Podcast appearances and mentions of Kevin D Williamson

Kevin D. Williamson of The Dispatch muses about the voters' culpability for Trump, socialism, and the "Abundance" agenda. They explore the cultural and economic decline of American civic virtue, the bipartisan slide into demagoguery, and Williamson's disdain for both Trumpism and technocratic central planning.  Support American family farms and join the Moink Movement today at Moinkbox.com/MONA and get FREE wings FOR LIFE. This show is brought to you by BetterHelp, get 10% off your first month at BetterHelp.com/MONA

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Mike Masnick, founder and editor of Techdirt. They discuss the evolving challenges of content moderation, the day-to-day realities of running an independent tech publication, and how the internet has changed over time from its early decentralized roots to a more complex and structured environment.

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Miranda Rinaldi, owner and head baker of Nino's Bakery in Washington, D.C., and a former Foreign Service Officer who served in Afghanistan and Milan. They discuss Miranda's journey from diplomacy to pastries, her training in Italy and Chicago, and how her dachshund Nino inspired the beloved neighborhood bakery, renowned for its buttery, hand-laminated croissants.

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by David Rea, Senior Pastor at Providence Presbyterian Church in Dallas, Texas. They discuss David's day-to-day workload of running a church, the theology of work, and the nuances of shepherding a congregation in a hyper-political world. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Marian L. Tupy, the founder and editor of Human​Progress​.org, and a senior fellow at the Cato Institute's Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity. They discuss Marian's life behind the Iron Curtain, minimum wage jobs, and humanity's skyrocketing standard of living.YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/_iUr9hQZtbk

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Jessica Melugin, director of the Center for Technology & Innovation at the Competitive Enterprise Institute. They discuss training horses, nostalgia for America's "golden age", and academia's disconnect from everyday Americans. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Magatte Wade, Senegalese entrepreneur and one of the world's leading African prosperity activists. The two discuss her superhero origin story, the regulatory environment in Africa, and how contemporary narratives on African poverty are rooted in false assumptions.

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Fr. Dominic Legge, Director of the Thomistic Institute and Associate Professor in Systematic Theology at the Pontifical Faculty of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. The two discuss Fr. Dominic's professional and spiritual journey from Yale Law School to the Thomistic Institute.

Earlier this week, Jonah took a visit to a sacred temple in India, where he engaged in several hours of deep meditation that eventually resulted in his ascension to nirvana. Those who have reached the highest plane of enlightenment tend to reject earthly concerns like podcasts, so the helm of The Remnant has been passed to a former theater critic operating under the alias of Kevin D. Williamson. Kevin is joined by Frank Bruni of the New York Times, primarily to discuss The Exorcist, which happens to have a lot of crossover with the current state of American politics. The two dig in to the absence of gratitude and obsession with grievances plaguing political discourse, the roots of mounting resentment between economic classes, and the woes of commercial air travel. Show Notes —Frank's latest book, The Age of Grievance —Kevin CLEARs things up —Kevin's case against empathy The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including Jonah's G-File newsletter, weekly livestreams, and other members-only content—click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

October 30, 2024 - Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Charles C.W. Cooke, Senior Editor at National Review. The two discuss their experiences working in the fast food industry, how Charles climbed the ranks at National Review, and his rapid integration into American culture.

September 25, 2024 - Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Chris Stirewalt, Senior Fellow at AEI, contributing editor and weekly columnist for The Dispatch, and the host of The Hill Sunday with Chris Stirewalt on NewsNation.The two discuss the dynamics of political media, and how shifting political dynamics over the last several decades have reflected themselves into the world of political commentary.Learn more about CEI:Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/competitiveenterpriseinstituteTwitter - https://twitter.com/ceidotorgWebsite - https://cei.org

Kevin D. Williamson, The Dispatch correspondent, recently wrote an article slamming Donald Trump, JD Vance, and those who follow them for continuing the Haitian cat-eating lie in Springfield, Ohio. Subscribe to our Newsletter: https://politicsdoneright.com/newsletter Purchase our Books: As I See It: https://amzn.to/3XpvW5o How To Make America Utopia: https://amzn.to/3VKVFnG It's Worth It: https://amzn.to/3VFByXP Lose Weight And Be Fit Now: https://amzn.to/3xiQK3K Tribulations of an Afro-Latino Caribbean man: https://amzn.to/4c09rbE

