How Do We Fix It?

Neighborhood, local and regional inequality has been overlooked too long. In this episode we visit four cities and towns with deep poverty and gutted public services— where entire communities are struggling to hold on.Our guest is Michelle Wilde Anderson, a professor of property, local government and environmental justice at Stanford Law School. Her new book is "The Fight to Save the Town: Reimagining Discarded America"."We have given up on many of these places", Michelle tells us. Discarded America is "a term that describes active decision making."She reports on efforts to revive four communities— Stockton California, Lawrence Massachusetts, Josephine County Oregon, and Detroit.The focus is on local activists, community leaders, elected officials and others who have poured their heart and soul into fighting for the places where they live. In these places and others some of the most basic aspects of local government services have been dismantled.We learn about the devastating impact of the foreclosure crisis, opioid addiction and long economic decline as jobs and entire industries moved offshore or to other parts of the country.As always with our podcast, there is also a focus on solutions, as we discuss examples of civic pride and rebuilding.Book Review: "Building Back Better— One Community at a Time (New York Times).Our Recommendation: Richard is watching the FX drama series, "The Old Man", starring Jeff Bridges, Jon Lithgow, Amy Brenneman and Alia Shawkat. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The January 6th hearings are a reminder of the impact of hatred for the other side and toxic polarization. We are rigidly divided by our politics, Facebook and other social media sites, and by news media. Nearly half of us have stopped talking with someone about political topics as a result of what they said in person or online. Our culture of contempt is dividing us all and making America ungovernable.How do we use science and proven methods to reduce toxic polarization and push back against conflict entrepreneurs? This episode presents a way forward.We repeat this episode with Peter Coleman, who is a leading expert on intractable conflict and sustainable peace. Peter is a professor of psychology and education at Columbia University and director of the Morton Deutsch International Center for Cooperation and Conflict Resolution. Peter's new book is "The Way Out. How to Overcome Toxic Polarization."We discuss research on how deeply divided societies can and do change. We learn more about the role you can play to navigate these times most effectively – as well as what to look for in groups and organizations in your community that are already at work making America more functional again.In this episode, Peter praised the work of the Bridging Divides Initiative, a group that tracks and mitigates political violence in the United States. The initiative supports efforts to grow and build local community resilience throughout elections and other periods of heightened risk, laying the groundwork for longer-term efforts towards reconciliation.Recommendation: Jim is listening to the podcast series, A History of Rock Music in 500 Songs, a history of rock from 1938 to 1999, hosted by Andrew Hickey.aWjyPCPZFrs0sg4bAoNd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Inflation is through the roof. Stocks are through the floor. Most economists say that a recession is likely to hit soon or is already here. Add to this the economic impact of the Ukraine invasion, an entitlements crisis with the possible bankruptcy of Medicare and Social Security trust funds in the coming years, and today's weird housing market. In this episode, we discuss all these, plus the tough choices now facing the Federal Reserve, political dysfunction in Washington, disruption of global supply chains, and the roots of the inflation crisis.Our guest is Washington Post columnist Megan McArdle, the author of "The Up Side of Down: Why Failing Well is the Key to Success." "The biggest issue is getting the political will to act like grownups," Megan tells us."We used to have one party that would try to keep taxes reasonable... and the other party would keep the spending down to match the taxes. Now we're in a situation where everyone gets in and wants to spend all of the money without any regard to discipline."Also, learn about what Richard's brother knew about Just-in-Time Production, and Jim's Dad understood about monetarism.Recommendation: Jim is reading "Two Wheels Good: The History and Mystery of the Bicycle", by critic and journalist Jody Rosen. She examines the bicycle’s past and peers into its futureHelp us spread the word about our podcast. Here's Our Patreon account. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In recent weeks the great American divide grew again. Explosive revelations from the House January 6th Hearings and Supreme Court decisions on abortion, guns and the EPA's ability to limit carbon emissions from power plants are further examples of where the middle has been weakened. On many media platforms nuance is replaced by taunts and jeers. Our nation is trapped in high conflict. Both sides are paralyzed by fear and anger as they demonize and misunderstand the actions and motivations of the other. The bitter national narrative of "us versus them" is a threat to democracy and stops Congress and other public institutions from working together to build a better world.Best-selling author and investigative journalist, Amanda Ripley, is our guest in this repeat episode. She is well-known for her writing in The Atlantic, Time, The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and many other publications. We discuss her groundbreaking book, “High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out."Amanda argues that good conflict can teach us to be better people, who are capable of solutions as they move past misunderstandings. Many are trapped in high conflict, which is threatening to tear us apart, creating an even deeper crisis than we have now.We discuss "conflict entrepreneurs"— cable TV personalities, talk radio hosts, and politicians from both left and right — who profit from making us angry and fearful."Most Americans want out of this high conflict," Amanda tells How Do We Fix It? "They very much want to see a different way of disagreeing among their politicians and the news media. They are frequently tuning out of politics and the news, which is a big problem, but totally understandable."Recommendation: Jim enjoyed watching "Long Strange Trip", a highly-praised documentary about the rock band, the Grateful Dead. TV viewers can watch it on Amazon Prime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dementia provokes profound moral questions about our society and the meaning of life itself. How much are we connected to one another? In what ways are we distant and separated? What does it mean to have a self? How can we offer dignity to those who suffer from Alzheimer's and other forms of this terrible disease?Worldwide around 55 million people have dementia. The US Centers for Disease Control estimates that the U.S. total is nearly six million cases. The numbers are growing with the aging of the population. The incidence of Alzheimer's increased more than 50% in the past 15 years. People over the age of 85 are the largest growing share of the population.British journalist and author Nicci Gerrard is our guest. Her father's long struggle with dementia led Nicci to investigate what the disease does to those who live with it and to their caregivers. She writes with deep wisdom, kindness, and empathy in her new book, "The Last Ocean A Journey Through Memory and Forgetting."In modern, developed nations, "we so value being young, healthy, vigorous, successful, purposeful, and autonomous," says Nicci. "In dementia all these things gradually unravel."Following her father's death in 2014, Nicci Gerrard cofounded John's Campaign, which seeks to make care more compassionate for those who are vulnerable and powerless.In this episode, we discuss her journey, what's she learned, and ways to improve dementia care, including the need for open an unrestricted visiting hours at hospitals-- still a controversial topic-- and dementia villages, a fairly new way to help people with memory loss improve quality of life. Here's a link to more information about Nicci's work and her book. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

History was made on January 6th, 2021, yet nearly 18 months later we are still coming to terms with what happened before and during the attack on the U.S. Capitol. In this episode, Richard and Jim discuss what's been revealed by the House Select Committee that continues to investigate the disturbing events of that day.We include excerpts from statements by Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D) and Vice-Chair Liz Cheney. Our discussion looks at the controversy over how the Committee was formed and how its findings will be viewed by voters, elected officials, legal analysts and historians. The first Select Committee hearing was aired during prime time on a Thursday night. While much of it was solemn and deliberative, there were moments of theater and passion. In their discussion, Jim and Richard share their different views of whether or not the work of the Committee has been as effective as it should have been.  Recommendation: Jim has been re-reading the dystopian novel "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury.This episode also includes a promotion for another fine podcast— "The Purple Principle". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The appalling carnage in Uvalde, Texas, Buffalo, New York, Tulsa, Oklahoma, and other communities across the country is a deeply painful source of grief, outrage, and national shame. Since 2009 more than 2500 people have been killed or wounded in 277 mass shootings in The United States— more than the number of U.S. military personnel killed in hostile action in Afghanistan over the same period.But as horrible as they are, mass shootings represent a small percentage of overall firearms-related deaths. In 2020 — the latest year for which numbers are available — more than 45 thousand Americans were killed in shootings, including accidents and suicides. That’s more than the number of deaths on roads and highways.In this episode we look at some ways to reduce the huge toll. Our guest is Dr. Patrick Carter, a professor of emergency medicine and health behavior at the University of Michigan, and a leading expert on firearm injury prevention. He argues that instead of endless debate, we need to think of gun deaths "as a public health issue and a science issue." Then we can make real progress, he argues.Key soundbites:05:13 We should think about the crisis of gun-related fatalities "not just as a single thing, but of a multi-faceted problem with lots of potential solutions: From engineering— how we construct guns and firearms safes— to how we change behavior around how people own and use guns, to how we address populations that are particularly high-risk and shouldn't own guns or shouldn't have access to guns when they are in crisis."05:40 "I really think we can change the direction of firearm deaths and we have done that with cars... with drownings in this country. We've done that with all types of injury-related issues."20:30 "I don't think you can solve this problem with the science-based approach I've talked about without engaging the people who own guns... We need to understand what things will change behaviors and to do that we need to engage with firearms owners around common-sense solutions."Recommendation: The weekly online newsletter by conservative writer David French. He is also a contributing writer at The Atlantic. Richard says he often disagrees with David, but finds his writing to be respectful and even kind towards liberals and others who see the world in a different light. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"There is one and only one social responsibility of business," Nobel Prize-winning economist Milton Friedman famously declared more than 50 years ago. It is “to use its resources and engage in activities designed to increase profits so long as it.. engages in open and free competition without deception or fraud.” Times have certainly changed, especially in the past two decades. Today, corporate leaders and brands know that they can't always follow Friedman's advice, and are expected to step forward and contribute to solving crises facing society. But there are often hazards in doing so. Walt Disney, Delta Airlines, and Larry Fink, Chairman, and CEO of BlackRock, have all faced harsh criticism for their public stands.We discuss the hazards and opportunities for corporations and their leadership with the author, researcher, and facilitator Elizabeth Doty, Director of the Erb Institute's Corporate Political Responsibility at the University of Michigan. She suggests constructive ways for businesses to play a key role in countering hyperpartisanship and other divisions in society. "Companies are on the receiving end of a lot of criticism," Elizabeth tells us. "We felt they needed a place to get foresight for companies to dig into what's behind these complaints." In our podcast, we hear ways businesses can benefit society and themselves with a constructive forward-facing, deliberative approach. When confronting divisive issues, corporations should consider how to "raise the quality of the argument rather than pick a side in the argument", says Elizabeth.In a statement on its website, the Taskforce says: "Unfortunately, many executives operate without an integrated view of their firms’ engagement with governing or electoral processes, or clear principles to ensure transparency, accountability and responsibility. As we have seen in 2020, in an environment of polarization and distrust, inattention to CPR can increase reputational risk, destabilize the civic and business environment, threaten the credibility of other efforts and undermine the positive systemic changes society needs."Learn more here. The Taskforce invites business leaders, academics and others with an interest in this topic to get involved.Recommendation: Jim is enjoying "Walking the Floor" a music podcast hosted by Chris Shiflett, lead guitarist of The Foo Fighters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Myths are widely seen as little more than lies. We're constantly told by experts in media and society that myths are for debunking and even ridicule.Yet despite clear evidence frequently presented by doctors, journalists and scientists, many of us believe in legends and myths.  In this episode of "How Do We Fix It?", we explore the power of myths and legends: Why they are essential in making sense of life. Bestselling author of "The Swerve", "The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve" and other books, Harvard Humanities professor Stephen Greenblatt, is our guest. Using the origin story of Adam and Eve and other accounts in The Bible, we discuss the enormous appeal of foundation stories to raise questions about human existence and explain our fears, desires and morality. At their best popular legends and myths can bring our communities together and improve cooperation and understanding. But at their worst they can promote hatred and lead us to believe in dangerous fantasies. "Some are good for us, while others are not. But it's often difficult to sort out which ones are in each category," says Professor Greenblatt. Note: this interview was first published in 2017. Recommendation: During and after his trip to Florence, Richard has been listening to lecture series about the Italian Renaissance. They include the Great Courses series by Professor Kenneth Bartlett. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What does it mean to be a winner? Is it simply about “crushing it” or hitting your targets at work? Do you always have to come first?In this episode, we get a new definition of winning and success from former British Olympic rower, Cath Bishop, who competed in three Olympics and won a silver medal. Today Cath works in leadership development and has spent years thinking deeply about what it means to be successful in life. Her new book is “The Long Win: The Search for a Better Way to Succeed”. Cath spoke with audio journalist Ashley Milne-Tyte, host of the winning podcast, “The Broad Experience”, about women and the workplace. Here we share part of her episode with Cath.In the second half of this episode, Richard also has a conversation with Ashley about the insights she’s learned during the first decade of reporting for her podcast. We hear about racism and sexism in the workplace and how men can help women achieve true equality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.