In this wide-ranging conversation, writer and editor Titus Techera explores how media has evolved from America's founding to today's social media landscape. We discuss how different forms of media - from Revolutionary War pamphlets to modern podcasts - have shaped American democracy and character.

Techera breaks down how technological changes have repeatedly disrupted elite institutional control, and why legacy media's attempts to maintain power in the digital age keep backfiring. We explore the roles of figures like Joe Rogan, Christopher Rufo, and Elon Musk in transforming modern media dynamics.

The Third Wave of Journalism: https://lawliberty.org/the-third-wave-of-journalism/

The Postmodern Conservative: https://pomocon.substack.com/

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NYT columnist Ross Douthat joins me to discuss his new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious. We explore why skeptics and non-believers should consider religious faith, examining evidence from science, philosophy, and human experience. Douthat makes the case that religious belief is not only reasonable but arguably obligatory for thinking people in our age.

Buy the book: https://www.amazon.com/Believe-Why-Everyone-Should-Religious-ebook/dp/B0D8VNGWKL/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=theurban-20

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Princeton Classics PhD Alex Petkas argues against the "Great Books" model of classical education and makes the case for returning to traditional classical training focused on Greek and Latin languages. He explains why Plutarch's Lives was one of early America's most influential books and why it deserves renewed attention today.

Alex Petkas is host of the Cost of Glory podcast, exploring great thinkers and events in classical civilization.

Alex Petka's article in the American Mind: “Great Books” Is for Losers: https://americanmind.org/salvo/great-books-is-for-losers/

The Cost of Glory Podcast: https://www.costofglory.com/

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In this episode, Ruy Teixeira, one of America's leading political analysts, discusses the dramatic realignment of American political coalitions and what it means for the future. A longtime Democratic insider and co-author of The Emerging Democratic Majority, Teixeira explains his journey from progressive think tanks to the American Enterprise Institute, unpacks the Democrats' struggles with working-class voters, and offers a three-point plan for rebuilding the Democratic coalition.

The Liberal Patriot: https://www.liberalpatriot.com/

Buy The Emerging Democratic Majority: https://www.amazon.com/Emerging-Democratic-Majority-John-Judis-ebook/dp/B0036QVPEU/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=theurban-20

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P. Jesse Rine, director of the Center for Academic Faithfulness and Flourishing (CAFF), joins us to talk about the state of Christian higher education. He will also showcase CAFF's new online Christian college guide, which is the most comprehensive collection of information about Christian colleges available.

Note: This podcast may be best on Youtube because it involves a demonstration of a web site with beta data: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGoVYk06TwI

Christian College Guide: https://www.christiancollegeguide.com/

Center for Academic Faithfulness and Flourishing: https://www.faithfulcolleges.org/

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In this episode, a deep dive with Matthew Continetti on his book The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism. We explore how American conservatism developed, from its birth in in the 1920s and opposition to FDR's New Deal through today's populist resurgence. Continetti explains why conservative populism keeps returning, how elites lost their grip on the right, and what the future might hold for American conservatism.

Matthew Continetti is the Director of Domestic Policy Studies and the Patrick and Charlene Neal Chair in American Prosperity at the American Enterprise Institute.

Buy: The Right: The Hundred Year War for American Conservatism - https://www.amazon.com/Right-Hundred-Year-War-American-Conservatism/dp/1541600517/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=theurban-20

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In this episode, Tim Chapman discusses how traditional conservatives are engaging with the Trump administration. He's the president of Advancing American Freedom, an advocacy group set up by former Vice President Mike Pence.

We discuss:

• What traditional conservatism is and what it's future is in the age of populism and Trumpism
• What Advancing American Freedom does
• Engaging with the Trump administration: supporting China tariffs and a Tik Tok ban, tax cuts, deregulation
• Why AAF opposes RFK, Jr.'s nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services over abortion.

Advancing American Freedom: https://advancingamericanfreedom.com/
Follow Tim Chapman on Twitter/X: https://x.com/TimChapman

Get my analysis of Christianity, family, cities, politics, society and economics: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

In this episode, sociologist Musa al-Gharbi discusses his book We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite.

How should we understand the "woke" phenomenon? Where did it come from? Why do elite whites claim to be marginalized, while showing little care for genuinely marginalized people around them like the service workers they rely on?

Article referred to in the podcast about China interfering to elect Bill Clinton president in the 1990s: https://musaalgharbi.com/2018/03/01/democrats-unlearned-lessons-2020/4/

GUEST LINKS:
📖  We Have Never Been Woke: The Cultural Contradictions of a New Elite: https://www.amazon.com/Have-Never-Been-Woke-Contradictions-ebook/dp/B0D6QDVW24/?&_encoding=UTF8&tag=theurban-20
🌐 Website: https://musaalgharbi.substack.com/
🐦 Twitter/X: @Musa_alGharbi

CONNECT & FOLLOW:
🌐 Website: https://www.aaronrenn.com/
🐦 Twitter/X: @aaron_renn

Jon Askonas is a professor of politics at Catholic University. He wrote an interesting piece for Comment magazine on how Americans went from seeing technology as a source of progress to viewing it as leading us to an apocalypse. He joins us to discuss: How and why did this shift take place? Why are we so anxious? How should we live in this age of anxiety?

Read "Building a Future in the Face of the Apocalypse": https://comment.org/building-a-future-in-the-face-of-the-apocalypse/

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Academia is almost entirely dominated by the left. Robert George, McCormick Professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton, has thrived in it as a strong Catholic. But is it possible for conservatives and Christians to follow the same path today? What are the signs of optimism both for conservatives in academia, but also for a healthier climate for academia itself? George joins me to discuss these topics and what's he's personally been doing to push academia in a healthier direction.

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