The Lie That Binds - Episode 3: The Machine

Episode 3: The Machine

08/11/20 • 51 min

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Believe it or not, Trump isn’t the first misogynistic celebrity to move from television to the White House. In 1980, Ronald Reagan was used by the Radical Right as a proof of concept for the power of their newly formed coalition. 40 years later, the Radical Right again united behind a man whose name is synonymous with grotesque wealth and debauchery, this time armed with their self-proclaimed moral high ground. In this episode, we explore the parallels between the rise of these two anti-choice presidents, and the political machine that launched them both.

We are joined by Ilyse Hogue (President of NARAL), Ellie Langford (Director of Research at NARAL), Pamela Merritt (Reproductive Justice activist), Imani Gandy (Senior Editor Legal and Policy, Rewire.News, podcast host: Boom Lawyered) Linda Greenhouse (Senior Research Scholar, Yale Law School), and Dahlia Lithwick (Senior Editor and Legal Correspondent for Slate; podcast host: Amicus). For more information on our podcast contributors, visit: https://theliethatbinds.com/the-podcast/

Based on the book “The Lie that Binds,” by NARAL Pro-Choice America President, Ilyse Hogue, with Ellie Langford, director of research.

Previous Episode

Episode 2: The Tightrope

Alternative facts, otherwise known as lies, aren’t a revolutionary idea. They’re a long term political strategy that the Radical Right set in motion decades ago in order to maintain white patriarchal control in a changing world. Today, their cronies have infiltrated the highest ranks of government, and their propaganda playbook is filled with pseudoscience and disinformation. In this episode, we unpack the Radical Right’s tactical narratives that have come to dominate language, talking points, and debate around abortion on both sides of the aisle. How were the Radical Right so successful at warping both their base and the mainstream talking points around their lies? Join us as we pull back the curtain on the man who started it all -- the Godfather of Anti-Choice Disinformation -- John Willke.

We are joined by Stacey Abrams (founder of Fair Fight and Fair Count), Ilyse Hogue (President of NARAL), Ellie Langford (Director of Research at NARAL), Imani Gandy (Senior Editor Legal and Policy, Rewire.News, podcast host: Boom Lawyered) Loretta Ross (Author, Professor, and Reproductive Justice activist), Laura Bassett (political columnist at GQ), and Karen Mulhauser (former president of NARAL). For more information on our podcast contributors, visit: https://theliethatbinds.com/the-podcast/

This series is based on the book “The Lie that Binds,” by NARAL Pro-Choice America President, Ilyse Hogue, with Ellie Langford. To purchase the book, visit: https://theliethatbinds.com/

Next Episode

Episode 4: The Trap

Since Trump took office, the Radical Right has taken complete control of the US court system, but he didn’t mastermind this himself. The conservative coalition-building that led to this takeover started decades earlier, with the birth of the right-wing extremist Federalist Society. Its members have been whispering in the ear of every conservative president since Reagan, and today, Trump has appointed a record-breaking 200+ of their most devoted judges to sit on our federal court and interpret our constitutional rights. In this episode, we examine where the Radical Right’s takeover of the U.S. court system fits into the Right’s overarching strategy to snuff out reproductive freedom, even if that means overriding what over 70 percent of voters want.

We are joined by Ilyse Hogue (President of NARAL), Ellie Langford (Director of Research at NARAL), Wendy Davis (Candidate for Congress, TX-21) Imani Gandy (Senior Editor Legal and Policy, Rewire.News, podcast host: Boom Lawyered) Linda Greenhouse (Senior Research Scholar, Yale Law School), and Dahlia Lithwick (Senior Editor and Legal Correspondent for Slate; podcast host: Amicus) Vanita Gupta (Former head of USDOJ Civil Rights Division). For more information on our podcast contributors, visit: https://theliethatbinds.com/the-podcast/