Shows
Wisdom of Crowds"A Nation of Trumps"This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveTrump has been in office for one hundred days, and Damir Marusic thinks America deserves him: “I do tend to intuitively see Trump and Trumpism as a correction on a social order that has lost its way and is somehow badly out of tune,” Damir wrote earlier this week. “Something is broken and unsustainable, and has been so for a while.”Christine Emba and Shadi Hamid have questions. Why is Damir still “ebullient” (his words) and “giddy” (also his words) about the curren...2025-05-0348 min
Wisdom of CrowdsTrust Your Mind!This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis episode is a bit “meta”: it’s about what it means to keep an open mind, how to trust your conscience, why we should all avoid groupthink, and the phenomenon of “self silencing” — keeping your views to yourself when you’re afraid it might be too costly to say them out loud. But of course, this being Wisdom of Crowds, we link these meta-topics to the politics of the day. Jenara Nerenberg is a journalist, producer, speaker, and founder of...2025-04-2644 min
Wisdom of CrowdsHow to Get Un-StuckThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIs it possible to move up in this world? Are Americans stuck? Our guest today is Yoni Appelbaum, an American historian and staff writer at The Atlantic magazine. His new book, Stuck: How the Privileged and the Propertied Broke the Engine of American Opportunity, explores the various ways the American dream has been stymied — by the consolidation of property and wealth, the abuse of environmental regulations, the legacy of redlining, among other factors. But the book is not a diatribe; it offers a...2025-04-1850 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs there a Method to Trump’s Madness?It’s been an exceptionally crazy week, even by Trump-era standards. So we decided to experiment with the podcast this week by doing a live-stream recording. Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic discuss whether there is a method to Trump’s madness about tariffs and everything else — or whether we have to accept that we are ruled by a Mad King, who himself does not know what he will do from one moment to the next. It’s free for all subscribers, so give it a listen!Required Reading:* Shadi’s interview with Oren Cass about tariffs (W...2025-04-1144 min
Wisdom of CrowdsRoss Douthat on Why We Should All Be ReligiousThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIn 2012, New York Times columnist Ross Douthat published Bad Religion: How We Became a Nation of Heretics, a book about how mainstream American religion was devolving into the prosperity gospel, superstitious cults and other forms of heterodox faith. Thirteen years later, the American religious landscape has changed, and Ross wrote a new book tackling a much more basic question: why you should be religious at all. He joins Damir Marusic and Shadi Hamid to discuss that book, which is titled Believe: Why...2025-04-0448 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs Democracy Ending?Recent events suggest that the balance of power is breaking down. Trump is achieving executive supremacy. In less fancy terms, Trump looks like he’s becoming a dictator. Rule of law might be slipping away. Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic agree about all this. But they disagree about which recent event is the true inflection point.Shadi thinks it’s the Mahmoud Khalil case: it’s a straightforward government action against freedom of speech, intended to have a chilling effect on the population. Damir believes it’s the deportation of Venezuelan migrants to Nayib Bukele’s megaprison in El Salv...2025-03-2051 min
Wisdom of CrowdsWhy do "Sensitive Young Men" Love Trump?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveMana Afsari is a writer and sometime contributor to Wisdom of Crowds, whose career has taken her from the RAND Corporation, to a job as an assistant to a great American poet, to the position of Research Associate at the Aspen Institute’s Philosophy and Society Initiative. In January, Mana published an essay titled, “Last Boys at the Beginning of History,” a fascinating reported piece about the young men with intellectual ambitions who joined the National Conservative movement and voted for Donald Trump...2025-03-1455 min
Wisdom of CrowdsBeing Jewish After the Destruction of GazaThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWith the Gaza ceasefire possibly collapsing any minute, we return to the topic of the October 7 Hamas terrorist attacks and the ensuing war in the Holy Land. Specifically, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic discuss the tension between a belief in universal human rights, on the one hand, and allegiance to one’s ethnic and religious roots, on the other. Joining Shadi and Damir is friend of the pod Peter Beinart, contributing writer for the New York Times and editor-at-large of th...2025-03-0747 min
Wisdom of CrowdsA Revolution Has No AlliesJ. D. Vance delivers a seismic geopolitical speech at the Munich Security Forum. Vance, Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy get into a shouting match before television cameras. Relations between the United States and Europe are deteriorating before our very eyes. In one of our best episodes of the year so far, we invited the great Ivan Krastev to help us understand what is happening.Ivan is one of the brightest minds in Europe — an incisive analyst, historian of ideas, and ever-present track-two diplomat who is always talking to absolutely everyone. He is chairman of the Centre fo...2025-03-011h 10
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Boom Boom Vibe ShiftThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live“Something is happening here and you don’t know what it is,” goes the Bob Dylan track from 1965. That song was directed at the squares who weren’t yet hip to the Sixties. It sounded foreboding then, and it sounds foreboding now, because something is happening, again — something perhaps as great and consequential as the cultural changes of Dylan’s time. For several years now, people have been speaking about a cultural “vibe shift.” The MAGA electoral victory appears to have been the culmination...2025-02-2245 min
Wisdom of CrowdsDone Saying "Impossible"This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live“I am done saying, ‘impossible’,” announces Damir Marusic. At least, with regard to what Trump might do or could do in the near future. We are still in the midst of a major shakeup in the administrative state. The so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is combing through Treasury data and cutting government personnel. Trump is delaying the distribution of federal funds. Trump’s policies have full support of the GOP-majority Congress. Meanwhile, the White House foreign policy agenda has upended three years of s...2025-02-1449 min
Wisdom of CrowdsUndertaken by EventsThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveDonald Trump and Elon Musk are moving quickly, so we decided to release this episode a few days early. In a half-week of alarming developments, Trump has announced that the United States might send troops to Gaza to transfer the Palestinian population to Egypt or Jordan, and to aid in reconstructing the country. Elon Musk has become the undertaker of government agencies, the wrecker of the civil service. Through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk has effectively shut down USAID, offered...2025-02-0643 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Scramble Before the StormThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live“The weird right wing men are coming out to the fore in joy,” announces Shadi Hamid. “They’re strutting more than they did in 2016,” observes Damir Marusic. “The counter-elite is becoming the elite,” says Shadi. “There is gonna be a bloodbath,” says Damir: “They will soon be drinking from a fire hydrant of sewage.”Two weeks have passed since the Trump inauguration, as well as its attendant galas, balls and parties. Damir and Shadi have trained their weary eyes upon the new class of upsta...2025-02-0247 min
Wisdom of CrowdsHow Will the Left Respond to Trump?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveLast week’s episode dealt with the state of the American Right post-election. Today we ask: Where is the American Left going? How will it respond to Trump? “There is a palpable sense of passivity on the Left,” says Damir Marusic. “What I’ve seen is resignation or weird, detached analysis,” says Samuel Kimbriel. Is there more going on than we see? We invited WoC contributor Osita Nwanevu, writer for the New Republic and author of an upcoming book about American democracy, to tell us m...2025-01-2646 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe State of the Right (and the Left)This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveOn the eve of Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic sit down to discuss the state of the Right and the Left in American politics. The conversation picks up where the last podcast episode left off, in a discussion about Damir’s apparent rejuvenation in the wake of Trump’s victory. Given that he didn’t vote for Trump — in fact, he didn’t vote for anybody — why is Damir smiling?Shadi suggests that “Democrats needed this defeat to l...2025-01-1945 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Dawn of a New Era?A new year is before us, and soon, a new president will assume office. What does the future have in store? Trump supporters are happy, and his opponents are full of foreboding. Many people also feel that a new era in American history is about to begin — for better or worse. Damir Marusic and Santiago Ramos discuss the nature of this new era. They begin with the question of fear: Are you afraid of the second Trump term? Santiago explains why the Trump phenomenon seemed more frightening in 2016 than it does in 2024. Damir asks whether finding historical an...2025-01-131h 13
Wisdom of CrowdsChristmas Time and Regular TimeDamir Marusic has been reading the Bible this year for the first time. So Christine Emba and Santiago Ramos decided it was the perfect occasion for interrogating him about what he’s learned and what he’s been thinking about. In the ensuing conversation, the three discuss Freemasonry, Protestantism, Catholicism, Predestination and how Christianity is receiving new attention in Silicon Valley. Then, the conversation turns to Christmas traditions, and how the contemplative and party-going sides of Christmas complement each other.In the spirit of Christmas, we have made this a free episode for all subscribers. The...2024-12-241h 13
Wisdom of CrowdsDid Trump Win Over the Working Class For Good?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIn 2024, over 77 million Americans voted for Donald Trump. Friend of Wisdom of Crowds Michael Brendan Dougherty, a writer and conservative commentator at the National Review, was one of them. However, MBD (as he is known) did not vote for Trump in 2020 nor in 2016. In fact, he was an early conservative opponent of Trump. In 2016, MBD wrote: “[Trump] is clearly a product of a decadent society, not the scourge or redeemer of one.” MBD did not disagree with Trump on his main...2024-12-1650 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Case for TrumpThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveIn 2024, over 77 million Americans voted for Donald Trump. Friend of Wisdom of Crowds Michael Brendan Dougherty, a writer and conservative commentator at the National Review, was one of them. However, MBD (as he is known) did not vote for Trump in 2020 nor in 2016. In fact, he was an early conservative opponent of Trump. In 2016, MBD wrote: “[Trump] is clearly a product of a decadent society, not the scourge or redeemer of one.” MBD did not disagree with Trump on his main...2024-12-1550 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThou Hypocrites!This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveLast week, President Biden granted his son, Hunter Biden, “a full and unconditional” pardon for any and all offenses from Jan. 1, 2014, to Dec. 1, 2024. Because Hunter Biden has been a politically charged figure since the first Trump term, and because President Biden repeatedly promised that he would not use his power to protect his son, the presidential pardon was, for many, a strategic and moral mistake — an act of hypocrisy, in short.In this week’s episode, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic...2024-12-0843 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThriving in the ApocalypseThe headlines prove it: we live in turbulent times. Elizabeth Oldfield, our guest this week, recently published a book — Fully Alive: Tending to the Soul in Turbulent Times — about how to thrive during such a moment. “If we’re heading into (even more) turbulent times,” Elizabeth writes, “I want to be someone who is of use, not overwhelmed and panicking but steady and hopeful, able to contribute to weaving a canopy of trust under which other people can shelter.” Along with being a writer, a former think tank director and an accomplished broadcast journalist, Elizabeth is host of The Sacred, a podc...2024-12-011h 24
Wisdom of CrowdsAmerican Heretics and Liberal NeutralityThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThe Declaration of Independence affirms that all human beings are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.” Yet the Declaration is silent about who this Creator is. Is it the Jewish deity or the Christian God? Or is it the god of the philosophers — the blind watchmaker of the Enlightenment? The Constitution, on the other hand, doesn’t mention the divine at all, except for the phrase, “Year of Our Lord.”Mainstream liberals and conservatives, whatever they may think of the silen...2024-11-2451 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Player and the RefereeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveOfficial WoC house philosopher Samuel Kimbriel joins Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic to discuss the role that ideas had in the recent elections. Specifically, they focus on whether it was bad ideas or bad political strategy that doomed the Dems.Sam insists that the Democrats failed because liberalism as we understand it has become weak, devoid of ideas and moral persuasion. Liberals, Sam insists, constantly shift from wanting to be a player in the political contest, to a referee of...2024-11-1754 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Restoration of Trump and the Last ManTuesday night’s election has left us with total Republican control of all three branches of government. What does this mean for the immediate future of the Republic? Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic get together to discuss. We are releasing this episode early and completely free for all subscribers.Will Donald Trump become a dictator? What is he capable of? What might be the worst aspects of his second term? Damir discusses mass deportations as the biggest risk. Shadi worries about Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East. More than that, Shadi worries about a Donald Trum...2024-11-0759 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs It Okay Not to Vote?For the past year, Shadi Hamid has been an outspoken critic of Israel’s war in Gaza — and the Biden administration’s complicity. Now he, like many others, is baffled by the Harris campaign’s disregard and seeming disdain for Muslim and Arab voters. In a week is election day, and he is wrestling with the moral and political implications of the choice at hand.In our pages earlier this week, Shadi and Haroon Moghul debated the merits of voting for Harris or not voting at all. You can read their full exchange here. This podcast episode continue...2024-10-271h 38
