This is Democracy

Jonathan Alter is an award-winning author, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer, and radio host. Alter’s most recent book is “His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life.” (2020), which received uniformly favorable reviews. His earlier books include three New York Times bestsellers: “The Center Holds: Obama and His Enemies” (2013), “The Promise: President Obama, Year One” (2010) and “The Defining Moment: FDR’s Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope” (2006), also one of the Times’ “Notable Books” of the year. 

Dr. Gönül Tol is the founding director of the Turkey program at the Middle East Institute, a think tank in Washington DC. She is the author of Erdogan's War: A Strongman's Struggle at Home and in Syria, which was published in January. She has taught at both George Washington University and the National Defense University.

In this week's episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by John Sipher to discuss intelligence and the ways in which US intelligence agencies collect information on China and Russia. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Conceiving the Spies Lament." John Sipher retired in 2014 after a 28-year career in the Central Intelligence Agency’s National Clandestine Service. At the time of his retirement, he was a member of the CIA’s Senior Intelligence Service, the leadership team that guides CIA activities globally. John served multiple overseas tours as Chief of Station and Deputy Chief of Station in Europe, Asia, and in high-threat environments. John also served as a lead instructor in the CIA’s clandestine training school and was a regular lecturer at the CIA’s leadership development program.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by guest Dr. Michael Kimmage to discuss The Russo-Ukrainian War. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "A Year After the War Began." Dr. Michael Kimmage is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America in Washington DC. He is also a fellow at the German Marshall Fund, and chair of the Advisory Council for the Kennan Institute at the Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC. From 2014 to 2017, Kimmage served on the Secretary’s Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. He publishes widely on international affairs, U.S.-Russian relations and American diplomatic history. Kimmage is the author of: The Conservative Turn: Lionel Trilling, Whittaker Chambers and the Lessons of Anti-Communism (2009); In History’s Grip: Philip Roth’s Newark Trilogy (2012); The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea in American Foreign Policy (2020). He writes frequently for Foreign Affairs and other major publications.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Seth Garfield to discuss Brazil's history and current political climate. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Brazilia Lament" Seth Garfield is a professor of history at the University of Texas at Austin. He is the author of: Indigenous Struggle at the Heart of Brazil: State Policy, Frontier Expansion, and the Xavante Indians, 1937-1988; In Search of the Amazon: Brazil, the United States, and the Nature of a Region; and most recently, Guarana: How Brazil Embraced the World's Most Caffeine-Rich Plant.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Beverly Gage to discuss the FBI, J. Edgar Hoover, and their role in American democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "The Secret to Believing". Beverly Gage is a professor of history at Yale University. Her book G-Man: J. Edgar Hoover and the Making of the American Century, a biography of former FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, was named a best book of 2022 by the Washington Post (Ten Best Books), The Atlantic (Ten Best Books), Publishers Weekly (Ten Best Books), The New Yorker (24 Essential Reads), The New York Times (100 Notable Books), Smithsonian (Ten Best History Books), and Barnes & Noble (Ten Best History Books). She is also the author of The Day Wall Street Exploded: A Story of America in its First Age of Terror, which examined the history of terrorism in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on the 1920 Wall Street bombing.

This week, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Professor Erika Bsumek to discuss how major infrastructure projects tend to damage indigenous communities and contribute to their erasure. Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Sonnet on the Shores of Lake Powell" Dr. Erika Bsumek is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the author of: Indian-Made: Navajo Culture in the Marketplace and, most recently, The Foundations of Glen Canyon Dam: Infrastructures of Dispossession on the Colorado Plateau. Prof. Bsumek has received numerous teaching awards, including the UT Regents Outstanding Teaching Award. 

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by Art Markman to discuss the state of civics in post-pandemic society. Zachary sets the scene with his poem, "Our Lonely Midnight Feasts". Art Markman is the Annabel Irion Worsham Centennial Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas at Austin. Prof. Markman is the Founding Director of the Human Dimensions of Organizations program in the College of Liberal Arts at UT, former Executive Director of the IC² Institute, and he is currently the Vice Provost for Continuing and Professional Education and New Education Ventures at the University of Texas at Austin.  Prof. Markman is a frequent contributor to Psychology Today, Fast Company and the Harvard Business Review. He has published more than 150 scholarly works about cognitive science, decision-making and organizational behavior. Dr. Markman has also written several books for general audiences including: Smart Thinking, Smart Change, Bring Your Brain to Work, and Brain Briefs (co-written with Dr. Bob Duke). Beyond the UT Austin campus, he is probably best known as the co-host of KUT’s “Two Guys on Your Head” radio show and podcast, where he and Butler School of Music professor Bob Duke explore the human mind with a unique mix of research, humor and everyday relevance. He also plays saxophone in the Austin ska band Phineas Gage.

In this episode, Jeremi and Zachary are joined by CEO of BridgeUSA Manu Meel to discuss bridge-building and how to approach cynicism in modern political discourse Zachary sets the scene with his poem entitled, "Listening" Manu Meel is the CEO of BridgeUSA, a national organization that is investing in the future of democracy. Through his work, Manu has contributed to several news outlets, advanced pro-democracy efforts nationally, and led the policy operation for a Baltimore mayoral candidate. In the past, Manu worked as an associate at the venture capital firm Amplo and at the Department of State as a political analyst in counterterrorism. His work has been featured in the New York Times, the Washington Post, and other media platforms.

Jeremi and Zachary sit down with Isabel Cademartori to discuss German Right-Wing Extremism and its effects on democracy. Zachary sets the scene with his poem: "Chickens That Won't Die". Isabel Cademartori was elected as a Member of the German Bundestag for Mannheim in the 2021 federal election. Cademartori served as a city councillor in Mannheim since 2019. She is a member of the Social Democratic Party of Germany, which leads the current coalition government in Germany.