The boys drink and review O’Hara’s Nitro Irish Red, then discuss Tucker’s trip to Moscow and his chat with Putin.
When only one side of a story can be told, you can be sure you’re not hearing the whole truth. It makes sense to try to hear the other side.
According to some, Putin is the devil and you can’t say anything nice about him or give him any platform. (Even though the same critics were jealous that they didn’t get the interview.)
Putin begins the interview with a half hour of his perspective on Russian history, but they eventually get into some interesting Q&A about Ukraine and other issues.
Some of Putin’s claims were absurd, such as blaming Poland for WWII. But there were other details about possible peace deals to end the Ukraine war that we don’t hear about much in the U.S.
After the interview, Tucker went on a tour of Moscow and said some very stupid things about grocery stores and subway stations in Russia. That undercut the significance of the interview and made him look stupid.
Pigweed, Crowhill, Longinus, and all three wives went to Baltimore to see an adaptation of The Oresteia, which was originally a 3-part play by Aeschylus. In this podcast they reflect on the play and related issues.
The play focuses on the web of vengeance within the family of Agamemnon and Clytemnestra, starting with Agamemnon’s sacrifice of their daughter, Iphigenia, before the battle of Troy.
When Agamemnon returns home with Cassandra the prophetess of Apollo as a spoil of war, Clytemnestra invites him back in regal style, but then murders both her husband and his new girlfriend.
It then falls on Orestes, their son — urged on by their daughter Electra — to avenge the death of his father.
But then, who is to avenge Clytemnestra? How far does this go? Where does it end?
The play addresses issues of just war, faith, free will and determinism, religious and moral obligations, family relations, and vengeance and justice.
The show ends with a discussion of Troy and the alleged historical backdrop to the play.
In another edition of “shortcut to the classics,” P&C drink and review Pigweed’s homebrewed IPA, then discuss Lord of the Flies by William Golding. (Starting at 2:55.)
Pigweed gives a little biographical background on the author, then the boys delve into the heart of darkness and survival in this compelling short novel.
The story takes place on a deserted island, where a group of British boys find themselves stranded following a plane crash. With no adults to guide them, the boys attempt to govern themselves … with disastrous consequences.
“Lord of the Flies” is a compelling exploration of human nature, power dynamics, and the thin veneer of civilization that separates order from chaos. Through the eyes of Ralph, Piggy, Jack, and other vividly drawn characters, Golding poses urgent questions about leadership, morality, and the inherent savagery within us all.
As we discuss the novel’s themes, symbols, and the development of the characters and their interactions, we invite you to reflect on what “Lord of the Flies” reveals about the complexities of human behavior and how fragile “civilization” really is.
The boys drink and review Founder’s Dirty Bastard, a Scotch ale, then they discuss the distinction between Scotch and Scottish ale before they get into five topics in five minutes each.
#1 Why can’t we deport violent criminals who are here illegally? NYC mayor Eric Adams says he has to change the law before he can do that. How did we get into such a ridiculous position?
#2 Why did Sports Illustrated tank? Was it the internet? Online vs. offline issues? The overall decline in publishing? Or was it that they went woke? The media doesn’t want to admit that going woke sometimes causes you to go broke.
#3 Is the NFL responsible when people don’t dress warmly at a cold football game? Do we want a nanny state where every organization is telling you what’s best for you?
#4 Grammar and usage problems that bother P&C. It’s vs. its. Unnecessary apostrophes. Then vs than. Media and data are plural. Your vs. you’re. To, too, and two. Their, there, they’re. Principal vs. principle. Capitol vs. capital. Insure, assure, ensure.
#5 Voting for the good of the country even if it affects you negatively. Some people actually have the good of others in mind even when that requires incredible sacrifice.
P&C drink and review a Bock from Guilford Hall Brewing, then ask whether educated people are smarter than the man on the street.
Even if you could make the point that smarter people should make public policy, are our educational systems making people smarter? Probably not. “Man on the street” interviews regularly show that college-educated people are dumb as a mud fence.
If you ask the college student and the man on the street questions like this …
* Can men menstruate?
* Is drug-induced breastmilk from a man as good as milk from a woman?
* Is your neighborhood safer with fewer cops?
* Should illegal aliens get a home and an allowance?
… it’s the college student who gives you nonsense and the man on the street who talks sense.
If you’re educated, you might believe something like this. Genitalia have nothing to do with your “gender,” but cutting them off or creating fake ones is “gender affirming.”
Babied, temper-tantrum-throwing morons in the universities have created an environment where people are afraid to say the truth. As a consequence, education has become indoctrination — into woke insanity.
The boys drink and review Snow Pants Oatmeal Stout by Union Brewing, then discuss how the left tends to project what they’re doing on the right. (Starting at 4:00.)
“Projection” is, according to Freud, a kind of defense mechanism where people attribute their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings, and motives onto other people.
Let’s say there was a political party that spent four years saying “illegitimate president, not my president, Russian collusion, Stacey Abrams is the real governor, Glenn Youngkin is not the real governor,” then after having done that for years they said “why are Republicans such election deniers?”
Is this a Freudian thing, or is a conscious, deliberate, strategic choice to accuse the other side of what you’re doing?
This concept applies to political violence. After years of violence, riots, burning public buildings, etc., the Democrats accuse conservatives of being domestic terrorists.
“Threat to Democracy” has become the phrase of the hour for the left. After they tried to take down an elected president, caricatured all calls to tighten election laws (to make it harder to cheat) as “voter suppression,” and so on, they have the gall to say that ff you don’t vote for the Democrats, “democracy” is at stake.
The people who try to remove a candidate from the ballot aren’t suppressing democracy. No. That’s the people who say the voters should have a right to choose.
It’s upside down world, and the accusations are completely unhinged.
P&C drink and review a robust porter from Smuttynose Brewing, then discuss Hungary and the political stratgies of Viktor Orban.
Pigweed gives a quick historical overview of the origins of the Hungarian people and nation, with a focus on their unique language.
The EU isn’t pleased with Hungary these days. They feel as if Hungary is backsliding on democratic norms and other values held by the EU.
Viktor Orban is part of the reason the EU isn’t happy with Hungary. He has an interesting agenda / playbook that he has shared with other conservatives to help them in their battle against liberals.
Here’s a quick summary of his 12 rules.
1. Play by your own rules. Refuse to accept the solutions and paths offered by others.
2. National conservatism in domestic politics. Churches and families are the building blocks of the nation. Stay on the side of voters. They didn’t want immigrants, so Hungary built a wall. Don’t overthink things. (The wall is chain link with security cameras.) Find the issues where the left is completely out of touch with reality and highlight them.
3. National interest in foreign policy. Liberals see some sort of cosmic battle against good and evil. But we’ve had a few of these “wars to end all wars,” and it didn’t work. Orban’s response is simple. Hungary first. We want a foreign policy based on our interests.
4. Have our own media. Expose your opponent’s intentions. Left-wing opinions only appear to be the majority because the media amplifies them. The west used to believe that the media should be independent of politics, but the liberals don’t obey those rules.
5. Break down taboos. Not only today’s, but tomorrow’s. In Hungary they expose what the Left are preparing for before they even take action. For example, LGBT propaganda targeting children.
6. Economy, economy, economy. the left wants to operate the economy according to abstract notions. We need to pursue policies that benefit the majority of voters. People want jobs and a better life, not economic theories.
7. Do not get pushed into the extreme. E.g., conspiracy theories. You alienate a large portion of your audience.
8. A book a day keeps the defeat away. Orban sets aside an entire day every week for reading. Reading helps you understand what your opponents are up to.
9. Have faith. A lack of faith is dangerous. If you don’t believe there will be a final reckoning, and that you are accountable to God, you will think you can do anything that’s in your power. Encourage young conservatives to engage with faith.
10. Make friends. Our enemies have one another’s back. By contrast, conservatives squabble over the smallest issue. then we wonder why they corner us. Look for common ground and ways you can work with others. If we don’t, our opponents will hunt us down one by one.
11. Build communities. There is no conservative political success without communities. The lonier people are, the more votes go to the liberals.
12. Build institutions. Think tanks, educational centers, talent workshops, youth organizations, whatever — with a political aspect. New ideas, new thoughts, and new people are needed again and again. That’s our ammunition.
There’s no silver bullet. Only work.
Why did the USA become such a mess that we have to look to Hungary for inspiration?
A listener wrote the show to ask for P&Cs predictions for the elections. The boys are reluctant to predict much because of all the uncertainties at this stage.
#1 — This is clearly not plan 1 for the Democrats. They hoped Kamala would get some on-the-job training so Biden could serve for one term and usher her in. It’s not going to plan. Kamala is incurably awful.
#2 — The lawfare against Trump is not going as well as Democrats would like, but it could certainly have an influence. Many independents won’t vote for Trump if he’s found guilty of a criminal offence.
#3 — We have two very old men. Unfortunately things happen to old men.
#4 — There are still people in the wings, like smarmy Gavin Newsome.
#5 — The Democrat establishment seems to be turning against Biden. He seems like a doddering, angry old man, and it’s getting impossible to hide it.
#6 — Democrats are losing their lock on the black vote, which would be a disaster. Democrats might have to pull some strings to keep that voting block.
#7 — How will RFK affect the race?
They reluctantly end the show with their predictions for the election.
The boys drink and review Jailbreak’s White Russian cream ale, then discuss five topics in five minutes.
#1 — Confusibles. The boys review some words people commonly use incorrectly. That vs. which. Farther vs. further. etc.
#2 — Swiss fat lesbians. A journalist was sentenced to 60 days in jail for calling a self-described fat lesbian a fat lesbian. Which is true. She is a fat lesbian. But to call her one is somehow hate speech. Which is a ridiculous concept to begin with.
#3 — Is “back to the office” a tool of the patriarchy? Here’s the logic. Men are more willing to work jobs they don’t like, put in more hours, and put up with crap than women are. Women have more emphasis on work-life balance. Working from home is better for work-life balance, so forcing employees back to the office disproportionately affects women.
#4 — The greatest rap song of all time! Ben Shapiro (aka Dr. Dreidel) joins with Tom McDonald to make a politically conservative rap song. It ends up topping the charts!! Crowhill is not impressed.
#5 — The “He gets us” Superbowl ad. It’s pretty lame, and it seems to reaffirm unfair criticisms of Christians, but on the positive side, it’s possibly getting people interested in Jesus.
The boys drink and review Royal Crush from Flying Dog Brewery, then discuss how the combination of two events — the death of George Floyd and the Covid pandemic — made America crazy. (Starting at 3:40.)
The confluence of these two events was just too much for the collective psyche. Everything had to change.
We had to get rid of the Indian princess on Land O Lakes.
The NFL put silly sayings in end zones and helmets.
All the voting laws had to change.
You have to believe that men can have periods and play in women’s sports.
Public drug use and defacation became a right.
Tent cities and shoplifting became acceptable.
Angry mobs can pull down public monuments with no consequences.
… and many more things ….
We attained peak anger. Every grievance had to be aired and addressed.
P&C list some of the craziness, then try to explain why it happened.
The boys drink and review Red Flannel Logger from Aldus brewing, then discuss the successes and failures of nation building. (Starting at 4:50.) Why does it work sometimes and not others?
Pigweed calls this the curse of the Marshall Plan. The U.S. has a history of success with nation building with both Germany and Japan after WWII. Since then, we haven’t had such great success.
Does every human heart yearn for freedom, McDonald’s, blue jeans and democracy, the way George W. Bush believed? Does economic freedom and opportunity lead to political freedom? It doesn’t seem to.
Why does it work in some cases but not in others? What are the necessary preconditions to a political structure that allows for free, democratic forms of government?
In another episode of “shortcut to the classics,” P&C plus special guest Longinus review a few short stories by Anton Checkov (starting at 3:25).
After a quick review of his life, they review and discuss five short stories.
The Black Monk is a story about Andrei Kovrin, an intellectual who experiences a mental breakdown that leads to hallucinations of a black monk.
In The House with the Mezzanine a young painter becomes enamored of two temperamentally different sisters during his stay at a country house.
The Peasants explores the harsh reality of peasant life in Russia, following Nikolai Chikildeev who, as a result of sickness, has to leave his Moscow job to live with his poor family.
Gooseberries is a strange story about a man who is so consumed with achieving his dream that he is indifferent to the sufferings of others.
In The Lady with the Toy Dog recounts a love affair by a player — Dmitri Gurov — who “fooled around and fell in love” with Anna Sergeyevna, a married woman he met on vacation in Yalta. The affair seems to have come to an end, but Dmitri pursues Anna to the city.
P&C don’t usually talk about current headlines, but every once in a while an issue arises that compels comment. Hence “Nooze and Booze.”
Immigration has been a crisis since before Ronald Reagan and has been a top concern for voters all that time. Nevertheless, both parties have refused to address it, and the Democrats have been absolutely insistent on open borders.
It’s been causing a crisis for the border states for decades, but the problem is spilling over into our major cities. It’s causing an absolute catastrophe. But still Biden and the Democrats insist on open borders. Why?
The boys discuss possible motivations.
If we need more workers, fine. Amend the law to bring in more workers — legally. P&C have no objection to legal immigration, and Crowhill makes that point about 300 times. If we need more people, do it through proper channels.
Why are the Democrats so fixated on illegal immigration? Illegal immigrants are hurting the poor — the very people the Democrats claim to be trying to help.
The U.S. already brings in more immigrants than any other country in the world. And that’s not enough?
In another episode of “shortcut to the classics,” P&C plus special guest Longinus review a few short stories by Anton Checkov (starting at 3:25).
After a quick review of his life, they review and discuss five short stories.
The Black Monk is a story about Andrei Kovrin, an intellectual who experiences a mental breakdown that leads to hallucinations of a black monk.
In The House with the Mezzanine a young painter becomes enamored of two temperamentally different sisters during his stay at a country house.
The Peasants explores the harsh reality of peasant life in Russia, following Nikolai Chikildeev who, as a result of sickness, has to leave his Moscow job to live with his poor family.
Gooseberries is a strange story about a man who is so consumed with achieving his dream that he is indifferent to the sufferings of others.
In The Lady with the Toy Dog recounts a love affair by a player — Dmitri Gurov — who “fooled around and fell in love” with Anna Sergeyevna, a married woman he met on vacation in Yalta. The affair seems to have come to an end, but Dmitri pursues Anna to the city.
