Beyond Politics

Matt Robison
  • 4.7 (111)
  • Politics
  • Updated Weekly

Politics may be dismal, but the ideas that swirl around it and shape it are fascinating. This is a show that looks not just at politics, but the deeper ideas from history, science, psychology, economics, and technology that are shaping our world. We feature smart, lively, upbeat discussions with people who know what they're talking about and can help us understand the world better. Hosted by Matt Robison: writer, former senior congressional staffer, and campaign manager.

  1. 21h ago

    Trump Hiding, Leavitt Leaving: What’s Going Wrong for Republicans?

    Trump secretly evacuated Air Force One through a catering container while his own staff flew into a live missile threat as decoys. Karoline Leavitt is out as White House Press Secretary after a scandal-plagued tenure. AOC walks back "Woke 1.0." Matt Robison makes the case that the Supreme Court — not just Trump — is the most broken branch of government. Plus: Paramount offers to sell CNN to settle a 12-state antitrust suit, this week's Battlefield midterm scorecard, and a Dose of Hope on Flock camera surveillance and a New Jersey meteorite carrying the building blocks of life.Matt Robison and Republican strategist Matt Wylie break down the week in politics — where PTI meets The Daily Show. New episodes every week.🔔 Subscribe for weekly political rundowns, midterm battlefield analysis, and no-BS breakdowns of what's actually happening in Washington.📩 Read Matt's full analysis and the Battlefield dashboard every week on Substack: https://worthknowing.substack.com📩 Subscribe for exclusive essays and deeper dives: https://worthknowing.substack.com/subscribeTIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Cold open: Trump's escape, Leavitt's exit, AOC's walkback, and the Supreme Court fight01:00 – The Great Escape: how Trump secretly evacuated Air Force One02:00 – Matt Wylie defends the Secret Service, questions the intelligence failure03:00 – "Party of Lincoln to Slinkin'" — was this self-inflicted by the Qatari jet gift?04:00 – Karoline Leavitt is leaving the White House05:00 – Leavitt's record of false claims from the podium06:00 – Treating the press as the enemy, not the adversary07:00 – AOC says "Woke 1.0 was crazy" — real reckoning or 2028 positioning?08:00 – The DSA's identity crisis and the Almost Famous comparison09:00 – Trump pushes the limits of Supreme Court rulings on tariffs, birthright citizenship, and the Fed10:00 – Robison's counterintuitive take: challenging the premise of judicial review11:00 – Why the Supreme Court may be the most broken branch of government13:00 – The originalism irony: Roe v. Wade and judicial review14:00 – Paramount offers to sell CNN to settle a 12-state antitrust suit16:00 – Why state attorneys general could be the new check on federal power17:00 – THE BATTLEFIELD: this week's midterm scorecard17:00 – Minnesota & Wisconsin primaries: affordability drives turnout19:00 – Republicans pour $6M into Michigan; Alaska and Iowa in play21:00 – Trump's vaccine executive order and the affordability distraction23:00 – The generic ballot shifts toward Democrats24:00 – Nate Silver's likely-voter model and special election turnout25:00 – This week's verdict: slight lean Democrat27:00 – July jobs report: economy sheds 23,000 jobs28:00 – DOSE OF HOPE: Flock camera surveillance sparks bipartisan backlash30:00 – DOSE OF HOPE: a New Jersey meteorite, panspermia, and Project Hail Mary33:00 – Sign-off#PoliticalRehab #TrumpNews #KarolineLeavitt #AOC #SupremeCourt #JudicialReview #Midterms2026 #CNN #Paramount #WarnerBrosDiscovery #MidtermElections #PoliticalPodcast #USPolitics #DemocraticParty #RepublicanParty #AirForceOne #DoseOfHope #JamesWebbTelescope #Meteorite #ProjectHailMary

    Trump Hiding, Leavitt Leaving: What’s Going Wrong for Republicans?

