Time For A Depolarization "Manhattan Project"?
In a conversation I was having with friend John Wood Jr. of Braver Angels, he said and I often quote, "Polarization is the one problem that ensures all other problems won't be solved". Many, me being one of them, have said that polarization could realistically be a true existential threat to our great country. Why then do more politicians not take more seriously this threat and work toward solutions? I have my thoughts on that and speak of them often. One solution friends of mine have tossed around is a depolarization "Manhattan Project" of sorts. If not familiar, the Manhattan Project was a research and development project during World War II in which the United States, along with its allies, developed the first nuclear weapons. The project involved the work of many scientists, engineers, and support staff, and its success lead to the end of the war with Japan and marked the beginning of the nuclear age. What if such a collaboration could be done to fix polarization? Is it time for a Depolarization Manhattan Project?
Who is Daniel F. Stone?
You may remember Dan from his first DTH appearance in Episode 161.
Dan Stone is an Associate Professor of Economics that has been teaching in the Economics department at Bowdoin since 2012 and prior to that he was an assistant professor at Oregon State University from 2008-2012. Dan’s research is on belief formation, political media, polarization, and inter-personal hostility (a.k.a. affective polarization). Dan’s book, “Undue Hate” dives in to “How to understand the mistakes we make about those on the other side of the political spectrum—and how they drive the affective polarization that is tearing us apart.”
Contact Dan on (X): @d_f_stone
About our guest host, Julian Adorney:
Julian Adorney is an author and speaker focused on preserving and rebuilding the West against the threats of illiberalism and affective polarization. He's written for Quillette, Queer Majority, National Review, the Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism (FAIR) and a few other sites; and is on the Braver Angels media team. He's the founder of Heal the West, a substack movement.
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