We Work (So You Don’t Have To)

Recorded live this morning as the transcript was released, this episode of GLoP is as fresh as a just mowed lawn. Wait, are newly mowed lawns fresh? OK, how about laundry just out of the dryer? Nah, too on the nose. OK, forget about the fresh metaphor. In this episode, the GLoP-meisters (that’s Jonah Goldberg, Rob Long, and John Podhoretz) cover the goings on at WeWork and other suspect internet based businesses (ahem), a look at the state of the TV business, and yes, some Rank Punditry® on that phone call to Ukraine.

Subscribe to GLoP Culture in Apple Podcasts (and leave a 5-star review, please!), or by RSS feed. For all our podcasts in one place, subscribe to the Ricochet Audio Network Superfeed in Apple Podcasts or by RSS feed.

Now become a Ricochet member for only $5.00 a month! Join and see what you’ve been missing.

There are 63 comments.

Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.
  1. Petty Boozswha Inactive
    Petty Boozswha
    @PettyBoozswha

    I’m a few years older than you guys.  The way I remember it, Billy Carter was investigated because he was trying to obtain financing for his peanut farm from Libyan diplomats, and Mr. Qaddafi was not our friend at the time.

    • #1
  2. Henry Castaigne Member
    Henry Castaigne
    @HenryCastaigne

    Is anyone else fine with using foreign governments for oppo research? Politicians are terrible and we should investigate them. I just don’t see the harm in asking Ukraine to check this out if there is a legitimate reason to research it. Likewise, I was always fine with talking to the Russians to dig up dirty secrets provided that those dirty secrets actually have some validity.

    I mean it’s not like Trump is using the IRS to go after political opponents…

    • #2
  3. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Is anyone else fine with using foreign governments for oppo research? Politicians are terrible and we should investigate them. I just don’t see the harm in asking Ukraine to check this out if there is a legitimate reason to research it. Likewise, I was always fine with talking to the Russians to dig up dirty secrets provided that those dirty secrets actually have some validity.

    I mean it’s not like Trump is using the IRS to go after political opponents…

    As I said on another thread, the problem with the Steele Dossier is not that it was a foreign operation.  It was that it was complete Bullshine. 

    Trump wasn’t asking Ukraine to make something up.  He was asking for a legitimate investigation.

     

    • #3
  4. Al Sparks Coolidge
    Al Sparks
    @AlSparks

    I didn’t watch the Emmy’s either.  Nor do I regard award shows, especially the Oscars, given the politics that has affected them, as recommendations to watch a movie or television show.

    As far as Fleabag is concerned, I turned it on twice and got turned off.  I’m willing to give it another try because Andrew Klavan recommended a few days ago.

    Breaking Bad is a show that I tried watching but found it too slow.  It was Jonah’s recommendation that made me give it another try and I ended up enjoying it.

    So what points me to these shows is people I folllow recommending them.  It’s not the awards shows. 

    • #4
  5. Al Sparks Coolidge
    Al Sparks
    @AlSparks

    I loved the comment about Trump’s outlook on politics being informed by his experiences in the New York real estate market.

    The same could be said about Obama’s politics being informed by how things are done in Chicago.  Obama was never as crass, but he was just as corrupt, and more importantly, more effective in his corruption because he wasn’t watched the way Trump is.

    He did things that are impeachable too.  As Jonah says, it doesn’t neccesarily mean he should be impeached.

    I’m a Trump supporter in the same way Ben Shapiro / Andrew Klavan are.  But it would be a silver lining if Trump’s removal made it easier to remove a president.

    If Bill Clinton had been removed, it would have had the effect of lowering the bar for impeachment, and raising the bar for behavior by the president, including when lying.

    And Republicans would have been giving the Democrats at least one additional term in the White House with Al Gore, and possibly an additional 2 terms.  Al Gore could have run twice as an incumbent.  And the Democrats wouldn’t take the freebie.  They took the corruption instead.

    • #5
  6. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    I’m surprised.

    Jonah has deep moral convictions???

    • #6
  7. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Note to JPod:

    It’s not a quote, if it’s not a verbatim transcript.

    • #7
  8. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    That awkward moment when you realize the comments are probably better than the podcast.

    • #8
  9. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m surprised.

    Jonah has deep moral convictions???

    NOPE. He does not. 

    Our dear Jonah, who was on the same side as many, has now, thanks to the cheeto king, shown his true colors. #elistist (redacted) #POS

    • #9
  10. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    What was with that ending? That had to be the worst way to go out I’ve ever experienced.

    • #10
  11. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Annefy (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m surprised.

    Jonah has deep moral convictions???

    NOPE. He does not.

    Our dear Jonah, who was on the same side as many, has now, thanks to the cheeto king, shown his true colors. #elistist (redacted) #POS

    Indeed.  I’ve heard him express many shallow moral convictions, but no deep ones.

    Whether shallow moral convictions even count as moral convictions, might be a separate question.

    • #11
  12. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    I loved the comment about Trump’s outlook on politics being informed by his experiences in the New York real estate market.

