Today's the first of four episodes on Nisshō Inoue. This episode covers his early life, including his family background and education, his wartime experiences, his probable recruitment as a spy, and his activities in Manchuria. Inoue also spied during WWI, then spied in Shanghai, and met Mitsuru Toyama.  Songs: Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us, by Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Today we talk about a modern-day vice: video games, and I'm joined by Alex (@mrcheesepills), Kade (@kadelikesmusic8), CJ (@pussy___teeth) of the MINDGAMEZ (@MINDGAMEZpod) podcast. We discuss their podcast, our personal experiences with video games, good and bad. We also discuss our hopes and our paranoid fears for the medium. It's a great introduction to the boys and their show. MINDGAMEZ Links: https://anchor.fm/mindgamez https://twitter.com/MINDGAMEZPOD Songs: Four to Six - Math the Band Bitch I'm High - Ramirez

Today's about how Zen Buddhism was used to prepare people for Japan's imperial wars. We look at the example of Lt. Colonel Gorō Sugimoto, an officer in the Kwantung army who wrote a popular work on Zen and militarism, as well as the societal effects his legacy had on Japan. We talk about the spiritual fallout of Japan's loss of WWII, and how DT Suzuki knew the right parties to blame. We discuss which sects apologized for their wartime roles and which didn't, and how that's reflected in economic realities. Then we discuss corporate Japan's weaponization of Zen to discipline some of their employees, and who was studying this phenomenon. We cover Zen priests who wrote against this corporate Zen boom, and Zen Buddhism's ongoing popularity with Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, and some of the darker ties to intelligence.

Today we cover the Control and Imperial Way factions in Imperial Japan, and then get into Imperial Way Buddhism, Japanese Zen Buddhism's drift into nationalistic, militaristic territory. We discuss the Youth League for Revitalizing Buddhism, which sought to oppose this drift, and how it was undermined by the police state. Then we discuss Bushido and its interactions with Zen, and extensively quote DT Suzuki about the nature of Zen Buddhism and why it was so easily coopted by the state.  Song: Samurai Showdown by the RZA, w/ sample from Ghost Dog film

Today I'm joined by Twitter personality eBeggin (@eBeggin1) to discuss what sounds like a made up ideology - Nazi Maoism, though as we'll see, it was real, and though it wasn't widespread, it caused quite the wake. During the episode, we talk about third Positionism, National Bolshevism, and especially how Gladio was behind much of it, as well as the Order of the Solar Temple. We discuss Franco Freda, Jean-François Thiriart, Dugin and Limonov, and Luc Jouret. It's great! [episodes on Japan will resume after this week] Songs: Скрудж by Бранимир   Когда погаснет солнце by Свидетельство О Смерти

Today we slow down and start to explore Imperial Japan, spiritually speaking. This is the first of two episodes about Zen Buddhism under Imperial Japan. There's a brief history of Zen Buddhism in order to explain New Buddhism. New Buddhism was utilized by Imperial Japan to control their population and to exert power overseas. Then, we discuss Gudō Uchiyama and Zen Buddhism's resistance to New Buddhism and the Japanese state. We talk about High Treason Incident and its very interesting connection to Japanese railroads.  Song: The Preacher and the Slave - Utah Phillips The Sound of Breath - SiM

Today's a little something special for the fans - an episode on freemasonry to celebrate the 33rd free episode of the show. This one might be a little controversial for those on the weirder freak frequencies. I go over the basic premise and points of King Kill 33, and then get into James Shelby Downard's life via his autobiography. Then I try to nail that down with external sources and research, and get into where this all came from, namely Michael Hoffman, William Grimstad and Adam Parfrey. To wrap it up, I discuss synchromysticism as such. Songs: King Kill 33 - Marilyn Manson Old Devils - William Elliott Whitmore Unmitigated Gall - Faron Young  Get Behind Me, Satan - the Alex Jones Prison Planet Free Mason - Rick Ross

Today we explore Japan's imperial aggressions against China. We talk about Shanghai's unique position in this prewar period as a hotbed for gambling, espionage, drugs and prostitution. We discuss the July 7th / Marco Polo Bridge Incident and the Rape of Nanking. Then, there's an extended discussion of Iris Chang and her book, "The Rape of Nanking", and the cautionary tale that was the end of her life. Then, we discuss the Golden Lily organization and Yoshio Kodama's "China period" running narcotics, shakedowns, and purchasing for the Imperial air force. cw: rape, suicide (not too explicit) Song: "The Sword March", a Chinese patriotic song from the Second Sino-Japanese war

Today's the first episode in season 2 of Programmed to Chill, and it's all about Japan. We talk about the Dark Ocean Society and Japan's imperial ambitions in Korea and elsewhere. I also discuss the parallels between far-right terrorism in Germany, and then discuss the assassination of Korean Empress Myung-Sung, the fallout from it, and Japan's eventual annexation of Korea. I try to go into the economic drivers of the annexation and try to cover some of the crimes Japan inflicted. This included but was not limited to looting, ethnic cleansing, burning Korean historical documents, and so on. Then we discuss Korean resistance to the occupation, all of which should set us up for the upcoming episodes. Photo: "A Japanese officer is seen taunting a senior Korean" Song: "We Will Safeguard the Leadership of the Revolution with Desperate Courage!" by the Korean People's Army State Merited Chorus and Symphony Orchestra

News about Season 2 and the holiday release schedule.