Democracy on the Move

In this episode, we discuss the danger of hyper-conservative media and its impact on American democracy. This danger is particularly noticeable by the way that extremist messaging on terrestrial radio in rural areas has poisoned political discourse in the United States. Fear and intolerance has been magnified and weaponized. So how do we fight this disturbing trend? There is a new idea emerging th...

In today's podcast, we explore the concept of the "common good" and its importance in shaping a just and equitable society. Throughout history, philosophers have emphasized the significance of shared values, collective responsibility, and public institutions in promoting the well-being of all individuals within a community. However, the forces of individual and collective greed, especially within...

In this podcast episode, we explore the complex and multifaceted controversy surrounding free speech. We examine historical events where people have freely expressed their views and opinions resulting in controversy and emotional upset. We delve into the recent phenomenon of "cancel culture" and the moral and ethical issues involved, and we discuss the "Paradox of Tolerance" and what it means for...

Why are farmers in the Netherlands protesting? Recent changes in Dutch environmental laws have put the squeeze on farmers in the Netherlands, so they've have taken their protests to their government. While it's true that our methods of farming - and living in general - must change in order to sustain a livable environment, it may be a mistake to force one group of people to bear the burden without...

Folks on the extreme right say that we here in the U.S. do not live in a democracy. They say that we live in a "Constitutional Republic." This is a dangerous belief, because to say that we do not live in a democracy is to say that we are not governed by the will of the people. This mindset opens the door to tyranny, because after all, why fight for a democracy when we don't live in a democracy any...

Do we have the right to be misinformed? What is misinformation? And should social media companies - and our government - censor us for misinformation? In this short podcast, we lay out the problem. We don’t offer any solutions, but we provide a bit more context on a highly complex and controversial topic.

Tim Ely, co-leader of the St. Louis Chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby, drops by to talk about the organization. Citizens’ Climate Lobby - or CCL for short - is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots advocacy climate change organization focused on national policies to address climate change. They not only directly lobby politicians, but they also engage at the local level with friends, neighbors...

In today's free-form discussion, we talk about progressivism, wokeism and that Chinese balloon that created a stir as it floated over our nation. 

When people lose confidence in local police, things can get very bad. The threat of demoralized cops walking off the job has politicians in many states panicking. Their solution? Seize control and centralize authority over local police departments. This is not a good development for democracy.

Disruption for its own sake will deliver a system of government that’s far worse than anything we have today.

In today’s short podcast, we’ll discuss how the lack of cooperation between our two main political parties has resulted in ridiculous manufactured issues as part of a culture war and an overall lack of progress on the issues that really matter to Americans.

Randi McCallian, U.S. Congressional Candidate for the 8th district in Missouri, drops by to talk about the big issues that Congress will face in the upcoming session. We talk about the debt ceiling, the farm bill, climate change and more. We also discuss why the Democrats haven’t been doing so well in rural areas and what they need to do about it.

In this short podcast, we discuss how 2023 is pivotal, as it sets the stage for a highly consequential election in 2024. Many state legislatures this year are trying to reduce our self-determination and may even decide to override our votes for president in 2024. We must not allow this to happen!

In this very short podcast, we talk about the origins of Christmas and how our modern day practice of it is part of a tradition that spans back thousands of years. We also talk about how the holiday evolved to become associated with the birth of Jesus. Finally, we talk about how the necessity of love that Jesus talked about 2,000 years ago is just as true today as ever.

Brian Mistrot, founder and President of an organization known as One Nation Movement (ONM) stops by to talk about their mission of strengthening the civic infrastructure of our democracy, specifically by focusing on restoring confidence in our elections, environmental solutions and fiscal responsibility. ONM is a conservative organization - conservative in the sense of traditional conservatism, as...

What is the “Deep State?” What do politicians mean when they refer to our democratic institutions as “Deep State?” The answer is that they are attempting to delegitimize the institutions that are designed to root out political corruption. They’re essentially trying to put the fox in charge of the chickens. Don’t fall for it!

Tim Gibbons, the Communications Director for the Missouri Rural Crisis Center (MRCC), stops by to talk about a crisis in the heartland - a very real crisis that puts our food supply at risk. The family farm is disappearing and being replaced by big ag. Why is that a problem? Well, for starters, much of big ag is run by - and controlled by - foreign companies that don’t share the farmers’ concerns...

This week we talk with Bobby Bostic, who was recently set free after being imprisoned for 27 years for a crime committed when he was 16. Mr. Bostic last appeared on this podcast in April 2021, and we now catch up with him as he works toward fulfilling his vision of helping people in his community avoid the “school to prison pipeline.” We talk about his life so far since being freed and where his p...

Karma Metzler Fitzgerald drops by to talk about politics from a rural Idaho perspective. Karma ran for the state house in this past election and was barely edged out by her opponent, losing by just 85 votes. We talk about the issues facing Idaho farmers and ranchers, the difficulty campaigning as a Democrat in a fairly red area, how national issues play out in Idaho and what Democrats need to do i...

Michael Baumli stops by to talk about his state senate campaign. Michael ran as a Democrat in Missouri State Senate district 12, which is in an area in Northwest Missouri that is highly Republican. We talk about the issues that matter to rural voters, the types of messaging they receive from both parties, the importance of community and what politicians from both parties need to do to really under...

Meet Jojo Stewart, a mom in a rural area in the Ozarks in southern Missouri who’s recently become a political activist. She organizes political events in her community, and she maintains a blog that provides a great perspective of life in the rural heartland. We talk about the big events of the day and how it affects people living in the Ozarks.

Overall, corporate and government censorship is viewed upon negatively, but in a rush to have open and free online dialog in a sort of online “town square,” are we exposing ourselves to more harm than good? As we wage online wars over manufactured issues, what happens when they spill over into the real world? And are these online wars distracting us from an even bigger truth in the real world; tha...

In today’s short opinion piece, we discuss what we believe is a New American Revolution and what that means to our precious republic. Has everyone in this revolution thought it through? What happens after the revolution? Will our democracy survive, or will we go down the path of fascist rule by oligarchy?

Curtis Vaughn stops by to talk about his primary campaign for the U.S. Senate, running as a Republican. Listen as Curtis explains how he ran his campaign on a shoestring budget, and even attempted to bike 250 miles in the hot summer sun just to participate in a Republican debate. He was largely shunned by the party, but he kept coming back, because, in his words, “Democracy is like a flame. We hav...

Dr. Robynn Kuhlmann, Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of Central Missouri, joins the podcast to talk about a possible state constitutional convention. Currently, 44 states in the union have provisions for holding constitutional conventions, though it rarely happens. In Missouri, the voters this November will decide whether or not to hold a convention. What could it mean f...