On today's episode, Jonah is joined by Dispatchheavy-hitter Kevin D. Williamson to discuss his latest piece, “The Exotic Cat-Eaters of Springfield, Ohio.” Unlike many of those sharing unsubstantiated rumors of Haitian migrants eating pets, Kevin actually took a trip to Springfield and spoke with members of the community. This is not a tale of dystopian fur-baby slaughter, but instead a reckoning on the character of J.D. Vance, whom Kevin believes has scapegoated impoverished, hard-working people for his own political purposes. Jonah considers the legitimacy of Kevin's claim that Vance is the “most despicable human being in public life,” why so many people are chasing the lie of the pet-hungry immigrants, and the plague of cleverness that is damaging the right. As a treat, if you make it all the way to the end, you'll catch Jonah and Kevin circumvent the question of the hour: Who are they voting for? Show Notes: —“The Exotic Cat-Eaters of Springfield, Ohio” —Move on, guys —Jonah on lying for justice —Kevin on the church of climate change The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including Jonah's G-File newsletter, weekly livestreams, and other members-only content—click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

August 28, 2024 - Kevin D. Williamson is joined by John Guaspari, an author and management consultant to discuss the practical day-to-day work of a management consultant and Guaspari's views on leadership in the workplace.

July 31, 2024 - Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Joshua Bresnahan, an Airport Ramp Agent who's worked at various airports along the East Coast. Kevin and Joshua discuss how Airports operate behind the scenes, and how the uniquely challenging nature of tarmac operations goes unappreciated. 

Michael Smerconish sits down with Kevin D. Williamson, a National Correspondent for The Dispatch, in a conversation about J.D. Vance, his political stances, and his background prior to Donald Trump's running mate announcement. Callers also share their thoughts on the upcoming Presidential Election. Original air date 22 July 2024.

Today Hoppy is joined by Carol Miller, Jon Decker, Matt Herridge, Kevin D. Williamson, Roger Hanshaw, Emily Morrow, Charlie Piccirillo, and Emily Calandrelli.

We have never been more polarized. Echo chambers promote information that confirms people's preconceived notions, regardless of whether the facts presented are true. Which is why journalists are so important to a functioning democracy: we need them to cut through rampant misinformation and deliver fact-based reporting.   But do you need journalism schools to do that? Some writers consider j-schools a waste of time: they argue that four years of expensive education would be better used learning on the job, or gaining expertise in a particular subject that you could then report on with some authority.  Others argue the opposite: They say shrinking revenue makes resource-starved media outlets poorly equipped to mentor young journalists the way they used to. If you want a new generation of reporters whose work is rigorous, professional, and trusted by the public, journalism schools are essential.  Arguing in favour of the resolution is Kevin D. Williamson, national correspondent at The Dispatch. Arguing against the resolution is Christina Bellantoni, Professor of Professional Practice of Journalism at the USC Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism.   The host of the Munk Debates is Rudyard Griffiths  Tweet your comments about this episode to @munkdebate or comment on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/munkdebates/ To sign up for a weekly email reminder for this podcast, send an email to podcast@munkdebates.com.   To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, newsletter and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Producer: Daniel Kitts Editor: Kieran Lynch

Jonah abdicates his duties and conscripts Dispatch national correspondent Kevin D. Williamson to pick up the slack. Kevin is joined by Kent Lassman, the president and CEO of the Competitive Enterprise Institute, to discuss Adam Smith, free trade, and the recent SCOTUS verdict on Moore v. U.S. Kevin and Lassman shoulder the Sisyphean burden of decoding tax law, discuss the miracle of American innovation, and debate the hot question of punditlandia: Who should make law? Show Notes: -Follow Kevin's work at The Dispatch -Kent's CEI Page The Remnant is a production of The Dispatch, a digital media company covering politics, policy, and culture from a non-partisan, conservative perspective. To access all of The Dispatch's offerings—including Jonah's G-File newsletter, weekly livestreams, and other members-only content—click here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Jill Erber, a notable restaurateur who's based in Northern Virginia and renowned for her expertise in cheese. Kevin and Jill discuss her journey from software development to the world of high-end foodservice, and the lessons she's learned along the way.

