I worry that our desire to fix the past compromises our ability to fix the present.

Think about what we're doing today.

We're spending our time debating a bill that mentions slavery 25 times,

but incarceration only once, in an era with no black slaves,

but nearly a million black prisoners.

It's Monday, May 15th, 2023, and welcome back to Goodfellows,

a Hoover Institution broadcast examining social, economic, political, and geopolitical concerns.

I'm Bill Whalen, I'm a Hoover Distinguished Policy Fellow, and I'll be your moderator today, which means I have the high honor and privilege of introducing the starts of our show. Two of my colleagues we jokingly refer to as the Good Fellows. That would be the historian Neil Ferguson and the geostrategist, Lieutenant General H.R. McMaster, they are Hoover Institution Senior Fellows. One thing you probably noticed right away is we're missing a good fellow.

John Cochran, who I think for the first time in the entire run of the show, something like

106, 107 shows. John's not with us today. That's because he's in the nation's capital about

to receive his Bradley Prize. The next time we do a show we'll talk about what happened that night.

Congratulations, John, and we miss you. We look forward to having you back.

But joining us in his absence today, I guess it makes him an honorary Goodfellow, and that is

also making his Goodfellow's debut is Coleman Hughes. Coleman is a writer, podcaster, and opinion

columnist who specializes in issues related to race, public policy, and applied ethics. Coleman,

welcome to Goodfellows. This is long overdue.

My pleasure. So two things I'd like to point out, my friend, number one, you have seriously

blown the age curve on this show. I think I have neckties in my closet that are older than you.

Secondly, Coleman, we're making another first tier on Goodfellows. This is the first time we've

actually had somebody on the show who could call himself a bona fide rapper. Neil and HR, I hope you do not turn this

into battle rap. Though, Neil, I do understand this actually a vibrant hip-hop scene in Scotland.

Well, I wouldn't know about that, having left Scotland prior to the invention of hip-hop,

...