  2. Aug 8

    GOP Strategist: "MAGA Is Breaking"

    Our in-house Republican strategist just said MAGA is "breaking and being exposed for the fraud that it was." This week, on Political Rehab, all five stories were the same story: Republicans at war with Republicans.Trump's cabinet turned on itself in public — Jeanine Pirro's office dropped every reflecting pool vandalism case after admitting the damage was botched no-bid contractor work, and she and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are now openly blaming each other. Trump reportedly exploded at Pete Hegseth over severe missile and interceptor shortages, Hegseth blamed his own deputy, and Trump is threatening prison for whoever leaked it. The online right turned on its own DHS Secretary, Mark Wayne Mullen, for the sin of saying "legal immigration" out loud. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson convened a cabin meeting in Maine that has MAGA talking openly about a third party and a Carlson 2028 run. And Trump demanded the Senate cancel its August recess over the SAVE Act — only for John Thune to walk out the door anyway.Then in The Battlefield: the generic ballot hits Democrats +7.2 — ahead of where they were at this point in 2018 — Abdul El-Sayed's Michigan primary win scrambles the Senate map, and 61,000 Michigan Democrats voted for a candidate who had dropped out a month earlier. That last number tells you something important about American politics.Matt Robison is a former Chief of Staff to three Democratic Members of Congress. Matt Wylie is a longtime Republican campaign strategist. Political Rehab is where PTI meets The Daily Show.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━⏱️ CHAPTERS00:00 — "MAGA is breaking" 00:28 — This week on Political Rehab 00:50 — Cabinet knife fight: Pirro vs. Burgum, Trump vs. Hegseth 04:05 — A House Republican scandal blows up in Ohio 06:40 — MAGA turns on its own Homeland Security Secretary 09:05 — Tucker Carlson, MTG, and the third-party cabin meeting 12:40 — Trump vs. Thune: the SAVE Act and the recess fight 15:35 — THE BATTLEFIELD 16:15 — Michigan: does El-Sayed's win save the GOP Senate? 18:45 — "Helping the boss": the ad that shows the GOP misread its own polling 21:15 — DCCC expands the map by 12 seats 22:45 — The scorecard: every structural indicator this week 23:30 — Generic ballot: Democrats +7.2, ahead of 2018 pace 25:30 — The low-information voter trap: 61,000 votes for a dropout 27:40 — The weekly verdict 29:20 — Dose of Hope: why August recess actually matters 31:05 — Dose of Hope: three science stories (and an eclipse) 33:00 — Until next week━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━📬 MORE FROM MATT ROBISONSubscribe to Worth Knowing — political perspective for anxious times. Free and paid options: https://worthknowing.substack.comWorth Knowing on YouTube — weekly live streams, interviews, and analysis: https://www.youtube.com/@worthknowing-mattrobisonAfter a decade running campaigns and working on Capitol Hill, I help people cut through the political noise and add the context, data, and evidence that can break the news anxiety spiral.━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━👍 If this was useful, hit like and subscribe — it genuinely helps the show reach people. And tell us in the comments: is this a real Republican civil war, or does MAGA hold together through 2028?━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━Topics this week: Republican civil war, MAGA infighting, Jeanine Pirro, Doug Burgum, Pete Hegseth missile shortage, Max Miller Ohio, Bernie Moreno, Mark Wayne Mullen DHS, Laura Loomer, Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Tucker Carlson 2028, Thomas Massie, Joe Kent, third party, JD Vance succession, Marco Rubio, John Thune, SAVE Act, August recess, Abdul El-Sayed, Michigan Senate, generic ballot, 2026 midterms, DCCC, James Talarico, Texas Senate, blue wave, political analysis, bipartisan political podcast#RepublicanCivilWar #MAGA #Midterms2026 #TuckerCarlson #Trump #PoliticalRehab #Politics #GenericBallot #2028Election #PoliticalAnalysis

    GOP Strategist: "MAGA Is Breaking"

  3. Aug 5

    Republicans Caved: Trump Keeps Tax Shield and Epstein Files| Glenn Kirschner & Ellie Leonard

    Todd Blanche gave up $1.8 billion to get confirmed as Attorney General. He kept the part that shields Donald Trump's tax returns — and the part that lets him decide what you see of the Epstein files.Former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner and Epstein files investigator Ellie Leonard joined me live the morning the Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Blanche's nomination. What they laid out is worse than the headlines.Glenn's verdict on what Blanche actually surrendered to flip Senators Cornyn and Tillis: "That would be exactly nothing." Ellie went inside the in-camera hearing where Blanche had to justify ten redactions to a federal judge, and explains why his answers are what she calls "tapioca pudding."And we get into the question nobody in corporate media is asking: after hundreds of judicial rebukes, four lawyers referred for discipline over the IRS settlement alone, and a Justice Department now suing bar associations to protect its own — will a single one of these attorneys ever face a real consequence?CHAPTERS0:00 The Senate just cleared Todd Blanche's path to Attorney General2:45 Glenn Kirschner: what did Blanche give away? "Exactly nothing"3:50 The $1.8 billion fund vs. the tax shield he quietly kept5:00 A federal judge already voided the entire settlement5:55 "Not worth the paper they're written on"6:40 Can Trump now report whatever he wants on his taxes?7:30 Glenn: no audit means no criminal case9:50 Ellie Leonard: who punishes Todd Blanche? Todd Blanche.11:00 Inside the in-camera hearing: ten documents, ten bad answers12:20 The Transparency Act is four pages long. It's not complicated.13:15 "Tapioca pudding" — how DOJ explains its redactions14:00 They redacted a man arguing to lower the age of consent15:20 Trump's name appeared over a million times15:50 The 2008 email cliff — where 80% of the files went16:45 Tillis's fig leaf: Blanche's meeting with Epstein survivors17:35 If Blanche is disbarred, can he still be Attorney General?18:20 The Donald Trump Disbarred Lawyers Club20:00 Why the Florida Bar won't touch Pam Bondi21:20 Political advice vs. legal advice — when does the legal side win?24:00 Glenn: "January 2029 at 12:01 PM"24:40 The presumption of regularity, destroyed in under a year25:50 Can the midterms change any of this?26:30 What actually moved DOJ after January 6th27:50 Nixon's goons: 48 convicted, 30 went to prison28:45 Trump's lowest approval rating ever — the polling underneath31:10 Ellie: the 30,000-foot view on where the Epstein story stands32:20 32 states where the age of consent is under 1833:45 How Substack became a crowdsourced investigation35:00 It isn't ten co-conspirators. It's probably hundreds.35:45 The Yom Kippur dinner list at Epstein's house36:30 The empty binders, and what this administration misjudged37:40 4,000 payments from Trump to Epstein38:50 The personal toll — and the antisemitism problem in this story40:30 "I knew nothing about him." 300 headlines say otherwise.41:40 Glenn: the story people missed in the flood44:30 The reflecting pool caper traces back to two no-bid contracts46:30 Corporate media dropped the ball47:30 How self-enrichment and attacking the rule of law feed each other49:40 Ellie: being named in the files doesn't make you guilty50:50 What the files actually show about Bill Clinton51:45 Michael Wolff, Tina Brown, and killing the Epstein story54:00 Real FBI 302s vs. the bunk tips54:50 What are you watching for over the next month?56:45 Ellie: Katie Phang's lawsuit, the FOIAs, and the ankle monitor58:45 Glenn: election cases, and a 19-and-0 losing streak59:45 The Supreme Court problem1:01:15 Why likely-voter polling is about to move toward Democratshttps://worthknowing.substack.com#ToddBlanche #EpsteinFiles #GlennKirschner #EllieLeonard #TrumpTaxes #DOJ #AttorneyGeneral #RuleOfLaw #Midterms2026 #WorthKnowing

  4. Aug 1

    Fauci’s Silence, Blanche’s Collapse and Loomer’s Big Surprise

    Republicans spent the week chasing Anthony Fauci while their 2026 battlefield caught fire. Todd Blanche’s nomination stalled, Trump’s lawyers admitted the administration targeted blue states for political payback, the Iran war moved into a more dangerous phase—and nearly every major midterm indicator shifted toward Democrats.In this episode of Political Rehab, Republican strategist Matt Wylie and Democratic insider Matt Robison examine a disastrous week for the GOP—and why nearly every major political indicator is now moving toward Democrats.Anthony Fauci takes the Fifth before the Senate as Republicans revive the political battles of 2020. Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination stalls because the Trump administration refuses to provide two Republican senators with even the smallest assurance that the Justice Department’s political weaponization fund is dead.Then Trump’s own lawyers make an extraordinary courtroom admission: 283 of 284 canceled Energy Department grants were located in states that voted for Kamala Harris. At the same time, Democratic states are being denied disaster assistance at dramatically higher rates—even when those decisions directly hurt Republican congressional districts.We break down:• Why the Fauci hearing exposed Republican political weakness• Whether Todd Blanche’s attorney general nomination could collapse• How the administration admitted it targeted federal grants based on election results• Why Trump’s blue-state retaliation also harms Republican voters and lawmakers• What Laura Loomer’s sudden conversion on Ukraine reveals about MAGA politics• Why the Iran war may be entering its most dangerous phase• How Democratic spending in Ohio, Iowa, Alaska and North Carolina is expanding the battlefield• Why Republicans are spending heavily in North Carolina but nothing in Texas• Whether Elon Musk can rebuild the GOP’s weak turnout operation• How Trump’s Medicare announcement created an instant Democratic campaign ad• Why Trump’s falling approval and weak Republican enthusiasm could make him a midterm liability• What polling, race ratings and campaign spending reveal about the fight for CongressThe Battlefield delivers a clear verdict this week: Democrats won. Trump’s approval is falling, independents are moving away from him, the generic ballot is shifting, five Republican-held House seats moved into the toss-up column and Democrats now have as many plausible House targets as they did before the 2018 wave.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 – Cold Open1:01 – Fauci Takes the Fifth as Republicans Relitigate COVID3:45 – Todd Blanche’s Nomination Stalls Again6:21 – Trump’s Lawyers Admit the Blue-State Payback Strategy9:46 – Laura Loomer’s Shocking Conversion on Ukraine12:07 – The Iran War Reaches a Dangerous Tipping Point15:09 – The Battlefield: Less Than 100 Days Until the Midterms15:42 – Democrats Expand the Map as Republicans Abandon Texas18:44 – Can Elon Musk Rescue the Republican Ground Game?20:53 – Is Donald Trump Becoming a Midterm Liability?23:06 – The Scoreboard: Democrats Go Six for Six25:00 – The House Map Is Moving Toward Democrats28:32 – Dose of Hope: Technology Solving Real Problems29:56 – Karma Comes for Elise Stefanik, Elon Musk and MAGA

    Fauci’s Silence, Blanche’s Collapse and Loomer’s Big Surprise

  5. Jul 29

    Can Democrats Actually Win the Senate?!?

    **What will decide the battle for the U.S. Senate in 2026?** Just months ago, most political analysts thought Democrats had almost no realistic path to winning back the Senate. Today, the map looks dramatically different.In this episode of **Worth Knowing**, Matt Robison is joined by **Lauren French**, Communications Director for Senate Majority PAC, for an inside look at how Democrats believe the battlefield has shifted—and what they're seeing in polling and internal data that the public hasn't yet seen. Later, former Congressman **Paul Hodes** joins to break down the critical Maine Senate race and whether Susan Collins is more vulnerable than ever.**Topics include:*** Why Democrats suddenly have multiple paths to a Senate majority* Which Senate races are moving toward Democrats* North Carolina, Maine, Georgia, Ohio, Iowa, Texas, Alaska, and more* Why affordability—not democracy—is the centerpiece of Democratic messaging* The latest on Susan Collins and Troy Jackson in Maine* How fundraising, Super PACs, and campaign strategy could shape the outcome* Whether Democratic momentum is real—or another political mirageIf you're looking for a serious, data-driven discussion of the 2026 Senate map, this conversation goes far beyond the daily headlines.**Chapters**00:00 Can Democrats really win the Senate?03:00 Lauren French joins the show04:00 Why the Senate map has changed07:00 The Super PAC debate09:00 Fundraising and Democratic strategy14:00 Why affordability is the winning message19:00 Race-by-race Senate outlook20:00 North Carolina22:00 Maine and Susan Collins25:00 Georgia and Jon Ossoff28:00 Paul Hodes joins30:00 The state of the Maine race36:00 Republican attacks on Troy Jackson40:00 Can those attacks work?43:00 Progressives, Democrats, and electability49:00 Money, Leonard Leo, and outside groups52:00 The Democratic coalition going forwardSubscribe for in-depth political analysis, interviews, and reporting that goes beyond partisan talking points.📬 **Worth Knowing on Substack:** https://worthknowing.substack.com▶️ **Worth Knowing YouTube:** https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingwithMattRobison#politics #senate #election2026 #democrats #republicans #congress #ussenate #maine #northcarolina #georgia #susancollins #jonossoff #elections #campaign2026 #trump #worthknowing

  6. Jul 25

    Is Trump Sabotaging the GOP?

    Why would Donald Trump want Democrats to win? Because losing Congress could give him exactly what he needs: an enemy to blame, a new fundraising target and freedom from responsibility for what happens next.In this episode of Political Rehab, Republican strategist Matt Wylie and Democratic insider Matt Robison examine the growing argument that Trump is sacrificing the Republican Party’s 2026 midterm prospects for his own political benefit.Republicans are heading into recess without a convincing answer on affordability, housing, tariffs or the continuing war with Iran. Trump has shown little urgency about helping vulnerable GOP candidates, while Republicans increasingly fall back on symbolic votes, election-integrity talking points and attacks on Democratic socialists.We break down:• Why Republicans cannot explain the cost or endgame of the Iran war• What the New Jersey voter-registration failure actually proves• Why the SAVE Act would not have prevented that software error• Whether Todd Blanche’s nomination is genuinely in trouble• How Trump’s housing and tariff decisions damage the GOP’s affordability message• Why Republicans are campaigning against socialism instead of answering voters’ economic concerns• Whether Trump benefits politically from Democrats taking control of Congress• What current polling and campaign money reveal about the 2026 midtermsThe central question is no longer whether Trump is making the midterms harder for Republicans. It is whether he wants a Democratic Congress because political conflict is more valuable to him than a Republican majority.⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 – Cold Open1:02 – Pete Hegseth’s Iran War Disaster3:56 – New Jersey’s Noncitizen Voter Registration Glitch6:55 – Congress Passes a Bill That Is Already Dead9:52 – Is Todd Blanche’s Nomination in Trouble?12:44 – Why Trump May Want Democrats to Win15:32 – The Battlefield: This Week’s Midterm Map16:05 – Republicans’ August Strategy: Iran, Socialism and “Democrats Are Crazy”18:23 – Michigan and Wisconsin’s Socialist Primary Problem20:48 – The GOP’s $400 Million Question24:35 – This Week’s Scoreboard: Money, Polling and Likely Voters29:24 – Dose a Hope: Olive Garden Politics and Government That Works31:08 – Dose a Hope: James Webb Finds a Hidden Planet—and a Lesson for Washington🎙️ ABOUT POLITICAL REHABPolitical Rehab is the weekly political commentary show from Worth Knowing, hosted by former Democratic Hill staffer Matt Robison and Republican strategist Matt Wylie. New episodes every week — real debate, real facts, no shouting matches.📬 Subscribe to the Substack for full write-ups, the Battlefield dashboard, and bonus analysis: https://worthknowing.substack.com🔔 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell for new episodes every week.KeywordsDonald Trump, Trump, Republican Party, GOP, Democrats, 2026 midterms, midterm elections, Congress, Pete Hegseth, Iran war, Todd Blanche, Department of Justice, DOJ, Thom Tillis, John Cornyn, New Jersey voter registration, election integrity, SAVE Act, Michigan politics, Wisconsin politics, Democratic Socialists, DSA, Fox News, campaign strategy, political analysis, political podcast, Political Rehab, Matt Robison, Matt Wylie, campaign polling, campaign fundraising, Senate races, House races, Trump news, political news, election news

    Is Trump Sabotaging the GOP?

  7. Jul 18

    Trump's "Bombshell" Bust

    Republican strategist Matt Wylie looks at the new midterm fundraising numbers and says it out loud: "We're getting our butt kicked out there." This week on Political Rehab: Trump's primetime election bombshell, JD Vance's explosive Joe Rogan interview, the DSA platform that has Fox News thrilled, the GOP civil war over ICE, and the fundraising numbers turning Texas, Georgia, Ohio, and North Carolina into real Democratic opportunities.Matt Robison (former Democratic Hill staffer) and Matt Wylie (Republican strategist) break down the week's biggest political stories — plus their weekly Battlefield midterm scoreboard and a Dose of Hope segment busting two myths about daylight saving time.TOPICS COVERED:🔴 Is Trump's primetime election speech a preview of a rigged 2026?🔴 DNI nominee Jay Clayton can't say who won the 2020 election🔴 JD Vance accuses Israeli officials of prolonging the Iran war on Rogan's show🔴 The DSA's new platform: abolish the Senate, the Electoral College, and more🔴 ICE reverses a vehicle-stop pause after two fatal shootings in one week🔴 The Battlefield: fundraising numbers that should terrify the GOP🔴 Dose of Hope: the surprising, mostly-mythical history of daylight saving timeRead Matt's Substack for the article referenced in this episode, "Are the Networks About to Spread Trump's Biggest Lie?": https://worthknowing.substack.com⏱️ TIMESTAMPS0:00 – Cold Open1:00 – Trump's Primetime Election Bombshell: Should Networks Air It?4:00 – Jay Clayton's DNI Hearing: "Can't Say Biden Won"6:00 – JD Vance's Bombshell Rogan Interview: Israel, Epstein, and Blowback9:00 – The DSA Platform Revealed (and Why Only Fox News Is Covering It)12:00 – ICE Vehicle Stops: The GOP's Internal Civil War15:00 – The Battlefield: This Week's Midterm Map17:00 – South Carolina's Senate Free-for-All19:00 – The New Money Numbers That Scare Republicans22:00 – This Week's Scoreboard and Verdict26:00 – Dose of Hope: The Daylight Saving Time Myth🎙️ ABOUT POLITICAL REHABPolitical Rehab is the weekly political commentary show from Worth Knowing, hosted by former Democratic Hill staffer Matt Robison and Republican strategist Matt Wylie. New episodes every week — real debate, real facts, no shouting matches.📬 Subscribe to the Substack for full write-ups, the Battlefield dashboard, and bonus analysis: https://worthknowing.substack.com🔔 Subscribe to the channel and hit the bell for new episodes every week.KEYWORDS: Political Rehab, Worth Knowing, Matt Robison, Matt Wylie, 2026 midterm elections, Republican fundraising, Democratic fundraising, Texas Senate race, James Talarico, Ken Paxton, Susan Collins Maine Senate, Trump primetime speech, Trump election speech 2026, Jay Clayton DNI hearing, JD Vance Joe Rogan interview, DSA platform, Democratic Socialists of America, ICE vehicle stops, ICE shootings, midterm battlefield, political podcast, political commentary show, bipartisan politics podcast, daylight saving time history#PoliticalRehab #WorthKnowing #Midterms2026 #TexasSenate #JDVance #ICE #DSA #TrumpNews #RepublicanParty #DemocraticParty

    Trump's "Bombshell" Bust

  8. Jul 14

    How Do You Fight an Authoritarian? | Gal Beckerman (The Atlantic)

    The conversation explores one central question: What should ordinary people do when a government begins crossing moral lines? Matt Robison sits down with Gal Beckerman of The Atlantic to discuss his powerful new book How to Be a Dissident—drawing lessons from Václav Havel, Alexei Navalny, Hannah Arendt, Nelson Mandela, the Civil Rights Movement, Soviet dissidents, and more.This isn't a conversation about performative outrage or easy answers. It's about the difficult moral choices every democracy eventually asks of its citizens:• When should you resist?• What kinds of resistance actually matter?• Is protest enough?• Does political satire accomplish anything?• How do ordinary people find the courage to stand up to power?Whether you agree or disagree with every conclusion, this discussion explores one of the defining questions of our time.Subscribe for more conversations about democracy, politics, elections, and the future of America.Substack:https://worthknowing.substack.comYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@WorthKnowingwithMattRobisonChapters00:00 Introduction: When Government Turns Evil04:05 Why Gal Beckerman wrote How to Be a Dissident05:20 Do Americans need dissidents today?08:15 The nightmare that inspired the book10:00 When do you decide to resist?12:00 Hannah Arendt and moral courage15:00 Milgram, Stanford Prison & conformity18:00 Why dissent begins with standing alone20:20 The surprising traits real dissidents share22:00 Why being loud isn't enough24:00 Do protests actually accomplish anything?26:00 Political humor vs. authoritarianism29:00 Truth, lies, and fact-checking dictators35:00 Havel vs. Kundera: What really changes history?37:00 The power of bearing witness40:00 MLK, LBJ, and why successful movements need both insiders and outsiders42:00 The Children's Crusade and strategic moral risk46:00 Israel, Gaza, and personal moral responsibility47:45 The hardest question: "What are you prepared to do?"50:00 Living a meaningful life through moral choices52:00 Closing thoughtsKeywordsauthoritarianism, democracy, resisting authoritarianism, Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, How to Be a Dissident, Donald Trump, democracy in America, political resistance, authoritarian government, civil rights movement, Václav Havel, Alexei Navalny, Hannah Arendt, Nelson Mandela, Soviet dissidents, political courage, moral courage, democratic backsliding, constitutional democracy, political philosophy, American politics, Matt Robison, Worth KnowingHashtags#Politics #Democracy #Authoritarianism #Trump #GalBeckerman #TheAtlantic #WorthKnowing #Resistance #DemocracyMatters #PoliticalDiscussion #CurrentEvents #MattRobison

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4.7
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About

Politics may be dismal, but the ideas that swirl around it and shape it are fascinating. This is a show that looks not just at politics, but the deeper ideas from history, science, psychology, economics, and technology that are shaping our world. We feature smart, lively, upbeat discussions with people who know what they're talking about and can help us understand the world better. Hosted by Matt Robison: writer, former senior congressional staffer, and campaign manager.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Robison
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    850
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Matt Robison
  • Show Website
    Beyond Politics

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