The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Rumble in the State of Nature Jungle

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Rumble in the State of Nature Jungle

Author: Ricochet October 4, 2025 Duration: 1:06:13
We were finally able to schedule a taping with enough lead time to get a special guest we've been wanting to have on for a long time—the great Hadley Arkes, emertus professor of jurisprudence from Amherst College and founder of the James Wilson Institute on Natural Rights and the American Founding, and co-host of his own very fine podcast, the Natural Law Moment. We've abused Hadley in absentia in some of our podcasts over the last few months, so now he got hsi chance especially to attempt to sort out the very stubborn John Yoo. 

John was delayed a bit joining us, so since this podcast is partly anchored not only in the truths of natural law, but also libations of a scotch variety, we decided to take advantage of Hadley's advanced expertise in gin martinis. Plus some "origin story" of how he came to political philosophy and in particular natural law as the primary focus of his mature work.  And once John showed up, it was ON! 

We rounded off this episode with an AI-generated parody of Hadley, which begins as follows:

“On the Ontological Status of the Ham Sandwich: A Moral Inquiry into the Lunchtime Crisis”

By Gladly Harkness, Edward Whiskers Professor of Ontological Jurisprudence

It is a curious feature of our current jurisprudence that the simple act of consuming a ham sandwich has not yet been subject to rigorous philosophical analysis. . .

For the whole thing, you'll need to head over to Steve's "Political Questions" Substack.

Grab a glass and settle in for 3 Whisky Happy Hour, where the week's news and cultural shifts get a thorough-and spirited-examination. Hosts Steven Hayward, John Yoo, and the enigmatic "Lucretia" blend their expertise in law, philosophy, and political commentary, offering a perspective that’s as substantive as it is refreshingly unscripted. The conversation flows like a good pour, moving from the immediate headlines to deeper, often overlooked principles that shape current events. This isn't a dry recap; it's a lively, meandering discussion where complex ideas become accessible, and analysis is always accompanied by a sense of camaraderie. You'll find the tone is that of a sharp, informal debate among friends who aren't afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. Produced by Ricochet, this podcast stands out in the crowded fields of news and politics by prioritizing genuine dialogue over partisan soundbites. Each episode feels like you’ve pulled up a chair at a table where wit and insight are always on the menu. Whether they're unpacking a Supreme Court decision or tracing a philosophical concept through modern politics, the hosts ensure the discourse is both enlightening and thoroughly engaging. For anyone looking to understand the 'why' behind the news with a dose of character, this is your regular invitation to a different kind of happy hour.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

3 Whisky Happy Hour
Podcast Episodes
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Sister Souljah Time for the Dems? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:14
The whole gang is finally back together behind the bar this week, with John Yoo in the host chair skillfully leading our unruly gang in a round-robin three-subject format that we're alternating this year.Steve leads off…
The Three-Whisky Happy Hour: Emergency Midweek Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:04
Why let our frenemies at the Commentary podcast (frenemies since they dissed the sacred McRib recently) have all the fun with their emergency podcasts: after today's errant Supreme Court rulings, it was necessary for the…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: 180 Proof Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:22
John Yoo is away this week, so the 3WHH has brought in a 180-proof guest in John's place—the great Richard Epstein, who speaks at an average rate of 125 words a minute, with occasional gusts of 200 words per minute. We d…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: The Great Reset [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:56
Our long-running intramural argument on this podcast over the Ukraine War has become just like the Ukraine War itself—lots of casualties on both sides, but very little movement from week to week. But is Trump actually on…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Is Trump Re-Writing Executive Power? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:03
With Lucretia hosting both the episode and the bar this week (with three different whiskies just for herself), we manage to keep John Yoo from excessive gloating about the Eagles win in the Super Bowl by distracting him…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Trump's Five Big Fights [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:46
We're only 19 days into Trump's term, but it seems like 19 months have passed already since January 20. When Alexander Hamilton wrote of "energy in the executive," he had no idea that a real estate tycoon would become th…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Getting Right with Free Speech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:18
The 3WHH bartenders raise their glasses high for the first 100 hours of Trump II, which bid to replace FDR's famous "Hundred Days" for breathtaking executive action. You'd think that this is Trump's first term, and metap…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Non-Jejune Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:06
Nothing "jejune" about this edition, except perhaps for the first-ever use of "jejune" in a podcast, but it is the perfect term to describe Joe Biden's "farewell address," which, aside from its jejune content, is a most…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: From Emigrating to Immigrating [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:40
With this episode the Three Whisky Happy Hour emigrates into its very own identity on Ricochet and Steve's new group Substack, "Political Questions," but not to worry—the old Power Line Show will live on in its old forma…