The Moderate Punk Project

Joe Ryder

The new, modern version of punk is pushing against the left AND the right. We need a new solution than what our leaders are offering, and it needs to resist extremist tendencies. We can use the history of punk culture as a template to force the conversation. If we want to see systemic cultural change in the digital age, need to stop feeding the machine and question everything. The Moderate Punk is a discussion about new solutions and critical thinking, outspoken and relentless while staying nonviolent and collaborative. Part commentary, part philosophy, part music history, this journey to the center of society demands conversation, which may feel unfamiliar to adopters of hardline positions. Topics range from politics and news to social challenges, with music history undertones as we explore the rage artists that bring change to the surface. Periodic episodes hosted by Joe Ryder. themoderatepunk.substack.com

Episodes

  1. The Punk Today is a Party To No Party

    Jun 11

    The Punk Today is a Party To No Party

    I'm a busy punk lately. Day job, family, music project... lots going on. But I'm re-engaged now, and I am on a mission. I am on this channel to dismantle the American party system. I want free will to become a way of life in the way that helps everyone live better. Especially as we see that technology will augment human lives for the better or worse, we need to focus and get rid of the single greatest reason we are where we are: the party system. No more Democrats. No more Republicans. Only humans. Check out the video version on The Moderate Punk on YouTube. Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    15 min
  2. Strip immunity from the government

    Feb 13

    Strip immunity from the government

    This should be the minimum viable result if there is a specific plan for 2029. I don’t care who wins in this respect. Congress, specifically, needs to back a bipartisan repeal of any EOs or judicial precedencies that prevent state or federal officials, law enforcement, or other groups from criminal or civil prosecution. Whether you agree or disagree, subscribe to get future moderate debates and comment on posts to discuss. I’m here to listen. I know this is a broad statement. There will of course be exceptions. But we’ve started too many conversations with the exceptions being the rule, especially for the president. His “absolute immunity” is only through judicial precedence, not through law. There is nothing in the Constitution that specifically states anyone has immunity from legal liabilities except for: * Congress being sued for their actions on the Congress floor, and * the 11th Amendment that grants states “sovereign immunity” from being sued without their permission. The first should stay. It’s in line with the First Amendment. The second… I still take issue with. But beyond that, all other “immunity” and “qualified immunity” claims are judicially enforced, not legislatively. Legislatively, there are a few examples of immunity passed as law: * The Westfall Act that protects federal employees from common law torts. This is a good example of agreed-upon legislation preventing frivolous lawsuits. Completely fine but should be reviewed. * The Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) includes 28 U.S.C. § 2680(a) which states that the government (and its officials) cannot be sued for actions that involve an element of “judgment or choice” based on public policy. This prevents people from suing over high-level policy decisions, even if those decisions cause harm. Are the provisions too broad? Perhaps something to review. * Section 1983 of the The Civil Rights Act of 1871 is cited often as the basis of qualified immunity, based on the “common law immunities” present at the time not being intended to be dismissed. This again was not a literal interpretation but judicial. * The PREP Act (2005) provides broad immunity to health officials, manufacturers, and “covered persons” involved in the administration of medical countermeasures during a public health emergency. It was applicable during the COVID-19 pandemic. * The Volunteer Protection Act (1997) rovides immunity to volunteers from liability for harm caused by ordinary negligence while performing their duties.This includes government agency volunteering. * Good Samaritan Laws exist in many states to protect those during emergency situations, which includes individuals who are off-duty LEOs and government employees. This is often the peril of a common law state where jusicial interpretation is the quality assurance of law application. However, a civil law state presents its own challenges in administering laws where wording is unclear, leaving that unclarity to the peril of citizens, required to be later fixed by legislation to resolve disputes. Nonetheless, American common law is shifted to new precedence with the introduction of new legislature, and case precedence cannot in most cases overrule the will of signed and ratified laws. It only creates new opportunities for interpretation. In other words, we CAN start over, and in my opinion we should. So whoever we elect, that should be the fire we hold to their feet, the substance of the yard stick by which we measure their success. If falling short, we need to be willing to call for representation replacements who will. We need to hold the government accountable ke, and if we cannot we have the mechanisms like the rest of the world to replace the government through new election. This continued immunity to the elite must end. Thanks for reading The Moderate Punk! This post is public so feel free to share it. Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    3 min
  3. Framing claims about nationalized voting