This episode of On Culture starts from the most recent written piece from The Embassy - Why So Serious? Here is an excerpt …As I was in the process of collecting my thoughts for this essay, I noticed a number of pieces that are noticing the same trend. In the wake of the 2016 election, there were a number of attempts to explain the Angry Right. Strangers in Their Own Land was a National Book Award finalist in 2018 and explored this phenomenon - the righteous anger of the victim and the deadly struggle to right the wrong. We see, of course, much the same thing on the left. Ross Douthat recently asked Can the Left Be Happy? - an example of a column that doesn't really match the title. Douthat is noticing what I am noticing (I swear I started to write this before I read his piece. More on this in a bit) - that many on the left, mirroring those on the right but for slightly different reasons, don't think happiness is what we should be feeling right now.The smartphone theory of increasing youth unhappiness has been especially in the news this past week, thanks to Jonathan Haidt's new book, “The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness.” And it's been striking how certain critiques of Haidt's theory from the left seem to object to the idea that youth unhappiness could be anything but rational and natural.Ross Douthat - The New York Times - April 6, 2024Unhappiness is rational, natural, and … right. Again, why are you laughing at x when y is happening in the world?Kevin D. Williamson, just last week, wrote in The Dispatch a better (though longer) version of what I am trying to write here. His piece is called Humor is a Cool Medium. In it, Williamson observes,Humor requires emotional distance rather than emotional urgency, dispassionate observation rather than cheerleading and sermonizing, cool wit rather than scalding rage … When humor is instrumentalized for political purposes—when it stops being art and is degraded to the state of rhetoric—it is used for one thing only: lowering the relative status of disfavored groups.Kevin D. Williamson - The Dispatch - May 24, 2024Humor being instrumentalized for political purposes describes much of late night comedy. It stops being art because it isn't trying to be. It is used to lower the relative status of disfavored groups. One more bullet in the culture war.As I mentioned, if you look at the links below, you will notice that a number of people sensed the appropriateness of this sort of question at about the same time I did. What does that mean? I don't know - but it may be a hopeful trend.In the Wisdom book of Ecclesiastes, wrestling with the meaning of life in a world that was by every circumstantial measure (child mortality, disease, war, starvation …) much more difficult that here and now, we read -There is a time for everything,and a season for every activity under the heavens:a time to be born and a time to die,a time to plant and a time to uproot,a time to kill and a time to heal,a time to tear down and a time to build,a time to weep and a time to laugh,a time to mourn and a time to dance,a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,a time to search and a time to give up,a time to keep and a time to throw away,a time to tear and a time to mend,a time to be silent and a time to speak,a time to love and a time to hate,a time for war and a time for peace.Ecclesiastes 3:1-8There is a time to weep and to mourn and to tear. There is. We should recognize that. But there is a time to dance and embrace and laugh. The person who always laughs and the one who never does has lost perspective, has cut themselves off from at least part of reality. There is wrong in this world. Humor can help highlight it in a unique way. Laughter is good. Perpetual anger isn't a virtue. And the world has been measurably worse in almost every measurable way in almost every other time and place than here and now. It is ok to recognize and mourn and even work against what is wrong and unjust in this world. But we should not draw any moral status by the depth of our indignation. … Read the whole piece here. Get full access to The Embassy at theembassy.substack.com/subscribe

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Nick Gillespie, Author, and Editor at Large at Reason. The two discuss what motivated and inspired their professional paths. From odd jobs like working in a pantyliner factory to understanding what guided Gillespie's professional ambitions onward, Kevin has a tell all discussion with Nick on all things labor and employment. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by David Bahnsen, Author, Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Investment Officer at the Bahnsen Group.  Kevin and David discuss his book, Full Time: Work and the Meaning of Life, unemployment, work as therapy, and philosophical viewpoints of the world in correlation to work.  

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Kent Lassman, President of Competitive Enterprise Institute.  Kevin and Kent discuss the Kent's life journey to becoming the President of a national libertarian think tank in Washington, D.C and the professional strides he had to take to achieve it. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Sally Satel, American Enterprise Institute Senior Fellow of mental health policy, domestic drug policy, political trends in medicine, transplant policy, and a practicing psychiatrist and lecturer at the Yale University School of Medicine.  Kevin and Sally discuss the ambition behind working as a career medical professional, diversion program policies, addictive behaviors, and organ transplants. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Jonah Goldberg, current Editor-in-Chief at The Dispatch, Columnist at the Los Angeles Times,  American Enterprise Institute Fellow, and host of Remnant Podcast.  The two discuss Jonah's professional life path that got him to where he is today. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Mark Mix, President of the National Right to Work Committee and National Right to Work Foundation. Mark shares his work experience from the days when he was a young staff member at a local paper to the organization that he serves with now.

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by Klon Kitchen, Nonresident Senior Fellow at American Enterprise Institute. Klon's research areas include national security and defense technology, defense innovation, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, quantum sciences, and robotics. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by  author, political analyst, and social activist, George Weigel to discuss his job as an author of more than 30 books, and his career in public policy. 

Kevin D. Williamson is joined by author, economist and professor of economics at George Mason University, Bryan Caplan to discuss what it's like working as a university professor, college admission standards, and ideas for improving the labor market. Youtube: cei.org/podcasts

Kevin D. Williamson sits down with Mercatus Center Senior Research Fellow Veronique De Rugy to discuss the work she does, jobs she's had, and policy ideas for helping workers and employers get the most out of the work they do.  Watch the full interview here.

Issue upon issue: climate; “Barbenheimer”; political labels; conspiracy theories; transgenderism; Ukraine; books . . . Like many other people, Kevin D. Williamson and Jay are thinking about these issues, and jaw about them. A candid and probing discussion.

Issue upon issue: climate; “Barbenheimer”; political labels; conspiracy theories; transgenderism; Ukraine; books . . . Like many other people, Kevin D. Williamson and Jay are thinking about these issues, and jaw about them. A candid and probing discussion.

In recent days, Kevin D. Williamson and Jay Nordlinger—among others—have been writing about our old friends, our old enemies, the federal budget deficit and the federal debt. (KDW, here; JN, here.) Something's gotta give, right? We Americans have to act at some point, right? Jay and Kevin jaw it out. 

In recent days, Kevin D. Williamson and Jay Nordlinger—among others—have been writing about our old friends, our old enemies, the federal budget deficit and the federal debt. (KDW, here; JN, here.) Something's gotta give, right? We Americans have to act at some point, right? Jay and Kevin jaw it out. Source

In recent days, Kevin D. Williamson and Jay Nordlinger—among others—have been writing about our old friends, our old enemies, the federal budget deficit and the federal debt. (KDW, here; JN, here.) Something’s gotta give, right? We Americans have to act at some point, right? Jay and Kevin jaw it out. Source

In the 1990s, there was a documentary called “Arguing the World,” about Daniel Bell, Irving Kristol, et al. In this episode of “Q&A,” Kevin D. Williamson and Jay talk the world, or at least a bit of it: Kanye, swastikas, abortion, the media, elitism, anti-elitism, etc. At the end, they talk about books and thinkers—and […]

In the 1990s, there was a documentary called “Arguing the World,” about Daniel Bell, Irving Kristol, et al. In this episode of “Q&A,” Kevin D. Williamson and Jay talk the world, or at least a bit of it: Kanye, swastikas, abortion, the media, elitism, anti-elitism, etc. At the end, they talk about books and thinkers—and stars to be struck by. Source

In the 1990s, there was a documentary called “Arguing the World,” about Daniel Bell, Irving Kristol, et al. In this episode of “Q&A,” Kevin D. Williamson and Jay talk the world, or at least a bit of it: Kanye, swastikas, abortion, the media, elitism, anti-elitism, etc. At the end, they talk about books and thinkers—and stars to be struck by. Source

