Interesting New York Times Slavery Project Hobbled by Anti-Capitalism
Also: the politics of recession, Bernie's criminal justice plan, and stanning for Barry Manilow, all on the Reason Podcast
It has been a helluva weekend for national conversations about race. There was the Proud Boys vs. Antifa street theater in Portland. There was a campaign-pivoting Beto O'Rourke declaring that "Our country was founded on racism—and is still racist today." There was Sen. Bernie Sanders (I–Vt.), in the midst of unveiling a sweeping new criminal justice plan, offering this vow: "We will go to war against white nationalism and racism in every aspect of our lives." And as always, there was a Trump tweet.
The Failing New York Times, in one of the most devastating portrayals of bad journalism in history, got caught by a leaker that they are shifting from their Phony Russian Collusion Narrative (the Mueller Report & his testimony were a total disaster), to a Racism Witch Hunt…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2019
What was the president referring to? Perhaps the Paper of Record's sweeping and controversial new 1619 Project, which aims "to reframe American history, making explicit how slavery is the foundation on which this country is built." In the back half of today's Editors' Roundtable edition of the Reason Podcast, Nick Gillespie, Katherine Mangu-Ward, Peter Suderman, and Matt Welch offer a mixed preliminary verdict about the package, praising its ambition, agreeing with the importance of the topic, and disagreeing strenuously with its King Cottonesque take on capitalism.
Other items that come up for discussion: the potential impending global recession and its perceived culprits, where Democrats are at on trade, how ancient aliens did the prehistoric cave-paintings, and which podcaster has two thumbs and watched the key-changingest Ron Paul supporter this weekend (hint: this guy!!!).
Audio production by Ian Keyser.
'Railroad's Whiskey Co' by Jahzzar is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
Relevant links from the show:
"Slavery Did Not Make America Rich," by Deirdre McCloskey
"White Supremacy Is Alien to Liberal and Libertarian Ideals," by J.D. Tuccille
"White Identity Politics, Not Trump's Racist Tweets, Is National Conservatism's Real Problem," by Steven Greenhut
"Libertarianism, the Anti-Slavery Movement, and Black History Month," by Damon Root
"Classical Liberalism and the Fight for Equal Rights," by Damon Root
"Proud Boys and Antifa Playact Protest in Portland," by Nancy Rommelmann
"Beto's Reboot: So You're Saying There's Still a Chance?" by Matt Welch
"Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill to Eliminate Cash Bail," by Scott Shackford
"Sanders Suddenly Becomes Pot-Friendliest Major-Party Candidate," by Jacob Sullum
"Bernie Sanders Calls for 'Automatic' Federal Investigations of Deaths in Police Custody," by Anthony Fisher
"Why Bernie Sanders Is Wrong About Private Prisons," by Leonard Gilroy and Adrian Moore
"Beto vs. Warren Is the Trade Policy Debate Democrats Need To Have," by Eric Boehm
"Biden Is Turning Trump's Trade War Into a Major Campaign Issue. More Democrats Should Follow His Lead," by Eric Boehm
"Elizabeth Warren Wants to Make Your Life More Annoying and More Expensive," by Peter Suderman
"Is Deregulation to Blame?" by Katherine Mangu-Ward
"Is Barry Manilow a Closet Libertarian? (He Gave $2,300 to Ron Paul's Campaign)," by Nick Gillespie
What are we consuming this week?
Matt Welch
- Broadway performance of Barry Manilow- "Could this be the Magic"
Katherine Mangu-Ward
Nick Gillespie
Peter Suderman
- Beyond Burger, a plant-based burger alternative