Stupid State Stories

Gelica

Welcome to Stupid State Stories, a podcast that dives into the absurd, illiberal, and downright oppressive ways governments mess with their own people. From bizarre laws and overreaching bureaucracies to outright abuses of power, each episode unpacks real stories and obvious hallucinations of state overreach—think petty tyrants, ridiculous regulations, and the occasional dystopian nightmare. With sharp wit, manufactured statistics, and a keen eye for the ridiculous, we explore how the state’s heavy hand shapes lives, often with unintended consequences. Tune in for a mix of outrage, disbelief, and dark humor as we expose the dumbest things done in the name of control.

  1. Panopticon's Political Playbook

    Feb 3

    Panopticon's Political Playbook

    • ICE Legal Observer Added to Terrorist Database https://reason.com/2026/01/23/ice-tells-legal-observer-we-have-a-nice-little-database-and-now-youre-considered-a-domestic-terrorist/ • WH Domestic Terrorism Memo Sept 2025 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/09/countering-domestic-terrorism-and-organized-political-violence/ • Arrested for Observing ICE https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/01/arrested-for-observing-ice-minnesota-lesson.html • Ben Jordan: Flock Camera Security Exposé 40min https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uB0gr7Fh6lY • Flock Security Vulnerabilities https://www.privacyguides.org/news/2025/11/17/ben-jordan-exposes-severe-security-vulnerabilities-in-flock-surveillance-cameras/ • Flock Safety Security Research https://gainsec.com/2025/11/05/formalizing-my-flock-safety-security-research/ • Campus Protests Fail vs History https://www.aei.org/society-and-culture/performative-politics-why-todays-campus-protests-fail-where-historys-movements-succeeded/ • Diminishing Power of Protests https://thesciencesurvey.com/editorial/2025/02/12/the-diminishing-power-of-protests-a-call-for-activism-redefined/ • Trump Two-Faced Gun Rights https://www.ms.now/opinion/trump-alex-pretti-nra-cbp-minneapolis-shooting-essayli • Debunking Immigrant Crime Myth https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/fact-sheet/debunking-myth-immigrants-and-crime/ • Undocumented Immigration and Violent Crime https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6241529/ • USCIS Record Backlogs Q2 FY2025 https://www.boundless.com/blog/uscis-q2-fy2025-data • Dignity Act 2025 Summary https://forumtogether.org/article/the-dignity-act-of-2025-bill-summary/ • Legal Immigration Data https://www.niskanencenter.org/immigrationdata/

    9 min

About

Welcome to Stupid State Stories, a podcast that dives into the absurd, illiberal, and downright oppressive ways governments mess with their own people. From bizarre laws and overreaching bureaucracies to outright abuses of power, each episode unpacks real stories and obvious hallucinations of state overreach—think petty tyrants, ridiculous regulations, and the occasional dystopian nightmare. With sharp wit, manufactured statistics, and a keen eye for the ridiculous, we explore how the state’s heavy hand shapes lives, often with unintended consequences. Tune in for a mix of outrage, disbelief, and dark humor as we expose the dumbest things done in the name of control.