Biden's Disturbing Speech Outside Independence Hall
Plus: The editors answer a question from a U.S. House candidate.
In this week's The Reason Roundtable, editors Katherine Mangu-Ward, Matt Welch, Peter Suderman, and Nick Gillespie discuss President Joe Biden's speech last week in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia as well as energy policy in California.
1:47: Biden's speech in Philadelphia
25:42: Energy policy in California
33:18: Weekly Listener Question:
Whenever I am having a conversation with a die-hard Trump cultist for long enough, I ask the question "Why? Why do you love him so much? What did he actually do for you? He didn't follow through on any campaign promises. He went the opposite direction on several." If I'm speaking with someone who has a more nuanced response than "He talks shit to the people I don't like," it's something like, "He did a lot of deregulation," but they can never name anything specific that was deregulated.
I know Trump did lead some deregulation, but I'm not sure how much made a big difference. I started thinking about the deregulation under Jimmy Carter that I do know about. Everything from airlines to beer brewing. So now, my question is: "Is it possible that Jimmy Carter did more and better deregulation than Donald Trump, and how could we measure this?"
44:47: This week's cultural recommendations.
Mentioned in this podcast:
"In Philadelphia, Joe Biden Peddled a Competing Brand of Authoritarianism," by J.D. Tuccille
"Biden's Presidential Address Was Actually a Campaign Speech," by Elizabeth Nolan Brown
"Trump Disregards Democracy, While Biden Ignores Its Dangers," by Jacob Sullum
"California Legislators Vote To Keep Diablo Canyon Nuclear Plant Running," by Ronald Bailey
"In a Belated Outburst of Rationality, Germany Decides To Keep Three Nuclear Plants Open," by Ronald Bailey
"Debts Forgiven and Debts Forgotten," by Nick Gillespie
President Biden's job approval, according to RealClear Politics.
"What Capitalism Gets Right – and Governments Get Wrong," a TED Talk by Katherine Mangu-Ward
Send your questions to roundtable@reason.com. Be sure to include your social media handle and the correct pronunciation of your name.
Today's sponsors:
- Looking for your next podcast? Check out The Political Orphanage. Host Andrew Heaton is one of the funny guys in Reason TV videos—you may have seen him in "Libertarian PBS," "Game of Thrones: Libertarian Edition," or "Desperate Mayors Compete for Amazon HQ2." The Political Orphanage is designed for people who don't feel at home in the Republican or Democratic Parties. Rather than explaining issues as a slap fight between Red Team and Blue Team, Heaton looks for the underlying problems to big issues and cracks jokes along the way. This month, Heaton flew to Berlin to interview a historian about Nazi economics and whether Hitler was a socialist or a capitalist. Over the next two weeks, he's going to talk to comedians about if social justice is a religion. And later this month, he's doing a special on what might happen in the event of nuclear war. The Political Orphanage looks for the basic concepts affecting politics and explains them, so you can make your own mind up instead of just choosing a team to hate. It's a funny, wonky, nonpartisan show with cool guests, and we think you'll enjoy it. So check out The Political Orphanage.
- It can be tough to train your brain to stay in "problem-solving mode" when faced with a challenge in life. But when you learn how to find your own solutions, there's no better feeling. A therapist can help you become a better problem solver, making it easier to accomplish your goals—no matter how big or small. If you're thinking of giving therapy a try, BetterHelp is a great option. It's convenient, accessible, affordable, and entirely online. Get matched with a therapist after filling out a brief survey, and switch therapists any time. When you want to be a better problem solver, therapy can get you there. Visit BetterHelp.com/roundtable today to get 10 percent off your first month.
Audio production by Ian Keyser
Assistant production by Hunt Beaty
Music: "Angeline," by The Brothers Steve
Show Comments (140)