In Lieu of The Morning Dispatch …

Happy holiday wishes, and a podcast pitch.

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Happy Monday, and Happy Memorial Day. We hope it’s a restful and peaceful one, and that you’ll take time today to remember our fellow Americans who lost their lives in service of our beloved country. Your Morning Dispatchers are off today, but we have two offerings on the site this morning to mark the occasion: James Garfield’s 1868 speech at Arlington National Cemetery and Chris’s Stirewalt’s Monday column, “A Tribute to the Dead, A Reminder to the Living.”

And speaking of Chris, we’re excited to introduce the newest Dispatch production: The Hangover with Chris Stirewalt. Chris joined us from Fox News this spring as a contributing editor. He writes a weekly column on Mondays and contributes to The Sweep newsletter on Tuesdays too. 

When it became obvious there wasn’t going to be a traditional post-election autopsy of the GOP’s performance, Chris pitched the idea of doing one as a limited-run podcast. We said “Heck yes, go for it.”

Without further ado, here are the first three chapters of The Hangover with Chris Stirewalt—click on an image below to be taken to that episode’s page, then click the play arrow to listen:

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  1. Avatar photo
    cheerio

    Lord,

    Lest I continue
    My complacent way,
    Help me to remember that somewhere,
    Somehow out there
    A man died for me today.
    As long as there be war,
    I then must
    Ask and answer
    Am I worth dying for?

    Eleanor Roosevelt

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    BikerChick

    Weird that it’s not on Apple podcasts yet? I’ll listen via the email links! Thank you!

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  3. Andy

    "Happy Holiday wishes..." or "Happy Memorial Day," is analogous to saying, "have fun burying your mom or dad or child" or "enjoy remembering his or her violent death (for you benefit)."

    Today is supposed to be a day of remembrance of and reflection on the ultimate sacrifice that men and women made while serving our country. Of course, it is the start of summer in many places, but that doesn't change the purpose or the meaning. You can say, "Have a good Memorial Day," but "Happy Holiday wishes" is disrespectful and clueless.

    My guess is that the line was written by an intern and sent while the editors slept. Let's hope.

    Despite its problems--many which are self-inflicted--be glad that you live in America on this Memorial Day, and thank God and those who gave their lives so that we can be free and disrespectful or clueless (or not) every single day.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Aylene Wright

      Glad to see I wasn't the only one who cringed. Maybe I feel differently because I actually know service members? Anyway the explanation was given by another Andrew in his reply to me. You can accept it, or not.

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  4. Heidi Seward

    Stirewalt's column was great. And The Dispatch podcasts are my go-to choice for listening while doing the dishes. I hate washing dishes, but thanks to The Dispatch, I hate it a little less!

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    Citizen60

    Did I miss where to find transcripts of the podcasts?

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  6. Avatar photo
    Aylene Wright

    Thanks for the info on podcasts and also letting us know not to keep checking our inboxes for a TMD!

    Although I must admit I cringed slightly with "Happy Memorial Day". But I know it's awkward to figure out what to say about a day that is originally / officially about one thing (a solemn remembrance for those in the armed forces who made the ultimate sacrifice) and culturally about something different (the first unofficial summer weekend, though this particular one is far from summery at least on the East Coast). Although this is true for what "Happy Holidays" usually refers to as well.

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      Andrew Egger

      To be honest I've never understood this line of thought. Happiness is not a slight or superficial state of being, nor is it incompatible with solemnity!

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        Aylene Wright

        First of all, thought you had the day off, what are you doing sharing your deep thoughts in the comments?

        Second of all, must admit that I was a tad reluctant to bring this up because unfortunately "you're not taking Memorial Day seriously enough" has become yet another partisan cudgel. So once upon a time TFG was raked over the coals for Tweeting "Happy Memorial Day" , and people who were fine with that are tearing into VP Harris for her "enjoy the long weekend" Tweet.

        And I must admit that I am not even sure what *else* to say but no one says "Happy Good Friday" or "Happy Yom Kippur", do they?

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    Jean-Christophe Jouffrey

    Dear Morning Dispatchers,

    Memory goes further than 1776, and it it useful for the people of today to know what the people of yesteryear were thinking and doing, when it comes to remembrance of their dead defending their "patria", the land of their fathers.

    Here is Thucydides providing the speech of Pericles (his political opponent) at the end of the first year of the war of the Peloponnese.

    https://archive.org/details/a609583001thucuoft/page/115/mode/1up

    Book 2:34 gives the setting for the ceremony, and book 2:35-46 is the remembrance speech of Pericles, in which he also defines the "Athenian" political exception as a democracy.

    For those willing to read even more, book 2:47-54 is the description of the plague of Athens, which should be topical today.

    Then the Peloponnesians invaded Attica a second time, and the very despondent and discouraged Athenian were angry at Pericles, which led him to the following speech in book 2:60-64 https://archive.org/details/a609583001thucuoft/page/131/mode/1up

    Faced with far lesser hardship than Athens, both Republicans and Democrats, but the former above all, display much more fickleness than the Athenian, with no Pericles in sight, but instead, Trump, Gaetz, and... Biden.

    For those who can read 17th century English, here are the links to the relevant passages in the translation of Thomas Hobbes, very interesting for his use of the expression Common Wealth.

    Book 2:35 Remembrance speech of Pericles: https://archive.org/details/eightbookesofpel00thucuoft/page/100/mode/1up

    Book 2:47 plague of Athens: https://archive.org/details/eightbookesofpel00thucuoft/page/106/mode/1up

    Book 2:60 speech of Pericles: https://archive.org/details/eightbookesofpel00thucuoft/page/112/mode/1up

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      Hrodland

      Cruz will save us--just like Cleon did!

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    Angie

    Good Idea..looking forward to listening

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    David M

    Thanks for this special edition. I forgot that y'all would have the day off, enjoy.

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    Anne W (Raw5254)

    I’ve already listened to all 3 of The Hangover podcasts, and they’re very good. Of course, my husband and I subscribe to all of The Dispatch Podcasts, and highly recommend them (along with The Dispatch, of course)!

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