Spectacles In Conversation

-Important References- https://www.liberalcurrents.com/lawful-and-unconstitutional-rule-of-law-in-america-today/ (Adam's Article) -Table of Contents- 00:00— Getting started, a note on Uvalde 02:00— What are "lawfulness" and "constitutionality"? 05:04— How about "law and order"? 13:11— Can we reform our way forward? 23:42— What about the role of violence in order? 35:12— Is bureaucracy a challenge to lawfulness? 42:00— Wrapping up -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/adam-gurri-talks-constitutionality/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

We sit down to discuss how to effectively combat authoritarianism, assist the spread of democracy, and learn from our past foreign policy mistakes. -Table of Contents- 00:00 — Getting started 01:01 — How should we deal (or not deal) economically with authoritarian powers? 06:46 — Are we comfortable being as sanguine about China as we are about Russia? 12:32 — What should we do about crucial strategic partners who may be less-than-democratic (or worse)? 18:55 — You said we could have done nation-building in Afghanistan successfully. How? 28:33 — How can we formulate an attractive economic policy package to partners in Asia? 33:52 — What motivates mass shootings? Is it ideology or something else? 42:47 — Wrapping up -Important References- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/29/climate/solar-industry-imports.html (NYT Solar Article) https://www.spectacles.news/putins-power-politics-insight (Germany/Russia explainer #1) https://www.spectacles.news/putins-power-politics-pay-off-insight (Explainer #2) https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/12/the-autocrats-are-winning/620526/ (Anne Applebaum's article) + https://www.spectacles.news/bad-guys-winning-or-good-guys-losing-birds-eye (our discussion of it) https://brentgiannotta.medium.com/what-we-should-have-done-on-september-12th-1ca49ef688ef (Brent's post on Afghanistan) https://www.latimes.com/opinion/story/2021-02-24/what-i-learned-about-islamic-state-applies-to-qanon-too (Brent's LA Times on QAnon & ISIL) https://twitter.com/BrentGiannotta?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (Brent's Twitter) -Share If You Care- https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Check%20out%20this%20great%20interview%20from%20%40SpectaclesMedia%20with%20%40BrentGiannotta%0Ahttps%3A//www.spectacles.news/brent-giannotta-talks-democracy-promotion-focus-interviews/ (Share via Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A//www.spectacles.news/brent-giannotta-talks-democracy-promotion-focus-interviews/ (Share via Facebook) https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A//www.spectacles.news/brent-giannotta-talks-democracy-promotion-focus-interviews/&title=Great%20interview%20on%20democracy%20promotion&summary=&source= (Share via LinkedIn) Share via Email -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/brent-giannotta-talks-democracy-promotion-focus-interviews/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Professor Slaboch joins us to discuss his book and the topic of "progress." Is it real? If not, what are we to do? -Important References- https://www.amazon.com/Road-Nowhere-Idea-Progress-Critics/dp/0812249801 (Professor Slaboch's book, A Road to Nowhere) -Share If You Care- https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?text=Check%20out%20this%20great%20interview%20of%20%40MatthewSlaboch%20from%20%40SpectaclesMedia%20about%20philosophies%20of%20progress%20and%20what%20to%20do%20if%20it%20isn't%20real.%0Ahttps%3A//www.spectacles.news/matthew-slaboch-focus-interviews/ (Share via Twitter) https://www.facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A//www.spectacles.news/matthew-slaboch-focus-interviews/ (Share via Facebook) https://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https%3A//www.spectacles.news/matthew-slaboch-focus-interviews/&title=Great%20interview%20on%20the%20topic%20of%20progress&summary=Spectacles%20talks%20with%20Matthew%20Slaboch%20who's%20written%20a%20book%20about%20philosophies%20of%20progress%20and%20what%20we%20can%20do%20if%20it%20isn't%20real,%20after%20all.&source= (Share via LinkedIn) Share via Email -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/matthew-slaboch-focus-interviews/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Professor Daniel Aldrich sits down with us to discuss his most recent book, Black Wave: How Networks and Governance Shaped Japan's 3/11 Disasters. (Table of contents below.) -Important References- https://www.amazon.com/Black-Wave-Networks-Governance-Disasters/dp/022663843X/ref=asc_df_022663843X/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=366282406038&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17226654942961894797&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031040&hvtargid=pla-711112412840&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=78795692560&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=366282406038&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=17226654942961894797&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9031040&hvtargid=pla-711112412840 (Check out Black Wave) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/author-daniel-aldrich-focus-interviews/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!) -Table of Contents- 00:00 — Getting started 01:08 — Summarizing the entire triple disaster, as it played out on 3/11/11 05:42 — Why doesn't Aldrich say "natural disaster" & what do "Networks and Governance" have to do with all this? 10:15 — Does Japan's one-party(-ish) democracy have a "clientelism" problem? 18:10 — Is liberal democracy too individualistic to develop the strong communities necessary for disaster resilience? 28:45 — Do democracy's strengths still apply to Covid? Have authoritarian regimes managed the pandemic better? 38:40 — Nuclear energy: is it a matter of bad regulation or just bad technology? 45:45 — Wrapping up

Former Mayor of Kansas City Sly James sits down with us to discuss political leadership, local government, and how to restore faith in American politics. -Important References- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08F3LF29V/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 (The Opportunity Agenda) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/mayor-sly-james-focus-interviews/ (Read or comment on this article!) https://www.spectacles.news/young-writers-initiative/ (Write with us!) https://spectacles-birds-eye.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

-Important References- https://taipology.substack.com/ (Angelica's blog, Taipology) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to the article we're discussing) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/taiwans-nuclear-memories-guest-focus/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

We're joined by former Ambassador to Portugal Allan Katz to discuss civil discourse, polarization, and how this all applies to the situation in Ukraine right now. -Important References- https://americanpublicsquare.org/ (American Public Square's website) https://www.spectacles.news/author-thomas-j-main-focus-interviews/ (Our interview with author Thomas Main) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/ambassador-allan-katz-focus-interviews/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Harry and Philip sit down with Bryce to discuss today's article from him, "The Power of the Dollar," how CBDCs are promising, who's displacing the dollar, and why China may be facing an uphill battle in popularizing the Yuan. -Important References- https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to the article we're discussing.) https://www.spectacles.news/big-brothers-bank-account/ (Bryce's previous piece for Spectacles, on CBDCs) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/the-power-of-the-dollar-insight/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Harry and Philip discuss today's Insight, "The Disease of Medical Lobbying." We talk the nature of policy fights with lobbyists, cost disease socialism, and more! -Important References- https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to the article we're discussing!) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/the-disease-of-medical-lobbying-insight/ (Leave a comment!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Today, we're joined by Professor Thomas J. Main to discuss his recently released book, The Rise of Illiberalism. -Important References- https://www.brookings.edu/book/the-rise-of-illiberalism/#:~:text=Chapter%20One-,PURCHASE%20BOOK,-Purchase%20Print%20Book (The book, The Rise of Illiberalism) https://twitter.com/ThomasJMain?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor (Professor Main's Twitter) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/author-thomas-j-main-focus-interviews/ (Leave a comment on this interview!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Last year, we thought California had killed single-family zoning. But this Bay Area enclave would rather have mountain lions than new homes. https://www.spectacles.news/cougars-or-duplexes-which-are-scarier-insight/ (Read, listen to, or comment on this article here!) Correction: Woodside has dropped this claim to a wildlife habitat to prevent SB9, though I would still predict other communities making other legal attempts to exempt themselves, and legal battles will probably follow. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-housing-crises-and-interest-group-deception/ (Harry's previous Insight on SB9 and 10) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Today, we're joined by a very special guest who's with us to discuss healthcare policy, democracy reform, the filibuster, campaign finance, and her dream policy for her home state of Wisconsin. Tune in for our conversation. -Important References- https://battinoforsenate.us/ (Campaign Website) https://www.facebook.com/BattinoForSenate (Facebook) http://twitter.com/battino4senate (Twitter) https://www.instagram.com/battino4senate/ (Instagram) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/candidate-for-us-senate-dr-gillian-battino-focus-interviews/ (Comment on this interview!) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow our Twitter!) // https://www.tiktok.com/@spectacles.news (Follow our TikTok!)

Harry and Philip wrap up their series on international institutions and the future of peace by discussing the decline of American hegemony and what it means for international order. Can international institutions pick up the slack? What does the future hold?-- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-future-of-peace-iii-whats-next-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"Why did Trump end the WTO's Appellate Body? Tariffs.," by Chad P. Brown, for Peterson Institute for International Economics. "What Are the Trends in Armed Conflicts, and What Do They Mean for U.S. Defense Policy?" by Thomas S. Szayna et. al., for RAND. "The Unipolar Moment," by Charles Krauthammer in Foreign Affairs. https://www.spectacles.news/domestic-instability-is-ruining-foreign-policy-insight/ (Harry's Insight explaining the impact of domestic politics on US foreign policy) https://www.spectacles.news/why-autocracy-persists-focus/ (Philip's Focus on China's admission to the WTO)

Join Harry and Philip as they break down three major theories of international relations. From dark and scary to bright and beautiful, they'll discuss which seems to have the best grip on things.-- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-future-of-peace-ii-ir-theories-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here! Let us know your thoughts about these theories!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"https://www.jstor.org/stable/2706858 (Anarchy Is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics)," by Alexander Wendt, in International Organization. "https://www.jstor.org/stable/2539078 (The False Promise of International Institutions)," by John Mearsheimer, in Interntational Security. "https://academic.oup.com/isq/article-abstract/32/4/379/1805478?redirectedFrom=PDF (International Institutions: Two Approaches)," by Robert Keohane, in International Studies Quarterly. https://www.spectacles.news/why-autocracy-persists-focus/ (The Focus article Philip definitely wrote the day before Mearsheimer said the same thing)

Join Harry and Philip as they begin a discussion of international institutions and how they contribute (or fail to contribute) to global peace. What are institutions? How do they emerge at the international level? What do international institutions promise? -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-future-of-peace-part-1-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"https://www.aeaweb.org/articles?id=10.1257/jep.5.1.97 (Institutions)," by Douglass North in Journal of Economic Perspectives. "https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0010414099032002001 (Judicialization and the Construction of Governance)," by Alec Stone-Sweet in Comparative Political Studies.

