Gaslit Nation

As we navigate a world of "alternative facts" and corporate-state surveillance, George Orwell's life, times, and pain, transformed into enduring art, like 1984, show us how to be defiant today. Resistance begins in the mind. 
This week, we're joined by British critic Dorian Lynskey, author of The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell's 1984, to trace the biography of a nightmare. The Orwellian slogan "2+2=5" was taken from Soviet propaganda. Orwell reviewed Assignment in Utopia by Eugene Lyons, an American reporter who confesses in the chapter "The Press Corps Conceals a Famine," to joining with other influential foreign correspondents in Moscow to label Gareth Jones a liar in their articles in exchange for access to the Soviet regime. Lyons and Orwell are both characters in Andrea's film Mr. Jones. 
The trauma of 1984 started during the Spanish Civil War, alongside his wife, Eileen Blair, the unsung hero who saved his life and helped him find his voice as an artist, to break through the lies. In Catalonia, Eileen and Eric Blair watched Stalin-backed communists turn a socialist revolution into a paranoid police state. It was here, nearly killed by the "Soviet myth," that they realized nowhere is immune: lies and conformity keep people complacent as the sadists consolidate power. 
Orwell's message is clear for us today: in an era of state-sponsored lies, holding onto your humanity is the ultimate act of defiance.
Join us to celebrate the power of art and defiance at the book launch of Mrs. Orwell, Andrea's inspiring new graphic novel, illustrated by the genius Brahm Revel.
When: April 13

Where: PowerHouse Books Arena, DUMBO, Brooklyn
Details here: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/

Patreon Supporters: You and your guests get in free and receive a complimentary book! Just message us through Patreon to claim yours.
Not a member yet? Join our community at Patreon.com/Gaslit. We couldn't make this show without you–see you there!
Show Notes:
Our opening song was "Ride at Dawn" by Deena Marie. Check out her GoFundMe here to help her produce her next album: https://gofund.me/623a9c9b1
IG: @deenamariedmt
Spotify: Listen here
Apple Music: Listen here
TikTok: @deenamariedmt
YouTube: Watch here
The Ministry of Truth: The Biography of George Orwell's 1984  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/580453/the-ministry-of-truth-by-dorian-lynskey/
 
33 Revolutions per Minute: A History of Protest Songs, from Billie Holiday to Green Day https://www.harpercollins.com/products/33-revolutions-per-minute-dorian-lynskey?variant=32210443141154
 EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon. 

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit  

Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Thank you, Afroman, for standing up for freedom of speech and expression. Our human rights matter, and artists have always been on the front lines defending them with courage and power.
"This is precisely the time when artists go to work. There is no time for despair, no place for self-pity, no need for silence, no room for fear. We speak, we write, we do language. That is how civilizations heal." --Toni Morrison
 
See you at today's Gaslit Nation Salon at 4pm ET. The Zoom link to join to vent, share what's happening in your neck of the woods and more, has been posted on Patreon.com/Gaslit. 
 
If you're in New York, join us for a Gaslit Nation Night Out for the launch of Andrea's book Mrs. Orwell on April 13 at PowerHouse Books Arena in DUMBO, Brooklyn. Details here: https://events.ticketleap.com/tickets/powerhousebookstores/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa
 
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit

Across America, people are waking up to the fact that Donald Trump has always been exactly who he said he was: a serial con man propped up by white grievance, impunity, and a media that normalized his crimes. 
Trump fears accountability. The question is whether we are prepared for what he and his allies may do to avoid it in the 2026 midterms.
Trump's push for the SAVE Act and the broader assault on voting rights should be understood for what it is: a strategy to stay in power by any means necessary. Voter suppression, disinformation, dark money, and foreign interference are ongoing. If Romania could challenge a compromised election and protect its democracy, America can stop pretending "moving on" is any sort of plan. 
We need election protection infrastructure now. Call your secretary of state. Ask what they are doing to protect the integrity of the 2026 vote.
Stay defiant. Build power. And join us at Gaslit Nation as we keep asking the questions too many in power still refuse to face.
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit
Show Notes:
American Carnage by Sasha Abramsky https://orbooks.com/catalog/american-carnage/
Opening clip: https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mhc7boslv22w
The Target boycott is still on! Georgia Forts explains the confusion:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DVw6K39DtEd/?igsh=MTV6dXE0N3gydTZnYw==
Sexual misconduct allegations against Donald Trump – a timeline This article is more than 1 year old A list of the accusations made against Donald Trump between the 1980s and 2013, all of which he has denied https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2024/oct/25/trump-sexual-misconduct-allegations-timeline
E. Jean Carroll asks Supreme Court to reject Trump's request to review her $5M defamation case https://abcnews.com/US/jean-carrollasks-supreme-court-reject-trumps-request-review/story?id=129216869

Trump and Kushner chose a war they don't understand, thinking they can use 20th-century "shock and awe" to topple a deeply entrenched terrorist state. The Iranian people are caught between two maniacal regimes and deserve our solidarity: an estimated 30,000 Iranians were just killed by their own government, and now they're being bombed by a Fox News host. 
Russian mafia expert Olga Lautman joins Gaslit Nation to discuss the surreal hallucinating AI simulation we've found ourselves in. Meanwhile, Trump and Vance need to thank Zelensky and Ukraine for their innovative drone-fighting technology–some of the best in the world. Has Vance even said thank you yet? 
We also prepare Americans for the reality that the "moats" of the Atlantic and Pacific oceans no longer protect us. As drone technology becomes cheaper and more accessible, the same over-the-counter drones terrorizing Kherson, Ukraine are coming for American streets–thanks to Trump galvanizing terrorists, and opportunistic mafia states like Russia that empower groups like ISIS. 
Like Russia, Trump thinks he can conquer a nation in three days. 
Join us on April 13th at Powerhouse Books in Dumbo, Brooklyn for the launch of Andrea's graphic novel, Mrs. Orwell. Olga Lautman will be there as we discuss how to survive the "Great Disillusionment" and protect our democracy from the opportunists selling us out for profit. Details here: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/. Patreon supporters get in for free! 
Join our community of listeners and get bonus shows, ad free listening, group chats with other listeners, ways to shape the show, invites to exclusive events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Discounted annual memberships are available. Become a Democracy Defender at Patreon.com/Gaslit
EVENTS AT GASLIT NATION:
New! There's now a California Signal Group for Gaslit Nation listeners to find each other and connect in that state. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

The Gaslit Nation Outreach Committee discusses how to talk to the MAGA cult: Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Minnesota Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon. 

Vermont Signal group for Gaslit Nation listeners in the state to find each other. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Arizona-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to connect. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Indiana-based listeners launched a Signal group for others in the state to join. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit 

Florida-based listeners are going strong meeting in person. Be sure to join their Signal group. Join us on Patreon.com/Gaslit  

Gaslit Nation Salons take place Mondays 4pm ET over Zoom and are recorded and shared on Patreon.com/Gaslit for our community

Show Notes:
 
Opening clip: Trump: "Iran is just a military operation to me. Iran is something that was essentially largely over in two or three days." The war in Iran has already lasted 18 days. https://bsky.app/profile/thebulwark.com/post/3mhbhx7qfpn2l
 
Um, What Is Going on With Melania Trump in This Video?
https://www.vogue.com/article/melania-trump-vladimir-putin-helsinki-video
 
Andrea's thread on the Melania propaganda film which you should not watch https://bsky.app/profile/andreachalupa.bsky.social/post/3mgqndjhz4k2b
 
This article is more than 1 month old Disappeared bodies, mass burials and '30,000 dead': what is the truth of Iran's death toll? https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jan/27/iran-protests-death-toll-disappeared-bodies-mass-burials-30000-dead
 
Warren Buffett's parting gift to Berkshire Hathaway: a $2 billion Iran oil windfall https://www.marketwatch.com/story/warren-buffetts-parting-gift-to-berkshire-hathaway-a-2-billion-iran-oil-windfall-4daf28ba
 
Russia is aiding Iran's war effort by providing intel on US military targets, sources say https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/06/politics/russia-aiding-iran-targeting
 
How Russian military intelligence used the Taliban to bleed U.S. forces at the end of America's longest war https://theins.ru/en/politics/277723
 
Putin Is No Ally in the War on Terror in 2024 https://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/putin-no-ally-war-terror-2024
 
Watch Zerina Zabrisky's powerful film for free and spread the word about Russia's human safaris in Ukraine https://khersonhumansafari.com/
 
Interview with Zerina Zabrisky: https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2025/11/4/is-donald-trump-dying-jd-vance-seems-to-think-so
 
Why are so many from this Russian republic fighting for ISIS? https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/many-russian-republic-fighting-isis
 
Putin is No Ally Against ISIS https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/putin-no-ally-against-isis-by-george-soros-2016-02
 
New York explosive incident highlights challenge for agencies in wake of Iran war https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/new-york-explosive-incident-highlights-challenge-for-agencies-in-wake-of-iran-war
 
Dubai financial district rattled by Iranian drones https://www.ft.com/content/2dddfaa2-a163-4e59-a6ef-7d9d6e334023?syn-25a6b1a6=1

Despite holding one of the most powerful microphones in the world, the silence from major winners at the Oscars regarding human rights and the rise of fascism was the real star. 
When artists like Paul Thomas Anderson, whose film One Battle After Another swept the awards, refuse to use their power to address the very real injustices their films capitalize on, they "obey in advance." This silence is the symptom of massive corporate media consolidation. Director David Borenstein, winner of best documentary for Mr. Nobody Against Putin, used his power morally to remind us that this is how Putin cemented a dictatorship. 
With the looming merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and the MAGA Ellison family's Paramount Skydance, we face a future where 40% of our media is controlled by a single far-right family. If you want to know what that might look like, see what Barri Weiss is doing to CBS. 
See you at the Gaslit Nation Salon today at 4 PM ET. The Zoom link is live on Patreon.com/Gaslit, where you can also catch the recording of last week's session. Whether you need to vent, share best practices, or just find community, our weekly resilience gatherings are here for you. Join the movement and support the show at Patreon.com/Gaslit–we couldn't do this without you.
Use the scripts below to contact Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta of California to demand they enforce existing laws to investigate, slow-down, and block the Warner Bros. deal–or there won't be anymore films like Sinners and One Battle After Another, supporting California's economy. 
To Governor Gavin Newsom:
Phone: (916) 445-2841 | Email: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/

Socials: @GavinNewsom

Script: My name is [Name] from [City]. I am calling to urge Governor Newsom to publicly oppose the Ellison takeover of Warner Bros. This merger threatens jobs and creates a dangerous media monopoly. Governor, please use your influence to protect our creative economy and information space from MAGA-aligned consolidation.

To Attorney General Rob Bonta:
Phone: (916) 210-6276 | Email: https://oag.ca.gov/contact/general-contact-form Socials: @AGRobBonta

Script: Attorney General Bonta, Use your power to open an immediate antitrust investigation into the Warner Bros. and Paramount Skydance merger. We need you to enforce state anti-monopoly laws to prevent a single entity from controlling nearly half of our news and entertainment. Protect our markets and our speech.

Join us at the Mrs. Orwell book launch on April 13 at PowerHouse Books Arena in DUMBO. Patreon supporters at the Truth-teller level or higher get in free: https://powerhousearena.com/events/book-launch-mrs-orwell-by-andrea-chalupa-in-conversation-with-nomiki-konst/
Show Notes:
Elon Musk got $1 billion from Larry Ellison for his Twitter takeover https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/5/23058295/elon-musk-twitter-funding-qatar-larry-ellison
Merger Madness and How to Stop It https://www.freepress.net/blog/how-to-stop-warner-bros-discovery-merger