Cultural Coherence?

Will The Levee Break?

Carolyn and Peter ponder when the levee will break in the USA with respect to Donald J Trump's appalling behaviour and authoritarian leanings. A lot has happened in this past week.  Plus a bit of Hamilton and the wonder of tyre technology!

What is Truth?

Carolyn and Peter talk about truth in a week of mayhem for the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) who has had two senior figures resign, threats of legal proceedings from Donald Trump, and a failure of leadership either to apologise appropriately or to defend its news team. In the face of this we ask "What is truth?" With some philosophical and theological ramblings on the subject.  Carolyn mentions Mrs Frazzled (aka Arielle Fodor) a teacher turned political content creator and comic. https://www.tiktok.com/@mrs.frazzled?lang=en [https://www.tiktok.com/@mrs.frazzled?lang=en]  Peter talks about JPIT's For Goodness Sake conference. More on JPIT here: https://jpit.uk/ [https://jpit.uk/]  You can watch both keynote speeches from the conference here:  Very Rev Sally Foster-Fulton (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb6jiwe6g0w&t=2s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pb6jiwe6g0w&t=2s])  Rt Rev Dr Guli Francis-Dehqani (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy6CcW-KZOE&t=2s [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wy6CcW-KZOE&t=2s])

The Paradox of Tolerance

Carolyn and Peter get around to discussing the Paradox of Tolerance via the Paradox of Freedom and the Paradox of Democracy, drawing from Karl Popper's "The Open Society and Its Enemies".  We start with a discussion of Nathan Gill (former Reform Party leader in Wales) pleading guilty to taking bribes from Russia and the many connections that reveal how Putin tries to manipulate democracies.  The Intelligence and Security Committee report can be found here: https://isc.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CCS207_CCS0221966010-001_Russia-Report-v02-Web_Accessible.pdf [https://isc.independent.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/CCS207_CCS0221966010-001_Russia-Report-v02-Web_Accessible.pdf]  The article by Carole Cadwalladr is titled "The cleavage shot no UK tabloid will print" found here: https://broligarchy.substack.com/p/the-cleavage-shot-no-uk-tabloid-will [https://broligarchy.substack.com/p/the-cleavage-shot-no-uk-tabloid-will]  You can watch her discussion with James O'Brien here: https://youtu.be/KkQNlz6NQhw?si=5k6a5Ky-CuwQyAWv&t=7635 [https://youtu.be/KkQNlz6NQhw?si=5k6a5Ky-CuwQyAWv&t=7635]  And for more about Sox the Stallion... https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576858530564 [https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576858530564]

Cultural Coherence?

Carolyn and Peter have a blether about some of the week's news, including alarming language from Katie Lam MP (Shadow Minister for the Home Office), what is cultural coherence, the massive demonstrations in the USA under the No Kings banner, differences between absolute monarchies and constitutional monarchies (like UK), meeting King Charles III, and bizarrely revealing responses to demonstrations from the White House (which is quietly being partly demolished to make way for a Trump vanity project).

It's Miller Time

Carolyn and Peter follow up on their thoughts from last issue about the message of James Talarico with a review of the speech given by Stephen Miller, United States National Security Adviser and White House Deputy Chief of Staff, at the Charlie Kirk Memorial Event/Rally (21 September 2025).  Here's the text of Emma Lazarus' famous poem:  THE NEW COLOSSUS Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,  With conquering limbs astride from land to land;  Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand  A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame  Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name  Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand  Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command  The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.  “Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she  With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,  Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,  The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.  Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,  I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”  We mention Pat Kahnke's excellent channel "Culture, Faith and Politics" which you can find here: https://www.youtube.com/@culturefaithandpolitics⁩ [https://www.youtube.com/@culturefaithandpolitics] A couple of the books mentioned were:  "How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them" by Jason Stanley (https://amzn.eu/d/5Jo51e5 [https://amzn.eu/d/5Jo51e5])  "Hatemonger: Stephen Miller, Donald Trump, and the White Nationalist Agenda" by Jean Guerrero (https://amzn.eu/d/36ZMsc1 [https://amzn.eu/d/36ZMsc1])