Breaking Democracy's Chains with Metin Pekin

Breaking Democracy's Chains with Metin Pekin

What if the system isn't broken. It's working exactly as designed. You know that feeling when you vote, and then nothing changes, and you vote again, and still nothing changes? That's not a glitch. That's the feature. This episode of What Do We Do Next podcast cracked something open for me, and I think it's going to do the same for you. This is a civic engagement podcast built for people who are done feeling rudderless and ready to channel that energy into something real. Metin Pekin's work sits right at the center of that mission. He's not here to tell you which party to vote for. He's here to ask whether the party system itself is the problem, and what turning anxiety into action actually looks like when the structure itself is what's broken. Metin Pekin earned his BA in Political Economy from the University of Greenwich and spent decades as a serial entrepreneur, founding and scaling companies across industries. The more he succeeded in business, the clearer a troubling pattern became. His Gold award-winning debut, Breaking Democracy's Chains, is a rigorously researched argument that true democracy cannot emerge until we break the grip of political parties and return power to ordinary people. He calls it a No-Party Democracy, and he has thought through exactly how it would work. Key Takeaways The two major parties differ on culture but converge on the policies that most affect ordinary people, including war, austerity, and surveillance, a pattern Metin traces across decades and administrations. Political parties function as gatekeepers, filtering who can run before voters ever see a ballot, which means the illusion of choice is built into the system before a single vote is cast. The Founding Fathers, including John Adams and Thomas Jefferson, explicitly warned against political factions. Metin argues the No-Party Democracy is not radical. It is the natural next step in democratic evolution. Metin proposes progressively taxing political donations and pooling that revenue into a democracy fund to level the playing field against dark money and concentrated donor influence. Forty-five percent of American adults identify as independent, larger than either major party. Metin argues that if independent-minded voters unite behind even a handful of independent candidates, it begins to crack the party monopoly on representation. Metin said, "We are participating in a ritual called voting that are legitimizing the current party system, and voting is the biggest and most powerful tool that we have, but we should use it to undermine the party system, not legitimize this broken system." Metin said, "When people are educated and united, they can make a difference and they will make a difference and they will change the systems. They have the power." Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and guest bio read by Molly. 01:27 Metin on going from entrepreneur to democracy critic. 03:31 The Iraq War as a turning point and the structural problem beneath it. 07:30 Discovering the Federalist Papers and the Founding Fathers on political parties. 10:52 How parties deliberately divide the population to protect elite interests. 14:04 The illusion of choice, the restaurant analogy, and how policies are written outside government. 22:07 Why voting still matters and how to use it to undermine the party system. 25:02 The No-Party Democracy explained, how it works in practice. 33:33 Voting independent as the first concrete step toward systemic change. 35:35 Getting the money out of politics and the progressive donation tax proposal. 42:04 How money captured media, the judiciary, and education over decades. 47:09 What to do if you feel politically homeless right now. 51:06 Molly's closing call to vote local, vote independent, and start the conversation. Connect with Metin Pekin  Book: Breaking Democracy's Chains by Metin Pekin, available wherever books are sold. X: https://x.com/MPekinAuthor LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/metin-pekin-66a47948 Website: https://www.metinpekin.com

