secondthought posts
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America's Forgotten Socialist History
Howdy, friends! From our very earliest education Americans are told that the US has never been and will never be a socialist country. While it's true that the US has never been governed by a socialist party, it's impossible to look at US history and say we've never had strong socialist m...
The Secret Marxist Conspiracy
Howdy, friends! We've all heard the term "cultural marxism" before, but what does it actually mean? Is there really a secret communist cabal pulling the strings behind the scenes? Let's take a look at where the term came from and how accurate it is. Hope you enjoy!
This Is Why You're Poor
Howdy, friends! We've all heard poverty described as a "mindset" or a "moral failing," but those claims don't hold up to scrutiny when you start to look into it. In this episode we'll take a look at the real causes of poverty, and why it persists in capitalist economies. ...
Why Is There So Much Right-Wing Media?
Howdy, friends! Ever wonder why there are dozens of incredibly well-funded outlets like PragerU, The Daily Wire, and all their little fascist buddies? Well it shouldn't come as a surprise that these people are all propped up by the same interests. Come learn about who's behind these outlets ...
Why Cheap Solar Won't Save Us
I heard y'all like green energy. Well what if I told you it's now cheaper than fossil fuels? That's great news! So...why aren't we making the switch? Hope you enjoy! I'm really happy with how this one turned out
How Capitalism Causes Loneliness
Howdy, friends! Study after study confirms that we're all lonelier and more depressed than ever. Why is that? It shouldn't surprise any of us that capitalism is the culprit. Let's take a look at how alienation works in a profit-driven society. Hope you enjoy!
How Free Trade "Solves" War
Howdy, friends! Got a fun one for you today. This week we're talking about war, and how the proponents of capitalism and global free trade claim to have solved it. Seems a little sus considering all the wars constantly going on, but let's take a deeper look. Hope you enjoy!
Why Do Recessions Happen?
Howdy, friends! Sure seems like there are a lot of banks failing recently, huh? Life seems more expensive and less pleasant too. I'm sure it's nothing. Let's talk about recessions! Where they come from, who they benefit, and whether we can get rid of them. Hope you enjoy!
You're Not Immune To Propaganda
Howdy, friends! It's very common in the West, but especially in the US, for people to assume that propaganda doesn't really exist in our society. Sure, those other countries brainwash their citizens, but not us! No, all our media is completely unbiased. Let's explore the idea of propagan...
Why Work Is Getting Worse
Howdy, friends! Most of us grow up with the ingrained notion that life for every successive generation is better than the last. That truism no longer seems to be the case. Why is everything seeming to go downhill? And why is work specifically getting so much worse? I hope you enjoy this slightly dif...
First Thought - Biased News, Three Times A Week
Howdy, friends! I'm excited to announce the secret project I've been working on with the Deprogram gang - a news channel! We got tired of all the news coming from corporate outlets and we get asked for reliable news sources all the time, so we figured why not do it ourselves. Launching April...
How Companies Plan The Economy
Howdy, friends! We're back with another L O N G video! Apologies for the delay in getting these last couple previews to you, we're still ironing out the kinks in our new workflow. We're hoping to have it all figured out by the next release! Anyway, this week we're looking at planned ...
Deprogram Merch!
Howdy, friends! Since we're on the new upload schedule there's no video today, but that doesn't mean I don't have a little something for you. The Deprogram gang and I just launched some merch! Our main goal was to make stuff we'd actually want to wear, and I think our designs ref...
Mystery Project Teaser
Hmmmโฆwhat could this be? Doing a little story boarding for a video teaser. Letโs hear some guesses as to what this mystery project is! Stay tuned for more info ๐
How Corporate Greed Destroyed East Palestine
Howdy, friends! I'm very excited to show you what we've been working on for the past few weeks. We've still got a few small changes to make to the video before wide release (hopefully tomorrow), but structurally it's all there. This was our most ambitious and expensive project yet, s...
We Went To East Palestine, Ohio. Full Video This Friday!
