Episode Details

Adam and Bob Murphy have a whole lot to say about the recent Dave Smith vs. Douglas Murray showdown on the Joe Rogan Experience. You don't want to miss these spicy takes! Enjoy!

00:00 — Intro. It's Dave vs Douglas on JRE!

01:33 — Adam and Bob start off with some initial impressions of the Dave v Douglas debate. Was Douglas Murray just trying to be provocative to sell books?

09:12 — Comparing and contrasting Douglas here vs at the Monk debate vs. Malcolm Gladwell. What is the psychology of the viewer/listener in these debates? Also, hat tip to Glenn Greenwald.

19:54 — Does a person have to visit a region to discuss events going on there? Or, more broadly, does one need a grounding in "lived experience" to voice an opinion? Douglas Murray vs Douglas Murray! Also, Bob has charts on the underlying issue: how "brutal" was the blockade on Gaza?

33:52 — What does it mean to "have boots on the ground" when you're just a partisan being taken on a tour of Potemkin villages? Who was the expert on the Soviet Union? Walter Duranty?

37:41 — What is a "concentration camp"? Also, what is the stupidest argument ever made? Adam and Bob use ridicule to demonstrate.

44:10 — What caused the Ukraine war? Appeals to authority. When should we "trust" statements made by people we don't like? Mis-quoting Vladimir Putin.

51:33 — What does "agency" mean when discussing "populist protests" that are seeded by outside actors?

55:12 — Is it racist to mention the names "Wolfowitz" and "Perle" in the context of US foreign policy? Also, why is AI racist?

1:17:31 — Douglas denounces Daryll Cooper (and Dave Smith) while admitting he's never listened to their content.

1:23:36 — Douglas the weasel thinks "we" haven't been at "war" for the last 25 years. He also displays a bunch of very weak and disingenuous debate tactics.

1:31:33 — Adam thinks Douglas makes a good point -- in a completely un-self-aware way.

1:35:01 — What is "the fog of war"? How should we think about it in regards to history?

1:44:29 — Outro. Thanks for watching Haman Nature!

Debate mentioned: Dave Smith vs. Douglas Murray on JRE:

Debate mentioned: Scott Horton vs. Bill Kristol at the Soho Forum:

Adam on X: @Rerazer

Bob on X: @BobMurphyEcon

The Bob Murphy Show:

The Human Action podcast:

Adam's other podcast: Natural Order Podcast