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In Episode 6 of The Rationalist podcast, titled ‘Good vs. Evil’, host Mike Coté delves into foreign, domestic, and idea-based topics that include some interesting insights for the US.
First, he talks through the nascent crisis bubbling under the surface of the Taiwan Strait, as China and Taiwan have become increasingly belligerent over the past few weeks. Dueling military exercises, all with live-fire, could make this area the next hotspot in East Asia, and the US risks being involved in the case of a shooting war. Next, Mike shifts into a bit of a lighter subject, discussing the controversy over tweets from rapper Kanye West, what the tweets and the reaction to them says about American society and politics, and why this whole thing is important at all. He touches on the serious topic of identity politics as well as reading a few of Mr. West’s more, let’s say, interesting tweets. Finally, Mike segues into a related topic, the rapidly growing Manichaeism of our political discourse. In this segment, he breaks down Manichaean thinking, why it is problematic, and the similar phenomena of false tolerance and catastrophizing. Suffice it to say, he has opinions. Finally, Mike offers a book recommendation for anyone interested in learning more about the military, especially the navy, and why it is crucial to retaining and ensuring American power around the world.
Check below for links and references from the podcast. Thanks for listening to The Rationalist, and please share us with your friends and family!
Segment 1: Taiwan Strait Tensions
- Taiwan’s President Oversees Drills
- Chinese Military Drills in Taiwan Strait
- Further Taiwanese Military Exercises
- Council on Foreign Relations on Cross-Strait Ties
Segment 2: Kanye West’s Twitter Controversy
- Kanye’s Twitter Feed
- Kanye West’s Embrace of Candace Owens
- Kanye West Doesn’t Care About Black People
- Chance the Rapper’s Response
- Preference Falsification
Segment 3: Manichaeism, Catastrophic Thinking, and False Tolerance
Segment 4: Book Recommendation