• The phenomena of cognitive dissonance
• The need to unlearn, learn and relearn
• The acceleration, collapse and rebound of society
• Finding opportunities and success in a world where the only thing that doesn't change is change itself. 

Spend a fascinating hour with someone who's successfully predicted and succeeded in a world whose only motto seems to be "evolve or die."

Visit David Houle's website, or his site dedicated to the 2020s.

Note that Lee Drutman recently published an article in the New York Times, which includes a real-time questionnaire that analyzes your answers and places you onto a political map. It can help you identify which of the six political parties most closely aligns with your views.

The article can be found at https://nyti.ms/2VBOFgx

During this podcast, we discuss the incredible pressure on women in the military to perform above and beyond expectations in order to overcome sexist attitudes; pressure that nearly killed Patricia. There is also the issue of MST - Military Sexual Trauma - which women deal with every day while on active duty; it not only interferes with their job, but it can be harmful, or even fatal, if not promptly addressed.

Join us for these topics and more, regarding the state of politics on August 8, 2021.

Join us for these topics and more, regarding the state of politics on August 1, 2021.

RoShawn wrote two books about his experience: Stolen Identity and The Domino Effect. The book Stolen Identity explores how African American males who become victims of the school-to-prison pipeline even when they have not committed a crime, are faced with a continued stigma that leads to recidivism for rightfully and wrongfully convicted felons. The book also explores how such a stigma leads to an overall deterioration of human dignity due to laws that foster a continuation of societal punishment well beyond prison.

Roshawn currently serves as the Organizing Director, Inmate Liaison, and Community Outreach Coordinator for Pure Justice. When he’s not engaged in community activism in the fight against criminal and social injustices, he conducts research for his pending books as he studies to complete his Bachelor’s of Arts degree in Political Science. He intends to go on to law school.

With that opening sentence, our National Chair, Jonathan Etheridge, goes on to talk about what fascism means, what it's doing to our political system, what we Americans can do about it, and how the Alliance Party positions itself to fight the disturbing trend toward fascism. The bottom line is that it's not too late to change our common destiny, but it will take a lot of hard work from all Americans to step up, understand what's happening to our nation and dedicate ourselves to a truly glorious and exciting future.

Morris believes in a nation where every person has as much political power as millionaires; where every American who works full time can afford their basic needs; where millionaires and large corporations - who have benefited most from our country’s assets - pay a larger share of the taxes used to run our country. What motivates a millionaire to want to join an organization that advocates that millionaires should pay more taxes? Morris provides some fascinating insight to the issues America faces these days and how the wealthy can - and should - actively participate to help create a more perfect union.

There are many factors that contribute to the criticisms of Critical Race Theory. Critical Race Theory started out as an academic study of how issues with racism affect our laws, but it has been distorted into the idea that it somehow teaches Americans to hate America.

Tim Cotton offers his decades of wisdom and insight to helping us understand Critical Race Theory and how it can - and should - be a positive step in our multi-cultural society we call America. This is an interesting and informative podcast that you don't want to miss!

Listen in as two state representatives debate this matter on the Texas State House Floor.

Ethan Michelle is a nationally certified journeyman pipe-fitter, an intermediate rigger, a certified personal trainer, a sports nutrition specialist, and a water safety instructor.  She has an AA from Houston Community College in the Humanities, with a concentration in Global Studies, and she is all set to graduate from the University of St. Thomas this year with a BA in Political Science, minor in International Studies, and a concentration in Law and Policy. Her senior thesis focuses on the effect of political rhetoric on people’s thoughts and emotions.

Listen in as Jonathan Etheridge, the Alliance Party's National Chair, walks through our proposed solutions and explains the details in a way that is both easy to understand and practical in its implementation.

Reaching these diverse voting blocks has been a challenge for both parties, though for the time being, the Republicans have done a much better job of it. They have tuned into the chief concerns of the voting blocks and crafted messages that strongly resonate with voters’ largely religious values. The Democrats, on the other hand, can’t seem to get away from playing defense.

