The American Mind (The Claremont Institute)

In a move that predictably has China perturbed, Nancy Pelosi is in Taiwan on a state visit to “reaffirm allies” in the South China Sea, triggering fears of WWIII (again) across the Twitterverse. But does anyone really want an armed conflict with China? And even if they did, would our “yassified” armed forces be up to the task? Meanwhile, the Tavistock Clinic, a gender clinic in the UK, has been ordered to shut down over child abuse concerns, and a Swedish health council has recommended no longer using puberty blockers. Plus: Spencer airs his deep-cut conspiracy theory about Pete Buttigieg. A full cast of our editors analyze our trajectory.

It’s the end of a long and frankly, a surreal year. After one hundred episodes of the Round Table, our editors look back on a cascade of demoralizing events and articles to ask: is there cause for optimism? Through all the inflation, the gender madness, and the school board wars, one theme emerges—the ruling class wants you feeling hopeless. But you’re not: the editors look ahead to a future of based local action in pursuit of virtue.

Election day has come and gone, so legacy media outlets are right back to covering coronavirus. Clinging to the last shreds of their viewership, they are doing their best to make the virus as scary as possible—a goal which dovetails perfectly with the policies of blue state leaders like Gavin Newsom and Meg Whitmer. As if that wasn’t bad enough, global elites are trying to initiate a “Great Reset” that will deprive you of everything you own. Seriously. They’re proud of that. Our editors unleash hellfire on the stupidity.

In a staggering display of dangerous hysterics, leftists have taken to floating the idea of post-Trump “truth and reconciliation commissions.” This of course amounts to the flogging of sinners (read: conservatives) against wokeism. At AOC’s call, one group actually started making a list of people who worked for him in an attempt to cancel those public servants. Our editors, sure to be first on the list, discuss the meaning of this disastrous development.

America’s economy continues to crumble, but don’t worry! the ruling class is here to fix everything by spending trillions of dollars we don’t have. Inflation is only the newest symptom of their long train of abuses. COVID politics roll endlessly on as the US fights its cold civil war online and off.

The CDC has newly proclaimed that vaccinated people no longer need to mask up (duh). But some people can’t seem to let go of the ritual. Plus: violent conflict breaks out between Israel and Palestine. It’s a skeleton crew this week—just Seth and Spencer—as the rest of the cast are out at Claremont’s Washington, D.C. event. Together the two tackle the week’s weighty events and the Left’s appalling response.

It's time once again for debt crisis theater as House republicans agree with Democrats on a proposed deal, acquiescing to massive debt in exchange for minor concessions. Meanwhile, in an effort to drive a wedge between white and nonwhite people, the Left indulges in truly comedic arguments about race in America. Behind the absurdism there are important trends that deserve a closer look. And the Ron vs. Don showdown is official now that DeSantis has announced a run for the presidency. The editors discuss it all before commanding you to read the damn site (by issuing their recommendations to guide your reading).

Can’t handle the truth? Identity politics to the rescue. It’s a helluva drug: reviewers use shallow tropes to dismiss two important conservative books. 

CNN’s Don Lemon lets the mask slip to reveal his utter contempt for Trump voters. Our editors have some choice words in response. Plus: China’s dysfunction makes globalization a fool’s gambit.

The state of nature is on full display in a pocket of Seattle called the “Autonomous Zone.” It turns out to be a fishbowl into which Americans can gaze and see all the effects of leftist miseducation on full display. It took less than 48 hours for a warlord to emerge, of course, and things only get wilder from there.

Self-styled “democracy advocates” are up in arms over the mere prospect of a Trump 2024 run. So they’re doing what they always do: writing overlong essays about the end of democracy. Ruling class gonna ruling class. Meanwhile, APSA has removed Claremont from its lineup this year fearing protests. Does it even matter? Our editors break it down.

Our predatory federal bureaucracy has its eye on Facebook. The ruling classes will settle for nothing less than full transhumanism and total control. Meanwhile, as if trying to prove the point, the FBI this week announced its plan to treat parents who are upset at critical race theory in schools as domestic terrorists. Plus: Matt has an idea for a darkly humorous music video.

In this episode, the editors look to the final frontier, revisit some of The American Mind’s best essays, and answer your questions in the mailbag.

Coronavirus has put globalism in a terminal condition. Will the elite let it die, or take us down with it? Meanwhile, Mayor Pete continues his milquetoast presidential run as a “nice, intelligent gay man.”

In this "combative, juvenile, and grotesque" episode of The Roundtable, our editors take great joy in laughing off the Bulwark's newest hit piece on the Claremont Institute. Save yourself from reading all 12,000+ words by listening to an extremely short and accurate synopsis. Then the editors turn to more serious questions, such as: with wokeism creeping over the land—toward your kids and your SMS messages—what can patriots do to win?

The Lincoln Project puts out shamelessly deceitful (and laughably uninspired) propaganda insinuating President Trump is a racist. Google tries to demonetize the Federalist. Plus: Black Lives Matter rallies people to raise money for Black lives but instead funnels it to the Democrat Party and other activist groups. Our editors discuss the demonstrations of political power in the streets and the erasure of western history before our very eyes. 

In a desperate final gambit for relevance, the legacy media has been actively trying to prevent you from hearing about Hunter Biden’s shady business dealings with foreign powers. Increasing numbers of independent sources are confirming pieces of the story, but of course defending ol’ Joe is the legacy media’s first and only priority. With the election around the corner, the full editorial cast is back in the saddle to discuss how they are feeling about the election and what to watch out for. Plus: everyone makes an election prediction.

In this podcast, Matthew Peterson, our Vice President of Education at Claremont and Editor of The American Mind is joined by Michael Anton. We thank Mr. Anton for joining us and for his unique insights. 

The American Mind podcast uncovers the ideas and principles that drive American political life. 

The American Mind fosters thought-provoking and substantive conversation about the real causes of our current political and cultural reality. We explore these ideas with an eye towards restoring America back to civic health. 

In each episode, we engage Claremont institute scholars, co-conspirators, and challengers on the core questions and critical issues of our time. The mission of the Claremont Institute is the recovery of the American idea- the timeless principles that have made America great since its founding. 

The American Mind is hosted by Ryan Williams, President of the Claremont Institute and publisher of the Claremont Review of Books and The American Mind, or Matthew Peterson, Vice-President of Education at the Claremont Institute and Editor of The American Mind. Visit our website for essays, editorials, debates, and more. E-mail us at americanmind@claremont.org. Don't forget to subscribe and to spread the word to your friends and colleagues! 

The Libertarian Party has rejected RFK in favor of a no-name candidate, Chase Oliver—but he’s a far cry from Libertarians of old. Meanwhile, the US military-built aid pier on Gaza’s coast was hit by harsh seas and will become an artificial reef if not repaired soon, shining a light on the degradation of the military’s infrastructure capabilities. Finally, old recognizes old as the Biden admin trots out Robert De Niro for its latest display of irrelevant celebrities. The editors analyze the headlines before reminding you to read the damn site.

Recommended reading:

Why Johnny Can’t Build

The Closing of the Internet Mind

The Way Forward

Spring 2024 Claremont Review of Books

In this special edition of the American Mind podcast, we explore the intellectual roots, political and societal implications of and the antidote to what the Claremont Institute believes is the great threat to America: multiculturalism. The podcast features Claremont Institute President Ryan Williams, Chairman Tom Klingenstein and scholar Charles Kesler, as well as the likes of David Azerrad, Lord Conrad Black, Allen Guelzo, Roger Kimball and Norman Podhoretz. It is narrated by James Poulos, Executive Editor of the American Mind and produced by ChangeUp Media.

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Works Referenced & Related Readings (In Order of Appearance):

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPfwLh5pyy4
• https://americanmind.org/feature/multiculturalism-vs-america/
• https://americanmind.org/discourse/algorithms-of-suppression/
• https://americanmind.org/essays/defend-america-defeat-multiculturalism/
• https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed39.asp
• https://americanmind.org/essays/our-house-divided-multiculturalism-vs-america/
• https://claremont.org/crb/article/patriotism-vs-multiculturalism/
• https://www.claremont.org/crb/article/the-crb-interview/
• https://youtu.be/0WzDYy7IR2Y?t=2400
• https://americanmind.org/features/winning-the-new-irrepressible-conflict/trump-vs-multiculturalist-insurrection/
• https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=&httpsredir=1&article=1193&context=llr

Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

This week, while The American Mind's editors are off, Ryan Williams took the opportunity to sit down with Dr. John Marini. Against the background of the FBI's unprecedented raid on Mar-a-Lago, which took place on the 48th anniversary of Richard Nixon's resignation, the pair look back at Nixon's experience with the administrative state as it relates to today. Plus: what can we do to bring government back into the purview of politics and wrench it from the clutches of an increasingly autonomous bureaucratic class?

Oversized hoodie or tailored masters jacket--which way, Western man? As the Senate is terraformed into a mosh pit for the least common denominator, one must wonder whether it’s a microcosm for the West more generally. Take, for example, the meek inaction of the European nations as migrants from Africa stream through the island of Lampedusa and onto the continent. Meanwhile, back at home, Donald Trump aggravates internal tensions among Republicans by criticizing Ron DeSantis for signing a six-week abortion ban. Plus: the editors tease upcoming features while reminding you to read the damn site.

Articles and books mentioned in this episode:

Slavery, Abortion, and the Politics of Constitutional Meaning

Crisis of the House Divided: An Interpretation of the Issues in the Lincoln-Douglas Debates

Eating the Young to Save the Old

Country Club Nationalism

Merit in the Armed Forces

The War for the Military

Brilliance Isn’t Enough

There’s a new religion in the land, but it offers no absolution. Our editors discuss the new convulsions of our latest culture war culture war,  in which ignorant armies rage against the very principles of equality on which America was built. Our editors unpack the important cultural shifts that brought about this crisis and ponder where to go from here.

In just 11 short days, the US-backed government in Afghanistan utterly imploded and the Taliban seized control of the country, even managing to get their hands on billions of dollars’ worth of US war gear. Could it have been done better? Yep. Does the regime care? Nope. They’re just blaming Americans and making them pay the cost. All the while, the Delta variant gives them the perfect chance to seize even greater powers. Our editors pop a few black pills and discuss.

Join the editors for a frank discussion about black American nationalism, and nationalism more generally. Then: Matt reports on his road trip through several red states, highlighting some important phenomena going on in rural America that conservatives can capitalize on.

Have we forgotten that revolutionary ideology breeds actual revolutions? It seems some of our leaders on the Right may have. Our fearless Claremont president urges them to Stand Up! BLM and the left continue to go unchecked, Big Tech weaponizes deregistration without oversight, and our military leaders issue renegade statements that don’t bode well, to say the least. Our editors discuss the American culture’s latest forbidden heresy and Ryan pays tribute to the great Michael Uhlmann, who singlehandedly saved the electoral college. 

In this newly revived occasional series, Ryan Williams, President of The Claremont Institute, interviews prominent scholars in the Claremont Institute's orbit. Dr. Mark Blitz, the Fletcher Jones Professor of Political Philosophy at Claremont McKenna College, joins Ryan to discuss his new book, Reason and Politics: The Nature of Political Phenomena—a searching discussion of questions at the heart of both America’s regime and her present crisis. Ryan and Mark discuss prudence, the common good, and how American public life could regain its sanity.

Republicans Glenn Youngkin, Winsome Sears, and Jason Miyares have turned Virginia red, and everyone is closely scrutinizing what this might signal for other elections in 2022 and 2024. Or at least, sensible people are scrutinizing it, while the Left screeches absurdly about racism and refuses to even consider introspection. Our editors consider what conservatives could do to capitalize on this initial victory.

In this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Michael Anton, lecturer and research fellow at Hillsdale College, senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, and former Trump Administration national security official, is joined by Charles Haywood, who runs The Worthy House and is a distinguished book reviewer. The two discuss the future of a country in crisis, touching on a wide array of topics in the process—from questions of political philosophy both contemporary and ancient, to the balance between hope and despair at the decay of the American regime.

No matter where you look, the seams of society are showing—and they’re starting to fray. From Biden’s Declaration debacle, to gamer beds, to larva butter, to Big Tech and even Big Health: our editors reconvene  and prescribe red pills for all.

Is that a bird, is that a plane? No, it’s drones! Or aliens? Demons? Iran? The guys take a look up in the sky and down at the public frenzy, which betokens an all-too-real breakdown of trust in government. Democrats, meanwhile, disappointed in Biden for not taking Trump-proofing seriously, float running dud-candidate Kamala again in '28. We're with her! Plus: is it gay to sleep? The hosts close out the podcast this year with a review of 2024, share their Christmas plans, and invite listeners to submit questions and comments. 

Scarlet Johansson is "shocked" and "angered" that even though she declined to voice ChatGPT 4.0, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman seems to have plugged an imitation of her voice into the software. And you thought Her was fiction. Meanwhile, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has been confirmed dead after his Vietnam-era helicopter crashed, plunging Iran—already in a precarious political position—into an even more uncertain future. What is the U.S.'s position in all this, and how can we play the bad hand we find ourselves holding? Finally, who could forget that Donald Trump is on trial in New York? Certainly not CNN, who can’t seem to find anything else to talk about. The editors discuss what may lie in store for the U.S. before reminding you to read the damn site!

Recommended reading:

The Closing of the Internet Mind

School Choice Revolutionary

The Virtues of Settler Colonialism

Civil Rights Stay Gay

Conservatives are finally building up a head of steam when it comes to boycotts, making an example of Anheuser-Busch after their unholy union with Dylan Mulvaney. Now Target and the Dodgers have attracted this same newly quickened ire by pushing overtly Satanic and trans-forward messaging onto shoppers—and their children. Meanwhile the trajectory of Christian nationalism is up for hot debate, as is that of wokeness. Plus: the editors, joined by Helen Roy, name their favorite TAM articles of the week as a reminder to read the damn site!

Calling for the death of your political opponents is wrong, right? Right. Well, The Berggruen Institute’s Nils Gilman seems to think calling for death is acceptable if the target is a deplorable such as Claremont senior fellow Mike Anton. Our editors deplore this troubling development.

Banks both at home and abroad have been increasingly partaking in a troubling bout of digital warfare against their customers, some of whom are suspiciously guilty of wrongthink. Have you been engaging in suspicious transactions, citizen? Meanwhile, states like California are trying to prevent people from getting their hands on the tools to fight back. Plus: the future of the Democrat Party looks increasingly anti-Israel, while the US Army continues sliding into the cult of D.I.E. Is there even a vision of the US for tomorrow? The editors take a closer look at the situation before reminding you to read the damn site.

Who will bow further to wokeness—Bernie or Bloomberg? Our editors take on the coming dissolution of the Democratic Party as we know it.

Inflation hovers near record highs at 8.3%, the debt skyrockets out of control, and even talking about it can feel like it’s making the problem worse. It gets harder every day even to conceptualize the extent of the economy itself, let alone make moves to counteract its myriad dysfunctions. Meanwhile, Trump is emerging as GOP kingmaker…and more? Spencer and James discuss the failures of central planning from financial markets to digital media platforms, and the hope for a new kind of federalism to set the country on a better course.

As extremely dangerous chemical spills are happening across America, and as UFOs get shot down day after day, our editors (joined by Helen Roy!) discuss whether malice or incompetence predominates in our present climate. Meanwhile, the cult of D.I.E. continues to install itself in our educational institutions, as demonstrated by Columbia University's recent CRT chant for medical students, complete with bowed heads and silent reverence. Plus: our editors recount their favorite essays of the week and implore you to read the damn site.

Donald Trump was nearly assassinated last weekend, but for the few degrees of rotation that brought his head out of the bullet’s trajectory at the last possible second. The events surrounding the attempted assassination raise questions about everything from media integrity, to secret service incompetence, to… epistemology? But one thing is certain: Trump has become a world-historic figure. In the days following the attempt on his life, he has named JD Vance his VP pick, and the RNC is well underway. The editors take a holistic look at these developments and what we might expect in our political future before reminding you to read the damn site.

Recommended reading:

The Shot Heard ‘Round the World

No Going Back

No Rotten Miracles

The ACLU’s most deranged lawyers try to enshrine kid-transing in United States v. Skrmetti; a true domestic terrorist assassinates a healthcare CEO; and Syria’s Assad government is toppled by Islamic rebels. The editors are joined by Claremont Institute Lincoln Fellow and president of Pinehill Capital Gates Garcia to discuss the poison fruits of DEI and identity politics, the celebration of violence by the Left, and the delicate situation the U.S. faces globally as danger and uncertainty continue to rock the Middle East.

Impeachment is still happening (apparently), Jeffrey Epstein still didn’t kill himself, and we conducted a very scientific poll about how to fix America. Plus: what’s up with the Lamb of Ghent?

Trump, bulletproof, walks out of the Impeachment trial unscathed, unafraid, and almost tired of winning.

At long last interracial marriage has been legalized at the federal level in the US! In reality, of course, the law Biden signed this week is more about political maneuvering around gay marriage. Concurrently, Sam Bankman-Fried has been arrested in the Bahamas on charges of fraud as it appears FTX is effectively a multi-billion dollar Ponzi scheme. Does this event shed a new light on the factions vying for power in the financial space? Plus: it’s a tripledemic—time to mask back up. Our editors contemplate the machinations of The Borg™.

The numbers have it: maybe coronavirus isn’t as bad as we feared. But with bubbles at home and trouble in China, what new normal awaits? Plus: Bernie burns out, men get antsy, and ultimate fighting—like life itself—finds a way.

Inflation topped out at over 9% this month, which both exceeded the expected 8.8%, and poses huge issues for everyday Americans. From the working class to the not-so-working class, people are coping, or something like it, by deadening their senses and hoping it will all go away. Some believe transhumanism is the answer, but we need stronger medicine to save our souls. Plus: new video shows Hunter Biden at the extremes of depravity. Our editors, joined by Claremont’s new major gifts officer, Elizabeth Haney, analyze the situation in which we find ourselves.

Ted Cruz grills the FBI on its potential participation in January 6, as Insurrection Hearing: The Musical Showtime Extravaganza drags on. Meanwhile, Google’s AI chatbot has some things to say about the soul that sound suspiciously like a Silicon Valley guru’s wish fulfillment fantasy. Plus: Matt Peterson joins the show to talk about so-called “blue locusts” and how to keep red states red.

The Berggruen Institute’s VP of Programs, Nils Gilman, recently tweeted out what is tantamount to death threats against Michael Anton. No retraction has been forthcoming. Unrest in Louisville bubbled over into the shooting of three police officers. Add in the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and you have a recipe for one thing: escalation.

In this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Michael Anton, former Trump official and senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, is joined by Charles Haywood, a distinguished book reviewer who runs The Worthy House. Anton and Haywood examine the modern Left’s obsession with the racist and destructive creed known as Critical Race Theory. Drawing on ancient political history and philosophy, they contemplate where our radical Left might go from here.

Kamala Harris has chosen her VP, and he's right out of central casting--if you're shooting an episode of Ted Lasso featuring nationwide race riots. That's right, it's Minnesota Governor Tim Walz. It's unclear that this will do much to buttress support for Harris among the "white dudes" she claims to be courting, but she's at least avoided angering the pro-Hamas crowd by not picking Palestine critic Josh Shapiro. Meanwhile, Hamas itself took an L when one of its leaders was assassinated by a bomb planted in the Tehran guesthouse. Finally, Google lost a massive anti-trust lawsuit recently for monopolizing search engines. Is the ruling a step in the right direction, or a token win for everyday people while Google continues to operate in the shadows?

Recommended reading:

The Final GirlBoss

Line Up, White Boys!

This week, The American Mind team is off, with the exception of Seth Barron who has volunteered to bring you a short and sweet one-man show before we return to a full complement next week. Against the background of Liz Cheney's crushing defeat in the Wyoming primary, Seth analyzes the ever-widening rift between the New Right that is taking over the GOP and the old guard who are now finding themselves not only on the outs, but unelectable. Obviously the only answer in that position is to assume everyone else is wrong and run for president, right? Right?!

At the World Economic Forum, led by International Supervillain Klaus Schwab, Moderna has announced its plans to get absolutely everyone vaccinated against everything (or else) with its new omni-jab. While the big pharma CEOs bathe in their piles of cash, Biden is trying, poorly, to brag about his supposed “accomplishments”—all while skirting foreign policy issues like Russia’s moves to annex Ukraine. Our editors have thoughts.

In Part 2 of this special edition of the American Mind podcast, we offer a response to the 1619 Project, underscoring the imperative to develop and execute a whole-of-society response to defeat it. This portion of the podcast features Claremont Institute Chairman Tom Klingenstein and scholar Chris Flannery, as well as the likes of Newt Gingrich and Heather Mac Donald. It is narrated by James Poulos, Executive Editor of the American Mind and produced by ChangeUp Media.

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Works Referenced & Related Readings (In Order of Appearance):

• https://www.newsweek.com/newt-gingirch-1619-project-slavery-america-1456307
• https://americanmind.org/feature/multiculturalism-vs-america/

Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

***

Music: "Life Line" by Remember the Future

The radical goals of our Marxist mob are coming to fruition. DAs across the country announce they will not be pressing charges for BLM riot crimes. The Right struggles to be smart and courageous in response to the current coup attempt. In the face of it all, Ryan rallies Republicans to take courage and Stand Up for America in the latest statement from the Claremont Institute. 

In this special edition of the American Mind podcast, we make the case that conservatives should make their mission preserving the way of life--and explore what it entails, the assault our way of life currently faces, and what must to be done to overcome it. The podcast features Claremont Institute President Ryan Williams, and scholar Michael Anton, as well as selections from addresses from President Donald Trump, and Senators Tom Cotton and Josh Hawley. It is narrated by James Poulos, Executive Editor of the American Mind, and produced by ChangeUp Media.

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Works Referenced & Related Readings (In Order of Appearance):

• https://americanmind.org/audio/multiculturalism-vs-america/
• https://americanmind.org/audio/the-1619-project-exposed-a-special-edition-of-the-american-mind-podcast/
• https://americanmind.org/features/preserving-the-american-way-of-life/
• https://americanmind.org/audio/what-is-the-fundamental-problem-politics-must-solve-a-conversation-with-mike-anton/
• https://youtu.be/x5lh5oUCWTs?t=2262
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmbnzd9pOaE
• https://www.hawley.senate.gov/senator-josh-hawleys-speech-national-conservatism-conference
• https://americanmind.org/essays/our-house-divided-multiculturalism-vs-america/
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BxmTIjq3sMo

Visit The American Mind for more great content.

And if you have feedback for us, we'd love to hear from you at americanmind@claremont.org

***

Music: "Day of Victory" by Swan Productions

FTX CEO SBF is SOL--and if that sentence doesn’t make sense to you, fear not. The TAM editors are here to chart the aftershocks of the crypto crash heard round the world, and to discuss its implications for the future of America. Plus: Trump announces (shocking few) that he will run for re-election, and Canada plans to legalize euthanasia for the mentally ill. In this dire landscape, who will chart a pro-human path forward?

The terminally online are showing themselves unable to unplug from the negative feedback loops to which they subscribe. Hollywood, especially Disney, is continuing to fail to really show us anything new that average people can connect to. Plus: censorship from top to bottom is wreaking havoc on nation states, especially as immigration spikes drive cultural wedges into the populace. Seth and James, refreshed from Thanksgiving, break it down.

Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover carries on apace, and reports of implosion seem to be greatly exaggerated. Is Musk’s aggressive firing policy proof of concept for the elimination of BS jobs? The editors, joined by Helen Roy and Charles Haywood, take a look at some back-of-the-napkin calculations of how profitable Twitter might be under Elon Musk overnight, as well as his hazy policies on freedom of speech vs. freedom of reach on the platform. Plus: the crew discuss what they’re thankful for.

Surprising nobody who’s paying attention, Facebook and Twitter decided to preemptively censor a New York Post exposé about Hunter Biden’s role in mediating between a Ukranian businessman and Joe himself. Effectively, Big Tech has decided you do not deserve to choose for yourself what is plausible and true. Our editors discuss what got us to this point in Big Tech censorship, and where we’ll likely go from here.

The eyes, man. What’s up with the newly restored Lamb of God from the Ghent Altarpiece?

At time of recording, Vladimir Putin had ordered soldiers into two separatist regions of Ukraine—he had not yet launched what is now a full-scale war. The European order looks precarious, and our political establishment looks all too eager to throw American lives into the maelstrom. To what end? Seth and Spencer discuss the internal decay of America and Canada as authoritarianism advances across the globe.

Our editors mock the Oscars and ruminate over the futility of elite virtue posturing. Also: James Poulos reads fan tweets.

The FBI has raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence. Are Merrick Garland and the ruling elites at the justice department so convinced of their political invulnerability that they don’t care how this looks? Maybe the Democrats just think they can buy voters off: in a transparent ploy to do so, the Biden administration has promised a $10,000 student loan cancellation plan. Conservatives are sputtering with outrage, but they ought to be thinking “systemically” about how to dismantle the whole college industrial complex. Plus: Alexander Dugin’s daughter, Darya Dugina, was assassinated by car bomb in Moscow. Our editors, joined by New Founding’s Matt Peterson, offer their thoughts.

Whatever your personal opinion of Trump, his indictment is a somber moment for the trajectory of democracy in America. Ryan and Spencer discuss the dogged pursuit of Trump at any cost, including some hilarious speculation about how the headlines on this topic are getting written. The two then expand the discussion to the selective weaponization of the legal system using the case of Ricky Vaughn as a starting point. Plus: Peachy Keenan set the internet alight when she committed the crime of noticing that college admissions are tilting in a very noticeably woke direction—but of course she was right. Spencer closes by asking Ryan for his favorite TAM article before reminding you to read the damn site.

Dr. Hadley Arkes joins the editors this week to offer advice to the pro-life movement and discuss the precepts of common sense that must underlie sound legal reasoning. The editors then turn to an analysis of the Durham Report and how it plays for 2024, as well as a brief discussion of Article 42 and Trump's CNN town hall. And of course: read the damn site!

As Trump taps a loyal supporter to be postmaster general, Ryan educates us on the days of Taft and the spoils system. Matt discusses the importance of liberty in the age rule by Governor Gavin “Karen” Newsom. Plus: the anti-American 1619 Project continues to poison American education and discourse, and now its creator has a Pulitzer to lend her faux legitimacy. Our editors shout into the void.

Show Notes

In today's special edition of The Roundtable, Ryan Williams, President of the Claremont Institute interviews Vivek Ramaswamy about his latest book "Truths: The Future of America First."

Buy the book here.

In "Truths: The Future of America First," Ramaswamy shows exactly how honesty about the most important issues will get our country back on track. The America First movement emphasizes the issues that bring us together, not what divides us. It asks that we put our country over politics, merit over grievance, and truth over lies. Ramaswamy tells us the truth about our political system, and the people who control it, and exhorts us to exercise our right to self-governance again.

Vivek is an American business leader and New York Times bestselling author of "Woke, Inc.," as well as "Nation of Victims," "Capitalist Punishment," and most recently "Truths: The Future of America First." Left leaning media has called him one of the “intellectual godfathers of the anti-woke movement” (Politico) and the “right’s leading anti-ESG crusader” (Axios and Bloomberg). He was dubbed “The C.E.O. of Anti-Woke,” by The New Yorker.

Vivek is the Founder and Executive Chairman of Roivant Sciences. He is a former U.S. Presidential Candidate (R). He was born in Cincinnati to Indian parents. In high school he was class valedictorian, a nationally ranked junior tennis player and an accomplished pianist. He lives in Ohio with his wife and two sons. 

Learn more about Vivek Ramaswamy's work here.

Russia gonna Russia, while the West, and the Left, gonna fall for it. Michael Shellenberger rolls out an alarming thread on who’s funding climate activists in Europe, and the dire consequences of extremist policies at home and abroad. Meanwhile, The DOJ, CIA, and FBI have been showing increasingly bold signs of corruption and meddling in domestic elections, maintaining an apparently routine dialogue with Facebook and other social media companies about when to suppress “potential threat information.” But don’t worry: they do it all the time! Plus: our editors survey the prospects for November’s midterm elections, and for the republic more generally.

A new NYT/Siena poll looks grim for the Left across the board. What kind of realignment, or realignments, are underway? With the middle class feeling pinched by bad economic policy, more and more people believe  the government serves social elites to the detriment of everyday Americans. Or else they fear being replaced by bots; or else they’re on edge for fear of saying something contra The Current Thing. Our editors, joined by special guests Matt Peterson and Helen Roy, analyze the situation.

Your eyes do not deceive you. Violent rioting has gripped the streets of American cities; more and more homeless are pouring out onto the sidewalks; and we have entered the era of rule by Karen. Turn on your TV, though, and you’ll be told none of this is happening because…Orange Man Bad! Our editors cut through the lies to get at what’s really going on.

Woke academics are trying to tear down the last barriers against total ideological conformity. Seth and Spencer are joined by Professor Amy Wax, who has ample firsthand experience of witch hunts in the academy and recommendations for change. Meanwhile, monkeypox is on the rise in New York among a certain group of people who apparently shall not be named. And the Biden administration is trying to fudge the definition of recession, so they won’t have to admit we’re in one.

As warring factions grapple for power behind an increasingly transparent veneer of control and serenity, everyday Americans find themselves subject to a chaotic and unhinged form of anarcho-tyrannical rule. Our editors analyze newly released footage that challenges the continuing hysteria regarding the events of January 6, 2021, and the rise and fall of both New York and Chicago’s Lori Lightfoot. Is anyone in charge of it all? If not, what is to be done? Plus: the editors remind you to read the damn site, recounting their favorite articles on TAM this week.

Leo Strauss was a great man and a great political philosopher. That is why the American Political Science Association made an award in his name to be distributed for exemplary dissertations each year. To nobody’s surprise, APSA is spitting on Strauss’ legacy by handing out the award to whatever woksester writes the best ethnography. Our editors ponder the implications of this grimly funny development.

Those crazy kids actually did it: A group of redditors under the banner of r/WallStreetBets are singlehandedly taking the populist fight to Wall Street billionaires—and they’re winning. For now. Of course, elites of every stripe are spitting mad. Our editors discuss this strange and hilarious new movement. Plus: what is in Trump’s political future—and by extension, the GOP’s?

“You can’t drive out corruption without material discipline”: editors discuss the rapidly intensifying decadence of Hollywood, touching on the Weinstein verdict, Peachy Keenan’s spicy take on the Spielbergs, and Ross Douthat’s new book, The Decadent Society.

The Claremont Institute seeks to lower the temperature of our political moment and to convince Americans of the price of failure to do so. BLM and the Left continue to work hand-in-glove for power, while no one holds them accountable for their violence and attempts to delegitimize the 2016 election. Prominent military officials signal their disagreement with Trump on using the military to stop the rioting, to which our editors (or anyone who has ever ready any history) respond: this, uh, can’t be good.

It’s official: Biden is the 46th president. Beneath the inane boilerplate of the new president’s speech (accompanied by a tearful chorus of celebration from the usual journos) lurked a much more sinister kind of rhetoric. Our editors give a close reading of the address. Plus: Biden scrapped the 1776 Commission. What’s he up to?

Our editors discuss a bold proposal by Angelo Codevilla to abolish the CIA, coronavirus and its threat to globalism, Pete Buttigieg’s success in the New Hampshire primaries, and the dullness of #NeverTrump conservatism. Finally, our editors are unleashed on the Oscars.

It finally happened: Claudine Gay is out as president of Harvard after a tireless guerrilla journalism campaign led by the Manhattan Institute's Chris Rufo, who conclusively exposed Gay's fraudulence as a scholar. But is plagiarism just par for the course? Seth and Spencer consider the low, low bar that Gay failed to clear, and where the fight over higher ed will take us next. Plus: migrants continue to flood unchecked across the border, and the powder keg in the Middle East grows ever more flammable. What will come of it all? The editors discuss before insisting for the first (but not the last) time in 2024 that you read the damn site!

Recommended Reading

Revenge of the Liberators

The TikTok Spiral

From New Jersey to the Senate, fellow Democrats aren’t lifting a finger to help NYC and Chicago’s migrant crisis

EXCLUSIVE: Read Claudine Gay's Private Resignation Letter to the Harvard Board

The Great Replacement: Introduction to Global Replacementism

Sufferers of advanced Trump Derangement Syndrome are frothing at the mouth to think of Trump being indicted by a grand jury in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Republicans are watching intently to see whether the political winds will blow in favor of Don or Ron as we approach primary season. Then the editors take a moment to define the word "woke” and to ask whether doing so is even worth the effort. Finally, in an effort to get you to read the damn site(s), Ryan uses his extraordinary power to take a CRB essay out from behind the paywall just for you!

Exceeding even the most optimistic expectations, Trump swept across the states handily to the chagrin of the Harris-Walz campaign, winning both the electoral and popular votes—and becoming the second-only president to serve two, nonconsecutive terms. The editors react to the election results, the Left’s wild missteps and pending meltdown; the Trump campaign’s successes; and what his first 100 days should look like. 

Eighteen-year-old Salvador Ramos opened fire in an Uvalde, TX elementary school in a horrific act of violence. Naturally the political firefighting began within minutes, and Congressional Democrats made gun control the order of the day. But is there really a political solution to the evil we’re up against? Meanwhile, is humor the antidote to the woke revolution, or just a temporary escape valve? And what on earth is going on with monkeypox? Our editors, joined by Matt Peterson, break it down.

Rolling blackouts are hitting hundreds of thousands of Californians during the worst heat wave since 2006. Wildfire is spreading across the state like…well, wildfire. And the state economy is in the tank. California is in trouble on all sides, all of which could have been avoided if Democrats weren’t such miserable incompetents. Is California’s meltdown a canary in the coal mine for Election 2020?

The attempts at eradicating any trace of Western history continue this week, but who would have thought that the one to exhibit the most spine in the West would be Emmanuel Macron? Our editors give credit where it is due, discussing French nationalism and the struggles that are giving way to our full-blown regime crisis. Finally: the leftists come for poor John Sutter, and our editors aren’t having it. 

The rapidly spreading woke dogma that has taken over our CIA now seems to be ascendant in the military. What does that mean for national security? Our editors analyze. Plus: Liz Cheney has been ousted from GOP leadership, which is good news for everyone who wants to see the the uniparty, anti-American establishment gone.

California’s government at both the state and local level would like to wish you a big bah humbug. Another round of lockdowns is hitting small business especially hard, and Spencer has a report from the ground. Plus: YouTube is censoring people who talk about voter fraud in ways they don’t like.

As Biden’s lame duck administration winds down, he—or whoever's in charge—is leaving a few fun parting gifts for the incoming Trump Administration. From escalation in Ukraine, to a re-opened border surprise, to the intractable financial situation, Trump's team will have their work cut out for them. Democrat strategists, however, seem determined not to learn anything from their electoral failure, which bodes well for the future. So the editors remain optimistic—and thankful. Ryan gives a spirited reading of Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving proclamation, and the guys swap notes on holiday plans.

Steve Bannon looks to be headed to prison in July as a result of a totally normal and not-at-all political conviction that will take him out of the picture for four of the election campaign's most important months. Nothing to see here! Meanwhile, the CIA's venture cutout In-Q-Tel seems to be gearing up to run its own disinformation campaign. The editors also dive into the antics of environmental activist group Just Stop Oil, which has painted Stonehenge orange so that they can something something save the world. Plus: a geopolitical chess game unfolds along Florida's coastline as Russian warships show up in eyeshot of Miami. The editors reflect on it all and remind you to read the damn site.

Recommended reading:

Merging Pig with Soy

The Purpose of Art in Wartime

Europe Swings Right

It’s been a sad week for America. A shooting in Boulder claimed the lives of ten people. And like clockwork, the Left is using it as an opportunity to feast on the Second Amendment. That’s not even the only crisis of the week: the Biden administration is massively fumbling on the border, by conservative and liberal standards. Plus: Kristi Noem fails to read the political room. Twice.