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Sublime Object of Our TerrorDamir Marusic and WoC executive editor Santiago Ramos get together to discuss Damir’s latest article, “Why We Need Nightmares.” In it, Damir writes about the the binding of Isaac — the chilling story from the Book of Genesis where God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son. Damir is fascinated both by the story and by a Caravaggio painting depicting it. “That’s the stuff,” he writes. But what is this “stuff”?While searching for an answer to this question, Damir and Santiago cover a lot of ground. They discuss the story of Abraham and Isaac, as well as the different w...2024-10-201h 02
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Passion of the ElitesThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveMusa al-Gharbi is a sociologist and assistant professor in the School of Communication and Journalism at Stony Brook University. He joins Christine Emba and Damir Marusic to discuss his new book, We Have Never Been Woke: Social Justice Discourse, Inequality, and the Rise of a New Elite. Don’t worry: the book is not another culture war polemic. Instead, it’s something much more useful: a work of social science that explains what “woke” means in terms of class and culture in the Unit...2024-10-131h 01
Wisdom of CrowdsWar in the Middle East, AgainAn emergency pod: “War, or something resembling war, is breaking out in the Middle East,” says Shadi Hamid. A year after the October 7 massacre, Israel has all but destroyed Hamas. Last month, it killed Hassan Nasrallah, head of Hezbollah, thus decapitating that terrorist organization. This week, it launched an invasion of southern Lebanon. In retaliation, Iran — the longtime backer of Hezbollah — has lobbed a barrage of ballistic missiles into Israel. We decided to release the podcast early this week, before it is overtaken by the swiftly-moving events. What is this war about? What should the US do about it...2024-10-041h 20
Wisdom of CrowdsHuman Dignity and BeyondWhat is human dignity? Is it a real thing, or merely an idea? If it’s real, then where does it come from? And why do only human beings have dignity? What about other intelligent beings? What about the octopus?These are only some of the many questions that Damir Marusic and Santiago Ramos talk about in a slow-burn, philosophical episode of Wisdom of Crowds. Because Santiago is executive editor of Wisdom of Crowds, Damir wants to learn more about his bedrock convictions. He cross-examines Santiago about his religion, politics, and formative experiences.At first, Da...2024-09-291h 11
Wisdom of CrowdsEmbrace the Vibes!This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThe Harris-Walz campaign is having a moment. It is polling well. Harris made a good speech at the Democratic National Convention. The Democratic Convention as a whole got better TV ratings than the Republican one. Harris’s campaign is all about joy. Even Shadi’s parents are feeling the vibes (and using the word, “vibes,” probably for the first time).But Shadi and Damir aren’t feeling it. No joy. No vibes. No excitement about the current moment in American politics...2024-08-3047 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEnding Summer on Violence and DespairThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveElon Musk just started tweeting about the Iliad. But our guest, Twitter’s Audrey Horne, has been talking about Homer with Samuel Kimbriel and Damir Marusic for at least two weeks now — well before Elon turned his attention to these kinds of things. We figured this was an excuse to share some of the offline chatter with the Crowd. If Elon’s interested in it, it has to be relevant, right?Christians and Greeks both agree that the world is cruel...2024-08-2558 min
Wisdom of CrowdsFreddie deBoer on Democracy and the DemocratsThat was fast. Just days after Joe Biden chose to remove himself from the presidential ticket, Kamala Harris is the unquestioned candidate of the Democratic Party. But was this a democratic process? Or was Biden bullied out of the ticket, and Harris shoehorned into it, without any attention paid to the peoples’ wishes? And who are “the people,” anyway?Joining us to debate these questions is the author Freddie deBoer — one of the most influential and provocative leftist thinkers writing today. Freddie runs an extremely popular Substack. His latest book, How Elites Ate the Social Justice Movement, is about...2024-07-271h 22
Wisdom of CrowdsPhil Klay on Morality and WarMorality and war. Two words that seem to have nothing to do with each other. Yet as recent events have shown, our conscience pricks us every time we hear news of an atrocity, smarts at every war and rumor of war. Can a war ever be just? Does talk about morality in the conduct of war make any sense?Joining Shadi and Damir to discuss this heady topic is Phil Klay, a novelist and essayist whose first book, the short story collection Redeployment, won the National Book Award in 2014. An Iraq War veteran, his work has focused...2024-06-151h 07
Wisdom of CrowdsWhat the Israelis are ThinkingThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThe war in Gaza is dividing Israeli opinion, but not along the same lines that it divides American opinion. What are Israeli priorities? How important is the return of hostages relative to total victory? What is Netanyahu thinking? What is the Israeli Left thinking? Is there an anti-war movement in Israel? Do American categories make any sense within the Israeli political context?Washington Post political columnist Jason Willick joins Shadi and Damir to answer these questions. He just returned from...2024-05-2454 min
Wisdom of CrowdsMatt Yglesias on How Gaza Scrambled Identity PoliticsDo Arab Americans support pro-Palestine protests because of identity politics? What about American Jewish support for Israel? Are both groups being “tribal” or are they fighting for universal values — as they understand them?Recently, policy guru and Ur-Blogger Matt Yglesias pointed out that some of the political thinkers who, just a couple years ago, were aligned in opposition to identity politics today find themselves on opposite sides over Palestine. One of the names Matt mentioned was our own Shadi Hamid. What happened?Matt joins Damir, and Shadi to figure it out. In their conver...2024-05-101h 22
Wisdom of CrowdsProtests and SolidarityThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.livePro-Palestine protests have spread to college campuses across the country. Our social media feeds are flooded with images of chanting students and clashes with police. Meanwhile, Congress has passed a bill to deliver more aid to Israel, and there’s signs that the IDF is about to move on Rafah. In this episode, Shadi explores what it means to stand in solidarity with the protests, while Damir teases out their effect on brass tacks politics The two discuss what the right approach sh...2024-04-2746 min
Wisdom of CrowdsParenthood at the End of the WorldThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week’s podcast is a recording of a live event. Rachel M. Cohen, a senior policy reporter for Vox, recently published an essay where she asks: “To our generation, being a mom looks thankless, exhausting, and lonely. Can we change the story?” As listeners know, this question speaks right to the heart of Wisdom of Crowds. Christine and Shadi invited Rachel to discuss her piece before a live audience in Washington, DC on March 20. The topics of conversation included marriage, singleness, hope...2024-04-0637 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe World According to Jordan CastroEditor’s note: We haven’t done an episode quite like this before. I absolutely loved this conversation with the novelist Jordan Castro, one of the most exciting young American authors writing today. Because it was such a rich conversation, we’re leaving out the paywall so that everyone can have a listen. —Shadi Hamid, co-founder, Wisdom of CrowdsWhat’s it actually like to be a novelist? And how does literary success—and some amount of fame and notoriety—change how people think of you? Special guest Jordan Castro joins Shadi and Santiago to ta...2024-03-221h 48
Wisdom of Crowds"More" is LessThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveA recently-published memoir making headlines suggests a trend: Polyamory is going mainstream among high-status Americans. Culture critic and environmental studies professor Tyler Austin Harper joins Christine and Shadi to make sense of this fad, and explain why it’s both an upper-class luxury and a raw deal. Along the way they discuss happiness, self-expression, race, love, self-immolation, parenting, and a better way to live. Required Reading:* Tyler Austin Harper, “Polyamory, the Ruling Class’s Latest Fad.”* Tyler Au...2024-03-0250 min
Wisdom of CrowdsApocalyptic Dread, Burnout, and a New YearThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveLongtime member of the Crowd and WoC contributor Tom Barson once called episodes when Shadi and Damir just chew over stuff “train wrecks”. (He meant it in an affectionate way — we think.) Well that’s what this episode is: a classic back and forth that ranges far and wide.Shadi asks Damir how his year ended. Damir admits he’s feeling properly burned out. Does following two bloody wars all too closely contribute to a feeling of helplessness? And isn’t feeling dr...2024-01-1938 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Rich and the UnhappyThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, our in-house philosopher and very own Editor-at-Large Samuel Kimbriel returns to the podcast for a one-on-one discussion with Shadi Hamid about wealth, ambition and whether they are the paths toward happiness.How do societal values, especially those in American culture, influence our sense of fulfillment? The guys probe why those who are perceived as the most successful — like tech entrepreneurs and posh weekend travelers — seem to be the least happy. This opens up questions about how those who face...2023-12-1042 min
Wisdom of CrowdsCan War Be Humane?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhat constitutes justifiable warfare—and how should the overall impact of conflicts be evaluated? With the United States being so closely associated with Israel’s war, is it possible to still envision America as a “force for good” in the world? One of America’s leading leftist intellectuals, Samuel Moyn, joins us to debate these questions and much more. Sam is the Chancellor Kent Professor of History at Yale University and the author of Humane: How the United States Abandoned Peace and Reinvented...2023-11-2157 min
Wisdom of CrowdsAmerica's Palestinian BlindspotThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhy do Americans struggle so much to understand Palestinians? A former advisor to the Palestinian leadership and a participant in the doomed 2008 Annapolis peace talks, Khaled Elgindy has written arguably the definitive account of America’s blind spot. In Blind Spot: America and the Palestinians, from Balfour to Trump, Khaled chronicles how time and time again the U.S. has failed to see the Palestinians as actors in their own right.But beyond the specifics of policy, there is a qu...2023-11-1448 min
Wisdom of CrowdsHow Realistic is a Ceasefire in Gaza?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAfter nearly a month of being consumed by the Israel-Hamas war, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic take a step back to evaluate the prospects of an end to the violence, while still probing their own priors.Damir argues that “moral clarity” is often anything but clarifying, but concedes that “realism” can be self-defeating, because people can’t help but think in both emotional and moral terms during a conflict like this. Meanwhile, Shadi opens up about his inner struggles reconciling his sympat...2023-11-0338 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe End of the World As We Know ItIn a charged and often emotional conversation, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic welcome Robert Nicholson, the president of the Philos Project, to discuss the pro-Israel perspective as the war in Gaza intensifies. Many Israeli voices have veered sharply to the right. However much we may disagree with these views, we have to understand them. Robert, a Christian and self-described Zionist, expresses empathy for the Israeli perception of an existential threat next door. Hamas’ attacks have undermined, perhaps fatally, any hope that Israelis might have had that peaceful co-existence is possible not just with Palestinians but with Arabs mo...2023-10-271h 37
Wisdom of CrowdsPeter Beinart on Israel, Hamas, and Why Nonviolence FailedThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveTwo weeks after Hamas’s brutal attack on Israeli civilians, tensions have skyrocketed as Israel begins an offensive against Gaza from the air and the ground as the area home to over a half million Palestinians is plunged into darkness. What could have been done to avoid this renewed war and what are the best possible paths toward ending violence?This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic invite Peter Beinart on to discuss. Peter writes at his Substack, The Beinart No...2023-10-2039 min
Wisdom of CrowdsWho is Responsible for the War in Gaza?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAfter Hamas fighters massacred hundreds of Israeli civilians, Israel is now massed on Gaza’s borders ahead of an operation that will likely devastate the Palestinian population. This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic sit down and unpack their complex thoughts and feelings about what is going on. What is the appropriate way to speak about atrocities after the fact? In the imm…2023-10-1341 min
Wisdom of CrowdsHow To Regain Your Sense of WonderThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhat are the most valuable parts of our transient lives and how does our appraisal of them change as we age?This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic take a step back from larger questions around current events to visit a recurring theme at Wisdom of Crowds around meaning. The episode centers around Damir’s recent Monday Note, “A Lost Sense of Wonder”, where he reflects on the pursuit of enchantment including in close relationships but also after witnessing a wondro...2023-09-2442 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Right-Wing Case for Left-Wing EconomicsThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveCapitalism is a revolutionary force. It is not conservative. So why have conservatives gone along with market fundamentalism for so long? Sohrab Ahmari, a convert to Catholicism, has been known as a culture warrior. This time he returns to the podcast to make a surprising argument. Ahmari, the founder and editor of Compact magazine, argues in his new book Tyranny, Inc., that it’s the economy, stupid. Private power is imposing its own tyranny through tools of economic coercion that ex...2023-08-1858 min
