The Glenn Show

Robert Wright, an expert in Middle East conflicts and terrorism, joins Glenn Loury to discuss the Gaza War. They touch on topics such as the interests of Israel, Hamas' control of Gaza, the psychology of victimhood and retribution, settlements in the West Bank being labeled as war crimes, and the challenge of spiritual transformation. They explore the complexities of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the feasibility of eliminating Hamas, and the potential role of spirituality in fostering positive change.

Yascha Mounk, author of The Identity Trap, discusses the intellectual history of 'identity synthesis', the flaws of 'strategic essentialism', the catalyst for the summer of 2020, the hermetically sealed ideologies of Kendi and DiAngelo, and Yascha's defense of universalism.

Reza Aslan discusses the life of Howard Baskerville, an American hero in Iran during the Persian constitutional revolution. They also explore Woodrow Wilson's influence on education, the rise of the Mullahs in Iran, the origins of an Islamic Republic, and the amorality of foreign policy.

The podcast explores the negative implications of using 'narrative' to shape personal stories, discusses two contrasting narratives - bias vs development, and emphasizes the importance of narratives being based on facts.

Linguist and commentator John McWhorter joins the show to discuss the pro-Hamas sentiment on the American left, distinguishing between anti-colonialism and antisemitism. They also explore the complexities of the Gaza War, question horrific acts and their historical context, and discuss the historical presence and complexity of Jews. The episode concludes with upcoming guests and a conversation about cancel culture.

In this episode, Glenn Loury interviews John Mearsheimer, an expert in international relations and political science. They discuss the rationality behind Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the risk of escalation, Zelensky's manipulation of the West, recent presidential scandals involving Ukraine, the tolerance of illiberal societies by liberals, American Russophobia, and the potential consequences of Putin's overthrow.

John McWhorter and Coleman Hughes discuss the blowback from Coleman's TED Talk, the controversy of colorblindness, and the goals and behaviors of Hamas and Israel in the Israel-Palestine conflict.

0:00 Introduction by Greg Burnep4:27 What does affirmative action mean in 2023?11:06 Randy’s distinction between “disadvantage” and “discrimination”18:21 Diversity’s double-talk31:18 Did the Supreme Court say discrimination is allowed at military academies?34:33 Glenn: Affirmative action distracts us from bigger problems41:16 Affirmative action is an elite problem48:48 Affirmative action as an insurance policy57:42 The stigmatization of affirmative action beneficiaries1:04:14 Glenn: Affirmative action has been a net positive, but it’s time to stop1:07:14 Q&A: Does historical injustice alone justify affirmative action?1:10:33 Q&A: Can and should colleges use loopholes to get around Students for Fair Admissions?1:14:50 Q&A: Does the “need” for affirmative action say something race or education?1:16:27 Q&A: What is the impact of SFFA beyond the university?1:23:35 Q&A: What about class-based affirmative action?Recorded September 20, 2023Links and ReadingsRandy’s book, Race, Crime, and the LawRandy’s book, For Discrimination: Race, Affirmative Action, and the LawGlenn’s conversation with Jay Caspian Kang 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

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit glennloury.substack.comGlenn and John answer subscriber questions.

Linguist and political commentator John McWhorter, along with special guest Dan Subotnik, discuss the flaws of critical race theory, exclusion in academia, the implications of power relations and self-hatred, approaches to addressing racism, a scandal involving Ibram X. Kendi at Boston University, and critique the current state of anti-racist research. They challenge the fraudulent antiracist machine and express their frustration with the false elevation of mediocrity.