PODCAST · society
The Dissidents
by The Dissidents
Welcome to the Dissidents podcast from the Institute for Liberal Values (formerly the Counterweight Podcast), where we talk about how we can strive for a world in which freedom and reason are at the forefront of all human society.
Episodes
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FSF Hot Takes: The Rise of Political Violence & Decline of Free Speech – More Thoughts on the Causes (Part 3)
"What are we all fighting over? It's who gets to rule." In this third installment of the Hot Takes Rise of Political Violence mini-series, Chris and Joia dig deeper into two fundamental root causes of America's rising political violence: massive government overreach and the collapse of...
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FSF Ep. 46: Free Speech Alone Isn't Enough: Sharpening Ideas Through Opposition | Lyell Asher
"You don't really know how good a boxer you are until you face someone on the other side of the net." Facing opposition matters. This is the argument of Dr. Lyell Asher, who teaches at Lewis and Clark College and created the 15-part YouTube series Why Colleges Are Becoming Cults with Peter...
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FSF Hot Takes: The Rise of Political Violence & Decline of Free Speech – Proximate & Root Causes (Part 2)
"The president is not supposed to have so much power. It shouldn't make such a difference who actually wields the executive pen." Chris and Joia dive deep into several of the causes behind America's rising political violence, starting with an October 2025 Pew Research survey that asked Americans...
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Founding a New Freedom Consensus: Celebrating America's 250th with the Free Society Coalition
On the eve of America's 250th anniversary, 1776 Forward co-founders K. Joia Houheneka and Chris Bush hosted an evening that accomplished what few conversations manage: it modeled the very thing it celebrated. The event brought together original contributors to the Free Society Coalition's...
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FSF Ep 45: Celebrating the Declaration: America at 250 Event
"Bad ideas survive when people are too afraid to speak up." Shelly Norden, Ken Pope, and Leigh Vlasblom join hosts Chris and Joia for a special episode promoting the America at 250 initiative—including an event in June to reclaim the founding principles of free speech, civil discourse, and…
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FSF Hot Takes: The Rise of Political Violence & Decline of Free Speech (Part 1)
“If it bleeds, it leads," they say—and in the algorithm age, we're all drowning in egregiously hyperbolic content designed to polarize. In the wake of the third assassination attempt on President Trump, plus Charlie Kirk's tragic murder and attacks on the UnitedHealthcare CEO and various state...
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FSF Ep. 44: When Classrooms Turn Hostile to Inquiry & Free Speech | Dana Stangel-Plowe
"I always loved school. I was one of those people who played school with my siblings." Dana Stangel-Plowe, now Chief Program Officer at the North American Values Institute (NAVI), went from lawyer to beloved high school English teacher at her kids' private school in suburban New Jersey—until she...
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FSF Ep. 43: “You're Not Allowed to Say That”: Art as Free Speech | Joshua David Washington
"You're not allowed to say that." Those four words changed everything for Joshua David "JoDavi" Washington, Director of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel (IBSI) and world-touring recording artist. Sharing what he thought were just "fun experiences" about Israel with college friends,...
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FSF Ep. 42: Celebrating the Declaration | Ideas, Character, and America's Thunderclap Moment with Lawrence Reed
"Ideas are more powerful than all the armies of the world. Nothing is as powerful as an idea whose time has come." Victor Hugo’s observation resonates with Lawrence Reed, FEE's President Emeritus and author of the forthcoming Born of Ideas, who traces his liberty awakening to 1968 when Soviet…
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FSF | Why July 4th? The Declaration as America's First Act of Free Speech
Why do we celebrate America's birthday on July 4th and not July 2nd when the Declaration was actually voted on, or 1775 when shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, or 1783 when Britain finally acknowledged our independence in the Treaty of Paris? In this special episode, co-hosts Chris and…
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FSF Ep. 40: Every Memory Has a Soundtrack: Music, Listening, and Free Speech | Shaka Mitchel
"The other side of the free speech coin is listening well." Shaka Mitchell, senior fellow at the American Federation for Children and creator of the Come Together Music Project, believes we've "forgotten how to listen"—and music is his solution. A Nashville-based lawyer and education reform…
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FSF Ep. 39: "I Am Charlie”: Free Speech After Witnessing Charlie Kirk's Murder | Carob Marcelle Bartholomew
"Is this going to be in my neck or in my back? And will it be fast?" Those were Carob Marcelle Bartholomew's thoughts as she lay on the ground during Charlie Kirk's assassination listening for bullets whizzing overhead that tragic day in Utah. A homeschool teacher to 83 students and Utah State...
