PLANNED TOPICS: The RNC: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. National Read Atlas Shrugged Day. And our “Intervention” series continues with a look at some foreign policy issues.
Today’s live show, and then later the archive recording, can be accessed here.
To access the show page at BlogTalk Radio, which will allow you to check out a past episode, or to subscribe to the recorded archives via iTunes and other services, use this link.
To access the new iTunes store page for “Don’t Let It Go…Unheard,” where you can find past episodes, subscribe, and leave ratings and reviews (pretty please!), use this link.
Don't Let It Go 
Reblogged this on Glory to man in the highest.
Interesting and informative podcast. I enjoyed it very much.
I noticed a mention of “my” “-1” rating of Obama, and the implication that it was overly “generous”–and thus, naive. Probably so. I’m willing, FWIW, to go to a “-5″….. (But, also FWIW, I’m keeping Ryan–the rabid Roman Catholic anti-abortionist–at a very firm “-10”.)
Fair enough — we have several more weeks to hash all of this out before the election. 🙂
Dear Amy and Bosch,
I listened to the podcast on Monday morning while I was clearing the breakfast dishes. The timing of the Sunday live podcast is unfortunate for me because it’s our dinner time, and we usually reserve that time for talk amongst ourselves; otherwise, I would tune in and probably join the chat room. You made some good points about the speeches at the RNC. I watched most of them on C-span, with the exception of Romney’s because it was just too late, and I knew I’d be able to watch it on YouTube anyway. Especially like your analysis of Father Rubio’s displacement of the words “more government” v. “more freedom.” I originally thought it was slip, but if as you say it’s because he views them as just words, and not concepts, then indeed, he’s cut from the same cloth as all other power seeking politicians (but, to paraphrase Mark Twain, I repeat myself). What is most
disheartening about his remarks is the overwhelming acceptance they found in the convention delegates. Rah, rah, rah! Yuk. Also liked your observation that too many young people these days are consumed with politics. Perhaps part of the reason is the public school system, and its agenda to push the concepts of patriotism, loyalty to one team, or one school, or one student-body candidate (as early as grammar school, btw). Having brought up two sons, who thrived in spite of their time in public school, I can testify to the mind-warping that goes on in the classroom.
I do wish, however, you had not spent so much time on going over the convention, and instead had moved on to your scheduled foreign policy intervention. With the election only a few weeks away, time is running out to make your point, and buying time is what it’s all about this election. There is probably no one, and this is an exaggeration but I feel very strongly about it, more weary of waiting for the “perfect” candidate to come along, one for whom I could vote with unabashed enthusiasm. But, little by little, more and more people have infiltrated the system, and are starting to make changes – all because of ideas, because of a philosophy they credit with helping them see things differently. The list is getting longer all the time. Romney is not really and truly on it, BUT, Obama wants to burn that list. Obama’s goal is to wipe out any notions of self reliance, self motivation, ownership, independence (especially from the state), creativity, freedom.
Have you ever seen the “Star Trek – The Original Series” episode wherein Kirk and the rest of the away team land on a planet whose people have been assimilated under the control of a mystical, unseen, power – a group of lawgivers called “The Body?” The populace, the Betans, (hard not to miss the great experiment [beta-test] analogy) are under its spell, and during the day, are peaceful, law-abiding citizens. But at the stroke of the “Red Hour” they change into a violent mob – it’s their only way of escape from the hold that “Landru,” the omniscient controller of The Body, has on then. It’s titled “The Return of the Archons.” Landru, who is in reality a computerized remnant of the long dead original ruler, wanted nothing more than to “who wanted to guide his people into a peaceful, civilized progress.” Rather than submit to being “of The Body” a group of rebels, the Archons (who are survivors from the crashed ship the U.S.S. Archon), form an underground to defeat Landru. The entire plot summary is here: http://www.startrek.com/database_article/return-of-the-archons-the. My only beef with the episode is that the reason the writers gave for the bad outcome of computerized version of Landru is that it was filled with Landru’s “scientific thoughts and memories” but not his “wisdom,” as if all great experiments of this sort could work if with just a little more wisdom. In any case, it was one of the more thoughtful episodes of STTOS, and if you haven’t seen it, it bears watching, especially today. Perhaps it should be suggested viewing for those you are trying to reach with your intervention series.
One last note: instead of starting to re-read “Atlas Shrugged” yesterday, we watched “Ayn Rand and the Prophecy of Atlas Shrugged.”
Very nicely done!
Thanks, J! We’ll have to check out the Star Trek episode. I don’t recall that one, but I believe Netflix offers a bunch of the episodes for streaming now. Love, love, love technology 🙂
As for your comment on the public schools: “…the public school system, and its agenda to push the concepts of patriotism, loyalty to one team, or one school, or one student-body candidate…”
I wish true patriotism was promoted in schools — have you seen that it is? The rest seems more like either collectivism, or the pushing of kids into thinking about politics way too soon. More blatant examples of the latter include the overt environmentalism taught to even very young children, plus activities like a “Model United Nations,” again, offered to (maybe even required of) kids at quite a young age.
Great, I think you’ll enjoy the STTOS episode, and it’s Netflixable. It’s in Season 1, Episode 22. Ditto on technology! You are correct about promotion of collectivism instead of patriotism, and that’s what I should have said. There is zero promotion of the kind of true patriotism that Rand talks about in her essay “Don’t Let it Go.” The environmentalism is the perfect example – they started in on my sons in the third grade, probably even earlier. “Save the this, save the that” nonsense, as well as taking the entire class (this was in a private school!) to clean up a drug-needle-infested neighborhood during a field trip to Philadelphia. Crazy Quaker school, but our only option at the time, and we took him out after that episode. They kept that one secret from the parents; had I known there would have been no way I would have allowed my son to participate. The aspect of collectivism that really got my attention was when my older son was in the third grade – public school this time – (this must be the optimal time to indoctrinate children!) where he was attending a school assembly for student officers – class president, etc. I got a call from his teacher saying she wanted me to have him tested for ADD! When I asked why, she replied that he had been fidgeting in his seat, getting up and out of his seat to go talk to classmates a few rows away, and generally being what she called a nuisance. My reply to her was utter incredulity that class officers were being elected in the third grade. I went on to tell her that under no circumstances was I going to have him tested, because I knew what was going on in my son’s mind – he was bored out of it! I told her that in future she was to let me know when assemblies of this type were on the schedule, so that I could keep my son home.
This one will be short, I promise! Some of the best arguments against Obama are coming from the ultra hard left – John Cusack and Jonathan Turley. I don’t agree with every analysis in the article, but there are enough good points: http://truth-out.org/opinion/item/11264-john-cusack-and-jonathan-turley-on-obamas-constitution
Somebody’s fixin’ to throw a big ole’ spanner in the works: http://www.breitbart.com/Big-Government/2012/09/03/Ron-Paul-Not-Ruling-Out-Third-Party-Run-Ahead-Of-Tonight-Show-Announcement
Thanks for the heads up! All the more reason to have a foreign policy episode for our “Intervention” series this weekend. And perhaps this post needs to make the rounds again: https://dontletitgo.com/2011/05/11/why-i-wont-vote-for-ron-paul/
You’re welcome. And I agree – look forward to the foreign policy episode. Will definitely read the post you linked to. I have some libertarian friends who love Paul’s foreign policy as a “non-initiation of force” issue, which they see as a core libertarian value. I find it hard to apply this to nations, and especially to mystical nation states like Iran. Perhaps you will discuss.
Is he out of his mind?
http://reason.com/archives/2012/09/05/3-ways-obama-and-the-democrats-can-win-l#commentform
Based on what I’ve witnessed thus far, of the DNC (and I got about 8 minutes into the Clinton spiel—whereupon, I could stomach no more of any of it—and won’t, henceforth), I can only say that: for any review you may issue of the DNC, you can use the very same title as you used for the RNC, but economize on the pixels: just eliminate “THE GOOD”.
This party reeks of sheer malice. (So what else is news?)
Everyone on this site who has concluded that the Democrats are by far the greater menace to what is left of us are absolutely and precisely right. I never, EVER thought I’d ever be advocating for a band of (professedly) religious (professed) anti-abortionists—but here I am, so advocating.
I think the major and most important difference between the two parties consists in the degree of their integrity. The Republicans seem to have almost none whatsoever—while the Democrats are totally sincere. I believe I will take my chances with the phonies.
In fact, I am sure of it. (And I’ve ordered up a case of Tequila.)