Winged Unicorn Flatuence

This week — UNICORNS. Well, James mentions one. Also, the great Kori Schake on how we ought to deal with North Korea. Republican Congressional candidate in California’s 52nd District Michael Allman on using software to figure out what constituents want, some thoughts on Think Tank personnel changes, and a Ricochet Podcast host joins the Trump administration (no, Rob Long has not become Secretary of TV).

Music from this week’s podcast: The Unicorn Song by Peter, Paul, & Mary

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  1. TheSockMonkey Inactive
    TheSockMonkey
    @TheSockMonkey

    The photo reminds me of this.

    • #1
  2. Katie Koppelman Coolidge
    Katie Koppelman
    @KatieKoppelman

    I didn’t know Peter, Paul, and Mary had a version of The Unicorn Song, I was only aware of the one by the Irish Rovers.

    • #2
  3. Kim K. Inactive
    Kim K.
    @KimK

    James: “…….California looks like a political monoculture – that even the people who call themselves Republicans are pretty much so besotted by, or accepting of the ideas of the Left, that Arnold Schwarzenegger ends up being the most conservative politician who can possibly win.”

    There are many California Republicans who are not this. Not enough, alas.

    • #3
  4. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    URL, is Universal Resource Locator.

     

    • #4
  5. Randy Weivoda Moderator
    Randy Weivoda
    @RandyWeivoda

    Katie Koppelman (View Comment):
    I didn’t know Peter, Paul, and Mary had a version of The Unicorn Song, I was only aware of the one by the Irish Rovers.

    Same title, but totally different songs.  The Irish Rovers song isn’t too bad.  I’ve been blessed to have never heard the unbearable PP&M song until the end of this podcast.  Now I know why some people want to punch hippies.

    • #5
  6. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):

    Katie Koppelman (View Comment):
    I didn’t know Peter, Paul, and Mary had a version of The Unicorn Song, I was only aware of the one by the Irish Rovers.

    Same title, but totally different songs. The Irish Rovers song isn’t too bad. I’ve been blessed to have never heard the unbearable PP&M song until the end of this podcast. Now I know why some people want to punch hippies.

    It is a terrible song. We played it ironically.

    • #6
  7. dicentra Inactive
    dicentra
    @dicentra

    Uniform Resource Locator, actually.

    • #7
  8. The Cloaked Gaijin Member
    The Cloaked Gaijin
    @TheCloakedGaijin

     

    dicentra (View Comment):
    Uniform Resource Locator, actually.

    Unicorn?

    Greg Gutfeld’s definition?

    California congressional candidate Michael Allman?

    I would have much preferred Stacey Dash.

    • #8
  9. OccupantCDN Coolidge
    OccupantCDN
    @OccupantCDN

    dicentra (View Comment):
    Uniform Resource Locator, actually.

    Well, thats what I get for not looking up the stuff that I “know”.

    • #9
  10. Tedley Member
    Tedley
    @Tedley

    Did I miss something?  There’s an “L” missing from the title.

    • #10
  11. Fynxbell Member
    Fynxbell
    @Fynxbell

    URL = Unicorn Resource Locator, actually

     

    • #11
  12. EHerring Coolidge
    EHerring
    @EHerring

    I gave my daughter the Away suitcase after hearing about it on our podcasts.  She loves it and sent me this link to an article rating it the best carry on (https://www.apartmenttherapy.com/the-best-carry-on-luggage-256212?utm_content=68184341&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter ) .  I have a Quip and got my husband that cool shaving kit.  Now I need a mattress….hmmmmm.  This is what happens when you let women listen to podcasts.  But ricochet is losing out…. nuts.com …. they have great chocolate candies, too.  My husband bought me 4 different kinds that are so delicious.  They are perfect for eating while listening to podcasts … just saying.  Maybe if I get him a mancrate, he will buy me some more chocolates.

    • #12
  13. Rightfromthestart Coolidge
    Rightfromthestart
    @Rightfromthestart

    Hmm, break the partisan gridlock? Since the Democrats never budge an iota he seems like another collapsible Republican already willing to give them half their demands in exchange for a kiss and a promise .

    • #13
  14. Columbo Inactive
    Columbo
    @Columbo

    TheSockMonkey (View Comment):
    The photo reminds me of this.

    LOL. Hey, is that a unicorn or …………..

