Episode 1d: The Handmaid’s Tale — When Rights Become Privileges
What We Discuss
Gilead's Core Principle: How the stripping of reproductive rights is the first step in making citizens resources, not people. We connect this to the historical U.S. use of medical control and eugenics against marginalized women.
The Insidious Creep: We analyze The Politics of the Small Win-the authoritarian strategy of using seemingly small attacks (like book bans and school board fights) to normalize oppression and exhaust the resistance.
Memory as Resistance: Why remembering who we were before Gilead is the ultimate act of defiance, and why documentation and speaking up are crucial acts of survival.
Mini Takeaway
When rights become privileges handed out by the state, they can just as easily be taken away. And once one group’s rights are gone, none of us are truly safe.
Listener Prompt
Have we noticed small changes in laws or culture in our community that made us think, 'Hold up, this feels like a step backward'? Share our stories with Tasha!
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Next Week: Members Only: We head to Hawkins, Indiana, to talk about Stranger Things and the power of finding our voice when challenging secret systems.
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DIVE DEEPER: The Word to the Wise Bookshelf
Want the full reading list and historical context for the issues discussed on the show? Support independent bookstores and the show by checking out Tasha's curated bookshelf on Bookshop.org. Visit the link below to dive deeper!
A NOTE ON OUR SCHEDULE
To maintain the high quality of research and analysis you've come to expect, I build a planned break into the schedule once each major arc is complete. This pause allows me to get ahead on writing and research for the next deep-dive series. I always return in two weeks with a brand-new arc and fresh content!
Members only experience a one week break because of the BONUS episode.
Resources:
Music: www.purple-planet.com
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