Podcast appearances and mentions of George Packer

George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), offers analysis of what he calls President Trump's "might makes right" strategy, and the decimation of the United States' soft power through the destruction of USAID. 

John Kennedy, a director at the Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation, is tackling an overlooked crisis in American education: air quality.  With the ingenious use of a simple $60 box fan, he's on a mission to revolutionize the health and learning environments of students nationwide. It's mind-boggling how much low-hanging fruit there is here. The difference that clean air makes to health and brain capacity is enormous, and it's a surprisingly cheap problem to fix. In fact, as you'll hear about halfway through our conversation, I was so convinced by John and the Corsi-Rosenthal team's solution that I committed to offering him a $100k Fellowship on the spot. But our discussion went far beyond air quality. John shared fascinating insights into the future of education—how we can reorganize it from the ground up to produce happy, healthy, and high-agency adults ready for the challenges of the 21st century. I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did. For the full transcript, episode takeaways, and bucketloads of other goodies designed to make you go, “Hmm, that's interesting!”, check out our Substack. Important Links: The Corsi-Rosenthal Foundation John's LinkedIn John's Twitter Show Notes: Nobody gets to choose the air they breathe… Why has air quality been overlooked? When Jim got stranded up a mountain How do you scale a K-12 solution? What would it cost to put a Cori-Rosenthal box in every New York classroom? Surprise! Welcome to the O'Shaughnessy Fellowships What would a model 21st-century K-12 system look like? How to overcome systemic inertia Do Charter schools work? Why public schools can't mimic private school innovations What exciting developments are happening in edtech? What does public school look like in 2044? John as World Emperor MORE! Books Mentioned: The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America; by George Packer

George Packer is known far and wide for his penetrating analysis of American history and American politics. Across his distinguished career, Packer has reported from war zones and countries in turmoil around the world. This week, Jeffrey Goldberg and Packer focus on turmoil at home to make sense of this year and America's future.

The Atlantic's George Packer joins us to discuss his recent piece titled The End of Democratic Delusions. Packer discusses the new era that Donald Trump has ushered in and what that means to politics moving forward. Trump won a close election, but it's a moment for the Democratic establishment to take a look at their shortcomings and redevelop their messaging and platform in the years ahead. Read George Packer's piece in The Atlantic: https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2025/01/trump-reelection-voter-demographic-change/680752/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic. Packer joins Preet to discuss his latest article, The End of Democratic Delusions, and what the 2024 election reveals about the future of American democracy and the Democratic party. Plus, could Donald Trump have members of the Jan 6 Committee arrested? And, what will Kash Patel's appointment as FBI Director mean for the role's 10-year term?  For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/the-pendulum-always-swings-back-with-george-packer/ Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fascists are gathering their strength and forces- both regular and irregular- to quickly accomplish their goals. What are Democrats doing to get ready?Plus- Thom reads from "Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal" by George Packer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On today’s show: Politico’s Elena Schneider has been talking with Democratic women who worry that this election proved the country is “not ready for a woman president.” The Atlantic’s George Packer, our guest this week on Apple News In Conversation, explains why Americans bet on Trump again. Plus, Biden addresses the nation after his party suffered major losses. ABC News has more. Vox examines a striking pattern hidden in the election results. And the Chicago Sun-Times has the story about Prohibition finally ending in a small pocket of Lincoln Square. Today’s episode was hosted by Shumita Basu.

Along with Donald Trump’s win this week, Republicans took control of the Senate and are favored to secure the House. To break down the forces behind this rightward shift, Apple News In Conversation host Shumita Basu spoke with Atlantic staff writer George Packer. They discuss what the election results reveal about the country and the change many Americans want to see.

For a long time, Arizona was not always in the political spotlight — or if it was, it was for controversies like former Gov. Evan Mecham, who was impeached and removed from office, or SB 1070, the legislation that made being in the country illegally a state crime, and made it illegal to fail to carry immigration papers, among other things. How things have changed. Now Arizona's a swing state; presidential candidates visit as often as kids visit the desert bar at an all-you-can-eat buffet. But some of those rough edges Stewart called out remain; the state is also ground zero for election denialism and conspiracy theories. Someone has to shine that spotlight, and it's the journalists from around the country who flock to the state, providing coverage like never before. TV, newspapers, magazines — everyone's getting in on it. So why is the national media obsessed with Arizona? This week on Valley 101, a podcast by The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com, we find out. We spoke with George Packer, a reporter for The Atlantic magazine who wrote an epic story about Arizona; Vaughn Hillyard, a reporter for NBC News who grew up in Arizona; and Jack Healy, a New York Times reporter based in the state. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, a close look at the history of a Pennsylvania town and how that history contains within it the story of the 2024 election. In September, Donald Trump claimed that the city of Charleroi, Pennsylvania, was being overrun by immigrants who brought violence, gangs, and economic destruction. Last month, The Atlantic's George Packer went to Charleroi to report on what's actually going on there, and how the issues most important to Charleroi—nativism, immigration, change, working-class decline, and corporate greed—are also the deciding issues of the 2024 election. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guest: George Packer Producer: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When will all the craziness be over?  It's the question that seems to be on every American's mind, and one that many have asked both Russell Moore and George Packer, author and staff writer at The Atlantic. Moore and Packer discuss the exhaustion and rage that have become common in our politics. They discuss partisanship, profitability, and pessimism. They talk about the historical events that have led to our current realities, the effects of secularization on culture, and what it might take for Packer to believe there is a God—and why Packer still, despite all of the chaos, can't forgo his hope for humanity. Resources mentioned in this episode or recommended by the guest include: George Packer "What Will Become of American Civilization? Conspiracism and Hyper-Partisanship in the Nation's Fastest-Growing City” by George Packer at The Atlantic The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer The Assassins' Gate: America in Iraq by George Packer Blood of the Liberals by George Packer Facing Unpleasant Facts: Narrative Essays by George Orwell, compiled and with an introduction by George Packer Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century by George Packer David French Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt Montaigne's Tower Click here for a trial subscription at Christianity Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Rich Zeoli Show- Hour 3: 5:00pm- During a Trump campaign event on Tuesday, former Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard—who served in the House of Representatives as a Democrat—announced that she was joining the Republican Party. She appeared on Fox News and explained: “Independent thinkers like me have no home in the Democrat Party of censorship and total conformity and war. Under President Trump's leadership, the Republican Party welcomes people like us." 5:15pm- While appearing on MSNBC, Ian Sams—Spokesperson for Vice President Kamala Harris—said that due to scheduling issues, Harris will not appear on Joe Rogan's podcast. Donald Trump will appear on the podcast today, with the episode ultimately being made public this weekend. 5:20pm- George Packer, writer for The Atlantic, attempted to explain why Black and Hispanic voters are backing Donald Trump: “The sharpest divide in our politics today is education. Whether you have a college degree or not. That is the likeliest determinant of if you are going to vote Republican or Democrat. That's why we're seeing larger numbers of Latinos and Black voters who are moving toward Trump." Packer makes it seem like college graduates are “enlightened”—but is it really closer to indoctrinated? The Harvard Crimson recently released data on faculty donations for the 2024 election cycle. 94% of all faculty donations went to Democrats. 5:30pm- Matt's favorite member of Congress, Hank Johnson, announces his endorsement of Kamala Harris—which is the perfect excuse to play some of his greatest hits: apologizing for offending “little people,” worrying about Guam becoming overpopulated and capsizing, and accusing the Tooth Fairy of being too woke and anti-Christian. 5:45pm- 4:00pm- Bombshell WSJ Poll: A newly released Wall Street Journal poll reveals that Donald Trump now leads Kamala Harris nationally‚ 49% to 46% in a head-to-head matchup. You can find the complete polling results here: https://www.wsj.com/politics/elections/trump-leads-harris-wsj-poll-779f8516?mod=hp_lead_pos7 5:50pm- In a New York Times editorial, polling expert Nate Silver said his “gut says Trump” will win the 2024 presidential election. He also noted that pollsters may be “herding toward a false consensus” and that, according to his model, “there's about a 60 percent chance that one candidate will sweep at least six of seven battleground states.” You can read the full editorial here: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/23/opinion/election-polls-results-trump-harris.html

Originally released June 28th, 2023Resources mentioned in this episode:"The Moral Case Against Equity Language" by George Packer

In a hotter world, places like Phoenix, Arizona, will continue to present the rest of the nation with captivating examples of the potential—or limits—of human ingenuity, collaboration and political will. The Atlantic, with its July/August 2024 cover story, goes so far as to suggest that Phoenix provides a particularly important view of the future of American civilization.  In more than 20,000 words—the second-longest story the magazine has printed in the last 40 years—ten chapters and an epilogue describe the recent growth and political stratification of one of the nation's more environmentally threated cities today. Its author, staff writer George Packer, seems equally inspired and alarmed throughout by the readiness of the metro's residents and leaders to face the challenges ahead.  Mr. Packer's analysis complements the work of Ten Across stakeholders positioning Phoenix and its neighboring I-10 cities at the center of such nationally important conversations. Because these southernmost major metros find themselves on the frontlines of intense changes in the U.S., their experiences of anticipating, mitigating and adapting to the future offer valuable insight at a uniquely polarizing time for the country at large.  Listen in as Ten Across founder Duke Reiter talks with author George Packer about his provocative profile of Phoenix and about key themes from his latest book, Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal.  Read George's article:  “The Valley: Searching for the future in the most American city” (The Atlantic, July/August 2024)  Check out our other podcasts on Phoenix growth and sustainability this year:  Understanding Arizona's Past Present, and Future with Tom Zoellner  Local Experts Answer: Why Are People Still Moving to Phoenix?

I've talked with journalist and best-selling author, GEORGE PACKER, about 2013's National Book Award-winning The UNWINDING and 2021's LAST BEST HOPE, in which he offers four narratives of America that motivate and divide us. Today our jumping off point will be his current cover story in The Atlantic on Phoenix, Arizona, WHAT WILL BECOME OF AMERICAN CIVILIZATION? Conspiracism and Hyper-partisanship in the Nation's Fastest-growing City. More tour guide than pundit, George chooses the characters and makes the introductions, but the voices in this piece are those of the people of Phoenix. 

Populism, offered as a solution to economic and cultural woes, has gained ground in Europe following a slew of recent elections. Across the pond, the Ohio senator and potential Trump running mate J.D. Vance is championing an American version of populist politics that is also gaining traction. On this week's episode, the hosts discuss Vance's embrace of the ideology and consider why many voters find it so appealing.Plus, Ross shares a literary deep cut that not even Carlos has heard of.(A full transcript of this episode will be available within 24 hours of publication on the Times website.)Recommended in this episode:“What J.D. Vance Believes” by Ross Douthat in The Times“Lone Star: A History of Texas and the Texans,” “Fire and Blood: A History of Mexico” and “Comanches: The History of a People” by T.R. Fehrenbach“What Will Become of American Civilization?” by George Packer in The AtlanticThoughts about the show? Email us at matterofopinion@nytimes.com or leave a voicemail at (212) 556-7440.

Phoenix is a microcosm of the big issues in the election and the country generally, including political extremism, climate change, and the border. But when it comes to the state's water crisis, Arizonians are showing signs of sanity—by accepting facts and downplaying partisanship. Could the city be a guide for America's future? George Packer joins Tim Miller. show notes: George's piece on Phoenix George's 2019 piece on his son's education

Three of our favorite segments from the week, in case you missed them.George Packer sees Phoenix as a bellwether for America's future  (First) | The science, the medicine and the politics surrounding of identity in children and teens (Starts at 35:40) | Who should cover broker fees for NYC rentals? (Starts at 59:40)If you don't subscribe to the Brian Lehrer Show on iTunes, you can do that here.

George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and has been writing about politics and culture for over two decades. His recent reporting focuses on what he calls the “most American city.” Packer joins Preet to discuss climate change, political division, and the durability of the American project.  Plus, how did the jury in Hunter Biden's federal trial reach the guilty verdict so quickly? And, will Steve Bannon ever complete his jail sentence? For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/george-packer-phoenix-climate-immigration-trump/  Have a question for Preet? Ask @PreetBharara on Threads, or Twitter with the hashtag #AskPreet. Email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Last month was the hottest May ever, marking the 12th consecutive month that records were broken. In a major new cover article for The Atlantic, journalist George Packer spent months reporting from Phoenix, Arizona exploring the quixotic growth fueling urban expansion, even as the water runs dry and the heat kills hundreds. Packer joins the program along with climate expert Leah Stokes.  Also on today's show: Asif Kapadia and Joe Sabia, co-directors of "Federer: Twelve Final Days"; Leah Rigueur, Associate Professor of History, Johns Hopkins University  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), reports on Phoenix, Arizona as a test of America's ability to respond to the climate crisis, as well as the challenges to democracy.

What makes a particular city in Arizona a good indicator of the future of both American democracy, as well as the climate crisis?On Today's Show:George Packer, staff writer at The Atlantic and the author Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2021), reports on Phoenix as a test of the U.S.'s ability to respond to climate change, and other issues facing the nation?

Nicolle Wallace is joined by Rep. Nancy Pelosi, Claire McCaskill, Stuart Stevens, Vaughn Hillyard, Kristy Greenberg, Ian Millhiser, Dahlia Lithwick, and George Packer.

George Packer joins Jamie to discuss how a new round of progressive culture in universities stems from the George Floyd and Black Lives Matter protests. The Agenda: —The competitive atmosphere of getting into elite pre-schools —Rejection of nuance and debate —How to teach history and civics —New progressivism and its roots —Progressive ideologies leading to cancel culture —Culture wars and anti-Zionism Show Notes: —Packer: When the Culture War Comes for the Kids' —Packer: “The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jonah begins by ruminating on the Supreme Court oral arguments for Donald Trump's immunity case and explains why he doesn't understand how people could be sympathetic towards the former president. He then turns to the Heritage Foundation's spat with Erick Erickson before getting to the Columbia protests and Elon Musk's surprisingly apt observation on the oppressor-oppressed paradigm. Show Notes: —Word of South festival —Advisory Opinions on the oral arguments —The Collision on the oral argument —Dispatch Podcast roundtable —Ukraine: The Latest with Jonah —Erick Erickson's article on free markets —George Packer's piece in The Atlantic —Elon Musk's tweet —Columbia student who said Zionists don't deserve to live Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We're going up a day earlier than usual this week, partly because our constantly irregular travel schedules complicated things again, but more importantly to be timely, as John, Steve, and Lucretia have LOTS of thoughts on the Supreme Court argument Thursday about whether ex-presidents should enjoy broad immunity for any or all acts they took while in office. Steve and Lucretia think the president does, while John thinks textual support for the proposition is lacking. Steve and Lucretia respond with an appeal to first principles, and enlist as an expert witness Harvey Mansfield, because of his unique book on the inherent ambivalence of executive power even in a constitutional republic, Taming the Prince. As usual, we fought to a draw.Our second subject is the ongoing Kristalnacht on campus. There's not much new to say except to calibrate how cowardly university administrators continue to be, and note that even some liberals, like George Packer in The Atlantic (who provides our article of the week, "The Campus-Left Occupation That Broke Higher Education") are starting to figure out what conservatives have known about higher education for two generations now. It's as if no one ever bothered to notice Closing of the American Mind.

Le proteste filo-palestinesi e l'eredità del '68. Un'interessante analisi di George Packer sull'Atlantic.

As regular readers of this Substack will know, this spring Tara has been writing the Massey Essay on the state of the media — a partnership between Massey College at the University of Toronto and the Literary Review of Canada. You can read it here.The annual essay honours the legacy of the long-time CBC producer Vincent Massey Tovell. This year's essay explores the collapse of public trust in the media. To mark the occasion, we are  presenting a series of encore interviews with some of the journalists that helped shape Tara's thinking for this essay. Including today's conversation, which originally aired in November of 2023.George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and the author of ten books. You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

How do we build communities of collaboration and care? Are our communities in the West in crisis? What are the “common objects of love” that we share, and how do we—average Christians who care—seek those out and build on them?We were delighted to talk with Jake Meador on some of these questions, which he touches on in his first book, In Search of the Common Good. Join us as we consider different angles on the practices we engage with that can change the imagination of our time.Jake Meador (jakemeador.com) is a writer, speaker, and editor from Lincoln, Nebraska. He writes about place, politics, culture, and the ways that Christian faith speaks to all of the various questions that those topics raise. He also wrote a thesis on Kwame Nkrumah, a mid-20th century Ghanaian politician. He's the author of two books, In Search of the Common Good: Christian Fidelity in a Fractured World and What Are Christians For?: Life Together at the End of the World. He serves as the editor-in-chief at Mere Orthodoxy (mereorthodoxy.com), a contributing editor with Plough magazine, and a board member with the Davenant Institute.Timestamps(02:23) A crisis of common life(10:21) Example: Declining birth rates as a social problem(19:07) Practical recs: asking for help, offering home(29:04) The historical church on property rights(34:16) Practices for communities: caught, not taught(38:22) Roots we don't choose(44:23) Identity is particular; Christianity is still bigger(47:31) Who's on the land, who's good for the land?(01:03:48) OK but we gotta talk about Kwame Nkrumah. Wild.Links and References in This EpisodeYa'll. Jake is a well-read man. We got a long list of books for your perusing pleasure (and easier searching).* Strangers in a Strange Land: Living the Catholic Faith in a Post-Christian World, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput (2017)* The Benedict Option: A Strategy for Christians in a Post-Christian Nation, Rod Dreher (2017)* Resurrecting the Idea of Christian Society, R. R. Reno (2016)* The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America, George Packer (2014)* Out of the Ashes: Rebuilding American Culture, Anthony Esolen (2017)* Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Robert Putnam (2000)* Nancy Pearcey (author)* Kirkpatrick Sale (author)* Remaking the World: How 1776 Created the Post-Christian West, Andrew Wilson (2023)* Wendell Berry (author)—I don't even know what to tell you, he's written a lot.* Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self: Cultural Amnesia, Expressive Individualism, and the Road to Sexual Revolution, Carl Trueman (2020)* Why Marx Was Right, Terry Eagleton (2018)* An Indigenous Peoples' History of the United States, Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz (2015)* Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants, Robin Wall Kimmerer (2015* Pope Francis on a “throwaway” society (article link)* John Paul II on a “culture of death” (Evangelium Vitae (1995))* The Cold War and the Color Line: American Race Relations in the Global Arena, Thomas Borstelmann (2003)—And here are some additional resources or terms mentioned in this episode, not a resource, exactly, but it might make this conversation searchable/accessible to global listeners:L'Abri is a “Christian residential study center ministry”Several theologians, church fathers, and theorists talked about property rights: John Calvin, St. Basil of Caesarea in Cappadocia, John Locke, and Emil Brunner on “the inner infinity of God's law”.If you like this podcast, please consider…→ Sharing feedback or questions! www.podpage.com/communion-shalom/contact→ Supporting us on Patreon! patreon.com/communionandshalom→ Following us on Instagram! @communionandshalom—CreditsCreators and Hosts: David Frank, TJ EspinozaAudio Engineer: Carl Swenson (www.carlswensonmusic.com)Podcast Manager: Elena This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit communionshalom.substack.com

In this episode of Just the Right Book with Roxanne Coady, George Packer joins Roxanne to discuss his new book, The Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal, out now from Farrar, Straus and Giroux. Buy the book from RJ Julia: The Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal - George Packer Sign up for our podcast newsletter Just The Right Book Subscription Promo Code (15% off): Podcast Email us at: podcast@rjjulia.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

2024 is an election year. And in his book Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal', George Packer makes the case for why this may be the most important election since the civil war.Packer accepts that America may be “a failed state”. A state that is in a “cold civil war” between four incompatible versions of the US: the Free America of libertarian Reagan, the Smart America of Clinton-era technocrats, the quote Real America quote of the bottom-feeding demagogue Donald Trump, and the Just America of #MeToo and BLM. Packer says this cold civil war has made Americans profoundly unreal to one another: they lack a shared reality, have burrowed into partisan encampments or sealed themselves in digital echo chambers of angry prejudice. But as Mr. Packer told our Amsterdam audience back in April of 2022, it isn't all bad news. After all, America has had many such crises and has recovered from them all. And he offers a solution. The creation of a fifth version of the US: the “Equal America” – which involves extending the New Deal to Americans in more areas of their lives, from affordable and universal health care to a living minimum wage and beyond.Want to find out more about the John Adams Institute? Check out our website: www.john-adams.nl.Support the show

The Democrats used to be the party of the working class, but they're increasingly losing that audience. George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and he joins host Krys Boyd to discuss the ways cultural issues have divided the Republican and Democratic parties, and why it will be hard for Democrats to win back a class of workers that might just determine the outcome of this year's elections. His essay is “What does the working class really want?”