    The same could be said about Obama’s politics being informed by how things are done in Chicago. Obama was never as crass, but he was just as corrupt, and more importantly, more effective in his corruption because he wasn’t watched the way Trump is.

    He did things that are impeachable too. As Jonah says, it doesn’t neccesarily mean he should be impeached.

    I’m a Trump supporter in the same way Ben Shapiro / Andrew Klavan are. But it would be a silver lining if Trump’s removal made it easier to remove a president.

    If Bill Clinton had been removed, it would have had the effect of lowering the bar for impeachment, and raising the bar for behavior by the president, including when lying.

    And Republicans would have been giving the Democrats at least one additional term in the White House with Al Gore, and possibly an additional 2 terms. Al Gore could have run twice as an incumbent. And the Democrats wouldn’t take the freebie. They took the corruption instead.

    Maybe it’s just me, but I’d rather “experiment” with removing a Democrat president first.  If only because I also think the history of corrupt Democrat presidents is much larger.

    • #12
  13. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Oh, and after reading about it, I have a hard time thinking of a show I’m less interested in seeing, than Fleabag.

    • #13
  14. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Henry Castaigne (View Comment):

    Is anyone else fine with using foreign governments for oppo research? Politicians are terrible and we should investigate them. I just don’t see the harm in asking Ukraine to check this out if there is a legitimate reason to research it. Likewise, I was always fine with talking to the Russians to dig up dirty secrets provided that those dirty secrets actually have some validity.

    I mean it’s not like Trump is using the IRS to go after political opponents…

    Well one claim is that it was “illegal” to obtain Hillary’s emails.  “Illegal” for Americans, anyway.  And of course they ignore that it was ILLEGAL for Hillary to handle them the way she did.  But of course the Russians did it anyway, as no doubt did China and many other national adversaries.

    • #14
  15. FredGoodhue Coolidge
    FredGoodhue
    @FredGoodhue

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    And Republicans would have been giving the Democrats at least one additional term in the White House with Al Gore, and possibly an additional 2 terms. Al Gore could have run twice as an incumbent. And the Democrats wouldn’t take the freebie. They took the corruption instead.

    By that logic, we could have nine years of President Mike Pence.  I’m OK with that.

    • #15
  16. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    FredGoodhue (View Comment):

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    And Republicans would have been giving the Democrats at least one additional term in the White House with Al Gore, and possibly an additional 2 terms. Al Gore could have run twice as an incumbent. And the Democrats wouldn’t take the freebie. They took the corruption instead.

    By that logic, we could have nine years of President Mike Pence. I’m OK with that.

    That’s assuming Pence would win in 2020.  And 2024.  Would you bet anything important on that?

    • #16
  17. filmklassik Inactive
    filmklassik
    @filmklassik

    Annefy (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m surprised.

    Jonah has deep moral convictions???

    NOPE. He does not.

    Our dear Jonah, who was on the same side as many, has now, thanks to the cheeto king, shown his true colors. #elistist (redacted) #POS

    Hang on.  You contend that Jonah’s words and actions re: politics are not motivated by principle?

    Madness.  They are.  And if Jonah is “elitist” for sticking by his principles when the going gets tough and there is a cost for sticking by them … well, we should all be so elitist.  

     

     

    • #17
  18. filmklassik Inactive
    filmklassik
    @filmklassik

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Annefy (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    I’m surprised.

    Jonah has deep moral convictions???

    NOPE. He does not.

    Our dear Jonah, who was on the same side as many, has now, thanks to the cheeto king, shown his true colors. #elistist (redacted) #POS

    Indeed. I’ve heard him express many shallow moral convictions, but no deep ones.

    Whether shallow moral convictions even count as moral convictions, might be a separate question.

    Me’thinks Jonah’s “shallow” convictions would be leagues deeper if only he felt differently about Trump.  

    Funny how that works.  

    • #18
  19. Jdetente Member
    Jdetente
    @

    Goldberg’s issue has less to do with being an elitist and more to do with his personal animus towards Trump. This would be fine except for that he puts on this false display that he is acting out of principle.  Like clockwork, you can count on him to take the worse possible interpretation instead of objectively analyzing the situation. It is truly pathetic…and as I have said in other threads, it has made him boring and predictable.

    • #19
  20. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Jdetente (View Comment):

    Goldberg’s issue has less to do with being an elitist and more to do with his personal animus towards Trump. This would be fine except for that he puts on this false display that he is acting out of principle. Like clockwork, you can count on him to take the worse possible interpretation instead of objectively analyzing the situation. It is truly pathetic…and as I have said in other threads, it has made him boring and predictable.

    Also, so much of the anti-/never-Trump stuff – including from Jonah – seems to be Trump’s “loathsomeness” on a personal level, for which the main complaint really seems to be that it’s more open.  But the same people don’t seem to have the same level of acrimony towards those who are or were just as loathsome – or worse – but hid it better, or maybe had the media etc hide it FOR them.

    So, what it amounts to is that their – and Jonah’s – “deep moral convictions” seems to come down to “it’s okay to be a rotten person, as long as it’s not obvious.”

    Like I said, that’s not deep.  That’s shallow.

    • #20
  21. Annefy Member
    Annefy
    @Annefy

    Jdetente (View Comment):

    Goldberg’s issue has less to do with being an elitist and more to do with his personal animus towards Trump. This would be fine except for that he puts on this false display that he is acting out of principle. Like clockwork, you can count on him to take the worse possible interpretation instead of objectively analyzing the situation. It is truly pathetic…and as I have said in other threads, it has made him boring and predictable.

    And Jonah has personal animus against Trump because Jonah is an elitist.

     

    • #21
  22. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    Annefy (View Comment):
    And Jonah has personal animus against Trump because Jonah is an elitist.

    I thought it was because he couldn’t buy pants.

    • #22
  23. Jdetente Member
    Jdetente
    @

    Arahant (View Comment):

    Annefy (View Comment):
    And Jonah has personal animus against Trump because Jonah is an elitist.

    I thought it was because he couldn’t buy pants.

    You stole my reply. Well done. Jonah is out to sea on his quest to find the right pair…

    • #23
  24. Barry Jones Thatcher
    Barry Jones
    @BarryJones

    Neither Jon nor Jonah have been accurate in any of their predictions on politics for two years. Both allow their animus over ride any judgement on Trump and their attitude seems to be “Ready, FIRE, Aim…).  Also, if asking the Ukrainians to look over what the Biden family did or may have done is just wrong…would it still be as wrong is you replaced the name “Biden” with “Jeffery Epstein”?

    • #24
  25. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Jdetente (View Comment):

    Goldberg’s issue has less to do with being an elitist and more to do with his personal animus towards Trump. This would be fine except for that he puts on this false display that he is acting out of principle. Like clockwork, you can count on him to take the worse possible interpretation instead of objectively analyzing the situation. It is truly pathetic…and as I have said in other threads, it has made him boring and predictable.

    And Jonah has personal animus against Trump because Jonah is an elitist.

     

    I’m not sure if any Ricochet host is NOT an elitist, except perhaps I think – I hope – for James Lileks.

    • #25
  26. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Barry Jones (View Comment):

    Neither Jon nor Jonah have been accurate in any of their predictions on politics for two years. Both allow their animus over ride any judgement on Trump and their attitude seems to be “Ready, FIRE, Aim…). Also, if asking the Ukrainians to look over what the Biden family did or may have done is just wrong…would it still be as wrong is you replaced the name “Biden” with “Jeffery Epstein”?

    Isn’t it up to 3 years now?  Maybe 4?

    • #26
  27. Arahant Member
    Arahant
    @Arahant

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I’m not sure if any Ricochet host is NOT an elitist, except perhaps I think – I hope – for James Lileks.

    Andrew Klavan?

    • #27
  28. WilliamDean Coolidge
    WilliamDean
    @WilliamDean

    kedavis (View Comment):

    FredGoodhue (View Comment):

    Al Sparks (View Comment):

    And Republicans would have been giving the Democrats at least one additional term in the White House with Al Gore, and possibly an additional 2 terms. Al Gore could have run twice as an incumbent. And the Democrats wouldn’t take the freebie. They took the corruption instead.

    By that logic, we could have nine years of President Mike Pence. I’m OK with that.

    That’s assuming Pence would win in 2020. And 2024. Would you bet anything important on that?

    I’m betting that the Dems will lose 2020 more than that Trump or Pence will win 2020.

    • #28
  29. filmklassik Inactive
    filmklassik
    @filmklassik

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Annefy (View Comment):

    Jdetente (View Comment):

    Goldberg’s issue has less to do with being an elitist and more to do with his personal animus towards Trump. This would be fine except for that he puts on this false display that he is acting out of principle. Like clockwork, you can count on him to take the worse possible interpretation instead of objectively analyzing the situation. It is truly pathetic…and as I have said in other threads, it has made him boring and predictable.

    And Jonah has personal animus against Trump because Jonah is an elitist.

     

    I’m not sure if any Ricochet host is NOT an elitist, except perhaps I think – I hope – for James Lileks.

    “Elitism” — as you folks seem to understand it — is by my lights something all of us should aspire to:   Thoughtful.  Literate.  Reasonable.  Anti-populist.  

    “Elites” prefer a strong argument over a torch & pitchfork, and they believe that a strong argument means being more persuasive than offering a guttural “Nope” (the go-to response for many populists).

    Good lord, I hope I’m an elitist.

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

    kedavis (View Comment):
    I’m not sure if any Ricochet host is NOT an elitist, except perhaps I think – I hope – for James Lileks.

    Lileks sips his tea with his pinky sticking out too. Only Trump is a manly man who can stroll through the garden party like Groucho and give all the Marge Dumont pecksniffs the vapors.

    • #30
Become a member to join the conversation. Or sign in if you're already a member.