Catastrophe and resilience, human and economic costs, and the future of democratic politics: Shadi and Damir hunker down for an intense coronavirus podcast (while of course observing appropriate social distancing protocols). Reading List: “Pandemics Kill Compassion, Too,” by David Brooks “The Wuhan Virus and the Imperative of Hard Decoupling,” by Andrew Michta “The Coronavirus Called America’s Bluff,” by Anne Applebaum This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

In the shadow of Bernie Sanders’ underperforming on Super Tuesday, Shadi and Damir welcome author Ben Judah to the podcast to talk about the enduring promise of left-populism in an Age of Trump. Relevant Reading: “Left Populism and the Rediscovery of Agonistic Politics,” by Shadi Hamid “Traditional ‘foreign policy’ no longer exists. Democrats are the last to know,” by David Adler and Ben Judah “Hawks say Sanders will be weak on Russia. But Putin should fear a President Bernie,” by Ben Judah and David Adler “Is Joe Biden the American Brezhnev?” by Ben Judah “The Emergence of Foreign Policy,” by Halvard Leira This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Shadi and Damir talk about how racism, virtue signaling, the fundamental illegitimacy of the Chinese state, and how both consensus and irreconcilability can be fatal for democracy. Reading List: “China is the Real Sick Man of Asia” by Walter Russell Mead “Birth of the Nations” by Damir Marusic “It’s Not About Britain. It’s About Europe” by Damir Marusic “The dark side of consensus in Tunisia: Lessons from 2015-2019” by Sharan Grewal and Shadi Hamid “After Europe” by Ivan Krastev This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Author and essayist Peter Pomerantsev and Karina Orlova of Echo of Moscow Radio join Shadi and Damir to talk about the Russian soul, imperialism, historical memory, opioids, and bad cocaine. (It’s a lot less depressing than it sounds!) Reading List: This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality, by Peter Pomerantsev Nothing Is True and Everything Is Possible: The Surreal Heart of the New Russia, by Peter Pomerantsev Secondhand Time: The Last of the Soviets, by Svetlana Alexievich “The Dying Russians” by Masha Gessen This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

The podcast delves into the appeal and dangers of meritocracy, discussing Pete Buttigieg and right-think. They explore the challenges of balancing progressiveness with pragmatism in politics and reflect on personal experiences with various political figures. The speakers also discuss the driving factors behind the current populist movement, failures of elites, and societal impacts of the post-Cold War era. Additionally, they delve into personal expressions of American pride, immigrant experiences, and the challenges of navigating global political challenges.

Should Trump be impeached? And is he a transformational president? The Washington Post’s national security reporter John Hudson joins Shadi and Damir to talk high-wire politics. Articles Mentioned in the Podcast: How The Framers Thought About Impeachment – Gary Schmitt (https://www.the-american-interest.com/2019/09/25/how-the-framers-thought-about-impeachment/) U.S. Officials Ignored Trump On Syria And We Are All Paying The Price – Aaron Stein (https://warontherocks.com/2019/10/u-s-officials-ignored-trump-on-syria-and-we-are-all-paying-the-price/) Trump Is Doing Exactly What He Was Elected To Do – Daniel McCarthy (https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/20/opinion/trump-impeachment.html) This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Shadi and Damir talk Europe, its problems of integrating of foreigners, and how European mental reliance on the state as a solution to everything is a long-term problem for the continent. Required Reading: Emmanuel Macron’s interview in the Economist magazine: https://www.economist.com/europe/2019/11/07/emmanuel-macron-in-his-own-words-english Riada Akyol in Al-Jazeera: https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/macron-remarks-bosnia-dangerous-191110133224396.html Bruno Maçaes in Politico Europe: https://www.politico.eu/article/emmanuel-macron-islamophobic-undercurrent-french-vision/ Ash Jain and Matthew Kroenig at Atlantic Council: https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/report/present-at-the-re-creation/ This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

A healthy Shadi and a sick Damir chew over Richard Holbrooke’s complicated legacy, as well as the moral imperatives and political limits of humanitarian intervention. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

What’s that in the air? It’s not autumn. It’s that feeling you get knowing that all we’ll be collectively discussing in the next 14 months is the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. Shadi and Damir discuss the fate of our republic in these polarized times. Articles discussed in this episode: How the Framers Thought About Impeachment – Gary Schmitt The Decay of American Political Institutions – Francis Fukuyama The Problem of Donald Trump Didn’t Start With Donald Trump – Damir Marusic This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe

Shadi and Damir record an episode in transition, with Shadi just having gotten back from a long trip, and Damir just embarking on one. The nature of nationalism and the idea of “Americanism” come up as a result of being abroad. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe