America Has a Moral Problem, Not a Political One — with David Brooks
4/23/202656 min
David Brooks, a writer now at The Atlantic and a bestselling author, joins Scott to unpack what he sees as a deeper crisis in America — not political, but moral. They discuss the rise of resentment, why so many people feel a lack of purpose, and how institutions have failed to shape character and meaning. They also explore how social media and AI are reshaping identity, why young people feel increasingly unmoored, and what it takes to build a life with purpose. Also, friendly reminder that we're live on Substack. Subscribe at profgmedia.com to get ad-free versions of all our podcasts, the full archive of Scott’s newsletters, and exclusive content including deep dives, livestream conversations, and subscriber Q&As. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Clips
Showing 10 of 16Transcript preview
First 90 secondsJon Finer· Soundbite0:00
There's something else here now, something new.
David Brooks· Guest0:02
From exclusively on Paramount Plus, it's the series Stephen King calls scary as hell.
Jon Finer· Soundbite0:08
Everything here is impossible, but it's also real.
David Brooks· Guest0:12
SciFi Vision calls it the best show streaming right now.
Jon Finer· Soundbite0:16
We're running out of time, and we still don't know the rules.
David Brooks· Guest0:19
Don't miss what The Movie Blog calls something you need to watch.
Jon Finer· Soundbite0:22
Saving those children is how we all go home.
David Brooks· Guest0:25
From binge all episodes exclusively on Paramount Plus.
Speaker 20:29
[upbeat music] Burnout at work is a tale as old as time.
Jon Finer· Soundbite0:36
Tale as old as time.
Speaker 20:37
But a new generation may have found the fix.
Speaker 30:40
We can learn so much from Gen Z and what they are teaching us about modeling the boundaries that would have prevented all of us from burning out in the first place.
Speaker 20:53
How to win the battle against burnout. That's this week on Explain It To Me. Find new episodes Sundays wherever you get your podcasts.
Jake Sullivan· Soundbite1:01
Where do the negotiations with Iran stand? What can a deal actually look like? And does diplomacy still have a chance?
John Kerry· Soundbite1:09
I personally believe we will get an agreement. I think there's going to be an agreement forthcoming of one kind or another. I think the world needs that. I think we desperately need to calm things down.
Jake Sullivan· Soundbite1:20
I'm Jake Sullivan.
Jon Finer· Soundbite1:22
And I'm Jon Finer. And we're the hosts of The Long Game, a weekly national security podcast. This week, former Secretary of State John Kerry joins