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Everybody Must Get Stone

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Yeah, it another really busy week in the Ricochet Podcast Extended Universe (or as we like to call it, RIPEU, or repoo): we had a primary, some candidates drop out the race, we had a former Trump campaign advisor sentencing blow up into a fight between the President and his Attorney General. But we decided to ignore all of that (for at least about 70% of the show) and focus on other matters. First we have a discussion about why things are actually pretty great right now, premised on Ross Douthat's upcoming book The Decadent Society: How We Became the Victims of Our Own Success (Ross will be on the show in March to defend himself).

Then, we continue ignoring current events as the great Yuval Levin stops by to discuss institutions and why we need them (you'll want to buy his book, A Time to Build: From Family and Community to Congress and the Campus, How Recommitting to Our Institutions Can Revive the American Dream). It's a fascinating conversation, completely devoid of any controversy involving a Tweet. Ahhhh, take me away Calgon. But, all of that bliss comes to a crashing halt when Ricochet Podcast Senior Justice Department and Legal Pundit John Yoo calls in from the tub in his hotel room (not kidding!) to discuss the Barr/Trump/Stone controversy of the moment. Guess we had to do that? Also, Rob Long moonlights on yet another podcast to discuss his hobbies. We recommend it. Finally, mazel tov to @bucknelldad, he's the winner of the highly coveted Lileks Post of The Week, for his French Court Scrambles the Debate Over What is “GMO” in Foods post. Magnifiqué, mon ami.

Music From This Week's Show: Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 by Bob Dylan

Hosts:
James LileksPeter RobinsonRob Long
Guests:
JYJohn YooYuval Levin

Discussion (64)

  • Arahant@Arahant

    People need to ignore the media on Trump. Just say, "Yeah, he's Trump. Baked in the cake." Just like the Dems do with Fast and Furious and other scandals. Deny, deny, deny, old news.

  • Petty Boozswha@PettyBoozswha

    I really, really wish you guys could get Wordpress to develop a 15 second or 30 second replay function. I know I've asked before and been spiked but the need presents itself again and again with these guys talking over each other.

  • Arahant@Arahant
    ReplyingtoPetty Boozswha

    Petty Boozswha (View Comment):

    I really, really wish you guys could get WordPress to develop a 15 second or 30 second replay function. I know I’ve asked before and been spiked but the need presents itself again and again with these guys talking over each other.

    If you're listening here, you can just move the dot at the end of where it has gotten to back by that much.

  • OccupantCDN@OccupantCDN

    I really liked the point about institutions being used as platforms. I kinda think this is why Trump tweets about things, even as president, he's the outsider criticizing his own government. I think its great for transparency. In the olden days (like with any previous administration) if the president didnt like something, some assistant to an aide would make a call to an assistant to an aide in the department - and whatever was wrong would be changed - the president didnt call the secretary about it - it was just changed. Nobody would ever really track it. Now Trump just tweets it out, and everyone knows it - boom transparency.

    I think there is a real cognitive dissonance in the left's ideology right now. Narcissism. YOU are the special indispensable snowflake, center of the universe. but if you look at their social and economic policies - YOU are disposable, replaceable and inconsequential - this why they would suggest that someone who trained to work in the energy sector - like a geologist - should happily give up his $100k+ year job, to become a rooftop solar panel installer to make a virtuous $45k year.

    These podcasts are so long - and cover so much ground that its like I need to be taking notes to remember the points I want to make as I listen.

    ALSO on the point of energy and fusion. I think its a rabbit hole. Thorium Molten Salt reactors are the most practical, lowest risk technology that has been demonstrated to actually work. In the 1960's (1960s!!) the Oak Ridge National Lab ran the the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment. Which successfully ran a small reactor (a core of less that 2 cubic meters) for nearly 18 000 hours with out incident. THIS is a far FAR more viable technology path than fusion.

    I imagine a Sci-fi TV series set 500 years in the future - and officers on the bridge of a star ship are discussing the latest break through in fusion energy - they end the conversations with "Yea, maybe in 20 years it'll make a fantastic energy source!" ...

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