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It’s a Super-Sized 77 minute long edition of the podcast this week (gotta make up for last week’s hooky) as we ponder whether Donald Sterling’s exile from the NBA actually is slam dunk, how to avoid being a Glass-hole, chat with Law Talk’s John Yoo on his new book Point of Attack: Preventive War, International Law, and Global Welfare. Then, Forbes Opinion editor and American Wonk host (yes, it’s coming back) Avik Roy on what the Republican strategy for health care ought to be going forward and why Rick Santorum might lead the way, and how do we make the electorate fall in love with our candidates? A Ricochet Podcast investigation.
Music from this week’s podcast:
Rose Colored Glasses by John Conlee
The Ricochet Podcast opening theme was written and produced by James Lileks.
EJHill is watching you.
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Because I’ll say what Peter won’t…
I agree 100% we need to find a way to communicate with those that do not believe entrepreneurship is the only path to happiness, but then some one said Paul Ryan might be such a candidate? Paul Ryan couldn’t take off his Ayn Rand button even on Labor Day, when he said everyone should get down on their hands and knees and thank the job creators.
Speaking of appealing to normal people, one thing that drives me crazy is when Republicans talk about tax breaks to “improve the economy. ”
The economy? Nobody gives a crap about The Economy. The Economy is one big, amorphous, vague, system-y thing that includes the stock market and banks and entrepreneurs … you know, rich people … about whom I don’t care.
I care about jobs. Jobs are everything. Even when other people are getting jobs, it helps me because that means it’s thinning out my competition for the jobs I have a chance for. Every job that’s created means higher wages and more opportunity for me.
Jobs are everything. The Economy is nothing. Talk about jobs, not the economy.
(Yeah, I know that the economy has to improve before the jobs come back, but that’s the point … don’t talk to me about how I have to wait until other people do well before the benefits gets down to my level. That means nothing to me. All I want to hear is jobs, because that’s the “open sesame” word that’ll get my attention.)
Jobs rings the bell. The Economy doesn’t.
As usual, our own beloved KC is exactly right.
Thanks, EJ. I feel much better now.
Wonderful podcast. Lileks hit the nail on the head by saying we need a standard-bearer who inspires people, and with whom people can identify without the candidate saying out loud – I’m one of you.
Leadership as a Last Resort
Yes, Peter, VDH and Mark Steyn supported Bush on Iraq but so did Sol W Sanders aka Ye Olde Crabb who has been around for a bit longer.. he covered Hanoi in early 1950’s and the view from Saigon later.. you ought to give him some consideration for a Uncommon Knowledge interview.
Best flagship podcast in a long time, largely because of the discussion towards the end on Santorum and the Party’s ability to connect with blue collar, regular folk. Fundamentally, there has to be a populist element for Republicans to be able to win. That’s how Bush did it, despite his patrician background. Santorum and Buchanan have been dead right on this issue (and many more). And I think Scott Walker and Paul Ryan are just the types to be able to do it. And that I heard Rob comment in this way gives me great hope for the Party. The libertarian streak in Republican Party politics fundamentally is not a governing philosophy, for if anything it is community destroying.
To Rob’s point about criminalizing private conversation/actions it is worth noting that the judicial law in the Bible provides no criminal penalty for breaking the 10th Commandment.
Never stop stepping on the segues. It brings smiles to our faces every time.
Wow. Rob really didn’t want James to make his point at 1:06:30. James starts to talk and Rob just runs him over. It’s not just segues any longer, Rob is going to talk over James any time he pleases, I guess.
Given that Rob works in the entertainment industry, I don’t think he is best positioned to complain about people getting “MASSIVE massive massive paychecks” for simply administering large public corporations, as opposed to the ability to say lines written by someone else with the appropriate amount of emotion and plastic surgery.
Deuteronomy 22:22
“If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who slept with her and the woman must die.”
Leviticus 20:10
“If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.”
Blue Yeti knocks it out of the park again with the exit song. Aside from the “glasses” link, that blue collar American Rob wants to attract to the R brand was listening to (and drinking beer in a tavern to) John Conlee in the 70’s/ 80’s.
On the podcast, I was pleased to hear Avik Roy stress moral argument as a strategy for conservatives to play offense instead of always being on the defensive. As far as I can tell, Paul Ryan is miles ahead of other politicians in this regard. Other non-politicians who I hear make the moral case include Arthur Brooks, Steve Forbes and Rev. Sirico. And to Peter’s point, Ryan is a serious thinker who understands the detail work that needs to go into reforming current policies. Ryan also shows political courage, e.g., see recent Buzz Feed piece on Ryan’s inner city education and the criticism he receives for having the audacity to go into the inner city on his terms without consulting with the likes of Sharpton et al. So there’s my starting line-up: Ryan, Roy, Brooks, Forbes and Sirico.
Unfortunately, Obama has managed to bury several taxes deep in Obamacare that get flushed out on the federal income tax returns of upper-middle-class folks, and these taxes don’t help economic development. And with 47% or so not paying income taxes, I doubt the tax issue rings well in many ears. But to the point about the economy and jobs, in particular, I have repeatedly seen anecdotal stories of businesses crippled by various regulatory efforts.
The GOP needs to create a Top Ten list of regulatory Willie Hortons and tie them directly to economic/job stagnation. Concern for the environment and labor protections are one thing. But weight of these ridiculous regulatory overkill is binding and gagging the economy, and the GOP stands there picking their noses saying very little.
That is the 7th Commandment. The 10th Commandment is:
“Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour’s wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour’s house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour’s.”
If the American people only understand that small business drives job creation when an articulate spokesman makes the case that if you want jobs, you must therefore want entrepreneurs, we are lost. There is so much wrong with the notion that all good things will spring from government, or an alliance between big government, big business, and big labor.