The Veriditas Podcast: Heterodox Thoughts on Sex, Politics and Culture

Episode 5: Navigating the Complex World of Digital Rights and Censorship: An Interview with Andrew Lowenthal

This week in the pod I interview Andrew Lowenthal, all round expert on the censorship industrial complex and whip smart digital rights activist come COVID contrarian. In this conversation, Andrew and I discuss his background in digital rights and activism, his work with the Twitter Files, and the investigation into the misinformation and disinformation industry. He shares insights from his time working with NGOs in Southeast Asia, highlighting the evolving challenges in the field of digital liberties. He reflects on the shifts in progressive politics, the impact of government and corporate control over information, and the broader implications for freedom of speech. The conversation delves into how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced public discourse, government policies, and civil liberties. The episode also covers Andrew's current work, a project on U.S. government spending related to narrative control, and his upcoming book on the censorship industrial complex.
 
00:00 Introduction and Initial Greetings
01:08 Discussing Backgrounds and Personal Stories
02:39 Exploring Identity and Cultural Reflections
03:18 Controversial Topics and Social Issues
08:48 Professional Background and Digital Rights
13:35 Misinformation and Disinformation in Southeast Asia
19:13 Involvement with the Twitter Files
27:16 Censorship and Government Influence
31:54 Reflections on Liberal Democracy and Civil Liberties
46:09 Reflecting on Missed Opportunities
46:47 Isolation and Silencing of Dissent
47:35 Contradictions in the Rebel Community
48:22 The Role of Big Pharma and Trans Activism
48:47 Academic Perspectives on Power and Control
49:47 The Digital ID and Freedom Debate
50:30 Critique of Naomi Wolf and Public Perception
54:24 The Impact of COVID-19 Policies
01:01:27 Government and Big Tech Censorship
01:06:19 Database on Misinformation Funding
01:14:52 The Censorship Industrial Complex
01:17:32 Concluding Thoughts and Future Plans
 
Andrew’s bio
Andrew Lowenthal (Director) is a leader, writer and researcher. He worked closely with Matt Taibbi on the Twitter Files, breaking stories on the Virality Project, the Atlantic Council, and Australia’s censorship regime, and was the lead researcher and project manager for the Censorship Industrial Complex exposé. He also helped coordinate the Westminster Declaration.
He is the co-founder and former Executive Director of EngageMedia, an Asia-Pacific digital rights and open technology non-profit. He is a former fellow of Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, the Harvard Film Studies Center, and MIT’s Open Documentary Lab.
He writes on Substack at Network Affects and Racket.News, and tweets at @naffects.
 
References in the show
Andrew Lowenthal’s non-profit digital rights organisation – liber-net
Andrew’s forthcoming book - The Censorship-Industrial Complex, Skyhorse, 2025.
Andrew’s Substack – Network Affects - https://networkaffects.substack.com/
Liber-net’s searchable database of U.S. government grants awarded to fight ‘mis/disinformation’. Racket news reported on the database here.
 
Key articles and interviews
 
Twitter Files
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twitter_Files
Twitter Files Substack - https://twitterfiles.substack.com/p/1-thread-the-twitter-files
Andrew Lowenthal, ‘Twitter Files Extra: The Covid Censorship Requests of Australia's Department of Home Affairs’, Racket news, May 24, 2023. 
Australian Government Department of Home Affairs. Countering Violent Extremism. 
Counter Extremism Project. Australia: Extremism and Terrorism. 
Matt Taibbi, ‘Australia's Creepy Covid Cops’, Racket news, May 24, 2023.
Matt Taibbi, ‘The Twitter Files: The Censorship Industrial Complex with Matt Taibbi’, William F. Buckley Institute, Yale University, April 23, 2023. 
Kenan Malik, ‘The Twitter Files should disturb liberal critics of Elon Musk – and here’s why’, The Guardian, January 1, 2023. 
John Storey, ‘Australia Censored Episode 3: Free Speech and Civil Liberties Online with Andrew Lowenthal’, Institute of Public Affairs, 23 February 2024. 
Patrick Hannaford, ‘“It was horrible”: Pregnant mother arrested during Covid reveals the ‘huge strain’ her two year legal battle had on her and her family’, Sky News, July 10, 2023. 
James Dowling, ‘AstraZeneca vaccine withdrawn after fatal blood clot revelation’, The Australian, May 8, 2024. 
Engage Media. The Pandemic of Control: Digital Authoritarianism and COVID-19 in the Asia-Pacific. 2021.
Mattias Desmet, The Psychology of Totalitarianism, Chelsea Green, 2022.
Michel Foucault, The Birth of the Clinic: An Archaeology of Medical Perception, Routledge, 1994. Originally published in 1963
Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism, 1951.
Noam Chomsky and Edward S. Herman, Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media, Pantheon Books, 1988
Toby Rogers, ‘There is no political left; what appears like leftism today is BlackRock, the WEF, & the CIA engaged in left cosplay’, UTobian, May 29, 2023. https://tobyrogers.substack.com/p/there-is-no-political-left-what-appears
Naomi Wolf, The Bodies of Others: The New Authoritarians, Covid-19 and the War Against the Human, Skyhorse Press, 2024.
C.J. Hopkins, Fear and Loathing in the New Normal Reich: Consent Factory Essays, Vol. IV (2022–2024), Skyhorse, 2025.
Giorgio Agamben, The State of Exception, University of Chicago Press, 2004.
Giorgio Agamben, Where are we Now? The Epidemic as Politics, Rowman & Littlefield, 2020.
Petra Bueskens, ‘The Paradigm Wars, Part-3: A Wrench in the Fabric of Reality: A New Paradigm’, UK Column, 26 June 2024. 
Naomi Klein, The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism, Knopf. 2007.
QALY – Quality Adjusted Life Year.
Matt Taibbi, ‘Big Brother is Flagging You’, Racket News, 10 November, 2023. 
Michael Shellenberger on X, ‘Victory! Stanford Shuts Down Censorship Operation’.
Julia Steinberg, ‘My First Job, at the Stanford Internet Observatory, The Free Press, 19 June, 2024. 
Atlantic Council. Digital Forensic Research Lab.
Martin Kulldorff interview, ‘Fired by Harvard for Getting Covid Right’. UnHerd, 15 March, 2024. 
 
Liber-net’s new database
Greg Collard, ‘Do Your Own Research: Liber-net's Misinfo Grant Database’, Racket news, May 6, 2025. 
Rebekah Barnett, ‘How the US Government funded narrative control operations around the globe’, Dystopian Downunder, April 17, 2025. 
SOMA: Disinformation Observatory.
Peraton - https://www.peraton.com/
Emilia Terson, ‘Victoria's coronavirus 'single-person bubble' begins — and it's complicated for some singles in lockdown’, ABC News, September 13, 2020. 
Gigi Foster with Sanjeev Sabhlok, Do Lockdowns and Border Closures Serve the “Greater Good”? Connor Court Publishing, 2022.
 
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Episode 4: "Conspiring to Ignite”: Exploring the Fourth Industrial Revolution with Jacob Nordangård

In this episode of the Veriditas Podcast, Dr. Petra Bueskens hosts Swedish author and researcher Jacob Nordangård to discuss his unique journey from a teenage heavy metal enthusiast to a PhD in Science and Technology Studies. Nordangård shares insights into his studies on the historical and financial roots of global management systems, including climate change and the fourth industrial revolution. The conversation delves into the influence of the Rockefeller Foundation and other powerful groups on environmental movements, the education system, and public policies. Additionally, Nordangård discusses his latest work, which blends his academic research with spiritual and creative pursuits through music and writing. Throughout the discussion, he emphasizes the importance of integrity, truth, and spiritual connection in the face of technocratic control and societal shifts triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:00 Introduction to the Veriditas Podcast
01:05 Guest Introduction: Jacob Nordangård
01:57 Jacob's Journey: From Music to Academia
06:57 Exploring the Climate Change Narrative
19:26 The Rockefeller Influence
29:39 Challenges in Academia
38:28 The Media's Role in Perpetuating Bias
39:10 Margaret Sanger and the Rockefeller Controversy
42:06 The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Environmentalism
44:29 Public-Private Partnerships and Global Governance
47:39 The COVID-19 Pandemic as a Catalyst
58:29 Personal Journeys and Spiritual Awakening
01:17:11 Concluding Thoughts and Future Directions
 
Referenced in the interview
 
https://jacobnordangard.se/en/about/ 
 
Jacob Nordangård, The Global Coup d'État: The Fourth Industrial Revolution and the Great Reset, Skyhorse, 2024.
 
Jacob Nordangård, Rockefeller: Controlling the Game, Skyhorse, 2024.
 
A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order Paperback (2004) by William Engdahl 
Bellagio Centre, Italy - https://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/fellowships-convenings/bellagio-center/
Mathew Josephson, The Robber Barons: The Great American Capitalists, 1861-1901 (1962) - https://www.amazon.com.au/Robber-Barons-Matthew-Josephson/dp/0156767902.
Agenda 21 - https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/outcomedocuments/agenda21
Agenda 30 – https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda 
Greta Thunberg to sail across Atlantic for UN climate summits: Teenage activist to travel to US on racing yacht to cut environmental impact of travel 29 July, 2019 - https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jul/29/greta-thunberg-to-sail-across-atlantic-for-un-climate-summits
Richard E. Brown, Rockefeller Medicine Men: Medicine and Capitalism in America (1979), University of California Press. https://www.amazon.com.au/Rockefeller-Medicine-Men-Capitalism-America/dp/0520038177
The Corbett Report - The Rockefeller Medicine Video (2013) - https://corbettreport.com/rockefeller-medicine-video/
The Ludlow massacre - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludlow_Massacre
Amy Westervelt, ‘Ivy Lee: The Godfather – the man who started it all’ (2021) https://drilled.media/news/ivy-lee
 
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Episode 3: Navigating Women’s Rights and Gender Identity in Australian Law with Anna Kerr

Episode 3:  Women's Rights and Gender Identity in Australian Law with Anna Kerr
In this episode of the Veriditas Podcast, hosted by Dr. Petra Bueskens, guest Anna Kerr, founder and principal solicitor of the Feminist Legal Clinic, provides a comprehensive overview of the current state of women's sex-based rights in Australia. Anna discusses key legal cases affecting women's rights, such as Tickle vs. Giggle and the Lesbian Action Group case against the Australian Human Rights Commission. The conversation covers important topics like the implications of changing sex markers on legal documents, the impact of sex discrimination and gender identity laws, and the contentious issue of conversion therapy bans. The episode also delves into broader philosophical and ideological aspects, highlighting the challenges faced by feminists between progressive and conservative stances. The discussion underscores the urgency for women to speak out to preserve and advance sex-based rights.
00:00 Introduction to the Veritas Podcast00:55 Meet Anna Kerr: Advocate for Women's Rights01:46 Legal Developments in Women's Sex-Based Rights02:39 The Tickle vs. Giggle Case05:45 Lesbian Action Group's Legal Battle10:49 Challenges in Defending Women's Rights16:18 Impact of Legal Changes on Women's Spaces38:08 Conversion Therapy Bans and Their Implications43:11 Mastectomies and the Pharmaceutical Industry43:52 The Impact of Binders and Hormones45:46 Therapy and Legislative Challenges49:27 Constitutional Conflicts and Legal Implications56:31 Feminism and Women's Rights01:10:41 Historical Erasure and Feminist Legacy01:21:28 Concluding Thoughts and Future Outlook
LinksFeminist Legal Clinic - https://feministlegal.org/ 
FiLiA Hague Mothers’ Project: https://www.hague-mothers.org.uk/
Maternal Scholars Australia - https://www.maternalscholarsaustralia.org/ 
Petra Bueskens, ‘The Absurdity of Tickle v. Giggle’, Fairer Disputations, August 30, 2024. https://fairerdisputations.org/tickle-v-giggle/ 
Anna Kerr – 'Tickle vs. Giggle case', Women's Declaration International. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xAushrF9Uk 
What is a ‘legal fiction’? https://www.britannica.com/topic/legal-fiction  ‘In law, a "legal fiction" is a statement or assumption that is known to be untrue but is accepted as true by the court to achieve a desired legal outcome or apply a rule in a way that is different from its original purpose.’
‘Urinary leash’ - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-41999792  ‘The "urinary leash" is a phrase used to describe the restrictions on women's movements and opportunities due to the historical lack of adequate public toilets, particularly for women, and the social stigma surrounding their use. 
Independent MP Alex Greenwich's Equality Legislation Amendment (LGBTIQA+) Bill 2023 was passed. See here: https://www.nsw.gov.au/media-releases/nsw-government-supports-amended-equality-bill  
As usual views on this bill (gender ID versus sex-based rights) split into two paradigmatically opposed positions:   
 Pro: https://www.alexgreenwich.com/equality_bill  https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/17/new-south-wales-parliament-passes-bill-to-strengthen-lgbti-rights  
Anti: https://www.womensforumaustralia.org/thisisnotequality  https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/08/alex-greenwichs-bill-set-to-erase-sex-based-rights-in-nsw/  
 
CEDAW – ‘The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), often called the "international bill of rights for women," is a UN treaty adopted in 1979 that requires countries to eliminate discrimination against women and girls in all areas.’https://humanrights.gov.au/our-work/commission-general/convention-elimination-all-forms-discrimination-against-women-human#:~:text=On%2018%20December%201979%2C%20the,twentieth%20country%20had%20ratified%20it.  
Jennifer Bilek interview– slide of profits from double mastectomies - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLXdoqXbC6k 
Re: double mastectomies, Anna is quoted in the following article by Julie Szego, ‘Absolutely devastating’: woman sues psychiatrist over gender transition’, The Sydney Morning Herald, 24 August, 2022. https://www.smh.com.au/national/absolutely-devastating-woman-sues-psychiatrist-over-gender-transition-20220823-p5bbyr.html  
Research on trans social contagion:Littman L (2019) Correction: Parent reports of adolescents and young adults perceived to show signs of a rapid onset of gender dysphoria. PLOS ONE 14(3): e0214157. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0214157    
On detransition and transition regret see the studies listed at SEGM: https://segm.org/studies 
   Jorgensen, S. C. J. (2023). Transition Regret and Detransition: Meanings and Uncertainties. Archives of Sexual Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-023-02626-2 
Gribble, K. D., Bewley, S., & Dahlen, H. G. (2023). Breastfeeding grief after chest masculinisation mastectomy and detransition: A case report with lessons about unanticipated harm. Frontiers in Global Women’s Health, 4, 1073053. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgwh.2023.1073053 

Episode 2: Exploring Social Impact Bonds, Managed Retreat, and the Commodification of Nature with Kate Mason

Episode 2: Exploring Social Impact Bonds, Managed Retreat, and the Commodification of Nature with Kate Mason
In this episode of the Veritas Podcast, host Dr. Petra Bueskens welcomes Kate Mason to explore intricate topics like social impact bonds, managed retreat policies, and the commodification of nature and privacy. The conversation delves into the philosophy and repercussions of current political and cultural shifts, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kate Mason, with a background in social ecology and psychoanalytic psychotherapy, highlights the transformation of the welfare industry and the rise of philanthropic capitalism. She explains how private interests now fund interventions in vulnerable populations, which leads to extensive data surveillance. They further discuss the impending preemptive relocations due to climate change modeling and how ecosystems are being quantified for financial markets. The episode underscores a critical look at how the operationalization of these policies is often underreported and misunderstood, urging listeners to question and critically analyze these sweeping changes.
00:00 Introduction to the Veritas Podcast01:12 Meet Kate: A Journey Through Social Ecology and Psychotherapy02:59 The Impact of COVID Mandates on Welfare Work05:47 The Rise of Mental Health Pathologization10:18 The Social and Psychological Impact of COVID Policies37:44 Exploring Social Impact Bonds and Welfare Privatization52:21 Japan's Surveillance Program53:13 Parenting and Government Intervention53:45 Therapeutic Approaches in Welfare55:08 Social Media and Surveillance56:05 Telehealth and Digital Revolution56:45 Social Impact Bonds and Democracy58:35 Global Influence on Local Policies01:01:40 Commodification of Nature01:10:00 Managed Retreat and Climate Change01:26:20 Insurance and Private Property01:34:44 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Links  Kate's Substack can be found here: https://kate739.substack.com/ 
Taschi talks- https://rumble.com/c/taschitalks
Japan 5.0 moonshot goals- https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/english/moonshot/target_en.html
Kate discussed goal 9 concerning the use of robots in the home to ‘stop child abuse’ - https://www.jst.go.jp/moonshot/en/program/goal9/ 
This is described as: “Breaking the intergenerational chain of child maltreatment through revolutionary diagnostics and positive intervention”.
 
Social Impact Bonds 
 
Kate Mason articles: https://www.katemasonresearch.com.au/social-impact-bonds 
 
Taschi Sidford & Kate Mason, ‘Social Impact investing episode 2- Humans as a commodity to be fixed’, September 18, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2-qwT5s77I&t=1s 
  Kate Mason, 'Social Impact bonds explained "Profiting from human suffering"', YouTube, August 20, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otJVvuW35Yw 
 Kate Mason, 'Who knows best about your children's "Wellbeing"? According to Governments, They Do', May 20, 2024. https://substack.com/home/post/p144795714?utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web
 Kate Mason, 'What's with Treasurer Chalmer's "Wellbeing" obsession? Focus on Schools', May 7, 2024. https://kate739.substack.com/p/whats-with-treasurer-chalmers-wellbeing   Philanthrocapitalism
https://www.paulramsayfoundation.org.au/  
Mathew Bishop & Michael Green (foreword by Bill Clinton), Philanthrocapitalism: How Giving Can Save the World, Bloomsbury, 2010. https://www.amazon.com.au/Philanthrocapitalism-How-Giving-Save-World/dp/B004A14W5E 
Vandana Shiva (editor), Gates to a Global Empire: Philanthrocapitalism and the Erosion of Democracy, Synergetic Press, 2022. https://www.amazon.com.au/Gates-Global-Empire-Philanthrocapitalism-Democracy/dp/0907791913/ 
Mark Goodwin and Whitney Webb, 'Tokenized, Inc: BlackRock’s Plan To Own The Fractionalized World', Unlimited Hangout, February 8, 2024. https://unlimitedhangout.com/2024/02/investigative-reports/tokenized-inc-blackrocks-plan-to-own-the-fractionalized-world/  
 
'Ecosystem services'
Kate Mason, ‘Corporates owning the rights to the air we breathe? Natural Asset Companies explored’, YouTube, November 21, 2023. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XBOZmjhXIZ4&t=760s 
https://www.csiro.au/en/research/natural-environment/natural-resources/natural-capital-accounting  
https://www.csiro.au/en/research/natural-environment/ecosystems?start=0&count=12 
https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/publications/ecosystem-services-key-concepts-and-applications   Green and blue 'infrastructure'
https://www.infrastructureaustralia.gov.au/listing/newsletter/pathway-infrastructure-resilience  
https://www.movementandplace.nsw.gov.au/place-and-network/built-environment-indicators/green-and-blue   'Managed retreat'
UN Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR). https://www.undrr.org/ 
NSW Reconstruction Authority Act 2022 No 80. https://legislation.nsw.gov.au/view/whole/html/inforce/current/act-2022-080#statusinformation  
Kate Mason, 'Managed Retreat NSW Australia: NSW State Disaster Mitigation Plan', Substack, February 24, 2024. https://kate739.substack.com/p/managed-retreat-nsw-australia 
Kate Mason, ‘6 Cities Plan, WEF, Rockefeller and Managed Retreat NSW AustraliaFrom Blue Mountains to Wollongong and up to Newcastle (and everywhere in between)’, Substack, March 1, 2024. https://kate739.substack.com/p/6-cities-plan-wef-rockefeller-and  
Kate Mason, ‘Managed Retreat New Zealand: Shhhh....be careful not to let the community know’, Substack, July 4, 2024. https://kate739.substack.com/p/managed-retreat-new-zealand 
Kate Mason, ‘Managed Retreat- Adaption Plans- Privatised Infrastructure- Wealth and Asset Transfer: The Australian government is "transforming" private property ownership using catastrophic climate modelling’, July 18, 2024. https://kate739.substack.com/p/managed-retreat-adaption-plans-privatised  
Kate Mason, ‘Managed Retreat- '"Governments are broke": The role of infrastructure ownership in the upcoming wide spread managed retreat swindle’, September 10, 2024. https://kate739.substack.com/p/managed-retreat-governments-are-broke  
 

Episode 1: Jennifer Bilek - Transgenderism is the reproductive front of transhumanism

Episode 1: Jennifer Bilek - Transgenderism: The Reproductive Front of Transhumanism
In this inaugural episode, host Petra Bueskens sits down with investigative journalist Jennifer Bilek to explore the intersections of technology, transgenderism, and transhumanism. Bilek shares her decade-long research into the philanthropic and financial backing of the transgender movement, revealing a complex web of big money from various sectors driving what she identifies as a new industry of 'embodied dissociation.' The conversation delves into the political, economic, and social implications of this funding, highlighting the deep connections to broader transhumanist agendas.
Guest bio: 
Jennifer Bilek is an investigative journalist who has tracked the funding of the gender industry for over a decade. She is author of Dispatches from The 11th Hour, a platform highlighting the connections between technology, transsexualism, and transhumanism. Her research into the philanthropic backers of the gender industry has been utilized for legal briefs, and platformed in myriad publications, films, and other media in the US and internationally. She has appeared on The Megyn Kelly Show, Steven Bannon’s War Room, and James Patrick’s Big Picture, and on various feminist platforms and podcasts. She has been featured in films such as No Way Back (2023), Gender Transformation (2023), and The Gender Delusion (2023). Her work has been published in numerous books and magazines, among which: First Things, Tablet, Human Events, The Federalist, The American Mind, and in the feminist anthology, Female Erasure.
 
Links to articles, books and podcasts discussed in the show 
Jennifer's new book -Transsexual Transgender Transhuman: Dispatches from The 11th Hour https://www.spinifexpress.com.au/shop/p/9781922964106v
Jennifer Bilek - The Billionaire Family Pushing Synthetic Sex Identities https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/billionaire-family-pushing-synthetic-sex-identities-ssi-pritzkers
Jennifer Bilek - The Billionaires Behind the LGBT Movement - https://firstthings.com/the-billionaires-behind-the-lgbt-movement/ 
Jennifer Bilek - Trans Ideology Awash with Big Money from Big Biomed and Big Pharma -  https://newsweekly.com.au/newsweekly/life-marriage-family/58023-gender-politics-trans-ideology-awash-with-big-money/
Fourth Industrial Revolution - https://www.weforum.org/focus/fourth-industrial-revolution/ 
Martine Rothblatt - From Transgender to Transhuman - https://www.amazon.com.au/Transgender-Transhuman-Manifesto-Freedom-Form/dp/0615489427 
Terasem - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terasem_Movement 
Trish Wood is Critical - episode 248: David Affler and Ann Bauer on Switching Sides - https://podcasts.apple.com/nz/podcast/david-affler-and-ann-bauer-on-switching-sides/id1513237951?i=1000669492980