Topic: Internet

Adam Curry and Mo Facts open episode 95 of the podcast, noting the long delay since their last recording. Mo celebrates finally receiving a high-speed internet connection in Northern Virginia after three and a half years of technical difficulties. The hosts prepare to discuss a specific book that will frame their analysis of global conflicts.

The discussion moves to fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin and often sourced from labs in China via the internet. Mo notes that while the media focuses on police violence, the real threat to the black community is the influx of cheap, deadly synthetic opioids. He argues that the pharmaceutical industry, China, and Mexican cartels form a "real cartel" that the government refuses to dismantle.

Rene DeResta of the Stanford Internet Observatory discusses the "harassment campaigns" faced by doctors like Nicole Baldwin when they post pro-vaccine content. The hosts label Baldwin a "TikTok Karen" for playing the victim after receiving public pushback on a public platform. They criticize the role of social media companies and Congress in defining "misinformation" to silence dissenting voices.

The episode concludes with a deep dive into the concept of emergence, using the biological example of schools of fish that coordinate complex movements without a single leader. The hosts argue that modern social movements should follow this model—staying close but not too close to avoid infiltration, and "keeping swimming" toward self-reliance. They predict that the 2020 election results will reflect this leaderless, organic shift away from traditional party structures.

Malcolm X’s call for "political maturity" is linked to the modern internet age, which the hosts argue has defeated the traditional propaganda machine. They discuss the importance of re-education to prevent being maneuvered into supporting politicians who do not have the community's interests at heart. The segment celebrates the ability to unearth historical clips to find the truth.