Doug Stuart interviews Caleb Franz, author of The Conductor: The Story of Reverend John Rankin, Abolitionism's Essential Founding Father. Franz shares the fascinating story of how he discovered and researched this largely forgotten figure from his hometown of Ironton, Ohio. The conversation explores Rankin's pivotal role in the abolition movement, particularly in the Ohio River Valley—a region often overlooked in abolitionist history that typically centers on New England.

Franz discusses Rankin's theological arguments against slavery, his work on the Underground Railroad helping thousands of enslaved people escape to freedom, and his profound influence on key historical figures including Harriet Beecher Stowe (whose "Uncle Tom's Cabin" was inspired by Rankin's letters) and Ulysses S. Grant (who studied under Rankin before attending West Point). The episode delves into the research process behind writing historical biography, the intersection of faith and liberty in the abolition movement, and how Rankin's Christian convictions drove his radical opposition to slavery from the 1820s through the Civil War era.

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In this episode, Cody Cook interviews Joel Miller, author of The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future.

A former publishing executive, Miller reveals how books—far more than mere containers of text—have profoundly shaped civilization. He explores the "magic" of their physical form (which enabled Augustine’s transformative encounter with Romans) the timeless dialogues they allow with dead thinkers like Paul and Athanasius, and the preservation of classical knowledge by monks and Muslim scholars.

The conversation highlights pivotal moments: Charlemagne’s reforms that spread readable texts, the printing press’s role in supercharging the Reformation and scientific progress, and literacy’s liberating power—even as slaveholders banned it to maintain control.

Miller also reflects on modern trade-offs: digital Bibles, AI tools, and the enduring value of books in freeing us from the tyranny of the present while building on centuries of accumulated wisdom.Perfect for anyone who loves history, ideas, and the quiet revolution of reading.

Links:

The Idea Machine: How Books Built Our World and Shape Our Future

Bad Trip: How the War Against Drugs is Destroying America

Size Matters: How Big Government Puts the Squeeze on America's Families, Finances, and Freedom

Miller's Book Review (Joel's Substack)

The Full Focus Planner

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Doug welcomes back returning guest Jim Babka for a libertarian Christian deep dive into Donald Trump’s “second first year” in office. They walk through key events from 2025–26 and ask what they reveal about power, symbolism, and the state.

Topics include:

• Why Trump’s second term feels so different from his first, and how anger and “getting even” seem to shape his decisions
• The Iran bunker‑busting strike and what it says about the myth of Trump as a “peace president”
• The push to buy Greenland, the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico, and how Trump uses symbolism and deal‑making theatrics
• ICE’s shocking tactics as “terror theater” to drive self‑deportation and deter migration
• Why Jim argues the Epstein files are thedefining story of 2025:
  • How Congress slow‑walked and then quietly passed the disclosure law
  • How the administration has violated it with redactions and delays
  • What the limited releases already reveal about Epstein’s roles in intelligence, arms, and under‑the‑table influence
  • How the Epstein issue is uniquely damaging Trump in the polls

Along the way, Doug and Jim connect these developments to memetic theory, the deep state, Zionist influence, and the fragility of American faith in both church and state.

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