Donald Trump is running for president — again. Yet the results of last week's midterms and the red wave that wasn't signaled that perhaps Trump's hold on the Republican Party isn't so strong after all. But now that he's back on the presidential stage, what does it mean for the future of the Republican Party? Today on “The Argument,” Jane Coaston convenes two conservative writers to provide an analysis of the party now. Ross Douthat is a columnist for Times Opinion and Kevin D. Williamson is a national correspondent for The Dispatch. Together they discuss the G.O.P.'s post-midterm vibes, how a Trump vs. DeSantis battle could play out and what the conservative movement really stands for.Note: This episode contains explicit language.Read more from this episode:Kevin D. Williamson's guest essay, “Why Trump Could Win Again”Ross Douthat's newsletter for New York Times Opinion and his column “Did Ron DeSantis Just Become the 2024 Republican Frontrunner?”Sohrab Ahmari's guest essay, “Why the Red Wave Didn't Materialize”(A full transcript of the episode will be available midday on the Times website.)

Maybe it was a factor of exhaustion with everything going on – trying to orchestrate my mother's rescue from Florida, plus navigating a forthcoming job change – but I have not recorded but one podcast episode since last Wednesday when I found out my mother was in the midst of Hurricane Ian. However, I have just listened to five audiobooks over this past weekend. And now that I am feeling a bit more rested and settled, with my brother on his way to Florida even now to get our mother and bring her back here to Colorado while things get settled with cleanup and insurance, et cetera, I would like to get back into podcasting. And, yes, I did listen to five audiobooks over the weekend. This was good to get my mind off other things, but not tiring to hear so much as I was feeling tired from speaking for a bit. So what did I listen to, and what did I make of what I heard? Let me tell you all about it. First, I listened to 'The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity' by Carlo M. Cipolla. I found his work here, published in 1988, to be mean, unfunny, and condescending, though I was lead to believe on the front-end that it was supposed to be humorous. It reminded me too much of ‘Nudge' and ‘The Undoing Project,' and I suppose it could be seen as a cousin to those works. This is a short book, but that's hardly as much a redeeming quality as a mercy. I did not like it, and it got on my nerves. The fact that there are so many stupid people is too obvious. How we talk about this fact, and relate to it – that is my concern. Second, I took in 'Beauty: A Very Short Introduction' by Roger Scruton. Published in 2009, this work by Scruton – esteemed British conservative political philosopher is indeed philosophical, and much more contemporary. Scruton references Burke's earlier work, of course, which I have also read and reviewed, and admittedly liked better, as much or more because of it being older. But this treatment by Scruton is high-minded, very British, and intellectual, as well as more academic in a way that is less forgivable for having been written in 2009 instead of 1757. Next was 'The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics' by Kevin D. Williamson. This work reminded me of Tom Wolfe in Radical Chic and Mau-mauing the Flak-Catchers, but it was not as pleasant a work as either of those. But Williamson is not as good a writer as Wolfe by a long shot. One of the most annoying features of this book, published in 2019, was the constant pandering potshots at Trump and his supporters. The final word on him to my way of thinking is that he reminds me too much of the atheist kid in high school trying to mock and argue everyone into renouncing Christianity. After that was 'Science and Technology,' a collection of interviews with Neil Postman, Jane Metcalfe, Howard Rheingold, Mark Slouka, Andrew Kimbrell, Doug Groothius, Dean Kenyon, Philip Johnson, and Michael Behe. If I have two criticisms of this collection of interviews, it is that they are too short and more thinking out loud to frame the problem than prescribing what we can do about any of it. This is more a chronicle than a tonic, perhaps. Last, but certainly not least, I read 'A Journey to the Western Islands of Scotland,' by Samuel Johnson and James Boswell. And when I say this was not least, what I really mean is that this was my favorite by a good bit of the five books I read this weekend. Written first-hand by both men, then compiled together after their traveling in 1773, this was a charming and elegantly phrased collection of character sketches of the people and places and country. Johnson comments on the migration of Scots to America, for instance. And I know the Acts of Union, plus other related contentions, drove a lot of Scots to emigrate to America. This having been true of my MacFarlane ancestors on my maternal grandmother's side, he has my undivided attention. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/garrett-ashley-mullet/support

Nicholas Eberstadt, AEI's Henry Wendt Chair in Political Economy, makes an overdue Remnant return to discuss his new book, Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition, an expanded version of his 2016 release which examined the collapse of work for men in modern America. Why are increasingly large numbers of men abandoning the workforce? Is something similar going on with women? And what will be the social, cultural, and economic effects of this trend? Tune in to hear these questions answered, and to hear some reflections on why work is valuable in the first place.Show Notes:- Dr. Eberstadt's page at AEI- Men Without Work: Post-Pandemic Edition- Dr. Eberstadt: “What's Behind the Flight from Work in Post-Pandemic America”- The Remnant with Michael Strain- Charles Murray's Coming Apart- The Remnant with Marian Tupy- Keynes: “Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren”- China, unquarantined- Allahpundit, unmasked- Dispatch Live introduces Kevin D. Williamson

She needs no introduction — but in magazine history, Tina Brown is rightly deemed a legend, reviving Tatler, Vanity Fair and The New Yorker, before turning to the web and The Daily Beast (where I worked for her). Her new book is The Palace Papers. We talked journalism, life and royals.You can listen to the episode right away in the audio player embedded above, or right below it you can click “Listen in podcast app,” which will connect you to the Dishcast feed. For two clips of our convo — on Meghan Markle’s epic narcissism, and why women make the best monarchs — head over to our YouTube page. Having Tina on the pod was the perfect excuse to transcribe our popular episode with Michael Moynihan, who used to work for Tina at The Daily Beast — which also hosted the Dish for a few years. So we’re all old friends. From the Moynihan chat:Andrew: I was talking to Tina Brown about this not that long ago, with the great days of the big magazines in the '80s and '90s. Really, when you look back on that time, it was an incredible festival of decadence and clearly over the top before the fall.Michael: I love Tina. I did a thing — you can look this up — an interview with her, when her Vanity Fair Diaries came out, for The Fifth Column. Just Tina and I sat down and talked for an hour and a half, and it was one of the best things I think we’ve recorded, and got one of the best responses. Because people miss those stories.Perhaps Bill Kristol should check out the clip with Moynihan on how to change your mind on stuff you get wrong:A listener looks back to last week’s episode:Wonderful interview with Douglas Murray, with the two of you riffing off each other with brilliant dialogue. Very warm and affirming as well. I particularly enjoyed your discussion of the religious dimension as one aspect of our present dilemma. I know you would want to provide variety for the Dishcast, but please consider having him on again.Another fan:This was the most memorable episode in a long time (although they are all great). Of course, your dialogue was choir-preaching, and so I need to be careful in avoiding confirmation bias. That said, I found Murray’s elegant way of encapsulating the obvious — which I fail to express myself — truly invigorating. I rewound and listened to many parts several times over. I ordered his book today.Another listener dissents:I find the armchair psychoanalysis regarding ressentiment — as the organizing principle of what is happening in our culture today — to be one of the least compelling arguments made in the episode. Why not go ahead and attribute our perpetual unwillingness in the West to recognize what is great about it to Christianity’s concept of original sin? Or maybe read psychoanalytic literature on why an individual or group of people who are objectively improving might hold onto beliefs of the self or society as rotten? These seem just as likely as Nietzsche’s argument. Ultimately, what a person speculates to be the primary motivator of another person or group reveals a lot. Your speculation that it’s mostly ressentiment suggests you want or need to demonize the CRT crowd. This is tragic given that this is precisely what you and Douglas accuse the CRT crowd of doing. Another listener differs:I don’t agree with everything you and Douglas Murray write, but thank you for talking about the resentment and bitterness that’s driving politics and culture today. It’s gone completely insane. I used to work for a small talent agency, and during the pandemic I coached some actors over Zoom. During the George Floyd protests, one of my clients was up watching the news all night, not getting any sleep. I told her, look, you want to be informed and want to help. But you have to take care of yourself first or you’re no help to anyone. Go to bed and catch up on the news tomorrow. People criticized me for this kind of advice, saying I was privileged, that I just wanted to look away and not examine myself for my own inherent racism, etc. I couldn’t understand why people were being so unreasonable.I’m also a Mormon. After George Floyd was murdered, our ward started to discuss racism. Mormonism has a checkered past when it comes to things like Black men and the priesthood. Or even language in some of the scriptures. These are important conversations that our church needs to have. There were good things that happened, like Black people in the ward shared more about their experiences during meetings. But almost immediately it became weird. The women’s group did a lesson on Robin DiAngelo’s “White Fragility,” for example. We didn’t actually ever talk about the things I was hoping we’d talk about — how Brigham Young stopped Black men receiving the priesthood, for example. We were just told we all needed to acknowledge our white privilege and feel guilty about it. There was a part about redlining. There was no acknowledgment that some of the white people in this ward lived in low-income housing, basically had nothing, and had been stressed even further by the pandemic. It just felt unnecessarily divisive. I have no idea what the Asian members made of this talk, because it basically excluded them. There were so many holes in these theories, but I wasn’t brave enough to