The Dishcast with Andrew Sullivan

Tim Shipman, Chief political commentator at The Sunday Times, talks about UK politics. Topics include Boris Johnson's controversies, Rishi Sunak's challenges, and Nigel Farage's impact. They discuss Brexit, Tory power, and election blunders.

Elizabeth Corey, an academic and writer, discusses the life and philosophy of Michael Oakeshott, emphasizing his views on individualism, liberal education, and opposition to identity politics. They explore Oakeshott's critical view of careerism, the virtue of changing one's mind, and the importance of living in the present moment. The conversation touches on thinkers like Augustine and Montaigne, highlighting Oakeshott's social adeptness and preference for meaningful conversations over winning debates.

Writer and reporter Nellie Bowles discusses growing up with divorced parents in SF, working in journalism, and her new book. They touch on the changing media landscape, ideological pressure in the industry, and challenges of maintaining independence. Reflecting on legacy institutions like the NYT and questioning narratives in journalism.

Guest George Will discusses topics such as presidential power, stopping Putin, socialism, just war theory, collectivism vs national security, Reagan's economic policies, and the paradoxes of American conservatism.

Noah Smith, an economist, and journalist, discusses the possibility of a second Cold War with China, debunking stereotypes about Japan, the impact of AI on workers, and China's industrial policy on technology development and national security. He also covers the collapse of global poverty, the YIMBY movement, and the risks associated with Taiwan and global war.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comBill needs no introduction, but he’s been the formidable host of HBO’s Real Time for 21 years now, and before that he hosted Politically Incorrect, which ran from 1993 to 2002. He has a new book out, What This Comedian Said Will Shock You — a collection of his best editorials on Real Time. Also check out his podcast, “Club Random,” which he recently expanded into a pod network, Club Random Studios. Bill manages to do all of that and still perform standup on the road — schedule here.For two clips of our convo — on Bill not caving to political correctness after 9/11, and the two of us debating the credibility of the Gospels — pop over to our YouTube page. Other topics: Bill going to church every Sunday as a kid; his Irish-Catholic dad turning away from the Church after Pope Paul VI; how the left today is bonkers; how Biden is captured by wokeness; the toxicity of the Trump cult; getting his GOP rivals to bend the knee; Ann Coulter’s balls in opposing him; the crisis of mass illegal migration; the dickishness of DeSantis on lab meat and rainbow bridges; his sensible approach to Covid; election deniers; the remarkable progress of legal weed and marriage equality; Bill’s movie Religulous; his admiration for Jesus as a philosopher; Muhammad the invading warrior; slavery in the Bible; the conflicting accounts of the Resurrection; whether Paul was a closeted gay; Christianity starting as a bourgeois religion; the pagan origins of Christian holidays; Richard Dawkins; the rise of the nones; wokeness as a religion; Bronze Age Pervert; Lauren Boebert on church/state; American exceptionalism as Christian heresy; October 7th; the profound illiberalism of Hamas; their Nazi-like tactics; “Hamas wants to commit genocide but can’t — Israel can, but won’t”; Rafah as Dunkirk; Biden’s Morehouse speech; Trump’s insane antics as the ultimate teflon; his humor; wokeness as a gold mine for comedy; comics who cave to PC; Trump’s energy on the trail; and Bill’s grueling book tour offering insight into campaigning.Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Nellie Bowles on the woke revolution, Noah Smith on the economy, George Will on Trump and conservatism, Lionel Shriver on her new novel, Elizabeth Corey on Oakeshott, Bill Wasik and Monica Murphy on animal cruelty; and the great Van Jones! Send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit andrewsullivan.substack.comOren is a writer and policy advisor. In 2012, he was the domestic policy director for Romney’s presidential campaign, and in 2018 he wrote The Once and Future Worker: A Vision for the Renewal of Work in America. In 2020, he founded the think tank American Compass, where he serves as executive director. He’s also a contributing opinion writer for the Financial Times.For two clips of our convo — on how China cheats at free trade, and the possibility of Trumpism without Trump — pop over to our YouTube page. Other topics: growing up in a stable family in suburban Mass; both American parents grew up in Israel; Oren’s progressive charter school; turning to conservatism at his very liberal college; studying political economy; working at Bain; the gap between wealth and happiness; the stagnant protectionist UK before Thatcher; Brexit; how London is almost unrecognizable to older Brits; Adam Smith and David Ricardo; how no one predicted the fall of the Soviet Union; Tiananmen Square; neoliberalism’s obsession with GDP growth; NAFTA and the WTO; the China Shock; how the success of the free market swung the pendulum too far; the meaning of populism; Oren working for the Romney campaign after the Great Recession; the growing trade deficit; Biden following the Trump playbook on tariffs and industrial policy; semiconductors in Taiwan; the CHIPS Act; the left’s disdain for patriotism; the cheap labor of open borders; E-Verify; how the college-for-all model is a “toxic disaster”; Biden’s loan forgiveness; Trump’s advantage in the 2024 election; his growing multi-racial coalition; his tax cuts and their looming expiration; Republicans rethinking labor unions; reformicons like Reihan and Ross; and me calling out Yglesias for never paying for The Weekly Dish. (Subscribe!)Browse the Dishcast archive for an episode you might enjoy (the first 102 are free in their entirety — subscribe to get everything else). Coming up: Nellie Bowles on the woke revolution, Noah Smith on the economy, Bill Maher on everything, George Will on Trump and conservatism, Lionel Shriver on her new novel, Elizabeth Corey on Oakeshott, and the great Van Jones! Send any guest recs, dissents, and other comments to dish@andrewsullivan.com.

Best magazine editor Adam Moss discusses the power of magazines, creative disruption in journalism, the rise and fall of iconic publications, the impact of the Internet, and the evolution of storytelling in the digital age.

Author Johann Hari discusses Big Food's tactics to get us hooked and the risks of weight-loss drug Ozempic. He shares personal struggles with food, the marketing tactics targeting kids, and the potential dangers of these drugs. The conversation also covers bariatric surgery, past diet drug disasters, and the link between obesity and cancer risk.

Journalist Kara Swisher discusses her rough childhood, early internet days, and the evolving media landscape with Andrew Sullivan. They touch on topics like woke culture, legacy media condescension, and the influence of tech giants like Facebook. The conversation also covers personal anecdotes, military aspirations, and the collaborative spirit of the early web.