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Videos by Second Thought
The Secret Plan to Tank Zohran | Second Thought 18 min
The Secret Plan to Tank Zohran | Second Thought
18 min · New video every other Friday!
America's Forgotten Socialist History 18 min
America's Forgotten Socialist History
18 min · From our very earliest education Americans are told that the US has never been and will never be a socialist country. While it's true that the US has never been governed by a socialist...
This Is What Happens To Trump's Deportees 15 min
This Is What Happens To Trump's Deportees
15 min · What Happens When You Get Deported? – Second Thought
Literally 1984 But Neoliberal 16 min
Literally 1984 But Neoliberal
16 min · Neoliberalism's Perfect Propaganda – Second Thought
Neoliberalism Needs To Go 20 min
Neoliberalism Needs To Go
20 min · Second Thought explains neoliberalism.
"The Economy" Isn't What You Think 18 min
"The Economy" Isn't What You Think
18 min · For months, Democrats insisted the economy was thriving—unemployment was low, GDP was growing, and stock prices were soaring. Meanwhile, Republicans painted a picture of crisis—rampant...
How Elon Musk Got Rich: The $230 Billion Myth | The Class Room ft. Second Thought 14 min
How Elon Musk Got Rich: The $230 Billion Myth | The Class Room ft. Second Thought
14 min · Elon Musk spent decades building something big: himself. Musk managed to sell the world on a persona: the visionary genius billionaire working his hardest to save the the world. And it’s...
Why Is There So Much Right-Wing Media? 20 min
Why Is There So Much Right-Wing Media?
20 min · PragerU, The Daily Wire, countless far-right talk shows, YouTube channels, think tanks, and online magazines. Where are they all coming from, and why are they all so well funded? Let's...
Why Governments Won't Act On Climate Change 17 min
Why Governments Won't Act On Climate Change
17 min · Democrats are barely talking about it anymore.
Why Is Elon Musk Like That? 22 min
Why Is Elon Musk Like That?
22 min · Second Thought explains.
Were The Nazis Socialist? 20 min
Were The Nazis Socialist?
20 min · Point-by-point debunkings of the “Nazis were socialists” arguments.
The Shady Group Behind Project 2025 20 min
The Shady Group Behind Project 2025
20 min · The Shady Group Behind Project 2025 – Second Thought
How The US Took Over The World 23 min
How The US Took Over The World
23 min · How The US Hides Its Global Empire – Second Thought
Is Europe Turning Fascist? 18 min
Is Europe Turning Fascist?
18 min · With the recent surprise win for the left in the French elections, some may be tempted to think fascism is on the back foot. Unfortunately, that's not the case. Let's take a look at the...
Why Social Democracy Isn't Good Enough 17 min
Why Social Democracy Isn't Good Enough
17 min · One of the major stumbling blocks for new lefties is getting stuck in the "why can't we just have social democracy?" phase. On the surface, the Nordic Model looks pretty good - social...
How The Media Controls The Masses | Second Thought 22 min
How The Media Controls The Masses | Second Thought
22 min · From FOX to MSNBC, the corporate media is united in promoting elite economic and government interests.
What Happens When Evil Wins? 17 min
What Happens When Evil Wins?
17 min · Over the last five months, we've seen an unprecedented escalation in violence in Gaza. Most people I know feel like they're going crazy. We're all seeing the same footage, but no matter...
Are We The Baddies? 20 min
Are We The Baddies?
20 min · As uncomfortable as it may be to find flaws in your home country, wherever that may be, it's an important part of being an informed citizen. While it's good to call the US out on...
Project 2025: The New Fascist Playbook 18 min
Project 2025: The New Fascist Playbook
18 min · You've probably heard there's a new conservative manifesto gaining steam among the far-right. What exactly is Project 2025, and why is it so dangerous?
What Happens to Rich People Under Socialism? 14 min
What Happens to Rich People Under Socialism?
14 min · It's a common misconception that socialists want to...ahem...*bonk* the rich. So what do we really want to do? Come learn about how socialist societies treat those with wealth and power!
Why The Political Compass Sucks...And What's Better 20 min
Why The Political Compass Sucks...And What's Better
20 min · We've all taken the political compass test. It's fun, it doesn't take long, and it's a good way to dip your toe into political labels. The only problem is...it kinda sucks. Let's take a...
You're Not Immune To Propaganda 21 min
You're Not Immune To Propaganda
21 min · It's very common in the West, especially in the US, for people to assume that propaganda doesn't really exist in our society. Sure, those other countries brainwash their citizens, but...
This Is Why You're Poor 22 min
This Is Why You're Poor
22 min · We've all heard poverty described as a "mindset" or a "moral failing," but those claims don't hold up to scrutiny when you start to look into it. In this episode we'll take a look at the...
American Fascism And The Groomer Panic 27 min
American Fascism And The Groomer Panic
27 min · We've seen a number of moral panics over the decades, and this one is no different. Come learn how the same old tropes are being recycled to animate this latest strain of American...
Do We Really Live Under Capitalism? 15 min
Do We Really Live Under Capitalism?
15 min · One of the most common objections to critiques of capitalism is "we don't have real capitalism, we have corporatism" or "crony capitalism" or even "techno-feudalism." These claims are...
Should We Move To A 4-Day Work Week? 13 min
Should We Move To A 4-Day Work Week?
13 min · Our mindset surrounding work is stuck in the 20th century. With massive improvements in technology and productivity in the last few decades, it's time to reassess what work could look...
Why Corporate America Hates Unions 19 min
Why Corporate America Hates Unions
19 min · Unions are having a bit of a moment right now - countless stores under brands like Amazon, Chipotle, REI, Starbucks, and many more are winning victories left and right, and corporate...
Why Is US Media Becoming More Right-Wing? 18 min
Why Is US Media Becoming More Right-Wing?
18 min · Something very interesting is happening to mainstream US media, and they're openly admitting it. Why is the news becoming more right-wing? – Second Thought
Why It's So Hard To Imagine Life After Capitalism 19 min
Why It's So Hard To Imagine Life After Capitalism
19 min · There's a common expression, "it's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism." When the current economic model is seen more as an immutable force of nature than a...
How To Make Communist Propaganda 18 min
How To Make Communist Propaganda
18 min · Ever wonder how I make my videos? Here's a good starting point!  – Second Thought
Can Capitalism Solve World Hunger? 19 min
Can Capitalism Solve World Hunger?
19 min · We're often told just how productive a capitalist economy is. We produce far more than we need...so why are there still so many hungry and malnourished people? In this episode we'll...
How Capitalism Robs the Developing World 19 min
How Capitalism Robs the Developing World
19 min · You've probably seen videos ask questions like "why is _____ so poor?" or "why are northern countries richer?" but most of them fail to grapple with the underlying causes of global...
Why You're Not “Middle Class” 17 min
Why You're Not “Middle Class”
17 min · Fun fact, the vast majority of people see themselves as "middle class." That includes everyone from those making $20k per year all the way to those making millions of dollars per year...
Socialism for Absolute Beginners 25 min
Socialism for Absolute Beginners
25 min · You've probably heard the word "socialism" in the media. More often than not, it's used as a pejorative. Why is that? Is socialism really that bad, or is there something else going on?...
What If We Just...Stopped Working? 21 min
What If We Just...Stopped Working?
21 min · Ever think about how the average person is orders of magnitude more productive than workers of the past, and yet our work week hasn't gotten any shorter? What's the deal? In this week's...
How Feel Good Stories Let A Broken System Off The Hook 21 min
How Feel Good Stories Let A Broken System Off The Hook
21 min · We've all seen those "heartwarming" stories about kids with cancer selling lemonade to pay for their chemo, or janitors being gifted a car because they've walked ten miles to work every...
Whitewashing 101: How To Rewrite Black History 22 min
Whitewashing 101: How To Rewrite Black History
22 min · "It's Black History Month, so it's about time we talked about the recuperation of Black radicals like Dr. King and Nelson Mandela. Everyone and their mother likes to claim MLK as their...
Why Student Debt Is So Hard to Forgive 16 min
Why Student Debt Is So Hard to Forgive
16 min · Americans are currently burdened with about 1.57 trillion dollars of student debt, and that number is climbing rapidly. For many, a lifetime of debt has become the painful reality of...
Your "Carbon Footprint" Is A Scam 18 min
Your "Carbon Footprint" Is A Scam
18 min · If you get tired of being told that climate change is all your fault because you eat meat, don't use paper straws, or drive a car, this video is for you. While there are things we can...
How Capitalism Destroys Radical Movements 20 min
How Capitalism Destroys Radical Movements
20 min · Movements like Black Lives Matter often start out as radical demands for change, but somewhere along the way they get consumed, defanged, and turned into meaningless symbols. How does...
How Hollywood Sells Us War 19 min
How Hollywood Sells Us War
19 min · Ever notice how just about every single depiction of the US military on film and TV is positive? There's a reason for that. Come learn about just how long the military has been...
