Last week the Biden administration unveiled its ghastly plan to effectively force vaccines into people’s arms unless they’re willing to risk unemployment. Meanwhile, other elites like George W. Bush mouth the platitudes of the uniparty establishment. Plus: Gavin Newsom clings to power in California—and no points for guessing LA County’s first order of business after the news dropped.

In this edition of The Stakes, Michael Anton, lecturer in politics and research fellow at Hillsdale College’s Kirby Center, and a Claremont senior fellow, is joined by Matt Peterson, founding editor of The American Mind. The two discuss the massive and widening rift between California and Texas, both as individual states and as standard-bearers for their respective sides of the aisle. In the coming “big sort,” the question will be: which state is better for everyday Americans?

After a week off due to technical issues, the editors are back in the saddle. The woke Left is becoming ever more open about the religious nature of its commitment to abortion—they even sought out an oddly fitting alliance with the literal Satanic Temple. From Texas’s new abortion law to George Floyd murals in Afghanistan, the question is increasingly one of whose gods will survive the digital age.

What will happen to the tens of thousands of refugees fleeing Afghanistan? Will we ever be allowed to know? Does Europe's experience with Afghan refugees leave us with any useful lessons? If so, will we be permitted to learn them? Plus: Andrew Cuomo vanishes into obscurity, lobbing a political grenade on the way out, while Australia and the rest of the Anglosphere are careening into perpetual COVID despotism. Our editors discuss.

In just 11 short days, the US-backed government in Afghanistan utterly imploded and the Taliban seized control of the country, even managing to get their hands on billions of dollars’ worth of US war gear. Could it have been done better? Yep. Does the regime care? Nope. They’re just blaming Americans and making them pay the cost. All the while, the Delta variant gives them the perfect chance to seize even greater powers. Our editors pop a few black pills and discuss.

Left-wing and fake-conservative Twitter had one of their trademark meltdowns when Tucker Carlson visited with Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. At home, Governor Newsom is feeling the heat from the upcoming recall efforts and Governor Cuomo put in his two weeks under the continued pressure of sexual harassment allegations. Really, though, it’s all just froth on the surface of deeper currents: as the digital age renders our ruling classes obsolete, they are scrambling to eat one another alive.

Against a backdrop of complete and utter disarray, progressive autocrats are attempting to snatch up as much power as they can using the Delta Variant as their excuse—though really they’ve created a beast even they can’t control. From a damning AG report on Governor Cuomo’s sexual escapades, to California’s recall election, to figuring out who the real enemies are, our editors have thoughts and analysis.

In this special edition of The American Mind Podcast, Michael Anton, lecturer in politics and research fellow at Hillsdale College's Kirby Center, and a Claremont senior fellow, is joined by James Poulos, executive editor of The American Mind. The two discuss the applications of Machiavelli’s political philosophy to the modern day. Topics covered include priestly authority, political corruption, regime decay, and the progression of technology.

As one looks around America today, it's easy to fall into a state of deep despair. But there's also much to be hopeful for. Today, The American Mind editors are holding both states of mind at once: they have taken the quantum pill. Our editors apply this attitude to the January 6 Commission, Big Tech surveillance, lockdown part 2, and another amusing hit piece against Claremont.

Who runs America? Is it the surveillance state that aims to strangle the life out of regular citizens? The billionaires racing to space? Or the people? As the Borg gathers power, the editors gather to discuss what may come. Plus: in Michigan, the feds are caught out in a sting operation.