The Dissidents

In introducing this podcast, I first want to acknowledge how darn pleased I am to have advisors in our organization who think differently than me and who aren’t afraid to say as much. This podcast originated when one of our advisors, Pam Hayes-Bohanan, pushed back after an ILV panel discussion on Ethnic Studies. We have had many previous podcasts, labs and panels that question the trends in Ethnic Studies, so when I received this critique, I wanted to know more. Unsurprisingly, although we found many areas where we our perspectives differed, namely around Paulo Freire’s book, Pedagogy of the Oppressed, through the conversation we also found unexpected convergence. In exploring our different viewpoints, we came to agree that one of the biggest problems is the flattening of education. We discuss the myriad of ways this is being done, including devaluing subject matter experts, a closing of ranks within some colleges of education, the rise of “pre-packaged” curricula, a growing number of administrators who micromanage education, often stripping it of its richness including critical thinking, the mechanical teaching for a test versus to instill the love of learning, and the downgrading of curiosity. While each of these problems may require distinct solutions, one thing we can all agree on is the need to, as Pam says, “not be afraid of ideas” and “just read more books”. More specifically, read books you tend to criticize (e.g. Freire in my case) to develop your own critical thinking skills and thereby learn HOW to think instead of WHAT to think. Podcast Resources Precious Knowledge documentary Going Varsity in Mariachi  On Settler Colonialism: Ideology, Violence and Justice, by Adam Kirsch A Third Way on the Place of Critical Race Theory in the Classroom, Real Clear Education, by Amna Khalid, David Bernstein and Jennifer Richmond The Pedagogy of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire The House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros ILV Ethnic Studies Recordings: Depoliticizing the Classroom: The Role of the Teacher September Liberal Values Lab: Ethnic Studies in Your School Ethnic Studies: From Radical Roots to Government Mandate

Today we are rolling out the third and final series of our book club on Jonathan Rauch’s forthcoming book entitled Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy. The book, made available to you by Yale University Press in early February, examines American pluralism and the role of religion in historical and modern democracy. Rauch, a self-described atheist, somewhat apologetically takes us on a journalistic and self-reflective tour of the intersection of religion and human nature. This book is a cultural, civic, and spiritual travel-log for believers and non-believers alike. Jonathan Rauch will join us for a livestream on February 6 at 7pm ET. In the meantime, join Jen (a Presbyterian), Elizabeth (an Atheist, and Matt (a Bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) for 3 book club episodes focused on Cross Purposes. Today we discuss Part III, which is entitled “Thick Christianity.”

In 2022 Counterweight, the organization that Helen Pluckrose founded and that was absorbed into the Institute for Liberal Values had a virtual conference on Alternatives to Diversity and Inclusion. Starting in 2025, we will be rolling out one talk a month that was presented at the conference. We sit down with the original presenters throughout 2025 to see what has changed since 2022. With Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives seemingly on the chopping block, we are curious to hear what our original participants are witnessing and experiencing on the ground. Is DEI really dead or just in remission? Are there healthy alternatives to DEI that we should consider, or do we throw the baby out with the bathwater and wipe our hands clean? What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments. This week Elizabeth Spievak interviews Angel Eduardo. This interview took place in late 2024, so his views may have changed over the course of the past few months, but in update to his original talk on Liberal Approaches to Diversity and Inclusion, Angel tells us that buying into DEI was like buying a car that is a lemon. We should still buy cars, just not lemons. The best way to create the unity that was the kindest interpretation of some of the DEI movement, is not to dismiss the effort to value diversity and inclusion, but rather to learn to “star-man” our fellow citizens, embracing the best version of our humanity. You can find his original conference presentation here: https://youtu.be/55nDT-9HZws

Today we are rolling out the second in a three part book club series on Jonathan Rauch’s forthcoming book entitled Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy. The book, made available to you by Yale University Press in early February, examines American pluralism and the role of religion in historical and modern democracy. Rauch, a self-described atheist, somewhat apologetically takes us on a journalistic and self-reflective tour of the intersection of religion and human nature. This book is a cultural, civic, and spiritual travel-log for believers and non-believers alike. Jonathan Rauch will join us for a livestream on February 6 at 7pm ET. In the meantime, join Jen – a presbyterian, Elizabeth – an atheist, and Matt – a bishop in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints for 3 book club episodes focused on Cross Purposes. Today we discuss Part II, which is entitled “Sharp Christianity.”

This week we speak with Wenyuan Wu, Executive Director of the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation. Wenyuan shares her journey coming to advocate for and defend students (as young as first graders!) and late-stage career professionals alike from the ravages of illiberal cancel culture that have trampled on free speech rights across large swathes of American society in the last decade. Through her compelling stories, we see first-hand that no one is safe when free speech isn’t respected or protected; but also, that there are many allies out there who can help you find your voice to stand up and speak out to reclaim your voice and rights. She also shares strategies for effective communication when pushing back against prevailing narratives and groupthink, as well as the importance of never giving up fighting for what you believe in, and making sure our constitutional rights remain properly grounded by deeper morals and ideals.

In this week's podcast Mike Burke meets up with Matt Gertken to discuss some of the rumours currently circulating around the Chinese Communist Party. They discuss the economic problems of the CCP, the potential for its collapse, changes in Chinese leadership and the future of the Taiwan Strait.  Matt is the Chief Strategist for both BCA Research Geopolitical Strategy and US Political Strategy services, where he oversees our coverage of market- relevant policy developments in the US and worldwide. Matt served as a Senior Analyst at Strategic Forecasting, Inc. (Stratfor) and in multiple academic and publishing roles. Matt has 18 years of experience in the field and appears frequently in global news media. Matt holds an MPhil from the University of Cambridge and a PhD from the University of Texas at Austin.

Today we are launching our second ILV book club with a series of discussions of Jonathan Rauch’s forthcoming book entitled Cross Purposes: Christianity’s Broken Bargain with Democracy by Brookings Institution senior fellow and best-selling author Jonathan Rauch. The book, made available to you by Yale University Press in early February, examines American pluralism and the role of religion in historical and modern democracy. Rauch, a self-described atheist, somewhat apologetically takes us on a journalistic and self-reflective tour of the intersection of religion and human nature. This book is a cultural, civic, and spiritual travel-log for believers and non-believers alike. Jonathan Rauch will join us for a livestream on February 5 at 7pm ET. In the meantime, join Jen, Elizabeth and Matt for 3 book club episodes focused on Cross Purposes. We begin our discussion with Part I, which is entitled “Thin Christianity.” Podcast Resources: Pre-order Cross Purposes Save the date for our livestream with Jonathan Rauch (both on YouTube and on @ilvalues on X) Jesus and Superman: A Liberalism and Faith Series with Angel Eduardo How Intellectuals Found God, Peter Savodnik, The Free Press The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism, Tim Alberta Walking with God through Pain and Suffering, Tim Keller Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging, Sebastian Junger On Censorship Book Club

This week as we join Lee Jussim at USC for the conference on Censorship in the Sciences we are revisiting our livestream with Lee and Catherine Salmon on the ethics Institutional Review Boards, and the role they play in censorship and the decline of academic freedoms.  Censorship in the Sciences Conference website: https://dornsife.usc.edu/cesr/censorship-in-the-sciences-interdisciplinary-perspectives/ You can watch the conference via zoom and find the full schedule here:https://drive.google.com/file/d/19YCeirdwU-izcY86aaNQ_4hm8znTaMML/view To be a part of the discussion and join our livestreams, sign up for our newsletter to be informed of all our offerings: https://ilvalues.org/ You can find more interviews of Lee here: How the Compassionate Mislead, Jordan B. Peterson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqa7n2Aq-Bs&t=1s When Anti-Racism Becomes Racism, Jordan B. Peterson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIpX1ME9Zvg&t=1s The Radicalization of the Academy, Stanford Classical Liberalism Initiative: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-kaFI8JAOvk&t=1s Lee’s Substack, Unsafe Science: https://substack.com/@unsafescience  

n this episode of the Free Speech Forward podcast, co-hosts Chris and Joia engage with Susanna McIntyre, a passionate advocate for free expression and critical thinking. Susanna shares her transformative journey from being involved in Antifa to becoming the Development Associate at Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s AHA Foundation as well as President/CEO of Atheist Republic. Susanna focuses on the importance of free speech, critical thinking, and the challenges of expressing unpopular opinions. The conversation delves into personal growth, the significance of admitting mistakes, and the societal implications of free expression.   Watch more videos featuring Susanna’s views on free speech and religion at: https://www.youtube.com/@AtheistRepublic

In this engaging conversation, Chris and Joia speak with Wink Twyman, who shares his insights on the importance of free speech and the value of diverse opinions. He emphasizes the dangers of conformity and groupthink, advocating for open dialogue as a means to foster wisdom and understanding. Wink also provides practical advice on effective communication, highlighting the significance of authenticity in writing and speaking. The discussion culminates in a vision for a future where free speech thrives, encouraging individuals to embrace their unique perspectives and courageously express themselves.   Get more from Wink at his Substack: https://twyman.substack.com/   Also, check out the book Wink co-authored with our ILV Board Member Jennifer Richmond: Letters in Black & White: A New Correspondence on Race in America.