EP70: Bootleggers and Baptists - Gracearchy with Jim Babka

Listen to political discourse. People speak in verbal caricatures. They seem to be saying...

My side is full of angels. Your side is full of demons.

But how likely is that?

The new episode of Gracearchy with Jim Babka gives you a new way to look at things. The two sides in the political conflict aren't angels and demons, but they may be…

Bootleggers and Baptists. This mental lever, from Public Choice Theory economics, explains incentives and behaviors inside the Conflict Machine (politics). Many people demonize political actors, especially while analyzing the activities of the opposition party. But when you see CRONYISM at work, or if you believe you've discovered a CONSPIRACY THEORY, this Baptists and Bootleggers heuristic will help you be BOTH more *gracious* and *accurate* in your assessment of the actors involved.

Bruce Yandle labeled this concept, but this episode contains a NEW insight: The ratio of Baptists to Bootleggers.

It also includes a bit of strategy: What if the Baptists discovered what was going on?

0:00 Intro
0:55 Leveraged thinking and Public Choice Theory
4:07 Angels and demons in politics
5:47 Bootleggers and Baptists
7:40 For example, Ralph Reed
9:32 For example, environment
10:10 Crony capitalism
12:56 Can a Crony be a Baptist?
14:16 Ratio of Baptists to Bootleggers
16:48 Gracepoint-Bootleggers and Baptists as a tool of grace
21:50 Four ways cronyism is pernicious
27:32 We gotta tell the Baptists about this
27:46 National doctor, Big Shot, and millions of Baptists
31:04 Better analysis of conspiracy theories
38:35 Why we did this show
39:25 How to be wise

Bill Protzmann is your moderator.

ZERO AGGRESSION PROJECT - https://zeroaggressionproject.org/ - is our sponsor. The views expressed are exclusively those of the participants, and not necessarily those of the board, staff, or supporters of the Zero Aggression Project.

Thank you to Randy Garbin for our amazing thumbnails: http://randygarbin.com/

We are grateful to Sergio at https://www.youtube.com/@KeysofMoonMusic for our intro theme.
► https://www.patreon.com/user?u=10500501
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you can purchase his music on BandCamp:
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► If you have any questions please feel free to write to Sergio at: serjo.de.lua.music@gmail.com

Be grace-full to each other.