The boys begin by acknowledging the passing of Senator Lindsay Graham, and the grave illness of another Senator, Mitch McConnell. They guess the implications for Senate, which are further complicated by Graham Platner dropping out of the Maine race. The lads proceed to lament the capture of the Democratic party by the same monied interests as the Republican party: the rent-seeking class. These topics send Nate on a tirade wherein he compares the notion of a wealth tax to old stories of Dust Bowl farmers throwing nooses over barn rafters.

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “End Times”.

Nate begins by describing of his Fourth of July weekend in New Jersey, which included a hair-raising account of alien abduction recounted at a party. The boys react with reflections on the illusory nature of reality, and how our understanding of that illusion changes under economic circumstances. Then, Brian sums up the grand trajectory of American civilization on its 250th anniversary with a call for transparency as the first step in rolling America’s listing ship back onto its keel.

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “Sticking it to The Man”.

The lads grapple with the real secret societies that control politics at the highest levels. They consider recent revelations from the Washington Post regarding Tulsi Gabbard’s guru/handler. Then the boys recall the 2018 scandal where the President of South Korea turned out to be fully controlled by a cult leader. And finally, they acknowledge the secret “Dialog” society of Peter Thiel, where he gave bizarre lectures on the coming of the Antichrist. The lads then turn their attention—with great enthusiasm—to the recent victories of Zohran Mamdani’s political allies in New York. Finally, Nate reads a Reddit post that brilliantly illustrates the need to tax unearned income.

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “The Power of the Press”.

The boys begin by celebrating their very first video podcast! After that, the discussion turns toward the magical power of words, particularly in the context of various impolite epithets. The lads then absorb the news about the latest closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and reflect the grandeur of Persian civilization. Following that, Nate shares a recent scientific study proving that it was possible for Greco-Roman civilization to produce a non-lethal, ergot-based drink. This beverage anchored the Cult of Demeter at Eleusis, and informed the genesis of Western civilization

In this System Failure Short, Nate reads this week’s audio essay entitled “Christmas Coronation”.