Deadheads, Fishfreaks, and Federalism

Just as there are different Enlightenments, there are different nationalisms, too. In both cases, it’s ...

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Just as there are different Enlightenments, there are different nationalisms, too. In both cases, it’s important to see what points they all converge on. On this edition of the Ruminant, Jonah walks through the ways in which we’ve seen this all before – even in spite of how strange this moment feels. Confucius says: “Enjoy your weekend!”

Show Notes:

–The Dispatch30-day free trial at

–The latest G-File

–Rectification of the Names

–Divided We FallDavid’s soon-to-be-out book,

–HumanProgress.org

–Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting

–Brazil’s direct democracy

–Address to the German NationFichte’s

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Comments (26)
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  1. Aahutchins

    +1 for “keep doing the solo podcasts”. After the first one or two, I’ve never thought you sound awkward. I appreciate the deeper dives or additional angles into G-File material. The overall effect, for me as a listener, is of being curled up in a great chair in front of the fireplace, adult beverage in hand, listening to a friend’s unhurried reply to a question in his area of expertise. I would miss these if you stopped doing them.

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  2. Richard Fulmer

    The rejection of bourgeois virtues – self-reliance, persistence, reliability, thrift, diligence, honesty, creativity, tolerance, civility – is, at heart, a rejection of nature and nature’s laws. In our world, living organisms need energy to survive. Human beings must consume more Calories in the form of food than they expend gathering, preparing, and digesting the food - enough more to power all of their other activities. In other words, we need to make a net energy “profit” just to stay alive.

    But before any food can be consumed, it must first be produced – whether production means simply plucking fruit from a tree or collecting and sowing seeds, tending and watering the plants, harvesting the crops, and transporting the crops to market.

    Bourgeois virtues are nothing more than time-proven strategies for dealing with nature’s laws – with the world as it is, rather than how we would like it to be.

    Rejecting "middle-class" morality isn't rebelling against Capitalism or against Judeo-Christian ethics, it's rebelling against reality.  The "Party of Science" has yet to accept the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics - that is, nothing is free, and energy is needed to create order out of chaos.

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    Keith Francis

    I enjoy the solo podcasts very much. I know it feels weird, but as one of your loyal listeners, I am always glad to hear your thoughts on various matters.

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  4. Richard Kennedy

    So, Jonah. You worried about your husband and umms, and stuff? I hate to say, but it is part of your charm. You bring that to any podcast this outfit let’s you play with. Didn’t come out right. Sorry, you’re a boss. Seriously, you umm your way through everything. Part of the charm.

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    1. Richard Kennedy

      Not husband. Uhs

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  5. Gabriel Salas

    One disagreement - the electoral college fails because Federalism failed, not the other way around.

    The beginnings of the Republic had a consistent federalist construction - financially and tax wise, commerce, war declarations, etc, the states had a much greater decision power with the feds mostly getting things done accordingly.

    But that doesn't work anymore - the Feds have all the juice in trade/commerce, taxes, subsidies, etc. So asymmetric political power is a lot more destabilizing. Which some decency and common sense we could get by... But the flaws are glaring when a President and his party decide to squeeze those that didn't elect him.

    So basically re-federalize or the EC/Senate's legitimacy is done and dusted.

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  6. Lainie Cleghorn

    Please don’t stop this solo podcast! It’s my favorite each week. I don’t always have time to get still enough to read the Wednesday and Friday G Files, but I can listen to this while I drive or exercise or fold laundry or cook dinner. I like the ums and cat distractions. I love listening to your more in-depth analysis in the Ruminant and would truly miss it if you stopped.

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  7. PM

    I'll leave the Grateful Dead and Phish to the enjoyment of others...

    It seems to me that the Dispatch is doing a gracious plenty. When I hear the comment if we could only raise X amount more dollars then we could do more things -- I cringe.

    I'm not ready for Dispatch hand towels or a Saturday morning cartoon. Ok so maybe I am ready for Sarah to perform Chaucer audiobooks but she could do that on her own time.

    I'm certainly not ready for Dispatch superhero movies or for David French to remake the Hobbit :)

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      C C Writer

      I don't need Dispatch hand towels, but a coffee mug would be just the thing.

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  8. Chestnut

    Solo podcasts are great. Don’t care how much you say Um, Ah, or Stop that Zoey! It’s what you say not how you say it -obviously. Solo podcasts are like having a conversation with a buddy over a couple of cigars, which is awesome. (Ben Sasse was really good too BTW.) Oh, and Princeton...LOL. Keep it going. I get loads out of every podcast and I really appreciate your perspective and insight and historical knowledge.

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    CynthiaW

    I'm sorry that Justice Ginsberg's death has overtaken the Princeton racism story, because it's a laugh riot. I could go look up the name of the responding Department of Education employee, but that might be bad for him. However, I loved his reply. "Please submit a spreadsheet detailing all the people involved and all incidents of racism for the past as far as your records go back. Thank you for your cooperation."

    My kind of guy. "You say you're racist? Okay. Please provide all the specific details!"

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  10. Young Old Man

    Keep up the solo podcasts!
    It's become a key part of my Saturday morning exercise the dog routine.

    Surprised to hear you say it still feels awkward; sounds much more natural than when you started.

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