The Aaron Renn Show

Returning to the theme of deficits in the American leadership and elite classes, I will examine some of the reasons why evangelicals in particular seem not be high impact leaders in our institutions and in society. In particular, I will discuss evangelicalism's weak sense of "calling" and it's low view of the created order.

Doxxing is the internet practice of revealing the identity of an anonymous social media account and/or digging up controversial or offensive social media content in order to get someone fired or worse. It's nearly universally viewed as a shady practice, but is a common technique for cancellation today. In this month's newsletter I provide a primer on doxxing: what it is, who does it, what the consequences are, and how it is perceived. I also provide some practical insights about how to respond to a world where doxxing is common.Subscribe to my newsletter: https://aaronrenn.substack.com/

Change, whether in personal self-improvement or social evolution, is not linear. There are quantum leaps and discontinuities. This can be deeply unsettling and render obsolete previous ways of doing business and operating in the world.

Companies have long used aggressive sales tactics to maximize units sold and prices charged. Customers have long tried to get the best deal. With the rise of digital technology and financial disparities, these conflicts are highly asymmetric to the disadvantage of ordinary consumers. It's similar in competition for many essential goods like housing, where the equation for the average consumer has been re-written to favor those with large amounts of money.WSJ:  If the Price Ended in 99, You Probably Overpaid - https://www.wsj.com/articles/if-the-price-ended-in-99-you-probably-overpaid-11669293972WSJ: The Sinister Logic of Hidden Online Fees - https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-sinister-logic-of-hidden-online-fees-11669229205NYT: It’s Public Land. But the Public Can’t Reach It - https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/26/business/hunting-wyoming-elk-mountain-access.htmlSubscribe to my newsletter: https://aaronrenn.substack.com/

Gambling, drugs, loan sharking, and sex used to be the province of the mob and other shady characters. Now they are big business, legally sanctioned by governments which often profit from them, and in which even major institutions and respectable figures profit. This is a perfect microcosm of the decline of American leadership.NYT: Key Findings From The Times’ Investigation of Sports Betting: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/20/business/sports-betting-investigation.htmlThe Observer: Game, set, bankrupt: how an addiction to gambling on tennis lost me £40,000: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/nov/20/gambling-addiction-tennis-bet365-online-betting-hannah-jane-parkinsonLA Times: The reality of legal weed in California: Huge illegal grows, violence, worker exploitation and deaths: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-08/reality-of-legal-weed-in-california-illegal-grows-deathsSubscribe to my newsletter: https://aaronrenn.substack.com/

Online or other criticism, combined with receiving support from unexpected quarters, is one of the most powerful dynamics promoting political realignment today. I discuss these, why you need to protect yourself from them, and why you should be careful about how you criticize people on your own "team" online.Twitter thread on career selection: https://twitter.com/aaron_renn/status/1590715709612433408Twitter thread on presentations: https://twitter.com/aaron_renn/status/1589635724164288512Subscribe to my newsletter: https://aaronrenn.substack.com/

Thoughts on the midterm elections in 2022 and why you should get out and vote.

With the ongoing flight from the label "evangelical", I will discuss the various meanings of this term and why, rightfully understood, there is no escape from the name.

There's an increasing consensus that elements of the Covid response went way too far - especially long term school closures. It's also clear now that many things that were said turned out to be untrue. For example, vaccine efficacy was clearly overstated. That may have been an honest error, but it was still a serious one.Our society seldom holds people in leadership positions to account for their screwups or the failures that occur on their watch. I share thoughts on this, including a specific look at pastors and Covid.AP: Online school put US kids behind. Some adults have regrets: https://apnews.com/article/online-school-covid-learning-loss-7c162ec1b4ce4d5219d5210aaac8f1aeDaily Wire: How Church Leaders Aligned With Fauci To Discredit Experts Opposed To COVID Mandates: https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-church-leaders-aligned-with-fauci-to-discredit-experts-opposed-to-covid-mandates

The question of the vocation of masculinity today is not what it is but whether it exists. I examine how traditional societies, and texts like the Bible, assumed pervasive gender polarity that's greatly attenuated today. I discuss what would have traditionally been common attributes of masculine vocation, and how they relate to contemporary society and ideology. The key point of conflict is over the traditional idea that men needed to over-produce in order to provide a surplus beyond their own needs that would benefit family and community.  But so long as we live in a wealthy, prosperous society, weak gender differentiation will likely be the norm.