In this episode Clay is joined by friend of the pod Alex DeVitry. Alex is currently a Master’s student at Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), where he is studying international conflict resolution, foreign policy and diplomacy, and the Middle East. He also writes excellent articles about political violence in the 21st century on his Substack. This conversation covers two main topics. First, the Houthi’s rise in Yemen: their origins, relationship with Iran, recent military successes, and the threat they pose to Red Sea shipping and the balance of power in the Gulf. Next, political violence: how it takes on a logic of its own, why it’s often misunderstood, and what its normalization means for national identity and civic life. Alex is a man with an outstandingly fascinating and unique origin story, which you can hear all about in his first appearance on TDL. You can follow Alex on Instagram & TikTok, and subscribe to him (for free!) on Substack.Books Mentioned in this episode:Downfall: The End of the Imperial Japanese Empire by Richard B. Frank.The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang.Nicomachean Ethics by Aristotle.Aristotle’s Children: How Christians, Muslims, and Jews Rediscovered Ancient Wisdom and Illuminated the Middle Ages by Richard E. Rubenstein.The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous by Joseph Henrich ** 2 Small Corrections**- John Stuart Mill wrote during the mid-19th century, not during th 1790-1820 timeframe Alex gives in our convo. - In the nuclear near-miss Alex references the target was American naval vessels at sea between Miami and Cuba. The would-be target was not Miami.
In this episode, Clay is joined by Sam Raus. Sam is a political analyst and public relations professional. He is also the David Boaz Resident Writing Fellow at Young Voices.Sam writes on a number of topics from a libertarian perspective, including AI, data centers, healthcare, and social security.Listen to this episode to understand why Sam thinks fears surrounding data centers are overblown, hear his argument for why Gen Z should be able to opt out of social security, and much more!You can follow Sam on X.
In this episode, Clay is joined by NYC-based comedian and social media personality Omry Hananya, aka The Angry Prophet. Omry has gained a large following online by using humor to disprove anti-semitic conspiracy theories. Listen to this episode to learn about goyslop, the Khazar theory, how to convince your friends to stop being anti-semitic, and much more!
In this episode, Clay is joined by Gabriela Blanco. Gabriela was born and raised in Cuba, where her family endured oppression and economic hardship under the communist regime. When she was 23, she escaped the island and eventually made her way to the United States.Gabriela has traveled the country sharing her story with young people as a speaker for The Dissident Project, an organization that helps immigrants from tyrannical regimes become influential voices for freedom here in the US. Listen to this episode to get the details of Gabriela's inspiring story, hear her argument in favor of sanctions against Cuba, and much more!You can follow Gaby on X.
In this episode, Clay is joined by Ruel Domi. Ruel is an Albanian political commentator whose work focuses on global affairs, international relations, geopolitics, and Albanian, European, and American politics. He is a frequent commentator on Albanian television and writes regularly on political and international developments affecting Albania, Europe, the United States, and the wider world.Ruel holds a B.A. in Finance and Political Science from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he graduated Magna Cum Laude.Listen to this episode to learn a little bit about modern Albanian politics, get Ruel's take on the rise of the far right in Europe, hear why he thinks Western civilization is particularly great, and much more!You can find Ruel on his website, Linktree, and Instagram.