Let’s Go Coup-ing

Capitalism wins in 'treat yourself' culture.

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Will the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision in Harvard lead to a public backlash? What does the Coup That Wasn’t tell us about Russia (and about Americans’ changing perceptions of the war)? And will David French’s recent New York Times piece about transgenderism in women’s sports finally get him cancelled? Sarah, Jonah, and yet-uncancelled David French discuss.

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Out of context: “I think I heard Henry Kissinger making the same point.”

Show Notes:

-Want the full legal analysis of SCOTUS’ affirmative action decision? Check out our latest Advisory Opinions.

-David’s NYT piece on the erosion of women’s sports

-Jonah’s G-File about isms, cultural cliches, and treat-yourself-culture 

–Millennial and Gen Z economic malaise is creating a ‘treat culture’ as they turn to tiny purchases for a dose of daily escapism

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Comments (84)
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  1. Marieannehendrie

    Jonah has done it here, and a number of other places, where he conflates drag with transgenderism. They are not the same (and I suspect he knows it). Drag is performance art-you can like it or not, but that’s what it is. I don’t like country music but that doesn’t mean its not an art form. And for what it’s worth, as a woman I do not find drag offensive, any more than the hyper masculinity depicted in country music. Transgenderism (not sure if that’s a word) concerns how a person perceives themselves and how they wish to present themselves to the world, everyday, not just on stage. Jonah wants to tar transgender women with what he sees as excessive performance in drag queens.

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  2. BPhillips

    I found the arguments concerning transgender not very well thought out. David sets up a weak man argument, with studies to back him up, proving biologic females cannot compete with biologic males at an elite level. That isn't what is being discussed though. Show me the evidence that biologic females cannot compete with TRANS athletes, following the rules set up by the sport's governing bodies. The Olympics would be the best example. Trans athletes have been allowed to compete in the Olympics for nearly 2 decades - are they taking over the Olympics?
    You keep making the argument as if any male can just decide he's going to compete with females now - that is NOT what is happening. To be honest, I'm disappointed at the lack of critical thinking on this particular podcast, just 3 people agreeing with each other that their strawman argument proves the point.

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    1. Nordic_man

      It really is a sport by sport thing here. I know one case where, due to numbers women often can't compete in a sport (trying to stay vague here for reasons) because their aren't enough of them to run at an event. The thing is, both them and the men are essentially competing in the same event, and they have constantly asked that in the event their arent enough women at an event to run a competition that they just merge with the men and compete. Of course the dudes keep saying no because if you do head to head comparisons, a lot of them would lose.

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    Ryan McKenzie

    I laughed out loud at Jonah’s two critiques at David’s NYT piece. I actually had the same thought regarding point 2 which was, “oh, maybe this will end David’s tenure at NYT.” But I am glad that’s not actually true, because this issue needs a lot more exposure to debate.

    Another take-away from recent commentary by all of you is we need to take back the words feminism and liberalism. They’ve been usurped and given new meanings which are quite contrary to their original meanings.

    Honestly, I love the Dispatch. Keep doing what you do.

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  4. Jordan Bishop

    Jonah,

    Instead of "Frenchian" consider using "Frankish."

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  5. Acre00

    The "Worth Your Time?" segment was definitely worth my time solely for giving us the best Jonah rant in the history of The Dispatch

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  6. Vitaly.Furman

    On trans women participating in sports: why not let them compete in women's leagues but award biological women the same distinctions? When Lia Thomas wins the swim competition, award the gold medal also to the female competitor who came in just behind Thomas. This surely beats complicated Testosterone classifications. I realize that team sports would require somewhat different treatment, but it is easier to include a trans woman or a trans man into a team.

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      1. Vitaly.Furman

        Yes for adults for sure but maybe not for teenagers/high school sports. The goal is to avoid incentives for one to mess with body chemistry (by artificially supressing T levels). There may be an absolute limit at which competition would be declared "unfair", but in most cases, scoring trans women in a separate category should work.

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      Anne W (Raw5254)

      I appreciate the thought, but I just don’t see that as very satisfying for biological women. This isn’t ever going to be an issue for men, but it is for women. As a woman, if I had worked hard to succeed in a woman’s sport, and I had to share the award for first place with a man who had transgendered, I wouldn’t be happy. I’m sure there are others who wouldn’t agree, but I’m willing to bet that if most men felt they were being compromised they would have something to say about it.

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      1. Dacheef

        “but I’m willing to bet that if most men felt they were being compromised they would have something to say about it.”

        Absolutely, Anne. For example, not only have men (and women) athletes had things to say about the unfair competitive advantages gleaned from PED use, efforts have been made to try to eliminate those advantages. Perhaps the PED industry just needs a stronger lobby.

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          Anne W (Raw5254)

          I hadn’t thought of that! I’m really not into sports, but talk about unfair. I’m sure it’s about the financial pay offs as much as anything, but I cannot imagine there’s much self satisfaction in cheating to win. Yet, it happens all the time. I wonder what the psychology is there?

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      2. Vitaly.Furman

        I understand what you are saying. A modification of my idea that might be more palatable is to score trans women in separate categories. They would compete as women but get a separate award, rather than sharing it with the woman competitor.
        Another point I want to make is we should not use a one size fits all solution for all of sports and competitions. I would like something like I proposed tried on a local level first to see if it works well enough. What I don't want to see are state-wide laws affecting all leagues and competitions as these laws can be vague and they are a blunt instrument for an enormously complicated issue.

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          Anne W (Raw5254)

          It’s worth a try. And good of you to put some thought into it.

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    Eatkisson

    Great conversation. On the Wagner mutiny in Russia and its potential impact on domestic politics here, I'd add that it vindicated those of us who have long argued that Putin and Russia are nowhere near as strong as some on the (mostly MAGA, anti-interventionist) Right seem to believe when arguing that we have no dog in this fight, that it's none of our business, or that we shouldn't be supporting Ukraine for fear of provoking Russia. If it weren't for their nuclear arsenal, Russia would be an abject joke with no influence whatsoever in the world. And even with nukes, there is still no compelling argument that we should refrain from helping a Western nation defend itself against Russian aggression, especially given the security and sovereignty guarantees we made to Ukraine in exchange for their giving up their nuclear arsenal back in the 1990s.

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  9. Jennifer P Streit

    Re: Transgender women participating in women's sports. I have been thinking the very same things, down to and including some of your specific examples and analogies. In struggling with this issue, and wondering how we got here, I have realized a couple of things. First, IMO, at some point--probably in the 70's and 80's--the culture began to think of "rights" as the opposite of "discrimination." If you can't discriminate against me, then whatever it is I want must be a right. So problematic... Second, Title IX has morphed beyond anything recognizable to the Congress of 1972. All of that change has been at the hands of an administrative agency, with no push back from the judiciary. If the scope of Title IX from "classroom to athletic field to bedroom to bathroom" had been hashed out in Congress, would we be here?

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  10. Mkgallagher0704

    Regarding Trans Sports … the answer is so obvious I don’t know why it hasn’t been implemented: The trans-league! Let all those with hormone blockers and hormone supplements compete against each other - seems like it would be fair.

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