Free Will Isn't Free, But It Is Real

Drew Adamick walks me through what financial survival looks like when the system is built to exploit us. From RRSPs and pensions to credit traps and estate planning, we talk about how to navigate capitalism while still fighting to change it.Support Drew’s work: https://divergentfp.ca Find all my links: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist

Kaytlin Bailey joins me to talk about the panic around sex work and pornography, how stigma shapes our culture, and why sexual freedom is always political. We dig into her work with Old Pros and the fight for decriminalization.Here are the links to follow Kaytlin and Old Proshttps://oldprosonline.org/https://www.instagram.com/oldprosonline/https://x.com/oldprosonlinehttps://linktr.ee/oldproshttps://www.instagram.com/kaytlinbailey/And go to my linktree to follow me or support the showlinktr.ee/skepticalleftist

In this episode I dive into the rising tide of authoritarianism and the corporate overreach fueling it. From Canadian soldiers flashing Nazi salutes, to mass surveillance spreading across the UK, to Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard in Chicago — the pattern is clear. Add in YouTube secretly altering creators’ videos and scraping billions for AI training, and it’s obvious we’re living in the tightening grip of authoritarianism. I also cover Canada finally admitting famine in Gaza, the Air Canada strike over unpaid hours, and the Trump DOJ’s bizarre deportation push.Sourceshttps://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/soldiers-hateful-conduct-nazi-salute-1.7612928https://www.nacion.com/tecnologia/sistema-de-reconocimiento-facial-masivo-en-tiempo/HNRBX6ESRBF5LMJOWGL2D7US7M/story/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/brandon-johnson-chicago-trump-national-guard_n_68ab93b3e4b0176c52bfa5f7https://www.currentaffairs.org/news/the-clowns-arent-funny-anymorehttps://www.ipolitics.ca/2025/08/25/ottawa-slams-israel-after-official-finding-of-famine-urges-halt-to-escalating-war/https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cvg3ze0yxy0ohttps://www.rawstory.com/trump-justice-department-2673919484/ https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/aug/25/kilmar-abrego-garcia-uganda-deportation-trump?utm_source=chatgpt.comhttps://apnews.com/article/uganda-us-deportations-criticism-692a6cbf61c96ac3ed837b567bf2d72chttps://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/23/kilmar-abrego-garcia-deportation-00521576https://apnews.com/article/abrego-garcia-deportation-uganda-ice-2bad172b72c4871bc20bfa221b49b8bdhttps://www.axios.com/2025/08/25/kilmar-abrego-garcia-deportation-uganda-pause-judgehttps://euroweeklynews.com/2025/08/24/youtube-is-editing-billions-of-users-videos-and-training-ai-without-their-consentMutual Aid/SupportSupport KJ’s fight against a brain tumor — donate to the GoFundMe campaign for Eric’s nephew: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kj-with-his-battle-against-a-brain-tumorRegina Cathedral Community Fridge — volunteer-run, 24/7 mutual aid fridge in Regina; feeding local neighbours every day. Help them here: https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) — offering medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in Gaza and the West Bank: https://www.pcrf.net/donatehttps://linktr.ee/taylor_mcnallie Multiple ways to help people across CanadaAlso check out https://bsky.app/profile/lefttexascongress.bsky.social Support the show Patreon: patreon.com/skepticalleftist Substack: theskepticalleftist.substack.com Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/skepticalleftist Linktree: linktr.ee/skepticalleftist 

Borders divide people and enforce cruelty. In this conversation with Owen McDonald, we look at how the far right exploits immigration panic, how liberals reinforce the same narratives, and how austerity and capitalism depend on scapegoating migrants.Owen on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@owenmacdonald7428 • Owen on Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/owenmacdonald.bsky.social Find all my links here: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist

Nick Girard came back on the show to talk about everything from Russian genocide rhetoric and Canadian arms exports to Gaza, to AI giving deadly advice, to workers fighting back against unpaid labor. It’s another week of capitalism’s most deranged stories, and why solidarity is the only way through.Nick’s work: In the BeginningBuy Nick’s book in Canada https://a.co/d/bbtJsT4Buy Nick’s book in the US https://a.co/d/czu4MawNick on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nickdgirard/  My links: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist Sources + Mutual AidRussia/Ukrainehttps://meduza.io/en/news/2025/07/31/russian-state-media-runs-op-ed-titled-no-one-should-remain-alive-in-ukraine https://ria.ru/20250730/ukraina-2032235759.html https://irepod.com/podcast/silicon-curtain/breaking-shocking-russian-article-calls-for-genocihttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-putin-ukraine-alaska-peace-talks-where-when-b2804968.html Canada’s continued arms shipments to Israelhttps://www.castanet.net/news/Canada/565901/The-controversy-over-Canada-s-rules-on-military-exports-to-Israel-explainedhttps://player.captivate.fm/episode/0f272101-9e2c-42b2-863a-e50ec89bb26e https://youtu.be/sIFmhdMTLog?si=mqUxvmL3Eo7NM_Bo Journalists murdered in Gazahttps://www.cbc.ca/news/world/al-jazeera-correspondent-anas-al-sharif-killed-gaza-city-israel-1.7605557https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/8/10/al-jazeera-journalist-anas-al-sharif-killed-in-israeli-attack-in-gaza-city?taid=68990bdaef705d00017cb1f8Bad AI Medical Advicehttps://gizmodo.com/man-follows-diet-advice-from-chatgpt-ends-up-with-psychosis-2000640705 AI Content Used to Spread Hatehttps://globalnews.ca/news/11328903/artificial-intelligence-hate-content-videos/ Cuomo Suckshttps://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/cuomo-mamdani-should-move-out-of-rent-stabilized-apartment.html Fires Spread Across Europehttps://apnews.com/article/heatwave-france-red-alert-fires-0041a4f17e22eaa205964ed5c01d6c24 Air Canada Flight Attendants plan to Strike - (we will cover the updated version of this on Aug 26)https://globalnews.ca/news/11329492/air-canada-flight-attendants-pickets-day-of-action/ Marjorie Taylor Greene is corrupt as fuckhttps://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thedailybeast.com%2Fmarjorie-taylor-greene-suffers-outburst-over-report-exposing-massive-wealth-jump%2F Mutual Aid and support shout outsSupport KJ’s fight against a brain tumor — donate to the GoFundMe campaign for Eric’s nephew: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kj-with-his-battle-against-a-brain-tumorRegina Cathedral Community Fridge — volunteer-run, 24/7 mutual aid fridge in Regina; feeding local neighbours every day. Help them here: https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.com/The European Heat Aid Great Walk (2025) — a grassroots campaign walking 20 marathons across Austria, Belgium, and Spain in August to provide heat relief and support to people experiencing homelessness. Donate, follow, or participate: https://www.homelessentrepreneur.org/en/solidary-projects/the-great-walk apartmenttherapy.com+6homelessentrepreneur.org+6donorbox.org+6Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF) — offering medical care, food, and humanitarian aid to children and families in Gaza and the West Bank: https://www.pcrf.net/donateAlso check out https://bsky.app/profile/lefttexascongress.bsky.social 

 Democrats keep losing the narrative, and it’s costing them real political ground. I talk with writer Osita Nwanevu about why the party struggles to connect, what it would take to inspire voters, and how they could win people back by standing for something.Find Osita here: https://x.com/ositanwanevu  | https://bsky.app/profile/ositanwanevu.com  | ositanwanevu.com Support my work and find all my links: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist

In this episode, I talk with Tori Glass about the rise of Christian fascism in the U.S., how evangelicals laid the groundwork for Trumpism decades ago, and how media manipulation, nationalism, and artificial scarcity all play a role in keeping people compliant. We also get into Canada’s role in this mess, some harsh truths about social media, and why it's not enough to gloat when people start changing their minds. We need real compassion, even when it's hard.Follow Tori: https://www.instagram.com/gohomebible/ https://www.instagram.com/whitehomework/ https://bsky.app/profile/toriglass.bsky.socialSupport my work & get full episodes early: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist

Gaza is starving and the aid isn’t getting through. Trump wants to jail the unhoused and pretend it’s compassion. And some tech startup let an AI delete live code, then lied about it with fake test results. Linktree: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist Follow AnComSciComm: https://twitter.com/AnComSciCommSources:Israel -  Palestinehttps://www.huffpost.com/entry/israeli-gunshots-strikes-kill-at-least-25-gaza-some-seeking-aid_n_6884bfe1e4b07c2af0282bfahttps://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/25/mark-carney-israel-gaza-aid-flow-humanitarian-disaster-00476658https://apnews.com/article/israel-palestinians-hamas-war-news-07-26-2025-8eca83b00e50f1e6d78a0cce877b3b90https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_Humanitarian_Foundationhttps://www.removepaywall.com/search?url=https://www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/article/gazas-suering-must-stop-keir-starmer-to-tell-trump-mv9mh97pw?region=global https://apnews.com/article/gaza-blockade-activist-ship-seized-24c32eafd80d08a63e5bed8b83d5972fhttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/palestine-state-uk-israel-starmer-emergency-cabinet-meeting-b2798191.htmlTrump’s anti-homeless people executive orderhttps://patch.com/california/across-ca/democrats-advocates-criticize-trumps-executive-order-homelessnesshttps://fox40jackson.com/mississippi-organizations-react-to-president-trumps-executive-order-on-homelessness/US may abandon trade talks with Canada https://www.benzinga.com/news/politics/25/07/46647776/us-may-ditch-trade-negotiations-with-canada-trump-says-havent-really-had-a-lot-of-luck This story has some new developments as the August 1st deadline came and went with Trump saying that he can’t negotiate with Canada because Parliament voted to acknowledge the state of Palestine under various conditions. Here is a video from Rachel Gilmore about ithttps://youtu.be/uwsgjcD4Vj8?si=f4Q_o564VbSiiZ4H Trump, Epstein, and the Search for the Truth That Never Comes https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-says-he-turned-down-invitation-epsteins-island-2025-07-28/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeffrey_Epstein#Legal_issueshttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/23/trump-epstein-photoshttps://www.news.com.au/world/north-america/us-politics/a-timeline-of-the-trump-administrations-shifting-stance-on-releasing-the-epstein-files/news-story/f2f86243a57b86951a0c686e965e011ahttps://archive.is/20250729000705/https://www.wsj.com/politics/trump-jeffrey-epstein-birthday-letter-we-have-certain-things-in-common-f918d796https://apnews.com/article/trump-epstein-justice-department-bondi-e7a5e41ba4fa3a88736cc384078c3215https://time.com/7305146/trump-name-epstein-files-republicans-maga-supporters-react/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/7/7/epstein-no-client-list-died-suicide-justice-department-sayshttps://www.vox.com/politics/2024/1/4/24025802/jeffrey-epstein-list-unsealed-documents-bill-clinton-donald-trumphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_of_Donald_Trump_and_Jeffrey_EpsteinReplit’s AI Coding Tool Deletes Database and Lies About Ithttps://www.benzinga.com/markets/tech/25/07/46538388/replit-ceo-apologizes-after-ai-coding-tool-wipes-core-database Danish Registry Study Shows Most Mental Illnesses Occur Without Familial Linkshttps://ground.news/article/study-challenges-prejudice-heredity-only-explains-part-of-mental-illness_5b7268?utm_source=mobile-app&utm_medium=newsroom-sharehttps://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-07-prejudice-heredity-mental-illness.htmlCanadians Say Reconciliation Is Progressing—Poll Suggests Disconnecthttps://www.sasktoday.ca/national-news/most-canadians-think-the-country-is-making-progress-on-reconciliation-poll-10995451Mutual Aid: Help KJ: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-kj-with-his-battle-against-a-brain-tumor Oxford Mutual Aid: https://www.oxfordmutualaid.org Indigenous Climate Action: https://www.indigenousclimateaction.com Regina Cathedral Community Fridge: https://www.cathedralcommunityfridge.comSolidarity is the strategy.

In this episode, I sit down with my friend Eric, a blue-collar poet and Indigenous worker living just across the border in North Dakota. He opens up about what it means to struggle under a system that fails working people—from being denied healthcare to watching lawmakers vote against free school lunches.Eric reads his poem Tax Me More for Freedom and shares a heartfelt vision of a better world built on community, care, and solidarity.Support Eric and his family: GoFundMe – Help KJ with his battle against a brain tumor Instagram – @standing348 YouTube – @ericstanding9898 Facebook – facebook.com/eric.roadMy links and support options: https://linktr.ee/skepticalleftist

What if Sam Harris is completely wrong about free will? In this episode, I talk with Damien Marie AtHope about why the hard determinist view doesn’t hold up, and why believing in change is not only possible but necessary. Damien shares his own story of transformation, breaks down the difference between biological pressures and actual control, and gives a crash course in emotional intelligence, axiology, and why therapy works. We’re not robots — we’re just bad at using the will we do have.Links:damienmarieathope.com linktr.ee/skepticalleftist