{"href":"https://api.simplecast.com/oembed?url=https%3A%2F%2Frealclearinvestigations.simplecast.com%2Fepisodes%2F121-O9Ttrtdj","width":444,"version":"1.0","type":"rich","title":"Fascism On the March? with Joel Kotkin | RealClearInvestigations Podcast #121","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/69be5d4f-b498-44bc-b3b5-f614ce9a7957/a0927ba7-dbb7-483e-8520-115601cfb1a2/rci_121_thumbnail_square_1080x1080.jpg","thumbnail_height":300,"provider_url":"https://simplecast.com","provider_name":"Simplecast","html":"","height":200,"description":"On this week’s episode of the RealClearInvestigations Podcast, J. Peder Zane and James Varney speak with Joel Kotkin about his recent article for RCI exploring how and why fascism has become a buzzword of American politics.\n\nOn the news round-up, Zane and Varney use a City Journal piece suggesting why fraud in Medicaid and Medicare seems an unsolvable problem to discuss a Wall Street Journal article detailing how autism therapy has become a hotbed of billing abuse and a Daily Caller story on rampant fraud in Obamacare. They also discuss John R. Lott Jr.’s recent RCI article on data showing that violent crime is declining even as more Americans – especially women, blacks and Hispanics – are carrying firearms and an article in the Free Press reporting on policies that have helped significantly lower the murder rate in Baltimore.\n\n00:00 Introduction and News Roundup\n07:04 Fraud in Government Spending\n12:07 Rising Gun Ownership and Crime Rates\n18:27 Understanding Fascism: A Historical Perspective with Joel Kotkin\n25:53 The Role of Religion in Fascism\n26:22 The Fascism Debate: Trump and Historical Context\n30:04 Nationalism and Patriotism: A Shift in Perception\n32:44 Weaponization of Language in Political Discourse\n36:24 Democratic Socialism: Ideals vs. Reality\n41:19 The Ascendancy of the Left in the Democratic Party\n48:53 Anti-Semitism and Political Extremism: A Dual Concern\n"}