Fear, Control, and the Slippery Slope We Ignore 😶🛑📉

[00:00:00] Bruce Anthony: Chaos and history. We gonna get into it. Let's get [00:00:05] it.

[00:00:10] [00:00:15]

Welcome to Unsolicited Perspectives 🎙️✨📢

[00:00:16] Bruce Anthony: Welcome, first of all, welcome. This is Unsolicited Perspectives. [00:00:20] I'm your host, Bruce Anthony. Here to lead the conversation in important events and topics that are [00:00:25] shaping today's society. Join the conversation to follow us wherever you get your audio podcast. [00:00:30] Subscribe to our YouTube channel for our video podcast, YouTube exclusive content and our YouTube membership [00:00:35] rate review.

Like, comment, share, share with your friends, share with your [00:00:40] family. Hell even share with your enemies. On today's episode,

From Snowstorms to Authoritarianism: How Fear Takes Hold ❄️➡️⚠️🧠

[00:00:44] Bruce Anthony: I'll [00:00:45] be talking about the snow chaos, given a history lesson and talking about why [00:00:50] being a kid back in the day is better than being a kid now. But that's enough for the intro. [00:00:55] Let's get to the show.

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[00:01:04] Bruce Anthony: [00:01:00] Yo. I [00:01:05] often talk about how stupid we are collectively as a people, and I [00:01:10] probably need to come off that. But let me tell you why I'm bringing this up. [00:01:15] This snowstorm hit and here in the DMV area, DMV [00:01:20] area is the district, Maryland, Virginia. If y'all are new to the show and don't know where I'm located, [00:01:25] I am in the Washington DC area.

Snow [00:01:30] coming to this

Bread, Keto Confusion, and Toilet Paper Trauma 🍞🧻😂

[00:01:30] Bruce Anthony: area, everybody starts to panic. And [00:01:35] in several grocery stores apart across Maryland, DC and Virginia [00:01:40] shelves are empty. I'm talking about all the bread, all the meat, [00:01:45] all the food gone empty shelves. Now my local [00:01:50] Harris Teeter, shout out to Harris Teeter. They're not a sponsor of the show with love for if you would want to be a sponsor of the show.

As [00:01:55] much money as I give y'all Harris Teeter was fully stocked. I didn't have a problem getting anything, but [00:02:00] I go to my local Aldi, also another show that I store that I shop at [00:02:05] one sponsor. I'm not upset 'cause I give y'all a lot of money. I go to Aldi to get my [00:02:10] keto bread. Because, you know, I, you know, keto dot and trying to get ready for, you know, my, my [00:02:15] 46th birthday trying to get lean and all the bread of at [00:02:20] Aldi is gone.

Like there's no bread left. Even the keto bread, which lets [00:02:25] me know people was just panicking and grabbing anything because there is a [00:02:30] dramatic difference between regular bread and keto bread. And I feel sorry for those people [00:02:35] that got keto bread, expected regular bread. First of all, they should have realized that the cost of it was a [00:02:40] lot higher, but maybe they weren't thinking in their mind that because everybody's in a panic [00:02:45] grabbing stuff off of shelves.

Maybe they're thinking inflation bread is just high. No, it's keto [00:02:50] brand. But they done snatched everything and snatched all the toilet paper. Uh, and, and this is the [00:02:55] first time this has happened during COVID, we lost our minds. I don't know [00:03:00] why people think that whatever comes our way, whether it's a pandemic [00:03:05] or if it's a snowstorm, that it's going to lead to diarrhea.

It doesn't. [00:03:10] And I was talking to a friend of mine and I was saying this, [00:03:15] I'm not saying that. This is solely white people doing this. 'cause [00:03:20] it's not, it's everybody. But I will say, will say, generally [00:03:25] speaking in the black household, one thing that we are going to buy in [00:03:30] bulk on a regular basis are toilet paper.

Paper towels, [00:03:35] trash bags, soap, body soap and dish [00:03:40] soap. And you might say to yourself, what about hand soap? We do buy that We do. But [00:03:45] dish soap can double as hand soap. And you know what else? We gonna have plenty of lotion. [00:03:50] I got lotion in every single room in my place, all over the [00:03:55] place. It's at the bathroom sink.

It's right next to my bed. It's right, it's at the kitchen sink. [00:04:00] It's in the living room. I got it everywhere and my place ain't really that big. So [00:04:05] even if we do wash our hands with dish soap, we gonna be all right 'cause we're gonna lotion our body. [00:04:10] Generally speaking, I know a couple black folks out there that's ashy as hell, but these are things that [00:04:15] we normally buy in bulk so we don't panic when storms hit, generally [00:04:20] speaking.

And it's not just black folks, I know other races do it as [00:04:25] well. I'm just speaking from my specific [00:04:30] life. This is what I see. So it just boggles my mind [00:04:35] how people don't ha how people just go to Steria [00:04:40] anytime something big is happening. And I. Tend to say, well, [00:04:45] people generally are stupid, but it's a lot deeper than that, and I really need to stop saying that.

[00:04:50] I did a little research, did a little bit actually for this show today. It was a lot of research that I did, [00:04:55] but I did a little research on this particular topic and found out some really important [00:05:00] information that

Survival Mode: Fear, Control, and Panic Buying 🔥🧠🛒

[00:05:01] Bruce Anthony: explains why most people, the [00:05:05] majority of the population respond this way. People tend to overreact in big [00:05:10] events because our brains are wired to prioritize survival, [00:05:15] copy the crowd, and grab for control when things feel uncertain [00:05:20] or threatening.

That last part is kind of interesting, right? [00:05:25] When things are uncertain, uncertain, or threatening, we tend to grab for [00:05:30] control. I'm gonna talk about that more in a second segment, but that's interesting. [00:05:35] Core reasons why people panicked by, right? What people did [00:05:40] this week. What's panicked by, what are some of the core reasons?

