Best Shawn Whatley Podcasts (2025)

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#64 Ray Pennings: Religion in the Public Square. Study of Canada-US religiosity 1:05:25

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2h ago1:05:25

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Want to be active in the public square? Join the symphony. Get involved in what you love. Be public about your pursuit of the true, the good, and the beautiful. Ray Pennings has spent his life building a winsome and articulate defence of religion in the pubic square. It is not weird to admit we have religious beliefs (including non belief); it's we…

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190 – Biographizing Buckley with Sam Tanenhaus 1:09:15

35m ago1:09:15

1:09:15

There are four faces on the Saving Elephants' Mount Rushmore of great conservatives: Edmund Burke, Russell Kirk, Thomas Sowell, and William F. Buckley. While the first three have each had fully episodes dedicated to their life and works, William F. Buckley has yet to be explored at length. And with Buckley's posthumous 100th birthday happening late…

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#63 Ron Dart: Is Toryism Dead in Canada? The Red Tory Element in Canadian Conservatism 1:25:00

4d ago1:25:00

1:25:00

Toryism has faded in Canada, but it still gets blamed for backsliding and bad behaviour in Conservative Party politics. (Full disclosure: I have never seen myself as a Tory, neither High, Low, Red, Blue, or traditional.) Political labels, especially old ones, mean nothing without definition. Even with working definitions, labels often bleed into ea…

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189 – Rescuing the American Project with Nathan Brown and Robert Haglund 55:49

2d ago55:49

55:49

Those who identify as pro-immigration and pro-nationalist are often at odds with one another. But what if a healthy dose of nationalism is the very thing that could bolster our immigration? Nathan Brown and Robert Haglund argue in their new book Rescuing the American Project that "much of the dysfunction in contemporary American politics is a conse…

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#62 Sam Routley: Unpacking Canadian Conservative voters. Fusionism, culture and economics 1:05:40

2d ago1:05:40

1:05:40

Conservative voters around the world are leaning into culture and away from economic issues. Sam Routley's research found that Canadian conservatives cling to the 1980's fusionism of traditional social policies and libertarian economics. Can the 1980's fusionism hold? Will economic determinism help Conservatives to win elections today? Links to art…

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#61 Alexander Brown: Young Voters, Culture, and Politics in Canada 57:19

7d ago57:19

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Young conservatives aren't falling in line. Alex says, "We don't care. I'm not incentivized to look the other way. I don't need an invite to a table of six at Terroni in the back room to talk about continuing the status quo." In a world when young voters can't afford a house in Canada, you'd think they'd obsess about economics. They don't. They car…

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#60 Alexander Rosenthal-Pubul: Conservative Humanism - Reconciling Tradition and Modernity 57:17

16d ago57:17

57:17

Is secular humanism a distortion of an older conservative humanism? And why are conservatives so obsessed with international trade? The French Enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu argued that international trade promotes peace. He called it doux commerce, gentle commerce. In what sense is this a conservative idea? Fascinating and somewhat subversi…

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Roundtable - The Kids are all Alt-Right 1:07:18

20d ago1:07:18

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Does the Right have a radical problem, particularly among young men? Saving Elephants assembles another insightful panel to offer their...insights. The panelists include: Eric Kohn - President of America's Future Jeffery Tyler Syck - Proffessor at the University of Pikeville Jeff Mayhugh - VP of NoCapFund Lura Forcum - President of the Independent …

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188 – The UnLeft with J.J. McCullough 1:07:35

25d ago1:07:35

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Disillusioned with the rigidity of political tribalism, J.J. McCullough left his role as conservative journalist and commentator and became a content creator. His YouTube channel, J.J. McCullough offers his one million subscribers weekly deep dives about countries, cultures, and Canada. But while politics is not the focus of his channel, some of hi…

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#59 Tim Sargent: Can Economics Save Canada? Does Economics Serve Politics or Should Economics Rule? 58:12

17d ago58:12

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What guides politics? What matters most in political decision making? Since the 1980s, conservatives have looked to economics for guidance: economic growth, tax cuts, and decreased government spending capture the heart of political thought in North American Conservative political parties. This sparks two questions. 1) How well did this approach per…

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Bonus Episode - My Conversation / Intervention with Justin Stapley 1:21:51

23d ago1:21:51

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Justin Stapley and I have been on similar journeys these past many years seeking to better understand our worldviews and the ever-changing political moment and how best to restore sanity and integrity to our politics. But while I've been diligently producing podcast episodes for these past seven years, Justin has launched a dizzying array of projec…

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#58 Ross Upshur: AI in Medicine, Limits of Evidence Based Medicine, & What Does It Mean to be Human? 1:00:00

24d ago1:00:00

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This episode is (ostensibly) about medicine, not politics. What does human-centred care mean in a world of AI? Are doctors becoming obsolete, when it comes to decision making? When should we hand over our clinical judgement to AI? I asked Ross Upshur for his thoughts on logical positivism. Are most doctors positivists? "Despite it being... as a p…

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187 – Audaciously Aspirational with John Wilsey 1:03:38

1M ago1:03:38

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One cannot BE a conservative. One can only aspire to conservatism. So says John Wilsey in his new book Religious Freedom: A Conservative Primer. Perhaps Roger Scruton's How to be a Conservative was a worthy endeavor but too audacious of a title. John Wilsey joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to flesh out the aspirational nature of conservatism …

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#57 Grant Havers: Understanding Marshall McLuhan's Relevance: AI, Social Media, and Conservative Thought 1:20:49

1M ago1:20:49

1:20:49

By Shawn Whatley

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#56 Calum Nicholson: Boomers are Frozen in Fortune & Society is Blinded by Science 1:21:38

1M ago1:21:38

1:21:38

Boomers have a worldview "frozen by fortune, not forged in fire." Through no fault of their own, the boomer generation remains blind to aspects of current reality from their experiences growing up in the post-WWII era. That era has ended. For more on this, check out Dr. Nicholson's guest post on Peter Boghossian: The Boomerang Our discussion tackle…

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#55 Paige MacPherson: Smartphones, Canadian Education Performance, and School Choice 1:06:48

1M ago1:06:48

1:06:48

Canada is libertarian on student cell phones in classrooms and statist on school choice (in most provinces). We get a poor return on investment when it comes to education in Canada. Our math and reading scores are several years behind (even before Covid). Students are distracted by over 100 messages on their cellphones each day. And teachers cannot…

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#54 Étienne-Alexander Beauregard - Gen-Z Conservatism & Anti Civilization: Why Our Societies Collapse From Within 57:41

2M ago57:41

57:41

Gen Z sits at the cusp of major change in conservatism. Young people do not feel a warmth and longing for Reagan or Thatcher. Sure, they value freedom, but they also what to know where the guardrails stand. Étienne-Alexandre speaks clearly for a new generation of non-left thinkers. He asks what might be the role of conservatism in the near future. …

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Roundtable - Combating Political Violence 1:18:34

2M ago1:18:34

1:18:34

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's shocking assassination, Americans are bracing for further political attacks. But is further violence inevitable? And what can be done to prevent things from escalating? Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis assembles a roundtable to discuss these sobering and important issues. The panelists include: Avi Woolf - Host of Avi'…

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#53 Tristin Hopper: Extremism in Canadian Universities and review of his book, "Don't be Canada" 48:17

2M ago48:17

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Once again, Canadian university professors show their extremism in response to Charlie Kirk, a mirror of their praise for Oct 7. Professors shape opinion; they shape culture. Do we want the kind of culture they promote? Turning to his book, Tristin argues that Canada's world-famous policy failures are self-inflicted. He believes we could recover, i…

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186 – Conservative Canucks with Shawn Whatley 1:09:28

2M ago1:09:28

1:09:28

Is Trump correct that Canada is destined to be America's 51st state? Or is there simply too much distinction between Canada and the United States to collapse us both into one homogenous mess? If conservatives in the U.S. are trying to conserve the American revolution, what are Canadian conservatives hoping to conserve? How might these two liberty-l…

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#52 Josh Lewis: Conservatism, Saving Elephants, Populism, Donald Trump, and Economic Morality 1:09:50