    Feb 4

    Framing claims about nationalized voting

    I saw this today and it was no shock to me. But it seems to have stirred up the clickbait. So I wanted to try to post something quickly that helped put into context Trump’s comments on Dan Bongino’s podcast in which he suggests that Republicans should “take over the voting in at least… 15 places.” I would assume he means states, 15 of the roughly 20 or so blue states in the nation. Don’t worry, there are some he forgets exist. Want more takes on current US events from a moderate punk? Subscribe to get notified. While it is of course concerning when a top politician starts throwing around ideas about illegally ratchetting down voter rights in opposition-majority states, this is only a means of disruption. The more he can sow destabilization into unruly states, the more he can push his supporters (the few still following him) into believing something other than state sovereignty is desirable. This also gets to some of the worries I have about TESCREAL, but let’s not try to solve one conspiracy theory with another. Just from a political leverage standpoint, Republicans have a long history of claiming voter fraud or vote instability in order to destabilize the voting process. It’s the Republicans pushing for HR 22 (The SAVE Act) that would make it more difficult for citizens, specifically women (last name change bureaucracy to verify registration) and people of color (in-person documentation as opposed to voting drives more commonly utilized by Black communities), to prove their status in a way that enables voter turnout. Republicans don’t want to rely only on populism being popular. They want to ensure that those that disagree don’t even have a chance to do so. And the SAVE Act may ensure that tight races find favor for demographics that align to their values. But even the suggestion of federal voting interference is enough to distract people and plant suggestive ideas in MAGA. It’s working, but it’s perhaps just a fanning of the flames that are already burning. I’ve so far heard several rebuttals from the right to moderates and left-leaning pundits that not only agree that voting should be taken away from blue states but that HR 22 doesn’t go far enough. Like many opinions early last year echoed by MAGA after Trump suggested it, they claim the Democratic Party should be outlawed as a designated domestic terrorism organization. Even worse, the MEGA Act was introduced recently, coincidentally or not. It’s a more aggressive version of SAVE, making voting a privilege not afforded to people who don’t have constant exact documentation on their person at all times (“show me your papers”). But it does one thing that is telling of the entire game: it bans rank-choice voting. Rank-choice voting is the single greatest threat to political party power. It is the thing I want to see in all state and local elections, and possibly in federal elections. It would remove the electoral college and make third parties and coalitions a more prominent part of our political discourse. You want to nationalize voting? I might support it if the solution is to require all voting to be rank-choice. At the very least, it would be an enforcement of actual fairness in elections through probability and the effective voice of every single voter down to the end. In the meantime, watch, denounce, and be wary. But know that this “admission” on a random podcast is destabilization, not prophecy. Agree? Disagree? Share the conversation! Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    4 min

  4. 11/30/2025

    Thoughts about racism gaslighting

    Join me in a little Saturday thought dump. I don’t think we’ve moved on from BLM reactionary racism. I don’t believe that we’ve stopped doing the thing I was talking about - which we can call race-baiting, but was originally a similar term specifically used against Black communities. And you can’t convince me ever that America doesn’t have a race issue that is used by the elite to keep us controlled and the impoverished to pass the blame for problems in their lives. Warning: this is a profanity-ridden tirade. Listener discretion is advised. Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    10 min
  5. You tell me...

    11/20/2025

    You tell me...

    How would you pay for social services if Congress actually listened to their constituents? Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    15 sec

  6. 11/19/2025

    Natural moderate leanings: how about left?

    In this episode of The Moderate Punk, Joe discusses a settlement of the soul he's had to agree to. After so much soul searching and trying to stay in the center of the conversations online, he's going along with the conservatives who tell him he's really a lib. That's probably more true than Joe had realized in his life. It isn't a surprise, though. Join a moderate as he reconciles himself with the world. Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    33 min
  7. Soldiers, pawns, and chessboards

    11/18/2025

    Soldiers, pawns, and chessboards

    In this episode of The Moderate Punk Podcast, we hear the retelling of one of our op-eds specifically on soldiers and the perception of them in society. As we pass Veteran's Day and think about what we're thankful for, especially in this time of domestic militarization, we need to remember who these humans are and what they do. And no matter what party you may be attending, we need to invite a soldier to come relax with us. For their sake and ours. Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    7 min
  8. The War Against Education: Protecting Expression Without Coddling Extremism

    10/20/2025

    The War Against Education: Protecting Expression Without Coddling Extremism

    We explore the extreme sides of the education debate and locate the center, where moderates can normalize to a compromise between society's responsibility to accumulative education and the more controlled expansion of education options. This segment is the first of our series of audio dissertations of our Substack posts at themoderatepunk.substack.com. Find this article and more, including the ongoing conversations around this important topic. Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    18 min
  9. Organization vs Ideology: False Orgs

    10/17/2025

    Organization vs Ideology: False Orgs

    This episode tackles the concept of "false organizations" and the critical difference between an organization and an ideology. Joe defines an organization as an organized body of people with structure, resources, and a particular purpose, usually forming to overcome adversity. In contrast, an ideology is presented as a system of beliefs and values that lacks a definitive leader or hierarchical structure, using examples like communism, conservatism, and anti-fascism. The discussion focuses on how political leaders and organizations, particularly in the U.S. political system, often identify or create an "opposing organization," such as the perceived organization of "Antifa," to rally support and maintain their power, even when the supposed opposition is merely a loose ideology. Joe encourages listeners to question everything and not be misled by leaders who require an identified enemy to lead, instead advocating for organization around compromise and real opposition. Check out our new SubStack for more content and to join the conversation around this topic: themoderatepunk.substack.com Get full access to The Moderate Punk at themoderatepunk.substack.com/subscribe

    25 min
  • 9 Episodes

About

The new, modern version of punk is pushing against the left AND the right. We need a new solution than what our leaders are offering, and it needs to resist extremist tendencies. We can use the history of punk culture as a template to force the conversation. If we want to see systemic cultural change in the digital age, need to stop feeding the machine and question everything. The Moderate Punk is a discussion about new solutions and critical thinking, outspoken and relentless while staying nonviolent and collaborative. Part commentary, part philosophy, part music history, this journey to the center of society demands conversation, which may feel unfamiliar to adopters of hardline positions. Topics range from politics and news to social challenges, with music history undertones as we explore the rage artists that bring change to the surface. Periodic episodes hosted by Joe Ryder. themoderatepunk.substack.com

Information