BaerTalk David Baer

Jason Stanley, Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, discusses his book How Fascism Works. We consider what distinguishes fascism from other forms of anti-liberal politics? What, if anything, is at stake in defining a certain political style as fascist? And finally what do we mean by liberal democracy and why should we value it?

Svetlana Savranskya, Senior Analyst and Director of Russia Programs at the National Security Archives in Washington, DC offers her perspectives on the war in Ukraine. She tries to explain what Putin might have been thinking, what his motivations and goals are, and how the Russian people view the war.

Patrick Moore, Executive Director of New Mexico Historic Sites, and Manuelito Wheeler, Director of the Navajo Nation Museum, discuss American expansion into the West, its impact on the Navajo people, and the tragic events surrounding the Long Walk. They talk about the new Bosque Redondo Memorial at Fort Sumner, and the importance of collaboration and listening when telling history accurately.

Although many people argue science and religion are incompatible, Stephen M. Barr thinks otherwise. A member of the American Physical Society, Barr is an accomplished theoretical particle physicist. He's also a practicing Christian and the author of several books on the relation between science and faith. In this episode of BaerTalk, Prof. Barr explains why those who suppose science is opposed to religion are mistaken. He discusses the scope and limit of scientific investigation, and considers the ways in which modern physics lends support to cosmological arguments for God's existence.

Further reading:
Stephen M. Barr, Modern Physics and Ancient Science. U of Notre Dame Press, 2003
Stephen M. Barr, The Believing Scientists: Essays on Science and Religion. Eerdmans, 2016.
Debate between Bertrand Russel and Frederick Copleston on God's existence: https://youtu.be/MVLKURgfft0

Hungary appeared to undergo a successful democratic transition after the fall of European communism in 1989. But in recent years, Hungary has morphed into a kind of soft authoritarianism. Eva Balogh, Dalibor Rohac, and David Baer consider why Hungary's slide to authoritarianism has been more severe than other former communist countries of Eastern Europe, and they discuss the political opposition's prospects of restoring democracy in Hungary.

This podcast was recorded on November 29, 2021, one day before Eva Balogh's sudden and unexpected death, as part of a class at Texas Lutheran University. Eva's comments to the class are among her last public thoughts about the situation in Hungary, and they are shared with everyone in tribute to her.

Further reading
Hungarian Spectrum https://hungarianspectrum.org/
Dalibor Rohac, "Transitions, populism, and democratic decline: evidence from Hungary and the Czech Republic" European Politics and Society https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23745118.2021.1973213

Hunting would appear to be an essential feature of the natural world. Many animals hunt each other, and many humans hunt animals. Prehistoric man hunted to survive. Today, of course, hunting is not a necessary activity, but a sport and avocation. Those who hunt always have the choice to buy vegetables or frozen pizza at the grocery store. In this episode of BaerTalk Bracy Hill and Jeremy Stirm talk about what hunting means for them. Both defend hunting and find meaning in it. They also talk thoughtfully about it, about our relationship to the animal world, and our responsibilities toward nature.