point them out.So it was a real relief to hear you and Murray talk about the way these ideas have infiltrated churches. The Mormon thing is typically like, “God wants you to be happy. Live this structured life, show compassion, work hard, love your family, and be happy.” But the DiAngelo ideas felt like, “you can’t even be saved, at least not if you’re white. Some people don’t deserve to be happy; they should only feel guilt.” It was easier to bring in a fad book and talk about property values than to talk about the awful passage in the Book of Mormon where it says dark-skinned people are cursed, but other people are “white and delightsome.” I felt like the second the door opened to have a serious conversation about the church and race, they immediately jumped the shark instead.From a fan of opera and ballet:Douglas Murray mentioned Jessye Norman and how her obituary was racialized. Well, in January of 1961, Leontyne Price made her Metropolitan Opera debut, and she and Franco Correlli received an ovation that was around 50 minutes long ... possibly the longest in Met history, or among two or three longest. There have been so many great black singers at the Met, such as Shirley Verrett, Kathleen Battle (who was loved by James Levine but whose voice I never liked), Eric Owens, Grace Bumbry, and many others. Here’s a snip of Price’s Met debut:Balanchine choreographed Agon (music by Stravinsky), arguably his greatest dance, for Diana Adams (white) and Arthur Mitchell (black) in 1957. They danced the pas de deux, which is an erotic tangle of bodies. Balanchine wanted the black/white tension. Here is a bit of it:And to my beloved Jessye Norman, whom I saw only once, here she is at her best:Another listener rolls out some poetry:I greatly enjoyed your conversation with Douglas Murray. He is fierce! Your mention of Clive James’s “The Book of My Enemy Has Been Remaindered” reminded me of a similarly minded poem from Nina Puro. (I suspect one of them inspired the other.) I LONG TO HOLD THE POETRY EDITOR’S PENIS IN MY HANDand tell him personally,I’m sorry, but I’m goingto have to pass on this.Though your pieceheld my attention throughthe first few screenings,I don’t feel it is a good fitfor me at this time. Please know it receivedmy careful consideration.I thank you for allowingme to have a look,and I wish youthe very best of luckplacing it elsewhere.Shifting away from the Murray episode, here’s a followup from a intrepid Dishhead:I was excited to see my letter published on the violent toll homelessness takes on communities recently. I’ll be listening to the podcast with Maia Szalavitz soon, and I’ve got Johann’s book on harm reduction to read as well. (I loved the episode with Johann, bought his new book, loved it, and stopped being so online for about a week before backsliding ...)Shortly after I wrote that last letter to you, I realized that I wasn’t satisfied with just writing indignant letters about the bloody cost of complacency on homelessness. It’s really the story of Ahn Taylor — a sweet 94-year-old lady stabbed by a homeless man as she was walking in her neighborhood — that made me understand that complaining is not enough.So I’ve started a non-profit, Unsafe Streets, to take on this challenge. It’s sort of a “Take Back the Night”-style public safety crusade. It’s early days still, but we have a website, including pages for NYC and San Francisco, a Twitter feed, and a crowdfunding campaign. Next on my agenda is to create a page for Los Angeles, a detailed policy platform, and then to recruit a board and apply for 501c3 status.I’ve been keeping up with the Dish when I can (LOVING the conversation with Jonathan Haidt, and I HIGHLY recommend this complementary Rogan episode.) I’ve been busy with the kids and trying to get Unsafe Streets going in my free minutes.She follows up:I just listened to Maia’s episode, and I am pretty unsatisfied with her proposed solutions. Non-coercive acceptance and decriminalization is fine for people who are using drugs they bought with their own money in the privacy of their home. But public drug use, public intoxication, and the associated “quality of life” crimes (public defecation, indecency, etc.) make public spaces unsafe and uncomfortable for everyone else. Laws against these crimes should be enforced, which means arresting people and taking them to jail or some kind of treatment. Injecting fentanyl and passing out on the sidewalk is a very antisocial and harmful behavior, and should not be “decriminalized.”I agree with Maia that this is a complicated mix of addiction and severe mental illness. But I don’t think the cost of housing argument holds up. (A brief scan of the news will show you that there in fact ARE homeless encampments in West Virginia.) I think she was unfair in her characterization of Michael Shellenberger’s proposal, which includes tons of resources to expand access to and quality of treatment. Overall, Maia’s perspective is very focused on the benefit to the addict, but discounts the costs to the surrounding community. Thanks for keeping a focus on this subject!Another listener looks to a potential future guest:Hello! You invite your readers to submit guest ideas here. I submit Kevin D. Williamson — another nuanced “conservative,” Roman Catholic, Never Trumper, and admirer of Oakeshott. Oh, and he was fired after five minutes at The Atlantic for a previous statement about abortion.Thanks for the suggestion. Lastly, because we ran out of room this week in the main Dish for the new VFYW contest photo (otherwise the email version would get cut short), here ya go:Where do you think it’s located? Email your guess to contest@andrewsullivan.com. Please put the location — city and/or state first, then country — in subject line. Proximity counts if no one gets the exact spot. Bonus points for fun facts and stories. The winner gets the choice of a VFYW book or two annual Dish subscriptions. If you are not a subscriber, please indicate that status in your entry and we will give you a free month subscription if we select your entry for the contest results (example here if you’re new to the contest). Happy sleuthing! Get full access to The Weekly Dish at andrewsullivan.substack.com/subscribe

