On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Kelsey discuss the tactical, operational, and strategic imperatives associated with the War on Christmas. Do Santa’s twice-checked lists threaten the NSA’s data supremacy? Kelsey floats the possibility of countering Santa by destroying the joy of America’s children. What are the best aircraft to challenge Santa’s sleigh in a dog fight? Is it time to nuke the North Pole? Rob and Kelsey discuss the lessons of the Imperial assault on Hoth as prelude to a similar attack on Santa’s northern stronghold. Finally, they consider the possibility of replacing Santa with a fleet of loveable drones, and also point out the value of signature drone strikes against Santa’s reindeer herd.
On The Score, Michael and Mollie consider why everyone seems to love Pope Francis. What are the continuities and discontinuities between Francis and Benedict? Can Francis move the Church beyond the liberal/conservative culture war? They consider Francis’s admonition to take care of the poor with your own hands as a way to bridge the post–Vatican II divide. Can the new pope attract holy priests? Finally, Mollie explains why Francis makes her very hopeful about the Catholic Church.
On The Glenn Show, Glenn and John consider the recent controversy over Santa Claus’s race. Why has this debate sparked such strange passion on both sides? They discuss what John identifies as a tendency by some African Americans to be seen as “serious black people.” Glenn counsels that blacks must strive to not let race dominate their lives, and recalls Amartya Sen’s prescription about the non-inevitability of identity. They consider how James Baldwin both exposed and embodied some of these issues. They close with what could be termed the Trayvon Martin counterargument.
On Rational Actors, Kevin talks to Cathy about her efforts to synthesize feminism and libertarianism. Can libertarian economic policies help change gendered expectations for women? Does the libertarian movement have a woman problem? Is legal sex work compatible with individual freedom? Turning to Ken Cuccinelli‘s recent defeat in Virginia, they consider why married and unmarried women vote so differently. How can the GOP reform itself to be more appealing to women in general?