The Norman Conquests

Only a very few guests warrant two segments on the Ricochet Podcast aka, America’s Most Trusted Podcast® and one of those people is the great Norman Podhoretz (around these parts, we call him “The Podfather). We talk to Norman (who’s a sprightly 89) about his recent conversion to a supporter of the President, the history of the Conservative movement, how he may have singlehandedly invented the hippy, and much more. Norman is a walking, talking museum of American politics of the last 70 years, and we highly recommend this interview. Also, are aliens among us (or at least above us)? A Ricochet Podcast investigation.

Music from this week’s show: E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial Soundtrack by John Williams

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  1. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Love the outtake at the end.

    • #1
  2. Goldwaterwoman Thatcher
    Goldwaterwoman
    @goldwaterwoman

    Norman Podhoretz is just wonderful.  How refreshing to listen to an intellectually honest man who is unafraid to express his support for Trump.

    • #2
  3. Barry Jones Thatcher
    Barry Jones
    @BarryJones

    I tend to think that this part of the Solar System is the sort of neighborhood where the Aliens lock their doors as they drive thru…

    • #3
  4. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    When I was a kid, I really liked the UFO stuff – you know the pre x-files magazines and short novels – but as a I grew older I realized how impossible it was – Not just because of the physical barriers of the known universe, you know the distances between stars, the energy requirements to push any ship to even a fraction of the speed of light… etc, but because it presupposed a competent government or international agency that was able to keep its secrets. If you wait long enough eventually every documented ever produced by a government agency will end up in a newspaper somewhere. Although the revelations of Kevin Spacey and all the #metoo stuff did cause me to re-think how to keep a secret. You keep the secret by telling everyone. You tell them in such away that its completely unbelievable, and if anyone should believe it or find “evidence” of the truth, they’re treated as nut cases and driven from polite society. The truth becomes a lie, and truthers are treated as crazies. Nah, too creative for government work.

    I think governments would keep alien contacts a secret for as long as possible – because they’re afraid of upsetting the status quo. If the status quo gets turned over, and all public institutions of faith and trust instantaneously and simultaneously loose all their influence – things would get very rough very quickly. I think the western world would be fine with aliens – I think the real trouble would come from the Muslim street. 

    A story idea for Rob Long: What if the hubble telescope catches an image of a large object in orbit of say – Neptune – lets say its an impossibly large object, maybe the size of the USS Nimitz or larger – but is navigating – changing speeds and trajectory, so we know its not a natural object. What happens next? What does the White House do? NASA? Do the aliens notice they’ve been noticed? and do they care?

    • #4
  5. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    When I was a kid, I really liked the UFO stuff – you know the pre x-files magazines and short novels – but as a I grew older I realized how impossible it was – Not just because of the physical barriers of the known universe, you know the distances between stars, the energy requirements to push any ship to even a fraction of the speed of light… etc, but because it presupposed a competent government or international agency that was able to keep its secrets. If you wait long enough eventually every documented ever produced by a government agency will end up in a newspaper somewhere. Although the revelations of Kevin Spacey and all the #metoo stuff did cause me to re-think how to keep a secret. You keep the secret by telling everyone. You tell them in such away that its completely unbelievable, and if anyone should believe it or find “evidence” of the truth, they’re treated as nut cases and driven from polite society. The truth becomes a lie, and truthers are treated as crazies. Nah, too creative for government work.

    I think governments would keep alien contacts a secret for as long as possible – because they’re afraid of upsetting the status quo. If the status quo gets turned over, and all public institutions of faith and trust instantaneously and simultaneously loose all their influence – things would get very rough very quickly. I think the western world would be fine with aliens – I think the real trouble would come from the Muslim street.

    A story idea for Rob Long: What if the hubble telescope catches an image of a large object in orbit of say – Neptune – lets say its an impossibly large object, maybe the size of the USS Nimitz or larger – but is navigating – changing speeds and trajectory, so we know its not a natural object. What happens next? What does the White House do? NASA? Do the aliens notice they’ve been noticed? and do they care?

    Trump tweeting out a demand that we create a “Space Force” was too subtle for you?

