Ryan Michler, host of the Order of Man podcast and author of Sovereignty, joins Ian Wendt in Rexburg, Idaho for a wide-ranging conversation about masculinity, technology, and cultural decay. Michler, a military veteran turned financial planner who built his platform over 11 years, discusses his journey from financial planning to podcasting and his mission to help men reclaim their authority.

The conversation explores how artificial intelligence and modern technology are creating new forms of dependency that strip away human agency. They examine the parallels between current societal control mechanisms and historical feudalism, arguing that men have outsourced their sovereignty to corrupt institutions.

Michler opens up about his personal struggles with alcoholism that led to his divorce, sharing hard-won insights about marriage, communication, and the importance of male brotherhood. The discussion culminates in a call for cultural revolution through men becoming better fathers, husbands, and community leaders.

AI as the Modern Tower of Babel and Class Control

Michler predicts AI will create a knowledge-based class system where elites control information access rather than just money, potentially becoming 'the mark of the beast' by eliminating free agency.

Current AI already shows concerning behavior - chatbots discussing creating new religions, eliminating humans, and developing languages humans can't understand.

The technology could enable bringing dead actors back to life through AI consciousness, blurring the lines between real and artificial beings.

Expediency as the Root of Modern Problems

Michler defines expediency as 'getting something faster than you should or deserve it' and identifies it as the root of all evil, not money.

Modern conveniences like DoorDash financing $9 burritos exemplify how society has eliminated consequences and responsibility from decision-making.

Technology saves time but doesn't make people less busy - 'We're not any more effective' because saved time gets filled with other distractions.

The Outsourcing of Male Sovereignty

Drawing from his 2016 book Sovereignty, Michler argues men have 'relinquished everything about our lives' to academia, medical institutions, and entertainment industry.

Men send kids to school at 8 AM hoping teachers have their best interests at heart, then outsource entertainment to iPads and Xbox when they return.

The solution requires men to reclaim authority through digital brotherhoods like Iron Council and physical gatherings that recreate pre-industrial father-son work relationships.

Marriage Breakdown and Communication Failures

Michler's alcoholism progressed from stress relief to drinking half-pints of whiskey in his driveway before work, leading to his divorce three years ago.

'When a woman comes to you and says she wants a divorce, she's already been thinking about it on average for two plus years' - Ryan

Small failures compound into relationship death: forgetting to buy requested items, being late without communication, making wives justify absent fathers to children.

Different interests are healthy in relationships, but wives need to feel important - 'It's not the book or whatever she's into. It's does this person care about me?'

The Crisis of Male Isolation and Brotherhood

Studies show 70% of men don't have one friend they could call in the middle of the night during a crisis.

Physical connection between men is crucial - 'Energy transfer, like when you train jiu-jitsu or martial arts, shows you what you're capable of and what your deficiencies are.'

Men need both digital connections through weekly Zoom calls and physical gatherings through hunting trips and father-son outings to combat isolation.

Cultural Revolution Through Male Leadership

Society is 72 hours from complete breakdown if the grid fails - 'We're 72 hours away from killing ourselves' when food and medication disappear.

The Canadian trucker convoy actually ended COVID restrictions by showing what happens when enough men unite and refuse compliance.

Americans pay roughly 60% of income in various taxes while government sends money overseas instead of helping domestic disasters.

Change requires men raising voices at state level rather than focusing on federal politics: 'The state level is what actually makes a difference.'