Podcast

SCIENCE UNDER SIEGE & BURNED BY BILLIONAIRES: Michael Mann and Chuck Collins on Defending Truth and Democracy

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Writer’s Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform.

Today, we look at two urgent threats to our world: the assault on science and the concentration of wealth.

First, climate scientist Michael E. Mann talks about the book he co-authored with infectious disease expert Dr. Peter Hotez, Science Under Siege: How to Fight the Five Most Powerful Forces that Threaten Our World. It’s a guide to defending truth, evidence, and reason against disinformation and attacks on science.

“If we lose our ability to have shared facts, we lose our ability to have democracy.” — Michael Mann

Then, author and inequality scholar Chuck Collins joins us to discuss his book Burned by Billionaires: How Concentrated Wealth and Power Are Ruining Our Lives and Planet. He reveals how a handful of billionaires manipulate markets, politics, and culture — and what we can do to fight back.

“Extreme wealth is destabilizing our democracy.” — Chuck Collins

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Key Words: Michael Mann, Peter Hotez, Science Under Siege, disinformation, threats to democracy, attacks on science, climate denial, vaccine denial, Chuck Collins, Burned by Billionaires, wealth inequality, billionaire class, oligarchy, democracy under threat, economic justice, concentrated wealth

You Might Also Like: Michael Mann, THE NEW CLIMATE WAR, Chuck Collins, ALTAR TO AN ERUPTING SUN

Segment 1: Michael Mann

Mann explains how five forces — including disinformation, authoritarianism, and corporate greed — threaten both science and democracy. He and Dr. Peter Hotez argue for equipping citizens with the tools to recognize and resist these assaults.

Key Topics:

  • Attacks on science and truth
  • Disinformation campaigns
  • Threats to democracy
  • Climate denial and vaccine denial parallels
  • Building resilience against propaganda

Segment 2: Chuck Collins

Chuck Collins shines a light on the outsized influence of billionaires over our economy, politics, and culture — and how concentrated wealth threatens both fairness and sustainability. He calls for systemic reforms to rein in oligarchic power.

Key Topics:

  • Billionaire wealth concentration
  • Oligarchic influence in politics and policy
  • Inequality and its impact on democracy
  • Economic justice and systemic reform
  • Building movements to counter wealth concentration

Next Week on Writer’s Voice:

We talk with NSA whistleblower Reality Winner, who leaked classified documents about Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, about her memoir, I AM NOT YOUR ENEMY.

And don’t forget to check out the podcast I host for Changehampton.org, Changehampton Presents: Changing The World, One Yard At A Time.