Fear and uncertainty. [00:05:45] When a crisis hits a pandemic storm or attack, people feel a real [00:05:50] or perceived threat and don't know how bad it would get. So they're prepare for the [00:05:55] worst case scenario. I'm one of those people that always prepares for a worst case scenario in my life. [00:06:00] However, I don't panic by, I, impulse by, but not panic by.[00:06:05]

There's also a need for control In a situation where you can't control the [00:06:10] virus or the weather, you can control how much food or toilet paper you [00:06:15] have. So shopping becomes a coping mechanism. And then there's survival, [00:06:20] wiring, meeting. Basic psychological needs. Physiological [00:06:25] needs like food, water, toilet paper, warmth is the first layer of [00:06:30] Maslow's hierarchy.

So under stress, people drop back to keep. [00:06:35] My body's safe first. So that's all interesting, right? It's, it's, [00:06:40] we're wired this way to survive. And that's really what it is. [00:06:45] That's the reason why people are doing these panic buys. But what's [00:06:50] specifically happening in the brain, like under high stress? The rationale, the [00:06:55] planning part of the brain, the prefrontal cortex goes offline and [00:07:00] the emotional

When Rational Thought Goes Offline 🧠🚨❌

[00:07:00] Bruce Anthony: alarm system dominates, pushing quick defensive [00:07:05] decisions instead of thoughtful ones.

So when we get into survival mode, our [00:07:10] prefrontal cortex, the things that create rational thought, it just [00:07:15] goes offline. It just says, you know what? I'm out. And [00:07:20] our body, our alarm system takes over and it's just like, look, [00:07:25] we gotta defend ourselves. This is what we need to do. [00:07:30] Now, all rational thought goes out the window.

Defend [00:07:35] yourself becomes the preeminent emotion and driving force behind your [00:07:40] actions. When, when people are emotionally flooded, they literally see the [00:07:45] last pack of toilet paper as survival, not just a household [00:07:50] item, which makes grabbing it feel urgent and justified to them. So you see what [00:07:55] we're going on here?

It's, it's our brain, our mind playing tricks on us. Kind of like the ghetto [00:08:00] boys pre-frontal cortex thing that controls rationale thought, just says [00:08:05] overload, can't deal with this. And survival instincts are spider [00:08:10] sense, quote unquote, and our body says we need to [00:08:15] survive. And that last little bit of toilet paper, that's what I need to [00:08:20] survive, even though I got a lot of packs at home.

I need that [00:08:25] one because I'm in survivor mode. There's also social and [00:08:30] horrid

Herd Mentality and the Illusion of Shortages 🐑📉😳

[00:08:30] Bruce Anthony: behavior. Lemme explain. Emotionally fear spreads [00:08:35] person to person. Seeing empty selves or long lines or frantic posts [00:08:40] online makes other feel a the same urgency, even if the actual risk has [00:08:45] changed. So your bomb, your body is already in this [00:08:50] defense mode, right?

Rational thought has gone out the window and [00:08:55] everybody is panicking, right? 'cause it spreads from person to person. And then you're looking at the [00:09:00] fact that yo, the grocery stores are selling out. And then it becomes a sense of [00:09:05] urgency, whether or not it's real or not, that you gotta go [00:09:10] and stock up your house for a snowstorm that's happening one day.[00:09:15]

It started Saturday night, snow through Sunday, stopping [00:09:20] Monday. It's one day. But your body and your mind. I can't [00:09:25] reconcile with that 'cause that prefrontal cortex has gone offline. Let's talk [00:09:30] about herb mentality. If everyone else is stocking up, people assume they must [00:09:35] know something or that shortages are coming so they f follow.

To avoid being the [00:09:40] only one left out without supplies, follow the leader. That's what [00:09:45] that essentially is. If everybody else doing it, I'm gonna do it. I mean, everybody getting [00:09:50] toilet paper, I must need toilet paper. No, you got plenty of toilet paper at home. [00:09:55] I, I gotta have bread, milk. 'cause they say that you gotta have bread, milk.

You don't eat [00:10:00] bread and milk the majority of the time in your life, but all of a sudden a storm [00:10:05] hit and now you got to have bread and milk because all the [00:10:10] bread and milk is going to be gone. Okay, [00:10:15] availability cascade. What is that Repeated? Scary messages, rumors or [00:10:20] images of chaos. Make a belief there will be no food.

Or [00:10:25] there will be no toilet paper feel more true just because it's repeated so often. [00:10:30] So you see how this, once again, our mind is playing tricks on us, [00:10:35] rationale out the window, images flooding us, spidey sense taking [00:10:40] over. We need to survive. That's what our body is telling us. [00:10:45] And so these are the reasons why we act this way.[00:10:50]

What about something else? Biases and [00:10:55] overreaction.

Threat Bias: When Normal Storms Feel Apocalyptic 🌨️😱⚡

[00:10:56] Bruce Anthony: There's a threat bias under anxiety. We interpret [00:11:00] ambiguous situations as dangerous. So a normal storm [00:11:05] becomes, this could shut down everything for weeks. Kind of like the pandemic. When the [00:11:10] pandemic people were back and forth. I'll even admit that. I was like, man, it's not gonna be no big deal.[00:11:15]

I was saying that because I thought my work was going to be affected. I was afraid [00:11:20] financially what shutting down would do. Little did I know I'd be just fine [00:11:25] and actually flourish, but when you don't know what [00:11:30] something is going to be, or even if it's something that is normal, like a [00:11:35] snowstorm, you tend to think, well, even though [00:11:40] this is ambiguous, I've got all these images flashing in my head.

Once again, that [00:11:45] prefrontal cortex shut down, that means this storm is gonna last for [00:11:50] weeks. And even the newscasters were saying in certain areas you might get three [00:11:55] inches of ice, which will shut down power. And we could have a repeat for [00:12:00] Texas now, Texas. Was an anomaly here in the States. That [00:12:05] doesn't typically happen.

People aren't without power for a full month. That is something [00:12:10] specific to Texas and everything like that. But because it happened, even though this is a normal storm [00:12:15] now people panic and they say, we could lose power. What are we gonna [00:12:20] do? I talked about in the last episode how I don't know how to handle not [00:12:25] having power.

What am I gonna do? Life is boring without my [00:12:30] electronics. So you panic and something that's a normal snowstorm, which [00:12:35] probably won't even knock out your power, which is only gonna be a day. We're gonna be back on the streets [00:12:40] on Monday, right? Monday night, Tuesday by the latest. You tend to [00:12:45] think, well, this is gonna happen over weeks.

