WSJ Opinion: Free Expression

After nearly three years of enlightening conversations, Gerry Baker’s weekly Free Expression podcast is coming to an end. But you can still read his column every week in the Journal and he may even pop up from time to time in other places! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Artificial intelligence has gone from science fiction to an everyday reality in a few years. As the technology advances and transforms almost everything we do, the need to understand its potential - and how to harness it - grows by the day. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with New York University professor Vasant Dhar, author of a new book “Thinking With Machines: The Brave New World of AI”. They discuss the difference between using AI as an effective tool and becoming over reliant on it and ponder how it may more deeply entrench our economic and social divisions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The time of year when we express our gratitude for our many blessings offer an opportunity to reflect on the importance of giving. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with financier John Studzinski, who shares lessons learned from his own philanthropy in a new book, “A Talent for Giving, Creating a More Generous Society That Benefits Everyone.” They discuss the projects he started to show the difference between philanthropy and charity, why giving can be a currency for change, and what can be done to broaden what he calls the “community of mankind.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Once a defining principle of conservative governing economic policy, supply-side economics has taken some political hits in the last decade. The progressive left has always critiqued laissez- faire economics, blaming the pursuit of smaller government, tax cuts, deregulation and open trade for increasing inequality. But now large parts of the right seem to dislike supply-siders too. Populists oppose free trade and favor more government intervention in the economy, and while Donald Trump has achieved big tax cuts in both his terms in office, his signature economic measure is tariffs and he seems eager to expand government's role in the economy, from telling companies what they should be doing with prices to taking stakes in big American firms and directing foreign investment into favored industrial activities. Have the supply-siders lost? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Matthew Elliott, member of Britain's House of Lords, and co-author with Arthur Laffer one of the godfathers of supply side economics and Michael Hintze, a London-based hedge fund founder, of a new book “Prosperity Through Growth.” They discuss the case for reviving conservative economic ideas, especially in the U.K., the risks of Trump's tariffs and trade policies, and whether Brexit, which fired the starting gun for populist economics, was a failure. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How can the U.S. win the new Cold War against its old Cold War adversaries? Donald Trump and Xi Jinping have come to a truce of sorts in their trade war, with the U.S. reducing tariffs and China agreeing not to block vital commodity exports. Russia’s war against Ukraine rages on, with no signs of any negotiated settlement. President Trump seems to prize his relationships with Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin, but what is the goal for the U.S. in this age of power rivalry? How can the United States maintain a dominant role in geopolitics, while keeping threats from its adversaries at bay? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with former Ambassador to Russia and professor at Stanford University Michael McFaul, who details how the U.S. will handle these countries in his new book, “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America, and the New Global Disorder.” They also discuss why Russia is a bigger threat than China to the United States and how China wants to wield its influence through the world economy, unlike Vladimir Putin’s campaign of disruption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Reports of the death of the Democratic party appear to have been greatly exaggerated. The party made big gains across the country in Tuesday’s off-year elections. The races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia produced wins for Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani fought off a challenge from Trump-endorsed Andrew Cuomo, and Gavin Newsom’s plan for a Democrat-favorable redistricting in California won big. How big are the warning signs for the Republican Party and how do they respond? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Joel Kotkin, professor of urban studies and expert on the culture and politics of American cities, about why large cities like New York and Chicago are moving further and further left, why affordability is the largest issue to urban voters, the changing nature of racial politics and how Donald Trump and Republicans need to respond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American society has been transformed in the last half century by the entry into the workforce of large numbers of women. Equal gender opportunity has commanded a large consensus for most of that time, but there are some dissenters. Gerry Baker's guest this week on Free Expression is author and commentator Helen Andrews. She's made waves in this month with an article decrying the "Feminization of America" saying the explosion of woke ideas and cancel culture can be directly attributed to the large numbers of women who now work in the law, academia, and the media. Together they discuss the rise of women, its benefits and perils for society and whether it really means the rule of law in America is in peril. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For most of the last few centuries, advances in scientific understanding have seemed to undermine arguments for the existence of God. Physical phenomena ascribed to a deity have been discovered to have natural explanations. But some think that recent scientific discoveries have actually strengthened the case for the existence of at least some supernatural original creator. A new book, by Michel-Yves Bolloré and Olivier Bonnassies, two French authors, argues for a science-based belief in God. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Bolloré, one of the authors of “God, the Science, the Evidence”. They discuss how the Big Bang and the creation of the universe could be the first sign of a creator, how a belief in God is different from having faith, and whether reason can make the case that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We may be seeing peace break out in the Middle East, but it’s still trade war elsewhere - especially with China. Donald Trump has threatened a 100% tariff on the rival superpower if Beijing goes through with its plan to impose tough restrictions on exports of the rare earth minerals critical to the U.S. economy. These could well be mere negotiating tactics but they’re a reminder of the wider friction that now dominates global economic relations. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Neil Shearing, Group Chief Economist of Capital Economics and author of “The Fractured Age: How the Return of Geopolitics Will Splinter the Global Economy.” They discuss Shearing’s argument that the world is dividing into two giant economic blocs and what that might mean for stability and peace. They also talk about some unusual developments in global markets of late, especially a weakening dollar and a soaring gold price - the last of which Shearing believes is driven by Chinese official policy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In America and much of the West, it's become axiomatic to regard colonialism as a stain on human history. The story told in classrooms and popular culture is one of unrelenting exploitation of hapless people of color by white imperialists. And the narrative has contemporary relevance: demands for reparations for the victims of oppression - But is the modern West's history really a litany of crimes against humanity? Should we pay reparations to the victims? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker explores these themes with Nigel Biggar, author of “Reparations: Slavery and the Tyranny of Imaginary Guilt.” They discuss Lord Biggar’s experiences in the “culture wars,” the attempts to silence him, and take a critical look at the belief that a debt needs to be paid to the descendants of slaves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week at the United Nations, Donald Trump derided the climate change movement, calling it a ‘con job,’ a view that the Republican party signed onto as the president won his second term last year. While it may not be a hoax, there's growing evidence that the supposed catastrophe climate change represents has been way overblown. One person whose views have undergone a radical change in recent years is Ted Nordhaus, co-founder and director of the Breakthrough Institute. On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Gerry Baker speaks to Nordhaus, who explains how he has stopped worrying and learned, if not to love, then at least to accept the limited cost of climate change. He argues that government incentives have created a ‘climate industrial complex’ that continues to promote an alarmist message, but says the U.S. is actually on the right track in tackling climate change Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the summer of rage that followed was a seminal event in U.S. politics. It was seized on by progressive ideologues who controlled most of the cultural and political discourse in America to assert an identity-based ideology and to marginalize dissent. But their efforts to cement a woke revolution and cancel opposition has come back to haunt them. The re-election of Donald Trump last year represented in part a counter-revolution. And now he and his MAGA majority seem to be using some of the same tactics to squeeze their opponents from the public square. How did we get here and how can we restore civility in an age of increasingly polarized intolerance? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Thomas Chatterton Williams, author of a new book ‘Summer of Our Discontent: The Age of Certainty and the Demise of Discourse.’ They discuss how illiberalism turned university campuses into hotbeds of intolerance, why there is now a backlash against ‘identity politics,’ and how Donald Trump’s base is more multi-cultural than is portrayed by his critics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The assassination of Charlie Kirk marked the latest escalation of politically motivated violence, and it may be a breaking point for the country. After the murder of Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota and the attempts on President Donald Trump’s life last year, the U.S. seems to be returning to the dark days of half a century ago when politically motivated violence was almost routine. President Trump and his allies put the blame on the radical left and have threatened a crackdown. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker discusses the deteriorating political atmosphere with Democratic Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts, who details his own experiences dealing with political threats. They also discuss the prospects for a government shutdown and the changes the Democratic Party needs to make if it is to re-earn the trust of American voters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With Donald Trump’s tariffs heading towards a Supreme Court showdown, his efforts to reshape the Federal Reserve in his own image intensifying, and another Washington battle under way over funding the federal government, the U.S. economy and markets face new uncertainties entering the fall. On this episode of Free Expression, Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan tells Gerry Baker that despite the uncertainty, he sees no U.S. recession in the near future and thinks inflation remains contained. But he emphasizes the importance of Fed independence and offers his thoughts on tariffs and the growing fiscal crisis, and on the challenges and opportunities posed by crypto currency and artificial intelligence to the banking system. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With emerging signs that Donald Trump's revolutionary tariff regime may be starting to take a toll on U.S. economic prospects, what's the outlook for the immediate future? And how is the latest wave of technological change, allied with a new strand of government activism, going to change longer term economic performance? On this episode of the Free Expression podcast, Gerry Baker speaks with financier and philanthropist Glenn Hutchins about what the recent jobs and inflation numbers might mean for the economy, what the Federal Reserve should do in response, what the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence and the renewed focus on national priorities will mean. And as a long-standing supporter of Democratic candidates and causes, he offers a few thoughts on the future of the Democratic party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Liberal democracy is under siege. Domestically, popular discontent with civic, cultural and political institutions is tempting voters in many democracies towards more authoritarian leadership. Globally, the axis of autocracies in Russia and China threaten to upend weaker democratic neighbors. Donald Trump’s trade policies and diplomacy are weakening alliances and undermining faith in "the west.” Is democracy in retreat? Does it matter? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker and former British prime minister Rishi Sunak discuss the state of democracy in the U.K. and the U.S, how liberal democracy can be strengthened, and how rapid technological change is affecting economics and politics. And the U.K.'s last Conservative prime minister offers his thoughts on the state of conservatism on both sides of the Atlantic. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While Israel continues to achieve great military successes against Hamas, Hezbollah and most recently Iran in its almost two year campaign, the humanitarian consequences of the conflict in Gaza are growing worse. There is growing evidence of famine throughout Gaza, caused by disruptions in the delivery of aid, and both sides are being accused of causing the crisis. International pressure on Israel is mounting. Last week, Emmanuel Macron of France announced he would recognize a Palestinian state and Keir Starmer, the British prime minister, has said he could do the same in September. So can Israel effectively finish its war in the face of the human cost and growing international isolation? On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Israeli journalist and commentator Nadav Eyal about what it could take to settle the war between Israel and Hamas, the international reaction to the crisis, and how Israel can ultimately guarantee its own security and very existence. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump’s control of the Republican Party is almost complete. But there are still some members pushing back against the president. Sen. Lisa Murkowski is a persistent dissident. She was one of the few Senators to vote against a recent package of cuts that had already been approved in a spending bill. She has also voted against and expressed reservations about a number of Donald Trump’s cabinet members. She voted to convict him on impeachment charges after the January 6 2021 Capitol Hill riots. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with Murkowski about her recent memoir, “Far From Home,” her concerns about HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s stances on vaccines in relation to the recent measles outbreak in Texas, and why she’s “not losing sleep” over the direction of the Republican party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The hottest properties in the Democratic Party at the moment are self-described democratic socialists. Zohran Mamdani won the party’s nomination for New York City mayor last month while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders (who’s not even a Democrat) are in the forefront of the party’s campaigning against President Donald Trump. The trend alarms the party’s leadership and mainstream establishment, who see it as a quick route to electoral oblivion. Can the next wave of Democratic candidates for local and national elections appeal to the middle, or is the distaste for President Trump making the party hostage to its more radical elements? On this episode of Free Expression, former Commerce Secretary and White House Chief of Staff William Daley tells Gerry Baker about his concerns for the direction of the Democratic party, what it can learn from the mistake from the Tea Party movement of the GOP, and who he thinks are the party’s most electable candidates for president. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Donald Trump and the Republicans in Congress set a July 4th deadline to pass a spending package the President and others gave the moniker the “One Big, Beautiful Bill.” Getting the measure to the president’s desk hasn’t been plain sailing - the Senate version passed this week only with a tie-breaking vote by Vice President JD Vance. Now fiscal conservatives in the House are battling over some of the details, but it seems likely to become law soon enough. On this episode of Free Expression, Gerry Baker speaks with economist and former director of the Congressional Budget Office Douglas Holtz-Eakin about the bill’s likely positive impact on the economy as well as the nation's dire fiscal situation, how the nation’s budget challenges still require reform of entitlements that seems politically elusive, and what this signature piece of domestic policy says about the direction of Trump’s Republican Party. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices