Independent Thought

Chuck Corra is the cohost of the podcast Appodlachia, a progressive political podcast. We discuss what it's like being a progressive in conservative country, finding common ground with people on the Right, & the #1 political topic they keep coming back to on their podcast. In the 2nd half, we discuss our feelings on guns in America, why we're not seeing change in Washington & the c...

Andrew Yang is a former Democratic Presidential candidate in 2020, former Mayoral candidate for New York City & current co-chair of The Forward Party. He joined the show to discuss his run as President in 2020, why he felt the need to start a 3rd party, what the Forward Party stands for, & why the country needs ranked choice voting. We also discuss what effects artificial intelligence may...

Saadia M joins the show to discuss what drove her away from the Republican Party, the Tennessee 3 & what exactly "gun control" means. In the 2nd part of the episode we discuss, Donald Trump's indictment, Joe Biden seeking re-election, the Supreme Court & the potential ban of Tik Tok. Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty'...

This is the 5th installment in our "Under The Radar" series with Cocktails and Capitalism In order to bring more exclusive content to the members of our Patreon, we're doing this series twice a month, where we take a deeper dive into a story that we didn't cover on Instagram or our podcasts So many things happen in the news each week, we don't always get a chance to discuss e...

Ashlyn Young has worked in the dental industry for over a decade. She joins the show to discuss whether or not you need dental insurance & the differences between dental & major medical insurance. We also dive into health savings accounts, gum disease, and the most important question -- why are we covering this topic on Independent Thought? Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for spon...

In the epilogue, we discuss whether D.E.I. is fair & necessary in America, should the country go forward with student loan forgiveness & should the police be reformed or abolished? Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at ⁠https://www.bettysdivine.com/⁠ Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's...

Jon Cooper is the host of Counterpoint Politics. He joins the show to discuss President Biden approving new oil drilling in Alaska, whether or not it's okay to criticize the President, the Obama Presidency & the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. In the 2nd half we dive into ranked choice voting, trying to find common ground with Republican voters & universal healthcare in America....

This episode is a part an ongoing series between Independent Thought & Cocktails and Capitalism, over on Patreon. In the 1st part of the episode, we discuss a bill in the Iowa state legislature that would rescind current child labor laws. We give our thoughts on why we're against this & connect it to the broader trends we're seeing from the Republican Party. In the 2nd part, we discuss Cop...

I am joined by Dr. Greg Kelly, from the Neurohacker Collective. In the epilogue, we discuss how chronic stress impacts our decision making & how it can effect our daily interactions with our friends & family. Bio: Gregory Kelly is Director of Product Development at Neurohacker Collective, naturopathic physician (N.D.), and author of the book Shape Shift. He was the editor of the journal Al...

I am joined by Dr. Greg Kelly, from the Neurohacker Collective. We discuss the impacts of prolonged smartphone use on our eyes, nervous system & mood. As well as, the positive impacts of breathwork, meditation & why positivity is good for our minds. Independent Thought is a political podcast, but I wanted to highlight the importance of how chronic stress (taking in the daily news cycle) ef...

I am joined by Madhuri Prabhakar, of the Plastic Soup Foundation. We start by discussing the overwhelming problem that is plastic pollution. In the epilogue, we discuss whether or not this issue can be addressed in a capitalist society, how Americans contribute to this epidemic & the humanitarian crisis this is having in southeast Asia. Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring t...

I am joined by Madhuri Prabhakar, of the Plastic Soup Foundation. We start by discussing the overwhelming problem that is plastic pollution. We discuss just how much plastic pollution there is globally, lobbying governments to ban single-use & microplastic, and the best way to address this issue.  In the 2nd part, we discuss the health effects that plastic has when ingested into the body,...

In our epilogue, I discuss my feelings towards this story, ask Marcos & Zack about the challenges they face going forward & express my frustrations with the housing crisis in Montana. Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://www.bettysdivine.com/ Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's show! Get 15%...

