The travelers on this excursion are a former U.S. Assistant Attorney General (Joe Morris), a lawyer and broadcaster focused on “strategic” issues (Mary Hartigan) and the co-founder and Political Editor of The American Thinker (Richard Baehr).

Liberal versus Conservative is the way you classify this sort of discussion but it never – well, hardly ever – describes or predicts the way the discourse will go. These three discussants take on such problems as: the emergence and deep threat of ISIS, white cops and black victims,  the legalization of the illegal, the loss of American international “credibility,” the uses of soft and hard power, the future of Obamacare, how the presence of a black President has affected the rage and despair of “ghetto” youth.

The beginning of modern Judaism can be traced to the crisis of 70 A.D. when the Romans destroyed the Second Temple in Jerusalem. This was the point of transition from priestly to rabbinic Judaism. But as our three truly expert guests explain, the persisting duality between mysticism and rationalism can be found in every stage of the long history. Of special interest in this program is the attention given to the most mysterious of all Judaic scripture: The Kabbalistic Zohar.

Or, at least, who tried to acquire all important knowledge by reading every word of the Encyclopedia Britannica. This ambitious young fellow, Alan Jacobs, then wrote an amusing book about his project and in 2004 discussed what he had learned while the proprietor challenged the limits of his and the EB’s knowledge. A good time was had by all.

Never was Murphy’s Law more applicable than in the ravaging storm called Katrina which came close to destroying New Orleans and environs. A year later the country was still reeling and struggling with accusations of “racist indifference” and governmental incompetence. In 2006 we were joined by
four excellent discussants, both scientific and journalistic, discussing the what, why and who of the disaster.