Episode six hones in on the fascist ability to exacerbate and exploit intrinsic fears of difference. For fascists, danger is everywhere, all the time. Ignoring it does no good because those who are unlike us are hellbent on destroying us. Luckily, for fascists, the leader knows who the bad guys are, how to identify them, and how we should deal with them. In this context, Kristallnacht and Unite the Right rallies begin to look awfully similar, don’t they?

You’re either with us, or you’re against us. That’s what episode five is all about. Dissent and opposition are hallmarks of a democratic society; they should result in centrist compromises to everyone’s benefit. Debate gums up the inner processes of government, though, and makes it difficult for a strongman to see his agenda come to fruition quickly. It’s more efficient to accuse dissenters of hating the nation and posing a threat to national security. They are, after all, traitors. That’s how fascists think, and in this episode, we’ll find it in the past and in the present.

Our fourth episode examines the tendency of fascists to act for the sake of action, without any clear or deliberate objective and ignoring any intellectual discourse that might delay the action. Fascism relies on the projection of strength, and what better way to project strength than to shoot first and ask questions later? Whether dressed in brown shirted uniforms or red MAGA ballcaps, there are always a band of non-thinkers ready to do the leader’s bidding. Beware of them, they’re dangerous.

In episode three, we’ll explore some of the basic features of the Western Enlightenment, particularly focusing on the liberal progressivism inherent in many of the new ideas of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Then, we’ll try to make sense of the threat such ideals presented to European fascists of the 20th century, who feared a societal descent into progressive depravity and persecuted the very idea of modern liberalism. That mantle has been taken up again in the 21st century, as tech bros and billionaires espouse a “dark” enlightenment meant to counter and erase any opposition to their world views.

Having decided to do a season-long deep-dive into the tenets of fascism and their appearances in contemporary American government, our second episode is all about the cult of tradition. The Romans deferred to the “way of the ancestors” for guidance about the appropriate means by which to live a good life. Traditions mattered, and straying too far from them had dire consequences. The Nazis and other fascists of modern Europe thought the same, and they imposed their versions of old traditions upon those they meant to rule…or destroy. It isn’t too hard to draw a straight line from Romans and fascists to contemporary American rhetoric about Christian nationalism and making America great again.

Guest host: Amanda Wils

In our inaugural episode, we encounter our least favorite "F" word.....Fascism. Do the authoritarian rhetoric and symbolism out of the current American executive administration remind you of anything from the past? Yes, we see it, too, and we're not prone to take it lightly. In this episode, we explore the characteristics of eternal fascism, reminding our listeners of those darkest moments in modern history to highlight the parallels we see right now, and to sound the alarm once more for democracy.

So, who are these guys anyways? What's this podcast all about?

Hosts Jimmy and Jeremy take a moment to talk about who they are, what they're into, and what this whole pod is about.

Enjoy :)

Habemus Papam! Over a billion Roman Catholics worldwide celebrate the election of Chicago-born Pope Leo XIV, and that's just some of our big news for this edition of A Week in the Wild. We're back to bring you our latest thoughts on the wildest current events and human interest stories. We'll even wade into the debate about whether 100 guys could take on a silverback gorilla.