#407 - The Cruelty, the Conspiracist, and the Report (w/ Eli Lake)
wethefifth.substack.com
Listen now (115 min) | “Zero-to-insane in the first three minutes” The terrible 2024 election The right’s bizarre infatuation with RFK Jr. The immigration crisis in NYC The cruelty isn’t always the point How the average American thinks about illegal immigration Eli Lake joins to wish us all a Happy Durham Week
This quote from Ronald Wright encapsulates Eli's thoughts “John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
The most bonkers thing about the LA times piece (for me) was that these two women simply witnessed a seemingly racist act and had the hubris to think that they should spread and monetize their wisdom. It is an idea literally born out of a starbucks toilet
On the "they never believe just one conspiracy" point: Wasn't it a conspiracy that the COVID vaccine didn't stop the spread? Wasn't it a conspiracy that there might've been a lab leak? And didn't the FBI actually try to get MLK Jr. to kill himself? Doesn't the Durham report prove that there was a literal conspiracy against the president by Hillary Clinton and the "deep state." I don't believe the moon landing was fake, or that vaccines cause autism, or that 9/11 was really a bomb or whatever, but my reaction to someone saying that our government did something really evil is never "there's no way they would do that." I just want to see the evidence before I say it's likely.
Just listened to your latest podcast with Megyn. Nice to see her find time for you between RFK junior and Glenn Beck. Can you do a whole episode on Woks?
Flip it. Why are dumb people who go hard on conspiratorial thinking drawn to self-identify as libertarian? First, it affirms their suspicions of centralized power and those who seek it. Second, it highlights injustice done to minority communities, which are often the launching point for if this then that conspiracy narratives (if Tuskeegee syphilis experiments then surely mRNA vaccine blah blah etc). Lastly, it's a kindred underdog spirit kind of association - who else is The Man keeping down?
No knock on Eli, who is the best (I'm catching up on the Re-education on Fifth Column off days), but I thought there was going to be a guest you disagreed with and "fireworks" this week! Did Oliver Stone cancel?
I hope the boys do get to have the LA Times reporter Jaweed Kaleem on the podcast. Looking at the back catalogue, he's built up an interesting mix of pieces.
His feature on Sikh truck drivers criss-crossing the US is outstanding, just for the truck stop food element alone:
About 3 minutes in, I had to double check whether this was a Member's Only episode.
Eli Lake is an American treasure.
I bet a decently skilled interviewer could convince RFK, Jr. that Katy Perry is JonBenet Ramsey. Assuming he doesn't already believe it.
“I’ve read Du Bois too. Stop firebombing the courthouse.”
I spit out my beer on the cockpit controls.
This quote from Ronald Wright encapsulates Eli's thoughts “John Steinbeck once said that socialism never took root in America because the poor see themselves not as an exploited proletariat but as temporarily embarrassed millionaires."
Can we please add the Moynihan "just one final thought here" to the Fif' bingo card?
The most bonkers thing about the LA times piece (for me) was that these two women simply witnessed a seemingly racist act and had the hubris to think that they should spread and monetize their wisdom. It is an idea literally born out of a starbucks toilet
Today marks one year since the NYC live show, Fifdom. Fond memories.
On the "they never believe just one conspiracy" point: Wasn't it a conspiracy that the COVID vaccine didn't stop the spread? Wasn't it a conspiracy that there might've been a lab leak? And didn't the FBI actually try to get MLK Jr. to kill himself? Doesn't the Durham report prove that there was a literal conspiracy against the president by Hillary Clinton and the "deep state." I don't believe the moon landing was fake, or that vaccines cause autism, or that 9/11 was really a bomb or whatever, but my reaction to someone saying that our government did something really evil is never "there's no way they would do that." I just want to see the evidence before I say it's likely.
Shout out to Matt for the Porno For Pyros reference
It definitely seems weird that RFK Jr. is pretty clearly more mentally disturbed than Sirhan Sirhan. What bizarre fucking times we live in, eh?
Just listened to your latest podcast with Megyn. Nice to see her find time for you between RFK junior and Glenn Beck. Can you do a whole episode on Woks?
"Why are libertarians so dumb sometimes?"
Flip it. Why are dumb people who go hard on conspiratorial thinking drawn to self-identify as libertarian? First, it affirms their suspicions of centralized power and those who seek it. Second, it highlights injustice done to minority communities, which are often the launching point for if this then that conspiracy narratives (if Tuskeegee syphilis experiments then surely mRNA vaccine blah blah etc). Lastly, it's a kindred underdog spirit kind of association - who else is The Man keeping down?
Thank y'all for the serious and honest discussion about the border crisis.
No knock on Eli, who is the best (I'm catching up on the Re-education on Fifth Column off days), but I thought there was going to be a guest you disagreed with and "fireworks" this week! Did Oliver Stone cancel?
I hope the boys do get to have the LA Times reporter Jaweed Kaleem on the podcast. Looking at the back catalogue, he's built up an interesting mix of pieces.
His feature on Sikh truck drivers criss-crossing the US is outstanding, just for the truck stop food element alone:
https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-col1-sikh-truckers-20190627-htmlstory.html