I am joined by Marcos De Silva & Zack Ehrhardt of Bozeman Tenants United to discuss the housing crisis in Bozeman. We start by discussing the housing crisis in Bozeman & why the community needs a tenants union, what a tenants union does & what they're asking the city to change.  In the 2nd part, we discuss the response from the local government, whether or not they've been recepti...

Jordan Flowers is a cofounder of the Amazon Labor Union. The Amazon Labor Union is the first certified union to successfully unionize an Amazon warehouse in the USA. In the epilogue, I ask Jordan about whether or not people should boycott Amazon, and whether he believes Amazon will ever sit down & negotiate a contract with the ALU Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring today's...

Jordan Flowers is a cofounder of the Amazon Labor Union. The Amazon Labor Union is the first certified union to successfully unionize an Amazon warehouse in the USA. In this episode we discuss the working conditions that led up to the Amazon Labor Union being formed & how Amazon refused to accommodate Jordan's, despite being diagnosed with Lupus.   We also dive into what's next for t...

My final guest of Season 5 is Erika, the host of the Cocktails & Capitalism podcast. We discuss why she started Cocktails & capitalism, and the events in her life that lead her to becoming anti-capitalist. In the 2nd half of our discussion, Erika highlights recent important topics she covered on her show. We discuss Chevron devastating areas in South America, the U.S. Navy spilling oil in...

In this episode I am joined by, Prepper Pig. We discuss the potential Railway strike, how a general strike would work & the origins of Prepper Pig. In the 2nd half of the episode we discuss his time as a foreclosure counselor during the housing bubble, how to get more involved in local activism & whether or not it's possible to be an activist for your entire life. Special thanks to BATHING...

Matilda Milner is a former employee of the iconic ice cream shop - The Big Dipper - in Missoula, Montana. We discuss the working conditions that her and her coworkers had to endure, the events that led up to a majority of the staff demanding higher wages & how employees learned The Big Dipper would be closing its shop for the 1st time in 30 years.  Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for spo...

Matt Littrell decided to unionize his Amazon warehouse after experiencing the taxing effect of working for the company. I am joined by Erika, the host of the Cocktails and Capitalism podcast, to ask Matt about his time working for Amazon & what led up to his decision to unionize. He discusses working in extreme heat, being asked to stay at work while a tornado was headed towards their location...

Rose Bender is the Director of Research at the Montana Budget and Policy Center. She joins the podcast to discuss the Center's recent study into the effects of tax policies on the people of Montana. We dive into whether or not tax policies disproportionately effect people of color, why they're looking into this data now & why people should care about the impacts of tax policy.   Special t...

Brandi McNease is the cofounder of Chipotle United. Her Chipotle location was the 1st store in America to file for a union. Shortly after filing for an election, Chipotle shut down the store permanently. In this episode, we discuss what conditions led up to the workers filing for a union, how the corporation sprung into action to bust this unionization attempt & why this story is so important...

My guest this episode is Drew Turner. Drew was deployed overseas with the Navy and was exposed to toxic burn pits. In this episode, we discuss the what the military was putting in these burn pits, what health effects came from this exposure, what exactly the PACT Act is doing to help & living with the effects of burn pit exposure.   Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's...

Andy Nelson is the executive director of the Western Montana LGBTQ+ Community Center. In this episode we discuss his thoughts on recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation from around the country. As well as, his run for state legislature in Montana, recent attacks on drag queens & his thoughts on how LGBTQ+ members should find their chosen family. Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring t...

Matthew Diemer is a Democrat running for Congress in Ohio's 7th district. We discussed his thoughts on labor unions, competing against China, combating inflation, student loan forgiveness & energy independence. Special thanks to BETTY'S DIVINE for sponsoring today's show! You can find Betty's Divine online at https://www.bettysdivine.com/ Special thanks to BATHING BEAUTIES BEADS for sponsoring...