March 5, 2010

Having Ears To Hear

It's interesting: as climate science becomes ever more certain about anthropogenic global warming, the public — more so here in the U.S. but also abroad — becomes more skeptical. People really don't like bad news. To get at the science/public interface I turned to Bud Ward, editor of the Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media. It was great to talk with Bud and I hope the message gets delivered, though, to be honest, I'm not optimistic. Total runtime one hour. Prepare for the worst!

February 26, 2010

Empirical Monism

Thinking conventionally about things distances us from ourselves. Instead, argues Dr. Ellen J. Langer, we could be mindful, alive to possibility. Being mindful — Ellen provides a boatload of empirical evidence for this — will improve our physical well-being, make us happier, and extend our longevity. Her latest book, Counterclockwise, tells the story. You should read it. I also happen to think her ideas have a profound application to politics, though we tread lightly on that question in this conversation. It was a pure delight to talk with Ellen and I learned a great deal. Total runtime an hour and one minute. Enjoy!

February 19, 2010

The Hypnotist

$An eye with fractal swirl, graphics crop$ In a recent essay at the Huffington Post, Michael Brenner nails it. Mr. Obama, he writes, "is what we used to call a moderate Republican before the species became extinct." To get at some context on diverse political and foreign policy issues I asked Michael for a free-form tour d'horizon. I think it would be fair to say his bottom line is "anything is possible," but not necessarily in a good way. Even so, in these troubled times it's a blessing to hear some independent, unconventional thought. Total runtime an hour and five minutes. De oppresso liber.

February 12, 2010

Mistakes Were Made

Consider a counterfactual hypothesis about World War II. If Eisenhower had allowed Lt. Gen. Devers to cross the Rhine in November 1944, the war in Europe might have been shortened by several months and the Battle of the Bulge almost certainly never would have happened. Did Eisenhower screw up? What could have caused things to go so wrong? For a look at some relatively unknown and greatly underappreciated history I turned to David P. Colley, author of Decision at Strasbourg (Naval Institute Press, 2008). It's a fascinating story with a number of important lessons relevant for contemporary warfare. Total runtime an hour and eight minutes. Enjoy!

February 5, 2010

Blueprints for Governing

Although the Most Serene Republic of San Marino has an older, written, working constitution, among countries of any significance the United States of America has the oldest. By far. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged gracefully. We're driving a Model T but telling ourselves it's a Ferrari. We're delusional. And until we figure out that the system's rules deliver lousy results — that our political backwardness is not so much the fault of a deficient culture — we're stuck. To talk about this problem logically I turned to the brilliant Chicago labor lawyer Thomas Geoghegan. It was a rare pleasure to get into the structural nitty-gritty and I hope someday we'll see Tom in Congress. Total runtime forty seven minutes. Optimism favors the wise.



Home FAQ Contact Archive EP store EP Alerts © 2010 ElectricPolitics	March 5, 2010 Having Ears To Hear It's interesting: as climate science becomes ever more certain about anthropogenic global warming, the public — more so here in the U.S. but also abroad — becomes more skeptical. People really don't like bad news. To get at the science/public interface I turned to Bud Ward, editor of the Yale Forum on Climate Change & the Media. It was great to talk with Bud and I hope the message gets delivered, though, to be honest, I'm not optimistic. Total runtime one hour. Prepare for the worst! February 26, 2010 Empirical Monism Thinking conventionally about things distances us from ourselves. Instead, argues Dr. Ellen J. Langer, we could be mindful, alive to possibility. Being mindful — Ellen provides a boatload of empirical evidence for this — will improve our physical well-being, make us happier, and extend our longevity. Her latest book, Counterclockwise, tells the story. You should read it. I also happen to think her ideas have a profound application to politics, though we tread lightly on that question in this conversation. It was a pure delight to talk with Ellen and I learned a great deal. Total runtime an hour and one minute. Enjoy! February 19, 2010 The Hypnotist $An eye with fractal swirl, graphics crop$ In a recent essay at the Huffington Post, Michael Brenner nails it. Mr. Obama, he writes, "is what we used to call a moderate Republican before the species became extinct." To get at some context on diverse political and foreign policy issues I asked Michael for a free-form tour d'horizon. I think it would be fair to say his bottom line is "anything is possible," but not necessarily in a good way. Even so, in these troubled times it's a blessing to hear some independent, unconventional thought. Total runtime an hour and five minutes. De oppresso liber. February 12, 2010 Mistakes Were Made Consider a counterfactual hypothesis about World War II. If Eisenhower had allowed Lt. Gen. Devers to cross the Rhine in November 1944, the war in Europe might have been shortened by several months and the Battle of the Bulge almost certainly never would have happened. Did Eisenhower screw up? What could have caused things to go so wrong? For a look at some relatively unknown and greatly underappreciated history I turned to David P. Colley, author of Decision at Strasbourg (Naval Institute Press, 2008). It's a fascinating story with a number of important lessons relevant for contemporary warfare. Total runtime an hour and eight minutes. Enjoy! February 5, 2010 Blueprints for Governing Although the Most Serene Republic of San Marino has an older, written, working constitution, among countries of any significance the United States of America has the oldest. By far. Unfortunately, it hasn't aged gracefully. We're driving a Model T but telling ourselves it's a Ferrari. We're delusional. And until we figure out that the system's rules deliver lousy results — that our political backwardness is not so much the fault of a deficient culture — we're stuck. To talk about this problem logically I turned to the brilliant Chicago labor lawyer Thomas Geoghegan. It was a rare pleasure to get into the structural nitty-gritty and I hope someday we'll see Tom in Congress. Total runtime forty seven minutes. Optimism favors the wise.