The Liberal Patriot with Ruy Teixeira

Today, I’m pleased to welcome Yascha Mounk to the TLP Podcast. Yascha is an Associate Professor of the Practice of International Affairs at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University and is the author of the excellent 2023 book, The Identity Trap, featured on TLP when it was first published. He is the founder and editor-in-chief of the always interesting Persuasion newsletter and writes regularly on his own personal self-titled Substack as well.Join us for a nuanced discussion about unresolved populism in Western societies, the contradictions of modern free speech politics, and why liberal democracy risks erosion without the emergence of bolder, more heterodox leaders.A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

Today, I’m pleased to welcome Christine Emba to The Liberal Patriot Podcast. Christine is a colleague of mine at the American Enterprise Institute and is a columnist and former editorial board member at The Washington Post. She is the author of the great 2022 book, "Rethinking Sex: A Provocation."We discuss the issues surrounding modern sex and dating, the reasons behind young men's shift to the right, the lack of progress in feminism, and the implications of Gen Z's cultural confusion for the future.Listen in on the fascinating discussion, and please subscribe to the TLP Podcast!A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page of our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

This week I’m joined by economist Ian Fletcher to discuss how decades of economic missteps have left the U.S. dangerously dependent on imports and vulnerable to competitors like China. Fletcher is the co-author with Marc Fasteau of an important book entitled Industrial Policy for the United States: Winning the Competition for Good Jobs and High-Value Industries. Fletcher breaks down why free trade hasn’t delivered on its promises, how tariffs alone can’t save us, and why America urgently needs a real, comprehensive industrial policy.Listen in on a great discussion!A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

On today’s podcast, I’m pleased to talk with TLP’s newest contributor, Justin Vassallo. As you’ve seen from his recent columns, Justin’s writing focuses mainly on political development, working-class economics, industrial policy, party systems, and related areas. Justin also writes regularly for Compact, an excellent heterodox journal that everyone should read and subscribe to, as well for UnHerd, American Affairs, New Statesman, and other outlets.We examine why Democrats keep failing the working class, how trade policies left rural America behind, and what “Blue Labour” can teach the left about reconnecting with voters.Check it out and please welcome Justin to the TLP family!A transcript of this podcast is available at the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

Today I’m joined by Zaid Jilani, a fellow at New America, proprietor of the excellent Substack newsletter, The American Saga, and one of our sharpest observers of contemporary politics and culture. Zaid and I discuss the puzzle of Democrats’ obsessive use of twenty-dollar words like “oligarchy” and their stout refusal to speak language that normal Americans understand.We then delve into the uselessness of most current Democratic Party strategy including the contributions of she-who-won’t-go-away, Kamala Harris. Zaid lays out the unfortunate dynamic between the parties that contributes to a politics of extremes and leaves the broad center perpetually dissatisfied. We consider prospects for change and which candidates, if any, from both parties might finally break the deadlock.Join us for a wide-ranging and fascinating discussion!A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

Michael Lind, co-founder of New America and author of 'Hell to Pay', dives into the complexities of globalization and tariffs. He discusses how both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump have shifted their stances on trade agreements. Lind argues that while Trump’s tariff policies have had some merit, their execution was often chaotic. The conversation also addresses Biden’s industrial policies and the ideological rifts within the Republican Party, particularly the rise of a pro-labor faction amidst ongoing political polarization.

This week I welcome Henry Olsen back to the podcast. Henry is a senior fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center—and has the distinction of being our first repeat guest on the show. We start our conversation on the continent. How has populism, both left and right, fared in Europe in the 21st century? Will the AfD continue its rise in German politics? What about Marine Le Pen and French populism? After a pitstop in Britain for a discussion of the latest challenges facing the Labour Party, we head stateside. Though he started with the wind at his back, is Trump going too far too fast? Are his unpopular actions going to break apart the populist energy in the United States? Who are the early frontrunners for the Democratic nomination in 2028? Join us for a great conversation on all things politics and populism.A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

Today I have the privilege of welcoming Marc Dunkelman to the podcast. Marc is a research fellow in International and Public Affairs at Brown University and the author of a new book, Why Nothing Works: Who Killed Progress—and How to Bring it Back. We begin by discussing a key premise of his book: progressivism is, and always has been, split between a Hamiltonian impulse to push power up and a Jeffersonian impulse to push power down. Marc describes how the later impulse took over left-wing movements by the late 60s and has produced a government that seems startlingly ineffective. How did the "establishment" become so hated? How can our government prove that it is a capable institution? Will Trump’s failures give Democrats an easy out and stop a needed course correction? Tune in for a great conversation on all that and more.A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

This week I’m thrilled to welcome Derek Thompson to the show. Derek is a staff writer at The Atlantic, the host of the Plain English podcast, and, as I’m sure many of you have heard, the author of Abundance with Ezra Klein. Wasting no time, we jump right into Derek’s vision of an abundance agenda. * Why has the center-left been so slow to embrace these ideas? * How can we effectively match priorities with policy? * Can abundance appeal to moderates and conservatives as well as liberals? We cover why deregulation shouldn’t be a bad word in left-of-center circles before wrapping up with a discussion of clean energy and climate change. Tune in for a great conversation on all things abundance!A transcript of this podcast is available on the post page on our website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe

This week we welcome a special guest to the podcast: Congressman Ro Khanna of California’s 17th District. First elected in 2016, Rep. Khanna has been a strong advocate for how Democrats can win back working-class voters. We cover his book, Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us, and why the tech industry swung towards Trump last year. We then turn to Trump’s joint address to Congress—are Democrats willing to side with the new administration on anything? How can Democrats effectively push back against Trump? We also talk about Rep. Khanna’s bipartisan idea for a National Development Council and why a Frederick Douglass speech might have great advice for lost Democrats. Join us for a great conversation on how the party can emerge from last year’s defeat better equipped to help working-class people and win elections!A transcript of this podcast is available at the post page on the TLP website. Get full access to The Liberal Patriot at www.liberalpatriot.com/subscribe