Episode discussion topics * The coup was very real and our republic, and the liberty it promises, remain at risk. * We were warned about the risks of having a president given history's prevalence of kings and dictators. * Congress has done nothing to prevent the rise of executive authority even when it came at the cost of eroding its own power. * The parties are challenged in their own ways and both are enabling greater corruption, legal or otherwise, and other stresses on our institutions as a whole. * Let us harken back to Washington, our first president's Farwell address in 1796, where he opined on his hopes for the people and their new experiment in self-rule:

"… Your union and brotherly affection may be perpetual; that the free Constitution, which is the work of your hands, may be sacredly maintained; that its administration in every department may be stamped with wisdom and virtue;"

• And he warned us of tyranny and how political parties will set the stage for it:

"... Unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of government, destroying afterwards the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion." We might argue that the engines at risk are our elections.

• Calls to Action:
  • Lobby your representatives to support congressional action to reinstate their own authority granted under the Constitution and ensure proper oversight of the executive and judicial branches.
  • Get involved in your local party to help add your voice. Both parties have extreme elements at the helm that are skewing our candidate options towards the poles of the scale instead of the pragmatic center.
  • Citizen action to elect candidates to office that:
    • Do not take big corporate donations.
    • Advocate for free and fair elections.
    • Will pass laws to save our nation from authoritarianism, corruption, and climate change.

Your hosts: Michael V. Piscitelli and Raymond Wong Jr.

More info * We have transcripts located at the end of each podcast episode's page on our site. Check it out, but know this: It's all AI and not us. So thank you in advance for forgiving any and all errors. * Please feel free to share your thoughts through our Contact Us page or like us on Facebook. * Disclaimer: The opinions expressed on this podcast are for listener consideration and are not necessarily those of the show or its sponsors.

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• Intro music sampled from “Okay Class” by Ozzy Jock under creative commons license through freemusicarchive.org.
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