In the meantime, the debate over voting rights threatens to put Republicans on the wrong side of history, as they continue chipping away at voting rights using racially coded messaging, which may, in the long term, alienate the diverse voting blocks they need to win in Florida. All these factors present a good opportunity for the Alliance Party to make a strong showing in the state of Florida.

Much of this shift in political direction is the result of record turnout among minority groups in the state. These groups persevered through an environment that was designed to suppress their vote. The stunning success of minorities in this past election was based on the work of individual people, working through volunteer organizations to overcome difficulties and get out the vote. Does this mean that the fight for voting rights is over? Unfortunately, no. Far from it. The process of voter suppression continues, and in the wake of the 2020 election, many state legislatures are actively trying to change the rules to reassert mechanisms of voter suppression. So the work of organizations such as the Economic Justice Coalition and the Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda remains critically important in preserving our democracy.

Gareth shares some of the lessons she’s learned during the 40+ years of advocating for voting rights, especially throughout the American South. She is an expert on organizing people at the ground level toward making a positive change in our democracy.

Rhonda Neal, Executive Director of the Saint Joseph Parenting Center, talks about the challenges that minorities and women face when trying to make it in a white male-dominated corporate America. Through hard work, determination and a great sense of self confidence bestowed upon her by her parents, she has broken through the proverbial glass ceiling. In this podcast, she provides inspiration and advice for young women of color who are entering the workforce. She also shares her formula for success. That formula includes building a network of trusted people, where you can talk through your emotionally difficult experiences, get advice and bounce ideas around. It also involves a lot of hard work. But the rewards are there; you just need to have faith in yourself and strength from above to get through adversity.

What can the Alliance Party offer people who are on a political soul-searching journey? And what is the Alliance Party doing today to put the word out and get people to have a look? What opportunities do we see, and how can we take advantage of them in 2021? Listen in as we discuss these topics and more.

Ayana is the founder and CEO of Reviving Solutions, LLC, focusing on political consulting, strategic planning, event coordination and organizational development. She has been in several leadership positions within community outreach and organizing and event coordination. She also has experience as a public speaker, and a background in non-profit work.

Ayana will also host the virtual kickoff of the Alliance Party’s Women’s Coalition this Sunday, February 21, 2021, at 7PM Eastern. Click here for more information.

Dr. Lovelace was named the “National 2015 Family Physician of the Year” in recognition of his outstanding work over many years of dedication to the practice of medicine. In 2003, he was appointed by then Governor Mark Sanford to serve as state-wide co-chairman of the Health Care Task Force. In 2004, he served on the Lieutenant Governor’s Commission on Aging. In 2006, Dr. Lovelace challenged the current state governor during the GOP Primary and though the incumbent prevailed, he managed to get over 35% of the vote. Dr. Lovelace’s experience with both medicine and politics uniquely qualifies him to speak about our nation’s healthcare system.

Dr. White, a retired doctor of dermatology, served in both the Navy and the Air Force, and has lived all over the United States as well as two foreign nations. As a member of the Green Party, he ran for governor in the state of Wisconsin in 2016. He was also on the National Committee of the Green Party and a member of its Eco-Action Committee.

The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, by John Perkins

The Politics Industry: How Political Innovation Can Break Partisan Gridlock and Save Our Democracy, by Katherine Gehl and Michael Porter

Shadow Network: Media, Money, and the Secret Hub of the Radical Right, by Anne Nelson

Let them Eat Tweets: How the Right Rules in an Age of Extreme Inequality, by Jacob Hacker and Paul Pierson

This is an informative interview that should help familiarize you with the direction for 2021, as 2020 disappears into the history books.

What is a faithless elector? Let’s start by examining your vote for POTUS. You may think you voted for a president in this past election, but no, your vote ultimately amounted to nothing more than strong advice. The real voting takes place after the general election, when 538 mostly unknown persons meet at state capitols in every state across the nation. These 538 people - known as electors - are the ones who actually cast the official votes for the president. But, will they actually cast their votes consistent with the will of the voters in their states? Well, by most state’s laws, they’re supposed to, but the law in this area has almost no teeth, and that being the case, some electors may decide to vote for someone else. When an elector casts his or her vote for someone other than the popular vote of the state, he/she is called a “faithless elector.” The term implies that the elector did not act in good faith.

