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:
Democracies Are Not Forever...Is The US Headed Down The Same Path As Rome?
Outright Lies Are Posing As Today's Conspiracy Theories
The Klan and White Supremacy...Then and Now
We'll Be OK If We Can Make It to 2040
If Democracy Requires Critical Thinking, Are We Doomed?
According to the World Health Organization, Superbugs are a Greater Health Threat Than Climate Change
The Remembered Past vs. The Real Past
Why Coders Matter and Why They Control Our Future
Who We Connect With Impacts Who We Become, and Who We Become Impacts Who We Connect With
The Brave New World of Immunotherapy
Should We Negotiate With Hostage Takers?
Brave, Not Perfect
How Our Lives Are Being Run By Algorithms: From the 737 to Our Daily Commute
Facebook and Zuckerberg Not Only Screwed Up Reality..They Even Screwed Up Virtual Reality: The Story of Palmer Luckey and Oculus
How Our Republic Collapsed and How it Might Be Saved
A Look at Everything that Ivanka Trump Will Never Understand About Working People in America
The History of our Future: A Conversation with Former FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler
The Future is Asian
Patriarchy in the Me Too Era: A conversation with Carol Gilligan
When Did We Start This "Division Thing?"
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