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11 January 2026

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Conor Friedersdorf (The AtlanticMeeting Triumph and Disaster) and James Poulos (Forbes, Free Radicals, The Daily Beast)

Conor and James kick things off by musing on what the most radical social experiment in American history might be (hint: it’s not same-sex marriage). James argues that Europe is suffering from a crisis of political leadership and legitimacy, and that countries like Greece have been subsidizing their nationalism. Are idiosyncratic customs like the Spanish siesta doomed? James explains that being a parent is very different than he expected. Will we ever arrive at a science of raising children? Conor argues, contra Tom Friedman, that advertising makes America a more egalitarian country than it would otherwise be. And James explains how to go about being a rock star.

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Recorded:May 14    Posted:May 15, 2012
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Friedersdorf | May 15, 2012 | Conor Friedersdorf & James Poulos

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