46 episodes
The California Dream Darin Brown
-
- Government
The Oxford English Dictionary defines a dream as “a cherished aspiration, ambition, or ideal”. What is the California dream? And how does it compare and contrast to the American dream, or – as many now understand it – the American nightmare? Can California aspire to reach her dreams within an undemocratic and dysfunctional American system? Or should California chart her own course and determine her own destiny?
Hi, my name is Darin Brown, and these are just some of the questions we’ll be asking in our new podcast The California Dream.
Let me tell you about some of what we have planned for the future. We’ll discuss California history and culture. We’ll talk to activists in the California independence campaign and keep you up to date on current events in the Calexit movement. We are also proud to host audio episodes of The California War, a new weekly video series that will recall the events leading to the American conquest of California on its 175-year anniversary. We’ll interview authors and scholars whose work intersects with history, government, political theory, and international relations.
So, if you want to learn more about California, or if you just care about the California dream, we’d love to have you subscribe and join us as we navigate through these truly unprecedented times.
-
Political historian says California might need to "break away" from the USA to preserve democracy
-
General nonsense about the "national divorce" discourse
Once again, the topic of "national divorce" has entered the public discourse. And with that, a lot of general nonsense. I discuss some recent reactions from Krystal Ball, Emma Vigeland, and Ana Kasparian.
IMAGE CREDIT:
"Marjorie Taylor Greene (52251853611) (cropped)", by Gage Skidmore, Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marjorie_Taylor_Greene_(52251853611)_(cropped).jpg -
Questioning the 2022 midterm narratives
Several media narratives have emerged out of the 2022 midterms. But how many of them are borne out by the facts? In this episode, I present data on the election results in a different context, showing a more nuanced interpretation is warranted.
MUSIC CREDIT:
"Angry Bass Line", by Adigold; elements.envato.com -
Midterms preview with Jeremy Zogby
Jeremy Zogby is a partner at John Zogby Strategies, a data analytics firm founded by his father, the famous pollster John Zogby. He is the editor of The Main St./K St. IntelligenSEER, a biweekly report, and co-host with his father of The Zogby Report: Real and Unscripted, a weekly podcast.
Jeremy joins us again to discuss the upcoming midterm elections. Why are so many people focused on horserace politics and political prognostication? What factors will determine the outcome of the elections? And what is the real story behind the numbers?
This interview was recorded on November 1, 2022.
NOTES:
1. "About Us", John Zogby Strategies; https://johnzogbystrategies.com/about-us/
2. The Zogby Report podcast; https://johnzogbystrategies.com/zogby-podcast/
MUSIC CREDITS:
1. "Sexy Sneaky Cool Groove", by PhilLarson; elements.envato.com
2. "Vastness", by Andrew Ev; https://mixkit.co/
IMAGE CREDIT:
1. Jeremy Zogby, used with permission -
Does the United States have free and fair elections?
In this episode, we consider a provocative question: Does the United States have free and fair elections? It's a question everyone in California should consider.
MUSIC CREDIT:
"Angry Bass Line", by Adigold; elements.envato.com -
Aeonghus Brownlee on the Scottish indy movement, the SNP, and a possible 2023 referendum
I sat down with Scottish independence activist Aeonghus Brownlee to discuss the Scottish independence movement, the Scottish National Party, and the new referendum proposed by Nicola Sturgeon and the SNP.
This interview was recorded on June 30, 2022.
NOTES:
1. Scottish National Party homepage; https://www.snp.org
2. Young Scots for Independence homepage; https://www.theysi.scot/
3. White papers on independence, Scottish government; https://www.gov.scot/newscotland/
MUSIC CREDITS:
1. "Sexy Sneaky Cool Groove", by PhilLarson; elements.envato.com
IMAGE CREDIT:
1. Aeonghus Brownlee, used with permission