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28 March 2024

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Apr 12, 2012 — Matthew Duss & Michael Singh
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Foreign Entanglements

On Foreign Entanglements, Michael argues that we shouldn’t squander our current leverage over Iran. Matt says that we need to offer Iran a better choice than “surrender or else.” Do recent Iranian “clarifications” signal greater willingness to engage? What happens if the upcoming talks collapse? Are fears of Middle East nuclear proliferation overblown? Matt and Michael close by debating the importance of the distinction between “nuclear weapons” and “nuclear weapons capability.”

Apr 12, 2012 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ

On The DMZ: Does Santorum have a political future? Will Obama run a campaign of hope or hypocrisy? Why did Obama’s 2008 post-partisan rhetoric never become reality? Matt and Bill also debate the kind of anti-Obama narrative Romney will run on and whether this will actually be an intensely negative campaign.

Apr 11, 2012 — Conor Friedersdorf & Kashmir Hill
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Friedersdorf

Conor and Kashmir kick things off by discussing whether Google Glasses will create a surveillance state. Conor argues that the government is eventually going to legislate new privacy norms. Kashmir explains why she’s fascinated by the case of a college football player arrested for taping the sounds of a dorm mate having sex. Is technology making the Fourth Amendment prohibition of unreasonable search obsolete? They disagree about whether the smartphone app Girls Around Me is objectionable. And Conor predicts that people will start taking a “flood the zone” approach to protecting their privacy.

Apr 10, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Matthew Lee Anderson
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The Posner Show

On the Posner Show, Sarah talks with Matt about Andrew Sullivan’s controversial cover story in Newsweek, “Christianity in Crisis.” Matt believes Christianity is—and always is—in crisis because evangelicals love a decline narrative. But he argues that politicized solutions proposed by the religious right have been disastrous for the evangelical witness. Has Obama’s faith outreach to younger evangelicals worked? Or will issues like abortion and same-sex marriage keep younger evangelicals in the Republican fold? Finally: How legitimate are political arguments based on religious belief?

Apr 9, 2012 — Dorian Warren & Josh Eidelson
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Fireside Chats

On Fireside Chats, Dorian and Josh talk about the troubles facing America’s labor movement. They discuss a recent attempt to silence union picketers that was defeated with help from the Tea Party, and how public-sector unions remain a ripe target for Republicans. How does labor law affect union strength? Can labor organizers take lessons from the 1930s? Finally, Dorian and Josh explore the role of unions in articulating a vision of workplace democracy.

Apr 8, 2012 — Robert Farley & Michael Cohen
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Foreign Entanglements

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Michael reassess the Libyan intervention and its impact on the rest of the Middle East. Rob reminds us that we aren’t getting better at interventions; Libya was just a special case. And since when has it been okay for the president to mislead Congress to start a war? Rob and Michael want you to know that, despite what you’ve heard, the world is really safe right now. Finally, they worry that an expansive understanding of human rights would lead to too much military action.

Apr 6, 2012 — Glenn Loury & David Grusky
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The Glenn Show
On The Glenn Slow, David argues that the fight against economic inequality should move beyond taxing the rich—excessive executive compensation and restricted admissions at elite colleges contribute to the problem as well. Glenn wonders why the US is so averse to raising anyone’s taxes and notes that he sees nothing necessarily unfair or inefficient in economic rents. David and Glenn discuss how unions can promote inequality within the working class. They debate whether elite colleges are artificially limiting the number of highly trained graduates, thereby enhancing inequality. They end on a point of agreement about the moral imperative and political difficulty of achieving genuine equality of opportunity.
Apr 5, 2012 — Bill Scher & Matt K. Lewis
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The DMZ
On a Special Easter Edition of The DMZ: With Romney pulling away, the GOP empire has struck back. Will the general election campaign be about ideas, or a clash of demagoguery? Matt asks if Christianity and evolution can coexist. Bill explains why many liberals fear theocratic impulses coming from the right. But might conservatives be moving towards a reconciliation between science and religion?

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