The Aaron Renn Show

Aaron Renn's commentary and insights on our 21st century world, along with his conversations with some of the world's leading thinkers on the issues of today. Covering culture, media, economics, politics, Christianity and men's issues.

The Aaron Renn Show is a society podcast hosted by Aaron Renn, with 280 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Aaron Renn hosts The Aaron Renn Show, a society show with 280 episodes published.

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  The Aaron Renn Show

  The Lost Art of Civil Disagreement | Jeff Worrell

  Sep 15, 202640 min

  Civility is not politeness, compromise, or “finding common ground.” In a polarized country—where fights over immigration, gender, public meetings, and online pile-ons feel existential—Aaron Renn talks with Carmel, Indiana city councilor and civic leader Jeff Worrell about what it actually takes to disagree hard without destroying the relationship. Worrell, founder of Project Civility, argues that it's possible to "bring the heat," but not burn the house down. They cover internal posture (goodwill, humility, compassion), seeking the larger story in the other person, “do no harm,” civil departure when a relationship is toxic, why institutions so often avoid real dissent, and how leaders can give people permission to disagree without becoming enemies. Visit Project Civility: https://www.projectcivility.com CHAPTERS: (00:00 Introduction) (01:52 What civility looks like when the country is deeply divided) (04:01 “How can you talk civility when the stakes are existential?”) (07:02 Does incivility work—and how do you avoid being a beautiful loser?) (11:30 How to respond when you’re personally attacked) (17:53 Disagreement gets a bad rap) (22:12 The principles: internal posture, the larger story, do no harm) (30:27 Advice for leaders—and staying positive about your community) CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN: Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

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  The Aaron Renn Show

  The Digital Catastrophe Already Happened | James Poulos

  Sep 1, 20261h 2m

  Aaron Renn talks with technology and media writer James Poulos about Human Forever — and why the real digital disaster is not a future AI apocalypse, but a transformation that has already happened. Poulos argues that the print-and-television age ran on imagination (“if you can dream it, you can do it”). Computational technology flipped that. Machine memory now dominates: infinite archives, permanent records, surveillance, and a culture of searching and scrolling instead of dreaming. That shift, he says, is why so much of American life feels like fallout — and why older, memory-based forms of life, including traditional Christianity, are suddenly making sense again. They discuss Marshall McLuhan’s “flip,” the return of the medieval, literacy’s collapse, accelerationism and transhumanism, why Christianity and America are the two things Poulos thinks can still stand, father-to-son rites of passage, practical politics around data centers, and why he published the book on the Bitcoin blockchain. James Poulos is the author of Human Forever and the forthcoming Golden Age Problems . He is editorial director of Frontier at Blaze Media and a non-resident senior fellow at the Foundation for American Innovation. CHAPTERS: (0:00 Introduction) (1:20 The digital catastrophe already happened) (9:07 From imagination to memory) (12:08 Why the digital age retrieves the medieval) (15:24 Ancient liturgy and the search for spiritual authority) (24:18 Accelerationism, cyborgs, and running from responsibility) (32:31 What if AI outdoes every human faculty?) (41:39 Why Christianity and America still stand) (47:39 How to remain human: space, politics, and attainable goals) (54:38 Father-to-son rites of passage) (58:28 Why the book is on the Bitcoin blockchain) JAMES POULOS LINKS: Buy Human Forever: https://canonic.xyz/p/1YV9yExbmJ9mgBXNM81TouJuDtqxH2PpL Frontier Magazine: https://www.blazeunlimited.com/frontier CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN: Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

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  The Aaron Renn Show

  The Quiet Urban Leadership Crisis | Mark Barbash

  Aug 10, 202643 min

  Is local leadership declining, even in America’s fastest-growing cities? Aaron Renn sits down with Mark Barbash, a longtime economic development professional in Columbus, Ohio, to examine the quiet crisis of civic and corporate leadership. They discuss how generational change, corporate consolidation, shifting philanthropy, and a K-shaped economy are weakening the institutions that once held cities together—while headline growth continues. Using Columbus, Ohio as a case study, they explore what it will take to rebuild commitment to the common good. Topics include the decline of place-based corporate leaders, the rise of donor-advised funds, workforce and housing constraints, the limits of economic development incentives, and whether there’s still a “burning platform” for meaningful change. CHAPTERS: (00:00 Introduction: The Leadership Crisis in American Cities) (02:05 How Civic and Corporate Leadership Has Changed Over the Decades) (08:15 Generational Shifts and the Decline of Place-Based Leadership) (15:00 Economic Development in a Globalized, Industry-Focused World) (17:00 The K-Shaped Economy, Workforce Shortages & Housing Stress) (24:00 The Transformation of Local Philanthropy and Community Foundations) (31:40 Is There a Burning Platform for Change in Booming Cities?) (37:00 What Should We Do? Rebuilding Consensus and Engagement) ARTICLES DISCUSSED: From Titans to Technocrats: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/from-titans-to-technocrats 'The Columbus Way' is failing as community, problems grow: https://www.aol.com/articles/columbus-way-failing-community-problems-082827000.html Instability at Columbus Partnership sign of broken Columbus Way: https://www.aol.com/articles/instability-columbus-partnership-sign-broken-081533000.html CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN: Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

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  The Aaron Renn Show

  SPECIAL: My Appearance on Faithful Discourse with Chris Henry

  Jul 27, 202656 min

  In this week's episode, I'm sharing an appearance I made on Faithful Discourse with Chris Henry, the senior pastor of Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. For more about this church and our conversation, you can see the write up I did on my web site: https://www.aaronrenn.com/p/the-reckoning-is-here

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  The Aaron Renn Show

  Can AI Save Cities From the Urban Doom Loop? | Arpit Gupta

  Jul 13, 202648 min

  Economist Arpit Gupta joins Aaron to break down the future of American cities after remote work, office real estate collapse, and the rise of AI. From the “Urban Doom Loop” — where falling commercial property values crush city tax revenue and trigger a vicious spiral — to surging suburban housing prices, office-to-residential conversions, and the transformative potential of autonomous vehicles, this conversation covers the biggest forces reshaping urban America. Will AI supercharge white-collar job growth and rescue downtowns, or accelerate the displacement of routine office work? Are superstar cities like New York and San Francisco pulling ahead while second-tier cities struggle? And how will self-driving cars radically expand commuting patterns and city sprawl? CHAPTERS: (00:00 – Introduction & The Urban Doom Loop Explained) (03:20 – Post-COVID Office Market Recovery (or Lack Thereof)) (07:45 – Why Housing Prices Are Soaring While Offices Collapse) (12:10 – Remote Work’s Lasting Impact on City Centers) (15:30 – AI’s Dual Effect on White-Collar Jobs & Office Demand) (22:40 – Can Tourism or “Playground Cities” Replace Commerce?) (26:15 – Agglomeration Effects in the Age of Zoom & AI) (31:40 – Advice for Young People Entering the Job Market) (36:50 – The Game-Changer: Autonomous Vehicles & the Future of Sprawl) (43:20 – Will Most Cities Decline or Adapt?) ARPIT GUPTA LINKS: 🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/arpitrage 🌐 Arpit Gupta's NYU Homepage: https://www.stern.nyu.edu/faculty/bio/arpit-gupta CONNECT & FOLLOW AARON RENN: 🐦 Twitter/X: https://x.com/aaron_renn 🌐 Newsletter - In-depth cultural analysis: https://www.aaronrenn.com/

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