

The Ricochet Podcast
Ricochet
Weekly episodes of Ricochet’s flagship podcast feature our hosts James Lileks, Steve Hayward, Charles C. W. Cooke, and guests discussing the issues of the week.Listen to The Ricochet Podcast, along with more than 40 other original podcasts, at Ricochet.com. No paid subscription required.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 20, 2023 • 1h 9min
This Year in Israel
Nice as it would be to turn away, the Ricochet Podcast follows up on the chaos covered last week with a new pair of guests. David P Goldman joins for the first time to o lay out China’s long term strategy to build global markets, the edge it's gaining in the tech sector, the risks of its real estate bubble and the types of opportunity it may look for from the war in Middle East. Then Annika Rothstein gives a powerful report from what we may call the relative saftey of Jersulem. She talks about her harrowing trip to Kibbutz Be'eri and the mood of Israelis stuck waiting for the war to begin. Peter, James and Steve Hayward discuss the bloodthirsty protests stateside and in Europe (where Steve's calling from); and with all the unrest, they lament how little can be done without a functioning functioning House of Representatives.

Oct 13, 2023 • 1h 27min
They're Called "World Wars" for a Reason
That war in the Middle East had been predicted did little to allay the shock of all who’ve followed the news from Israel since October 7th. Today's first guest Niall Ferguson was among those who made such a prediction. He joins to discuss the Second Cold War, why it's warming up, and the difficulties the US will face if the temperature continues to rise. And Eli Lake joins to expound upon a shift in Israel's national security policy as the country concludes that existence in a world that contains Hamas is impossible.

Oct 6, 2023 • 1h 2min
What You See is What You Gaetz
It was no great secret that a single match could put fire to the 2023 Republican coalition in the House. But that didn't make the incediary Tuesday any less remarkable. To discuss what it means for the party's near future and for conservativism more broadly, Rob, Peter and James are joined by the erudite Ben Domenech.And considering that the happiest news of the week is Biden's DHS being forced to waive federal laws to build a spot of border wall makes the hosts think about Rome once again. - Soundbite from the open is Acting Speaker Patrick McHenry's now-famous gavel slam.

Sep 29, 2023 • 1h 1min
Phool Around Phind Out
Citizens of Philadelphia are the latest victims of "wilding nights," watching helplessly as chortling teens smash storefronts and ransack the goods inside. These aren't unheard of events, but they're becoming more frequent. To sort out the ideologies and policies that got our cities conditioned to this, and the hard work it'll take to get us back in shape, Manhattan Institute's Rafael Mangual — author of Criminal (In)justice returns to the Ricochet Podcast.On theme, James and guest hosts Charles Cooke and Jon Gabriel talk 70s vigilante flicks, and have a few words to say about Dianne Feinstein, John Fetterman's new attire and Wednesday's debate.

Sep 22, 2023 • 1h 1min
The Spartan Lifestyle
In a world gone mad, there's something comforting about turning attention to crazier days that somebody else had to suffer through. TikTok informs us that the boys are thinking an awful lot about Rome, we grownups are joined by Hillsdale College's Paul Rahe to learn about proxy war, ancient and modern. He helps Peter, James and Rob connect the dots between Sparta's success in bleeding the Athenians in Sicily to the machinations of the global superpowers in the 20th Century on to today. Listen in to understand how a foreign policy that fails to take Thucydides into account is doomed. (Be sure to preorder your copy of Dr. Rahe's Sparta's Sicilian Proxy War: The Grand Strategy of Classical Sparta.)Also enjoy some good ole fashioned rants about the state of emergency on our border; and which Monty Python star James got to gab with in London.

Sep 15, 2023 • 1h 3min
Potty Talk
As the lines that used to distinguish the political and legal are blurring, and the sense that the country is swirling down the drain, it's nice to at least have good company. Rob and Peter chat with Andy McCarthy to discuss the 'impeachment inquiry' into the Biden Family's influence peddling and the administration's apparent obstruction.And if you're in need of a good cheering up, you can hear about swell innovations in toilet seating. Maybe political chaos will be good for Capitalism!?

Sep 8, 2023 • 1h 3min
Pumping Iron
The boys are back! That's right: you can hear Peter, Rob and James on the same podcast. They consider Eric Adam's unwitting vindication of the migrant-to-sanctuary city assistance program, along with the precipitous decline of Hollywood's major studios.And Barton Swaim visits to expand on his Wall Street Journal column where he applies the left's favorite terms of the Trump era to the president of whom they are more obviously applicable. He also has some encouraging words for those of us who worry for the future of the printed word.

Aug 25, 2023 • 1h
Beyond the Polls (There Be Dragons!)
Post-debate analysis with Henry Olsen, snap polls and new prospects for candidates, Peter's return, politics, Greece, US involvement in Ukraine, Republican primary fight analysis, reactions impact on popularity, candidate performance analysis, Republican nominee popularity and Chris Christie's chances, analyzing a particular candidate's performance and poll numbers, vice presidential selection process

Aug 18, 2023 • 1h 3min
A Sparking Powerline
We've got a crossover episode, folks! Our friends of the Three Whiskey Happy Hour podcast (Steve Hayward, "Lucretia" and John Yoo) join to talk about the wacky legal matters of our time. There are environmentalists claiming the positive right to enjoy cooperative weather; they discuss the plush and cozy Hunter Biden tier of criminal justice compared to the briar patch tier that The Donald's living in; James dishes out some (ahem) tough love to the youts; and our guests pick the word that annoys them most these days.

Aug 11, 2023 • 1h 10min
Heightened Risibility
Bjørn Lomborg, author of Best Things First, discusses cost-effective solutions to lift the world's poorest out of miserable conditions. Other topics include Ohio's pro-life prospects, words that make them feel sophisticated, and the shift towards alarmist headlines and sustainable development goals.


