In February of 2014, Russia’s military, under direction of President Vladimir Putin, invaded and, subsequently annexed Crimea – a peninsula off the eastern side of Ukraine. Russia quickly installed a subservient government to its own, presided over a referendum in the region under the watchful eye of Russian soldiers to legitimize the action as driven by the will of the people, and began issuing Russian passports to Crimean inhabitants – a pretext for the later argument that Russia was protecting its citizens when it invaded. Since then, a battle has ensued between Russia and Ukraine on the peninsula, throwing Crimea into disarray, dysfunction, and ruin. In February of this year, Russia invaded Ukraine again – only this time the campaign is much wider and Putin’s ultimate goal remains unknown. Unlike what happened in 2014, the global response to this invasion has been unified and swift, cutting Russia off from the rest of the world in almost universal terms – from international finance, trade, diplomacy, and travel. Russia has become a pariah on the global stage with a few notable exceptions – China, India, and Brazil. Nonetheless, as of this moment, Putin seems to be playing the long game, and it remains to be seen how it will end. In this episode, I’m talking to a friend of mine, Dr. Radmila Segol. She is an Associate Professor of Journalism at the National Technical University of Ukraine and Editor-in-Chief of the Prometheus Mass Open Online Course platform. She also provides background research, editing, and translation for news organizations and on articles that have been, and soon will be, published in outlets such as Washington Post, the Economist, and Vogue. Mila lives in Kyiv, Ukraine and she has chosen to stay there with her mother and her brother, throughout this Russian campaign of war. We talk about her life before before the invasion- before the war. And we talk about her life in Ukraine now. We discuss some history, the damage done, her thoughts about when, if at all, Ukraine could forgive Russia, how she finds some happiness living under constant air raids and the threat of death, and what the rest of the world, you and I, can do to help.If you would like to explore opportunities to offer some help, Dr. Segol has suggested the following programs:Come Back AliveSoloma Cats-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today’s episode is the final part of my three-part miniseries – my pursuit of understanding the far right nationalist movement that motivates Trump supporters, contemporary Republican voters. But, this phenomenon is not limited to the United States. There are companion movements, arguably more deeply rooted and historical, gaining traction in other countries – like Australia, South Korea, South Africa, and also across Europe, in places like Italy, Germany, France, the Netherlands, Denmark, and the UK. And, so today, I’m talking to Dr. Sasha Polakow-Suransky – Deputy Editor of Foreign Policy magazine and author of the 2017 book – Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy. We talk about the origins of nationalist movements, what has contributed to their rise, how politicians and activists have preyed upon and exploited very real concerns, twisting them into something violent and destructive for, not only the folks that exist outside of the in-group narrative, but of liberal democracy, maybe just democracy, itself. We also discuss why this matters and how to bring these people back into some sensible realm of policymaking that doesn’t lay waste to the very values and principles that form the bedrock of our democratic systems. Mentioned: Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right - Arlie HochschildThe Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy - Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. PerryForeign Policy MagazineRecommended:Go Back to Where You Came From: The Backlash Against Immigration and the Fate of Western Democracy - Sasha Polakow-Suranksy-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today's episode is the second of a three-part series that seeks to understand what underpins the Trumpism movement in the United States – who these voters are and what motivates them, and then how that fits into a broader global shift we’re seeing - away from liberal democracy. Last week I spoke to Dr. Arlie Hochschild about her book Strangers in Their Own Land  to understand the paradox of conservative folks and their support for policies that do tangible harm to them.Today I’m talking to Dr. Philip Gorski, professor and sociologist at Yale University, and the co-author of the book The Flag and the Cross. Together, we discuss another seeming paradox – why self-identified Christians align so closely with Trump who, for all intents and purposes, is not a true Christian. He certainly hasn’t lived his life in accordance to scripture. I want to know how Christians square this alliance and this allegiance, how we got here, and if there is any chance that this relationship could be short-circuited – and, if so, how. Mentioned: Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right - Arlie HochschildThe Religion of American Greatness: What's Wrong with Christian Nationalism - Paul D. MillerJesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation - Kristin Kobes Du MezRecommended:The Flag and the Cross: White Christian Nationalism and the Threat to American Democracy - Philip S. Gorski and Samuel L. Perry-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

Today marks the beginning of a new Deep Dive adventure - a miniseries! In pursuit of understanding conservative voters, especially nationalists - nationally and globally - over the next three episodes, I am talking to three researchers who have dove deep into this world, each contributing something unique and fascinating to the literature.In this first episode in the series, I'm talking to Dr. Arlie Hochschild, sociologist and professor at the University of California-Berkeley, about her book Strangers in Their Own Land. The book, published in 2016, chronicles her immersion in what would become Trump Country - deep red, rural Louisiana to understand what motivates their politics, their policy preferences, and their social outlook.  We talk about White, blue-collar people in the United States and how their deep story has morphed from one of loss, to one of having been stolen from; how Donald Trump harnessed and exploited that energy and gave it a focus and a target – immigrants, black folks, women, queer folks, the administrative state, and liberals; and how that culminated in an attack on the seat of democracy, the United States Capitol, on January 6th, 2021. Mentioned: Dignity in a Digital Age - Ro KhannaThe Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing us Apart - Bill Bishop (with Robert G. Cushing)Recommended:Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right - Arlie Hochschild-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

In this episode I'm talking to Dr. Nicholas Davis - Assistant Professor and the principal investigator of the Democracy and Open Science Lab at the University of Alabama. He co-wrote the book Democracy's Meanings: How the Public Understands Democracy and Why it Matters, which informs our discussion today about how we define democracy, how those definitions differ, and how those differences inform our expectation for government and our social contract. We also discuss the future of American democracy and if we have passed the rubicon. Mentioned: Obi Wan KenobiUnworthy Republic – Claudio SauntThe New Trail of Tears - Naomi Schaefer RileyOur Savage Neighbor: How Indian War Transformed Early America – Peter SilverRed Gentlemen and White Savages: Indians, Federalists, and the Search for Order on the American Frontier – David Andrew NicholsSacred Violence in Early America – Susan JusterRecommended:Democracy's Meanings: How the Public Understands Democracy and Why it Matters - Nicholas T. Davis, Keith Gaddie, and Kirby Goidel-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

**This episode was recorded before the Supreme Court's final week of the 2022 term in which they overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs opinion, hobbled the ability of states to regulate guns in Bruen and severely limited the EPA's ability to tackle climate change in WV v. EPA** Apologies for some audio issues on my side. In this episode I'm talking to Dr. Paul Brewer - professor at the University of Delaware and author of the book Value War: Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights. Dr. Brewer teaches in both the Departments of Communications and Political Science and his research examines public opinion, including how elites influence public opinion of LGBT folks, and how and why that opinion evolves. We talk about the history of queer rights and related public opinion, what we’re seeing in public opinion on these issues now, and a bit about what the Republican Party hope to gain with this anti-gay platform, and if we can predict with any degree of accuracy how successful they might be. Mentioned: The Locked Tomb Series - Tamsyn Muir Recommended:Value War: Public Opinion and the Politics of Gay Rights - Paul R. Brewer-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

 **This episode was recorded before the Supreme Court's final week of the 2022 term in which they overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs opinion, hobbled the ability of states to regulate guns in Bruen and severely limited the EPA's ability to tackle climate change in WV v. EPA** In this episode I talk to Dr. Peter La Chapelle, professor of political and social history at Nevada State College, and author of I'd Fight the World: A Political History of Old-Time, Hillbilly, and Country Music and Proud to be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California, about the evolution of country music and how/why it went from music that championed the working class and the poor to a home for conservatives. We discuss some classic imagery from the early 20th century that created a lasting, and incorrect, image of American poverty and the working class, and talk about how that influenced the evolution of country music. We talk about the underrepresentation of women and folks of color, particulary Black folks, in country music and where liberal voices still live in that sphere. And, we discuss some of our favorite artists and whether I could be a country music performer. Mentioned: Her Country: How the Women of Country Music Became the Success They Were Never Supposed to Be - Marissa R. Moss Recommended: I'd Fight the World: A Political History of Old-Time, Hillbilly, and Country Music - Peter La ChapelleProud to be an Okie: Cultural Politics, Country Music, and Migration to Southern California - Peter La Chapelle -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

**This episode was recorded before the Supreme Court's final week of the 2022 term in which they overturned Roe v. Wade in the Dobbs opinion, hobbled the ability of states to regulate guns in Bruen and severely limited the EPA's ability to tackle climate change in WV v. EPA**In this episode, I talk to Dr. David Faris, the author of the book It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics, associate professor of political science at Roosevelt University, and contributing writer at The Week. We discuss the state of American democracy, how Democrats are disadvantaged in elections, some solutions that they could employ, why they don't, if it's too late to reverse course, and, ultimately, what this means for the country and how dire the next few years may become. Mentioned: Roe v. WadeMarbury v. MadisonCitizens United v. FECIt's Even Worse than it Looks -  Thomas E. Mann & Norman J. Ornstein Strangers in their Own Land - Arlie Hochschild Recommended:It's Time to Fight Dirty: How Democrats Can Build a Lasting Majority in American Politics - David Faris-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

**Note - I apologize for some audio quality issues at certain spots in this recording. But, it's surviveable!**Welcome to a bonus episode of Deep Dive! Dr. Sara Benesh (University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee) returns to do a post-mortem on constitutional law following the end of the Supreme Court's 2021 term. We discuss the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the limiting of states' ability to regulate guns and the administration's ability to combat climate change. We talk about the new test the Court has developed to determine the constitutionality of laws and policies and what the it all means for a whole host of rights moving forward. Also, I suggest that maybe I just don't believe in the Constitution anymore. Mentioned: New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. BruenRoe v. WadeDobbs v. Jackson Women's Health OrganizationRecommended:The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret AtwoodThe Supreme Court in the American Legal System - Jeffrey Segal, Harold Spaeth, and Sara Benesh-------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock

**This episode was recorded prior to 1) the Texas Republican Party releasing its policy platform embracing homosexuality as an "abnormal lifestyle choice," 2) the terror attack in Norway targeting queer folks, and 3) the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade."Pride Month Week at Deep Dive continues (and concludes). Today, I'm talking to my buddy Mardi Moore, the Executive Director of Out Boulder County in Boulder, Colorado. We talk about the work of Out Boulder County, the state of queer rights in the country today, and the impact that Republican policies are having on youth and families with their anti-queer legislation and violent rhetoric. We also talk about how we can each make a difference for the better. If you or anyone you know is being abused, bullied, or otherwise needs support related to queer identity, please contact the LGBT National Help Center and/or find more information at the Victim Connect Resource Center.  Mentioned: Out Boulder CountySouthern Fried True Crime Podcast Teacher's Pet PodcastRecommended:Support the work of Out Boulder County -------------------------Follow Deep Dive:InstagramYouTube Email: deepdivewithshawn@gmail.com Music: Majestic Earth - Joystock