The American Interest

Relevant Reading: The Coming Electoral Crack-up Michael BaroneListening to Trump Voters David Blankenhorn Good evening, podcast listeners! On this week’s episode host Richard Aldous speaks with Michael Barone about what lies ahead for this year’s election before discussing the value of listening to Trump voters with David Blankenhorn.We are first joined by Michael Barone, resident fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, senior political analyst at the Washington Examiner, and longtime co-author of The Almanac of American Politics. He discusses the polarized electorate, the relative paucity of electoral examples our country has, this year’s disruptive candidates, and why the Trump phenomenon caught so many by surprise.Then, David Blankenhorn, president of the Institute for American Values, returns to the show to discuss his recent efforts to speak—and more importantly listen to—Trump supporters. He examines their motivations, speaks about their grievances, and looks at what Trump’s ascendancy means for the country.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow David Blankenhorn @blankenhorn3, Michael Barone @MichaelBarone, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia Peter PomerantsevWhy We’re Post-Fact Peter Pomerantsev Good evening, listeners! We have a great show for you today, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Peter Pomerantsev about his stellar book on modern Russia.Peter Pomerantsev is the author of the award-winning book Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia, and he discusses his experiences in Russia’s TV industry, offering unique insight into what the country is like today. He touches on the U.S. election, the binding cultural force that is Russian television, and (who else?) Vladimir Putin.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Peter Pomerantsev @peterpomeranzev and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: The Amerexit John KornblumThe Gang that Couldn’t Shoot Straight Henri J. Barkey Good afternoon, listeners! We have a great show for you today as host Richard Aldous speaks with John Kornblum about America’s relationship with Europe before discussing the failed Turkish coup with Henri J. Barkey.We’re first joined by John Kornblum, who served as Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs from 1994–97 and as U.S. Ambassador to Germany from 1997–2001. He reflects on Brexit and how we got to this point, and talks about the state of America’s Transatlantic relationships.Then, Henri J. Barkey, the Director of the Middle East Program at the Woodrow Wilson Center, returns to the program to discuss the failed coup attempt in Turkey, looking ahead at what’s next for Erdogan, the country, and the region.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Henri J. Barkey @hbarkey and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: When and Why Nationalism Beats Globalism Jonathan HaidtThe Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and Religion Jonathan HaidtThe Make-Believe Supreme Court and the Coming Constitutional Crisis Jason Willick Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Jonathan Haidt about the tension between nationalism and globalism before discussing Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Supreme Court with Jason Willick.First, Jonathan Haidt, a social psychologist and professor in the Business and Society Program at New York University—Stern School of Business, discusses the rise in populism around the world, framing it as a clash between globalism and nationalism. He makes the point that moral psychology can be used to describe and even defuse the tensions between those clashing ideas.Then, TAI staff writer Jason Willick returns to the program to talk about Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s recent comments about Donald Trump, the backlash against them, and what this whole episode means for the illusion of the non-partisan justice.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Jonathan Haidt @JonHaidt, Jason Willick @jawillick, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: A Tale of Two Cities Eliot A. CohenNATO Must Invest Real Money to Stay in Business Andrew A. Michta Good evening, listeners! We have another excellent episode for you this week as Richard Aldous speaks with two podcast veterans: first Eliot A. Cohen about Brexit and the EU, and then Andrew A. Michta on NATO and European defense spending.Eliot A. Cohen discusses Theresa May’s succession of David Cameron as British prime minister and looks ahead to the task that lays before her. He expresses confidence in Britain’s ability to handle leaving the EU, and points out that Brexit should force elites to look at why they were caught out by the referendum, which could make this a positive thing for the UK in the long run.Then, Andrew A. Michta discusses what went on at a recent NATO summit in Poland, pointing out that the meeting produced a serious commitment to the three Baltic states and Poland. He examines the role the United States needs to play in the EU, and looks at how Brexit is going to impact the strength of NATO and the EU.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Eliot A. Cohen @cohen_eliot, Andrew A. Michta @andrewmichta, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: To Protect and DefendBrexit and the Welsh Dai George Good evening, listeners! We have another excellent episode for you this week as host Richard Aldous speaks with David Blankenhorn about Donald Trump before discussing Brexit with Dai George.First, David Blankenhorn, president of the New York City-based Institute for American Values, returns to the program to discuss an open letter he recently co-wrote addressed to Trump supporters.Then, poet and critic Dai George joins the program to explain Brexit from Wales’ point of view, looking ahead to what the recent “Leave” vote is going to mean for the Welsh.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow David Blankenhorn @blankenhorn3, Dai George @dai_r_george, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: They Brexit, You Own It Benjamin HaddadOn Your Knees David KirbyGet Up, Please David Kirby Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Benjamin Haddad about the reverberations of Britain’s vote to leave the EU before speaking with David Kirby about the ways in which we all pray.First we welcome back to the show Benjamin Haddad, a research fellow at the Hudson Institute, to discuss Brexit’s fallout. From him we learn about Europe’s reaction to the vote, what this means for the rest of the EU, and what effects the British referendum might have on similar “leave” campaigns in other EU member states.We’re then joined by David Kirby, a poet and teacher of English at Florida State University, who says that everyone prays, whether they’re aware of it or not. He explains the different ways in which prayer can manifest itself, and grounds the discussion in the perspectives on prayer held by Ralph Waldo Emerson and Montaigne.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Benjamin Haddad @benjaminhaddad and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: Brexit: Good for the United States? Richard N. Haass & John FonteThe Many Faces of Putinism Marius Laurinavicius Good evening, listeners! We have a great show for you today as host Richard Aldous speaks with John Fonte about the case for Britain leaving the EU, before turning to Marius Laurinavicius to discuss the problem of Putin’s propaganda.First, Hudson Institute senior fellow John Fonte argues that democratic self governance is the number one issue at stake in the upcoming Brexit vote. Tune in for a spirited discussion on the pros and cons of this divisive issue before Britain votes on Thursday.Then, Marius Laurinavicius, a Lithuanian journalist currently in the U.S. as a Baltic American Freedom Foundation Security Research Scholar, discusses a new film by the popular Russian director Andrei Nekrasov, formerly a harsh critic of Vladimir Putin, that seeks to discredit American businessman Bill Browder and his murdered lawyer Sergei Magnitsky, looking at what this about-face says about the state of Russian propaganda.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Marius Laurinavicius @LaurinaviciusM and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: US Democracy Promotion: Aim Lower Aaron David Miller & Richard SokolskyDemography and Migration Are Reshaping the Transatlantic Alliance Andrew A. Michta Good evening, listeners! We have an excellent episode for you this week as host Richard Aldous invites Aaron David Miller and Andrew A. Michta back to the podcast.Aaron David Miller, a vice president of the Woodrow Wilson Center and a former analyst, adviser, and negotiator in Republican and Democratic Administrations, returns to the program to discuss the problems that arise when organizing U.S. foreign policy around the notion of promoting democracy.We then welcome back to the show Andrew A. Michta, professor of National Security Affairs at Naval War College, adjunct fellow at CSIS, and columnist here at The American Interest, to talk about how demography is going to further strain NATO in the coming years.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Aaron David Miller @aarondmiller2, Andrew A. Michta @andrewmichta, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

Relevant Reading: Opera at a Distance Barton SwaimThe Speechwriter: A Brief Education in Politics Barton SwaimLooking Under Germany’s “Green” Hood Jamie Horgan Good evening, listeners! We have a great episode for you this week as host Richard Aldous talks with author Barton Swaim about remotely viewing opera before speaking with TAI staff writer Jamie Horgan about Germany’ energiewende.First, Barton Swaim discusses the Metropolitan Opera’s Live in HD series of cinema presentations, drawing on his recent moving experience seeing Madama Butterfly with his daughter.Then, Jamie Horgan takes a look under the hood of Germany’s remarkable—and costly—green energy transition, placing what Berlin has done over the past decade in perspective while examining the effects this energiewende has had on German power bills and central European grids.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Barton Swaim @bartonswaim, Jamie Horgan @JamieHorganAI, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: Change Is Now John McWhorterWords on the Move: Why English Won’t – and Can’t – Sit Still (Like, Literally) John McWhorterHow Conservatives Can Save the EU Dalibor RohacTowards an Imperfect Union: A Conservative Case for the EU Dalibor Rohac Good evening, listeners! On this week’s episode host Richard Aldous speaks with John McWhorter about change in contemporary theater before discussing a conservative case for the EU with Dalibor Rohac.John McWhorter teaches linguistics, philosophy, American Studies and music history at Columbia University, and he joins the program to discuss how even small changes can make it more difficult for people to evaluate art, primarily drawing on two examples of current theatrical productions in New York City (that, believe it or not, are not named Hamilton).Richard then welcomes back to the show Dalibor Rohac, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and author of Towards an Imperfect Union: A Conservative Case for the EU, to discuss how conservatives in Europe can save the European Union, and why wishing for its demise is a mistake.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow John McWhorter @JohnHMcWhorter, Dalibor Rohac @DaliborRohac, and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: How Putin Became President David SatterThe Less You Know, The Better You Sleep: Russia’s Road to Terror and Dictatorship under Yeltsin and Putin David SatterThe Snake Eats Itself Karina Orlova Good evening, listeners! We have another excellent episode for you this week as host Richard Aldous speaks with David Satter about Russia’s road to terror and dictatorship before welcoming Karina Orlova back to the show to talk about Putin’s propaganda machine.Richard is first joined by David Satter, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a fellow at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), who reflects on what he calls the greatest political provocation since the burning of the Reichstag: the bombing of four Russian apartment buildings in early September, 1999. He talks about his experience in Russia, and looks at what lies ahead for Putin and the country.Echo of Moscow’s U.S. correspondent and frequent TAI contributor Karina Orlova then returns to the program to discuss corruption and propaganda in Russia today, arguing that the United States ought to counter the Kremlin’s push to control information in Western media by pushing to make its own voice better heard within Russia itself.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow David Satter @DavidSatter and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: Stage Hands Oliver BulloughHarry and Arthur: Truman, Vandenberg, and the Partnership That Created the Free World Lawrence J. HaasServing the National Interest Richard Aldous Good evening, listeners! We have a great show for you this week, as host Richard Aldous welcomes Oliver Bullough to the program to discuss how the West enables kleptocracy before speaking with Lawrence J. Haas regarding his new book about the relationship between Vice President Harry Truman and Senator Arthur Vandenberg.First, freelance journalist Oliver Bullough reflects on an international anti-corruption summit hosted by David Cameron last week, and makes the point that Western enablers are actually facilitating kleptocrats in some very important ways. He describes the London Kleptocracy Tour that he helped put together that invites the public to drive around the city and visit houses that belong to wealthy foreign investors.Then, Lawrence J. Haas, senior fellow at the American Foreign Policy Council and former communications director for Vice President Al Gore, comes on the show to talk about how Truman and Vandenberg forged a working bipartisan partnership during a highly polarized era in American history. He grounds this reflection in modern politics, noting that Donald Trump referenced Vandenberg in a speech last month, and looks at what our current crop of politicians might be able to learn from Harry and Arthur.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Oliver Bullough @OliverBullough and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: Pragmatic Engagement Stephen D. Krasner & Amy B. Zegart Good evening, listeners! We have another great episode for you this week, as host Richard Aldous speaks with Stephen D. Krasner about what a smart national security strategy for the next President might look like.Stephen D. Krasner is the Graham H. Stuart Professor of International Relations and a senior fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute and the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and was the Director of Policy Planning at the Department of State from 2005–07. He makes the point that America is exceptionally secure at the present moment, and examines why so many Americans feel insecure. He looks at the threats facing America today, and describes the foreign policy challenges the next President will face. Tune in to learn more about “black swan” threats to America, how failed states affect the U.S., and why we ought to take Donald Trump’s foreign policy views seriously.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.

 Relevant Reading: Toward a Global Realignment Zbigniew BrzezinskiStrategic Vision: America and the Crisis of Global Power Zbigniew Brzezinski Good evening, listeners! We have a special treat for you this week as host Richard Aldous welcomes Zbigniew Brzezinski to the show to discuss the ongoing seismic shifts in the global balance of power.Zbigniew Brzezinski is a founding editorial board member of The American Interest and a counselor at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. He was the National Security Advisor to President Jimmy Carter from 1977-81. He joins the program to speak about the ending era of American dominance, pointing out that this doesn’t mean the U.S. is in decline, but says more about changes in the nature of power. He looks at how global powers—from Russia to China, from the EU to the U.S.—all face similar challenges, namely that global power is no longer homogeneous and global complexity borders on being overwhelming. Tune in for a fascinating conversation that covers a wide variety of topics, from the chances that the world’s great powers might work together in the Middle East, to the mistakes of the Iraq War, to an evaluation of the Obama administration’s foreign policy.Be sure to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes where you can also leave a review, and follow Zbigniew Brzezinski @zbig and Richard Aldous @RJAldous on Twitter.