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This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhy do artists try so hard to shock the public? Why is Kanye West singing about Hitler? Why are New York artists dabbling with fascism?The novelist and cultural critic Țara Isabella Burton joins Damir Marusic and Santiago Ramos to discuss these questions and more. Last week, Tara published an essay on Wisdom of Crowds titled “The Point of Pissing People Off.” In it, she tries to figure out whether there is something positive at work in transgression and provocation — something good that comes out of shocking art.All three of our conversationalists agree: Kanye is not really being transgressive. But is there a good version of transgression? Tara suggests that we should think about transgression as a genre, with a certain form and structure, that can either succeed or fail. Damir is skeptical of analyzing transgression, and prefers to think of it as a moment of ecstasy. Santiago wonders if transgression is important for self-knowledge, and something valuable for society as a whole.In the course of the conversation, many transgressive works and artists are discussed, among them: Piss Christ; Madonna; Georges Bataille; the Marquis de Sade; and more.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Damir talks about the difference between analyzing transgressive art and consuming transgressive art, and why he prefers the latter; Damir discusses the difference between the punk rock of his day, where Reagan was the enemy, and the transgressive art today, which hails Trump as a leader; Tara, Santiago, and Damir trade thoughts about the French Revolution; Santiago tries to get Damir to explain what he means when he talks about “the stuff”; they discuss the question of whether love is as powerful as transgression; Damir talks about his favorite part of the Gospels; and Tara talks about kitsch.Required Reading and Listening:* Tara, “The Point of Pissing People Off” (Wisdom of Crowds).* Tara, Strange Rites: New Religions for a Godless World (Amazon).* Tara, Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians (Amazon).* Damir's discography from his punk rock days (Discogs).* Damir's music with his band, The Miss (Bandcamp).* Kanye West, “Heil Symphony” (Spotify).* “Kanye West's ‘Heil Hitler' Song & Controversy Explained” (Yahoo! Entertainment). * The new Fiume Gallery in New York.* Piss Christ by Andres Serrano (Artchive).* Madonna, “Material Girl” (YouTube).* Michel Foucault, Discipline and Punish (Amazon).* Georges Bataille, Story of the Eye (Amazon).* Gustave Flaubert, Madame Bovary (Amazon).* Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina (Amazon).* Previous podcast episode where Damir says, “That's the stuff!” (Wisdom of Crowds).* Something Beautiful for God by Malcolm Muggeridge, a book about Mother Teresa (Amazon).Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWe live in an increasingly weird world, where the weirdness is facilitated and accelerated by the Internet. We live in a world full of instantly-available bizarre pornography and terrorist attacks inspired by misanthropic ideologies whose manifestos are published online. Katherine Dee, an Internet ethnographer, writer and friend of Wisdom of Crowds, joins Christine Emba and Shadi Hamid to talk about the recent terrorist attack on an IVF clinic in California and Christine's recent New York Times article about the social damage wrought by porn.Shadi shakes things up by posing a blunt question at the very beginning: Should we ban porn? It hurts men as well as women. Why not? Can we reconcile the ideals of liberalism with a state effort to suppress pornographic content? This question inspires Christine and Katherine to reflect about the ethics of sex work, the perils of reporting on dangerous and soul-crushing topics, as well as signs of hope in American culture.Throughout, Katherine applies her trusty reporter's eye toward making an accurate, non-judgmental and perceptive account of what's really going on with sex and ideology on the Internet. Christine, for her part, makes the case of norms and shame as useful tools for making society better. Shadi, in Socratic fashion, tests the strength of his interlocutors' arguments.In the bonus section for paid subscribers, Katherine explains the nuances of “efilism” and “promortalism”; Shadi reflects on the meaning of suffering and how belief in God changes one's approach to suffering; and Christine reflects on “cold, rational logical measure — suffering v. pleasure. Pleasure v. nothing.”Required Reading and Listening:* Christine Emba, “The Delusion of Porn's Harmlessness” (New York Times). * Katherine Dee, “An Efilist Just Bombed a Fertility Clinic. Was This Bound To Happen?” (default.blog).* Katherine Dee, “The Nihilism of the Mass Shooter” (default.blog).* Katherine Dee, “The Trouble with Being Born” (default.blog).* Sophie Gilbert, Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves (Amazon). * Dan Savage on kinks (AV Club).* Andrea Dworkin, Pornography (Amazon). * XO Jane (Wikipedia). * “Supreme Court case on age limits for porn sites could affect 19 states” (Axios).* “Palm Springs IVF clinic bomber ID'd as Guy Edward Bartkus, a ‘pro-mortalist' who opposed people being born ‘without their consent'” (New York Post).* Last week's podcast: “How to Think about Power and Morality” (WoC).* Sin-eaters (Wikipedia).Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveOur special guest this week, David Polansky is a political theorist and commentator who lives in Canada. A frequent contributor to Wisdom of Crowds, he joins Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic to discuss two excellent recent essays. The first one, titled “Does Canada Exist?” is about Canadian national identity, an issue that has become more relevant since Donald Trump has taken to calling Canada the 51st state, and while some in the western Canadian province of Alberta has floated the idea of seceding from the rest of Canada. Polansky's article was quoted in the New York Times and National Post.David's most recent peace, “Michael Jordan Yes; Winston Churchill No?” is about what makes politicians great and whether political greatness (in terms of impact) can be distinguished from moral goodness. After one hundred days of Trump, it is an important question to ask.What follows is a rollicking and often hilarious conversation in which various politicians — Justin Trudeau, Bill Clinton, Donald Trump — are sized up according to the standards of classical greatness and found wanting. Damir and Shadi nevertheless argue that Trump is the most consequential president since FDR. Polansky argues that Trump's impact is in large part due to the fact that the Left is lost right now. It is lost, he argues, because it cannot create a new identity, and instead tries to forge unity around “niche issues,” like the Palestine question.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, the gang muses on Trump's relationship to shame; Polansky distinguishes between courage and guts, and why Trump has the latter but not former; Shadi asks, “What do you think about Stalin?”; Damir explains why Trump is like a character in a science fiction novel; Polansky argues that “there's a grandeur to America, but there's also a ridiculousness to America”; Shadi interrogates Polansky on hierarchy and greatness; and the three men ponder whether Eisenhower was a great president.Required Reading and Viewing* David Polansky, “Michael Jordan, Yes; Winston Churchill, No?” (WoC).* David Polansky, “Does Canada Exist?” (WoC).* David Polansky, “Pundit Don't Preach” (WoC).* David's Substack, Strange Frequencies.* Where the “Worthwhile Canadian Initiative” meme comes from (Paul Krugman's Newsletter). * “What to Know About Alberta's Potential Separation From Canada” (TIME).* Carl Schmitt (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Chantal Mouffe on “agonistic” democracy (Pavilion).* Stephen Kotkin talk about Stalin (YouTube).* Isaac Asimov, the Foundation trilogy (Amazon).* “Trump says Houthis showed ‘bravery,' believes they will honor truce deal” (Times of Israel).* Polansky's “Cabots and Lodges” reference (Berkshire Edge).* Analysis of Bill Clinton's 2012 DNC speech (CNN).Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIs it possible to move up in this world? Are Americans stuck? Our guest today is Yoni Appelbaum, an American historian and staff writer at The Atlantic magazine. His new book, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity, explores the various ways the American dream has been stymied — by the consolidation of property and wealth, the abuse of environmental regulations, the legacy of redlining, among other factors. But the book is not a diatribe; it offers a hopeful program for how we can make America better. Samuel Kimbriel and Damir Marusic engage in a lively conversation with Yoni that will leave you looking at America in a different, more hopeful way.Yoni's book is personal in its inspiration: he found himself living in a working-class neighborhood — a so-called “zone of emergence,” where underprivileged immigrants once gained a foothold on the American dream — that was no longer affordable to middle-class families. But it is also a political book. Yoni got the sense that something had gone profoundly wrong in America: “This was a contrarian thought in the Obama era. Now it is conventional wisdom.”What can be done to help the American dream become real again? Is mobility a “central American value”? Do policies that help communities stay alive and stable actually worsen inequality and class stratification? Should the Democratic Party become a party of economic growth, rather than regulation or even “degrowth”? These are the questions that Damir and Sam invite Yoni to wrestle with in a lively and deeply informed episode.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Yoni discusses how to harness market power in a way that “centers mobility”; the three talk about the gap between intent and impact in environmental regulations; Yoni explains why technocrats will always be needed but will never be enough; and Yoni speculates as to why Americans long for a strong leader — for better or worse.Required Reading and Listening:* Yoni Appelbaum, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity (Amazon). * Alexis de Tocqueville, Democracy in America (Amazon).* Reihan Salam, “Want Abundance in Housing? Acknowledge that Greed Is Good” (City Journal). * Frederick Jackson Turner, “The Significance of the Frontier in American History” (Project Gutenberg). * Jeffersonian democracy (CrashCourse).* Podcast with Martha Nussbaum (WoC). This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

Frank Mosley is an actor and filmmaker from Texas, now living in Los Angeles. He is an alumnus of the 2015 Berlinale Talents, the 2017 NYFF Artist Academy at Lincoln Center, and Black Factory Cinema's 2016 Auteur Workshop led by Abbas Kiarostami in San Antonio de los Banos, Cuba. He participated as an actor in the 2016 Austin Film Society Artist Intensive under the direction of Charles Burnett. Most notably, Frank is also the curator for Required Reading, a staged reading series in Los Angeles that highlights new work from both emerging and established playwrights. In this episode, we talk about his take on the classic table read, and how Required Reading is taking live readings to the next level. FOLLOW REQUIRED READING IG: @requiredreading.laVISIT FRANK'S WEBSITE HERE

In the fifth episode, and in association with Required Reading and Two True Freaks, I am joined by Tom Panarese as we look at the play "Troilus and Cressida" by William Shakespeare. This is considered a problem play...in more ways than one! How well does the bard balance romance with political intrigue? Listen and find out! Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/dear-reader-a-jane-eyre-podcast/id1585429797 Don't use iTunes? Use this link for your podcast catcher: https://feeds.feedburner.com/dear-reader-podcast Also available on Spotify, Amazon Music and Google Podcasts Follow DEAR READER on TWITTER: https://twitter.com/batgirltooracle Put down your comics, pick up your first editions, and subscribe to DEAR READER!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIn 2012, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat published Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, a book about how mainstream American religion was devolving into the prosperity gospel, superstitious cults and other forms of heterodox faith. Thirteen years later, the American religious landscape has changed, and Ross wrote a new book tackling a much more basic question: why you should be religious at all. He joins Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid to discuss that book, which is titled Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious.This new book, Douthat says, “assumes a highly individualist culture” as its audience. This individualist culture is one where each person thinks of whether to believe in a god as a highly personal choice. The culture as a whole can no longer support any one person's faith. The biggest individual challenge to Douthat's thesis in this episode comes from Damir, who says: “I feel most religious people try to get through … happiness and/or meaning. I am not thirsting for those. I am not hungry for them. I feel I'm ok.” Douthat responds by posing a hypothetical: “Suppose you die and you're summoned before the judgment throne of God and God says, ‘Seems like were friendly for arguments for being religious, you weren't one hundred percent convinced, but still: why didn't you go to church?'” Douthat argues that, while he himself is believing Catholic, there are nevertheless many “commonalities of religious experience. [World religions] are not all saying the same thing, but they are real and suggest something.” This makes common ground with Shadi who, as a Muslim, disagrees with Douthat about the divinity of Christ, but who, as a believer, agrees with Douthat that we should all be religious.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Damir, Shadi and Ross talk about the philosophy of mind; whether AI will ever be conscious; what consciousness is for; whether Daniel Dennett is in hell; and why being lukewarm about whether God exists is a bad idea.Required Reading and Listening:* Ross Douthat, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious (Amazon). * Damir Marusic, “A Lost Sense of Wonder” (WoC). * Nathan Beacom, “The Art of Hiking” (WoC). * John Lennon, “Imagine” (YouTube). * Daniel Dennett, Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon (Amazon). * Revelation 3:16: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth” (King James Version). This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveFriend of Wisdom of Crowds and frequent podcast guest Samuel Moyn is a professor of law and history at Yale University, and author of several books, including Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented War (2021, Macmillan) and Liberalism Against Itself: Cold War Intellectuals and the Making of Our Times (2023). He is also the author of a recent article saying that no, sorry, the courts cannot save American democracy.If you've been following our podcast lately, you'll know that Shadi and Damir think differently. Both are preoccupied with the question of whether we're in a constitutional crisis. And both have argued that it's the Judiciary branch which can stop Trump from becoming a tyrant. We are in a state of “brinksmanship with the Courts,” as Damir puts it. Moyn, however, warns that “Judicial processes can launder radical political change,” like the ones Trump is trying to make. The Supreme Court might cede a lot of ground to the Executive before we get a big decisive case that checks Trump. In fact, we might never even get such a case. The real test for democracy, Moyn argues, will come at the ballot box: “Do we have elections that stay competitive where the loser accepts his loss?” A lot will depend on whether Democrats can figure out how to make a popular platform. A lot, too, will depend on Republicans, and whether at least some of them will part ways with Trump. Shadi asks Moyn for some historical perspective. Is this the biggest crisis in US history? Probably not, but what can we learn from historical perspective? What is the baseline against which we should judge ourselves today? Moyn argues that “The only use of the past is to make a better future. … Let's try to understand why things broke before.”In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Moyn and our hosts discuss recent White House legal challenges against birthright citizenship; anti-Trump lawfare; why Moyn believes that “what the law is is decided in the present political struggle”; why a parliamentary system is usually more democratic than a presidential one; whether the US is culturally attached to a strong executive branch; and much more.Required Reading and Listening:* Samuel Moyn and Ryan D. Doerfler, “Don't count on the courts to save democracy” (Washington Post).* Samuel Moyn and Ryan D. Doerfler, “We Are Already Defying the Supreme Court” (Dissent). * Our last podcast episode with Samuel Moyn: “Did the Supreme Court Just Subvert Our System of Government?” (WoC). * Live taping: “Samuel Moyn and Osita Nwanevu on Voters vs Judges” (WoC). * Podcast episode, “Is Democracy Ending?” (WoC).* Juan J. Linz, “The Perils of Presidentialism” (Journal of Democracy).* CrowdSource about the Mahmoud Khalil case (WoC).* Santiago Ramos, “From the Harper's Letter to the Khalil Case” (WoC).* “Judge warns of consequences if Trump administration violated deportation order” (Reuters).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Free preview video:

Go to http://shadyrays.com and use code FUNNY to get 35% off polarized sunglasses. Go to http://meundies.com/kindafunny and use code kindafunny to get 20% off your first order, plus free shipping on orders of $75 or more. Go to http://factormeals.com/factorpodcast and use code FACTORPODCAST to get 50% off your first box plus free shipping. Thank you for the support! Run of Show - 00:00:00 - Start 00:13:19 - Metal Eden 00:15:14 - Housekeeping GAMESCAST just happened and it was Greg and Rog talking to Remedy about Control 2 and FBC Firebreak. Today after, KFGD, you'll get: Game Showdown with some fun special guests After that is AVP: Alien Vs. Predator In Review Then the STREAM is Pokemon Nuzlocke If you're a Kinda Funny Member: Today's Gregway is 18 minutes about FBC: Firebreak's Game Pass and PlayStation Plus deal. The Roper Report  - 00:16:37 - Is Steam coming to Xbox? 00:27:25 - A ‘Split Fiction' Movie is in the Works: A Bidding War Begins for the Rights 00:37:56 - Ad 00:41:05 - SuperChats 00:44:50 - Atomfall Review Round-Up 00:52:53 - Nintendo, Xbox, and PlayStation Are Teaming Up For Accessible Games Initiative 00:56:10 - Wee News! - REQUIRED READING: https://aftermath.site/valnet-report-freelance 01:00:52 - SuperChats 01:02:35 - You‘re Wrong Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Returning to the podcast with a novel to share is LindoYes!. Poet, creative, organizer, and now author, Lindo joins to detail the thoughts behind his forthcoming graphic novel, Pawnshop. An afro-futuristic Philly is centered in this dystopian piece that paints a picture of a new world built on affordable care and safety.————————————————————— FOR MORE 2BD, subscribe to our Patreon for exclusive access to additional footage and projects from the team. visit ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/2BD_exe⁠⁠⁠ for access.2bedetermined.co

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveMana Afsari is a writer and sometime contributor to Wisdom of Crowds, whose career has taken her from the RAND Corporation, to a job as an assistant to a great American poet, to the position of Research Associate at the Aspen Institute's Philosophy and Society Initiative. In January, Mana published an essay titled, “Last Boys at the Beginning of History,” a fascinating reported piece about the young men with intellectual ambitions who joined the National Conservative movement and voted for Donald Trump. The essay went viral and earned praise from both liberals and conservatives. Damon Linker of Notes from the Middleground called it “a remarkable essay that's generated considerable (and well-justified) buzz.”Mana joins Santiago Ramos and Shadi Hamid to discuss the essay and the general question of why ambitious, inquisitive and searching young men are attracted to the MAGA movement. “I am not a right wing zoologist,” Mana says, but it is important to understand where these men are coming form. These young intellectuals are not your average Trump voter. They are not the “DOGE boys,” either. But they are becoming a significant part of the GOP leadership class. Shadi wants to know why an interest in culture and ideas has led these men toward right wing spaces. Mana responds that right wing spaces, at least until recently, had a less politicized approach to culture. Many of these young men are interested in things, like history or cartography, which some suggest are “right-coded.” “Most things that are supposedly right-coded should not be right-coded,” Mana says.And what do they think of Trump? “They don't think of Trump as Odoacer, they see him as Julius Caesar. They don't see him as a barbarian, but as a restorer of the republic.”In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Shadi talks about going to a recent right wing party and says it was “a safe space, it was inclusive”; Santiago asks Shadi if he ever went to right wing parties during the War on Terror; Mana distinguishes the desire for free and open discussion versus the desire to “say whatever you want,” i.e., slurs; and Santiago argues that the Israel-Palestine conflict has made all political sides rediscover the importance of freedom of speech.Required Reading and Listening:* Mana Afsari, “Last Boys at the Beginning of History” (The Point).* Santiago Ramos, “Let Us Now Praise the Supermen” (WoC).* Santiago Ramos, “Do You Know What Time It Is?” (WoC).* Damir Marusic, “Barbarians at the Gate” (WoC).* Shadi Hamid, “Why Half of America is Cheering for Chaos” (Washington Post). * Wisdom of Crowds podcast episode, “The Masculine World is Adrift” (WoC).* Henry Kissinger quote about Trump (Financial Times).* Vittoria Elliot, “The Young, Inexperienced Engineers Aiding Elon Musk's Government Takeover” (Wired).* Norman Podhoretz, Ex-Friends: Falling Out with Allen Ginsberg, Lionel and Diana Trilling, Lillian Hellman, Hannah Arendt and Norman Mailer (Amazon). * C. P. Cavafy, “Waiting for the Barbarians” (Poetry Foundation). * Odoacer (Britannica).* Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman, What are Children For? On Ambivalence and Choice (Amazon). This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Free preview video:Full video for paid subscribers below:

J. D. Vance delivers a seismic geopolitical speech at the Munich Security Forum. Vance, Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy get into a shouting match before television cameras. Relations between the United States and Europe are deteriorating before our very eyes. In one of our best episodes of the year so far, we invited the great Ivan Krastev to help us understand what is happening.Ivan is one of the brightest minds in Europe — an incisive analyst, historian of ideas, and ever-present track-two diplomat who is always talking to absolutely everyone. He is chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia, Bulgaria and Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna. He writes regularly for the Financial Times and the New York Times.Ivan tells Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic that Trumpism, and its policy toward Europe is not conservative or isolationist, but “a revolutionary movement.” This revolution is what reconciles the populist and libertarian elements of Trump's administration: “You're trying to fight bureaucracy by concentrating power in a charismatic leader. Less state, more emperor.” You can see this, Ivan argues, in the way Trump runs his coalition like an imperial court, where opposing figures — like Steve Bannon and Elon Musk — vie for the attention of the emperor. You can also see it in the fact that Trump himself says contradictory things: “A charismatic figure can contain contradictions.”What does this mean for Europe? “Empires fall when the center sees itself as a hostage not as a hegemon,” Ivan argues, and Trump, along with Republicans, long to divest themselves of the Empire. This means applying pressure on Europe to bend to its demands — be it about Ukraine, or Greenland, or immigration. It also means that, inadvertently, Trump has reawakened European nationalism: “The new European politics is nationalist, the populists are internationalist.”This is a rich episode, full of insightful koans from a longtime observer of international affairs. Damir takes the conversation in the direction of what exactly fuels the Right and its “enthusiasm for destruction.” Shadi presses Ivan on the recently overturned elections in Romania, and what this means about the future of European democracy.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, the three men discuss why charismatic political leaders can live with contradictions; the “fast track between [political] office and prison”; how Trump has inadvertently created a new US-European consensus on immigration and state intervention in the economy, and why “you can't stop a revolution by defending institutions. You need your own version of tomorrow.”Required Reading and Viewing:* J. D. Vance's speech at the Munich Security Forum (Foreign Policy). * Zelenskyy, Trump and Vance press conference (C-Span YouTube page). * Ivan Krastev and Leonard Benardo, “Democracy Has Run Out of Future” (Foreign Policy).* Shadi Hamid, “Why Half of America is Cheering for Chaos” (Washington Post). * “EU parliament votes to condemn overturning of Roe v. Wade” (Axios).* German Revolution of 1918-1919 (Brittanica). * Leo Strauss, “German Nihilism” (archive.org).* Daniel Kehlmann, German writer (Wikipedia).* “The Gender Gap is Growing and it Bodes Badly for American Politics and Culture” (The Hill). * 2024 Romanian Elections (Wikipedia).* Ezra Klein, Why We're Polarized (Amazon). * Eric Hobsbawm, Age of Extremes: The Short Twentieth Century 1914-1991 (Amazon). * N.S. Lyons, “American Strong Gods: Trump and the End of the Long Twentieth Century” (The Upheaval).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

After a much-needed break and some time to reflect on everything that's been going on, we're back and we're amped up!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveOn the eve of Donald Trump's second inauguration, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic sit down to discuss the state of the Right and the Left in American politics. The conversation picks up where the last podcast episode left off, in a discussion about Damir's apparent rejuvenation in the wake of Trump's victory. Given that he didn't vote for Trump — in fact, he didn't vote for anybody — why is Damir smiling?Shadi suggests that “Democrats needed this defeat to learn important lessons.” Damir is not so sure that they will learn them. But one of the reasons he is giddy is that they will get their comeuppance for the political “villainy” of Russiagate, the Biden health coverup and other misguided Democratic gambits. Shadi, in turn, notes that many of his center-left acquaintances seem surprisingly at peace with the new government, and ready to entertain new ideas. “Very rarely did I hear despair,” he reports.Both Shadi and Damir go deeper by asking about the status quo of the Left and the Right. Damir thinks that Trump has “cleared the field” of the conservative movement's Reaganite past, and that the Right is now ready to debate issues in a more realistic way. Shadi laments that the Left has become boring by being too certain that they are correct about everything: they are the party of “facts, data and progress,” and think that they have “resolved all the big ideological debates.”In our bonus content for paid subscribers, Damir discusses what he means by “tragic liberalism,” Shadi explains why he thinks atheism is over, and our hosts discuss the best and worst things that could happen during the second Trump presidency.Required Reading and Listening:* Damir, “We'll Have to Rethink Everything” (WoC).* Shadi, “Trump's ‘madman theory' worked in Gaza when all else failed” (Washington Post).* Christine, “Zuck is the Zeitgeist” (WoC).* Santiago questions Damir about his newfound conservatism (WoC).* Tara Isabella Burton, “Believe for Your Own Sake, Not for ‘the West'” (WoC).* Ezra Klein and Nate Silver on “peak Trump” (X).* Elon Musk is an ‘Evil Person,' Steve Bannon Says” (New York Times).* “Corporate America embraces a new era of conservatism under Donald Trump” (Financial Times).* “How the White House Functioned With a Diminished Biden in Charge” (Wall Street Journal).* David Brooks, “Why People Are Fleeing Blue Cities for Red States” (New York Times).* Ross Douthat and Reihan Salam, Grand New Party: How Republicans Can Win the Working Class and Save the American Dream (Amazon).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

A new year is before us, and soon, a new president will assume office. What does the future have in store? Trump supporters are happy, and his opponents are full of foreboding. Many people also feel that a new era in American history is about to begin — for better or worse. Damir Marusic and Santiago Ramos discuss the nature of this new era. They begin with the question of fear: Are you afraid of the second Trump term? Santiago explains why the Trump phenomenon seemed more frightening in 2016 than it does in 2024. Damir asks whether finding historical analogues for Trump actually illuminates anything about the man, and makes him less scary. Santiago then asks Damir about two of his latest pieces for Wisdom of Crowds, in which Damir seems almost giddy about the collapse of the liberal establishment and Trump's rise. What exactly is Damir happy about? What good does he see coming from this historical moment? What is changing? While not defending Trump himself, Damir argues that Trump's crushing of liberal illusions, and the exposure of the hypocrisy of our political class, are good things. What he hopes for is a new “positive program of skepticism and humility,” and a more limited version of liberalism. In the course of the conversation, Damir and Santiago cover wide variety of topics: Damir's newfound conservatism; Trump and Andrew Jackson; Kissinger on Trump; the USA and Latin America; NATO; Greenland; and the Cold War. Because this is our first podcast of the new year, and season-opener of sorts, we are making this episode free for all subscribers. Required Reading and Listening:* Damir, “The feeling of limitless possibility ahead of Trump's inauguration is dizzying” (WoC).* Damir, “The Peasants, the People and God” (WoC).* Santiago on Latinos and the election (Commonweal).* Santiago on Trump and Latin America (Commonweal). * Black Mirror episode Santiago mentions: “The Waldo Moment” (IMDB). * Henry Kissinger: “I think Trump may be one of those figures in history who appears from time to time to mark the end of an era and to force it to give up its old pretences” (Financial Times). * Jason Willick on Trump and Andrew Jackson (Washington Post).* Samuel Goldman on why the US is more like Latin America than Europe (The Week). * Antonio García Martínez on why the US is like Brazil (X). * Our podcast episode with Yuval Levin (WoC).* Video of Trump and Stoltenberg (YouTube).* Jon Stewart on Nancy Pelosi's “legal corruption” (The Wrap).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

In Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire (Princeton UP, 2024), Priyasha Mukhopadhyay offers a new and provocative history of reading that centers archives of everyday writing from the British empire. Mukhopadhyay rummages in the drawers of bureaucratic offices and the cupboards of publishers in search of how historical readers in colonial South Asia responded to texts ranging from licenses to manuals, how they made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. Taking these engagements seriously, she argues, is the first step to challenging conventional notions of what it means to read. Mukhopadhyay's account is populated by a cast of characters that spans the ranks of colonial society, from bored soldiers to frustrated bureaucrats. These readers formed close, even intimate relationships with everyday texts. She presents four case studies: a soldier's manual, a cache of bureaucratic documents, a collection of astrological almanacs, and a women's literary magazine. Tracking moments in which readers refused to read, were unable to read, and read in part, she uncovers the dizzying array of material, textual, and aural practices these texts elicited. Even selectively read almanacs and impenetrable account books, she finds, were springboards for personal, world-shaping readerly relationships. Untethered from the constraints of conventional literacy, Required Reading reimagines how texts work in the world and how we understand the very idea of reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire (Princeton UP, 2024), Priyasha Mukhopadhyay offers a new and provocative history of reading that centers archives of everyday writing from the British empire. Mukhopadhyay rummages in the drawers of bureaucratic offices and the cupboards of publishers in search of how historical readers in colonial South Asia responded to texts ranging from licenses to manuals, how they made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. Taking these engagements seriously, she argues, is the first step to challenging conventional notions of what it means to read. Mukhopadhyay's account is populated by a cast of characters that spans the ranks of colonial society, from bored soldiers to frustrated bureaucrats. These readers formed close, even intimate relationships with everyday texts. She presents four case studies: a soldier's manual, a cache of bureaucratic documents, a collection of astrological almanacs, and a women's literary magazine. Tracking moments in which readers refused to read, were unable to read, and read in part, she uncovers the dizzying array of material, textual, and aural practices these texts elicited. Even selectively read almanacs and impenetrable account books, she finds, were springboards for personal, world-shaping readerly relationships. Untethered from the constraints of conventional literacy, Required Reading reimagines how texts work in the world and how we understand the very idea of reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

In Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire (Princeton UP, 2024), Priyasha Mukhopadhyay offers a new and provocative history of reading that centers archives of everyday writing from the British empire. Mukhopadhyay rummages in the drawers of bureaucratic offices and the cupboards of publishers in search of how historical readers in colonial South Asia responded to texts ranging from licenses to manuals, how they made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. Taking these engagements seriously, she argues, is the first step to challenging conventional notions of what it means to read. Mukhopadhyay's account is populated by a cast of characters that spans the ranks of colonial society, from bored soldiers to frustrated bureaucrats. These readers formed close, even intimate relationships with everyday texts. She presents four case studies: a soldier's manual, a cache of bureaucratic documents, a collection of astrological almanacs, and a women's literary magazine. Tracking moments in which readers refused to read, were unable to read, and read in part, she uncovers the dizzying array of material, textual, and aural practices these texts elicited. Even selectively read almanacs and impenetrable account books, she finds, were springboards for personal, world-shaping readerly relationships. Untethered from the constraints of conventional literacy, Required Reading reimagines how texts work in the world and how we understand the very idea of reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

In Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire (Princeton UP, 2024), Priyasha Mukhopadhyay offers a new and provocative history of reading that centers archives of everyday writing from the British empire. Mukhopadhyay rummages in the drawers of bureaucratic offices and the cupboards of publishers in search of how historical readers in colonial South Asia responded to texts ranging from licenses to manuals, how they made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. Taking these engagements seriously, she argues, is the first step to challenging conventional notions of what it means to read. Mukhopadhyay's account is populated by a cast of characters that spans the ranks of colonial society, from bored soldiers to frustrated bureaucrats. These readers formed close, even intimate relationships with everyday texts. She presents four case studies: a soldier's manual, a cache of bureaucratic documents, a collection of astrological almanacs, and a women's literary magazine. Tracking moments in which readers refused to read, were unable to read, and read in part, she uncovers the dizzying array of material, textual, and aural practices these texts elicited. Even selectively read almanacs and impenetrable account books, she finds, were springboards for personal, world-shaping readerly relationships. Untethered from the constraints of conventional literacy, Required Reading reimagines how texts work in the world and how we understand the very idea of reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

In Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire (Princeton UP, 2024), Priyasha Mukhopadhyay offers a new and provocative history of reading that centers archives of everyday writing from the British empire. Mukhopadhyay rummages in the drawers of bureaucratic offices and the cupboards of publishers in search of how historical readers in colonial South Asia responded to texts ranging from licenses to manuals, how they made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. Taking these engagements seriously, she argues, is the first step to challenging conventional notions of what it means to read. Mukhopadhyay's account is populated by a cast of characters that spans the ranks of colonial society, from bored soldiers to frustrated bureaucrats. These readers formed close, even intimate relationships with everyday texts. She presents four case studies: a soldier's manual, a cache of bureaucratic documents, a collection of astrological almanacs, and a women's literary magazine. Tracking moments in which readers refused to read, were unable to read, and read in part, she uncovers the dizzying array of material, textual, and aural practices these texts elicited. Even selectively read almanacs and impenetrable account books, she finds, were springboards for personal, world-shaping readerly relationships. Untethered from the constraints of conventional literacy, Required Reading reimagines how texts work in the world and how we understand the very idea of reading.

In Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire (Princeton UP, 2024), Priyasha Mukhopadhyay offers a new and provocative history of reading that centers archives of everyday writing from the British empire. Mukhopadhyay rummages in the drawers of bureaucratic offices and the cupboards of publishers in search of how historical readers in colonial South Asia responded to texts ranging from licenses to manuals, how they made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. Taking these engagements seriously, she argues, is the first step to challenging conventional notions of what it means to read. Mukhopadhyay's account is populated by a cast of characters that spans the ranks of colonial society, from bored soldiers to frustrated bureaucrats. These readers formed close, even intimate relationships with everyday texts. She presents four case studies: a soldier's manual, a cache of bureaucratic documents, a collection of astrological almanacs, and a women's literary magazine. Tracking moments in which readers refused to read, were unable to read, and read in part, she uncovers the dizzying array of material, textual, and aural practices these texts elicited. Even selectively read almanacs and impenetrable account books, she finds, were springboards for personal, world-shaping readerly relationships. Untethered from the constraints of conventional literacy, Required Reading reimagines how texts work in the world and how we understand the very idea of reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIn 2024, over 77 million Americans voted for Donald Trump. Friend of Wisdom of Crowds Michael Brendan Dougherty, a writer and conservative commentator at the National Review, was one of them. However, MBD (as he is known) did not vote for Trump in 2020 nor in 2016. In fact, he was an early conservative opponent of Trump. In 2016, MBD wrote: “[Trump] is clearly a product of a decadent society, not the scourge or redeemer of one.” MBD did not disagree with Trump on his main issues: trade, immigration, and a restrained foreign policy. But he did not believe that the man has the character fit for office.So, what happened? Did MBD change his principles, or did Trump live up to them? Why did MBD vote for Trump, and what does that tell us about the process of picking a candidate, and of the formation of political judgment in general?Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic join MBD to discuss this question and much more. Did MBD change his mind about Trump's character? Which of Trump's first term achievements turned MBD into a supporter? What can we expect from a second Trump term — both in domestic policy, as well as in the increasingly dangerous international scene? In the course of discussing these questions, MBD defines the “working class” in American terms, and talks about his own experiences working in a chemical factory.In the bonus portion for paid subscribers, MBD explains the complicated relationship that pro lifers have with Trump, and debates whether the #Resistance movement will return.Required Reading and Listening:* Our 2021 podcast episode with MBD (WoC).* “The Case Against Esoteric Trumpism” by Michael Brendan Dougherty (The Week).* “My First Vote for Trump” by Michael Brendan Dougherty (National Review).* My Father Left Me Ireland: An American Son's Search For Home by Michael Brendan Dougherty (Amazon).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

Priyasha Mukhopadhyay develops the concept of the functional archive of empire, consisting of texts ranging from licenses and other bureaucratic documents to manuals and almanacs. She describes how historical readers in colonial South Asia made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. She illustrates this with the example of a manual used by soldiers which despite being widely used, also created complex relationships with its users - soldiers in the field - which often entailed in their not actually reading the book and complaining about being required to read them. Priyasha Mukhopadhyay is an Assistant Professor of English at Yale University. Her first book, Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire, was published by Princeton University Press in August 2024. Image: “Plate XII”, Field Service Pocket Book Part II - India, Calcutta: Government of India Central Publication Branch, 1928 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Priyasha Mukhopadhyay develops the concept of the functional archive of empire, consisting of texts ranging from licenses and other bureaucratic documents to manuals and almanacs. She describes how historical readers in colonial South Asia made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. She illustrates this with the example of a manual used by soldiers which despite being widely used, also created complex relationships with its users - soldiers in the field - which often entailed in their not actually reading the book and complaining about being required to read them. Priyasha Mukhopadhyay is an Assistant Professor of English at Yale University. Her first book, Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire, was published by Princeton University Press in August 2024. Image: “Plate XII”, Field Service Pocket Book Part II - India, Calcutta: Government of India Central Publication Branch, 1928 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Priyasha Mukhopadhyay develops the concept of the functional archive of empire, consisting of texts ranging from licenses and other bureaucratic documents to manuals and almanacs. She describes how historical readers in colonial South Asia made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. She illustrates this with the example of a manual used by soldiers which despite being widely used, also created complex relationships with its users - soldiers in the field - which often entailed in their not actually reading the book and complaining about being required to read them. Priyasha Mukhopadhyay is an Assistant Professor of English at Yale University. Her first book, Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire, was published by Princeton University Press in August 2024. Image: “Plate XII”, Field Service Pocket Book Part II - India, Calcutta: Government of India Central Publication Branch, 1928 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Priyasha Mukhopadhyay develops the concept of the functional archive of empire, consisting of texts ranging from licenses and other bureaucratic documents to manuals and almanacs. She describes how historical readers in colonial South Asia made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. She illustrates this with the example of a manual used by soldiers which despite being widely used, also created complex relationships with its users - soldiers in the field - which often entailed in their not actually reading the book and complaining about being required to read them. Priyasha Mukhopadhyay is an Assistant Professor of English at Yale University. Her first book, Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire, was published by Princeton University Press in August 2024. Image: “Plate XII”, Field Service Pocket Book Part II - India, Calcutta: Government of India Central Publication Branch, 1928

Priyasha Mukhopadhyay develops the concept of the functional archive of empire, consisting of texts ranging from licenses and other bureaucratic documents to manuals and almanacs. She describes how historical readers in colonial South Asia made sense of them, and what this can tell us about their experiences living in the shadow of a vast imperial power. She illustrates this with the example of a manual used by soldiers which despite being widely used, also created complex relationships with its users - soldiers in the field - which often entailed in their not actually reading the book and complaining about being required to read them. Priyasha Mukhopadhyay is an Assistant Professor of English at Yale University. Her first book, Required Reading: The Life of Everyday Texts in the British Empire, was published by Princeton University Press in August 2024. Image: “Plate XII”, Field Service Pocket Book Part II - India, Calcutta: Government of India Central Publication Branch, 1928 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

Required Reading With Tom and Stella

Required Reading With Tom and Stella

BrandStack Podcast - 007How did Bee Smith's book #BeeInspired become required reading in Iceland? Bee—a mental health counselor, social media personality, and PhD—shares her journey from live streaming to impacting students internationally with her lessons on resilience, forgiveness, and joy. Learn more: https://rossbrand.substack.com.In this episode of the BrandStack Podcast, Bee Smith sits down with Ross Brand and Dale L. Roberts to discuss her book's journey from idea to international impact. She shares insights on reaching new audiences, how live streaming helped secure a publisher, and the lasting influence of her message on resilience and self-empowerment. For aspiring authors and creators, Bee's story offers inspiration on building a global platform for meaningful work.

According to Pew Research, the median number of books read by Americans annually is four. Joining us to delve into the transformative power of reading within the Black community are our guest co-host, the insightful "Queen of Intellect" LaTrice Ross, and special guest, author Brother Ankh. Together, we'll discuss what books should be considered essential for Black readers today. Do classics like The Mis-Education of the Negro, The Souls of Black Folk, and Up From Slavery still provide the tools African Americans need to navigate the American experience effectively, or is it possible these same works now hold us back? Are there new or lesser-known books that could serve us even better in today's society? Mental Dialogue is here to ask the questions others avoid. CALL IN to share the books you believe can make a meaningful impact on the African American community as well! ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU THINK --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/montoya-smith/support

Hello, Lovelies! We've got a special Halloween treat for you today! To celebrate the season, we've released our special Halloween episode of Required Reading for all of you! Brian Bell, Hollis and special guest Travis join in a celebration of the beauty of creativity and the folly of inept execution as we reflect on the infamous Chamber of Horrors match from WCW Halloween Havoc 1991 and Dan Akroyd's sole directorial credit, the horror/comedy Nothing But Trouble from the same year. Prepare your refer-eye cams, Lovelies!Follow Brian Bell on Twitter, Instagram & Bluesky: @WonderboyOTMFollow LGBT In The Ring on Twitter, Instagram & Bluesky: @LGBTRingPod Support the show on Patreon: patreon.com/lgbtringpodGrab LGBT In The Ring merch on Brainbuster TeesBig thank you to Edith Surreal (@edithsurreal) for the LGBT In The Ring logoHuge thanks to Sarah & The Safe Word for the show's theme, Formula 666 from the album Red, Hot and Holy. Find them on Twitter, @STSWBand, and check out their music on Spotify and Bandcamp.Check out IndependentWrestling.tv for the best in current and classic independent pro wrestling, including live events from top independent promotions worldwide. Use promo code “LGBTRingPod” or visit tinyurl.com/IWTVLGBT

For the past year, Shadi Hamid has been an outspoken critic of Israel's war in Gaza — and the Biden administration's complicity. Now he, like many others, is baffled by the Harris campaign's disregard and seeming disdain for Muslim and Arab voters. In a week is election day, and he is wrestling with the moral and political implications of the choice at hand.In our pages earlier this week, Shadi and Haroon Moghul debated the merits of voting for Harris or not voting at all. You can read their full exchange here. This podcast episode continues that conversation, but goes deeper. It is, in essence, about voting: is there a duty to vote? In a two-party system, must we accept the lesser of two evils? Moghul is director of strategy at The Concordia Forum and author of Two Billion Caliphs: A Vision of a Muslim Future. Haroon shares all of Shadi's misgivings about Trump and Harris, and has publicly chosen not to vote. “I don't think you can get to democratic ends with a candidate who is at war with democracy,” Haroon says, “and I don't just mean Trump, I mean Harris.” Shadi, on the other hand, takes a more pragmatic point of view: Sitting an election out doesn't do anything real; it would be better for Muslim and other pro-Palestine voices to continue supporting the Democratic Party, hoping to influence it from within. Meanwhile, Damir Marusic applies his trusty sense for realpolitik to the question. He challenges Shadi, arguing that he's conflating two very different strategies: electoral pressure and intra-party influence. He questions Haroon whether there is an actual “theory of a change” behind his choice not to vote. This is a passionate discussion, not so much about electoral politics as about the first principles undergirding citizenship. And it also asks an intensely personal set of questions: how do we ultimately make what can seem like an impossible choice? Required Reading and Viewing:* Shadi Hamid and Haroon Moghul debate: “Should Americans Vote for the Lesser of Two Evils?” (WoC).* Haroon Moghul, “What I Told My Muslim Students about Gaza” (WoC).* Biden's comments admitting Israel's “indiscriminate bombing” while also saying “we're not going to do a damn thing other than protect Israel.”* “Prominent Muslim Democrat Demands Answers After Being Kicked Out of Harris Rally in Michigan” (Democracy Now!)* “Trump in Michigan makes play for Arab American and Muslim voters angry over war in Gaza” (CNN).* An emotional debate with our friend and Christian Zionist Robert Nicholson weeks after Oct. 7 (WoC). * Haroon Moghul, Two Billion Caliphs: A Vision of the Muslim Future (Amazon). Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

This week we rewatch S5 E6 Required Reading, and there is a lot to discuss! In this trippy episode, listen as Erin, Avalon, and Meghan discuss the tragedy of poorly written enemies to lovers, the pack not communicating, and the psychology of repressed memories. ---Music: Climb by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com-Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/thenemetontwpod/Email- thenemetontw@gmail.com

Damir Marusic and WoC executive editor Santiago Ramos get together to discuss Damir's latest article, “Why We Need Nightmares.” In it, Damir writes about the the binding of Isaac — the chilling story from the Book of Genesis where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son. Damir is fascinated both by the story and by a Caravaggio painting depicting it. “That's the stuff,” he writes. But what is this “stuff”?While searching for an answer to this question, Damir and Santiago cover a lot of ground. They discuss the story of Abraham and Isaac, as well as the different ways that philosophers have interpreted it. They talk about Kierkegaard, Nietzsche, and Kant. They come to the conclusion that, while we all have different words for it — terrifying, mysterious, sublime — everyone must grapple with the stuff. Grappling with the stuff is an essential part of living a human life, for believers and unbelievers alike.This episode covers the Bible, philosophy, art, music, and much more. It is not a debate, but an exploration of what exactly it is that makes certain stories, works of art, and experiences so moving, compelling, terrifying. We enjoyed recording this episode so much that we decided to make it free for all subscribers.Required Reading and Listening:* Damir, “Why We Need Nightmares” (WoC).* Damir, “The Pursuit of Passion for Its Own Sake” (WoC).* Damir, “It's Not Really About Cancel Culture,” about Tár (WoC).* “Ending Summer on Violence and Despair, with Twitter's Audrey Horne” (WoC).* The story of the binding of Isaac in Genesis 22 (King James Version). * Immanuel Kant (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Søren Kierkegaard (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Friedrich Nietzsche (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* “Time of tension between dying and birth” quote by T. S. Eliot, in “Ash Wednesday” (Best Poems). * Mozart, Symphony No. 40 (Leonard Bernstein and the Boston Symphony Orchestra, YouTube).* Roger Scruton on pop music as addictive (YouTube).* Keith Richards on heavy metal, “No lift, no bounce, no syncopation” (YouTube).* Caspar David Friedrich, “Sea of Ice” (painting of shipwreck/example of the sublime).* The Rolling Stones, “Gimme Shelter” (YouTube).* Nirvana, “Radio Friendly Unit Shifter” (YouTube). * Shellac, At Action Park (YouTube). * Arvo Pärt, Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten (Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, YouTube).* Leonard Bernstein, “The Unanswered Question,” lectures (YouTube).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

This week on Required Reading, we talk Ready Player One by Ernest Cline and hidden in here is an easter egg that will unlock Hoffmann's Gold.  WE ARE BACK, BABY!!!! Host: Nic Panel: Mike and Mike.    From the Random House book cover: "In the year 2045, reality is an ugly place. The only time Wade Watts really feels alive is when he's jacked into the OASIS, a vast virtual world where most of humanity spends their days. When the eccentric creator of the OASIS dies, he leaves behind a series of fiendish puzzles, based on his obsession with the pop culture of decades past. Whoever is first to solve them will inherit his vast fortune—and control of the OASIS itself.  Then Wade cracks the first clue. Suddenly he's beset by rivals who'll kill to take this prize. The race is on—and the only way to survive is to win."    

Required Reading With Tom and Stella

Required Reading With Tom and Stella

Required Reading With Tom and Stella

Required Reading With Tom and Stella

Join Charlie, Maddie, Megan, and Zach as they discuss their favorite and least favorite reads from our many, varying required reading lists from high school and college. Books Mentioned: The Testament by John Grisham The Crucible by Arthur Miller Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley King Leer by Shakespeare I Heard the Owl Call my Name by Margaret Craven Les Jeux Sont Faits by Jean-Paul Sarte Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveHow does order emerge from anarchy? How do human beings create institutions? Can big problems — like climate change, income inequality, or AI alignment — find solutions “from below,” through collective action, rather than “from above,” i.e., imposed by regulatory bodies?Today's guest is a fascinating economist. Professor Paul Dragoș Aligică is a senior research fellow at the Program for Advanced Study in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University, and a Professor of Governance at the University of Bucharest. Paul believes that we are living through the third great moment in human history, after the transition to agriculture and the industrial revolution. What will this third moment be about?Far too broad to pigeonhole, he's a visionary public choice theorist and a student of renowned economists Vincent and Elinor Ostrom (the latter won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 2009). Paul has thought long and hard about the strange inflection point our world seems to be hurtling towards. It's a slow burn of an episode, one where interesting and complex ideas are laid out carefully, before Damir and Santiago engage Paul in sussing out their implications. Does Paul think that public choice theory means the world has hope? How do we fix the seemingly intractable problems posed by capitalism and globalization? Tune in to find out.Required Reading and Viewing:* Paul Dragoș Aligică's personal website.* Elinor Ostrom, Governing the Commons (Amazon). * What is the Tragedy of the Commons? (Harvard Business School). * Elinor Ostrom on Ending the Tragedy of the Commons (Big Think on YouTube). * Santiago Ramos, “What Does McDonald's Mean?” (WoC).This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

A very special episode this week, completely free for all listeners. The world-famous philosopher Charles Taylor joins Wisdom of Crowds editors Samuel Kimbriel and Santiago Ramos for a conversation about his new book, Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment. Professor Taylor has spent a long and fruitful career trying to understand the basic questions of modern life. What does it mean to be a modern person? How do we form our sense of identity? How do we relate to the sacred? What does it mean to be secular? What happened to religion? In Cosmic Connections, he tells the story of how the Romantic poets of the nineteenth century sought to reconnect with nature through art, after the rise of modern science and the industrial revolution left many people wondering about man's place in the universe. Appropriately enough, Sam called in from a log cabin somewhere in the Rocky Mountains, and he enthusiastically supported Professor Taylor's thesis that a connection with nature is an essential component of a healthy society. The more city-bound Santiago took a more skeptical approach, at least at first. He questioned Professor Taylor's claim that a connection with nature entails a connection with a transcendent, spiritual reality. Along with these heady topics, the conversation touched upon Beethoven's symphonies, A.I. “friends,” and the idea of progress. Required Reading (and Listening):* Charles Taylor, Cosmic Connections: Poetry in the Age of Disenchantment (Amazon). * Charles Taylor, A Secular Age (Amazon). * Charles Taylor, Sources of the Self: The Making of the Modern Identity (Amazon). * Damir Marusic, “Beauty and Niceness in an Accidental World” (WoC). * Romanticism (School of Life). * Henry David Thoreau (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).* Beethoven, Ninth Symphony, Fourth Movement (YouTube). * Beethoven, Sixth Symphony “Pastoral” (YouTube). * “Wear This A.I. Friend Around Your Neck” (Wired). * Joni Mitchell (Official YouTube Page). * Leonard Cohen (Official YouTube Page). This post is part of our collaboration with the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, Wisdom of Crowds hosts a fluid discussion about violence and sex in movies, where the “shoulds” of life come from, and whether liberal values can be based on something other than religion. The discussion is more meditative than contentious, an exploration prompted by recent pop culture hits and a probing comment from the Crowd.Violence is entertaining. That's the conclusion that Damir draws after watching the movie, Civil War, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Christine questions Damir about his taste for violent movies, and wonders whether we are slowly becoming numb to violence, just as we are — as recent studies suggest — becoming numb to sex in film. The discussion moves toward the question of values and where they come from, drawing from a recent reader comment that prompted some soul-searching in the Wisdom of Crowds masthead.In the bonus section for paid subscribers, Damir asks Christine how she can overcome Nietzsche's critique of Christianity and its values, while he launches into a defense of liberalism based on what he calls “mystery.” Finally, Damir explains why he believes that most moral truth claims “end up in tears.”Required Reading (and Viewing):* Civil War trailer (YouTube).* Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga trailer (YouTube).* The Mad Max movie franchise.* “UCLA Study: Gen Z Wants Less Sex Onscreen, Prefers Platonic Relationships Depicted to Romantic Rollercoasters,” (IndieWire).* The Hays Code.* Lauren Bacall movie line (YouTube).* The Big Lebowski: “Fight a stranger in the alps” (YouTube).* “Why Give a Damn?” by Samuel Kimbriel (Wisdom of Crowds).* Reader comment (Wisdom of Crowds).* Rethinking Sex by Christine Emba.* Friedrich Nietzsche (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy).

Colton starts off the show with The Breakdown presented by Colorado School of Healing Arts by talking the 2024 Super Rugby Americas table ahead of this weekend's season finale. After talking about All of the Rugby You Can Watch, Colton talks with American Raptors forward Zack Jessell in the interview portion of the show presented by First Bank. Following the interview, Colton assigns some Required Reading, give you a few things to watch for in the Raptors' final match of the season during the Stat of the Week, and closes the show with The Loop. Follow on Twitter: @DNVR_Rugby Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's episode is a special collaboration with The Disagreement, a new platform that aims to “celebrate and normalize healthy disagreement.” (Check them out!) Wisdom of Crowds is 100% behind that mission statement, and so it was natural for us to agree to record an episode together. Fans of Wisdom of Crowds will know that Shadi has recently completed a book about American power, tentatively titled, “On Power.” Fans will also know that he debated the socialist writer Dan Bessner of the podcast last summer, in our episode titled “Is a Better World Possible Without American Power?” A lot has happened since that episode air, especially in the Middle East. So it's a good time for Shadi and Dan to consider that question again. Enjoy Hamid v. Bessner, Round 2.Required Reading and Listening:Hamid v. Bessner, Round 1: “Is a Better World Possible without American Power?” (Wisdom of Crowds)Shadi's recent post about completing his manuscript: “The Art of Losing Well” (Wisdom of Crowds).The Disagreement homepage. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Is Spidey about to be in a 6v6 shooter? Greg and Roger tackle the topic and everything Phil Spencer's been saying! Run of Show - - Start - Roger's Review So Far of Yellow Taxi Goes Vroom - Housekeeping I'm getting a vasectomy, and I talked about it on the KFP! Mike and Nick's Awesome Action Movie Nights are back featuring special guests James and Elyse Willems. Join us as we head down to the swamps of Florida to watch the remake of the one-and-only Road House. Tune in this Wednesday, March 27th at 7:30pm right here on twitch.tv/kindafunnygames The Roper Report   - - RUMOR: Marvel 6v6 Overwatch-Style Shooter Coming - Phil Spencer on EVERYTHING! REQUIRED READING: https://www.polygon.com/24108700/phil-spencer-interview-2024-xbox-exclusives-layoffs - The PS5 is getting an automatic game clip feature that helps other players - V Rising - Legacy of Castlevania Teaser Trailer is out - Sonic Heroes Could Be Getting A Remake For Nintendo Switch Successor - Wee News! - NVIDIA GeForce Update! - SuperChats - You‘re Wrong Tomorrow's Hosts: Tim & Andy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp — go to http://betterhelp.com/kindafunny to get 10% off your first month. Blessing and Tim talk about Bobby Kotick stepping down, PlayStation 5 sells 50 million units, and we follow up on our discussion from yesterday about hacks and leaks. Time Stamps: 00:00:00 - Start 00:05:46 - Housekeeping - A new Gamescast is up where we talk about what we've been playing, I highlight some games from Day of The Devs, and we ask the question: Is 2023 the best year for DLC? Youtube.com/KindaFunnyGames - All episodes of Greg's Childtime Teachings are up on Youtube.com/KindaFunny - Over on Patreon: - A new episode of Kinda Feudy is up featuring a brand new Trivia Trial. - The Roper Report - 00:09:11 - Microsoft announces more Xbox leadership changes as Activision's Bobby Kotick departs 00:21:48 - Sega offers new details on Jet Set Radio, Streets of Rage and classic reboots 00:33:54 - Bloober Team is teaming up with Skybound 00:38:12 - PS5 sales hit 50 million worldwide 00:44:28 - Pokémon Scarlet and Violet's DLC Is Getting an Epilogue Set for January 00:48:16 - Out Today 00:50:16 - The Aftermath of the Insomniac Circumstance - Grezick 01:05:00 - Squad Up: Diego Saldivar - WoW Classic - 01:06:04 - REQUIRED READING: https://www.videogameschronicle.com/features/the-best-game-music-of-2023-as-chosen-by-composers/ 01:06:58 - You‘re Wrong 01:08:46 - The Post Show! Tomorrow's Hosts: Bless & Andy Epic Creator Code: KindaFunny Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Find the full Resties Required Reading List at Besties.fan!We have finalized the Resties Required Reading List and we can't wait to share the results! Our goal was to collect a list of 25 games — from Pac-Man to modern day, 1980 to 2020 — that will help our listeners better appreciate this wonderful medium. We believe these are the games that everyone who wants to have a fundamental appreciation of video games should play or watch.  They're the games that will, in ways big and small, give you a richer connection with every other game you play. Think of it like a syllabus for Video Games 101. Or as the 25 games we'd built a museum around.  Or just as a guide on how to spend some of your holiday break!Go to HelloFresh.com/restiesfree and use code restiesfree for FREE breakfast for life! One breakfast item per box while subscription is active. That's free breakfast for life at HelloFresh.com/restiesfree with code restiesfree. Subscribe to our newsletter at besties.fan!

Tim and Andy talk Last of Us 2 Remastered, Wonder Woman NOT becoming a Live-Service game, and GTA6 announcement hopes. Run of Show - - Start - Housekeeping There's no KFGD this Thursday and Friday because we're off for Thanksgiving. Tonight! Mike and Nick continue their Action Movie Watch-a-Longs with the mother of all 90s action movies, The Rock! Join Mike, Nick, James, and Elyse at 7:30pm right here on Twitch.tv/kindafunnygames You can still get nerfalice's iconic Shirtless Spider-Man as the Premium Collector's item this month! Get yours at patreon.com/kindafunny! The Roper Report  - - Sony announces The Last of Us Part II remaster for PS5 - Warner Bros. Denies That Wonder Woman Will be a Service Game After Job Listing - Ad - Fans Find More Evidence of GTA 5 Cut Story DLC & The Canceled Bully 2 - Returnal's director is leaving Housemarque - Borderlands 4 and Tiny Tina's Wonderlands 2 mentioned on Linkedin profile - Out Today - Michael Clingerman - MK1 on Ps5 - clingyxd - REQUIRED READING: https://www.ign.com/articles/how-black-myth-wukong-developers-history-of-sexism-is-complicating-its-journey-to-the-west - You‘re Wrong - Andy's Backlog - The Post Show! Tomorrow's Hosts: Bless & Mike Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices