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The Marine and the Hippie is an ongoing discussion between a Marine (Doc Stodden) and a Hippie (Dylan Netter) on current events, aimed at presenting alternative viewpoints with the goal of seeking common ground #podcast #politics #endtheduopoly #education #truth #criticalthinking #philosophy #ideas #problems #solutions #together #democrats #greenparty #republican #love #change
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In this dialogue, we discuss a recent story about a woman who has tuburculosis and refuses treatment for her disease. She has been dragged into court 16 times because she is knowingly spreading the disease, a treatable but deadly disease in her community. The discussion turns to the tension between civil liberties and civic duty. At what point does…
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In this dialogue, we discuss subscriptions, and specifically the economic model of people paying exorbitant amounts of money for services, without actually owning anything. While this dialogue focuses on subscriptions for online services and streaming services, it can also extend to things like rent, where some wealthy property owner can charge you…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the inability of Americans to laugh at themselves. We take a lot of people to task, but focus primarily on the ridiculousness around the anti-trans/ anti-gay Right, who will call different lifestyles and identities aberrant and repulsive, and still listen to music about gay men finding partners in public showers and han…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the implication of the development of AI technology. On the one hand, AI technology can theoretically save labor and allow people to devote more time and energy to other things in their lives. On the other hand, it will allow employers to pocket more profit through the cutting of labor costs. Furthermore, it opens up mo…
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In this dialogue, we discuss whether or not we have morality. Morality is a system of moral rules, which can either come from some external source, or from our own rules about how we want to live in the world. While the question about the existence of morality is controversial, if we do have morality, does that create an ethical obligation for us? …
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In this dialogue, the failure of post modern education, in the US specifically, but across the world more generally, to promote excellence, or even standards in education. The notion that all deserve education is both a good and bad thing. On the one hand, universal education has led to lifting millions out of superstition and ignorance, and has al…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the rise of the new King in Great Britain. While the world shows deference and obeisance to the new monarch, we deconstruct monarchy and touch on how the royal family became who they are. Royals are who they are because they are the most brutal murderers, rapists, and conquerors on the planet The foundation of all thron…
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In this dialogue, we talk about the refusal of decisionmakers to adequately address the problems that are facing our society. While our society bleeds out, the politicians choose to offer policies that do not even address the problem, and are built in a way that are guaranteed to fail in our political process. But the goal is not to actually solve …
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In this dialogue, we talk about inflation: Whether it is real or manufactured. To make a long story short, we explain how inflation is driven not by uncontrollable factors in the economy, but by conscious decisions made by producers to set prices at "whatever people will pay", and then use this crisis as a way to take even more money from society t…
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In this dialogue, we the gun crisis in the US. In the aftermath of the deadly school shooting in Uvalde Texas, as well as other mass shootings across the country, it is clear that there is a gun problem in the US. The numbers suggest that the reason people claim they want to keep firearms, justifiable, legal intervention in protection of life and l…
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In this dialogue, we the Great Baby Formula Shortage of 2022. At some point there were policy decisions made that led to such a bottleneck in supply of baby formula, and created a panic among parents who insist that their children all need an ultra rare form of baby formula or their children will starve to death. But much of this is being driven by…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the lunar eclipse and the thoughts around lunar eclipses. People who subscribe to astrology will argue that the lunar eclipse portends great opportunity to examine and make changes in one's life, but it is possible that people are merely manifesting the sort of future they want, and the lunar eclipse serves to remind yo…
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In this dialogue, we talk about standards, and how the lack of standards leads to the failure of Democrats to protect Roe v. Wade. Voters are willing to let the government and the country to run on autopilot until the enemies of rights finally start succeeding in taking away rights. The Republicans have been working and organizing and winning state…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the difference between blooming early and then fading out vs. living the entire time. We begin the discussion with the story of Kobe Bryant, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, who worked and worked to provide a good life for him and his family, and then died young and never got to live life apart from h…
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In this dialogue, we the discuss systemic failure of the current education system which insists that there is really only one possible path to success for students, and calls those who do not fit into that mold "failures." Much of the problem with students is that their home environment is not conducive to academic success under any circumstances, …
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In this dialogue, we the discuss the propensity of Americans to select the lesser of two evils, because the political options we have today all run the same facade, which is designed to get people to believe what ultimately turn out to be completely lies. In most cases, it seems that people of this world prefer those people who will smile in their …
