Deeper Dive - DSU's podcast

Two years ago DSU did a podcast called "Life as Art." In this episode we explored the philosophical foundations and implications of thinking about our identities as works of art. The response to the episode was so overwhelming that we decided to turn the "Life as Art" theme into a series. Each month we will interview individuals who are putting the ideas we discussed in the episode to work. For our inaugural episode, we interview Graham Elwood, a comedian and documentary film maker who pioneered the podcast field for comedians and who has recently released a documentary film about the power of podcasts to enable individual artists to carve out their own aesthetic and professional paths.

Direct download: Life_as_Art_1_Graham_Elwood.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:05am PDT

In our most recent episode, Walker and Professor Dungey wade into the emotionally charged and highly "political" issue of "Money in Politics."  It is often argued that "money" has corrupted "politics," and that if we could just get "money" out of "politics," we would be much better off. While these are important and legitimate observations, what are the historical and philosophical influences that have led us to where we are?  A clearer understanding of our modern, Liberal political-phiosophical heritage will shed light on the co-extensive relationship between the economic and the political.

Direct download: Money_in_Politics_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:42pm PDT

Where does the hate come from?

Responding to the recent episode of political violence, Ben Carson stated: “Unfortunately, there’s a lot of extremism coming from all areas. It’s one of the biggest problems that I think is threatening to tear our country apart. We get into our separate corners and we hate each other, we want to destroy those with whom we disagree.” In this episode we examine the historical and philosophical origins of what Carson called hate, the emergence of tolerance, and Liberal-Democracy's attempt to contain hate, reduce violence, and create free and open social and political spaces.

Direct download: Where_does_the_hate_come_from.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:46pm PDT

America's thrust for the Political Outsider

In last week's podcast, we examined the deeper philosophical and historical origins of the very idea of the political "outsider." in this episode we examine the specific characteristics of modern politics and reveal why significant numbers of Americans are exhausted with mainstream politicians and the American political process. You want to know 'why" Americans are tired of being lied to, and "why" they know their interests are being sacrificed for corporate and economic power and wealth, listen to this show! 

Direct download: Americas_thrust_for_the_Political_outsider.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:05pm PDT

The Political Outsider

With only 90 days until the presidential primaries, two political "outsiders," Ben Carson and Donald Trump, continue to dominate the Republican party nomination contest. By the term political "outsider," people typically mean a candidate who has no significant, or any, political experience and is not part of the political establishment. America has a long history of political "outsiders," but is there a deeper philosophical and historical story behind all of this? In this podcast, we examine the theoretical and historical context of the political "outsider." 

Direct download: the_Political_Outsider_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:41pm PDT

During the last Democratic Party Primary debate, there was one theme ALL the participants could agree on: Something terribly wrong and unjust has taken place in the American socio-economic experiment. Governor O'Malley stated, "there is profound economic injustice" in America. Hillary Clinton wants to "save capitalism from itself," and Bernie Sanders stated that "the current system is totally unjust." Common to all the participants is the belief in "economic justice and injustice." But, what is "economic justice"? And, does it exist in the philosophical lexicon of Liberal- Capitalism?

Direct download: economic_justice.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 4:00pm PDT

During Tuesday's Democratic Primary debate, Anderson Cooper asked Bernie Sanders if he thought it was possible for an anti-capitalist socialist to be President of the United States. In this episode, Walker and Professor Dungey dissect Mr. Cooper's deeply misinformed description/question and demonstrate how the United States has transformed beyond the traditional definitions and uses of the terms socialism and capitalism.  

Direct download: Can_an_Anti-Capitalist_Socialist_be_President.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 6:03pm PDT

After years of intense negotiations, the United States and ten other countries have reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. The TPP is the largest regional trade agreement in history and it will create the largest free-trade alliance in the world. It will also accelerate a series of economic and political changes that are re-writing the global economic, legal, and political reality. Make no mistake, whether you agree or not, the TPP is another step in the re-creation of trans-national economic and political processes and institutions. In this podcast, Professor Dungey and Walker place the TPP in a deeper historical and theoretical context. This is critical information. 

Direct download: TPP_Podcast.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:17pm PDT

In this discussion, Walker and Professor Dungey discuss three flash points between Religion and Politics that sparked this week. First, Kim Davis is back in the news. Second, we discuss Ben Carson's controversial observation that he would not be comfortable with a Muslim President, and we finish with a discussion of Ted Cruz's extraordinary desire to return the question of the legality of gay and lesbian marriage back to the states.  Our discussion unfolds against the backdrop of Boehner's decision on Friday to resign as Speaker of the House. Let the hunger games begin

Direct download: Three_flash_points_in_Relgion_and_politics.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 5:32pm PDT

In this episode, Walker and Professor Dungey discuss the current religious, philosophical, and political drama surrounding Kim Davis' assertion that she will obey "God's authority," and resist Federal law and authority. We will examine Davis' view from the perspective of the Theologico-political crisis, Liberal Political theory as a response to the potential social and political conflict that derives from debates about "what God wants," and why this is potentially so dangerous.

Direct download: Kim_Davis_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 2:22pm PDT

This podcast was recorded April 12th 2015, when Rand Paul announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for President. At the time we at DSU were interested in exploring Paul's claim that the purpose of his candidacy was to "take back our country," as he put it.  As usual, we approached Paul's claim about "our country" from the political-philosophical point of view and tried to put the claim in a deeper, broader philosophical perspective.  Now, 5 months later, in the eye of the political/legal/philosophical storm unleashed by Donald Trump, we are amazed how relevant the discussion really is! Enjoy.  

Direct download: Rand_Paul.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:06am PDT

In the past month, Donald Trump has turned the political world upside down. In the process he has ignited a firestorm around the debate of political correctness and right to possesses and assert his opinion. In this podcast we examine "The Donald's" opinions and speech from the point of view of JS. Mill's defense of free thought and speech. 

Direct download: Thank_you_Donald_Trump.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:17am PDT

In our most recent podcast, Nick and walker examine the protests in Baltimore from the perspective of John Locke's account of Revolution.

Direct download: Baltimore_is_Burning_5-1-15.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:43pm PDT

Nick and Walker continue the Brian Williams discussion and dive into the deeper implications of the news as entertainment from a Machiavellian perspective.

Direct download: More_on_Brian_Williams_4-21-15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

Freedom of religion or a gross misinterpretation of the Constitution? In this episode of Deeper Dive Nick and Walker discuss where the Indian state legislators went wrong and what critical piece of the founding of the country they got wrong.

Direct download: Indianas_Freedom_of_Religion_4-2-15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

Nick and Walker discuss the Brian Williams debacle as they take an opposing view of the incident that got the newscaster suspended.

Direct download: Brian_Williams_3-27-15.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

On January 19, Oxfam, the British Non-Profit Agency that tracks global poverty, released a report that shocked the world: 85 of the wealthiest people in the world own more wealth than 50% of the world's population.  Put another way: 85 individuals own more wealth than 3.5 billion people.  How is this possible? What does it mean? And, where is this leading? In this podcast Walker and Professor Dungey discuss the Oxfam report and put it in the context of our previous podcasts on wealth and Elite influence on public policy. 

http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressreleases/2015-01-19/richest-1-will-own-more-all-rest-2016

Direct download: The_OxFam_Report_1-30-14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

Greece is running out of money. Will Tsipras keep his election promises to end austerity? Or, is Germany really prepared to let Greece leave the Euro zone. In our most recent podcast, Walker and Professor Dungey discuss the possible end of the road of one of Modernity's most grand economic, social, and political experiments.

Direct download: Greece_Again_1-27-14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

Obama promises a middle class tax cut in the State of the Union but his idea is “dead on arrival”. Without a strong economy there can be no tax cut and while the President boosts about the strength of the American economy, Nick and Walker think differently.

Direct download: State_of_the_Union_1-24-14.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

In this episode we look at the Jan 25th Greek elections and what they mean to the E.U. and the course of finance in Europe in the short term.

While in the what is not news section: the new Republican congress and is Jeb Bush running for president?

Direct download: E.U._in_crisis_.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00pm PDT

As 2014 draws to a close Professor Nick Dungey and host Walker Uhl check in on some prediction they made earlier in the year. In this episode we revisit a Podcast on voting in the United States. The episode is “The Rich Should Get More Votes” that aired in April 18th 2014. In the podcast Nick and Walker talk about a Tom Perkins quote about the rich getting more votes. In this podcast we go back and revisit some quantitative data about this quote and what it mean to you.

Direct download: Predicition_3_the_rich_get_more_votes.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 6:16pm PDT

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