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24 December 2024

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Bloggingheads.tv videos — December 2013

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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 16, 2013 — Kevin Glass & Cathy Reisenwitz
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Rational Actors
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?
Dec 15, 2013 — Mark Linsenmayer & Frithjof Bergmann
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Dec 14, 2013 — Meir Javedanfar & Emily Landau
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Foreign Entanglements
On Foreign Entanglements, Meir and Emily discuss Iran. What exactly is the point of the nuclear deal? And will Iran play by the rules? Emily brings up the possible military applications of Iran’s nuclear program, and Meir argues that Iran deserves the benefit of the doubt. Emily counters that Obama has given up too much leverage in the negotiations. They close by finding some points of agreement.
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 11, 2013 — Glenn Loury & Harold Pollack
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The Glenn Show
On The Glenn Show, Glenn and Harold discuss the death of Nelson Mandela and why they weren’t more committed to anti-apartheid activism in the 1980s. Was the African National Congress’s use of violent resistance defensible in retrospect? This leads to a broader reconsideration of the Cold War and the savoriness of various regimes the US supported. Glenn argues Mandela has been sanitized and reduced in death, then applies the lessons of South Africa to Israel and Palestine. Is Israel’s occupation of the West Bank comparable to apartheid? Harold suggests that all national identities are based on forgetting, and that Mandela is admirable in this context.
Dec 10, 2013 — Alyssa Rosenberg & Daniel Drezner
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Critic Proof
On Critic Proof, Alyssa and Dan discuss the cultural impact of the late Nelson Mandela, beginning with Dan’s memories of the campus anti-apartheid movement. They marvel at Mandela’s transformative prison term and the complex role of his wife Winnie. They then turn to the new pop culture focus on Mandela, including the Idris Elba biopic, Invictus, and World War Z. How does Mandela’s family compare with other political dynasties? They also discuss South African movies such as District 9. Pivoting wildly from Mandela, they consider the controversial emergence of Love Actually as a holiday classic. Plus: The bumper crop of political TV shows, in particular House of Cards. (Spoilers throughout.)
Dec 9, 2013 — Daniel Strauss & Alex Seitz-Wald
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