Interview, Fireside Chat
Bret Stephens: "New York Times" Op-Ed Columnist
- Brett Stevens is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist for The New York Times who was born in New York City, raised in Mexico City, and educated at the University of Chicago (studying political philosophy) and the London School of Economics.
- Stevens identifies his perspective as shaped by his mother's history as a Jewish refugee from Nazi-occupied Europe and his early exposure to the disparity between life in Mexico and the United States, such as access to tap water.
- He views his time studying political philosophy as critical for understanding non-liberal regimes like Iran and China as "virtue-centric" rather than freedom-centric, a framework he argues standard political science often misses.
- Stevens observed that the European Union bureaucracy suffers from "group think" and a reliance on technocracy over democracy, noting a lack of "gadflies" to challenge the assumption that "more Europe" is invariably the solution.
- As editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post at age 28, Stevens covered the Second Intifada, describing it as the "worst period in modern Israeli history."
- Stevens witnessed a suicide bombing on Azza Street in Jerusalem in January 2004, which killed 11 people and the bomber; he describes this event as life-changing for stripping away metaphorical descriptions of violence and revealing the physical reality of an "abattoir."
- Upon joining The New York Times two years prior, Stevens faced immediate backlash for his inaugural column on climate change, which argued that total scientific certainty fosters doubt and that the Paris Accords are not a meaningful solution to the climate crisis.
- Despite the hostile reaction, Stevens notes that then-EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt cited his column as a justification for withdrawing from the Paris Accord, though Stevens received millions of hate messages for the piece.
- Stevens characterizes the foreign policy of both the Obama and Trump administrations as moving toward isolationism, sharing a continuity in the belief that the U.S. should not be the primary guarantor of global security and should focus more on domestic "nation building."
- He warns that this isolationist trend is a "fantasy" for a global superpower, citing the rise of ISIS in Iraq following the 2011 withdrawal and the potential instability of a Taliban takeover in Afghanistan as consequences of disengagement.
- Stevens describes the Republican Party's current behavior as "tragic," arguing it has abdicated its role in preserving liberal democratic norms by ignoring President Trump's emergency declaration for the border wall and accepting moral character failures.
- He predicts Republicans will face long-term consequences for failing to check the president's power to rule by fiat, noting that such precedents could be used by future Democratic administrations to declare emergencies over issues like climate change or gun control.
- In his speech "The Dying Art of Disagreement," Stevens argues that "certitudinousness" is toxic to free societies, creating fanatics and leading to catastrophic mistakes when confident bets prove wrong.
- He advocates for the necessity of disagreement, stating that healthy democracies are built by those who say "no," and criticizes the trend of shutting down speakers on college campuses and using social media to get opponents fired.
- Stevens models his writing by reading columns from opponents like Paul Krugman and the National Review to find valid points rather than seeking confirmation bias.
- He believes news media and universities are moving away from diversity of thought due to subscription incentives and social media algorithms, creating "thought silos."
- Stevens praises The New York Times editor James Bennett for intentionally hiring contrarians to "swim against the current" of audience reinforcement.
- He views the media ecosystem as harmful to public discourse, admitting that his own engagement with Twitter and TV is "bloviation" that he would quit if not for economic interests.
- Stevens condemns the President's rhetoric labeling the press as "fake news" as dangerous, equating it to accusations of lying and disloyalty, and warns it encourages autocrats globally to suppress independent journalism.
- He fears that the President's attacks on the press could eventually incite violence against journalists, placing "blood on the president's hands."
- Regarding the upcoming presidential election, Stevens advises the media not to discount Trump's popularity, the strength of the economy, or the fuel provided by "coastal liberal elite condescension."
- He warns that Democrats running on "pure moral rage" without appealing to "purple state middle America" will likely lose the election.
- Stevens cites his favorite column currently as being written by his colleague Frank Rooney, whom he describes as "fully human."
- He recalls career advice to always aim for the highest possible ambition (winning the Nobel Prize rather than just a Pulitzer), a mindset that keeps his goals high.
- Stevens notes that while the "war" between the President and the media has increased The New York Times' business, the relationship remains toxic and dangerous for liberal democracy.