ReConsider - podcast cover

ReConsider

Politics without pushing perspectives. We challenge you to reconsider your views by providing context. But we don't do the thinking for you.

Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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Episodes

Competing Frames

Do you ever feel like your political opposition is talking right past you? As if you are having two entirely different conversations? You might be working with COMPETING FRAMES. Come learn how those work - and how to win. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 12, 202149 min

Escape

How does the United States escape spiraling political polarization? Waiting for a hero may not work. The cause of polarization is structural; the solution must be, too. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jun 26, 202125 min

Insurrection

In an age of sensationalism and hyperbole for political points, words like 'insurrection' and 'coup' might make us numb. but let's dig deeper. Was the Jan 6th Capitol Riot an "Insurrection?" (Note: this episode long delayed due to potential threats to the hosts' welfare, but we're finally releasing it!) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jun 12, 20211 hr 23 min

False Premises

If Trump had just decided to stay in power (and managed it), if Democracy had failed, might you have stormed the capitol? What does belief drives us to do? Do we, too, operate on false premises? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

May 19, 202141 min

How to Casually Radicalize a Citizen

If I could convince you to spend two hours per day on certain Subreddits or other internet forums, I could probably make you a radical of any stripe I want. Knowing how this process works is the only way to avoid it. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 28, 202146 min

Stonks?! (Are we heading toward a boom?) w/ Dr. Jake Meyer

BTC is over $60k!? GME hit $300!? Inverted Yield Curve!? What the heck is going on? Dr. Jake Meyer returns to help us try to make... _any_ sense of this. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Apr 18, 20211 hr 6 min

Gentrification, Immigration, and Hypocrisy

Weird people are moving to my neighborhood, rent is going up, and I'm not happy about it! Am I protesting gentrification, or immigration? Am I upset about both, or only one? And why? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mar 31, 202145 min

Intelligent Speech Conference 2021 - April 24th!

Yes, I'll be speaking again, and yes, again, it will be awesome. Get your tickets with the discount code "reconsider" for all-day awesomeness, straight to your living room. https://www.intelligentspeechconference.com/product/intelligent-speech-spring-2021/ Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 18, 20211 min

Will America's Political Parties Split and Realign?

It's happened before, and under similar stresses: American parties have shattered into splinter groups, and the ensuing land grab has led to deep realignments, and even the end of American parties. What causes these realignments, and could they happen today? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Mar 15, 202137 min

The ReUnited States: Walking Back (or Going Forward)

Long before the capitol riots, a few good people began working on a documentary about the best Americans working to bridge our yawning divide. They created a movie: The Reunited States. Erik asks them hard questions--not about the movie, but about America. Can we walk backwards... or somehow go forward? Three amazing Americans who have spent the last few years devoting themselves to bridging the divide answer Erik's tough questions about what next comes for a bruised and battered nation. Support...

Feb 15, 202151 min

Reckoning: How Will America Change Post-Capitol Riots? with Richard Hanania

Richard Hanania returns to speculate with Erik about how Congress, Silicon Valley, the Republican Party, and the nation as a whole will change after the Capitol Riots. Will our DNA change in the same way that it changed after 9/11? As usual, prepare for Erik and Richard to disagree fiercely :) Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jan 29, 20211 hr 4 min

What is America's Rubicon? How America's Political Breakdown Looks a Lot Like Rome's

Historian Mike Duncan makes a compelling case that a breakdown of the political rules of the game--mos maiorum--drove the downfall of the Roman Republic. How much is America's breakdown of political norms and cohesion like that of the Roman Republic? How do we avoid our own Civil Wars and Rubicon? Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Dec 28, 20201 hr 14 min

Christmas and moral obligation

This Christmas is like no other. Millions of Americans traveled and unsafely visited family during Thanksgiving, leading to countless super spreader events that are killing thousands, needlessly, right now. Tomorrow, Christmas, is a critical day, and we all have an important ethical decision to make. Stay home, save other people's lives, and try to encourage as many others to do the same in whatever language they're familiar with. Acting in a way that conforms with our own moral principles will ...

Dec 24, 20209 min

Political risk consulting with Perch Perspectives

If 2020 has demonstrated anything, it is that geopolitical services are no longer a luxury. Like legal or accounting services, geopolitical services are crucial for businesses with global exposure in the unstable years ahead. You wouldn’t do your own accounting...why would you do your political risk? Perch Perspectives was built to serve clients with international exposure, whether agribusiness, energy, financial, technology, or supply chain. Perch's mission is simple: give clients the geopoliti...

Dec 18, 20205 min

Covid-19: Debunking the BS

There is an astounding amount of BS surrounding COVID-19. In part because of that, we have nearly 300k Americans dead, and more to come. In this episode, Xander and Erik arm you with what you need to convince anti-maskers to get with the program. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dec 06, 20201 hr 29 min

2020 Election: Who Voted for Whom (and Maybe Why)

OK so Biden won, taking back PA, WI, MI, and flipping AZ blue for the first time since 1996 and GA blue for the first time since 1992. So this is a slightly different map than we’ve seen in a long time. FL and OH used to be THE states (remember 2000 and 2004?), and they both went solidly red this year and it just didn’t matter at all. In the 2000’s and 2010’s we also talked about CO, NM, and VA being at least in play, and those days are over. US voting patterns are changing and we’re going to ta...

Nov 20, 20201 hr 7 min

Why the Nagorno-Karabakh War Matters

Azerbaijan and Armenia are at war, over a strip of land with fewer than 150,000 people in it. This seems like the tiniest of conflicts... but it has real risk of erupting into a massive regional conflict. When does spilled blood get worked out, and when does it spiral out of control? We discuss this key question using history and geopolitics through the lens of this conflict in the Caucuses. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy f...

Oct 30, 202057 min

Introducing 10 American Presidents (and its Series on Ronald Reagan)

You just heard Roifield and Erik talk about the 2020 election, which will change US history forever. You might not know that in addition to MidAtlantic, Roifield hosts 10 American Presidents, an audio documentary on leaders who changed the country and the world. This quick trailer introduces Roifield's series on Ronald Reagan, as the 40th anniversary of his election approaches. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...

Oct 19, 20202 min

How Did It Come to This? Pt 2: How Media Got Us Here

The American political bubbles are now made of steel; we share fake news that reinforces our beliefs, and reject realities that don't conform with them. Is there any hope? We dive into the history of media technology for a glimmer of hope. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oct 17, 20201 hr

How Did It Come to This? Pt 1: How Trump Contests the Election Results

We talk about the President’s suggestions that he might not respect the outcome of the election, and his team’s efforts to prepare some states to award him delegates, even if he loses the state... and how that could play out. We’ll discuss what the endgame could look like between Nov 3 and January, and try not to speculate too much on what the outcome is likely to be. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Oct 16, 20201 hr 8 min

What Happens After Trump? (ReConsider + MidAtlantic Mashup)

What happens after Trump (almost certainly) loses the election? How does the US begin to heal its divides? How do the Republicans bounce back from a (likely) thrashing? Roifield Brown, host of the MidAtlantic podcast, joins Erik to talk about changes in American attitudes and demographics, as well as the ongoing challenges the US will face as confidence in our democratic institutions sits at a historic low. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See aca...

Oct 12, 20201 hr 29 min

What if The Fed Just Gave Us Free Money? w. Prof. Lawrence Marsh

Today, the Fed spends money buying bonds and setting interest rates to stimulate the economy. Econ Prof. Lawrence Marsh shares a radically different way of using the Fed: putting money directly into Americans' bank accounts. He argues the Fed needs to move from supply-side to demand-side stimulation in order to not only ease inequality but also lead to a much more efficient economy. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more i...

Oct 02, 202043 min

The LA Times Teaches Us How to Elect a Sheriff

Sheriffs have a frankly _weird_ job... and a very important one. Robert Greene, editorial writer for the LA Times focusing on criminal justice, shares with us how to educate yourself to vote well for your Sheriff. We cover the history of Sherifffing in California, how elections have gone in the past, how that's changing nation-wide, and how you can do the research yourself to really understand who you're voting for. Sheriffs have a massive impact on policing policy in your county, so this year i...

Sep 18, 202051 min

Does the US Fight Rational Wars? With Richard Hanania of Columbia U

Xander and Erik are bigtime Realists--we assume international relations are fairly rational. What if this model is flawed, and even biased? Richard Hanania, of Columbia University's Saltzman Institute of War and Peace Studies, makes his case that international relations are more like politics than we Realists would like to admit. Watch Erik actively ReConsider (with considerable anguish) his entire model of global politics makes sense! Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodca...

Sep 11, 20201 hr

[Special] This November, Vote for Your Sheriff!

Since the killing of George Floyd, Americans have used the soap box to demand reform to policing and the criminal justice system. In November, we will use the ballot box. But you may not even _know_ that your Sheriff is up for election, and they have a massive impact on policing in your county! On this episode of ReConsider, Xander and Erik break down why voting for your Sheriff is important in shaping law enforcement policy in the United States, how you can have an outsized impact in those elec...

Sep 07, 202025 min

Surely Mail-In Voting or Trump and DeJoy Will Rig the Election... Right?

Mail-in voting will lead to massive fraud and allow the Democrats to steal the election. Er, I mean: DeJoy's elimination of USPS sorting machines will disrupt voting this year so much to let Trump steal the election. Which conspiracy is your favorite? Do either of them hold water? Xander and Erik explore in GREAT depth: -Historical voter fraud in the United States -The risk of voter fraud with larger-scale mail-in voting -What DeJoy is actually doing at the USPS -How that compares to past Postma...

Aug 28, 20201 hr 34 min

Xander appears on Perch Perspectives with Jacob Shapiro

Xander recently appeared on the Perch Perspectives podcast, with Jacob Shapiro. Xander and Jacob have worked together as geopolitical analysts and consultants for a number of years, and recently Xander joined Jacob's new company, Perch Perspectives, as the vice president of analysis. Perch consults business on geopolitical risk that, as we're seeing, is increasingly impacting the global economy in ways that we haven't seen at least for the last 30 years. Support this show http://supporter.acast....

Aug 10, 202052 min

Operation Legend and the Portland Paramilitary Deployment

Paramilitary troops in Portland, Oregon, threw protesters in unmarked vans and tear-gassed so aggressively that they hit the Mayor of the city. "Operation Legend" is set to roll out to many other cities in the US--possibly whether they like it or not. Is Portland going to be repeated in Chicago and Detroit? We give you the full story and the context to be able to rise above the (very) aggressively partisan portrayals of Portland. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . H...

Aug 07, 20201 hr 5 min

COVID-19: Risks Beyond the Death Rate

A lot of peoples' perspectives about Coronavirus risks center around the Case Fatality Rate (CFR). Pretty low for young folks, so you're safe, right? For both individuals and society, there are risks beyond the CFR we should know. It could save lives. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 31, 20201 hr 28 min

The Hong Kong National Security Bill

Has Hong Kong been "lost?" Are their civil rights obliterated? What the heck just happened with the National Security Law? Lots of context needed, and provided in this episode. Xander and Erik go deep into the history of Hong Kong from the very beginning, and unfold HK's laws and relationship with Beijing since the 80's, to understand what led up to this seminal moment. Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/reconsiderpodcast . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....

Jul 15, 20201 hr 9 min
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