The Right Side of History with Tyler Cowen | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution

The Right Side of History with Tyler Cowen | GoodFellows | Hoover Institution

From GoodFellows: Conversations on Economics, History & Geopolitics by Hoover Institution

January 31, 2026 · 1h 8m · Episode 174

About this episode

The episode discusses Donald Trump's presence at the World Economic Forum and various geopolitical issues with economist Tyler Cowen and the GoodFellows hosts.

Donald Trump’s drop-in at the World Economic Forum and the ensuing kerfuffle between the American president and the attending globalist elites raises the question: Who is winning on the world stage, Trump or his foes—or do they have more in common than is commonly recognized? Tyler Cowen, an economist, blogger, and Free Press columnist, joins GoodFellows regulars Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, and H.R. McMaster to discuss Trump’s third presidential visit to the Davos, Switzerland, lion’s den, plus the rise of “democratic socialism” and “affordability politics” embodied in the ethos of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. After that: the three fellows discuss lessons from Minneapolis in the aftermath of two protestors shot to death by federal immigration agents; the odds of American military strikes against Iran; the significance of China’s latest military purge; plus whether the show’s resident historians are comfortable with the (over)use of phrase “the right side of history.” Subscribe to GoodFellows for clarity on today’s biggest social, economic, and geostrategic shifts — only on GoodFellows.

People in this episode

Hosts: Niall Ferguson, John Cochrane, H.R. McMaster

Guest: Tyler Cowen

Topics covered

  • Trump at World Economic Forum
  • democratic socialism
  • affordability politics
  • American military strikes
  • China's military purge
  • historical perspectives

Keywords

  • Trump
  • World Economic Forum
  • democratic socialism
  • affordability politics
  • military strikes
  • China
  • history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: World Economic Forum, Free Press

Places: Switzerland, Minneapolis, Iran, China

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