This, this is the threat bias. [00:12:50] Then there's a confirmation bias. People latch on to post or news [00:12:55] that support their fears, and then they see shelves are empty. [00:13:00] Stores closing and ignore calmer, corrective [00:13:05] information. And then there's overall confidence and rumor. Some are [00:13:10] sure their prediction of disaster is right.

Share it loudly and [00:13:15] unintentionally. Amplify group panic. So you see how all [00:13:20] these factors turn into this big swirl [00:13:25] of things that can cause us to panic [00:13:30] over something as simple as a snowstorm.

[00:13:35]

Panic Looks Irrational—Until You’re Inside It 🤯🫣💭

[00:13:35] Bruce Anthony: Why it looks irrational from the outside, right? [00:13:40] Most people aren't thinking, let me be dramatic. They're [00:13:45] trying to reduce the fear with the tools that they have, their wallet, their cart, their pantry, [00:13:50] even if it creates their very shorts that they're afraid of. So [00:13:55] people aren't thinking, let me be dramatic.

They're just trying to deal with the fear and [00:14:00] anxiety that they have, the fear and anxiety that they'll be without. [00:14:05] So they rush to the stores to stack up their pantries, to stack up their fridge, [00:14:10] thus creating the very thing that they're afraid of, which is empty shelves. You see this, [00:14:15] this is crazy. When you think about it from a distance, [00:14:20] it looks like hysteria, but on the inside it often feels like I'm just [00:14:25] protecting my family in a system that has taught people not to trust institutions to take [00:14:30] care of them in a crisis.

Now that all sounds pretty reasonable, right? [00:14:35] Because we've seen going all the way back to Hurricane Katrina, the institutions that are in [00:14:40] place, we'll take care of the people. We saw that in Texas. But, uh, Florida has [00:14:45] done a really good job of taking care of the people through hurricanes, but that's 'cause they consistently [00:14:50] had 'em.

For years. It was trial and error, but our systems have failed to [00:14:55] protect us from these. Things that are either [00:15:00] normal storms or pandemics, say what you want about the [00:15:05] CDC. But trying to figure out a virus and [00:15:10] keep people in check where they aren't alarmed is a tricky [00:15:15] thing. Do you tell people the absolute dangers [00:15:20] and what could be the worst case scenario if you are the government?[00:15:25]

Maybe not because why? [00:15:30] People will tend to act in this way. Right. They've been doing drips and [00:15:35] drabs letting us know that we're not alone. That we are not alone in the universe. [00:15:40] I just saw a video. It was, uh, state Department [00:15:45] released it and it's legitimate. They're having hearings. There was an [00:15:50] unidentified spacecraft that was hit by a missile.[00:15:55]

A missile was shot at it. The missile [00:16:00] touched the unidentified spacecraft. It shook a little bit and it kept on with its [00:16:05] trajectory. While the missile kept going past it, the missile didn't even blow up. [00:16:10] We're not alone. We are not alone. [00:16:15] But I would understand the government slow rolling this information out, drop it in [00:16:20] on a, on a busy Newsweek.

So it kind of misses us because could you [00:16:25] imagine, could you imagine if it was completely confirmed We got little green [00:16:30] people. 'cause that's what they always say in the movies. Little green people touching down. People would go nuts. [00:16:35] Would go nuts. So then becomes, when you know people react this way, [00:16:40] people will lose their minds in the crisis.

Do you give [00:16:45] them that information because they're thinking, I need to protect my family, [00:16:50] but they're not thinking rationally. Right. They're not thinking [00:16:55] rationally.

Anyway. I [00:17:00] understand why all the information doesn't need to be presented to us [00:17:05] people. A person can be intelligent. People [00:17:10] panic. A person can be rational. [00:17:15] People are ill rational, [00:17:20] and this is the reason why we act this way. Now, I've explained to [00:17:25] you that it's not this crazy thing, it's chaos, but that we're not crazy.[00:17:30]

It's a survival instinct, how irrational it is. It's a survival [00:17:35] instinct.

How to Break the Panic Cycle Before It Takes Over 🛑🧘🏽‍♂️💡

[00:17:35] Bruce Anthony: So what should you do [00:17:40] when something like this happens again, pause. All [00:17:45] right, pause and your first crush question to be to yourself, what's my body [00:17:50] doing? Am I breathing fast? Is my heart racing? Are [00:17:55] my muscles tight? If they are, take [00:18:00] 10 slow breaths.

Shake this off before you go into the [00:18:05] grocery store and grab a cart. Just take a couple deep breaths right before you do [00:18:10] one of the panic buys. Second, what am I actually feeling? Ask [00:18:15] yourself that question. I'm not just shopping. I'm scared. [00:18:20] I'm anxious, I'm worried about my people. [00:18:25] Name it so that it doesn't quietly drive the bus.[00:18:30]

Own what you're feeling. Take control [00:18:35] so that chaos doesn't overwhelm you. Third, [00:18:40] ask yourself, what are the facts? Not the vibes. [00:18:45] What do credible sources say is happening and what do they say I really need on [00:18:50] hand? Also, do I already have some of that stuff at home? [00:18:55] These are questions that you need to ask yourself when you are bombarded [00:19:00] by the next storm or pandemic or anything like that.

[00:19:05] The fourth question, am I thinking for myself or am I [00:19:10] following the herd? If the shells were full and nobody was freaking out, would [00:19:15] I still feel like I need this much stuff? That's an important question. Take a step back. [00:19:20] If everybody else wasn't doing it, would you be doing it? [00:19:25] That's an important question to ask yourself.

Fifth, [00:19:30] what's your plan? Not my panic. Instead of [00:19:35] clearing a shelf today, can I focus on some, a simple routine? Keeping [00:19:40] a small stash of basics. I actually use all the time. This is what I said at the [00:19:45] beginning. I always got some toilet paper, paper towels, lotion, body soap, hand [00:19:50] soap up in the house, always.

Oh, and also cleaner supplies. Got to [00:19:55] always have fully stocked cleaning supplies, always in the house. Also got some meat in the [00:20:00] fridge. Always got some meat in the fridge. Don't got no vegetables in the fridge, but got some meat in the fridge. [00:20:05] Gotta always have that six. Who can I help [00:20:10] me think straight before I overdo it.

Can I call a text [00:20:15] somebody who's a calm person and ask, what are you actually doing about this? [00:20:20] Talk to somebody, right? Try to get ahead of that [00:20:25] anxiety. Last one. What's one small [00:20:30] move, not a dramatic one that you could do. Charge your phone, [00:20:35] get gas. Pull your meds together, check on a neighbor, then step [00:20:40] away from the news for a bit, and let your nervous system calm down.

If you [00:20:45] still wanna buy, buy normal human amounts, [00:20:50] not the end of the world amounts. That's that's all you gotta do, [00:20:55] is take a step back, get control of your emotions, and let your prefrontal [00:21:00] cortex take the charge. Let that rationale take charge, [00:21:05] because real preparedness is calm, boring, [00:21:10] and consistent. Not a viral video.

Chaos in IL [00:21:15] five.

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[00:21:23] Bruce Anthony: [00:21:20] I don't normally do [00:21:25] this. I haven't done it in a while. I wrote something and I'm gonna read it. So for those [00:21:30] people that are watching, guess my eyes are gonna be darted down because I'm gonna be reading, [00:21:35] not a script, but, but just something that I wrote every now and then [00:21:40] something will happen in society that will make me put on my [00:21:45] writer's cap.

And start writing. And I don't [00:21:50] pride myself on being this great writer. I'm not some literary [00:21:55] masterful writer. Uh, it's something that I, I used to really, really [00:22:00] enjoy. Uh, I think it brings out a lot of my personality. [00:22:05] Um, and I actually tied in my, ah, [00:22:10] coming in and out of love for writing and my absolute love for [00:22:15] history and this thing that I wrote is essentially a [00:22:20] history lesson because if you're paying attention to what they're doing to the education [00:22:25] system in America, you realize that they're stripping away [00:22:30] a lot of the true history facts, historical events that cannot be [00:22:35] denied.

These things happen. They're either downplaying them or [00:22:40] saying that they didn't exist. And there are people who actually are deniers of [00:22:45] things that truly, truly happened. So I wrote [00:22:50] this and um, I think it's [00:22:55] fitting for what happened recently, and I'll explain all of it [00:23:00] at the end when I'm done reading, but this is what I wrote.

[00:23:05] Lemme tell you a

A Familiar Story of Fear, Power, and Control 🕰️📖😶

[00:23:05] Bruce Anthony: story. It starts in a country that was tired, tired of [00:23:10] losing, tired of being embarrassed on the world stage, tired of politicians who [00:23:15] talked a lot, promised everything and fixed nothing. The people felt [00:23:20] humiliated, economically stressed, culturally anxious. [00:23:25] They were told the system was broken, and honestly, it didn't feel like a lie.

[00:23:30] Then comes a man, not polished, not traditional, not [00:23:35] presidential. But loud, confident, certain. [00:23:40] He tells the people, I alone can fix this. He says, the media is lying to [00:23:45] you. He says, judges are corrupt. He says, the elites hate [00:23:50] you. He says, minorities, outsiders and undesirables are the reason [00:23:55] things don't work anymore.

And for a lot of people, that [00:24:00] exploitation feels good because it gives their pain a target. [00:24:05] At first, everything looks normal. There are still elections. [00:24:10] Courts still exists. The press is still publishing, but something [00:24:15] starts to change. Opposition parties aren't debated. They're [00:24:20] branded as enemies.

Journalists aren't criticized, they're [00:24:25] declared traitors. Laws are aren't sacred, they're [00:24:30] obstacles. The leader doesn't say Abolish democracy. [00:24:35] He says the system is rigged. He doesn't say silence, [00:24:40] dissent. He says they're dangerous. He doesn't [00:24:45] say, I want total power. He says, I need loyalty. [00:24:50] And slowly institutions bend, not because they're forced to at [00:24:55] first, but because they are scared or ambitious [00:25:00] or tired.

Then comes the normalization. People [00:25:05] get arrested for security ports. Courts begin ruling differently [00:25:10] depending on who you are. And entire groups of citizens are described as less than [00:25:15] human criminals, parasites, threats, [00:25:20] violence doesn't start all at once. It starts with rhetoric, then [00:25:25] intimidation, then exceptions, then policy.[00:25:30]

By the time things turn openly brutal. Half [00:25:35] the country is already explaining why it's necessary, and the other half is [00:25:40] asking, how did it happen so fast? Here's the important part. [00:25:45] None of this required the people to be stupid. None of it required [00:25:50] them to be evil. It required them to believe it couldn't happen here.[00:25:55]

That belief is the real danger because history doesn't repeat [00:26:00] itself by announcing, hello I am history. It repeats itself by [00:26:05] sounding reasonable, familiar, protective, [00:26:10] patriotic. Now, lemme tell you what I [00:26:15] just

The Reveal: Wasn't Who You Thought it was⚠️📜

[00:26:15] Bruce Anthony: described. I wasn't talking about modern America. I wasn't talking [00:26:20] about Donald Trump. I wasn't talking about maga.

I wasn't talking about Republicans or [00:26:25] Democrats. I was talking about Germany in the 1930s. I was talking about the [00:26:30] rise of Adolf Hitler. That's not a metaphor. It's not hyperbole [00:26:35] that's documented history and before anyone loses their mind, [00:26:40] no, I'm not saying America is Nazi Germany. No, this is [00:26:45] not saying Trump equals Hitler.

Scales matter. Outcomes [00:26:50] matter. Context matters, but patterns matter [00:26:55] too because genocide doesn't start with gas chambers. It [00:27:00] starts with contempt for the truth, with attacks on [00:27:05] institution with demonetizing demoralizing [00:27:10] of the other, with loyalty tests replacing [00:27:15] law history doesn't ask, are you as bad as the Nazis [00:27:20] yet?

