Jeremi Suri: History of American Power | Lex Fridman Podcast #180

ℹ️ EPISODE INFO

Released

April 30, 2021

Duration

2h 8m

Channel

Lex Fridman Podcast

Watch on YouTube

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📝 EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Jeremi Suri is a historian at UT Austin. Please support this podcast by checking out our sponsors:

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EPISODE LINKS: Jeremi's Twitter: https://twitter.com/JeremiSuri Jeremi's Website: http://jeremisuri.net This is Democracy Podcast: http://jeremisuri.net/archives/1798 The Impossible Presidency (book): https://amzn.to/2QKC5Jp PODCAST INFO: Podcast website: https://lexfridman.com/podcast Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2lwqZIr Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2nEwCF8 RSS: https://lexfridman.com/feed/podcast/ Full episodes playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOdP_8GztsuKi9nrraNbKKp4 Clips playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrAXtmErZgOeciFP3CBCIEElOJeitOr41 OUTLINE: 0:00 - Introduction 8:23 - Power of charisma 14:14 - US presidency 25:00 - Aliens 30:06 - Bill Clinton 32:57 - Students of history 37:47 - George Washington 40:34 - Putin 47:16 - FDR 1:02:28 - Henry Kissinger 1:12:21 - Realpolitik 1:24:12 - What is a just war? 1:30:16 - Cold war 1:34:34 - Communism in the United States 1:44:32 - Vaccines and the future of the human species 1:49:47 - Book recommendations 1:51:20 - Learning another language 1:55:47 - Advice for young people 2:02:00 - Grandmother 2:04:53 - Meaning of life SOCIAL:

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🎤 SPEAKERS

• Lex Fridman

  host

• Jeremi Suri

  guest

🧾 EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Lex Fridman Podcast, featuring Lex Fridman and Jeremi Suri, Jeremi Suri: History of American Power | Lex Fridman Podcast #180 explores power, Presidents, and Purpose: Lessons from American and Global History Lex Fridman and historian Jeremi Suri explore how American presidents have wielded power, focusing on figures like Lincoln, Washington, FDR, Clinton, Obama, Nixon, and contemporary leaders. They examine leadership traits such as ambition, empathy, charisma, storytelling, and the corrupting nature of prolonged power, comparing democratic leaders with dictators like Hitler, Stalin, and Putin. Suri traces the evolution of the presidency, the growth of military and surveillance power, and the constraints structures impose on even well‑intentioned leaders. The conversation widens to Kissinger and realpolitik, the Cold War, communism vs capitalism, technology, climate, guns, language, personal ethics, and advice to young people about building a meaningful life and career.

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