Conversations with History (Audio)

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes environmentalist James Gustave Speth for a discussion of his new book, America the Possible: Manifesto for a New Economy. Speth discusses the systemic failure at the heart of the American crisis highlighting the inadequacy of a motivational system that focuses on economic growth, profits, and power to the detriment of people and the environment. In his view, the American system is broken. He criticizes progressives for not focusing on the big picture and thereby not recognizing the way issues like poverty, education, and environment are linked to the failure of political economy to deliver a quality of life that takes account of human need and values such as equity and justice. Describing a plan of action that combines reform and transformation and emphasizing the lessons to be learned from the civil rights movement, Speth argues for building a political movement that focuses on all the elements of the American crisis. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 24687]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Michael Anastasio for a discussion of the challenges of leading a national science laboratory in a time of transition. Using the examples of the end of the Cold War and the emergence of a fiscal environment of austerity, Anastasio explains how the lab adapts as its internal and external environment changes -- how a community of scientists develops responses to these new challenges. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 24669]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Leon Wieseltier, Literary Editor of the New Republic. Focusing on Wieseltier’s intellectual odyssey, the conversation includes discussion of his background, his education and mentors, Jewish identity in America, the political debate in Israel, his decision to write Kaddish, the attributes of intellectuals, the defining features of liberal sensibility, the challenge of reconciling theory and practice, the argument for humanitarian intervention, the meaning of the Arab Spring, and the challenges facing culture in America today. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 24598]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Leon Wieseltier, Literary Editor of the New Republic. Focusing on Wieseltier’s intellectual odyssey, the conversation includes discussion of his background, his education and mentors, Jewish identity in America, the political debate in Israel, his decision to write Kaddish, the attributes of intellectuals, the defining features of liberal sensibility, the challenge of reconciling theory and practice, the argument for humanitarian intervention, the meaning of the Arab Spring, and the challenges facing culture in America today. Series: "Conversations with History" [Science] [Show ID: 24454]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Harvard’s Theda Skocpol for a discussion of America’s political future. After reflecting on her intellectual journey, Professor Skocpol focuses on her new books, “Obama and America’s Political Future” and “The Tea Party and the Remaking of Republican Conservatism” (co-authored with Vanessa Williamson. Topics covered in the conversation include her strategy in studying political and social transformations, her analysis of the Tea Party and its long term impact on the Republican Party, and the reasons for President Obama’s failure to meet progressive expectations after the high hopes generated by his 2008 campaign. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 24289]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Yossie Hollander for a discussion of the problem of oil dependence. Hollander discusses what he learned as a pioneer of the Israel software industry including the factors that made possible Israel’s thriving Silicon Valley. Focusing on the role of philanthropy in changing the way we see social problems, he describes the mission of the Fuel Freedom Foundation which includes defining the problem of oil dependence. Examining present and future costs in light of the changing structure of oil markets, he shows how monopoly behavior prevents consumers from having access to vehicles that use alternative fuels. Hollander highlights the impact of China’s demand for oil on the structure of the market focusing on future prices. He concludes with an analysis on the impact of oil dependence on poorer regions of the world such as Africa. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Business] [Show ID: 24148]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes war correspondent Lindsey Hilsum for a discussion of her new book Sandstorm, an account of the revolution in Libya that toppled the dictator Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. Hilsum discusses Gaddafi’s 40 year reign of terror and his role as an international actor. She then traces the factors that led to his fall emphasizing Libyan nationalism, the Arab spring, and the intervention of external powers. Hilsum also analyzes the role of journalists in the continuing worldwide struggle for human dignity. She concludes with a discussion of what she learned from her experiences in Libya and speculates on the future of Libya and of external intervention in bringing about change in places like Syria. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 24147]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes the President of the MacArthur Foundation Robert Gallucci for a discussion of the work of the Foundation and his role as President. The conversations then turns to the foundation’s recent initiative on nuclear threats exploring its emphasis on the twin challenges of proliferation and terrorism. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 24001]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Trita Parsi, President of the National Iranian American Council, for a discussion of his new book “A Single Role of the Dice.” Parsi analyzes President Obama’s intentions toward Iran and how they were transformed by the politics of his tactics with its emphasis on the dual track of engagement and sanction. He discusses the various factors that impacted the negotiations between Iran and the U.S. including the domestic situation in Iran and the influence of Israeli goals. He also places the relationship in the context of the changing strategic environment in the Middle East, the role of third parties such as Brazil and Turkey, and the historical record of the requirements for successful international negotiations. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 24002]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Princeton philosopher Peter Singer for a discussion of utilitarianism and its implications for ethical conduct and social change. The conversation focuses on Singer’s contribution to the public discourse on animal rights, poverty, and bioethics. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23909]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Ahmed Rashid, author of “Pakistan on the Brink.” Rashid analyzes the dangerous instability in Pakistan. He discusses the failure of civilian and military leadership; the legacy of Cold War thinking in Pakistan’s strategic goals especially the focus on the threat from India; and the use of terrorism as an instrument of foreign policy resulting in the rise of domestic terrorism. He then traces the goals of the Obama administration in dealing with the Afghanistan/Pakistan conundrum and its failure of implementation. Factors contributing to this result include the disengagement of the President, the fragmentation of the policy process and the overemphasis on military priorities to the detriment of political goals. Rashid concludes with a discussion of the peace process, and he highlights the need for a careful American withdrawal that makes possible an end to the Afghan civil war and insures stability in both Pakistan and Afghanistan. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23729]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Federico Rampini, la Repubblica's New York Bureau Chief, for a discussion of the current European crisis. Topics covered include: the Italian economy and political system, the crisis of the European monetary system and its implications for the European Union’s future, and European and U.S. perceptions of their differences. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23727]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Samuel Scheffler, University Professor, New York University, for a discussion of philosophical inquiry. Scheffler discusses his work on valuing with particular attention to his essays on terrorism, immigration, and his Tanner lectures on the implications of an afterlife in which humanity would cease to exist. Series: "Conversations with History" [Humanities] [Show ID: 23730]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Stuart Altman for a discussion of the struggle to reform healthcare in the U.S. Altman traces his intellectual odyssey and recalls his long term involvement in national policymaking. In his reflections, he considers the successes and failures of reform in the context of U.S. political culture and history. Analyzing efforts by Presidents from Roosevelt to Obama, he highlights the twin goals of cost reduction and universal access. He concludes with an examination of the Obama plan speculating on the future of cost control. In his conclusion, he offers advice to students on how to prepare for the future. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 23793]

Conversations host Harry Kreisler welcomes Steven A. Cook, Sabbagh Senior Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, for a discussion of his new book, “The Struggle for Egypt.” Cook discusses the major actors in modern Egyptian history focusing on the military, the Muslim Brotherhood and the student movements. He identifies recurring patterns—the failure of the military to achieve equity and social justice under Nasser, Sadat, and Mubarak; the continuing resilience of the Muslim Brotherhood in providing a meaningful national narrative while developing organizations that could meet the social welfare and religious needs of the Egyptian people; and the periodic emergence of student movements. Cook then identifies the flawed assumptions of U.S. policy in the thirty years following the Camp David Accords. He concludes with the key issues in the next stages: the writing of a new constitution, the military; and the deteriorating economic situation. Series: "Conversations with History" [Public Affairs] [Show ID: 23601]