Politicology

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Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid unpack historian Gordon S. Wood’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed arguing that the United States is built on shared ideas, not shared bloodlines—and what that means in an era of rising “blood and soil” nationalism and demographic change.

They dig into whether the American creed still has enough power to hold a multi-ethnic, multi-faith democracy together. 

Related Reading: 

WSJ - Why America Is a ‘Creedal Nation’ - WSJ

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In this episode, Ron is joined by Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) to break down the Trump administration’s 2025 National Security Strategy—and why it reads like multiple agendas stitched together.

They dig into the document’s big shift toward the Western Hemisphere, what “partnership without shared values” really implies, and how the administration’s internal split—isolationists vs. internationalists—creates real risk when the U.S. can’t speak with one voice.

The conversation moves to China and Taiwan, where the NSS repeats long-standing policy while the administration’s actions suggest a tougher, more transactional posture. Then they hit the blind spots: Hong Kong and Jimmy Lai, the chilling signal sent by a collapse of opposition space, and what it means when human rights drops out of the national security frame.

Finally: Islamist extremism and antisemitic violence, including the Bondi Beach shooting and a foiled bombing plot in Southern California—and why ignoring incitement doesn’t make it disappear.

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Related Reading:

The Atlantic - The Longest Suicide Note in American History - The Atlantic

NYT - Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai’s Conviction Was Years in the Making - The New York Times

NYT - Heng Guan Documented China’s Detention of Uyghurs. The U.S. Wants to Deport Him. - The New York Times

Kharon -Hypersonic Secret: ‘China’s MIT’ Worked with U.S. while Developing Weapons to Use Against It | Kharon

WP - Bondi Beach gunmen appear inspired by Islamic State, authorities say - The Washington Post

Compact Magazine - The Lost Generation | Compact

NY Times - Opinion | Does Discrimination Explain the Rightward Shift of Young Men? - The New York Times

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In this episode, Ron is joined by Lucy Caldwell (Board Advisor to the Renew Democracy Initiative) to confront the question hanging over Democratic politics: Can the Democratic Party keep pretending we’re not in a populist era? 

Lucy breaks down the party’s internal struggle between centrists and insurgents—and why both sides are wildly overinterpreting recent election results. Using the Maine Senate race as a case study, they examine how primaries reward disruption and narrative power, often at the expense of general-election viability, and why nationalized politics makes it harder than ever for candidates to outrun the Democratic brand.

Finally, Ron and Lucy dig into affordability—the disconnect between elite economic narratives and everyday experience—and why dismissing those pressures only fuels the kind of toxic populism Democrats say they fear.

In Politicology+ they talk about the current healthcare landscape and the ongoing debate about how we pay for healthcare. They critique the ACA’s effectiveness, the challenges of health insurance coverage and explore market-based solutions. They also highlight the importance of personal advocacy in navigating healthcare and the evolving discourse around health and wellness, particularly in the context of AI's role in healthcare advocacy.

DONATE FOR UKRAINE

To support equipment requests for our frontline communicators and psyop-ers in Ukraine, you can use this link: paypal.me/MollyKMcKew

POLITICOLOGY+

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

CONTRIBUTE TO POLITICOLOGY

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SPONSORS & PROMO CODES https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Listen to The Last Invention: https://bit.ly/4pob891

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

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Related Reading: 

Noah Smith - The "$140,000 poverty line" is very silly

The Free Press - Big-Tent Politics Won’t Save the Democrats

The Free Press - Has the Democratic Tea Party Arrived? - by Gabe Fleisher

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Last weekend, eleven Politicology listeners from all over the country joined Ron and Mike in person for a salon style retreat called Unscripted: A Politicology Gathering.

They explored big questions like “What is the point of America?” and “What does it mean to be a citizen in the digital age?” 

In this episode, those same listeners share what they learned and how it’s changing how they think about the evolving world we’re all living in.

Stay in the loop about Unscripted gatherings: https://bit.ly/3XK4tub

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Have you ever thought about what it means to be anonymous? 

Have you considered what it means that you can walk down the street or go to the grocery store or out to dinner without someone you’ve never met knowing your name, everything you’ve posted online, or your political leanings?

Or when you go on a first date with someone, they’d walk in knowing your dating history, your political affiliations, your credit score or what groceries you buy?

Advancements in facial recognition and a secretive startup could end privacy as we know it. 

In this two-part conversation, New York Times Tech Reporter Kashmir Hill joins host Ron Steslow to discuss privacy, anonymity, facial recognition software and her book Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It.

In part 2:

(01:40) “Technical sweetness” and the lack of ethical considerations by the people building these new technologies 

(12:30) Privacy laws in the U.S. and Europe 

(15:24) The trend of law enforcement agencies skirting constitutional protections by buying information from private companies.

(27:20) Balancing security and privacy in the age of ubiquitous surveillance

(30:50) What the future of privacy might look like 

Read Your Face Belongs to Us: https://bit.ly/49qsbQm

Follow Ron and Kashmir  on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://twitter.com/kashhill

Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬.

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Have you ever thought about what it means to be anonymous? 

Have you considered what it means that you can walk down the street or go to the grocery store or out to dinner without someone you’ve never met knowing your name, everything you’ve posted online, or your political leanings?

Or when you go on a first date with someone, they’d walk in knowing your dating history, your political affiliations, your credit score or what groceries you buy?

Advancements in facial recognition and a secretive startup could end privacy as we know it. 

In this two-part conversation, New York Times Tech Reporter Kashmir Hill joins host Ron Steslow to discuss privacy, anonymity, facial recognition software and her book Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest to End Privacy as We Know It.

In part 1:

(01:43 ) Ron and Kashmir discuss anonymity and privacy and the erosion of both in our daily lives 

(00:00 ) Balancing convenience and privacy 

(11:00) The origins of ClearviewAI 

(13:30) Genetic determinism in the development of facial recognition 

(18:20) Kashmir dives deep into the history of facial recognition software and how it developed. 

(22:37) How Facebook crowdsourced training facial recognition technology

(25:00) How much privacy should we have and who should be able to use facial recognition software? 

Read Your Face Belongs to Us: https://bit.ly/49qsbQm

Follow Ron and Kashmir  on X (formerly Twitter):

https://twitter.com/RonSteslow

https://twitter.com/kashhill

Email your questions and thoughts to [email protected] or leave us a voicemail at ‪(202) 455-4558‬.

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Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare) joins Ron to break down a whirlwind of revelations about Trumpworld’s back-channel contacts with the Kremlin—and what they mean for Ukraine’s survival. 

Molly explains the leaked call where envoy Steve Witkoff coached the Kremlin on how to influence Donald Trump. She details why this behavior is wildly outside diplomatic norms and directly weakens Ukraine on the battlefield. 

Then, they unpack Russia’s rejection of a new “19-point plan,” what Putin actually wants, and how these negotiations are designed to drive a wedge between the U.S. and Europe. 

Molly shares harrowing firsthand updates from Ukrainian units living under “complete drone saturation,” and delivers a clear message from the front: Ukraine is still fighting for its democracy—and they need U.S. support now more than ever.

Giving thanks for Ukraine! To support equipment requests for our frontline communicators and psyop-ers in Ukraine, you can use this link: paypal.me/MollyKMcKew

Related Reading: 

WSJ - Make Money Not War: Trump’s Real Plan for Peace in Ukraine

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In a special Thanksgiving-week episode of The Weekly, Ron Steslow and Mike Madrid sit down to answer your questions — about the deep fractures emerging inside the Republican Party, the escalating ICE raids in smaller cities, the boundary between sharp-elbowed politics and institutional destruction, the rise of AI, and the future of American civic life.

In Politicology+ they unpack historian Gordon S. Wood’s recent Wall Street Journal op-ed arguing that the United States is built on shared ideas, not shared bloodlines—and what that means in an era of rising “blood and soil” nationalism and demographic transformation.

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

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Last week, a “peace plan” to end the war in Ukraine leaked to the press. It would force Kyiv to abandon its NATO ambitions, cap its armed forces and shower Moscow with concessions.

In this episode Ron talks to Gabrielius Landsbergis (former Foreign Minister of Lithuania ) and Molly McKew (writer and lecturer on Russian influence and information warfare)  about what’s in the plan, what it means for Ukraine, Europe, and Nato and what it says about America’s role in the world.

Read Molly’s breakdown of the plan: https://www.greatpower.us/p/28-points-later

Giving thanks for Ukraine! To support equipment requests for our frontline communicators and psyop-ers in Ukraine, you can use this link: paypal.me/MollyKMcKew

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Follow Ron, Molly, and Gabrielius on X (formerly Twitter):

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This week, Ron Steslow and Hagar Chemali (Fmr. spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) break down the newly released Epstein emails, what they show, what they don’t and why the national security implications are far bigger than the headlines.

They dig into Epstein’s attempts to insert himself into global politics including offering Russia “insight” on Donald Trump and the strange connection between Larry Summers and China’s Belt and Road Initiative 

Then, they walk through why Congress forced the DOJ’s hand, why Pam Bondi now controls what gets redacted, and why the lack of institutional trust means any carve-outs will only fuel more conspiracy and chaos.

After that, they turn to Poland, where a Russian-backed sabotage attack on a key supply line to Ukraine has triggered a crisis inside NATO. 

In Politicology+ they dive into back-to-back Oval Office visits from two Middle Eastern leaders, and what Trump’s defense of the Saudi Crown Prince reveals about America’s shifting posture in the region. 

Not yet a Politicology+ member? Don’t miss all the extra episodes on the private, ad-free version of this podcast. Upgrade now at politicology.com/plus.

Contribute to Politicology at politicology.com/donate

Find our sponsor links and promo codes here: https://bit.ly/44uAGZ8

Get 15% off OneSkin with the code RON at  https://www.oneskin.co/ #oneskinpod

Send your questions and ideas to [email protected] or leave a voicemail at ‪(703) 239-3068‬

Listen to The Last Invention: https://bit.ly/4pob891

Follow this week’s panel on X (formerly Twitter):

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https://x.com/HagarChemali

Related Reading: 

Politico - Jeffrey Epstein claimed he gave Russians insight into Trump

Newsweek - Donald Trump ‘blowing Bubba’ message in Epstein emails under scrutiny - Newsweek

ABC News - Epstein offered reporter photos of 'donald and girls in bikinis in my kitchen': Email - ABC News

NY Post - Meet economist Keyu Jin, who Larry Summers asked Jeffrey Epstein advice on how to get 'horizontal' with | New York Post

NYT - Poland Blames Russian-Backed Ukrainians for Railway Sabotage

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