In this episode we are going to be laying some groundwork – Trail signs if you will, because things are not always as they seem, and sometimes, there is outright deception and manipulation going on. Forewarned is forearmed.

Trail Signs assists in laying the groundwork of what I will be building on in almost all the future episodes of this podcast, signposts along the trails, which will include a diverse array of interviews. So I would like to share a trail I have been on for the last 4 years now, involving communication psychology; to help you to see what I saw and continue to see, once the warning signs were pointed out.

First I cover Antidote To Apathy - a 2008 TedTalk by Dave Meslin. Meslin re-examines apathy, explaining most is a complex web of intentional obstructions that reinforce disengagement.

Next I cover Noam Chomsky's 10 Strategies of Manipulation by the Media.

Then we follow up with a retired CIA military analyst's suggestions on coping and boundaries, because we can't just give up.

Finally, I share a clip of an interview, Path to Authoritarianism, with historian and author Timothy Snyder - checks and balances, we can all do something.

Contact: kathryn@emwh.org

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