Podcast
Walter Rhein Podcast
Hosted by Walter Rhein · EN
Thoughts on culture, politics, racism, and what the United States has to do to make up for this embarrassment of an administration.
walterrhein.substack.com
walterrhein.substack.com
191episodes
Episodes
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Meeting the Moment With Congressional Candidate Melissa Chaudhry
Yesterday00:52:07Tap to summarizeGet full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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The Founding Fathers Were Tyrants
Yesterday00:10:11Tap to summarizePay what you can: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Why the Center Is Joining the Right to Falsely Accuse the Left of Antisemitism
2d ago00:08:08Tap to summarizeThe aftershocks of the New York primary are continuing to be felt. Corporate democrats who only show any loyalty to their big money donors are angry. The democratic party is showing once again that “blue no matter who” was always a lie. Statements by consultants such as James Carville encouraging the party to reject primary winners are further proof of what we already knew.The establishment democrats don’t work for us. They don’t want to protect us. It’s been my mantra since 2024. In 2020, we gave the establishment all the power they needed to stop the rise of authoritarianism and instead, they turned over the keys of our country to a convicted felon insurrectionist.A lot of people have died because of their failure. A lot of innocent children have been tortured and killed. We need a massive change in this country.We need new representatives. It makes no sense to think that we can put the same democrats into power in 2026 and get a different result that we got in 2020. We’ve seen representatives like Schumer and Jefferies who are more interested in their AIPAC money than in serving the American people.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offNaturally, the corporate democrats are not going to take these criticisms lying down. They’re rattled right now by the fact that the voters have spoken. They’ve been angry since Mamdani won his primary, and they tried to defeat him then by running Cuomo. This demonstrates a blatant disrespect for the will of the people. It’s become clear that the center is just as corrupt as the right.Now that they’re being pushed, the center is responding with some truly deplorable tactics. Lately I’ve been seeing an AIPAC funded smear campaign that attempts to accuse the left of antisemitism.We need to be clear about something. The political right is the ideology of genocide. The political right contains the nazis. The political right is currently engaged in building concentration camps, rounding up children, and protecting rich pedophiles.Our enemy is on the political right.All the left is doing is saying that we want the wars to end. We want the war to end in Iran, we want the war to end in Palestine, we also want to end the aggressions against Venezuela and Cuba.For the center to join with the right to say that the left is therefore showing signs of “antisemitism” is completely fraudulent.The worst part is the way they’ve been doing it. By now we know that our corporate media and even a large percentage of our independent media has been captured by nefarious forces. Our media is a propaganda mechanism. I’ve suspected this for a long time, but my suspicions were confirmed in the last year when I saw how reluctant publications are to promote progressive candidates.We have to be clear about something. Even many of the publications that claim to be anti-AIPAC, are actually working in the interests of that organization. Those publications waste time engaging in debates with white supremacists, or they write endless distraction articles about things like the reflecting pool, but they never use their power to elevate alternative candidates.The publications that keep you in a perpetual spin cycle are not your friends. They are distracting you to steal your power.These same publications are not taking on the debate of whether the left has shown signs of antisemitism (it hasn’t). Instead, they’re referring to it as if it’s already decided. I saw an article the other day with the title, “The Left Has an Antisemitism Problem” and I immediately blocked the author.It’s a lie.All the left wants is to spend public funds on the public good. We want to stop war. We want freedom of religion. We’re quite happy to allow people to practice whatever religion they want, we just don’t want that religion imposed on anyone who doesn’t want to listen.Right now, AIPAC is a cornered animal. I personally believe AIPAC had a lot to do with sabotaging the campaign of Kamala Harris. In the last two years, we’ve seen the extent of the corruption in the American political mechanism.It’s become more clear than ever before how critical it is to get money out of politics. We can’t have representatives who are only interested in using taxpayer dollars to enrich themselves.The people are seeing it, and they’re voting for change.But we can’t expect the corrupt figures in the center or on the right to accept the will of the people. Honor is not a characteristic of the right, and they’re going to lie, cheat, and steal to maintain their power.Many of my creator friends are Jewish and I’ve seen them express the importance of distinguishing AIPAC from Judaism. AIPAC isn’t a religion, it’s a corporate organization. A criticism of AIPAC is a criticism of corruption.Naturally dishonest and corrupt people would attempt to protect their position of power by accusing their opponents of antisemitism. This kind of mudslinging is exactly why we need to replace these corrupt incumbents with people of integrity.Antisemitism remains a scourge on humanity. The United States has been shamefully irresponsible in allowing antisemitic organizations to act with impunity within our borders. There are multiple neo-nazi groups that are never held to any standard of accountability.I would be among the first to go out and arrest the members of these hate groups. We have to obliterate antisemitism along with the toxic mind virus of white supremacy.In order to do that, we have to understand that these ideologies are rooted in the extreme right.For corrupt entities to attempt to retain their power by making false accusations against groups who demonstrate a commitment to decency is just the kind of underhanded tactic you’d expect from liars and crooks.Our corrupt media is equally complicit when they publish stories acting as if this is an established fact rather than a illicitly funded smear campaign.There is a growing movement in the United States to demand equality