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DMZ America Podcast #112: Ecuadorian Candidate Assassinated, Dark Times for Democracy, the 2024 Election Crisis

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Ted Rall

Editorial Cartoonist Ted Rall (from the Left) checks in from the road in the maritime provinces of Canada while fellow cartoonist Scott Stantis (from the Right) holds down the fort here in America on this special shortened version of the DMZ America Podcast. 

First up, Scott and Ted use the recent assassination in Ecuador of presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio as a springboard to discuss the wider issue of the seeming crisis of representative democracy across the globe. Is the growing distrust of basic institutions and the failure of the political left to improve the lives of its followers the cause? Or is it the growing aggression of authoritarian forces being seen as the true allies of the working class? 

The second segment continues to explore this theme, ending with the conclusion that the Democratic Party has abandoned those it long promised to support, with the consequences being the ascent of far-right political parties across the globe. 

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 112 Sec 1: Ecuadorian Candidate Assassinated, Dark Times for Democracy

DMZ America Podcast Ep 112 Sec 2: The 2024 Election Crisis

 

DMZ America Podcast #111: Trump Indicted for Jan. 6th, Kamala Harris Less Unpopular Than Biden, Texas Border Buoys Kill Migrants

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Ted Rall

The long-awaited indictment of former President Donald Trump for his role in the January 6th Capitol Hill riots took place this week, bringing to 78 the number of criminal accounts faced by the Republican frontrunner for president. Scott believes Trump faces serious jeopardy, but Ted doubt a jury, even in deep-blue Washington DC, will convict based on the legal theory that Trump must have known that he had lost the election to Biden and acted differently nevertheless.

Most Democrats would rather see a different candidate than Joe Biden, and a new New York Times poll indicates just how bad things are going for the president: Democrats are less unenthusiastic about Vice President Harris, one of the most historically unpopular political figures of all time, than Biden. Also, in the mix: the Hunter Biden laptop scandal is about to blow, with the big question of the week being: did the president take millions of dollars in bribes from a country for whom he later went to war?

Texas Governor Greg Abbott defied the federal government, placing a plastic buoy wall in the middle of the Rio Grande river along the international border separating the United States from Mexico. Now migrants are drowning in the river as a result. As Scott points out, this should come as a little surprise, considering what a nasty person Governor Abbott is and how corrupt Texas politics can be.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 111 Sec 1: Trump Indicted for Jan. 6th

DMZ America Podcast Ep 111 Sec 2: Kamala Harris Less Unpopular Than Biden

DMZ America Podcast Ep 111 Sec 3: Texas Border Buoys Kill Migrants

DMZ America Podcast #110: Hunter Biden Plea Deal Meltdown, Fed Reserve Rate Increase, Kevin Spacey Cleared

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Ted Rall

Syndicated Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall, (from the left) and Scott Stantis (from the right) unpack the many layers from the week’s top stories.

First up, the Hunter Biden plea deal. The judge said it was unconstitutional and the defense wanted it to provide a blanket get-out-of-jail card. Why it fell apart and how it reflects the media’s disdain for anything that may conflict with its prevailing narrative. Ted and Scott take a rhetorical side trip to explore other issues they have been way in front of, and examine why the mainstream media takes so long to catch up to common sense.

Next up, the Federal Reserve Board continues to raise interest rates although it seems from this healthy economy that they shouldn’t. Scott argues against government overreach while Ted makes the case for deeper regulation of the American economy.

Lastly, Kevin Spacey, one of the best actors of his generation, has been found not guilty of sexual malfeasance in yet another trial. Ted and Scott discuss whether he should be welcomed back to the entertainment business.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 110 Sec 1: Hunter Biden Plea Deal Meltdown

DMZ America Podcast Ep 110 Sec 2: Fed Reserve Rate Increase

DMZ America Podcast Ep 110 Sec 3: Kevin Spacey Cleared

DMZ America Podcast #109: Neither Biden Nor Trump Fit for Office, Texas Sucks Best, Highly Sensitive People Catch a Break

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Ted Rall

Check out the latest edition of the DMZ America Podcast, where a pair of American political cartoonists (Ted Rall, who leans left, and Scott Stantis, who leans right) who happen to be best friends analyze and discuss the major and minor stories of the week while having a few laughs along the way. This week: no flamethrower drones. But coelacanths!

A new kind of poll dissects public opinion about presumed presidential nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump as we begin the 2024 campaign cycle. We already knew that voters did not want this rematch. What we did not know was that so many voters do not believe either man is fit to hold office. Scott asks: where do we go from here and what does this say about American democracy?

CNBC issues its latest list of the best and worst states to live in. Vermont is supposedly best. Texas is supposedly worst. You might find the results interesting, frustrating, even perplexing. Like everything these days, politics has a lot to do with it.

Walmart has become the latest organization to embrace a new trend of sensory-friendly hours for neurodivergent people. Ted applauds the move to make public spaces more pleasant for everyone while Scott suggests that we might want to buck up and quit whining.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 109 Sec 1: Neither Biden Nor Trump Fit for Office

DMZ America Podcast Ep 109 Sec 2: Texas Sucks Best

DMZ America Podcast Ep 109 Sec 3: Highly Sensitive People Catch a Break

DMZ America Podcast #108: Three Pulitzer-Winning Editorial Cartoonists Canned the Same Day, Nazis Symbols Worn by Ukrainian Troops, Can Biden Capitalize on Lower Inflation?

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Ted Rall

Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) discuss the latest startling development in the ongoing demise of American editorial cartooning. With the recent firing of not one but three Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial cartoonists, Ted and Scott mourn the job loss of their fellow journalists and those who preceded them. Was the demise of editorial cartooning as a profession the planned end-game all along by antagonistic editors?

The New York Times reports that there have been more and more sightings of Nazi symbols being worn by Ukrainian troops. Ted has said for years that neo-fascism runs deep in Ukraine. Russian President Putin has framed the Ukraine War as partly motivated by a desired “De-Nazification of Ukraine.” Does he have a point? Ted and Scott debate discuss what the Times describes as mere bad optics.

Inflation is down to its lowest level in years. If it is the economy, stupid, why are President Biden’s approval numbers still so low? And does this open the door for Green Party candidate Dr. Cornel West? Or other third-party candidates?

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 108 Sec 1: Three Pulitzer-Winning Editorial Cartoonists Canned the Same Day

DMZ America Podcast Ep 108 Sec 2: Nazis Symbols Worn by Ukrainian Troops

DMZ America Podcast Ep 108 Sec 3: Can Biden Capitalize on Lower Inflation?

DMZ America Podcast #107: Banning Bad Jokes, Defending Abusers with Guns, the Government’s First Amendment Right to Censor You

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Ted Rall

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (on the Left) and Scott Stantis (on the Right) discuss the week in news and current politics on the DMZ America podcast.

When does a joke go too far? A Subway store in Georgia got in trouble with the Internet and its national parent company when it posted a sign seeming to make light of the recent submersible implosion. As professional humorists, Ted and Scott bandy about whether or not it’s ever OK to make fun of the dead, or whether this particular incident even qualifies as disrespecting the dead in the first place.

The Supreme Court has agreed to take up the case of a man who claims that his Second Amendment right to bear arms was infringed because of a Texas law that prohibits people under a restraining order for abusing their domestic partner from possessing a firearm. You may be surprised at how Ted and Scott come down on this somewhat complicated case.

A federal district judge in New Orleans has issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the federal government from telling social media companies to take down your post or even to cancel your account, something that the Twitter Files proved was an ongoing practice. The Biden ministration is appealing the injunction on the ground that it constitutes prior restraint on their First Amendment right to quash your First Amendment right.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 107 Sec 1: Banning Bad Jokes

DMZ America Podcast Ep 107 Sec 2: Defending Abusers with Guns

DMZ America Podcast Ep 107 Sec 3: the Government’s First Amendment Right to Censor You

DMZ America Podcast #106: A Big Week of Supreme Court Opinions

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Ted Rall

Syndicated Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) analyze the issues and news changing our world. This week’s podcast is entirely dedicated to a historic week of opinions handed down by the Supreme Court of the United States.

First up, a look at a pair of landmark cases affecting higher education. Ted and Scott put into perspective the court’s decision to end race-based Affirmative Action and President Biden’s Student loan forgiveness program. Ted concisely explains the basis for the build-up of resentment over decades towards Affirmative Action and what led to the court’s ruling. Scott takes a victory lap after arguing for months that Joe Biden’s Student Loan Forgiveness program was executive overreach and should and would be struck down.

Next up, a pair of cases impacting the workplace: the Postal Worker and the Web Designer,(which sounds a lot like a really lame Hallmark Christmas romance movie). The mailman refused to work on his Sabbath; the web designer refused to create a site for a LGBTQ couple. When does common sense check bigotry? Scott and Ted’s spin on these decisions may surprise you.

