Acton Unwind

Latest Episodes:

How old is too old to be president? Jul 18, 2022

Show notes

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman ponder the nexus of age, experience, and leadership. Is it possible to be too old to have a job with as many high-pressure responsibilities as come with being president of the United States? If so, what is the wisest way to implement an age limitation? Should we just leave it up to voters to decide based on the individual candidates available? Then the guys discuss whether changing our language has the ability to change what it is we’re talking about. Does insisting people use words like “Latinx” have any meaningful impact on concepts of gender? Or does it just annoy a lot of people? Finally, Dylan details the argument made in his and Texas Tech University economics professor Alexander Salter’s recent Wall Street Journal essay on lessons from the Bible on money and inflation.

Jill Biden’s ‘LatinX IncluXion Luncheon’ FiaXco | Charles Cooke, National Review

In God—and Sound Money—We Trust | Dylan Pahman & Alexander Salter, Wall Street Journal

For the Least of These: Against Inflation Economics | Dylan Pahman & Alexander Salter, Public Discourse

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Shinzo Abe and Boris Johnson fall Jul 11, 2022

Show notes

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman discuss both the shocking assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the political downfall of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. What is Abe’s legacy and the significance of his assassination in Japanese civic and political culture? And will Boris Johnson even leave a legacy beyond negotiating Brexit? Next, Twitter is looking to sue Elon Musk, who has announced he’s backing out of his deal to purchase the social media platform. Can you force someone to buy something? And finally, the guys break down the end of the Supreme Court’s term, particularly the case of West Virginia v. EPA. How much in American political life could be fixed by Congress just doing its job?

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Who Shot Shinzo Abe and Why? Everything We Know So Far | Bloomberg

Shinzo Abe, powerful former Japan PM, leaves divided legacy | Associated Press

Why was U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson forced to resign, and what happens next? | CBS News

Nine Tories Vie for Leadership in Contest for Johnson’s Successor | Bloomberg

Twitter, Elon Musk Set for Unprecedented Legal Battle Over Deal Collapse | Wall Street Journal

Twitter will be no worse with owner Elon Musk, and probably no better | Eric Kohn, Acton Institute

West Virginia v. EPA | US Supreme Court

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Bloody Independence Day Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

This week, Eric Kohn, Dan Hugger, and Dylan Pahman take stock of the current status of the American founding, 246 years after the colonies declared independence. How effective have the attacks coming from the left and the right on the founding been, if at all? Then they examine the horrific mass shooting at an Independence Day parade in Highland Park, Illinois. If public policy can’t fix broken souls, how can we reach people like this shooter before they perpetrate these violent acts?

Highland Park shooting sends shockwaves | Axios

Liberal Practice v. Liberal Theory | Daniel E. Burns, National Affairs

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All about Dobbs Jun 27, 2022

Show notes

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss everything surrounding the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned previous precedents in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. Why has most of the reaction been about the policy implications flowing from the decision and not what the Supreme Court actually wrote and held in Dobbs? What does that say about civics education in America right now? What should we take away from the concurring opinions filed by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Brett Kavanaugh and Clarence Thomas? What, if anything, was the impact of the leak of Justice Samuel Alito’s draft opinion? And how will the decision affect the nascent common-good constitutionalism movement?

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Opinion of the Court in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization

The Essential Natural Law | Samuel Gregg

The future of abortion in America | Acton Unwind

Samuel Gregg Joins AIER to Lead Initiative Defending Freedom, Combatting Collectivism | AIER

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Is it ethical to watch Saudi-backed golf? Jun 20, 2022

Show notes

On this episode, Eric Kohn, Dylan Pahman, and Dan Hugger discuss the newly launched LIV Golf International Series, a competitor to the PGA Tour that has drawn defections from some big golfing names—Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, and Bryson DeChambeau, to name a few—and controversy for being primarily funded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. What is the ethical responsibility of the average sports consumer when a sporting event is being funded or supported by a monstrous regime? Then the guys turn their attention to the Federal Reserve, which raised interest rates by 75 basis points in an effort to combat inflation. Will it work? Will it have terrible unintended consequences? Both?

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What is LIV Golf? The controversial PGA Tour competitor Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson are joining, explained | The Athletic

Shark trailer | ESPN 30 for 30

But What if We're Wrong?: Thinking About the Present as if It Were the Past | Chuck Klosterman

For the Least of These: Against Inflation Economics | Public Discourse

Partisan vitriol threatens the economy—and lives (with David Bahnsen) | Acton Unwind

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Partisan vitriol threatens the economy—and lives Jun 13, 2022

Show notes

This week, special guest David Bahnsen joins Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger as they discuss inflation in America hitting a 40-year high. What’s driving the present persistent inflation? How is our present economic malaise different from our last bout of persistent inflation in the 1970s? How does political polarization hamper our ability to respond effectively to economic crises? The second half of the program is dedicated to a review and evaluation of the ongoing work of the January 6 committee, as well as the recent assassination attempt on Supreme Court justice Brett Kavanaugh. What does the emerging tendency toward political violence say about America? How does our present partisan politics fuel this disturbing trend?