Why American Fascism Is On The Rise 18 min
Why American Fascism Is On The Rise
18 min · It should be common knowledge that the troubling undercurrent of outright fascism has been becoming more and more mainstream over recent years. With new fascist and Neo-nazi groups...
How Left Is The American Left...And Why Didn't Socialism Catch On Here? 17 min
How Left Is The American Left...And Why Didn't Socialism Catch On Here?
17 min · Every minute of every day, the media and most Americans yell about how the Democrats are going "too far left." For the rest of the world, this is an absurd statement, but the average...
How "Moderates" Serve The Right 18 min
How "Moderates" Serve The Right
18 min · This week we're talking about everyone's favorite grillpilled neighbor - the American "centrist" or "moderate". As much as they like to see themselves as enlightened arbiters of...
How American Workers Are Losing Billions 16 min
How American Workers Are Losing Billions
16 min · You've probably heard the term "wage theft" before, but do you know just how big a problem it is? In the US, wage theft dwarfs all other kinds of theft combined. Let's take a look at why...
The Myth Of Upward Mobility 15 min
The Myth Of Upward Mobility
15 min · In this video, Second Though revisits the idea of "meritocracy" and explores the misguided belief that the United States is anywhere close to a "fair competition" where everyone has...
Environmental Justice: How Capitalism Threatens Humanity 18 min
Environmental Justice: How Capitalism Threatens Humanity
18 min · Earlier this year, the NGO Global Witness released their report on the deaths of environmental defenders. In 2020 alone, a total of 227 people fighting against environmental degradation...
The Importance Of Revolutionary Optimism 15 min
The Importance Of Revolutionary Optimism
15 min · While it's often easy to fall into doomerism, remaining dedicated, principled, and optimistic is critical to the success of any movement. Let's talk about revolutionary optimism and what...
The Two Futures Of Automation: Capitalism VS Socialism 19 min
The Two Futures Of Automation: Capitalism VS Socialism
19 min · With jobs being automated and handed off to machines at an ever-increasing pace, it's only natural to consider what our future will look like. Will humans have more free time to spend...
How Capitalism Ruined Work 19 min
How Capitalism Ruined Work
19 min · If you’re unemployed, it isn’t because there’s no work. There is, and always will be, work to be done. So...what's going on? Why are there so few meaningful jobs, and why are they...
Why "Terrorism" Is A Dangerous Word 19 min
Why "Terrorism" Is A Dangerous Word
19 min · If you've been keeping up with online news, you may have seen coverage of a Navy anti-terrorism training document that equated socialists and anarchists with neo-nazis. Even if you don't...
How Conservatives Co-Opted Christianity 22 min
How Conservatives Co-Opted Christianity
22 min · If you live in the United States, odds are you've encountered the distinctly American "conservative christian." It seems that these people, despite their fierce devotion to their faith...
How The United States Ended Up With Two Right-Wing Parties 14 min
How The United States Ended Up With Two Right-Wing Parties
14 min · We hear a lot about the Democrats being "the radical left." Most of us know this obviously isn't the case, but what many Americans don't realize is that the Democrats should not be...
The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire 13 min
The Myth Of The "Self-Made" Billionaire
13 min · It’s no secret that Americans love to hear about billionaires. You’ll find them everywhere. They’re on the news [Bezos space launch], have their own TV shows, movies, and even make their...
The IPCC's New "CODE RED" Climate Report 17 min
The IPCC's New "CODE RED" Climate Report
17 min · Second Thought explains the IPCC's new climate report.
How Finland Ended Homelessness 14 min
How Finland Ended Homelessness
14 min · Second Thought explains how Finland ended homelessness.
How The US Should Have Spent The Afghanistan War Budget 18 min
How The US Should Have Spent The Afghanistan War Budget
18 min · If you’ve turned on the news in the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen plenty of coverage of the disastrous situation in Afghanistan. Two decades and over two trillion dollars later...
Should We Rethink American Policing? 13 min
Should We Rethink American Policing?
13 min · American police have become yet another battleground in the pointless culture war. In this episode, we'll take a look at some of the characteristics of policing in America, the problems...
Is Capitalism Actually Efficient? 16 min
Is Capitalism Actually Efficient?
16 min · How many times have you heard the claim that capitalism is the most efficient system for the production and allocation of goods and services? It's a very common talking point in the...
Biological Warfare and the Lab Leak Hypothesis 17 min
Biological Warfare and the Lab Leak Hypothesis
17 min · Over the past 15 months, the official narrative surrounding the origins of Covid-19 has completely flipped...why is that? This is a complex, controversial, and convoluted topic, but...
