Compact Podcast

David Leonhardt (New York Times) joins to discuss his new book “Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream,” and Ryan Zickgraf joins to discuss his new Compact piece “The Quest for a New New Deal.”   Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe Topics Discussed In This Episode: [00:00] - Ours Was The Shining Future: The Story of the American Dream [04:34] - Biden’s economic policies, and how current inflation is making long-standing economic issues worse for many Americans [06:23] - Where does Neoliberal economics come from? [15:25] - Where does growth fit into a healthy economic hierarchy of values and goals? (Discussing the 3 main promises of the American Dream) [21:09] - The three power bases in American economics - labor, corporations, and government.  [26:01] - What will it take to increase the power of labor? [27:58] - Assessing the Biden Administration - is Joe Biden a transformational figure in American economic policy?  

Pro-Palestine Protests scheduled for Armistice Day cause controversy and concern in the UK, Biden is polling beneath Trump, but the rest of the GOP has poor showing on local and ballot measure election night 2023, and several marijuana legalization measures pass even in Red States. Support Independent Journalism:  Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe In This Episode: [00:00] - Controversy in London re: Pro-Palestine Armistice Day Protests [17:00] - How will the US Response to Israel-Palestine affect the Muslim voting bloc in 2024? [22:30] - Biden now polling beneath Trump, many Biden voters willing to switch to Trump for 2024. [26:56] - Election Night 2023 results for local, special, state and ballot measures displays a disunited and visionless Republican Party outside of Trump’s federal vision [33:42] - Republicans are fighting the wrong culture war: Why abortion may be a losing issue [40:20] - What do ballot measures to legalize marijuana in Red States reflect about Republican and Independent voters?  [46:05] - The GOP Primary Debate in Miami: Another meaningless VP audition  

Cancel Culture hits left-wing anti-Zionists in the worlds of art and academia, the US stays firm in it’s policy of discouraging escalation to regional war in Israel, and American GDP rose by 4.9% last quarter.   Support Independent Journalism:  Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe Topics Discussed In This Episode: [00:00] - Left wing artists cancelled by art institutions in the wake of their support of Hamas [10:23] - Brief overview of the current state of the Israel conflict and the US’ policy of containment. [14:33] - Pro-Israel influence in academia has failed to systematically impact content and messaging within classrooms and student groups [21:53] - Where do anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism intersect? [27:10] - New numbers show a nearly 5% GDP growth last quarter, a number many believed to be impossible in a modern American economy.   

Israel’s delay in invading Gaza reaches a head, war-hawks in the GOP re-emerge hungering for war with Iran while the Biden admin seems even headed, and a new agreement is reached in the Auto-Workers Union strike.  Support Independent Journalism:  Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe Topics Discussed In This Episode: [00:00] - Israel’s delay in invading Gaza [04:25] - Nat’l Security Advisor Jake Sullivan’s influence on the Biden Admin’s policy in conflicts in Ukraine and Israel [08:15] - The Iran war-hawks in the GOP re-emerge [12:25] - How will Donald Trump’s relative isolationism impact his campaign as global conflict rises? [15:03] - Trump’s gag order [21:21] - New agreement reached in the United Auto Workers Strike  

The war in Israel continues to provoke wildly conflicting reports. Sohrab Ahmari, Nina Power, and Geoff Shullenberger join Matthew Schmitz.    Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe

Author Alex Perez discusses the pressure for writers of color to focus on trauma-based stories, the influence of critics in the literary industry, and the challenges faced by writers from non-literary backgrounds. They also explore the class differential in publishing and the potential for future shifts in understanding and representation.

The attack on Israel causes an international incident, as parts of the American left sympathize with Hamas and the rest of the nation recoils. Sohrab Ahmari, Nina Power, and Geoff Shullenberger join Matthew Schmitz.    Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe Topics Discussed In This Episode: [00:00] Israel is attacked by Hamas [03:09] The Crisis of Therapeutic Decolonization in Academia [07:45] The left’s axioms and abstractions around violence and decolonization are unsustainable logically or practically. [14:05] Does the Hamas attack and its subsequent embrace by the DSA and Black Lives Matter mark a turning back towards moderate/centrist policies by the American Political Establishment? [20:00] What does it mean to be a good person? How do our conceptions of morality impact our politics?  

Matthew Gasda joins Geoff Shullenberger to discuss his latest Compact contribution “Downtown Demons." https://compactmag.com/article/downtown-demons Support Independent Journalism: Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe

Ethnic Armenians flee Azerbaijan, Matt Gaetz challenges Kevin McCarthy’s leadership in the US House, and Bloomberg reports 94% of all new hires in the S+P 100 went to people of color in 2021. Sohrab Ahmari and Geoff Shullenberger join Matthew Schmitz.   Support Independent Journalism:  Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe Topics Discussed In This Episode:  [00:00] - Armenians flee Nagorno-Karabakh citing ethnic cleansing by the government of Azerbaijan, the history of Azerbaijani-Armenian relations if reviewed [09:39] - Matt Gaetz challenges Kevin McCarthy’s speakership citing Ukraine funding  [12:58] - Governor Gavin Newsom names Laphonza Butler as the interim replacement for Senator Dianne Feinstein after her passing last week [16:00] - Does the Freedom Caucus’ factional behavior work when most of the nation desires calmer politics? [18:34] - Bloomberg reports 94% of new hires in S+P100 Companies during the year 2021 went to people of color  

The 2nd Republican debate makes a lot of noise while Biden and Trump zero in on the auto strike to battle over the labor vote, skepticism of Green politics begins to rise, and Russel Brand gets #MeToo’d. Nina Power and Geoff Shullenberger join Matthew Schmitz.  Support Independent Journalism: Compact Magazine is reader-supported. Become a member and gain unlimited access. https://compactmag.com/subscribe   Topics Discussed In This Episode: [00:00] The second Republican Primary Debate - is Nikki Haley the donor-class front runner? [05:48] Trump speaks to auto workers amidst the recent strikes against Ford and GM, asks for union endorsement.  [14:45] How green politics is viewed skeptically in previously exploited nations, such as those in Eastern Europe. [17:45] Vivek’s gaffe / Too much noise, not enough signal from the GOP undercard [19:29] A discussion about the Russel Brand allegations, his career as a controversial-comedian-turned-leftist-icon and why the left is currently rejecting him