Left, Right, and Unwonted

To what degree do judicial decisions contribute to the acceptance of unpopular political decisions? Do court decisions have a greater power to legitimize than the decisions of other political institutions? Are courts perceived as more procedurally fair than other political institutions? Do perceptions of procedural fairness-be it in a court or legislative institution-contribute to the efficacy of institutional decisions? These are the questions James Gibson seeks to answer in Understandings of Justice through the use of surveys. We discuss his findings and conclusions.

We conclude our discussion of Guy Debord's work The Society of the Spectacle with the second half of chapter two.

We continue our discussion of Guy Debord's work The Society of the Spectacle with the first part of chapter two.

We discuss the second part of chapter one of Guy Debord's work The Society of the Spectacle and address several questions raised by the writing. What does the spectacle have to do with the consumption of meat? Are cars freeing or isolating? What has happened to clubs? 

We discuss the first part of chapter one of Guy Debord's work The Society of the Spectacle. What is the spectacle, and what is its relation to modern life? What is the difference between being, having, and appearing? Has Lauren seen Loki? Can Luke read his own notes? Does Morgan have a real job? All of these questions are answered in this episode.

We discuss Senator Josh Hawley's 2010 article in National Affairs titled "America's Epicurean Liberalism." Hawley argues that our current society's focus on individual freedom to the exclusion of familial, social, and national obligations arises from the 1912 presidential campaigns of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

We discuss John Hasnas's article that argues our popular conception of the United States as a nation of laws and not of men is a myth. Like all myths, it exists for a purpose - to protect the current power structure. Unlike the Critical Legal Studies movement, which seeks to change who wields the power of law, Hasnas advocates for the abolition of the state monopoly of the legal system.

We conclude our miniseries on the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission Report by discussing the final three sections of the 1776 Report. Lauren explains why President Trump was her favorite in recent memory, Morgan discusses her reverence for the law, and Luke describes why affirmative action is exactly the same as interning the Japanese during WW2.

We begin our analysis of the 1776 Commission Report by discussing the first three sections. First, Luke gives a "brief" overview of the West-Coast Straussians that makes Morgan fall asleep. Then, Lauren attacks lazy picture usage, people saying the United States is falling apart, James Joyce, and the 2nd Amendment as a natural right. Luke responds with attacks on Hamilton, the Gettysburg Address, the Constitution, boomercons, and people wearing masks. Finally, Morgan attacks Luke. In conclusion, a very aggressive episode.

We close our discussion of the 1619 Project by analyzing Jamelle Bouie's article - "Undemocratic Democracy"

We discuss Kevin Kruse's contribution to the 1619 Project - "Traffic"

We discuss Jeneen Interlandi's contribution to the 1619 Project - "A Broken Health Care System"

We discuss Matthew Desmond's contribution to the 1619 Project - "Capitalism"

We discuss the 1619 Project's main article - The Idea of America by Nikole Hannah-Jones

We discuss the 1619 Project's title page and introductory paragraph. But first, Luke drinks too much caffeine and stutters through his criticism of the use of the term "enslaved person" in place of "slave."

Morgan hosts a discussion of Carole Pateman's article The Fraternal Social Contract. Pateman argues the social contract is a fraternal pact that constitutes civil society as a patriarchal or masculine order. 

The introduction to a mini-series comparing the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission Report. We discuss what makes good history, various perspectives on American historiography, and our own views of America's founding.

Luke and Lauren discuss the first chapter of Michael Huemer's book The Problem of Political Authority which argues in favor of philosophical anarchism

Lauren hosts a discussion of James Scott's article on State Simplifications: Nature, Space, and People

We briefly discuss our views on the concepts of right and left in politics, before moving on to a discussion of Quentin Skinner's essay entitled The State.