Heard at Heritage

America’s constitutional order is under great stress. The breakdown in respect for our institutions—in government, the academy, and the media—has helped to instigate a season of violence and social unrest with no end in sight.Join our experts for a discussion about these developments and what they mean for America. Renowned Civil War historian Dr. Allen Guelzo will explore the parallels between our current political-cultural debates and those on the eve of the Civil War. Dr. Samuel Gregg will explain how the competing economic visions now in play are fueling the deep divisions within our country, and Dr. Joseph Loconte will help us frame the debate within the historic struggle for freedom in the West. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

America has embarked on a long-overdue effort to modernize its nuclear deterrent, most of which is decades old and becoming obsolete. A critical part of this effort is the Air Force’s development of the Long Range Standoff weapon (LRSO), a new generation of the current nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile (ALCM), which is quickly aging out.  As argued in a newly-released Heritage Foundation report, the LRSO will be critical to maintaining the air leg of the nuclear triad, enabling bombers to hold at risk well-defended targets for decades to come. Yet as with any major nuclear acquisition program, the LRSO faces roadblocks, including decreasing defense budgets, acquisition challenges, and strident anti-nuclear opposition.To make LRSO a reality, we should be prepared to answer tough questions. Do bombers really need cruise missiles? What capabilities will LRSO provide? How will this weapon impact strategic stability?  Join us as our expert panel takes on these questions and more.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Secretary Azar reflects on the Trump Administration’s early actions on COVID-19 and what lessons can be drawn from the response, including travel restrictions that slowed the spread, pressure for transparency from China, bringing Americans home safely from abroad, rapidly formed partnerships with the private sector, and educating the American people with the best science available at the time. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Human trafficking in all forms is abhorrent, but when governments enslave and sell their own people, it takes on an even more pernicious edge. 2020 marked the first year that the State Department designated state sponsors of human trafficking, with ten nations earning the dubious distinction. These designations were an important step in raising awareness about how regimes exploit their own citizens for profit and serve as a vital mechanism to hold them accountable. Join us to commemorate National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, as we spotlight this concerning trend and identify solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Critical Race Theory (CRT) and public policies based on this worldview will not alleviate racial inequality in the real world. In fact, this dogma undermines human and social factors—such as family, entry-level work, and merit-based education—the wellspring of upward mobility. Yet, the rigid persistence with which believers apply this theory has made CRT a constant, daily presence in the lives of hundreds of millions of people.CRT underpins Identity Politics, an ongoing effort to reimagine the United States as a nation riven by the division between racial groups, each with specific claims on victimization. In education and the workforce, as well as entertainment and social media, CRT has become entrenched, driving decision-making based on skin color rather than individual merit and talent. As Critical Theory becomes more familiar to the public in everyday life, CRT’s intolerance, and the idea of systemic racism is being “normalized” in the American psyche. This weakens public and private bonds that create trust between citizens and allow for civic engagement.Join us for a timely conversation on CRT and how to push back against this new wave of intolerance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us for an exclusive conversation on the China challenge between Heritage’s James Carafano and Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. At the conclusion of a year dominated by COVID and China Policy, Acting Secretary Wolf will discuss the policies that the Department of Homeland Security has put into place to address China, including travel, trade, and what is yet to come. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Modern Anti-Semitism often manifests itself as hostility against Israel—particularly on college campuses, at the United Nations, and even in U.S. Congress. Despite claiming to lack hostility toward the global Jewish people, today’s “anti-Zionists” single out the world’s only Jewish state for specific and demonizing criticism. Casting Israel as a villain on the world stage, this rhetoric makes ample use of historic anti-Semitic tropes such as greed, global conspiracy, and media puppetmastery.Elan Carr, the State Department’s Special Envoy to Monitor anti-Semitism, has successfully pursued recognition that this language is indeed anti-Semitism. By promoting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of anti-Semitism, which includes anti-Israel rhetoric, Carr has moved this definition solidly into public discourse.Join us for an important conversation about modern anti-Semitism, anti-Israel rhetoric, and the role of the IHRA in combatting both. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

To conclude this two-part series, we ask what the future of work and unions looks like in America. We will discuss both positive and negative ideas for long-term labor reform; from sectoral bargaining, which would mandate one-size-fits-wall wages and benefits across entire industries, to more positive recommendations that would instill flexibility and voluntarism in collective bargaining.Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. labor market was experiencing record-setting lows in unemployment and rising incomes, with the largest gains accruing to the lowest-income workers. This was the result of pro-worker and pro-growth tax and regulatory policies. A new congress and administration could not only undo some of those policies but could also pursue actions that could set American workers back decades. The Heritage Foundation and Institute for the American Worker would like to invite you to join us for a two-part series on the future of labor policy in America, for 2021 and beyond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The U.S. Army has made modernizing its capabilities a top priority, establishing 8 cross functional teams, six new modernization priorities, and a new 4-star command—Army Futures Command. Under this new command, the organization charged with delivering technology solutions is the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, also known as DEVCOM. More than 14,000 soldiers, civilians and contractor fall under this command.The landscape for technological development is rapidly changing. From the 1940s to the 1980s, the DOD itself was the driver of innovation, but now private industry has assumed much of that role. Collaboration between industry and the military has never been more crucial, and DEVCOM is on the front line of that effort.This engaging webinar will explore how DEVCOM is providing critical solutions to the Army, adapting to the realities of constrained budgets, and dealing with the proliferation of organizations probing the limits of science and technology. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join us as we celebrate one of the most significant protections of liberty in the history of the world: The Bill of Rights. Adopted 229 years ago, on December 15, 1791, the United States Constitution's first ten amendments protect our most fundamental rights and liberties and guarantee equal protection under the law. In honor of the Bill of Rights, we will bolster five trailblazing initiatives that promote civic education and foster an appreciation of our founding for America's next generation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.