Category: 3-SometimeCommentary

On The Gist, the bad news from Freedom House.

U.S. Air Force officer Edward Lansdale promoted a “hearts and minds” approach to diplomacy in the Philippines and Vietnam, only to be steamrolled by America’s elite class of policymakers. Max Boot tells us about Lansdale and his own newfound recognition of white privilege and other ideas from the left. Boot’s new book is The Road Not Taken: Edward Lansdale and the American Tragedy in Vietnam.     

In the Spiel, why the continuing resolution is sucking all the fun out of politics. 

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On The Gist, the press is too squeamish to clarify that “shithouse” isn’t much better than “shithole.”

In the interview, more on fire and fury—nuclear fire, rhetorical fury, and the consequences of both. Jeffrey Lewis and Aaron Stein, hosts of Arms Control Wonk, assess the Trump administration’s tough talk on North Korea and the danger of a South Korea that decides to take matters into its own hands. 

In the Spiel, Aziz Ansari isn’t blameless, but he doesn’t deserve a total destruction of his career, either.

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The prize-winning novelist Peter Carey tackles head on for the first time the legacies of colonialism in his native Australia in his latest book, A Long Way From Home. He talks to Tom Sutcliffe about the damage and loss for the Stolen Generations.

The writer and broadcaster Afua Hirsch believes Britain is also a nation in denial about the past and present, and argues it's time to talk more openly about race and identity.

The Dutch journalist Geert Mak once travelled the breadth of Europe to explore what it meant to be European at the end of the 20th century. He found countries struggling to understand the wrongs they had committed during the Holocaust, the Second World War and decades of dictator rule.

On The Gist, Mike examines Trump’s bottom-of-the-barrel statements on immigration.

In the interview, Dina Temple-Raston explains how she became fascinated by the teenage brain. After years of covering terrorism for NPR, she was stunned to see so many young people leaving their homes to join ISIS. Teenagers aren’t just prone to falling in with terrorist recruiters: Their underdeveloped minds make them more susceptible to video gaming compulsions and violent behavior. Why? Temple-Raston finds answers in her Audible Original series, “What Were You Thinking?”

In the Spiel, a skit about the science (and lopsided sex ratio) of turtle love.

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On The Gist, Mike skewers a columnist for concluding that President Trump is sane.

In the interview, comedian Judah Friedlander wants to let you know that his new comedy special is all him, even though it’s got Netflix’s name on it. The 30 Rock alum talks about matters of social justice, satire, and jingoism.

In the Spiel, Democrats should stop questioning Trump’s mental acuity and focus on midterms instead.

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On The Gist, a brief look at what Norway is doing right. 

In the interview, we turn to self-help experts Kristen Meinzer and Jolenta Greenberg about the “new you” books that are good, bad, and absolute nonsense. Meinzer and Greenberg are hosts of the Panoply show By the Book.  

In the Spiel, Mike discovers the best transliteration ever.

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On The Gist, Joe Arpaio’s life after pardon.   

In the interview, MacArthur “genius” award winner Betsy Levy Paluck tells us about her research into mass media and public opinion. We might have the impression that our beliefs are based on reason. But what our neighbors think (or what we think they think) has a lot to do with it, too.

In the Spiel, how to charm Twitter trolls into submission. 

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On The Gist, Sen. Lindsey Graham is defending the president extra hard on television … because he knows Trump’s watching.

In the interview, NPR’s media correspondent David Folkenflik tells us what to make of Fire and Fury, the book that claims to reveal how dysfunctional the Trump administration really is.   

In the Spiel, Mike gives props to Oprah for her acceptance speech at the Golden Globes. But that doesn’t mean she should run for president.

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