Future Hindsight

We discuss the inner workings of tech fascism, the toxic beliefs of billionaire extremists, and the role of cryptocurrency to facilitate the demise of democracy. As always, the cure will come from collective action.  

Gil’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Gil Duran is a journalist and the host of The Nerd Reich podcast. His newsletter, The Nerd Reich covers tech authoritarianism, billionaire extremism, the Network State, and...

This week, we're sharing a really great episode from our friends at Optimist Economy! 

Nobody has more riding on any changes to Social Security than people under 40. The trust fund is currently projected to run dry in the fourth quarter of 2032, but it could be sooner. Every election, starting in November, selects the lawmakers who will shape the program’s future. Neglecting to fix its finances will mean an automatic 22% cut to everyone's benefit. But for Millennials and Zoomers, what’s at stake isn't your elders’ monthly check — it’s the only life insurance, disability insurance, and old-age pov...

We discuss the president’s meddling in universal mail in ballots, the stakes of the 2026 election, and election integrity in Nevada.

Cisco’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Cisco Aguilar serves as Nevada’s Secretary of State as well as the Chair for the Democratic Association of Secretaries of State.

Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: 

instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

Listen to Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising: 

future...

We discuss the transformation of free market capitalism into a techno-winner-take-all system. Reaganomics and advances in technology have supercharged the market power of corporations and created immense private power. Both of these have increased economic inequality, which causes political inequality and threatens democracy.

Mordecai’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Mordecai Kurz is the Joan Kenney Professor of Economics Emeritus at Stanford University and his most recent book is Private Power and Democracy’s Declin...

We discuss how the interlocking web of public relations, think tanks, and university research funding by private actors and corporations have polluted the information ecosphere. Warping the truth is destroying reality and eroding democracy.  

Amy’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Amy Westervelt is an award-winning investigative climate journalist and the host of Drilled, a true-crime podcast about climate change. Her new book is Brought to You By: How Corporations Warped the...

We discuss an innovative framework to reclaim our constitutional future from a Supreme Court that has amassed power for itself and undermined how we govern ourselves.  

Julie’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Julie Suk is the Leonard F. Manning Professor of Law at Fordham University and the author of The Shadow Court: Rescuing Democracy from the Supreme Court. 

Let’s connect! Follow...

We discuss how the SpeechNow v. FEC decision in 2010 created Super PACs and how combating corruption in American politics starts with getting rid of Super PACs. 

Larry’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Lawrence Lessig is the Roy L. Furman Professor of Law and Leadership at Harvard Law School and the founder of Equal Citizens, an organization whose miss...

We discuss the basics of organizing and the fruits of that work. Michael reminds us that “organizers organize organizations.”

Michael’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Michael Ansara is a seasoned community organizer and the author of The Hard Work of Hope: A Memoir.

Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

Discover new ways to #Beth...

Let’s connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram: 

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

Listen to Occupy! An Unfinished Uprising:  

https://www.futurehindsight.com/occupy

Follow Mila on X: 

https://x.com/milaatmos

Follow Stephanie on X: 

https://x.com/stephanie_luce_

Discover new ways to #BetheSpark: 

https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark

Early episodes for Patreon supporters:

https://patreon.com/futurehindsight

Credits:

Host: Mila Atmos 

Guest: Stephanie Luce

Execut...

We discuss why now is the time for a third political party to really take center stage in American democracy.

Maurice’s civic action toolkit recommendations are: 

Maurice Mitchell is the National Director of the Working Families Party. He's a nationally-recognized social movement strategist, a visionary leader in the Movement for Black Lives, and a community organizer for racial, social, and economic justice.

Let’s con...

In the middle of the night, the police move in to raid the encampment. What follows is chaotic, emotional, and unforgettable. But the story doesn't end when the tents come down. Former occupiers reflect on the movement's surprising legacy, the political forces it helped unleash, and what its successes and failures can teach us about organizing in an age of rising authoritarianism.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

To learn more about canceling student debt, listen to this episode with Braxton Brewington of the Debt Collective: https://www.futurehindsight.com...