Join Harry and Philip as they wade into a current debate about the global competition between autocracy and democracy. Is this really happening? Is it a decisive feature of democratic decline? Or are our problems mostly domestically rooted? We will be looking at three articles on the subject from Anne Applebaum in Atlantic Magazine, Max Fisher in The New York Times, and Damon Linker in The Week, all linked below. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/bad-guys-winning-or-good-guys-losing-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/12/the-autocrats-are-winning/620526/ (The Bad Guys Are Winning)," by Anne Applebaum in Atlantic Magazine. "https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/16/world/americas/democracy-decline-worldwide.html (U.S. Allies Drive Much of World's Democratic Decline, Data Shows)," by Max Fisher in The New York Times. "https://theweek.com/foreign-affairs/1007188/the-outdated-thinking-confusing-our-talk-about-autocracy (The outdated thinking confusing our talk about autocracy)," by Damon Linker in The Week. https://www.spectacles.news/focus-the-dangers-of-an-existential-struggle (Harry's Focus on the supposed democracy/autocracy struggle) https://www.spectacles.news/tag/tunisia/ (Harry's Insights on Tunisia) https://www.spectacles.news/a-losing-battle-with-no-winners-insight (Harry's Insight breaking down the war in Yemen) https://www.spectacles.news/deja-coup-insight (Philip's Insight explaining the coup in Sudan) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-bandit-in-portugal (Bird's Eye episode on Salazar) https://www.spectacles.news/why-autocracy-persists-focus (Philip's Focus on China and the globalization of autocracy)

Harry and Philip discuss today's Insight, "Beyond Gerrymandering" to dive deeper into an explanation of what's wrong with America's single-member district system. On the other hand, it turns out there are some benefits. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-making-american-elections-healthier (Our chat with Benjamin Singer of Show Me Integrity, about approval voting) https://www.spectacles.news/backsliding-in-budapest-birds-eye (The recent Bird's Eye about Hungary's democratic backsliding) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/beyond-gerrymandering-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we're discussing, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight, "A Different Perspective on Inflation" and talk over the role of the media in this situation, how poll-chasing is bankrupt, and much more. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/in-polls-we-trust-focus/ (Harry's recent article on popularism and poll-chasing) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/a-different-perspective-on-inflation-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we're discussing, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join the Harry and Philip as they wrap up their discussion of democratic backsliding. Today, we're on the home turf—the United States. We discuss executive aggrandizement, how Congress let this happen, and what it will mean in the future. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-basics-of-party-systems/ (The Bird's Eye episode on partisan sorting and voting systems) https://www.spectacles.news/laundering-bloody-brass-insight/ (Harry's Insight on the lack of military accountability) https://www.spectacles.news/21-07-19-daca-illegal (Philip's Insight explaining how DACA worked) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/american-backslide-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"On Democratic Backsliding," by Nancy Bermeo in Journal of Democracy. Congress: The Electoral Connection, by David Mayhew.

Harry and Philip discuss today's Insight, "Ortega's Propaganda Peddlers," and talk about Nicaragua's example of how modern election-rigging works. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/backsliding-in-budapest-birds-eye/ (The recent Bird's Eye episode discussing Hungary's example of similar behavior) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/ortegas-propaganda-peddlers-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we're discussing, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join the editors as they discuss backsliding in Hungary under Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. How did Viktor Orbán find himself in a position to dismantle Hungarian democracy? What are the precise mechanism's that he is using to undermine rule of law and popular government? Tune in! -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/backsliding-in-budapest-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further ReadingNot Your Father's Authoritarianism: The Creation of the "Frankenstate" by Kim Lane Scheppele for the American Political Science Association. "Viktor Orban's War on Intellect," by Franklin Foer in The Atlantic. "Hungary's Illiberal Turn: Disabling the Constitution," by Miklós Bánkuti, Gábor Halmai, and Kim Lane Scheppele in Journal of Democracy.

Join Harry and Philip for a discussion of today's Insight, "The Post-Liberal Roller Coaster," about the national conservatism movement. It's a lively one full of Twitter beefs, poking fun at Philip's high school's alum Mr. Hawley, and some disagreements between the editors. Tune in! -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/the-post-liberal-roller-coaster-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join the editors as they discuss professor Nancy Bermeo's article "On Democratic Backsliding." What is democratic backsliding? Why do today's aspiring autocrats use different tactics than their predecessors? -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/the-modern-authoritarian-playbook-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"On Democratic Backsliding," by Nancy Bermeo in Journal of Democracy. "Myanmar's Military Leader Declares Himself Prime Minister And Promises Elections," Associated Press. https://www.spectacles.news/deja-coup-insight/ (Philip's article on the coup in Sudan, "Déjà Coup | Insight.") https://www.spectacles.news/insight-mr-carlson-goes-to-budapest/ (Harry's article on Orbán, Hungary, and Tucker Carlson, "Mr. Carlson Goes to Budapest | Insight.")

Join the editors as they apply the theoretical and historical lessons from our past two episodes on the "stationary bandit" to the United States! Are there latent authoritarian characteristics in the political and economic institutions of the US? To what extent have we eliminated them, and to what extent to authoritarian legacies persist? How can democracy both assist a political and economic rebalancing of social forces in favor of citizens over elites? -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/robber-barons-and-stationary-bandits-birds-eye/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development," by Mancur Olson, in The American Political Science Review. Why Nations Fail, by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. The Narrow Corridor, by Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson. Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:32 - Today's topic and questions 05:50 - Starting at the Founding 08:42 - Dangers of federalism 14:14 - Robber barons, the Gilded Age 15:41 - Political leadership 19:15 - Active failures of power-checking 26:00 - Creeping totalitarianism 30:57 - Conclusion 32:44 - Signing Off

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight, "Time for Europe to Get Serious," and talk through some errors of European leadership, the shortcomings of the promises of European integration, and how this connects to our other recent articles. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world (Philip's article on "sleepwalking" German foreign policy) https://www.spectacles.news/putins-power-politics-insight/ (Harry's article from Wednesday on Nord Stream 2) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-bandit-in-portugal/ (Our recent Bird's Eye which discusses part of this topic toward the end) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/time-for-europe-to-get-serious-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight, "Putin's 'Power' Politics," and how globalization has empowered some autocratic regimes. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-stationary-bandit/ (Episode 1 on the 'Stationary Bandit' theory) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-bandit-in-portugal/ (Episode 2 on Portugal's Salazar, including a brief discussion of this topic & China) -Usual links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/putins-power-politics-insight/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join Harry and Philip as they continue their analysis of dictatorship! This week, we turn to midcentury Portugal to apply the "stationary bandit" theory from our last Bird's Eye. Was António de Oliveira Salazar, the autocratic ruler of Portugal from 1932 to 1968, an example of the stationary bandit? How well does Olson's theory hold up in a historical study of dictatorship? Listen and find out! -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-bandit-in-portugal/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development," by Mancur Olson, in The American Political Science Review. Property Without Rights, by Michael Albertus. The Revolution Within the Revolution, by Nancy Bermeo. Development of the Portuguese Economy: A Case of Europeanization, by David Corkill. The Portuguese Revolution: State and Class in the Transition to Democracy, by Ronald H. Chilcote. "Salazar's Ministerial Elite, 1932-1968," by Paul H. Lewis in The Journal of Politics. https://www.google.com/books/edition/Salazar/EtmJAwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=Oliveira%20Salazar&pg=PA88&printsec=frontcover&bsq=Oliveira%20Salazar (Salazar: A Political Biography), by Filipe Ribeiro De Meneses. Wikipedia pages for https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ant%C3%B3nio_de_Oliveira_Salazar (António de Oliveira Salazar), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estado_Novo_(Portugal) (Estado Novo (Portugal)), and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnation_Revolution (Carnation Revolution). -- Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:32 - The common human longing for enlightened dictatorship 01:41 - Today's subject: Salazar 02:21 - Recap 05:50 - A brief bio of Salazar 09:40 - How was Olson right? 14:40 - What did he miss? 25:41 - The feasibility of autocracy in a globalized world 29:57 - Don't be deceived by the appeals of dictatorship 33:20 - Signing off

Join the editors for the first episode of our newest series, on dictatorship, democracy, and development! As an introduction, we discuss political scientist Mancur Olson's paper of the same name. Americans are increasingly wondering just how democratic their country is, and whether dictatorship might be a better fit. Next week, we'll be looking more closely at the case of dictatorship in Portugal, so stay tuned for some interesting history and political analysis! -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-stationary-bandit/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Further Reading"Dictatorship, Democracy, and Development," by Mancur Olson, in The American Political Science Review. https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-democratic-theory-basics ("Democratic Theory: What You Need to Know," by Spectacles.) Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:33 - The Italian Village Monarchist 01:13 - Today's topic 04:07 - Upcoming episodes in series 05:00 - Why dictatorship? 14:54 - Does dictatorship actually "work"? 18:17 - How does dictatorship fall short? 24:50 - How does democracy fix these problems? 28:08 - Some problems with Olson's argument 32:28 - A recap of findings 34:39 - Signing off

Join Harry and Philip as they talk over today's Insight, "Squamish First Nation Provides a Glimpse at The City of Tomorrow." They go over housing policy, anti-development motivations and confusions, and the tensions (or lack thereof) between smart regulation and free, competitive markets. -Important References- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-housing-crises-and-interest-group-deception/ (Recent article on California SB 9 & 10) https://www.spectacles.news/focus-what-i-learned-in-becoming-an-e-resident-of-estonia/ (Recent article on Estonian digital bureaucracy) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-small-gov-models/ (Bird's Eye on small gov't and liberal democracy) -Usual Links- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-squamish-first-nation-provides-a-glimpse-at-the-city-of-tomorrow/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join Harry and Philip as they talk over how we got our current state of global trade and finance, its virtues, and its vices. It's a fascinating conversation in which you will certainly learn a lot. -- https://www.spectacles.news/focus-what-i-learned-in-becoming-an-e-resident-of-estonia/ (Read or listen to Philip's Focus on Estonia) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-small-gov-models (Read or listen to the Bird's Eye episode on "Small Government Visions of Liberal Democracy") https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-pandora-papers-expose-democracys-broken-promises/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join Harry and Philip as they welcome their first guest to Bird's Eye! Benjamin Singer, the executive director of the Missouri-based voting reform organization Show Me Integrity, sits down with the editors. We discuss "approval runoff," an alternative electoral system that Show Me Integrity helped enact in St. Louis, the value of political parties, and the ultimate aims of voting reforms. -- https://www.showmeintegrity.org/ (Visit )https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Show Me Integrity's website, and show them some love!)https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!)https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-making-american-elections-healthier/ (To comment on this episode, click here!)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here!)https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)-- Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:32 - Recap & Today's Topic 01:28 - Welcoming Benjamin Singer 02:21 - What's the problem needs solving in our politics? 06:52 - How can reform address this? 12:49 - What is Approval voting? How does it work? 17:45 - Can we work with the two-party system? 23:06 - What is the value of parties generally? 25:28 - Is Approval voting the best, or merely practical? 28:10 - How manageable are the challenges to reform? 33:01 - Reform for moderation or for representation? 37:26 - How do these structures shape voters' and officials' behavior? 40:17 - Thanks to Benjamin Singer 41:13 - Signing off

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight, "Tunisian Democracy Sheds the Burden of Reciprocity," to learn about how Tunisian leaders made the decisions they did and why. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-tunisian-democracy-sheds-the-burden-of-reciprocity/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) Read or listen to our previous coverage of Tunisia https://www.spectacles.news/insight-tunisian-democracy-deaths-door (here) and https://www.spectacles.news/insight-democracy-crossing-deaths-threshold-in-tunisia (here). https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!)

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight, "As Shortages Abound, What Can We Do?", to learn some interesting things about supply chains, trucking, freight rail, global trade relations, flat screen TVs, debt peonage, and security dilemmas. It's a fun one. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-normalcy-an-inadequate-solution-in-a-changing-world/#/portal/ (Visit our website and subscribe to our newsletter!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-as-shortages-abound-what-can-we-do/ (To read, comment on, or listen to the article we discussed, click here.) https://twitter.com/SpectaclesMedia (Follow us on Twitter!) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-the-promises-and-perils-of-australias-new-submarines/ (Click here to learn more from Spectacles about the AUKUS deal we mentioned. It's a great article!)

Join Harry and Philip to learn more about the two-party system and alternative multi-party political set-ups. We discuss what they each are, how they come about, advantages, disadvantages, and American lessons. Next week, you don't want to miss our conversation with Benjamin Singer, Executive Director at Show Me Integrity, as we talk over possible avenues for improving America's two-party politics. -- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-basics-of-party-systems/ (To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further ReadingPatterns of Democracy, by Arend Lijphart “Electoral Systems: A Primer for Decision Makers,” by Donald L. Horowitz in Journal of Democracy.“ Constitutional Choices for New Democracies,” by Arend Lijphart in Journal of Democracy.“ https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/21/world/canada/justin-trudeau-election-parliament.html (Trudeau Wins, but Is Diminished by a Futile Election),” by Ian Austin and Dan Bilefsky in The New York Times. “https://www.vox.com/polyarchy/2018/3/26/17163960/america-two-party-system-constitutional-democracy (Why America's 2-party system is on a collision course with our constitutional democracy),” by Lee Drutman in Vox. Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:22 - Recap 01:46 - Today's topic 04:31 - Two-Party System: How it works and why it happens 11:26 - Multi-Party System: How it works and why it happens 15:07 - Two-Party: Problems 17:16 - Two-Party: American Problems 22:29 - Multi-Party: Solutions 25:37 - Multi-Party: Problems 29:31 - Two-Party: Solutions 31:43 - Which is superior? 34:55 - The takeaway + Next week's topic 36:10 - Signing Off

Join the editors as they begin an exploration of the political spectrum, the way citizens align themselves with political parties, and the nature of the two party system. Is a single-axis political spectrum the best way to conceptualize American politics? What are the effects of more disciplined political parties? How can we best understand what voters want if our major political parties are not delivering? Next week we'll be diving into a deeper exploration of the two party system, so make sure to stay tuned! -- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-political-spectrum-political-alignment/ (To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further Readinghttps://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-small-gov-models/ (Bird's Eye – Small Government and Liberal Democracy.) https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-big-gov-models/ (Bird's Eye – Big Government and Liberal Democracy.) https://www.politicalcompass.org/test (Political Compass Test). “http://www.jakebowers.org/PAPERS/polacrossgen3a.pdf (Politics Across Generations: Family Transmission Re-Examined),” by M. Kent Jennings, Laura Stoker, and Jake Bower, presented at the 1999 American Political Science Association Annual Meeting. “https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/09/08/opinion/republicans-democrats-parties.html?searchResultPosition=1 (Quiz: If America Had Six Parties, Which Would You Belong To)?” by Lee Drutman in the New York Times. “https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1532673X20961022?journalCode=aprb (The Nature of Partisan Conflict in Public Opinion: Asymmetric or Symmetric)?” by Maria Narayani Lasala Blanco, Robert Y. Shapiro, and Joy Wilke. Table of Contents00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:32 - What would you expect? 01:43 - Today's topic 02:37 - What is the political spectrum? 04:36 - What are the problems with it? 08:28 - The impact of party sorting and what that means 13:58 - Inadequacy of the spectrum; is a compass better? 18:43 - Movement of the Republican party post-90s 21:21 - Inadequacy of the political compass 23:12 - Asymmetric polarization, complexities 25:16 - Inadequacy of a two-party system 30:35 - Closing notes; the argument for two-party 32:41 - Next week's topic 33:25 - Signing off

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight, "The Promises and Perils of Australia's New Submarines." Is the buildup of tensions China or America's fault? Are we right to respond by arming our allies, and how do we pick those allies anyways? -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-the-promises-and-perils-of-australias-new-submarines/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-the-misadventure-of-nation-building-in-afghanistan/ (Click here for that article about Afghanistan we mentioned.)

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight: Disastrous Developments in Haiti. The conversation ranges from a critique of media over-simplification of current events in the country to a consideration of the strategic value of democratic friendship rather than big-stick bullying. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-disastrous-developments-in-haiti/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

Join Harry and Philip as they conclude their discussion of myth and politics, re-examining the relationship between belief and material reality, and evaluating the prospects for a global social narrative. What is the relationship between material conditions and myth or belief in myth? Is a global myth or universal human social identity possible? What principal lesson can we learn about democracy from a discussion of political myths? Next week we'll be covering a new topic, so stay tuned! -- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-myth-and-materialism-prospects-for-global-myth/ (To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further ReadingImagined Communities, by Benedict Anderson. "Anarchy is what States Make of It," by Alexander Wendt. "https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/11/07/emmanuel-macron-in-his-own-words-english (Emmanuel Macron in his own words (English)," by The Economist.) Readings from previous episodes in this series of Bird's Eye. Table of Contents00:00:00 - Intro & Housekeeping 00:00:37 - Celebrities sing Imagine by John Lennon 00:01:51 - Why the hell would we ever play that? 00:02:59 - Today's topic 00:03:21 - Main Questions 00:00:33 - What is the relationship between myth and reality? 00:04:16 - Is a global, rather than national, myth possible? 00:04:42 - What is liberal democracy's greatest challenge regarding myth? 00:06:22 - Series Recap and Refresher 00:06:32 - Ep. 2: Myth & American Politics 00:08:04 - Ep. 3: QAnon & The Future of American Myth — 00:12:09 - Post-truth politics 00:19:15 - Ep. 1: The Basics of Myth & Politics 00:20:04 - Global Myth 00:20:22 - The history of non-national myths 00:22:34 - The history of super-national myths: Christianity 00:24:14 - The history of the growing scale of myth: Germany 00:29:25 - Contemporary proofs for global myth: UN 00:31:29 - Contemporary proofs for global myth: EU 00:34:10 - The challenges of European myth-making 00:37:27 - Contemporary failings of global myth: NATO 00:42:51 - Alien invasion? Independence Day style global team-up? 00:43:56 - The constant in-group/out-group dynamic: Christianity, Germany, EU 00:47:35 - The shortcomings of global human myths, human rights 00:50:05 - The role of assimilation 00:51:28 - The force/cohesion dynamic in Christian Europe & Islamic empires 00:55:18 - Myth as a key to free society 00:57:14 - The Central Democratic Challenge with Myth 00:58:08 - The promise of neither force nor cohesion 01:00:00 - Liberalism's sneaky coercion 01:01:28 - Why Liberal Democracy cannot escape myth 01:07:15 - Signing Off

Join Harry and Philip as they discuss today's Insight on housing crises and legislation against single-family zoning, to learn more about interest groups and stakeholder theory in democracy. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-housing-crises-and-interest-group-deception/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

Join the editors as they continue their discussion of the role of myth in political life, examining the "QAnon" conspiracy theory. What does Q tell us about myth and its role in politics? Is there precedent for conspiracy theories like Q in the American past? How is Q different from past conspiracy theories? Next week, we will conclude our discussion of the role of myth in political life by discussing the possibility of a global myth, whether myths are ultimately natural or socially constructed, and what policies might make American myths more believable. -- To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further Reading"https://www.propublica.org/article/heeding-steve-bannons-call-election-deniers-organize-to-seize-control-of-the-gop-and-reshape-americas-elections (Heeding Steve Bannon's Call, Election Deniers Organize to Seize Control of the GOP — and Reshape America's Elections)," by Isaac Arnsdorf, Doug Bock Clark, Alexandra Berzon and Anjeanette Damon, for ProPublica. "https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/06/qanon-nothing-can-stop-what-is-coming/610567/ (Qanon Is More Important Than You Think)," by Adrienne LaFrance in The Atlantic. "https://harpers.org/archive/1964/11/the-paranoid-style-in-american-politics/ (The Paranoid Style in American Politics)," by Richard Hofstadter in Harper's Magazine. Table of Contents00:00 - Introduction 00:32 - Q Excerpts 02:57 - Recap of Last Week 04:39 - Today's Topic 05:50 - What is Q, basically? 09:33 - Connection to Election Fraud Conspiracy 12:34 - Q As Myth, Religion 17:48 - Q As Reactionary Myth, Fantasy 21:26 - Q's Roots in American Covenantal Myth 23:53 - History of American Paranoia 31:15 - American Tension b/t Universality, Particularity 35:20 - The Power of The Internet 42:39 - The Balkanization of American Narratives 43:13 - Next Week's Topic 43:54 - Signing Off

Join Harry and Philip for a discussion of the dissatisfying settlement for an admittedly corrupt establishment politician in Brazil. It turns out democracy is messy, and being blind to that can cause a lot more problems than you might imagine. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-brazils-bolsonaro-all-in-shows-his-hand/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

Join Harry and Philip for an especially long (and excellent) discussion about today's Insight on the increasingly discouraging situation in Tunisia and the utility of mainline American foreign policy strategies, like sanctions, in addressing it. P.S. It's so long, because we couldn't find a thing to cut. This one is jam-packed with great thoughts and some fun jokes, especially at Noah Rothman's expense. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-democracy-crossing-deaths-threshold-in-tunisia/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.) -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-tunisian-democracy-deaths-door/ (To read the older Insight about Tunisia, click here.) https://www.spectacles.news/insight-the-misadventure-of-nation-building-in-afghanistan/ (To read the Insight about Afghanistan referenced in this discussion, click here.)

Join Harry and Philip as they expand on today's Focus, discussing the politicization of the court and what it would take for Congress to do what needs to be done. -- https://www.spectacles.news/focus-the-supreme-court-political-unaccountable-and-all-too-powerful/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

Join Harry and Philip as they continue an exploration of the role of myth in political life by looking more closely at the myths which have historically underpinned American politics. What is the relevance of historical American myth to today's controversies and culture wars? How does history help illuminate current challenges? Most importantly, what can we do when lived realities render myths unbelievable to citizens in a democracy? Next week, we will be evaluating the emergence of new myths and narratives in American political life, and the consequences of those new myths. -- https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-the-history-and-prospects-of-american-myth/ (To comment on this episode or sign up for our newsletter, click here.)https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to written articles from Spectacles read aloud, click here.)Further Reading“https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/The-Presidents-Advisory-1776-Commission-Final-Report.pdf (1776 Report),” by the President's 1776 Advisory Commission. After Nationalism, by Samuel Goldman. “https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2019/08/14/magazine/black-history-american-democracy.html (America Wasn't a Democracy, Until Black Americans Made it One),” by Nikole-Hannah Jones, in New York Times Magazine. https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/fed02.asp (Federalist No. 2), by John Jay. “https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript (The Perpetuation of Our Political Institutions: Address Before the Young Men's Lyceum of Springfield, Illinois),” by Abraham Lincoln. Table of Contents00:00 - Introduction 00:36 - Excerpt from Lincoln's Lyceum Speech 03:14 - Recap of last week 04:56 - Episode topic, main questions 06:06 - Contemporary challenges, the relevance of this discussion 08:02 - Historical precedent of changing myths 10:02 - First myth: "Covenant" 15:11 - Second myth: "Crucible" 19:53 - Third myth: "Creed" 23:55 - Why is this myth being challenged? 26:44 - What is the challenge posed by the 1619 Project? 27:34 - The lesson offered by 1619 29:11 - Defenses of American myth, 1776 Report 30:59 - The lesson offered by 1776 33:11 - Two options with myth at risk 36:47 - The way forward for American myth 38:21 - Next week's topic 39:01 - Outro

Join Harry and Philip for a discussion of today's Insight, "Voting Rights Bill a Dead End for Democracy," and what the future of American elections is shaping up to look like without voting rights action taken yesterday. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-voting-rights-bill-a-dead-end/ (To read or comment on the Insight discussed in this episode, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that same article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

Today, Harry and Philip sit down to discuss today's Insight, "The Big Fail Isn't in Kabul. It's on Our TVs," and talk in more depth about the problems today's media is causing in democracy and how our criticism differs from the Trumpian attack on the free press. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-the-big-fail-on-our-tvs/ (To read or comment on the article we are discussing, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

On this episode, Harry and Philip begin a month-long exploration of myth & politics. First up for discussion - What is myth? What does it have to do with politics? Why is myth important? How does it work? What would life be like without it? Next week we will be taking a look at the history of American political myths and where we may be headed, so don't miss out on the start of this series! -- Links https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-myth-politics-one/ (To comment on this article, click here.) https://player.captivate.fm/collection/257e45ef-c253-469f-910e-af4545de085b (To listen only to other episodes of Bird's Eye, click here.) -- Further Reading (email contact@spectacles.news for any of these) “Anarchy is What States Make of It: The Social Construction of Power Politics,” by Alexander Wendt in International Organization. “The cultural evolution of prosocial religions,” by Ara Norenzayan et. al. in Behavioral and brain Sciences. “Erichthonius,” from Who's Who in Classical Mythology, Routledge. “Evolutionary Social Constructivism,” by David Sloan Wilson, in The Literary Animal, edited by Jonathan Gottschall and David Sloan Wilson. “Mythistory, or Truth, Myth, History, and Historians,” by William H. McNeill in Mythistory and Other Essays. Natural Right and History, by Leo Strauss. Political Myth, by Christopher Flood. “Prosociality and religion,” by Jo-Ann Tsang et. al. in Current Opinion in Psychology. Republic, by Plato, translated by Allan Bloom. -- Table of Contents 00:00 - Intro/Housekeeping 00:44 - Noble Lies 01:32 - Episode Topic Introduction 02:21 - What is myth? 06:01 - How is this relevant to politics? 07:19 - Three Examples of Political Myths 13:24 - Do myths have to be true or false? 16:43 - How important are things besides myth? 18:30 - Why do humans resort to myths? 22:06 - How do myths work, and what can they do? 25:40 - How do myths change over time? 29:05 - How does myth align the individual and common goods? 33:37 - What are some disadvantages of myth? 36:36 - How does war shape myths? 37:30 - What would life be like without myths? 40:40 - Next week's topic 41:09 - Signing off

Today, Harry and Philip sit down to discuss today's Insight, "The Misadventure of Nation-Building in Afghanistan," and talk in more depth about just what exactly doesn't work about nation-building and why we can't be looking to the examples of Germany and Japan for guidance. -- https://www.spectacles.news/insight-the-misadventure-of-nation-building-in-afghanistan/ (To read or comment on the article we are discussing, click here.) https://spectacles-insight.captivate.fm/listen (To listen to that article in Spectacles Out Loud, click here.)

On this episode, Harry and Philip dive into the big questions, "How can we balance liberalism and democracy?" and "Can a big government aimed at protecting equality keep the system alive?" If you've ever wondered about the strengths and weaknesses of big government in building a healthy democratic society, join us and tune in! https://www.spectacles.news/birds-eye-big-gov-models/ (Click here to visit the post on our website to make comments.) If you're interested in learning more about this subject and the writings we discuss in the episode: “https://doc-research.org/2018/03/rise-fall-market-socialism-yugoslavia/ (The rise and fall of market socialism in Yugoslavia),” by Milica Uvalic. “https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/07/yugoslav-socialism-tito-self-management-serbia-balkans (The Life and Death of Yugoslav Socialism),” by James Robertson in Jacobin. A Theory of Justice, by John Rawls. “https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/jewish-question/ (On the Jewish Question,)” by Karl Marx. “https://www.jstor.org/stable/40403235?seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents (Economic Democracy: A Worthy Socialism that Would Really Work),” by David Schweickart in Science and Society.

On this episode, Harry and Philip dive into the big questions, "How can we balance liberalism and democracy?" and "Can a small government aimed only at protecting liberal freedom keep the system alive?" If you've ever wondered about the strengths and weaknesses of small government in building a healthy democratic society, join us and tune in! If you're interested in learning more about this subject and the writings we discuss in the episode: https://know-your-enemy-1682b684.simplecast.com/ (Know Your Enemy Podcast) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67tHtpac5ws (Milton Friedman, father of Neoliberalism, discusses the pencil) Anarchy, State and Utopia, by Robert Nozick. Relevant excerpts http://econ2.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ362/hallam/Readings/Nozick_Justice.pdf (here). https://fee.org/resources/i-pencil/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw6ZOIBhDdARIsAMf8YyF2EBYD-lkZWgOQYdgbEc3N9kMxtAncHtPu1axNmWn_n7RghuP_EWEaAq0bEALw_wcB ("I, Pencil," by Leonard Read.) "Federalist no. 10," James Madison. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/1940/04/but-im-a-conservative/304434/ ( "But–I'm a Conservative!" by Peter Viereck, in The Atlantic.)

On this episode of Bird's Eye, Harry and Philip explore the basics of democratic theory and liberal democracy, explaining what you need to know and why it's useful. -- Further Reading: Polyarchy, by Robert A. Dahl. "Trust, Well-Being, and Democracy," by Ronald Inglehart, in Democracy and Trust, edited by M.E. Warren. "The Pipe Dream of Undemocratic Liberalism," by Sheri Berman, in Journal of Democracy. Politics and Markets, by Charles Lindblom.