Episodios

  • A Small d Democratic Hero

    A Small d Democratic Hero
    Mar 31 2025
    In this show before a live audience, Mona talks with Stephen Richer about standing up for reality, tangling with Kari Lake, and his political future.

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    34 m
  • Crooks, Crackpots, Extremists, and Putinists

    Crooks, Crackpots, Extremists, and Putinists
    Mar 24 2025
    David Frum joins Mona to discuss Trump's Canada gripes, how tariffs will/are sabotaging America, NATO, defying court orders, and how best to counter all of it.

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    REFERENCES:
    Why Cede the Flag to Trump? by David Frum in The Atlantic (2017)
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    57 m
  • An Insider's View of RFK, Jr. and the Risks to Public Health

    An Insider's View of RFK, Jr. and the Risks to Public Health
    Mar 17 2025
    Famed virologist Dr. Paul Offit describes his encounters with RFK, Jr., vaccine misinformation, trust in medicine, and what he fears most.

    REFERENCES:

    • Dr. Paul Offit’s Books:

      • Deadly Choices: How the Anti-Vaccine Movement Threatens Us All

      • The Cutter Incident(about a polio vaccine gone wrong)

    • Historical Vaccine References:

      • The Cutter Incident (1950s polio vaccine failure)

      • The history of polio, iron lungs, and the development of the Salk and Sabin vaccines.

      • The Vaccine Injury Compensation Program.

      • The impact of vaccines on childhood diseases like diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, and rotavirus.

    • Andrew Wakefield and Vaccine-Autism Misinformation:

      • Wakefield’s 1998 Lancet paper (later retracted) linking MMR vaccines to autism.

      • The role of The Lancet and editor Richard Horton.

      • The legal and financial conflicts of interest that led to Wakefield’s discrediting.

    • Anti-Vaccine Movement History:

      • The Anti-Vaccination League (1800s opposition to smallpox vaccine).

      • NBC’s DPT Vaccine Roulette (1980s), which fueled fears about the whooping cough vaccine.

      • RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine activism and misinformation campaigns.

      • The impact of anti-vaccine movements in places like Samoa, leading to deadly measles outbreaks.

    • Current Vaccine Issues and Policy Changes:

      • RFK Jr.'s role in the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) and vaccine policy.

      • The cancellation of the FDA Vaccine Advisory Committee meeting.
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    47 m
  • DOGE'S Bogus Cost Cutting

    DOGE'S Bogus Cost Cutting
    Mar 10 2025
    The Manhattan Institute's Jessica Reidl explains the fake fiscal posturing of DOGE as well as the ground truths about deficits and national debt. Predictions: More inflation, lower growth, less prosperity.
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    43 m
  • Some Tough Love for Democrats

    Some Tough Love for Democrats
    Mar 8 2025
    Josh Barro joins Mona to discuss where the party needs to change, refocus on practical governance, and how to broaden its appeal to win elections against a rising Republican authoritarian threat.

    References

    • Josh Barro's Substack – Very Serious

      • Democrats Need Their Own DEI Purge by Josh Barro

    • Josh Barro's Podcast – Serious Trouble (with Ken White)
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    53 m
  • Examining DEI

    Examining DEI
    Mar 3 2025
    The Bulwark's Cathy Young joins Mona to discuss where DEI went wrong and also the unfathomable racism of the Trump Administration.

    Referenced Works and Sources

    1. Reflections of an Affirmative Action Baby by Steven Carter

      • Discusses the complexities and unintended consequences of affirmative action from a personal and academic perspective.

    2. The Bakke Case (Regents of the University of California v. Bakke, 1978)

      • A landmark Supreme Court decision that ruled against racial quotas in university admissions while allowing race to be one of several factors in admissions decisions.

    3. Fisher v. University of Texas(2013, 2016)

      • Supreme Court cases addressing race-conscious admissions policies in higher education.

    4. Implicit Bias Tests (Implicit Association Test, IAT)

      • Psychological tests used to measure unconscious biases, though their reliability and effectiveness in predicting behavior have been widely debated.

    5. Yasha Mounk’s The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time

      • Discusses the ideological shifts in race-conscious policies and how they impact public discourse.

    6. New York Times Investigative Report on DEI at the University of Michigan

      • A report detailing the impact of DEI initiatives at a major university, highlighting unintended consequences such as workplace tension and polarization.
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    55 m
  • MAGA is Powered by Hatred

    MAGA is Powered by Hatred
    Feb 24 2025
    David French joins to discuss upending the NATO alliance, attacks on the rule of law, and how the pardon power was one of the Founders' worst mistakes.

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    Referred Works

    1. The Federalist Papers – A collection of essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, referenced in discussions about constitutional powers, particularly the presidency.

    2. Anti-Federalist Papers ("An Old Whig" – Letter No. 5, 1787) – Cited as an early critique of the presidential pardon power and excessive executive authority.

    3. Marbury v. Madison (1803) – A landmark U.S. Supreme Court case establishing judicial review, mentioned in the context of legal authority over the president.

    4. U.S. Constitution – Indirectly referenced multiple times, particularly concerning executive powers, rule of law, and the balance of power.

    5. Learned Hand’s Quote on Liberty –
      "Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women; when it dies there, no constitution, no law, no court can save it."

      • Quoted in reference to the fragility of democratic institutions.

    6. DARVO (Deny, Attack, Reverse Victim and Offender) – A concept from psychology and sociology used to describe manipulative tactics, discussed in relation to political rhetoric.

    7. "Everything Everywhere All at Once" (Film, 2022) – Referenced metaphorically to describe the chaotic state of global and domestic affairs.
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    1 h y 2 m
  • Debunking Populist Myths

    Debunking Populist Myths
    Feb 17 2025
    AEI's Michael Strain analyzes the mistakes left and right make about middle class stagnation, quality of life, and other matters. Plus, what is risked when Trump/Musk attack foundational institutions.

    This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/mona and get on your way to being your best self.

    Referenced Works & Figures:

    • Michael Strain’s Book — The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It)

    • Elizabeth Warren & Bill de Blasio – Critique of middle-class decline.

    • Josh Hawley – Comment on wage stagnation.

    • David Autor's "China Shock" Paper – Study on trade-induced job losses.

    • Robert Bork’s Antitrust Theories – Influence on U.S. competition policy.

    • Smoot-Hawley Tariffs – Historical reference to the consequences of trade protectionism.

    • Occupy Wall Street & Tea Party Movements – Examples of populist political reactions.

    • Federal Job Training Programs – Discussion on their past inefficacy and recent improvements.
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    1 h y 4 m