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On this week’s Slate Political Gabfest, Emily Bazelon, David Plotz, and John Dickerson discuss Donald Trump’s fearmongering and lies, international backlash against Syrian refugees, and Princeton University’s dilemma over washing its campus clean of Woodrow Wilson’s name.
Here are some of the links and references mentioned during this week’s show:
- Trump explored new galaxies of loathsomeness this week, i.e. lying about everything and fearmongering in the wake of the Paris attacks.
- What does this tell us about Republican voters? Are people just fed up with lying politicians? Is Trump purely entertainment? Will his success in the polls reflect actual votes?
- How should the media be handling Trump’s incessant lies? Can he be allowed to run absolutely amok? Even conservatives are starting to agree.
- What should be done about Syrian refugees? What’s the United States’ responsibility? A Virginia Democratic mayor looks favorably on Japanese internment camps; other leaders, including 31 state governors, say simply to refuse the refugees. Meanwhile, international debate continues.
- Is it fair to compare Syrian refugees to the 1930s Jewish refugee situation?
- Why such strong reactions? Is fear from the Paris attacks the root? Return again to fearmongering Trump.
- Should Americans be afraid of ISIS?
- Should Princeton University strip itself of Woodrow Wilson’s name? Yes or no or somewhere in between? Does renaming a building erase the complexity of history, or is it a meaningful way to draw attention to ignored histories?
- Read more of Slate’s coverage of news & politics
Emily chatters about the scintillating repaving of her street—local politics at work!
John chatters about Jon Meacham’s new book on George W. Bush.
David chatters about the announcement that a Friday Night Lights musical is happening—to his extreme delight.
Topic ideas for next week? You can tweet suggestions, links, and questions to @SlateGabfest (#heygabfest). (Tweets may be quoted by name unless the writer stipulates otherwise.)
Podcast production by Jocelyn Frank. Links compiled by Elle Bisgaard-Church.