Week Ender: Verhofstadt on "Trumpism", plus summer must-reads
Summary
Host Sarah Wheaton and producer Saga Ringmar share summer book recommendations from colleagues and listeners, ranging from historical fiction to thrillers. The episode features an interview with former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt about his new book, *Defeating Trumpism*, where he critiques liberal complacency and proposes a new political ideology called "citizenism" to combat populism. Verhofstadt also argues for deeper European integration, particularly in defense, to counter global rivals.
Topics discussed
Intro: Summer reading and Guy Verhofstadt's new book
Staff picks: The Peasants and WWII memoirs
Staff picks: The Wager, Pillars of the Earth, and mindfulness
Staff picks: Astronaut and Demon Copperhead
Listener recommendations: Fiction, true crime, and sci-fi
Interview: Why citizens are revolting against the political system
Interview: The complacency of liberal leaders post-1989
Interview: Populism vs. Ideology and the need for 'Citizenism'
Interview: Democratizing capital and data ownership
Interview: European integration and a unified defense force
Outro: Hosts' final picks and summer break announcement
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