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Episode 500: 11 Years of Iron Fist and Velvet Glove Reflections
Trevor (“Iron Fist”), Scott (“Velvet Glove”), and Joe (“the tech guy”) mark episode 500 after 11 years, reflect on how their views have changed, and thank Patreon supporters who have covered production costs. They discuss growing skepticism about governments and media, arguing mainstream outlets filter narratives and that Gaza especially has exposed media failures, pushing them toward Twitter and independent blogs. They describe increased polarization, tribal thinking, and how COVID accelerated denial of expertise and conspiracy thinking in Australia. They revisit recurring themes from past episodes—religion in politics, Liberal Party branch-stacking by religious fundamentalists, free trade agreements, submarines/AUKUS, and stalled economic reforms like negative gearing and capital gains—contrasting these with “soft issue” wins such as marriage equality, voluntary assisted dying, and abortion law reform. Trevor plans a break for months, possibly shifting to writing and using Discord/community forums.
00:00 Episode 500 Kickoff
00:58 Hosts Introductions
01:52 Patreon Thanks Rollcall
06:23 Break Plans Ahead
07:06 Iran US Reality Flip
12:16 Views Changed Over Years
14:42 Changing Minds And Tribes
16:45 Media Trust And Propaganda
20:12 Religion Politics Flashbacks
25:11 Trade Deals And Submarines
29:18 Tax Reform Stuck Again
31:04 COVID And Conspiracy Spiral
33:46 COVID and Expert Trust
35:20 Radicalization and Simple Answers
36:01 Learning to Debate Ideas
37:32 Gaza as Societal Proof
40:36 War Crimes and Tribal Loyalty
43:00 Assange and Media Failures
44:54 Wins and Soft Issues
47:13 Lobbying Captures Politics
51:17 Old Topics and Culture Wars
01:00:13 Captured Media and Finding Sources
01:03:50 Taking a Break and Next Steps
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