logo
episode-header-image
Oct 2024
44m 53s

#387 — Politics & Power

SAM HARRIS
About this episode

Sam Harris speaks with Ambassador Rahm Emanuel about the state of world order and American politics. They discuss the mystery of Japan's economic health, U.S. competition with China, possible conflict over Taiwan and the Philippines, the significance of the South China Sea, the history of the Japan-U.S. friendship, how the Democratic Party lost its way, immigration, whether Vice President Harris needs a "Sister Souljah moment," whether she should explain her changes of position better than she has, the standing of Israel in the eyes of the world, antisemitism, the Abraham Accords, Hamas, the West Bank, the influence of the religious right in Israel, a possible war with Iran, Netanyahu and Israeli security, a two-state solution, whether a Harris administration would reliably support Israel, and other topics.

If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.


Learning how to train your mind is the single greatest investment you can make in life. That's why Sam Harris created the Waking Up app. From rational mindfulness practice to lessons on some of life's most important topics, join Sam as he demystifies the practice of meditation and explores the theory behind it.

Up next
Nov 17
#444 — America's Zombie Democracy
<p>Sam Harris speaks with George Packer about American democracy and authoritarianism. They discuss Packer's article "<a href= "https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2025/09/america-authoritarian-regime-ai-suicide/684350/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">America's Zombie Democ ... Show More
20m 54s
Nov 10
#443 — What Is Christian Nationalism?
Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Wilson about his book Frequently Shouted Questions about Christian Nationalism. They discuss Wilson's debates with Christopher Hitchens, the landscape of American evangelicalism, young-earth creationism, pre- vs. post-millennialism, the concept of d ... Show More
1h 59m
Nov 3
#442 — More From Sam: Public Speaking, Nuclear War, & Christian Nationalism
In this latest episode of the More From Sam series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss how Sam overcame his fear of public speaking, the ongoing threat of nuclear war and the new Netflix movie A Hou ... Show More
17m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2025
Orit Rozin, "Emotions of Conflict, Israel 1949-1967" (Oxford UP, 2024)
Israel’s citizens have had to cope with the emotional challenges of the threats their country has faced during its first two decades. Emotions of Conflict, Israel 1949-1967 (Oxford UP, 2024) unpacks the history of citizens’ emotions—an analysis of the reports about how they felt ... Show More
1h 6m
Nov 2024
Trump’s intrusive demons and Israel’s ‘enlightened cause’ | Norman Finkelstein
Has Donald Trump peeled back the veil on the toxicity of America? What will his second term mean for Israel, Palestine and the pursuit of justice? This week on The Big Picture Podcast, we welcome back Norman Finkelstein, political scientist, author and legal scholar, to talk abou ... Show More
1h 41m
Feb 2025
Violent Majorities 2.1: Peter Beinart on Long-Distance Israeli Ethnonationalism (LA, AS)
Political anthropologists Ajantha Subramanian and Lori Allen are back to continue RTB's Violent Majorities series with a set of three episodes on long-distance ethno-nationalism. Today, they speak with Peter Beinart (an editor at Jewish Currents and Professor of Journalism and Po ... Show More
54m 50s
Feb 2025
113: How Zionists Hijacked U.S Politics & Judaism for 75 Years w. CodePink's Medea Benjamin
<p>In this episode of the Ansari Podcast, we hear from Medea Benjamin, co-founder of Code Pink and well-known peace activist. Medea discusses her motivations rooted in empathy, her experiences confronting AIPAC and U.S. foreign policy, and her steadfast commitment to advocating f ... Show More
1h 6m
Oct 19
The Untold Story of the Gaza Ceasefire - Thomas Small
Thomas Small is a historian and filmmaker best known as co-host of the Conflicted podcast, where he explores Middle Eastern history, geopolitics, and religious thought alongside ex-jihadi Aimen Dean. He also writes on ancient Christian spirituality and global conflict dynamics. T ... Show More
1h 22m
Feb 2025
Violent Majorities 2.1: Peter Beinart on Long-Distance Israeli Ethnonationalism (LA, AS)
Political anthropologists Ajantha Subramanian and Lori Allen are back to continue RTB's Violent Majorities series with a set of three episodes on long-distance ethno-nationalism. Today, they speak with Peter Beinart (an editor at Jewish Currents and Professor of Journalism and Po ... Show More
54m 50s
Sep 18
Ashish Prashar: Witnessing Apartheid & Advocacy | Sumud Podcast
🎙️ This week on the Sumud Podcast, we’re joined by Ashish Prashar, a political strategist and human rights activist who has advised Middle East peace envoys, UK politicians, and international bodies. He shares a unique perspective shaped by years of firsthand experience in Israe ... Show More
54m 59s
Aug 20
Asking Benjamin Netanyahu The Tough Questions
Benjamin Netanyahu is the Prime Minister of Israel. He answers Konstantin's and Francis' questions on the Israel/Gaza War. | Sponsored by Venice AI: Enjoy private, uncensored AI https://venice.ai/triggernometry - use code TRIGGERNOMETRY to get 20% off a pro plan Triggernometry is ... Show More
43m 12s
Jun 2024
The View From the Israeli Right
<p>On Tuesday I got back from an eight-day trip to Israel and the West Bank. I happened to be there on the day that Benny Gantz resigned from the war cabinet and called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to schedule new elections, breaking the unity government that Israel had h ... Show More
55m 9s