Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues

Center for American Institutions
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The Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University is delighted to present "Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues." Each week, Dr. Robert Ferguson hosts a podcast episode with fascinating scholars, intellectuals, and public figures who offer outstanding insights on relevant history and current affairs. The conversations are dynamic and challenging, where some of Dr. Ferguson's preconceived notions are entirely undermined.

  1. 15 hr ago

    What is American Conservatism with Dr. Joel Webster

    Dr. Joel Webster returns to discuss whether American conservatism can actually be defined, described, or even whether parameters can be drawn around it. Dr. Webster, a noted historian of conservatism, explains why scholars (and especially historians) have had a really hard time trying to discern what American conservatism actually is. In the episode, Dr. Ferguson and Webster compare US conservatism to conservatism in the EU and what the differences actually mean for both societies. If you are interested in where American conservatism comes from and the role it plays in society at any point, this essay is worth listening to.

  2. 21 Oct

    Insights on Modern Diplomacy Gleaned from the Model UN

    Andrew Ritter joins us to explain how today's university students approach diplomacy and foreign policy generally. It turns into a really interesting discussion about how we view diplomacy and the future of the developing world. We speak about the Washington Accords, Africa's future, and how China and the United States are competing across the developing world.

  3. 20 Oct

    Insights on Modern Diplomacy Gleaned from the Model UN

    Andrew Ritter joins us to explain how today's university students approach diplomacy and foreign policy generally. It turns into a really interesting discussion about how we view diplomacy and the future of the developing world. We speak about the Washington Accords, Africa's future, and how China and the United States are competing across the developing world.

  4. 13 Oct

    The Reformation of Saudi Arabia with Sven Otto Littorin

    In this episode, Sven Otto Littorin (the former Swedish Minister for Employment) introduces his new book Kingdom in Motion, which details the history behind MBS's modernization of Saudi Arabia based on his own experience working inside the Saudi Government. We discuss how MBS's vision sounds very much like Edmund Burke's prescription for a successful revolution. Littorin argues that your perspective on Saudi Arabia is likely at least a decade out of date, and that there are changes happening there that make it one of the most exciting and dynamic places in the world. We also discuss the dark side of the MBS revolution: Especially the violence and his willingness to concentrate power in himself. Not to mention the fact that political rights are still a non-starter. Anyway, this is a really great episode. If you do not know that much about Saudi Arabia and MBS, this is a great introduction. Book: https://kingdominmotion.shop/ The Vision Bridge: https://thevisionbridge.net/home

  5. 13 Oct

    The Reformation of Saudi Arabia with Sven Otto Littorin

    n this episode, Sven Otto Littorin (the former Swedish Minister for Employment) introduces his new book Kingdom in Motion, which details the history behind MBS's modernization of Saudi Arabia based on his own experience working inside the Saudi Government. We discuss how MBS's vision sounds very much like Edmund Burke's prescription for a successful revolution. Littorin argues that your perspective on Saudi Arabia is likely at least a decade out of date, and that there are changes happening there that make it one of the most exciting and dynamic places in the world. We also discuss the dark side of the MBS revolution: Especially the violence and his willingness to concentrate power in himself. Not to mention the fact that political rights are still a non-starter. Anyway, this is a really great episode. If you do not know that much about Saudi Arabia and MBS, this is a great introduction. Book: https://kingdominmotion.shop/ The Vision Bridge: https://thevisionbridge.net/home

  6. 6 Oct

    Dr. Lani Kass: October 7th and Israel's War with Hamas

    In this episode, distinguished national security expert Dr. Lani Kass gives us her perspective on the monstrous attack on October 7th and the subsequent Israeli War to destroy Hamas. Dr. Kass gives us a history lesson on the region informed by her unique vantage point having grown up in Israel and working with the IDF. Dr. Kass then explains the anguish Israelis feel about October 7th and, especially, the reaction from the rest of the world. She analyzes some of the political missteps taken by Benjamin Netanyahu and identifies some of the bad actors responsible for the rise in anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment. This only scratches the surface of the conversation, be sure to check it out. October 8th Film Mention: https://www.october8film.com/

  7. 6 Oct

    Dr. Lani Kass: October 7th and Israel's War with Hamas

    In this episode, distinguished national security expert Dr. Lani Kass gives us her perspective on the monstrous attack on October 7th and the subsequent Israeli War to destroy Hamas. Dr. Kass gives us a history lesson on the region informed by her unique vantage point having grown up in Israel and working with the IDF. Dr. Kass then explains the anguish Israelis feel about October 7th and, especially, the reaction from the rest of the world. She analyzes some of the political missteps taken by Benjamin Netanyahu and identifies some of the bad actors responsible for the rise in anti-Israel and antisemitic sentiment. This only scratches the surface of the conversation, be sure to check it out. October 8th Movie: https://www.october8film.com/

  8. 2 Oct

    Trump-Xi Summit with Andrew Ritter

    Andrew brings his considerable China expertise to discuss the (non) news that came out of the Trump-Xi summit. Still, they are pretty sure something newsworthy happened and they work hard to find out what that thing is. Afterwards they discuss AI and the future of China-US cooperation.

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The Center for American Institutions at Arizona State University is delighted to present "Politics and the Past: Desert Dialogues." Each week, Dr. Robert Ferguson hosts a podcast episode with fascinating scholars, intellectuals, and public figures who offer outstanding insights on relevant history and current affairs. The conversations are dynamic and challenging, where some of Dr. Ferguson's preconceived notions are entirely undermined.

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