Iran, Empire, and the Blowback Cycle
Iran, U.S. Foreign Policy, and Empire | The Tao of Lloyd
A special episode of The Tao of Lloyd on Iran, U.S. foreign policy, war, empire, and blowback. Lloyd blends anti-war commentary, satire, political critique, and philosophy to examine propaganda, American intervention in Iran, and the spiritual cost of living inside empire.
S2. CHAPTER 27: The Memory Hole (Part 3) — Repeat
S2 Chapter 27 completes The Memory Hole trilogy: Erase, Replace, Repeat. Lloyd Dobler reads Tao Te Ching Chapter 27 and names the real work: interrupting the pattern of historical erasure, propaganda, and wear-down repetition.
S2. CHAPTER 21: Late Stage Everything (a Zen-Punk Mixtape Meditation)
If Late Stage Everything is when the system still runs—just not for humans, have we arrived there yet? Lloyd Dobler turns Tao Te Ching Chapter 21 into a zen-punk mixtape meditation for doomscroll times: stop clinging, let the mud settle, find right action (wu wei).
S2. Chapter 19: Who’s Stealing Your Time?
A Tao Te Ching–inspired meditation on overwork, capitalism, and reclaiming time. Spiritual and political commentary from Gen X everyman Lloyd Dobler.
S2. Chapter 17: On Refusing Orders
Chapter 17 of The Tao of Lloyd explores Taoist leadership, unlawful orders, and the politics of obedience—asking who’s really driving when no one’s in charge.
S2. Chapter 6: The Algorithm in a Long Swinging Red Tie | The Tao of Lloyd
In this chapter, Lloyd reads Chapter 6 of the Tao Te Ching and wrestles with what it means to let go in an age where everything is engineered to keep you holding on. From AI hype and Trump-era theatrics to the quiet rebellion of washing one dish instead of arguing about it online, this episode finds softness in the absurd.
S2. Chapter 4: What If the Hippies Won?
Lloyd Dobler asks what the world might look like if peace, poetry, and protest had actually beaten profit. Chapter 4 of the Tao Te Ching meets Gen X nostalgia and political satire.
S2. Chapter 2: Solving for X in the Algorithm of Empire
Chapter 2 of The Tao of Lloyd explores wu wei, algorithmic pressure, and the Tao Te Ching’s guidance on letting go inside a system built on impulse and control.