In the last segment, Ted and Scott applaud the court shooting down, yet again, Independent State Legislature Theory (ISL), which would have allowed states to set up draconian voting procedures that would have served to deny ballot access to millions of voters.. They end up tying everything up in a neat little bow. You should listen.

 

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 106 Sec 1: Supreme Court Overturns Race-Based Affirmative Action

DMZ America Podcast Ep 106 Sec 2: The Cases of the Postal Worker and the Web Designer

DMZ America Podcast Ep 106 Sec 3: Death to the Independent State Legislature Theory

DMZ America Podcast #105: Hunter Biden Skates, Donald Trump Going to Trial, Teenage Depression

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Ted Rall

The DMZ America podcast features two political cartoonists who happened to be best friends. Ted Rall (Andrews McMeel Syndication, Wall Street Journal, WhoWhatWhy) comes from the Left; Scott Stantis (Andrews McMeel Syndication, Chicago Tribune, Dallas Morning News) comes from the Right.

Hunter Biden once again assumes his role as America’s Prince Andrew: safe, protected, facing minimal charges. In this case, it’s two years probation for evading the payment of $100,000 in taxes and for a gun charge. Republicans are going crazy. Maybe they have a point.

Former President Donald Trump has a trial date in his federal criminal case related to improper handling of classified documents: August 14. Scott and Ted examine the shocking political and legal repercussions of this completely unprecedented case, and what it means for the future of the country and democracy as we head into a presidential election.

Teenage depression hits new lows as more young people than ever before tell psychologists, that they feel worthless and without hope for the future. The cause: social media and digital devices. We don’t let a 12-year-old drive a car. Should we be allowing a six-year-old on Instagram?

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 105 Sec 1: Hunter Biden Skates

DMZ America Podcast Ep 105 Sec 2: Donald Trump Going to Trial

DMZ America Podcast Ep 105 Sec 3: Teenage Depression at New Lows

DMZ America Podcast #103: Debt Ceiling Madness, Gaming the GOP Primaries, and the War on Gay

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Ted Rall

Editorial cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) analyze the week in politics, and what’s coming up next. Tune in for informed passionate debate between two best friends who prove that it’s possible to disagree while remaining civil.

A controversial compromise bill negotiated between President Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy goes to the House of Representatives for a vote. Meanwhile, the clock is ticking. Will the US government default on June 5? Even if this bill gets through, is it too late to preserve America’s credit rating?

Donald Trump has a full slate of new primary rivals for the GOP presidential nomination, most notably, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who had a disastrous launch and is now seeing his polls go exactly the wrong direction, and former Vice President Mike Pence. Does Trump face any credible threat from these competitors?

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has made a name for himself, declaring war on “woke,” even including Disney in his campaign to demonize LGBTQ people. Why do Republicans keep waging culture war even though it’s a loser at the polls? Also: separating reactions to gays and lesbians from controversies over transgender people.

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 103 Sec 1: Debt Ceiling Madness

DMZ America Podcast Ep 103 Sec 2: Gaming the GOP Primaries

DMZ America Podcast Ep 103 Sec 3: The War on Gay

DMZ America Podcast #98: Fox News vs Dominion Settlement, Kathy Griffin’s PTSD, the Horrors of the U.S. Prison System

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Ted Rall

Editorial Cartoonists Ted Rall (from the Left) and Scott Stantis (from the Right) take a slight detour away from breaking news to discuss crucial issues flying under the radar. But first they contextualize the blockbuster $787 million settlement between Fox News and Dominion Voting Systems. Does this mean the beginning of the end for Fox News, or does it just confirm what we all knew Fox was? Next, Ted and Scott discuss their own Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder following high-profile controversies in their careers. Inspired by recent revelations by actress and comedian Kathy Griffin,in her struggles with PTSD, following fallout from her own controversial holding up a bloody Donald Trump mask in 2017. Finally, Scott and Ted delve into the horrid state of the American prison system, following an award to thousands of New Yorkers who were wrongly held in solitary confinement in local jails. They discuss the ghastly conditions and abuses now commonplace in prisons across the country, from malnutrition to grossly overcrowded prison cells. Ted and Scott sound the alarm on an inhumane system right here in the home of the brave. Will anyone listen?

 

 

Watch the Video Version of the DMZ America Podcast:

DMZ America Podcast Ep 98 Sec 1: Fox News Settles with Dominion Voting Systems

DMZ America Podcast Ep 98 Sec 2: It’s Not Just Kathy Griffin. We Have PTSD Too.

DMZ America Podcast Ep 98 Sec 3: The Horrid State of Our Prisons

 

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