Kurt Andersen on Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire

The Politics Guys

Michael Baranowski

Politics, News

4.5 • 772 Ratings

🗓️ 2 May 2018

⏱️ 59 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Mike talks with journalist and best-selling author Kurt Andersen about his most recent book, '[Fantasyland: How America Went Haywire: A 500-Year History](https://amzn.to/2jmJF8C)'. Mike and Kurt discuss America's founding by 'a nutty religious cult', the long history of American pseudo-empiricism, the dynamic equilibrium between fantasists and realists that made American great, how the fantasists ended up in the driver's seat, ways in which the 1960s empowered the modern right, Donald Trump as a 21st century P.T. Barnum, and lots more. **[Kurt Andersen on Twitter](https://twitter.com/KBAndersen)** **Listener support helps make The Politics Guys possible.** If you’re interested in supporting the show, go to [politicsguys.com/support](http://www.politicsguys.com/support).Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-politics-guys/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Give the gift of a world of knowledge this holiday season with The Economist. Get access to
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0:32.9	You know what that is?
0:35.4	An ice cold beer.
0:37.4	What's different?
0:39.3	It's Budweiser.
0:41.3	Food longer for a refreshing, smooth taste.
0:48.3	Like no other.
0:51.3	Cheers to that.
0:53.3	Budweiser, like no other.
0:56.0	Please drink responsibly.
0:57.0	For the facts, visit drinkaware.coor.
0:59.0	com.
1:00.0	Welcome to the politics guys, a place for a bipartisan, rational, and civil debate on American politics and policy.
1:06.0	I'm Michael Barronowski, a political scientist at North Kentucky University.
1:10.0	My guest today is Kurt Anderson. Mr. Anderson is the host and co-creator of the Peabody Award-winning Studio 360, a weekly radio show about arts and culture. He's written for film, television, and the stage, and is the author of the novel's True Believers, Hayday, and Turn of the Century. He's also the author of Fantasyland, How America Went Haywire, a 500-year history, which we'll be talking about today.
1:34.5	Kurt Anderson, welcome to the show.
1:36.6	Happy to be here, Mike.
	...

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