The introduction to this episode was recorded at 11:17am, On September 15, 2025 Pacific Time. The conversation with politics columnist, commentator, and author David Moscrop in this episode was recorded at 11:00am Pacific time on August 29, 2025 Pacific Time.
I am sharing these dates and times with you so you get a sense of the timeline for, or the lead up to, David and I’s initial conversation, and what has happened between that dialogue and now.
I am, of course, referring to the murder of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025, and the apprehension of the murder suspect a few days ago.
If I am being totally honest with you, I was not and am not sure if it is right to mention this here.
On the one hand, I do not want to add to the noise or capitalize upon this tragedy, or any tragedy, in order to get attention.
On the other hand, to not mention anything seems to run against the grain of the Personalist Manifesto(s) project as a whole, and the topics discussed in this particular conversation—which, as it happens, I had planned to post when I am posting it before any of what I am referring to took place.
Strange, if not unnerving, how time, intention, and circumstance interact, isn’t it?
And how will they interact in the day to come?
I don’t know. I really, truly, don’t know.
But as a proponent of non-violent resistance to evil in any form it assumes, I want to clearly and public denounce violence here, within this context, and any other past, present, or future instance of violence that does and does not receive media attention.
So, my hope is that this conversation, and others like it on Personalist Manifesto(s), bear witness to these convictions. In so doing, I hope to offer both a critical and constructive account of how you, I, and anyone else listening or watching, can put our feet on the grass, and love our neighbour in local, immediate, and tangible ways.
Take care of yourself, okay?
And take care of your neighbour, whomever they are.
Peace be with you.
All of you.
Bio
David Moscrop is a politics columnist, commentator, and author of Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions And How We Can Make Better Ones. His work has appeared in outlets including Globe and Mail, the Washington Post, the Walrus, Time Magazine, and the Guardian. He holds a PhD in political science from the University of British Columbia.
Links
David's Book: Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones: https://gooselane.com/products/too-dumb-for-democracy
Substack: www.davidmoscrop.com
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/davidmoscrop.com
Twitter: @David_Moscrop
Additional Links
Jacques Ellul, Autopsy of Revolution: https://wipfandstock.com/9781606089774/autopsy-of-revolution/
Samuel Caramela, "Billionaires Are Building Luxury Bunkers to Escape Doomsday": https://www.vice.com/en/article/billionaires-are-building-luxury-bunkers-to-escape-doomsday/
Abby Livingston, "Ted Cruz says leaving Texas during winter disaster was "obviously a mistake" as he returns from Cancún": https://www.texastribune.org/2021/02/18/ted-cruz-cancun-power-outage/
Interstellar clip on pioneers: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0Wltu5hfPU
Austin Powers clip on slow, avoidable death: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_PrZ-J7D3k