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Higher Unemployment Rate Looms as the Fed Fights Inflation | The Wall Street Journal

There's No Free Lunch: 250 Economic Truths | David Bahnsen

In First Jan. 6 Hearing, Graphic Footage and Stark Testimony Show Depth of Attack | The New York Times

Who Is the Former TV News Chief Helping the Jan. 6 Committee? | The New York Times

Armed Man Traveled to Justice Kavanaugh’s Home to Kill Him, Officials Say | The New York Times

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How do we grapple with Uvalde? Jun 06, 2022

Show notes

In this episode, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the massacre of 19 children and two adults in Uvalde, Texas. How do we grapple with horrors like this? What can we do, as individuals and as a society, to reduce the likelihood that attacks like this will happen again? Are we lacking the moral language to effectively discuss such events? Then there’s the lack of response on the part of the Uvalde police. While these cops clearly failed the people they were charged with protecting, what role did the failure to properly prepare them to do their job play in this outcome? And finally, the guys examine Ilya Shapiro’s resignation from Georgetown Law School shortly after he was exonerated in regard to his offending tweets about Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. Will it make any difference in the cause of free speech?

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Uvalde School Shooting | The Texas Tribune

What we know, minute by minute, about how the Uvalde shooting and police response unfolded | The Texas Tribune

Ilya Shapiro Resigns from Georgetown Law School | National Review

We Got Here Because of Cowardice. We Get Out With Courage | Bari Weiss, Commentary

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The evangelical crackup May 31, 2022

Show notes

In this episode of Acton Unwind, Dan Churchwell, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger focus on the crisis in evangelical Christianity, with factions within the broader evangelical community pitted one against the other. The discussion is framed by Tim Alberta’s recent piece in The Atlantic, “How Politics Poisoned Evangelicalism,” which examines the responses of several evangelical churches in Brighton, Michigan, to the presidency of Donald Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic. Just what is evangelicalism and its relationship to politics? How has evangelicals’ embrace of modern technology both widened their influence and fostered divisions within?

Also discussed is the upcoming Acton University. What is Acton University, who are some of the featured speakers, and what sorts of people attend? How does Acton University seek to foster dialog among people of diverse faiths to address the crises, both social and economic, of our time?

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How Politics Poisoned the Evangelical Church | The Atlantic

The “Bebbington quadrilateral” | Wikipedia

The Scopes Trial | Wikipedia

Acton University 2022

Acton University Online 2022

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The Orthodox Church and Ukraine May 23, 2022

Show notes

In the episode of Acton Unwind, Dylan Pahman, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger focus on the war in Ukraine and its religious context. What battles over ecclesiastic authority are involved? What is the Russian Orthodox Church saying about the conflict? The discussion then turns to the economic effects of the war upon the rest of the world, with particular focus on food production and distribution. Why are some countries affected more severely than others? Also among the discussion is a focus on China and its COVID lockdowns and growing economic problems. How is China moving away from its limited economic liberalization of the past? What does this mean for America’s future relationship with China? Lastly, Nancy Pelosi has been recently barred from receiving holy communion by the Archbishop of San Francisco. What makes the Pelosi case different from instances of Roman Catholic politicians in conflict received Church teaching on abortion? What does this case say about how many Americans view the relationship between church and state?

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Everyday Saints and Other Stories Paperback – Archimandrite Tikhon

The Promise of Confucian Liberty – Law & Liberty

What the West Got Wrong About China – Law & Liberty

Full text of Archbishop Cordileone letter to Nancy Pelosi banning her from Communion – Catholic News Agency

Speaker Pelosi on Meet the Press transcript 2008 – NBC

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The arrest of Cardinal Zen May 16, 2022

Show notes

This week, Eric Kohn, Sam Gregg, and Dan Hugger discuss the arrest of Cardinal Joseph Zen in Hong Kong on charges of violating the National Security Law and allegedly "colluding with foreign forces.” The arrest of Zen and three others comes in the wake of the arrest of other pro-democracy and human rights activists like Jimmy Lai, the subject of Acton’s most recent documentary feature film, THE HONG KONGER: JIMMY LAI’S EXTRAORDINARY STRUGGLE FOR FREEDOM. What does this arrest tell us about the state of Hong Kong? And how has the Holy See responded to this incident? Then the guys break down the latest inflation numbers and the proposed “anti-price gouging” legislation and other supposed “solutions” to inflation that have nothing to do with inflation or that would simply make matters worse.

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Apply now for Acton University 2022

Hong Kong cardinal Joseph Zen arrested under China's security law | BBC

The Hong Konger: Jimmy Lai’s Extraordinary Struggle for Freedom

The Hong Konger movie trailer

Inflation Is Tanking the Stock Market | The Dispatch

Will-to-Power Conservatism and the Great Liberalism Schism | Stephanie Slade, Reason

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