S1E110 - Adam Hochschild - A Brilliant, Worried but Hopeful Voice from the Left
Mother Jones magazine co-founder, author, and journalist Adam Hochschild joined Michael Krasny for a rich and varied conversation focused on Russia's war with Ukraine. A long-time dove and opponent of U.S. and other nations' wars, Hochschild described himself as an anti-Russia hawk.
The two discussed Vladimir Putin's brutality and lack of human empathy, with Krasny referencing the pro-Russia views of the late left-leaning Princeton professor Stephen Cohen. They explored Putin's obsession with restoring Russia to its former Soviet-era strength.
The dialogue shifted to the appointments by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump of Tulsi Gabbard and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., and worries and fears over the future of the environment. Hochschild also criticized "the kissing of Trump's ring" by major business and Silicon Valley figures. Despite these concerns, he voiced hope for ongoing divisions within the GOP and shared his perspective on the Democratic Party.
The conversation also delved into Hochschild's highly praised book, American Midnight, which examines the period from 1917 to 1921. The two noted chilling parallels between that era and the present day.
The conversation concluded with an assessment of today's Africa and the changing face of Europe with Krasny bringing in questions anchored in pessimism, while Hochschild, despite his ongoing worries, expressed a sanguine point of view.
Biography
Adam Hochschild writes frequently about issues of human rights and social justice. The latest of his eleven books is American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy’s Forgotten Crisis. His King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award, as was To End All Wars: A Story of Loyalty and Rebellion, 1914-1918. His Bury the Chains: Prophets and Rebels in the Fight to Free an Empire’s Slaves was a finalist for the National Book Award and won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the PEN USA Literary Award. He is a three-time winner of the Gold Medal for Nonfiction of the California Book Awards. His reporting from five continents has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times Magazine, the Atlantic, and many other magazines. He teaches at UC Berkeley’s Graduate School of Journalism.
Web page: https://journalism.berkeley.edu/person/adam_hochschild/
Conversation recorded on December 20, 2024.