Reasonably Optimistic

For a lot of men, friendship doesn’t disappear all at once. It fades slowly: a missed call here, a canceled plan there, a few busy years that become a decade. Before you know it, the relationship has moved to the background of life, where it can feel easier to assume the bond will survive on memory than to do the awkward work of reaching back out. Andrew McCarthy wanted to understand why that story is so common.

Host Megan McArdle is joined by the actor, director and author, whose new book, “Who Needs Friends: An Unscientific Examination of Male Friendship Across America,” follows his 10,000-mile journey to reconnect with old friends and ask men what friendship means to them. 

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A trillion dollars seems like enough money to solve almost anything. We could end world hunger, wipe out medical debt, shrink the federal deficit and still have plenty left over. So when people talk about Elon Musk’s potential trillion-dollar fortune, or the wealth of billionaires more broadly, it’s natural to ask: Why don't we simply tax the rich and use the money to fix our country’s biggest problems?

Host Megan McArdle argues that while taxing billionaires may sound morally obvious, billionaire wealth is often a stock of assets rather than a flow of spendable income — and that distinction makes wealth taxes far more complicated than they appear.

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Populist candidates have a way of making politics feel simple. They tell voters that the problem is obvious, the villains are known and the solution is to break through corrupt institutions standing in the way. That message can be emotionally powerful, but what happens after populists win? Why do they so often win the crowd but lose the plot?

Host Megan McArdle is joined by Richard Hanania, a political scientist and writer whose ideological journey has taken many turns. His new book, "Kakistocracy," argues that populism tends to produce worse leaders, weaker institutions, more corruption and a politics driven by resentment and conspiratorial thinking. They discuss why populism is so appealing and whether liberal democracy can rebuild trust.

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As European tourists travel across the United States for World Cup matches, many are discovering an America they didn’t expect: vast landscapes, friendly strangers, huge portions, small-town surprises and a sense of abundance that Americans often take for granted. Their reactions are going viral, offering a fresh reminder that the United States can look very different from the outside than it does on social media or the news.

Host Megan McArdle argues that Americans have become too pessimistic about their own country — and that seeing America through European eyes can help us rediscover what is still dynamic, generous, innovative and worth taking pride in.

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There was a time when shopping for clothes meant walking into a department store and hoping the limited sizes and styles available at that exact moment might fit. Then, the internet changed everything. Online shopping didn’t just make fashion more convenient; it expanded what retailers could offer, what customers could demand and who got to dictate trends.

Host Megan McArdle is joined by Shawn Grain Carter, a professor at the Fashion Institute of Technology and former Bloomingdale’s buyer who helped launch the Macy’s website. They discuss the shift from department store floors to the infinite shelves of the internet.

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Millions of Americans have moved to the South in recent years. The usual explanations — lower taxes, cheaper housing and warmer weather — are only part of the story. Host Megan McArdle explores the economic and historical forces driving the century-long transformation of America’s fastest-growing region.

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Host Megan McArdle talks with culture writer Kat Rosenfield about how dating apps, therapy-speak and online gender wars have changed romance — making flirtation feel risky, rejection feel catastrophic and desire feel suspect. They discuss the lost art of approaching people in real life, what older courtship norms got right and Rosenfield’s new novel, “How to Survive in the Woods.”

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Political parties keep asking voters to overlook scandals, bad judgment and unstable behavior because the other side is worse. Senate candidates Graham Platner and Ken Paxton are only the latest examples. Host Megan McArdle argues that character still matters in politics — and that voters are not helpless victims of polarization.

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Is empathy destroying the West? That's the provocative claim at the center of Gad Saad's new book, "Suicidal Empathy." Host Megan McArdle is joined by Saad, a professor at the University of Mississippi, to discuss the trade-offs societies make in the name of compassion and whether America has the capacity to absorb differences.

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Eating food cooked at home has traditionally been considered a cheaper option to ordering takeout. So why are so many in Gen Z choosing food away from home? Host Megan McArdle explores how convenience, changing expectations and the modern economy have transformed the way we eat.

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