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23 December 2025

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Dec 23, 2013 — Robert Farley & Kelsey D. Atherton
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Foreign Entanglements

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.

Dec 21, 2013 — Michael Brendan Dougherty & Mollie Wilson O'Reilly
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The Score

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.

Dec 20, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ

On The DMZ: Duck Dynasty vs. Pajama Boy: a false choice? Matt sees a chilling effect on speech in the suspension of a reality TV star. Bill argues that defending political incorrectness is not a wise battle for the conservative movement to undertake. Next, why Pajama Boy infuriated the online right. Bill thinks it’s just advertising, while Matt thinks it’s the downfall of Western civilization. Plus: Analyzing the new delay of Obamacare’s individual mandate for those with canceled insurance plans.

Dec 18, 2013 — Phoebe Maltz Bovy & Autumn Whitefield-Madrano
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Dec 17, 2013 — Glenn Loury & John McWhorter
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The Glenn Show
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.
Dec 13, 2013 — Conor Friedersdorf & James Poulos
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Friedersdorf
On Friedersdorf, Conor and James kick things off by discussing Tom Scocca’s viral Gawker article defending snark and attacking smarm. They consider the perils of Internet fame for regular people. How will today’s kids come to view the difference between the online world and real life? Conor worries that the surveillance state is causing Americans to self-censor their communications. James extols the virtues of “view from somewhere” journalism. And they conclude by discussing millennials, the “passion economy,” and the dark side of geeking out.
Dec 12, 2013 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ
On The DMZ: Should conservatives support the Ryan-Murray budget deal? Should progressives? And can it pass the House? What’s Paul Ryan’s ultimate goal? Why has conservative Sen. John Cornyn attracted a primary challenger—and what do hipster glasses have to do with it? Finally, Bill and Matt tackle the real issue: The Great Love Actually Debate.
Dec 9, 2013 — Daniel Strauss & Alex Seitz-Wald
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Dec 7, 2013 — Robert Farley & Toshi Yoshihara
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Foreign Entanglements
On Foreign Entanglements, Rob speaks with Toshi about the new Chinese Air Defense Identification Zone in the East China Sea. Toshi discusses the significance of the ADIZ for military and civilian flights from the US, Japan, and South Korea. They consider how China will enforce the zone. Why here, and why now? Toshi argues that if America recognizes the zone, we might as well pack up and go home. Rob and Toshi debate whether the declaration was a bureaucratic error or came from the top. They conclude by discussing China’s new aircraft carrier, which is deploying to the South China Sea.
Dec 6, 2013 — Kevin Glass & David A. Graham
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Rational Actors
On Rational Actors, Kevin and David delve into the debate over race and conservatism sparked by Jonathan Chait’s blog post on 12 Years a Slave. Kevin says the distinction between structural and overt racism blinds conservatives, and David notes the trouble of disentangling racially and politically motivated attacks on Obama. How does the whiteness of the elected GOP affect this debate? Have conservatives gone backwards on race in the Obama era? Next, they consider Martin Bashir’s resignation from MSNBC and whether liberals have been sexist toward Sarah Palin. Plus: The real reason Alec Baldwin was fired from the network.

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