A JAM Community-Produced Podcast
America Unbound is a podcast hosted by Narain Batra, who interviews people in conversations around American power, geopolitics, history, culture, freedom, philosophy, artificial intelligence, and beyond.
Episodes
Episode 5: Narain Batra speaks about TECHNOLOGY TO FASHION, THE PARADOX OF ORIGINALITY : “Is anything truly new, or are we merely remixing the echoes of the past? From fashion to business and art, it feels like every novel idea has a familiar echo, of something that came before. Every idea stands on the shoulders of older concepts, and every invention reimagines past creations. But does this mean there’s no true originality? Or does it reveal a deeper truth how ideas evolve and re-invent themselves?”
Episode 4: Narain Batra speaks about GOVERNING IN POLARIZED AMERICA: “The chokehold has been lifted. America breathes again! I mean we narrowly avoided complete, self-inflicted disaster. After harrowing days of the most long-drawn-out government shutdown in U.S. history—a marathon of political brinkmanship—Congress somehow reached a makeshift deal to get off the people’s back. Federal workers will return to their offices, airports will return to normal, and there will be food on the table for millions living paycheck-to-paycheck. The “glass is half-full” optimists would say this deal is simply the lesser of two evils. And, frankly, that’s about as good as it gets these days. We like to think of polarization as the Damocles Sword hanging perpetually over our heads. But history speaks otherwise. From the Marshall Plan to the Civil Rights Act to Medicare, America can build consensus across class, race, and party lines. The problem is not that cooperation is impossible. Rather, we’ve simply forgotten how to expect it. We’ve become so used to the partisan food fight that we’re surprised when someone actually tries to cook dinner.”
Episode 3: Narain Batra interviews Dartmouth professors, Daryl Press and Jennifer Lind, about the United States choosing its battles in a world where its supremacy is being challenged.
Episode 2: Narain Batra interviews William C. Wohlforth, a member of the Dartmouth Government Department’s faculty since 2000. Previously teaching at Princeton and Georgetown, Wohlforth conducts research on international relations, with an emphasis on international security and foreign policy.
Episode 1: Narain Batra interviews Vermont State Senator and JAM Board Vice-Chair Joe Major.
ABOUT THE HOST: Narain Batra is a professor, columnist, author, and public Speaker. He is affiliated with the Diplomacy and International Program at the Norwich University Graduate College. He is the author of several books, including “The First Freedoms and America’s Culture of Innovation” and the most recent “India In A New Key: Nehru to Modi.” He lives in the Upper Valley.
