Ricochet's Greatest Hits: From Conservative Revolutions to Christmas Music
Also, details on special edition of the newsletter for later this month......
Ricochet's Greatest Hits: From Conservative Revolutions to Christmas Music…..
By The Queen of Stuff
As we were drafting this newsletter, news broke that former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty on five counts of disorderly conduct for falsely reporting a hate crime to Chicago cops. We got a post up about the verdict, and when your comments started rolling in, they reminded us how much we enjoy hearing from you all when breaking news happens. Thank you for lending your voices to the Ricochet community!
In case you missed out on any of those voices in this week’s Member Feed, we’ve pulled together our favorite member posts. They center around multiple topics: conservative revolutions, free speech, not quite saving the planet, and the best and worst Christmas songs. We’re also sharing some Ricochet news, including info about our next “No Dumb Questions” webcast and our special membership offers. And did you hear about the upcoming online course on the history of the Second Amendment, taught by Charles C.W. Cooke and hosted by Chapter? Ricochet members get a discount on the class.
One more thing: We’re going to have a special edition of the newsletter later this month that spotlights the top 10 Member Feed posts of the year. We’re inviting you to submit your favorite post for consideration. One per person, please, and submit it no later than Dec. 20. Include a link to the post, your favorite snippet from it (no more than a few sentences long), and why you chose it. Remember, these are posts that appeared on the Member Feed, not the Main Feed. Email your pick to greatest.hits@ricochet.com.
Top Talkers
Brian Scarborough: A Conservative Revolution?
Is there such thing as a conservative revolution? The term seems more of a contradiction or oxymoron than anything real. Isn’t a revolution an overthrow of an existing order while replacing it with a new, untried order? How can that be conservative?
We love posts like this that challenge us right at the start to think deeply on a subject. Brian Scarborough explores what constitutes a conservative revolution, offering up three examples for the esteemed Ricochet community’s consideration: the civil rights movement, American Revolution, and Protestant reformation. But he doesn’t stop there. He also makes the case for a conservative revolution today, outlining what needs to happen to make that a reality.
David Foster: Free Speech Is Not Much Valued by This Crowd
But the cure for these problems is not the suppression of free speech (and it is completely inappropriate for a government employee, at any level, to demand suppression of the freedoms of his employers, the people). The cure is to act effectively on the second possible option that Dr. Collins proposed for countering false information:
“Find a better way to counter false claims with real information”
David Foster is not keen on the outgoing National Institutes of Health director’s suggestion that one way to counter COVID-19 misinformation is by punishing the people spreading that information. We’re not crazy about that idea, either, and we agree with David’s wise point that the director’s other solution, providing “real information,” is not necessarily an easy task. It’s an interesting post, one that’s generated quite a bit of conversation in the comments.
Stad: Joe Biden: Destroying the Planet
Joe Biden claims to be saving the planet with his big all-electric vehicle push, but the reality is just the opposite.
It’s not that Stad is against alternative fuels and vehicles. As he says in his post, he’s a hybrid fan. But he can’t get on board with how President Joe Biden is going about saving the world by pushing electric vehicles on people. Stad links to two interesting articles here. The first is about the deforestation and environmental damage happening due to demand for minerals needed for electric vehicle manufacturing surges. The second is about the executive order Biden issued this week, which would, in part, have the White House spend billions to expand its fleet of electric vehicles.
MDHahn: What Are Your Best and Worst Christmas Songs?
What are the Christmas songs you find the most annoying or just plain bad? The ones that you immediately skip or change the channel? Conversely, because we can’t just have bad Christmas songs (and the earworms they leave behind), what are your favorite Christmas songs? You know, the ones you could listen to on repeat all day?
We’re so glad MDHahn has invited everyone to share their favorite and least favorite Christmas songs, as it makes for an interesting and often nostalgic discussion. It’s made even better thanks to several of you including YouTube videos so everyone can hear the songs for themselves. (And yes, of course “Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer” was deemed one of the worst songs. We’re sorry if that song is now stuck in your head, but why should we be alone in that?)
But Wait, There’s More
Join Us Next Week for ‘No Dumb Questions’ With Salena Zito
Mark your calendars! Join us Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT for our next members-only “No Dumb Questions,” featuring guest Salena Zito. If you don’t know Salena, she’s a western Pennsylvania-based national political reporter for the Washington Examiner, a columnist for the New York Post, and co-author of “The Great Revolt: Inside the Populist Coalition Reshaping American Politics.” She’s also an avid cyclist, hiker, history geek, and Blue Highway lover.
Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel will host the webcast, so get your questions ready.
And don’t forget! For the month of December only, you can get a 30-day free trial to an all-access membership to Ricochet. No credit card needed. New members will be able to watch this “No Dumb Questions” as well as comment and post to their hearts’ content. For details, go to ricochet.com/try.
Charles C.W. Cooke Teaching Second Amendment Course
ICYMI: National Review writer and Ricochet member Charles C.W. Cooke is going to teach an online course about the history of the right to keep and bear arms. The four-week class will start Jan. 24 by exploring the pre-revolutionary America era and end by exploring the Second Amendment as it exists today. It will include a weekly reading list and community forum.
While the course costs $40, Ricochet members can purchase it for $35 by using the code RICOCHET when checking out. Sign up today!
Give the Gift of Ricochet
Remember, we have two special membership deals right now, so keep them in mind for your favorite people:
This month only, members can offer those who’ve never tried Ricochet a 30-day free trial to an all-access membership. For details on this deal, visit ricochet.com/try.
Members can give a one-year Calvin Coolidge membership to Ricochet newbies for just $41. That’s a $55 value! To gift this membership, just fill out the form.
Thank you for supporting Ricochet!
Help Us Spread the Word About Ricochet
You’re our best ambassador for showing people why they should join Ricochet, so feel free to share this nifty graphic the next time you’re telling friends and family about your favorite conservative community.
Comment of the Week
The Member Feed isn’t the only thing that keeps people coming back for more at Ricochet. The comments do too, serving as the backbone of the smart, civil conversation that makes us us. This week’s comment of the week is from Bryan G. Stephens, pulled from Stad's post about how Biden seems to be doing anything but saving the planet.
If you want to send us feedback on this newsletter, email greatest.hits@ricochet.com.
See you next week!
P.S. Want your post to be considered for this newsletter? Post by 3 p.m. Eastern Time Thursdays.