TLP Week in Review, 2/18-2/24
Your weekly summary of what we've been up to here at The Liberal Patriot.
What We’re Reading (and Watching and Listening To…)
“The United States’ Missed Opportunity in Latin America”: “Latin America offers the best hope the United States has to diversify and relocate its vulnerable, highly consequential supply chains for critical minerals, semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and large-capacity batteries—all four of the supply chains that Biden’s administration identified as most crucial to U.S. security and prosperity,” Shannon K. O’Neil argues in Foreign Affairs. Many Latin American nations also enjoy free trade agreements with the United States, making them eligible for subsidies under the Inflation Reduction Act—but the Biden administration has yet to take full advantage of the region’s potential, leaving Beijing with a possible strategic opening.
“Why the Most Educated People in America Fall for Anti-Semitic Lies”: In The Atlantic, author Dara Horn explains that some of the most highly-educated people in America propound the worst forms of anti-Semitism because they believe a “foundational big lie: that anti-Semitism itself is a righteous act of resistance against evil, because Jews are collectively evil and have no right to exist.” Widespread campus DEI efforts make matters worse “by insisting on equity: Some people in our society have too much power and too much privilege, and are overrepresented, so justice requires leveling the playing field. But anti-Semitism isn’t primarily a social prejudice. It is a conspiracy theory: the big lie that Jews are supervillains manipulating others. The righteous fight for justice therefore does not require protecting Jews as a vulnerable minority. Instead it requires taking Jews down.”
“A harder line on Iran is necessary for lasting Middle East peace”: TLP editor at large Brian Katulis writes in Al Majalla that a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and wider stabilization efforts in the Middle East need to take Iran’s destructive regional role into much greater account. The United States and its regional partners need to build “shock absorbers” that can better “safeguard against Iran's long-term threats” to the region and the world.
The End of Race Politics: Arguments for a Colorblind America: The ideas of America's historic civil rights icons are still the best, author Coleman Hughes argues. We should be striving for a colorblind America; those on the left who are opposed to this are, as Hughes correctly puts it, neoracists.
Imitation of War: Songwriter and guitarist Kayla Cohen, who plays under the name Itasca, is out with her first album in five years on the Paradise of Bachelors label. And it's a glorious slice of California-style Americana with acoustic and electric flourishes, dreamy vocals, and an overall entrancing and chill vibe. Check it out.
Masters of the Air: The latest entry in the World War II miniseries trilogy produced by Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg that includes Band of Brothers and The Pacific chronicles the pilots, aircrew, and maintenance men of the 100th Bomb Group as they fly their B-17 Flying Fortress bombers on murderous raids against Nazi Germany in 1943. The first six episodes of this nine-part epic are now streaming on Apple TV.
What We’ve Posted
“How Smart Republicans Can Appeal to Normie Voters” by TLP contributor Albert Eisenberg.
“The Democrats’ Education Problem” by TLP politics editor Ruy Teixeira.
“A Strident Minority ≠ A Majority” by TLP executive editor John Halpin.
“Death of a Russian Liberal Patriot” by TLP editor at large Brian Katulis.
“What Liberals Can Do to Root Out Illiberalism in Higher Education” by TLP contributor Rick Kahlenberg.
Ruy’s Science-Fiction Pulp Cover of the Week
Just one more thing…
Panda watch! Atlanta’s zoo has seen an uptick in visitors—some driving 18 hours or flying in from out of state—since it became the only place in the United States hosting giant pandas. But fear not: pandas will return to the San Diego Zoo per an agreement with the panda authorities in Beijing, while the National Zoo in Washington is in talks to return pandas just months after the return of its previous trio of pandas to China.
