Also, I don't mean to complain but it's been exactly *227 days* since your last episode with the wayward son of a certain Oscar winner. I believe I'm speaking for all of us when I say that this is an unacceptably long time to go without anecdotes about Mormon strip clubs, unsuccessfully seducing Kevin Spacey, pretending to be blind to catch a plane, hunting the homeless for sport...
"Repent motherfuckers!" and bring Dreyfuss on again (and Josh Barro, of course).
- Nellie Bowles. She made a cameo once, but let Bari assume babysitting duties for a while so Nellie can discuss with Kmele why San Francisco is the best/worst city in the country.
- Mike Solana. Another ex-San Franciscan prepared to shower the Bay with a mix of admiration and condemnation.
- Whoever the real-life guy (or gal?) is behind that snarky Puerto Rican cat, Boriquagato. And if the cat wants to preserve his/her/its anonymity, they can appear behind a cartoon avatar like the Doomberg green chicken.
NYC Fifdom! Go to those Reason events! A bunch of us will be there. Some for the smart conversation, me for the cookie platter, others for Nick’s ninja like audience q&a moderating skills! Really, something to behold. Take notes!
Wait, there'll be cookies?! Alas, an overnight is out of my budget. For the sake of the cookies alone, I'll have to make TWO consecutive day trips from Amtrak. #NoRergets!
Hey I also loved your special Matt! Wish I made more use of the features and could enjoy Second Sunday properly (sub’d since 2020 even through layoffs, though lapses in email access/credit cards expiring may appear that I’m lying on the back end, lol) but these posts are great!
All the extra content you guys do like this great weekly feature and oddball one-offs are great, feels like you guys go out of your way to re-balance holiday seasonal hours & it’s really awesome that you hold yourselves to a higher standard than we the paying crowd do.
Re: Taibbi, don’t think that he meant that people can’t think Trump is a bad president, he’s specifically saying that some people can’t countenance that anyone who’s intelligent and of sound judgement would honestly think so “in good faith” (i.e. not chocked up to pure self interest from the tax cuts or de-regulation).
Quote: “I think a lot of people in the world I once inhabited, in center-left media and academia, don’t realize they’ve slipped into a deeply unattractive habit of substituting checklists of unquestioned assumptions for thought. In the blue bubble Trump’s limitless evil is an idea with such awesome gravitational pull that it makes nuanced discussion about almost anything impossible.” I don’t think your measured and novel analysis is at all associated with this, where the conclusions are reached and don’t do anything like cite acts as President to back up firm assertions. Things like him being a singular racist inspiring a white power movement and an obvious failure are stated as facts beyond dispute.
Let me give a shoutout to Alexandra Hudson! I recently had the chance to get drunk on very good vintages with this AH & her husband at a local tavern in the middle of nowhere (where I live). She is Fifth worthy! She is pretty gorgeous in an Ayran way (our conversation about Adam Smith & Jane Austen as sources of light in a shitty world were frequently interrupted by an aging biker with most of his teeth who thought he could woo her away from her husband) so precautions might need to be made for MM--but she'd hold her own with y'all! Consider it!
Didn't you promise that you were going to have a critic of the Biden Administration's Ukraine war policy on the pod? I recommend Bob Wright. He's not a kook, and certainly no Russophile. And he's giving up his own podcast with Mickey Kaus, so he should have time to talk.
So I watched all the smart men talking about the Philip Bump thing. It was refreshing to watch reasonable men engaging in spirited conversation while remaining civil and respectful. So unusual. Anyhow I was mesmerized while watching and listening to Eli Lake. Who did he remind me of? I was thinking too hard and had to ask my husband. He looked up from his paper, watched for a moment, and said "Wally Shawn". He was right! Inconceivable...
I personally like Nate Silver and think he would be a good guest leading into the election year - his last Substack post was basically that polls mean nothing right now so stop analyzing and freaking out over them, which is the perspective the media needs right now.
I can’t tell what the opinion is from you three on Matt Ygelsias (seems like each person views him a bit differently) but I like him in Substack form. I realize he can be a bit trolly on Twitter, but I agree with a lot of his views and appreciate that he usually tries to steel man the opposing view and approach those who hold those views as people to persuade and not to hate. I think he would be a good guest on the pod especially on a hot topic right now like immigration that’s shaking up the normal left/right reactions.
Navy Veteran (think Seal but he will never say) & DOD for a decade.
He has knowledge about contemporary events, from a POV, one is rarely exposed to.
Did anyone honestly know the US was funding (via the CIA) Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria?
Ten years after 9/11, US Special Forces were training Al-Qaeda affiliates in Jordan or as John Kerry referred to them "the moderate rebels".
Or that most of the victims of Jonestown mass murder/suicide victims were poor middle age black women form the USA? One may not always agree with Darryl, but holy shit, the guys makes one question consensus narratives.
I think interviewing Heather Cox is a waste of time. She is a zero value add interview. She is your prototypical academic leftie, whose opinions are 100% consistent with an average NYT's news article (which is actually opinion posing as news).
Taibbi always deserves the benefit of the doubt. Taibbi put himself and his family on the line to fight against government censorship. How many of us would continue this fight after the IRS showed up on our doorstep?
How many of us have the guts to stand up and call bullshit in Congress, when your own blue team and former friendly blue team members seek to use government power to intimidate & silence you? How many would continue the crusade when your friends disavow you & the in-group cool kids mock you, instead of inviting you to their dinner parties?
The other guys I would recommend doing a cross-over, drunk, members only, episode with; Ruthless Pod boys. They are funny AF & have filled an obvious void on the right, but not in a sanctimonious way.
> Did anyone honestly know the US was funding (via the CIA) Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria?
> Ten years after 9/11, US Special Forces were training Al-Qaeda affiliates in Jordan or as John Kerry referred to them "the moderate rebels".
This is deeply misleading. The US did not fund Jabhat al-Nusra or other Al Qaeda affiliates. The US funded actual moderate rebel groups, but these groups were largely ineffective. Some of these did collaborate with al-Nusra in the fight against ISIS, some members of these groups defected to al-Nusra, and many of their weapons ended up in the hands of al-Nusra after their collapse. All of this is bad, reflects poorly on the CIA, and should give us pause about military aid. But to say we funded al-Qaeda, or that there were no moderate rebels in Syria, is wrong.
With respect, there were no moderate rebels in Syria. It is deeply misleading for any government entity to portray any faction in a Mideast civil war as being "moderate".
There were no moderate Afghan Mujahideen rebels in the 1980's. The Yanks sent weapons to "moderate rebels" in Afghanistan, who helped force the USSR surrender but created a terrorist breeding ground in Afghanistan. Charlie Wilson's War was a great movie (god I miss PSH) but the movie ends before the real war begins. We don't see the Mujahideen selling US Stinger missiles to jihadi terrorist groups.
Because the media ceased to function once Trump was elected, the facts became irrelevant, unless they could be filtered through the Trump/Russia collusion hoax or Trump bad man.
In 2015 the current Defense Secretary testified in Congress, after the CIA spent $500 million dollars training and arming "moderate" Syrian rebels, there were by his count, 5 (yes FIVE) "moderate rebels" fighting in Syria.
You see, the CIA was in charge of vetting & training. They had promised State (John Kerry at the time) they would have 5400 "moderate" Syrian rebels in the field by 2015. Unfortunately, almost every person who graduated from the CIA training camps would be released into the field and immediately either defect or be "kidnapped" by al-Nursa or some other Al Qaeda affiliate. Even the "vetted" U.S.-backed leader, Anas Obaid defected immediately to al-Nusra, bragging he intentionally deceived the U.S. to get the weapons. Anas Obaid was killed in a drone strike in 2020.
Of course the CIA continued the program until 2017 blowing more than $1 billion.
The media immediately laundered the CIA's talking points, which blamed Trumps love of Russia, for the reason the program was cancelled.
If one goes back to 2015, one can read about a near munity in the intelligence community because analysts reports were being altered by senior people, before they were delivered to decision-makers (POTUS). One can also read about a near munity by specials forces who were aghast at having to train "moderate "Al-Qaeda" rebels. These stories all pre-date Trump (when the media still functioned as something other than the Democrats super-pac).
When Biden came back for Obama's 3rd term, he promoted all the people who advocated arming "moderate al-Qaeda" in Syria.
Maybe its time for the west to start policing their own for actual criminal incompetence instead of just mean tweets and associated "bad" speech.
You've never had Josh Barro on?!
Also, I don't mean to complain but it's been exactly *227 days* since your last episode with the wayward son of a certain Oscar winner. I believe I'm speaking for all of us when I say that this is an unacceptably long time to go without anecdotes about Mormon strip clubs, unsuccessfully seducing Kevin Spacey, pretending to be blind to catch a plane, hunting the homeless for sport...
"Repent motherfuckers!" and bring Dreyfuss on again (and Josh Barro, of course).
Ok, this was prophetic and I take everything back :D
Let’s get Ben on to answer terrible advice column questions in real-time.
Three people I would love to have visit the Fif:
- Nellie Bowles. She made a cameo once, but let Bari assume babysitting duties for a while so Nellie can discuss with Kmele why San Francisco is the best/worst city in the country.
- Mike Solana. Another ex-San Franciscan prepared to shower the Bay with a mix of admiration and condemnation.
- Whoever the real-life guy (or gal?) is behind that snarky Puerto Rican cat, Boriquagato. And if the cat wants to preserve his/her/its anonymity, they can appear behind a cartoon avatar like the Doomberg green chicken.
NYC Fifdom! Go to those Reason events! A bunch of us will be there. Some for the smart conversation, me for the cookie platter, others for Nick’s ninja like audience q&a moderating skills! Really, something to behold. Take notes!
Josh Barro would be amazing and (not listed), Ruy Teixeira from The Liberal Patriot. Snark level would be through the roof https://www.liberalpatriot.com/p/its-official-the-democrats-have-a
Wait, there'll be cookies?! Alas, an overnight is out of my budget. For the sake of the cookies alone, I'll have to make TWO consecutive day trips from Amtrak. #NoRergets!
There’s also alcohol but I’m not about to broadcast that to these dirtbags. And yes, I have been known to commandeer the cookie platter.
Cookies AND alcohol?! I have found my people. 🥲
That’s what I’m saying! Bummer you won’t be able to hang around
Hey I also loved your special Matt! Wish I made more use of the features and could enjoy Second Sunday properly (sub’d since 2020 even through layoffs, though lapses in email access/credit cards expiring may appear that I’m lying on the back end, lol) but these posts are great!
All the extra content you guys do like this great weekly feature and oddball one-offs are great, feels like you guys go out of your way to re-balance holiday seasonal hours & it’s really awesome that you hold yourselves to a higher standard than we the paying crowd do.
Re: Taibbi, don’t think that he meant that people can’t think Trump is a bad president, he’s specifically saying that some people can’t countenance that anyone who’s intelligent and of sound judgement would honestly think so “in good faith” (i.e. not chocked up to pure self interest from the tax cuts or de-regulation).
Quote: “I think a lot of people in the world I once inhabited, in center-left media and academia, don’t realize they’ve slipped into a deeply unattractive habit of substituting checklists of unquestioned assumptions for thought. In the blue bubble Trump’s limitless evil is an idea with such awesome gravitational pull that it makes nuanced discussion about almost anything impossible.” I don’t think your measured and novel analysis is at all associated with this, where the conclusions are reached and don’t do anything like cite acts as President to back up firm assertions. Things like him being a singular racist inspiring a white power movement and an obvious failure are stated as facts beyond dispute.
Anyways looking forward to the Sunday Show!
JOSH BARRO
In the works!
Hurray!
Have ya'll seen FIRE's new video? Hilarious. Fif folk will love it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O67dGv5kIOU&list=PLvIqJIL2kOMcIXwnykFyBH7WwhPrKHM3M&index=1
That was hilarious. Yes! No!
Let me give a shoutout to Alexandra Hudson! I recently had the chance to get drunk on very good vintages with this AH & her husband at a local tavern in the middle of nowhere (where I live). She is Fifth worthy! She is pretty gorgeous in an Ayran way (our conversation about Adam Smith & Jane Austen as sources of light in a shitty world were frequently interrupted by an aging biker with most of his teeth who thought he could woo her away from her husband) so precautions might need to be made for MM--but she'd hold her own with y'all! Consider it!
p.s. her husband is f***ing brilliant and hilarious as well.
10/10 post title, Matt
Didn't you promise that you were going to have a critic of the Biden Administration's Ukraine war policy on the pod? I recommend Bob Wright. He's not a kook, and certainly no Russophile. And he's giving up his own podcast with Mickey Kaus, so he should have time to talk.
So I watched all the smart men talking about the Philip Bump thing. It was refreshing to watch reasonable men engaging in spirited conversation while remaining civil and respectful. So unusual. Anyhow I was mesmerized while watching and listening to Eli Lake. Who did he remind me of? I was thinking too hard and had to ask my husband. He looked up from his paper, watched for a moment, and said "Wally Shawn". He was right! Inconceivable...
Hahah I’m honored! Sometimes I feel like Tracy Morgan’s character in 30 Rock when I’m talking about life in LA: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Sycfsbu0sys
Congratulations! Also, excellent follow-up!
"A pack of wild dogs took over and successfully ran a Wendy's."
Excellent recap, but I have to say that not everything died at Burning Man - in fact, something came quite alive: https://www.iflscience.com/three-eyed-dinosaur-shrimp-are-waking-up-at-burning-man-70529?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter
That was worth a click. Thank you!
Looking forward to Josh Barro being on the pod!
I personally like Nate Silver and think he would be a good guest leading into the election year - his last Substack post was basically that polls mean nothing right now so stop analyzing and freaking out over them, which is the perspective the media needs right now.
I can’t tell what the opinion is from you three on Matt Ygelsias (seems like each person views him a bit differently) but I like him in Substack form. I realize he can be a bit trolly on Twitter, but I agree with a lot of his views and appreciate that he usually tries to steel man the opposing view and approach those who hold those views as people to persuade and not to hate. I think he would be a good guest on the pod especially on a hot topic right now like immigration that’s shaking up the normal left/right reactions.
Darryl Cooper (MartyrMade)
Navy Veteran (think Seal but he will never say) & DOD for a decade.
He has knowledge about contemporary events, from a POV, one is rarely exposed to.
Did anyone honestly know the US was funding (via the CIA) Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria?
Ten years after 9/11, US Special Forces were training Al-Qaeda affiliates in Jordan or as John Kerry referred to them "the moderate rebels".
Or that most of the victims of Jonestown mass murder/suicide victims were poor middle age black women form the USA? One may not always agree with Darryl, but holy shit, the guys makes one question consensus narratives.
I think interviewing Heather Cox is a waste of time. She is a zero value add interview. She is your prototypical academic leftie, whose opinions are 100% consistent with an average NYT's news article (which is actually opinion posing as news).
Taibbi always deserves the benefit of the doubt. Taibbi put himself and his family on the line to fight against government censorship. How many of us would continue this fight after the IRS showed up on our doorstep?
How many of us have the guts to stand up and call bullshit in Congress, when your own blue team and former friendly blue team members seek to use government power to intimidate & silence you? How many would continue the crusade when your friends disavow you & the in-group cool kids mock you, instead of inviting you to their dinner parties?
The other guys I would recommend doing a cross-over, drunk, members only, episode with; Ruthless Pod boys. They are funny AF & have filled an obvious void on the right, but not in a sanctimonious way.
> Did anyone honestly know the US was funding (via the CIA) Al-Qaeda affiliate in Syria?
> Ten years after 9/11, US Special Forces were training Al-Qaeda affiliates in Jordan or as John Kerry referred to them "the moderate rebels".
This is deeply misleading. The US did not fund Jabhat al-Nusra or other Al Qaeda affiliates. The US funded actual moderate rebel groups, but these groups were largely ineffective. Some of these did collaborate with al-Nusra in the fight against ISIS, some members of these groups defected to al-Nusra, and many of their weapons ended up in the hands of al-Nusra after their collapse. All of this is bad, reflects poorly on the CIA, and should give us pause about military aid. But to say we funded al-Qaeda, or that there were no moderate rebels in Syria, is wrong.
With respect, there were no moderate rebels in Syria. It is deeply misleading for any government entity to portray any faction in a Mideast civil war as being "moderate".
There were no moderate Afghan Mujahideen rebels in the 1980's. The Yanks sent weapons to "moderate rebels" in Afghanistan, who helped force the USSR surrender but created a terrorist breeding ground in Afghanistan. Charlie Wilson's War was a great movie (god I miss PSH) but the movie ends before the real war begins. We don't see the Mujahideen selling US Stinger missiles to jihadi terrorist groups.
Because the media ceased to function once Trump was elected, the facts became irrelevant, unless they could be filtered through the Trump/Russia collusion hoax or Trump bad man.
In 2015 the current Defense Secretary testified in Congress, after the CIA spent $500 million dollars training and arming "moderate" Syrian rebels, there were by his count, 5 (yes FIVE) "moderate rebels" fighting in Syria.
You see, the CIA was in charge of vetting & training. They had promised State (John Kerry at the time) they would have 5400 "moderate" Syrian rebels in the field by 2015. Unfortunately, almost every person who graduated from the CIA training camps would be released into the field and immediately either defect or be "kidnapped" by al-Nursa or some other Al Qaeda affiliate. Even the "vetted" U.S.-backed leader, Anas Obaid defected immediately to al-Nusra, bragging he intentionally deceived the U.S. to get the weapons. Anas Obaid was killed in a drone strike in 2020.
Of course the CIA continued the program until 2017 blowing more than $1 billion.
The media immediately laundered the CIA's talking points, which blamed Trumps love of Russia, for the reason the program was cancelled.
If one goes back to 2015, one can read about a near munity in the intelligence community because analysts reports were being altered by senior people, before they were delivered to decision-makers (POTUS). One can also read about a near munity by specials forces who were aghast at having to train "moderate "Al-Qaeda" rebels. These stories all pre-date Trump (when the media still functioned as something other than the Democrats super-pac).
When Biden came back for Obama's 3rd term, he promoted all the people who advocated arming "moderate al-Qaeda" in Syria.
Maybe its time for the west to start policing their own for actual criminal incompetence instead of just mean tweets and associated "bad" speech.
I'm going to predict that all of Nick's groomsmen will be wearing black leather jackets.
Hmm, watch tennis (US Open men’s final @ 4pm est) or a 5th zoom. You guys are really testing my loyalty here!
I think the clear answer is watch hot men bounce back and forth on mute while listening to the dulcet, gravely, and enthusiastic tones of the lads.