Wisdom of CrowdsWhat's the Meaning of Meaning?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWe’re living in the most prosperous time in human history with more material abundance and comfort — and yet something just feels… off. This week, Shadi Hamid and Samuel Kimbriel take a trip to the heartland to find out what that something is.In this special live recording from the Lyceum Movement’s Tallgrass Ideas Festival in Iowa, Shadi and Sam join political theorist Susan Laehn to grapple with whether a sense of meaning precedes or succeeds happiness. With the live aud...2023-08-1247 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Masculine World Is AdriftThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAt a time of disruption in the workforce, rapidly shifting gender norms, a dearth of role models and declines in mental health, men are facing a distinct set of challenges that are prompting a renewed understanding of masculinity. For the last few years, viral right-of-center personalities have dominated the conversation offering men guidance that much of mainstream media has viewed as radioactive. But as the challenges men face become more apparent, others are recognizing the issue at hand isn’t just a ri...2023-08-0739 min
Wisdom of CrowdsAn Illiberal Muslim Secedes from AmericaThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAre Muslim communities increasingly tilting to the right? After about two decades of being alienated by Republicans, American Muslims continue to align themselves with the Democratic Party. But as the country polarizes and the progressive agenda makes gains, writers like our guest find it increasingly untenable for Muslims to continue nodding along with the left’s conceptions of gender identity, sexuality, and secularism. This week, Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic talked to The Dragoman, a pseudonymous writer who wrote a fi...2023-07-281h 00
Wisdom of CrowdsIs the Supreme Court Legitimate?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveDoes the United States Supreme Court’s legitimacy hang in the balance — or is it itself the balance keeping the union centered?After handing down blockbuster decisions this term on gerrymandering, executive authority and affirmative action, the highest court in the land is facing fierce criticism from progressives in the media and in elected office. This week, we welcomed Washington Post columnist Jason Willick back on the podcast to help us unpack it all. Jason discusses how the Cour...2023-07-1451 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThis Really is EuropeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThere is the Europe of politics. There is the Europe of ideas. But there is also the Europe of actual people, who live, love, die, and dream. How they live and how they hope is shaped by mass migration, climate change, the war in Ukraine, and any number of other disruptions. Who are they and what do their lives actually look like? This week, British journalist Ben Judah talks to Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic about his outstanding new book...2023-06-161h 02
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Ideological Plates Are ShiftingThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveHow important are ideological labels and how might they change over the next generation? A lot is on the minds of Shadi Hamid and Damir Marusic this week as the two go on a winding discussion about political identity and ideological shifts amid a tribalistic political culture. The guys discussed the rarity of prominent figures publicly changing their political identity and the friction among Americans in mixed ideology relationships. Having never felt confined by labels, Damir...2023-06-0941 min
Wisdom of CrowdsAmong the UnbelieversThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhy is therapy replacing God on dating apps? If bad things happen, were they “meant to be”? When we say that everything happens for a reason, what do we even mean? This week, Shadi and Damir are back on the podcast together with close friend and guest Rachel Rizzo to discuss her stunning new essay, “Do Liberals Have a God Problem?” Recently, Rachel noted a striking contrast on dating apps: men who openly state their involvement in therapy and the dearth o...2023-06-021h 01
Wisdom of CrowdsIs Spirituality Possible Without God?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveAs organized religion declines, particularly among younger Americans, a constellation of spiritual and sense-making phenomena appear to be taking its place. This week, Damir Marusic and Editor-at-Large Christine Emba are joined by the author Tara Isabella Burton whose upcoming book Self-Made: Creating Our Identities from Da Vinci to the Kardashians, chronicles how our sense of self has evolved over time alongside political, religious and societal change.Damir and Christine interrogate Tara’s argument that in adhering excessively to in...2023-05-2651 min
Wisdom of CrowdsLooking for Happiness in All the Wrong PlacesThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, Damir stages an intervention for Shadi.Lately, Shadi’s become gradually detached from the world of current events and political media. Damir probes to understand why, therein unraveling an episode that goes off the beaten path to discuss progress, happiness and meaning at a time when everything feels existential.Shadi maintains that while he isn’t divorcing himself from the commentariat, he’s recognizing the limited fulfillment political awareness can deliver — particularly when progress can never seem to...2023-05-1251 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Modern Nation Messed Everything UpThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveCan a cohesive nation survive without a common identity or shared values? That question is at the heart of this week’s podcast with political theorist David Polansky. Last week, David’s essay in Wisdom of Crowds rebutted the claim that the Israelites can be understood as a modern nation. Throughout history, various peoples, David argues, have coalesced around a shared sense of “peoplehood” without a claim to a nation. From here, a rich conversation ensues as to whether a people—a...2023-05-0547 min
Wisdom of CrowdsChatGPT and the Consciousness TrapThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWith artificial intelligence threatening to take over our imaginations, Shadi and Damir this week decided to talk through some of the philosophical quandaries with none other than political philosopher and Wisdom of Crowds contributing writer Samuel Kimbriel. The Crowd takes on ChatGPT, existential risk, "the simulation", navigating uncertainty and whether we can know what is real.After a recent encounter with ChatGPT, Damir is impressed that AI is now well on its way to modeling language, an advancement he thinks...2023-03-2046 min
Wisdom of CrowdsLive In Pittsburgh: The Problem of DemocracyThis week, we're bringing you something special: our first recording with a live audience! Hosted by the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Governance and Markets and moderated by the center's director, Jen Murtazashvili (a friend of the Crowd), we had a freewheeling discussion about Shadi's new book, The Problem of Democracy.Shadi made his case for decoupling democracy and liberalism—what he calls "democratic minimalism." Instead of viewing democracy as a means to other ends, it should be seen an end unto itself. In other words, let us lower expectations and like (and perhaps even love) democracy fo...2023-03-031h 59
