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 movements and notable socialist figures. Let's take a look. Hope you enjoy!
2023-08-10 20:49:42 +0000 UTC View Post
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!
2023-07-28 04:38:16 +0000 UTC View Post
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. Hope you enjoy!
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 and what they stand to gain from their existence. Hope you enjoy!
2023-06-30 02:32:47 +0000 UTC View Post
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
2023-06-15 16:16:33 +0000 UTC View Post
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!
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!
2023-05-18 14:29:20 +0000 UTC View Post
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!
2023-05-04 20:40:01 +0000 UTC View Post
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 propaganda, and how exactly it functions in neoliberal capitalism. Hope you enjoy!
2023-04-20 21:40:48 +0000 UTC View Post
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 different version of the video! The one going up on YouTube tomorrow will be a bit shorter.<...
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 1st (definitely not an April fools joke) 2023-03-27 16:36:01 +0000 UTC View Post
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 economies. What are they? How do they work? And why do massive companies like Amazon and Walmart use ...
2023-03-24 00:00:00 +0000 UTC View Post
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 reflect that. Let us know what you think!
2023-03-17 16:02:11 +0000 UTC View Post
Hmmm…what could this be? Doing a little story boarding for a video teaser. Let’s hear some guesses as to what this mystery project is! Stay tuned for more info 👀
2023-03-14 14:38:15 +0000 UTC View Post
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, so please share any and all feedback you have! I'd love to hear what you think. Hope you enjoy!
2023-03-10 15:16:00 +0000 UTC View Post
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 to build some hype. Hope you enjoy!
2023-03-07 14:55:19 +0000 UTC View Post
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 switching to uploading every other week instead of every week. I've just brought on a crea...
2023-02-23 03:30:00 +0000 UTC View Post
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 idea. Hope you enjoy!
2023-02-16 18:00:05 +0000 UTC View Post
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 neoliberal "girlboss" feminism. Hope you enjoy!
2023-02-09 14:45:36 +0000 UTC View Post
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 good one to send your libertarian friends. Hope you enjoy!
2023-02-02 15:38:40 +0000 UTC View Post
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 you enjoy!
2023-01-26 16:39:16 +0000 UTC View Post
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!
2023-01-19 17:09:11 +0000 UTC View Post
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 problem? Let's talk about social democracy's critical failure, and why socialism is the better option. Hope you enjoy!
2023-01-12 15:28:47 +0000 UTC View Post
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 and be good stewards of change. Is that even possible? Hope you enjoy!
2023-01-05 15:13:39 +0000 UTC View Post
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 what can you expect to face when you try to unionize your workplace? Hope you enjoy!
2022-12-29 23:58:54 +0000 UTC View Post
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!
2022-12-21 20:10:30 +0000 UTC View Post
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!
2022-12-15 17:51:53 +0000 UTC View Post
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. Let's take a look at why that is. Hope you enjoy!
2022-12-07 17:09:49 +0000 UTC View Post
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 actually changing it into something better. Let's explore the idea of capitalist realism. Hope you enjoy!
2022-12-01 17:15:01 +0000 UTC View Post
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 livable future. Hope you enjoy!
2022-11-23 21:56:50 +0000 UTC View Post