- Social:
Naval War College
Thomas Nichols is a professor of national security affairs at the Naval War College and the author of The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters.
PROFILE
Thomas Nichols
Guest
FROM Thomas Nichols
One Year Later
McDonald's, elitism and expertise One year after Donald Trump won over the masses, a debate over the role of elitism continues. Some maintain that Trump was elected because many Americans are sick and tired of being talked down to by smug, condescending elitists. Others claim that what put Trump in office is something even more dangerous -- a growing skepticism of expertise that has left ordinary people convinced that they know more than they really do. Which is it? We sort it all out.
To the Point
Why Don't Facts Matter? In this divided nation, more and more people respond only to new information that reinforces their established opinions. When they're presented with facts that contradict what they believe, their opinions get stronger — even when the contradictory evidence is irrefutable. Has the country become the Emotional States of America, or is there something about the way the human brain is wired? Is it the consequence of our culture, our politics or the way our brains are structured? We talk to a neuroscientist, a foreign-policy expert, and an obstetrician who performs abortions in Alabama in the name of science… and Christianity.
Recommended
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
Venezuela spirals into economic and political chaos Venezuela, a country whose potential for prosperity is unmatched, finds itself on the verge of civil war. What sustains the repressive government? With time running out, guest host León Krauze looks at what the international community can do to pull the country from the edge of collapse.
To the Point
Is the threat from Russia missing from the Russia meddling probe? There's much being made about the Trump administration's possible ties with Russia. But the bottom line is Russia's effort to influence American democracy. Do the President and his aides care enough to take action before voters go back to the polls?