The Old Gods Podcast: Season 1 Wrap-up
The Old Gods Podcast is a brief attempt to answer one fundamental question about modern America: why are people losing confidence in the Old Gods of liberal democracy, capitalism, civil liberties, and nearly everything else? Join Birch Smith and Dan Visnovsky as they investigate these issues over twelve episodes, each running about 40-45 minutes. The first three episodes look at political groups who are losing faith in the Old Gods, from neo-Nazis and the hard left to more mainstream figures. Episodes four through ten look at the issues at stake, including free speech, the culture war, and controversies over capitalism. The final two episodes focus on futurecasting, and investigate what could go wrong and what could go right?
We don’t reach a true consensus. After all, one of us is a diehard civil libertarian and the other read way too much history and medieval philosophy. But we conclude that Americans must answer fundamental questions about who they are and what their polity should do, and that major policy reforms should be oriented to a balancing act that convinces Americans that there is a future for all of them. We believe that the defenders of the Old Gods have often done a poor job of defending their continuing, inherent value, but for all their potential flaws these Old Gods have protected us from older, more dangerous impulses.
So join us, if you’re inclined, for some political talk, a bit of philosophy, and even a few jokes as we ponder how to reverse some troubling trends in American society and how to defend the Old Gods. You can follow the podcast account on Twitter, see our episode list below for topics and titles, or listen to the preview here.
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Episode 1: The Far Right
Episode 2: Liberals and Leftists
Episode 3: Mainline Conservatism
Episode 4: Who is Really American?
Episode 5: Free Market Capitalism
Episode 6: The Culture War
Episode 7: The International Order
Episode 8: The Death of Expertise
Episode 9: Free Speech and Tech
Episode 10: The Democracy Episode
Episode 11: What Could Go Right?
Episode 12: What Could Go Wrong?
