Episode 500 - We Made It

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Episode 500: 11 Years of Iron Fist and Velvet Glove Reflections

Trevor (“Iron Fist”), Scott (“Velvet Glove”), and Joe (“the tech guy”) mark episode 500 after 11 years, reflect on how their views have changed, and thank Patreon supporters who have covered production costs. They discuss growing skepticism about governments and media, arguing mainstream outlets filter narratives and that Gaza especially has exposed media failures, pushing them toward Twitter and independent blogs. They describe increased polarization, tribal thinking, and how COVID accelerated denial of expertise and conspiracy thinking in Australia. They revisit recurring themes from past episodes—religion in politics, Liberal Party branch-stacking by religious fundamentalists, free trade agreements, submarines/AUKUS, and stalled economic reforms like negative gearing and capital gains—contrasting these with “soft issue” wins such as marriage equality, voluntary assisted dying, and abortion law reform. Trevor plans a break for months, possibly shifting to writing and using Discord/community forums.

00:00 Episode 500 Kickoff

00:58 Hosts Introductions

01:52 Patreon Thanks Rollcall

06:23 Break Plans Ahead

07:06 Iran US Reality Flip

12:16 Views Changed Over Years

14:42 Changing Minds And Tribes

16:45 Media Trust And Propaganda

20:12 Religion Politics Flashbacks

25:11 Trade Deals And Submarines

29:18 Tax Reform Stuck Again

31:04 COVID And Conspiracy Spiral

33:46 COVID and Expert Trust

35:20 Radicalization and Simple Answers

36:01 Learning to Debate Ideas

37:32 Gaza as Societal Proof

40:36 War Crimes and Tribal Loyalty

43:00 Assange and Media Failures

44:54 Wins and Soft Issues

47:13 Lobbying Captures Politics

51:17 Old Topics and Culture Wars

01:00:13 Captured Media and Finding Sources

01:03:50 Taking a Break and Next Steps

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