Deep Dive with Shawn

**This episode was recorded September 29th - four days before the Court began it's 2022-23 term.The United States Supreme Court began its new term on October 3rd, and judging on the cases that the Court has accepted for review, this term looks to be every bit as controversial and consequential, if not more so, than last term. On the docket this term includes cases that could dramatically impact things like affirmative action programming, voting protections, the ability of a state to regulate industries beyond its own borders, and if the Constitution allows state legislatures to be the final say in how elections are administered within their respective states – setting up a nightmare scenario in which state legislators could overturn the outcome of elections. To discuss some of these cases and potential implications for continued reshaping of the American legal, political and social landscape as envisioned by the current Supreme Court, I’ve invited a frequent Deep Dive guest back to the podcast – Dr. Sara Benesh of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In addition to the cases, we talk about the continued fallout from the Dobbs opinion overturning Roe, the Court’s sinking job approval and legitimacy, what it might mean, if Justice Thomas should recuse himself from cases involving the January 6th coup attempt because of his wife’s seemingly active role in furthering that goal, and the impact of an addition to the Court – Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s first term on the Court. Mentioned: SCOTUS Cases: 2022-23 TermRecommended:Inspector Gamache Series - Louise PennyThe John Cardinal Mysteries - Giles Blunt-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today I’m talking to Dr. Frank Mugisha. He is the Executive Director of SMUG – which stands for Sexual Minorities Uganda, a support and advocacy organization for queer Ugandans that was recently shut down by the Uganda government. For his work, Frank was awarded the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award and the Rafto Prize in 2011. In 2014, he was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. In 2017, he was listed as one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Greatest Leaders. And, this year, 2022, he was awarded the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award.   In Uganda, gay sex is illegal and, depending on the charges levied, could carry the death penalty. In addition to harassment by government officials and law enforcement, mob violence is a very real threat in Uganda. This has led to the beating and murder of a number of Frank’s friends and colleagues. Since SMUG was shut down, the government has waged a social media campaign directly targeting Frank, labeling him a groomer and pedophile (mirroring the same tactics that Republicans are employing in the states).   I want to thank United States Senator Tammy Baldwin and her office for providing some assistance. If you would like to assist Frank in any way, whether it be moral, legal, or emotional support, please contact him at frankmugisha@gmail.com You can also contact Shawn at deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com for other ways to provide support, or to make the appropriate connection on your behalf. If you are are in a similiar situation, or know someone who is, the following resources may be useful: Center for Constitutional RightsUnited States Citizenship and Immigration Service - Refugees and Asylum Seekers -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

On Sunday, Oct 2nd, Brazilians will cast their first-round vote in the presidential election. While there are a number of candidates, their primary choices will be between first-term incumbent conservative, right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro and former left-wing president Luiz Inacio Lula de Silva – known affectionately as Lula. Unlike the trend we’ve been seeing the world over, but particularly in Europe and the United States recently, the left is doing particularly well in Brazil, representing a potential fatigue with the far-right, nationalist policies of the Bolsonaro administration, which oversaw the unprecedented destruction of huge swaths of the Amazon, inequitable treatment (almost disdain) for indigenous peoples and their autonomy, a massive death toll attributed to the country’s weak response to Covid, and personal investigations into the Bolsonaro family’s business dealings.   As of right now, at the time of the recording of this episode, Sep 26th, polls lead us to believe that the left has reason to be optimistic, with Lula leading Bolsonaro – in some cases, pretty significantly. But, the polls are tightening somewhat, and Bolsonaro has been laying the groundwork for a contested outcome, taking a page out of the Trump playbook, suggesting that the election will be rigged and that he may not accept the outcome.Today I’m talking to Dr. Robert Vidigal out of the Center for Social Media and Politics at New York University. Dr. Vidigal’s research focuses on how social and cognitive motivations influence political behavior and knowledge, and he is an expert on Brazilian politics. His work has appeared in numerous journals and books in both the United States and Brazil. Dr. Vidigal and I talk about the authoritarian tendency, how we measure it in people, and how we might better measure it. And, we also talk about the upcoming election in Brazil, what influences voters, if Bolsonaro might contest the election, and what might happen if he does. Mentioned:  The Other Divide - Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan How to Become a TyrantRecommended: Authoritarianism and Right-Wing Voting in Brazil - Robert Vidigal Affirmative Action Attitudes of Whites: Evidence from a List Experiment Survey in Brazil - Robert Vidigal -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Welcome to the second season of Deep Dive!Today I’m talking to Italian journalist, and 2019 Nieman Fellow at Harvard, Mattia Ferraresi. Mattia is the managing editor of the Italian newspaper Domani and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Boston Globe, and Foreign Policy Magazine.  Italy is having elections in just two days time – on Sunday, September 25th. And, all polls leading into the final stretch suggest that the far-right party Brothers of Italy, is going to win enough shares of the vote that they will form the next government under the Prime Ministership of the leader of their party – Giorgia Meloni. This is happening just after the April elections in France, in which the far-right leader Marine Le Pen came closer than ever to winning the election, and immediately following elections this past week, in which the far-right parties, led by Ulf Kristerrson’s center-right moderates, have won enough seats to form the next government. This came after promising during the campaign to crack down on immigration and increase prison sentences. This is a watershed moment for Sweden, perhaps for Europe overall, as Sweden is consistently one of the most progressive nation-states in Europe – which begs the question, what does Italy have in store for us?Mattia and I discuss the structure of Italian government, how the past informs its government now, how liberal democracy has evolved in Italy, how the left has failed to address the concerns of the electorate leaving open an avenue for the right to exploit, what’s driving the electorate in Italy now, and what we might expect from a far-right government. I'd like to thank Giorgio Ghiglione for providing background and contextual information, helping me to better understand italian politics and government. Mentioned: The Netanyahus - Joshua CohenM - Antonio ScuratiRecommended:Domani Magazine-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

