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In today's Solidarity Fridays episode, Joe and Kyle sit down and discuss two news stories emerging from Portland, Oregon- first, paramilitary-like federal agents showing up in unmarked cars and arresting protestors, and second, the beating and pepper-spraying of one of those protestors, Christopher David.\xa0

They look at these events from multiple perspectives- what fears are driving the opinions of people who are against these protests? Why does there always seem to be money when it comes to military expenses, but never any money when it comes to the wellbeing of people? How many police officers fully stand behind what they're doing, and how many are simply following orders or deeming certain evils necessary solely to earn their federal pension?\xa0

They analyze systems and better ways forward, like considering a bottom-up approach vs. the standard top-down approach or Ken Wilbur's framework of transcending an old system while including all the lessons from it. They also discuss decriminalization vs. legalization and the importance of regulation, and the massive scale of concepts and systems, like how MKUltra needs to be included when discussing the history of psychology.

They also discuss telehealth and ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and the complications surrounding it right now, from both therapists and clients not wanting to be in an office to the concerns of self-administration at home, to the benefits of self-exploration for those who do feel comfortable and safe engaging on their own. And lastly, they talk about their upcoming Navigating Psychedelics class, which is selling fast and will never be cheaper than it is now.

\u201cThis is illegal, and people seem to forget that it\u2019s illegal. Even if it\u2019s decriminalized in a locality, doesn\u2019t mean the feds can\u2019t come in and shut you down. And that\u2019s why they call me the party pooper.\u201d -Joe

\u201cHow many people get into higher systems and institutions with really good intentions [of] wanting to make change, and thinking... \u201cI\u2019m going to change it from the top down.\u201d ...What would a \u2018bottom-up\u2019 approach be, and how could we give power back to communities to start to create their own change, instead of thinking that we need to change it from these hierarchical systems? I always come back to Bucky Fuller\u2019s quote about just creating a different system- you don\u2019t change a system by trying to change it, you make a new system that\u2019s obsolete to that old way of being. ...I\u2019m thinking also too, from the somatic lens in therapy- approaching it more cognitively, intellectually- this whole top-down brain approach vs. a body-oriented approach and working with the trauma, working with the body and thinking about, ok, what\u2019s the body? It\u2019s people, it\u2019s communities. How do we start to work that way?\u201d -Kyle

\u201cI just prefer to see government funds spent on stuff like the green new deal to save us from climate change. Or health care for all- those kinds of things. Why spend to put people in jail, when we could have, just like with cannabis, taxable revenue. I don\u2019t want to let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Just because it\u2019s not equitable, I don\u2019t think that totally excludes the thing. I\u2019d just like to see less people going to jail, less people being harmed by black market drugs, and more clean appropriate drugs available to the people who want them.\u201d -Joe

\u201cHow do we have the money to send these paramilitary agents in but you didn\u2019t have the money to produce personal protection equipment for hospitals? What\u2019s going on here?\u201d -Kyle

U.S. Homeland Security confirms three units sent paramilitary officers to Portland

Navy veteran beaten and pepper-sprayed by federal agents at protest in Portland

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