Interesting Times

Interesting Times

Author: New York Times Opinion Language: English Episodes: 50
Every Thursday, Ross Douthat sits down to make sense of a world that feels perpetually off-balance. This isn't about quick takes or yesterday's headlines. Interesting Times with Ross Douthat is a series of deep, considered conversations that explore the undercurrents shaping our politics, our culture, and the very structure of society. From the New York Times Opinion section, each episode acts as a first draft of our collective future, attempting to map a new world order as it emerges in real time. You'll hear from thinkers, writers, and doers who are challenging conventional wisdom, all through Ross's distinctive lens. The discussions are built on the premise that we are living through a historical pivot, and understanding it requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to engage with complex ideas. The result is a podcast that feels both urgent and reflective, a necessary pause amid the noise to examine how we got here and where we might be headed. It’s for anyone who finds the present moment bewildering and seeks a more substantive dialogue about the forces at play. Tune in for a thoughtful analysis that you won't find anywhere else, naturally evolving from week to week as the story of our age continues to unfold.
Episodes
How Worried Should We Be About the Midterm Elections? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:21
Many Americans are losing faith in elections. Proposed solutions from across the political spectrum to restore faith in the process — early voting, mail-in ballot restrictions and voter ID laws — seem to have the opposit…
Trump Is Getting Even Richer. Is That a Crime? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
President Trump made more than $2 billion last year — far exceeding his presidential salary of $400,000. His growing fortunes are raising questions about his allegiance to investors, particularly foreign ones, as he make…
Ross Douthat and Ezra Klein on the Art of Persuasion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:13:57
“Interesting Times” is on a brief hiatus. Before we return next month, we’re bringing you an interview from “The Ezra Klein Show” with Ross Douthat about his 17 years as a conservative columnist at The New York Times. Bu…
Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint for a 150-Year Life: Is It Worth It? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:34
For my final episode as host of “Interesting Times,” I wanted a fitting finale — a conversation that encapsulates the ambition of this show: examining how seemingly radical ideas are steadily entering the mainstream of A…
Scott Galloway: America Abandoned Its ‘Unremarkable’ Young Men [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:25
What does a liberal solution to the masculinity crisis look like? As men fall behind in the American educational system and the economy, they’re looking for meaning — and often find it in the wrong places. My guest today…
How Older Americans Hoard the Future [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:54
American leaders are staying in office past their prime. Boomers are reluctant to relinquish control — from political offices to corner offices — to the detriment of their juniors. In a society where the elderly hold so…
Iran, China, Canada? A Defense of Trump’s Grand Strategy [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:20
Is President Trump’s grand strategy unraveling? The United States is at war with Iran, China is ascendant, Russia and Ukraine are stalemated and American allies are openly questioning our commitment to them. Elbridge Col…
A Vision of a ‘Society Without Capitalism’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:23
Democratic socialists are having a moment. But can they actually remake the Democratic Party — and the American economy — in their image? My guest today, Bhaskar Sunkara, is longtime democratic socialist, and he makes th…
‘ I'm Worried About Weimar America’ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:17
The work of Rod Dreher has a consistent theme: doom. He believes the collapse of Christianity has ushered civilizational decline in Europe, that we’ve traded our humanity for comfort, and he worries that totalitarianism…
The Unifying Speech We Won’t Get This Independence Day [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 6:30
My fellow Americans: On this 250th anniversary of our great republic, I think we’re unlikely to have a unifying address from any politician. So, I thought I’d get a little dressed up and offer one myself.