Under The Influence

Even a pessimist would have reason experience surprise and consternation by the extent of our institutional crises. It’s revealed that American students know nothing of the history of the Holocaust and the story of the Jewish people in its aftermath. We’ve seen our government progressively possessed by the whims of influencer representatives. Even today’s guest Yuval Levin, who’s painstakingly documented this descent, is a bit bewildered. He joins Rob, James and Peter as they cover everything from Jewish students being forced to hide in a library, to priorities for Israel and of course on to the People’s House and the hopes we may yet hold out for it.

– Audio from today’s opening is new Speaker Mike Johnson’s first address to Congress.

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  1. WilliamDean Coolidge
    WilliamDean
    @WilliamDean

    Quintus Sertorius (View Comment):

    David C. Broussard (View Comment):

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Someone needs to remind Rob and Yuval that none of this happened during the Trump years.

    Yeah, but he was just an influencer who didn’t really do anything.

    Levin is right that we lack leadership, but to paraphrase:

    He’ll stare directly at the sun, but never in the mirror…

    I do so love how people like Levin and Rob think that they have no responsibility for their lack of competence in shaping public thought. It’s never their fault that the rubes and peasants don’t understand how their policies that hurt people are supposedly good for them. That GOP leaders can just ignore the real problems that voters want resolved because it’s easier to campaign on them than to solve them doesn’t seem to matter to them.

    This is a great post! I have yet to see the traditional Republican power base and commentariat offer an analysis of why they lost power in the party….all they want to do is blame the “stupid maga” voter but never want to look in the mirror. Look you can think Donald Trump is a wind bag and is only in it for himself and shouldn’t be the 2024 nominee et al and yet realize and know that he tapped into something that is real and showing a shift in the party….that the traditional “Republican power and commentariat” have ignored that is on them and really is growing quite tiresome. Look in the mirror people…you lost the party…maybe ask the question why instead of continuing shouting we are smart….we know what is best…you others must follow us because we are so smart….

    Everyone knows how they “lost the party.” It’s because the college educated professional class has gone Democrat at the same time that the traditional blue collar labor class has gone Republican. Why the constant need for this acknowledgement? It reeks of insecurity.

    • #31
  2. EJHill Staff
    EJHill
    @EJHill

    WilliamDean: Everyone knows how they “lost the party.” It’s because the college educated professional class has gone Democrat at the same time that the traditional blue collar labor class has gone Republican. Why the constant need for this acknowledgement? It reeks of insecurity.

    That’s a result, not a causation.

    During the 2016 campaign I came to the conclusion that the pundits were suffering projection when they called Trump a con man. I asserted that the post-Reagan GOP had been running the con. It was 40 years of promising balanced budgets, ending abortion, shrinking the size of government, etc., etc., only to do the opposite. In that time I was willing to give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt.

    Only in the last year have I embraced the idea that both things could be true at the same time.

    • #32
  3. Macho Grande' Coolidge
    Macho Grande'
    @ChrisCampion

    Wolfsheim (View Comment):
    One “progressive” was, however, honest enough to tell me that she was glad the kids were so “dumb”: “Our job,” she said, “is to brainwash these spoiled preppies.” She was, not surprisingly, closely allied with the gender-studies prof.

     

    That’s something I hadn’t considered before, but it’s probably accurate.  By pushing kids through high school where they need their hands held for everything, they’ll be seeking that same direction in college when they’re supposed to be flexing independent thought for the first time. 

    They’re delaying emotional and intellectual maturity, for the purpose of indoctrination.

    • #33
  4. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    EJHill (View Comment):
    During the 2016 campaign I came to the conclusion that the pundits were suffering projection when they called Trump a con man. I asserted that the post-Reagan GOP had been running the con. It was 40 years of promising balanced budgets, ending abortion, shrinking the size of government, etc., etc., only to do the opposite. In that time I was willing to give Donald Trump the benefit of the doubt.

    Bush 41 got rid of Paul Volcker. Why in the hell would you do that? Because they wanted an inflationist, Alan Greenspan. You can’t control government spending when the central bank is goosing the economy so much. Not only is there too much inflation, they should have run with deflation. 

    • #34
  5. David C. Broussard Inactive
    David C. Broussard
    @Dbroussa

    kedavis (View Comment):
    Peter needs to finish his sentences, too.

    Yes please

    • #35
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