While Deep Dive is on break between seasons, here's a Greatest Hit from Season One to enjoy! This episode of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig was originally released on June 24, 2002. ----- Today's episode concludes my two-part focus on the rise of political violence and right-wing extremism in America. I'm talking to Jason Van Tatenhove, a former employee of the Oath Keepers, an organization that was present and active in the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Jason and I talk about his history with the Oath Keepers, the organization's objectives, his interview with the House Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the Capitol, and why he believes these organizations will remain a powerful, violent force in America. We also discuss Stewart Rhodes - the founder of the Oath Keepers - who was arrested and is currently awaiting trial on charges of seditious conspiracy related to his role in the January 6th insurrection, and how he has exploited his membership in the same way that Donald Trump has exploited his supporters. **Note: This interview was conducted prior to the public hearings of the House Select Committee to investigate the Jan 6 attack on the Capitol.**Mentioned: Hunter S. ThompsonRecommended:Homegrown: Standoff to RebellionThe Colorado Switchblade-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

While Deep Dive is on break between seasons, here's a Greatest Hit from Season One to enjoy! This is the premiere episode of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig and was originally released on May 29, 2002. -----Welcome to the premiere of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig. For this week only, two episodes will release - one today and one Friday, June 3. After this week, a new episode will release each Friday morning.In this premiere episode, I'm talking to my friend, Dr. Sara Benesh , a judicial scholar and professor at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee, about the United States Supreme Court - its legitimacy and what we might expect if it starts issuing a slew of controversial decisions that overturn established precedent. With the leaked opinion in Dobbs, it appears that the Court is prepared to do just that. This episode was recorded just after the Buffalo and Uvalde shootings, so we also touch on the Court's role in expanding access to guns.So, we discuss the Court, its approval rating, if its legitimacy is threatened, what a post-Roe country might look like, and if the Court might be coming for some other established rights. Mentioned:The Handmaid's Tale Roe v. Wade Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health OrganizationBowers v. HardwickDC V. HellerMcDonald v. City of ChicagoCruzan v. Director, Missouri Department of HealthMother JonesRecommended:The US Court of Appeals and the Law of Confessions: Perspectives on the Hierarchy of Justice - Sara C. Benesh-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Welcome to the Season One Finale of Deep Dive with Shawn C. Fettig!In this episode, I’m talking to three friends of mine  (Shannon Ahrndt, Heidi Stiemsma, Tony Dovi) that I’ve known for the better part of my life and who all share a common obsession – travel. We have all structured our lives to ensure that we get, probably more than typical, travel in our lives – especially as Americans, who are conditioned to believe that we “earn” two weeks of vacation a year, that anything more is a luxury, and that travel should be done in pursuit of relaxation from our otherwise packed, hectic, exhausting work lives. I, along with these friends, have taken a different approach – that travel is fundamental to understanding our own place in this world, to enhancing our own joy, to broadening our perspectives, and shaping our worldviews. And, so all of the decisions that we make about our finances, our housing, our jobs, and where we live – account, at least in some part, for this love of travel and maintaining that ability to do so. Mentioned AND Recommended:Dovi Design-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