Is The US Really A Meritocracy? 13 min
Is The US Really A Meritocracy?
13 min · One of the most common misconceptions about US society is that we live under a perfectly fair, egalitarian system which rewards those who have intelligence and a strong work ethic. This...
Does Capitalism Really Drive Innovation? 13 min
Does Capitalism Really Drive Innovation?
13 min · One of the more common arguments for capitalism asserts that there would be no innovation without it. Given how prevalent this talking point is, one would assume that it's difficult to...
The Truth About Food Insecurity 13 min
The Truth About Food Insecurity
13 min · We live in a world with a rapidly growing population. Some people would have you believe that food insecurity is caused by overpopulation, or that we've reached the earth's carrying...
Why Are So Many Young People Becoming Socialists? 19 min
Why Are So Many Young People Becoming Socialists?
19 min · For decades the United States has been a bastion of free market ideology and extreme individualism, but in the last few years we've seen a major resurgence of socialist ideas. In this...
The Problem With American Education 18 min
The Problem With American Education
18 min · Americans from across the political spectrum tend to agree that our education system is failing our students. In this episode, Second Thought takes a look at three of the biggest...
Why The United States Can't Handle Crises 17 min
Why The United States Can't Handle Crises
17 min · Covid-19, climate change, natural disasters, constant recessions, homelessness, declining life expectancy and quality of life, economic inequality...it seems like the United States is...
Can You Trust the Media? | Manufacturing Consent Explained 14 min
Can You Trust the Media? | Manufacturing Consent Explained
14 min · The term "fake news" is thrown around without much thought, but with more and more people losing faith in the media, honesty in news broadcasting is something we need to consider. In...
Mutual Aid And Dual Power | Praxis 101 14 min
Mutual Aid And Dual Power | Praxis 101
14 min · "One of the most common questions I get on my channel is "what can normal people do to help?" So, here's a video on what you can do to help! Building dual power and getting involved in...
Is The State Your Enemy? 14 min
Is The State Your Enemy?
14 min · What is the State's role? How does its theoretical purpose compare to its actions in reality? In this episode, Second Thought considers the role of the modern state and evaluates whether...
The Problem With Hyper-Individualism 12 min
The Problem With Hyper-Individualism
12 min · The "hyper-individualist" mindset runs rampant in capitalist nations, especially the US, where it's praised as "hard work" and "common sense." In this episode, Second Thought takes a...
America Compared: Why Other Countries Treat Their People So Much Better 14 min
America Compared: Why Other Countries Treat Their People So Much Better
14 min · We're taught to believe that America is the greatest country on earth and that it couldn't possibly get any better. Let's put that claim to the test. In this episode, we'll compare the...
The Free Market Isn't Free | The GameStop Saga Explained 14 min
The Free Market Isn't Free | The GameStop Saga Explained
14 min · By popular demand, here's Second Thought's take on the GameStop/Reddit/Robinhood stock market debacle. In this episode, we take a look at the strange and deeply funny spectacle of a...
America's Prescription Drug Cartel 14 min
America's Prescription Drug Cartel
14 min · The United States has the most expensive prescription drugs in the world. We often pay ten times the price for the same drug, even though there's no difference at all. Why is American...
The Minimum Wage Debate Explained 15 min
The Minimum Wage Debate Explained
15 min · Since the minimum wage is in the news again, I figured it would be a good time to address some things that are never brought up. In this episode we take a look at the minimum wage and...
The Capitol Riot Explained 32 min
The Capitol Riot Explained
32 min · The events of January 6th have gotten plenty of news coverage, but there's been very little actual analysis. In this episode, I do my best to explain the Capitol Hill riot, who was...
Why The US Prison System Is The Worst In The Developed World 16 min
Why The US Prison System Is The Worst In The Developed World
16 min · The US incarcerates more people - both per capita and by sheer numbers - than any other nation on earth. Our prisons are inhumane hellholes, and private prisons are making a killing...
The Blackwater Pardons, PMCs, And US Imperialism 16 min
The Blackwater Pardons, PMCs, And US Imperialism
16 min · The recent pardoning of war criminals is reprehensible, but the action fits perfectly into the US imperialist framework. Come learn about how Primate Military Companies have changed the...
Why American History Whitewashes Radical Figures 14 min
Why American History Whitewashes Radical Figures
14 min · This week's video is about the imperialist practice of whitewashing and revising the histories of radical figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Thomas Paine. Why do American history...
Censorship and the Future of the Internet 11 min
Censorship and the Future of the Internet
11 min · This week's video is about the limits of the first amendment, corporate control of the internet, and what a future non-corporate online world could look like.
