Behind the Bastards: It Could Happen Here Weekly 196

Date: August 23, 2025
Podcast: Behind the Bastards (Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts)
Theme: The episode weaves together urgent discussions on American authoritarianism, the resurgence of company towns (with focus on Elon Musk), the growing crisis of alienation in the AI age, and broken paradigms in journalism—serving as a snapshot of America on the brink, its vulnerable communities, and the manipulation of power.

1. Brief Overview

This week’s compilation episode gathers several deep dives and roundtable discussions from the "It Could Happen Here" team. The episode spotlights:

• Trump’s quasi-military takeover of Washington D.C. and its implications for democracy and civil rights.
• The reemergence of “company towns” through Elon Musk’s corporate experiments in Texas, touching on labor, environment, and modern capitalism.
• How AI is accelerating alienation under capitalism, especially in education, relationships, and culture.
• Critical analysis of "journalistic objectivity” and its failures in contemporary media.
• Timely updates on crackdowns against immigrants, police overreach, and the erosion of basic rights.

Through firsthand experiences, historical parallels, and candid conversations, the podcast exposes the tactics of modern authoritarians and capitalists.

2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

I. Trump’s Federalization of D.C. Police and National Guard Deployment

Participants: Garrison Davis & Bridget Todd

Main Segment: [03:32–41:50]

Background and Unprecedented Action

• Trump has used Section 740 of D.C.’s Home Rule Act to federalize the Metropolitan Police and deploy the National Guard (and out-of-state guard units) ostensibly in response to a so-called crime “emergency.”
• No previous president has taken such direct control of D.C.’s police, making this a historic, worrying escalation.

Why D.C. Is Uniquely Vulnerable

• Because D.C. isn’t a state, presidential power over local forces is much broader.
• D.C. residents lack full congressional representation and state-level protections, making it easier for the administration to override local governance.

On-the-ground Realities & Propaganda

• Federal agents are patrolling affluent, low-crime areas like Georgetown and the National Mall—events out of sync with actual crime statistics.
• Trump’s cited crime stats are misleading or outright false; D.C. crime rates have actually fallen during the past two years.

“All of the stuff that Trump said about crime and his presser, I mean, it was... all just lies.” – Bridget Todd (12:10)

“The thing that I am emotionally and personally struggling with is this smear of my city being this, like, dangerous hell hole.” – Bridget Todd (08:07)

Racist Dog Whistles & Power Politics

• Surge is widely viewed as a show of force aimed at D.C.’s Black, brown, immigrant, and unhoused communities, part of a broader pattern targeting cities with Black leadership (e.g. Chicago, Baltimore, Oakland).

“That’s what they actually mean when they say there's high crime.” – Garrison Davis (14:40)

Misuse of Federal Power

• Highly militarized out-of-state agents unfamiliar with D.C.'s laws and culture exacerbate tension and distrust, leading potentially to tragic outcomes.

“Not only can bringing in out of state police be like inconvenient, it can have lethal consequences.” – Garrison Davis (24:16)

Local Leadership’s Limited Recourse

• D.C. Mayor Bowser offers little resistance, revealing the futility of appeasement under authoritarianism. D.C. residents feel abandoned, highlighting the need for statehood.

“The thing that all of these little appeasements and concessions were meant to avoid, has happened.” – Bridget Todd (30:05)

Community Coping and Resistance

• Residents band together via organizations (like Free DC) for know-your-rights trainings and creative protest tactics (e.g. coordinated noise-making).
• Cultural morale is under attack as normal city life is disrupted and targeted groups are criminalized and displaced.

II. The Resurgence of Company Towns—Elon Musk’s Texas Experiments

Hosts: Michael Phillips & Steven Monticelli (w/ Garrison Davis reading)

Main Segment: [47:16–84:27]

Historical Primer on Company Towns

• From the 19th to early 20th century, some 2,500 “company towns” operated as private fiefdoms: employers controlled housing, commerce, worship, and even law enforcement, often using scrip instead of cash.
• Strikes and labor resistance (e.g., Pullman Strike, Ludlow Massacre) were met with lockouts, blacklists, evictions, outright violence, and propaganda.

“These places were infamous for management’s use of surveillance and power. This is designed really to fundamentally control folks.” – Chad Pearson, labor historian (51:48)

Elon Musk’s Starbase & Snailbrook

• In Boca Chica and Bastrop County, Texas, Musk is reviving the company-town model: building housing, schools, shops, and playgrounds owned and controlled by his companies.
• Workers in Snailbrook risk eviction if fired; local amenities are shoddy; environmental damage and secrecy abound.

“There’s a culture of secrecy and it seems they’re actively trying to obscure the truth, not just from neighbors, but also our county officials.” – Chap Ambrose, local resident (72:39)

• Musk’s move capitalizes on Texas’ lax regulation and friendly political climate, and is echoing a broader Silicon Valley push for “Freedom Cities” run by tech oligarchs.

Community Resistance & Historical Lessons

• Local voices and indigenous groups push back, drawing parallels between modern “libertarian” company towns and their Gilded Age predecessors.
• The episode underscores the dangers of unchecked corporate fiefdoms: “The hard life in the Gilded Era... represented an American norm rather than an exception.” (82:08)

III. Alienation in the Age of AI

Participants: Andrew Sage & James Stout

Main Segment: [88:36–123:06]

Alienation’s New Frontiers

• AI amplifies existing alienation in work (academic dishonesty, meaningless assignments), social life (algorithmic curation, loneliness), and culture (AI-generated slop content).
• Both instructors and students are “black-pilled”—universities morph into content mills; authentic engagement is rare.

“Every year, I’ve seen more AI use, but this year it’s just fully black pilled me. I haven’t figured out how to get people to engage and think about it... No human reaction.” – James Stout (91:52)

Algorithmic Companions and Social Hollowing

• AI “companions” and chatbots are advancing as substitutes for real relationships and therapy, reinforcing ego and isolation, and mimicking the “bubble” dynamics of the ultra-wealthy.

“They’re almost like a hug box... which in turn makes it even more difficult for them to connect to real people.” – Andrew Sage (101:53)

Capitalism, Jobs, and the Futility of AI-Driven Progress

• The “automation steals jobs” narrative misses the core problem: work structure is inherently alienating. Now, AI is erasing even the most creative and meaningful work, generating an endless wave of generic, soulless content.

Coping and Resisting

• The solution isn’t individual (“just touch grass!”), but collective—a need to build genuine community, digital minimalism, and system change.

“The way we make it so people in our community don’t turn to AI is to be there for them to talk to. To build community, to build real human interactions with each other.” – James Stout (122:34)

IV. The Objectivity Myth in Journalism

Hosts: James Stout & Robert Evans

Main Segment: [127:50–149:52]

Historic and Modern Failures of “Objectivity”

• The concept of “objectivity” in journalism is a manufactured professional standard—applied unevenly and serving the interests of power.
• Outlets enforce “neutrality” in a way that privileges state sources, recenters public discourse to the right, and muffles speech from marginalized groups (e.g. Black journalists being blocked from covering police violence).

“...the media always needs to shoot for the middle in any given discussion... It serves to ratchet the Overton window to the right.” – James Stout (132:09)

• Instead of "officer involved shooting," journalists should strive for “moral clarity”—naming police violence and state crimes for what they are.
• The ad-driven clickbait economy further degrades truth-telling and incentivizes outrage over accuracy.

“You can have the Washington Post and... New York Times host good reporting, but a huge amount of their income will always come from having columnists whose entire job is to piss people off—or stoke the egos of people in power.” – Robert Evans (147:40)

V. Rapid-Fire News: Immigration, Police, and Power

Segment Host: Garrison Davis, James Stout, Robert Evans

Notable Stories [154:49–193:21]

• High-ranking Israeli cybersecurity official arrested in Las Vegas child predator sting; released on bail, raising questions about justice and foreign power privilege.
• Deliberate targeting and assassination of Al Jazeera journalists by Israeli military in Gaza, with fraudulent justification campaigns.
• U.S. Supreme Court and federal bureaucracy eroding immigrant rights: broadening discretionary enforcement, denying status for “anti-American” or pro-Palestinian speech, and introducing more subjective standards of “good moral character.”
• Border Patrol agents shoot at a vehicle in San Bernardino during an “enforcement operation”; subsequent government statements are misleading.
• ICE’s ongoing raids lead to deaths and bounties on immigrants, even ensnaring local law enforcement in their dragnet.
• Texas Democrats performative walkout ultimately fails to stop Republican gerrymandering, illustrating systemic barriers to real opposition.

3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[Trump] just likes taking control of the whole city, like indefinitely, it seems now for D.C.” – Garrison Davis (05:24)
• “I cannot express to you what a disaster this [loss of D.C. home rule] would be. The smallest thing in D.C., down to a pothole being repaved would take congressional oversight.” – Bridget Todd (32:45)
• “Company towns... at best represented paternalistic experiments and mind-control. At their worst, they became miniature police states.” – Michael Phillips (47:57)
• "There’s a culture of secrecy and it seems they're actively trying to obscure the truth, not just from neighbors but our county officials." – Chap Ambrose (72:39)
• "Every year I’ve seen more AI use...now I can think of two students out of a hundred who are engaging in any human way. ...No human reaction. And that’s so sad to me." – James Stout (91:52)
• “It is absolutely on you [journalist] to... verify this was an overdose. What does an overdose look like? ...Or you could just ask the police information officer who shared this with you.” – James Stout (141:46)
• “What we should probably be doing is looking at an intervention higher up the line to stop the bullshit from getting out, rather than being obsessed with... fact-checking.” – Robert Evans (145:03)
• “It’s not necessary to conquer the world, it’s sufficient to build a new one... build real human interactions so people don't have real human conversations with the computer.” – James Stout quoting Sucomandante Marcos (122:34)

4. Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Time | |---------|------| | Trump Federalizes D.C. Police | 03:32–41:50 | | The Return of Company Towns (Musk & Starbase) | 47:16–84:27 | | AI, Alienation & Modern Capitalism | 88:36–123:06 | | Objectivity in Journalism & Its Failures | 127:50–149:52 | | Immigration Crackdown Updates | 154:49–193:21 |

5. Takeaways – The Mood and Lingering Threats

The tone—equal parts urgent, indignant, and darkly humorous—invites listeners to see the patterns behind the parade of abuses: state and corporate overreach, gaslighting through media narrative, and the compounding impact on communities denied representation or solidarity. The episode lands on the idea that collective, bottom-up resistance and human connection are the truest hope in a time of algorithmic slop and authoritarian resurgence.

“We are really depending on folks like you... to get the word out to people who do have elected officials that they can call and advocate, because, like, there’s really nobody to call.” – Bridget Todd (31:44)

For listeners: This episode is not just a roundup—it’s a detailed, living diagnosis of where authoritarian aspirations intersect with digital alienation and political cowardice, and why the fight for solidarity and truth-telling is more vital than ever.