Disorder

Jason and Alex explain the implications for global order of the first, and possibly onl,y 2024 Presidential Candidates Debate btw Harris and Trump. It was like a legendary heavyweight boxing match between a woman auditioning to be the mega-orderer-in-chief and the most well established disorderer the world has ever scene. And it ended in a more dramatic fashion than even an epic Howard Cosell play-by-play: Down goes Frazier, Down goes Frazier.   Trump acknowledged that he cannot go against Putin’s wishes, that he does not want the Ukrainians to win the war; and then when taunted by Kamala about the small ‘crowd-size’ at his rallies, Trump simply imploded: spewing grievance-filled conspiratorial lies about Haitian Migrants eating dogs in Springfield, Ohio, that Democrats order doctors to kill babies after birth, and that the Biden-Harris administration gives transgender transition surgeries to illegal aliens.  We at the Disorder Pod don’t want to count chickens before they are hatched, but were both favourably surprised by Kamala’s performance. As we pointed out in Ep 65, she does portray herself in a rigid, prosecutorial vibe and has been weak at explaining the specifics of her programmes. She might play identity cards a bit much for some middle-aged white males. And yet!, Sept 10, 2024 may go down in history as the first time that an opposing politician beat Donald J. Trump at the game of television. Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and Jeb Bush failed at it in the 2016 Republican Primary. Hillary and Biden may have won debates against him but they never beat him at the game of television. Whereas, Harris made Trump look like a buffoon and she successfully baited and taunted him on live TV before tens of millions. She made the contrast extremely clear: that she wishes to Order the American economy and the world, while Trump wishes to Disorder it.  Show Notes Links:  Read Alex’s Byline Times Article, ‘A Stumbling Trump Receives a Well-Deserved Shellacking at the First Presidential Debate’: https://bylinetimes.com/2024/09/11/donald-trump-kamala-harris-debate-president-receives-shellacking-at-the-first-presidential-showdown/  Listen to Mehdi Hassan on the Guardian pod explain Gish-Galloping and how Donald Trump’s debate strategy usually works and how it can be (and was defeated): https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/today-in-focus/id1440133626?i=1000668961270               Listen to the 538 on the history Presidential Debates and how much they have swung the polls in the past: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/fivethirtyeight-politics/id1077418457?i=1000668933282  Listen to our take on Harris’s weaknesses with white men from yesterday here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3MtV4SS0QjAQGN5p9distS?go=1&sp_cid=40c19a23f8ed49573a18b2bb3c9b9b95&utm_source=embed_player_p&utm_medium=desktop&nd=1&dlsi=c462b99a0ae7432c   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, Jason and Alex catchup after an eventful summer. Alex discusses her main takeaways from her trip to Tbilisi for the McCain forum, while Jason talks about his conversations back in New Jersey with real American voters. These conversations are giving him a pit in his stomach. His mounting concern is that Harris may fall into the Clinton trap – turning off traditionally Democratic voting white middle-aged men who are not from the coastal elite. Jason has been speaking to some ‘real Americans’ and hearing that they find Harris an uppity female lawyer, who doesn’t stand for anything, and who is too inauthentic to win the 2024 US Presidential election.   Pivoting away from this doom and gloom, the duo take listener questions. They look at how host countries could better assimilate migrants; whether Starmer should take a braver approach to push the UK back into the single market; how to stave off the rise in populist parties like AfD; how to push back against anti-Ukrainian conspiracy theories from one’s colleagues; and if a nationalised health system like the NHS can deliver ‘Ordering Solutions’ for its population or if the failure of the NHS at present showcases that state-led mega ordering is simply not possible in today’s world.  Twitter: @DisorderShow  Subscribe to our Substack: https://natoandtheged.substack.com/    Producer: George McDonagh Exec Producer: Neil Fearn  Show Notes Links Listen to our million downloads episode which was referenced numerous times, especially about Sweden, Privatization, health care, and assimilation/migration, https://pod.link/1706818264/episode/0c8bf88a4b5b3bfc2ba60f36c12bc4de   And for more on Harris and her problems being bold and landing with White men: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/cnn-political-director-warns-of-trouble-sign-for-harris-as-she-lags-with-white-male-voters-in-key-states/ar-AA1q3lkL   And her problems also surface with Hispanic voters, especially men: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2024-election/skeptical-voters-wrestle-know-kamala-harris-seen-donald-trump-rcna168784   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvey Whitehouse, author of Inheritance: The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World, rejoins Jason Pack for part 2 of their discussion. The duo discuss: whether nationalism can be used for good (rather than just as a calling card for Neo-Populists and disorderers); whether playing off of evolutionary biases towards in-group solidarity might be necessary to solve the collective action problems of today’s world, how putting policy creation in the hands of citizens assemblies might help us Order the Disorder; and what lessons traditional religiosity could teach us about creating Order.   Twitter: @DisorderShow  Subscribe to our Substack: https://natoandtheged.substack.com/    Producer: George McDonagh Exec Producer: Neil Fearn  Show Notes Links Get Harvey’s book, Inheritance: The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World   https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/451443/inheritance-by-whitehouse-harvey/9781529152227  For more on Harvey and his amazing breadth of research: https://www.harveywhitehouse.com/   Explore the ideas of Peter Turchin’s ‘Ultrasociety’: https://peterturchin.com/book/ultrasociety/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Harvey Whitehouse, Director of the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion at Oxford, dives into the complexities of human behavior. He discusses how globalization and technology have paradoxically fueled tribalism and in-group hatred. Whitehouse explains the significance of understanding evolutionary biology in deciphering the allure of strong leaders like Trump and Putin. The conversation also touches on identity fusion, the decline in global religiosity, and its effects on governance and social cohesion, highlighting the interconnectedness of our evolutionary past with modern societal issues.

In this conversation, Karl Karim Zakhour, a lecturer at the Swedish Defence College and Jason's best friend, dives deep into the unexpected links between neoliberal reforms in Sweden and Syria's turbulent past. They contemplate 2004 as perhaps the worst year for geopolitics but the best for sipping arak in Damascus. Discussing grassroots activism, they highlight the importance of bottom-up organizing in today's political climate. The conversation wraps up with a vision for new global institutions to foster cooperation and tackle chaos.

Marc Warner, founder of Faculty.AI, joins the discussion. He shares insights from his work with government agencies and the NHS, highlighting how AI could enhance public services and efficiency. Topics include the potential for a Starmer-led Britain to become an AI superpower and the global need for coordinated AI regulation to prevent disarray. They also explore the idea of a 'champion-challenger' model for government reform and emphasize the importance of human oversight in AI systems as the world navigates these technological changes.

Jason and Alex tackle pressing listener questions about the International Criminal Court's controversial role in global justice, particularly regarding Israel and Hamas. They delve into the complexities of dealing with elected versus unelected authoritarian regimes. The duo emphasizes the West's need to maintain unwavering support for Ukraine, rejecting any compromises with Putin. They explore the sophisticated navigation of neo-populism in democracies and underscore the dangers of appeasement in conflict situations.

In this engaging discussion, Jamie Metzl, an author and expert on existential risks, explores the creation of a global institution to manage emerging global threats. He highlights the vital need for international cooperation in addressing challenges like climate change and AI. The conversation contrasts the proactive European approach to technology regulation with the more reactive American stance. Metzl, Jason, and Alex also discuss how the EU could leverage its market power to foster global collaboration on pressing issues, advocating for a cohesive response to humanity's most significant risks.

Advanced biotechnologies like CRISPR and gene drives could reshape our world, but they come with significant risks. The discussion highlights both the potential to eradicate diseases like malaria and the fear of unintended consequences, including new pandemics. A debate unfolds between embracing bold innovations and learning from past mistakes. The podcast critiques global governance in light of recent crises, advocating for a framework of mutual responsibility to effectively tackle interconnected challenges like climate change and public health.

Tunisia's opposition presidential candidate, Olfa Hamdi, discusses the country's upcoming elections, communism's resurgence, and foreign policy alignment with Russia and China. They delve into the impact of Europe's migration strategy on moral authority and power struggles in the Tunisian economy. The podcast highlights geopolitical dynamics and the importance of global cooperation for stability in Tunisia.