Things That Go Boom

Mike German, a Fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice and former FBI undercover agent, shares gripping insights from his time infiltrating neo-Nazi groups. He discusses how the FBI manipulated post-9/11 fears to sidestep critical regulations and highlights troubling inefficiencies in domestic terrorism case management. German critiques the FBI's inconsistent approach to threats, from white supremacy to animal rights activism, and reflects on the moral complexities of undercover work amid a politicized justice system.

True to his promise, on the first day of Donald Trump’s second term as president, he pardoned more than 1,500 people charged in connection with the attack at the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021 — an event many observers accuse him of instigating. He also commuted the sentences of the six organizers of the riot, those convicted of the most serious crimes. What does these paramilitaries’ return to public life mean for the rest of us? And how did our broken pardon system get us here?  —GIVEAWAY NEWS! Drawn and Quarterly has agreed to collab with us and give one US-, UK-, or Canada-based member of our Boom Squad a free copy of “Are you willing to die for the cause.”  To enter: Subscribe to Inkstick on Substack (https://inkstick.substack.com/). You'll get a welcome email from us saying you're on the list. Reply to our welcome email with the word "BOOK” so we know to enter you in the draw.If you’re already a subscriber you can still join by replying to any of Inkstick’s Substack emails with the word BOOK. You can also follow us on Instagram @inkstickmedia and @goboompod for two extra entries. We’ll draw names at random and let the winner know by the time our next episode hits. Offer is only valid for people with UK, US and Canadian mailing addresses. GUESTS: Former Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn, founder, Dunn’s Democracy Defenders; Walter Olson, Cato Institute; Graham Dodds, Concordia University ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: How Do Donald Trump’s Pardons Compare With Other Us Presidents? Hanna Duggal and Marium Ali, Al Jazeera  Donald Trump Is Firing Out Presidential Pardons and Warnings of Retribution. What Happens Next? Adam Quinn, The Conversation

In this discussion, Dr. Amy Cooter, a leading expert on the U.S. militia movement, sheds light on the complex identities of militia members. She challenges prevalent myths, highlighting the varied beliefs among militias—from constitutionalists to conspiratorial factions. Amy also delves into the implications of political polarization and the impact of events like the Waco siege. By exploring the motivations behind militia involvement and the risks of accelerationism, she emphasizes the urgent need for nuanced understanding and proactive engagement with these groups.

In 1970, Canada’s streets were full of troops and the country was on edge. Quebec cabinet minister Pierre Laporte had been captured by a militant French separatist group, the FLQ, and the Canadian government worried thousands of FLQ sympathizers could be ready to unleash chaos in Quebec. As it turned out, the group that caused so much fear throughout the 1960s was never more than a few dozen individuals. This season on Things That Go Boom, we’re starting in Canada, because four years after Jan. 6, the US is as divided as ever. And we wondered if it might be headed for an October Crisis of its own.It doesn’t take a lot of people to create a lot of fear. But what does it mean for a place to devolve into the grip of that fear, and how do we escape it?GUESTSJean Foster, retired schoolteacher; Elizabeth Morgan, philanthropist and organic farmer; Chris Oliveros, graphic novelist, “Are You Willing To Die For The Cause”; Alexandre Turgeon, historian, Laval University; Peter Graefe, political scientist, McGill UniversityRESOURCESYou can buy “Are You Willing to Die for the Cause?” by Chris Oliveros here: https://drawnandquarterly.com/books/are-you-willing-to-die-for-the-cause/

When Members of Congress are sworn into office, they say an oath. To protect the country from all enemies… foreign and domestic. But what does a domestic enemy look like?And how can they be stopped? Four years after January 6th,  we're turning our eyes on the US to ask, “in our divided times, how do we we stop political violence at home… before it starts… and without losing what makes us, us, along the way.” 

Andrew McCormick, a former U.S. Navy Intelligence Officer, shares his poignant experiences of receiving holiday care packages while deployed in Kandahar. He highlights the emotional turmoil soldiers face during the holiday season, juxtaposing festive cheer with the harsh realities of combat. McCormick critiques the mismatch between soldiers' needs and the generic items sent from home, urging for a more thoughtful connection to truly support those in the field. His reflections expose the often-overlooked military-civilian divide in understanding wartime experiences.

One night In 1968, Ed Meagher was finishing his last shift at Clark Airways, which included authenticating and repeating messages for the nuclear-armed B-52 fleet in Southeast Asia. Then his phone lines started dinging, with signal after signal — and he couldn’t figure out why none were a match. This monologue is the second in our series with The War Horse. Additional ResourcesWe Were at DefCon 2 — One Step From Nuclear War — and I Was Checking My Work, Ed Meagher, The War Horse, 2024 

Bill Glose, a Gulf War veteran and published poet, shares his transformative journey from silence to self-expression through poetry. He discusses how writing allowed him to confront the emotional scars of war, turning personal struggles into art. Glose highlights an open mic experience that led to healing and culminated in his poetry collection, 'Half a Man.' He also reflects on the profound themes of mortality and alternate realities, bridging the gap between warrior and civilian narratives in the aftermath of conflict.

After a season spent examining feminist foreign policies around the world, we turn our attention back to the US. Will the US adopt a feminist foreign policy? And what would that mean? In this episode, three remarkable activists, organizers, and academics share their perspectives on where we are in the process, what the obstacles are, and what gives them hope for the future.Listen and subscribe now on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Spotify, Pocket Casts, or wherever you get your podcasts to receive a new episode every two weeks.GUESTS: Janene Yazzie, Director of Policy and Advocacy for NDN Collective; Lyric Thompson, Founder and CEO of the Feminist Foreign Policy Collaborative; Margo Okazawa-Rey, Professor Emerita San Francisco State UniversityADDITIONAL RESOURCES:NDN CollectiveFeminist Foreign Policy CollaborativeInternational Women’s Network Against MilitarismPoverty Draft by Al ScorchWe are the Ones by Sweet Honey in the RockSpecial thanks to The Gender Security Project

Political Scientist Cynthia Enloe is, arguably, the reason we’re all here. She was one of the first to explore gender in international relations, and the first to ask, “Where are the women?”But what she meant when she asked that question? It’s been lost in a sea of nuances around feminism and feminist foreign policy. Leading to misunderstandings like so many we’ve seen this season on Things That Go Boom. Misunderstandings like the sense among some that feminism is just about turning things around and subjugating men. Or that a man could never be a feminist, let alone carry out a feminist foreign policy.On this episode of Things That Go Boom, where are the women, really?And where do we go from here?GUESTS: Cynthia Enloe, Clark UniversityADDITIONAL RESOURCES: Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics, Cynthia EnloeTwelve Feminist Lessons of War, Cynthia EnloeThe Invisible Frontline: How the Fight for Women’s Rights Changes in Times of War, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe