The Glenn Show

Here is my latest conversation with John McWhorter. We begin with a review of our respective academic careers and how being black has affected our work. We also assess the recent involvement of Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump in the case of a white Arkansas man who was shot dead in June, under suspicious circumstances, by a police officer during a traffic stop. We close with an extended discussion of critical race theory, which we define carefully and evaluate thoroughly. We agree that CRT should not be banned by law, but we endorse the efforts of parents to weigh-in with their local schools against it.And, in case you haven’t seen it, we are now taking questions for our next Q&A. Let us know what’s on your mind! 0:00 John McWhorter, master of his craft5:18 Is John a “black linguist”? Is Glenn a “black economist”? 13:45 Al Sharpton and Benjamin Crump address police violence against white victims24:25 What we talk about when we talk about CRT35:35 Is the CRT debate comparable to other debates in education? 43:43 Glenn: It is tyrannical to ban the teaching of CRT  This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Today I’m posting something a little different than normal. This is a conversation with NYU political scientist Larry Mead. It’s part of his series “Culture and Poverty,” and he’s generously allowed me to repost it here at The Glenn Show. We discuss some ideas from Larry’s book, Burdens of Freedom: Cultural Difference and American Power. Larry argues, among other things, that one of the major distinctions between “Western” and “non-Western” cultures is the role of individualism. Larry sees Western culture—as exemplified by the US—as predominately individualist in its orientation. When immigrants from non-Western cultures struggle to assimilate, he argues, it’s often because they have problems adjusting to this individualist orientation.There are certainly merits to this argument. But in this discussion, I push back on Larry’s description of African American culture as basically non-Western. This, it seems to me, ignores a number of important facts about African American social and political history after the Civil War. It’s a lively back and forth, and I’m curious what you think. 0:00 Intro 2:04 Larry's view of Western and non-Western culture 5:32 Is African American culture "non-Western"? 14:57 Larry: "Freedom is a threat" to Black and Latino families 24:08 African American individualism after emancipation 36:00 The "paradox" of Asian academic success 48:26 What are the origins of European political development? This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Here, John and I begin with an assessment of a sharp, thoughtful Quillette piece by black intellectual Aaron Hanna which is critical of black conservatives. (Both John and I have written responses which Quillette will publish.) This lead us into philosophical terrain, where we engage questions about free will, ethnic/racial differences in culture and so on. We go on to discuss critically a recent New York Times piece by Jenée Desmond-Harris, “Which Black People Should You Listen To?” Her answer, which we dispute: not people like us! We critically assess Thomas Sowell's "black rednecks" argument, that black culture reflects the legacy of Scotch-Irish norms common to Southern/Appalachian enclaves. And we agree to disagree about the merits of Charles Murray's new book, Facing Reality, where I find more merit than does John.As always, I’m curious to know what you think.I originally posted this earlier this week for paying subscribers. I’m now releasing it for the general public. If you want to get the full episodes early, plus other exclusive content and benefits, please subscribe now. Let’s keep doing the work!0:00 A peek inside Glenn’s writing process3:31 Aaron Hana’s critique of Thomas Sowell and Shelby Steele13:50 Extending the presumption of free will to black communities19:31 Who gets to opine on race matters?32:09 Black rednecks44:31 Is the “acting white” phenomenon real?53:58 A critique of Charles Murray’s new book …1:12:12 … and a defense of sameIf there's a short segment (under 2:20) from this episode that you thought was especially good, please share the timestamps in the comments—we’re looking to spread the word on Twitter. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Here is my conversation with Charles Murray (of The Bell Curve fame) about his new book, Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America. We review the argument of his book—that the "American Creed" of fair play and equal treatment for all is imperiled by a failure to reckon with the actual differences across racial groups in measured intelligence and participation in violent crime. We explore the evidence for his claim about racial differences, the extent to which these facts are being denied, and the plausibility of his concern that said denial threatens to undermine the republic. We also discuss the effectiveness of policy interventions aimed at reducing racial disparities. As always, I’m curious to know what you think. 0:00 Intro 1:37 How Charles deals with his notoriety 5:26 Charles's new book, Facing Reality: Two Truths about Race in America 13:49 Grappling with the fact of group disparities 21:04 Threats from the left, threats from the right 27:33 The shift in white attitudes toward race since the 1950s 35:11 What would happen if white people revolted? 