Trick or Treat? A Fight Between Good and Evil with Michael McFaul | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution

Trick or Treat? A Fight Between Good and Evil with Michael McFaul | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution

Author: Hoover Institution October 29, 2025 Duration: 56:56
At a time of “hot wars” across the globe, there’s also an ideological “cold war” featuring two foes: those who embrace freedom and those who oppress it. Michael McFaul, the Hoover Institution’s Peter and Helen Bing Senior Fellow and author of the newly released Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, America, Russia and the New Global Disorder, joins GoodFellows regulars John Cochrane and Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster to discuss where he departs from the Trump administration on its approach to Russia and China (one autocracy economically dwarfing the other), his suggestions for course change, and why he holds “guarded” optimism for America’s future. After that: John and H.R. go “trick-or-treating”—weighing the pros (“treats”) and cons (“tricks”) of a new White House ballroom, a Chinese military purge, the latest inflation numbers and gold prices that no longer glitter, a CEO’s tariff worries, New York City on a non-hallowed eve of “democratic socialism,” plus a new and tougher American citizenship test (could Sir Niall Ferguson pass it?). Finally, as Halloween approaches, John and H.R. give us their go-to candies. Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today’s biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

Every week, three of the Hoover Institution's most incisive minds gather for a freewheeling discussion that cuts through the noise. GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics brings together senior fellows John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, and H.R. McMaster. Their expertise spans financial markets, historical analysis, and international security, creating a unique dialogue that connects past patterns to present crises and future risks. You'll hear them grapple with the profound social shifts, economic pressures, and strategic realignments defining our era, moving beyond daily headlines to examine the deeper forces at play. This isn't a scripted presentation but a genuine conversation, often punctuated by thoughtful disagreement and unexpected connections. The result is a consistently engaging and substantive podcast that offers listeners a rare blend of scholarly depth and accessible discourse. Tune in for a weekly dose of clarity and long-view perspective on a world that feels perpetually in flux.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics
Podcast Episodes
Who’s Actually Running Iran? with Abbas Milani | Hoover Institution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:06:48
Hoover Institution research fellow and Iran scholar Abbas Milani joins the GoodFellows to discuss life within the beleaguered theocracy: who’s in charge, and will added economic pressure in the form of a blockade of the…
Iran, Tariffs, Epstein | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:03
As his self-proclaimed 10-day window for dealing with Iran approaches its end, what are President Trump’s options? GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster weigh the merits of a US military s…
The World According to Trump | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:52
As Iran’s theocracy teeters on the brink, the question turns to what the Trump administration’s abiding interest in other bad regimes (Venezuela, Cuba, Colombia) and its appetite for land acquisitions (greenbacks for Gre…