and prosperity for all. This is the opposite of antisemitism. The corrupt representatives that have allowed the rise of fascism are the first to point the finger and accuse their opposition of wrongdoing. But this, as has so often been the case, is yet another example of a confession disguised as an accusation.Malicious forces are being drawn out into the light like weeds being pulled from a garden. We’re discovering that when you yank the stem of white supremacy, you find centrists at the root.The centrists are exposing themselves now by attempting to expel democratically selected members from their own party. Democrats have always claimed they have a “big tent,” but while they’re quick to allow “former” klansmen and conservatives through the doors, they balk at permitting the passage of progressives.The center is as corrupt as the right. They do not respect democracy. When high ranking members of our party besmirch the characters of the candidates who win primaries, it causes division. It threatens our ability to win elections. It’s sabotage.Division has always been the primary tool of authoritarian movements. They want us infighting. They want us defending ourselves against fraudulent and malicious attacks. The media is complicit in this objective.In times like these, it’s important to take a deep, calming breath and make a clear declaration of what we stand for.We want public funds used for public good.We want prosperity for all.We want to defend the right of everyone to practice whatever religion they choose.We want to stop the senseless murder of innocent people.That’s what the left stands for.The right stands for lying, child rape, oligarchy, and genocide.The left stands for life. Make sure to denounce any writer, politician, or publication that says otherwise. They are not our friends.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Estrangement Is Always On Your Mind
2d ago00:58:34Tap to summarizeOh my goodness, what a wonderful conversation. When I first met Andra I could instinctively tell that we had parallel experiences. This was a delightful conversation where we just unapologetically told the truth. Imagine if we lived in a society that embraced these values.Working on it!You can follow Andra here. I suggest you do!Also, here’s her author web page.Thanks for listening!Thank you Margaret Williams, MS, ACC, Chris Resists, LeftieProf, Wendy E, Michael Catlett, and many others for tuning into my live video with Andra Watkins! Join me for my next live video in the app.Pay what you can: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Environmental Destruction as a Manifestation of all the "Isms"
3d ago01:05:13Tap to summarizeIt’s getting to be a long time since I met Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq.. She’s one of my favorite people and she is always a strong advocate for justice. You can find her at the Conscientious Emigrant, where she helps people relocate from the United States.In this conversation we explored Elizabeth’s background in environmental work. Naturally, the same structures of misogyny, shortsightedness, and cruelty existed there as they do in the rest of our society. Recently, the Republicans decided to allow a mining company to begin work upstream from the Boundary Waters. Mining can’t be done cleanly, so toxic chemicals are likely to destroy that absolutely pristine environment. You know, the Republicans just refuse to allow our kids to have drinking water or a nice place to play. It’s so infuriating. The cost of restoring the Boundary Waters will be higher than whatever metals they manage to pull out of the ground.The fight continues.I hope you enjoy this conversation! Make sure to subscribe to Elizabeth!Thank you Robert Danna, learnercurious1, Lynn, PaulM, Kim Meldahl, and many others for tuning into my live video with Elizabeth Silleck La Rue, Esq.! Join me for my next live video in the app.Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Peru, Travel, Movies and Hopefully a few Laughs with Peter Murphy and Ben Ulansey
4d ago01:14:58Tap to summarizeHello Friends!I recorded this video a while ago with my good friends Peter W. Murphy and Ben Ulansey. It’s some good, lighthearted banter. I hope it helps you relax a little bit!Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offThank you LeftieProf, Jack (he/him), Sandra, Jason Gael, Pam Wade, and many others for tuning into my live video with Ben Ulansey and Murphy! Join me for my next live video in the app.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Don't Put Hands On Kids
4d ago00:08:23Tap to summarizeThanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Using Public Funds for Public Good with Congressional Candidate Ginger Murray
4d ago01:24:33Tap to summarizeI always have a lovely time talking to Ginger Murray for US! She is one of three candidates running a cooperative campaign. By that I mean that the three Democratic candidates are all friends. They support each other. They know what’s at stake.We cover everything in this talk from surveillance centers to election integrity. Ginger is a lawyer and she’s a fierce advocate for the rights of women and children (which is exactly what we need). You can find out more about her on her web page here:Gingerforus.comOn Wisconsin! We’re going to win! Please don’t forget to support me if you can: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% off. See you next time!Thank you A. Eevie Bateman, Jason Gael, Mandy Ohman, Joanna, PaulM, and many others for tuning into my live video with Ginger Murray for US! Join me for my next live video in the app.I'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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Traditional Values Are to Blame for Mass Shootings
5d ago00:07:58Tap to summarizePlease support me if you can!Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offMany politicians try to politicize the deaths of innocent children by claiming our country needs a return to traditional values. I believe the opposite is true. We need modern values that reflect our ever-developing understanding of the human experience.There’s plenty of evidence that so-called traditional values are the toxic influence that is destroying our country.Contrary to popular belief, traditional values haven’t gone anywhere. They can be seen in the blatant bigotry towards the LGBTQ+ community. They can be seen in the ever-present misogyny and toxic masculinity that manifests in an ongoing attack on a woman’s right to reproductive health care.Our country has many problems, and rigid adherence to traditional values has largely helped create these problems. Mass shootings are not a new thing, they’ve been going on for decades. The only thing that’s different now is that shooters have easy access to military-grade weapons.The obvious truth is that the world is in a constant state of change. Tactics that worked in the past are no longer relevant in our new reality. Many of the problems in our society are a direct result of attempting to force an outdated solution on a modern problem.American society always goes into the future kicking and screaming. It’s embarrassing that the country that was the first to get to the moon resists progress like a child throwing a temper tantrum. The only responsible action is to understand that traditional values are no longer relevant.We can no longer accept non-solutions that are disguised as traditional wisdom. We can’t take the lazy intellectual approach of assuming that the past was somehow a better age. That’s a fantasy. It’s time to adopt a philosophy that actually has a chance of correcting the problems we face today.Religious leaders make calls for mass violenceThe dirty secret hidden in plain sight in the United States is that there are many individuals with massive platforms that regularly make calls for violence. Take, for example, the case of the extremist pastor who called for people to be shot in the head.When a pastor can stand at a pulpit and call for citizens to be shot in the back of the head, you have a clear source of the violence that plagues our whole country.Words matter, people listen to pastors. Some people see pastors as sources of authority that go beyond our law.Our media needs to be more honest about the influence American Christianity has in inciting people to violence. Whenever there is a mass shooting, everyone is quick to turn the blame on things like video games. Why is it that we fail to criticize pastors and politicians who routinely make calls for violence in their sermons, speeches, and political propaganda?Even pastors who don’t make such extreme statements as the one quoted above contribute to an anti-LGBTQ+ sentiment.Hate speech is handed down to children and normalized through traditional valuesIt’s shameful that you can’t escape hate speech even if you are attending a high school graduation. A recent speech earned criticism for invoking homophobia under the guise of biblical principles.American society is extremely tolerant of these backhanded insults. For some reason, when people talk about traditional values, they always forget to mention showing a little bit of respect for the other people in your community.Instead, it’s considered a traditional value to berate innocent bystanders for their sexuality. People do things like that on a regular basis, and there are organizations in our country that applaud them for their offensive behavior.The worst part is that when a high school graduate makes ignorant statements like this, they represent something that has been handed down from the parents and the community. The child has been conditioned with hate beliefs that are delivered under the guise of traditional values.Traditional values connected to mass shootingsI’ve been reading a memoir about a family that suffered an unspeakable tragedy. The book is titled Sins of the System: Trauma, Guns, Tragedy, and the Betrayal of Our Children.This book explores the years of anguish that come with an incomprehensible act of violence. The American media only covers shootings for a couple of weeks before moving on to the next shooting or another big news event. Our country almost never takes time to responsibly explore the true pain of these tragedies.A little over a month ago, my community lost a 10-year-old girl who was murdered and raped. That, too, was national news for a few days. The reporters are gone now and the pain is still here. What I’ve had to endure from that experience allowed me to recognize the truth written in the pages of Sins of the System.The book is heartbreaking because it reveals the shooter was exposed to systemic abuse that included what I interpreted as both physical and psychological torture. Some of these deplorable acts had their roots in strict adherence to traditional values.What makes this scenario tragic is that our society has advanced to the point where a child should have access to proper medical treatment. Our science knows how to correct these debilitating problems and avoid tragedy.Traditional values prevent our society from listening to the answers! We are then condemned to endure unbearable tragedies again and again and again.A massive percentage of our population reveres the concept of traditional values to such an extent that they are conditioned to disdain scientific advancement. We saw this play out during the pandemic when the ignorant masses defiantly refused to wear a mask even to save the lives of vulnerable friends and relatives.Reverence for traditional values is killing our childrenThe absurd reverence we show to the concept of traditional values literally leads to people getting killed. It’s become normalized in our society to disregard the opinions of disciplined individuals who have actually made amazing intellectual achievements in their field.Instead of heeding the advice of a legitimate expert, our society is more inclined to listen to the ignorant words of a pastor who compares mass shootings to drunk driving. A pastor is a traditional authority figure, but there’s nothing in the Bible about AR-15s. Pastors aren’t equipped to provide us with an answer on this issue. The continuing fixation on traditional values is holding our whole society back.The United States has become a nation of entitled ignorance. Our media has been weaponized to program the population to accept ineffective solutions to a wide swath of problems. Too often, the phrase “traditional values” is just a code word for a return to a time of ignorance, bigotry, and hatred.Traditional values were conceived in an era that has passed. Many of them are no longer relevant, and the ones that still are relevant are rarely mentioned. Think about this the next time a politician tries to politicize the mass murder of children by making a call for “traditional values.”Traditional values are not the solution. Traditional values created the mess.Please support me if you can!Thanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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It's Become Clear That the Democrats Are Anti-Democratic
5d ago00:08:02Tap to summarizeThanks for your support: 30% off 💙 40% off 💙 50% off 💙 60% offI'd Rather Be Writing is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to I'd Rather Be Writing at walterrhein.substack.com/subscribe
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