July 27, 2025 • 44 mins
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The Truth and Mythology of America's Presidents Series - Season 6, Episode 1
In our 1st episode for Season 6 we deep dive into understanding U.S. Presidents through the analytical lens of "The Wave 1981" and start with Parts 1-9 of the series. We start the discussion with the introductory song "From the Ashes, We Rise!"
Part 1: "The Wave” and the Warning We Ignored: How Fascism Finds Followers in Every Generation
Part 2: The Warning in the Mirror: Scenes from “The Wave,” the Rise of Nazism, and the MAGA Movement
Part 3: From Washington to Trump: A Presidential Autopsy of American Authoritarianism
Part 4: The First Wave — George Washington and the Foundations of American Power
Part 5: John Adams and the Birth of Government Censorship
Part 6: Thomas Jefferson and the Plantation Republic
Part 7: James Madison and the Constitutional Crisis
Part 8: James Monroe and the Illusion of Unity
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
We've seen the tide turn before,from liberty to fear, from truth
to control. But this is not the end.
This is our call to stand the rise to rebuild.
Because democracy is not a gift,it's a choice.
Every day in child's gas, by tyrant's hand, where truth was
drowned beneath the sand, We heard the cry from far and wide,
(00:21):
a silent. Scream the stars get high.
From Epstein's dark, unsealed decay to bump it, laws that
strip away the mask has slipped,the right exposed, the halls of
power now deposed. But through the noise a spark
remained. A voice not bought, not bent,
Unchained. A Cam and date not borne from
gold but fire. Justice stories to run.
(00:43):
The ashes we rise like the dawn breaking lies with the wave as
our guide we reclaim what survived, not just for one, but
for all. We the people here, the culture
of the wall, we unite, but we born in the light.
From 4 cries ringing out afar toblood red lines in Kandahar.
(01:05):
Authoritarians fed the flame, but millions rose and spoke our
name. The firewall built from every
voice. Survivors made the noblest
choice to lead, to speak, to build a new.
A global dream long overdue. The truth.
They feared we now declare the world's not theirs.
We. All must care, from cave to
Flint, from Gaza shore, no realms.
(01:28):
Peace anymore. From the ashes we rise.
It's like the dawn breaking lieswith the wave.
There's our guide. We reclaim what survive not just
for one life for all. We the people here, the call to
the wall, we unite or we born inthe light and.
(01:58):
About left to right. It's about right and wrong.
The wave taught us how it happened, slowly, subtly, and
all at once. But we've learned, we've seen,
and we've chosen. Never again.
From the ashes we rise no more heart, for more lies With the
weather within our stride we unite the world wide tie a new
(02:21):
leader, Fortune Flay. Not for power, for the name of
every voice that dares to fight Gobri.
Born in the light. We have a fire.
We are the wave, and this time we choose the light.
(02:51):
We are the wave, and this time we choose the light.
(03:34):
We've learned, we've seen, and we've chosen.
Never again. From the ashes we rise.
No more hate, no more lies with the wave.
Taught us how it happens slowly,suddenly, than all at once.
But we've learned, we've seen, and we've chosen.
(03:55):
Never again. Welcome curious minds to The
Deep Dive. Today we're we're embarking on a
journey into something that started way back in 1967, a
classroom experiment. Right, the wave.
Exactly. But it casts this well, this
really long and unsettling shadow over right now, over our
(04:17):
present and maybe even our future.
It's more than just a history lesson, that's for sure.
Definitely. We're going to unpack the wave.
It seemed like a simple exercise, but it shows, kind of
chillingly, these subtle ways authoritarianism can, you know,
take root. And it's often not the big
dramatic stuff, right? Not initially.
It's the quiet shifts, little changes in how people act, what
society accepts. That's precisely it.
(04:40):
What's so compelling, I think, isn't just that it happened, but
how much it still resonates. Absolutely.
So our deep dive today, we're going to use this experiment
almost like a blueprint to understand how these
authoritarian tendencies are rising, becoming, well,
mainstream. And not just somewhere else,
right? We'll look globally, yeah, But
the sources really push us to look hard at the US historical
(05:02):
echoes in the presidency and stuff happening right now.
Yeah, it can be uncomfortable. But, the series argues, it
offers this crucial lens, you know, for understanding the
challenges democracies are facing.
Big challenges. Couldn't agree more.
So for you listening, our mission here is to pull out the
really key insights from this pretty powerful set of sources,
(05:23):
The Truth and Mythology of America's President series.
We're focusing on parts one through 9.
And it's quite an analytical series.
It really digs into American history, using this wave dynamic
as a way to understand the presidency.
Yeah, and we want to help you grasp the psychology behind it
all. You know, conformity, obedience,
that powerful pull of belonging things authoritarian movements
(05:45):
are frankly really good at exploiting.
The idea is to get the knowledge, get it quickly but
thoroughly, hopefully give you some aha moments about these
historical patterns and why theymatter now.
Right. To empower you, basically, so
you can make sense of the world without feeling totally
overwhelmed by, you know, just the sheer noise out there.
Exactly. The series really asks us to
look past the myths, the polished stories about American
(06:07):
history, and see the underlying mechanics, the patterns.
OK, let's really unpack this wave thing then.
Where did it even start? It began as this kind of
parable, really, in a. Classroom, California, 1967.
A history teacher. Ron Jones.
And his goal, his main purpose, was trying to get his students
to understand something almost impossible to grasp.
(06:28):
How could ordinary Germans, millions of them, just go along
with Hitler, enable the Nazis? It's.
The question isn't It haunts us still.
Totally. And it wasn't just some thought
experiment that stayed in the classroom.
The source highlights this 1981 TV special.
The Wave became kind of cautionary classic.
Yeah, and the series we're looking at argues it's way more
(06:50):
than just a historical drama now.
It's like a blueprint. It shows how authoritarianism
creeps into democracies. Yeah, with tanks rolling in at
first anyway. Exactly.
Through subtle social mechanisms.
That's the key phrase the sourceuses, and that's why it feels so
relevant today. It's spotlights those core
things, conformity, obedience and that really seductive lure
(07:10):
of belonging. It's fascinating
psychologically, too, because what happened in that classroom,
It mirrors findings from these huge landmark studies, changed
how we see human behavior. Like Stanley Milgram's work?
Yeah, Milgram's Obedience Studies 1963.
Just ordinary people, right? And they ended up giving what
(07:31):
they thought were painful electric shocks to someone else.
Just because a guy in a lab coattold them to makes.
You wonder, doesn't it, how easily we can just hand over our
own judgement to authority, evena perceived authority?
It really speaks to the power ofthe situation, right?
And then you have Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment in
71. Oh yeah, that one's chilling.
Showed how fast people people slip into roles.
(07:53):
Guards becoming authoritarian, prisoners becoming passive
almost overnight. It wasn't about them being bad
people. It was the situation, the power
of the setup, the assigned roles.
It's like the system itself demanded it.
Precisely. So when we look back at the wave
experiment, it just perfectly illustrates these key mechanisms
the big studies also found. First off, there's conformity
(08:13):
and peer pressure that basic human need to fit in.
You know, be part of the gang. Avoid being the outsider.
Especially if the group makes you feel safe or important or
seen for the first time. Then there's the pull of
authoritarian charisma. That magnetic leader figure
always seems so certain, so decisive, knows all the answers.
Yeah, and that's incredibly appealing, isn't it?
(08:36):
Especially when times feel chaotic or scary, people crave
that simple direction. And it often goes hand in hand
with building this strong group identity, which usually
involves. Scapegoating, creating an us and
of them. Right.
Unify your group by pointing fingers at outsiders.
Blame them for problems. Makes everything seem simpler.
Creates this really tight exclusive bond inside.
(08:58):
The group and the final piece the source mentions is providing
a sense of purpose, a higher mission.
Can be kind of vague even, but it's emotionally powerful, makes
people feel they're part of something bigger than
themselves, something meaningful.
So the big take away from the series looking at the wave is
pretty stark. People aren't born fascist.
No. They're socialized into it,
(09:21):
often starting with good intentions, maybe wanting order,
belonging. But it gets twisted, distorted
by loyalty that's unchecked, andby fear.
It's really chilling look at howthese movements actually gain
ground in supposedly free societies.
OK, so here's where the analysisgets, well, very direct and
potentially uncomfortable for some.
(09:41):
The source material explicitly argues that Donald Trump's rise,
his movement, It follows this very playbook.
Yeah, the series pulls no punches.
There it describes the movement score features, loyalty, the
slogans, the scapegoating, the violence.
And it identifies these, citing scholar Jason Stanley, as core
traits of fascist ideology. That's a direct claim from the
(10:02):
source we're examining. And that slogan?
Make America Great Again. The series contends it works a
lot like Strength through discipline did in The Wave.
How so? It's described as this
emotionally potent mantra, something that invites people
essentially to surrender complexity in favor of order and
identity. Simplify will give people a
clear us based on nostalgia. It makes it easier to just
(10:24):
align. Less critical thinking needed
maybe? That seems to be the
implication, and according to peer reviewed studies cited in
the series, like Norris and Engelhart's work from 2019, this
whole phenomenon is characterized as authoritarian
populism. Which they describe as.
As a mix of strongman rhetoric, attacks on institutions, and the
(10:44):
strategic use of disinformation to erode truth.
And the series connects this directly to Trump, pointing to
his demands for loyalty over truth, punishing dissent,
positioning himself as the sole savior.
Right. And the source quotes historian
Ruth Bengiott arguing these are not democratic traits, they are
fascist ones. Again, a very strong
(11:05):
interpretation presented in the material.
So what happens when a big chunkof the population buys into
this, or at least accepts it? Well, the source gives us some
data. A 2024 PRRA poll found over 65%
of Republicans believe the 2020 election was stolen.
The series doesn't just see thisas people being misinformed, it
sees it as as evidence of ideological conditioning.
(11:26):
It literally says quote it is the wave scaled to a nation.
Wow. That's potent.
It suggests this collective belief system, reinforced over
and over, can get deeply embedded, change how people see
reality itself, undermining trust in basic democratic
processes. And this isn't just AUS thing
right? The sources talk about it being
global. Definitely a global contagion,
(11:48):
they call it, pointing to examples Hungary, India, Brazil,
Israel, where the series contends demagogues exploit
crises to consolidate power. It's presented as a similar
pattern, a playbook being used worldwide to erode democratic
norms. The source brings up something
called the Seven Mountain Mandate ideology.
Yes, it describes this as an ideology aiming to dominate key
(12:11):
spheres of society. Religion, family, education,
media, arts, business, government, the series argues
this vision for total control has chilling carallels to the
Nazi regimes quest for control over every aspect of life.
It's a really stark comparison the source makes.
It is, but there's also a counter narrative in there,
right? A call to action.
Absolutely. The series uses this analogy.
(12:33):
A mountain can be captured, yes,but it can also be climbed and
reclaimed. And this specific series, the
wave is mega. Mega is the wave positions
itself as part of that reclaiming effort, part of that
resistance. How?
By focusing on what? Specifically on rebuilding the
mountain of education, teaching critical thinking, encouraging
(12:54):
pluralism, building solidarity. The idea is that education can
be a tool for liberation, for awakening minds.
That brings us back to that fundamental question from the
wave experiment itself. How could so many ordinary
Germans support Adolf Hitler? And, the sources stress, this
isn't just some historical puzzle.
It's urgent. It matters right now.
(13:14):
Yeah, think about the numbers again.
The source cites historian Richard Evans.
Only about 10% of Germans were actually Nazi Party members,
10%. But they didn't need everyone to
join. Exactly, the series argues the
vast majority supported passively, or they rationalized,
or they just stayed quiet until it was way too late.
It really raises questions aboutthe role of that passive
majority. And the parallel the series
(13:34):
draws to today says nearly 30% of Americans identify with the
Mag Shane movement, based on that 2024 PRI poll.
And it describes this movement not as a typical political
faction, but as something cult like loyal primarily to Donald
Trump, not necessarily to law ordemocratic principles.
The source uses some very stronglanguage to describe Trump
(13:55):
himself. It does.
It characterizes him as an authoritarian leader, twice
impeached, former and current president, adjudicated sexual
abuser, convicted criminal and fraud, who openly attacks
democratic institutions, incitesviolence, and demands personal
loyalty over the Constitution. These are direct assertions from
the source material, presenting a very critical viewpoint.
(14:18):
And the series suggests that just like in the original
experiment, there's this widespread feeling that.
It's just a movement. Yeah, a dangerous
underestimation, the source implies.
A kind of collective denial thathistory shows can be fatal.
OK, let's walk through how the series breaks down this
playbook, kind of scene by scene.
First up, strength through discipline.
Right. In the movie The Wave, the
(14:38):
teacher Ben Ross starts with simple stuff.
Set up straight, answer questions fast, be on time.
Seems harmless, right? Just classroom management.
But then you look at Nazi Germany.
The early movement, the series explains, was all about
discipline. Hitler built the essay the s s
around military precision, absolute obedience.
(14:59):
And for Germans after World War I, feeling defeated and chaotic,
that promise of order was comforting, the source argues,
even if it meant giving up some freedom and the.
Parallel to Mag A rallies, according to the source.
Trump's calls obey the leader. Only I can fix it.
You're either with us or againstus.
And the response from the crowd?The synchronized chance.
Lock her up, Build the wall. Yeah, the source makes this
(15:20):
symbolic point uniform. Red hats replace brown shirts.
Loyalty replaces law. It's a powerful visual
comparison they draw. And the key take away from this
first scene. The source puts it bluntly.
Discipline without conscience issubmission.
When critical thinking is replaced with slogans, Democracy
Dies in Silence shows how those first steps can be so insidious.
(15:41):
OK, next scene. Strength through community.
Back in the Wave classroom, the students start bonding.
The outsiders get pulled in. People feel seen, included.
The Wave becomes like a family taps into that deep need for
belonging. And the series argues, Nazism
offered something similar, although tragically false, a
sense of belonging, especially for disillusioned youth or
(16:03):
workers. Yeah, the Hitler Youth, for
example, turned lonely kids intocomrades, gave them purpose,
identity. But the source reminds us that
community came at an unthinkablecost.
And the maggier parallel. The series argues it offers the
same seductive tribalism supporters defining themselves
as real Americans, which inherently excludes others.
(16:24):
Immigrants. Muslims, LGBTQ folks, Critics.
And the language used to describe those outsiders.
Dehumanizing language, calling them vermin enemies of the
people. Tactics, the source asserts,
lifted directly from fascist regimes.
So the insight here is. Authoritarian movements use
emotional needs to manipulate moral compasses.
When belonging becomes conditional, justice becomes
(16:45):
optional. It shows how our basic need for
connection can be twisted. OK, scene 3.
Strength through action. In the movie, things escalate
fast. Students start enforcing the
rules themselves, reporting on classmates.
Posters go up, uniforms appear. Then actual violence starts
within the group. And in Germany between 33 and
39, a similar escalation, the series explains.
(17:08):
Nazis get voted in, then consolidate power, burning
books, jailing critics, banning unions, silencing the media.
And chillingly, neighbors turning on neighbors.
Dissent becomes incredibly dangerous.
The series draws echoes to the Trump era here, particularly
January 6th. Yeah, it describes Jan 6th not
as some random event, but as thelogical outcome of years of wave
(17:31):
like build up. A result of Trump calling for
loyalty, demonizing dissent, telling followers to fight like
hell. It wasn't just that one day,
right? The source mentions other
actions. Right.
Harassment of election workers, teachers, journalists.
And it points to governors like Ron DeSantis using action,
banning books, rewriting historycurriculums, criminalizing
protests as further examples of these tendencies taking hold.
(17:53):
What's the core point the sourcemakes about this action phase?
When loyalty is weaponized, society becomes its own jailer.
Authoritarianism doesn't need toround people up, it convinces
citizens to do it themselves. That's maybe the most chilling
insight of all, the idea that society police's itself into
submission. Let's revisit those numbers
again because the source really emphasizes them. 10% Nazi party
(18:17):
members historically. Versus nearly 30% of Americans
identifying with Maggie A today,according to that PRI poll
cited. And the source makes a crucial
distinction that this isn't justabout belief.
Many in that 40%, the source observes, are armed, and many
hold positions of power, local government, law enforcement,
state legislatures, potentially shaping policy and enforcement
(18:39):
directly. Which brings us back to the role
of everyone else, the majority. Exactly.
The source emphasizes the millions more who it argues
enable them with silence, denialor false neutrality.
The conclusion drawn is stark. Authoritarianism doesn't require
a majority. It only requires A passive
majority and an active minority willing to destroy democratic
norms to stay in power. It puts a heavy responsibility
(19:01):
on that passive majority. OK, let's shift gears a bit.
The series includes what it calls a presidential autopsy of
American authoritarianism. This is Part 3.
Right. And it uses the presidency
itself as this lens, seeing it as both reflecting these wave
dynamics and at times actively driving them.
It argues the Wave is a story highly relevant to America.
(19:23):
So the argument isn't just that leaders can be authoritarian,
but the office itself. Kind of.
It frames the presidency as inheriting A democracy that was
already fragile, and argues thatover time, the office has often
shaped it into something, well, more disciplined, hierarchical,
mythologized, more like a wave. Interesting, So the end point
(19:45):
isn't always a dictator. But a system?
Exactly. And the presidency, the source
argues, has been key in buildingand maintaining that system over
generations. The core insight for this whole
section is pretty sobering. Let's hear it.
The wave is always waiting whenever fear, pride, and the
illusion of strength overwhelm reason, memory, and humility.
America's experiment was never immune.
(20:06):
Wow. OK, so let's trace these
historical drifts the series identifies, starting with the
founding paradox, Washington to Monroe.
Yeah, 1789 to 1825, the wave parallel this series draws here
is a constitution that unites yes, but also excludes huge
groups. It builds national pride but
(20:26):
also suppresses dissent when needed.
The drift examples being. Things like the Alien and
Sedition Act jailing critics, Washington using the military
against the Whiskey Rebellion, actions that established federal
power. And the insight for that era.
That early presidents, much likethe teacher in the wave, seemed
to believe that order was moral,even if it meant silencing the
non compliant, establishing thattension between order and
(20:50):
liberty right from the start. OK then, Andrew Jackson,
Jacksonian populism, The charismatic strongman. 1829 to
1837 The wave parallel here is Jackson, the supposed man of the
people, becoming, the series argues, more like an
unquestioned ruler. And the drift?
What actions point to that? Defying the Supreme Court, the
Indian Removal Act, really centralizing power in the
(21:10):
executive branch. And the insight, how does that
connect to the wave? Obedience and identity merge.
The group becomes inseparable from the leader.
Dissent becomes betrayal. That's the connection the series
makes. Loyalty to the leader is loyalty
to the nation. Then a big jump.
Reconstruction abandoned post Civil War. 1865 to 1900.
(21:31):
The parallel is that brief window of hope, of potential
justice for black Americans getting slammed shut by white
fear and, frankly, fatigue. The drift being the federal
government pulling back. Exactly.
Retreating from protecting civilrights, which the source argues
directly enabled the rise of JimPro terrorism, lynching, mass
disenfranchisement. And the insight here is really
(21:52):
striking, yeah. The wave doesn't always require
a leader. Sometimes silence and complicity
are enough. Shows how inaction, how the
passivity of the majority, can be just as destructive.
Moving into the 20th century, the rise of the imperial
presidency, Teddy Roosevelt to FDR. 19 O 1 to 1945.
The wave parallel here is using national crises, economic
depression, war to justify grabbing more power, using war
(22:16):
to rally obedience. Examples of the drift.
Japanese internment during WWII.Wartime censorship.
Executive power growing, becoming normalized as the way
to handle crises. And the insight connects this to
fear. Fear legitimizes extraordinary
control. The students salute not out of
belief but fear of collapse, howleaders can leverage crisis to
(22:36):
expand their own authority. Then the Cold War era, the
national security state, Truman to Nixon. 1945 to 1974.
The parallel drawn is the growthof a surveillance culture.
Loyalty oaths. McCarthyism destroying trust.
The Drift includes some dark chapters.
Yeah, CIA coups overseas, Kent State shootings, COINTELPRO
targeting dissenters at home, Watergate president spying on
(22:59):
citizens, the source notes. And the insight about loyalty.
The Wave students begin policingeach other.
Loyalty becomes a weapon, not a virtue.
Society turning inward. Fear breeding suspicion.
Finally, in this sweep, neoliberal unity and moral
panic. Reagan to Bush, third. 1981 to
2008 the parallel suggests Reagan brought back a kind of
moralistic wave order, pride, faith.
(23:21):
But the source argues it came with punishment, privatization,
myth making. The drift continuing through
later presidencies. Yeah, Clinton continuing mass
incarceration policies, Bush launching the endless wars after
911 moral crusades, becoming, the series argues, a form of
imperialism. And the inside connects back to
the Wave classroom again. Like in the wave, dissenters are
(23:43):
labeled UN. American students cheer as their
world shrinks, believing it's being protected.
How? Defining us narrowly allows for
suppressing critique. OK, now let's really dig deeper
into those early foundations. Parts 4 through 9 of the series,
starting with Part 4. George Washington.
Right the first wave. The series looks at Washington
(24:03):
as the teacher archetype. We have this myth of him as the
reluctant leader who gave up power.
Which he did technically, but the source adds layers to that.
Big time, it points out. He wasn't popularly elected like
today. The Constitutional Convention
was secret. He led a government run by and
four white wealthy men. And specific actions.
Enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act?
(24:25):
Yeah, using the military againstthe Whiskey Rebellion
protesters, building the executive branch into this semi
Royal Institution as the source puts it.
So the insight isn't that he waspower hungry necessarily.
No, like Ross in the experiment the series suggests Washington
genuinely believed discipline and order were vital.
But, and this is the key, when discipline replaces debate and
(24:47):
order is enforced through violence and exclusion, the
seeds of authoritarianism are already sown, even with good
intentions. Then there's the whole strength
through symbols aspect, how the nation built its myths early on.
Yeah, creating the flag as sacred, the ceremonies around
the president, national holidays, oaths, military
uniforms, treating the Founding Fathers almost like prophets.
(25:08):
And the series argues this is a neutral.
Not at all. The insight is symbols are not
neutral when used without critical memory.
They shift allegiance from principles to personalities,
from democratic values to obedience.
How symbols can subtly redirect loyalty?
And who was left out? The Outcasts.
A huge portion of the populationenslaved people, 20% of
(25:29):
everyone. Native Americans systematically
labeled savages and pushed aside.
Women denied basic rights, poor whites without property.
Dissenters, like in Shay's Rebellion, crushed by force.
The insight there is pretty stark.
Yeah, like Ross's students, the founding elite believe they're
building something noble but required suppressing dissent and
pretending the oppressed were invisible highlights the
(25:51):
contradictions built in from dayone.
And finally, the slippery slope warning signs ignored.
Things like the Electoral College insulating leaders from
the popular vote, slavery being compromised into the system,
state power expanding taxes, military force accepted as
necessary. Rationalized away.
Exactly, the series argues, these weren't bugs.
They were features designed to keep elites in charge.
(26:14):
The insight, the slide into authoritarian logic, always
begins with noble rationalizations, discipline,
unity, tradition, strength. But each compromise paves the
way for future abuse. So the conclusion on Washington?
That he was, in a sense, the first teacher of the wave.
He set up a system that valued order over equity, myth over
memory, centralized power over inclusion.
(26:37):
And the danger, the series says,is that we still mythologize him
that way, letting the wave linger.
OK, moving to part 5. John Adams The Birth of
Government Censorship. Here, the analysis shifts from
order to control. Adams follows Washington's
framework but responds to dissent with, well, fear and a
crackdown. The drift being the alien and
(26:58):
sedition acts. Precisely deporting dangerous
foreigners? Criminalizing criticism of the
government? Jailing newspaper editors.
Using federal courts to silence opponents.
The insight here marks a real turning point, according to the
source. Yeah.
When leaders mistake dissent fordanger, they swap democracy for
loyalty. Control becomes the new form of
(27:19):
order. It's moving beyond just setting
rules to actively punishing disagreement.
And this involved an inner circle, loyalty over liberty.
Adams Federalist allies, stacking courts, censoring
press, accusing critics of treason.
That whole If you're not with us, you're against us mentality,
scapegoating immigrants, branding opponents as foreign
agents. And the insight connects us to
fear again. Every authoritarian movement
(27:41):
begins by isolating an other. Fear makes silencing them seem
like self-defense, a classic tactic, the source points out.
But. There's ush back, right?
A backlash? Definitely public anger over the
Sedition Act helped defeat Adamsin 1800.
Jefferson came in, reversed someof it.
The ACT expired discredited SO. Resistance matters.
Absolutely. The insight authoritarianism
(28:03):
rarely ends by itself. It collapses when people refuse
to obey, when they choose to remember who they are.
Emphasizes the power of saying no.
But Adams left a mark. Yeah, the series argues.
He normalized censorship, criminalized dissent, taught
future leaders that truth can bedangerous when it threatens
power. The analogy used is memorable.
If Washington built the classroom.
(28:25):
Adams installed the surveillancecameras, and once installed,
they are rarely removed. Chilling thought.
Let's move to Part 6. Thomas Jefferson, The Plantation
Republic. Jefferson, the idealist teacher,
had this vision of independent farmers of virtuous Republic,
but the reality starkly different, the series contends.
The drift being the massive contradiction, yeah.
(28:45):
Championing liberty while enslaving over 600 people.
Expanding slavery's territory with the Louisiana Purchase.
Mistrusting anyone without property or black people.
His vision, the source argues, excluded nearly everyone by
design. And the insight connects myth
and oppression. When the myth requires
oppression, it becomes authoritarian.
(29:06):
Simple as that. What about the symbols of the
Republic under Jefferson? He helped to find them
Republican simplicity, agrarian virtue, reason.
But his own home, Monticello ranon coercion, surveilled labor,
family separation and unpaid toil.
As the source details, the symbols were detached from
reality for many. And the insight links this to
memory or forgetting. Jefferson's symbols demand a
(29:28):
memory that forgets those who are enslaved.
How national stories get edited to maintain a cleaner image.
The outcasts under Jefferson, primarily the enslaved.
Absolutely central, but also women without political rights,
Native nations being displaced, poor whites marginalized.
Criticism wasn't welcome. The Insight uses that classroom
analogy again. The classroom becomes the
(29:48):
plantation. When freedom is preached but
denied, the system must erase those outside.
Its narrative exposes the hypocrisy.
And the slippery rationalizations compromise
becoming capture. Jefferson blocked early anti
slavery efforts, Helped craft the 3/5 compromise giving slave
states more power, Relaxed rights enforcement order
(30:08):
maintained through property rights, not human rights.
Justifications covering ethical gaps.
Exactly the insight. Authoritarian patterns emerge
through deliberate compromise. Discipline substituted for
justice. Myth displaced memory, the
series concludes. Jefferson showed how a Republic
can look free while building domination underneath.
(30:29):
Jefferson left office, but the wave he built marched on.
OK, Part 7 James Madison, The Constitutional Crisis.
Madison, the architect, is principal designed the
Constitution to prevent tyranny.But by his presidency, the
source argues, it was being usedto expand power and silence
dissent. The War of 1812 was a key
moment. Yeah, it exposed how weak the
federal government was. Ironically, Madison, who'd
(30:51):
argued against strong central power, felt forced to call for a
bigger military, a National Bank, more executive authority.
Dissenters got branded unpatriotic.
And the insight links this back to the wave.
Like Ross in The Wave, Madison believed his system could self
regulate. But in times of fear, the crowd
doesn't follow reason, it follows power.
Shows how even good designs can buckle under pressure.
(31:13):
Then emergency powers, permanentpatterns, temporary measures
becoming fixed. Like in the wave, where rules
get added daily, Madison signed laws increasing surveillance of
foreigners. Domestic critics let states
restrict speech during wartime. Power shifted to military and
financial elites. And the insight about inertia.
Emergency rules often outlast emergencies.
(31:33):
Authoritarianism grows not from intent but inertia.
How temporary fixes can erode liberty long term?
Voices silence during this time.The Hartford Convention where
anti war federalists met was demonized.
Anti war papers harassed. Civil liberties shrink under
calls for loyalty. Patriotism versus obedience gets
blurry. The Insight compares it to the
classroom again. In Madison's America, as in
(31:56):
Ross's class, loyalty became a test of character and critique,
a sign of betrayal, making dissent seem treasonous.
And the designs and defects of the Constitution itself.
Slavery still entrenched. Voting restricted, wealth
prioritized. The system worked as designed,
the source argues, to preserve elite rule under democratic
(32:18):
disguise. The insight suggests the system
failed its educational purpose. The teacher built the system to
teach order, but once it served power, it ceased to teach, the
series concludes. Madison didn't seek tyranny, but
created a blueprint others wouldlater exploit.
He passed the system on. Part 8.
James Monroe, The Illusion of Unity.
(32:38):
Monroe, the substitute teacher, according to the series,
presided over the era of good feelings, looked like consensus
avoiding fights. But the series argues this calm
was deceptive. Yeah, it hid growing
authoritarian currents. Monroe toured as a unifier but
didn't tackle the big issues, slavery, sectionalism.
The Federalist Party collapsed, removing opposition.
(32:59):
Dissent went underground. The insight Monroe's passive
leadership let the system hardenin silence.
And harmony without justice. The Missouri Compromise.
Maintained peace, sure, but affirmed slavery's expansion?
Monroe's signed it, preserving the Union but embedding
injustice deeper. Masked moral failure as
pragmatism, the series argues. Westward expansion.
(33:22):
Continued dispossession of Native nations.
The insight contrasts peace and justice.
Discipline without conscience becomes violence.
Monroe's calm preserved the peace of the powerful, not
justice for the excluded. Superficial unity hiding deep
costs. In the Doctrine Empire through
isolation. The Monroe Doctrine warned
Europe off the Americas, but theseries argues it also asserted
(33:42):
US dominance. Claimed to protect Latin America
but foreshadowed US imperialism.Cloaked expansion in Liberty
Talk. The insight connects this to
policing behavior. In the wave, the students
believe they are protecting eachother, but in reality they are
policing one another for control.
How protective doctrines can mass control and dominance?
And the forgotten students in Monroe's era.
(34:03):
Same groups, largely enslaved people, Native nations, free
black communities, women, all excluded from that supposed
national unity. The insight links unity and
erasure. The group feels united when
outsiders are erased. Monroe's peace demanded
forgetting the oppressed, the series concludes.
Monroe offered comfort, but discontent festered.
(34:23):
He helped it forget how to question itself, left a nation
seemingly united but primed for rupture.
Finally, Part 9 John Quincy Adams, The Fracturing Republic.
Adams, the scholar president, intellectually brilliant, had
big ideas. National University
infrastructure, human rights. But the system was hostile.
Blocked by Congress, clashed with politics.
(34:44):
Yeah, Jacksonian populist sectional interests shut him
down, his ideas on Native rightsignored, and that corrupt
bargain accusation undermined him from day one.
The insight Once the system favors spectacle over substance,
the teacher becomes irrelevant. Intellect losing out to
politics? The corrupt bargain itself a
(35:04):
legitimacy crisis. Adams won in the House, not the
popular vote. Jackson screamed theft.
Public trust in the system eroded fast.
The insight warns about seeking revenge.
When students suspect the systemis rigged, they no longer seek
truth. They seek revenge.
How loss of faith can lead to wanting to tear things down, not
fix them. And voices ignored his national
(35:25):
vision met resistance. Pushed for infrastructure, but
states rights folks, Southern slaveholders, Western factions
resisted. The nation wasn't united by a
story anymore, but by contested myths, the source says.
The insight speaks to fragmentation.
The movement collapses when belief fragments.
Adams faced a Republic already splintering, where progress
looked like tyranny to those in power.
(35:47):
How divided things had become. But Adams had a significant post
presidency right legacy of a dissenter.
Absolutely. Went back to Congress.
Became a a powerful voice against slavery.
Fought the gag rule, Defended the Amistad captives.
Became a moral force. The inside sees long term value
in that. After the system collapses, the
few who spoke out remain tarnished or forgotten until the
(36:08):
next generation reopens the book.
The impact of principled stands,even when they fail initially.
So the conclusion on Adams? He stood for principal, but the
system had shifted to performance patronage.
The era of national vision was ending, replaced by mass
politics, spectacle, populist anger.
Adams didn't break the system, but he showed it was breaking.
(36:30):
And crucially, the Republic Adams hoped to teach had stopped
listening and started choosing sides.
OK, so that's a heavy historicaltour.
Let's bring it right back to thepresent and what the source
projects as a potential future. It calls the section Trump and
the Triumph of the Wave, 20/25/2029.
This is from Part 3, Section 9. And the description here is,
well, it's stark. It is the series addresses this
(36:52):
moment directly, stating the wave returns stronger and
unquestioned. The students embrace it
willingly, no longer needing persuasion, only permission.
This is presented as the trajectory analyzed in the
series, not necessarily a crystal ball prediction, but the
logical outcome based on their analysis.
And the drift described for thisperiod, what is the source
(37:14):
foresee? It contends Trump uses his final
term to consolidate power, purging civil servants,
politicizing federal agencies, criminalizing dissent and
enforcing ideological loyalty across institutions.
It paints a picture of democratic norms being actively
dismantled. And the final insight for this
potential scenario. It's a warning.
(37:34):
Constitutional democracy is hollowed out not with a bang,
but with flags waving and crowdscheering, highlighting how
systems can erode from within, sometimes with popular support
or at least acquiescence. Which leads directly to the big
question the source poses, what we must learn and do.
Right. Remember the end of the Wave
movie? The teacher shows the picture of
Hitler, breaks the spell, but the source warns us we don't
(37:57):
have that luxury. We're living it.
And, the series argues, the consequences of what it calls
the Maggie A movement are already here.
Yeah, it points to specifics. A violent coup attempt,
systematic dismantling of rights, deep distrust in
elections, open anti-Semitism, racism and misogyny.
These are presented as the real world results of these wave like
(38:18):
forces. So the crucial question is what
if we just stand by, remain passive?
The warning from the source is crystal clear.
If we do nothing, Part 3 of the story will not be fictional.
It will be history repeating. Only this time we're in it, then
it pivots to action. Specific calls to action based
on what we must learn. Yes, it urges.
(38:39):
Teach critical thinking, not obedience, also encourage
pluralism, not purity, and fundamentally build solidarity,
not supremacy. It.
Comes back to that idea of rebuilding the educational
mountain. Exactly.
To help people surf it toward freedom, not fascism.
The overall message is a strong encouragement to get involved,
to actively resist these authoritarian trends and.
(38:59):
For listeners wondering how to engage, the sources do offer
some specific suggestions. Yes.
First, simply discuss this with others in person and online.
Talk about these ideas. Share the insights in your own
circles. Conversation matters.
It does. Second, they suggest visiting
and exploring the free civic education
portal@https.github.com/freeciviseducation,presented as a resource for
(39:25):
deeper learning. OK, what else?
Subscribe to Educate Resistance for new posts support their
work, emphasizing ongoing learning and engagement.
And connecting online. They invite listeners to join us
for a conversation on Blueski HTTPS dot beski dot profile
educate resistance dot beski dotsocial, continuing the dialogue
there. All right, so as we start to
wrap this up, let's leave you, our listener, with something to
(39:47):
really chew on a provocative thought.
If the wave isn't just about bigleaders.
If it's always kind of lurking, waiting, and those very human
needs for belonging, for order, for purpose, needs that can be
twisted. Then how do we stay vigilant
constantly against that quiet pull of conformity in our own
lives, in our communities? What small things can we
(40:09):
actually do, day by day to push back against that subtle creep
of authoritarian thinking? How do we foster a society that
values questions more than answers, inclusion more than
purity? Heavy questions, but important
ones. We really want to thank you for
joining us on this deep dive today.
Yeah, thank you. Our genuine hope is that these
insights drawn from the series help empower you, help you
(40:32):
become a more informed, more critical participant in shaping
the future you want to see. Not the future some dictator
might want for you. Exactly.
Remember, knowledge isn't just about knowing things, it's about
understanding and applying them.So please continue exploring
these ideas. Discuss them, challenge them,
engage with them. Be part of building the world
you believe in. Thanks for listening.
(40:54):
We've seen the tide turn before,from liberty to fear, from truth
to control. But this is not the end.
This is our call to stand, to rise, to rebuild.
Because democracy is not a gift,it's a choice.
Every day, in shiles cast by tyrant's hand, where truth was
drowned beneath the sand, We heard the cry from far and wide,
(41:15):
a silent. Scream the stars get high from.
Epstein's dark, unsealed decay to bump it.
Laws that strip away the mask has slipped.
The right exposed, the halls of power now deposed.
But through the noise, a spark remained.
A voice not bought, not bent, Unchained.
A Cam and tape not born from gold but fire, just as stories
(41:36):
from. The ashes we rise like the dawn
breaking lies with the way. There's our guide.
We reclaim what survived, not just for one, but for all.
We the people here, the culture of the world, we unite, but we
born in the light. From 4 cries ringing out afar to
(41:57):
blood red lines in Kandahar, authoritarians fed the flame,
but millions rose and spoke. Our name.
The firewall built from every voice.
Survivors made the noblest choice to leave, to speak, to
build a new a global dream long overdue.
The truth they feared, we now declare the.
World's not theirs. We all must care from cave to.
(42:19):
Flint from Gaza shore? No.
Whelms Peace. Anymore from the ashes we rise
it's like the dawn breaking lieswith the wave there's our guide.
We reclaim what survive not justfor one life for all we the
people here, the call to the wall we unite.
(42:39):
We born in the light and. About left or right, It's about
right and wrong. The wave taught us how it
happened, slowly, subtly, and all at once.
But we've learned. We've seen and we've chosen.
(43:03):
Never again. From the ashes we rise no more
heart, for more lies with the wind.
Within our strife we ignite the world wide tide, the newly
earth. Fortune flay not for power, For
the name of every voice that dares to fight.
Go reborn in the light. We have a fire.
(43:26):
We are the wave. And this time we choose the
light. We are the wave.
(43:47):
And this time we choose the light.
(44:28):
We've learned, we've seen, and we've chosen ever again.
From the ashes we arise. No more hate, no more lies with
the wave. Taught us how it happens slowly,
subtly, than all at once. But we've learned, we've seen,
and we've chosen. Never again.
We've seen the tide turn before,from liberty to fear, from truth
to control. But this is not the end.
This is our call to stand the rise to rebuild.
Because democracy is not a gift,it's a choice.
Every day in child's gas, by tyrant's hand, where truth was
drowned beneath the sand, We heard the cry from far and wide,
(00:21):
a silent. Scream the stars get high.
From Epstein's dark, unsealed decay to bump it, laws that
strip away the mask has slipped,the right exposed, the halls of
power now deposed. But through the noise a spark
remained. A voice not bought, not bent,
Unchained. A Cam and date not borne from
gold but fire. Justice stories to run.
(00:43):
The ashes we rise like the dawn breaking lies with the wave as
our guide we reclaim what survived, not just for one, but
for all. We the people here, the culture
of the wall, we unite, but we born in the light.
From 4 cries ringing out afar toblood red lines in Kandahar.
(01:05):
Authoritarians fed the flame, but millions rose and spoke our
name. The firewall built from every
voice. Survivors made the noblest
choice to lead, to speak, to build a new.
A global dream long overdue. The truth.
They feared we now declare the world's not theirs.
We. All must care, from cave to
Flint, from Gaza shore, no realms.
(01:28):
Peace anymore. From the ashes we rise.
It's like the dawn breaking lieswith the wave.
There's our guide. We reclaim what survive not just
for one life for all. We the people here, the call to
the wall, we unite or we born inthe light and.
(01:58):
About left to right. It's about right and wrong.
The wave taught us how it happened, slowly, subtly, and
all at once. But we've learned, we've seen,
and we've chosen. Never again.
From the ashes we rise no more heart, for more lies With the
weather within our stride we unite the world wide tie a new
(02:21):
leader, Fortune Flay. Not for power, for the name of
every voice that dares to fight Gobri.
Born in the light. We have a fire.
We are the wave, and this time we choose the light.
(02:51):
We are the wave, and this time we choose the light.
(03:34):
We've learned, we've seen, and we've chosen.
Never again. From the ashes we rise.
No more hate, no more lies with the wave.
Taught us how it happens slowly,suddenly, than all at once.
But we've learned, we've seen, and we've chosen.
(03:55):
Never again. Welcome curious minds to The
Deep Dive. Today we're we're embarking on a
journey into something that started way back in 1967, a
classroom experiment. Right, the wave.
Exactly. But it casts this well, this
really long and unsettling shadow over right now, over our
(04:17):
present and maybe even our future.
It's more than just a history lesson, that's for sure.
Definitely. We're going to unpack the wave.
It seemed like a simple exercise, but it shows, kind of
chillingly, these subtle ways authoritarianism can, you know,
take root. And it's often not the big
dramatic stuff, right? Not initially.
It's the quiet shifts, little changes in how people act, what
society accepts. That's precisely it.
(04:40):
What's so compelling, I think, isn't just that it happened, but
how much it still resonates. Absolutely.
So our deep dive today, we're going to use this experiment
almost like a blueprint to understand how these
authoritarian tendencies are rising, becoming, well,
mainstream. And not just somewhere else,
right? We'll look globally, yeah, But
the sources really push us to look hard at the US historical
(05:02):
echoes in the presidency and stuff happening right now.
Yeah, it can be uncomfortable. But, the series argues, it
offers this crucial lens, you know, for understanding the
challenges democracies are facing.
Big challenges. Couldn't agree more.
So for you listening, our mission here is to pull out the
really key insights from this pretty powerful set of sources,
(05:23):
The Truth and Mythology of America's President series.
We're focusing on parts one through 9.
And it's quite an analytical series.
It really digs into American history, using this wave dynamic
as a way to understand the presidency.
Yeah, and we want to help you grasp the psychology behind it
all. You know, conformity, obedience,
that powerful pull of belonging things authoritarian movements
(05:45):
are frankly really good at exploiting.
The idea is to get the knowledge, get it quickly but
thoroughly, hopefully give you some aha moments about these
historical patterns and why theymatter now.
Right. To empower you, basically, so
you can make sense of the world without feeling totally
overwhelmed by, you know, just the sheer noise out there.
Exactly. The series really asks us to
look past the myths, the polished stories about American
(06:07):
history, and see the underlying mechanics, the patterns.
OK, let's really unpack this wave thing then.
Where did it even start? It began as this kind of
parable, really, in a. Classroom, California, 1967.
A history teacher. Ron Jones.
And his goal, his main purpose, was trying to get his students
to understand something almost impossible to grasp.
(06:28):
How could ordinary Germans, millions of them, just go along
with Hitler, enable the Nazis? It's.
The question isn't It haunts us still.
Totally. And it wasn't just some thought
experiment that stayed in the classroom.
The source highlights this 1981 TV special.
The Wave became kind of cautionary classic.
Yeah, and the series we're looking at argues it's way more
(06:50):
than just a historical drama now.
It's like a blueprint. It shows how authoritarianism
creeps into democracies. Yeah, with tanks rolling in at
first anyway. Exactly.
Through subtle social mechanisms.
That's the key phrase the sourceuses, and that's why it feels so
relevant today. It's spotlights those core
things, conformity, obedience and that really seductive lure
(07:10):
of belonging. It's fascinating
psychologically, too, because what happened in that classroom,
It mirrors findings from these huge landmark studies, changed
how we see human behavior. Like Stanley Milgram's work?
Yeah, Milgram's Obedience Studies 1963.
Just ordinary people, right? And they ended up giving what
(07:31):
they thought were painful electric shocks to someone else.
Just because a guy in a lab coattold them to makes.
You wonder, doesn't it, how easily we can just hand over our
own judgement to authority, evena perceived authority?
It really speaks to the power ofthe situation, right?
And then you have Zimbardo's Stanford prison experiment in
71. Oh yeah, that one's chilling.
Showed how fast people people slip into roles.
(07:53):
Guards becoming authoritarian, prisoners becoming passive
almost overnight. It wasn't about them being bad
people. It was the situation, the power
of the setup, the assigned roles.
It's like the system itself demanded it.
Precisely. So when we look back at the wave
experiment, it just perfectly illustrates these key mechanisms
the big studies also found. First off, there's conformity
(08:13):
and peer pressure that basic human need to fit in.
You know, be part of the gang. Avoid being the outsider.
Especially if the group makes you feel safe or important or
seen for the first time. Then there's the pull of
authoritarian charisma. That magnetic leader figure
always seems so certain, so decisive, knows all the answers.
Yeah, and that's incredibly appealing, isn't it?
(08:36):
Especially when times feel chaotic or scary, people crave
that simple direction. And it often goes hand in hand
with building this strong group identity, which usually
involves. Scapegoating, creating an us and
of them. Right.
Unify your group by pointing fingers at outsiders.
Blame them for problems. Makes everything seem simpler.
Creates this really tight exclusive bond inside.
(08:58):
The group and the final piece the source mentions is providing
a sense of purpose, a higher mission.
Can be kind of vague even, but it's emotionally powerful, makes
people feel they're part of something bigger than
themselves, something meaningful.
So the big take away from the series looking at the wave is
pretty stark. People aren't born fascist.
No. They're socialized into it,
(09:21):
often starting with good intentions, maybe wanting order,
belonging. But it gets twisted, distorted
by loyalty that's unchecked, andby fear.
It's really chilling look at howthese movements actually gain
ground in supposedly free societies.
OK, so here's where the analysisgets, well, very direct and
potentially uncomfortable for some.
(09:41):
The source material explicitly argues that Donald Trump's rise,
his movement, It follows this very playbook.
Yeah, the series pulls no punches.
There it describes the movement score features, loyalty, the
slogans, the scapegoating, the violence.
And it identifies these, citing scholar Jason Stanley, as core
traits of fascist ideology. That's a direct claim from the
(10:02):
source we're examining. And that slogan?
Make America Great Again. The series contends it works a
lot like Strength through discipline did in The Wave.
How so? It's described as this
emotionally potent mantra, something that invites people
essentially to surrender complexity in favor of order and
identity. Simplify will give people a
clear us based on nostalgia. It makes it easier to just
(10:24):
align. Less critical thinking needed
maybe? That seems to be the
implication, and according to peer reviewed studies cited in
the series, like Norris and Engelhart's work from 2019, this
whole phenomenon is characterized as authoritarian
populism. Which they describe as.
As a mix of strongman rhetoric, attacks on institutions, and the
(10:44):
strategic use of disinformation to erode truth.
And the series connects this directly to Trump, pointing to
his demands for loyalty over truth, punishing dissent,
positioning himself as the sole savior.
Right. And the source quotes historian
Ruth Bengiott arguing these are not democratic traits, they are
fascist ones. Again, a very strong
(11:05):
interpretation presented in the material.
So what happens when a big chunkof the population buys into
this, or at least accepts it? Well, the source gives us some
data. A 2024 PRRA poll found over 65%
of Republicans believe the 2020 election was stolen.
The series doesn't just see thisas people being misinformed, it
sees it as as evidence of ideological conditioning.
(11:26):
It literally says quote it is the wave scaled to a nation.
Wow. That's potent.
It suggests this collective belief system, reinforced over
and over, can get deeply embedded, change how people see
reality itself, undermining trust in basic democratic
processes. And this isn't just AUS thing
right? The sources talk about it being
global. Definitely a global contagion,
(11:48):
they call it, pointing to examples Hungary, India, Brazil,
Israel, where the series contends demagogues exploit
crises to consolidate power. It's presented as a similar
pattern, a playbook being used worldwide to erode democratic
norms. The source brings up something
called the Seven Mountain Mandate ideology.
Yes, it describes this as an ideology aiming to dominate key
(12:11):
spheres of society. Religion, family, education,
media, arts, business, government, the series argues
this vision for total control has chilling carallels to the
Nazi regimes quest for control over every aspect of life.
It's a really stark comparison the source makes.
It is, but there's also a counter narrative in there,
right? A call to action.
Absolutely. The series uses this analogy.
(12:33):
A mountain can be captured, yes,but it can also be climbed and
reclaimed. And this specific series, the
wave is mega. Mega is the wave positions
itself as part of that reclaiming effort, part of that
resistance. How?
By focusing on what? Specifically on rebuilding the
mountain of education, teaching critical thinking, encouraging
(12:54):
pluralism, building solidarity. The idea is that education can
be a tool for liberation, for awakening minds.
That brings us back to that fundamental question from the
wave experiment itself. How could so many ordinary
Germans support Adolf Hitler? And, the sources stress, this
isn't just some historical puzzle.
It's urgent. It matters right now.
(13:14):
Yeah, think about the numbers again.
The source cites historian Richard Evans.
Only about 10% of Germans were actually Nazi Party members,
10%. But they didn't need everyone to
join. Exactly, the series argues the
vast majority supported passively, or they rationalized,
or they just stayed quiet until it was way too late.
It really raises questions aboutthe role of that passive
majority. And the parallel the series
(13:34):
draws to today says nearly 30% of Americans identify with the
Mag Shane movement, based on that 2024 PRI poll.
And it describes this movement not as a typical political
faction, but as something cult like loyal primarily to Donald
Trump, not necessarily to law ordemocratic principles.
The source uses some very stronglanguage to describe Trump
(13:55):
himself. It does.
It characterizes him as an authoritarian leader, twice
impeached, former and current president, adjudicated sexual
abuser, convicted criminal and fraud, who openly attacks
democratic institutions, incitesviolence, and demands personal
loyalty over the Constitution. These are direct assertions from
the source material, presenting a very critical viewpoint.
(14:18):
And the series suggests that just like in the original
experiment, there's this widespread feeling that.
It's just a movement. Yeah, a dangerous
underestimation, the source implies.
A kind of collective denial thathistory shows can be fatal.
OK, let's walk through how the series breaks down this
playbook, kind of scene by scene.
First up, strength through discipline.
Right. In the movie The Wave, the
(14:38):
teacher Ben Ross starts with simple stuff.
Set up straight, answer questions fast, be on time.
Seems harmless, right? Just classroom management.
But then you look at Nazi Germany.
The early movement, the series explains, was all about
discipline. Hitler built the essay the s s
around military precision, absolute obedience.
(14:59):
And for Germans after World War I, feeling defeated and chaotic,
that promise of order was comforting, the source argues,
even if it meant giving up some freedom and the.
Parallel to Mag A rallies, according to the source.
Trump's calls obey the leader. Only I can fix it.
You're either with us or againstus.
And the response from the crowd?The synchronized chance.
Lock her up, Build the wall. Yeah, the source makes this
(15:20):
symbolic point uniform. Red hats replace brown shirts.
Loyalty replaces law. It's a powerful visual
comparison they draw. And the key take away from this
first scene. The source puts it bluntly.
Discipline without conscience issubmission.
When critical thinking is replaced with slogans, Democracy
Dies in Silence shows how those first steps can be so insidious.
(15:41):
OK, next scene. Strength through community.
Back in the Wave classroom, the students start bonding.
The outsiders get pulled in. People feel seen, included.
The Wave becomes like a family taps into that deep need for
belonging. And the series argues, Nazism
offered something similar, although tragically false, a
sense of belonging, especially for disillusioned youth or
(16:03):
workers. Yeah, the Hitler Youth, for
example, turned lonely kids intocomrades, gave them purpose,
identity. But the source reminds us that
community came at an unthinkablecost.
And the maggier parallel. The series argues it offers the
same seductive tribalism supporters defining themselves
as real Americans, which inherently excludes others.
(16:24):
Immigrants. Muslims, LGBTQ folks, Critics.
And the language used to describe those outsiders.
Dehumanizing language, calling them vermin enemies of the
people. Tactics, the source asserts,
lifted directly from fascist regimes.
So the insight here is. Authoritarian movements use
emotional needs to manipulate moral compasses.
When belonging becomes conditional, justice becomes
(16:45):
optional. It shows how our basic need for
connection can be twisted. OK, scene 3.
Strength through action. In the movie, things escalate
fast. Students start enforcing the
rules themselves, reporting on classmates.
Posters go up, uniforms appear. Then actual violence starts
within the group. And in Germany between 33 and
39, a similar escalation, the series explains.
(17:08):
Nazis get voted in, then consolidate power, burning
books, jailing critics, banning unions, silencing the media.
And chillingly, neighbors turning on neighbors.
Dissent becomes incredibly dangerous.
The series draws echoes to the Trump era here, particularly
January 6th. Yeah, it describes Jan 6th not
as some random event, but as thelogical outcome of years of wave
(17:31):
like build up. A result of Trump calling for
loyalty, demonizing dissent, telling followers to fight like
hell. It wasn't just that one day,
right? The source mentions other
actions. Right.
Harassment of election workers, teachers, journalists.
And it points to governors like Ron DeSantis using action,
banning books, rewriting historycurriculums, criminalizing
protests as further examples of these tendencies taking hold.
(17:53):
What's the core point the sourcemakes about this action phase?
When loyalty is weaponized, society becomes its own jailer.
Authoritarianism doesn't need toround people up, it convinces
citizens to do it themselves. That's maybe the most chilling
insight of all, the idea that society police's itself into
submission. Let's revisit those numbers
again because the source really emphasizes them. 10% Nazi party
(18:17):
members historically. Versus nearly 30% of Americans
identifying with Maggie A today,according to that PRI poll
cited. And the source makes a crucial
distinction that this isn't justabout belief.
Many in that 40%, the source observes, are armed, and many
hold positions of power, local government, law enforcement,
state legislatures, potentially shaping policy and enforcement
(18:39):
directly. Which brings us back to the role
of everyone else, the majority. Exactly.
The source emphasizes the millions more who it argues
enable them with silence, denialor false neutrality.
The conclusion drawn is stark. Authoritarianism doesn't require
a majority. It only requires A passive
majority and an active minority willing to destroy democratic
norms to stay in power. It puts a heavy responsibility
(19:01):
on that passive majority. OK, let's shift gears a bit.
The series includes what it calls a presidential autopsy of
American authoritarianism. This is Part 3.
Right. And it uses the presidency
itself as this lens, seeing it as both reflecting these wave
dynamics and at times actively driving them.
It argues the Wave is a story highly relevant to America.
(19:23):
So the argument isn't just that leaders can be authoritarian,
but the office itself. Kind of.
It frames the presidency as inheriting A democracy that was
already fragile, and argues thatover time, the office has often
shaped it into something, well, more disciplined, hierarchical,
mythologized, more like a wave. Interesting, So the end point
(19:45):
isn't always a dictator. But a system?
Exactly. And the presidency, the source
argues, has been key in buildingand maintaining that system over
generations. The core insight for this whole
section is pretty sobering. Let's hear it.
The wave is always waiting whenever fear, pride, and the
illusion of strength overwhelm reason, memory, and humility.
America's experiment was never immune.
(20:06):
Wow. OK, so let's trace these
historical drifts the series identifies, starting with the
founding paradox, Washington to Monroe.
Yeah, 1789 to 1825, the wave parallel this series draws here
is a constitution that unites yes, but also excludes huge
groups. It builds national pride but
(20:26):
also suppresses dissent when needed.
The drift examples being. Things like the Alien and
Sedition Act jailing critics, Washington using the military
against the Whiskey Rebellion, actions that established federal
power. And the insight for that era.
That early presidents, much likethe teacher in the wave, seemed
to believe that order was moral,even if it meant silencing the
non compliant, establishing thattension between order and
(20:50):
liberty right from the start. OK then, Andrew Jackson,
Jacksonian populism, The charismatic strongman. 1829 to
1837 The wave parallel here is Jackson, the supposed man of the
people, becoming, the series argues, more like an
unquestioned ruler. And the drift?
What actions point to that? Defying the Supreme Court, the
Indian Removal Act, really centralizing power in the
(21:10):
executive branch. And the insight, how does that
connect to the wave? Obedience and identity merge.
The group becomes inseparable from the leader.
Dissent becomes betrayal. That's the connection the series
makes. Loyalty to the leader is loyalty
to the nation. Then a big jump.
Reconstruction abandoned post Civil War. 1865 to 1900.
(21:31):
The parallel is that brief window of hope, of potential
justice for black Americans getting slammed shut by white
fear and, frankly, fatigue. The drift being the federal
government pulling back. Exactly.
Retreating from protecting civilrights, which the source argues
directly enabled the rise of JimPro terrorism, lynching, mass
disenfranchisement. And the insight here is really
(21:52):
striking, yeah. The wave doesn't always require
a leader. Sometimes silence and complicity
are enough. Shows how inaction, how the
passivity of the majority, can be just as destructive.
Moving into the 20th century, the rise of the imperial
presidency, Teddy Roosevelt to FDR. 19 O 1 to 1945.
