EP:20 – Pumpkins, Podcasts, And People Getting Mad Online

War talk is easy — until you hear from someone who actually lived it. In this episode, we step away from headlines and theories to listen to the people who’ve seen combat up close. Trenches, artillery, fear — these aren’t abstractions. They’re human stories. E.B. Sledge once called artillery “an invention of hell,” and when you hear why, you understand what’s really at stake when leaders talk about war.

From there, we dig into today’s culture battles — platforming vs. canceling, open debate vs. gatekeeping. The Heritage Foundation backed Tucker Carlson when others wanted him silenced, and it raises a bigger question: does deplatforming ever actually work? We argue that bringing controversial voices into real conversation builds more trust than trying to erase them.

We also talk about Nick Fuentes — his rise to fame, the controversy surrounding him, and how his evolution from an 18-year-old provocateur to a symbol of online extremism says a lot about the internet era itself. His story shows how the mix of outrage, youth, and social media algorithms can turn fringe figures into icons for millions — and why ignoring them doesn’t make the problem go away.

We then shift to the wars abroad — especially in Israel and Gaza — and how they’re reopening old divides here at home. The Right is still wrestling with the legacy of Iraq and the failure of regime change. Now, when images of Gaza flood the internet faster than official narratives, labeling critics as bigots doesn’t end the argument — it just deepens the anger.

Finally, we turn inward. How did identity politics and social media turn neighbors into rivals? How did equality give way to endless outrage? We talk about how culture shifts, why universal values still matter, and how free speech and fairness can pull us back from the edge.

At the heart of this conversation is one idea: listen to the people who’ve lived it. Respect real experience.

Trust your audience. Because when we stop talking and start censoring, we don’t fix anything — we just make the world louder and meaner.