Youth Advocacy
Youth Advocacy | Dr. Jerry Goebel
19.08.2026-25.08.2026
Review and Announcements
Frontline Voter Gift Release: In exactly 70 days, U.S. voters face a monumental choice at the 2026 midterms. To fuel, support, and honor the frontline advocates working tirelessly to protect the vote, we are dropping an exclusive gift release this November. Make your explicit voting plan today, and stay tuned for details on how to claim yours as we stand united for democracy.
Exposing the Anatomy of Deception: This week's curated reads analyze a coordinated, systemic onslaught against democratic norms. From Tom Nichols’s breakdown of the White House’s petulant, retaliatory military drawdowns in South Korea, to Shermin Kruse’s investigation into "motivated reasoning" and why smart people succumb to political self-deception, the warning signs are clear. We are standing against an entrenched regime of structural lies.
Empowering Youth Literacy: Countering this normalization of falsehood requires actionable educational tools. We spotlight Finland's preschool disinformation curriculum as a model, offering real-world classroom strategies to help students identify neighborhood stereotypes, deconstruct bias, and spread positive, community-driven social narratives.
The "Freddish" Standard: We explore the brilliant communication legacy of Fred Rogers. By applying his disciplined "9 rules for talking to children" to our modern advocacy work, we can transform complex, high-stakes political truths into clear, non-judgmental, and constructive dialogue that unites rather than divides.
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Visual Stories: "El Gran Presidente"
"El Gran Presidente" stands as a direct, visceral response to the systemic narcissism, manufactured trade hostilities, and structural gaslighting exposed in today's blog. From unprovoked trade conflicts with Canada to the quiet erosion of the Voting Rights Act, this track confronts the unchecked ego of modern autocrats who delight in the pain of vulnerable targets. Watch the complete visual story, track the exact lyrical narrative with our embedded English subtitle translations, and share the video directly on YouTube.
Articles and Commentary
25.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
How to Lose a Trade War
With Trump losing other wars, he’s now decided to start a trade war… with the U.S.’s closest (physically and politically) ally: Canada.
David Frum (staff writer at The Atlantic and former Canadian) analyzes this new war-of-choice in light of the other wars this regime is losing. Here is how Frum puts it: “Yes, Trump can hurt Canada more than Canada can hurt Trump. That part of Trump’s thinking is true. But wars are not decided only by the question Who can inflict more pain? Wars are also decided by the question Who can endure more pain? Trump’s failure to accept this truth is why he lost the Iran war—and why he is losing his trade wars.”
It is not very hard to ascertain which leader has more trust among his people to endure more pain (Carney’s approval rate is between 55 and 66%, while Trump is at an all-time low of 33-39%). National endurance based in trust surely doesn’t exist with this U.S. president (who seems to smugly delight in inflicting pain on his own people, not just through trade, but also through his other self-declared wars: His war with Iran, his war with the people of the U.S., his war with Congress (and not just Democrats, but seemingly Republicans too), and most-of-all, his war with truth).
Who is advising Trump to take these self-defeating actions? Probably, no one. Trump doesn’t take advice. He listens to the little man “upstairs” in his own “genius mind,” he’s a man of his own deranged counsel.
Maggie Haberman and Jonathon Swan, who wrote, “Regime Change*”, tell us that this president loves tariffs for the sheer power he can wield, for the fear he can cause. He doesn’t understand their long-term effect. Frum calls this administration an “omnishambles.” As Frum again puts it: “The story may not be over. Donald Trump is notorious for issuing threats, then reversing them. Wars are on, off, on again, off again, then on a third time—but only as a “little detour.” This is not an administration that thinks even one move ahead. But without a supersized Trump TACO, the U.S.-Canada impasse likely won’t resolve soon.”
Who else can Trump start a war with? Who is left? His mind is so deranged now that imaginary enemies seem to be spawned daily. Foreign powers, allies, the press, immigrants, citizens, the only ones Trump doesn’t seem to be at war with are the world’s leading dictators, especially Kim Jong Un and Vladimir Putin. Because Trump is a malignant narcissist with pedophilic tendencies (with entrenched cognitive distortions), he enjoys causing pain. And the more helpless his victims, the more pleasure that he feels.
We have one chance to stop this: Midterms, 2026, 70 days from this posting, the U.S. voters can decide whether or not they want this lunacy to continue. Have you made your plans to vote?
* Haberman, Maggie, and Jonathan Swan. Regime Change: Inside the Imperial Presidency of Donald Trump. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2026.
24.08.2026 | Source: The Progressive
The Long Con of John Roberts
Bill Blum, the attorney and former state judge from California is well-equipped to take us on this hefty dive into the “long con” of Judge Roberts. In fact, Blum states: “There is no bigger con man in the United States than Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts. Not even President Donald J. Trump.”
Blum presents the Merits Docket and Key Decisions that led up to Robert’s devastating blow to the Voting Rights Act (VRA). He points to a young Roberts who lied to Senators during his hearings saying: “[T]he existing Voting Rights Act—the constitutionality has been upheld. And I don’t have any issue with that.”
Essentially, Roberts has been attacking voting rights every step of his career. He is a hardened racist and slowly (the Long Con) worked his way up to Chief Justice before he unleashed his total ire for fair elections. Of course, none of this would have been possible were it not for his collaboration with the crafty (and now missing) Senator Mitch McConnell who denied President Barack Obama the choice of a Supreme Court justice. Roberts and his majority white nationalist majority are currently having a heyday making sure the court implements ruling that will strip the United States of a fair democracy and install a white conservative majority that any future court will have a difficult (if not impossible) time dismantling. His long con has been very effective and his hand has been played. Whomever we elect in the next election must have a solid plan for changing this Supreme Court and rolling back the damage that con men have done, in the courts, in congress, and in the regime. We must keep in mind that we are standing against a regime, not a man. This is not a Trump problem, it is a white, Christian, nationalist problem rooted deeply in systemic racism.
24.08.2026 | Source: The Daily Beast
The Only Truth About Trump’s America Is That Everything Is a Lie
They lie. According to columnist David Rothkopf, this is the one truth we can count on about this administration. Here is how Rothkopf puts it: “How do we know the lies will keep flowing? Because they seem more and more compelled to lie about smaller and smaller matters. If they are going to lie about the actual role being played by the president’s… amanuensis Natalie Harp, or the state of the Trumps’ Potemkin marriage, or the causes of bruises on his hands or his golf scores, you know that they are going to lie about the big damaging realities we face.”
And what is “the big stuff?” The debt, Iran, the economy, and always… the Epstein files.
Rothkopf’s solution does not rely on governmental change—especially in this era—it relies on us. Here’s his suggestion: “The only path out is that each of us, individually, makes seeking the truth our top priority, and skepticism our constant ally. We must seek out reliable sources of information and reject those who deliver anything less.”
This is on us, this is up to us. Whatever we hear from this administration; we must assume it is a lie, or it is a distraction to cover up another lie. If their mouths are moving; they’re lying. It doesn’t matter if it is Trump’s golf scores or health care. It’s a lie. It’s a lie.
It’s a lie.
Our work goes deeper (as we looked at in yesterday’s column about “Why Smart People Believe Lies”). We must teach our children not to believe their eyes, not to give the benefit of the doubt to the adults around them. Make people earn your trust—especially our politicians. No doubt for all of us; this is not the world we prefer to live in, but it is the world that this administration has normalized.
21.08.2026 | Source: Psychology Today
Why Smart People Believe Lies
Self-deception is a form of cognitive shielding with the priority of maintaining a coherent sense of self. Shermin Kruse, J.D. provides us with insights into an imperative question in this age of demagogism; “Why do smart people believe lies?” But she looks deeper than why we accept them from politicians or on social media and into why we lie to ourselves. The term psychologists often use for this type of self-deception is “Motivated Reasoning.” Here’s how Ms. Kruse defines it: “Motivated reasoning …results from the cognitive dissonance between the truth and what we need to be true.”
I would emphasize her use of the phrase, “need to be true.”
There are a variety of reasons we might need something to be true. Kruse tells us our primary reason is: “Self-deception often preserves our coherent sense of identity.”
She presents a contrast between Intelligence and Intellectual Honesty, suggesting that intelligence may even assist us in self-deception by adding to our reasoning power (our ability for self-justification). Whereas Intellectual Honesty demands humility, requiring us to examine our beliefs in light of, “what we may emotionally gain from reaching them.”
It is imperative we ask ourselves, “Is this belief I hold truth or is it a convenient way for me to justify my personal self-deception?”
This step of self-analysis might also become a way we can better understand why others believe such obvious deceptions from an administration so prone to intentional deception.
As a Youth Advocate, I feel it is imperative for me to find ways to teach this concept to others—especially young people. I admire Finland, who includes classes on digital literacy and identifying disinformation into their national curriculum as early as preschool. It is inspiring to see others following suit. For example, in England, but also in states like California, Delaware, and New Jersey. In fact, at this moment, 19 states are trying to pass similar laws for youth awareness.
My teaching suggestion would be to have a team of students identify derogatory statements or stereotypes they might have heard about their neighborhood (this especially works if the school is in an impoverished area). Ask students to create ideas for how those false beliefs may have arisen and been spread. Then ask students to strategize on ways they could challenge those false mindsets. Students can also discuss how to develop a strategy for spreading an alternative positive social message throughout their school(s) and who (from their community) they might have to enlist to enact that strategy. This provides students with ways to connect with their community and deepen the strength of their positive messages through cognitive dissonance.
20.08.2026 | Source: Upworthy
Mister Rogers' strict '9 rules for talking to children' were the secret to his brilliance
Communicating better should be on all of our agendas. I have always found that if you can communicate effectively with children or youth, then you are a much more capable communicator with adults. This article about Mister Rogers’ tools for talking to children is, as columnist Cicely Nobler says, “Brilliant.”
These nine rules may at first seem onerous, but if you start applying them to your communications, they will become a regular tool that you use to improve all your communications.
Were I teaching these rules to a group of people (staff or volunteers), I would have them draft a message they would like to share with their audience. Then, I would have them work through the rules one-by-one to improve and deepen that message. Depending on the time, I would encourage them to share those messages with the entire group and create comments for each other.
Before attendees left, I would have them create some tough communication scenarios they might be facing when going back to the families, units, or workplaces and encourage them to involve collaborators in the same process.
With time, the nine rules would become a habitual way of interacting and not a checklist for every discussion.
19.08.2026 | Source: The Atlantic
Trump Will Make South Korea Pay for His Iran Humiliation
Tom Nichols is one of my favorite The Atlantic writers. In this column, he writes about the continuing insanity of the feckless regime in the White House at this time. He examines why Trump has decided that he will punish South Korea by withholding support for military exercises off their coast. Exercises the U.S. has been involved in for decades that show nuclear-powered neighboring dictator, Kim Jong Un, that our country will continue to support democratically led South Korea. But this president supports dictators (and admires them) worldwide. He is also mad at South Korea because they did not “support us” in our Trump-inspired failure of a war with Iran.
Here is how Nichols puts it: “And because Trump is unable to subdue Iran, unable to replenish stocks of U.S. weapons he should never have expended in this war, unable to take care of the service personnel he has put in harm’s way, someone is going to pay. The most convenient target he could find, at least for the moment, was South Korea.”
Of course, this makes no sense. But seeking to make sense of this regime would drive any rational person senseless. The only thing that makes sense to this president is guarding his own narcissistic ego.
We are attacking friends worldwide and proving to enemies that the United States no longer adheres to the values it has long held. Trump’s relationship with our historic friends reminds me of a teenager’s behavior. Secure in the love of one’s parents, he lashes out at them without reason while coddling his anti-dependent peers.
What we must keep in mind is that this regime’s behavior is not only a reflection of it; but also of those who voted it in… and certainly (as Nichols points out) the Republican Congress that gives this petulant child desires. The world is learning… and adapting, to a landscape devoid of moral U.S. leadership, vacuous of civil rights, and/or global justice. A world led by a madman whose simple aim is to enrich himself and satisfy his ego. Early November is our chance to end this. Let’s end it resoundedly. In such a way that there is no doubt left that this is not the country or leadership we desire.
