The Free Thought Project Podcast

Guests: Aaron Day & Mr_Kwibs — Zano vs. the Machine: Fighting CBDCs with Privacy for the People

In this special episode of The Free Thought Project Podcast, Jason and Matt sit down with Aaron Day and Quinten van Welzen for a powerful and hopeful discussion about Zano, digital freedom, and the future of decentralized resistance.

This episode avoids the heavy tech jargon and instead explores the human philosophy and mission behind Zano — a cryptocurrency project that’s much more than just a coin. Quinten breaks down how Zano enables private transactions, confidential assets, community marketplaces, and even user-generated coins, making it a full privacy-respecting ecosystem built to empower individuals around the world.

We also dive into Zano’s deflationary economic model, contrasting it with the unchecked inflation and debt-fueled spending of centralized governments — particularly relevant as the U.S. ramps up military budgets and inches closer to CBDC-style control through stablecoins.

Aaron shares insight on the broader battle for financial freedom and privacy, including his advocacy for Roger Ver, who is facing politically motivated prosecution. We end the show with an important update on Roger’s case — and why a recent Department of Justice memo could mean it should be dropped altogether.

If you’re looking for real tools to opt out of the digital control grid — and some much-needed inspiration — this is an episode you don’t want to miss. (Length: 1:04:08) 

Little Free Thinkers: 'Know Your Rights' Children's book: https://littlefreethinkers.com/ 

Aaron Day on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AaronRDay
Aaron's Website: https://day2024.com/

Mr_Kwibs Twitter: https://x.com/Mr_Kwibs/

Sign Roger's petition: https://www.freerogernow.org

Zano Wallet: https://zano.org/downloads
What is Zano?:https://docs.zano.org/docs/learn/what-is-zano/

Guest: John Kiriakou — CIA Whistleblower on America’s Secret Drug Wars & Israel’s Shadow Grip on U.S. Politics

In this week’s episode of The Free Thought Project Podcast, Jason, Matt, and Don sit down with John Kiriakou—former CIA officer turned whistleblower, best-selling author, and one of the few people ever prosecuted for exposing the U.S. government’s illegal torture program. After blowing the whistle on CIA waterboarding, John became a powerful voice for truth, transparency, and accountability in an age of state secrecy and suppression.

We dive straight into the current state of the American police state, discussing the Trump administration’s troubling remarks about suspending habeas corpus, and what that could mean for dissenters and immigrants alike. We explore the alarming normalization of censorship, as the U.S. government continues to universities and punish those who dare to speak out against its narratives.

The conversation then turns to U.S.-Israel relations, as we analyze the theatrical "shift" in Trump’s tone toward Netanyahu and Israel’s influence on American foreign policy. Is it genuine? Or just more Kabuki theater masking business as usual? John gives us some powerful insight on why this may actually be genuine. 

We also examine America’s role in cultivating the opium trade in Afghanistan, and the decades-long hypocrisy of the so-called war on drugs. John offers rare firsthand insight from inside the system—what was said versus what was done—and how that disconnect continues to drive global suffering.

As always, we end on a white pill note, asking John what gives him hope and whether the truth is still worth the cost in a world that punishes it. His answer is as heartfelt as it is encouraging.

This is a wide-ranging, no-holds-barred conversation with one of the bravest voices in modern American history.

(Length: 1:02:59)

Our Little Free Thinkers Children's Book: https://littlefreethinkers.com/ 
Support The Free Thought Project: https://tftpsubdomain.wpengine.com/tftp-membership/

Find John on Twitter: https://x.com/JohnKiriakou
Find John on Substack: https://johnkiriakou.substack.com/
John's Website: https://johnkiriakou.com/
Unifyd.TV: https://unifyd.tv/pages/johnkiriakou-new

Guest: Carey Wedler – Fear, MAGA & Political Obedience: How Tribalism Rewires the Mind

In this episode of The Free Thought Project Podcast, Jason and Matt welcome back returning guest Carey Wedler, a journalist, editor, and long-time voice for liberty and integrity in independent media. Carey is the author of the Pleasure to Burn Substack, where she dives into topics ranging from political hypocrisy and propaganda to fear psychology and decentralization—all through a lens of principled consistency.

We kick off the episode by digging into Carey’s recent article she wrote for the Free Thought Project, “From Drain the Swamp to Drown in Debt,” where she calls out the glaring hypocrisy in the first 100 days of the Trump administration. We examine how so many of Trump’s supporters—who once decried big government, war, censorship, and surveillance—now cheerlead these same policies under a new banner. Why is it so easy for people to abandon their principles? Why does team loyalty seem to override truth?

Carey unpacks those questions with a powerful exploration of fear, chronic stress, and the neuroscience behind political compliance. She explains how manipulated fear responses, constant crisis narratives, and tribalism keep the public in a reactive state—where principles are sacrificed and critical thinking is sidelined.

Despite the grim outlook, Carey leaves us with a handful of hopeful, empowering white pills—reminding us that awareness, decentralization, and inner peace are potent forms of resistance.

This was Carey’s second time on the show, and as always, she brought both clarity and depth to the conversation. (Length: 1:03:31)

Pleasure to burn: https://pleasuretoburn.substack.com/

Follow Carey on IG: https://www.instagram.com/careywedler/
Follow Carey On FB: https://www.facebook.com/CareyWedler
Follow Carey on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/careyelizabeth824
Follow Carey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/carey_wedler

Guest: James Corbett – A Free Thinker’s Guide to Unplug from the Matrix & Break the Mind Trap

In this explosive episode of The Free Thought Project podcast, Jason, Matt, and Don sit down with returning guest James Corbett — independent journalist, researcher, and founder of The Corbett Report. Known globally for his meticulous investigations into 9/11, technocracy, and the rise of globalist power structures, James has been producing hard-hitting alternative media content since 2007. He’s been a principled voice for truth when it was neither profitable nor popular — and he’s back with us for the second time, following the release of his new book, Reportage: Essays on the New World Order.

Together, we discuss the bizarre mainstream pivot toward 9/11 skepticism and how those once labeled “fringe” are suddenly finding their narratives validated — but without acknowledgement or accountability from the establishment that smeared them. James unpacks the psychology of gaslighting, the legacy media’s shifting tactics, and why this moment matters for independent media.

We also dive into the Trump administration’s creeping technocratic police state, how legacy outlets like Mother Jones and shady ops like PropOrNot tried to silence voices like ours and James’s, and what we can do to keep the truth from being weaponized all over again.

This is a white-pill conversation for those who’ve spent years pushing back against official lies — and a warning for those tempted to let their guard down now that the liars are “letting us be right.”
(Length: 55:40)

You can follow, support, and study all Corbett's work at his website, https://www.corbettreport.com/ 

Find his new book here: https://reportagebook.com/

Guest: Xander Arena - Did A Plane Really Hit The Pentagon on 9/11? Grok's Gov't Script Exposed

In this eye-opening second appearance on The Free Thought Project Podcast, Xander Arena returns to deliver one of the most in-depth breakdowns of 9/11 Pentagon inconsistencies we’ve heard yet. Joined by Jason and Matt, Xander walks through a detailed report that challenges the official narrative — not with speculation, but with documented evidence, physics, and logic.

The conversation centers around the lack of physical evidence that a commercial jet struck the Pentagon, a claim supported not only by eyewitness contradictions and forensic inconsistencies, but by artificial intelligence itself. As Xander reveals, he used Elon Musk’s Grok AI to analyze publicly available evidence — and even Grok concluded that there is insufficient proof a plane hit the Pentagon.

Even more striking: before reaching that conclusion, Grok admitted it was programmed to avoid the topic entirely unless referencing mainstream-approved sources — an admission that underscores just how deeply controlled public discourse around 9/11 remains.

This episode is also available in video format, as Xander shares important visuals and documentation that back his claims — making it a must-watch as well as a must-listen.

While The Free Thought Project does not claim to endorse any one theory or outcome, we believe the relentless pursuit of truth is essential — especially when the government has proven time and again that it is anything but transparent. As we’ve done with previous guests like Richard Gage of Architects and Engineers for 9/11 Truth, we proudly offer this platform to truth seekers like Xander who are doing the work mainstream media refuses to do.

With thousands of lives lost and decades of war justified by this event, the public deserves real answers — not automated propaganda.

Tune in for an eye-opening exploration that encourages critical thinking and questions the narrative we’ve been told about 9/11. (Length: 1:19:54)

Our Children's book: https://littlefreethinkers.com/

Xander's Pentagon Truth Website: https://pentagontruth.org/
Xander's Vegas Truth Website: https://vegastruth.org/

Our previous podcast with Xander: https://thefreethoughtproject.com/podcast/podcast-xander-arena-illegal-helicopters-decedent-proxies-the-vegas-shooting-story-youve-never-heard 

TFTP interview with Richard Gage: (founder of Architects & Engineers For 9/11 Truth) https://thefreethoughtproject.com/be-the-change/podcast-richard-gage-ae-911-truth

Guest: Maj Toure - Austin Metcalf & The Blood Sport of Manufactured Outrage

In this episode of The Free Thought Project podcast, Jason and Matt sit down for the fifth time with the fearless Maj Toure — founder of Black Guns Matter, activist, and unflinching defender of self-ownership and liberty. Maj has been a frontline voice in educating urban communities about firearm rights, personal responsibility, and breaking free from the mental traps set by the state.

We begin by diving headfirst into the tragic and polarizing killing of Austin Metcalf, a story that has rapidly become a flashpoint for racial division and tribal rage. This case — and the instant emotional reactions it sparked across social media — serves as a perfect microcosm of a much bigger problem. Together, we unpack how these incidents are weaponized to inflame divisions, and how both sides of the manufactured culture war are being expertly manipulated.

Maj brings fire to the conversation, offering powerful analogies and razor-sharp insights on how the establishment exploits fear and emotion to keep us divided and distracted. While the conversation veers into some dark territory, with Maj bluntly laying out his concerns about complacency and mass mental slavery, it’s a necessary reality check for anyone paying attention to the growing unrest.

In this episode of The Free Thought Project podcast, Jason and Matt sit down for the fifth time with the fearless Maj Toure — founder of Black Guns Matter, activist, and unflinching defender of self-ownership and liberty. Maj has been a frontline voice in educating urban communities about firearm rights, personal responsibility, and breaking free from the mental traps set by the state.

We begin by diving headfirst into the tragic and polarizing killing of Austin Metcalf, a story that has rapidly become a flashpoint for racial division and tribal rage. This case — and the instant emotional reactions it sparked across social media — serves as a perfect microcosm of a much bigger problem. Together, we unpack how these incidents are weaponized to inflame divisions, and how both sides of the manufactured culture war are being expertly manipulated.

Maj brings fire to the conversation, offering powerful analogies and razor-sharp insights on how the establishment exploits fear and emotion to keep us divided and distracted. While the conversation veers into some dark territory, with Maj bluntly laying out his concerns about complacency and mass mental slavery, it’s a necessary reality check for anyone paying attention to the growing unrest. (Length: 1:06:41)

Donate to Black Guns Matter here: http://GiveSendGo.com/Solutionary
Email Maj: info@officialblackgunsmatter.com
Follow Maj on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MAJTOURE
Follow Maj on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackgunsmattermajtoure/
Follow Maj on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/majtoure999/

Guest: Mark Gober - Exploring Consciousness, Time & Hidden Realms of Reality

In this mind-expanding episode of The Free Thought Project podcast, Jason and Matt sit down with Mark Gober, an author, consciousness researcher, and former investment banker who has become one of the leading voices challenging the materialist paradigm of science. Mark is the author of multiple books including An End to Upside Down Thinking and An End to Upside Down Liberty, and he hosts the podcast Where Is My Mind?, which dives deep into the frontiers of science, spirituality, and the mind.

We kick things off by discussing some of the latest research in the field of consciousness studies, including the growing scientific evidence that suggests consciousness may not originate in the brain but could be fundamental to the fabric of reality. We then pivot into psychedelics and how they can open minds to a deeper spiritual understanding and the possibility that consciousness is something we all share.

Mark offers his insights on the role psychedelics play in awakening human awareness and whether he sees them as a catalyst for a global shift in consciousness. We also dive into the intersection of consciousness and liberty, exploring how reclaiming our inner sovereignty may be key to resisting the external systems of control dominating modern society.

We also touch on the CIA's long, well-documented history of studying psychic phenomena and non-ordinary states of consciousness—from Project Stargate to MK-Ultra—and what that says about the true nature of human potential and the hidden priorities of those in power.

The episode ends with a powerful white pill, as Mark shares what gives him hope right now, and how consciousness itself could be the force that helps humanity pull back from the brink.

This is one of the most enlightening and thought-provoking episodes we’ve done—don’t miss it. (Length: 1:02:05)

Mark's Website: https://www.markgober.com/
Mark's Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/4ejBG3cGHTok592813S9Ih
Mark on Twitter: https://x.com/MarkGoberAuthor
Mark on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/markgober_author

Guest: Matt Taibbi - Censorship to Vindication: Stories From The Front Lines of The Info Wars

In this episode of The Free Thought Project Podcast, Jason and Matt sit down with award-winning journalist and best-selling author Matt Taibbi, Editor-in-Chief of Racket News, an independent investigative journalism platform exposing corruption, censorship, and abuses of power across the political spectrum. With a storied career that spans decades—from covering the financial crisis to co-authoring the Twitter Files—Taibbi has become a rare voice of integrity in modern journalism.

We discuss the impactful story of the Free Thought Project's censorship experience and the crucial role played by journalist Matt Taibbi in shedding light on our deplatforming back in 2018. As they celebrate Matt Agorist's birthday, the conversation takes listeners through a revealing journey into the heart of media manipulation, the complexities of social media platforms, and the ongoing struggle for transparency in the information age.

From there, we dig into the shadowy entities behind our page removal, including the DFR Lab, an arm of the Atlantic Council, which continues to shape online narratives in partnership with government and Big Tech — all under the guise of fighting “disinformation.”

We shift gears to the new wave of authoritarianism from the right, namely Trump’s executive order targeting anti-Israel speech on college campuses, and how it's a direct assault on the First Amendment. Taibbi shares his insights on the duopoly's weaponization of censorship, regardless of which party is in power.

In a particularly raw and revealing moment, Matt opens up about being shadowbanned by Elon Musk himself, despite having helped bring transparency to Twitter via the Twitter Files. He details the financial and emotional toll of having his reach artificially suppressed and the betrayal felt when those who claim to champion free speech fall short.

Despite the challenges, the conversation ends on a hopeful note. Matt delivers a powerful answer to our white pill question, and even lets listeners in on a little-known detail about where he really falls on the political spectrum.

This is an essential episode for anyone trying to make sense of the new censorship-industrial complex, the betrayal of civil liberties from both sides of the aisle, and how we push back with truth, humor, and principle. (Length: 1:01:08)

Matt's Substack: https://www.racket.news/
Follow Matt on Twitter: https://x.com/mtaibbi

 

Guest: Tony Arterburn - Unpacking Trump's Tariff Turbulence & The CBDC Bait & Switch

In this episode of The Free Thought Project Podcast, Jason and Matt are joined once again by the always insightful Tony Arterburn — a U.S. Army combat veteran, gold and silver expert, and host of the Arterburn Radio Transmission. As the owner of Wise Wolf Gold & Silver Exchange, Tony brings a rare blend of historical perspective, economic literacy, and common sense to every conversation.

We kick things off by examining the recent bait-and-switch surrounding Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs). While Trump made headlines for “banning” CBDCs, we unpack how stablecoins — now receiving bipartisan support — may serve as their stealth replacement. Tony offers a sober look at how digital assets backed by the state could still usher in a new era of financial surveillance and control under the guise of innovation and safety.

From there, we pivot to a deep dive on tariffs and their misunderstood role in American economic policy. Tony breaks down their origins, the mythology surrounding Trump’s trade war strategies, and how tariffs often serve political ends while further destabilizing the dollar and punishing consumers.

We also get into the larger picture: America’s unsustainable debt spiral — now increasing by $1 trillion every 90 days — and what that means for anyone trying to preserve wealth and autonomy. Tony makes the case for why decentralized alternatives like crypto, and sound money assets like gold and silver, are more important than ever as tools of resistance against global economic manipulation.

With his signature clarity and depth, Tony helps us navigate the chaos with historical context, practical insights, and a healthy dose of skepticism. He leaves us with a white pill — an optimistic path forward — and some much-needed guidance in uncertain times. (Length: 1:03:21)

Tony's Website: https://www.wolfpack.gold
Tony's Twitter: www.twitter.com/tonyarterburn
Tony's Company on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wisewolfgold
Tony on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/paratruther/
Tony's Company on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wisewolfgold/

Guest: James Li - The Epstein Files Cover-Up & How MAGA Became Pro-Censorship

Jason and Matt sit down with independent journalist and commentator James Li, known for his sharp analysis and objective take on current events. James has built a dedicated following by cutting through political narratives and exposing the bipartisan corruption that keeps the establishment in power. His work focuses on media manipulation, government overreach, and the illusions that keep people trapped in the left-right paradigm.

We kick things off with the Epstein files—the long-promised, yet still-unreleased bombshell that MAGA diehards swore would bring down the establishment. Despite Trump’s years in office and continued influence, the files remain buried. Why is that? Who benefits from keeping them hidden? And why do so many still believe the myth that their political savior will one day deliver "justice"?

From there, we shift focus to Trump’s own ties to Epstein, dissecting the reality behind their relationship and how the duopoly blinds its followers to the crimes of their own side. While the left obsesses over Trump’s scandals, the right conveniently ignores the ones that implicate their own idols.

Then, we get into Trump’s latest campaign of censorship—an effort supposedly aimed at "stopping antisemitism" but one that will undoubtedly be weaponized against the very people currently cheering it on. The same crowd that once decried cancel culture and government control over speech is now applauding the expansion of the censorship regime. We break down how this strategy plays directly into the hands of the establishment.

James leaves us on a high note, answering our white pill question on how people can break free from the mental control of the duopoly and reclaim their ability to think critically.

Join us for an enlightening conversation that delves into the intersection of politics, media, and freedom, as we explore the challenges and opportunities facing independent thinkers in today's complex information landscape.

If you’re tired of the partisan nonsense and ready for an honest, unfiltered look at what’s really going on, this episode is for you. (Length: 1:03:11)

Follow James on X: https://mobile.x.com/5149jamesli
Follow James on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5149jamesli
Follow James on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@5149jamesli
Follow James on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@5149JamesLi

Follow James' Work on Breaking Points: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTjb7ZxT5zm41wz7arT2Z8to_S_VI2VP0