The realignment of geopolitics in the Middle East has many fathers, and Donald Trump was only one of them. What the thaw in Sunni states’ relations with Israel means for America moving forward. Also, for all the talk of the president’s “white grievance” politics, he’s performing better among minority voters in polls than he did in 2016 while white voters are fleeing his coalition.
Whither memory: Guantanamo W. Bush paints over his legacy.
Hello from the future!
Inspired (triggered?) by last week’s commemorations of 9/11, we get a bit contemplative. How will future generations remember (or suppress) the events of the Trump era, especially the mass death of Covid-19? We discuss state-sanctioned memory in the US and China, how Trump has effectively rehabilitated George W. Bush, and Paul Krugman’s tweet threads (1, 2) about 9/11 and Islamophobia. We conclude with a listener question about how a “corporate Asian” should be.
0:00 – Yet another 9/11 anniversary provokes an imagined retrospective of the Trump era. How will we remember, or try to forget, these years under 45? Andy compares Chinese and US history and how state-sanctioned political narratives have domesticated personal memory and trauma. Tammy and Jay disagree over how we remember the 1960s, and we wonder how the explosive protest movements of 2020 will go down in history: will they be reduced to aesthetic commodity? Bonus: plugs for W. G. Sebald’s The Emigrants and Agnès Varda’s Black Panthers.
47:38 – Economist and NYT columnist Paul Krugman got in trouble for Twitterasing/ retconning the Bush administration’s Islamophobic policies and wars in the Middle East as genteel by comparison to Trump. Do his arguments have any merit? Plus, Jay previews his libretto for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s forthcoming coronavirus musical (coming to Broadway in 2026), and we examine the absurd unreliability of hate crimes statistics (tsk tsk, Krugman) in the context of anti-Asian violence.
1:19:05 – TTSG listener Gestational Yuppie asks how Asian Americans should deal with their guilt for outwardly working corporate jobs while inwardly harboring leftist politics, leading all three hosts to do some soul-searching.
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We discuss Biden’s attempt to court the youth vote by assembling the Adventures and fighting the Hungry Games, then read a truly demonic piece on corporate spiritual advisors. Also, of course, Guns N’ Roses 1992 monster power balled hit “November Rain”.
Thanks to YouTube user sonnymcs for the joe biden vapor wave track “S C R A N T O N R O O T S”.
In the interview, Leon Neyfakh is here to talk about the newest season of Fiasco, which focuses on Boston’s effort to desegregate its schools. He and Mike discuss the difficulties of finding a nuanced way to tell a story that complicates it beyond racism, and the reasons Biden’s stance on bussing has changed over the years. Fiasco is available on Luminary.
Trump finishes his weekend of superspreader rallies with a trip to California amid a climate disaster he thinks is a hoax, Mike Bloomberg says he’ll spend at least $100 million in Florida to help Joe Biden, and Bernie Sanders urges Biden to talk more about his economic agenda with young and Latino voters. Then Reverend Greg Lewis talks to Tommy about Wisconsin’s Souls to the Polls initiative, which is aimed at making sure everyone in the state can vote.
The media can't bear to report it, but the polling over the weekend shows movement toward Donald Trump and rising concern over urban unrest—and they're going hand in hand. Can the Biden people see what's happening or are they blinded by their press coverage? And we discuss Christine Rosen's important article, "You Will Be Re-Educated." Give a listen.
Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour movement promised radical change but ended disastrously with the 2019 general election. Labour insider and activist Owen Jones looks back over the last decade and tells Andrew Marr why the election went so badly wrong. In his new book, This Land: The Story of a Movement, he also reflects on the future of the Left in an age of upheaval.
Sylvia Pankhurst was born into one of Britain’s most famous activist families. Her biographer Rachel Holmes argues that, although less well-known than her mother and sister, Sylvia was the most revolutionary of them all. In Natural Born Rebel, Holmes celebrates the radical life of a true internationalist.
But politics can often appear to be a game between the radical fringes and the centre ground. The Times columnist and former Conservative Party adviser Danny Finkelstein has long applauded moderation. In a collection of his newspaper writings, Everything in Moderation, he argues that the political centre is less about ideology and more about temperament.
Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour movement promised radical change but ended disastrously with the 2019 general election. Labour insider and activist Owen Jones looks back over the last decade and tells Andrew Marr why the election went so badly wrong. In his new book, This Land: The Story of a Movement, he also reflects on the future of the Left in an age of upheaval.
Sylvia Pankhurst was born into one of Britain’s most famous activist families. Her biographer Rachel Holmes argues that, although less well-known than her mother and sister, Sylvia was the most revolutionary of them all. In Natural Born Rebel, Holmes celebrates the radical life of a true internationalist.
But politics can often appear to be a game between the radical fringes and the centre ground. The Times columnist and former Conservative Party adviser Danny Finkelstein has long applauded moderation. In a collection of his newspaper writings, Everything in Moderation, he argues that the political centre is less about ideology and more about temperament.
This toolkit episode is all about testing with Michael Mina, Harvard infectious disease specialist and laboratory director, and Robby Sikka, who helped develop the SalivaDirect test with the NBA in partnership with Yale University. Andy asks these experts your email and voicemail questions about the new wave of tests on the horizon, their reliability, how they work, when to get tested, plus some potential new creative at-home tests. What would you name an at-home sewage test? Tell Andy on Twitter!
Keep up with Andy on Twitter @ASlavitt and Instagram @andyslavitt.
Follow Michael Mina @michaelmina_lab and Robby Sikka @robbysikka on Twitter.
In the Bubble is supported in part by listeners like you. Become a member, get exclusive bonus content, ask Andy questions, and get discounted merch at https://www.lemonadamedia.com/inthebubble/
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Livinguard masks have the potential to deactivate COVID-19 based on the testing they have conducted from leading universities such as the University of Arizona and the Free University in Berlin, Germany. Go to shop.livinguard.com and use the code BUBBLE for 15% off.
You can digitally purchase life insurance from Haven Life Insurance Agency at havenlife.com/bubble. Haven Term is a Term Life Insurance Policy (ICC17DTC) issued by Massachusetts Mutual Life Insurance Company (MassMutual), Springfield, MA 01111 and offered exclusively through Haven Life Insurance Agency, LLC. Policy and rider form numbers and features may vary by state and not be available in all states. Our Agency license number in California is 0K71922 and in Arkansas, 100139527.
Stay up to date with us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. For additional resources, information, and a transcript of the episode, visit lemonadamedia.com
Will talks to Jess Scarane, who is challenging incumbent Chris Coons for a U.S. Senate seat in Delaware. They discuss Delaware’s unique importance as a state, the limits of “compromise,” building power for progressive policies, and how to lift voters’ expectations for what they can demand from their politicians.
Get involved with Jess’ campaign here: https://www.jessfordelaware.com/
