The Discourse Lab

Clay Smith
  • 5.0 (17)
  • News Commentary

Clayton Smith uses conversation to explore ideas, analyze arguments, and question dogmas. Featuring an ideologically diverse suite of guests.

  1. 2d ago

    An Age of Violence w/ Alex DeVitry

    In this episode Clay is joined by friend of the pod Alex DeVitry. Alex is currently a Master’s student at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), where he is studying international conflict resolution, foreign policy and diplomacy, and the Middle East. He also writes excellent articles about political violence in the 21st century on his Substack.  This conversation covers two main topics. First, the Houthi’s rise in Yemen: their origins, relationship with Iran, recent military successes, and the threat they pose to Red Sea shipping and the balance of power in the Gulf. Next, political violence: how it takes on a logic of its own, why it’s often misunderstood, and what its normalization means for national identity and civic life.  Alex is a man with an outstandingly fascinating and unique origin story, which you can hear all about in his first appearance on TDL.    You can follow Alex on Instagram & TikTok, and subscribe to him (for free!) on Substack. Books Mentioned in this episode: Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire by Richard B. Frank. The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang. Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle. Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages by Richard E. Rubenstein. The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous by Joseph Henrich ** 2 Small Corrections** - John Stuart Mill wrote during the mid-19th century, not during th 1790-1820 timeframe Alex gives in our convo. - In the nuclear near-miss Alex references the target was American naval vessels at sea between Miami and Cuba. The would-be target was not Miami.

  2. Sep 22

    “It’s not the billionaires that are the problem; it’s the boomers.” - Sam Raus

    In this episode, Clay is joined by ⁠Sam Raus⁠. Sam is a political analyst and public relations professional. He is also the David Boaz Resident Writing Fellow at ⁠Young Voices⁠. Sam writes on a number of topics from a libertarian perspective, including AI, data centers, healthcare, and social security. Listen to this episode to understand why Sam thinks fears surrounding data centers are overblown, hear his argument for why Gen Z should be able to opt out of social security, and much more! You can ⁠follow Sam on X⁠.

  3. Sep 15

    "Once you believe Jews are evil, it becomes easier to get you to believe anything about them." - Omry Hananya

    In this episode, Clay is joined by NYC-based comedian and social media personality Omry Hananya, aka The Angry Prophet. Omry has gained a large following online by using humor to disprove anti-semitic conspiracy theories.  Listen to this episode to learn about goyslop, the Khazar theory, how to convince your friends to stop being anti-semitic, and much more!

  4. Sep 8

    "My parents would go without food so I could eat." - Gaby Blanco

    In this episode, Clay is joined by Gabriela Blanco. Gabriela was born and raised in Cuba, where her family endured oppression and economic hardship under the communist regime. When she was 23, she escaped the island and eventually made her way to the United States. Gabriela has traveled the country sharing her story with young people as a speaker for ⁠The Dissident Project⁠⁠, an organization that helps immigrants from tyrannical regimes become influential voices for freedom here in the US. Listen to this episode to get the details of Gabriela's inspiring story, hear her argument in favor of sanctions against Cuba, and much more! You can follow Gaby on X.

  5. Sep 1

    "The West is a social construct." - Ruel Domi

    In this episode, Clay is joined by Ruel Domi. Ruel is an Albanian political commentator whose work focuses on global affairs, international relations, geopolitics, and Albanian, European, and American politics. He is a frequent commentator on Albanian television and writes regularly on political and international developments affecting Albania, Europe, the United States, and the wider world.Ruel holds a B.A. in Finance and Political Science from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.Listen to this episode to learn a little bit about modern Albanian politics, get Ruel's take on the rise of the far right in Europe, hear why he thinks Western civilization is particularly great, and much more! You can find Ruel on his ⁠website⁠, ⁠Linktree⁠, and ⁠Instagram⁠.

  6. Aug 25

    "Trans women are getting hotter" - Brianna Wu

    In this episode, Clay is joined by political commentator, computer programer, and former congressional candidate Brianna Wu. Brianna has written and spoken on a number of topics, but she is best known for her commentary on trans issues (she is herself a trans women), progressive politics, Israel-Palestine, and the video game industry. She is also a Porsche enthusiast. Listen to this episode to hear why Brianna no longer associates with the activist left, get her take on the video game industry, hear her argument for why there should be more gatekeeping in the trans community, and much more! You can find Brianna on X (Twitter), Instagram, and TikTok.

  7. Aug 18

    "Families are hotbeds of conflicting needs" - Rachel Haack

    In this episode, the boys are joined by Rachel Haack. Rachel is a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist who specializes in helping families navigate adult-child estrangement, chronic conflict, and relational breakdowns. To that end, she offers structured consulting, as well as group workshops.  Rachel also writes a SubStack called Thoughts from a Therapist and has a substantial social media following, with 174k instagram followers as of this recording.  Listen to this episode to learn more about Rachel’s backstory, family estrangement, a psychological concept called differentiation, and much more.

  8. May 5

    Literature & Meaning w/ Liza Libes

    In this episode Clay is joined by Liza Libes. Liza is an author, content creator, and voracious reader of classic fiction. She is also the owner and operator of Invictus Prep, a college consulting company that helps applicants leverage the power of narrative to get into their dream school.  This is an episode that can be divided into two main parts.  The first part consists of Liza’s unique and fascinating origin story as the daughter of Soviet immigrants, as well as her and experience with woke, professors, TAs, and students at Columbia University.  Starting at 04:02  In the second part, Liza brings her considerable literary knowledge to bear on questions like “Why is it important to read classic fiction?”, “Is modern literature any good?”, and “Why are Russian novelists particularly talented?”. She also shares her takes on Sally Rooney, Ernest Hemingway, the new Harry Potter HBO show, and much more. Starting at 54:35 You can follow Liza on Instagram, X, and YouTube. And of course, please get yourself a copy of one of Liza’s fantastic collections of poetry. Books mentioned in this episode  Harry Potter — J. K. Rowling Vanity Fair — William Makepeace Thackeray The Master and Margarita — Mikhail Bulgakov Anna Karenina — Leo Tolstoy The Brothers Karamazov — Fyodor Dostoevsky The Iliad — Homer Mansfield Park — Jane Austen Metamorphoses — Ovid Wuthering Heights — Emily Brontë Animal Farm — George Orwell 1984 — George Orwell The Sun Also Rises — Ernest Hemingway The Plague — Albert Camus The Fall — Albert Camus The Stranger — Albert Camus Articles by Liza mentioned in this episode (from her Substack) Leave Literature Alone Harry Potter Changed my Life  The Real Problem With the New Harry Potter Series  The New York Times is Wrong About Motherhood The Publishing Industry is Allergic to Money  Why Modern Movies Feel So Empty  Please rate and review us on your podcast player of choice! It’s the best way to support us.  Subscribe on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube Follow us on Instagram and X

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5
out of 5
17 Ratings

About

Clayton Smith uses conversation to explore ideas, analyze arguments, and question dogmas. Featuring an ideologically diverse suite of guests.

Information

  • Creator
    Clay Smith
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    45
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Clay Smith
  • Show Website
    The Discourse Lab

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