<![CDATA[Lincoln Square : Live Interviews]]>

<![CDATA[Lincoln Square : Live Interviews]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/s/live-interviewshttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!S-Yb!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd4089057-6f4a-4d02-9e15-0a6ddbc9561a_1280x1280.pngLincoln Square : Live Interviewshttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/s/live-interviewsSubstackMon, 27 Jul 2026 13:00:46 GMT<![CDATA[Will Our Democracy Survive? | Stand Up! with Pete Dominick Sits Down with Susan J. Demas]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/will-our-democracy-survive-standhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/will-our-democracy-survive-standWed, 22 Jul 2026 16:02:28 GMTPete Dominick, comedian and host of Stand Up! with Pete Dominick, welcomed Lincoln Square’s Susan J. Demas and explore the political consequences of the war with Iran, rising gas prices, and the stakes of the upcoming midterm elections, including Trump’s attacks on mail-in voting and threats to send ICE to polling places.

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Pete and Susan also discussed the importance of strong political leadership from Democrats, protecting voting rights, and expanding access to healthcare. And they talked about why journalists have to continue to do fact-based coverage and check conspiracy theories that run rampant on social media.

Check out this discussion and more from Pete Dominick over at Stand Up! with Pete Dominick.

]]><![CDATA[RFK Jr.'s Next Outbreak | Dr. Rob Davidson & Sam Osterhout]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/rfk-jrs-next-outbreak-dr-rob-davidsonhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/rfk-jrs-next-outbreak-dr-rob-davidsonTue, 21 Jul 2026 16:21:16 GMTOne of the most alarming things about what’s happening to public heath under Trump’s administration isn’t just the budget cuts or staffing shortages. It’s the thought process behind them.

The assumption is that expertise is optional. Why invest in epidemiologists when you can have political appointees? Why maintain disease surveillance programs when you can cut their budgets so we can spend more on Trump’s birthday party?

But then an actual outbreak happens. A parasitic illness spreads across dozens of states, thousands of people get sick, and state health departments scramble to identify the source while federal officials struggle to mount a response because the teams designed to handle these situations were dismantled months earlier.

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That’s the part we miss about public health — when it’s working, you barely notice it. But this administration loves attention more than us. So, was this cyclospora outbreak an isolated failure, or was it the first real showing of RFK Jr.’s war on competence?

Watch Sam’s and Dr. Rob’s conservation and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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]]><![CDATA[Trump's Ramping Up Threats to the 2026 election | Dean Obeidallah & Susan Demas]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-ramping-up-threats-to-thehttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-ramping-up-threats-to-theWed, 15 Jul 2026 16:01:40 GMTDean Obeidallah and Susan Demas discuss threats to American democracy, focusing on Donald Trump’s potential interference in elections and how we can’t forget his attempts to overturn the 2020 election he lost.

They discuss strategies, including immediate state-level criminal indictments by Democratic Attorneys General and mass civil disobedience. Susan discussed her recent column arguing that the January 6th insurrection effectively succeeded because its aftermath was normalized both by voters in 2024 and the corporate media.

Dean also critiqued the national Democratic leadership's vague economic messaging going into the midterms. Susan argued that candidates must combat Trump by tying his corruption directly to the public's real-world affordability struggles.

]]><![CDATA[How Lindsey Graham Transformed from Trump Critic to Staunch Ally | Stuart Stevens LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/how-lindsey-graham-transformed-fromhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/how-lindsey-graham-transformed-fromMon, 13 Jul 2026 16:02:34 GMTStuart Stevens took a moment to reflect on Lindsey Graham's death with characteristic directness. As someone who knew Graham personally from his days as a Mitt Romney adviser, Stuart has some interesting insights into the Republican senator’s evolution on Trump.

Stuart didn't sugarcoat the complicated arc — Graham spent years calling Trump every name in the book before becoming one of his most reliable defenders. Stuart's take: Graham genuinely evolved, found a way to work within the Trump world while occasionally pushing back.

And in his final weeks, Graham was doing serious foreign policy work — brokering a potential Israel-Saudi normalization deal and pressing for congressional review of the Iran agreement. Stuart called him a patriot who cared deeply about national security, whatever his other contradictions.

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Read more of Stuart’s take on Graham’s legacy on Lincoln Square today.

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]]><![CDATA[Whatever Happens In Maine, Democrats Need to Tie Susan Collins to Donald Trump's Failed Policies | Stuart Stevens & Steven Beschloss ]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/whatever-happens-in-maine-democratshttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/whatever-happens-in-maine-democratsSat, 11 Jul 2026 16:19:08 GMTAs a rare treat to end the week, Steven Beschloss, host of Six Questions and writer at America, America, and fellow Lincoln Square host Stuart Stevens wrap up a wild week in politics.

The main story this week, Graham Platner’s conflagration in Maine, weighed heavy on Steven’s and Stuart’s minds. They called out both angry “bro” culture and the tone of Platner’s video addressing Democrats in Maine and across the country.

And Stuart has a dire warning for Platner. If Democrats succeed in Maine this November, Platner can go on with his life. But if Susan Collin’s remains, he’ll be forever known as the guy who helped keep Donald Trump in power.

So, how do Democrats toughen the vetting process and stop glossing over character flaws in an attempt to win election? Check out Steven’s and Stuart’s conversation, right here on Lincoln Square.

250 years of democracy means nothing if we give up now. Powerful forces want voters to tune out, but we refuse to let that happen. Lincoln Square is launching a massive truth blitz to arm disengaged voters with the raw facts about the assault on our democracy—because they are the ones who will decide America’s future.

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]]><![CDATA[Platner Out, McConnell Missing, Trump Must Pay E. Jean Carroll | Stuart Stevens & Tara Palmeri ]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/platner-out-mcconnell-missing-trumphttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/platner-out-mcconnell-missing-trumpFri, 10 Jul 2026 21:56:07 GMTTara Palmeri and Stuart Stevens covered a lot of ground, starting with Graham Platner's overdue exit from the U.S. Senate race. Stuart delivered a blunt message that his only path to any future is helping elect a Democrat in Maine. As for Trump's defense of Platner, Stuart called it predictable since they both belong to “the brotherhood of sexual harassers.”

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They discussed Trump’s E. Jean Carroll payout, Mitch McConnell's mysterious hospitalization, Trump’s Qatari plane fiasco, and the Republican Party's complete abandonment of any coherent governing philosophy.

Stuart's takeaway: the GOP never actually believed any of it — the values were always marketing slogans, and Trump just proved it.

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]]><![CDATA[Stuart Stevens to Graham Platner: Drop Out, Apologize, & Stay Out of Sight Until Election Day]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/stuart-stevens-to-graham-platnerhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/stuart-stevens-to-graham-platnerThu, 09 Jul 2026 13:03:08 GMTStuart Stevens delivered a blunt, unsparing message to Graham Platner — part political reality check from a veteran strategist, part moral dressing-down.

The bottom line: Platner has exactly one path to any kind of future, and it’s helping elect a Democrat in Maine. If Susan Collins wins because Platner stayed in or sabotaged his own succession, he becomes the man who kept Donald Trump in power. Full stop. That’s his legacy.

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Stuart dismissed the conspiracy theory about Democrats orchestrating the rape allegation as “pathetic and childish,” called Platner a spoiled rich kid burning through goodwill he never earned, and told him to stop talking about himself except to apologize — to the women, his family, Maine, and the Democratic Party.

]]><![CDATA[Time for Democrats to Fight! | Simon Rosenberg & Stuart Stevens LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/time-for-democrats-to-fight-simonhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/time-for-democrats-to-fight-simonTue, 07 Jul 2026 16:01:44 GMTStuart Stevens, author, political strategist, and Senior Advisor of The Lincoln Project, joins Simon Rosenberg to discuss Ukraine, traditional democracy, and Trump’s hubris. Through all of this it can be hard to find hope, but that’s where Simon’s Substack, Hopium Chronicles, comes in — bringing updates, fundraising, and hope for a better future with every post.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for this lively conversation with Simon Rosenberg and Stuart Stevens.

If you’re able to, during these hard times, we highly encourage you to become a paid subscriber to Lincoln Square. You won’t find the current moment on CNN or Fox News, independent media is the future of journalism and nowhere else will you find it better than here. Thank you for watching and we hope you join our community.

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]]><![CDATA[The Dobbs Decision: Where Are We Four Years Later? | Lizz Winstead & Susan J. Demas]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/the-dobbs-decision-where-are-we-fourhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/the-dobbs-decision-where-are-we-fourFri, 26 Jun 2026 18:20:06 GMTDuring the 2016 election cycle, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton warned that electing Donald Trump would result in a conservative Supreme Court that would undo decades of progress. During his first term, that warning became reality, with Trump sending three justices to the high court.

And that led to the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade.

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Now, anti-abortion forces feel even more emboldened to further those attacks on reproductive health, challenging the abortion drug mifepristone in the courts. And while the Fifth Circuit banned the mailing of the drug to red states, the Supreme Court stayed the decision. But the threat is far from over.

Lizz Winstead, co-creator of The Daily Show and co-founder of Abortion Access Front, has been a fierce advocate for a woman’s right to choose. She spoke with Susan J. Demas on Lincoln Square about the continued fight for reproductive rights, misogyny in politics, and a new venture from a coalition of abortion rights groups called the Mife Stories Project, where women from all over the country can share their personal stories.

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Tune in for some rants, some jokes, and some history about the 19th century Comstock Act and how conservatives are ready to weaponize it against your rights.

]]><![CDATA[Mamdani's Big Primary Night | Dean Obeidallah & Susan J. Demas LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/mamdanis-big-primary-night-dean-obeidallahhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/mamdanis-big-primary-night-dean-obeidallahWed, 24 Jun 2026 22:01:31 GMTSusan J. Demas joined Dean Obeidallah to break down last night's New York primary results, where Mayor Zohran Mamdani went 3-for-3 with his endorsed congressional candidates — including pulling off the biggest upset of the night when Darializa Avila Chevalier knocked off 10-year incumbent Rep. Adriano Espaillat.

Susan wasn't surprised: Mamdani campaigned on a bold agenda and he he’s still making bold moves. Her bigger takeaway was that the winning candidates ran on concrete policy — housing, healthcare, and affordability — not just anti-Trump messaging. Democrats who talk about what they're actually going to do for people are the ones breaking through.

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On Trump’s approval numbers — now in the low-to-mid 30s on the economy — Susan said he’s acting like a man painfully aware of his own mortality who’s more focused on building monuments to himself than governing. Just looking at his lies over the green reflecting pool. And Susan also talked about her latest column for Lincoln Square, The Hypocrisy is the Point.

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]]><![CDATA[Stuart Stevens' Reflections on Father's Day]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/stuart-stevens-reflections-on-fathershttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/stuart-stevens-reflections-on-fathersTue, 23 Jun 2026 19:37:41 GMTOur fathers and grandfathers came back from the battlefields of Europe and the Pacific, coached their kids’ little league teams, went to work, supported their families, and, by and large, led moral lives of service.

That’s not true for everyone, of course, but now? Well. We have lost our sense of collective decency. The erosion of our values didn’t start with Donald Trump, but it’s being stoked by him and the Republicans who refuse to hold him accountable.

Watch Stuart Stevens discuss the breakdown that’s happened, and what needs to happen to get back what we’ve lost.

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And read Stuart’s piece today on these themes.

]]><![CDATA[Trump's Epic Meltdown | Stuart Stevens & Simon Rosenberg LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-epic-meltdown-stuart-stevenshttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-epic-meltdown-stuart-stevensTue, 09 Jun 2026 18:28:55 GMTWhen Trump won in ‘24, said he never imagined he’d be in this political shape at this moment. That is to say … he’s struggling. If you need receipts, check out Simon’s piece from his Substack, Hopium Chronicles.

Hopium Chronicles By Simon Rosenberg

Trump's Incredible Meltdown, Rigging Elections, And The "Majority Illusion"

Morning all. Hosting an important event at 2pm ET today - Colette Delawalla of Stand Up For Science joins us to talk about their new campaign to Stop Vought. Save Science. Click on this link right before 2pm today to join us live. Going to be a good one…

2 months ago · 419 likes · 74 comments · Simon Rosenberg

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Trump’s meltdown is epic, indeed, and he’s beginning to take on the appearance of a caged animal. He and the MAGA base are crying foul at the Los Angeles mayoral race because their chosen candidate (a reality star, obviously) didn’t make the final cut. On social media, there are a million posts about how Trump and Co. don’t understand how elections work, or how they’re all a bunch of soft babies, etc.

And maybe that’s true. But it could also be true that they know exactly how elections work, and they know they’re about to lose in potentially historic fashion. Their whining about the mayoral race could be a preview of something much more sinister.

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and Simon talk through the MAGA meltdowns, Trump’s recent wild spate of losses, and what it will take to win and rebuild this country.

]]><![CDATA[Trump’s Slush Fund Gets Flushed | Edwin Eisendrath & Susan Demas LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-slush-fund-gets-flushed-edwinhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-slush-fund-gets-flushed-edwinTue, 02 Jun 2026 20:34:54 GMTWeeks after he “settled” his $10 billion lawsuit with his own IRS and announced a $1.776 billion slush fund for his allies in MAGAworld, Donald Trump is now abandoning his plans.

On Friday, a federal judge put a stay on the funds until legal fights related to its dispersement were heard. There also was a tepid response from many Republicans on the Hill about a fund going to insurrectionists who beat police on January 6th. So Trump has given up, for now.

Susan J. Demas and Edwin Eisendrath, host of It’s The Democracy, Stupid, discuss Trump’s failed attempt to grift off the American people and wonder how we can use this momentum to put a stop to some other vanity projects, like his ballroom and proposed arch.

Jump into Susan and Edwin’s latest conversation about the slush fund, critical primary elections in Iowa and California on Tuesday, Trump and Netanyahu having it out over their disastrous Iran War and more, right here on Lincoln Square.

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]]><![CDATA[Pete Hegseth & Toxic Masculinity in the Military | Sam Osterhout & Author Jasper Craven]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/pete-hegseth-and-toxic-masculinityhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/pete-hegseth-and-toxic-masculinityTue, 26 May 2026 18:04:49 GMTJasper Craven is an investigative journalist who’s spent over a decade covering the American military and veterans’ issues — work that’s appeared in The New York Times Magazine, Harper’s, and Politico, and earned him the National Press Foundation’s inaugural Award for Excellence in Coverage of Veterans.

His new book is God Forgives, Brothers Don’t: The Long March of Military Education and the Making of American Manhood — a sweeping history of how the U.S. military, from West Point to JROTC to the Boy Scouts, has shaped American masculinity into something brutal, and how that formation runs straight through our politics today.

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He joined Sam Osterhout to talk about masculinity, violence, religion, the military, and how all of it comes together to build toxic men like Pete Hegseth.

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]]><![CDATA[LIVE from Europe: Stuart Stevens with a Special Message on Memorial Day]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/live-from-europe-stuart-stevens-withhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/live-from-europe-stuart-stevens-withMon, 25 May 2026 15:02:36 GMTStuart Stevens is on another humanitarian aid mission for Ukraine. While traveling through the Baltics, he stopped to check in with us to discuss why a Ukrainian victory is so important to all of us here in America.

Donald Trump may have betrayed Ukraine, but they are fighting for democracy — and it’s a fight they must win.

It’s a poignant message on Memorial Day. Let us know how you’re observing Memorial Day in the comments.

]]><![CDATA[Stuart Stevens on the Democratic Party 'Autopsy']]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/stuart-stevens-on-the-democratichttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/stuart-stevens-on-the-democraticFri, 22 May 2026 16:17:08 GMT has been through his share of election autopsies. And he has some advice for Democrats: knock it off.

The released autopsy from earlier this week really doesn’t do anything. It places blame on a few figures — rightly or wrongly — but doesn’t present a vision for the future. Think about it this way: no team goes into the Super Bowl trying to figure out why they lost during the regular season. They focus on why they win.

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Dems have an opportunity to win. The midterms are theirs to lose. But they have to look beyond the midterm to present a vision of how they will govern. That’s what gets people to the polls.

]]><![CDATA[The Democrat Trying to Turn Florida Blue | Anna Eskamani Joins Sam Osterhout]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/the-democrat-trying-to-turn-floridahttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/the-democrat-trying-to-turn-floridaThu, 21 May 2026 23:57:15 GMTAnna Eskamani is a state representative from Orlando, the first Iranian-American elected to office in Florida, and a candidate for mayor in 2027. Her parents — both Iranian immigrants — met by chance in a donut shop and made a life together in Orlando.

But as Anna’s city grows — it is among the fastest growing cities in America, with around 150,000 new residents in a single year — cracks in the social safety net are becoming more pronounced. Homelessness is up dramatically. Housing costs are skyrocketing. And people like her parents, who came here looking for a brighter future for their families, are finding life that much more difficult.

Anna is in a unique position, politically. She could be called a rising star, but after her tenure in the Florida statehouse, her advocacy against Alligator Alcatraz (which in no small way led to its closure), and her very obvious political instincts, it might be more apt to imagine her as a central figure in new Democratic roster of superstar candidates, among others like Congressman Maxwell Frost, also from Orlando, and her close friend.

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Many expected her to run for national office or governor. Sam asked why mayor of Orlando was the right move for her right now, and her answer should give everyone fighting for democracy hope.

Check out the interview, and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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]]><![CDATA[Trump's Shocking Stock Trades & $1.776B Slush Fund | Edwin Eisendrath & Susan Demas LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-shocking-stock-trades-andhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/trumps-shocking-stock-trades-andTue, 19 May 2026 19:03:41 GMTWell, in more wild abuses of power by Donald Trump, reports show that he made nearly 3,700 stock trades in the first half of this year. And if that didn’t shock you, you’ll be pleased to know the trades were related to the tech companies that he’s gotten so chummy with during his second term.

Hey, grifters gotta eat too, right?

Today on Lincoln Square, Susan J. Demas and Edwin Eisendrath of It’s The Democracy, Stupid discuss the continued corruption before our eyes. The President just settled with himself regarding his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS, accepting $1.776 billion for a slush fund that could be accessed by cop-beating insurrectionists allies he claims were wrongly targeted by former President Joe Biden.

And they talk about why Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis just dealt a blow to the rule of law and gave Trump a massive win in January 6 revisionism.

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Jump into more with Edwin Eisendrath and Susan J. Demas right here on Lincoln Square.

]]><![CDATA[Sen. Bill Cassidy's Deal with the Devil (Trump) | Stuart Stevens LIVE]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/sen-bill-cassidys-deal-with-the-devilhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/sen-bill-cassidys-deal-with-the-devilTue, 19 May 2026 13:05:48 GMTSenator Bill Cassidy built a career and a reputation as a champion of public health. He’s a Republican, of course, which puts him in a precarious spot, at least inasmuch as every Republican can either support Trump … or do the right thing.

When it came time to vote on the nomination of RFK Jr. as head of the Department of Health and Human Services, Cassidy knew that a no vote would potentially be the end of his Senate career. So he voted for RFK Jr.

Cassidy, a doctor, once told of the tragedy of watching an 18-year-old patient suffer acute liver failure due to hepatitis B, a disease preventable by vaccination. He believes in vaccines. He believes in public health.

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RFK Jr. does not. Cassidy made a Faustian bargain by voting for him — perhaps, he may have thought, I’ll be able to check the impulses of RFK Jr., if I’m able to stay in the Senate.

]]><![CDATA[When Our Collective Culture Ended | Brian Daitzman & Sam Osterhout]]>https://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/when-our-collective-culture-endedhttps://www.lincolnsquare.media/p/when-our-collective-culture-endedSun, 17 May 2026 21:12:35 GMTRemember when you’d get to work (or school), and the first thing you’d do was catch up with your pals on THE THING. It was an episode of the show. Or the game. Or the big news that happened over the weekend. It was a shared story, and while you and your friends might have fixated on different story points or were each enthralled by different details, the common thread had captured each of you.

It doesn’t happen anymore. Not like it used to.

I’ve had conversations with friends about politics of all things – literally the subject I cover in media – and have been totally lost. A friend will bring up a detail about some SCOTUS decision or some kid of some politician or some scandal somewhere and it’s like they’re speaking a different language.

How can we possibly be living in the same world? I mean, come on. I’m perpetually online (and not in a good way, I admit). How could a non-political, non-media person know something I don’t?

Brian Daitzman, Editor-in-Chief of The Intellectualist, says that our common culture functionally ended around 1999.

He wrote about it last week on his popular and engrossing Substack, and I had to talk to him about it (finally, an article we had in common!).

The Intellectualist

The Hollowing of the Shared Room

Bits & Bytes — AI, science, and what comes next…

2 months ago · 8 likes · The Intellectualist

The thing is, this kind of silo-ing has impacts far beyond culture. What is a democracy except a system of collaborative decision-making? What happens when we don’t even a fundamental understanding of the problems we collectively face – not even with the people with whom we agree?

What happens? Well … you’re living it now.

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Watch this conversation and leave your thoughts in the comments.

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