Not Easy Bein’ Green

This week, we forgo the guests and turn the floor over to you, our faithful Ricochet members that we are eternally grateful for (reading this and you’re NOT a member? Please join!). We get questions on books, the host’s careers, Ricochet’s business model, and more. Also, the Green New Deal and what the heck is going in Richmond.

Music from this week’s podcast: It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green by Frank Sinatra 

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There are 47 comments.

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  1. John Hendrix Thatcher
    John Hendrix
    @JohnHendrix

    Mr Nick (View Comment):

    One more pedantic point but didn’t Ted Cruz win Iowa in 2016 running against ethanol subsidies? I admit my memory might be faulty.

    @mrnick, You remembered correctly. Ted Cruz both:

    1. Ran against ethanol subsidies; and
    2. Won the Iowa primary.

    I recall that Thomas Sowell, on observing Ted Cruz campaigning against ethanol subsidies in Iowa, remarked, “Senator Cruz’s refusal to pander to the sacred cow of ethanol subsidies in Iowa showed a resolve that is rare in politics…”

    “….a resolve that is rare in politics…”. Do you just love the way that phrase just rolls off the tongue?

    What Ted did in Iowa was an act of political valor that should not be forgotten so soon. I was disappointed when the hosts of the Ricochet podcast–for whom I have much respect–forgot about it.

    • #31
  2. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Bunwick Chiffswiddle (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment): If you want to go into the liberal arts (English, art, music, etc.) , realize you will be better off financially if you get a STEM degree and do your art on the side (this is working for oldest daughter, who is a talented artist). If you insist on a liberal arts degree, don’t go into insane amounts of debt to get your sheepskin. Even if you get a job in your field, your debt will plague you most of your life.

    That, or choose Hillsdale.

    Relative to other small colleges, it’s a steal, plus you’ll meet people who actually care about books, music, and ideas.

    They are pretty selective, I think. 

    • #32
  3. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    Bruce Mamont (View Comment):

    Mr Nick (View Comment):

    Small quibble but will the old – or indeed a new – theme tune return? The breaking news jingle is a poor substitute…

    One more pedantic point but didn’t Ted Cruz win Iowa in 2016 running against ethanol subsidies? I admit my memory might be faulty.

    I miss it too. The Rachel Maddow quote ages well.

    We’ll think about it. Our analytics were showing that a lot of people skipped through it, indicating they wanted us to get to the show faster. That’s the main we reason we dropped it. But I also felt like the Trump clips in it were stale.

    I’d be interested in hearing suggestion for new clips to put in the open.

    Psst.  The promo code in the “show notes” for robinhood.com is wrong.

    • #33
  4. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Bunwick Chiffswiddle (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment): If you want to go into the liberal arts (English, art, music, etc.) , realize you will be better off financially if you get a STEM degree and do your art on the side (this is working for oldest daughter, who is a talented artist). If you insist on a liberal arts degree, don’t go into insane amounts of debt to get your sheepskin. Even if you get a job in your field, your debt will plague you most of your life.

    That, or choose Hillsdale.

    Relative to other small colleges, it’s a steal, plus you’ll meet people who actually care about books, music, and ideas.

    They are pretty selective, I think.

    They have to be.  Just think of the “Caravans” to Hillsdale if they weren’t.

    • #34
  5. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    kedavis (View Comment):

    RufusRJones (View Comment):

    Bunwick Chiffswiddle (View Comment):

    Stad (View Comment): If you want to go into the liberal arts (English, art, music, etc.) , realize you will be better off financially if you get a STEM degree and do your art on the side (this is working for oldest daughter, who is a talented artist). If you insist on a liberal arts degree, don’t go into insane amounts of debt to get your sheepskin. Even if you get a job in your field, your debt will plague you most of your life.

    That, or choose Hillsdale.

    Relative to other small colleges, it’s a steal, plus you’ll meet people who actually care about books, music, and ideas.

    They are pretty selective, I think.

    They have to be. Just think of the “Caravans” to Hillsdale if they weren’t.

    Right, but we need many more easier colleges that teach the same stuff. That is an oversimplification, but if you care about people and The Republic, it’s just a reality.

    • #35
  6. Functionary Coolidge
    Functionary
    @Functionary

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    We’ll think about it. Our analytics were showing that a lot of people skipped through it, indicating they wanted us to get to the show faster. That’s the main we reason we dropped it. But I also felt like the Trump clips in it were stale. 

    I always re-played to myself the Trump quote, “We have people who are . . . stupid.”

    But, holy cow! You can tell when I fast forward?  That’s kind of scary.  Are you going to put me in a camp?

     

    • #36
  7. GeezerBob Coolidge
    GeezerBob
    @GeezerBob

    I would advise young people to finish high school. That assumes they can attain a basic proficiency in the tools of modern life. I would not advise they attend college if they do not have a real goal. They will be far better served if they have some experience in the reality of life before they try college. You also should make yourself of Mike Rowe (the Dirty Jobs guy) and his Roweworks scholarship program. It is intended to support people wanting to learn a trade. Look him up. He is worth your attention.

    • #37
  8. Stad Coolidge
    Stad
    @Stad

    John Hendrix (View Comment):

    Mr Nick (View Comment):

    One more pedantic point but didn’t Ted Cruz win Iowa in 2016 running against ethanol subsidies? I admit my memory might be faulty.

    @mrnick, You remembered correctly. Ted Cruz both:

    1. Ran against ethanol subsidies; and
    2. Won the Iowa primary.

    I recall that Thomas Sowell, on observing Ted Cruz campaigning against ethanol subsidies in Iowa, remarked, “Senator Cruz’s refusal to pander to the sacred cow of ethanol subsidies in Iowa showed a resolve that is rare in politics…”

    “….a resolve that is rare in politics…”. Do you just love the way that phrase just rolls off the tongue?

    What Ted did in Iowa was an act of political valor that should not be forgotten so soon. I was disappointed when the hosts of the Ricochet podcast–for whom I have much respect–forgot about it.

    What every candidate should do is make his case for phasing out the subsidies.  No one likes the rug yanked out from under them, but giving farmers a chance to prepare for the loss of “revenue” makes the ending of subsidies more bearable . . .

    • #38
  9. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    John Hendrix (View Comment):

    Mr Nick (View Comment):

    One more pedantic point but didn’t Ted Cruz win Iowa in 2016 running against ethanol subsidies? I admit my memory might be faulty.

    @mrnick, You remembered correctly. Ted Cruz both:

    1. Ran against ethanol subsidies; and
    2. Won the Iowa primary.

    I recall that Thomas Sowell, on observing Ted Cruz campaigning against ethanol subsidies in Iowa, remarked, “Senator Cruz’s refusal to pander to the sacred cow of ethanol subsidies in Iowa showed a resolve that is rare in politics…”

    “….a resolve that is rare in politics…”. Do you just love the way that phrase just rolls off the tongue?

    What Ted did in Iowa was an act of political valor that should not be forgotten so soon. I was disappointed when the hosts of the Ricochet podcast–for whom I have much respect–forgot about it.

    What it revealed is that that particular cow isn’t as sacred as its proponents would have people think.

    • #39
  10. Percival Thatcher
    Percival
    @Percival

    “Sir Gawaine and the Green Knight” is about keeping and breaking faith; about trying and failing to live up to one’s ideals. Gawaine has a code to which he has resolved to live by, even unto death, but in the end he fails. Rather than hide this failure, he confesses it and displays a mark of his failure by wearing the green girdle on his arm to remind himself and others. The other Knights of the Round Table also wear girdles on their arms to let Gawaine know that all fall short of the ideal.

    Maybe. That’s what I got, anyway. Oh, and don’t volunteer to exchange swats with an axe with perfect strangers at parties.

    • #40
  11. LibertyDefender Member
    LibertyDefender
    @LibertyDefender

    Good things that Trump has accomplished?

    James came close, but didn’t quite get there: Donald Trump calls out the lying, lazy, dishonest media on their lying, lazy, dishonesty.

    That’s the BEST thing that Trump does, that no other Republican of significance has EVER done.

    • #41
  12. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    LibertyDefender (View Comment):

    Good things that Trump has accomplished?

    James came close, but didn’t quite get there: Donald Trump calls out the lying, lazy, dishonest media on their lying, lazy, dishonesty.

    That’s the BEST thing that Trump does, that no other Republican of significance has EVER done.

    Newt Gingrich used to.

     

    • #42
  13. LibertyDefender Member
    LibertyDefender
    @LibertyDefender

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):

    LibertyDefender (View Comment):

    Good things that Trump has accomplished?

    James came close, but didn’t quite get there: Donald Trump calls out the lying, lazy, dishonest media on their lying, lazy, dishonesty.

    That’s the BEST thing that Trump does, that no other Republican of significance has EVER done.

    Newt Gingrich used to.

    Fair point.  Newt wasn’t nearly as effective at it as Trump is, though.  Is that only because Newt never made it a part of his stump speeches, at least not to the extent Trump did/does?

    • #43
  14. RS711 Member
    RS711
    @

    James asked Rob about how long it would take to replace the power plants of all building in NYC.  Well, I actually am an accountant for a company that is actually replacing every Electric Meter in all of NYC and Westchester (we are switching the old fashioned meters with smart meters that can communicate info directly to the utility).  Just to replace all the meters which is one small component of what he is asking will take us 7 years.  We are 2 years in.  As Kevin Williamson says, we are conservative in the things we know best.  I would guess 30 years to do the Green New Deal thing if you mobilized like WW2.

    • #44
  15. Richard Easton Coolidge
    Richard Easton
    @RichardEaston

    RS711 (View Comment):

    James asked Rob about how long it would take to replace the power plants of all building in NYC. Well, I actually am an accountant for a company that is actually replacing every Electric Meter in all of NYC and Westchester. Just to replace all the meters which is one small component of what he is asking will take us 7 years. We are 2 years in. As Kevin Williamson says, we are conservative in the things we know best. I would guess 30 years to do the Green New Deal thing if you mobilized like WW2.

    And of course the CO2 output from all these changes would be enormous.

    • #45
  16. Grendel Member
    Grendel
    @Grendel

    I like Whitaker Chambers’ insight into how God looks at humanity. That is, not at humanity, like Fascists, but at each indivdual.  

    But I think Rob missed somethind particularly apposite for this week.  Jesus’  special favor fell upon those who had faith and upon children, and His condemnation fell heavily on those who did the little ones harm.

    Most influential book?  Did you ever see a dream walking?, Wm.F.Buckley, ed.

     

    • #46
  17. Grendel Member
    Grendel
    @Grendel

    Petty Boozswha (View Comment)

    I want to second the military recommendation – if the young person is not willing to commit several years [which sounds like an eternity at that age] consider the Reserves or National Guard to get your feet wet.

    My son did that:  He was in a Marine Reserve Engineering unit in college.  He’s now close to finishing a PhD in chemistry.

    But think carefully about how reserved you want to be.  His main disgruntlement turned out to be that they didn’t get tapped for a six-month deployment.  I understand.  I extended my tour in Vietnam to get reassigned to a combat slot. After my wife and kids, one of the 5 best decisions I’ve made. 

    So if the young person is hoping for Fun, Travel, and Adventure from his stint in the reserves, he should make sure deployment, or at least training, will provide it.

    • #47
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