EPISODE · Feb 22, 2023 · 1H 17M

HoS Pod: Shadi Hamid

from House of Strauss · host Ethan Strauss

Shadi Hamid is an author, Atlantic writer, and Brookings fellow with a particular skill for pointing out the flaws in comforting popular assumptions. I’m a fan of Hamid’s work, including his latest book, The Problem of Democracy: America, the Middle East, and the Rise and Fall of an Idea.Three weeks ago, Shadi had a stray tweet about football fandom that drummed up some outrage at sports media sites. That’s not exactly why we’re talking, even if it is, in a roundabout way, how we came into contact. The anti NFL fan sentiment is a good jumping off point, though, to a broader discussion about sports, culture and whether it’s a force for good in society. Our conversation touches on, but is not limited to:* Football: Good for America?* Is football uniquely American?* How football in America is like hookah in the Middle East* The allure of nervous crowd energy* Shadi’s book on how liberalism and democracy are not synonymous* The difficulty of accepting a system in which you can lose, big time * The Cathedral, Yarvin, and the democracy-skeptical rightists This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.houseofstrauss.com/subscribe