• Adam Gurri talks Constitutionality | Focus Interviews
    May 29 2022

    -Important References-

    Adam's Article

    -Table of Contents-

    00:00— Getting started, a note on Uvalde

    02:00— What are "lawfulness" and "constitutionality"?

    05:04— How about "law and order"?

    13:11— Can we reform our way forward?

    23:42— What about the role of violence in order?

    35:12— Is bureaucracy a challenge to lawfulness?

    42:00— Wrapping up

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    Show More Show Less
    43 mins
  • Brent Giannotta talks Democracy Promotion | Focus Interviews
    May 22 2022

    We sit down to discuss how to effectively combat authoritarianism, assist the spread of democracy, and learn from our past foreign policy mistakes.

    -Table of Contents-

    00:00 — Getting started

    01:01 — How should we deal (or not deal) economically with authoritarian powers?

    06:46 — Are we comfortable being as sanguine about China as we are about Russia?

    12:32 — What should we do about crucial strategic partners who may be less-than-democratic (or worse)?

    18:55 — You said we could have done nation-building in Afghanistan successfully. How?

    28:33 — How can we formulate an attractive economic policy package to partners in Asia?

    33:52 — What motivates mass shootings? Is it ideology or something else?

    42:47 — Wrapping up

    -Important References-

    NYT Solar Article

    Germany/Russia explainer #1

    Explainer #2

    Anne Applebaum's article + our discussion of it

    Brent's post on Afghanistan

    Brent's LA Times on QAnon & ISIL

    Brent's Twitter

    -Share If You Care-

    Share via Twitter

    Share via Facebook

    Share via LinkedIn

    Share via Email

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out...

    Show More Show Less
    45 mins
  • Matthew Slaboch talks Progress | Focus Interviews
    May 15 2022

    Professor Slaboch joins us to discuss his book and the topic of "progress." Is it real? If not, what are we to do?

    -Important References-

    Professor Slaboch's book, A Road to Nowhere

    -Share If You Care-

    Share via Twitter

    Share via Facebook

    Share via LinkedIn

    Share via Email

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    Show More Show Less
    48 mins
  • Author Daniel Aldrich | Focus Interviews
    Apr 10 2022

    Professor Daniel Aldrich sits down with us to discuss his most recent book, Black Wave: How Networks and Governance Shaped Japan’s 3/11 Disasters.

    (Table of contents below.)

    -Important References-

    Check out Black Wave

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    -Table of Contents-

    00:00 — Getting started

    01:08 — Summarizing the entire triple disaster, as it played out on 3/11/11

    05:42 — Why doesn't Aldrich say "natural disaster" & what do "Networks and Governance" have to do with all this?

    10:15 — Does Japan's one-party(-ish) democracy have a "clientelism" problem?

    18:10 — Is liberal democracy too individualistic to develop the strong communities necessary for disaster resilience?

    28:45 — Do democracy's strengths still apply to Covid? Have authoritarian regimes managed the pandemic better?

    38:40 — Nuclear energy: is it a matter of bad regulation or just bad technology?

    45:45 — Wrapping up

    Show More Show Less
    47 mins
  • Mayor Sly James | Focus Interviews
    Apr 3 2022

    Former Mayor of Kansas City Sly James sits down with us to discuss political leadership, local government, and how to restore faith in American politics.

    -Important References-

    The Opportunity Agenda

    -Usual Links-

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Read or comment on this article!

    Write with us!

    Listen to Spectacles In Conversation!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    Show More Show Less
    40 mins
  • Angelica Oung | Focus Interviews
    Mar 13 2022

    -Important References-

    Angelica's blog, Taipology

    Listen to the article we're discussing

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    Show More Show Less
    37 mins
  • Ambassador Allan Katz | Focus Interviews
    Mar 6 2022

    We're joined by former Ambassador to Portugal Allan Katz to discuss civil discourse, polarization, and how this all applies to the situation in Ukraine right now.

    -Important References-

    American Public Square's website

    Our interview with author Thomas Main

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    Show More Show Less
    34 mins
  • Where's the Dollar Going? | Guest Reflection
    Feb 23 2022

    Harry and Philip sit down with Bryce to discuss today's article from him, "The Power of the Dollar," how CBDCs are promising, who's displacing the dollar, and why China may be facing an uphill battle in popularizing the Yuan.

    -Important References-

    Listen to the article we're discussing.

    Bryce's previous piece for Spectacles, on CBDCs

    -Usual Links-

    Leave a comment!

    Subscribe to our newsletter!

    Listen to Spectacles Out Loud!

    Follow our Twitter! // Follow our TikTok!

    Show More Show Less
    20 mins