History asks. Did you stop it while you still could, [00:27:25] if you're listening to this thinking, that could never [00:27:30] happen here. That's exactly, that's exactly what people said right before it [00:27:35] did. Democracy doesn't collapse in one dramatic moment. It [00:27:40] erodes while people argue about tone. So the lesson isn't fear.

The [00:27:45] lesson is vigilance, because history isn't warning us about the past. [00:27:50] It's warning us about complacency. [00:27:55] And if that story felt a little too familiar, good. [00:28:00] That's the point.

The other day, [00:28:05] yet, another American system, a citizen, excuse me, [00:28:10] American citizen was gunned down by ice[00:28:15]

out there peacefully protesting [00:28:20] gunned down

 and. [00:28:25] Me and my

Allyship, Othering, and Modern Violence 🧍🏽‍♂️🚨🩸

[00:28:25] Bruce Anthony: sister talked about, 'cause it was a white person. It was another white person that was gunned down. [00:28:30] Me and my sister talked about allyship and [00:28:35] how when white people lend [00:28:40] allyship to causes that they aren't directly affected. Civil rights, [00:28:45] human rights, mass, deportation, [00:28:50] inhumane, immigration tactics.

You lose your whiteness. [00:28:55] In the process of losing your whiteness and losing your privilege, you become other. [00:29:00] They describe you as that. There are already people saying it was [00:29:05] self-defense. When you watch the video, the graphic video, you [00:29:10] see this wasn't self-defense. This was another execution. [00:29:15] And there are gonna be people that are going to [00:29:20] be on the defense of the ice agents.

This is what I [00:29:25] was talking about and what I wrote. The complacency, [00:29:30] the normalization of these type of actions [00:29:35] are literally the fall of democracy. No, [00:29:40] no. We are not Nazi Germany. Trump is not [00:29:45] Hitler. I'm gonna get to that in a minute, but I wanna focus on right now [00:29:50] what happened the other day with another person who was a nurse that worked [00:29:55] with army veterans.

'cause everybody talks [00:30:00] about supporting the military, but they don't really mean it because supporting [00:30:05] military would be supporting veterans. I've often to said it all the time, what people often say when they say [00:30:10] support the military is support defense. I actually believe in [00:30:15] supporting the people no matter what their politics are, because there's a lot of [00:30:20] veterans who are maga.

I don't care. Those are the only MAGA people that I give [00:30:25] a pass for because you know what they did, especially if they're wounded or disabled, [00:30:30] they gave up their body for my [00:30:35] freedoms. So on that, even if we [00:30:40] absolutely disagree on every political social issue, because you did [00:30:45] that for me, I'm gonna stand down most of the time.

[00:30:50] Make sure that you get everything that you need so that you have a better life [00:30:55] because you gave up so much. So I can have freedoms that are [00:31:00] slowly trying to be eroded, but [00:31:05] this, this, this man was a nurse helping veterans executed. Shot over 10 times. [00:31:10] He was dead. They kept pumping holes in his body. [00:31:15] 'cause who are these people?

We don't know. When your cop pulls you over, your local cop, your [00:31:20] state police pulls you over. There's a badge number. You can see their face. You can get their badge [00:31:25] number, you can find out who they are. We don't know these people. [00:31:30] We don't know the background checks for these people and fraud and waste.

That's [00:31:35] what Doge was responsible for, right? We're in a struggling economy. [00:31:40] Job creation is at a low, right, lower than the previous administration, [00:31:45] but yet they find all types of money to fund ice signing [00:31:50] bonus. Six figures a year. We can't pay the kid. We can't pay. The teachers [00:31:55] can't feed the kids, but we could fund ice.

[00:32:00] You know, there's a line that [00:32:05] Semio Jackson says and do the right thing. Wake up. [00:32:10] That's all I can say is wake up. 'cause no. [00:32:15] We're not in Nazi Germany right now. Literally we're not. And I [00:32:20] get tired of people saying that, that Trump is Hitler Trump, [00:32:25] not by any means, even a decent man. [00:32:30] I think he's evil.

Hitler is a different ball game. What? Hitler dead. And what Trump is [00:32:35] doing is two different things. You can't literally pay him. You, you might say Hitler alike, [00:32:40] but you can't say that he's Hitler. You can't say this is Nazi Germany. 'cause we still out here, we still have [00:32:45] elections for the time being. But you need to pay attention.[00:32:50]

'cause everybody thought when I was reading that, that I was talking about modern day [00:32:55] America, Trump and Maga, and I wasn't, I was giving you a history of lessons of the [00:33:00] very things that are happening now that happened less than a hundred [00:33:05] years ago that led to a world war [00:33:10] that led to the loss of so many lives.[00:33:15]

You need to wake up. Alright. [00:33:20] Before

Methods vs Outcomes: Clearing the Bad-Faith Fog 🔍⚖️🧠

[00:33:20] Bruce Anthony: somebody clips 30 seconds of what I just said and runs to the internet screaming, [00:33:25] he called Trump Hitler. Let's slow down and be very clear [00:33:30] because clarity is the enemy of bad faith arguments. [00:33:35] What we are talking about is methods, not outcomes. [00:33:40] Those are not the same thing.

Okay? What outcomes are [00:33:45] and why they matter. I'm gonna give you the reasons. [00:33:50] Outcomes are what actually happened in Nazi Germany. The outcome [00:33:55] was a one party totalitarian in state. [00:34:00] The complete destruction of democratic institutions state [00:34:05] run terror and ultimately industrialized genocide mil with [00:34:10] millions of people being murdered.

Okay. That is a historical [00:34:15] fact. Even though there are Holocaust deniers, that scale [00:34:20] of horror matters and nothing [00:34:25] happening in the US today matches that outcome. Full [00:34:30] stop. If someone tells you America is literally Nazi Germany, they are [00:34:35] wrong. That's not an argument. That's not history. [00:34:40] That's not what I'm saying.

Okay? What [00:34:45] methods are and why they're dangerous [00:34:50] methods are how power is pursued and protected. [00:34:55] They are tactics leaders use before outcomes are fully visible, [00:35:00] and here's the uncomfortable truth. Authoritarian [00:35:05] systems don't invent new methods every time they reuse the same ones [00:35:10] over and over. Because they work.

Let me break this down for [00:35:15] you.

