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13 March 2026

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Mark Schmitt (New America, Vox Polyarchy) and William Voegeli (The Claremont Institute)

On the first episode of Fireside Chats, Mark and William Voegeli, author of the book Never Enough, talk about whether liberalism sets any limits to the scope of the welfare state. Bill’s book inspires a series of provocative questions: Is health care the end of the liberal project, or are there always “more dragons to slay”? Are liberals willing to advocate higher taxes on the middle class to support the level of government they want? Can entitlements ever be cut? Finally, Bill hits Mark with an “ambush question”: is he trying to trick conservatives into joining a rigged game?

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Recorded:Feb 28    Posted:Mar 1, 2012
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Fireside Chats | Mar 1, 2012 | Mark Schmitt & William Voegeli

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Iran’s War for a New Middle East Order

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Hooman Majd, author of the memoir Minister Without Portfolio, joins Robert Wright to discuss Iran’s strategic goals, the prospects for regime survival, and the US’s missed opportunities for entente with Iran.

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Israel, Iran, and Antisemitism

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Robert Wright and Peter Beinart, publisher of The Beinart Notebook, discuss how Trump and Bibi’s war with Iran risks fueling antisemitism. Plus: Tucker vs Fuentes on Israel, the ADL’s counterproductive speech policing, the Epstein effect, and more.

Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Trump’s Gulf War

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Nonzero (The Wright Show)

Will the Iran War Spiral Out of Control?

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Robert Wright and Nikita Petrov unpack the logic—and illogic—behind Israel’s and America’s strikes on Iran. Plus: the dopamine theory of MAGA foreign policy, how the Anthropic story got buried by the bombings, and more.

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Will Trump Pull the Trigger on Iran?

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Robert Wright and Middle East expert Joshua Landis discuss the logic (or lack thereof) behind air strikes—and the implications for the US, Israel, and the wider region.

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Is Anthropic Misanthropic?

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Holly Elmore, executive director of PauseAI US, makes the case for naming and shaming people who are fueling an AI race whose perils they understand

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The AI Apocalypse Cometh?

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Robert Wright and Paul Bloom discuss whether reports of AI acceleration are greatly exaggerated—and what’s at stake if they’re not. Plus, in Overtime: Bob’s Epstein files cameos and Paul’s big news.

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Agency, AI, and the MAGA Impulse

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Nikita Petrov argues MAGA and similar movements are collective responses to a felt lack of agency. Robert Wright warns AI is about to make that feeling universal. Plus: Spanish rituals as a survival model, the “Claude Code hangover,” and Bob’s case for slowing AI development down.

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Is the Singularity Near?

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Robert Wright and Timothy B. Lee, author of the Understanding AI newsletter, discuss recent AI developments (more autonomous agents, more automated coding in the labs, Moltbook, etc.) that have fostered a sense that things are speeding up.

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The Meaning of Moltbook

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Psychologist and Small Potatoes EIC Paul Bloom joins Robert Wright to discuss the Moltbook phenomenon, the latest Epstein Files release, and more.