Bravo Marshall. And Bari for your steadfast fierceness… Godspeed to you both. And to this very battered country and world. I sit uneasily glancing toward the future. Prayer helps..
Thank you, Bari Weiss, for this interview, and this golden quote: '... it's living a life that my future children would be proud of and also like absolutely refusing to participate in mobs.' It's a tall order, a good goal, and tough to do in any age.
Hi Bari, I'm a big fan. However, I do think your tendency to equate the impact of the far right and far left on American politics is misguided. While both are enemies of freedom and the principles of our founding, the left overwhelmingly commands the heights of our culture and institutions. Thus, its impact and threat to our American way of life is exponentially greater. Please keep your eye on the ball and resist the temptation to equate current dangers from extremists on the left (huge) and the right (minuscule). Thank you!!
This is simply an amazing interview and I can't wait to go and listen to your podcast. The very best thing I did was sign up for your substack subscription and the second best was get involved in FAIR. I thank you both for your courage and eloquence and hopefulness. I think organizations like FAIR (which Bari helped found) offer people the chance to connect and feel again like we are in this together in a way that has been missing, and the courage to speak up and out and have true and open discussions. This is a perfect 4th of July piece for me - it gives me hope for our country. There are far more of us that feel this way and each day more are having the courage to stand up. Thank you and Happy 4th!
Great film and a precursor to the Star Trek franchise in a way. A space mission in the far-off future comes to a planet where another spaceship crashed years ago. They find two survivors, as well as the infrastructure and machinery, in perfect working order, of a civilization that apparently perished long ago. They eventually discover that the civilization was so advanced that they had created the technology to allow its citizens to telepathically create anything they could imagine through mere thought. This ability was so compelling that the inhabitants of the planet quickly destroyed each other. "Monsters from the Id".
Now come to our world today. Everyone....the educated, uneducated, informed, uninformed, good, evil, well-meaning, sinister, those with agendas and those without....has the technology at their fingertips to anonymously blast facts, fallacies, opinion, falsehood, slander and innuendo across the entire world in seconds, faster than one can even think about what one is saying, with chilling effect on the reputations of the innocent and the institutions of our society. We're seeing "monsters from the Id" unleashed in a different way and we should all worry. Each of us, journalists and leaders in particular, must act responsibly with this power and call out those who do not.
This is a lesson in what not to do and how to recover. This madness will only end well if wealthy individuals who support free expression begin to produce records, publish novels, and steadfastly back their creators. We need to recognize that we are being governed by cynical philistines who will exploit every hateful avenue for financial gain and have no interest in a bountiful and challenging culture. The alternatives to the kind of heroic capitalism we need right now involves a total breakdown in civil society. And how close are we already? Bring back the fearless patron! Peter Thiel is a good example of what I mean, but he only invests in companies and candidates, not culture.
I'm autistic and the downstream effects for people like me are downright terrifying. We can't speak to please people on a good verbal day where everyone is in a great understanding mood, and the subject is light. Let alone in this day in age. It's like I'm reliving all of those childhood memories of being bullied. I believe autistic individuals such as myself have to be SO careful now! I won't talk about anything remotely serious, sometimes even with my own spouse and friends!
I've never heard his band and don't know his music or any personal details about him, but just based on this interview and what I have read about Winston, I think anyone would be fortunate to have him for a spouse, a father, or a son. It's refreshing and rare to see a rock star who is unabashed about the importance of his Catholic faith, instead of trashing the church like most of them do. A man of substance and integrity.
I've heard of this happening in other circumstances. The apology was never enough and was blood in the water. Anyone who went to the victim's defense was mercilessly attacked as well. People are being called on for things they said years ago, when they were teenagers. Hounded out of jobs.
What I wonder is how many actual perpetrators there really are? You always have followers who will jump to conclusions, but how many actual leaders are there? Is this a larger version of the high school mean girl bullying?
How many of the perpetrators enjoy the power that comes with their "activism"? Maybe it isn't so much about their "cause", but attention they get from continuing to ratchet up the emotions. Have we become addicted to the thrill of verbal combat? It seems like any attempt to reach consensus or compromise is traitorous to the "cause".
Madeline Albrights book Fascism is excellent. She talks about defining the word.
For a while I thought many people did not think or feel the way I did. I have long held the belief that to reject a kind of radicalism while simultaneously supporting another type is hypocritical—it not only leads to double standards, but also continues to fan the flames of discontent. This in turn, seems to lead to further polarization and continues to create a gap between a country/community that would be much better served if unified.
The irony is that those who go around calling people "facists" have no idea what the word really means. In fact, few can actually define it. For all practical purposes, it's a word people call others who don't agree with their leftist views. Remember that the main enemies of facists were communists. True in the 1930s and true today.
His crime was admitting to reading a ... book? Gasp. What a commie. Or Nazi. Or evildarklordherpderpsomething. I hope his career turns out like the Dixie Chicks--they spoke their mind, didn't back down, suffered the worst that a frenzied Twitterverse could dish out, lost album sales and concert dates, persevered . . . and now they're back, in full force.
Bravo Marshall. And Bari for your steadfast fierceness… Godspeed to you both. And to this very battered country and world. I sit uneasily glancing toward the future. Prayer helps..
Thank you, Bari Weiss, for this interview, and this golden quote: '... it's living a life that my future children would be proud of and also like absolutely refusing to participate in mobs.' It's a tall order, a good goal, and tough to do in any age.
The way to stop it is to turn it off.
Hi Bari, I'm a big fan. However, I do think your tendency to equate the impact of the far right and far left on American politics is misguided. While both are enemies of freedom and the principles of our founding, the left overwhelmingly commands the heights of our culture and institutions. Thus, its impact and threat to our American way of life is exponentially greater. Please keep your eye on the ball and resist the temptation to equate current dangers from extremists on the left (huge) and the right (minuscule). Thank you!!
Thank you so much for the transcript.
This is simply an amazing interview and I can't wait to go and listen to your podcast. The very best thing I did was sign up for your substack subscription and the second best was get involved in FAIR. I thank you both for your courage and eloquence and hopefulness. I think organizations like FAIR (which Bari helped found) offer people the chance to connect and feel again like we are in this together in a way that has been missing, and the courage to speak up and out and have true and open discussions. This is a perfect 4th of July piece for me - it gives me hope for our country. There are far more of us that feel this way and each day more are having the courage to stand up. Thank you and Happy 4th!
You may think I'm off topic here, but cut me some slack.....
Ever see the film "The Forbidden Planet"?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forbidden_Planet
Great film and a precursor to the Star Trek franchise in a way. A space mission in the far-off future comes to a planet where another spaceship crashed years ago. They find two survivors, as well as the infrastructure and machinery, in perfect working order, of a civilization that apparently perished long ago. They eventually discover that the civilization was so advanced that they had created the technology to allow its citizens to telepathically create anything they could imagine through mere thought. This ability was so compelling that the inhabitants of the planet quickly destroyed each other. "Monsters from the Id".
Now come to our world today. Everyone....the educated, uneducated, informed, uninformed, good, evil, well-meaning, sinister, those with agendas and those without....has the technology at their fingertips to anonymously blast facts, fallacies, opinion, falsehood, slander and innuendo across the entire world in seconds, faster than one can even think about what one is saying, with chilling effect on the reputations of the innocent and the institutions of our society. We're seeing "monsters from the Id" unleashed in a different way and we should all worry. Each of us, journalists and leaders in particular, must act responsibly with this power and call out those who do not.
This is a lesson in what not to do and how to recover. This madness will only end well if wealthy individuals who support free expression begin to produce records, publish novels, and steadfastly back their creators. We need to recognize that we are being governed by cynical philistines who will exploit every hateful avenue for financial gain and have no interest in a bountiful and challenging culture. The alternatives to the kind of heroic capitalism we need right now involves a total breakdown in civil society. And how close are we already? Bring back the fearless patron! Peter Thiel is a good example of what I mean, but he only invests in companies and candidates, not culture.
I'm autistic and the downstream effects for people like me are downright terrifying. We can't speak to please people on a good verbal day where everyone is in a great understanding mood, and the subject is light. Let alone in this day in age. It's like I'm reliving all of those childhood memories of being bullied. I believe autistic individuals such as myself have to be SO careful now! I won't talk about anything remotely serious, sometimes even with my own spouse and friends!
I've never heard his band and don't know his music or any personal details about him, but just based on this interview and what I have read about Winston, I think anyone would be fortunate to have him for a spouse, a father, or a son. It's refreshing and rare to see a rock star who is unabashed about the importance of his Catholic faith, instead of trashing the church like most of them do. A man of substance and integrity.
Mumford and Sons is a great band with great music. Unfortunately their greatness does not extend to defending one of their members.
I've heard of this happening in other circumstances. The apology was never enough and was blood in the water. Anyone who went to the victim's defense was mercilessly attacked as well. People are being called on for things they said years ago, when they were teenagers. Hounded out of jobs.
What I wonder is how many actual perpetrators there really are? You always have followers who will jump to conclusions, but how many actual leaders are there? Is this a larger version of the high school mean girl bullying?
How many of the perpetrators enjoy the power that comes with their "activism"? Maybe it isn't so much about their "cause", but attention they get from continuing to ratchet up the emotions. Have we become addicted to the thrill of verbal combat? It seems like any attempt to reach consensus or compromise is traitorous to the "cause".
Madeline Albrights book Fascism is excellent. She talks about defining the word.
For a while I thought many people did not think or feel the way I did. I have long held the belief that to reject a kind of radicalism while simultaneously supporting another type is hypocritical—it not only leads to double standards, but also continues to fan the flames of discontent. This in turn, seems to lead to further polarization and continues to create a gap between a country/community that would be much better served if unified.
Andy Ngo is a photojournalist who was in Portland. He's the child of Vietnamese immigrants and is gay. Leftists HATE him!
The irony is that those who go around calling people "facists" have no idea what the word really means. In fact, few can actually define it. For all practical purposes, it's a word people call others who don't agree with their leftist views. Remember that the main enemies of facists were communists. True in the 1930s and true today.
Excellent interview. You both are courageous. Fear of the Lord is wisdom. God bless you both.
His crime was admitting to reading a ... book? Gasp. What a commie. Or Nazi. Or evildarklordherpderpsomething. I hope his career turns out like the Dixie Chicks--they spoke their mind, didn't back down, suffered the worst that a frenzied Twitterverse could dish out, lost album sales and concert dates, persevered . . . and now they're back, in full force.