Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Snarkiness

With the ongoing COVID-19 causing a cry of “trust the experts,” the difficult question that comes to us is; which experts? Who counts as an expert? Who do we listen to? Aaron and Jason tackle this issue by raising the question of who counts as an expert, when should we listen to them, when should we question if their expertise is relevant, and what, in all of this, is the role of common sense and discernment?

Ezekiel Immanuel on his plan for an 18 month shutdown: https://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2020/04/07/ezekiel_emanuel_us_must_stay_locked_down_for_12-18_months_until_theres_a_vaccine.html

Ron Paul’s comments on Dr. Fauci: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/ron-paul-claims-dr-fauci-wants-total-control-of-the-public-pushing-outlandish-coronavirus-conspiracy-as-official-receives-death-threats/ar-BB12rFdP

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “Earth’s Holocaust”: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/9231/9231-h/9231-h.htm?fbclid=IwAR2xTLBn3aVuQZ6moG7Qff1B-GwEU8Mc6SCi8IoOh7hhe8HOBiPfJPq2XjY

A paper by Social Psychologist Robert Cialdini (and others) going over the predatory use of “expertise” in persuasion: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/11169300_Dispelling_the_Illusion_of_Invulnerability_The_Motivations_and_Mechanisms_of_Resistance_to_Persuasion

Muppet Treasure Island’s “Cabin Fever”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsezrzS27UY

Aaron and Jason conclude our two-part series on U.S. History’s Points of Divergence. Aaron discusses how two often-discounted Constitutional amendments altered the fundamental structure of our government, how FDR changed how individuals relate to the state, the “non-war to begin all non-wars,” and how the United States Federal Government has been utterly defeated by plants and yet refuses to acknowledge it. Jason discusses why the “unnecessary” war was actually 100% necessary, and what he thinks was the most recent point of divergence in our nation’s history.

Aaron and Jason discuss, Turkish coffee and cream soda in their respective hands, what they consider to be the Top Ten “Points of Divergence” across United States History, in chronological order. In part 1, Jason talks about how “hooligans” in Massachusetts showed fundamental flaws in our system, how “the greatest trade deal in the history of trade deals” created a new opportunity in the American Frontier, and how a lost battle created the American Industrial Age. Aaron, meanwhile, talks about the importance of compromise and how “nobody getting what they wanted” led to the creation of the U.S. as we know it today.

Amidst their voluntary self-isolation, Aaron, Austin, and Jason come together to discuss the response to COVID-19. Jason introduces the idea of “Black Swans” as social phenomena, and the hosts discuss how COVID-19 fits the label of a “Black Swan.” Jason talks about the importance of civic virtue in response to “Black Swans,” Aaron discusses the psychological problems with the Government’s decision-making in response to the pandemic, and Austin serves as a gadfly while also trying to teach William Barr what a telephone is. 


The T-Walla Walla link that Jason talks about in today’s episode: https://www.twallawalla.com/faith-over-fear?fbclid=IwAR3G7WCaz97nux5D4BenwYmYHDaRzc-u_jlFbwNZac58hTOOhaTGUFgUD1k

The Politico article that Aaron mentioned in the episode: https://www.politico.com/amp/news/magazine/2020/03/19/coronavirus-effect-economy-life-society-analysis-covid-135579

Buzzfeed’s article on how the CDC and FDA have messed up: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/benking/coronavirus-covid-19-testing-errors-cdc

Another Politico article detailing the emergency powers that William Barr wants to be granted: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/21/doj-coronavirus-emergency-powers-140023?fbclid=IwAR0QhgmIJWGjyS4vboS7Yvg_I2qM6rxUBwcmPWQcvPn3elai4ndZjKLW2wU

Dr. David Katz, president of True Health Initiative and the founding director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center, on why he’s worried about the government’s current response to COVID-19: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/20/opinion/coronavirus-pandemic-social-distancing.html?fbclid=IwAR3mRdy5iQxLrsw-wciEb0p4DCtSDsp6AybGqA03rmFK9qMMdNSsPyHiYRI

Dr. John P.A. Ioannidis, professor of medicine, epidemiology and population health, professor by courtesy of biomedical data science at Stanford University School of Medicine, professor by courtesy of statistics at Stanford University School of Humanities and Sciences, and co-director of the Meta-Research Innovation Center at Stanford (METRICS) at Stanford University, on why he’s afraid at the lack of data being involved in the government’s decision-making: https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/17/a-fiasco-in-the-making-as-the-coronavirus-pandemic-takes-hold-we-are-making-decisions-without-reliable-data/?fbclid=IwAR00Rvptt6ELCfyoQhjeUhyxWQBn-ItLN6vEvA5aVelj8geQpI7urCxNH5U

How entrepreneurs are responding to the pandemic: https://www.tenentrepreneurs.org/blog/innovators-vs-the-virus?fbclid=IwAR1ldwyNWLwuZvVzDcZNQGBu0ADMAPoU3r3TMDB5s5VT9ndr-RTM2xFlhdI

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Aaron and Jenn discuss the new movie “The Hunt” that just released this weekend. Initially cancelled because of conservative outrage over the premise of Liberal elites hunting Conservative “Deplorables,” The Hunt is now garnering criticism from the Left for somehow being too sympathetic to the Right wing? Both Aaron and Jenn are left thoroughly perplexed by the reaction, having both enjoyed it for what it is; a thoroughly ridiculous, utterly farcical B-Movie that nevertheless has some important lessons on partisanship that both sides of the aisle could stand to listen to.

Matthew Rosza’s review for Salon that Aaron thinks totally misses the point of the movie: https://www.salon.com/2020/03/15/the-hunt-trump-craig-zobel/

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There’s a lot of fear out there at the moment with the reactions to COVID-19. As none of the regular hosts of this podcast have even remotely sufficient medical knowledge to provide that perspective, we’ve asked Dr. Eric Larson of the Paradocs Podcast to once again come on for a special episode on the Coronavirus. Aaron and Eric discuss what COVID-19 is, how people are responding to it, what reasonable vs. unreasonable reactions to COVID-19 look like, and, of course, how our government is responding to/making use of the crisis. And in the words of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”: Don’t Panic.

Champaigne, Illinois mayor signs executive order granting power to ban sale of guns and alcohol while addressing coronavirus - https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/illinois-mayor-signs-executive-order-granting-power-to-ban-sale-of-guns-and-alcohol-while-addressing-coronavirus?fbclid=IwAR1ju52xjp0IWs0jFpXMW95-whAKIWLfLMxUfsAu8pm87WITx_tR46uscqA

Hannah Cox for Medium - reminding us that crises are a perfect time to seize power - https://medium.com/@hannahcox_49924/a-crisis-is-the-perfect-time-to-seize-power-ed2750db2123

CA governor signs executive order that allows the state to take over hotels and medical facilities if necessary to treat coronavirus patients, and also gives government officials the ability to hold private teleconferences without violating open meeting laws. - https://theweek.com/speedreads/901956/california-governor-issues-order-allowing-state-commandeer-hotels-needed-treat-coronavirus-patients

The Paradocs Podcast Website: https://theparadocs.com/

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Aaron and Austin come together to discuss an opinion piece published this past week by the former legal team of the impeachment whistle blower. Both Aaron and Austin find themselves doing something they never thought they’d have to do, which is criticizing Rand Paul, before discussing the importance of whistleblowers to a limited and ethical government, as well as discussing why they both believe that anonymity of whistleblowers should be protected.

The hosts also answer our first piece of on-air fan mail, talking about the accusation of “Trump Derangement Syndrome” and why the podcast so often ends up setting itself against the President and what he does.

The Declassified Document containing the Whistleblower’s statement: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/09/26/whistleblower-complaint-against-trump-read-full-declassified-document/3773047002/

The Psychology of Whistleblowing: https://moralitylab.bc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/DunganWaytzYoung_2015.pdf

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Aaron is joined by Dr. Eric Larson, host of the Paradocs Podcast, to tackle the difficult issue of vaccination. Both Aaron and Eric face a similar quandary in that they are both personally VERY pro-vaccine (seriously people, please vaccinate your kids), but also believe in a limited government that shouldn’t have the power to make people do things just because they might be good things to do. Aaron and Eric discuss whether or not the risks of unvaccinated individuals warrant government action, discuss the difficulties of both the pro and anti-vaccine sides of the debate, and how just because the government may not be the best solution, a non-governmental solution isn’t necessarily going to satisfy the more extreme parts of the anti-vaccine movement.

ABC News on current vaccination rates: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/parents-delaying-giving-vaccines-children-study/story?id=69141494

“Why I was an anti-vaxxer” - One woman’s account of why she was afraid of vaccines and what changed her mind: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/all-families-are-not-alike/201808/why-i-was-anti-vaxxer

An article explaining the psychology of how antivaxx attitudes are formed: https://www.voanews.com/science-health/psychology-researchers-explore-how-vaccine-beliefs-are-formed

Another article, this one pointing out specific psychological flaws in thinking that lead to anti vaccine attitudes: https://www.npr.org/sections/13.7/2015/02/09/384877284/psychological-biases-play-a-part-in-vaccination-decisions

A “don’t panic”-style article from the Association for Psychological Science examining how most “anti vaxxers” are not inherently anti-vaccine, and how psychologists are trying to persuade people of vaccine safety and efficacy: https://www.psychologicalscience.org/publications/increasing-vaccination.html

Dr. Larson’s podcast: https://theparadocs.com/

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Aaron is joined by our special guest star Tyler Groenendal, the co-founder of the podcast, to discuss Oren Cass’s new “American Compass” think-tank that seeks to bring the Republican party away from “free-market fundamentalism.” Tyler points out the absurdity of claiming that libertarians or libertarian philosophy have had any sort of control over Republican economic policy over the last thirty years, while Aaron discusses why he thinks Oren Cass and his supporters are just making a power-grab, rather than trying to engage in serious intellectual discussion. Finally, both Tyler and Aaron reflect on the implications that movements like American Compass have for a Post-Trump era, and whether adherents of free trade or sensible economic party have anyone to turn to among the two major parties.

The Washington Post’s summary of Cass’s plans and goals: https://s2.washingtonpost.com/camp-rw/?e=ZGJvYXpAY2F0by5vcmc%3D&s=5e4bf6e9fe1ff6103bb31d87&linknum=4&linktot=84&fbclid=IwAR2XcYta9f1OB_O_qjisKrpRMaNLXc49lHQFWJo6hjs6AxugqHCSyg9OM18

Economist Donald Boudreaux’s response to Cass, and why he thinks Cass is being disingenuous: https://cafehayek.com/2020/02/another-open-letter-to-oren-cass.html?fbclid=IwAR1i4Ocw09wmzMQ7yIgYV0IlYKrQACDmo5PbfEyG88FsYgZLnUqANtFQtRc#.XkwYMk5tZg8.facebook

A more in-depth response by Boudreaux: https://triblive.com/opinion/donald-boudreaux-conservatives-can-be-just-as-mistaken-as-progressives/?fbclid=IwAR1fbgRXMuKQkFMXS7a3j7neXv4G8u4SQ2wmKsxzVK_2ywIZuBMumhns_CE

“Crisis and Leviathan” by Robert Higgs: https://www.amazon.com/Crisis-Leviathan-Critical-Government-Institute/dp/019505900X?fbclid=IwAR1oRVw0_iNQD2eYfIAC1YGx7W5kMtbb4DX3-kKmZUlM7_-5YNiWPUkOKe4

Inspired by the supposed “education crisis” that may or may not result from President Trump’s recommended budget, Aaron and Jason, both educators, decide to discuss education. Each gives their views and theories about what education should be, with Jason advocating for classical education while Aaron takes a broader stance that simply values the transformative power of learning. They also discuss the anti-education perspectives within the libertarian and conservative movements, from conservatives seeking their own form of indoctrination to the “unschooling” movement.

CATO’s Dan Mitchell on his skepticism of Trump’s Budget: https://danieljmitchell.wordpress.com/2020/02/10/the-medias-pervasively-dishonest-coverage-of-trumps-new-budget/

The Circe Institute: https://www.circeinstitute.org/

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