The Poverty of Consumption with Philip Pilkington

Over the last two weeks, an online battle has broken out among the New Right over the Israel-Iran conflict and the Trump administration's bombing of an Iranian nuclear facility. Regardless of whether the recent ceasefire between Iran and Israel holds, the events so far have drawn clear dividing lines within the coalition. What does "America First" mean for Middle Eastern policy?Josh Hammer, author of Israel and Civilization, and Sohrab Ahmari, U.S. editor of UnHerd, join Oren to debate the wisdom of Trump's attack, the limits of Jacksonian restrictionist foreign policy, and how to think about the U.S. relationship with Israel. The group unpacks the intricacies of what a post-hegemonic world order actually looks like in the Middle East, and how best to respond to what could come next.Further reading:“Is Israel the Ideal 'America First' Ally?” by Oren Cass

Economists have claimed for years that Americans are prospering more than ever before. So why do so few people feel that way?Philip Pilkington, author of the forthcoming The Collapse of Global Liberalism, joins Oren to discuss how these economic metrics are obscuring real problems. The two challenge the assumption that consumption is an unalloyed good and discuss the need to think about our nation's economic health in a way that centers human flourishing.Further reading:“The Limits of Consumption Deepening: Why Consuming More Makes Us Poorer” by Philip Pilkington

When news broke that the local paper mill in Chillicothe, OH, was closing its doors and laying off 780 employees, one Ohio senator made it his mission to fight for those workers.Sen. Bernie Moreno (R-OH) joins Oren to talk about his efforts to put American workers and their families first. The freshman senator explains how his background led him to Congress and breaks down the forces driving the political realignment he’s helping lead. The two discuss how the Republican Party can better serve its voters on labor, trade, and beyond, as well as the need to fight against private equity firms and other forces seeking to outsource American jobs.

Today’s Republican Party has come a long way from the days of William F. Buckley, Jr., but his legacy continues to be felt across the conservative movement.Sam Tanenhaus, former editor of the New York Times Book Review and author of the newly released Buckley: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America, joins Oren to discuss the conservative statesman’s life and work. The two discuss how Buckley viewed himself as a reactionary bent on overthrowing the liberal orthodoxy of his day, his work to realign the party, and what those who aim to do likewise today can learn from his legacy.Further reading:“William F. Buckley, Jr. and the Politics of Reality" by Michael Lind

Vice President JD Vance joined Oren Cass at American Compass’s five-year anniversary celebration for a wide-ranging discussion of the ongoing political realignment, the importance of conservative economics, and where the movement goes from here.During their conversation at the New World Gala, Vance and Cass discuss the rapid shift in conservative thinking on issues like trade, industrial policy, and education, as well as the Trump administration’s strategies for prioritizing workers, families, and communities. Finally, Vance offers his advice for young conservatives looking to help build a conservative movement oriented toward the common good.

American conservatism has never been static. Changes in our national political environment have previously shifted what the Republican Party stands for. But how does today’s New Right compare to earlier realignments driven by President Ronald Reagan or William F. Buckley Jr.?Before the June 3rd release of The New Conservatives, Matthew Continetti, director of domestic policy studies at the American Enterprise Institute, joins Oren to talk through the history of recent conservative realignments. The two discuss how previous ideological realignments have taken root in various Washington think tanks and institutions, how President Trump's revolution compares to Reagan's, and where the remnants of the Old Right coalition will end up in our new political environment.

Globalization and deindustrialization have brought with them a sense among American workers that the good jobs they could once count on have disappeared. As family-supporting careers evaporate, service jobs with lower pay and unpredictable hours take their place in many communities across the country.Zeynep Ton, professor of practice at MIT’s Sloan School of Management, joins Oren to discuss what a better future of work could look like. The two talk through what a “good job” means today, in a world where frontline service-sector work dominates U.S. employment. Plus, they unpack why stability, career growth, and supportive pay for the jobs that already exist—rather than a focus on training for the “jobs of the future”—is vital to supporting America’s workers.Further reading:“Building a Strong U.S. Middle Class Requires High-Productivity, High-Dignity Service Jobs,” by Zeynep Ton

The Trump administration’s new trade policy toward China has revealed just how deeply enmeshed major American corporations are with our chief geopolitical rival. Apple’s story is perhaps the most dramatic.Patrick McGee, author of Apple in China and San Francisco correspondent for the Financial Times, joins Oren to discuss how Apple, like so many other nominally American companies, is constrained by the rules, regulations, and industrial preferences of the Chinese Communist Party. They break down how China dominates its peer competitors, the way multinational corporations sleepwalked into the present crisis, and the possibility of America breaking China’s industrial chokehold.Further reading:Apple in China: The Capture of the World's Greatest Company by Patrick McGeeTrade with Communists Should Be Uncertain by Oren CassDisfavored Nation by Mark DiPlacido, Chris Griswold, and Trevor Jones

The second Trump administration has spurred a wave of domestic industrial investment and a recognition that making things in America matters. But what does that look like from the factory floor?Chris Power, founder and CEO of Hadrian, joins Oren to discuss how his company is helping lead reindustrialization efforts here in the United States. He explains the revolutionary technologies Hadrian uses to compete at scale with foreign firms and highlights just how different the manufacturing jobs of today are compared to what many think of as “factory work.” Finally, he and Oren talk through ways policymakers can support the domestic industrial startups we need to return America to its place as the world’s leading technological and industrial power.Further reading:The Techno-Industrial Policy Playbook, published this week by American Compass, FAI, IFP, and NAIANot By Tariff Alone by Chris Griswold What An Enduring Industrial Policy Requires by Charles Yang Tear Down this Paper Wall by Christopher Koopman and Josh T. Smith 

What should conservatives make of the first 100 days of Trump’s second term? Rachel Bovard, vice president of programs at the Conservative Partnership Institute, joins Oren to discuss how to measure an unconventional administration’s early successes, what to make of DOGE, and where the administration should direct its efforts to capitalize on its public mandate.Plus, they discuss one major change that all conservatives should celebrate: a better approach to antitrust enforcement, led by Andrew Ferguson and Mark Meador at the FTC and Gail Slater at DOJ.Further reading:“Break ’em Up” by Rachel Bovard“Antitrust’s Conservative Future” by FTC Commissioner Mark Meador