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Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

Vices
"Remember When Smoking Was Cool? ", Part 5 of 5

If I asked you to picture a cigarette smoker in your head, what’s the first image that you imagine? For some of you, it might be something ghastly. Something that speaks to the long-term consequences. For others, it might be of a particular brand you always associate with smoking.

Episode S42/240



Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

The Iron Triangle

A bureaucracy is defined as “a system of government in which most of the important decisions are made by state officials rather than by elected representatives. That’s what the “Iron Triangle” leads to.

Episode S41/238



Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

The Country that Laughs Together...

For a growing share of Americans, their laughs are coming from a surprising source: Fox News. More specifically, Greg Gutfield!

Episode S40/236



Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

The World's Proxy War in Ukraine Continues

It's no secret that the United States is fully supporting Ukraine against Russia; but does that mean that we are at war with Russia?

Episode S39/234



Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

Hollywood and the Labour Movement

This strike is about more than just writers and actors. It’s also a lesson in how technology is changing the landscape of labour in unanticipated ways; and it provides a preview into the kinds of conflicts that may become more common in the future.

Supporting Documentation:
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jul/14/the-hollywood-actors-strike-everything-you-need-to-know
https://www.reuters.com/world/us/hot-labor-summer-los-angeles-unions-back-hollywood-writers-2023-05-27/

Episode S38/232



Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

Trump 2.0

Are there any conclusions to be drawn about the state of our politics, the voters, and/or the Republican party, from Trump’s continued frontrunner status?

Supporting Documentation:
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/17/us/politics/trump-plans-2025.html
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/07/21/trump-jack-smith-dangerous-if-put-in-jail-sot-ebof-vpx.cnn
https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/legal-troubles-former-us-president-donald-trump-2023-06-27/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-61084161

Episode S37/230

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host with Francine Dash

Vices
"The Effects of Culture and Technology ", Part 4 of 5

In a post-pandemic culture full of mental awareness, yet rising depression and suicide rates, should the expansion of technology into gaming, allowing people to go to Vegas on their phones, be alarming or just another sign of progress?

Episode S36/228

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Vices
"The House Always Wins", Part 3 of 5

Vicksburg, Mississippi was, in 1835, a haven of debauchery. The allure of easy money, easy land, and riverboat gambling had turned it into a place where people came from far and wide to get rich quick. But on the fourth of July, something snapped.

Episode S35/226

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Vices
"Our Complicated Relationship with Alcohol", Part 2 of 5

Drinking isn’t good for you. That’s one of those statements that seems obvious, and yet, for decades, quite the opposite was thought to be true. If you’ve ever heard that a glass of red wine can be healthy, then you’re one of the many people who’s heard what’s known as “The French Paradox.” An idea first proposed in 1991.

But recent studies have found the science behind that idea to be not so credible, and likely a result of poorly interpreting the data.

And the recent health recommendations go way beyond that. Earlier this year the World Health Organization titled “No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.” None. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Not even the temperance movement was so bold as to suggest that “risks start from the first drop.”

Episode S34/224

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Vices
"Let's Talk Baseball", Part 1 of 5

In World War 2 soldiers were given amphetamines, the drugs we use to help treat ADHD, to help them stay alert and awake. We’re talking tens of millions of pills. And after the war, some of those soldiers not only returned home, but they went back to baseball. It’s unimaginable now, but over 500 baseball players served in the military. Players like Jackie Robinson and Ted Williams.

And when those players returned to baseball, they brought their amphetamines, or “greenies”, back with them.

Episode S33/222

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Politix & Culture
"Mass Effect: Are you an Anderson or Udina?", Part 4 of 4

Hugely popular video game that mimics many of the conflicts found in real life, filled with lessons and opportunities to solve them.

“How do you fix what was previously broken, even if you didn’t break it? This is a big theme of Mass Effect.”

Episode S32/220

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Politix & Culture
"Steven Universe", Part 3 of 4

Steven Universe tells the coming-of-age story of a young boy, Steven Universe who lives with the Crystal Gems—magical, mineral-based aliens — in the fictional town of Beach City. Steven, who is half-Gem, has adventures with his friends and helps the Gems protect the world from their own kind.

“I really like the mature themes of the show, and how the writers take on serious issues without being reactionary. Like redemption, the show tells us that as long as a person is willing to try that they are not beyond redemption,” Nicholas Homberg.

Episode S31/217

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Politix & Culture
"Hip Hop Music", Part 2 of 4

For many, hip hop educated as much as it entertained, filling the gap between what people thought they knew and the reality of how people were really living. Now, some believe hip hop has been co-opted, becoming another corporate product and a shell of what it used to be. But for others, there's still hope.

“Hip hop is what made me culturally aware of life outside of my world... and I have hope that it will return to being able to make that type of impact, again,” Frank Jamison, IV.

Episode S30/214

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

Politix & Culture
"'Haikyu' Manga Series", Part 1 of 4

Haikyu is a Japanese Shonen manga series about a high school volleyball team, written and illustrated by Haruichi Furudate. Our own Professor X (Alex Krohannon) talks about why this manga is one of the greatest and how it mirrors politics.

“Politics comes from culture; and culture has roots in the stories that we tell,” Professor X.

Episode S29/211

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
R. Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"The Road that Leads to Tyranny", Part 7 of 7

The road that leads to tyranny is paved with peoples desires, their outright yearning, for freedom of self and freedom to make the living they want to make for their families; and they want whoever the hell is in charge to do things that make reaching these timeless goals possible.

“Tyranny has never worked for anyone, but the tyrant.” said Arnold. “I do think the desire to try these things is part of human nature. But we don’t have to be bound by the lesser angels of our nature.”

Episode S28/207

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"Post War Fascism in Italy and the Story of Benito Mussolini, better known as 'Il Duce'", Part 6 of 7

"Early in his life, Mussolini's views sounded almost like the kinds of things you hear in many left wing circles today. He supported worker’s rights, unions, direct action protests, and was willing to stand against the imperialism that he believed was suppressing the common people around the globe. I say almost because Mussolini also possessed a darkness that would land him jail for advocating the use of violence. And it’s this belief in violence that would cause him to break with his socialist allies, and set him down a different path."

Episode S27/203

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"An American Tyrant in Louisiana", Part 5 of 6

It’s the smart ones who pose the greatest threat. [Huey P.] Long was smart enough to work the system, charismatic enough to make people love him, and shrewd enough to get away with the bullying. And because he delivered results, the people kept electing him. He was chosen democratically, twice, and had he not died to an assassin’s bullet in 1935, there’s really no telling where his career might have taken him. Could he have one day been President? I absolutely think it’s possible.

Episode S26/201

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"Was The American Revolution a War on Taxes?", Part 4 of 6

Much has been said about the Revolutionary War and its causes and all of them are pretty much true. But not much has been discussed about how colonists cheated the crown out of taxes owed; and while becoming among the wealthiest colonies used its wealth (back taxes, maybe?) to defeat the British.

Episode S25/197

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"Democracy and Socrates", Part 3 of 6

Before Donald Trump became President, George Washington was, by a mile, the wealthiest President we had ever had. Thomas Jefferson comes just after him, and James Madison is number 6. John Adams, with a 2022 net worth of 25 million, looks like a pauper when compared to the estimate of 700 million for Washington. So the founding class of this country wasn’t just comfortably well-off, they were rich.

Episode S24/192

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"The Athenian Court System", Part 2 of 6

Instead of the small, intimate juries that we have today, ancient Athens had juries that started at 200, and could number in the thousands for exceptional cases. There were also no jury deliberations, like we have today. Instead, jurors would hear the arguments being made, occasionally expressing their approval or disapproval on the spot; and when the arguments concluded, they would immediately vote.

Episode S23/188

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

History of Democracy
"The Pros and Cons of Democracy", Part 1 of 6

One of the first human societies that we consider advanced was ancient Sumeria, in Mesopotamia. We’re talking roughly 6,000 years ago, give or take a few centuries. Democracy, in ancient Greece, didn't emerge until thousands of years later, and it didn't really catch on until a few hundred years ago. Just think about that. For millennia the experience of people choosing their own leaders wasn’t [even] a thing.

Episode S22/183

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"Keep Calm and Vote", Part 7 of 7

Politics is not about who you like. It’s about who can get you what you want. This is the power of a democracy. This is the power of the people.