The wave parallel here is using national crises, economic
depression, war to justify grabbing more power, using war
(22:16):
to rally obedience. Examples of the drift.
Japanese internment during WWII.Wartime censorship.
Executive power growing, becoming normalized as the way
to handle crises. And the insight connects this to
fear. Fear legitimizes extraordinary
control. The students salute not out of
belief but fear of collapse, howleaders can leverage crisis to
(22:36):
expand their own authority. Then the Cold War era, the
national security state, Truman to Nixon. 1945 to 1974.
The parallel drawn is the growthof a surveillance culture.
Loyalty oaths. McCarthyism destroying trust.
The Drift includes some dark chapters.
Yeah, CIA coups overseas, Kent State shootings, COINTELPRO
targeting dissenters at home, Watergate president spying on
(22:59):
citizens, the source notes. And the insight about loyalty.
The Wave students begin policingeach other.
Loyalty becomes a weapon, not a virtue.
Society turning inward. Fear breeding suspicion.
Finally, in this sweep, neoliberal unity and moral
panic. Reagan to Bush, third. 1981 to
2008 the parallel suggests Reagan brought back a kind of
moralistic wave order, pride, faith.
(23:21):
But the source argues it came with punishment, privatization,
myth making. The drift continuing through
later presidencies. Yeah, Clinton continuing mass
incarceration policies, Bush launching the endless wars after
911 moral crusades, becoming, the series argues, a form of
imperialism. And the inside connects back to
the Wave classroom again. Like in the wave, dissenters are
(23:43):
labeled UN. American students cheer as their
world shrinks, believing it's being protected.
How? Defining us narrowly allows for
suppressing critique. OK, now let's really dig deeper
into those early foundations. Parts 4 through 9 of the series,
starting with Part 4. George Washington.
Right the first wave. The series looks at Washington
(24:03):
as the teacher archetype. We have this myth of him as the
reluctant leader who gave up power.
Which he did technically, but the source adds layers to that.
Big time, it points out. He wasn't popularly elected like
today. The Constitutional Convention
was secret. He led a government run by and
four white wealthy men. And specific actions.
Enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act?
(24:25):
Yeah, using the military againstthe Whiskey Rebellion
protesters, building the executive branch into this semi
Royal Institution as the source puts it.
So the insight isn't that he waspower hungry necessarily.
No, like Ross in the experiment the series suggests Washington
genuinely believed discipline and order were vital.
But, and this is the key, when discipline replaces debate and
(24:47):
order is enforced through violence and exclusion, the
seeds of authoritarianism are already sown, even with good
intentions. Then there's the whole strength
through symbols aspect, how the nation built its myths early on.
Yeah, creating the flag as sacred, the ceremonies around
the president, national holidays, oaths, military
uniforms, treating the Founding Fathers almost like prophets.
(25:08):
And the series argues this is a neutral.
Not at all. The insight is symbols are not
neutral when used without critical memory.
They shift allegiance from principles to personalities,
from democratic values to obedience.
How symbols can subtly redirect loyalty?
And who was left out? The Outcasts.
A huge portion of the populationenslaved people, 20% of
(25:29):
everyone. Native Americans systematically
labeled savages and pushed aside.
Women denied basic rights, poor whites without property.
Dissenters, like in Shay's Rebellion, crushed by force.
The insight there is pretty stark.
Yeah, like Ross's students, the founding elite believe they're
building something noble but required suppressing dissent and
pretending the oppressed were invisible highlights the
(25:51):
contradictions built in from dayone.
And finally, the slippery slope warning signs ignored.
Things like the Electoral College insulating leaders from
the popular vote, slavery being compromised into the system,
state power expanding taxes, military force accepted as
necessary. Rationalized away.
Exactly, the series argues, these weren't bugs.
They were features designed to keep elites in charge.
(26:14):
The insight, the slide into authoritarian logic, always
begins with noble rationalizations, discipline,
unity, tradition, strength. But each compromise paves the
way for future abuse. So the conclusion on Washington?
That he was, in a sense, the first teacher of the wave.
He set up a system that valued order over equity, myth over
memory, centralized power over inclusion.
(26:37):
And the danger, the series says,is that we still mythologize him
that way, letting the wave linger.
OK, moving to part 5. John Adams The Birth of
Government Censorship. Here, the analysis shifts from
order to control. Adams follows Washington's
framework but responds to dissent with, well, fear and a
crackdown. The drift being the alien and
(26:58):
sedition acts. Precisely deporting dangerous
foreigners? Criminalizing criticism of the
government? Jailing newspaper editors.
Using federal courts to silence opponents.
The insight here marks a real turning point, according to the
source. Yeah.
When leaders mistake dissent fordanger, they swap democracy for
loyalty. Control becomes the new form of
(27:19):
order. It's moving beyond just setting
rules to actively punishing disagreement.
And this involved an inner circle, loyalty over liberty.
Adams Federalist allies, stacking courts, censoring
press, accusing critics of treason.
That whole If you're not with us, you're against us mentality,
scapegoating immigrants, branding opponents as foreign
agents. And the insight connects us to
fear again. Every authoritarian movement
(27:41):
begins by isolating an other. Fear makes silencing them seem
like self-defense, a classic tactic, the source points out.
But. There's ush back, right?
A backlash? Definitely public anger over the
Sedition Act helped defeat Adamsin 1800.
Jefferson came in, reversed someof it.
The ACT expired discredited SO. Resistance matters.
Absolutely. The insight authoritarianism
(28:03):
rarely ends by itself. It collapses when people refuse
to obey, when they choose to remember who they are.
Emphasizes the power of saying no.
But Adams left a mark. Yeah, the series argues.
He normalized censorship, criminalized dissent, taught
future leaders that truth can bedangerous when it threatens
power. The analogy used is memorable.
If Washington built the classroom.
(28:25):
Adams installed the surveillancecameras, and once installed,
they are rarely removed. Chilling thought.
Let's move to Part 6. Thomas Jefferson, The Plantation
Republic. Jefferson, the idealist teacher,
had this vision of independent farmers of virtuous Republic,
but the reality starkly different, the series contends.
The drift being the massive contradiction, yeah.
(28:45):
Championing liberty while enslaving over 600 people.
Expanding slavery's territory with the Louisiana Purchase.
Mistrusting anyone without property or black people.
His vision, the source argues, excluded nearly everyone by
design. And the insight connects myth
and oppression. When the myth requires
oppression, it becomes authoritarian.
(29:06):
Simple as that. What about the symbols of the
Republic under Jefferson? He helped to find them
Republican simplicity, agrarian virtue, reason.
But his own home, Monticello ranon coercion, surveilled labor,
family separation and unpaid toil.
As the source details, the symbols were detached from
reality for many. And the insight links this to
memory or forgetting. Jefferson's symbols demand a
(29:28):
memory that forgets those who are enslaved.
How national stories get edited to maintain a cleaner image.
The outcasts under Jefferson, primarily the enslaved.
Absolutely central, but also women without political rights,
Native nations being displaced, poor whites marginalized.
Criticism wasn't welcome. The Insight uses that classroom
analogy again. The classroom becomes the
(29:48):
plantation. When freedom is preached but
denied, the system must erase those outside.
Its narrative exposes the hypocrisy.
And the slippery rationalizations compromise
becoming capture. Jefferson blocked early anti
slavery efforts, Helped craft the 3/5 compromise giving slave
states more power, Relaxed rights enforcement order
(30:08):
maintained through property rights, not human rights.
Justifications covering ethical gaps.
Exactly the insight. Authoritarian patterns emerge
through deliberate compromise. Discipline substituted for
justice. Myth displaced memory, the
series concludes. Jefferson showed how a Republic
can look free while building domination underneath.
(30:29):
Jefferson left office, but the wave he built marched on.
OK, Part 7 James Madison, The Constitutional Crisis.
Madison, the architect, is principal designed the
Constitution to prevent tyranny.But by his presidency, the
source argues, it was being usedto expand power and silence
dissent. The War of 1812 was a key
moment. Yeah, it exposed how weak the
federal government was. Ironically, Madison, who'd
(30:51):
argued against strong central power, felt forced to call for a
bigger military, a National Bank, more executive authority.
Dissenters got branded unpatriotic.
And the insight links this back to the wave.
Like Ross in The Wave, Madison believed his system could self
regulate. But in times of fear, the crowd
doesn't follow reason, it follows power.
Shows how even good designs can buckle under pressure.
(31:13):
Then emergency powers, permanentpatterns, temporary measures
becoming fixed. Like in the wave, where rules
get added daily, Madison signed laws increasing surveillance of
foreigners. Domestic critics let states
restrict speech during wartime. Power shifted to military and
financial elites. And the insight about inertia.
Emergency rules often outlast emergencies.
(31:33):
Authoritarianism grows not from intent but inertia.
How temporary fixes can erode liberty long term?
Voices silence during this time.The Hartford Convention where
anti war federalists met was demonized.
Anti war papers harassed. Civil liberties shrink under
calls for loyalty. Patriotism versus obedience gets
blurry. The Insight compares it to the
classroom again. In Madison's America, as in
(31:56):
Ross's class, loyalty became a test of character and critique,
a sign of betrayal, making dissent seem treasonous.
And the designs and defects of the Constitution itself.
Slavery still entrenched. Voting restricted, wealth
prioritized. The system worked as designed,
the source argues, to preserve elite rule under democratic
(32:18):
disguise. The insight suggests the system
failed its educational purpose. The teacher built the system to
teach order, but once it served power, it ceased to teach, the
series concludes. Madison didn't seek tyranny, but
created a blueprint others wouldlater exploit.
He passed the system on. Part 8.
James Monroe, The Illusion of Unity.
(32:38):
Monroe, the substitute teacher, according to the series,
presided over the era of good feelings, looked like consensus
avoiding fights. But the series argues this calm
was deceptive. Yeah, it hid growing
authoritarian currents. Monroe toured as a unifier but
didn't tackle the big issues, slavery, sectionalism.
The Federalist Party collapsed, removing opposition.
(32:59):
Dissent went underground. The insight Monroe's passive
leadership let the system hardenin silence.
And harmony without justice. The Missouri Compromise.
Maintained peace, sure, but affirmed slavery's expansion?
Monroe's signed it, preserving the Union but embedding
injustice deeper. Masked moral failure as
pragmatism, the series argues. Westward expansion.
(33:22):
Continued dispossession of Native nations.
The insight contrasts peace and justice.
Discipline without conscience becomes violence.
Monroe's calm preserved the peace of the powerful, not
justice for the excluded. Superficial unity hiding deep
costs. In the Doctrine Empire through
isolation. The Monroe Doctrine warned
Europe off the Americas, but theseries argues it also asserted
(33:42):
US dominance. Claimed to protect Latin America
but foreshadowed US imperialism.Cloaked expansion in Liberty
Talk. The insight connects this to
policing behavior. In the wave, the students
believe they are protecting eachother, but in reality they are
policing one another for control.
How protective doctrines can mass control and dominance?
And the forgotten students in Monroe's era.
(34:03):
Same groups, largely enslaved people, Native nations, free
black communities, women, all excluded from that supposed
national unity. The insight links unity and
erasure. The group feels united when
outsiders are erased. Monroe's peace demanded
forgetting the oppressed, the series concludes.
Monroe offered comfort, but discontent festered.
(34:23):
He helped it forget how to question itself, left a nation
seemingly united but primed for rupture.
Finally, Part 9 John Quincy Adams, The Fracturing Republic.
Adams, the scholar president, intellectually brilliant, had
big ideas. National University
infrastructure, human rights. But the system was hostile.
Blocked by Congress, clashed with politics.
(34:44):
Yeah, Jacksonian populist sectional interests shut him
down, his ideas on Native rightsignored, and that corrupt
bargain accusation undermined him from day one.
The insight Once the system favors spectacle over substance,
the teacher becomes irrelevant. Intellect losing out to
politics? The corrupt bargain itself a
(35:04):
legitimacy crisis. Adams won in the House, not the
popular vote. Jackson screamed theft.
Public trust in the system eroded fast.
The insight warns about seeking revenge.
When students suspect the systemis rigged, they no longer seek
truth. They seek revenge.
How loss of faith can lead to wanting to tear things down, not
fix them. And voices ignored his national
(35:25):
vision met resistance. Pushed for infrastructure, but
states rights folks, Southern slaveholders, Western factions
resisted. The nation wasn't united by a
story anymore, but by contested myths, the source says.
The insight speaks to fragmentation.
The movement collapses when belief fragments.
Adams faced a Republic already splintering, where progress
looked like tyranny to those in power.
(35:47):
How divided things had become. But Adams had a significant post
presidency right legacy of a dissenter.
Absolutely. Went back to Congress.
Became a a powerful voice against slavery.
Fought the gag rule, Defended the Amistad captives.
Became a moral force. The inside sees long term value
in that. After the system collapses, the
few who spoke out remain tarnished or forgotten until the
(36:08):
next generation reopens the book.
The impact of principled stands,even when they fail initially.
So the conclusion on Adams? He stood for principal, but the
system had shifted to performance patronage.
The era of national vision was ending, replaced by mass
politics, spectacle, populist anger.
Adams didn't break the system, but he showed it was breaking.
(36:30):
And crucially, the Republic Adams hoped to teach had stopped
listening and started choosing sides.
OK, so that's a heavy historicaltour.
Let's bring it right back to thepresent and what the source
projects as a potential future. It calls the section Trump and
the Triumph of the Wave, 20/25/2029.
This is from Part 3, Section 9. And the description here is,
well, it's stark. It is the series addresses this
(36:52):
moment directly, stating the wave returns stronger and
unquestioned. The students embrace it
willingly, no longer needing persuasion, only permission.
This is presented as the trajectory analyzed in the
series, not necessarily a crystal ball prediction, but the
logical outcome based on their analysis.
And the drift described for thisperiod, what is the source
(37:14):
foresee? It contends Trump uses his final
term to consolidate power, purging civil servants,
politicizing federal agencies, criminalizing dissent and
enforcing ideological loyalty across institutions.
It paints a picture of democratic norms being actively
dismantled. And the final insight for this
potential scenario. It's a warning.
(37:34):
Constitutional democracy is hollowed out not with a bang,
but with flags waving and crowdscheering, highlighting how
systems can erode from within, sometimes with popular support
or at least acquiescence. Which leads directly to the big
question the source poses, what we must learn and do.
Right. Remember the end of the Wave
movie? The teacher shows the picture of
Hitler, breaks the spell, but the source warns us we don't
(37:57):
have that luxury. We're living it.
And, the series argues, the consequences of what it calls
the Maggie A movement are already here.
Yeah, it points to specifics. A violent coup attempt,
systematic dismantling of rights, deep distrust in
elections, open anti-Semitism, racism and misogyny.
These are presented as the real world results of these wave like
(38:18):
forces. So the crucial question is what
if we just stand by, remain passive?
The warning from the source is crystal clear.
If we do nothing, Part 3 of the story will not be fictional.
It will be history repeating. Only this time we're in it, then
it pivots to action. Specific calls to action based
on what we must learn. Yes, it urges.
(38:39):
Teach critical thinking, not obedience, also encourage
pluralism, not purity, and fundamentally build solidarity,
not supremacy. It.
Comes back to that idea of rebuilding the educational
mountain. Exactly.
To help people surf it toward freedom, not fascism.
The overall message is a strong encouragement to get involved,
to actively resist these authoritarian trends and.
(38:59):
For listeners wondering how to engage, the sources do offer
some specific suggestions. Yes.
First, simply discuss this with others in person and online.
Talk about these ideas. Share the insights in your own
circles. Conversation matters.
It does. Second, they suggest visiting
and exploring the free civic education
portal@https.github.com/freeciviseducation,presented as a resource for
(39:25):
deeper learning. OK, what else?
Subscribe to Educate Resistance for new posts support their
work, emphasizing ongoing learning and engagement.
And connecting online. They invite listeners to join us
for a conversation on Blueski HTTPS dot beski dot profile
educate resistance dot beski dotsocial, continuing the dialogue
there. All right, so as we start to
wrap this up, let's leave you, our listener, with something to
(39:47):
really chew on a provocative thought.
If the wave isn't just about bigleaders.
If it's always kind of lurking, waiting, and those very human
needs for belonging, for order, for purpose, needs that can be
twisted. Then how do we stay vigilant
constantly against that quiet pull of conformity in our own
lives, in our communities? What small things can we
(40:09):
actually do, day by day to push back against that subtle creep
of authoritarian thinking? How do we foster a society that
values questions more than answers, inclusion more than
purity? Heavy questions, but important
ones. We really want to thank you for
joining us on this deep dive today.
Yeah, thank you. Our genuine hope is that these
insights drawn from the series help empower you, help you
(40:32):
become a more informed, more critical participant in shaping
the future you want to see. Not the future some dictator
might want for you. Exactly.
Remember, knowledge isn't just about knowing things, it's about
understanding and applying them.So please continue exploring
these ideas. Discuss them, challenge them,
engage with them. Be part of building the world
you believe in. Thanks for listening.
(40:54):
We've seen the tide turn before,from liberty to fear, from truth
to control. But this is not the end.
This is our call to stand, to rise, to rebuild.
Because democracy is not a gift,it's a choice.
Every day, in shiles cast by tyrant's hand, where truth was
drowned beneath the sand, We heard the cry from far and wide,
(41:15):
a silent. Scream the stars get high from.
Epstein's dark, unsealed decay to bump it.
Laws that strip away the mask has slipped.
The right exposed, the halls of power now deposed.
But through the noise, a spark remained.
A voice not bought, not bent, Unchained.
A Cam and tape not born from gold but fire, just as stories
(41:36):
from. The ashes we rise like the dawn
breaking lies with the way. There's our guide.
We reclaim what survived, not just for one, but for all.
We the people here, the culture of the world, we unite, but we
born in the light. From 4 cries ringing out afar to
(41:57):
blood red lines in Kandahar, authoritarians fed the flame,
but millions rose and spoke. Our name.
The firewall built from every voice.
Survivors made the noblest choice to leave, to speak, to
build a new a global dream long overdue.
The truth they feared, we now declare the.
World's not theirs. We all must care from cave to.
(42:19):
Flint from Gaza shore? No.
Whelms Peace. Anymore from the ashes we rise
it's like the dawn breaking lieswith the wave there's our guide.
We reclaim what survive not justfor one life for all we the
people here, the call to the wall we unite.
(42:39):
We born in the light and. About left or right, It's about
right and wrong. The wave taught us how it
happened, slowly, subtly, and all at once.
But we've learned. We've seen and we've chosen.
(43:03):
Never again. From the ashes we rise no more
heart, for more lies with the wind.
Within our strife we ignite the world wide tide, the newly
earth. Fortune flay not for power, For
the name of every voice that dares to fight.
Go reborn in the light. We have a fire.
(43:26):
We are the wave. And this time we choose the
light. We are the wave.
(43:47):
And this time we choose the light.
(44:28):
We've learned, we've seen, and we've chosen ever again.
From the ashes we arise. No more hate, no more lies with
the wave. Taught us how it happens slowly,
subtly, than all at once. But we've learned, we've seen,
and we've chosen. Never again.
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