Gracearchy with Jim Babka

Discover why misdefining crucial concepts like the Overton Window can hinder progress and grace in public discourse. In this six-minute episode of 'Instant Grace,' Jim Babka clarifies the strategic role of the Overton Window in defining which ideas are embraced or excluded, shaping not just media narratives but also societal discussions at large. Tune in as Jim advocates for deeper engagement with sidelined perspectives, illustrating how a richer spectrum of debate can enhance our collective understanding and promote meaningful dialogue. Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. ChatGPT4 was used to help write the show description. Be grace-full to each other.

The law is specific. "Safe harbor words" define and determine what the Federal Election Commission regulates. No one is claiming Donald Trump used those words. It's hard to tell if Trump's lawyers understand the concept of "Express Advocacy," but if they do, and they use the argument found here, then D.A. Alvin Bragg lacks the felony he needs. So what is going on here? This is a cursory review. But we'll also show you where you can learn the complete case. TIMELINE 0:00 Instant Grace 0:22 Newspeak 0:57 Non-express advocacy? 3:32 Why none of the charges are felonies 4:03 Campaigns can libel each other but this is a problem? 5:08 The two Trump arguments you'll hear about 6:08 Jim's non-partisan disclaimer 6:34 The truths the media hides about campaign finance laws 7:57 How the establishment weaponizes campaign laws 9:09 Eyeballs Episodes Referenced... EP42: Trump & The Rancid Truth About Campaign Finance Laws https://youtu.be/NNQDvm3pFns EP43: The Establishment Strikes Back, The Steve Stockman Story https://youtu.be/SK02wslA-kw Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ Thumbnail utilizes a photo by CmdrDan, CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Be grace-full to each other.

Empathy, Media, and the Dynamics of Mimetic Conflict: Every commentator has policy prescriptions. They pretend to fix the world. But Jim Babka has spent introspective months waiting to comment on this complicated and contentious situation. Now, Jim has finally arrived at a point where he's confident enough to offer three insights. His first insight is especially surprising. And, unlike the policy wonks and political special pleaders, the insights featured here are timeless, even profound. This episode highlights the transformative role of grace in analyzing media narratives and resolving conflicts, emphasizing the psychological dynamics of mimetic rivalry where opponents inadvertently mirror each other’s destructive behaviors. By exploring how inherited desires and behaviors can be transformed, the podcast presents a transformative path towards understanding and peace. If you're ready to look beyond the headlines and gain a deeper understanding of one of the most contentious issues facing the world today, you'll appreciate this episode of Gracearchy with Jim Babka. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:43 All episodes at ZeroAggressionProject.org 1:50 What took Jim so long? 6:16 Convictions 7:29 Land question 9:00 Unreal surface desires 10:21 Desires are passed on mimetically 11:29 No one has an accurate ledger 16:12 The trap of knowledge 17:01 A tool of insight and peace 17:44 Possessed by a spirit 19:56 Reification of the State 25:18 Conflict - irony and obliviousness 26:43 Mimetic rivalry and Jim's confession 29:32 Hypocrisy to match 30:27 Craving schadenfreude 31:56 Validation of the First Stone 33:34 No condemnation here 34:17 How Grace can be scandalous 35:27 Phony Justice 37:11 The purpose of the State 39:56 The grand plans would not satisfy 40:42 The power of imagination 41:40 Adrenaline vs oxytocin, aka, fear vs trust Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Show notes created with the aid of ChatGPT 4. Be grace-full to each other.

A Bonus Jerry Bowyer Interview! *Profound insight awaits.* Former CNBC commentator, Jerry Bowyer, brings a fresh perspective to one of the most intriguing parables in the Bible — Jesus's Parable of the Eye. Documented in Matthew 7, this story is traditionally seen as a lesson on hypocrisy or forgiveness. Yet Jerry's interpretation reveals a deeper message about how we perceive ourselves and others, magnified through the lens of today's media-driven society. This episode not only unpacks the parable but also sheds additional light on Jim Babka's concept of the "Conflict Machine," describing how societal structures foster division. Jerry uses his CNBC background to shed light on how the media thrives on mimetic rivalry, negatively influencing public perception and personal values. And memorable metaphors like "Mirrors vs. Screens" and an episode of Star Trek (the original) will offer you actionable insights, instantly applicable to your daily life. Tune in to challenge your perspectives, understand the roots of societal conflicts, and transform how you engage with the world around you. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:43 Serendipity 2:39 As Seen on TV 4:04 Media driven by mimetic rivalry 6:23 To Be on TV or Not to Be 9:52 No News, Conflict over established facts 11:47 Taking a media fast 13:09 Networks obsessed with their rivals 15:42 Jesus's Parable, Beam in the Eye 17:39 How do you see me? 21:23 Seeing the mirror instead 22:24 Mirrors vs screens, and how to go viral 23:36 Epistle of James about Mimetic Conflict 27:37 Tears of the other tribe 30:58 Social cannibalism vs communion Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Show notes created with the aid of ChatGPT 4. Be grace-full to each other.

Was Jesus a Socialist? Jerry Bowyer joins us to dissect the misinterpretations of Jesus' teachings that have fueled such claims. Diving beyond the surface readings of Jesus advising a rich man to sell everything and aid the poor, or His righteous anger in the temple, Bowyer brings his economic expertise and thorough research in Biblical texts, history, and archeology to challenge the socialist narrative. In his book, "The Maker Versus the Takers: What Jesus Really Said About Social Justice and Economics," Bowyer highlights Jesus' encounters with the economic systems of His day -- systems rife with coercive taxation and exploitation of the poor by the elite. Jesus' "messianic" messages on debt forgiveness and His critiques of the economic status quo are explored, revealing a profound understanding of justice and economics that's far from socialism. This episode unpacks the true economic message of Jesus Christ, emphasizing freedom and the moral foundations of markets. Join us for a compelling correction of widespread misconceptions, and discover how Jesus' teachings resonate with principles of economic freedom and individual dignity. NOTES The Maker Versus the Takers: What Jesus Really Said About Social Justice and Economics by Jerry Bowyer - https://www.amazon.com/Maker-Versus-Takers-Justice-Economics/dp/1637586906/ Student Loan/Jubilee episode - (on AHO Radio Network) https://youtu.be/Bj-xmOKU0Uc TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:58 A Short List guest 1:56 Best sermon at Freedom Fest 2:43 Refutation of socialist Jesus 3:37 The rich young ARCHON 5:52 Temple tax and redistribution scheme 9:47 Why location matters in the gospels 14:01 Why the Northern Tribes seceded 17:25 Taxes to Caesar, trap the anti-tax guy 18:52 Why Jesus turned the tables at the temple 23:32 Jesus singles out the dove merchants 25:59 The Maker versus The Takers 26:44 The Problem of Debt 28:50 70 times 7 33:10 Messiah would bring debt forgiveness 35:20 Jesus's macroeconomic parable 39:12 Current implications and predictions 42:41 Is debt a sin? 46:52 Devouring widow's houses 49:44 The Son of Man is not Marx Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Show notes created with the aid of ChatGPT 4. Be grace-full to each other.

How René Girard's 'Gospel Technology' Denudes the State, with Guest David Gornoski In a riveting intersection of philosophy, theology, and the heart of voluntaryism, David Gornoski unravels 'Gospel Technology' – a groundbreaking concept that lays bare the machinations of state power. Drawing from René Girard's insights, we uncover a revolution in personhood that challenges and dismantles the hierarchies of authority. Join us for a deep dive into reshaping social constructs for a liberated future, including… A Journey Into Superior Social Constructs Gospel Technology: "Dive into how 'Gospel Technology'—David Gornoski's innovative take on Girard—exposes the state's reliance on mimetic rivalry and violence. It's time to see beyond the facade of power structures and reclaim our narrative." The Personhood Revolution: "Embrace the radical power of recognizing each individual's sacredness. This bold acknowledgment strikes at the heart of the state's claim to violence and control. Are you ready to join the revolution?" From Myth to Reality: "Embark on a transformative journey from accepting pervasive myths to awakening to the stark 'unveiled truths.' Gospel technology doesn't just enlighten; it liberates." Once we have these insights... What Will You and I Do With This Knowledge? Discover the pivotal role of art and narrative in bringing gospel technology's truths to life. Art isn't just a mirror to society – it's a hammer with which to shape it. Learn how to wield this tool not only to challenge the status quo but to forge new visions of hope and transformation. We've described René Girard as the anthropological inspiration for Gracearchy. We just recently did our most important episode, "René Girard: The Founding of Religion and State." And now… Mr. Gornoski is the first commentator we've invited on the program to add color and depth to the subject. David shares his testimony as to how he discovered René Girard. He also unpacks Girardian insights such as... * The true definition of Apocalypse (it's not cataclysmic destruction). * Shakespeare's method of apocalyptic satire. * A discussion on the contagious nature of desire, including how societal movements can gain 'magic energy.' And David brings his own brand of Girardian analysis to other topics such as... * The insufficiency of Libertarianism. * The modern compartmentalization of faith, and its implications for personal and societal ethics. * The idea that modern ideologies and movements, even those seemingly secular, are deeply influenced by the narrative and ethos of Christ – a concept he calls "the Christ haunted world." On top of all that, we have two Gracepoints – ways to use and apply the information found in this rather unique presentation. Why It Matters This episode of Gracearchy is more than a mere conversation; it's a clarion call to dismantle the myths that shackle us and to pioneer governance rooted in dignity and respect. If hidden myths obstruct our path to true freedom, it's our duty to unveil them. Are you prepared to see the unseen and share this vision with the world? TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Theme 0:56 Introduction 3:16 Discovery of Girard 5:03 Theology with Anthropology 7:25 Apocalypse, true definition 9:04 The Personhood Revolution 11:07 From where does desire come? 14:49 Text that invites us to wrestle 17:52 Gospel technology 21:49 Mythology vs technology 26:12 Make better Art! 29:44 Perform the truth 32:07 Shakespeare's apocalyptic satire 35:56 Magic energy of mimesis 37:04 Libertarianism insufficient nutrients 41:17 Faith, disconnected and private 42:31 A Christ-haunted world 43:42 Statism and ideologies are fading 46:46 The imitation of Christ looks like... 48:22 You can't stop the war until... 48:53 Two gracepoints Connect with David at his website - https://aneighborschoice.com/ Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Masterclass in interview psychology & a fresh perspective on grace in journalism Don Lemon conducts an adversarial interview of Elon Musk. What did you see? https://youtu.be/hhsfjBpKiTw I, your moderator Bill Protzmann, recommend you watch this interview through Jim Babka's eyes. He'll show you things you'll likely miss, such as the use and power of these interview tactics... - The Awkward Pause - The Confidence Play, or how to "reset the guest" - Guilt by Association Jim also exposes the power and anti-grace of Shaming Your Subject. He presents a better alternative, showing how to graciously ask profoundly invasive questions. Plus, before you're done listening, you'll learn the right ways to check error with truth - and it's superior to censorship. After you watch this episode, you'll never see a hostile interview the same way again. You'll know what's really happening. This is our first-ever "reaction video." We include more than a dozen clips and analyze them. But... WHY DID WE CHOOSE TO DEVOTE AN EPISODE TO THIS EXCHANGE? ...especially given that it's straight out of the Conflict Machine? First, we uphold the First Amendment as more than a law. In its absolute form, it is an ethical statement. It is anti-relational to violate it. This intolerance overlooks the humanity of persons and reduces the chance of understanding. Harmony is much harder to achieve in the face of this intolerance. And there's a significant debate here about "content moderation" That caught Jim's attention. Then, once he watched the interview, something else leapt out. THERE'S A CNN IDEOLOGY Indeed, Don Lemon is such an adherent to it that he pulled off the most expensive prank in history. His zealousness also drove him to commit an act of "free press irony." You'll see both things during the show. There are two other bonuses in this, our longest episode ever. Elon has a high-leverage insight about conspiracy theories. Also, he gives a two-minute take on the question that so many people seem to wonder about: What makes Elon tick, and how does he see himself? TRANSPARENCY The Don Lemon episode on which this episode is based. https://youtu.be/hhsfjBpKiTw We're including the time stamps for the clips we played. We're making it EASY for you to check out the context of Jim's remarks, and see if he's handling them correctly and gracefully. Feel free to applaud or critique. A. :21 - :39 B. 1:41 - 1:58 C. 4:39 - 5:58 D. 7:48 - 8:13 E. Screen grab of 13:14 - Pic, not video F. 19:16 - 20:05 G. 27:48 - 28:42 H. 29:13 - 29:42 I. 30:04 - 30:49 J. 31:56 - 34:14 K. 37:35 - 38:09 L. 40:15 - 40:54 M. 1:00:06 - 1:01:09 N. 1:05:03 - 1:06:11 Carefully selected segments in this video are utilized under the Fair Use doctrine of U.S. copyright law. The fair uses here include criticism, comment, and teaching for non-profit educational purposes. CHAPTERS 0:00 Theme 1:05 Our First Reaction Video 3:25 Context & Disclaimers 7:15 Lemon's self-awareness 7:57 When are you going to stop being a bigot? 9:01 Most expensive prank ever 10:41 Our relationship with YOU 13:08 It was always the plan 15:57 Unprepared 19:31 The Awkward Pause 26:38 Was Don offended all along? 29:52 Reset the guest 32:10 Shaming depression 39:00 Migrants & Great Replacement Theory 42:31 Jews & Great Replacement Theory 46:01 Moderation vs Community Notes 50:31 Digital chastity belt 54:32 Free press irony 56:42 Community notes is better than the law 58:46 How Hate Speech can be a strawman 1:01:15 Content moderation is censorship 1:02:13 How to learn from a debate 1:06:31 DEI is not what's happening at Boeing 1:08:02 The CNN ideology 1:09:30 How much bad behavior must you tolerate? 1:12:42 Why Elon bought Twitter 1:15:52 CNN ideology includes you're too stupid 1:17:38 Elon's view of himself encapsulated 1:19:07 Reality of goodness, not the perception of it 1:20:56 How to make the world a better place 1:23:52 How the CNN ideology is anti-beauty ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

21 years ago, my friends and I exposed a false flag war. Over the next several years, nearly every prediction we made happened. Our pre-Iraq War claims were thoroughly vindicated. They seem obvious now. But at the time, no major American institution was reporting the things we had found -- so we ran radio ads. The ads would air, and the stations would get angry calls and they refused to sell us additional time. We even got a death threat. The website was TruthAboutWar.org. It's been frozen - preserved since 2003. It's a timeless testament on how to use principles and heuristics to challenge political authority in a crisis. This episode of Gracearchy with Jim Babka is arranged around the four Truth About War radio ads. We play the ad, then break it down. We cover points such as... * Saddam Hussein had no nuclear weapons. * Saddam Hussein had no ties to al-Qaeda. * The first Bush administration knew Saddam was going to attack Kuwait. * George W. Bush had plans to oust Saddam before 9/11 happened. * Hussein supported no terrorism against the U.S. We dive into the manipulative baby incubator propaganda. We explain the importance of a formal war declaration by Congress. And more. This story isn’t just a relic of the past; it's a crucial lesson on the importance of questioning authority and understanding how the mechanics of fear are used to compromise our liberty. It's a lesson for today, tomorrow, and even future generations on the vigilance needed to safeguard, and hopefully expand our liberty. NOTES TruthAboutWar.org - http://www.truthaboutwar.org/home.shtml TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:57 Truth is the first casualty of war 3:32 We alone, We vindicated 4:42 The power of Heuristic Thinking 7:48 How was it received? 10:11 Inspirations 12:48 Colin Powell's televised charade 14:15 A mushroom cloud over an American city 15:22 Doubts 16:43 Hussein had no nukes 22:59 Hussein had no ties to al-Qaeda 28:30 Why a Declaration of War is necessary 31:13 Lies 32:13 Bush admin knew Saddam would attack Kuwait 37:24 The lie of Babies taken out of incubators 39:29 Plans to oust Hussein before 9/11 42:43 Why? 43:43 Hussein's brutality did not include terrorism 46:27 Cheney's convoy 50:31 Freedom Fries & An Awakening 51:36 Cost predicted 53:14 Costs tallied 57:03 Problem with Patriotism Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ Episode 90's thumbnail includes photography by Steven Zucker of Smarthistory.org, whose work appears at https://www.flickr.com/people/profzucker/ and is available under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Deed | Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic | Creative Commons https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/legalcode.en We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Sharing Increases More With Capitalism - Not Under Socialism Will the haters come out for this 19-minute episode? Most people don't understand free-market capitalism. Even some of its defenders believe it's driven primarily by greed. The opponents of capitalism think greed is sufficient reason to compel people to share. They call that socialism or redistribution. In this episode, titled "How Capitalism Optimizes Redistribution of Wealth," we explain that... * Socialism is not sharing. * People want to share. * Investors are engaged in a form of sharing. * We "eat the rich"! That is, we directly benefit from wealth inequality. Plus, "tax-the-rich" advocates don't really address greed by others; they're engaged in ENVY themselves. This envy costs you and me. That's why... I have a killer question that exposes ENVY. You'll want to have this question in your pocket. Sometimes our most interesting conversations happen off-air and are not recorded. Once in a while, we wish we had recorded. This episode is an impromptu, post-show recording. I had no idea what Bill was going to ask me. But once I knew Bill's first question, we went back into studio mode. As a result, there's one section I feel like I flopped. We'll see if you can pick it out. Perhaps you can send a message and give me helpful, constructive pointers for next time. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:43 Why people share 3:01 Production precedes consumption 5:12 Why people produce 7:46 How we eat the rich 9:19 Envy of anti-capitalists 11:08 Tax the rich and YOU lose 17:21 What makes sharing possible ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

This is the most important episode of Gracearchy, yet. The work of René Girard provides the "anthropological underpinnings" of Gracearchy with Jim Babka. Anthropology is the study of human society, including its origins, culture, social structures, and language. That's a pretty big topic, but this episode goes deeper. Girard's work is much like a "Theory of Everything." We recognize that this might be a turn-off. Some people prefer to show more sophistication by having a big catalog of explanations, perhaps two for every different subject. But in this episode, we show how Girard's work starts as a literary theory, then journeys on to anthropology and psychology, then travels through mythology, theology, and, finally, sociology. By traveling this path, as you will in this episode, you learn the origin of the State and of religion. And not only those things, but also the source of cultural rituals, political behaviors, and war. We cover all of that in this one episode! So the claim, that this is the most important episode we've yet done... Well, that's real. The Scapegoat The original goal of this episode was to cover and explain the role of the Scapegoat in René Girard's theory. But the conversation took off in inspired ways. The concept of the Scapegoat sits at the intersection of my personal theology and my Voluntaryist social philosophy. And Jim couldn't help himself -- he had to explain how it fits into a big picture. The Scapegoat is a sacrificial concept. Both institutional religion and statism are founded in and sustained by the blood of innocents. And the recognition of the Scapegoat can be an invitation to the end of superstition. Our journey includes Oedipus, Caiaphas, Hobbes, Nietzsche, and Kaepernick (yes, the quarterback). Examples from literature, history, and current events are also included. We hope you'll listen, slowly, carefully -- maybe even twice. This episode is that foundational. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Opening 1:01 There was a Part 1 4:39 Mimetic desire 7:07 Mirror rivals 8:33 Hobbes understood mimetic rivalry 12:18 Political parties sell rivalry 15:16 A literary theory becomes anthropology 17:03 Great authors as proto-psychoanalysts 19:25 Thesis for this episode 20:33 Mythological solution to violence 22:54 Understanding the Scapegoat 25:36 The innocent victim in mythology 31:35 Justifying the sacrificial murder 34:29 Girard discovers a break in the pattern 36:33 Biblical arc away from sacrifice 39:35 Awareness Girardian insight 1 41:46 Sociology, founding religion and state 42:44 Purpose of rituals 45:37 Power is narcotic, mob's cup of blood 46:52 Communion Girardian insight 2 50:10 Judge not - take up your cross 51:44 Nietzsche the great theologian 54:14 Ideologies, current pagan religions 55:34 Religion, Mythological vs Biblical 57:00 Why playing Victim is the power play 59:57 Is Jim pro- or anti-religion? Show Notes Episode 7 - René Girard and Memetic Desire: https://youtu.be/8yvv-3WYKIs Thank you to Sarah Perry whose article "Fluid Rigor" appeared May 4 2017 issue of Ribbonfarm and includes the illustration we use in this episode - https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2017/05/04/fluid-rigor/ Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Do you understand the new political realignment? Is freedom fading? Traditional Democrats are fleeing their party. Many of them are sounding more socially conservative. Meanwhile, Republicans are questioning free trade and calling for industrial policy. They increasingly sound like FDR Democrats. Oh, and over the last few decades, the Libertarians popularized a Nolan Chart Quiz, demonstrating that left-right (liberal vs conservative) spectrum was incomplete. David Nolan introduced a second dimension that measured freedom vs authoritarianism. The result was a more diverse and accurate picture of individual ideology. Nolan's second axis is based on the political left standing for social freedom, and the political right working for economic freedom. But the purveyors of the most popular Quiz are noticing some strange behaviors. They're noticing less freedom too! We wonder what is happening. That's why we invited an expert to Gracearchy with Jim Babka... Stephanie Slade is a senior editor at Reason. She has written articles like "Can Free Markets Win Votes In the New GOP?" and "The Authoritarian Convergence" about the fact that each national party has become less (classically) liberal. We reference four of her most relevant articles, below. Slade is also an expert on "fusionism" -- the historical alliance between conservatives and libertarians. Remember when Ronald Reagan said, "Government is the problem?" What happened to that? We asked Stephanie. And you'll learn her answer by listening to this interview... Stephanie Slade is also a scholar for the Acton Institute. Acton is concerned with teaching the moral benefits and workings of free markets to Christians. Slade is herself a Catholic. Our show went from faith, to fusionism, to political realignment, to the rising illiberalism we are seeing in many places, including the Nolan Chart quiz. It was fun to discuss what it's like to be a Christian at Reason (magazine). We covered other topics too, such as Thick vs Thin libertarianism, and why a believer should oppose... - Government welfare programs - Prohibition - Having the State inculcate virtue -- especially to schoolchildren. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:44 Faith, Fusion, Nolan's Chart 2:49 Intro Stephanie Slade 4:05 A Catholic at Reason 9:15 Can the State inculcate virtue? 12:01 The ways Gov Welfare is bad 15:31 Subsidiarity 21:15 Frank Meyer and fusionism 27:47 Thick vs Thin libertarianism 37:12 What happened to Reaganism? 41:35 Authoritarian Convergence 46:04 Perspective combats fears 51:16 The political realignment is real 55:54 Nolan Chart evidence of realignment 1:04:39 How to write World's Smallest Political Quiz questions 1:12:23 Orient from extremes, toward Grace LINKS The episode of Gracearchy (EP 19) inspired by Stephanie Slades article, "The Authoritarian Convergence"... https://youtu.be/xDn9OSWqKjI Stephanie Slade articles referenced during the show... - Can Free Markets Win Votes In the New GOP? https://reason.com/2024/02/03/reexamining-the-realignment/ - The Authoritarian Convergence https://reason.com/2022/09/13/the-authoritarian-convergence/ - Is There a Future for Fusionism? https://reason.com/2021/02/10/is-there-a-future-for-fusionism/ - Must Libertarians Care About More Than the State? The tension between two libertarianisms in the big tent https://reason.com/2022/03/19/two-libertarianisms/ ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Jon Stewart sounds different than all of the mainstream (mostly Democrat-leaning) commentators. In fact, they don't understand how he can criticize Joe Biden, even a tiny bit. Their sense of humor vanishes. I happen to know one of Jon Stewart's biggest performance secrets. Stewart understands something important about American politics. And I gave this insight a memorable name and wrote an entire article about it in 2021. When you discover this insight, it'll be like putting on new glasses. You'll see politics not only differently, but also with far greater clarity. The first step to being so insightful, is to listen to this 19-minute episode of Gracearchy with Jim Babka. **How Jon Stewart Killed Crossfire ** Stewart returned to The Daily Show two Mondays ago. Last Monday, he comedically critiqued Tucker Carlson's Putin production decisions. But that bit of satire was not their first rodeo. In this episode of Gracearchy, I re-tell the story of how Jon Stewart pulled back the curtain and exposed the central contrivance of CNN's Crossfire. Stewart's guest appearance, in front of co-host Tucker Carlson, was like a time bomb. It blew the longstanding show off the air, not long after. That appearance is so important, it has its own Wikipedia page and a YouTube version of it with 17 million views. Just a couple of years after Stewart's Crossfire appearance, I became one of five writers on a group blog. Stewart's Crossfire performance helped inspire a memetic idea that became the conclusion of all my blog posts. And it helped lead me to the secret shared in this episode. So... You'll hear the Crossfire story, my story, plus one other Jon Stewart bonus story in this episode. And before we're through... I'll explain where I still differ with Stewart. In fact, you'll hear how to "grace" - that is, we'll discuss grace as a verb. LINKS "Killing Crossfire" on YouTube https://youtu.be/aFQFB5YpDZE FACT-CHECK I (Jim) was wrong. It's extraordinary that there's a Wikipedia entry for this episode. And it indicates that cancellation took about three months, not three weeks. I stand corrected. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Stewart%27s_2004_appearance_on_Crossfire The Conflict Machine Explains Our Politics https://theexitnetwork.substack.com/p/the-conflict-machine-explains-our TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:44 Jon Stewart's return 1:46 Shrieking by Trump Derangement crowd 3:31 Tucker's favorite politician 5:04 Equal opportunity critic 6:38 False moral equivalency 7:10 Jon Stewart's secret 11:22 Real solution, stop and grace 12:40 How Jon killed Crossfire 16:30 Hardball delenda est Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

I (Jim) took a case all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court on Free Press rights. I have unique thoughts to offer on that subject. But not today. Instead, I want to share something that no one else (that I've heard) has said about Julian Assange's case. It's something a show like Gracearchy would be tuned-in to notice. Give us four minutes - discover something spiritually profound. Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZeroAggressionProject.org https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ is the sponsor. Be grace-full to each other.

Americans are captives, conditioned to love their captors. Most Americans even get their own bodies confused on this matter, operating under the myth that they are the rulers of this country. That's an old fairy tale. That's why this episode of Gracearchy is titled "Are Americans Brainwashed Into Submission?" The concepts we covered match some of our Zero Aggression Project "Mental Levers" especially the one on... Stockholm Syndrome. This installment also features plain, blunt talk about... ...borders. ...the U.S. civic religion. ...how little your vote matters. ...how you don't even have choices about who governs you. Positive Rights, Positive Evil What is a right? Are healthcare, housing, food, and clean water rights? Recently, I had a conversation with a man who thinks that anyone who doesn't believe we have the collective duty to provide these things is... EVIL! That's backward. These items require someone to labor for their production. This next part is very, very crucially important... What is the funding mechanism? Donations or free-will purchases? Great. Taxes? Terrible. So I led this man through a thought-exercises. Instead of moral arguments, I focused on the practical ones. Positive rights are terrible products! And that involved a discussion of the following concepts... - The extraordinary overreaction that companies go through to protect their customers, while the State passes the buck and embraces inaction. You'll want to steal my arguments about Flint Water and safety caps! - The truth about government budgets. - The double-barrel question that exposes how little the state moralist cares. And all of this led to the following profound insight: "You have more power as a customer than you do as a citizen." And that, coincidentally, is another ZAP Mental Lever. Of course, it would be wrong to conclude that you and I are opposed to solving social problems. That's why, I concluded by offering five graceful rules to do much, much better at social spending without resorting to the evil of positive rights. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:43 Stockholm Syndrome for the State 5:14 Straining for a social contract 8:38 We did NOT create this government 9:54 The truth about Borders 15:12 The civic religion 17:04 Proofs You are not the government 18:22 You don't staff the government 22:09 You don't even have a choice 25:14 Natural Rights vs... 26:57 The invention of positive rights 30:57 Who will deliver the water? 32:43 Consumers are smarter than voters 34:43 Companies fail but the State cannot 35:44 The revenue model matters 36:38 Companies over-respond 43:11 What have you done, personally? 44:01 Who has way more power than a voter? 46:00 Five rules for better social spending Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Can You Resist the Masters of Political Fear? Propaganda is anti-grace. It seems vital that every one of us can spot manipulation and resist it. That's why the latest episode of "Gracearchy with Jim Babka" dives into the murky waters of political narratives, disinformation, and even invisible forces that shape everyone's perception of reality. Along the way, we took a look at 'Russiagate,' foreign meddling, and the role government employees play in misinformation. Hint: They do it a lot more than you realize, and it's not "censored" when they do. We give you a question that you should always ask if you want to know the underlying, concealed part of a political situation. We also show why bipartisanship is a scam. We also discuss a matter of the soul. Namely... Will you be pulled away from your values, and into conflict just for the sake of conflict? The leading actors in the political process are Provocateurs and Purveyors of Fear. They know how to consistently strike that nerve. But the situation is even worse than that... They also want to destroy your hope. For example, there's a story told to Democrat-leaning voters about Ralph Nader. It's pure myth. By the end of our journey, you'll be better equipped to spot when fear is being ginned up to manipulate you and better prepared to make decisions based on a deeper understanding of the forces at work. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:44 Suppression of outside dissent 2:22 Foreign meddling in elections 6:11 Hypnotic prophecies and gaming us 8:27 Deep politics 11:18 Pulling you into the echo chamber 13:34 The Bi-Partisan Scam 20:12 Provocateurs and Purveyors of Fear 23:37 How big parties use ballot access laws 26:20 The Ralph Nader Myth 29:37 Will we retain the ability to express ourselves? 33:32 The Conflict Machine Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing episode thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Don't get angry. Listen and learn... The "Kennedy, Kennedy, Kennedy" ad during the Super Bowl was "fake" - that is, it said nothing about Robert Kennedy's actual campaign. Even more importantly, there's one huge, super big reason his Super PAC wasted their money. And, as a former third party leader, Jim is in a real position to explain what that roadblock is and why it renders Kennedy's entire campaign to be a fake. If you watch, you'll also shows how fake the entire system is. This is a revisiting or update of Instant Grace #6. How Robert Kennedy Is Quitting The Race (7 min) https://youtu.be/zDIuzpyZVPs Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZeroAggressionProject.org https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ is the sponsor. Be grace-full to each other.

We covered this series of ads, "He Gets Us," before in Ep 35 (link below). There, we asked, "Must everything be about political tribalism?" Now, after the Superbowl, a meme draws me back... "If you pay $100 million for Superbowl ads to convert people to Jesus instead of housing the homeless, you read the wrong book." From a Grace perspective, I disagree. Let's quickly talk about it. Shows referenced... Ep 35 CNN vs He Gets Us https://youtu.be/89u4jJNbmj0 EP62: Faith, V********, Consideration, and Coercion with Dave Brisbin https://youtu.be/6qVoECafeeU Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZeroAggressionProject.org https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ is the sponsor. Be grace-full to each other.

Will Texas secede based on anti-immigration sentiment? Grounded in the belief that nullification and secession are noble tools when they're used to uphold human liberty, Jim Babka has a debate on the pitfalls of misapplied liberty tactics, particularly in the context of immigration. Jim Babka appeared on The Gary Nolan Show (Zimmer Radio Network). That episode was based on a prompt that Jim sent to Gary... "I support nullification and secession when they're done to preserve the liberty of human beings, but I am dismayed when I see these strategies being used for anti-humane reasons. When nullification and secession are used to protect malicious acts, in a given state, it gives these tools of liberty a bad name. And the establishment has been quick to tie these ideas to bigotry." Host Gary played the role of "devil's advocate" -- debating, challenging Jim. Jim gave "rapid fire" answers to common anti-immigrant objections. Jim and Bill use this podcast to replay that Gary Nolan Show appearance, and "stop the tape" to slide in helpful commentary. This installment of Gracearchy delves into... * The morality of anti-immigrant acts and arguments. * Examples of liberal and conservative nullification. * The impact of immigration on border security and welfare benefits. * The role of prohibition and the war on drugs on immigration. * Addressing concerns about Texas secession and its impact on immigration issues. * The importance of personhood and the Image of God. This podcast challenges people to rethink their perspectives on nullification and secession in the context of immigration policy. TIMELINE 0:00 Theme 0:44 Texas, again 2:35 Nullification and Secession Explained 6:25 Noble tools of liberty 8:46 Missouri's Second Amendment Protection Act 11:36 Isn't there a problem at the border? 13:22 Sanctuary cities 17:31 Two wrongs don't make a right 18:40 Radio debate tactic 19:58 They don't care about welfare 21:19 One anecedote is a tragedy 22:07 Immigrants appreciate America more 26:45 Rapid fire objections answered 28:12 Texas secession solves nothing 29:43 Is Texas a special case? 31:14 Boomerang - to keep YOU in 33:15 End welfare state and war on drugs 33:45 Our proud immigrant lineage 34:50 Gary's immigrant story 35:46 Personhood and the Imago Dei 37:14 Secession for personhood only, not malice LINKS EP30: Gov Greg Abbott makes Texas poorer, blue sanctuary cities richer - https://youtu.be/5oWDeBRsCzk U.S. v. Missouri. Missouri enacted a fabulous law – the “Second Amendment Preservation Act.” https://downsizedc.org/outrageous-judicial-errors/ Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Prohibition is Worse than Zyn The Schumer shakedown of flavored nicotine replacements. Zyn is a pouch that delivers nicotine. It replaces smoking. But... There's no smoke. Obvious, right? Not to the guardians of so-called "public health." And, in fact, not to lots of Americans. Many people connect nicotine, a natural product with effects like caffeine. Senator Chuck Schumer is targeting the product, as he did with vaping. He's accusing Zyn of "marketing to children." And his "scientific evidence? They sell flavors. Flavors! But the result could be a prohibition of the product or a ban of flavoring. We elaborate on all of this, plus explain how the Science Says that Schumer's action could be a disaster for public health. **Pseudo-science of Second Hand Smoke** There are historical reasons to believe that anti-smoking crusaders want something beyond, maybe even despite of, public health. One Foundation that proudly led the funding and the fight, sponsored and promoted junk science on second-hand smoke. They engaged the EPA in their work. And that's why we, on Gracearchy with Jim Babka, care about this story. The State should not be regulating the lives of peaceful adults. You might be prone to doubt what I'm saying about second-hand smoke, but in this episode, we bring the evidence. We'll also reveal the major anti-smoking players who disagree with banning nicotine products. Our story also includes alleged cronyism - by the same Foundation that led the fight against cigarettes. I'll present that evidence to you. You can weight it and decide for yourself - cronyism or not? 0:00 Theme 0:44 Thank you for smoking 2:08 Think caffeine not carcinogen 7:07 The 20-year War on Smoking 9:29 Second-hand smoke was junk science 14:04 Johnson Foundation Wars 18:00 Speak up, don't coerce others 19:04 In search of a new cause 20:14 Neither science nor saving lives 24:39 The Nicorette irony 27:14 Bring economists into the room 29:41 Schumer's Shakedown 30:33 The Facts, For the Children 34:35 The Stakes 35:52 Prohibition is a sin Show Notes - About e-cigarette safety - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7976928/ - Judge Osteen, Cato https://www.cato.org/commentary/second-hand-smoke-charade - Judge Osteen, LA Times https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1998-jul-19-mn-5265-story.html - "Kids" who try Zyn, already smoke https://reason.com/2024/01/24/chuck-schumer-attacks-lifesaving-zyn-nicotine-pouches/ Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Jim was on fire, and this episode is like four shows in one! You should know that, up front, because most people look at episode length before deciding to press Play. Longer episodes get fewer listeners. But this is like four episodes in one. AND... There are so many original things said in this episode that you won't hear anywhere else. Here are four big themes we cover... 1. What is the primary motivation of The Creationist movement? They believe something is at stake. So, why are they failing at this existentially important goal? 2. Have you heard of deconstruction? It's the cause of the current young adult generation. The methods of creationism backfire, provoking a quest for truth. Where will they land? 3. If you're trying to help a creationist understand science, Jim has advice. He shares his journey from creationism, including what moved him and what turned him off. He has real solid, actionable advice. And, as always... 4. Grace. As usual, Jim provides "third-way" approaches to this debate. And he explains how Bill Nye's choice to speak up in a room full of people who disagree was an example of the power of grace. If you were a creationist, but you've evolved in your thinking, OR... If you know a creationist, and you want to learn how to talk to them in a way that might make a difference, OR... If you're curious, and you just want to learn how other people think or what makes them tick... THEN, this episode - where we revisit the Ken Ham vs Bill Nye, creation or evolution debate on its ten-year anniversary - has something for you. So, please disregard the episode length. This show is densely packed with insights. Listen in bits, if you must. You'll definitely learn something, and you're likely to be glad you did. 0:00 Theme 0:44 NyeOnHam 4 Feb 2014 2:47 Why no cultural footprint 7:06 History of creation science 9:25 Understanding the creationist's motivation 11:03 Those who stopped going to church 13:04 God of the gaps 18:25 Inerrancy cancels insight 23:07 The moment Nye won the debate 30:23 Why Jim feels sympathy for Ham's supporters 32:54 The reasons why Jim left creationism behind 36:49 Will I lose Jesus in the process? 38:53 Sophisticated creationism 40:28 Getting origins yields a better hermeneutic 42:23 We're made in the image of God 42:48 Paradox of markets vs intelligent design 45:40 Role models in science 48:43 Joy of discovery gives purpose 50:42 Believers started science 52:08 Why science is a Christian paradigm 55:13 Science explains most but not all magic 58:25 Why creationism fails at its actual goal 1:02:07 Gracepoint: Another way that Nye won Link to #NyeOnHam debate - https://www.youtube.com/live/z6kgvhG3AkI Evangelical Empire episode, where fundamentalism was discussed - https://youtu.be/1Ui6twhsMX0 Jim's August 2005 explanation of his evolution enlightenment - https://jimbabka.blogspot.com/2005/08/shocker-to-my-friends-my-new.html Link to Reddit thread of Nye changing lives - https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenChristian/comments/fymn64/i_will_forever_respect_bill_nye_for_debating_ken/ Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

"Argentine president Javier Milei... has consolidated eighteen government ministries into nine... and introduced a 350‐​page package of economic reforms that would make Milton Friedman and Friedrich Hayek smile." - Michael Chapman, Cato Institute It was only episode 73, when I thought it was going to be too difficult for Javier Milei to actually downsize government spending. Now, it's episode 80 and we already have good news to report from Argentina! There are dramatic cuts. On top of that, the first economic miracle has arrived, thanks to deregulation. We break it down with all of the juicy details in an episode we're calling "Javier Milei Early Report Card"... Libertarians Learn Something New And that includes me! I have been working full-time in the libertarian movement for 24 years. Javier Milei goes to Davos, he gives a speech, and... He says something I've never heard. It's profound, and it will forever affect how I speak. So, if you listen you will definitely hear something new. 00:00 Theme 00:43 Early Grades for Javier Milei 01:52 Downsizing for real 07:30 The Plan would make Hayek & Friedman smile 10:50 Dramatic details of The Plan 13:29 Why pause 'public works' 18:39 One area where spending expands 21:14 More debt vs more human freedom 23:18 Free market capitalism solves want 27:05 Human action instead of subsidy 28:10 Win-win vs socialist controls 30:36 Instantly Housing expands Rent declines 33:00 Davos dilettante deconstruction 35:02 Why watch THIS link 38:01 From regulation to destruction to dependence 41:10 Professor Milei teaches libertarians something new 44:19 See Market Failure, find the coercion 47:53 Choosing Human Respect instead the State 49:38 Regulations reduce savings investment growth 50:19 The beauty of natural prices 51:54 Everyday capitalists are the heroes 54:00 The capitalist in coach Show Notes and Links Dutch Libertarian for Milei updates on X - https://twitter.com/LibertarianDuty Cato source for Milei downsizing - https://www.cato.org/blog/argentinas-javier-milei-slashing-big-government-we-can-do-same-america Daniel Di Martino reports on X - https://twitter.com/DanielDiMartino/status/1734755187661668593 Milei's groundbreaking speech at the 2024 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland - https://www.youtube.com/live/Pfcd0gWNIog Here's how Milei traveled to Davos - https://twitter.com/BowTiedMara/status/1747631497027236168 Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. But the views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Unveiling a Plagiarism Epidemic Amongst the Expert Class? **Will Bill Ackman use AI to scorch the Ivy League? And will that be a good thing?** Trust in authorities and institutions of expertise is crumbling. This latest episode discusses a looming crisis within the expert class. Bill Ackman is a billionaire Harvard-alum and donor. He's also a former Michael Bloomberg campaign donor. Now, some are saying he's been "red-pilled" -- suddenly aware of how bad the left-wing leaders at Harvard are. Maybe he's even nailed a thesis for reform to the university door? Is that accurate? Well... Ackman wrote an epic Tweet about academic plagiarism -- printed out, it's 12 pages long! In that Tweet he advocates for using AI to detect plagiarism in professor's papers. And, he thoroughly and masterfully weaves through the complex questions that are likely to arise. We decided to sit down and talk about Bill Ackman's plagiarism proposal. In this episode, you'll discover how Bill Ackman's Plagiarism proposal could disrupt the Ivy League and even change societal rules for YOU. You'll also learn... * About the time Jim was plagiarized, and how he learned to believe it's the key to success in his personal mission. * How to be sensible on what is and what is not plagiarism. * Whether Bill Ackman actually said he was going to do this work? * How this topic extends beyond academia and into larger discussions about trust and authority figures. Of course, since this is about building a Gracearchy, we cover... * Why it's not terrible if the Ivy League falls. * The weaponization of truth, and what Grace cheers for. * An inherent bias in Artificial Intelligence. Timeline 0:00 Theme 0:44 Ackman's Big Tweet 4:05 AI coming for plagiarists 8:13 Imitating Jim flatters him 14:02 Sensibility 17:56 Derivative that's delicious 20:07 Plagiarism's haves and have nots 23:23 Not principled, just a bit of weeding 27:31 Everyone misheard Ackman 28:32 Elites have failed and why 31:40 How Copyright is a different issue 32:48 Case study of allegedly misleading research 37:39 Plagiarism is not copying it's stealing 40:39 Relying on cheaters 41:11 Conserving old wine skins 43:08 Weaponizing truths and standards 44:08 Bringing grace to this scandal and feud 49:09 Dumbed down by ranking content 51:11 If Ackman doesn't act 52:02 AI repeats elites and ignores originality 54:46 Relational trust is the standard 57:36 What Grace cheers Show Notes Bill Ackman's Xweet part 1 - https://twitter.com/billackman/status/1743792224020619450?s=46&t=iVet03hQBWVHrmgaEyKZsw Bill Ackman's Xweet part 2 - https://twitter.com/BillAckman/status/1743792226591723914 Jim's "Brookpark Marines" post: https://zeroaggressionproject.org/jim-babka/the-brookpark-marines-the-truth-about-war-and-a-message-of-life/ @PhilWMagnessPhil AND https://www.facebook.com/phil.magness I (Jim) have been enjoyed the work of the top honesty expert (behavioral economist) of the last ten years. But now academics are unearthing potential evidence of fraud. I hope this turns out to be wrong. - https://youtu.be/Q3tSG8h_O3A Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Or, why Republicans suddenly love cancel culture! The demotion of Harvard's Claudine Gay opens up the chance to probe the philosophy of Intersectionality. Plus, a Harvard donor starts a war and is surprised when it comes to his home The way this drama is playing out, we also get to explore the motives of billionaire donor and Harvard alum, Bill Ackman, and his sudden interest in plagiarism by academics. From this episode, you will get distinct, insightful, and virtuous things to say whenever the conversations you're in move to Harvard, Claudine Gay, Bill Ackman, intersectionality, and plagiarism. The people in earshot will be amazed by your wisdom. Must you pick a side? As you'll learn during this episode, there's an "assumption that if the bad guys stopped being bad, then everything would be good." That view is normal yet naive. It leads to judgmentalism, blame, and even scapegoating. Worse, the incentives of the Conflict Machine (politics) and culture war run in an ugly, escalating direction. They induce fear. And... You'll also discover, in this program, that once people start acting inside the Conflict Machine, they strongly tend to almost completely shed their principles and, instead, start focusing on the destruction of other persons. The "side" you should pick is the path to harmony, and the path itself is grace. So perhaps very little of what I have to say about Claudine Gay or Bill Ackman will make either side happy. P.S. During the recording, I lost track of Bill Ackman's actual name and called him Ackerman instead. Both the moderator, Bill Protzmann, and I, do it more than once. It's a human mistake, and one I suspect Ackman has experienced scores of times in his life. To him and my listeners, I apologize for my human error. An AI would do better, but it also wouldn't have produced the creative and personal analysis you'll find in this episode. 0:00 Theme 0:43 Finding the gracepoint each time 2:10 Where the story begins 6:28 Iron sharpening or Anti-ism 9:16 Rep. Stefanik stokes the Conflict Machine 11:48 Republicans surrendering their position for politics 12:45 The First Amendment is a grace thing 14:23 Blasphemy doesn't invite the apocalypse 16:34 Acceptance of being held to a higher standard 19:54 Refusing to be part of the problem 22:55 The Exemplar of Non-Violence 24:42 Backfire 26:06 Intersectionality 28:02 Three confused presidents 28:53 Three hypocritical presidents 30:36 Donor awareness and the president's job 31:44 The real reason Claudine Gay "stepped down" 32:54 Bill Ackman starts his own war 34:09 Jim is naive or why we must stoop to Claudine Gay's level 36:06 Plagiarism as a political war tactic 37:25 Ackman's war comes home 38:55 Ackman's next and coming war 40:05 Now who is being naive? 45:17 Free association will reward and punish 46:11 Jim in Bill Ackman's shoes 50:40 Jim in Claudine Gay's shoes 53:31 Right issue for wrong reasons 54:15 Summary of gracepoints Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

The Kate Cox in Texas story gives us cause to revisit the Dobbs abortion decision. Join us for an intriguing UPDATE to Episode #4 (June, 2022). Discover the accuracy of our past predictions, especially about the social response to the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision. Explore why divisive partisans create conditions where someone must be the loser, and why Republicans are the ones who are presently losing this debate. Then discover how we can create harmony without sacrificing happiness between good-willed people with differing values on this issue. Stay tuned for the dramatic final third of this episode, where Jim begins by addressing anti-scientific statements on the pro-choice side but ends up sharing two very personal stories -- one of them, very personal. When you listen to Gracearchy with Jim Babka, you learn things other people do not know yet. Timeline 0:00 Theme 0:43 Reminiscing on Episode 4 3:56 Overplaying the hand 5:17 Kate Cox in Texas case 7:31 A bounty on Kate Cox? 10:50 Advice, the "60% rule" 16:00 Republican electoral price to pay 17:37 Our EP 4 prescription post-Dobbs 19:53 Our three predictions happened 21:04 Sharpened discussion skills 23:45 The natural or common law test 27:25 Methods that increase the choice for life 30:04 The two lines of gracious dialogue 32:23 Ungracious anti-abortion statements 34:58 Anti-science utterances by pro-abortion side 36:53 The challenge and blessing of a disabled child 39:26 Personal experiences of life 43:00 How to make legal abortion increasingly rare 44:06 Opening the door to gracious understanding Show References - Gracearchy Episode 4 "Abortion Rights" [now on ZAP] - https://youtu.be/DTiMmoKzDHg - Media Matters: "Anti-abortion media attacked a Texas woman seeking an emergency abortion, likening the procedure to eugenics" - https://www.mediamatters.org/live-action/anti-abortion-media-attacked-texas-woman-seeking-emergency-abortion-likening-procedure - SOFT (Support Organization for Trisomy 18, 13 & Related Disorders) press release 12/14/2023 - https://trisomy.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/SOFT-Press-Release-December-2023.pdf - "Loving Lavender" on Facebook 12/11/2023 - https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid04CvzE7ofoVya5P1KwrkQA4uh5HccS8s7rHTvQEmbmekHjjkF14KXjGSXbC29BBb2l&id=100044570793356 Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project. Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/ We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme. ► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501 or you can purchase his music on BandCamp: ► https://keysofmoon.bandcamp.com/ ► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com Be grace-full to each other.

Donald Trump has now been ruled off of (removed) from the Colorado and Maine primary ballots. Everyone is making this complicated, perhaps on purpose. Quickly, Jim covers the one essential insight everyone should know about this case and the most important thing that insight tells us about how to view this story. Hint: The insight leads to grace. [Recorded 12/29/23] Bill Protzmann is your moderator. ZeroAggressionProject.org https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ is the sponsor. Be grace-full to each other.