In an era when trust in institutions of all kinds is slipping, the blockchain offers a new hope: shared ledgers of information that no one controls but everyone can believe.  What could go wrong? Kevin Werbach of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and author of ‘The Blockchain and the New Architecture of Trust’ maps the often confusing landscape and shows how technology that rests on foundations of mutual mistrust can become trustworthy.  In fact, the blockchain has spawned hundreds of companies, billions of dollars in investment and adoption by companies ranging from the New York Stock Exchange to Walmart since its emergence about a decade ago. Let’s unlock the mystery and the potential of blockchain in this episode.

https://www.amazon.com/Blockchain-Architecture-Trust-Information-Policy/dp/0262038935

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Gerald Celente, whose publishes ‘TrendsJournal’ and oversees the Trends Research Institute, has developed the Globalnomic(R)methodology to identify, track, forecast and manage trends.  He puts all data in his own blender and analyzes the current events which form future trends. His motto is ‘think for yourself’ and his pulsating style will have you riveted to this podcast to find out what is in our future.  Hint: his newly released Top 10 MegaTrends for 2019 reveals changes across a broad range of fields and issues. He is deeply concerned about storm clouds over this economy on a worldwide basis. You’ll be better prepared for the rocky road ahead if you listen to this episode.

https://trendsresearch.com/trends-journal/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

When you consider the fact that America ranks 31st among 34 developed nations in voter turnout, you realize that many reforms are needed in our electoral system.  We disenfranchise people in many ways–making registration difficult, gerrymandering districts so that people don’t think voting matters, limiting voting to a weekday in many states and not offering options, like ranked choice voting.  Reforms are taking place in various municipalities and states which will emerge nationally in the period ahead. FairVote.org is a group dedicated to electoral reforms that make democracy work better for everyone.  Drew Penrose, chief counsel at FairVote, discusses what those reforms are and what role they began to play in 2018 and will play going forward.

https://www.fairvote.org/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Leading politicians in both parties, including the President, rockers who still fill stadiums and cultural icons in business, technology and the arts are at a stage of life we are hard pressed to describe.  Are they senior citizens or perennials? We have a hard time defining this generation in the process of aging because they are breaking the rules once again, just as they did in the 1960’s. AARP is focused on the way that this ‘disrupt aging’ movement is affecting all aspects of life in America, as 10,000 people a day turn 65.  Leave your stereotypes at the door as this podcast focuses on the folks in our society who while growing older are finding new meaning, purpose and fulfillment. We discuss this age wave with Tia Murphy, state president of AARP in Connecticut and gerontologist, Donna Fedus, who founded the group ‘Borrow My Glasses’.

https://www.aarp.org/

http://www.borrowmyglasses.com/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Over the last 40 years, China has changed beyond recognition, becoming a world power following economic reforms made by Deng Xiaoping and others.  President Xi Jinping, perhaps the most powerful leader in China since Mao Tse Tung, has inherited this more prosperous, and complex, economy. Yet, George Magnus, of the China Centre at Oxford University, sees four key ‘Red Flags’–traps, if you will– that Xi will have to negotiate if he wants to keep China’s hot streak going. Is China in more jeopardy than you imagine?  Find out on this episode.

https://www.amazon.com/Red-Flags-Why-China-Jeopardy/dp/0300233191

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

We’ve all held fast to the notion that in America there exists ‘one man, one vote’, thus we are all equal in our system of representation.  Yet, when you really think about it, the voices of those who invest money, time and energy in the political conversation often count for more than someone whose civic responsibility begins and ends at the voting booth.  And there is clearly a socioeconomic aspect to this as the well educated and affluent carry megaphones, while the poor and dispossessed speak in a whisper. Those are the findings in the book, ‘Unequal and Unrepresented: Political Inequality and the People’s Voice in the New Gilded Age”.  Kay Lehman Schlozman, a political scientist and co-author of the book, joins us to count the many ways that citizens have to express themselves politically and the impact these have on policy decisions.

https://www.amazon.com/Unequal-Unrepresented-Political-Inequality-Peoples-ebook/dp/B0795BTMMY

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

At the end of the Cold War, America stood alone in the world as the supreme economic and military force. We were finally a unipolar giant with decent relations with present adversaries, like Russia and China.  What went wrong? Stephen Walt, a professor of international affairs, at Harvard University and author of ‘The Hell of Good Intentions’, traces our problems to a misguided, bi-partisan strategy of ‘liberal hegemony'(he’ll explain).  Many misadvenutes later, the foreign policy establishment in America still pushes the same concepts that have failed us in the past. And, while President Trump, espouses other ideas, Professor Walt doesn’t see his policies ushering in a new era for American foreign policy.  The author suggests we pursue offshore balancing to align America foreign policy with our values and capabilities. This is important.

https://www.amazon.com/Hell-Good-Intentions-Americas-Foreign/dp/0374280037

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Years back, Ivan Eland wrote a book with this title.  He traced this country’s steady expansion of its military footprint all over the world and the dangers inherent in this trend.  We decided to catch up with him several years later to determine if this military intervention, on the whole, has been positive for America on the world stage. He still believes, resolutely, that the world, and the United States, would be better off if we curtailed some of ’empire like’ tendencies, which are in contravention with the role The Founders envisioned for this land.  This episode is the first of two parts on U.S. foreign policy.

http://www.independent.org/aboutus/person_detail.asp?id=487

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

As an addendum to the conversation with Mark about the skills gap EP199, Peter Murphy of the Invest in Education Coalition, talks about one approach to closing it: the USA Workforce Tax Credit.

http://investineducation.org/about-the-coalition/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

If they are led to believe that there is no other path to a successful future than a four year, liberal arts degree then the answer is no, according to Mark Perna, CEO of TFS Results and author the book, ‘Answering Why’.  He’s very concerned that while there are six million open jobs in America that this number could grow to eleven million unfilled jobs by 2025. He describes why we have a national skills gap and the various avenues that young people can pursue to close it.  He attributes much of the problem to an awareness gap regarding those opportunities. We do our part to close that on this episode.

https://www.markcperna.com/book/

Podcast: Play in new window | Download