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4 October 2026

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Mar 14, 2012 — Robert Farley & Joshua Foust
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Foreign Entanglements

On Foreign Entanglements, Rob and Joshua discuss the tragic massacre of sixteen Afghan civilians by a US Army sergeant, and the public reaction in Afghanistan, before moving on to the implications of the massacre for the US election.  Rob and Joshua then consider whether Afghanistan can become a modern state, and the regional implications of the impending American withdrawal. Plus: Instead of victory, should our goal be risk management?

Mar 13, 2012 — Conor Friedersdorf & Phoebe Connelly
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Friedersdorf

Conor and Phoebe kick things off by discussing Internet aggregation: what’s the fair way to attribute content that you discover through someone else? And what if that person isn’t a journalist? Phoebe, who is attending SXSW, shares her misgivings about a marketing company that is using homeless people to provide roving hotspots. Conor probes the question of obituaries: does a famous person’s personal life deserve mention? They close with the Rush Limbaugh controversy—instead of being forced to issue an apology, should public figures be pressured to submit to a debate?

Mar 13, 2012 — Robert Wright & Fadi Quran
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Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Mar 12, 2012 — Sarah Posner & Sarah Pulliam Bailey
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The Posner Show
On the Posner Show, Sarah and Sarah Pulliam Bailey discuss the Kony 2012 video and what it means for philanthropy and social media. How do evangelical women view Rush Limbaugh and the contraception coverage debate? Will they see it as a war on religion or a war on women? Pulliam Bailey predicts issues surrounding abortion and contraception will play a big role in the elections this fall—could this benefit the Democrats? Plus: Would Romney solve his problems with evangelicals by being more human?
Mar 12, 2012 — Robert Wright & JimM47
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Bob and Jim Morrison, aka JimM47, discuss the Bloggingheads comments system, which Jim has (pro bono!) helped to greatly improve. Jim also asks Bob some questions about the new Bloggingheads.
Mar 12, 2012 — Glenn Loury & Mark Kleiman
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The Glenn Show
Mark and Glenn start off by recalling Harvard’s Kennedy School in 1980s, where they both came to know James Q. Wilson. Mark says liberals got the crime question wrong, while Glenn urges that “crime” be placed in broad political perspective. Glenn asks why the US imprisons so many—could the answer be American democracy? Glenn and Mark argue the merits of the new parole supervision policy reflected in Project HOPE. They close with a heated debate on crime, human nature, and Wilson’s legacy.
Mar 11, 2012 — Michael Brendan Dougherty & Peter Suderman
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Washington Squares
On Washington Squares, Michael asks Peter about the place of video games in our culture in light of the release of Mass Effect 3. Are video games art? The conversation then moves on to the weird emptiness of the HBO film Game Change and whether political consultants are now the primary vehicle through which we get our history. Next, Peter and Michael discuss Mitt Romney’s strange lack of policy substance. Michael finishes by finding the brighter side of Romney’s soulless consultant-style approach to governance.    
Mar 10, 2012 — Mike Konczal & Peter Frase
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Fireside Chats
On Fireside Chats, Mike talks to Peter about the state of the left. Peter explains why Glenn Greenwald’s critique of Obama cuts deeper than Paul Krugman’s. Mike sees the Occupy movement as an opportunity for liberals to play good cop/bad cop. Are lefty home-schoolers bad for America? And is utopia a destination or a direction? Finally, Mike and Peter contemplate the future of work, with help from Marx, Keynes, and Star Trek.
Mar 9, 2012 — Robert Wright & William Broad
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Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Mar 8, 2012 — Robert Wright & Eli Lake
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Nonzero (The Wright Show)
Bob and Eli go nuclear! They debate whether it would take a land invasion to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. Eli thinks that if Iran dropped out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, the treaty would break. Bob asks: what is the worst thing that would happen if Iran got the bomb? Is Netanyahu using a religious text as a war drum? Eli argues that Iran’s been pushing for war, too.

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