You're Probably Already A Socialist 12 min
You're Probably Already A Socialist
12 min · If you turn on the news today, odds are you'll hear someone use the term "socialism" incorrectly to try to scare you. In this video, I hope to correct the record and explain what...
How Ranked Choice Voting Can Save American Politics 12 min
How Ranked Choice Voting Can Save American Politics
12 min · Tired of voting for the lesser of two evils? Our current election system is broken, and it yields worse and worse candidates every cycle. Ranked Choice Voting can help solve that problem.
America's Unemployment Problem 12 min
America's Unemployment Problem
12 min · The pandemic has wreaked havoc on America's job market, leaving millions without steady pay or healthcare. We know that unemployment is a real problem, but the "official" unemployment...
Worker Cooperatives: Expanding Democracy In The Workplace 11 min
Worker Cooperatives: Expanding Democracy In The Workplace
11 min · For the vast majority of people, work is miserable, tedious, and meaningless. It doesn't have to be that way. Expanding workplace democracy through worker co-ops is a step in the right...
America's Patriotism to Fascism Pipeline 18 min
America's Patriotism to Fascism Pipeline
18 min · There have been plenty of videos examining the YouTube far-right radicalization machine, but far fewer looking at the effect of Fox News and conservative talk radio hosts on older...
Are You Really "Free" Under Capitalism? 11 min
Are You Really "Free" Under Capitalism?
11 min · For decades, Americans have used the words "capitalism" and "freedom" as synonyms. In this video by Second Thought, we'll explore why capitalism not only fails to provide the freedom it...
America's Two-Party Corporate Duopoly 11 min
America's Two-Party Corporate Duopoly
11 min · The two major parties aren't as different as you think they are. Democratic and Republican voters are more divided than ever, but that's not the case for elected officials. In this...
Is Universal Basic Income The Future? 12 min
Is Universal Basic Income The Future?
12 min · Imagine a future in which every person was afforded the basics of life. How would this change our society? Is UBI the future? – Second Thought
Capitalism And Monopolies: How Five Companies Control All US Media 11 min
Capitalism And Monopolies: How Five Companies Control All US Media
11 min · You're probably aware that Disney owns Marvel and Lucasfilm, but do you really know how consolidated the American media landscape is? In this episode of Second Thought, we're looking at...
Should The US Be Considered A Democracy? 16 min
Should The US Be Considered A Democracy?
16 min · Does the US live up to the standards it sets for the rest of the world? Is the United States really the torchbearer for global democracy that most Americans think it is? – Second Thought
Racist Statues and Revisionist History 13 min
Racist Statues and Revisionist History
13 min · A lot of people seem to think that taking down racist statues or monuments to problematic historical figures is "erasing history." Let's talk about that. – Second Thought
America's Police Problem: Brutality and Racism 22 min
America's Police Problem: Brutality and Racism
22 min · The United States has reached a crossroads. The police response to protests against police brutality has been to act even more brutally toward the people they're supposed to protect and...
Astroturfing: How To Spot A Fake Movement 12 min
Astroturfing: How To Spot A Fake Movement
12 min · If the Reopen America protests seem a little off to you, that's because they are. In this video we're going to talk about astroturfing and how insidious it is. - Second Thought
How Exxon Deceived The World (But Not Their Investors) 8 min
How Exxon Deceived The World (But Not Their Investors)
8 min · A video essay by Second Thought.
The Resurgence of Popular Left Media 17 min
The Resurgence of Popular Left Media
17 min · The American media landscape can be pretty depressing for those with leftist sensibilities, but it's better than it was five years ago! Over the last two decades, a surge of support for...
America's Stunted Political Spectrum 8 min
America's Stunted Political Spectrum
8 min · There's a whole lot of bickering and name-calling in American politics, but modern politicians have a lot more in common than you might realize. In this episode, Second Thought takes a...
Emergency Powers And Creeping Authoritarianism 10 min
Emergency Powers And Creeping Authoritarianism
10 min · With the world on lockdown and countries taking drastic actions to slow the spread of Coronavirus, some world leaders are taking the opportunity to grab more power. Citizens of every...
Capitalism And The American Pandemic Response 27 min
Capitalism And The American Pandemic Response
27 min · This particular moment in American and world history demands that we all take an honest look at the trajectory of the United States of America. The current system is untenable and the...
How Corporations Shifted The Blame For Climate Change 7 min
How Corporations Shifted The Blame For Climate Change
7 min · How corporations convinced the public to blame themselves rather than the 100 companies most responsible.
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