKamala Harris’s background, political rise, and prosecutorial recordRole of big tech and intelligence agencies in shaping U.S. discourse2024 presidential election dynamics, including Harris vs. TrumpDegrowth, elite agendas, and the influence of Silicon ValleyCultural engineering by the CIA and historical context of U.S. foreign policyTrump’s evolution, RFK Jr., and intra-elite political divisionsTop Quote:“Kamala Harris is not an ethical person—she’s a synthetic creation molded by powerful interests. The only time she seems truly authentic is when she’s laughing about destroying people’s lives.” – Caleb Maupin📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/Ne5-2HWPRYE 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

14 Syys 20241h 12min

DJ Renegade, co-creator of the Olympic breaking judging system, explains how breakdancing entered the 2024 Paris Olympics and addresses the controversy surrounding competitor B-Girl Ray Gun.Guest Bio: DJ Renegade (Kevin Gopie) is a foundational figure in UK hip-hop and breaking, active since the 1980s. He is the founder and coach of the UK’s Soul Mavericks crew and co-designed the judging system used for Olympic breaking competitions, including the 2024 Paris Olympics. He has judged globally and was a key figure in the 2018 Youth Olympic Games in Argentina.Topics Discussed:The origins and structure of Olympic breakingHow breaking was judged at the 2024 Olympics (no point system, comparative domains)The controversy around Australian B-Girl Ray GunMisconceptions about breaking’s artistic traditions and evolutionMedia, outrage culture, and conspiracy theoriesThe future of breaking in the OlympicsRenegade’s journey from 1980s hip-hop to Olympic leadershipTop Quote:“I think the world’s not ready for breaking—and breaking’s not ready for the world.” – DJ Renegade 📺Watch the full episode on YouTube➡️https://youtu.be/oDweMWi0f1E 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

7 Syys 202440min

Dr. Wilfred Reilly joins the show to discuss his latest book Lies My Liberal Teacher Told Me, challenging dominant narratives in education, race, gender, and American history.Guest Bio: Dr. Wilfred Reilly is a political science professor at Kentucky State University, co-host of the Cut the Bull podcast, and author of several books including Taboo and Hate Crime Hoax. His work focuses on data-driven critiques of media narratives, identity politics, and ideological orthodoxy in academia.Topics Discussed:The 1960s counterculture and its long-term social effectsThe Red Scare and communist influence in U.S. institutionsCultural Marxism vs. traditional MarxismGender, family collapse, and declining fertilityLies in mainstream education and mediaHow to find balanced non-fiction sourcesThe future of family formation and policy implicationsCareer advice in a rapidly changing labor marketTop Quote:"Trust your common sense. If someone says something that sounds insane—like some women have 9-inch penises—believe your gut. You're not crazy." — Dr. Wilfred Reilly Watch the full episode on YouTube📺➡️https://youtu.be/QVq8komx41M 🎙 The Pod is hosted by Jesse Wright💬 For guest suggestions, questions, or media inquiries, reach out at https://elpodcast.media/📬 Never miss an episode – subscribe and follow wherever you get your podcasts.⭐️ If you enjoyed this episode, please rate and review the show. It helps others find us. Thanks for listening!

5 Syys 20241h 10min