Acton Unwind

This week, Eric Kohn and Dan Hugger are joined by two special guests—Stephanie Slade, senior editor at Reason magazine and Fellow in Liberal Studies at the Acton Institute, and Jack Butler, submissions editor at National Review—both of whom attended the National Conservatism 3 conference, to discuss all things pertaining to the conference and the National Conservatism movement.

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The Will to Power Was Front and Center at NatCon III | Stephanie Slade, Reason

Both Left and Right Are Converging on Authoritarianism | Stephanie Slade, Reason

Four Myths About National Conservatism You Should Stop Believing | David Brog, The Federalist

National Conservatism and the Declaration | David Tucker, Law & Liberty

National Conservatism and Its Enemies | Religion & Liberty

What I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Religion & Liberty

National Conservatism: A Primer for the Uninitiated | Josh Hammer, Newsweek

National Conservatism: A Statement of Principles | The American Conservative

The hundred-year war for American conservatism | Acton Line

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This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman are joined by special guest Rabbi Jonathan Greenberg to discuss the recent New York Times article on New York City’s Orthodox yeshivas. Is the Times piece fair? What interest does the state have in the kind of education the children in Hasidic enclaves in New York City are receiving? And is America becoming increasingly inhospitable to Jews? Then the guys discuss the move by some state governors to send migrants who arrive at the southern border to so-called sanctuary cities. Is this a defensible policy, with the supposed ends justifying using fellow humans as the means of making a political point?

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In Hasidic Enclaves, Failing Private Schools Flush with Public Money | New York Times

The Jews of the Jews | Moshe Krakowski, Commentary

The Plot Against Jewish Education | Liel Leibovitz, Tablet Magazine

New York State vs. the Yeshivas | Eli Spitzer, Mosaic Magazine

Religious Liberty in the States | Center for Religion, Culture & Democracy

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This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman discuss the legacies of two world leaders who have recently passed: Queen Elizabeth II of England and former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. How should these two very different figures be remembered, and what will be their enduring legacies? How should we think about the legacy of the British Empire, which was dissolved under Queen Elizabeth’s reign with the end of British rule in Hong Kong? And how much credit should Gorbachev get for the dissolution of the Soviet Union under his watch when this was never his intention? And finally, the guys discuss the ongoing National Conservatism 3 conference and the status of that movement.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II (1926–2022) | Richard Turnbull, Acton Institute

Would Kuyper go to Mars? | Dylan Pahman, Acton Institute

Gorbachev Pizza Hut commercial

What I Saw at the National Conservatism Conference | Dan Hugger, Acton Institute

National Conservatism and Its Enemies | Religion & Liberty Winter-Spring 2022

National Conservatism and Its Enemies | Religion & Liberty Winter-Spring 2022

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This week, Eric Kohn, John Pinheiro, and Dylan Pahman discuss every angle of the executive order from President Joe Biden granting up to $20,000 of student-loan-debt forgiveness to qualifying individuals. Is there a solid legal case for doing this? Can one argue persuasively that transferring debts from those who incurred them to those who did not—namely, the American taxpayers—is in any way just? Does it make sense to take this action without addressing the deeper problems in the student loan and higher education system, which debt-relief advocates themselves portray as predatory? How do we address the cultural problems that exist in the system—namely, the increased expectation that everyone should go to college?

Student Loan Debt Statistics: 2022 | NerdWallet

Untangling the college loan crisis | Anne Rathbone Bradley, Religion & Liberty

Is There a Christian Case for Biden’s Debt Relief Plan? | David French, The Dispatch

Blue Collar Intellectuals: When the Enlightened and the Everyman Elevated America | Daniel J. Flynn

Millennials and Marriage | Rachel Lu, Public Discourse

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This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman reflect on what has transpired in Afghanistan in the year since the withdrawal of American forces from the country. Could the inevitable withdrawal have been better planned to prevent the debacle that ensued? What is the current state of the country’s economy, and of the rights of women and children? Could things be worse? Then the guys turn their attention to a possible earthquake in the American public school system, as major cities see declining enrollments while states like Arizona make large expansions to school-choice programs. What happens when these unstoppable forces meet the immovable object of teachers unions? 

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The Taliban retake Afghanistan | Acton Unwind

Have the Taliban changed? | Acton Unwind

Afghanistan, One Year Later | The Morning Dispatch

Lawmakers Still Wrestle With Biden’s Chaotic Afghanistan Withdrawal | The Dispatch

Afghanistan's Economic Collapse | The Morning Dispatch

After just 68 days of summer, Chicago Public Schools’ new year starts Monday. Here’s what you need to know. | Chicago Tribune

One-third of Chicago Public Schools are half full | Illinois Policy Institute

Universal school vouchers: What you should know about the bill that Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed into law | Fox 10 Phoenix

Inside the Massive Effort to Change the Way Kids Are Taught to Read | Yahoo News

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This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman explore some of the big picture questions raised in the wake of the FBI's executing a search warrant for Trump’s Florida digs, Mar-a-Lago. How should we balance practical political concerns with questions of the rule of law? Would more transparency help? Or would breaking the Department of Justice’s protocol, as former FBI director Jim Comey did about the Hillary Clinton private-server investigation, cause more harm than good? And are we capable of viewing a former president as just another American citizen once he’s left office? Then the guys reflect on the reaction to the violent attack on novelist Salman Rushdie last week. While news outlets claim we’re still searching for a motive for the attack, Iran affirmed the fatwa and bounty on Rushdie’s life, so what’s the mystery? And finally, a piece in The Atlantic accuses rad-trad Catholics of “weaponizing” the rosary. While the original incendiary title has since been edited, wouldn’t it save a lot of embarrassment to have at least one person of faith around to avoid making basic mistakes?

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The FBI’s Mar-a-Lago ‘Raid’: It’s about the Capitol Riot, Not the Mishandling of Classified Information | Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review

Do We Believe Our Own Dogma? | Kevin Williamson, National Review

What Comes Next After Mar-a-Lago Search | Morning Dispatch, The Dispatch

Thinking Through the Trump Search | David French, The Dispatch

Salman Rushdie recovering from 'life changing' injuries after he was stabbed on stage. Here's what we know | CNN

Abolishing blasphemy laws in Pakistan will lead to more violence | Farah Adeed, Acton Institute

How Extremist Gun Culture Is Trying to Co-Opt the Rosary | The Atlantic

Original headline and image for Atlantic article

GetReligion

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This week, guest host Dan Hugger, Sarah Negri, and Dylan Pahman discuss the diplomatic crisis unfolding in the wake of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. How should the United States respond to an increasingly aggressive Communist China? From there the discussion turns to the recent defeat of the proposed Value Them Both Amendment to the Kansas Constitution. What can we learn about the future of the abortion debate in America from this result? Then we discuss the recent Republican primary election in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district between John Gibbs and Congressman Peter Meijer. What does this close race tell us about the state of the Republican Party and the near-future prospects for American politics at large?

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Pelosi has landed in Taiwan. Here's why that's a big deal | NPR

Nancy Pelosi: Why I’m leading a congressional delegation to Taiwan | The Washington Post

Furious China fires missiles near Taiwan in drills after Pelosi visit | Reuters

Right to abortion protected by Kansas Constitution, state Supreme Court rules | The Wichita Eagle

'No' prevails: Kansas votes to protect abortion rights in state constitution | The Kansas City Star

The end of Roe is the beginning of new life for citizens and their duties | Acton Institute

How Meijer's Trump impeachment vote sealed his fate in west Michigan | Detroit News

Gibbs, Scholten seek to win over supporters of defeated Congressman Peter Meijer | MLive

Defeated GOP lawmaker sees ‘dark and cynical’ streak prevailing in politics - POLITICO

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David L. Bahnsen joins Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman on the show this week to discuss all things economics. Just what is a recession? How do we know? What should we do if we’re actually in one? What is the future of inflation? If inflation comes down, is it a good sign or would it be indicative of different problems in the economy? Are we at risk of investing too much in the power of government and politicians to both break and fix the economy? And are oil companies making record profits?

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U.S. GDP Fell at 0.9% Annual Rate in Second Quarter; Recession Fears Loom Over Economy | Wall Street Journal

Fed hikes interest rates by 0.75 percentage point for second consecutive time to fight inflation | CNBC

The Inflation Reduction Act Won’t Reduce Inflation | Wall Street Journal

The Dividend Cafe | David L. Bahnsen

There’s No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths | David L. Bahnsen

Foundations of a Free & Virtuous Society | Dylan Pahman

Crisis of Responsibility: Our Cultural Addiction to Blame and How You Can Cure It | David L. Bahnsen

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This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman discuss the rising concern about political violence in the wake of the attack in New York on Republican gubernatorial candidate Rep. Lee Zeldin. How do we stem this tide, and what role do politicians and rhetoric play in inciting such violence? From there the discussion turns to the elimination of cash bail in New York. Then, given President Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia, how should we approach dealing with nations that violate human rights and, specific to Saudi Arabia, murder journalists, especially when there are geopolitical security concerns in the region? Finally, two St. Louis Cardinals superstars can’t travel to Canada to play the Blue Jays because they aren’t vaccinated. Do travel restrictions like this make sense anymore?

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Suspected attacker of GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin arrested on federal assault charge | CNN

Survey Looks at Acceptance of Political Violence in U.S. | New York Times

Roberts rebukes Schumer for saying justices will ‘pay the price’ for a vote against abortion rights | Washington Post

Biden Says He Told Saudi Prince He Blames Him for Khashoggi Murder | New York Times

Here's what the 'glowing orb' Trump touched in Saudi Arabia actually was | Insider

‘The Dissident’

Dictatorships & Double Standards | Jeane J. Kirkpatrick, Commentary Magazine

Kansas City Royals, with 10 unvaccinated players absent, beat Toronto Blue Jays | ESPN

Cardinals’ unvaccinated stars explain decision; Miles Mikolas regrets getting vaccine | The Comeback

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In a very special bonus episode of Acton Unwind, Eric Kohn is joined by Dylan Pahman and Daniel Baas to discuss the fourth season of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.” They explore the show’s depiction of communism, the satanic panic of the 1980s, concepts of good and evil, and tease out some possible religious allegories.

Supernatural thriller Stranger Things shows the all-too-human evil of communism | Dylan Pahman

Cronyism vs. free markets in ‘Stranger Things’ | Dylan Pahman 

Stranger Things on America: ‘It’s not rigged!’ | Jordan Ballor

Stranger Things’ Impressive Run | Bradley Birzer, National Review

Stranger Things 4 | Eddie Munson's Upside Down Guitar Scene | Netflix

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