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In this dialogue, we the discuss the breaking of social norms, and why our society allows this to happen. While we may want to do genuine violence to transgress social norms, due to their refusal to follow the same rules that allow us to live in society with one another, most of us do not respond in such an extreme manner, because the norm of not h…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the assault by actor Will Smith upon comedian and presenter Chris Rock at the 2022 Academy Awards. In an incident that was broadcast across the entire world, Rock told a joke that Smith initially found to be funny, and then on second thought, took offense to. This umbrage led Smith to climb up onto the stage, walk acros…
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In this dialogue we discuss the way that people are taught to be incredibly stupid. We are taught, primarily by our choices of media, to not ask questions, to not challenge authority, to not demand more. The initial issue rises from the notion that when we pay taxes, we ought to demand things for it. Instead, we simply pay into the system and do no…
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In this episode, we discuss the concept of Trickle down ethics, where the ethics of the person who sits at the top of an organization become the ethics of the lower down members of the organization. In the US, profit is the only motive for most activity, and that precludes concepts of justice in discussions about whether or not to tell the truth on…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the death of Truth. Dylan asks the question if podcasts, political entertainment and various other messages should be labled "For Entertainment Purposes Only." After a short discussion about the non-interchangability of professions, or non-expertise for expertise, we discuss who should be doing that labeling? Should it …
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In this dialogue, we discuss the ethics around cancelling your Spotify subscription in support of Neil Young's protest against Joe Rogan. We delve into questions of ethics, censorship and revolution. We explore whether or not the act of cancelling Spotify is merely performative political theater, or a genuine effort to change a system which profits…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the rise of binge watching on streaming services like Netflix. The process of binge watching a program has become a new, relatively ubiquitous activity during the pandemic, and involves people sitting and watching a show, episode after episode for hours at a time. Like the dealer in a crack den, this constant feeding of…
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In this dialogue, The Marine and the Hippie discuss recent President Donald J. Trump's ability to hoodwink millions of Americans into voting for him for President, and his continued hold on the imaginations and the dreads of the population of the United States of America. The Hippie refers to him as the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), in that he has t…
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In this episode, we talk about social norms and both the importance of following norms of society, and the issues that arise when people decided not to, but walk about in society under the impression that we have the right to do whatever we want whenever we want, regardless of what people think. The title refers to an extreme form of norm violation…
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In this, the Christmas Episode, we discuss Ebaneezer Scrooge's encounter with the two scary children Ignorance and Want, and how Dickens' critique of the neglectful society under Liberal Government during the Industrial Revolution is not only still applicable today, but is much worse, because it seems that the entire society has turned a blind eye …
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In this dialogue, we discuss political rhetoric. Specifically, we discuss the use by Joe Biden of the word "unimaginable" when describing the tornado outbreak in Western Kentucky and Southern Illinois during the night of December 10 2021. When politicians use words like "unimaginable" to describe events which were completely imaginable, and for tha…
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in this dialogue, we discuss an extended metaphor of the sheep, the shepherd, the wolf and the Rabid Wolves. The sheep are just living their lives: their task is to follow. The Shepherd's role is to protect and teach. The wolf's role is to act and provide an outlet for human energy. All people can play all these roles in different contexts. And whe…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the arrival of the season of Winter, metaphorically, for our society. Winter is seen as the season of leanness and struggle, of a fight for survival. As we leave the era of abundance in our society as a whole and enter into a season of manufactured and deliberate scarcity, created by the greed and selfishness of those w…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the recent acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse. We cover the facts of the case, and discuss not only the fact that he was acquitted of the charges against him in a court of law, but discuss the concept of moral responsibility for the killing of two men and the injury of a third in the city of Kenosha. Both of us emphatically …
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In this episode, we explore the noble lie- a lie told by the powerful to get people to do what they consider to be good, but which the people wouldn't support normally. In philosophy, the noble lie is told in the service of a greater good. But in modern politics, it is simply told to get people to agree to support evil and/or ineffective politician…
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In this dialogue, we take a dive into philosophical discussion as we discuss Ayn Rand's book Atlas Shrugged. The controversial work tends to raise strong feelings among both Rand's supporters and her critics, and we attempt to engage some of those ideas here. The show was born out of the question "Why does the Left dislike Ayn Rand so intensely?" O…
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On this Dialogue, we discuss why textbooks that are used to teach children in schools not only foreclose any possibility of education, but actually serve the political interests of motivated actors in the community. These textbooks, which frequently feature full color glossy pictures, charts, and maps, but contain a dearth of information, do not ac…
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Om this dialogue, we divert from a normal discussion of current events to take a moment to talk about self publishing. As we both are now published authors, we discuss some of the benefits of self-publishing, some of the challenges associated with editing and promotion, and the promise of self promotion for the dissemination of information from a b…
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In this dialogue, we discuss morality, specifically the morality behind making decisions for other people. We discuss whether people should be making rules for other people that they are not willing to obey themselves. We delve into the topics of abortion and the COVID vaccine mandates. We also look at moral theory and apply both absolute and relat…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the moral justification for Revolution in the face of a rising serfdom in this country. We consider why a revolution for humanity and against the dehumanization of people in the US would be the correct course of action for Americans, and we examine some of the things which stand in the way of a fundamental alteration of…
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In this episode, we reintroduce The Marine and the Hippie as a show, and discuss the guiding philosophy of the show. We talk about how dialogue and a willingness to discuss contentious topics in good faith is essential to finding common ground. The entire purpose of the show is to try to propose solutions for current social issues, and resolve disa…
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In this dialogue, we consider the implications of the ending of the 20 year long War Against Afghanistan, and the resulting refugee crisis- to what degree do we have an obligation to the people of Afghanistan who helped the US, or the professionals who simply seek to flee from a repressive theocratic regime that is replacing our largely kleptocrati…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the concept of civic responsibility. As we discuss the topic, COVID-19 is resurging in many places dominated by the unvaccinated, and the continued existence of large populations of willfully, and militantly unvaccinated, puts the rest of us, even the vaccinated, but most especially those who are not allowed, for whatev…
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In this dialogue, we discuss religion and the dogma which tends to alienate individuals. The static nature of organized religion ensures that there is no room for variation or divergence from the standard line. But with a closer look at the actual structures of the organized religion, we realize that it is some degree separate from the actual faith…
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In this dialogue, we discuss issues around transgendered children playing sports in school. We conceptually separate the issue of children playing sports and the separate issues of transgendered adults in sports and the idea that some deviant sociopaths are attempting to take advantage of changing attitudes around transgender identity to hurt peopl…
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In this week's dialogue, we begin the discussion about the different ways that bicycles are treated on the roadways of the US. The dialogue was originally intended to explore a metaphor of the exclusion of the bikes from equal consideration by the rest of the society and the treating of those who ride bikes as second class citizens, in much the sam…
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In this week's dialogue, we utilize an extended metaphor of the ability of wolves to separate sheep from the flock to catch and eat them. We discuss how this metaphor is applicable to the strategies employed by people in the society, who should be herding together to protect them all from existential doom, but instead either scatter, eliminating th…
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In this dialogue, we discuss the tendency of people to misperceive the comments made by other people. In so many instances, very often on social media, people tend to assume that the strange, out of the ordinary things they do, which attract attention of other people, are in fact very normal, and present it in a public place as if it is perfectly n…
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In this Dialogue, the Marine and the Hippie discuss the role that God plays in the world. Far too often, God is invoked to justify the actions of man, whether for good or evil. We discuss this notion that whatever people think of God, our actions in this world are our own. And far too often, we say God did this or inspired that, but it is important…
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In this dialogue, we explore the concept of the Minimum: the idea that what we are willing to accept is far lower than what we need to survive, and Americans are taught that we shouldn't ask for any more than that from our government or society. For example, we discuss what should be basic tools to ensure survival, things like medical care for all,…
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In this dialogue, We explore the ways that people teach and the ways that people learn. If the three different words, Through, Thru, and Threw make the same sound, is it really wrong of a student to use the inappropriate spelling when writing it out? Or is the goal of education not to teach kids how to use the tools they have available to solve som…
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In this dialogue we discuss the political spectrum in the United States and visualize it as a globe, rather than a straight line. In the center at the top are the politically motivated: Actors who are interested for one reason or another on performing the job of politics in the US, and getting candidates funded and elected. This group is generally …
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In this dialogue, we talk about the meaning of the Flag. For a long time, the Right has laid claim to the Flag as a symbol and to patriotism. But in doing so, they end up excluding half the population from consideration as "patriots". To what degree then is the Left complicit in letting them define what the Flag means, to the degree that it becomes…
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In this dialogue, we take on the Sinking ship that is American society. As the ship goes down, we have people in the society that take the position of the happy nihilist who feel that everything is screwed up so bad, they may as well just enjoy the bonfire. But a better alternative is to take steps to unite with the rest of the people on board and …
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