Friendly Fire Friendly Fire: Terror, Trump, and the Worst Movie of the Year
Dec 17, 2025
Batya Ungar-Sargon, a journalist and commentator, brings sharp insights on immigration and American civic culture. She discusses how U.S. Muslim communities differ from those in Europe due to class and assimilation, highlighting the complexities of national identity. The conversation dives into critiques of campus anti-Zionism driven by elite leftists, the need for clear ideological distinctions to combat threats, and the dignity of the working class in the immigration debate. The crew also shares their highlights and lowlights from the year's films, adding a dash of humor.
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Radical Islam As A Persistent Civilizational Threat
- Radical Islamic terror has been a steady, recurring threat in Europe and the West for years and is tied to ideology as well as demographics.
- Ben Shapiro argues Western elites treated terror as an acceptable cost of multiculturalism rather than addressing ideological roots.
Why The U.S. Assimilates Immigrants Better
- Batya Ungar-Sargan emphasizes American exceptionalism in assimilation and smaller middle-class Muslim immigration reduces European-style problems here.
- She credits U.S. capitalism and pro-Jewish cultural norms for smoother integration of Muslims in America.
Population Share Shapes Radicalization Risk
- Ben Shapiro links scale and concentration of Muslim populations to higher risk of enclaves and radicalization in Europe and Australia.
- He notes the U.S. Muslim population (~2%) explains why similar problems are less widespread here.