Wisdom of CrowdsIs Israel a Democratic Success Story?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis was one of the richest conversations we've recorded in a while. Our guest this week is Robert Nicholson, the founder of The Philos Project, an organization that promotes Christian engagement with the Middle East, and host of The Deep Map, a new podcast that explores the religious and historical roots of conflict in the region.We asked Robert about what he thinks Westerners misunderstand the most about Middle Eastern politics: the role religion does, and doesn't play in the...2022-12-1859 min
Wisdom of CrowdsNever Bet Against AmericaThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week we sat down to debate America's greatness—or lack thereof. Somewhat to our surprise, we found a source of agreement between us: our belief in American exceptionalism, even if we have very different conceptions of the role of morality and "progress" in forging the American idea.Countries in Europe may have a more leisurely pace of life and higher levels of reported happiness, but is that really what Americans want? Should it be what they want? Central to al...2022-07-0841 min
Wisdom of CrowdsThe Rise and Fall of the Expert ClassThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week we invited the author Oliver Traldi on the podcast to talk about the role of experts in society and how we assess different kinds of skill, talent, and truth. Oliver, a writing fellow at Heterodox Academy and a doctoral candidate in philosophy at the University of Notre Dame, is one of the most exciting young thinkers and writers around today—as evidenced by his recent tour-de-force of an essay titled "With All Due Respect to the Experts."The co...2022-06-1251 min
Wisdom of CrowdsAfter Uvalde, a ReckoningThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week Shadi and Damir sat down to discuss the Uvalde mass shooting and its aftermath. Tragedy has struck the American psyche once again. The murder of innocent children has Americans groping for answers but the seemingly scripted discourse in the wake of such tragedies provides anything but solid answers. Are there really any viable legislative paths to prevent such terrible shootings? Must everyone “read the room” when Twitter is collectively grieving?As the conversation progresses, the discussion turns to libe...2022-05-3040 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs a Better World Possible Without American Power?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveShadi has been curious about whether he has diverged from the left since Bernie Sanders' campaign, so he invited the socialist thinker Daniel Bessner onto the podcast this week for a spirited discussion of first principles. Bessner is one of the most influential and important leftist intellectuals writing on foreign policy today. He is the Joff Hanauer Honors Professor in Western Civilization at the University of Washington and the author of Democracy in Exile.What followed was perhaps the most...2022-05-1551 min
Wisdom of CrowdsDoes it Matter if Elon Musk Ruins Twitter?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveMuch of the freakout about Elon Musk buying Twitter is based on an assumption that social media is integral to democracies and a critical tool for dissidents living in repressive regimes. But what if that assumption is overblown? Are the dustups over Twitter's new ownership really just a proxy war for the broader freedom of speech debate that has been ratcheting up recently?Just as Elon was talking up Twitter, Barack Obama gave a major address calling for government regulation...2022-05-0141 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs Liberalism Coming Alive?This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, Shadi and Damir debate whether the war in Ukraine is breathing new life into the liberal idea. It seemed like liberalism might stage a comeback, but Putin-adjacent rightwing populists are still going strong in France and Hungary. Shadi insists he's a liberal who's critical of liberalism, which pushes Damir to question what exactly that means in practice. When is too much illiberalism too much? Also: Damir wonders whether Prohibition got a bad rap.In the full subscriber-only episode...2022-04-1648 min
Wisdom of CrowdsPhilosophy, Ukraine, and the Return of FinitudeThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveWhat’s the nature of our enemy in Ukraine? Is it Putin, Russia, or authoritarianism? What are the sources of the West’s strength and its capacities for revival? And how should we think about evil in the world? The political philosopher Samuel Kimbriel joins Shadi and Damir to help unpack these questions, and many others in a wide-ranging philosophical discussion.In the subscriber-only portion of the episode, the debate intensifies around whether finitude entails a more confrontational American foreign poli...2022-03-181h 18
Wisdom of CrowdsAre We The Good Guys? A Debate with Glenn GreenwaldThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThe firebrand journalist and author Glenn Greenwald joined us for a broad-ranging discussion on the war in Ukraine and the past few decades of American foreign policy. We tackled the comparisons between Russia's invasion, the Iraq War, and other disastrous American foreign policy failures. Does America's good intent set it apart from countries like Russia, or are we more similar than we care to admit?In the full subscriber-only conversation, we ask Glenn whether the U.S. should continue arming...2022-03-1052 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEurope's Holy WarThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveThis week, Berlin-based journalist and New York Times Magazine contributing writer Elisabeth Zerofsky joins us to discuss how Russia's invasion of Ukraine has changed Europe. What explains the righteous fury of previously pacific Germans? Shadi asks Elisabeth and Damir what a "red line" in Ukraine could possibly be—or if it even exists. For example, how might the United States respond in hypothetical scenarios of large-scale massacres and the leveling of entire cities.In the subscriber-only portion of the conversation, we...2022-03-0451 min
Wisdom of CrowdsBreaking Down UkraineShadi and Damir sat down to do a quick episode today as Russia commenced its invasion of Ukraine. They talk about how the world got to this point, what we in the West could have done differently, what could happen next, and what it means for the future of America. We hope you find this real-time attempt at analysis useful and helpful.Required Reading- "Negotiating with Madmen" by Damir Marusic (Wisdom of Crowds)- "America’s role in the Russia and Ukraine situation" (AP) This is a public episode. If...2022-02-2557 min
Wisdom of CrowdsRevolution!This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveFrom Leon Trotsky to Sayyid Qutb to the Founding Fathers, Shadi and Damir discuss revolution in all its forms. The guys argue about the importance of ideas, the role of violence, and how order is legitimized. Can democracy keep the peace? Part 2 of our conversation is available here for subscribers. Shadi and Damir turn their attention to the revolutionary impulses on both the conservative right and the woke left. While the intellectuals behind these movements likely don't consider themselves to...2022-02-1339 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs it Wicked Not to Care?After two years of podcasting together, Shadi and Damir think they've gained some clarity on where their worldviews diverge: it's especially pronounced on the question of how to do foreign policy. As the conversation unspools, and with the ghost of John McCain hovering over the show, the guys draw out where they come out on various milestones—from the Iraq war, to NATO Expansion, to Obama's policy of "Don't do stupid sh*t." Part 2 of our conversation is available here. Shadi and Damir take note of how disappointing last 20 years of history have been for U.S. fo...2022-01-291h 02
Wisdom of CrowdsPower, Ambition, and HappinessPower corrupts, sure, but is there any way to avoid its temptations? As Shadi wraps up writing his book, the guys discuss democracy, Succession, how to be happy, having kids during climate change, and Putin’s essay on Ukraine. Required Reading: "Am I Still a Progressive?" by Shadi Hamid (Wisdom of Crowds) "The Coming Storm" by Damir Marusic (Wisdom of Crowds) "On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians" (ostensibly) by - Vladimir Putin "In tiny Bhutan, known for Its pursuit of happiness, democracy brings discontent" by Joanna Slater (The Washington Post) Succession by HBO 2021-12-1057 min
Wisdom of CrowdsRittenhouse and Our Broken DemocracyIn this episode, Shadi and Damir analyze the Rittenhouse verdict and question how the media's framing shaped people's initial reactions. The conversation turns to the state of American democracy. Damir questions whether he has been too glib about the recent moves made by the Republican Party. Is our democracy approaching an inflection point? Part 2 of our conversation is available for subscribers. In the episode, we dive into Damir's last Friday Essay "The Coming Storm". Was Damir too pessimistic about the state of the post Cold War order? The U.S. should rethink its foreign policy priorities, but...2021-11-2748 min
Wisdom of CrowdsCan Democrats Bounce Back?2021-11-0734 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEnough With the Masks Already!Damir and Shadi talk about health security theater during this latest phase of the pandemic, before going on to discuss how technocratic approaches tend to worsen and exacerbate polarization in democratic societies. Also: can anyone make a moral case for democracy without recourse to God? Required reading: The Islamic World Today: Issues and Perspectives (Brigham Young University) "The danger of bringing religious zeal to the political realm," by Shadi Hamid (Deseret News). "One in 5,000," by David Leonhardt (NYT). Public Opinion, by Walter Lippmann. "Limits to Democracy," by Roger Scruton (New Criterion). "Solutionism Is Not the Solution,"...2021-10-221h 13
Wisdom of CrowdsFixing Failed States, America Edition2021-10-151h 00
Wisdom of CrowdsFighting China For All The Right ReasonsThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.liveElbridge Colby joins Shadi and Damir to talk about his challenging new book The Strategy of Denial, an unflinchingly clinical argument for confronting China. Does China's authoritarianism make it our enemy, or is confrontation inevitable regardless? Will our allies stick by our side just because China is a bully? And what does Henry Kissinger get wrong about power politics?Required Reading:- "Will the Next American War Be with China?" by Benjamin Wallace-Wells (New Yorker).- A...2021-10-0855 min
Wisdom of CrowdsIs America Actually Great?Is America the most successful third world country on earth? Shadi and Damir welcome Samuel Goldman, author of the new book After Nationalism, onto the podcast for a raucous discussion on national identity, the likelihood of another civil war, and the possibility that, because it has more in common with Latin America than Europe, the United States may be the best place on the planet. Required Reading: After Nationalism, by Samuel Goldman. A symposium on the book at Law and Liberty. Sam's column at The Week. Bruno Maçaes on dreampolitik. "The Case Against Consensus," by Sh...2021-10-011h 23
Wisdom of CrowdsWho Wrecked Afghanistan?How did it all go wrong? Jennifer Brick Murtazashvili, a leading scholar of Afghanistan, joins Damir and Shadi to dissect the Taliban's victory and discuss what it tells us about the failures of America's nation-building effort. Why did the Afghan government collapse so quickly? Have the technocrats and NGOs in the democracy promotion industry been completely discredited? And for the sake of the Afghan people, should we now help the Taliban succeed in governing the country? Things get heated. Murtazashvili is director of the Center for Governance and Markets and associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh...2021-08-191h 47
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 64: Donald Rumsfeld Knew He Was RightWisdom of Crowds associate editor Matt Winesett joins Damir and Shadi to debate Donald Rumsfeld's legacy and if his mistakes permanently discredited nation building and democracy promotion abroad. They also discuss how younger Millennials perceived the Iraq War, whether Bushism or Trumpism would better serve the GOP's future, how much politicians' personal character ultimately matters, and much more. Their conversation continues in a bonus episode, out next week. Subscribe here to get it straight to your inbox. Recommended Reading: “The Defense Secretary Who Let Bin Laden Get Away,” by Peggy Noonan (The Wall Street Jour...2021-07-041h 01
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 63: Will Europe Become a Geopolitical Backwater?Damir calls in from a conference in Slovakia and describes what life is like in a land without widely available vaccines. Shadi addresses why he won't just register as a Republican already (or convert to Catholicism). And they both discuss if Europe is in danger of sinking into irrelevance, whether George W. Bush should have sent troops to Crimea, the relationship between America's power and its values, and much more. Recommended Reading: "Biden Talks a Big Game on Europe. But His Actions Tell a Different Story," by Jeremy Shapiro (Politico) "Morality is Impossible Without Power," by...2021-06-1850 min
Wisdom of CrowdsRoss Douthat on Decadence, Wokeness, and UFOsThis is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live“What fascinates and terrifies us about the Roman Empire is not that it finally went smash,” W. H. Auden once wrote, but rather that “it managed to last for four centuries without creativity, warmth, or hope.” In his latest book, The Decadent Society, Ross Douthat suggests contemporary America may be in a similar spot. He joined Shadi and Damir to discuss the factors contributing to our present state of decadence, and possible avenues out—from wokeness to a new post-liberal politics to UFOs. 2021-06-0252 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 59: Israel, Palestine, and the Problem of MoralityWhat do Shadi and Damir's divergent responses to the Gaza crisis tell us about questions of morality, idealism, and power? Damir presses Shadi on his recent commentary about Israel's treatment of the Palestinians—and the line between analysis and polemics. Shadi argues the Middle East still matters—and that it's in America's national interest to be moral. Damir counters by saying that it is the job of the analyst to complicate stories, not necessarily to resolve them. Required Reading: "I'm Angry About Palestine. Should You Be?" by Shadi Hamid (Wisdom of Crowds) "Don’t take the narrow...2021-05-201h 32
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 54: America's Exceptional ResilienceDamir and Shadi pull back the curtain on the thought process behind Damir's latest essay. The central question: If Europe's social democracies offer far more support to their citizens, why has America weathered both the Great Recession and Covid-19 pandemic better than the European Union? Required Reading: "Selfishness and American Resilience," by Damir Marusic (Wisdom of Crowds) "Janet Yellen and Mario Draghi Have One Last Job," by Adam Tooze (Foreign Policy) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live...2021-04-1254 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 53: Losing Our Religion2021-04-0157 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 50: Islam, Keto, and the Problem of EvilIn another sprawling episode, Shadi and Damir talk about Germany's decision to surveil one of its leading political parties and what this says about modern liberalism. They also discuss Shadi's Islam-as-Keto metaphor, the EU's legitimacy problem, and how theodicy relates to democracy. Required Reading: “Germany Places Far-Right AfD Party Under Surveillance for Extremism,” by Katrin Bennhold (New York Times) “German Court Suspends Right to Surveil Far-Right AfD Party,” by Melissa Eddy (New York Times) “Goodbye to Europe,” by Luuk van Middelaar (London Review of Books) “Keto is basically ‘the Islam of diets,’ which probably explains why it’s so effective...2021-03-0652 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 47: The Sources of Our DiscontentWhat is driving our current political upheaval? Shadi and Damir discuss a few different theories including the decline of religion, the absence of an aristocracy, and, crucially, modern America's obsession with dogs. Required Reading: "The Weimarization of the American Republic," by Aaron Sibarium (American Purpose) "Reflections on What's to Come," by Shadi Hamid (Wisdom of Crowds) "The Death of Our Most Cherished Pieties," by Damir Marusic (Wisdom of Crowds) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe2021-02-1358 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 34: The Romance of RighteousnessWhy so angry? Shadi and Damir talk about useful idiocy, neoconservatism, and the dangerous temptation of righteousness in politics. Come for Shadi musing about U2 and stay for Damir rhapsodizing about Guy Debord. Reading List: Not the Coen Brothers. "On Romance and Being in a Constant State of Alarm," Shadi Hamid (WoC) "The Biggest Risk to This Election Is Not Russia. It’s Us." Fiona Hill (NYT) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe2020-10-081h 06
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 32: The Looming Crisis of LegitimacyThe great Nils Gilman of the Berggruen Institute and Noema joins Shadi and Damir to talk about why the upcoming elections feel existential, why our federal government feels increasingly illegitimate, and why Shadi's most recent piece in The Atlantic has annoyed so many people. Reading List: "Human Rights and Neoliberalism," by Nils Gilman (LA Review of Books) "The Collapse of Racial Liberalism," by Nils Gilman (The American Interest) "The Democrats May Not Be Able to Concede," by Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other su...2020-09-191h 15
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 31: Smart People and Dumb IdeasShadi thinks Damir is getting more worried about our institutions. Damir reveals the depths of his relentless fatalism. All because NPR thought it was a good idea to interview a radical apologist for rioting and looting. Reading List: "One Author's Controversial View: 'In Defense of Looting'," by Natalie Escobar (NPR) "Between Orientalism and Postmodernism: The Changing Nature of Western Feminist Thought Towards the Middle East," by Shadi Hamid (Hawwa) The Reckless Mind: Intellectuals in Politics, Mark Lilla (NYRBooks) "The Free Floater," by John Gray (TNR) This...2020-09-1158 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 29: Writing, Working Out, and Why Ordinary People Do Extraordinary EvilIt's summer. Damir rings up Shadi to talk about the pleasure of writing and the pain of exercising, before the conversation takes a much darker turn. Required Reading: Islamic Exceptionalism, by Shadi Hamid That Mohammed Tweet, by Shadi Hamid This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit wisdomofcrowds.live/subscribe2020-08-141h 07
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 21: A How-To Guide to Thinking Through the ApocalypseShadi talks through his inner conflicts. Damir responds by minimizing the reality of what is happening. Also: why Americans are all fundamentalists (whether secular or religious), the appropriateness of activist-journalism, the empty symbolism of woke politics, and whether the New York Times should(n’t) be our lodestar. Reading List: “Our Deathwish” by Jacob Siegel (Tablet) “The Coronavirus Killed the Revolution”, by Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic) Waverley, by Sir Walter Scott This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus ep...2020-06-1650 min
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 15: Trump Versus Coronavirus and the ElitesThe Atlantic Council's Benjamin Haddad joins Shadi and Damir to talk social distancing, the coronavirus response on both sides of the Atlantic, and how elites' ever more fervent love of experts could lead them to political disaster. Reading List: Le paradis perdu: L'Amérique de Trump et la fin des illusions européennes, by Benjamin Haddad (Grasset) "The Coronavirus Killed the Revolution," by Shadi Hamid (The Atlantic) "Social Distancing Isn't Going To End Soon. So How Do We Live With It?" by Gaby Hinsliff (The Guardian) This is a...2020-05-141h 01
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 14: The Dangerous Temptation of Ideals and Anti-PoliticsIn the third week of lockdown, Shadi and Damir talk about the Beatles versus the Stones, how the 1960s represent a kind of dangerous idealism grounded in universal values, and how there’s no escaping politics. Reading List: “The Coronavirus Killed the Revolution,” by Shadi Hamid “It’s imperative for the U.S. and China to work together on the coronavirus pandemic,” by Michael McFaul Jennifer Rubin’s Political Mathematics “National Identity is Made Up,” by Max Fisher and Amanda Taub This is a public episode. If you'd like to disc...2020-04-031h 04
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 12: Sanders’ Goldwater Moment and The Future of the LeftIn the shadow of Bernie Sanders’ underperforming on Super Tuesday, Shadi and Damir welcome author Ben Judah to the podcast to talk about the enduring promise of left-populism in an Age of Trump. Relevant Reading: “Left Populism and the Rediscovery of Agonistic Politics,” by Shadi Hamid “Traditional ‘foreign policy’ no longer exists. Democrats are the last to know,” by David Adler and Ben Judah “Hawks say Sanders will be weak on Russia. But Putin should fear a President Bernie,” by Ben Judah and David Adler “Is Joe Biden the American Brezhnev?” by Ben Ju...2020-03-081h 05
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 11: The Weaponization of WokenessShadi and Damir talk about how racism, virtue signaling, the fundamental illegitimacy of the Chinese state, and how both consensus and irreconcilability can be fatal for democracy. Reading List: “China is the Real Sick Man of Asia” by Walter Russell Mead “Birth of the Nations” by Damir Marusic “It’s Not About Britain. It’s About Europe” by Damir Marusic “The dark side of consensus in Tunisia: Lessons from 2015-2019” by Sharan Grewal and Shadi Hamid “After Europe” by Ivan Krastev This is a public episode. If you'd like t...2020-02-131h 05
Wisdom of CrowdsEpisode 5: Impeachment, Polarization, and Hate-tweetsWhat’s that in the air? It’s not autumn. It’s that feeling you get knowing that all we’ll be collectively discussing in the next 14 months is the impeachment of Donald J. Trump. Shadi and Damir discuss the fate of our republic in these polarized times. Articles discussed in this episode: How the Framers Thought About Impeachment – Gary Schmitt The Decay of American Political Institutions – Francis Fukuyama The Problem of Donald Trump Didn’t Start With Donald Trump – Damir Marusic This is a public episode. If you'd like to di...2019-09-2750 min