The Political Scene | The New Yorker

Episode: George Packer, Adam Davidson, and Jill Lepore on Short-Term Thinking in America
Host: David Remnick
Date: November 26, 2018

Episode Overview

This episode explores the roots and consequences of short-term thinking in American politics, economics, and society. Host David Remnick is joined by New Yorker writers George Packer, Adam Davidson, and historian Jill Lepore for a nuanced discussion connecting the 2008-09 financial crisis, climate change, the erosion of public trust, and the structural features of American democracy that encourage “short-termism.” The conversation interrogates the challenges of building meaningful long-term policy solutions in a system driven by election cycles, market pressures, and cultural skepticism of expertise.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. From Financial Crisis to Political Division

Participants: David Remnick & George Packer

• Connection of 2008-09 Crisis to Trump Presidency:
  • The financial crash undermined Americans’ faith in foundational institutions—government, banks, housing, job security.
  • Rising skepticism and the search for someone to blame ("Who took it away from me?") fueled anti-elite sentiment and political polarization.
  • Memorable quote:
    • "All the things that were like the basis of middle class security were gone almost overnight for a lot of Americans... Who took it away from me?"
      — George Packer [01:46]

2. Climate Change as a Partisan Issue

Participants: David Remnick & George Packer

• Why Climate Denial Works Politically:

  • Climate change became a proxy in the culture war, originating with high-profile advocates like Al Gore.
  • It presents a “no-win” scenario: requires sacrifice, lifestyle change, and massive investment.
  • Denial provides psychological comfort—pretending it isn’t real is easier than accepting painful solutions.
  • Notable moments:
    • "It just became in the tribal political world, we live in another way to bash them," George Packer on how climate change deniers see the issue as a way to 'stick it to liberals' [02:54].
    • "Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just convince yourself that it was a hoax?" — Packer [03:36]

• Public Attitudes Outside Coastal Cities:

  • Example of Dean Price, a rural entrepreneur who supports some green ideas but views climate science with skepticism.
  • Even those open to innovation may resist the overwhelming implications of climate change.

3. The Limits of Political Action & Bipartisanship

Participants: David Remnick & George Packer

• Necessity of Broad Political Buy-In:
  • Highlighted Ryan Costello, a Republican acknowledging climate change, as evidence that bipartisan engagement is essential.
  • The deep divide means “single party” solutions are infeasible; collective action is necessary.
• Admission of Irreversibility:
  • Remnick: "It's too late in certain respects... what we could have done 20 years ago is now an opportunity lost." [06:19]
  • Anticipating adaptation, not prevention: moving communities, building seawalls, facing migration and eroded sympathies.

4. Conspiracy Theories and Erosion of Trust

Participants: David Remnick & George Packer

• The Contagion of Suspicion:
  • Climate change denial builds on the erosion of trust post-Iraq war and financial crisis; once expertise is discredited in one area, it spreads.
  • "Climate change might be the original conspiracy theory of our time...that kind of softened up the ground for all the others." — George Packer [07:47]

5. The Political System’s Structural Myopia

Participants: David Remnick & Adam Davidson

• Barriers to Long-Term Action:
  • The presidency is critical for large-scale change, especially on issues like climate.
  • There’s rarely a decisive "do it now or disaster" moment for slow-moving crises; the lack of urgency stymies action.
  • Contrast with Financial Crisis:
    • Adam Davidson: "Henry Paulson had something that we don’t have yet with the environmental crisis. He had a day...he was able to get everyone into a room and say, if you do X, Y, and Z, we will save the world. If you don’t, the world will end." [10:34]
    • Climate change lacks such "sharp and specific" urgency in the public eye.

6. Historical and Structural Roots of Short-Termism

Participants: David Remnick & Jill Lepore

• Constitutional and Electoral Incentives:

  • Lepore argues only the Constitution is a true long-term plan; everything else is short-range and election-driven.
  • Lasting change (civil rights, lynching) usually comes from outside elected officials: activism, private sector, social movements, journalism.
  • "The nature of our public conversation about climate change really hasn't happened yet, but there's no reason it can't happen now." — Jill Lepore [14:18]

• Paths Forward:

  • Carbon tax seen as rational, possible without constitutional amendment—requires a shared sense of purpose and cross-partisan effort.
  • Example: federal income tax took decades, carbon tax could too but needs broad buy-in.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "All the things that were like the basis of middle class security were gone almost overnight for a lot of Americans... Who took it away from me?" — George Packer [01:46]
• "It just became in the tribal political world, we live in another way to bash them." — George Packer on the politicization of climate change [02:54]
• "Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could just convince yourself that it was a hoax?" — George Packer [03:36]
• "Climate change might be the original conspiracy theory of our time...that kind of softened up the ground for all the others." — George Packer [07:47]
• "There is no real solution without having an American president who embraces the necessity for that change." — Adam Davidson [09:35]
• "Only the Constitution is our really only long term plan. Everything else is running for office, Everything else is election driven. Everything else has an incredibly short time horizon." — Jill Lepore [12:35]
• "The nature of our public conversation about climate change really hasn't happened yet, but there's no reason it can't happen now." — Jill Lepore [14:18]
• "Common purpose and shared burden. If we leave you with any takeaways from this program today, let it be those." — David Remnick [15:27]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Linking financial crisis and Trump presidency: [01:16–01:46]
• Climate denial as politics & lived experiences of climate skepticism: [02:24–04:39]
• Consequence of inaction & adaptation vs mitigation: [06:19–07:23]
• Propagation of conspiracy thinking: [07:23–08:40]
• Barriers to solutions: presidency, urgency, and collective action: [08:43–11:23]
• Historical roots of short-term thinking, prospects for change: [12:00–15:27]

Conclusion

The episode synthesizes a sharp critique: American democracy—by design and practice—too often encourages short-term thinking over the collective, long-term action needed for challenges like climate change. Economic shocks, political partisanship, and conspiracy thinking have eroded public trust in expertise and institutions. Facing these issues demands a renewed sense of shared purpose and an embrace of systemic solutions, drawing inspiration from social movements, private innovation, and bipartisan cooperation.