This is a preview of our full episode that you can access over at http://Patreon.com/muckrakepodcast Become a member today and help us maintain our editorial independence as well as unlock a lot of special features like live shows and our private discord.  Co-hosts Jared Yates Sexton and Nick Hauselman discuss the House vote to begin the Impeachment Inquiry and why the Republicans are doing it despite no evidence. They then delve into an article by George Packer about the shift of working class people to the Republican party. They finish on a report that reveals organized retail theft was really just a myth. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's episode is about the controversial life and legacy of Henry Kissinger, who died last week at the age of 100. First as Nixon's National Security Advisor and Secretary of State, and then as an author and diplomacy whisperer in almost every subsequent administration, Kissinger's life is overstuffed with achievements and disasters and breakthroughs and catastrophes—many of which continue to shape the world we live in. Today's guest is George Packer, an Atlantic staff writer and the author of several books, including ‘Our Man,' a biography of Richard Holbrooke: another towering American diplomat who was Kissinger's rival and partner in diplomacy. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com.  Host: Derek Thompson Guest: George Packer Producer: Devon Manze Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In times of crisis, artists often feel the need to take a stand, to engage in activism. But our guest on today's program says we should recognize that art and politics have very different agendas. “These are different realms,” he writes, “and the values of one can be inhospitable — even deadly — to the values of the other.”George Packer is a staff writer at The Atlantic, and the author of ten books. His latest essay is “Why Activism Leads To So Much Bad Writing.”You can find Tara Henley on Twitter at @TaraRHenley, and on Substack at tarahenley.substack.com

Subscribe to The Realignment to access the full version of this episode and support the show: https://realignment.supercast.com/In the premiere episode The Realignment's new week recap and audience Q&A/AMA show, Marshall and Saagar's discuss Israel, Gaza, Hamas, and the broader state of the war.George Packer |https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2023/10/israeli-government-response-hamas-attack-gaza-9-11-lessons/675622/

Resources mentioned in this episode:"The Moral Case Against Equity Language" by George Packer

Will Republicans succeed in their attacks on Jack Smith and Joe Biden? Also- Thom sets the record straight on the Presidential Records Act.Plus - Thom reads from the book "Our Man" by George Packer.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

George Packer is an Atlantic staff writer who has been one of the incisive observers of American culture and politics for over two decades. He joins Preet to discuss the potential impact of a Trump indictment on the 2024 presidential election, whether we should be optimistic about America's future, and his recent Atlantic article criticizing “equity language.” Plus, why is it taking so long for the Manhattan DA to indict Donald Trump?  Don't miss the Insider bonus, where Preet and Packer talk about the rise of artificial intelligence, and what it could mean for the country's political and economic stability. To listen, try the membership for just $1 for one month: cafe.com/insider. For show notes and a transcript of the episode head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/are-we-a-dying-empire-with-george-packer/ Tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with the hashtag #AskPreet, email us your questions and comments at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail. Stay Tuned with Preet is brought to you by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Neil, Niki, and Natalia discuss the life and legacy of disability rights activist Judith Heumann. Support Past Present on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/pastpresentpodcast Here are some links and references mentioned during this week's show:   ·         Disability rights activist Judith Heumann died earlier this month. Natalia recommended the documentary Crip Camp and this JSTOR Daily collection of sources in disability studies, as well as the blog Nursing Clio.     In our regular closing feature, What's Making History: ·         Natalia recommended Alexis Grenell's Nation column, “Why Do Republicans Keep Pretending to Be Jewish?” ·         Neil shared about a blog post on Daily Kos, “Tap Water Makes People Gay—Why Yes, Says DeSantis Appointee.” ·         Niki discussed George Packer's Atlantic article, “A View of American History That Leads to One Conclusion.”

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comCathy is a libertarian journalist and author. She's currently a staff writer at The Bulwark, a columnist for Newsday, and a frequent contributor to Reason magazine. She has written two books: Ceasefire!: Why Women and Men Must Join Forces to Achieve True Equality, and Growing Up In Moscow: Memories of a Soviet Girlhood. We talk about how her life under totalitarianism informed her views on the war in Ukraine, and the authoritarian illiberalism in the US. She cheered me up a bit.You can listen to the episode right away in the audio player above (or on the right side of the player, click “Listen On” to add the Dishcast feed to your favorite podcast app — though Spotify sadly doesn't accept the paid feed). For two clips of our convo — whether Russians actually support the war in Ukraine, and the gaslighting from liberals over woke extremism — pop over to our YouTube page.Other topics: how Soviet indoctrination of Cathy started in elementary school; the closet dissidents in her family; the members who were sent to the Gulag; Cathy reading banned books and hearing jokes against the Soviet leader; dissidents like Solzhenitsyn who became strong nationalists and imperialists; today's horrors of the Wagner group and trench warfare; possible end-games over Ukraine; the US partisan flip over Russia; CRT in Florida schools and elsewhere; DeSantis and illiberal government overreach; the pushback from FIRE; Chris Rufo; the wokeism in red states; mandatory DEI statements; and Cathy's optimism toward the woke threat based on her living through the fall of Soviet totalitarianism. Next week is the vegan activist John Oberg who will try to convince me to give up meat. Browse the Dishcast archives for a discussion you might enjoy (the first 102 episodes are free in their entirety). As always, send your feedback and guest recommendations to dish@andrewsullivan.com.Here's a listener on last week's convo with philosopher John Gray on the threats to Western liberalism:Really enjoyed your conversation — or should I say, your conversational tango — with John Gray. The urge to explain, teach and to understand propelled both of you forward. How interesting to listen as you figured out when to break into the other's conversational riffs (waiting for the occasional breath). There was not a hint of competition — “hey, it's now my turn!” — the sort of thing you hear in quasi-debates with ideological foes (necessary though they may be). There is much pleasure, downright fun, in exercising good, free, spirited talk.I have been reading John Gray for years, and you can even call me a fan. I love to read him even if he writes the same book or essay, thematically speaking, year after year, updated to suit the events of the day. He insists on telling us in acres of print that we shouldn't be fooled by the illusion of progress. Things haven't gotten much better, morally speaking. We humans concoct one belief after another to make us feel better, or superior. Be it worshipping sky gods or Karl Marx (or Ayn Rand), we fragile creatures are always trying to imagine what we're most definitely not. Gray does a good job of stripping us of our sense of agency. Reading him over the years I often want to fling his books out the window and take to bed.So I've wondered over the years why I still keep reading him and subjecting myself to his scolding critiques of our collective nonsense. Is it masochism? There's plenty of that going around. You both end up by invoking, inadvertently, the Nike swish slogan, “Just do it!” Forget optimism or pessimism. They don't do any good. Just get on with it, Gray tells us. Be buoyed by the spirit of conversation.Another listener touches on Trump:Great conversation as always. I even begrudgingly appreciate the scrambling that I must do to look up people, words, ideas, and events to fully engage in your valuable work.On your point that Trump “was a weapon used to bludgeon the people that were not listening to them” (around the 48 minute mark): after nearly four decades of the working-class's frustrations for being ignored on a bipartisan basis, Fox News, conservative talk radio, and associated media must be mentioned. They collectively acted as both an accelerant and misdirector of the long simmering and justifiable anger. Only then could President Trump become the chosen weapon. Senator Sanders could also have been the weapon — an absolutely more appropriate but likely less effective weapon.Another suggests a future guest:I was struck by what you wrote here: “We'll air a whole host of dissents to my Ukraine column next week, when I'll also be discussing the topic with dedicated war-supporter, Cathy Young, on the Dishcast.” Young doesn't need me to speak on her behalf, but I suspect what she really supports is victory for Ukraine and a just peace, not the kind of occupation that Ukrainians (like Estonians and so many others) remember too well. Supporting people who are fighting for their freedom, their culture, and their lives, is not the same as being a war-supporter.I enjoyed your verbal jousting with Anne Applebaum, so I'm really looking forward to your conversation with Cathy Young. Have you given thought to including a Ukrainian voice, maybe someone like Olesya Khromeychuk? A Ukrainian voice from the in-tray is posted toward the bottom of this post, along with more dissents over my writing on the war. Another plug for the pod:George Packer recently wrote a piece entitled “The Moral Case Against Equity Language,” which was just brilliant. I would love to hear a conversation between you and Packer.Good idea. More recommendations from this listener:Please read the interview with Vincent Lloyd by Conor Friedersdorf and the Compact essay that sparked it. It's very considered and still sensitive to the goals of the social justice movement. I'd be extremely excited to hear Lloyd on the Dishcast. He changed my thinking and I think he would bust you out of your rut of talking about social justice to people who you largely agree with.In a similar vein, Lulu Garcia-Navarro recently had an interview with Maurice Mitchell — the head of the Working Families Party — on how the left is cannibalizing its own power. Again, a very considered approach from the social justice perspective that I found very instructive. Here's what Michelle Goldberg recently wrote about him:Mitchell, who has roots in the Black Lives Matter movement, has a great deal of credibility; he can't be dismissed as a dinosaur threatened by identity politics. But as the head of an organization with a very practical devotion to building electoral power, he has a sharp critique of the way some on the left deploy identity as a trump card. “Identity and position are misused to create a doom loop that can lead to unnecessary ruptures of our political vehicles and the shuttering of vital movement spaces,” he wrote last month in a 6,000-word examination of the fallacies and rhetorical traps plaguing activist culture.I've yet to read Mitchell's essay, but it's on my list. Please consider having him as a guest as well. I've been a fan and subscriber to the Dishcast for a while, and I'm thinking that the social justice debate you're having has gotten stale. I think both these guests would spark new thoughts, new directions, and new challenges.Thanks. Another turns to gender issues:I just watched your appearance on Bill Maher's podcast. I loved it. Your sincerity and sadness about how gayness is getting twisted into some kind of bigotry was very apparent.  There's one thing I think you should have told Bill. It isn't just gays who have a “bigoted genital preference.” Straights also have “bigoted genital preference.” If Bill doesn't want to have sex with a trans woman, he's a bigot. It's a mystery to me why ANYONE would want to have a physical relationship with someone who would find that experience repulsive. But of course, as you said, it's all about control. And shaming — suggesting that there's something wrong with you for not finding their body type attractive.Another Dishhead writes:I saw your tweet about the drag show for babies and toddlers. I just want to share my own experience with you.

Ravi, Rikki, and Joe start with two trends in education: universities moving away from SAT/ACT requirements, and a growing defection from the U.S. News college rankings. Then we turn to the doctor's office and try to unravel why men aren't seeking out preventive care. Finally, we sit down with The Atlantic's George Packer on his recent piece about the pitfalls of equity language.  [02:42] - SAT/ACT Requirements [26:46] - Men's Preventive Health Care [39:46] - Equity Language [01:00:25] - Voicemails Leave us a voicemail with your thoughts on the show! 321-200-0570 Show notes: https://lostdebate.com/2023/03/10/ep-120/ Subscribe to our feed on Spotify: http://bitly.ws/zC9K Subscribe to our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/3Gs5YTF Subscribe to our Substack: https://thelostdebate.substack.com/ Follow Lost Debate on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lostdebate/ Follow Lost Debate on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lostdebate Follow Lost Debate on Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/thelostdebate The Lost Debate is also available on the following platforms:  Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/the-lost-debate iHeart: https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-the-lost-debate-88330217/ Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/752ca262-2801-466d-9654-2024de72bd1f/the-lost-debate 

"History will cast a shadow over Biden's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan," the Washington Post's David Ignatius warned in April of 2021. "Biden's Betrayal of Afghans Will Live in Infamy," George Packer cautioned in The Atlantic magazine in August of that year. "The Cost of Betrayal in Afghanistan," wrote The Atlantic Council's Ariel Cohen in Newsweek shortly thereafter. When news broke in April of 2021 that the Biden administration planned to withdraw all documented US troops from Afghanistan after a 20-year occupation, media outlets almost uniformly rushed to issue condemnations. How could the US, and the West more broadly, simply "abandon the Afghan people," especially women, we'd so bravely liberated? How could the US just up and leave, when it had invested and sacrificed so very much to counter the Taliban over the course of two decades?   This outrage stood, and still stands, in stark contrast to the media's default state of indifference to the suffering people of Afghanistan, and the US' extensive role in engineering that suffering. For many decades now, American, British, and other Western media have only really seemed to be concerned with the plight of Afghan people, namely women, when it serves to bolster the case for war, occupation, and the continuation of US regional hegemony. Meanwhile, during Afghanistan's now second winter of famine after having more than $7 billion dollars stolen from its economy by the United States and its allies, these very same pundits and outlets are uniformly silent on this unfolding human rights disaster, caused, again, in large part, by the United States itself.   On this episode, we examine the media's pattern of selective, chauvinistic outrage when addressing the welfare of Afghan people. We also study how media diminishes the enormous role the US has played in destabilizing the country of Afghanistan and endangering its people, how media portray US military solutions as the only means of support for Afghan people, and how media treat Afghans as little more than pawns in a game of US soft- and hard-power expansion and domestic media-focused moral preening.   Our guests are Hadiya Afzal and Julie Hollar.

This week, host Daniel Raimi talks with Billy Pizer, the vice president for research and policy engagement at Resources for the Future, about getting to a net-zero resilient economy. Pizer discusses the meaning of “net-zero resilient economy,” the existing suite of global net-zero goals and pledges, and how recent federal policy has moved the United States closer to its net-zero goals. Pizer and Raimi also talk about barriers to achieving a net-zero future, including the potential tension between reducing emissions deeply and reducing emissions quickly. References and recommendations: Net-Zero Economy Summit from Resources for the Future; https://www.rff.org/events/conferences/net-zero-economy-summit/ “US Federal Government Subsidies for Clean Energy: Design Choices and Implications” by Richard G. Newell, Billy Pizer, and Daniel Raimi; https://www.rff.org/publications/journal-articles/us-federal-government-subsidies-clean-energy-design-choices-and-implications/ “Inflation Reduction Act: Electric Vehicle Subsidies for Passenger Vehicles” by Beia Spiller; https://www.resources.org/common-resources/inflation-reduction-act-electric-vehicle-subsidies-for-passenger-vehicles/ Climate Action Tracker; https://climateactiontracker.org/ “The Last Best Hope: America in Crisis and Renewal” by George Packer; https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780374603663/lastbesthope

Mahnaz was a member of a Female Tactical Platoon in the Afghan Military. She was one of tens of thousands of Afghans who came to the United States during the withdrawal from Afghanistan. In our final episode, you'll learn about the bureaucratic mess they're still going through to get resettled. And how Congress could pass legislation to help, but it might not even come up for a vote.Guests: Mahnaz, Rebekah Edmondson, Shala Gafary @ShalaGafary, Shawn VanDiver @shawnjvandiver, George Packer, Kirk Johnson @KirkWJohnson See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wear is the Love, Episode 22It's been a rough week. Michael recaps the May 24th primaries, and then we discuss the aftermath of all these shootings. We don't have answers, and we can't put a bow on things, but maybe the episode is a place for grief? We're not sure. Take care, dear friends.Michael & MelissaP.S. Don't forget that this past week we launched The Morning Five. Our hope is that it might be the kind of quick listen that helps you situate your day, and the events of the day, within the scope of God's grace. Maybe listen to it while you drive the kids to school as a way to pray together and think together. We're experimenting with it for now, but will likely make it available on Apple Podcasts and other podcast services soon. New episodes every mornng, Monday-Thursday.Episode notes:Slow Cooker Pork Tacos with Hoisin and GingerHenri Nouwen devotional: “The Blessing Hidden in Grief”Liz Bruenig's pieces in The Atlantic: “78 Minutes” and “A Culture That Kills Its Children Has No Future”“Police inaction moves to center of Uvalde shooting probe” (AP)The Top 5 articles for your week:“A Gentler Christendom” (First Things Magazine)Because Ross Douthat writes on Jacques Maritain and how to handle the decline of Christianity. “For those with ears to hear, these are the practical lessons of the recent Christian past, and especially of our own country's history. Religious power wielded wisely and mildly and indirectly, with due respect to liberty and diversity and a focus first on the faith's internal health and zeal, can sustain a religious ascendancy for many ­generations. But religious power wielded too much against pluralism, with political ambition substituting for real faithfulness, will corrupt and enervate and bring about its own reward.”“What Progress Wants” (The Abbey of Misrule - Substack)Because “The Italian philosopher Augusto Del Noce saw the modern era as a thorough and permanent revolution - a radical break with the human past. He defined a modern person as ‘someone who thinks that “today it is no longer possible…”' We do not tend to see our time as continuous with what has gone before…By sweeping away old ways of thinking, seeing and living, modernity has produced ‘a type of violence capable of breaking the continuum of history.'”“The Rotten Core of Our Political System” (The Atlantic)Because we're reading the new book, “This Will Not Pass: Trump, Biden, and the Battle for America's Future” and enjoyed this review from George Packer.“Inside LA's Homeless Industrial Complex” (The New Republic)

Since 1990, historian, activist, and essayist Rebecca Solnit has written more than twenty books, on subjects ranging from natural disasters and wandering to feminism and social change. In the past, Rebecca has singled out female authors such as Virginia Woolf as important influences. Today, though, she’ll be talking about a more surprising writer to whom she feels she owes a debt: George Orwell. Orwell is best known for essays such as “Politics and the English Language” and for his chilling portrayal of totalitarianism in novels such as 1984. He has long been revered by male writers such as George Packer and the late Christopher Hitchens. But female writers, including Rebecca, have tended to be more critical, sometimes taking Orwell to task for ignoring the injustices of sexism. And yet Rebecca counts Orwell as a major influence. In fact, she has devoted her latest book to his life and work. It’s called Orwell’s Roses, and it was inspired by a visit she paid to his rural cottage, where she learned about the gardening he did long ago. Rebecca contends that nature not only mattered greatly to Orwell, but that it is directly related to his antifascism. In this conversation, she elaborates on her unconventional view of Orwell, and she offers an alternative reading of 1984. She talks about how Orwell was both a socialist and a critic of the left, and why she identifies with this, and argues for the political importance of pleasure and beauty. And she explains why, despite Orwell’s troubling silence about the plight of women, she believes we should still read his works. Primary Sources is a co-production of Public Books and Type Media Center. Our show’s executive producer is Caitlin Zaloom, the founding editor of Public Books. Our producer is DJ Cashmere. Our engineer is Jess Engebretson. Special thanks to Kelley Deane McKinney, the publisher and managing editor of Public Books and Taya Grobow, executive director of Type Media Center. Our theme music is “Kitty in the Window,” composed by Podington Bear (Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 International License). View full episode notes and a transcript here.

George Packer is journalist and author whose words, during 15 years as staff writer for the New Yorker and latterly at the Atlantic, have helped frame American public life. His latest book is Last Best Hope: America In Crisis and Renewal, which is now finding its way to shelves as a paperback, and reflects on the polarised nature of US politics and what could be done to bring the two sides closer to consensus. Hosting the discussion is Justin Webb from BBC Radio 4's The Today Programme. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wear is the Love, Episode #12This week, we're back to chatting about some of our Top 5 articles, specifically George Packer's piece in The Atlantic on the school culture wars and Vinson Cunningham's interview of Dr. Cornel West in the New Yorker. We're still praying for Ukraine and hope you'll tune into episodes 10 and 11 if you're interested.Also, don't miss Michael's posts from this last week, including his thoughts on cooking with love on a tight schedule, and his essay on the appropriate use of political power. Episode notes:Our Shared Past in the Mediterranean Curriculum (the project Melissa worked on a few years ago)The Top 5 articles for your week:“The Grown Ups Are Losing It” (The Atlantic)Because as we discuss on the podcast, George Packer asks “what is school for?” amidst the debates about what we're teaching children in public schools.“Cornel West Sees Spiritual Decay in the Culture” (New Yorker)Because Dr. West is incisive here and throughout this great interview: “The secular has taken tremendous wounds and bruises in the last thirty years, because commodification is almost taking it over—and so, when you think of the secular, you don't think right away of scientific authority, scientific breakthroughs. When you think of the secular these days, you think of careerism, opportunism, hedonism, egoism, individualism—and the ways in which science seems to be driven by corporate greed, seems to be moving toward the explosion of the planet or the collapse of the environment. So that the secular has a very different resonance now than it did in '77. It's almost as if everybody recognizes the spiritual decay and the moral decrepitude of the culture.”“Awaiting a New Prophetic Dispensation” (Hedgehog Review)Because “Perhaps we can tuck our disagreements about fundamental things away into our private lives, and let the public sphere be a place for adjudicating public things.”“The man who paid for America's fear” (San Francisco Chronicle)Because in the immediate aftermath of 9/11, hundreds of Muslims were detained and jailed on charges of terrorism, and this essay shows the lingering impact that experience had on one such man.“Here is How It Feels to Watch Russia Wage War in Ukraine” (NYT)Because young people, i.e. those under 30 who know nothing but a democratic Ukraine, talked to the NYT about their experiences and attitudes towards the war. Get full access to Reclaiming Hope Newsletter at reclaiminghope.substack.com/subscribe --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/wear-we-are/support

Biden's empathy didn't extend to Afghan allies — like interpreters — who risked their lives for our troops. When the administration didn't plan for their exit, vets, soldiers, and others came together to save lives. The Atlantic's George Packer joins Charlie Sykes on today's podcast. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices