Podcast appearances and mentions of Niall Ferguson

Tom and Drew break down a stacked news day starting with the Trump DOJ signing off on a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" settlement that wraps up Trump's pending lawsuits and grants tax-investigation immunity to him, Donald Jr., Eric, and the Trump Organization for any returns filed before the investigation date. Tom unpacks why this functions as a soft self-pardon, why the slush fund framing is structurally dangerous regardless of the merits, and why presidents need to operate knowing every move will be scrutinized after they leave office. From there, the guys get into Trump claiming he paused a bombing campaign against Iran an hour before it was set to launch at the request of GCC nations, US bond yields hitting their highest level since 2007, and the AIPAC-funded primary takedown of Thomas Massie in Kentucky — the one Congressman wearing a pin tracking the national debt, now removed by lobby money in the most naked display of money-in-politics this cycle. Tom delivers an extended argument on the overproduction of elites — why too many people are being pushed into white-collar tracks the economy can't reward, how this fuels the resentment cycle driving political instability, and why historical empires (including pre-Revolution France) collapsed under the same dynamic. He walks through the Niall Ferguson book on the Rothschilds as a case study for understanding the meta-rules of how the world actually works, and pushes back hard against the Jeff Bezos pitch to exempt lower earners from federal taxes — arguing that everyone paying in is the only mechanism that keeps the government accountable. Plus: Mark Zuckerberg's leaked audio explaining why Meta is recording employee computer use to train AI amid the layoffs, why Tom is heading to Piers Morgan to debate AI displacement, how Kobe Bryant's pivot from basketball to filmmaking models the right mindset for navigating technological disruption, Ashley St. Clair's claim that Elon had access to 2024 election data, and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson saying she "felt seen" being called a communist by Trump. This one is dense. Tom is in deep-dive mode the whole episode, particularly on the central banking and inflation theft mechanics that he argues are the real engine behind almost every political fight currently dominating the news cycle. What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER:  https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.:  https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodAT&T Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Netsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/Theory Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impact Monetary Metals: Future-proof your wealth at https://monetarymetals.com/impactPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impact Tom Bilyeu, Impact Theory, Drew, Trump DOJ settlement, Trump tax immunity, IRS slush fund, 1.776 billion, Trump Iran bombing paused, US bond yields 2026, Thomas Massie AIPAC, Massie Kentucky primary, money in politics, Mark Zuckerberg leaked audio, Meta AI surveillance, AI layoffs, Piers Morgan, Katie Wilson Seattle mayor, communist mayor, Jeff Bezos taxes, nurse in Queens, overproduction of elites, Niall Ferguson Rothschild, French Revolution, inflation theft, central banking, Ashley St Clair Elon, 2024 election data Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tom and Drew break down a stacked news day starting with the Trump DOJ signing off on a $1.776 billion "anti-weaponization" settlement that wraps up Trump's pending lawsuits and grants tax-investigation immunity to him, Donald Jr., Eric, and the Trump Organization for any returns filed before the investigation date. Tom unpacks why this functions as a soft self-pardon, why the slush fund framing is structurally dangerous regardless of the merits, and why presidents need to operate knowing every move will be scrutinized after they leave office. From there, the guys get into Trump claiming he paused a bombing campaign against Iran an hour before it was set to launch at the request of GCC nations, US bond yields hitting their highest level since 2007, and the AIPAC-funded primary takedown of Thomas Massie in Kentucky — the one Congressman wearing a pin tracking the national debt, now removed by lobby money in the most naked display of money-in-politics this cycle. Tom delivers an extended argument on the overproduction of elites — why too many people are being pushed into white-collar tracks the economy can't reward, how this fuels the resentment cycle driving political instability, and why historical empires (including pre-Revolution France) collapsed under the same dynamic. He walks through the Niall Ferguson book on the Rothschilds as a case study for understanding the meta-rules of how the world actually works, and pushes back hard against the Jeff Bezos pitch to exempt lower earners from federal taxes — arguing that everyone paying in is the only mechanism that keeps the government accountable. Plus: Mark Zuckerberg's leaked audio explaining why Meta is recording employee computer use to train AI amid the layoffs, why Tom is heading to Piers Morgan to debate AI displacement, how Kobe Bryant's pivot from basketball to filmmaking models the right mindset for navigating technological disruption, Ashley St. Clair's claim that Elon had access to 2024 election data, and Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson saying she "felt seen" being called a communist by Trump. This one is dense. Tom is in deep-dive mode the whole episode, particularly on the central banking and inflation theft mechanics that he argues are the real engine behind almost every political fight currently dominating the news cycle. What's up, everybody? It's Tom Bilyeu here: If you want my help... STARTING a business: join me here at ZERO TO FOUNDER:  https://tombilyeu.com/zero-to-founder?utm_campaign=Podcast%20Offer&utm_source=podca[%E2%80%A6]d%20end%20of%20show&utm_content=podcast%20ad%20end%20of%20show SCALING a business: see if you qualify here.:  https://tombilyeu.com/call Get my battle-tested strategies and insights delivered weekly to your inbox: sign up here.: https://tombilyeu.com/ ********************************************************************** If you're serious about leveling up your life, I urge you to check out my new podcast, Tom Bilyeu's Mindset Playbook —a goldmine of my most impactful episodes on mindset, business, and health. Trust me, your future self will thank you. ********************************************************************** FOLLOW TOM: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tombilyeu/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tombilyeu?lang=en Twitter: https://twitter.com/tombilyeu YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TomBilyeu Ketone IQ: Visit https://ketone.com/IMPACT for 30% OFF your subscription orderQuince: Free shipping and 365-day returns at https://quince.com/impactpodAT&T Business: Switch to AT&T Business at business.att.com Incogni: Take your personal data back with Incogni! Use code IMPACT at the link below and get 60% off an annual plan: https://incogni.com/impactShopify: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at https://shopify.com/impact Netsuite: Right now, get our free business guide, Demystifying AI, at https://NetSuite.com/Theory Quo: Try for free PLUS get 20% off your first 6 months at https://quo.com/impact Monetary Metals: Future-proof your wealth at https://monetarymetals.com/impactPique: 20% off at https://piquelife.com/impact Tom Bilyeu, Impact Theory, Drew, Trump DOJ settlement, Trump tax immunity, IRS slush fund, 1.776 billion, Trump Iran bombing paused, US bond yields 2026, Thomas Massie AIPAC, Massie Kentucky primary, money in politics, Mark Zuckerberg leaked audio, Meta AI surveillance, AI layoffs, Piers Morgan, Katie Wilson Seattle mayor, communist mayor, Jeff Bezos taxes, nurse in Queens, overproduction of elites, Niall Ferguson Rothschild, French Revolution, inflation theft, central banking, Ashley St Clair Elon, 2024 election data Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taiwan is where the uneasy peace between the United States and China will be tested--and possibly broken. Beijing believes that "reunification" is inevitable. American military strength has preserved peace and stability for decades, but its advantages are eroding. Beijing has found critical gaps in U.S. strategy and is working to squeeze, isolate, and coerce Taiwan into submission without firing a shot. If deterrence fails, the consequences of a Taiwan crisis would be catastrophic--plunging the global economy into chaos, shattering U.S. alliances, and allowing China to dominate the region and reshape the world order. In Defending Taiwan, Eyck Freymann presents the first integrated strategy to deter war with China and preserve an honorable peace. Drawing on untranslated Chinese sources, military and economic analysis, and deep historical research, Freymann argues that Washington's deterrence strategy must extend beyond conventional military power and familiar threats of mutually assured destruction. America must work with allies to develop a bold new vision of technological and economic statecraft--and a plan to secure its interests if deterrence fails. Freymann examines China's full range of strategic options. The United States can deter them all. But to do so, it must integrate its military strength, economic leverage, technological leadership, and diplomatic influence into a single, coherent plan to prevent war. For more information about the Hoover Applied History Working Group, visit: https://www.hoover.org/research-teams/applied-history-working-group

Why did the West dominate all rivals on Earth? How did a group of states that were nearly wiped out in the late Middle Ages by enemies to the south and east grow to conquer the globe by the 16th century? To answer that question, we need to go back to its beginning and see what made Europe, Europe. As good a point as any is the Battle of Marathon in 490 BC, when Athens preserved democracy from Persian conquest. It consolidated further in 146 BC when Rome began continental integration, and more so under Charlemagne when it became defined as wherever Christian rulers governed rather than by Hadrian's fixed borders six centuries earlier. Overall, it’s a mix of Greek political systems, Roman law, Christianity's moral architecture, and Niall Ferguson's "killer app" of competition where states and merchants constantly vied to outdo each other in ways China's unified empire never experienced. Today's guest is Roderick Beaton, author of Europe: A New History. We discuss why the Scientific Revolution happened in Europe and not Asia or China (the reintroduction of Greek scholarship into universities combined with the printing press allowing radical ideas to bypass censorship), how representative government emerged when Dutch and English merchant classes traded tax revenue for permanent voice in state policy, and why the European Union's visionary supranational system with open borders under rule of law did not mark the end of history as America celebrated in 1991. Beaton explains that while Princeton dropped even the language requirement for Classics majors in recent years, Europe as an idea and collective identity cannot simply be deconstructed without offering any replacement for the framework we all still use.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 19th-century America almost anyone could print their own money – and many did. One of the most notable figures to take this up was a man named James Brown, a charismatic conman who built a fortune producing fake banknotes. In this episode of The Story of Money, Stephen Mihm, a professor of history at the University of Georgia, introduces hosts Gillian Tett and Robin Wigglesworth to “the hardest working man in counterfeiting”. They discuss the parallels between banking in the Wild West and the advent of cryptocurrencies today, and the role trust plays in all financial systems. Further reading:A Nation of Counterfeiters: Capitalists, Con Men, and the Making of the United States, by Stephen Mihm (2007) The Square and Tower: Networks, Hierarchies and the Struggle for Global Power, by Niall Ferguson (2018)To enjoy future episodes, be sure to subscribe to The Story of Money wherever you get your podcasts, and also follow the show's dedicated YouTube channel here. Learn more at ft.com/tsom Hosts: Gillian Tett and Robin WigglesworthGuest: Stephen MihmProducer: Lulu SmythSenior Producer: Michela Tindera and Laurence KnightExecutive Producers: Flo Phillips and Manuela SaragosaOriginal music: Breen TurnerBroadcast engineers: Bianca Wakeman and Petros GiuompasisPodcast Development: Laura ClarkeFT Global Head of Audio: Cheryl BrumleyVideo editor: Kristen Kenyon at Podcast DiscoveryRead a transcript of this episode on FT.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"This is the largest oil supply disruption the world has ever seen." Jason Bordoff of the Center on Global Energy Policy and the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast joins us to explore the potential long-term impacts on global energy systems of the oil shock caused by the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The episode, recorded a few days before the news that the UAE was quitting OPEC, was made in collaboration with the Columbia Energy Exchange podcast: https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/series/columbia-energy-exchange/ Links: Columbia Energy Exchange podcast: https://www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/series/columbia-energy-exchange/ The Iran Shock And the Dangerous Allure of Energy Autarky (Foreign Policy): https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/iran-shock Energy independence could make America more aggressive (Financial Times): https://www.ft.com/content/2c2c6f08-d5c0-41e5-ab0c-1605dba64582?shareType=nongift Energy Transition Index (World Economic Forum), available from 17 June, 2026: wef.ch/ETI26 What leaders are saying about the renewed geopolitics of energy (World Economic Forum): https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/geopolitics-of-energy-what-leaders-are-saying/ 3 lessons on the energy transition in an age of crisis (World Economic Forum): https://www.weforum.org/stories/2026/04/3-lessons-energy-transition-age-of-crisis/ World Economic Forum Centre for Energy and Materials: https://centres.weforum.org/centre-for-energy-and-materials/ Related podcasts: The rise of industrial policy - why governments are back in the business of business: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/industrial-policy-trade-choke-points/ Welcome to Cold War Two: historian Niall Ferguson on geopolitics in 2026: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/niall-ferguson-geopolitics-cold-war/ "Everything has changed" - Gita Gopinath on the global economy in 2026: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/gita-gopinath-global-economy-2026/ Are we on track for the energy transition? Insights from three CEOs: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/energy-transition-electrification-siemens-aes-envision/ Climate science is clearer than ever. How should companies respond?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/climate-science-policy-business-response/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552    

Jon Hartley and Niall Ferguson explore Niall's career, the power of networks in his books The House of Rothschild volume one (1998) and volume two (1999), and The Square and the Tower (2017); the rise and fall of empire in his books Empire (2003) and The Great Degeneration (2013), America's global role in his book Colossus (2005), and the enduring legacy of Adam Smith on the 250th anniversary of The Wealth of Nations—as well as the Anglosphere, economic growth, and the rise of 21st-century socialism. Recorded on March 23, 2026. ABOUT THE SERIES Each episode of Capitalism and Freedom in the 21st Century, a video podcast series and the official podcast of the Hoover Economic Policy Working Group, focuses on getting into the weeds of economics, finance, and public policy on important current topics through one-on-one interviews. Host Jon Hartley asks guests about their main ideas and contributions to academic research and policy. The podcast is titled after Milton Friedman‘s famous 1962 bestselling book Capitalism and Freedom, which after 60 years, remains prescient from its focus on various topics which are now at the forefront of economic debates, such as monetary policy and inflation, fiscal policy, occupational licensing, education vouchers, income share agreements, the distribution of income, and negative income taxes, among many other topics. For more information about the podcast, or subscribe for the next episode, click here.

With geopolitics and the US economy in focus at our Central Bankers' Seminar, we are delighted to bring two expert speakers to the podcast. Former Fed Governor and NEC Chair Lael Brainard discusses the outlook for the US economy and the path for the Federal reserve. Economic historian and geopolitical expert Niall Ferguson gives his views on the Iran war and how it will impact the geopolitical landscape in the short and long term.

Sir Niall Ferguson, Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and columnist at The Free Press, reveals how geography and choke points have always been pivotal in global conflicts and just like the Dardanelles during WWI, today's hotspots like the Straits of Hormuz and Taiwan remind us that some strategic challenges never change. What exactly are chokepoints and why do they matter? How do the lessons of Gallipoli and Ukraine apply to the war with Iran? How is the current situation different from the Tanker War and WWI? Can naval and air power alone open the Strait of Hormuz and keep it open? Is there a timeline for success? And what does this all mean for U.S. magazine depth, the economy, and China? ▪️ Times 02:49 Gallipoli 11:08 Unintended consequences      18:10 Ukraine 26:22 A failure of perception 31:36 The right call by Trump?  37:34 Regime alteration 47:05 Timeframes 53:33 China Follow along on Instagram, X @schoolofwarpod, and YouTube @SchoolofWarPodcast Find more content on our School of War Substack

Wednesday, March 11, 2026 Hoover Institution | Stanford University Hoover Institution fellow Niall Ferguson and Andrew Preston discuss Preston's latest book Total Defense: The New Deal and the Invention of National Security.

A week into US and Israeli military operations against Iran, where does the conflict stand? GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane and H.R. McMaster discuss the odds of hostilities expanding, what the aftermath of “regime alteration” might resemble, a possible economic backlash should energy prices spike, plus a geopolitical shock felt in Beijing and Moscow. Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

Nick Kumleben, Director of the Geopolitical Risk Consultancy founded by Niall Ferguson, Greenmantle, rejoins us to discuss the latest events in Middle East. What are the short, medium and long-term consequences of Israel and the US's joint attack on global trade and commodities. What are some non-linear effects and why ultimately duration is key.

As his self-proclaimed 10-day window for dealing with Iran approaches its end, what are President Trump's options? GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster weigh the merits of a US military strike versus an interim diplomatic solution. They also probe the Epstein scandal's impact on the British landscape and the Supreme Court's ruling against the Trump administration's use of emergency powers for tariff implementation. Later, in the “lightning round”: why US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was warmly received at the Munich Security Conference; the Pentagon's desire to sever academic ties with Harvard University; Barack Obama's suggesting that aliens exist; plus H.R.'s remembrance of film great Robert Duvall, aka Apocalypse Now's Lt. Col. Bill “I Love the Smell of Napalm in the Morning” Kilgore.  Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comSally is a journalist, columnist, TV commentator, author, wife to Ben Bradlee, and legendary DC hostess. Who better to talk to about the implosion of The Washington Post? She also founded the Post's religion website, “On Faith.” She's the author of six books, including the spiritual memoir Finding Magic, and We're Going to Make You a Star — about her time at “CBS Morning News.” Her latest novel is Silent Retreat, and she's now working on a memoir called Never Invite Sally Quinn. Her energy at 84 is, well, humbling. We had a blast.For two clips of our convo — on Sally's initial impression of Bezos, and the time Bill Clinton called her the b-word — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: born in Savannah, GA, and learning voodoo as a kid; moving as an Army brat; her general dad who captured Göring and helped create the CIA; at Smith College wanting to be an actress; rebelling against Vietnam and the wishes of her dad by marrying Bradlee; the Georgetown party circuit and how it's grown more partisan; throwing a pajama party for Goldwater; dating Hunter S. Thompson; Watergate and Woodstein; the Grahams; Tom Stoppard; Hitchens; Howell Raines; Newt's revolution; Bill's womanizing; Hillary defending her cheater; the Monica frenzy; Obama rising on merit; Barack the introvert; Jerry Brown; the catastrophe of Biden running in 2024; Dr. Jill's complicity and cruelty; Jon Meacham; Maureen Dowd; David Ignatius; Bradlee's dementia; declining trust in journalism; Bezos nixing the Harris endorsement; his life with Lauren Sanchez; sucking up to Trump; the Will Lewis debacle; Sally's spiritual life; silent retreats; Zen meditation; the humor in Buddhism; the denial of death; debating the the Golden Rule; children in Gaza; and the need more than ever for in-person gatherings.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Jeffrey Toobin on the pardon power, Michael Pollan on consciousness, Derek Thompson on abundance, Matt Goodwin on the UK political earthquake, Jonah Goldberg on the state of conservatism, Tom Holland on the Christian roots of liberalism, Tiffany Jenkins on privacy, Adrian Wooldridge on “the lost genius of liberalism,” and Kathryn Paige Harden on the genetics of vice. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com. A listener writes:Thanks for all these good episodes. Is Vivek still planning to be a guest soon? I have been looking forward to that episode.He got cold feet. Too bad. On the other hand, I tend to avoid active politicians. Because they're rarely as candid as I'd like a guest to be. Oh well.A fan of last week's pod who lives near Atlanta writes, “The longtime Dishheads on the Mableton cul-de-sac definitely approve of your interview with homegrown talent Zaid Jilani”:I agree with his description of Mableton as a bit like the United Nations; I see that diversity in our grocery stores and local restaurants. He mentioned how he was often the only Pakistani and thus perceived as a nonthreatening minority. It makes me wonder how much the diversity mix affects how people perceive immigration? If a large group from one country arrives, does that seem more like an invasion? If a similar number arrives but from a wide range of locations, does that seem more like the normal American melting pot?After 30 years of living in Mableton, this may partly explain why I am not bothered by immigration in the way that you are, Andrew. I expect to see and hear all sorts of people wherever I go in my neighborhood. Today the teller at the bank spoke accented English. There are regular clerks at my grocery store who are immigrants. Our new HVAC was installed by immigrants. As an Atlanta suburb, there are many people descended from African slaves. European ancestry is merely one possibility off the long colorful menu around here.I think pace and numbers matter. A slower pace and fewer — with no massive homogenous populations arriving at once. And a new emphasis on Americanization over “multiculturalism”.From a listener who wants to “Make Democrats Great Again”:Great conversation with Zaid Jilani last week. I am very concerned that hardly any Democrats are being at all introspective, trying to figure out where they went wrong and how to become a party that can actually win elections — maybe even hearts and minds. They are only defined as anti-Trump, and their only hope is for Trump to go down in flames — which he very well might, but all they aspire to is winning as the least-worst party.The policy directions for reclaiming sanity and moderate voters are obvious (to me, at least). Here are my top three issues:1. AffordabilityThe longest lever to affect affordability is housing. Democrats have been complete failures in this regard, with strongholds like California and NYC being the least affordable places. When they talk about “affordable housing,” they only mean housing that is forced below market rate for the few poor people lucky enough to get it. They offer no solutions for the middle class or young people.The solution is obvious: build more. Plough through the various restrictions that are preventing housing from being built. There is no reason housing can't be cheap, except for NIMBY politics. Scott Weiner in California has been doing great work on this.Health care is the second-longest affordability lever. Obamacare made some progress, but not nearly enough, especially in terms of keeping costs down. But I'm not sure we're ready for another push on this; I say focus on housing.2. ImmigrationObviously there should be some immigration, and obviously we have structured our economy such that many jobs are only done by immigrants. But the Democrats' policy of simply not enforcing immigration law is untenable, especially for a group asking to be put in charge of law enforcement. We need those migrant workers, so find a way for them be here legally. Not through amnesty, but through some sort of bureaucratic process: have the employers fill out a form; have the prospective worker fill out a form in some office in Mexico; have someone process the form; and give them a green card.This is simple stuff! And yes, it would be helpful to admit that open borders, sanctuary cities, and subverting the law were not good ideas.3. CultureEnd wokeness. America is not a country consumed by white supremacy, and the people who voted for Trump are not racists. There are hardly any racists! And drop the other insanities, like the trans stuff.The message needs to be, “We are the Democrats and we want to help anybody from any state who needs help.” Hard to convince struggling white people in the South that you're going to help them when you seem to despise them. Love your brother, for crying out loud. And naturally, today's woke Democrats would be much more accepting of this message if it came from a racial minority candidate.Another wanted to hear more:I wish you had asked Zaid about Josh Shapiro. Also, when Zaid talked about affordability, he never mentioned housing — which is why there are so many ex-Californians in his home state of Georgia and elsewhere. “Build Baby Build” should be the slogan of the Democratic Party, rather than gaslighting Americans into believing housing prices will come down because we are getting rid of immigrants (Vance).Here's a dissent:About 20:30 into your interview with Zaid Jilani, he said that the root of all the Abrahamic faiths is that the meek have rights. You replied that this applied more to Christianity and Islam than to Judaism. I say this neither rhetorically nor to admonish you, but how much do you know about Judaism? Your comment is completely mistaken. Just what do you think Judaism says about the meek?Another has examples:In Genesis, you find that all humans were created b'tzelem Elohim (in the image of God). Moreover, Jewish texts consistently frame care for the poor as a legal obligation and moral imperative, not mere charity. Every Jewish child learns that promoting economic justice is mandated. It is called tzedakah.This religious mandate has manifested itself in the real world. Jews have been disproportionately represented in social justice movements aimed at promoting human equality. It wasn't an accident that two of three civil rights movement activists murdered in Neshoba County, Mississippi by the Ku Klux Klan were Jewish.Points taken. Big generalizations in a chat can be dumb. My quarrel may be semantic: the meek is not merely the weak. It's about the quiet people, those easily trampled upon. Like many of Jesus' innovations, it takes a Jewish idea further.Another listener on the Zaid pod:I wonder if you ever play the game of “which time would you like to go back to”? I do! And only half-jokingly, I often say 1994 in DC. Something about, for example, Christopher Hitchens on CSPAN in a dreary suit jacket discussing such *trivial* aspects of politics in a serious way. How perfect! When I listened to your episode with Zaid Jilani about how the left can win, it seemed dated to about this period in the early ‘90s.Ah yes, the Nineties. They were heady times and I think we all kinda realized it at the time. The economy was booming, crime was plummeting, Annie Leibovitz took my picture, and we had the luxury of an impeachment over a b*****b. Good times.On another episode, a listener says I have a “rose-colored view of President Obama”:In your conversation with Jason Willick, you said that Obama was a stickler for proper procedure and doing things the right way. I might instance, on the other side:* Evading the constitutional requirements on treaties in pursuit of the Iran deal (an evasion that the Republicans were stupid enough to go along with)* Encouraging the regulatory gambit of “sue and settle”* The “Dear Colleague” letter* “I've got a pen and a phone”Points taken. Especially the DACA move. But compared to Biden and Trump? Much better. One more listener email:I've been following you for years, but more recently I became a subscriber, and it's a decision I don't regret! I usually listen to the Dishcast over the weekend, and I always find it extremely stimulating, but there is also something relaxing about the length and scope of your conversations.I want to respond to something you said in your Claire Berlinski episode on the subject of Ukraine. Although I appreciate your position in defence of international law, you implied that Russia's claim to Ukrainian land is somehow “historically legitimate.” This is not only problematic from a logical standpoint (does Sweden have a historically legitimate claim to Finland and Norway, or does the UK have a claim to the Republic of Ireland, the US, and all its former colonies?), but also not based on historical reality.Unfortunately, this is not the first time your comments on Ukraine seem come through the prism of a Russian lens. I am sure it's not intentional; perhaps that's not a subject you have invested much time in, which is legitimate. However, I find it a bit surprising that, as we approach the fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion, you still don't seem to have had the curiosity to explore this and invite any specialist on Ukraine. If Timothy Snyder is too political these days, I would recommend Serhii Plokhy — possibly the most eminent historian of Ukraine — or Yaroslav Hrytsak. They would each be a very interesting conversation.The Dishcast has featured many guests with expertise on the Ukraine war, including Anne Applebaum (twice), John Mearsheimer, Samuel Ramani (twice), Edward Luttwak, Fiona Hill (twice), Robert Wright, Robert Kaplan, Fareed Zakaria, Douglas Murray, Edward Luce, and Niall Ferguson.A reader responds to last week's column, “The President Of The 0.00001 Percent”:Like you, I'm not against people getting rich. A lot of good is done by a few people who have enough money to seed research and the arts, and pursue things that ordinary worker bees would never have the margin of time or resources to pursue. Good so far.But all strong forces need regulation and/or protective barriers, whether it's the weather, sex, patriotism, or capitalism. What's going on now is obscene. Progressive taxation is a social good: it doesn't stop anyone from getting richer and richer; it doesn't remove the positive motivators for success; it just means that the farther they get, the higher their proportionate contribution to the system that lets them get there. There are various ways to tweak the dials, but there is nothing philosophically wrong with tweaking them in a way the sets some outer limit. Let it be very high, but let it not be infinite.Here's a familiar dissent:You were right to torch the nihilism of the .00001 class. You were right to call out moral evasions. But when you referred to “the IDF's massacre of children in Gaza,” you collapsed a morally and legally distinct reality into a slogan. Words matter. “Massacre” implies intent. It suggests that the deliberate killing of children is policy rather than tragic consequence. That is a serious charge, and it deserves serious evidence.The governing reality in Gaza is not that Israel woke up one morning and decided to target children.

Are we living in the Second Cold War? And if so, what can we learn from the last one that might help us through it? Historian and author Niall Ferguson sets out his view of global affairs right now and says why, compared to many times in the past, there is lot to make us optimistic. Gayle Markovitz interviewed Niall Ferguson at the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2026 in Davos. Links: The Global Risks Report 2026: https://www.weforum.org/publications/global-risks-report-2026/ Related podcasts: Top global risks in 2026 and how the Davos 'spirit of dialogue' can help us face them: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/global-risks-report-2026/ "Everything has changed" - Gita Gopinath on the global economy in 2026: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/gita-gopinath-global-economy-2026/ What just happened in Davos?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/davos-2026-what-just-happened/ Chief Economists' Outlook January 2026: reassuring resilience and a 'good' bubble?: https://www.weforum.org/podcasts/radio-davos/episodes/chief-economists-outlook-barclays-christian-keller/ Check out all our podcasts on wef.ch/podcasts:  YouTube: - https://www.youtube.com/@wef/podcasts Radio Davos - subscribe: https://pod.link/1504682164 Meet the Leader - subscribe: https://pod.link/1534915560 Agenda Dialogues - subscribe: https://pod.link/1574956552

Unlike the romanticized tale the Chinese Communist Party tells of itself—long marches and a long game of outlasting and outwitting its foes—the early years of the CCP were ones of unrepentant violence and a rise to power made possible only with external help. Frank Dikötter, the Hoover Institution's Milias Senior Fellow and author of the forthcoming book, Red Dawn over China: How Communism Conquered a Quarter of Humanity, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane and H.R. McMaster to discuss what shaped the CCP from the years 1921–1949, plus parallels between Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong in terms of amassing power, purging rivals, and practicing economics and geopolitics. After that: the fellows debate the assertion by a New York Times columnist that Donald Trump has “lost the country,” as well as how much faith to put in economic indicators, plus songstress Billie Eilish's belief that “no one is illegal on stolen land.”   Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

Andrew Humberman BioSnap a weekly updated Biography.Andrew Huberman, the Stanford neuroscientist behind the massively popular Huberman Lab podcast, just landed a blockbuster gig as one of 19 new contributors to CBS News, announced January 27 by The Futon Critic. This move catapults him into mainstream TV, rubbing shoulders with heavyweights like Peter Attia and Niall Ferguson to tackle tough questions on politics, health, and science—think his expertise on brain plasticity, stress, and vision repair shining in prime time. CBS News tweeted the star-studded roster, tagging his Huberman Lab handle, signaling a huge biographical pivot from lab coats to broadcast stardom.Hot on that heel, Word on Fire published a glowing profile on January 27 hailing Huberman as one of the most famous scientists alive, diving into his neuroscience breakthroughs and tenured Stanford perch in neurobiology and ophthalmology. No public appearances popped in the last few days, but his podcast dropped a fresh episode yesterday, February 2, via HubermanLab.com, unpacking how dopamine and serotonin drive decisions, motivation, and learning—a neuro goldmine that could reshape self-help circles long-term.Business-wise, whispers from Fox News on January 8 noted health experts buzzing over Huberman backing the Trump admin's revamped food pyramid, though that's older tea with no fresh ripples. His lab keeps churning peer-reviewed papers in Nature and Science, and that upcoming book, Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body, looms as a potential bestseller. Social media stayed quiet on direct mentions, but the CBS tag lit up timelines. No unconfirmed rumors or scandals—just a quiet power play positioning Huberman as the go-to brain guy for the masses. Eyes peeled for his TV debut; this guy's trajectory screams icon status.Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOtaThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI

Is there a deeper strategy underlying President Trump's actions?Dan is joined by historian, Free Press columnist, CBS contributor, and Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution Sir Niall Ferguson to connect the dots on how President Trump is using leverage, unpredictability, and selective force across Iran, Venezuela, Europe, and beyond. They discuss why a counter revolution in Iran has little chance without foreign intervention, what “regime alteration” means, whether we're still living through Cold War II, and why Europe keeps taking the bait.In this episode…- Iran strike timing, targets, and endgame- “Regime alteration” vs. regime change- Why Iran's protests failed and fear works- Turkey's mediation and Erdoğan's ambitions- Saudi pressure and regional deterrence logic- Cold War II and the authoritarian axis- Davos, Europe's weakness, and the Greenland distraction- MAGA tensions, Israel, deterrence, and TaiwanThis episode was sponsored by United Hatzalah. Donate today at IsraelRescue.org/CallMeBack. Add this number to your phone right now if you live in Israel – 1221, and for those visiting it's 972-2-5-383838.From the episode:- Niall Ferguson's essay in the Free Press, “The Myth of Revolution in Iran”More Ark Media:Want to join Ark Media? Check out our careers page for new openings.Subscribe to Inside Call me BackListen to For Heaven's SakeListen to What's Your Number?Watch Call me Back on YouTubeNewsletters | Ark Media | Amit Segal | Nadav EyalInstagram | Ark Media | DanX | DanDan Senor & Saul Singer's book, The Genius of IsraelGet in touchCredits: Ilan Benatar, Adaam James Levin-Areddy, Brittany Cohen, Martin Huergo, Mariangeles Burgos, and Patricio Spadavecchia, Yuval Semo

Is there a deeper strategy underlying President Trump's actions? Dan is joined by historian, Free Press columnist, CBS contributor, and Senior Fellow at Hoover Institution Sir Niall Ferguson to connect the dots on how President Trump is using leverage, unpredictability, and selective force across Iran, Venezuela, Europe, and beyond. They discuss why a counter revolution […]

Donald Trump's drop-in at the World Economic Forum and the ensuing kerfuffle between the American president and the attending globalist elites raises the question: Who is winning on the world stage, Trump or his foes—or do they have more in common than is commonly recognized? Tyler Cowen, an economist, blogger, and Free Press columnist, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster to discuss Trump's third presidential visit to the Davos, Switzerland, lion's den, plus the rise of “democratic socialism” and “affordability politics” embodied in the ethos of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. After that: the three fellows discuss lessons from Minneapolis in the aftermath of two protestors shot to death by federal immigration agents; the odds of American military strikes against Iran; the significance of China's latest military purge; plus whether the show's resident historians are comfortable with the (over)use of phrase “the right side of history.” Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

Matt and Nic are back with another week of news and deals. In this episode:  Matt is heated about the Belichick HoF vote Fidelity launches a stablecoin FIDD on Ethereum Market structure passes Senate Ag Cmte The White House crypto council is being revived to find a compromise on stablecoin yield Fairshake has another war chest for the midterms Do stablecoins cause bank deposit contraction? Tether has 140 tons of gold now Why is Bitcoin not participating in the "debasement" trade? Is gold at risk from alchemy? People are still worried about quantum Will Worldcoin save us from AI bots? What's the solution to the AI slop apocalypse? Digital alibis with blockchains Content mentioned in this episode: Niall Ferguson and Manny Rincon-Cruz, Stablecoins Are the Future but Banks will Survive McKinsey and Artemis, Stablecoins in payments: What the raw transaction numbers miss

01:00 Hated by All the Right People, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167109 05:00 David Pinsof: The Alliance Theory of Political Belief Systems, Meaning of Life, and Morality, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kMPxH0yxts 11:00 Tucker Carlson and the Unraveling of the Conservative Mind, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167104 18:00 Jewish Conservatives Are Terrified Of Tucker Carlson, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167099 26:00 What Will Life Be Like For Jews Under A President Tucker Carlson?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167131 34:00 The Rise Of Mike Benz, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167085 45:00 The New York Times Sells Elite Alliance Coordination, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167083 57:00 Why Do Elites Want To Restrict Speech?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167068 59:00 NYT: Genetic Data From Over 20,000 U.S. Children Misused for ‘Race Science', https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/24/us/children-genetics-race-science.html 1:15:00 The Pro-Israel Strategy, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167107 1:20:00 Matt Drudge – Alliance Accelerator, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167081 1:28:00 That Noble Dream: The ‘Objectivity Question' and the American Historical Profession, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167115 1:36:00 The Holocaust in American Life, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167113 1:41:00 The Return Of The R-Word, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167121 1:47:00 The Return Of The N-Word, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167123 1:52:00 Why is the C-Word Widely Accepted in Australia But Rarely in America?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167125 1:56:00 Aussie Racism, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167127 2:01:30 The Nathan Cofnas Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167049 2:07:00 Explaining the Ben Shapiro Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167047 2:09:00 The Charlie Kirk Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167045 2:12:00 How do you build a career fighting anti-semitism?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167042 2:15:00 How do you build a career as a Chabad rabbi if you are sent to a community with few Jews and no shuls?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167040 2:18:00 How do you build a career as a Modern Orthodox congregational rabbi?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167038 2:23:00 How Do You Build A Career In Talk Radio?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167038 2:30:00 How Do You Build A Career As A Right-Wing Pundit?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167033 2:33:00 How To Get Ahead In Academia, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167019 2:40:00 The Replication Crisis, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167017 2:45:00 Niall Ferguson once seemed like a serious scholar, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167015 2:50:00 National Review Struggles To Stay Relevant In The Age Of Trump, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167013 2:59:00 The Fox News Trajectory, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167011 3:04:00 What Drives Yoram Hazony & National Conservatism?, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167008 3:10:00 The Fascism Charge In American Politics, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=167005 3:13:00 Never Trump & The Principled Conservatives, https://lukeford.net/blog/?p=166963

WarRoom Battleground EP 931: Sir Niall Ferguson, One Of The Greatest Living Historians, Converts And Confesses Jesus Christ

Live from Davos, Scott Galloway and historian Niall Ferguson examine why today's geopolitical moment looks less like a “new world order” and more like a return to Cold War power politics. They discuss Trump's foreign policy tactics, China as the central global rival, the limits of alliance politics, and why Ukraine's war may only end through a fragile and imperfect peace. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this edition of BizNews Daybreak, Alec Hogg unpacks the global and local stories moving the markets this morning: Diplomatic Friction: Tensions between the US and the EU escalate while South Africa's own relationship with Washington deteriorates over Iranian participation in naval exercises. Retired US intelligence analyst Col. Chris Wyatt weighs in on whether Pretoria should "dig in" or repair relations to protect trade. More on the "Madman" Theory: Piet Viljoen provides another perspective on historian Niall Ferguson's argument that Donald Trump's erratic behaviour—including his aggressive bid for Greenland—is a calculated strategy. Market Movers: On a relatively quiet JSE while the US takes a holiday, Sibanye Stillwater jumps 3% on news of a strategic pivot at its Keliber lithium project in Finland, while Sasol falls below R100 on lower oil and a stronger Rand. Investment Outlook: Counter-cyclical investor Piet Viljoen explains why 2026 could be another banner year for South African assets. Sign up for the BizNews Conference in Hermanus (March 10-12) as seats are filling up - details at BizNews.com.

Iran admits brutality; Niall Ferguson on Trump's “Madman Theory”; Andrew Ross Sorkin on the next Great Depression; China's play for Iron Ore pricing power. In this edition of BizNews Daybreak, Alec Hogg unpacks a volatile start to the week: Iran on the Brink: Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei (86), in power for 37 years, breaks his silence, admitting to the brutal repression of recent anti-government protests that billed thousands. Method to the Madness: Historian Niall Ferguson explains why Donald Trump's chaotic geopolitical moves—like the bid for Greenland—might be a calculated application of Nixon's “Madman Theory” to deter adversaries. Market Crash Fears: With anxiety rising, New York Times columnist and author of a recent bestseller on the subject Andrew Ross Sorkin weighs in on whether a 1929-style collapse is possible today, or if government debt is the real ticking time bomb. Commodities Shift: Beijing makes a major move to centralize iron ore purchases, threatening the pricing power of global mining giants. Check the bond market, watch the tariffs, and win the day.

This week I'm joined by historian Niall Ferguson to help me make sense of Iran's unprecedented wave of protests. We talk about why this moment feels different to previous uprisings, the regime's growing crisis of legitimacy, the limits of sanctions, and how the long shadow of 1953 still shapes everything in Iran. We also look at what Trump's “maximum pressure” could mean, and the risks posed by any form of U.S. intervention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Iran's theocracy teeters on the brink, the question turns to what the Trump administration's abiding interest in other bad regimes (Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia) and its appetite for land acquisitions (greenbacks for Greenland?) say about the American president's worldview. GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster discuss policy options for Iran now that protests have turned tragic; the relative silence from the same campus leftists who fervently protested the war in Gaza; Nixonian echoes in Trump's foreign policy; plus Secretary of State Marco Rubio's emergence as a geopolitical jack-of-all-trades. In the second segment, John weighs in on the significance of the Justice Department's criminal investigation into Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell; H.R. contends America's designs on Greenland are no laughing matter; and Sir Niall previews what to expect from Trump's appearance at the upcoming World Economic Forum in Davos. Finally, GoodFellows' resident “Deadhead” bids a fond farewell to the late Bob Weir, guitarist and cofounder of the Grateful Dead. Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.  

Sir Niall Ferguson—historian and author—joins Justin Thomson, head of the T. Rowe Price Investment Institute, to discuss how understanding the past can shape smarter investment decisions, help navigate risk, and spot the big calls that move markets.

Emergency Pod: Nick Kumleben of Greenmantle, the geopolitical risk consultancy headed by Niall Ferguson, joins us to discuss the events in Venezuela, the 'Donroe' Doctrine and what it means for commodities. Is Venezuela an oil story or something else? Is the Donroe Doctrine a structured, intelligible set of principles or just a catchy phrase coined by a New York tabloid ? Intelligible or not, what does it mean for adversaries, allies (Denmark and Greenland?) and the rest of Latin America. Commodities once again sit at the heart of global power politics and it's through that lens we investigate. And what in turn does it mean for commodity markets themselves... can they withstand such unpredictability and government interventions.

American special forces capture Venezuela's president and his wife in a daring nighttime operation, returning the deposed first couple to the US to stand trial for alleged narcoterrorism. Meanwhile, protests in Iran over worsening living conditions, coupled with a cratered economy, threaten that theocracy's future. GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster kick off 2026 by discussing both the precedent and the consequences of the move on Maduro, whether other nations (i.e. China) will invoke their own “Monroe Doctrines” to justify regional power grabs, plus the chances of similar fates awaiting Greenland, Colombia, or Cuba. After that: the panel's thoughts on whether Iran's regime is in its dying days as conditions on the ground deteriorate; and the chances of political transformation spreading worldwide in 2026—a là the end of the first Cold War—potential signposts of freedom as America celebrates 250 years of individual liberty. Finally, the fellows send their best wishes to a pair of GoodFellows guests—former Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse and Hoover's Victor Davis Hanson—as the two gentlemen do battle with cancer.   Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.  

Guest: Gregory Copley. Discussing Niall Ferguson's comparison of the current geopolitical climate to the imperialism of 1906, Copley argues that while territorial annexation is less common, a new form of technological and economic imperialism has emerged where the U.S. maintains spheres of influence through dominance in global defense sales. Copley notes that while Turkey attempts to reassert Ottoman-style control through "gunpowder diplomacy" despite being bankrupt, and the U.S. acts as a self-proclaimed global guardian, the primary rival, China, is currently failing due to internal collapse rather than expanding like the powers of the early 20th century.1905 TR BROKERS PEACE.

Sir Niall Ferguson is a Scottish historian, author, and public intellectual known for his work on economic history, empire, and global politics. | Hypnozio: Expert hypnotherapy https://sponsr.is/hypnozio_Triggernometry Triggernometry is proudly independent. Thanks to the sponsors below for making that possible: - Wild Alaskan Company: premium, wild-caught seafood. Go to https://wildalaskan.com/TRIG for $35 off your first box - Go to https://sponsr.is/hypnozio_Triggernometry and use our code TRIGGER15 to grab 15% off your first subscription with Hypnozio - Füm: Head to https://www.tryfum.com/Trig and use promo code TRIG to get your free gift with purchase, and start The Good Habit today! Join our exclusive TRIGGERnometry community on Substack! https://triggernometry.substack.com/ OR Support TRIGGERnometry Here: Bitcoin: bc1qm6vvhduc6s3rvy8u76sllmrfpynfv94qw8p8d5 Shop Merch here - https://www.triggerpod.co.uk/shop/ Advertise on TRIGGERnometry: marketing@triggerpod.co.uk Find TRIGGERnometry on Social Media: https://twitter.com/triggerpod https://www.facebook.com/triggerpod/ https://www.instagram.com/triggerpod/ About TRIGGERnometry: Stand-up comedians Konstantin Kisin (@konstantinkisin) and Francis Foster (@francisjfoster) make sense of politics, economics, free speech, AI, drug policy and WW3 with the help of presidential advisors, renowned economists, award-winning journalists, controversial writers, leading scientists and notorious comedians. 00:00 - Introduction 01:41 - What Is Money? 06:29 - The Connection Between Money And Precious Metals? 12:46 - The Formation Of Banks 18:47 - The Renaissance Era 25:23 - Why This Happened In Europe And Not Elsewhere In The World 30:55 - Risk 40:51 - The End Of The Reign Of Kings 49:42 - How Did You See The 2008 Financial Crash Coming? 54:23 - Are We Headed In A Direction Similar To The 1920/30s? 01:02:22 - The Addiction To Borrowing 01:11:06 - Chinese Debt 01:13:33 - What's The One Thing We're Not Talking About That We Really Should Be? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This past year wasn't easy—but it was certainly eventful. Donald Trump returned to the White House, issued a record number of executive orders, deployed the National Guard to American cities—like LA and D.C.—imposed sweeping tariffs on all our trading partners, gutted the government with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and unleashed a massive crackdown on immigration. But that was only the beginning. The administration also reached a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas—and all the living hostages came home from Gaza. Israel and the United States struck Iran's nuclear sites. We got the first American pope. And we haven't even started listing the pop-culture moments, like the Sydney Sweeney jeans ad, the Travis Kelce–Taylor Swift engagement, or when Lauren Sánchez Bezos and Katy Perry went to space. There was truly so much, and if we kept going we'd be here all day. But this, after all, is a prediction episode. So what will 2026 bring? Bari and Free Press deputy editor Olly Wiseman called up some friends of the pod—and experts in their fields—to get a better sense of what's in store for the year ahead. They spoke to political analyst and legal expert Sarah Isgur, who told them what to expect in Trump's second year; to Suzy Weiss on the cultural calendar ahead; to linguist John McWhorter on how new words and language will evolve; to Dr. Mark Hyman on how to get healthier in 2026; to writer and fashionista Leandra Medine Cohen on fashion trends to watch for; and to historian Niall Ferguson on whether or not we're right to have nightmares about World War III. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

FERGUSON'S ANALYSIS, THE EMPEROR SYSTEM, AND AUGUSTAN AUTHORITY Colleagues Gaius and Germanicus, Friends of History Debating Society, Londinium, 91 AD. The speakers critique historian Niall Ferguson's recent characterization of Donald Trump as a composite of Andrew Jackson, William McKinley, P.T. Barnum, and Richard Nixon. Germanicus dismisses Ferguson's analysis as a cynical attempt to force a conventional republican narrative onto what is actually a systemic shift toward an "emperor system." He argues that the Americanpublic has embraced this imperial transition due to the "ruin" and dysfunction of the traditional republic caused by a corrupt elite. While Ferguson attempts to minimize Trump's significance by linking him to past politicians like the "salesman" Barnum or the "aristocratic" Jackson, Germanicus asserts that the "gold leaf" aesthetic of the Trump era correctly signals a return to Augustan authority. The conversation concludes by contrasting the necessary "dignitas" of future American emperors with the degradation of the office under Bill Clinton, whom Germanicus describes as ethically "worse than Tiberius" due to his association with the Epstein scandal. They finish by reflecting on the resilience of the Byzantine emperors, such as Basil II, who successfully maintained imperial continuity for centuries through strong leadership. NUMBER 3

Nearly a century ago, after years of investors on a champagne high and warning signs ignored, a stock market crash led to a descent into a global depression. Andrew Ross Sorkin, a New York Times financial journalist and author of the bestseller 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster to discuss how the events of 1929 resonate to this day, what's misunderstood about the fabled crash, whether Herbert Hoover (only seven months into his presidency when disaster struck) gets a fair shake, plus what the future holds for Federal Reserve independence, the bidding war for Warner Bros. Discovery, and Wall Street's relationship with Washington. After that: The three fellows look back on 2025 with their choices for individual of the year, the most significant or ignored stories, what they learned in 2025, plus predictions and resolutions for the new year. Finally, a surprise visit by Hoover Institution visiting fellow Kris Kringle, who asks the panel for its holiday wishes (oddly enough, H.R. is never around when jolly old St. Nick shows up).      Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

Two institutional sectors are in both steady and rapid decline in terms of public trust: Congress and academia. Ben Sasse, former US senator from Nebraska and president of two universities, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster to discuss what ails Congress and how to fix it (based on his eight years in the Senate), plus how America's educational system has set a low bar for readying students for higher learning and life after college. Next the three fellows weigh the merits of the Trump administration's new National Security Strategy and what strategy there is (or isn't) regarding Venezuela and drug trafficking; the shortcomings of fuel-efficiency standards; whether they'd buy an American-made “tiny car” (no way, says our resident former tank driver); and, with the World Cup coming to America in 2026, how to clear up the confusion between US-brand “football” and the international “beautiful game” that goes by the same name (Sir Niall's solution: Change US football to “armored rugby”).    Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

After the Hoover Applied History Working Group book-launch seminar on Tuesday, December 2, 2025, Hoover Institution fellow Niall Ferguson interviewed Molly Worthen the author of Spellbound: How Charisma Shaped American History from the Puritans to Donald Trump. Watch the full book-launch seminar here: https://youtu.be/bXkccTi7ZDE

Sir Niall Ferguson, Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution, columnist for The Times and The Free Press, and best-selling author, joined The Guy Benson Show today as a knighted guest on the show. Ferguson discussed the knighthood process, from nomination to the moment you are told you will be knighted, and reflected on the significance of the honor. Ferguson also weighed in on President Trump's global record just a few months into his second term, saying you "cannot deny" the remarkable number of foreign and domestic policy achievements during the Trump administration, and explained why he's come to view Trump as "the Disrupter-in-Chief." Listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A hostage return and the signing of a cease-fire agreement signal a new chapter in the long-running dream of peace in the Middle East. Did it matter that the key negotiators, on the US side, were financiers and real-estate developers rather than scions of America's diplomatic corps? Russell Berman, a Hoover Institution senior fellow and codirector of Hoover's Working Group on the Middle East and the Islamic World, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson and John Cochrane to discuss the sturdiness of the Trump White House's 20-point peace plan, the futures of Hamas and the Abraham Accords, the likelihood of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's reliving Winston Churchill's fate (a successful wartime leader rejected by a war-weary electorate), plus whether the “real estate-ism” approach to diplomacy is applicable to President Trump's upcoming meetings with his Russian and Chinese counterparts. After that, Niall and John reflect on the likelihood of a market crash (it is October, after all), the chances of a full-fledged tariff war with China, the merits of a US-Argentina currency swap, plus an ominous warning from the International Monetary Fund regarding global debt. Finally, the fellows salute the legendary economist Thomas Sowell, the subject of a Hoover Institution tribute later this month.   Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

Niall Ferguson, Victor Davis Hanson, and Stephen Kotkin are all senior fellows at the Hoover Institution, and this is the first time they have appeared together in a public discussion. The topic: Is the United States in decline or on the verge of renewal? Exploring topics including Donald Trump's second term and the transformation of the Republican Party, relations between China and Taiwan, America's fiscal crisis, the current state of universities, and the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, this wide-ranging and often passionate conversation dives deep into history, politics, and the fate of Western civilization. Subscribe to Uncommon Knowledge at hoover.org/uk

Are all empires equally bad? If some were better than others, what criteria can we use to make such judgments? Why must we study networks, not only hierarchies, to understand our past, present, and future? What happens to societies in times of catastrophe, and who has the best chances of survival? And finally — why is Ukraine so important for the world today? *** Host: Volodymyr Yermolenko, a Ukrainian philosopher, editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, and president of PEN Ukraine. Guest: Niall Ferguson — a renowned British-American historian and author of numerous books, including “Empire”, “The Square and the Tower”, “The War of the World”, “Doom”, and others. Ferguson is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution. We had this conversation during the Yalta European Strategy Forum in Kyiv in September 2025. *** Thinking in Dark Times is a podcast of reflection from Ukraine. We try to see the light through — and despite — the current darkness. This episode was made possible thanks to the support of Politeia, a Ukrainian NGO dedicated to preparing a new generation of change-makers in Ukraine. *** UkraineWorld is an English-language media about Ukraine run by Internews Ukraine You can support UkraineWorld on https://www.patreon.com/c/ukraineworld We rely on crowdfunding to continue our work. You can also support our regular trips to the frontlines, where we provide support to both soldiers (cars) and civilians (books): PayPal, ukraine.resisting@gmail.com *** CONTENTS: 00:00 - Intro: Niall Ferguson, a renowned British American historian and author of numerous books. 01:58 - Why does historian Niall Ferguson keep coming back to Kyiv, and what value does he find here? 04:06 - Does the war in Ukraine truly hold a global meaning? 10:01 - Was the British Empire good or bad for the world? 12:17 - What's the difference between a 'liberal' empire and an 'illiberal' one? 19:30 - Does the European Union find a balance between the Empire and the Nation-State? 26:59 - Can Ukraine become an 'antifragile' state? 28:48 - Is being threatened by a 'big bad neighbor' the key to becoming an innovative society? 31:07 - How did the last decade of Russian aggression ultimately lead to the birth of the Ukrainian nation?

This week commemorates the two year anniversary of October 7, 2023. That morning, Hamas invaded Israel. They slaughtered some 1,200 people and took another 250 hostage. Forty-eight hostages, some alive and some dead, are still being held in Gaza. In these last two years, the world has changed. In many ways, the past two years have felt like two decades. The world feels like it has tilted on its axis.  There is nobody better suited to make sense of this moment—the lessons learned, the harsh realities that have been revealed, and America's changing role in the world—than Niall Ferguson. Niall is a columnist at The Free Press. He is also senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford, the author of 16 books, and one of the most influential historians of our time. This conversation with Niall was a Free Press livestream. To never miss those conversations, and to be able to join them as they unfold, become a subscriber at thefp.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One great power (China) has a relentless thirst to build that comes with a terrible human cost, while its main rival (America) is a more lawyerly and free society that's prone to stifling ideas both good and bad. On the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Dan Wang, a Hoover Institution research fellow and author of the bestseller Breakneck: China's Quest to Engineer the Future, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson and H.R. McMaster to discuss what the future holds for the two Cold War 2 rivals, plus Wang's firsthand experiences witnessing China's engineering boom and enduring its draconian pandemic policies. After that, the fellows weigh in on President Trump's recent United Nations address and the state of that institution, the likelihood of Trump's Gaza peace plan coming to fruition, the provision of long-range Tomahawk missiles to Ukraine, plus the merits of a US military strike inside Venezuela to counter narco-terrorism. In the lightning round: why America's military brass gathered at Quantico; National Guard troops head to Portland, Oregon; Scotland's frustration with illegal immigration; and the feasibility of the US regaining Afghanistan's Bagram Air Base.  Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

As a seemingly interminable conflict in Ukraine concludes its 43rd month of ground combat, aerial drone strikes, and stalemate, America's culture war enters a new phase with the assassination of conservative activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, followed by the suspension of late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel for an on-air comment made in the aftermath of Kirk's murder. GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster discuss the current state of affairs in Ukraine (Sir Niall fresh off a visit to Kyiv), Kirk's murder as a watershed moment in a potential new cycle of political violence, plus whether America has reached a tipping point regarding free speech and government meddling for partisan benefit (our resident “grumpy economist” calling for the elimination of the Federal Communications Commission). Finally, a little sunshine (as in the Sundance Kid): the three fellows offering their favorite Robert Redford movies in honor of the recently deceased (and Scottish?) screen legend.  Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comNiall is one of my oldest and dearest friends, stretching back to when we were both history majors and renegade rightists at Magdalen, Oxford. He is the Milbank Family Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and a senior faculty fellow of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard. He's also the founder and managing director of Greenmantle LLC, an advisory firm. He's written 16 books, including Kissinger, 1923-1968: The Idealist and Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe (which we discussed on the pod in 2021), and he writes a column for The Free Press.For two clips of our convo — a historical view of Trump's authoritarianism, and the weakness of Putin toward Ukraine — head to our YouTube page.Other topics: attending Niall's 60th birthday party in Wales with an all-male choir; Covid; Cold War II; China's surprisingly potent tech surge; the race for semiconductors and AI; Taiwan; global fertility; Brexit; the explosion of migrants under Boris and Biden; the collapse of the Tories; Reform rising; Yes Minister; assimilation in the UK; grooming gangs; the failure of “crushing” sanctions on Russia; the war's shift toward drones; Putin embraced by Xi and Modi; Trump's charade in Alaska; debating Israel and Gaza; the strike on Iran; the Abraham Accords; the settlements; America becoming less free; Trump's “emergencies”; National Guard in DC; the groveling of the Cabinet; the growth of executive power over many presidents; Trump's pardons; Kissinger; tariffs and McKinley; the coming showdown with SCOTUS; Jack Goldsmith's stellar work; Mamdani; Stephen Miller's fascism; the unseriousness of Hegseth; the gerrymandering crisis; the late republic in Rome; Tom Holland's Rubicon; Niall's X spat with Vance; Harvard's race discrimination; Biden re-electing Trump; wokeness; and South Park saving the republic.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy. Coming up: Jill Lepore on the history of the Constitution, Karen Hao on artificial intelligence, Katie Herzog on drinking your way sober, Michel Paradis on Eisenhower, Charles Murray on religion, David Ignatius on the Trump effect globally, and Arthur Brooks on the science of happiness. As always, please send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's embrace of his Russian and Chinese peers a mere signal of his displeasure with American tariff policy, or the beginning of a deeper geopolitical realignment? Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster discuss the significance of Modi's summitry with Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping. This leads into a broader conversation about Ukraine's durability (with Niall soon to visit Kyiv), as its conflict with Russia becomes a predominantly drone war. Also discussed: the question of power-wielding in Washington—the American president derided as a modern-day fascist for his use of executive authority; the differences between Trump Derangement Syndrome in the past versus the present; the Federal Reserve's independence (and sprawl); plus the merits of the federal government taking a 10% equity stake in chip manufacturer Intel. Finally, some bad news for our London fans: While the GoodFellows will be gathering in the UK's capital city, there are no plans for a rooftop concert à la the Beatles atop their Apple Corps building. Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

What to expect from this week's Putin–Trump summit in Alaska? Hoover Institution Director and former US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice—no stranger, she, to engaging in statecraft with Russia's enigmatic president—joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster for a spirited conversation about Vladimir Putin's motives (is the summit only for domestic Russian consumption?), how to characterize the present US-Sino competition (Secretary Rice tossing cold water on “Cold War 2”), plus the sensibility of the Trump administration's threats to withhold federal research funds from leading universities in order to change campus cultures. Following that, Sir Niall recounts his recent sit-down with Argentinian president Javier Milei (is that nation's “vibe shift” real or contrived?); and tariff-agnostic John Cochrane assesses the progress of the Trump administration's ever-evolving trade strategy. Finally, the three panelists discuss the recent 80th anniversary of the only wartime use of atomic weapons and the importance of its annual remembrance.

How does a young Scotsman go from struggling actor and failed politician to internationally acclaimed (and knighted) historian? In a solo installment of GoodFellows, Sir Niall Ferguson, Hoover's Milbank Family Senior Fellow, discusses his academic journey, fellow historians he admires, keys to successfully multi-tasking through life, plus how he and his spouse, Hoover Research Fellow Ayaan Hirsi Ali (who also appears in this episode), are raising their two sons. Also discussed: Sir Niall's newfound passion for sailing, his non-Scottish attitude toward golf and fishing, why he doesn't see retirement as a viable lifestyle, plus the pride he takes in a music legend recently lauding him as the “Jimi Hendrix” of his profession.   Recorded on July 30, 2025. Subscribe for clarity on today's biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

It's the fourth day in the war between Iran and Israel. Many questions hang in the air. Chief among them: Will Israel be able to fulfill its main goal in the war—to end Iran's nuclear program? Will it put troops on the ground to do so, specifically to blow up Iran's most important nuclear site? Or will the U.S. get involved? Will Trump provide the bunker-busting bombs necessary to destroy the facility at Fordow? Will the regime fall—and if so, what will come next? How does this struggle fit into the much, much larger geopolitical conflict between the U.S. and China? So today, I have two experts to break it all down: Niall Ferguson and Dexter Filkins. Niall Ferguson is a historian and Free Press columnist who just wrote in our pages, “Israel's attack restores the credibility of the West.” Dexter Filkins is a longtime foreign correspondent who has reported from Iran. He is a contributor at The New Yorker, has covered this topic for years, and is the author of The Forever War. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices