The Glenn Show

0:00 How Matt first encountered Christopher Hitchens6:07 Matt’s new book, How Hitchens Can Save the Left: Rediscovering Fearless Liberalism in an Age of Counter-Enlightenment8:00 Why Matt thinks Cornel West’s Vietnam-Afghanistan analogy is flawed14:21 What’s worth preserving in the left-liberal tradition?21:38 Matt: Identity politics is a “toxin”27:20 Was affirmative action ever necessary?35:29 Matt: I wish the left would rediscover Hitchens’s universalism45:04 Hitchens’s “fearless liberalism”Recorded July 6, 2023Links and ReadingsMatt’s new book, How Hitchens Can Save the Left: Rediscovering Fearless Liberalism in an Age of Counter-EnlightenmentHitchens’s NYRB review of Douglas Murray’s Bosie: A Biography of Lord Alfred DouglasHitchens’s book, Why Orwell MattersGeorge Orwell’s book, Keep The Aspidistra FlyingGlenn’s recent conversation with Cornel WestMatt’s Quilette essay on John MearsheimerMatt’s Quillette essay on Bayard RustinJonathan Eig’s King: A LifeNathan Glazer’s book, Affirmative Discrimination: Ethnic Inequality and Public PolicyRoland Fryer’s NYT oped, “How to Fix College Admissions Now”Glenn’s debate with HitchensTa-Nehisi Coates’s Atlantic essay, “The Case for Reparations”Bayard Rustin’s 1965 Commentary essay, “From Protest to Politics: The Future of the Civil Rights Movement”Norman Finkelstein’s book, I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Come to It!: Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic FreedomGlenn’s conversation with Norman Finkelstein This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 John: Let’s be honest about what “taking race into account” means in affirmative action10:09 Glenn: How can anyone argue that race-based affirmative action doesn’t violate the 14th Amendment?19:29 Why are we so focused on elite institutions?24:32 John: The University of California works just fine without “racial preferences”30:28 “You’re pulling the ladder up behind you” is an invalid critique35:00 John: The fact that racism exists does not justify changing standards44:04 Why Roland Fryer thinks we should put our money where our mouth is on race and education51:04 Will the post-Students for Fair Admissions future turn into a “Hardship Olympics”?Recorded July 8, 2023Links and ReadingsZachary Bleemer’s paper, “Affirmative Action, Mismatch, and Economic Mobility after California’s Proposition 209”Zachary Bleemer’s paper, “Affirmative Action and Its Race-Neutral Alternatives”The Supreme Court opinions in Students for Fair Admissions v. HarvardJohn’s book, Losing the Race: Self-Sabotage in Black AmericaJohn’s NYT piece, “On Race and Academia”Roland Fryer’s NYT oped, “How to Fix College Admissions Now” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.com

0:00 The problem with scientific consensus6:36 Why Jay and his colleagues were branded “fringe epidemiologists”15:52 Jay: We need to engage with everyone—even those with mistaken beliefs25:55 Persuading science skeptics36:04 How do we stop COVID overreach from happening again?46:38 Jay: Gain-of-function research is impossible to do safely55:03 Are some ideas too dangerous to test?59:30 Jay: Fauci’s blunder was so catastrophic that only history can judge himRecorded June 23, 2023Links and ReadingsRav Arora and Jay’s newsletter, The Illusion of ConsensusDoris Kearns Goodwin’s book, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham LincolnThe Great Barrington DeclarationSteve Koonin’s book, Unsettled: What Climate Science Asks Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It MattersSteve Koonin’s TGS appearanceTjalling Koopman’s, Three Essays on the State of Economic ScienceEmily Oster’s Atlantic piece, “Let’s Declare a Pandemic Amnesty”The Norfolk Group DocumentGlenn’s paper, “Self-Censorship in Public Discourse: A Theory of ‘Political Correctness’ and Related Phenomena”Richard Feynman demonstrates flaws in Challenger’s O-ringsRoger Shattuck’s book, Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Why Cornel is running for president10:45 How Cornel links American militarism abroad and inequality at home15:15 Cornel’s pitch to skeptical right-of-center voters20:30 Is there tension between Cornel’s commitment to stopping climate change and his commitment to helping the working class?33:50 The moral potential and pitfalls of capitalism37:34 Might Cornel inadvertently hand the election to the Republicans?41:44 Cornel: Tim Scott and Clarence Thomas are wrong, but they’re sincere46:06 Why Cornel thinks the US is partially culpable for the Ukraine War52:04 Should Palestinians recognize the legitimacy of the State of Israel?1:00:23 Cornel’s ideas about the US borderRecorded on June 16, 2023Links and ReadingsCornel’s campaign websiteCornel’s TGS appearance with Teodros KirosGlenn and Richard Wolff debate capitalism and socialismCornel and Robert George on PBS’s Firing LineSteve Koonin’s TGS appearanceErnesto Cortes’s TGS appearanceBenjamin Schwartz and Christopher Layne’s Harper’s essay, “Why Are We in Ukraine?” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

The following bonus episode was previously available only to paying Substack subscribers. We’re now releasing it to the public. 0:00 Identitarianism in the medical profession5:13 The (exaggerated) psychiatric toll of Covid7:31 Why were psychiatrists publicly diagnosing Trump?12:29 Sally’s quest for a kidney donor23:30 How the kidney donation system works and why it doesn’t29:30 The ethics of selling a kidney34:42 Can we put a price on the human body?43:44 Would paying donors exploit the poor?48:17 Is paid kidney donation a political possibility?53:12 The roadblocks facing paid kidney donationLinks and ReadingsSally’s book, P.C., M.D.: How Political Correctness Is Corrupting MedicineChristina Hoff Sommers and Sally’s book, One Nation Under Therapy: How the Helping Culture is Eroding Self-ReliancePeter Kramer and Sally’s 2017 NYT op-ed, “Who Decides Whether Trump Is Unfit to Govern?”matchingdonors.comLeon Kass’s book, Life, Liberty, and the Defense of Dignity: The Challenge for BioethicsGlenn’s conversation with Michael SandelMichael Novak’s defense of paid kidney donation in First ThingsSally’s book, When Altruism Isn’t Enough: The Case for Compensating Kidney DonorsSally’s New York Times Magazine piece, “Desperately Seeking a Kidney”Sally’s website This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Why Jonathan’s course “Culture in America” got canceled 9:07 The fragility of liberal arts education 17:24 Managing “CRT zealots” in the classroom 27:44 Is there a future for free inquiry? 35:03 John: Black middle-class students don’t need affirmative action 44:57 Is diversity the problem, or is it elitism? 52:35 The virtues (and virtue signaling) of Randall KennedyRecorded June 17, 2023Links and ReadingsAlex Morey and Nadine Strossen’s FIRE article about Jonathan, “Who’s Allowed to Teach ‘Culture in America’?”Barnard’s Center for Engaged PedagogyJohn’s book, Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black AmericaRobin DiAngelo’s book, White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk about RacismCornell Belcher’s book, A Black Man in the White House: Barack Obama and the Triggering of America’s Racial-Aversion CrisisRichard Rothstein’s Atlantic piece, “The Problem with Wealth-Based Affirmative Action”John’s guest post, “Racial Preferences May End, but the Fight Will Continue”Derrick Bell’s book, Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of RacismGlenn’s City Journal essay, “Affirmative Distraction”Randall Kennedy NYT guest essay, “The Truth Is, Many Americans Just Don’t Want Black People to Get Ahead”Randall Kennedy’s Atlantic essay, “My Race Problem”Randall Kennedy’s book, For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the LawRandall Kennedy’s book, Nigger: The Strange Career of a Troublesome WordJohn McWhorter and Randall Kennedy on The Glenn ShowJohn’s 2008 Bloggingheads conversation with Randall Kennedy This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Bob’s new book, The State of the Black Family: Sixty Years of Tragedies and Failures—and New Initiatives Offering Hope7:02 Bob: “Liberals have given up” on changing black family dynamics15:02 Two-parent families are preferable, but single-parent families need help22:01 Do children help women organize their lives more effectively than men?29:14 Is community college helping or hurting young black men?38:38 How Bob thinks police and communities should deter violence45:42 Work requirements with a human face56:04 The moderate’s dilemmaRecorded May 4, 2023Links and ReadingsBob’s new book, The State of the Black Family: Sixty Years of Tragedies and Failures—and New Initiatives Offering HopeDaniel Patrick Moynihan’s report, The Negro Family: The Case for National ActionHerbert Gutman’s book, The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750-1925Lawrence Mead’s book, Beyond Entitlement: The Social Obligations of CitizenshipLawrence Mead on TGS This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Inside the mind of a crack columnist4:19 The blowback from Norman Finkelstein’s TGS appearance15:27 Is it enough to be a “happy warrior” for your cause?28:45 How did MLK become MLK?37:37 What’s in a name when that name is “Woodrow Wilson”?49:10 Glenn: “Clarence Thomas’s name should be on public school buildings”Recorded May 30, 2023Links and ReadingsJohn’s NYT archiveNorman Finkelstein on TGSNorman Finkelstein’s book, I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Come to It: Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic FreedomJonathan Eig’s new biography of Martin Luther King, King: A LifeJonathan Eig’s biography of Muhammad Ali, Ali: A LifeCharles Johnson’s novel, Middle PassageCharles Johnson’s novel, DreamerReza Aslan’s new book, An American Martyr in Persia: The Epic Life and Tragic Death of Howard BaskervillePBS’s Frontline documentary, Clarence and Ginni This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Charles’s argument for emphasizing education over systemic racism5:21 Donique: Teaching African American history doesn’t require critical race theory15:36 Charles: We are the 97%!18:48 How Donique balances oppression and triumph in black history24:02 What does Florida’s Stop WOKE Act actually say?33:30 What’s wrong with integrating LGBT history and black history?44:19 Sexuality’s ever-shifting Overton window49:40 Why Donique, a public school teacher, advocates for homeschooling54:30 Expanding the canon of historic black figuresRecorded April 10, 2023Links and ReadingsCharles’s podcast, Cut the BullSeeking Educational ExcellenceThe Woodson Center’s 1776 Unites projectPutting the Pieces TogetherIan Rowe’s book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.com

0:00 John: “I love linguistics, but it no longer loves me”9:44 How Glenn and John are getting written out of their fields19:27 Jordan Neely didn’t deserve to die …27:28 … but the New York subway is getting scary37:45 Glenn: Reparations would be “impractical, unfair, and divisive in the extreme”50:50 A possible left-wing objection to reparations57:22 Glenn goes ham on reparationsRecorded May 18, 2023Links and ReadingsSteven Pinker’s book, The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates LanguageJohn’s book, Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths about America’s Lingua FrancaJohn’s book, Word on the Street: Debunking the Myth of “Pure” Standard EnglishJohn’s language podcast, Lexicon ValleyJohn, Our Magnificent B*****d Tongue: The Untold History of EnglishJohn’s NYT piece about Jordan Neely, “A Killing on the F Train”Ta-Nehisi Coates’s 2014 Atlantic essay, “The Case for Reparations”Matthew Desmond’s book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American CityMatthew Desmond’s new book, Poverty, by AmericaGlenn’s conversation with Norman FinkelsteinAugust Wilson’s play, Two Trains Running This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Why YouTube censored a TGS episode6:25 How can YouTube justify censoring matters of opinion?15:15 Why there’s no such thing as free speech26:00 Nikita’s notes on Substack Notes39:53 Democratizing content moderation46:11 Creating better, community-centered comments sectionsRecorded May 4, 2023Links and ReadingsNikita’s Substack, PsychopoliticaThe censored TGS episode, “I Feel, Therefore I Am”Glenn’s paper, “Self-Censorship in Public Discourse: A Theory of ‘Political Correctness’ and Related Phenomena”Matt Taibbi’s Substack, Racket NewsSubstack NotesGlenn’s most recent conversation with Amy Wax This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Has Norman been shut out of mainstream political debates?7:54 Norman’s conflict with Alan Dershowitz16:50 Is Israel an apartheid state?19:25 Identifying with Paul Robeson33:08 Norman’s new book, I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It!44:42 Norman: Wokeness is a “triple scam”53:28 What’s become of Angela Davis?1:00:05 Cornel West's chosen path1:09:01 Obama’s self-proclaimed “neat trick”1:24:38 The political intelligence of Carter, Clinton, and Obama1:38:10 South Carolina 2020: a case study in identity politics1:47:24 Would Bernie have won in 2016?Recorded April 19, 2023Links and ReadingsNorman’s new book, I’ll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It!: Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic FreedomNorman’s book, The Holocaust Industry: Reflections on the Exploitation of Jewish SufferingNorman’s book, Beyond Chutzpah: On the Misuse of Anti-Semitism and the Abuse of HistoryNorman’s book, Gaza: An Inquest into Its MartyrdomNorman’s book, A Nation on Trial: The Goldhagen Thesis and Historical TruthNorman’s book, What Ghandi Says: On Nonviolence, Resistance, and CourageNorman’s book, “This Time We Went Too Far”: Truth and Consequences on the Gaza InvasionNorman’s book, Knowing Too Much: Why the American Jewish Romance with Israel is Coming to an EndNorman’s book, The Rise and Fall of Palestine: A Personal Account of the Intifada YearsJoan Peters’s book, From Time Immemorial: The Origins of the Arab-Jewish Conflict over PalestineAlan Dershowitz’s book, The Case for IsraelAlan Dershowitz and Norman’s debate on Democracy NowMichael Barnett, Nathan Brown, Marc Lynch, and Shibley Telhami’s Foreign Affairs piece, “Israel’s One-State Reality”Paul Robeson singing “The Four Insurgent Generals”The Letters of Rosa LuxembourgMark Doss performing “Ol’ Man River”Paul Robeson’s autobiography, Here I StandW.E.B. Du Bois’s book, The Philadelphia NegroW.E.B. DuBois’s book, Black Reconstruction in America, 1860-1880Tom Wolfe’s New York Magazine essay, “Radical Chic: That Party at Lenny’s”Angela Davis’s 2022 appearance at the University of South CarolinaBarack Obama’s memoir, A Promised LandBill Clinton’s memoir, My LifeJimmy Carter’s memoir, Keeping FaithDavid Axelrod’s memoir, Believer: My Forty Years in PoliticsFrederick Douglass’s third autobiography, Life and Times of Frederick Douglass This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode, John and I return to a familiar character: Omar. For those of you unfamiliar with “Omar,” he’s our invented surrogate for the kind of young black man whose behavior is wreaking havoc on Chicago and St. Louis. Omar is economically disadvantaged. He was more than likely raised by a single mother. He underperforms academically, and he may have dropped out of high school. He’s involved in illegal activity of one sort or another. If there is some kind of large-scale disorderly event, you’ll likely find Omar there. After a discussion of Tucker Carlson’s departure from Fox News, John and I spend most of the episode talking about Omar: what made him who he is, why he acts the way he does, and what, if anything, can make him change. John has little sympathy for structural explanations for Omar’s behavior. According to John, culture makes Omar who he is, not the history of American racism, not implicit bias, and not even a supposed lack of legitimate jobs. I play devil’s advocate, raising some objections you might hear from sociologists or historians, but in truth, I find John’s reasoning pretty persuasive. To couch it in my own framework, the bias narrative just doesn’t cut it. And to those of you wondering if I have anything more to say about YouTube’s removal of my conversation with John and Mark Goldblatt: I sure do. I’ve recorded an episode with my creative director Nikita Petrov in which we discuss censorship, YouTube, and why we’re sticking with Substack. Stay tuned. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from City JournalHad he been in treatment, Jordan Neely’s death in a subway car may have been prevented, writes Stephen Eide.0:00 Glenn mounts a defense of Tucker Carlson13:44 Glenn: “Race relations will not get better through denial”24:37 What historical conditions created Omar?36:24 John: Omar is not the result of white neglect45:16 John’s critique of structural explanations of Omar54:14 What will happen to Tucker? 55:40 Why you should become a paying subscriber Links and Readings The NYT’s story on Tucker Carlson’s “it’s not how white men fight” textJohn’s book, Winning the Race: Beyond the Crisis in Black AmericaWilliam Julius Wilson’s book, The Truly Disadvantaged: The Inner City, the Underclass, and Public PolicyWilliam Julius Wilson’s book, When Work Disappears: The World of the New Urban PoorWilliam Julius Wilson’s book, The Declining Significance of Race: Blacks and Changing American InstitutionsThomas Sugrue’s book, The Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar DetroitJason DeParle’s book, American Dream: Three Women, Ten Kids, and a Nation’s Drive to End WelfareFrantz Fanon’s book, The Wretched of the EarthFrantz Fanon’s book, Black Skin, White MasksPhilip Roth’s novel, American Pastoral This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Heather’s new book, When Race Trumps Merit: How the Pursuit of Equity Sacrifices Excellence, Destroys Beauty, and Threatens Lives8:20 Are racial disparities in medical school the result of racism or skills gaps?20:03 Do we really know what causes racial disparities?32:23 Closing racial achievement gaps begins at home40:39 Will black doctors necessarily provide better care to black patients?50:26 Canceling Western art1:00:37 Heather: Colonialism cannot explain the development of art1:05:21 The stupidity of arguments against “cultural appropriation”1:18:24 Heather: Lack of policing is a civil rights problem1:29:43 Is it possible for a cop to get a fair trial?1:34:40 Race and the future of progressive DAsRecorded April 16, 2023Links and ReadingsHeather’s new book, When Race Trumps Merit: How the Pursuit of Equity Sacrifices Excellence, Destroys Beauty, and Threatens LivesStephen Carter’s book, Reflections of an Affirmative Action BabyGlenn’s conversation with Charles MurrayCharles Murray’s book, Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in AmericaJennifer Lee and Min Zhou’s book, The Asian American Achievement ParadoxRonald Ferguson’s learning network, The BasicsPierre Bourdieu’s book, DistinctionHeather’s City Journal essay, “Stirring Sounds”Michelle Alexander’s book, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of ColorblindnessMichael Fortner’s book, Black Silent Majority: The Rockefeller Drug Laws and the Politics of PunishmentGlenn’s conversation with Michael FortnerJames Forman Jr.’s book, Locking Up Our Own: Crime and Punishment in Black AmericaFred Siegal’s City Journal essay, “The Riot Ideology, Reborn” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comGlenn and John answer questions from the Substack community.

0:00 Mark Goldblatt’s recent book, I Feel, Therefore I Am: The Triumph of Woke Subjectivism10:55 Wokeism’s roots in postmodern thought15:05 The “mysticism” of woke thinking17:44 Learning from Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations26:29 John breaks his silence on transgender issues35:13 The political consequences of subjectivism41:46 Why Mark thinks transgender people are mentally disordered50:07 What does the T have to do with the LGB?58:09 Mark: Transgender people deserve respect1:02:39 Distinguishing between strategy and realityLinks and ReadingsMark’s book, I Feel Therefore I Am: The Triumph of Woke SubjectivismMatt Yglesias’s Vox essay, “The Great Awokening”A clip from Glenn’s recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 The gigification of academia8:26 Is education just another commodity?18:14 What do historians do?26:22 Daniel: The university system is an unregulated cartel35:08 The liberalism (not the leftism) of the university38:22 Using (and getting used by) new technology43:19 An alternate history of global economic development47:29 The end of the American century54:27 Daniel’s critique of US support for UkraineRecorded February 7, 2023Links and ReadingsDaniel’s NYT op-ed, “The Dangerous Decline of the Historical Profession”Daniel’s TGS mini-series, “Glenn Loury’s Intellectual Origins”Francis Fukuyama’s book, The End of History and the Last ManDaniel’s essay on Fukuyama for the Nation, “A Bad Breakup”Adrianna Kezar, Tom DePaola, and Daniel T. Scott’s book, The Gig Academy: Mapping Labor in the Neoliberal UniversitySamuel Bowles and Herbert Gintis’s book, Schooling in Capitalist America: Educational Reform and the Contradictions of Economic LifeJames Sweet’s column, “Is History History?”Daniel’s Chronicle of Higher Education piece, “The AHA’s Mission Needs to Change”Eugen Weber’s book, Peasants into Frenchmen: The Modernization of Rural France, 1870-1914Daniel’s podcast, American PrestigeDaniel’s Harper’s Harper’s piece, “Empire Burlesque”Daniel’s New Republic piece, “Does American Fascism Exist? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Al Sharpton’s National Action Network still exists, apparently5:00 MLK’s understanding of America’s contributions to democracy12:58 Are the “people with three names” grifters or merely limited in their racial vision?21:07 How do you change the minds of black voters?30:13 The national black leadership vacuum36:30 The under-recognized success of the black middle class41:30 Ian’s got a four-point plan …47:38 … but what’s the best way to disseminate it? (It’s podcasts.)51:37 The paradox of Obama and Thomas1:01:01 How does Glenn know “nobody is coming to save us”?Recorded April 9, 2023Links and ReadingsIan’s book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to PowerIan’s charter school network, Vertex Partnership AcademiesAl Sharpton’s National Action NetworkPew poll on black political strategy and leadershipAEI’s study, “Black Men: Making It in America” Richard Reeves’s book, Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about ItThomas Sowell speaking at the 1980 Fairmont ConferenceClarence Thomas’s memoir, My Grandfather’s Son This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 What’s wrong with cancelation?13:28 A defense of Charles Murray21:24 Cancelation and the closet28:08 Jonathan’s book, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of Truth39:35 Jonathan: “The marketplace of ideas” is a necessary but insufficient metaphor42:51 Is Trump an agent of disinformation?54:22 What the woke and MAGA crowds have in common59:41 Why Jonathan is hopeful about the constitution of knowledgeRecorded February 6, 2022Links and ReadingsJonathan’s latest book, The Constitution of Knowledge: A Defense of TruthJonathan’s book, Kindly Inquisitors: The New Attacks on Free ThoughtCharles Murray and Richard Herrnstein’s book, The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American LifeJeff Gerth’s Four-Party Columbia Journalism Review series on Trump and the pressStanford’s Internet Observatory This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 The disruption of Judge Kyle Duncan’s speech at Stanford Law School9:33 Why did people have a problem with Duncan?13:51 Will the current Supreme Court overturn Obergefell v. Hodges16:37 The necessity of free inquiry and reasoned discourse26:44 What it’s like being a FedSoc conservative at Stanford Law34:30 The fallout from the Duncan protests41:30 The vulgarity of the insults hurled at Duncan50:00 The role of conservatives at StanfordRecorded March 26, 2022Links and ReadingsVideo of Stanford Law School Associate Dean Tirien Steinbach responding to Judge DuncanStanford Law School Dean Jenny Martinez’s letter about the Duncan eventJohn Stuart Mill’s book, On Liberty This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comGlenn and John respond to questions from Substack subscribers.

0:00 John’s recent appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher7:23 The rigors of the lecture circuit10:29 The difference between equity and equality22:10 How do we know that African Americans are just as smart as everyone else?30:59 The new black bourgeoisie38:33 Standards in the arts are relative. But how relative?51:15 John sets the record straight on his dancing skillsRecorded March 19, 2022Links and ReadingsJohn’s most recent appearance on Real Time with Bill MaherGlenn and John April 14 UATX event in New YorkE. Franklin Frazier’s book, Black Bourgeoisie Glenn and John’s conversation with pseudonymous orchestra conductor Don BatonDon Baton’s Substack, The PodiumGlenn and John’s conversation with actor James BeamanJames Beaman’s Substack, The CornfieldGlenn and John’s conversation with Vincent LloydJohn’s NYT piece, “The High Art of Musical Theater”Walter Murphy’s song, “A Fifth of Beethoven” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week is the distinguished physicist Sylvester “Jim” Gates. Jim was my colleague at Brown for years (he’s now at the University of Maryland), and we’re both alumni of MIT. Jim has made pathbreaking contributions to areas of physics that laymen like me can barely understand—he’s a deep, deep guy. He’s also got some thoughts on race and diversity in the sciences that give us an opportunity for some friendly debate. Jim begins by introducing supersymmetry, a subfield in physics he helped to define back in the ‘70s. It’s extremely complex stuff, but he breaks it down. We spend the bulk of our time, though, talking about race in the sciences. Jim stresses the value that diversity plays in an under-recognized aspect of scientific innovation: imagination. In Jim’s view, while tests are important, there are limits to what they can tell us about who is most likely to produce the next big advance in any scientific field, just as there are limits to what tests can tell us about the competency of any given student. He uses himself as an example of a student who was average when he started grad school but managed to transform himself into a cutting-edge researcher. He sees value in giving weight to diversity, and even to continuing affirmative action, but there are limits. He worries, for example, that DEI initiatives classifying basic practices like homework and demanding excellence as “white” are going too far, just as he thinks speakers with unpopular views should be met with debate rather than cancelation. It’s a pleasure to sit down with a scientist as distinguished as Jim Gates. I think you’ll be seeing more of him on The Glenn Show in the future. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from the Manhattan InstituteImproving our criminal-justice system means spending the requisite money to address America’s horrific and long-standing problem with criminal violence, argue Reihan Salam and Charles Fain Lehman.0:00 What led Jim to the forefront of physics 7:53 Jim explains supersymmetry 11:50 Is there racism in the sciences? 18:12 The role of culture and imagination in the sciences 28:47 The scientific “big bang” in Europe 33:03 How Jim accounts for racial disparities in test scores 49:35 Jim: “Genius” is a verb 54:18 Why Jim worries about DEI and cancelationRecorded February 6, 2023Links and ReadingsClarence Williams’s book, Technology and the Dream: Reflections on the Black Experience at MIT, 1941-1999Jim’s essay, “Equity vs. Excellence: A False Dichotomy in Science and Society”Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific RevolutionsKarl Popper, The Logic of Scientific DiscoveryPhysicist Stephon Alexander’s TGS appearanceStephon Alexander’s book, The Jazz of Physics: The Secret Link between Music and the Structure of the UniverseStephon Alexander’s book, Fear of a Black Universe: An Outsider’s Guide to the Future of Physics This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 John’s awkward run-in at the farmer’s market 5:40 Will people be reading Ibram X. Kendi in 2043? 17:03 Regret, doubt, and going against the tide 28:12 How Glenn and John negotiate their public profiles 40:50 Did Scott Adams deserve to get canceled? 52:47 What’s going on beneath the Scott Adams controversy?Recorded March 5, 2023Links and ReadingsIbram X. Kendi’s Zora Neale Hurston adaptation, Magnolia FlowerMelissa Harris Perry’s radio show, The TakeawayIshmael Reed’s novel, Reckless EyeballingIshmael Reed’s essay collection, Another Day at the Front This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Oded's new book, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality7:58 How inequality and growth emerged over the course of human history18:52 Breaking free of a 300,000-year-old stagnation cycle27:24 Humanity's phase shift into modernity33:39 Inequality and the formation of institutions44:18 The deep links between geography and institutions50:38 Africa, Asia, and the trials of diversityRecorded January 21, 2023Links and ReadingsOded’s new book, The Journey of Humanity: The Origins of Wealth and Inequality This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Woke religion or woke cult? 8:59 Does suffering confer authority on the sufferer? 12:47 A world without “anti-black domination” 21:27 Is there an alternative to the criminal justice system? 34:42 Domination and the purpose of the university 42:47 How Vincent’s Telluride Association seminar blew up 50:45 The narrowness of the social justice framework 54:14 Glenn and John’s encounters with fans 59:49 Should Black Studies exist?Recorded February 19, 2023Links and ReadingsVincent’s latest book, Black Dignity: The Struggle against DominationVincent’s Compact essay, “A Black Professor Trapped in Anti-Racist Hell”John’s NYT piece, “DeSantis May Have Been Right” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Glenn Loury & Delano Squires (Blaze Media)0:00 Why Delano is a conservative7:06 Delano’s critique of Raphael Warnock and the “Afristocracy” 19:26 Delano: “The designer is the definer” 27:43 Abortion and black lives41:44 Are abortion rights necessary to protect women’s rights? 47:53 Delano: Government is no substitute for fatherhood53:48 Can we reweave the social fabric?Links and ReadingsDelano’s writing at Blaze MediaThe Woodson Center’s 1776 Unites Black and Married with KidsIan Rowe’s book, Agency: The Four Point Plan (F.R.E.E.) for ALL Children to Overcome the Victimhood Narrative and Discover Their Pathway to Power This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 The “utter horror show” and incompetent policing of the Tyre Nichols killing7:52 The relatively peaceful reaction to the killing15:25 What set off the cops?21:53 Why Peter thinks police units like SCORPION should not be disbanded27:25 Should we get rid of qualified immunity?30:21 Policing and white supremacy40:45 Peter: We on the left have ceded law and order to the Trumpian right46:00 Tyre Nichols’s funeral53:59 John: I disagree with Sharpton, Crump, and Dyson, but they’re sincereLinks and ReadingsVideo of Memphis police officers beating Tyre NicholsAl Sharpton’s eulogy for NicholsBenjamin Crump speaks at Nichols’s funeralOfficial trailer for Spike Lee’s film, Bamboozled This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Ernie’s work as an organizer5:45 Tension, polarization, and reconciliation12:49 The drama of organizing18:21 The definition of power27:52 Ernesto’s work getting running water and sewers to border communities31:26 Market activity vs. market ideology41:31 What’s wrong with meritocracy?56:12 Does identitarianism stand in the way of reconciliation?Recorded January 19, 2023Links and ReadingsIndustrial Areas FoundationMy recent debate with Richard WolffArthur Okun’s book, Equality and Efficiency: A Big TradeoffDaniel Bell’s book, The Cultural Contradictions of CapitalismJohn Kenneth Galbraith’s book, American Capitalism: The Concept of Countervailing PowerMichael Sandel’s book, The Tyranny of Merit: What’s Become of the Common Good?Michael Sandel’s book, What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of MarketsMichael Sandel’s TGS appearanceFranz Fanon’s book, Black Skin, White Masks This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Glenn and John go to Cambridge9:25 The Hamline University Prophet Muhammad controversy 14:38 John: “Physics is physics”18:45 The Harlem Renaissance and Black Studies26:35 Is “getting past race” more trouble than it’s worth?36:51 Is Joe Biden patronizing black people?42:59 How a black musical changed the sound of Broadway Recorded January 20, 2023Links and ReadingsThe Equiano ProjectArnold Rampersand’s biography of Langston HughesJohn’s 2002 City Journal piece, “The Mau-Mauing at Harvard”Glenn and John’s recent conversation with Greg ThomasCaseen Gaines’s book, When Broadway Was Black This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Steven’s best-selling book, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It Matters2:38 Steven: Concerns about catastrophic climate change “beggar belief”9:43 The complexities of climate change models15:07 Should we worry about rising sea levels?24:54 Hurricanes, tornados, and other extreme weather events29:59 Is a zero-emissions goal worth the cost?38:05 How to fix climate science45:02 Are the Paris Accords viable?48:13 The coming climate backlashRecorded January 3, 2023Links and ReadingsSteven’s book, Unsettled: What Climate Science Tells Us, What It Doesn’t, and Why It MattersSteven’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, “Will Climate Change Really Put New York Underwater?”Steven’s 2022 Wall Street Journal op-ed, “Greenland’s Melting Ice Is No Cause for Climate-Change Panic” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 A brief intro from Glenn1:03 The lionization of the lightweights5:45 The unified field theory of non-whiteness19:16 An honest conversation about crime27:51 Glenn’s birthday menu30:46 It’s time to choose a side41:46 Clarence Thomas, black icon44:54 Policing Joe Rogan51:56 By any means necessary? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This week I’m very pleased to have with me the political philosopher Michael Sandel. I’ve been an avid reader of Michael’s work for decades, ever since coming across his first book, Liberalism and the Limits of Justice in the 1980s. Michael’s latest book, 2020’s The Tyranny of Merit, couldn’t be more timely. In it, Michael elaborates a critique of the meritocratic ideology that divides society into winners and losers, each of which has earned the fate that has befallen them. In our conversation, Michael lays out his argument in the book, which takes issue with the notion that an individual’s economic success or failure is an index of their character. The idea that the wealthy deserve their wealth and the poor deserve their poverty ignores the powerful economic forces that shape the outcomes of people’s lives, forces that operate well outside the control of the people affected by them. We discuss the distinction between profit and value, and the ways that the cultural and economic rise of tech, finance, and knowledge work has stripped the dignity and honor from formerly dignified and honorable professions. The rise of populism since Trump’s election serves as compelling evidence that society’s “losers” recognize the bad hand they’ve been dealt, but Michael’s critique of meritocracy has made him an influential figure in China as well, where meritocracy is arguably an even more powerful cultural force. It’s an honor to have such a distinguished figure on the show. I have the feeling that what Michael says here will ring true for many of my listeners, so I’m looking forward to your comments. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from City JournalSteven Malanga discusses why the middle class flees states that tax the rich. 0:00 Some of Michael’s key works 4:01 Meritocratic ideals and meritocratic fantasies 10:07 The animus against elites 16:26 Shouldn’t innovators reap their rewards? 23:09 Does more profit create more value? 28:42 Renewing the dignity of work 37:43 The uses of punishment 43:57 Our responsibility to national and global communities 46:17 Michael: Diversity has “monopolized” discussion of affirmative action 52:52 China’s reception of Michael’s critique of meritocracyRecorded November 18, 2022Links and Readings Michael’s book, Liberalism and the Limits of JusticeMichael’s book, What Money Can’t Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets Michael’s book, The Tyranny of Merit: Can We Find the Common Good?Michael Young’s book, The Rise of the MeritocracyIndustrial Areas Foundation This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This week, John McWhorter and I are joined by Greg Thomas, senior fellow at the Institute for Cultural Evolution and CEO of the Jazz Leadership Project, to discuss one of our perennial Big Questions: Are we ready to deracialize? As you may have gathered from his previous TGS appearance, that’s the kind of issue Greg loves to sink his teeth into. But I do have some questions of my own for Greg. Let’s get into it.We begin with a little jazz talk. I ask Greg how he goes about incorporating the principles of the music into the workshops he leads with the Jazz Leadership Project. He goes on to explain how the history of jazz provides a way of understanding how we can begin to envision a society that moves past race. Greg uses the work of Albert Murray and Ralph Ellison as examples, but I want to know why I and other black people should have to abandon our racial self-identification? Surely this task can’t fall to black people alone. I suggest to Greg that he’s unjustifiably conflating black identity and the victim mentality—you can have the former without the latter. After a brief discussion about whiteness and deracialization, Greg departs, leaving John and me to do a quick review of 2022 and to look ahead to 2023. This is a fiery one! It’s our final episode of the year. Thank you all for watching, listening, and reading. John and I will be back in 2023. See you there!Featured Content from the Manhattan InstituteDaniel Di Martino released a report with reforms to America’s immigration system, which is turning off high-skilled immigrants due to slow processing and unneeded bureaucracy. 0:00 The principles of jazz 7:14 “Deracialization Now” 13:00 Becoming Omni-American 20:46 What’s wrong with racial identification? 25:36 Black victimization and cultural memory 35:15 The transformations of James Baldwin 42:10 Convincing white people to deracialize 48:40 Takeaways from 2022 55:33 2023’s big Supreme Court decisionsLinks and ReadingsJazz Leadership ProjectInstitute for Cultural Evolution BME CommunityGreg’s essay, “Deracialization Now” Albert Murray’s book, The Omni-Americans: Some Alternatives to the Folklore of White Supremacy John’s book, Talking Back, Talking Black: Truths about America’s Lingua FrancaKwame Anthony Appiah’s book, Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World of Strangers Reconstruction.us Abigail Thernstrom’s book, Whose Votes Count?: Affirmative Action and Minority Voting Rights This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Why Glenn does The Glenn Show13:02 Glenn: “If I was going to vote for Trump, I wouldn’t tell you”19:21 “The cat is out of the bag” on election denial25:45 Modeling epistemic modesty31:12 Why is race such an important issue for Glenn?39:13 The Old Glenn and the New Glenn45:46 Confronting the past50:44 Putting “the funk” on the story of your lifeRecorded October 27, 2022Links and ReadingsHamish’s podcast, The Active VoiceEmily Oster’s SubstackRobert Wright’s Nonzero NewsletterNonzero’s YouTube channelMatt Taibbi’s SubstackMatt Taibbi’s book, Hate, Inc.: Why Today’s Media Makes Us Despise One AnotherBraver AngelsJohn McWhorter’s book, Woke Racism: How a New Religion Has Betrayed Black AmericaBenjamin Crump’s book, Open Season: Legalized Genocide of Colored PeopleGlenn’s Quillette piece, “Unspeakable Truths about Racial Inequality in America”Glenn’s first Bloggingheads appearance, with Joshua Cohen in August 2007James Q. Wilson’s book, Thinking about CrimeRafael Mangual’s recent TGS appearanceAndrew Sullivan’s SubstackAlex Berenson’s Substack This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Why are we paying so much attention to Kanye West’s antisemitism?14:02 The two words you never say together23:28 Could widespread antisemitism take hold in the US?36:53 The mythological black past and the realities of the present48:12 How necessary is rootedness to the modern human experience?56:54 How we make race, how race makes usRecorded on December 10, 2022Links and ReadingsDave Chappelle’s SNL monologue on Kanye West and Kyrie IrvingJohn’s NYT piece, “It’s Too Darn Loud” Wilson Jeremiah Moses’s book, Afrotopia: The Roots of African American Popular HistoryOrlando Patterson’s essay, “Toward a Future That Has No Past – Reflections on the Fate of Blacks in America”Rogers Brubaker’s book, Ethnicity without GroupsGlenn and John’s May 2020 conversation about George Floyd This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This week we’ve got something special for you here at The Glenn Show. In late October, I convened in person in New York City with the economist Richard Wolff for an extended debate on the comparative merits of capitalism and socialism. Some of you may have seen Rick’s previous appearance on TGS, where he joined John McWhorter and me for a similar debate. Rick and I both felt that we had more to say than that format allowed, so we agreed to meet face to face. Both of us are passionate defenders of our positions—capitalism for me and socialism for Rick—so we knew we needed a moderator to keep things on track. Luckily, I knew just the person: my lovely wife, LaJuan Loury. If you’re a regular viewer, you’ll know that LaJuan and I have some stark political differences; her views have more in common with Rick’s than with mine. (And if you’re a regular podcast listener, you’ll recognize her voice from the introduction to every episode.) Rick and I agreed that LaJuan would set the agenda, formulate the questions that we would debate, and moderate the conversation. I think you’ll agree that she more than rose to the challenge. As you might expect, this is a lively exchange. Rick and I have real differences in the ways we think about economics and politics. One thing on which we do agree is the necessity of having serious debates like this one in a civil and open manner. As TGS continues to grow, you can look forward to more content like this. You can also look forward, if all goes according to plan, to more LaJuan. And if you find yourself wishing for even more pushback on Rick’s positions than I offered, stay tuned. This Sunday’s edition of the newsletter will feature a bonus episode with the economist Gene Epstein, who offers a forceful rebuttal to Rick’s previous appearance on the show. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from the Manhattan Institute“Prejudice must be measured rigorously. Statistically. Disparity doesn’t necessarily imply racism. It may feel omnipresent, but it isn’t all-powerful. Skills matter most,” writes Roland Fryer. 0:00 Is capitalism a “winner take all” system? 12:54 Why does the word “socialism” make so many Americans afraid? 24:55 Has neoliberalism been beneficial for the US? 33:25 Capitalism’s role in rising living standards around the world 40:59 Are higher interest rates the only solution to inflation? 52:36 Can the market eradicate employment discrimination? 1:02:12 Why is the rent too damn high? 1:13;20 Can there be a kinder, gentler form of capitalism? 1:18:58 Closing statementsRecorded October 26, 2022Links and Readings Rick’s previous appearance on The Glenn ShowGary Becker’s book, The Economics of Discrimination Matthew Desmond’s book, Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 How the pandemic affected diversity in the theater10:24 James gets drawn into an “antiracist” meltdown during rehearsal21:08 James’s story of ostracism and Loving v. Virginia26:58 Juilliard students revolt39:19 A plea for mutual understanding in the theater47:57 A preview of things to come on The Glenn Show50:32 Glenn’s problem with “racial inequity”59:18 Getting through to “Donna”1:03:58 To speak your mind or to speak strategically?Recorded November 27, 2022Links and ReadingsJames’s homepageGlenn and John’s conversation with Don BatonJohn’s NYT piece, “‘Racism’ Without Racists”Ronald Ferguson’s speech from Glenn’s festschrift This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 What does “black identity” mean?4:53 Why Bob left the Civil Rights Movement8:04 Shelby: Our problem today is freedom, not racism15:36 Glenn: We can’t afford to give up on black collective goals21:30 Why Shelby wouldn’t sign a letter of support for Clarence Thomas30:13 Would freeing ourselves from race mean sacrificing collective action?39:10 The tactical efficacy of racial identification44:32 The struggle for human freedom50:46 Can we take pride in group achievements past?1:02:22 Kmele: We have a too-narrow sense of diversity1:07:20 Glenn: “The future is assimilation”1:13:03 Concluding statementsLinks and ReadingsKmele’s podcast, The Fifth ColumnThe Woodson CenterGlenn and Bob’s letter of support for Clarence ThomasThomas Chatterton Williams’s book, Self-Portrait in Black and White: Family, Fatherhood, and Rethinking Race This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Glenn’s culinary dilemma3:31 Why the Republican Party depresses John8:14 What’s the difference between Herschel Walker and John Fetterman?13:12 Glenn’s argument for voting Republican30:01 Woke theater’s “melodramatic agitprop”43:10 Kanye, Kyrie, and the Jews54:00 What’s “systemic,” “structural,” or “institutional” about racism?Recorded on November 13, 2022Links and ReadingsJohn’s NYT column, “Racism and Theater, Then and Now”Glenn and John’s conversation with orchestra conductor Don BatonWilson Jeremiah Moses’s book, Afrotopia: The Roots of African American Popular History This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

My guest this week, filmmaker Rob Montz, is an unlikely figure: a libertarian-leaning Brown University graduate who loves ‘90s rap and produces politically inflected documentaries that push back against the orthodoxies of the mainstream media. Rob has featured me in several of his works, and so I thought it was time to return the favor and have him on TGS.I begin by asking Rob how someone with a Brown pedigree ends up interested in such un-Brown-like figures as Charles Murray, Roy Beck, and Scott Atlas. Rob traces out his path from Brown to the Cato Institute to starting his own company, Good Kid Productions. He talks about some of his work, including a forthcoming doc about James Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse and one defending Roland Fryer from Harvard’s spurious sexual harassment charges. We then discuss the niches we’ve created for ourselves outside of the mainstream. Rob asks whether there’s a place for younger figures who can follow in my footsteps by achieving legitimacy both within academia and as a critic of the pieties that govern academic and political life in the US. We then move on to what’s shaping up to be one of the most crucial questions of the next two years: Trump or DeSantis? And finally, I ask Rob about his abiding affection for rap.Rob is doing important work as a filmmaker, and I recommend that everyone check out his YouTube channel. I’ll certainly be keeping an eye on it to see what comes next. (Note: This conversation took place on September 20, 2022, before the latest set of controversies around Kanye West emerged.)This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from City JournalRoland G. Fryer discusses affirmative action, why the current system doesn’t work, and suggests alternatives to the status quo.0:00 The appeals of immigration restrictionism 16:52 The 2013 Ray Kelly incident at Brown University 24:39 Rob’s forthcoming documentary about Jacob Blake and Kyle Rittenhouse 36:29 The response to Rob’s Roland Fryer doc 41:41 Why Rob and Glenn aren’t seeking the mainstream spotlight 47:20 Is there a “next Glenn Loury”? 55:10 Glenn’s course on race and policing be required? 1:02:19 Rob’s position on Trump 1:09:11 DeSantis vs. Trump 1:15:22 Rob’s love of ‘90s rapLinks and ReadingsGood Kid Productions on YouTubeRob’s interview with Roy BeckRay Kelly getting heckled at Brown in 2013Rob’s interview with Jay BhattacharyaRob’s mini-doc about Roland FryerRoland Fryer’s education company, ReconstructionRoland Fryer’s other company, Equal Opportunity Ventures Dexter Filkins’s New Yorker piece on Ron DeSantis This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

I’m back with John McWhorter for the latest installment of our ongoing conversation. John hit some technical snags in the first ten minutes of the recording, so apologies if the beginning sounds a little jumpy. After that, things smooth out. On to the conversation.We begin by talking about my memoir, which is now, after years of false starts, humming along nicely. But the process has forced me to confront some very dark episodes from my past, and they don’t always cast me in the most flattering light. As I explain, I think that presenting this unvarnished account of my own actions is necessary, both in the service of truth and in building credibility. John says he’ll probably never write a memoir, but I believe that if he sat down to do it, people would be more receptive than he thinks they would. After a rant about the “lightweights” against whom John and I often find ourselves pitted in the public square, we consider that we and people like us are finally making some headway in the conversation about race. Our views are no longer so marginal, and we may even be in, as John says, a “golden age of black heterodoxy.” And speaking of heterodoxy, I recount my recent debate with Shelby Steele, Robert Woodson, and Kmele Foster on “the ethics of racial identity” (watch this space for more soon). We finish the episode with accounts of the strange case of Jessica Krug’s racial masquerade and Darrell Brooks’s pathetic defense in his murder trial. We get deep in this one. As always, I’m looking forward to your comments. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from the Manhattan InstituteReihan Salam argues Congress should fund innovative public–private partnerships now to prepare for a future pandemic. 0:00 Walking through the valley of the shadow of death 5:20 Earning credibility through self-discrediting disclosure 16:29 The lionization of the lightweights 21:09 The golden age of black heterodoxy 26:01 The mainstreaming of Glenn and John 37:36 Glenn’s debate with Shelby Steele, Robert Woodson, and Kmele Foster 45:45 Are we ready to “get past race”? 56:03 The strange case of Jessica Krug 1:03:46 Darrell Brooks’s courtroom performanceLinks and ReadingsThe announcement for 2022 Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts EducationKmele Foster’s podcast, The Fifth Column Darrell Brooks’ closing statement at his trial This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

As I mentioned at the start of our latest subscriber-only Q&A episode, John McWhorter recently received the 2022 Philip Merrill Award for Outstanding Contributions to Liberal Arts Education, bestowed by the American Council of Trustees and Alumni. According to the ACTA, the award honors “individuals who have made an extraordinary contribution to liberal arts education, core curricula, and the teaching of Western Civilization and American history.” Perhaps I’m biased, but I can think of no one who more richly deserves such recognition, and so I was proud to be asked to deliver some remarks in tribute to John at a ceremony, which I offer below. (I’ve also recorded an audio and video version for those who prefer to listen and watch. The audio is available now, video will uploaded tomorrow.)Next month will mark the fifteenth anniversary of my first recorded dialogue with John. Since that first episode, the two of us have experienced much. The beginnings and ends of marriages, the loss of loved ones, the birth of children and grandchildren, not to mention changes in political orientation and new career paths. Through all of that, John and I have kept talking to each other. I think those conversations are important for the reasons I state below. But equally important to me is the friendship that has allowed us, despite our differences, to keep the dialogue going. Without that bond, we may have been able to continue the conversation, but it would not have meant nearly as much to me as it does. This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.There are things that don’t—or can’t—get said when we talk about race in most venues in America. Those who have followed the 15-year-long conversation on this topic that I have been undertaking with John at The Glenn Show know what I’m talking about, whether it’s crime in black communities or out-of-wedlock birthrates, academic underperformance or the unbearable intellectual lightness of anti-racism agitation. In academia, in mainstream publications and media outlets, and increasingly in K-12 classrooms, what I’ve called “the bias narrative” holds sway. Negative aspects of black life are attributed almost entirely to the nation’s history of racial oppression, which is said to begin in the early seventeenth century and to continue unabated to this day. We are said to be a bandit society built on genocidal plundering undertaken by unrepentant racists.That’s one story you could tell. And if that story were just one of many circulating through our national discourse, it wouldn’t be the worst thing. But this “bias narrative” has become not just one of many stories. It’s now the only story on newspaper opinion pages, in scholarly journals, and in educational materials disseminated throughout our schools. It’s the story told by the White House. It’s the story that ramifies out from the most elite precincts of our country and shapes ordinary conversations and relations between individuals. Its grip on so many areas of the public imagination has become so tight that anyone challenging it is viewed with suspicion and, often enough, outright contempt. If an alternate explanation for black underperformance is proffered, it’s not the explanation that gets challenged but the individual making it. For to challenge this narrative, ipso facto, proves that one is a racist, or a deplorable or, if the challenger is a black man, an Uncle Tom.This situation is intellectually infantile and morally bankrupt. How we talk and think about race has consequences that can be measured not just in dollars and cents but in stagnant lives and dead bodies. So, responding with ad hominem attacks to any account of our current predicament that is not rooted in bias isn’t merely unfortunate, it is actively damaging. The stakes are enormously high here and the hour is late. Candor, integrity and courage are in short supply. Name-calling and character assassination have largely replaced open debate, while naked emperors, pseudo-academics, and bombastic demagogues command the public square.Enter John and Glenn. Or as I sometimes like to refer to our duo, enter the WokeBusters!!In Hans Christian Anderson’s story “The Emperor's New Clothes,” two swindlers promise to provide an emperor with magnificent new clothes that will be invisible to those who are too stupid or incompetent to see them. Officials see plainly see that no clothes are being produced on the swindler’s looms, but none of them will say anything to avoid being thought of as a fool. So when the emperor walks through the city in his new “clothes,” everyone can see that he is naked, but no one will be the first to say it. But then comes along an innocent child who, in his naïveté, is willing to defy this false consensus and speak out.The thing about the child in that story is not that he’s saying it. It’s not even that other people hear

0:00 How Rafael came to the Manhattan Institute7:33 Rafael’s new book, Criminal (In)Justice: What the Push for Decarceration and Depolicing Gets Wrong and Who It Hurts Most15:35 Is prison the right response to violent crime?26:20 Why Rafael believes in three-strikes-type sentencing guidelines31:42 Incarceration may lower crime, but is it just? 41:54 Rafael: Defunding the police is an indefensible idea49:34 Should we worry about racial disparities in the non-deadly use of force by police?1:00:08 Why Rafael’s father didn’t want him to become a copLinks and ReadingsRafael’s new book, Criminal (In)Justice: What the Push for Decarceration and Depolicing Gets Wrong and Who It Hurts MostRafael’s conversation with former NYPD and LAPD police commissioner William BrattonRoland Fryer and Rafael’s appearance on Peter Robinson’s Uncommon Knowledge podcast This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Is racist heckling at sporting events a real problem?15:13 John: “If you can’t be made fun of, you’re not part of the group”26:42 The LA County Federation of Labor racism scandal34:10 Why is there no Latino Michael Brown?41:22 Exalting (and exaggerating) the victim role47:47 Glenn’s daughter’s upcoming appearance on The Glenn Show49:48 Elite discrimination against AsiansLinks and ReadingsJohn’s NYT piece, “What a Report of Extreme Racism Teaches Us”Wilfred Reilly’s book, Hate Crime Hoax: How the Left Is Selling a Fake Race WarJohn’s NYT piece, “Stop Making Asian Americans Pay the Price for Campus Diversity” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Matt’s profile of the artist Rahmaan Statik11:26 Chicago’s “Great Unraveling” 20:41 Is Chicago slouching toward dystopia? 29:50 How will the near-end of cash bail affect crime in Chicago?33:24 The responsibilities of teachers, parents, and the police46:59 A snapshot of crime in Chicago52:26 Matt runs the numbers on Illinois’s out-of-wedlock births1:02:44 Lori Lightfoot’s prospects for reelectionLinks and ReadingsMatt’s book, What Next, Chicago?: Notes of a Pissed-Off Native SonWirepointsMatt’s profile with artist Rahmaan BarnesRahmaan Barnes’s artUniversity of Chicago Crime Lab’s Becoming a Man program This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

0:00 Is Florence Price’s music worthy of its current popularity?12:20 The decline of blind auditions18:27 Do diverse orchestras attract diverse audiences and musicians?23:26 Why Don is protecting his real identity27:00 Glenn delivers a soliloquy on humanity32:06 John: Eliminating blind auditions is “bat s**t crazy”38:22 Should John’s daughters benefit from affirmative action?Links and ReadingsDon’s Substack, The PodiumDon’s series on Florence Price: Part One, Part Two, Part ThreeFlorence Price’s Symphony No. 3Van Cliburn’s performance of Rachmaninoff’s Piano Concerto No. 2Anthony Tommasini’s NYT piece, “To Make Orchestras More Diverse, End Blind Auditions”George Walker on YouTubeWilliam Dawson’s Negro Folk SymphonyWilliam Grant Still’s Symphony No. 1Claudia Goldin and Cecilia Rouse’s article “Orchestrating Impartiality: The Impact of ‘Blind’ Auditions on Female Musicians”John’s NYT piece, “Stop Making Asian Americans Pay the Price for Campus Diversity” This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

This week I welcome Lara Bazelon back to the show. Lara is a lawyer, a professor of law, and the author of several books, including the excellent novel A Good Mother. Lara is also an energetic free speech advocate who has taken some principled stands that have, at times, put her at odds with other progressives.We begin by discussing Lara’s decision to represent a college student, “John,” who had been found culpable for the alleged rape of a fellow student. Lara explains how the Title IX regulations under which John was investigated unfairly stacked the deck against him. These regulations, while providing needed protections for women, can also allow for unfair results that can potentially destroy the lives of the accused without giving them a chance to defend themselves. As a feminist, Lara is committed to defending women’s equality, but she is also uncomfortable with the ways that some progressives seem willing to sacrifice free speech in the name of equity. This has led her to work with pro-free speech organizations that have, among other things, defended Amy Wax against Penn Law’s attempt to fire her. Lara finds many of Amy’s statements odious, but she does not believe Amy should be silenced. She’s even found common cause with conservatives with whom she has worked to overturn wrongful convictions.Lara is proof that, even in our current political environment, principled conservatives and progressives can act together in good faith to achieve some common goals. I admire her courage and conviction, and I’m very curious to know what all of you think.This post is free and available to the public. To receive early access to TGS episodes, an ad-free podcast feed, Q&As, and other exclusive content and benefits, click below.Featured Content from City JournalJoanna Williams discusses how the concept of a motherhood pay “penalty” indicates a society with misplaced priorities. 0:00 Lara’s critique of Title IX adjudications 9:29 Why Lara defended a college student accused of rape 19:17 Lara’s cross-examination of the accuser 26:45 The trouble with “Believe Women” 36:11 What the Trump Administration got right about Title IX 39:26 Why Lara supports Amy Wax’s freedom of speech 50:25 Does Glenn still feel marginalized? 56:58 Finding common ground amidst political tribalism 1:01:12 Lara’s work on racial disparities in sexual assault casesLinks and ReadingsLara’s new book, Ambitious Like a Mother: Why Prioritizing Your Career Is Good for Your KidsLara’s book, Rectify: The Power of Restorative Justice After Wrongful ConvictionLara’s novel, A Good MotherLara’s keynote address at FIRE’s 2022 Student Network ConferenceUniversity of San Francisco’s Juvenile & Criminal Justice Law ClinicPenn Law Dean Theodore Ruger’s letter to the Faculty Senate regarding Amy WaxThe Academic Freedom Alliance’s letter in support of Amy Wax This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe