Wisdom of Crowds

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveTwo weeks after Hamas’s brutal attack on Israeli civilians, tensions have skyrocketed as Israel begins an offensive against Gaza from the air and the ground as the area home to over a half million Palestinians is plunged into darkness. What could have been done to avoid this renewed war and what are the best possible paths toward ending violence?This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic invite Peter Beinart on to discuss. Peter writes at his Substack, The Beinart Notebook and is editor-at-large of Jewish Currents as well as professor of journalism and political science at the City University of New York. Peter emphasizes the importance of viewing the conflict in its historical context, one that includes severe violence on either side of the border. After Hamas’ brutal massacre of Israeli civilians and now Israel’s siege and bombardment of Gaza, how can we speak with moral clarity and consistency about the many lives that have been lost? Hamas is a terrorist group, but that’s all the more reason to try to understand how and why the group has changed since it won the 2006 Palestinian elections. Were opportunities to tame the organization missed? Why did Netanyahu prefer Hamas’ rule over Gaza? As Peter and Shadi note, Israel undermined repeated attempts at Palestinian unity that would have brought the Palestinian Authority back to Gaza with Hamas stepping down from governing responsibilities. Was Hamas’ radicalization inevitable? Why does terrorism happen? Regardless, it’s too late now. After what Hamas has done, there is no going back. Which raises the question: is there any way to move forward? What does a post-Hamas Gaza look like, especially now that Hamas appears to be gaining popularity in the West Bank? All of these questions can only be answered by addressing the question of violence head on. Why do some revolutionary movements turn to brutality while others counsel a principled resistance that takes pains to spare civilians?In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), the three discuss the Biden administration’s approach to the Middle East policy and the role of the media in framing the war. They find historical parallels to the conflict, including the ANC in South Africa after Apartheid. Shadi asks whether it’s possible for the U.S. and the international community to “incentivize” nonviolent resistance, while Peter underscores the role of Arab citizens of Israel as potential mediators for a longer-term solution.Required Reading:* “On Addressing Jews,” by Peter Beinart (Jewish Currents).* “There is a Jewish Hope for Palestinian Liberation. It Must Survive,” by Peter Beinart (New York Times).* “West Bank Protests Spread Over Gaza War,” by Miriam Berger (Washington Post).* Hamas Contained: The Rise and Pacification of Palestinian Resistance, by Tareq Baconi (Amazon). * The 2017 Hamas charter.* The 1988 Hamas charter. Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAfter Hamas fighters massacred hundreds of Israeli civilians, Israel is now massed on Gaza’s borders ahead of an operation that will likely devastate the Palestinian population. This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic sit down and unpack their complex thoughts and feelings about what is going on. What is the appropriate way to speak about atrocities after the fact? In the imm…

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhat are the most valuable parts of our transient lives and how does our appraisal of them change as we age?This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic take a step back from larger questions around current events to visit a recurring theme at Wisdom of Crowds around meaning. The episode centers around Damir’s recent Monday Note, “A Lost Sense of Wonder”, where he reflects on the pursuit of enchantment including in close relationships but also after witnessing a wondrous meteor shower in the Shenandoah Valley. The guys discuss how to think about the failure to recreate precious memories just as people they know move away and cities they remember visiting change. Should we feel melancholy in our nostalgia or continue finding comfort in the things that bring us happiness now? Meanwhile, Shadi dwells on judgement in the afterlife. He observes how the relationships that make life valuable are not enough for some, including those at ease with their own mortality — a disposition to which Shadi cannot quite relate.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) the two discuss the balance between pursuing virtue for potential rewards in the afterlife and doing right by people in the present. Shadi, a believer, admits to genuine fear about what happens after death. After all, if there is a heaven, there is also a hell. Damir, a non-believer, places more emphasis on finding purpose in oneself rather than adhering to otherworldly incentives. Is a balance between these two paths possible? Subscribe to the listen to the full episode. Required Reading:* “A Lost Sense of Wonder”, by Damir Marusic (Wisdom of Crowds).* “The Virtue Politics of Mitt Romney” (Wisdom of Crowds).* “The Watusi bull riding shotgun is what makes America great” by David Von Drehle (The Washington Post).* “This Really Is Europe” with Ben Judah, podcast episode (Wisdom of Crowds).* “An Extremely Online Existence” podcast episode (Wisdom of Crowds).* Shadi’s conversation with Sam Harris about meditation and being Muslim on Sam’s podcast, Waking Up.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAs the leaders of the major political parties show stark signs of advanced age, their supporters are bending over backwards to defend their own while criticizing their opponents. Politics at its purest.This week, Shadi and Damir return from summer break to dive into the latest developments in D.C. as the next election looms. They discuss the self-interest and rank hypocrisy of the Republican Party conveyed in a new, fascinating profile of Senator Mitt Romney. Is the GOP irredeemable? The conversation heats up as the guys arrive at the intersection of hypocrisy, politics, and morality. Damir the cynic questions whether Romney’s pieties are all that impressive. Shadi, the moralist, lauds Romney as an exemplar of virtue politics—inextricably linked to Romney’s Mormon faith. Hypocrisy, Shadi argues, entails rather than negates morality. But of course there is such a thing as too much hypocrisy. Where to draw the line? In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) Shadi and Damir grapple with how events shaped by establishment politicians dating back to the nineties ought to be viewed today. The guys discuss how fear of worst-case political outcomes scrambles an adherence to one’s moral and political beliefs. Damir argues that while he sympathizes with anti-Trump Republicans like Romney, their moral posturing doesn’t resolve fraught political questions. Shadi expresses concerns about the situation Democrats find themselves. In their obsession with avoiding a Trump victory, they may be making the the very outcome they fear more likely. Required Reading:* “We Need to Talk About Biden,” by Derek Hudson (Wisdom of Crowds).* “What Mitt Romney Saw in the Senate,” by McKay Coppins (The Atlantic).* “President Biden should not run again in 2024,” by David Ignatius (The Washington Post).* “Democrats are crazy to insist only Biden can beat Trump,” by David Von Drehle (The Washington Post).* "Is ‘Peak Woke’ Behind Us or Ahead?’ by Ross Douthat (The New York Times).* “Mitt Romney Has Given Us A Gift” by David Brooks (The New York Times).* CNN polling showing Trump remaining competitive against Biden.* Political Hypocrisy by David Runciman.* Hypocrisy and Integrity by Ruth Grant.* “Better Man” by Pearl Jam.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, we’re pulling one of our favorite and most explosive episodes from the archive. This one, from May 2022, with socialist intellectual Daniel Bessner on the role of America on the world stage. We encourage all of you, especially our newest Substack subscribers, to have a listen and tell us what they think in the comments. And if you aren’t yet a subscriber, …

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveCapitalism is a revolutionary force. It is not conservative. So why have conservatives gone along with market fundamentalism for so long? Sohrab Ahmari, a convert to Catholicism, has been known as a culture warrior. This time he returns to the podcast to make a surprising argument. Ahmari, the founder and editor of Compact magazine, argues in his new book Tyranny, Inc., that it’s the economy, stupid. Private power is imposing its own tyranny through tools of economic coercion that exploit workers. It’s time to redirect attention from the hysteria over “wokeness” and toward establishing social democratic protections in America. That’s a view ubiquitous on the left, but a similar case is being made on the populist right. Sohrab, Shadi, and Damir debate America’s economic order, its social contract, and whether the cruelty is the point. Embracing the label “pro-life New Dealer,” Sohrab laments the right’s obsession with the culture wars and argues that conservatives are losing sight of glaring problems in the economy. The three also delve into how an emboldened state may collide with Sohrab’s socially and culturally conservative values. In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), Shadi, Damir, and Sohrab discuss whether the United States needs to stay “cruel” in order to remain the world’s economic leader. If politics is about tradeoffs, is this the one that Americans have to accept? They cover the GOP’s economic stance and what Sohrab sees as the incongruity between the party’s culturally conservative and pro-market positions. Conservatives appreciate the need for constraints on freedom when it comes to culture and morality. Why are they so resistant to constraints on economic freedom then? Finally the three consider to what extent Protestants and Catholics diverge on key questions of social and economic justice—and whether Republican Senators like J.D. Vance, Marco Rubio, and Josh Hawley can succeed in ushering in pro-labor policies. Required Reading:* Tyranny, Inc.: How Private Power Crushed American Liberty--and What to Do About It, by Sohrab Ahmari (Amazon).* Compact Magazine, where Sohrab is founder and editor.* Sohrab’s first appearance on Wisdom of Crowds.* The meme Damir referenced about why America doesn't have universal health care.* “On Conservatism and Capitalism,” by Damir Marusic (America’s Future).* The Great Transformation, by Karl Polanyi (Amazon).* The Market Revolution: Jacksonian America 1815-1846, by Charles Sellers (Amazon).* Jesus and John Wayne: How White Evangelicals Corrupted a Faith and Fractured a Nation, by Kristin Kobes Du Mez (Amazon).* Abraham Lincoln’s speech at the Wisconsin State Fair. * Of Boys and Men, by Richard Reeves (Amazon).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWe’re living in the most prosperous time in human history with more material abundance and comfort — and yet something just feels… off. This week, Shadi Hamid and Samuel Kimbriel take a trip to the heartland to find out what that something is.In this special live recording from the Lyceum Movement’s Tallgrass Ideas Festival in Iowa, Shadi and Sam join political theorist Susan Laehn to grapple with whether a sense of meaning precedes or succeeds happiness. With the live audience jumping in with comments and questions, the three delve into the balance between personal desires and finding collective meaning in a society. Then there is the question of whether freedom, to be truly “free,” requires constraint. On this there may be some differences. In the full episode (for paying subscribers only), Shadi, Sam, and Susan take on the increasingly challenging question of how to balance individuality and community. There are dangers of going too far in the latter direction. As one audience member challenges the panel, many have fled societies because there was too much communal feeling. And then the Crowd finishes with a conversation about the role of love. It might sound corny, but trust us—it’s not. How can there be meaning without love? And is it possible to have a deeper love—with the unconditional forgiveness that that sometimes calls for without God. Required Reading:* Welcoming the Other: Student, Stranger and Divine, by Susan Laehn (Amazon).* “A Radically Condensed History of Post Industrial Life,” by David Foster Wallace.* Escape from Freedom, by Erich Fromm (Amazon).* Friendship as Sacred Knowing: Overcoming Isolation, by Sam Kimbriel (Amazon).* More about the Lyceum Movement.Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAt a time of disruption in the workforce, rapidly shifting gender norms, a dearth of role models and declines in mental health, men are facing a distinct set of challenges that are prompting a renewed understanding of masculinity. For the last few years, viral right-of-center personalities have dominated the conversation offering men guidance that much of mainstream media has viewed as radioactive. But as the challenges men face become more apparent, others are recognizing the issue at hand isn’t just a right-wing conspiracy.This week’s guest is our very own Christine Emba who recently wrote a brilliant long-form essay in The Washington Post, “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness”. Christine scrutinizes both the provocative influencers on masculinity as well as mainstream commentators who’ve denied the problem exists, all while asking what a healthier masculinity looks like that isn’t simply femininity. The conversation with Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic dives into how the decline of religion along with social and economic dislocation have impeded relationship-building. Can a softer masculinity emerge and thrive, or is it simply incompatible in a vigorously competitive world? And what do the world’s societies risk by leaving men to the wilderness?In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) the three wade into a conversation around how the aspects of masculinity and religion interplay with fascism as they explore variants represented in religious figures including Jesus, King David and the Prophet Muhammad. They also discuss how periods of wartime have shaped men’s sense of purpose.Required Reading:* “Men are lost. Here’s a map out of the wilderness,” by Christine Emba (The Washington Post).* “The Ideal Man Exists,” by Christine Emba. (Wisdom of Crowds). * Our epic episode with the pseudonymous writer The Dragoman * Rethinking Sex: A Provocation, by Christine Emba (Amazon).* “What if We’re the Bad Guys?” by David Brooks (The New York Times).* Of Boys and Men, by Richard V. Reeves (Amazon).* War is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, by Chris Hedges (Amazon).* An interview with author Beverly Gage on her book, G-Man, about J. Edgar Hoover (Reason).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAre Muslim communities increasingly tilting to the right? After about two decades of being alienated by Republicans, American Muslims continue to align themselves with the Democratic Party. But as the country polarizes and the progressive agenda makes gains, writers like our guest find it increasingly untenable for Muslims to continue nodding along with the left’s conceptions of gender identity, sexuality, and secularism. This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic talked to The Dragoman, a pseudonymous writer who wrote a fiery provocation in The American Mind titled “Meet Your New Allies”, where he makes the case for why Muslims should align themselves with the right to counter the left’s excesses. This is a provocative and wide-ranging conversation that really gets at how deep difference and philosophical disagreements are difficult to reconcile. You won’t want to miss this one.The three discuss Dragoman’s decision to remain anonymous, whether he considers himself a reactionary, his appeal to the dissident right-wing, and his plans to leave the United States to raise his children. As a believing Muslim himself, Shadi challenges Dragoman to articulate the threat to Western civilization posed by the left and the implications of aligning with the Trump wing of the GOP. In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) Shadi and Dragoman diverge on the role of Islam and democracy in shaping a moral society. It gets heated, leading to one of the more charged exchanges in recent WoC history. They also delve into the influence of Western academia on Muslim thought and the Anglo world’s limitations in understanding non-Western perspectives. The conversation concludes with a reflection on the generational differences among Muslims.To listen to the full episode, subscribe here. Required Reading:* “Meet Your New Allies,” by Dragoman (The American Mind).* Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World, by Shadi Hamid (Amazon).* “Subversive with Alex Kaschuta” (Apple Podcasts).* “Muslims vs. Democrats: A Story of Betrayal,” by Shadi Hamid (Wall Street Journal)* The Liberal Archipelago: A Theory of Diversity and Freedom, by Chandran Kukathas (Amazon). * “Navigating Differences: Clarifying Sexual and Gender Ethics in Islam,” the statement signed by dozens of American Muslim scholars and imams. Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveDoes the United States Supreme Court’s legitimacy hang in the balance — or is it itself the balance keeping the union centered?After handing down blockbuster decisions this term on gerrymandering, executive authority and affirmative action, the highest court in the land is facing fierce criticism from progressives in the media and in elected office. This week, we welcomed Washington Post columnist Jason Willick back on the podcast to help us unpack it all. Jason discusses how the Court’s decision to outlaw affirmative action in higher education was straightforward and popular. But after the Court’s unpopular decision last year striking down a constitutional right to an abortion, the grounds for accepting the high court’s rulings based on popularity appears to be all but dependent on whether one finds any given outcome favorable. Shadi Hamid questions the coherence of liberal arguments when it comes to popular decisions that go against the left’s expectations. Meanwhile, Damir Marusic makes the case that despite it being undeniable the Court operates with political considerations, pretense is a critical aspect to the institution’s survival.In the full episode (for paying subscribers only) Shadi raises concerns about the perception of the Court’s legitimacy among Democrats. After threats against the justices and warnings from Democratic lawmakers, the three discuss scenarios that could provoke efforts to stack the deck. The conversation winds down as the guys acknowledge that when it comes down to it, the law is not neutral; it is political.Wisdom of Crowds is a reader-supported publication. To support our work and receive the latest, please subscribe.Required Reading: * “Sorry, Democrats, there is no Supreme Court ‘legitimacy’ crisis,” by Jason Willick (Washington Post).* “How John Roberts is outmaneuvering his critics,” by Jason Willick (Washington Post).* “This is the most mischaracterized Supreme Court case in recent history,” by Jason Willick (Washington Post).* “The Supreme Court will increasingly control U.S. elections,” by Jason Willick (Washington Post).* “Trump’s Justices Didn’t Doom Affirmative Action. Demography Did.” by Christopher Caldwell (New York Times).* “What’s Behind the Conservative Rift on the Supreme Court,” by Sarah Isgur (Politico).* Jason’s interview with sociologist Nathan Glazer (Wall Street Journal).* Inventing the People, by Edmund Morgan (Amazon).Wisdom of Crowds is a platform challenging premises and understanding first principles on politics and culture. Join us!