Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Feb 26th, 2012

First, we take a deeper look into scandals that led to the economic meltdown with G. Morgenson, author of Reckless Endangerment: How Outsized Ambition, Greed, and Corruption Led to Economic Armagaddon. (dur: 19min.)

On the 2nd segment we ask, what can the history of human rights tell us about the struggles of today? We talk with Micheline Ishay, author of The History of Human Rights. (dur: 10min.)

On Scholars’ Circle. Topic: historical memory. A look at how some “memory entrepreneurs” are rewriting history to shape policies of the future. (dur: 26min.)

For a transcript of this interview, please visit: TheBigQ

  • Prof. Brent Sasley, Univ. of Texas ;
  • Prof. Doug Becker, USC;
  • Prof. Alex Hinton, Rutgers Univ., author;
  • Prof. Dovile Budryte, Georgia Gwinnett College.

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Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Feb 19th, 2012

How water has shaped our past and how new water challenges are shaping the future. We talk with Charles Fishman about his new book, The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water (dur.: 28 min).

The Scholars’ Circle. Topic: Political Power. New global developments are changing the structures and holders of power. With new technology and greater interconnectedness, states are losing power and non-state actors are gaining power. But what exactly does it mean to have power? And where exactly does power come from? (Starts @ 30min. , dur.: 28min).
Scholars’ Circle Panel:

  • Giulio M. Gallarotti, Prof.of Gov’t, Wesleyan Univ.
  • Joseph S. Nye Jr. , Prof.Harvard’s Kennedy School of Gov’t.
  • Erica Chenoweth, Prof.of Gov’t, Weslayan Univ.

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Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Feb 9th, 2012

Segment 1: How did society develop from bands of hunter and gatherers to our current political system? Where did the concepts of accountability come from? And why was a swell of democracy followed by a decline in democratic gain? What is behind political decay? Francis Fukuyama poses these questions in his latest book, The Origins of Political Order: From Prehuman Times to the French Revolution.

Francis Fukuyama is Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies at Stanford. He is the author of numerous publications and books including, America at the Crossroads: Democracy, Power, and the Neoconservative Legacy, and The End of History.

Segment 2: The Scholars’ Circle. Topic: How the new billionaire class is shaping North American society.

Panel members: David Callahan is author, journalist and founder of Demos. He is the author of, Fortunes of Change: The Rise of the Liberal Rich and the Remaking of America. Linda McQuuiag is author, journalist and columnist. She is the author of, The Trouble with Billionaires. Taki Oldham is filmmaker and journalist. He went undercover to make the documentary, The Billionaires’ Tea Party.

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Listen to Insighters & Scholars' Circle - Feb 9th, 2012.

Insighters & Scholars’ Circle – Feb. 5th, 2012

Seg. 1: What does the trial of international human rights Judge Baltasar Garzon mean for human rights law? With Reed Brody, Human Rights Watch.

Seg.2: How is international law changing for human rights and war? We speak with Ruthie Titel, Prof. of Law, NY University author of her new book, Humanity’s Law.

Seg. 3: Scholars’ Circle. In light of Mitt Romney’s comments about the very poor, we look at poverty, inequality, and social mobility both here in the U.S. and worldwide.

Lane Kenworthy, Prof. of Sociology & Political Science, Univ. of AZ
David A. Smith, Prof. Sociology, U.C. Irvine
Gregory Clark, Prof. & Chair, Dept. of Economics, UC Davis

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