There’s Something About Marjorie

Boebert and Greene as Mean Girls.

By
40

Saddened by hate mail and addled by a dingo-related health scare, Jonah’s in an exceptionally frazzled state of mind on today’s predictably excessive Ruminant. He begins his ramblings by addressing a crude spat between Lauren Boebert and Marjorie Taylor Green in the middle of the House floor before pivoting to some recent Russian war crimes in Ukraine. Then, it’s nerdery all the way down as he revisits last week’s G-File, which inspires a rant on the philosophical origins of liberalism, what defines American culture, and why there really is nothing new under the sun.

Show Notes:

– The Remnant with Stephanie Slade

– The Remnant with Robet Kagan

– “Critical Trump Theory”

By
Comments (40)
Join The Dispatch to participate in the comments.
 
  1. Avatar photo
    Deb4711

    I never get tired of reading your stalwart defense of Western democracy. Keep it coming, Jonah!

    Collapse
  2. Rmock

    Thanks for an interesting and illuminating ramble through several hot and/or perennial topics.

    I do have one question, based on your observation that England was an unusually friendly geographical, historical, and cultural setting for the construction of the first liberal democratic capitalist society. I wonder how exportable (or, from the other perspective) importable liberal democratic capitalism is to other cultures, even ones like Sweden? Is democratization as we understand it something only available to England and (some of) its former colonies?

    I am thinking particularly about the recent confab between Biden and Modi, their celebration of the world's two "great democracies", and the criticism of Modi as an authoritarian democrat, not a liberal one (in the classic liberal sense). Have you talked about that already somewhere I've missed? If not, could you do so relatively soon?

    Collapse
  3. Paulkohlhoff

    It seems most zealotry eventually fails because zealots can’t learn from mistakes and failures because they are never wrong; the ultimate result of reason being the slave to passions. Although, it may take decades or centuries to happen so not really something to take confront in.

    Collapse
  4. Avatar photo
    C C Writer

    Now I can't remember whether it was this podcast or a different one, but when the subject was the whippersnappers who make up unrealistic authoritarian-right scenarios and what could be their motivation, I believe Jonah suggested it was something along the lines of that's considered a way to stake a claim to some kind of idea, never mind whether it's plausible, so you can parlay it into the start of a career, because apparently these days a lot of people will buy anything.

    Kevin Wiliamson in a column out today that what these folks are writing is so separated from the world we live in that it must be considered "by the most charitable account, literature, albeit a bargain-basement genre of literature: right-wing Catholic fan-fic. " Kevin's onto something, too!

    And finally, it occurred to me that what these kids are on is what we used to call a power trip. They don't have any real power and they're not on a path to earn any, so instead they find the--wait for it--lazy way to get some power: to talk about power, as if this would lead to deserving it, and that in turn to gaining it.

    So I'm going to suggest that what we are looking at is a bit of all three!

    Collapse
  5. Avatar photo
    Mary

    I’m sorry you had the added stress of no ER availability while worrying about Zoë. Unfortunately this is a reality currently. You said if Zoë had an arrow sticking out of her she probably would have been seen. Unfortunately that’s not currently something you can count on. Many pets are dying in animal ER parking lots down here as the capacity for vet care is pretty low. So many of the clinics and centers have been purchased by hedge funds that affordable care for the ones still open just is no longer a reality.

    My sister is a veterinarian and the shortage of vets is profound. Many ER’s only have a single vet that’s just picking up a shift at this point. We had a recent emergency and the wait was 6 hours just for triage and maybe you will see a vet. I am extremely fortunate that I was able to call my sister, get help dealing with the immediate issue and then drive my dog to her in Houston.

    My sister is being paid obscene amounts of money just to pick up any shift anywhere. She’s pretty much unretired at this point just because the need is so great. Don’t expect it to improve in the immediate future as the hedge funds continue to take over the clinics as the older vets retire.

    The next thing on the horizon is the equivalent of nurse practitioners in vet clinics. This means that shortly you will not be able to see an actual veterinarian except for emergency or for greater illness. What this means is more pets will fall through the cracks of getting timely diagnosis and your veterinary costs will get even higher as you will need to pay a premium to see an actual vet.

    Sorry to be such a downer but I am not sure pet owners realize what is coming down the pike.

    Collapse
    1. SRHuckaby

      Fellow Texan here -- and I had almost this exact same conversation with my quite beloved long time vet yesterday! The lack of vets is extreme -- he was relaying a list to me of all the current practices who aren't taking any more patients (DFW metroplex area) because of sheer exhaustion on the part of these clinics and their staff. There are only two schools of veterinary medicine in Texas -- and one in particular is notoriously quite difficult to gain admission; the other one isn't exactly easy. I understand we need smart, competent DVMs, but we also need to expand the school opportunities.

      Collapse
  6. Avatar photo
    Christophe

    Another idea that the "New" Right thinks is new is opposition to the Iraq War. I somewhat understand their position, but they act like they're the first people ever to criticize it.

    Collapse
  7. Avatar photo
    The Bell Tower

    Bernard Bailyn’s Pamphlets of the of the American Revolution, of which another of his books, Ideological Origins of the American Revolution is the introduction, is immensely valuable in this conversation about Locke, etc.

    The two things I would argue that we underrepresent:

    1. The Romans. I have this idea that the founders talked about late Republican Rome the way we discuss Game of Thrones. Addison’s Cato, Shakespeare’s Caesar and a bunch of Cicero and Plutarch and I think they collectively understood it just as you talked about Einstein quotes: imperfectly, often inaccurately. I picture barely educated colonists drinking in bars and inaccurately quoting Cicero or Cato to each other in the heat of arguments. A lot of famous founding quotes are from Addison’s Cato and Washington had that play (his favorite) put on for his troops at Valley Forge.

    2. People forget that the constitution emerged from a system that was already in place and functioning. There’s a lot of Chesterton’s Fence about that era. Most revolutions are building a society from the ashes of an old one. Perhaps the Indians might disagree but the existing society was already working so there was less theory than we seem to think and more “Don’t Ef up Virginia or Massachusetts” involved in the discussion.

    Collapse
  8. Tom Struzik

    I listen to you to get both sides. You crapped all over Adam Schiff today without providing any context or evidence. Can you please justify your claims?

    And I have to pay for a subscription to your social media site to give feedback? This is type of stuff that you rail about. Irony is really dead.
    I hope your dog is ok.

    Collapse
  9. Avatar photo
    Ben Connelly

    Whoa, your dad had that idea about the Balkans and consonants before the Onion! One of my favorite Car Talk episodes of all time was when they just read that Onion story on air and could barely make it through because they were laughing too hard.

    Latin didn’t have definite articles at all. Then again, in Latin you decline nouns so you don’t need them.

    Collapse
  10. Avatar photo
    PGG645

    First, I’m glad the puppers are okay. Willow the Pillow and Gingersnap send hugs.

    I agree very much with what you said about Trump crying “fraud” anytime he loses, and the left crying “racism” or “sexism” or whatever when one of their own is criticized. Take Harry and Meghan. They are so obnoxious and annoying, but when you say “these people are so annoying,” you’re labeled a racist. Why can’t we just state our opinions, politely of course, without going to DEFCON 1? This inability to have reasonable discussions and disagreements with each other is, in part, what leads to people isolating ourselves from anyone who doesn’t agree with us.

    I have a good friend with whom I have long discussions about all kinds of things, and it’s great. We generally have similar opinions, but not always, and it’s nice to just talk without thinking that someone is going to call the thought police.

    Collapse
Load More