Authoritarian Playbooks Don’t Change 📕🧨👀

[00:35:15] Bruce Anthony: Authoritarian leaders don't start by banning media. [00:35:20] They start by telling supporters you can't trust them. They hate [00:35:25] you. They're enemies of the people. Once the audience stopped [00:35:30] believing independent reporting, truth becomes whatever the leader says it is. [00:35:35] That method showed up before total control ever existed.[00:35:40]

Right? Method two, attack [00:35:45] the rule of law. The courts don't get abolished [00:35:50] immediately. Instead, leaders attack. Judges personally, [00:35:55] claim rulings are political. Suggest legal accountability is [00:36:00] persecution. The goal isn't to end the courts. The [00:36:05] goal is to make people believe law only counts when it helps their side.[00:36:10]

Once that happens, democracy is [00:36:15] already limping. Method three, and this [00:36:20] is important, demonizing the other. This is a big one, [00:36:25] and it's always framed as security. Not [00:36:30] these people are human beings, but that they are criminals, [00:36:35] they're invaders, they're poisoning. The nation [00:36:40] history shows this language always come before rights are stripped away.[00:36:45]

Always. You don't start with camps, you start with [00:36:50] contempt. Method four, undermining [00:36:55] elections. No authoritarian leader says, I lost fair [00:37:00] and square. They say the election was rigged. The [00:37:05] system is corrupt. Only fraud could explain the defeat. [00:37:10] This isn't about winning. It's about convincing supporters that any outcomes [00:37:15] except victory is illegitimate.

Once that belief [00:37:20] sets in democracy becomes optional, [00:37:25] here's why outcomes don't appear [00:37:30] overnight. Here's where people get confused. They say, well, [00:37:35] where are all the camps? Where's the dictatorship? Where's the genocide? [00:37:40] Those are end points, not the starting of the lines. History [00:37:45] doesn't jump from democracy to autocracy in one move.

It slides [00:37:50] slowly while people argue about tone and [00:37:55] intent. The danger isn't that America is Nazi Germany. The danger is [00:38:00] believing patterns don't matter until it's too late. [00:38:05] Then there's a key distinction. So let's say this plainly, [00:38:10] comparing methods is not the same as equating [00:38:15] outcomes, right? You can say these [00:38:20] behaviors look familiar and historically dangerous, without saying [00:38:25] these two governments are morally and materially [00:38:30] identical.

That's not propaganda. That's historical literacy [00:38:35] and dismissing that conversation doesn't make the democracy safer. [00:38:40] It makes it more fragile. But why does this [00:38:45] conversation matter so much? The Nazi example [00:38:50] isn't useful because it's extreme. It's useful because it shows how [00:38:55] normal people, normal institutions, and normal politics fail when they [00:39:00] assume someone else will stop this.

It's not that [00:39:05] serious. It can't happen here. Democracy [00:39:10] doesn't die screaming. It dies while people roll their eyes.[00:39:15]

And here's the final [00:39:20] word on all of this. 'cause I hope I'm, I'm hitting my point that [00:39:25] for people that are watching these videos and [00:39:30] seeing their atrocities, and they might make a post or they might make a [00:39:35] repost, but there's no action behind it. That's [00:39:40] how you lose democracy. [00:39:45] That's how

Complacent vs Complicit: The Line That Breaks Democracies 🧱🗳️🔥

[00:39:45] Bruce Anthony: you get to an authoritative dictatorship.

Totalitarianism, [00:39:50] that's, that's how that happens when there's no action. When they're just [00:39:55] like, man, this is crazy. What's going on? Or when people make excuses, [00:40:00] not solely complacency, but being complicit. [00:40:05] Two different things. I know I'm throwing SAT words at you, [00:40:10] but one is, oh, you know, I mean, it is not gonna happen here.

That can never [00:40:15] happen to me. One is, well, they are [00:40:20] invading and making our country unsafe. They are [00:40:25] child, uh, uh, attackers and, and [00:40:30] traffickers. They're not like you and me. We gotta get rid of 'em. One's [00:40:35] complacency, one's complicit. [00:40:40] So, no, this is not about calling anyone [00:40:45] Hitler. It's not about recognizing that authoritarianism has a playbook [00:40:50] and history isn't asking us to panic.

His history is asking us to pay [00:40:55] attention because the question isn't, are we as bad as the past? [00:41:00] The question is, are we stopping the patterns before the [00:41:05] outcomes appear? That's it. That's the [00:41:10] argument. And if someone still doesn't understand the difference, they don't [00:41:15] want clarity. What they want is [00:41:20] cover.

​

[00:41:28] Bruce Anthony: [00:41:25] Hey, for all my [00:41:30] Gen Xers, millennials and some Gen Z, some older Gen Z, [00:41:35] do y'all remember snow days like in elementary, middle, and high school? [00:41:40] You know, like right now we're having a snow storm [00:41:45] and back in the day we used to get snow all the time, right? We [00:41:50] still get snow all the time. But you remember being a kid getting snowing all the time, and it might [00:41:55] actually fall on a day that you're supposed to go to school.

So you would wake up in the morning, [00:42:00] look outside, maybe it's a Dustin, maybe it's a full [00:42:05] snow, and then you would turn on the news to see the school closings. You'd be up early as hell to see the [00:42:10] school closings. And when you saw your school district was closed, [00:42:15] it was party time.

Snow Days, Childhood Joy, and a Lost Era ❄️📺🥹

[00:42:16] Bruce Anthony: You had the whole day to plan whatever you wanted to play.

Look, we gonna play [00:42:20] video games. We go go outside and play in the snow. I was never one to go outside and play in the snow. I don't like to cold. I don't like [00:42:25] snow. I hate snow. I hate the cold. And that's a young man originally [00:42:30] from Illinois. I hate it. I don't like it. So I wasn't going outside to play in the snow.

