Tim Talks Politics

Historically, the UN has not been popular in the United States with a more vocal segment of the population critiquing its checkered history of peace missions gone wrong, institutional corruption, and the undermining of its stated democratic and liberal ideals. However, before one can grasp what the UN is and is not capable of, and whether America should or should not leverage the UN in its diplomacy, one should first start with a basic understanding of its purposes and organization. In this and the next two episodes, we’re going to read through and comment the UN’s foundational document, the UN charter.

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In this episode, I walk you through the NATO charter and the background of America's oldest standing political alliance. In his inaugural address, Biden argued that his administration would bring diplomacy, alliance commitments and democracy back and send them to new heights. His European trip earlier this summer was a key element of that recommitment to multilateral diplomacy. The trip also finished with a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. European allies and Russia.  No two entities symbolize America’s core geopolitical interests than this, and the embodiment of America’s alliance with Western Europe and security check against Russia is found in the NATO charter. 

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You've probably heard the saying "all politics is local," but what does that actually say about local politics? In the negative sense, it may refer to some cynical calculus about what issues ought to be discussed to win an election. However, in the positive sense, the saying can help us ground our understanding of politics and government in the more immediate concerns of our local communities, which can often have an uncanny way of building consensus, neighborliness, and all the positive attributes that can overcome the divisive politics of our time.

To help me unpack the virtues of local government and discuss the practical ways average citizens can get involved, I'm joined on the podcast by my friend and colleague Eric Alegria. Besides being a doctoral student, working professional, and family man, Eric also serves as the mayor of his city. In this conversation, we discuss what got him involved in local government, the challenges of civic leadership in the COVID era, the avenues open to citizen involvement in local government, and the practical step one can take to get involved. This is fun, practical, and encouraging conversation about what's possible in a democratic society where citizens care about their neighbors and community.

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There are few conflicts more contentious and polarizing in the American public square than the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. That conflict flamed anew in recent weeks over property disputes in East Jerusalem neighborhoods. What started as demonstrations quickly morphed into rioting, then military conflict as Islamist militants led by Hamas in the Gaza Strip volleyed thousands of rockets at Israeli cities and towns. As this podcast airs, there’s a ceasefire, so we may as well make use of the time to get our bearings on this conflict.

In today’s episode of the Tim Talks Politics podcast, I interview Dr. Judith Mendelsohn Rood, Professor Emeritus from Biola University on the deep and complex roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Strap in because while this conversation is longer than my usual interviews, it’s an information firehose!

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Harvard's Dr. Tom Patterson returns to the TTP podcast to talk about the future of the Republican Party in the "post-Trump" political landscape. I put "post-Trump" in quotations because, as we discuss in this episode, the influence of Trump on the Republican Party is very much a present force in the current GOP. Dr. Patterson and I revisit some of the major themes we discussed in our last conversation on challenges facing the Republican Party, then broaden the discussion to include challenges faced by the Democrats when it comes to governance, and the broader implications of a non-functioning Congress to the American political system. It's a stimulating conversation which locates current events in a much broader historical context than you'll find in the 24-hour news cycle. 

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April 15 is Tax Day in America! Not exactly a national holiday, but a day of civic significance as the IRS starts raking in the revenue that will be used to fund your government and its multitude of functions. But how exactly are we taxed? Where does all the money go? Who even decided that taxing Americans for working was such a good idea that it should be written into the Constitution? Americans rebelled against England, in part, over taxes, but taxes remain a necessary evil, so in this episode, I explore some the foundational questions related to the how your taxes are calculated, collected and used.

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This podcast has kind of fallen into series on evaluating some of the initial components of the Biden administration, using them as a jumping off point to discuss larger themes in American government with respect to the Presidency. In this episode, I’m going to provide an overview of the Interim National Security Strategy Guidance document as being the first major articulation of the Biden foreign policy.

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Joe Biden is barely a month in office and he’s already setting a fairly blistering pace of signing executive orders. Why so much activity so early? Is it just about undoing the Trump legacy? Is it about signaling a “energetic executive”? Is it signaling a larger legislative effort? Well, it’s a little of “all of the above”. Compared to his immediate predecessors, Joe Biden moved quickly to sign a bunch of executive orders in the opening weeks of his administration that left many critics crying “imperial presidency,” and “executive overreach!” But is it?

In today’s show, I’m going to provide you with a brief overview of executive orders, their purposes, how they fit in our Constitution system, and why they so often become a lightning rod for partisan controversy.

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Typically, I'd be posting a new episode this week, but I'm in the midst of preparing for my qualifying exams in my doctoral program, so there won't be the usual podcast episode this week. 

BUT, I look forward to talking with you again in a couple weeks when I'm (hopefully) safely on the other side of qualifying exams. Until next time, then!

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I recorded this episode on Inauguration Day and took the opportunity to do a rhetorical analysis of President Biden's inaugural address. It was a solid speech that hit all the right notes of pathos in keeping with the best traditions of inaugural addresses, and it also made a couple of surprising innovations. That's the rhetorical analysis. From a political standpoint, though, it's a speech that will likely leave the half of America that did not vote for Biden uneasy with veiled references to a national campaign against "political extremism, white supremacy, and domestic terrorism," and no mention of the strategic challenges America faces from countries like China. Lots to dig into in this episode, I hope you enjoy it!

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