Jesse James Russell

You Don't Have To Listen To Me

History EN ↓ 7 episodes

You Don’t Have To Listen To Me Hosted by Jesse James Russell and Christian Read Two university grads, clinging to the last strands of millennial status, sit down each week to shout (politely) into the void. “You Don’t Have To Listen To Me” is a podcast born out of equal parts existential dread, student loan debt, and a nagging sense that someone should be saying something about the absurdity of modern life in America. From skyrocketing rent to collapsing news cycles, from late-stage capitalism to whatever politicians are pretending to care about this week, Jesse and Christian unpack it all—wit...

Author

Jesse James Russell

Episodes

Back to Business 02.06.2026 58:44

In the Season 2 premiere of You Don't Have to Listen to Me , Jesse James Russell and Christian Read return after a long break and discuss plans for the future of the podcast, including adding a third co-host to bring a different political perspective to the conversation. The episode begins with a discussion about Universal Basic Income (UBI), housing affordability, rent prices, and potential solut...

Spotlight: Universal Basic Income 22.12.2025 45:42

In this in-depth episode of You Don’t Have to Listen to Me , we explore Universal Basic Income from every angle: its origins, its evolution, its modern relevance, and the passionate debates surrounding it. We begin with a clear definition of UBI and break down the difference between full and partial basic income programs, examining how concepts like negative income tax, Social Security, and child...

Jesse's Bonus Rant — Marjorie Taylor Greene Resigns 26.11.2025 11:09

In this bonus rant, Jesse breaks down the shock announcement that Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene will resign her seat in January. While Greene is one of the most polarizing figures in American politics, Jesse takes a different angle: examining why, despite her many faults, she was one of the few members of Congress who actually represented her district exactly as her voters intended. Jesse...

Episode 2 -- Progressive Momentum: Mamdani, Wilson, and the New Political Landscape 17.11.2025 1:19:32

In this episode, Jesse and Chris kick off with the surprising election wins across the country—most notably Zoran Mamdani in New York and Katie Wilson in Seattle. Chris explains what made Mamdani’s grassroots, Bernie-inspired campaign unique: relentless street outreach, a crystal-clear economic agenda, and an authenticity that brought him from 1% name recognition to a decisive mayoral victory. Jes...

Jesse's Rant - Hope, Housing, and the Hollow Party 13.11.2025 20:30

In this solo episode of You Don’t Have to Listen to Me , Jesse James delivers a passionate political rant sparked by the recent elections in Seattle and New York City. He opens with optimism over the victories of Democratic socialists Katie Wilson in Seattle and Zoran Mamdani in New York, both of whom ran on platforms focused on affordability and housing reform. Jesse contrasts these wins with the...

Chris's Rant - The Path Forward for the Democratic Party 12.11.2025 15:05

In this episode, Chris delivers a passionate, friendly-rant–style analysis of the Democratic Party’s current struggles and offers a vision for its future. He argues that the party has increasingly lost touch with working-class Americans, catering more to corporate donors and lobbyists than to the people it claims to represent. Using the 2016 Bernie Sanders campaign as an example, he highlights how...

Episode 1 — "We Probably Shouldn’t Be Doing This" Recorded June 11, 2025 16.06.2025 1:37:11

Episode 1 — "We Probably Shouldn’t Be Doing This" Recorded June 11, 2025 In the inaugural episode of You Don’t Have To Listen To Me , Jesse James and Christian Read dive headfirst into the flaming dumpster fire that is 2025. Topics include the Los Angeles Rioting, the suspiciously titled Big Beautiful Bill , and David Hogg’s very public beef with the DNC. Naturally, we also manage to argue, agree,...