One way of thinking about democracy is as a game — a game in which freedom, equality, and even lives are at stake. And one way of thinking about the state of our democracy is that one of the two main competitors is no longer playing the game, but trying to destroy it. As with any game, the rules of democracy only matter if we agree they do. Ultimately, we can’t prove that … [Read more...] about Is the Game of Democracy Over?
Episodes
Walter Shapiro: Finding the Democrats’ Missing Message
In normal times, if one party is bad at politics, it’s a problem for that party. But in these times, we only have one major party that still believes in democracy. And yet Democrats are likely to lose the Congress this fall, and could lose the White House in 2024 — maybe even to Donald Trump, the first US president ever to lead a coup attempt and still the leader of a … [Read more...] about Walter Shapiro: Finding the Democrats’ Missing Message
Jade McGlynn on Putin’s Memory War
Spencer's guest this time has fascinating, important insights about Vladimir Putin's "memory war:" a campaign to rewrite history with Russia at the center of the world stage. That campaign is being enacted with horrific violence in Ukraine, but is pursued in different ways around the world, including in the United States. Dr. Jade McGlynn is a senior researcher with the … [Read more...] about Jade McGlynn on Putin’s Memory War
Lincoln Project Co-Founder Mike Madrid: Latino Voters Have an Urgent Warning for Democrats
How could it be that the Democratic Party is losing Latino voters to the Trumpist Republican Party? How could it be that Democrats are losing support from blue collar workers? Both things are happening — and they’re related, according to our guest this time Mike Madrid is a co-founder of the Lincoln Project of Never-Trump Republicans. He’s a longtime political consultant … [Read more...] about Lincoln Project Co-Founder Mike Madrid: Latino Voters Have an Urgent Warning for Democrats
Treating People as People, Not Machines: Dr. Rose Kumar on How to Heal Healthcare
We have more money, technology, and knowledge at our command than any other nation in the world ever has. And yet one way of seeing the society we’ve built is as a perpetual illness machine: It sells us stuff that makes us sick, and then sells us stuff that treats the sickness. Spencer's guest Dr. Rose Kumar believes there's a better way: Treat people as people, and look at … [Read more...] about Treating People as People, Not Machines: Dr. Rose Kumar on How to Heal Healthcare