    • #14
  15. DHMorgan Inactive
    DHMorgan
    @DHMorgan

    Mr. Allman’s novel idea, which is not so novel, is to try to stimulate conversation about proposed legislative ideas and get feedback from constituents.  Good luck with that since too few people actually care unless it’s something that affects them directly.  But, I mean “good luck,” hoping that this might actually work.

    As for following the voter’s preferences, when Mr. Lilek’s pushed back, Mr. Allman assumed the sensible position of saying that if he didn’t agree with his constituents’ views, he would state his position, try to convince them his ideas are better, and then vote his conscience, even if it means voting sometimes with Democrats.  I’m sure that will thrill his party members ;).

    Speaking of conscience:  Mr. Robinson’s plea for paid membership of Ricochet was why I became a member.  I don’t comment much, but why should anything this good be free?  My conscience is clear (at least about this).

    It was probably a coincidence that we moved from a “gas company” executive to unicorn flatulence – although with Mr. Lilek’s nimble mind, who knows?

    And speaking of unicorns: If  Squatty Potty ever becomes a show sponsor, I’d re-up for two years just to hear Mr. Lilek’s segue, not to mention the commercial.

    On second thought: no.  If Squatty Potty is a sponsor option, Ricochet would really be going down the toilet.

    • #15
  16. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    DHMorgan (View Comment):
    Speaking of conscience: Mr. Robinson’s plea for paid membership of Ricochet was why I became a member. I don’t comment much, but why should anything this good be free? My conscience is clear (at least about this).

    You are Great American, @dhmorgan. Welcome!

    • #16
  17. James Lileks Contributor
    James Lileks
    @jameslileks

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    You are Great American, @dhmorgan. Welcome!

    Seconded! (BTW, it’s Lileks’, not Lilek’s. Should it ever come up again.)

    • #17
  18. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Nice to see you again, James.

    btw, @peterrobinson forgot to mention that the $2.50/month podcast membership does allow for commenting on the podcasts.

    • #18
  19. DHMorgan Inactive
    DHMorgan
    @DHMorgan

    James Lileks (View Comment):

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):
    You are Great American, @dhmorgan. Welcome!

    Seconded! (BTW, it’s Lileks’, not Lilek’s. Should it ever come up again.)

    Average.  Sloooowly moving toward perfection (ref. John Wesley).

    • #19
  20. Belt Inactive
    Belt
    @Belt

    That song…

    Sweet merciful heavens…

    • #20
  21. SParker Member
    SParker
    @SParker

    Randy Weivoda (View Comment):

    Katie Koppelman (View Comment):
    I didn’t know Peter, Paul, and Mary had a version of The Unicorn Song, I was only aware of the one by the Irish Rovers.

    Same title, but totally different songs. The Irish Rovers song isn’t too bad. I’ve been blessed to have never heard the unbearable PP&M song until the end of this podcast. Now I know why some people want to punch hippies.

    Uh, PP&M were more of a folkie thing.  A particularly dweebish subset at that.  Even hardcore Peace, Love, and Understanding hippies wanted to punch folkies back in the day.

    • #21
  22. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    Some thoughts on the earlier part of the program, about North Korea:

    The North Koreans know that we have a track record of selling out our allies in that region. For example, we betrayed the Nationalist Chinese, our allies against Japan (while the Chinese Communists mostly sat out the war), over and over: starting in the late 1940s when we permitted the Communists to take over China; and again in the 1960s when we did not permit Taiwan to obtain nuclear weapons to answer the nuclear threat from the mainland; and again in the 1970s when we permitted the UN to hand over Taiwan’s seat on the Security Council to the Communists. And, of course, I need not go into our many betrayals of the people of South Vietnam.

    Because of fundamental assumptions about the way governments work, Americans are incapable of understanding Communism — unless they have family connections that opened their eyes (for example, Communists wiped out much of my mother’s family), or personal experiences that taught them a thing or two, like Reagan’s battle with Communist-controlled unions, or Nixon’s pursuit of the Communist spy, Alger Hiss.

    This is why Lyndon Johnson really thought killing large numbers of the subjects of North Vietnam’s ruling elite would somehow influence their policies. In reality, the elite didn’t care how many of their subjects (or slaves) perished in the bombing, or died invading the south. The elites and their families were safe in bunkers or mansions in the country. In other words if we actually wanted bombing to influence the behavior of North Vietnam we should have bombed those mansions, not ordinary people.

    What can Trump learn from this? He should tell the North Korean dictator that, in case of war, the number one objective will be to kill him. Not to devastate North Korea: Kim Jong-un doesn’t care if we do that. As Pol Pot explained, if one million people are left, we can repopulate the country.

