1829 - "Zoomerwaffen" - No Agenda Show

Transcript

Adam Curry (0:00)

Hello.

John C. Dvorak (0:01)

Hello.

Adam Curry (0:02)

Adam Curry, Chauncey dvorak.

John C. Dvorak (0:05)

It's Sunday, December 28, 2025. This is your award winning Gitmo Nation media assassination episode 1829. This is no Agenda with Africa News you can use. And broadcasting live from the heart of the Texas hill country here in FEMA region number six in the morning, everybody.

Adam Curry (0:23)

I'm Adam Curry and from northern Silicon Valley. We hope everybody had a happy Christmas. I'm John C. Dvorak.

John C. Dvorak (0:29)

It's crackpot and Buzz.

Adam Curry (0:33)

Yeah.

John C. Dvorak (0:33)

Merry Christmas. We already went through this. Happy Christmas. That's what the British say. By the way, they say happy Christmas. Happy Christmas to you.

Adam Curry (0:41)

So what's wrong with Happy Christmas?

John C. Dvorak (0:43)

We already went through this on the, on the Christmas show. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just un American.

Adam Curry (0:49)

What's so American about Mary?

John C. Dvorak (0:51)

That's just what we do. We do Merry Christmas.

Adam Curry (0:57)

I think we do Merry holidays. I just brought the old joke back. Yeah, yeah, I know, I know.

John C. Dvorak (1:04)

But you know, I hear people saying.

Adam Curry (1:06)

In the shop, merry New Year's. Okay, I'm going with that. I'll go with that.

John C. Dvorak (1:09)

Happy holidays. I don't want to offend everybody. Happy Holidays. Happy holidays.

Adam Curry (1:15)

Did you say. Who was it that was. They just posted a video about Kwanzaa. It was a newsome.

John C. Dvorak (1:20)

Whatever happened to Kwanzaa? Kwanzaa used to be great.

Adam Curry (1:24)

Summary

No Agenda Show – Episode 1829: "Zoomerwaffen" December 28, 2025
Hosts: Adam Curry & John C. Dvorak

Episode Overview

In this post-Christmas episode, Adam Curry and John C. Dvorak bring their signature "media assassination" to a grab-bag of topics: evolving holiday greetings, the rise and style of controversial podcaster Nick Fuentes as emblematic of a "Zoomerwaffen" trend, media and political narratives around the US strike in Nigeria, the unraveling of the Epstein files redaction debacle, shifting geopolitics and resources in Africa, debates over foreign aid, real-world child abuse scandals that outpace media circus coverage, nuclear fusion and quantum computing hype, and global political realignments.

The hosts take pride in helping their “Zoomer Waffen” audience (and all listeners) see through mainstream media narratives and internet propaganda, often using humor, clips, and tangents along the way.

Major Discussion Points and Insights

Holiday Greetings and Social Climate

[00:05–02:56]

Playful banter on American vs. British holiday greetings ("Merry Christmas" vs. "Happy Christmas").
Comments on discomfort around celebrating Hanukkah publicly due to current social/political climates; menorah art not posted "out of fear for backlash" ([01:56], Adam Curry).

Quote – John C. Dvorak [01:44]:

"It's not worth the aggravation, exactly."

Nick Fuentes, Podcasting Trends & "Zoomerwaffen"

[02:11–12:47]

Adam profiles Nick Fuentes as the "best solo podcaster working right now," highlighting his technical skills and delivery—even if he's controversial ([03:08], Adam Curry).
"Zoomerwaffen" coined as a term reflecting a new, provocative, internet-native outrage culture among young right-wingers ([07:46], John).
Breakdown of Fuentes' rhetorical technique: creates doubt, launches lengthy and polished soliloquies, and closes with "discrepant facts to confuse you further"—compared to Rush Limbaugh and Jim Rome.
In-depth playthrough and deconstruction of Fuentes' three-part rant on J.D. Vance, political kingmaking, and media puppet-masters ([05:43-12:47]).

Quote – Adam Curry [03:08]:

"He's unbelievably talented... I think he's the best podcaster working right now, even though I think he's controversial."

Quote – John C. Dvorak [07:46]:

"This is the perfect Zoomer Waffen rage bait..."

Shifting Right in Media and the Podosphere

[13:27–15:14]

The hosts draw comparisons between Fuentes and media legends, and connect his ascendance to shifting right-wing online narratives (Turning Point USA, Candace Owens, etc.).
Discussion of Nick Shirley, a new online hero exposing Somali-run healthcare and childcare scams in Minneapolis, and the media ignoring the story.

Quote – John C. Dvorak [14:32]:

"It's astonishing to me that the mainstream media has avoided this topic like the plague."

US Strike in Nigeria: Media Deconstruction and Geopolitics

[17:34–28:53]

Deconstruction of TV news coverage of the US Christmas Day missile strike in Nigeria: Adam and John point out that most reporting prioritizes religious angles ("protecting Christians") but miss the economic motives relating to rare earth minerals, gold, and lithium, and moves against China ([21:15]).
Nigerian government publicly happy about US involvement, but underlying motivations are analyzed (mining interests, targeting rebel groups), with US actions framed as resource control, not purely anti-terror or Christian protectionism.

Quote – John C. Dvorak [21:15]:

"Why is he shooting missiles at the northwest? ... What was bombed or targeted were rebel groups protecting the illegal mining operations... This is a move against China. This is a move against the rare earths."

Hosts also pick apart the media’s reluctance or inability to report on these resource politics.

Epstein Files Unredacting Fiasco and Pedophile Scandals

[29:03–40:19]

A viral YouTuber reveals a simple trick to unredact DOJ's Epstein files by copy-pasting into Microsoft Word ([29:39]).
Adam and John speculate whether this was an intentional "mistake" to quietly leak info while maintaining plausible deniability. ("You don't think they did this on purpose? ... Of course they did this on purpose." [31:06])
Comment on the sudden shift in media labeling of Epstein: "dead pedophile" rather than "financier."
Mainstream media focus on Trump’s association with Epstein as opposed to others (ex: Prince Andrew, Canadian mogul Peter Nygaard), and frustration at the general lack of outrage/action over active real-world child abuse cases vs. endless Epstein speculation.
Critique performative outrage: "They don't really care about the kids, they just care about Trump or whoever's being blackmailed." ([37:43])

US Military–Industrial Complex, The Golden Fleet & Corporate Reform Promises

[40:33–45:43]

Examining President Trump’s (2025) proposal for the "Golden Fleet," an ambitious and costly naval upgrade initiative.
Analysis: Skepticism abounds about the feasibility, necessity, and likelihood of defense contractors actually producing results.
Trump's rhetoric about dividends, buybacks, and executive pay at defense companies is dissected; John muses: "they're just going to keep pocketing the money" ([44:08]).

Foreign Aid, USAID, and NGO Critique

[47:23–58:47]

Dissection of NPR’s report on the closure/dismantling of USAID and subsequent funding shift in the Trump administration.
NPR characterization: humanitarian catastrophe and “cruelty,” with anecdotes (e.g., a Nigerian child with sickle cell dying due to shuttered clinics). John and Adam push back on the framing, questioning data and logic.
Analysis: Foreign aid as soft power, money laundering, and misguided priorities ("poverty solutions" and “climate solutions” as bureaucratic jargon).

Quote – Adam Curry [54:28]:

"There are homeless all over San Francisco... But there's a boy in Nigeria who died because of Trump's cruelty."

Fusion, Quantum Computing and Tech Hype Skepticism

[59:09–71:32]

Devin Nunes on TAE Technologies’ fusion ambitions, and death of an MIT plasma scientist; speculation about industrial intrigue and actual capabilities vs. hype cycle.
Linking the fusion and quantum computing hype train to the needs of AI/data-center expansion and recurring investment bubbles. John and Adam are extremely skeptical about any imminent breakthroughs, highlight the negative energy economics of fusion, and frame it as a new hype vector after AI.

Quote – John C. Dvorak [67:29]:

"This could be an enormous addition to the GDP now that... the data center deals are starting to slow down. This could just be the next hype, just to keep the train rolling."

Ukraine, Russia, and the New Economic War

[72:57–90:53]

Analysis of peace negotiations between Trump, Zelensky, Canada, and the "coalition of the willing;" consensus pessimism that nothing substantive will be achieved.
European loan/bailout support for Ukraine scrutinized, with skepticism about loan/assistance effectiveness and downstream political consequences.
Segment featuring Yanis Varoufakis (former Greek finance minister): Russia retaliates to European asset seizures by nationalizing all EU corporate assets in Russia ([84:59]); Russia further rejects the Euro for oil and gas sales, insisting on rubles or yuan only — thus strengthening RUB/CNY and weakening the Euro.
Referencing RAND Corporation 2019 playbook for escalating economic war with Russia — Adam and John allege the playbook has been followed step-by-step.

Quote – Giannis Varoufakis [85:20]:

"Within 48 hours, Russia announced the nationalization of all European corporate assets on Russian territory... The total value exceeded $120 billion..."

Retail, Returns, and Changing Consumer Habits

[90:54–95:01]

CBS report on retailers now charging for online returns, leading to behavioral change in consumers — notably women ordering multiple items and returning most.
Adam points out: this will push people back to in-person shopping.
The situation is framed as a correction of a system abused during e-commerce's expansion.

