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In this episode we talk to our friend John Ganz about the nature and function of conservative intellectuals—or “intellectuals,” whichever you prefer—past and present. In particular, the Trump era has been a kind of real-time experiment in seeing how rightwing writers and second-hand dealers in ideas degrade, contort, and reinvent themselves. From there we consider what intellectuals, right and left, actually do and what influence, if any, they (we?) have, and how that’s changed from the halcyon days of midcentury generalists to our fragmented and mind-numbing “media landscape” today. It’ll be a fun one, for some of you!
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Sources:
John Ganz, Unpopular Front:
— “America is Mine, and it Owes Me a Living,” Oct 5, 2026
— “From Shitpost to Bullshit: The Function of Conservative Intellectuals,” Sept 30, 2026
— “Better Late Than Never? The Right Wakes Up to Fascism…Kinda,” Sept 22, 2026
A.J.A. Woods, The Cultural Marxism Conspiracy: Why the Right Blames the Frankfurt School for the Decline of the West (2026)
Stephen Skowronek, The Politics Presidents Make: Leadership from John Adams to Bill Clinton (1993)
— Presidential Leadership in Political Time: Reprise and Reappraisal (2020)
George Scialabba, What Are Intellectuals Good For? (2009)
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