Tom Nichols on Globalization, Nostalgia, and the Populist Threat to Democracy

This episode's guest is Tom Nichols, professor emeritus at the United States Naval War College and staff writer at The Atlantic. Tom is the author of the Peacefield newsletter and the Atlantic Daily newsletter. His most recent book is Our Own Worst Enemy: The Assault from within on Modern Democracy.

In that book, he "challenges the current depictions of the rise of illiberal and anti-democratic movements in the United States and elsewhere as the result of the deprivations of globalization or the malign decisions of elites. Rather, he places the blame for the rise of illiberalism on the people themselves." (Publisher's description) We talk about Tom's concerns that modern life has left people spoiled, angry, and nostalgic for a time that never really existed and how this disposition has contributed to the rise of politicians like Donald Trump. 

Our Own Worst Enemy is now available in paperback.