Political Conference Dysfunction (AmFest Recap)

[95:44–100:53]

A field report from "America Fest," presenting a divided conservative movement (“Pro-America or Pro-Israel?”) and culture-war drama (Ben Shapiro, Candace Owens, Tucker Carlson infighting).
Odd/insensitive branding at political rallies, e.g., a tent replicating a notorious execution scene as a photo-op.
John frames "Turning Point USA" as primarily a voter registration and activation machine, now pre-activating around JD Vance; Adam bemoans the "podcasting industrial complex."

The Brooks PBS "Conservative" Lie Breakdown

[101:11–111:34]

Adam and John mock David Brooks’ appearance as the “conservative” on PBS, catching him in multiple historical and factual errors about U.S. civic institutions (DOJ formation, NAACP, Boys and Girls Club, Sierra Club, etc.).
They use this as an example of performative centrism and media misinformation, especially in relation to Trump narratives.

Media Coverage of Trump: Office Décor "Outrage" & Derangement

[111:49–117:01]

Mockery of Bloomberg/PBS/NPR coverage of Trump’s cosmetic changes in the White House ("guilded mirrors," hiding the peephole); hosts ridicule focus on trivialities as new examples of Trump Derangement Syndrome.

Value-for-Value, Listener Acknowledgement, and Community

[117:41–124:21]

Long segment on show’s value-for-value model, reading executive producer credits and notes.
Continued emphasis on audience engagement, direct support, and the show's “family” of producers.
Side discussions on digital music archiving, podcast meta, and discovery nostalgia.

The Nature of Media and Gambling: "Limbic Capitalism"

[158:24–165:39]

John coins (or re-coins) "limbic capitalism" — media and industries engineered to hack the brain’s reward system (gambling, social media, porn, newsfeeds, etc.).
NPR segment on gambling's corrosive influence on professional sports and the normalization of betting/gaming culture in media and among youth.
Adam and John distinguish their own show as the antithesis of limbic capitalism: "We are addictive, but not for your limbic system" ([165:34]).

Power Shifts: EEOC, Global Rightward Drift, and Propaganda

[167:02–179:02]

Briefly touch on US government agency (EEOC) priorities under the Trump administration and growing focus on "DEI" backlash, religious liberty, and revisionist civil rights policies.
NPR and BBC reports analyzed on Latin America's rightward shift: the populist, anti-crime, anti-immigration wave in the Southern Hemisphere receives support (and money) from Trump and US, mirrored with building fences, deportations, and strongman tactics in El Salvador, Chile, et al.
BBC World Service exposé on "pro-Russia" Donbass media centers: local podcasters/video creators push Moscow-friendly messaging for Russian-speaking audiences; Adam and John are skeptical about the western framing as always.

Notable Quotes & Moments

[03:08] Adam Curry: "He’s unbelievably talented… he’s the best podcaster working right now, even though he’s controversial."
[21:15] John C. Dvorak: "Why is he shooting missiles at the northwest? ...This is a move against China. This is a move against the rare earths."
[31:06] Adam Curry: "You don’t think they did this on purpose? ...Of course they did this on purpose."
[67:29] John C. Dvorak: "This could just be the next hype, just to keep the train rolling..."
[85:20] Yanis Varoufakis (as played): "Within 48 hours, Russia announced the nationalization of all European corporate assets on Russian territory..."
[154:30] Obama phone clip (by listener request):
“Everybody in Cleveland, low minority, got Obama phone. Keep Obama in president!”

Timestamps of Important Segments

Nick Fuentes/Zoomerwaffen analysis: [02:27–12:47]
US Nigeria strike media deconstruction: [17:34–28:53]
Epstein files redaction trick & child abuse cases: [29:03–40:19]
Foreign aid/USAID/NPR critique: [47:23–58:47]
Fusion/Quantum computing skepticism: [59:09–71:32]
Yanis Varoufakis – Russian retaliation/euro crisis: [84:59–87:53]
Retail/return fees: [90:54–95:01]
Brooks on PBS media falsehoods: [101:11–111:34]
Limbic Capitalism & sports gambling: [158:24–165:39]
Latin America rightward turn/NPR: [178:48–184:28]
Donbass propaganda schools (BBC): [171:24–177:34]

Tone & Style

Language: Irreverent, skeptical, sometimes conspiratorial, always critical of mainstream and “official” narratives.
Vibe: Banter-heavy, laden with sarcasm, inside jokes, and real-time deconstruction; sprinkled with technical notes on podcast production and media.
Audience: Media-savvy, critical thinkers, often with a libertarian or anti-authoritarian bent—especially sharp toward both left and right establishment media.

Concluding Message

Adam Curry and John Dvorak end the episode as always: calling for direct producer support via value-for-value, inviting listeners to "meetups" for real-world connection, warning against mainstream brain hacks and media-driven hysteria, and encouraging all generations—especially their fast-growing young audience of “Zoomer Waffen”—to use their own brains and “listen to your uncles.”