Posts in America
Courageous Conversations: Jeff Sharlet on American Failures and American Possibility

Meet Dr. Jeff Sharlet, Professor in the Art of Writing at Dartmouth College and author of the recently released The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War. In it, he journeys into the corners of our national psyche in an attempt to understand how, over the last decade, reaction has morphed into delusion, social division into distrust, distrust into paranoia, and hatred into fantasies—sometimes realities—of violence.

In this conversation, George and Jeff discuss the religious dimensions of American politics, and the role of grief and uncertainty in the midst of plague and rising fascism. Sharlet offers insight into both the human condition and into our country today, bringing to light a decade of American failures as well as a vision for American possibility,

Jeff Sharlet is the New York Times bestselling author or editor of eight books. His latest is The Undertow: Scenes from a Slow Civil War (2023), a National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist for Nonfiction, one of The New York Times 100 Books of the Year, and a New Republic book of the year.

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Courageous Conversations: Chris Walsh and William McKenzie on Pluralism

George is joined by Chris Walsh and William McKenzie, both of the George W. Bush Institute where they engage in the advancement of freedom and democracy in the world.

In this second episode of the Courageous Conversations series, they discuss what they call "the pluralism challenge," the role of pluralism in strengthening our democracy, the importance of a vibrant religious pluralism, and what American democracy means—even when it falls short of its own ideals.


Chris Walsh serves as Director, Global Policy at the George W. Bush Institute. In this role, Mr. Walsh manages communications, evaluation, and public policy research projects that advance freedom and democracy in the world.

William McKenzie is senior editorial advisor at the George W. Bush Institute, where he is working on editorial projects on democracy and freedom and education reform.

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