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  3. Where’s My Flying Car?
April 3, 2020
April 3, 2020Ricochet

Where’s My Flying Car?

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This week on The Big Show, we attempt to return to some sense of normalcy (while of course maintaining social distancing by at least 1,000 miles). Yes, we talk about that thing we're all doing and what our new lives are like now. But then, we shift gears to visit with our good friend Ross Douthat, NYT columnist and podcaster (The Argument, which Ross co-hosts is one of our favorites) on the occasion of his new book., The Decadent Society. It's a meditation on what happens when a rich and powerful society stops advancing and how the combination of wealth, technology, economic stagnation, political stalemates, and demographic decline (among other things) creates a "sustainable decadence" that could stick around for a long time. Needless to say, it's a provocative conversation that we'd like to get your take on in the comments. Finally, we do round of What Are You Watching, and do a deep dive on toilet paper, courtesy of the Lileks Post of The Week.

Music from this week's show: I.G.Y by Donald Fagen

Hosts:
•James Lileks•Peter Robinson•Rob Long
Guest:
•Ross Douthat

Discussion (163)

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    Gary McVey@GaryMcVey·6y

    Between Fred MacMurray in "The Absent-Minded Professor" and Bob Gale writing "Back to the Future", I'd say Hollywood conservatives are expert at small town science fiction comedies with flying cars in them.

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    kedavis@kedavis·6y

    Oh, no; "A Meditation?"

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    kedavis@kedavis·6y

    Sorry James, I think this is #490.

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    kedavis@kedavis·6y

    Peter isn't talking about his own children this time, but it still sounds like "Yes, we should do everything possible to control this awful disease, as long as it doesn't cost any money."

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    kedavis@kedavis·6y

    Regarding the problem of declining population, this interview with Mark Steyn, from 2006!, still covers it better than anything I've heard elsewhere.

    https://www.adrive.com/public/DS9Nut/NARN%2012-02-06%20NARN%201%20Hour%202%20Mark%20Steyn.mp3

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