The Moral Trigger

www.mikeskinnermedia.com Follow me on Twitter: @mikeskinnner This episode features a discussion with the CEO of Trading Races, Kenyatta Forbes (@Kenyatta_Forbes), about how to discuss racism in today's political climate. Her game is provocative but in my opinion, great for facilitating important discussions. Vice segment on Trading Races: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oGSqfVyvu6k&t=79s Links to Kenyatta's work: https://www.tradingracesgame.com/ https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1004093005/trading-races

www.mikeskinnermedia.com Follow me on Twitter: @mikeskinnner Adam Hehrer from the Surviving the Season podcast joins me to discuss the many issues surrounding paying (or not paying) college athletes. Be sure to send in your thoughts because this is a tough issue. Follow him on Twitter @STSPodcasts and be sure to subscribe to his podcast if you are a Browns fan! Image Credit: YouniversityTV

www.mikeskinnermedia.com A discussion about Islam, Sharia Law, and Muslim culture with MAPS' AMEN (Muslim Association of Puget Sound's American Muslim Empowerment Network) executive director Aneelah Afzali. Follow me on Twitter: @mikeskinnner Link to Aneelah's organization: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanMuslimEmpowermentNetwork/ Resources: Action Sheet: http://www.mapsredmond.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Combating-Islamophobia-Action-Sheet-Jan-2017.pdf How You Can Help: http://www.mapsredmond.org/2016/12/18/how-you-can-help/

Hey everyone! I want to give a brief announcement about the future of The Moral Trigger and my other podcast Beyond The Lede. For the past 6 weeks, I took a break from releasing content from The Moral Trigger in order to promote my new show co hosted with Patrick Foran about news and current events. That show now has its own stream on iTunes, Soundcloud Stitcher, Google Play Music and wherever you listen to podcasts. In this new show, Beyond The Lede, you hear my views on politics and the current news headlines. For The Moral Trigger, I will stay neutral and focus on bringing thought provoking content that deals more with social and existential issues. Now that Beyond The Lede has its own stream and I took some time to promote it, I will resume releasing content on The Moral Trigger. Beyond The Lede will be a weekly podcast and The Moral Trigger will be about every couple weeks like it used to be. I have some episodes coming soon about Islam, artificial intelligence, social media addiction, drone warfare, racism, and many other topics. I will be releasing both interviews and my own original content in the coming weeks so stay tuned. The newest episode will be released a few days after you’re hearing this and I can’t wait to know what you guys think! Also, a new website is in the works to encompass all of my work which will include the podcasts, some videos, writings, and original music. As always, please feel free to contact me if you have an idea worth sharing or would like to be a guest. and If you haven’t already, go subscribe to Beyond The Lede wherever you listen to podcasts and be sure to leave a review! That really helps us out. I’m excited for the future and I’m looking forward to furthering the discussion on these crucial topics ahead. Follow me on Twitter: @mikeskinnner

This episode is entirely devoted to discussing the New Atheists, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett, and Richard Dawkins. Recently in publications as varied as the leftist Salon.com, and the assuredly right, National Review, there have been pieces calling the New Atheists dead, and also asking why has the left abandoned them? For the listener who isn’t schooled in the New Atheists debate, we explain who these people are, and we summarize their main arguments and why they are controversial. However, we hope that we opened up the discussion enough to of interest to most people who are listening. We will return to the regularly scheduled program next week. Thanks for listening! Stuff we mentioned during our conversation: “What Ever Happened to the New Atheists?” Elliot Kaufman, NationalReview.com, July 28, 2017. “From the Enlightenment to the New Dark Ages: How ‘new atheism’ slid into the alt-right,” by Phil Torres, Salon.com, July 29, 2017 “Islamism and the Left,” by Michael Walzer, Dissent.com, Winter 2015. “Steve Pinker Demolishes John Horgan’s View of War,” WhyEvolutionIsTrue.com, May 22, 2016. Recommendations: Consciousness Explained (1991), Daniel Dennett Daniel Dennett’s Science of the Soul (2017), Joshua Rothman The Selfish Gene (1976), Richard Dawkins The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution (2009), Richard Dawkins Hitch 22: A Memoir (2010), Christopher Hitchens The Missionary Position: Mother Theresa in Theory and Practice (1995) Christopher Hitchens “The Riddle of the Gun,” SamHarris.org, Jan 2, 2013. Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion (2014), Sam Harris Image Credit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TfNgCaqLIR0

In this episode, Mike (@mikeskinnner) and Patrick (@PatrickFO) breakdown the disastrous week that was in the Trump White House. In “The Lede,” we get into President Trump’s tweets regarding transgender military service members. We give a tiny update on healthcare reform, too. In “Beyond the Lede,” we have a shared segment where we discuss the Vice documentary "A World in Disarray" that is loosely extrapolated from Richard Haass’ book of the same name. Haass is the president of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served in three different U.S. presidential administrations. It’s a great book and a great documentary. Also, Mike breaks down an NFL study regarding folks who decided to watch fewer games. Patrick debuts a segment called “This Idea Must Die,” in which he argues that not all international agreements are a race to the bottom. In “The Backpages,” Mike and Patrick both recommend a separate short story to read. Enjoy! What follows below is a list of stuff we referenced. On Trump’s White House Debacle “Death of a F***ing Salesman,” Kevin D. Williamson, NationalReview.com (July 30, 2017). “My Call from Scaramucci,” Ryan Lizza, NewYorker.com (July 27, 2017). On LGBT and Trump “How a few tweets undid one of the biggest transgender rights victories under Obama,” German Lopez, Vox.com (July 27, 2017). “How might allowing transgender personnel to serve openly affect the military,” Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Radha Iyengar, Srikanth Kadiyala, Jennifer Kavanagh, Charles C. Engel, Kayla M. Williams, Amii Kress , RAND.org (2016). “Trump’s Transgender Tweets Resonate with Americans,” Bethany Mandel, NationalReview.com (July 31, 2017). NFL Survey on Why Fans Watched Fewer Games “Anthem protests led poll of reasons viewers tuned out,” Darren Rovell, ESPN.com (July 27, 2017). A World in Disarray The book: A World in Disarray: American Foreign Policy and the Crisis of the Old Order (2017), by Richard Haass. HBO’s VICE’s: A World in Disarray (2017). The Backpages: “Death of a Pig,” E. B. White, TheAtlantic.com, January 1948. “The Last Question,” Isaac Asimov, multivax.com, 1956. Image Credit: NY Daily News

In this episode, Mike (@mikeskinnner) and Patrick (@PatrickFO) discuss Net Neutrality, give an update on U.S.-North Korean relations, and we dive into the “can speech be violence?” debate. All this and more! Links to articles we mentioned and also our recommendations of the week. On net neutrality: “5 Arguments Against Net Neutrality,” by Todd Wasserman, Mashable.com (May 16, 2014). “7 Reasons Net Neutrality Is Idiotic,” by Aaron Bandler, dailywire.com (July 14, 2017). “These are the arguments against net neutrality – and why they’re wrong,” by Devin Coldewey, Techcrunch.com (May 19). “Neutrality Revisited,” The Economist, eiu.com, (May 24, 2017). On North Korea: “North Korea Faces Famine As Kim Jong Un Builds Nuclear Missiles To Attack The U.S.” by Jason Le Miere, Newsweek.com (July 24, 2017). “Russia, Not North Korea, Greatest Threat to U.S., Says Pentagon’s Top Military Officer,” by Sofia Lotto Persio, Newsweek.com (July 24). On free speech on campus: “Why It’s Bad to Tell Students Words Are Violence,” by Jonathan Haidt, and Greg Lukianoff, The Atlantic, July 18, 2017. "Alt-Right Troll Milo Yiannopoulos Uses Campus Visit to Openly Mock a Transgender Student," by Claire Landsbaum, thecut.com (December 15, 2016). Recommendations: The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics and Religion (2013), by Jonathan Haidt The Goldfinch (2013), by Donna Tart Thumbnail credit: ZDNet

In this episode, Mike and Patrick go beyond the headlines and into the substance of the big news stories of the past week. Our “Lede” section is on Don Trump Jr’s emails and the political, moral, and legal fallout. Then: we argue about the new Senate healthcare bill, and healthcare in general. In our “Beyond the Lede,” Mike has a bone to pick with Bill Nye, and Patrick reviews scholarly literature on lobbying in D.C. All this plus music recommendations! Links to stories we discuss, and supplemental material we read to prepare, as well. Articles “Trump Team Met With Lawyer Linked to Kremlin During Campaign,” Jo Becker, Matt Apuzzo, and Adam Goldman, NYTimes.com, July 8, 2017. “The Benefit of the Doubt is Gone,” Jonah Goldberg, Nationalreview.com, July 14, 2017. “Week in Politics, Trump in Paris, Russia, Health Care,” interview by Steve Inskeep with Jonah Goldberg, NPR.org, July 14, 2017. “Trump Jr’s Meeting Might Not Rise to Treason,” David Harsanyi, Nationalreview.com, July 14, 2017. “If Donald Trump is a Crook, What Kind is He?” Susan Hennessey, and Benjamin Wittes, ForeignPolicy.com, July 6, 2017. “Is BCRA Better than Obamacare?” Chris Pope, Nationalreview.com, July 13, 2017. “DOJ announces charges against 400 people for $1.3 billion in health-care fraud,” Sari Horwitz and Renae Merle, WashingtonPost.com, July 13, 2017. “Ted Cruz’s Giant Leap Into the Known,” Paul Krugman, NYTimes.com, July 15, 2017. “NHS Chiefs Warn that Hospitals in England are on the Brink of Collapse,” Denis Campbell, TheGuardian.com, September 16, 2016. “We Started With 14 Possible Paths For Trump’s Presidency. Which Are Most Likely Now?” A FiveThirtyEight Chat, FiveThirtyEight.com, May 24, 2017. “Bill Nye Just Gave the Stupidest Definition of ‘Science,’” Hank Berrien, Dailywire.com, July 12, 2017. Study “Mirror, Mirror 2017: International Comparison Reflects Flaws and Opportunities for Better U.S. Health Care,” Eric C. Schneider, Dana O. Sarnak, David Squires, Arnav Shah, and Michelle M. Doty, The Commonwealth Fund, July 2017. Music Strawberry Girls Italian Ghosts (2017) Tinariwen Elwan (2017) Vince Staples Big Fish Theory (2017) Laura Marling Semper Femina (2017) Kendrick Lamar DAMN. (2017) Before Their Eyes Midwest Modesty (2015) Jason Richardson I (2016) Image Credit: http://thesource.com/2017/07/12/trump-says-don-jr-innocent-despite-email-scandal/

In this debut episode, Mike and Patrick go beyond the headlines and into the substance of the big news stories of the past week. Our “lede” story is on North Korea’s ICBM launch, and the options available to the United States. We cover Mark Bowden’s Atlantic article, called “How to Deal With North Korea.” Then: we cover the ceasefire brokered in Syria by Russia, the U.S., and Jordan. We follow that with the Fall of ISIS in Mosul. In “Beyond the Lede,” we discuss Dennis Prager; one of us defends Europe; and we share an insight of Jordan Peterson. All this and more! Follow us on Twitter! @mikeskinnner @PatrickFO Each of our websites where you can find out more: www.themoraltrigger.com (to be changed in the near future) www.icriticaltheory.wordpress.com Links to stories we discuss books we mention, and podcasts we talk about below. Articles “How to Deal With North Korea,” by Mark Bowden, The Atlantic (July/August 2017). “What comes after Mosul falls?” by The Economist (July 8th-14th 2017). “ISIS Revenue Falls 80 percent as Militants Lose Ground in Iraq, Syria,” by Alastair Jamieson, NBCnews.com (June 30 2017). “U.S. Russia Agree to Syrian Ceasefire,” by Scott Neuman, NPR.org (July 7, 2017). Study Milton, Daniel, and Muhammad al-`Ubaydi. 2017. “The Fight Goes On: The Islamic State’s Continuing Military Efforts in Liberated Cities.” Combating Terrorism Center at West Point (June 28). Books The Spread of Nuclear Weapons: An Enduring Debate: Third Edition, by Kenneth Waltz, and Scott Sagan (2013). Documentaries The 9/11 Tapes: Chaos in the Sky (2012). Podcasts & Clips “Dr. Jordan Peterson brilliant insight.” From the YouTube channel “Ocean of Freedom.” Episode 118 of the podcast Very Bad Wizards, “We Don’t Love Them Hoax.” Thumbnail credit: The Atlantic

I am really excited to announce to all of you that I am now producing and co hosting another podcast that will be dedicated to news, current events, and big ideas. My co host is Patrick Foran, who was the last guest on this show, The Moral Trigger. The new podcast is called Beyond the Lede and it will be released on a weekly basis starting July 11th. I will still be conducting interviews and creating content on The Moral Trigger, however this other show will be my outlet for expressing opinions on today’s madness with a friend who shares a passion for discussing ideas. I am inviting all of you to check out this new show and be sure to send your ideas to us! You can find me on twitter @mikeskinnner and I will have a new website coming out very soon that will encompass all of the content released by me. I will have videos, blog pieces, podcasts, and other media to share with you. You can find Patrick tweeting @PatrickFO and he his blog is icriticaltheory.wordpress.com And as always, if you have any ideas worth spreading, please contact me! One final note, the next 4 episodes released on this feed will be the first 4 episodes of Beyond the Lede. Afterwards, there will be many new The Moral Trigger episodes released as well as the weekly show. Stay tuned!

A discussion about national security and its connection with climate change with Patrick Foran, a PhD student from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Patrick will also be co-hosting a brand new weekly show with me called Beyond The Lede starting 7/14/17! Stay tuned. Follow me on Twitter: mikeskinnner www.themoraltrigger.com www.facebook.com/themoraltrigger Consider supporting the show through Patreon: www.patreon.com/themoraltrigger

Some thoughts after attending the #marchagainstsharia rally in Seattle. I was there as an observer. I am not part of the alt-right or any groups affiliated with the rally. www.themoraltrigger.com Join the conversation on facebook! www.facebook.com/themoraltrigger Follow me on twitter: mikeskinnner Be sure to subscribe and consider supporting the show financially. www.patreon.com/themoraltrigger

Part 2 of my discussion with Stevie James about atheism, the dark history of socialism, economics, and the role of government. *Views expressed in this episode are personal views of Stevie James and do not reflect the Alternative Press.* Be sure to subscribe and send in your comments! www.themoraltrigger.com Join the discussions at www.facebook.com/themoraltrigger Twitter: mikeskinnner Consider supporting the show: www.patreon.com/themoraltrigger If you have an idea worth sharing and would like to be a guest, email me at themoraltrigger@gmail.com

A discussion with Stevie James about the dark history of socialism, economics, and the role of government. *Views expressed in this episode are personal views of Stevie James and do not reflect the Alternative Press.* Subscribe and leave a review! www.themoraltrigger.com Send comments, especially criticism, to www.facebook.com/themoraltrigger Consider supporting the show: www.patreon.com/themoraltrigger

I had my first experience in a sensory deprivation tank and it was quite interesting. It made me think about how we live and how we need to peer more deeply into our own minds. Be sure to subscribe on iTunes and wherever you get podcasts for full episodes. Like, Comment, & Subscribe! www.themoraltrigger.com www.facebook.com/themoraltrigger Consider supporting us at: www.patreon.com/themoraltrigger