In February of 2014, Russia’s military, under direction of President Vladimir Putin, invaded and, subsequently annexed Crimea – a peninsula off the eastern side of Ukraine. Russia quickly installed a subservient government to its own, presided over a referendum in the region under the watchful eye of Russian soldiers to legitimize the action as driven by the will of the people, and began issuing Russian passports to Crimean inhabitants – a pretext for the later argument that Russia was protecting its citizens when it invaded. Since then, a battle has ensued between Russia and Ukraine on the peninsula, throwing Crimea into disarray, dysfunction, and ruin. In February of this year, Russia invaded Ukraine again – only this time the campaign is much wider and Putin’s ultimate goal remains unknown. Unlike what happened in 2014, the global response to this invasion has been unified and swift, cutting Russia off from the rest of the world in almost universal terms – from international finance, trade, diplomacy, and travel. Russia has become a pariah on the global stage with a few notable exceptions – China, India, and Brazil. Nonetheless, as of this moment, Putin seems to be playing the long game, and it remains to be seen how it will end. In this episode, I’m talking to a friend of mine, Dr. Radmila Segol. She is an Associate Professor of Journalism at the National Technical University of Ukraine and Editor-in-Chief of the Prometheus Mass Open Online Course platform. She also provides background research, editing, and translation for news organizations and on articles that have been, and soon will be, published in outlets such as Washington Post, the Economist, and Vogue. Mila lives in Kyiv, Ukraine and she has chosen to stay there with her mother and her brother, throughout this Russian campaign of war. We talk about her life before before the invasion- before the war. And we talk about her life in Ukraine now. We discuss some history, the damage done, her thoughts about when, if at all, Ukraine could forgive Russia, how she finds some happiness living under constant air raids and the threat of death, and what the rest of the world, you and I, can do to help.If you would like to explore opportunities to offer some help, Dr. Segol has suggested the following programs:Come Back AliveSoloma Cats-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today’s episode is the final part of my three-part miniseries – my pursuit of understanding the far right nationalist movement that motivates Trump supporters, contemporary Republican voters. But, this phenomenon is not limited to the United States. There are companion movements, arguably more deeply rooted and historical, gaining traction in other countries – like Australia, South Korea, South Africa, and also across Europe, in places like Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the UK. And, so today, I’m talking to Dr. Sasha Polakow-Suransky – Deputy Editor of Foreign Policy magazine and author of the 2017 book – Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy. We talk about the origins of nationalist movements, what has contributed to their rise, how politicians and activists have preyed upon and exploited very real concerns, twisting them into something violent and destructive for, not only the folks that exist outside of the in-group narrative, but of liberal democracy, maybe just democracy, itself. We also discuss why this matters and how to bring these people back into some sensible realm of policymaking that doesn’t lay waste to the very values and principles that form the bedrock of our democratic systems. Mentioned: Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right - Arlie HochschildThe Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy - Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. PerryForeign Policy MagazineRecommended:Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy - Sasha Polakow-Suranksy-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today's episode is the second of a three-part series that seeks to understand what underpins the Trumpism movement in the United States – who these voters are and what motivates them, and then how that fits into a broader global shift we’re seeing - away from liberal democracy. Last week I spoke to Dr. Arlie Hochschild about her book Strangers in Their Own Land  to understand the paradox of conservative folks and their support for policies that do tangible harm to them.Today I’m talking to Dr. Philip Gorski, professor and sociologist at Yale University, and the co-author of the book The Flag and the Cross. Together, we discuss another seeming paradox – why self-identified Christians align so closely with Trump who, for all intents and purposes, is not a true Christian. He certainly hasn’t lived his life in accordance to scripture. I want to know how Christians square this alliance and this allegiance, how we got here, and if there is any chance that this relationship could be short-circuited – and, if so, how. Mentioned: Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right - Arlie HochschildThe Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong with Christian Nationalism - Paul D. MillerJesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation - Kristin Kobes Du MezRecommended:The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy - Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:BlueskyYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock