Stay Tuned with Preet

A Danger to Ourselves (with Tom Nichols)

Nov 18, 2021

Tom Nichols, a professor at the U.S. Naval War College and author of "Our Own Worst Enemy," discusses the alarming trend of anti-democratic movements, attributing their rise to our collective narcissism. He critiques the dual nature of social media outrage and the role of discontent among the middle class in fueling authoritarian sentiments. Nichols also explores the complexities of maintaining democracy amid societal divides and misinformation. Expect an insightful analysis of our political landscape and the psychological factors at play.

01:19:44

Episode guests

Tom Nichols

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

4min

Judicial Conduct and Bias in High-Profile Trials

4min

Judicial Conduct and Democracy in Crisis

6min

A Culinary Journey from Critique to Appreciation

2min

The Dual Nature of Social Media Outrage

3min

The Illiberal Turn: Democracy in Crisis

18min

Divides and Discontent: The Crisis of Unity

4min

Understanding Authoritarian Movements

9min

Conspiracy Theories in the Social Media Age

4min

10.

Navigating Misinformation and Generational Shifts

16min

11.

The Fallout of Misinformation

7min

Preet answers listener questions about why Steve Bannon wasn’t immediately arrested after being indicted, whether the judge in the Kyle Rittenhouse trial acted inappropriately, and the likelihood of a civil war in the United States.

Then, Preet interviews Tom Nichols, a professor of international affairs at the U.S. Naval War College and the author of a new book, Our Own Worst Enemy, which raises a new theory about the rise of anti-democratic movements: that our own narcissism is at fault.

For show notes and a transcript of the episode, head to: https://cafe.com/stay-tuned/a-danger-to-ourselves-with-tom-nichols/

Don’t miss the Insider Bonus, where Preet asks Nichols a series of lightning round questions.

As always, tweet your questions to @PreetBharara with hashtag #askpreet, email us at staytuned@cafe.com, or call 669-247-7338 to leave a voicemail.

Stay Tuned with Preet is produced by CAFE and the Vox Media Podcast Network.

Executive Producer: Tamara Sepper; Senior Editorial Producer: Adam Waller; Technical Director: David Tatasciore; Audio Producer: Matthew Billy; Editorial Producers: Noa Azulai, Sam Ozer-Staton.

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