Acton Unwind

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman ponder the nexus of age, experience, and leadership. Is it possible to be too old to have a job with as many high-pressure responsibilities as come with being president of the United States? If so, what is the wisest way to implement an age limitation? Should we just leave it up to voters to decide based on the individual candidates available? Then the guys discuss whether changing our language has the ability to change what it is we’re talking about. Does insisting people use words like “Latinx” have any meaningful impact on concepts of gender? Or does it just annoy a lot of people? Finally, Dylan details the argument made in his and Texas Tech University economics professor Alexander Salter’s recent Wall Street Journal essay on lessons from the Bible on money and inflation. Jill Biden’s ‘LatinX IncluXion Luncheon’ FiaXco | Charles Cooke, National Review In God—and Sound Money—We Trust | Dylan Pahman & Alexander Salter, Wall Street Journal For the Least of These: Against Inflation Economics | Dylan Pahman & Alexander Salter, Public Discourse Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman discuss both the shocking assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the political downfall of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. What is Abe’s legacy and the significance of his assassination in Japanese civic and political culture? And will Boris Johnson even leave a legacy beyond negotiating Brexit? Next, Twitter is looking to sue Elon Musk, who has announced he’s backing out of his deal to purchase the social media platform. Can you force someone to buy something? And finally, the guys break down the end of the Supreme Court’s term, particularly the case of West Virginia v. EPA. How much in American political life could be fixed by Congress just doing its job? Subscribe to our podcasts Who Shot Shinzo Abe and Why? Everything We Know So Far | Bloomberg Shinzo Abe, powerful former Japan PM, leaves divided legacy | Associated Press Why was U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson forced to resign, and what happens next? | CBS News Nine Tories Vie for Leadership in Contest for Johnson’s Successor | Bloomberg Twitter, Elon Musk Set for Unprecedented Legal Battle Over Deal Collapse | Wall Street Journal Twitter will be no worse with owner Elon Musk, and probably no better | Eric Kohn, Acton Institute West Virginia v. EPA | US Supreme Court Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman take stock of the current status of the American founding, 246 years after the colonies declared independence. How effective have the attacks coming from the left and the right on the founding been, if at all? Then they examine the horrific mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. If public policy can’t fix broken souls, how can we reach people like this shooter before they perpetrate these violent acts? Highland Park shooting sends shockwaves | Axios Liberal Practice v. Liberal Theory | Daniel E. Burns, National Affairs Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss everything surrounding the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned previous precedents in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Why has most of the reaction been about the policy implications flowing from the decision and not what the Supreme Court actually wrote and held in Dobbs? What does that say about civics education in America right now? What should we take away from the concurring opinions filed by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas? What, if anything, was the impact of the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion? And how will the decision affect the nascent common-good constitutionalism movement? Subscribe to our podcasts Opinion of the Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization The Essential Natural Law | Samuel Gregg The future of abortion in America | Acton Unwind Samuel Gregg Joins AIER to Lead Initiative Defending Freedom, Combatting Collectivism | AIER Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode, Eric Kohn, Dylan Pahman, and Dan Hugger discuss the newly launched LIV Golf International Series, a competitor to the PGA Tour that has drawn defections from some big golfing names—Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau, to name a few—and controversy for being primarily funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What is the ethical responsibility of the average sports consumer when a sporting event is being funded or supported by a monstrous regime? Then the guys turn their attention to the Federal Reserve, which raised interest rates by 75 basis points in an effort to combat inflation. Will it work? Will it have terrible unintended consequences? Both? Subscribe to our podcasts What is LIV Golf? The controversial PGA Tour competitor Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson are joining, explained | The Athletic Shark trailer | ESPN 30 for 30 But What if We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present as if It Were the Past | Chuck Klosterman For the Least of These: Against Inflation Economics | Public Discourse Partisan vitriol threatens the economy—and lives (with David Bahnsen) | Acton Unwind Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, special guest David Bahnsen joins Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger as they discuss inflation in America hitting a 40-year high. What’s driving the present persistent inflation? How is our present economic malaise different from our last bout of persistent inflation in the 1970s? How does political polarization hamper our ability to respond effectively to economic crises? The second half of the program is dedicated to a review and evaluation of the ongoing work of the January 6 committee, as well as the recent assassination attempt on Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh. What does the emerging tendency toward political violence say about America? How does our present partisan politics fuel this disturbing trend? Subscribe to our podcasts Higher Unemployment Rate Looms as the Fed Fights Inflation | The Wall Street Journal There's No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths | David Bahnsen In First Jan. 6 Hearing, Graphic Footage and Stark Testimony Show Depth of Attack | The New York Times Who Is the Former TV News Chief Helping the Jan. 6 Committee? | The New York Times Armed Man Traveled to Justice Kavanaugh’s Home to Kill Him, Officials Say | The New York Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the massacre of 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas. How do we grapple with horrors like this? What can we do, as individuals and as a society, to reduce the likelihood that attacks like this will happen again? Are we lacking the moral language to effectively discuss such events? Then there’s the lack of response on the part of the Uvalde police. While these cops clearly failed the people they were charged with protecting, what role did the failure to properly prepare them to do their job play in this outcome? And finally, the guys examine Ilya Shapiro’s resignation from Georgetown Law School shortly after he was exonerated in regard to his offending tweets about Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. Will it make any difference in the cause of free speech? Subscribe to our podcasts Uvalde School Shooting | The Texas Tribune What we know, minute by minute, about how the Uvalde shooting and police response unfolded | The Texas Tribune Ilya Shapiro Resigns from Georgetown Law School | National Review We Got Here Because of Cowardice. We Get Out With Courage | Bari Weiss, Commentary Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Acton Unwind, Dan Churchwell, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger focus on the crisis in evangelical Christianity, with factions within the broader evangelical community pitted one against the other. The discussion is framed by Tim Alberta’s recent piece in The Atlantic, “How Politics Poisoned Evangelicalism,” which examines the responses of several evangelical churches in Brighton, Michigan, to the presidency of Donald Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic. Just what is evangelicalism and its relationship to politics? How has evangelicals’ embrace of modern technology both widened their influence and fostered divisions within? Also discussed is the upcoming Acton University. What is Acton University, who are some of the featured speakers, and what sorts of people attend? How does Acton University seek to foster dialog among people of diverse faiths to address the crises, both social and economic, of our time? Subscribe to our podcasts How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church | The Atlantic The “Bebbington quadrilateral” | Wikipedia The Scopes Trial | Wikipedia Acton University 2022 Acton University Online 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the episode of Acton Unwind, Dylan Pahman, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger focus on the war in Ukraine and its religious context. What battles over ecclesiastic authority are involved? What is the Russian Orthodox Church saying about the conflict? The discussion then turns to the economic effects of the war upon the rest of the world, with particular focus on food production and distribution. Why are some countries affected more severely than others? Also among the discussion is a focus on China and its COVID lockdowns and growing economic problems. How is China moving away from its limited economic liberalization of the past? What does this mean for America’s future relationship with China? Lastly, Nancy Pelosi has been recently barred from receiving holy communion by the Archbishop of San Francisco. What makes the Pelosi case different from instances of Roman Catholic politicians in conflict received Church teaching on abortion? What does this case say about how many Americans view the relationship between church and state? Subscribe to our podcasts Everyday Saints and Other Stories Paperback – Archimandrite Tikhon The Promise of Confucian Liberty – Law & Liberty What the West Got Wrong About China – Law & Liberty Full text of Archbishop Cordileone letter to Nancy Pelosi banning her from Communion – Catholic News Agency Speaker Pelosi on Meet the Press transcript 2008 – NBC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen in Hong Kong on charges of violating the National Security Law and allegedly "colluding with foreign forces.” The arrest of Zen and three others comes in the wake of the arrest of other pro-democracy and human rights activists like Jimmy Lai, the subject of Acton’s most recent documentary feature film, THE HONG KONGER: JIMMY LAI’S EXTRAORDINARY STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. What does this arrest tell us about the state of Hong Kong? And how has the Holy See responded to this incident? Then the guys break down the latest inflation numbers and the proposed “anti-price gouging” legislation and other supposed “solutions” to inflation that have nothing to do with inflation or that would simply make matters worse. Subscribe to our podcasts Apply now for Acton University 2022 Hong Kong cardinal Joseph Zen arrested under China's security law | BBC The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom The Hong Konger movie trailer Inflation Is Tanking the Stock Market | The Dispatch Will-to-Power Conservatism and the Great Liberalism Schism | Stephanie Slade, Reason Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dylan Pahman, and Dan Hugger tackle the issue that’s on everyone’s mind: the leak of the Supreme Court draft option in the Dobbs case overturning both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. How monumental is the leak itself, and how does it threaten the institution of the Court? What does the draft opinion from Justice Samuel Alito actually do? What do the American people actually think about abortion? What happens now? And finally, assuming the Court overturns Roe and Casey in the Dobbs decision, how will the period of time between Roe and Dobbs be remembered? Subscribe to our podcasts Apply now for Acton University 2022 How overturning Roe v. Wade can reset the civil order | Acton Unwind Supreme Court has voted to overturn abortion rights, draft opinion shows | Politico Are children their parents’ property? | Dylan Pahman, Acton Institute How Americans Understand Abortion: A Comprehensive Interview Study of Abortion Attitudes in the U.S. | University of Notre Dame Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the case that was argued before the Supreme Court last week about whether Joseph Kennedy, a former football coach in Washington State, could pray with others at the 50-yard line after public school football games. Kennedy looks likely to win his case, but should he? Why do we have such a hard time grappling with the role of religion in public life? Will this case do anything to help that problem? Next, we already have inflation. Now we have negative GDP growth. Are the 1970s back in full force? Would a recession be the worst thing that could happen right now if we need to head off inflation? And if inflation is still a problem, why are we even talking about “canceling” $1.75 trillion in student loan debt? Finally, the Department of Homeland Security’s new Disinformation Governance Board—Orwellian nightmare or total joke? Subscribe to our podcasts Apply now for Acton University 2022 Coach’s Prayers Prompt Supreme Court Test of Religious Freedom | The New York Times Kennedy v. Bremerton School District | SCOTUSblog Supreme Court Hears Football Coach Prayer Case | Advisory Opinions podcast US economy unexpectedly shrinks 1.4% in first quarter of 2022: Is a recession looming? | Fox Business Biden considering student-loan forgiveness of at least $10,000 per borrower through executive action: report | Business Insider Are You Ready for the DHS ‘Disinformation Governance Board’? | National Review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger give quick takes on two developing stories previously discussed on this program: the French presidential election, in which the incumbent, Emmanuel Macron, has emerged victorious over Marine Le Pen; and Twitter’s reported acceptance of Elon Musk’s purchase offer. Then they turn their attention to Florida and the recently passed legislation to strip Disney of its Reedy Creek Improvement District carveout in retaliation for Disney’s objection to the Parental Rights in Education bill. How much can the political ideas of Nazi legal theorist Carl Schmitt explain what’s happening in Florida right now? Finally, after a Florida judge ruled against the transportation mask mandate, acceptance of the endemic nature of COVID-19 in the U.S. became pretty much a given. China, however, is still invested in their COVID-Zero policy by completely locking down the port city of Shanghai. What does that portend for other cities in China? Subscribe to our podcasts French election result: Macron defeats Le Pen and vows to unite divided France | BBC Twitter set to accept Musk’s $43 billion offer | Reuters Disney government dissolution bill signed by DeSantis | Associated Press End of Reedy Creek: Disney won’t pay more taxes, but you will | WFTV The Social Responsibility of Business Is to Increase Its Profits | Milton Friedman, The New York Times A Man for All Seasons: “Give the Devil Benefit of Law” What I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Religion & Liberty What’s Wrong and What’s Right about Judge Mizelle’s Mask-Mandate Decision | Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review Beijing COVID outbreak prompts fear of Shanghai-style lockdown | ABC News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Dylan Pahman, and Dan Hugger update the Elon Musk twitter drama. How serious should we take Musk’s attempt to purchase Twitter? And even if he did, how much would it impact people who aren’t just very, very online. How much has this episode revealed about the people who are either outraged or delighted by the story? Then the guys dive into the most recent Atlantic essay from social psychologist Jonathan Haidt, “Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid.” Subscribe to our podcasts Elon Musk offers to buy Twitter for $43 billion, so it can be ‘transformed as private company’ | CNBC The 4 Most Unhinged Responses to Elon Musk’s Offer to Buy Twitter | Based Politics Journalism Professor Roasted for Comparing Elon Musk’s Twitter Takeover With the Rise of Hitler in Nazi Germany | Mediaite Why the past 10 years of American life have been uniquely stupid | Jonathan Haidt, The Atlantic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn and Sam Gregg pilot this two-person ship through four topics. First, they tackle the first round of French presidential elections, where the incumbent Emmanuel Macron will face off in a rematch with Marine Le Pen. What does the rise of Le Pen’s right-wing populism mean for France, and why have the two major political parties lost support so dramatically? Next, Elon Musk is now the largest shareholder in Twitter, prompting a mini-freakout in the Big Tech world. Are Musk’s actions a clear example of the way the market can deal with Big Tech issues better than the heavy hand of government? And why is Musk so hated among the left for finding more effective and fun ways to address their concerns, like climate change and space travel? Next, Eric and Sam take on the continued call to cancel all student-loan debt. Who would really benefit if this happened? (It’s probably not the people you think.) And finally, the right’s fashionable new epithet to hurl at opponents is “groomer.” Maybe it’s not OK to cheapen pedophilia… Subscribe to our podcasts Macron to Face Le Pen for President as French Gravitate Toward Extremes | New York Times In major reversal, Elon Musk is not joining Twitter board | TechCrunch Psaki: Student loan borrowers likely to have to pay debt ‘sometime’ | Politico Biden to delay student loan repayment, again extending pause, as Dems push for forgiveness | USA Today Student Loan Debt Statistics: 2022 | NerdWallet The ‘Groomer’ Accusation Is Counterproductive | David Harsanyi Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger take on Florida’s HB 1557, christened by the media as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. While it doesn’t say, “Don’t say gay,” it does say several things worth discussing. And how much of a backlash could Disney be in for now that their internal conversations about adding “queerness” to its programming are public. Next, the guys consider President Joe Biden’s pledge to release 1 million barrels of oil per day from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Is this anything but political posturing? And finally, Ezra Klein of The New York Times had an extraordinary interview with economist Larry Summers during which Klein’s feelings ran headlong into reality. We can help him connect his good intentions to sound economics. Subscribe to our podcasts HB 1557: Parental Rights in Education bill text Breaking Down the So-Called ‘Don’t Say Gay’ Bill | The Dispatch Disney Executive Producer Admits to ‘Gay Agenda,’ ‘Adding Queerness’ Wherever She Could | Caroline Downey, National Review What I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Religion & Liberty Biden orders 'unprecedented' release of oil reserves | BBC Transcript: Ezra Klein Interviews Larry Summers | The New York Times Modern Economics Is Not an Illuminati Conspiracy | Stan Veuger, American Compass Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s a two-man show this week as Eric Kohn and Dan Hugger begin by discussing the slap heard ’round the entertainment world. In the event you haven’t heard yet, actor Will Smith stormed the Oscars stage last night to slap Chris Rock after Rock made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Was it staged? Was it real? Can we know? Does it matter? Speaking of blurring the lines of reality and fantasy, next Eric and Dan examine the stolen Jan. 6 text messages from Ginni Thomas, wife of Supreme Court justice Clarence Thomas. How much of politics now is just playacting of the kind we see in Hollywood? Finally, what is a woman? Perhaps Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson can’t define one, but Dan and Eric can. Subscribe to our podcasts Will Smith slaps Chris Rock (Warning: NSFW language) Sorry, but Chris Rock Had It Coming | Rod Dreher, The American Conservative Texts Show Ginni Thomas’s Embrace of Conspiracy Theories | The New York Times Justice Scalia Won | Dan McLaughlin, National Review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the controversy surrounding Lia Thomas, the transgender swimmer on the women’s swim team at the University of Pennsylvania, who just recently took home the NCAA Division I national championship in the women's 500-yard freestyle. What questions does this raise about the nature of the human person, and to what extent has that anthropological question gone unexamined and ignored by the people and institutions surrounding this story? Then the gang examines Pope Francis’ comments from last week that “wars are always unjust.” What is the church’s just war theory, and what did the pope mean by his comments? And finally, the guys answer the first listener question with some book recommendations to acquaint you with how they see the world. Subscribe to our podcasts Watching Lia Thomas Win | Common Sense ‘I Am Lia’: The Trans Swimmer Dividing America Tells Her Story | Sports Illustrated ‘Just war’ no more? What did Pope Francis say, and what does it mean? | The Pillar Listener-question book recommendations: Sam: Treatise on Law | St. Thomas Aquinas Natural Law and Natural Rights | John Finnis The Wealth of Nations | Adam Smith Dan: Centesimus Annus (1 May 1991) | John Paul II The Humane Economist: A Wilhelm Röpke Reader | Wilhelm Röpke (Author), Daniel J. Hugger (Editor) Lord Acton: Historical and Moral Essays | Lord Acton (Author), Daniel J. Hugger (Author) Eric: The Law | Frédéric Bastiat The Quest for Community: A Study in the Ethics of Order and Freedom | Robert Nisbit The Theory of Moral Sentiments & The Wealth of Nations | Adam Smith Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Stephen Barrows discuss the latest spike in inflation, hitting 7.9% over last year. That’s the worst it’s been since 1982. What action will the Federal Reserve take? Has the Federal Reserve simply failed? If so, what’s the lesson we should learn? Then the guys discuss the sanctions regime that’s been put on Russia. Are sanctions effective? Are they moral? Are they working? And finally, would you fight for your country if it was invaded? In a new poll, an alarming number of Americans say no. What should be the takeaway from that? Subscribe to our podcasts US inflation soared 7.9% in past year, a fresh 40-year high | Associated Press Average US gas price rises 22% in two weeks to record $4.43 | Associated Press What sanctions are being imposed on Russia over Ukraine invasion? | BBC The Great Demographic Reversal: Ageing Societies, Waning Inequality, and an Inflation Revival | Charles Goodhart and Manoj Pradhan Yes, If America Is Ever Invaded, You Must Take Up Arms and Fight | National Review Vast Majority of Americans Say Ban Russian Oil, Quinnipiac University National Poll Finds; Nearly 8 in 10 Support U.S. Military Response if Putin Attacks a NATO Country | Quinnipiac University Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dylan Pahman discuss the latest on Ukraine and Russia. Should we be surprised by the unanimity of the European response? To what extent did Vladimir Putin underestimate the strength of Western institutions and alliances? Then they discuss how both the Orthodox Church and the Vatican have responded to the crisis. Finally, they close with brief reactions to President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Subscribe to our podcasts The Morning Dispatch: Putin Cracks Down at Home | The Dispatch The Orthodox Response to Putin’s Invasion | Commonweal Remarks of President Joe Biden – State of the Union Address as Prepared for Delivery | The White House Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the Russian invasion of Ukraine. How will this change the rules-based, post–World War II world order? How did the West misread Vladimir Putin? How did Putin misread how the invasion would go? How surprising is the story of actor/comedian-turned-stateman Volodymyr Zelensky? And how much has this international crisis revealed about the corruption of the American political right? Then the guys turn their attention to the upcoming State of the Union address that President Joe Biden will deliver on March 1. What actually is the state of the union? Subscribe to our podcasts The End of History and the Last Man | Francis Fukuyama The Other Mr. President | This American Life The Clash of Civilizations? | Samuel P. Huntington The Internet of Beefs | Venkatesh Rao Justin Trudeau’s political overreach is a greater threat to liberty than the truckers’ protest | Samuel Gregg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the end of the Canadian trucker convoy as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau invokes the Emergencies Act—the precursor of which was last used to respond to domestic terrorism—to clear the convoy from the capital. Boy, that escalated quickly. What will be the lasting effects of this protest, not to mention the way it ended? And how chilling are the threats to freeze bank accounts of protesters and supporters, even as donation data is leaked from the crowdfunding site that hosted a fundraiser for the convoy? Next, the Acton gang examines the recall of three members of the San Francisco school board by overwhelming margins. If a parent uprising against out-of-control public school systems can happen in San Francisco, can it happen anywhere? And finally, the guys remember the late, great writer and humorist P.J. O’Rourke, who passed away last week at the age of 74. Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 Canada invokes unprecedented emergency measures — and triggers a political firestorm | Politico Trudeau vows to freeze anti-mandate protesters' bank accounts | BBC Names of Canada truck convoy donors leaked after reported hack | Reuters San Francisco Unified School District recall, California | Ballotpedia P. J. O'Rourke, 1947-2022 | Matt Labash P.J. O’Rourke was America’s greatest satirist and coolest conservative | John Podhoretz Why we need more O’Rourke Conservatives | Anthony Sacramone P.J. O’Rourke speaks at Acton’s 2013 Anniversary Dinner | Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger are truckin’ to the Canadian truckers’ blockade of Ottawa and the Ambassador Bridge between Detroit and Windsor. Even if the truckers’ cause is just, are their tactics justifiable? And does it mean now that famously polite and compliant Canada has a populist uprising on its hands over overreaching COVID policy? Then they dissect The New York Times op-ed from three post-liberal conservatives on foreign policy hawkishness. Is the hesitancy to get into foreign entanglements all that novel an argument, or is it concealing something far more radical than mere retrenchment? And finally, the guys discuss Dan’s Detroit News op-ed on Joe Rogan and the problem of misinformation in the media. Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 Canada Opens Blockaded Bridge, but in Ottawa, Truckers Won’t Budge | New York Times Hawks Are Standing in the Way of a New Republican Party | Sohrab Ahmari, Patrick Deneen, and Gladden Pappin, New York Times Public Choice Theory and the Illusion of Grand Strategy: How Generals, Weapons Manufacturers, and Foreign Governments Shape American Foreign Policy | Richard Hanania Joe Rogan is not a problem, but a mirror | Dan Hugger, Acton Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

National Review ISI fellow Nate Hochman joins Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger this week to discuss his recent reporting on the Ilya Shapiro controversy at Georgetown Law School. The student sit-in in the wake of Shapiro’s poorly worded tweets produced demands for cry rooms and reparations. Will they get what they want? Why do people in places of authority seem incapable of standing up to these outrage mobs? Then the group discusses the surprisingly good jobs report for January, where the economy added nearly 500,000 jobs—and all during the Omicron wave. If this is more evidence that the public is moving on from the pandemic, why do so many political leaders refuse to take the off-ramps they’re being offered and instead stand by mask mandates and other mitigation measures? And finally, should we have boycotted the Beijing Winter Olympics? Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 Acton Institute announces $300,000 Beijing Olympics broadcast ad campaign advocating for the release of Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai "The Hong Konger” 30-second Olympics ad The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom Georgetown Law Students Stage Sit-In, Demand Dean Fire Ilya Shapiro | Nate Hochman, National Review Ilya Shapiro Tweets about Biden Supreme Court Nominee | FIRE How Michigan’s Ballooning DEI Bureaucracy Stifled Speech and Divided the Campus | National Review Companies unexpectedly cut 301,000 jobs in January as omicron slams labor market, ADP says | CNBC Payrolls show surprisingly powerful gain of 467,000 in January despite omicron surge | CNBC What message does NBC’s Olympics coverage send? | Isaac Willour, Acton Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the retirement of Stephen Breyer from the Supreme Court. Will he have an enduring legacy, or will he be largely forgotten? How should we evaluate his jurisprudence? He is often thought of as a moderate liberal but was frequently deferential to state power. Can we expect any fireworks from the confirmation hearing of his successor, or will it be a far duller affair compared to those of Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett? Then the Acton gang discuss what action the Federal Reserve is likely to take to combat inflation. How much of a shock to the economic system would an increase in interest rates be, and what’s the likely political fallout? Finally, they consider Eric’s recent Detroit News op-ed, arguing for COVID-19 risk assessment and decision making to be made on a personal and family level. How long can “COVID Zero” approaches endure? And how much longer will we continue masking kids in schools? Subscribe to our podcasts Business Matters 2022 — 50% off registration with promo code PODCASTBM22 Justice Stephen Breyer to retire from Supreme Court, paving way for Biden appointment | NBC News Justice Breyer’s Retirement May Not Be All Bad News for Conservatives | National Review Fed likely to hike rates in March as Powell vows sustained inflation fight | Reuters Fed seen as hiking interest rates seven times in 2022, or once at every meeting, BofA says | MarketWatch It’s time individuals, not the government, make choices about COVID-19 risk | Eric Kohn, Acton Institute Maryland county school CEO suggests students will be required to wear masks until 'COVID no longer exists’ | Fox News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Stephen Barrows discuss the “the big quit,” as more than 20 million Americans quit their jobs in the second half of 2021. With more than 10.5 million job openings right now, what does this pandemic-induced change in the labor market mean for workers and employers going forward? Next, they look at President Joe Biden’s speech in Atlanta, Ga., on voting rights, comparing anyone not in agreement with him to being on the side of George Wallace, Bull Connor, and Jefferson Davis. So much for turning down the temperature on political rhetoric. Finally, they examine the incident at Congregation Beth Israel synagogue in Colleyville, Texas. Why is it so hard for some to identify anti-Semitism as anti-Semitism? Subscribe to our podcasts The Great Resignation: Why more Americans are quitting their jobs than ever before | 60 Minutes Remarks by President Biden on Protecting the Right to Vote | The White House About That Speech … | The Dispatch Jewish leaders react to FBI statement on Texas synagogue hostage-taker: 'The FBI got it wrong’ | Fox News Why do some people hate the Jews? | Acton Line Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger briefly discuss the first anniversary of the January 6 capitol riot. Have we learned anything helpful in the past year? Then they examine the waves being caused by teachers unions once again forcing public schools to close in major cities. Is this enough to stir a parent revolt to change the nature of public education as we know it? Next, they take a look at the newly announced policies of the Manhattan district attorney that would effectively eliminate jail time for an array of serious offenses. What damage will this light-on-crime approach do to meaningful and serious criminal justice reform? And finally, they review the conviction of Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes on four federal counts of defrauding investors. What, if anything, does this have to say about market capitalism or Silicon Valley? Subscribe to our podcasts The Chicago Teachers Union’s Priorities | Wall Street Journal Manhattan DA to stop seeking prison sentences in slew of criminal cases | New York Post Justice Reformers Need to Update Their Priors | The Atlantic Elizabeth Holmes is the con artist we were all waiting for | Acton Institute The Dropout Podcast | ABC News Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the progress of the House Select Committee on the events of January 6. Has everyone already formed their conclusions about what happened? Is there anything that could be revealed that would change anyone’s mind? Is there any civic good that could come from this? The Omicron variant appears to be more transmissible but less deadly. That’s a good development. So why is it prompting renewed talk of school shutdowns, greater lockdowns, and mask mandates that extend forever? Are we perpetually searching for a technocratic solution to a problem that has no actual solution? And finally, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has proposed the Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees (W.O.K.E.) Act to extricate wokeness from schools and businesses. Is this a problem that we can legislate away? Subscribe to our podcasts The Fifth Column Podcast with Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Mich.) Fox News hosts urged Meadows to have Trump stop Jan. 6 violence, texts show | Washington Post Remarks by President Biden After Meeting with Members of the COVID-⁠19 Response Team | White House Fauci says masks on planes will always be necessary no matter what: 'Go that extra step’ | Fox Business Schools, classrooms close doors again in latest Covid surge | NBC News Governor DeSantis Announces Legislative Proposal to Stop W.O.K.E. Activism and Critical Race Theory in Schools and Corporations | State of Florida D.C. third-graders were made to reenact episodes from the Holocaust | Washington Post Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Samuel Gregg, Stephen Barrows, and Michael Matheson Miller discuss two topics. The first is the ongoing rise of inflation in the United States. Whatever happened to “transitory inflation”? Who benefits and who doesn’t from inflation? What needs to be done to bring inflation under control? Then this week’s all-Catholic team weighs in on a broader topic: the state of the Catholic Church around the world today. Much of the Church seems to be in disarray, whether it’s the resignations of bishops, the state of the Church in Germany, the Synod on Synodality, disputes about Holy Communion and liturgy, or the Vatican’s deal with the Communist regime in Beijing. We discuss some of the underlying causes, but also where we can find signs of hope. Subscribe to our podcasts How do you feel about inflation? The answer will help determine its longevity | Wall St Journal El-Erian says ‘transitory’ was the ‘worst inflation call in the history’ of the Fed | CNBC Inflation: Prices on the Rise | IMF Inflation surged 6.8% in November, even more than expected, to fastest rate since 1982 | CNBC Ratzinger’s Cross | Public Discourse The Vatican Would Profit from the Views of This Jesuit | Alejandro Chafuen, Forbes After Two Decades, Abuse Crisis Has Humbled the Catholic Church | The Wall Street Journal China’s Catholic Leviathan: Jesuits and the Sino-Vatican Agreement | Catholic World Report Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the implications of Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the case involving Mississippi’s ban on abortion after 15 weeks, which was argued before the Supreme Court on Dec. 1. How much has the legal regime created by Roe and Casey distorted our civic and political life? And what would be likely to happen if the Supreme Court did overturn the Roe and Casey decisions in their Dobbs ruling? Would it be as incendiary as some people seem to assume? Then the guys discuss the primary theme of Blake Masters’ campaign for Senate: “In America, you should be able to raise a family on one single income.” Is it true that people can’t do that right now? Do the proponents of this vision ignore the costs associated with it? And are GDP growth and family formation really at odds? Subscribe to our podcasts Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization | SCOTUSblog Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Oral Arguments Exit poll results from the 2021 election for Virginia governor | Washington Post The Blake Masters Vision | National Review Why Parents Staying Home to Raise Their Kids Is a Good Thing | National Review Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Stephen Barrows, and Dan Hugger discuss the emergence of the new Omicron variant of COVID-19. With so little known about it, are political leaders and public health officials getting too far ahead of themselves? Dr. Anthony Fauci says he “represent[s] science.” When did we come to have such a malformed understanding of the scientific process that we moved into an ideological understanding of science? And how unsurprised should we be that the World Health Organization skipped over the “Xi” variant name? Finally, they discuss Yuval Levin's recent essay "The changing face of social breakdown.” What's holding people back from starting their lives? Has the pandemic made these problems worse or just revealed trends already at work? And how can we learn to better deal with our changing world to establish more communion, not just communication? Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault Omicron Rises, but Our Fears Should Not | National Review Fauci: Republican detractors are "criticizing science” | Axios In Naming Omicron Variant, Authorities Skipped ‘Xi’ and ‘Nu’ | Wall Street Journal A ‘Simpsons’ Episode Lampooned Chinese Censorship. In Hong Kong, It Vanished. | New York Times The changing face of social breakdown | The Dispatch For first time, India’s fertility rate below replacement level | Times of India Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali | B. K. S. Iyengar National Economic Planning: What Is Left?| Don Lavoie The Use of Knowledge in Society | Friedrich A. Hayek Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on Acton Unwind, Stephen Barrows, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman join Michael Matheson Miller—guest editor of the new double issue of Religion & Liberty, Acton’s quarterly journal of religion, economics, and culture—to discuss the issue’s theme: the challenges of thinking clearly in an age dominated by ideology. How can we function in a time when the pursuit of truth, and even the meaning of “truth” itself, is subservient to a suffocating ideology that makes real dialogue between opposing viewpoints difficult if not impossible? What are the risks that come with the adoption of a rigid ideology? What is the difference between ideology and worldview? And how do we resist the temptation of adopting ideological thinking ourselves? Religion & liberty Summer/Fall 2021 Carter Snead at the Acton Lecture Series: What it means to be human The History of Freedom in Antiquity Bastiat’s Theory of Class: The Plunderers vs. the Plundered Biblical Worldview Crucial for the New Millennium Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today Eric Kohn, Stephen Barrows, and Dan Hugger discuss all things inflation. What makes the inflation we’re seeing now different from the experience of the 1970s? What does it mean that we have a contracting labor force along with high inflation? How long will inflation be with us, and is there anything that can be done about it? The discussion then turns to mission creep and masking guidance from the CDC, with the agency head suggesting we keep wearing masks to combat, not only COVID-19, but the flu and the common cold as well. And finally, the trials of Kyle Rittenhouse and the accused killers of Ahmaud Arbery are both underway, but only the Rittenhouse proceeding is getting much attention, thanks largely to people using it as a political cudgel. What would happen if we lost faith in our legal system the way we’ve lost faith in so many other American institutions? Fastest Inflation in 31 Years Puts More Heat on Washington | New York Times The number of U.S. workers quitting their jobs in September was the highest on record | New York Times Labor force participation is static, a conundrum for the Fed | New York Times Inflation Will Make or Break the Next Spending Bill | New York Times The CDC's Director Implies That Face Masks Are More Effective Than Vaccines at Preventing COVID-19 Infection | Reason The Rittenhouse Trial Is a Master Class in Media Bias | National Review Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Michael Matheson Miller, and Dan Hugger discuss the National Conservatism convention, from which Dan just recently returned. What do the national conservatives want? Should we think about this as an intellectual movement or as a political movement? Have they achieved a consensus about their own identity? And how much of a force will they prove to be within conservative intellectual circles and conservative politics going forward? National Conservatism Convention agenda The biggest problems of national conservatism | Acton Line A healthy conservative nationalism? Not without classical liberalism | Joseph Sunde, Acton Institute Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Eric, Sam, and Dylan discuss the potential for upheavals in public education. Will fights over the curriculum and the cumulative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic (and the behavior of the teachers union during it) open up the possibility of wholesale changes in public schools? Next, Joe Biden’s meeting with Pope Francis goes very, very well. At least according to Joe Biden. Is the president to be believed when he says Pope Francis assured him he's a Catholic in good standing? Is this something he should even be saying out loud? Finally, Eric and Dylan discuss Dune and explore the important themes related to human nature at play in Frank Herbert’s book and Denis Villeneuve’s film--and in all good science fiction. Subscribe to Acton Line, Acton Unwind, & Acton Vault Virginia governor's race now hinges on education, and one candidate has a clear edge: poll | Fox News Critiquing the 1619 Project with Phil Magness | Acton Line Capitalism in the 1619 Project | Heritage Foundation, Samuel Gregg Biden: Pope told me that I should ‘keep receiving Communion’ | Associated Press Discovering human dignity in Villeneuve’s Dune | Dylan Pahman Dune trailer Acton’s 31st Annual Dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric and Sam discuss the growing threat from China. First, Sam recaps a talk he gave in Houston last week entitled, "China: Enigma and Challenge for the World." In the wake of China’s test of a hypersonic missile that could carry a nuclear warhead, how should we think about the military, economic, and cultural threat that China poses to the United States and to the world? Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault China tests new space capability with hypersonic missile | Financial Times Press Briefing by Press Secretary Jen Psaki, October 18, 2021 | White House China has won AI battle with U.S., Pentagon's ex-software chief says | Reuters What to Do About China? | Sam Gregg, Law & Liberty Decline Is a Choice | Charles Krauthammer, Manhattan Institute Acton’s 31st Annual Dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss Netflix standing up to the woke mob coming after Dave Chappelle for his new comedy special, The Closer, in which he makes jokes about the trans-rights movement. Can we view this as a watershed moment in the culture wars? Or is Netflix just defending their $60 million investment in the legendary comedian? Then, the supply chain has problems. Between that, high energy prices, employment problems, and inflation, are we staring down the barrel of a repeat of the 1970s? Next, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has been out for two months on paternity leave. Setting aside the political-football aspect, how should we think about paternity leave in the modern culture and economy? And finally, we end with a new segment called Recommendable, where the crew will recommend articles, books, podcasts, or anything else they found important and recommendable throughout the week. Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault Defending Dave Chappelle | National Review Jews in Space | History of the World Part 1, Mel Brooks Jon Gruden emails, explained: Raiders coach resigns following release of damning messages | Sporting News Pete Buttigieg defends being on paternity leave amid supply-chain crisis | New York Post Fight of the Century: Keynes vs. Hayek | EconStories Recommendable: Eric - We Got Here Because of Cowardice. We Get Out With Courage | Bari Weiss, Commentary Sam - Abusing the Power of the Purse, with Philip Hamburger | Law & Liberty Dan - India Before Modi: How the BJP Came to Power | Vinay Sitapati Acton’s 31st Annual Dinner Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dylan Pahman discuss the possibility that objection to Southwest Airlines’ COVID-19 vaccine mandate was behind the cancelation of more than 1,000 flights over the weekend. Even if it wasn’t, there is clearly resistance to vaccine mandates out there, whether coming from the government or private businesses. And why is resistance to mandates, for some people at least, turning into resistance or rejection of the vaccine itself? A University of Michigan professor is under fire for showing his class Lawrence Oliver's black-face film portrayal of Othello. Is the biggest culprit in situations like these the people in authority who cave to the mob? And finally, Sam Gregg discusses his review of Vivek Ramaswamy’s new book Woke, Inc. and how the behavior we're seeing in big corporations is similar to that on display in the University of Michigan story. Southwest cancels more than a thousand flights, cites air-traffic control issues | Fox Business Southwest Airlines denies that pilot "sick out" drove weekend of delays | Axios Michigan Students Accuse Celebrated Music Professor of Racism for Screening Othello | Robby Soave, Reason The Revolt of the Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium | Martin Gurri Why I Am Suing UCLA | Gordon Klein, Common Sense with Bari Weiss The Distorted Market for Woke Capitalism | Sam Gregg, Law & Liberty Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Michael Matheson Miller discuss U.S. Senate candidate J.D. Vance’s comments about the Ford Foundation--namely, that we should “seize the assets of the Ford Foundation, tax their assets, and give it to the people who've had their lives destroyed by their radical open borders agenda.” When did it become acceptable for the right to abandon concepts like constitutionality and the rule of law? Why is this kind of rhetoric constantly escalating? Is it really what the polity wants? Then, have we thrown open the Overton window on spending with the trillion-dollar infrastructure deal? When Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., who is still cool with spending $1.5 trillion on a reconciliation bill on top of the $1 trillion infrastructure bill, is the “conservative” in the conversation, have words lost their meaning entirely? And how long before we’re talking about quadrillion-dollar spending bills? Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault J.D. Vance's latest Fox News stunt is a far-left fantasy | Noah Rothman, MSNBC Ford Foundation’s aim to ‘change philanthropy’ warps the true meaning of ‘justice’ and ‘generosity’ | Dan Hugger, Acton Institute The Conservatives Dreading—And Preparing for—Civil War | Emma Green, The Atlantic A Whiff of Civil War in the Air | David French, The Dispatch Terry McAuliffe’s War on Parents | National Review Attack Ads, Circa 1800 | Reason Manchin proposed $1.5T top-line number to Schumer this summer | Politico Related: Digital Contagion: 10 Steps to Protect your Family & Business from Intrusion, Cancel Culture, and Surveillance Capitalism | Michael Matheson Miller Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week’s episode, Eric Kohn, Dan Churchwell, and Dan Hugger discuss America’s dueling refugee crises: one on the southern border manifesting in around 14,000 migrants descending on Del Rio, Texas, and the refugees fleeing the Taliban rule in Afghanistan following the American exit from that country. How should we approach these problems as Americans, and as Christians? Crime has been rising in American cities. How should we understand the problem, and how important is it to truly understand the nature of the problem and how it’s different in different places before we attempt to pick and choose policies to solve the problem? And finally, Brookings senior fellow and Washington Post columnist Robert Kagan says our constitutional crisis is already here. When they’re subject both to erosion and attack, how long can our American institutions hold up? Welcoming the stranger: The dignity and promise of Afghan refugees | Joseph Sunde National Review Special Issue in Crime: Law and Disorder The Mistakes We Cannot Make Again | David French Our constitutional crisis is already here | Robert Kagan Trump's 'Eastman Memo' Proposed an Unconstitutional Power Grab by the Vice President | Damon Root Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss what Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortes’ Met Gala tax-the-rich dress stunt says about the current state of our elites and of elite culture. Are our elites so frivolous because we’ve become frivolous? Or is it the other way around? And why are we so preoccupied with identifying hypocrisy rather than observing and highlighting the underlying implications of that hypocrisy, and the tributes that vice are paying to virtue when we find them? Then, they discuss the email sent to observant Jews at Barnard College in New York City, in effect demanding that they violate their Shabbat obligations to utilize technology for Covid-19 symptoms and to participate in contact tracing. Why is religious freedom so often an afterthought? Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault A lady and her dress, &c. | Jay Nordlinger, National Review Barnard College Bureaucrat Apologizes After Using COVID-19 Protocols To Target Jewish Students | Daniella Greenbaum Davis, The Federalist Norm MacDonald on Bill Cosby How 'elite overproduction' and 'lawyer glut' could ruin the U.S. | Peter Turchin, Bloomberg Congress Is Weak Because Its Members Want It to Be Weak | Yuval Levin, Commentary The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium | Martin Gurri Coming Apart: The State of White America, 1960–2010 | Charles Murray Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Stephen Barrows, and Dan Churchwell discuss the new vaccine mandate President Joe Biden has announced for businesses larger than 100 employees, to be administered by OSHA. In what ways are they failing to consider the role of incentives, and what unintended consequences might this effort have? Will it just drive people further into their political corners and continue to undermine faith in our institutions? Then, they discuss a new piece in Wired from Azeen Azhar about the concept of exponential growth. Are we prepared for a time when technological growth happens at a blinding pace? Can we even effectively prepare for it? Are we at all prepared to cope with the unrest that it will create? Subscribe to Acton Unwind, Acton Line & Acton Vault The Exponential Age will transform economics forever | Wired The Way Amazon Uses Tech to Squeeze Performance Out of Workers Deserves Its Own Name: Bezosism | WSJ The Box: How the Shipping Container Made the World Smaller and the World Economy Bigger | Marc Levinson The Technology Trap: Capital, Labor, and Power in the Age of Automation | Carl Benedikt Frey Ezra Klein Interviews L.M. Sacasas | New York Times Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Stephen Barrows discuss the corporate reactions to SB 8, the new abortion law in Texas, including the pledge from the rideshare company Lyft to pay for any potential legal fees for drivers, as well as to make a $1 million contribution to Planned Parenthood. Is this just responding to the market and what their customers want? Or are politics overwhelming corporate decision making and leading them astray? Then, they discuss the strict Covid-19 lockdown measures in Australia. Will political leaders experience any kind of comeuppance for over-promising and under-delivering on dealing with the pandemic? And finally, Eric, Sam, and Steve all reflect on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. Subscribe to the Acton Unwind Podcast Defending drivers and women’s access to healthcare | Lyft Josh Szeps tweet thread Gray Connolly tweet thread Australia’s Crazy Covid Response | City Journal 20 for 20 podcast: 20 Stories for 20 Years Since 9/11 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Sam Gregg, and special guests Dan Hugger and Michael Miller discuss the ongoing developments in Afghanistan as we approach the 31st deadline. Then, they discuss the $3.5 trillion infrastructure bill and how we can look to C.S. Lewis for guidance on how to respond. What is human infrastructure? Is the United States a civilization-building nation? Is all truth subjective? Subscribe to the Acton Unwind Podcast Biden’s ‘stimulus’ for a growing economy is all about central control Afghanistan I fought for lacks foundation for freedom A Taliban 9/11 - William McGurn Bio | Michael Miller Bio | Dan Hugger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and special guest Mustafa Akyol discuss the latest developments in Afghanistan, as the United States works feverishly to get Americans out of the country. How many refugees should the United States accept? What will rule by the Taliban look like? Have they changed at all, as some people have suggested? Then, Eric and Sam discuss the FDA’s final approval of the COVID vaccines, the lockdowns in Australia and New Zealand and the resistance they have produced, and whether our elites and civic leaders are more incompetent than they were in the past, or whether the velocity and availability of information just makes it seem that way. Mustafa Akyol Reopening Muslim Minds with Mustafa Akyol - Acton Line Welcoming the stranger: The dignity and promise of Afghan refugees - Joseph Sunde Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the collapse of the Afghanistan government as the United States withdraws from the country nearly 20 years after September 11th and the beginning of combat operations there. We were told a collapse might happen in a year. Instead, it took days. What lessons should be learned from this? And how are we to trust our institutions when they’re constantly shown to be either wrong or lying to us? August 15 marked the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon taking the United States off the gold standard. How much of the economic turbulence in the decades since can be blamed on this decision? And, what role can cryptocurrencies play in the future of monetary policy? “Why, as a Muslim, I Defend Liberty” by Mustafa Akyol “Islam and Economics: A Primer on Markets, Morality, and Justice” by Ali Salman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this, the inaugural edition of Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Stephen Barrows discuss the extension of the CDC's unconstitutional eviction moratorium, the Biden administration's economically problematic proposal for free community college, and the New Right's infatuation with Viktor Orbán's Hungary. ‘Small-Time Landlords “Hanging on By Their Fingernails” as Eviction Moratorium Drags On’ - National Review A Landlord Says Her Tenants Are Terrorizing Her. She Can’t Evict Them. - New York Times Making community college free has hidden costs - Detroit News Acton Institute Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.