Uncommon Knowledge

Dan Blumenthal, director of Asian studies at the American Enterprise Institute, and Elbridge Colby, founder of the Marathon Initiative think tank, discuss deterring China's expansion in the South China Sea and aggression towards Taiwan. They explore the potential consequences of China's dominance in the Pacific, military and economic coercion, relying on allies, parallels between the Cold War and US-China relations, and the challenges faced by the United States in navigating its role in the world.

Congressman Mike Gallagher, chair of the US House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, discusses the Chinese threat to Taiwan, TikTok's dangers, the US Navy's weak state compared to China, and the challenges of defense spending. Plus, insights on the Green Bay Packers and America's moral resources.

Former NFL quarterback Andrew Luck and former US secretary of state Condoleezza Rice discuss the new terrain of college athletics, including the introduction of name, image, and likeness rules and the establishment of the transfer portal. They explore the challenges and opportunities of college sports, the lack of guard rules, and the importance of making football safer. They also address conference realignment, revenue sharing, and the balance between academics and athletics.

Elizabeth Economy, author and senior advisor, discusses China's ambition for controlling international internet traffic, President Xi Jinping's ambition to reclaim Chinese centrality on the global stage, and the comparison of China policies between the Trump and Biden administrations. The podcast explores the practical implications of China's ambitions, the complexities of China-Taiwan-US relations, and the strategic approach to dealing with China, including protecting allies and managing competition. It also delves into the risk faced by Taiwan, analyzing the defense of Taiwan, Europe's increasing involvement in the Indo-Pacific region, and the implications for China.

Thomas Sowell, an esteemed scholar, discusses the recent Supreme Court decision on affirmative action and his friendship with Justice Clarence Thomas. He examines the negative impact of affirmative action on black students in elite institutions and challenges the notion that higher-rated institutions provide a better education. The podcast also delves into the concept of a colorblind constitution, the consequences of minimum wage laws on young individuals, and the influence of the press in shaping public opinion. Sowell provides advice for young African Americans and shares insights into his career as an academic and writer.

Thomas Sowell, Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution, discusses the consequences of society's quest for equality and challenges the concept of systemic racism. He explores income disparities, the impact of politics and teachers unions on education in low-income black neighborhoods, and the importance of prioritizing consequences over demographic representation in fields like medical research and aviation.

Steven Koonin, one of America's most distinguished scientists, challenges conventional climate science and methodology. He discusses the uncertainties and limitations in predicting the consequences of human influences on climate change, highlighting the small scale of human influences. The podcast explores contradicting reports on climate change and the role of media in controlling the narrative. It also delves into President Biden's climate legislation, the challenges of wind and solar energy, and the ethical responsibilities of scientists in climate research.

Condoleezza Rice served as the 66th US Secretary of State from 2005 to 2009 and as the National Security Advisor from 2001 to 2005. She is currently the Tad and Dianne Taube Director and the Thomas and Barbara Stephenson Senior Fellow on Public Policy at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University. Stephen J. Hadley was deputy national security advisor during George W. Bush's first term and is the editor of Hand-Off: The Foreign Policy George W. Bush Passed to Barack Obama, a book that details the Bush administration’s national security and foreign policy as described at the time in then classified transition memoranda prepared by the National Security Council experts who advised President Bush. In this wide-ranging conversation, Hadley and Rice reveal the insights and discussions that informed US foreign policy and national security, particularly in the months and years following 9/11, concerning the Middle East, Eastern Europe, and Russia. Decisions made during the Bush years would impact America and the world for years to come, presaging many of the issues being faced today in the Middle East and in Ukraine.

Stephen Kotkin is the Kleinheinz Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution and one of the foremost experts on Russia, past and present. Given the momentous series of events in that country over the past few weeks, we recruited Professor Kotkin to sit for another installment (this time in front of a live audience at Hoover) of our occasional Five Questions for Stephen Kotkin series. In this installment, Kotkin discusses the recent mutiny attempt by Wagner military group head Yevgeny Prigozhin, Putin’s perhaps tenuous future, how the Ukrainian offensive might play out, and the future of the NATO alliance.

In this second and final installment of our conversation with Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson, we cover his writing process for his books and columns, examine how “World War II” has earned that name, and preview his upcoming book, The End of Everything: How War Becomes Armageddon, which offers four cases studies of civilizations that collapsed. Additionally, Professor Hanson discusses why Silicon Valley may be the most powerful political force the world has ever seen, outlines the future of the Republican Party and the Conservative movement, and explains how Donald Trump has changed both institutions forever. Finally, Victor (as he insists we call him), looks at the 2024 presidential race as well as US immigration and makes some surprising observations about his own life and career.