The Kim Monson Show – July 19, 2024

On July 19, 2024, Rick Turnquist, Jim May, and Susan Kochevar joined the show. Turnquist revisits his 2019 essay arguing that free market capitalism, limited government, and fossil fuels form the foundation of American prosperity, warning that the progressive left systematically attacks all three May reflects on Trump’s RNC speech and the historic week in politics while discussing the Colorado Livestock Association meeting and. The Three Pillars That Sustain Modern Life Start listening at 31:09 – Hour 1 Rick Turnquist, author at To Advance Freedom, resurrects his 2019 essay “The Pillars of Modern Life” to explain why free market capitalism, limited government, and fossil fuels form the indispensable foundation of American prosperity. Turnquist argues that socialism in any form produces only suffering, citing the hundreds of millions killed by socialist governments in the 20th century alone. The discussion turns to government spending. Turnquist notes that America does not have a revenue problem but a spending problem, one that has festered since FDR’s unconstitutional expansion of federal programs. He points to the 16th and 17th Amendments as turning points that enabled the modern administrative state, warning that interest on the national debt now exceeds the defense budget. On fossil fuels, Turnquist challenges critics who denounce oil and gas while enjoying heated homes and air conditioning. He argues that without these energy sources, life would return to conditions that are short, brutish, and harsh, and that so-called renewable energy cannot deliver the cheap, reliable power modern society requires. “Capitalism is the only moral socioeconomic system that is proven to promote human flourishing throughout the course of history.” Rick Turnquist, Author RNC Reflections and the Beef Industry Start listening at 67:17 – Hour 2 Jim May, cowboy poet and co-owner of Lavaca Meat Company, shares his impressions from the Colorado Livestock Association meeting and the Republican National Convention. May describes the surreal feeling of the past week, noting that no novelist could have scripted the assassination attempt on Trump, the debate debacle for Biden, or the uncertainty over who will face Trump in November. May praises the convention’s tone, from the powerful speeches by everyday Americans to Trump’s emotional recounting of the shooting. He emphasizes that grilling season calls for quality beef, recommending a hot sear on both sides and letting the meat speak for itself. “And nobody could have written this, you know, what happened. And real life is sometimes just unbelievable.” Jim May, Cowboy Poet and Owner of Lavaca Meat Company Grassroots Momentum and the Value of Work Start listening at 80:23 – Hour 2 Susan Kochevar, owner of 88 Drive-In Theater, reports a shift in public boldness. She describes customers wearing MAGA hats for the first time and Trump signs appearing on businesses across Colorado. Kochevar attributes the change to Trump’s defiant response after the assassination attempt, observing that people have decided they are not going to be afraid anymore. The conversation broadens to employment law and youth work experience. Kochevar argues that excessive regulation has pushed manufacturing overseas and deprived young people of practical skills. She recalls starting work at age 12 at her family’s drive-in, learning lessons about customers, markets, and hard work that...