The Playbook Women Were Never Supposed To Have with Kelly Mooney

I mean, what is my life if not a long, slightly chaotic love letter to women finally stopping the wait. So many of us have spent years being patient, being nice, being "ready," and honestly, that gets old fast. Women's career advancement does not need another sermon. It needs a wake-up call. This episode matters because self advocacy is not some fluffy personal development slogan. It is the thing that changes your career, your confidence, and the way you move through the room. If you have ever felt stuck, overlooked, or like everybody else got the memo except you, this conversation is going to hit home in the best way. Kelly Mooney spent nearly 25 years at Resource, where she rose from individual contributor to CEO, grew revenues 15 times over, and scaled the company to 400 employees while serving clients like Procter and Gamble, Walmart, and Victoria's Secret. She later became the first ever Chief Experience Officer at IBM iX, one of the world's largest digital consultancies. In 2021, she founded Equipt Women, a public benefit corporation focused on helping early and mid career women rise. She has coached women around the world, launched 100 Days for Women to offer complimentary coaching globally, and wrote the new book she wishes she had when she was figuring all of this out. Key Takeaways Women's career advancement stalls not from lack of talent but from waiting to be chosen. Self advocacy is the skill that changes everything. Eliminating the word should from your vocabulary is a radical act of self liberation. Replace it with consider, explore, or try, and watch how your relationship to your own ambition shifts. Lead yourself first. Becoming intentional about what you want, who you are, and where you are going is not woo woo. It is the foundation of every career breakthrough. The workplace is not a meritocracy. Young women especially need to study the dynamics, build relationships across the organization, and learn to speak in the language of business outcomes. DEI programs are under attack but not dead. Enlightened leaders know the research. Diverse leadership drives innovation, better decisions, and stronger financial performance. The acronym may change. The need does not. Kelly Mooney said, "She was waiting for me to see my own potential, for me to raise my hand instead of waiting to be selected. So really that was the moment I knew that I was going to have a longer career there." Kelly Mooney said, "Once you become very intentional, then you start taking the steps towards that. And I think sometimes we need somebody else to hold up that mirror to see our own potential. And then once you see it, it's unstoppable." Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Kelly Mooney's career journey. 02:07 The moment Kelly realized she was building something. 03:01 Why not you. The lunch conversation that changed everything. 05:45 What Kelly would change about her early career. 06:40 Writing the book to help women self advocate sooner. 07:25 Why Kelly banned the word should from her book. 10:10 The principle of lead yourself. 11:46 How women can discover what they actually want. 15:28 DEI under attack. What it means for women right now. 17:54 The manosphere, media manipulation, and staying clear eyed. 20:43 What Kelly hopes women take from the book. 22:34 Advice for younger women entering the workforce. 25:40 How to self advocate without bragging. 28:30 Why Kelly wrote the book as a reference guide, not a cover to cover read. 34:04 Control the controllables and influence the rest. 36:30 Why buying the book and leaving a review is an act of advocacy. Connect with Kelly Mooney Website: https://www.equiptwomen.com Book: https://www.equiptwomen.com/book LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pkmooney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/equiptwomen 100 Days for Women: https://www.equiptwomen.com/100days

From French Class to Congress: Erik Terwey Fights for Eastern Oklahoma

From French Class to Fighting for Eastern Oklahoma with Erik Terwey He Saw a $100,000 Medical Bill and Decided to Run for Congress. He did not want to run for office. He wanted to teach French, help kids conjugate verbs, and maybe quilt on the weekends. But somewhere between a $100,000 hospital bill, an overdraft notice, and watching rural hospitals close one by one across Eastern Oklahoma, Erik Terwey made a decision that changed everything. Not out of ambition. Out of exhaustion. And out of the quiet, stubborn belief that if nobody else was going to show up and fight, he would do it himself. This episode matters because it is not really about politics. It is about what happens when the systems that are supposed to catch people stop working, and one person decides to stop waiting for someone else to fix it. Whether you live in Oklahoma or not, whether you have ever thought about running for office or not, Erik's story will hit you somewhere real. The healthcare crisis, the rural hospital closures, the weight of student debt and medical debt and the particular panic of watching your bank account go negative before the month is over. These are not abstract policy issues. They are the texture of daily life for millions of Americans who have never had a representative who actually lived it with them. Erik Terwey is a Bartlesville native, a Teach for America alumnus, a former public school French teacher, a union member, and a master's degree holder from the University of Oklahoma. He is running as a progressive Democrat in Oklahoma's 2nd Congressional District, one of the reddest, most rural districts in the country, against a two-term incumbent. He refuses PAC money and corporate donations. He introduced a formal bill recognizing the Cherokee Nation's treaty right to a delegate in the U.S. House. And he is running on Medicare for All, fully funded public schools, affordable energy, and an end to the forever wars. Today he sat down with host Molly to talk about all of it, and the conversation did not disappoint. Key Takeaways Erik did not enter politics out of ambition. He entered it because he watched his students go hungry, saw his friend's small business struggle without government support, faced a $100,000 medical bill himself, and realized that nobody was coming to help. He decided to be the person who showed up. Rural hospital closures in Eastern Oklahoma are not a future threat. They are happening right now. Seventy percent of rural hospitals in the region are operating at a loss. Women in the southeastern part of the state are driving two hours out of state just to see an OB-GYN. Erik argues that a healthy community is the foundation of any version of the American dream, and that without accessible healthcare, everything else falls apart. Running without PAC money is both a values statement and a logistical challenge. Erik's campaign manager is his best friend and works without pay because she believes in the mission. He argues that a true grassroots progressive can run a shoestring campaign and still win, because the energy in the room when he speaks to real voters is something no corporate donor can manufacture. On faith and voting records, Erik does not attack Josh Brecheen's Christianity. He holds it up as a mirror. His message to faith communities in Eastern Oklahoma is simple: stop listening to what your representative says and start looking at what he does. Voting to cut food assistance and healthcare is not what Jesus would do, and Erik is not shy about saying so. On the economic transition away from oil and gas, Erik points to the Mission for America blueprint at newconsensus.com [http://newconsensus.com] as a detailed, 21-point plan for moving the economy forward without leaving pipeline workers and roughnecks behind. He argues that progressives are no longer just dreamers. They are planners and doers, and the plans are already written. "Nobody is coming to help us. And it's time for somebody to start talking about the things that we're going through that really matter to us. If no one's gonna stand up and fight for me, then I'll do it myself." - Erik Terwey "I think that voting for guys like you and helping guys like you in your campaign feels like a good place to start." - Molly Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and Erik's background01:52 The moment Erik decided to run for Congress04:34 Student debt, small business struggles, and the $100,000 medical bill06:19 Why nobody is coming to help and what that means08:25 On Trump, congressional authority, and holding representatives accountable10:00 Rural hospital closures and what they mean for real families12:29 Maternity care deserts, healthcare deserts, and the compounding crisis15:15 Running without PAC money and how the campaign actually works17:43 Grassroots fundraising and the energy at campaign events21:18 The Cherokee Nation treaty delegate bill and why Erik championed it23:08 Josh Brecheen, Christian faith, and voting records that hurt the poor29:01 Eastern Oklahoma's economy, oil and gas, and the green transition33:40 What success looks like in Washington and five years from now36:05 How to get involved and support the campaign37:17 Closing thoughts and call to action Connect with Erik Terwey Website: http://www.terweyforcongress.com [http://www.terweyforcongress.com]Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terweyforcongress [https://www.facebook.com/terweyforcongress]YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@terweyforcongress [https://www.youtube.com/@terweyforcongress]Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/terweyforcongress [https://www.instagram.com/terweyforcongress]TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@terweyforcongress [https://www.tiktok.com/@terweyforcongress]X (Twitter): https://twitter.com/terwey4congress [https://twitter.com/terwey4congress]Substack: https://terweyforcongress.substack.com [https://terweyforcongress.substack.com]Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/terweyforcongress.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/terweyforcongress.bsky.social] Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