     

    • #5
  6. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Barry Jones (View Comment):

    I tend to think that this part of the Solar System is the sort of neighborhood where the Aliens lock their doors as they drive thru…

    I should hope so.

    • #6
  7. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):
    A story idea for Rob Long: What if the hubble telescope catches an image of a large object in orbit of say – Neptune – lets say its an impossibly large object, maybe the size of the USS Nimitz or larger – but is navigating – changing speeds and trajectory, so we know its not a natural object. What happens next? What does the White House do? NASA? Do the aliens notice they’ve been noticed? and do they care?

    I endorse this. Have some fun, @roblong. Come to the Dark Side and join the science fiction writers.

     

    • #7
  8. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    I totally agree that we have to support Trump because Democrats are so awful and getting worse. But I still wish it was someone else!

    • #8
  9. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    I totally agree that we have to support Trump because Democrats are so awful and getting worse. But I still wish it was someone else!

    Yes…come to the dark side…

    • #9
  10. Jeff Peterson Member
    Jeff Peterson
    @PatJefferson

    Wasn’t the first appearance of the “Trump voter” in the support Buckley received from outer-borough ethnic voters in the 1965 NYC mayor’s race, and then in the relatively few Democrats receptive to Nixon’s “law and order” appeal in 1968 and the much greater number of “Democrats for Nixon” in 1972?

    • #10
  11. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    I totally agree that we have to support Trump because Democrats are so awful and getting worse. But I still wish it was someone else!

    Yes…come to the dark side…

    Still don’t like him … never will. And I think he loves Trump and not America.

    • #11
  12. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    I totally agree that we have to support Trump because Democrats are so awful and getting worse. But I still wish it was someone else!

    Yes…come to the dark side…

    Still don’t like him … never will. And I think he loves Trump and not America.

    According to Wikipedia, becoming President has cost Donald Trump about one-third of his fortune of $4.5 billion.

    And then there is the risk that his political enemies will manage to put him — or his children! — in jail for the rest of his life.

    On balance, I would say, yes, Trump loves America.

    • #12
  13. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Jeff Peterson (View Comment):

    Wasn’t the first appearance of the “Trump voter” in the support Buckley received from outer-borough ethnic voters in the 1965 NYC mayor’s race….

    Jeff, you have one long memory. But you’re right. As best I can recall, the support WFB received in the outer boroughs, especially Queens and Staten Island, represented the first real indication of what we would come to call “Reagan Democrats.” If there were a “Historian of the Day” award, you’d win it!

    • #13
  14. Peter Robinson Contributor
    Peter Robinson
    @PeterRobinson

    Goldwaterwoman (View Comment):

    Norman Podhoretz is just wonderful. How refreshing to listen to an intellectually honest man who is unafraid to express his support for Trump.

    Couldn’t agree more. All his life, Norman has proven simply fearless. He draws his own conclusions, then very eloquently lets you know exactly what they are.

    • #14
  15. JuliaBlaschke Lincoln
    JuliaBlaschke
    @JuliaBlaschke

    Taras (View Comment):

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    I totally agree that we have to support Trump because Democrats are so awful and getting worse. But I still wish it was someone else!

    Yes…come to the dark side…

    Still don’t like him … never will. And I think he loves Trump and not America.

    According to Wikipedia, becoming President has cost Donald Trump about one-third of his fortune of $4.5 billion.

    And then there is the risk that his political enemies will manage to put him — or his children! — in jail for the rest of his life.

    On balance, I would say, yes, Trump loves America.

    On balance, I would say, that Trump loves Trump. They won’t put him in jail if he gets re-elected. His children do some pretty stupid things. We really don’t know how much money Trump has or had. IMO he is an extremely selfish man who only fights for himself. Fortunately a good economy is good for Trump. The rest is just BS, slogans and spin. But having said all that, he is still better than the loony tunes, lefty clown show the democrats are putting on. But it shouldn’t have been Trump.

    • #15
  16. Petty Boozswha Inactive
    Petty Boozswha
    @PettyBoozswha

    I get so depressed when I hear usually sensible people like Peter or James say Mueller or David French or Jonah Goldberg are hacks or RINOs for believing Trump should be held to his oath of faithfully executing the laws. Why dwell on his peccadilloes like asking his NSC staffer to put fraudulent docs in the lawyer’s requests, he’s the only thing between us and the apocalypse. 

