Jonah Goldberg and John O'Sullivan on Uncommon Knowledge 

Unc knowledge needs more Jonah Goldberg.

I submit this as the Goldberg Rule: "The greatest hate occurs not between groups who share next to nothing in common, but between people remarkably similar" (i.e. International Socialists and National Socialists). If he like it, it's his. it already is. Great video.

Great, as always! I notice the itunes link is up. Hope that means the itunes service is working once again. Maybe, or likely, user error on my end but my other itunes downloads seem to be working.

I have to be honest - I think those plants in the background are fake.

O'Sullivan is the 2nd conservative I've heard who's said that the Republicans should abstain on Obama's policies, and that the results will blow up in Democrats' faces. I more or less agree with that, but I still like the idea of Republicans continuing to offer counter-proposals of what they think will solve our fiscal problem. Just letting the Democrats go will make them look impotent, but if they can keep saying, "We offered alternatives that were better," they'll have more credibility.

Hispanic indicates an ethnic group, not a race. "White hispanics" are whites who speak Spanish, like Spaniards. Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina are Spanish speaking nations, thus culturally Hispanic, they are also overwhelmingly white. It is a frequently misused term. Much like anglo is used in some circles to describe anybody who is white, Hispanic is used to describe mestizos.

This notion that "government is their sense of community" resonated with me, because I used to hear from the likes of Peter Drucker that people gained a sense of community through their employment. They stayed with the same company for 30 years, and through that developed lifelong attachments to their co-workers, and to their companies. Drucker said that was passing away, and that people sought community through the new mega-churches. Now with the waning of religion, it's the state, I guess.

I wondered this same thing during the campaign, that one reason Romney might not win is "he was too good." People mess up in their lives. The Romney's had a major difficulty with Ann's illness, but they never had to go through being laid off, divorced, bankruptcy, etc. Basically they were the epitome of success, and I wondered if voters felt like they couldn't measure up to their expectations, as opposed to seeing them as a model of triumphing over adversity.

Trends that cannot continue...won't.

Yes, they do indeed frame the argument in that way, but "community" and "statist hegemony" really have nothing to do with each other.

For openers, the circumstances Goldberg finds most agreeable would be a setting of exactly this sort.This program was staged aboard a cruise ship in the Caribbean on a National Review post- election cruise. It is statistically significant that 99% of the American electorate will never be invited on such a privileged excursion, or bask in the luxury of being waited on hand and foot by poor people who are held on cruise ships months on end for subsistence wages.

I was actually expecting this video (or a similar one) right after the election, not a month later. I think there is room for debate and reform in the Republican party and among conservatives in general, and that some change will be neccesary at some point. I think if the GOP swings more libertarian, that is, accept cuts to the military and opens up a bit on immigration, they should do just fine, and could still keep it's conservative credentials.

You're right- I don't think the final vote tabulation was in at the time of this recording though...

I should hope so, lest LEAF (ie Liberals for the Ethical Administration of Foilage) raise an uproar about it.

This is why I prefer to call myself a classical liberal rather than a libertarian. I was an anarchist in my youth... I don't need a new fantasy pie-in-the-sky ideology. I like libertarians on economics, but on foreign policy and national defense, I think they've been smoking too much of that reefer that they want to legalize. (Which I also think should be legal.)

The Hoover Institution reflects the world view of its sponsors pretty well. This relys on a rhetorical gambit that repeats endlessly and goes something like this; You visiting us in the (angry white predominantly southern male) blogosphere are Americas real patriots who want to learn what you can do to destroy our wicked enemy within, (Liberalism) & restore America to its former greatness, right? How surprising is it to find Hoover presenting Jonah Goldberg of all people, as a "scholar"?

Start voting "present" like Obama in Illinois, Republicans!

Republicans have become a party of the married and religious... Maybe they need to figure out how to start appealing to the non-religious, which I think is the fastest-growing religious category. I'm a life-long atheist, ex-leftist, and now classical liberal... I still don't get how religious conservatism and classical liberalism have been fused into one party in America. I'd vote libertarian, but thanks to our FPTP voting system, that would be pointless.

Obama's "Julia" message in his campaign was positively creepy and outright Orwellian.

IF there was, Romney could have won.

More of the background is fake. Jonah Goldberg's name juxtaposed against "scholar"is another kind of artificial greenery that might pass for real if you are not paying attention.Goldberg demonstrates talent in one area however, his parody of a wide eyed flimflam man successfully diverting Hoover's attention away from his inaility to read German his failure to examine original documents and his brute ignorence of history. But remember, it is Hoover who is playing Goldberg for the rube here.

Do you see angry white men? I see three intelligent men, capable to hold a very interesting and necessary conversation.

I guess there has nothing to do with identity of races, genders and between the rich and poor, or too much to do with the language. It only has things to do with each other’s own recognition or understanding of America’s principles of own established freedoms and equality of opportunities as well as why America’s own established Constitution laws must preserve, protect and defend our country America’s freedoms, equality of the opportunities and entrepreneurship spirit without choices for America’s greatness always and forever. Often It’s the very important duties for America’s Governing leaderships’ responsibilities and obligations to govern by America’s principles as America’s patriotism and loyalty toward America’s long run greatness for future generations’ freedoms, equality of opportunities and entrepreneurship spirit always. Especially in a free election system country as America. Either love or agree with America’s principles or not, either understand America’s principles or not, all will vote for whoever we like, hope, or own beliefs only. However, it won’t take only shortly a few years to just understand America’s principles, especially for many who are not interested to learn at all. This is why America has established laws to protect and defend America’s principles of freedoms, equality of the opportunities and entrepreneurship spirit. This is why I believe that it doesn’t matter who wins, but the matter of Governing by America’s principles of Constitution to maintain, protect and defend America’s freedom, equality of opportunities and entrepreneurship spirit will be the most important things. Divide Americans by any identities will split between Americans of different races, different genders and between the rich and poor as well as different views. It will create hatred between Americans too. It’s not Capitalism systems’ practice but as ideologies systems’ practices only. If govern by America’s own established principles, America will be a truly united country America by own established principles as one nation under America’s own established principles for America’s greatness as one nation under freedoms, equality of opportunities and entrepreneurship spirit altogether. We are all humans as well as all Americans of quick learners than any other animals in the world. Also if we don’t learn often, we will easily be confused or forgotten, or easily to be influenced by others. This is why I believe our own generosity of forgiveness and kindness nature this time to help each other’s learning experiences from mistakes are never less important. The key issue is Governing by America’s own established principles of Constitution laws afterward together and always. This way we will be able to reunite together again by our generosity and kindness nature one time as well as govern by America’s Constitution laws for America’s greatness together again always. I also believe that we may make mistakes together, we may have own services for America’s greatness before too. We may forget about any appreciation for any mistakes made together. This is why I pray for forgiveness to all this time by learning experiences from mistakes and govern by our country America’s own established Constitution laws quickly together again afterward together quickly together again. God bless America always.

Jonah, John, you're both cowards for firing John Derbyshire. You may think you were protecting the brand but the only meaningful result of your actions was to strengthen your ideological enemies. Now they know that you will tremble before the accusing finger of those that find something you've said offensive or controversial. You'll be surprised how the definition of those terms will narrow in the coming years. Get used to groveling gentlemen.

I submit that you are talking utter tosh. Seeing that John O'Sullivan was born in Liverpool (a working class city) he is hardly a member of the aristocracy. Far from it, he comes from a similar background as Margret Thatcher, which is lower middle class. Like everything else you have written, you talk utter tosh.

Well, first of all, accepting cuts to the military is something I find necessary. The US is spending more on it's military then Russia and China added up and multiplied by 3. That is, if the US cuts 2/3 of it's military budget it will still spend more than it's two greatest geopolitical adversaries. I think that would a sensible position from the party which allegedly endorses small goverment. Secondly, I didn't say give in to the left, I said give in to the libertarians. Big difference.