Conversations with Bill Kristol

In this wide-ranging conversation, his second on "Conversations with Bill Kristol," business founder and investor Peter Thiel discusses the global economy, the state of technology, and the future of computing and artificial intelligence. Thiel argues that we have had less technological innovation over the last few decades and explains one reason is an increasing aversion to risk. Finally, Kristol and Thiel discuss artificial intelligence and the extent to which it might transform our lives.

The eighth in our ongoing series with Harvard government professor Harvey Mansfield, this conversation marks the tenth anniversary of his important and provocative book "Manliness." Mansfield offers his account of manliness and its importance as a permanent, though problematic, feature of human nature. He explains how liberal political philosophers and liberal society have often been suspicious of manliness, and details the consequences of this for our politics. Mansfield and Kristol also discuss contemporary efforts to transcend manliness through the creation of a gender-neutral society, which have led, according to Mansfield, to “more justice and less happiness.”

In his second conversation with Bill, Garry Kasparov discusses Russian and American politics since the end of the Cold War, and offers his account of the rise of Vladimir Putin and how we should understand Putin and his rule over Russia. In his discussion of post-Cold War history, Kasparov highlights many missed opportunities both in Russia and the U.S., which have enabled anti-Western leaders to strengthen their positions. Now living in the U.S., Kasparov also shares his impressions of America—both its inherent strengths and the challenges America faces today.

Princeton University professor, Robert George is one of the nation’s most distinguished students of legal and moral thought. In this conversation, George discusses the state of American conservatism as well as the condition of freedom of speech and thought on university campuses. He also details the development of his own political and moral views, including his interest in the natural law tradition in moral philosophy. Finally, Kristol and George discuss the importance of social conservatism in our public policy debates today.

Harvard University professor Stephen Rosen details the current geopolitical environment and challenges to the United States from the chaos in the Middle East, European retrenchment, Russian aggression, and the rise of China. Rosen explains how and why the United States must play a leadership role in the world, and outlines the potential consequences of American disengagement. Kristol and Rosen also discuss classic and recent books that can help us think about foreign policy.

A best-selling author ("Bowling Alone," and "Our Kids"), and professor at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, Robert Putnam is one of America's leading political scientists. In recent years, he has written widely on the decline in America's civic life, and, with it, our capacity for self-government. In this conversation, Putnam discusses his research on declining levels of civic participation in America and presents his interpretation of the reasons for it. Putnam also recalls how actual political developments awakened his interest in political science, and explains how social science might help us address public policy problems.

In this conversation, Garry Kasparov reflects on his upbringing in Soviet Russia and his journey from questioning whether communism could be reformed toward the conviction that the Soviet Union had to go. Kasparov also recalls his epic series of chess matches against Anatoly Karpov and why chess was important to the politics of the Soviet Union. Finally, Kasparov and Kristol discuss the decline and fall of the U.S.S.R. and the roles of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Boris Yeltsin.

In their second "state of the 2016 race" conversation, former senator and Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham, Weekly Standard staff writer Jay Cost, and host Bill Kristol discuss how to think about the race for the Republican nomination as we head toward the March primaries. The group also reflects on the Trump phenomenon and why the 2016 race has upset expectations. The group also discusses, in addition to Donald Trump, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich.

In this conversation, Gen. Petraeus recalls his command in Iraq and the "surge." Gen. Petraeus recounts what it was like to run the war—from day-to-day operations and navigating Iraqi politics to weekly videoconferences with President Bush and testifying before Congress. Gen. Petraeus also explains the “surge of ideas,” the conceptual groundwork for the strategy he then executed.

In this special conversation, filmed the day after the Iowa caucus, Rich Lowry, editor of National Review, and Bill Kristol, editor of the Weekly Standard, discuss conservatism, Trump, and the state of the 2016 race. Lowry and Kristol also consider the Democrats and the meaning of Bernie Sanders’ success in Iowa.