Truth in Politics: Recent Episodes
Andrew Bernstein & Bosch Fawstin
The purpose of this show is to uphold the inalienable rights of the individual to his/her own life — and to defend it against all enemies.
Salman Rushdie, author of "The Satanic Verses," has had a fatwa on him for decades. Recently he was assaulted by a young Islamic man. Our Leftist regime and media, presumably disappointed that the perpetrator was not a white supremacist, refused at first to divulge his identity. There are two stories here: Islam's war on freedom of speech--and the media's war on truth-telling.
The Left is obsessed with the idea of 21st century systemic American racism. Are they right? Or are they wrong? We go looking for the racism--and the white supremacists--in the American system. We will integrate into this examination discussion of artistic works on the theme of racism. For example, the great 1960 Western "The Unforgiven" was directed by John Huston; it starred Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn. It trenchantly explored the themes of both racism and its antidote. This is the main question: What is the cure for racism wherever it rears its hideous head, in America or abroad? This is the primary question we seek to answer.
"How The West Was Won" is more than a great film. It is an American epic. Homer composed "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," the epic poems of Greek civilization. Virgil's "Aeneid" did the same for the Romans. This movie captures the essence of the distinctively optimistic nature of American heroism. Its focus is on conquering a continent, not on conquering a rival city or tribe. It emphasizes the can-do American spirit that, in a century, transformed a trackless wilderness into history's most advanced civilization. Today, sixty years after its filming, we can recognize that this movie captures the essence of America more accurately and completely than any other movie ever made. It is the American epic.
Distinguished actor Mark Pellegrino joins us to detail his life in Hollywood, any exciting developments in TV and/or film, and the general state of the culture. Join us--because this will be fun!
From both ends of the political spectrum, individual rights are under assault. Is one side worse than the other? Can Americans concerned to protect their rights legitimately support one or the other faction? Is there, in practice, a lesser of two evils? Attorney Nicholas Provenzo joins us to discuss these controversial questions.
The essence of Americanism is the principle of individual rights. This principle, when acted on, is what makes the US the greatest nation in history. American conservatives, on some issues, uphold this principle. But, based on their religious beliefs, they deny to pregnant women the right to abortion. Further, Justice Clarence Thomas of SCOTUS, long one of the best of the conservatives, in his recent published opinion, urged SCOTUS to overturn rulings that legalized gay marriage, sodomy, and contraception. Such rulings would constitute major violations of the right of consenting adults to conduct their sex lives as they see fit, thereby abrogating an American individual's inalienable right "to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." Join us as we stand up for the sacred moral principle of individual rights now under assault by conservatives.
The essence of America is individualism. Therefore, the "great American novel" necessarily focuses on this theme. No novel has ever done this as brilliantly as Ayn Rand's epic, "The Fountainhead." It features one of the great heroes in world literature--Howard Roark; the most complex heroine--Dominique Francon; the most nefarious villain--Ellsworth Toohey; one of the great tragic figures--Gail Wynand; and a superb foil--Peter Keating. From these characters, Rand builds a sizzling conflict that perfectly dramatizes a profoundly life-giving theme: Individualism versus collectivism, not in politics but in men's souls. Join us on "Truth in Culture and Politics" when we discuss this superlative work of literary art.
No rational case for abortion rights can be made in the absence of the principle of individual rights. Leftists, who reject individualism for collectivism, make a very weak case for the right to abortion. Conservatives, who profess to embrace individual rights regarding other issues, reject it in this case. What is the rational case for the right to abortion? What are the errors of the anti-abortion side? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin address these questions on "Truth in Culture and Politics."
The question of gun control is: Does the rate of violent crime, including the homicide rate, go up or down after and because of gun control? To answer this question, we need two fields of knowledge: 1. the empirical data from gun-controlled areas and nations 2. the principles that explain the data. We need to get the answer right, and then found our policy in the accurate answer. Innocent human lives are at stake--many of them. This is the issue to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin on Truth in Culture and Politics."
"Top Gun: Maverick" is more than just an exciting US Navy thriller. It is a significant event in the culture wars. It celebrates America and heroism; additionally, it repudiates toxic leftism and glorifies testosterone-coursing masculinity. In so doing, it has the triumphant feel of a John Wayne Western, where the good guys always pound the bad guys to a frazzle. What does its box office success tell us about the American people's craving for heroism? What does the box office failure of "woke" Hollywood films tell us about the American people's attitude toward leftist propaganda? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin discuss these culture war questions on our next show.
