Dr. Andrew Bard Schmookler began his life's work in the late 1960s, studying how forces – constructive and, primarily, destructive – operate in civilized societies. He wrote several books on these subjects (which you can find in the description of this podcast), but in 2004, Dr. Schmookler focused his attention on the current crisis in America, which he sees as perhaps the most profound face this nation in its history: He sees a destructive force of brokenness within the Republican Party, and a woefully weak Democratic Party ill-equipped to confront it.

The first part, The Conservative Forces of Brokenness, focused on the darkness that seeped into the conservative party after 1964 and hastened by the mid-1990s. In this episode, Dr. Schmookler and I continue our discussion, confronting the ways in which the Democrats could not see the storm gathering in front of them and the weaknesses that continue to permeate a party that might be our last best hope at keeping a Democracy.

For more information: http://abetterhumanstory.org/

Twitter: @andyschmookler

Amazon Book Store: Dr. Andrew Bard Schmookler