<![CDATA[AGON: Radicalis Podcast]]>https://www.agonmag.com/s/radicalis-podcasthttps://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!rcUR!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd19a7b72-52d2-4d0e-a804-0405241a39ed_1280x1280.pngAGON: Radicalis Podcasthttps://www.agonmag.com/s/radicalis-podcastSubstackThu, 30 Apr 2026 02:21:42 GMT<![CDATA[The Failure of Conservatism and the Path Ahead]]>https://www.agonmag.com/p/the-failure-of-conservatism-and-thehttps://www.agonmag.com/p/the-failure-of-conservatism-and-theWed, 10 May 2023 00:18:53 GMTFor the latest installment of Radicalis, AGON’s senior editor Dr. Michael Vlahos sits down with Professor Claes Ryn to discuss Ryn’s new book, The Failure of American Conservatism—And the Road Not Taken, fresh off the print by Republic Book Publishers.

Claes Ryn is Emeritus Professor of Government at the Catholic University of America, founding director of the Center for the Study of Statesmanship, and writer of many books—most notably, The New Jacobinism: America as Revolutionary State and Will, Imagination, and Reason. He is also the editorial director at AGON.

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During their 75-min exchange, they discuss Ryn’s powerful critique of the postwar “movement conservatism” in the United States, the richness of America’s constitutional tradition, the dangers of American exceptionalism, the Jacobin penetration of American politics which begets the global American empire, and much more (including J.R.R. Tolkien!).

In the course of the discussion, Ryn offers a provocative account of the devolution of conservatism as temperament—focused on character—into Conservatism as ideology—fixated on political power. The latter, he claims, was philosophically unsophisticated, easily transformed into dogma, and prone to both “hubris” and “dreaminess”.

To overcome the pathologies of the age, Ryn calls for a radical realism that affirms the world as it is and “explodes” the dangerous illusions undergirding the ahistorical idealism and ideologies of both the Left and the Right.

A short sample from the book is available here.

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]]><![CDATA[A Sit Down With Douglas Macgregor: Part III]]>https://www.agonmag.com/p/a-sit-down-with-douglas-macgregor-e3ahttps://www.agonmag.com/p/a-sit-down-with-douglas-macgregor-e3aTue, 28 Mar 2023 14:52:07 GMTThis interview is the final episode in a three-part series hosted by Dr. Michael Vlahos, a senior editor at AGON, and Douglas Macgregor, a U.S. Army colonel (ret.), former senior advisor to the Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the author of five books, including Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War.

Vlahos and Macgregor discuss the paradigm shift in modern warfare, as has been underscored by the war in Ukraine. They also discuss the need for strategic adaptability from the U.S. military, the current state of military leadership, and the need for fundamental reforms in U.S. command structure and force posture.

This episode is available exclusively to paid subscribers. The first installment is available for free here.

AGON
A Sit Down With Douglas Macgregor: Part I
Watch now (51 min) | This interview is part one in a three-part series hosted by Dr. Michael Vlahos, a senior editor at AGON, and Douglas Macgregor, a U.S. Army colonel (ret.), former senior advisor to the Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the author of five books, including…
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3 years ago · 11 likes · Douglas Macgregor and Michael Vlahos

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]]><![CDATA[A Sit Down With Douglas Macgregor: Part II]]>https://www.agonmag.com/p/a-sit-down-with-douglas-macgregor-6eahttps://www.agonmag.com/p/a-sit-down-with-douglas-macgregor-6eaWed, 22 Mar 2023 17:59:15 GMTThis interview is part two in a three-part series hosted by Dr. Michael Vlahos, a senior editor at AGON, and Douglas Macgregor, a U.S. Army colonel (ret.), former senior advisor to the Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the author of five books, including Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War.

In this episode, Vlahos and Macgregor discuss the trajectory of NATO and the future of European security. In particular, they touch on NATO’s enlargement, its impact on heightening tensions abroad, and its role in the ongoing proxy war between the U.S. and Russia in Ukraine.

This episode and the final episode will be available exclusively to paid subscribers. The first installment is available for free here.

AGON
A Sit Down With Douglas Macgregor: Part I
Watch now (51 min) | This interview is part one in a three-part series hosted by Dr. Michael Vlahos, a senior editor at AGON, and Douglas Macgregor, a U.S. Army colonel (ret.), former senior advisor to the Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the author of five books, including…
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3 years ago · 8 likes · Douglas Macgregor and Michael Vlahos

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]]><![CDATA[A Sit Down With Douglas Macgregor: Part I]]>https://www.agonmag.com/p/a-sit-down-with-douglas-macgregorhttps://www.agonmag.com/p/a-sit-down-with-douglas-macgregorWed, 15 Mar 2023 22:08:02 GMTThis interview is part one in a three-part series hosted by Dr. Michael Vlahos, a senior editor at AGON, and Douglas Macgregor, a U.S. Army colonel (ret.), former senior advisor to the Acting U.S. Secretary of Defense, and the author of five books, including Margin of Victory: Five Battles that Changed the Face of Modern War.

Vlahos and Macgregor trace the origins of the Ukraine War and discuss whether the conflict is reaching its decisive phase and the prospects for a negotiated settlement.

The next episodes in this series will be made available exclusively to paid subscribers.

RADICALIS is the official podcast of AGON, an independent and reader-supported publication. To support our work, become a free or paid subscriber.

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