Episode 3.15: Made to Eat Dirt: The Rhetoric and Politics of Humiliation – Roxanne Euben

AUDREY JAQUISS interviews RHIANA GUNN-WRIGHT, Climate Policy Director of the Roosevelt Institute. They delve into discussions on the intersection of climate policy with issues such as white supremacy, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), and economic concerns. Gunn-Wright explores the importance of universality in climate policy and strategies for navigating reactionary political landscapes. 

Barbara McQuade, a legal analyst for NBC News and MSNBC, discusses her new book Attack from Within: How Disinformation is Sabotaging America. Barbara argues disinformation is a threat to democracy. However, the larger threat is not from foreign adversaries, but those within the country who use disinformation for political gain. Still, the even larger attack comes from within ourselves. She argues we need a moral reckoning to preserve democracy in an era where disinformation and misinformation is so widespread. Justin Kempf, host of the Democracy Paradox, interviews Barbara in a wide-ranging conversation about propaganda, social media, and democracy in the 21st century.  Episode in partnership with Democracy Paradox.    

JONATHAN BLITZER, staff writer at The New Yorker, discusses his recent book Everyone Who Is Gone Is Here: The United States, Central America, and the Making of a Crisis. According to Blitzer, immigration policy happens at the intersection of international relations and domestic politics. In this episode, he uses personal stories to help explain his points. JUSTIN KEMPF, host of the Democracy Paradox, interviews Blitzer about immigration, Central America, and the many people affected. Episode in partnership with Democracy Paradox.

Join Secretary MARCIA LIMA and Penn Professor MICHAEL G. HANCHARD in a candid conversation on the pervasive nature of anti-blackness in Brazil and the United States. Lima currently serves as the Secretary of Affirmative Action Policies and Combatting and Overcoming Racism at the Ministry of Racial Equality in Brazil. This conversation examines parallels and disparities between the two countries in addressing systemic racism, as well as the ways in which the fight against racism is portrayed in the media and popular culture. The episode confronts the complexities of racial identity and governance as well as possibilities for global solidarity in the fight for racial justice.

Interviewer: AUDREY JAQUISS. Director of the Institute for Global Sustainability and Professor at Boston University, BENJAMIN SOVACOOL, delves into the crucial concept of energy justice. Sovacool unravels its definition and examines the demographics and locations where it is most pertinent. Distinguishing energy justice from climate or environmental justice, he offers insights into the nuances of this evolving field. Sovacool shares policy recommendations aimed at achieving energy justice and explores the unique roles that individuals and nations play in this collective endeavor. From the interconnectedness of social and environmental concerns to the responsibilities that we all bear in the pursuit of a just energy transition, Sovacool aims to broaden our understanding. Disclaimer: The audio quality varies throughout this episode. We decided it was best to release it nonetheless, due to the quality of the conversation.  

Interviewer: JOSHUA ROSE. Associate Professor at Georgetown University, JOSHUA CHERNISS, explores the dynamic relationship between diversity of thought and democracy, acknowledging it as both a core element of democracy's existence while also a significant challenge to its sustenance. He challenges the assumption that democracy will endure, emphasizing the need for active reflection to safeguard its foundations. In this conversation, Professor Cherniss navigates the nuanced terrain of liberal democracy, delving into the depths of political philosophy and its implications for the future of democracy.  

Interviewer: JOSHUA ROSE. Philadelphia is a city grappling with complex dynamics surrounding policing, criminality, and a commitment to rehabilitation. HELENA VON NAGY, an Assistant District Attorney in the Municipal Court, delves into the intricacies of Philadelphia's criminal justice system, narrating her day-to-day experiences working at the heart of Philadelphia's legal landscape. She sheds light on the multifaceted world of criminal justice in the City of Brotherly Love.

Interviewer: MATTHEW BERKMAN. On the cusp of a crucial election for Virginia, political activist JOSH STANFIELD discusses the stakes in his second AMC podcast appearance in an interview with political scientist Matthew Berkman. With this being the first legislative election for both Congressional chambers under new maps designed after the 2020 census, the status quo has shifted – aligning with a period of significant political turnover. Stanfield emphasizes the lack of faith that Virginia citizens have in elected officials and in large-scale development projects, culminating in underhanded tactics to bring in tourism and development at the risk of popular discontent and environmental harm. He also discusses how he is able to carve out a living while engaging in frequent freedom of information work and the various legal processes which accompany it.

Interviewer: JOSHUA ROSE. In his recent book, The Principle of Political Hope, political theorist LOREN GOLDMAN attempts to avoid the sense of inevitability that creeps into political thought, either as optimistic faith in unstoppable progress or pessimistic despair at a broken world. Engaging with thinkers such as Immanuel Kant, Ernst Bloch, Charles Peirce, William James, and John Dewey, Goldman holds up hope as a productive middle ground, combining belief in the possibility of a better world with acceptance of the risk of failure. In his wide-ranging discussion with host Joshua Rose, he explores core questions of political life. Does history have a discernable direction and, if so, what role does that leave for purposive action? Are there clear standards of right and wrong by which to judge political outcomes? Should the individual be constrained by the collectivity? Above all, he argues for experimentation as a goal in itself and as an antidote to politics based on rigid certainties.

Interviewer: AUDREY JAQUISS. The California legislature has passed two bills, now awaiting Governor Gavin Newsome’s signature, that potentially open up a new frontier in environmental law and climate action. As law professor MICHAEL GERRARD and Wharton professor ERIC ORTS explain, SB 253 would require that companies disclose their carbon emissions, and SB 261 their vulnerability to climate-related risks, in a standardized, verifiable way, making it more difficult for them to hide behind vague mission statements and inflated carbon offsets. In their discussion with political scientist Audrey Jaquiss, Gerrard and Orts point out that, while these laws would not directly mandate emission reductions, they would put a powerful tool in the hands of activists, legislators, shareholders and consumers to demand measurable progress in the fight against climate change. They also discuss potential roadblocks, both in the form of legal challenges and relentless lobbying efforts to weaken the final regulations, but remain hopeful that, as it has in the past, California's laws might have an impact well beyond its borders.