As the weather gets colder and tents go up, life inside the encampment grows more complicated. Questions of safety and accountability become increasingly urgent, but occupiers have wildly different ways of responding to the problems. It turns out that the movement's greatest strength—its openness—may also be its greatest vulnerability.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

To learn more about how the infrastructure of our society makes sexual assault more likely, listen to this episode with Jennifer S. Hirsch & Shamus Khan, co-authors of Sexual Citizens: A Landmark Study of Sex...

A month in, the Occupy movement goes global, but pressure is mounting from every direction. A hipster cop confirms that police have infiltrated. Rumors of sabotage are circulating. The authorities want to kick the occupiers out. The movement is able to win a major victory—but even the most committed activists are starting to get worn out.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

For a primer on surveillance capitalism, tune in to this conversation with Shoshanna Zuboff: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/episode/surveillance-capitalism-shoshana-zuboff?rq=surveillance

To learn mo...

When a march reaches the Brooklyn Bridge, a split-second decision changes everything. Hundreds of people face arrest – and deeper questions emerge about the power dynamics and strategy within the movement. How can they contain the chaos of an ever-growing, leaderless movement? And should Occupy work with politicians and celebrities, or remain fiercely independent? 

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

Tune in to this conversation with Stephanie Luce for a practical guide to understand and build durable power: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/how-underdogs-build-power-stephanie-luce

To learn more about direct dem...

The encampment grows as anarchist organizers introduce radical new ways of making decisions and taking action. Armed with livestreams, smartphones, and social media, participants invite the world to watch—and join. Then, a shocking encounter with police is captured on camera, transforming a local protest into a national story overnight.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

For a primer on how the media repeats talking points from the police, listen to Alec Karakatsanis on Copaganda: https://www.futurehindsight.com/episodes/resist-copaganda-alec-karakatsanis?rq=karakatsa

Listen to this conversation about ca...

In 2011, a handful of skeptical New Yorkers answer a call to Occupy Wall Street. What they find feels less like a protest and more like a glimpse of a different world—one where people openly share stories of debt, hardship, and frustration. They start to build an anti-capitalist village in a tiny Manhattan park — under the watchful eyes of police.

Want to dive deeper? Listen to these episodes of Future Hindsight:

For a conversation on activism with a co-founder of Occupy Wall Street, tune in to this episode with Micah White: 

https://www.futur...

Occupy Wall Street is the story of the improbable becoming possible.

In 2008, millions of people were devastated by an economic crash caused by Wall Street greed, but it wasn’t until 2011 that there was a mass response from the Left. A call to protest went out, and thousands of people responded. They raged against a system that was rigged against them and tried to create their own anti-capitalist village in a small Manhattan park. The movement quickly spread across the country, inspiring hundreds of occupations and a new generation of activists.

OCCUPY! AN UNFINISHED UPRISING, to...

We discuss the intersection of policymaking on economics and democracy, the harm of intense concentration of wealth, and the need for building durable civil society.

Alex's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Join an organization in your community

Be in community with other people

Alex Hertel-Fernandez is a labor policy scholar and the Herbert H. Lehman Professor of Government at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs. He's also the author of State Capture: How Conservative Activists, Big Businesses, and Wealthy Donors Reshaped the American States — and th...

We discuss the enthusiasm for civic engagement by right-wing women, which translates to power and victory at the ballot box.

Katie's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Research and know the issues on your ballot

2) Vote in local elections

Katie Gaddini is a sociologist, visiting scholar at Stanford University, and the author of Esther's Army: The Christian Women Who Power the American Right.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

Discover...

We discuss the overlooked and insidious complications from gerontocracy in American democracy.

Sam's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Think of democracy as a political form for transient human beings

2) Evangelize one of these ideas: age quotas, tax code reform, or campaign finance reform

Samuel Moyn is the Kent Professor of Law and History at Yale University, the cohost of the Digging a Hole podcast, and the author of Gerontocracy in America: How the Old Are Hoarding Power and Wealth – and What to Do About It.

We discuss the balance of influence between activists and the majority in local politics and how we can reinvigorate democracy at the local level.

Brian's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Identify the problem you want to fix in your community

2) Develop an innovative solution and advocate for it

Brian Adams is professor of political science at San Diego State University and the author of Activism, Majority Rule, and Local Democracy: Rethinking Public Influence.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

We discuss the case for SWAMP audits, how we can truly build a multiracial democracy, and why we're going to have to fight for it.

Steve's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Find your Minimum Viable Community and engage

2) Do a SWAMP audit!

Steve Phillips is the founder of Democracy in Color, a political media organization dedicated to race, politics, and the multicultural progressive New American Majority. His new book is Are White Men Smarter Than Everybody Else?: Playing Offense in the Fight for Racial Justice in America.<...

We discuss the hidden power inside the U.S. Constitution, what it was designed to protect against, and how it can fortify American democracy today.

Melissa's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Commit to voting and follow through

2) Make your demands clear to your elected representatives

Melissa Murray is the Frederick I. and Grace Stokes Professor of Law at NYU School of Law, co-host of the Strict Scrutiny podcast, and a legal analyst for MSNBC. Her new book is The US Constitution: A Comprehensive and Annotated Guide for...

We discuss how each of us is a node of possibility for change in the climate crisis, taking us from overwhelm to participation.

Katharine's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Keep telling the truth.

2) Join with others in the climate movement.

Dr. Katharine Wilkinson is the host of the podcast A Matter of Degrees and the author of Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/<...

We discuss the myriad of ways to fix Congress, ranging from campaign finance reform and age limits to town hall meetings and stopping violence against members of Congress.

Maya's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Engage with your member of Congress!

2) Share what matters for you and demand your member to take action

Maya Kornberg is senior research fellow at NYU Law's Brennan Center for Justice and author of Stuck: How Money, Media, and Violence Prevent Change in Congress.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight...

We discuss the radical idea that dissidence belongs to all of us. Living with truth is the starting point to being a citizen changemaker and to taking impactful civic action.

Gal's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Be in person

2) Be deliberate about how you operate online

Gal Beckerman is a staff writer for The Atlantic and the author of How to Be a Dissident.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

We discuss the vision of an everyone-a-changemaker society. Now is the moment to step up to protect healthy civil society in America by making the mechanisms and the rituals for participation in local politics more robust and more meaningful.

Michael's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Find a place to plug in at the local level

2) Go to a Civic Saturdays event near you

Michael Zakaras is the director of Ashoka US, the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs and a global leader in social innovation.

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We discuss why Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is running for Senate in Michigan and what kind of Senator he aspires to be. A public health expert with deep understanding of the healthcare system, Dr. El-Sayed believes that Medicare for All can be a realistic future.

Abdul's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Have an in-person conversation with someone you disagree with

2) Find the thing that you share in common

Abdul El-Sayed is a doctor, public health expert, and candidate for U.S. Senate in Michigan. He's also the author...

We discuss the foundational lies of the Lost Cause, the organic nature of more recent lies, and the constant vigilance necessary to defend democracy.

Ann's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Pay attention to what your (or your children's) textbooks are saying

2) Speak up if there is a historical site near you that is being erased

Ann Bausum is an award-winning historian and the author of White Lies: How the South Lost the Civil War, Then Rewrote History.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on...

We discuss the main goals of copaganda: narrowing our conception of safety and threat, constantly warning us that those harms are increasing, and telling us that the solution to our fears is more investment in the punishment bureaucracy.

Alec's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Educate yourself on how copaganda works

2) Read the Copaganda book in a group!

Alec Karakatsanis is the founder and executive director of Civil Rights Corps and author of Copaganda: How Police and the Media Manipulate Our News.

Let's connect...

We discuss the building blocks of the authoritarian playbook, the strategy behind intersectional solidarity, and the power of knowing your neighbor.

Yelena & Tatyana's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Go local!

2) Get to know your neighbors

Yelena and Tatyana are co-founders of Stroika — an organization connecting and resourcing frontline anti-authoritarian movements worldwide.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

Discover new ways to #BetheSpark:

https://www.futurehindsight.com/spark

We discuss the strategy for electing from-the-gut economic populists who exude outsider vibes and who acknowledge that our system is broken. They are often outsiders who believe in issues such as protecting social security and taxing billionaires, which are super majoritarian issues. Outsiders can win in blue, purple, and red states.

Adam's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Join effective groups like boldprogressives.org

2) Support a bold progressive candidate running for office

Adam Green is Co-Founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC).

Let's...

We discuss the influence of the U.S.-China relationship on American democracy, on issues ranging from "garbage time" to soft power to geopolitical dominance of the South China Sea.

Jane's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

1) Visit China!

2) Read To Change China by Jonathan Spence and/or Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick

Jane Perlez is a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, former New York Times Beijing bureau chief, and fellow at Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center. She's also the podcast host of Face-Off: The U.S...

We discuss the corrupting effect of the Citizens United decision on policymaking and elections.

Tiffany's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Go to town halls and hold your elected officials accountable

Participate in phone banking or write postcards to get out the vote

Tiffany Muller is the President of End Citizens United, Let America Vote, and the End Citizens United/Let America Vote Action Fund. The organization's mission is to fix our democracy by getting big money out of politics and protecting the right to vote.

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We discuss the power of showing up for local politics and the benefits of running an in-person campaign without relying on social media.

Carleigh's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Take an hour to attend a local government meeting

Make a comment at that meeting!

Carleigh Beriont is a union organizer, vice chair of the Hampton Select Board, and is running for Congress in New Hampshire's First District.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

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We discuss the work of governors across several states to defend the rights of their residents. GovAct serves as an innovation hub for policies on democracy, public health, and reproductive rights.

Julia's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Get involved in state races

Bearing witness to Minneapolis and the brave people standing up for their neighbors

Julia Spiegel is the President and CEO of GovAct. She helped create the Reproductive Freedom Alliance, which united 23 governors in protecting reproductive rights post-Roe.

Let's connect! Follow Future...

We discuss the investments to foster civic participation on college campuses, voter behavior among young people, and getting ready for the midterms.

Raj's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Develop your civic action muscle every week

Role model what it looks like to work across difference

Raj Vinnakota is President of the Institute for Citizens & Scholars, whose mission is to cultivate talent, ideas, and networks that develop young people as effective, lifelong citizens.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

...

We discuss the concept of deliberative representative democracy by ordinary citizens, which means representing and being represented in turn.

Hélène's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Listen and bring out the shy

Share power

Hélène Landemore is a political theorist and professor of political science at Yale University. Her latest book is Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule, a manifesto for what's possible.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/futurehindsightpod/

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We discuss grassroots organizing, voting rights for U.S. territories and First Nations, and the state of elections in Georgia.

Anjali's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Organize at the local level

Pick up your neighbor on your way to vote

Anjali Enjeti is a poll worker, electoral organizer, activist, and novelist whose latest book is Ballot, a timely narrative about the fragile state of our most fundamental right.

Let's connect! Follow Future Hindsight on Instagram:

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We discuss how our everyday choices to resist, organize, and act collectively can stop authoritarian takeovers. Feeling powerless does not mean that we're actually powerless!

Daniel's civic action toolkit recommendations are:

Get non-cooperation training at https://freedomtrainers.net/

Be connected to other humans in a group

Daniel Hunter is a seasoned organizer and the founder of Choose Democracy. He's also the author of books including What If Trump Wins?, Climate Resistance Handbook, and Building a Movement to End the New Jim Crow.