I don't be, I don't like [00:42:35] being cold and wet. So I'd be inside playing video games. I was still in elementary [00:42:40] school, also a little bit of middle school, playing with my wrestling men on my action figures. Just having a [00:42:45] grand old time that nothing was better than a [00:42:50] snow day. And if you got a couple of snow days, oh, then I would actually go outside.[00:42:55]

'cause I mean a couple of snow days. Everybody outside, you play football in the snow. It was a [00:43:00] good time. It was great to be a kid in the eighties. Well, let's, let's [00:43:05] go to seventies. Let's go seventies. 'cause I said to Gen X people, it was great to be a kid in the seventies, [00:43:10] eighties, nineties, two thousands, even two thousands, tens, right?

Even the [00:43:15] 2000 tens. It ain't that great no more. Look, [00:43:20] I often talk about how the pandemic sucked because we lost so many new [00:43:25] lives. I flourished personally and professionally. It was the greatest time [00:43:30] somebody who was a hermit, who is an introvert extrovert that can only take dealing with [00:43:35] people so, so much and doesn't really want to leave a house.

Right. The pandemic was [00:43:40] fantastic. I would order food. I don't even need to talk to delivery person. They just leave it at my front [00:43:45] doorstep. I don't even have to say a word. It was fantastic. I was getting things delivered. Amazon [00:43:50] had, look, Amazon made so much money off of me. It was ridiculous. And when I couldn't get it from [00:43:55] Amazon, you damn sure I was or it from Target at Walmart.

Right. I had my liquor in my house. I [00:44:00] got, I had a fully stocked bar going out on dates, didn't have to go out. Going out on [00:44:05] dates was FaceTiming and then we go over to each other's house. Oh man. 'cause lemme tell [00:44:10] you something, to be out here dating at this time, that's an expense [00:44:15] that's expensive. Okay. I went through and did my finances [00:44:20] for 2025 to start seeing, you know, where's my money going?

Right. [00:44:25] Dates. I ain't even date that much in 2025. I didn't even date that much. [00:44:30] But dates is expensive, right? So pandemic, you didn't have to do all that. You [00:44:35] ordered some food from Uber Eats, you had some alcohol. Watch a movie or stuff like that. It was a good time. [00:44:40] It, the Pandemic was beautiful. Pandemic was beautiful because it also taught [00:44:45] companies a, people don't need to come into the office.

Remote work became a thing. It [00:44:50] completely changed our society for adults. You know what it [00:44:55] also did for the kids? Take away they damn snow days. School districts [00:45:00] have replaced snow

How the Pandemic Stole Kids’ Innocence 🏫💻💔

[00:45:00] Bruce Anthony: days with online classes. That is some [00:45:05] bull. There is a whole generation. And for adults, you know, for [00:45:10] some adults. The pandemic was, you know, a time [00:45:15] of flourishing and you know, we didn't have to go to work and you know, we [00:45:20] figured out how good life could be when you minimize commuting [00:45:25] times, right?

You minimize the everyday struggle of just getting back and [00:45:30] forth to work, figuring out what you're going to eat. Some people became healthier, they joined, they got into [00:45:35] fitness. What kids actually experienced sucked. Some kids in high [00:45:40] school didn't get to do their prom, didn't get to do their homecoming.

They missed those important [00:45:45] social interacting times. Not like these kids really at our turn socially like we did anyway 'cause [00:45:50] they're all on their phone. But nevertheless they miss those social interacting times and just being with [00:45:55] your crew, man. Not, I was talking to a friend of mine who [00:46:00] is, is early forties and they were saying, I don't know why in high [00:46:05] school I stayed after school and just hung out.

Because my friends was doing [00:46:10] stuff, so I just stayed after school. Hung out. Yeah. That's what we all did. Who, who went [00:46:15] home right away from school and high school and middle school. You, you tend to stick [00:46:20] around you playing sports or join the clubs or whatever your friends is doing. That's what you was doing.[00:46:25]

Call it FOMO or, or whatever. But that's what you was doing. So there was social interaction and these [00:46:30] kids didn't get that during the pandemic. And people try to say, well the pandemic wasn't that long. Bullshit. [00:46:35] Like it was a long time for these kids. Two years, three years is a [00:46:40] long time when you're, when you go from eight to 11, 11 to 14, [00:46:45] 14 to 17.

That's a long time. And they still had to go [00:46:50] to school. They did the online classes and I don't know, [00:46:55] I would like to get some studies of probably the dork in me is gonna research this or how [00:47:00] this affected, you know, things like IQ test, test score, IQ [00:47:05] test. And then standardized tests, not the same thing.

They're two different things. [00:47:10] IQ tests is standardized tests to see like how online as opposed to [00:47:15] import person for the youth I'm talking about for young people, was affected. When you get to [00:47:20] like college aids and adult, I'm sure it has some effect as well, but you're [00:47:25] responsible for your own, like studying when you get to college.

I'm talking about like [00:47:30] elementary, middle, and high school. So I would, they were affected, but not only that, [00:47:35] they don't get the pleasure because these school systems realize now [00:47:40] online classes can work. They don't even get the pleasure of [00:47:45] snow days. They still gotta go to school. Now, if you had [00:47:50] told me back in 1992, I'm in the seventh [00:47:55] grade that I lost my snow day.

I [00:48:00] gotta do online classes. Let's go to 95. 'cause that's when a OL popped. That's when [00:48:05] I am popped. Let's say that you were able to do classes in 95. That puts me in like sophomore, [00:48:10] junior year of high school. If you told me that I got a snow day, [00:48:15] but I still gotta go to school, I'm throwing a complete fit. I remember one [00:48:20] time there was a snow day school was canceled, but it was during the basketball [00:48:25] season and coach was like, we're still gonna have P practice.

I'm like, bruh, that's [00:48:30] like six, six inches of snow. There's no way for me to get outta my driveway. [00:48:35] I still gotta shovel the driveway. My dad is about to make me show this driveway. I, and it's not no [00:48:40] short driveway. It could fit four cars. Okay, this ain't no short driveway. So I, I [00:48:45] already go get in. Don't worry.

Your, your teammate who lives down the road is [00:48:50] all is gonna be on the way. It's gonna pick you up. You just gotta meet him in the street, dammit. And I [00:48:55] lived right off of Main Road. We had to go to practice. We was in practice. We was in practice and I [00:49:00] was pissed. 'cause you know what I wanted to do that day?

