Thinking Progressive with Ron Rivers: Recent Episodes
Ron Rivers
A hypothetical evaluation of the moments following the death of a president. Does this moment of silence give us new opportunities?
Bitcoin enthusiasts and investors claim that BTC is the future of currency, but how can that be true when the wealthy are already hoarding it? We explore this topic in depth. Guests Simon Tang (@SimonSTang) and Joe Saz (@Joe_Saz).
Data trends are suggesting that the economic crisis is reaching a tipping point here in the United States. If my predictions are accurate and reach the threshold, there is unlikely to be any feasible plan for recovery for a significant number of Americans. We'll explore these statistics to prepare ourselves better to fight against the tide.
Connecting the dots between ancient humanity's quest for transcendent life and our own present day struggles. There are no answers here, only observations, questions, and commitment.
Exploring my personal struggle to leave Facebook. It should be easy, but there are many reasons it's not. If you've ever considered it my story may help you choose one direction or another. Intro Music: Akira the Don - Hero's Journey Type Beat
Exploring progressive political strategies surrounding administrative artificial intelligence. Pulling information from several studies and sources to develop ways of thinking and approaching artificial intelligence legislation in 2020 and beyond.
Source documents available at https://ronrivers.com
Did you know that in 2012 Professor Peter Turchin predicted the 2020 civil unrest? We'll explore the aggressive police response to the protests, our successful history of riots, and how we can end our reliance on crisis to create change.
Society is burning, but what will rise from the ashes? Do we need a new messiah to show us the way? Where is Neo Jesus? We'll examine the upcoming transcendent spiritual transformation technology will bring and how it will impact humanity.
Exploring the process and benefits of considering everything from three perspectives. Includes reflections on why history makes this difficult.
COVID-19 presents educators with new challenges and opportunities. We'll explore how we can use digital learning to radically transform education in the U.S. and why we should.
Exploring ideas, opportunities, and challenges with building a successful organization during the pandemic and its resulting ripple effects.
Connecting the dots between billionaires, gods, and kings to further expand our understanding of present-day class consciousness.
Conservatives face serious dilemmas about how their ideals exist and function in a COVID-19 world. Focusing on small government, we'll explore the ideal and explain why voting for progressive candidates is the most direct path to achieving this style of living.
Democracy demands a level of engagement and responsibility to function as intended. In this episode we explore why we have failed to realize this vision and what we can do to fix it moving forward.
The Bernie Sanders campaign has officially ended and we're left with many questions. In this episode we'll explore why Americans are so resistant to necessary change and what options are left for progressives moving forward.
Our economy is quickly entering a depression, one that will likely ripple for generations. It is a known future, one that forces us to consider what comes next. How will we reshape production and labor in the United States, given our experience so far with the crisis? Whatever directions we choose, they all begin with reimagining public-private partnerships.
The COVID-19 pandemic sheds light on the dysfunction of our modern economic and political institutions. Every crisis presents opportunities for those willing to take them. We explore why the time for a total strike is now and how it may take form.
COVID-19 has shown us how ill-prepared we are for crisis. Local governments should act now to build programs to increase local resilience. We'll explore seven policy frameworks for how to do that.
Technology and labor have gone hand in hand with human evolution for over 10,000 years. Today we're experiencing a fundamental shift in our technology, one that will force us to reshape work as we know it. We'll explore this concept and more in this episode.
Radical change is on the horizon, but many still resist it. In this episode we'll explore the broad case for radical change, centering around the crisis, oligarchy, and our latent potential.
Political moderates, or centrists, are one of the biggest threats to American democracy in 2020 and beyond. In this episode we'll explore why that is and more importantly, why centrism is a false ideal.
Conservative politics are going extinct. The central philosophies behind the practice are incompatible with our way of life today for two reasons - technology and the crisis. We'll discuss why these beliefs are doomed from the perspective of our present place in time.
This week we're taking a slightly different direction to share an easy and effective method I created to manage tasks. By maximizing our time we give ourselves more opportunity to do good for the world and the movement.
NOTE: This video references documents - download them here for free: Download Excel File: https://tinyurl.com/vd422k6 Google Sheet: https://tinyurl.com/qsqg4xa (Select "File" then "Make a Copy" to save your own )
Apolitical eras have occurred in our past and will occur in our future. The question is when and how? In this essay/episode we'll explore two potential scenarios that will trigger apolitical action in the United States.
Utopia comes in many forms, but the one we are closest to achieving could be described as a rudimentary utopia. In this episode we'll explore some of the features and systems that would exist in this initial stage of transformation.
The word utopia conjures up visions of the ideal but carries with it the stigma of impossibility. This is simply false. In this episode we explore what Utopia is and is not, focusing on why it's important that we reimagine the word to meet the needs of the present.
In this episode we’re going to be talking about affordable housing and generational ideals. Affordable housing is a problem that many areas in the United States are struggling with today.
Today our struggle with housing is less about economics and resources, and more about the beliefs of an aging generation. We'll discuss why these ideals are creating unnecessary challenges and how we can overcome them.
The struggle for transformation can mean many things to many people. So much of our present reality, our belief in what is, and is not, possible is defined by the institutions that we were born into. Before we can be better we must first let go of the concepts that are holding us back. In this episode we'll explore why our generations should be rejecting the ideals and beliefs of the past in order to realize a future that will redefine the human experience.
In era of global crisis the very idea of war probably seems insane to you. That’s because it is. So how do we begin to free ourselves from the war machine? In this episode we’ll explore one potential economic and legislative solution to cripple the profit seeking war machine in the United States. Socializing the weapons manufacturers.
Welcome back to the 2020 season of the Thinking Progressive podcast. This episode is a brief primer on the direction and focus of our efforts in 2020.
We'll be removing our weekly progress report (current events) and focusing more on creating better content under the larger theme of progressive transformation of ourselves and our institutions.
Thinking Progressive isn’t only about politics. It’s a way of approaching change. Today’s episode is a story about how I coped with a fairly radical shift in my professional routine. It’s a story that some of you may find relevant to your lives today or your future plans. More importantly, I’m going to share some of the darker times I went through during the process of transitioning and the methods that I used to push through.
This is the final episode of our 2019 season, looking forward to continuing with exciting new content in 2020!
Disabled people face significantly unequal opportunity when it comes to running for elected office and voting. Disadvantage in the form of information, process, and access only allow the disabled voter and candidate to experience a form of neutered democracy. Building a pluralistic society demands that we develop methods to allow all people to have a say in their national future. In this episode we'll explore the problem in more details and present solutions for how we might structure our electoral process to provide equal opportunity for disabled participants.
11/22/19 Weekly Progress Report discussing:
- Exploring the Inevitable Impeachment
- Exploring A New A.I. Study by Brookings Institute
Values are guiding principles that we follow in order to help us make better decisions and construct better institutions, but require us to be conscious of their vulnerability. History shows us that no value is permanent. If we were more open to the malleability of values in our society how might that change us? What type of policies would we explore and in what directions? What would it mean for humanity? We'll explore these questions and more into today's episode.
11/15/19 Thinking Progressive Weekly Progress Report discussing:
- The Bolivian Coup
- Bernie's Immigration Plan (Detailed!)
- Nueralink - Connecting our brains to computers
Given today’s political climate, talking about unifying the factions is likely to be met with disbelief and dismissal. It’s my perspective that unifying the American populace is both achievable and desirable. Our journey today explores how President Trump's impeachment process may be one such path.
11/8/19 Thinking Progressive Progress Report discussing:
- 11,000 Scientists Demand Climate Action
- Trump's attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act
- DNA and the 4th Amendment
- Billionaire Bill’s Lame Politics
You may hear "social credit score" and think dystopia, but is there another way? Learning from China's experiment we can imagine a better program for the American people. An American social credit score could be a direct pathway to empower millions within the United States.
11/1/19 Thinking Progressive Progress Report - Reviving the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) - The Tragedy of Katie Hill - Examining the decline of Christianity in the US - Genetically modified food breakthroughs
In this episode, we’ll discuss the American Constitution from three different perspectives. It's a critique of strict adherence to our existing constitution, an exploration of the concept of evolving constitutions, and an imagining of alternatives such as generational constitutions.
In this week's Thinking Progressive Progress Report we discuss:
- Ukrainian diplomat William Taylor’s recent testimony
- How to halt global warming for only $300 Billion
- Exxon's trial for lying about the climate crisis
- A new House billed with bi-partisan support to crack down on anonymous shell companies
- Google's recently announced Quantum Supremacy
Identity politics have become central to the politics of both liberal and conservatives here in the United States, and the nation is worse off for it. That's because identity politics are tribalism under another name, ultimately serving to divide us. In bringing expanded structure to our movement, progressives should reject identity politics in favor of a more unifying effort to build a majority focused on systemic reform.
In this episode, we'll explore Senator Ron Wyden's newest bill proposal to combat big tech - the Mind Your Business Act, Facebook's latest position on handling propaganda on that platform, and breakthroughs in genetics technologies that matter to progressives.