41:13 Charles: Black people are not genetically inferior 50:36 Why small differences in ability can have major consequences 54:29 Charles: We need universal, not race-based, public policy solutions This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Here’s my latest conversation with John McWhorter. Our talk ranges over a number of seemingly unrelated subjects. We discuss the decision by Princeton's classics department to stop requiring students to master Greek and Latin (which John sees as a lowering of standards). We analyze the general problem Black students face of deciding whether to "dispel" doubts about their abilities through outstanding performance on the tests, or to "dismiss" those doubts by rejecting the tests as intrinsically biased. We also talk about my appearance on Tucker Carlson's Fox News platform (which John had advised against). And we conclude, anticipating the upcoming Father’s Day celebrations, with some reflections on fatherhood.0:00 Intro 1:30 John takes issue with antiracism in Princeton’s classics department 15:48 Glenn: Black people should embrace and exceed institutional standards 25:22 Meeting the challenge of academic performance 33:57 Stepping outside yourself 40:28 Glenn’s recent appearance on Tucker Carlson Today 51:14 Glenn and John remember their fathersI need your help …Now that we've got a community of listeners, readers, and viewers coalescing around the Glenn Show, I'd like to ask for your input. If you've got a favorite segment from this episode or any other video that I post here, let me know. Is there a minute or two (but no longer than 2:20) that grabs you? If so, comment below with a time stamp from the video or audio. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Last week, I have announced at Patreon that I’m moving the operation to Substack. I gave every Patron a complimentary subscription for the first month. If you’re reading this, chances are you are such a person, with a comp that will run out on July 2. At that date, you will have to decide if you want to continue getting subscriber-only posts for $7/month or $70/year. I hope the things you’ll see in this first month will convince you to stay.Some of you have already made up your mind. I see that several hundred people have switched to a paid option and made the first payment. Many have chosen an annual rather than a monthly subscription, which is cheaper for you and costs less in transaction fees for us. Some people have opted for a “founding member” plan, which allows you to pay a custom, bigger amount. All of this is deeply appreciated.This post is the first TGS episode published through Substack. It’s my conversation with noted philosopher and public intellectual Cornel West and philosopher Teodros Kiros.We discuss their book, Conversations with Cornel West. Along the way we engage vigorously with one another on themes of religion, politics, aesthetics, identity, and nationalism. We find many points of agreement. It is a rich and intensive exchange.Some timestamps:0:00 Teodros's new book, Conversations with Cornel West 1:04 Cornel offers spiritual counsel to Glenn 11:06 Between commercialization and democratic decay 20:52 Glenn: “The glass is way more than half-full” for Black Americans 29:26 The centrality of Black music to Black experience 36:03 Cornel’s Chekhovian Christianity 43:40 What system, if any, can replace American capitalism? 56:42 The meaning of 1776Notice that this post doubles as a podcast episode. To subscribe to the RSS feed in your podcast app, click on the "listen in podcast app" link in the audio player, which will generate a private RSS for you, or you can access it from your account settings. There, you’ll need to click on a link called "Set up your podcast app."Please, let me know in the comments if the new system is working, and if you have any questions or requests.I’m looking forward to experimenting with different kinds of content, paid and unpaid, here at Substack. I’m excited to embark on this new chapter with you! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Larry's concerns about the debt-to-GDP ratio ... On the general relativity of fiscal language ... Why would anybody buy U.S. treasury bonds? ... Larry's defense of fiscal hawkishness ... A critique of Biden's COVID relief funding ... How to raise taxes while maintaining incentives to work ... There is no such thing as a corporation ... This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

John's appearance on "Real Time with Bill Maher" ... Why John's 2000 book Losing the Race remains relevant today ... The "noble victim complex" ... The counterproductivity of victim narratives ... Where do you draw the line in calling out nonsense? ... Trading agency for victim status ... The exciting roster of upcoming TGS guests ... This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

The founding of Voices of Black Mothers United ... How the criminal justice system failed Sylvia's daughter ... Sylvia's work: advocacy, community intervention, and positive policing ... What is the role of systems and structures in street violence? ... How Voices of Black Mothers United is branching out ... Sylvia's book, Mind Fields: A Healing Journey to Survive the Murder of a Child ... This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe

Critical Race Theory's prevalence in American schools ... What’s at the root of racial disparities in education? ... Destandardizing the standards for success ... The evolution of how we communicate about race ... Kendi and the cops; Bazelon and systemic racism ... ... This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit glennloury.substack.com/subscribe