    I like Norman Podhoretz, but there’s another Trump skeptic almost as bad as Bill Kristol I think he should listen to before chugging the Trump Kool Aid; his son John. I heard John the other day say that when Trump loses the election in a Jimmy Carter-like blow-out the Trumpkin community will finally wake up, like Col. Nicholson in The Bridge Over the River Kwai, and realize how counter-productive it was to sell our integrity to this guy. 

    • #16
  17. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    Taras (View Comment):

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    JuliaBlaschke (View Comment):

    I totally agree that we have to support Trump because Democrats are so awful and getting worse. But I still wish it was someone else!

    Yes…come to the dark side…

    Still don’t like him … never will. And I think he loves Trump and not America.

    According to Wikipedia, becoming President has cost Donald Trump about one-third of his fortune of $4.5 billion.

    And then there is the risk that his political enemies will manage to put him — or his children! — in jail for the rest of his life.

    On balance, I would say, yes, Trump loves America.

    On balance, I would say, that Trump loves Trump. They won’t put him in jail if he gets re-elected. His children do some pretty stupid things. We really don’t know how much money Trump has or had. IMO he is an extremely selfish man who only fights for himself. Fortunately a good economy is good for Trump. The rest is just BS, slogans and spin. But having said all that, he is still better than the loony tunes, lefty clown show the democrats are putting on. But it shouldn’t have been Trump.

    “They won’t put him in jail if he gets re-elected.”  As what — President for Life?

    ”His children do some pretty stupid things.”  Is this merely a non sequitur, or is it intended to imply it’s OK if they’re thrown in jail by their father’s political enemies? 

    “We really don’t know how much money Trump has or had. IMO he is an extremely selfish man who only fights for himself.”   So estimating his net worth (the way Forbes Magazine does routinely) is impossible; yet you’ve plumbed his heart of hearts with ease? 

    • #17
  18. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    Petty Boozswha (View Comment):

    I get so depressed when I hear usually sensible people like Peter or James say Mueller or David French or Jonah Goldberg are hacks or RINOs for believing Trump should be held to his oath of faithfully executing the laws. Why dwell on his peccadilloes like asking his NSC staffer to put fraudulent docs in the lawyer’s requests, he’s the only thing between us and the apocalypse.

    I like Norman Podhoretz, but there’s another Trump skeptic almost as bad as Bill Kristol I think he should listen to before chugging the Trump Kool Aid; his son John. I heard John the other day say that when Trump loses the election in a Jimmy Carter-like blow-out the Trumpkin community will finally wake up, like Col. Nicholson in The Bridge Over the River Kwai, and realize how counter-productive it was to sell our integrity to this guy.

     The real question is whether Trump — and other Republican Presidents — should be held to standards Democratic Presidents do not meet.

     It should also be noted that few or no allegations in the Mueller report have been tested in court. 

     Predictions are not facts, and can’t be used as evidence to support your position.  Of course, had John Podhoretz got the 2016 election right, I might be more inclined to pay attention to his predictions about 2020. 

    • #18
  19. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Peter Robinson (View Comment):

    Jeff Peterson (View Comment):

    Wasn’t the first appearance of the “Trump voter” in the support Buckley received from outer-borough ethnic voters in the 1965 NYC mayor’s race….

    Jeff, you have one long memory. But you’re right. As best I can recall, the support WFB received in the outer boroughs, especially Queens and Staten Island, represented the first real indication of what we would come to call “Reagan Democrats.” If there were a “Historian of the Day” award, you’d win it!

    Interesting that William F Buckley and Washington Free Beacon have the same initials/acronym.

    • #19
  20. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    A story idea for Rob Long: What if the hubble telescope catches an image of a large object in orbit of say – Neptune – lets say its an impossibly large object, maybe the size of the USS Nimitz or larger – but is navigating – changing speeds and trajectory, so we know its not a natural object. What happens next? What does the White House do? NASA? Do the aliens notice they’ve been noticed? and do they care?

    As it turns out, the TV series “Salvation” was about that.  But it ended/was cancelled right after the Big Reveal.

    So that proves it’s really true!  :-)

    • #20
  21. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    kedavis (View Comment):

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    A story idea for Rob Long: What if the hubble telescope catches an image of a large object in orbit of say – Neptune – lets say its an impossibly large object, maybe the size of the USS Nimitz or larger – but is navigating – changing speeds and trajectory, so we know its not a natural object. What happens next? What does the White House do? NASA? Do the aliens notice they’ve been noticed? and do they care?

    As it turns out, the TV series “Salvation” was about that. But it ended/was cancelled right after the Big Reveal.

    So that proves it’s really true! :-)

    Salvation(CBS 2017)? I missed that one, I’ll look for it, but the plot summaries on wikipedia are about an asteroid on a terminal trajectory. Is there a different series?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_(TV_series)

     

    • #21
  22. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    OccupantCDN (View Comment):

    A story idea for Rob Long: What if the hubble telescope catches an image of a large object in orbit of say – Neptune – lets say its an impossibly large object, maybe the size of the USS Nimitz or larger – but is navigating – changing speeds and trajectory, so we know its not a natural object. What happens next? What does the White House do? NASA? Do the aliens notice they’ve been noticed? and do they care?

    As it turns out, the TV series “Salvation” was about that. But it ended/was cancelled right after the Big Reveal.

    So that proves it’s really true! :-)

    Salvation(CBS 2017)? I missed that one, I’ll look for it, but the plot summaries on wikipedia are about an asteroid on a terminal trajectory. Is there a different series?

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salvation_(TV_series)

     

    Nope, that’s it.  But…  It Wasn’t Really An Asteroid!  But like I said, it was ended/cancelled right after the Big Reveal.  So now we know it was really true, and Donald Trump shut them down!

    • #22
  23. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    @roblong

    “Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” – Arthur C. Clarke

    • #23
  24. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    James!

    @jameslileks

    How could you let this one end without saying at least once, “Norman, Co-Ordinate!”

    May Landru forgive you!

    Or Apollo, or Nomad…

    or V’ger…

    one of them.

    • #24
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Alien Police movie with Kyle McLachlan, sounds like “The Hidden.”

    There were a couple books I read in the past that were pretty good too, by Hal Clement.  “Needle,” and “Through The Eye Of A Needle.”

    • #25
  26. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Also, re: Norman Conquests,

    in honor of John Cleese/Monty Python,

    for everyone, but especially James:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16RZqXXfcjg

    followed immediately by:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrIR_ZqbdZo

    and then (I don’t know why that one was so short…)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=37ZDePL6veM

     

    • #26
  27. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    By the way @OccupantCDN did you ever see the series UFO?  Not Project UFO, just UFO.  The Gerry Anderson show from England.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_sGZWHbyXKs

    • #27
  28. Erika Kinder Member
    Erika Kinder
    @ErikaKinder

    I have never thought this before, much less said this: “snooooooore”

    Ive been a subscriber since richochet began. This is the first time you made me fall asleep. (That’s what I listen to NPR for… but my son hides calm.com)

    • #28
  29. FredGoodhue Coolidge
    FredGoodhue
    @FredGoodhue

    Erika Kinder (View Comment):

    I have never thought this before, much less said this: “snooooooore”

    Ive been a subscriber since richochet began. This is the first time you made me fall asleep. (That’s what I listen to NPR for… but my son hides calm.com)

    Funny, I thought this was one of the better episodes, with the great old time guest star, science fiction, and Rob Long in his journey towards full Trumpism.

    • #29
  30. Petty Boozswha Inactive
    Petty Boozswha
    @PettyBoozswha

    Taras (View Comment):
    Predictions are not facts, and can’t be used as evidence to support your position. Of course, had John Podhoretz got the 2016 election right, I might be more inclined to pay attention to his predictions about 2020. 

    I see I misquoted John Podhoretz; he said IF Trump loses in a Carter-like blowout, it was my projection to modify that to WHEN Trump gets blown out, because I’m confident that’s what’s going to happen.

    As for Julia’s comments, does anyone think Trump would put his love of country above his love of himself if Larry Hogan started gaining some traction in Republican primaries? Everyone of us knows he would burn the country down before he let himself be put out of office.  

    • #30
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