Question Culture

In our society we are taught to glorify the wealthy. We are made to believe that extremely wealthy people are smart, hard working, creative, or a combination of those things. But this is far from the truth. Billionaires should not be respected, but detested. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss all the ways billionaires exploit their workers, pillage our resources, steal our tax money, and...

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett take a break from questioning the system and discuss the emerging science of quantum mechanics. They discuss what led scientists to first explore the world of quantum mechanics at the turn of the last century, the many interesting experiments that improved our understanding, science's impact on humanity, and much more.

With the recent events going on in Israel and Palestine, Brian & Lornett felt it appropriate to have a special episode to discuss the situation. As always they question the narrative being spoon fed to us by the media and our politicians.

On this episode Brian, Lornett, and Steve discuss... "The War To End All Wars".... That's what they called it. lol

While the majority of the world has abolished capital punishment, it is still used in the U.S. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the history of capital punishment, its moral implications, stories about those on death row, what can be done to actually deter violent crime, and much more. *We had some unforeseen technical issues with Lornett's mic from minute 36 to 53. We apologize for...

Just two men with a podcast talking about the sometimes toxic culture of men with podcasts. Figures like Andrew Tate, Kevin Samuels, Jordan Peterson, and Tariq Nasheed garner millions of (mostly male) followers and the dollars that come with them. On the surface these figures appear to be nothing more than self help gurus for men looking for structure. But a closer look shows a toxic male culture...

On this episode, Brian and Lornett question an infrastructure centered around cars. They begin the episode by discussing the many ways walkable cities are better for our mental and physical health, as well as the economy and environment. They then discuss how the auto industry used its power to lobby the government and make the U.S. a car-centered society. They conclude the episode by discussing s...

Brian & Lornett continue their discussion on the tumultuous period before World War 1. They begin the episode by covering a major event in U.S. history that has been swept under the rug, The Ludlow Massacre. They continue by discussing the different factions of the women's suffragette movement, progressive legislation that was passed due to the pressure from social movements, and corporati...

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss what life was like for American workers at the start of the 20th century. They cover horrible disasters like the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire, corporate tactics to control workers like Taylorism, and the formation of the Industrial Workers of the World.

"Freedom" is probably the most overused word in the American lexicon. With the 4th of July quickly approaching Brian & Lornett thought it would be fun to question our idea of freedom and what it truly means to be free.

We live in a system based around debt. Whether it be student loans, school lunch, credit card, mortgage, or medical debt, at some point most working class Americans will find themselves in debt. Many may even end up in prison because of unpaid debts. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the history of central banking in America, the creation of money, and how banks use things like high inte...

We all know it's important to sleep. But just how important is rarely discussed. On this episode Brian & Steve explore the amazing benefits of sleep and the dangerous consequences of not getting enough.

On this episode Brian & Lornett begin by discussing myths related to working in America including the myth of the Protestant work ethic, the myth of meritocracy, the idea that "nobody wants to work". They then go on to discuss gig economy jobs, the repeal of child labor laws, the lack of vacation time, historically low wages, and much more. They end the episode by discussing ways we...

On this episode Brian & Lornett take a break from focusing on history to instead focus on the modern state of white supremacy. They discuss how racism evolved under Trump, social media's impact on the spread of racism, and how so called "leftist" institutions pander to social justice causes without ever attacking the structural conditions that cause racism. They conclude the epis...

On this episode Brian, Lornett, and Steve discuss the Spanish-American War, American military action in the Philippines, and a bunch of other random stuff.

On 2/3/23 a train derailed in East Palestine Ohio spilling millions of pounds of hazardous chemicals. In order to clean up the spill as quickly as possible, the railroad company Norfolk Southern proceeded to burn the chemicals causing an unimaginable amount of environmental destruction. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the deregulation of the railroad industry, Norfolk Southern and the...

The city of Atlanta is beginning construction on a $90 million police training facility in the South River Forest of Georgia. On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the political corruption that led to this project, the environmental and social ramifications, and the brave people that are putting their life on the line to go and protect the forest. 

On this episode Brian & Lornett welcome special guest Nathan Shuherk. Together, they discuss a wide variety of topics including Nathan's TikTok channel Schizophrenic Reads, some of Nathan's favorite non-fiction books, the problem with most "self-help" books, how to spot propaganda when searching for something to read, issues with the current healthcare system, spreading awareness about schizop...

Socialism, Communism, and Marxism are some of the most demonized words in the American lexicon, yet, socialism is growing in popularity among younger generations. On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the actual definition of these terms, the myths surrounding them, and the importance of questioning the existing economic system. 

Brian & Lornett finish the year by discussing one of their favorite scientific minds, Carl Sagan. They discuss his early contributions to space exploration, his amazing documentary "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage", and his activism for causes like nuclear disarmament and climate change. 

*We had some technical issues with Lornett's mic so we apologize for the sound quality. It improves halfway through the episode.* On this episode Brian and Lornett discuss the origins of the CIA and the common tactics used by the CIA to overthrow foreign government and sabotage progressive movements. They end the episode by discussing specific CIA operations in Iran, Chile, El Salvador, and Afghan...

On this episode Brian & Lornett discuss the  "father of modern propaganda" Edward Bernays, the utilization of propaganda by Joseph Goebbels and the Nazi party, and American war time propaganda. They conclude the episode by discussing propaganda in the social media age, and what we can do to inoculate ourselves from propaganda. 

Brian & Lornett begin this episode by discussing the history of the Los Angeles Police Department including the Watts Riots, the Rodney King Riots, the 1980s crack epidemic, and the Rampart Scandal. They finish the episode by talking about more recent events like the case of Christopher Dorner, the murder of officer Houston Tippings, and the prevalence of LA Sheriff Police gangs. 

On this episode Brian & Lornett question the American education system. From student lunch debt for primary school students, to a hyper-focus on standardized tests for high school students, to crippling student loan debt for college students. Brian and Lornett break down the many ways the education system is more of an indoctrination center than it is a place for critical thinking and higher l...

On this episode Brian, Steve, and Lornett discuss the fight for the 8 hour work day, the Hay Market Riot, and the Pullman strikes.