The Dissidents

International journalist and Breaklines podcast host, Ioannis Gatsiounis, co-hosts this week's podcast to discuss the radical center. Join us as we discuss what it means to be "in the middle" and how to combat identity politics of both the right and the left to move away from "wokeness" and find our center. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a glass of pinot noir. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post Radical Centrism on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

An economist and a lawyer walk into a bar... and discuss affirmative action. Economist Jon Haveman believes that equity and efficiency are the results of affirmative action. The life experiences of lawyer, W.F. Twyman, Jr, suggest the path is not necessarily as linear. All of us agree that we need to ensure everyone has a more equitable starting point. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a shot of brandy. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post Affirmative Action 2021 on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

For our President's Day podcast, George Washington in Black & White,   co-host W.F. Twyman, Jr. and I speak with his distant cousin Kiernan Twyman, a senior in high school in Missouri. These two distant relatives weigh in on their common cousin, George Washington, and his legacy, across generational and racial boundaries in 2021. W.F. Twyman wonders  - can we see beyond slaveholding to appreciate Washington's role in the founding of the United States of America? All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a cherry limeade (with a splash of lime vodka).   To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post George Washington in Black & White on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

This week co-host W.F. Twyman, Jr. and I speak with Obaid Omer, host of the podcast Dangerous Speech. Can we have honest and authentic discussions in a time where some speech is considered off-limits? Wink, Obaid and I discuss what topics are off-limits, cultural allegiance and destruction, identity politics, and how and if we can move beyond the current cultural dogma that separates us. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a shot of peanut butter whiskey in my coffee. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post Dangerous Speech on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Wayne Watters, author of The Psychology of Leadership, discusses the various forms of leadership and how leadership impacts our democracy, communities and personal relationships.  In the end, we are all better leaders when we lean into our differences and vulnerabilities with a dose of humility. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a beer. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post The Psychology of Leadership on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Author and attorney W.F. Twyman, Jr. and the CEO and Founder of Democracy Counts, Daniel Wolf, join me to discuss their differing views on reparations. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a glass of champagne. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post Causation and Reparation on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Constitutional Attorney, Tom Eastmond, co-hosts again to discuss the Perils of Political Violence in a Republic. Can political violence ever be justified? Grab your favorite beverage and join us as we assess the Capitol riots, the law of incitement and the preconditions for an insurrection. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a virgin screwdriver (aka, orange juice). To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are each reading, visit our post The Perils of Political Violence on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Peter Zeihan - author of the Accidental Superpower, the Absent Superpower and Disunited Nations - and I meet in the mountains of Colorado for a big picture view of the future of the American economy, international status, and political transitions. Spoiler alert - the world as we've known it will never be the same, and it didn't start with the Coronavirus... All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a Bloody Mary (or as Peter calls it, a Malevolent Mary). To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are reading, visit our post Disunited Nations on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Tom Eastmond, a Constitutional Attorney currently litigating a major First Amendment case, gives us some insight into the Constitution. He explains the controversial doctrine of qualified immunity and how it can give a “free pass” to officials to violate the Constitution, proposes solutions to the social media and free speech dilemma, shares his thoughts on the Trump legacy, and offers a definition of authoritarianism. Whew... what a conversation. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a root beer. To read some of Tom's additional thoughts and see what we are each reading, see his post, A Constitutional Moment, on the Hold my Drink website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.

Allen Hilton, founder of House United Movement, tells us that polarization is a habit. Like all habits, it is something we can break with a little intention. It is his intention and mission to work within our polarized echo chambers in 2021 so that we can venture out of them with courage and compassion. All discussed with a chaser of civility, of course, and a ginger ale. To read a recap of the conversation and additional thoughts, and to see what we are reading, visit our post The Polarization Habit or our website. You can also watch the conversation on the Hold my Drink YouTube page.