On Thursday afternoon, NR editor-in-chief Rich Lowry spoke with Ben Shapiro on an exclusive, NRPLUS members-only conference call.
Ben and Rich kicked off the call with a discussion of Ben’s newest book, The Authoritarian Moment: How the Left Weaponized America’s Institutions. They discussed the influence the Left has over corporations and the reasons why many companies have surrendered to Leftist ideology in recent years, in particular after the death of George Floyd. They explored how this may be attributed to the mere cowardice of organizations, citing the reaction to Tom Cotton’s op-ed in The New York Times as an example.
During the conversation, Rich asked Ben questions from your fellow NRPLUS members. We heard Ben’s opinions on hot-button issues like vaccine mandates, the necessity and failure of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, and more. On the topic of Afghanistan, Ben discussed whether it actually was a “forever war,” if the cost of staying was higher than the cost of leaving, and what this will all mean for our relationships with allies in the Middle East.
As usual, Rich ended the call with his standard exit question: Is Ben Shapiro pessimistic or optimistic about the long-term prospects of the United States?
You can listen to a full recording of the discussion above. Thank you to those who joined us for the call, and we look forward to seeing you all for the next one.