5 chapters across the catalog
The hosts speculate on a "shadow presidency" involving Barack Obama, noting his prominent appearance at the COP26 climate summit. They suggest Obama sees himself as a modern FDR, pushing for a "Great New Deal" through piecemeal legislation like the infrastructure bill. They argue that the current administration is moving toward Universal Basic Income (UBI) and a cashless society to increase state control.
The historical roots of American power are linked to the global opium trade, citing the wealth of families like the Delanos (FDR's ancestors) and institutions like Harvard and Yale. The hosts argue that the CIA continues this legacy by protecting poppy fields in Afghanistan and managing the domestic drug market for profit and power. They suggest that the "swamp" Trump aimed to drain is actually this deeply entrenched, multi-generational criminal organization.
The discussion critiques Calvin Baker's suggestion that America needs new programs modeled after the New Deal and the GI Bill. Citing data from the Cato Institute, Mo Facts explains how FDR's New Deal actually prolonged joblessness for Black Americans. They argue that these government interventions, often praised in narratives, historically denied benefits to millions of Black veterans and harmed their economic progress.
Howard University professor Dr. Greg Carr argues that Franklin D. Roosevelt was the greatest president of the 20th century despite the "racial dimensions" of the New Deal and GI Bill. The hosts point out the inconsistency in Carr's logic, where a Democrat's racism is excused by their economic policy, while a Republican like Trump is condemned for his perceived racism regardless of economic outcomes.
A segment from "Adam Ruins Everything" explains how the creation of the American suburbs was a result of racist federal policies. During the New Deal, the FHA created color-coded maps where green areas were deemed safe for loans and red areas (minority neighborhoods) were denied. This institutionalized redlining ensured that 98% of home loans between 1934 and 1968 went to white families, effectively subsidizing white wealth while excluding Black families.
