4 Jan 2026
Live RICKSPLANATORY: Making Sense of the World in Light of Venezuela - Explainer Interactive
Thank you Kay Smith (https://substack.com/profile/257158237-kay-smith), Deborah J. (https://substack.com/profile/788865-deborah-j), Bee's Free Verse/True Verse (https://substack.com/profile/208290729-bees-free-versetrue-verse), ROSA E. (https://substack.com/profile/177543232-rosa-e), Darnell Martin (https://substack.com/profile/78235340-darnell-martin), and many others for tuning into my live video!
All who joined today, a huge thank you! I’m grateful for your time, and I hope the information and context provided helped set boundaries around what’s going on in the world. If you take anything away from our time together, I hope you’ll gain a better sense of the big, historically shaped systems that drive countries to do what they do. They are in force now, and when the United States drifts from its First Principle of “Rule by Consent of the Governed” towards oligarchic greed and graft, we will rise up.
I mentioned in the video for YouTube viewers to Like and Subscribe. What I also should have said was “PLEASE hit the like button (if you do), RESTACK so this reaches more people - attaching a recommendation from you is helpful too. Finally, please, please consider becoming a paid subscriber to the publication and podcast. If that’s just not doable right now, NO PROBLEM, I totally get it - it’s tight and scary - but do consider becoming a FREE subscriber!
Two things I also asked:
* Please visit the LiftUpDemocracy.org (https://liftupdemocracy.org/)site and read this article about the job claims of the Trump administration for a thorough debunking (https://www.liftupdemocracy.org/jobs-are-not-booming-like-trump-says/). We’re still putting the like/share stuff on that site, but it will grow into our hub for organizing to Win the House, Senate, Gubernatorial races, and a slew of local and regional elections for progressives!
* Please take a moment, whether you watch the video or saw the Live, to fill out the Reader Survey, (https://form.typeform.com/to/IARcbGan) but read this first: All fields with identifying information are OPTIONAL. I don’t want to know who you are if you don’t want me to! Just leave them blank and click past them. The survey is available at this link and takes under 2 minutes to complete. (https://form.typeform.com/to/IARcbGan) (https://form.typeform.com/to/IARcbGan) It really helps.
Lastly, please subscribe if you haven’t, free or paid, we welcome you and I personally thank you:
We’re entirely viewer/reader supported. All monies collected go straight to the production costs of our work. The people you see here and the ones you don’t behind the scenes are volunteers. We are so grateful for you, and hope you LIKE, RESTACK, COMMENT, and ENJOY our work (find it helpful).
This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit rickherbst.substack.com (https://rickherbst.substack.com?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1)