    Another lesson to be drawn from the history of Communism around the world is that the leaders don’t know what’s going on in their own countries — because, as a matter of survival, every level of the hierarchy lies to the level above it. This is what Gorbachev’s policy of “glasnost“ was actually about: “speak out” so he can get some idea of what’s actually going on in the country and in the economy.

    Trump should present Kim Jong-un with that famous satellite view that shows night-time South Korea all lit up while North Korea looks like a black hole. He should go over the case of the border guard who escaped and was found to be riddled with worms. He should make clear that the world justly holds North Korea and its ruler in contempt.

    Remember, nobody in North Korea dares to tell Kim any of this.

    • #22
  23. RufusRJones Member
    RufusRJones
    @RufusRJones

    Taras (View Comment):
    For example, we betrayed the Nationalist Chinese, our allies against Japan (while the Chinese Communists mostly sat out the war), over and over: starting in the late 1940s when we permitted the Communists to take over China;

    I’ve always wondered about this. I am so skeptical about the Ruling Class getting things right geopolitically.

    Great post.

    • #23
  24. Miffed White Male Member
    Miffed White Male
    @MiffedWhiteMale

    Mr. Allman:  Lots of states are beautiful and have clean air.  The question was what makes California different.

     

    • #24
  25. Jim Wright Inactive
    Jim Wright
    @JimW

    Blue Yeti (View Comment):

    This week — UNICORNS. Well, James mentions one. Also, t

    If it ends up on the Conservatarian playlist, I will be very put out.

    • #25
  26. Blue Yeti Admin
    Blue Yeti
    @BlueYeti

    Miffed White Male (View Comment):
    Mr. Allman: Lots of states are beautiful and have clean air. The question was what makes California different.

    Unicorns.

    • #26
  27. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    Taras (View Comment):
    Trump should present Kim Jong-un with that famous satellite view that shows night-time South Korea all lit up while North Korea looks like a black hole. He should go over the case of the border guard who escaped and was found to be riddled with worms. He should make clear that the world justly holds North Korea and its ruler in contempt.

    Remember, nobody in North Korea dares to tell Kim any of this.

    If Kim Jong-un doesn’t care if the people die, why would he care if they have electricity/lights?  Or worms, for that matter?

    • #27
  28. Umbra Fractus Inactive
    Umbra Fractus
    @UmbraFractus

    SParker (View Comment):
    Uh, PP&M were more of a folkie thing. A particularly dweebish subset at that. Even hardcore Peace, Love, and Understanding hippies wanted to punch folkies back in the day.

    The “understanding” part of that trio was always particularly inane. Trust me, the Israelis and the Palestinians, the Russians and the Ukrainians, the Indians and the Pakistanis… they all “understand” each other quite well.

    • #28
  29. kedavis Coolidge
    kedavis
    @kedavis

    @jameslileks I think part of Mike Allman’s argument about his “populist” system is that stuff like pronoun legislation only happens when you have a “hard” D in office.  And in the People’s Republic of California, given the “binary choice” of R vs D, you’re far more likely to have a “hard” D  elected than even a squishy Rob Long-style R.

    The way Mike Allman described his system, even if the San Diego loons are clamoring for pronoun legislation, the larger majority of people would be against it so he would be justified it telling the loons to take a hike.  No D, not even a squishy one (if there is such a thing), would do that.

    At least in theory.  It would be interesting to see if his system actually works.  I doubt his web polling setup is hacker-proof.  Unless maybe he’s been talking to Yoni.

    • #29
  30. Taras Coolidge
    Taras
    @Taras

    kedavis (View Comment):

    Taras (View Comment):
    Trump should present Kim Jong-un with that famous satellite view that shows night-time South Korea all lit up while North Korea looks like a black hole. He should go over the case of the border guard who escaped and was found to be riddled with worms. He should make clear that the world justly holds North Korea and its ruler in contempt.

    Remember, nobody in North Korea dares to tell Kim any of this.

    If Kim Jong-un doesn’t care if the people die, why would he care if they have electricity/lights? Or worms, for that matter?

    He cares, because it makes him look bad before the world. (Look up “Potemkin Village”.)  He knows, and is pleased, that the world sees him as dangerous. What he doesn’t know, and what wouldn’t please him to know, is that the world sees him as a dangerous laughingstock.

    • #30
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