Does this ever happen? Yes. Emily Conrad, in her recently published book, documents the faithless electors that participated in the 2016 election. She tells their stories in this book. And she tells the story of the Electoral College itself, including its history and why it’s getting a lot of criticism these days.

It’s a fascinating read that humanizes the story of the 2016 faithless electors and helps you understand their reasons and motivations for acting in a “faithless” manner. It doesn’t come from a sense of idealism; rather, it’s out of a profound sense of what is right for the people of their state and for the people of our country.

Click here for a link to Emily’s book.

Emily Conrad graduated summa cum laude with a triple major in economics, German and Spanish, and the distinction of Phi Beta Kappa. She completed a Master of Law in China studies with a focus in international relations at Peking University in Beijing, China, where she was a Yenching Academy fellow. The Faithless? is her first book.

You can tune into Ralph Nader's own podcast called "The Ralph Nader Radio Hour," wherever you get your podcasts.

We also talk briefly about Senator Robert “Fighting Bob” La Follette, a legendary Wisconsin senator from 1906 to 1925. Specifically, we review one of his speeches about the excesses of business and its interference in government, which - sad to say - is still relevant 100 years later.

Frank has a very active career in public relations, entertainment and politics spanning four decades and encompassing a diversity of disciplines. Back in 1985, at the age of 18, he published his first music production called “Network”, which quickly became a hit among music business insiders, musicians and their fans. Over the next decade, Frank built a significant following in the music industry as a band and club promoter, and by the time he was 25, he had launched three nightclubs known as Dr. Shay’s and managed entertainers such as Criss Angel and CJ Ramone.

On the political front, back in 1992, Frank became active in Ross Perot’s third party presidential run. He was always a student of politics, and early in his career in entertainment he helped club-goers register to vote by the thousands. In 1995, he became a key organizer in the Independence Party of New York and active in third party politics. By the year 2000, at the age of 32, Frank became the youngest State Chairman of a political party in New York State history, and has since been elected as State Chair of the Independence Party of New York. The Independence Party has grown significantly under his leadership, and has now joined forces with the Alliance Party.

Currently, Frank hosts “Breaking it Down,” a leading celebrity radio and podcast talk show, which is nationally syndicated and has a faithful following of thousands of listeners.

During the one-hour town hall, former Attorney General Holder and Director Romero discuss the history of disenfranchisement, particularly for Black voters, the ACLU's efforts to expand access to voting by mail in this election, and how we can fight future efforts to suppress the vote by influencing the redistricting process in state jurisdictions.

Betsy has been chief of staff for four members of Congress, giving her deep insight to the inner workings of our federal government. The years she spent on "The Hill" has given her deep insight into the inner workings of congress. She knows how things work, and how they don't work. She spends time with us this evening to not only describe the problems that extreme polarization and hyperpartisanship, but to talk about how we may fix our system and make it work for the people again.

Erica is currently running for the Missouri 96th district House of Representatives. As a Democrat, she is challenging a Republican incumbent. She is a former school teacher who advocates heavily for educational issues. She's also very involved in several environmental issues, including the fight against the detrimental influence that CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations) have on state politics. These CAFOs - also known as "Factory Farms" - are allowed to pollute our land and water, almost with impunity, even though they produce several more times the bio-waste than humans. Erica speaks very plainly and openly about the problems we face, not only locally in Missouri, but in the nation as a whole, and what she intends to do about them.

An inspiring intermission message is provided thanks to Dennis Merritt Jones.

Since launching in the wake of the 2016 elections, the Sister District Project has grown to over 45,000 volunteers across the country. They have raised over $3 million in small-dollar donations directly to candidates.

