After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the American military was on the defensive. They had been hit hard, and it would be months before they could regroup and strike back.
However, one American general had an idea. He hatched a plan where the Americans could strike back immediately to let the Japanese know that they were vulnerable.
It was a risky one-way mission unlike any in the history of warfare.
Learn more about the Doolittle Raid on this episode of Everything Everywhere Daily.
On Today’s episode, we are discussing President Biden’s recent 60-minutes interview, the latest from the migrants sent to Martha’s Vineyard, a FBI whistleblower case, and Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral.
As we emerge from a period of government-mandated lockdowns and as threats to free speech multiply, we would be wise to re-engage with the work of a seminal thinker on the subjects of liberty, freedom and nondomination. We can do so most effectively by reading Completely Free: The Moral and Political Vision of John Stuart Mill (Princeton UP, 2022) by John Peter DiIulio.
Mill (1806–73), for all his influence on fields such as philosophy and political theory, has detractors aplenty. Conservatives consider him lukewarm on religious liberty and even slightly hostile to religion generally and a proto-hippy in his partiality for ideas about experiments in living. For their part, progressives aren’t wild about Mill’s emphasis on virtue and personal character. Libertarians distrust Mill’s embrace of the state when employment of it, in Mill’s view, fosters social harmony and a feeling of security among the populace.
Crucially for our discussion today, all of Mill’s critics seem to agree that much of his thinking is hard to follow and that he will say something in an essay or book that very much conflicts with what he says elsewhere.
DiIulio’s book dissects the many critiques of Mill’s social and political thought and argues that Mill believed that society should aim for zero-tolerance of arbitrary power and strive for the promotion and preservation of individual freedom. Given recent debates over personal freedom and bodily sovereignty issues (such as mandatory mask wearing and vaccination and the Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade), there could hardly be a more opportune moment to drill down into Mill’s writings on the various forms that domination can take (e.g., domination as infantilization, domination as uncertainty, domination as diminution).
Does Mill speak to us today or is he a relic of the Victorian age in all his earnestness and lofty thinking? DiIulio’s book is a strong argument for Mill’s relevance and continuing appeal. DiIulio writes: "Mill is dedicated above all to the idea that the chief and most significant solution to any of the ills that we face as human beings is the general cultivation of deep feeling and high aspiration."
We learn how Mill managed to free himself of the mechanistic aspects of Benthamite Utilitarianism in favor of a richer vision of human happiness that was friendlier to intellectual autonomy and love of the arts while simultaneously demanding of the individual the pursuit of virtue and good character.
Let’s hear what John Peter DiIulio has to say about the multifaceted Mr. Mill.
The news to know for Wednesday, September 21st, 2022!
What to expect today from President Biden's speech to other world leaders as many of them gather in-person for the first time in three years, and we’ll tell you about what’s being called the largest pandemic-era fraud in the U.S.
Also: as the battle over the border crisis continues, a group of migrants has now filed a class action lawsuit. Who they say violated their rights and the response.
Plus: who experts say should get regular anxiety screenings, the hiring pledge dozens of major American companies have now made, and Spotify is offering a new type of audio in its app…
The legal battle over sensitive government documents seized from Mar-a-Lago continued on Tuesday, as lawyers for Donald Trump and the Justice Department met for the first hearing overseen by the special master appointed to review the materials.
The midterm elections are fast approaching and a lot of candidates and organizations are vying for financial support. Shaniqua McClendon, Crooked’s political director, shows us how you can make a difference with your donations – even if you don’t have a lot to give.
And in headlines: separatist regions in Ukraine moved closer to holding referendums to join Russia, Hurricane Fiona hit the Turks and Caicos islands, and world leaders gathered in New York for this year’s United Nations General Assembly.
Crooked Coffee is officially here. Our first blend, What A Morning, is available in medium and dark roasts. Wake up with your own bag at crooked.com/coffee
As Russia continues its unprovoked war against Ukraine, the situation on the ground becomes more dire. Ukraine has managed to push Russian troops back from many of its cities, but the mass graves and buildings reduced to rubble are indications that the conflict is far from over.
How do the Ukrainian people feel? And what do they want from us?
Jim Carafano, a Heritage Foundation vice president who oversees the Davis Institute for National Security and Foreign Policy, visited Ukraine last week and he has answers to those questions. (The Daily Signal is the news outlet of The Heritage Foundation.)
Carafano joins the show to share what he knows about what's going on in Ukraine.
Public schools have become hotly debated—what’s on the curriculum and what isn’t; which books are allowed and which aren’t. But one voice frequently missing from these debates is that of the people most affected: students.
One high school senior in Idaho decided to speak up by running for school board, and he won by unseating an incumbent who had been endorsed by right-wing extremists.
Guest: Shiva Rajbandari, senior at Boise High School and recently elected member to the Boise School District Board of Trustees
If you enjoy this show, please consider signing up for Slate Plus. Slate Plus members get benefits like zero ads on any Slate podcast, bonus episodes of shows like Slow Burn and Amicus—and you’ll be supporting the work we do here on What Next. Sign up now at slate.com/whatnextplus to help support our work.
What's the impact of the new malaria vaccine with "world-changing" potential? Was there a lack of scrutiny over the worldwide Covid vaccine rollouts? Is there an update on the UN's Sustainable Development Goals? Plus, we talk with Congressman Eric Swalwell and Jeff Colyer, former Governor of Kansas, about the process, practicalities, and hope for a bipartisan future.
