He fled Lebanon at 19, built a life here, and has strong opinions about what’s happening in the Middle East right now. And he disagrees with some of what I’ve been writing. So he called me.

Bernard Kash is not a politician, a pundit, or a policy expert. He’s a Lebanese-born immigrant who came to this country legally in 1985, built a business from scratch, and has half a family that’s Muslim and half that’s Christian. He has relatives and friends still living in Lebanon and Iran. And when he saw some of what Corey had been writing publicly, he picked up the phone.

That’s the kind of conversation this program exists for.

In this episode, Bernard and Corey dig into the Israel–Lebanon–Iran conflict, media coverage and what it leaves out, the constitutional questions around Trump’s decision to bomb Iran without going to Congress, immigration, and the political tribal warfare that makes it hard to just talk to each other anymore. They don’t agree on everything. They never have. And yet here they are.

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Key Takeaways

What people on the ground in Lebanon actually think about Hezbollah: Bernard shares firsthand accounts from relatives still living in Lebanon and Iran — a perspective you won’t find on cable news. Most Lebanese people don’t want war with Israel and see Hezbollah as an Iranian proxy, not a Lebanese cause.

The Article I question: Corey raises a pointed constitutional concern: Trump began bombing Iran within days of the State of the Union, without consulting Congress. Bernard doesn’t entirely disagree on principle, but argues that in practice, the ends and the means sometimes get complicated.

The “best heart surgeon” problem: Bernard puts it plainly: he wouldn’t invite Trump to dinner, doesn’t think he’s a good person, and can still make the case that for certain geopolitical situations, he may be the right instrument. That tension is exactly what this conversation is about.

Media isn’t monolithic: Both Corey and Bernard push back on the idea that “the media” is a single entity lying to us. The reporters on the ground are often doing real work. What makes it onto air is a different question.

Critiquing Trump isn’t critiquing you: Corey makes a point he’s been sitting with: when he criticizes the president, some friends take it as a personal attack. And those same friends assume that because he’s not sufficiently pro-Trump, he must be the worst caricature the right has invented of the left. Neither is true.

“Grow up” as political philosophy: When asked how we talk politics and religion without killing each other, Bernard’s answer is two words: grow up. Rise above the label, the jersey, the acronym. Find out who the person actually is.

Bernard Kash fled Lebanon in 1985 at age 19, after a decade of civil war. He came to the United States legally, built a life, raised a family, and has owned Earth Wise Nutrition Center in Santa Clarita for many years. He is one of Corey’s good friends, and one of his most reliable sparring partners.

Corey is @coreysnathan on all the socials…

Thanks to Pew Research Center for making today’s conversation possible.

Links and additional resources:

Proud members of The Democracy Group

Now go talk some politics and religion but with gentleness and respect.