Episode S21/175

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"(Squandering) The Power of the Vote", Part 6 of 7

We have a lot of democracy. And the reason we have so much of it is because we're meant to be changing the people who are doing those jobs fairly often. If what the founders wanted is a system where officials serve for life, then I imagine they would have built it that way. We could, if we chose to, change every elected official in six years. Every. Single. One. If you’re unhappy with an elected official, you could throw them out. If you don’t like them, you could get rid of them. It really is that simple.

Episode S20/170

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"It's About Power", Part 5 of 7

On the surface, it would appear that these events have virtually nothing in common. What could possibly unite all these causes together? The answer is the most basic force in the world. The desire for power.

Episode S19/166

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"The Violence of the 60s and 70s", Part 4 of 7

When we recall the history of that era, we see the same thing playing out again and again. As a nation, we have buried the tremendous violence that was occuring during those years. And when we do talk about violence, we talk about groups like the Black Panthers, or the Vietnam protestors, without acknowledging the violence they were responding to. Mostly though, we just don’t talk about it all.

Episode S18/162

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"The Women’s Suffrage Movement, the Bisbee Deportation & the American Labor Movement", Part 3 of 7

The violent fight for rights in America is as old as the country itself; and has helped to form our country and some of the rights we enjoy, today. Listen to how American women were beaten in the streets, during a protest and force-fed in jails; and how American miners were deported from Bisbee, Arizona and forbidden from returning to their homes for asking for safe conditions and fair pay.

Episode S17/157

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"The War in Ukraine", Part 2 of 7

"On a historical level, war has been with us from the start. You can go back as far as you wish in history, and you’ll find it. Humankind has a tragic tendency to find reasons for killing one another. But if war is always going to be with us, then that means every generation has an obligation to think about the questions it raises, and seek out answers."

Episode S16/151

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Violence and the Origins of the Modern World
"The Great Revolutions", Part 1 of 7

"You could go a lifetime without hearing anything about the Haitian Revolution. You won’t read about it in many textbooks. There aren't any Hollywood movies and shows about it. A name like Toussaint isn’t recognized like Robespierre or Jefferson. If you didn’t seek out a chance to learn anything about it, then you might not ever know it existed.

And yet, no act of resistance better represents a demand for liberty and equality."

Episode S15/148

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host
with Francine Dash.

Afghanistan
"How Instability in Afghanistan Works", Part 4 of 4

"For generations, this part of a world has served as a staging ground to destabilize and manage perceived allies and enemies without any regard for the people in the region."


Episode S14/144

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Afghanistan
"The Future", Part 3 of 4

"Already, we’ve seen the gradual reduction in women’s rights, the return of public executions, and the reintroduction of a society based on an extremely strict theological interpretation. None of this is meant as a justification for returning to war. If you listened to episode 2 then you know I fully appreciate how horrific war can be. But, we shouldn’t pretend that whatever gains we made have a good chance of staying in place. The Taliban have a very specific view of how Afghanistan should be run, and they’re the ones in charge now."


Episode S13/141

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Afghanistan
"The War", Part 2 of 4

"According to some estimates, we carried out 13,000 drone strikes in Afghanistan over 20 years. Which breaks down to exactly 650 strikes a year. That means for 20 straight years the United States, on average, struck somewhere every single day. Every day. It didn’t matter who the President was. It didn’t matter who controlled Congress. We rained death and destruction from the safety of a robot down on the people of Afghanistan with far too little regard for their well being."


Episode S12/138

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Afghanistan
"A Center of Influence", Part 1 of 4

"Afghanistan sits at the center of a crossroads. Boxed in from all sides by countries with their own visions. It’s a nation that has rarely been allowed to chart its own course. The geopolitical games that everyone has been playing for decades now have far more influence on the lives of the people in Afghanistan than the Afghan people themselves."


Episode S11/133

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host
with Francine Dash, Host of We, the Voters...", Guest

The Supreme Court and The Shadow Docket

"If you’ve been paying attention to the news, then there’s a chance you’ve heard something about this. But maybe you have questions. Hopefully I can help answer those questions by explaining what the Shadow Docket is, where it came from, and what it’s growing importance means for the courts. Because the Supreme Court’s reliance on it has some serious consequences, and our entire Constitutional order could be at stake.

To be clear, the Shadow Docket isn’t a new phenomenon. Historically, the court has always made some decisions outside of the public purview."

Episode S10/129

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host
with Francine Dash, host of "We, the Voters..."

