Most of you know or have lived in cities with long streets or boulevards and you know that some of the same stores repeat themselves over and over again. Starbucks, CVS, etc. The neighborhoods change, but some of the retail landmarks remain the same.
In a way, history is like that. It goes on and on. And while the neighborhoods often change, there are things along the way that repeat themselves over and over again. In American history, one of them is certainly racism and discrimination, but also our ongoing flirtation with authoritarianism. Our fascination with bullies, the appeal of strength that sometimes proves to be more than just meanness.... it’s really evil.
Whether it was Father Coughlin on radio, Joe Pyne on television, Huey Long in politics, or in the contemporary era, Joe McCarthy and Donald Trump.
The added reality is that each episode pushes the envelope of what’s acceptable. The predicate for new norms is laid out and the next would-be talk show host or political demagogue has to go further.
Perhaps no one pushed the envelope further than Joe McCarthy. So much so that the idea of McCarthyism became baked into our lexicon. Needless to say, now in the midst of one of those flirtations, it seems the perfect time to go back and look at Joe McCarthy with journalist and author Larry Tye, whose new book is Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy.
My conversation with Larry Tye:
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The Last Candidate of the GOP
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Daniel Sokatch: A Pivotal Figure in Modern Jewish Dialogue and Israeli Affair is Redefining Jewish Advocacy
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Jonathan Taplin vs. the tech billionaires
From Poverty to Empowerment: The Rise of the Global Middle Class
Robert Sapolsky and our Illusion of Free Will
Don’t Shoot the Messenger: The Methods and Power of Pollsters
My Conversation with Heather Cox Richardson
From Buy to Cell: The Journey of SBF
The Shifting Sands of the Middle East: What’s Next for Israel, Hamas, and Iran?
Navigating the New Geopolitics: A Conversation with Sam Ramani
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Can America Survive Its Own Constitution? The Tyranny of the Minority
The Invisible Frontlines: Israel’s Secret War Against a Nuclear Iran
The Wisdom of Survivors: Overcoming Global Trauma
When the Game Was War: The 1987-88 NBA Season
Power Play: How Just 12 People Control America’s Economic Destiny: A conversation with John Coates
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