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S5 E29 | The Bullying Pulpit: Practice what You Preach or Preaching to the Choir
This week Ryan Tsapatsaris is back and joins Elizabeth for discussion about bullying behaviors. A recent study of Middle and High School aged participants revealed that bullied students admitted to also engaging in bullying behaviors. The relationship was stronger for gender non-conforming…
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FSF Ep. 38: Celebrating the Declaration: Free Speech & Liberty’s Reset Button | Scott Schiff
"If you can't state the truth, you can't really pursue it either." Scott, project coordinator with the Atlas Society and partner with the Free Society Coalition, left his comfortable career in financial services after a health scare made him realize it was "worth spending my time left advocating...
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S5 E28 | Mental health and the Second Amendment
This week the Dissident's Podcast highlights our partner, Prosocial Workers, ProSocial Podcast. ProSocial Workers executive director and ILV senior advisor Matt Watson invites licensed clinical social worker Paul Stayback to discuss the intersection of social work, gun violence, and mental…
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S5 E27 | Face Off: Exploring Neural Symmetry in Political Affiliation
This week Mike Burke is back and joins Elizabeth for discussion about the neuroscience of polarized attitudes. A recent article suggests that regardless of which side of the political aisle we inhabit, those with more extreme views may experience similar neural activity and physiological…
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S5 E26 | Don't get on the Banned-Wagon: Recent Trends in Library Censorship
This week Elizabeth is joined by librarian and frequent contributor, Pamela Hayes-Bohanan who, in anticipation of Banned Books Week, gives us the latest news on attempts to remove books from our libraries. The majority of book censorship attempts now originate from organized movements, pressure...
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FSF Ep. 37: Free Speech and Being “That Person You Hate” | Kofi Montzka
"I'm that person you hate." That's what attorney and activist Kofi Montzka says when coworkers start ranting about conservatives—and it stops them in their tracks. After being told she couldn't speak anymore at a mandatory anti-racism training (despite being one of only two Black people in the...
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S5 E25 | Viewpoint Diversity Adversity: The Conundrum Between Balance and Obscurity
This week Elizabeth is joined by Mark Horowitz. We discuss two very different articles about viewpoint diversity. In one (unpublished) paper the authors examined thousands of college course syllabi for evidence that diverse perspectives were being introduced. In all 3 areas of focus (racism in…
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FSF Ep. 36: Honoring Charlie Kirk – Standing Up for Free Speech
In this urgent and unplanned episode of Free Speech Forward, hosts Joia and Chris respond to the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025—the most horrific attack on free speech on US soil in their lifetimes. Recording in the immediate aftermath of this tragedy, they grapple...
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FSF Ep. 35: Free Speech, Youth Empowerment, and Sacred Individuality | Dan Isadore
In this next special episode of Free Speech Forward in celebration of the Declaration of Independence, Chris and Joia speak with Episcopal chaplain Dan Isadore. He reveals why the loneliness epidemic plaguing America's youth isn't solved by offering more "belonging"—but instead by restoring...
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S5 E24 | Authoritarians in the Academy with Sarah McLaughlin
This week Jennifer Richmond and Brandy Shufutinsky speak with Sarah Mchlaughlin on her recently released book – Authoritarians in the Academy. As universities are run more and more like corporations with increasing numbers of administrators, priorities have shifted. As part of this shift, we…
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S5 E23 | For Whom the Bell Tolls: The Death of Knowledge
In 2022 Counterweight, the organization that Helen Pluckrose founded and that was absorbed into the Institute for Liberal Values had a virtual conference on Alternatives to Diversity and Inclusion. Starting in 2025, we will be rolling out one talk a month that was presented at the conference. We...
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FSF Ep. 34: Free Speech Behind the Veil: A Muslim Feminist's Fight Against Religious Cancel Culture | Soraya M. Deen
n this powerful episode of Free Speech Forward, Chris and Joia speak with Muslim feminist reformer Soraya M. Deen, who reveals the shocking reality of advocating for women's rights within religious orthodoxy—where speaking truth can mean exile from your own community. From her awakening moment...
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S5 E22 | Rage Against the Algorithm: Terminating AI's Moral Misalignment
We have a lot of questions about AI. Maybe you do too. If you follow our work you’ll note that we’ve done several presentations on AI (Reimaging the Academy Panel Discussion, and This is Your Brain on AI Dissidents Podcast). To get a better grasp on both the problems and opportunities, we invited...