Universal Basic Income as proposed today is a bad policy that will hurt the poor. We'll explore why that is and what alternatives exist for progressives seeking to transform society.
In this episode, we'll explore China's influence on American corporations. The past two weeks have seen three instances where U.S. companies were threatened by China - but it's just the tip of the iceberg. What are the cultural impacts of the disturbing trend of American companies bending the knee? What responsibility do organizations operating internationally have to American values? These are questions progressives need to grapple with today to be prepared for tomorrow.
Uber is synonymous with easy and convenient travel. It's a service that we love but a company that struggles with finding a pathway to financial viability. In this episode, we'll explore reasons why a for-profit Uber model may be destined to fail and how socializing the company may lead to profound benefits for both society and Uber's existing workforce.
In this episode, we discuss the recently reported IRS revelations, the growing armed militia movement being fueled by Donald Trump's tweets, Mark Zuckerberg's lastest rejection of social responsibility, and what NASA's latest goal might mean for society as a whole.
Donald Trump's world seems to be closing in on him from all sides with the threat of impeachment and he's responded by ramping up the rhetoric. Today we'll explore the hidden meaning behind Donald Trump's strategy, the real and present threat of violence, and what progressives can do to help mend the wounds caused by Donald Trump after his reign is over.
This week we dive deep into policy exploring plans and philosophy behind the proposals. We'll review Senator Bernie Sanders recently proposed Wealth Tax and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's "A Just Society. Exploring what these plans mean for the future of the progressive movement.
It's no secret that the Founding Fathers were flawed human beings whose actions do not accurately reflect the consciousness of today. But if we take a step back and think about it we'll realize that the Founders were in fact progressives. In this episode I'll talk about why that's true and what progressives gain by embracing it.
Perspective and news Progressives can use.
This week's episode explores Trump's impending impeachment, Elizabeth Warren's good (but controversial) week, the climate crisis, and new tech you should know about.
Education is the cornerstone of any prosperous democracy. It is a fundamental aspect of every developing human’s life and sets the tone for our ability to reimagine and reconstruct our circumstances. But education as an institution in the United States is ill-prepared for the task of enlightening youth growing up in 2019. A progressive approach to education would redefine how and what we teach students today to better prepare them for the world of tomorrow.
Throughout history, labor has been a primary defining factor in human experience. But the nature of work is experiencing a fundamental shift around the globe, disrupting many in transition. In this episode, we argue for why we should embrace the future of labor today to better address the problems of tomorrow.
Perspective and news Progressives can use.
This week's episode explores Hong Kong's small victory, Wal-Mart vs. the NRA, Elizabeth Warren's Green New Deal, the UK's political courage, and new technology Progressives should be aware of.
In this episode, we explore how the current Amazon rainforest fires might be handled under a Progressive White House.
President Trump is ill-equipped to deal with a catastrophe of this magnitude, but there are still plenty of solutions to be discovered. We discuss the stakeholders, economics, and collaborative solutions that would bring us closer to ensuring the safety of the Amazon Rainforest for all of Earth's people.
Perspective and news Progressives can use. This week's episode explores the burning of the Amazon, the Democratic Primary Race, Green Energy investment, Bernie Sanders new labor plan, Illinois expunging Marijuana records, and new technology Progressives should be aware of.
In this episode, we pull apart Elizabeth Warren's plan to break apart big tech companies. It's a bold plan to address the concentrated power structures tech monopolies are creating. The solution seems pretty straightforward and draws historically from our past of breaking up the big robber-baron monopolies of oil, telephone, and steel. Where the plan falls short is to take into the account the nature of these modern organizations, and how breaking up them and socializing aspects of their companies will not have the same impact today in comparison to the past. The discussion wraps up exploring alternatives that could be used to break up corporate dominance and financialization in the United States.
In this episode, we dive deep into the recently released Green New Deal. After reviewing the plan in detail I've come away with five takeaways I believe every American should know before casting their vote.
In this episode, Ron Rivers breaks apart a seemingly innocent phrase to expose why it is, in fact, the worst advice you could ever give a newly married couple. It's an exercise in understanding context and language, two of the Progressive's most significant obstacles to genuine transformation.
In this episode, Ron Rivers explores the language and concepts behind a free society. Freedom is often used as a political buzzword, but are the policies and practice of today making us freer?
In this episode, Ron Rivers discusses why people who consider themselves Free Market purists should vote for Progressive Candidates.