Democracy on the Move

Artificial Intelligence

Today we talk with ChatGPT about Artificial Intelligence. Yes, we have a conversation with an AI bot about AI technology. We'll discuss what is meant by AI, how it can help us as individuals, how it threatens us, how it will change society, how our government should regulate AI and what might happen to people that don't keep up with developments in AI. It’s an interesting discussion with a non-human about recommended ways in which humans and AI can coexist, and how we, as individuals, can prepare to live safely and prosper in a world with AI.

The Missouri Rural Crisis Center

Tim Gibbons, the Communications Director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center (MRCC), drops by to talk about the crisis in our heartland. We discuss the problems with foreign ownership of American farmland, the loss of family farms to corporate interests, the consolidation of hogs and cattle into four major meatpacking companies (two of which are foreign-owned), the labeling of foreign beef as American and the lax approach that our congress has toward antitrust laws. All these factors are driving family farms out of business, depressing rural economies and jeopardizing our natural water supply for future viability of food production. Listen as Tim Gibbons describes what the Missouri Rural Crisis Center is doing about it; not only for Missouri, but for the nation overall.

Crossroads

The forces of White Christian Nationalism have been building since the 1960s, and today we can no longer ignore the threat it presents to our democracy. We are now at a crossroads, where Americans must make a choice; do we get involved and fight for our democracy, or do we sit passively while our freedoms are taken away? In this podcast, we briefly examine how the anti-democratic forces are now turning toward totalitarianism, and what we ordinary Americans can do about it.

Dirt Road Radio

Bernadette Holzer and Chris Burgess join the podcast to talk about Dirt Road Radio (DRR) - a new streaming radio station that seeks to tell a better story about rural life in America. DRR will connect rural communities across the country through music, arts & culture, news & opinion, and good, honest conversation. Why is Dirt Road Radio a necessary part of American life? What does it do? And how can you get involved? We discuss everything - and more - in this episode.

Accelerationism

In this podcast, we explore the accelerationist movement, which seeks to hasten the collapse of the current social, economic, or political order to establish a new world order. Accelerationism can be seen in the writings of Senator Josh Hawley, who has advocated for "immanentizing the Eschaton," or bringing about the end times to create a new order. However, this ideology has dangerous implications and has been likened to terrorism. Despite presenting itself as a religious ambition, accelerationism ultimately boils down to power and control.

Politics and Corruption

This week we chat again with Nathan Falcone. Our topic today? Politics and Corruption. Nathan is a lifetime resident of Cedar Hill, Missouri, a small unincorporated town of about 1700 people. He describes himself as having "an absurd love" of politics, and he believes that society is unnecessarily divided, and through discussion, we can heal the differences.

Da Hood Connect

Shavanna Spratt, Executive Director of St. Louis-based organization Da Hood Connect, drops by to talk about the organization. She emphasizes Da Hood Connect’s commitment to addressing and reducing barriers faced by Black and/or under-resourced communities through education, advocacy, and connections. Leveraging media and entertainment, including a community podcast, Da Hood Connect aims to create a world free from racism and bias, where these communities have full access to the resources needed to flourish. As the leader of this 501(c)(3) organization, Shavanna not only oversees its operations but also actively engages with her community, ensuring awareness of support, resources, and opportunities available to improve their lives.

Moving the Line

In this podcast we discuss the technique used by authoritarian and fascist leaders to erode democratic values and manipulate societies into submission by blurring the line between legal and illegal behavior. We look at how individual citizens often disengage and become cynical in the face of threats to democracy, thereby reenforcing the movement away from democracy. There is hope, however. We individuals need to unite and stand shoulder to shoulder to fight the enemies of democracy by organizing and using the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s as a blueprint for successful nonviolent resistance.

Abortion and Pronouns

In this episode we talk about how the modern controversy over abortion might lead us down a dark path where, as history has shown, our nation may end up forcing sterilization on certain people. We also talk about the modern day controversy over pronouns and the cesspool that the Arkansas legislature has inadvertently entered when trying to legislate over cultural issues.

Nathan Falcone

This week we chat with Nathan Falcone, a lifetime resident of Cedar Hill, Missouri. Nathan describes himself as having a keen interest in politics, which he describes as "an absurd love." He believes that society is unnecessarily divided, and an open discussion of major issues may help alleviate this problem of division. In this episode, we talk about ordinary stuff, but focusing mostly on how Covid has affected politics in a rural area.