Surviving Trump: Your Essential Guide to His Second Term

Episode 38: Corruption – How It Works, Who Wins, and Who’s Supposed to Stop It

Bella Goode Episode 38

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From Enron to Watergate to Clarence Thomas, corruption isn’t just history — it’s here, and it’s thriving. In this episode, Bella Goode examines how unchecked power rigs the system, silences accountability, and erodes democracy from within. From Ponzi schemes to political purges, learn how corruption works, who enables it, and why dismantling watchdogs threatens us all.


Key Takeaways To Listen For

  • How Enron, Madoff, Tyco, FIFA, and Theranos exposed the failure of oversight and the cost to the public
  • Why Ponzi schemes, pyramid schemes, and wire fraud keep resurfacing
  • How weak watchdogs, insiders, and public apathy help corruption thrive
  • The global “iron triangle” of power, money, and impunity
  • What history shows about fighting corruption and why silence is complicity
  • A six-point plan to fight back: from whistleblower protections to civic re-engagement


Resources Mentioned In This Episode


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Host: Bella Goode

Bella Goode is a pseudonym — but the voice, research, and mission are all real. A Republican turned democracy advocate in 2016, I was raised by middle class parents in Pennsylvania. I’m a former marketing executive, entrepreneur, and lifelong learner with an MBA from Wharton and a Master’s in Psychology from Penn. I spent decades telling stories in the business world; now I use those skills to connect the dots in American politics.

I’m here because the truth matters — and because the stakes have never been higher. Surviving Trump isn’t lighthearted. It’s clarity, evidence, and a fight for the future of our democracy.

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