2M ago1:09:50

1:09:50

Josh Lewis is a traditional conservative who has worked in 'government' in America, has served in retail politics, and has interviewed hundreds of leading thinkers in American conservatism. Josh has a unique ability to bridge the gap between politics and life, philosophy and culture. His developed his skill comes from a deep discomfort with what he…

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#51 Reflecting on Charlie Kirk. Are we tired of being bullied? 22:53

2M ago22:53

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I couldn't stay silent and sane. Once again, the AI summary is scarily accurate, so I will let is stand. Let me know what you think. Shawn AI Summary: Responding to Tragedy: Honouring Charlie Kirk & Challenging Silence In this deeply reflective episode of Concepts, host Shawn Whatley breaks from his usual avoidance of current events to address a tu…

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#50 George Nash: The Conservative Intellectual Movement 1:09:54

2M ago1:09:54

1:09:54

If you find conservatism confusing, you are not alone! Dr. George Nash has spent 50 years explaining all the strands that weave together into the collection of ideas we call conservatism. The AI summary is surprisingly good, so I will simply point out the book links below: The Conservative Intellectual Movement in America since 1945 Russel Kirk's C…

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185 – Inventing Conservatism with Daniel J. Flynn 1:01:42

3M ago1:01:42

1:01:42

Few forerunners of the modern conservative movement are as important, little known, and underappreciated as Frank Meyer. Meyer possessed the IT factor that made women want him and men want to be associated with him. He used that in his early years to advance Marxism in England—building an impressive Marxist organization that had the attention of UK…

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#49 Yuval Levin: Unity, Citizenship, and American Constitutionalism 1:03:00

3M ago1:03:00

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How can we live together when we don't t all think alike? Are there nothing but power struggles, or is there a better way? Dr. Yuval Levin explains that we don't need to disagree less; we need to learn to disagree better. Unity does not mean unanimity. We should be hopeful, not simply optimistic. Yuval has spent several decades trying to persuade c…

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Roundtable - Is Trump A Fascist? 1:21:19

2M ago1:21:19

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Some Americans warn Trump's antics in this second term are flirting with fascism while others say that's totally whacked. So which is it? Is Trump a fascist or nothing of the kind? Join our livestream as our panelists engage over the topic. Panelists include: Josh Lewis (host), Mike Taylor, Blake Fischer, John Giokaris, Steve Phelps, and Kent Strai…

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#48 Nico Lagan: Political Orphans, Masculinity, and Faith 1:08:01

3M ago1:08:01

1:08:01

The non-left in Canada includes an interesting and often overlooked group. They promote a mix of exercise, martial arts, masculinity, self defence, freedom, self sufficiency, honour, Christianity, and more. This group baffles academics and exasperates leftists. Both left and right seeks to dismiss and minimize their impact. But they represent a lar…

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184 – Paradigming Phenomenological Essences with Steven Hayward 1:02:02

3M ago1:02:02

1:02:02

Steven Hayward has been involved in so many conservative institutions and organizations it may be simpler to list where he hasn't left a mark. This conservative man-about-town joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis as they unravel what it means to be a conservative, how Straussians might make peace with Burke, and why Josh shouldn't be so critical …

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#47 Andy Crooks: Moral Courage and the Heart of Conservatism 1:10:51

3M ago1:10:51

1:10:51

Andy captures the heart of conservatism unlike anything I've found elsewhere. He has lived it. He embodies it. And he welcomes others to enjoy it. Andy Crooks spelled out what's at stake for Canada, and he explained what we must do to save it. Stark, fun, inspirational, and tragic. I can't think of a better embodiment of the heart an soul of conser…

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Roundtable - MAGA Mayhem 1:05:20

3M ago1:05:20

1:05:20

The MAGA coalition is comprised of a wide spectrum whose sole unifying idea is Trump himself. But what happens when that precarious foundation begins to fray? Have recent events shown cracks in the MAGA world that could quickly fracture, or is this all a tempest in a teapot? Join Saving Elephant panelists during our livestream to make sense of it a…

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#46 Marco Navarro-Genie: Red Toryism, Canadian Identity, and the Role of Conservatism 1:08:19

3M ago1:08:19

1:08:19

Marco packages powerful barbs in (slightly) softened academic polish. It makes his writing and speaking fun to consume and hard to forget. Do check out his Substack https://substack.com/@navarrogenie Looking forward to hearing what you think! Thanks again! AI summary: Special guest Dr. Marco Navarro-Genie, VP of Research at Frontier Center for Publ…

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183 – Conservative Conservationism with Stephen Perkins 1:01:24

4M ago1:01:24

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Younger Americans—regardless of their political affiliations—are increasingly supportive focusing on environmental and conservation issues. But while there may be renewed unity on recognizing the importance of such issues, the policies advocated by the Left and Right continue to differ. The American Conservation Coalition (ACC) is a group of young …

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#45 Sean Walsh: The Hard Problem of Consciousness, AI, and Conservatism 53:48

4M ago53:48

53:48

Sean has a PhD in the philosophy of artificial intelligence. He writes well and thinks deeply. He's also experienced more grit than the average academic. This was not a light discussion, but I think you will find it well worth your time. Articles mentioned: Wandering Thoughts Artificial, human and angelic intelligence Sean is Associate Editor of Co…

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#44 Tristan Rogers: Conservatism Past and Present--A Philosophical Introduction 1:06:32

4M ago1:06:32

1:06:32

Tristan and I discuss his new book on conservatism. It is fun and deep and convoluted...you will love it. The AI summary (below) chunks out the main sections. Books and articles mentioned: Conservatism Past and Present: A philosophical introduction, by Tristan Rogers https://amzn.to/4lYHPbC England: An Elegy, by Roger Scruton https://amzn.to/4lMKkO…

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#43 Brian Day: The Fight for Canadian Healthcare | A 30-Year Battle for Patient Rights 1:07:55

4M ago1:07:55

1:07:55

Dr. Brian Day has spent decades fighting for patients' rights. He trained during an era of no wait times and doctors competing to provide care for patients. People find this hard to believe, and system planners find it horrifying. Canadian medicare was once the envy of the world. Today, countries try to avoid creating 'Canada-like' results. Dr. Day…

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182 – Partying Like It's 1776 1:07:38

4M ago1:07:38

1:07:38

On July 6 Saving Elephants assembled an august team of commentators to commemorate the advent of the United States turning the big 2-4-9! With only one year to go until the nation is 250 years old, the group reflects on the foundational ideas of America, whether she's succeed or failed at those aspirations, and what the future holds for this most e…

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#42 Nathan Pinkoski: Actually Existing Postliberalism 1:01:22

4M ago1:01:22

1:01:22

A quiet revolution occurred in the 1990s. Our institutions shifted. The global war on terror solidified the shift and obliterated the distinction between public and private, which was once a feature of liberalism. The fusion of public and private represents a new era of actually existing postliberalism. https://firstthings.com/actually-existing-pos…

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#41 Rebecca Vachon: Canada's Rapid Expansion of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD)/Euthanasia 50:44

4M ago50:44

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Canada has the fastest growing assisted dying program in the world. Medical Assistance in Dying (passive and active euthanasia) is now tied as Canada's 5th leading cause of death. We tackle loneliness and social isolation, individualism, and (briefly) social response to suffering. Not a light episode, but a crucial topic to discuss. Thanks for chec…

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#40 Happy Canada Day! What is Canada? What are we celebrating? 6:19

5M ago6:19

6:19

Short recording for Canada Day. I hope you find (or found) time to enjoy the day and reflect on what we are celebrating. Canada is young: many Canadians alive now are more than 1/2 as old as Canada itself. Given its youth, what exactly is Canada? What aspects do we hope to pass on to our children and grandchildren? Whatever Canada is it must be "pl…

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181 – Escaping the Housing Trap with Chuck Marohn 57:56

5M ago57:56

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The housing market today is in an increasingly unsustainable paradox: younger Americans need houses to be more affordable so that they can become homeowners. Meanwhile, homeowners and the entire U.S. economy need houses to rise in price to make them a secure and profitable investment. Thus, we are trapped between making homeownership increasingly d…

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#39 Adam Swart: CEO Crowds on Demand. Paid Protesters a Moral and Political Dilemma? 54:10

5M ago54:10

54:10

I had a friendly debate with Adam Swart, CEO of Crowds on Demand, the largest protest company in America. He ran circles around me having clearly argued almost all my points many times before. He called out my hypocrisy at being intolerant of paying protesters while being ok with all the other money that flows around inside politics. Adam forced me…

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#38 Ryan Alford: Seven Absolute Rights and necessary limits on government 1:00:29

5M ago1:00:29

1:00:29

Our legal history will shock you. It has more tradition than libertarians can stomach and more anti-government sentiment than conservatives can tolerate. Dr. Alford explains why we need both more history and more enthusiasm to put government in its place. He ends with a message of hope for rescuing Canada. Seven Absolute Rights: Recovering the Hist…

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180 – Uncap the House with Jeff Mayhugh 1:01:16

5M ago1:01:16

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What if the surest way to reduce the harmful effects of self-serving politicians in Washington D.C. is to have more of them? Joining Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis is Jeff Mayhugh to explain how the artificial "cap" the nation put on the number of representatives in the U.S. House almost a century ago has made government less representative and r…

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#37 Daniel Pitt: The essence of conservatism from Burke to Scruton. 1:00:22

5M ago1:00:22

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I got a chance to visit with Dr. Dan Pitt, co-author of Intellectual Conservatism: From Burke to Scruton. We focussed on a chapter he wrote which offers a brilliant rubric for understanding conservatism -- one of the best I've seen. Dr. Pitt offers an attractive view beyond the status-quo liberalism in which all political parties operate, for the m…

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#36 Ferenc Hörcher (Hungary) on Intellectual Conservatism from Burke to Scruton 53:21

5M ago53:21

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Conservatives are often suspicious of intellectuals and for good reason. Novel ideas dreamt up by radical intellectuals have caused enormous suffering over the past 200 years. But Conservative parties cannot survive without intellectual substance. European conservatism doesn't suffer from the North American tendency to confuse conservatism with cla…

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179 – I, Tony with Tony Woodlief 1:03:06

6M ago1:03:06

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What if the real division in America isn't between Republicans and Democrats, Red States vs Blue States, or liberals and conservatives but between the American people and a small group of the political elite whose function is to divide the rest of us? Tony Woodlief joins Saving Elephants host Josh Lewis to discuss how we may not be as divided as we…

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#35 Peter Copeland: The politics of Pope Leo XIV. What can we expect from the new pope? 51:27

6M ago51:27

51:27

Pope Leo's election garnered far more interest than usual. We are in a time of great change. People are paying attention. The Pope shapes public opinion, and people are eager to know what Pope Leo might say. I asked Peter all the most provocative political questions I could imagine. What might the Pope think about resource development, immigration,…

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#34 David Livingstone: Radical Conservatives, postmodernism, and D'Arcy McGee on Canada's Founding 1:03:35

6M ago1:03:35

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Dr. Livingstone worries about postmodernism destroying Truth. I worry about about postmodernism destroying history as a way to understand the present. David says we need universals to resist postmoderns. I say we should fear universals lest the postmoderns inflict us with their 'values'. In this episode we resolve the debate (sort of). Thanks for w…

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178 – Revolt of the Independents with Lura Forcum 1:09:16

6M ago1:09:16

1:09:16

The 2024 presidential election witnessed a historic number of independent voters—more independents voted than Democrats and they came close to surpassing Republicans. It would seem that now is the time for those who are dissatisfied with both parties to dismantle the two-party duopoly of American government. And yet, the Republican and Democratic p…

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#33 John von Heyking on political friendship, pro-Hamas protests, and the future of Canada. 53:27

6M ago53:27

53:27

Can a country survive if we aren't united about common fundamental matters? Pro-Hamas protests block streets in Toronto. They have even forced ambulances to turn around. This has really bothered me. Aside from basic procedural solutions -- keeping a lane open for emergency vehicles or having police enforce the law -- can we solve the deeper, existe…