Rick Caruso has been touring podcasts recently and getting an uncritical opportunity to deliver a stump speech. A few weeks ago, he was platformed on Sam Harris’ Making Sense with essentially no pushback. Now, Honestly portrays Rick Caruso as an expert on disaster preparedness. But he didn’t show it. Bari claims the fires are the worst i…
Rick Caruso has been touring podcasts recently and getting an uncritical opportunity to deliver a stump speech. A few weeks ago, he was platformed on Sam Harris’ Making Sense with essentially no pushback. Now, Honestly portrays Rick Caruso as an expert on disaster preparedness. But he didn’t show it. Bari claims the fires are the worst in LA history, but Caruso takes it further, suggesting they're among the worst in the country. His assertion is a cruel joke when measured by loss of life. The Oakland hills fire in 1991 took a fraction of the homes (3000) but 25 lives. The worst 9 fires in the 20th century caused almost 7400 deaths, over 1/3 of those in the World Trade Center in NYC.
I’m not familiar with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Rick says he thinks they were “resistant to brush clearing” but I can’t find any recent evidence of the SMC holding up brush clearing. Further back, in 2009, the Conservancy informed the Los Angeles Fire Department that they were ending their practice of clearing brush on properties they owned within 200 feet of residences that did not pay an annual assessment for brush clearance. Bari, you allowed him to wing it.
On to national politics: On the deportation of undocumented migrants, Bari touts Rick’s nuance. Rick says, deport the criminals, keep the good people. Is that what passes for nuance? Caruso's stance on deportation—deporting criminals while keeping 'good people'—ignores complexities of immigration policy and the human impact on families. This is simplistic rhetoric, not nuance.
Bari asks, “Do you think Trump is extreme?” Rick waffles, praising some of his ideas while criticizing others. This response is bizarre, especially considering Trump's role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol violence and his refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. What would extreme look like to Rick? Maybe Bari could have asked. The degradation of our democracy that Trump has already caused doesn't rank? Rick’s evasion is bizarre only for a second. Then you recall that Rick might want to run for governor or mayor or whatever. Is he bending the knee in advance, like too many other politicians? Furthermore, the comparison of Trump to Reagan is mind-boggling, given the significant differences in their approaches to governance and respect for democratic institutions. Once again, no challenge from Bari.
In summary, Bari Weiss' interview lacked any real pushback, contradicting The Free Press's ideals of honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence. The episode is a stark reminder of how normalized this lack of scrutiny has become. The lack of critical questioning and fact-checking in this interview is not just a missed opportunity - it's a disservice to listeners seeking genuine insights into complex issues facing Los Angeles and the nation.
Rick Caruso has been touring podcasts recently and getting an uncritical opportunity to deliver a stump speech. A few weeks ago, he was platformed on Sam Harris’ Making Sense with essentially no pushback. Now, Honestly portrays Rick Caruso as an expert on disaster preparedness. But he didn’t show it. Bari claims the fires are the worst in LA history, but Caruso takes it further, suggesting they're among the worst in the country. His assertion is a cruel joke when measured by loss of life. The Oakland hills fire in 1991 took a fraction of the homes (3000) but 25 lives. The worst 9 fires in the 20th century caused almost 7400 deaths, over 1/3 of those in the World Trade Center in NYC.
I’m not familiar with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Rick says he thinks they were “resistant to brush clearing” but I can’t find any recent evidence of the SMC holding up brush clearing. Further back, in 2009, the Conservancy informed the Los Angeles Fire Department that they were ending their practice of clearing brush on properties they owned within 200 feet of residences that did not pay an annual assessment for brush clearance. Bari, you allowed him to wing it.
On to national politics: On the deportation of undocumented migrants, Bari touts Rick’s nuance. Rick says, deport the criminals, keep the good people. Is that what passes for nuance? Caruso's stance on deportation—deporting criminals while keeping 'good people'—ignores complexities of immigration policy and the human impact on families. This is simplistic rhetoric, not nuance.
Bari asks, “Do you think Trump is extreme?” Rick waffles, praising some of his ideas while criticizing others. This response is bizarre, especially considering Trump's role in the January 6, 2021, Capitol violence and his refusal to commit to a peaceful transfer of power. What would extreme look like to Rick? Maybe Bari could have asked. The degradation of our democracy that Trump has already caused doesn't rank? Rick’s evasion is bizarre only for a second. Then you recall that Rick might want to run for governor or mayor or whatever. Is he bending the knee in advance, like too many other politicians? Furthermore, the comparison of Trump to Reagan is mind-boggling, given the significant differences in their approaches to governance and respect for democratic institutions. Once again, no challenge from Bari.
In summary, Bari Weiss' interview lacked any real pushback, contradicting The Free Press's ideals of honesty, doggedness, and fierce independence. The episode is a stark reminder of how normalized this lack of scrutiny has become. The lack of critical questioning and fact-checking in this interview is not just a missed opportunity - it's a disservice to listeners seeking genuine insights into complex issues facing Los Angeles and the nation.