Howdy, friends! I hope you're as excited as I am for this week's episode! It's the first one we've been on-location for, and it's about the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine. I can't wait to hear what you all think of it. In the meantime, here's a short teaser...
American Fascism And The Groomer Panic
Howdy, friends! We've seen a number of moral panics over the decades, and this one is no different. Come learn how the same old tropes are being recycled to animate this latest strain of American fascism. Hope you enjoy!In some other news, this video marks the beginning of Second Thought switchi...
Is Capitalism Really Human Nature?
Howdy, friends! These days, at least in the West, there seems to be a consensus that capitalism is just "the way things are." Everyone from capitalist economists to your dentist to your weird uncle is firmly convinced that humans are just hard-wired for capitalism. Let's explore that ide...
How Capitalism Destroys Feminism
Howdy friends! You all probably remember the girlboss phenomenon of the last decade. Neoliberal individualism infested the west's once-emancipatory feminist theory and praxis and turned it into a hollow, performative act by upper class white women. What's the deal? Let's talk a bit about...
Do We Really Live Under Capitalism?
Howdy, friends!One of the most common objections to arguments against capitalism is "we don't actually have capitalism, we have corporatism" or "corporatism" or even "techno-feudalism." These objections are often well-intentioned, but they miss the point. This will be a g...
Why Is American Patriotism So Weird?
Howdy, friends! To anyone outside the US, our particular brand of patriotism is very strange. Why is the average American so violently attached to symbols like the American flag? Why is our version of patriotism so dogmatically opposed to actually improving our country? Let's take a look. Hope y...
Should We Move To A 4-Day Work Week?
Howdy, friends! Our conception of work is thoroughly stuck in the 20th century. With massive improvements in technology and productivity in the last several decades, it's time we start to reassess what work could look like. Hope you enjoy!
Why Social Democracy Isn't Good Enough
Howdy, friends! One of the major stumbling blocks for new lefties is getting stuck in the "why can't we just have social democracy?" phase. On the surface, the Nordic Model looks pretty good - social safety nets, great public services, better workers' rights...so what's the probl...
Why There's No Such Thing As An Ethical Business
Howdy, friends! In the last decade or so, belief in the Invisible Hand of the Market has pretty much evaporated in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis. The mantra of capitalism has since become "doing well by doing good," with companies promising to follow social responsibility practices a...
Why Corporate America Hates Unions
Howdy, friends! Unions are having a bit of a moment right now - countless stores under brands like Amazon, Chipotle, REI, Starbucks, and many more are winning victories left and right, and corporate America is pulling out all the stops to crush them. Why is the US so antagonistic towards unions, and...
Why You Should Be A Socialist In 2023
Howdy, friends! As we brace ourselves for another year under capitalism, I figured I'd make a video designed to be sent to our liberal or "apolitical" friends. Hopefully it can spark some useful conversations and start the year by winning over some new comrades. Hope you enjoy!
Why Is US Media Becoming More Right Wing?
Howdy, friends! Apologies for the error in this morning's upload, it's fixed now. This week we're talking about an interesting (and predictable) development in US news...it's moving further to the right. Why is this happening? Hope you enjoy!
Why You Don't Actually Own Anything Under Capitalism
Howdy, friends! One of the biggest talking points used by proponents of capitalism is that "well you get to own a bunch of cool stuff." The thing is, that's not even remotely true anymore. In fact, our ability to own much of anything has decreased dramatically over the last few decades. ...
Why It's So Hard To Imagine Life After Capitalism
Howdy, friends! There's a common expression, "it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism." When the current economic model is seen more as an immutable force of nature than a system created by humans in the recent past, it becomes much harder to imagine ac...
Why "Hearing Both Sides" Is Dangerous
Howdy, friends! Ever get tired of people claim we need to "hear both sides" and "respect opposing opinions"? I know I do. While it's perfectly normal for people to have different ideas, sometimes those ideas are not organic. And sometimes they actively destroy our chances for a l...
