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.

In his seventh conversation, Mansfield considers our two parties, the ideas behind them, and the qualities that often go with being a Democrat or a Republican. Mansfield argues that the Democrats are the “party of progress”—and that progressivism may be headed for a crisis. Mansfield calls the Republicans the “party of virtue” and suggests that Republicans should not only speak about freedom but also about virtue.

In his second conversation with Bill Kristol, Harvard President Emeritus and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers reflects on the current climate of political correctness on campuses and its effects on freedom of thought and the pursuit of knowledge. Summers also discusses significant controversies from his tenure as president of Harvard, including his opposition to boycotts of Israel, his battle against grade inflation, and his interest in bringing ROTC back to campus. Finally, Kristol and Summers consider how technological developments might shape the future of higher education.

A best-selling author and fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School and the American Enterprise Institute, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a brave, impassioned, and provocative analyst of the problems in Islam, today, including the dangers of what she calls “Islamic totalitarianism.” In this conversation, Hirsi Ali narrates her own experiences as a young woman in Kenya attracted by radical Islam and explains the dangerous allure of Islamism to youth all over the world. She calls on Westerners to assert the superiority of liberal societies to political Islam—and argues that our current obsession with multiculturalism and political correctness has rendered us ill-equipped to do so.

Leon R. Kass, M.D., is Professor Emeritus at the University of Chicago, the Madden-Jewett Chair at the American Enterprise Institute, and one of the nation’s most distinguished bioethicists. In this conversation, Kass recounts how he turned from the study of medicine to an examination of the moral questions and problems that modern science and technology pose for human life. Kass suggests that science, for all of the benefits it has brought to us, may not offer an adequate account of life as we experience it. Kristol and Kass also discuss the Bible as a source of wisdom and the similarities and differences between the Biblical view of man and the one found in Greek philosophy.

In the sixth conversation in our series, Mansfield explains why we should consider Machiavelli not only the founder of modern politics but also a founder of modern science and economics. What was the character of Machiavelli’s critique of Christian morality? Why did he reject the political teaching of the ancient political philosophers like Plato and Aristotle? Harvey Mansfield addresses these and other questions in this provocative discussion of one of the most famous political thinkers of all time.

Larry Summers describes key moments from his time in government, including responses to the Mexican Peso Crisis of 1994 and the financial crisis of 2008. He also explains how he got involved in public policy and government, and offers some thoughts on tensions between the world of theoretical policy-making and the practice of politics. Finally, Summers gives his take on differences between the two presidents he has served, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama.

Thomas Donnelly and Gary Schmitt are Co-Directors of the Marilyn Ware Center for Security Studies at the American Enterprise Institute. In this conversation, Donnelly and Schmitt explain how the U.S. military has become dangerously underfunded and what we need to do to rebuild it. Donnelly and Schmitt also consider the character of the threats we face, why America must lead, and the benefits of American engagement in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Latin America.

In this conversation, Arthur Brooks, president of the American Enterprise Institute, offers an inside account of the work of AEI and reflects on the changing role of think tanks today. He also recounts his own intellectual path which took him from a career as a professional French horn player to the academy and now to the presidency of AEI. Finally, Kristol and Brooks discuss how to challenge the intellectual complacency on college campuses and consider the state of conservative ideas and politics in America today.

In his second conversation with Bill Kristol, University of Virginia literature professor Paul Cantor focuses on American popular culture and what we can learn about America and the world from our greatest television shows and movies. Cantor analyzes our best television series—including Deadwood, The Walking Dead, Breaking Bad, The Simpsons, and Seinfeld—and explains why we should take them seriously. Cantor and Kristol also discuss American cinema—including The Godfather, Scarface, and The Searchers—and consider the enduring appeal of gangster films and Westerns. Finally, Cantor argues that conservatives have been wrong to ignore popular culture and makes the case for why they should pay attention.

In his second conversation with Bill Kristol, Newt Gingrich reflects on the serious domestic and foreign policy challenges confronting the United States. Looking at the world, he offers his take on the threats posed by Islamism, Russia, and China. Here at home, he explains how feckless bureaucracy is undermining political, economic, and technological initiative, and sketches some ideas for reforming or eliminating bureaucracy. Finally, Gingrich and Bill Kristol discuss President Obama and his legacy, as well as how a new president could reverse course.