Memory Hole

The Insurrection of January 6, 2021, has fallen in between being revised as something else or even being forgotten all together; but who benefits from this memory hole and who will be forced to acknowledge it?

"Deciding what to remember, and what to forget, is one of the most important decisions a country can make. We can only remember so much of the past, and prioritizing one thing means leaving something else behind. But there is a price to pay. By ignoring the moment where our democracy failed, we’re making it much more likely that it will fail again, and we’re risking our future as a result. It doesn’t have to be this way."

Episode S9/122

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host
with Leonard Nelson, Homicide Detective, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department

Crime Statistics and The Wire

Crime statistics do not tell the full story of the level and intensity of crime; but affects how crime fighting is funded.

"Right now, you may be thinking, “We could just look at the crime statistics.” That’s what I thought, until I realized that those numbers, in almost every single case, aren’t particularly accurate. From crimes that simply never go reported, to crimes that are miscategorized or lost in administrative red tape, there is a lot more crime occurring than we believe."

Episode S8/118

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Why We Intervene in Other Countries and Why It Matters

"The main objective of any foreign policy decision is to give America an edge. You may view the Paris climate accords as a way to make the world better. But the people executing foreign policy also see it as a way for America to lead, and thus burnish our reputation. No serious foreign policy thinker is going to be interested in advancing ideas that don’t serve our needs first.

At its best, military intervention can inspire. It can generate a sense of healthy pride in people. Not the irrational nationalism that can lead to a feeling of superiority, but the kind of pride that causes citizens to believe the country is capable of great things.[But] ...it’s hard to feel pride for something that nobody can explain to us."

Episode S7/112

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

The Real Power Players in Washington

The real power brokers in Washington often do not occupy the White House. Listen in as the power structure is broken down from the dismantling of Obamacare to the fight over minimum wage.

"So if we were in a world without the filibuster, here are the four Senators I think matter most: Joe Manchin from West Virginia, Kyrsten Sinema from Arizona, Angus King from Maine and Susan Collins, also from Maine. Two Democrats, one Independent, and one Republican."

Episode S6/105

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

The Power of a Promise

The events of the last two months have been unprecedented. Across the country millions of Americans are watching the news, and they’re asking two questions: How did we get here? And where do we go?

"Twenty years ago we had a pretty contentious election. Bush vs Gore was hotly contested, with the two candidates ending up separated by fewer than 600,000 votes, or .5 percent. And the fate of the election ended up coming down to the electoral votes from Florida, where the two candidates were separated by only 600 votes. Of course this was controversial because the state was governed by Jeb Bush, the brother of George Bush."

Episode S5/100

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Francine Dash, Guest Narrator

The Help We Need ‐ Now

Pandemic relief has been slow to arrive, while many households seek alternatives to making ends meet and staying healthy, until they are able to receive the vaccine.

"In the background thousands of Americans have been dying and millions of Americans have been begging for assistance and praying that somebody somewhere will listen to their cries and take their l ives seriously. What I want is what most of us wants ‐ to be safe and secure, to be to able to look forward to the day when this is behind us ‐ and we can get back to living, again. But right now, we need help."

Episode S4/96

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

Francine Dash, Guest Narrator

My Shrinking American Dream and Why I Still Vote

"Your kids are older now, so they need more. And college isn’t too far off for them, so you’re beginning to believe that they’ll end up in the same boat as you since you haven’t been able to put anything aside to help. But it’s not just money. Your dreams have shrunk too. You really aren’t sure what exactly you’re voting for anymore, but you’re going to vote anyway. If not out of excitement, then at least out of duty."

Episode S3/88

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host

How to create a shadow government and how a two term president can become President of the United States for life.

"If you can’t imagine voting for the other side, then it means that your side is free to do whatever they wish. It means that the door to corruption, abuse, and yes, even tyranny, is cracked open because you don’t really have a choice — and without a choice, anything can happen."

Episode S2/82

 

Smart Politix ⋮ A Pointcast Podcast
Anthony Arnold, Host
Francine Dash, Guest Narrator

This premiere episode tells the story of a person in rural America dealing with the challenges of finding healthcare and also voting for someone who supports the things they believe in.

"Of all the gaps between urban and rural America, the gap in basic understanding may be the largest. People who live in rural America believe that those in the cities don’t understand them. And those of us in cities believe rural Americans don’t understand us."

Episode S1/78