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.
The boys drink and review Crowhill’s homebrewed extra special bitter, then discuss the problems with smart phones (starting at 3:10).
Mostly relying on the work of Jonathan Haidt, the boys discuss the good and the bad of social media and smart phones.
Imagine social media like giving everybody a dart gun, and the social media platforms promoting everybody who likes to shoot.
Social media makes even small conversations a mine field. A college professor lecturing 200 students can be a world-wide villain before the end of his lecture if somebody is offended and tweets it.
The outrage mob on social media ruins reputations. As a result, most people self censor. They’re scared to death of the mob.
Smart phones are a particular problem for teenage girls. The effect has been severe and very negative. At a time when girls are already awkward, confused, and struggling, they compare their bodies to the air-brushed perfection of the top 0.1% of society. Some of them also post images of themselves to be criticized by millions of strangers.
It’s no wonder they’re depressed.
There are a lot of times when we should take a breath before we respond. We need to cool down and think before we speak. But social media is not that way. It’s all in the moment.
The Libertarians will say this should all be handled by parents. That’s not reasonable or responsible. It’s very hard for parents to impose a limit that the rest of society doesn’t uphold. There’s a place for the culture to create a limit.
Social media is addictive because of the dopamine hit when you get a like, but it’s also ready to destroy you on a moment’s notice if you offend the wrong person.
The boys drink and review their friend Ben’s Mosaic IPA, then discuss the relative virtues of dogs and cats as pets. (Starting at 7:15.)
Neither Pigweed nor Crowhill grew up with a dog or a cat, but both ended up with cats as adults.
Pigweed takes the cat case and Crowhill takes the dog case. They go back and forth on the relative merits and demerits of each.
* Cats are low maintenance.
* Dogs can be trained.
* Cats are better as “in-house” pets, so they’re good for apartments.
* Dogs are affectionate, but also needy.
* Cats keep pests away, but dogs keep bad guys at bay.
* There are service dogs. There are no service cats.
* Cats are quiet (mostly).
* Dogs are loyal.
* Cats are less expensive.
* You can trust a dog with your baby. He’ll actually protect your baby. With his life.
* Cats use the litter box. You have to walk a dog.
* Dogs promote a more active lifestyle.
* Cats groom themselves.
* There are more sizes and varieties of dogs than cats.
The boys drink and review Crowhill’s homemade Italian bitters, then discuss John Adams (starting about 3:50).
Pigweed starts off with some historical information on Adams, our second president, including his on-going dispute with Thomas Jefferson.
In a different context, John Adams famously said “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
What does that mean, and how are we to understand that in our modern society?
The equation seems to be that more freedom requires more personal self-restraint and morality. Without self-restraint and morality, you need a much stronger government. Think Saddam Hussein.
Or, to put it very simply, you have to trust people enough that you can leave them alone.
Unfortunately, modern politics seems to be a choice between which politician promises to give us more stuff.
The boys drink and review Founder’s Breakfast Stout then discuss the similarities between mindfulness and joie de vivre (starting about 3:30).
The very act of reviewing a beer is an example. The point is not to see how fast you can get a beer into your belly, but to savor the moment, pay attention to the world as it’s going by, and understand its complexities.
What does mindfulness have in common with joie de vivre? They’re both about noticing what’s going on and taking pleasure in the small things.
“Mindfulness” is often associated with New Age weirdness, but it doesn’t have to be. At its core, it involves one part of your mind dispassionately observing what’s happening in another part of your mind, or in your body. It seems to have a connection with the acceptance of suffering.
Joie de vivre is similar except that it has an emphasis on cheerfulness and enjoyment.
For both, you’re focusing on the present moment.
Most of our lives are chores and obligations. If you view all those things as drudgery, and your “real life” is only the fun stuff, you’re not going to have much real life. You need to learn to enjoy all the aspects of your life.
Are you going to allow your circumstances to control your life and your emotions, or are you going to take charge and live the life you want to live?
The boys drink and review Pigweed’s brown ale, then discuss how low expectations harm the people they’re supposed to help. (The beer review ends at 3:53.)
George Bush made the phrase “the soft bigotry of low expectations” popular in his 2000 campaign.
The evil of this “soft bigotry” is that it comes from people who pretend to be helping. But when you fail to hold people to reasonable standards, you’re not helping them at all.
If you institutionalize low expectations to increase the participation of some group, everyone will now question the qualifications of the people in that group. How could they not?
P&C discuss how this poisonous attitude infects many areas of our culture.
It infects the SAT, grades, hiring, recruiting for schools, and even baking contests.
