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Thoughts and Prayers

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In the wake of the shooting in San Bernardino, we get into the "thoughts and prayers" debate that broke out last night after the NY Daily News published its provocative front page.

Then, Dinesh D'Souza joins to discuss his new book Stealing America: What My Experience with Criminal Gangs Taught Me about Obama, Hillary, and the Democratic Party and get into detail about his experiences while incarcerated in a halfway house in Texas. But that's not all -- the great Garry Kasparov calls in to talk about his book Winter Is Coming: Why Vladimir Putin and the Enemies of the Free World Must Be Stopped. His comments on Putin and Russia's place in the world are not to be missed. Finally, a meditation of Chick-fil-A courtesy of Ricochet member Olive and her post The Roaring Success of Chick-fil-A in New York City.

Music from this week’s episode:

Dear God by XTC

The opening sequence for the Ricochet Podcast was composed and produced by James Lileks.

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Hosts:
Charles C. W. CookeJames LileksSteve Hayward
Guests:
Dinesh D’SouzaGKGary Kasparov

Discussion (8)

  • Arlington Jim@ArlingtonJim
    Interesting to consider D'Souza's observations on the criminals he met and Kasparov' observations on Putin in combination with Kotkin's observations on Stalin in his book (and in the video interview on Uncommon Knowlegde by Peter) and Saul Alinsky's Rules for Radicals. Kotkin was surprised to discover Stalin really believed he was building a better society and not the cynical thug the West took him to be, though every bit as cold and brutal. Putin is the guy we thought Stalin was - pure power and control with no grand philosophy; using "higher goals" just to manipulate. D'Souza was exposed to the "small fry" who got caught while the power players remain untouched. But Saul Alinsky's rules were developed based on his study of Al Capone and how the mob infiltrated and took control of organizations, setting up "fall guys", claiming to be there to help when actually undermining the natural leaders and seizing control but obscuring who was really in control. Not that different from the high-minded ideals shrouding efforts designed entirely to centralize control and funds. This explains why the willingness to ignore contrary evidence and facts. It is not a battle of ideas. It is whatever gains traction to gain more control. It is, quite literally, a criminal mindset.
  • Don Tillman@DonTillman

    I think the Daily News headline is a reference to what the Dalai Lama said in a recent interview:

    "We cannot solve this problem only through prayers. I am a Buddhist and I believe in praying. But humans have created this problem, and now we are asking God to solve it. It is illogical. God would say, solve it yourself because you created it in the first place."

    (Then again, the Dalai Lama also identifies as a Marxist...)

  • Henry Castaigne@HenryCastaigne
    ReplyingtoArlington Jim

    Arlington Jim (View Comment):

    Kotkin was surprised to discover Stalin really believed he was building a better society and not the cynical thug the West took him to be, though every bit as cold and brutal. Putin is the guy we thought Stalin was – pure power and control with no grand philosophy; using “higher goals” just to manipulate.

    That's a fine point. I've been rethinking about Stalin since I listened to Kotkin's podcast. What if every horrible dictator believes their own hype? Thatwould means that Putin believes his own hype. He genuinely believes invading Ukraine is a decent and just thing.

    In the West we view that aggression as naked self-interest. And it is, but the main point is the self-justification.

  • Peter Fumo@Wolverine

    I grew up in NY in the 1960's and 70's. Back then the NY Post was a very liberal paper and the NY Daily News was the conservative NY paper. They also screwed Gerald Ford by printing on front page "Ford to NY:Drop Dead", which might have cost him election as race in NY between him and Carter was surprisingly close. They had nerve to endorse Ford after that headline.

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