Conspirituality Podcast
Episode 278: "This Podcast is Illegal"
Release Date: October 9, 2025
Hosts: Derek Beres, Matthew Remski, Julian Walker
Overview
In this episode, the hosts tackle the chilling implications of former President Trump’s recent security memorandum (NSPM 7), targeting what his administration claims is a surge in domestic terrorism orchestrated by left-wing groups. The memo’s sweeping definitions of “extremism” and “pre-crime” signals a dangerous move toward fascism, according to the hosts, as it criminalizes dissent, fuels surveillance, and weaponizes state power against progressive organizations and individuals. Drawing historical parallels and personal stories, the episode explores how these authoritarian dynamics are not new to America—but may be entering an unprecedented phase of institutionalization.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Trump Security Memo: Authoritarianism in Action
- Content & Context:
- Trump issues a memorandum authorizing sweeping national law enforcement actions in response to perceived left-wing violence.
- Targets indicators such as: anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity, support for government overthrow, extremism on migration/race/gender, and hostility to “traditional” values ([04:00]).
- Ken Klippenstein Reporting:
- Memo likely to double the FBI’s domestic terrorism watch list from 5k to 10k people ([06:22]).
- Nonprofit organizations become explicit targets, facing potential defunding and prosecution.
Quote:
"The memo instructs federal law enforcement agencies to prioritize investigation and prosecution of these networks and their conspirators. Who are they? Ken Klippenstein... [lists] anti-Americanism, anti-capitalism, anti-Christianity... hostility towards those who hold traditional American views..."
— Derek Beres [04:00]
2. Manufacturing the Enemy Within
- Mislabeling of Violence:
- The memo relies on the trope of leftist violence, even though evidence doesn't support it ([05:47]).
- Rush to pin high-profile shootings on the left, while ignoring apolitical or right-wing motives.
Quote:
“On the question of politics, it was pretty much consensus by all of the friends in both cases that it was absurd not just to say that these shooters were left wing, but to say that they're right wing or left.”
— Julian Walker [06:00]
3. Chilling Realities for Civil Society
- Nonprofits & Free Expression at Risk:
- Open letter from 3,000 nonprofits protests the directive targeting progressive organizations ([09:33]).
- Weaponizing the executive branch to punish political speech is recognized as “illegal and wrong.”
Quote:
"...weaponizing the executive branch to punish their speech or their views is illegal and wrong."
— Julian Walker (reading letter) [09:33]
- Satirical & Personal Resistance:
- Derek describes Portland’s protest landscape and a preference for satire/mockery as means of resistance versus direct confrontation ([19:05]).
- Authorities’ attempts to manufacture crisis through surveillance and militarization, despite minor protest turnout.
4. Pre-Crime: From Sci-Fi to Reality
- Philosophy & Pop Culture:
- The memo’s “indicators” resemble the sci-fi concept of “pre-crime” from Philip K. Dick’s Minority Report ([22:08]).
- Minority Report’s vision of a system punishing “thoughts” rather than deeds is chillingly paralleled in Trump’s directive.
Quote:
“So this film is set in a near future... by arresting citizens before they commit the crimes they would have otherwise enacted.”
— Julian Walker [22:30]
- Neuroscience Angle:
- Derek notes predicting brain activity occurs at a millisecond scale—yet authoritarian regimes aim to criminalize the mere possibility of dissent ([28:06]).
- Emphasizes the danger of criminalizing thoughts rather than actions.
Quote:
"Having a thought doesn't necessarily imply you're ever going to follow through with that action. And obviously in American democracy, you can't be prosecuted for thoughts."
— Derek Beres [29:04]
5. Historical Rhymes: Authoritarian Tools Through the Ages
- Red Scares, COINTELPRO, and Anti-Communist Hysteria:
- The memo regurgitates playbook items from the Palmer Raids, McCarthyism, and FBI surveillance of dissenters ([34:27]-[44:30]).
- Racial, gender, and religious “extremism” have historically been convenient smears against civil rights and progressive movements.
Quote:
"Extremism on race is also old news because civil rights activists and black liberation movements were always the targets of very intense federal surveillance under COINTELPRO..."
— Matthew Remski [43:22]
- Christian Nationalism’s New Power:
- Memo’s invocation of “anti-Christianity” signals a dangerous blending of state power and religious ideology.
Quote:
“I think we have this white Christian nationalism jet fuel in the Trump era, where it's not just about purifying the zeitgeist... it's about becoming something else.”
— Matthew Remski [45:37]
6. Fascism, Spectacle, and Resistance
- Trump’s Performative Authoritarianism:
- Trump’s methods likened to cult-like spectacle—musical rallies as rituals of emotional control ([52:06]).
- Recent awkward moments (e.g., at Quantico) hint at the limits of charisma with careerist audiences ([54:59]).
Quote:
"He replaced his town hall Q&A with a half hour of show tunes... This is how aging charismatics will use props, sometimes music, to outsource self-propelling worship..."
— Matthew Remski [52:32]
- Personal Connections to Authoritarianism:
- Julian recounts his experience growing up in apartheid South Africa, drawing parallels between “banned people” and Trump-era blacklists ([46:30]-[52:06]).
Quote:
"It was illegal to say his [Mandela’s] name or talk about him in front of a public gathering on a microphone. This was true for an ever growing list of what they called 'banned people.'"
— Julian Walker [47:38]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- Satirical Portland Protest:
"The most famous picture so far has been 10 ICE agents lined up and the guy in the frog costume standing there. Yeah, like totally staring at it."
— Derek Beres [20:11] - Mocking MAGA’s Manufactured Crisis:
“This acting wouldn’t fly in professional soccer. And yet he’s got the DOJ behind him now.”
— Derek Beres [16:10] - On Trump’s Attempts at Emotional Dominance:
"This is how aging charismatics will use props sometimes music to outsource self propelling worship when cognition and rhetoric falter… his rallies were kind of functioning as parasocial rituals of shared affect rather than politics."
— Matthew Remski [52:32]
Timestamps for Important Segments
- Trump’s Memo Breakdown & Indicators: [04:00]-[10:54]
- Precrime/Minority Report Discussion: [22:08]-[30:23]
- Historical Parallels & Authoritarian Traditions: [34:27]-[46:30]
- Apartheid South Africa Comparisons: [46:30]-[52:06]
- Fascist Spectacle & Trump’s General Audience: [52:06]-[55:55]
Conclusion
Episode 278 delivers a sobering, sharply analytical, and at times darkly humorous exploration of the latest authoritarian threats in the American landscape, tracing their lineage through history and popular culture. The hosts blend investigative journalism, personal histories, philosophy, and satire—culminating in a passionate defense of dissent, resilience, and collective resistance.
For listeners concerned about creeping authoritarianism, the episode not only diagnoses current dangers, but warns of the immense cost of silence, apathy, or fatalism—and the necessity of continued vigilance and creative resistance.