Jay's guest is Kevin D. Williamson, his friend and National Review colleague. They talk about things on their mind – including crime, inflation, Cuba, Reaganism, “post-liberalism,” abortion, the National Security Agency, Richard Branson, and Johann Sebastian Bach. A rich and stimulating conversation. See what you think. Source

Jay talks once more with one of his favorite writers and people — Kevin D. Williamson, whose new book is “ Big White Ghetto: Dead Broke, Stone-Cold Stupid, and High on Rage in the Dank Woolly Wilds of the ‘Real America.'” Among the topics: poverty, drugs, gambling, porn, and despair. But don't worry: The conversation is much more pleasurable than it sounds. Source

Ron and Ed welcome fellow with National Review Institute and National Review's roving correspondent, Kevin writes “The Tuesday,” a weekly newsletter. His latest book, Big White Ghetto: Stone Broke, Stone-Cold Stupid, and High on Rage in the Dank Wooly Wilds of the ‘Real America,' was published in October.

Ron and Ed welcome fellow with National Review Institute and National Review's roving correspondent, Kevin writes “The Tuesday,” a weekly newsletter. His latest book, Big White Ghetto: Stone Broke, Stone-Cold Stupid, and High on Rage in the Dank Wooly Wilds of the ‘Real America,' was published in October.

Jon welcomes the brilliant Kevin D. Williamson to discuss his latest book, The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics. He’s a roving correspondent for National Review who’s written for many other publications, including The Atlantic for a brief time. We chat about the toxic nature of social media and the intoxicating nature of outrage. The intro/outro song of the week... Source

Jon welcomes the brilliant Kevin D. Williamson to discuss his latest book, The Smallest Minority: Independent Thinking in the Age of Mob Politics. He's a roving correspondent for National Review who's written for many other publications, including The Atlantic for a brief time. We chat about the toxic nature of social media and the intoxicating nature of outrage. The intro/outro song of the week... Source

Robert Mueller fiasco its Capitol Hill. Ilhan Omar fears the white man. Buck interviews Kevin D. Williamson. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comFollow Clay & Buck on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/clayandbuckSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.