I sat down with anti-communist author Xi Van Fleet to learn about her upbringing under Mao’s Cultural Revolution and her concerns for the trajectory of America. Immigrating from China 40 years ago, she is a blunt critic of modern progressivism and sheds light on the pervasive Marxist influences in our politics, culture, and language—even among conservatives. Xi got involved in public advocacy following the explosion of leftist chaos during the 2020 BLM protests, recognizing echoes of the Red Guard reign of terror that dominated her childhood. An enthusiastic proponent of American values, she offers a stark warning against the communist ideology animating politicians like Zohran Mamdani.

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Follow Xi Van Fleet on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/XVanFleet?s=20

Order a copy of Xi’s new book “Made in America”: https://a.co/d/bVwCieI

Order a copy of “Mao’s America”: https://a.co/d/2Oes5xY

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Outline:

[0:00] Why 2020 drove Xi to activism

[12:22] Growing up during the Cultural Revolution

[21:56] How did Mao maintain control over China?

[33:08] Recruiting and radicalizing the Red Guard

[41:36] The Cultural Revolution was pure insanity

[56:02] Why Mao dismantled the Red Guard

[1:00:54] How can anyone call themselves a Maoist today?

[1:14:47] “But that’s not REAL communism”

[1:21:42] Communism is a religion of mind control

[1:27:17] Beauty cuts through the brainwashing

[1:35:11] American culture is poisoned by Marxism

[1:43:37] Assimilation vs multiculturalism

[1:53:15] Communism is a real threat to America in 2026

[2:03:55] Even conservatives are tainted by Marxism

[2:08:28] Why do we encourage immigrants to hate America?

[2:18:26] Americans need to know the history of communism

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I sat down with healthcare policy expert Michael Cannon to unpack why the U.S. healthcare system drives everyone crazy. From exploding costs and rampant fraud to government shutdowns over Obamacare subsidies, healthcare issues continue to monopolize our politics and our everyday lives. Contrary to what Bernie Sanders might think, government intervention—not capitalism—has rigged the healthcare system to benefit insurers, hospitals, and politicians at the expense of patients. We dig into how moral hazard fuels waste and overconsumption, why lobbyists undermine smart reforms in favor of policies that make the problem worse, and the coming fiscal reckoning for Medicaid and Medicare.

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Follow Michael on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/mfcannon?s=20

Read Michael’s work on Substack: https://mfcannon.substack.com/

Learn more about Michael’s work at the Cato Institute: https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon

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Outline:

[0:00] What’s behind the Somali fraud scandal?

[8:31] Why is Medicare fraud so rampant?

[12:42] How laws and lobbyists obstructed DOGE

[18:33] The Obamacare subsidy government shutdown

[25:58] The argument for Obamacare vs its actual results

[32:31] The Oregon study debunks the health insurance myth

[42:19] Does cheap health insurance make people less healthy?

[58:22] How do you know that a medical treatment is worth it?

[1:03:19] The tax code disincentivizes price transparency

[1:15:12] Why does health insurance stop at state lines?

[1:21:34] Do Americans really spend more on healthcare?

[1:28:28] The U.S. subsidizes the global pharmaceutical market

[1:36:32] The problem with pharmaceutical patents

[1:42:53] Why do so many Americans idolize Luigi Mangione?

[1:53:02] Death panels are an inevitable part of health insurance

[2:00:35] Overconsumption and monopoly pricing in healthcare

[2:06:33] Will the demographic cliff destroy Medicaid and Medicare?

[2:17:59] Will Medicare-For-All end up winning the political fight?

[2:23:39] The ideal solution vs realistic improvements to healthcare

[2:32:18] Which country has the best healthcare system?

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Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/

Watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/nPnUI0OhMeA

Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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I sat down with journalist and author Michael Shellenberger to unpack the psychology of modern radicalism and why anti-ICE activists seem more interested in perpetual agitation than problem-solving. Michael reflects on his own radical past, including his experiences in Nicaragua, Brazil, and Venezuela, where socialist idealism gave way to corruption, gangsterism, and societal collapse. We also discuss his ongoing fight for free speech and the potential global impacts of recent European regulatory attacks on Elon Musk and X (Twitter).

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Follow Michael on X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/shellenberger?s=20

Read Michael’s work on Substack: https://substack.com/@shellenberger

Preorder a copy of “The Left’s War on Reality”: https://a.co/d/cnMuOGy

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Outline:

[0:00] ICE protest chaos

[13:06] Female psychology and left-wing activism

[30:19] Why Michael got involved in radical politics

[39:54] Interviewing the future President of Brazil

[42:44] Is Marxism a colonial project?

[47:46] What is “radicalism”?

[55:53] Working for Hugo Chávez in Venezuela

[1:01:41] Communism always devolves into gangsterism

[1:10:58] Liberalism, globalism, and nationalism

[1:18:02] Is “international law” a myth?

[1:22:08] Why Michael is skeptical of the Venezuela intervention

[1:31:48] The counterintuitive danger of natural resources

[1:37:13] Zohran Mamdani’s inaugural speech should scare you

[1:52:34] How elites keep mass democracy under control

[1:58:30] The Twitter Files and the next social media crackdown

[2:05:21] Free speech is a cause worth dying for

[2:13:58] Antisemitism, cancellation, and the conservative civil war

[2:24:19] Trump 2.0 proved that censorship can be overcome

[2:29:36] What Michael has learned from teaching

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Purchase a T-shirt, hoodie, and more over on our merch store: https://shop.dadsavesamerica.com/

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Make a tax-deductible donation to Dad Saves America: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://secure.anedot.com/emergent-order-foundation/dad-website?⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Visit our website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.dadsavesamerica.com/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