He Broke His Arm at a Senate Hearing. The Part That Got Me Was the GoFundMe.

From Iraq to the Senate Floor with Brian McGinnisHe broke his arm at a Senate hearing and called it worth it. Brian McGinnis deployed to Iraq in 2003, ran into burning buildings as a firefighter, and in March 2026 had his arm broken by Capitol Police while protesting U.S. military action at a Senate hearing. He walked away without regrets. That moment did not create his conviction. It revealed it. This episode is for anyone who has felt the weight of watching things get worse and wondered what they are supposed to do about it. Brian's story is a reminder that ordinary people with real lives and real stakes can step into the arena and mean it. Brian McGinnis is a Marine veteran, Raleigh firefighter, father of four, and Green Party candidate for U.S. Senate in North Carolina. He is running without a single dollar of corporate or PAC money, and he joined host Molly Ruland on What Do We Do Next? to talk about war, conscience, community, and what it actually looks like to turn depression into action. Key Takeaways Brian's decision to run for Senate grew directly from his grief over the war in Gaza, which became personal after he fell in love with and married a Palestinian-American woman he met through the fire department. He argues that the two-party system is not broken but is working exactly as designed, serving the donors who fund it rather than the people who vote in it, and that refusing corporate money is not a weakness for the Green Party but the entire point. The Senate hearing incident in March 2026 was not the catalyst for his campaign. He had already filed with the FEC, opened a campaign bank account, and was doing the unglamorous administrative work of running for office before the protest ever happened. When donations poured in after the hearing went viral, Brian and his wife paused the GoFundMe the moment they felt they had enough, redirecting supporters to his campaign instead of leaving the fundraiser open. His message to anyone sitting on the sidelines is to get your toe in the water, find an organization that represents something you care about, and start there. You will be waist deep before you know it. Brian McGinnis said, "Democrats and Republicans don't deserve your vote. They have to earn it. And I'm right there with them." Host Molly Ruland said, "Win or lose, it matters. You're showing a lot of people that they can get involved too." Timestamps 00:00 Introduction and on-air bio00:46 Why Brian is running for Senate01:25 Growing up in Illinois and joining the Marines02:23 How foreign policy views changed after Iraq04:24 Meeting his Palestinian-American wife and the shift in perspective05:34 Transition from military to firefighting07:58 Decision to run and why the Green Party09:51 Turning depression into political action11:35 The Senate hearing, the broken arm, and zero regrets14:02 The GoFundMe pause and a moment of integrity15:47 The biggest issues facing North Carolina18:08 The two-party duopoly and the case for third-party voting22:09 Staying inspired when things keep getting worse25:21 How listeners can get involved30:36 Closing thoughts Connect with Brian McGinnis Website: brianmcginnis.org [http://brianmcginnis.org]Instagram: instagram.com/brianmcginnisncTwitter/X: x.com/brianmcginnisncThreads: threads.net/@brianmcginnisnc Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

'So Help Me God, Not 'Until Further Notice'' with Jeff Pixley

Here’s the thing, mis amigos: every once in a while I talk to somebody who makes you sit up a little straighter. Jeff Pixley did that to me. He’s a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel. An F-16 combat pilot. A guy with 30+ years of service who has literally spent his life in the arena. And now he’s running for Congress in Oklahoma’s 4th Congressional District because, in his words, the oath he took as a kid still means something. That part hit me hard. Low key, I got chills. Jeff left the military a year early. That decision cost him about $300 a month in retirement pay for the rest of his life. Let that sink in. He gave up real money, real security, real comfort, because after the president fired the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, the head of the Navy, and the military lawyers, he saw a flashing red warning sign. He was teaching cadets about the Constitution and the oath of office at the time, and he told me he couldn’t look them in the eye anymore if he stayed. “I promised I would support and defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign or domestic. That oath ends with the words ‘so help me God’ — not ‘until further notice.’” Exactly. Damn right. And then he said this, which I’m going to carry around in my bones for a while: “Firing the lawyers signaled to me that illegal orders might be coming. And being part of something I feared would not be in line with my values — that was something I couldn’t live with.” That is not a man making a cute little political statement for the cameras. That is a person telling you he made a costly decision because he still believes service means something. Because integrity means something. Because some lines are real. Jeff is not running because he got bored in retirement. He’s running because Tom Cole has been in Congress for 20 years, chairs the House Appropriations Committee, and Jeff believes our federal representatives have abdicated their responsibility to uphold the Constitution. And he’s not wrong to say this isn’t just an Oklahoma problem. “Tom Cole sits atop the House Appropriations Committee. Every day he’s in Congress, no matter where you live in this country, you are adversely affected by his inaction or his actions.” Read that again. No matter where you live. We talked about the stuff people actually live under: Oklahoma’s minimum wage still stuck at $7.25 an hour since 2009, housing costs, insurance costs, tariffs hammering farmers and ranchers, the way social media throttles grassroots candidates, and how corporate money keeps warping the whole damn system. Jeff takes no corporate money. No PAC money. None. Which, honestly, should not be radical, but here we are. He also said something about the bigger problem that I think gets to the heart of all of it: “If we don’t fix the constitutional imbalance, we can’t fix affordability — because right now we have what amounts to a patronage economy.” That’s the kind of sentence that makes you want to stand on a table and yell in a diner somewhere. We talked about Citizens United. We talked about the DCCC treating so-called “unwinnable” races like they’re already dead, which Jeff called out as the self-fulfilling prophecy it is. We talked about Oklahoma’s medical marijuana vote and the governor trying to unwind the will of the people. We talked about the deep insult of pretending folks in red districts don’t deserve a real choice. Spoiler: they do. And Jeff? He actually gives me hope. Not because he’s polished. Not because he’s some perfect political product. But because he’s the real deal. He commanded all of Air Force Basic Military Training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, overseeing more than 60,000 new airmen. He helped shape Space Force basic training. He served as an Air Force One Advance Agent. He flew combat missions in Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom. He earned a master’s degree from the Eisenhower School at National Defense University. He lives in Norman with his wife Andrea. This is not a lightweight candidate trying to cosplay as a patriot. This is a man who has already lived the hard part. So if you care about democracy, if you care about the balance of power in the House, if you care about what happens when decent people decide they’re done watching the system rot from the sidelines, you should listen to this one. Then share it. Especially with somebody in Oklahoma. Especially with somebody who thinks politics is over for them. Especially with somebody who needs to hear that there are still people willing to sacrifice for the rest of us. You can support Jeff at jeffpixleyforcongress.com [https://jeffpixleyforcongress.com]. Follow him on Instagram and Threads at @pixley4congress, and find Jeff Pixley for Congress on TikTok and Facebook. If you can donate directly on his website, do that — that’s the cleanest way to make sure your money actually reaches his campaign. And if you can’t donate, no shame. Share the episode. Word of mouth still matters. A lot. And if you’re not already listening to What Do We Do Next?, come on in. It’s a show for the moments when people are either stepping up or disappearing. We’re talking to candidates, advocates, and leaders who are doing the damn thing when it would be easier not to. Support the show by joining the Substack. Every dollar goes toward paid advertising that gets these conversations in front of more people — in places like Forbes, BusinessWeek, and Sports Illustrated. Till next time, don’t forget who you are out there. Integrity matters. Get full access to What do we do next? at whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe [https://whatdowedonext.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]