This article previously featured in the Weekend section of The Tribune on April 1.
Recently, we reviewed the second
series
of Serial – a weekly podcast which is presently looking at the
case
of Bowe Bergdahl, a US soldier accused of being a traitor. That's
our
starting point this week as we look beyond the case itself and at
the
nature of loyalty and disagreement itself.
Stride And Saunter
I've reviewed Stride And Saunter
before
– in fact, it was one of my shows of last year – and recently the
team discussed the nature of loyalty itself in light of the Bowe
Bergdahl case.
Guest Gabe Brison-Trezise joins
regular
host Kip Clark to discuss what are the advantages and
disadvantages
of loyalty. What makes loyalty valuable? Are there situations
where
disloyalty is an asset?
The team discuss such individuals as
Bowe Bergdahl, Edward Snowden and more – and how to some these
people are traitors, while to others they are heroes for the very
same actions.
Beyond that, loyalty for the sake of
loyalty is discussed, with the hosts considering how important it
is
for there to be a voice that speaks up and says no where others
say
yes.
In a world where loyalty might see us
all running over a cliff like lemmings, a dissenting voice can be
the
one to have more value than others.
It's an insightful listen, as I'd
expect from the Stride and Saunter team, and guaranteed to make
you
think.
Website: www.strideandsaunter.com
How Do We Fix It?
This is a podcast with a mission – to
find solutions – and a recent episode picked up on similar themes
to that of Stride And Saunter. Activist Joan Blades guested on the
show, hosted by Richard Davies and Jim Meigs, to discuss
livingroomconversations.org, a way of trying to have discussions
with
people you disagree with in order to find solutions.
The idea is to set out ground rules, a
pre-agreed topic and have hosts on hand to moderate discussions
with
the aim of cutting through the lines that separate people to have
some genuine progress.
As Joan says, "One of the problems
progressives have right now is that if they run into someone who
doesn't believe in climate science, they roll their eyes."
As soon as you do that, "you've
lost your conversation," she adds. "Nobody listens to
anybody."
There is good advice in here, but most
of all it is well presented in a non-confrontational way – the
kind
of manner you need to get to those solutions.
Website:
http://www.howdowefixit.me/podcast/
Five Thirty Eight
This week, loyalty was very much in
the
news in the US political scene – with Republican candidate hopeful
Donald Trump expressing his loyalty to his campaign manager even
as
he got arrested for battery on a reporter, while at the same time
saying he might not remain loyal to his pledge to support whoever
the
eventual winner of the candidacy race might be. Five Thirty Eight
is
a much larger website than just its podcasts, but the election
podcast team sure hits the spot on the issues of the day.
Packed with statistics and analysis of
what those mean, the team clearly sets out the situation and its
ramifications. The latest episode looks at the momentum of
candidates
and whether the misogyny of Trump will hurt him in the general
election if he makes it, but an older episode might be worth
listening to more in the context of this week's developments – an
episode looking at violence at Trump rallies.
The show is expertly produced – as
you'd expect from a team as professional as this – and if you want
a one-stop shop to gain a perspective on what is happening in the
US
political battleground, then this, I might suggest, is well worth
your loyalty.
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