Rita Bosworth is the Founder and Executive Director of the Sister District Project. She started Sister District a week after the 2016 presidential election. Prior to Sister District, she was a Federal Public Defender for 12 years. She received her undergraduate degree from U.C. Davis, and she received her law degree from Stanford. After law school Rita clerked for the Honorable Henry Kennedy in Washington, D.C.

Dr. Jennifer McCoy, a political science professor at Georgia State University, offers some perspective and insight into this situation. As a specialist on democratization and polarization, Dr. McCoy provides unique insight gained over years of studying other democratic societies and their destructive demise, often ushered in on a wave of “Us versus Them” polarization. She identifies the root causes of polarization, and she gives some sage advice on what we can do to fight this destructive trend.

Jen spends a lot of time working for her community in the Miami area. She has worked with the Juvenile Justice Committee, the League of Women Voters in Broward County, the Democratic Women's Club of West Broward, the Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida, the Broward County Bar Association, the Sunrise Movement of South Florida, and the Mobile School Pantry. As a lawyer, she has donated many hours of pro bono work to Probation Station, which helps people on probation as they transition out of the system.

Spend an interesting hour listening to a community activist who really puts it on the line and walks the talk.

Eli Beckerman is a strategic thinker, organizer, and communications professional working to open up the U.S. political system to new ideas, fresh voices, and better choices. After years of organizing to build the Green Party as a viable political alternative, he started working with Libertarians, political independents, and others to create Open the Debates as a cross-partisan vehicle to transform the political discourse and political realities of the United States.

Neal Simon is a retired business executive and former independent candidate for a U.S. Senate seat in Maryland. He is the author of Contract to Unite America: Ten Reforms to Reclaim Our Republic, which recounts stories from campaigns around the country including his own, and provides specific, practical solutions for an improved government.

Rebecca Chavez-Houck is a former Utah State Representative who holds a B.A. in Journalism and Mass Communication and a Master of Public Administration, both from the University of Utah. She represented Salt Lake City’s District 24 in the Utah House of Representatives from 2008-18, focusing on public policy related to health and human services as well as voter engagement and access.

Joshua A. Douglas is a professor at the University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law. He teaches and researches election law and voting rights, civil procedure, constitutional law, and judicial decision making. He is the author of Vote for US: How to Take Back our Elections and Change the Future of Voting, a popular press book that provides hope and inspiration for a positive path forward on voting rights.

Stay tuned for a fascinating hour of discussion regarding Ranked Choice Voting and the Fair Representation Act. All three panelists highlight their perspectives on these topics and describe why they believe election reform is on the rise in our country.

Believe it or not, the Democratic Party and the Republican Party are multi-billion dollar private industries within a public institution. Together, they’ve consolidated virtually absolute control over all political offices throughout our country. They’ve created an unassailable duopoly that efficiently quashes any third-party competition with extreme prejudice. And what do we citizens get from this duopoly? We get a political system that produces an endless supply of mayhem and partisan fights, producing little, if any, significant legislation. Is the system broken? “The system is working,” Katherine says, “it’s working exactly according to its design.” The problem is that it’s not designed to serve its customers; it is designed to work only in its own self-interest.

In this podcast episode, Katherine describes how the “Five Forces” business framework, originally developed to describe and analyze the nature of competition in for-profit industries, can be used to restructure our political system, thus creating an environment where multiple political parties compete to better serve its customers (citizens). Katherine goes on to explain how the practical and fundamental changes proposed in the book can be implemented at every level of our political system.

Chad Peace is a nationally recognized leader in election law, voter rights, and a 40 under 40 winner from the American Association of Political Consultants. He is a partner at the law firm of Peace & Shea LLP and legal strategist for the Independent Voter Project. In addition to providing strategic legal advice and advocacy, he has managed and developed campaigns to increase voter rights and participation, to promote and expand California’s nonpartisan primary efforts, and to reach out to otherwise ignored and disenchanted voters. Chad developed the voter outreach strategy for California’s successful nonpartisan primary initiative and conducted the campaign to draft a current United States Senator to run for office. Most recently, he authored the City of San Diego’s Measure K and manages voter outreach efforts in local, statewide, and national efforts, including a major candidate for president of the United States.