The Department of Homeland Security--a law enforcement agency--now has a new division to combat the spread of disinformation/misinformation. This means that the government now decides what is true and what is false, what can be spoken and what cannot be spoken, what voices may be heard and which ones are forbidden. The exact term for such a practice is "censorship." Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin analyze this terrifying development and discuss the steps for honest Americans must take to defeat it.
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin take on the urgent issues of the day, including education, its problems and solutions, and Bernstein's forthcoming book, "Why Johnny Still Can't Read"; the disastrous war in Ukraine; increasing inflation; the "woke" Left's war on children and their parents; Fawstin's continuing battle for free speech; and a plethora of movies both current and older ones available on streaming services. Audience members are encouraged to chime in with questions and comments that will be discussed by the hosts.
In 1915, in the closing years of the Ottoman Empire, the Turks slaughtered a minimum of 1,000,000 innocent Armenian civilians. The term "genocide," an attempt to annihilate an entire ethnic group, was coined in reference to this atrocity. Today, more than a century later, the Turkish regime still denies culpability. What were the causes of this massive crime? Why is it so rarely discussed today? What lessons can be learned from it? Arshak Benlian joins Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin to answer these questions.
Liberalism properly means support for liberty, for individual rights. But the Left, intellectually captive to Marxism and Post-Modernism, has perverted the meaning of the term and opposes individual rights on all policy issues. How did this happen? What are the baleful consequences today and for the foreseeable future? What can liberty lovers do to oppose these monsters? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
Whether via elementary school classes, books, or Disney films, the Left insists on introducing young children to sexual content. What is the effect of teaching kids about sex long before they have reached puberty? Why insist on teaching young children about homosexuality? Is sex education the proper province of the schools--or should it be left to the parents? Would the children be better off if the schools taught them reading, writing math, and history, rather than sex ed? These and other questions will be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin on "Truth in Culture and Politics."
Robert Spencer, noted Islam scholar, joins us to discuss the war against Western Civilization fought by jihadists and their secular allies on the Left. This will be a brutally honest dissection of those who seek to destroy freedom and civilization--and of what rational human beings can do about it.
Leftist hysteria regarding the "insurrection" of January 6, 2021 never ends. And yet, more than a year later, none of the perpetrators have been charged with insurrection. Why? What is an insurrection? Do the perpetrators of the 1/6/21 event meet the criteria? What, in justice, should be done with them? What is the truth about this event? And is the Leftist portrayal of it nothing but a riot of lies? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
King Midas had the golden touch--everything with which he came into contact turned to precious metal. Joe Biden has the opposite--he has the filth touch. Everything he touches turns to excrement. At the one year mark, his has been a regime of epic ineptitude. He makes Jimmy Carter, the previous doyen of fecklessness, look like General George Patton by comparison. To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett: "How have I failed thee? Let me count the ways." Chime into the chat and apprise us of your favorite moments from the Democratic Clown Show now playing across the land.
What is the story of the new movies, "American Underdog" and "Licorice Pizza?" Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin are your film critics on "Truth in Culture and Politics," a current day, Objectivist Siskel and Ebert. This will be a freewheeling discussion in which they branch out into other movies, comedy, politics, books, education, and love. Nothing is sacred to these two madcap iconoclasts. Join them in riotous but serious fun as they skewer the irrational and celebrate the heroic.
Marvel has lost its mind. It's made an un-woke super hero movie that abandons doctrinaire Leftist preaching for unadulterated superhero entertainment. What, did Marvel discover the idea that superhero movies are supposed to be fun? If so, what a concept! Join Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin for a lively discussion of the movie, of its money-making appeal, and of what its popularity tells us about film-viewing audiences.
Truth in Culture--but no politics tonight. We have movies to discuss, books to recommend, sports heroes to celebrate, comic books to glorify...and much more. All culture all the time. Tune in, comment, question, and join the show. This will be a freewheeling, unscripted episode and we look forward to sharing the love with our audience.
There are many issues to discuss: Movies, education, sports, politics, crime, jury trials, audience questions, and more. Tune in and join the show by asking questions and/or raising comments. This will be a fun episode.
The universities are often a cesspool of Leftist propaganda and of "cancel culture" that will harass and/or fire a professor for expressing dissenting convictions. But perhaps there is hope. A number of leading scholars plan to found the University of Austin. It will embody the peculiar idea that, in higher education, we should be free to ask any question, to discuss any theory, to intellectually challenge any authority. The great scientist, Richard Feynman, once said: "I would rather have questions that can't be answered than answers that can't be questioned." Exactly right. Will the University of Austin and its commitment to freedom of intellectual expression be able to succeed? If so, might it have a salutary impact on higher education in this country? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
There are many trials in which a defendant is acquitted of murder charges on the grounds of self-defense. But the Rittenhouse case created a furor. Why? Why so much outrage on both sides of this case? What was really on trial in this case? What is the meaning of it? These are the questions that Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin discuss on this episode.
Leftists utterly control American intellectual culture. They hate capitalism, seek to destroy it and replace it with socialism. Indeed they move regressively toward Communism. Does capitalism have a future? Mark Da Cunha, editor and publisher of "capitalismmagazine.com, joins Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin to discuss this critical question.
What lessons can be learned from the election results? What do these results tell us about the popularity of Biden's policies? About the American people's reaction to Critical Race Theory and other Leftist claims? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
By means of which irrational policies did federal and/or state governments undermine the supply chain? And how do we fix this mess? Economist Dr. Richard Salsman, author of "Where Have All the Capitalists Gone?' joins Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin to examine these questions.
There is so much to discuss regarding books, films, music, pop culture, politics, and more. Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will conduct a free-wheeling discussion on myriad topics--and invite questions and comments from the audience. These kinds of shows are always fun!
Terry McAuliffe, candidate for Governor of Virginia, says parents should not tell schools what to teach their children. Some school boards label dissenting parents "domestic terrorists," and want them expelled from school board meetings. Joe Biden wants the FBI to investigate these parents as possible "domestic terrorists." Are we witnessing a war against parents who merely want to assert control over the education of their children? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will discuss this controversial issue on "Truth in Culture in Politics."
Perhaps the most exciting, important, and positive development in the world today is the privatization of space exploration and the race between brilliant entrepreneurs to explore the solar system--and, eventually, the stars. What are the great benefits that will follow from the new space race? What obstacles must be overcome? What objections might be raised to private attempts to explore and colonize other worlds? This is the exciting topic to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin on the next episode of "Truth in Culture and Politics."
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin conduct a freewheeling discussion of cultural and political trends--and answer questions from the audience. This will be a lively, fun, and wide-ranging discussion on a multitude of current topics.
White supremacists are evil, they are still around, and they must be combated. But in 2021, how prevalent is this phenomenon? How widespread is the danger? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin plunge into the thickets of research in search of white supremacists and discuss their findings.
White supremacists are evil, they are still around, and they must be combated. But in 2021, how prevalent is this phenomenon? How widespread is the danger? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin plunge into the thickets of research in search of white supremacists and discuss their findings.
The Objectivist rapper, entertainer, and Renaissance Man--the gifted Rucka Rucka Ali--joins us to discuss this question. The thinking expressed by the hosts of this show is generally: 1. Trump is a morally flawed hero 2. Religious conservatives are a mixed case 3. The Left is evil. Rucka will challenge these beliefs--and a spirited but respectful discussion of today's most pressing political questions will ensue. This will be political talk podcasting at its most compelling.
As the Left rams its destructive agenda down the throats of Americans, conservatives increasingly blame the Democrats' failures on secularism, on a lack of God. Will America undergo a powerful religious backlash against the Left's vicious insanity? For many years, the brilliant philosopher, Leonard Peikoff, has warned that religion is the gravest long-term threat to American liberty. In the near and long-term future, will we see a groundswell of religion posturing as the only protection against the brutal anti-Americanism of the Left? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
The FBI finally acknowledged that it does not have the evidence to claim that the January 6th events were an insurrection. It took them more than seven months to realize what to millions of Americans was obvious from the start--that it was a riot. How is this possible? What is wrong with the FBI--and with our intelligence community more broadly? These are the questions that Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will discuss on Truth in Politics.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, if American citizens oppose "COVID measures"--or uphold claims of election fraud and/or belief that Trump can be re-instated--or believe (something unstated) about "9/11 anniversary and religious holidays," this makes them "terror threats." The first two of these claims are manifest drivel and the third is incoherent. What are the purpose(s) of such vicious tripe? Why does the Biden Administration seek to label dissenters as "terror threats"? And what will the Administration do to such potential "terrorists"? These are the questions that Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will discuss and answer on "Truth in Politics."
The mayhem at the Capitol on January 6th was clearly unjustifiable criminal violence. But was it an insurrection, as Leftists claim--or was it a riot? What are the facts as we know them? Why does the government not release many hours of security camera footage? Were Leftist terrorists involved in instigating the violence? Was the FBI involved? Seven months later, why has no one been charged with insurrection? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
"New York Times" reporter, Katie Benner, recently tweeted and then retracted the claim that Trump supporters are "enemies of the state" and should be treated as "national security threats." Is this claim accurate? Perhaps 70 million Trump supporters believe that Biden voters are "enemies of the state." If they do, is that claim truthful? Or, conversely, is it morally wrong and politically volatile to treat millions of supporters of either major party as "national security threats?" If so, why? These are the questions to be discussed at 8 pm ET tonight by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
Do adult citizens of a free society have an inalienable right to voluntarily ingest any substance they want? Do they have the right to possess and/or sell such substances? Or should the government be granted the power to coercively restrain adult individuals from doing so? Ayn Rand showed us that the moral is the practical--and, conversely, the immoral is the impractical. If we end the war on drugs, will this disenfranchise violent drug gangs in our major cities? Will it significantly reduce the homicide rate in America? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
It is widely known that American universities are dominated by Leftist dogma. What happens to those students sufficiently independent to challenge the orthodoxy? What fate befalls those who stand up in support of capitalism, America, and color blind individualism? Are they encouraged to challenge the prevailing orthodoxy? Are they punished by Leftist professors and administrators? Are they intimidated into silence? Peter Seferian, an exceptionally intelligent recent college graduate, joins Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin to discuss these important questions.
Capitalism has brought unparalleled freedom and prosperity to billions of human beings around the world. Yet it is under ceaseless attack from intellectuals, moralists, and Leftist politicians. What will it take for capitalism to survive? What are the essential points to be made in its defense? Why does socialism, despite manifest and egregious failures, still attract intellectual, moral, and political support? The accomplished economist, Dr. Richard Salsman, author of the new book, "Where Have All The Capitalists Gone?" joins Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin on "Truth in Politics" to discuss these provocative questions.
One aspect of current Leftist orthodoxy is the claim that racism requires the power to systemically persecute an ethnic minority, and is not possible by members of a minority. Is this accurate? So when a non-white psychiatrist gives a lecture at Yale titled "The Psychopathic Problem of the White Mind," in which she states that white people are "out of their minds," that "there are no good apples [among whites] out there," and that "white people make my blood boil," this is not racism. Nor is it racism when she says that she had "fantasies of unloading a revolver into the head of any White person that got in my way." What is racism? Are members of ethnic minorities capable of it? If, driven by racial hatred, she acted out this violent fantasy, would that be racist? Dr. Aaron Briley joins Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin to discuss this life-and-death issue.
The U.S. government has not yet legally quashed freedom of speech. But Leftist intellectuals, journalists, and entrepreneurs outside of government engage in cancel culture to suppress the dissemination of ideas inimical to Leftist orthodoxy. Private individuals and companies are doing the dirty work that Leftist politicians like AOC speak of but cannot yet legally do. This is privatized Leftist thought suppression. What are the myriad instances of it? Above all, how should freedom-loving individuals properly fight it? These are the questions to be discussed by Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin.
Marxist intellectuals, "woke" corporations, Democratic politicians, and the Leftist media endorse totalitarian policies. They fire workers for criticizing Leftist orthodoxy, call for government agencies to regulate "misinformation" on social media, report only what supports a socialist agenda, and lie repeatedly about current issues. Dr. Nora Dimitrova-Clinton will join us for this show. She holds a Ph.D. in Classics from Cornell University, she grew up in Communist Bulgaria, and she is a freedom-loving American patriot. Andrew Bernstein, Bosch Fawstin, and Dr. Dimitrova-Clinton will discuss the baleful similarities between current Leftist policies and life under Communism. Do American Leftists really seek to turn the U.S. into a North American version of Venezuela? That is our topic.
Israel is a bastion of reason and freedom in a desert of Islamic irrationality and dictatorship. Hamas and her other jihadist enemies are murderous savages. Israel has an unimpeachable right to defend itself against murderous assault. Yet, as soon as she does, Leftist creatures around the world crawl from under their rocks to verbally abuse her. Why? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will establish Israel's impeccable moral right to self-defense and explain that, how, and why Leftists hate the only civilized nation in the Middle East.
Andrew Gutman pulled his young daughter out of the Brearley School, an exclusive all-girls prep school in New York City, because of its vicious racist indoctrination of students. He penned a brilliant letter to other parents, decrying the overt racism of the school's "educational" policies. Will this be the start of rational human beings, sick to their hearts of the Left's psychopathology, standing up to take a principled moral stand in support of individualism and against racism in all of its hideous iterations? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will conduct an intensive examination of this urgent issue.
The venomous racism of "woke" mentalities has deeply penetrated American business, education, culture, and sports. Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin explore how the new racism has poisoned our culture, and the steps we must take to combat--and defeat--its pernicious influence.
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will interview James Valliant, co-author of "Creating Christ: How Roman Emperors Invented Christianity." The questions: What is the actual provenance of the world's most popular religion? Is the conventional view mistaken? Was Christianity actually developed by the Roman state to pacify fanatically rebellious Jews? This will be a fascinating discussion of a boldly original and controversial claim regarding Christianity's genesis.
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin explain that, how, and why protecting the right of honest persons to own guns saves innocent lives--many of them. We will explain why Americans must neither yield their rights nor surrender their guns.
Professor Bradley Thompson of Clemson University pulls no punches regarding the need to abolish government (public) schools and utterly privatize the field of education. As our guest on Truth In Politics, he will explain why government schools are an irremediable failure, why they cannot be fixed, and why they must be abolished and replaced by private education in diverse forms.
Many people realize that government (public) schools are terrible. But what are the exact problems? From where in our culture do they arise? Can they be fixed? Mike Gustafson is a former government school teacher. He and his wife now run their own flourishing private school. He is our guest this week as we attempt to answer these questions.
Leftists are maniacally fixated on white supremacy as the gravest threat to the republic. But if we go by facts, not propaganda, how widespread is this pernicious phenomenon? How dangerous is it to American lives and liberty? Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin will honestly investigate and answer these questions.
It is painful for one's emotional life to be in conflict with one's biological nature. How does a rational human being confront such a problem? Join us tonight when Bosch Fawstin and Andrew Bernstein interview David Birnbaum, a young man honestly struggling with this problem.
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin defend freedom of intellectual expression and individual rights more broadly. They stand up as implacable foes of liberty's most egregious enemies.
This week, they host Attorney Todd Albanesi to objectively examine the question: Is there evidence of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 Presidential election?
Islam is not a religion of peace. Because of its fundamental teachings, It is a religion of war and conquest. Robert Spencer, an expert in this field, explains how and why this is so.
This week, Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin interview Jason Isaac of the Texas Public Policy Foundation regarding the dangers of unreliable energy, and the recent Texas debacle, as a perfect illustration of those dangers.
Climate change is overwhelmingly natural and only trivially man-made. Further, warming is good for life on Earth; it is the colder periods of Earth’s natural cycle that are pernicious. Additionally, CO2 is not a pollutant, it is plant food. Consequently, atmospheric levels of CO2 are too low, not too high.
On this episode, Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin provide the evidence to establish these claims.
Show Notes:
https://www.andrewbernstein.net/2018/10/the-truth-about-climate-change/
https://www.andrewbernstein.net/2019/11/further-truths-about-climate-change/
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin interview Dr. Jason Hill, philosophy professor at DePaul University in Chicago.
The topics: The transgender insanity, Dr. Hill's battle with academic cancel culture regarding this issue, and, more broadly, the Left's ongoing attempts to stifle all intellectual dissent.
For anyone concerned with freedom of speech and of intellectual expression, these are immensely important issues.
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin discuss the racism of the Left in several different forms.
Show Notes:
https://www.andrewbernstein.net/2020/06/america-a-racist-nation/
https://www.andrewbernstein.net/2020/10/leftist-supremacy-not-white-supremacy-is-the-gravest-threat-to-black-lives/
Andrew Bernstein and Bosch Fawstin discuss the importance of defending free speech, and taking a moral stand against Censorship, AOC, and the regressive ideologies of modern politics in America.