The nation experienced a weekend of civil unrest, including COMMENTARY podcast host Christine Rosen whose home was on the frontlines of the violence. We discuss the conditions that have rocked the country to its foundations and the abdication of our political elites in a moment of chaos.

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There are 11 comments.

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  1. Quintus Sertorius Coolidge
    Quintus Sertorius
    @BillGollier

    As always, I very much enjoyed this podcast; you are most level headed and even handed “political pundits” I listen to. You can criticise the president but not let it wholly dominate your thought process as has happened on all other discussions (or suppport the president no matter what!!)

    However, I do have a couple of quibbles/thoughts on today..

    1. I was a bit disappointed that nobody really defended our institutions and how far we have progressed in the past 120 years. Are they perfect…of course not…do they need improvement…always….was what happened to George Floydd a tragedy that deserves retribution and jail time and protest…absolutely. However, I would respectfully argue that our institutions have made real attempts and real progress towards achieving a truly multi-ethnic society and would like to hear somebody defend those institutions. I think it would be interesting for you to have someone like Shelby Steel, Condoleezza Rice or Thomas Sowell or Jason Riley on to discuss those institutions…I think their discussion would counter the “it’s all our institutions fault” narrative that all three seem to posit.
    2. Noah…excellent point on the academic instruction that our institutions have been tainted from the start and should all be burned down…most every highschool/college student since 1990 have been taught that narrative…I know…I am a history teacher who besides what Jonah and David French think have been silenced for standing up for our institutions in the classroom. Noah this would have been a great time for you to have taken one step further and defended our institutions.
    3. The left has never had to apologize for any of their monsters in the basement nor will they ever have to. The right side has apologized/recognized its monsters and is reminded of them every day. (The right has even been forced to accept monsters from the left) but the left has never had to apologize of recognize its own monsters…nor will it ever.
    4. I agree..this it for Donald Trump…hiding in the bunker should be all one needs to see on who he is and what he really cares about….constitutional he can’t do much but he is the elected leader of all the states and he is not leading…and some speech before a rocket launch does not cut it. The best course for him,,,the healing course for him is to say he is not running for reelection…that would stop every riot in its tracks…like LBJ, Nixon and AJ he could heal quite a bit…but…he is not a leader…this will show in November. Your points John were correct…it is time for him to go. I don’t relish a Joe Biden Presidency as I am convinced the New Left is out to win and win period but DT is not the answer for those just right or left of center.
    • #1
  2. Stephen Richter Member
    Stephen Richter
    @StephenRichter

    how can Christine say ( 14:30 ) the only reason all the looters she saw on her residential street were African American is because DC has a large African American population?   Where or when has any other ethic group rioted in this way in the United States?   Name the town or neighborhood which is unsafe to visit which has no African American residents.  What other rational explanation is there than to say that the racism Blacks experience in the US is due to their collective behavior? 

    • #2
  3. DHMorgan Inactive
    DHMorgan
    @DHMorgan

    Quintus Sertorius (View Comment):
    The best course for him,,,the healing course for him is to say he is not running for reelection…that would stop every riot in its tracks…like LBJ, Nixon and AJ he could heal quite a bit…but…he is not a leader…this will show in November. Your points John were correct…it is time for him to go. I don’t relish a Joe Biden Presidency as I am convinced the New Left is out to win and win period but DT is not the answer for those just right or left of center.

    I don’t intend to vote for either Trump or Biden, but I’m feeling less apprehensive about a Biden victory. I believe John Podhoretz nailed it: Trump does not want to be the President, he wants to play the President. He wants rallies. He wants to perform, but not give time or effort to actually governing. He won’t quit. He needs to be pushed out the door.

    I’ve had more than enough of this and I suspect so have too many others.

     

    • #3
  4. DHMorgan Inactive
    DHMorgan
    @DHMorgan

    I’ll also add that this was one of the most depressing Commentary podcasts that I’ve heard. Some of our major cities seem to be disintegrating before our eyes.

    • #4
  5. Jeff Hawkins Inactive
    Jeff Hawkins
    @JeffHawkins

    Do the right Thing came out decades ago and I’m still wondering why I think Mookie was wrong when everyone found him right.

    • #5
  6. Steven Iverson Member
    Steven Iverson
    @stevenIverson

    Those who can not see the disaster another leftist democrat administration would be must be suffering from TDS.

    I don’t like a lot about Trump also but I’m not insane. Sure it would be great if he stepped aside for someone like Tom Cotton but he won’t. And BTW I think Trump does care about the country and understands the threat China is, unlike Biden.

    • #6
  7. Mark Alexander Inactive
    Mark Alexander
    @MarkAlexander

    Correction: Trump did not use the word “domestic’ to characterize Antifa in his tweet.

    “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.”

    Antifa claims for itself the status of an International organization. And there is strong evidence it has massive foreign funding.

    This status will formalize investigations into funding and perhaps lead to a freezing of assets.

    As they say, follow the money.

    • #7
  8. Merrijane Inactive
    Merrijane
    @Merrijane

    Good podcast. Given how often we all dump on John for talking too much or getting something wrong, I think we should put together a reel of all his statements about COVID lockdown with respect to civil unrest that have proven true. 

    • #8
  9. Merrijane Inactive
    Merrijane
    @Merrijane

    DHMorgan (View Comment):
    I don’t intend to vote for either Trump or Biden, but I’m feeling less apprehensive about a Biden victory.

    My sentiments exactly.

    • #9
  10. Stephen Richter Member
    Stephen Richter
    @StephenRichter

    Merrijane (View Comment):

    DHMorgan (View Comment):
    I don’t intend to vote for either Trump or Biden, but I’m feeling less apprehensive about a Biden victory.

    My sentiments exactly.

    because of democrat thinking we get destroyed cities and thousands dead in nursing homes.  Trump is doing poorly for sure. But maybe the government professional class could step forward, help run government agencies and stop fighting the guy.

     

    • #10
  11. Merrijane Inactive
    Merrijane
    @Merrijane

    Stephen Richter (View Comment):
    But maybe the government professional class could step forward, help run government agencies and stop fighting the guy

    If wishes were horses …

    • #11
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