Sit up there and play NBA live. [00:49:05] And now these kids don't even get that. They gotta go to school. Look, [00:49:10] this sucked for all my parents out there. Y'all know this sucks. Y'all know because [00:49:15] wasn't nothing like, remember a, remember a snow day? You knew there was a [00:49:20] chance of snow and there was a test or a project [00:49:25] or a quiz or something that was due on that exact day where [00:49:30] there was a chance of snow.

Now if you was like me who loved to gamble, [00:49:35] you'd be like, I know we're gonna get a snow day. I'm not gonna [00:49:40] do the work 'cause I'm gonna have it extra day to do it. I'm gonna chill and play video games. 'cause you know [00:49:45] what I, what I did as a person who had severe [00:49:50] generalized anxiety, didn't know it at that time, playing video games was a coping [00:49:55] mechanism.

That's a coping mechanism for a lot of people. By the way, if your man is [00:50:00] out there yelling at the games, let that man yell at the games. He's dealing with something and that's his release. [00:50:05] But I was like, no, this is my opportunity to play video games because I know that [00:50:10] I'm gonna get a snow day. When 'em snow days didn't happen, I was screwed.

And trust me, it was a lot of times I [00:50:15] was screwed. But these kids are screwed daily because they don't even [00:50:20] get no damn snow days. And I feel bad for the teachers. 'cause remember I went to school to be a teacher. [00:50:25] My degree is in secondary education and and my other degree is in history, [00:50:30] right? I was studying to be a teacher.

I have friends who are teachers [00:50:35] and they're just like, I gotta work this. Some, I don't even get a snow day. Sometimes they [00:50:40] would make teachers still come in to work on snow days, which I thought was bull. But they don't [00:50:45] even get to stay at home and just chill. They gotta log in online and teach these kids.

Now, [00:50:50] as an educator, I'm all for educating the kids. [00:50:55] I believe we work the kids too hard already. [00:51:00] That's the reason why a lot of people don't become well-developed human beings. [00:51:05] We need to streamline what we're teaching the kids [00:51:10] and then also teach them important things that they need to have for the future.[00:51:15]

Financial literacy is not taught ever. [00:51:20] Maybe if you take college or maybe you take a college course or something like that, accounting [00:51:25] is not given to us, but we don't understand credit unless our parents do it to [00:51:30] us. These are things that's important in life, but they don't want you to know that stuff.

They want you in debt. I [00:51:35] got a letter about my student loans the other day. I was like, you know what, y'all kiss my ass on these student loans, I'm [00:51:40] gonna pay 'em. But I'm pissed off that it is double what I actually took out. I think it might be [00:51:45] triple what I actually took out. Now I need to look at that number.

Um, and it, I've been outta school for [00:51:50] 20 years. That's another side point. We're talking about these kids right now, parents. [00:51:55] Do something nice for your kids because you remember [00:52:00] you got a snow day and these kids have to go [00:52:05] to class now, even though you're a parent, [00:52:10] you have work, you got your other responsibility, you raising [00:52:15] these little kids, you remember the joy that you got from those snow [00:52:20] days.

And that's been stripped from these kids [00:52:25] personally. These kids need to go out and protest 'cause that's what I would personally do. [00:52:30] I would protest, uh, but do something good for these kids [00:52:35] because the snow day is taken away from 'em. That joy is [00:52:40] gone and no generation is ever gonna get that back. It's [00:52:45] gone completely.

Now it's gone by the way of Blockbuster, right? It's [00:52:50] gone by the way of Netflix mail-in DVDs. [00:52:55] Like certain things, technology just passes it by [00:53:00] and there is no going back. And this is a situation [00:53:05] where those kids will never get a snow day. They're kids that won't [00:53:10] even imagine having a snow day. You'll tell, you'll tell your grandkids.[00:53:15]

I remember when had, which snowed and we just went outside and played [00:53:20] and, and we didn't have to go to school. I don't know what that sounded like a old bang. But y'all, [00:53:25] y'all know what I was eating, the aiming for. These kids won't understand that. They won't [00:53:30] get it 'cause they will have never seen anything like that.[00:53:35]

So for them, and to hold on to that innocence [00:53:40] because

No More Snow Days—And Why That Matters 😔❄️🧠

[00:53:41] Bruce Anthony: things get real, these kids have to grow up early [00:53:45] and we as adults really miss our childhood. One day we wake up and we're just [00:53:50] responsible for stuff. Give these kids that [00:53:55] childlike adventure for as long as you can. [00:54:00] 'cause ain't no going back and ain't no going [00:54:05] back for snow days.

And I feel sorry for gender alpha. I really [00:54:10] do. Y'all, y'all from the bottom of my heart. I'm sorry. [00:54:15] I'm sorry. That grownups ruin every damn thing. And we do. Y'all should get [00:54:20] your snow days and they're gone. Guess what? I'm gonna have a snow day for you. [00:54:25] I'm gonna sit in the house and do nothing. And that's what I plan on doing.

[00:54:30] But on that note, ladies and gentlemen, think about what I said. [00:54:35] Think about growing, learning complacency and being complicit. [00:54:40] Think about taking control when that [00:54:45] prefrontal cortex shuts down and all rational thought goes out the window. [00:54:50] Take a breath. That's all you gotta do in life. Things [00:54:55] get stressful.

Take a breath, take a couple of them. Deep, deep breaths. [00:55:00] Center yourself. Let that rational thought take place [00:55:05] and don't be bombarded by everything going on, [00:55:10] but don't be complacent either. I know I'm throwing a lot at you, but [00:55:15] basically I'm saying let's all be better. And on that note, I want to thank you for listening.

I want to [00:55:20] thank you for watching, and until next time, as always, [00:55:25] I'll holler.

Woo. That was a hell of a show. [00:55:30] Thank you for rocking with us here on Unsolicited Perspectives with Bruce Anthony. Now, before you go, [00:55:35] don't forget to follow, subscribe, like, comment, and share our [00:55:40] podcast. Wherever you're listening or watching it to it, pass it along to your friends. If you enjoy it, that [00:55:45] means the people that you rock, we'll enjoy it also.

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Audi 5,000 [00:56:55] Peace.