ReImagining Liberty Aaron Ross Powell
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- Society & Culture
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A show about the emancipatory and cosmopolitan case for radical social, political, and economic freedom. Hosted by Aaron Ross Powell.
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The Evolving Discourse of Social Media (w/ Renée DiResta)
Digital expression is weird. When we move our communities and communications into digital spaces, such as social media, the result is an uncertain landscape of new incentives, mechanisms of influence, vectors of information and disinformation, and evolving norms. All of which have profound effects on our personal lives, our culture, and our politics.
Few people have put as much thought into how these platforms function, or dysfunction, as social ecosystems as Renée DiResta, Research Manager at the Stanford Internet Observatory. In today's conversation, we dig into what makes social media distinct, how communities form and interact online, and what evolving technologies mean for the future of digital expression.
Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. -
AI, Journalism, and the Future of News (w/ Julian Sanchez)
Both the short and long term impact of AI technologies is unknown, but it’s almost certain to be significant. It will destroy some industries, accelerate others, and revolutionize still more. And, it seems, no one has a lukewarm opinion about AI. You’re either excited about its prospects, or convinced it’s nothing more than intellectual property theft, or the inevitable end of the market for human creativity.
Worries are particularly acute about what this all means for journalism, and those worries are worth taking seriously, given the importance of quality journalism to a free society and a functioning democracy.
My guest today, writer Julian Sanchez, has worked as a journalist and policy analyst, and thought quite a lot about these issues. He joins me for a conversation about AI, the state of content creation, and the future of journalism as a profession.
Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. -
The Risk of Civil War 2.0 (w/ Patrick Eddington)
The January 6th insurrection demonstrated the Trumpist right's willing to use violence to advance its political interests. My guest today is worried that was just the start.
Patrick Eddington is a former CIA analyst and a senior fellow in homeland security and civil liberties at the Cato Institute. In a series of essays at his newsletter, The Republic Sentinel, he's been exploring the risks of more widespread political violence should Trump be removed from the ballot, convicted of a crime, or lose the November election. Trump's followers sometimes talk of a new Civil War, and it's important to assess their seriousness and what it might mean to see a sudden increase in violent acts from the far-right.
Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. -
Actually Explaining Postmodernism (w/ Matt McManus)
On the one hand, we're told we live in a postmodern age. On the other, postmodernism is a notoriously challenging set of philosophical ideas to nail down and understand. But it's worth the effort, because postmodernism, even if it gets some of its arguments wrong or overstates its case, is deeply interesting, with genuinely valuable insights.
To help me tease out just what postmodernism is and what we might learn from it, I'm joined by my good friend, and frequent ReImagining Liberty guest, Matt McManus.
He's a lecturer in political science at the University of Michigan, and author of many books, including and The Rise of Post-Modern Conservatism and The Emergence of Post-modernity at the Intersection of Liberalism, Capitalism, and Secularism.
Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. -
Music, Meaning, and Liberalism (w/ Akiva Malamet)
Music gives us meaning, not just in the way we identify deeply with our favorite songs, but in the ways genres create scenes and communities. My conversation today brings back my good friend Akiva Malamet, contributing editor at The UnPopulist, to discuss the connection between music and meaning, and what that can tell us about liberal politics and culture.
Here's the thoughtful article Akiva wrote about loud music that sparked our conversation on the show.
ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else.
Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod. -
The Ideological Origins of the Reactionary Right (w/ Tom G. Palmer)
There’s something different about the contemporary right. Classical liberal rhetoric has been replaced with something much uglier and more reactionary, keen to carve the world into us and them and celebrate the use and abuse of power.
Today’s conversation is about this turn. Or, as my guest explains, this return to ideologies a century old or more, but now gaining prominence and attacking the very idea of liberalism.
To discuss that, I’m joined by Tom G. Palmer. He is executive vice president for international programs at Atlas Network where he holds the George M. Yeager Chair for Advancing Liberty, and a Senior Fellow at the Cato Institute.
Our conversation explores the parallels between current far-right movements and ideologies and those of the 1930s and discusses the thinkers and trends that have influenced these movements, such as Carl Schmitt and the rejection of liberal values. We delve into the revolutionary nature of far-right ideologies and their desire to smash existing institutions and examine the aesthetic dimension and the search for meaning in these movements. We conclude by addressing the difficulty in recognizing the danger of far-right movements and the need to take them seriously.
ReImagining Liberty is an independent show. If you enjoy it, consider becoming a supporter. You’ll be able to listen to episodes early and get all my essays a week before they’re released to everyone else.
Produced by Landry Ayres. Podcast art by Sergio R. M. Duarte. Music by Kevin MacLeod.
Customer Reviews
Aaron brings a refreshingly true take on reality
His honesty is impeccable. He won’t ignore something because it goes against a narrative. It’s great to see a political philosophy podcast be honest, most of them aren’t.
A great champion of liberty
Aaron is fair debater and willing to have good faith conversations with people he disagrees with. This podcast is one of the best outlets for challenging illiberalism in our political culture.
This is How It’s Done
I’m not a libertarian. As a non-libertarian, this show is the perfect explainer for what libertarianism is and what it is not. If there were more within that movement that thought this way and presented themselves this way, I believe more people would warm up to the ideas that are laid out so eloquently on this podcast.