Ep. 2660 What the Iran Strike Says About Trump, with Dan McCarthy

In 'Ideas Have Consequences,' Richard M. Weaver argues that the decline of Western civilization is a result of the increasing acceptance of relativism over absolute reality. Despite advancements in knowledge, this shift away from the realist intellectual tradition has weakened Western society's capacity for reason, leading to catastrophic consequences for social order and individual rights. Weaver proposes a remedy in the renewed acceptance of absolute reality and the recognition that ideas, like actions, have consequences. The book also includes a foreword by Roger Kimball and an afterword by Ted J. Smith III, providing additional context and insights into Weaver's work and its historical significance.

Published in 1953, *The Conservative Mind* is a landmark book that gave shape to the postwar conservative movement in the United States. Russell Kirk's work chronicles the history of conservative thought, starting with Edmund Burke and John Adams, and continuing through to 20th-century thinkers like Santayana and T.S. Eliot. The book defends traditional conservatism, emphasizing the importance of preserving ancient wisdom present in institutions, culture, and government, and expresses a distrust of 'progress' that seeks to dismantle these repositories of the 'permanent things.' Kirk's vision of conservatism is rooted in the 'moral imagination' and the Burkean conception of society as an organic, sacred order, advocating for slow and cautious change rather than radical reforms[1][4][5].

In 'The Machine', Joe Posnanski chronicles the 1975 season of the Cincinnati Reds, often referred to as the Big Red Machine. The book delves into the larger-than-life personalities of players like Pete Rose, Joe Morgan, and Johnny Bench, as well as other key team members such as Tony Perez, Davey Concepcion, and Ken Griffey Sr. Posnanski explores the team's dominant performance throughout the season and their dramatic World Series against the Boston Red Sox, particularly the epic Game 6. The book humanizes the players and provides insights into their motivations, struggles, and the team's overall dynamic under manager Sparky Anderson.