The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Will the Rotting Timbers of Academia Finally Fall?

The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Will the Rotting Timbers of Academia Finally Fall?

Author: Ricochet August 16, 2026 Duration: 1:18:43
The shocking suicide of the fraudulent Jason Arday alongside the Atlantic cover story about how a mostly leftist scholar "of color" (Tyler Austin Harper) quit his tenure track job at Bates College because he couldn't stand "the insufferable hypocrisy of elite academia," ought to be the last straw for our nation's tolerance for a completely rotten education system, from K-12 through the colleges and universities. But it probably won't be, because the left is not going to give up these premier bastions of political power unless they are crushed. And that can't be done quickly or easily.

Joining us this week to take the place of the truant John Yoo is Bates College alum Richard Samuelson, nowadays a professor of history at Hillsdale College, who adds some detail from his own experience as an undergraduate at Bates College, and you will wonder how he survived the place.

We also have a brief cameo appearance from John, who notes the peculiar legal strategy being pursued by Liuigi Mangione, the killer of United HealthCar CEO Brian Thompson last year. Keep your eye on this one, as we have a possible conspiracy theory to roll out about it. And finally, we take up a reader comment about something we said last week about the meaning of the phrase, "nature bats last."

This is a long episode, but it's ad-free this week, so it zips long even zippier than usual. I want to introduce again the new voice for the show opener, Colin McLean. Colin is a noted voice-actor in Britain, and semi-retired from a distinguished business career in The City. You can read about his voice work at his website Vocal Flair, and I also recommend his YouTube channel, The Healing Voice, where he ranges widely from poetry, music, story-telling, and some sensible psychology.

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: 50

3 Whisky Happy Hour
Podcast Episodes
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Gala July 4 Special Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:28
Two guesses about the topic of this special bonus edition for today's semiquincentennial, and neither of them count. That's right: we take up the Declaration of Independence and revisit some of the lingering issues that…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Grading the Supreme Court Term [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:55
Well, that was quite a finish for this year's Supreme Court term, which, as usual, released the most controversial and consequential cases on the very last day of its sitting. This wrap-up episode—the first of a double-e…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Hot Apple Pie Surveillance Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:45
This epicly (is "epicly" a real word?) gonzo episode finds Steve still somewhere in the middle of the storm-tossed north Pacific Ocean, while John and Lucretia hold down the fort from various locales back on dry land. Bu…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Jet Lag Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:34
So your three bartenders are back from overseas, but still a bit jet lagged and struggling to keep up with the news. Was it a good week? The firing of Scott Pelley is certainly good news, as are the initial results of th…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Tackling the Admin. State from Sicily [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:54
The end of this week finds the 3WHH crew in situ in Enna, up in the highlands of Sicily, visiting the University of Kore for a conference on, well, everything, though it is hard to tell since half the speakers are speaki…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Rolling Road Trip Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:53
We could have called this the jeg lag from hell episode, as John Yoo managed to spend 11 hours on a airplane yesterday that didn't fly anywhere, while Steve, already planted as an advance guard in Palermo ahead of next w…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: Gonzo Hybrid-Reboot Edition [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:56
[CORRECTED AUDIO]We've had some gonzo episodes before, and a couple of trainwrecks, but this is the first-ever episode that is actually two episodes edited together, with sequence changes, new sound effects, canned insul…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: From Plato to NATO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:47
Another hectic week for your 3WHH bartenders, and John Yoo wasn't able to join us at all, so this week's episode includes a special guest Steve has long wanted to bring on, Alex Priou of the University of Austin, the bol…
The Three Whisky Happy Hour: The Left Blows a Gasket [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:28
The left was already hysterical ever since Trump won a second term, but this week the left had a total meltdown after the Supreme Court scaled back racial gerrymandering under the Voting Rights Act. And the Three Whisky…