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S5 E21 | Unconditional Political Regard: Addressing Political and Cultural Blinds Spots in Therapy
Dr. Nafees Alam and Matt Watson interview Andrew Hartz, founder of the Open Therapy Institute. They discuss the impact of political issues on mental health training, the importance of addressing bias in therapy, and the need for cultural competence that includes diverse sociopolitical values.…
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FSF Ep. 33: Celebrating the Declaration: Free Speech & the Importance of Independent Thinking | Marsha Familaro Enright
Today we’re delighted to begin a new series of episodes under the Free Speech Forward banner, an exploration of free speech and its connection to the Declaration of Independence. This series is a celebration of the Declaration in honor of its upcoming anniversary, a project conducted in…
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S5 E20 | Hate Parties and Digital Campfires: The Social Nature of Online Aggression
This week Elizabeth is joined by Ryan Tsapatsaris for a discussion about the complex world of online communities focused on aggression and hate. We draw insights from the book Social Processes of Online Hate as well as Ryan’s own research and expertise in the area. While most of us assume that...
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FSF Ep. 32: ree Speech and Daring to Stand Out | Naya Lekht
In this gripping episode of Free Speech Forward, Chris and Joia speak with Naya Lekht—a Soviet-born educator and research fellow. Dr. Lekht exposes how American colleges mirror the totalitarian censorship her family escaped in the USSR. Drawing shocking parallels between Marxist indoctrination…
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S5 E19 | The Color of Truth: Redefining American Identity
On the eve of July 4th, co-authors Jennifer Richmond and Winkfield Twyman joined Equiano Project Head of Content Ada Akpala for an insightful conversation about blackness and race identity with noted podcaster Danielle Romero. A native of Troy, New York, Danielle discovered one day that her...
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FSF Ep. 31: Free Speech, Flourishing, & Empowered Humanity Theory – Let’s Get It Done! | Jason Littlefield
In this inspired episode of Free Speech Forward (recorded and released right around Independence Day), Joia and Chris speak with educator and free speech advocate Jason Littlefield, who reveals why the First Amendment isn't just about politics—it's about human flourishing and psychological...
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S5 E18 | A Woke Right Keeps the Pendulum Swinging
In this week’s podcast, Jennifer Richmond sits down with Dmitri Shufutinsky’s to discuss his latest article for White Rose Magazine, The Woke Right Keeps the Pendulum Swinging. In his article Shufutinsky argues that a faction he terms the "Woke Right" has emerged within conservative movements,...
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FSF Ep. 30: Free Speech & Taking Your Ideas to the Gym |
Welcome to the latest release from the Free Speech Forward podcast! In this episode, Chris and Joia meet with Angel Eduardo, an artist, writer, and advocate of Free Speech who works with FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression). This episode delves into critical free speech…
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S5 E17 | Challenging Ideological Conformity in Social Work Education
In this timely episode, FAIR Executive Director Monica Harris, joined by Gabriel Nadales and Suzannah Alexander, examines the troubling rise of mandated ideological conformity across professional education programs with Zander Keig and Nafees Alam. Following FAIR's groundbreaking formal complaint...
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FSF Ep. 29: 1-Year Retrospective on Free Speech Forward | Joia Houheneka & Chris Bush
In this retrospective episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, co-hosts Chris and Joia reflect on their first year of discussions surrounding free speech. They highlight key themes such as the importance of education, the challenges of speaking out, and the diversity of perspectives among…
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S5 E16 | In Vogue but Out of Style: The Persistent Myth of Learning Styles in Education
Podcast description In this week's episode clinical psychologist Patrick Lockwood joins Elizabeth for a discussion about why, despite all evidence to the contrary, beliefs in learning styles remain strong. We talk about the psychological and institutional forces that promote the myth including…
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S5 E15 | Decolonization: Erasure or Diversity?
In 2022 Counterweight, the organization that Helen Pluckrose founded and that was absorbed into the Institute for Liberal Values had a virtual conference on Alternatives to Diversity and Inclusion. Starting in 2025, we will be rolling out one talk a month that was presented at the conference. We...
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FSF Ep. 28: Free Speech & An Academic Journey of Advocacy | Arnold Cantú
In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, Chris and Joia engage with Arnold Cantú, a clinical social worker and psychotherapist, discussing the critical role of free speech in academia and education. Arnold shares his personal experiences as a Colorado State University doctoral student,...
