Daily Junction Play
732watching now
Big Think 9 Jul 2026 30 here now

Dan Carlin: What happens when a nation’s truth splinters into 1,000 versions | Kmele Foster

Read Dan Carlin, in print. An excerpt from this interview is in 'The Opt-Out Nation' — our quarterly magazine just for Big Think members: https://bigthink.com/membership/

Subscribe to Big Think on Yo

For You

Because of what you watch

Comments (20)

Daily Junction discussion mixed with clearly attributed comments from the original video provider.

Join in — free. Comments on Daily Junction are for members, so real names stay rare and bots stay out.

One field. We email you a 6-digit code — no password needed. Your comment is kept while you do it.

Under 13? You’ll need a parent’s OK first — it takes them one click.

@
"It's just going to get weirder and weirder and weirder and weirder. And finally, it's going to be so weird that people are going to have to talk about how weird it is." Terence McKenna
@
Been listening to Dan's podcast for years. Great episode!
@
I need new Dan Carlin content. Ive heard everything he has put out. Its the best.
@
Dan Carlin, you're my hero, don't ever change
@
This is such a brilliant discussion by the way. Thank you. I always wanted to make a website called systema that was a search engine for any issue that would bring up policy, history, politcal opinions, legal, political and beaurocratic responsibles, systems and known hurdles, polling data from the public AND sub-communities, and third party organisations and their positions and funding. So a search for Police Shootings (for example) would yield ALL the info/data for your town/state/country that were relevant. Like a Wikipedia of society. The issue always seemed to be that only public pressure could change the status quo, but only insiders were in the know, so the space for diversionary demagogues is always there to thwart good people from acting in good faith to bend the arc of history towards justice for all of us. If open-contributed (with attributions) by subject matter experts, this would seem a good starting point for discussion on any issue to be brought back to the concept of how a citizen or citizen-group could be MOST effective in actually making the issue better. Involving good people in the issues we face in an effective way seems to be a good step 1, rather than leave
@
Thank you 🙏🏻
@
Thank goodness for Dan Carlin, a voice of reason during this chaotic time.
@
@ih4269 From YouTube ↗ 11 Jul 2026 1
Dan is wise and humble enough to know he doesn't know everything. Despite fanatics that ignorantly think they hold all the answers
@
Great conversation. The world has changed and hopefully we do go into a more context driven world.
@
Dan cuts so deep in any conversation he knows what he’s talking about
@
Sure the founders didn’t write the constitution with parties in mind, but the end result is. Especially with some of the further changes and laws. Unless and until the constitution and laws are changed, we are stuck with it. It’s just the most efficient way for politics to work in the US. With how large it is and how the electoral college works, etc. The best first step would be to uncap the house.
@
It can't, or shouldn't, be missed that classism is, if not the cause, a major cause. In fact, beyond the Bill of Rights, much in the articles, clauses, firms up the effective hegemony of exclusive wealth sectors in the nation. There are constitutional workarounds. These are shut down pretty effectively by elites or close to elite pets in the offices where legislation is passed, judicial rulings are given, and executive authority asserted.

Where we're at now is Trump not so much saying the quiet parts out loud. He is the quiet part out loud because he's the better option than providing agency, God forbid making life a little easier, for the majority of people in this country.

I think that establishing boxes in accordance to constitutional oath that need to be checked are an imperfect, yet hopeful, insistence presented. By a people claiming their constitutional agency. No, not perfect. Now, though, none of these boxes even exist. It's all abstract.
@
Great discussion
@
Banger conversation ❤️
@
11:55 Dan -- maybe that itself should be the next Common Sense show. "Finding the Root: What is Truth?"
@
This is a very welcome discussion.
@
@hootie017 From YouTube ↗ 10 Jul 2026 19
Dan Carlin is an incredible political mind. He had his peak many many years ago and it’s sad he’s not putting things out like he used to. The world genuinely needs him.
@
Dan Carlin....where have you been all my life! I thought I was all alone!
Are there more of us!?!😮
@
Love that quote from Dan at 42:50 “Once you don’t solve problems, and once people become more desperate, that’s when extremism arises”, just very very real
@
Great to hear a discussion that isn’t cynical political propaganda in its entirety.