August 14, 2025 • 22 mins
The line between democracy and dictatorship is fading right before our eyes.
The warning signs are no longer subtle. In this midweek WTF edition, Jeff Alan Wolf pulls back the curtain on a new wave of political moves that should have every American sitting up and paying attention. The tone is urgent, the stakes are high, and the consequences could reshape the country you thought you knew.
This isn’t about partisan bickering or routine headlines. It’s about the quiet, deliberate steps that, taken together, point toward something far more dangerous. The erosion of democratic norms is no longer an abstract concept — it’s unfolding in real time, and it’s closer to home than most realize.
With his trademark mix of sharp wit and unflinching truth-telling, Jeff takes listeners deep into the heart of a developing reality that feels less like a democracy and more like a system preparing to turn on its own people. It’s a conversation about patterns, precedent, and the chilling effect of power when left unchecked.
You won’t find platitudes or sugar-coating here. This is about connecting the dots the mainstream refuses to connect, about seeing the bigger picture before it’s too late. The goal is clear: get informed, stay alert, and refuse to be lulled into complacency.
If you think “it could never happen here,” this episode might make you think again. Buckle up — this is WTF Wednesday, and you’re about to hear why the alarms are ringing louder than ever.
AWorldGoneMadPodcast@gmail.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
This is a world gone mad.
This is a world gone mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
Welcome back to A World GoneMad, the podcast where the
headlines get stripped down,beaten with a rubber chicken and
tossed into the flamingdumpster that is modern
(00:20):
democracy.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe, yourspiritual tour guide through
this decaying theme park oflate-stage capitalism where
nothing works, nobody's incharge and the cotton candy
costs 17 bucks.
This is WTF Wednesday, themidweek meltdown, where I stop
(00:41):
pretending I'm holding ittogether and I start calling
this circus exactly what it is acorrupt, bloated, spinning
toilet bowl of greed, cowardiceand denial.
And we're circling the drainwith a smile on our face and an
American flag in one hand.
This is your first time joiningme.
Welcome.
You're either deeply awake orpermanently pissed off.
(01:05):
Either way, you're in the rightplace, because I'm not here to
coddle you, distract you orsoothe your nerves with
bipartisan baby powder, and I'msure as hell not here to echo
headlines and chase clicks, orlikes that some of the other
podcasters do for attention.
And chase clicks or likes thatsome of the other podcasters do
for attention.
This is WTF Wednesday, where Idon't screw around.
(01:28):
The gloves are completely off.
I'm caffeinated to the max,because these stories aren't
about just politics.
This is a full-scale attempt torewrite America in real time
WTF.
What the fuck is going on andwhy the hell are we pretending
(01:49):
it's normal?
I discussed this on this pastMonday's episode and if you
haven't listened to it yet, youshould, because this episode
will be completely out ofcontext without that episode.
On Monday's episode, I talkedabout seemingly unrelated
stories that, when connected,pointed to something much bigger
(02:10):
and far more sinister takingshape.
That was Act 1.
This episode, this is Act 2.
So grab a drink, hold on toyour woogies and say goodbye to
your last ounce of sanity,because it's time for another
WTF Wednesday.
So this past Monday, like Isaid, I talked about the newly
(02:33):
federalized DC police and Iasked you what's the next damn
step?
Well, wolfpack listeners, todaywe're staring down the barrel
of the answer.
Wolfpack listeners, today we'restaring down the barrel of the
answer.
The Pentagon is cooking upsomething so authoritarian
you'll want to double-check yourXYZ coordinates just to make
(02:54):
sure you're still in America.
Internal documents reveal aproposal for a domestic civil
disturbance quick reaction force, a mouthful.
What that is is 600 NationalGuard troops 300 in Alabama, 300
in Arizona ready to deploywithin an hour anywhere in the
(03:15):
United States.
Under Title 32, they'd staytechnically under state control,
but federally funded,effectively giving the nutcake
president a nationwide army onstandby.
Let's break down the dystopia600 soldiers, full combat gear,
(03:36):
on call 24-7.
Think of it as Trump's personalPraetorian Guard, except
scarier, because this one's notfig-leafed as security, it's
militarized law enforcementdisguised as readiness.
The budget, hundreds of millionsof dollars.
Guess who's paying for it?
(03:57):
We are.
And if it gets budgeted in 2027, expect creative accounting or
off-books funding to make ithappen sooner.
Supreme convenience for theexecutive in charge.
The 90-day rotation of rapidmobility via commercial flights
means you won't see them cominguntil they're wearing riot gear
(04:21):
in your neighborhood, gear inyour neighborhood, legal red
flags everywhere.
Scholars warn normalizingmilitary and home turf is a line
you don't want to blur.
Here's one ominous quote fromthe Brennan Center who said when
you have this tool waiting atyour fingertips, you're going to
want to use it.
Going to want to use it?
(04:42):
That tool is a loaded cannonaimed squarely at your right to
protest Federalism.
Who needs it?
Governors and mayors, slap back.
Maryland's governor alreadysaid he would refuse
participation.
But guess what?
Title 32 gives the Pentagonwiggle room to federalized state
(05:02):
troops, regardless.
Think about it.
Troops prepped to quash yourprotests, assault civil
liberties and enforce withmartial precision, all under the
guise of readiness.
It's not some sci-fi flick.
It's this administration'splaybook version 2.0.
(05:23):
It's this administration'splaybook version 2.0.
In short, it's not aboutkeeping the streets safe at all.
It's about silencing dissent,crushing political theater
before it starts and erectingthe infrastructure for
authoritarianism.
One militarized deployment at atime, and there you have it.
(05:44):
Deployment at a time, and thereyou have it.
Act two unveiling the creepingfederal muscle that's turning
this republic into a reactionforce experiment.
If this doesn't make you clutchyour last shred of sanity and
scream what the fuck?
Then you and I are watchingdifferent realities.
(06:04):
Fuck, then you and I arewatching different realities.
And if that wasn't enough tomake you question whether we're
living in a democracy or adictator's fever dream, let's
now target it down with anadd-on insanity clause, because
while the Pentagon's buildingits nationwide quick crush force
, republican Senator John Cornynsays the FBI has agreed in
(06:26):
principle to help the Texas GOPtrack down Democratic lawmakers
who fled the state to block avote.
Now let's be clear as of rightnow, there's no public
confirmation from the FBI.
No formal deployment has beenreported.
This is what's being claimed,what's being discussed and what
(06:47):
could be in motion.
But if it does happen, it wouldmean federal law enforcement
stepping into a purely politicalstate dispute.
Law enforcement potentiallyweaponized for partisan ends.
Same creeping federal reach,just with a Lone Star twist.
Oh, and this lone star twist,it's the part where reality
(07:09):
looks at satire and says hold mybeer, because the moment you
have the FBI, the freakingFederal Bureau of Investigation,
even talking about gettinginvolved in a state political
pissing match, we've officiallyjumped the shark, nuked the
fridge and lit the Constitutionon fire for warmth.
(07:32):
Let's remember these Democraticlawmakers in Texas.
They didn't rob a bank, theydidn't hack the Pentagon, they
didn't steal the crown jewels.
They pulled the oldest protestmaneuver in the statehouse
playbook.
They left, they walked out tostop a rigged vote.
And now we've got a sitting USsenator saying the FBI is on
(07:54):
standby to help bring them back,like they're fugitives from a
Netflix true crime special.
And sure we've got to say it.
The Bureau hasn't confirmed adamn thing.
The black SUVs have not beenspotted and no formal request
has hit the paper yet.
But just the idea that this isbeing floated tells you how far
(08:15):
down the authoritarian slip andslide we've gone.
It's the normalization ofauthoritarianism now, even on
CNN.
No, no, they shouldn't.
That's not how a democracyworks.
That's how you run an empirewhere the guy at the top has a
badge, an army and a list.
(08:36):
Picture it.
Listeners.
One minute you're sipping sweettea in Austin, texas.
The next minute you've got anFBI task force treating you like
you're Pablo Escobar becauseyou didn't vote the way King
Donald wanted.
This is Banana Republic cosplaywith real guns.
(08:56):
And the truly sick part, it'snot about Texas, it's about
precedent.
Once you open that door, youcould send federal law
enforcement anywhere for anypolitical reason DC, new York,
california, hell, they'll pop upinto your HOA meeting if it
pisses off the Oval Office.
(09:16):
Enough Wolfpack listeners.
I said Monday night the DCpolice was Act 1.
Next was Act two with thePentagon and act three just
happened.
This is act three with aso-called law stops protecting
you and starts hunting you, notbecause you're dangerous, but
(09:37):
because you're inconvenient.
And if you thought the creepingreach of power was bad in the
abstract, now let's narrow itdown to one-on-one time,
directly looking in the face ofinsanity.
Because it's one thing to talkabout nationwide forces and
partisan crackdowns.
It's another to watch the fearhit a human being in real time,
(10:01):
captured on video as federalagents harass civilians right in
the street.
Yes, wolfpack, listeners, thisis where the creeping
authoritarian reach stops beinga policy debate and becomes a
pair of mirrored sunglassesstaring you down in your own
neighborhood mirrored sunglassesstaring you down in your own
(10:22):
neighborhood.
I'm talking about an actualvideo not deepfake, not satire
shot in Washington DC whereTrump's freshly empowered
federal agents, including atleast one US Park police officer
, roll right up on a group ofcivilians who are hanging out
and smoking.
No warrants, no probable cause,just we're here because we can.
(10:46):
And in the video you hear theagent spark out loud tell your
boys as in.
Spread the word.
The full force of federal lawenforcement is on patrol.
That's not policing.
That is a threat.
That's not policing.
That is a threat.
That's the mafia showing up andtelling the shopkeeper a nice
(11:07):
place you got here.
Shame if something happened toit.
One witness online called it inmy lifetime I don't think I've
heard anything more sinisterthan federal agents looking for
quality of life offenses.
Another said flat out we'vebeen experiencing
authoritarianism and now it'sjust out in the open.
(11:28):
These aren't partisan hackstalking.
These are ordinary peoplerealizing in real time that the
line between safety and stateintimidation has been stomped
flat.
Let's be honest, this isn'tabout some smoking violation.
This is about sending a messagewe're watching you, we can stop
(11:52):
you, we don't need a reason.
It's authoritarian dressrehearsal, except there's no
curtain call because the showdoesn't end.
This is the textbook definitionof chilling effect, where people
start policing their ownbehavior out of fear the state
will make an example out of them.
(12:13):
Remember, this is the sameplaybook that we've been
tracking.
Act one police, dc police underfederal thumb.
Act two Pentagon, quickreaction forces on standby.
Act three the FBI sniffingaround state political disputes.
And now act four is the momentthat faceless, creeping machine
(12:38):
bends down, locks eyes with youand makes sure you know
personally who's in charge.
Well, peck listeners, you canwrap this in any language you
want, but here's the rawtranslation.
Welcome to a country where theConstitution gets you a pat on
the head and the Bill of Rightsgets you a suspicious glare from
(13:03):
a badge.
And speaking of theConstitution, let's throw a
sucker punch right to its face,because it's not enough for this
crowd to intimidate you inperson.
Now they're literally erasingthe foundation you're standing
on.
We're talking about sections ofthe US Constitution, the actual
text, quietly disappearing fromofficial government websites.
(13:28):
Not archived, not moved toanother location, not updated,
gone, deleted, vanished likethey never existed.
This isn't some typo on page 37of a PDF.
This is core language of ourfounding document, evaporating
from the digital record.
(13:48):
And here's where it goes frombureaucratic oops to full-blown
nightmare fuel.
Nobody in power seemsinterested in fixing it.
No urgency, no investigation,no announcement saying we're
restoring it, just the sound ofa hundred million digital
(14:11):
footsteps walking away while thescaffolding of democracy gets
kicked out from under it.
This is how you rewrite historywithout firing a shot.
You don't burn the books, youdelete them.
You don't need to convincepeople the Constitution doesn't
matter.
You just make it harder forthem to find out what it says.
(14:32):
It's the authoritarian sweetspot out of sight, out of mind,
out of your rights.
This is the point where yourealize the play isn't to break
the law, it's to make sure thelaw is whatever the people in
charge say it is.
Today, tomorrow, wholedifferent rule book.
(14:53):
The old one's already beendeleted.
And now let's bring it down tothe intimate level when the
assault isn't happening in thestreets or buried in the code of
a website, but in the places wetake our kids on field trips.
What do you hear?
This one, the White House, hasordered a review of the
(15:14):
Smithsonian's museums andexhibits to make sure they align
with a Trump directive.
Stop and picture that Someoneis walking through the Air and
Space Museum, the AmericanHistory Museum, the Natural
History Museum at theSmithsonian not to learn, not to
be inspired, but with aclipboard deciding which pieces
(15:38):
of our shared history fit thenarrative and which ones get
quietly pulled, edited or lockedaway.
It's not just an attack oninformation, it's an attack on
memory itself.
Museums aren't politicalrallies.
They're supposed to be neutralspaces where history, art and
(15:59):
science speak for themselves.
Now we're talking aboutre-curating the national story
to flatter one man's ego anderase whatever makes him
uncomfortable.
Are you kidding me?
Are you out of your mind?
You're now deciding what we cansee in a museum.
(16:20):
This is not the country I signedup for.
This should not be the landwhere I'm living now, and if we
keep letting this happen, it'sgoing to turn into some
Gestapo-like caricature thatcalls itself a democracy but
functions like a propagandamachine.
What the fuck happened to ourcountry, our freedom, our
(16:46):
America, our democracy, ourfreedom, our America, our
democracy.
And why are the Republicanleaders and the Democratic
leaders not standing up againstthis?
This should be stoppedinstantly.
Instead, it's being allowed tofester, grow and steamroll us by
(17:10):
a delusional nutfuck waste ofDNA.
I'm standing here as anAmerican citizen watching this
train wreck happen in real time,and I know you the listeners,
are sitting in the same room andthe same storm with me.
We're not just reading headlines, we're living in the middle of
them.
Every day, there's anotherbrick pulled out of the
foundation the militarization ofour streets, the politicizing
(17:32):
of law enforcement, therewriting of history, the
deletion of our own foundingdocuments, the censoring of
museums.
And every day, the people whoswore to protect this republic
either cheer it on or cower inthe corner.
The Republican leadershipthey're not just going along
(17:53):
with it, they're kneeling atDonald Trump's feet, polishing
his boots and doing otherunspeakable acts to prove their
loyalty.
Bringing the wet naps theytraded in their spines for
proximity to power, they madethemselves courtiers in a palace
instead of defenders of anation.
And the Democratic leadership,the so-called opposition half of
(18:19):
them are whispering.
I don't know what we should doLike they're debating where to
have lunch instead of standingon the steps of the Capitol with
bull horns stopping thismadness cold.
They act like they're afraid oflooking mean when the house is
already on fire and the arsonistis pouring gasoline on the lawn
.
(18:39):
This is the state of Americaright now an unhinged strongman
with a party of enablers on oneside, a party of sleepwalkers on
the other, and the rest of us,the citizens, let the watch the
bulldozer plow through what'sleft of our rights.
We are being conditioned toaccept this, to normalize it, to
shrug and say well, what couldyou do?
(19:01):
But here's the truth, wolfpacklisteners.
If we keep letting them movethe line, pretty soon there's no
line left.
We can't afford to wait forsome mythical right moment to
speak up.
The right moment was yesterdayand if we keep waiting, tomorrow
(19:23):
will belong entirely to thepeople who have already decided
that your voice, your vote, yourvery place in this country is
theirs to control.
We cannot stand silently by andwatch this happen.
We may not have the reins ofpower in our hands right now,
but I will be damned if I'mgoing to let them take my
(19:43):
country away from me without afight.
I hope you feel the same way?
Stand tall, stay loud, scream,yell, argue, push back to anyone
who will listen.
This is ridiculous, this isdangerous, and somebody better
do something about it now,because if we don't, then
(20:03):
tomorrow isn't just lost, it'sstolen.
And if you give a damn aboutwhat I'm talking about, if you
give a crap about where thiscountry is heading, then stop
sitting in silence.
Send me your feedback, send meyour thoughts.
Let me know you're out there.
Don't be the silent majoritywatching from the sidelines.
(20:27):
I've been putting my heart andenergy into this for over a year
and a half to bring theseissues to you.
Now I'd really like to hearfrom you.
I've heard from new listenerslately and I appreciate it, but
most of my original Wolfpack theones who have been here from
day one have stayed silent.
I'd like that to change.
So here it is again my directline to you you can call and
(20:48):
leave a voice message for free833-399-9653, or email me at
madworldtalk at gmailcom.
M-a-d-w-o-r-l-d-t-a-l-k atgmail.
Tell me what you think, tell mewhat you're feeling, tell me if
you agree, tell me if you don't.
Tell me what you're feeling,tell me if you agree, tell me if
(21:09):
you don't.
Just don't stay silent Withouthearing from you.
I'm sitting in a room talkingto myself and that's a lousy,
shitty feeling.
Also, please leave a review onApple or Spotify.
It's the only way this podcastgets noticed.
Instead of buried, I show upevery day to call out people in
(21:29):
news for what they are.
I don't dress it up, I don'twater it down and I sure as hell
don't run things through afilter.
This has been A World Gone Mad.
Wednesday's WTF edition.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
I'll be back Friday becausesomeone has to say the shit that
(21:51):
no one else will, andapparently that job's mine.
Until then, wolfpack listeners,stay skeptical, stay focused,
but, most of all, stay hopeful,stay hopeful.
This is a world gone mad.
This is a world gone mad, mad,mad, mad, mad.
Welcome back to A World GoneMad, the podcast where the
headlines get stripped down,beaten with a rubber chicken and
tossed into the flamingdumpster that is modern
(00:20):
democracy.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe, yourspiritual tour guide through
this decaying theme park oflate-stage capitalism where
nothing works, nobody's incharge and the cotton candy
costs 17 bucks.
This is WTF Wednesday, themidweek meltdown, where I stop
(00:41):
pretending I'm holding ittogether and I start calling
this circus exactly what it is acorrupt, bloated, spinning
toilet bowl of greed, cowardiceand denial.
And we're circling the drainwith a smile on our face and an
American flag in one hand.
This is your first time joiningme.
Welcome.
You're either deeply awake orpermanently pissed off.
(01:05):
Either way, you're in the rightplace, because I'm not here to
coddle you, distract you orsoothe your nerves with
bipartisan baby powder, and I'msure as hell not here to echo
headlines and chase clicks, orlikes that some of the other
podcasters do for attention.
And chase clicks or likes thatsome of the other podcasters do
for attention.
This is WTF Wednesday, where Idon't screw around.
(01:28):
The gloves are completely off.
I'm caffeinated to the max,because these stories aren't
about just politics.
This is a full-scale attempt torewrite America in real time
WTF.
What the fuck is going on andwhy the hell are we pretending
(01:49):
it's normal?
I discussed this on this pastMonday's episode and if you
haven't listened to it yet, youshould, because this episode
will be completely out ofcontext without that episode.
On Monday's episode, I talkedabout seemingly unrelated
stories that, when connected,pointed to something much bigger
(02:10):
and far more sinister takingshape.
That was Act 1.
This episode, this is Act 2.
So grab a drink, hold on toyour woogies and say goodbye to
your last ounce of sanity,because it's time for another
WTF Wednesday.
So this past Monday, like Isaid, I talked about the newly
(02:33):
federalized DC police and Iasked you what's the next damn
step?
Well, wolfpack listeners, todaywe're staring down the barrel
of the answer.
Wolfpack listeners, today we'restaring down the barrel of the
answer.
The Pentagon is cooking upsomething so authoritarian
you'll want to double-check yourXYZ coordinates just to make
(02:54):
sure you're still in America.
Internal documents reveal aproposal for a domestic civil
disturbance quick reaction force, a mouthful.
What that is is 600 NationalGuard troops 300 in Alabama, 300
in Arizona ready to deploywithin an hour anywhere in the
(03:15):
United States.
Under Title 32, they'd staytechnically under state control,
but federally funded,effectively giving the nutcake
president a nationwide army onstandby.
Let's break down the dystopia600 soldiers, full combat gear,
(03:36):
on call 24-7.
Think of it as Trump's personalPraetorian Guard, except
scarier, because this one's notfig-leafed as security, it's
militarized law enforcementdisguised as readiness.
The budget, hundreds of millionsof dollars.
Guess who's paying for it?
(03:57):
We are.
And if it gets budgeted in 2027, expect creative accounting or
off-books funding to make ithappen sooner.
Supreme convenience for theexecutive in charge.
The 90-day rotation of rapidmobility via commercial flights
means you won't see them cominguntil they're wearing riot gear
(04:21):
in your neighborhood, gear inyour neighborhood, legal red
flags everywhere.
Scholars warn normalizingmilitary and home turf is a line
you don't want to blur.
Here's one ominous quote fromthe Brennan Center who said when
you have this tool waiting atyour fingertips, you're going to
want to use it.
Going to want to use it?
(04:42):
That tool is a loaded cannonaimed squarely at your right to
protest Federalism.
Who needs it?
Governors and mayors, slap back.
Maryland's governor alreadysaid he would refuse
participation.
But guess what?
Title 32 gives the Pentagonwiggle room to federalized state
(05:02):
troops, regardless.
Think about it.
Troops prepped to quash yourprotests, assault civil
liberties and enforce withmartial precision, all under the
guise of readiness.
It's not some sci-fi flick.
It's this administration'splaybook version 2.0.
(05:23):
It's this administration'splaybook version 2.0.
In short, it's not aboutkeeping the streets safe at all.
It's about silencing dissent,crushing political theater
before it starts and erectingthe infrastructure for
authoritarianism.
One militarized deployment at atime, and there you have it.
(05:44):
Deployment at a time, and thereyou have it.
Act two unveiling the creepingfederal muscle that's turning
this republic into a reactionforce experiment.
If this doesn't make you clutchyour last shred of sanity and
scream what the fuck?
Then you and I are watchingdifferent realities.
(06:04):
Fuck, then you and I arewatching different realities.
And if that wasn't enough tomake you question whether we're
living in a democracy or adictator's fever dream, let's
now target it down with anadd-on insanity clause, because
while the Pentagon's buildingits nationwide quick crush force
, republican Senator John Cornynsays the FBI has agreed in
(06:26):
principle to help the Texas GOPtrack down Democratic lawmakers
who fled the state to block avote.
Now let's be clear as of rightnow, there's no public
confirmation from the FBI.
No formal deployment has beenreported.
This is what's being claimed,what's being discussed and what
(06:47):
could be in motion.
But if it does happen, it wouldmean federal law enforcement
stepping into a purely politicalstate dispute.
Law enforcement potentiallyweaponized for partisan ends.
Same creeping federal reach,just with a Lone Star twist.
Oh, and this lone star twist,it's the part where reality
(07:09):
looks at satire and says hold mybeer, because the moment you
have the FBI, the freakingFederal Bureau of Investigation,
even talking about gettinginvolved in a state political
pissing match, we've officiallyjumped the shark, nuked the
fridge and lit the Constitutionon fire for warmth.
(07:32):
Let's remember these Democraticlawmakers in Texas.
They didn't rob a bank, theydidn't hack the Pentagon, they
didn't steal the crown jewels.
They pulled the oldest protestmaneuver in the statehouse
playbook.
They left, they walked out tostop a rigged vote.
And now we've got a sitting USsenator saying the FBI is on
(07:54):
standby to help bring them back,like they're fugitives from a
Netflix true crime special.
And sure we've got to say it.
The Bureau hasn't confirmed adamn thing.
The black SUVs have not beenspotted and no formal request
has hit the paper yet.
But just the idea that this isbeing floated tells you how far
(08:15):
down the authoritarian slip andslide we've gone.
It's the normalization ofauthoritarianism now, even on
CNN.
No, no, they shouldn't.
That's not how a democracyworks.
That's how you run an empirewhere the guy at the top has a
badge, an army and a list.
(08:36):
Picture it.
Listeners.
One minute you're sipping sweettea in Austin, texas.
The next minute you've got anFBI task force treating you like
you're Pablo Escobar becauseyou didn't vote the way King
Donald wanted.
This is Banana Republic cosplaywith real guns.
(08:56):
And the truly sick part, it'snot about Texas, it's about
precedent.
Once you open that door, youcould send federal law
enforcement anywhere for anypolitical reason DC, new York,
california, hell, they'll pop upinto your HOA meeting if it
pisses off the Oval Office.
(09:16):
Enough Wolfpack listeners.
I said Monday night the DCpolice was Act 1.
Next was Act two with thePentagon and act three just
happened.
This is act three with aso-called law stops protecting
you and starts hunting you, notbecause you're dangerous, but
(09:37):
because you're inconvenient.
And if you thought the creepingreach of power was bad in the
abstract, now let's narrow itdown to one-on-one time,
directly looking in the face ofinsanity.
Because it's one thing to talkabout nationwide forces and
partisan crackdowns.
It's another to watch the fearhit a human being in real time,
(10:01):
captured on video as federalagents harass civilians right in
the street.
Yes, wolfpack, listeners, thisis where the creeping
authoritarian reach stops beinga policy debate and becomes a
pair of mirrored sunglassesstaring you down in your own
neighborhood mirrored sunglassesstaring you down in your own
(10:22):
neighborhood.
I'm talking about an actualvideo not deepfake, not satire
shot in Washington DC whereTrump's freshly empowered
federal agents, including atleast one US Park police officer
, roll right up on a group ofcivilians who are hanging out
and smoking.
No warrants, no probable cause,just we're here because we can.
(10:46):
And in the video you hear theagent spark out loud tell your
boys as in.
Spread the word.
The full force of federal lawenforcement is on patrol.
That's not policing.
That is a threat.
That's not policing.
That is a threat.
That's the mafia showing up andtelling the shopkeeper a nice
(11:07):
place you got here.
Shame if something happened toit.
One witness online called it inmy lifetime I don't think I've
heard anything more sinisterthan federal agents looking for
quality of life offenses.
Another said flat out we'vebeen experiencing
authoritarianism and now it'sjust out in the open.
(11:28):
These aren't partisan hackstalking.
These are ordinary peoplerealizing in real time that the
line between safety and stateintimidation has been stomped
flat.
Let's be honest, this isn'tabout some smoking violation.
This is about sending a messagewe're watching you, we can stop
(11:52):
you, we don't need a reason.
It's authoritarian dressrehearsal, except there's no
curtain call because the showdoesn't end.
This is the textbook definitionof chilling effect, where people
start policing their ownbehavior out of fear the state
will make an example out of them.
(12:13):
Remember, this is the sameplaybook that we've been
tracking.
Act one police, dc police underfederal thumb.
Act two Pentagon, quickreaction forces on standby.
Act three the FBI sniffingaround state political disputes.
And now act four is the momentthat faceless, creeping machine
(12:38):
bends down, locks eyes with youand makes sure you know
personally who's in charge.
Well, peck listeners, you canwrap this in any language you
want, but here's the rawtranslation.
Welcome to a country where theConstitution gets you a pat on
the head and the Bill of Rightsgets you a suspicious glare from
(13:03):
a badge.
And speaking of theConstitution, let's throw a
sucker punch right to its face,because it's not enough for this
crowd to intimidate you inperson.
Now they're literally erasingthe foundation you're standing
on.
We're talking about sections ofthe US Constitution, the actual
text, quietly disappearing fromofficial government websites.
(13:28):
Not archived, not moved toanother location, not updated,
gone, deleted, vanished likethey never existed.
This isn't some typo on page 37of a PDF.
This is core language of ourfounding document, evaporating
from the digital record.
(13:48):
And here's where it goes frombureaucratic oops to full-blown
nightmare fuel.
Nobody in power seemsinterested in fixing it.
No urgency, no investigation,no announcement saying we're
restoring it, just the sound ofa hundred million digital
(14:11):
footsteps walking away while thescaffolding of democracy gets
kicked out from under it.
This is how you rewrite historywithout firing a shot.
You don't burn the books, youdelete them.
You don't need to convincepeople the Constitution doesn't
matter.
You just make it harder forthem to find out what it says.
(14:32):
It's the authoritarian sweetspot out of sight, out of mind,
out of your rights.
This is the point where yourealize the play isn't to break
the law, it's to make sure thelaw is whatever the people in
charge say it is.
Today, tomorrow, wholedifferent rule book.
(14:53):
The old one's already beendeleted.
And now let's bring it down tothe intimate level when the
assault isn't happening in thestreets or buried in the code of
a website, but in the places wetake our kids on field trips.
What do you hear?
This one, the White House, hasordered a review of the
(15:14):
Smithsonian's museums andexhibits to make sure they align
with a Trump directive.
Stop and picture that Someoneis walking through the Air and
Space Museum, the AmericanHistory Museum, the Natural
History Museum at theSmithsonian not to learn, not to
be inspired, but with aclipboard deciding which pieces
(15:38):
of our shared history fit thenarrative and which ones get
quietly pulled, edited or lockedaway.
It's not just an attack oninformation, it's an attack on
memory itself.
Museums aren't politicalrallies.
They're supposed to be neutralspaces where history, art and
(15:59):
science speak for themselves.
Now we're talking aboutre-curating the national story
to flatter one man's ego anderase whatever makes him
uncomfortable.
Are you kidding me?
Are you out of your mind?
You're now deciding what we cansee in a museum.
(16:20):
This is not the country I signedup for.
This should not be the landwhere I'm living now, and if we
keep letting this happen, it'sgoing to turn into some
Gestapo-like caricature thatcalls itself a democracy but
functions like a propagandamachine.
What the fuck happened to ourcountry, our freedom, our
(16:46):
America, our democracy, ourfreedom, our America, our
democracy.
And why are the Republicanleaders and the Democratic
leaders not standing up againstthis?
This should be stoppedinstantly.
Instead, it's being allowed tofester, grow and steamroll us by
(17:10):
a delusional nutfuck waste ofDNA.
I'm standing here as anAmerican citizen watching this
train wreck happen in real time,and I know you the listeners,
are sitting in the same room andthe same storm with me.
We're not just reading headlines, we're living in the middle of
them.
Every day, there's anotherbrick pulled out of the
foundation the militarization ofour streets, the politicizing
(17:32):
of law enforcement, therewriting of history, the
deletion of our own foundingdocuments, the censoring of
museums.
And every day, the people whoswore to protect this republic
either cheer it on or cower inthe corner.
The Republican leadershipthey're not just going along
(17:53):
with it, they're kneeling atDonald Trump's feet, polishing
his boots and doing otherunspeakable acts to prove their
loyalty.
Bringing the wet naps theytraded in their spines for
proximity to power, they madethemselves courtiers in a palace
instead of defenders of anation.
And the Democratic leadership,the so-called opposition half of
(18:19):
them are whispering.
I don't know what we should doLike they're debating where to
have lunch instead of standingon the steps of the Capitol with
bull horns stopping thismadness cold.
They act like they're afraid oflooking mean when the house is
already on fire and the arsonistis pouring gasoline on the lawn
.
(18:39):
This is the state of Americaright now an unhinged strongman
with a party of enablers on oneside, a party of sleepwalkers on
the other, and the rest of us,the citizens, let the watch the
bulldozer plow through what'sleft of our rights.
We are being conditioned toaccept this, to normalize it, to
shrug and say well, what couldyou do?
(19:01):
But here's the truth, wolfpacklisteners.
If we keep letting them movethe line, pretty soon there's no
line left.
We can't afford to wait forsome mythical right moment to
speak up.
The right moment was yesterdayand if we keep waiting, tomorrow
(19:23):
will belong entirely to thepeople who have already decided
that your voice, your vote, yourvery place in this country is
theirs to control.
We cannot stand silently by andwatch this happen.
We may not have the reins ofpower in our hands right now,
but I will be damned if I'mgoing to let them take my
(19:43):
country away from me without afight.
I hope you feel the same way?
Stand tall, stay loud, scream,yell, argue, push back to anyone
who will listen.
This is ridiculous, this isdangerous, and somebody better
do something about it now,because if we don't, then
(20:03):
tomorrow isn't just lost, it'sstolen.
And if you give a damn aboutwhat I'm talking about, if you
give a crap about where thiscountry is heading, then stop
sitting in silence.
Send me your feedback, send meyour thoughts.
Let me know you're out there.
Don't be the silent majoritywatching from the sidelines.
(20:27):
I've been putting my heart andenergy into this for over a year
and a half to bring theseissues to you.
Now I'd really like to hearfrom you.
I've heard from new listenerslately and I appreciate it, but
most of my original Wolfpack theones who have been here from
day one have stayed silent.
I'd like that to change.
So here it is again my directline to you you can call and
(20:48):
leave a voice message for free833-399-9653, or email me at
madworldtalk at gmailcom.
M-a-d-w-o-r-l-d-t-a-l-k atgmail.
Tell me what you think, tell mewhat you're feeling, tell me if
you agree, tell me if you don't.
Tell me what you're feeling,tell me if you agree, tell me if
(21:09):
you don't.
Just don't stay silent Withouthearing from you.
I'm sitting in a room talkingto myself and that's a lousy,
shitty feeling.
Also, please leave a review onApple or Spotify.
It's the only way this podcastgets noticed.
Instead of buried, I show upevery day to call out people in
(21:29):
news for what they are.
I don't dress it up, I don'twater it down and I sure as hell
don't run things through afilter.
This has been A World Gone Mad.
Wednesday's WTF edition.
I'm Jeff Allen Wolfe.
I'll be back Friday becausesomeone has to say the shit that
(21:51):
no one else will, andapparently that job's mine.
Until then, wolfpack listeners,stay skeptical, stay focused,
but, most of all, stay hopeful,stay hopeful.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The Joe Rogan Experience
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.