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S5 E14 | This is Your Brain on AI: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
In this week's episode Winkfield Twyman Jr. joins Elizabeth to explore our lay view of the pros and cons of artificial intelligence. Our discussion is guided by several reports, popular press articles, and opinion pieces that expose different types of challenges and perspectives. We start with...
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S5 E13 | Liberal Alternatives to State Coercion in Economic Affairs
In this week's Dissident's podcast, James & Chris explore some of the legal, political, and moral arguments that undercut the basis for the modern welfare-regulatory state - which sees coercive powers concentrated in a central government body that intervenes into most human affairs, often in...
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FSF Ep. 27: The Cultural Revolution Serves as a Warning for the Value of Free Speech | Yukong Mike Zhao
"Because of lack of freedom of speech, no one was able to tell the truth.” Welcome back – this is the Free Speech Forward podcast. In today’s show, host Chris Bush interviews Yukong Mike Zhao, a prominent advocate for free speech and equal education rights. Mike shares his personal journey from...
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S5 E12 | Strength, Science and Society: Two Gym Rats Discuss How Their Fitness Journey Complements a Liberal Mindset
In this episode of The Dissidents Podcast, Jennifer Richmond and Nafees Alam dive into an engaging conversation on the intersections of fitness, mental health, faith, and societal challenges. Beginning with personal stories of their fitness journeys, they explore how physical well-being impacts...
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FSF Ep. 26: Courage and Communication: Standing Up for Free Speech | Dumisani Washington
"Courage is essential for sharing your ideas." In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, host Chris Bush interviews Dumisani Washington, founder of the Institute for Black Solidarity with Israel. They discuss Dumisani's journey into advocacy for free speech and liberal values,...
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S5 E11 | In Search of a Third Space in Trans Care and Conversation with Zander Keig
In 2022 Counterweight, the organization that Helen Pluckrose founded and that was absorbed into the Institute for Liberal Values had a virtual conference on Alternatives to Diversity and Inclusion. Starting in 2025, we will be rolling out one talk a month that was presented at the conference. We...
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S5 E10 | The Boys are Back: The Unique Social Contributions of Men and Masculinity
In this week's episode we honor the importance of men and masculine traits for a functioning society and human survival, for productive and enjoyable interactions, and for the sake of diversity. That's right, Nafees Alam joins Elizabeth to talk about men--men in the gym, men in the classroom, men...
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FSF Ep. 25: From an Ashram to Anarchy to Academic Censure: A Journey for Free Speech | Jake Mackey
“Academia is an extremely unfree place”. Welcome to the latest episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast. Today, we welcome Professor Jake Mackey, Associate Professor of Classics, author of Belief and Cult: Rethinking Roman Religion (Princeton University Press, 2022), and founding member of Free...
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Bonus | Fair, Inclusive & Safe: A Transgender Sports Policy Panel Discussion
In this bonus episode, we share the recording of our Liberal Values in Practice livestream about transgender sports policies. The panelists, Social Work Professor Nafees Alam, Psychotherapist Stella O'Malley, and author and Social Worker Zander Keig, discuss the nuance and complexities of…
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S5 E9 | Where Do We Go from Here: The Elusiveness of Peace in Ukraine
In this week's episode Ken Pope indulges Jen, Matt and Elizabeth in a discussion of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Ken, a retired Army officer, shares his personal experiences of living and working in both Ukraine and Russia. He patiently listens to our often naive and occasionally probing…
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FSF Ep. 24: Free Speech and The Diversity of Black Voices | Mike Bowen
Diverse Black Thought Matters. In this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, hosts Chris and Joia speak with Mike Bowen, a founding member of Free Black Thought and prominent advocate for free speech and diversity of thought within the Black community. They discuss the importance of...
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S5 E8 | Pursuit of Truth: Curiosity over Compliance
In 2022 Counterweight, the organization that Helen Pluckrose founded and that was absorbed into the Institute for Liberal Values had a virtual conference on Alternatives to Diversity and Inclusion. Starting in 2025, we will be rolling out one talk a month that was presented at the conference. We...
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does The Dissidents have?
The Dissidents currently has 286 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is The Dissidents about?
Welcome to the Dissidents podcast from the Institute for Liberal Values (formerly the Counterweight Podcast), where we talk about how we can strive for a world in which freedom and reason are at the forefront of all human society.
How often does The Dissidents release new episodes?
The Dissidents publishes regularly with 286 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to The Dissidents?
You can listen to The Dissidents on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts The Dissidents?
The Dissidents is created and hosted by The Dissidents.
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