GoodFellows: Conversations from the Hoover Institution

Kale and Arugula? Kim Strassel on a New Congress, Old Challenges | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

A week after America’s midterm election, Washington faces the prospect of divided government for the next two years. Kimberly Strassel, the Wall Street Journal’s “Potomac Watch” columnist, joins Hoover senior fellows H. R. McMaster and John Cochrane for a reading of the midterm tea leaves and thoughts on what comes next in terms of congressional agendas, the war in Ukraine, the future oversight of cryptocurrency, and Elon Musk’s Twitter overhaul.

“Deep Thoughts”: Tyler Cowen on AI and the Future of Work | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson | Hoover Institution

A world where artificial intelligence completes your work and thoughts? And what’s the wiser bet: “short Meta” or “long Twitter”? Tyler Cowen, a George Mason University economist and coauthor of the Marginal Revolution blog, joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson and John Cochrane to discuss whether technological advancements will improve the human condition.  

Pesci-ent Knowledge: Stephen Kotkin on Xi’s China, Putin’s Russia | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Can China’s current authoritarian model hold without destroying its economy, and what’s the near-term outlook for the war in Ukraine? Stephen Kotkin, the Hoover Institution’s Kleinheinz Senior Fellow and an authority on geopolitics and authoritarian regimes (and a Joe Pesci soundalike) joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane to discuss the latest in Xi Jinping’s China and Vladimir Putin’s Russia.  

Unsolicited Advice For The Next Congress | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

With the US election approaching and apparently tilting Republicans’ way, the question is: What to do with their newfound power on Capitol Hill? Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane discuss how a 118th Congress under new management might address aid to Ukraine, the China “Cold War 2.0” dilemma, plus America’s economic, energy, and health concerns.  

The “BYO” Show: China, Iran, and Truss (but Vilify) | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Recorded on October 18, 2022

The British prime minister’s days seem numbered (yet again), as might those of Iran’s theocracy—and what to make of Chinese president Xi Jinping’s growing cult of personality? In a “bring your own topic” edition of GoodFellows, Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane discuss these worldly matters as well the coming clash between a wintry COVID spike and pandemic-weary populations.

ABOUT THE SERIES

GoodFellows, a weekly Hoover Institution broadcast, features senior fellows John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, and H.R. McMaster discussing the social, economic, and geostrategic ramifications of this changed world. They can’t banter over lunch these days, but they continue their spirited conversation online about what comes next, as we look forward to an end to the crisis. For more in this series visit, https://www.hoover.org/goodfellows

“The Architect’s” Digest: Karl Rove On The 2022 Election And America’s Political Landscape | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Is history repeating itself, with America reliving the political rancor and upheaval of the late 19th-century Gilded Age? Karl Rove, political strategist and the “architect” of George W. Bush’s presidential campaigns, joins Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane to discuss the impact of economics, world events, and cultural concerns on this year’s midterm vote.  

Upheaval and Change in Russia, Iran, and Italy | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

Britain’s new prime minister unveils a tax-cutting Rx for her ailing nation; Italy’s choice of a hard-right prime minister sends the media into a “fascist” tizzy; Iranians take to the street to protest a woman’s being killed after arrested for breaking that theocracy’s hijab law; and Vladimir Putin insists he’s “not bluffing” in threatening to go nuclear in Ukraine. Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster, and John Cochrane discuss the latest overseas news, including how to help Iranian resistors (send in Elon Musk’s Starlink) and Ukrainian warriors (send over more tanks).

Viewer Mail – Russia, Ukraine...And Noted Liberal George Washington | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

This week’s episode is devoted to audience questions – viewers and listeners from nearly thirty nations spanning six continents asking Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H.R. McMaster and John Cochrane for their thoughts on the war in Ukraine, future Napoleons, plus where they turn to for intellectual inspiration.

Live from Kyiv: The War, the Queen, and Europe’s Winter(s) of Discontent | GoodFellows: John Cochrane, Niall Ferguson, H. R. McMaster | Hoover Institution

GoodFellows presents an abbreviated episode, with Hoover senior fellow Niall Ferguson on the ground in Ukraine (but not sporting an olive-green tee) as he joins senior fellow John Cochrane to discuss the war’s progress, the outlook for Zelenskyy and Putin, plus what the future holds for Britain’s national identity and the House of Windsor in the aftermath of Queen Elizabeth II’s passing.

Recorded on September 10, 2022

Ameri-Can or Can’t?: China’s Looming Demographic and Economic Collapse

Is this the “Chinese Century? Not necessarily, given that nation’s long-term demographic challenges (an aging population overtaking a contracting workforce). Hoover senior fellows Niall Ferguson, H.R. McMaster and John Cochrane discuss the geopolitical consequences of a China in decline – if it accelerates a move against Taiwan; should America be engaging in détente or a military buildup?

Recorded on August 24, 2022