Self in Society
Self in Society Podcast
Ian Silverii on Progressive Aims and Tactics
0:00
-2:03:56

Ian Silverii on Progressive Aims and Tactics

Ian Silverii is the former leader of Progress Now Colorado, founder of the political Bighorn Company, and '“First Gentleman of Colorado’s 7th Congressional District” following the election of his wife Brittany Pettersen.

My main purpose in hosting this conversation was to see if two people with quite different political beliefs could have a civil and productive conversation. I think we accomplished that. Ian is a progressive; I’m a “free market liberal” (I’ll call myself).

This episode contains some swear words.

Time Markers
00 Intro: A progressive and a libertarian walk into a bar . . .
3:58 Brittany Pettersen’s Congressional victory
7:44 Why Ari voted for Pettersen
9:15 The “drug war” ad, campaign funding
12:59 A political love story
16:04 Ian learns to play second-fiddle
19:42 Dating in politics, Pettersen’s political start
22:17 Media and perceived bias
25:10 Have voters become more sophisticated regarding crime and gender?
27:42 The implosion of the Colorado GOP
29:35 Abortion and the elections
33:37 Ari’s political background, libertarianism
35:46 Why Ari became a Republican; problems with the party
39:34 Should free-market liberals join the Democrats?
49:35 Incrementalism
56:24 Freedom
1:00:20 Trust in markets versus trust in government
1:03:56 The drug war
1:19:50 Health care, the purpose of government
1:22:28 Welfare statism (social program spending)
1:35:43 The possibility of a basic income
1:50:07 Health policy
1:54:47 We had a discussion rather than a screaming match!
1:56:45 How is Ian’s family going to handle a parent in Congress?
2:02:54 Wrap-up

I discussed Pettersen’s race in September.

Here is the ad featuring Pettersen’s mother.

Regarding fentanyl laws in Colorado, I’m more “libertarian” than is Pettersen. See my articles, “Why Colorado Should Not Refelonize Fentanyl Possession” and “Fentanyl and the Republican Attack on the Right to a Jury Trial.”

Westword interviewed Ian about him leaving Twitter.

Ian referred to a prank he pulled. In 2018, he participated in a stunt to put a portrait of Vladimir Putin in place of one by Donald Trump at the state Capitol. (I personally thought it was funny, but, then, I hate Trump.)

5280 published an article about Pettersen’s mother.

Regarding the claims of Heidi Ganahl about “furries” in schools, see my post from October that links to related articles of mine.

For my defense of abortion rights, see “On the Right to Get an Abortion.”

Ian recommended a couple of books, The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow, and How to Change Your Mind by Michael Pollan.

I mentioned a couple of books on mutual-aid societies. These are Reinventing Civil Society by David G. Green, and From Mutual Aid to the Welfare State by David T. Beito.

Noah Smith writes, “Carter was a deregulator who didn’t increase deficits much, and appointed the Fed chair who beat inflation.”

Music is by Jordan Smith.

0 Comments
Self in Society
Self in Society Podcast
Exploring what it means to flourish as an individual and a community.