Q & A, Hosted By Jay Nordlinger

Eliot A. Cohen is a professor of international relations. As Jay says, he is a leading expert in the field—a man from whom you can learn a great deal. Cohen discusses two of his own professors in this “Q&A”: Richard Pipes and Samuel Huntington. Are we in a Huntingtonian moment? A clash of civilizations? Jay asks Eliot Cohen several specific questions about Ukraine and Russia... Source

Hanna Liubakova is a journalist whom Jay respects a great deal. She is a Belarusian, in exile, who reports on her own country, of course, but also on the war in Ukraine. Belarus, Ukraine, Russia, the Baltic countries, other countries—all these things are connected. Hanna Liubakova is deeply and widely informed, and she makes the rest of us more informed too. With Jay... Source

Once more, Radek Sikorski brings his expertise to this program—and at a critical hour. He is a Polish member of the European Parliament. He was foreign minister and defense minister of his country. With Jay, he discusses Putin’s war on Ukraine, from military, political, psychological, and other points of view. A clarifying analysis. Source

Luba Kolomytseva is the art director at National Review. She is an old friend and colleague of Jay’s. They first met in November 1998, when Jay arrived at NR. Their first conversation was about Ukraine and Russia. They have been talking about the subject, on and off, ever since. Luba began life in Kharkiv, Ukraine. These weeks have been emotional for her—a “torture,” she says. Source

Bill Browder is the financier who is the driving force behind Magnitsky acts—acts that allow governments to sanction individual human-rights abusers, rather than whole peoples. He is one of Vladimir Putin’s chief enemies. He has been in Putin’s crosshairs for years. Browder is the author of “Red Notice: A True Story of High Finance, Murder, and One Man’s Fight for Justice.” With Jay... Source

Casey Michel is an expert on a shadowy world: financial corruption, around the globe. Where do the oligarchs get their dough? How do they hide it? How do they invest it? Where do they park it? Have Americans, and others, aided and abetted them? With Casey Michel, Jay gets into this critically important subject. Mr. Michel is the author of a new book, “American Kleptocracy: How the U.S. Source

Teng Biao is a prominent lawyer, human-rights activist, and democracy leader from China. He comes from a small, poor village and went to the country’s leading university: Peking University. He earned a Ph.D. in legal philosophy. His life took a turn, though: he entered dissidence, wanting to defend people’s rights and speak for the voiceless. He was therefore imprisoned and tortured several times. Source

Kateryna Yushchenko was born and raised in Chicago. Her parents were Ukrainian refugees, who had been through many storms. Kateryna worked in the Reagan State Department — on issues of democracy and human rights — and then in the White House. She moved to Ukraine and became First Lady of the country. Her husband, Viktor Yushchenko, was president from 2005 to 2010. He survived a poison attack — a... Source

Francis Fukuyama is one of the most influential political thinkers of our times. He teaches at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies, at Stanford. He is chairman of the editorial board at American Purpose. With Jay, he talks about his upbringing and education. His paternal grandfather came to America from Japan in 1905. His father was born and raised in Los Angeles. Source

Myroslava Luzina is a political analyst and consultant in Kyiv, the Ukrainian capital. She is also a book translator and other things. She is someone, as Jay says, from whom you can learn a great deal. Jay asks her about the situation in Ukraine now: What does it feel like? Are people making preparations (for a further Russian invasion)? Are Ukrainians becoming more nation-minded? Source

As in 2008, the Chinese government will soon host Olympic Games. Talking about the issues with Jay is Perry Link, the estimable China scholar. Should the U.S. be boycotting? Is a diplomatic boycott enough? How about Peng Shuai, the tennis player? Should Elon Musk be doing business in Xinjiang Province, or East Turkestan, where the Uyghurs are being persecuted? And so on and so forth. At the end... Source

Vladimir Kara-Murza is a Russian democracy leader, writer, documentary-maker, etc. He has long been admired by Jay and many others. Kara-Murza worked with Boris Nemtsov, the Russian opposition leader murdered in 2015. He himself has been subject to two murder attempts (by poison). In this “Q&A,” Kara-Murza and Jay discuss Russian civil society; the relationship between the current government and... Source

Togo is a West African country, of about 8 million. Since 1967, it has been ruled by two dictators, father and son. An outstanding—and outstandingly brave—opposition leader is Farida Nabourema. Jay wrote about this young woman in 2018: “Daughter of Togo.” He also did a “Q&A” with her. She is back, now, with the latest: the latest about her country. Although her remarks are specifically about Togo... Source

The college-football playoffs are coming up. On hand to discuss them are David French, Vivek Dave, and Rahul Danak. Also, should coaches just up and leave, before bowl games? Should athletic departments fire them mid-season? At the end of this podcast, Vivek and Rahul discuss the Concession Call. When their schools play each other, in football or basketball, the alum of the losing school has to... Source

Josh Kraushaar, of National Journal, is one of the best political reporters and analysts in America. His handle, on Twitter, is “Hotline Josh,” for reasons he explains in this conversation with Jay. He and Jay jaw over some of today’s politics: Biden—is he all there? Harris—does she have what it takes? Trump—are he and the GOP at one? Josh also provides assessments of the four big leaders on the... Source

Vladimir Putin’s Russia is threatening Ukraine as never before. Why does it matter? What is the interest of the United States? John Bolton has long experience with Russia and Ukraine. He answers the vital questions, with candor and clarity. Source

Walter Wolf has written an unusual book on a very difficult and important topic—a book that meets a screaming need: “The Right Rehab: A Guide to Addiction and Mental Illness Recovery When Crisis Hits Your Family.” He knows from personal experience. He is now trying to help others. Source

Daniel Asia is a composer and a professor at the University of Arizona. He heads the American Culture and Ideas Initiative. Some of his articles are available in in a collection: “Observations on Music, Culture, and Politics.” Jay wrote the foreword to it. He and Dan Asia are old friends and comrades. In this conversation, they talk about Dan’s life (very interesting); the state of music education... Source

With two of his gurus, David French and Vivek Dave, Jay talks college football, Major League Baseball, the NFL, and college basketball. The guys hash over the Big Ten, the Houston Astros, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Simmons, and more. Vivek is in a peevish mood; David is freewheeling. An excellent discussion. Source

Garry Kasparov is the chess champion and democracy champion. He was Jay’s very first guest on “Q&A,” in 2015. For 255 months, Kasparov was the world’s No. 1 in chess. As Jay points out, Tiger Woods, in his career so far, has been No. 1 in golf for 158 months. Kasparov is chairman of the Human Rights Foundation and also chairman of the Renew Democracy Initiative. RDI has a new program called... Source