MAGA 2.0 w/ Quinn Slobodian & Wendy Brown

In 'Globalists: The End of Empire and the Birth of Neoliberalism,' Quinn Slobodian challenges the common perception that neoliberals aim to shrink government and abolish regulations. Instead, he argues that neoliberalism emerged to redeploy government and regulatory frameworks at a global level to protect and expand capitalism. The book follows a group of thinkers from the ashes of the Habsburg Empire to the formation of the World Trade Organization, highlighting their efforts to create supranational institutions that insulate global markets from national governments and democratic demands. Slobodian's work provides a nuanced analysis of the 'Geneva School' of neoliberalism and its impact on global economic integration and democracy.

In 'American Crusade', Andrew L. Seidel examines key Supreme Court cases over the last thirty years, including cases like 'Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission', 'Trump v. Hawaii', and the recent overturning of 'Roe v. Wade'. Seidel argues that the Supreme Court has turned the protection of religious freedom into a tool to impose Christian privilege and undermine the separation of church and state. The book is a meticulously researched and deeply insightful account of the current political landscape, emphasizing the dangers of Christian nationalism and the importance of maintaining a secular government to protect true religious liberty.

Homeland is the first book in The Dark Elf Trilogy and serves as a prequel to The Icewind Dale Trilogy. It follows Drizzt Do'Urden from his birth in the drow city of Menzoberranzan to his early years and training at Melee-Magthere Academy. Drizzt, born into a matriarchal drow society ruled by the evil Spider Queen Lolth, must navigate the cruel and competitive world of his homeland while struggling with his own moral principles that contradict those of his society. The novel delves into Drizzt's upbringing, his relationships with his family, particularly his father Zaknafein, and his eventual realization that he does not fit into the drow's societal norms of cruelty and deception.

The Foundation series, written by Isaac Asimov, is a seminal work of science fiction that spans over 550 years. It begins with the decline of the Galactic Empire, which has ruled for 12,000 years. Mathematician Hari Seldon develops the science of psychohistory, predicting the empire's fall and a subsequent 30,000-year dark age. To mitigate this, Seldon establishes the Foundation, a group of scientists and scholars on the planet Terminus, to compile and preserve human knowledge in the Encyclopedia Galactica. The series follows the Foundation's journey through various challenges and adaptations over millennia, exploring themes of governance, warfare, and science. The series was initially published as short stories and novellas between 1942 and 1950, later compiled into novels, and expanded upon in subsequent books.