On Friedersdorf, Conor and Phoebe begin by talking about Edward Snowden’s recent request for clemency. They next examine the phenomenon of parental “oversharing.” Conor and Phoebe think jerk-shaming has gone too far—even though some Halloween costumes have been bizarrely offensive, it seems some Millennials just yearn to be outraged. What does the green juice craze reveal about our society? And finally, what does social privilege have to do with the drone debate?
On The Score, Michael and Travis analyze the possibility that the Oakland A’s may abandon their working class city to play in gilded San Francisco. Michael suggests that this is another instance of sports reflecting society, and Travis makes the case against the public funding of stadiums. Next, they do a deep dive into the vexed issue of offensive team names and mascots, notably the Washington Redskins and Chief Wahoo of the Cleveland Indians. Would the Atlanta Braves by any other name smell as sweet? Noting the religious origins of the San Diego Padres, Michael emphasizes that context matters. They lament how these controversies spill into left/right culture war battles. Plus: Great sports teams names vs. awful ones.
On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Daniel take a critical look at the idea that America must keep force “on the table” with respect to nuclear negotiations with Iran. They discuss the news that Saudi Arabia may have contracted for a nuclear deterrent with Pakistan, and briefly discuss Israeli attitudes toward the negotiations. How will domestic US political considerations affect a nuclear deal? They next examine the ongoing political phenomenon that is John Bolton. Rob and Daniel conclude with a discussion of air power and American foreign policy.
On The DMZ, Bill and Matt discuss the fallout of various elections, starting with game-changing political news out of Bill’s home of Northampton, MA. Moving on to the Democratic victory in Virginia, they debate whether running against Obamacare helped or hurt Ken Cuccinelli‘s chances. Bill suggests Republicans should quit whining, leading Matt to make the case for Chris Christie in 2016. Is Christie the GOP’s only hope, or is he a risky bet? Bill asks Matt whether Republicans still have a deeper presidential bench than the Democrats, and how the conservative civil war is likely to play out.